cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial Barriers to Employment of the Cancer Survivor

This article is areview of the literature relating to employment of cancer survivors. Some studies, especially those of a decade ago, have reported various discriminatory actions on the part of employers and coworkers. Other follow-up studies of specific patient groups have found few documented problems and have concluded that most former cancer patients, those treated either in childhood or in adulthood, function well in society and in their vocational roles. State and federal laws provide a potential source of help for the person who does develop problems. The authors postulate that improved survival rates and current publicity and openness about cancer are serving to ameliorate the cancer patient's employment problems.
High Definition Colonoscopy Combined with i-SCAN Imaging Technology Is Superior in the Detection of Adenomas and Advanced Lesions Compared to High Definition Colonoscopy Alone

Background. Improved detection of adenomatous polyps using i-SCAN has mixed results in small studies. Utility of i-SCAN as a primary surveillance modality for colorectal cancer screening during colonoscopy is uncertain. Aim. Comparing high definition white light endoscopy (HDWLE) to i-SCAN in their ability to detect adenomas during colonoscopy. Methods. Prospective cohort study of 1936 average risk patients who had a screening colonoscopy at an ambulatory procedure center. Patients underwent colonoscopy with high definition white light endoscopy withdrawal versus i-SCAN withdrawal during endoscopic screening exam. Primary outcome measurement was adenoma detection rate for i-SCAN versus high definition white light endoscopy. Secondary measurements included polyp size, pathology, and morphology. Results. 1007 patients underwent colonoscopy with i-SCAN and 929 with HDWLE. 618 adenomas were detected in the i-SCAN group compared to 402 in the HDWLE group (p < 0.01). More advanced adenomas (≥10 mm) were found by i-SCAN, 79 versus 47 (p = 0.021) and based upon histology alone 37 versus 18 (p = 0.028). Conclusions. i-SCAN detected significantly more adenomas and advanced adenomas compared to high definition white light endoscopy.
Design principle for improved three-dimensional ac electro-osmotic pumps

Three-dimensional (3D) ac electro-osmotic (ACEO) pumps have recently been developed that are much faster and more robust than previous planar designs. The basic idea is to create a "fluid conveyor belt" by placing opposing ACEO slip velocities at different heights. Current designs involve electrodes with electroplated steps, whose heights have been optimized in simulations and experiments. Here, we consider changing the boundary conditions-rather than the geometry-and predict that flow rates can be further doubled by fabricating 3D features with nonpolarizable materials. This amplifies the fluid conveyor belt by removing opposing flows on the vertical surfaces, and it increases the slip velocities that drive the flow.
FAD Mutations in Amyloid Precursor Protein Do Not Directly Perturb Intracellular Calcium Homeostasis

Disturbances in intracellular calcium homeostasis are likely prominent and causative factors leading to neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Familial AD (FAD) is early-onset and exhibits autosomal dominant inheritance. FAD-linked mutations have been found in the genes encoding the presenilins and amyloid precursor protein (APP). Several studies have shown that mutated presenilin proteins can directly affect calcium release from intracellular stores independently of Aβ production. Although less well established, there is also evidence that APP may directly modulate intracellular calcium homeostasis. Here, we directly examined whether overexpression of FAD-linked APP mutants alters intracellular calcium dynamics. In contrast to previous studies, we found that overexpression of mutant APP has no effects on basal cytosolic calcium, ER calcium store size or agonist-induced calcium release and subsequent entry. Thus, we conclude that mutated APP associated with FAD has no direct effect on intracellular calcium homeostasis independently of Aβ production.
Anomalous electric organ discharges from the elephant fish, Gnathonemus moori.

Abstract 1. Under the stimulating influence of caffeine, the electric organs of Gnathonemus moori generate two abnormal discharges and the normal discharge becomes depressed, possibly due to asynchronous firing of the electroplaques. 2. The first abnormal discharge that develops occurs 0·5 to 0·7 msec. before the usual potential and it probably results from the second set of stalk PSP's, which are normally subthreshold. 3. The second of the abnormal discharges follows the regular discharge by about 2 msec. and may be an echo response arising from self-stimulation of some spinal electromotor neurons. 4. The second abnormal discharge disappears as soon as the regular (normal) discharge becomes reduced in amplitude.
How the EEA Came to America

Surgical stapling instruments, a revolutionary concept in surgical technique, were introduced in the United States in 1967. Notably absent in the new family of American instruments was the circular stapler (EEA) for end-to-end intestinal anastomosis. This strange omission was corrected a decade later. The EEA is now one of the most widely used stapling instruments in the surgical armamentarium.
Securing the rural citizen The anti-Kallar movement of 1896

This article concerns the politics of security and caste difference in the late nineteenth century Madras Presidency. Relying on a vernacular principle of interpretation emerging from the colonial ...
Evaluating answers to definition questions

This paper describes an initial evaluation of systems that answer questions seeking definitions. The results suggest that humans agree sufficiently as to what the basic concepts that should be included in the definition of a particular subject are to permit the computation of concept recall. Computing concept precision is more problematic, however. Using the length in characters of a definition is a crude approximation to concept precision that is nonetheless sufficient to correlate with humans' subjective assessment of definition quality.
Implications of growth hormone release in sleep.

Abstract Growth hormone (HGH) in plasma of volunteers at rest was in barely detectable concentration during the day except for minor post prandial rises. Early in sleep a major rise occurred and this was related to the first cycle of sleep and to stages III and IV by EEG criteria. Glucose infusion nearly doubling the blood sugar failed to suppress HGH release. In anorexia nervosa glucose loading stimulated HGH release in eight of ten awake subjects, contrasting with unresponsiveness of obese subjects to stimuli of HGH release. We conclude that sleep release of HGH under CNS influence is of major importance and suggest that the brain monitors the nutritional state and regulates HGH release according to need.
Shoulder posture and localized muscle fatigue and discomfort.

In many industries workers perform manual assembly tasks with hands postured above the shoulders. Awkward shoulder and arm postures are often viewed as acceptable given costs of workplace modification, postural exertions which are in compliance with current design recommendations, ready availability of strong workers, and numbers of electromyographic studies which fail to detect significant signs of localized muscle fatigue (LMF). An experiment was conducted to: (a) study the onset and severity of (LMF) in the shoulder when performing a stylus-to-hole Fitts reciprocal movement task under a range of postures, hand loads, ratios of work-to-rest, and task durations, and (b) to evaluate the efficacy of three techniques (i.e., changes in EMG behaviour, postural tremor, and cross-modal matching estimates) in detecting and monitoring posturally-based LMF and discomfort in the shoulder complex. Experimental findings showed that posturing hands above shoulder level significantly increased the risk of LMF and postural discomfort even in light-weight manual assembly environs where postural exertions are small, and that cross-modal matching estimates and postural tremor were more sensitive metrics of LMF in the shoulder complex than EMG RMS voltage and mean spectral power frequency metrics. The basis for experimental findings, as well as potential application of LMF metrics in future postural stress investigations, are discussed. Recommendations for workplace posture are provided for job designers facing work height decisions in manual assembly environs.
The elderly at the millennium: Courting the older consumer

A major debate in social gerontology has been where ageing might be going in the future. In this article, author Thomas K. Fitzgerald looks at media challenges as responses to economic realities, as well as futurist predictions of the millennium—the preeminent metaphor for the future. Progress is noted based on current metaphors of ageing and the aged as well as on the status of the elderly in consumer-oriented societies.
Infrared studies of polymer blends containing a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and a hexafluoroisopropanol substituted vinyl ether

An essentially alternating 1:1 copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and a hexafluoroisopropanol-modified vinyl ether has been recently synthesized. This is an interesting copolymer for both experimenta...
The efficacy of crisis intervention training for educators: a preliminary study from the United States

Professional development in crisis intervention skills can help address the growing needs of schools to train faculty to respond to students in acute crisis. Unlike traditional methods of classroom management, crisis intervention training teaches specific strategies to de‐escalate conflict while at the same time addressing the underlying developmental, emotional and social needs of youth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of crisis intervention training and implementation on the thoughts, emotions and behaviours of educators. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, results suggest that training and implementation decreases negative attributions directed at the family, decreases negative emotional reactions, increases the desire to help students in crisis, and decreases student referrals out of the classroom. Implications for continuing professional development are discussed.
Interview with Janet Majilton, collection development officer, Memphis Shelby County Public Library & Information Center

Presents: Janet Majilton’s responses to questions covering her role and responsibilities as collection development officer; the County Public Library and Information Center’s relationship with branch libraries in respect of collection evelopment policies: retrospective purchasing; collections unique to the County Public Library; community responsiveness; the impact of new technology and the library’s collection assessment project.
Amalgam Hazards an Assessment Of Research

Although mercury vapor in high concentration can have deleterious effects on several organ systems, there is no evidence of risk at the levels generated by chewing with amalgam restorations. Epidemiological studies relating amalgam exposure to health outcomes are recommended, however, to provide the profession and the public a full sense of security.
Child Care in India: A Comparative Developmental View of Infant Social Environments.

Child care in India is influenced by the sociodemographic condition of the society and the sociocultural environment in extended households.
Reducing Bias and Error in the Correlation Coefficient Due to Nonnormality

It is more common for educational and psychological data to be nonnormal than to be approximately normal. This tendency may lead to bias and error in point estimates of the Pearson correlation coefficient. In a series of Monte Carlo simulations, the Pearson correlation was examined under conditions of normal and nonnormal data, and it was compared with its major alternatives, including the Spearman rank-order correlation, the bootstrap estimate, the Box-Cox transformation family, and a general normalizing transformation (i.e., rankit), as well as to various bias adjustments. Nonnormality caused the correlation coefficient to be inflated by up to +.14, particularly when the nonnormality involved heavy-tailed distributions. Traditional bias adjustments worsened this problem, further inflating the estimate. The Spearman and rankit correlations eliminated this inflation and provided conservative estimates. Rankit also minimized random error for most sample sizes, except for the smallest samples (n = 10), where bootstrapping was more effective. Overall, results justify the use of carefully chosen alternatives to the Pearson correlation when normality is violated.
Conditionally Stationary Measures for Random Diffeomorphisms

Abstract For random diffeomorphisms the relation between conditionally stationary measures and controllability properties of an associated deterministic control system is analyzed.
Access to Dual Enrollment Courses and School-Level Characteristics

Increasing the percentage of adults with a college credential is paramount to sustaining our economic competitiveness. One strategy that has potential to help achieve the goal of increased postsecondary degree production is dual enrollment, which allows high school students to enroll in college-level courses for credit that can be applied simultaneously toward their high school and college degree requirements. However, dual enrollment can only help if students have access. This study capitalizes on a policy shift in the state of Virginia to descriptively assess whether dual enrollment offerings are disproportionally associated with certain high school characteristics. Although the policy shift had positive implications for access to dual enrollment courses, we found that access remains inequitably distributed. High schools that are located in suburbs and the northern region of the state, as well as high schools that are comprised of a high percentage of underrepresented students, continue to lag in their ...
Improving Soil Quality: Implications for Weed Management

Future advancements in crop production will rely on increased understanding of ecological principles that control interactions among cropping system components. Our interest in linking soil quality and weed management derives from the belief that greater understanding of key processes and properties that define soil-weed relationships will lead to the design of agroecosystems with greater capacity and opportunity to suppress weeds. We identified seed-bank persistence, seedling establishment, and interspecific interference as key processes that affect annual weed population dynamics. We then examined how soil processes and properties can affect each of these factors and how, in turn, soil-improving management practices and cropping system design may affect weed dynamics. We established weed-related soil management objectives as: (i) reducing the persistence of seeds in the soil; (ii) reducing the abundance of safe-sites for weed establishment and the filling of available sites; and (iii) reducing crop yield loss caused by a given density of weeds. Soil factors that can be managed to achieve these goals include: (i) chemical, physical, and biological conditions that affect resources required for weed seed germination, establishment and growth; (ii) habitat for herbivores and pathogens that attack weed seeds and seedlings; and (iii) phytotoxin production. We concluded that many as yet unexplored opportunities exist to manipulate the soil environment and to design cropping systems that create multiple weed suppressive conditions at critical junctures of weed seed-bank persistence, establishment, and interference.
Imaging performance of a large-field kinestatic charge detector for digital radiography

The initial performance of a digital radiographic system incorporating a large-field (2016- channel) kinestatic charge detector and data acquisition electronics is discussed. The measured modulation transfer function of the system is 20% at 4 cy/mm. The measured detective quantum efficiency is 40 - 60%. These results are comparable with or better than those of current clinical (rare-earth film-screen and storage phosphor) systems. First images from the large-field system are shown and compared with those from commercial systems. Future system improvements in process or in planning are discussed.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nicotine's Allure

Both conscious and unconscious memory mechanisms contribute to the rewarding effects of nicotine and other drugs of abuse. In this issue of Neuron , Tang and Dani use in vivo measures of synaptic plasticity in freely moving mice to link nicotine-induced dopamine release in hippocampus to LTP induction and behavioral reinforcement.
Ketone-DNA: a versatile postsynthetic DNA decoration platform.

A general strategy for the functional diversification of DNA oligonucleotides under physiological conditions was developed. We describe the synthesis of DNA molecules bearing ketone ports (ketone-DNA) and the efficient postsynthetic decoration of ketone-DNA with structurally diverse aminooxy compounds.
Development of the rat sublingual gland: A light and electron microscopic immunocytochemical study

Cell differentiation in the rat sublingual gland occurs rapidly and is largely complete by birth. To study differentiation of the serous and mucous cells of the sublingual gland, we used antibodies to the secretory proteins CSP-1, SMGB, PSP, and SMGD, and sublingual mucin as specific cell markers. Glands from rats at ages 18, 19, and 20 days in utero, and postnatal days 0, 1, 5, 9, 14, 18, 25, 40, and 60 were fixed and prepared for morphological analysis and immunocytochemical labeling. At age 18 days in utero, a few cells in the developing terminal bulbs contained mucous-like apical granules that labeled with anti-mucin. Other cells had mixed granules with a peripheral lucent region and a dense core of variable size that occasionally labeled with anti-SMGD. Additionally, presumptive serous cells with small dense granules that contained CSP-1 and SMGB were present. At age 19 days in utero, the dense granules of these cells also labeled with anti-SMGD. By age 20 days in utero, mucous cells were filled with large, pale granules that labeled with anti-mucin, and serous cells had numerous dense granules containing CSP-1, SMGB, PSP, and SMGD. Fewer cells with mixed granules were seen, but dense regions present in some mucous granules (MGs) labeled with anti-SMGD. After birth, fewer MGs had dense regions, and serous cells were organized into well-formed demilunes. Except for PSP, which was undetectable after the fifth postnatal day, the pattern of immunoreactivity observed in glands of neonatal and adult animals was similar to that seen by age 20 days in utero. These results suggest that mucous and serous cells have separate developmental origins, mucous cells differentiate earlier than serous cells, and cells with mixed granules may become mucous cells.
Random Series in Powers of Algebraic Integers: Hausdorff Dimension of the Limit Distribution

We study the distributions F θ, p of the random sums [sum ] ∞ 1 e n θ n , where e 1 , e 2 , … are i.i.d. Bernoulli- p and θ is the inverse of a Pisot number (an algebraic integer β whose conjugates all have moduli less than 1) between 1 and 2. It is known that, when p =.5, F θ, p is a singular measure with exact Hausdorff dimension less than 1. We show that in all cases the Hausdorff dimension can be expressed as the top Lyapunov exponent of a sequence of random matrices, and provide an algorithm for the construction of these matrices. We show that for certain β of small degree, simulation gives the Hausdorff dimension to several decimal places.
Neutrophil gelatinase- associated lipocalin (NGAL) as a Biomarker for Early Acute Kidney Injury

Based on information to date, although limitations in the accuracy of NGAL in predicting AKI persist, the preponderance of published studies demonstrate that NGAL, when measured in the plasma and in the urine, is a reliable biomarker for the subsequent development of clinically apparent AKI. If very early detection of AKI, via the measurement of plasma or urinary NGAL, can be followed by effective treatment to abort the development or limit the severity of AKI, and therefore decrease the rate of RRT, length of hospitalization stay, and/or mortality risk, NGAL measurement will become a critically important diagnostic tool in critical care medicine, pediatrics, and surgery.
Study of Tails in Smectic Liquid Crystals. I. The Effect of Fluorocarbon/Hydrocarbon Ether Tails on Phenyl Ester Biphenyl Cores

Abstract The use of the mixed fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon ether sequence [1H,1H,5H-octafluoro-1-pentoxy-]ethoxy in place of aliphatic or aliphatic ether sequences significantly enhances the temperature range of the chiral smectic C (Sc*) liquid crystalline phase. Considerations derived from the literature, supported by computer modeling, suggested that stabilization of the Sc* phase results from enhancement of the population of gauche conformers. These considerations have led to liquid crystal molecules with the widest range of Sc* phase thus far reported.
Problems in Data Compilation

Concepts involved in the estimation of target quantities and other adjustment parameters are critically discussd. We point out that one can find more accurate precepts for the reduction of data by utilizing all available constraints on all available data in the derivation of the reduction precepts. We introduce a measure for the efficiencyof a set of adjustment parameters such that adjustments carried out using different precepts can be objectively compared. Finally, having applied our suggestions to a specific problem, we show that we have obtained estimates of a set of target quantities (in our case, star positions and proper motions) which have smaller formal errors than estimates of the same target quantities derived from the same input material but following traditional procedures.
Evaluation of interactions between polymers and low molecular weight compounds by GLC II: Thermodynamics and elucidation

Raoult's law activity coefficients, obtained by GLC procedures for systems consisting of polymers used in packaging as solvents, bacteriostatic agents, and organic solvents as solutes, were related to the Gibbs free energies, enthalpies, and entropies of mixing. Solution theories were employed for elucidating the factors and mechanisms operative in the polymer-low molecular weight compound interactions. The main factor favoring miscibility was the configurational entropy arising from molecular size difference of the components. For the major part of the systems, the contact interactions were unfavorable to mixing in varying degrees. The data strongly indicated that the parabens interacted as aggregates, most probably pairs, participating in dispersion-type interactions; thus, the contact interactions were more favorable to mixing with polyethylene than with polyvinyl chloride. Alternatively, the retention values obtained from GLC were related to the partition coefficients which were used to compare the sorption-desorption propensities of the low molecular weight compounds with respect to the polymers. Heats of solution and vaporization not previously reported were also derived from the data. Agreement with results from other sources is presented.
Relationships between tuber size and time of harvest to hollow heart initiation in Dryland Norgold Russet potatoes

In four years of field trials approximately75% of hollow heart was initiated in tubers between 5.1 and 7.6 cm in diameter. Only rarely was hollow heart initiated in tubers less than 3.8 cm. The frequency of hollow heart was approximately nine times greater in medium sized tubers (6.4 to 7.6 cm) and 34 times greater in large tubers (over 7.6 cm) than in small tubers (5.1 to 6.4 cm). The number of tubers with hollow heart increased linearly through the last five weeks of the growing season. Hollow heart during the four years ranged from 4200 to 31900 tubers/ha or 2.9 to 13.0% of all tubers over 2.5 cm. There were consistent increases in tuber growth between harvests in each season, inferring an absence of severe plant stress and supporting the hypothesis that hollow heart was due to tissue tension associated with tuber enlargement.
Counterfeit parts: The scourge of industry

ake transistors in the space shuttle, fake fire detection and control systems on Boeing 737 flight decks, fake wing bolts on civil aircraft, fake parts in NATO military helicopters, and fake parts in advanced, guided missile systems[1]—all of these have happened and all had the potential to cause death, injury, and property damage and loss. The counterfeiting of industrial parts is an expensive and dangerous international problem.
Giant moments of Fe and Co on and in rubidium aaand potassium films

Thin quench-condensed films of Rb and K are covered with 1/100 of a mono-layer of Fe or Co. Then the impurities are covered with several atomic layers of the host. The magnetization of the films is measured by means of the anomalous Hall effect (AHE). The magnetization follows a Brillouin function with a magnetic moment of more than 10 Bohr magnetons for bulk Co and Fe impurities. These moments are much larger than the moments of the atomic configurations of Fe and Co and suggest enhanced magnetic moments of the impurities.
Clutter reduction in echocardiography with short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) imaging

Clutter, a problematic noise artifact in echocardiography, appears as a diffuse haze that obscures endocardial borders and inhibits accurate diagnoses. Several approaches are available to reduce clutter in cardiac images, yet difficult-to-image patients still exist. We have recently developed a novel imaging method, termed short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) imaging, that has demonstrated potential to reduce clutter in simulated and experimental data. With this technique, images are created from the same individual channel signals used to form B-mode images, but instead of applying a conventional delay-and-sum beamformer, the data are cross-correlated to measure and display differences in spatial coherence. This technique was applied to in vivo cardiac images. Individual channel signals were acquired to form matched B-mode and SLSC images of the left ventricle in fourteen human volunteers. The contrast and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the ventricle and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the endocardium were measured in the same locations in matched B-mode and SLSC images. In SLSC images created with a short-lag value equivalent to 16% of the transmit aperture, contrast and CNR was improved by 9±7 dB and 0.4±0.2, respectively, in the SLSC images. The average SNR of the endocardium was 1.7±0.4 in the SLSC images and 1.8±0.4 in the B-mode images. The presented approach demonstrates a new method for reducing clutter in cardiac images.
MD-2 Residues Tyrosine 42, Arginine 69, Aspartic Acid 122, and Leucine 125 Provide Species Specificity for Lipid IVA

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activates the innate immune response through the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)·MD-2 complex. A synthetic lipid A precursor, lipid IVA, induces an innate immune response in mice but not in humans. Both TLR4 and MD-2 are required for the agonist activity of lipid IVA in mice, with TLR4 interacting through specific surface charges at the dimerization interface. In this study, we used site-directed mutagenesis to identify the MD-2 residues that determine lipid IVA species specificity. A single mutation of murine MD-2 at the hydrophobic pocket entrance, E122K, substantially reduced the response to lipid IVA. Combining the murine MD-2 E122K with the murine TLR4 K367E/S386K/R434Q mutations completely abolished the response to lipid IVA, effectively converting the murine cellular response to a human-like response. In human cells, however, simultaneous mutations of K122E, K125L, Y41F, and R69G on human MD-2 were required to promote a response to lipid IVA. Combining the human MD-2 quadruple mutations with the human TLR4 E369K/Q436R mutations completely converted the human MD-2/human TLR4 receptor to a murine-like receptor. Because MD-2 residues 122 and 125 reside at the dimerization interface near the pocket entrance, surface charge differences here directly affect receptor dimerization. In comparison, residues 42 and 69 reside at the MD-2/TLR4 interaction surface opposite the dimerization interface. Surface charge differences there likely affect the binding angle and/or rigidity between MD-2 and TLR4, exerting an indirect influence on receptor dimerization and activation. Thus, surface charge differences at the two MD-2/TLR4 interfaces determine the species-specific activation of lipid IVA.
Optically forbidden excitations of the 3s subshell in the 3d transition metals by inelastic scattering of fast electrons. [keV]

Electron-energy-loss spectra of 75-keV electrons have been recorded from thin evaporated films of the 3d transition metals. Spectra have been measured in the region of the 3s subshell excitation (M/sub 1/ edge) at different momentum transfers. As small q, no significant intensity at the M/sub 1/ threshold is found, but at larger q(> or =1 A/sup -1/), weak but sharp peaks are observed. These are attributed to the optically forbidden 3s..-->..3d transitions. Widths of these peaks for the metals titanium, chromium, iron, and nickel and their oxides TiO/sub 2/, Cr/sub 2/O/sub 3/, and NiO are measured and compared with both the expected widths for the unoccupied portions of the 3d bands and the intrinsic M/sub 1/ core level widths.
Effects of unequal alternating monocular exposure on the sizes of cells in the cat's lateral geniculate nucleus

In unequal alternating monocular exposure, each eye receives normal patterned input, but on alternate days and for unequal periods. This imbalance in stimulation produces a behavioral deficit for the less-experienced eye and alters the ability of that eye to activate cortical cells. To determine whether unequal alternating exposure also affects the sizes of cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), we measured the cross-sectional areas of geniculate neurons in seven normally reared cats, 14 cats reared with equal alternating exposure, and 17 cats reared with unequal alternating exposure. We found that, in the LGNs of cats reared with unequal alternating monocular exposure, cells in layers that received their input from the less-experienced eye were smaller than those in layers that received their input from the more-experienced eye. This effect was restricted to the binocular segments of the nucleus, and the difference in cell size was a function of the imbalanced exposure, rather than the length of exposure per se. In control groups given balanced alternating exposure, cell size was not correlated with the length of daily exposure. In cats reared with unequal exposure, the change in cell size was greater in the nucleus ipsilateral to the less-experienced eye. Further, the size of the effect was correlated with the size of the imbalance imposed during rearing: Cats reared with a moderate imbalance (8 hours/day vs. 4 hours/day) showed less change in cell size than cats reared with a large imbalance (8 hours/day vs. 1 hour/day). These results are consistent with those of behavorial and physiological studies and strongly suggest (1) that unequal alternating monocular exposure affects the sizes of cells in the LGN by altering the normal competitive balance between the retinogeniculocortical pathways from the left and right eyes, and (2) that the contralateral pathway has some inherent advantage in this competition. We also found a slight shrinkage of cells in the LGNs of cats reared with equal alternating monocular exposure. Since this effect was restricted to the binocular segments of the nucleus, and was not related to the length of exposure given, it was probably caused by the imbalanced binocular competition that occurred during each day's monocular exposure.
PERFORMANCE OF THE EXPECTED UTILITY METHOD AND TWO OTHER NORMATIVE METHODS IN INSURANCE DECISION MAKING

In an experiment, thirty-six professional insurance men employed the utility method, the worry method, and the comparison method in two insurance problems to determine the appropriate insurance coverage. It was found that the best act with the utility method almost always was no insurance, whereas the best act with the other two methods tended to be complete insurance. The utility method best act rarely agreed with the subject's actual preferred act, while the comparison method best act usually was the same or almost the same as the actual preferred act. While the worry method suggests that the subjects typically are risk averse, the utility functions obtained tend to show that the subjects typically are not risk averse.
How EHR-based clinical decision support promotes patient-centered care

265 ISSN 1758-1907 10.2217/DMT.12.35 © 2012 Future Medicine Ltd Delivering patient-centered care is a national healthcare priority, as articulated by the Institute of Medicine and others [1]. In our roles as clinicians of various disciplines and roles, we aspire to deliver care that is not only patient-centered, but also safe, timely, effective, efficient and equitable. To do this 20 or more times a day is no small challenge, and shortcomings in our efforts to deliver patient-centered care have been widely noted for a long time [2]. Models intended to guide improved care for patients with diabetes and other chronic conditions emphasize the need for team care that can be aided substantially by innovative use of health information technology [3]. Relatively new tools, especially the electronic health record (EHR), can enable us to provide patient-centered care in a more consistent and coordinated way than any of us could have even imagined just a few years ago.
Effect of fluconazole on the interactions between human neutrophils and Candida albicans

Abstract The effects of fluconazole on the candidacidal activity of human neutrophils were investigated. Three clinical isolates of Candida albicans were studied in a colony count assay and the presence of fluconazole during incubation of yeasts with neutrophils had no effect on neutrophil candidacidal activity. These results, using a different assay and three additional isolates, confirm previous studies showing that fluconazole does not interfere with the ability of neutrophils to kill C. albicans .
Synthesis of a Water-Soluble Siloxane Copolymer and Its Application for Antimicrobial Coatings

Copolymers of an N-halamine siloxane and a quaternary ammonium salt siloxane were prepared using 5,5-dimethylhydantoin and trimethylamine as functional groups. The solubility of this siloxane copolymer in water was dramatically improved over that of a hydantoinyl siloxane homopolymer developed earlier. The biocidal activity of cotton swatches coated with the copolymer was evaluated against S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7; the antimicrobial fabric with 0.23%−0.26% chlorine loading could inactivate 107 colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria within 1−5 min of contact. It was observed that a 1 wt % coating bath could provide a coating that could be chlorinated to greater than a 0.20% chlorine loading for a copolymer having a 9:1 ratio of hydantoin to quat moieties. The stability of the oxidative chlorine loading on the cotton swatches was not affected by the presence of the very hydrophilic quat functional group. Use of the copolymer in an antimicrobial coating application will be desirable because no organic s...
Neurophysiology of Motivated Learning: Adaptive Mechanisms Underlying Cognitive Bias in Depression

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for depression focuses on changing cognitive appraisals of the self and life events. This approach contrasts with behaviorist approaches to clinical disorders, which focused on elementary learning explanations and assumed that cognitive mediation is irrelevant. A better integration of behavioral analysis with cognitive therapy could be facilitated by the theoretical advances in animal learning theory over the last several decades. Animals have been found to respond to events in relation to mental representations of the reward value of those events. The evidence now shows that learning in mammals cannot be explained by passive behaviorist association principles, but requires a theoretical understanding of the animal’s hedonic expectancies and its adaptive response to discrepancies from those expectancies. The mechanisms of cognitive representation and information handling that are implied by modern learning theory have presented clear and specific challenges to neurophysiological theories of motivational control of learning and memory. The mechanisms of human motivational control appear to be similar to those of other mammals, suggesting that progress with understanding neurophysiological mechanisms of hedonic evaluation, frustration, and action regulation will soon provide the opportunity for a comprehensive neuropsychological model to guide diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorders.
Comparison of lamellar thickness and its distribution determined from d.s.c., SAXS, TEM and AFM for high-density polyethylene films having a stacked lamellar morphology

Lamellar thickness and its distribution in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) films having a well-defined stacked lamellar morphology were investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that the most probable lamellar thicknesses from SAXS and TEM agrees very well; however, they do not agree with those values obtained from d.s.c. and AFM. It is pointed out that the use of d.s.c. as a tool to determine lamellar thickness and its distribution is so sensitive to the rate of heating in the d.s.c. experiments and the parameters in the Gibbs-Thomson equation that it is not believed to be suitable for routine quantitative analysis.
Nicotine dependence symptoms among recent onset adolescent smokers.

Abstract The present study examined the prevalence of individual nicotine dependence symptoms among recent onset smokers across the continuum of nondaily and daily cigarette smoking behavior in a nationally representative sample of recent onset smokers from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Rates of endorsement for 17 symptoms drawn primarily from the Nicotine Dependence Symptom Scale (Shiffman et al., 2004) were calculated for four levels of nondaily (smoked 1–3, 4–10, 11–20, or 21–29 days in the past 30 days) and daily (smoked 1, 2–5, 6–15, or >15 cigarettes per day in the past 30 days) smoking. Logistic and linear regression analyses with polynomial contrasts controlling for age, gender, length of exposure, and smoking quantity tested trends in symptom endorsement across levels of smoking. Significant linear and quadratic trends indicated that increasing rates of endorsement differed most between the lowest levels of nondaily and daily smoking. Results suggest that, for some, infrequent smoking may not represent benign experimentation. Recognizing early symptoms of nicotine dependence may assist in early identification and intervention of those at risk for heavier smoking in the future. Adolescents can be taught to recognize the early symptoms of nicotine dependence to increase awareness of the rapidity at which these symptoms may appear.
Kinetics of the hydrothermal crystallization of the perovskite lead titanate

The hydrothermal crystallization kinetics for the perovskite PbTiO 3 have been investigated under autogenous conditions at temperatures in the range of 225–250°C and feedstock concentrations of 0.1–1.0 M. At these temperatures, crystalline perovskite particles were obtained in approximately 4–7 h. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the product oxides showed nanometer sized crystallites with an elongated morphology. The crystallization kinetics were monitored using X-ray powder diffraction on samples extracted from the reaction mixture at various times. The crystallization rate data were analyzed according to a generalized solid-state kinetic treatment which, along with microstructural evidence, suggest that the PbTiO 3 formation reaction proceeds via a dissolution-recrystallization mechanism. It is proposed that the precursor amorphous hydrous oxides of lead and titanium dissolve and recrystallize to form the perovskite phase. The relative rates of dissolution and recrystallization were found to be strongly temperature dependent within the range examined. At all temperatures, the recrystallization kinetics appeared to obey a zero-order rate law. An apparent activation energy of 7.2 kcal/mol was estimated for the hydrothermal PbTiO 3 formation reaction.
Distance Sequences In Locally Infinite Vertex-Transitive Digraphs

We prove that the out-distance sequence {f+(k)} of a vertex-transitive digraph of finite or infinite degree satisfies f+(k+1)≤f+(k)2 for k≥1, where f+(k) denotes the number of vertices at directed distance k from a given vertex. As a corollary, we prove that for a connected vertex-transitive undirected graph of infinite degree d, we have f(k)=d for all k, 1≤k<diam(G). This answers a question by L. Babai.
Fluid flow in a propagating crack

The fluid flow in a sharp, propagating crack is shown to have a large pressure drop near the tip for finite crack velocities. An analysis of the effect of liquid surface tension is made to determine the possibility of cavitation of the liquid. The analysis indicates that cavitation is possible for certain liquid metal embrittlement systems. Other systems apparently cannot support cavitation, but the fluid flow will still be important since it influences mass transport within the propagating crack.
Essential genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis sputum

Defining the essential genome of bacterial pathogens is central to developing an understanding of the biological processes controlling disease. This has proven elusive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa during chronic infection of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. In this paper, using a Monte Carlo simulation-based method to analyze high-throughput transposon sequencing data, we establish the P. aeruginosa essential genome with statistical precision in laboratory media and CF sputum. Reconstruction of the global requirements for growth in CF sputum compared with defined growth conditions shows that the latter requires several cofactors including biotin, riboflavin, and pantothenate. Comparison of P. aeruginosa strains PAO1 and PA14 demonstrates that essential genes are primarily restricted to the core genome; however, some orthologous genes in these strains exhibit differential essentiality. These results indicate that genes with similar molecular functions may have distinct genetic roles in different P. aeruginosa strains during growth in CF sputum. We also show that growth in a defined growth medium developed to mimic CF sputum yielded virtually identical fitness requirements to CF sputum, providing support for this medium as a relevant in vitro model for CF microbiology studies.
Polaron formation near a mobility edge

By combining the Emin-Holstein scaling theory of polaron formation with the scaling theory of localization in disordered systems, the authors show that the nonuniform extended eigenstates above the mobility edge (responsible for the continuous drop of the mobility to zero) collapse to localized polarons as the electron-phonon interaction is turned on.
Blood Pressure Management: Individualized Treatment Based on Absolute Risk and the Potential for Benefit

Clinical practice often conflicts with epidemiologic evidence in the management of blood pressure. Antihypertensive therapy is generally prescribed if blood pressure exceeds some arbitrary level, thus committing many persons with minimal cardiovascular risk to long-term drug therapy. By contrast, below that level, regardless of cardiovascular risk, blood pressure reduction is rarely sought. Epidemiologic data, however, consistently show a continuous, positive, linear relationship of the height of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure with the incidence of stroke and heart attack. No threshold level distinguishes those who will have a cardiovascular event from those who will not. In fact, most heart attacks and many strokes occur among persons with "normal" blood pressures. Observational experience suggests that benefit could be obtained from universal blood pressure reduction of even a few millimeters of mercury. This public health strategy can be augmented by identifying those individuals, at every level of blood pressure, whose risk for cardiovascular disease justifies the cost of pharmacologic intervention. Antihypertensive drug therapy will be most efficient and effective if directed at those who, by virtue of their constellation of risk factors or evidence of preclinical vascular disease, are likely to have a heart attack or stroke. The resulting redirection of clinical resources will spare many hypertensive persons whose absolute risk for a cardiovascular event is small, from life-long treatment. At the same time, other persons, currently classified as normotensive, will become candidates for blood pressure reduction because their cardiovascular risk is high.
Heutiger Stand der Erkenntnisse über die Pathogenese der Fettsucht

1. Die Fettsucht ist keine einheitliche Erkrankung, sie ist das Endresultat des Zusammenwirkens verschiedener auserer und innerer Faktoren.
The use of betaine for the treatment of homocystinuria

Oral anhydrous betaine was administered, along with an unrestricted diet, to two presumably cystathionine-synthase-deficient pyridoxine-nonresponsive patients with homocystinuria. Betaine treatment resulted in a significant decrease (to 1/4 of control) in plasma homocystine concentration and a rise (two- to four-fold) in plasma methionine values. This biochemical response was accompanied by clinical improvement. There were no apparent ill effects after more than two years of betaine supplementation.
Biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction type I versus occult biliary microlithiasis in post-cholecystectomy patients: are they both part of the same clinical entity?

We speculate that biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction type I and symptomatic migrating biliary microlithiasis may be part of the same disease process. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was carried out using procedure and diagnosis codes during the period of 1997–2006. Seventeen patients (age 51 ± 17; 94% women) with prior cholecystectomy, right upper quadrant/epigastric abdominal pain, elevated liver enzymes, dilated biliary ducts seen on ultrasound/CT scan were identified. The patients underwent ERCP with biliary endoscopic sphincterotomy. Nine (53%) had biliary microlithiasis and eight (47%) had biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction type I. They were followed for 2–108 weeks (median 9 weeks). 6/8 (75%) in biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction type I and 6/9 (67%) in biliary microlithiasis group had resolution of abdominal pain (P = 1.00). We conclude that the clinical improvement with biliary sphincterotomy for biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction type I versus occult biliary microlithiasis was not significantly different.
Distribution of Antarctic benthic foraminifers settling on the pecten Adamussium colbecki

Some benthic foraminifers in Explorers Cove, Antarctica, occur both in the sediment and on hard objects such as rocks and invertebrates. The abundances of four of these foraminiferal species have been measured from sediment samples and from the upper valve of the pecten Adamussium colbecki. The two calcareous species, Cibicides refulgens and Rosalina globularis were more abundant on the pecten shells than the sediment: the agglutinated species, Trochammina ochracea and T. malovensis were more abundant in the sediment. A zone of low foraminiferal density was observed around the outer margin of each shell, but no evidence of an influence of pecten feeding currents on the foraminiferal distributions was found. The size of the pecten shell influenced the density of epizoic foraminifers colonizing it; large shells (area >43 cm2) supported much higher densities than smaller ones.