cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Density-matrix calculations of the 1.5 T citrate signal acquired with volume-localized STEAM sequences.

Citrate detection and quantitation with proton spectroscopic methods are of current interest as potential tools in the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer. Thestimulatedechoacquisitionmode (STEAM) sequence is a commonly used volume-localization method for detecting citrate signal. Since the1H citrate resonance at clinically available field strengths arises from a strongly coupled two-spin system, the 90° RF pulses and localizing gradients used in STEAM sequences result in a complicated dependence of signal intensity on timing intervals and gradient amplitudes. The density-matrix formalism has been applied to arrive at a general solution to this problem. Citrate-signal properties at 1.5 T for different gradient localization schemes are examined with the solution. Optimal interpulse delays, deleterious gradient balances, zero-quantum oscillations with mixing time, and a low-frequency, large-amplitude oscillation with echo time are identified for signals acquired with the standard disposition of gradients in STEAM. The generality of the solution also allows for an examination of nonstandard gradient disposition schemes for enhancing citrate signal and for quantifying the sensitivity of such approaches to both field inhomogeneities and off-resonance effects.
Acoustic Radiation Force-Driven Assessment of Myocardial Elasticity Using the Displacement Ratio Rate (DRR) Method

A noninvasive method of characterizing myocardial stiffness could have significant implications in diagnosing cardiac disease. Acoustic radiation force (ARF)–driven techniques have demonstrated their ability to discern elastic properties of soft tissue. For the purpose of myocardial elasticity imaging, a novel ARF-based imaging technique, the displacement ratio rate (DRR) method, was developed to rank the relative stiffnesses of dynamically varying tissue. The basis and performance of this technique was demonstrated through numerical and phantom imaging results. This new method requires a relatively small temporal (<1 ms) and spatial (tenths of mm2) sampling window and appears to be independent of applied ARF magnitude. The DRR method was implemented in two in vivo canine studies, during which data were acquired through the full cardiac cycle by imaging directly on the exposed epicardium. These data were then compared with results obtained by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging and shear wave velocimetry, with the latter being used as the gold standard. Through the cardiac cycle, velocimetry results portray a range of shear wave velocities from 0.76–1.97 m/s, with the highest velocities observed during systole and the lowest observed during diastole. If a basic shear wave elasticity model is assumed, such a velocity result would suggest a period of increased stiffness during systole (when compared with diastole). Despite drawbacks of the DRR method (i.e., sensitivity to noise and limited stiffness range), its results predicted a similar cyclic stiffness variation to that offered by velocimetry while being insensitive to variations in applied radiation force.
Localization and anticrossing of electron levels in GaAs 1 − x N x alloys

The electronic structure in nitrogen-poor ${\mathrm{GaAs}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{N}}_{x}$ alloys is investigated using a plane-wave pseudopotential method and large supercells. Our calculations give a detailed description of the complex perturbation of the lowest conduction band states induced by nitrogen substitution in GaAs. The two principal physical effects are (i) a resonant impurity state ${a}_{1}(N)$ above the ${a}_{1}({\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{1c})$ conduction band minimum (important at ``impurity'' concentrations, $x\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{17} {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3})$ and (ii) the creation of ${a}_{1}{(L}_{1c}),$ and ${a}_{1}{(X}_{1c})$ states due to the splitting of the degenerate ${L}_{1c}$ and ${X}_{1c}$ GaAs levels (important at alloy concentrations, $x\ensuremath{\sim}1%$ or $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{21} {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}).$ We show how the interaction of ${a}_{1}(N),$ ${a}_{1}({\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{1c}),$ ${a}_{1}{(L}_{1c}),$ and ${a}_{1}{(X}_{1c})$ provides a microscopic explanation for the origin of the experimentally observed anomalous alloy phenomena.
That Was the Century That Was: Historical Perspectives on Medical Life at the Fin de Siècle

As the ship of U.S. medicine drifts toward the millennium, we peer out warily from the deck and wonder what lies ahead—or whether a rudder is down below. This paper surveys recent historical works ...
The application of dextran-magnetite as a relaxation agent in the measurement of erythrocyte water exchange using pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Summary The rate of water exchange across the erythrocyte membrane was measured using dextran-magnetite as a paramagnetic relaxation agent. The mean residence time of water within the cell was found to be 21.4 ± 0.5(SE) at 22°C. This agreed extremely well with the value measured using manganese. The iron complex was found to not move across the erythrocyte membrane for at least 8 hours, making possible experiments which could not be done using manganese. The activation energy of water transport was measured and this value agreed within 1% of the value using manganese. This suggests that neither reagent induces a substantial perturbation on experimentally determined values of water transport rates.
Characterization Technique For Transparent Ion Conducting Films

In the development and production of transparent multilayer solid-state ionic structures, and in particular, electrochromic Smart Window glass, the measurement of electron and ion transport properties of the layers is essential, since it can determine the feasibility as well as the speed of operation of devices with those layers. We are developing a novel electro-optical technique to measure the ion and electron mobilities of several layers of the electrochromic Smart Window glass essentially in situ. Presented in this paper are the technique, preliminary models, and transport properties of two such films.
Cured meats and childhood cancer.

To the Editor: In addition to the paper from our group, 1 two papers in the March 1994 issue of Cancer Causes and Control 2'3 address the possible association between cured meats and cancer in children. We are pleased to see that epidemiologists are exploring this complex area and offer some observations and thoughts that we hope may prove useful to these and other investigators of this possible relationship. We are currently analyzing data from a case-control study of childhood brain tumors occurring over a period of seven years (1982-90) among residents in 19 counties on the west coast of the United States. These data include interview data from mothers on their intake during the relevant pregnancy of 47 foods likely to be the most important sources of exposure to nitrate, nitrite, N-nitroso compounds, and modulators of nitrosation such as vitamins C and E. In this dataset, we see an association with maternal consumption of bacon and other cured meats, but what we think is the most important finding thus far is the trend of increasing risk associated not with average, daily, total intake of nitrite from diet (P trend = 0.58), but with average, daily, intake of nitrite from cured meats (P trend = 0.001; odds ratio for fourth cf first quartile of consumption = 1.9, 95 percent confidence interval = 1.4-2.6). This finding supports our expectation that nitrite from cured meats rather than total nitrite is important, presumably because the concentration of available nitrite in the gut (rather than total nitrite) is of critical importance. Although nitrite in the gut comes partly from the nitrate in vegetables and other foods which is reduced to nitrite in the saliva, nitrite from this source is far more diluted than the high concentrations of nitrite that occur, for example, around bits of bacon that remain in the stomach for some time after eating bacon. Where the concentration of nitrite is highest the rate of
The influence of pregnancy on heterotopic ossification post‐displaced acetabular fractures surgical repair

Pregnancy is associated with maternal bone mineral density loss and modulation of calcium metabolism. We hypothesized that pregnancy may decrease the risk of heterotopic ossification (HO) after trauma. This is a single-institution, University of Mississippi Medical Center, retrospective study investigating the effect of pregnancy on the incidence HO after surgical repair (SR) of displaced acetabular fractures. Between January 1998 and 2010, 257 non-pregnant women (Group A) and 16 pregnant women (Group B) were identified. All the non-pregnant women received radiation therapy (RT) ± indomethacin. None of the pregnant women in group B received any prophylaxis. After a median follow-up of 6.6 years the incidence of HO in all patients was 27% (75/273). In Group A, non-pregnant, women who received RT ± indomethacin, 29% developed HO; HO risk was 0.4. In Group B, 16 pregnant patients, only one developed HO (6%); HO risk was 0.06. Thus, the risk of HO appears to be nearly six-fold higher in non-pregnant women despite prophylactic RT ± indomethacin. Our data suggest that pregnancy may be associated with a reduced risk of HO after SR of displaced acetabular fractures. Further analysis with a larger pregnant patient sample is necessary to confirm this finding. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31: 944–948, 2013
New taxa of Consolea Lemaire (Cactaceae: Opuntioideae) from Cuba

The ranges ofConsolea nashii andC. moniliformis were found to extend from the Bahamas and Hispaniola, respectively, into Cuba. Two new subspecies are now recognized on the basis of morphological and geographical discontinuities of populations:Consolea nashii subsp.gibarensis from the coastal thickets between Manati and Maisi, northeastern Cuba, andC. moniliformis subsp.guantanamana from the cacti thorn-woodlands and thickets of Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba Provinces, on the southern coast and adjacent dry plains of eastern Cuba. A key to the Cuban species ofConsolea is provided.
A theory of risk, return and solvency

Abstract In recent years, state regulators and state and federal lawmakers in the United States have become increasingly concerned with issues involving both the price and solvency regulation of insurers. In this article, we develop a risk-theoretic framework for studying both rate of return and solvency issues. Employing a certain class of diffusion processes to model insurer net worth, we use the expected discounted cost of insolvency (EDCI), a generalization of the probability of ruin, in constructing the regulator's objective function. This objective function is then used to solve for the optimal rate of return and the optimal loss-to-net worth ratio.
A Review of Nonparametric Alternatives To Analysis of Covariance

Five distribution-free alternatives to parametric analysis of covariance are presented and demonstrated using a specific data example. The results of simulation studies investigating these procedures regarding their respective Type I error rate under a null condition and their statistical power are also reviewed. The results indicate that the nonparametric procedures have appropriate Type I error rates only for those situations in which para metric A NCO VA is robust to violations of data assumptions. In terms of statistical power, nonparametric alternatives to parametric ANCOVA provide a considerable power advan tage only for situations in which extreme violations of assumptions have occurred and the linear relationship between measures is weak.
Hepatocyte-targeted HFE and TFR2 control hepcidin expression in mice

Hereditary hemochromatosis is caused by mutations in the hereditary hemochromatosis protein (HFE), transferrin-receptor 2 (TfR2), hemojuvelin, hepcidin, or ferroportin genes. Hepcidin is a key iron regulator, which is secreted by the liver, and decreases serum iron levels by causing the down-regulation of the iron transporter, ferroportin. Mutations in either HFE or TfR2 lower hepcidin levels, implying that both HFE and TfR2 are necessary for regulation of hepcidin expression. In this study, we used a recombinant adeno-associated virus, AAV2/8, for hepatocyte-specific expression of either Hfe or Tfr2 in mice. Expression of Hfe in Hfe-null mice both increased Hfe and hepcidin mRNA and lowered hepatic iron and Tf saturation. Expression of Tfr2 in Tfr2-deficient mice had a similar effect, whereas expression of Hfe in Tfr2-deficient mice or of Tfr2 in Hfe-null mice had no effect on liver or serum iron levels. Expression of Hfe in wild-type mice increased hepcidin mRNA and lowered iron levels. In contrast, expression of Tfr2 had no effect on wild-type mice. These findings suggest that Hfe is limiting in formation of the Hfe/Tfr2 complex that regulates hepcidin expression. In addition, these studies show that the use of recombinant AAV vector to deliver genes is a promising approach for studying physiologic consequences of protein complexes.
Absence of bleeding complications in patients undergoing cortical surgery while receiving valproate treatment.

✓ Valproate (VPA) is associated with a variety of idiosyncratic hematological effects including thrombocytopenia, inhibition of platelet aggregation, and fibrinogen depletion. This has led some investigators to recommend discontinuation of VPA therapy prior to elective surgical procedures. However, administration of VPA therapy is not altered prior to surgery at the authors' center and no VPA-associated bleeding complications have been observed. Therefore, a retrospective chart review was conducted to verify the clinical observations in patients who had undergone cortical resection while receiving antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Baseline, surgical, and postoperative laboratory data were available for a total of 313 patients, 111 of whom were receiving VPA and 202 of whom were receiving AEDs without VPA (control patients). Eighty-seven percent of the patients receiving VPA were also being treated with at least one other AED. The control group was approximately equally divided between monotherapy (55%) and poly...
Grid pattern delivered to the cornea during femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery.

A 63-year-old patient had cataract surgery in the left eye performed using the femtosecond laser. The laser successfully created the capsulotomy, but as the femtosecond lens fragmentation was being performed, the patient suddenly moved and the eye disengaged from the patient interface. As this happened, the surgeon stopped the treatment, but inspection of the cornea revealed a partial lens fragmentation grid pattern in the temporal cornea. This inadvertent occurrence did not affect the final surgical result. Financial Disclosure Dr. Yoo is a consultant to Abbott Medical Optics, Inc. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Trace Metals in Urine of United States Residents: Reference Range Concentrations

We measured 13 metals in the urine of 496 United States residents to establish reference range concentrations using inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry and Zeeman graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. We frequently found 8 of these analytes at detectable concentrations in urine specimens: molybdenum (in 99.8%); lead (98.8%); tin (89%); thallium (77%); antimony (73.5%); manganese (73%); cesium (71%); tungsten (70%); and platinum (69.7%). The 95th percentile concentration for molybdenum was 168 μg/L; concentrations ranged up to 688 μg/L. Lead concentrations ranged up to 67 μg/L, and the 95th upper percentile was 6.4 μg/L. Tin had 95th upper percentile of 20.1 μg/L. Other analytes measured at detectable concentrations included barium (in 67% of the specimens); beryllium (67%); chromium (54%); thorium (44%); and cobalt (43%). In almost every case, the 95th upper percentiles of these analytes were less than 15 μg/L.
Some disfunctions of institutional imbalances

In most societies, individuals perform in several roles associated with several institutions. The rewards for quality of performance may be given on different bases in the different situations. For example, rewards in the economic sphere may be in money and within the family in affection. However, in some societies, as in our own, one type of role (and the associated institutions) may become so important that its values “invade” other roles and institutions. As a result, the evaluations of performance proper in the dominant institutions tend to be substituted for evaluations proper in others. The results may be strains on individuals and on the over-all goal achievement of the society.
An exact algorithm for the maximal covering problem

This article develops a robust, exact algorithm for the maximal covering problem (MCP) using dual-based solution methods and greedy heuristics in branch and bound. Based on tests using randomly generated problems with problem parameters similar to those in the existing literature, the hybrid approach developed in this work appears to be effective over a wide range of MCP model parameters. The method is further validated on problems constructed from three real-world data sets. The extensive computational study compares the new method with other existing exact methods using problems that are as big, or larger than, those used in previous work on MCP. The results show that the proposed method is effective in most instances of MCP. In particular, it is shown that bounding schemes using Lagrangian relaxation are effective on MCP as a method of obtaining both exact and heuristic solutions. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
4661 Do pancreatic features identified with endoscopic ultrasound correlate with sphincter of oddi manometry in patients with clinically suspected sphincter of oddi dysfunction? an evaluation of 462 patients.

SOM is the accepted method for diagnosing SOD. EUS can evaluate anatomical features of the pancreas. The role of EUS in the evaluation of patients with clinically suspected SOD particularly in predicting the findings of SOM, is undefined. AIM: Evaluate if EUS assessment of the pancreas correlates with SOM in patients with clinically suspected SOD. METHOD: Patients with clinically suspected SOD who underwent EUS prior to SOM between 2/94 and 11/99 at MUSC were included for analysis. Patients with pancreas divisum, prior therapy to the major papilla, or inadequate SOM or EUS were excluded. EUS features of pancreatitis ( parenchymal : foci, strands, lobularity, cysts, and ductal : hyperechoic and irregular duct margins, calcification/stones, visible side-branches and duct dilatation) were compared with the SOM diagnosis of the biliary (BSOM) and pancreatic (PSOM) orifices. All EUS examinations were blinded to the findings at SOM. SOM was performed using a standard 5 F aspirating catheter and SOD diagnosed if the mean sphincter pressure from two leads was >40 mmHg. EUS was performed using a radial echoendoscope (Olympus UM-20, UM-130) at 7.5 MHz. RESULTS: Of 462 patients (mean age 45 yrs. range16-85yrs., M/F 137/325), 372 and 370 underwent unequivocal PSOM and BSOM respectively after EUS. Of the 176 patients with abnormal PSOM, 54% (n=95) had a total >4 EUS features of pancreatitis; 46% (89/194) with normal PSOM had 3 or less features (p=1). Of patients with no EUS features, 48%(25/52) and 52% (27/52) had normal and abnormal PSOM respectively (p=0.55). Similarly there was no correlation between BSOM (148 abnormal) and the total number of EUS features. The number of parenchymal or ductal EUS features was unrelated to BSOM or PSOM. CONCLUSIONS 1] Neither the total number nor the number of parenchymal or ductal EUS features of pancreatitis predict the findings of SOM in patients with clinically suspected SOD. 2] A normal EUS examination (i.e. no features) does not exclude SOD.
Spline Approximation of Effective Potentials under Periodic Boundary Conditions

The use of spline functions to approximate the "effective" interparticle potentials that result from taking into account all image particles in periodic-boundary-condition Monte Carlo or molecular dynamics simulations is described. Such approximations are intrinsically very "smooth," easy to construct, relatively inexpensive to evaluate and can provide a high degree of accuracy. The asymptotic properties of systems governed by long-range interactions may thus be determined using relatively small particle numbers. A number of implementation issues are discussed in detail, including the choice of end conditions, economical storage of the spline coefficients, conversion to B-spline form, and efficient evaluation procedures. Applied to the problem of locating the melting temperature Tm of a Yukawa system by means of molecular dynamics simulations, we observe values for Tm that are virtually independent of the particle number N if the pair potential includes the spline correction term and N ? 250, whereas using only the "minimum image" method gives Tm values that systematically decrease and attain the asymptotic value only for N ? 5000.
Exome sequencing: expanding the genetic testing toolbox.

Exome sequencing identifies the cause of a Mendelian disorder Ng et al. (2009) Nature Genetics 41(1):30–36
Partial aortic obstruction produced by a thoracostomy tube

by echocardiography include valve vegetations, intracardiac tumors, and foreign bodies. Vegetations can often be differentiated on M-mode echocardiograms as shaggy echoes causing irregular thickening of the valve. ~ On two-dimensional echocardiography vegetations often appear as rapidly oscillating masses attached to valve tissue? Infective endocarditis in the pediatric age group more commonly involves the aortic and mitral valves1~ catheter-induced thrombi can be expected to be found in the right side of the heart. We have evaluated three patients with hydrocephalus who had embolization of the tip of a shunt into the right heart. The catheters in these patients appeared as foreign bodies in the right ventricle in two patients and in the right pulmonary artery in the third patient. On M-mode echocardiography the catheter appeared as two dense finear echoes separated by an echo-free space which represented the catheter lumen; therefore, the catheters had an appearance distinctly different from thrombi on M-mode echocardiography. The two-dimensional echocardiogram was used in these three patients to establish the exact location of the catheter in the right heart. Early diagnosis of intracardiac thrombi may prevent massive pulmonary embolism and irreversible pulmonary vascular obstructive disease that may result from multiple small microemboli in the pulmonary vasculature. There may be irreversible damage to the pulmonary vascular bed before obvious clinical symptoms occur. Our first patient was completely asymptomatic until four weeks after discharge from the hospital. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether asymptomatic patients should be screened periodically. In the meantime, we suggest that patients who have received long-term total parenteral nutrition through a central venous catheter and develop signs of respiratory distress, cyanosis, cardiomegaly, or a new murmur should undergo M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography to search for intracardiac thrombi.
Observations of viscoelastic instabilities in recirculation flows of Boger fluids

Abstract A purely elastic flow instability in the recirculation flow of a driven half-cavity or blocked channel is discovered and examined both experimentally and numerically. Video image analysis is used to determine the critical Weissenberg number and characteristic wavenumber of the instability while laser sheet imaging provides information about the structure and location of the secondary flow. To understand the basic flow and ultimately the flow instabilities. we numerically solve the combined momentum conservation and constitutive equations describing the flow of elastic fluids in the block flow geometry. Local rates of polymer stretch are estimated with a weakly elastic expansion using the Oldroyd-B constitutive equation for the polymer stress. Numerical solutions for the kinematics and polymer stretch are also obtained using the Chilcott-Rallison FENE model to describe the polymeric stress. These results are discussed in the context of known purely elastic instability mechanisms in order to better understand the stability of general recirculation flows.
The BDNF val(66)met polymorphism is not related to motor function or short-term cortical plasticity in elderly subjects.

The brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) val66 met polymorphism affects function of the motor system in young subjects, but little is known about motor system effects in the elderly. The current study assessed motor system physiology and behavior, plus a measure of short-term motor cortex plasticity using transcranial magnetic stimulation, in 38 elderly subjects, then examined whether findings varied in relation to BDNF genotype. Baseline data were also collected from 14 young subjects. At baseline, elderly subjects had poorer motor performances, larger motor cortex maps, and smaller motor evoked potentials compared to young subjects. Degree of age-related differences in neurophysiology correlated inversely with motor performance, for example, larger map area correlated with weaker pinch grip force (r= −0.42, P=0.01). In elderly subjects, baseline behavior and neurophysiology did not differ in relation to BDNF genotype. In addition, although map area increased significantly (P=0.03) across 30 minutes of exercise, this change did not vary according to BDNF genotype. Aging is associated with changes in neurophysiology that might represent a compensatory response. The data do not support an association between BDNF genotype and behavior, neurophysiology, or short-term cortical plasticity in the motor system of healthy elderly subjects.
Reverse Weathering, Clay Mineral Formation, and Oceanic Element Cycles

Reverse weathering is a process by which new clays are formed by chemical combination of elemental material from oceans and marine sediments. Mackenzie and Kump review the history of research into this process and comment on the research report by Michalopoulos and Aller ([p. 614][1]), which has “reopened the Pandora's box of reverse weathering in sediments.” [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.270.5236.614
Survival in Dogs with Nasal Adenocarcinoma: 64 Cases (1981–1995)

Case records of 64 dogs with nasal adenocarcinoma were reviewed. The effects of age, gender, tumor stage, presence of metastatic lesions, and treatment method on survival time were examined. Surgery groups included rhinotomy (n = 9), transnasal curettage (n = 29), and no surgery (n = 26). Chemotherapy groups included fluorouracil-cyclophosphamide combination therapy (n = 15), mitoxantrone (n = 7), and no chemotherapy (n = 42). Fifty-three dogs received fractionated cobalt 60 radiation therapy. Surgical procedure, chemotherapy group, and stage of primary tumor were not significantly associated with survival time (P > .05). Dogs that received radiation therapy had a significantly longer median survival time (424 days) than dogs that did not (126 days) (P= .0001). The presence of either regional lymph node or pulmonary metastasis was associated with significantly shorter median survival time (109 days) when compared to dogs without metastases (393 days) (P= .0125). When only dogs that had received radiation therapy were considered, neither surgical treatment nor chemotherapy group was associated with significant changes in median survival time. An alternate staging system emphasizing the presence or absence of metastases is proposed. Key words: Chemotherapy; Metastasis; Radiotherapy.
Immigration Advocacy as Labor Advocacy

As immigration reform efforts continue to experience fits and starts in Congress, immigrant and non-immigrant workers have joined together to advocate for immigration reform at the federal level and to protest the surge of exclusionary immigration measures at the state and local levels. These advocacy efforts demonstrate that many workers connect immigration law to workplace conditions. This article develops a comprehensive analytical framework for viewing immigration advocacy as labor advocacy, even though these two statutory regimes have completely separate policymaking processes. It uncovers the historical roots of the interplay between immigration law and labor issues. Similarly, it elaborates the ways that a workplace law, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), has the potential to protect a broad range of workers’ immigration advocacy efforts. To date, scholars have largely focused on how restrictive aspects of immigration law narrow workplace protections, such as minimum wage and safety standards. In contrast, this article shows how the interaction between immigration law and workplace law can broaden workplace protections in some circumstances. By constructing an analytical lens that views immigration law in relationship to workplace law, this article illuminates why it is crucial to simultaneously consider these two statutory regimes. In doing so, it also reveals new opportunities for immigrant and worker advocates to come together around shared interests.
Effect of Δ22-5β-taurocholenic acid and dietary fat on hepatic cholesterol and fatty acid in hyperglycemic-obese mice

Abstract Previous work demonstrated that hyperglycemic obese mice ( obob ) fed a 1% corn oil diet accumulated cholesterol and fat in the liver when compared with nonobese littermates. The present experiment was carried out to test the hypothesis that feeding the bile acid analog Δ 22 -5β-taurocholenic acid would correct this metabolic defect. Liver total fatty acid was greatly elevated in obob mice fed 1% corn oil compared with nonobese controls (21.04 ± 1.23% versus 4.41 ± 0.27%). Incorporation of [U- 14 C]glucose into liver fatty acid was inhibited by taurocholenic acid in both obese and nonobese mice fed 1% corn oil. Taurocholenic acid reduced liver fatty acid in obob mice fed 1% corn oil to the level seen in nonobese mice (3.07 ± 0.22% versus 4.41 ± 0.27%). Cholesterol greatly accumulated in the livers of obob mice fed 1% corn oil compared with nonobese mice (0.97 ± 0.08% versus 0.28 ± 0.02%) and was reduced to normal by feeding taurocholenic acid (0.27 ± 0.05% versus 0.28 ± 0.01%) despite greatly elevating rates of incorporation of [U- 14 C]glucose into liver cholesterol. Taurocholenic acid significantly reduced liver fat in obese mice fed 40% lard (11.62 ± 1.41% versus 5.87 ± 1.03%) but had no significant effect on the percentage of liver cholesterol (0.68 ± 0.05% versus 0.56 ± 0.04%). It is suggested that the elevation of liver cholesterol in obob mice fed 1% corn oil comes about through a defect in cholesterol removal from the liver, a defect corrected by taurocholenic acid via increasing the excretion of cholesterol and bile acids in the bile by an as yet unknown mechanism. The cholesterol accumulating in obob mice fed 40% lard occurs by a different mechanism than when these mice are fed 1% corn oil since it is unaffected by taurocholenic acid.
Wandering behavior in old age: a psychosocial study

The study reported in this article explored the lifestyles of elderly wanderers and nonwanderers in long-term care. Paired t-tests confirmed hypotheses indicating that wanderers had engaged in a higher level of social and leisure activities and had experienced more stressful events, motoric reactions to stress, and motoric behavioral styles prior to their illness.
The Terms of Love: A Study of Troilus's Style

IN CHAUCERIAN CRITICISM it is now a truism to say that Troilus speaks like a courtly lover or, more exactly, like a great number of lovers in medieval poems, but although it is a truism, or perhaps because it is a truism, no one has closely described those conventions in medieval poetry which form the basis of Troilus's style. Charles Muscatine comes closest in his book Chaucer and the French Tradition. He is helpful in the early chapters where he surveys in some detail the courtly idiom of French poetry, and he is also convincing when he looks at the ironic oppositions in Chaucer's long poem, but his actual description of Troilus's style is disappointing, partly because he fails to use specific terms, mentioning only such things as Troilus's "fine, lyric expression," the "courtly choiceness of [his] idiom," and the "patterned, symbolic business of the high style," and partly because he fails to correlate specific features of Troilus's speech with his behavior, saying only that Troilus's speech is conventional and his behavior equally conventional, impractical, and idealistic.' By a more detailed study of Troilus's style, I hope to show how Chaucer uses specific medieval conventions to create Troilus's speech and how an understanding of these conventions can sharpen one's evaluation of some central issues in the poem. Other than Muscatine's early chapters on the French tradition, two articles, one by Leo Spitzer and the other by Paul Zumthor, provide a helpful survey of stylistic conventions in medieval poetry.2 Using their work as a point of reference, I have centered on three stylistic traits which I have found recurrent in medieval love poetry and which distinguish it from other love poetry, if only because one or two of these traits occur in almost every medieval poem. The first of these is the lover's use of superlatives to characterize himself and others. Muscatine discusses the use of superlatives
Is plasma pentadecanoic acid a reasonable biomarker of dairy consumption

Despite advances in biomedical research and clinical medicine, the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains extremely high.[1][1] This underscores the importance of primary prevention and the search for novel therapeutic strategies. Modifiable lifestyle factors, including dietary habits, play
PCI bus in high speed I/O systems applications

The Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus is an important and critical component of high performance workstations and embedded systems. Most embedded system architecture designs are based on more than one bus scheme which include a host processor bus and/or other bus schemes such as VMEbus, Industry Standard Architecture (ISA). Enhanced Industry Standard System Architecture (EISA) or a PCI bus. The PCI bus provides the wide bandwidth needed to support the high performance requirements for embedded systems applications. This paper examines bus bandwidth requirements for high performance embedded systems and a brief discussion of the benefits of the PCI bus. Applications solutions for the PCI bus in embedded systems with particular emphasis on high speed I/O data communications and networking systems are reviewed. Advanced approaches in moving I/O functionality and intelligence from the host computer to logical subsystems via the new industry specification for Intelligent I/O (I2O) are also examined.
Quantitative relationship of sick building syndrome symptoms with ventilation rates

Data from published studies were combined and analyzed to develop best-fit equations and curves quantifying the change in sick building syndrome (SBS) symptom prevalence in office workers with ventilation rate. For each study, slopes were calculated, representing the fractional change in SBS symptom prevalence per unit change in ventilation rate per person. Values of ventilation rate, associated with each value of slope, were also calculated. Linear regression equations were fitted to the resulting data points, after weighting by study size. Integration of the slope-ventilation rate equations yielded curves of relative SBS symptom prevalence versus ventilation rate. Based on these analyses, as the ventilation rate drops from 10 to 5 L/s-person, relative SBS symptom prevalence increases approximately 23% (12% to 32%), and as ventilation rate increases from 10 to 25 L/s-person, relative prevalence decreases approximately 29% (15% to 42%). Variations in SBS symptom types, building features, and outdoor air quality may cause the relationship of SBS symptom prevalence with ventilation rate in specific situations to differ from the average relationship predicted in this paper.
Temperature-dependent development and survival of the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus

Development, growth and survival of the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), were determined at six constant temperatures. No egg hatch or larval development occurred at 17 degrees C. At temperatures of 20, 25, 30, 35 and 38 degrees C the median development times (days), respectively, were for eggs (13.4, 6.0, 4.4, 2.6 and 2.6), larvae (133.0, 46.0, 26.2, 22.4 and 23.9), pupae (17.0, 8.0, 5.5, 4.0 and 4.1), and from oviposition to adult emergence (164.4, 60.2, 37.9, 29.0 and 30.8). The Sharpe & DeMichele (1977) model was used to describe the temperature-dependent development. The mean egg survival (hatching) ranged from 61% to 86%, with lowest hatch at 20 degrees C. Survival of the larvae and pupae ranged from 32% to 73% and from 85% to 95%, respectively, with lowest survival at 20 degrees C. Pupae had significantly lower weights at 35 degrees C and adults at 38 degrees C than at the other temperatures. Female pupae (20 mg) and female adults (16 mg) were significantly heavier than male pupae (17 mg) and male adults (13 mg). Adults (0.5-9 months old) laid 4-7 eggs per female per day at 25 degrees C.
Tissue engineered vascular grafts: elastic polyethylene glycol hydrogel scaffolds for culture under pulsatile flow conditions

Increased demand for small diameter vascular grafts has spurred the development of scaffold materials for tissue engineered vascular grafts. We have investigated one such material, photopolymerizable polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogels. The mechanical properties of these PEG hydrogels may be tailored for a given application to provide desired elasticity and tensile strength. The Young's modulus and ultimate tensile strength may be increased by increasing the polymer concentration, lowering the polymer molecular weight, or by combining a small fraction of low molecular weight polymer with a higher molecular weight polymer. Cells seeded within these PEG hydrogels retain viability throughout 4 weeks in culture, with no differences in viability across the thickness of the hydrogel. Tubular PEG hydrogel constructs were seeded with vascular smooth muscle cells and cultured under pulsatile flow conditions. After 4 days, the Young's modulus and ultimate tensile strength of the constructs were significantly higher compared to static controls. Cells in the hydrogels also produced more extracellular matrix in pulsatile culture, as evidenced by hydroxyproline content, compared to static controls. These results suggest that PEG hydrogels may be suitable materials for vascular tissue engineering.
Making It in America: High School Completion by Immigrant and Native Youth

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we find that first-generation youth of Hispanic, Asian, and African heritage obtain more education than their parents, but the second generation and third or higher generations lose ground. Differences in dropout rates by race-ethnicity and immigrant generation are driven by differences in human, cultural, and social capital. Low levels of family human capital, school social capital, and community social capital place the children of immigrants at risk of dropping out. However, cultural capital and immigrant optimism buffer first-generation Hispanic youth and the children of Asian immigrants from the risk of dropping out of high school. While human and social capital resources improve with immigrant generation, cultural capital diminishes.
The Sociology of the Self

▪ Abstract An emerging sociological approach to the self reflects new emphases on power, reflexivity, and social constructionism. The significance of power in shaping the self is central to a new scholarship associated with Foucault. This body of work offers an important corrective to traditional sociological orientations associated with Mead and symbolic interactionism. The principle of reflexivity is at the core of the Meadian tradition and provides a pragmatic foundation for understanding agency and political action missing from much of the new scholarship. The principle of social construction is common to both new and traditional sociological approaches to the self and guides most recent empirical analyses. Promising avenues of research are evident in work that explores the sociological context of self-construction, the social resources employed in the construction process, and the growing importance of nonhuman objects in self-construction. The limitation of scholarship that overemphasizes the psycho...
Behavioral Talk-Write as a Method for Teaching Technical Editing

Robert Zoellner's "talk-write" pedagogy suggests a method for conducting workshop sessions on stylistic editing. Teachers should narrow the focus of each class to one stylistic goal, such as preventing overuse of nominalizations. After explaining the goal and demonstrating alternatives, the instructor di vides the class into teams of two students apiece. One acts as primary editor and attempts to revise a set ofproblem sentences ; the other supervises the work as secondary editor, makes suggestions for improvement, and serves as a liai son with the instructor who circulates through the class, answering questions, resolving disputes, and approving or rejecting the finished set as presented by the secondary editor. This process-oriented method allows the teacher to apply several basic behavioral principles: to focus on individual students, to start with the students' naive repertory of responses and build from there, to work with freely emitted behavior, to insure frequent and brief responses, to reinforce ...
Distribution, abundance, and seasonal patterns of Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) in a commercial food storage facility

Abstract Populations of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), the Indianmeal moth, were monitored inside a 105,000 m 3 food warehouse in the central United States for a 3-year period, using pheromone-baited traps for males. A total of 52 traps were placed in the warehouse, which was roughly divided into four main areas. Ten traps were placed in the grounds outside the warehouse. Total inside moth catch was nearly 50,000 for the three-year study, suggesting a large population was present within the warehouse. Moth captures both inside and outside the warehouse generally peaked during the summer months, and few adult males were caught during the cooler months of the year. Within a year, trap locations where greater numbers of moths were captured varied over time within the warehouse. Trap locations in an area where food was not stored consistently captured adults, but this area was connected to the main part of the warehouse that contained the stored food. Inside temperatures were above 15 °C for most of the year, while outside temperatures were consistently above 15 °C from mid-May to mid-October. Economic analyses of conducting a monitoring program were done using estimates for fixed costs of traps and variable costs for labor provided by private industry, calculating labor costs for in-house monitoring versus outside contractor costs, and comparing those estimates with the research costs of conducting the program (three different scenarios). A threshold trap catch level of two males per day was used to describe methodologies for reducing total trap numbers and associated economic costs, with minimal loss of data resolution.
The Neuro-Ophthalmologic Manifestations of Spontaneous Dissection of the Internal Carotid Artery

N 1959, Anderson and Schechter first deI scribed a case of spontaneous dissection of the internal carotid artery.' Increased recognition of spontaneous carotid artery dissection in recent years suggests that this entity may be more common than was thought previo~sly.~-~ In addition, it is clear that many cases resolve spontaneously, indicating that the true incidence may have been largely underestimated in the past. Although headache is the most frequent symptom of patients with internal carotid artery dissection, the range of associated neurologic findings includes transient ischemic attack and cerebrovascular accident. This article emphasizes the spectrum of neuro-ophthalmologic involvement in this disorder. CLINICAL PROFILE Spontaneous carotid dissection occurs with a slightly greater frequency in men. Reported patients range in age from 4 to 74 years, with the majority in the fifth and sixth decades of The neurologic symptoms of patients with internal carotid artery dissection are summarized in Table 1. Hemicranial headache has been reported in up to 90% of patients. Fisher noted the headaches typically involve the ipsilatera1 forequarter of the head (forehead, orbit, temple, retro-orbit, frontal) and the neck." Most frequently, the pain is localized to the upper side of the neck, at times encompassing the mastoid, angle of the jaw, or sternocleidomastoid muscle. The pain is usually moderate to severe, and may be associated with ipsilateral scalp tenderness. The headache and pain usually resolve within 2 months, although reports of it persisting up to 2 years have been described." The associated neck and face pain are highly suggestive of carotid dissection. The unilateral
Radar Reflectivity–Derived Thunderstorm Parameters Applied to Storm Longevity Forecasting

Abstract In order for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to use airspace more efficiently during thunderstorm events, accurate storm longevity forecasts are needed. Relationships between 16 radar reflectivity–derived storm characteristics and storm longevity are examined to determine which, if any, of the storm characteristics are strongly related to storm lifetime. Such relationships are potentially useful for the development of storm longevity forecasts. The study includes 879 storms that formed over the Memphis, Tennessee, area during 15 late spring and summer convective days. Statistical analyses comparing all 16 storm characteristics to the observed remaining lifetime show that these storm characteristics are not good predictors for storm remaining lifetime.
CATCH PER UNIT EFFORT FOR MOOSE: A NEW APPROACH USING WEIBULL REGRESSION

Abstract The relationship between hunters and their environment is a key component in managing wildlife populations. Identifying hunter's characteristics, motivations, and efforts is crucial to understanding if a hunt will be successful. We predicted that landscape characteristics and moose (Alces alces) densities would affect success of hunts. As in wildlife management programs elsewhere, moose hunters in interior Alaska, USA, must return harvest tickets to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. These tickets provide location of hunts (Uniform Coding Units) and other details. Our modeling of responses (1997–2001) from harvest tickets indicated that location of hunts, mode of transportation, hunting regulations, use of commercial services, year, density of roads, hunter-to-moose ratio, moose density, and residency of hunters were important predictors of success. In addition, we documented that the linear-regression approach to measuring catch per unit effort (CPUE) was inappropriate because it produced a...
The Ecology of Intimate Partner Violence: Theorized Impacts on Women's Use of Violence

SUMMARY The aim of this paper is to describe the multiple factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) using the social-ecological framework developed by Heise (1998). This framework is used to categorize research findings from multiple disciplines according to the level of social organization at which they operate. Evidence-based strategies are then reviewed according to the sphere of influence in the social ecological model, as well as their place on the prevention continuum. Along the way, possible effects on women's use of IPV, and battered women's use of violence in particular, will be noted.