cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single-father caretakers: demographic characteristics and adjustment processes.

Eighty single-father caretakers were surveyed, the majority of whom tended to be middle-aged, of high educational level, and earning at or above the national average income. Findings suggest that these fathers sought custody because of their love for their children and their confidence in their parenting ability. Despite some minor difficulties, most of the fathers demonstrated satisfactory adjustment.
Recent cannabis abuse decreased stress-induced BOLD signals in the frontal and cingulate cortices of cocaine dependent individuals.

Abstract Previous neuroimaging studies showed that use of marijuana can alter patterns of cortical activation during rest or a task challenge. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine whether recent cannabis abuse contributed to stress-induced blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) contrast in a group of cocaine-dependent individuals. Emotional stress was induced using the script-guided imagery paradigm, in which subjects imagined being in a real-life stressful situation and, as a control, in a neutral situation, while BOLD signals of their brain were acquired with a 1.5 T scanner. Abstinent cocaine-dependent subjects with recent marijuana abuse ( n =8) were compared with abstinent cocaine-dependent subjects who had not abused marijuana recently ( n =18). The two groups were otherwise matched in their demographic characteristics and drug use history. All subjects were abstinent for at least 15 days and drug free as confirmed by urine drug screening before the imaging session. Recent cannabis abusers demonstrated hypo-activation in frontal cortical areas including the perigenual anterior cingulate during increased emotional stress. In contrast, at the same statistical threshold, no brain regions showed increased activation in recent cannabis abusers compared with non-abusers. The group difference in the perigenual anterior cingulate remained even when lifetime cocaine and alcohol consumption was accounted for in covariance analysis. These results provide evidence that recent cannabis abuse is associated with decreased activation in the frontal cortex during an emotional stress task. The results suggest an abnormal cognitive control mechanism during affective processing in association with heavy cannabis use.
Risk assessment of intervention strategies for fallen carcasses in beef slaughter establishments

Abstract In the slaughter establishment, cattle carcasses move along the line attached to a slaughter chain. Cattle carcasses fall off the slaughter chain infrequently, but such an event results in carcasses potentially contaminated with bacteria that exist on floors and equipment. Microbes in the feces and ingesta of slaughtered livestock as well as microbes on the hide surfaces of those livestock contaminate the slaughter environment. This environment often will include important foodborne pathogens, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7. This analysis uses a risk assessment modeling approach to assess the potential public health effects of standardizing treatments for carcasses that fall off the slaughter chain at dehiding. This assessment examines combinations of six intervention options: 1) water rinse, 2) organic acid rinse, 3) trim, 4) organic acid rinse and trim, 5) carcass trimming and cook, 6) condemn the carcass. Potential improvement in public health results from progressive removal of the least effective of these intervention options. The results of this analysis indicate that the number of annual human E. coli O157:H7 illnesses avoided varies based on intervention type—organic acid rinsing (281), carcass trimming (787), organic acid rinsing plus trimming (1533), trimming plus cooking (1539), and carcass condemnation (1520). The model suggests that the numbers of illnesses prevented are largest and similar when either the organic acid plus trim, trim plus cook, or condemn interventions are set as the minimum. This conclusion was robust to sensitivity analysis of various uncertainties in the model. Interestingly, it was found that a universal condemnation of fallen cattle was not a necessary intervention. Although it was assumed that most large slaughter establishments currently implement a trimming plus cooking intervention for all fallen carcasses, the model suggests there is little difference among the three best interventions.
The mid-career crisis in relation to Super's career and Erikson's adult development theory.

There is a need to integrate career development theory with adult development theory and a need to include females in the research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mid-career crisis from the perspective of Erikson's and Super's theory, and to determine whether there are sex differences distinguishing mid-career changers. The sample consisted of 134 males and females who faced a mid-career crisis. They were categorized into three groups: changed, changing, and persisters representing different points on a decision-making continuum. All participants were given a structured interview, the Ego Identity Scale, the Tennessee Self Concept Scale, the Personality Research Form, and the Career Development Inventory. The results of the data analyses revealed that individuals who changed careers scored significantly higher on identity achievement and affiliation, and there was a significant positive correlation between identity achievement and self-concept. In terms of their vocational development, p...
Acid mucopolysaccharides of amyloid tissue.

Abstract The acid mucopolysaccharides (MPS) were isolated from different organs from patients with primary and secondary amyloidosis, and the MPS composition of these tissues was compared with those isolated from control individuals. Although each organ contains different amounts and types of MPS, amyloid tissue in general shows an increase in total MPS, primarily due to heparitin sulfate. In the myocardium involved in primary (familial) amyloidosis (only one sample available for study), the increase in MPS is apparently due to hyaluronic acid, in contrast to liver, spleen, kidney, and heart tissue involved in secondary amyloidosis. A slight increase in chondroitin sulfate B was also noted in certain secondary amyloid tissues. The amino acid composition of peptide material bound to heparitin sulfate was determined, and no abnormality was observed from the similar MPS-protein complex isolated from control tissue.
Preschool Children's Attention to Television: Visual Attention and Probe Response Times.

Moment-to-moment variations in the engagement of young children's cognitive capacity by televised material were examined using a secondary task paradigm. Thirty-five 5-year-olds watched a 35-min Sesame Street program containing three types of segments: normal segments, segments with scenes reordered, and segments with incomprehensible language audio tracks. While watching the program, children were to respond quickly to auditory probes distributed across all types of segments and positions within segments. Probe response times and visual attention were recorded. Major findings were: As indicated by longer probe response times, capacity was more effectively engaged if language was comprehensible, provided children were looking at television when probes were presented. If not looking, response times were equally fast across segment types. For normal segments only, there were increases in the engagement of cognitive capacity if a look at the television or the program content had been continuous for some time. The findings provide evidence for, but important refinements of, the hypothesis that young children's ongoing comprehension is a major determinant of their attention to television.
Inhibition of Neuroblastoma Cell Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase by CDP-Diacylglycerol and Phosphatidate

Phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase is activated by a variety of agents, including various growth factors, and has been proposed to play a role in initiation of cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. We here investigate the effect of various membrane lipids on PI 3-kinase immunopurified from human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. CDP-diacylglycerol (CDP-DAG) inhibited PI 3-kinase activity with an IC50 of 6 microM. Phosphatidate (PA) was also inhibitory (IC50 - 38 microM) as was lysophosphatidate. Neither DAG nor any of the other phospholipids examined affected PI 3-kinase activity. The results offer the possibility that CDP-DAG or PA at critical membrane sites may exert functionally significant metabolic regulation at the point of convergence of the PI 3-kinase-directed and the PI 4-kinase-directed phosphoinositide signal transduction pathways.
Characterization of Heterogeneous Regions in Polymer Systems Using Tapping Mode and Force Mode Atomic Force Microscopy

In this study, atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to investigate the heterogeneity of blended films of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polybutadiene (PB) on silicon substrates before and after annealing. The blended films with different ratios of PMMA to PB are prepared by spin casting onto silicon substrates from solution. The surface morphology and composition of these cast films are investigated using tapping mode and force mode AFM. Annealing the samples in air at 75 ± 5 °C causes changes in the relative chemical and mechanical differences between PMMA and PB, so the phase image contrast is studied as a function of annealing time. The effect of tapping force level on phase image contrast is also explored. To identify the different components in polymer blends and to understand the influence of relative surface stiffness on the phase images, nanoscale indentation measurements are made on the observed phase-separated regions. Interpretation of AFM results is aided by data collected from both con...
Chronic Asthma Due to Toluene Diisocyanate

Twelve subjects were studied with inhalation challenge testing to toluene diisocyanate (TDI) because of suspected TDI asthma based on a consistent clinical and occupational history. In seven cases, TDI asthma was documented by a positive inhalation challenge to low levels of TDI. Six of the seven TDI reactors had persistent respiratory symptoms and required daily treatment even though they had been removed from isocyanate exposure for intervals as long as 12 years (mean 4.5 years). These six TDI reactors had either dual (four cases) or late bronchospasm (two cases) to less than 20 ppb TDI, and all had a positive methacholine or cold air challenge prior to study. The one TDI reactor with a negative methacholine challenge had a positive (immediate) bronchospastic response to a TDI challenge performed one week after removal from isocyanate exposure. Five workers had a negative TDI challenge, two of whom had persistent respiratory symptoms and positive methacholine challenges at the time of TDI inhalation testing. We conclude that respiratory symptoms may persist following long-term removal from occupational exposure to TDI and are associated with nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity. The TDI sensitivity may also persist for a long time even in the absence of any additional occupational exposure. Long-term prospective studies of symptomatic isocyanate workers are needed to fully define the extent of this problem.
Prologue: Exchange, Diaspora, and Globalization

In the Fall of 2007, the American football team at Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon began performing a haka before the start of every game. A group of Tongan students introduced a variatio...
The Hispanic Community Children's Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth): Design, objectives, and procedures

Purpose: This article describes the design and methodology of the Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth) study, a multicenter study of Hispanic/Latino children living in the United States. Methods: Participants are children aged 8e16 years whose parents/legal guardians participated in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, a large community-based cohort study of Hispanic/ Latino adults living in the United States. Results: Between 2012 and 2014, 1600 children recruited from four field centers (Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego) will undergo a 3.5-hour examination to collect biospecimens, obtain anthropometric measures, blood pressure, fitness level, dietary intake, and physical activity. Psychosocial and environmental characteristics are assessed by questionnaire. Primary study aims are to examine associations of youth’s lifestyle behaviors and cardiometabolic risk factors with (1) youth’s acculturation and parentchild differences in acculturation; (2) parenting strategies, family behaviors, and parental health behaviors; and (3) youth’s psychosocial functioning. Conclusions: SOL Youth will determine the prevalence and distribution of obesity-promoting lifestyle behaviors, cardiometabolic risk profiles, and novel biomarkers associated with obesity and insulin resistance. This article describes the study methodology and considers advantages and limitations of embedding a cohort of children within a well-characterized cohort of adults.
From uncertainty to approximate reasoning: part 3: reasoning with conditional rules

Abstract This is the third part of a three-part paper. In part 1 (C/V Eng Syst. 1986, 3(3), 143-1 54), different models of uncertainties such as intervals, fuzzy sets, Dempster-Shafer evidence, and random numbers were compared. Then, in part 2 (Civ Eng Syst. 1986, 3(4), 192-202) reasoning based on an inference network of algorithmic rules was described. Algorithmic rules are the simplest inference rules in reasoning, but constitute only one extreme of the rule spectrum. Conditional rules are more general and correspond to less well-defined inference relations. The propagation and combination of uncertainties in a network of conditional rules are described in this part of the paper. Treatment of probabilistic uncertainties is described in detail, and the associated difficulties delineated. Finally, uncertain inference with other forms of uncertainties is presented to provide contrast, and to complete the discussion on the impact of uncertainty models on approximate reasoning.
Eigenvalue bounds for linear mechanical systems with nonmodal damping

Abstract Eigenvalue bounds for damped linear mechanical systems are presented based on a ‘modified equation of state’. The system exhibits nonmodal damping, by which we mean that classical normal modes do not obtain. The special case of an underdamped system is discussed, leading to bounds on a generalized damping ratio. The bounds are expressed in terms of the extreme eigenvalues of the constituent matrices. Geometrically, they define rectangular regions in the complex plane which contain the system eigenvalues.
TESTING THE EFFICACY OF OIL SPILL BIOREMEDIATION PRODUCTS

ABSTRACT Ten bioremediation products were tested in laboratory respirometers for their ability to enhance the biodegradation of artificially weathered Alaska North Slope crude oil compared to natural populations supplied with mineral nutrients. The sea water used was natural sea water obtained from the Gulf of Mexico near Gulf Breeze, Florida. All products were tested in triplicate in closed laboratory flasks connected to an instrument able to track and record cumulative oxygen uptake continuously over time. Triplicate flasks were sacrificed periodically, the contents extracted with hexane, and the oil components quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Correlations were made between the decline in aliphatic and aromatic analytes and the net oxygen uptake observed in each flask. From these correlations, the median time needed to consume enough oxygen to effect a 60 percent decline in the total resolved analytes was computed for each product, and this time was compared statistically to t...
Ferrite And Chiral Polymer Composites: Electromagnetic Applications

ABSTRACT In many applications involving electromagnetic as well as optical waves, it is desirable to design materials that will have prescribed reflection and transmission characteristics as a function of frequency (narrow or wide band) and at the same time conform to restrictions on weight, structural properties, thickness, etc. Composite materials that contain a distribution of inclusions of specific concentration, distribution, geometry and material properties can often achieve such goals. Since the actual response of electronic and optical composite materials to the incident wave of low GHz to infrared frequency is quite diverse, it becomes very expensive and time consuming to actually prepare samples of such materials and test them experimentally. However, an optimal design through theoretical analysis of such materials is relatively efficient and the parameters involved are tractable. In this study, the damping characteristics of composites consisting of ferrite or chiral polymer inclusions embedded in a polymer matrix is examined. The reflection and transmission characteristics for a layer of such materials in response to incident millimeter-waves and microwaves will be presented with and without a conducting plate as a substrate.
Changes in Seroadaptive Practices from before to after Diagnosis of Recent HIV Infection among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Objective: We assessed changes in sexual behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM), before and for several years after HIV diagnosis, accounting for adoption of a variety of seroadaptive practices. Methods: We collected self-reported sexual behavior d
Retinoic Acid Is Necessary for Development of the Ventral Retina in Zebrafish

In the embryonic zebrafish retina, as in other vertebrates, retinoic acid is synthesized from retinaldehyde by two different dehydrogenases, one localized dorsally, the other primarily ventrally. Early in eye development only the ventral enzyme is present. Citral competitively inhibits the ventral enzyme in vitro and decreases the production of retinoic acid in the ventral retina in vivo. Treatment of neurula-stage zebrafish embryos with citral during the formation of the eye primordia results in eyes lacking a ventral retina. This defect can be partially rescued by retinoic acid. The results demonstrate that synthesis of retinoic acid can be selectively inhibited in vivo and suggest that retinoic acid is necessary for the proper development of the ventral retina.
Mycorrhizae, survival and growth of selected woody plant species in lignite overburden in Texas

Abstract Seedlings of live oak ( Quercus virginiana (Mill.)), Chinese tallow tree ( Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb.), and Texas mountain laurel ( Sophora secundiflora (Ort.) Lag.) were inoculated with either ectomycorrhizal fungi ( Pisolithus tinctorius (Mich. ex Pers.) Ckr. and Couch) or vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM/endomycorrhizal) fungi ( Glomus fasciculatum (Thaxter) Gerd. & Trappe, Gigaspora margarita (Becker & Hall), and Glomus mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.) Gerd. and Trappe) in a containerized system and transplanted into lignite overburden at two separate mine sites in the Post Oak Savannah region of Texas. Ectomycorrhizal Q. virginiana and endomycorrhizal S. sebiferum exhibited greater growth, and endomycorrhizal S. secundiflora showed greater survival and growth than noninoculated controls. Overburden at one site was low in P, while the second site was moderately high in P; however, root colonization levels of inoculated plants were high at both sites, while non inoculated plants had low levels of colonization. Both ecto- and endomycorrhizal fungi enhanced growth of the three woody species in these nitrogen-deficient overburden sites, independent of overburden P.
“Who Is a Homosexual?”: The Consolidation of Sexual Identities in Mid‐Twentieth‐Century American Immigration Law

This essay uses court records to trace the federal government's attempts to regulate homosexuality among immigrants in the mid-twentieth century, asserting that such attempts illustrate the state's struggle to make homosexuality visible, to produce a homosexuality that could be both detected and managed. I focus on the process by which two competing paradigms for understanding homosexuality (status and conduct) were consolidated into a single model in which homosexual identity could be deduced from homosexual acts. Federal officials and the courts initially treated homosexuality as a form of conduct, most commonly deporting homosexual aliens for having committed crimes of moral turpitude. Later, these same government entities relied on status provisions, deporting immigrants charged with homosexuality as aliens “afflicted with psychopathic personality.” While the “psychopathic personality” terminology supported the notion that the homosexual was a kind of person rather than a set of behaviors, it also depended upon psychiatrists to support the claim that homosexuals were by definition psychopathic. When many psychiatrists distanced themselves from that idea, the government refused psychiatric opinion that differentiated psychopaths from homosexuals by arguing that these terms connoted legal-political rather than medicalized identity categories. While this conception arose out of a conservative impulse by immigration officials and the courts to fix homosexuality as identity so that it could be regulated (by bureaucrats rather than psychiatrists), I argue that the emphasis on legal-political identity categories licensed a conception of the homosexual as a kind of citizen that had some emancipatory as well as repressive effects.
The Pathogenesis of Filarial Lymphedema

: Our understanding of the pathogenesis of filarial lymphedema, although evolving, is still limited. Recurrent bacterial infections play a major role in the progression of lymphedema to elephantiasis, but the host and parasite factors that trigger disease development are not known. Field studies in Haiti show that lymphedema and host responses to parasite antigens cluster in families, consistent with the hypothesis that host genes influence lymphedema susceptibility. The recent recognition that filarial parasites harbor the endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia, also raises questions about the potential contribution of the inflammatory response to Wolbachia antigens to lymphedema development. In this review, we discuss potential risk factors for lymphedema and try to integrate these in a model of pathogenesis.
Problems of Prisoners' Families The Hidden Costs of Imprisonment

This research examines the differential effects of imprisonment on the inmate's family—the hidden familial costs of imprisonment. Lengthy interviews were conducted with adult members of inmates' families in a sample drawn from a maximum security prison, and 46 of these are analyzed here. Problems with income, employment and child care were severe, pervasive, and subject to only minor changes over time. These affected spouses more than other family members. Deterioration of relationships with family and friends were also noted by many, showing a greater tendency for adjustment over time. Some of the strongest perceived effects of imprisonment on the family members were emotional, including problems of expressing and dealing with feelings, and problems of experiencing enjoyment in life. Social ties complicate the punitive consequences of incarceration, which stands in tension with a system of justice that is oriented to the individual rule violator.
Respiratory symptoms and disease characteristics as predictors of pulmonary function abnormalities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an observational cohort study.

Introduction Lung involvement is a common extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that confers significant morbidity and mortality. The objective of the present study is to assess which respiratory symptoms and patient and disease characteristics are most highly associated with pulmonary function test (PFT) abnormalities in an RA patient cohort without clinical cardiovascular disease.
Relapse following discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs: A meta‐analysis

The estimates in the literature of the risk of seizure relapse after antiepileptic medications are withdrawn range from less than 10% to nearly 70%. There is also little coherence regarding predictors of successful medication withdrawal. We performed a meta-analysis of the published literature to date to determine the risk of relapse at 1 and 2 years after discontinuation of medications and to examine the strength of association between the risk of relapse and three commonly assessed clinical factors: age of onset of epilepsy, presence of an underlying neurologic condition, and an abnormal EEG. We established criteria for inclusion of a study in the analysis, and 25 studies met these criteria. Overall, the risk of relapse at 1 year was 0.25 (95% CI, 0.21 to 0.30) and at 2 years it was 0.29 (95% CI, 0.24 to 0.34). Relative to epilepsy of childhood onset, epilepsy of adolescent onset was associated with a relative risk of relapse of 1.79 (95% CI, 1.46 to 2.19). Compared with childhood-onset epilepsy, adult-onset epilepsy was associated with a relative risk of 1.34 (95% CI, 1.00 to 1.81). Patients with remote symptomatic seizures were more likely to relapse than patients with idiopathic seizures; the relative risk was 1.55 (95% CI, 1.21 to 1.98). An abnormal EEG was associated with a relative risk of 1.45 (95% CI, 1.18 to 1.79). Although these figures help provide an estimate of an individual's likelihood of relapse, they should not be used as the sole basis on which to make the decision on discontinuation of medications.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
HbA1c measured in stored erythrocytes and mortality rate among middle-aged and older women.

Aims/hypothesis Diabetes is known to increase mortality rate, but the degree to which mild hyperglycaemia may be associated with the risk of death is uncertain. We examined the association between HbA1c measured in stored erythrocytes and mortality rate in women with and without diabetes.
Microdialysis assessment of shock wave lithotripsy-induced renal injury.

Objectives. Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is the primary treatment modality for managing the majority of symptomatic renal calculi. However, the fundamental mechanisms for stone fragmentation and the resultant morphologic changes that occur are not fully understood. Furthermore, a thorough understanding of the complex biologic pathways involved in SWL-induced renal injury does not exist at present. To elucidate the biologic processes involved in tissue injury after SWL, an animal model was designed to mimic the pathogenesis of high-energy SWL in humans. Methods. Juvenile female swine were anesthetized, and a midline laparotomy incision was performed to expose the right kidney. Using an introducer apparatus, a microdialysis probe was placed into the renal parenchyma of the right kidney lower pole and a tunnel was generated to exit the distal ends of the inlet and outlet tubing outside the body. After a 72-hour postoperative recovery period, SWL was performed to the lower pole renal region of the kidney, as a microdialysis pump continuously infused dialysate through the inlet tubing. Microdialysis fluids were collected during SWL, and lipid peroxidation, as measured by conjugated diene concentrations, was monitored. Results. All microdialysis probes remained patent for a total of 2000 shock waves. A significant elevation in conjugated diene levels was observed in the SWL versus untreated kidneys after 1000 shock waves were administered (P <0.02). Conclusions. This animal model is unique in that it represents the first system for the real-time collection of renal interstitial fluids during SWL. Analysis of this fluid may provide insight into the physiologic mechanisms responsible for shock wave-induced renal injury.
Comparison of labetalol and hydrochlorothiazide in elderly patients with hypertension using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

The safety and efficacy of labetalol and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) were compared in a group of 34 patients aged 65 years or older with mild to moderate essential hypertension. After a 4-week placebo run-in period, during which all previous antihypertensive medication was discontinued, patients were randomized to receive either labetalol (100 mg bid) or HCTZ (25 mg bid). The patients' blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated biweekly and drug dosage was titrated (up to 400 mg and 50 mg bid of labetalol and HCTZ, respectively) to achieve a standing diastolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg. Patients underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at the end of the placebo run-in period and again after the 6-week titration period. Both labetalol and HCTZ significantly (P less than .01) reduced standing systolic (-19.4 vs -27.7 mm Hg) and diastolic (-14.0 vs -15.2 mm Hg) blood pressures following 12 weeks of treatment. Both antihypertensives effectively controlled the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, however, the labetalol group experienced a significantly lower rate of rise in diastolic blood pressure (P = .02) and mean arterial pressure (P = .02) during the acceleration period (400-1200) compared to the HCTZ group. HCTZ caused significant decreases in serum potassium (P less than .01) and alkaline phosphatase (P less than .05) and increases in uric acid (P less than .01) and urea nitrogen (P = .07). These results indicate that labetalol may offer some unique advantages over thiazide diuretics that may be particularly important in the treatment of elderly patients with hypertension.
Quantitative neuropeptidomics of microwave-irradiated mouse brain and pituitary

In neuropeptidomics, the degradation of a small fraction of abundant proteins overwhelms the low signals from neuropeptides, and many neuropeptides cannot be detected by mass spectrometry without extensive purification. Protein degradation was prevented when mice were sacrificed with focused microwave irradiation, permitting the detection of hypothalamic neuropeptides by mass spectrometry. Here we report an alternative and very simple method utilizing an ordinary microwave oven to inhibit enzymatic degradation. We used this technique to identify brain and pituitary neuropeptides. Quantitative analysis using mass spectrometry in combination with stable isotopic labeling was performed to determine the effect of microwave irradiation on relative levels of neuropeptides and protein degradation fragments. Microwave irradiation greatly reduced the levels of degradation fragments of proteins. In contrast, neuropeptide levels were increased about 2-3 times in hypothalamus by the microwave irradiation but not increased in pituitary. In a second experiment, three brain regions (hypothalamus, hippocampus, and striatum) from microwave-irradiated mice were analyzed. Altogether 41 neuropeptides or fragments of secretory pathway proteins were identified after microwave treatment; some of these are novel. These peptides were derived from 15 proteins: proopiomelanocortin, proSAAS, proenkephalin, preprotachykinins A and B, provasopressin, prooxytocin, melanin-concentrating hormone, proneurotensin, chromogranins A and B, secretogranin II, prohormone convertases 1 and 2, and peptidyl amidating monooxygenase. Although some protein degradation fragments were still found after microwave irradiation, these appear to result from protein breakdown during the extraction and not to an enzymatic reaction during the postmortem period. Two of the protein fragments corresponded to novel protein forms: VAP-33 with a 7-residue N-terminal extension and beta tubulin with a glutathione on the Cys near the N terminus. In conclusion, microwave irradiation with an ordinary microwave oven effectively inhibits enzymatic postmortem protein degradation, increases the recovery of neuropeptides, and makes it possible to conduct neuropeptidomic studies with mouse brain tissues.
Teaching Professional Writing To American Students in a Study Abroad Program

Studying abroad enhances the intercultural competencies of American students, but that enhancement strategy may be seen as an obstacle to those in business and technical fields who follow a tight curriculum and work to cover expenses. To meet their needs, U.S. professional communication faculty are designing short courses that can be delivered abroad during between-term periods and that foster an understanding of the situations and genres of the field within a context of cultural dislocation. Based on the courses described in this article, the best approach is to settle students in one location rather than touring; keep student numbers low by an entrepreneurial approach to keeping costs low; encourage students to live as the locals do, in apartments rather than hotels; explicitly plan appropriate access to technology; use class time to provide structure and reflection, but allow free time for collateral learning; and make sure the course grows local roots.
Predicting the location of entorhinal cortex from MRI

Entorhinal cortex (EC) is a medial temporal lobe area critical to memory formation and spatial navigation that is among the earliest parts of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accurate localization of EC would thus greatly facilitate early detection and diagnosis of AD. In this study, we used ultra-high resolution ex vivo MRI to directly visualize the architectonic features that define EC rostrocaudally and mediolaterally, then applied surface-based registration techniques to quantify the variability of EC with respect to cortical geometry, and made predictions of its location on in vivo scans. The results indicate that EC can be localized quite accurately based on cortical folding patterns, within 3 mm in vivo, a significant step forward in our ability to detect the earliest effects of AD when clinical intervention is most likely to be effective.
Differential association of ureaplasma species with non-gonococcal urethritis in heterosexual men

Objective To assess the role of Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum in patients with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) using specimens from a previously reported study of NGU. Methods Species-specific PCR assays for U urealyticum and U parvum were used to detect these organisms in specimens from men enrolled in a case–control study based in a Seattle STD clinic in order to evaluate their association with NGU. Urethritis was defined by clinical examination and the presence of inflammation on Gram stained smear. Controls had normal examination findings and no evidence of inflammation on Gram stain smear or by the leucocyte esterase test. Results U urealyticum was detected in 26% (31/119) of cases and 16% (19/117) of controls, resulting in an association with NGU (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.3, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.9) after adjusting for age, race, history of prior urethritis and other NGU pathogens ( Chlamydia trachomatis , Mycoplasma genitalium ). The association of U urealyticum and NGU was strongest in white men U parvum was detected in 14% (17/119) cases and 31% (36/117 controls) and thus was negatively associated with NGU (aOR=0.4, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.8). The prevalence of U urealyticum (16%) in controls was higher than that of C trachomatis (3.4%) or M genitalium (4.3%, p Conclusions Unlike U parvum , U urealyticum was associated with urethritis. The strong effect in younger white men and high rates in controls may suggest variability in virulence among U urealyticum strains or in host innate or acquired immunity.
CASE STUDYING THE PHILOSOPHY, INTEGRITY, AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH OF THE ELDERLY

This case study research investigated elderly individuals between the ages of 75 and 82 who were able to maintain a consistent level of integrity and emotional health. The goal was to gain an understanding of the philosophies of life, attitudes, beliefs, and coping strategies that had enabled these individuals to adapt to the demands, changes, and losses associated with this time of life. Results revealed that the elders did not view themselves as “old” and therefore felt no need to retire from life. Occupational retirement, along with the financial and leisure‐time considerations, was viewed as a major life transition requiring adjustment. Respondents believed that successfully adapting to changes and losses throughout life had helped them to adjust to retirement and to the physical changes and limitations inevitable in the later years. Remaining active and being socially involved with others was believed to be vital to emotional well‐being. In general, death was viewed as a transition. Respondents recog...
Dementia with Lewy bodies: Basis of cingulate island sign

Objectives: To investigate clinical, imaging, and pathologic associations of the cingulate island sign (CIS) in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Methods: We retrospectively identified and compared patients with a clinical diagnosis of DLB (n = 39); patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) matched by age, sex, and education (n = 39); and cognitively normal controls (n = 78) who underwent 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and C11 Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-PET scans. Among these patients, we studied those who came to autopsy and underwent Braak neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) staging (n = 10). Results: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of DLB had a higher ratio of posterior cingulate to precuneus plus cuneus metabolism, cingulate island sign (CIS), on FDG-PET than patients with AD ( p p = 0.56). Patients with CIS positivity on visual assessment of FDG-PET fit into the group of high- or intermediate-probability DLB pathology and received clinical diagnosis of DLB, not AD. Higher CIS ratio correlated with lower Braak NFT stage ( r = −0.96; p Conclusions: Our study found that CIS on FDG-PET is not associated with fibrillar β-amyloid deposition but indicates lower Braak NFT stage in patients with DLB. Identifying biomarkers that measure relative contributions of underlying pathologies to dementia is critical as neurotherapeutics move toward targeted treatments.
SBARC: A supernode based peer-to-peer file sharing system

Peer-to-peer (P2P) system has become one of the hottest research topics, its excellent characteristics of fully decentralized control and self-organizing make it attractive for some particular applications. However, it faces more technical problems than client/server architecture. In this paper, we propose SBARC,a new P2P file sharing system which takes into account the tremendous resource difference among peers to improve system performance. SBARC divides the peers into supernodes and ordinary nodes and most workloads are taken into supernodes. The main contributions of SBARC are (1). A supernode based routing algorithm which can reduce the average routing latency; (2) Routing information are cached to further reduce the routing cost; (3). A coordinate file caching scheme which achieves efficient utilization of free storage space. Our simulation results show SBARC routing and caching schemes can achieve better performance than previous approaches.
THE EFFECTS OF SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING ON WINTERING BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES (POECILE ATRICAPILLA) IN CENTRAL MAINE: POPULATION AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES

In a remote area of central Maine, I established bird feeders stocked with black oil sunflower seeds to supplement the food of wintering Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapilla). The chickadees discovered experimental feeders established in late October within two weeks; feeders established in mid-January were discovered more slowly. Weekly censuses showed that chickadee abundance was significantly higher in the presence of the feeders. Mark-recapture analysis revealed that as many as 110 and 70 chickadees were using the feeders at the two most intensively studied sites over 2-day periods. Ambient temperature had no influence on the rate at which banded chickadees visited the feeders. The visitation rate of banded chickadees was higher during the first third of the winter; perhaps competition for feeder access increased as increasing numbers of unbanded chickadees used the feeders as the season progressed. The frequency of feeder use varied markedly among the chickadees at each feeding site; this variation could not be explained by age of the birds (first-winter versus adult birds). Variability in feeder use was also apparent for individual birds over time.
Improving energy efficiency of multi-threaded applications using heterogeneous CMOS-TFET multicores

Energy-Delay-Product-aware DVFS is a widely-used technique that improves energy efficiency by dynamically adjusting the frequencies of cores. Further, for multithreaded applications, barrier-aware DVFS is a method that can dynamically tune the frequencies of cores to reduce barrier stall times and achieve higher energy efficiency. In both forms of DVFS, frequencies of cores are reduced from the maximum value to achieve better energy efficiency. TFET devices operate at energy efficiencies that cannot be achieved by CMOS devices. This advantage of TFET devices can be exploited in the context of multicore processors by replacing some of the CMOS cores with energy efficient TFET alternatives. However, the energy benefits of TFET devices are observed at relatively lower voltages, which results in a degradation in performance due to executing at lower frequencies. Although applications cannot be limited to run always at such lower frequencies, it can be significantly beneficial from an energy efficiency perspective to make use of energy efficient TFET cores during the times applications spend at these frequencies. In this paper, we show that due to EDP-aware DVFS and barrier-aware DVFS, multithreaded applications run for a significant portion of their execution time at frequencies at which TFET cores are more energy efficient. We further show that, at those frequencies, dynamically migrating threads to TFET cores can achieve average leakage and dynamic energy savings of 30% and 17%, respectively, with a performance degradation of less than 1%.
Common occurrence of monoclonal B‐cell lymphocytosis among members of high‐risk CLL families

Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is an asymptomatic haematological condition characterized by low absolute levels of B-cell clones with a surface immunophenotype similar to that of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). In the general population, MBL increases with age with a prevalence of 5-9% in individuals over age 60 years. It has been reported to be higher among first-degree relatives from CLL families. We report results of multi-parameter flow cytometry among 505 first-degree relatives with no personal history of lymphoproliferative disease from 140 families having at least two cases of CLL. Seventeen percent of relatives had MBL. Age was the most important determinant where the probability for developing MBL by age 90 years was 61%. MBL clustered in certain families but clustering was independent of the number of known CLL cases in a family. As is the case with CLL, males had a significantly higher risk for MBL than did females (P = 0·04). MBL patients had significantly higher mean absolute lymphocyte counts (2·4 × 10(9) /l) and B-cell counts (0·53 × 10(9) /l) than those with a normal B-cell immuno-phenotype. Our findings show that MBL occurs at a very high rate in high risk CLL families. Both the age and gender distribution of MBL are parallel to CLL, implying a shared inherited risk.
ROBUST ADAPTIVE SLIDING CONTROL FOR A CLASS OF MIMO NONLINEAR SYSTEMS

In nonlinear adaptive control, a problem arises when the identified gain matrix becomes singular. As the result the adaptive law based on the inverse dynamics of the identified model cannot be implemented. When this occurs, even if the real system is always controllable, the closed loop system becomes uncontrollable. In this paper a method for generating robust adaptive control law for MIMO systems which circumvents this problem is presented. Assuming that the gain matrix of the unknown system satisfies a certain condition, estimation of the nonlinear gain matrix is reduced to one of estimating a scalar nonzero variable. Adaptive laws are designed to turn the unknown parameters on line as unknown functions are approximated using one hidden layer network. A specific a-modification adaptive law is designed to preclude the possibility of closed-loop system instability. The resulting closed-loop system is proved to be globally stable with tracking error that converges to a small residual set.
Cardiovascular Management in Pregnancy: Antithrombotic Agents and Antiplatelet Agents.

Thrombotic complications of pregnancy are a major cause of morbidity and mortality to the mother and fetus. Pulmonary embolism is a leading cause of maternal death and accounts for 10.3% of all maternal deaths in the United States.1,2 Overall, pregnancy increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) 5-fold, with an additional increase in risk in the postpartum period.3,4 Pregnancy is associated with a hypercoaguable state attributable to relative increases in fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitors, clotting factors VII, VIII, and X, von Willebrand Factor, and platelet adhesion molecules, and relative decreases in protein S activity, as well.5,6 Pregnancy is also a time of dramatic hemodynamic change including a reduction in lower extremity venous flow velocity by up to 50% at the end of the second trimester, which persists until 6 weeks postpartum.7 Recommendations for thrombosis prevention and anticoagulation in pregnant women are derived largely from algorithms from the nonpregnant population. We review the use of both older and new anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications during pregnancy and highlight their clinical utility in conditions including VTE, thrombophilias, mechanical heart valves, antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS), preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and placental abruption. ### Vitamin K Antagonists #### Warfarin Warfarin is a vitamin K antagonist that easily crosses the placenta.8 Exposure in the first trimester is associated with warfarin embryopathy characterized by nasal bone hypoplasia and stippled epiphyses.9 Case series of pregnant women taking warfarin in the setting of mechanical heart valves found warfarin embryopathy rates of 5.6% and 6.4%, respectively.10,11 Warfarin use in the second and third trimester is associated with possible neurological sequelae including seizures, developmental delay, and hypotonia in the developing fetus attributable to intracranial microhemorrhages.12 Increased fetal risk for hemorrhage has been attributed to the greater affinity of albumin for bilirubin …
Prognostic significance of PET assessment of metabolic response to therapy in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The role of maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) at baseline and after induction chemotherapy (CT) on positron emission tomography (PET) as an imaging biomarker has not been well established in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In this retrospective analysis, we investigated the prognostic significance of various PET metrics in oesophageal SCC patients treated with induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT). A total of 57 patients were treated with CRT; 52 patients received induction chemotherapy and 10 patients underwent surgery following CRT. Scans were independently analysed by a nuclear medicine physician blinded to patient outcome. Using region of interest analysis, SUVmax and metabolic tumour volume (MTV) were calculated for the index lesion and lymph node metastases in each patient. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to evaluate overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess correlation between outcomes and PET metrics. Median follow-up for those who are alive was 4.4 years, with a median survival for all patients of 2.9 years. The 3-year OS, DFS, DMFS and LRFS rates were 47, 40, 44 and 36%, respectively. Using a pre-established cutoff of a 35% decrease in SUVmax from baseline to post-induction PET, 3-year OS for responders (⩾35% decrease from baseline) was 64%, whereas non-responders (<35% decrease from baseline) had a 3-year OS of 15% (P=0.004). The pre-specified 35% decrease in SUVmax after induction chemotherapy was prognostic for OS. Baseline and post-induction PET metrics provide prognostic information for oesophageal SCC.
A Multidimensional Problem

This Comment responds to Professor Nina A. Mendelson's article, Taking Public Access to the Law Seriously: The Problem of Private Control Over the Availability of Federal Standards.