cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radioimmunotherapy with iodine 131I tositumomab for relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Updated results and long-term follow-up of the University of Michigan experience

CD20-targeted radioimmunotherapy is a promising new treatment for B-cell nonHodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We now provide updated and long-term data on 59 chemotherapy-relapsed/refractory patients treated with iodine 131 I tositumomab in a phase I/II single-center study. Fifty-three patients received individualized therapeutic doses, delivering a specified total-body radiation dose (TBD) based on the clearance rate of a preceding dosimetric dose. Six patients received dosimetric doses only. Dose-escalations of TBD were conducted separately in patients who had or had not undergone a prior autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) until a nonmyeloablative maximally tolerated TBD was established (nonASCT 5 75 cGy, post-ASCT 5 45 cGy). Fourteen additional non-ASCT patients were treated with 75 cGy. Unlabeled antibody was given prior to labeled dosimetric and therapeutic doses to improve biodistribution. Forty-two (71%) of 59 patients responded; 20 (34%) had complete responses (CR). Thirty-five (83%) of 42 with low-grade or transformed NHL responded versus 7 (41%) of 17 with de novo intermediate-grade NHL (P 5 .005). For all 42 responders, the median progression-free survival was 12 months, 20.3 for those with CR. Seven patients remain in CR 3 to 5.7 years. Sixteen patients were re-treated after progression; 9 responded and 5 had a CR. Reversible hematologic toxicity was dose limiting. Only 10 patients (17%) had human anti-mouse antibodies detected. Long-term, 5 patients developed elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone levels, 5 were diagnosed with myelodysplasia and 3 with solid tumors. A single, well-tolerated treatment with iodine 131 I tositumomab can, therefore, produce frequent and durable responses in NHL, especially low-grade or transformed NHL. (Blood. 2000;96:1259-1266)
Hospitality Higher Education in Illinois: Current Status, Challenges, and Opportunities

This study analyzed the current status of Illinois’s hospitality higher education to identify issues, challenges, and opportunities with an insight into the expectations of hospitality students and faculty. The study identified several important issues, challenges, and opportunities for hospitality programs in Illinois. Issues and challenges included the identity struggle of hospitality programs, perception of home economics, curriculum, and administrative support. Opportunities were anticipated, including the location of the campus, the growth of graduate education, and demand for distance education. Implications of these findings are briefly discussed.
Some observations on 3He neutron spectrometry

Abstract The energy resolution of a 3He ionization chamber, which varies from 13 keV FWHM at 0 keV to approximately 30 keV at 1 MeV, allows observation of false peaks due to the presence of scattering or absorbing materials and due to accidental near-coincidences of the rather long-risetime detector pulses. Pulse-risetime distributions depend on the neutron beam's angle of incidence to the detector axis: ability to separate 3He-recoil pulses from full-energy 3He(n.p) pulses diminishes for neutrons of energy greater than 1.5 MeV and incident normal to the detector axis. When high-energy neutrons are present, measurement at a grazing angle is recommended.
Cultivating Forgiveness: Reducing Hostility and Conflict After Divorce

In recent years, scholars writing in the emerging law and emotion field have explored the role of emotions on criminal, administrative, securities, torts, employment, and constitutional law. Yet, surprisingly few scholars have examined their role in family law. Examining the role of emotion in family law is particularly important because the potential for harm resulting from negative emotions such as persistent anger and the desire for vengeance may be greater in the family law context. A divorced parent's anger towards the other parent can lead to excessive conflict for years after the legal relationship has ended, harming both parents and their children. The law and emotion literature has focused on negative emotions, such as anger, disgust, and vengefulness. However, to the extent that society would benefit from both a reduction in negative emotions and an increase in positive emotions, such as love, hope, and forgiveness, it is worthwhile to explore the law's ability to facilitate both. This Article explores the law's ability to cultivate forgiveness between divorcing parents. Although legal scholars have not examined forgiveness in any depth, scholars in other fields have conducted numerous studies demonstrating its benefits, including a reduction in anger. Drawing from various forgiveness models, Professor Maldonado analyzes why and how the law should cultivate forgiveness between divorcing parents: first, by making marital misconduct irrelevant in divorce, property, alimony, and custody proceedings; and second, by requiring that high-conflict divorced parents participate in a forgiveness education program. She argues that these reforms, which she has named Healing Divorce, may significantly reduce inter-parental hostility and conflict. Demonstrating that lawmakers have already attempted to facilitate forgiveness in the criminal law context, she argues that the law can and should cultivate forgiveness after divorce.
Prevention and Management of Complications Following Tracheal Resection

Careful patient selection and preparation are paramount to optimize outcomes following tracheal resection. Risk factors for postoperative anastomotic complications include age less than 17 years, reoperation, laryngeal involvement, diabetes, increased length of resection, and need for preoperative tracheostomy. Major complications involve the anastomosis and are associated with an increased risk of mortality. Complications range from granulation tissue formation to stricture to separation, and successful management typically requires reoperation, T-tube stenting, or tracheostomy. Other complications to consider include vocal cord edema, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, esophageal injury, wound infection, swallowing dysfunction, aspiration pneumonia, and fistula to the esophagus or innominate artery.
Response of Some Scintillation Crystals to Heavy Particles

The dependence of the response of anthracene, stilbene, and sodium iodide crystals in a scintillation detector on the type and energy of charged particles incident on the crystal has been investigated. Electrons with energies from 500 ev to 624 kev, deuterons and molecular hydrogen ions with energies of 1 to 11 Mev, protons of 1 to 5 Mev, and alpha-particles of 4 to 21 Mev were employed. With the exception of protons and deuterons in sodium iodide, which gave a linear response over the entire energy region investigated, plots of pulse height vs energy for heavy particles gave a nonlinear relation for low energies tending toward linearity with increasing particle energy. Electrons in anthracene and stilbene show a nonlinear response below 100 kev, while the sodium iodide curve is linear above 1000 ev. The response of anthracene, whose behavior may be typical of organic crystals, has been compared for different ionizing radiations by considering the variation of the specific energy loss. Both electrons and heavy particles seem to show regions of linear response which start at quite different values of $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$. As the specific energy loss increases the response becomes nonlinear, with the ultimate saturation of the specific fluorescence for large values of $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$.
The effects of lobeline on nicotine withdrawal-induced depression-like behavior in mice.

Evidence suggests that neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) ligand lobeline has antidepressant-like properties. The present study investigated the effects of lobeline on nicotine withdrawal-induced depression-like behavior. Adult C57BL/6J mice were exposed to nicotine (200 μg/ml) in drinking solution for 3 weeks. During withdrawal, depression-like behavior was measured by the forced swim test (FST). We also determined norepinephrine (NE) levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus during nicotine withdrawal. Furthermore, we determined the effects of repeated treatment with lobeline or a selective α4β2 nAChR ligand 3-(pyridine-3-yl)-cytisine on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated cAMP-responsive element binding (p-CREB) protein expression in the hippocampus. Withdrawal from chronic nicotine increased immobility time in the FST, a measure for depression-like behavior. Pretreatment with lobeline significantly decreased immobility time during nicotine withdrawal. In addition, pretreatment with lobeline attenuated nicotine withdrawal-induced increased NE levels in the PFC and hippocampus. Further, repeated treatment with lobeline or 3-(pyridine-3-yl)-cytisine decreased immobility time in the FST and reduced withdrawal-induced increased BDNF and p-CREB expression in the hippocampus. Taken together, our results indicate that lobeline attenuated nicotine withdrawal-induced depression-like behavior likely by targeting brain nAChRs, noradrenergic neurotransmission, and/or hippocampal BDNF. Thus, lobeline may have some potential to prevent smoking relapse by counteracting nicotine withdrawal-induced depression in humans.
Microbiology of healthy and diseased adenoids.

Objective To determine the qualitative and quantitative microbiology of core adenoid tissue obtained from four groups of 15 children each, with recurrent otitis media (ROM), recurrent adenotonsillitis (RAT), obstructive adenoid hypertrophy (OAH), and occlusion or speech abnormalities (controls). Methods Core cultures of surgically removed diseased adenoids and of healthy controls were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Results Polymicrobial aerobic-anaerobic flora were present in all instances. Ninety-four organisms were isolated from control specimens, and 148 from ROM, 142 from RAT, and 149 from OAH specimens. The predominant aerobes in all groups were α-hemolytic and γ-hemolytic streptococci, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, group A β-hemolytic streptococci, and Moraxella catarrhalis. The prominent anaerobes were Peptostreptococcus, Prevotella, and Fusobacterium species. The number, concentration and distribution of types of most organisms did not vary among the three groups of diseased adenoids. However, the number of those that are potential pathogens and those that produced β-lactamase was lower in the control than the diseased adenoids (P < .001). Conclusion The study highlights the importance of the bacterial load in the adenoids in contributing to the etiology of ROM, RAT, and OAH.
Early actions of cadmium in the rat and domestic fowl. VI. Testicular and muscle blood flow changes.

Abstract 1. 1. Male rats and domestic fowl were injected subcutaneously with 0·03 m-moles cadmium choride (Cd)/kg body weight with some rats previously pre-treated with zinc acetate (Zn). Early relative blood flow changes were studied. 2. 2. In the fowl no blood flow changes were detected due to Cd. 3. 3. In the rat Cd resulted in a sharp increase in blood flow to the testis at 2·5 and 10 min after Cd followed by a return toward normal. 4. 4. Zn pre-treatment resulted in blood flow which was higher than in untreated rats. However, when this pre-treatment was followed by Cd the sharp changes in blood flow, found in rats treated with Cd but without Zn pretreatment, were not manifest. This also resulted in a more rapid return to control levels. 5. 5. Cd acts on the vasculature of the testis of the rat but not that of the domestic fowl and Zn pre-treatment in the rat moderates the action of Cd on the vasculature.
Direct evidence of trophic interactions among apex predators in the Late Triassic of western North America

Hypotheses of feeding behaviors and community structure are testable with rare direct evidence of trophic interactions in the fossil record (e.g., bite marks). We present evidence of four predation, scavenging, and/or interspecific fighting events involving two large paracrocodylomorphs (=‘rauisuchians’) from the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation (∼220–210 Ma). The larger femur preserves a rare history of interactions with multiple actors prior to and after death of this ∼8–9-m individual. A large embedded tooth crown and punctures, all of which display reaction tissue formed through healing, record evidence of a failed attack on this individual. The second paracrocodylomorph femur exhibits four unhealed bite marks, indicating the animal either did not survive the attack or was scavenged soon after death. The combination of character states observed (e.g., morphology of the embedded tooth, ‘D’-shaped punctures, evidence of bicarination of the marking teeth, spacing of potentially serial marks) indicates that large phytosaurs were actors in both cases. Our analysis of these specimens demonstrates phytosaurs targeted large paracrocodylomorphs in these Late Triassic ecosystems. Previous distinctions between ‘aquatic’ and ‘terrestrial’ Late Triassic trophic structures were overly simplistic and built upon mistaken paleoecological assumptions; we show they were intimately connected at the highest trophic levels. Our data also support that size cannot be the sole factor in determining trophic status. Furthermore, these marks provide an opportunity to start exploring the seemingly unbalanced terrestrial ecosystems from the Late Triassic of North America, in which large carnivores far outnumber herbivores in terms of both abundance and diversity.
Naturalistic observations of pathological behavior in hospitalized psychiatric patients

Naturalistic observations were conducted on 19 acutely ill psychiatric patients in the hospital ward milieu. The study was designed to determine relationships between selected social and environment variables and overt atypical behavior. Patients were observed on an individual basis with time-sampling techniques. In total, 16 pathological behaviors were coded and the most frequent (postural deviance, pace, agitation, hyperactivity, withdrawal, foot shake/body sway, leg swing) were selected in order to determine variation in frequency of these behaviors as a function of the following variables: area within hospital, week of hospitalization, distance between the focal subject and his/her nearest neighbor, number of people in an area, and time of day. Results showed differential changes in pathological behavior as a function of week of hospitalization, number of people in a given area, and distance from the focal subject's nearest neighbor. There was no significant change in the frequency of pathological behaviors as a function of area within hospital or time of day. In addition, most pathological behaviors decreased significantly when patients were engaged in the sending or receiving of verbal behavior. Cluster analyses revealed varying degrees of dissociation between pathological behaviors and social-interaction behaviors. These results support (a) a nonunitary concept of the general category “pathological” and (b) the view that there are inhibitory effects of social interaction on the enactment of atypical behaviors. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Origin of the light peak: in vitro study of Gekko gekko

1. The light peak is a large, light-evoked increase in standing potential recorded in mammals, birds and reptiles. We have studied the cellular origin of the light peak in an in vitro preparation of neural retina-pigment epithelium (r.p.e)—choroid from the lizard, Gekko gekko. The tissue was mounted between two separate bathing solutions; the trans-tissue potential was recorded retinal-side positive; micro-electrodes were introduced to measure the trans-epithelial potential (t.e.p.) and to record intracellularly from the r.p.e. 2. A 10 min stimulus of diffuse white light evoked an increase in trans-tissue potential that reached maximum amplitude, the light peak, about 15 min after stimulus onset. Since the light peak is present in vitro, it must originate in either the neural retina or the r.p.e. 3. A micro-electrode was positioned in the subretinal space and the trans-retinal potential and t.e.p. were measured simultaneously. A 10 min stimulus produced an increase in t.e.p. equal in magnitude and time course to the trans-tissue light peak; no potential was present across the retina. The light peak is therefore generated solely across the r.p.e. 4. Intracellular r.p.e. recordings were made to determine whether the light peak was generated at the apical or basal membrane or across the paracellular shunt. A 10 min stimulus first caused a hyperpolarization of both membranes with a time course similar to the r.p.e. c-wave followed by a depolarization of both membranes with the time course of the light peak. We conclude that whereas the r.p.e. c-wave results from a hyperpolarization of the apical membrane, the light peak is generated by a depolarization of the basal membrane of the r.p.e. 5. Changes in tissue resistance, Rt, and the ratio of apical to basal membrane resistances, a, were monitored during the light peak by passing current across the tissue and measuring the appropriate current-induced voltages. Rt decreased and a increased with the time course of the light peak. Assuming that the paracellular shunt resistance is constant, we conclude that the light peak is accompanied by an increase in basal membrane conductance. 6. This and the following paper present the first direct demonstration of an interaction between the neural retina and the basal membrane of the r.p.e. The light peak, initiated by absorption of light by photoreceptors, results in a depolarization and conductance increase of the basal membrane.
Pharmacodynamic interplay of the P2Y1, P2Y12, and TxA2 pathways in platelets: the potential of triple antiplatelet therapy with P2Y1 receptor antagonism

Introduction Previous work suggests that the extent of platelet inhibition by P2Y1 receptor antagonism may be underappreciated, particularly in the context of dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel.
Preferences of Physicians and Their Patients for End‐of‐Life Care

OBJECTIVE: Both physicians and patients view advance directives as important, yet discussions occur infrequently. We assessed differences and correlations between physicians' and their patients' desires for end-of-life care for themselves. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Study physicians (n = 78) were residents and faculty practicing in an inner-city, academic primary care general internal medicine practice. Patients (n = 831) received primary care from these physicians and were either at least 75 or between 50 and 74 years of age, with selected morbid conditions. Physicians and patients completed identical questionnaires that included an assessment of their preferences for six specific treatments if they were terminally ill. There were significant differences between physicians' and patients' preferences for all six treatments (p < .0001), with physicians wanting less treatment than their patients for five of them. Patients desiring more care (p < .01) were more often male (odds ratio [OR] 1.7), African-American (OR 1.6), and older (OR 1.02 per year). There were no such correlates with physicians' preferences. A treatment preference score was calculated from respondents' desires to receive or refuse the six treatments. Physicians' scores were highly correlated with those of their enrolled primary care patients (r = .51, p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Although patients and physicians as groups differ substantially in their preferences for end-of-life care, there was significant correlation between individual academic physicians' preferences and those of their primary care patients. Reasons for this correlation are unknown.
Transitions to Liquid Crystalline Phases in a Semifluorinated Alkane

Abstract Perfluorodecyl decane, F(CF2)10(CH2)10H, is shown to undergo a liquid crystal-liquid crystal transition above room temperature. The accompanying reversible structural reorganization is observed by transmitted polarized light microscopy, small angle x-ray scattering and wide angle x-ray diffraction. Both liquid crystalline phases have a layered structure; within the layers the molecules are interdigitated, tilted relative to the layer normal, and packed in a pseudo-hexagonal fashion. The transformation between the structures is achieved by a change in molecular tilt, together with a change in the extent to which the molecules are interdigitated within each layer.
Vapour—liquid phase equilibrium at atmospheric pressure

This paper attempts to precisely define and elucidate the various relationships between the physical and thermodynamic properties of solutions in vapour—liquid phase equilibrium. A coefficient of deviation from Raoult's Law, κi, is defined and identified as the correlating variable used by most experimenters when working with vapour—liquid equilibrium data. Limitations on the use of κi as compared to the true activity coefficient, γL, are discussed for both the isothermal and isobaric case. Under the assumption that Amagat's Law applies to the vapour, this paper presents equations relating the deviation from Raoult's Law coefficient, κi, to the differential heat of condensation. The different heat of condensation is then related to the integral isobaric heat of vaporization. Based on these equations, a method for the testing of isobaric vapour—liquid equilibrium data for consistency with heat of vaporization data is proposed. This work is derived from the similar treatment given to the true activity coefficient. An apparatus and procedure for the simultaneous measurement of vapour—liquid phase equilibrium data and the integral isobaric heat of vaporization are described. The results of measurements with the above-mentioned apparatus on the system acetone—chloroform at one atmosphere are presented. These results show that the measured liquid or bubble point composition varies directly with the boil-up rate. From the accurately known dew-point composition, the measured dew-point temperature and the heat data, a trial and error method for the calculation of the bubble-point composition consistent with the dew-point data is described. At the proper lower boil-up rates comparison of the Raoult's Law deviation coefficients κi calculated from the consistent bubble-point data with the same coefficients calculated from the measured bubble-point composition shows good agreement. It is therefore concluded that the apparatus described in this work is capable of measuring consistent vapour—liquid equilibrium data. Thus it is shown that equilibrium liquid compositions may be calculated from measured dew-point composition—temperature data. The same method of calculation could be more easily employed with a system whose mixing effects are negligible.
C-Peptide utilization in clinical practice: effect on treatment and outcome of diabetes in a series of cases.

Objective: To emphasize that measurement of a C-peptide level can be critical in the diagnosis and appropriate management of patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods: We present a series of clinical cases in which glycemic control proved challenging, and we discuss the underlying pathophysiologic features of type 1 versus type 2 diabetes. Results: In a series of 12 illustrative cases, suboptimal control of blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes prompted further investigation. Assessment of C-peptide levels helped determine a precise diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, information that was pivotal in choosing treatment options and improving the outcome. These examples show that the age of the patient at the time of diagnosis of diabetes does not necessarily indicate the type of diabetes that is present. Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of the importance of establishing whether patients have type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus and the implications of that distinction on the effectiveness of...
Chvatal-Gomory-tier cuts for general integer programs

In this paper, we introduce a new class of cutting planes called Chvatal-Gomory (CG)-tier cuts. These cuts are predicated on a scaling parameter d and an integer tier-level parameter p, where 1=
MARKET SOCIALISM IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

The world's most populous nation has taken on the mission of a giant laboratory in political economy. This “thoughtpiece” describes the recent economic experiments in China, and analyses current and potential developments as approximating a society of market socialism, a hybrid variety of socio‐economic system never truly tested anywhere else. Some of the issues confronting such a society are raised. Implications to Western companies interested in doing business in the markets of the PRC are also briefly discussed.
Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors in homeostatic synaptic plasticity

Neurons possess diverse mechanisms of homeostatic adaptation to overall changes in neural and synaptic activity, which are critical for proper brain functions. Homeostatic regulation of excitatory synapses has been studied in the context of synaptic scaling, which allows neurons to adjust their excitatory synaptic gain to maintain their activity within a dynamic range. Recent evidence suggests that one of the main mechanisms underlying synaptic scaling is by altering the function of postsynaptic AMPA receptors (AMPARs), including synaptic expression of Ca2+-permeable (CP-) AMPARs. CP-AMPARs endow synapses with unique properties, which may benefit adaptation of neurons to periods of inactivity as would occur when a major input is lost. This review will summarize how synaptic expression of CP-AMPARs is regulated during homeostatic synaptic plasticity in the context of synaptic scaling, and will address the potential functional consequences of altering synaptic CP-AMPAR content.
The Conversion of 1,3-Cyclooctadiene to 1-Vinylcyclohexene

Abstract The sensitized photolysis of cis-cis-1,3-cyclooctadiene yields bicyclo [4.2.0]octene-7 (1), efficiently and in good yield.1 We have found that 1 may be converted very simply into 1-vinylcyclohexene (3) 2 via bicyclo [4.2.0] octene-8 (2).
Identification of structural systems using naturally induced vibration data in the presence of measurement noise

The method of instrument variables for the identification of the parameters of structural systems excited by white noise in the presence of white measurement noise is applied. The requisite equations and the resulting consistent estimator are derived and simulation results for least squares and instrumental variables methods, for light and heavy damping, are compared. The present method gave better results than least squares when measurement noise was presented, and verified the fact that least squares yields an inconsistent estimator unless the measurement noise is zero.
On the mechanism of ATP synthesis in oxidative phosphorylation: A review

Abstract It is shown that the presently available evidence supports the existence of two entry points for water oxygen in the mitochondrial oxygen exchanges. This in turn provides support for the pseudorotation reaction mechanism of ATP synthesis which is the only mechanism of ATP synthesis proposed to date allowing for two entry points of water oxygen. It is also shown that the pseudorotation mechanism can resolve the apparent paradox of a P 1 ⇆ H 2 O exchange·separate from the reversal of phosphorylation yet dependent on the mechanism of P 1 activation. In addition an interpretation consistent with the experimental observations concerning As i -induced stimulation of respiration and effects associated with oligomycin and aurovertin is shown to follow from the analysis of the oxygen exchanges. Implications of the pseudorotation mechanism for the mechanism of energy coupling in oxidative phosphorylation are discussed.
Cardiovascular and Respiratory Manifestations of Pulmonary Sequestration in Childhood

Abstract Intralobar pulmonary sequestration was diagnosed in 14 patients, 12 of whom were under 10 years of age, including 2 infants aged 2 weeks. Half of the patients had respiratory problems when first seen. "Classic" purulent bronchiectatic disease was present in only 2; 5 had mild pneumonitis, asthma, or bronchitis. A second group had cardiovascular problems. Two children had severe congenital heart disease, and 4 had significant arteriovenous shunts in the sequestration, including an infant with cardiac failure. All the shunts were characterized by a continuous murmur in the back or axilla on the affected side. Early operation can prevent more severe respiratory problems and obviate the hemodynamic sequelae of the A-V fistula. Segmental resection of the sequestration was performed in 2 children, which suggests that lobectomy may not always be necessary.
Venous prostheses: Improved patency with external stents

A uniformly successful prosthesis for replacement in the venous system has not been developed. This study assesses the effect of external stents on the patency of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts in the infrarenal vena cava. Under general anesthesia, 21 mongrel dogs underwent midline laparotomy. The infrarenal vena cava was resected and replaced by a standard segment (8 cm × 10 mm) of stented PTFE (12 dogs) and nonstented PTFE (9 dogs). Patency was assessed by contrast venography and the results compared between the two groups. The 7-, 30-, and 90-day patency was 1212, 1012, and 912, respectively, for stented PTFE and 69, 29, and 29, respectively, for nonstented PTFE. The patency of externally stented PTFE at 30 and 90 days was significantly better than grafts fashioned from PTFE alone (P < 0.05 by chi-square analysis). These data demonstrate that external stenting improves the early patency of PTFE prostheses in the infrarenal vena cava. Consideration should be given to the clinical use of externally stented PTFE when prosthetic replacement in the venous system is required.
Biosynthesis of medium-chain-length poly(hydroxyalkanoates) with altered composition by mutant hybrid PHA synthases

Pseudomonas resinovorans harbors two isogenic poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) synthase genes (phaC1 Pre , phaC2 Pre ) responsible for the production of intracellular medium-chain-length (mcl-)PHAs. Sequence analysis showed that the putative gene-products of these genes contain a conserved α/β-hydrolase fold in the carboxy-terminal half of the proteins. Hybrid genes pha7 and pha8 were constructed by exchanging the α/β-hydrolase-fold coding portions of phaC1 Pre and phaC2 Pre at the 3′ terminal. When grown with decanoate as carbon source, the pha7- or pha8-transformed Escherichia coli LS1298 produced PHAs containing 73–75% β-hydroxydecanoate (β-HD) and 25–27% β-hydroxyoctanoate (β-HO). Deletion mutants, Δpha7 and Δpha8, were isolated during the PCR-based construction of pha7 and pha8, respectively. Cells harboring these mutants produced PHAs containing 55–60 mol% β-HD and 40–45 mol% β-HO. These results demonstrate the feasibility of generating active hybrid mcl-PHA synthase genes and their mutants with the potential of producing polymers having a varied repeat-unit composition.
Characterization of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-PbTiO3M Dielectric Materials

Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 (BNT) modified with Pb showed an increased and broadened dielectric constant and limited grain growth. Pb also lowered the first transition temperature. The phases of BNT were confirmed to be ferroelectric at room temperature which transformed to antiferroelectric above 220°C. When BNT was doped with 10% Pb, the first transition decreased to 140°C and abruptly disappeared in the composition with 17% Pb. The crystal structure of 17%-Pb-doped BNT at room temperature is tetragonal, which differs from the rhombohedral structure at lower Pb contents. Thus, the phase boundary between rhombohedral and tetragonal ferroelectric phase was determined to be between 15% to 17% Pb in this study.
Electron-Electron Scattering and Transport Phenomena in Nonpolar Semiconductors

The effect of electron-electron scattering processes due to Coulomb forces on the transport phenomena in nonpolar isotropic solids is treated in the framework of Kohler's variation principle. By considering the conduction electrons as a Fermi-Dirac gas of noninteracting free quasi-particles, each with charge $\ensuremath{-}e$ and mass ${m}^{*}$, electron-electron scattering is taken into account as a small perturbation, as is electron-phonon scattering in nonpolar solids. A shielded Coulomb potential which depends on two parameters---the effective dielectric constant and the shielding constant---is used as the interaction potential. These two parameters, for small concentrations of electrons, may be assumed to be independent of the distance between two electrons during a scattering process.
The logic of the gift: the possibilities and limitations of Carlo Petrini’s slow food alternative

The majority of literature on Slow Food focuses on the organization or actors involved in the movement. There is a dearth of material analyzing Carlo Petrini’s aspirations for Slow Food, particularly in light of his desire within Slow Food Nation (2007) and Terra Madre (2010) to make “freewill giving a part of economic discourse.” This essay corrects the literature gap through historicizing and critiquing Petrini’s alternative to global capitalism while rooting it in actually existing practices. First, Petrini’s problematic conceptualization of freewill giving will be compared to feminist theorizations and documentations of the gift economy. Second, Petrini’s avoidance of the toxic mimic of the gift, its subsumption to capitalism, will be amended by discussing how the gifting of food aid and emergency food networks actually reproduces inequality, poverty, and hunger. Third, Petrini’s example of gifting by a Trappist Monastery will be juxtaposed to the ongoing direct action strategies of Food Not Bombs, a much stronger example of an oppositional gift economy, one that is subsequently repressed by the state. In doing so, this essay seeks to expand discussion of the gift economy within the alternative food movement while amending many of the theoretical, historical, and political problems embedded within Petrini’s work, which performs a strong disservice to the politics of possibility embedded within gifting.
Material identification of soft tissue using membrane inflation

The constitutive equation for large elastic deformations is often used to model the mechanical response of soft tissue. This paper is concerned with the applications of the method of material identification to the determination of the strain energy density functions ( W) in such a mode, under the assumption that the tissue is incompressible and isotropic. It is shown that an identification experiment based on inflation by lateral pressure ofan initially flat circular membraneous specimen has a number of advantages. These are: the method of clamping the specimen, the ease of labelling material particles and measuring current coordinates, the easily determined domain of identification of I% and a means of systematically determining Wover a large deformation range. An example in the form of a hypothetical experiment is presented. 1. lNTRODUCDON The constitutive equation for large elastic defor- mations is often used to model the mechanical re- sponse of soft biological tissues as well as rubbery materials. Its application depends on the knowledge of the strain energy density function (W) for the material under consideration. Forms for W for incompressible rubbery materials are reasonably well established. On the other hand, a significant amount of activity is concerned with the determination of strain energy density functions for soft tissues. The procedures which have been used to establish forms for W for rubber appear to be the guide for some current approaches for the determination of W for soft tissue. It will be useful, for present purposes, to briefly review the determination of W for rubber. The initial forms for W were developed from an experimental program based on subjecting specimens to unequal biaxial homogeneous deformattons. In order to assess the Mooney form of W in predicting non- homogeneous deformations, Adkins and Rivlin (1952) used it in the calculation of the deformed profiles of a clamped, initially flat, circular rubber membrane which had been pressurized on one side. These were then compared with actual profiles which had been previously measured by Treloar (1944). Agreement between the measured and calculated profiles was satisfactory at low inflation levels but less so at higher levels. Later, Klingbeil and Shield (1964), and then Hart-Smith and Crisp (1967) introduced improved forms for W for which the match between measured and calculated profiles was very good. Recently, a method has been suggested which combines these stages of construction from homo- geneous deformations, verification against non- homogeneous deformations and subsequent improve-
Distribution and properties of open magnetic flux outside of coronal holes

[1] The open magnetic flux of the Sun, the component of the solar magnetic field that forms the heliospheric magnetic field, is known to be concentrated into coronal holes, regions of low plasma density where the solar wind escapes easily. There also is evidence for concentrations of open flux in the vicinity of active regions. In this paper we explore the possibility that there is an additional component of open flux. We argue that open magnetic flux will reconnect with closed magnetic loops and that this process will distribute a small fraction of the open flux into a uniform, radial component in regions that do not underlie the overexpansion of the magnetic field from coronal holes. This additional component of open flux will facilitate the escape of energetic particles from solar flares and also the escape of plasma to form the slow solar wind.
OPTIMAL FEEDING POLICIES FOR BROILER PRODUCTION: AN APPLICATION OF DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING*

The determination of an optimal feeding and selling strategy for broiler production given a space constraint is formulated as a dynamic programming problem. Production equations derived from trial data are used to obtain an optimal sequence of rations in which energy density changes through time. The stability of the plan is explored and the implications of the results for production research and commercial practice are considered.
The effect of registry degeneracy on leed beam profiles

Abstract Impurities adsorbed on single crystal surfaces tend to form two-dimensional structures which are simply related to the substrate. Degeneracy in the registry of such structures relative to the substrate is perhaps the most characteristic feature of surface crystallography. LEED structure analysis, however, is usually based on calculations which assume the interaction of perfectly coherent plane radiation with a defect free surface. Unfortunately, analysis of the response of typical LEED systems makes it clear that the first assumption is sufficiently poor as to make the evaluation of the second difficult. In particular, we show that the limited coherence of the primary electrons necessitates the use of statistical methods in characterizing LEED. The application of the statistical approach in the analysis of LEED beam profiles is illustrated by simple adsorption models. This analysis can be used to characterize the adsorption sites and the nature and distribution of mistakes in the periodicity of surface structures.
Nodal Control of a Vibrating Rod

Abstract The paper deals with the problem of absorbing the harmonic response at a prescribed location in an axially vibrating rod. An explicit formula for the feedback control gain is given. A necessary and sufficient condition for allowing the control to be carried out by a passive element is determined, and the stability of the system is analysed. Examples demonstrating the various results are presented.
Scale-up and control of droplet production in coupled microfluidic flow-focusing geometries

A single microfluidic chip consisting of six microfluidic flow-focusing devices operating in parallel was developed to investigate the feasibility of scaling microfluidic droplet generation up to production rates of hundreds of milliliters per hour. The design utilizes a single inlet channel for both the dispersed aqueous phase and the continuous oil phase from which the fluids were distributed to all six flow-focusing devices. The exit tubing for each of the six flow-focusing devices is separate and individually plumbed to each device. Within each flow-focusing device, the droplet size was monodisperse, but some droplet size variations were observed across devices. We show that by modifying the flow resistance in the outlet channel of an individual flow-focusing device it is possible to control both the droplet size and frequency of droplet production. This can be achieved through the use of valves or, as is done in this study, by changing the length of the exit tubing plumbed to the outlet of the each device. Longer exit tubing and larger flow resistance is found to lead to larger droplets and higher production frequencies. The devices can thus be individually tuned to create a monodisperse emulsion or an emulsion with a specific drop size distribution.
The effects of age, gender, and season on serotonergic function in healthy subjects.

Abstract 1. 1. Several factors, including age, gender, and season of the year, have been reported to affect physiologic indices of central serotonergic function, although some of these findings have not been consistent across groups of subjects and types of serotonergic measures. 2. 2. The authors investigated the role that each of these variables might play in the neuroendocrine response to acute intravenous challenge with the serotonin reuptake inhibitor clomipramine (CMI) in healthy volunteers. 3. 3. Thirty seven healthy subjects (17 women and 20 men), with an age range of 19 to 50 years, received 12.5 mg of CMI intravenously under standardized conditions. 4. 4. The maximum change from baseline in plasma prolactin concentrations (“delta-max”) was significantly related to age, after controlling for gender and season. 5. 5. In contrast, neither gender nor season was significantly related to prolactin delta-max, after controlling for the other two variables. 6. 6. Although the age range and sample size are relatively limited, the results from this study suggest that age, but not gender or season, may influence serotonergic function, as measured by the prolactin response to CMI challenge.
Photoresist roughness characterization in additive lithography processes for the fabrication of phase-only optical vortices

The roughness on the surface of phase-only micro-optical elements can limit their performance. An optical vortex phase element was fabricated by using additive lithography with an optimized process to have minimal surface roughness. Thick photoresist was used in order to obtain the appropriate dynamic range for the desired phase profile. We investigated the effects of both post applied and post exposure baking processes, as well as the effects of surfactant in the developer. We found the resist surface roughness to be a function of both the temperature and the time of the respective bakes, as well as the developer surfactant content.
Maternal Drinking and Risky Sexual Behavior in Offspring

Teenage mothers are more likely to use drugs, and their children are more likely to use substances and become pregnant during adolescence. Teenage mothers’ substance use may play a role in the intergenerational risk for adolescent pregnancy. Pregnant adolescents (12-18 years) were seen during pregnancy and postnatal years 6, 10, 14, and 16 (n = 332). Teenage mothers reported on substance use and family characteristics. The offspring reported substance use (starting at age 10) and sexual behavior (ages 14 and 16). Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with offspring (a) having a risky first sex partner and (b) multiple sex partners in the past year. Heavy maternal drinking during childhood was associated with offspring reports of a risky first sex partner and early teenage pregnancy. Findings from this unique birth cohort have implications for alcohol prevention efforts with girls during and after a teenage pregnancy and interventions to prevent risky sex in high-risk youth.
Empirical methods for assessing meaningful neuropsychological change following epilepsy surgery

Traditional methods for assessing the neurocognitive effects of epilepsy surgery are confounded by practice effects, test-retest reliability issues, and regression to the mean. This study employs 2 methods for assessing individual change that allow direct comparison of changes across both individuals and test measures. Fifty-one medically intractable epilepsy patients completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery twice, approximately 8 months apart, prior to any invasive monitoring or surgical intervention. First, a Reliable Change (RC) index score was computed for each test score to take into account the reliability of that measure, and a cutoff score was empirically derived to establish the limits of statistically reliable change. These indices were subsequently adjusted for expected practice effects. The second approach used a regression technique to establish “change norms” along a common metric that models both expected practice effects and regression to the mean. The RC index scores provide the clinician with a statistical means of determining whether a patient's retest performance is “significantly” changed from baseline. The regression norms for change allow the clinician to evaluate the magnitude of a given patient's change on 1 or more variables along a common metric that takes into account the reliability and stability of each test measure. Case data illustrate how these methods provide an empirically grounded means for evaluating neurocognitive outcomes following medical interventions such as epilepsy surgery. (JINS, 1996, 2, 556–564.)
A strategic groups approach to the franchising–performance relationship

Abstract Although franchising is a pervasive organizational form, little is known about its performance consequences. Prior studies have not found a direct performance effect, suggesting a need for alternative approaches. Drawing upon agency and resource scarcity theories, we develop the idea that strategic groups exist among franchisors and that performance differs among the groups. Using a sample of 65 restaurant chains, three strategic groups were found. The strategic group most influenced to franchise out of resource scarcity exhibited poorer performance than the other two groups. Results indicate that important, but nonlinear, relationships exist among franchising, its antecedents, and performance.
Effects of fertilizer and low rates of imidacloprid on Adelges tsugae (Hemiptera: Adelgidae).

Healthy hemlock trees, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere, and hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), populations should favor retention and population growth of adelgid predators such as Laricobius nigrinus Fender (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) and Sasajiscymnus tsugae (Sasaji & McClure) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Eastern hemlock trees between 15 and 38 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) were treated with 0, 10, or 25% of 1.5 g imidacloprid (Merit 75 WP) per 2.5 cm dbh and were either fertilized or not, in a 3 by 2 factorial design. After 2 yr, imidacloprid reduced the numbers of ovisacs and eggs found on trees in a dosage-dependent manner, while enhancing tree growth parameters such as new shoots or needles and the length of new shoots. Fertilized trees had greater adelgid fecundity, which was positively correlated with total foliar N in both winter generations. In February 2009 (27 mo after imidacloprid treatment), higher imidacloprid dosages to unfertilized trees resulted in reduced adelgid fecundity. Concentrations of N, P, and K were higher in the foliage of trees treated with insecticide, whereas foliar aluminum concentrations were consistently lower in trees with higher insecticide dosages. Trees treated with low rates of imidacloprid were healthier than untreated trees, but only trees treated with the 0.1× dosage had sufficient adelgids to possibly sustain predators over extended periods.