cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smoking as a risk factor for panniculectomy: An analysis of 7650 cases.

Summary Background Panniculectomy is performed to remove a symptomatic abdominal pannus. Successful surgery can improve quality of life and alleviate numerous health concerns including intertrigo, chronic infection, lumbago, and immobility. This study is aimed to examine smoking as risk factor for post-operative complications in panniculectomy patients. It is the first study to date on this topic. Methods A retrospective study on 7,650 panniculectomy patients was performed utilizing data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, collected from 2005-2015. Patients were identified by Current Procedural Terminology code 15830 and separated into two cohorts based on current smoking status. Cohorts were compared in terms of demographics, preoperative health, operation variables, and 30-day complications. Univariate analysis utilized χ2 or Fisher's exact tests and Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate the association between smoking and development of wound complications or any complication. Odds ratios were computed at the 95% confidence interval. Results The rate of complications for smokers vs. non-smokers were: deep incisional surgical site infections (2.4 vs. 1.3%; p=0.0162), organ/space surgical site infections (0.8% vs. 0.3%; p=0.026), and return to operating room (4.9% vs. 3.3%; p=0.0185). After adjusting for confounders, smokers had a higher likelihood of developing wound complications (OR 1.332; p=0.0085) or any complications (OR 1.379; p=0.0220) following panniculectomy compared to non-smokers. Conclusions Smoking confers an increased risk of developing wound complications or any complication for patients undergoing panniculectomy. Smoking cessation should be an important part of the pre-operative workup to reduce complications.
Arterial vascularization of the interatrial septum in the human heart in relation to the type of coronary ramification

On 130 randomized specimens of human heart, of both sexes (19-86 years of age) I have investigated the vascularization of the interatrial septum of the heart in relation to the type of coronary arteries ramifications using dissection and injection-corrosion methods. The interatrial septum is supplied by the right and left anterior atrial branches and right and left posterior atrial branches. The blood supply of the posterior part of the interatrial septum is related to the type of the arterial vessels of the heart. Anastomoses between branches of the right and left coronary arteries occur in the septum.
Intestinal Excretion of Toxic Substances

Chemicals can be eliminated from body via feces by two major mechanisms, namely biliary and intestinal excretion. The relative importance of these processes in the elimination of a highly lipophilic xenobiotic such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB) has been studied. It has been demonstrated that fecal (90%) rather than urinary (10%) excretion is the major route of elimination of HCB in most species. It has been shown also that the bile of HCB dosed animals contained HCB metabolites only whereas fecal excretion consisted primarily of the parent compound. These findings suggested that the bile could not be the source of fecal HCB. Indeed, bild duct ligation in rats increased rather than decreased the fecal excretion of HCB. Experiments in rhesus monkeys with complete biliary bypass confirmed the conclusion that the source of fecal HCB is not the bile, suggesting that most of the fecal HCB originated from intestinal excretion. Exfoliation of intestinal epithelium and exudation across the intestinal mucosa are the two major nonbiliary mechanisms whereby xenobiotics can enter the intestinal lumen. The contribution of desquamation and exudation to fecal excretion of HCB was estimated in jejunectomized and hemicolectomized rats. Removal of 50% of the jejunum did not influence fecal excretion of HCB, whereas excision of 50% of the large intestine reduced it by 40%. These data suggest that the source of fecal HCB is nonbiliary, intestinal transfer (exudation) from blood into the intestinal contents, which occurs primarily in the large intestine. Fecal elimination of HCB is significantly enhanced by dietary treatments with mineral oil or hexadecane. Jejunectomy and hemicolectomy affected fecal excretion of HCB in hexadecane stimulated rats in a similar fashion as in the untreated animals. Thus, it is concluded that hexadecane specifically stimulated exudation of HCB into the large intestine.
Automatic Artifact Detection in Impedance Cardiogram Using Pulse Similarity Index

Impedance cardiography (ICG) is a noninvasive technique for evaluation of cardiac hemodynamic parameters such as cardiac output and pre-ejection period. However, the sensitivity of the technique to motion artifact, electrode displacement, and cardiovascular pathologies can severely impact the accuracy of hemodynamic parameter estimates. In this paper, we proposed a new algorithm for the automatic detection and exclusion of corrupted ICG cardiac cycles by defining a pulse similarity index that quantifies the level of pulse corruption and its diversion from a typical-shaped pulse. The index considers different features (activity, structure, shape, and pattern) of the ICG cardiac cycles. The algorithm is compared on sleep data collected from 20 participants against expert identified corrupted cycles. The artifact rejection algorithm achieved a high accuracy of 96% in detection of expert-identified corrupted ICG cycles, including those with normal amplitude as well as out-of-range values, and was robust to different types and levels of artifact. The algorithm shows promise toward applications requiring accurate and reliable automatic measurement of cardiac hemodynamic parameters from prolonged data sets.
From Grieving to Giving: When Former Bereavement Campers Return as Volunteers.

This study examines the lived experiences of bereavement camp participants who return to camp as volunteer counselors. Participants in the study were eight bereavement camp counselors who once atte...
Flex, Breathe, Fit, and Walk: Exploring Technologies Accessible in Academia for Design and Production of a Custom Fit Shoes

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #454545}This exploratory design research was conducted to investigate the existing technologies accessible in academia to design and produce a sample pair of shoes with respect to standards implemented in footwear manufacturing. In this design, three factors were explored: flexibility in material and forms, breathability, and custom fitting. In this design, customized shoe sole and footbed was designed and 3D printed based on the customized foot form created from participant’s foot. The material used for 3D printing the shoe sole and shoe bed is a liquid base form called Tango which has a rubber-like quality to create a realistic prototype. in order to implement additional flexibility in shoe sole, the pattern of the sole followed the living hinge texture technique to guaranty the movement and bendability without breaking the material. Software used to develop this design include; Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Autodesk® Fusion 360™, and Slicer for Autodesk® Fusion 360™. Technologies such as 3D printing and laser cutting used in this process.
Functional and Cosmetic Management of Post-Craniotomy Pain

Post-craniotomy pain is not uncommon though our understanding of the underlying pathology and treatment continues to evolve. Chronic post-craniotomy pain is defined as symptoms directly caused by a surgical craniotomy and that last longer than 3 months. Like other headache syndromes, chronic post-craniotomy pain can have a tremendous negative impact on both the physical and emotional well-being of affected patients. While pathology is likely multifactorial, the most commonly cited causes of pain are nerve injury or entrapment, soft tissue-dural adhesions, bone debris or foreign materials, hardware, and temporalis injury. Each of these factors has the potential to be managed with a specific surgical intervention, though the cases are complex. Understanding the exact cause of symptoms to properly treat these patients presents difficulties. While there remains a great deal to be learned about chronic post-craniotomy headaches, it is clear that this condition poses significant challenges to both physicians and patients. However, with these challenges comes the gratification achieved with successful treatment – serving to lessen hardship on an otherwise medically burdened population.
Abstract WMP12: Benefits of Thrombectomy Among Patients Who Did Not Achieve Functional Independence in DEFUSE 3

Background: While endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) patients may not achieve functional independence, they may avoid devastating outcomes as in profound disability/death. Methods: DEFUSE 3 patients w...
Grading Principles in Pandemic-Era Learning: Recommendations and Implications for Secondary School Leaders

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in K-12 education, school leaders quickly pivoted from prioritizing continuous instruction and technology access to the output: grades In response to these unprecedented times, secondary schools utilized “do no harm” grading methods, such as freezing previous grades and replacing letter grades with pass-fail The purpose of this essay is to describe grading principles that secondary school leaders should consider during future pandemic era learning and to suggest implications based upon previous literature © 2020
Enhancing the Performance of Wearable Wireless Power Transfer Systems

In this paper, the performances of wearable Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) systems are enhanced using ferromagnetic materials. The effects of the human body on the Power Transfer Efficiency (PTE) of a Conformal Strongly Coupled Magnetic Resonance (CSCMR) WPT system are further investigated. Two pairs of CSCMR, one on FR-4 PCB and one on flexible ferrite sheet are designed to operate at the 27.12 MHz ISM band. Simulations and measurements of these two configurations were performed on 26 different locations on the human body. It is found that printing CSCMR WPT systems on ferromagnetic substrates (i.e., ferrites) can prevent the reduction of PTE by isolating the effects of the human body.
Development and validation of stability indicating HPLC method for the estimation of 5-Fluorouracil and related substances in topical formulation

A sensitive HPLC method has been developed and validated for the determination of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and related substances in a novel topical formulation. The highly polar molecule requires aqueous mobile phase for the elution and separation of 5-Fluorouracil and its impurities (Impurity A, B and C official in EP). The developed method is found to be specific, reproducible, and stability indicating. The Phenomenex Synergi Polar RP 250×4.6mm 4µ column was used and mobile phase consisted of 0.1M potassium di hydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) buffer to achieve good resolution and retention of the analyte and its impurities. The detector linearity was established from concentrations ranging from 0.01 µg/ml to 500 µg/ml for 5-Flurouracil and from 0.01 µg/ml to 0.08 µg/ml for related substances with a correlation co-efficient of 0.999. The relative response factor (RRF) values of impurity A, impurity B and impurity C determined from linearity plots were 1.9, 0.9 and 1.4 respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) found to be in a range of 0.004µg/ml and 0.014µg/ml for 5-Fluorouracil and related substances respectively. The molecule was stable in all the stress conditions such as acid, base, oxidation, heat and photolysis as per the recommendations of ICH guidelines. The method was proved to be robust with respect to changes in flow rate, pH and column temperature. The proposed method is found to be sensitive, precise, rapid, reproducible, and offers good column life.
Not by turnout alone: Measuring the sources of electoral change, 2012 to 2016

Changes in partisan outcomes between consecutive elections must come from changes in the composition of the electorate or changes in the vote choices of consistent voters. How much composition versus conversion drives electoral change has critical implications for the policy mandates of election victories and campaigning and governing strategies. Here, we analyze electoral change between the 2012 and 2016 U.S. presidential elections using administrative data. We merge precinct-level election returns, the smallest geography at which vote counts are available, with individual-level turnout records from 37 million registered voters in six key states. We find that both factors were substantively meaningful drivers of electoral change, but the balance varied by state. We estimate that pro-Republican Party (GOP) conversion among two-election voters was particularly important in states including Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania where the pro-GOP swings were largest. Our results suggest conversion remains a crucial component of electoral change.
Perinatal Patients with Manic Symptoms

Accurately diagnosing bipolar affective disorders (i.e., bipolar I, bipolar II, and subthreshold symptoms) is one of the more challenging tasks in clinical psychiatry. This is especially true in and around pregnancy, when individuals may present with their first major affective episodes, including manic episodes. There is significant overlap in the emotional and behavioral manifestations of hormonal changes due to pregnancy and delivery, the challenges of new parenthood, and underlying affective disorders. This chapter will explore the presentation, diagnostic considerations, treatment approach, and prognosis of bipolar affective disorders in the perinatal timeframe, focusing on mania and postpartum psychosis. The presentation of these issues can be remarkably variable. Postpartum psychosis is frequently an affective psychosis, and many individuals go on to be diagnosed with bipolar affective disorders later in life. Perinatal mania and postpartum psychosis may present as psychiatric emergencies with significant associated morbidity and mortality.
Analysis of scientific journalism in Nature reveals gender and regional disparities in coverage

Abstract Scientific journalism is a critical way in which the public can remain informed and benefit from new scientific findings. Such journalism also shapes the public’s view of the current state of scientific findings and legitimizes experts. Those covering science can only cite and quote a limited number of sources. Sources may be identified by the journalist’s research or by recommendations by other scientists. In both cases, biases may influence who is identified and ultimately included as an expert. We analyzed 22,001 non-research articles published by Nature to quantify possible disparities. Our analysis considered three possible sources of disparity: gender, name origin, and country affiliation. To explore these sources of disparity, we extracted cited authors’ names and affiliations, as well as extracted names of quoted speakers. While citations and quotations within a piece do not reflect the entire information-gathering process, they can provide insight into the demographics of visible sources. We then used the extracted names to predict gender and name origin of the cited authors and speakers. In order to appropriately quantify the level of difference, we must identify a suitable reference set for comparison. We chose first and last authors within primary research articles in Nature and a subset of Springer Nature articles in the same time period as our comparator. In our analysis, we found a skew towards male quotation in Nature journalism-related articles, but quotation is trending toward equal representation at a faster rate than first and last authorship in academic publishing. Interestingly, we found that the gender disparity in quotes was column-dependent, with the “Career Features” column reaching gender parity. Our name origin analysis found a significant over-representation of names with predicted Celtic/English origin and under-representation of names with a predicted East Asian origin. This finding was observed both in extracted quotes and journal citations, but dampened in citations. Finally, we performed an analysis to identify how countries vary in the way that they’re described in scientific journalism. We focused on two groups of countries: countries that are often mentioned in articles, but do not often have affiliated authors cited, and countries that have affiliated authors that are often cited, but the country is not typically mentioned. We found that the articles in which the less cited countries occur tend to have more agricultural, extraction-related, and political terms, whereas articles including highly cited countries have broader scientific terms. This discrepancy indicates a possible lack of regional diversity in the reporting of scientific output.
Twenty-first Century Dental Practice and the Treatment of Nonmicrobial Genetic-based Dental Diseases

After W.D. Miller proved a causal relationship between microbes and dental caries and periodontitis, the repair and replacement of damaged or lost teeth resulting from microbial activity dominated 20th century dental practice. In this study, I predict that in the 21st century dental practice will shift to the treatment of those dental diseases not caused by microbes. As dentists already treat some nonmicrobial diseases, I will focus on craniofacial malformations, the group of nonmicrobial diseases usually called birth defects. Some examples include dental dysplasias, cleft lip and palate, and malocclusion. In this study, I introduce the word “dysmorphogenesis” (to replace the term birth defect) as it more appropriately ascribes this subset of nonmicrobial diseases results to mistakes during the formation of craniofacial structures. As dysmorphogenic diseases occur during gestation, their diagnosis and especially their treatment require intervention during embryogenesis. Fortunately, decades of research have shown that mutations are involved in malformations during amelogenesis, palatogenesis, and odontogenesis. Knowledge of which genes are involved, together with recent breakthroughs in Crispr gene editing, make interventions during gestation possible. Those dentists performing gene editing procedures I have previously called Biodontists, because creating the Biodontics specialty will take time. The dental profession including dental educators, dental practitioners, and dental manufacturers should begin discussions now on how best to proceed.
A new use for the 'wing' of the 'winged' helix-turn-helix motif in the HSF–DNA cocrystal

The 1.75 A crystal structure of the Kluyveromyces lactis heat shock transcription factor (HSF) DNA-binding domain (DBD) complexed with DNA reveals a protein-DNA interface with few direct major groove contacts and a number of phosphate backbone contacts that are primarily water-mediated interactions. The DBD, a 'winged' helix-turn-helix protein, displays a novel mode of binding in that the 'wing' does not contact DNA like all others of that class. Instead, the monomeric DBD, which crystallized as a symmetric dimer to a pair of nGAAn inverted repeats, uses the 'wing' to form part of the protein-protein contacts. This dimer interface is likely important for increasing the DNA-binding specificity and affinity of the trimeric form of HSF, as well as for increasing cooperativity between adjacent trimers.
Grouping with Directed Relationships

Grouping is a global partitioning process that integrates local cues distributed over the entire image. We identify four types of pairwise relationships, attraction and repulsion, each of which can be symmetric or asymmetric. We represent these relationships with two directed graphs. We generalize the normalized cuts criteria to partitioning on directed graphs. Our formulation results in Rayleigh quotients on Hermitian matrices, where the real part describes undirected relationships, with positive numbers for attraction, negative numbers for repulsion, and the imaginary part describes directed relationships. Globally optimal solutions can be obtained by eigendecomposition. The eigenvectors characterize the optimal partitioning in the complex phase plane, with phase angle separation determining the partitioning of vertices and the relative phase advance indicating the ordering of partitions. We use directed repulsion relationships to encode relative depth cues and demonstrate that our method leads to simultaneous image segmentation and depth segregation.
Apomictic and sexual pearl millet X Pennisetum squamulatum hybrids

Pennisetum squamulatum Fresen, an apomictic East African grass (2n = 54) was crossed to tetraploid (2n = 28) sexual pearl millet, P. americanum L. Leeke to study the potential for germplasm exchange. Twenty interspecific hybrids (2n = 41) with 14 pearl millet and 27 P. squamulatum chromosomes were obtained. All resembled P. squamulatum in perennial growth habit and inflorescence characteristics and resembled pearl millet in leafiness and pencillate anther tips. Seventeen of these hybrids were more vigorous than either parent. The most common chromosome association at metaphase I was 18 bivalents plus 5 univalents. At anaphase I and telophase I laggards, fragments, and unequal chromosome distribution were observed. Fifteen of 17 interspecific hybrids reproduced by facultative apomixis, one was sexual and one was an obligate apomict. Ovules with aposporous embryo sacs ranged from 1 to 93% in facultative apomictic plants. Morphological characteristics and chromosome numbers of open-pollinated progeny from the apomictic interspecific hybrid were identical to those of the seed parent indicating obligate apomictic reproduction. Both sexual and apomictic hybrids were partially male fertile with pollen stainability ranging from 29 percent to 79 percent and seed-set ranging from 1 to 60 seed per inflorescence under open-pollination. Development of fertile apomictic more » pearl millet-P. squamulatum interspecific hybrids appears to be a very useful tool for the transfer of genes for apomixis from the wild species to pearl millet. « less
Composition series of modules over Prüfer domains

A weakened version of the Jordan-Holder theorem is shown to hold for torsion-free finite rank modules over an integral domain R precisely when R is a Priifer domain.
Clostridium acetobutylicum Mutants That Produce Butyraldehyde and Altered Quantities of Solvents

Spontaneous mutants of Clostridium acetobutylicum NRRL B643 that were resistant to allyl alcohol (AA) were selected and characterized. These mutants contained 10- to 100-fold reduced activities of butanol and ethanol alcohol dehydrogenase. The AA mutants formed two groups and produced no ethanol. Type 1 AA mutants produced significant amounts of a new solvent, butyraldehyde, and contained normal levels of the coenzyme A-dependent butyraldehyde dehydrogenase (BAD). Type 2 AA mutants produced no significant butyraldehyde and lower levels of all solvents, and they contained 45- to 100-fold lower activity levels of BAD. Following ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis, low-acid-producing (Acid−) mutants were selected and characterized as superinduced solvent producers, yielding more than 99% of theoretical glucose carbon as solvents and only small amounts of acetate and butyrate. Following ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis, 13 sporulation-negative (Spo−) mutants were characterized; and 3 were found to produce only butyrate and acetate, a minor amount of acetone, and no alcohols. These Spo− mutants contained reduced butanol dehydrogenase activity and no BAD enzyme activity. The data support the view that the type 2 AA, the Acid−, and the Spo− mutants somehow alter normal regulated expression of the solvent pathway in C. acetobutylicum.
An Analytical Comparison of the I-Test and Omega Test

The Omega test is an exact, (worst case) exponential time data dependence test. The I-Test is a polynomial time test, but is not always exact. In this paper we show the fundamental relationship between the two tests under conditions in which both tests are applicable. We show that Fourier-Motzkin Variable Elimination (FMVE), upon which the Omega test is based, is equivalent to the Banerjee Bounds Test when applied to single-dimensional array reference problems. Furthermore, we show the Omega Test's technique to refine Fourier-Motzkin Variable Elimination to integer solutions (dark shadow) is equivalent to the I-Test's refinement of the Banerjee Bounds Test (the interval equation). Finally, under the conditions we specify, we show the I-Test delivers an inconclusive answer if and only if the Omega test would require an exhaustive search to produce an exact answer (the so-called "Omega Test Nightmare").
Resource allocation and code generation for pointer based pipelined DSP multiprocessors

A multiprocessor compiler that automatically produces efficient code for synchronous multiprocessors based on digital signal processing (DSP) chips is presented. A code-scheduling technique that is based on an extended list scheduler with partial backtracking is developed. Resource allocations are performed along with the backtracking code scheduling for best results. The scheduler is suboptimal, and relies on several heuristics. The scheduler is shown to be quite efficient in generating codes for many DSP algorithms and for several single-chip DSP processors. >
Inductive proofs of computational secrecy

Secrecy properties of network protocols assert that no probabilistic polynomial-time distinguisher can win a suitable game presented by a challenger. Because such properties are not determined by traceby- trace behavior of the protocol, we establish a trace-based protocol condition, suitable for inductive proofs, that guarantees a generic reduction from protocol attacks to attacks on underlying primitives. We use this condition to present a compositional inductive proof system for secrecy, and illustrate the system by giving a modular, formal proof of computational authentication and secrecy properties of Kerberos V5.
“But, Who Do I Say That I Am?” The Self-Reported Personality Traits of Catholic Deacons

Ordained, permanent deacons in the Catholic Church (N = 1,717; M age = 45.9 years old, SD = 6.9) participated in a self-report study of personality traits by completing the HEXACO-60. There were no significant differences (by generational cohort or geographic region) on reported personality traits. No significant partial correlates (controlling for social desirability) by chronological age, years since ordination, or years residing in the current parish emerged on HEXACO variables. Deacons, however, reported mean honesty–humility dimension scores much higher than men from a previously reported community sample. Results suggest that for nearly 50 years, U.S. Catholic deacons have similar personality traits regardless of their generation or geography.
Novel artificial embedded circuit meta-material for design of tunable electro-ferromagnetic permeability medium

Utilizing the available materials in nature, one can easily obtain a dielectric medium with almost any desired permittivity; however, the atoms and molecules of natural materials, or their mixtures, prove to be a rather restrictive set when one tries to achieve a desired permeability at a desired frequency, specially in the Gigahertz range. The ability to design materials with both /spl epsi/ and /spl mu/ parameters would represent tremendous progress in technology. The main challenge in this paper is to design a novel artificial periodic tunable embedded circuit meta-material to successfully present a medium with both dielectric (/spl epsi/) and magnetic (/spl mu/) properties. The building block unit cell of the proposed structure is a miniaturized high Q tank circuit terminated to the ferro-electric material. The transmission line approach and FDTD technique are applied to successfully obtain the constitutive parameters of the periodic meta-material and highlight the unique characteristics of the medium.
Generation of knowledge base for Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) data using an adaptive resonance theory 2-A (ART2-A) neural network

Events aboard the space shuttle such as crew movement, crew exercise, thruster firings, etc., disrupt the microgravity environment required for many on-board experiments. Automatic detection of these events would allow astronauts to minimize their impact on experiments. Hence, using Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) data collected on the USMP-3 mission, a knowledge base is generated to aid in the detection of disruptive events aboard the USMP-4 mission. Input patterns containing power spectral density (PSD) information of SAMS data are used to train an Adaptive Resonance Theory 2-A (ART2- A) neural network. The ART2-A neural network has been chosen because it has the ability to automatically add clusters as new input patterns are presented. The weight vectors of the ART2-A are used as the knowledge base. Using characteristic frequencies and acceleration magnitudes determined by Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS), each weight vector is assigned a label or name representing a set of events. The labeled knowledge base is then tested by presenting input patterns created from data collected during an exercise event.
Advanced preparation of discrete finger responses: Nonmotoric evidence

Abstract Motoric and nonmotoric accounts of advance preparation effects were investigated in two movement precuing experiments. The first experiment determined the effect of extended practice on advance preparation while the response fingers were aligned in adjacent and overlapped conditions. The second experiment compared performances across three hand positions: adjacent, overlapped, and crossed. Both experiments revealed Precue × Hand Position and Delay × Precue findings. These precuing results were interpreted as support for the nonmotoric translation processes explanation of advance preparation.
Intravitreal Large-Cell Lymphoma

Large-cell (non-Hodgkin's) lymphoma may occur in the eye as a cellular infiltrate in the vitreous, uveal tract (choroid), retina, or optic nerve. Lymphomatous involvement may be limited to the eye but also is frequently associated with lesions of the central nervous system. Ocular involvement may precede involvement of the central nervous system by months or, in some cases, years. Ocular large-cell lymphoma is bilateral in approximately 80% of cases but often is asymmetric. The mean age of patients with ocular large-cell lymphoma is 60 years, and women are affected almost twice as often as men. Intravitreal large-cell lymphoma may manifest as an infiltrate of large glassy-gray cells or clusters of cells, and it may mimic uveitis or other inflammatory and infectious conditions of the eye. The diagnosis is based on cytologic and immunocytochemical studies of a vitreous biopsy specimen obtained by aspiration or by vitrectomy through the pars plana. Advances in irradiation of the eyes and the central nervous system, supplemented with corticosteroids and intrathecally and intravenously administered chemotherapeutic agents, have resulted in improvement of the dismal prognosis for patients with large-cell lymphoma.
Passive leg raising induced brachial artery dilation: is an old technique a simpler method to measure endothelial function?

Abstract Objectives Passive leg raising (PLR) is a diagnostic maneuver that has been shown to cause brachial artery dilation (BAD). The objectives of this study were to compare BAD induced by PLR with flow mediated dilation (FMD), and to investigate the mechanism of PLR-BAD. We studied a total of 75 subjects with and without cardiovascular risk factors/disease in order to provide a wide range of FMD responses. Methods Using ultrasound, PLR-BAD and FMD induced by release of arterial cuff occlusion were measured. Results BA diameter increased from 0.33 + 0.06 at baseline to 0.35 ± 0.06 cm ( p r = .82, p p Conclusions BAD occurs in response to PLR and is proportional to FMD, although the magnitude of PLR-BAD is less than half that of FMD. It appears to occur by the same endothelial dependent mechanism as FMD. PLR-BAD may be used as a surrogate measure of FMD to evaluate vascular function, and has the advantage of being simpler to perform.
Grain sorghum growth, water use, and yield in contrasting soils

Abstract Soil characteristics and the climate in which they occur help control crop growth and yield. We conducted a study to determine the influence of contrasting soils on grain sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor Moench) growth, water use, and yield. In 1992 and 1993, grain sorghum (‘DK-46’) was grown in 0.75-m rows with 16 plants m −2 at Bushland, TX in lysimeters containing monolithic soil cores of silty clay loam, silt loam, and fine sandy loam. The 1992 irrigation treatments were well-watered (WW) and no applied early season irrigation to achieve a pre-anthesis water stress. The 1993 irrigation treatments were WW with limited irrigation during late vegetative and reproductive growth stages to achieve a post-anthesis water stress. The crop in the silt loam soil produced lower grain yield in 1993 under high soil water conditions, but greater grain yield, total biomass, and seed number under reduced irrigation compared with the crop on the clay loam. The crop in the sandy loam consistently produced the lowest leaf areas and yield components in all irrigation treatments, possibly due to high soil bulk densities which may have restricted rooting. The 1993 crop in the silt loam had the highest water use in all treatments, and extracted water uniformly throughout the profile in both years. High strength silty clay and clay horizons and possibly a calcic horizon in the silty clay loam may have delayed or limited rooting, and affected crop growth and yield. The crop in the sandy loam consistently produced the lowest yield components in all irrigation treatments, possibly due to restricted rooting resulting from high bulk densities and also low water holding capacity.
Sex Differences in Coupled Knee Motions during the Transition from Non-Weight Bearing to Weight Bearing

Knee ligament injuries frequently happen when the joint transitions from non-weight bearing (NWB) to weight bearing (WB). To gain insight into the mechanism that produces these injuries, physically active females (N = 41) and males (N = 39) underwent measurement of coupled joint displacements [anterior tibial translation (ATT) and varus–valgus and internal–external rotations] and neuromuscular responses as the knee transitioned from NWB to WB in response to a 40% body weight load applied under the control of gravity. The transition from NWB to WB produced no difference in ATT between males and females; however, significant sex-based differences were noted for both transverse and frontal plane knee motions. With the knee NWB, females were in a greater absolute valgus compared to males (6.6 vs. 5.0°), and moved through greater varus motion than males during the transition from NW to WB (2.3 vs. 1.4°), resulting in similar valgus alignment for both sexes at peak WB (4.3 vs. 3.6°). In the transverse plane, the knees of females were positioned in more external rotation compared to males when NWB (1.4 vs. –0.3°), then females externally rotated their knees while males internally rotated their knees during the transition from NWB to WB. This resulted in a 3.4° difference in transverse plane knee position at peak WB (2.3 vs. –1.1°). Our findings suggest that the coupled knee motions produced during the transition from NWB to WB are sex dependent, and may provide insight into the knee motion patterns that place females at increased risk of knee ligament injury.
Spectroscopic Probing of Adsorption of Uranyl to Uranyl-Imprinted Silica Sol−Gel Glass via Steady-State and Time-Resolved Fluorescence Measurement

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopic methods have been demonstrated to be very informative tools to analyze the microstructure variation induced by the imprinting technique. Th...
Stand and landscape level effects of a major outbreak of spruce beetles on forest vegetation in the Copper River Basin, Alaska

From 1989 to 2003, a widespread outbreak of spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis) in the Copper River Basin, Alaska, infested over 275,000 ha of forests in the region. During 1997 and 1998, we measured forest vegetation structure and composition on one hundred and thirty-six 20-m x 20-m plots to assess both the immediate stand and landscape level effects of the spruce beetle infestation. A photo-interpreted vegetation and infestation map was produced using color-infrared aerial photography at a scale of 1:40,000. We used linear regression to quantify the effects of the outbreak on forest structure and composition. White spruce (Picea glauca) canopy cover and basal area of medium-to-large trees [>15 cm diameter-at-breast height (1.3 m, dbh)] were reduced linearly as the number of trees attacked by spruce beetles increased. Black spruce (Picea mariana) and small diameter white spruce (<15 cm dbh) were infrequently attacked and killed by spruce beetles. This selective attack of mature white spruce reduced structural complexity of stands to earlier stages of succession and caused mixed tree species stands to lose their white spruce and become more homogeneous in overstory composition. Using the resulting regressions, we developed a transition matrix to describe changes in vegetation types under varying levels of spruce beetle infestations, and applied the model to the vegetation map. Prior to the outbreak, our study area was composed primarily of stands of mixed white and black spruce (29% of area) and pure white spruce (25%). However, the selective attack on white spruce caused many of these stands to transition to black spruce dominated stands (73% increase in area) or shrublands (26% increase in area). The post-infestation landscape was thereby composed of more even distributions of shrubland and white, black, and mixed spruce communities (17-22% of study area). Changes in the cover and composition of understory vegetation were less evident in this study. However, stands with the highest mortality due to spruce beetles had the lowest densities of white spruce seedlings suggesting a longer forest regeneration time without an increase in seedling germination, growth, or survival.
Coclass and cohomology

Recently, it was proved by Leedham-Green and others that with a finite number of exceptions, every p-group of coclass r is a quotient of one of only a finite number of p-adic uniserial space groups. In this paper we use that structure to demonstrate that there are only finitely many isomorphism classes of cohomology rings of 2-groups of coclass r with coefficients in any fixed field k of characteristic 2. In addition, there is experimental evidence indicating that in many cases successive quotients of the uniserial space groups have isomorphic cohomology rings.
Hierarchical Modeling for Estimating Relative Risks of Rare Genetic Variants: Properties of the Pseudo-Likelihood Method

Many major genes have been identified that strongly influence the risk of cancer. However, there are typically many different mutations that can occur in the gene, each of which may or may not confer increased risk. It is critical to identify which specific mutations are harmful, and which ones are harmless, so that individuals who learn from genetic testing that they have a mutation can be appropriately counseled. This is a challenging task, since new mutations are continually being identified, and there is typically relatively little evidence available about each individual mutation. In an earlier article, we employed hierarchical modeling (Capanu et al., 2008, Statistics in Medicine 27, 1973-1992) using the pseudo-likelihood and Gibbs sampling methods to estimate the relative risks of individual rare variants using data from a case-control study and showed that one can draw strength from the aggregating power of hierarchical models to distinguish the variants that contribute to cancer risk. However, further research is needed to validate the application of asymptotic methods to such sparse data. In this article, we use simulations to study in detail the properties of the pseudo-likelihood method for this purpose. We also explore two alternative approaches: pseudo-likelihood with correction for the variance component estimate as proposed by Lin and Breslow (1996, Journal of the American Statistical Association 91, 1007-1016) and a hybrid pseudo-likelihood approach with Bayesian estimation of the variance component. We investigate the validity of these hierarchical modeling techniques by looking at the bias and coverage properties of the estimators as well as at the efficiency of the hierarchical modeling estimates relative to that of the maximum likelihood estimates. The results indicate that the estimates of the relative risks of very sparse variants have small bias, and that the estimated 95% confidence intervals are typically anti-conservative, though the actual coverage rates are generally above 90%. The widths of the confidence intervals narrow as the residual variance in the second-stage model is reduced. The results also show that the hierarchical modeling estimates have shorter confidence intervals relative to estimates obtained from conventional logistic regression, and that these relative improvements increase as the variants become more rare.
THE ROLES OF ASCORBIC ACID AND OTHER ANTIOXIDANTS IN THE ERYTHROCYTE IN REDUCING MEMBRANE NITROXIDE RADICALS

Fatty acid nitroxide radicals in CO-gassed erythrocytes are reduced by intracellular components with a half-life of about 160 min. In this study, using reduction rate constants of fatty acid spin labels to determine the reduction quantitatively, we found that catalase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and vitamin E--as well as hemoglobin, individually or in concerted manner, contributed little in reducing membrane nitroxides. Ascorbic acid appeared to be the predominant component in the erythrocyte to reduce membrane nitroxides. However, ascorbic acid solutions at 0.1 mM or less, concentrations similar to those found in the erythrocyte, produced no observable reduction in spin labeled membranes during the 2 h monitoring period. Ascorbic acid solutions at about 1 mM were needed to exhibit rate constants similar to those observed in labeled erythrocyte samples. It was also found that beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, and heat-sensitive components in the erythrocyte enhanced the ability of ascorbic acid to scavenge nitroxide radicals in the erythrocyte membrane near the membrane surface.
Restraint alters the thermic response to morphine by postural interference

Abstract The effects of morphine on body temperature have been shown to be altered by restraint. The purpose of this study was to determine how the type of restraint alters body temperature measurements and whether restraint alters the effects of morphine on body temperature by interfering with the ability of the rats to adjust their posture. The thermic effects of 5 doses of morphine (3.8 to 45 mg/kg) were compared in two types of restraint and confinement to a 13×20×20 cm pan without restrained, rats morphine caused predominantly hyperthermia, but with restraint morphine caused hyperthermia at low doses and hypothermia at higher doses. Morphine hypothermia was greater in rats restrained in rawire-mesh restrainer which prevented heat and humidity build-up than in the commonly used plastic restrainer. In the unrestrained rats, morphine treatment was associated with a posture characterized by exophthalamos, immobility, a hunched position and increased muscle tone. Restrained rats could not assume a compact posture. These results suggest that restraint alters the thermic effect of morphine and mainly by interferiing with postural mechanisms which reduce heat loss.
Volunteerism and charitable giving

Gifts of Time and Money: The Role of Charity in America's Communities, by Arthur C. Brooks (ed.). Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Little.eld, 2005. 224 pp., $75.00 cloth, $24.95 paper.
Is structural adjustment with a human face possible? The case of Mexico

The article attempts to model structural adjustment patterns in a single, middle‐income oil exporter, Mexico. It explores the economy‐wide costs, in terms of economic growth, income inequality and poverty, of Mexico's economic stabilisation policies of the 1980s. On the basis of counterf actual simulation, it also explores the likely impacts of alternative adjustment strategies. This analysis utilises a modified Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) approach designed to overcome one of the major shortcomings of the conventional SAM: the assumption of unitary expenditure elasticities in household accounts. The base model is calibrated to track the overall and sectoral growth performance of the Mexican economy from 1980 to 1986 and becomes the foundation upon which our policy experiments are built. The article is part of an on‐going study of economy‐wide impacts of alternative structural adjustment policies in Mexico [Adelman and Taylor, 1990], and proceeds as follows: the SAM framework and estimated SAM are descr...
In vivo distribution of injected 14C-dioxyadenine in tissues and organs of normal rats.

A large dose of 2, 8-dioxyadenine-14C was injected intravenously into rats and its fate followed at several intervals during the first 24 hours after administration. The distribution of the radioactive material throughout the various tissues or organs was calculated and expressed as a percentage of the injected dose as well as a specific activity per unit organ weight. It appears that dioxy-adenine is rapidly distributed throughout the organs and tissues of the rats and that specific concentration occurs in a few organs. High retention of the radioactive material and a very high specific activity are observed in the kidney. Smaller but significant concentrations of the 14C-compound are also observed in muscle and skin, and cannot be attributed to the presence of residual blood. The radioactive material is gradually released from these tissues and, by 24 hours after injection, 92 per cent of the injected dose is found in the urine. Microscopic observation shows deposition of crystals in the kidney. Crystals are also present in the urine and appear as small slightly yellow spheres.
The Sorption of Acids by Wool from Mixtures of Acids I—The Sorption of Hydrochloric Acid and Dichloroacetic Acid or Monochloroacetic Acid*

The amounts of dichloroacetic acid and hydrochloric acid sorbed by wool from mixtures containing various amounts of the two acids in aqueous solution were measured. Some tests were also carried out in which monochloroacetic acid was used instead of dichloroacetic. The results show that the dichloroacetate ion competes with the chloride ion for the sorption sites on the wool fibre, but its higher affinity causes a higher acid uptake than when hydrochloric acid alone is used at the same pH. The amount of acid sorbed can be calculated from the final concentrations of the two acids in the solution in equilibrium with the wool.
Theory of ring sweeping of energetic particles

Because the effective 'area' of the Neptunian rings is larger than that of the inner moons, the sweeping of energetic particles by the rings is perhaps the dominant process for particle loss in the magnetosphere within 5 R(N). In this paper, a theory for calculating the absorption probability of energetic charged particles by the rings is described. The effects of a large tilt and an offset between the planet and dipole centers are included. It is found that the probability of absorption for protons is so high that the sweeping lifetime is only a few times the gradient-curvature drift period. For electrons, the sweeping lifetime is even less. The pitch angle dependence for sweeping manifests itself strongly only at large equatorial pitch angles. Lower-energy particles have higher absorption rates by the rings.