cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black Gold and the Dark Underside of Its Development on Human Service Delivery

Tim 14.00 This paper examines perceptions of human services workers regarding their employment experiences and adaptations in oil-impacted rural communities in the Upper Missouri Valley of North Dakota. This study is part of larger pilot project designed to better inform health and human service professionals and elected officials about the nature of human service delivery systems in boomtowns. Qualitative methodologies were employed to analyze information gathered by interviews conducted with 40 human services workers. Both individual interviews and focus groups were conducted. Study findings indicate that the impact of oil on the human service network is complicated. Human service workers in the study were burdened with new and more complex challenges than before the boom, and had fewer resources to address these additional challenges. Their burden was eloquently summarized by one worker who stated, “While somebody else benefits, we carry the burden of oil boom repercussions.” Smaller scale local strategies appear to creatively meet many needs, and show signs of worker resilience in strategy adaptation. Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE
Cements: Reactor Response

Many of the dental cement research needs for the future should be related to the biological environment, organic films, living organisms, and experimentation in vivo. Research in these areas will create new opportunities for physical scientists to collaborate with biological scientists, establishing research teams with composition quite different from those in the past. That compositional change could be the major change in dental cement research for the balance of the 1980's.
Replication and refinement of linkage of posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy to the posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 1 locus on chromosome 20.

Purpose: The study purpose was to identify the genetic basis of posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy, an autosomal dominant disorder of the corneal endothelium that is associated with the development of corneal edema, necessitating corneal transplantation for visual rehabilitation. Glaucoma also develops in up to 40% of patients with posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy. Methods: Linkage analysis, using microsatellite markers previously used to demonstrate linkage of posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy to the chromosome 20 candidate region known as posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 1, was performed in 29 members of a family with posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy. Thirty-four microsatellite markers were used to refine the posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 1 interval. TCF8, located on chromosome 10, was screened in an affected family member to exclude posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 3. Results: Significant evidence of linkage to the posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 1 interval was obtained with both single-point and multipoint analyses. The largest single-point log odds ratio score obtained was 4.38 (θ = 0) at marker D20S471; within 4.7 Mbp (7.2 cM) of D20S471 eight markers provided single-point log odds ratio scores of greater than 3.00 and three markers provided single-point log odds ratio scores greater than 4.00. The largest multipoint log odds ratio score obtained was 4.83, found across the adjacent markers D20S844, D20S191, D20S484, and D20S111. The support interval for posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 1 in the family we report is approximately 13.5 Mbp (10 cM) long and lies between the markers D20S182 and D20S195. Eleven markers have multipoint log odds ratio scores greater than 4.0 within this region. No coding region mutations were identified in TCF8 in an affected member of the family, effectively excluding posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 3. Conclusions: The originally described 19.8 cM posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 1 candidate disease interval has been refined to a 10 cM interval between markers D20S182 and D20S195. A portion of this refined interval overlaps a more recently reported posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 1 interval, with only 20 known and predicted genes mapped to the 2.4 cM common interval.
Tool Kit Entropy and Bipolar Reduction: A Study of Interassemblage Lithic Variability among Paleo-Indian Sites in the Northeastern United States:

Bipolar flaking as a means of reducing lithic raw material is known to have occurred since the time of the Lower Palaeolithic. As a strategy for working small bits of raw material, it is probable that it has a variety of important selective contexts. Assemblages from northeastern United States Paleo-Indian sites are used to test the hypothesis that bipolar artifacts in these systems represent a method of extending the utility of a transported, highly curated lithic toolkit through recycling. It is shown that what have been called pieces esquillees among these sites are in all probability cores for the derivation of small flakes. This is demonstrated by citing ethnoarcheological and technological data and by a spatial-statistical analysis of the distribution of “pieces esquillees” at the Debert site. The methodological problems related to the accurate functional identification of artifacts are explored and their impacts on archaeological arguments are also discussed. Also discussed are the difficulties in ...
Long-term survival after pediatric cardiac transplantation and postoperative ECMO support

Abstract Background Graft failure after cardiac transplantation in children can be managed acutely with mechanical support, most commonly extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The purpose of this study was to evaluation the long-term outcome of ECMO support early and late after pediatric cardiac transplantation. Methods From February 1982 through October 2002, 168 patients underwent isolated cardiac transplantation. Twenty patients (11.9%) required mechanical support early or late after transplantation. Inpatient and outpatient records of these were reviewed. Results Indication for transplantation was complex congenital heart disease in 12, cardiomyopathy in 7, and graft failure (retransplant) in 1. One patient was also on ECMO preoperatively. Fifteen patients required circulatory support immediately or shortly (less than 6 weeks) after transplantation. The remaining 5 patients were placed on ECMO for ventricular dysfunction late (3 months to 7 years) after transplantation. In the perioperative ECMO group, 8 (53%) were successfully decannulated and subsequently discharged. Three of 5 (60%) patients placed on ECMO late were successfully decannulated, 1 of whom died in hospital 10 days later and 2 of whom are still alive. Conclusions Mechanical circulatory support using ECMO can be a useful strategy is the management of graft dysfunction after pediatric cardiac transplantation both early and late postoperatively. The mortality rate is acceptable in this very high risk group of patients and long-term outcome is good.
MS: a CNS and systematic autoimmune disease

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease which exclusively affects the white matter of the central nervous system (CNS). Although there is a localized immune response within the CNS, immune abnormalities that correlate with disease activity are also found in the peripheral immune compartment of MS patients. These abnormalities primarily involve immunoregulatory defects in T-cell function that are associated with T- and B-cell hyperactivity. In this review, David Hafler and Howard Weiner discuss the evidence that there are T-cell abnormalities in MS similar to those observed in other autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and that the immunoregulatory defects in the blood of MS patients appear to be accompanied by the rapid migration of activated T cells from the peripheral blood to the CNS. That immunotherapy directed at the peripheral immune compartment affects the disease process supports their argument. Specifically, total lymphoid irradiation of the peripheral immune compartment ameliorates progressive MS whereas systemic treatment with IFN-gamma makes the disease worse. They conclude that the CNS inflammatory response is closely linked to, and in some ways dependent upon, the peripheral immune compartment.
Validation of Najjar-Awwad cataract surgery risk score for resident phacoemulsification surgery

Purpose To validate the Najjar-Awwad cataract surgery risk score for residents, which has been proposed to predict surgical complexity and risk. Setting Two urban public county hospitals. Design Case series. Methods Phacoemulsification cataract surgeries performed by residents between January 2005 and April 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. The cataract risk score was calculated retrospectively. Intraoperative complications included posterior and anterior capsular tears, vitreous prolapse, dropped nucleus, and conversion to manual extracapsular cataract extraction. Results Of the cases performed by 33 residents, 1833 met the inclusion criteria. There were 120 complications (6.5%); the rate of complications involving vitreous prolapse or loss (including dropped nucleus) was 3.2%. Significant risk factors in the risk score associated with intraoperative complications were dense nuclear sclerosis (odds ratio [OR], 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-3.26; P = .004) and poor red reflex (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.45-3.06; P = .00007). Cataract risk scores ranged from 3 to 16. The score was less than 5 in 85 cases (4.6%) and less than 7 in 885 cases (48.3%). The OR for complications increased significantly when the risk score was higher than 6 (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.42-3.14; P = .0002). Conclusions Although the Najjar-Awwad cataract surgery risk score can be used to predict intraoperative complications at the time of cataract surgery, the complication rate did not significantly increase until the score reached 7. There were few cases with scores lower than 5 in these county hospital populations. Beginning surgeons should be given cases with a risk score of less than 7. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVATION OF A PUTATIVE RECEPTOR LEADING TO VASOCONSTRICTION AND PLATELET AGGREGATION

Abstract Submandibular enzymatic vasoconstrictor (SEV), a member of the kallikrein family of enzymes, elicits biological effects by a proteolytically mediated mechanism. We studied 1) whether SEV is able to aggregate platelets and 2) whether SEV may activate a receptor other than the cloned thrombin receptor. SEV (10−8 M) aggregated platelets, released ATP and increased intracellular Ca2+. Elastase treatment rendered human platelets unresponsive to SEV and thrombin (TH), but not to cathepsin G. In desensitization experiments performed with γ-TH, after two successive additions of approximately 50 nM γ-TH, a third dose elicited 15.8±3.4% of the initial response (n = 4), but platelets responded to approximately 20 nM SEV by 33.8 ± 7.2% of control (p
Insertion losses of a tilted plano surface in a convergent beam

Insertion losses of a tilted piano surface in a convergent beamDavid F. Edwards*Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545Philip BaumeistertConsultant, Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545AbstractThe radiant transmittance of a tilted piano surface in a convergent conical beam of varying intensity depends upon the "local" angle of incidence and the projection of the plane-polarized flux onto the plane of incidence. For the surface at Brewster! s angle and modest cone angles, the insertion loss for a plane-polarized beam can be as large as 10%, negating any advantage of the Brewsterf s angle window. Details of the calculations will be given and examples will be shown.IntroductionA well-known technique for obtaining the optimum radiant transmittance of TM polarized flux through a window composed of a dielectric material is to incline it at Brewster's angle. The 100% transmittance is attained, of course, only for one angle, which implies that the flux is perfectly collimated. If for no other reason than diffraction, perfect collimation is never achieved.The purpose of this paper is to study the propagation of a convergent cone of flux through such a window. We determine how much the transmittance is reduced below its theoretical upper limit as the collimation is reduced.Definition of biconical transmittanceAs shown in Figure 1, G^ is the radiant flux in the beam convergent upon the window (a plane parallel dielectric slab at a general angle to the beam); 2 is tne flux that emerges. The biconical transmittance T, is the ratio of these fluxesFigure 1. The geometrical arrangement for the measurement of the biconical transmittance, where 0j and 2 are, respectively, the total flux in the inci­ dent and emergent beams.* Present address: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550.Present address: Optical Coatings Laboratory, Santa Rosa, CA 95402.111
Effects of physiologic concentrations of lactate, pyruvate and ascorbate on glucose metabolism in unstressed and oxidatively stressed human red blood cells

Glucose metabolism was studied in human red blood cells incubated in the presence of physiologic concentrations of ascorbate (0.1 mM) and/or lactate (2 mM) plus pyruvate (0.1 mM). The total flux through glycolysis, as measured by 14C-labeling of glycolytic intermediates, was increased about 15% by ascorbate, 30% by lactate plus pyruvate, and 40% by ascorbate plus lactate plus pyruvate. We found, however, that physiologic concentrations of ascorbate and/or lactate plus pyruvate had no effect on flux of glucose or recycling of pentoses through the hexose monophosphate shunt. Increased formation of lactate accounted for most of the observed increase in glycolysis with little change in pyruvate formation, indicating that the increased flux of reducing equivalents from glucose was stored as lactate rather than being consumed by red cell metabolism. In all experiments, there was a net increase with time in the absolute amount of both lactate and pyruvate in red cell suspensions, indicating that lactate or pyruvate present at zero time did not function as a stoichiometric source or sink for reducing equivalents. There was little effect on steady-state levels of ATP or 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. Equilibration of ascorbate between red cells and the medium was complete before the addition of 14C-labeled glucose to the medium. Glucose metabolism prevented net oxidation of ascorbate in the incubation medium. Physiologic concentrations of ascorbate, lactate and pyruvate appear to increase flux through glycolysis by increasing the turnover of ATP and/or 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. Red cells were exposed to mild oxidative stress by incubation with 0.27 mM 6-hydroxydopamine, 0.27 mM 6-aminodopamine, 0.13 mM 1,4-naphthoquinone-2-sulfonic acid or 0.27 mM phenylhydrazine. The metabolic response to oxidative stress was determined by measuring the formation of methemoglobin, pyruvate, lactate and CO2 in the presence and absence of physiologic concentrations of lactate, pyruvate and ascorbate. Lactate, pyruvate and ascorbate had no effect on the net methemoglobin accumulation but rather on the distribution of the metabolic sources of reducing equivalents and on the flux of reducing equivalents to oxygen. Physiologic lactate and pyruvate allowed increased flow of reducing equivalents from glycolysis to methemoglobin and ultimately oxygen without the necessity of increased flux through glycolysis. This was accomplished by a decrease in the ratio of newly formed lactate to newly formed pyruvate with no increase in total lactate plus pyruvate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Optical fiber gas sensor for remote detection of CH4 gas in underground mines

An optical-fiber-based gas sensor for CH4 gas real-time monitoring has been developed and tested. A long-distance silica fiber link with compact single-path or multi-path gas cells has been employed in conjunction with a wavelength-tunable. InGaAsP DFB laser diode at 1.64μm (at the R(6) absorption peak of methane) to achieve highly sensitive remote interrogation of CH4 with potential application in the mining complexes and residential areas. By wavelength modulation with the DFB laser diode, multi-path gas cell and a self-design processing circuit, sensitivities of less than 1% of lower explosive limit (LEL) had been achieved in the laboratory.
Inherited susceptibility and acquired allelic imbalance in rat mammary carcinogenesis

Individual genetically determined susceptibility to cancer as well as acquired epigenetic and genetic organ specific alterations are important considerations in choosing target populations for chemopreventive trials. These individual epigenetic and genetic alterations can also serve as potential biomarkers for chemoprevention clinical trials. In order to model these potential markers for chemoprevention investigations, we are examining a series of interrelated rat models. Inbred rats vary in their susceptibility to mammary cancer induction by environmental agents. For example, the WF strain is highly susceptible to chemically induced mammary cancer while the Cop rat is almost completely resistant. The F344 is intermediate in susceptibility to chemically induced mammary cancer. These differential susceptibilities are inherited in a dominant pattern. For example, resistance is due to the inheritance of Mcs gene(s) which likely act by altering the differentiation lineage of mammary epithelial cells. As tumors form in the mammary glands of these rats, they acquire additional epigenetic and genetic alterations. Epigenetic initiation is a very frequent cellular event following carcinogen exposure which may predispose cells to genetic change including allelic imbalance. For example, following a standard dose of NMU or DMBA over 1% of cells are epigenetically initiated. During the carcinogenesis process, initiated cells may acquire genetic change such as oncogene activation and allelic imbalance. Interestingly, the pattern of allelic imbalance appears to be an inherited trait. For example, a non-random loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in rat chromosome 1 following DMBA only occurs in certain strains, such as Cop rats. Interestingly this change does not occur following initiation by ionizing radiation. It will thus be important to identify these epigenetic and genetic events which underlie mammary carcinogenesis as well as determine their patterns of inherited predisposition and temporal occurrence. Such knowledge is critical if we are to develop new molecular markers for chemoprevention trials.
Effect of Ca2+ on thermotropic properties of saturated phosphatidylcholine liposomes

The effect of various concentrations of calcium ion (Ca2+) on dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and mixed DPPC/DSPC (1:1) liposomes was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. Ca2+ concentrations of 10 mM and above split the main transition peak of DPPC into two distinguishable components, and, at 30 mM and above, also resulted in the disappearance of a pre-transition peak. The effect of Ca2+ on DSPC liposomes was even more dramatic in that it induced a more definitive split in the main transition peak and caused the loss of the pretransition peak at only 10 mM concentration. The thermograms of the DPPC/DSPC mixed liposomes were unaltered in the presence of Ca2+, even at a concentration of 50 mM. Whether or not Ca2+ is able to alter thermograms of phosphatidylcholine liposomes appears to be dependent on the degree of molecular order of the bilayer prior to interaction with Ca2+.
Strength of Partly Sintered Alumina Compacts

Pressed compacts of sized alumina powders were studied to determine the dependence of strength of compacts as sintering begins and proceeds through the initial stage. By carefully controlling the time and temperature of heat treatment in a helium atmosphere, it was determined that the strength-controlling feature of these porous compacts is the area of the interparticle boundaries. Under isothermal conditions the strength was approximately proportional to time of sintering to the 2/7 power as described by theory. From these relations, it is possible to develop the semi-empirical relation between strength and porosity that predicted zero strength at a porosity equivalent to the unfired condition of the powder compact. Although not a confirmation of the grain boundary sintering model, the strength and porosity data are more consistent with the grain boundary diffusion model for initial sintering of alumina than with bulk diffusion models.
Complications of sympathetic blocks for extremity pain

Sympathetic blockade is often undertaken to diagnose or treat sympathetically maintained pain in painful extremities. A thorough understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the sympathetic nervous system is essential to understand complications that may arise as a result of sympathetic blocks and to develop strategies to prevent them. Complications of sympathetic blockade vary depending on the sympathetic ganglia blocked, the location, the approach, and the agents used. Complications related to sympathetic blocks can be generally divided into unwanted results related to blockade of sympathetic fibers and untoward events related to injuring other organs as a result of the procedure. This article describes complications that may occur with sympathetic blocks performed for extremity pain and potential strategies to minimize such events.
Risk of cerebrovascular events after neck and supraclavicular radiotherapy: a systematic review

Abstract Objective Although low dose radiation therapy (RT) has been used to prevent re-occlusion of coronary arteries, it may also precipitate vascular damage. Specifically, irradiation to the neck is related to subsequent vascular wall thickening and atherosclerotic plaque formation. Several investigators, reporting patients with varied disease processes and using different methods, have described an increased risk of cerebrovascular events (CVEs) after RT to the neck for head and neck cancer, breast cancer, or lymphoma. Our purpose is to determine the rate and risk of CVEs in patients after receiving radiation therapy to the neck. Methods We performed a pooled analysis of the published data to document the cumulative risk of subsequent stroke after RT to the neck. An extensive MEDLINE and PUBMED search yielded five articles involving 6908 patients describing institutional series or cohort analyses comparing the frequency of CVE in irradiated versus non-irradiated patients. Results Sixty-six CVEs were reported in 2567 patients after neck RT, whereas only 12 CVEs were documented in 4119 non-irradiated patients. Crude risk of CVEs after neck RT was 2.6%, and was 0.29% in non-irradiated patients. This odds ratio of 9.0 was statistically significant (95% CI 4.9, 16.7; p Conclusions Neck RT increases the likelihood of CVEs, but this risk must be reconciled with the benefits of the therapy in the specific clinical situation. For instance, consideration should be made to limiting neck RT where possible for breast cancer and lymphoma patients.
Market structures, socioeconomics, and tobacco usage patterns in Madagascar.

INTRODUCTION The isolated island nation of Madagascar has substantial prevalence of both smoking and smokeless tobacco use, although not of dual use. Madagascar's tobacco market, much like its historical and cultural underpinnings, appears to have both Asian and African influences. Additionally, it has a unique market structure that plays an important role in influencing patterns of tobacco use. This study analyzes the determinants of smoking and smokeless tobacco use in Madagascar. METHODS We used the 2008 Madagascar Demographic and Health Survey to analyze both smoking tobacco and smokeless tobacco use, stratified by gender. Multivariate log binomial models were used to evaluate the relationship between tobacco use and age, residence (urban/rural), province, marital status, and education. RESULTS Our analysis indicates that two distinctly different groups of people use two distinctly different tobacco products. Smoking is almost exclusively used by men and does not appear to be related to socioeconomic status. Conversely, smokeless tobacco is consumed by large proportions of both men and women, who are less educated and live in rural areas of the country. This disparate pattern in consumption is a reflection of the different market structures for smokeless tobacco (a cottage industry) and smoking tobacco (a near monopoly). CONCLUSIONS Distinct market-based, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities in tobacco use are explored in order to begin the classification of Madagascar's tobacco epidemic as more African, more Asian, or as a distinctly different environment.
Robotic applications in neuromotor rehabilitation

Robot-aids or Rehabilitators are our chosen neologism to name a new class of robotic devices that represent a substantially departure from prior applications of robotics in rehabilitation. Rather than use robotics as an assistive technology for a disabled individual, we envision robots and computers as supporting and enhancing the productivity of clinicians in their efforts to facilitate a disabled individual's recovery. In this paper, we attempt a brief overview of our work in what promises to be a ground breaking field. We discuss the concept of robot-aided neuro-rehabilitation as a means to deliver therapy, measure patient performance, and also as a design tool. To illustrate the broad spectrum of neurological diseases that this technology might impact, we will illustrate each case with a different pathology, namely cerebral vascular accident (CVA – also known as stroke), Parkinson's disease (PD), and cerebral palsy (CP).
Migration of a Late Cretaceous fish

Late Cretaceous sediments from the Western Interior of North America yield exceptionally well preserved fossils1,2 that serve as proxies for the rapidly changing climate preceding the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary (about 67–65 Myr ago)3,4. Here we reconstruct the ontogenetic history of a Maastrichtian-age fish, Vorhisia vulpes5, by using the carbon, oxygen and strontium isotope ratios of four aragonite otoliths collected from the Fox Hills Formation of South Dakota. Individuals of V. vulpes spawned in brackish water (about 70–80% seawater) and during their first year migrated to open marine waters of the Western Interior Seaway, where they remained for 3 years before returning to the estuary, presumably to spawn and die. The mean δ18O from the marine growth phase of V. vulpes yields a seawater temperature of 18 °C, which is consistent with leaf physiognomy and general-circulation-model temperature estimates for the Western Interior during the latest Maastrichtian4,6,7.
Effects of Coating, Deployment Angle, and Compass Orientation on Performance of Electronic Wetness Sensors During Dew Periods

Response of electronic, printed-circuit wetness sensors was compared to visual observations of free water on processing-tomato leaflets during 13 dew-onset and 11 dew-dryoff events. Deployment angle and painting of the sensor surface significantly (P < 0.01) influenced the mean absolute time difference between observation of the first wet or dry leaflet at the top of the tomato canopy and the start of sensor response (kΩ) to dew onset or dryoff, respectively. Compass orientation of painted sensors deployed at 45° to horizontal had no significant effect on response to dew onset or dryoff. For sensors deployed at 45° during dew onset, mean absolute time difference between the first observed wet leaflet and the start of unpainted sensor response was 4.00 h, compared to 0.58 and 1.09 h for sensors with three and nine coats of paint, respectively. At deployment angles of 30 or 0°, paint coating had a lesser influence on time differences between visual observation and sensor response to dew onset. During dew dryoff, absolute time differences between visual confirmation of the first dry leaflet and the start of sensor response were ≤1.03 h for all sensors. Trends were similar when the visual observation criterion was 50% wet or dry leaflets during dew onset or dryoff, respectively, rather than first wet or dry leaflet. Standard deviation of sensor response during dew onset was generally larger for unpainted sensors than for sensors with three coats of paint, especially when deployed at a 45° angle. The apparent temperature of unpainted sensors at 0 or 30° deployment angles decreased much more rapidly during the period preceding dew onset than for painted sensors at the same deployment angles, whose apparent temperatures cooled at rates similar to those of tomato leaflets positioned at these angles. The results indicate that deployment angle can significantly affect accuracy and precision of dew-duration measurements by unpainted, but not painted, electronic wetness sensors.
Spotlight on the active zone.

A chemical synapse is a junction between a pre-synaptic neuron and a post-synaptic cell, neuron or non-neuron, through which signals are transmitted by neurotransmitters.The active zone is the site...
Clay Minerals of the Weathered Bedrock Underlying Coastal New York

Pleistocene and Cretaceous sediments of Long Island rest upon a weathered bedrock surface which presumably formed in Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous time. The great depth of weathering, high proportion of clay constituents, and prevalence of kaolinite in moderately to strongly weathered horizons suggest that the late Mesozoic was a time of higher temperatures and rainfall than those of the present.
Rehabilitation essential in the recovery of multifactorial subacute combined degeneration.

Subacute combined degeneration (SCD) is a rapidly progressive myelopathy with a constellation of neurologic deficits, including progressive sensory abnormalities in the vibratory and proprioceptive domains, ascending paresthesias, gait ataxia, hyper- or hypo-reflexia, and, less commonly, motor weakness and loss of bowel and bladder control [1,2]. SCD is a result of dorsal and lateral spinal cord demyelination [3]. This form of myelopathy is secondary to a cobalamin or vitamin B12 deficiency, dietary insufficiency, malabsorption and/or, less commonly, excretion. Pernicious anemia, also known as autoimmune gastritis, is a common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency. Nitrous oxide (N2O) exposure during recreational use or surgical intervention has also been reported to convert B12 to B12 analogues, which are then excreted in the urine, reducing B12 levels [3,4]. Up until now, much of the literature has presented the clinical manifestations of SCD primarily in the context of nitrous oxide (N2O) abuse and exposure. Conversely, we report on a patient with a triple-insult SCD of the spinal cord, one insult secondary to noncompliance with B12 replacement therapy for pernicious anemia, one insult secondary to alcohol abuse, and one insult secondary to prolonged recreational use of nitrous oxide.
Referrals to the Wills Eye Institute Cornea Service after laser in situ keratomileusis: reasons for patient dissatisfaction.

Purpose To review the symptoms, findings, and management options in patients referred to the Cornea Service who were unsatisfied with results after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Setting Cornea Service, Wills Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted of all patients seen for consultation between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2006, who had LASIK performed elsewhere. The parameters extracted were demographic data, history, symptoms, postoperative best corrected and uncorrected visual acuities, surgical complications, examination findings, and treatment recommendations. The data were also compared with previously unpublished data collected at Wills Eye from 1998 to 2003. Results One hundred fifty-seven eyes of 109 patients seen in consultation after LASIK were identified. Twenty-eight percent were referred by the LASIK surgeon and 54%, by another eye doctor; 17% were self-referred. The most common chief complaints were poor distance vision (63%), dry eyes (19%), redness/pain (7%), and glare and halos (5%). Forty-four eyes (28%) had surgical complications or enhancements. The most common diagnoses were dry eye or blepharitis (27.8%), irregular astigmatism (12.1%), and epithelial ingrowth (9.1%). Eleven percent were referred in the first month after LASIK; 23% and 10% were referred between 1 and 6 months and 7 and 12 months, respectively. Medical management (eg, artificial tears, steroids, other dry-eye treatment) was offered in 39% of cases, surgical intervention in 27%, and observation only in 7%. Nonsurgical therapy was offered in 73% of cases. Conclusions Most patients who came for consultation were referred by a doctor other than their LASIK surgeon. Poor distance vision, dry eye, redness/pain, and glare and halos were the most common chief complaints and dry eye or blepharitis, irregular astigmatism, and epithelial ingrowth, the most common diagnoses.
C * -subalgebras generated by partial isometries

We study the interconnection between directed graphs and operators on a Hilbert space. The intuition supporting this link is the following feature shared by partial isometries (as operators on a Hilbert space) on the one hand and edges in directed graphs on the other. A partial isometry a is an operator in a Hilbert space H, i.e., a:H→H which maps a (closed) subspace in H isometrically onto a generally different subspace. The respective subspaces are called the initial space and the final space of a. Denoting the corresponding (orthogonal) projections by pi and pf, note that a partial isometry a may be thought of as an edge from one vertex to another (which are not necessarily distinct) in a directed graph. And conversely, every directed graph has such a representation. Since neither the partial isometries nor the directed edges in a fixed model allow unrestricted composition, the algebraic construct which is useful is that of a groupoid. In this paper we develop this as a representation theory, and we explore the connection between realizations in the context of C*-algebras. The building blocks in our theory are certain matricial C*-algebras which we define. We then prove how they serve to localize our global representations.
Opponents of Appeasement: Western-educated Chinese Diplomats and Intellectuals and Sino-Japanese Relations, 1932-37

Many years ago, the eminent historian Gordon A. Craig wrote: ‘One of the recurring themes in those books on the diplomatic pre-history of the Second World War which have come to us from the former enemy countries is the plight of the professional diplomat, whose training and knowledge convinced him that the policy of his government was leading straight to disaster but whose advice was seldom solicited and never followed.’ Craig went on to show that this pattern of ‘the neglect and abuse of the resources of expert diplomacy’ occurred in the democratic countries of the time. Professional Chinese diplomats (and intellectuals) fared little better than their counterparts, democratic or totalitarian, in the 1930s when their leader, Chiang Kai-shek, pursued a policy of appeasement toward Japan. Chiang's appeasement policy, or what some have referred to as a policy of accommodation or gradualism, has received much treatment from historians.
Simulating light-saturation curves for photosynthesis and calcification by reef-building corals

Light-saturation curves for photosynthesis by reef-building corals have previously been simulated by three functions: the right rectangular hyperbola, a simple exponential function, and the hyperbolic tangent function. Studies of photosynthesis by other organisms have also frequently considered the application of a rectilinear function. This communication analyzes lightsaturation curves for photosynthesis by the Atlantic rose coral Manicina aerolata, the Atlantic staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis, and the Pacific staghorn coral A. formosa. It also analyzes light-saturation curves for calcification by A. cervicornis and A. formosa. This communication demonstrates that the two most accurate functions (as measured by coefficients of determination) are the simple exponential function and the hyperbolic tangent function. The hyperbolic tangent function is preferred because parameter estimates obtained with this function have narrower confidence intervals than those obtained through the application of the simple exponential function. The hyperbolic tangent function can also be used successfully to simulate light-saturation curves for light-enhanced calcification.
The Application of X-rays to Research in Dairy Technology

Summary By x-rays analysis the identification of the mineral constituents in a sample of milkstone was determined. Results obtained from the diffraction of x-rays by milk powder show conclusively that lactose does not exist in a crystalline form in fresh milk powder. The very onset of lactose crystallization in milk powder was shown by the diffraction patterns obtained. Also a tendency for a change of nite spacing of the diffracting group in milk protein due to different processing methods has been noted. Spray powders were found to have a slightly greater d 1 unit spacing than the roller powders.
Multiple sources of nonobservation error in telephone surveys: Coverage and nonresponse

Random digit dialed telephone surveys are facing two serious problems undermining probability-based inference and creating a potential for bias in survey estimates: declining response rates and declining coverage of the landline telephone frame. Optimum survey designs need to focus reduction techniques on errors that cannot be addressed through statistical adjustment. This requires (a) separating and estimating the relative magnitude of different error sources and (b) evaluating the degree to which each error source can be statistically adjusted. In this study, the authors found significant differences in means both for nonrespondents and for the eligible population excluded from the landline frame, which are also in opposite directions. Differences were also found for element variances and associations, which can affect survey results but are rarely examined. Adjustments were somewhat effective in decreasing both sources of bias, although addressing at least one through data collection led to less bias i...
Disease susceptibility and the adaptive nature of colony demography in the dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis

The effect of demographic structure on disease resistance was studied in experimental colonies of the dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis Hagen. Instar and group demography were found to be significant and independent predictors of susceptibility to infection after termites were exposed to 101–107 spores/ml suspension of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (or a spore-free medium) and subsequently maintained in isolation, or in homogeneous and heterogeneous instar groups. Nymphs, which were the oldest and largest individuals, had the highest survivorship. The youngest termites (instars III and IV) had approximately 3.6 and 2.0 times the hazard ratio of death of nymphs and were the most likely to succumb to disease. Termites in instar V had a hazard ratio of death 1.2-fold that of nymphs; termites in instar VI did not differ significantly from nymphs in susceptibility. Analysis of the survivorship patterns of each instar showed that (1) isolated termites exposed to fungal spores were significantly more susceptible to infection than similarly exposed individuals maintained in same-instar social groups, and (2) spore-exposed termites living in same-instar groups were significantly more susceptible to disease than similarly exposed individuals maintained in mixed-instar groups. Survivorship indices of spore-exposed termites in mixed-instar groups were the highest among all experimental treatments, approaching those of unexposed controls. Colony demography thus had a significant influence on individual survivorship and reduced mortality risk. Z. angusticollis colony demography results from the asynchronous development of termites which hatch during successive bouts of oviposition. We suggest that the demographic distribution of colony members produced by this overlap of generations reduces disease risk and is a previously unrecognized adaptive role of the caste distribution function.
A data mining approach for optimization of acute inflammation therapy

Acute inflammation is a medical condition which occurs over seconds, minutes or hours and is characterized as a systemic inflammatory response to an infection. Delaying treatment by only one hour decreases patient chance of survival by about 7%. Therefore, there is a critical need for tools that can aid therapy optimization for this potentially fatal condition. Towards this objective we developed a data driven approach for therapy optimization where a predictive model for patients' behavior is learned directly from historical data. As such, the predictive model is incorporated into a model predictive control optimization algorithm to find optimal therapy, which will lead the patient to a healthy state. To save on the cost of clinical trials and potential failure, we evaluated our model on a population of virtual patients capable of emulating the inflammatory response. Patients are treated with two drugs for which dosage and timing are critical for the outcome of the treatment. Our results show significant improvement in percentage of healthy outcomes comparing to previously proposed methods for acute inflammation treatment found in literature and in clinical practice. In particular, application of our method rescued 88% of patients that would otherwise die within 168 hours due to septic or aseptic state. In contrast, the best method from literature rescued only 73% of patients.
Biochemical confirmation and characterization of the family-57-like α-amylase of Methanococcus jannaschii

The gene encoding a family-57-like α-amylase in the hyperthermophilic archaeonMethanococcus jannaschii, has been cloned intoEscherichia coli. Extremely thermoactive α-amylase was confirmed in partially purified enzyme solution of the recombinant culture. This enzyme activity had a temperature optimum of 120°C and a pH optimum 5.0–8.0. The amylase activity is extremely stable against denaturants. Hydrolysis of large sugar polymers with α-1–6 and α-1–4 linkages yields products including glucose polymers of 1–7 units. Highest activity is exhibited on amylose. The catalyst exhibited a half-life of 50 h at 100°C, among the highest reported thermostabilities of natural amylases.
Stabilizing fractional vortices in multiband superconductors with periodic pinning arrays

Multiband superconductors support the excitation of vortices with fractional quantum flux, known as fractional vortices. In the ground state, the fractional vortices in different bands bond together to form a composite vortex with the standard flux quantum ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{0}$; thus it is difficult to stabilize the fractional vortices. Here we show that fractional vortex lattices can be stabilized in multiband superconductors with a periodic pinning array at the half-matching field of the composite system, when full matching of the fractionalized vortices occurs. In the presence of a high current, the fractional vortices in different bands decouple and move at different velocities. When the current is turned off suddenly, the fractional vortices in different bands may be trapped at different pinning sites. This system also exhibits rich dynamic behavior, and for fractional vortices in two-band superconductors we find phases where the vortices in one band are pinned and the vortices in the other band are moving. These different phases can be observed in transport measurements and produce a new type of self-induced Shapiro steps that can arise under the application of only a dc drive.
Mass and charge transport in AgCl·Ce3+ system

The diffusion of Ce ions in AgCl has been measured by the tracer and serial sectioning technique. The temperature dependence of the diffusivity follows a linear Arrhenius law with parameters D 0 =1.10×10 −3 cm 2 /s and H =0.62 eV. It appears that Ce enters the lattice as +3 ion in substitutional sites and diffuses as an associated complex with cation vacancies. The results of the study of eiectrical conductivity of the pure and Ce-doped AgCl supports this general view. Alternate possibilities are also discussed.
Collision strengths for the N = 2 excitation of hydrogenic ions

Abstract An empirical formula is given for the estimation of the collision strengths for electron impact excitation of the 2s and 2p states of hydrogenic systems based on close coupling calculations. The coefficients in this formula are given as functions of the nuclear charge, Z , thereby making a possible estimation of the collision strength for any system between H and Fe 25+ .
Comparative oxidation of chemisorbed carbon monoxide, reduced carbon dioxide and species formed during the methanol oxidation

Summary The oxidation of chemisorbed carbon monoxide, reduced carbon dioxide, and carbonaceous species produced during the anodic oxidation of methanol was studied on platinized platinum in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 at currents between 10 and 100 mA and temperatures between 1° and 60°. The initial potential of the oxidation arrests in anodic charging curves depends upon temperature in nearly the same way for type-I species of adsorbed carbon monoxide and for reduced carbon dioxide, but in a different way for the chemisorbed carbonaceous species formed from methanol. Reduced carbon dioxide is identical with type-I species of carbon monoxide while the composition of the species originating from methanol differs from that of carbon monoxide.
Off-line montage reformatting

Abstract A method is described for off-line reformatting of recorded EEG data to any desired montage, gains, filter settings and paper speed. Thirty-two channels, including every scalp electrode, are recorded in a common referential montage and multiplexed onto videocassettes. Playback onto an EEG machine faithfully reproduces the original signals, so that any final montage may be specified at the EEG selector panel, with common mode rejection of the recording reference. The technique has proven especially useful in prolonged seizure monitoring and in the clarification of events which occur only rarely in the course of routine EEGs.
Dual effect of osmotic cell swelling on prolactin secretion by acutely dispersed adenohypophyseal cells.

Abstract Cell swelling induced by acute exposure to the permeant molecule urea or by medium hyposmolarity evoked a prompt PRL secretory burst from dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells. However, during continuous exposure ≥10 min to these conditions inhibition of basal and TRH-induced PRL secretion occurred and there was an “off” burst of PRL secretion following return to basal conditions. Compared with continuous TRH stimulation which causes biphasic PRL secretion with a rapid high amplitude first phase secretory burst followed by a sustained low level second phase of secretion, cell swelling induced only “first phase” secretion. Removing Ca2+ from the medium or adding 50 μM verapamil markedly depressed the “off” secretory burst following return to basal conditions but had no effect on the initial high amplitude burst. Our data suggest that the effect of cell swelling on PRL secretion is complex and that there are at least two mechanisms for PRL secretion in normal anterior pituitary cells; these are differently affected by cell swelling and Ca2+ influx.