cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of Chronic Pancreatitis in the Emergency Department.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a debilitating chronic illness. We sought to assess the most common reasons patients with CP visit the Emergency Department (ED), the disposition of ED visit [admission, discharge, death], and evaluate predictors of admission and discharge. Within the Health Care Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), we focused on patients, 18 years and older, presenting to the emergency department with CP (ICD-9 code 577.1) (2006–2009). Model was fitted to predict the likelihood of admission. Overall, a weighted sample of 638,310 patients visits for CP were identified, of which 399,559 (62.6%) were admitted, 228,523 (35.8%) were discharged from the ED, 5572 (0.9%) discharged against medical advice, and 4656 (0.7%) had an unknown destination. Of those admitted, 4370 (0.7%) died during the hospital episode. The most associated diagnoses for ED visit were diabetes (28.8%), abdominal pain (25.4%), acute pancreatitis (22.5%), cardiac complication (11.1%), infection (10.1%), and dehydration (8.8%). Multivariable analyses revealed that older (OR = 1.02 P < 0.001), sicker patients (Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥ 3, OR = 2.28 P < 0.001), patients presenting with C. difficile colitis (OR = 23.85 P < 0.001), alcohol withdrawal (OR = 6.71 P < 0.001), and acute pancreatitis (OR = 6.46 P < 0.001) were associated with increased odds of hospitalization. In this national database, our study demonstrates that diabetes, followed by abdominal pain, acute pancreatitis and cardiac complication, were the most common diagnoses associated with ED visits in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Most patients were admitted following the ED visit. Although C. Difficile colitis was a rare associated diagnosis with an ED visit, it was the strongest predictor of admission.
Die Forschungsperspektive der Interpretativen Subjektivierungsanalyse

Der Forschungsstil der Interpretativen Subjektivierungsanalyse (ISA) schliest an die wissenssoziologische Diskurs- und Dispositivforschung an und entwickelt in Auseinandersetzung mit Michel Foucaults Subjekt- und Machtkonzeptionen sowie im Anschluss an das Interpretative Paradigma der Soziologie heuristische Analysebegriffe zur Umsetzung von qualitativ-empirischen Forschungsvorhaben, die in einer Doppelperspektive sowohl normative Subjektpositionen als auch die Selbstverhaltnisse und Subjektivitaten tatsachlich lebender, handelnder und verkorperter Menschen in den Blick nehmen. Dazu wird in diesem Beitrag ein minimal-anthropologisch fundiertes Akteurskonzept zugrunde gelegt und anhand von zwei Studien aufgezeigt, dass die Fragen nach den Machtwirkungen von normativen Subjektordnungen und der Agency von Akteur_innen nicht im Vorfeld von Untersuchungen theoretisch zu bestimmen sind, sondern als empirische Frage gewendet werden mussen, indem rekonstruiert wird, wie die konkreten Machtverhaltnisse im Forschungsfeld beschaffen sind und welche Spielraume und Ressourcen den ‚angerufenen Subjekten‘ fur die mehr oder weniger kreativ-eigensinnigen Selbst-Positionierungen zur Verfugung stehen.
Cross-Domain Pseudo-Sensors in IBSM

The applicable (sensor) function table (AFT) is one of the 6 major components of the Information Based Sensor Management (IBSM) approach to sensor management. The AFT lists all available sensing actions from which the information instantiator (II) can downselect to an admissible set of sensor functions which are capable of satisfying an information request. The II further orders the admissible set by their expected (sensor) information value rate (EIVR-sen) for passing observation requests to the sensors. While the AFT was initially developed for hard sensors, it is becoming increasingly important to not only develop methods of characterizing soft sensors for representation in the AFT, but also for characterizing approximate contemporaneous measurements by both hard and soft sensors as AFT entries. Hard sensor entries in the AFT are reviewed. Suggestions are presented for AFT entries of several representative soft sensors. Hard and soft sensing functions are then combined where possible into cross-domain (hard/soft) pseudo-sensor entries. Additionally, brief examples are presented which demonstrate how the AFT entries may be represented in the Sensor Model Language (SML) format for improved automation of the sensor management process.
CHAPTER 13 – Carbohydrate Metabolism I: Glycolysis and TCA Cycle

Carbohydrates are metabolized by several metabolic pathways, each with different functions. Glucose can be stored as glycogen, which, in turn, can be broken down to glucose, synthesized from noncarbohydrate sources, converted to nonessential amino acids, used in the formation of other carbohydrates or their derivatives, and other noncarbohydrate metabolites, converted to fatty acids and stored as triacylglycerols, used in the biosynthesis of glycoconjugates, or catabolized to provide energy for cellular function. Glycolysis is common to most organisms, and in humans, it occurs in virtually all tissues. Glycolytic enzymes can be classified into six groups based on the type of reaction catalyzed, which include kinase, mutase, dehydrogenase, cleaving enzyme, isomerase, and enolase. The glycolytic pathway is also utilized by fructose, galactose, mannose, glycogen, and glycerol. In tissues that lack mitochondria or function under limiting conditions of oxygen, glycolysis is the predominant pathway providing ATP. The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, also called the citric acid cycle or Krebs cycle, consists of eight enzymes that oxidize acetyl-CoA with the formation of carbon dioxide, reducing equivalents in the form of NADH and FADH 2 , and guanosine triphiosphate (GTP). The reducing equivalents are transferred to the electron transport chain, ultimately to reduce oxygen and generate ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. The TCA cycle is the major final common pathway of oxidation of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, as their oxidation yields acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA also serves as precursor in the synthesis of fatty acids, cholesterol, and ketone bodies. All enzymes of the cycle are located in the mitochondrial matrix except for succinate dehydrogenase, which is embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane.
Chapter 5 – Drosophila

The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been the focus of genetics research for over a century. One consequence of this long history as a genetic model is a remarkably robust and diverse set of genetic tools, including loss of function mutations in most genes, a powerful transgenesis system, whole-genome RNA interference libraries, and expression systems with temporal and spatial specificity. Since approximately 75% of known human disease genes are conserved in Drosophila, these powerful genetic reagents available for Drosophila research are increasingly being applied to human disease research. Relative to the mammalian brain, the fruit fly brain is greatly simplified, yet retains significant complexity, with conserved neurotransmitter systems. These features, coupled with simple, quantitative mobility assays, make the fly a valuable model for movement disorders research. Applications include the investigation of pathogenic mechanisms using either human disease transgenes or Drosophila homologs, genetic modifier screens to detect functionally related genes, and therapeutic drug screens.
Go for the Gold: A "Plane" and Simple Technique for Resecting Benign Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors.

BACKGROUND Intraneural dissection is a useful technique for achieving gross total resection and preserving functional fascicles for peripheral nerve tumors. Finding the correct tissue plane is the critical step for safe successful enucleation. The authors hypothesized that the yellow color of benign nerve tumors can be used to identify surgical planes. OBJECTIVE To describe a technique to find the correct intraneural dissection plane based on a quantified yellow appearance during resection of benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors. METHODS Intraoperative photographs were reviewed to determine the percentage of yellow that tumors appeared at different phases of surgery. A technique was developed to quantitatively measure the amount of yellow using Photoshop. Previously published journal articles containing color images of peripheral nerve tumor resections were also analyzed for yellow tumor color. RESULTS There were 24 patients with suitable images to permit measurement of color for 3 steps of the procedure. The average percentages of yellow for tumor exposure, tumor resection, and removed specimen were 36.5%, 59.1%, and 80.4%, respectively (P < .001). Three publications were found that contained high-quality images of at least 2 phases of the surgery with average yellow content of 47.4% and 84% (P < .01). CONCLUSION The simple observation that a benign nerve sheath tumor is yellow in color can be used to guide surgical resection and achieve excellent outcomes. Intraneural dissection through the pseudocapsule should be pursued layer by layer until a yellow true capsule is found. By sparing functional nervous tissue within the pseudocapsule, this technique may lead to improved neurological outcomes.
Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis presenting with epiphora and blurry vision.

In this clinical picture ophthalmic providers are alerted to the possibility of paranasal sinus disease in patients with symptoms of epiphora, proptosis, diplopia, ophthalmoplegia, ptosis, lagophth...
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) feeds Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings: Support for location-based decision rule

Interspecific feeding is an uncommon yet widespread phenomenon where an individual of one species feeds the young of another. There are numerous hypotheses to explain why this behavior might occur, but in most cases the observer can only speculate on the cause because they lack information on the nesting histories of the species involved. We observed a color-banded male Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) feed 10-day-old Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings in a paired nest box 29 times during a 3 h nest observation. The male bluebird had previously fledged young from the box where the Tree Swallows were currently nesting and currently was nesting in the paired box, suggesting that the probable cause for this reproductive error was both the close proximity of the box and an attachment to the box where he had previously raised young. This observation suggests that instead of identifying the young by call, the male was using a place-based decision rule when he responded to the calls from the box where he had previously nested. Pairing nest boxes, a common practice used to reduce competition for nest boxes between bluebirds and Tree Swallows, may inadvertently increase the probability of interspecific feeding as a result of location-based decision rules for feeding and care of young.
Introduction: Towards New Understandings

Globalisation and digital art are complex phenomena. Because of their historical coincidence, they can be used to inform understandings of each other, with each having the potential to function as an affective and experiential construct. Conceptualisations of globalisation have dramatically changed in response to the rise of digital technology. Writers have engaged with the spatial and temporal conditions of what has been variously termed the ‘network society’. This book explores these altered conditions and posits that new languages are required to articulate globalisation's individual affects., reveals how digital art can function as a loupe for observing and expressing globalisation, as a human phenomenon.
Drug-Wide Association Study (DWAS): Challenges and Opportunities

Cancer risk associations with commonly prescribed medications have been mainly evaluated in hypothesis-driven studies that focus on one drug at a time. Agnostic drug-wide association studies (DWAS) offer an alternative approach to simultaneously evaluate associations between a large number of drugs with one or more cancers using large-scale electronic health records. Although cancer DWAS approaches are promising, a number of challenges limit their applicability. This includes the high likelihood of false positivity; lack of biological considerations; and methodological shortcomings, such as inability to tightly control for confounders. As such, the value of DWAS is currently restricted to hypothesis generation with detected signals needing further evaluation. In this commentary, we discuss those challenges in more detail and summarize the approaches to overcome them by using published cancer DWAS studies, including the accompanied article by Stoer and colleagues. Despite current concerns, DWAS future is filled with opportunities for developing innovative analytic methods and techniques that incorporate pharmacology, epidemiology, cancer biology, and genetics.See related article by Stoer et al., p. 682.
Metformin Is Associated with Favorable Outcomes in Patients with COVID-19 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

AimCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new pandemic the entire world is facing since December of 2019. In this retrospective study, we aim to address whether metformin use offers a low mortality on patients with COVID-19 and pre-existing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and MethodsA cohort of 1356 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and pre-existing T2DM was analyzed by multivariate regression. Covariates that potentially confound the association were further adjusted using propensity score matching or inverse probability of treatment weighting. A meta-analysis of the present study along with 5 published studies with metformin use prior to admission in patients with COVID-19 and T2DM was carried out. ResultsWe found that metformin therapy prior to admission in patients with COVID-19 and T2DM was significantly associated with less primary outcome events including in-hospital mortality and hospice care enrollment with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.25 (95% CI, 0.06-0.74) and less in-hospital length of stay, compared to non-metformin group. There were no statistical differences between the metformin group and non-metformin group for all three inflammatory markers (ferritin, CRP, and IL-6) on admission or peak levels during hospitalization. Furthermore, meta-analysis demonstrated that metformin use was significantly correlated with reduced mortality with an OR of 0.73 (95% CI, 0.65-0.82) in the fixed effect model and 0.58 (95% CI, 0.42-0.80) for the random effect model. ConclusionsOur results provide supporting evidence that metformin may confer increased survival in patients with COVID-19 and T2DM treated with Metformin prior to hospitalization.
Healthy food retail availability and cardiovascular mortality in the United States: a cohort study

Objectives We investigated the association of healthy food retail presence and cardiovascular mortality, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. This association could inform efforts to preserve or increase local supermarkets or produce market availability. Design Cohort study, combining Mortality Disparities in American Communities (individual-level data from 2008 American Community Survey linked to National Death Index records from 2008 to 2015) and retail establishment data. Setting Across the continental US area-based sociodemographic and retail characteristics were linked to residential location by ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA). Sensitivity analyses used census tracts instead, restricted to urbanicity or county-based strata, or accounted for non-independence using frailty models. Participants 2 753 000 individuals age 25+ living in households with full kitchen facilities, excluding group quarters. Primary and secondary outcome measures Cardiovascular mortality (primary) and all-cause mortality (secondary). Results 82% had healthy food retail (supermarket, produce market) within their ZCTA. Density of such retail was correlated with density of unhealthy food sources (eg, fast food, convenience store). Healthy food retail presence was not associated with reduced cardiovascular (HR: 1.03; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.07) or all-cause mortality (HR: 1.05; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.06) in fully adjusted models (with adjustment for gender, age, marital status, nativity, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, educational attainment, income, median household income, population density, walkable destination density). The null finding for cardiovascular mortality was consistent across adjustment strategies including minimally adjusted models (individual demographics only), sensitivity analyses related to setting, and across gender or household type strata. However, unhealthy food retail presence was associated with elevated all-cause mortality (HR: 1.15; 95% CI 1.11 to 1.20). Conclusions In this study using food establishment locations within administrative areas across the USA, the hypothesised association of healthy food retail availability with reduced cardiovascular mortality was not supported; an association of unhealthy food retail presence with higher mortality was not specific to cardiovascular causes.
Problems: Laplace Transform and Network Function

In this chapter, Laplace transform and network function (transfer function) are applied to solve the basic and advanced problems of electrical circuit analysis. In this chapter, the problems are categorized in different levels based on their difficulty levels (easy, normal, and hard) and calculation amounts (small, normal, and large). Additionally, the problems are ordered from the easiest problem with the smallest computations to the most difficult problems with the largest calculations.
A preliminary investigation of high retinoic acid exposure during fetal development on behavioral competency and litter characteristics in newborn rats.

Myelomeningocele (MMC) is the most common and severe type of spina bifida in which the developing spine and neural tube fail to close during prenatal development. This typically results in a small portion of the lower spinal cord and meninges protruding from the back of the individual, accompanied by severe motor and sensory deficits. In rats, retinoic acid (RA) exposure in high doses during fetal development has been shown to induce morphologic and clinical symptoms similar to humans with MMC. The aim of the current study was to examine litter characteristics and sensorimotor function in MMC-affected rat pups. Pregnant rats were gavage-fed 2 ml olive oil or all-trans RA (40, 45, 50 mg/kg) on gestational day 11. Pups underwent behavioral testing on postnatal day 2. Litter characteristics and newborn sensorimotor function varied across RA doses. Pups prenatally exposed to 45 and 50 mg/kg RA weighed significantly less than olive oil and 40 mg/kg RA pups. Litters exposed to 45 mg/kg RA suffered significantly higher mortality rates compared to other groups. Additionally, bladder function was significantly impaired in pups exposed to 40 mg/kg RA. Sensorimotor function findings demonstrated that for most behavioral assessments there was not a significant difference between control and RA-exposed subjects. However, pups treated with 40 mg/kg RA showed increased facial wiping, suggesting a hyper-responsiveness to sensory stimuli. Overall, the findings of the current study provide evidence for a model to examine litter characteristics and behavioral effects as well as morphology.
“If It’s Not Femicide, It’s Still Murder”: Contestations Over Femicide in Nicaragua:

Nicaragua has the dubious distinction of being one of the only countries in the world that has intentionally weakened its existing legislation penalizing the crime of femicide (femicidio), the murd...
A Research Career in the Public Interest

In 2008, at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association in Montreal, the Political Communication Division bestowed upon Wolfgang Donsbach the David Swanson Award for Service to Political Communication Scholarship.
Increased rainfall variability and N addition accelerate litter decomposition in a restored prairie

Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition and projected increases in rainfall variability (the frequency of drought and heavy rainfall events) are expected to strongly influence ecosystem processes such as litter decomposition. However, how these two global change factors interact to influence litter decomposition is largely unknown. I examined how increased rainfall variability and nitrogen addition affected mass and nitrogen loss of litter from two tallgrass prairie species, Schizachyrium scoparium and Solidago canadensis, and isolated the effects of each during plant growth and during litter decomposition. I increased rainfall variability by consolidating ambient rainfall into larger events and simulated chronic nitrogen deposition using a slow-release urea fertilizer. S. scoparium litter decay was more strongly regulated by the treatments applied during plant growth than by those applied during decomposition. During plant growth, increased rainfall variability resulted in S. scoparium litter that subsequently decomposed more slowly and immobilized more nitrogen than litter grown under ambient conditions, whereas nitrogen addition during plant growth accelerated subsequent mass loss of S. scoparium litter. In contrast, S. canadensis litter mass and N losses were enhanced under either N addition or increased rainfall variability both during plant growth and during decomposition. These results suggest that ongoing changes in rainfall variability and nitrogen availability are accelerating nutrient cycling in tallgrass prairies through their combined effects on litter quality, environmental conditions, and plant community composition.
Implementation of a Donor Milk Program Is Associated with Greater Consumption of Mothers' Own Milk among VLBW Infants in a US, Level 3 NICU.

Background:It is unclear whether use of donor milk (DM) changes the provision of mothers’ own milk (MOM) to very low birth weight (VLBW) infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Objectives:To determine whether (1) the rates of any MOM and human milk consumption at feeding initiation and discharge and (2) the proportion of VLBW infants who stopped consuming any MOM and human milk during hospitalization changed in the 2 years after versus before implementation of a DM program in a US, inner-city, level 3 NICU.Methods:We studied VLBW infants admitted to Boston Medical Center in the 2 years before (n = 74) and after (n = 80) implementation of a DM program (June 2011). We used multivariable logistic regression to compare milk consumption at feeding initiation and discharge and Cox proportional hazards to compare the proportion of infants that stopped consuming milk during the hospitalization pre and post our DM program.Results:After adjustment for maternal race, age, insurance, delivery type, gestati...
Normative and Cognitive Institutions Affecting a Firm’s E-Commerce Adoption

Notwithstanding the proliferation of studies linking e-commerce with the macro-environment, theoretical frameworks on the institution-e-commerce linkage are not well developed. Our primary purpose in this paper is to extend theory on the institution-e-commerce linkage by explicating the influences of normative and cognitive institutions on individuals’ and firms’ e-commerce adoption behaviors. Broadly speaking, the approach employed in this paper can be described as a positivistic epistemology. The paper takes a conceptual or a theory-building approach. We first develop a conceptual framework that represents how a technology’s interaction with normative and cognitive institutions affects a firm’s relationships with the profession, other businesses and customers. We then apply the framework to develop a set of propositions on normative and cognitive influences on a firm’s e-commerce adoption behaviour. Our analysis indicates that normative and cognitive institutions, in spite of being less visible than regulatory institutions, are no less important in shaping the diffusion pattern of e-commerce.
Arrhythmias in the denervated transplanted human heart.

Multiple cardiac arrhythmias have been noted following cardiac transplantation, and these observations suggest that denervation does not protect the heart from the initiation of arrhythmias. The sequential electrocardiograms of 45 of 47 cardiac transplant patients at Stanford were reviewed. Currently, 16 patients are alive for periods up to 40 months post-transplantation. Atrial arrhythmias were noted in 72% of patients, and were usually associated with acute rejection episodes. Ventricular premature beats were detected in 57% of patients post-transplantation. Two documented episodes of ventricular fibrillation have occurred during severe acute rejection episodes. Two long-term survivors died suddenly of a presumed ventricular arrhythmia, and at autopsy both showed severe coronary atherosclerosis. This experience suggests that innervation is not necessary in the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias in the transplanted human heart.
A clinical method of estimating risk of drug induced delirium.

Abstract A clinical research method for estimating risk of drug induced acute organic mental syndromes or delirium is described. The method was tested on two patient populations where delirium is expected to occur, and one population where mild organic mental syndromes occur. In two populations, post-cardiotomy and post-cataractectomy states, the drug risk number separated delirium from non-delirium subjects. Subjects with mild acute organic mental syndrome after electroconvulsive therapy also had a higher average drug risk number than comparison subjects.
Carotene Losses in Freshly Cut Plant Tissues

Summary Studies have been made to determine the losses of carotene in freshly cut plant materials under conditions which were favorable to enzyme activity and under other conditions which inhibited enzyme action. Evidence is presented which indicates that the destruction of carotene, due to enzymatic activity, is greater in alfalfa, red clover, and sweet clover than in the oat plant, Kentucky bluegrass and bluegrass. Other plants such as corn, soybeans, and lespedeza seem to have an intermediate enzyme activity. The enzyme appears to be aerobic in character. Although the carotene losses in wilted plant materials are related to enzyme activity, some non-enzymic destruction also occurs.
Identifying multiple change points in a linear mixed effects model

Although change-point analysis methods for longitudinal data have been developed, it is often of interest to detect multiple change-points in longitudinal data. In this paper, we propose a linear mixed effects modeling framework for identifying multiple change-points in longitudinal Gaussian data. Specifically, we develop a novel statistical and computational framework that integrates the Expectation-Maximization (E-M) and the Dynamic Programming (DP) algorithms. We conduct a comprehensive simulation study to demonstrate the performance of our method. Our method is illustrated with an analysis of data from a trial evaluating a behavioral intervention for the control of type I diabetes in adolescents with HbA1c as the longitudinal response variable.
The role and responsibilities of a department of medicine in a school of dentistry

In each school of dentistry there is a place for a department of medicine that can help prepare the dentist to provide dental care for the increasing number of patients with organic disease. The department of medicine can provide consultative services to the medical profession in the dentist's area of specialization.
Private enterprise approach to lunar base activation

Abstract It remains highly unlikely that any government or group of governments will make the long-term funding commitments necessary to return to the Moon to establish a lunar base in support of scientific goals or resource production. If this premise is correct, and a lunar base is to be established within the foreseeable future, it will be in support of commercial production and use of the unique energy resources contained in the lunar regolith. Such a commercially led initiative and human access to the benefits of a return to the Moon wold benefit from a governmental research and technology initiative modeled after that which supported the advancement of aeronautical technology in the 20th Century. The known components of the regolith that have commercial potential are: (1) silicon containing components that can be converted into solar photovoltaic cells and (2) solar wind Helium-3 that can fuel fusion power plants. As by-products, hydrogen, water and oxygen will have commercial value for use in space. If the capital infrastructure for lunar operations comes into existence independent of lunar energy options, including the potential for polar operations, hydrogen, water and oxygen will have commercial value
Late Onset CNS Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome in an Immunocompetent Patient

IRIS refers to the presence of paradoxical clinical deterioration attributable to immune system recovery during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We present an immunocompetent patient with multifocal leukoencephalopathy on HAART, with central nervous system (CNS) IRIS pathology of unknown infectious etiology. CNS IRIS pathology should be suspected in patients on longstanding HAART without immune reconstitution, presenting with unexplained leukoencephaphalopathy.
The low-temperature electrical and magnetic properties of TaSe2 and NbSe2

Abstract NbSe 2 has been reported to have an anomalous sign change in the Hall coefficient at low temperatures. In this paper it will be shown that the sign change is associated with a magnetic ordering. In addition, electrical and magnetic studies have been carried out on TaSe 2 , and a similar anomalous sign change is observed in the Hall coefficient at about 90°K. A small degree of magnetic ordering is also present in this compound near the temperature at which the Hall coefficient begins the rapid change from p - to n -type.
Highly anti selective SN2′ additions of LiMe2Cu to chiral acyclic vinyloxiranes

Abstract Additions of LiMe 2 Cu to the trans and cis-Z vinyloxiranes 8 and 10 proceed with virtually 100% anti diastereoface selectivity to afford the syn-Z diol 12 and the anti-E diol 13 as the major products.
Ethanol dependence in the rat: a parametric analysis.

Abstract Rats were maintained on liquid diets as their sole source of calories and fluid for 10, 15, 20 and 30 days. The diets consisted of 35–40% of total calories in the form of ethanol. This procedure resulted in substantial ethanol intake leading to behavioral intoxication. Blood ethanol concentrations were found to be elevated throughout the day with a peak during the dark phase of the light cycle. The removal of ethanol resulted in evidence of physiological dependence, including behavioral manifestation of autonomic and somatic dysfunction and an increased susceptibility to audiogenic convulsions. Ten days of ethanol exposure was found to be sufficient for the reliable induction of ethanol dependence. Further increases in ethanol exposure resulted in increased hyperexcitability as measured by susceptibility to audiogenic convulsions. The severity of withdrawal behavior was found to be correlated with the blood ethanol concentration measured upon ethanol removal. A behavioral rating scale for the evaluation of alcohol withdrawal intensity in rats is described.
Molecular cloning and amino acid sequence of brain L-glutamate decarboxylase.

Abstract We used specific polyclonal antibodies against L-glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) to screen a mouse brain cDNA library that was constructed in the expression vector lambda gt11. We obtained 1.5 x 10(6) recombinant DNA clones in the mouse brain cDNA library. One of the clones was positively identified as a GAD clone on the basis of the following results: (i) the clone and its secondary and tertiary clones all reacted strongly with anti-GAD antibodies; (ii) the fusion protein obtained from lambda GAD-Y1089 showed good GAD enzyme activity as determined by both CO2 and gamma-aminobutyric acid methods. The GAD clone thus obtained contains GAD cDNA of approximately 2.6 kilobases that has one internal EcoRI site. After GAD cDNA was cut at the EcoRI site, two DNA fragments of about 1.6 and 1.0 kilobases were obtained at the 5' and 3' ends, respectively. The cDNA insert was found to be composed of 2632 base pairs, the translation initiation site was assigned to the methionine codon ATG, and the termination site was found to be TGA (positions 2216-2218). Furthermore, the coding region in 2169 base pairs was found to consist of 723 amino acids. The protein has a molecular weight of 83,207 and contains 83 strongly basic, 108 strongly acidic, 226 hydrophobic, and 221 polar amino acids with an isoelectric point of 5.355. The relationship of this GAD cDNA to other forms of GAD is discussed.
With enough cases, why do you need statistics? Revisiting Kinsey's methodology

The 50th anniversary of Kinsey's Sexual Behavior in the Human Male provides an opportunity for a reexamination of Kinsey's methodology. I start with a discussion of Kinsey's approach to science and move on to his research question, his sampling method, and the composition of the sample. Next, I address questionnaire design, interviewer training, and interviewing, allowing for a comparison of Kinsey's methodology with more conventional approaches. I confine the discussion of data reduction and analysis to issues of gender and sexual identity, as these provide good illustrations of Kinsey's approach. Finally, I address Kinsey's long‐term influence.
MODELING AIRBORNE LEVELS OF SOME VOLATILE COMPONENTS IN OIL SPILLS

ABSTRACT A Monte-Carlo particle model, along with a mass-transfer evaporation model, was used to investigate the air levels of some hazardous volatile components arising from oil spills. When the mathematical models were used to simulate the M/V Braer oil spill incident, the modeled air levels of C3-C8 hydrocarbons were consistent with the field measurement. Using these verified mathematical models, a series of numerical experiments were performed to investigate the possible air levels of the volatile components under various conditions, including the worst scenarios. The modeled results indicated that the exposures to most of the volatile hydrocarbons besides benzene and n-hexane were negligible, since the space with air levels of these volatile components higher than the exposure criteria only existed directly over the oiled surface. No overexposure air levels of these hydrocarbons were found within the human breath zone. However, for n-hexane, the exposure is possible, depending on the exposure limit a...
MPEG-7-based news browsing: description extraction, browsing, and exchange

MPEG-7 is a leading standard of providing a standardized way of describing multimedia contents, among various metadata standards. In the fields of consumer electronics, providing an easy-to-use user interface for the majority of naive users is one of the most important issues in the development of MPEG-7 applications. The proposed news browser provides an intuitive interface for conventional VCR users, while providing a powerful way of browsing news articles of interest. The news browser is based on four images automatically extracted from each article of the selected news program. Anchor shot image is selected mainly for the purpose of separating each article. The icon image extracted from the anchor shot image provides a single image summarization of the given article. The synthesized key text image helps users to roughly understand the content by providing selected text information. The episode shot image provides supplementary visual aid to the user by showing a single key frame from the episode shot. By giving a glimpse at the selected four images, the users can get a rough idea on each article and select only the article of interest to be played. The extracted description including key images for the browser and the structure information is generated based on the MPEG-7 standard to provide interoperability between the standard based applications.
Epidermal growth factor receptor in adult retinal neurons of rat, mouse, and human

During development, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) regulates proliferation and differentiation of many types of cells, including precursors of neurons and glia. In the adult, EGFR continues to drive the growth and differentiation of epithelial cells but is absent from glia in the CNS. However, the localization and functions of EGFR in adult neurons are not well defined. By using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting, we have identified EGFR and its ligands in adult retinal ganglion cells in the normal rat, mouse, and human retina. EGFR and its ligands were also present in certain other adult retinal neurons, for example, horizontal cells and amacrine cells, and had different distribution patterns among these species. In addition, we found that EGFR was expressed in the rat retinal ganglion cell line RGC-5. One of the EGFR ligands, EGF, caused a cell shape change and increased neurofilament phosphorylation in RGC-5 cells. The expression of EGFR in postmitotic, terminally differentiated adult retinal neurons suggests that EGFR has pleiotropic functions. In addition to the conventional mitogenic role in adult epithelial cells, EGFR must serve a different, nonmitogenic function in adult neurons. Our work localizes EGFR and its ligands in the adult retinas of several species as a step toward investigating the nonmitogenic functions of EGFR in adult neurons.
A Tabu Search Algorithm with a Probabilistic Neighbor Selection Criterion for Capacitated Multicommodity Network Flow Problem

In recent years, network design has been an important issue not only for researchers but also for the industries. This is due to the impact that an efficient distribution network design can have over both costs and the environment. In this article we presented a heuristic solution approach for the multicommodity capacitated network flow (MCNF) problem, which corresponds to a very complex problem within the network design problems. This problem is solved by a Tabu Search (TS) algorithm which obtains improvements in comparison with the used benchmark, especially in small and medium instances. Particularly, this TS algorithm selects the best candidate on the list, through a probabilistic approach based on evolutionary algorithms (TSPCNS).
Distribution dynamics and convergence in Latin America: A non-parametric analysis

This paper examines the dynamics of income distribution and convergence in Latin America during the period 1960 to 2000. Our results, based on the intradistribution dynamics approach, reveal a “twin peaks” dynamics, which echoes findings reported for the OECD, the Asia Pacific Basin and worldwide. Notable differences, however, are found between the income dynamics in Latin America and in these other regions. Further, our findings indicate that physical capital investment and health capital serve to explain Latin America’s “twin peaks” polarization. Other factors, such as geographical proximity, trade openness and human capital, are also found to help explaining it to some extent.
Nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1 regulates the müllerian inhibiting substance gene: A link to the sex determination cascade

Abstract Normal male sex differentiation requires that Sertoll cells in the embryonic testes produce Mullerian Inhibiting substance (MIS), a TGFβ-like hormone that causes Mullerian duct regression. In primary Sertoli cells, the orphan nuclear receptor, steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), regulates the MIS gene by binding to a conserved upstream regulatory element. In heterologous (HeLa) cells, MIS gene activation by SF-1 requires removal of the SF-1 ligand-binding domain, implicating a Sertoll cell-specific ligand or cofactor. Finally, the sexually dimorphic expression of SF-1 during development coincides with MIS expression and Mullerian duct regression. We propose that SF-1 regulates MIS in vivo and participates directly in the process of mammalian sex determination.
Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of polysiloxanes with pendant 4-(3-pyridinyl)butyl and 4-(1-oxypyridin-3-yl)butyl groups

New silane monomers with the pendant 4-(3-pyridine)butyl group have been synthesized by hydrosilation of 3-(3-butenyl)pyridine with Me n Si(OEt)3-n H (n=0, 1) using a platinum catalyst. Only β-addition products were observed. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared,1H- and13C-NMR spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Hydrolysis-polycondensation of the difunctional monomer with a basic catalyst, Me4NOH, gave a mixture of cyclic oligomers, principally cyclic tetramer, and linear homopolymer. Under similar reaction conditions, the trifunctional monomer gave crosslinked material which was soluble in common organic solvents. The linear homopolymer and crosslinked polymer were trimethylsilyl end-blocked with hexamethyldisilazane. The cyclic and end-blocked polymers were characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods. Molecular weights of the polymers were obtained by end-group analysis using1H-NMR spectral data, size exclusion chromatography, and direct insertion-probe mass spectrometry. The cyclic, linear, and crosslinked materials were N-oxidized withm-chloroperoxybenzoic acid and characterized by spectroscopic methods. The polymeric N-oxide derivatives were shown to be effective transacylation catalysts in the synthesis of mixed carboxylic acid anhydrides in immiscible solvents (H2O/CH2Cl2) under phase-transfer conditions. The implications of the results on the mechanism of catalysis are discussed.
Helping Low-Income Mothers Overcome Multiple Barriers to Self-Sufficiency: Strategies and Implications for Human Services Professionals

Women involved in public assistance and child welfare systems often must overcome multiple barriers to self-sufficiency and family stability or face sanctions or loss of benefits. Kentucky's Targeted Assessment Program (TA P) is an innovative model for assisting these women by placing human services professionals in public assistance and child welfare offices to provide support services and promote integrated service delivery. This article discusses TA P program data for years 2005 through 2008, as well as initial 6-month follow-up data. These data suggest that TA P is effective in reducing the burden of barriers faced by participants. TA P strategies are discussed for their utility in informing practice models of human services agencies to proactively promote participant success in overcoming barriers.
The 4N cell cycle delay in Fanconi anemia reflects growth arrest in late S phase

Abstract Fanconi anemia (FA) is a human genetic disorder characterized by hypersensitivity to DNA crosslinking agents. Its cellular phenotypes include increased chromosome breakage and a marked cell-cycle delay with 4N DNA content after introduction of interstrand DNA crosslinks (ICL). To further understand the nature of this delay previously described as a G2/M arrest, we introduced ICL specifically during G2 and monitored the cells for passage into mitosis. Our results showed that, even at the highest doses, postreplication ICL produced neither G2/M arrest nor chromosome breakage in FA-A or FA-C cells. This suggests that, similar to wild-type cells, DNA replication is required to trigger both responses. Therefore, the 4N cell DNA content observed in FA cells after ICL treatment also represents incomplete DNA replication and arrest in late S phase. FA fibroblasts from complementation groups A and C were able to recover from the ICL-induced cell-cycle arrest, but took ∼3 times longer than controls. These results indicate that the FA pathway is required for the efficient resolution of ICL-induced S-phase arrest.
Is machine energy (4-8 MV) associated with outcome for stage I-II breast cancer patients?

Purpose To assess the relationship between machine energy (4-8 MV) and treatment outcome in patients treated with conservative surgery and radiation therapy. Methods and materials Between 1968 and 1985, 1624 patients were treated for clinical Stage I or II invasive breast cancer. The study population was limited to 1380 patients who underwent complete gross excision and received greater than or equal to 60 Gy to the tumor bed. Of these, 1125 were treated on a 4 MV, 153 on a 6 MV, and 102 on an 8 MV linear accelerator. Patients were selected for treatment on the 8 MV machine based on chest wall separations greater than 24 cm. Of patients treated on the 8 MV, netting was used for 42% and bolus was used for 26%. The median dose with bolus was 14 Gy in seven fractions (range: 2-34.2 Gy). Patients treated on the 8 MV accelerator were older, had a higher percentage of clinical T2 tumors, a higher percentage of pathologically positive nodes, and a lower incidence of extensive intraductal component (EIC). Median follow-up times were 130, 153, and 102 months, respectively, for survivors treated on the 4, 6, and 8 MV machines. Results We analyzed the site and 5-year crude incidence of first failure by machine energy and found the pattern of first failure site (local, nodal, or distant) to be virtually identical for each energy group. Of the local failures, 12 were in the skin of the treated breast, and these failures were evenly distributed by machine energy. We performed a multivariate analysis to adjust for factors known to predict for treatment failure. When adjusted for these other variables, machine energy was not associated with an increased (or decreased) risk of recurrence (RR for 8 MV vs. 4 MV = 0.94, p = 0.7; RR for 6 MV vs. 4 MV = 1.0, p = 0.9). We also analyzed the nature and incidence of treatment complications (rib fracture, radiation pneumonitis, soft tissue necrosis, and brachial plexopathy) and found no significant differences among the three treatment groups when stratified by treatment technique (tangents only vs. three-field). There was also no significant difference in cosmetic outcome at 5 years among the three groups. Conclusions We conclude that machine energy over the range of 4 to 8 MV does not significantly affect treatment outcome. Specifically, it was feasible to treat patients with large chest wall separations using an 8 MV machine without an increase in skin recurrences and with the improved dose homogeneity afforded by 8 MV machines as compared with those of lower energies.
Multifrequency Measurements of the Effects of Soil Moisture, Soil Texture, And Surface Roughness

An experiment on remote sensing of soil moisture content was conducted over bare fields with microwave radiometers at the frequencies of 1.4, 5, and 10.7 GHz, during July-September of 1981. Three bare fields with different surface roughnesses and soil textures were prepared for the experiment. Ground-truth acquisition of soil temperatures and moisture contents for 5 layers down to the depths of 15 cm was made concurrently with radiometric measurements. The experimental results show that the effect of surface roughness is to increase the soil's brightness temperature and to reduce the slope of regression between brightness temperature and moisture content. The slopes of regression for soils with different textures are found to be comparable and the effect of soil texture is reflected in the difference of regression line intercepts at brightness-temperature axis. The result is consistent with laboratory measurement of soil's dielectric permittivity. Measurements on wet smooth bare fields give lower brightness temperatures at 5 than at 1.4 GHz. This phenomenon is not expected from current radiative transfer theory, using laboratory measurements of the relationship between dielectric permittivity and moisture content for different soil-water mixtures at frequencies of <5 GHz.