cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of intracellular pH in bovine oocytes and cleavage stage embryos.

This study investigated the mechanisms for the regulation of intracellular pH in bovine oocytes and embryos. Na(+)/H(+) antiporter activity for the regulation of intracellular pH in the acid to neutral range was detected in both in vitro matured bovine oocytes and in vitro produced embryos. However, the activity of the antiporter was significantly reduced in oocytes compared to 2-cell, 4-cell, and 8-cell embryos. HCO(3)(-)/Cl(-) exchanger activity could be detected in oocytes and embryos using the chloride removal method, however the ability of this transporter to regulate intracellular pH against an alkaline load was poor and intracellular pH could not be re-established. The inability of the HCO(3)(-)/Cl(-) exchanger to adequately regulate intracellular pH was further highlighted by the arrest of embryos at the 8-16 cell stage when challenged with a small alkaline load. Therefore, bovine embryos are extremely sensitive to alterations in intracellular pH above the resting value of around 7.2. This sensitivity could account in part for impaired development and viability of bovine embryos produced in vitro.
Hyposialylated thyroglobulin in a patient with congenital goiter and hypothyroidism

A large family (14 children) with congenital goiter whose parents are first cousins was studied. Thyroid tissue was obtained, after 125I in vivo labeling, from one of the siblings (JBM). Gel filtration of thyroid proteins indicated that thyroglobulin (Tg) eluted as a single symmetrical peak in the same position as authentic 19S Tg. Gel electrophoresis in a 7.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel revealed a major band with the same mobility and immunoreactivity as normal 19S Tg. Hydrolysis of the patient's Tg indicated that most of the radioactivity was mono- and diiodotyrosines. The yield of T4 from JBM Tg (26 pmol/mg protein) was 5-fold less than normal thyroid tissue (140 pmol/mg protein) and approximately half of that in thyroid tissue from endemic goiter (51 pmol/mg). Total T3 released from JBM Tg was similar to the other two tissues. When the carbohydrate content of normal and patient Tg was analyzed, there was no differences in glucosamine, galactose or mannose content. However, unlike normal...
An evaluation of three statistical estimation methods for assessing health policy effects on prescription drug claims

Abstract Background While the choice of analytical approach affects study results and their interpretation, there is no consensus to guide the choice of statistical approaches to evaluate public health policy change. Objectives This study compared and contrasted three statistical estimation procedures in the assessment of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suicidality warning, communicated in January 2008 and implemented in May 2009, on antiepileptic drug (AED) prescription claims. Methods Longitudinal designs were utilized to evaluate Oklahoma (U.S. State) Medicaid claim data from January 2006 through December 2009. The study included 9289 continuously eligible individuals with prevalent diagnoses of epilepsy and/or psychiatric disorder. Segmented regression models using three estimation procedures [i.e., generalized linear models (GLM), generalized estimation equations (GEE), and generalized linear mixed models (GLMM)] were used to estimate trends of AED prescription claims across three time periods: before (January 2006–January 2008); during (February 2008–May 2009); and after (June 2009–December 2009) the FDA warning. Results All three statistical procedures estimated an increasing trend ( P Conclusions Although the three procedures provided consistent inferences, the GEE and GLMM approaches accounted appropriately for correlation. Further, marginal models estimated using GEE produced more robust and valid population-level estimations.
EcoTM: Conflict-aware Economical Unbounded Hardware Transactional Memory☆

Abstract Transactional Memory (TM) is a promising paradigm for parallel programming. TM allows a thread to make a series of memory accesses as a single, atomic, transaction, while avoiding deadlocks, livelocks, and other problems commonly associated with lock-based programming. In this paper we explore Hardware support for TM (HTM). In particular, we explore how HTM can efficiently support transactions of nearly unlimited size. For this purpose we propose EcoTM, an economical unbounded HTM that improves the efficiency of conflict detection between very large transactions by activating conflict-detection logic only for potentially-conflicting locations: shared and speculatively modified. EcoTM detects the potentially-conflicting locations automatically, without any program annotations. We evaluate EcoTM performance by comparing it with ideal-lazy HTM, unbounded eager HTM with perfect signatures, and LogTM-SE. Our evaluations show that EcoTM has similar performance as the ideal-lazy HTM, 8.8% better than the eager- perfect HTM, and over 35.7% better than LogTM-SE, on the average.
Genetic routing algorithms to optimize availability in broadband wireless networks with load balancing

Packet-switched networks using the Internet Protocol (IP) provide multimedia services through broadband wireless access to mobile and fixed subscribers from an IP core network via bi-directional paths consisting of a hierarchy of high-speed routers, switches, and servers. Packets are aggregated at the nodes that form the ordered links of end- to-end paths between subscriber and gateway. Network resources are allocated at nodes to meet quality of service (QoS) requirements of new and existing calls. If sufficient resources are not available to satisfy a call's QoS, the call is blocked or dropped, reducing network uptime or availability. Packet flows are shared among redundant devices, clustered at nodes, to reduce blocking and dropping and speed failure recovery. A two-stage genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to assign resources to feasible paths to provide calls the best possible resource utilization, availability, and QoS levels, while balancing traffic among devices at nodes. The GA operates on a population of integer-valued vectors of call ID, QoS requirements, and end-to-end paths encoded as node-device pairs. Selection, crossover, and mutation are defined for the GA. At call arrivals and departures, the GA limits the number of candidate paths based on their fitness to provide QoS, path availability, resource utilization, and load balance. Simulation results are discussed for different scenarios.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Kidney's role in glucose balance following partial hepatectomy.

It has long been believed that the liver is the major contributor to glucose balance during fasting and stressful situations. Recently, investigators have implicated the kidney as having a significant contribution to systemic glucose appearance. We studied the relative contributions of the kidney and liver to glucose homeostasis in fasted nonoperated, sham-operated, and 70% hepatectomized rats. Systemic glucose appearance, renal glucose release and uptake, and hepatic glucose release were determined by glucose balance and isotopic dilution techniques. Systemic glucose appearance remained unchanged following hepatectomy. There was a significant output of glucose by the kidney in all groups, accounting for >50% of total glucose appearance. Despite the kidney's appreciable contribution to circulating glucose in the postabsorptive state, renal glucose release was not increased in the hepatectomized rats compared to controls. Total glucose appearance was maintained following hepatectomy by an increase in hepatic glucogenesis. There was a significant increase in the rate of hepatic glucose release from resected rats when normalized to gram of remaining liver (P < 0.001). Despite the substantial amount of renal glucose output in the postabsorptive state, preservation of glucose balance following 70% hepatectomy is accomplished by adaptation in hepatic glucose output.
Anomia and the sacred canopy: Testing a network theory

This article evaluates the Durkheim/Berger argument that integration in a network of co-religionists protects against anomia. The 1985 General Social Survey network instrument is used to evaluate the effect of integration on anomia and the probability of unhappiness. Results indicate that contact with religiously homogeneous others paired with personal religious belief reduces anomia and the likelihood of unhappiness. Additionally, while ego/alter closeness is important, alter/alter closeness is not. These results suggest that individuals benefit from religious association more so than religious community. Additional analyses indicate that these results are unlikely to be due to homophily.
Statistical characterization of composite protection levels for GPS

A statistical characterization is presented of Global Positioning System (GPS) user range error as a normally distributed random variable with non-zero mean over the length of the aircraft precision approach operation, correlated from one GPS measurement epoch to another and from one satellite to another. This leads directly to modeling GPS error in the position domain as multivariate normal with non-zero mean. Based on this model, a vertical composite protection level VPLc and a horizontal composite protection level HPLc are each calculated as scalar values from a univariate normal distribution displaced from the origin by the worst-case position domain bias combination possible, given the maximum possible individual satellite bias magnitudes and the satellite geometry. A method is then presented by which exact values--that is, values accurate to a user-defined error tolerance and consistent with statistical assumptions--of VPLc and HPLc are obtained, and by which computationally efficient approximations may be evaluated. A statistical quadratic form under the multivariate normal distribution is used to derive a new class of protection levels based on the probability enclosed within a radius defined in two or more dimensions. A central Chi-square representation of this quadratic form is also presented and is incorporated into a six-step computational procedure for the two-dimensional composite radial protection level RPLc. This procedure is extended to the spherical protection level (SPLc) and the ellipsoidal protection level (EPLc).
Hedgehog signaling in prostate epithelial–mesenchymal growth regulation

The prostate gland plays an important role in male reproduction, and is also an organ prone to diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. The prostate consists of ducts with an inner layer of epithelium surrounded by stroma. Reciprocal signaling between these two cell compartments is instrumental to normal prostatic development, homeostasis, regeneration, as well as tumor formation. Hedgehog (HH) signaling is a master regulator in numerous developmental processes. In many organs, HH plays a key role in epithelial-mesenchymal signaling that regulates organ growth and tissue differentiation, and abnormal HH signaling has been implicated in the progression of various epithelial carcinomas. In this review, we focus on recent studies exploring the multipotency of endogenous postnatal and adult epithelial and stromal stem cells and studies addressing the role of HH in prostate development and cancer. We discuss the implications of the results for a new understanding of prostate development and disease. Insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying epithelial-mesenchymal growth regulation should provide a basis for devising innovative therapies to combat diseases of the prostate.
Production of the chemokine RANTES by articular chondrocytes and role in cartilage degradation

Objective To examine the expression of the chemokine RANTES and its receptors in normal and osteoarthritic (OA) human cartilage and to analyze its effects on chondrocyte function. Methods The expression of RANTES and its receptors were examined by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. The effect of RANTES on gene expression of other cytokines and on the release of mediators of cartilage degradation was also examined by PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The expression of RANTES was undetectable in normal chondrocytes until after stimulation with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) or IL-18. Cultures of normal cartilage also produced RANTES in response to IL-1β, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. All OA cartilage samples analyzed expressed RANTES messenger RNA (mRNA); RANTES protein was detected by immunohistochemistry in the superficial and mid zones of the tissue. OA chondrocytes produced elevated levels of RANTES constitutively and after IL-1β stimulation. Normal cartilage expressed the RANTES receptors CCR3 and CCR5, but not CCR1. CCR1 was expressed in OA cartilage, and CCR3 and CCR5 were increased. In normal chondrocytes, RANTES induced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and IL-6. RANTES stimulated the release of matrix metalloproteinase 1 in normal and OA chondrocytes as effectively as IL-1β. Treatment of normal articular cartilage with RANTES increased the release of glycosaminoglycans and profoundly reduced the intensity of Safranin O staining. Conclusion Chondrocytes produce RANTES and express RANTES receptors. RANTES and CCR5 were markedly increased in OA and after in vitro treatment of normal chondrocytes with IL-1. Chondrocyte activation and cartilage degradation were identified as novel biologic and pathogenetic activities of this chemokine.
Developmental neurobiology of childhood stress and trauma

Severe early stress and maltreatment produces a cascade of events that have the potential to alter brain development. The first stage of the cascade involves the stress-induced programming of the glucocorticoid, noradrenergic, and vasopressin-oxytocin stress response systems to augment stress responses. These neurohumors then produce effects on neurogenesis, synaptic overproduction and pruning, and myelination during specific sensitive periods. Major consequences include reduced size of the mid-portions of the corpus callosum; attenuated development of the left neocortex, hippocampus, and amygdala along with abnormal frontotemporal electrical activity; and reduced functional activity of the cerebellar vermis. These alterations, in turn, provide the neurobiological framework through which early abuse increases the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity, borderline personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and substance abuse.
The structure of graduate student failure: A view from within

L'A. s'efforce de mettre en lumiere les raisons de l'echec scolaire de bon nombre d'etudiants en sociologie. Il montre que pour un certain nombre de specialistes cette situation est liee au statut social de ces etudiants. Il estime, pour sa part, que cet echec est du a l'organisation des programmes universitaires. Il pose le probleme du recrutement des etudiants dans les departements de sociologie et de l'organisation de l'enseignement
Topographic Influences on the Distribution of White Pine Blister Rust in Pinus albicaulis Treeline Communities

The exotic disease white pine blister rust (caused by Cronartium ribicola) damages and kills whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), even in the extreme environments of alpine treeline communities. We surveyed P. albicaulis trees and tree islands for blister rust in 2 distinct alpine treeline communities in Montana, USA, and examined meso- and microtopographic factors potentially related to the climatic requirements for blister rust infection. For each of 60 sampling plots, we created high-resolution digital elevation models, derived microtopography variables, and compared these and distance to water feature variables with blister rust occurrence and intensity (number of cankers per infected tree) for every sampled P. albicaulis tree. Infection rates were 19% (of 328 sampled trees) and 24% (of 585 sampled trees) at the 2 sites. Tree island P. albicaulis had higher infection percentages than solitary trees. Using Bayesian analysis and a zero-inflated Poisson regression model, we determined that solar radiation and moisture-related variables correlated with both presence and number of blister rust cankers on P. albicaulis. Site factors that influence moisture, such as local topography, hydrology, and climate, differed between the 2 treeline study areas, which may account for the model variability.
The effects of city size and moving costs on public project benefits

Abstract This paper uses a simulation model to investigate the benefits of an urban public project when the size of the system of cities (or regions) in which migration occurs can vary and when moving costs impede migration. The model captures the range of possibilities between the perfectly open and closed city cases. We find that the total number of households migrating between cities declines sharply as moving costs rise. Also the level and distribution of project benefits between renters and landowners in the project city and other cities is sensitive to both the level of moving costs and the size of the urban system. The total benefits of the project fall by half or more when moving costs are introduced, even when moving costs themselves are netted out.
Abstract 2810: Physical activity and colorectal adenomatous polyps: The Minnesota cancer prevention research unit case-control study

Background: Although it is well established that greater physical activity is associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer, there have been few studies of its association with adenomatous polyps, precursors of colorectal cancer. Methods: The 1991-1994 Minnesota Cancer Prevention Research Unit case-control study of 566 colonoscopy-positive adenomatous polyp cases, 687 colonoscopy-negative controls, and 535 community controls investigated the association of physical activity with risk of incident, sporadic colorectal adenomatous polyps. Daily hours of moderate and vigorous physical activity were elicited by a standardized questionnaire and metabolic equivalent (MET) hours were calculated. Results: The age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for adenomas comparing the highest to the lowest quartile of MET hours were 1.02 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73, 1.44) using colonoscopy-negative controls, and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.69, 1.34) using community controls; after multivariate-adjustment the corresponding ORs were 1.11 (95% CI: 0.77, 1.60) and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.70, 1.43). Analyses stratified by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use excluding aspirin, adenoma size, and adenoma location did not any yield statistically significant results. Conclusions: Taken together with the strong, consistent inverse associations of physical activity with colorectal cancer, our null results suggest the possibility that physical activity may be more related to risk for transitioning from colorectal adenoma to carcinoma than to adenoma genesis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2810.
Editorial--Recent developments in capture-recapture methods and their applications.

In recent years capture-recapture methods have experienced important theoretical developments. New application areas have been added to their spectrum, in turn supporting new developments on the methodological side. Hence it appears appropriate to take a closer look at some of these developments. This is the objective of this special theme in the current issue of the Biometrical Journal. The contributions to this special theme stem from a recent Conference of Recent Developments in Capture-Recapture Methods and their Applications (held on July 12–13, 2007, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, UK). Capture-Recapture has its origin in the Biological/Ecological Sciences with the work of Lincoln and Petersen. More than one hundred years ago Petersen (1896) published his landmark paper suggesting what later became known as the Lincoln–Petersen estimator, since it was also independently developed by Lincoln (1930). This estimator and its stabilized version developed by Chapman (1951) are still in use by numerous practitioners. In a way, this issue could be considered a celebration of the centenary of the Lincoln–Petersen estimator. Capture-Recapture methods can be seen to be applied in three major sciences, all represented in various contributions of this special topic issue: The biological sciences, where the size of animal populations and their diversity are of importance. The social sciences, where we are interested in the amount of illegal activities, such as illegal immigration. The life and medical sciences, where we often want to know the size of the hidden disease burden in a population, such as depression or drug use. In the biological sciences the classical book by Seber (1982) characterizes the various biological application fields. In addition, the recent monograph by Borchers, Buckland and Zucchini (2002) supplements a view with biological applications using modern inference tools. More recently, capturerecapture methods have been applied to other areas. The landmark paper by Sekar and Deming (1949) applied capture-recapture methods to estimate the number of births and deaths in an area near Calcutta. This paper started a development of the capture-recapture methodology in demography and social science in general. This development was further supplemented and supported by the appearance of the book by Bishop, Fienberg, and Holland (1975) on multivariate discrete analysis in which the entire chapter 6 was devoted to capture-recapture methods. Yet a further milestone was the establishment of the methodology in medicine and public health by the landmark papers by Hook and Regal (1995) as well as the two papers by the International Working Group for Disease Monitoring and Forecasting (IWGDMF 1995a, b). In the early phases the method was used to develop a more com-
EFFECT OF A COORDINATE MEASUREMENT ON THE STATISTICAL ENSEMBLE OF A QUANTUM MECHANICAL SYSTEM

Abstract : A method is developed for discussing the measurement of quantum mechanical observables with continuous eigenvalue spectra. In this method, the Wigner distribution function has a role similar to that of the Gibbs phase space density in the corresponding classical problem. The analysis applies to a wide class of physical situations, such as a field or a material particle. (Author)
Conversion of Pregnenolone to Progesterone by Primate Skin

ConclusionThe experimental data presented in this investigation demonstrate that primate skin is capable of converting pregnenolone to progesterone. It also demonstrates that skin obtained from the head appears to metabolize pregnenolone somewhat differently than skin from other areas of the body. This phenomenon was observed previously by the author (5). The appearance of the two as yet unidentified metabolites, peaks 3 and 5 in Fig. 4, indicates that the skin obtained from the head is capable of metabolizing pregnenolone to metabolites other than progesterone. However, progesterone itself may have been hydroxylated, reduced, or fission by the side-chain may have occurred.
Safety and effectiveness of black tattoo clearance in a pig model after a single treatment with a novel 758 nm 500 picosecond laser: a pilot study.

Background Optimal selective photothermolysis of a pigment particle requires pulse durations equal to or less than the particle's thermal relaxation time (t½). Since tattoo particles in skin range in diameter from 40 to 300 nm, picosecond pulses would approximate t½ more closely and, therefore, might be more effective at tattoo particle fragmentation. Materials and Methods India Ink (carbon) or iron oxide tattoos were placed on the back of a Yorkshire pig. Six weeks later, each tattoo was treated with either a 758 nm 500 picosecond laser (Cynosure), a 755 nm 30–50 nanoseconds laser, or left untreated. After 4 weeks, clinical responses were evaluated by three dermatologists based on pre- and post-treatment photographs; histopathologic findings were evaluated by a dermatopathologist; and electron microscopic findings were analyzed for treated and non-treated carbon tattoos. Results After a single treatment, picosecond-domain pulses at 758 nm produced a significantly greater degree of carbon tattoo clearance compared to nanosecond-domain pulses at 755 nm. For iron oxide tattoos, both modalities produced minimal-to-poor clearance that was generally comparable. Neither modality resulted in scarring, textural changes, or hypopigmentation, and there was no histopathologic evidence of scarring. Electron micrographs revealed the presence of amorphous material (treated pigment) in picosecond and nanosecond laser-treated tattoos, consistent with effective targeting of India Ink pigment. Conclusions The 758 nm 500 picosecond laser is more effective at carbon tattoo clearance after one session in a porcine model than the 30–50 nanosecond laser emitting at a similar wavelength. Both lasers cleared carbon tattoos more effectively than iron oxide tattoos. Both lasers have a comparable safety profile, and neither produced clinical or histopathologic scarring. Further studies in humans are necessary to evaluate whether repeated treatments with picosecond versus nanosecond domain modalities might yield superior tattoo pigment clearance with a comparable safety profile. Lasers Surg. Med. 42:640–646, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
TU-C-213AB-02: ACR/ASTRO Radioation Oncology Practice Accreditation Program

This session should familiarize participants with the objectives of the Radiation Oncology Practice Accreditation, the ACR‐ASTRO Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards, and the actual process of obtaining ACR‐ASTRO accreditation. The steps of the accreditation process will be reviewed, including the necessary pre‐survey documentation to be submitted with the application, the on‐site visit activities, and the final report contents. During the onsite surveys the ACR‐ASTRO surveyors review the staffing, equipment, treatment planning process, treatment records, as well as the quality control measures of the facility. The benefits of ACR‐ASTRO accreditation will be reviewed as well as common reasons for deferral of accreditation and the corrective action process.
General considerations in assessing neurotoxicity using neuroanatomical methods

Neurotoxicology is a major focus of scientists and policy makers. Neurotoxicological investigations provide vital information needed by regulatory scientists to protect public health and can also elucidate fundamental mechanisms governing nervous system function and enhance our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases as well. A definition of neurotoxicity, developed by the Interagency Committee on Neurotoxicology, includes both permanent and reversible adverse effects on the nervous system. There are a number of factors that can greatly affect the outcome of any study designed to assess neurotoxicity, such as the choice of animal species, dose and dosage regimen, and route of administration. In considering neuroanatomical methodologies for assessing neurotoxicity, it is important to evaluate each technique for such factors as: limits of detection (sensitivity and signal to noise ratio), ability to be quantified, sampling problems, what is being measured and what can interfere with this measurement. Other questions relating to the strengths and weaknesses of neuroanatomical techniques that should be addressed include: is the technique difficult to perform? Is it reproducible? Which elements of the nervous system are best evaluated? Does the technique reveal the neuronal circuitry involved in the neurotoxic effect? Is successful application of the technique dependent on timing factors? Clearly, there are many factors that can influence the assessment of neurotoxicity so that it is best to base this assessment on converging data based on complementary techniques.
The psychological reality of linguistically defined gaps

In five experiments, recognition times for an adjective from a sentence-initial noun phrase were examined following the processing of coreferential gaps in syntactic structure as a means of determining whether linguistically defined gaps access their antecedents. Recognition latencies and/or error rates following the processing of gaps were found to be lower than a nonanaphoric control in a number of constructions, including two instances of constructions with NP-movement gaps—namely, the passive and raising-to-subject—and constructions with a PRO gap in an infinitival clause. Additionally, NP-movement gaps were found to produce lower latencies and error rates than PRO-gaps. The results are interpreted as evidence for the psychological reality of representational assumptions of Government and Binding Theory (Chomsky, 1981).
Cholesterol-lowering medication, cholesterol level, and reproductive hormones in women: the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE).

Abstract Purpose Reproductive hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are synthesized from a common cholesterol precursor pathway. We hypothesized that use of statins and the resultant lower blood lipoprotein levels would be associated with lower reproductive hormone levels in women. We also sought to evaluate this association, independent of statin use, particularly among premenopausal women of childbearing age. Methods We enrolled 453 (114 pre-, 30 peri-, and 309 postmenopausal) women with coronary risk factors (mean [± SD] age, 58 ± 13 years) who were undergoing coronary angiography for suspected ischemia at four academic medical centers. Blood lipoprotein levels (total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and serum reproductive hormone levels (estradiol, bioavailable estradiol, estrone, progesterone) were measured. Results Use of statins was associated with lower lipoprotein levels, but not lower reproductive hormone levels, in all women. Mean estradiol levels were not significantly lower among premenopausal women with very low LDL cholesterol levels compared with women with higher LDL cholesterol levels (estradiol: 71 ± 52 pg/mL vs. 88 ± 67 pg/mL, P = 0.32). Conclusion Among women undergoing coronary angiography for suspected myocardial ischemia, the use of statins, or lower cholesterol levels, are not associated with significantly lower levels of reproductive hormones.
The Number and Size of the Follicular Epithelium (FE) and Follicles in the Bursa of Fabricius

Abstract In a four-week-old chicken .1 ml carbon solution was deposited on the vent. The carbon was sucked into the lumen of the bursa and absorbed by the follicular epithelium which appeared as black dots on the surface of the folds. The number of black dots on the surface of a fold represents the number of follicles per fold. The average nummber of follicles per fold was 820. Since the number of folds per bursa ranges between 10–15, we were able to calculate 8000–12000 follicles per bursa. The volumetric mathematical analysis of the follicles and folds confirmed our calculated number of follicles. On a stereomicrograph from a randomly selected area of a fold surface, a trapezoid was outlined and measured. The surface analysis of the black dots within a trapezoid area revealed that about 10% of the bursal surface was covered by follicular epithelium which is immunologically oriented.
Adipocytokine and ghrelin levels in relation to cardiovascular disease risk factors in women at midlife: longitudinal associations

There are limited data concerning the relationships between changes in adipocytokines and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. To examine the longitudinal associations between leptin, adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin levels and CVD risk factor levels in women at midlife. Prospective, observational study. Leptin, adiponectin, resistin, ghrelin levels and CVD risk factors were measured in specimens collected from 40 women at 3 points in time corresponding to the pre-, peri- and postmenopause stages of their natural menopause transition. In longitudinal analyses adjusted for CVD risk factors and leptin at the previous menopausal stage, aging, education, smoking and physical activity, greater increases in leptin over the menopause transition were associated with greater decreases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and greater increases in diastolic blood pressure, glucose, insulin and insulin resistance (all P<0.05). Larger decreases in adiponectin over the menopause transition were associated with greater increases in systolic blood pressure, insulin and insulin resistance and with greater decreases in HDL-c. Greater increases in ghrelin levels over the menopausal transition were associated with greater low-density lipoprotein cholesterol increases (P=0.014). Resistin was not associated with CVD risk factor changes. There were significant adverse associations of adipocytokines and ghrelin with multiple CVD risk factor changes in women across midlife. Given that this time period is dynamic for CVD risk, these data underscore the need for additional prospective studies.
Far-field potentials generated by action potentials of isolated frog sciatic nerves in a spherical volume

Abstract Previous results in cylindrical volumes have shown that action potentials generate far-field potentials when experimental conditions are such that quadrupolar components of the action potential are reduced to an equivalent dipole. We now show that the same conclusions are also reached within a spherical volume, again recording far-field potentials from isolated bullfrog nerves. A mathematical proof is given that shows that in a sphere, antipodal electrodes primarily detect far-field potentials from dipole generators and not quadrupole generators. A revised conception of the ‘far-field’ in evoked responses is discussed which equates far-field recordings with dipole detection.
What have we learned (recently) from hard probes in PHENIX

Abstract We report recent results from the PHENIX experiment at RHIC, touching on both full-energy, symmetric collisions of large nuclei (Au+Au), the traditional arena for presumptive QGP creation; and also on the newer regime of smaller and asymmetric systems (Cu+Cu, Cu+Au, d+Au). We see a number of results that may complicate or challenge the standard picture of QGP formation and interaction. In particular, a wealth of recent d+Au results are suggestive of dense medium formation in very small systems.
Central hypothermia as a cause of acute pancreatitis in children with neurodevelopmental impairment.

Children with severe neurodevelopmental impairment are at risk for recurrent hypothermia, defined as a temperature of less than 35°C, as a result of hypothalamic dysfunction. Acute pancreatitis following hypothermia from environmental exposure or induced as medical therapy has been reported in adults. In this case series of 10 children (six males, four females) with severe neurodevelopmental impairment and associated hypothermia, five had an episode of acute pancreatitis. These five patients had documented hypothermia, an elevated lipase of greater than 1000U/L, and presenting symptoms of irritability or lethargy along with gastrointestinal symptoms such as feeding intolerance. Four of these five children had no other explanation for pancreatitis; the fifth had multiple gallstones. This case series identifies the risk of acute pancreatitis in children with central hypothermia. Monitoring for resolution upon establishment of euthermia can minimize unnecessary testing and cost.
The voter as juror: Attributing responsibility for economic conditions

One assumption of Key's “reward-punishment” theory that has attracted comparatively little attention is that voters hold the incumbent party responsible for all manner of economic fluctuations. A brief review of the survey literature in economic voting indicates that this assumption is in need of revision. The handful of existing studies in political science on responsibility attribution suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity and a failure to develop a theory of the attribution process. This paper outlines a model of economic voting in which people act as intuitive jurors using various decision rules to evaluate the evidence surrounding the president's responsibility for national economic problems. The generalizability of the framework and directions for future research are discussed
Neighborhood Influences on Girls’ Obesity Risk Across the Transition to Adolescence

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The neighborhoods in which children live, play, and eat provide an environmental context that may influence obesity risk and ameliorate or exacerbate health disparities. The current study examines whether neighborhood characteristics predict obesity in a prospective cohort of girls. METHODS: Participants were 174 girls (aged 8–10 years at baseline), a subset from the Cohort Study of Young Girls’ Nutrition, Environment, and Transitions. Trained observers completed street audits within a 0.25-mile radius around each girl’s residence. Four scales (food and service retail, recreation, walkability, and physical disorder) were created from 40 observed neighborhood features. BMI was calculated from clinically measured height and weight. Obesity was defined as BMI-for-age ≥95%. Logistic regression models using generalized estimating equations were used to examine neighborhood influences on obesity risk over 4 years of follow-up, controlling for race/ethnicity, pubertal status, and baseline BMI. Fully adjusted models also controlled for household income, parent education, and a census tract measure of neighborhood socioeconomic status. RESULTS: A 1-SD increase on the food and service retail scale was associated with a 2.27 (95% confidence interval, 1.42 to 3.61; P P = .005) increased odds of being obese. Other neighborhood scales were not associated with risk for obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Neighborhood food and retail environment and physical disorder around a girl’s home predict risk for obesity across the transition from late childhood to adolescence.
Complete Families, Half Families, No Families at All: Female-Headed Households and the Reconstruction of the Family in the Early Federal Republic

“ More than any other social institution”, proclaimed parliamentarian Bernhard Winkelheide in a meeting of the first West German Bundestag, “the family has fallen into the whirlpool created by the collapse.” His colleagues evidently agreed. Surrounded by families that still bore the scars of wartime separation and death, lawmakers made the “reconstruction of the family” a priority in the first decade of the Federal Republic's existence.
Models of modelocking a laser diode in an external resonator

A simple theory is developed for the modelocking of a laser diode in an external resonator, with inclusion of the composite Fabry-Perot resonator effect. The achievable pulsewidth is evaluated. The derivation is different from that of a previously published paper and leads to different conclusions. Reasons for the discrepancy are discussed.
The Impact of Goal Cognition and Pain Severity on Disability and Depression in Adults with Chronic Pain: An Examination of Direct Effects and Mediated Effects via Pain-Induced Fear

A group of 100 adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP), drawn from a larger national sample, completed a questionnaire battery that assessed (among other things) goal conflict and goal self-efficacy, pain severity, pain-induced fear, and 3 months later, two important clinical outcomes: physical disability and depression. Consistent with emerging motivation-centered models of adaptation (e.g., Ford, Humans as self- constructing living systems: A developmental perspective on behavior and personality. Erlbaum, 1987; Karoly Review of General Psychology, 3, 264-291, 1999) and cognitive- behavioral accounts of pain-specific fears (e.g., Asmundson et al. Clinical Psychology Review, 19, 97-119, 1999), structural equation analyses revealed that (a) goal self- efficacy, goal conflict, and pain severity independently predicted pain-induced fear, (b) pain-induced fear fully mediated the effects of goal conflict and goal self-efficacy on physical disability and depression, and (c) pain-induced fear partially mediated the effects of severity on disability and depression. Results suggest that clinical pain specialists should treat pain-induced fear as a means of forestalling disability and depression, and that they should also seek to modify how CLBP patients think about and organize their life goals.
World-scale processes and agro-food systems: critique and research needs

This article argues that concepts and empirical characterizations of globalization and corporate organization drawn from the international political economy literature must be interrogated critically before being extended to agro-food studies. A brief survey of this literature reveals divergent conceptualizations of globalization and conflicting views of the state. For greater clarity, an ideal-typical taxonomy of world-scale processes and corporate organizational forms is proposed. It is suggested that contemporary global restructuring represents the combined yet uneven interaction of concurrent world-scale processes. This framework is used to discuss the limitations of some recent analyses of the globalization of agro-food systems and offer suggestions for future research.
Radiation from ring sources of electric or magnetic dipoles with different orientations in free space

Radiation from a horizontal ring of radial electric dipoles, the strength of which varies as exp (jnφ), is calculated for an unbounded medium by the saddle-point method of approximation. The cylindrical components of the radiated fields due to ring sources composed of radial, angular and vertical electric or magnetic dipoles, the amplitude of which varies as cos nφ (or sin nφ), are presented in a tabular form.
Certain Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs and Hospitalization for Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

In this follow-up study we attempted to estimate the risk of hospitalization for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (exclusive of bleeding from duodenal ulcer) caused by taking certain nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in people below the age of 65 years. The final figures represent our best estimate, taking into account all of the available information, and suggest that NSAIDs (excluding aspirin) rarely cause gastrointestinal bleeding from the stomach that requires hospitalization in this age group. A formal analysis of the data according to classic techniques was not feasible since numerous important confounding factors could not be controlled. Indeed, the results indicated that such formal analysis is unnecessary. The data as they stand are of considerable value in providing a reasonable estimate of attributable risk for the drugs studied.
Characterization and Outcomes of Repeat Orbital Decompression for Thyroid-Associated Orbitopathy

AbstractOrbital decompression for thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) is commonly performed for disfiguring proptosis, congestion, and optic neuropathy. Although one decompression typically achieves goals, a small percentage requires repeat decompression. We performed a 10-year retrospective chart review of all orbital decompressions for TAO at a single tertiary referral institution. Four-hundred and ninety-five orbits (330 patients) were decompressed for TAO, with 45 orbits (37 patients) requiring repeat decompression. We reviewed the repeat cases for indications, clinical activity scores, approach, walls decompressed, and outcomes. Nine percent of orbits required repeat decompression for proptosis (70%), optic neuropathy (25%) or congestion (45%). Sixty-four percent were for recurrence of disease, 36% were for suboptimal decompression. Three incisional approaches were used: lateral upper eyelid crease, inferior transconjunctival, and transcaruncular, with inferior transconjunctival being most common. O...
Cytoplasmic RNA-Binding Proteins and the Control of Complex Brain Function

The formation and maintenance of neural circuits in the mammal central nervous system (CNS) require the coordinated expression of genes not just at the transcriptional level, but at the translational level as well. Recent evidence shows that regulated messenger RNA (mRNA) translation is necessary for certain forms of synaptic plasticity, the cellular basis of learning and memory. In addition, regulated translation helps guide axonal growth cones to their targets on other neurons or at the neuromuscular junction. Several neurologic syndromes have been correlated with and indeed may be caused by aberrant translation; one important example is the fragile X mental retardation syndrome. Although translation in the CNS is regulated by multiple mechanisms and factors, we focus this review on regulatory mRNA-binding proteins with particular emphasis on fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) and cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding (CPEB) because they have been shown to be at the nexus of translational control and brain function in health and disease.
IGF receptor function and regulation in autocrine human neuroblastoma cell growth

Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) and its receptors (type I and II IGF receptors) are expressed in the nervous system in a tissue and developmentally specific manner. We have previously shown that SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells synthesize and secrete high levels of IGF-II, and respond to it with increased neuritic outgrowth, DNA synthesis, and cell proliferation. SH-SY5Y cells also produce type I IGF and IGF-II/M6P receptors; however, it is not known whether these receptors mediate the observed growth promoting effects of IGF-II. In this study, we assayed the role of type I IGF receptor and IGF-II/M6P receptor expression in mediating autocrine IGF-II induced growth. Using anti-receptor antibodies, we found that IGF-II stimulates cell proliferation via the type I IGF receptor but not via the IGF-II/M6P receptor. By Northern analysis, we detected increased mRNA expression of both receptors, with more dramatic changes in type I IGF receptor expression. Collectively, our results indicate a role for the type I IGF receptor in mediating IGF-II induced autocrine neuroblastoma cell growth.
Wavelet-based statistical signal processing using hidden Markov models

Wavelet-based statistical signal processing techniques such as denoising and detection typically model the wavelet coefficients as independent or jointly Gaussian. These models are unrealistic for many real-world signals. We develop a new framework for statistical signal processing based on wavelet-domain hidden Markov models (HMMs) that concisely models the statistical dependencies and non-Gaussian statistics encountered in real-world signals. Wavelet-domain HMMs are designed with the intrinsic properties of the wavelet transform in mind and provide powerful, yet tractable, probabilistic signal models. Efficient expectation maximization algorithms are developed for fitting the HMMs to observational signal data. The new framework is suitable for a wide range of applications, including signal estimation, detection, classification, prediction, and even synthesis. To demonstrate the utility of wavelet-domain HMMs, we develop novel algorithms for signal denoising, classification, and detection.