cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum Cytokine Profiling in Cats with Acute Idiopathic Cystitis

BACKGROUND Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is a common lower urinary tract disorder of domestic cats that resembles interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) in humans. Diagnosis of FIC is based on clinical signs and exclusion of other disorders because of a lack of specific pathologic findings or other objective biomarkers. Cytokines are potential noninvasive biomarkers to define the presence, severity, and progression of disease, and response to treatment. OBJECTIVES The objective of this pilot study was to determine concentrations of selected cytokines in serum from healthy cats and cats with acute FIC. ANIMALS Serum samples from 13 healthy cats and from 12 cats with nonobstructive acute FIC were utilized. METHODS Multiplex analysis of 19 cytokines (CCL2, CCL5, CXCL1, CXCL12, CXCL8, Flt3L, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-12 (p40), IL-13, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, PDGF-BB, SCF, sFas, and TNF-α) was performed with a commercially available feline-specific multiplex bead-based assay. RESULTS Mean serum concentrations of IL-12 (p40; P < 0.0001), CXCL12 (P = 0.002), IL-18 (P = 0.032), and Flt3L (P = 0.0024) were significantly increased in FIC cats compared to healthy cats. GM-CSF, IL-1b, IL-2, and PDGF-BB were undetectable or detected in an insufficient number of cats to allow meaningful comparisons. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE We have identified increased serum concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines CXCL12, IL-12, IL-18, and Flt3L in FIC-affected cats. These findings suggest potential candidates for noninvasive biomarkers for diagnosis, staging, and therapeutic outcome monitoring of affected cats and provide additional insight into the etiopathogenesis of FIC.
Workforce Trends and Analysis of Selected Pediatric Subspecialties in the United States

Abstract Objective To update pediatric subspecialty workforce data to support evidence-based legislation and public policy decisions by replicating the American Academy of Pediatrics' 1998 Future of Pediatric Education (FOPE II) workforce survey. Methods A descriptive and comparative analysis of survey responses from 9950 US pediatric subspecialists who completed an electronic survey. Results Pediatric subspecialists are working fewer hours and spending less of their time in direct patient care than they did in 1998 but the mean hours worked differs significantly according to subspecialty. Most subspecialists continue to be board-certified, white, non-Hispanic men, although the percentage who are women and from minority groups has increased. The proportion of subspecialists practicing in an academic medical center has increased since 1998. Thirty percent of pediatric subspecialists reported appointment wait times of >2 weeks and pediatric subspecialists in developmental pediatrics, endocrinology, and neurology identified much longer wait times than other subspecialists. Conclusion The demographic and practice characteristics of pediatric subspecialists have changed since the FOPE II survey and access to subspecialty care in a family's community remains a challenge. However, pediatric subspecialties are not monolithic and solutions to workforce shortages will need to take into account these differences to improve access to subspecialty care.
Programming Cell-Cell Interactions through Non-genetic Membrane Engineering.

The ability to direct targeted intercellular interactions has the potential to enable and expand the use of cell-based therapies for regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and immunotherapy. While genetic engineering approaches have proven effective, these techniques are not amenable to all cell types and often yield permanent modifications with potentially long-lasting adverse effects, restricting their application. To circumvent these limitations, there is intense interest in developing non-genetic methods to modify cell membranes with functional groups that will enable the recognition of target cells. While many such techniques have been developed, relatively few have been applied to directing specific cell-cell interactions. This review details these non-genetic membrane engineering approaches—namely, hydrophobic membrane insertion, chemical modification, liposome fusion, metabolic engineering, and enzymatic remodeling—and summarizes their major applications. Based on this analysis, perspective is provided on the ideal features of these systems with an emphasis on the potential for clinical translation.
Differential expression of HLA-E, HLA-F, and HLA-G transcripts in human tissue

Abstract The data presented here demonstrated that the HLA-G class I gene is unique among the members of the human class I gene family in that its expression is restricted to extraembryonic tissues during gestation. Furthermore, the pattern of HLA-G expression in these tissues changes as gestation proceeds. During first trimester HLA-G is expressed within the placenta and not within the extravillous membrane. At term, the pattern of the HLA-G expression is reversed, extravillous membrane expressed HLA-G while placenta does not. Another non-HLA-A, -B, -C class I gene, HLA-E, is also expressed by extraembryonic tissues. Unlike HLA-G, HLA-E is expressed by both placenta and extravillous membrane at first trimester and at term. These results raise the intriguing possbility that the HLA-G-encoded molecule has a role in embryonic development and/or the fetal-maternal immune response.
Nuit Blanche Pavilion, Using the Elasticity of Polymers to Self-stabilize a Structure

The Nuit Blanche Pavilion was an investigation that combined material behavior with the technical possibilities of current digital design and fabrication methods. The goal of the project was to develop a new form of lightweight structure. The project was inspired by a relationship between structure, geometry, material and appearance that can be found in biology. The project took advantage of a dynamic structural quality found in high-density polymers that was used to develop a self-supporting structural envelope.
Remarks about Observables for the Quantum Mechanical Harmonic Oscillator

A comparison algebra \( \mathcal{A} \) for the self-adjoint differential operator \( H = \tfrac{{d^2 }} {{dx^2 }} + x^2 \) was introduced by H.Sohrab [So1] [This is a C*-algebra of singular integral operators with symbol in the sense of our book [Co1]. The symbol space is a (topological) circle. Operators in the algebra are Fredholm if and only if their symbol does not vanish.]
Food Microcosms and Mesocosms

Systems of food production for the world’s people are sometimes studied in microcosms, and some self-organizing, ecological mesocosms actually yield food products. Agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture supply humanity its food. Some of these sources are intensively managed agro-ecosystems and others less-managed environmental systems. Agricultural and aquacultural microcosms have been used for controlled experiments to study larger food production systems under controlled conditions. The processes of food production and systems of waste decomposition are basic to human existence. Just as photosynthesis and respiratory consumption were coupled in a balanced aquarium (Chapter 2), the equivalents of these processes in the human economy are also coupled with the circular, causal symbiosis shown in Figure 17.1.
Cultural worldview and genetically modified food policy preferences

Abstract After more than twenty years of persistent efforts to raise concern over the risk of consuming genetically modified (GM) foods, GM labeling proponents have more recently adopted the themes of: (1) environmental harm, (2) the collusion of big business and government, and (3) the “right to know” if food contains GM ingredients ( Lendman, 2015 ). Proponents of mandatory labeling have been effective in mobilizing supporters around these themes which may influence individual-level support for different GM policy outcomes due to how these themes interact with a person’s cultural values. Consequently, we use cultural cognition theory to explore the relationship between cultural worldview and preferences for GM policy. Using a survey, we first examine the effect of cultural worldview on consumers’ preferences for voluntary and mandatory GM labeling programs. Second, using a choice experiment, we explore how cultural worldview influences consumer valuations of and willingness to pay for non-GM and GM food labels. Our results establish a reliable connection between cultural worldview and preferences for GM policy and preferences for GM labeling. As predicted by cultural cognition theory, the most dramatic differences exist between those with relatively egalitarian-communitarian and hierarchical-individualistic worldviews. Egalitarian-communitarians were 42% less likely to support change in the current voluntary approach and 79% more likely to support mandatory labeling than hierarchical-individualists; these individuals were also willing to pay about 67% more to avoid GM foods by purchasing products with a non-GMO label. Although important differences do exist, our research demonstrates that there is common ground and individual attitudes towards labeling can be mediated by cultural worldview.
On the ‘New Anti-Semitism’ and Its Political and Religious Consequences

The so-called ‘new anti-Semitism’ is an artificial construct created by Israel to counter growing popular opposition to its own racist policies. Loss of popular support means Israeli influence has ...
Intensity of Care at End-of-Life in Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Introduction Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients are at a high risk for morbidity and mortality. The literature on quality and intensity of end of life (EOL) care and its association with advance directives and palliative involvement in this population is sparse. Objectives We sought to describe the EOL care in a cohort of allogeneic HCT patients who died and examine its association with advance directives, palliative care involvement, and patient characteristics. Methods A retrospective review of the medical record of patients who had received their allogeneic HCT (n=368) at our institution between 2013 and 2017 and died (n=129) was performed to collect information on place of death, hospital length of stay, number of admissions, intensity of care and palliative/ chaplain referrals. High intensity EOL care was defined as >1 of the following: death in the hospital, invasive procedure in the last week of life, use of mechanical ventilation in the last week of life, change to ‘no resuscitation’ code status in the last 3 days of life, length of stay >14 days in the last hospitalization, and >50% of last hospitalization in ICU. Association between baseline characteristics (age, gender, disease, disease risk, education, race/ ethnicity), presence of a living will and palliative medicine consult with intensity of EOL care was examined by a multivariable logistical model. Results Out of 129 deaths, 83(64%) had received EOL care at our institution and were included in the analysis. Median age of the patients in the cohort was 60 (range 21 to 76) years, 64% were male, 89% were white, 32% had received college or higher education and 66% had private insurance. 59% patients died in hospice (36% in inpatient hospice, and 23% in home hospice) and 40% in the hospital (23% in ICU and 17% on the floor). Figure shows indicators of intense EOL care in patients who died in hospital vs. hospice. Median duration of hospice was 3 (range 1-41) days. 72% had an advance directive on record and 37% were seen by palliative medicine. There was a higher rate of mechanical ventilation (p 1 intensive care indicators. Conclusions There is a high utilization of intensive care and procedures in the last days of life for patients dying in the hospital. Patients with advance directives were more likely to experience a value based EOL care including avoidance of intensive, and ultimately futile, medical care.
A Comparison of the Accuracy and Efficiency of Two Ionic Strength Adjustment Buffers in Measuring Potassium Using an Ion-Selective Electrode

It is recommended to use ionic strength adjustment buffers to increase reading accuracy while measuring potassium (K⁺) concentrations in aqueous solutions by using ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). Three laboratory leachate column studies were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of two buffers, 2.5 M sodium perchlorate (NaClO₄) and 2.5 M sodium chloride (NaCl), in measuring K⁺ concentrations in three media types (peat moss, Oxisols, and Mollisols soils). Three algae species, KCl, and KNO₃ were applied to provide 112 and 336 kg K/ha. Leachate samples were collected to a total of 16 weeks and measured using a K-ISE. The K⁺ data from the three trials showed a highly significant (r ~ 0.99) correlation between the two buffers. T-Test results showed highly significant (P < 0.01) differences between unbuffered and the two buffered solutions. However, there were no significant differences between the two buffered solutions, under the peat moss, Oxisols, and Mollisols soils. The results suggest that the least expensive buffer of 2.5 M NaCl is as accurate as NaClO₄ in such aqueous solutions.
Recruiting and Interviewing Teachers in Rural School Districts

Through administrator and teacher surveys and interviews, this study examined recruiting and interviewing practices of eighty-three rural school districts located in, and between, the rural Ozark Plateau and Mississippi River Delta. Survey results indicated that districts with smaller student populations were far less likely to have an identified protocol in place to recruit and interview teachers. In addition, the study found that critical issues such as student achievement and qualifications of teachers were not addressed during the recruiting or interviewing phases of the employment process. Finally, this research brought to light questionable interviewing practices leading the author to make recommendations for rural schools’ implementation of measurable interviewing protocol.
Stress Adapted Mollusca and Nematoda Exhibit Convergently Expanded Hsp70 and AIG1 Gene Families

We recently sequenced the genome of the first subterrestrial metazoan, the nematode Halicephalobus mephisto. A central finding was a dramatic expansion of genes encoding avrRpt2 induced gene (AIG1), and 70 kDa heat shock (Hsp70) domains. While the role of Hsp70 in thermotolerance is well established, the contribution of AIG1 is much more poorly characterized, though in plants some members of this family are heat-induced. Hypothesizing that this dual domain expansion may constitute a general biosignature of thermal stress adaptation, here we examine a number of genomes, finding that expansion of both AIG1 and Hsp70 is common in bivalves. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the bivalve-specific Hsp70 protein expansion groups with H. mephisto sequences. Our identification of the same gene expansions in bivalves and a nematode implies that this biosignature may be a general stress adaptation strategy for protostomes, particularly those organisms that cannot escape their stressful environments. We hypothesize that the two families play largely complementary mechanistic roles, with Hsp70 directly refolding heat-denatured proteins while AIG1 promotes cellular and organismal survival by inhibiting apoptosis.
A Cross-Sectional Study Using Health Behavior Theory to Predict Rapid Compliance With Campus Emergency Notifications Among College Students.

Objective: Compliance with college emergency notifications can minimize injury; however, time is often wasted in alert verification. Building on prior research, this study assesses using health-behavior theory to predict rapid compliance to emergency notifications across a range of scenarios and within a diverse college population. Methods: Cross-sectional, student data were collected in 2017-2018 (n = 1529). The Theory of Planned Behavior and Protection Motivation Theory were used to explain intention to comply with emergency notifications in scenarios: robbery, shooter, fire, chemical spill, protest, health emergency, and air quality. Regression models assessed associations between constructs and intention to rapidly comply with each notification. Results: The most consistent predictors of rapid compliance were attitudes and subjective norms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.057-1.118; 95% CI: 1.009-1.168). Scenarios prone to rapid developments such as robbery, shooter, and fire were associated with increased perceived threat and response efficacy (AOR: 1.024-1.082; 95% CI: 1.003-1.132) Slower developing situations such as air quality and health hazards were associated with increased perceived control (AOR: 1.027-1.073; 95% CI: 1.031-1.117). Conclusions: This study identified attitude and subjective norms as consistent predictors of rapid compliance and improves understanding of additional constructs across scenarios. Campuses may benefit from leveraging concepts from health-behavior theory to provide targeted intervention focusing on factors associated with rapid compliance.
Race and Publishing in Sociology

A literature on the relationship between race and publication productivity in academia is under-developed. Using the field of sociology, we present publication and related career data from the CVs of 539 tenure-line faculty who work in one of three tiers, indicated by National Research Council rankings, and who belong to one of three professional cohorts, constructed by the year in which they earned their Ph.D.s. The study examines the publication patterns among four groups: whites, African Americans, Latinos, and Asians. African Americans and Latinos publish peer-reviewed sole-authored articles in smaller, but not substantially smaller, proportions than whites and Asians, a pattern manifest across organizational tiers but which attenuates the younger the cohort. Whites and Asians are substantially more likely to co-author article work. Whites and faculty of color publish academic books in roughly equal proportions. Race differences in publication in two general journals, the American Sociological Review and the American Journal of Sociology, are more sharply graded by race but not as substantially as one might expect given the identified specialty areas in which members of these groups predominantly work. We rely upon work on the relationship between race and the academic profession to situate the analysis. We identify methodological preferences of work as a key source to account for the observed patterns associated with publication and race. We also discuss our findings in relation to work on racial inequality in higher education.
P125 Role of Cooperative Extension in Obesity Prevention Efforts: Program Implementation, Effectiveness, and Implications

Objective To demonstrate how Cooperative Extension (CE) can successfully implement federally-funded obesity prevention programs across limited-resource populations and settings. Use of Theory or Research Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education (SNAP-Ed) evaluation framework was utilized spanning multiple levels of the Social-Ecological Model (SEM). Target Audience Preschoolers, youth, and adults. Program Description During 2019, 2 federally-funded nutrition education programs namely CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California (CFHL, UC) and Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) were implemented in preschool, schools, and community settings in 2 counties through CE. Evaluation Methods Age-appropriate observational tools and surveys were used to assess participants’ goals, intentions and behaviors about healthy eating, physical activity, and food resource management. Policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes including community partnerships were also recorded. Results CFHL, UC evaluation results indicated behavioral and organizational changes through direct nutrition education (n = 10,761 children and youth, and 822 adults reached) and indirect nutrition education (n = 31, 421) across 74 locations of various settings from preschools, schools, to community. PSE changes were recorded at 42 sites reaching 21,087 participants with 59 PSE changes across all settings (eg, 41 nutrition changes, 15 PA changes, and 3 nutrition/PA changes combined). EFNEP evaluation results indicated behavioral changes in nutrition, food resource management, and PA practices among adult participants (n = 187) who completed the program. Conclusions and Implications CE plays a critical role in obesity prevention efforts by implementing federally-funded nutrition education programs in local communities to empower children, youth, and families with knowledge and skills to make healthy living choices. The CE System with offices in most counties across the state brings together expertise and capacity to promote healthy living among qualified settings and the SNAP-Ed eligible population. Taken together, CE is a good fit for obesity prevention programming to achieve a broader impact that has public value significance.
Sordid genealogies: a conjectural history of Cambridge Analytica’s eugenic roots

“Sordid Genealogies: A Conjectural History of Cambridge Analytica’s Eugenic Roots” explores the history of the methods employed by Cambridge Analytica to influence the 2016 US presidential election. It focuses on the history of psychometric analysis, trait psychology, the lexical hypothesis and multivariate factor analysis, and how they developed in close conjunction with the history of eugenics. More particularly, it will analyze how the work of Francis Galton, Ludwig Klages, Charles Spearman, and Raymond Cattell (among others) contributed to the manifold translations between statistics, the pseudoscience of eugenics, the politics of Trumpism, and the data driven psychology of the personality championed by Cambridge Analytica.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Paradoxical Vocal Cord Movement in Children during Sleep Endoscopy: Case Series.

Objective. To describe a series of pediatric cases of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with paradoxical vocal cord movement noted on drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE). Materials and Methods. Case series and chart review of children who had undergone DISE for OSA that showed PVCM. Results. Three cases where paradoxical vocal cord motion (PVCM) was noted during DISE are described. Two had an enlarged adenoid, and one had no other site of obstruction. Two were treated with adenoidectomy and antireflux medications. One received proton pump inhibitors alone. In all 3 cases, OSA symptoms resolved. Conclusion. This case series of documented obstructive sleep apnea related to paradoxical vocal cord movement suggests that this entity occurs during sleep with airway obstruction. Further clarification of etiology of PVCM during OSA and its management is needed.
A series of series topologies on ℕ

Each series ∑n=1∞an of real strictly positive terms gives rise to a topology on ℕ={1,2,3,…} by declaring a proper subset A⊆ℕ to be closed if ∑n∈Aan<∞. We explore the relationship between analytic properties of the series and topological properties on ℕ. In particular, we show that, up to homeomorphism, |ℝ|-many topologies are generated. We also find an uncountable family of examples {ℕα}α∈[0,1] with the property that for any α<β, there is a continuous bijection ℕβ→ℕα, but the only continuous functions ℕα→ℕβ are constant.
A Brief Report on Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Demonstration Program

The behavioral service system is searching for solutions to the opioid overdose epidemic, which has led to increased fatalities and substantial costs. This paper is a brief report on Certified Comm...
What Do Stakeholders Think About Language Assessment

Assessment is an integral, critical element in language education. It is a product of reflection, instruction, and innovation. It is supposed to provide valid, reliable, and relevant information about learners’ progress. It ought to be used to inform course evaluation and instructional design with the view to meeting the needs of language learners and facilitators who serve the former. Assessment comes out of testing. It should be a learning experience for both learners and teachers. In the present scenario, teachers’ and learners’ attitude toward testing and assessment is material rather than ideal. Besides, the attitudes of parents and administrators can also positively influence language assessment of learners by teachers. The present paper purports to quantify their attitudes toward what they think language assessment and tests are about.
The potential of pyrolysis-gas chromatography for the pattern individualization of macromolecular materials.

In an investigation almost any article or material may come to the attention of the forensic scientist as physical evidence. Frequently he is asked to test the existence of an association or common origin between the questioned material and some other sample to the exclusion of all (ideally) other similar samples of the same group or class. This process or operation is referred to as individualization by forensic Scientists. If the sample is an object which has certain morphological peculiarities or physical markings, these may be compared with those on an item that is thought to have been associated with the questioned one to test this hypothesis. If, however, the item or material lacks these markings, it may be necessary to consider compositional differences. The approach used to study such differences will vary depending on the general type of material being analyzed.
Fluorescence of the Y chromosome: a rapid test to determine fetal sex.

Abstract An adaptation of a fluorescent technique for study of amniotic fluid cells was established in our laboratory. Seventeen patients were studied. The value of this technique in determining the fetal sex is elucidated.
Entwicklung der Feinheiten der aktuellen SMAS-Faceliftchirurgie

Die wesentlichen Verbesserungen bei der Entwicklung aktueller Facelifttechniken werden diskutiert. Dazu gehort, dass die Operation moglichst wenig sichtbar ist, eine Korrektur des Doppelkinns durch den grosen vorderen Bauch des M. digastricus, die Korrektur der Halskontur durch kurze Platysmamuskeln und die Verjungung durch Wiederherstellung des Aussehens wie vor 15 Jahren, wobei der Patient immer noch aussieht wie er selbst. Ein jugendlich wirkender Hals ist ebenso wie die Verjungung des gesamten Gesichts wichtig fur die Patientenzufriedenheit. Jeder Patient hat ein Recht auf ein sicheres chirurgisches Vorgehen und das bestmogliche Resultat.
BIOTIN BIOSYNTHESIS I. Biotin Yields and Biotin Vitamers in Cultures of Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Eisenberg, M. A. (Columbia University, New York, N.Y.). Biotin biosynthesis. I. Biotin yields and biotin vitamers in cultures of Phycomyces blakesleeanus. J. Bacteriol. 86:673–680. 1963.—The addition of pimelic acid to a well-aerated medium resulted in a 10- to 12-fold increase in the biotin production of Phycomyces blakesleeanus. Azelaic acid also stimulated biotin production, but not to the same extent as did pimelic acid. A number of biotin analogues were found to be inactive. Further enhancement of the biotin yield could not be attained by replacing glucose and aspargine by other carbon and nitrogen sources. Replacement cultures, however, proved to be equally as effective as growing cultures under the same conditions. The omission of trace elements reduced the growth and biotin production. The “true” biotin was affected to a greater extent than the “total” biotin. Zinc and iron proved to be the essential trace metals. In the absence of zinc, both the growth and the total biotin production were markedly reduced. The omission of iron affected primarily the biotin production. P. blakesleeanus produces biotin, desthiobiotin, biotin-d-sulfoxide, biocytin, and an unknown biotin vitamer. The latter has been identified as an amino acid by electrophoretic analysis. It is avidin-uncombinable, and does not support the growth of Lactobacillus arabinosus (L. plantarum) or Neurospora crassa.
Information and modeling issues in designing water and sanitation subsidy schemes

In designing a rational scheme for subsidizing water services, it is important to support the choice of design parameters with empirical analysis that stimulates the impact of subsidy options on the target population. Otherwise, there is little guarantee that the subsidy program will meet its objectives. But such analysis is informationally demanding. Ideally, researchers should have access to a single, consistent data set containing household-level information on consumption, willingness to pay, and a range of socioeconomic characteristics. Such a comprehensive data set will rarely exist. The authors suggest overcoming this data deficiency by collating, and imaginatevily manipulating different sources of data to generate estimates of the missing variables. The most valuable sources of information, they explain, are likely to be the following: 1) Customer databases of the water company, which provide robust information on the measured consumption of formal customers, but little information on unmeasured consumption, informal customers, willingness to pay, or socioeconomic variables. 2) General socioeconomic household surveys, which are an excellent source of socioeconomic information, but tend to record water expenditure rather than physical consumption. 3) Willingness-to-pay surveys, which are generally tailored to a specific project, are very flexible, and may be the only source of willingness-to-pay data. However, they are expensive to undertake, and the information collected is based on hypothetical rather than real behavior. Where such surveys are unavailable, international benchmark values on willingness to pay may be used. Combining data sets requires some effort and creativity, and creates difficulties of its own. But once a suitable data set has been constructed, a simulation model can be created using simple spreadsheet software. The model used to design Panama's water subsidy proposal addressed these questions: a) What are the targeting properties of different eligibility criteria for the subsidy? b) How large should the subsidy be? c) How much will the subsidy scheme cost, including administrative costs? Armed with the above information, policymakers should be in a position to design a subsidy program that reaches the intended beneficiaries, provides them with the level of financial support that is strictly necessary, meets the overall budget restrictions, and does not waste an excessive amount of funding on administrative costs.
Treatment-associated serum FSH levels in very poor responders to ovarian stimulation.

Purpose: To compare treatment-associated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) response in patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with either microdose flare (MDF) leuprolide acetate or clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotropin (CC/hMG). Methods: Thirteen patients who were deemed poor responders underwent stimulation with one of two poor responder stimulation protocols (MDF group: n = 8; CC/hMG group: n = 5). Serum FSH, estrone (E1), estrone sulfate (E1S), and estradiol (E2) levels were measured at baseline, day 5 of medication, and on day of hCG administration. Ovarian and uterine responses were evaluated by ultrasound. Results: Treatment-associated FSH levels were consistently higher in the group that took CC/hMG. However, serum E1, E1S, and E2 values were similar in both groups as were the number of oocytes retrieved and the endometrial echo complex. There were no differences between the two groups with regards to the quality of the oocytes obtained, fertilization rate, or the quality of the embryos. Conclusion: Clomiphene citrate, when administered in conjunction with exogenous hMG, is a more potent stimulator of FSH production than MDF leuprolide acetate among poor responders to ovarian stimulation. However, the number of oocytes is not increased.
The Value of Tax Deferral: A Different Perspective on Roth IRAs

This Article explores the circumstances in which tax deferral is beneficial, and derives some basic rules that refine the prevailing view that deferring taxes saves money. It demonstrates that Roth IRAs are often more attractive than traditional tax-deferred retirement plans but for a reason that generally is not emphasized. Specifically, when the tax on monies contributed to a Roth IRA is paid out of funds invested outside the plan, the benefit derived from the tax-free accumulation often will exceed the tax on the contribution. Moreover, the benefit of the Roth IRA is magnified when contributions are invested in high growth vehicles.
Pharmacokinetic factors affecting antidepressant drug clearance and clinical effect: evaluation of doxepin and imipramine--new data and review.

The selection of a starting dose for an antidepressant, and subsequent clinical titration to an appropriate therapeutic dosage, should be based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles. In the past decade, therapeutic monitoring of antidepressant drugs and use of pharmacokinetic principles have been shown to be an improvement over the dose-response approach. Endogenous (e.g., genetic metabolic phenotype, hepatic blood flow, and protein binding) and exogenous factors (e.g., smoking, dietary habits, concurrent medications) are capable of influencing physiological and pharmacokinetic variables in patients, accounting for the marked interindividual differences in the clearance rates of cyclic antidepressants. Interpatient variability for steady-state concentrations in plasma (Cpss) greater than 20-fold are observed at a fixed dose of imipramine (r2 = 0.525, df = 346, t = 19.541, P less than 0.0001) or doxepin (r2 = 0.506, df = 128, t = 11.403, P less than 0.0001). Analysis of doxepin in plasma vs estimated in oral clearance for 61 patients demonstrates a significant decline in oral clearance as a function of Cpss. At doses approaching the upper range recommended for the treatment of depression, Cpss appear to approach, in at least a few individuals, the maximum metabolic capacity of the patient (Vmax), leading to greater-than-expected increases in concentrations for a given dosage increment. Significant alterations in oral clearance are observed when medications are administered concomitantly. A greater-than-threefold difference in mean oral doxepin clearance rates is observed between two groups of patients receiving additional medications that are either inducers or inhibitors (P less than 0.0001, df = 32, t = 6.687). Pharmacokinetic principles defining and explaining the determinants of oral clearance can provide the clinician with a greater insight into the reasons for therapeutic failure and toxicity.
Geochemistry and mineralogy of the phonolite lava lake, Erebus volcano, Antarctica: 1972–2004 and comparison with older lavas

Abstract Mount Erebus, Antarctica, is a large (3794 m) alkaline open-conduit stratovolcano that hosts a vigorously convecting and persistently degassing lake of anorthoclase phonolite magma. The composition of the lake was investigated by analyzing glass and mineral compositions in lava bombs erupted between 1972 and 2004. Matrix glass, titanomagnetite, olivine, clinopyroxene, and fluor-apatite compositions are invariant and show that the magmatic temperature (∼ 1000°C) and oxygen fugacity (ΔlogFMQ = − 0.9) have been stable. Large temperature variations at the lake surface (~ 400–500°C) are not reflected in mineral compositions. Anorthoclase phenocrysts up to 10 cm in length feature a restricted compositional range (An10.3–22.9Ab62.8–68.1Or11.4–27.2) with complex textural and compositional zoning. Anorthoclase textures and compositions indicate crystallization occurs at low degrees of effective undercooling. We propose shallow water exsolution causes crystallization and shallow convection cycles the anorthoclase crystals through many episodes of growth resulting in their exceptional size. Minor variations in eruptive activity from 1972 to 2004 are decoupled from magma compositions. The variations probably relate to changes in conduit geometry within the volcano and/or variable input of CO2-rich volatiles into the upper-level magma chamber from deeper in the system. Eleven bulk samples of phonolite lava from the summit plateau that range in age from 0 ± 4 ka to 17 ± 8 ka were analyzed for major and trace elements. Small compositional variations are controlled by anorthoclase content. The lavas are indistinguishable from modern bulk lava bomb compositions and demonstrate that Erebus volcano has been erupting lava and tephra from the summit region with the same bulk composition for ∼ 17 ka.
Demonstration of the β2-adrenoceptor intrinsic efficacy of AY-28,925 using the PGF2α-contracted guinea-pig trachea

Abstract The abilities of AY-28,925, labetalol and medroxalol to relax the PGF2α-contracted isolated guinea-pig trachea have been investigated to compare their activities at β2-adrenoceptors. Maximum relaxation induced by AY-28,925 was significantly greater than that induced by either labetalol or medroxalol. This relaxation occurred in a concentration-dependent manner over a range of concentrations consistent with the previously determined affinity of AY-28,925 for β-adrenoceptors. ICI-118,551 inhibited AY-28,925-induced relaxation in a concentration-dependent manner with a pA2 value similar to that determined for ICI-118,551 inhibition of the selective β2-adrenoceptor agonist salbutamol, but not the selective β1-adrenoceptor agonist noreponephrine. The Schild plot slope for ICI-118,551 inhibition of AY-28,925 or salbutamol did not differ significantly from unity, while that for inhibition of isoproterenol (a non-selective β-adrenoceptor agonist) did. It is concluded that AY-28,925 is a more efficacious relaxant of tracheal smooth muscle than either labetalol or medroxalol, and that this relaxant activity is the result of its greater intrinsic efficacy at the β2-adrenoceptor.
Satellite Nests, Early Males, and Plasticity of Reproductive Behavior in a Paper Wasp

We studied 298 primary nests of a single population of the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus variatus over a period of 2 yr. This population demonstrated a remarkable amount of reproductive behavioral plasticity. At least 14% of all nests produced a few males early in the season, before the emergence of the majority of reproductives. At least 17% of all nests were part of polydomous colonies that consisted of 2-9 separate nests with 2-9 foundresses. During the first year of the study, 10 satellite nests were founded, some of which contained mated, spring-produced females and, in late summer, produced male and female offspring. Early males apparently mate with early-season reproductive females that supersede orphaned nests or oviposit on satellites. The small number of males produced may represent a trade-off between their early-season reproductive value and their cost later in the season. The cost of an early male is the reproductive value of males and females that could have been produced in late summer if re...
Tricuspid regurgitation in tricuspid valve prolapse demonstrated with contrast cross-sectional echocardiography

Abstract To determine the prevaience of tricuspid regurgitation in patients with tricuspid valve prolapse and to define further the criteria for the diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation on contrast echocardiography, evaluation was made of 45 patients who had adequate contrast studies. There were four groups of patients: Group A, 10 healthy control subjects with no evidence of structural heart disease on cardiac catheterizattion; group B, 10 patients with classic clinlcal evidence of tricuspid regurgitation; group C, 10 patients with cross-sectional echocardiographic evidence of mitral valve prolapse without tricuspid valve prolapse; and group D, 15 patients with both mitral and tricuspid valve prolapse on cross-sectional echocardiography. Tricuspid regurgitation was sought in each group by using the subxiphoid echocardiographic approach with peripheral venous injection of saline solution. The diagnosis required the presence of microcavitations in both the inferior vena cava and hepatic veins for at least three consecutive cardiac cycles. Tricuspid regurgitation was observed in no patients in group A, 10 of 10 patients in group B, 0 of 10 in groups C and 6 of 15 (40 percent) in group D. Contrast cross-sectional echocardiography proved to be a reliable technique for identifying tricuspid regurgitation with a high degree of specificity and sensitivity. Patients with tricuspid valve prolapse had a 40 percent prevalence rate of tricuspid regurgitation. This finding may identify a subgroup that requires particularly careful clinical follow-up care.
Dendrimer-mediated growth of very flat ultrathin Au films

Abstract Si wafers covered with a native oxide were used as substrates for growth of 12.5 nm of evaporated Au (Au/SiO x ), and self-assembly of a dendrimer monolayer followed by the same thickness of Au (Au/dendrimer/SiO x ). This paper presents evidence for very significant improvements in Au film quality when grown on a self-assembled monolayer of amine-terminated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers (generation G8) on SiO x . An increase in surface hardness from 1.7 to 3 GPa, a decrease in surface roughness from about 1.2 to 0.4 nm and better adhesion are shown with a combination of XPS, X-ray reflectivity (XRR), AFM, and nanoindentation. The improvement in film quality may be explained by penetration of the deposited Au into the dendrimer adlayer. This interpenetration is confirmed by AFM profilometry and XPS analysis.
State-level public policy as a predictor of individual and family well-being.

This exploratory study examines the relationship between state-level public policy and individual and family well-being and factors that affect it. The inquiry, based on exchange and choice theories, assumes that state-level public policy reflects stats' awareness of the needs of individuals and families, their ability to predict the future in failing to meet them, and the extent to which the norm of reciprocity prevails in the 50 states. Measures of stats' collective choices were states' per capita expenditures for public welfare, education, and health, and per capital taxes in 1980; measures of states' individual and well-or ill-being, or social malaise, were states' teenage birthrates, infant death rates, and suicide rates. Taken into account as antecedent and intervening variables were age, gender, and racial composition, income distribution, marital, socioeconomic, and employment status of states' populations, and attitudes toward public spending. The findings how the higher stat expenditures for pub...
Principle of Minimum Entropy Production

Prigogine has shown that in the steady state in which certain macroscopic affinities ${F}_{1}, {F}_{2}, \ensuremath{\cdots} {F}_{k}$ are fixed and other macroscopic affinities ${F}_{k+1}, {F}_{k+2}, \ensuremath{\cdots} {F}_{r}$ are unconstrained, the values assumed by the unconstrained affinities are such as to minimize the rate of production of entropy. We here show that the complete microscopic density matrix of the system is that which minimizes the rate of entropy production subject to the imposed constraints. All magnetic fields are assumed to be zero.
Silicon naphthalocyanines derivatives: delivery systems as modulators of pharmacokinetics and photodynamic therapy (PDT) outcomes

Photodynamic therapy of neoplastic tissues is a new treatment modality that combines the in- vivo administration of a photosensitizer followed by its excitation with visible light, which leads to a photochemical reaction and tissue destruction. Naphthalocyanine derivatives are a class of second-generation photosensitizers that have excellent prospects as photodynamic therapeutic agents. Relevant to these types of applications are their photochemical properties, their tumor-localizing abilities, and their ability to elicit photodynamic responses. Bis(di- isobutyloctadecylsiloxy)silicon 2,3-naphthalocyanine (isoBOSINC) illustrates some of the above promising photoproperties: absorption in the red at 776 nm with an extinction coefficient greater than 105 M-1 cm-1, a triplet state lifetime of 331 microseconds and singlet oxygen yields of approximately 0.20. Due to their high degree of hydrophobicity, metallonaphthalocyanines require a variety of approaches before they can be administered to cells in vitro or injected in vivo. One approach is the selection of solubilizing agents or vehicles such as a solution of Tween 80 in saline or emulsions of Cremophor EL in saline. This paper describes studies in (a) drug uptake by tumors and other tissues as a function of isoBOSINC's dose; (b) drug levels in normal versus tumor-bearing rats; (c) in-vitro photostability of isoBOSINC; (d) effects of delivery systems on photosensitizer tissue levels and pharmacokinetics, and PDT outcome.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A reduction in the concentration of immunoreactive corticotropin, malanotropin and lipotropin in the brain of the aging rat

Abstract We have previously shown that the hypothalamic concentration of immunoreactive α-melanotropin (α-MSH i ) is markedly lower in the aging female rat than in the young rat. The current view is that α-MSH is derived from corticotropin (ACTH), and ACTH, in turn, is derived from a large molecular-weight precursor (pro-opiocortin); pro-opiocortin also serves as the precursor to β- and γ-lipotropin (LPH) 10, 12, 22 . To ascertain if the age-related reduction in the concentration of α-MSH i may be a result of a decline in the production of pro-opiocortin, we determined the content of immunoreactive ACTH (ACTH i ), α-MSH (α-MSH i ), γ-LPH (γ-LPH i ), and protein, in 3 regions of the brain of young (4 months) and old (26–28 months) female rats: the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH, the region containing the perikarya of the ACTH/MSH/LPH neurons 9, 23, 28, 36 ), the preoptic anterior hypothalamus (POA), and the thalamus (regions containing axons of these neurons). The concentration of ACTH i , α-MSH i (mol/mg protein), or γ-LPH i (U/mg protein) in the MBH of old rats was 30–50% of that in the MBH of young rats. Moreover, the concentration of ACTH i , α-MSH i or γ-LPH i in the POA and thalamus of old rats was also lower than that in the POA and thalamus of young rats. Based on these findings, we propose that aging causes a reduction in the production of pro-opiocortin in the brain of the female rat and that such a change may be related to the altered function of the brain of the aged.
Vigilance ensures a safer work environment.

Proactively prevent workplace violence by immediately recognizing and addressing potential problems. Language: en
Creation of magnetic solitons in superfluid 3 He

The necessary and sufficient conditions for soliton creation in superfluid $^{3}\mathrm{He}$, by turning off an inhomogeneous magnetic field are studied theoretically. In the $A$ phase, where the basic equation is the sine-Gordon equation, the initial value problem is solved by making use of the inverse scattering approach. In order to create pairs of solitons, two conditions have to be satisfied: first, the total impulse (i.e., the spatial integral of the turned-off field) has to be larger than a discrete set of threshold values; and secondly, the maximum Zeeman field associated with the turned-off field has to be larger than the threshold value ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{n}$, which are functions of the total impulse. In the $B$ phase, where no analytical method is available, we resort to numerical analysis. In spite of significant difference in the dynamic equation, creation of solitons in the $B$ phase can be expressed in terms of two conditions similar to ones in the $A$ phase.