cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Personal Practices Regarding Prevention and Early Detection of Cancer

Abstract Methods. To determine population knowledge, attitudes, and personal practices regarding prevention and early detection of cancer, random population samples of 25- to 74-year-old men and women in six various-sized communities in three upper-midwestern states (N =4,915) were administered surveys and interviews during 1987–1989. Results. Four-fifths of respondents believed cancer to be preventable. Knowledge of warning signs/symptoms of cancer and of leading causes of cancer, however, was low. Over 95% of women had had a Papanicolaou smear and a clinical breast exam or had performeda breast self-exam; 65.7% of those ages 50–65 years had had a mammogram. Among menand women ages 50–65 years, 77% had had a digital rectal exam; 52.5%, a fecal occult bloodtest; and 48.3%, a sigmoidoscopy. Conclusions. Conditions are favorable for an increase in mammography, including favorable attitudes toward cancer prevention, strong consensus among policy/making organizations regarding guidelines for obtaining mammograms, and high levels of adherence to these recommendations by women who have had at least their first mammogram. Challenges now include acceptance of these guidelines by physicians, mammogram affordability/availability, and demonstration of efficacious, cost-effective, and reliable colorectal/prostate cancer screening tests.
Sliding internal knot technique for late in-the-bag intraocular lens decentration

We describe a technique that uses a sliding (Siepser) internal knot to secure the intraocular lens (IOL) and capsular bag complex to the sclera. The technique is helpful in cases of late dislocation of the IOL-capsular bag complex, which seems to be particularly common in patients with pseudoexfoliation. The technique, which borrows from earlier techniques, has the advantages of an external approach of the suture needle and a sliding knot with an internal tie that does not require a knot to be covered or rotated.
Secretion of a chemotactic substance(s) by AGE-stimulated human monocytes.

Receptors for products of non-enzymatic glycosylation have been identified previously on activated human monocytes. In this study we have found that medium conditioned by activated human monocytes following stimulation with AGE-BSA elicited an almost 3-fold greater chemotactic response from other activated monocytes than conditioned medium obtained following stimulation with control BSA (44 ± 13 and 16 ± 4.6, respectively; n = 9, P < 0.05). The response elicited from AGE-BSA alone was not statistically significant. It appears that stimulation of the cells via the AGE-receptor results in the secretion of increased levels of a chemotactic substance(s) for monocytes/macrophages. This mechanism may help to explain the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in diabetes, as monocyte accumulation within the vessel wall is an important step in fatty streak development.
Misdiagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma. The role of cigarette smoking, surveillance bias, and other factors

The effects of cigarette smoking and other factors on the accuracy of clinical diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma were studied retrospectively in 14,074 autopsies performed over 26 years (1948–1973) at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Within a selected study group of 415 cases diagnosed as bronchogenic carcinoma either clinically, at autopsy, or both, the disease was diagnosed accurately in 260 cases (63%), overdiagnosed in 38 cases (9%), and underdiagnosed in 117 cases (28%). Misdiagnoses occurred in female patients nearly twice as frequently as in male patients. Elderly men were over-and underdiagnosed more frequently than were young men. An accurate diagnosis of this neoplasm was strongly associated with a history of smoking and was also related to the number of hospital admissions, the diagnostic procedures used, and surveillance bias associated with a history of smoking or coughing. In 88% of the misdiagnosed cases, the tumor was either simulated or masked by other diseases. It is estimated from these data that the rate of unavoidable clinical misdiagnosis of the disease is 32% and the true error (overt misjudgment) in clinical diagnosis, 5%. Previous estimates of causal association between smoking and lung cancer would not be affected by the findings of this study. Cancer 46:190–199, 1980.
Ramsey Numbers of Some Bipartite Graphs Versus Complete Graphs

The Ramsey number r(H, K n ) is the smallest positive integer N such that every graph of order N contains either a copy of H or an independent set of size n. The Turan number ex(m, H) is the maximum number of edges in a graph of order m not containing a copy of H. We prove the following two results: (1) Let H be a graph obtained from a tree F of order t by adding a new vertex w and joining w to each vertex of F by a path of length k such that any two of these paths share only w. Then $${r(H,K_n)\leq c_{k,t}\, {n^{1+1/k}\over \ln^{1/k} n}}$$, where c k,t is a constant depending only on k and t. This generalizes some results in Li and Rousseau (J Graph Theory 23:413–420, 1996), Li and Zang (J Combin Optim 7:353–359, 2003), and Sudakov (Electron J Combin 9, N1, 4 pp, 2002). (2) Let H be a bipartite graph with ex(m, H) = O(m γ ), where 1 < γ < 2. Then $${r(H,K_n)\leq c_H ({n\over \ln n})^{1/(2-\gamma)}}$$, where c H is a constant depending only on H. This generalizes a result in Caro et al. (Discrete Math 220:51–56, 2000).
Halogenated hydrocarbons in the atmosphere

The sources, sinks, and tropospheric abundancies of the gaseous halocarbons, so far as they are known, are listed and discussed. The relative importance of natural and of man-made halocarbons is discussed within the context of contemporary concern about the depletion of stratospheric ozone by chlorine-bearing compounds.
NEOs as stepping stones to Mars and main-belt asteroids

Abstract Human interplanetary missions are constrained by the problem of astronaut exposure to galactic cosmic radiation. This paper surveys the existing on-line near-Earth object (NEO) data base in an effort to identify NEOs that cross both Earth's ad Mars’ orbits and could be used as cosmic ray shields by interplanetary voyagers. The search concentrated on low-inclination Mars-crossing NEOs that approach Earth, Mars, and main-belt asteroids in the 2020–2100 time frame. Both outbound and return transfers were searched for. Several candidates for Earth–Mars, Mars–Earth, and Earth–Vesta transfers have been found from the very incomplete August 2008 data base. Other aspects of this interplanetary transfer option are considered.
PPN1: AN INTERNET STUDY OF WTP FOR MIGRAINE PHARMACOTHERAPIES

BACKGROUND: There are a wide range of therapeutic options for migraine headaches that have different costs and benefits, and little is known about the cost-effectiveness of specific therapies. OBJECTIVE: Assess patients' preferences for outcomes of treatment of migraine headache based on their marginal willingness to pay (WTP) for treatment attributes. METHODS: In an Internet-based study, we used computer software to measure importance ratings of attributes of pharmacological migraine therapies, then elicited their WTP for an ideal drug (one that was 100% effective, worked quickly, and had no adverse effects) and for “less than ideal” drugs with relatively poor performance in one specific attribute of performance. Patients: 429 self-identified migraineurs recruited via an Internet web site. RESULTS: A high proportion of patients in the study had symptoms consistent with migraine etiology of headache (91% in enrollees, 99% of patients providing WTP ratings). Expert review confirmed a large proportion of symptom profiles as being consistent with migraine (90% of the first 109 enrollees). Median WTP for an ideal migraine therapy was 4.1% of estimated monthly income or $130 (US), and was associated with severity of pain, frequency of headaches, and the types of medications used in the past. WTP was reduced when pharmaceuticals offered less benefit (median reductions of a $75 per month for 50% chance of causing a rebound headache; $62 for rendering user unable to work, $50 for a two-hour delay in effect; and $15 for failure to relieve nausea). Reductions in WTP were largely consistent with importance ratings for attributes except for “speed of relief,” which was more highly valued. CONCLUSIONS: Elicitation of patients' WTP for specific attributes of a therapy appears to be a feasible method to quantify patients' preferences for outcomes. Further work is needed to compare this approach to traditional methods for measurement of WTP.
Alternative interpretations, history, and experiment: Reply to Cushing, Crease, Bevilacqua, and Giannetto

Cushing's contribution on Bohm's deterministic interpretation of quantum mechanics raises the question of whether self-understanding is at issue in physical science as it is in social science. This question is pursued further in the present paper. Bevilacqua's and Giannetto's belief in the importance of history and the lifeworld of the researcher is one I share; but their prescription of the historical context as the only context of interest leads to an extended discussion of the several types of philosophical hermeneutics now practiced, and of other existing links between science and the lifeworld. Historical studies, I argue, should be used to interpret current texts, current concerns, even current textbooks, not to replace any of these. While I do not share Robert Crease's belief in the primacy of experiment, I agree that it is fundamental in natural science, and must not be neglected in favor of theory. However, the pervasive nature of theoretical languages, their role in understanding experiment and in communicating results, still justify a special hermeneutical concern for this aspect of science, particularly in education.
Cognitive-affective stress propensity: a field study

A cognitive-affective stress propensity model was examined using field study data. Structural equation models analyses tested hypothesized and alternate models to determine their goodness-of-fit with the data. The results supported a direct relationship between stress propensity and strain, and an indirect, mediated relationship between stress propensity and strain through a subjective stress construct. In addition, stress propensity was found to moderate the relationships of experienced negative affect with somatic and with psychological strain, and with one of three measures of subjective stress. Implications of the results for research and practice are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Secondary Proteolysis of Cheese During Ripening: A Review

Abstract Cheese ripening involves, in part, the conversion of casein fractions to lower molecular weight products. Characteristics of these products and methods for their extraction and fractionation are reviewed.
THE CAPTURE AND DECAY OF MESONS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC EMULSIONS

Meson events have been studied in Eastman NTB-3 plates which were exposed to cosmic radiation in the stratosphere by means of balloons. It is found that 68\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}7 percent of the mesons ending in the emulsion which do not produce stars or without associated secondary mesons decay with the emission of a high energy electron. Of these mesons, 11.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5 percent (presumably 23.2 percent of the negative mesons) have associated electrons with energies in the interval from 15 to 70 kev. The energy distribution of these electrons is well represented by a simple exponential with a mean energy of 17 kev. Electrons with energies in the interval from 15 to 70 kev are observed from 19.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.0 percent of the stars caused by negative $\ensuremath{\pi}$-mesons.
Hydrogels for site-specific oral drug delivery: synthesis and characterization.

Abstract Novel types of hydrogels based on hydrophilic N-substituted (meth)acrylamides, N-tert-butylacrylamide and acrylic acid cross-linked with 4,4′-di(methacryloylamino)azobenzene were synthesized. The gels were characterized by the equilibrium degree of swelling as a function of pH, modulus of elasticity in compression at pH 2 and 7.4 and permeability of insulin at pH 2 and 7.4. It was found that the structure of the polymer backbone influenced the pH-dependent swelling. In all cases, the degree of swelling was lower at pH 2 than at 7.4. As the degree of swelling decreased, the modulus of elasticity was found to increase and the permeability of insulin decreased. These gels are enzymatically degradable by microbial azoreductases present in the colon and have a potential use in site-specific drug delivery to the colon.
Reshaping Their Views: Science as Liberal Arts.

General-education science courses should provide students with a foundation of knowledge about how the natural world works, a clear understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry, and an appreciation for the relationship between science and society. This chapter suggests a variety of approaches to engage students in their own learning and, with appropriate reflection, help them construct more scientific worldviews.
Earthworm effects on the incorporation of litter C and N into soil organic matter in a sugar maple forest

To examine the mechanisms of earthworm effects on forest soil C and N, we double-labeled leaf litter with 13C and 15N, applied it to sugar maple forest plots with and without earthworms, and traced isotopes into soil pools. The experimental design included forest plots with different earthworm community composition (dominated by Lumbricus terrestris or L. rubellus). Soil carbon pools were 37% lower in earthworm-invaded plots largely because of the elimination of the forest floor horizons, and mineral soil C:N was lower in earthworm plots despite the mixing of high C:N organic matter into soil by earthworms. Litter disappearance over the first winter–spring was highest in the L. terrestris (T) plots, but during the warm season, rapid loss of litter was observed in both L. rubellus (R) and T plots. After two years, 22.0% ± 5.4% of 13C released from litter was recovered in soil with no significant differences among plots. Total recovery of added 13C (decaying litter plus soil) was much higher in no-worm (NW)...
Cytogenetic analysis using telemedicine consultation: an improved means of providing expert cross-coverage.

Purpose: We used telemedicine in providing cross-coverage for a clinical cytogenetics laboratory. A genetic teleconsultation system was used to provide expert cross-coverage for a laboratory in a neighboring metropolitan region for a 6 month period while the usual provider of these services was on military reserve duty. Methods: The teleconsultation system was a commercially available Perceptive Scientific Instruments (PSI) workstation. Five hundred thirty-nine cytogenetic cases were performed during the study period in the home laboratory in Baltimore, Maryland. Results: Karyotypes and supporting metaphase spreads were transmitted by modem to the covering director, whereas work sheets and reports were faxed. Physical transfer of data was not necessary, and turn-around-time was not increased. Conclusion: This ability to employ a remote part time director has significant benefits for the laboratory with an absentee director for short or even extended periods of time. We conclude that the use of telemedicine in clinical cytogenetics proved to be an efficient and a cost effective means of providing expert genetics services to a region during a time of cross-coverage need.
Cell mediated immunity in mice immunized with modified syngeneic gross lymphoma antigen

Abstract Many investigators have shown lymphocyte mediated cytotoxicity to be important in tumor immunity. With our system, the direct cytotoxicity assay with 51 Cr did not show activity of spleen cells. The adherent peritoneal exudate cell (pec) did have a direct inhibitory effect which seemed to be augmented by both lymphocytes and a serum factor. This augmentation factor may have been the specific arming factor (SMAF) reported by Alexander or an immunoglobulin. The presence of antibodies to the tumor antigen suggests that humoral immunity is somehow involved.
Health consequences of Alzheimer's caregiving transitions: effects of placement and bereavement.

OBJECTIVE To determine the extent to which the chronic stress of Alzheimer's disease caregiving may be alleviated by placement or death of the Alzheimer's disease patient, we prospectively compared groups of caregivers (CG) who continued to care for their Alzheimer's disease spouse at home, CG who placed their spouses, and CG whose spouses died with similarly aged noncaregiving comparison subjects (control subjects). METHODS A sample of 119 CG who had been studied for at least 18 months at 6-month intervals was included in the present analyses (ie, had at least three assessments). Data were gathered on CG mood, blood pressure, and medical symptoms among 38 CG whose spouses were at home at all three visits (home-home-home [HHH]); 28 CG who placed their spouse at follow-up (home-placed-placed [HPP]); 27 CG whose spouses were placed and subsequently died at follow-up (home-placed-deceased [HPD]); and 26 CG whose spouses died at home (home-deceased-deceased [HDD]). Data were compared with 48 noncaregiving control subjects (NC group). RESULTS CG in the HPP, HPD, and HDD groups showed improvement in depressive and physical symptoms compared with HHH and NCs. CG had significantly higher systolic blood pressure at rest than did NCs. Both placement and death of the Alzheimer's disease spouse were associated with higher systolic blood pressure in response to postural challenge in CG experiencing these transitions. CONCLUSIONS Despite improvement seen in mood and medical symptoms among CG who place their spouses or experience the spouse's death, there may be longer term physiological alterations, possibly in sympathoadrenalmedullary arousal, that cause the cardiovascular system to continue to respond to acute stressors such as postural challenge more actively for a period of 6 to 12 months after such transitions.
Comparison of the ratio of keratometric change to refractive change induced by myopic ablation.

PURPOSE To compare the ratio of keratometric change (ΔK) to refractive change (ΔSE) induced by refractive laser ablation. METHODS The charts of 3337 eyes that underwent LASIK or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) from 2002 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed, and the ratio ΔK/ΔSE measured at 3 months postoperatively was compared between eyes with low ΔSE (0.00 to 2.99 diopters [D]), moderate ΔSE (3.00 to 5.99 D), and high ΔSE (6.00 to 8.99 D). Eyes were further stratified by LASIK vs PRK; custom vs conventional treatments; microkeratome vs IntraLase (Abbott Medical Optics Inc) femtosecond laser-created flaps; and flat (38.00 to 41.99 D) vs moderate (42.00 to 45.99 D) vs steep (46.00 to 49.99 D) preoperative keratometry, and the ratio ΔK/ΔSE was similarly compared. RESULTS Significant differences were found in the ratio ΔK/ΔSE among eyes with low ΔSE (1.00±0.50 D), moderate ΔSE (0.83±0.19 D), and steep ΔSE (0.80±0.15 D) (P<.001), and between eyes with moderate and high ΔSE in LASIK vs PRK, custom vs conventional treatments, and microkeratome vs IntraLase flaps. Significant differences in the ratio ΔK/ΔSE were also found in eyes with low, moderate, and high ΔSE regardless of preoperative keratometry. The ratio ΔK/ΔSE compared with ΔSE follows a nonlinear pattern and tended to be higher and more variable at lower amounts of correction. CONCLUSIONS The change in simulated keratometry required to achieve 1.00 D of myopic refractive correction decreased as the amount of refractive change increased, was more variable with lower amounts of correction, and followed a nonlinear relationship. Many variables, such as LASIK vs PRK, custom vs conventional, and microkeratome vs IntraLase flaps, affected the ratio of ΔK/ΔSE for moderate and high myopic corrections.
Preventive medicine and men’s health in urologic oncology: Part I

Welcome to the second part of this unique two-part series. Part I included a review of statins for chemoprevention, obesity and its impact in urologic oncology, and important serum markers and risk assessment for men. In an attempt to remain consistent with the theme of part I, there are several other unique articles in part II. An emerging novel issue in oncology and cardiology is the potential for omega-3 fatty acids from the diet and dietary supplements to reduce risk—not only in men’s health, but for a variety of medical conditions. This is what makes this intervention so important—the ability to impact a diversity of morbidities and possibly all-cause mortality. This should be a primary pursuit of oncologic research in the future, because as life expectancy continues to increase it is the agents that have a so-called 2-for-1 effect that have the greatest potential to impact medicine, rather than an intervention that just shifts the burden of disease from one area of medicine to another. Therefore, another article on statin drugs and cholesterol lowering was included because these agents and their potential pleiotropic effects, including their potential impact after a diagnosis of cancer, need to be discussed. Finally, a review on promoting general men’s health after receiving hormone suppressive therapy for prostate cancer is also included. This article has important applications in medicine because of the stage migration that has occurred in prostate cancer. Several decades ago, the issue of maintaining overall health during androgen suppression was not actually an issue because most men were not offered this treatment until late in disease progression. However, the situation currently is very different, due to the fact that many men are opting for this treatment earlier in the course of prostate cancer. This has offered a potential survival advantage, but with a critical catch. Quality of life and side effects of this treatment have become a primary focus of this treatment, as should be the case because men are receiving it for longer and longer periods of time than ever before. Osteoporosis, hot flashes, weight gain, cholesterol changes, cognitive effects and others are now being appropriately debated, along with what to do about these emerging issues the longer a man remains on hormone suppression. The concern of what to tell patients about actions they can take during this time to prevent complications is just as critical. Thus, what needs more attention is how to potentially prevent these complications, which means that preventive medicine has numerous roles in the field of urologic oncology, not just in outright prevention of disease, but again in preventing complications of beneficial treatments. Men are living longer and better today thanks to ongoing developments in research and beneficial lifestyle changes.
The region is dead! long live the region!

Abstract The complexity of contemporary regional restructuring is not always apparent. It is the purpose of this paper to argue that while in the short term there is a clear geographical fragmentation of the American regional structure of the 1970s, a theoretical and historical perspective would suggest the reconstitution of regions at a higher scale. In the political sphere, there is a parallel sectionalism but this may be short lived. It is important in this period of growing global crisis co avoid a localist perspective on geo-political and geo-economic change.
Quantification of the extraction fraction for gadopentetate across breast cancer capillaries

To quantify the extraction fraction, E, for gadopentetate across tumor capillaries, R3230 adenocarcinomas were implanted in the mammary fat pads of seven rats. The value of E was determined by using a two-compartment tissue model in which the endothelial transfer coefficient, K PS (ml . min -1 . cc -1 of tissue), was estimated from the model fitted to changes in R 1 relaxation time (ΔR 1 ; s -1 ) measured by dynamic three-dimensional spoiled gradient recalled magnetic resonance imaging after injection of 0.1 mmol kg -1 of gadopentetate dimeglumine. The plasma flow rate through the tumor capillaries, F p , (ml . min -1 . g -1 of tissue), was independently measured with fluorescent microspheres. E could be calculated by the relationship, E = K PS /F p , The mean E for gadopentetate in the R3230 tumor was 0.197 ± 0.118 with a range of 0.123-0.454. The relatively small mean value of E for gadopentetate allows a fair approximation of the permeability surface area product by K PS in this R3230 tumor model.
Participation objective, participation subjective: a measure of participation combining outsider and insider perspectives

Background Participation now replaces community integration or handicap as concepts reflecting the social and interpersonal aspects of disability. If rehabilitation is to adequately measure participation, new measures of participation are needed. To represent the voice of the consumer, such measures should reflect not just "objective," normative aspects, but also subjective ones, tapping the consumer's view of participation. Objectives To describe the development of and preliminary metrological information on a new measure of participation, Participation Objective, Participation Subjective (POPS). Methods A total of 454 community-living individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) completed the POPS, as well as measures of quality of life (Life 3), depressive mood (BDI), and TBI symptoms (BISQ). The POPS requires reporting of the share of household activities performed, or the frequency or hours of nonhousehold activities. For each, the subject indicates whether he or she wants to perform more, the same, or less of the activity, and the importance of the activity to well-being. Five subscales and a total scale are calculated, for an objective component (PO), and a subjective component (PS) that reflects importance-weighted satisfaction with activity level. Results Individuals with mild TBI scored minimally higher than those with moderate-severe TBI on PO subscores, but desired more change on the PS. Test-retest reliability for the PO and the PS and the subscales was from weak (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.28) to adequate (0.89), with PS components having better reliability. The PS component scores had the expected correlations with TBI symptoms, depressed mood, and life satisfaction, among both those with mild injury and those with moderate-severe injury. Injury severity and time since onset were not related to PO or PS scores. Conclusions The POPS shows promise as a measure of participation. It fills a void in that it reflects both insider and outsider perspectives on participation after TBI.
Using strategy instruction and confidence judgments to improve metacognitive monitoring

Current models of self-regulated learning emphasize the pervasive need for metacognitive monitoring skills at all phases of the learning process (Winne and Hadwin in Studying as self-regulated learning. In D. J. Hacker, J. Dunlosky, & A. C. Graesser (Eds.), Metacognition in educational theory and practice (pp. 227–304). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 1998). In this investigation, we examined the impact of teaching 5th grade students how to self-monitor their comprehension and make confidence judgments. One treatment class (N = 21) engaged in process-oriented comprehension monitoring training while the other (N = 24) engaged in both comprehension monitoring training and response-oriented monitoring accuracy training. Findings revealed that students in both treatment classes improved their calibration accuracy and showed higher confidence on test performance than students in two comparison classes (N = 47, N = 26) after 2 weeks of instruction. However, students in the monitoring accuracy training class also showed significant gains in overconfidence in comparison to those in the other three classes. Implications for integrating comprehension-monitoring training at the elementary school level are discussed.
A compact, transformer-based 60 GHz SPDT RF switch utilizing diode-connected SiGe HBTs

This work describes the design of a compact 60 GHz SPDT RF switch utilizing diode-connected SiGe HBTs. At mm-wave frequencies, SiGe HBTs demonstrate better Roff/Ron ratios than CMOS and can be used to improve switch performance. A switch topology using a transformer is developed to create a SPDT with a small foot print of 190 μm × 225 μm. The transformer design is discussed and a methodology is presented to optimize the matching components of the switch. The switch is fabricated on a 180 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology platform featuring HBTs with an fT/fmax of 240/260 GHz. The switch achieves 2.7 dB insertion loss and 14 dB isolation at 60 GHz with a P1dB and IIP3 of 13.8 dBm and 23.8 dBm, respectively. This represents a 20% improvement in insertion loss in comparison to a similar 90 nm CMOS switch at 50 GHz. It is also shown that the proposed switch can help enable built-in-self-test (BIST) functionality for transmit-receive modules.
Predictors of Recovery of Functional Swallow After Gastrostomy Tube Placement for Dysphagia in Stroke Patients After Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study

Objective To determine predictors of early recovery of functional swallow in patients who had gastrostomy (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)) placement for dysphagia and were discharged to inpatient rehabilitation (IPR) after stroke. Methods A retrospective study of prospectively identified patients with acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke from July 2008 to August 2012 was conducted. Patients who had PEG during stroke admission and were discharged to IPR, were studied. We compared demographics, stroke characteristics, severity of dysphagia, stroke admission events and medications in patients who remained PEG-dependent after IPR with those who recovered functional swallow. Results Patients who remained PEG dependent were significantly older (73 vs. 54 years, p=0.009). Recovery of swallow was more frequent for hemorrhagic stroke patients (80% vs. 47%, p=0.079). Age, adjusting for side of stroke (odds ratio (OR), 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.82-0.98; p=0.016) and left-sided strokes, adjusting for age (OR, 15.15; 95% CI, 1.32-173.34; p=0.028) were significant predictors of swallow recovery. Patients who recovered swallowing by discharge from IPR were more likely to be discharged home compared to those who remained PEG-dependent (90% vs. 42%, p=0.009).
Recovery of Verticillium dahliae from North American certified seed potatoes and characterization of strains by vegetative compatibility and aggressiveness.

Samples of tubers collected from commercial potato seed lots produced across North America were assayed forVerticillium dahliae. V. dahliae was successfully isolated from 65 of 224 seed lots tested, a successful isolation rate of nearly 30%. Vegetative compatibility of the isolates was assessed through complementation tests using nitrate non-utilizing mutants. AllV. dahliae isolates belonged to vegetative compatibility group (VCG) 4. Of the 162 isolates recovered, 64% belonged to VCG 4A, 33% to VCG 4B, and 3% to VCG 4AB. All 39 of the isolates tested in the greenhouse on potato cv. Superior were pathogenic to potato. Disease symptoms developed earlier, were more severe, and plants died earlier when inoculated with VCG 4A compared to 4B isolates. As a group, AUSPC values were significantly higher (p=0.05) for VCG 4A than for 4B isolates. These data suggest that (1) commercial certified seed tubers from diverse locations are commonly infected withV. dahliae and thus may serve as primary sources of the pathogen; (2) potato isolates ofV. dahliae in North America belong to VCG 4A and 4B and these strains are widely distributed via seed tubers; and (3) VCG 4A and 4B are distinct pathotypes ofV. dahliae that vary in their aggressiveness to potato.
Methamphetamine-induced reduction in D1 and D2 dopamine receptors as evidenced by autoradiography: Comparison with tyrosine hydroxylase activity

As determined by autoradiographic techniques, multiple high doses of methamphetamine elicited a reduction in dopamine receptor population (both D1 and D2) in several areas of the rat central nervous system. D1 receptors were labeled with the D1-selective antagonist, [3H]SCH 23390, and D2 receptors were labeled with the D2-selective neuroleptic, [3H]sulpiride. Scatchard analysis, obtained from saturation data in caudate-putamen, indicated that the receptor alterations were due to a decrease in the number of receptors (Bmax) without an apparent change in affinity (Kd). A time course demonstrated that five doses of methamphetamine were required to elicit significant changes in receptors in most brain areas examined. The onset of the receptor alterations in various brain regions correlated with the development of methamphetamine-induced depression of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase activity. In most brain areas, the dopamine receptors returned to normal within 7 days following methamphetamine.
Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in children and youths in the USA

Summary. Introduction. There is a dearth of studies of oral lesions in children and youths using probability samples of a general population. The present paper describes the results of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994 (NHANES III), and compares them to those of the National Survey of Oral Health in US Schoolchildren, 1986–1987. Methods. The NHANES III was a large US study based on a multistage probability sample. Dentist examiners were trained to recognize, classify and record, in a standard manner, the clinical characteristics of each of the 48 conditions of interest using procedures based on the World Health Organization's Guide to Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Oral Mucosal Diseases. Results. Examinations were performed on 10 030 individuals (10·26%) aged between 2 and 17 years, 914 of whom had a total of 976 lesions. The lip was the most frequent site of lesions (30·7%), followed by the dorsum of the tongue (14·7%) and the buccal mucosa (13·6%). Lesions were more prevalent in males (11·76%) than females (8·67%). The most prevalent lesions were lip/cheek bite (1·89%), followed by aphthous stomatitis (1·64%), recurrent herpes labialis (1·42%) and geographic tongue (1·05%). The prevalence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis in the NHANES III child and youth survey was substantially higher than that for adults, while the NHANES III adult estimates for geographic tongue (1·85%; 95% CI 1·42, 2·28) and cheek/lip bite (3·05%; 95% CI 2·36, 3·74) were substantially greater than those for children and youths (0·97% and 2·05%, respectively). Conclusion. Reported prevalences for rare conditions in other studies employing more selected samples (especially if standard errors or confidence intervals are not provided) should be interpreted with caution. Studies of adult populations, however valid, may have limited applicability to children.
Lineage−CD34+CD31+ Cells That Appear in Association with Severe Burn Injury Are Inhibitory on the Production of Antimicrobial Peptides by Epidermal Keratinocytes

Antimicrobial peptides are major host defense effectors against Pseudomonas aeruginosa skin infections. Due to the lack of such peptide production, severely burned hosts are greatly susceptible to P. aeruginosa burn wound infection. β-Defensin (HBD) production by normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) was inhibited by lineage−CD34+ cells isolated from peripheral blood of severely burned patients. Lineage−CD34+ cells obtained from severely burned patients were characterized as CD31+, while healthy donor lineage−CD34+ cells were shown to be CD31− cells. Lineage−CD34+CD31− cells did not show any inhibitory activities on HBD-1 production by NHEK. CCL2 and IL-10 released from lineage−CD34+CD31+ cells were shown to be inhibitory on the peptide production by NHEK, while these soluble factors were not produced by lineage−CD34+CD31− cells. After treatment with a mixture of mAbs for CCL2 and IL-10, the culture fluids of lineage−CD34+CD31+ cells did not show any inhibitory activities on HBD-1 production by NHEK. Lineage−CD34+CD31+ cells that appear in association with burn injuries play a role on the inhibition of antimicrobial peptide production by skin keratinocytes through the production of CCL2 and IL-10.
Unique amanitin resistance of RNA synthesis in isolated nuclei from Amanita species accumulating amanitins

In order to understand the basis upon which amanitin-accumulating species of Amanita are able to develope in the presence of these specific inhibitors of RNA synthesis, the in vitro RNA synthesizing activities of nuclei isolated from amanitin-accumulating species Amanita hygroscopica (culture, derived from amanitin-accumulating carpophore) and A. suballiacea (carpophore), and from the non-accumulating species A. solitaria (culture) and A. brunnescens (carpophore) were tested for their sensitivities to α-amanitin inhibition. The nuclear RNA synthesizing activities obtained from both carpophores and cultures of non-accumulating organisms displayed significant sensitivities to α-amanitin, whereas those obtained from accumulating organisms displayed remarkable resistance to α-amanitin. The observed relationship between levels of amanitins in carpophores and resistance of the RNA synthesizing activities to inhibition by α-amanitin supports the hypothesis that amanitins may function as regulators of mRNA transcription in Amanita species.
Impacts of biochemical cues on horizontal swimming behavior of individual crab larvae

To determine if larval crabs alter their horizontal swimming behavior in response to biochemical cues in the water, fiddler crab (Uca pugnax) and blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) megalopae were video recorded in a laminar-flow flume while putative cues were introduced and allowed to establish a gradient in the flow field. Changes in horizontal orientation, distribution, and swimming velocity were observed for six different cue treatments. Overall results show that crab megalopae can detect biochemical cues in ambient water and that they adjust their horizontal swimming behavior in response to these cues. The dominant response was a change in swimming velocity in the presence of a cue. While this response may affect the dynamics of larval patches, it is not clear if swimming in the horizontal plane has a substantial effect on the spatial aggregation of the larvae in the field.
Experimental Analysis of Thermal Coupling in 3-D Integrated Circuits

A 3-D test circuit examining thermal propagation within a through-silicon via-based 3-D integrated stack has been designed, fabricated, and tested. Design insight into thermal coupling in 3-D integrated circuits (ICs) through both experiment and simulation is provided, and suggestions to mitigate thermal effects in 3-D ICs are offered. Two wafers are vertically bonded to form a 3-D stack. Intraplane and interplane thermal coupling is investigated through single-point heat generation using resistive thermal heaters and temperature monitoring through four-point resistive measurements. Thermal paths are identified and analyzed based on the metric of thermal resistance per unit length. The peak steady-state temperature due to die location within a 3-D stack is described. The reduction in peak temperature through fan-based active cooling is also reported. Thermal propagation from a heat source located on the backside of the silicon is examined with both back metal and on-chip thermal sensors. A comparison of thermal coupling between two different heat sources on the same device plane is also provided.
Cardiac Effects of Anticancer Therapy in the Elderly

Cancer incidence increases with age, and as life expectancy increases, the number of elderly patients with cancer is increasing. Cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, have significant short- and long-term effects on cardiovascular function. These cardiotoxic effects can be acute, such as changes in electrocardiogram (ECG), arrhythmias, ischemia, and pericarditis and/or myocarditis-like syndromes, or they can be chronic, such as ventricular dysfunction. Anticancer therapies can also have indirect effects, such as alterations in blood pressure, or can cause metabolic abnormalities that subsequently increase risk for cardiac events. In this review, we explore both observational and clinical trial evidence of cardiac risk in the elderly. In both observational and clinical trial data, risk of cardiotoxicity with anthracycline-based chemotherapy increases with age. However, it is less clear whether the association between age and cardiotoxicity exists for newer treatments. The association ...
Amplification of pyridine nucleotide pools in mitogen-stimulated human lymphocytes

Abstract NAD+ levels in resting human lymphocytes obtained from 20 donors were found to be 69.9 ± 21.7 pmols/106 cells. After 3 days of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation the NAD+ levels rose to 452 ± 198 pmols/106 cells. NADH, NADP+ and NADPH also increased in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes, but the major portion of the increase in total pyridine nucleotide pools was accounted for by the increase in NAD+. When PHA-stimulated lymphocytes were incubated in nicotinamide-deficient growth medium, there was no significant increase in their total pyridine nucleotide pools; however, the ratios of oxidized to reduced pyridine nucleotides changed in a similar fashion to cells grown in medium containing nicotinamide. When lymphocytes in nicotinamide-deficient medium were stimulated with PHA they increased their levels of DNA synthesis and cell replication in a similar fashion to cells growing in nicotinamide-supplemented media. Human lymphocytes were able to synthesize pyridine nucleotides from nicotinamide or nicotinic acid; however, in the absence of a preformed pyridine ring they did not efficiently use tryptophan for the synthesis of NAD. Uptake of [carbonyl-14C]nicotinamide and conversion to NAD was markedly increased in PHA-stimulated lymphocytes; these cells also showed a marked increase in activity of the enzyme adenosine-triphosphate-nicotinamide mononucleotide (ATP-NMN) adenylyl transferase.
Modeling of UAS Swarms Using Dynamic and Re-Configurable Software Architecture

the decentralized operation of a UAS swarm in mission-critical systems would have significant advantages over the centralized operation of a single UAS with respect to system-wide quality attributes. The design of UAS swarms demands close attention to the system-wide qualities such as reliability, availability, performance, and adaptability. Software architecture of a system has shown to play an important role in the realization of these qualities. In this paper, three important control architectures for UAS swarms systems are evaluated according to the system-wide quality attributes such as reliability, availability, performance, and adaptability. The digital pheromone control architecture is selected as an optimal solution satisfying the above criteria. More specifically, the three-tier architectural style provides a context in which quality attributes such as reliability, availability, performance, and adaptability are realized. The proposed three-tier software architecture is then specified in the Darwin architecture description language.
Neurobehavioral Effects of Chronic Dietary and Repeated High-Level Spike Exposure to Chlorpyrifos in Rats

This study aimed to model long-term subtoxic human exposure to an organophosphorus pesticide, chlorpyrifos, and to examine the influence of that exposure on the response to intermittent high-dose acute challenges. Adult Long-Evans male rats were maintained at 350 g body weight by limited access to a chlorpyrifos-containing diet to produce an intake of 0, 1, or 5 mg/kg/day chlorpyrifos. During the year-long exposure, half of the rats in each dose group received bi-monthly challenges (spikes) of chlorpyrifos, and the other half received vehicle. Rats were periodically tested using a neurological battery of evaluations and motor activity to evaluate the magnitude of the acute response (spike days) as well as recovery and ongoing chronic effects (non-spike days). Effects of the spikes differed as a function of dietary level for several endpoints (e.g., tremor, lacrimation), and in general, the high-dose feed groups showed greater effects of the spike doses. Animals receiving the spikes also showed some neurobehavioral differences among treatment groups (e.g., hypothermia, sensory and neuromotor differences) in the intervening months. During the eleventh month, rats were tested in a Morris water maze. There were some cognitive deficits observed, demonstrated by slightly longer latency during spatial training, and decreased preference for the correct quadrant on probe trials. A consistent finding in the water maze was one of altered swim patterning, or search strategy. The high-dose feed groups showed more tendency to swim in the outer annulus or to swim very close to the walls of the tank (thigmotaxic behavior). Overall, dietary exposure to chlorpyrifos produced long-lasting neurobehavioral changes and also altered the response to acute challenges.
SNMMI comment on ASCO 2013 choosing wisely recommendation on use of pet/ct in recurrent cancer surveillance

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) would like to comment on the recent publication of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Top Five List in Oncology as part of the Choosing Wisely Campaign. Specifically, we wish to comment on recommendation 3, which states: “
Fuzzy adaptive filters, with application to nonlinear channel equalization

Two fuzzy adaptive filters are developed: one uses a recursive-least-squares (RLS) adaptation algorithm, and the other uses a least-mean-square (LMS) adaptation algorithm. The RLS fuzzy adaptive filter is constructed through the following four steps: (1) define fuzzy sets in the filter input space Rn whose membership functions cover U; (2) construct a set of fuzzy IF-THEN rules which either come from human experts or are determined during the adaptation procedure by matching input-output data pairs; (3) construct a filter based on the set of rules; and (4) update the free parameters of the filter using the RLS algorithm. The design procedure for the LMS fuzzy adaptive filter is similar. The most important advantage of the fuzzy adaptive filters is that linguistic information (in the form of fuzzy IF-THEN rules) and numerical information (in the form of input-output pairs) can be combined in the filters in a uniform fashion. The filters are applied to nonlinear communication channel equalization problems. >
On the second-order statistics of the instantaneous mutual information of time-varying fading channels

In this paper, the instantaneous mutual information random process is defined and its second-order statistics such as the autocorrelation and autocovariance functions, level crossing rate, and average outage duration are studied in Rayleigh fading channels with non-isotropic scattering. Closed-form expressions and simple approximate results are derived for the statistics of the instantaneous mutual information random process, and their accuracies are verified via Monte Carlo simulations.
Parasitic charge movement in floating-gate array programming

Floating-gate charge storage is a key analog VLSI system technique. As the number of floating-gate elements in such VLSI systems increase, the relative area of the analog memory cell and its supporting circuitry become more critical. The compact floating-gate selection and isolation circuitry used in large-scale analog arrays is often based on a flawed assumption: that subthreshold conduction is the dominant source of parasitic charge movement associated with array isolation. The parasitic charge movement is primarily a combination of subthreshold conduction, PN-junction reverse bias current enhanced by gate-overlap, and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. As a result, array isolation designed specifically to minimize subthreshold conduction can actually enhance the overall parasitic charge movement, leading to programming accuracy degradation. A procedure and experimental data demonstrating parasitic charge movement is shown for a device in an array fabricated on a 0.35 um process. Software and hardware hardware techniques for addressing and eliminating parasitic charge movement are discussed.