cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overlap of gastrointestional symptom complexes in a US community

Abstract Background: Although the Rome criteria define a number of individual functional gastrointestinal disorders, people may have symptoms of multiple disorders at the same time. In addition, therapies may be effective in subsets of people with specific disorders, yet at the same time help people with multiple disorders. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of combinations of gastrointestional (GI) symptom complexes. Methods: A valid self report questionnaire which records GI symptoms was mailed to an age- and gender-stratified random sample of Olmsted County, MN residents aged 30–64 years. Standard definitions were used to identify people with gastro-oesophageal reflux, dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation and diarrhoea. The prevalence of people meeting multiple symptom complexes was estimated. Specifically, combinations of dyspepsia, IBS and constipation were compared to dyspepsia, IBS and diarrhoea. Results: A total of 657 (69%) of 943 eligible subjects responded; 643 provided data for each of the necessary symptom questions. Each two-way combination of symptom group was present in between 4 and 9% of the population; each three-way combination was present in 1–4% of the population. The overlap between dyspepsia, IBS and constipation was similar to dyspepsia, IBS and diarrhoea, except body mass index was higher in the diarrhoea overlap group (P = 0.03). Conclusion: Symptom complex overlap is common in the community; for each condition, the majority of sufferers reported an additional symptom complex. This overlap of symptoms challenges the current paradigm that functional GI disorders represent multiple discreet entities.
Microstructural Features of RF-sputtered SOFC Anode and Electrolyte Materials

Thin-film samples of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), nickel oxide (NiO)-YSZ, and YSZ/nickel (Ni)-YSZ bilayer were fabricated by RF-sputtering. The single YSZ layer and YSZ/Ni-YSZ bilayer samples were annealed while the NiO-YSZ layer remained as-deposited. Cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) samples of these thin-films were then prepared, which allowed detailed chemical and structural characterization of these thin-films on the nanometer-scale. Both YSZ and NiO-YSZ layers were fully dense and exhibiting equiaxed grain morphologies. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) showed the YSZ crystal structure to be predominantly cubic in the annealed samples and amorphous in the as-deposited NiO-YSZ sample. It was found that YSZ film was 70 nm thick and dense, with equiaxed grains ranging from 12–20 nm. Surface roughness of the YSZ in the bilayer fell in the range of 5–20 nm. The Ni-YSZ film in the bilayer was 230 nm thick and porous, which consisted of columnar grains 13–75 nm in length and 9–22 nm in width. The bilayer sample showed no delamination or cracking along the YSZ/Ni-YSZ interface. It is believed that the nano-sized grains, minimal surface roughness and thin layers found in these films are desirable microstructural features for the anode and electrolyte in micro-solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Correlation between microstructural features and electrochemical performance will be reported in a separate study.
Neuraminic acid as a constituent of human cerebrospinal fluid.

Conclusions1. The neuraminic acid (NA) content of 49 samples of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was studied. In all instances the quantitative relationship of neuraminic acid to the cerebrospinal fluid protein was far in excess of that prevalent in serum. In 26 samples in which the total protein was 30 mg % or less, the neuraminic acid was 4-18 times in excess of that expected if it were derived from serum and bound to protein, as is the case in blood. Unlike its state in serum, most of the CSF neuraminic acid is in freely dialyzable form (60-80%). That moiety of CSF neuraminic acid which is derived from serum is in protein-bound, non-dialyzable form. 2. The origin of the dialyzable NA is unknown, but is not related to ingress of serum proteins into the CSF. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Cardiovascular risk in women with nonspecific chest pain.

Evaluation of: Robinson JG, Wallace R, Limacher M et al.: Cardiovascular risk in women with non-specific chest pain (from the Women’s Health Initiative hormone trials). Am. J. Cardiol. 102(6), 693–699 (2008). Chest pain is common, and often a specific cause fails to be diagnosed. There is particular concern that many women with a diagnosis of nonspecific chest pain (NSCP) may have atypical indications of coronary artery disease. Analysis of data from the Women’s Health Initiative hormone therapy trials, amongst 24,834 postmenopausal women aged 50–79 years who were initially free of cardiovascular disease, found that NSCP was associated with a 139% (95% CI: 46–292%) increase in the risk of subsequent angina. Similar proportional increases in risk were found for cardiac surgery or interventions and nonfatal myocardial infarction. Thus, a diagnosis of NSCP in a woman, using current technology, does not rule out the possibility of increased coronary risk. It would be prudent to treat women with NSCP as being ...
Elimination of epoxy bridging in diebond process

Diebond process is one of the key assembly process step in terms of defining reliability and performance of an integrated circuit, IC product. The process requires epoxy dispense accuracy and consistency to ensure that IC is secured and within the required position in the lead frame pad ready for wire bonding. These requirements though in the realm of assembly manufacturing is easier said than done. In the actual manufacturing Diebond process environment, there are several machine technologies that process different devices of IC. This complex condition coupled with increasing volume for processing was observed to be potentially related to the increase of Epoxy bridging defect. Normally a unit of IC with Epoxy bridging defect fails electrical testing as the conductive epoxy tails or spreads connecting the lead frame flag and the internal leads causing electrical short. However there are cases of very thin Epoxy bridging that can pass electrical test which has a risk of failing during application. ON Semiconductor Philippines Inc, OSPI formed a DMAIC team to immediately address opportunities in the trend of Epoxy bridging. Using the disciplined Six Sigma approach, the team identified Z level offset and Z level position as key input variable, KPIV using a resolution 4 fractional factorial design of experiment. These KPIV was found necessary as standard for all Diebond machine technologies. And even with the complexity of number of devices, with this KPIV's controlled and locked, Epoxy bridging was eliminated.
Norethindrone inhibition of testosterone secretion by an ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor.

A woman with severe hyperandrogenemia and virilization was found to have a fall in serum testosterone (T) concentration while taking an oral contraceptive containing norethindrone (500 vs. 164 ng/dL). Subsequent surgical exploration revealed an ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor. In vitro, the tumor secreted T (mean, 1.88 ng/mg·4 h). hCG did not stimulate T secretion. In addition, norethindrone inhibited T secretion (0.33 ng/mg·4 h). We conclude that norethindrone directly suppressed T production by the Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor.
Sustainable Master Planning in Urban Politics and Policy: A Service-Learning Project

Despite evidence that service-learning projects can have positive effects on students' learning and civic engagement, such projects are not yet widely utilized in political science. This seems to be driven, in part, by the concern that service-learning projects may politicize students. In my Urban Politics and Policy class, I implemented a service-learning project that sought to avoid the problem of politicization. This project focused on developing a sustainable master plan in a local community. While the experience had some limitations, assessment data demonstrate a positive impact on my students' understanding of the material covered in class and their civic engagement. Service-learning projects focused on master planning can be of use in many general political science classes.
Instability in supercritical nonlinear wave equations: Theoretical results and symplectic integration

Nonlinear wave evolutions involve a dynamical balance between linear dispersive spreading of the waves and nonlinear self-interaction of the waves. In sub-critical settings, the dispersive spreading is stronger and therefore solutions are expected to exist globally in time. We show that in the supercritical case, the nonlinear self-interaction of the waves is much stronger. This leads to some sort of instability of the waves. The proofs are based on the construction of high frequency approximate solutions. Preliminary numerical simulations that support these theoretical results are also reported.
Evaluation of phase relations in the Nb-Cr-Al system at 1000°C using a diffusion-multiple approach

A high-efficiency diffusion-multiple approach was used to map most of the phase relations of the Nb-Cr-Al ternary system at 1000°C. This system is very valuable for the design of niobium silicide-based composites. These composites have high potential as a replacement for Ni-base superalloys for jet engine applications. Both Cr and Al are alloying elements for these composites; thus the Nb-Cr-Al phase diagram, especially the stability of the oxidation-resistant Laves phase, is important information for the composite design. A partial 1000°C isothermal section was constructed from the results obtained using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) from a diffusion multiple made up of Nb, Cr, NbAl3, and NbSi2. The stabilization of the C14 Laves phase by Al dominates the 1000°C isothermal section, and the solubility of Al in the C14 Laves phase is as high as ∼45 at.%.
Outcomes research: a primer for plastic surgeons

The growing emphasis on cost-effectiveness in the United States health care industry has highlighted the need for comprehensive outcomes research in a variety of medical specialties. Currently, there is a relative paucity of reliable data characterizing the long-term results of many medical and surgical treatments. This shortage of outcomes research is particularly acute within plastic surgery where the benefits of treatment are often intangible and notoriously difficult to measure. In evaluating the effectiveness of medical treatment, conventional clinical research has focused primarily on morbidity and mortality as the outcomes of interest. In contrast, current outcome studies assess the results of interventions from the patient's perspective, measuring the impact of medical care on physical functioning, well-being, and quality of life. The resulting data can assist consumers, providers, and payers in making more appropriate health care decisions. As the outcomes movement has matured, it has evolved into two major areas of study: effectiveness research that evaluates the relationships between specific medical interventions and outcomes of care, and quality assessment that seeks to provide the best outcomes at the most reasonable costs. This review details the origins and trends of current outcomes research, examining the implications of this movement for plastic surgery. The growing impact of outcomes data on treatment guideline formulation in both the public and private sectors is also described. Finally, a brief review of outcomes study design, including definition of variables and selection of instruments, is presented.
Distribution of somatostatinlike immunoreactivity in the brain of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus).

The distribution of somatostatinlike immunoreactive (SLI) perikarya, axons, and terminals was mapped in subcortical areas of the brain of the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus, using light microscopic immunocytochemistry. A preponderance of immunoreactivity was localized in reticular, limbic, and hypothalamic areas including: (1) in the forebrain: the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; lateral preoptic, dorsal, anterior, lateral and posterior hypothalamic areas; amygdaloid, periventricular, arcuate, supraoptic, suprachiasmatic, ventromedial, dorsomedial, paraventricular, lateral and medial mammillary, and lateral septal nuclei; the nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca and nucleus accilmbens septi; (2) in the midbrain: the periaqueductal gray, interpeduncular, dorsal and ventral tegmental, pretectal, and Edinger-Westphal nuclei; and (3) in the hindbrain: the superior central and parabrachial nuclei, nucleus incertus, locus coeruJeus, and nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis. Other areas containing SLI included the striatum (caudate nucleus and putamen), zona incerta, infundibulum, supramammiilary and premammillary nuclei, medial and dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei, entopeduncular nucleus, lateral habenular nucleus, central medial thalamic nucleus, central tegmental field, linear and dorsal raphe nuclei, nucleus of Darkschewitsch, superior and inferior colliculi, nucleus ruber, substantia nigra, mesencephalic nucleus of V, inferior olivary nucleus, inferior central nucleus, nucleus prepositus, and deep cerebellar nuclei. While these results were similar in some respects to those previously reported in rodents, they also provided interesting contrasts.
Ectopic Acromegaly due to A Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Producing Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone

ABSTRACT Objective To present a case of acromegaly due to ectopic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) secretion from a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor in the context of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1). Methods We describe the clinical, imaging, and pathologic findings of the study patient. Results A 46 year old woman presented with clinical and biochemical findings diagnostic of acromegaly. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 1.2-cm sellar mass. Following resection of the macroadenoma, serum insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and growth hormone (GH) levels remained unchanged. Pathologic examination revealed adenomatous changes, including a nonsecretory focus and a prolactin immunopositive area (GH stain negative in both). Octreotide long-acting release was ineffective. Search for an ectopic tumor included normal octreoscan and abdominal computed tomography. GHRH was greater than 1000 pg/mL. Repeated abdominal computed tomography documented a 6.2-cm mass in the tail and body of the pancreas. Distal pancreatectomy revealed a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor that stained positive for GHRH. Postoperatively, serum GHRH and IGF-1 normalized. Re-evaluation of the initial pituitary pathologic specimen revealed additional somatotroph hyperplasia of the adjacent, normal pituitary gland. Primary hyperparathyroidism was diagnosed, and multigland parathyroid hyperplasia was noted at surgery. Genetic testing was positive for a mutation in the MEN1 gene. Conclusion This patient’s acromegaly was resistant to somatostatin analogue therapy, reflecting the negative octreoscan imaging. In addition, this case is novel because the patient presented with pituitary adenomatous changes, which were presumably associated with MEN 1 and/or possibly the elevated GHRH levels. (Endocr Pract. 2011; 17:79-84)
Data Protection in Healthcare Social Networks

Healthcare social networking sites (HSNSs) provide users with tools and services to easily establish contact with each other around shared problems and utilize the wisdom of crowds to attack disease. The increasing popularity of HSNSs has led to concern over the privacy of health-related data published through these Web sites. The open philosophy of contemporary HSNSs can result in unauthorized use and disclosure of sensitive personal health data. Prior research about how best to protect such data has focused on specific technologies such as privacy settings and data anonymization. However, the fundamental challenge to data protection in HSNSs is more system-related than technical. A set of system requirements with a special emphasis on preventing privacy violations by service providers can help tackle these privacy and security problems.
Oesophageal Doppler cardiac output monitoring: a longstanding tool with evolving indications and applications.

Much work has been done over the years to assess cardiac output and better grasp haemodynamic profiles of patients in critical care and during major surgery. Pulmonary artery catheterization has long been considered as the standard of care, especially in critical care environments, however this dogma has been challenged over the last 10–15 years. This has led to a greater focus on alternate, lesser invasive technologies. This review focuses on the scientific and clinical outcomes basis of oesophageal Doppler monitoring. The science underpinning Doppler shift assessment of velocity stretches back over 100 years, whereas the clinical applicability, and specifically clinical outcomes improvement can be attributed to the last 20 years. Oesophageal Doppler monitoring (ODM), and its associated protocol-guided fluid administration, has been shown to reduce complications, length of stay, and overall healthcare cost when incorporated into perioperative fluid management algorithms. However, more recent advances in enhanced recovery after surgery programs have led to similar improvements, leading the clinician to consider the role of Oesophageal Doppler Monitor to be more focused in high-risk surgery and/or the high-risk patient.
Five easy questions put to the sea

Abstract Since the 1940s progress in oceanography has been rapid and many once puzzling issues have been resolved. Fortunately, increasing understanding has also brought forth increasingly profound questions which, to the greater inspiration of the oceanographer, remain unanswered. Looking back across one third of a century, the author suggests five questions which he would like to see answered as soon as convenient. These are: 1) why did in the Jurassic the carbonate and silica cycles in the ocean suddenly come under biological control?; 2) to what degree did the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and oceans fluctuate and why, and what was the impact on past climates?; 3) when did the abyss first become accessible to life with an oxygen-based metabolism?; 4) is a decipherable record of the past compositions of sea water contained in hydrothermically altered oceanic basalts now preserved on continents and what can it tell us?; and 5) what kind of coastal environments and communities managed to adapt to the most rapid Quaternary sea-level changes?
Murine responses to immunization with pertussis toxin and bovine serum albumin: I. Mortality observed after bovine albumin challenge is due to an anaphylactic reaction.

Murine Responses to Immunization with Pertussis Toxin and Bovine Serum Albumin: I. Mortality Observed after Bovine Albumin Challenge is Due To an Anaphylactic Reaction
Staff hand hygiene monitors: How do you get them done?

ISSUE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health Care Settings recommends monitoring adherence to hand hygiene and providing feedback to staff. We wanted to do this and determine accurate baseline compliance rates for all direct patient care areas but lacked infection control (IC) staffing to accomplish this goal. We also feared that results would be positively skewed if IC staff did the monitors. PROJECT: We utilized a high school student seeking healthcare-related work experience to conduct hand hygiene monitors in all direct patient care areas. We provided the student comprehensive education on hand hygiene requirements and developed a standardized hand hygiene data collection tool. The student spent 2 hours in each direct patient care area observing and documenting hand hygiene practices of staff. IC staff reviewed all data collected and provided feedback on compliance rate and additional education on areas for improvement to the manager of each area monitored. We sent cumulative results by discipline to nursing and physician executive leadership. RESULTS: Over a 6-week period, our student spent approximately 90 hours observing hand hygiene practices of 67 physicians and 201 nurses in 23 different direct patient care settings. All direct patient care areas were monitored at least twice. The overall compliance rate of physicians and nurses in meeting hand hygiene requirements was 54% and 70%, respectively. The greatest learning opportunity identified for improvement for all staff is to use hand hygiene before touching patients and after touching patient equipment. LESSONS LEARNED: Utilizing a student to conduct initial labor-intensive baseline hand hygiene monitors permitted our program to achieve its goal of determining a baseline compliance rate for all direct patient care areas. Furthermore, we judge that compliance was more realistically assessed by the student, who was relatively unknown to staff, than by IC staff. Finally, utilizing this strategy allowed more effective use of IC staffing resources to analyze the data and provide direct feedback and education to the patient care areas on their hand hygiene practices.
Chrysomyxa weirii on Colorado Blue Spruce in Wisconsin.

In early June 2002, yellow spots and bands with erumpent telia on previous year's needles of Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens) were noted in landscape tree nurseries in both northern (Sawyer County) and southern (Dane County) Wisconsin. Many 1 to 2 m tall trees were symptomatic at each location. Based on the age of affected needles, time of year of telium development, and telial characteristics including the size and shape of teliospores, the pathogen was identified as Chrysomyxa weirii, the cause of Weir's cushion rust (1,2). Identification of the pathogen was confirmed by Dale Bergdahl, (School of Natural Resources, University of Vermont), who also observed basidiospores. C. weirii is an autoecious microcyclic rust pathogen known to affect P. englemanii, P. glauca, P. mariana, P. pungens, and P. sitchensis. Although this fungus has been reported in the western United States from the Black Hills of South Dakota to Washington State, in the eastern United States from the southern Appalachian Mountains (...
Attenuation of total organic carbon and unregulated trace organic chemicals in U.S. riverbank filtration systems

Abstract There is increasing concern regarding the presence of unregulated trace organic chemicals in drinking water supplies that receive discharge from municipal wastewater treatment plants. In comparison to conventional and advanced drinking water treatment, riverbank filtration represents a low-cost and low-energy alternative that can attenuate total organic carbon (TOC) as well as trace organic chemicals (TOrC). This study examined the role of predominant redox conditions, retention time, biodegradable organic carbon, and temperature to achieve attenuation of TOC and TOrC through monitoring efforts at three full-scale RBF facilities in different geographic areas of the United States. The RBF systems investigated in this study were able to act as a reliable barrier for TOC, nitrogen, and certain TOrC. Temperature (seasonal) variation played an important role for the make-up of the river water quality and performance of the RBF systems. Temperatures of less than 10 °C did not affect TOC removal but resulted in diminished attenuation of nitrate and select TOrC.
Logics of change for military-to-wildlife conversions in the United States

Since 1988, more than 20 US military bases have been redesignated as national wildlife refuges. In order to understand the processes of these military-to-wildlife (M2W) conversions and their implications, I examine three logics that help to produce these particular changes: Biodiversity, Brownfields, and Serendipity. These logics contribute to a broader discourse of ecological militarization that frames military practices as compatible with and contributing to environmental protection. I focus on the case of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado, USA, to examine how these logics of conversion are mobilized into practice, and what such changes mean as they bring militarism and environmental conservation together in reconfigured spaces.
Modeling carbon dioxide sequestration in saline aquifers: Significance of elevated pressures and salinities

The ultimate capacity of saline formations to sequester carbon dioxide by solubility and mineral trapping must be determined by simulating sequestration with geochemical models. These models, however, are only as reliable as the data and reaction scheme on which they are based. Several models have been used to make estimates of carbon dioxide solubility and mineral formation as a function of pressure and fluid composition. Intercomparison of modeling results indicates that failure to adjust all equilibrium constants to account for elevated carbon dioxide pressures results in significant errors in both solubility and mineral formation estimates. Absence of experimental data at high carbon dioxide pressures and high salinities make verification of model results difficult. Results indicate standalone solubility models that do not take mineral reactions into account will underestimate the total capacity of aquifers to sequester carbon dioxide in the long term through enhanced solubility and mineral trapping mechanisms. Overall, it is difficult to confidently predict the ultimate sequestration capacity of deep saline aquifers using geochemical models.
Prenatal disturbance alters the size of the corpus callosum in young monkeys.

Many factors during fetal life and early infancy have been found to affect the development of the brain. The following study investigated whether maternal stress during pregnancy would influence the size and shape of one sensitive brain region, the corpus callosum, in infant monkeys. For 30% of the gestation period, from Days 90 to 140 postconception, gravid females were disturbed using an acoustical startle protocol for 10 min per day. Magnetic resonance imaging was then employed to obtain sagittal and coronal scans of their infants' brains. Morphometric measures of the corpus callosum were compared in 16 monkeys (5 controls and 11 from disturbed pregnancies). Prenatal conditions altered the corpus callosum, but in a differential manner for male and female monkeys. Based on the midsagittal and parasagittal scans, prenatally disturbed male offspring showed a decrease in overall size of the corpus callosum whereas the prenatal disturbance resulted in an increased area in females. An evaluation of callosal height from the coronal images suggested that the volumetric change was associated with a shift in anterior-to-posterior shape from the genu back toward the splenium. These findings concur with observations in other animals and humans, which have indicated that prenatal and postnatal factors can influence the development of the corpus callosum, possibly affecting communication between the hemispheres.
Ultrastructural and purification studies on human tumor nucleolar antigens and nucleolar particles.

The presence of common nucleolar antigens in a broad array of human malignant tumors has led to several lines of investigations. In addition to studies on an increasing number of benign and malignant neoplasms with a variety of antibodies designed to statistically evaluate the presence of nucleolar antigens, purification procedures and chemical analyses are being used to characterize the specific antigens. The localization of the nucleolar antigens in HeLa cells was studied by the postembedding immunoelectron microscopic procedure employing rabbit antibodies to nucleoli or nuclear Tris extracts of these cells. The products of the peroxidase—antiperoxidase complexes visualized by the reaction with di-aminobenzidine in nucleoli were mainly found in the nucleolonemas which contain the dense nucleolar RNP components. When these nucleoli became compact after treatment of HeLa cells with adriamycin, the distribution of the immu-noreactive products was altered along with distribution of the dense nucleolar compo...
Facial attractiveness modulates early and late event-related brain potentials.

Abstract Facial attractiveness is of high importance for human interaction and communication, and everyday experience suggests that the mere aspect of a face elicits spontaneous appraisal of attractiveness. However, little is known about the time course of brain responses related to this process. In the present study, event-related brain potentials were recorded during attractiveness classification of facial portraits that were standardized with respect to facial expression. The faces were either preceded by another face of high or low attractiveness or by an affectively neutral object. Attractive as opposed to non-attractive target faces elicited an early posterior negativity (EPN; ∼250 ms) and a late parietal positivity (LPC; 400–600 ms), which were not modulated by affectively congruent prime faces. Elevated LPC activity had previously been shown in response to attractive versus non-attractive faces, possibly reflecting task-related evaluative processes. An enhanced EPN had been reported for faces with emotional compared to neutral emotional expression, and related to facilitated selection of emotional information. Extending these findings, our study is the first to report an attractiveness-related ERP modulation prior to the LPC, suggesting that appraising facial attractiveness starts already at processing stages associated with stimulus selection.
Gender Justice in a Prayer: American Muslim Women’sExegesis, Authority, and Leadership

The 2005 woman-led Friday prayer in New York City generated broad media attention and significant levels of intra-Muslim debates about women’s inclusion in mosques, gender roles, and textual interpretation. This essay examines the prayer event within the larger context of American Muslim women’s contributions to reinterpretations of the Qur’an and their negotiations of religious authority, leadership roles, and mosque spaces in a North American context. The essay is based on the writings of American Muslim women on gender discourses and on media coverage, documentaries, and Internet sources produced by and about them. I argue that some of the initiatives toward gender inclusiveness in American mosques and communities should be read as an embodiment of gender-just interpretations of the Qur’an, and as products of particularly American and transnational constellations of Muslim discourses on gender. Another women’s ‘sit-in’ at the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C., in February of 2010 serves as an epilogue to the essay.
Body Mass Index A Risk Factor for Unstable Angina and Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Angiographically Confirmed Coronary Artery Disease

Background— In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), acute thrombosis frequently occurs in coronary arteries with only mild or moderate stenoses. Obesity increases the risk of atherosclerosis, but it is not known whether it also increases the risk of coronary thrombosis. We hypothesized that body mass index (BMI) might be an independent predictor of an acute coronary syndrome in patients with established coronary atherosclerosis. Methods and Results— Of 504 patients undergoing coronary angiography, those with evidence of >10% coronary artery stenoses were divided into 2 groups, with either stable (n=226) or unstable CAD (unstable angina or myocardial infarction; n=156). After adjusting for other risk factors (age, gender, blood pressure, lipid levels, insulin resistance, leptin, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP), CAD severity on angiography, smoking status, and a history of myocardial infarction or hypertension), BMI had a significant independent association with an acute coronary syndrome, with an odds ratio of 1.49 ( P =0.014). This positive relation between BMI and the risk of acute coronary events was evident for even mildly elevated BMI values. Multivariate analysis also showed that CRP and the number of coronary lesions were independent predictors of risk of an acute coronary event. Conclusions— In patients with established coronary atherosclerosis, BMI, as well as CRP and number of coronary lesions, are independently associated with acute coronary syndromes. There is evidence of increased risk even at mildly elevated BMI levels.
Theoretical Performance Analysis of the IEEE 802.15.3a UWB Channel Model

In wireless communication systems, it is well known that the moments of the instantaneous signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) determine various performance measures. In the case of the IEEE 802.15.3a ultra-wideband (UWB) channel model, these performance measures have usually been estimated via simulation. However, there has recently been considerable progress in the theoretical analysis of this model by treating it as a two-dimensional Poisson cluster process. This theoretical framework is exploited in this paper to obtain formulas for the characteristic function of the SNR for both maximum-likelihood receivers and maximal ratio combining receivers. It is shown that several performance measures can be computed either in closed form or numerically. Closed-form expressions for the average SNR, amount of fading (AF), and higher-order statistics of the SNR are derived, and the outage probability is computed numerically without simulation.
Priming cancer cells for drug resistance: role of the fibroblast niche

Conventional and targeted chemotherapies remain integral strategies to treat solid tumors. Despite the large number of anti-cancer drugs available, chemotherapy does not completely eradicate disease. Disease recurrence and the growth of drug resistant tumors remain significant problems in anti-cancer treatment. To develop more effective treatment strategies, it is important to understand the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of drug resistance. It is generally accepted that cancer cells do not function alone, but evolve through interactions with the surrounding tumor microenvironment. As key cellular components of the tumor microenvironment, fibroblasts regulate the growth and progression of many solid tumors. Emerging studies demonstrate that fibroblasts secrete a multitude of factors that enable cancer cells to become drug resistant. This review will explore how fibroblast secretion of soluble factors act on cancer cells to enhance cancer cell survival and cancer stem cell renewal, contributing to the development of drug resistant cancer.
Tropopause Structure and the Role of Eddies

This paper presents a series of dynamical states using an idealized three-dimensional general circulation model with gray radiation and latent heat release. Beginning with the case of radiative‐convective equilibrium, an eddy-free two-dimensional state with zonally symmetric flow is developed, followed by a threedimensional state that includes baroclinic eddy fluxes. In both dry and moist cases, it is found that the deepening of the tropical tropospheric layer and the shape of the extratropical tropopause can be understood through eddy-driven processes such as the stratospheric Brewer‐Dobson circulation. These results suggest that eddies alone can generate a realistic tropopause profile in the absence of moist convection and that stratospheric circulation is an important contributor to tropopause structure.
THRUST CONTROL ON THERMAL MATURITY OF THE FRONTAL OUACHITA MOUNTAINS, CENTRAL ARKANSAS, USA

Three types of anomalies in thermal maturity exist within the frontal thrust-belt of the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, USA. The anomalies were documented by combining structural mapping with measurements of vitrinite reflectance; all samples were obtained from surface exposures. Maturity-inversion occurs along the Y-City Fault, where Jackfork and Johns Valley strata (Lower Pennsylvanian) have been thrust over less-mature sequences of the lower Atoka Formation (Middle Pennsylvanian). An apparent shear-heating aureole is also associated with this important thrust, although the spatial extent of the aureole is limited. When allowances are made for both structural and stratigraphic position, we find that internal gradients in vitrinite reflectance within individual thrust-sheets are abnormally low. We attribute these gradients to tectonic burial. Weak remnants of the primary stratigraphic gradients are retained in most instances, so organic metamorphic reactions evidently failed to equilibrate during thrust-loading; rapid unroofing of the thrust-belt may have begun even as some faults remained active. Similar patterns of maturation should be expected within other thrust-belts where peak burial and heating events were synchronous with deformation. Under these circumstances, subsurface projections of maturation trends should be keyed to structural (rather than stratigraphic) position.
Factors in Aging that Effect the Bioavailability of Nutrients

Until a few years ago, little was known about bioavailability of micronutrients in elderly humans. It was assumed by many basic investigators and geriatricians that malabsorption of both macronutrients and micronutrients was a common problem among elderly persons. We now know that this is not the case; elderly persons who malabsorb macronutrients do so because of disease, not because of age. This report will be divided into three sections. The first section focuses on the general principles of absorptive processes in elderly persons. The second section focuses on the bioavailability of specific micronutrients in elderly persons, with specific examples of problem nutrients. The third section lays out a proposed research agenda for studying the bioavailability of nutrients and other active components of dietary supplements in elderly persons.
A Theory of Certainty Equivalents for Uncertain Alternatives

Certainty equivalents (CEs) of gambles are assumed to have a ratio scale representation that is strictly increasing in each consequence and the status quo is a singular point. A rank- and sign-dependent weighted linear representation arises as follows. Gambles with both gains and losses are reduced to the formally equivalent binary alternative with the CEs of the subgambles of gains and of losses as consequences. A plausible and partially sustained, but non-rational, assumption yields a bilinear, non-additive form. Those gambles composed entirely of gains or entirely of losses are assumed to be rationally edited by subtracting from each consequence the utility of the consequence nearest the status quo and adding that amount to the utility of the modified gamble. A rank-dependent, weighted average representation results in each domain separately. Because data using judged CEs of binary alternatives exhibit a pronounced non-monotonicity at the status quo, a version of the theory is given that takes this into account.
Suitability of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri ,a s prey for ladybeetles

Given the apparent importance of ladybeetles as biological control agents of the invasive Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Homoptera: Psyllidae), a series of experiments were undertaken to assess the nutritional suitability of this pest as a prey item. Five species of Coccinellidae were shown to develop successfully on a diet of psyllid nymphs and four species produced viable eggs. Eggs of the flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were used as a reference diet. Larvae of Curinus coeruleus Mulsant, Cycloneda sanguinea L., Exochomus childreni Mulsant, Harmonia axyridis Pallas, and Olla v-nigrum Mulsant all had survival on a diet of D. citri nymphs not different from 100%, although developmental times were extended and adult dry weights were reduced relative to the Ephestia egg diet. Species were ranked (highest to lowest) for larval performance on the D. citri diet relative to the Ephestia egg diet as: E. childreni, 0.85; O. v-nigrum, 0.82; C. coeruleus, 0.80; H. axyridis, 0.71; C. sanguinea, 0.48. Most females of C. sanguinea ceased oviposition on the second day following transferal to the D. citri diet, but the fecundity and fertility of females of the other species were not different from those feeding on Ephestia eggs. Generation times on the Ephestia egg diet at 24 ◦ C (time to egg hatch + larval developmental time + pupation time + adult prereproductive period) were (mean ± SEM): C. coeruleus, 56.7 ± 1.32 d; C. sanguinea, 28.0 ± 0.88 d; E. childreni, 60.8 ± 1.96 d; H. axyridis, 32.2 ± 1.47 d; O. v-nigrum, 25.8 ± 1.12 d. Adult females of C. coeruleus, H. axyridis and O. v-nigrum consumed the most psyllids in one h, C. sanguinea was intermediate, and E. childreni consumed the least.
Neuroprotective approaches: Before and after delivery

Infants born preterm are especially vulnerable to cerebral palsy, the risk of which is inversely proportional to gestational age at birth. The contribution of prematurity to the overall burden of cerebral palsy is substantial. This article reviews and discusses potential antenatal and postnatal neuroprotective approaches targeted at the numerous risk factors associated with cerebral palsy among preterm infants, including magnesium sulfate.
On the convergent cell movements of gastrulation in Fundulus

Mainly because of its transparency, the Fundulus gastrula constitutes ideal material for direct study of morphogenetic cell movements in vivo. Marking studies show that deep cells of the germ ring converge toward and enter the embryonic shield, where they undergo extension. Those close to the shield move faster. Analysis of videotapes reveals that all deep cells of the dorsal germ ring move toward the shield. But none moves in a direct line. All meander considerably. Germ ring cells nearer the shield move toward it at a higher net rate than those farther away because they meander less. This suggests that exogenous factors promote their directionality. Cells in the prospective yolk sac adjacent to the germ ring also show net convergence, but they meander more. Directional forces are apparently stronger in the germ ring. Converging deep cells move both by filolamellipodia and, less frequently, by blebs. However, there is very little individual cell movement; all cells are almost always in adhesive contact with other cells in moving cell clusters. Clusters vary constantly in size, continually aggregating with other cells and other clusters and splitting. Filolamellipodial cells show contact inhibition of cell movement. Nevertheless, they move and do so directionally, presumably in part because, as members of cell clusters, much of their movement is passive. They also show intercalation or invasive activity, but, consistent with their contact-inhibiting properties, only when neighboring cells separate and provide free space. Cells moving by blebbing locomotion are non-contact inhibiting and intercalate readily. Cell division continues during convergence. Although this temporarily arrests their movement, the daughter cells soon join in the mass convergent movement.
Conformal and superconformal gravity and non-linear representations

Abstract The method of non-linear representations, when applied to the (super) conformal group, is shown not to be equivalent to the usual (super) conformal gravity theories. However, the requirement of invariance under the full (super) conformal group transformations, uniquely leads to the usual theories.
A mouse adapter for people with hand tremor

Hand tremor, which affects millions of individuals worldwide, can make it difficult or impossible to operate computers that rely on a mouse, or similar pointing device, for controlling the user interface. We describe an assistive adapter that, when inserted between the mouse and the computer, provides digital motion-smoothing filtering, rejection of inadvertent mouse button clicks, and enhanced double clicking. Because its behavior closely emulates a standard mouse, this setup is operating-system independent and requires no special software on the computer. Its assistive features are active for any application with a mouse-driven interface. In a preliminary test involving people with essential tremor, most subjects reported improvements ranging from moderate to considerable.
Burden or blessing? Expected costs and benefits of being a mentor.

We investigated the relationship between anticipated costs and benefits of being a mentor, mentoring experience, and intentions to mentor among a sample of 275 executives. Individuals lacking mentoring experience anticipated greater costs and fewer benefits than experienced individuals. Anticipated costs and benefits were related to intentions to mentor, and this relationship varied by mentoring experience. The results suggest that mentoring may be an intergenerational process. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
LPS augments adoptive transfer of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in the Lewis rat.

Adoptive transfer of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is enhanced after in vitro culture of myelin basic protein (BP)-sensitized lymphoid cells with BP. Addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to the culture further augments transfer of EAE to a level 5 times greater than that achieved with cells activated only with BP. Neither the proliferative response of a BP-specific cell line nor the production of IL-2 by BP-sensitized lymphoid cells in response to BP was augmented by the addition of LPS to the culture. Augmentation of EAE was also observed if recipients received simultaneous injections of BP-sensitized lymph node cells (BP/LNC) cultured with BP (BP-activated) and normal spleen cells cultured independently with LPS (LPS/Spl-C). To analyze the effect of contact between these two cell populations in vivo, we mixed the two cell populations in vitro at reduced cell concentrations. When BP-activated BP-LNC were mixed with LPS-Spl-C in vitro, a marked synergistic proliferative response was observ...
Abstract W P121: Stroke Severity in Men and Women: What Proportion of the Disparity Can Be Explained by Differences in Cardiovascular Risk Factors?

Background: Prior studies have shown that women present with more severe stroke. It has been suggested that sex differences in stroke severity are related to age, stroke subtype, or cardiovascular risk factors. We aimed to determine the proportion of sex disparity in stroke severity that can be explained by differences in these variables using Oaxaca decomposition, an econometric technique which quantifies the differences between groups. Methods: White and Black ischemic stroke patients who presented to two academic medical centers in the US (2004-2011) were identified using prospective stroke registries. In-hospital strokes were excluded. Patient demographics and medical history were collected. Stroke severity was measured by NIHSS. Linear regression was used to determine if female sex was associated with NIHSS score. This model was then adjusted for potential confounders including: age, race, stroke subtype, and cardiovascular risk factors. Oaxaca decomposition was then used to determine the proportion of the observed sex differences in stroke severity that can be explained by these variables. Results: 4925 patients met inclusion criteria. Nearly half (n=2346) were women and 39% (n=1942) were Black. Women presented with more severe strokes (median NIHSS 8 vs. 6). In addition, women were older on average (68 vs. 63 years) with more frequent atrial fibrillation (18% vs. 13%), diabetes (34% vs. 30%), and hypertension (78% vs. 72%). Oaxaca decomposition revealed that age, race, atrial fibrillation, large vessel etiology, diabetes, hypertension account for only 63% of the sex differences seen in NIHSS score on presentation. Conclusion: In our biracial sample, women presented with more severe strokes than men. This difference remained significant even after adjustment for age, stroke subtype, and cardiovascular risk factors. Further, over 1/3 of the observed gender difference in stroke severity was unexplained.. Additional study is warranted to investigate the etiology of the gender differences in stroke severity.