cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of bimanual examination with ultrasound examination before hysterectomy for uterine leiomyoma.

Objective: To correlate the preoperative bimanual examination with ultrasound examination with regard to estimating the size of enlarged nongravid leiomyomatous uteri. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 161 patients who underwent hysterectomy for uterine leiomyoma between January 1994 and December 1994 and between July 1995 and April 1996. Uterine size was estimated clinically by bimanual examination. Ultrasound reports were reviewed. Uterine weights and dimensions in pathology reports were compared with findings on bimanual examination and ultrasonography. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and patients were divided into two groups, one with BMIs of more than 30 and another with BMIs of less than or equal to 30. Results: Ultrasound examination was ordered in 111 patients (68.9%) preoperatively. There was a strong correlation between the bimanual examination findings and the ultrasound dimensions. The equation for this relationship is ultrasound length (cm) = 3.68 + 0.68 × number of weeks (r = .78, P < .001). Ultrasound length also was related strongly to size given in the pathologic reports; the equation for this relationship is ultrasound length (cm) = 2.94 + 0.75 × pathology length (cm) (r = .73, P < .001). The correlation between bimanual examination and ultrasound findings was similar in obese and in nonobese patients, when uterine size could be estimated. Conclusion: There is a strong correlation between bimanual and ultrasound examinations with regard to determining the size of leiomyomatous uteri. Routine ultrasound is not indicated when an experienced examiner can assess uterine size. Ultrasonography may be appropriate when physical assessment is difficult, as in the case of obesity.
Idiopathic bilateral vocal fold weakness.

Objective To describe an unrecognized clinical entity, idiopathic bilateral vocal fold weakness, and propose recommendations regarding the diagnosis and management of these cases. Study design Retrospective, nonrandomized case study. Methods All cases of bilateral vocal fold weakness evaluated at the University of Washington Voice Disorders Clinic between 1991 to 1998 were reviewed. Results Four patients with bilateral laryngeal weakness were determined to have idiopathic bilateral vocal fold paresis following exhaustive workups, including videostroboscopy, bilateral laryngeal electromyography (EMG), neurological consultation, and other pertinent studies. Conclusions Performing bilateral laryngeal EMG is an essential aspect of the workup of any laryngeal weakness case, particularly if the etiology is unknown on presentation. Idiopathic bilateral vocal fold weakness is an underrecognized but real clinical diagnosis that will become more familiar with the increasing utilization of laryngeal EMG in clinical situations.
Temperature-dependent development of ouabain action in isolated guinea pig heart: Differences in sodium influx?

At 30 degrees C the development of the positive inotropic action of 0.3 microM ouabain observed in isolated left atrial muscle preparations of guinea-pig heart was significantly slower and more dependent on the frequency of electrical stimulation than it was at 37 degrees C. The hypothesis was tested that such differences are due to a variation in the rate of leak sodium influx, and ensuing differences in glycoside binding to sarcolemmal Na,K-ATPase. Monensin or grayanotoxin, agents which have been shown to increase sodium influx, caused faster development of the inotropic action of ouabain at 30 degrees C when muscle preparations were stimulated at 0.5 or 1 Hz but their effect was smaller at 2 or 3 Hz stimulation. The contracture caused by toxic concentrations of ouabain in quiescent preparations developed faster at the higher temperature. Ouabain binding to sarcolemmal Na,K-ATPase which occurred during exposure of atrial muscle preparations to the glycoside at 25 degrees C for 30 min was less than the corresponding value observed after a similar exposure at 37 degrees C; however, electrical stimulation increased glycoside binding to a greater extent at the lower temperature. The ouabain-sensitive 42K+ uptake was lower in quiescent preparations at 30 degrees C than at 37 degrees C. Moreover, the enhancement of the ouabain-sensitive 42K+ uptake caused by electrical stimulation was greater at 30 degrees C than at 37 degrees C. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that, at lower temperatures, the rate of sodium influx is low and is the factor determining the rate of development of the inotropic action of ouabain. At a higher temperature, a relatively high sodium leak influx seems to make the onset of ouabain action less dependent on the frequency of stimulation.
Rationale and design of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of B-type natriuretic peptide for the preservation of left ventricular function after anterior myocardial infarction.

Background: BNP is a hormone with cardio-protective properties which include inhibition of hypertrophy and fibrosis. Previously in a non-placebo controlled, open-label pilot study in human ST elevation anterior acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we reported that a 72 hour intravenous infusion (IV) of BNP (nesiritide) at a dose of 0.006 ug/kg/min suppressed aldosterone, reduced cardiac dilatation and improved LV EF at 1 month compared to baseline. Methods and Design: This is a proof of concept randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single center clinical trial, to assessed the efficacy of 72 hour IV infusion of BNP (0.006 ug/kg/min) in humans with first time ST-elevation anterior AMI and successful reperfusion, in preventing adverse LV remodeling. A total of 59 patients were randomized to placebo or BNP therapy. The primary efficacy endpoint is LV end-systolic and diastolic volumes determined by MUGA scan between placebo and BNP group at 30 days; secondary endpoints include 30 day LV EF and infarct size measured by MRI. (NCT00573144) Results: Of the 59 patients randomized, 6 subjects did not complete the 30 day follow up resulting in 53 patients in the final analysis (n=25 BNP and n=28 placebo). Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. At 30 days, LV volumes and EF were similar between the BNP and placebo groups. However, there was a non-significant trend for infarct size to be smaller in the BNP group versus the placebo group (12±9 vs 17±14 %, p=0.26). In the subgroup of patients with LV EF 2 ,p =0.11). Importantly, there was a strong trend for infarct size to be smaller in the BNP group (16.5±15 vs 28± 14 %,p=0.06). Conclusion: In this first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled proof of concept clinical trial, in humans with ST-elevation anterior AMI, there was a suggestion for BNP to reduce infarct size and a trend for reduced LV volume in those with reduced LV EF. This trial lays the foundation for a larger optimally powered trial to establish if BNP have favorable effects on LV infarct size and remodeling post AMI in patents with reduced LV EF at baseline.
Death themes in the visual arts: Resources and research opportunities for death educators

Abstract The purposes of this study are to make death educators more aware of the visual arts as vehicles for expression of thanatological ideas, and to introduce them to various means of approaching works of art and related scholarship. The core of the project is a 154-item bibliography, painstakingly gathered from all basic sources of information. Most items are annotated. Suggestions for study of art works themselves, and for research across the disciplines of art and thanatology, are keyed to items in the bibliography.
Crystal momentum conservation in resonant photoelectron emission

Abstract Angle-resolved photoemission spectra taken at the rare earth 4 d resonance show crystal momentum conservation in emission from 5 d states in LaSb and 4 f derived states in Ce 2 Sb. In both cases the emission resulting from resonant enhancement is shown to be direct photoemission.
Properties of the glucosylamidyl derivative of trypsin.

Abstract An active glucosylamidyl derivative of trypsin was prepared by reacting S -methyl-glucosylisothiourea with the native enzyme under alkaline conditions. Chemical evidence is presented to show that modification of the enzyme has involved the glucosylamidination of the ϵ-amino groups of three lysine residues and the imidazole rings of three histidine residues. Some of the physical and enzymic properties of the modified enzyme are discussed in relation to the properties and mechanism of action of trypsin.
BKCa currents are enriched in a subpopulation of adult rat cutaneous nociceptive dorsal root ganglion neurons.

The biophysical properties and distribution of voltage-dependent, Ca2+-modulated K+ (BKCa) currents among subpopulations of acutely dissociated DiI labeled cutaneous sensory neurons from the adult rat were characterized with whole cell patch clamp techniques. BKCa currents were isolated from total K+ current with iberiotoxin, charybdotoxin, or paxilline. There was considerable variability in biophysical properties of BKCa currents. There was also variability in the distribution of BKCa current among subpopulations of cutaneous DRG neurons. While present in each of the subpopulations defined by cell body size, IB4 binding or capsaicin sensitivity, BKCa current was present in vast majority (>90%) of small diameter IB4+ neurons but was present in only a minority of neurons in subpopulations defined by other criteria (i.e., small diameter IB4−). Current clamp analysis indicated that in IB4+ neurons, BKCa currents contribute to the repolarization of the action potential and adaptation in response to sustained membrane depolarization, while playing little role in the determination of action potential threshold. RT-PCR analysis of mRNA collected from whole DRG revealed the presence of multiple splice variants of the BKCa channel α-subunit, rslo and all 4 of the accessory β subunits, suggesting that heterogeneity in the biophysical and pharmacological properties of BKCa current in cutaneous neurons, reflects, at least in part, the differential distribution of splice variants and/or β subunits. Because even a small decrease in BKCa current appears to have a dramatic influence on excitability, modulation of this current may contribute to sensitization of nociceptive afferents observed following tissue injury.
On ranking fuzzy numbers using valuations

The importance as well as the difficulty of the problem of ranking fuzzy numbers is pointed out. Here we consider approaches to the ranking of fuzzy numbers based upon the idea of associating with a fuzzy number a scalar value, its valuation, and using this valuation to compare and order fuzzy numbers. Specifically we focus on expected value type valuations which are based upon the transformation of a fuzzy subset into an associated probability distribution. We develop a number of families of parameterized valuation functions. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Polar cap absorption on vlf emissions

Abstract It is shown that VLF emissions are greatly affected by the polar cap absorption caused by the bombardment of solar protons. Characteristics of the PCA effect on VLF emissions are examined and they are in agreement with those obtained by other studies, such as the polar blackout and the cosmic radio absorption. Therefore, the earlier conclusion that the occurrence frequency of VLF emissions decreases in high latitudes during magnetic storms is likely to be due to the PCA effect. Taking this PCA effect into account, it is established that an enhancement of occurrence of VLF emissions occurs at geomagnetic latitudes lower than 67° during the magnetic storm. This suggests that enhanced VLF emissions during geomagnetic storms are generated in the co-rotating region of the magnetosphere or in the outer radiation belt, but not in the tail region.
Oral Rehydration of the Pediatric Patient with Mild to Moderate Dehydration

tions, and approximately 300 deaths a year. 1 A significant number of these children will be needlessly subjected to blood work and intravenous rehydration during the course of their treatment. This article will explain why oral rehydration for pediatric patients with mild to moderate dehydration is the preferred method of treatment and why the common use of intravenous (IV) therapy should be avoided. Mild to Moderate Dehydration What is mild to moderate dehydration? A child with mild to moderate dehydration can lose an estimated 3% to 9% of body weight. The child can either appear normal mentally or appear tired or restless; he or she will be thirsty and want to drink and will have a normal to increased heart rate with normal to decreased pulses. Respirations may be normal to tachypneic. Tears will be present but decreased, and the tongue will appear dry. Capillary refill will be prolonged, the extremities will be cool, and urine output will be decreased 1 (Table). The risk of dehydration varies with age. There are several risk factors for the development of dehydration, including age, frequency of stools and vomiting, and initial nutritional status. 2 It is important to make the determination that the cause of the dehydration is actually caused by gastroenteritis and exclude all other causes. 2 Careful assessments of pediatric patients experiencing dehydration are of the utmost importance because misdiagnoses can have potentially lethal consequences. 3
Solid-phase synthesis of 1,3-disubstituted 2-thioxoquinazoline-4-ones using SNAr reaction

Abstract We have developed a solid-phase synthesis of diverse 1,3-disubstituted 2-thioxoquinazoline-4-ones. In this synthesis, the fluorine atom on support-bound 2-fluoro-5-nitrobenzoyl amides was substituted with various primary amines, followed by cyclization with thiocarbonyldiimidazole. Since 1-substitutions can be achieved with primary amines, diverse 1,3-disubstituted 2-thioxoquinazoline-4-ones can be efficiently synthesized using this method. Although solid-phase synthesis of 2-thioxoquinazoline-4-ones using 2-methoxycarbonylphenylisothiocyanate has been reported previously, the introduction of 1-substitutions could not be achieved due to the reactivity of the 2-sulfur atom with alkyl or aryl halide.
The effect of D-amphetamine and ephedrine on smoking attitude and behavior

Using a double blind, randomized, latin square design, 17 light smokers and 6 heavy smokers were given three times per day doses of placebo, 5 mg amphetamine sulfate, 7.5 mg amphetamine sulfate, 25 mg ephedrine hydrochloride or 50 mg ephedrine hydrochloride. Compared to placebo, active drug produced a statistically significant drop in feeling of addiction to cigarettes (p = 0.022). Ephedrine was reported to be more effective than amphetamine (p = 0.046). Subjects reported similar changes in feeling of enjoyment of smoking. Active drug produced a statistically significant drop in the actual amount of tobacco smoked in heavy smokers (p = 0.028), but not in light smokers. Only two smokers were able to quit completely during the experiment, and one of those people resumed smoking after she stopped taking medication. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed.
An infinite class of convex tangent cones

Since the early 1970's, there have been many papers devoted to tangent cones and their applications to optimization. Much of the debate over which tangent cone is best has centered on the properties of Clarke's tangent cone and whether other cones have these properties. In this paper, it is shown that there are an infinite number of tangent cones with some of the nicest properties of Clarke's cone. These properties are convexity, multiple characterizations, and proximal normal formulas. The nature of these cones indicates that the two extremes of this family of cones, the cone of Clarke and the B-tangent cone or the cone of Michel and Penot, warrant further study. The relationship between these new cones and the differentiability of functions is also considered.
Enhancing circuits and systems supply noise sensitivity characterization using on-package droop inducers

This paper presents design and implementation of noise inducer devices mounted on the package of a full featured microprocessor. Such assembly enables vast sensitivity characterization capabilities of the chip circuits and systems to supply noises. Prototype vehicle encompassing five separate 45nm CMOS process droop inducer devices stimulating four separate supply rails of a 32nm CMOS process microprocessor is reported. Multiple empirical results arising from the combined operation of the noise inducers and the microprocessor chip were obtained and analyzed.
Morphology, Environment, and the H I Mass Function

We exploit a large, complete optical diameter- and H I flux-limited sample of spiral galaxies with types later than S0a to derive a robust measurement of the H I mass function (HIMF) for masses log(M/M☉) > 7.4 that takes into account the effects of local large-scale structure. The global HIMF derived for this optically selected sample is well fitted by a Schechter function with α = -1.24, log(M*/M☉) = 9.99, and * = 3.2 × 10-3 Mpc-3. These values match those derived from blind H I surveys to within the estimated uncertainties, yet our estimated HIMF is clearly lower than most other estimates at the lowest masses. We also investigate the variation in the derived HIMF among spiral subclasses, finding a clear distinction between the Schechter parameters found for types Sa-Sc and those Scd and later in the sense that the HIMF of the latest types is rising at the low-mass end, whereas that of the main spiral classes is flat or even declining. We also explore the possible environmental dependence of the HIMF by computing it separately in regimes of differing cosmic density. The HIMFs of higher density regions are found to have flatter low-mass ends and lower values of M* than those of lower density regions, although the statistical significance of the difference is low. Because the subsamples found in different density regimes exhibit virtually the same morphological fractions, the environmental dependence cannot be accounted for by morphological segregation but must be a consequence of differences among galaxies of the same morphological type that are found in different environments. If this dependence is caused by the well-known deficiency of galaxies in clusters, then it would suggest that galaxies of small linear optical diameter are characterized by higher H I deficiency, an expectation consistent with gas removal mechanisms such as ram pressure stripping.
EFFECT OF DDT OR PARATHION ON AUDIOGENIC SEIZURES OF OFFSPRING FROM DDT- OR PARATHION-TREATED MOTHERS

DDT, Parathion, or corn oil (control) was administered to gravid mice during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. Incidence of audiogenic seizure was used to study the effect of the insecticides in the offspring. These compounds affected the maturation of the nervous system regardless of the stage of pregnancy during which they were administered. The high incidence of seizures in all of the groups of offspring had passed by 28 days of age. The insecticides did not influence the percentage of incidence after 20 days of age.
Outcome Feedback, Incentives, and Performance: Evidence from a Relatively Complex Forecasting Task

ABSTRACT: This study extends prior research by examining a fairly common sequence of business events: numeric outcome information is produced and reviewed, decisions are influenced by this information, and the process repeats (i.e., a feedback loop occurs). We find that incentivized decision makers exhibit substantial decision improvement after only one iteration of summary outcome feedback. In contrast, other between-subjects groups fail to improve performance across iterations of Luft and Shields' (2001) forecasting task. Our results suggest that financial incentives and outcome feedback are both critical to performance improvement in relatively complex iterative tasks. When either incentives or feedback is absent, performance suffers. While prior research has found outcome feedback relatively ineffective at improving complex task performance, our results indicate that outcome feedback and incentives complement each other to improve performance. We believe exploring the interaction of incentives and fe...
Application of Simulated Annealing to Coded-Aperture Design and Tomographic Reconstruction

Reconstructions from coded-image data obtained with the simulated annealing algorithm are presented along with an experiment testing the effects of annealing. An efficient perturbation method for system optimization is defined, and the role of simulated annealing in such an optimization is discussed.
Compensation for the Lateral Color Aberration Produced by the Atmosphere

Since the atmosphere is an inhomogeneous refractive medium, images formed with light which has passed through the atmosphere in general exhibit color aberrations. For example, at sea level the atmospheric dispersion separates the red (λR = 7000 A) and the blue (λB = 4000 A) images of a star at a zenith angle of 45° by approximately 1.4″.This paper shows that by considering as a single problem the refraction of the atmosphere and the color aberrations of the telescope optics, it is possible to devise a telescope which almost completely compensates for the lateral color aberration arising from atmospheric refraction. In particular it is shown that for an objective consisting of BSC-2 glass the lateral color aberration at the final focus produced by the atmosphere is reduced by a factor Γ, where Γ = 0.006 ± 0.002 for a bandwidth from 3650 to 5876 A, and Γ = 0.010 ± 0.002 for a bandwidth from 3650 to 6563 A. For an objective consisting of a flint glass, Γ = 0.012 ± 0.002 for a bandwidth from 4047 to 10140 A.
The Self-Synchronization of a Novel Vibrating Mechanism Excited by Two Unbalanced Rotors

This paper proposes an analytical approach to study self-synchronous motion and stabilizing conditions of a novel vibrating mechanism excited by two unbalanced rotors. This approach begins with utilizing Lagrange equation to establish differential motion equations of the system, and then obtains the dimensionless coupled equation of the unbalanced rotors with a modified average small parameter method. The zero solutions of dimensionless coupled equations are used to achieve the condition to implement self-synchronization of the vibrating system, and finally the Routh-Hurwitz criterion is used to derive the conditions of self-synchronous motion stability.
Syntheses and crystal structures of mono- and bi-metallic zinc compounds of symmetrically- and asymmetrically-substituted bis(amino)cyclodiphosph(V)azanes

Abstract The dioxocyclodiphosph(V)azane cis -[( t BuHN)OP(μ-N t Bu) 2 PO(NH t Bu)] reacted with two equivalents of diethylzinc to form the centrosymmetric dimer {[(OPN t Bu) 2 (N t Bu) 2 ZnEt](ZnEt · THF)} 2 ( 1 ) while under identical conditions, the sulfur and selenium analogues afforded only the monoethylzinc compounds {[( t BuHN)EP(μ-N t Bu) 2 PE(N t Bu)](ZnEt · THF)}ES( 2 ), Se ( 3 ). To further probe the apparent ligand effects on coordination number and coordination site, cis -[(PhHN)SP(μ-N t Bu) 2 PS(NH t Bu)] ( 5 ) was synthesized from cis -[ClP(μ-N t Bu) 2 P(NH t Bu)] ( 4 ) and both were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Two equivalents of 5 reacted with diethylzinc to produce the homoleptic, trispirocyclic complex {[( t BuHN)SP(μ-N t Bu) 2 PS(NPh)] 2 Zn} ( 6 ). A second asymmetrically-substituted cyclodiphosph(V)azane, namely [( t BuNH)SP(μ-N t Bu) 2 PN p -tol(NH t Bu)] ( 7 ), was also synthesized and structurally characterized. In contrast to 5 , only one equivalent of this ligand reacted with excess diethylzinc, via its N , N ′ , rather than its N , S side, to afford {[( t BuHN)SP(μ-N t Bu) 2 PN p -tolyl(N t Bu)](ZnEt)} ( 8 ).
Transport and intracellular fate of cysteine-35S in leukocytes from normal subjects and patients with cystinosis.

Extract: The transport and intracellular fate of cysteine-35S was studied in leukocytes from nine children with cystinosis and nine control subjects of similar age in an attempt to explain the presence of 80 times the normal quantity of free cystine in cystinotic leukocytes. Two differences were observed: the cystinotic cells took up nearly twice as much cysteine-35S as did control cells. Subsequently, almost 40 percent of the 35S was found as the oxidized form, cystine-35S in cystinotic leukocytes, compared with only 2 percent in control leukocytes. Comparison of intracellular and extracellular concentrations of cysteine-35S at steady state showed no differences between normal and cystinotic leukocytes. Both cell types incorporated 30 percent of the intracellular 35S into glutathione and showed the same time course of 35S efflux. Speculation: The increased uptake of cysteine-35S shown by cystinotic leukocytes could be taken as valid conventional evidence for a primary defect in the transport of cysteine in cystinosis. The prompt appearance of the extra 35S transported as intracellular cystine-35S suggests, however, that this rapid conversion may be the primary defect and that the increased uptake of cysteine-35S is but a compensatory mechanism for maintaining the physiological concentration of intracellular cysteine.
The mediating influence of role stressors in the relationship between mentoring and job attitudes

Abstract This study investigated the influence of two role stressors—role ambiguity and role conflict—on previously established relationships between mentoring activities—vocational support, psychosocial support, and role modeling—and prominent job attitudes. Full and partial mediation models were tested with a sample of 355 proteges. Results showed that both role conflict and role ambiguity completely mediated the relationships between psychosocial support and role modeling with job attitudes. There was also support for role conflict as a partial mediator of the relationship between vocational support and job attitudes. Additional analyses revealed that psychosocial support served as a suppressor-variable in this study. Implications for future research and mentoring practice are discussed.
Analysis of the Transcriptome in Hyperoxic Lung Injury and Sex-Specific Alterations in Gene Expression

Exposure to high concentration of oxygen (hyperoxia) leads to lung injury in experimental animal models and plays a role in the pathogenesis of diseases such as Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in humans. The mechanisms responsible for sex differences in the susceptibility towards hyperoxic lung injury remain largely unknown. The major goal of this study was to characterize the changes in the pulmonary transcriptome following hyperoxia exposure and further elucidate the sex-specific changes. Male and female (8–10 wk) wild type (WT) (C57BL/6J) mice were exposed to hyperoxia (FiO2>0.95) and gene expression in lung tissues was studied at 48 h. A combination of fold change ≥1.4 and false discovery rate (FDR)<5% was used to define differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Overrepresentation of gene ontology terms representing biological processes and signaling pathway impact analysis (SPIA) was performed. Comparison of DEG profiles identified 327 genes unique to females, 585 unique to males and 1882 common genes. The major new findings of this study are the identification of new candidate genes of interest and the sex-specific transcriptomic changes in hyperoxic lung injury. We also identified DEGs involved in signaling pathways like MAP kinase and NF-kappa B which may explain the differences in sex-specific susceptibility to hyperoxic lung injury. These findings highlight changes in the pulmonary transcriptome and sex-specific differences in hyperoxic lung injury, and suggest new pathways, whose components could serve as sex-specific biomarkers and possible therapeutic targets for acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress (ARDS) in humans.
Hematologic effects of Crotalus adamanteus (rattlesnake) venom.

1. Crotalus adamanteus venom produces a striking neutrophilic leukocytosis in dogs whether administered intramuscularly or intravenously. 2. Intramuscular administration of a lethal dose (1.28 mg/kg) of crystallineCrotalus adamanteus venom to dogs also produced: a terminal increase in serum nonprotein nitrogen, a hypoproteinemia, a reduction in plasma fibrinogen, and a terminal shortening of coagulation time. 3. It is noteworthy that no effects of this venom were noted on the serum bilirubin concentration. It follows, therefore, that contrary to existing impressions this venom does not produce any significant degree of hemolysis in vivo. 4. In addition, the intramuscular administration ofCrotalus adamanteus venom was found not to significantly affect the: blood glucose concentration, the platelet count, the plasma prothrombin time, the prothrombin time withRussell's viper venom, the prothrombin consumption, the thromboplastin generation, or the fibrinolysin activity. Two of five dogs showed a transient rise in erythrocyte count and hematocrit. 5. By contrast,Naja flava venom did not produce neutrophilic leukocytosis when administered in a subacutely toxic dose (0.2 mg/kg/day). 6. Intravenously administeredCrotalus adamanteus venom did not counteract the neutropenic effects of orally administered Myleran in dogs.
Trends in the use, sociodemographic correlates, and undertreatment of prescription medications for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the United States from 1999 to 2010.

Background The extent to which patients with COPD are receiving indicated treatment with medications to improve lung function and recent trends in the use of these medications is not well documented in the United States. The objective of this study was to examine trends in prescription medications for COPD among adults in the United States from 1999 to 2010. Methods We performed a trend analysis using data from up to 1426 participants aged ≥20 years with self-reported COPD from six national surveys (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2010). Results During 2009–2010, the age-adjusted percentage of participants who used any kind of medication was 44.2%. Also during 2009–2010, the most commonly used medications were short-acting agents (36.0%), inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (18.3%), and LABAs (16.7%). The use of long-acting beta-2 agonists (LABAs) (p for trend <0.001), ICS (p for trend = 0.013) increased significantly over the 12-year period. Furthermore, the use of tiotropium increased rapidly during this period (p for trend <0.001). For the years 2005–2010, the use of LABAs, ICS and tiotropium increased with age. Compared with whites, Mexican Americans were less likely to use short-acting agents, LABAs, ICS, tiotropium, and any kind of COPD medication. Among participants aged 20–79 years with spirometry measurements during 2007–2010, the use of any medication was reported by 19.0% of those with a moderate/severe obstructive impairment and by 72.6% of those with self-reported COPD and any obstructive impairment. Conclusion The percentages of adults with COPD who reported having various classes of prescription medications that improve airflow limitations changed markedly from 1999–2000 to 2009–2010. However, many adults with COPD did not report having recommended prescription medications.
Studies into human IF secretion

There is a significant correlation between intrinsic factor (IF) and HCI content in 2-hour gastric aspirates after maximal stimulation with betazole. This correlation is due only in part to the fact that IF and HCI values from each subject are derived from the same volumes of gastric juice. There is an exception to this correlation among acid hypersecretors; their IF output is elevated to a lesser order of magnitude. Mean IF secretion by groups of elderly subjects is less than mean IF secretion by groups of younger subjects. However, an analysis of individual results shows that some elderly males can secrete as much IF as younger men. This suggests that reduced IF secretion is not an inevitable consequence of senescence. Preliminary evidence is presented which suggests that vagotomy may reduce betazole-stimulated IF secretion in most patients by a comparable amount as it reduces HCI secretion; IF secretion is not reduced in a minority of patients.
Tissue distribution of 3H-terbutaline in rabbits.

Abstract Terbutaline is a widely used, selective β 2 -adrenergic agonist whose penetration into brain has not been demonstrated in laboratory animals. Although its tissue uptake has been reported in some animals, no uptake into brain has been demonstrated. A single dose of 20 μCi of 3 H-terbutaline along with 10 mg/kg of unlabeled terbutaline was injected into a rabbit marginal ear vein. The distribution of 3 H-terbutaline in several tissues was determined 0.5, 1, 3, or 6 hr later. Radioactivity in the brain was well-maintained over the 6 hr observation period. In most tissues, radioactivity peaked in less than 1 hr, then declined. Radioactivity in the urine was high at all time periods and was highest at 3 hr. Thus, terbutaline or a metabolite(s) does cross the blood-brain barrier in rabbits, and the radioactivity in the rabbit brain does not decrease during the 6 hours following terbutaline injection.
Ganglioside GM3 promotes carcinoma cell proliferation via urokinase plasminogen activator-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase-independent p70S6 kinase signaling.

Overexpression of NeuAcα2-3Galβ1-4Glcβ1-Cer (GM3), a major ganglioside of cutaneous tumor cell membranes, inhibits ligand-dependent and ligand-independent activation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor in normal and neoplastic epithelial cells. This leads to the suppression of Ras/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and, in the presence of EGF or fibronectin, inhibits cell proliferation. However, some tumor cells show increased levels of GM3, and vaccines that target GM3 can inhibit the growth of neoplastic cells in vivo, especially melanomas. We report that in the presence of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), overexpression of GM3 paradoxically increases the proliferation of carcinoma cells by augmenting ERK-independent p70S6 kinase activation. Functional blockade of uPA receptor (uPAR) or inhibition of p70S6 kinase, but not inhibition of Ras/ERK signaling, suppresses this GM3-induced stimulation of cell proliferation. The ERK-independent activation of p70S6 kinase involves phosphorylation at threonine-389, threonine-421/serine-424, and serine-411 sites with intermediate phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase and protein kinase C-ζ activation. These studies implicate gangliosides as enhancers of uPAR-related signaling and suggest that the response to GM3 depends on the local concentration of uPA. Therapeutic modalities that target or supplement gangliosides may require concomitant treatment that suppresses EGFR or uPAR signaling, respectively, to control neoplastic cell proliferation.
Chronic Coronary Artery Dissection Presenting as Heart Failure

The patient was a 31-year-old man with a past history of polycythemia vera, “enlarged heart” (1992), transient ischemic attack (1995), and decompensated heart failure (1997). He was referred for evaluation and management of suspected …
The trigeminal trophic syndrome: an unusual cause of nasal ulceration

Abstract Trigeminal trophic syndrome (TTS) is an unusual complication after peripheral or central damage to the trigeminal nerve, characterized by anesthesia, paresthesias, and ala nasi ulceration. We describe a patient with classic TTS after trigeminal rhizotomy who underwent several extensive evaluations for nasal ulceration and received prolonged immunosuppressive therapy for a presumed autoimmune disorder before the correct diagnosis was made. An understanding of the predisposing factors and clinical presentation of TTS is important to ensure a timely diagnosis of this difficult-to-treat illness. Differentiation of TTS from malignancy, infection, or vasculitis is possible on the basis of clinical history, tissue biopsy, and serologic evaluation.
Alternative accounting thought and the prison-house of metaphor

Abstract This essay draws on Friedrich Nietzsche’s profound insights into the problem of knowledge and the nature of truth to reflect on epistemic activity within alternative accounting thought. An essential ingredient in Nietzsche’s analysis of the conundrum of knowledge and truth is his profound assertion that knowing always involves a ‘transfer’ from one epistemic sphere to another different one, that distinctive kind of creative transference of meaning that we attribute to metaphor. Through reference to Nietzsche’s writings, this essay explores the epistemic implications of ‘knowledge as metaphorical’ and the habitual tendency of metaphor, through exclusivity, fixation, effacement and ‘forgetfulness’, to ‘harden’ into ‘propers’ or ‘truths’—particularly of the sort we have come to associate with mainstream dogmatism. It then considers how alternative accounting thought has offered liberation from such metaphorical dogmatism through the deliberate assertion of alternative metaphorical re-presentations. Ironically however, through its very assertion, formation, and attempts to validate these non-stereotypical metaphors, alternative accounting thought itself tends toward the same sort of epistemic fixation and effacement it seeks to subvert. The question becomes one of whether such a Nietzschean reflection on alternative accounting epistemics leads us inevitably to nihilism and epistemological despair or rather, provides us with an affirmative foundation for the very possibility of constructing new accounting ‘truths’.
Predominance of B-lymphocyte function after cultured thymus fragment therapy in severe combined immunodeficiency disease.

Abstract An 8-month-old female with severe combined immunodeficiency disease and no mature T- or B-lymphocyte function survived for 15 months after receiving cultured thymus fragment therapy. Immunoglobulins G, A, and M appeared in her serum 5, 10, and 13 weeks, respectively, after the initial graft. Lymphoblastoid cell lines were established in vitro after infection with Epstein-Barr virus post-transplant, indicating B-lymphocyte maturation. Mucocutaneous Candida albicans disappeared within 1 month and was accompanied by a positive skin test 2 months after transplantation. E-rosette-forming cells appeared at 3 months and peaked 7 months post-transplant but then decreased in number. Mitogen responses did not appear until 6 months after grafting, but decreased to barely detectable levels by 12 months. Although serum immunoglobulins were present early after transplantation, specific antibodies against adenovirus, polio virus, Coxsackie virus, tetanus toxoid, and diphtheria were not present until mitogen responses occurred. Elevated serum immunoglobulin levels and autoantibodies were present until shortly before her demise. These responses suggest an expanded role for the thymus in development of B-lymphocyte maturation and function. In addition response to cultured thymus fragment therapy may be dependent on route of administration and the inherent defect in the patient.
Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. An unusual presentation as an oral mass.

• Although juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNAF) usually presents as a mass in the nasopharynx, the primary manifestation may, in rare instances, occur intraorally. We observed such a case in a 12-year-old boy. The clinical finding of hemorrhage from the nasopharynx or contiguous areas in a male adolescent is an important diagnostic clue which should alert the clinician to the possibility of JNAF as the underlying cause.
College students, vending machines, and improving nutritional choices: the effects of adding healthier foods on perceptions of vending machines

How do college students perceive foods in vending machines, and how can understanding those perceptions inform public health efforts to create healthier food environments? Approximately 200 students were surveyed about their perceptions and uses of campus vending machines, before and after selected conventional foods in two machines were replaced with healthier options. No promotions were used, nor were incentives given. Perceiving the food as healthier did not compromise the perceived tastiness or convenience of the food. In particular, students who reported being the most physically active were most likely to perceive food in these locations to be healthier at post-test. Applying Fazio’s MODE theory as an explanatory model, these students’ uses of the foods appeared to become more planned and less impulsive. Overall, self-reported purchasing from the two machines remained steady despite declines in sales from vending machines campus-wide. Results offer insights for promoting healthier choices and suggest that improving the healthiness of vending machine selections can serve all stakeholders: consumers, companies, and institutions.
Velocity field, surface profile and curvature resolution of steep and short free-surface waves

On steep, millimeter-scale, 2D water waves, surface profile, and subsurface velocity field are measured with high-spatio-temporal resolution. This allows resolving surface vorticity, which is captured in the surface boundary layer and compared with its direct computation from interface curvature and velocity. Data are obtained with a combination of high-magnification time-resolved particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence. The latter is used to resolve the surface profile and serves as a processing mask for the former. PIV processing schemes are compared to optimize accuracy locally, and profilometry data are treated to obtain surface curvature. This diagnostic enables new insights into free-surface dynamic, in particular, wave growth and surface vorticity generation, for flow regimes not studied previously. The technique is demonstrated on a high-speed water jet discharging in quiescent air at a Reynolds number of 4.8 × 104. Shear-layer instability below the surface leads to streamwise traveling waves with wavelength λ ~ 2 mm and steepness $$2\pi a / \lambda \ge 2.0$$ , where a is the crest to trough amplitude. Flow structures are resolved at these scales by recording at 16 kHz with a magnification of 4.
Minireview: Translational Animal Models of Human Menopause: Challenges and Emerging Opportunities

Increasing importance is placed on the translational validity of animal models of human menopause to discern risk vs. benefit for prediction of outcomes after therapeutic interventions and to develop new therapeutic strategies to promote health. Basic discovery research conducted over many decades has built an extensive body of knowledge regarding reproductive senescence across mammalian species upon which to advance animal models of human menopause. Modifications to existing animal models could rapidly address translational gaps relevant to clinical issues in human menopausal health, which include the impact of 1) chronic ovarian hormone deprivation and hormone therapy, 2) clinically relevant hormone therapy regimens (cyclic vs. continuous combined), 3) clinically relevant hormone therapy formulations, and 4) windows of opportunity and optimal duration of interventions. Modifications in existing animal models to more accurately represent human menopause and clinical interventions could rapidly provide preclinical translational data to predict outcomes regarding unresolved clinical issues relevant to women's menopausal health. Development of the next generation of animal models of human menopause could leverage advances in identifying genotypic variations in estrogen and progesterone receptors to develop personalized menopausal care and to predict outcomes of interventions for protection against or vulnerability to disease. Key to the success of these models is the close coupling between the translational target and the range of predictive validity. Preclinical translational animal models of human menopause need to keep pace with changes in clinical practice. With focus on predictive validity and strategic use of advances in genetic and epigenetic science, new animal models of human menopause have the opportunity to set new directions for menopausal clinical care for women worldwide.
Geometry of 1,3‐dihalocyclobutanes by dipole moment analysis

The dipole moments of cis and trans-1,3-dichloro-, 1,3-dibromo-, and 1,3-diiodocyclobutanes were obtained. The deviation from planarity (angle of puckering) was calculated from the dipole moments. In all cases, the compounds were found to be non-planar (puckered). Although the angle strain increases slightly for a non-planar ring, the decrease in torsional strain becomes more important. For the cis-series, it was found that the angle of puckering was largest for the 1,3-diiodocyclobutane. For the trans-series the angle of puckering was the least for the 1,3-diiodocyclobutane. trans-1,3-Dibromo-1,3-dimethylcyclobutane has the least amount of puckering of all the compounds studied. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006
A hierarchical three-way interconnect architecture for hexagonal processors

The problem of interconnect architecture arises when an array of processors needs to be integrated on one chip. With the deep sub-micron technology, devices become cheap while wires are expensive. On the other hand, high performance systems require the shortest communication routes among the processors. Non-blocking hierarchical interconnect architectures have been found to be a feasible solution. First, they can be expanded recursively and so can be applied in large-scale arrays. Second, if well designed, they have the best trade-off between the cost of wire resources and the communication performance. In this paper, a new type of non-blocking hierarchical three-way interconnect architecture, Y tree architecture, is put forward. We find that the arrays of hexagonal cells also have the property of hierarchical expansion, and we put an algorithm to build up a Y tree. We compare the Y architecture with an X hierarchical non-blocking architecture.
BER for QPSK DS-CDMA downlink in an indoor Ricean dispersive pico-cellular channel

This paper derives the BER in synchronous (downlink) indoor direct-sequence CDMA transmission over a Ricean multipath channel with a non-uniform delay profile. Computational results will show that the performance is much better than that predicted by models which assume that all resolvable paths have i.i.d. power. >
Sparsity-embracing multiuser detection for CDMA systems with low activity factory

The number of active users in code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems is often much lower than the spreading gain. The present paper exploits fruitfully this a priori information to improve performance of multiuser detectors. A lowactivity factor manifests itself in a sparse symbol vector with entries drawn from a finite alphabet that is augmented by the zero symbol to capture user inactivity. The non-equiprobable symbols of the augmented alphabet motivate a sparsity-exploiting maximum a posteriori probability (S-MAP) criterion, which is shown to yield a cost comprising the l 2 least-squares error penalized by the p-th norm of the wanted symbol vector (p = 0; 1; 2). Related optimization problems appear in variable selection (shrinkage) schemes developed for linear regression, as well as in the emerging field of compressive sampling (CS). The contribution of this work to CDMA systems is a gamut of sparsity-embracing multiuser detectors trading off performance for complexity requirements. From the vantage point of CS and the least-absolute shrinkage selection operator (Lasso) spectrum of applications, the contribution amounts to sparsity-exploiting algorithms when the entries of the wanted signal vector adhere to finite-alphabet constraints.