cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of the W-Stapled Ileal Reservoir With Hand-Sewn Reservoirs for Orthotopic Bladder Replacement

Abstract Objectives Confidence has increased in the use of an orthotopic reservoir to the urethra after a cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer; however, many surgeons would welcome a method to simplify the operative procedure. The availability of absorbable staples on a GIA stapler allows study of the incorporation of stapling procedures into formation of a reservoir. Because of the success of hand-sewn W-configured ileal reservoirs, we initiated a Phase II study to evaluate absorbable staples in formation of a W-configured reservoir. We now present an expanded contemporary series comparing a W-stapled ileal neobladder with hand-sewn ileal (Studer) or hand-sewn ileocolic (Le Bag) reservoirs. Methods Forty-five selected patients underwent orthotopic urinary diversion after cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer (n = 42) or prostate cancer (n = 3) using one of the three methods of reservoir construction. There were 43 men and 2 women. The evaluation included a urodynamic evaluation and a questionnaire sent to patients inquiring about urinary function. Results Most patients did well with the W-stapled ileal reservoir but 6 of 19 evaluable patients had unsatisfactory reservoir characteristics. Three patients needed an augmentation cystoplasty and 3 had higher pressure, smaller volume reservoirs. Reservoir function appeared to be consistently more favorable in patients with either of the hand-sewn reservoirs using an ileal or ileocolic segment. Conclusions Although the W-stapled ileal reservoir is safe and allows reservoir formation quickly, the inconsistencies of the results discourage its use in the particular configuration described. Failure of the reservoir to distend could be a function of reservoir design, areas of ischemia in the reservoir, or reaction to staple material. Absorbable staples on the GIA instrument may work satisfactorily for formation of an ileocolic reservoir for continent cutaneous diversion. However, the W-configured orthotopic reservoir as constructed using absorbable staples in this study is inferior to a hand-sewn ileal or ileocolic neobladder.
Xtract: An overview

Lexical collocations have particular statistical distributions. We have developed a set of statistical techniques for retrieving and identifying collocations from large textual corpora. The techniques we developed are able to identify collocations of arbitrary length as well as flexible collocations. These techniques have been implemented in a lexicographic tool, Xtract, which is able to automatically acquire collocations with high retrieval performance. Xtract works in three stages. The first stage is based on a statistical technique for identifying word pairs involved in a syntactic relation. The words can appear in the text in any order and can be separated by an arbitrary number of other words. The second stage is based on a technique to extract n-word collocations (or n-grams) in a much simpler way than related methods. These collocations can involve closed class words such as particles and prepositions. A third stage is then applied to the output of stage one and applies parsing techniques to sentences involving a given word pair in order to identify the proper syntactic relation between the two words. A secondary effect of the third stage is to filter out a number of candidate collocations as irrelevant and thus produce higher quality output. In this paper we present an overview of Xtract and we describe several uses for Xtract and the knowledge it retrieves such as language generation and machine translation.
An Automated Method for Counting Cytotoxic T-cells From CD8 Stained Images of Renal Biopsies

Studying inflammatory cell subsets in transplant biopsies can be important for diagnosis and to understand pathogenesis. Counting the different subsets of lymphocytes and macrophages in the immunostained renal biopsy is often considered as the only way to characterize the inflammatory infiltrate. Counting each subset of cells in each biopsy under a light microscope can be extremely tedious, time consuming and subject to inter- and intra-personal variability. This paper presents a new method to automatically count the number of CD8 positive cytotoxic t-cells on scanned images of immunostained slides of renal allograft biopsies. The method uses normalized multi-scale difference of Gaussian to detect the potential cytotoxic t-cell candidates regions, both in the color channel and the intensity channel. Then, it fuses the information from both channels’ candidate regions to detect the individual cells within cell clumps. The evaluation of the proposed method shows that there is a strong consensus between the proposed method’s markings with the pathologist’s markings (94.4%).
Pulmonary Vein Atresia with Severe Contralateral Pulmonary Vein Stenosis in a Child

Unilateral pulmonary vein atresia is a very rare congenital anomaly associated with high morbidity and mortality. Most cases present in infancy or childhood with recurrent respiratory infections or hemoptysis. Further, the diagnosis can often be difficult to make. We present an infant who died due to unilateral right-sided pulmonary vein atresia in conjunction with severe contralateral pulmonary vein stenosis who was diagnosed with the assistance of cardiac computed tomography scanning.
Dideoxy sequencing and structural analysis of the rat insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 gene

Abstract Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) is an important modulator of IGF bioavailability. To facilitate studies of IGFBP-1 regulation and function in rodent models, we cloned the rat IGFBP-1 gene and analyzed its structure by dideoxy sequencing. The rat IGFBP-1 gene is relatively small (∼ 5 kb) and contains 4 exons and 3 introns, similar to the human IGFBP-1 gene.
Densities of hydrocarbons in their saturated vapor and liquid states

The Sum and differences of the saturated vapor and liquid densities of 23 hydrocarbons were used to develop the following reduced density relationships for these saturated states The hydrocarbons considered included n-parafins, olefins, diolefins, naphthenes, and aromatics. Constants β, γ, and δ, and exponent n were found to be dependent on,. Equation (a) can reproduce liquid densities with an overall average deviation of 1.1 % over the entire temperature range, while Equation (b) was found to apply only in the interval 0.900 ≤ TR ≤ 1.00 with an average deviation of 2.2%. For temperatures of Tk < 0.90, the saturated vapor density was found to depend on temperature as follows where k and m were also found to be Zc dependent. Values calculated using Equation (c), when compared with 81 available experimental densities for 12 hydrocarbons, produced an average deviation of 3.0%.
Induction of cyclooxygenase-2 by mechanical stress through a nitric oxide-regulated pathway

Abstract Objective Biomechanical signals play important roles in regulating the homeostasis of articular cartilage, but under abnormal conditions may be a critical factor in the onset and progression of arthritis. Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) and nitric oxide (NO), derived from the enzymes cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX2) and NO synthase 2 (NOS2), are inflammatory mediators that modulate numerous physiological and pathophysiological processes and are potentially important pharmacological targets in osteoarthritis. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of mechanical compression on PGE 2 production in the presence of selective NOS2 and COX2 inhibitors. Methods Articular cartilage explants harvested from 2–3-year-old pigs were subjected to intermittent compression at 0.5Hz over a range of stress magnitudes. PGE 2 and NO production into the media were determined in the presence and absence of the NOS2 inhibitor 1400W or the COX2 inhibitor NS398. COX2 protein levels were determined by immunoblot analysis. Results Mechanical compression significantly increased NO and PGE 2 synthesis in a manner that was dependent on the magnitude of stress. The selective COX2 inhibitor blocked compression-induced NO and PGE 2 production. Compression in the presence of 1400W further increased COX2 expression resulting in a 10-fold increase in PGE 2 production compared to uncompressed explants with 1400W and a 40-fold increase in PGE 2 compared to uncompressed explants without 1400W. Conclusion Mechanical compression of articular cartilage increased COX2 and PGE 2 production through a NO-dependent pathway, and therefore pharmacological agents that target the NOS2 pathway in cartilage may have a significant influence on prostanoid production in the joint. Copyright 2002 OsteoArthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .
Aspects of energy-yielding metabolism in the aphid, Schizaphis graminum, and its endosymbiont: detection of gene fragments potentially coding for the ATP synthase beta-subunit and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Specialized cells within the aphid,Schizaphis graminum, contain intracellular, vesicleenclosed eubacterial endosymbionts (Buchnera aphidicola). Using oligonucleotide probes derived from conserved sequences of the ATP synthase β-subunit and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we have amplified, cloned, and sequenced three DNA fragments. Amino acid sequence similarity indicated that two of these fragments corresponded to endosymbiont and host genes potentially coding for the β-subunit of ATP synthase. The host gene fragment contained two putative introns. The third DNA fragment corresponded to a portion of a gene coding for a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase that was highly related to one of the enzymes fromEscherichia coli (GapA). These results indicate thatB. aphidicola may have an ATP synthase and consequently could synthesize ATP from a proton motive force generated within the intracellular vesicles of host cells containing the endosymbionts. The detection of a gene fragment coding for a protein similar to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase suggests the presence of this glycolytic enzyme in the endosymbiont and its involvement in energy-yielding metabolism.
On the Make: Clerks and the Quest for Capital in Nineteenth-Century America

On the Make: Clerks and the Quest for Capital in Nineteenth-Century America BRIAN P. LUSKEY New York: New York University Press, 2010 Pp. 277, $48.00 (hbk), ISBN 978 0 8147 5228 9 Clerks are good t...
Effect of ultramicroelectrode array surface structure on analytical figures of merit of structurally different compounds

Abstract The electroanalytical response of electrodes with different active area fractions has been investigated using ferrocyanide, hydroquinone and 2,6-diamino-8-purinol as the probes. The background current, sensitivity, detection limit and linear dynamic range were determined. The analytical figures of merit depend on the electroactive area fraction and the properties of the probe such as adsorption and electrochemical kinetics. The results follow the predictions of the ultramicroelectrode array theory.
Developmental neurogenetics and neuro-ophthalmology.

The field of developmental neurogenetics has burgeoned over the past decade. Through the combined efforts of developmental biologists, geneticists, and clinicians, genetic defects resulting in neuro-ophthalmic disorders such as holoprosencephaly, microphthalmia, dominant optic atrophy, and optic nerve colobomas have been identified and characterized at the molecular level. Experimental studies in model organisms are continuing to identify novel genes critical for ocular and central nervous system development. Mutations in some of these genes have revealed a spectrum of pathology similar to that observed in septo-optic dysplasia, Moebius syndrome, and Duane retraction syndrome. This review examines our current knowledge of the molecular genetics of neuro-ophthalmic disease and focuses on several candidate genes for afferent and efferent visual system disorders.
Adolf Meyer Revisited: Connections between Lifestyles, Resilience and Illness

Abstract Adolf Meyer, whose theory of psychobiology represented one of the most insightful and important approaches to understanding mental illness in the early 20th century, insisted that humans could be understood best through consideration of their activities as experienced on a daily basis and over the life course. During Meyer's era, changes were occurring at an unprecedented pace including increased cultural diversity, social upheavals and technological advances. These, in turn, were associated with emotional, psychological, and behavioral problems. In many ways, the changes wrought during the early twentieth century parallel the challenges of our current age. This paper argues that Meyer's holistic, integrated, and life focused framework provides a timeless context for viewing the inextricable nature of mind and body, explaining the links between stressors of the modern era and illness. I review the emerging literature on psychoneuroimmunology and make the compelling case that lifestyle and daily o...
Noncommutative self-dual supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory

Abstract We formulate noncommutative self-dual N=4 supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory in D=2+2 dimensions. As in the corresponding commutative case, this theory can serve as the possible master theory of all the noncommutative supersymmetric integrable models in lower dimensions. As a by-product, noncommutative self-dual N=2 supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory is obtained in D=2+2. We also perform a dimensional reduction of the N=2 theory further into N=(2,2) in D=1+1, as a basis for more general future applications. As a typical example, we show how noncommutative integrable matrix N=(1,0) supersymmetric KdV equations in D=1+1 arise from this theory, via the Yang–Mills gauge groups GL(n, R ) or SL(2n, R ) .
A graph distance measure for image analysis

Attributed relational graphs (ARGs) have shown superior qualities when used for image representation and analysis in computer vision systems. A new, efficient approach for calculating a global distance measure between attributed relational graphs is proposed, and its applications in computer vision are discussed. The distance measure is calculated by a global optimization algorithm that is shown to be very efficient for this problem. The approach shows good results for practical size ARGs. The technique is also suitable for parallel processing implementation.
DYSKERATOSIS CONGENITA WITH PANCYTOPENIA (DC-P): A MONOCYTE DEFECT?

Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC) is a rare hereditary syndrome of ectodermal dystrophy (ungual dystrophy, poikiloderma atrophicans, leukoplakia) In which ½ of the reported cases have had pancytopenia (DC-P). These patients have an excessive incidence of infection presumably related to loss of normal mucous membrane barrier, pancytopenia and steroid therapy. We will report two more unrelated typical DC-P phenotypes with special attention to leukocyte function in one. Although previously not reported, both patients had bone marrow responses to oxymetholone within 3 months (erythroid>myeloid>megakaryocyte). Pt 1 had a low normal IgM of 51mg%: he expired from sepsis with an absolute neutrophil count of 3,000. Pt 2 has a low IgM of 27mg%: he has had less ungual pain on zinc and remains free of clinical infections. His monocyte function studies before oxymetholone, on zinc, demonstrated depressed spontaneous migration (50% of control, twice), no chemotactic response to zymosan activated serum (twice), and depressed chemiluminescence (65% of control, once). Response to MIF and production of colony stimulating factor were normal. Neutrophil function studies, lymphocyte mitogen response, and mixed lymphocyte culture stimulation were normal. Zinc therapy would not seem to be an explanation for these in vitro findings given the rapid egress of zinc from monocytes and the experimental conditions used. A primary monocyte defect may be present in DC-P.
Further studies of a zinc-air cell employing a packed bed anode part I: Discharge

The zinc-air cell employing a packed bed anode, described previously [2], has been the subject of further investigation. A 76 cm2 (air electrode area) laboratory cell has been used to determine cell performance under a varying load corresponding to the Simplified Federal Urban Driving Schedule. The results were then used as a basis for the conceptual design of a 55 kW (peak power) battery. Projected specific energy of the battery was 110 Wh kg−1 and projected specific power 97 W kg−1 under SFUDS discharge. These values were increased to 228 Wh kg−1 and 97 W kg−1 when capacity is important and to 101 Wh kg−1 and 150 W kg−1 when power is important, based on the results of discharge experiments at 45°C. Preliminary experiments were carried out to determine the long term stability of the air electrode in this application, to measure self discharge of the zinc and to test the practicality of mechanically recharging the cell.
Role of adaptive plasticity in recovery of function after damage to motor cortex

Based upon neurophysiologic, neuroanatomic, and neuroimaging studies conducted over the past two decades, the cerebral cortex can now be viewed as functionally and structurally dynamic. More specifically, the functional topography of the motor cortex (commonly called the motor homunculus or motor map), can be modified by a variety of experimental manipulations, including peripheral or central injury, electrical stimulation, pharmacologic treatment, and behavioral experience. The specific types of behavioral experiences that induce long-term plasticity in motor maps appear to be limited to those that entail the development of new motor skills. Moreover, recent evidence demonstrates that functional alterations in motor cortex organization are accompanied by changes in dendritic and synaptic structure, as well as alterations in the regulation of cortical neurotransmitter systems. These findings have strong clinical relevance as it has recently been shown that after injury to the motor cortex, as might occur in stroke, post-injury behavioral experience may play an adaptive role in modifying the functional organization of the remaining, intact cortical tissue.
Flavonoids from elicitor-treated cell suspension cultures of Cephalocereus senilis

Abstract Two new flavonoid glycosides, 6,7-dihydroxy-5-methoxyflavone 7- O -β- d -glucopyranoside and (2 S )-6,7-dihydroxy-5-methoxyflavanone 7- O -β- d -glucopyranoside, together with two known compounds baicalein and baicalein 7- O -β- d -glucopyranoside, were isolated from chitin-elicited cell suspension cultures of Cephalocereus senilis . All structures, which were established by spectroscopic methods as well as chemical modifications, share the same unusual substitution pattern of the aurone previously described from the same culture. Each has an unsubstituted B-ring and 5,6,7-oxygenation in the A-ring, thus suggesting that a novel cinnamate:CoA ligase may be functional under these circumstances.
A particle model of the Stefan problem

Abstract The melting of triangular and rectangular solids is analyzed by means of new particle-type models. Heating is defined in terms of the increase of a particle's velocity, while temperature is defined in terms of a particle's kinetic energy. Computer examples are given of slow heating, fast heating, heating from above and heating from below. In each case the liquid and the solid portions are clearly delineated.
Critical Values of the Rank-Biserial Correlation Coefficient:

For data with observations on variable Y restricted to consecutive and untied ranks 1,2... n, and with observations on X restricted to nominal classification into group 1 or 2, the Mann-Whitney U-t...
Technologies of Immortality, ‘Good Endings’, and Martyrdom in Urban Egypt

ABSTRACTTaking the deaths of two young Egyptian men as its starting point, this paper traces ‘technologies of immortality’ and the possibilities they promise to the deceased and their status in the grave and afterlife. Extending Foucault's notion of ‘technologies of the self’ beyond its this-worldly focus, technologies of immortality aim to account for the rituals, practices, discourses, and images generated by community members to positively impact the fate of the deceased. Looking closely at ‘death narratives’, their repetition, circulation, and anticipated effects, I explore how the living collectively and performatively produce martyrs and their good endings in Cairo, Egypt.
Late Cenozoic rates of erosion in the western Española basin, New Mexico: Evidence from geologic dating of erosion surfaces

Erosion surfaces in the Espanola basin formed before 350 ka and between 350 and 240, 240 and 130, and 130 and 80 ka, probably in response to climatic change and regional uplift. The surfaces are cut on Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene deposits and range from about 200 m to 15 m above the present Rio Chama/Rio Grande system. Periods when the surfaces formed were dated using varnish-cation ratios from exposed clasts, the mass of soil carbonate, and amino-acid ratios in Pleistocene gastropods from underlying deposits. Thorium/uranium ages from soil carbonate were used to calibrate a local curve for varnish-cation ratios. The range in age determined for a given surface, although derived from different dating techniques, implies that parts of the surface were sites of erosion or aggradation after the surface formed. From 1.1 Ma to present, denudation rates averaged 10 cm/1,000 yr from weakly lithified sandstone, less than 7 cm/1,000 yr from indurated tuff and boulder gravel, and about 4 cm/1,000 yr from tuff and basalt. Erosion surfaces were preserved as upland benches and terraces by stream incision during periods of pluvial climate and regional uplift, but our data do not permit clear separation of the two causes.
Flow Instabilities during the Squeeze Flow of Multiaxial Laminates

This paper examines the effect that ply arrangement has on the processing characteristics of aligned long fiber reinforced composite laminates. More specifically. this study focuses on the difference between the consolidation squceze flow behavior of unidirectional and multiaxial ply laminates. A commercially produced material tape composed of aligned carbon fibers in a thermoplastic PEEK matrix (APC-2) was used to construct the laminates. Using specially designed hot platens, constant platen closure rate squeeze flow experiments were performed on 70 ply unidirectional [0°] laminates. Flow visualization techniques were then used to measure the velocity profile ofthe material during flow. Similar squeeze flow experiments were also carried out on macro-ply [0 14 .90 14 .0 7 ] x and cross-ply [0°,90] 18x laminates. Comparisons are made between the generated squeeze forces and macroscopic flow deformation ofthe three laminate configurations.
Dynamics of a rising and falling cylinder

Abstract In the present investigation, we study the dynamics of a cylinder which is allowed to rise or fall freely through a fluid. We find that falling cylinders, oriented horizontally, all descend in a rectilinear path. As one reduces the relative density (or mass ratio, m * ), such that m * 1 and the cylinders begin to rise, rectilinear trajectories are found to persist. However, when one falls below a special value of the relative density, the body suddenly commences large-amplitude transverse vibration, with horizontal fluctuations of nearly 2 diameters peak-to-peak. It turns out that the critical mass ratio for this phenomenon to appear, m crit * = 0.54 , agrees remarkably well with the critical value for elastically mounted cylinders, defining a similar sudden transition between states. The vigorously vibrating cylinder exhibits a 2P mode of vortex formation, as found previously for elastically mounted bodies in purely transverse motion. This is consistent with the fact that the critical values of relative densities are similar, although the closeness of the values is unexpected when one considers that the freely rising body exhibits streamwise motions. It appears that the existence of a critical relative density for the rising cylinder is a new phenomenon.
Studies on the electron transfer system XXIX. The isolation and properties of a succinic dehydrogenase-cytochrome b complex from beef-heart mitochondria

Abstract 1. 1. The isolation and properties of a succinic dehydrogenase-cytochrome b particle from beef heart mitochondria are described. 2. 2. The relation of cytochrome b to the main chain of terminal electron transport is discussed. 3. 3. A method for assaying succini-Coenzyme Q reductase activity is described.
Risk of colorectal neoplasia in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis following orthotopic liver transplantation

Several centers have identified colorectal cancer in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and ulcerative colitis (UC) who have undergone orthotopic liver transplantation. Increased frequency of surveillance colonoscopy and prophylactic colectomy has been recommended. To address these concerns, we reviewed the posttransplantation experience with colorectal neoplasia in patients with PSC and UC at our institution. All patients with PSC and UC who underwent liver transplantation at Mayo Clinic between April 1985 and December 1993 were followed up through their complete history for colorectal dysplasia, cancer, or death. Eighty-one of 108 patients with PSC (75%) had concomitant inflammatory bowel disease (all but 1 had UC). Proctocolectomy had been performed before transplantation in 24 (30%). Median follow-up after transplantation was 4.2 years. Among the 57 patients with intact colons, 3 developed colorectal cancer, an incidence of approximately 1% per person per year. The cumulative incidence of dysplasia was 15% at 5 years and 21% at 8 years. Overall actuarial survival stratified by presence or absence of an intact colon at transplantation was similar (86% and 86%, respectively, at 5 years). The risk of carcinoma after transplantation compared with that expected for patients during a comparable (pretransplantation) period was increased fourfold but was not statistically significant. The risk of colorectal neoplasia (dysplasia and cancer) after liver transplantation in patients with PSC and UC is clinically important. However, this risk had no impact on patient survival. Prophylactic proctocolectomy does not appear necessary, but annual surveillance colonoscopy is recommended.
Postnatal increase in insulin-sensitive glucose transporter expression is associated with improved recovery of postischemic myocardial function

Abstract Objective Glucose is an important substrate for energy production in the developing heart. Increased glucose uptake rate and metabolism during ischemia and reperfusion are closely linked to postischemic myocardial recovery. The initial rate-limiting step for glycolysis is the transport of glucose across the plasma membrane by glucose transporters (GLUT-1 and GLUT-4). We hypothesized that changes in GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 expression in developing hearts lead to age-dependent adaptive changes in glucose uptake capacity and influence tolerance to ischemia. Methods Western-immunoblotting was performed to determine GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 expression in myocardial tissue from 1, 2, and 3-week-old and adult rabbits. Glucose uptake rate was measured with 31 P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy using 2-deoxyglucose as substrate in isolated perfused hearts. Hearts from same age rabbits were perfused in the Langendorff mode with crystalloid buffer or buffer plus a GLUT-4 specific antibody in order to determine GLUT-4 mediated effects on myocardial protection. The hearts were subjected to 30 minutes of normothermic ischemia followed by reperfusion. Cardiac contractile function measurements were obtained pre- and postischemia. Tissue lactate accumulation was measured in all groups at end-ischemia Conclusions Insulin-regulated glucose transporter (GLUT-4) expression in the heart increased gradually after birth reaching nearly adult levels by 3 weeks of age. Corresponding with the higher amount of GLUT-4 protein, improved recovery of postischemic contractile function was seen in older hearts in association with increased anaerobic glycolytic capacity. Interventions to accelerate postnatal GLUT-4 expression may improve ischemic tolerance in the neonatal heart.
Educating clinicians about cultural competence and disparities in health and health care

An extensive body of literature has documented significant racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care. Cultural competency interventions, including the training of physicians and other health care professionals, have been proposed as a key strategy for helping to reduce these disparities. The continuing medical education (CME) profession can play an important role in addressing this need by improving the quality and assessing the outcomes of multicultural education programs. This article provides an overview of health care policy, legislative, accreditation, and professional initiatives relating to these subjects. The status of CME offerings on cultural competence/disparities is reviewed, with examples provided of available curricular resources and online courses. Critiques of cultural competence training and selected studies of its effectiveness are discussed. The need for the CME profession to become more culturally competent in its development, implementation, and evaluation of education programs is examined. Future challenges and opportunities are described, and a call for leadership and action is issued.
Familial neurofibromatosis type 1: Clinical experience with DNA testing

To determine how DNA testing for familial neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) would be used in a clinical setting by patients and physicians, we performed confirmatory DNA testing on 24 individuals with a family history of NF-1 and on nine couples who requested DNA testing for current or future prenatal diagnosis. A further eight families were unsuitable for DNA linkage testing because of their pedigree structure. For the majority of persons the certainty of the test result was 95% to 99%. In five individuals, only one of whom was less than 6 years of age, the DNA-based diagnosis was discrepant with the clinical diagnosis at the time of referral. In all five cases, results of subsequent clinical reexaminations were consistent with the DNA diagnosis. We conclude that DNA testing by linkage analysis may be most useful as an adjunct to the clinical diagnosis of familial NF-1 (1) in children less than 6 years of age in whom the full manifestations may not yet be apparent, (2) in NF-1 families interested in prenatal testing, and (3) when the resources available for a complete clinical examination are limited.
Meridional eddy flux of enthalpy in the Southern Hemisphere during the IGY

From meteorological IGY data for the calendar year 1958, the mean meridional eddy transport of enthalpy was evaluated for the Southern Hemisphere. Levels chosen for the study were 1000, 850, 700, 500, 400, 300, 200, 150 and 100 mb. Data from 84 Southern Hemisphere and 25 equatorial Northern Hemisphere stations were used. Yearly mean quantities related to meridional eddy enthalpy flux were computed and analyzed. It was found that around 40° S there is a double-maximum zone of poleward, meridional, transient eddy enthalpy flux, the stronger transport occurring at 850 mb, and the weaker near 200 mb. The countergradient transient eddy flux regions in the low latitude mid-troposphere and in the middle and upper latitude lower stratosphere, found in previous Northern Hemisphere investigations, were observed to exist in the Southern Hemisphere also. The standing eddy heat transport, as expected, was very weak except at high latitudes where Antarctic continentality effected a large double-maximum poleward flux centered near the surface and in the lower stratosphere. The total vertically integrated enthalpy transport by the eddies was found to be poleward everywhere, reaching a maximum between 35° and 40° S.
Aging and scotopic sensitivity

Scotopic sensitivity was compared in young and older adults in good eye health after individualized correction for age-related changes in lens density and control of pupil diameter. Unlike earlier studies on this topic, fundus photography and a grading scale were used to characterize macular health in the older sample. Twenty-four young adults (mean age 27) and 25 older adults (mean age 70 years) underwent scotopic sensitivity testing after 30 min of dark adaptation. Light sensitivity for a 450 nm target was measured at 4, 7, 32, and 38 degrees both nasally and temporally along the horizontal meridian. Lens density was estimated using Sample's method. On average, older adults exhibited a 0.5 log unit decrease in sensitivity even with lens density taken into account, which did not vary with target eccentricity or nasal/temporal hemifield. Although 60% of older subjects exhibited fundoscopic signs of early age-related maculopathy (ARM), even those free from these signs demonstrated a half log unit sensitivity loss, suggesting that this impairment may represent a biological aging process. We found no psychophysical evidence that scotopic sensitivity loss in older adults with relatively good retinal health is accentuated in the peri-macula, even though anatomical studies on donor retinas from older adults have indicated that this area has heightened rod loss.
Timing Movie Release on the Internet in the Context of Piracy

Offering movies on the Internet is one way of combating the issue of online movie piracy, although the tradeoff is the cannibalization of the more revenue-generating channels. Given this tradeoff and the rather unique “staggered window distribution” mechanism followed by the movie industry, this article addresses the problem of when the studio owner should release the movie online to maximize the entire revenue stream of that movie. A general modeling approach that assumes an exponential demand function and fixed release times in the remaining channels is provided. Detailed illustration using three different movie types demonstrates that a high revenue-generating movie should be released online just prior to its home video release, while the online release of an average or below-average movie should coincide with their withdrawal from the theaters. Sensitivity analyses of the results are also displayed and give the circumstances under which a different online release time is warranted. The analysis sugges...
Intensity analysis of the nature of Rb/Xe red satellite bands

Abstract Absorption intensities of the doublet lines, and their associated red satellite red satellite bands, for the first three members of the xenon perturbed rubidium principal series were analyzed in order to investigate the nature of the bands. From the intensity variation with xenon pressure, it is concluded that the bands are not due to molecular formation in the Rb electronic ground states. The ideas of molecule formation in the Rb electronic excited states were only partially confirmed. In transitions from the atomic states 2 P 3 2 and 2 P 1 2 to other states of quantization, the interatomic potential at small distances seems to be more complicated than the one customarily used in qualitative discussions on the production of bands.
Observations of a monotectic solidification interface morphology

For detailed studies of the region around a solidification interface on a microscopic scale, a very thin (essentially two-dimensional) test cell may be translated across two temperature-controlled heating/cooling blocks and viewed with a microscope. Such a device is sometimes referred to as a temperature gradient microscope stage (TGS). Of particular interest in this study is the behavior of a monotectic type solution during solidification. Succinonitrile based model systems for metallic monotectic alloys, when solidified on a TGS, form an unusual 'worm-like' micromorphology. These interfaces are observable in situ under high optical magnification during growth.
Epitaxial silicon-carbon alloy growth by laser induced melting and solidification

Ion implantation of carbon into single-crystal silicon followed by excimer laser irradiation was used to create supersaturated, epitaxial Si{sub x}C{sub 1{minus}x} films. Crystallization proceeded from the underlying single-crystal silicon through the carbon containing layers at velocities of approximately 5 m/s. Characterization by high-resolution x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared absorption indicate that the carbon is found predominantly on substitutional lattice sites for concentrations up to 1.4 at.% C. Secondary-ion mass spectrometry profiles and numerical mass transfer calculations were used to estimate the diffusion coefficient of carbon in the liquid as 2--3 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} cm{sup 2}/s with a segregation coefficient greater than 0.4. Unusual diffusion behavior was observed for the carbon at 1.4 at.% C. At higher concentrations, evidence of SiC precipitates was observed in transmission electron microscopy images and FTIR absorption spectra.
In defense of expert opinion

Evidence-based medicine, centered on the incorporation of evidence from clinical trials and systematic reviews into the teaching and practice of clinical medicine, explicitly attempts to supplant expert opinion, which is viewed as an antiquated and unreliable form of medical authority. The epistemol
Church Control over Marriage in Seventeenth-Century Russia

For the most part, historians of Muscovy have presented the Russian Orthodox Church as ineffective in controlling and influencing its flock. Deprived of an efficient bureaucracy, hindered by the often imposing distances that separated parish churches from the church hierarchy, and struggling with a largely illiterate and impossibly misinformed laity, the Muscovite church appears in many historical narratives as disorganized and therefore unable to monitor effectively its adherents, explaining in part the emergence of Old Belief in the seventeenth century. As one critic put it, "the Church in Muscovy suffered from grievously inadequate administration ... lacking all the elements of a formal bureaucracy." Small wonder, then, if Muscovites showed little commitment to clerical directives.' Descriptions of early modem Russian weddings, ostensibly representing sacramental acts that church theology invested with enormous meaning, seem to highlight the extent to which Muscovites wore their Christianity lightly. For example, the 1551 Hundred Chapters Church Council (Stoglav) worried about weddings at which minstrels and psaltery players performed "devilish songs" and danced indecently, even in the presence of priests and en route to church. Similar reports surfaced later, including a 1648 complaint that Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich addressed to Belgorod authorities, in which the sovereign complained that all sorts of disorder, scandalous songs, and devilish games marred weddings. Statements like these helped convince historians that "popular conceptions of
Information filtration in organizations: Three experiments

Abstract To better understand the processes of selective filtration which occur in upward, downward, and lateral information transmission in organizational hierarchies three laboratory experiments were conducted. Two sets of independent variables were manipulated: (1) directionality of flow, and (2) interpersonal trust and influence. The dependent variables were nine measures of information filtration. Results indicated that senders acted to filter different types of information depending on the direction the information was to be sent and the senders' trust in the receiver.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy with gay, lesbian, and bisexual clients

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be adapted to a wide range of clinical difficulties and presenting problems that face lesbians, gay men, and bisexual persons. The following article presents general guidelines for and two case examples of the use of CBT. The first case is a gay male struggling with social phobia. This case is an example of how to adapt a structured, empirically supported cognitive-behavioral treatment focusing on social phobia to situations that are associated with his sexual orientation. The second is a woman struggling with multiple issues including coming out. This case provides an example of how to add specific cognitive-behavioral techniques to coming-out issues within the context of a more eclectic, longer-term therapy.
Changes in lipid distribution in the human lens with the development of cataract

The lipid content of decapsulated whole lenses and fiber cell membranes from normal andcataractous human lenses has been investigated. Similar amounts of phospholipid, cholesterol and fatty acids are found in chloroform-methanol extracts of normal and cataractous lenses. However, while most of these lipids are located in the membrane fraction of normal lenses, in cataracts only half of the lipid is found in the membranes. Lipid: protein ratios for reduced and alkylated membrane preparations are the same for both normal and cataractous lenses suggesting a proportional loss of these constituents in cataract. The relative fatty acid composition for normal and cataractous lenses and their isolated membrane fraction is identical. These observations suggest that there is a generalized decomposition of the lens fiber cell membranes with cataract formation.
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with refractory Crohn's disease

Background & Aims: Crohn's disease (CD) is an immunologically mediated inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to a high morbidity and/or an increase in mortality in refractory cases, a new treatment approach is needed. In theory, maximum immune ablation by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can induce a remission. Methods: We conducted a phase 1 HSCT study in 12 patients with refractory CD. Candidates were younger than 60 years of age with a Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) of 250–400 despite conventional therapies including infliximab. Peripheral blood stem cells were mobilized with cyclophosphamide and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and CD34 + enriched. The immune ablative (conditioning) regimen consisted of 200 mg/kg cyclophosphamide and 90 mg/kg equine antithymocyte globulin. Results: The procedure was well tolerated with anticipated cytopenias, neutropenic fever, and disease-related fever, diarrhea, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting. The median days for neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 9.5 (range, 8–11) and 9 (range, 9–18), respectively. The initial median CDAI was 291 (range, 250–358). Symptoms and CDAI improved before hospital discharge, whereas radiographic and colonoscopy findings improved gradually over months to years following HSCT. Eleven of 12 patients entered a sustained remission defined by a CDAI ≤150. After a median follow-up of 18.5 months (range, 7–37 months), only one patient has developed a recurrence of active CD, which occurred 15 months after HSCT. Conclusions: Autologous HSCT may be performed safely and has a marked salutary effect on CD activity. A randomized study will be needed to confirm the efficacy of this therapy.
The effect of two types of C-S-H on the elasticity of cement-based materials: Results from nanoindentation and micromechanical modeling

It has long been recognized, in cement chemistry, that two types of calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) exist in cement-based materials, but less is known about how the two types of C-S-H affect the mechanical properties. By means of nanoindentation tests on nondegraded and calcium leached cement paste, the paper confirms the existence of two types of C-S-H, and investigates the distinct role played by the two phases on the elastic properties of cement-based materials. It is found that (1) high-density C-S-H are mechanically less affected by calcium leaching than low density C-S-H, and (2) the volume fractions occupied by the two phases in the C-S-H matrix are not affected by calcium leaching. The nanoindentation results also provide quantitative evidence, suggesting that the elastic properties of the C-S-H phase are intrinsic material properties that do not depend on mix proportions of cement-based materials. The material properties and volume fractions are used in a novel two-step homogenization model, that predicts the macroscopic elastic properties of cement pastes with high accuracy. Combined with advanced physical chemistry models that allow, for a given w/c ratio, determination of the volume fractions of the two types of C-S-H, the model can be applied to any cement paste, with or without Portlandite, Clinker, and so on. In particular, from an application of the model to decalcified cement pastes, it is shown that that the decalcification of the C-S-H phase is the primary source of the macroscopic elastic modulus degradation, that dominates over the effect of the dissolution of Portlandite in cement-based material systems.
Tropical cyclones and permanent El Niño in the early Pliocene epoch

Tropical cyclones (also known as hurricanes and typhoons) are now believed to be an important component of the Earth's climate system. In particular, by vigorously mixing the upper ocean, they can affect the ocean's heat uptake, poleward heat transport, and hence global temperatures. Changes in the distribution and frequency of tropical cyclones could therefore become an important element of the climate response to global warming. A potential analogue to modern greenhouse conditions, the climate of the early Pliocene epoch (approximately 5 to 3 million years ago) can provide important clues to this response. Here we describe a positive feedback between hurricanes and the upper-ocean circulation in the tropical Pacific Ocean that may have been essential for maintaining warm, El Nino-like conditions during the early Pliocene. This feedback is based on the ability of hurricanes to warm water parcels that travel towards the Equator at shallow depths and then resurface in the eastern equatorial Pacific as part of the ocean's wind-driven circulation. In the present climate, very few hurricane tracks intersect the parcel trajectories; consequently, there is little heat exchange between waters at such depths and the surface. More frequent and/or stronger hurricanes in the central Pacific imply greater heating of the parcels, warmer temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific, warmer tropics and, in turn, even more hurricanes. Using a downscaling hurricane model, we show dramatic shifts in the tropical cyclone distribution for the early Pliocene that favour this feedback. Further calculations with a coupled climate model support our conclusions. The proposed feedback should be relevant to past equable climates and potentially to contemporary climate change.
The Indian People's Theater Association (IPTA) on film: (Con)testing memory and history in the Bengali theaterscapes of Ritwik Ghatak's Komal Gandhar (E Flat, 1961)

This piece focuses on the importance of Bengali filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak's Komal Gandhar (E Flat, 1961), in providing a cinematic representation of the methods, ideologies, and personalities of the Bengal IPTA, and how Ghatak's construction of the film – particularly his use of sound and song – powerfully expresses the significance of this theatrical movement in Bengal's cultural history. Specifically, I argue that the prominent role of theater in the film is a means of galvanizing the memory and debating the history of contentious, traumatic events of and around the 1947 Partition. I examine several sequences of rehearsals for and performances of both IPTA-like plays and the Indian classical drama Shakuntala to illustrate Ghatak's establishment of a dialectical dialogue between aural and visual elements, traditional and progressive culture, and ultimately, memory and history in this film.