cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute suprarenal aortogastric fistulae caused by gunshot wounds: The importance of early recognition in directing surgical strategy

Penetrating suprarenal aortic injuries carry high mortality rates. Difficulties in surgical exposure and bleeding control in this area add to the ominous prognosis. In rare occasions, synchronous injury to the adjacent upper part of stomach may lead to an acute aortogastric fistula, resulting in aortic bleeding into the stomach instead of the peritoneal cavity. Filling of the stomach with blood may temporarily tamponade the aortic perforation. Distortion of this delicate communication during dissection before proximal and distal vascular control is achieved could result in catastrophic hemorrhage. Therefore, recognition of the importance of a fully distended stomach at the suspicion of aortic injury is essential in directing a particular surgical strategy that aims to achieve an unrestricted operative exposure and successful bleeding control.
Trace gas detection by laser intracavity photothermal spectroscopy.

A novel laser intracavity photothermal detector is described. In this scheme, sample absorption of the pump laser power takes place within the cavity of a probe He–Ne laser causing modulation in the gain and in turn the output power. Comparison of this intracavity detector with two other photothermal techniques, namely, phase fluctuation optical heterodyne spectroscopy and thermal beam deflection, is made in terms of practicality and sensitivity. For in situ measurements, sensitivity of 0.5 × 10−7 cm−1 for a probe length of 3 cm has been achieved.
Invoking the empirical muse: Conversation, performance, and pedagogy

(1993). Invoking the empirical muse: Conversation, performance, and pedagogy. Text and Performance Quarterly: Vol. 13, Performance and Conversation, pp. 192-196.
Electron field emission from carbon nanotubes

Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have recently emerged as a promising class of electron field emitters. They have a low threshold electric field for emission and a high emission current density which make them attractive for technological applications. In this article we review recent progress on understanding of CNT field emitters and discuss issues related to applications of CNT-based cold cathodes in vacuum microelectronic devices. The emphasis is on the emission characteristics of macroscopic CNT cathodes and their relations with the underlying materials properties. To cite this article: Y. Cheng, O. Zhou, C. R. Physique 4 (2003).
Squeezing more out of a laser

A laser's intensity can be stabilized by negative feedback from a conventional photodetector. I propose extraction of sub-shot-noise light from the feedback loop at a beam splitter by illuminating the back side of the beam splitter with squeezed-state light.
Complications of opponensplasty with transfer of extensor carpi ulnaris to extensor pollicis brevis.

The extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) was transferred to the extensor pollicis brevis, as described by Phalen and Miller, 1 in 12 patients with hand deformities from high and low median and ulnar nerve injuries. Although no complications of this transfer have been reported by other surgeons, four of our 12 patients developed significant radial deviation and loss of power grip. This complication was corrected in two patients by transferring the extensor carpi radialis longus to the base of the fifth metacarpal to balance the wrist extensor forces. We believe that this complication may occur when the extensor carpi radialis inserts into the radial aspect of the second metacarpal and when the ECU inserts into the ulnar aspect of the base of the fifth metacarpal. The flexor carpi ulnaris must have normal strength if the wrist is to be balanced after the ECU is transferred.
Platinum uptake by horticultural crops

The chance for exposure of man to Pt has increased because of the loss of Pt by the catalytic converter used to reduce levels of harmful auto emissions. Whether Pt can be taken up by plants and introduced into man's primary food chain was studied. Pt uptake was analyzed by plasma emission spectroscopy from a week's exposure to 0.057, 0.57, or 5.7 ppm Pt inHoaglands solution. Roots and shoots of nine horticulturally important crops were tested. Chlorosis of young tissue was usually evidenced and dry weights of five species were significantly reduced by 5.7 ppm Pt. Several species showed increases in dry weight at the lowest concentration of Pt. All species accumulated Pt in significantly high amounts in the roots at all concentrations of Pt (for cauliflower and tomato > 1000 ppm at 5.7 ppm Pt). Only pepper, cauliflower, and radish accumulated Pt in their tops. Water loss was increased at low Pt treatment levels and decreased at high levels. The results indicate that Pt can enter into man's food chain directly and probably in large amounts from root crops.
Silicon-Coated Deep Subwavelength Spoof Plasmonic Waveguides for THz Applications

We numerically study the propagation of THz waves in spoof plasmonic devices, and show the possibility of using high-index top-coat material to further shrink the relative mode size for deep-subwavelength mode confinement.
Simulation study of a SSSC-based neuro-fuzzy controller for improvement of transient stability in a three-machine power system

In this article, computationally simple and accurate expert system, i.e., neuro-fuzzy system based on the artificial neural network (ANN) is applied to design a static synchronous series compensator (SSSC)-based controller for improvement of transient stability in a three-machine power system. The proposed neuro-fuzzy controller combines the advantages of fuzzy controller as well as quick response and adaptability nature of ANN. The neuro-fuzzy structures were trained using the generated database of fuzzy controller for SSSC. The results prove that the proposed SSSC-based neuro-fuzzy controller is found to be robust to fault location and change in operating conditions. A thorough comparison with the conventional lead-lag controller is carried out, taking into account the results of previous publications. The SSSC-based neuro-fuzzy controller output provides promising results in terms of accuracy and computation time. Finally, conclusions are duly drawn.
Pore structure analysis by water vapor adsorption. IV. Analysis of hydrated portland cement pastes of low porosity

The pore volume and surface distributions of 25 hardened pastes of a hydrated portland cement were determined by water vapor adsorption isotherms. The water to solid weight ratio, ws, used in the preparation of 21 pastes was 0.2, and of 4 pastes it was 0.3. The ws ratio determines the porosity of the paste, and such pastes as are discussed in the present paper are called low-porosity pastes. In the analyses, the two new methods developed by Brunauer and his coworkers were used: the “MP-method” for the micropores, and the “corrected modelless” method for the wider pores. Of the 25 pastes, 8 were previously analyzed by nitrogen adsorption isotherms, using the same methods. Comparison of the water vapor and nitrogen results showed that nitrogen could not penetrate into the micropores, and it could penetrate only into a small fraction of the wider pores. This indicates the presence in low-porosity pastes of very many “ink-bottle” pores, i.e., pores having wide bodies and narrow entrances. The analyses were based on the adsorption isotherms. Desorption equilibration takes very long times, and the indication from the isotherms, as well as from earlier work, was that, given adequate time, very small hysteresis loops would be obtained, or none at all. The pore structure results based on the adsorption branch satisfied the two criteria of correct analysis very well: the cumulative pore surface agreed with the BET surface, and the cumulative pore volume agreed with the uptake of water at the saturation pressure. This is what one would expect for adsorbents which contain predominantly ink-bottle pores. The results showed that with progressing hydration micropores were formed at the expense of wider pores. From one-half to three-fourths of the surface area was located in micropores. The pore volume distribution curves showed that the temperature of hydration had little or no effect on the pore structure. The pastes prepared with ws = 0.3 had a larger pore volume in each pore group than those made with ws = 0.2, but the distribution of the volume in pores of different sizes was similar for the two ws ratios. The compressive strengths of the pastes were found to depend not only on the degree of hydration and total porosity but also on another factor, which may be the pore volume distribution. The micropores appeared to have a greater effect on the reduction of strength than the wide pores.
Baroclinic Instability in Vertically Discrete Systems.

The Charney-Phillips (1953) standard vertical grid for quasi-geostrophic models is compared with the Lorenz (1960) vertical grid (which departs from the standard grid by carrying horizontal velocity and potential temperature at same levels) in the framework of the quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation and baroclinic instability. It is demonstrated that the Charney-Phillips grid makes it possible to maintain important dynamical constraints on quasi-geostrophic flow, such as the conservation of quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity through horizontal advection and resulting integral constraints. The Lorenz grid, on the other hand, is not straightforward even to define quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity. Moreover, due to an extra degree of freedom in potential temperature, the Lorenz grid can falsely satisfy the necessary condition for baroclinic instability near the lower and the upper boundaries.
The Pesticide Risk Beliefs Inventory: A Quantitative Instrument for the Assessment of Beliefs about Pesticide Risks

Recent media attention has focused on the risks that agricultural pesticides pose to the environment and human health; thus, these topics provide focal areas for scientists and science educators to enhance public understanding of basic toxicology concepts. This study details the development of a quantitative inventory to gauge pesticide risk beliefs. The goal of the inventory was to characterize misconceptions and knowledge gaps, as well as expert-like beliefs, concerning pesticide risk. This study describes the development and field testing of the Pesticide Risk Beliefs Inventory with an important target audience: pesticide educators in a southeastern U.S. state. The 19-item, Likert-type inventory was found to be psychometrically sound with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.780 and to be a valuable tool in capturing pesticide educators’ beliefs about pesticide risk, assessing beliefs in four key categories. The Pesticide Risk Beliefs Inventory could be useful in exploring beliefs about pesticide risks and in guiding efforts to address misconceptions held by a variety of formal and informal science learners, educators, practitioners, the agricultural labor force, and the general public.
ESI-MS/MS for the Differentiation of Diastereomeric Pyrimidine Glycols in Mononucleosides

Pyrimidine glycols, or 5,6-dihydroxy-5,6-dihydropyrimidines, are primary lesions in DNA induced by reactive oxygen species. In this article, we report the preparation and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) characterization of the two cis diastereomers of the glycol lesions of 2‘-deoxyuridine, 5-methyl-2‘-deoxycytidine, and thymidine. Our results show that collisional activation of the [M + Na]+ ions of all the three pairs of cis isomers and that of the [M + H]+ ions of the 2‘-deoxyuridine glycols and 5-methyl-2‘-deoxycytidine glycols give a facile loss of a water molecule. Interestingly, the water loss occurs more readily for the 6S isomer than for the 6R isomer. Likewise, product ion spectra of the [M − H]- ions of the two cis isomers of the 2‘-deoxyuridine glycols and thymidine glycols show more facile loss of water for the 6S isomer than for the 6R isomer. MS/MS acquired at different collisional energies gave similar results, which establishes the reproducibility of spectra.
La profesión del noble: linaje y mérito castrense en El Aldegüela

The comedia El Aldeguela, attributed to Lope de Vega, is loosely inspired by the life of Fernando Garcia de Toledo, an illegitimate son of the third Duke of Alba, who eventually procured for Fernando the title of Great Prior of Castile and Leon. Insofar as it dramatizes the protagonist's rise to social prominence through a successful military career, this text can be linked to Lope's earlier work El hijo Venturoso. However, a closer examination of El Aldeguela reveals in it a different ideological approach towards the alleged natural superiority of the nobility in matters of war, and one that is more opposed to an egalitarian concept of merit based on the development of skills and on non-hereditary virtues. In contrast to El hijo Venturoso, El Aldeguela seeks to establish a compromise between these two opposing points of view. Its more conciliatory stance was probably influenced by the various proposals emerging at the period for the reform of the Spanish military, a highly debated issue in the years foll...
Celastrol inhibits aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity via heat shock protein 32

Hearing loss is often caused by death of the mechanosensory hair cells of the inner ear. Hair cells are susceptible to death caused by aging, noise trauma, and ototoxic drugs, including the aminoglycoside antibiotics and the antineoplastic agent cisplatin. Ototoxic drugs result in permanent hearing loss for over 500,000 Americans annually. We showed previously that induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs) inhibits both aminoglycoside- and cisplatin-induced hair cell death in whole-organ cultures of utricles from adult mice. In order to begin to translate these findings into a clinical therapy aimed at inhibiting ototoxic drug-induced hearing loss, we have now examined a pharmacological HSP inducer, celastrol. Celastrol induced upregulation of HSPs in utricles, and it provided significant protection against aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, celastrol inhibited hearing loss in mice receiving systemic aminoglycoside treatment. Our data indicate that the major heat shock transcription factor HSF-1 is not required for celastrol-mediated protection. HSP32 (also called heme oxygenase-1, HO-1) is the primary mediator of the protective effect of celastrol. HSP32/HO-1 inhibits pro-apoptotic c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation and hair cell death. Taken together, our data indicate that celastrol inhibits aminoglycoside ototoxicity via HSP32/HO-1 induction.
Factor Structure of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory for Middle-Aged Men and Women:

Recently, Forgays, Forgays, and Spielberger (in press) reported the first exploratory factor analysis of the total 44-item State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) by gender. The analyses were based on a sample of over 700 male and female university students and identified quite well six of the original STAXI scales and subscales. In addition, a seventh factor, "Feel-Like-Expressing-Anger," emerged for women. In the present study, we examined the STAXI responses from a middle-aged adult population. Exploratory factor analyses replicated the majority of the original structure of the STAXI measure including a Feel-Like-Expressing-Anger factor for men and women. In addition, we employed confirmatory factor analyses and cross-validation procedures to test the validity of Spielberger's (1988) AHA! model. Based on these procedures, we found (a) that a seven-factor model provided a better fit than a six-factor solution for each gender and (b) evidence of robust gender differences for two factors: Feel-Like-Expressing-Anger and State Anger. These gender differences are consistent with the social costs for anger expression in women and the social benefits for men.
Feasibility of a daily electronic survey to study prevention behavior with HIV-infected individuals.

The daily experiences of persons living with HIV (PLWH) are important but under-studied as predictors of HIV prevention behavior. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is an intensive within-subjects data collection method that can be used to examine daily experiences. To determine whether PLWH would participate in EMA, we conducted a feasibility study with 21 PLWH. The method was acceptable to men and women from diverse backgrounds, with 81% (17/21) completing 2 months of daily surveys, and 67% (14/21) completing 6 months. Measures were completed on 72% of study days. Only 6% of records had missing data. Daily survey completion decreased over time. Participants reported that EMA was easy and did not influence their behaviors. Results suggest EMA is feasible with PLWH. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 33:221–234, 2010
The effects of the internet on marketing residential real estate

Abstract This study examines how listing properties on the internet in addition to listing the same properties on the multiple listing service affects the marketing time and price of the properties. Our results, based on a sample of 48,280 residential transactions, indicate that houses listed on the internet take slightly longer to sell and also sell for marginally higher prices. These results, while small in magnitude, are consistent with our theoretical model.
Growth Stasis and Limited Shell Calcification in Larvae of Cymatium parthenopeum During Trans-Atlantic Transport

Larvae of the shallow-water marine gastropod Cymatium parthenopeum show no appreciable shell calcification and no demonstrable growth as they disperse across the Atlantic Ocean. Evidence of what appears to be physiological specialization for prolonged delay of metamorphosis was found in larvae of this prosobranch gastropod.
Physical and sexual abuse among school children: Prevalence and prevention

Prevalence of physical and sexual abuse, with emphasis on data provided by the 1986 National Incidence Study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is discussed within certain data collection constraints. Incidence results are reported by subcategory of abuse, child's sex, child's age, child's race/ethnicity, family income, and family size. Effects of physical and sexual abuse and characteristics of abusers are presented to establish the context in which primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs are developed and delivered. Research on abuse prevention programs is discussed, with attention drawn to problems associated with the lack of a research base for school-based abuse prevention programs.
Analyzing power measurements for n-p scattering between 13.5 and 16.9 MeV

The analyzing power Aγ(θ) for neutron-proton scattering has been measured for θ = 90°(c.m.) from 13.5 to 16.9 MeV and from θ = 50° to 145°(c.m.) at 16.9 MeV. Extensive Monte Carlo calculations have been made to correct for multiple scattering effects. Overall uncertainties are about ± 0.002. All the Aγ(θ) data, but primarily those at 16.9 MeV, disagree with predictons based on the phase-shift sets which have been derived previously by way of global analyses of nucleon-nucleon scattering data. Data for the product σ(θ)Aγ(θ) have been fitted with an expansion of the form (sin θ)(a0 + a1 cos θ + a2 cos 2θ). For the first time the need for a non-zero a2 has been illustrated for energies below 20 MeV. This parameter is shown to be related to the nucleon-nucleon F-state spin-orbit phase parameter. In addition, the P, D, and F spin-orbit phase parameter values derived from the present data differ significantly from the ones based on the Yale-IV and Liver-more-X global analyses. The derived D and F spin-orbit phase parameters also differ from those obtained in the recent analysis of nucleon-nucleon scattering data by Arndt et al.
Effect of interannual and interdecadal climate oscillations on groundwater in North Carolina

Multi-year climate oscillations such as the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) affect precipitation and stream discharge rates in the western hemisphere. While inferences may be drawn between these hydroclimatological relationships and groundwater conditions, few studies explicitly link groundwater conditions to these cycles. Here we investigate relationships between winter ENSO, PDO, and lagging baseflow rates in the southeastern United States. We find strong correlation between winter ENSO and lagged baseflow in coastal North Carolina which, coupled with anomalies in mean baseflow, decrease with distance inland from the coast. Our results demonstrate that interannual and interdecadal climate oscillations in the Pacific Ocean have a strong effect on hydrological processes in eastern North America despite filtering by the groundwater flow process. These results have implications for water resource availability in regions where water management is complicated by population growth and climatic uncertainty.
A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Deretaphrus Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Bothrideridae)

Abstract A revision of the genus Deretaphrus Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera: Bothrideridae) is presented. Deretaphrus is a predominantly Australian genus (22 species), although single species are also present in New Caledonia, Bolivia, and the Pacific Northwest USA. Members of the genus are large (5–13 mm) and commonly collected. Deretaphrus larvae are ectoparasitic on wood-boring insects and may pose some utility as biological control agents. Approximately 1,900 specimens were borrowed from 44 collections and museums, representing the majority of the world's total holdings. A taxonomic treatment of the genus was conducted and all known species are herein described and figured. A key is provided to the world species, and information about the natural history and ecology of the group is presented. Twenty-five species are recognized, including seven new species described herein: Deretaphrus antennatus Lord and McHugh, new species, Deretaphrus boliviensis Lord and McHugh, new species, Deretaphrus carinatus Lord an...
Pro-inflammatory cytokines modify neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor assembly

We have examined the impact of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) on assembly of nAChRs from subunit mixtures of nAChRalpha4, beta2 and beta4 transiently transfected into 293 cells. In control transfections approximately 55% of alpha4 associated preferentially with beta4, but less than 15% complexed with beta2 and the remainder was associated with both beta subunits. These relative ratios were modified by pro-inflammatory cytokines. IL-1beta strongly enhanced alpha4/beta2 association and decreased alpha4/beta4, whereas TNFalpha promoted mixed alpha4/beta2/beta4 interactions. These results show that the emerging rules governing assembly of nAChRs are subject to modification by the pro-inflammatory cytokine environment.
Threshold Detection of Boar Taint Chemicals Using Parasitic Wasps

Surgical castration has been long used to prevent consumers from experiencing taint in meat from male pigs, which is a large problem in the pig husbandry industry. Due to obvious animal welfare issues, the EU now wants an alternative for castration, suggesting an urgent need for novel methods of boar taint detection. As boar taint is only a problem when taint chemicals exceed a well-defined threshold, detection methods should be concentration-specific. The wasp, Microplitis croceipes' ability to learn and respond to particular concentrations of the boar taint compounds, skatole, androstenone, and indole was tested. Also tested was the wasps' ability to discriminate between known concentrations of indole, skatole, and androstenone in real boar fat samples at room temperature. Wasps were trained using associative learning by providing food-deprived wasps with sucrose-water in the presence of specific odor concentrations. Trained wasps' responses were tested to a range of concentrations of 3 compounds. Wasps showed unidirectional generalization of learned concentration responses, whereby the direction of concentration generalization was shown to be chemical- dependent. Through both positive (sucrose) and negative feeding experiences (water only) with varying compound concentrations, the wasps can also be conditioned to respond to concentrations exceeding a defined threshold, and they were successful in reporting low, medium, and high concentrations of indole, skatole, and androstenone in boar fat at room temperature. The need for threshold detection rather than simple detection of absence/presence applies to many food quality issues, including the detection of spoilage or pest damage in crops or stored foods.
Perceived barriers to oral health care among the homebound

Questionnaires and oral examinations were completed on 50 clients of a social service agency which provides home-based services to functionally dependent elderly. Nearly 61% of all respondents classified their oral health as frail/poor, and 82% reported a perceived need for some oral health care. When asked if they considered themselves home-bound, 60% reported being home-bound from 1–10 years (mean = 4.7 years). Two or more home services were received by 80% of the home-bound group compared with just 45% of the not-homebound group. Paying for dental care, transportation difficulties, and poor health were the most frequently identified barriers that limited access to oral health care.
BREAKING TRADITION: AN EXPLORATION OF THE HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING. Diane Musumeci. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. Pp. xiii + 142. $24.07 paper.

In her engrossing account of the historical relationship between theory and practice in second language teaching, Diane Musumeci observes that in the often contentious discussions about this relationship “the one point on which almost everyone agrees is that scant evidence exists to support any single, unified theory of language learning” (p. 3). In Breaking Tradition: An Exploration of the Historical Relationship Between Theory and Practice in Second Language Teaching, Musumeci convincingly argues that the claim that there has been no consistent theory of second language teaching is not only ahistorical but has also discouraged critical investigation of the ideas of tradition and innovation in the field.
Investigation of Hybrid Lipid-Polymer GUVs by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

Hybrid vesicles made from a mixture of lipids and amphiphilic polymers offer a wide variety of chemical and physical properties for different applications. Their mechanical stability and low permeability make them attractive for the use as drug carriers as well as model membranes for the investigation of membrane proteins.We have previously shown that the incorporation of diblock copolymers consisting of hydrophilic polyethyleneoxide and hydrophobic polyisobutylene moieties severely alter the appearance of DPPC GUVs. Confocal fluorescence microscopy images show an absence of the typically facetted appearance of pure DPPC GUVs and - depending on the amount of polymer - the occurrence of phase separation.There is also a significant increase in the lateral mobility in the gel phase of DPPC, which was probed by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). The opposite effect can be seen in DOPC GUVs where the Tm of the pure lipid membrane is below room temperature: the hybrid membranes exhibit a slower lateral diffusion, indicating a stiffening of the fluid membrane.Cellular membranes typically consist of a large number of different constituents which lead to a more varied behavior in terms of lateral mobility and domain formation. We are extending our investigations to include ternary systems, which show demixing even without the addition of the polymer. The preference of the polymer for one of the phases and its influence on the phase behaviour of the lipids is investigated.To further examine the submicroscopic domain structure of the membranes we utilize spot-variation FCS (svFCS). This technique is able to differentiate between macroscopically indistinguishable membrane systems which contain e.g. micro-domains or a percolation meshwork by measuring diffusion on different spatial scales.
Exchange processes over a Middle Atlantic bight shelfbreak canyon

Abstract A synoptic oceanographic study was conducted in August 1978 at the Middle Atlantic shelfbreak along the shelf-slope front and over the Wilmington Canyon. Four masses (surface, cold pool, shelf, and slope waters) were identified from nutrients and hydrographic variables. Also identified were two pycnocline mixing regimes; one between cold pool and slope waters across the inverted thermocline at the bottom of the cold bool protruding off the shelf, and the other directly across the summer thermocline between slope and shelf waters seaward of the cold pool. These two distinct mixing regimes appear to provide some of the common means for water exchange across the shelf-slope front. The associated mixing may be promoted by the circulation and mixing anomalies induced over canyon topographies. Physical data suggested a cyclonic flow pattern over the Wilmington Canyon, with warm slope water moving up its axis and cold pool water moving off its southwest flank. The above water masses were best identified chemically on the basis of oxygen saturation due to the high apparent photosynthesis at the shelf-slope front. This high primary productivity at the front seems linked to the cold pool and its nutrient supplies.
Age patterns of mortality and cause-of-death structures in Sweden, Japan, and the United States

This paper uses a new standard model of adult mortality to compare the mortality patterns of Swedes, Japanese, and U.S. whites between 1950 and 1985. It examines changes in the age patterns of mortality and the cause-of-death structures within the populations, and the relationships between those two factors. As Japan has reached a level of mortality similar to that in Sweden, the age patterns of mortality in the two populations have become more similar despite distinct differences in causes of death. The United States has a cause-of-death structure similar to that of Sweden, but the age pattern of mortality is very different. High mortality in the middle age range in the United States results in approximately a one-year loss of life expectancy at age 45 in comparison with Sweden.
Does an irregular sequence of level spacings provide a new representation of quantum chaos

Abstract The recent claim by Hirooka et al. that an irregular sequence of energy level spacings gives an unambiguous representation of quantum chaos is examined. It is shown that observation of an irregular sequence of spacings does not necessarily imply that the dynamics is chaotic.
Globalization, Gluts, Innovation or Irrationality: What Explains the Easy Financing of the U.S. Current Account Deficit?

This paper examines the roles of U.S. financial innovation, financial globalization, and the savings glut hypothesis in explaining the rise in U.S. external debt, first in a portfolio balance model, and then empirically. Perhaps surprisingly, financial deepening and falling home bias in industrialized countries explain a large share of external financing. The savings glut hypothesis (including difficult-to-track petrodollar recycling) and U.S. financial innovation are also important, in part as a cause of declining home bias in industrialized countries. The latter underscores the importance of not looking at these factors in isolation, but rather as a constellation of forces that can be self-reinforcing.
Conformational Geometries and Conformation-Dependent Photophysics of Jet-Cooled 1,3-Diphenylpropane

Rotationally resolved laser-induced fluorescence excitation spectra of the S1 ← S0 transitions have been recorded for various conformers of 1,3-diphenylpropane (DPP) in supersonic free expansion. Ab initio simulation of the rotational band contours, based on the S0 rotational constants from 6-31G(d) MP2 and transition moments from 6-31G(d) CI singles calculations, provides definitive assignments of the four major spectral features to particular torsional isomers. These assignments provide rational explanations for the conformation-dependent excimer formation in jet-cooled DPP.
Purinergic olfactory cells of crustaceans: response characteristics and similarities to internal purinergic cells of vertebrates

1. Purinergic cells, stimulated by adenosine and adenine nucleotides, are found internally in the brain, heart, and other organs of vertebrates. The olfactory systems of two marine crustaceans also possess purinergic receptors that exhibit response specificities and antagonistic effects similar to a type of vertebrate purinoceptor. 2. Electrophysiological recordings from single olfactory cells in the antennules of the spiny lobsterPanulirus argus (this study), together with behavioral measurements of the effectiveness of chemoattractants for the shrimpPalaemonetes pugio (Carr and Thompson 1983), have revealed that the chemosensory systems of both species are highly sensitive to adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP). Tests with AMP analogues, plus a purinergic antagonist, reveal very close correlations between results obtained physiologically and behaviorally in the two species. In both cases, (a) AMP is clearly the most effective purine tested; (b) there is a potency sequence of AMP>ADP>ATP ≧ adenosine; (c) even though all changes in the structure of the AMP molecule lead to a significant decrease in activity, the greatest diminution accompanies changes in the ribose phosphate moiety; (d) purines in theanti-conformation are more active than those in thesyn-conformation; and (e) the response to AMP is antagonized by theophylline. Collectively, these results indicate that these invertebrates have olfactory purinoceptors closely related to the P1-type (or R-type) purinoceptors found internally in vertebrates. 3. Most (59%) of the AMP-sensitive cells of spiny lobsters appear to be narrowly tuned. They are excited by AMP but not by L-glutamate, taurine, or betaine, compounds known to be stimulatory to neurons throughout the olfactory pathway of lobsters. However, other AMP-sensitive cells are also excited by L-glutamate and/or betaine, but not by taurine. These results confirm and extend our earlier conclusion that certain discrete classes of narrowly tuned receptor cells are present in this olfactory system, but that more broadly tuned receptor cells also exist. 4. For receptor cells excited by AMP as well as by L-glutamate and/or betaine, theophylline antagonized only the response to AMP. This result suggests that two or more types of receptor sites can coexist on single cells. 5. It is becoming increasingly evident that the olfactory and gustatory systems of marine crustaceans contain several of the receptor types found internally in higher organisms, including receptors for purines, glutamate, glycine, taurine, and certain steroids. These findings support the hypothesis that receptors for internal neuroactive substances may have evolved from external receptors that served chemosensory functions.
Personalized Combined Modality Therapy for Locally Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease, and we have embarked on an era where patients will benefit from individualized therapeutic strategies based on identifiable molecular characteristics of the tumor. The landmark studies demonstrating the importance of molecular characterization of tumors for NSCLC patients, the promising molecular pathways, and the potential molecular targets/agents for treatment of this disease will be reviewed. Understanding these issues will aid in the development of rationally designed clinical trials, so as to determine best means of appropriately incorporating these molecular strategies, to the current standard of radiation and chemotherapy regimens, for the treatment of locally advanced NSCLC.
Neurobehavioral Symptoms and Family Functioning in Traumatically Brain-Injured Adults

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often results in a myriad of symptoms across physical, cognitive, and neurobehavioral domains. Despite inherent limitations associated with physical or cognitive impairments, the extant literature suggests that neurobehavioral symptoms tend to be the most distressing symptoms for the family and are more strongly related to poor outcome for the patient. The Neuropsychology Behavior and Affect Profile (NBAP) along with the General Functioning subscale of the Family Assessment Device (FAD-GF) and the Perceived Stress Scale were administered to 153 family members of persons who had sustained a TBI. The results provide new normative data and statistical support for the NBAP as a promising measure of neurobehavioral symptomatology following TBI. The correlation of .54 ( p , .01) between FAD-GF and Full Scale NBAP scores provides powerful support for the hypothesis that family dysfunction is related to the presence of neurobehavioral symptoms in the patient. NBAP domains of Depression, Inappropriateness, Pragnosia, and Indifference appear most strongly related to family functioning and also bear a significant relationship to caregiver stress level and patient unemployment, whereas injury severity had little impact on either family functioning or neurobehavioral symptoms. The findings reinforce the significance of neurobehavioral symptoms and fortify their proposed link to family dysfunction post-TBI. © 1998 National Academy of Neuropsychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd
Induction of cyclooxygenase-2 by overexpression of the human catalase gene in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells.

Prostaglandin (PG) formation by the inducible (type 2) cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been proposed to play important roles in cerebrovascular pathological processes. To explore the relationship between ROS and COX-2 expression, adenovirus (Ad) vectors containing cDNA for human antioxidant enzymes including catalase (AdCat), copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (AdCu/ZnSOD), and manganese superoxide dismutase (AdMnSOD) were transferred into murine cerebral microvascular endothelial cells. AdCat (100 multiplicity of infection) infection increased the content and enzymatic activity of cellular Cat threefold and decreased the intracellular peroxide level. The expression of COX-2 mRNA and protein in cell lysates was up-regulated, and the amount of PGE2 formed from exogenous arachidonic acid increased following AdCat infection in a dose-dependent manner, paralleling the expression of COX-2 protein. The AdCat-induced increase in PGE2 formation was inhibited by NS-398, a selective inhibitor of COX-2 enzymatic activity. AdCat infection did not change the expression of the constitutive (type 1) COX protein. Although AdCu/ZnSOD and AdMnSOD infection increased the expression of superoxide dismutase proteins, COX-2 expression was not induced. An in vitro nuclear transcription assay indicated that overexpression of the Cat gene increases the transcription of the COX-2 gene. Furthermore, the stability of COX-2 mRNA induced by lipopolysaccharide was increased after AdCat gene transfer. These results indicate that AdCat gene transfer induces the transcriptional activation of the COX-2 gene and increases COX-2 mRNA stability. Therefore, peroxide may have regulatory effect on COX-2 function in the cerebral microcirculation.
Differential regulation of basic protein phosphorylation by calcium phospholipid and cyclic‐AMP‐dependent protein kinases

Myelin basic protein, an 80-kilodalton (kDa) protein in rat oligodendrocytes, and an 80-kDa basic protein in neuroblastoma × neonatal Chinese hamster brain explant hybrids were phosphorylated extensively when the cells were treated with either phorbol esters (TPA) or diacylglycerols (e.g., oleyoyl-acetyl-glycerol). TPA-stimulated phosphorylation was inhibited by pre-incubation with 50 μM psychosine (galactosyl-sphingosine), confirming that it is mediated through the phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C (PK-C). Surprisingly, phosphorylation of these proteins was inhibited by incubation of cells with agents which result in activation of cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase (dibutyryl cyclic AMP or forskolin). In contrast, phosphorylation of other nonbasic proteins, for example, the oligodendrocyte-specific 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide phosphohydrolase, was stimulated under these conditions (Vartanian et al.: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 85:939, 1988)[1]. The possible role of cyclic AMP in activating specific phosphatases or restricting the availability of diacylglycerol for PK-C activation is discussed.
A note on scalar Volterra integral equations, II

Abstract The scalar Volterra integral equation u(t) + ∝ 0 t g(t, s, u(s)) ds = ƒ(t) is studied on bounded intervals and on the half line. Conditions are given such that solutions u depend in a Lipschitz continuous way on ƒ in spaces W1,1([0,T],R). Also, conditions are given such that the operator (ƒ(0), ƒ′ (·)) at u(·) is order preserving. The results are applied to questions of uniform boundedness and asymptotic behavior of solutions.
Clinical review: Inferior vena cava filters in the age of patient-centered outcomes

Inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) use continues to increase in the United States (US) despite questionable clinical benefit and increasing concerns over long-term complications. For this review we comprehensively examine the randomized, prospective data on IVC filter efficacy, compare relative rates of IVCF placement in the US and Europe, compare commonly considered guidelines for IVCF indications, and the current data on IVCF complications. Searches of MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were conducted for randomized prospective IVCF studies. Only three randomized prospective studies for IVCFs were identified. Commonly cited IVCF guidelines were reviewed with attention to their evolution over time. No evidence has shown a survival benefit with IVCF use. Despite this, continued rising utilization, especially for primary prophylactic indications, is concerning, given increasing evidence of long-term filter-related complications. This is particularly noted in the US where IVCF placements for 2012 are projected to be 25 times that of an equivalent population in Europe (224,700 versus 9,070). Pending much-needed randomized controlled trials that also evaluate long-term safety, we support the more stringent American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines for IVCF placement indications and advocate a close, structured follow-up of retrievable IVCFs to improve filter retrieval rates.
Contraceptive options for adolescents

Data on national trends of sex behavior indicate that adolescents in the US are initiating sexual activity at younger ages than in the past several decades. The 1996 Centers for Disease Control Youth Behavior Survey found that 36.9% of 9th graders and 66.4% of 12th graders had been sexually active. Of those 37.9% were sexually active within the 3 months preceding the survey. 12.7% of the sexually active boys and 4.9% of the sexually active girls reported beginning sexual activity before age 13 years. 72% of individuals aged 15-17 years and 84% of those aged 18-19 report using some form of contraception. However many use contraception inconsistently. The most popular and effective methods of contraception chosen by adolescents are condoms oral contraception and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). These methods are discussed. Before either oral contraceptive pill or DMPA use is initiated a detailed health history should be taken and a complete physical examination conducted which includes a pelvic examination.
The Role of Food in Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary abounds in references to food, to its production and exchange as well as its consumption. These references appear to be quite casual, an aspect of Flaubert's realistic portrayal of daily life. But analysis reveals that food plays a vital role in the novel in four distinct ways: as an environmental factor, as a social indicator, as a means of characterization and as a source of imagery. So the allusions to food prove an intrinsic part of the novel's total poetic pattern, and their use illustrates essential facets of Flaubert's narrative art.
New method of stent-facilitated arterial reconstruction for orthotopic mouse liver transplantation

Abstract Background Arterialized orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in the mouse mimics human liver transplantation physiologically and clinically. The present method of sutured anastomosis for reconstruction of the hepatic artery is complex and is associated with high incidence of complications and failure. This makes the endpoint assessment of using this complex model difficult because of the many variables of the technical aspect. Methods A total of 14 pairs of donors and recipients from syngeneic male mice were used for arterialized OLT. The grafts were stored in University of Wisconsin solution at 4°C for less than 4 h, and the recipients underwent OLT using a two-cuff technique. The arterial reconstruction was facilitated by the use of a single stent connecting the donor liver artery segment to the recipient common hepatic artery. Results All 14 recipients survived with the time for arterial reconstruction ranging from 4–10 min. Patency of the artery was confirmed by transecting the artery near the graft 2 and 14 d after transplantation. At day 2, five of the six arteries transected were patent and at day 14, seven of the remaining eight were patent for an overall patency rate of 85.7%. Conclusions The stent-facilitated arterial reconstruction can be done quickly with a high patency rate. This model expands the translational research efforts to address marginal livers such as steatotic livers.
Interviewing Joshua: On the Importance of Leaving Room for Serendipity

Joshua, a second grader reading at the preprimer level, resists answering the author's questions about his conceptions of reading until she agrees to spend equal time drawing and looking through Waldo books with him. Surprisingly, it is while "doing Waldos," rather than during classroom observations or in answering her carefully planned interview questions, that Joshua shows the author his developing sense of narrative, his earliest attempts at phonetic decoding, and the importance of minimal-text books like Waldo books as a nonthreatening gateway into literate experience for him and other struggling readers. The author comes to see such shared agenda setting as not just the most ethical way to interview people but also the most effective, because it allows for the serendipity of discovering answers to questions the author had not even thought to ask.
Statistical theory of signal detection

A complete theory of detection is presented, which is capable of treating general types of signals (e.g. periodic, aperiodic, random) in noise of arbitrary statistical character. By proper formulation of the detection problem as a test of statistical hypotheses, the precise structure of the optimum detector can be specified and minimum detectable signals uniquely determined. For threshold reception (the problem of main interest) two classes of operation arise: if detection is coherent, as far as dependence on the input signal-to-noise ratio is concerned one has a linear system, no matter how weak the signal; on the other hand for incoherent reception one always has a quadratic dependence on this input ratio (modulation suppression). Threshold reception in these two instances requires respectively a suitably weighted cross-correlation of the received data with the a priori known signal, or a suitably weighted autocorrelation of the received data with itself. The optimum detector is in general a computer, involving non-linear operations and terminating in a decision operation, which depends on the type of statistical test (e.g. Neyman-Pearson, Ideal, Sequential, etc.) defining the observer. The threshold of decision is necessarily determined by a suitable betting or cost curve. (Both discrete (digital) and continuous (analog) sampling of the data are considered.) In this way optimum performance, consistent with the external constraints, is specified, and the extent by which actual systems depart from this limiting optimum can be calculated.