cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic Tubal Ligation Performed at the Time of Bariatric Surgery

Study Objective: To evaluate all patients who underwent laparoscopic tubal ligation in combination with laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Design: Case controlled retrospective study performed between January 2009 and March 2014. Setting: University based tertiary care medical center. Patients: Four reproductive age women undergoing bariatric surgery with desire for permanent surgical sterilization. Intervention: Laparoscopic vertical gastric sleeve procedure and laparoscopic tubal ligation. Measurements and Main Results: Four combined laparoscopic tubal ligations and gastric sleeve procedures were attempted. All four cases were successfully completed using a minimally invasive approach. The mean age of the patients was 44.25 years; the mean BMI was 49.25 kg/m (mean weight 303.75 lbs). The mean parity was 2.25 and none of the patients were nulliparous. Two patients had one prior cesarean section. Co –morbid conditions included hypertension, sleep apnea, polycystic ovarian disorder, type II diabetes mellitus, and gastro esophageal reflux disease. All patients successfully underwent laparoscopic tubal ligation as well as laparoscopic vertical gastric sleeve procedure. There were no intraoperative complications were noted in any of the cases. Post-surgical complications were reported in one of the four patients. Complications were related to intraabdominal adhesive disease and development of a paraesophageal hernia. This patient underwent lysis of adhesions and paraesophageal hernia repair with mesh. This complications were not thought to be related to the tubal ligation. Conclusion: Performing tubal occlusion at the time of bariatric surgery is a safe and effectiveway to eliminate the risk of future pregnancy. Fifty percent of pregnancies are undesired despite adequate and available contraception. Pregnancy presents additional risk to obese patients and those who have undergone bariatric surgery. It is therefore reasonable to screen patients for their desire for future child bearing and offer combined surgical tubal ligation in patients planning to undergo bariatric weight loss surgery.
Potentiation of cocaine and d-amphetamine toxicity with caffeine.

The effect of caffeine when combined with cocaine or amphetamine was studied in rats. Animals were pretreated with intraperitoneal vehicle (normal saline [NS]) or caffeine 100 mg/kg, then challenged with intraperitoneal cocaine (0, 35, 50, 70, or 90 mg/kg) or intraperitoneal d-amphetamine (0, 15, 25, 35, or 42 mg/kg). Animal behavior, time to, and incidences of seizures and death were recorded. This dose of caffeine alone did not cause seizures or death. Caffeine pretreatment significantly increased the incidence of overt seizures induced by either cocaine or amphetamine. Caffeine increased the incidence of cocaine-induced death from 10% to 90% at the 70 mg/kg cocaine dose (P less than .01). Caffeine increased amphetamine-induced death from 0% to 80% at 15 mg/kg (P less than or equal to .01), 10% to 70% at 25 mg/kg (P less than or equal to .01), and 30% to 80% at 35 mg/kg (P less than or equal to .01). To investigate mechanisms, additional animals were pretreated with the adenosine agonist, 2-chloroadenosine (2.5 and 10 mg/kg), before being challenged with NS, 90 mg/kg cocaine, or 42 mg/kg amphetamine. Pretreatment with 2-chloroadenosine had no affect in reducing cocaine or amphetamine toxicity. Combination pretreatment with caffeine and 2-chloroadenosine potentiated cocaine toxicity. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor, pentoxifylline, did not potentiate cocaine toxicity. The authors conclude that caffeine potentiates the acute toxicity of both cocaine and amphetamine, and that the failure of 2-chloroadenosine to alter this suggests that the toxicity of the stimulants cocaine and amphetamine may be modulated by nonspecific rather than specific adenosine- or phosphodiesterase-induced mechanisms.
Partitioning and diffusion of proteins and linear polymers in polyacrylamide gels

The equilibrium partition coefficient (K) and diffusion coefficient (Dgel) of two proteins and two linear polymers were measured as a function of polymer content of a 2.7% cross-linked polyacrylamide (PA) gel. The gel concentration, expressed as a volume percentage of PA in the gel (phi), varied between 0 and 14%. The measurements were made by fluorescence spectroscopy; fluorescent dyes were covalently attached to the macromolecules. The dependence of K on phi for the proteins agrees with a model of the gel network as randomly placed, impenetrable rods. The diffusion data are interpreted in terms of an effective medium theory for the mobility of a sphere in a Brinkman fluid. Using values of the Brinkman parameter in the literature, the effective medium model with no adjustable parameters fits the diffusion data for the proteins very well but underpredicts Dgel for the linear polymers. The gel effect on partitioning is significantly greater than that on diffusion. The permeability (KDgel) of bovine serum albumin decreased by 10(3) over the range phi = 0 --> 8%, and the ratio of permeabilities for ribonuclease compared to BSA increased from 2 to 30.
Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: Does Prophylactic Therapy Decrease Adverse Outcomes Associated With Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a common problem following cardiac surgery. Atrial fibrillation occurs in 30% to 50% patients during postoperative period. Postoperative atrial fibrillation often results in increased length of hospital stay, increased cost of postoperative hospitalization, heart failure, and, less frequently, cerebrovascular accident and death. Because postoperative atrial fibrillation is such a significant problem, several studies have attempted to find a safe and effective treatment for its prevention. In this article, we review the evidence for various prophylactic therapies and make an attempt to answer the following: (1) Can postoperative atrial fibrillation be prevented? (2) Is prophylactic therapy for postoperative atrial fibrillation safe? (3) Does prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation prevent adverse outcomes associated with it? Evidence for safety and efficacy or lack of β-blockers, sotalol, amiodarone, intravenous magnesium, and atrial pacing is reviewed and current recommendat...
Ligand-Binding and Substrate Turnover of a Heme Peroxidase from the Diatom Thalassiosira Pseudonana

Iron is sparingly soluble in water; therefore, iron-containing enzymes in marine organisms such as diatoms must have critical physiological roles to justify the use of such a precious resource. We have identified a putative heme peroxidase of unknown function, Tp 21683, from the published genome of the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. Conserved domain analysis suggests Tp 21683 consists of an N-terminal kringle domain, likely involved in ligand binding and localization, and a C-terminal b-type heme peroxidase domain. To dissect the function of the two domains of Tp 21683, we have optimized recombinant expression in Escherichia coli and subsequent refolding and purification of the isolated kringle and peroxidase domains. We report preliminary studies to identify the ligand-binding and peroxidase turnover properties of Tp 21683 toward a better understanding of the physiological role of peroxidases in diatoms. We show by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence that unlike canonical kringle domains from human plasminogen, the kringle domain of Tp 21683 does not show measurable binding to lysine. However, the kringle domain appears to bind to the oleic acid with a Kd of approximately 1 μM. The peroxidase domain is able to turn over hydrogen peroxide using both the nonphysiological electron donor ABTS and the aromatic compound guaiacol with kcat of approximately 40 min-1 and 4 min-1, respectively. These data are the first analysis of a recombinant peroxidase from a diatom, and provide a basis for further investigation of the range of possible ligands and chemical reactions catalyzed by Tp 21683.
A Plea for the Masses: A Gross Room Approach to Pediatric Tumors

Abstract Pediatric tumors pose many challenges for the surgical pathologist and histology laboratory. Most tumors have specific requirements for gross examination and tissue collection with important diagnostic, prognostic, and/or therapeutic implications. This review provides a general approach for optimally handling pediatric tumors, with particular ernphasis on guidelines for gross examination and procurement of tissue for ancillary studies and clinical trials. (The J Histotechnol 27:221, 2004)
An experimental approach to test sorption mechanisms in MCM-41

In order to evaluate the current theories employed to explain hysteresis in mesoporous solids, scanning sorption behavior was determined for several different MCM-41 silicates. Both nitrogen and argon sorption scans at 77 K were studied. Several different scanning behaviors were observed. No single current theory predicts the behavior observed.
Burnout in coaches of women's team sports.

Abstract During the competitive season, the demands of the job can exceed coaches' “endurance and ability to cope.” The purpose of this study is to determine the burnout levels of coaches in two-year colleges.
Normality verification of the vision camera for automated visual inspection

Abstract The verification method which checks the required normality between the vision camera and the inspection table has been explored and implemented. The normality is verified via using the image of a standard reference square collected by the to-be-verified vision camera. The image of the standard reference square remains a square if and only if the vision camera is normal to the inspection table. That property constitutes the operation principle of the verification method. On-site applications are demonstrated.
Dissent in the coalfields: miners, federal politics, and union reform in the United States, 1968–1973

On December 30, 1969, President Richard Nixon signed the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act into law. The act provided stronger preventative health and safety measures for coal mines and a federal compensation program for the victims of “black lung,” an occupational respiratory disease caused by the inhalation of coal dust. Responsibility for enforcing the new legislation fell to the United States Bureau of Mines, an agency located in the Department of the Interior. By late 1970, with the rate of coal mine fatalities and injuries on the rise, it was clear that the Bureau was failing to enforce the legislation. In response, miners wrote letters to their congressmen and national union officials. They drew particular attention to the Bureau's lax inspection procedures in non-union coal mines, which, they argued, contributed to dangerous working conditions. The Bureau was not the only obstacle to health and safety enforcement in the coal industry. The national leadership of the United Mine Workers of Ame...
Cricoarytenoid Joint Mobility After Chronic Vocal Cord Paralysis

Eleven whole organ laryngeal specimens (10 human and 1 dog) with a history of long-standing (6 months to 17 years) paralysis were studied histopathologically for changes in the cricoarytenoid (CA) joints and the intrinsic laryngeal musculature. In 9 cases the paralysis was unilateral and in 2 bilateral. No evidence of CA joint ankylosis (fibrous/osseous obliteration of joint space or degeneration of articular surfaces) was seen in the specimens. The absence of CA joint ankylosis permits the efficacy of thyroplasty medialization procedures.
Food of Iago omanensis, a deep water shark from the northern Red Sea

Stomach contents of 252 lago omanensis were examined. Sharks were collected in deep water between 150 and 450 m depth off the Marine Laboratory of Eilat. This species feeds on benthopelagic fishes, deep water cephalopods, crustaceans, benthic molluscs and polychaetes. Cephalopods were the main food of I. omanensis, except during the summer when fishes (mainly myctophids) were ingested in greater quantity. Stomachs also contained terrigenous plant matter, animal remains and large quantities of mud. Prey taxa included two new cephalopod records for the Red Sea.
Health concerns and perceptions of central and coastal New Jersey residents in the 100 days following Superstorm Sandy.

Abstract Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey 29–30 October 2012 (130 km/h winds), and many residents were evacuated, were without power for days to several weeks, and suffered property damages or lost their homes. The objective of this study was to understand health concerns within 100 days of this devastating storm that might improve recovery, future preparedness, and resilience. We conducted a survey of New Jersey residents in central (N = 407) and shore communities (n = 347) about health concerns before, during, and after Superstorm Sandy . People were interviewed at public places, town hall and FEMA meetings, health and university centers, and other gathering places. 47% of shore and 13% of central Jersey respondents evacuated. Both populations were concerned about agents of destruction, survival needs, and possessions before and during the storm, but they were mainly concerned about survival needs thereafter. During the storm, medical issues were the greatest concern for shore respondents (23%) vs secure and safe food and water (29%) for central respondents. Medical concerns increased after the storm. In the future, 42% of shore respondents would prepare more, while 51% of central residents would buy more supplies; 20% (shore) and 11% (central) would heed future evacuation warnings. Before Sandy many residents did not heed warnings and evacuation orders, but worried about property damage, while during and after their major concerns were personal and community health. Prevention of future health and property impacts could be enhanced by stronger evacuation enforcement, better preparedness information, greater attention to the possibility of prolonged power outages, and more attention to medical needs during and after a storm.
Effect of secretin of histamine and gastrin-induced gastric acid secretion*

Summary The mechanism of action of secretin upon gastric secretion was studied in 9 dogs with Heidenhain pouches. Constant intravenous infusions of histamine or gastrin were given for 4 hours, during which collections of secretion were made every 15 minutes. Seventy-five units of secretin were injected intravenously after baseline secretion had become relatively constant. The tests were repeated after antrectomy with gastroduodenostomy or gastrojejunostomy. Before antrectomy, secretin inhibited gastrin-induced pouch secretion by 18.2 ± 5.0% (P Inhibition of gastrin-stimulated pouch secretion by secretin was significantly greater after antrectomy than before. At least some degree of endogenous inhibition of gastrin and histamine-induced Heidenhain pouch secretion is exerted by the antrum.
Escherichia coli phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase: competitive regulation by acetyl-coenzyme A and aspartate.

Abstract Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase of Escherichia coli is activated by acetylcoenzyme A and inhibited by aspartate. The theoretical maximum velocity for the reaction as a function of PEP concentrations approaches the same value in the presence of all concentrations of the modifiers. The kinetics of the interaction between the modifiers and the enzyme indicate that they compete with each other. The sedimentation coefficient for dilute solutions of the enzyme in 1 m urea in sucrose gradients with either one of the modifiers present is approximately 7.3. With all modifiers present, the sedimentation coefficient is approximately 12.6, indicating that acetylcoenzyme A and aspartate act synergistically in promoting molecular aggregation of the enzyme. The affinity of Mg 2+ for the enzyme, as defined by the apparent K m , has two values suggesting a high affinity site with K m = 0.056 m m and a low affinity site with K m = 0.273 m m . The high affinity site is apparently at the substrate binding site and implies that free PEP is the substrate for an enzyme-metal complex. The apparent allosteric constant, which defines the isomerization of the enzyme, varies as a second-order function of aspartate concentration, indicating that 2 moles of aspartate are bound per mole of enzyme.
Reaction between Molybdenum Disulphide and Water

MOLYBDENUM disulphide, MoS2, undergoes oxidation in bulk at temperatures above 450° C, which may be demonstrated1 by gravimetry. However, the substance must ordinarily be covered with a surface layer of oxide, since heating samples in a good vacuum leads to the evaporation of molybdenum trioxide. It is possible that such layers are involved in the frictional transients observed2 when molybdenum disulphide is used as a lubricant in wet atmospheric environments. It is germane to inquire as to the origin of the oxide layers, and we wish to comment on the possible extent of the hydrolytic decomposition of molybdenum disulphide to yield hydrogen sulphide and molybdenum dioxide. Haltner found2 that when an MoS2 film, supported on certain metals, and particularly copper, was exposed to rubbing and shearing forces in a wet atmosphere, hydrogen sulphide could be detected. If no metal is present, however, the reaction appears to be different, for Cannon3 found that the gravimetry of adsorption of water on fine particle molybdenum disulphide showed a strong and extensive irreversible interaction at 0° C. The latter also found that for very finely dispersed samples, if the specific surface area, rather than the mass of the solid, were taken as the extensive variable, the observed gravimetry conformed most closely with the reaction : rather than a hydrolysis. While no search for hydrogen evolution was made in the earlier experiments1–3, an examination of the thermal behaviour3 of the putative oxysulphide indicated that a temperature of 350° C could be attained before any appreciable loss in weight was observed, and that this loss appeared to be associated with the formation of sulphur dioxide rather than hydrogen sulphide. It thus seemed likely that the reaction of molybdenum disulphide with water, studied in the absence of metals under conventional high vacuum conditions, was not a hydrolytic process of sulphide to oxide plus hydrogen sulphide, but a net oxidation. We have now extended the work to higher temperatures, with the following interesting results. The water adsorption work was repeated at 180° C, 20µ water vapour pressure, in quartz microbalance equipment like that described before1,3. The surface-area limited reaction with a permanent weight increase proportional to the specific surface area was seen again. 20 g samples of molybdenum disulphide (Σ = 15 m2/g) were then exposed to 20 mm water vapour at progressively higher temperatures between 200° and 500° C. The experiments were conducted in a quartz envelope to permit pre-degassing the solid. Pressures were monitored through the seven-day holding period of each of the experiments and gas samples were withdrawn for mass spectrometric study after one day each at various temperatures. The results are summarized in Table 1.
The use of natural and unnatural amino acid substrates to define the substrate specificity differences of escherichia coli aspartate and tyrosine aminotransferases

The tyrosine (eTATase) and aspartate (eAATase) aminotransferases of Escherichia coli transaminate diacarboxylic amino acids with similar rate constants. However, eTATase exhibits approximately 10(2)-10(4)-fold higher second-order rate constants for the transamination of aromatic amino acids than does eAATase. A series of natural and unnatural amino acid substrates was used to quantitate specificity differences for these two highly related enzymes. A general trend toward lower transamination activity with increasing side-chain length (extending from aspartate to glutamate to alpha-aminoadipate) is observed for both enzymes. This result suggests that dicarboxylate ligands associate with the two highly related enzymes in a similar manner. The high reactivity of the enzymes with L-Asp and L-Glu can be attributed to an ion pair interaction between the side-chain carboxylate of the amino acid substrate and the guanidino group of the active site residue Arg 292 that is common to both enzymes. A strong linear correlation between side-chain hydrophobicity and transamination rate constants obtains for n-alkyl side-chain amino substrates with eTATase, but not for eAATase. The present kinetic data support a model in which eAATase contains one binding mode for all classes of substrate, whereas the active site of eTATase allows an additional mode that has increased affinity for hydrophobic amino acid.
Academic Controversy: a cooperative way to debate

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and explain a cooperative learning technique, Academic Controversy (Johnson, Johnson, and Smith 1996), also known as Cooperative Controversy, Structured Co...
Response to Stoesz and Karger's Article, “Reinventing Social Work Accreditation”

The article by David Stoesz and Howard J. Karger, “Reinventing Social Work Accreditation,” is misleading and erroneous in its assumptions, makes unsubstantiated assertions, and demonstrates an ideological shallowness on the part of the authors in their understanding of social work education, the Council on Social Work Education, and the role of quality assurance on the part of accrediting bodies. The principal function of accreditation in the United States is quality assurance. Through a peer-review system, social work programs exercise appropriate autonomy to leverage resources and intellectual integrity in the design and administration of the curriculum. Stoesz and Karger's limited definition of a scholar misrepresents the multiple roles of faculty, deans, and directors. Furthermore, they fail to recognize that social work programs—their faculty, administration, and students—are actively pursuing the mission of social work through innovations in research, evidence-based interventions, and practice for a...
WALL-BOUNDED BLADE-TIP VORTEX INTERACTION NOISE

Abstract An analytical treatment is given of the canonical problem of the generation of sound when a locally rectilinear vortex is drawn through the clearance gap between a wall and the square tip of a rigid blade at low Mach number. The mean flow in the neighborhood of the blade tip is assumed to be locally two-dimensional, and is modelled by free streamline potential flow theory, according to which the flow into the gap on the pressure side emerges as a wall jet on the suction side. The additional vorticity shed from the tip (in accordance with the unsteady Kutta condition) during the passage of the vortex is assumed to convect at constant speed along the free streamline boundary of the jet. Sound is generated by a dipole source, the magnitude and orientation of which are determined by the unsteady lift experienced by the blade. We calculate the separate contributions to the radiation (i.e., to the dipole strength) from the vortex and the shed vorticity. The sound is generated while the vortex is within a distance from the blade tip comparable to the clearance, and has wavelength which is order 1/Mlarger, whereMis the characteristic Mach number of the flow. The conclusions of this analysis are supported by an alternative, simplified treatment in which the vortex motion through the gap is assumed to be steady and the shed vorticity convects at a fixed distance from the duct wall rather than along the free streamline.
Distance judgments under different size-information conditions

Seventy-two Ss judged the absolute distance of a target presented without distance cues other than retinal size and assumed size. The method by which E communicated information about the size of a 3-in. target had a significant effect on the magnitude of the discrepancy between judged distance and the perceived distance required by the size-distance invariance hypothesis. In order of increasing effectiveness in producing distance judgments meeting invariance requirements were: size information in the form of verbally communicated metric units, size information communicated by labeling the target with the name of a familiar object, and size information in the form of a visual representation.
Understanding the Active Ingredients in an Effective Preschool Vocabulary Intervention: An Exploratory Study of Teacher and Child Talk During Book Reading

Research Findings: In order to identify the active ingredients in an effective professional development intervention focused on enhancing preschool vocabulary instruction, this study examines the frequency with which teachers and children discussed theme-related vocabulary words during shared book reading. Head Start teachers received 1 year of training focused upon early vocabulary development. Children's vocabulary skills were assessed in the fall and spring of the school year. In spring, teachers read a storybook to their classroom, and teachers’ and children's remarks about theme-related vocabulary during the reading—including contextualized and decontextualized statements as well as verbatim repetitions of one another's statements—were coded. Practice or Policy: Results of multilevel models showed that more frequent references to thematic vocabulary by teachers were linked to stronger child vocabulary development. Although children's vocabulary references were not uniquely predictive of vocabulary le...
Cribriform adenocarcinoma of the prostate

In 46 radical prostatectomy specimens, carcinoma volume and Gleason histologic grade were compared among 21 cancers containing Grade 3 cribriform areas and 25 noncribriform carcinomas. All cribriform cancers but only 44% of the noncribriform cancers were larger than 1.7 ml. Grade 4-5 areas were present in 86% of cribriform cancers and 36% of noncribriform cancers. All 17 cancers larger than 4.0 ml contained Grade 4-5 areas, and 15 of these showed cribriform areas. By contrast, noncribriform Grade 3 areas were found in 45 of 46 carcinomas. In most cases, cribriform carcinoma was predominantly intraductal; cell masses either followed normal duct contours or showed a basal cell layer by routine microscopic study or by immunohistochemical staining for basal cell-specific keratin. Seven cases showed primary origin of cribriform carcinoma within ducts by evolution from intraductal dysplasia, a presumptive premalignant lesion. It was proposed that cribriform carcinoma is equivalent to intraductal Grade 4 cancer, and that many Grade 4 prostate cancers may evolve directly from an identifiable intraductal precursor.
Periocular Granuloma Annulare: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Granuloma annulare (GA) is a granulomatous dermatosis that rarely presents on the face and is extremely uncommon in the periocular region. We report our experience with the presentation and management of GA lesions on the eyelids of a 17-year-old girl. We performed a review of published literature and identified 13 cases of pediatric periocular GA. One additional case was identified upon review of all pediatric GA cases at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Review of these cases suggests that periocular GA is a benign condition that spontaneously regresses within a few months. GA nodules have a predilection for the upper eyelids. A greater incidence is noted in African American children. Awareness of the self-resolving nature of this condition can prevent unnecessary surgical excisions in affected children.
The mechanism of (1,3) sigmatropic shift in η5-C5H5Fe(CO)(L)(η1-allyl) complexes

Abstract CpFe(CO)[P(OCH 2 ) 3 CCH 3 ](η 1 -allyl) complexes undergo (1,3) sigmatropic shift of the FeC bond at rates considerably lower than those observed for the corresponding CpFe(CO) 2 (η 1 -allyl) complexes. The mechanism of this process is not intramolecular, as shown by crossover experiments. The results are in accord with a radical chain process, involving the CpFe(CO)(L) radical as chain carrying species and S H 2′ addition of this radical to CpFe(CO)(L)(η 1 -allyl).
In situ measurements of till deformation and water pressure

A newly developed hammer was used to insert two autonomous probes 0.8 m and 2.1 m into clast-rich subglacial till under Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska, USA. Both probes were instrumented with a dual-axis tilt sensor and a pore-water pressure transducer. The data are compared to a 75 day record of surface velocities. Till deformation at depth was found to be highly seasonal: it is significant during an early-season speed-up event, but during long periods thereafter measured till deformation rates are negligible. Both tilt records show rotation around the probe axis, which indicates a change in tilt direction of about 30°. The tilt records are very similar, suggesting spatial homogeneity on the scale of the probe separation (4 m horizontal and 3.3 m vertical). There is evidence that during much of the year sliding of ice over till or deformation of a thin till layer (<20 cm) accounts for at least two-thirds of total basal motion. Basal motion accounts for 50–70% of the total surface motion. The inferred amount of ice–till sliding is larger than that found at the same location in a previous study, when surface velocities were about 10% lower. We suggest that variations in ice–till coupling account for the observed variations in mean annual speed.
Rotator cuff repair using an acellular dermal matrix graft: an in vivo study in a canine model.

Purpose: Large rotator cuff tears present a challenge to orthopaedic surgeons. Because tissue may be insufficient or of inadequate quality to undergo repair, a variety of materials have been used as adjuncts. Human dermal tissue may be processed to render it acellular, and thus less immunogenic, but with the extracellular matrix left intact, creating a collagen scaffold with favorable characteristics. Because of these traits, use in rotator cuff repair was proposed. Methods: A canine model for a full-thickness infraspinatus tendon tear was used. Tendon was excised from the bony interface to the myotendinous junction, and a human acellular dermal matrix graft (experimental) or the autologous excised tendon (control) was used to bridge the defect. Animals were sacrificed, and shoulders were evaluated histologically and biomechanically. Results: At time 0, strength of control and experimental repairs was similar. At 6 weeks, the strength of the experimental repair was half that of the control side. Strength of control specimens remained the same at 6 and 12 weeks, but by 12 weeks, the strength of the experimental repair was equal to that of the control. Histologically, cells infiltrated the control and experimental specimens by 6 weeks; chronic inflammation was consistent with surgery and repair. At 6 months, control and experimental specimens mimicked normal tendon structure grossly and histologically. Conclusions: Use of human acellular dermal matrix as a patch is a viable option in this model of large rotator cuff defects. Within 6 weeks, histologic evidence of native cell infiltration and neotendon development was observed. Within 12 weeks, the strength of the dermal matrix graft repair was equivalent to that of autologous tendon. At 6 months, control and graft specimens mimicked normal tendon structure grossly and histologically. Clinical Relevance: This study provides in vivo animal data to support the use of this acellular dermal matrix graft for repair of full-thickness rotator cuff defects. Additional studies are indicated to determine the role of this material in the treatment of humans with rotator cuff tears.
Commands as media: design and implementation of a command stream

Choreographed Presentations: Presentations offering multiple synchronized media types, but are not limited to a predefined media types, nor are they limited to media directly playable by a computer. These presentations can control external devices such as room lighting, audio/visual equipment, and special effects such as stage fog or fireworks. An example of a choreographed presentation could be a interactive educational presentation on astronomy. The presentation would control a telescope attached to the computer. As part of the presentation, a student might select a point on map of the solar system. The presentation would move the telescope to the given point in the sky, then display the image on the screen.
Natural and mass selection for improving strawbreaker foot rot resistance in winter wheat

(...)Eight F2 populations of winter wheat having strawbreaker resistance genes derived from Aegilops ventricosa were exposed to pressure from the strawbreaker fungus in field experiments during two seasons. After two cycles of natural selection and two cycles of divergent mass selection for seed size, F2, F3 and F4 populations were evaluated in a third season for mean performance of several agronomic traits (...)The F5 seedlings of four populations from the mass selection experiment were assayed for an endopeptidase isozyme linked to the A. ventricosa strawbreaker resistance gene
Does $760m a year of industry funding affect the FDA’s drug approval process?

A study out this week indicates that new “black box” warnings and safety withdrawals have increased since the drug approval process was changed
Palæomagnetism of Hawaiian Lava Flows

PALAEOMAGNETIC investigations of volcanic rocks extruded in various parts of the world during the past several million years have generally revealed a younger sequence of lava flows magnetized nearly parallel to the field of a theoretical geocentric axial dipole, underlain by a sequence of older flows with exactly the opposite direction of remanent magnetization. A 180-degree reversal of the geomagnetic field, occurring near the middle of the Pleistocene epoch, has been inferred by many workers from such results1–3. This is a preliminary report of an investigation of 755 oriented samples collected from 152 lava flows on the island of Hawaii, selected to represent as many stratigraphic horizons as possible. (Sampling details are indicated in Table 1.) This work was undertaken because Hawaii's numerous thick sequences of lava flows, previously mapped as Pliocene to Historic by Stearns and Macdonald4, and afterwards assigned ages ranging from later Tertiary to Recent, by Macdonald and Davis5, appeared to offer an ideal opportunity to examine the most recent reversal of Earth's field.
Hypertension and renal dysfunction in long-term liver transplant recipients

1. A 10-year survival rate of 60% or greater after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is expected. 2. Renal dysfunction is common after OLT. 3. Patients without early renal dysfunction after OLT are at low risk for long-term renal dysfunction. 4. Hypertension occurs in greater than 50% of long-term survivors. 5. Immunosuppressive protocols must be adjusted early to avoid long-term complications.
Time, Money, and Morality

Money, a resource that absorbs much daily attention, seems to be involved in much unethical behavior, which suggests that money itself may corrupt. This research examined a way to offset such potentially deleterious effects-by focusing on time, a resource that tends to receive less attention than money but is equally ubiquitous in daily life. Across four experiments, we examined whether shifting focus onto time can salvage individuals' ethicality. We found that implicitly activating the construct of time, rather than money, leads individuals to behave more ethically by cheating less. We further found that priming time reduces cheating by making people reflect on who they are. Implications for the use of time primes in discouraging dishonesty are discussed.
Registration and region extraction of data from forms

The widespread use of printed forms for data acquisition makes the ability to automatically read and analyze their contents desirable. The components of a forms analysis system include conversion from paper to an image through scanning, image enhancement, document identification, data extraction, and data interpretation. This paper describes techniques for manipulating form electronic images in preparation for data interpretation. A combination feature extraction/model-based approach is used for forms registration and field extraction. The system is demonstrated on United States Internal Revenue Service forms. >
Foodweb modeling for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Twelvemile Creek Arm of Lake Hartwell, South Carolina, USA

PCBs from the Sangamo-Weston Superfund Site near Clemson, South Carolina, USA, were released into the Twelvemile Creek Arm of Lake Hartwell until the early 1990s. Monitoring data have shown that while PCB concentration in sediments declined since 1995, PCB concentrations in fish have remained elevated, e.g., largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) concentrations have ranged from 5 to 10 ppm. The EPA aquatic ecosystem model AQUATOX was applied to this system to better characterize foodweb dynamics that lead to biomagnification of PCBs. The model was calibrated with observed fish biomass data. Simulated PCB loading over a 12-year period provided a reasonable fit to observed PCB data in fish. The model demonstrated that contaminated labile detritus loaded to the system was incorporated into the foodweb rather than deposited, thereby maintaining the PCB concentrations in fish while concentrations in the sediment declined. A dominant PCB pathway was from detritus to daphnia to shad to largemouth bass. Fish PCB concentrations showed moderate sensitivity to toxicant parameters; model runs incorporating uncertainty in these parameters predicted recovery (<2 ppm PCB) for all species in the range of years from 2008 to 2013. The high sensitivity of the model to parameters related to growth strongly affected PCB concentrations in fish and should be considered in future AQUATOX applications.
Instructional Media Laboratory

(1978). Instructional Media Laboratory. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 49, Including Leisure Today, pp. 30-31.
The Nonskeletal Consequences of Osteoporotic Fractures: Psychologic and Social Outcomes

The prevalence of osteoporosis is rising as the population of the United States and other developed countries ages. These increasing numbers of people have motivated pharmaceutical companies to develop and market several antiresorptive medications that can slow down the bone loss associated with osteoporosis. Although these are not cures for this disease, they are an important first step in a vital ongoing public health effort to prevent osteoporosis in the future and to manage osteoporosis now. We cannot expect to remediate the problems caused by this disease if we attend only to its skeletal implications. Like any other chronic disease, osteoporosis has significant psychologic and social consequences. From anxiety and depression to social withdrawal and isolation, if these problems are left unresolved, they can have a significant negative impact not only on health issues but also on overall quality of life. No quick fixes exist for the numerous ways in which osteoporosis can transform an autonomous person into a dependent and hopeless patient. In part, responsibility for helping this patient rests with the medical community. Referrals to appropriate providers can improve a patient's physical and emotional well-being. Physician specialists can help the patient manage comorbid conditions. Physical and occupational therapists can teach exercises, home safety, and safe movement. Social workers can provide a framework for coping that enables individuals to improve their interpersonal interactions and minimize stress in their lives. Nutritionists, pharmacists, nurses, and other health care professionals can make major contributions to the quality of life of people with osteoporosis and should be encouraged to do so. Unfortunately, managed care has set policies that deprive patients with osteoporosis of the kinds of care that would be most useful to them. As we have advocated for the last 15 years, a multidisciplinary approach offers patients the most positive overall way to manage osteoporosis. Therefore, new alternatives need to be examined, alternatives that provide both low-cost and high-quality care. In the long run, patients who practice self-management, that is, those who take responsibility for their own calcium and vitamin D intake, are compliant with medications, exercise, and practice home safety, and who have a healthy outlook, can control their osteoporosis. The most effective intervention for the future may be to teach individuals how to use self-management strategies so that they can take charge of their osteoporosis and positively influence their quality of life.
Children's brand symbolism understanding: Links to theory of mind and executive functioning

Against a background of research suggesting that brand symbolism understanding does not develop until 7 to 11 years of age, two studies investigate various aspects of preschool children’s brand knowledge. While children’s recognition of child-oriented brands is found to be significantly greater than their recognition of brands that are marketed primarily to teens and adults, these young children do recognize brands. In a second study, children’s ability to form mental representations of brands is assessed, along with their understanding of brands as social symbols. Cognitive ability, theory of mind, and executive functioning are assessed as predictors of these brandrelated outcomes. Theory of mind and executive functioning are both significant predictors of the ability to form mental representations of brands. Children’s brand symbolism understanding shows a significant link with theory of mind. It is concluded that 3- to 5-year-olds have emerging knowledge of brands that are relevant in their lives. The impact of individual differences in theory of mind and executive functioning on children’s brand knowledge aligns with current theories of child development. Methodological contributions and societal implications are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Great Divergence: When Did Diversity on Land Exceed That in the Sea?

Synopsis Between 85% and 95% of all living macroscopic species are found on land; the rest are mainly marine. We argue that the extraordinary diversity on land is geologically recent, dating from the mid-Cretaceous period, 110 million years ago. We suggest that the ability and necessity to be rare—that is, to maintain populations at low density—are made possible by the low cost of mobility of consumers on land, and that rarity is critical to the attainment of high-terrestrial diversity. Increasing productivity beginning in the mid-Cretaceous led to an increase in the survival of populations at low density and to an increase in the intensity of selection for that ability as well as for high mobility and habitat specialization. The pre-eminence of terrestrial, as compared to marine, diversity is therefore an historical phenomenon that is best explained by selection-related changes in mobility, dispersibility, and the evolution of partnerships. In the history of the human economy, the dominance of Europe and North America in terms of wealth and innovation is a very recent phenomenon, dating back to the beginning of the 19th century according to Pomeranz (2000), or perhaps to the age of discovery in the 15th century according to others (Vermeij 2004). Whichever time of origin is correct, there was a great and recent divergence among the economies of the world. Using the same title as Pomeranz did for his landmark book, we explore a similar great divergence in the history of biotic diversity. It has long been known that there are far more species living on land than in the sea. Although the oceans cover a little 470% of Earth’s surface, they
Interpretation of protein subcellular location patterns in 3D images across cell types and resolutions

Detailed knowledge of the subcellular location of all proteins and how they change under various conditions is essential for systems biology efforts to recreate the behavior of cells and organisms. Systematic study of sub-cellular patterns requires automated methods to determine the location pattern for each protein and how it relates to others. Our group has designed sets of numerical features that characterize the location patterns in high-resolution fluorescence microscope images, has shown that these can be used to distinguish patterns better than visual examination, and has used them to automatically group proteins by their patterns. In the current study, we sought to extend our approaches to images obtained from different cell types, microscopy techniques and resolutions. The results indicate that 1) transformation of subcellular location features can be performed so that similar patterns from different cell types are grouped by automated clustering; and 2) there are several basic location patterns whose recognition is insensitive to image resolution over a wide range. The results suggest strategies to be used for collecting and analyzing images from different cell types and with different resolutions.
What Determines the Rates of Double Brooding in the Western Bluebird

Abstract. In many bird species, double brooding (producing a second brood after successfully rearing a first) is a common reproductive strategy that can greatly increase reproductive output. However, the proportion of breeding pairs that produce a second brood varies considerably from year to year. Here, we examine how environmental factors such as weather patterns and individual factors such as clutch size, the female's body mass, and date of breeding affect the rate of double brooding in a population of the Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) in New Mexico. More pairs tended to produce second broods in years in which freezing ended earlier and there was warm, dry weather during the breeding season, but this pattern was apparent only when we excluded years with wildfires from the analysis. In addition, pairs that bred earlier were more likely to produce a second brood, and in these pairs females tended to be heavier. Thus both the length of the breeding season and the weather during that time influence ra...
Activation of lipoprotein lipase by lipoprotein fractions of human serum

Triglycerides in fat emulsions are hydrolyzed by lipoprotein lipase only when they are "activated" by serum lipoproteins. The contribution of different lipoprotein fractions to hydrolysis of triglycerides in soybean oil emulsion was assessed by determining the quantity of lipoprotein fraction required to give half-maximal hydrolysis. Most of the activator property of whole serum from normolipidemic, postabsorptive subjects was in high density lipoproteins. Low density lipoproteins and serum from which all lipoprotein classes were removed had little or no activity. Also, little activator was present in guinea pig serum or in very low density poor serum from an individual with lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency, both of which are deficient in high density lipoproteins. Human very low density lipoproteins are potent activators and are much more active than predicted from their content of high density lipoprotein-protein. Per unit weight of protein, very low density lipoproteins had 13 times the activity of high density lipoproteins. These observations suggest that one or more of the major apoproteins of very low density lipoproteins, present as a minor constituent of high density lipoproteins, may be required for the activation process.
Prairie dog: cuddly pet or Trojan horse?

Suggested citation for this article: Azad AF. Prairie dog: cuddly pet or Trojan horse. Emerg Infect Dis [serial online] 2004 Mar [date cited]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no3/04-0045.htm