cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regional Annular Geometry in Patients With Mitral Regurgitation: Implications for Annuloplasty Ring Selection

Background The saddle shape of the normal mitral annulus has been quantitatively described by several groups. There is strong evidence that this shape is important to valve function. A more complete understanding of regional annular geometry in diseased valves may provide a more educated approach to annuloplasty ring selection and design. We hypothesized that mitral annular shape is markedly distorted in patients with diseased valves. Methods Real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography was performed in 20 patients with normal mitral valves, 10 with ischemic mitral regurgitation, and 20 with myxomatous mitral regurgitation (MMR). Thirty-six annular points were defined to generate a 3-dimensional model of the annulus. Regional annular parameters were measured from these renderings. Left ventricular inner diameter was obtained from 2-dimensional echocardiographic images. Results Annular geometry was significantly different among the three groups. The annuli were larger in the MMR and in the ischemic mitral regurgitation groups. The annular enlargement was greater and more pervasive in the MMR group. Both diseases were associated with annular flattening, although though the regional distribution of that flattening was different between groups. Left ventricular inner diameter was increased in both groups. However, relative to the Left ventricular inner diameter, the annulus was disproportionately dilated in the MMR group. Conclusions Patients with MMR and ischemic mitral regurgitation have enlarged and flattened annuli. In the case of MMR, annular distortions may be the driving factor leading to valve incompetence. These data suggest that the goal of annuloplasty should be the restoration of normal annular saddle shape and that the use of flexible, partial, and flat rings may be ill advised.
Pore shape effects during consolidation processing

Abstract Recent experimental studies [e.g. Y. Liu et al., Acta metall. mater.42(7), 2247 (1994)] have shown that final stage densification of alloy powders and metal-coated fibers occurs by the creep collapse of cusp-shaped voids at rates significantly higher than those predicted by the conventional spherical pore analyses of current consolidation models. In this paper, a strain rate potential is developed to describe the densification of a power-law creeping material containing aligned cylindrical pores (with axes perpendicular to the plane of deformation). The pores' cross-sections are randomly oriented (cusp-shaped) hypotrochoids, so the material is isotropic in the plane of deformation. The approach involves the computation of the incremental change in the potential energy of a linear creeping body due to an incremental increase in the porosity, the application of a differential self-consistent scheme to obtain a potential for a linear body with an arbitrary pore concentration and the use of a bounding principle to produce an estimate of the porous materials power-law creep potential. The results show that the presence of the cusps increases the predicted densification rates by a (sometimes large) factor that depends upon the cusp geometry, the applied load asymmetry and materials nonlinearity (i.e. its creep exponent).
Comparison of Corneal Biomechanical Properties Between Healthy Blacks and Whites Using the Ocular Response Analyzer

Purpose To analyze and compare corneal biomechanical properties in healthy black and white subjects using the Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) and to evaluate their relationship with other ocular parameters. Design Observational cross-sectional study. Methods One hundred eighty one eyes (46 in blacks, 135 in whites) of 119 patients (37 blacks, 82 whites) were recruited from the longitudinal Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study (DIGS) and from the African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study (ADAGES) at the University of California, San Diego. Corneal curvature, axial length, central corneal thickness (CCT), corneal hysteresis (CH), and corneal resistance factor (CRF) were obtained from all participants. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between ORA measurements and age, CCT, axial length, corneal curvature, and race. Results Black subjects had significantly lower values of CH (9.7 mm Hg vs 10.4 mm Hg; P = .033), CRF (9.84 mm Hg vs 10.70 mm Hg; P = .028), and CCT (534 μm vs 562 μm; P = .001) compared to white subjects. A significant relationship was found between CH and CCT (R 2 = 0.25; P 2 = 0.42; P P = .077) and CRF ( P = .621) measurements lost statistical significance. Conclusion Black subjects tended to have lower measurements of corneal hysteresis compared to white subjects; however, this was largely explained by differences in corneal thickness. Therefore, it is unlikely that CH would have an independent effect in explaining differences in susceptibility of disease between these 2 racial groups.
The changed legality of resale price maintenance and pricing implications

Abstract From 1911 until 2007, minimum resale price maintenance agreements between manufacturers and resellers were illegal under federal antitrust law. This handicapped manufacturers which sought to exert control over how their products were priced and promoted through the distribution channel. In June 2007, the United States Supreme Court—via the Leegin case—ruled that bilateral minimum resale price maintenance agreements would no longer be automatically illegal. Rather, they would be legal if their net impact is pro-competitive, and illegal only if the net impact is anti-competitive. This ruling empowers manufacturers to use resale price maintenance to create value for their customers and consumers. However, not all stakeholders—including some state legal systems—have embraced the Leegin ruling, thereby creating uncertainty regarding its final impact. Despite this uncertainty, the opportunities created by Leegin are worth exploring and acting upon. Since the Leegin ruling 3 years ago, a new landscape for resale pricing maintenance has been evolving. We discuss this landscape and the considerations for using resale price maintenance within its ambit. For many manufacturers, the chance of benefitting from Leegin outweighs any potential risks.
Fossil pigments as a guide to the paleolimnology of Browns Lake, Ohio

Some aspects of the paleolimnology of Browns Lake, Ohio, have been ascertained by a study of preserved sedimentary plant pigments and conductivity of interstitial water. Temporal changes in the sedimentary environment, especially redox conditions, along with changes in the flora of the lake and the development of peat in the basin have brought about differential sedimentation and preservation of pigments. Measurement of changes in total and relative concentration and diversity of chlorophyll derivatives and carotenoids has provided important clues to late-glacial and postglacial evolution of the lake. Laminated sediments, rich in fossil remains, near the base of the core indicate eutrophic conditions and meromixis for several thousand years beginning shortly after lake inception. As meromixis broke down, the lake evolved gradually to holomictic conditions when sapropel was deposited. An advancing complex of reed swamp and fen forest began during midpostglacial time, providing ever-increasing amounts of highly organic, peaty sediments and continues to the present. The pond is now dystrophic, and increasing deposition of inorganic sediment is apparent at the top of the core, concomitant with land clearance and agriculture. In the same interval, an increase of water conductivity reflects recent agricultural practices and industrialization in the region.
Will hysterectomy at the time of sacrocolpopexy increase the rate of polypropylene mesh erosion

Will total abdominal hysterectomy with concomitant sacrocolpopexy lead to polypropylene (Prolene, Ethicon, Somerset, NJ) mesh erosions? Sixty-seven patients demonstrating a stage 2 or more International Continence Society cystocele, rectocele, and uterine prolapse underwent combined sacrocolpopexy and polypropylene mesh fixation and total abdominal hysterectomy. Surgical failure was noted as prolapse of any of the three pelvic compartments with a stage 2 or more recurrence. Sixty-four patients were available for examination, and none demonstrated mesh erosion or recurrent vault prolapse with a median follow-up of 27 months. Four patients experienced a recurrent stage 2 rectocele without any cystoceles or vault prolapse. Performing abdominal hysterectomy with concomitant sacrocolpopexy with polypropylene extensions does not increase the occurrence of synthetic material erosions in the vaginal vault or the anterior or posterior vaginal walls.
Decrease in mouse lung and liver glutathione peroxidase activity and potentiation of the lethal effects of ozone and paraquat by the superoxide dismutase inhibitor diethyldithio-carbamate

Abstract Intraperitoneal injection of mice with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (1.2 g/kg), an inhibitor of superoxide dismutase, potentiated the lethal effects of ozone and of paraquat. Study of control mice injected with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate demonstrated an 80 per cent decrease in lung and liver superoxide dismutase activity in one hour, followed by a slow return towards normal. However, liver and lung glutathione peroxidase activites were also decreased, although to a lesser extent than superoxide dismutase, and the nadir was not observed until six hours and 30 min following injection. A decrease in liver non-protein sulfhydryl groups was also observed. Similarly, incubation of liver homogenale with diethyldithiocarbamate produced a marked loss in superoxide dismutase activity associated with a lesser, delayed decrease in gluthione peroxidase. The latter could be prevented by the addition of superoxide dismutase or by anaerobic conditions. Accordingly, the potentiation of the lethal effects of exogenous agents by diethyldithiocarbamate does not necessarily indicate a role for superoxide anion radical in the toxicity of these agents.
Pyrazole Ligands: Structure−Affinity/Activity Relationships and Estrogen Receptor-α-Selective Agonists

We have found that certain tetrasubstituted pyrazoles are high-affinity ligands for the estrogen receptor (ER) (Fink et al. Chem. Biol. 1999, 6, 205-219) and that one pyrazole is considerably more potent as an agonist on the ERalpha than on the ERbeta subtype (Sun et al. Endocrinology 1999, 140, 800-804). To investigate what substituent pattern provides optimal ER binding affinity and the greatest enhancement of potency as an ERalpha-selective agonist, we prepared a number of tetrasubstituted pyrazole analogues with defined variations at certain substituent positions. Analysis of their binding affinity pattern shows that a C(4)-propyl substituent is optimal and that a p-hydroxyl group on the N(1)-phenyl group also enhances affinity and selectivity for ERalpha. The best compound in this series, a propylpyrazole triol (PPT, compound 4g), binds to ERalpha with high affinity (ca. 50% that of estradiol), and it has a 410-fold binding affinity preference for ERalpha. It also activates gene transcription only through ERalpha. Thus, this compound represents the first ERalpha-specific agonist. We investigated the molecular basis for the exceptional ERalpha binding affinity and potency selectivity of pyrazole 4g by a further study of structure-affinity relationships in this series and by molecular modeling. These investigations suggest that the pyrazole triols prefer to bind to ERalpha with their C(3)-phenol in the estradiol A-ring binding pocket and that binding selectivity results from differences in the interaction of the pyrazole core and C(4)-propyl group with portions of the receptor where ERalpha has a smaller residue than ERbeta. These ER subtype-specific interactions and the ER subtype-selective ligands that can be derived from them should prove useful in defining those biological activities in estrogen target cells that can be selectively activated through ERalpha.
Early language acquisition: cracking the speech code

Infants learn language with remarkable speed, but how they do it remains a mystery. New data show that infants use computational strategies to detect the statistical and prosodic patterns in language input, and that this leads to the discovery of phonemes and words. Social interaction with another human being affects speech learning in a way that resembles communicative learning in songbirds. The brain's commitment to the statistical and prosodic patterns that are experienced early in life might help to explain the long-standing puzzle of why infants are better language learners than adults. Successful learning by infants, as well as constraints on that learning, are changing theories of language acquisition.
Toward More Research on Effective Practices with Gifted Students in General-Education Settings.

A lack of efficacy research related to effective practices for gifted students in the general-education setting exists in the literature. Future research efforts in this area need to begin by clearly defining worthwhile effects to study. These worthwhile effects relate to what we want our gifted students to accomplish in both the short and long term. Once these effects are defined, we recommend that researchers identify the important critical attributes of the desired practices, include ways of determining if the practice is actually implemented in the classroom, and use technically adequate measures and procedures to gather data.
Tip-contact Force Control of One-link Flexible Manipulator: an Inherent Performance Limitation

It is well known that it is a very difficult task to control the interaction force of a robot manipulator with its environment. Much research has been done to identify and to understand the causes of this dfficulty. In this paper, an inherent limitation on the achievable bandwidth of force control is pointed out, which is due to the structural flexibility of the manipulator linkage and non-colocation of the manipulator actuators with the contact position of the manipulator with its environment. The limitation is inherent in the sense that it is independent of both controller design and the hardwares (actuators, sensors and computer etc.) used for implementation. To alleviating or eliminating this bandwidth limitation, it is necessary to relocate the actuator or/and add extra actuators.
NDVI, biomass, and landscape evolution of glaciated terrain in northern Alaska

The patterns of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on three glacial surfaces of different ages in the vicinity of Toolik Lake, Alaska, were examined. NDVI was derived from SPOT multispectral digital data, and the images were stratified according to boundaries on glacial geology and vegetation maps. Ground-level measurements of NDVI from common vegetation types were also collected, using a portable spectrometer. Late Pleistocene glacial surfaces have lower image-NDVI than older Middle Pleistocene surfaces, and the mean NDVI is correlated with approximate time since deglaciation. The trends are related to differences in NDVI associated with vegetation growing on mineral vs peaty substrates. Nonacidic mineral substrates are more common on the younger landscapes, and acidic peaty soils are more common on the older surfaces. The field-NDVIs of acidic dry, moist, and wet tundra are consistently higher than those of corresponding nonacidic tundra types. These same trends are seen when the SPOT NDVI image is stratified according to vegetation boundaries appearing on two detailed vegetation maps in the region. Above-ground biomass of moist and wet acidic tundra is significantly greater than corresponding nonacidic types. Vegetation species composition was examined along two transects on the oldest and youngest glacial surfaces. Shrub cover is the most important factor affecting the spectral signatures and biomass. Older surfaces have greater cover of shrub-rich tussock tundra and shrub-filled water tracks, and the younger surfaces have more dry, well-drained sites with low biomass and relatively barren nonsorted circles and stripes. These trends are related to paludification and modification of the terrain by geomorphic and geochemical processes. Similar patterns of spectral reflectance have been noted in association with a variety of large-scale natural disturbances in northern Alaska. However, extrapolation of these results to much broader regions of the circumpolar Arctic will require the use of sensors covering larger areas, such as the AVHRR aboard the NOAA satellites.
Synaptic interactions of identified nerve cells in the spinal cord of the sea lamprey.

As part of a continuing study on the organization of the lamprey nervous system, two additional groups of interneurons have been identified by physiological and morphological criteria in the isolated spinal cord of Petromyzon marinus. These and other identified nerve cells were tested for synaptic interactions using separate intracellular microelectrodes for stimulation and recording. 1 Edge cells were identified by their unusual location in the lateral fiber tracts of the spinal cord. Their axons extended rostrally either on the ipsilateral or contralateral side of the cord. 2 Some edge cells showed polysynaptic EPSP's and IPSP's after stimulation of sensory dorsal cells, but interactions with other identified neurons were rare. A single cell was excited by a giant interneuron. One edge cell produced IPSP's in a contralateral edge cell, and another produced IPSP's in lateral cells on the opposite side of the spinal cord. Thus, some edge cells have an inhibitory function. 3 Lateral cells were distinguished from giant interneurons and edge cells by their cell bodies in the lateral grey of the spinal cord in the gill and trunk regions, their ipsilateral dendrites, and their long ipsilateral axons extending as far as the tail. 4 Lateral cells were excited and inhibited polysynaptically by sensory dorsal cells and, in turn, produced weak IPSP's in unidentified neurons. Stimulation of lateral cells produced neither visible movements peripherally nor synaptic potentials in other lateral cells, in giant interneurons, or in edge cells. 5 Giant interneurons were previously identified on the basis of their cell bodies in the caudal half of the spinal cord, their bilateral dendrites, and their long contralateral axons extending towards the brain. Giant interneurons exhibited unitary composite EPSP's when more caudal giant interneurons were stimulated. The two components of the EPSP were due to electrical and chemical transmission. Under the electron microscope a contact between a dendrite of one giant interneuron and the probable axon of another had separate junctions resembling chemical and electrical synapses. 6 Intracellular stimulation of sensory dorsal cells produced both monosynaptic and polysynaptic EPSP's in giant interneurons. Some dorsal cells produced unitary composite EPSP's Giant interneurons are part of a convergent, multispecific sensory system extending towards the brain.
Stochastic demographic forecasting.

Abstract This paper describes a particular approach to stochastic population forecasting, which is implemented for the USA through 2065. Statistical time series methods are combined with demographic models to produce plausible long run forecasts of vital rates, with probability distributions. The resulting mortality forecasts imply gains in future life expectancy that are roughly twice as large as those forecast by the Office of the Social Security Actuary. The method for forecasting fertility is useful mainly for providing estimates of the variance and autocorrelation in fertility forecast errors, and not for making stand-alone point forecasts. The forecasts of the probability distributions of the vital rates can then be used in a stochastic Leslie matrix to produce stochastic population forecasts. These provide probability distributions for the quantities forecast, reflecting lower bound estimates of uncertainty. Resulting stochastic forecasts of the elderly population, elderly dependency ratios, and payroll tax rates for health, education and pensions are presented.
Aluminum alters the permeability of the blood-brain barrier to some non-peptides.

The effect of aluminum administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) on the levels of peripherally injected 99mTc labelled red blood cells in brain and on the penetration of the blood-brain barrier by radioiodinated serum albumin (RISA), thyroxine, iodide, cortisol, N-Tyr-delta sleep-inducing peptide (N-Tyr-DSIP), growth hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin and human and rat luteinizing hormone was examined. Treatment with aluminum did not alter the brain/blood ratio for either 99mTc red blood cells or RISA, although it did increase the blood levels of RISA. These results show that aluminum caused a contraction in the volume of plasma without altering the vascular space of the brain, disrupting the blood-brain barrier, or increasing the "leakiness" of the blood-brain barrier. Aluminum enhanced the permeability of the blood-brain barrier to labelled prolactin, thyroxine, cortisol, growth hormone, N-Tyr-DSIP and rat luteinizing hormone, but not to labelled TSH, iodide, or human luteinizing hormone, a substance with an octanol coefficient markedly different from that of luteinizing hormone from the rat. Incubation of the peptide with aluminum before injection did not increase penetration, demonstrating that aluminum did not increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier by acting directly on the peptide. Aluminum, administered intraperitoneally, increased the accuracy of lipophilicity as a predictor of penetration of the blood-brain barrier, but the greatest increase in penetration was seen with thyroxine, a substance which crosses the blood-brain barrier by carrier-mediated transport.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Physician preferences and attitudes regarding industry support of CME programs.

The Association of Professors of Medicine (APM) is the national organization of departments of internal medicine at the US medical schools and numerous affiliated teaching hospitals as represented by chairs and appointed leaders. As the official sponsor of The American Journal of Medicine, the association invites authors to publish commentaries on issues concerning academic internal medicine.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reverses the effects of rapid eye movement sleep deprivation (REMSD) on developmentally regulated, long-term potentiation (LTP) in visual cortex slices

Abstract Work in this laboratory demonstrated a role for rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) in critical period (CP), postnatal days (P) 17–30, synaptic plasticity in visual cortex. Studies in adolescent rats showed that REMS deprivation (REMSD) reinitiates a developmentally regulated form of synaptic plasticity that otherwise is observed only in CP animals. Subsequent work added that REMSD affects inhibitory mechanisms that are thought to be involved in terminating the CP. Neurotrophins are implicated in the synaptic plasticity that underlies CP maturation and also final closure of the CP in visual cortex. Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is dependent upon neuronal activity, and REMSD may block BDNF expression. We propose that REMS contributes to the maturation of visual cortex through regulation of BDNF expression and consequent, downstream increase in cortical inhibitory tone. In this study, osmotic minipumps delivered BDNF into visual cortex on one side of brain. The opposite hemisphere was not implanted and served as an internal control. We tested the hypothesis that BDNF is blocked by REMSD in late-adolescent rats and investigated whether replacing BDNF prevents induction of LTPWM-III by theta burst stimulation (TBS). We also assessed relative inhibitory tone in visual cortex with paired-pulse stimulation (PPS) in animals that were similarly REMSD- and BDNF-infused. After REMSD, both hemispheres were prepared in parallel for in vitro synaptic plasticity studies (LTPWM-III or PPS). In visual cortex of REMSD rats on the side receiving BDNF infusions (8 of 8 animals), TBS consistently failed to induce LTPWM-III. In contrast, LTPWM-III was obtained (5 of 5 animals) in the matched, non-infused hemisphere, as expected in rats of this age. REMSD animals that were unilaterally infused with saline produced LTPWM-III in both hemispheres. PPS studies in another group of REMSD animals that were unilaterally BDNF-infused displayed age-appropriate inhibition of the second response on the BDNF-infused side (5/5), whereas on the non-infused side facilitation was observed (3/3). Intracortical infusion of BDNF in REMSD adolescent rats appears to restore neurochemical processes necessary for termination of the CP for developmentally regulated synaptic plasticity in visual cortex. The results suggest that REMSD blocks BDNF expression and also maturation of inhibitory processes in adolescent visual cortex. These data support REMS’ function in brain development.
Long-Term Natural Attenuation of Carbon and Nitrogen within a Groundwater Plume after Removal of the Treated Wastewater Source

Disposal of treated wastewater for more than 60 years onto infiltration beds on Cape Cod, Massachusetts produced a groundwater contaminant plume greater than 6 km long in a surficial sand and gravel aquifer. In December 1995 the wastewater disposal ceased. A long-term, continuous study was conducted to characterize the post-cessation attenuation of the plume from the source to 0.6 km downgradient. Concentrations and total pools of mobile constituents, such as boron and nitrate, steadily decreased within 1-4 years along the transect. Dissolved organic carbon loads also decreased, but to a lesser extent, particularly downgradient of the infiltration beds. After 4 years, concentrations and pools of carbon and nitrogen in groundwater were relatively constant with time and distance, but substantially elevated above background. The contaminant plume core remained anoxic for the entire 10-year study period; temporal patterns of integrated oxygen deficit decreased slowly at all sites. In 2004, substantial amounts of total dissolved carbon (7 mol C m(-2)) and fixed (dissolved plus sorbed) inorganic nitrogen (0.5 mol N m(-2)) were still present in a 28-m vertical interval at the disposal site. Sorbed constituents have contributed substantially to the dissolved carbon and nitrogen pools and are responsible for the long-term persistence of the contaminant plume. Natural aquifer restoration at the discharge location will take at least several decades, even though groundwater flow rates and the potential for contaminant flushing are relatively high.
Strong performance on the Progressive Evaluation of Competency fellowship final examination predicts American Board of Pathology Certification

Introduction The Progressive Evaluation of Competency (PEC) program was developed to help cytopathology fellowship directors evaluate the progress of fellows before program completion. There are no data on how PEC examination results compare with American Board of Pathology (ABP) certification status. Materials and methods PEC final examination results from the 2011/2012 academic year were compared with performance on the ABP cytopathology examination. The total and section PEC scores were compared with ABP scaled written and practical scores, and individuals who failed the certification examination were analyzed in detail. Results Of the 103 fellows who took the final PEC examination in spring of 2012, 88 took the ABP examination, and 79 became certified. The total and the fine-needle aspiration scores on the PEC exam were positively and significantly correlated with performance on both ABP exam sections. Every fellow who scored in the upper one-third on the PEC exam became certified. The failing candidates scored significantly lower in both total scores and the fine-needle aspiration section of the PEC exam. Conclusions The PEC final examination performance is positively correlated with ABP certification status, and fellows who score in the top one-third of the PEC examination become certified. These findings can help provide guidance to both fellowship directors and fellows on competency and readiness for board certification.
Relative Intermolecular Orientation Probed via Molecular Heat Transport

In this work, through investigating a series of liquid, glassy, and crystalline samples with ultrafast multiple-mode 2D IR and IR transient absorption methods, we demonstrated that the signal anisotropy of vibrational relaxation-induced heat effects is determined by both relative molecular orientations and molecular rotations. If the relative molecular orientations are randomized or molecular rotations are fast compared to heat transfer, the signal anisotropy of heat effects is zero. If the relative molecular orientations are anisotropic and the molecular rotations are slow, the signal anisotropy of heat effects can be nonzero, which is determined by the relative orientations of the energy source mode and the heat sensor mode within the same molecule and in different molecules. We also demonstrated that the correlation between the anisotropy value of heat signal and the relative molecular orientations can be quantitatively calculated.
Nanoparticles for gene transfer to human embryonic stem cell colonies.

We develop biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles to facilitate nonviral gene transfer to human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Small (∼200 nm), positively charged (∼10 mV) particles are formed by the self assembly of cationic, hydrolytically degradable poly(β-amino esters) and plasmid DNA. By varying the end group of the polymer, we can tune the biophysical properties of the resulting nanoparticles and their gene-delivery efficacy. We created an OCT4-driven GFP hES cell line to allow the rapid identification of nanoparticles that facilitate gene transfer while maintaining an hESC undifferentiated state. Using this cell system, we synthesized nanoparticles that have gene delivery efficacy that is up to 4 times higher than that of the leading commercially available transfection agent, Lipofectamine 2000. Importantly, these materials have minimal toxicity and do not adversely affect hESC colony morphology or cause nonspecific differentiation.
Change You Can Believe In: Changes in Goal Setting During Emerging and Young Adulthood Predict Later Adult Well-Being

A widely held assumption is that changes in one’s goals and motives for life during emerging and young adulthood have lasting influences on well-being into adulthood. However, this claim has yet to receive rigorous empirical testing. The current study examined the effects of prosocial and occupational goal change during college on adult well-being in a 17-year study of goal setting (N = 416). Using a latent growth model across three time points, both level and growth in goal setting predicted later well-being. Moreover, goal changes both during college and in young adulthood uniquely predicted adult well-being, controlling for goal levels entering college. These findings suggest that what matters for attaining adult well-being is both how you enter adulthood and how you change in response to it.
Epithelioid sarcoma: results of conservative surgery and radiotherapy.

Abstract Purpose: To determine the outcome and prognostic factors for patients with localized epithelioid sarcoma treated with conservative surgery and radiotherapy (RT). Methods and Materials: The medical records of 24 patients with nonmetastatic epithelioid sarcoma treated with conservative surgery and RT were reviewed. Preoperative RT was given to 3 patients (median 46.4 Gy) and postoperative RT to 21 patients (median 64.5 Gy). A local (limb-sparing) surgical procedure was performed in all patients. Results: At a median follow-up of 131 months, 14 patients had relapsed and 13 patients had died. The actuarial overall and disease-free survival rate at 10 years was 50% and 37%, respectively. Local, nodal, and metastatic failure occurred in 7, 4, and 10 patients, respectively, yielding a 10-year actuarial local, nodal, and metastatic control rate of 63%, 81%, and 56%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that size ≤5 cm and extremity location were favorable prognostic factors for overall, disease-free, and metastasis-free survival. The actuarial 5-year overall, disease-free, and metastasis-free survival rate was 79% vs. 25% (p = 0.002), 51% vs. 13% (p = 0.03), and 79% vs. 13% (p 5 cm. The actuarial 5-year overall, disease-free, and metastasis-free survival rate was 77% vs. 39% (p = 0.002), 56% vs. 0% (p = 0.01), and 78% vs. 17% (p = 0.01), respectively, for extremity vs. nonextremity location. Multivariate analysis of the factors correlating with the overall, disease-free, and metastasis-free survival confirmed the favorable prognostic significance of small lesion size. The prognostic significance of extremity location on univariate analysis was explained by an imbalance in the mean tumor sizes. Conclusions: Epithelioid sarcoma is an aggressive soft-tissue sarcoma, with high rates of local and distant relapse. Local control with conservative surgery and RT compares favorably to published surgical series. The poor outcome for tumors ≥5 cm in size emphasizes the need for effective systemic therapy.
Utilization of Home Pregnancy Testing Among Women at Risk for Unintended Pregnancy

Purpose We sought to determine whether a brief intervention increased home pregnancy test utilization among women at risk for unintended pregnancy. Methods The intervention included education, consultation with a nurse, and the provision of a free home pregnancy test kit. Participants were 35 women aged 18–39 years from a Medicaid population who were having unprotected intercourse and who were not trying to conceive. The women received education on pregnancy testing and the importance of early recognition of pregnancy. All women received a free home pregnancy test kit. The main outcome measures were pregnancy test use and appropriateness of use. Main Findings During the 3-month follow-up period, 62% of participants used the home pregnancy test kit, which was approximately 3 times higher than the self-reported testing rate before the study (p Conclusion The intervention increased utilization of home pregnancy test kits among women at risk of unintended pregnancy. All study participants used the test appropriately. These results can serve as a framework for interventions to improve early pregnancy recognition.
Inactivation of pectinesterase in orange and grapefruit juices by high pressure

The enzyme pectinesterase (PE) reduces the quality of citrus juices. Current inactivation of the enzyme is accomplished by heat, resulting in a loss of fresh fruit flavor in the juice. We explored the use of pressurized treatments of orange and grapefruit juices to bypass the use of extreme heat during processing. PE inactivation using isostatic high pressure in the range of 500−900 MPa was accomplished in orange and grapefruit juices. The higher pressures (>600 MPa) caused instantaneous inactivation of the heat labile form of the enzyme but did not inactivate the heat stable form of PE. Treatment times caused significantly different (α = 0.05) total PE activity losses in orange but not in grapefruit juices, and PE inactivation at different pressures was significantly different in both juices. Heat labile grapefruit PE was also more sensitive than orange to pressure. Dp values for orange PE inactivation at 500 and 600 MPa were 83.3 and 2.4 min, respectively; while the zp value between 500 and 600 MPa was ...
Further evidence for a gene influencing spatial ability.

Data for six spatial tests from 927 families of European ancestry, 369 families of Japanese ancestry, and 93 families of Chinese ancestry from the Hawaiian Family Study of Cognition were subjected to unified mixed-model segregation analysis. Father, mother, son, and daughter data sets from each ethnic group were separately age-adjusted and standardized and then separately subjected to transformation procedures to reduce skewness and kurtosis. Families were reassociated prior to segregation analysis. Evidence for a major gene contributing to spatial visualizing ability was obtained for Mental Rotations and Progressive Matrices even with a normalizing transformation which reduced skewness and kurtosis to zero. It was concluded that provision for testing deviation from Mendelian transmission in the unified model protected against false inference of a segregating major gene. Minimizing distributional differences in the components of a data set is an important pretreatment.
Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor contributes to enhanced ligand-mediated motility in keratinocyte cell lines

In keratinocytes, epidermal growth factor (EGF) promotes cell motility in addition to proliferation. As EGF receptor expression is elevated during wound healing and in many epithelial tumors, we wanted to investigate whether there is a direct relationship between EGF receptor expression and ligand-mediated cellular locomotion. EGF receptor activation induced cell migration in normal keratinocytes and their tumorigenic counterparts; however, the rate of colony dispersion and in vitro reepithelialization was more rapid in the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lines that exhibited elevated (> or = 5-fold) EGF receptor levels. Within a single SCC line, submaximal concentrations of EGF or reduction of EGF receptor activity by an anti-EGF receptor neutralizing antibody resulted in delayed kinetics of in vitro reepithelialization. Thus, suppression of EGF receptor activity in an overexpressing SCC line restores a migratory response that more closely resembles that of normal keratinocytes. Conversely, ligand-induced colony dispersion was augmented in stable clonal cell lines in which EGF receptor expression was elevated after introduction of an EGF receptor complementary DNA construct. Collectively, these findings suggest that the migratory potential of keratinocytes is modulated at the level of both receptor expression and ligand concentration, with a positive correlation between EGF receptor levels and ligand-induced cell motility.
A Computational Method for Free Surface Hydrodynamics

There are numerous flow phenomena in pressure vessel and piping systems that involve the dynamics of free fluid surfaces. For example, fluid interfaces must be considered during the draining or filling of tanks, in the formation and collapse of vapor bubbles, and in seismically shaken vessels that are partially filled. To aid in the analysis of these types of flow phenomena, a new technique has been developed for the computation of complicated free-surface motions. This technique is based on the concept of a local average volume of fluid (VOF) and is embodied in a computer program for two-dimensional, transient fluid flow called SOLA-VOF. The basic approach used in the VOF technique is briefly described, and compared to other free-surface methods. Specific capabilities of the SOLA-VOF program are illustrated by generic examples of bubble growth and collapse, flows of immiscible fluid mixtures, and the confinement of spilled liquids.
The inequality-adjusted human development index: A constructive proposal

Abstract This paper proposes a method to incorporate a concern for distributional inequalities of income, education, and longevity into the framework of the Human Development Index (HDI), as it is presently designed by the United Nations Development Programme. The paper constructs Gini coefficients, for a set of 20 developing countries, measuring inequalities in annual income, educational attainment, and life-span attainment. These calculations are combined with data from the HDI to produce an Inequality-Adjusted Human Development Index (IAHDI). The implications of this proposed index for evaluating and promoting development are considered.
Expression of the candidate MCT-1 oncogene in B- and T-cell lymphoid malignancies

Our laboratory has recently discovered a novel candidate oncogene, MCT-1 , amplified in human T-cell lymphoma and mapped to chromosome Xq22-24. This region is amplified in a subset of primary B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), suggesting that increased copy number of a gene(s) located in this region confers a growth advantage to some primary human lymphomas. We examined a diverse panel of lymphoid malignancies for the expression of MCT-1 . We demonstrated that there are significantly increased levels of MCT-1 protein in a panel of T-cell lymphoid cell lines and in non-Hodgkin lymphoma cell lines. Furthermore, we identified a subset of primary diffuse large B-cell lymphomas that exhibited elevated levels of MCT-1 protein. Interestingly, all transformed follicular lymphomas in our study demonstrated elevated protein levels of MCT-1. There was no detectable MCT-1 protein in leukemic cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or in any healthy lymphoid tissue examined. Lymphoid cell lines overexpressing MCT-1 exhibited increased growth rates and displayed increased protection against apoptosis induced by serum starvation when compared with matched controls. We found that MCT-1—overexpressing cells show constitutively higher levels of phosphorylated PKB/Akt protein, especially under serum starvation. Activation of survival pathways may be an additional function of the MCT-1 gene. Our data suggest that high levels of MCT-1 protein may be associated with a high-risk subset of lymphoid neoplasms and may further support the potential role of MCT-1 in promoting human lymphoid tumor development. (Blood. 2003;102: 297-302)
The value of birth control

When econometric simulation is employed as a tool of national policy analysis, a persuasive argument can be made for including demographic elements in the models. In the short run, changes in birth rates alter female labour force participation rates and hence affect the size of the labour force. Also, changes in birth rates influence investment rates even in the short run by changing the number of dependents to be fed, housed, and clothed. Over a longer time span, changes in birth rates roughly 15 or 16 years earlier affect the current population old enough to work. Failure to include birth rates, death rates, and other demographic variables in econometric models makes it impossible to study the impact of birth control programmes, and thus precludes comparison of birth control with alternative investment projects. An econometric simulation model which includes demographic variables can help illumine population policy issues. In particular, tile model can be used to investigate the implications of birth pr...
Abnormal adenine metabolism of erythrocytes in Duchenne and myotonic muscular dystrophy.

DUCHENNE muscular dystrophy (DUD) and myotonic muscular dystrophy (MYD) are inherited as sex-linked recessive and autosomal dominant traits, respectively. Although the primary manifestation is progressive muscle weakness, multiple organ systems seem to be affected. Cardiac abnormalities and mental retardation are described in both conditions, and defects in immunoglobulins and endocrine functions have been reported in MYD1. The primary inherited metabolic defect is unknown, but there is evidence to suggest an abnormal sarcolemmal membrane1. The possibility that muscle disease, especially involving membrane dysfunction, is reflected in the erythrocytes is supported by the demonstration of defective phosphorylation in the erythrocytes of patients with DUD2 and MYD3. In DUD the erythrocytes appear abnormal in the scanning electron microscope4 and in MYD electron spin resonance reveals abnormal membrane fluidity. There are other reasons to study erythrocytes, for the direct study of muscle is hampered by the need for repeated biopsies and by atrophy and fibrous tissue, which can cause secondary biochemical changes. Furthermore, the yield of isolated sarcolemmal membranes is often small and impure. In DUD, there is a 30% reduction in muscle ATP6 and an abnormal ATP : ADP ratio of 1.57. Whether this is a significant defect or is a result of secondary changes in the muscle has yet to be clarified. We report here that the intracellular phosphorylation of adenine nucleotides derived from adenine incorporated by the erythrocytes is abnormal in both DUD and MYD.
Smoking in the Workplace Dimensions Of Policy

As the health risks of tobacco use have become better known, smoking in the workplace has become a policy issue Employers need to be informed about recent developments and what actions may be taken to restrict smoking in the workplace This article discusses legislative and administrative restrictions on smoking in the workplace, the rights of nonsmokers in the workplace, and the rights and responsibilities of employers
Magnetoelastic-Harmonic Stress Sensors With Tunable Sensitivity

A wireless and passive stress sensor was developed by measuring changes in the induced magnetic field of a magnetoelastic strip under varying force loadings. The magnetoelastic strip was made of an amorphous ferromagnetic alloy and was attached to a solid body at its two longitudinal ends to form a bridge-like structure. When subjected to a lateral loading, the bridge-like structure allows the magnetoelastic strip to deflect, creating a longitudinal stress and changing its magnetic property. To remotely monitor the force loading, an AC magnetic field is applied and the magnetic fields induced by the magnetoelastic strip are recorded at multiple frequencies of the excitation frequency (higher-order harmonic fields). Experimental results showed that the second-order harmonic field (at twice the excitation frequency) amplitude produced by the sensor increased with applied compressive stress. It was also illustrated that sensor sensitivity with applied stress could be controlled by changing the length of the magnetoelastic strip. Good repeatability and stability were demonstrated with the highest signal drift of 9.45% occurring at a 9.7 kPa compressive load. Furthermore, a theoretical model was developed and evaluated to show the correlation between mechanical loading and second-order harmonic fields. Potential applications of this wireless and passive sensor technology include the monitoring of pressure in sphincter of Oddi, aortic aneurysms, and knee joint prostheses.