cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arborphilia and Sacred Rebellion

While human perceptions of trees are variable, arborphilia—friendly or loving feelings toward trees—is common.1 Sometimes such fellow feeling precipitates rebellion.
The Use of Para-Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA) as a Compliance Measure for Large, Long-Term Feeding Studies

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To analyze the use of para-aminobenzoic acid for large long-term feeding studies as a measure of compliance. Metabolic diets are precisely designed to meet each feeding studies' unique protocol. Valid results are solely dependent upon the total consumption of each prescribed diet. Therefore, compliance is a major concern. Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) is a non-metabolized marker that can be incorporated easily into many foods and is then excreted in the urine. The specific aims of this study were to measure the long-term effects of freezing PABA containing products and to identify the percent PABA recovery in known compliant participants subjected to realistic study control indicative of long-term feeding studies. The effects of frozen storage was measured by placing PABA containing muffins into a freezer (−20C) at week 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. At week 0 they were removed from the freezer and analyzed for % PABA recovery. There was no significant difference in PABA recovery, thus indicating that frozen storage had no effect on PABA. A 3-day feeding study was then conducted with 10 subjects that work at Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC) and know the importance of compliance. All meals were provided by the PBRC metabolic kitchen. Breakfast and lunch were consumed on site and they were given a take home dinner. Each participant consumed 288mg of PABA each day that was incorporated into different foods evenly throughout the day. Food production, storage, packaging, and serving was done in the same manner used in large, long-term feeding studies. A baseline urine collection was done prior to the start of the study to measure any natural occurring PABA. Then, 24-hour urine collections were made each day of the study. PABA recovery was measured using a standard colorimetric assay and only approximately 10% was recovered from each subject each day. The reason for such low recovery is not known at this time. The results indicate that PABA may not be an effective compliance marker for long-term out-patient feeding studies.
Dynamic links between memory and functional limitations in old age: Longitudinal evidence for age-based structural dynamics from the ahead study.

This study examined competing substantive hypotheses about dynamic (i.e., time-ordered) links between memory and functional limitations in old age. We applied the Bivariate Dual Change Score Model to 13-year longitudinal data from the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old Study (AHEAD; N = 6,990; ages 70 - 95). Results revealed that better memory predicted shallower increases in functional limitations. Little evidence was found for the opposite direction that functional limitations predict ensuing changes in memory. Spline models indicated that dynamic associations between memory and functional limitations were substantively similar between participants aged 70-79 and those aged 80-95. Potential covariates (gender, education, health conditions, and depressive symptoms) did not account for these differential lead-lag associations. Applying a multivariate approach, our results suggest that late-life developments in two key components of successful aging are intrinsically interrelated. Our discussion focuses on possible mechanisms why cognitive functioning may serve as a source of age-related changes in health both among the young-old and the old-old.
Generation of ringlets

A mechanism for the generation of ringlets (i.e., small cyclonic eddies (20–40 km) which have recently been observed on the periphery of warm-core rings) is proposed. The suggested process is examined analytically using a reduced gravity one-and-a-half-layer and two-and-a-half-layer model. The underlying hypothesis is that the ringlets are formed by the expulsion of fluid from the outer rim of the warm ring and that this expulsion is the result of an absorption of foreign water into the core of the ring. This nonlinear process is examined using the not-so-frequently used integrated angular momentum constraint as well as the familiar conservation of potential vorticity and mass. These constraints show that when the ring interacts with other bodies of water such as shelf water or the Gulf Stream, the shelf water is sucked into the ring in such a manner that the entire ring is capped. To conserve angular momentum, some other fluid must then be pushed out and it is argued that via instability of the ring's edge, this expulsion forms ringlets. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.1993.t01-3-00005.x
Thermal rates for baryon and antibaryon production

We use a form of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem to derive formulas giving the rate of production of spin-1/2 baryons in terms of the fluctuations of either meson or quark fields. The most general formulas do not assume thermal or chemical equilibrium. When evaluated in a thermal ensemble we find equilibration times on the order of 10 fm/c near the critical temperature in QCD.
Outbound US medical tourism to selected Asian countries

Medical tourism is expanding exponentially in the age of globalisation. People are increasingly seeking comparable and cheaper medical procedures in other countries in light of their rapidly escalating costs in home countries. This paper attempts to explore this issue of growing importance by studying the likely effects of relative costs of 12 selected medical procedures on the number of US medical tourists to India, Singapore and Thailand during 2008. Time-series-cross-section (TSCS) data are used. There are weak evidences of positive causal influences of relative costs on outbound US medical tourism. The empirical findings of the paper conform to the inference drawn from the mathematical model, as developed in this paper.
Rationale and design of REWARD (revving-up exercise for sustained weight loss by altering neurological reward and drive): a randomized trial in obese endometrial cancer survivors.

Abstract Background Obesity is a leading risk factor for endometrial cancer (EC), particularly Type I forms, which are increasing in the U.S. Although death rates from most cancers have been decreasing, overall mortality in EC is increasing in the U.S. EC survivors' poor fitness combined with their surgical treatments may make weight loss particularly challenging. High intensity exercise increases neurotrophins and neurological reward via altered striatal dopamine in animals, and, in humans, chronic high intensity exercise enhances meal-induced satiety and may reduce hedonic eating. “Assisted” exercise, a mode of exercise whereby a patient's voluntary exercise rate is augmented mechanically, may modulate brain dopamine levels in Parkinson's Disease patients but has not been previously evaluated as a treatment for obesity. Methods We describe the rationale and design of the REWARD trial, which has the overarching goal of randomizing 120 obese EC survivors to “assisted” or voluntary rate cycling to evaluate the efficacy of “assisted” exercise in enhancing and sustaining weight loss. Patients in both arms will receive 3 days/week of supervised exercise and 1 day/week of a group dietary behavioral intervention for 16 weeks and, then, will be followed for 6 months. Outcomes The primary outcome is weight loss. Secondary outcomes include measures for body composition, fitness, eating behavior, exercise motivation and, quality of life as well as cognition and food reward and motivation as assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tasks. Conclusions If successful, the REWARD program could be extended to help sustain weight loss in obese cancer and non-cancer patients.
Transmural distribution of capillary morphology as a function of coronary perfusion pressure in the resting canine heart.

Abstract Changes in coronary perfusion pressure lead to alterations in intracoronary myocardial volume that may be associated with regionally altered microvascular morphology. Transmural variations in coronary capillary geometry were quantified as a function of coronary perfusion pressure in glutaraldehyde-fixed canine hearts. Capillary volume fraction, diameter, numerical density, anisotropy, and sarcomere length were measured using computer analysis of light microscopic images of sections taken transverse or longitudinal to the muscle fiber axis. Capillary volume was 4-6% of myocardial wall volume and exhibited a significant transmural gradient, increasing from epicardium to endocardium. Vessels 4 to 5 μm in diameter with a density of 2900 mm -2 appear to increase in diameter and alter their cross-sectional shape with increasing pressure, rather than increasing in number, suggesting an effective distensibility of approximately 0.007 mm Hg -1 . Quantification of vessel anisotropy was directly related to cross sectional shape and demonstrated that the capillaries are highly oriented. These findings indicate that intramyocardial capacitance is at least in part associated with nonhomogeneous changes in coronary capillary morphology with altered perfusion pressure.
Nanochargers: Energetic materials for energy storage

Nanochargers are energetic materials consisting of fuel metal particles and metallic oxide particles that absorb and store energy up to an ignition threshold. Once ignited a controlled exothermic reaction ensues producing energy. Nanotechnology has spurred the understanding of unique nanoparticle combustion behaviors that enable creation of nanochargers with optimized heat capacity for storing energy. Although in the initial stages, these experiments demonstrate evidence of the nanocharger’s potential for energy storage and transfer.
A new cloning system for Bacillus subtilis comprising elements of phage, plasmid and transposon vectors.

Abstract A new cloning system for Bacillus subtilis was devised which makes use of a combination of Tn 917 -containing phage SPβ derivatives and Tn P17 -containing Escherichia coli-B. subtilis shuttle plasmids. This system allows the initial cloning of genes in single copy, via ‘prophage transformation’, with a selection for complementation of mutational defects in B. subtilis hosts and permits subsequent transfer of the cloned material by homologous recombination to low-copy and high-copy vectors that replicate in both B. subtilis and E. coli . Because cloned sequences are adjacent to pB322-derived DNA in the recombinant phages, inserts can also be ‘rescued’ directly from the phage DNA after digestion with appropriate restriction enzymes, circularization of the fragments by ligation and transformation of an E. coli recipient. Two genomic libraries of B. subtilis chromosomal Sau 3A-generated partial-digest fragments in the size ranges of 5–8 kb and 8–10 kb were constructed and screened for the complementation of mutations aroI 906, cysA 14, dal -1, glyB 133, metC 3, purA 16, purB 33, thrA 5, trpC 2 and recE 4. In all cases, specialized transducing phages carrying inserts that complemented the selected markers were recovered. Inserts complementing the dal -1 and trpC 2 mutations could be transferred from recombinant phages to Tn 917 -containing plasmids by homologous recombination without in vitro subcloning. Another insert complementing the purB 33 mutation was rescued directly into E. coli from a recombinant phage DNA.
Glutamate neurotoxicity in the developing rat cochlea is antagonized by kynurenic acid and MK-801.

Abstract Glutamate (Glu) is neurotoxic in the neonatal rat cochlea, producing hearing impairment which is largely due to the death of spiral ganglion cells, whereas the receptor hair cells are spared. Dendritic processes of the spiral ganglion are postsynaptic to the primary afferent synapse of the auditory system. The experiments reported here were designed to test whether this apparent excitotoxicity can be blocked by Glu antagonist. The broad-spectrum antagonist kynurenic acid (KYNA) was coadministered with Glu initially to determine whether the high-frequency hearing deficit caused by Glu may be mediated by excitatory amino acid receptors. Subsequently, the N- methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA)-specific receptor blocker MK-801 was used to test whether NMDA receptors may be involved in the effect. Both antagonists partially blocked the high-frequency hearing impairment caused by Glu. The blocker-alone control groups exhibited mid-frequency effects of unknown origin. The significant antagonism of Glu-induced impairment is consistent with the hypothesis that Glu or a similar excitatory amino acid is an important afferent transmitter in the cochlea.
Stickleback fishes: Bridging the gap between population biology and paleobiology

Integration of evolutionary mechanisms and phylogeny requires study of phenotypes that change in the fossil record and continue to evolve in extant populations. Pelvic reduction in the three-spined stickle-back has evolved rapidly in a Miocene fossil assemblage and in numerous extant isolated lake populations throughout its distribution. Although pelvic reduction is caused by selection, expression of reduced pelvic phenotypes is constrained by development and other factors. However, lineages with pelvis reduction rapidly go extinct while lineages that retain the fully formed pelvic girdle tend to persist. Existence of pelvic reduction since the Miocene has depended on an equilibrium between divergence and extinction. The phylogenetic topology resulting from this process differs greatly from the conventional view of evolutionary history, and could only be recognized by analysis of both extant populations and fossil material. If this phylogenetic topology is common, it may help to account for the different perceptions that population biologists and paleobiologists have of evolutionary tempo.
Materials and Energy Recovery From Municipal Solid Waste: Why They Are Both Needed

The United States is the largest generator of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the world. It also landfills the largest amount of MSW. In this article, the authors present a comprehensive argument for implementing a more sustainable approach to the management of MSW. This approach includes the significant expansion of energy recovery from MSW, both to avoid burying massive amounts of waste and to expand generation of renewable, carbon-efficient electricity.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Direct intramolecular gas-phase transfer reactions during fragmentation of sildenafil and thiosildenafil analogs in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A study is made of the mass spectral fragmentation pathways of sildenafil, thiosildenafil, and analogous compounds. A prominent gas-phase reaction that occurs during collision-induced dissociation (CID) of thiosildenafil compounds is the transfer of an alkyl group from the piperazine nitrogen atom to the sulfur atom of the thiocarbonyl group. This phenomenon is clearly demonstrated through a comparison of electrospray ionization mass spectral fragmentation patterns of four sildenafil-type compounds and three related thiosildenafil derivatives. Molecular modeling and fragmentation patterns support a direct intramolecular alkyl transfer mechanism rather than an ion-neutral complex mechanism. CID of thiohydroxyhomosildenafil results in a facile hydroxyethyl migration to the sulfur atom followed by a second intramolecular reaction to form a spiro-1,3-oxathiolane ring, which fragments in two directions to generate both carbonyl and thiocarbonyl product ions from this thiocarbonyl compound. While methyl migration to the thiocarbonyl sulfur atom of thiosildenafil is dominant, methyl migration to the carbonyl oxygen atom of sildenafil may occur to a small extent.
The isolation and culture of capillary endothelium from epididymal fat.

Abstract Capillaries were isolated from collagenase-dissociated epididymal fat by centrifugation to remove floating adipocytes and subsequent filtering to remove blood elements and free stromal cells. Isolated capillaries were cultured in Medium 199 and 20% fetal calf serum. Spreading of endothelial cells from the capillary explants could be directly observed. Nonendothelial cells were removed from primary cultures by treatment with thimerosal. A small percentage of the cells spreading from the explants exhibited cusp-shaped or circular profiles, which were no longer observed after the cells had spread into monolayers. Purified primary cultures consisted of sheets of close-packed polygonal cells. Electron microscopy revealed that micropinocytic vesicles were present in abundance both at the cell's free surfaces and enclosed within the cytoplasm. Endothelial cells were frequently joined by intracellular junctions. Weibel-Palade bodies were not evident in those cells observed by electron microscopy. Upon subculturing, the cells progressively exhibited pleomorphism.
Group 2 element and related compounds as chemical vapour deposition precursors for high‐temperature superconducting metal oxides

The advent of high-temperature superconducting metal oxides (SMOs) has prompted an increasing number of studies aimed at the development of new routes to their syntheses, in particular in the form of thin films. The preferred method in this regard has been that of chemical vapour deposition (CVD); however, significant difficulties have been associated with the efficacy of commercial precursors for the group 2 metals, in particular those of the bis(β-diketonates) of barium, whose co-ordinative unsaturation leads to cluster formation. The development of alternative β-diketonate precursor systems has focused upon the synthesis of stable Lewis acid-base complexes by either inter- or intramolecular stabilisation. The results of these studies are described herein, along with a review of the research to date on non-β-diketonate derivatives of the group 2 metals, including organometallic, halide, amide, carboxylate and alkoxide compounds. On the basis of the results to date, a series of goals for the synthesis of the ideal precursor are discussed.
The impact of Kaizen on safety in modular home manufacturing

High injury and fatality rates prevalent in all types of construction in the USA may be addressed by combining safety initiatives with process improvement through Lean. This study evaluated the impact on worker safety when Kaizen (a Lean tool) was used at a modular homebuilder. Twelve students who had completed a safety course and four safety experts rated the probability and severity of hazards (as determined by a job safety analysis, or JSA) present in three workstations; base-framing, sheet rock hanging, and painting. These ratings were provided after viewing a series of photographs taken before and after a Kaizen event performed at each workstation. The rating tool showed high reliability for all safety experts' ratings but only for students' ratings from the sheet rock hanging station. Students' and experts' ratings showed a significant reduction in risk in the base-framing station after the Kaizen, and student's ratings showed significantly reduced risk in the sheet-rock hanging station. Kaizen has the potential to improve safety in modular homebuilding and possibly, other manufacturing and construction activities.
Frequency compounding in multifrequency vibroacoustography

ABSTRACT Vibro-acoustography is a speckle-free ultrasound based imag ing modality that can visualize normal and abnormal soft tissue through mapping stimulated acoustic emission. The acoustic emission is generated by focusing two ultrasound beams of slightly different frequencies (' f = f 1 -f 2 ) to the same spatial location and vibrating the tissue as a result of ultrasound radiation force. Reverberation of the acoustic emission can create dark and bright areas in the image that affect overall image contrast and detectability of abnormal tissue. Using finite length tonebursts yields acoustic emission at ' f and at sidebands centered about ' f that originate from the tem poral toneburst gating. Separate images are formed by bandpass filtering the acoustic emission at ' f and the associated sidebands. The data at these multiple frequencies are compounded through coherent or incoherent processes to reduce the artifacts associated with reverberation of the acoustic emission. Experimental results from a urethane breast phantom and in vivo human breast scans are shown. The reduction in reverberation artifacts are an alyzed using a smoothness metric which uses the variances of the gray levels of the original images and those formed through coherent and incoherent compounding of image data. This smoothness metric is minimized when the overall image background is smooth while image features are still preserved. The smoothness metric indicates that the images improved by factors from 1.23-4.33 and 1.09-2.68 in phantom and in vivo studies, respectively. The coherent and incoherent compounding of multifrequency data demonstrate, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the efficacy of this method for reduction of reverberation artifacts. Keywords: Vibro-acoustography, ultrasound, acoustic emission, reverberation, frequency compounding
The interaction of an O2 molecular beam with an Fe(110) surface

Abstract The initial interaction between an O 2 molecular beam and a cleaned Fe(110) surface has been studied by a combination of Auger electron spectrometric (AES) and mass spectrometric techniques. The incident molecular beam intensity was calibrated using a stagnation detector, and the initial sticking coefficient for chemisorption was determined by mass spectrometric measurement of the transient in molecular scattering behavior observed when the cleaned surface was exposed to the molecular beam. This permitted an absolute calibration of the AES system for oxygen, and allowed comparison of the kinetic measurements of the oxygen adsorption process by the two techniques. Results indicate that the initial sticking coefficient is 0.2 ± 0.01. Oxygen is initially chemisorbed up to a coverage of 1.6 ± 0.16 × 10 15 cm −2 , by a process following Langmuir kinetics. Beyond this point AES studies indicate a slower rate of oxygen uptake which is independent of gas-phase oxygen pressure. The mass spectrometric studies further indicate that for a cleaned, annealed surface those oxygen molecules which are not chemisorbed are scattered in a non-diffuse manner.
Fusing Aggregate and Disaggregate Data with an Application to Multiplatform Media Consumption

Abstract As firms collect greater amounts of data about their customers from an ever broader set of “touchpoints,” a new set of methodological challenges arises. Companies often collect data from these various platforms at differing levels of aggregation, and it is not clear how to merge these data sources to draw meaningful inferences about customer-level behavior patterns. In this article, the authors provide a method that firms can use, based on readily available data, to gauge and monitor multiplatform media usage. The key innovation in the method is a Bayesian data-fusion approach that enables researchers to combine individual-level usage data (readily available for most digital platforms) with aggregated data on usage over time (typically available for traditional platforms). This method enables the authors to disentangle the intraday correlations between platforms (i.e., the usage of one platform vs. another on a given day) from longer-term correlations across users (i.e., heavy/light usage of mult...
Thermal Stability and Reliability of Magneto-Optical Media with Periodic Structures

Using a constant power source and both binary and single target magnetron sputtering, samples with periodic structures were produced while varying the substrate rotation speed. Characteristics reached a maximum at 5 rpm and in-plane magnetization films resulted at 1 rpm. Annealing samples with a protective layer causes all characteristics except the Kerr rotation angle (θK) to vary. These variations were peculiar to periodic structures. The change in the coercive force (Hc) indicated a structural transition. The large Hc and saturation magnetization (Ms) values promise superior recording resolution. The carrier-to-noise ratio was improved by one to two dB and showed no changes after 1000 h in the open air at 55°C.
Suppression of native defense mechanisms, SIRT1 and PPARγ, by dietary glycoxidants precedes disease in adult humans; relevance to lifestyle-engendered chronic diseases

SIRT1 and PPARγ, host defenses regulating inflammation and metabolic functions, are suppressed under chronic high oxidant stress and inflammation (OS/Infl) conditions. In diabetes, dietary advanced glycation end products (dAGEs) cause OS/Infl and suppress SIRT1. Herein, we ask whether dAGEs also suppress host defense in adults without diabetes. The relationships between dAGEs and basal SIRT1 mRNA, PPARγ protein levels in mononuclear cells (MNC) and circulating inflammatory/metabolic markers were examined in 67 healthy adults aged >60 years and in 18 subjects, before and after random assignment to either a standard diet (regular >15 AGE Eq/day) or an isocaloric AGE-restricted diet (<10 AGE Eq/day) for 4 months. Also, the interactions of AGEs and anti-AGE receptor-1 (AGER1) with SIRT1 and PPARγ were assessed in wild type (WT) and AGER1-transduced (AGER1(+)) MNC-like THP-1 cells. We found that dAGE, but not caloric intake, correlated negatively with MNC SIRT1 mRNA levels and positively with circulating AGEs (sAGEs), OS/infl, MNC TNFα and RAGE. Basal MNC PPARγ protein was also lower in consumers of regular vs. AGE-restricted diet. AGE restriction restored MNC SIRT1 and PPARγ, and significantly decreased sAGEs, 8-isoprostanes, VCAM-1, MNC TNFα and RAGE. Model AGEs suppressed SIRT1 protein and activity, and PPARγ protein in WT, but not in AGER1(+) cells in vitro. In conclusion, chronic consumption of high-AGE diets depletes defenses such as SIRT1 and PPARγ, independent of calories, predisposing to OS/Infl and chronic metabolic disease. Restricted entry of oral AGEs may offer a disease-prevention alternative for healthy adults.
Evaluation of In Vitro Assays For Assessing the Toxicity of Cigarette Smoke and Smokeless Tobacco

Background: In vitro toxicology studies of tobacco and tobacco smoke have been used to understand why tobacco use causes cancer and to assess the toxicologic impact of tobacco product design changes. The need for toxicology studies has been heightened given the Food and Drug Administration's newly granted authority over tobacco products for mandating tobacco product performance standards and evaluate manufacturers' health claims about modified tobacco products. The goal of this review is to critically evaluate in vitro toxicology methods related to cancer for assessing tobacco products and to identify related research gaps. Methods: PubMed database searches were used to identify tobacco-related in vitro toxicology studies published since 1980. Articles published before 1980 with high relevance also were identified. The data were compiled to examine ( a ) the goals of the study, ( b ) the methods for collecting test substances, ( c ) experimental designs, ( d ) toxicologic end points, and ( e ) relevance to cancer risk. Results: A variety of in vitro assays are available to assess tobacco smoke that address different modes of action, mostly using non–human cell models. However, smokeless tobacco products perform poorly in these assays. Although reliable as a screening tool for qualitative assessments, the available in vitro assays have been poorly validated for quantitative comparisons of different tobacco products. Assay batteries have not been developed, although they exist for nontobacco assessments. Extrapolating data from in vitro studies to human risks remains hypothetical. Conclusions: In vitro toxicology methods are useful for screening toxicity, but better methods are needed for today's context of regulation and evaluation of health claims. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(12):3263–304)
Genetic Effects on the Timing of Ledav2 Induced Necrosis of Cotton

(...) The objectives of this study were to determine: (i) if the timing of necrosis is under genetic control of the loci Le 1 and Le 2 , and (ii) if the mechanism of timing or mode of gene action is consistent across genotypes. Five cultivars (Le 1 Le 1 Le 2 Le 2 ) were used as sources of Le 1 and Le 2 alleles. Seedlings from reciprocal crosses of (cultivar×le 1 le 1 le 2 le 2 ) F 1 plants and an le 1 le 1 Le 2 dav Le 2 dav tester were scored for the presence and timing of the lethal reaction. (...)
Primary aorto-enteric fistula - a unique complication of poorly differentiated large B-cell lymphoma.

Patient: Male, 76 Final Diagnosis: Aorto-enteric fistula Symptoms: Abdominal pain • bloody vomiting • shock Medication: — Clinical Procedure: CT abdomen with contrast Specialty: Gastroenterology • vascular surgery Objective: Rare disease
Electrochemical transcarbonation: Hydroquinoxy carbonyl protecting group for alcohols and amines

Abstract An electrochemically labile protecting group for alcohols and amines is reported. It can be removed under acidic or basic conditions and at low temperatures.
AIDS Education in U.S. Prisons: A Survey of Inmate Programs:

Prisons and other correctional environments are in many ways optimal settings for the development, delivery, and study of AIDS education and prevention programs. Prior research has shown such progr...
A Complementation Theorem for Perfect Matchings of Graphs Having a Cellular Completion

A cellular graph is a graph whose edges can be partitioned into 4-cycles (called cells) so that each vertex is contained in at most two cells. We present a “Complementation Theorem” for the number of matchings of certain subgraphs of cellular graphs. This generalizes the main result of M. Ciucu (J. Algebraic Combin.5(1996), 87?103). As applications of the Complementation Theorem we obtain a new proof of Stanley's multivariate version of the Aztec diamond theorem, a weighted generalization of a result of Knuth (J. Algebraic Combin.6(1997), 253?257) concerning spanning trees of Aztec diamond graphs, a combinatorial proof of Yang's enumeration (“Three Enumeration Problems Concerning Aztec Diamonds,” Ph.D. thesis, M.I.T., 1991) of matchings of fortress graphs and direct proofs for certain identities of Jockusch and Propp.
Stimulation of rat vascular smooth muscle cell glycosaminoglycan production by angiotensin II.

Abstract Matrix production by smooth muscle cells (SMC) appears to play a major role in the intimal thickening process. Proteoglycans (PG) are the predominant extracellular matrix component of early restenotic lesions. As angiotensin II (A II) has been proposed as a mediator of restenotic process, we hypothesized that A II may directly affect PG synthesis by SMC. SMC were cultured in the presence of [ 35 S]sulfate and angiotensin II, and both the secreted and membranebound proteoglycans were analyzed. A II (1 to 100 nM) evoked a dose- and time-dependent increase in both cell- and media-associated PG production, an effect abrogated by the A II receptor antagonist, saralasin. SMC constitutively synthesize small amounts of PG with a molecular mass of 170–250 kDa. After treatment with A II, the abundance of PG is increased, as well as its molecular mass (230–300 kDa). Selective degradation by chondroitinases and heparinase identified chondroitin and dermatan sulfate PG as the predominant form being induced. These results demonstrate that the effect of A II is not general and is specific to certain classes of PGs. In order to further examine the specificity of the A II effect, we compared the synthesis of PG induced by A II with that induced by platelet-derived growth factors AA and BB (PDGF-AA and -BB), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFoi). This comparison demonstrated that the profile of PG induced by A II is different from the other factors examined. Taken together, these data indicate that A II may not only function as a hypertrophic factor for SMC, but in addition may also be a potent modulator of specific PG synthesis by these same cells, which could significantly contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic and restenotic lesions.
Chemie und Biochemie der Pflanzenstoffe, XXXVI. Synthesen von 1,3‐Diphenylpropylamin‐Derivaten

Die 1,3-Diphenylpropylamin-Derivate 7a - c werden durch Reduktion der Oxime 2a- c und 6 erhalten. Das Oxim 2a reagiert mit Hydroxylamin-hydrochlorid unter Abspaltung von Methanol je nach den Reaktionsbedingungen entweder zu dem Dioxim 3 oder zu dem (2-Benzofuryl)(phenyl)ketonoxim (4). Die Strukturen werden durch chemische Reaktionen und IR-Spektren bewiesen. Chemistry and Biochemistry of Plant Constituents, XXXVI.— Syntheses of 1,3-Diphenyl- propylamine Derivatives Reduction of the oximes 2a-c and 6 affords the 1,3-diphenylpropylamine derivatives 7a-c. The oxime 2a reacts with hydroxylamine hydrochloride with elimination of methanol. Depending upon the reaction conditions the product is either the dioxime 3 or the 2-benzo- fury1 phenyl ketone oxime (4). The structures are proved by chemical reactions and IR spectra.
Small-signal gain generated by two pump waves in a nonlinear medium.

It is shown that pump waves A and B at angle φ in a nonlinear medium generate gain for a signal wave C at the half-angle between the pump waves.
Appendicovesicostomy: the mitrofanoff procedure-a 15-year perspective.

Purpose: Appendicovesicostomy was introduced in the United States in 1982 at our hospital. It has become the most popular alternate continence channel for catheterization. We reviewed the experience of 1 surgeon with appendicovesicostomy during a 15-year period.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the operative reports and clinical records of 50 consecutive patients in whom appendicovesicostomy was performed by 1 surgeon between 1982 and 1998. The underlying diagnosis was myelomeningocele in 31 cases, bladder exstrophy in 6, the prune-belly syndrome in 2, posterior urethral valves in 2 and other disorders in 10. Mean patient age at surgery was 13.1 years (range 4 months to 25 years) and mean followup was 4.3 years (range 3 months to 16.3 years).Results: Of the 50 patients 96% continue to catheterize the appendicovesicostomy. Stomal stenosis developed in 5 cases (10%) and other complications included stricture and appendiceal perforation in 2 each. Eight patients (16%) required appendicovesic...
Hypothalamic Lesions and Sexual Behavior in the Female Rat

This study reports selective effects on the mating pattern of the female rat of partial destruction of the hypothalamus. Independent neural control of the ovarian cycle and of the mating response are demonstrated. Both depressed and augmented female sexual activity are reported.
Some aspects of multivariate calibration with incomplete designs

There has been some debate whether inverse or classical calibration methods are superior when there are multivariate predictors and some of them are missing. In this paper, we compare these two methods in the case where the design is not completely known. We develop some general results in the multivariate case and carry out extensive simulations in a univariate model with partly known regressors and several error distributions. These simulations reveal that the methods perform differently, depending on the specifics of the model. Neither method, however, turns out to be consistently superior to the other.
We do need precordial and esophageal stethoscopes.

other than sound transmission? We have all seen the use of small, medium, and large silicone tubing, nasogastric tubing, and intravenous tubing. But do any of us know how each of these affects the transmission of sound? Let us examine the information that can be derived from a precordial or esophageal stethoscope. I maintain that the most that can be gleaned about heart sounds is that they are present and strong, present and weak, or not present. Information such as rate and rhythm is much more accurately acquired from the electrocardiogram. One of my mentors claimed that the adequacy of filling could be determined from listening to the split of the second heart sound [1]. There are no experimental data to support that position, and if the filling pressure is important one should place either a central venous pressure catheter or a pulmonary artery catheter. No one knows the correlation between heart sounds and cardiac output. No laboratory or clinical investigations have examined that question, but all of us have assumed that we can tell i f the cardiac output is depressed by listening to the intensity of the heart sounds. I suggest that by the time the heart sounds become muffled the cardiac output has probably been depressed by more than 50%. Thus, our clinical ability to determine cardiovascular depression by assessing the heart sounds is very limited. A precordial or esophageal stethoscope can only tell us the presence or absence of breath sounds. It can tell nothing about the adequacy of ventilation. The preeordial stethoscope can determine unilateral ventilation only if it is placed on the left chest and the endotracheal tube happens to enter the right main bronchus. Pretracheal and esophageal stethoscopes are useless in indicating whether the endobronchial intubation has taken place. Adequacy of ventilation is much better assessed by using a ventimeter, an end-tidal carbon dioxide analyzer, and a pulse oximeter. In some operations the use of either the precordial or esophageal stethoscope is difficult, if not impossible. These include operations for the repair of tracheoesophageal fistulas, aortic operations, most open-heart operations, and most esophageal operations. Furthermore, the use of either stethoscope during such procedures is usually not very productive. In summary, I think that, although the use of these monitoring devices may have been acceptable in the past, current technology has rendered them obsolete. The precordial and esophageal stethoscope should be relegated to the same position as the ether hook.
(How) Do Prerequisites Matter? Analysis of Intermediate Microeconomics and Agricultural Economics Grades

Success in intermediate economics and agricultural economics classes with respect to course prerequisites was evaluated. Prerequisites were statistically important for both intermediate microeconomics andin two of the three agricultural economics courses evaluated. The primary finding was that—for three of the four courses evaluated—the higher the proportion of students who completedthe listed prerequisite, ceteris paribus, the lower the grade for any given student. Results also indicate that students with higher ex ante GPAs, andto some extent higher math equivalent SAT scores, received higher grades.
Bone marrow necrosis in dogs: 34 cases (1996-2004)

Objective—To identify the incidence, potential causes, and clinical and clinicopathologic features of bone marrow necrosis in dogs. Design—Retrospective study. Animals—34 client-owned dogs. Procedures—Reports of cytologic examinations of bone marrow specimens performed between 1996 and 2004 were reviewed. All reports that indicated the presence of necrosis, stromal disruption, phagocytic macrophages, individual cell necrosis, or myelofibrosis were evaluated further. Results—Of 609 reports of bone marrow evaluations performed during the study period, 34 (5.6%) had evidence of bone marrow necrosis. Nine dogs had no evidence of associated diseases or drug or toxin exposure, and 25 dogs had associated disease conditions or drug exposures. All 9 dogs with idiopathic bone marrow necrosis were anemic (mean Hct, 14%), but only 3 had neutropenia, and 3 had thrombocytopenia. All 9 had myelofibrosis. Of the 25 dogs with associated disease conditions or drug exposures, only 14 (56%) had anemia (mean Hct, 33%). In add...
The actin network in the ciliary stalk of photoreceptors functions in the generation of new outer segment discs

Cytochalasin D (CD) interferes with the morphogenesis of outer segment disc membrane in photoreceptors. Disruption of either the actin network in the ciliary stalk, where membrane evagination is initiated, or the actin core of the calycal processes, whose position could define the disc perimeter, could be responsible. We have attempted to determine which of these local F-actin populations is involved in membrane morphogenesis and what step in the process is actin-dependent. Biocytin accumulation in nascent discs, detected by fluorescent avidin and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), provided a means of labeling abnormal discs and a measure of disc membrane addition. F-actin content and distribution were assessed using fluorescent phalloidin and LSCM. First, we examined the effects of a range of CD dosages (0.1, 1.0, or 10.0 pM) on rod photoreceptors inXenopus laevis eyecup cultures. Ectopic outgrowth of discs, evaluated by LSCM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), occurred at each concentration. Phalloidin labeling intensified in the ciliary stalk with increasing CD concentration, indicating F-actin aggregation. In contrast, it diminished in the calycal processes, indicating dispersal; TEM showed that calycal process collapse ensued. Disruption was evident at a lower concentration in the ciliary stalk (0.1 pM) than in the calycal processes (1.0 pM). TEM confirmed that the calycal processes remained intact at 0.1 pM. Thus, CD’s action on the ciliary stalk network is sufficient to disrupt disc morphogenesis. Second, we examined the effect of CD on temperature-induced acceleration of the rate of disc formation. In the absence of CD, a 10°C temperature shift increased the disc formation rate nearly three-fold. CD (5 pM) caused a 94% inhibition ( P < 0.025) of this response; yet, the rate of membrane addition to ectopically growing discs exhibited the expected three-fold increase. Thus, CD’s action interferes with the generation of new discs. 0 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Indexing terms: cytoskeleton, cytochalasin D, morphogenesis, morphology, confocal
Use of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification to assess perioperative risk in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma

Abstract Objectives To perform a retrospective analysis to determine the operative morbidity in patients with substantial comorbidities requiring renal surgery. Increasing numbers of patients requiring renal surgery are presenting with substantial comorbidities, such as diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular disease. Methods The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification was used to define perioperative risk. Of 1087 patients who underwent nephrectomy between 1989 and 2001, 237 patients were classified as ASA classification 1 or 2 (low risk), 297 were ASA classification 3 (intermediate risk), and 17 were ASA classification 4 (high risk). Results No statistically significant differences were found among the low-risk, intermediate-risk, or high-risk patients with regard to 1997 T stage distribution, mean tumor size, vascular and/or inferior vena cava involvement, percentage of partial nephrectomy, adjacent organ resection, or preoperative hemoglobin. Intermediate-risk patients did have a greater estimated blood loss (946 versus 739 mL, P = 0.05), leading to greater transfusion rates (42% versus 28%, P = 0.001). However, no increase occurred in intraoperative or postoperative morbidity. High-risk patients also had greater transfusion rates, as well as a greater rate of complications occurring more than 24 hours after surgery. Conclusions Partial or radical nephrectomy can be offered to patients with comorbid conditions. ASA classification 3 patients are more likely to require transfusion. This may have been a result of a lower threshold to transfuse patients with preoperative morbidities. However, the perioperative and postoperative complication rates were similar to those of low-risk patients. Not surprisingly, high-risk patients had greater rates of transfusions and complications.
STRUCTURAL ACOUSTIC OPTIMIZATION IN THE DESIGN OF A MULTI-PLY COMPOSITE CYLINDRICAL SHELL

Structural acoustic optimization is performed on an eight-ply graphite epoxy cylindrical shell using finite/boundary element tools. The shell is subject to acoustic monopole source excitation. The optimization objective is to minimize the sum of the squared acoustic pressure amplitudes inside the shell. The ply angles are used as design variables and allowed to vary over the length of the cylinder. Four initial design states are selected for optimization. Reductions in the objective ranged from approximately 1 dB to 10 dB. In general, it was observed that greater longitudinal variation in the optimized design state corresponded to a lower final objective.
ADVANTAGES AND DIFFICULTIES OF COLLATERAL READING

Author's summary.— The problem of learning to read a foreign language related to learning the native language. Advantageous results. Getting suitable material. What form of report?
Are Signs and Symptoms Associated With Persistent Corneal Abrasions in Children

Background Corneal abrasions are common eye injuries in children. Most are treated with antibiotic drops or ointment, patching of the affected eye, and follow-up within 24 hours to confirm resolution by fluorescein examination. Objective To determine if signs and symptoms at follow-up were associated with the presence of a persistent corneal abrasion or abnormal visual acuity. Design Retrospective case series. Setting A children's hospital. Patients Children who were aged 4 years or older with the diagnosis of corneal abrasion between May 1992 and December 1996 and who had a follow-up examination. Results Seventy-seven patients (57% male) were enrolled (median age, 7 years). The respective sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values of selective signs and symptoms for persistent abrasions were as follows: for pain, 53%, 93%, 80%, and 80%; for photophobia, 57%, 100%, 100%, and 80%; for redness, 100%, 46%, 44%, and 100%; for pain and redness, 40%, 96%, 80%, and 80%; and for at least 1 sign or symptom, 95%, 48%, 47%, and 95%. Twenty-six patients had persistent corneal abrasions at follow-up. Six of these 26 patients were symptom free at follow-up, and 15 patients had only redness as a persistent sign. Five patients had abnormal visual acuity, one of whom was asymptomatic. All 3 patients with complications were symptomatic. Conclusions Signs and symptoms are inconsistently associated with persistent corneal abrasions. Asymptomatic patients may have persistent corneal abrasions, suggesting the need for selective follow-ups.
Efficient search for inputs causing high floating-point errors

Tools for floating-point error estimation are fundamental to program understanding and optimization. In this paper, we focus on tools for determining the input settings to a floating point routine that maximizes its result error. Such tools can help support activities such as precision allocation, performance optimization, and auto-tuning. We benchmark current abstraction-based precision analysis methods, and show that they often do not work at scale, or generate highly pessimistic error estimates, often caused by non-linear operators or complex input constraints that define the set of legal inputs. We show that while concrete-testing-based error estimation methods based on maintaining shadow values at higher precision can search out higher error-inducing inputs, suit able heuristic search guidance is key to finding higher errors. We develop a heuristic search algorithm called Binary Guided Random Testing (BGRT). In 45 of the 48 total benchmarks, including many real-world routines, BGRT returns higher guaranteed errors. We also evaluate BGRT against two other heuristic search methods called ILS and PSO, obtaining better results.