cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Representation of electronic mail filtering profiles: a user study

Electronic mail offers the promise of rapid communication of essential information. However, electronic mail is also used to send unwanted messages. A variety of approaches can learn a profile of a user's interests for filtering mail. Here, we report on a usability study that investigates what types of profiles people would be willing to use to filter mail.
Desorption Dynamics, Internal Energies, and Imaging of Organic Molecules from Surfaces with Laser Desorption and Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Photoionization

There is enormous interest in visualizing the chemical composition of organic material that comprises our world. A convenient method to obtain molecular information with high spatial resolution is imaging mass spectrometry. However, the internal energy deposited within molecules upon transfer to the gas phase from a surface can lead to increased fragmentation and to complications in analysis of mass spectra. Here it is shown that in laser desorption with postionization by tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation, the internal energy gained during laser desorption leads to minimal fragmentation of DNA bases. The internal temperature of laser-desorbed triacontane molecules approaches 670 K, whereas the internal temperature of thymine is 800 K. A synchrotron-based VUV postionization technique for determining translational temperatures reveals that biomolecules have translational temperatures in the range of 216-346 K. The observed low translational temperatures, as well as their decrease with increased desorption laser power is explained by collisional cooling. An example of imaging mass spectrometry on an organic polymer, using laser desorption VUV postionization shows 5 mu m feature details while using a 30 mu m laser spot size and 7 ns duration. Applications of laser desorption postionization to the analysis of cellulose, lignin and humic acids are briefly discussed.
Gene expression profile analysis of 13 human breast cancer specimens using laser capture microdissection and cDNA arrays

Gene expression profile analysis of 13 human breast cancer specimens using laser capture microdissection and cDNA arrays
Periodically Oriented GaN for Optical Parametric Generation

Methods for growing periodically alternating polarities of GaN on GaN substrates have been developed. The resulting periodically oriented samples demonstrate feasibility of the method for producing structures of utility in optical parametric generation.
Notch keeps ependymal cells in line

The ependymal cells lining the lateral ventricles are not stem cells, but a study now shows that they can be activated to generate neuroblasts in a stroke model, and mature olfactory bulb neurons when Notch signaling is disrupted.
Home ultraviolet phototherapy of early mycosis fungoides: Preliminary observations

Thirty-one patients with early mycosis fungoides (MF) and three patients with parapsoriasis en plaques were treated with ultraviolet phototherapy (280 to 350 nm) at home using a commercially available light source containing four Westinghouse FS40 lamps. A complete clinical and histologic remission of disease, lasting for a median duration in excess of 18 months, was achieved in nineteen patients (61%) with MF. Although higher complete response rates generally are achieved with other therapeutic modalities, ultraviolet phototherapy with its minimal adverse effects may be indicated for selected patients. Controlled studies are encouraged to evaluate the full potential of conventional phototherapy in the management of MF.
Elevated-temperature crack growth in polycrystalline alumina under static and cyclic loads

An experimental investigation has been conducted to study the crack growth characteristics of a 90% pure aluminium oxide in 1050 °C air under static and cyclic loads. It is shown that the application of both sustained and fluctuating tensile loads to the ceramic, tested in a precracked four-point bend specimen configuration, results in appreciable subcritical crack growth. The crack velocities under cyclic loading conditions are up to two orders of magnitude slower than those measured in static loading under the same maximum stress intensity factor. Cyclic crack growth rates are markedly affected by the loading frequency, with a decrease in test frequency causing an increase in the rate of crack advance. Detailed optical and electron microscopy observations have been made in an attempt to study the mechanisms of stable crack growth and the mechanistic differences between static fatigue fracture. Under both static and cyclic loads, the predominant mode of fracture is intergranular separation. The presence of a glass phase along the grain boundaries appears to have a strong effect on the mechanisms of crack growth. Apparent differences in the crack velocities between static and cyclic fatigue in alumina arise from crack-wake contact effects as well as from the rate-sensitivity of deformation of the glass phase. Our results also indicate that the cyclic fatigue crack growth rates cannot be predicted solely on the basis of sustained load fracture data. White stable crack growth occurs in the 90% pure alumina over a range of stress intensity factor spanning 1.5 to 5 MPa m1/2, such subcritical fracture is essentially suppressed in a 99.9% pure alumina, ostensibly due to the paucity of a critical amount of glass phase. Both static and cyclic fracture characteristics of the 90% pure alumina are qualitatively similar to those found in an Al2O3-SiC composite wherein situ formation of glass phases, due to the oxidation of SiC in high-temperature air, is known to be an important factor in the fracture process.
Results of a new human recombinant thrombin for the treatment of arterial pseudoaneurysm.

Objective: To evaluate the results of a new thrombin sealant (Recothrom) for the treatment of arterial pseudoaneurysms (PDAs). Methods: We reviewed 47 consecutive patients prospectively entered in a dedicated data set who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous thrombin injection to treat PDA. End points were PDA recurrence, need for reintervention, and related complications such as limb ischemia or allergic reactions. Results: Twenty-six patients were females (55%) and the median age of the entire group was 71 years (range, 45-87). The mean size of the PDA was 2.3 ± 0.9 cm. The mean injected volume was 2.4 ± 1.4 mL containing 500 ± 320 units. Recurrence of the PDA occurred in 4 (8.5%) patients and was not related to anticoagulation status, body habitus, platelets levels, or use of antiplatelets. All recurred PDAs were successfully sealed with a second (n = 3) and a third injection (n = 1). There was no distal embolization or allergic reactions and no surgical intervention was required. Conclusion: The n...
Sympathetic neuronal function and left ventricular performance during behavioral stress in humans: the relationship between plasma catecholamines and systolic time intervals.

We studied the relationship between sympathetic neuronal function and left ventricular performance during stress in humans by analysis of endogenous catecholamine levels and systolic time intervals. The results showed that performance on a stressful cognitive task was accompanied by changes in plasma catecholamines, heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and systolic time intervals. The cardiovascular responses were significantly correlated with plasma levels of epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE). The relationship between plasma catecholamines and systolic time intervals is thought to reflect sympatho-adrenomedullary impact on left ventricular performance during stress.
Thioridazine induces lipid peroxidation in myelin of rat brain.

In this study, the oxidative effect of the commonly used phenothiazine, thioridazine, on brain tissue has been investigated. Thioridazine (0.1 and 0.5%) supplemented in pellet diet (w/w), produced a significant increase (P < 0.001) in levels of myelin lipid peroxide, after 3 weeks of treatment. Besides myelin, there was a 2-fold increase in the mitochondrial lipid peroxides, as a result of treatment with thioridazine. However, these elevated levels of lipid peroxides returned to normal after withdrawal of thioridazine for 2 weeks. Myelin-associated enzyme activities of Na+-K+-ATPase and 5′-nucleotidase became inhibited by 20–25%, but CNPase activity was unaffected. Studies of in vitro lipid peroxidation on purified myelin from untreated rats suggested that extensive lipid peroxidation of myelin in thioridazine-treated rats could underlie inhibition of the myelin enzymes. Morphological studies revealed little or no structural alterations in myelin, produced by thioridazine. These studies suggest that thioridazine induces a reversible lipid peroxidation in myelin, that could result in functional alterations of the myelin-associated enzymes, during use of this drug.
The distribution and neuroanatomy of the labellar sense organs of the blowfly Phormia regina Meigen.

The labellar hairs of the blowfly Phormia regina Meigen are arranged in a definite pattern. Topographically they can be divided into the following groups: prickles, bristles, intermediate hairs, large hairs, largest hairs, marginal hairs. On the basis of dimensions they fall into four groups. The total number of hairs is somewhat variable. The mean for males is 122.65 hairs on one lobe; for females, 128.82 hairs. The interpseudotracheal papillae vary both in position and number. The mean for males is 65.9 papillae; for females, 67.65. The labial nerve divides, in the labellum, into four principal branches which consist of proximal processes of the sense cells of all hairs and interpseudotracheal papillae. Preparations stained by methylene blue revealed numerous multipolar cells. It was impossible to decide with certainty whether they are nerve cells, perilemma cells, or tracheal cells. They did not stain with silver. Numerous free endings revealed in preparations by use of Kenyon's method appeared to be the finest tracheoles seen on preparations stained by the method of Romanes.
Thioether complexes of palladium(II) and platinum(II) as artificial peptidases. residue-selective peptide cleavage by a palladium(II) complex.

We report the synthesis and characterization of perchlorate salts containing the following three novel complex cations each with a bidentate thioether ligand: binuclear cis-[Pt(CH3SCH2CH2CH2SCH3)(μ-OH)]22+, mononuclear cis-[Pt(CH3SCH2CH2CH2SCH3)(H2O)2]2+, and mononuclear cis-[Pd(CH3SCH2CH2CH2SCH3)(H2O)2]2+. Despite their analogous compositions, the mononuclear Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes differ in the selectivity with which they promote the hydrolysis of polypeptides. The complex cis-[Pt(CH3SCH2CH2CH2SCH3)(H2O)2]2+ promotes slow but selective cleavage of Met−Pro peptide bonds at pH 2.0. The selectivity of the complex cis-[Pd(CH3SCH2CH2CH2SCH3)(H2O)2]2+ is pH-dependent. At pH 2.0, this Pd(II) complex promotes residue-selective hydrolysis of the X−Y bond in X-Y-Met and X-Y-His sequences; the rate is enhanced when residue Y is proline. At pH 7.0, this kinetic preference becomes sequence-selective in that the Pd(II) complex exclusively cleaves the X−Pro bond in X-Pro-Met and X-Pro-His sequences. The enhanced...
Development of a filter assay for measuring homogalacturonan: α-(1,4)-Galacturonosyltransferase activity

Abstract α-(1,4)-Galacturonosyltransferases (GalATs) catalyze the addition of (1,4)-linked α- d -galacturonosyl residues onto the nonreducing end of homogalacturonan chains. The nucleotide-sugar donor for the enzymatic reaction is uridine diphospho- d -galactopyranosyluronic acid (UDP- d -GalpA). Many GalAT activity assays are based on the incorporation of d -[14C]GalpA from UDP- d -[14C]GalpA onto exogenously added homogalacturonan acceptors. Reactions based on this method can be time-consuming because multiple labor-intensive centrifugations and washes with organic solvents are required to remove the unincorporated UDP- d -[14C]GalpA from the 14C-labeled products. Here we report the development of an alternative GalAT filter assay based on the ability of homogalacturonan to bind to cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). GalAT assay reaction products made using radish (Raphanus sativus) microsomal membranes or solubilized proteins from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun) and Arabidopsis thaliana (cv. Columbia) were spotted onto Whatman 3MM paper treated with 2.5% (w/v) CPC. Unincorporated UDP- d -[14C]GalpA was selectively removed from the filters by washing with 150–250 mM NaCl. The versatility of this assay is demonstrated by using it to identify GalAT activity in fractions obtained during the partial purification of tobacco GalAT by SP Sepharose cation exchange chromatography and by detecting the GalAT-catalyzed incorporation of d -[14C]GalpA onto endogenous acceptors from Arabidopsis membranes.
In vitro Interaction of Quinidine with Kaolin and Pectin

The adsorption of quinidine onto kaolin was studied as a function of pH in aqueous solutions in which the ionic strength was adjusted to 0.1. The interaction of quinidine with pectin also was investigated in water and in phosphate buffer; the buffer pH and ionic strength were adjusted to 6.5 and 0.1, respectively. The in vitro results indicated that quinidine was adsorbed onto kaolin. At the highest concentration studied, the extent of adsorption increased from 3.64 mg of quinidine adsorbed/g of adsorbent at pH 2.4 to an average of 5.81 mg/g in the pH 5.5-7.5 range. In the presence of electrolytes, the interaction of quinidine with pectin was relatively small (3-13% bound) as compared to studies performed in water (66-90% bound). The data indicate that some quinidine may be adsorbed when this drug is administered concurrently with kaolin-pectin preparations.
Identity Theft and the Academic Curriculum Vitae: How Do I Know You Are Who You Say You Are?

The English poet Praed sarcastically described an individual hose claims of greatness were supported only by his own stateents. In the field of medicine and surgery we are frequently alled on to describe our personal achievements and accomlishments. Every application for renewal of hospital privileges, tate licensure, reviews for academic advancement, considertion for a job or change in job status, and location or invitation o lecture is accompanied by a request for a “current CV.” What onstitutes a current CV? Is there a standard form for academic Vs? How can you reconstruct your CV once it has been mislaced or become outdated? Recent headlines and commercials have warned us about the angers of identity theft. The concept of loss of who we are ssails us from every front. Through the use of clever voice-over ubbing techniques, we have been shocked at the concept of the oss of our identity leading to financial ruin. We are familiar ith the commercials for security options that portray the voice f a scoundrel emanating from the form of an innocuous apearing person living well from a stolen identity. In the past this olumn has prattled on about various and sundry topics includng Internet security. Past columns from as distant as the Noember/December 2000 issue warned about the dangers of dentify theft and the loss of your unique identify in the deep ark corners of the Internet. Shortly after I received an e-mail equest to resend a copy of an article I had reviewed for this ournal, I identified yet another form of identity theft peculiar o the academic physician/surgeon. This theft involves the loss f supporting information to substantiate our education or raining. In most instances of this type of theft, we become the
Increase in permeability of the postsynaptic membrane to potassium produced by 'nembutal'.

‘NEMBUTAL’ (pentobarbital sodium) is known to block synaptic transmission, although its actual site of blockade is not well established1–5. On the other hand, the effect of ‘Nembutal’ and other barbiturates on the electrogenic membrane, which is capable of generating the conducted impulse, is generally considered to be less remarkable1,6. Neither the membrane resting potential nor the threshold firing level of cat motoneurones is significantly altered by barbiturates applied intravenously at a concentration of 10−3 g/kg1,6.
Noninvasive assessment of myocardial viability in a small animal model: Comparison of MRI, SPECT, and PET

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) research relies increasingly on small animal models and noninvasive imaging methods such as MRI, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET). However, a direct comparison among these techniques for characterization of perfusion, viability, and infarct size is lacking. Rats were studied within 18-24 hr post AMI by MRI (4.7 T) and subsequently (40-48 hr post AMI) by SPECT ((99)Tc-MIBI) and micro-PET ((18)FDG). A necrosis-specific MRI contrast agent was used to detect AMI, and a fast low angle shot (FLASH) sequence was used to acquire late enhancement and functional images contemporaneously. Infarcted regions showed late enhancement, whereas corresponding radionuclide images had reduced tracer uptake. MRI most accurately depicted AMI, showing the closest correlation and agreement with triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC), followed by SPECT and PET. In some animals a mismatch of reduced uptake in normal myocardium and relatively increased (18)FDG uptake in the infarct border zone precluded conventional quantitative analysis. We performed the first quantitative comparison of MRI, PET, and SPECT for reperfused AMI imaging in a small animal model. MRI was superior to the other modalities, due to its greater spatial resolution and ability to detect necrotic myocardium directly. The observed (18)FDG mismatch likely represents variable metabolic conditions between stunned myocardium in the infarct border zone and normal myocardium and supports the use of a standardized glucose load or glucose clamp technique for PET imaging of reperfused AMI in small animals.
Arthroscopic meniscus repair: the easy way.

Summary A new suturing system that offers the arthroscopist the ability to perform both inside-out and outside-in techniques for repairing meniscus tears with the same instrumentation is introduced here. Depending on the location of the tears, the surgeon can use either technique; in all the cases, meniscus repair can be performed in the easiest way.
Microprocessor controlled functional stimulator utilizing myoelectric inputs

A self-contained, user-worn, electrical stimulator, incorporating a C/MOS micro-processor as the controller is described. The prototype is aimed at restoring function in upper extremities such as elbow and digit flexors, to those with upper motor neuron lesions. EMGs from user controllable muscles are input to control the micro-processor and effect stimulation. Device characteristics are a function of the internal program which may be changed to accomodate different clinical situations. The processor has also been used to attempt to minimize the effect of change at the electrode tissue interface. Emphasis has been placed on designing a producible, reasonably priced system. Tests with normal subjects are reported. Additional uses are discussed.
Nebulized albuterol for acute hyperkalemia in patients on hemodialysis.

Study objective To determine the efficacy and safety of nebulized albuterol in the acute treatment of hyperkalemia in patients on chronic hemodialysis. Design Prospective, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. Setting Outpatient hemodialysis clinic at a university medical center. Patients Ten patients on maintenance hemodialysis who had chronic hyperkalemia. Interventions Patients received nebulized albuterol therapy (10 mg or 20 mg) or placebo (saline) on three separate occasions, serial measurements of plasma potassium levels, blood pressure, and pulse were then taken for a 2-hour period. Measurements and main result Patients had a significant decrease in plasma potassium concentrations that was evident by 30 minutes and sustained for at least 2 hours after albuterol treatment. After the administration of 10- and 20-mg doses of albuterol, the maximal decrease in the plasma potassium levels was 0.62 +/- 0.09 and 0.98 +/- 0.14 mmol/L (SE), respectively. Nebulized saline administration did not produce a significant change in the plasma potassium concentrations. Patients did not develop symptoms or significant changes in blood pressure or heart rate with albuterol treatment. Conclusions In the doses used, nebulized albuterol therapy resulted in a prompt and significant decrease in the plasma potassium concentrations in patients on hemodialysis, and caused no adverse cardiovascular effects. This treatment should be considered as an important adjunct for acute treatment of serious hyperkalemia in this population of patients.
Regulation of elastin gene transcription by interleukin-1β-induced C/EBPβ isoforms

We previously showed that interleukin (IL)-1β decreases elastin gene transcription through activation of the NF-κB subunit p65 in neonatal rat lung fibroblasts. The present study was undertaken to ...
The emergence of the anti‐hero in the contemporary drama

A brief discussion of the protagonist as he appears in the Western Theatre of today. An examination of new conditions of heroism as envisioned by playwrights in the Contemporary theatre.
Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Lesions in Humans Eliminate Implicit Gender Stereotyping

Patients with prefrontal cortex lesions and controls were administered an implicit association task (IAT) that measured the degree of association between male and female names and their stereotypical attributes of strength and weakness. They also completed three questionnaires measuring their explicit judgment regarding gender-related stereotypical attributes. There were no between-group differences on the explicit measures. On the IAT, patients with dorsolateral lesions and controls showed a strong association, whereas patients with ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions had a significantly lower association, between the stereotypical attributes of men and women and their concepts of gender. This finding provides support for the hypothesis that patients with ventromedial prefrontal lesions have a deficit in automatically accessing certain aspects of overlearned associated social knowledge.
Burn encephalopathy in children

Among 287 children with burns treated over a recent two-year period, 13 (5%) showed evidence of encephalopathy. The major clinical symptoms were an altered sensorium and seizures. The majority of symptoms began later than 48 hours after the burn and were accompanied by multiple metabolic aberrations including hypocalcemia. Three children had a relapsing course, and 1 had temporarily enlarged cerebral ventricles. Eleven children improved to normal. In the majority of instances, burn encephalopathy probably reflects central nervous system dysfunction resulting from complex metabolic, hematological, and hemodynamic abnormalities rather than from a single metabolic abnormality.
Critical neural substrates for correcting unexpected trajectory errors and learning from them

Our proficiency at any skill is critically dependent on the ability to monitor our performance, correct errors and adapt subsequent movements so that errors are avoided in the future. In this study, we aimed to dissociate the neural substrates critical for correcting unexpected trajectory errors and learning to adapt future movements based on those errors. Twenty stroke patients with focal damage to frontal or parietal regions in the left or right brain hemispheres and 20 healthy controls performed a task in which a novel mapping between actual hand motion and its visual feedback was introduced. Only patients with frontal damage in the right hemisphere failed to correct for this discrepancy during the ongoing movement. However, these patients were able to adapt to the distortion such that their movement direction on subsequent trials improved. In contrast, only patients with parietal damage in the left hemisphere showed a clear deficit in movement adaptation, but not in online correction. Left frontal or right parietal damage did not adversely impact upon either process. Our findings thus identify, for the first time, distinct and lateralized neural substrates critical for correcting unexpected errors during ongoing movements and error-based movement adaptation.
Downwind from the great tohoku earthquake: a call to global action.

Author(s): Koenig, Kristi L.; Burkle, Frederick M. | Abstract: [West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(2):211–212.]
Single gene controlling black eyes found from the intercross of two yellow-eyed strains of Heliothis virescens.

Summary: Black eyes of the moth of Heliothis virescens were controlled by a single, autosomal recessive gene, b. Black-eyed moths were discovered among progeny in an outcross made to test for allelism of two known genes ye, conferring yellow eyes, and yes, conferring yellow eyes and scales. Complementation to the wildtype gray eye color was observed in 686 (99.1%) of the progeny; however, six progeny of one mating exhibited the new phenotype, black eyes. Two black-eyed females mated to a wildtype sibling produced descendents displaying golden eyes, striped eye, purple eyes, white eyes, and “cat's” eyes. No black-eyed progeny were observed in the F2 generation of lines segregating for y, ye, and yes, confirming that black eye was not a combination of those other genes. These newly discovered genes could be useful in basic studies of developmental genetics or in applied transgenesis. genesis 36:34–39, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Estimation of a smooth quantile function under the proportional hazards model

The problem of estimating a smooth quantile function, Q(·), at a fixed point p, 0 < p < 1, is treated under a nonparametric smoothness condition on Q. The asymptotic relative deficiency of the sample quantile based on the maximum likelihood estimate of the survival function under the proportional hazards model with respect to kernel type estimators of the quantile is evaluated. The comparison is based on the mean square errors of the estimators. It is shown that the relative deficiency tends to infinity as the sample size, n, tends to infinity.
Exacerbation of autoimmune arthritis by copolymer-I through promoting type 1 immune response and autoantibody production

Copolymer-I (COP-I) is an unique immune regulatory polymer that has been shown to suppress experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and is a treatment option for multiple sclerosis (MS). To investigate whether its immune suppressive effects can be extended to other autoimmune diseases, we treated mice with COP-I during the induction of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Our results show that COP-I treatment exacerbated CIA, leading to faster onset, more severe and longer-lasting disease. The mechanisms underlying the exacerbation of CIA by COP-I treatment include enhanced activation and inflammatory cytokine production by autoreactive T cells and elevated production of autoreactive antibodies. In addition, germinal center response was significantly enhanced by COP-I treatment. Thus, great caution should be taken when COP-I is to be used in MS patients with other autoimmune complications or its potential therapeutic effects are to be extended beyond autoimmune demyelinating diseases.
Non-Hodgkin lymphomas in childhood: how to move on?

SUMMARY Non-Hodgkin lymphomas of childhood represent a diverse group of neoplasms with different clinical, pathological, immunophenotypical and genetic features. A vast majority of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphomas could be classified into one of the three major histological subgroups: mature B-cell neoplasms, lymphoblastic lymphomas or anaplastic large cell lymphomas. Modern therapeutic strategies lead to cure in more than 80% of patients. Conversely, refractory diseases, as well as disease relapse convey a dismal prognosis. This fact requires much better stratification based on prognostic markers which would ideally recognize distinct groups of patients requiring different therapeutic regimens. Defining novel diagnostic and prognostic markers should improve diagnosis and prognosis as well as patient follow-up. It should also allow introduction of individually tailored treatment regimens in selected groups of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphomas, with the main goal of improving treatment results and decreasing short- and long-term complications.
Feature-based retrieval of similar shapes

A shape similarity-based retrieval method for image databases that supports a variety of queries is proposed. It is flexible with respect to the choice of feature and definition of similarity and is implementable using existing multidimensional point access methods. A prototype system that handles the problems of distortion and occlusion is described. Experiments with one specific point access method (PAM) are presented. >
Globalization, Labor Market Transformation, and Union Decline in U.S. Metropolitan Areas:

In this study, we analyze the determinants of total, private, and public sector union density among 191 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas in 2003. In particular, we examine the effects of globalization and labor market transformation on metropolitan union density while controlling for labor market structure, the business cycle, and the political climate. Our analysis demonstrates that (1) globalization and labor market transformation have crosscutting but, on balance, negative effects on union density; (2) there are both similarities and differences in determinants of private and public sector unionism; and (3) business cycle and labor market structure variables are weak, but political climate variables are strong determinants of union density.
Physical Distinctiveness and Self-Attribution

The relationship between physical distinctiveness and causal attribution was assessed by' asking those high and low in self-reported distinctiveness to make causal attributions for hypothetical events. Compared with subjects low in physical distinctiveness, those who were highly distinctive made significantly stronger self-attributions for neutral events and for negative events involving a social interaction, and significantly weaker self-attributions for positive events of a nonsocial nature. Physical distinctiveness had no impact on attributions for nonsocial negative events. These findings, together with other relevant evidence, suggest that physical distinctiveness strengthens self-attributions for social interactions, but not for nonsocial events.
A 100 MHz pipelined CMOS comparator for flash A/D conversion

A description is given of the design of a VLSI-compatible CMOS comparator wherein voltage comparisons are accomplished directly by means of regenerative sensing. Input sampling, offset correction and common-mode cancellation have been incorporated into a pipelined cascade of regenerative sense amplifiers. Integrated in a standard 2- mu m CMOS technology, the comparator operates at a maximum sampling rate of over 100 MHz, while dissipating only 3.6 mW of power from a single +5-V supply. >
Complementary medicine in pediatrics: a review of acupuncture, homeopathy, massage, and chiropractic therapies.

C omplementary and alternative medicine (CAM), also known as complementary, nonallopathic, unconventional, holistic, or natural therapy, refers to healing practices that have become increasingly popular for people of all ages, including children and adolescents. Originally, CAM has been outlined as that which is not usually taught in allopathic medical schools and not generally used in traditional medical practices. A more current definition by the Cochrane Collaboration is that CAM is “a broad domain of healing resources that encompasses all health systems, modalities and practices and their accompanying theories and beliefs, other than those intrinsic to the politically dominant health systems in a particular society or culture in a given historical period.” Examples of alternative techniques include herbal medicine, vitamins, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, imagery, chiropractic, homeopathy, yoga, energy healing, and prayer (Table 1). According to a November 1998 study by Eisenberg, CAM usage has increased from 33.8% in 1990 to 42.1% of adults in the United States. Alternative medicine practitioners have seen increasing numbers of patients in the United States with visits rising from 427 million in 1990 to 629 million in 1997. Total out-of-pocket expenditure in 1997 was $27 billion. Commensurate with this has been an increase in funding of clinical research in CAM therapies including herbs, acupuncture, dietary supplements, chiropractic, and massage. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) budget has risen from $2 million in 1993 to $68.7 million in 2000. In children, surveys of usage patterns reflect use in certain geographical areas or in children with specific illnesses. One Canadian study reported that 10% to 15% of children are using CAM, including acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, and naturopathy as compared with 30% to 45% of adults. In certain groups of children, the use of CAM is considerably higher, such as in children with cystic fibrosis, cancer, and arthritis. The rate of use in homeless adolescents was 70%, which was believed to be due to a number of reasons including a need to use something “natural” and a mistrust of mainstream health care. These youth face medical and mental health illness on both an acute and long-term basis yet felt more confidence in a system that embraces CAM. There has been an increased use of alternative forms of medicine in children undergoing surgery. A crosssectional survey evaluated prevalence and reasons for alternative medicine use among children receiving conventional pediatric services in the DC area. Although most parents were satisfied with their children’s care, 21% had treated their child with some University of Washington Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 2002;32:353–384. Copyright © 2002 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved. 1538-5442/2002/$35.00 0 52/1/129334 doi:10.1067/mps.2002.129334
Functional composition controls invasion success in a California serpentine grassland

Summary 1. Recent debates about the role of biotic resistance in controlling invasion success have focused on effects of species richness. However, functional composition could be a stronger control: species already in the community with similar functional traits to those of the invaders should have the greatest competitive effect on invaders. Still, experiments assessing effects of functional similarity have found contradictory results. 2. We used experimental communities in a serpentine grassland in California, USA, to assess the extent to which functional composition and functional diversity influenced success of two different types of invading plants: early season annuals (E) and late-season annuals (L) that have been previously shown to differ in patterns of resource acquisition. 3. We seeded known quantities of seed of six different species (three in each functional group) into experimental plots containing established communities differing in functional composition and functional diversity. The experimental communities contained different combinations of E, L, perennial bunchgrass (P) and nitrogen-fixer (N) functional groups, with functional diversity ranging from 0 to 4 groups. Each invading species was seeded into a separate quadrat within each plot to minimize competitive effects of invaders on each other. We measured both seedling and adult success of invaders for two full growing seasons to further understand mechanisms underlying biotic resistance. 4. More functionally diverse communities were less invaded overall, as measured by the average success of individual invaders. However, assessment of invaders by functional groups was more informative: Es in the extant community suppressed E invaders the most, and Ls in the extant community suppressed L invaders the most. 5. We observed a variety of interactions among extant functional groups in reducing invader success, including synergism, complementarity and ‘basement’ effects, where two or more groups negatively affected invaders, but combinations of groups were no more suppressive than single groups. The extant community influenced invaders more strongly through suppression of adult plant growth than through effects on seedling establishment. 6. Synthesis. Contrary to predictions from neutral theory, these results indicate that niche overlap was an important component of biotic resistance in these experimental plant communities and summed up to significant effects of species richness.
Sickle Cell Disease

1. M. Catherine Driscoll, MD* 1. *Director, Hematology Program, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the pathogenesis of sickle cell disease. 2. Delineate the complications of sickle cell disease and their management. 3. Review guidelines for health maintenance and preventive measures. 4. Discuss the current treatments for sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic hemolytic anemia that includes the hemoglobin (Hb) variants SS, SC, S-beta thalassemia, SO Arab, SD, and other rare S-Hb genotypes. SCD is one of the most common genetic diseases worldwide. Sickle disorders are seen commonly in sub-Saharan Africa but also occur in the Mediterranean, India, and the Arabian Peninsula. The geographic distribution of sickle hemoglobinopathies corresponds to the distribution of malaria; indeed, the sickle gene in the heterozygote (AS) form protects against death from endemic Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection. In addition, the clinical manifestations of SCD vary among these geographic sites, with individuals from India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Senegal having milder disease than those from parts of Africa. This pattern suggests that genetic modifiers ameliorate the disease in certain populations and contribute to the significant variation in clinical manifestations. The presence of SCD in North, South, and Central America is due to immigration patterns and represents primarily the more severe African types. The genetic defect producing sickle Hb is a single nucleotide substitution (GTG for GAG) at codon 6 of the beta globin gene on chromosome 11 that results in the substitution of valine for glutamic acid. This hydrophobic amino acid substitution allows Hb S to polymerize on deoxygenation, and multiple polymers bundle to form rodlike structures that distort the red cell into the classic crescent shape. Sickled red cells are less deformable in the microcirculation and provoke a cascade of events that results in vascular occlusion, organ ischemia, and eventually, chronic end-organ damage. The ancillary events of polymerization that …
The delineation of a national system of planning regions on the basis of urban spheres of influence

Huff D. L. (1973) The delineation of a national system of planning regions on the basis of urban spheres of influence. Reg. Studies 7, 323–329. Efforts to provide and coordinate geographically a delivery system for various federal programmes have been severely restricted because of the vast number of political artifacts that characterize the organization of American space. Strong feelings of territoriality associated with these political units have made the achievement of programmes extremely difficult. Competition among political units has been much more characteristic than cooperation. Furthermore, this fragmentation has resulted in duplication, inefficiencies, and higher costs. This paper advances a method of consolidating political units geographically in an effort to alleviate such problems. A distinguishing feature of the method is that it utilizes a spatial model and companion computer programme rather than subjective or empirical procedures. The regions that are delineated represent the spheres of...
An expediting heuristic for the shortest processing time dispatching rule

Recent research on the scheduling of job shops has demonstrated the need for dispatching rules that are effective over a wide range of due-date tightness. In this paper a new dispatching rule is presented and compared with other prominent dispatching rules. The new rule employs shortest-processing-time (SPT) scheduling in a controlled manner: using due-date information to expedite jobs that are late or behind schedule, and employing a heuristic to control the scheduling of jobs with long processing times. Based on a simulation analysis, the rule is shown to perform nearly as well as the SPT rule with respect to mean job flowtime, and without the undesirable SPT side-effect of large conditional mean tardiness. The rule is also shown to be robust to changes in due-date tightness. In comparison with other well-known dispatching rules, its performance is generally superior with respect to mean flowtime, mean tardiness and conditional mean tardiness, with only the COVERT rule performing nearly as well. Unlike ...
The Application of Telecommunications to City Services

In June 1971, the Committee on Telecommunications, National Academy of Engineering produced a report "Communications Technology for Urban Improvement" containing some twenty specific ideas on the use of telecommunications-information technologies to improve living conditions in U. S. cities. The suggestions covered such urban applications as citizen-local government interaction, education, health care, environmental monitoring, transportation, citizen safety, and emergency services. In the several years that have elapsed since the Committee's report was published, an encouraging number of the suggestions are being implemented or planned experimentally. A relative lack of market aggregation, and other problems attendant on experiments involving cities has resulted in the Federal Government being the principal fundor of experiments. The Committee on Telecommunications is now carrying out studies in the following areas: 1) the planning of the viable metropolitan communications system of the future; 2) reviewing for the Department of Housing and Urban Development its ongoing experiment on the development of information systems to serve city needs, and 3) studying for the U. S. Postal Service the latter's long term, i.e., 10 to 15 year, needs for electronic message distribution systems.
Granulosa cell-germ cell relationship in the developing rabbit ovary

Granulosa cells play an important part in the nutrition of the oocyte during oogenesis (Raven, 1961). Anderson & Beams (1960) suggested that, in the primary follicle, nutritive material synthesized by the granulosa cells reaches the oocyte by diffusion across the zona pellucida. In the rabbit, follicle formation and elaboration of the zona pellucida begin at the end of the second week after birth (Gondos & Zamboni, 1967). Prior to this time germ cells and granulosa cells are clustered together within the ovarian cortex. Although participation of the granulosa cells in zona pellucida formation has been described in detail (Merker, 1961), the function of granulosa cells in the earlier stages of oogenesis is unclear. The following is an electron microscope study of the relationship between granulosa cells and germ cells in the prefollicular rabbit ovary. Ovaries were removed from New Zealand white rabbits, 1–15 days of age, and processed for electron microscope examination.
The Enemy Within (the Ivory Tower): How Conservatives Came to Despise the Academy

This article gives historical perspective to the recent phenomenon of conservative opposition to the academic liberal arts, demonstrating how anti-relativism shifted from an elitist position to a conservative-populist one.
Editorial: Getting Evidence Into Practice – or Not: The Case of Viscosupplementation

N ot news in 2012: ‘‘Viscosupplementation Largely Ineffective’’ [26]. News in 2015 and beyond: ‘‘Viscosupplementation Market Value to Exceed $2.6 Billion by 2021, says GlobalData’’ [5]. We should be able to say three things about any treatment we use: It is effective, it is safe, and it is worth the cost. Unfortunately, we cannot always achieve this standard in orthopaedic surgery, just as elsewhere in medicine. Some conditions surgeons treat are too rare for us to accumulate solid data about how they behave, and some procedures too-uncommonly indicated for us to gather high-quality evidence about their efficacies. In addition, some interventions used by surgeons looked promising early on, but later fell from favor as better research found them to be less-effective than initially imagined, or even unsafe. Thermal capsullorhaphy [12], certain arthroplasty bearing-surface ‘‘improvements’’ old [23] and new [10], and use of bone morphogenic protein in certain spinal fusions [6] all come to mind here. Surgeons who follow the evidence should relegate injectable viscosupplements (hyaluronic acid products) to the list of abandoned treatments. Several comprehensive analyses agree that they either are minimally effective or ineffective [9, 14, 20]. They probably are safe, though their use carries some risk [20]. To the degree that they are not effective [9, 14, 20], it is hard to make a case for their value [21]. Yet despite going only one for three on the efficacy-safety-value scorecard, the market for injectable viscosupplements continues to grow [3, 5]. I know there are many proponents of these treatments in the orthopaedic community; however, the observations about viscosupplementation’s inefficacy are not mine alone. Well-done reviews and meta-analyses recommending against the use of this treatment have appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine [7] and Annals of Internal Medicine [20]; The Osteoarthritis Research Society International’s (OARSI) guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee osteoarthritis listed viscosupplementation among the treatments of ‘‘uncertain appropriateness,’’ alongside avocado soybean unsaponfiables, chondroitin, diacerein, glucosamine, rosehip, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and ultrasound [14]. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons released a clinical practice guideline in 2013 based on an analysis of the best-available research, which concluded, ‘‘We cannot recommend using hyaluronic acid for patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee’’ [9]. The Academy rated that recommendation as ‘‘strong,’’ meaning it was based on high-quality supporting evidence; that rating carries the following implication: ‘‘Practitioners should follow a Strong [emphasis theirs] recommendation unless a clear and compelling rationale for an alternative approach is present.’’ Editorial Published online: 16 November 2015 The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons1 2015
The pathophysiology and medical treatment of urolithiasis.

T HE FORMATION of a stone within the urinary tract is not a disease but instead a potential complication of many varied disorders. 1~3 Characteristic of these disorders is that they can create, from time to time within the urine, supersaturation for one or more crystalline phases that may precipitate. Table 1 outlines a classification of the varied disorders that may cause urinary calculi. To develop rational and effective approaches to treatment, one must consider the abnormalities that are present allowing the stones to form. In developing appropriate treatment, it is important to understand several basic factors that apply since most forms of treatment influence one or more of these factors. Table 2 lists the factors in the formation of a stone within the urinary tract that our treatment programs can influence.