cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age at menopause and determinants of hysterectomy and menopause in a multi-ethnic community: The Hilo Women’s Health Study

Abstract Objectives A lifespan approach was used to evaluate age at menopause, and determinants of surgical and natural menopause, in the multi-ethnic community of Hilo, Hawaii. Study design Participants aged 40–60 years ( n = 898) were drawn from a larger, randomly generated sample recruited by postal questionnaires. Median age at natural menopause was computed by probit analysis. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine determinants of hysterectomy, and Cox regression analysis was used to examine risk factors for an earlier age at menopause. Main outcome measures History of hysterectomy, age at menopause. Results Frequency of hysterectomy was 19.2% at a mean age of 40.5 years. The likelihood of hysterectomy increased with older ages, lower education, mixed ancestry, having been overweight at age 30, and married 20 years prior to survey. Median age at natural menopause was 53.0 years. Smoking and not being married 10 years before survey were associated with an earlier age at menopause. Conclusions Median age at menopause was later than the national average. Ethnicity and education were determinants of hysterectomy, but not associated with age at natural menopause. Events later in the lifespan (e.g., smoking and not being married 10 years prior to the survey) were more important than earlier events (e.g., childhood residence) in relation to age at menopause. The timing of weight gain and marital status appear to be important in relation to surgical menopause, and the timing of marital status appears to be important in relation to the timing of natural menopause.
Avoiding forgetfulness: Structured English specifications for high-level robot control with implicit memory

This paper addresses the challenge of incorporating event memory into the automatic synthesis of hybrid controllers for high-level reactive robot behavior. The goal is to provide a natural, concise grammar for specifying high-level tasks that require remembering past events, and to ensure that the required memory is correctly updated during controller execution. To this end, a structured English grammar for specifying high level behavior is provided that automatically performs memory operations, without requiring explicit definition from the specification designer. This grammar admits intuitive, unambiguous specifications for tasks that implicitly use memory for purposes including non-repeated goals, strictly ordered action sequences, etc. The proposed framework also guarantees the correctness of memory operations during continuous execution. The approach is implemented within the LTLMoP toolkit for reactive mission planning.
Characterization of Chick Embryo Interferon induced by a DNA Virus.

SummaryBiochemical, biophysical and biological characterization was carried out previously for highly purified chick embryo interferon induced by an RNA virus, influenza A (RNA-interferon). The present report summarizes the findings in studies to characterize partially purified chick embryo interferon induced by a DNA virus, herpes simplex (DNA-interferon). DNA-interferon was shown to be a protein of low molecular weight (about 36,000) which is trypsin sensitive, relatively heat stable (70°C) and is stable over a wide range of pH (pH 1 to 11). The findings by others are reviewed and analyzed. Development of a new method for measuring isoelectric point based on pH elution profile from CM-sephadex established the isoelectric point for DNA- and RNA-in-terferon at pH near neutral. Both DNA-and RNA-interferon were active against vesicular stomatitis virus in the homologous chick cell culture system but showed no activity against this virus in mouse embryo, grivet kidney, bovine kidney or rabbit kidney cell cul...
Synthesis of poly(3‐hexylthiophene)‐block‐poly(ethylene)‐block‐poly(3‐hexylthiophene) via a combination of ring‐opening olefin metathesis polymerization and grignard metathesis polymerization

Novel rod–coil–rod ABA triblock copolymers, poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(ethylene)-block-poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT-b-PE-b-P3HT) were synthesized by using a combination of a Ru-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization of 1,4-cyclooctadiene in the presence of a suitable chain transfer agent (CTA) and a Ni-catalyzed Grignard metathesis polymerization of 5-chloromagnesio-2-bromo-3-hexylthiophene followed by hydrogenation. Using this methodology, the molecular weights of the poly(butadiene) (PBD) or the P3HT blocks were controlled by adjusting the initial monomer/CTA or the initial monomer/macroinitiator ratio, respectively. In addition, the triblock structure was confirmed by selective oxidative degradation of the PBD block found in the intermediate P3HT-b-PBD-b-P3HT copolymer produced in the aforementioned method, followed by analysis of the degradation products. Thermal analysis and atomic force microscopy of P3HT-b-PE-b-P3HT revealed that the material underwent phase separation in the solid state, a feature which may prove useful for improving charge mobilities within electronic devices. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3810–3817
International migration: from backwaters to high politics.

The author provides an overview of the articles in this issue of Population and Environment. The focus is on the demographic economic political and social issues surrounding recent and future international migration movements. (ANNOTATION)
Distributing classes with woven concerns: an exploration of potential fault scenarios

Aspect-oriented programming (AOP) promises to benefit software engineering by providing a layer of abstraction that can modularize system-level concerns. AOP is still a very young area of research and has yet to receive mainstream acceptance in industry. As a result, the industry as a whole lacks experience and knowledge concerning long term maintenance issues with AOP in deployed commercial applications. Fault models that result from software maintenance in aspect-oriented software development (AOSD) are not nearly as well understood as they are for object-oriented software development (OOSD). This paper will explore some of the long-term maintenance issues that can occur with AspectJ, which is an implementation of AOP for the Java programming language. More specifically, the ability of AspectJ (as of version 1.2) to weave into existing bytecode that already contains woven aspects can create unexpected and potentially unsolvable problems. This will hopefully lead to further discussion in the research community that will result in a better understanding of the long-term maintenance issues inherent in AOSD.
Retinoic acid inhibits β-catenin through suppression of cox-2: A role for truncated adenomatous polyposis coli

Mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) underlie the earliest stages of colorectal carcinogenesis. Consequences of APC mutation include stabilization of β-catenin, dysregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, and loss of retinoic acid production, events with poorly defined interactions. Here we showed that treatment of zebrafish expressing a truncated form of Apc with either retinoic acid or a selective COX-2 inhibitor decreased β-catenin protein levels and downstream signaling events. Interestingly, the destruction of β-catenin in apc mutant embryos following Cox-2 inhibition required the presence of truncated Apc. These findings support roles for retinoic acid and Cox-2 in regulating the stability of β-catenin following Apc loss. Furthermore, truncated Apc appears to retain the ability to target β-catenin for destruction, but only in the absence of Cox-2 activity. This novel function of truncated Apc may provide a molecular basis for the efficacy of COX-2 inhibitors in the treatment of colon cancer.
The Frontal Lobes, Basal Ganglia, and Temporal Lobes as Sites for Schizophrenia

Positron emission tomography studies with fluorodeoxyglucose in patients with schizophrenia are reviewed and findings in the frontal lobes, basal ganglia, and temporal lobes summarized from more than 20 published studies. Despite methodological and clinical population differences between studies, most reports indicate that patients with schizophrenia are more likely to be low in these areas than in the occipital lobe, cerebellum, or in white matter. This is consistent with blood flow and some neuroanatomical findings. Cluster analysis on our own sample suggests that patients may be low in all three areas rather than a pattern of three distinct clusters. Further study of individual symptom differences, medication effects, and of psychophysical tasks salient for these brain areas is indicated.
Prepro-thyrotropin releasing hormone expressing neurons in the juxtaparaventricular region of the lateral hypothalamus are activated by leptin and altered by prenatal glucocorticoid exposure.

The neuropeptide thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is recognized to play an important role in controlling energy balance through direct effects on the CNS, although mechanisms explaining the phenomenon are poorly understood. To begin to understand the effects of TRH on CNS control of energy balance, we first mapped neurons expressing the TRH precursor peptide, prepro-TRH (ppTRH) in the paraventricular nucleus of the rat hypothalamus and the surrounding regions. We identified a population of ppTRH-expressing neurons in the juxtaparaventricular region of the lateral hypothalamus (LHAjp) which were stimulated by the satiety signal leptin (2.5 μg/kg, IP). Using a model of fetal glucocorticoid (GC) exposure in which pregnant rats were treated with the synthetic GC dexamethasone (DEX) during gestational days 18–21, it was observed that such exposure resulted in reduced numbers of ppTRH-ir neurons in the LHAjp in adult male and female rats, and was accompanied by increased food intake. Our data provide further insight into the biological role of the LHAjp, as well as the potential involvement of TRH neurons within this region in metabolic disease associated with fetal glucocorticoid exposure.
Antipsychotic drugs block IP3-dependent Ca2+-release from rat brain microsomes

Cellular Ca 2+ -dysregulation has been proposed as an important mechanism in certain diseases such as bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) and malignant hyperthermia. Recently it has been found that in BPAD, the plasma membrane Ca 2+ -channel blockers verapamil and nimodipine are useful substitutes in Li + -treatable patients. We have investigated the effects of these drugs and the antipsychotic drugs (clozapine, fluspirilene, and haloperidol) on IP 3 -induced Ca 2+ -release from Ca 2+ -loaded rat brain microsomes. In the presence of either the Ca 2+ -channel blockers or the neuroleptic drugs, Ca 2+ -release was blocked in a dose-dependent fashion. For the neuroleptics, the EC 50 ranged from 22 μ M for fluspirilene to 145 μ M for haloperidol. The EC 50 for nimodipine was 160 μ M and 450 μ M for verapamil. Carbamazapine and valproic acid, anticonvulsants recently used for treating BPAD, were relatively ineffective, as were various haloperidol metabolites. The research described in this paper establishes for the first time that antipsychotic drugs, as well as certain Ca 2+ -channel blockers, directly block the IP 3 -induced Ca 2+ -release in a rat brain microsome assay.
A systematic treatment of three-dimensional quantum mechanical reaction coordinates

The rigorous, collinear, canonical point transformation method with “hyper-hyperbolic” coordinates is extended to the infinite central mass problem in three dimensions. The initial transformation performed is (xA, y A, z A, x C, y C, z C) → (φ, θ, ψ, r, R, τ), where (φ, θ, ψ) are the Euler angles; r and R are the AB and BC interatomic distances, respectively, and τ is the angle between r and R. A second transformation is then performed to (φ, θ, ψ, ξ, η, τ), where ξ is the reaction coordinate mimicking the reaction path, and η is the vibrational coordinate of the diatom. The transformed spaces are all one-to-one mappings from the original spaces, and thus do not have any three-to-one regions. The transformed momenta and Hamiltonians are derived, and are Hermitian in their respective transformed spaces.
First-Principles Investigations of Electronic, Dynamic and Thermodynamic Properties of α-MnO2

We investigate the electronic, dynamic and thermodynamic properties of α-MnO2 using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) with the GGA+U method. The results of electronic structures show that α-MnO2 is a semiconductor with a direct band gap of 1.4 eV at Γ point. The results of dynamic properties indicate that the structure of α-MnO2 is dynamically unstable at ground-state. Several important thermodynamic quantities, such as entropy, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy, et al each as a function of temperature were presented.
Common-mode EMI solutions for modular back-to-back converter systems

This paper presents solutions to common-mode (CM) electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems in back-to-back converter systems with parallel- and/or series-connection of three-phase voltage-source converters (VSC). The main objective is to reduce the CM EMI emission at both the input and output terminals. Additionally, attention will also be given to the CM current through the converters and the circulating currents among parallel modules in an effort to reduce power losses and to improve control performance. A new CM filter arrangement with CM capacitors connected between the input and output terminals of cascaded VSC is proposed as a way to reduce the CM currents at both input and output terminals. Other system-level CM EMI reduction techniques, such as asymmetric interleaving, the use of inter-module chokes, optimization of dc bus grounding capacitance, and balancing of CM impedance to contain CM emission locally, are also presented and demonstrated.
Popular Culture in the Arab World: Arts, Politics, and the Media – By Andrew Hammond

This is a unique and welcome study of aspects of Arab contemporary culture by a journalist who has spent over a decade in the Arab world, based primarily in Egypt as a correspondent and then in Sau...
Acculturation and cigarette smoking among pregnant Hispanic women residing in the United States.

Objectives. We explored whether higher levels of acculturation were associated with higher rates of cigarette smoking among pregnant Hispanic women residing in the United States.Methods. We evaluated data from the Latina Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Study, a prospective study of 1231 Hispanic prenatal care patients conducted from 2000 to 2004 in Massachusetts. Self-reported data on acculturation, cigarette smoking, and covariates were collected by bilingual interviewers using a questionnaire. We conducted logistic regression multivariate analyses to examine the impact of acculturation level on the odds of smoking.Results. Overall, 21% of women reported smoking during pregnancy. Acculturation was associated with elevated smoking rates in pregnant Hispanic women. US-born Hispanic women who preferred English had more than twice the odds of smoking compared with Puerto Rican or foreign-born Hispanic women who preferred Spanish (odds ratio [OR]=2.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36, 5.63).Conclusions. Our f...
Buried explosive hazard detection using forward-looking long-wave infrared imagery

Trainable size-contrast filters, similar to local dual-window RX anomaly detectors, utilizing the Bhattacharyya distance are used to detect buried explosive hazards in forward-looking long-wave infrared imagery. The imagery, captured from a moving vehicle, is geo-referenced, allowing projection of pixel coordinates into (UTM) Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates. Size-contrast filter detections for a particular frame are projected into UTM coordinates, and peaks are detected in the resulting density using the mean-shift algorithm. All peaks without a minimum number of detections in their local neighborhood are discarded. Peaks from individual frames are then combined into a single set of tentative hit locations, and the same mean-shift procedure is run on the resulting density. Peaks without a minimum number of hit locations in their local neighborhood are removed. The remaining peaks are declared as target locations. The mean-shift steps utilize both the spatial and temporal information in the imagery. Scoring is performed using ground truth locations in UTM coordinates. The size-contrast filter and mean-shift parameters are learned using a genetic algorithm which minimizes a multiobjective fitness function involving detection rate and false alarm rate. Performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated on multiple lanes from a recent collection at a US Army test site.
Induction of the enzyme aldose reductase in a lens epithelial cell line from a transgenic mouse

Abstract A lens epithelial cell line established from a transgenic mouse synthesizes high levels of the enzyme aldose reductase which converts sugars to polyols. This enzyme has been implicated in the formation of sugar cataracts in animals and with diabetic complications in man. The mouse aldose reductase has been characterized and by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis has an apparent molecular mass of 38,000, similar to the enzyme in rat and man. The cellular enzyme is inhibited by two aldose reductase inhibitors: Sorbinil (IC50 = 1.8 × 10−7 m ) and Alcon 1576 (IC50 = 7.8 × 10−8 m ). The amount and the specific activity of the aldose reductase can be further increased in the cells by raising the osmolarity of the medium to 500 m osm . Although the amount of aldose reductase is increased approximately sevenfold under these conditions, α-crystallin, one of the main lens specific proteins, remained at about the same concentration. No detectable increase in sorbitol was found within the cells, in contrast to published reports on renal cells in which this polyol increases under similar hyperosmotic conditions; however, in the lens cells there was a fivefold increase in the inositol content, suggesting that this polyol rather than sorbitol may be used to compensate for some of the changes in the osmolarity. The induction of the enzyme aldose reductase without the apparent accumulation of its product suggests a complex mechanism for osmoregulation in the lens cells.
Survey on neurosurgery subspecialty fellowship training

Abstract BACKGROUND The ongoing controversy on the certification of neurosurgery subspecialties has not been settled. There has been no detailed report on why a resident chooses to undergo further training in the form of a postgraduate fellowship. A survey was devised to investigate the reasons, as well as factors, that prompt the resident to pursue fellowship training. METHODS The names of the surveyed residents were obtained from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons database, and the names of the neurosurgery fellows were obtained from individual program coordinators by phone. A survey, a cover letter, and a return envelope were mailed to each prospective respondent. The data were entered on the Paradox for Windows program, and multiple queries were run to obtain tabulated results. RESULTS The overwhelming majority (84.6%) of the resident respondents considered fellowship a possibility. Academic medicine was also the choice of career for most (60.3%). The most popular reported fellowships were spine (25.6%), pediatric (16.5%), and vascular (16.1%). The three top reasons for pursuing fellowship training were “personal interest for knowledge,” “job market demand,” and “academic prestige.” “Inadequate training during residency” was a distant fourth. For respondents citing “inadequate training during residency” as one of the top three reasons, there were proportionally higher respondents in the fields of peripheral nerve, endovascular, and skull base neurosurgeries. CONCLUSION A significant number of residents consider fellowship a way to further their personal interest and knowledge, as well as increase their marketability. Relatively few from the surveyed group considered their residency training experience deficient in the subspecialty areas, with the exception of peripheral nerve, endovascular, and possibly skull base neurosurgery.
Incentive compensation schemes: Experimental calibration of the rationality hypothesis*

. Behavior inconsistent with expected utility maximization is widely observed and explanations for it abound. The purpose of this research is to identify conditions under which choice behavior is most likely to be consistent with EUM predictions, in order to ensure the successful implementation of economic prescriptions derived under the assumption of EUM rationality. Specifically, a laboratory experiment is used to test the hypothesis that the distinctness between alternatives in a menu of contracts is crucial in determining the likelihood that agent choices are consistent with EUM predictions, and consequently, in the case of incentive compatible contracts, leads to accurate revelation of private information. The results support this hypothesis. Resume. L'on observe frequemment des comportements incompatibles avec la maximisation esperee de l'utilite, et les explications a ce sujet foisonnent. L'etude qui suit a pour but de determiner dans quelles conditions le comportement de choix est le plus susceptible d'etre conforme aux predictions relatives a la maximisation esperee de l'utilite (MEU), et de garantir ainsi le succes de l'implantation des prescriptions economiques derivees de l'hypothese de la rationalite de la MEU. De facon plus precise, l'auteure procede a une experience de laboratoire pour verifier l'hypothese selon laquelle la clarte des differentes possibilites d'un menu de contrats est cruciale dans la determination de la probabilite que les choix du mandataire soient conformes aux predictions relatives a la MEU et qu'en consequence, dans le cas de contrats qui se pretent a l'application de mesures d'incitation, cette clarte ne masque pas la revelation de la veritable information privilegiee. Les resultats de l'etude confirment cette hypothese.
Selective modification at the 3-position of β-cyclodextrin

Abstract Heptakis(6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)β-cyclodextrin reacts with N-methyl-4-chloromethyl-2-nitroaniline to produce the 3-modified cyclodextrin after the necessary deprotection step. Complete NMR assignment and its comparison with cyclodextrin derivatives modified by the same group at the 2- and 6-position is reported.
Comment on “Estimating the Extent of Racially Polarized Voting in Multicandidate Contests” by Bernard Grofman and Michael Migalski

Double regression figures prominently in the analysis of racially polarized voting. Grofman and Migalski attempt three extensions of this technique: the application to multimember districts, the calculation of standard errors for the parameters of interest, and validation through comparisons with seemingly unrelated regression (SUR). All three extensions fail. The first is based on an arithmetical error. The second is based on an incomplete specification of the underlying statistical model. The third is based on a mistaken application of SUR in a context in which it is guaranteed to yield the same results as the ordinary least squares estimates of double regression.
Deep neck abscesses secondary to methylphenidate (Ritalin) abuse

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) abuse has been and continues to be a major medical and social problem. In the past 6 months, we have seen five deep neck abscesses secondary to intravenous Ritalin abuse. This constitutes more than 50% of the deep neck abscesses seen by us in the same time period. The pathogenesis is related to an inflammatory foreign-body reaction to the fillers in the methylphenidate tablets, followed by superinfection by oral or cutaneous flora. Mixed flora infections with weakly pathogenic organisms may also occur.
Predictors of Fluvoxamine Response in Contamination-related Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A PET Symptom Provocation Study

The purpose of this study was to identify neuroimaging predictors of medication response in contamination-related obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Prior studies of OCD had indicated that glucose metabolic rates within orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) were inversely correlated with subsequent response to serotonergic reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) and that glucose metabolic rates within posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) were positively correlated with subsequent response to cingulotomy. Nine subjects with contamination-related OCD underwent a 12-week open trial of treatment with the SRI fluvoxamine. Percent change in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score, from pre- to post-treatment, served as the index of treatment response. Positron emission tomography (PET) measurements of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were obtained prior to treatment, in the context of a symptom provocation paradigm. Statistical parametric mapping was used to identify brain loci where pre-treatment rCBF was significantly correlated with subsequent treatment response. Consistent with a priori hypotheses, lower rCBF values in OFC and higher rCBF values in PCC predicted better treatment response. This same pattern of associations was present regardless of whether the imaging data were acquired during a provoked or neutral state. These findings are consistent with prior studies of OCD, indicating that PET indices of brain activity within OFC are inversely correlated with subsequent response to SRIs. In addition, similar to findings regarding cingulotomy for OCD, indices of activity within PCC appear to be positively correlated with response to fluvoxamine as well. Finally, this pattern is sufficiently robust as to be relatively independent of symptomatic state at the time of tracer uptake.
Influence of Feeding Supplemental Fat by Age Sequence on the Performance of Growing Turkeys

Abstract Large White toms were used in an experiment to determine the response of turkeys to feeding supplemental fat by age sequence. The eight treatments tested consisted of a factorial arrangement of dietary animal-vegetable fat blend (A-V fat) at 0 and 4% and four age periods (0 to 20, 6 to 20, 9 to 20, and 12 to 20 weeks). The concentrations of nutrients were kept constant within an age period, irrespective of level of dietary fat. On an age-period basis, improvements in feed efficiency resulting from supplemental fat increased with increasing age. During the 0- to 6-week period, feed efficiency was improved 1.6% per 1% added fat, while during the 12- to 20-week period, feed efficiency of toms previously fed no added fat was improved 3.6% for 1% added fat. Improvements in weight gains through 12 weeks of age followed a similar pattern but of lesser magnitude. The overall data through 20 weeks of age demonstrated that nearly all of the increases in weight gain and much of the improvements in feed efficiency obtained by feeding supplemental fat from 0 to 6, 0 to 9, and 0 to 12 weeks of age were lost after these treatment groups were fed a diet with no added fat for the rest of the growing period. Conversely, 20-week feed efficiencies and efficiencies of metabolizable energy and protein utilization were similar for all treatment groups that received no supplemental fat from 0 to 6, 0 to 9, or 0 to 12 weeks of age but were then fed 4% supplemental fat thereafter. A small numerical advantage in 20-week body weights was observed for toms fed supplemental fat from 0 or 6 to 20 weeks of age as compared with those fed fat-supplemented diets from 9 or 12 to 20 weeks of age.
Computations of Surface Energy Flux and Annual Air–Sea Interaction Cycles of the North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract Energy fluxes through the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean have been calculated using bulk aerodynamic equations with exchange coefficients which vary with wind speed and stability, and radiation equations. Values of the coefficients were determined from published results of many experiments made at sea, coastal installations and in laboratories. Eight million ship weather reports were used for flux calculations. Reliabilities of monthly meteorological and flux averages are found to be good in areas having SW or move observations per average. A chart of the net annual heat gain by the ocean shows regions with characteristic gains or losses such as the Gulf Stream, Norwegian Sea, Labrador Current, trade winds and upwelling areas. Annual cycles of fluxes, winds, temperatures, clouds and rainfall in eight regions are presented and discussed from the point of view of predominating air–sea interaction processes. Contributions of meteorological variables, oceanic currents, atmospheric circulations a...
TRANSESOPHAGEAL COLOR DOPPLER EVALUATION OF OBSTRUCTIVE LESIONS USING THE NEW "QUASAR" TECHNOLOGY

Due to the unavoidable problem of aliasing, color flow signals from high blood flow velocities cannot be measured directly by conventional color Doppler. A new technology termed Quantitative Un-Aliased Speed Algorithm Recognition (Quasar) has been developed to overcome this limitation. Employing this technology, we used transesophageal color Doppler echocardiography to investigate whether the velocities detected by the Quasar would correlate with those obtained by continuous-wave Doppler both in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro study, a 5.0 MHz transesophageal transducer of a Kontron Sigma 44 color Doppler flow system was used. Fourteen different peak velocities calculated and recorded by color Doppler-guided continuous-wave Doppler were randomly selected. In the clinical study, intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was performed using the same transducer 18 adults (13 aortic valve stenosis, 2 aortic and 2 mitral stenosis, 2 hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and 1 mitral valve stenosis). Following each continuous-wave Doppler measurement, the Quasar was activated, and a small Quasar marker was placed in the brightest area of the color flow jet to obtain the maximum mean velocity readout. The maximum mean velocities measured by Quasar closely correlated with maximum peak velocities obtained by color flow guided continuous-wave Doppler in both in vitro (0.53 to 1.65 m/s, r = 0.99) and in vivo studies (1.50 to 6.01 m/s, r = 0.97). We conclude that the new Quasar technology can accurately measure high blood flow velocities during transesophageal color Doppler echocardiography. This technique has the potential of obviating the need for continuous-wave Doppler.
Insiders and Outsiders: The Indian Working Class of Durban, 1910-1990

The passage from India - indentured immigrants come to Natal 1860-1911 heaven on earth in Springfield flats - the peasant option the edge of town - Durban and the Indian working class 1900-30 "It is my work" - labour segmentation and militancy 1935-60 destroying communities - the impact of group areas 1950-80 insiders and outsiders - the working class of the Apartheid era 1960-90.
Mass and composition of an urban aerosol as a function of particle size for several visibility levels

Abstract An atmospheric aerosol sampling analysis experiment at a site near the center of the New York metropolitan area was carried out to delineate relationships existing between degree of visibility and various aerosol characteristics in a polluted atmosphere. Size-fractionated and unfractionated particulate samples were collected at four discrete levels of visibility and analyzed for SO 4 2− , NO 3 − , Cl − , NH 4 + , Pb, Fe, Mg, Zn and total mass. At all levels of visibility, bimodal or multimodal particle size distributions were observed for total mass and, in some cases, for individual components. Decreased visibility corresponded to increased particle mass concentration especially in the fine particle fraction (ranging in size from about 0.1 to 1.0 μm dia.). Increases in the proportion of particulate sulfate and, to a lesser extent, of nitrate, chloride, ammonium and carbon were also associated with decreased visibility.
Nine-co-ordinate alkaline earth metals

Abstract Ten diethylenetriamine (dien) complexes of Group IIA salts were prepared. The perchlorates in the series, [Ca(dien)3](ClO4)2, [Sr(dien)3](ClO4)2 and [Ba(dien)3](ClO4)2 in addition to [Ca(dien)3](ClO3)2 were shown to be nine-co-ordinate as was the diacetamide complex [Ca(DA)4·5]-(ClO3)2. These conclusions were supported by i.r. data of transition metal dien complexes. In a similar manner the Group IIA halide-dien complexes, [Ca(dien)3]Br2, [Sr(dien)3]Br2, [Ba(dien)3]Br2, [Ca(dien)3]I2, [Sr(dien)3]I2 and [Ba(dien)3]I2, have been postulated as having a co-ordination number of nine. The Bellamy-Williams equation was applied to the i.r. data.
Mechanics of Carotid Arteries in a Mouse Model of Marfan Syndrome

Mouse models of Marfan Syndrome (MFS) provide insight into the type and extent of vascular abnormalities manifested in this disease. Inclusion of the mgR mutation causes the otherwise normal extracellular matrix glycoprotein fibrillin-1 to be under-expressed at 15-25% of its normal level, a condition seen in MFS. Aortas in patients with MFS are generally less distensible and may experience dissecting aneurysms that lead to premature death, yet little is known about effects on other large arteries. In this study, common carotid arteries from mice heterozygous (R/+) and homozygous (R/R) for the mgR mutation were studied under biaxial loading and compared to results from wild-type controls (+/+). Carotids from +/+ and R/+ mice exhibited similar biomechanical behaviors whereas those from R/R mice were slightly stiffer in the circumferential direction while dramatically different in the axial direction. That is, R/R carotids were stiffer axially and had lower in vivo axial prestretches. Biaxial stress-stretch data were fit with a four-fiber family constitutive model. The fitted data yielded a lower value of an isotropic parameter for the R/R carotids, which reflects a compromised elastin-dominated amorphous matrix. Overall, it appeared that changes in axial mechanical properties afforded R/R carotids a means to compensate, at least early in maturity (9 weeks of age), for the loss of an important structural constituent as they attempted to maintain structural integrity in response to normal mean arterial pressures and thereby maintain mechanical homeostasis.
Influence of the buck on social behavior of captive female fallow deer (dama dama) during the rutting season

The behavioral interactions and grouping patterns of eight confined fallow deer (Dama dama) were observed during the rutting season to determine the influence of the buck on herd social organization and behavior. Data were collected on five does, two female fawns, and one male fawn under three conditions: (1) buck in the paddock, (2) buck not in the paddock but present outside of the paddock fence, and (3) buck absent. When the buck was in the paddock, all deer engaged in more non-agonistic social behavior. When the buck was absent, the aggressive behavior of the dominant does increased and was directed primarily at the subordinate does. The significance of male suppression of female-female aggression is discussed in regard to reproductive strategies.
Asia's Computer Challenge: Threat or Opportunity for the United States and the World?

This book examines the evolution of the computer industry in the Pacific Asia region. It explains the key factors that account for the different levels of success among the nations in the area, and explores the strategic implications for the United States and the Asian Pacific countries as they compete in computers in the emerging network era. This book is intended for academics and computer professionals.
Lead exposure during development results in increased neurofilament phosphorylation, neuritic beading, and temporal processing deficits within the murine auditory brainstem

Low-level lead (Pb) exposure is a risk factor for learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other neurological dysfunction. It is not known how Pb produces these behavioral deficits, but low-level exposure during development is associated with auditory temporal processing deficits in an avian model, while hearing thresholds remain normal. Similar auditory processing deficits are found in children with learning disabilities and ADHD. To identify cellular changes underlying this functional deficit, Pb-induced alterations of neurons and glia within the mammalian auditory brainstem nuclei were quantified in control and Pb-exposed mice at postnatal day 21 by using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and 2D gel electrophoresis. Pb-treated mice were exposed to either 0.1 mM (low) or 2 mM (high) Pb acetate throughout gestation and through 21 days postnatally. Pb exposure results in little change in glial proteins such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), myelin basic protein (MBP), or F4/80 as determined by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. In contrast, Pb exposure alters neuronal structural proteins by inducing increased phosphorylation of both the medium (NFM) and high-weight (NFH) forms of neurofilament within auditory brainstem nuclei. Axons immunolabeled for neurofilament protein show neuritic beading following Pb exposure both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that Pb exposure also impairs axonal transport. Functional assessment shows no significant loss of peripheral function, but does reveal impairments in brainstem conduction time and temporal processing within the brainstem. These results provide evidence that Pb exposure during development alters axonal structure and function within brainstem auditory nuclei. J. Comp. Neurol. 506:1003–1017, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Editorial message: track on applications of evolutionary computation

Many computational techniques are inspired by biological models; for example, neural networks by nervous systems and expert systems by the if-then rules of expert reasoning. Among these biologically-inspired techniques is evolutionary computation, whose motivating ideas are the mechanisms that drive evolution: reproduction with variation, reproductive success proportional to fitness, and repetition. Evolutionary algorithms have been applied to a wide variety of problems of search and optimization.
Sex differences in objective measures of sleep in post‐traumatic stress disorder and healthy control subjects

A growing literature shows prominent sex effects for risk for PTSD and associated medical comorbid burden. Prior research indicates that PTSD is associated with reduced slow wave sleep (SWS), which may have implications for overall health, and abnormalities in REM sleep, which have been implicated in specific PTSD symptoms, but most research has been conducted in male subjects. We therefore sought to compare objective measures of sleep in male and female PTSD subjects with age and sex-matched control subjects. We used a cross-sectional, 2×2 design (PTSD/control × female/male) involving 83 medically healthy, non-medicated adults aged 19–39 in the inpatient sleep laboratory. Visual analysis of EEG demonstrated that PTSD was associated with lower SWS duration (F(3,82)=7.63, p=.007) and SWS percent (F(3,82)=6.11, p=.016). There was also a group by sex interaction effect for REM duration (F(3,82)=4.08, p=.047) and REM percent (F(3,82)=4.30, p=.041), explained by greater REM sleep in PTSD females as compared to control females, a difference not seen in male subjects. Quantitative EEG analysis demonstrated that PTSD was associated with lower energy in the delta spectrum (F(3,82)=6.79, p=.011) in NREM sleep. SWS and delta findings were more pronounced in males. Removal of PTSD subjects with comorbid MDD, who had greater PTSD severity, strengthened delta effects but reduced REM effects to non-significance. These findings support prior evidence that PTSD is associated with impairment in the homeostatic function of sleep, especially in men with the disorder. These findings suggest that group by sex interaction effects on REM may occur with more severe PTSD or with PTSD comorbid with MDD.
A Delicate Science: A Critique of an Exclusively Emic Anthropology

The increasing recognition of indigenous perspectives regarding religious practices such as shamanism and spirit possession offers a welcome respite from the excesses of scientific skepticism. Anthropologists may, however, become dogmatic in the opposite direction through accepting and even promoting at face value the officially presented "emic" view. At times, ritual practitioners themselves accuse one another of "faked possession" or exhibit other indications of a complex "native psychology." The Afro-Brazilian possession rituals I have studied suggest the workings of a dynamic process of "negotiated reality." Must researchers with a genuine respect for the spirit world therefore eschew any psychocultural, sociological, or other looking-in-from-the-outside (etic) forms of inquiry? The ethnographic study of religions, like these spiritual traditions themselves, calls for the practice of a "delicate science" of anthropological exploration.
THE ROLE OF ENDOMYCORRHIZAE IN REVEGETATION PRACTICES IN THE SEMI-ARID WEST. II. A BIOASSAY TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF LAND DISTURBANCE ON ENDOMYCORRHIZAL POPULATIONS'

Populations of the endomycorrhizal fungus Glomus fasciculatus were significantly reduced following land disturbance in western Colorado soil. A bioassay was developed to measure changes in the endomycorrhizal population. In the bioassay, inoculum levels were measured by comparing the percentage infection in corn (Zea mays) root systems thirty days after planting in undisturbed or disturbed soils. The percentage infection was 2% in the disturbed soil compared to 77% in the adjacent undisturbed soil. Glomus fasciculatus was identified as the endophyte in both soils. Considering the importance and function of endomycorrhizal fungi to their plant hosts the reduction of active inoculum in the disturbed soil may be an important ecological factor in subsequent succession. THE PRESENCE of vesicular-arbuscular endomycorrhizal fungi (VAM) has several benefits for
Ion budgets and sediment-water interactions during the experimental acidification and recovery of Little Rock Lake, Wisconsin.

Ion budgets for the two basins of experimentally acidified Little Rock Lake (Vilas County, WI, U.S.A.) indicate that Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ were released from the bottom sediments to the water column during 1984−1994, and NH4+, NO3-, and SO42- were removed for a net internal alkalinity generation (IAG). Sulfate removal contributed ∼50% of the IAG in the reference basin, and cation production generated ∼40%. In-lake processes in the reference basin removed ∼38% of the sulfate input; 58% was lost to outflow, and 4% remained in the water column. As a result of acid additions that stimulated sulfate reduction and lower pH that enhanced ion exchange, sulfate removal and Ca2+ production were more important for IAG in the treatment basin. During 1984−1994, sulfate removal contributed about 61% of the IAG, and Ca2+ production contributed about half of the IAG from cation production. In the treatment basin, in-lake processes removed about 46% of the total input of sulfate (including acid additions); 36% was lost to ou...
Growth of Aeromonas hydrophila K144 as affected by organic acids

The influence of different acids on the aerobic growth kinetics of Aeromonas hydrophila was studied in BHI broth with 0.5 and 2.0% NaCl incubated at 5 and 19°C. Growth curve data were analyzed by the Gompertz equation and a nonlinear regression program; generation and lag times were calculated from the Gompertz parameters. Type of acid, pH, NaCl level and temperature influenced lag and generation times. The organic acids (acetic, lactic, citric and tartaric) inhibited growth at higher pH values than inorganic acids (HCl and H2SO4). The high NaCl level interacted with type of acid and pH to restrict growth of the organism at the lower temperature of incubation. Acetic and lactic acids were effective in controlling the growth of A. hydrophila and could readily be combined with low holding temperature to render foods free of the organism.
Prolonged Infusion of Inhibitors of Calcineurin or L-Type Calcium Channels Does Not Block Mossy Fiber Sprouting in a Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Summary Purpose: It would be useful to selectively block granule cell axon (mossy fiber) sprouting to test its functional role in temporal lobe epileptogenesis. Targeting axonal growth cones may be an effective strategy to block mossy fiber sprouting. L-type calcium channels and calcineurin, a calcium-activated phosphatase, are critical for normal growth cone function. Previous studies have provided encouraging evidence that blocking L-type calcium channels or inhibiting calcineurin during epileptogenic treatments suppresses mossy fiber sprouting. Methods: Rats were treated systemically with pilocarpine to induce status epilepticus, which lasted at least 2 h. Then, osmotic pumps and cannulae were implanted to infuse calcineurin inhibitors (FK506 or cyclosporin A) or an L-type calcium channel blocker (nicardipine) into the dorsal dentate gyrus. After 28 days of continuous infusion, extent of mossy fiber sprouting was evaluated with Timm staining and stereological methods. Results: Percentages of volumes of the granule cell layer plus molecular layer that were Timm-positive were similar in infused and noninfused hippocampi. Conclusions: These findings suggest inhibiting calcineurin or L-type calcium channels does not block mossy fiber sprouting in the pilocarpine-treated rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy.
Energies of isoelectronic atomic ions from a successful metageneralized gradient approximation and other density functionals

We show that the poor performance of approximate Kohn-Sham (KS) density functional theory for highly charged atomic ions is improved dramatically by ensuring that (i) the exchange functional recovers the correct leading term in the $Z$ expansion of the exchange energy ($Z$ is the nuclear charge) and (ii) the correlation functional is bounded under uniform scaling of the density to the high-density limit---i.e., ${\mathrm{lim}}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}}{E}_{\mathrm{c}}^{\mathrm{KS}}[{n}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}]g\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\infty}$, where ${n}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}(\mathbf{r})={\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{3}n(\ensuremath{\lambda}\mathbf{r})$. The performance of several density functionals (BLYP, BP86, VS98, HCTH/407, PBE, PKZB, and TPSS) is compared for the 4-, 10-, and 18-electron atomic series spanning values of $Z$ from 4 to 28. Especially accurate results are obtained with the nonempirical metageneralized gradient approximation of Tao, Perdew, Staroverov, and Scuseria (TPSS). High-$Z$ limits of selected exchange and correlation functionals are evaluated and compared with the exact values.
Heat damage in tree seedlings and its prevention

Tree seedlings start to suffer stem damage or tissue death when the temperature at the soil surface reaches approximately 52°C. Seedling mortality rate accelerates as temperatures increase. Resistance to heat damage increases with size as the ability of a seedling to shade its base increase. Small newly germinated seedlings are at risk in late spring and early summer, while larger nursery-grown seedlings are at risk in mid to late summer, especially on soils with low heat capacity or conductivity, or with surfaces that are dry, dark colored or covered with organic matter. Heat damage to natural and planted seedlings usually occurs on flat or south-facing sites in regions with hot dry summers and clear skies, but can also occur in wetter regions under dry clear conditions. Shading only the basal portion of the stem appears to be as effective in preventing heat damage as shadingthe entire stem and some foliage, which can also reduce transpiration. Overhead shade and shade from live plants can reduce growth and survival.