cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS IN 1100 GLUCOSE TOLERANCE ESTIMATIONS

I have attempted to analyze 1100 glucose tolerance estimations from the routine examinations at the Clinic during the past eight years. In order to get the information which this study offers into a brief concrete form so that one may have a general survey of the entire field, I have naturally had to sacrifice many interesting details and to group the individual curves into the series of twenty-three subdivisions which are given in Table I. In this study I have devoted much time to the clinical investigation and interpretation of glycosuria, and therefore have studied this part of the general problem from the angles listed in Table I under the first five divisions. All the glucose tolerance curves were classified in the first place according to the patient’s affections as given in Table I in the first column.
Biological activity of monoclonal antibodies to operationally defined antigenic regions on the hemagglutinin molecule of A/Seal/Massachusetts/1 /80 (H7N7) influenza virus

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies to the hemagglutinin (HA) molecule of A/Seal/Mass/1/80 (H7N7) have been prepared and used to establish an operational antigenic map. Four nonoverlapping antigenic areas on the HA of seal influenza viruses were defined. Monoclonal antibodies belonging to two of the groups (III and IV) failed to inhibit hemagglutination of intact virus yet effectively neutralized viral infectivity. These findings could not be explained by differences in affinities and were interpreted in terms of functional differences between the assays. Antibodies that failed to inhibit hemagglutination may bind nearer to the hydrophobic end of the HA molecule and might not block the receptor binding site for erythrocytes. Antibodies to these areas may inhibit infectivity by interference with cell fusion or viral replication. The monoclonal antibodies that failed to inhibit hemagglutination of intact virus nevertheless did inhibit HA activity of purified isolated rosettes of hemagglutinin. The mechanism of inhibition is not resolved but may involve the access of a larger number of antibody molecules to the HA when it is in the form of rosettes compared to when it is located on the viral membrane. The reactivity of seal influenza virus and other H7 viruses from birds with the monoclonal antibodies show that some avian strains possess HA molecules that are closely related to those of seal virus and may therefore be related to viruses that were important in the evolution of this strain. Since HI tests do not necessarily detect all antibodies that neutralize viral infectivity, the question is raised as to whether HI assays alone can be used for determining the efficacy of all influenza virus vaccines.
Systems aids in determining Local Area Network performance characteristics

At Bethesda, Maryland, the National Library of Medicine has a large array of heterogenous data processing equipment dispersed over ten floors in the Lister Hill Center and four floors in the Library Building.The National Library of Medicine decided to implement a more flexible, expansible access medium (Local Area Network (LAN) to handle the rapid growth in the number of local and remote users and the changing requirements. This is a dual coaxial cable communications system designed using cable television (CATV) technology. One cable, the outbound cable, transfers information between the headend and the user locations. The other cable, the inbound cable, transfers information from the user locations to the headend. This system will permit the distribution of visual and digital information on a single medium.On-line devices, computers, and a technical control system network control center are attached to the LAN through BUS Interface Units (BIUs). The technical control system will collect statistical and status information concerning the traffic, BIUs, and system components. The BIUs will, at fixed intervals, transmit status information to the technical control. The Network Control Centers (NCC) will provide network directory information for users of the system, descriptions of the services available, etc. A X.25 gateway BIU will interface the LAN to the public networks (Telenet and Tymnet) and to X.25 host computer systems.
Electrical conduction investigation of stainless steel wire‐reinforced cotton fabric composites by electrospraying of fluoropolymer

This study investigates the effect of the incorporation of stainless steel (SS) wires into cotton fabrics on the conductivity of the fabric in order to ease the electrospraying of an emulsified fluoropolymer resin. The statistical analysis showed that the increase in the conductivity of the fabric surface significantly lowered the deposition time of the fluoropolymer resin onto the fabric surface; however, the electrical voltage applied during electrospraying and the flow rate of the emulsion in the electric field had a greater effect on the deposition time of the process than the conductivity of the fabric.
Glutamatergic connections of the auditory midbrain: selective uptake and axonal transport of D-[3H]aspartate.

D-[3H]aspartate was used to identify potential glutamatergic connections of the chinchilla inferior colliculus (IC). High-affinity uptake of D-[3H]aspartate is considered a selective marker for glutamatergic synapses, and neurons retrogradely labeled from such injections are believed to use glutamate, or a closely related compound, as a transmitter. Injections of D-[3H]aspartate suggest that glutamatergic endings in the IC arise primarily from intrinsic connections, the opposite IC, layer 5 of temporal cortex, nucleus sagulum, and lateral lemniscal nuclei. Neurons giving rise to the principal sensory (lemniscal) projections to the IC, i.e., those from the cochlear nuclei, superior olive, and the majority of projections from the lateral lemniscal nuclei, did not label in these experiments, indicating that their synapses do not recognize D-[3H]aspartate as a suitable substrate and may use inhibitory or other excitatory transmitters. After IC injections, fiber and diffuse labeling was found ipsilaterally in the medial geniculate body, superior colliculus, and dorsolateral pontine nuclei, contralaterally in the IC, and bilaterally in the superior olive and cochlear nuclei. Such labeling was attributed to anterograde transport of D-[3H]aspartate within the efferent collaterals of labeled IC neurons, suggesting that many of the IC's efferent projections may also be glutamatergic. This interpretation was confirmed in separate experiments in which D-[3H]aspartate, injected in the medial geniculate body, retrogradely labeled neurons in the IC as well as in layer 6 of temporal cortex. Finally, the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus and tract labeled in some cases and may have local glutamatergic connections. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Solitary waves in magma dynamics

We investigate the stability of the one-dimensional solitary waves solutions of the equations proposed by McKenzie to model the ascent of melts in the Earth interior. We show that for small porosity and two-dimensional horizontal disturbances with long wavelength, these solitary waves are unstable. We also exhibit two- and three-dimensional solitary-wave solutions of the McKenzie equations.
Ab initio modeling of metallic Pd80Si20 glass

Abstract A realistic amorphous Pd 80 Si 20 model is generated by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and its local structure is analyzed using various techniques. The model successfully reproduces the experimental pair distribution function and has an average coordination number of 12.10. The mean coordination number of Pd and Si atoms are 12.95 and 8.70, respectively. Si-centered atoms form principally two types of polyhedras; the tri-capped trigonal prism, ∼63%, and the standard square dodecahedron, 25%, whereas Pd-centered atoms present more complex packing with a coordination number ranging from 11 to 15. Common neighbor analysis suggests that icosahedral-, hexagonal-, and fcc defect-like bonding environments are the leading building units in Pd 80 Si 20 .
Neurodevelopmental Implications of Congenital Heart Disease

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the causes of central nervous system injury for infants who have congenital heart disease. 2. List genetic causes of congenital heart disease associated with developmental delay. 3. Identify potential intraoperative mechanisms for neurologic injury for infants who have congenital heart disease. 4. Identify risk factors for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes for infants who have congenital heart disease. 5. Describe which long-term developmental deficits are common among children who have congenital heart disease. Among the more than 40,000 infants born with congenital heart disease (CHD) annually in the United States, one third require surgery during the first year after birth. (1) As advances in prenatal diagnosis, perioperative management, and surgical techniques have contributed to reduce rates of mortality, attention has shifted toward the neurodevelopmental morbidity among the growing cohort of survivors. Supportive surgical techniques, including cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic cardiac arrest (DHCA), have been a focus of outcome investigation, but mounting evidence suggests that multiple risk factors contribute significantly toward neurodevelopmental impairment. Long-term deficits in domains of cognition, attention, and neuromotor functioning among patients likely reflect the cumulative impact of features present before, during, and after surgical intervention. ### Genetic Implications Genetic abnormalities and syndromes are present in many infants who have CHD and may be associated with neurodevelopmental delay (Table 1). Trisomy 21 affects 1 in 660 newborns; 40% of affected infants have CHD. Neurodevelopmental deficits, including hypotonia and mental retardation, are common among all patients who have trisomy 21. (5)(6) Among infants who have conotruncal defects, 18% have been found to have a microdeletion on chromosome 22. (17) Evaluation of children who have the 22q11 deletion, present in most infants who have velocardiofacial and DiGeorge syndromes, has revealed a unique profile of cognitive deficits. Impairments in visuospatial memory, attention, and language are common, and …
The real predictors of disposition in patients with spinal cord injuries.

Objectives: A primary goal of health care providers for managing patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) is to discharge them to a rehabilitation facility (RF) to allow for maximal functional recovery. This study was undertaken to analyze hospital mortality and disposition of patients with SCI with a specific focus on evaluating the effect of payor source on discharge to a RF. Our hypothesis was that commercial insurance (CI) would be the greatest influence of hospital disposition. Methods: All patients under 60 years of age with SCI over a 7-year period were identified from the trauma registry; and grouped according to payor source: No insurance (NI), Government insurance (GI), No Commercial insurance (NCI) (NCI = NI + GI), and CI. Results: A total of 492 patients with SCI were identified with a mean age of 33, an ISS of 29, and a hospital mortality of 7.7%. Independent predictors of mortality were cervical SCI and blood transfusions. Patients who were discharged to a RF had higher ISS and %CI with lower functional independent measurement scores compared with patients who were not discharged to a RF. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the predictors of disposition to a RF were CI (p < 0.001) and ISS (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The presence of CI was an independent predictor of disposition to a RF for patients with SCI. Lack of commercial insurance clearly compromises recovery and rehabilitation of patients with SCI and predicts outcome more clearly than any other parameter. Additional funding for patients without CI is necessary to afford all with an equal opportunity for maximal functional recovery.
Analysis and comparison of financial analysts', time series, and combined forecasts of annual earnings

Abstract This paper examines the effects of disagreement in financial analysts' earnings forecasts on the accuracy of analysts', time series, and combined forecast made at four forecast horizons. The empirical analysis indicates that, while analysts do better than any of the three time series models studied, simple combinations of analysts' and time series forecast are superior to forecast from either source at every horizon. The accuracy of individual and combined forecasts is inversely related to the dispersion of analysts' forecast, and the improvements from combination is greatest when analysts' forecast dispersion is greatest and the forecast horizon longest.
Stimulation of Protein Phosphatase-1 Activity by Insulin in Rat Adipocytes EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE PATHWAY

In this study, we examined the distribution of protein serine/threonine phosphatase-1 (PP-1) and analyzed the effect of insulin on PP-1 and its mechanism of activation in freshly isolated rat adipocytes. The adipocyte particulate fraction (PF) constituted ≈80% of cellular PP-1 activity, while PP-2A was entirely cytosolic. Insulin rapidly stimulated PF PP-1 in a time- and dose-dependent manner (maximum stimulation at 5 min with 4 nM insulin). Immunoprecipitation of PF with an antibody against the site-1 sequence of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen-associated PP-1 (PP-1G) subunit indicated that ≈40% of adipocyte PP-1 activity was due to PP-1G form of the enzyme. Insulin stimulated PP-1G (120% over basal levels) without affecting the other forms of PP-1 in the PF. Insulin activation of PP-1 was accompanied by >2-fold increase in the phosphorylation state of the 160-kDa regulatory subunit of PP-1. Stimulation of p21 Ras /mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAP) with GTP analogues also resulted in stimulation of PP-1 similar to insulin. The insulin effect on MAP kinase and PP-1 activation was blocked by a GTP antagonist, guanyl-5′-yl thiophosphate. The inhibitors of MAP kinase activation (viz. cAMP agonists, SpcAMP and ML-9) also blocked PP-1 stimulation by insulin. The time course of MAP kinase activation preceded the phosphorylation of PP-1 regulatory subunit and PP-1 activation. We conclude that insulin rapidly activates a membrane-associated PP-1 in adipocytes, which may be similar to rabbit skeletal muscle PP-1G, and the activation is mediated by p21 Ras /MAP kinase pathway.
Two-stage study designs for analyzing disease-associated covariates: linkage thresholds and case-selection strategies.

The incorporation of disease-associated covariates into studies aiming to identify susceptibility genes for complex human traits is a challenging problem. Accounting for such covariates in genetic linkage and association analyses may help reduce the genetic heterogeneity inherent in these complex phenotypes. For Genetic Analysis Workshop 15 (GAW15) Problem 3 simulated data, our goal was to compare the power of several two-stage study designs to identify rheumatoid arthritis-related genes on chromosome 9 (disease severity), 11 (IgM), and 18 (anti-cyclic citrinullated protein), with knowledge of the answers. Five study designs incorporating an initial linkage step, followed by a case-selection scheme and case-control association analysis by logistic regression, were considered. The linkage step was either qualitative-trait linkage analysis as implemented in MERLIN-nonparametric linkage (NPL), or quantitative-trait locus analysis as implemented in MERLIN-REGRESS. A set of cases representing either one case from each available family, one case per linked family (NPL ≥ 0), or one case from each family identified by ordered-subset analysis was chosen for comparison with the full set of 2000 simulated controls. As expected, the performance of these study designs depended on the disease model used to generate the data, especially the simulated allele frequency difference between cases and controls. The quantitative trait loci analysis performed well in identifying these loci, and the power to identify disease-associated alleles was increased by using ordered-subset analysis as a case selection tool.
Coplanar-Waveguide Directional Couplers

Design information for coplanar-waveguide directional couplers has been calculated using quasi-static zeroth-order approximations. Experimental results on a 10-dB directional coupler designed from these calculations have shown reasonably good agreement with predictions. The smaller difference in even- and odd-mode velocity in a coplanar-waveguide directional coupler leads to better directivity and better performance than a microstrip directional coupler.
Heat Loss Through the Glabrous Skin Surfaces of Heavily Insulated, Heat-Stressed Individuals

Insulation reduces heat exchange between a body and the environment. Glabrous (nonhairy) skin surfaces (palms of the hands, soles of the feet, face, and ears) constitute a small percentage of total body surface area but contain specialized vascular structures that facilitate heat loss. We have previously reported that cooling the glabrous skin surfaces is effective in alleviating heat stress and that the application of local subatmospheric pressure enhances the effect. In this paper, we compare the effects of cooling multiple glabrous skin surfaces with and without vacuum on thermal recovery in heavily insulated heat-stressed individuals. Esophageal temperatures (T(es)) and heart rates were monitored throughout the trials. Water loss was determined from pre- and post-trial nude weights. Treadmill exercise (5.6 km/h, 9-16% slope, and 25-45 min duration) in a hot environment (41.5 degrees C, 20-30% relative humidity) while wearing insulating pants and jackets was used to induce heat stress (T(es)>or=39 degrees C). For postexercise recovery, the subjects donned additional insulation (a balaclava, winter gloves, and impermeable boot covers) and rested in the hot environment for 60 min. Postexercise cooling treatments included control (no cooling) or the application of a 10 degrees C closed water circulating system to (a) the hand(s) with or without application of a local subatmospheric pressure, (b) the face, (c) the feet, or (d) multiple glabrous skin regions. Following exercise induction of heat stress in heavily insulated subjects, the rate of recovery of T(es) was 0.4+/-0.2 degrees C/h(n=12), but with application of cooling to one hand, the rate was 0.8+/-0.3 degrees C/h(n=12), and with one hand cooling with subatmospheric pressure, the rate was 1.0+/-0.2 degrees C/h(n=12). Cooling alone yielded two responses, one resembling that of cooling with subatmospheric pressure (n=8) and one resembling that of no cooling (n=4). The effect of treating multiple surfaces was additive (no cooling, DeltaT(es)=-0.4+/-0.2 degrees C; one hand, -0.9+/-0.3 degrees C; face, -1.0+/-0.3 degrees C; two hands, -1.3+/-0.1 degrees C; two feet, -1.3+/-0.3 degrees C; and face, feet, and hands, -1.6+/-0.2 degrees C). Cooling treatments had a similar effect on water loss and final resting heart rate. In heat-stressed resting subjects, cooling the glabrous skin regions was effective in lowering T(es). Under this protocol, the application of local subatmospheric pressure did not significantly increase heat transfer per se but, presumably, increased the likelihood of an effect.
Aging With My Clients

As the therapist and client age together during the course of psychotherapy, an array of new opportunities arise for deep psychological work. Long-term relational, intersubjective, and feminist therapy throughout the adult life cycle facilitates and encourages exploration of the scope and intensity of human experience: attachments and fear of abandonment, grief and loss, illness and disability, spiritual connection or its absence, and the aging process itself in all its dimensions. The author explores with six of her clients their impressions of self, of the therapist, and of the therapy relationship. Case material illustrates their experiences with one another as therapist and client in therapies that have continued from 18 to 28 years. The mutual trust and the clients' feelings of safety and containment in the context of the therapy relationship are reflected in their words. The author expresses deep gratitude for this precious trust.
Randomized controlled trial of a prenatal and postnatal lactation consultant intervention on infant health care use.

Objective To determine whether infants of women randomized to a prenatal and postpartum lactation support intervention incur fewer otitis media–, respiratory tract–, or gastrointestinal-related visits than controls. Design Randomized, unmasked controlled trial recruiting women from prenatal care settings. Breastfeeding sensitive (BFS) illness visits for otitis media or respiratory tract or gastrointestinal complaints were obtained up to 12 months. Setting Two urban community health centers. Participants Analytic sample of 338 low-income, primarily Hispanic and/or black mother-infant dyads (n = 163 for the intervention group and n = 175 for the control group). Intervention Study lactation consultants attempted 2 prenatal meetings, 1 postpartum hospital and/or home visit, and telephone calls as needed. Controls received the standard of care. Main Outcome Measures Combined outpatient and emergency department visits with illness and BFS illness diagnoses. Results There was a significant interaction between treatment and Medicaid; among those not receiving Medicaid, the number of otitis media visits was higher among controls (P≤.03). Visits for any illness and BFS, gastrointestinal, or respiratory tract illnesses did not differ by treatment group. Intervention group infants received more breast milk than controls, but exclusive breastfeeding rates remained low and did not differ between groups at any point. Conclusions Only the number of otitis media visits was reduced, in a subset of the intervention group. The intervention did not reduce visits for respiratory tract or gastrointestinal illness. Limited intervention contact and low exclusive breastfeeding rates may have attenuated intervention effects. Future interventions designed to yield markedly increased breastfeeding rates may show greater effects in low-income multiethnic samples. Health coverage for visits may moderate intervention effects.
Colorimetric polarization sensing with single plasmonic gold nanorods

The color of scattered light from longitudinal and transverse surface plasmon resonances of individual gold nanorods is used to detect the polarization direction of incident light at the nanoscale. The relative strength of the scattered intensities of the two resonances reflects the relative orientation between the polarization of incident light and the nanorod. The resultant colored spectrum is used as a metric for polarization sensing in a darkfield geometry. This technique is demonstrated in the visible to near infrared region by varying the aspect ratio of the nanorods between 2 and 5 with diameters less than 20 nm. The ability to determine the polarization of light visually at the nanoscale provides an important tool in material science and molecular biology for probing anisotropic material properties at the nanoscale using single nanorods. In contrast to photothermal imaging where laser induced deformation of nanoparticles occur, this bimodal darkfield scattering is non-destructive and internally calibrated. The tunability of the plasmonic bands by varying the aspect ratio is beneficial for the usage of this method over a broad spectral range.
Prolonged atrial flutter in myotonic dystrophy.

Abstract A case of myotonic dystrophy in a 47 year old white woman is described. Electrocardiographic abnormalities preceded clinical skeletal muscle involvement by 12 years. Electrocardiographic abnormalities included atrial flutter persisting over a three year period with return to sinus mechanism, incomplete atrioventricular block and a variable intraventricular conduction defect.
A general approach for sample size and statistical power calculations assessing the effects of interventions using a mixture model in the presence of detection limits

A zero-inflated log-normal mixture model (which assumes that the data has a probability mass at zero and a continuous response for values greater than zero) with left censoring due to assay measurements falling below detection limits has been applied to compare treatment groups in randomized clinical trials and observational cohort studies. The sample size calculation (for a given type I error rate and a desired statistical power) has not been studied for this type of data under the assumption of equal proportions of true zeros in the treatment and control groups. In this article, we derive the sample sizes based on the expected differences between the non-zero values of individuals in treatment and control groups. Methods for calculation of statistical power are also presented. When computing the sample sizes, caution is needed as some irregularities occur, namely that the location parameter is sometimes underestimated due to the mixture distribution and left censoring. In such cases, the aforementioned methods fail. We calculated the required sample size for a recent randomized chemoprevention trial estimating the effect of oltipraz on reducing aflatoxin. A Monte Carlo simulation study was also conducted to investigate the performance of the proposed methods. The simulation results illustrate that the proposed methods provide adequate sample size estimates. However, when the aforementioned irregularity occurs, our methods are restricted and further research is needed.
Liver glycogen and plasma insulin and glucagon levels in food- and water-deprived black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludo vicianus)

Abstract 1. 1. Liver glycogen levels and plasma levels of insulin and glucagon were measured in fed and in food- and water-deprived prairie dogs. 2. 2. Liver glycogen values decreased from 45.5 to 12.4mg/g (73%) after 21 days of food and water deprivation, while a 24-hr fast resulted in a liver glycogen value of 47.5 mg/g. 3. 3. Rat liver glycogen values decreased from 45.6 to 2.3 mg/g (95%) after a 24-hr fast. 4. 4. Prairie dog plasma insulin values were 69.2, 15.8 and 25.4 μU/ml in fed, and in 24-hr and 32-day food- and water-deprived animals, respectively. 5. 5. Prairie dog plasma glucagon levels were 57.0 and 38.4 μU/ml in fed and in 32-day food- and water-deprived animals. 6. 6. Plasma values for glucose, urea nitrogen, acetone and triglyceride agreed with previously published results. 7. 7. We conclude that it is possible that the maintenance of liver glycogen levels in food- and water-deprived prairie dogs may be correlated with a smaller decrease in plasma insulin levels, relative to other species, and with a decrease in plasma glucagon levels.
Estimating historical range and variation of landscape patch dynamics: limitations of the simulation approach

Abstract Landscape patterns in the northwestern United States are mostly shaped by the interaction of fire and succession, and conversely, vegetation patterns influence fire dynamics and plant colonization processes. Historical landscape pattern dynamics can be used by resource managers to assess current landscape conditions and develop target spatial characteristics for management activities. The historical range and variability (HRV) of landscape pattern can be quantified from simulated chronosequences of landscape vegetation maps and can be used to (1) describe temporal variation in patch statistics, (2) develop limits of acceptable change, and (3) design landscape treatment guidelines for ecosystem management. Although this simulation approach has many advantages, the limitations of this method have not been explored in detail. To demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, we performed several simulation experiments using the spatially explicit, multiple pathway model a LANDscape Succession Model (LANDSUM) to quantify the range and variability in six class and landscape pattern metrics for four landscapes in the northwestern United States. First, we applied the model to spatially nested landscapes to evaluate the effect of landscape size on the HRV pattern metrics. Next, we averaged the HRV pattern metrics across maps generated from simulation time spans of 100, 500, and 1000 years and intervals 5, 10, 25 and 50 years to assess optimal output generation parameters. We then altered the elevation data layer to evaluate effect of topography on pattern metrics, and cut various shapes (circle, rectangle, square) from a landscape to examine landscape shape and orientation influences. Then, we altered the input vegetation maps to assess the influence of initial conditions on landscape metrics output. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of input fire probabilities and transition times was performed. Results indicate landscapes should be quite large to realistically simulation fire pattern. Landscape shape, and orientation are critically important to quantifying patch metrics. Simulation output need only be stored every 20–50 years but landscapes should be simulated for long time periods (≥1000 years). All landscapes are unique so conclusions generated here may not be entirely applicable to all western US landscapes.
Cubature formulae for spheres, simplices and balls

We obtain in explicit form the unique Gaussian cubature for balls (spheres) in Rn based on integrals over balls (spheres), centered at the origin, that integrates exactly all m-harmonic functions. In particular, this formula is exact for all polynomials in n variables of degree 2m - 1. A Gaussian cubature for simplices is also constructed. Upper bounds for the errors for certain smoothness classes are derived.
COMPLETE ANDROGEN BLOCKADE FOR PROSTATE CANCER: WHAT WENT WRONG?

Purpose: We summarized and critically assessed all available data from phase III clinical trials on complete androgen blockade versus surgical or medical castration alone.Materials and Methods: Published results in journals and abstracts of phase III trials, and published meta-analyses were reviewed. We also reviewed quality of life and toxicity issues associated with the addition of antiandrogens to medical or surgical castration. Finally, we discuss the original rationale for complete androgen blockade in the context of current knowledge.Results: A total of 27 clinical trials using various combinations of androgen deprivation were identified, of which 3 showed a statistically significant benefit for the complete androgen blockade arm. There were 5 publications of meta-analyses that each used different selection criteria for the inclusion of studies in the final analysis. Toxicity and quality of life have not been widely investigated in prospective fashion but the available data suggest a higher toxicity...
History and Mobility Exam Index to Identify Community-Dwelling Elderly Persons at Risk of Falling

Background Falls are common in community-dwelling elderly persons and are a frequent source of morbidity. Simple indices to prospectively stratify people into categories at different fall-risk would be useful to health care practitioners. Our goal was to develop a fall-risk index that discriminated between people at high and low risk of falling. Methods We evaluated the risk of falling over a one-year period in 557 elderly persons (mean age 81.6) living in a retirement community. On the baseline interview, we asked subjects if they had fallen in the previous year and evaluated risk factors in six additional conceptual categories. On the follow-up interview one year later, we again asked subjects if they had fallen in the prior year. We evaluated risk factors in the different conceptual categories and used logistic regression to determine the independent predictors of falling over a one-year period. We used these independent predictors to create a fall-risk index. We compared the ability of a prior falls history with other risk factors and with the combination of a falls history and other risk factors to discriminate fallers from nonfallers. Results A fall in the previous year (OR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.49-3.93), a symptom of either balance difficulty or dizziness (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.16-2.89), or an abnormal mobility exam (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.64-4.26) were independent predictors of falling over the subsequent year. These three risk factors together (c statistic =.71) discriminated fallers from nonfallers better than previous history of falls alone (c statistic =.61) or the symptomatic and exam risk factors alone (c statistic =.68). When combined into a risk index, the three independent risk factors stratify people into groups whose risk for falling over the subsequent year ranges from 10% to 51%. Conclusion A history of falling over the prior year, a risk factor that can be obtained from a clinical history (balance difficulty or dizziness), and a risk factor that can be obtained from a physical exam (mobility difficulty) stratify people into groups at low and high risk of falling over the subsequent year. This risk index may provide a simple method of assessing fall risk in community-dwelling elderly persons. However, it requires validation in other subjects before it can be recommended for widespread use.
How many endangered species are there in the United States

Only about 15% of the known species in the United States have been studied in sufficient detail to determine whether or not they are imperiled. Any estimate of the total number of imperiled species in this country must therefore rely on extrapolations from this small number of comparatively well-studied species to a much larger number of poorly studied ones. We review the best available data on the status of plants, animals, and fungi in the US and conclude that the actual number of known species threatened with extinction is at least ten times greater than the number protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The key to developing a more accurate picture of the extent of species endangerment is to obtain more data on the following groups (in decreasing order of priority): (1) invertebrate animals; (2) fungi; and (3) marine organisms. However, given the slow pace at which species are being protected under the ESA, and the rapid rate at which natural areas are being destroyed, a more urgent task is ...
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: The Mayo Clinic Experience

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence and pathogenetic mechanisms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed the medical records of patients with POTS seen at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 2003. All patients were required to have had a full autonomic reflex screen. The results of the following additional tests were evaluated: thermoregulatory sweat test, plasma catecholamine measurement, serum ganglionic (α3) acetylcholine receptor antibody detection, and 24-hour urinary sodium measurement. RESULTS We identified 152 patients (86.8% female; mean ± SD age, 30.2±10.3 years) with a mean duration of symptoms of 4.1 years. The mean orthostatic heart rate increment was 44 beats/min. Half the patients had sudomotor abnormalities (apparent on both the quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test and thermoregulatory sweat test), and 34.9% had significant adrenergic impairment, indicating that at least half of the patients had a neuropathic pattern of POTS. In 13.8% of patients, onset was subacute, and ganglionic acetylcholine receptor antibody was detected in 14.6%, suggesting an autoimmune origin in at least 1 in 7 patients. Hyperadrenergic status was documented in 29.0% of patients (standing plasma norepinephrine level ≥600 pg/mL), and at least 28.9% were presumably hypovolemic (24-hour urinary sodium level CONCLUSION Our findings suggest a neuropathic basis for at least half the cases of POTS and that a substantial percentage of cases may be autoimmune. Hyperadrenergic and hypovolemic correlates are likely compensatory or exacerbating.
Design Considerations and Benefits of Three-Dimensional Ternary Content Addressable Memory

Three dimensional (3D) ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) has been designed in a 0.18 mum fully depleted silicon on insulator (FD SOI) 3D IC process. This paper demonstrates that a 3D TCAM with three tiers can achieve 40% matchline capacitance reduction and 21% power reduction compared to a TCAM in a conventional single-tier process. This paper also discusses design considerations of 3D TCAM including partitioning methods for multiple tiers and layout methods of interconnects.
A generalization of Mikhailov's criterion with applications

Mikhailov's criterion states that the hodograph /spl delta/(j/spl omega/) of a real, n/sup th/ degree, Hurwitz stable polynomial /spl delta/(s) turns strictly counterclockwise and goes through n quadrants as /spl omega/ runs from 0 to +/spl infin/. In this paper we first give an analytical version of this criterion and then extend this analytical condition to the case of not necessarily Hurwitz polynomials. This generalization is shown to "linearize" some control synthesis problems in the sense that the set of stabilizing controllers is obtained as the solution set of a number of linear equations.
Teachers' Emotion Regulation and Classroom Management

This article describes a series of studies on teachers' attempts to modify the intensity and duration of their emotions, and how their emotions are expressed in the classroom. Among the important findings is that teachers practice emotion regulation because they believe it makes them more effective in management, discipline, and their relationships with students. Further, teachers are much more confident that they can communicate their positive emotions than reduce their negative emotions, and they use a variety of emotion regulation strategies, including preventive and reactive methods. These results stand in contrast to the fact that most pre-service programs give little emphasis to relationships among teachers' emotions, classroom management, and teaching practice.
Food intake and growth of hybrid carp (female grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella× male bighead, Aristichthys (Hypophthalmichthys) nobilis) fed on zooplankton and Chara

Hybrid carp were raised in 1651 indoor tanks. Two tanks were used in this study each stocked with five fish (average total length and weight = 235.7 mm; 116.1 g); one tank was provided with zooplankton and the other with zooplankton and Chara sp. The hybrids fed actively on zooplankton at an average daily rate of 39% and Chara at 2.6% by body weight. Growth was estimated as 0.36% (0.43 g) per day. The hybrids on the two food types showed no significant differences either in plankton consumption or growth rate.
Knowledge, tasks and strategies for teaching about persons with disabilities: Implications for social work education

Abstract Persons with disabilities are a distinct and insular minority group within the United States. Given the fact that social workers offer critical social services to this group, it is important for social work programs to offer meaningful curriculum content on persons with disabilities. This article presents key issues that social work educators should find useful for teaching about persons with disabilities. Specifically, a discussion is offered on the disability civil rights movement, the culture of disability, models for defining disability, knowledge areas on disability issues, teaching tasks and strategies for focusing on persons with disabilities.
Electron-impact double ionization of magnesium

Theory and experiment are compared for the electron-impact double ionization of Mg. Direct ionization cross sections, involving the simultaneous ionization of both 3s electrons, are calculated using a non-perturbative time-dependent close-coupling method. Indirect ionization cross sections, involving the ionization of either a 2p or 2s electron followed by autoionization, are calculated using a perturbative time-independent distorted-wave method. At low energies the direct ionization cross sections are found to be in good agreement with experiments, while at the higher energies the indirect ionization cross sections are also found to be in good agreement with experiments.
INSTABILITY OF PARALLEL THERMAL CRACKS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR HOT-DRY ROCK GEOTHERMAL ENERGY.

Review of recent work on instabilities of crack systems and applications to the hot-dry rock geothermal energy scheme is presented. The basic variational formulation of the crack stability problem is outlined and the critical states of a system of parallel equidistant cooling cracks propagating into a halfspace are explained and analyzed. The solution, which shows that at a certain critical crack length-to-spacing ratio every other crack suddenly jumps ahead at constant temperature while the remaining cracks stop growing and subsequently close, determines the crack width and is of importance for heat withdrawal from hot rock by circulation of water in cooling cracks. Some typical numerical results obtained by finite elements are presented and the effect of the temperature drop profile on the critical crack length is discussed. Finally, some other applications, such as parallel cooling cracks or drying shrinkage cracks in reinforced solids, such as concrete, are pointed out.
Evaluation of the PASCO Strep Plus Broth Microdilution Antimicrobial Susceptibility Panels for Testing Streptococcus pneumoniae and Other Streptococcal Species

Antimicrobial resistance continues to increase worldwide among isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and other species of streptococci. Increasing rates of penicillin resistance, particularly in viridans group streptococci, and resistance to multiple classes of antimicrobial agents, including β-lactams, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones, in pneumococci have increased the importance of having accurate antimicrobial susceptibility testing results for guiding therapy. One commercial method of assessing resistance in streptococci is the PASCO Strep Plus panel. This broth microdilution-based method has recently been expanded to include a variety of newer antimicrobial agents. Therefore, we compared the results of the new PASCO Strep Plus panels for 26 antimicrobial agents against the results generated using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) broth microdilution reference method for 75 pneumococci and 68 other streptococcal isolates. Only 4 (0.2%) very major errors (all with pneumococci and each with a different antimicrobial agent) were observed. There were 5 (0.3%) major errors observed with pneumococci (each with a different antimicrobial agent), but only 1 major error with nonpneumococcal streptococci. All of the very major and major errors resolved on retesting. Of the 65 (3.9%) and 17 (1.6%) minor errors observed with pneumococci and other streptococci, respectively, all were within 1 dilution of the broth microdilution reference MIC result. Thus, the PASCO Strep Plus panel has comparable accuracy to the NCCLS broth microdilution reference method.
C-arm CT for histomorphometric evaluation of lumbar spine trabecular microarchitecture: a study on anorexia nervosa patients

Bone histomorphometry measurements require high spatial resolution that may not be feasible using multidetector CT (MDCT). This study evaluated the trabecular microarchitecture of lumbar spine using MDCT and C-arm CT in a series of young adult patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). 11 young females with AN underwent MDCT (anisotropic resolution with a slice thickness of ~626 μm) and C-arm CT (isotropic resolution of ~200 µm). Standard histomorphometric parameters the of L1 vertebral body, namely the apparent trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (TbTh), trabecular number (TbN) and trabecular separation (TbSp), were analysed using MicroView software (GE Healthcare, Piscataway, NJ). Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Trabecular parameters derived from MDCT and C-arm CT were compared, and their association with BMD parameters was evaluated. Histomorphometric parameters derived from C-arm CT, namely TbTh, TbN and TbSp, were significantly different from the corresponding MDCT parameters. There were no significant correlations between C-arm CT-derived parameters and the corresponding MDCT-derived parameters. C-arm CT-derived parameters were significantly (p<0.001) correlated with anteroposterior L1 spine BMD and Z-scores: TbTh (r=0.723, r=0.744, respectively), TbN (r=-0.720, r=-0.712, respectively) and TbSp (r=0.656, r=0.648, respectively). BV/TV, derived from C-arm CT, was significantly associated with body mass index (r=0.636) and ideal body weight (r=0.730) (p<0.05). These associations were not present in MDCT-derived parameters. This study suggests that the spatial resolution offered by C-arm CT more accurately captures the histomorphometric parameters of trabecular morphology than MDCT in patients with AN.
Unmitigated Agency and Unmitigated Communion: Distinctions from Agency and Communion ☆ ☆☆

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to establish the importance of distinguishing unmitigated agency and unmitigated communion from agency and communion. First, we examine the empirical overlap and distinctions among the four constructs. Then, we demonstrate the differential association of unmitigated agency, unmitigated communion, agency, and communion to relationship and health outcomes. We conclude that only unmitigated agency and unmitigated communion are associated with relationship difficulties and poor health. Finally, we distinguish between the difficulties of the unmitigated agency and the unmitigated communion individual by focusing on interpersonal problems.
Experiences of Transgender-Related Discrimination and Implications for Health: Results From the Virginia Transgender Health Initiative Study

Objectives. We examined relationships between social determinants of health and experiences of transgender-related discrimination reported by transgender people in Virginia.Methods. In 2005 through 2006, 387 self-identified transgender people completed a statewide health needs assessment; 350 who completed eligibility questions were included in this examination of factors associated with experiences of discrimination in health care, employment, or housing. We fit multivariate logistic regression models using generalized estimating equations to adjust for survey modality (online vs paper).Results. Of participants, 41% (n = 143) reported experiences of transgender-related discrimination. Factors associated with transgender-related discrimination were geographic context, gender (female-to male spectrum vs male-to-female spectrum), low socioeconomic status, being a racial/ethnic minority, not having health insurance, gender transition indicators (younger age at first transgender awareness), health care needed...
Reperfusion injury putting the genie back in the bottle

Genie : A supernatural creature which occupies a parallel world to that of mankind … Possessing free will, … can be either good or evil. —Wikipedia ([1][1]) In this issue of the Journal , Mewton et al. ([2][2]) describe a rare event: a negative study with potentially enormous impact. Their
Foreign Body Removal

The management of airway foreign bodies began with Gustav Killian and coincides with the birth of interventional bronchoscopy. Each year, thousands of patients, young and old, aspirate foreign bodies into their tracheobronchial tree. A high index of suspicion is required to provide an early diagnosis and rapid extraction of the object. The type of object and its material nature have significant impact on the inflammatory state that develops and the difficulties encountered in removal. The decision to use rigid or flexible bronchoscopy should be made based upon the individual circumstances including the type and location of the object and the risk of complications. There is an increasing array of instruments to assist in retrieval of airway foreign bodies. Adequate preparation and team training are essential. This chapter will review the epidemiology and risks for aspiration of foreign bodies and review the clinical approach and endobronchial instruments available to the endoscopist.
Clichés in Legal Writing

Cliches abound in legal writing, and this piece offers advice from the experts on avoiding them and occasionally perhaps even using them effectively.