cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Pooled Case-only Analysis of Reproductive Risk Factors and Breast Cancer Subtype Among Black Women in the Southeastern United States.

Background: We investigated the association between reproductive risk factors and breast cancer subtype in Black women. On the basis of the previous literature, we hypothesized that the relative prevalence of specific breast cancer subtypes might differ according to reproductive factors. Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of 2,188 (591 premenopausal, 1,597 postmenopausal) Black women with a primary diagnosis of breast cancer from four studies in the southeastern United States. Breast cancers were classified by clinical subtype. Case-only polytomous logistic regression models were used to estimate ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for HER2+ and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) status in relation to estrogen receptor–positive (ER+)/HER2− status (referent) for reproductive risk factors. Results: Relative to women who had ER+/HER2− tumors, women who were age 19–24 years at first birth (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.22–2.59) were more likely to have TNBC. Parous women were less likely to be diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer and more likely to be diagnosed with TNBC relative to ER+/HER2− breast cancer. Postmenopausal parous women who breastfed were less likely to have TNBC [OR, 0.65 (95% CI, 0.43–0.99)]. Conclusions: This large pooled study of Black women with breast cancer revealed etiologic heterogeneity among breast cancer subtypes. Impact: Black parous women who do not breastfeed are more likely to be diagnosed with TNBC, which has a worse prognosis, than with ER+/HER2− breast cancer.
Shattered thyroid gland from blunt neck trauma in a child: A case report

Thyroid gland rupture in a child secondary to blunt trauma is an extremely rare occurrence. The number of published cases of thyroid gland injuries in children is very limited in the research literature. A case report of shattered thyroid gland in a child is presented. This case highlights potential life-threatening complications and reviews management of thyroid gland injuries. Based on this case and other published pediatric case reports, conservative management may be a reasonable approach in thyroid gland injuries from blunt neck trauma in children.
Intertrochanteric fracture fixation in solid organ transplant patients: outcomes and survivorship.

Solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients have complex medical and surgical risk factors; however, the outcomes of these patients undergoing surgical fixation of hip fractures are unknown. This study sought to evaluate SOT patients’ outcomes and survivorship after intertrochanteric (IT) fracture fixation. A retrospective review identified 12 SOT patients who underwent cephalomedullary (CMN) nail fixation for IT fractures and were matched (1:2) to a cohort of 24 non-SOT IT fracture patients. Perioperative results and complications, mortality/patient survivorship, and clinical outcomes were compared between the cohorts. The time from presentation to surgical fixation was within 48 h of presentation for the non-SOT patients, while only 75% of SOT patients underwent surgery within 48 h of presentation (p = 0.034). The 90-day readmission rate for SOT patients was 25% versus 13% in the non-SOT group (p = 0.38). Similarly, the SOT cohort experienced a higher rate of major medical complication (25% vs. 13%, p = 0.38). There were two (16%) reoperations in the SOT group and three (13%) in the non-SOT matched group (p = 0.99). Respectively, the 90-day and 1-year estimated patient survivorship was similar between the two cohorts: SOT patients with 92% (95% CI 54–99%) and 73% (95% CI 24–93%) versus 86% (95% CI 62–95%) and 72% (95% CI 47–86%, HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.18–4.62, p = 0.92) in non-SOT patients. SOT patients who underwent CMN fixation for IT fractures required more time from hospital presentation to surgical management than non-SOT patients. Although not statistically significant, SOT patients demonstrated more acute complications and readmissions, but similar mortality compared to those without transplant.
Associations Between Testosterone, Estradiol, and Androgen Receptor Genotype With Amygdala Subregions in Adolescents

Abstract Much is known about the development of the whole amygdala, but less is known about its structurally and functionally diverse subregions. One notable distinguishing feature is their wide range of androgen and estrogen receptor densities. Given the rise in pubertal hormones during adolescence, sex steroid levels as well as receptor sensitivity could influence age-related subregion volumes. Therefore, our goal was to evaluate the associations between the total amygdala and its subregion volumes in relation to sex hormones – estradiol and free testosterone (FT) – as a function of age and genetic differences in androgen receptor (AR) sensitivity in a sample of 297 adolescents (46% female). In males, we found small effects of FT-by-age interactions in the total amygdala, portions of the basolateral complex, and the cortical and medial nuclei (CMN), with the CMN effects being moderated by AR sensitivity. For females, small effects were seen with increased genetic AR sensitivity relating to smaller basolateral complexes. However, none of these small effects passed multiple comparisons. Future larger studies are necessary to replicate these small, yet possibly meaningful effects of FT-by-age associations and modulation by AR sensitivity on amygdala development to ultimately determine if they contribute to known sex differences in emotional neurodevelopment.
COMBINING FEATURE KERNELS FOR SEMANTIC MUSIC RETRIEVAL

We apply a new machine learning tool, kernel combination, to the task of semantic music retrieval. We use 4 different types of acoustic content and social context feature sets to describe a large music corpus and derive 4 individual kernel matrices from these feature sets. Each kernel is used to train a support vector machine (SVM) classifier for each semantic tag (e.g., ‘aggressive’, ‘classic rock’, ‘distorted electric guitar’) in a large tag vocabulary. We examine the individual performance of each feature kernel and then show how to learn an optimal linear combination of these kernels using convex optimization. We find that the retrieval performance of the SVMs trained using the combined kernel is superior to SVMs trained using the best individual kernel for a large number of tags. In addition, the weights placed on individual kernels in the linear combination reflect the relative importance of each feature set when predicting a tag.
Continuous if-then statements are computable

In many practical situations, we must compute the value of an if-then expression f(x) defined as “if c(x) ≥ 0 then f + (x) else f −(x)”, where f + (x), f −(x), and c(x) are computable functions. The value f(x) cannot be computed directly, since in general, it is not possible to check whether a given real number c(x) is non-negative or non-positive. Similarly, it is not possible to compute the value f(x) if the if-then function is discontinuous, i.e., when f + (x 0) ≠ f −(x 0) for some x 0 for which c(x 0) = 0.
Likelihood Ratios for Processes

As seen in the preceding work on inference theory of processes, likelihood ratios play a prominent role, particularly for the testing problems. Consequently the major part of this chapter will be devoted to finding densities for probability measures induced by broad classes of stochastic processes. These include processes with independent increments, jump Markov, and those that are infinitely divisible. Also considered for this work are diffusion types of processes and some applications. All these start with (and suggested by) Gaussian processes and so we establish results including dichotomy theorems as well as likelihood ratios for them under several different sets of conditions, together with a few stationary cases. As a motivation for (and also an interest in) the subject we start with a treatment of the important problem of (admissible) means of processes within their function space representations (and these means can be regarded as deterministic signals). The analysis presented in this chapter involves some interesting mathematical ideas, and the reader should persevere with patience, since a rich collection of problems, applications, and new directions are suggested in this work. We include many illustrations in the text, and some further results in the final complements section, often with hints.
Effect on Young Swine of Consumption of Rations Containing Corn Invaded by Fusarium roseum

Both male and female pigs given a ration containing corn invaded by Fusarium roseum, in amounts sufficient to provide 500 to 600 ppm of F-2, for the first 64 days of the test and which for another 60 days were given a commercial pig ration were much lower in weight than the controls which were given a commercial pig ration throughout. In relation to the weight of the animals, in the pigs receiving the ration containing F-2, the weight of the uterine horn of the gilts was much greater and the weight of the testes of the males was much less than the weight of the same organs of the controls.
Tangled Causes of the Bomb's Creators

In the Shadow of the Bomb Oppenheimer, Bethe, and the Moral Responsibility of the Scientist. S. S. Schweber. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2000. 278 pp. $24.95, £15.95. ISBN 0-691-04989-0. Schweber, Bethe9s authorized biographer, approaches the theme of scientists9 moral responsibilities through a comparison of two prominent participants in the development of nuclear weapons. He considers the similarities and differences in their choices and in the consequences of their political involvements.
Parent-adolescent communication about premarital pregnancy.

Studies conducted in the 1970s and 1980s on the impact of parent-teen communication on adolescent sexual behavior and contraceptive use generally failed to reveal any significant association. Although 30-60% of adolescents report some communication about sexuality with at least one parent peers and printed material are identified as more valuable sources of information for decision making. No consistent relationship has been recorded between parental attitudes toward premarital sex (liberal or conservative) and their childs sexual behavior. The literature is limited however by serious gaps and methodological problems. Typically researchers ask teenagers if they have engaged in discussions about sex or birth control with their parents and then correlate the finding with a measure of sexual or contraceptive behavior. Few studies have attempted to identify the content of these discussions (e.g. a mechanistic presentation of facts about reproduction versus an interactive exchange on the pros and cons of premarital intercourse) or acknowledge the complexity of the communication process. Also neglected has been the impact of the family context (e.g. the degree of cohesion or the structure of power relations) on the way in which information is presented and absorbed. Also absent has been any effort to elucidate why a given source of information is perceived by the teenager as useful. Finally an emphasis on the teenagers perspective has led to a neglect of the impact of parental discomfort with discussions about sexuality and the identification of strategies to facilitate parent-child communication. Needed are multivariate research models that recognize the complex interplay among variables that shape premarital sexual behavior.
Barley β-Glucans Alter Intestinal Viscosity and Reduce Plasma Cholesterol Concentrations in Chicks

Ninety-six 14-d-old male broiler chicks were divided into three dietary groups and fed a corn-soybean meal diet, a barley diet with beta-glucanase and that diet without beta-glucanase. All diets contained 4 g cholesterol/kg. Average daily body weight gain, plasma total cholesterol concentration, LDL cholesterol concentration and digestibility of lipids and protein were lowest (P < 0.05) in the chicks fed the barley diet without beta-glucanase and highest (P < 0.05) in the chicks fed corn-soybean meal diet. Supplementation of the barley diet with beta-glucanase resulted in greater (P < 0.05) average daily weight gain, plasma total and LDL cholesterol concentrations and digestibility of lipids. Viscosity of small intestinal digesta was greatest in chicks fed barley, lowest in those fed the corn-soybean diet and intermediate in chicks fed enzyme-treated barley. Significant (P < 0.01) negative correlations occurred between viscosity of the small intestinal contents and average daily weight gain, plasma total and LDL cholesterol concentrations, and digestibility of lipids and protein. A lower concentration of insoluble beta-glucans in small intestinal digesta of the chicks fed barley supplemented with beta-glucanase compared with the chicks fed the unsupplemented barley diet reflects hydrolytic activity of the supplemental beta-glucanase in the diet.
Transnational tobacco companies and health in underdeveloped countries: Recommendations for avoiding a smoking epidemic

Abstract This paper examines the impact of transnational tobacco companies on health in underdeveloped countries and makes recommendations for avoiding a coming smoking epidemic. Although tobacco is generally seen as primarily a health problem, tobacco's future in the Third World depends upon a number of nonhealth related considerations, especially political and economic factors. Unfortunately, there is very little relationship between what the World Health Organization and others have recommended, and what most Third World countries are doing today. Although the controversy concerning cigarette smoking and health has only become a ‘burning issue’ in recent decades, tobacco products have been used around the world for hundreds of years. The public outcry against cigarette smoking has become increasingly widespread since the 1964 U.S. Surgeon General's report on smoking and health. The ill effects of cigarette smoking are now widely considered collectively as the number one preventable health problem in the world, responsible for an estimated 2.5 million deaths per year. In response to declining sales in developed countries, the tobacco transnational corporations have begun focusing their attention on Third World markets, where tobacco consumption has increased dramatically in recent years. Cigarettes not only take precious limited resources away from desperately needed basic human needs, but they also inflict future health problems on vast numbers of Third World people who have only a vague understanding of the risks involved in cigarette smoking. Until Third World governments address the long-term consequences of their short-term lust for cash, the probabilities of a smoking epidemic in the Third World grow increasingly likely. Given the capitalist world economy in which Third World countries are embedded, the possibilities for avoiding a smoking epidemic are all the more clouded.
Sepsis-associated neurologic dysfunction

Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for infants and children in the United States and is associated with peripheral and central nervous system dysfunction including encephalopathy and paresis. Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) may be underdiagnosed in children, but the exact incidence is not known because of variable criteria for its diagnosis, which require a high index of suspicion and exclusion of other confounding factors. Neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis are often normal. Electroencephalography may correlate with the severity of encephalopathy. Intensive care unit–acquired weakness due to critical illness neuropathy or myopathy develops later, and resolution of weakness is gradual. Difficulty weaning from the ventilator is an early sign. Electroencephalography may be helpful in identifying SAE once other causes of encephalopathy have been ruled out. However, the lack of consensus on the definition of SAE and sparse pediatric data limit the specific evidence-based recommendations, which can be made for the assessment and treatment of this disorder in the emergency department.
A field demonstration of variable density diffraction tomography

Geophysical diffraction tomography (GDT) was first suggested in 1984 as a quantitative method for high-resolution subsurface imaging. In this early form, the imaged quantity is the so called ”object function” which is linearly related to the square of the complex refractive index. More recently, two algorithms have been proposed for separately imaging the spatial variations of the more fundamental mechanical properties of density and compressibility based on the GDT approach, acoustic measurements, and the exploitation of multiple frequencies. It was concluded in these works that these algorithms would not be sufficiently robust for the inherently noisy field applications. The postulated problems result from the existence of the density gradient appearing in the governing equation. In this study, these variable density algorithms were applied to acoustic data acquired at a site known to contain the buried skeletal remains of a dinosaur. For one of the algorithms tested, images of object function and normalized density and compressibility of a buried bone were reconstructed that exhibited image sharpness consistent with the frequencies employed. In addition, the images of this bone, that was subsequently excavated, properly render its size and location and yielded qualitatively correct density and compressibility.
Classroom Writing Environments and Children’s Early Writing Skills: An Observational Study in Head Start Classrooms

This study examined the classroom writing environment in 31 Head Start classrooms, and explored the relations between the writing environment, children’s (N = 262) name-writing, and children’s letter knowledge using pathway analysis. Our analyses showed that Head Start classrooms provided opportunities (i.e., writing materials and teachers’ facilitation) for children to develop early writing skills, though many classrooms lacked writing props (e.g., letter and word cards) for guiding children’s writing attempts. Teacher-child writing interactions occurred at a low frequency. The writing environment had a direct association with children’s name-writing skill, and children’s name-writing skill was positively related to their letter knowledge. Further discussion of the findings and future directions for research are presented.
Simulation and analysis of information-center foraging

I present a mathematical model and simulation of information-center (IC) foraging (WARD & ZAHAVI, 1973). The results indicate that the most important condition for supporting an IC is time-limited foraging in patches supporting multiple individuals. Foraging rate is enhanced by information exchange even where the probability of finding food is otherwise relatively high (i.e. not, as generally assumed, exclusively where food is "unpredictable"). The effects of IC foraging are strongest for small populations (N < 20), though they increase marginally as the number of individuals increases. One can determine the critical patch-duration at which IC foraging becomes profitable and how individuals may optimally distribute search time between active scouting and vicarious search (through recruitment in the IC). As food becomes difficult to find, the optimal proportion of time an individual should scout on its own approaches roughly one-half.
Fiber-optic stethoscope: a cardiac monitoring and gating system for magnetic resonance microscopy.

A fundamental problem associated with using the conventional electrocardiograph (ECG) to monitor a subject’s cardiac activity during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the distortion of the ECG due to electromagnetic interference. This problem is particularly pronounced in MR microscopy (MRI of small animals at microscopic resolutions (< 0.03 mm 3 )) because the strong, rapidly-switching magnetic field gradients induce artifacts in the animal’s ECG that often mimic electrophysiologic activity, impairing the use of the ECG for cardiac monitoring and gating purposes. The fiber-optic stethoscope system offers a novel approach to measuring cardiac activity that, unlike the ECG, is immune to electromagnetic effects. The fiber-optic stethoscope is perorally inserted into the esophagus of small animals to optically detect pulsatile compression of the esophageal wall. The optical system is shown to provide a robust cardiac monitoring and gating signal in rats and mice during routine cardiac MR microscopy. Magn Reson Med 47: 314 –321, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Negative vacuum energy densities and the causal diamond measure

Arguably a major success of the landscape picture is the prediction of a small, nonzero vacuum energy density. The details of this prediction depend in part on how the diverging spacetime volume of the multiverse is regulated, a question that remains unresolved. One proposal, the causal diamond measure, has demonstrated many phenomenological successes, including predicting a distribution of positive vacuum energy densities in good agreement with observation. In the string landscape, however, the vacuum energy density is expected to take positive and negative values. We find the causal diamond measure gives a poor fit to observation in such a landscape - in particular, 99.6% of observers in galaxies seemingly just like ours measure a vacuum energy density smaller than we do, most of them measuring it to be negative.
Geography matters: relationships among urban residential segregation, dialysis facilities, and patient outcomes.

Race and geographic region appear to affect outcomes for patients receiving dialysis. The effect of neighborhood on dialysis outcomes is not known. Rodriguez and coworkers compared mortality rates ...
Scalable machine learning framework for behavior-based access control

Today's activities in cyber space are more connected than ever before, driven by the ability to dynamically interact and share information with a changing set of partners over a wide variety of networks. The success of approaches aimed at securing the infrastructure has changed the threat profile to point where the biggest threat to the US cyber infrastructure is posed by targeted cyber attacks. The Behavior-Based Access Control (BBAC) effort has been investigating means to increase resilience against these attacks. Using statistical machine learning, BBAC (a) analyzes behaviors of insiders pursuing targeted attacks and (b) assesses trustworthiness of information to support real-time decision making about information sharing. The scope of this paper is to describe the challenge of processing disparate cyber security information at scale, together with an architecture and work-in-progress prototype implementation for a cloud framework supporting a strategic combination of stream and batch processing.
Modeling of Skid-Steered Wheeled Robotic Vehicles on Sloped Terrains

Skid-steered robots are commonly used in outdoor applications due to their mechanical simplicity, high maneuverability, and robustness. The maneuverability of these robots allows them, under ideal conditions (e.g., flat terrain and powerful actuators), to perform turning maneuvers ranging from point turns to straight line motion. However, sloped terrain, terrain with high friction, or actuator torque and power limitations can limit the achievable turning radii. This work presents the analysis and experimental verification of a dynamic model for skid-steered autonomous ground vehicles equipped with non ideal (i.e., torque and power limited) actuators and moving on sloped terrains. The experimental results show that the model is able to predict motor torques for the full range of turning radii on flat ground, i.e., from point turns to straight line motion. In addition, it is shown that the proposed model is able to predict motor torques (including motor saturation) and minimum turn radius as a function of terrain slope, vehicle heading, terrain parameters and actuator characteristics. This makes the model usable for curvilinear motion planning tasks on sloped surfaces.© 2012 ASME
A GARCH Approach to Modelling Ocean Grain Freight Rates

Directed graphs and autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic error processes are used in the specification and estimation of an ocean grain rate equation. Results show voyage distance, ship size, contract terms, flag and season are important explainers of rates, as is ship tonnage contracted for haulage of selected other dry bulk commodities. Findings suggest the importance of efficient port infrastructure and its ability to accommodate the increasingly-large, more efficient bulk carrier in maintaining exporting countries' competitiveness in world grain markets.
Access architecture for a multiprotocol broadband backbone

We present a comprehensive architectural model of a modular communication infrastructure for providing interconnection between a wide variety of networks with like protocols across a common backbone network. Our concepts are demonstrated to be an appropriate framework for the provision of (a-)synchronous virtual channels, LAN interconnection, and standard internetworking, thus covering the most typical current connectivity requirements. The base architecture has been implemented, and first products are being offered with interfaces for Frame Relay, Fiber Channel Standard, ATM, voice and clear channel services.
Carbon sequestration potential estimates with changes in land use and tillage practice in Ohio, USA

Abstract Soil C sequestration through changes in land use and management is one of the important strategies to mitigate the global greenhouse effect. This study was conducted to estimate C sequestration potential of the top 20 cm depth of soil for two scenarios in Ohio, USA: (1) with reforestation of both current cropland and grassland where SOC pools are less than the baseline SOC pool under current forest; (2) with the adoption of NT on all current cropland. Based on Ohio Soil Survey Characterization Database and long-term experimental data of paired conservation tillage (CT) versus no-till (NT), we specified spatial variations of current SOC pools and C sequestration potentials associated with soil taxa within each major land resource area (MLRA). For scenario I, there would be 4.56 Mha of cropland having an average SOC sequestration capacity of 1.55 kg C m−2 and 0.80 Mha of grassland with that of 1.35 kg C m−2. Of all potential area, 73% are associated with Alfisols and 15% with Mollisols, but the achievable potential could vary significantly with individual MLRAs. Alternately, an average SOC sequestration rate of 62 g C m−2 year−1 was estimated with conversion from CT to NT for cultivated Alfisols, by which a cumulative increase of 71 Tg C resulted from reforestation of cropland could be realized in 25 years. Soils with lower antecedent C contents have higher C sequestration rates. In comparison with the results obtained at the state scale, the estimates of SOC sequestration potentials taxonomically associated with each specific MLRA may be more useful to the formulation of C credit trading programs.
The Ecological Patterns of Benthic Invertebrates in a Great Lakes Coastal Wetland

Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled in the summer of 1997 using a standard D frame kick net along a transect across the Peshtigo wetland, a river delta wetland on the coast of Green Bay, Lake Michigan, to describe the spatial and temporal dynamics of the invertebrate community. Various abiotic factors, including sedimentation rates determined from 210Pb and 137Cs as a proxy for delivery of riverine organic matter, were also measured to determine which factors influenced these dynamics. Significant decreasing gradients in dissolved oxygen and pH with distance from the river, coupled with trends in sedimentation rates, chloride, and sum nitrate (nitrate + nitrite), revealed that riverine water was mixing with wetland water up to 100 m from the wetland-river interface. Aboveground primary production and total invertebrate densities exhibited Weibull type distributions, with highest rates and numbers occurring 20 to 100 m from the Peshtigo River. Invertebrate densities were largely represented by Asellus sp. isopods (12–53%) and exhibited highest numbers in September. Invertebrate diversity at the genus level linearly decreased with distance from the river based on the Simpson's index of diversity (r2 = 0.60, p < 0.05) and the Shannon-Wiener function (r2 = 0.73, p < 0.01). Patterns observed suggest that there is an “optimal” zone for benthic invertebrates in the Peshtigo wetland 20 to 60 m from the Peshtigo River that is protected from high-energy events (e.g., storms, boating) in the Peshtigo wetland by a buffer zone (0 to 20 m) but is close enough to benefit from replenished levels of dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and organic matter delivered via the Peshtigo River.
The Analysis of Voltage-Limited Battery Charging Systems

This paper discusses the techniques and problem areas associated with the charging of sealed secondary batteries for spacecraft, and the operating characteristics of the modified voltage-limited charging system. An approach is described for the characterization of battery parameters. The method of selection of a suitable voltage-temperature limit, with regard to battery parameters and system performance requirements, is described. A 4 ampere-hour battery system is analyzed, and its capability is defined parametrically.
Electronic structure of stishovite

Abstract The band structure and the total density of states (DOS) have been calculated for stishovite using both an ab-initio pseudopotential code and the Linearized Augmented Plane Wave (LAPW) method. In particular, projected densities of states at both Si and O sites have been calculated for comparison with inner shell line structures. The low loss spectrum has been estimated. An appreciable amount of ionic behavior was found with oxygen taking charge away from silicon. Our results are in reasonable agreement with previous calculations. The electron energy-loss K and L 2,3 near edge structures were also calculated and compared with experimental measurements.
Sublethal actions of copper in abalone (Haliotis rufescens) as characterized by in vivo 31P NMR

Abstract The sublethal biochemical actions of copper in live, intact red abalone ( Haliotis rufescens ) were characterized by in vivo 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). This non-invasive technique is ideal for examining cellular respiration since critical metabolite concentrations, including phosphoarginine ([PA]), inorganic phosphate ([P i ]) and [ATP], and the arginine kinase (AK) rate constant, can be monitored in real time. Both metabolite concentrations and enzyme rate constants were measured in abalone during 8-h exposures to 66 μg l −1 (1.04 μM) and 126 μg l −1 (1.98 μM) copper (as CuCl 2 ). Significant decreases in [PA] and corresponding increases in [P i ] resulted, while [ATP] remained constant. In controls [PA], [P i ] and [ATP] all remained unchanged. Furthermore, both copper concentrations induced a significant elevation in the forward AK rate constant over the basal value of 0.020±0.002 s −1 . Metabolite levels and enzyme rate constants were also measured during 8-h 66 μg l −1 copper exposures both before and after a 2-week subchronic exposure to 36 μg l −1 (0.57 μM) copper. Unlike before the subchronic exposure, no significant changes in [PA], [P i ] or [ATP] were observed after the 36 μg l −1 copper treatment, compared with controls. This induced tolerance was also evident from the forward AK rate constant data. Finally, copper accumulation was determined in gill, digestive gland and foot muscle samples. Whereas acute exposure only led to significant accumulation in the gill, copper levels in subchronically exposed abalone were significantly elevated in both the gill and digestive gland, and marginally so in foot muscle. Overall, the gill appears to be the primary site of copper accumulation and toxicity, while the foot and adductor muscles maybe secondarily impacted. The observed metabolic changes may result from insufficient oxygen delivery to the muscles, resulting from mucus accumulation or cytological damage at the gill. In conclusion, abalone acutely exposed to copper pollution may develop asphyxial hypoxia. Since their survival is dependent on adherence to rock surfaces, such a reduction of muscle function could ultimately prove fatal.
Refractive index matching methods for liquid flow investigations

A difficulty common to most optical diagnostic techniques that are applied to fluid dynamics studies is the refraction of light passing through model and/or test section walls. The method of choice to eliminate refraction problems in liquid flows is to match refractive index. This paper presents techniques for refractive index matching including, (i) arrangement of test section and model, (ii) choice of solid and liquid materials, and (iii) methods for tuning the match. In addition, a new application of refractive index matching to liquid-liquid droplet studies is presented.
Complications of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Urinary Stones: To Know and to Manage Them—A Review

To identify the possible complications after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) and to suggest how to manage them, the significant literature concerning SWL treatment and complications was analyzed and reviewed. Complications after SWL are mainly connected to the formation and passage of fragments, infections, the effects on renal and nonrenal tissues, and the effects on kidney function. Each of these complications can be prevented adopting appropriate measures, such as the respect of the contraindications and the recognition and the correction of concomitant diseases or infection, and using the SWL in the most efficient and safe way, tailoring the treatment to the single case. In conclusion, SWL is an efficient and relatively noninvasive treatment for urinary stones. However, as with any other type of therapy, some contraindications and potential complications do exist. The strictness in following the first could really limit the onset and danger of the appearance of others, which however must be fully known so that every possible preventive measure be implemented.
The Representation and Impact of Information System Reliability on Cost Variance Decisions

Management does not directly observe cost variance processes from the production system; instead, management depends on a report from the cost variance information system as to whether a process is in control or out of control. Unfortunately, cost variance information systems are not always perfectly reliable. Accordingly, this paper extends the cost variance analysis model to include reliability of the cost variance information system. Reliability is introduced by distinguishing between the report from the information system and the actual cost variance. Although previous cost variance models do not include reliability, management is still likely to be aware of the lack of reliability in cost variance systems. To account for this lack of reliability, management is likely to use any of a number of heuristics. This paper demonstrates that ad hoc heuristics are unlikely to result in the same solutions suggested by the analytic model. In addition, it is shown analytically that not including reliability in cost variance models can lead to examining variances that do not require investigation and not examining variances that do require investigation.
Regression Effects on Part Scores Based on Whole-Score Selected Samples

In research on individual and group differences, samples may be selected for study on the basis of whole scores that differ from the population mean. Also in clinical practice of assessment of exceptional children, a child is selected (i.e., diagnosed) on the basis of a total score followed by more specific evaluation based on the several part scores making up the whole score. These procedures produce regression to the population mean which can affect the accuracy and adequacy of part score interpretations, especially when each part score has a different correlation, within the population, with the whole score. The expected regression on a part score for a sample selected on a whole score that may differ from the population mean is derived. The effect of unreliability of the whole and part score scores upon the regression is also derived and an example of the results given.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization of the eukaryotic replication terminator Reb1-Ter DNA complex

The Reb1 protein from Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a member of a family of proteins that control programmed replication termination and/or transcription termination in eukaryotic cells. These events occur at naturally occurring replication fork barriers (RFBs), where Reb1 binds to termination (Ter) DNA sites and coordinates the polar arrest of replication forks and transcription approaching in opposite directions. The Reb1 DNA-binding and replication-termination domain was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized in complex with a 26-mer DNA Ter site. Batch crystallization under oil was required to produce crystals of good quality for data collection. Crystals grew in space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 68.9, b = 162.9, c = 71.1 A, β = 94.7°. The crystals diffracted to a resolution of 3.0 A. The crystals were mosaic and required two or three cycles of annealing. This study is the first to yield structural information about this important family of proteins and will provide insights into the mechanism of replication and transcription termination.
Differential regulation of insulin-like growth factor binding protein secretion from human decidual cells by IGF-I, insulin, and relaxin

Several growth hormone-independent 25-31,000 kD insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGF-BPs) have been identified in plasma, extravascular fluids, and various cell-conditioned media. Cultured human decidual cells release three IGF-BPs with 24,000, 30,000, and 34,000 Mr. Using ligand blot analysis and an RIA for the 30,000-Mr form (IGF-BP-1), we examined the effects of IGF-I (10-1,000 ng/ml), insulin (10-10,000 ng/ml), and relaxin (10-250 ng/ml) on decidual cell IGF-BP release after 120 h of hormone exposure. IGF-I inhibited release of both IGF-BP-1 and the 24,000 Mr form. Inhibition of IGF-BP-1 release was noted after 48 h of treatment and was progressive throughout the subsequent 120 h. Insulin stimulated a fourfold increase in release of the 24,000-Mr protein while inhibiting IGF-BP-1 release comparable to IGF-I, alpha-IR3, a monoclonal antibody to the IGF-I receptor, blocked approximately 33% of the IGF-I response but had no effect on insulin-mediated IGF-BP-1 inhibition. Relaxin stimulated a 2.4-fold increase in release of the 24,000-Mr form and a 16-fold increase in the 30,000-Mr protein after 120 h. Stimulation of the 30,000-Mr protein was inhibited by the addition of cycloheximide (50 micrograms/ml). Both IGF-I and insulin also blocked the relaxin-mediated increase in IGF-BP-1. These studies suggest that three structurally related proteins differentially regulate IGF-BP secretion possibly via activation of distinct receptor subtypes.
On the structure of the energy conserving low-order models and their relation to Volterra gyrostat

Abstract Low-order models (LOM) described by a system of n th-order (nonlinear) ordinary differential equations (ODE) of the type x ˙ i = x T A ( i ) x + B i x + c i , i = 1 , 2 , … , n (where x is a column vector, A ( i ) is a n × n matrix, B i is a row vector, c i is a scalar and T denotes the transpose) routinely arise when we apply the Galerkin type projection techniques to the quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation (with forcing, dissipation and topography), Rayleigh–Bernard convection and Burgers’ equation, to mention a few. To our knowledge there is no systematic method for testing if a given LOM conserves energy. Our goal in this paper is twofold. First, we derive a set of sufficient conditions on the structural parameters ( A ( i ) , B i and c i for i = 1 , 2 , … , n ) for conserving energy. It is well known in Mathematical Physics that the Volterra gyrostat and many of its special cases including the Euler gyroscope represent a prototype of energy conserving dynamical systems. It turns out that a special case of our sufficient condition is closely related to the Volterra gyrostats. Exploiting this relation, we then derive an algorithm for rewriting the LOM (corresponding to the special case of our sufficient conditions) as a system of coupled gyrostats which brings out the inherent relation between the energy conserving LOM and the system of coupled gyrostats.
Brain response abnormalities during verbal learning among patients with schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia often show verbal learning deficits that have been linked to the pathophysiology of the disorder and result in functional impairment. This study examined the biological basis of these deficits by comparing the brain response of patients with schizophrenia (n=17) to that of healthy comparison participants (n=14) during a verbal paired-associates learning task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Brain response during new word learning was examined within and between groups in two a priori regions of interest, the inferior frontal gyrus and hippocampus, and across the whole brain. In regions of group difference, we also examined the relationship of brain response during learning to later recall of the word pairs. Despite successful matching of levels of word-pair recall, patients' brain response during new learning was abnormal in bilateral regions within the inferior frontal gyrus, a small region in left posterior hippocampus, and other areas within the frontal, parietal and temporal cortex compared with healthy individuals. In some regions, but not in the hippocampus, patients with the most normal brain response also remembered the most word pairs following scanning. Thus, verbal learning deficits found among patients with schizophrenia appear to be related to hypofunction of distributed brain networks.
Visual selective attention in learning disabled and normal boys

Learning disabled and normal control boys were compared in a reaction time task that required same-different judgments about the size or shape of visually presented geometric forms. In one condition, the subject was told which aspect (either size or shape) to judge before the presentation of the forms; in the other condition, the subject was told which aspect to judge after the forms were presented. The results indicated that the reaction times of the learning disabled boys were significantly slower than those of the normal controls in both conditions. Evidently, deficits in selectivity are characteristic of learning disabled boys at the levels of both sensory-perceptual input and short-term memory.
Catalytic enantioselective macrolide synthesis II: Use of differential deprotection protocols

Abstract Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of Phorcantholide I has been achieved. Key stereochemistry was introduced using a chiral arene chromium tricarbonyl based catalyst to mediate the addition of dimethyl zinc to a functionalised aldehyde. During the synthesis, a method for the selective deprotection of the trityloxy group was revealed and developed.
Treatment of intractable temporal lobe‐limbic epilepsy (complex partial seizures) by temporal lobectomy

The results of lobectomy in carefully selected patients with intractable epilepsy now are realized as worth the risk, for complete seizure relief can be achieved in up to 50% of such cases, and moderate to good seizure control in at least an additional 25%, with reduction in the drug requirement. Along with seizure relief often comes improvement in behavior and in social and personality development and life adjustments. Temporal lobectomy for treatment of temporal lobe-limbic epilepsy therefore also has preventive value, especially if performed as early as the criteria indicate in appropriately selected patients. The resected tissue allows careful morphological studies that can enhance our knowledge of the pathogenesis of this disorder.
Propagation of hyacinths by tissue culture

Abstract Sterile tissue from most parts of the hyacinth will regenerate plantlets in vitro. Bulbscale and basal plate tissue require no added growth substances but leaf, stem and ovary tissue respond to low concentrations of the auxins indolyl-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 1-napthylacetic acid (NAA). At higher concentrations of NAA, plantlets are replaced by callus from which plantlets may be regenerated. In vitro plantlets may be split into two halves each of which regenerates a whole plantlet on sub-culture; this process may be repeated at intervals of 8–12 weeks throughout the year. The efficiency of in vitro propagation compared with conventional methods is discussed.
T-lymphocyte response to Friend virus-induced tumour cell lines in mice of strains congenic at H–2

MICE immunised with infectious lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) produce T lymphocytes which can kill LCMV-infected target cells in vitro only if the killer and target cells are syngeneic at the H–2K and/or H–2D loci1,2. We now report analogous results obtained in studies of the immune response of syngeneic or semi-syngeneic mice to cultured cell lines derived from tumours induced in vivo by Friend murine erythroleukaemia virus (FV). Our studies further indicate that the H–2 type of the cells used for immunisation is also a decisive factor in the specificity of the killer cells generated.
Tools for distributed application management

The issues of managing distributed applications are discussed, and a set of tools, the meta system, that solves some longstanding problems is presented. The Meta model of a distributed application is described. To make the discussion concrete, it is shown how NuMon, a seismological analysis system for monitoring compliance with nuclear test-ban treaties is managed within the Meta framework. The three steps entailed in using Meta are described. First the programmer instruments the application and its environment with sensors and actuators. The programmer then describes the application structure using the object-oriented data modeling facilities of the authors' high-level control language, Lomita. Finally, the programmer writes a control program referencing the data model. Meta's performance and real-time behavior are examined. >