cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analgesia Targeting IB4-Positive Neurons in Cancer-Induced Mechanical Hypersensitivity

Abstract Cancer patients often suffer from pain and most will be prescribed μ-opioids. μ-opioids are not satisfactory in treating cancer pain and are associated with multiple debilitating side effects. Recent studies show that μ and δ opioid receptors are separately expressed on IB4 (−) and IB4 (+) neurons, which control thermal and mechanical pain, respectively. In this study we investigated IB4 (+) and IB4 (−) neurons in mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity in an orthotopic mouse oral cancer model. We used a δ opioid receptor agonist and a P2X 3 antagonist to target IB4 (+) neurons and to demonstrate that this subset plays a key role in cancer-induced mechanical allodynia, but not in thermal hyperalgesia. Moreover, selective removal of IB4 (+) neurons using IB4-saporin impacts cancer-induced mechanical but not thermal hypersensitivity. Our results demonstrate that peripherally administered pharmacological agents targeting IB4 (+) neurons, such as a selective δ-opioid receptor agonist or P2X 3 antagonist, might be useful in treating oral cancer pain. Perspective To clarify the mechanisms of oral cancer pain, we examined the differential role of IB4 (+) and IB4 (−) neurons. Characterization of these 2 subsets of putative nociceptors is important for further development of effective clinical cancer pain relief.
Acute and chronic estradiol-17beta inhibition of LH release in prepubertal female pigs: time course and site of action.

It has been demonstrated that 5.0 µg estradiol-17β (E2) iv inhibits spontaneous episodic release (SER) of LH from 3–9 h after injection in immature female pigs (gilts). To understand this phenomenon we tested pituitary response (PR) to synthetic LH-RH/FSH-RH (LH-RH) for 13 h after identical E2 treatment in eight 7–8-week-old gilts. Using chronic cannulae PR was determined by measuring the change in plasma LH (ΔLH) by RIA after iv injection of 2.0 µg LH-RH. PR was determined every 2 h starting 1 or 2 h before E2 or saline treatments. The PR prior to treatment was 4.3 ± 0.3 ng/ml. By the second releasing-hormone challenge PR in controls was depressed, remaining at about 2.5 ng/ml thereafter. Compared with controls PR depression was greater (P < 0.005) 1 h following E2 (ΔLH = 1.0 ± 0.4 ng/ml). Responsiveness then returned toward pretreatment levels and from 6 h post-treatment onward PR was not different from controls. Initial inhibition of SER may therefore be located in the pituitary and brain. However, aft...
Emerging therapies for hepatitis C virus.

Importance of the field: Currently, 170 million people worldwide are affected by the HCV. Chronic HCV infection is amongst the leading causes of chronic liver disease and its complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, making it the most common reason for liver transplantation. The current standard of treatment for HCV is pegylated IFN-α plus ribavirin. This treatment, when administered for the standard duration, allows sustained virological response (SVR) in ∼ 50% of patients infected with HCV and about 40% for HCV genotype 1, the most prevalent form of HCV in the US. SVR rates for populations with co-morbidities (patients with chronic renal disease) and certain ethnic backgrounds (African Americans and Hispanics) are lower. Given the high prevalence and relatively low cure rates of current antiviral therapy, the burden of HCV is enormous.Areas covered in this review: Faced with this urgent and growing medical need, research into novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of HCV is a...
Stage specific requirement of Gfrα1 in the ureteric epithelium during kidney development

Abstract Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) binds a coreceptor GDNF family receptor α1 (GFRα1) and forms a signaling complex with the receptor tyrosine kinase RET. GDNF-GFRα1-RET signaling activates cellular pathways that are required for normal induction of the ureteric bud (UB) from the Wolffian duct (WD). Failure of UB formation results in bilateral renal agenesis and perinatal lethality. Gfrα1 is expressed in both the epithelial and mesenchymal compartments of the developing kidney while Ret expression is specific to the epithelium. The biological importance of Gfrα1’s wider tissue expression and its role in later kidney development are unclear. We discovered that conditional loss of Gfrα1 in the WD epithelium prior to UB branching is sufficient to cause renal agenesis. This finding indicates that Gfrα1 expressed in the nonepithelial structures cannot compensate for this loss. To determine Gfrα1’s role in branching morphogenesis after UB induction we used an inducible Gfrα1-specific Cre-deletor strain and deleted Gfrα1 from the majority of UB tip cells post UB induction in vivo and in explant kidney cultures. We report that Gfrα1 excision from the epithelia compartment after UB induction caused a modest reduction in branching morphogenesis. The loss of Gfrα1 from UB-tip cells resulted in reduced cell proliferation and decreased activated ERK (pERK). Further, cells without Gfrα1 expression are able to populate the branching UB tips. These findings delineate previously unclear biological roles of Gfrα1 in the urinary tract and demonstrate its cell-type and stage-specific requirements in kidney development.
Tribo-diagnostics of nanoparticle coated smart surface using phase fluctuation based processor

Smart material surfaces/interfaces are playing important role in making hybrid nano particulate coated sensors and smart composite structures for applications in space, defense, infrastructure and biological system. The reliability and performance of these coatings on the smart surface depends upon the stability and life of their nano/micro-structures and interface properties. Atomic Force Microscopy is used extensively to study friction, wear and surface forces. In this paper a tool has been developed to have an insight of signals associated with friction and tribo-acoustics. This research aims to develop a combination of tools using High Speed Data Capture tools used in conjunction with the AFM to collect the frictional signal at the frequency of 500 kHz for 500 ms and phase fluctuation processor for study of friction signal. Friction signal from the AFM has poor information on the interfacial material properties like the stick-slip, plastic deformation of the contact surface. Clearer, information can be attained using the phase fluctuation based processor. This method provides friction signal and generation of the tribo-acoustics due to surface plastic deformation with excellent signal to noise ratio.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Genotype to Phenotype: Analyzing the Effects of Inherited Mutations in Colorectal Cancer Families

With improvements to DNA sequencing technologies, including the advent of massively parallel sequencing to perform "deep sequencing" of tissue samples, the ability to determine all of the nucleotide variations in a tumor becomes a possibility. This information will allow us to more fully understand the heterogeneity within each tumor, as well as to identify novel genes involved in cancer development. However, the new challenge that arises will be to interpret the pathogenic significance of each genetic variant. The enormity and complexity of this challenge can be demonstrated by focusing on just the genes involved in the hereditary colon cancer syndromes, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary non-polyposis coli (HNPCC). The genes responsible for each disease were identified almost two decades ago -APC for FAP and the MMR genes for HNPCC - and a large number of germline variations have been identified in these genes in hereditary cancer patients. However, relating the effect of an individual genotype to phenotype is not always straightforward. This review focuses on the roles of the APC and MMR genes in tumor development and the work that has been done to relate different variants in each gene to functional aberrations and ultimately tumorigenesis. By considering the work that has already been done on two well-defined diseases with clear genetic associations, one can begin to understand the challenges that lie ahead as new genes and gene mutations are discovered through tumor sequencing.
Rehydration effects on pressure-volume relationships in four temperate woody species: variability with site, time of season and drought conditions.

Seasonal pressure-volume (P-V) analyses were conducted on rehydrated and non-rehydrated leaves of Quercus rubra, Q. ilicifolia, Q. prinus, and Fraxinus americana in central Pennsylvania, U.S.A., to test the hypothesis that rehydration-induced shifts in P-V parameters occur in woody species from a non-arid region, and that the magnitude of these shifts increases with species drought tolerance and drought conditions. The species from a xeric ridge (Q. ilicifolia and Q. prinus) displayed increases of about 0.4–0.6 MPa in the osmotic potentials at full and zero turgor and a concurrent loss of symplastic solutes following 12 h and 24 h rehydration, particularly during a late-season drought. In contrast, the mesic, valley species (Q. rubra and F. americana) did not display significant shifts in osmotic parameters with rehydration at any time. In several instances, the relative water content at zero turgor (RWC0) increased by about 6% (e.g., from 85% to 91%) and the bulk elastic modulus (e) decreased by about 4.0 MPa following rehydration and correction for the plateau effect; the magnitude of these shifts was greatest in the xeric species. However, when data were not corrected for the plateau effect, RWC0 decreased by about 4% in some of the species/date combinations. Plateaus were also responsible for some of the decrease in e with rehydration, but not for the shifts in osmotic potentials. The largest increases in osmotic potentials corresponded with decreases in tissue osmotic solute content. Rehydration-induced shifts in P-V parameters were responsible for masking or reducing most of the species and seasonal differences exhibited in nonrehydrated samples.
Application of the Padé Approximant Method to the Investigation of Some Magnetic Properties of the Ising Model

On the basis of the Pad\'e approximant method we deduce from the exact series expansions for the Ising model that the reduced magnetic susceptibility behaves at the critical point as ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{fcc}}\ensuremath{\approx}{[\frac{0.09923}{(0.101767\ensuremath{-}w)}]}^{\frac{5}{4}}$, ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{bcc}}\ensuremath{\approx}{[\frac{0.152773}{(0.1561789\ensuremath{-}w)}]}^{\frac{5}{4}}$, ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{sc}}\ensuremath{\approx}{[\frac{0.22138}{(0.218156\ensuremath{-}w}]}^{\frac{5}{4}}$, ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{t}}\ensuremath{\approx}{[\frac{0.2432}{(2\ensuremath{-}\sqrt{3}\ensuremath{-}w)}]}^{\frac{7}{4}}$, ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{sq}}\ensuremath{\approx}{[\frac{0.35724}{(\sqrt{2}\ensuremath{-}1\ensuremath{-}w)}]}^{\frac{7}{4}}$, and ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{h}}\ensuremath{\approx}{[\frac{0.4506}{(\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\ensuremath{-}w)}]}^{\frac{7}{4}}$, where $w=tanh(\frac{J}{\mathrm{kT}})$ and the last figure quoted is somewhat uncertain. The spontaneous magnetization is found to behave as ${(\frac{{I}_{0}}{{I}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}})}_{\mathrm{fcc}}\ensuremath{\approx}{[12.5(0.664658\ensuremath{-}{z}^{2})]}^{0.3}$, ${(\frac{{I}_{0}}{{I}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}})}_{\mathrm{bcc}}\ensuremath{\approx}{[10.4(0.5326607\ensuremath{-}{z}^{2})]}^{0.3}$, ${(\frac{{I}_{0}}{{I}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}})}_{\mathrm{sc}}\ensuremath{\approx}{[10.9(0.411940\ensuremath{-}{z}^{2})]}^{0.3}$, where $z=\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\frac{2J}{\mathrm{kT}})$ and again the last place quoted is somewhat uncertain. The numbers $\frac{5}{4}$ and $\frac{7}{4}$ have an error of at most ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, and 0.3 of at most ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. The lattices referred to are fcc, face-centered cubic; bcc, body-centered cubic; sc, simple cubic; t, triangular; sq, simple quadratic; and h, honeycomb.
Behavioral discrimination against women.

Male and female college students performed a card-sorting task on which a quota had been set by a male or female engineering student. Fewer cards (p<.02) were sorted for the female than for the male quota-setter, with males evidencing somewhat more discrimination than females.
ADVANCES IN NETWORK INFORMATION DISCOVERY AND RETRIEVAL

Access to information using the Internet has undergone dramatic change and expansion recently. The unrivaled success of the World Wide Web has altered the Internet from something approachable only by the initiated to something of a media craze — the information superhighway made manifest in the personal "home page". This paper surveys the beginnings of network information discovery and retrieval, how the Web has created a surprising level of integration of these systems, and where the current state of the art lies in creating globally accessible information spaces and supporting access to those information spaces.
Administering influenza vaccine to egg-allergic persons

The most serious form of type I or IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction is anaphylaxis. A standardized case definition of anaphylaxis as an adverse event after immunization has been developed. Such reactions to vaccines, including influenza vaccine, are rare but potentially life-threatening. Until recently, all influenza vaccines were manufactured in eggs. Residual egg protein in the vaccines was thought to pose a risk to egg-allergic vaccine recipients. However, a large number of recent studies have demonstrated that egg-allergic recipients are no more likely than those without egg allergy to suffer such reactions. Published guidelines have been updated to recommend that patients with egg allergy receive annual influenza vaccination. Any patient who has an anaphylactic reaction to influenza vaccine should be carefully evaluated by an allergist for guidance on subsequent immunization.
Human health and well-being: promises for a bright future from solid-state lighting

Technologies are needed to provide information about the state of our circadian system to our conscious awareness such that we can take appropriate action to avoid and to correct light-induced circadian disruption. In addition to the implicit promises of solid-state lighting to improve energy efficiency and the quality of the visual environment, solid-state lighting also promises to maintain our health and well-being by precisely tailoring light and dark throughout the 24-hour day.
Status of Risk Factors for Dementia Associated With Stroke

Background Cognitive impairment associated with vascular disease may be the only preventable form of dementia of late life. Identification of risk factors for dementia associated with stroke may be a prelude to improved intervention. Summary of Review I reviewed putative risk factors for dementia associated with stroke. These included demographic, atherogenic, stroke-related, and genetic factors. Key studies from the English literature were reviewed and graded according to quality of evidence ratings (classes I, II, and III). Although many of the cardiovascular disease risk factors are logical antecedents of dementia associated with stroke, age was the only factor that could be considered a well-documented risk factor. Conclusions We should continue to support efforts directed at primary stroke prevention and the brain-at-risk and predementia stages. Additional rigorous epidemiological study is needed to clarify risk factors for dementia associated with stroke.
Effect of Estradiol on Phosphorus Excretion in Intact and Hypophysectomized Rats

A phosphaturic effect has been observed from the daily subcutaneous injection of 25 μg of estradiol to still-growing, male Sprague-Dawley rats. This was accompanied by an increase in the excretory ratio of phosphorus to nitrogen, and an inhibition of weight gain as compared to pair-fed, control animals. Urinary excretions of sodium, potassium and creatinine showed no significant difference. Hypophysectomized, male Sprague-Dawley rats failed to demonstrate a phosphaturic effect with estradiolinjection; the patterns of urinary phosphorus, nitrogen, sodium and creatinine excretion were unchanged from control periods in both groups. Decreased food intake followed estradiol administration and weight loss was similar in the pair-fed group. These data suggest the estradiolinduced phosphaturia is related to the inhibition of a phosphorus retaining effect of growth hormone; the locus of this inhibitory activity is as yet undetermined. (Endocrinology 83: 516, 1968)
Information theoretical assessment of neural spiking activity with temperature modulation

Previous research has shown that hypothermia immediately after Cardiac Arrest (CA) improves neurological outcomes. In order to study how hypothermia affects neural spiking, cortical and subcortical neural activity was recorded from rodents. Consistent with previous findings, preliminary results show that the firing rate is proportional to the temperature. We also studied the information coded in the spike-timing information of individual neurons and observed that information content varies with temperature. Furthermore, there is an increased dependence between the cortex and sub-cortical structures such as the Thalamus during hypothermia. The latter is most likely an indicator of coupling between these highly connected structures in response to temperature manipulation leading to arousal after global cerebral ischemia.
L*: An intelligent path planning algorithm based on renormalized measure of probabilistic regular languages

A novel path planning algorithm L* is introduced that reduces the problem to optimization of a probabilistic finite state machine and applies the rigorous theory of language-measure-theoretic optimal control to compute v-optimal paths to the specified goal. It is shown that although the underlying navigation model is probabilistic, the proposed algorithm computes plans that can be executed in a deterministic sense with automated optimal trade-off between path length and robustness under dynamic uncertainty. The algorithm has been validated on mobile robotic platforms in a laboratory environment.
A 0.1–20 GHz Low-Power Self-Biased Resistive-Feedback LNA in 90 nm Digital CMOS

In this letter, a 0.1-20 GHz low-power low noise amplifier (LNA) is presented. A novel self-biased resistive- feedback topology is proposed. Two inductors inside the feedback loop and a shunt-peaking inductor are exploited to extend the bandwidth. A PMOSFET with inductive degeneration is chosen as the load to boost the gain while maintaining low noise figure (NF) at high frequencies. A source-degeneration inductor is also introduced at the input transistor to ensure good input matching and stability over the entire bandwidth. All inductors are small due to the presence of feedback. The LNA was fabricated using a digital 90 nm CMOS process with 12.7 dB peak power gain, 3.3 dB minimum NF, and - 1 dBm peak input-referred third-order intercept point (IIP3). With 12.6 mW power consumption and 0.12 mm2 active area, this wideband LNA may replace distributed amplifiers (DAs) in many applications.
The Kingdom of Valencia in the Seventeenth Century

Drawing on hitherto unpublished sources James Casey explores two major themes in Spanish historiography - the consequences of the expulsion of the Moriscos (heavily concentrated in Valencia in the early seventeenth century), and the way in which the Habsburg Monarchy kept or lost control over its peripheral provinces. The study ranges widely over questions of population (including a pioneering attempt for early modern Spain at family reconstitution), landholding and agriculture, exploring the links between depopulation and economic decline - twin phenomena which characterized the peninsula in the age of Spain's decline. Dr Casey has drawn on a variety of previously neglected sources - parish registers, tithe records, cadastral surveys - in order to quantify these developments as far as possible. The result is a reassessment of the chronology and extent of economic recession in one of Spain's most fertile provinces, and a revision of some ideas about the importance of the expulsion of the Moriscos.
Combining Quality Improvement and Geriatrics Training: The Nursing Home Polypharmacy Outcomes Project

To examine sustained effects of an educational intervention, the authors repeated a successful quality improvement (QI) project on medication safety and cost effectiveness. In October 2007 and August 2008, the facility leadership and geriatrics faculty identified all patients receiving nine or more medications (polypharmacy cohort) in a 170-bed teaching nursing home. They then taught Geriatric Medicine fellows (n = 12 in 2007, 11 in 2008) to (a) systematically collect medication data; (b) generate medication recommendations (stop, taper, or continue) based on expert criteria (Beers criteria) or drug-drug interaction programs; (c) discuss recommendations with patients' attending physicians; and (d) implement approved recommendations. Over the two projects, the polypharmacy cohorts demonstrated decreased potentially inappropriate medications (odds ratio [OR] = .78, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] [0.69, 0.88], p < .001), contraindicated medications (OR = .63, 95% CI [0.47, 0.85], p = .002) and medication costs (OR = .97, 95% CI [0.96, 0.99], p < .001). Findings suggest that programs planning educational QI projects for trainees may benefit from a multiyear approach to maximize clinical and educational benefits.
Implementing the Weak Temperature Gradient Approximation with Full Vertical Structure

Abstract A two-column, nonrotating radiative–convective model is formulated in which the free-tropospheric temperature profiles of the two columns are assumed to be identical and steady and the temperature equation is used diagnostically to calculate the vertical velocities [the weak temperature gradient (WTG) approximation]. These vertical velocities and the continuity equation are then used to calculate the horizontal velocities. No horizontal momentum equation is used. This model differs from other two-column models that have used similar formulations in that here both columns are governed by the same laws rather than different dynamical roles being assigned a priori to the “warm” and “cold” columns. The current formulation has the advantage of generalizing trivially to an arbitrary number of columns, a necessity for developing a 3D model under WTG. The two-column solutions compare reasonably well with a reference two-column model that uses a linear, nonrotating horizontal momentum equation and the sam...
Functional lower urinary tract voiding outcomes after cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder.

Purpose: We reviewed our experience with orthotopic continent urinary reconstruction after radical cystectomy to determine the functional voiding patterns and compare different methods of reservoir construction. Materials and Methods: The study included 100 consecutive patients who underwent cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder. Reservoir construction consisted of a W-shaped ileal reservoir in 40 patients, ileal reservoir with afferent limb in 26, a Padua ileal reservoir in 18, right colon in 14 and sigmoid colon in 2. The functional voiding outcome was determined by a detailed patient interview and chart review. Results: There were no perioperative deaths. All patients regained good daytime urinary control and none required protective pads, although 18% used protective padding at night because of nocturnal leakage. Eight patients (8%) performed self-intermittent catheterization because of poor reservoir emptying. There were no substantial differences in outcomes among the various methods of reservoir construction. Conclusions: Excellent functional voiding outcomes are obtained with radical cystectomy and orthotopic bladder reconstruction. Comparable results can be achieved with use of either large bowel or ileum and with various methods of bowel folding as long as principles of preservation of the periurethral sphincter muscle, and construction of an adequate capacity and low pressure reservoir are maintained.
Ambiguity resolution in SAR interferometry by use of three phase centers

In a typical interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR) system employed for terrain elevation mapping, terrain height is estimated from phase difference data obtained from two phase centers separated spatially in the cross-track direction. In this paper we show how the judicious design of a three phase center IFSAR renders phase unwrapping, i.e., the process of estimating true continuous phases from principal values of phase, a much simpler process that inherent in traditional algorithms. With three phase centers, one IFSAR baseline fan be chosen to be relatively small so that all of the scene's terrain relief causes less than one cycle of phase difference. This allows computation of a coarse height map without use of any form of phase unwrapping. The cycle number ambiguities in the phase data derived from the other baseline, chosen to be relatively large, can then be resolved by reference to the heights computed from the small baseline data. This basic concept of combining phase data from one small and one large baseline to accomplish phase unwrapping has been previously employed in other interferometric problems. The new algorithm is shown to possess a certain form of immunity to corrupted interferometric phase data that is not inherent in traditional 2D path-following phase unwrappers. This is because path-following algorithms must estimate, either implicitly or explicitly, those portions of the IFSAR fringe data where discontinuities in phase occur. Such discontinuities typically arise form noisy phase measurements derived from low radar return areas of the SAR imagery. When wrong estimates are made as to where these phase discontinuities occur, errors in the unwrapped phase values can appear due to the resulting erroneous unwrapping paths. This implies that entire regions of the scene can be reconstructed with incorrect terrain heights. By contrast, since the new method estimates the continuous phase at each point in the image by a straightforward combination of only the measured phases from the small and large baseline, phase estimation errors are confined to that point. We derive quantitative expressions for the new algorithm that relate the probability of selecting the wrong phase cycle to parameters of the interferometer. We then demonstrate that use of median filtering can very effectively mitigate those cycle errors that do occur. By use of computer simulations, we show how the new algorithm is used to robustly construct terrain elevation maps.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of hyperglycemia per se on glucose disposal and clearance in noninsulin-dependent diabetics

To determine the relationship between the plasma glucose level and the rate of glucose disposal in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), the glucose disposal rate was measured by isotope dilution ([3-3H] glucose infusion) at two different glucose levels but at the same insulin level in seven patients with untreated NIDDM [fasting plasma glucose, 263 ± 26 (mean ± SEM)]. The infusion of somatostatin (500 μg/h) and insulin (30 mU/m2-min) produced fixed peripheral insulin levels of 61 ± 4 μU/ml. When the plasma glucose level was kept at 96 ± 2 mg/dl with a variable rate glucose infusion, the glucose disposal rate was 222 ± 13 mg/min, and the glucose clearance rate (glucose disposal rate ÷ plasma glucose level) was 232 ± 14 ml/min. Increasing the glucose level to 191 ± 4 mg/dl produced a significant rise (P < 0.001) in glucose disposal to 391 ± 32 mg/min, while glucose clearance fell significantly (P < 0.005) to 204 ± 13 ml/min. Thus, although the rise in the glucose level caused an inc...
HOPLOPLEURA JANZENI N. SP. (PHTHIRAPTERA: ANOPLURA), A NEW SUCKING LOUSE FROM A CENTRAL AMERICAN SWIMMING MOUSE

Both sexes of a new species of sucking louse Hoplopleura janzeni (Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae) are described and illustrated from the Central American ichthyomyine swimming mouse Rheomys raptor (Rodentia: Muridae) collected in Costa Rica. The morphology of the new species is compared with that of Hoplopleura exima Johnson, the only other species of sucking louse known to parasitize an ichthyomyine rodent. Hoplopleura janzeni is unique in having posteriorly directed spurs on the first antennal segment, the fore- and midcoxae, and the hind femora of both sexes.
The U5.0 undulator for the ALS

The U5.0 undulator, an 89-period, 5-cm-period-length, 4.6-m-long insertion device, has been designed and is in fabrication. This undulator will be the first high-brightness source, in the 50-1500-eV range, for the Advanced Light Source (ALS) and is scheduled for completion in 1992. A modular hybrid configuration utilizing Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material and vanadium permendur is used. It achieves a 0.837-T effective peak field. Correction of the vertical field integral is achieved with permanent magnet rotors at the ends. Gap adjustment is done with an arrangement of roller screws, chain drives, a gear reduction unit, and a stepper motor driven by a closed-loop control system. The vacuum chamber design is a two-piece, machined and welded 5083-H321 aluminum construction of 5.1-m length. Magnetic design, subsystem design, and fabrication progress are presented. >
Divisions of Labor: Obstetrician, Woman, and Society in Williams Obstetrics, 1903–1985

During the 20th century the developed world has witnessed a fundamental revolution in the conduct of birth. Its place has moved almost entirely from domestic to medical settings, while obstetrical professionals have increasingly assumed control of its events. Powerful artifacts and procedures employed in the conduct of birth have proliferated concurrently and appear to exert a command of their own. This obstetrical revolution has occurred in a cultural environment of profoundly charged and rapidly changing values and practices regarding sexuality and reproduction, health and health care, identity, and autonomy. In this paper I focus on relations between obstetricians and childbearing women, as presented in the first 17 editions of Williams Obstetrics, the central reference text of this medical specialty. From the first edition in 1903 to the most recent in 1985, Williams has both reflected and guided the development of belief and practice in obstetrics. Early editions hold childbirth to be an essentially pathological event; childbearing women are its patients and require extensive medical monitoring and intervention. Though recent editions stress the social and psychological context of childbirth, this viewpoint has not yet fully informed the practices and attitudes that characterize the text.
Management of Clinical Stage I Testicular Cancer: How Should We Define Success?

vivalwas99.7%.InthestudybyDaugaardetal, 2 of1,226patientswith CSI NSGCT managed with AS, the 15-year disease-specific survival was99.1%.BotharticlesreinforcethenotionthatASforCSItesticular cancer is safe and that it allows potentially toxic chemotherapy to be restricted to only the patients who actually need it. The editorial by de Wit 3 and the Oncology Grand Rounds discussions by Feldman 4 and Vaughn 5 were largely supportive of AS as the standard management for CSI testicular cancer, with the caveats that poorly compliant patients are not ideal candidates for this approach, and that primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection
On the Largest Eigenvalue of a Random Subgraph of the Hypercube

Let G be a random subgraph of the n-cube where each edge appears randomly and independently with probability p. We prove that the largest eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix of G is almost surely [$${{\lambda_1(G)=(1+o(1)) max (\Delta^{{1/2}}(G), n p),}}$$ where Δ(G) is the maximum degree of G and the o(1) term tends to zero as max(Δ1/2(G),np) tends to infinity.
Classic Weinstein: Tetrad Analysis, Genetic Variation and Achiasmate Segregation in Drosophila and Humans

A maximum-likelihood method for the estimation of tetrad frequencies from single-spore data is presented. The multilocus exchange with interference and viability (MEIV) model incorporates a clearly defined model of exchange, interference, and viability whose parameters define a multinomial distribution for single-spore data. Maximum-likelihood analysis of the MEIV model (MEIVLA) allows point estimation of tetrad frequencies and determination of confidence intervals. We employ MEIVLA to determine tetrad frequencies among 15 X chromosomes sampled at random from Drosophila melanogaster natural populations in Africa and North America. Significant variation in the frequency of nonexchange, or E(0) tetrads, is observed within both natural populations. Because most nondisjunction arises from E(0) tetrads, this observation is quite unexpected given both the prevalence and the deleterious consequences of nondisjunction in D. melanogaster. Use of MEIVLA is also demonstrated by reanalyzing a recently published human chromosome 21 dataset. Analysis of simulated datasets demonstrates that MEIVLA is superior to previous methods of tetrad frequency estimation and is particularly well suited to analyze samples where the E(0) tetrad frequency is low and sample sizes are small, conditions likely to be met in most samples from human populations. We discuss the implications of our analysis for determining whether an achiasmate system exists in humans to ensure the proper segregation of E(0) tetrads.
Minority games and distributed coordination in non-stationary environments

We examine emergent coordination in a network of competing Boolean agents. The agents play a so called generalized minority game where the capacity level is allowed to vary externally. We study the properties of such a system for different values of the mean connectivity K of the network, and show that the system with K = 2 shows a high degree of coordination for relatively large variations of the capacity level. We also show that for K > 2 coordination can be achieved by tuning the homogeneity parameter of the agents' Boolean strategies.
Gender-Specific Effects on Gestational Length and Birth Weight by Early Pregnancy BPA Exposure

Context and Objective: Effects of prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) on gestational and birth outcomes are controversial. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between prenatal exposure to BPA and birth and gestational outcomes. Design, Setting, Participants, and Outcome: Levels of unconjugated (uBPA) and BPA glucuronide in 80 matching samples of pregnant women during the first trimester of pregnancy and at delivery and matching term cord blood obtained from a prospective study conducted at the University of Michigan Hospitals were determined using a methodology validated in the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences funded Round Robin study and related to pregnancy outcomes. Results: Highest levels of uBPA were found in maternal term samples followed by first trimester maternal (M1) samples and cord blood. A 2-fold increase in M1 uBPA was associated with 55-g less birth weight when male and female pregnancies were combined and 183-g less birth weight with only female pre...
Performance bounds on the constant modulus error surface

The constant modulus (CM) error surface is multimodal in nature. This leads to possibility of convergence to undesired local minima. Recently, we characterized the various stationary points associated with the CM error surface. In this paper we make use of the stationary points to develop upper and lower bounds on the weight vector, ordering the minima and obtaining a bound on the excess weight error. The simulation results agree with the bounds derived.
A cross-sectional study of the development of volitional control of spatial attention in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Background Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) results from a 1.5- to 3-megabase deletion on the long arm of chromosome 22 and occurs in approximately 1 in 4000 live births. Previous studies indicate that children with 22q11.2DS are impaired on tasks involving spatial attention. However, the degree to which these impairments are due to volitionally generated (endogenous) or reflexive (exogenous) orienting of attention is unclear. Additionally, the efficacy of these component attention processes throughout child development in 22q11.2DS has yet to be examined.
Chirp imaging vibro-acoustography for removing the ultrasound standing wave artifact

Vibro-acoustography (VA) is an imaging technique that uses the dynamic (oscillatory) radiation force of two continuous-wave (CW) ultrasound to image objects at low frequency (within the kHz range). In this technique, the dynamic radiation force is created by means of a confocused transducer emitting two ultrasound beams at slightly-shifted frequencies f/sub 1/ and f/sub 2/=f/sub 1/+/spl Delta/f. It has been demonstrated previously that high-resolution images of various types of inclusions and tissues can be obtained using this technique. However, if the targeted object reflects ultrasound directly back to the transducer, standing waves are produced that result in an artifact in the VA image. The goal of this study is to remove the standing wave artifact and improve VA images by means of a new process called chirp imaging. The procedure consists of sweeping the frequencies of the primary ultrasound beams in a selected bandwidth while keeping /spl Delta/f constant during the sweep. The chirp image is produced by averaging the amplitude of the acoustic emission produced during the sweep. Vibro-acoustography chirp imaging experiments are performed on a stainless-steel sphere attached to a latex sheet in a tank of degassed water. The resulting chirp images demonstrate remarkable reduction of the standing wave artifact compared to the "fixed frequency" VA images.
Sensitivity of an Automated Separation Assurance Tool to Trajectory Uncertainty

The effects of uncertainty are examined on a Center -wide, ground -based automated conflict detec tion and resolution algorithm at one, two and three times current traffic demand level . The required horizontal separation radius is varied between four and nine nautical miles as a proxy for trajectory uncertainty. Sensitivity of the algorithms’ performan ce to demand and uncertainty is studied in fast -time simulation of the Cleveland Center airspace . Results show the performance of the conflict detection and resolution algorithms is predictable across all cases: when the horizontal separation radius is red uced, performance improves; when the demand level is increased, performance degrades. There is a significant decrease in performance in terms of average delay per resolution in the cases combining the highest demand level and horizontal separation radius. Algorithm performance degradation is first observed in the arrival environment, where constraints are most prevalent. The algorithms show no major performance degradation for conflicts occurring outside of the arrival environment.
Diverse cell stresses induce unique patterns of tRNA up- and down-regulation: tRNA-seq for quantifying changes in tRNA copy number

Emerging evidence points to roles for tRNA modifications and tRNA abundance in cellular stress responses. While isolated instances of stress-induced tRNA degradation have been reported, we sought to assess the effects of stress on tRNA levels at a systems level. To this end, we developed a next-generation sequencing method that exploits the paucity of ribonucleoside modifications at the 3-end of tRNAs to quantify changes in all cellular tRNA molecules. Application of this tRNA-seq method toSaccharomyces cerevisiae identified all 76 expressed unique tRNA species out of 295 coded in the yeast genome, including all isoacceptor variants, with highly precise relative (fold-change) quantification of tRNAs. In studies of stress-induced changes in tRNA levels, we found that oxidation (H2O2 )a nd alkylation (methylmethane sulfonate, MMS) stresses induced nearly identical patterns of up- and downregulation for 58 tRNAs. However, 18 tRNAs showed opposing changes for the stresses, which parallels our observation of signature reprogramming of tRNA modifications caused by H2O2 and MMS. Further, stress-induced degradation was limited to only a small proportion of a few tRNA species. With tRNAseq applicable to any organism, these results suggest that translational control of stress response involves a contribution from tRNA abundance.
Histochemical estrogen binding An independent predictor of recurrence and survival in stage II breast cancer

Cox's proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the prognostic significance of multiple variables affecting recurrence and survival in patients with Stage II breast cancer. Among the variables were biochemical estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) values and results of a histochemical estrogen-binding assay using a fluoresceinated bovine serum albumin-estradiol conjugate where carrier and label were bound at position 17. In 190 cases ER and PgR were not found to be significantly associated with either disease recurrence or patient survival. On the other hand, patients with tumors that were demonstrably "rich" in estradiol ligand conjugate binding by histochemistry experienced both a longer disease-free interval (P less than 0.03) and survival (P less than 0.02) than did patients whose tumors were "poor" in conjugate binding or showed a heterogeneous population of positively and negatively stained cells. A patient with a tumor rich in estrogen binding was five times more likely to survive than a patient with a neoplasm that was poor in estrogen binding by histochemistry. These results indicate that the histochemical technique used provides new and independent parameters for determination of prognosis in Stage II breast cancer.
Integrating the Real Estate Curriculum

Executive Summary: An integrated real estate program has tremendous potential to enhance the educational experience of students but it requires an enormous commitment of time, effort and resources ...
An Examination of the Plea of Self-Defense Vis-a-Vis Non-State Actors

An armed non-state actor resides in the territory of a failed state; it eventually gives up to the temptation of attacking another state from the territory of its host. In response the victim state (acting state) reciprocates militarily.Non-State Actor (hereinafter NSA) is a group of uniformed and armed individuals under 'organized command, which actually control and administer a sizeable portion of the territory.' It is neither a classic insurgent , nor a national liberation movement, who proclaims the right of people to self determination, which with it could legalize its presence, on the territory of other states, for the right of self determination is a right erga omnes. The failed state (host state), in the sense of this study, is a state unable to repress activities of such non-state entity on its territory, with its all due diligence; this makes it impossible to attribute the NSA’s activities to the host state. The NSA presence in the territory of the host state, concerning obligations of the host state, is illegal, for the Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, adopted unanimously by the General Assembly in 1970 plainly states that 'every State has the duty to refrain from organizing or encouraging the organization of irregular forces or armed bands for incursion into the territory of another State.' And in the words of the International Court of Justice (hereinafter ICJ) in the Corfu Channel case, every state is obliged 'not to allow knowingly its territory to be used for acts contrary to the rights of other States.' Administration of the territory has accompaniment with establishing military camps and bases.The victim state, which we will refer to as the acting/invoking state, in the course of its military measures vis-a-vis the NSA, invokes its right of self-defense to preclude the wrongfulness of its incursion into the territory of the host for 'there can be no self-defense against self-defense' . This paper examines the validity of such justification under current international law of the use of force.
Use of Ethanol in Preoperative AVM Embolization

The selection of embolic materials for preoperative embolization is important in assurance of adequate occlusion with a low complication rate. Development of new microcatheters with smaller luminal diameters complicates that decision-making. We report here our experience with 33% ethanol (ETOH) solution in brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM).
Bypassing races in live applications with execution filters

Deployed multithreaded applications contain many races because these applications are difficult to write, test, and debug. Worse, the number of races in deployed applications may drastically increase due to the rise of multicore hardware and the immaturity of current race detectors.LOOM is a "live-workaround" system designed to quickly and safely bypass application races at runtime. LOOM provides a flexible and safe language for developers to write execution filters that explicitly synchronize code. It then uses an evacuation algorithm to safely install the filters to live applications to avoid races. It reduces its performance overhead using hybrid instrumentation that combines static and dynamic instrumentation.We evaluated LOOM on nine real races from a diverse set of six applications, including MySQL and Apache. Our results show that (1) LOOM can safely fix all evaluated races in a timely manner, thereby increasing application availability; (2) LOOM incurs little performance overhead; (3) LOOM scales well with the number of application threads; and (4) LOOM is easy to use.
Injuries and illnesses treated at the World Trade Center, 14 September-20 November 2001.

INTRODUCTION: In response to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) deployed Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) and the Commissioned Corps to provide on-site, primary medical care to anyone who presented. Patients included rescue and recovery workers, other responders, and some members of the general public. OBJECTIVE: A descriptive analysis of WTC-USPHS patient records was conducted in order to better understand the short-term impact of the WTC site on the safety and health of individuals who were at or near the site from 14 September-20 November 2001. METHODS: The Patient Treatment Record forms that were completed for each patient visit to these USPHS stations over the 10-week deployment period were reviewed. Results: Patient visits numbered 9,349, with visits peaking during Week 2 (21-27 September). More than one-quarter of the visits were due to traumatic injuries not including eye injuries (n = 2,716; 29%). Respiratory problems comprised more than one-fifth of the complaints (n = 2,011; 22%). Eye problems were the third most frequent complaint (n = 1,120; 12%). With respect to the triage class, the majority of visits fell into the lowest category of severity (n = 6,237; 67%). CONCLUSION: USPHS visits probably were skewed to milder complaints when compared to analyses of employer medical department reports or hospital cases; however, given the close proximity of the USPHS stations to the damage, analysis of the USPHS forms provides a more complete picture of the safety and health impact on those who were at or near the WTC site.
Helicopters and Hospitalizations: Getting the Primary Care That We Invest In.

In this issue, Freund and colleagues report a trial of a modest intervention powered by medical assistants to keep patients out of the hospital. The editorialist notes that we do well with care of ...
Support for Vetlife.

AS President of Vetlife, the charity which supports the veterinary community, may I thank all those members of the Veterinary Defence Society …