cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
All Stories Are Not Alike: A Purpose-, Content-, and Valence-Based Taxonomy of Patient Narratives in Decision Aids

The use of patient stories in decision aids is a highly controversial practice. However, the resulting debates and research have yielded little consensus about the impact of patient stories due to vague operational definitions of narratives. In this article, we argue that narratives are not homogeneous in either content or effect and hence should not be considered a single construct in research. The purpose of this article is to provide a taxonomy that guides both the development of decision aids and future research on this topic. We define three dimensions of narratives that are likely to moderate their impact on decision making: 1) the purpose of the narrative, 2) the content of the message, and 3) the evaluative valence, or overall tone, of the message. In addition, we describe predicted effects of different types of narratives on decision making and discuss their potential interactions. Our taxonomy provides a framework that will allow for the precise documentation of different narrative types, the use of appropriate outcome measures, and a systematic evaluation of narratives in all types of decision aids. Failures to recognize the complex structure of narratives will result both in research that does little to inform our understanding of the impact of patient stories and in the use of narratives in patient education materials that have unintended consequences on both decision processes and behavior.
478 INTESTINAL UPTAKE OF ANTIGEN: EVIDENCE FOR ENHANCEMENT WITH INFLAMMATION AND GUT ANAPHYLAXIS

In this study, the pathologic alteration of the mucosal surface of the rat small intestine was examined with respect to transport of intraluminal antigen in vivo. As a model for inflammation, rats were injected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis; crypt hyperplasia and villous atrophy were noted in gut segments involved by infection. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) administered by gavage to such animals resulted in a marked increase in immunoreactive BSA (as measured by the Farr technique) in serum compared to controls over 6 hours. Following healing of the intestinal lesion, rats were subjected to mild systemic anaphylaxis by intravenous administration of worm antigen. This treatment led to changes in vascular permeability as measured by the accumulation of 125I-rat serum albumin in the intestinal wall and secretions. Induction of mild systemic anaphylaxis in rats previously fed with BSA, resulted in marked enhancement of BSA uptake suggesting that changes in intestinal permeability occurred. These studies demonstrate that pathologic alterations (inflammation and anaphylaxis) in the rat intestine results in measurable increases in the uptake of antigen and antigen fragments. Enhanced uptake of such antigens may be harmful because of their intrinsic properties (toxins), because of their potential for forming immune complexes or because of their potential for inducing a systemic immune response.
The effect of alcohol and substance abuse on the course of bipolar affective disorder

It has been found that > 60% of bipolar I and almost 50% of bipolar II patients have a history of substance abuse (Regier et al., 1990). While previous studies have examined comorbidity of bipolar disorder and substance abuse, little has been done to examine the effect of substance abuse on the course of bipolar disorder. There has also been little distinction made between bipolar disorder occurring prior to substance abuse and that occurring after the onset of substance abuse. Given the high prevalence of substance abuse in bipolar patients, it would be useful to determine more about the effect of substance abuse on demographic and clinical features and on the course of illness. We attempted to do this with a retrospective chart review of 188 bipolar patients seen by D.L. Dunner between January 1992 and December 1993. Demographic and clinical information as well as information about course of illness were systematically extracted from the charts. We compared the means and percentages of these variables and analysed them for significance. Preliminary results show differences in demographics, clinical features and course of illness between patient groups. These differences may illustrate the clinical effects of substance abuse on the course of bipolar disorder. Our results also indicate that there are differences between patients whose bipolar disorder began prior to and those whose disorder began after the onset of substance abuse.
Extension of Spearman's Footrule to Multiple Rankings

Spearman (1904, 1906) introduced the footrule as an easy but precise method of measuring correlation benveen nvo rankings. Consider nvo rankmgs of 11 objects consisting of the first n integers and let xli and x2, for i= 1,. . . ,rz denore the first and second rankings, respectively. In Spearman's footrule, R is given by n where XI; (x2,) indicates the rank of the ith subject in the first (second) ranlung. Berry and Weke (1997) extended Spearman's foorrule to incorporate tied ranks, showed that the footrule is a chance-corrected measure of agreement, provided a new interpretation for values of the footrule based on the concept of agreement, and developed a nonasymptotic procedure based on the Pearson type 111 distribution to determine the probability of an observed footrule value. In this paper, Spearman's footrule is further generalized to encompass b 2 2 sets of ranks. Let denote an average distance function based on all possible paired absolute dlHerences among values of the b rankmgs and let
Transformation of rat fibroblasts and formation of virus-induced syncytia.

Human KC cells1 and rat XC cells2 transformed by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) fuse to form multinucleate syncytia in the presence of several retroviruses3–11, although neither cell line itself produces virus. XC cells form syncytia on co-cultivation with cells producing murine leukaemia virus (MuLV)3 and with purified MuLV4. This altered cytopathic property is readily quantified and is a useful assay both for titrating MuLV and for detecting cells producing these viruses3,5,6. Fusion occurs from without and does not require viral replication7. We recently described the fu-1 cell line of developmentally defective rat myoblasts, which can also undergo synctia formation either by co-cultivation with cells infected with Moloney MuLV (MoMuLV) or on infection with intact or UV-inactivated MoMuLV12. On chronic infection with MoMuLV, fu-1 cells become refractive to syncytia formation12; this is also true of XC and KC cells infected with their appropriate respective viruses9,11,13. However, in contrast with XC and KC cells, fu-1 cells do release an endogenous retrovirus14,15. Whereas XC, KC and fu-1 cells are transformed and can undergo virus-induced fusion, neither 118 MG cells10 nor L8 myoblasts12 (the non-transformed parents of KC and fu-1 cells, respectively), form these virus-induced syncytia. This suggests that the capacity of cells to undergo retrovirus-induced fusion rests with their transformed status. We report here that Rat-1 cells, transformed with the temperature-sensitive transformation mutant RSV-tsLA29 (ref. 16), only form syncytia in the presence of MoMuLV when these cells are preincubaated at 35 °C, the temperature permissive for transformation, and not at 40 °C, the non-permissive temperature. Rat-1 cells transformed with wild-type avian sarcoma virus form MoMuLV-induced syncytia at both temperatures. Thus, virus-induced transformation promotes changes in these cells that render them competent to undergo subsequent virus-induced fusion.
How young, technical consumers assess online WOM credibility

Purpose – Specifically focusing on one antecedent (information seeker's characteristics) for electronic word‐of‐mouth adoption and credibility assessments, the purpose of this paper is to attempt to shed light on consumer motivations for making and taking online recommendations, and how technically savvy consumers assess credibility online.Design/methodology/approach – To investigate the role and influence of word‐of‐mouth (WOM) amongst technically savvy online consumers, purposeful sampling was used to limit participants to those who have made online purchases and who spend more than three hours a day on the internet. Using an adaptation of the grounded theory method, this study was triangulated via one face‐to‐face interview with each participant, member‐checking, analysis of online communications deemed “not credible” by the participants, and through relevant literature from marketing and information systems (IS).Findings – Analysis shows that participants exhibit more of a “bricks‐to‐clicks” than a “c...
Effects of carbon dioxide on mineral weathering rates at earth surface conditions

The weathering of silicate minerals is an important long-term control on the global carbon budget. While the rate of mineral weathering is influenced by the atmospheric variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide, the only measurements of those effects have occurred during dissolution experiments at temperatures much higher than earth surface conditions. Thus, any climate models that include such a relationship may not be able to fully couple variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide with the lithospheric sinks. Our study presents a relationship for the dependence of plagioclase dissolution rates on PCO2 based on field data from a site in the southeastern Sierra Nevada drainages. A series of canyons that have similar drainages show wide variability in water chemistry that is attributed to variations in PCO2 from geothermal sources. This setting allowed us to isolate the effect of PCO2 on weathering rates in conditions relevant to climate models. The results show that mineral dissolution rates are proportional to PCO2 0.45 when the observed variations are attributed solely to variations in PCO2 . This relationship is likely to be more applicable to climate models than prior laboratory derived data. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Supporting virtual communities through disciplinary repository development

Purpose – This article aims to discuss the implementation of social networking tools onto existing disciplinary repository platforms – both commercial and open source – with the purpose of building enhanced disciplinary repository‐based virtual communities.Design/methodology/approach – This article is a case study. The University of Massachusetts Amherst has served as a test‐bed for two disciplinary repository‐based virtual communities, InterNano and ESENCe, both of which serve as examples for the development of features that facilitate social connections in emerging multi‐disciplinary fields. Two different approaches to the technical implementation of social networking tools onto standard disciplinary repository software platforms are described, as well as the challenges faced by each project.Findings – Although disciplinary repositories are not typically conceived as social spaces, disciplinary repositories can integrate social networking components to act as “knowledge brokers” for emerging disciplines...
Generation and use of synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries for basic research and drug discovery

Existing methods for the synthesis and screening of large numbers of peptides are limited by their inability to generate and screen the requisite number (millions) of individual peptides and/or their inability to generate unmodified free peptides in quantities able to interact in solution. We have circumvented these limitations by developing synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries composed of mixtures of free peptides in quantities which can be used directly in virtually all existing assay systems. The screening of these heterogeneous libraries, along with an iterative selection and synthesis process, permits the systematic identification of optimal peptide ligands. Starting with a library composed of more than 34 million hexa-peptides, we present here the precise identification of an antigenic determinant recognized by a monoclonal antibody as well as the straightforward development of new potent antimicrobial peptides.
Evidence against Formation of A23187 Dimers and Oligomers in Solution: Photo-Induced Degradation of Ionophore A23187☆☆☆

Abstract Ionophore A23187 has been proposed to form Ca2+-conducting channels that arise from dimers and oligomers of the compound (e.g., Balasubramanian, S. V., and Easwaran, K. R. K. (1989)Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.158, 891–897). To investigate this possibility, the solution behavior of A23187 in chloroform,n-hexane, ethanol, 80% methanol–water, and palmitoyloleoylphosphatidyl choline (POPC) vesicles was investigated using UV–VIS, circular dichroism (CD), and1H NMR techniques. The concentration dependence of the UV–VIS and CD spectra obtained in freshly prepared chloroform solutions indicates that neutral A23187 (HA) exists as a monomer for ionophore concentrations in the range of 50–1000 μ m . The cause of time- and concentration-dependent spectral alterations which gave rise to the dimer/channel hypothesis was also investigated. For solutions of 50–1000 μ m A23187 in chloroform,n-hexane, and ethanol stored in the dark, no spectral changes were observed for periods of 2 months. However, solutions in these solvents did show time-dependent spectral changes when exposed to light. In 80% methanol–water or phospholipid vesicles, similar spectral changes were observed, even when the solutions were protected from light. Application of TLC and MS methods indicate that the time-dependent spectral changes reflect degradation of A23187, not dimer or oligomer formation. The degradative processes proceed with half-lives ranging from ∼75 to >400 h, and are influenced by several factors, including solvent, exposure to light, ionophore concentration, pH, and the presence of metal ions, EDTA, dissolved oxygen, and a radical inhibitor. The kinetics of Ca2+transport into Quin-2-loaded POPC vesicles by authentic A23187 give no evidence of a channel mechanism, even following a previous and lengthy coincubation of the ionophore with the vesicles.
Petrology and Sedimentology of Ophiomorpha Nodosa and Modern Callianasid Burrows: ABSTRACT

The trace fossil, Ophiomorpha nodosa Lundgren, callianasid burrows, and other similar decapod domichnia exhibit petrographically distinct wall structures that are formed by the mandibular activities of the decapods during construction of their tubular domiciles. These decapod burrows are lined with one or two layers of aggregated sand pellets, 1-10 mm in diameter. The pellets, in turn, are composed of radially oriented, 0.025-0.5-mm subspherical masses of sand grains in a fine-grained, organo-clay matrix. Callianasid decapods live and construct ophiomorphid burrows in a wide range of marine and brackish-water environments, including estuaries, bays, lagoons, tidal pools and creeks, beaches, shallow-littoral deposits, and in sediments at least 1.5 km offshore at depths of at least 12 m. Ophiomorphid burrows of Callianasa major and C. atlanticus average only about 5 burrows/sq m in the high-energy, open-marine shore zones and increase to an average of 20 burrows/sq m in 10 m of water, 1 km offshore. The highest concentrations of actively used ophiomorphid burrows, up to 450/sq m, are in the protected, low-energy, tidal pools of the bay and lagoon shores. Contrary to previous reports, callianasid burrows and their ancient equivalents, Ophiomorpha nodosa Lundgren, are not indicators of the high-energy, open-marine littoral zone. Callianasa major and C. atlanticus burrows extend down, vertically, to depths of 4.7 m below the sediment surface, where they branch laterally as interconnected, horizontal gallery systems of wide extent. Identical configurations of Ophiomorpha nodosa Lundgren are present in the Gulf Coastal Plain Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments. End_of_Article - Last_Page 801------------
Electron Cyclotron Emission from the Princeton Large Tokamak

Experimental measurements of electron cyclotron emission from the Princeton Large Tokamak plasma reveal that blackbody emission occurs at the fundamental frequency. Such emission, not possible by direct thermal excitation of electromagnetic waves, is herein attributed to thermal excitation of electrostatic (Bernstein) waves which then mode convert into electromagnetic waves. The local feature of the electrostatic wave generation permits spatially and temporally resolved measurements of electron temperature as for the second-harmonic emission.
Segregation of leptine glycoalkaloids and resistance to Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)) in F2Solanum tuberosum (4x) × S. chacoense (4x) potato progenies.

Solanum chacoense Bitter is resistant to the Colorado potato beetle (CPB),Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say). Resistance has been associated with the presence of a rare class of glycoalkaloids, the leptines. In this study, seven tetraploid, F2S. tuberosum xS. chacoense families were evaluated for foliar production of leptines I and II, leptinines I and II, and α-solanine and α-chaconine; and screened for resistance to CPB in the laboratory and field. Resistance was correlated with the concentrations of glycoalkaloids on a family and an individual basis. Leptine concentrations ranged from undetectable to a high of 18.0 mg/g dry weight. All of the progeny produced solanine and chaconine. Family 9623 had the highest mean leptine concentration and the lowest mean leaf disk feeding and CPB defoliation levels. Family 9616 had the lowest mean glycoalkaloid concentration and ranked as one of the most susceptible families. Regression analyses of solanine + chaconine, leptine I and II, and leptinine I and II foliar concentrations versus leaf disk consumption and field defoliation revealed that only increased foliar levels of leptines resulted in decreased CPB feeding. The regression models for leptines versus leaf disk consumption and field defoliation were highly significant, accounting for 17% and 26% of the variation in consumption and defoliation, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work reporting the impact of leptine and leptinine concentrations on CPB feeding in tetraploid,S. tuberosum xS. chacoense potato hybrids. Results are discussed within the context of breeding for resistance to CPB.
Ab Initio Studies of Small Molecules Using 1s Gaussian Basis Functions. II. H3

Self‐consistent‐field and CI variational calculations are presented for the ground state of H3+ using a basis of floating 1s Gaussian orbitals. The best SCF calculation, thought to be near the Hartree—Fock limit, gives E=−1.29993 a.u. for Re=1.6405 a.u. in equilateral triangular (D3h) geometry. The CI wavefunction which is the best rigorous variational result presently available for H3+ gives E=−1.33764 a.u. at Re=1.6504 a.u. in D3h geometry. It is estimated to lie 0.004–0.01 a.u. above the exact result. The electronic structure of H3+ is interpreted in terms of three‐center bonds since the electron density is found to be higher within the triangle than along its sides. Enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy are computed, and the thermodynamics of several reactions of H3+ examined. In particular, the standard molar enthalpy of formation is found to have a rigorous upper bound of 270 kcal. Variational studies are also presented for D3h H3+ + which give E=−0.12373 a.u. at R=1.68 a.u.
PLANNED INCAPACITY TO SUCCEED? POLICY-MAKING STRUCTURE AND POLICY FAILURE

Policies may fail in two analytically distinct ways: they may fail to achieve their goals, or they may fail to retain political support and be terminated. By failing to distinguish between ineffectiveness and political failure, the three most common interpretations of the War on Poverty and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (failure owing to central government incompetence, failure owing to pluralism, and “hidden” success) cannot adequately account for the gap between their ambiguous performance and their clear political failure. To understand these differences, one must understand the effect of America's fragmented political structure on the design and implementation of poverty and unemployment remedies. Under resource constraints and given a large degree of policy discretion, American states in the aggregate have retained their historic resistance to social policies that would increase short-term expenditures and reduce the attractiveness of their business climate. These jurisdictions and their Congressional representatives opposed new fully nationalized initiatives, insisting on policy designs that promised fiscal relief while protecting state and local policy control. National policymakers found that grant-in-aid programs offered the path of least resistance in these circumstances. Although social policy grant programs could win initial approval in Congress, these designs proved to be increasingly unwieldy, expensive, and difficult to control in practice. The programs yielded ambiguous overall results but provided unambiguous examples of waste, fraud and abuse, fueling the perception of failure and contributing to the backlash against these programs and their political failure.
Evaluation of a multi-hop airborne ip backbone with heterogeneous radio technologies

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the DoD to build an on-demand airborne network for communications relay utilizing high capacity, long-range military radio systems. While these systems operate well in a network of homogeneous systems, platforms generally employ multiple heterogeneous radio systems making internetworking difficult due to varying radio characteristics and lack of interoperability. Although simulations and emulation tests can provide a baseline for how systems will perform in a controlled environment, field-tests are crucial to demonstrate capabilities in real-world operating environments. In this paper, we present measurement results from a field test involving two airborne platforms forming a dynamically routed aerial IP backbone over 200 nautical mile (Nm) with various radio systems as part of the C4ISR 2010 exercise. We present measurements results on per link performance, radio-to-router interface performance, and multi-hop network performance results with prototype software on open source platforms.
Codes from the line graphs of complete multipartite graphs and PD-sets

The binary codes of the line graphs L"m(n) of the complete multipartite graphs K"n"""1","...","n"""m (n"i=n for 1==2, m>=3 are examined, and PD-sets and s-PD-sets are found.
Estimation of the parameters in two linear models with only some of the parameter vectors identical

Abstract Two normal linear models with some of the parameters identical are considered in this paper. The paper gives a feasible estimate of the common parameters and discusses its properties. In addition, the effects on other parameters caused by the common parameters are also studied.
The effects of LSD and some analogues on the responses of single cortical neurons of the cat to optical stimulation.

Abstract The effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and its analogues, 2-bromo-LSD (BOL) and methysergide, have been investigated on the responses to photic stimulation of single neurons in the striate cortex of the paralyzed, anesthetized cat. Systemic LSD (0.1–50 μg/kg, i.v.) produced: (a) enhancement or depression of evoked activity, the former being common with low, the latter with high doses; (b) changes in directional selectivity; and (c) changes in unstimulated background discharges. The effectiveness of the drug was reduced by repeated administration. Both BOL (10–75 μg/kg) and methysergide (100–700 μg/kg) produced effects qualitatively similar to LSD, but were considerably less potent. Microelectrophoretic administrations of LSD to single cortical neurons had actions similar to those caused by intravenous administration. BOL and methysergide required much larger currents to produce any effect and sometimes no effect could be induced by iontophoresis. It was concluded that these drugs influence visually evoked neuronal responses mainly by acting directly on cortical cells or synapses; and that the interference with visual cortical function could account for the distortion of visual perception caused by lysergic acid analogues; but that the hallucinogenic and psychotomimetic actions of LSD probably require additional, subcortical effects.
Fluvial sediment budgets in the North Carolina Piedmont

Phillips, J.D., 1991. Fluvial sediment budgets in the North Carolina Piedmont. Geomorphology, 4:231-241. Sediment budgets for four large ( > 1000 km 2) drainage basins in the Piedmont physiographic province of North Carolina were estimated from data compiled during erosion and sedimentation surveys. Budgets for the Upper Tar, Upper Neuse, Haw and Deep River basins showed broadly similar trends in allocation of eroded sediment among yield and storage. Sediment yield as a percentage of mean annual gross erosion within the basins averaged 10%. This was less than the rate of alluvial storage, which averaged 14% of annual gross erosion. About 76% of the mean annual erosion was stored as colluvium on hillslopes. There are relatively small differences in sediment delivery and storage ratios among the study basins. This suggests that the relative order of magnitude of the allocation of eroded sediment for southern Piedmont rivers is colluvial storage, alluvial storage and yield. Of the sediment that does reach the streams, more than half is stored as alluvium on an average-annual basis. Aggrading channels and floodplains, siltation of benthic habitats and sediment pollution problems are thus likely to persist unless dramatic reductions in upland erosion or in sediment delivery to streams are realized. With respect to longer-term basin evolution, results point to the need for an improved understanding of the temporal scales of colluvial and alluvial sediment storage.
Lexical retrieval mechanisms underlying whole-word perseveration errors in anomic aphasia

Abstract In this study, factors that influence the occurrence of perseverative and nonperseverative word substitution errors produced by three subjects on the Philadebhia Naming Test are examined. Specifically, target-error similarity (semantic and/or phonological) is shown to influence the occurrence of both perseverative and non-perseverative errors within a subject's error profile. In a second analysis, an interaction between target-error similarity and processing factors (recency and frequency of prior production) are identified on the overall probability that word perseverations will occur. Two accounts of perseveration are considered in the discussion of these findings: (1) perseveration results from a failure to inhibit a prior response; and (2) perseveration results from a summation of residual priming activation of a prior response and spreading activation from the representation of the current target word.
Piko: a framework for authoring programmable graphics pipelines

We present Piko, a framework for designing, optimizing, and retargeting implementations of graphics pipelines on multiple architectures. Piko programmers express a graphics pipeline by organizing the computation within each stage into spatial bins and specifying a scheduling preference for these bins. Our compiler, Pikoc, compiles this input into an optimized implementation targeted to a massively-parallel GPU or a multicore CPU. Piko manages work granularity in a programmable and flexible manner, allowing programmers to build load-balanced parallel pipeline implementations, to exploit spatial and producer-consumer locality in a pipeline implementation, and to explore tradeoffs between these considerations. We demonstrate that Piko can implement a wide range of pipelines, including rasterization, Reyes, ray tracing, rasterization/ray tracing hybrid, and deferred rendering. Piko allows us to implement efficient graphics pipelines with relative ease and to quickly explore design alternatives by modifying the spatial binning configurations and scheduling preferences for individual stages, all while delivering real-time performance that is within a factor six of state-of-the-art rendering systems.
Leg Stretcher for Rehabilitation

To alleviate some of the problems associated with upper motor neuron diseases, passive movement and stretching are often prescribed. However, the patient has to make continual and frequent visits to a physical therapist, which is expensive and inconvenient. Therefore, there is a need for devices by which the patient can self-administer some of the prescribed exercise(s) at home. In this paper, the design of a portable unit for self-administered stretching of thigh muscles is presented.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The long-term benefit of surgery on health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Hypotheses: Health-related quality of life (HRQL) has been shown to improve dramatically shortly after surgery in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our hypotheses were that (1) improved HRQL would be maintained long term in patients after surgery for ulcerative colitis and (2) the improved HRQL in patients with Crohn disease would decline with long-term follow-up. Design: Consecutive series of patients undergoing surgery for IBD between June 1994 and January 2000 prospectively investigated as a cohort outcomes study. Patients: Data were obtained in 139 patients. The diagnoses were Crohn disease (n=56) and ulcerative colitis (n=83). Intervention: Patients with Crohn disease underwent resections with or without stricturoplasties; all but 5 patients with ulcerative colitis underwent ileal pouch-anal anastomoses. Main Outcome Measure: Health status was measured using the Health Status Questionnaire (HSQ) preoperatively and then every 3 months postoperatively. Results: Preoperative HSQ scores were very low in all 8 scales of the HSQ. Postoperatively, HRQL measures improved significantly (P<.05) both in patients with Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, with scores equal to or better than published scores in the general population. In patients with Crohn disease, the scores improved significantly after surgical resection and steadily increased despite disease recurrence and reoperations. The HRQL at last follow-up was equivalent to the general population. The improvements were statistically significant in patients followed up for more than 1 year in 7 of 8 scales of the HSQ. Conclusions: These results confirm that HRQL is poor in patients with IBD referred for possible operation. Surgical resection resulted in significant improvement in HRQL. More important, the results were durable. With follow-up up to 6 years, the HRQL in this cohort was equal to or better than norms for the general population both in patients with ulcerative colitis and with Crohn disease. We believe these data justify aggressive surgical intervention in many patients with IBD and support the prospective study of HRQL by surgeons treating patients with chronic diseases.
Methods Meet Policy: Transnational Monitoring of the Israel–Palestine Conflict

For the past 2 years, the Kansas Event Data System project has been using event data and other web-based sources to produce quarterly reports on the Israel–Palestine conflict for the swisspeace (Swiss Peace Foundation) FAST Project, which is sponsored by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and a number of non-governmental organizations. This paper describes the indicators that we are monitoring, the process we have developed to generate the reports, and the supplemental sources we are using. We address the issue of the differences between newspaper and news wire reports with respect to “media fatigue” effects and also analyze some of the strengths and weaknesses of this approach to conflict monitoring.
Beta-blockade with bucindolol in heart failure caused by ischemic versus idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUNDWe investigated the effects of bucindolol, a nonselective, non-ISA beta-blocker with mild-vasodilatory properties, in patients with congestive heart failure from ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (ISCDC, n = 27) and compared the results with those in subjects with heart failure from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC, n = 22).METHODS AND RESULTSPatients were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive 12 weeks' treatment with either bucindolol or placebo, with randomization stratified for IDC or ISCDC: Invasive (right heart catheterization) and noninvasive (echo, MUGA, central venous norepinephrine, exercise treadmill studies, and symptom scores) tests of heart failure severity were determined at baseline and end of the study. For all subjects (ISCDC plus IDC), relative to placebo treatment, bucindolol-treated patients had significant improvement in ejection fraction, left ventricular size and filling pressure, stroke work index, symptom score, and central venous norepinephrine. However, m...
Dynamic analysis of the TFTR bumper limiter

Abstract Of the many components and systems comprising a fusion reactor like the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR), few, if any, are subjected to more extreme and severe conditions than the protective armor for the interior vacuum vessel wall. The primary TFTR limiter, referred to as the Phase II bumper limiter, provides protection of the inner vacuum vessel wall from neutral beam shine through, normal plamsa loads, and major disruptive instabilities. The highly transient nature of forces and temperatures induced by these conditions produces significant dynamic responses in various parts of the bumper limiter structural system. This paper addresses the incorporation of a finite element dynamic analysis in the study of bumper limiter behavior when subjected to several electromagnetic load scenarios. These loads, due to a variety of realistic plasma conditions, were used in the interactive design and optimization of limiter components and support locations and flexibilities which enable the structure to perform within established criteria.
Potential adsorbent for light hydrocarbon separation: Role of SBA-15 framework porosity

Samples of mesoporous silica SBA-15 with and without controlled framework microporosity were prepared under microwave hydrothermal conditions. These samples were evaluated for their ability to separate ethane and ethylene by obtaining their equilibrium adsorption isotherms using volumetric adsorption at 303 and 323 K, respectively. The data obtained were analyzed using the Langmuir−Freundlich adsorption isotherm model. Although the mesoporous silica samples showed a higher adsorption capacity for ethylene, it was found to decrease upon reduction in the adsorbent's framework microporosity. Likewise, the isosteric heats of adsorption estimated by the Clausius−Clapeyron equation are higher for ethylene as compared to those for ethane and were also found to depend on framework microporosity. The sample with higher microporosity displayed strong affinity for ethylene and is comparable with those reported for π-complexation-based systems. This affinity was observed to weaken on the sample with lower microporosi...
Socioeconomic Predictors of Mastery Among Mothers in Poverty

Predictors of mastery among low-income mothers of children eligible for Early Head Start (N = 2093) were examined. Participants' levels of mastery were assessed approximately 14 months after the birth of their child. Mothers living in extreme poverty did not exhibit lower levels of mastery when compared to other mothers when controlling for other socioeconomic factors. African American mothers showed the highest levels of mastery, and single mothers showed lower levels of mastery than mothers who were married or living with the father of their child. Education was positively related to mastery. Possible mechanisms for these relationships are discussed. Future research should examine mastery as a dynamic construct, especially among persons living in poverty, by using longitudinal methods.
Protein-linked oligosaccharide implicated in cell-cell adhesion in two Dictyostelium species.

Abstract Monoclonal antibody d-41, previously shown to block in vitro cell-cell adhesion in aggregating Dictyostelium discoideum, also blocks adhesion in aggregating D. purpureum. In both species the antibody reacts with proteins with Mr ∼ 80,000, 37,000, and 27,000, presumed to be glycoproteins since the d-41 epitope is destroyed by periodate oxidation but unaffected by extensive Pronase digestion. Polyclonal antibodies raised against the mixture of d-41 reactive glycoproteins that had been purified by immunoaffinity chromatography are potent inhibitors of D. discoideum adhesion, and adhesion-blocking activity is neutralized extensively and equivalently by each of the purified glycoproteins from D. discoideum with which d-41 reacts. In contrast, polyclonal antibodies raised against the same purified glycoproteins after they had been oxidized with periodate do not block cell-cell adhesion although they react with the glycoproteins with Mr ∼ 80,000, 37,000, and 27,000 and bind as extensively to the surface of aggregating D. discoideum cells as do the adhesion-blocking polyclonal antibodies. When taken together, these results raise the possibility that some component of the d-41 binding oligosaccharide participates in cell-cell adhesion.
Sites of Actions of Contractile and Relaxant Effects of Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Peptide (PACAP) in the Internal Anal Sphincter Smooth Musclea

In summary, PACAP exerts a biphasic effect (an initial contraction followed by a relaxation) in the IAS. The initial contractile effect with higher concentrations of PACAP was found to be mediated by the activation of PACAP receptor at the substance P-containing nerve terminals. The PACAP receptor(s) responsible for the inhibitory action of the neuropeptide is(are) hypothesized to be present in the IAS smooth muscle cells and on the myenteric nerve terminals. The exact nature and the role of PACAP and the PACAP receptors in the inhibitory neurotransmission, the relationship of PACAP receptors with substance P-containing neurons and IAS smooth muscle cells, and interactions with the NOS pathway and VIP remain to be determined.
Neonatal Meningitis in the New Millennium

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe recent changes in the incidence and outcome of neonatal bacterial meningitis. 2. Characterize the predominant responsible organisms and susceptibility of neonates to bacterial meningitis in developed countries. 3. Discuss whether routine lumbar puncture is indicated in the evaluation for sepsis/meningitis immediately after birth. 4. Characterize the duration of positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures with gram-negative bacillary meningitis. 5. Discuss the usefulness of C-reactive protein in the diagnosis and management of neonatal bacterial meningitis. 6. Describe the best predictors of an adverse outcome in neonatal bacterial meningitis. Although bacterial sepsis and meningitis often are linked closely in neonates, the frequency with which neonatal meningitis occurs relative to neonatal sepsis has decreased in recent years. Instead of one case of meningitis for every three or four cases of sepsis, it is now closer to 1 in 20, at least in developed countries. Indeed, a 1996 report from Australia documented a rate of 1 in 40 (5/209). Reports published in the past decade indicate an incidence of neonatal meningitis of 0.16 to 0.45 per 1,000 live births in developed countries. Rates may be higher in underdeveloped countries. Case fatality (mortality) rates in several recent reports from developed countries have ranged from 3% to 13% compared with 25% to 30% in reports from 15 to 20 years ago, although less developed countries still report rates of 30% to 40%. Case fatality rates vary with the causative organism, but generally are higher for gram-negative organisms. Some recent reports have suggested that the outlook for neonates who have meningitis may be improving regarding case fatality rates and neurodevelopmental outcome. Nevertheless, clinicians need to remain vigilant and investigate when sepsis and meningitis are suspected. Early treatment remains the best hope of preventing long-term deficits, although it is difficult to assess the adverse consequences …
Parent Care in the Context of Women's Multiple Roles

This article addresses the multiple roles held by women involved in parent care and the ways in which these roles affect the women's well-being. Research on women's roles (including that of caregiver) has been guided by two opposing perspectives, the scarcity hypothesis and the expansion hypothesis. Findings from our studies of role quality, role combinations, and role spillover have provided abundant evidence that the lives of these women cannot be easily captured by either the scarcity or the expansion hypothesis alone.
Effects of a nonapeptide FTS on lymphocyte differentiations in vitro.

BACH et al.1,2 have reported the amino acid sequence of a putative thymic hormone isolated from pig serum3, a nonapeptide called FTS (facteur thymique serique). Natural and synthetic FTS showed high activity in the rosette test used as a bioassay1,2. Bioassays for thymic hormones4, however, can be spuriously triggered by many substances of non-thymic origin5, a finding probably related to mediation by a cyclic AMP second signal6. Early steps in B-cell differentiation are also mediated by cyclic AMP (refs 6–9) and comparison of induction of T cells and B cells from committed precursor cells in vitro (the dual induction assay) enables a distinction to be made between selective and non-selective inducing agents7,8. This is exemplified by induction studies in the mouse with thymopoietin10,11 and ubiquitin7,12,13. Bovine thymopoietin selectively induces T-cell differentiation and actually inhibits B-cell differentiation9. By contrast, ubiquitin is non-selective, inducing both T- and B-cell differentiation7. Ubiquitin at high concentrations does not induce differentiation whereas these high concentrations do not impair induction by thymopoietin or other agents8,14. Another feature of induction by ubiquitin is its inhibition by the β-adrenoceptor-blocking drug propranolol, which is without effect on induction by thymopoietin7. We have evaluated synthetic FTS in the dual induction system in the chicken to determine whether it showed inductive selectivity appropriate to a thymic hormone, and have found that it induced non-selective differentiation of both T cells and B cells and closely resembled ubiquitin in its activity.
Using Computational Fluid Dynamics-Rigid Body Dynamic (CFD-RBD) Results to Generate Aerodynamic Models for Projectile Flight Simulation

AbstractA method to efficiently generate a complete aerodynamic description for projectile flight dynamic modelling is described. At the core of the method is an unsteady, time accurate computational fluid dynamic simulation that is tightly coupled to a rigid projectile flight dynamic simulation. A set of short time snippets of simulated projectile motion at different Mach numbers is computed and employed as baseline data. For each time snippet, aerodynamic forces and moments and the full rigid body state vector of the projectile are known. With time synchronized air loads and state vector information, aerodynamic coefficients can be estimated with a simple fitting procedure. By inspecting the condition number of the fitting matrix, it is straightforward to assess the suitability of the time history data to predict a selected set of aerodynamic coefficients. The technique it is exercised on an exemplar fin-stabilized projectile with good results.
Postmenopausal endogenous oestrogens and risk of endometrial cancer: results of a prospective study

We assessed the association of postmenopausal serum levels of oestrogens and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) with endometrial cancer risk in a case-control study nested within the NYU Women's Health Study cohort. Among 7054 women postmenopausal at enrolment, 57 cases of endometrial cancer were diagnosed a median of 5.5 years after blood donation. Each case was compared to 4 controls matched on age, menopausal status at enrolment, and serum storage duration. Endometrial cancer risk increased with higher levels of oestradiol (odds ratio = 2.4 in highest vs lowest tertile, P for trend = 0.02), percent free oestradiol (OR = 3.5, P< 0.001), and oestrone (OR = 3.9, P< 0.001). Risk decreased with higher levels of percent SHBG-bound oestradiol (OR = 0.43, P = 0.03) and SHBG (OR = 0.39, P = 0.01). Trends remained in the same directions after adjusting for height and body mass index. A positive association of body mass index with risk was substantially reduced after adjusting for oestrone level. Our results indicate that risk of endometrial cancer increases with increasing postmenopausal oestrogen levels but do not provide strong support for a role of body mass index independent of its effect on oestrogen levels.
Triphasic Contrast Agent Injection in 64-MDCT Coronary Artery Angiography

Purpose: To evaluate image quality and cardiovascular enhancement after triphasic injection in 64-slice-CT coronary angiography (c-CTA). Methods: c-CTA of twenty-two asymptomatic patients following triphasic injection (65ml-contrast bolus + mixed 30mlcontrast and 20ml-saline bolus + 50ml-saline chaser) were retrospectively reviewed. Attenuation in the great vessels, cardiac chambers, and coronary arteries in 13 places were measured by region of interest. Also, differences in enhancement between the right coronary artery (RCA) and the right cardiac chambers (RCA versus right atrium or RA; RCA versus right ventricle or RV) were analyzed. Quality of images and contrast-related streak artifacts were subjectively assessed by 2 radiologists in consensus on a 4-point scale. Results: There was excellent enhancement in the coronary arteries (mean range 395.84-429.90 Hounsfield Units or HU), ascending aorta (mean 448.58 HU), descending aorta (mean 433.49 HU), and pulmonary artery (mean 385.45 HU). There was adequate difference in attenuation between RCA versus RA (mean range 126.12-148.43 HU) and RCA versus RV (mean range 50.3472.66 HU). There was high and inhomogeneous attenuation in the superior vena cava (mean 509.23 HU). The quality of images was considered good (mean 1.6; 1 = excellent, 2 = good, 3 = moderate, 4 = low) and contrast-related streak artifacts were considered low (mean 2.9; 1 = severe, 2 = moderate, 3 = low, 4 = absent) by two radiologists. Conclusions: Our triphasic contrast injection provides excellent cardiovascular enhancement with minimal contrastrelated streak artifacts, particularly in the right cardiac chambers while adequately differentiating the right coronary artery.
Spinel compositional variation in the crustal and mantle lithologies of the Othris ophiolite

Spinels from cumulus and non-cumulus members of the Othris ophiolite display a considerable variation in composition. Cumulus picrites and gabbros contain either a primary chromite and/or a reaction spinel formed by reaction with co-existing silicates (Cr-Al varia tion) or intercumulus liquid (Cr-Fe variation). Non-cumulus peridotites contain spinels which vary along a Cr-Al trend. Harzburgites contain a Cr-spinel and lherzolites a more aluminous spinel. The occurence of gabbroic segregations within the host lherzolite appears to affect the spinel chemistry. Spinels adjacent to these plagioclase—diopside veinlets are richer in aluminium than the spinels scattered within the depleted lherzolite surrounding the veinlet. [Protoclastic harzburgites contain a highly aluminous spinel phase either as an exsolution phase within pyroxenes or as a groundmass spinel.] The Cr-Al variation of the peridotites is believed to have resulted from interaction with interstitial aluminous liquid—in situ basaltic melt from a fused peridotite?