cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of regional myocardial ischemia on Doppler echocardiographic indexes of left ventricular performance: Influence of heart rate, aortic blood pressure, and the size of the ischemic zone

Doppler echocardiographic indexes of ascending aortic blood flow velocity have been found to be an effective method of assessing changes in left ventricular performance induced by myocardial ischemia in both experimental animal preparations and in patients. In eight opened-chest anesthetized dogs, we investigated the influence of heart rate, aortic blood pressure, and size of the ischemic zone on Doppler indexes during regional myocardial ischemia. With control of mean aortic blood pressure and heart rate, transient coronary artery occlusion resulted in a statistically significant decline in peak velocity and mean velocity when as little as 24% of left ventricular myocardium was rendered ischemic. However, when heart rate and mean aortic blood pressure were not controlled, significant declines in peak velocity and mean velocity occurred only with simultaneous two-vessel occlusions involving greater than 47% of left ventricular myocardium. Although transient coronary artery occlusions generally produced no significant change in heart rate in the absence of atrial pacing, significant declines in aortic blood pressure were observed. We conclude that Doppler indexes of left ventricular performance obtained during myocardial ischemia are influenced not only by the extent of myocardium rendered ischemic, but also by changes in mean aortic blood pressure.
Norepinephrine and epinephrine levels in affected versus unaffected limbs in sympathetically maintained pain.

Abstract Objective: To test the hypothesis that there is relative sympathetic hyperactivity in the affected limb in patients with sympathetically maintained pain syndromes by measuring serum norepinephrine and epinephrine in the affected versus the unaffected sides. Design: Venous pool samples were drawn just proximal to the affected area and from an identical site on the unaffected side. Serum norepinephrine and epinephrine were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Subjects: Sixteen women and seven men with a mean age of 44.4 years diagnosed as having sympathetically maintained pain on the basis of a positive response to paravertebral block and a criteria-based diagnostic scheme. Results: The serum norepinephrine level was significantly lower in the affected limbs than the unaffected limbs (p = 0.024). The serum epinephrine level was not significantly different. Conclusions: These results are not consistent with the hypothesis of segmental sympathetic hyperactivity in the affected limb in sympathetically maintained pain and support a hypothesis of peripheral receptor upregulation with pathologic response to circulating catecholamines. Other possible explanations are discussed.
EDITORIAL: Ethanol Evangelism and the Remaking of the American Midwest

Recently, I had the opportunity to drive across North America, from Olympia, Washington, to New York City. September—after the heat of the summer is past and before the biting cold of winter has bared its teeth—was a wonderful time to take a trip this year. I particularly remember the vast, open spaces of the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in north-central Nebraska, where I had an opportunity to clamber up a sand dune and chew the relentless wind that swept over the ocean of grass. With just the faintest imagination, immense bison herds replaced the quietly feeding cattle spotted across the landscape.
Inhibition of inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in endothelial cells by pentobarbital.

Abstract Barbiturates alter cardiovascular function, in part by an effect on vascular cells. However, a biochemical mechanism for the effect is unknown. We have, therefore, studied the effect of barbiturates on inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in cultured rat aortic endothelial cells. Hydrolysis was stimulated by angiotensin II, norepinephrine and phenylephrine. Pentobarbital, and other barbiturates, inhibited hydrolysis at pharmacological and clinical concentrations (0.1–0.5 mM). The inhibition by pentobarbital was concentration-dependent, reversed by washing, and was decreased by high concentrations of angiotensin II. Kinetic studies gave an apparent K m of hydrolysis by angiotensin II of 1.2 nM, which showed mixed inhibition by pentobarbital (K i = 0.45 mM). Schild analysis of data obtained from pentobarbital inhibition curves also showed a deviation from a competitive type inhibition. [ 125 I]Angiotensin II was bound to a high-affinity receptor (K d = 1.2 mM), which showed a competitive type inhibition of binding by pentobarbital (0.5 mM). Although inhibition of [ 125 I]angiotensin II binding appeared to be competitively inhibited by pentobarbital, the data, taken together, point to a deviation from a simple competitive type inhibition.
Monitoring periodic and episodic flow events at Monterey Bay seeps using a new optical flow meter

[1] To enable testing of the hypothesis that fluid flow from cold seeps responds to episodic tectonic events, we have developed a flow meter with a temporal resolution on the order of minutes. The Optical Tracer Injection System (OTIS) measures flow rates through the sediment-water interface (SWI) of 0.1 to >500 m/yr ± 10%, samples fluid for postrecovery chemical analysis, and is adaptable for use as a long-term real-time monitoring station. Laboratory and in situ testing demonstrate that the instrument meets temporal accuracy and resolution requirements necessary to detect transient flow events. In a deployment at an active seep site in Monterey Bay, the OTIS measured flow rates with tidal period variability. Time series analysis indicates flow rate and tide height records are in phase. This flow rate response to tides, together with seep fluid temperatures measured at the SWI of greater than 9°C, suggests the seep is connected via a highly permeable fracture or other conduit to an overpressured aquifer at a depth of at least 110 m. We infer the hydrogeology of this well-like system is further complicated by additional fluid sources since 3He/4He ratios are elevated, and there is a lack of correlation between flow rate and temperature records at frequencies lower than tidal frequencies. This short-duration deployment demonstrates the OTIS's potential to capture flow and chemistry transients associated with earthquakes and creep in the offshore environment.
USGS releases Alaska oil assessment

With the U.S. Congress gearing up for a House-Senate conference committee battle about whether to open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil drilling, a new assessment of the amount of oil in the federal portion of the U.S. National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NRPA) is influencing the debate. The U.S. Geological Survey has found that the NPRA holds “significantly greater” petroleum resources than had been estimated previously This finding was disclosed in a 16 May report. The assessment estimated that technically recoverable oil on NPRA federal lands are between 5.9 and 13.2 billion barrels of oil; a 1980 assessment estimated between 0.3 and 5.4 billion barrels.
Pipelined temporal difference imager

A 189×182 active pixel sensor for temporal difference computation is presented. The temporal difference imager, fabricated in AMI 0.5 µm process, contains in-pixel storage elements for previous and current frames. A pipelined architecture for difference readout is implemented, allowing >200 fps, 42 dB signal-to-noise ratio images and 8-bit precision of the difference image. The chip consumes 30 mW at 50 fps from 5 V power supply.
Chemical modification of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. thuringiensis (HD-524) trypsin-activated endotoxin: Implication of tyrosine residues in lepidopteran cell lysis☆

Abstract A purified protein fraction from a solubilized and trypsin-digested extract of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. thuringiensis (HD-524) fermentation powder was lytic to cells from several lepidopteran lines. Maximum yield was obtained by alkaline carbonate-thiocyanate solubilization of washed powder followed by trypsin digestion and Sephacryl (S-300) chromatography. The alkaline carbonate-solubilized fraction consisted predominantly of two bands on sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with MW of 144 ± 0.9 kDa and 134 ± 1.4 kDa. After trypsin treatment and column chromatography, the cytolytic fraction consisted of a major band with a MW of 60.0 ± 1.8 kDa and a minor band of 69 ± 0.9 kDa. Cells from Trichoplusia ni (TN368) were most susceptible to lysis with 50% of cells lysed at 3 μg/ml, followed by Spodoptera frugiperda cells (SF21AE) exhibiting 50% cell lysis at 5 μg/ml and Lymantria dispar cells (Ld652Y) showing 40% lysis at 10 μg/ml. Chemical modification of the polypeptides was performed to determine the role of certain amino acid residues in the cytolytic activity. The group-specific reagent tetranitromethane was used to nitrate and oxidize tyrosine and cysteine residues, respectively. Cysteine residues alone were also modified with p-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid. Lysine residues were modified with O-methylisourea. Of the three types of amino acid residues, only the modification of tyrosine resulted in reduced cell lysis.
A finite-element-method frequency-domain application of the perfectly matched layer (PML) concept

The perfectly matched layer (PML) concept, introduced by Berenger with the aim of synthesizing an absorbing boundary condition (ABC) for the finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) method, is modified and extended to the frequency domain for FEM applications. The governing equations that characterize this approach require neither the splitting of the field components of interest, nor do they involve negative conductivity parameters. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Conditioning techniques for dynamical fermions

Abstract We extend a preconditioning technique for lattice Wilson fermions, previously introduced for propagator measurements, to the case of simulations with dynamical fermions. We give a general (but simple) form for the inclusion of preconditioning on dynamic fermion simulation algorithms. Some very encouraging preliminary results are also discussed.
Effects of sustained gamma-hydroxybutyrate treatments on spontaneous and evoked firing activity of locus coeruleus norepinephrine neurons

Abstract Background Gamma-hydroxybutyrate is currently used to promote nighttime sleep in the treatment of narcolepsy; however, it is also a drug of abuse (“Liquid Ecstacy”) associated with a withdrawal syndrome with anxiety features. Of interest, the activity of locus coeruleus neurons is a reflective index of these above mentioned behavioral states. Methods Using in vivo extracellular unitary recordings, sustained administration of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (40 mg/kg/day via minipump implanted subcutaneously) on the spontaneous and sensory-evoked burst firing of locus coeruleus norepinephrine neurons was assessed in rats. Results A 2-day and 10-day gamma-hydroxybutyrate administration decreased the spontaneous firing activity of locus coeruleus neurons by 52% and 54%, respectively, when compared with controls. A similar degree of attenuation on evoked burst firing of norepinephrine neurons also occurred in these rats (2-day gamma-hydroxybutyrate: 47% and 10-day gamma-hydroxybutyrate: 58%), when compared with controls. In contrast, rats treated with gamma-hydroxybutyrate for 10 days followed by removal of the minipump for 36 hours resulted in a 33% augmentation in spontaneous locus coeruleus activity as compared with controls. Furthermore, a robust 79% increase in burst firing in response to paw-pinch was exhibited in theses rats. Conclusions Chronic gamma-hydroxybutyrate treatment inhibits the spontaneous and sensory-evoked burst firing of locus coeruleus norepinephrine neurons, whereas these indices are enhanced during drug withdrawal. The alteration in norepinephrine activity during chronic gamma-hydroxybutyrate administration may contribute to the ability of this agent to induce sleep and regulate narcoleptic episodes. Enhanced norepinephrine activity during withdrawal may be related to symptoms of anxiety on rapid termination of this drug in abusers.
Characterization of a Novel Analogue of 1α,25(OH)2-Vitamin D3 with Two Side Chains: Interaction with Its Nuclear Receptor and Cellular Actions

The hormone 1α,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 (125D) binds to its nuclear receptor (VDR) to stimulate gene transcription activity. Inversion of configuration at C-20 of the side chain to generate 20-epi-1α,25(OH)2D3 (20E-125D) increases transcription 200−5000-fold over 125D with its 20-normal (20N) side chain. This enhancement has been attributed to the VDR ligand-binding domain (LBD) having different contact sites for 20N and 20E side chains that generate different VDR conformations. We synthesized 1α,25-dihydroxy-21-(3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl)vitamin D3 (Gemini) with two six-carbon side chains (both 20N and 20E orientations). Energy minimization calculations indicate the Gemini side chain possesses significantly more energy minima than either 125D or 20E-125D (2346, 207, and 127 minima, respectively). We compared activities of 125D, 20E-125D, and Gemini, respectively, in several assays: binding to wild-type (100%, 147%, and 38%) and C-terminal-truncated mutant VDR; transcriptional activity (of the transfected osteop...
Modulating the frequency and bias of stochastic switching to control phenotypic variation

Mechanisms that control gene expression variation in cells can affect factors such as population growth and adaptability. Here, the authors present a strategy that allows both the level and amount of variation in gene expression to be tuned in E. coli populations using the fim switch.
Premarin-induced increases in coronary and uterine blood flow in nonpregnant sheep.

Abstract Objective: Menopause is associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease among women, and estrogen replacement therapy is thought to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. The mechanism by which this occurs is unclear, but coronary arterial endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells have been shown to contain estrogen receptors, and their stimulation appears to increase nitric oxide synthesis. One conjugated estrogen preparation (Premarin) is widely used in postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy, but little is known about its effects on cardiovascular hemodynamics. Study Design: This study was designed to determine whether Premarin, like 17β-estradiol, has significant effects on cardiac output and coronary and uterine blood flows at doses used clinically (0.625, 1.25, and 2.5 mg). Nonpregnant oophorectomized sheep were implanted with instruments to measure cardiac output, left coronary (circumflex) artery blood flow, uterine blood flow, heart rate, and systemic arterial blood pressure. After recovery from surgery, the animals received intravenous bolus injections of either 17β-estradiol (1.0 μg/kg), Premarin (0.625, 1.25, or 2.5 mg), or vehicle on different days. Results: The 1.0-μg/kg dose of 17β-estradiol significantly increased coronary blood flow by 15% ± 2% from baseline (mean ± SEM). Premarin also increased coronary blood flow significantly at the 1.25- and 2.5-mg dose levels by 12% ± 3% and 14% ± 4%, respectively. As expected 17β-estradiol increased uterine blood flow from a baseline of 15 ± 3 mL/min to 169 ± 19 mL/min. Premarin treatment was associated with a significant increase in uterine blood flow, which increased from an average baseline of 14 ± 4 mL/min to 46 ± 10 mL/min, 95 ± 18 mL/min, and 135 ± 20 mL/min at the three doses tested (0.625, 1.25, and 2.5 mg, respectively). 17β-Estradiol also increased cardiac output by 12% ± 3%. Premarin increased cardiac output 2% ± 3%, 9% ± 4%, and 11% ± 3%, with only the highest dose producing a significant change. 17β-Estradiol also increased heart rate by 12% ± 1%, whereas Premarin at doses of 0.625, 1.25, and 2.5 mg increased it by 4% ± 3%, 7% ± 4%, and 10% ± 2%, respectively (increase significant only at the highest dose). Neither 17β-estradiol nor Premarin altered either stroke volume or systemic arterial pressure. Conclusion: Premarin, like 17β-estradiol, has significant systemic, coronary, and uterine vascular effects. These vascular effects may help to explain in part why these compounds are cardioprotective. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:12-7.)
Elevated carcinoembryonic antigen levels correlating with disease recurrence in a patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Background. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is an oncofetal glycoprotein involved in cell recognition and adhesion. Serum CEA has been extensively studied as a potential chemical marker for malignancy, most notably in patients with colon carcinoma. Serum CEA measurements have not been reported for patients with salivary gland carcinomas. Methods. Serum CEA was measured in a case study using enzyme immunoassay with monoclonal antibody specific for CEA. Tissue was examined with standard histologic and immunohistologic methods. Results. A patient was initially seen with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the trachea and had a markedly elevated serum CEA level which declined after surgical resection. The serum CEA level became elevated again when the patient developed abdominal metastases and then declined after debulking of the tumor. Immunohistochemical study of the tumor was positive for CEA. Conclusions. The measurement of serum CEA levels may play a role in the management of patients with ACC. Clinical investigation utilizing monoclonal antibodies against CEA, for imaging and for the delivery of chemotherapy and radiotherapy may be worthwhile.
A plasma-air junction problem in parallel-plate waveguide†

The discontinuity admittance of an air-plasma interface in parallel-plate waveguide is computed using quasi-static approximations and by solving a singular integral equation. The plasma is gyrotropic, with the polarizing magnetic field applied parallel to the air-plasma edge. As had been predicted earlier, two ranges of ‘intrinsic loss ’ are found. A justification for the correctness of intrinsic loss is included; this includes a demonstration that a limit Hermitian permeability or permittivity tensor does not necessarily imply zero loss in the medium.
Numerical analysis of multiple, thin-sail geometries based on Prandtl’s lifting-line theory

Abstract Solutions obtained from a numerical method based on Prandtl’s lifting-line theory, valid for multiple lifting surfaces with arbitrary sweep, are obtained for a number of rigid wing and sail geometries. The results are compared against solutions obtained using established vortex-lattice methods, and computational fluid dynamics solutions to the Euler equations. For the case of an untwisted, rectangular wing, numerical lifting-line, vortex-lattice, and Euler solutions were all in reasonable agreement. However, the numerical lifting-line method was the only method to predict the constant ratio of induced-drag coefficient to lift coefficient squared, which has been predicted from the analytic solution and confirmed by well established experimental data. Results are also presented for a forward-swept, tapered wing. Additional results are presented in terms of lift and induced-drag coefficients for an isolated mainsail, and mainsail/jib combinations with sails representative of both a standard and tall rig Catalina 27. The influence of the nonlinear terms in the lifting-line solution appears minimal, with the exception of mainsail results when considering jib/mainsail combinations.
Use of Cranes in System Dynamics and Controls Education

Cranes provide an excellent platform for teaching system dynamics and controls. Cranes have a simple pendulum-type oscillation that is useful for demonstrating basic ideas. Cranes also have additional dynamic effects such as motor dynamics, velocity limits, payload variations, and nonlinear slewing dynamics that make them well suited for advanced study. If the cranes are made remotely operable, then students can also study tele-operation and control of systems with time delays. System dynamics and control courses taught at the Georgia Institute of Technology utilize cranes in both the lecture and laboratory exercises. The primary goal of using the cranes is to provide hands-on experiences in system dynamics and implementation of controllers on real systems. This paper describes the cranes and the complementary curriculum.
Integration of Theory, Practitioner Standards, Literature Findings, and Baseline Data: A Case Study in Planning Breast Self-Examination Education

Delineation of the planning process necessary for designing sound education programs aimed at changes in health behavior continues to be a primary concern of health educators. Careful planning will ultimately maximize the application of existing evidence and identify areas in need of further research and evaluation. This paper discusses the preliminary and refinement planning phases involved in the design of an educational program for a three-year breast self-examination demonstration/evaluation project. The initial phase involved review of empirical data of previous studies, and application of behavioral science theory and standards of professional practice. The refinement phase involved the application of results from a community diagnostic baseline survey of the target population. Factors found to correlate with BSE practice were integrated into the educational strategies: group sessions in classes and informal workshops, a breast exam clinic, and mass media activities.
Authentication protocols for personal communication systems

Masquerading and eavesdropping are major threats to the security of wireless communications. To provide proper protection for the communication of the wireless link, contents of the communication should be enciphered and mutual authentication should be conducted between the subscriber and the serving network. Several protocols have been proposed by standards bodies and independent researchers in recent years to counteract these threats. However, the strength of these protocols is usually weakened in the roaming environment where the security breach of a visited network could lead to persistent damages to subscribers who visit. The subscriber's identity is not well protected in most protocols, and appropriate mechanisms solving disputes on roaming bills are not supported either. To solve these problems, new authentication protocols are proposed in this paper with new security features that have not been fully explored before.
Esophageal granular cell tumors. Report of two multicentric cases with observations on their natural histories.

Two cases of multicentric esophageal granular cell tumors are presented. Treatment was by biopsy only and follow-up for several years revealed persistent granular cell tumor but no aggressive behavior. A review of the literature is carried out to define the natural history and optimal therapy for these tumors.
Foam and Roughness Effects on Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of the Ocean

Whitecaps and surface roughness are the two main components of the wind-induced microwave emissivity change of the ocean surface. The resulting difference of the received brightness temperature from that of a flat foamless sea surface at the same sea surface temperature and salinity is used for ocean surface wind vector retrieval using passive microwave remote sensing technology. In other applications such as sea surface salinity retrieval using L-band microwave radiometers, the wind-induced emissivity change is the major source of error, and its correction is important to the accuracy of retrieved salinity. Furthermore, global whitecap distribution using spaceborne radiometer measurements is possible if the contributions of emissivity change from roughness and foam can be separated. This is an important application because whitecaps are the manifestation of surface wave breaking, which is of great importance in air-sea interaction and climate research. This paper describes an analysis of the foam and roughness components of wind-induced emissivity change. The analysis is in good agreement with global WindSat measurements obtained over a broad range of wind speeds. Quantitative results on the variation of the foam and roughness components with respect to wind speed, incidence angle, microwave frequency, and polarization are presented.
Unexpected Behavior of the Novel Organometallic Thioether C5H5FeC5H4C⋮CSC⋮CSiMe3 toward Ru3(CO)12

The new thioether C 5 H 5 FeC 5 H 4 C≡CSC≡ CSiMe 3 affords the compound [Ru 3 (CO) 9 (μ 1 3 -η 2 :η 4 :η 3 -Me3SiCC(C2Fc)SC(Fc)CSC≡CSiMe 3 )], among others, by reaction with Ru 3 (CO) 1 2 .
Ectopic expression of the flagellar regulon alters development of the bordetella-host interaction

Signal transduction molecules within the two-component family represent a conserved adaptation for the control of genes involved in pathogenesis. The Bordetella virulence control locus, bvgAS, activates and represses gene expression in response to environmental signals. While infection requires virulence gene activation, the role of gene repression during infection is not understood. By altering regulatory genes and reversing regulatory connections, we found evidence that the BvgAS-repressed genes responsible for motility are neither required nor expressed during colonization of the host. Expression of this Bvg- phase-specific phenotype in the Bvg+ growth phase resulted in a defect in tracheal colonization. Therefore, BvgAS promotes virulence both by activating genes required for colonization and by repressing genes that inhibit the development of infection.
A possible new approach to understanding mental disorder

Abstract The aetiology of mental disorders is not fully understood. This paper presents an analysis of the conceptual control process exploring the tools of conceptual application and the phases and the mechanism of the control process and seeks to show how the illness states of mental disorder naturally come to occur. Living occurs in a world of change. For living to occur some control is required and to exert control, to provide direction for the conceptual process, some interpretation of significance, some definition of need is also required. Such interpretation, monitoring significance in relation to the many aspects of change, forms the base on which living occurs. Change in human terms is intrinsically insecure and interpretation of significance is an interpretation of security, an interpretation of control in living. Conceptual control is a process applied to maintain security, to maintain a secure base for the interpretation of significance, it is a process applied to produce and hold a sense of control. Powering a process, producing and holding a sense of control, is an active process and so requires some form of energy. Human beings have a sense of that energy, something exhibited in terms such as full of energy, tired, exhausted. As energy is required to power the control process, accompanying the sense of energy is a sense of the ability to provide power, is a sense of the ability to hold and maintain control, is a sense of security. As available energy reduces there is difficulty holding the same sense of control, a person in the same setting comes to feel more insecure. This can result in a person experiencing mental disorder from mild to severe degree. Mild where conceptual process is applied to manage just one or a very few particular needs, severe and more general where the insecurity affects the base of interpretation. In this later case seeking to protect security can lead to mania, mood-incongruent delusions, schizophrenia. Failing ability to protect can lead to generalized anxiety disorder, mood-congruent delusions, different presentations and degrees of depression.
Relapse prevention and maintaining abstinence in older adults with alcohol-use disorders

Although older adults are sometimes believed to have the lowest rates of alcohol abuse as an age cohort, the prevalence of alcohol use and abuse in this group is clearly underestimated. The under-diagnosis of alcohol abuse is due, in part, to the facts that the effects of alcohol use among older adults tend to be less clearly visible than among other age groups and that older adults are less likely to seek treatment than younger age groups. An additional challenge to diagnosis may be a lack of previous alcohol abuse by the patient, as approximately one-third of older adults with alcohol-use problems first develop their drinking problem after the age of 60 years. With a demographic shift that is expected to increase the number of older adults with alcohol problems, the awareness and understanding of this problem becomes increasingly important. Under-diagnosis of problem drinking in older adults is particularly unfortunate because the risks associated with alcohol abuse and relapse for the elderly are significant. Relapse, or the return to drinking following abstinence, may follow situations that are of particularly high risk for older adults. These include situations related to anxiety, interpersonal conflict, depression, loneliness, loss or social isolation. By helping patients to monitor these high-risk situations, to identify strategies that have been successful in promoting abstinence in the past, and to become engaged in treatment, relapse may be avoided and abstinence maintained. Treatments such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, group and family therapies and self-help groups are just as effective for older adults as they are for other age groups. In fact, group and family therapies and self-help groups may be of particular benefit to older adults because of the emphasis on social support. Medicinal adjuncts are also equally effective in the elderly, but strict compliance and careful monitoring of adverse effects are especially important in patients who take multiple medications. Because of their benign adverse effect profiles, naltrexone and acamprosate are particularly good pharmacological agents for relapse prevention in older adults.
Timing and timeliness in medical care evaluation.

The primary driving force behind the evaluation of medical services, including pharmacoeconomic assessment, is the need to choose among alternative interventions under conditions of clinical uncertainty. There is a need to choose because: (i) in most clinical scenarios there is more than one intervention available; and (ii) resources are limited. Defining choices is an immediate precedent of making a decision. Information is the underpinning of decision making. However, information alone does not guarantee that the best possible (or even a good) decision will be made; it merely increases the likelihood of the desired outcome occurring. Moreover, good information does not necessarily lead to decisions that result in improved health outcomes and better efficiency in resource consumption. Finally, the means, methods and timing of the information generated is as important as the information itself. A variety of methods for medical care evaluation have been discussed in great detail in PharmacoEconomics and other journals. In this article, we focus our comments mainly on timing issues in medical care evaluation. The earliest known writings on medical care showed impressive concern for demonstrating the positive effects of the physician’s ministrations.[1] However, essentially all such early clinical practice was rooted, inductively or deductively, in logic derived from personal observation or anecdote. We now realise that this logic is often the enemy of medical science; although the logic may seem impeccable in its reasoning, the assumptions are often wrong. Even when an intervention is accepted as beneficial and used for thousands of years does not mean that it is beneficial (e.g. the practice of bloodletting, which was common for 5 millennia). Additionally, only through controlled study (preferably the randomised, controlled, double-blind, prospective trial) can we reduce, if not rule out, the main sources of bias (some of which have recently been quantified[2]) that confound decision making at the level of the individual patient as well as at delivery system or societal levels.
THE SCHOOLS CONTROVERSY AND THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN CHICAGO: 1995 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

(1996). The Schools Controversy and the Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement in Chicago: 1995 Presidential Address. The Historian: Vol. 58, No. 4, pp. 717-729.
Genomic Amplification of an Endogenous Retrovirus in Zebrafish T-Cell Malignancies

Genomic instability plays a crucial role in oncogenesis. Somatically acquired mutations can disable some genes and inappropriately activate others. In addition, chromosomal rearrangements can amplify, delete, or even fuse genes, altering their functions and contributing to malignant phenotypes. Using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), a technique to detect numeric variations between different DNA samples, we examined genomes from zebrafish (Danio rerio) T-cell leukemias of three cancer-prone lines. In all malignancies tested, we identified recurring amplifications of a zebrafish endogenous retrovirus. This retrovirus, ZFERV, was first identified due to high expression of proviral transcripts in thymic tissue from larval and adult fish. We confirmed ZFERV amplifications by quantitative PCR analyses of DNA from wild-type fish tissue and normal and malignant D. rerio T cells. We also quantified ZFERV RNA expression and found that normal and neoplastic T cells both produce retrovirally encoded transcripts, but most cancers show dramatically increased transcription. In aggregate, these data imply that ZFERV amplification and transcription may be related to T-cell leukemogenesis. Based on these data and ZFERV's phylogenetic relation to viruses of the murine-leukemia-related virus class of gammaretroviridae, we posit that ZFERV may be oncogenic via an insertional mutagenesis mechanism.
HIV Prevention Interventions to Reduce Racial Disparities in the United States: A Systematic Review

Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States despite advances in prevention methodologies. The goal of this study was to systematically review the past 30 years of HIV prevention interventions addressing racial disparities. We conducted electronic searches of Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Review of Clinical Trials databases, supplemented by manual searches and expert review. Studies published before June 5, 2011 were eligible. Prevention interventions that included over 50 % racial/ethnic minority participants or sub-analysis by race/ethnicity, measured condom use only or condom use plus incident sexually transmitted infections or HIV as outcomes, and were affiliated with a health clinic were included in the review. We stratified the included articles by target population and intervention modality. Reviewers independently and systematically extracted all studies using the Downs and Black checklist for quality assessment; authors cross-checked 20 % of extractions. Seventy-six studies were included in the final analysis. The mean DB score was 22.44 – high compared to previously published means. Most of the studies were randomized controlled trials (87 %) and included a majority of African-American participants (83 %). No interventions were designed specifically to reduce disparities in HIV acquisition between populations. Additionally, few interventions targeted men who have sex with men or utilized HIV as a primary outcome. Interventions that combined skills training and cultural or interactive engagement of participants were superior to those depending on didactic messaging. The scope of this review was limited by the exclusion of non-clinic based interventions and intermediate risk endpoints. Interactive, skills-based sessions may be effective in preventing HIV acquisition in racial and ethnic minorities, but further research into interventions tailored to specific sub-populations, such as men who have sex with men, is warranted.
A thermomechanical analysis of polymer foaming

A novel technique is described for studying the growth of foam from polymer melts containing thermally-decomposable blowing agents. A simple cylinder and plunger sample holder has been combined with a standard thermomechanical analyzer. This enables the recording of height i.e. volume vs. time or temperature at preselected rates for temperature scan. Demonstrations with foamable polyethylene and plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) have revealed the influences of heating rate, blowing agent type and concentration, blowing agent inhibitor, polymer viscosity and crosslinking agent on foam growth rate and final foam height i.e. foam density.
Higher-order curvature terms and extended inflation.

We consider higher-order curvature terms in context of the Brans-Dicke theory of gravity, and investigate the effects of these terms on extended inflationary theories. We find that the higher-order curvature terms tend to speed up inflation, although the original extended-inflation solutions are stable when these terms are small. Analytical solutions are found for two extreme cases: when the higher-order curvature terms are small, and when they dominate. A conformal transformation is employed in solving the latter case, and some of the subtleties in this technique are discussed. We note that percolation is less likely to occur when the higher-order curvature terms are present. An upper bound on $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ is expected if we are to avoid excessive and inadequate percolation of truevacuum bubbles.
Effect of Endotoxin on Vascular Reactivity to Epinephrine in the Perfused Dog Forelimb and Lung.

SummaryExperiments were carried out on isolated perfused lungs and forelimbs of adult dogs. There was no significant change in vascular response to epinephrine following injection of endotoxin.
Pediatric stroke: clinical characteristics, acute care utilization patterns, and mortality

Acute care utilization patterns are not well described but may help inform care coordination and treatment for pediatric stroke. The Kids Inpatient Database was queried to describe demographics and clinical characteristics of children with stroke, compare acute care utilization for hemorrhagic vs. ischemic stroke and Children's vs. non-Children's Hospitals, and identify factors associated with aggressive care and in-hospital mortality. Using a retrospective cohort of children hospitalized with stroke, demographics, predisposing conditions, and intensive (mechanical ventilation, advanced monitoring, and blood product administration) or aggressive (pharmacological therapy and/or invasive interventions) care were compared by stroke and hospital types. Factors associated with aggressive care or in-hospital mortality were explored using logistic regression. Hemorrhagic stroke comprised 43% of stroke discharges, was more common in younger children, and carried greater mortality. Ischemic stroke was more common in older children and more frequently associated with a predisposing condition. Rates of intensive and aggressive care were low (30% and 15%), similar by stroke type, and greater at Children's Hospitals. Older age, hemorrhagic stroke, predisposing condition, and treatment at a Children's Hospital were associated with aggressive care. Hemorrhagic stroke and aggressive care were associated with in-hospital mortality. Acute care utilization is similar by stroke type but both intensive and aggressive care are more common at Children's Hospitals. Mortality remains relatively high after pediatric stroke. Widespread implementation of treatment guidelines improved outcomes in adult stroke. Adoption of recently published treatment recommendations for pediatric stroke may help standardize care and improve outcomes.
Lauriston S. Taylor lecture: fifty years of scientific research: the importance of scholarship and the influence of politics and controversy.

Ever the past 50 years our laboratory has performed and published many studies in the fields of teratology, radiation biology and radiation embryology. The early work took place when I was a research employee at the University of Rochester Manhattan Project in 1944 and where I had my introduction to embryology and genetics. Over the years our lab has provided consultations dealing with the risks of various environmental toxicant exposures during pregnancy. With the advent of the Internet, consulting has become more rapid and efficient. In the past year our pregnancy Web site of the Health Physics Society received approximately 154,000 hits, of which over a thousand contacts were still quite anxious after reading the Web site answers and requested a personal consultation. From this extensive experience we have learned that many physicians and other counselors are not prepared to counsel patients concerning radiation risks. Approximately 8% of the patient contacts who have consulted a professional have been provided with inaccurate information that would have resulted in an unnecessary interruption of a wanted pregnancy. There are five areas of radiation embryology that are considered to be controversial. 1) Can the fetus be harmed by ionizing radiation if the fetus is not directly exposed? 2) Is the production of mental retardation from radiation during pregnancy a threshold phenomenon? 3) Does fractionation and protraction of radiation decrease the magnitude of the reproductive and developmental risks? 4) Is there a period during pregnancy when radiation will result in an increased mortality but not an increase in malformations? 5) How sensitive is the fetus to the oncogenic effects of radiation? We utilize the scientific information obtained from studies in these five areas to counsel patients concerning pregnancy radiation risks. The willingness and persistence of scientists to debate the controversial aspects of this research and apply the best available scientific information to assist patients in turmoil about the risks of radiation to themselves and their offspring has saved thousand of lives and changed family histories.
Reclaiming a natural beauty: whole-organ engineering with natural extracellular materials

The ability to engineer whole organs as replacements for allografts and xenografts is an ongoing pursuit in regenerative medicine. While challenges remain, including systemic tissue integration with angiogenesis, lymphatiogenesis and neurogenesis, ongoing efforts are working to develop novel technologies to produce implantable engineered scaffolds and potentially engineered whole organs. Natural extracellular matrix materials, commonly utilized in vitro, are now being used as effective, natural, acellular allografts, and are being integrated into nanoscale scaffolds and matrices with programmable responsiveness. Based on the significant use of natural scaffolds for tissue regeneration and bioengineering strategies, this review focuses on recent and ongoing efforts to engineer whole organs, such as the tooth, featuring natural extracellular matrix molecules.
Art for a new audience in the Risorgimento: a meditation

Competing foreign powers had divided the Italic peninsula into regions, so that it resembled the chessboard of Europe. With Napoleon's occupation, an Italian consciousness began to arise. As Neoclassicism and Romanticism ceded to Realism, artists participated in liberal politics and military struggles, many fighting under Garibaldi. Patriotic sentiments appeared in encoded genre scenes – for example, Hayez's two La meditazione paintings, the second subtitled L'Italia nel 1848 – or contemporary themes, like those by the Macchiaioli and the Induno brothers. Risorgimento content, including battles, multiplied, and they were joined by photography. Shifts in taste and patronage, from the Church and the ruling classes to liberal aristocrats, industrial entrepreneurs and middle-class professionals, encouraged new venues for the exhibition of art: the Exposition Universelle, civic Promotrici, Ricasoli's competition and the Esposizione Italiana. After unification, the search for political and artistic reform conti...
Experimental Quark Flavor Physics: Kaon Physics

Selected recent results on rare kaon decays are reviewed and prospects for on-going and future experiments are discussed.
The feasibility of accelerator-based in vivo neutron activation analysis of nitrogen.

Abstract The feasibility of accelerator-based in vivo neutron activation analysis of nitrogen has been investigated. It was found that a moderated neutron flux from ∼10 μA of 2.5 MeV protons on a 9Be target performed as well as, and possibly slightly better than the existing isotope-based approach in terms of net counts per unit subject dose. Such a system may be an attractive alternative to the widespread use of 238,239Pu/Be or 252Cf neutron sources, since there is more flexibility in the energy spectrum generated by accelerator-based neutron sources. From a radiation safety standpoint, accelerators have the advantage in that they only produce radiation when in operation. Furthermore, an accelerator beam can be pulsed, to reduce background detected in the prompt-γ measurement, and such a device has a wide range of additional biological and medical applications.
The role of shear and tensile failure in dynamically triggered landslides

SUMMARY Dynamic stresses generated by earthquakes can trigger landslides. Current methods of landslide analysis such as pseudo-static analysis and Newmark's method focus on the effects of earthquake accelerations on the landslide mass to characterize dynamic landslide behaviour. One limitation of these methods is their use Mohr–Coulomb failure criteria, which only accounts for shear failure, but the role of tensile failure is not accounted for. We develop a limit-equilibrium model to investigate the dynamic stresses generated by a given ground motion due to a plane wave and use this model to assess the role of shear and tensile failure in the initiation of slope instability. We do so by incorporating a modified Griffith failure envelope, which combines shear and tensile failure into a single criterion. Tests of dynamic stresses in both homogeneous and layered slopes demonstrate that two modes of failure exist, tensile failure in the uppermost meters of a slope and shear failure at greater depth. Further, we derive equations that express the dynamic stress in the near-surface in the acceleration measured at the surface. These equations are used to approximately define the depth range for each mechanism of failure. The depths at which these failure mechanisms occur suggest that shear and tensile failure might collaborate in generating slope failure.
Measurements of acid volatile sulfide and simultaneously extracted metals are irreproducible among laboratories

Partitioning with solid phases is a principal control on availability and associated toxicity of metals to aquatic biota. In anoxic sediments, environmentally active fractions of sulfide and associated metals are defined operationally as acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM). Ratios of these chemical parameters are often used in establishing equilibrium partitioning sediment benchmarks for toxicity and, therefore, require analytical accuracy to be useful. To investigate the reproducibility and accuracy of AVS and SEM measurements, we distributed subsamples of four physicochemically disparate stream sediments to seven independent laboratories, including our own, for analysis of both AVS and SEM (Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn). Synthesis of these results shows that AVS varied from 70 to 3,500� and SEM ranged from 17 to 60� among laboratories for each of the four sediments. Inadequate detection limits for AVS precluded calculation of SEM:AVS ratios for two of the deposits, whereas the ratio varied more than 50-fold among laboratories for the other two sediments. This work highlights the need for improved quality control and standardization of methods for determination of AVS and SEM in sediments, and suggests that predictions of metal toxicity in sediments can be laboratory specific, which raises concerns on the use of the AVS:SEM model for risk assessments and regulatory decisions. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:1453- 1456. # 2010 SETAC Keywords—Analytical chemistry Aquatic toxicology Sediment assessment Metal bioavailability