cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glucose modulation of skin temperature responses during morphine withdrawal in the rat.

Studies were undertaken to determine the effects of acute alterations in plasma glucose levels on the tail skin temperature (TST) response of morphine-dependent rats to naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. In morphine-dependent rats, treatment with dextrose at doses of 0.5 or 2.5 g/kg did not alter the normal 6.0±0.3° C TST response to naloxone. However, treatment with 5, 10 or 20 g dextrose/kg, which increased plasma glucose to 250 mg/dl or greater, blocked the TST response during morphine withdrawal. In contrast, an IV injection of 2.5 IU insulin (Na-porcine)/kg, which reduced plasma glucose for 2 h, caused a delayed TST response of 4.7±0.4° C in control rats and exaggerated the TST response normally observed in morphine-dependent rats treated with naloxone. Collectively, these data indicate that acute hyperglycemia can attenuate and hypoglycemia can enhance the skin vasodilation which accompanies precipitated morphine withdrawal. In view of our observation that naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal caused a marked increasee in blood glucose, the sympathetic activation associated with opiate withdrawal may be intended to elevate blood glucose and thereby limit the manifestation of the withdrawal response.
The Efficacy of a Structured Group Therapy Intervention in Improving Communication and Coping Skills for Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients

This paper reports on an evaluation of a structured group therapy intervention for adult cochlear implant (CI) recipients designed to improve overall communication and coping skills. 33 adult CI recipients (14 males, 19 females; mean age 61; 1-14 years since Cl) participated in a 2-day structured group therapy intervention with a follow-up session 4 weeks later. Measures were: communication behaviors (CPHI), assertiveness (Rathus), depression (DASS), and behavior during conversation (Dyalog). TCI personality traits were utilized as predictors of change. Repeated measures analyses showed that participants demonstrated significant improvements on measures of assertiveness, emotional well-being, and coping behaviors at 3 months post-intervention that persisted at a 12-month follow-up. Several personality traits predicted change. Although subjects had presumably adapted to their cochlear implants and had learned communication strategies in hearing rehabilitation programs, the improvements on several measures suggest that a structured group therapy intervention can enhance outcome following cochlear implantation.
Primary prevention and international travel: infections, immunizations, and antimicrobial prophylaxis.

As international travel becomes more common, the primary care physician will need to provide accurate information to his or her patients so that they can have safe and enjoyable trips. Since many potentially fatal illnesses that international travelers will face are preventable through simple immunizations and counseling, primary care physicians are in an ideal position to practice primary prevention with such patients. It is, therefore, important for them to have access to current information in this ever-changing field of medicine. Centers specializing in advice for the international traveler exist, and referrals to these centers may be appropriate for all but the most casual tourist.
Competition between α-actinin and Ca2+-Calmodulin Controls Surface Retention of the L-type Ca2+ Channel CaV1.2

Regulation of neuronal excitability and cardiac excitation-contraction coupling requires the proper localization of L-type Ca²⁺ channels. We show that the actin-binding protein α-actinin binds to the C-terminal surface targeting motif of α11.2, the central pore-forming Ca(V)1.2 subunit, in order to foster its surface expression. Disruption of α-actinin function by dominant-negative or small hairpin RNA constructs reduces Ca(V)1.2 surface localization in human embryonic kidney 293 and neuronal cultures and dendritic spine localization in neurons. We demonstrate that calmodulin displaces α-actinin from their shared binding site on α11.2 upon Ca²⁺ influx through L-type channels, but not through NMDAR, thereby triggering loss of Ca(V)1.2 from spines. Coexpression of a Ca²⁺-binding-deficient calmodulin mutant does not affect basal Ca(V)1.2 surface expression but inhibits its internalization upon Ca²⁺ influx. We conclude that α-actinin stabilizes Ca(V)1.2 at the plasma membrane and that its displacement by Ca²⁺-calmodulin triggers Ca²⁺-induced endocytosis of Ca(V)1.2, thus providing an important negative feedback mechanism for Ca²⁺ influx.
Effect of Tissue Heterogeneity on the Measurement of Cerebral Blood Flow with the Equilibrium C15O2 Inhalation Technique

The equilibrium C15O2 inhalation method for measuring cerebral blood flow with positron emission tomography (PET) is based on a one-compartment model for which it is assumed that the local flow and partition coefficient are uniform in the tissue region in which flow is to be determined. However, because of the limited spatial resolution of PET, a region of interest will contain a mixture of gray and white matter. We used a computer simulation to examine the effect of this heterogeneity on flow measurement in both normal and pathological states. With gray and white matter flows of 0.80 and 0.20 ml/min/g, respectively, flow is underestimated by a maximum of 20% in a region that is 30% gray. Errors occur not only because of flow heterogeneity, but also because of heterogeneity of partition coefficient and the sensitivity of the method to errors in partition coefficient. Larger errors occur in the case of cerebral hyperemia, although the method becomes more accurate with ischemia. In the case of simulated brain tumor, the accuracy of flow determination varies considerably, depending on the flow and partition coefficient of the tumor and of the surrounding tissue. Finally, incremental changes in gray matter flow, as would occur with functional cortical activation, are not well reflected. Thus, the equilibrium C15O2 inhalation method is limited in its ability to accurately quantitate local cerebral blood flow in heterogeneous tissue regions.
Evaluation of a university course to promote physical activity: project GRAD.

Abstract Project GRAD (Graduate Ready for Activity Daily) evaluates a university course to promote physical activity. In a randomized study, 338 university seniors participated in either an intervention or control course for academic credit, and posttest data were collected on 321. The control course was knowledge-oriented. The intervention course taught behavior change skills in weekly lectures and peer-led labs. Physical activity was assessed with 7-Day Physical Activity Recall interviews. The intervention had no significant effects on men. Among women, the intervention increased total physical activity during leisure, strengthening exercises, and flexibility exercises. This university course had the intended effects of promoting healthful patterns of physical activity among women, but no effects were observed on men, who were more active than women at baseline.
A more sensitive assay for histone deacetylase

Abstract The new assay uses as substrate a peptide derived from the amino terminal domain of calf histone H4. The peptide contains all the lysines that are acetylated in H4 in vivo and these lysines are specifically labeled in vitro with acetic anhydride to a high specific activity. This substrate allows histone deacetylase activity to be measured economically and with high sensitivity either with pure enzyme or with crude extracts.
Portraits of peace knowledge in post‐Yugoslav higher education

Using the central concept of peace knowledge, this article suggests that such knowledge is one part of a region’s intangible, intellectual heritage that constitutes its ways of knowing and living, necessary for its own creation and sustainability of a culture of peace. During the sustained fieldwork of the author, peace knowledge was explored in the post‐Yugoslav context of recent war, primarily through methods influenced by phenomenology: dialogue (muabet) and shared lived experiences with students and professors in higher education programs related to peace studies, as well as observations and interactions in their classes. The opportunity exists to learn from those from this war‐torn region whose teaching and learning of peace knowledge in higher education affect their daily, lived experiences of peace.
Performance evaluation of OpenMP-based algorithms for handling Kronecker descriptors

Numerical analysis of Markovian models is relevant for performance evaluation and probabilistic analysis of systems' behavior from several fields in science and engineering. These models can be represented in a compact fashion using Kronecker algebra. The Vector-Descriptor Product (VDP) is the key operation to obtain stationary and transient solutions of models represented by Kronecker-based descriptors. VDP algorithms are usually CPU intensive, requiring alternatives such as data partitioning to produce results in less time. This paper introduces a set of parallel implementations of a hybrid algorithm for handling descriptors and a detailed performance analysis on four real Markovian models. The implementations are based on different scheduling strategies using OpenMP and existing techniques of static and dynamic load balancing, along with data partitioning presented in the literature. The performance evaluation study contains analysis of speed-up, synchronization and scheduling overheads, task mapping policies, and memory affinity. The results presented here provide insights into different implementation choices for an application on shared-memory systems and how this application benefited from this architecture.
A teragrid-enabled distributed discrete event agent-based epidemiological simulation

We discuss design issues related to the transformation of a mature Agent-Based Model (ABM) for computational epidemiology into a "grid-aware" version. EpiSims is a distributed discrete event ABM that has been in production for nearly a decade. Working under a grant from the National Science Foundation and the NIH (NIGMS) funded MIDAS project, we are reengineering EpiSims to run as a single job on multiple Linux clusters on the NSF TeraGrid.
Study of deposition offset in plasma spray of zirconia

Numerical modeling and experimental measurements have been performed to study the effects of powder carrier gas flow rates and powder sizes on the deposition offset in a plasma spray of yttria-stablized zirconia. The mathematical model involved simultaneous solution of the continuity, momentum and energy equations of the plasma gas, the dynamics and heat transfer of powder particles in the plasma, and the coupling effects between the plasma and panicles. Experiments included measurement of particle velocities by laser strobe technique and measurement of deposition offset. Calculated plasma temperatures and velocities are greater than 13,000 K and 2,000 m/s, respectively, in the vicinity of nozzle exit. For the plasma-particle momentum transfer, the drag coefficient was computed in two ways- with corrections accounting for the strongly varying plasma properties, and without these corrections. Calculated and experimental results, in respect to deposition offset, are in agreement to within 25% when calculated without varying properties corrections, and within about 40% with corrections; agreement in respect to average particle velocities is within 20% when calculated without varying properties corrections, and within the range 30–50% with corrections.
Gender significance of ST-segment deviation detected by ambulatory (Holter) monitoring

Abstract Objective : To evaluate the gender influence in diagnostic and prognostic value of Holter-detected ST-segment deviation. Methods : Two-hundred seventy-seven consecutive patients (196 men) who underwent coronary angiography for evaluation of chest pain were studied with 24-h Holter monitoring within 72 h of coronary angiography, and were followed up for 65±21 months. Results : Men had a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease (169 of 196, 86%) compared to that of women (54 of 81, 67%), p p p p p p p Conclusion : Holter-detected ST-segment deviation has a higher negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy for detection of significant coronary artery disease in women than in men, although the prognostic values are not significantly different between men and women.
Assessment of the research component in an 11-month interprofessional faculty development program for early career faculty

Abstract Objectives This study examined department chairs’ perceptions about the importance of an interprofessional mentor and the completion of a Scholarship in Progress (SiP) pilot research study for early career faculty (ECF) in an 11-month Faculty Leadership Program (FLP) at an Academic Health Center (AHC). Background FLP is a faculty development program for ECF that includes a series of workshops focused on teaching, research/scholarship, and service/leadership skills and roles needed within the AHC environment. FLP participants are required to complete a research pilot project with the help of a research mentor. Methods A 21-question, web-based survey instrument was developed to assess the value of FLP’s research mentorship and project and was administered to 53 department chairs across the 6 AHC colleges who had FLP participants graduate during 2008 to 2013. Results A total of 24 out of 53 (45%) of the department chairs completed the study questionnaire representing 5 of the 6 colleges. Of those responders, 61% reported that having research mentors, such as biostatisticians and 80% reported that having pilot research projects for ECF were important for faculty success at the AHC. Conclusions This requirement is important as department chairs report the importance of research mentors, such as biostatisticians and having pilot research projects for faculty success at the AHC.
Long-Range Propagation of the Semidiurnal Internal Tide from the Hawaiian Ridge

Abstract The northeastward progression of the semidiurnal internal tide from French Frigate Shoals (FFS), Hawaii, is studied with an array of six simultaneous profiling moorings spanning 25.5°–37.1°N (≈1400 km) and 13-yr-long Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/Poseidon (T/P) altimeter data processed by a new technique. The moorings have excellent temporal and vertical resolutions, while the altimeter offers broad spatial coverage of the surface manifestation of the internal tide’s coherent portion. Together these two approaches provide a unique view of the internal tide’s long-range propagation in a complex ocean environment. The moored observations reveal a rich, time-variable, and multimodal internal tide field, with higher-mode motions contributing significantly to velocity, displacement, and energy. In spite of these contributions, the coherent mode-1 internal tide dominates the northeastward energy flux, and is detectable in both moored and altimetric data over the entire array. Phase and group prop...
Techniques for Computing Rate and Volume of Stream Depletion by Wellsa

The effects on flow of a nearby stream from pumping a well can be calculated readily using dimensionless curves and tables. Computations can be made of: (1) the rate of stream depletion at any time during the pumping period or after the cessation of pumping; (2) the volume induced from the stream during any time, both during pumping or after the cessation of pumping; and (3) the effects, both in rate and volume of stream depletion, of any selected pattern of intermittent pumping. Sample computations illustrate the use of the curves and tables. An example shows that intermittent pumping may have a pattern of stream depletion not greatly different from a pattern for steady pumping of an equal volume. The residual effects of pumping, that is, effects after cessation of pumping, on streamflow may easily be greater than the effects during the pumping period. Adequate advance planning that includes consideration of residual effects thus is essential to effective administration of a stream-aquifer system.
Use of QR Codes to Promote E-Books in Medical Libraries

As collections of e-books grow, librarians face the challenge of making patrons aware of the titles included in these collections and how to access them. To promote e-book usage, quick response (QR) codes were posted throughout the print book collections at two medical libraries. Once scanned, the QR codes led users to a subject page, listing e-book titles with links for access. The codes were created using URL shorteners, allowing scan data to be recorded. The codes were scanned infrequently at both institutions, however because of minimal cost for creation and maintenance their use is still viewed as beneficial.
Peripheral Capitalism and Rural-Urban Migration: A Study of Population Movements in Costa Rica

The author presents an analysis of rural-urban migration in Costa Rica. Particular attention is paid to the impact of land use and distribution on the migration of the rural population the process by which the nations elite decide questions related to rural production and land distribution and the effect of international market forces on these decisions (ANNOTATION)
Sr isotope variations in vent fluids from 9°46′-9°54′N East Pacific Rise: evidence of a non-zero-Mg fluid component

Abstract Sr isotopic variations in vent fluids from six high-temperature hydrothermal vents from between 9°46′N and 9°54′N on the East Pacific Rise are reported. The Mg/Sr-87Sr/86Sr systematics of one vent, Biovent, require the presence of a fluid component that has experienced significant Mg depletion (≈50%), but has undergone very little Sr exchange with local basalts. This fluid component accounts for 3% to 10% of the Biovent samples by volume. Similarities between the composition of the inferred fluid component and that of bore-hole fluids sampled from Hole 504B suggest that this fluid component is modified seawater, partially reacted with basalt at temperatures less than 150°C, and subsequently entrained by high-temperature vent fluids. Previously reported vent fluid data from 12°50′N East Pacific Rise suggest that the presence of the additional lower temperature fluid component admixed in Biovent samples may not be unique among seafloor hydrothermal systems. If such a fluid component is common in seafloor hydrothermal systems it will need to be considered in estimates of axial hydrothermal fluxes. If not accounted for properly, the presence of an additional fluid component can bias calculated end-member 87Sr/86Sr ratios. After correction for the influence of the additional fluid component on the Biovent samples, the calculated end-member 87Sr/86Sr ratio of this vent is 0.7041. Other nearby vents, P vent and Bio9′, are slightly more radiogenic, 0.7042. A and L vents from the southern portion of the study area have end-member 87Sr/86Sr ratios that are less radiogenic, 0.7039 and 0.7037, respectively. The reason for the greater influence of seawater-derived Sr in the more northern vents is not known, but it may be related to entrainment of seawater in the upflow zone.
Three topologically equivalent core residues affect the transition state ensemble in a protein folding reaction.

The single domain protein, interleukin-1beta, is representative of a distinct class of proteins characterized by their beta-trefoil topology. Each subdomain of this structural class is composed of a beta beta beta loop beta (betabetabetaLbeta) motif comprised of approximately 50 residues and gives the protein a pseudo- 3-fold axis of symmetry. A common feature of proteins in this topological family appears to be that they are slow folders, which reach the native state on the order of tens to 100s of seconds. Sequence analysis of interleukin-1beta indicates that three phenylalanine residues located at positions 42, 101, and 146 are well conserved, separated by approximately 50 residues in the primary sequence, located in similar positions in the pseudo-symmetric units of the trefoil, and are juxtaposed to one another in conformational space. These residues surround the hydrophobic cavity and "pin" the hairpin triplet cap to the core beta-barrel. To determine if cap-barrel interactions are involved in maintaining the structural stability and cooperativity or in controlling the slow formation of the native state, we performed a series of mutational studies. The results indicate that interleukin-1beta tolerates large increases in side-chain volume at these three topologically conserved sites with little effect on stability, while the kinetics show significant differences in both the unfolding and refolding rates. Taken together, our results indicate that these conserved core residues are essential contacts in the transition-state ensemble for folding.
Improved Pulse Wave Velocity Estimation Using an Arterial Tube-Load Model

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the most important index of arterial stiffness. It is conventionally estimated by noninvasively measuring central and peripheral blood pressure (BP) and/or velocity (BV) waveforms and then detecting the foot-to-foot time delay between the waveforms wherein wave reflection is presumed absent. We developed techniques for improved estimation of PWV from the same waveforms. The techniques effectively estimate PWV from the entire waveforms, rather than just their feet, by mathematically eliminating the reflected wave via an arterial tube-load model. In this way, the techniques may be more robust to artifact while revealing the true PWV in absence of wave reflection. We applied the techniques to estimate aortic PWV from simultaneously and sequentially measured central and peripheral BP waveforms and simultaneously measured central BV and peripheral BP waveforms from 17 anesthetized animals during diverse interventions that perturbed BP widely. Since BP is the major acute determinant of aortic PWV, especially under anesthesia wherein vasomotor tone changes are minimal, we evaluated the techniques in terms of the ability of their PWV estimates to track the acute BP changes in each subject. Overall, the PWV estimates of the techniques tracked the BP changes better than those of the conventional technique (e.g., diastolic BP root-mean-squared errors of 3.4 versus 5.2 mmHg for the simultaneous BP waveforms and 7.0 versus 12.2 mmHg for the BV and BP waveforms (p <; 0.02)). With further testing, the arterial tube-load model-based PWV estimation techniques may afford more accurate arterial stiffness monitoring in hypertensive and other patients.
RADICAL BULBAR DISSECTION TO CORRECT SEVERE CHORDEE AND PROXIMAL HYPOSPADIAS

Purpose: We describe a technique of proximal hypospadias correction that involves freeing the proximal normal bulbar urethra from perineal attachments to lengthen the ventral penis and decrease chordee.Materials and Methods: Correction was performed in 9 patients with a mean age of 11.5 months who had proximal hypospadias and severe chordee that was perineal in 2, mid scrotal in 6 and penoscrotal in 1. After the penis was degloved the bulbar urethra was detethered to or beyond the perineal body without lifting the urethra from the corpora cavernosa. Any remaining penile chordee was corrected and the urethral plate was transected only when chordee persisted. When the urethral plate was intact and the penis straight, tubularized incised plate urethroplasty was done to correct hypospadias in 1 stage. Otherwise 2-stage repair was performed.Results: Using this maneuver penile straightening was achieved in 2 of the 9 patients, resulting in a glanular urethral or penoscrotal meatus. Dorsal plication sutures requ...
Neuromuscular electrophysiology of the filarial helminth Dipetalonema viteae.

Abstract 1. 1. A body wall preparation is described which permits intracellular recording from the somatic muscle cells of the small filarial nematode, Dipetalonema viteae. Using this preparation, resting membrane potentials were measured and spontaneous muscle depolarizations described. 2. 2. Stimulatory effects noted upon the addition of acetylcholine, or the cholinergic agonists suggest the hypothesis that acetylcholine is the excitatory neurotransmitter. However, in contrast with vertebrate tissues, the cholinergic antagonists, d-tubocurarine, hexamethonium and pentolinium do not inhibit somatic muscle activity of the worm. 3. 3. GABA inhibited somatic muscle depolarizations, suggesting the possibility that it may serve as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. 4. 4. The anthelmintic drug, levamisole, produced a depolarizing block. Effects of other pharmacological agents are described, discussed and compared with effects on vertebrate muscles.
Robotic surgery for the treatment of uterine malignancy

Objectives: To describe trends in the adoption of robotic surgery for the treatment of uterine malignancy, and the associated impact of these trends on cost of treatment. Methods: University HealthSystem Consortium keeps an administrative database with contributions from over 100 academic medical centers and 250 affiliate hospitals, representing over 90% of US nonprofit academic medical centers. This database was queried to identify all patients with uterine malignancy (ICD-9 182.x, 179) undergoing total hysterectomy (ICD-9 684.x-689) from the 4th quarter of 2008 through the 2nd quarter of 2012. Trends in surgical approach, cost and clinical outcomes were compared by hysterectomy type, including open (OH), robotic (RH) and nonrobotic, minimally invasive (MH). Results: We compared the frequencies of OH, RH and MH in 2009 and 2011, as these were the earliest and most recent full calendar years for which data was available. In 2009 there were 62% OH, 22% RH and 16% MH, while in 2011 there were 54% OH, 32% RH and 14% MH. Since the 4th quarter of 2008, the fraction of RH has increased logarithmically, largely at the expense of OH, which has decreased logarithmically. Thus, we used data from the first two quarters of 2012 to compare current cost and clinical outcomes between OH and RH. Mean direct cost of hospitalization is over $1600 higher for OH as compared to RH. This may be related to the 2.8-fold longer length of stay, 2.4-fold higher complication rate and 2.1-fold higher readmission rate seen with OH as compared to RH. However, despite the increased use of RH over OH, and the reduced cost and complication rate seen with RH over OH, the mean cost of surgical treatment for all patients with uterine malignancy has increased linearly by $521 per year and the overall complication rate has not changed significantly over the period of this study. Conclusions: Although RH is associated with fewer complications and lower cost as compared to OH, and RH use is increasing while the rate of OH declines, we did not find the expected overall decrease in cost and complication rates when the surgical management of all patients with uterine malignancy was evaluated. Complication rates have remained the same and this, along with other factors, may be contributing to the steadily rising cost. A better understanding of the underlying elements associated with complications and cost may help to reduce complications and control costs without compromising quality of care.
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy at a Silver Electrode as a Real-Time Detector in Flowing Streams

An analytical application for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy at a silver electrode is described. Real-time SER spectra of adenine and cytosine have been recorded in a 10-μL spectroelectrochemical flow cell under flowing conditions. Charge-coupled-device detection allowed high-quality spectra spanning a ~1200 cm−1 region to be recorded with integration times of 4 seconds. A low-power He.Ne laser was used as a source. SERS at the silver electrode offers rapid time response to adsorption/desorption by appropriate potential modulation. The technique is extremely reproducible and insensitive to temperature and flow rate. The effects of incident photon energy and applied potential on the intensity of the Raman signal are discussed.
USing Monolithic Laser Arrays For Improved Transmitter Availability In Com-Puter Data Links

Monolithic laser arrays, used in a "cold stand-by" redundancy mode, offer a means of achieving high availability with high packaging density in fiber-optic computer data link transmitters. A model is proposed for studying the possible transmitter availability improvement, compared to the single laser case, and some theoretical results are described.
Transport of organochlorine chemicals across cell membranes.

Abstract [ 14 C]DDT was absorbed into mixed lipid micelles during the digestion of olive oil by pancreatic lipase. Taurocholic acid and [ 14 C]DDT combined together forming a mixed micelle was shown by Sephadex chromatography. DDT in mixed micelles is the apparent mode of intestinal absorption and was demonstrated by the uptake of these micelles using an everted gut sac technique. [ 14 C]DDT in aqueous solution acted like a lipophilic drug in the manner in which it is passively transported across the cell walls of intestinal and mammary tissue. There was no inhibition of [ 14 C]DDT uptake when HgCl 2 , KCN, or Na Azide was added to the incubation solution. Also, competitive inhibition was not observed when TDE was added to the medium.
Courts, Rights, and Democratic Participation:

This article examines the connection between rights, courts, and the changing nature of democratic participation. The general comparative model developed is then applied to a time-series analysis o...
Treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer with external beam radiation, surgical resection, and intraoperative radiation therapy.

Abstract To try to improve the local control and survival of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer we have used a combination of high-dose pre-operative radiation therapy to 5,040 cGy followed by surgical resection and intraoperative electron beam radiation therapy (IORT) when there was visible or palpable residual disease, microscopically positive surgical margins, or persisting tumor adherence. A total of 75 patients were taken to surgery for resection ± IORT who did not have distant metastases. Of the 49 patients with primary tumors, 11 did not have IORT as the tumor was thought to be completely resected. Of these 11, there were two local recurrences and a 3-year survival of 71%. Thirty-six patients with primary tumors had resection (20 complete, 16 partial) plus IORT, with a 3-year survival of 58% and three local failures. Twenty-six additional patients were treated for locally advanced recurrence of whom four could not receive IORT because of pelvic size or the extent of tumor. Of the 22 who received IORT, 7 9 with complete resection, 2 8 with partial resection, and 1 5 with no resection had local control with an overall 3-year actuarial survival of 32%. The local control and survival results in the primary tumors appear favorable compared to other series in the literature and suggest benefit to the use of IORT. For patients treated for local recurrence, local control and long-term survival can be obtained, but the results are not as encouraging as for the primary tumors.
Chemokines/chemokine receptors in the central nervous system and Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Its pathological changes include amyloid beta deposits, neurofibrillary tangles and a variety of 'inflammatory' phenomenon such as activation of microglia and astrocytes. The pathological significance of inflammatory responses elicited by resident central nervous system (CNS) cells has drawn considerable attention in recent years. Chemokines belongs to a rapidly expanding family of cytokines, the primary function of which is control of the correct positioning of cells in tissues and recruitment of leukocytes to the site of inflammation. Study of this very important class of inflammatory cytokines may greatly help our understanding of inflammation in the progress of AD, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases. So far, immunoreactivity for a number of chemokines (including IL-8, IP-10, MIP-1beta, MIPalpha and MCP-1) and chemokine receptors (including CXCR2, CXCR3, CXCR4, CCR3, CCR5 and Duffy antigen) have been demonstrated in resident cells of the CNS, and upregulation of some of the chemokines and receptors are found associated with AD pathological changes. In this review, we summarize findings regarding the expression of chemokines and their receptors by CNS cells under physiological and pathological conditions. Although little is known about the potential pathophysiological roles of chemokines in CNS, we have put forward hypotheses on how chemokines may be involved in AD.
Preventing Respiratory Complications of Tube Feedings: Evidence-Based Practice

The most dreaded complication of tube feedings is tracheobronchial aspiration of gastric contents. Strong evidence indicates that most critically ill tube-fed patients receiving mechanical ventilation aspirate gastric contents at least once during their early days of tube feeding. Those who aspirate frequently are about 4 times more likely to have pneumonia develop than are those who aspirate infrequently. Although a patient's illness might not be modifiable, some risk factors for aspiration can be controlled; among these are malpositioned feeding tubes, improper feeding site, large gastric volume, and supine position. A review of current research-based information to support modification of these risk factors is provided.
Hedging in incomplete markets with HARA utility

In the context of Merton’s original problem of optimal consumption and portfolio choice in continuous time, this paper solves an extension in which the investor is endowed with a stochastic income that cannot be replicated by trading the available securities. The problem is treated by demonstrating, using analytic and, in particular, ‘viscosity solutions’ techniques, that the value function of the stochastic control problem is a smooth solution of the associated Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation. The optimal policy is shown to exist and given in a feedback form from the optimality conditions in the HJB equation. At zero wealth, a fixed fraction of income is consumed. For ‘large’ wealth, the original Merton policy is approached. We also give a sufficient condition for wealth, under the optimal policy, to remain strictly positive.
New Evidence Undercutting the Linkage of Approval with Presidential Support and Influence

This article resolves the conflict between standard analyses of approval and presidential influence; one suggesting a strong relationship, the other suggesting very little relationship. We introduce a new sequential approach, specifying two theoretical linkages: the standard "success" linkage and a "conversion" linkage. We use "sway" and headcount data to test the standard hypotheses about approval, including Neustadt's (1960) "shift of range" and asymmetry hypotheses and Edwards (1989) partisan and bounded partisanship hypotheses. We demonstrate that approval plays little role in presidential influence. Future research will apply this approach and data to more complex, less standard conceptualizations of the linkage.
Smallpox vaccines: circling the wagons

‘The development of a replacement tissue culture-derived smallpox vaccine is an important achievement. However, the potential pathogenesis of this vaccine presents novel challenges for its deployment to protect potential at-risk populations from a bioterrorism attack.’
PUBOVAGINAL SLING USING ALLOGRAFT FASCIA LATA VERSUS AUTOGRAFT FASCIA FOR ALL TYPES OF STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE: 2-YEAR MINIMUM FOLLOWUP

Purpose: Allografts have been substituted for autografts as a pubovaginal sling to decrease postoperative morbidity, although to our knowledge their long-term durability is unknown. Since 1997, we have offered allograft fascia lata as an alternative to autograft fascia in women undergoing the pubovaginal sling procedure. We describe our continued experience with those with a minimum 2-year followup.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 134 consecutive women with all types of stress urinary incontinence but without neurovesical voiding dysfunction or a significant degree of pelvic prolapse who underwent pubovaginal sling (allografts in 63 and autografts in 71) performed by a single surgeon. Rectus abdominis or fascia lata autograft and freeze-dried, γ irradiated allograft slings were placed using identical techniques and a 2 × 12 cm. piece of fascia. Outcome analysis included a chart review, third party telephone interview and selective videourodynamics. Surgical outcome was cat...
Students and Social News How College Students Share News Through Social Media

The growth of new media is changing how news organizations publish their work, and the explosion of social networks is changing the way news consumers of all ages share information. As news outlets face an uncertain future and try to reach younger, newer audiences, the rapid growth of mobile devices means new opportunities to create, share, and consume news content. This study examines how young news consumers share and consume news content, specifically whether they are more likely to get news through social networks (Facebook and Twitter) or directly through news sources (news stations, newspapers, websites, and mobile apps). The findings here indicate that students may hear of news through social media, but rely on other internet sources to confirm it. Local news does not seem to carry as much weight with them, but they can be persuaded to pay attention to their college towns, if only for community news and information. The findings of this study could help producers of news content tailor their inform...
New TiPTMO and ZrPTMO ceramer hybrid materials prepared by the sol gel method: Synthesis and characterization

New transparent flexible hybrid network “ceramer” materials have been synthesized by incorporating triethoxysilane capped polytetramethylene oxide with highly reactive titanium isopropoxide or zirconium n-propoxide without adding chelating agents. Both of these types of ceramer materials display high transparency while the zirconium systems show considerable transparency in the UV region. The titanium systems exhibit higher refractive index than the corresponding zirconium materials of equal alkoxide content.
Scattering analysis using fractional Fourier with applications in mine detection

This paper uses the fractional Fourier transform to identify dispersive scatterers in a GPR signature. The motive is that certain dispersive scatterers that uniquely define an object can be better localized in the fractional Fourier spectrum. These scattering features that are extracted via the fraction Fourier transform are then presented to a nonparametric landmine detection scheme. The motive is to detect landmines based on specific scattering mechanisms thus avoiding the use of the significant ground return as a primary feature
Insights Gained from P. falciparum Cultivation in Modified Media

In vitro cultivation of Plasmodium falciparum, the agent of severe human malaria, has enabled advances in basic research and accelerated the development of new therapies. Since the introduction of in vitro parasite culture nearly 40 years ago, most workers have used a medium consisting of RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with lipids and hypoxanthine. While these standardized conditions yield robust parasite growth and facilitate comparison of results from different studies, they may also lead to implicit assumptions that limit future advances. Here, I review recent studies that used modified culture conditions to challenge these assumptions and explore parasite physiology. The findings are relevant to understanding in vivo parasite phenotypes and the prioritization of antimalarial targets.
Uncovering histologic criteria with prognostic significance in toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Objective To identify histologic criteria and prognostic significance in patients with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), a frequently lethal disease that usually represents an adverse drug reaction. Design Retrospective analysis of clinical records and histologic material from a 10-year period (1994-2004). Two investigators blinded to clinical data reviewed hematoxylin-eosin–stained sections. Setting North American tertiary care, university-based burn unit. Patients Thirty-seven patients treated for TEN between 1994 and 2004 who had sloughing of 30% or more of their total body surface area and who underwent skin punch biopsies immediately following admission. Main Outcome Measure The degree of dermal mononuclear (DM) inflammation was graded (sparse, moderate, or extensive) at least 2 high-power fields (HPF) away from the perimeter of epidermal detachment, and the mean number of DM cells/5 HPF was quantified for each patient. Clinical records were reviewed and the following data extracted: age, history of cancer, percentage of total body surface area slough, heart rate, and serum glucose, bicarbonate, and serum urea nitrogen values on admission. Severity scores for TEN (SCORTEN) were calculated, and clinical outcome was recorded as survived or died during hospitalization . Results Extent of inflammation was assessed by categorizing the mean ± SD DM cell counts as follows: sparse, 161 ± 36 cells/HPF (n = 15); moderate, 273 ± 76 cells/HPF (n = 15); and extensive, 392 ± 124 cells/HPF (n = 7). There was good concordance between observer ratings ( P Conclusions There is a histologic spectrum with TEN that ranges from sparse to extensive DM inflammation, and degree of inflammation predicts clinical outcome approximately as well as SCORTEN. Future clinical trials should consider the possibility that various patient subsets exist within the TEN population, and a role for immunocytes needs to be critically reevaluated in this devastating disease.
Differences between passive-phase conjugation and decision-feedback equalizer for underwater acoustic communications

Passive-phase conjugation (PPC) uses passive time reversal to remove intersymbol interferences (ISIs) for acoustic communications in a multipath environment. It is based on the theory of signal propagation in a waveguide, which says that the Green's function (or the impulse-response function) convolved with its time-reversed conjugate, summed over a (large-aperture) vertical array of receivers (denoted as the Q function) is approximately a delta function in space and time. A decision feedback equalizer (DFE) uses a nonlinear filter to remove ISI based on the minimum mean-square errors (mmse) between the estimated symbols and the true (or decision) symbols. These two approaches are motivated by different principles. In this paper, we analyze both using a common framework. We note the commonality and differences, and pros and cons, between the two methods and compare their performance in realistic ocean environments, using simulated and at-sea data. The performance measures are mean-square error (mse), output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and bit-error rate (BER) as a function of the number of receivers. For a small number of receivers, the DFE outperforms PPC in all measures. The reason for poor PPC performance is that, for a small number of receivers, the Q function has nonnegligible sidelobes, resulting in nonzero ISI. As the number of receivers increases, the BER for both processors approaches zero, but at a different rate. The modeled performance differences (in mse and SNR) between PPC and DFE are in general agreement with the measured values from at-sea data, providing a basis for performance prediction.
Block-level link analysis

Link Analysis has shown great potential in improving the performance of web search. PageRank and HITS are two of the most popular algorithms. Most of the existing link analysis algorithms treat a web page as a single node in the web graph. However, in most cases, a web page contains multiple semantics and hence the web page might not be considered as the atomic node. In this paper, the web page is partitioned into blocks using the vision-based page segmentation algorithm. By extracting the page-to-block, block-to-page relationships from link structure and page layout analysis, we can construct a semantic graph over the WWW such that each node exactly represents a single semantic topic. This graph can better describe the semantic structure of the web. Based on block-level link analysis, we proposed two new algorithms, Block Level PageRank and Block Level HITS, whose performances we study extensively using web data.
A nonblocking algorithm for shared queues using compare-and-swap

Nonblocking algorithms for concurrent objects guarantee that an object is always accessible, in contrast to blocking algorithms in which a slow or halted process can render part or all of the data structure inaccessible to other processes. A number of algorithms have been proposed for shared FIFO queues, but nonblocking implementations are few and either limit the concurrency or provide inefficient solutions. The authors present a simple and efficient nonblocking shared FIFO queue algorithm with O(n) system latency, no additional memory requirements, and enqueuing and dequeuing times independent of the size of the queue. They use the compare & swap operation as the basic synchronization primitive. They model their algorithm analytically and with a simulation, and compare its performance with that of a blocking FIFO queue. They find that the nonblocking queue has better performance if processors are occasionally slow, but worse performance if some processors are always slower than others. >
Tracking urban sprawl: using spatial data to inform farmland preservation policy.

Abstract The development of state farmland preservation policies has primarily relied upon results of the Census of Agriculture that is updated every 5 years by the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service. Questions about the suitability of the Census of Agriculture center on the measures of total farmland and total cropland as reported by agricultural producers. The reliance on these variables fails to distinguish between conversion to developed uses and other fluctuations in the total availability of farmland. This inability to directly measure farmland conversion to developed uses has been shown to influence state level farmland preservation policies. The policies of Illinois and Indiana highlight the disparate approaches, with Illinois pursuing an intensive policy to protect farmland and Indiana choosing to not address farmland preservation at a state level. In order to assess the suitability of the different approaches to farmland preservation policy it is critical to evaluate the Census of Agriculture data used to justify the policies of Illinois and Indiana. This study focuses on using spatial analysis to determine the rate of farmland conversion to developed uses in all counties in Indiana and Illinois. The spatial analysis utilizes the 1992 USGS National Land Cover Dataset and the 2002 NASS Cropland Data Layer along with other supporting data layers to compare with results from the 1992 and 2002 Census of Agriculture datasets. The spatial analysis supports the trends identified in the National Resources Inventory that show farmland conversion is occurring at a higher rate than is reported by the Census of Agriculture. As a result, implications for state level policies in Illinois and Indiana are discussed as well as the potential for utilizing spatial data to inform farmland preservation policy throughout the United States.