cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polytetrafluoroethylene-encapsulated Stent-Grafts: Use in Experimental Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Purpose To evaluate expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) encapsulated stents for the treatment of aortic aneurysms with emphasis on the blood and tissue-material interactions. Materials and Methods Experimental aortic aneurysms were created in dogs by enlarging the aortic lumen with an abdominal fascial patch. Twenty animals underwent endoluminal repair after allowing the surgically created aneurysm to heal for 2 months prior to transluminal aneurysmal exclusion. The device used consisted of an 8-cm-long ePTFE encapsulated stent graft. The animals were killed in groups at 1 week and at 1, 2.25, 6, and 12 months. Specimens were processed for histologic and luminal surface studies. Results Before the animals were killed, aortography demonstrated two thrombosed aortae in the 6-month group and two endoleaks in the 12-month group. Endothelialized neointima extended into the proximal and distal portions of the prosthetic lumen, with minimal cell coverage in the center of the graft. The overall percent surface area covered by endothelialized neointima was 22% ± 6% at 6 months and 18% ± 10% by 1 year ( P = .75). Histologic examination demonstrated minimal tisue penetration into the ePTFE. Conclusion Transluminal exclusion of abdominal aortic aneurysms by encapsulated stent-graft is easily acomplished. With this device, tissue coverage and penetration of the stent graft is limited and does not tend to increase with time.
Addendum: Output calibration in solid water for high energy photon beams [Med. Phys. 16, 299 (1989)]

The identification of water-equivalent material used in the title publication is given to be model No. 451 manufactured by Radiation Materials, Inc. (RMI). New data is presented for solid water model No. 457.(AIP)
Colchicine for the Treatment of Acute and Recurrent Pericarditis

Objective: To evaluate the literature with colchicine for the acute treatment of pericarditis and prevention of recurrent pericarditis. Data Sources: Searches of MEDLINE (1966-March 2014) and Cochrane Database (1993-March 2014) were conducted using the search terms pericarditis and colchicine. Limits were set for articles written in English with human subjects. Additional data were identified through bibliographic reviews. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Case series and clinical trials identified from the data sources were evaluated. Data Synthesis: A total of 16 case series and 5 prospective controlled trials were identified in the search. Early observational studies examined the use of colchicine, as an adjunct to aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), in patients with multiple cases of recurrent pericarditis. These studies showed decreased rates of recurrence after the initiation of colchicine therapy and formed the basis of the only available guidelines for the treatment of per...
Marker Chromosomes and G-Banding for Location of Genes in the Chicken,

Abstract INTRODUCTION One of the tasks of cytogenetics is the location of genes to their respective chromosomes. The sex-linked genes of the chicken located on the Z and W sex chromosomes can be immediately assigned to these chromosomes by simple breeding tests. Only recently have any of the autosomal loci been associated with their chromosomes. The locus for pea comb was determined to be on chromosome #1 by Zartman (1973) by using a translocation between chromosome #1 and the Z sex chromosome as a marker for parental contribution. Bloom et al. (1978) utilized a combination of trisomy and cytochemical differentiation to locate the ribosomal RNA gene(s) to one of the chromosomes in the size range 15 to 18. Following that finding, Bloom and Cole (1978) determined that the major histocompatibility locus (MHC) for the chicken was linked on the same chromosome. Progress is being made in chicken linkage relationships as methods . . .
What We're Fighting For: Motivation, Evolution, and the Data Sets of War

Barbarous Philosophers: Reflections on the Nature of War from Heraclitus to Heisenberg. By Christopher Coker. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010. 278 pp., $30.18 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-231-70198-3). Why Nations Fight: Past and Future Motives for War. By Richard N. Lebow. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 295 pp., $27.85 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-17045-1). The Arc of War: Origins, Escalation and Transformation. By Jack S. Levy, William R. Thompson. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011. 280 pp., $24.30 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-226-47629-2). Making War in Cote d'Ivoire. By Mike McGovern. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011. 240 pp., $24.10 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-226-51460-4). Everyone loves war, even those who take a moral stance against it, and even more so those who attend the street parties that have sometimes passed for protest. This is a tongue-in-cheek epigram I use to startle my students, but it has an element of truth. Pacifists define themselves by war. So do states, within international orders, through the principles of non-intervention and defense. Human rights discourse provides a moral case against it and a casus belli when necessary. War, peace, and freedom form an intimate triangle, both rhetorically and in practice. It would be interesting to rigorously explore the proposition that no one presently on Earth has been entirely free from war's effects, but one suspects the case could be made. Small wonder, then, our fascination with it. There may be very little generic left to say about war. Thucydides has spoken to the ages (Thucydides 1829:52–54), leaving the contemporary observer to speak for his own (or to couch eternal verities in the most faddish preoccupations of the moment, as Coker arguably does [Coker 2009]). Clausewitz got around this problem by distinguishing between the eternal nature of war and its ephemeral character (Coker 2010:11). One has only to glance over a list of recent publications on the subject, too numerous to list, to see our fascination borne out in the academic literature on war, peace, ethics, strategy, and defense. One downside of this avalanche is that it makes the task of keeping abreast of it all increasingly difficult, leading to many restated old arguments. Reinvented wheels seem to outnumber the chariots at Megiddo. Heraclitus, the first historian, captured in an epigram, “war is the father of everything,” and in his dedication to the polis (Coker 2010:18, 47), the evolutionary dynamic of war. Coker's work is …
An open-source scheduler for small satellites

The limited power generation capability of a small satellite (e.g., a CubeSat) requires robust scheduling. A scheduling approach for small satellites which considers subsystem inter-dependency (where co-operation is required, desirable or prohibited), operational requirements and ground communication windows is presented. The paper considers what the optimal way of scheduled tasks for autonomous operation (required for scheduling when not in communication with ground controllers and desirable at all times during the mission) is. It compares a genetic algorithm-based approach, an exhaustive search-based approach and a heuristic-based approach. Performance maximization is considered (in light of both decision-making time and reducing activity time).
Neuropeptide-Y in the paraventricular nucleus increases ethanol self-administration

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus is known to modulate feeding, obesity, and ethanol intake. Neuropeptide-Y (NPY), which is released endogenously by neurons projecting from the arcuate nucleus to the PVN, is one of the most potent stimulants of feeding behavior known. The role of NPY in the PVN on ethanol self-administration is unknown. To address this issue, rats were trained to self-administer ethanol via a sucrose fading procedure and injector guide cannulae aimed at the PVN were surgically implanted. Microinjections of NPY and NPY antagonists in the PVN were conducted prior to ethanol self-administration sessions. All doses of NPY significantly increased ethanol self-administration and preference, and decreased water intake. The NPY antagonist D-NPY partially reduced ethanol self-administration and completely blocked the effects of an intermediate dose of NPY (10 fmol) on ethanol intake, preference, and water intake. The competitive non-peptide Y1 receptor antagonist BIBP 3226 did not significantly alter ethanol self-administration or water intake when administered alone in the PVN but it completely blocked the effect of NPY (10 fmol) on ethanol intake. NPY infused in the PVN had no effect on ethanol self-administration when tested in rats that did not have a long history of ethanol self-administration. The doses of NPY tested produced no effect on food intake or body weight measured during the 24-h period after infusion in either ethanol-experienced or ethanol-inexperienced rats. These results indicate that elevation of NPY levels in the PVN potently increases ethanol self-administration and that this effect is mediated through NPY Y1 receptors.
Power over parity: intimate partner violence and issues of fertility control.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between intimate partner violence (IPV), abortion, parity, and contraception use. STUDY DESIGN: We recruited 1463 women for this written questionnaire study of IPV. Patient demographics, contraceptive history, and reproductive history were obtained in the waiting room from patients presenting for gynecologic care. RESULTS: Seventy percent of those eligible participated. Twenty-one percent reported a history of IPV. Partner unwillingness to use birth control, partner desirous of conception, partner creating difficulty for subject’s use of birth control, and subjects expressing inability to afford contraception were all positively associated with report of IPV. Each additional pregnancy was associated with 10% greater odds of IPV (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.17). CONCLUSION: Contraception is more difficult to navigate for women experiencing IPV. Providers should consider prescribing contraceptive methods for IPV victims that are not partner dependent.
The New North African Syndrome: A Fanonian Commemoration

What better way to celebrate, commemorate, critically reflect on, and think through Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth fifty years after its publication with a new North African syndrome: Revolution—or at least a series of revolts that continue to rock regimes across North Africa and the region. Fanon begins The Wretched writing of decolonization as a program of complete disorder, an overturning of order—often against the odds— willed from the bottom up. Without time or space for a transition, there is instead an absolute replacement of one “species” of humanity by another. In periods of revolution, like the one we are experiencing today, such absolutes appear quite normal. Indeed, radical change becomes the “new normal” and the idea that revolutionary change is impossible is simply the rantings and ravings of the conservatives and reactionaries of the ancient regime. Too long buried under the weight of the tomes of academic discourse, Fanon has been resuscitated by the new dawn of North African revolutions. To celebrate Fanon, the revolutionary, all of a sudden seems contemporary and pertinent, while the musings of the critics who consigned him to postcolonial oblivion seem out of touch. But rather than continuing the painstaking work of exhuming Fanon from the postcolonial burial site, let us turn a commemoration of Fanon into an event. Indeed, why assume that a commemoration of Fanon after fifty years is not critical? Moreover why begin a contemporary engagement with Fanon assuming a priori the limits of his thought? Indeed, where to begin is a philosophic question. It is a question of “intention” as Edward Said puts it in one of his most radical and Vicoian works. Beginnings are revolutionary, implying return and repetition and, following Said, “a sort of historical dialectic that changes its character and meaning.” Vico, Said argues “said that the word human comes from root to bury ” suggesting that “his humanistic philosophy” contained “elements of its own negation.”
Toxicological evaluation of the leachate from a closed urban landfill.

Landfilling is one of the commonly used methods of disposal of solid wastes in small and medium size municipalities. Leachate produced in the landfills can contaminate underground sources of water. Though precautionary measures to reduce the risk of leachate migration into underground sources of water are included in the selection of sites for landfilling and in their design and construction, the risk of contamination is not completely eliminated. Though chemical and in vitro toxicity tests on leachates have been conducted, not many studies are related to long-term toxicity of leachate in animal models. Therefore, toxicological evaluation of leachates is needed in order to predict possible undesirable effects of consumption of leachate-contaminated water on human populations. In this study, leachate obtained from a close landfill, which served a city population of about 60,000, was evaluated for its toxicity to mice. Animals were given leachate as drinking water for 65 days, and general toxicity to selected end points was observed.
Reconsidering Three Dichotomies

Certain dichotomies that are built into modern medical and psychiatric care—mind versus body, the individual versus the group, and “sin” versus sickness—are discussed and criticized. Judeo-Christian views regarding these issues are presented as helpful alternatives that can help set limits on the distinctions made.
Enhanced activation of the left hemisphere promotes normative decision making

Previous studies have reported that enhanced activation of the left cerebral hemisphere reduces risky-choice, attribute, and goal-framing effects relative to enhanced activation of the right cerebral hemisphere. The present study sought to extend these findings and show that enhanced activation of the left hemisphere also reduces violations of other normative principles, besides the invariance principle. Participants completed ratio bias (Experiment 1, N = 296) and base rate neglect problems (Experiment 2, N = 145) under normal (control) viewing or with the right or left hemisphere primarily activated by imposing a unidirectional gaze. In Experiment 1 we found that enhanced left hemispheric activation reduced the ratio bias relative to normal viewing and a group experiencing enhanced right hemispheric activation. In Experiment 2 enhanced left hemispheric activation resulted in using base rates more than normal viewing, but not significantly more than enhanced right hemispheric activation. Results suggest ...
Genetic variants in pigmentation genes, pigmentary phenotypes, and risk of skin cancer in Caucasians

Human pigmentation is a polygenic quantitative trait with high heritability. Although a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified in pigmentation genes, very few SNPs have been examined in relation to human pigmentary phenotypes and skin cancer risk. We evaluated the associations between 15 SNPs in 8 candidate pigmentation genes (TYR, TYRP1, OCA2, SLC24A5, SLC45A2, POMC, ASIP and ATRN) and both pigmentary phenotypes (hair color, skin color and tanning ability) and skin cancer risk in a nested case-control study of Caucasians within the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) among 218 melanoma cases, 285 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases, 300 basal cell carcinoma (BCC) cases and 870 common controls. We found that the TYR Arg402Gln variant was significantly associated with skin color (p-value = 7.7 × 10−4) and tanning ability (p-value = 7.3 × 10−4); the SLC45A2 Phe374Leu variant was significantly associated with hair color (black to blonde) (p-value = 2.4 × 10−7), skin color (p-value = 1.1 × 10−7) and tanning ability (p-value = 2.5 × 10−4). These associations remained significant after controlling for MC1R variants. No significant associations were found between these polymorphisms and the risk of skin cancer. We observed that the TYRP1 rs1408799 and SLC45A2 1721 C>G were associated with melanoma risk (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60–0.98 and OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60–0.95, respectively). The TYR Ser192Tyr was associated with SCC risk (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.00–1.50). The TYR haplotype carrying only the Arg402Gln variant allele was significantly associated with SCC risk (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.04–1.74). The OCA2 Arg419Gln and ASIP g.8818 A>G were associated with BCC risk (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.06–2.13 and OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.53–1.00, respectively). The haplotype near ASIP (rs4911414[T] and rs1015362[G]) was significantly associated with fair skin color (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.46–3.57) as well as the risks of melanoma (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.18–2.39) and SCC (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.08–2.19). These associations remained similar after adjusting for pigmentary phenotypes and MC1R variants. The statistical power of our study was modest and additional studies are warranted to confirm the associations observed in the present study. Our study provides evidence for the contribution of pigmentation genetic variants, in addition to the MC1R variants, to variation in human pigmentary phenotypes and possibly the development of skin cancer. © 2009 UICC
XFKH2, a Xenopus HNF-3α Homologue, Exhibits Both Activin-Inducible and Autonomous Phases of Expression in Early Embryos

We have isolated the Xenopus fork head (fkh) box-containing gene XFKH2. XFKH2 appears to be most similar to the rat liver transcription factor HNF-3 alpha, with 64% amino acid identity throughout the protein and 96% amino acid identity within the fkh box. Dissection experiments demonstrate that XFKH2 is present in the vegetal pole and marginal zone but not the animal pole of gastrulae and in equal levels in the dorsal and ventral halves of both gastrulae and neurulae. By in situ hybridization, we know that the dorsal component of expression is concentrated in the notochord in neurulae. In tailbud embryos, XFKH2 is detected in the foregut, the brain, and in two lines of cells just dorsal and ventral to the notochord, the hypochord and the floor plate of the spinal cord. Finally, although explanted animal caps will turn on XFKH2 autonomously at midneurula stage, activin induces early expression at gastrula stage. The early, growth factor-dependent expression does occur in the presence of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, suggesting that XFKH2 expression during gastrula stage may be an immediate early response to mesoderm induction.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGIC STUDIES OF MARIJUANA: SOME SYNTHETIC AND NATURAL THC DERIVATIVES IN ANIMALS AND MAN*

One of the tasks of a pharmacologist is the classification of drugs. Marijuana and its derivatives pose some problems. Legally marijuana has been classified as a narcotic, yet pharmacologically it is quite different. Mankind has known about the Cannabis plant from which marijuana and other products are obtained for more than 4,708 years. A considerable body of data is available to describe its gross effects. Over the centuries it has been called a depressant, euphoriant, inebriant, intoxicant, hallucinogen, psychotomimetic, sedative-hypnotic-anesthetic, and stimulant. Perhaps more than any other drug it is a social irritant that elicits rather remarkable behavior reactions in both users and nonusers. Moreau’ in 1845, employed it to produce a model psychosis, thus initiating the fashion to study hallucinogens as a means of gaining insights into mental illness. Lewin2 classified Cannabis as one of the “phantastica: hallucinating substances.” One text on hallucinogens3 does not even refer to Cannabis, but another does? There are some aspects of the subjective effects of both LSD-25 and Cannabis that are similar, yet the latter produces sedative effects, no significant sympathomimetic actions, and no cross-tolerance to LSD-25. Hollister5 reviewed the recent findings on the effects in man of marijuana and its putative active ingredient Ag-THC, stressing that current investigators have, for the most part, confirmed the Cannabis-induced clinical syndromes long known to occur. New knowledge of the active ingredients, biotransformation, dosage, pharmacokinetics, tolerance, and cross-tolerance in animals and man is now rapidly accumulating, thanks to the medicinal chemists who have provided us with relatively pure compounds (see Mechoulama). Yet for all the reading one may do about marijuana, there is nothing like the experience of personal research. This paper describes some of those experiences done first in the 1950s and later in the 1960-70s in animals and, subsequ-ntly, in man. The issue of classification is implicit in the attempt to ask what marijuana or its pure active derivatives do to various brain functions. Where and how do they act, using those limited techniques available in one’s own laboratory? This research is due to the efforts of many of my students or associates whose work has been or is being published in separate form in the near future.
Torque and force induced by ProTaper universal and ProTaper next during shaping of large and small root canals in extracted teeth.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to compare peak torque and force between ProTaper Universal (PTU) and ProTaper Next (PTN) instruments during the preparation of large and small root canals in extracted teeth. Methods Twelve maxillary incisors and each independent canal of 6 mesial roots of mandibular molars were randomly assigned to be prepared with a new set of either PTU or PTN instruments after a glide path was achieved. A total of 12 new sets of each instrument system were used. The tests were run in a standardized fashion in a torque-testing platform. Peak torques (Ncm) and force (N) were registered; analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests were then applied. Results Among instruments in the same sequence, no significant differences in peak torque and force were found among PTN instruments when shaping small or large root canals, but some PTU instruments showed statistically lower peak torque and force (P <.01) than others for both types of canals. Whereas PTU instruments showed significant differences in peak torque and force (P <.05) between large and small root canals, PTN instruments showed significantly lower force (P <.04) in large canals, but peak torque was not significantly different for upper central incisors or mesial mandibular root canals. Conclusions Under the conditions of this study, instruments in ProTaper Next set showed greater regularity in peak torque for small and large canals than ProTaper Universal instruments.
Examining the Solid Electrolyte Interphase on Binder-Free Graphite Electrodes

The solid electrode interphase (SEI) on graphite electrodes is important to the performance, calendar life, and safety characteristics of lithium-ion cells. This article examines the SEI formed on binder-free graphite electrodes prepared by electrophoretic deposition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis data were obtained on electrodes cycled in cells containing four electrolytes comprising ethylene carbonate: ethylmethyl carbonate (3:7 by weight) solvent and 1.2 M LiPF{sub 6}, 1 M LiF{sub 2}BC{sub 2}O{sub 4}, 1 M LiBF{sub 4}, or 0.7 M LiB(C{sub 2}O{sub 4}){sub 2} salt. Our observations suggest that, in addition to solvent reduction, the reduction of electrolyte salts plays an important role in SEI formation. Mechanisms to account for the formation of these SEI constituents are included in the article.
High-resolution electron microscopy of the particles of tobacco mosaic virus.

Abstract High-resolution electron microscopy of the particles of tobacco mosaic virus has been undertaken in an attempt to elucidate the details of the surface contours of these objects. Some techniques have been developed to aid in the consistent attainment of resolutions better than 3 mμ in micrographs of shadowed virus particles. These developments bear upon the problems of mechanical stability of the specimen, and of contamination of the specimen in the electron microscope. The routine use of polystyrene latex particles is discussed in connection with the problem of the evaluation of the excellence of electron micrographs. Observations have been made of the surface structure of the particles of tobacco mosaic virus in normal preparations, and in freeze-dried, incinerated, and sonicated preparations. It is concluded that no evidence exists of periodic surface structure, either transverse or longitudinal. Sonicated preparations provide thin platelets which have been broken cleanly in planes transverse to the axis of the rods. When these platelets are observed perpendicular to their planes, they exhibit hexagonal cross-sections of varying degrees of perfection of figure. The failure of the normally observed rods of TMV to appear hexagonal is discussed. Evidence is given which indicates that some sort of creeping of the shadowing uranium film exists, and that consequently the surface appearance of rods lying on their sides on the substrate film has little bearing upon their true contours. It is suggested that a film of adsorbed oil from the vacuum pumps of the shadowing apparatus is the cause of the apparent surface mobility of the uranium atoms. It is concluded that the shape of the normal rods of tobacco mosaic virus is that of an elongated hexagonal prism.
Estimation of Travel Time Reliability for Freeways Using Mean and Standard Deviation of Travel Time

Abstract Variable speed limit (VSL) signs are in use across Interstate 255/270 (I-270/I-255) in St. Louis County, Missouri, varying the speed limit in real time during peak periods to reduce congestion. This paper evaluates the effects of the VSL system on travel time distribution and travel time reliability. Several distributions, including gamma, largest extreme value, log-logistic, log-normal, and Weibull, were fitted to the 24-hour travel time data to determine which provides the best fit for post-VSL conditions. Log-normal distribution provided the best. This paper also proposes a new method to estimate the 95th percentile of travel time, one of the most important factors for travel time reliability, using the mean and standard deviation of travel time. Parametric and nonparametric statistical tests were performed to validate this method using 36 field data sets from four congested segments of I-270/I-255.
The hemodynamic effects of doxacurium during abdominal aortic surgery

D OXACURIUM chloride is a long-acting benzylisoquinoline neuromuscular block!..,____ L LI_^. 1-.._ 1-___._...__.4__4 C^ L,. J _.^ :,4 ,I mg dXp”lrr;u L” UC UC”“lU “1 cardiovascular side effects.’ Its EDg5 is 25 to 30 pg/kg, and it does not release histamine in doses as high as 80 pg/kg. The cardiovascular stability of doxacurium has been demonstrated in healthy patients,2 and in patients with cardiovascular disease.3 The present study examined the hemodynamic effects of doxacurium in patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery.
The effect of processing variables on the morphology of electrospun nanofibers and textiles

Electrospinning is a process that produces continuous polymer fibers with diameters in the sub-micron range through the action of an external electric field imposed on a polymer solution or melt. Non-woven textiles composed of electrospun fibers have a large specific surface area and small pore size compared to commercial textiles, making them excellent candidates for use in filtration and membrane applications. While the process of electrospinning has been known for over half a century, current understanding of the process and those parameters, which influence the properties of the fibers produced from it, is very limited. In this work, we have evaluated systematically the effects of two of the most important processing parameters: spinning voltage and solution concentration, on the morphology of the fibers formed. We find that spinning voltage is strongly correlated with the formation of bead defects in the fibers, and that current measurements may be used to signal the onset of the processing voltage at which the bead defect density increases substantially. Solution concentration has been found to most strongly affect fiber size, with fiber diameter increasing with increasing solution concentration according to a power law relationship. In addition, electrospinning from solutions of high concentration has been found to produce a bimodal distribution of fiber sizes, reminiscent of distributions observed in the similar droplet generation process of electrospray. In addition, we find evidence that electrostatic effects influence the macroscale morphology of electrospun textiles, and may result in the formation of heterogeneous or three-dimensional structures.
Analysis of Signal Reconstruction With Jittered Sampling

We consider the linear estimation of square integrable signals from jittered noisy samples. We establish an expression for the integrated mean-square error for correlated jitter and noise processes. We also find the optimal weights of the linear filter. For the case of independent identically distributed (i.i.d.) noise and jitter processes, and a suboptimal filter, we derive the asymptotic distribution of the estimate of the signal. Numerical examples are presented.
Testing the fuel-mediated hypothesis: maternal insulin resistance and glucose mediate the association between maternal and neonatal adiposity, the Healthy Start study

Aims/hypothesis In women who are overweight or obese before or during pregnancy there is an associated risk of increased fetal growth and higher birthweight. The metabolic phenotype of the overweight/obese pregnant woman, characterised by higher than normal insulin resistance (IR) and increased circulating fuels, suggests a mechanism resulting in fetal overnutrition and subsequent increased adiposity. We tested the fuel-mediated hypothesis in an observational pre-birth cohort of 951 mother–offspring pairs, the Healthy Start study.
Introduction of primary antioxidant activity to chitosan for application as a multifunctional food packaging material

Abstract The objective of this study was to improve functionality of chitosan films by introducing the primary antioxidant property to chitosan molecule. Grafting of gallic acid (GA) on chitosan was most efficient when chitosan, GA, carbodiimide, and N-hydroxysuccinimide were used in the ratio 2·10−4:1:0.05:0.05. There was no significant difference in grafting efficiency when the reaction lasted 6 or 24 h. Chitosan with 80% degree of deacetylation (DDA) was efficiently grafted and increase in DDA did not improve grafting. Non-grafted, native chitosan had insignificant 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability (9.4%) and no reducing power. The GA-grafted chitosan had 34.26 mg GA/g, DPPH scavenging ability of 89.5%, reducing power of A700 = 0.51, and was soluble in aqueous acetic acid. During storage of ground peanuts under stress conditions (50 °C, 20–30% RH), both chitosan and GA-chitosan pouches provided significant reduction in oxidation reactions. Furthermore, the GA-grafted chitosan reduced level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), peroxide, and conjugated trienes formation as compared to polyethylene bags. GA-grafted chitosan shows promise as a candidate for multifunctional food packaging material.
Ocean carbon uptake more variable than previously thought

Earth's oceans are thought to have taken up about one quarter of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that humans pumped into the atmosphere in the past 2 decades. The CO2 drives acidification and has consequences for sea life, but it also moderates the rate of climate change.
Radiogenic free radicals as molecular probes in bone.

Exposure of bone mineral to X-rays generates free radicals. These are usually very labile, but can be stabilized at liquid nitrogen temperatures for study by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The free radicals thus detected in the present study included one with resonances arising from an electron excess center and 2 species with electron-deficit centers: a phosphate anion radical and a radical associated with carbonate. Each of these radicals seemed to be located chiefly at the mineral surface and was sensitive to the surface environment. Presence of an organic phase, as in whole bone, modified free radical production in a manner that suggests interference with the formation of electron deficit centers. Comparison with other synthetic minerals suggests that precipitated carbonateapatites are good models for bone mineral.
Further studies of the kinetics of spherical agglomeration in a stirred vessel

Abstract The agglomeration behaviour of silica sand, glass and calcium carbonate powders (average diam. 4 – 76 μm) in stirred suspensions was investigated. The powders were dispersed as 0.1 – 4 vol.% suspensions in carbon tetrachloride and agglomerated with aqueous calcium chloride solution as model systems. The work extends a previous investigation [3] to lower suspension concentrations and much finer particle sizes. In all the experiments the agglomeration kinetics could be represented as a first-order process, indicating a high degree of particle interaction and control of the proess by the level of systematic agitation. Differences in behaviour were observed between the finer and coarser particles. The finer particles were found to require much less bridging liquid (referred to the porosity of the dry packed state) for satisfactory agglomeration and to exhibit an induction period of slow growth followed by rapid, heteogeneous coalescence. The spread of agglomerate sizes increased with decreasing particle size. These differences were explained in terms of the greater surface/volume ratio of the fines and the relatively greater surface forces which exist between them.
1055-2 A New Approach of Integrating Desk Top and Palm Top Computers Data in Managing Cardiac Patients

We have used a commercially available personal digital assistant(PDA), equipped with XT type processor, MS-DOS 5.0 system, 1 Mb RAM memory and 10 Mb PCMCIA RAM card. Hospital patient(pt) data was acquired into WP 5.1 wordprocessor(WP) using form files and macro programs to assure standard format and complete data set for each pt. The PDA is backed by a desk-top computer (PC) via a null modem serial interface. The pt record can be selectively printed and immediately placed in the chart as a formal history and physical (HaP), daily notes or a discharge summary, thus obviating frequently illegible handwritten notes. The PDA records can be integrated with the PC out patient records by using prompted dialog box. Through Wordperfect′s 6.0 new feature, quickfinder index(QI) the pt's records can be viewed as an electronic chart derived from subdirectories of different procedures, tests, evaluations, etc. The Q1 allows search and retrieval of specific information for an individual or groups of pts. Advantages of this new integrated system are: 1) Standardization of data entry and data integrity; 2) Access to pt data independent of the chart; 3) Ability to retrieve and report selected information; 4) Rapid, concise and accurate formulation of HaP, daily notes and discharge summary with immediate printout; 5) Updated office file; 61 Instantaneous recall of information of readmitted pts; 7) Accurate billing information; 8) Oueries derived from the integrated hospital and office electronic chart assist in clinical decision making and improve the quality of care of individual as well as subsets of cardiac pts.
Ultrasound-assisted Lumbar Puncture in Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Abstract Background Ultrasound-assisted lumbar puncture in the pediatric emergency medicine setting has not been well established, but ultrasound could serve as a valuable tool in this setting. Objective To assess whether ultrasound increases provider confidence in identifying an insertion point for lumbar puncture. Methods A feasibility study was conducted using a convenience sample of pediatric emergency patients requiring lumbar puncture. Provider confidence in selecting a needle insertion site for lumbar puncture using ultrasound assistance was compared to provider confidence using traditional landmarks alone. A simple technique using a linear probe is described. Results Nineteen patients were included in the study, with the primary end point the mean confidence score (based on a five-point Likert scale) in identifying a needle insertion site prior to and after using ultrasound. Using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, the mean confidence score was 2.89 with the landmark procedure alone, and 4.79 with ultrasound assistance, yielding an average score difference of 1.90 (95% confidence interval 1.23–2.56; Wilcoxon p t -test p Conclusion The use of ultrasound in the pediatric emergency setting can be a valuable adjunct with lumbar puncture.
Real-time leader election☆

Abstract The problem of real-time leader election in a shared memory environment requires a single processor to be distinguished as the leader and requires an upper bound on the duration for which no leader is present. This processor can be used to provide services that must be continuously available. We propose an improved protocol, which requires O(log N ) time and O( N /log N ) variables.
Receiver Functions from Multiple-Taper Spectral Correlation Estimates

Teleseismic P waves are followed by a series of scattered waves, particularly P -to- S converted phases, that form a coda. The sequence of scattered waves on the horizontal components can be represented by the receiver function (RF) for the station and may vary with the approach angle and azimuth of the incoming P wave. We have developed a frequency-domain RF inversion algorithm using multiple-taper correlation (MTC) estimates, instead of spectral division, using the pre-event noise spectrum for frequency-dependent damping. The multitaper spectrum estimates are leakage resistant, so low-amplitude portions of the P -wave spectrum can contribute usefully to the RF estimate. The coherence between vertical and horizontal components can be used to obtain a frequency-dependent uncertainty for the RF. We compare the MTC method with two popular methods for RF estimation, time-domain deconvolution (TDD), and spectral division (SPD), both with damping to avoid numerical instabilities. Deconvolution operators are often biased toward the frequencies where signal is strongest. Spectral-division schemes with constant water-level damping can suffer from the same problem in the presence of strong signal-generated noise. Estimates of uncertainty are scarce for TDD and SPD, which impedes developing a weighted average of RF estimates from multiple events. Multiple-taper correlation RFs are more resistant to signal-generated noise in test cases, though a “coherent” scattering effect, like a strong near-surface organ-pipe resonance in soft sediments, will overprint the Ps conversions from deeper interfaces. The MTC RF analysis confirms the broad features of an earlier RF study for the Urals foredeep by Levin and Park (1997a) using station ARU of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN), but adds considerable detail, resolving P -to- S converted energy up to f = 4.0 Hz.
Rights, Respect, and the Decent Society

Critique du projet d'une societe decente defendu par A. Margalit a partir du rejet de l'idee de societe juste fondee sur les droits fondamentaux. Examinant la definition de la societe decente en terme de non-humiliation, l'A. montre que la notion d'humiliation, si elle ne comprend les droits fondamentaux, est trop faible pour servir de fondement normatif a la societe parce qu'elle ne reconnait pas la violation de ces droits comme agression contre le respect individuel.
Counsel for the poor: An evaluation of contracting for indigent criminal defense

This paper examines the cost-effectiveness of contracting as an alternative to traditional assigned counsel and public defender systems for providing representation to poor people accused of crimes. Contracting has been endorsed by many as a means of conserving public resources while providing experienced counsel; it also has been criticized as a means of ensuring that minimal public investment, and hence minimally qualified representation, is offered to the poor. This study tests the hypothesis that contracting, particularly competitively bid contracting, is less costly than the alternatives, and offers some observations about variation in types of contract and the consequences of this variation for program costs. This study differs from most research on indigent defense in that it is based on survey data from all felony court jurisdictions in a single state, Michigan. The results suggest that competitive bidding is indeed less expensive than the alternatives, but simultaneously raise questions about the...
Ignition and Combustion of Boron Slurry Agglomerates

Abstract The behavior of agglomerates o f boron particles, formed during the combustion of boron slurry fuels, was studied in the post-flame region of a Rat-flame burner. Agglomerates having initial diameters of 175-800 μm were supported on a probe and placed in the hot gas environment. Measurements were made of the variation of agglomerate size with time. Quenched agglomerate surface morphology was studied using a scanning electron microscope. Burner operating conditions were varied to give fuel equivalence ratios in the range 0.3-0.7 and gas temperatures in the range 1690-1975 K at atmospheric pressure. Flame environments both with and without water vapor were considered. Observations of surface morphology of partiallyreacted slurry agglomerates suggest that the ignition and combustion process consists of the heat-up of a relatively porous agglomerate composed of individual boron particles covered with a solid oxide coating followed by oxide melting to form a liquid coating of low porosity. The oxide la...
Learning Better Monolingual Models with Unannotated Bilingual Text

This work shows how to improve state-of-the-art monolingual natural language processing models using unannotated bilingual text. We build a multiview learning objective that enforces agreement between monolingual and bilingual models. In our method the first, monolingual view consists of supervised predictors learned separately for each language. The second, bilingual view consists of log-linear predictors learned over both languages on bilingual text. Our training procedure estimates the parameters of the bilingual model using the output of the monolingual model, and we show how to combine the two models to account for dependence between views. For the task of named entity recognition, using bilingual predictors increases F1 by 16.1% absolute over a supervised monolingual model, and retraining on bilingual predictions increases monolingual model F1 by 14.6%. For syntactic parsing, our bilingual predictor increases F1 by 2.1% absolute, and retraining a monolingual model on its output gives an improvement of 2.0%.
On estimation of multiple frequencies in undersampled complex valued waveforms

In this correspondence, the determination of multiple frequencies in undersampled waveforms is studied using multiple smaller size discrete Fourier transforms (DFT). Given the sizes of multiple DFT, a range for the detectable frequencies in undersampled waveforms is presented.
Efficacy and specificity of immunotherapy with laboratory animal allergen extracts

Abstract The clinical and immunologic response to immunotherapy with laboratory animal allergens was evaluated. There were 23 patients; 11 had received immunotherapy with 12 different extracts (five mouse, six rat, one rabbit), and 12 were matched untreated patients. As a group, nine of 23 had seasonal hay fever. Among the treated patients nine of 11 subjectively improved with immunotherapy. Blocking antibody titers were determined by serum inhibition of allergen-induced histamine release. Treated patients had mean blocking antibody levels of G 30 = 59.3 ± 38.7. In the untreated patients the antibody level was low (G 30 = 4.6 ± 3.6). The difference between the two groups was highly significant (t test p
Piezo-Electric Resonance and Oscillatory Phenomena with Flexural Vibrations in Quartz Plates

A method of obtaining flexural vibrations from piezo-electric quartz plates together with the equations for flexural vibrations in quartz is given. Crystal mountings for obtaining best results with the first, second, and higher modes of flexural vibration are developed. The use of the crystal at flexural frequencies in the oscillator circuits of Cady and Pierce, and the luminous phenomena obtained when resonating in a partially evacuated chamber with different types of mountings, are also described. Without using unusually long plates the range of frequencies obtainable is extended into the audible range. Among the problems still to be solved are the temperature coefficient of frequency and logarithmic decrement for the various modes of flexural vibration as well as constancy of frequency under variations of load and constants of the electric circuit. Investigations are still in progress, of which a report will be communicated later.
Reshaping Cinderella's slipper: the shared epitope hypothesis

This issue of Arthritis Research and Therapy contains a succinct and elegant paper by Michou and colleagues that advances our understanding of the genetic basis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by reclassifying the contribution of RA susceptibility alleles according to their structure. This line of research is potentially important in our conceptualization of the mechanism of disease in RA, in predicting disease course and severity, and as a model for further studies on this topic. The author's approach to reassessing the molecular structure of the shared epitope redirects attention to using the binding properties of the major histocompatibility complex molecules associated with susceptibility to search for the peptides driving the autoimmune process underlying rheumatoid arthritis
Phylogeography and population structure of the grape powdery mildew fungus, Erysiphe necator, from diverse Vitis species

The grape powdery mildew fungus, Erysiphe necator, was introduced into Europe more than 160 years ago and is now distributed everywhere that grapes are grown. To understand the invasion history of this pathogen we investigated the evolutionary relationships between introduced populations of Europe, Australia and the western United States (US) and populations in the eastern US, where E. necator is thought to be native. Additionally, we tested the hypothesis that populations of E. necator in the eastern US are structured based on geography and Vitis host species. We sequenced three nuclear gene regions covering 1803 nucleotides from 146 isolates of E. necator collected from the eastern US, Europe, Australia, and the western US. Phylogeographic analyses show that the two genetic groups in Europe represent two separate introductions and that the genetic groups may be derived from eastern US ancestors. Populations from the western US and Europe share haplotypes, suggesting that the western US population was introduced from Europe. Populations in Australia are derived from European populations. Haplotype richness and nucleotide diversity were significantly greater in the eastern US populations than in the introduced populations. Populations within the eastern US are geographically differentiated; however, no structure was detected with respect to host habitat (i.e., wild or cultivated). Populations from muscadine grapes, V. rotundifolia, are genetically distinct from populations from other Vitis host species, yet no differentiation was detected among populations from other Vitis species. Multilocus sequencing analysis of the grape powdery mildew fungus is consistent with the hypothesis that populations in Europe, Australia and the western US are derived from two separate introductions and their ancestors were likely from native populations in the eastern US. The invasion history of E. necator follows a pattern consistent with plant-mediated dispersal, however, more exhaustive sampling is required to make more precise conclusions as to origin. E. necator shows no genetic structure across Vitis host species, except with respect to V. rotundifolia.