cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Noninvasive tracking of cardiac embryonic stem cells in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging techniques.

Despite rapid advances in the stem cell field, the ability to identify and track transplanted or migrating stem cells in vivo is limited. To overcome this limitation, we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect and follow transplanted stem cells over a period of 28 days in mice using an established myocardial infarction model. Pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells were expanded and induced to differentiate into beating cardiomyocytes in vitro. The cardiac-differentiated mES cells were then loaded with superparamagnetic fluorescent microspheres (1.63 μm in diameter) and transplanted into ischemic myocardium immediately following ligation and subsequent reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. To identify the transplanted stem cells in vivo, MRI was performed using a Varian Inova 4.7 Tesla scanner. Our results show that (a) the cardiac-differentiated mES were effectively loaded with superparamagnetic microspheres in vitro, (b) the microsphere-loaded mES cells continued to beat in culture prior to transplantation, (c) the transplanted mES cells were readily detected in the heart in vivo using noninvasive MRI techniques, (d) the transplanted stem cells were detected in ischemic myocardium for the entire 28-day duration of the study as confirmed by MRI and post-mortem histological analyses, and (e) concurrent functional MRI indicated typical loss of cardiac function, although significant amelioration of remodeling was noted after 28 days in hearts that received transplanted stem cells. These results demonstrate that it is feasible to simultaneously track transplanted stem cells and monitor cardiac function in vivo over an extended period using noninvasive MRI techniques. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
The role of urban runoff, sewage discharge, and chicken manure on the water quality of the Chattahoochee River

The Chattahoochee River is the principal source of drinking water for metro-Atlanta. The river receives urban runoff and sewage discharge and is in an area of rapid growth in both urban sprawl and the poultry industry. Data was collected weekly at a sample station 50 mi (80 km) downstream of Atlanta for 310 days during a drought in 19992000 and again for 290 days during abundant rainfall in 20022003. Field parameters, fecal coliform bacteria, and nutrients were measured. One spill in 2000 of 1.5 million gal (5700 m 3) of sewage that occurred 50 mi (80 km) upstream of our sample station resulted in a nitrate-N spike. Nitrite-nitrate-N was elevated during drought (low-flow) conditions. It is difficult to quantify the role of chicken manure on water quality of an already impaired watershed. Nevertheless, nutrient runoff from chicken manure application on farmland increases total phosphorus load of streams. U.S. Geological Survey data for the Chattahoochee River indicate that although corrective measures have decreased phosphorus and ammonia, nitrite-nitrate-N has increased from 0.24 mg/l in 1971 to 2.3 mg/l in 2002.
Real-time multi-functional optical coherence tomography

We demonstrate real-time acquisition, processing, and display of tissue structure, birefringence, and blood flow in a multi-functional optical coherence tomography (MF-OCT) system. This is accomplished by efficient data processing of the phase-resolved inteference patterns without dedicated hardware or extensive modification to the high-speed fiber-based OCT system. The system acquires images of 2048 depth scans per second, covering an area of 5 mm in width×1.2 mm in depth with real-time display updating images in a rolling manner 32 times each second. We present a video of the system display as images from the proximal nail fold of a human volunteer are taken.
Musical Symbolism in Bartók's Bluebeard: Trauma, Gender, and the Unfolding of the Unconscious

The intention in this lecture is to explore the means by which Bartok's DukeBluebeard's Castle (1911) transforms the harmonic structures of the traditional major/minor scale system into a new musical language, and how this language reflects the psycho-dramatic symbolism of Bela Balazs, Hungarian disciple of the Belgian dramatist, Maurice Maeterlinck. In reaction to the realism of nineteenth-century theater, many authors began to develop a new interest in psychological motivation and a level of consciousness manifested in metaphor, ambiguity, and symbol. In his Symbolist plays, Maeterlinck was to transform the internal concept of subconscious motivation into an external one, one in which human emotions and actions are entirely controlled by fate. The Bartok-Balazs opera represents one of the first significant attempts to establish more profound correspondences between the symbolist dramatic conception and the new musical language. This language is based almost exclusively on interactions between pentatonic...
Treatment of Pain in Children After Limb-Sparing Surgery: An Institution's 26-year Experience

A significant proportion of patients report long-term pain that is ≥5 on a 0-10 intensity scale after limb-sparing surgery for malignancies of the long bones. Patients experience several distinct types of pain after limb-sparing surgery which constitute a complex clinical entity. This retrospective study examined 26 years of experience in a pediatric institution (1981-2007) in pain management as long as 6 months after limb-sparing surgery and reviewed the historical evolution of pain interventions. One hundred fifty patients underwent 151 limb-salvage surgeries for bone cancer of the extremities in this series. Pain treatment increased progressively in complexity. Therapies included opioids, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, acetaminophen-opioid combinations, postoperative continuous epidural infusion, anticonvulsants and tricyclic antidepressants for neuropathic pain, local anesthetic wound catheters, and continuous peripheral nerve block catheters. Management of pain after limb-sparing surgery has evolved over the 26 years of this review. It currently relies on multiple "layers" of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies to address the complex mixed nociceptive and neuropathic mechanisms of pain in this patient population.
Acoustic pressure wave generation within an MR imaging system: Potential medical applications

The static magnetic field of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system was used as a component of an electromagnetic transducer for generating acoustic pressure waves. To permit limited focusing, the transducer was constructed from a conductive thin plate shaped like a section of a sphere. The plate was placed within the static field of the MR unit (B0 = 1.5 T), and current pulses with a rise time of 73 nsec and amplitude of 1.0 kA were applied to it. Hydrophonic recording demonstrated a shock wave with a peak pressure of 4.8 MPa at the approximated focal point. MR guidance of lithotripsy would be particularly useful to limit undesirable soft-tissue damage. It is also suggested that the integration of an acoustic pressure wave generator with MR imaging and control provides a novel technology for the treatment of solid soft-tissue tumors.
Using a new analysis of the best interests standard to address cultural disputes: whose data, which values?

Clinicians sometimes disagree about how much to honor surrogates’ deeply held cultural values or traditions when they differ from those of the host country. Such a controversy arose when parents requested a cultural accommodation to let their infant die by withdrawing life saving care. While both the parents and clinicians claimed to be using the Best Interests Standard to decide what to do, they were at an impasse. This standard is analyzed into three necessary and jointly sufficient conditions and used to resolve the question of how much to accommodate cultural preferences and how to treat this infant. The extreme versions of absolutism and relativism are rejected. Properly understood, the Best Interests Standard can serve as a powerful tool in settling disputes about how to make good decisions for those who cannot decide for themselves.
A new approach to online database instruction: developing the guide on the side

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and rationale for the creation of a scalable approach to online database instruction.Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses the pedagogical, organizational, and technological considerations for developing an interactive, online tutorial that can be used by librarians for database instruction.Findings – Database instruction during one‐shot library sessions is a cornerstone of information literacy programs, but with a move to online instruction, it has not been clear how to replicate many of the pedagogical advantages that take place in a face‐to‐face environment. Librarians along with programmers have developed a new type of scalable and pedagogically‐sound interactive tutorial.Originality/value – The paper provides librarians with a history of the development of a tutorial that has been released as open‐source software program that can be easily modified by other libraries.
Next Generation Space Telescope: NIR InSb array development

The astronomical community has benefited from the scientific advances in photo-detection over the last few decades, from optical CCDs to infrared array detectors, for both large ground-based telescopes and space-borne telescopes. NGST, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, will draw on the improvements in infrared array technologies to achieve its goals and mission. The University of Rochester, in collaboration with Raytheon and NASA Ames Research Center, is developing and testing near infrared InSb array detectors to meet the stringent requirements for NGST. The latest development involves a suitable multiplexer in a 2048 x 2048 format that will be bump-bonded to an InSb array. Twenty of these arrays will be required for NGST imaging and spectroscopy. We present results for pathfinder 1024 x 1024 arrays. This is a companion work to the paper in these SPIE proceedings by Ken Ando, Peter Love, Nancy Lum, Alan Hoffman, Roger Holcombe, John Durkee, Joseph Rosbeck, and Elizabeth Corrales (Raytheon Infrared Operations).
On the Incidence of US Tariffs

This paper provides evidence on the incidence of tariffs on products of export interest to developing countries by investigating the relationship between per capita incomes of US trading partners and tariff rates. It constitutes the first attempt to assess the incidence of tariffs imposed by the US on countries that span the entire range of per capita incomes. Average tariff rates are lower for the poorest and richest countries and higher for countries in the middle of the income distribution. This finding is not consistent with the widely held view that tariffs used by industrial nations bear more heavily on products of export interest to poorer developing countries than on imports from industrial nations. It is consistent with the tariff escalation pattern reported in earlier studies if advanced countries account for most products at the high end of the fabrication scale. Results show that poorest countries will find it difficult to escape tariffs by attaining higher levels of economic development.
Antihypertensive drug therapy in alcohol dependence.

Evidence from several clinical and epidemiological studies has revealed an association between regular use of substantial amounts of alcohol and elevations in blood pressure. Thus, the elevation in blood pressure may not be due to a direct effect of alcohol per se, but to withdrawal from alcohol. The use of antihypertensive drugs was retrospectively investigated in 59 patients being treated in a chemical-dependence treatment facility to determine the necessity for these medications once patients have undergone detoxification and abstinence. Twenty-seven (46%) of these patients were tapered from their antihypertensive medication and remained normotensive at discharge. The study suggests that some people who drink substantially may abstain or decrease their alcohol intake for one or two days prior to a medical examination to present themselves as more socially acceptable. This may produce a mild, early withdrawal reaction with a resultant increase in blood pressure.
Damping and Stiffness Enhancement in Composite Systems with Carbon Nanotubes Films

Structural damping is an essential design parameter for many engineering applications. We demonstrate here the potential for the use of multi-walled carbon nanotube films in structural systems where vibrational energy dissipation is important. These films can provide a light weight, minimally intrusive alternative to conventional damping materials such as visco-elastic polymers. In addition, because of their multifaceted properties, damping materials utilizing carbon nanotubes are expected to be superior to traditional materials and may enhance the performance of the system by increasing structural stiffness and thermal stability.
The Role of Pre-H2 Domains of α- and δ-Epithelial Na+ Channels in Ion Permeation, Conductance, and Amiloride Sensitivity

Epithelial Na(+) channels (ENaC) regulate salt and water re-absorption across the apical membrane of absorptive epithelia such as the kidney, colon, and lung. Structure-function studies have suggested that the second transmembrane domain (M2) and the adjacent pre- and post-M2 regions are involved in channel pore formation, cation selectivity, and amiloride sensitivity. Because Na(+) selectivity, unitary Na(+) conductance (gamma(Na)), and amiloride sensitivity of delta-ENaC are strikingly different from those of alpha-ENaC, the hypothesis that the pre-H2 domain may contribute to these characterizations has been examined by swapping the pre-H2, H2, and both (pre-H2+H2) domains of delta- and alpha-ENaCs. Whole-cell and single channel results showed that the permeation ratio of Li(+) and Na(+) (P(Li)/P(Na)) for the swap alpha chimeras co-expressed with betagamma-ENaC in Xenopus oocytes decreased significantly. In contrast, the ratio of P(Li)/P(Na) for the swap delta constructs was not significantly altered. Single channel studies confirmed that swapping of the H2 and the pre-H2+H2 domains increased the gamma(Na) of alpha-ENaC but decreased the gamma(Na) of delta-ENaC. A significant increment in the apparent inhibitory dissociation constant for amiloride (K(i)(amil)) was observed in the alpha chimeras by swapping the pre-H2, H2, and pre-H2+H2 domains. In contrast, a striking decline of K(i)(amil) was obtained in the chimeric delta constructs with substitution of the H2 and pre-H2+H2 domains. Our results demonstrate that the pre-H2 domain, combined with the H2 domain, contributes to the P(Li)/P(Na) ratio, single channel Na(+) conductance, and amiloride sensitivity of alpha- and delta-ENaCs.
IONIC COMPOSITION OF ACID LAKES IN RELATION TO AIRBORNE INPUTS AND WATERSHED CHARACTERISTICS

Present acid forming emissions to the atmosphere have the potential to alter significantly the chemistry of rain, snow, and surface water of weakly buffered lakes in the Upper Midwest. Average precipitation pH from field measurements during 1979–1983 declined from west to east from 4.8, 4.6, and 4.3 along a cross-section of sites in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan respectively where 990 lake and stream sampling sites were studied. Measurements of weakly buffered lakes show a parallel decline in lake water pH with the lowest values measured, 5.1, 4.6 and 4.4, respectively in the same regions. Correspondingly, the percentage of lakes sampled with little or no acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) was found to increase from 0 to 4 and 13%, respectively. The geographic patterns in ionic composition of airborne acids and bases, and the resultant surface water concentrations are compared. The acid forming capacity (AFC) from airborne inputs is calculated using mass balance and in-lake processes. Stoichiometric acid-base reactions are used to balance the observed chemical differences between airborne inputs and surface water composition considering nitrification, denitrification, other oxidation-reduction reactions, and the evaporation concentration process. Microbial activity in surface water can result in a net decrease in ionic strength from the conversion of most of the ammonium and nitrate to neutral compounds and biomass, but only a partial reduction of about 20% of the sulfate inputs to weakly buffered lakes. The resulting AFC of airborne inputs are calculated to range from 30 to 60, 50 to 90, and 80 to 130 µeq H+L-1, respectively, in northeastern Minnesota-Ontario. The differences in AFC of airborne inputs from west to east, and differences in in-lake processes explain the observed acidity of weakly buffered lakes across the region,
Enhancement of radiation effects by combined docetaxel and carboplatin treatment in vitro.

This study was designed to evaluate the combination of docetaxel (Taxotere) and carboplatin for radiopotentiation in vitro. H460 human lung carcinoma cells were treated with docetaxel (or paclitaxel) for 1 h and rinsed. After 24 h, the cells were treated with carboplatin for 1 h, irradiated, and colony forming ability was assesed. Using various doses of docetaxel with 100 μM carboplatin, the dose enhancement ratio (D.E.R.) for drugs only was 1.26. When 25 nM docetaxel was used with various doses of radiation, the radiation D.E.R. was 1.41. With all three agents combined, and after normalization for combined drug effects, the radiation D.E.R. was 1.55. Similar values were obtained using paclitaxel with these agents. Significant redistribution of cells into the radiosensitive G2/M phase was observed using a dose of paclitaxel (750 nM), which also caused radiation enhancement. However, an equally cytotoxic dose of docetaxel (25 nM) did not result in any cell cycle redistribution; this phenomenon was only observed at higher doses. This study shows that the combination of docetaxel and carboplatin enhance the effects of radiation in vitro more effectively than either drug seperately. In addition, our data show that the mechanism of radiopotentiation by docetaxel probably does not involve a G2/M block in H460 cells. Radiat. Oncol. Invest. 7:343–352, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
High-power optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier system with a 1.55 μm signal and a 1.064 μm pump

We have designed and built a chirped-pulse parametric-amplifier system that utilizes a 10 Hz, 300 ps, Nd:YAG pump laser system; a 1.575??m fiber oscillator and amplifier as the signal source; and rubidium titanyl phosphate and potassium titanyl arsenate nonlinear crystals. We obtained 260 fs, 30 mJ pulses centered at 1.550??m, representing a gain of >109 and a peak power of 100 GW. To our knowledge, these are the highest energy and peak power pulses ever produced in the 1.5–2.0??m region
Measurement of right ventricular mass in normal and dilated cardiomyopathic ventricles using cine magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract The accurate quantification of right ventricular (RV) mass has eluded conventional imaging modalities. Accordingly, cine magnetic resonance imaging was used for quantification of RV as well as left ventricular (LV) mass in 10 normal subjects and in 10 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy with an LV ejection fraction
Effect of dietary carbohydrate on experimentally induced hypercholesteremia and hyperbetalipoproteinemia in rats.

SummaryMale albino rats were fed diets for 28 days in which the type of carbohydrate was varied and serum cholesterol and beta-lipoproteins were determined. 1. Rats fed diets containing sucrose as ...
A theoretical model for excited state absorption

For long incident pulses, one-photon absorption in the excited state formed following a two-photon absorption can play a very significant role in some organic materials. We develop here a quantitative model to determine the contribution of excited state absorption in the interpretation of the two-photon absorption data for such materials. We present representative calculations of this effect for some selected systems.
Measurement and normal range of free histamine in human blood plasma

Abstract A method is described for measuring histamine in plasma by development of fluorescence with o-phthalaldehyde, after separation of the histamine from most other constituents of plasma by: 1) deproteinizing with trichloroacetic acid, 2) adsorption on Decalso, 3) elution with KBr, 4) extraction into butanol at alkaline pH, and 5) extracting back into water after adding acid and heptane. A mean value of 0.6 μg/1. (S.D. 0.3 μg/1). was obtained for 62 samples of fresh plasma from 46 normal young women. Freezing and thawing the plasma did not significantly affect this value. This level is less than a third of the lowest level previously reported by any chemical method. The specificity of the procedure was tested in several ways. A wide variety of amines were tested with pthalaldehyde in regard to capacity to produce fluorescence and the spectrum of the fluorescence when produced. Large plasma samples were carried through the analytical procedure and chromatographed prior to fluorescence development. Other samples were treated with diamine oxidase. The conclusion is reached that 65–100 per cent of the fluorescence is attributable to histamine. Some samples contained material which accompanied histamine through the entire procedure and reacted with phthalaldehyde to give fluorescence at shorter wavelengths than did histamine. Spermidine seems to be a good candidate for this material.
Sign of χ (3) in polysilane polymers

The signs of the third-order optical nonlinear susceptibility χ(3) of polysilanehave been determined to be negative at 532 nm and positive at 1064 nm from single-beam Z-scan measurements. The small and positive χ(3) at 1064 nm arises from the bound-electronic process. The negative χ(3) at 532 nm is attributed to two-photon absorption resonance transition.
AASLD clinical practice guidelines: a critical review of scientific evidence and evolving recommendations.

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) practice guidelines provide recommendations in diagnosing and managing patients with liver disease from available scientific evidence in combination with expert consensus opinions. The aim was to systematically review the evolution of recommendations from AASLD guidelines and identify gaps limiting the evidence-based foundations of these guidelines. Initial and current AASLD guidelines published from January 1998 to August 2012 were reviewed. The AGREE II instrument was used to evaluate rigor and transparency of guideline development. The number of recommendations, distribution of grades (strength or certainty), classes (benefit versus risk), and types of recommendations were evaluated. Whenever possible, multiple versions were evaluated for evolving scientific evidence. A total of 991 recommendations from 28 guidelines on 17 topics were evaluated. From initial to current guidelines, the total number of recommendations increased by 36% (512 to 699). The largest increases were from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) (+71), liver transplantation (+53), and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) (+27). Most current recommendations are grade II (44%) and less than 20% are grade I. The AGREE II evaluation showed global improvement in guideline quality. Both HBV and chronic hepatitis C guidelines had greatest increases in grade I recommendations (+383% and +67%, respectively). The greatest increases in treatment recommendations were from HBV (grade I, +1,150%), liver transplantation (grade II, +112%), and AIH (grade III, +105%). Conclusion: Despite significant increases in the numbers of recommendations within AASLD practice guidelines over time, only a minority are supported by grade I evidence, highlighting the need for developing well-designed investigations to provide evidence for areas of uncertainty and improving the quality of future guidelines in hepatobiliary diseases. (Hepatology 2013; 58:2142–2152)
Humor can improve your technical presentations

Humor is a characteristic not usually associated with technical publications. In this paper I discuss humor and its usefulness to text and illustrations by analyzing several examples that use humor effectively. I demonstrate some successful uses of humor in technical publications by looking at three areas. First, though technical material can be dry, humor can make it easier to use. Second, whether this can be done is a function of the author's freedom from constraints. Third, the audience must be sophisticated enough (at least with regard to the subject) to appreciate the humor.
Effect of cell membrane composition on the growth and composition of a nonlytic enveloped mycoplasmavirus

The effect of host cell membrane composition on viral growth and membrane composition was studied using MVL2, an enveloped nonlytic mycoplasmavirus. MVL2 contains seven proteins, with molecular weights of 67,800; 63,600; 60,900; 58,000; 52,400; 20,600; and 19,100. Cells grown in a medium which altered the fatty acid composition of the cell membrane lipids gave rise to viruses with similarly altered lipids. Near the lower limit of the membrane lipid phase transition cell growth was reduced, but no effect on viral adsorption or maturation could be found.
Air-cooling of direct-coupled ultrasound applicators for interstitial hyperthermia and thermal coagulation

The feasibility of using air-cooling to improve the thermal penetration of direct-coupled interstitial ultrasound(US) applicators was investigated using biothermal simulations, bench experiments, phantom testing, and in vivo thermal dosimetry. Two applicator configurations using tubular UStransducers were constructed and tested. The first design, intended for simultaneous thermobrachytherapy, utilizes a 2.5 mm OD transducer with a central lumen to accommodate a radiation source from remote afterloaders. The second applicator consists of a 2.2 mm OD transducer designed for coagulative thermal therapy. Both designs provide cooling of the inner transducer surface by the counterflow of chilled air or CO 2 gas through the annulus of the enclosed applicator. The average convective heat transfer (h a ) associated with each applicator was determined empirically from curve-fits of radial steady-state temperaturesmeasured in a tissue-mimicking phantom. High levels of convective heat transfer (h a >500 W m −2 °C −1 ) were demonstrated in both designs at relatively low flow rates ( L min −1 ). Transient and steady-state radial heating profiles were also measuredin vivo (pig thigh muscle) with and without cooling. The therapeutic radius for hyperthermia (41–45 °C) was extended from 5–6 mm (without cooling) to 11–19 mm with air-cooling (4.8 L min−1, airflow 10 °C), effectively doubling and tripling the thermal penetration in vivo. Similar improvements were demonstrated at higher temperatures with the thermal coagulation applicator. Biothermal simulations, which modeled the physical, thermal, and acoustic parameters of the air-cooled applicator and surrounding tissue, were also used to investigate potential improvements in heating patterns. The simulated radial heating profiles with transducer cooling demonstrated significantly enhanced thermal penetration over the experimental range of convective transfer, and also agreed with in vivo results. These theoretical and experimental results clearly show air-cooling controls the transducer surface temperature, significantly increases thermal penetration, and produces a greater treatment volume for direct-coupled US applicators in hyperthermia and thermal coagulation.
Competing Cardiovascular and Noncardiovascular Risks and Longevity in the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program

We examined the effect of chlorthalidone-based stepped care on the competing risks of cardiovascular (CV) versus non-CV death in the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP). Participants were randomly assigned to chlorthalidone-based stepped-care therapy (n = 2,365) or placebo (n = 2,371) for 4.5 years, and all participants were advised to take active therapy thereafter. At the 22-year follow-up, the gain in life expectancy free from CV death in the active treatment group was 145 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 23 to 260, p = 0.012). The gain in overall life expectancy was smaller (105 days, 95% CI −39 to 242, p = 0.073) because of a 40-day (95% CI −87 to 161) decrease in survival from non-CV death. Compared with an age- and gender-matched cohort, participants had markedly higher overall life expectancy (Wilcoxon p = 0.00001) and greater chance of reaching the ages of 80 (81.3% vs 57.6%), 85 (58.1% vs 37.4%), 90 (30.5% vs 22.0%), 95 (11.9% vs 8.8%), and 100 years (3.7% vs 2.8%). In conclusion, Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program participants had higher overall life expectancy than actuarial controls and those randomized to active therapy had longer life expectancy free from CV death but had a small increase in the competing risk of non-CV death.
Measuring the dimensions of women's sexuality : The women's sexual self-concept scale

The sexual self-concept is an important component of the self-concept that researchers have rarely examined. The Women's Sexual Self-Concept Scale (WSSCS) is a 39-item measure designed to assess women's sexual self-concept. Women rate the extent to which various behaviors, cognitions, emotions, and adjectives describe their sexuality. In a study with 262 women, the measure was found to be both reliable and valid. Three factors were identified through exploratory Principal Components Analysis. Women rated themselves highest on the Reserved Approach subscale, followed by the Agentic Sexuality subscale, and the Negative Associations subscale. Compared to a stereotype of women's sexuality (obtained with a mixed-gender group of 444 participants), the women in the present study rated themselves higher on the Reserved Approach subscale and lower on the Negative Associations subscale. Group differences in women's sexual self-concepts were identified by past xinvolvement in romantic or sexual relationships, and current sexual involvement.
When to screen for fetal growth abnormalities in pre-gestational diabetic pregnancies

DIABETIC PREGNANCIES ANITA MANOGURA, MICHELLE KUSH, CHRISTOPHER HARMAN, AHMET BASCHAT, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland OBJECTIVE: Maternal glycemic status in pre-gestational diabetics has potential impact on fetal growth from the first trimester onward. Early suggestion of accelerated fetal growth offers a window of opportunity to optimize glycemic management. We sought to determine the earliest time in pregnancy when discrimination of accelerated fetal growth is possible in pregestational diabetics. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study of pre-gestational diabetics. Maternal demographics, results of standardized serial monthly sonograms starting in 1st trimester, and subsequent outcomes were ascertained. Birthweight percentile as assigned by predicted growth potential (GP%) individualizes growth assessment by maternal age, race, height, weight, parity and neonatal gender (Gardosi 1992). Large for gestational age (LGA) was defined as GP%O90. Relationship of ultrasound parameters with subsequent LGA was evaluated by nonparametric, receiver operator curve (ROC) and Chi-square analyses. RESULTS: Among 70 patients, 27 (38.6%) delivered LGA infants. By 24 weeks, fetuses born LGA at birth had higher median sonographically estimated fetal weight percentile (EFW%) 54 (range 25-87) vs.48 (3-77) for appropriately grown (AGA) neonates (Mann Whitney U p!0.05). This difference widened at 28 weeks, future LGA EFW% = 72 (41-99) vs AGA = 51 (5-82, p!0.001). At 24 weeks, EFW%O58 predicted an LGA baby with 30% sensitivity, 84% specificity (p!0.01). Maintenance of this trend at 28 weeks raised the odds for LGA 4.1 fold (CI: 1.5-11.8) and predictive sensitivity to 63% (p!0.05). CONCLUSION: Evaluating neonatal size by individualized growth potential allows study of growth deviation from genetically determined trajectory. Accelerated fetal growth detected in the midtrimester, continued in early third trimster indicates a high likelihood of macrosomia. The potential to interrupt this progression by intensive midtrimester glycemic management deserves further study.
Potential effects on zooplankton from species shifts in planktivorous mussels: a field experiment in the St Lawrence River

1. Suspension feeding by bivalves exceeds that by other planktivores in many North American rivers, and food webs may be altered substantially by differences in feeding patterns between native unionid mussels and invading dreissenid mussels. 2. We conducted an experiment comparing zooplanktivory by one unionid and two dreissenid species that addressed several primary questions. Is benthic planktivory important in this river? Has this linkage been altered substantially by dreissenids? Do the two dreissenid species differ in planktivory, and is this ecologically important if quagga mussels extend their geographical range? 3. Our 12-day experiment consisted of controls (no mussels) and treatments with unionid (Elliptio complanata), quagga (Dreissena bugensis) or zebra (D. polymorpha) mussels in 3500-L, 80-μm mesh enclosures placed in a slackwater area of the St Lawrence River. 4. The density of the most abundant calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis increased in the presence of dreissenids, probably as an indirect food web response. By day 12, a cumulative effect was shown by the most overwhelmingly abundant rotifer, Polyarthra, whose density declined dramatically in dreissenid enclosures compared with control and unionid enclosures. Rotifer densities in unionid enclosures were not different from controls, nor were dreissenid treatments different from each other. The effects on rotifers were probably from predation, as Chl-a did not vary among treatments. 5. We conclude that benthic-pelagic coupling via planktivory is important in slackwater areas. Dreissenids have strengthened this linkage, but range extension of quaggas should not appreciably alter effects produced by a similar biomass of zebra mussels.
The effect of estrus synchronization scheme, injection protocol and large ovarian follicle on response to superovulation in beef heifers.

Abstract Two trials were conducted to examine the effects of estrus synchronization scheme, gonadotropin injection protocol and presence of a large ovarian follicle on response to superstimulation of follicular development and the ensuing superovulation. Estrus was synchronized with either a progestin compound (MGA) or by the use of a luteolytic agent (PGF). Superstimulation was induced with 280 mg equivalents of pFSH administered either by a single subcutaneous injection or by a series of 8 intramuscular injections over 4 d. Follicular development was followed for 5 d with real-time ultrasound, and the heifers were retrospectively classified as to the presence or absence of a large follicle (≥ 8 mm; morphologically dominant follicle) at the start of superstimulation. The 2 trials differed by season of the year and genetic origin of the heifers. In Trial I (20 heifers), the ovulation rate was influenced by the 3-way interaction of the synchronization scheme, injection protocol and morphologically dominant follicle (P = 0.05). The number of large follicles on Day 5 (Day 0 = day of start of superstimulation) and ovarian score (scale 1 to 5 based on extent of follicular development; 1 = least, 5 = most) on Day 5 were significantly correlated (P
Changing the Work Environment in Intensive Care Units to Achieve Patient-Focused Care: The Time Has Come

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments and the American College of Chest Physicians Patient-Focused Care project are complementary initiatives that provide a road map for creating practice environments where interdisciplinary, patient-focused care can thrive. Healthy work environments are so influential that failure to address the issue would result in deleterious effects for every aspect of acute and critical care practice. Skilled communication and true collaboration are crucial for transforming work environments. The American College of Chest Physicians project on patient-focused care was born out of a realization that medicine as currently practiced is too fragmented, too focused on turf battles that hinder communication, and too divorced from a real understanding of what patients expect and need from their healthcare providers. Communication as well as continuity and concordance with the patients' wishes are foundational premises of care that is patient-focused and safe. Some individuals may achieve some level of genuine patient-focused care even when they practice in a toxic work environment because they are gifted communicators who embrace true collaboration. At best, most likely those efforts will be hit-or-miss and such heroism will be impossible to sustain if the environment is not transformed into a model that reflects standards and initiatives set out by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and the American College of Chest Physicians. Other innovative models of care delivery remain unreported. The successes and failures of these models should be shared with the professional community.
Ethical encounters of the second kind

When our society holds widely shared norms and values, we can agree on what constitutes unethical business practices. To the extent our social consensus is unraveling, agreement becomes increasingly problematic. Unfortunately, mainstream Western moral philosophy offers no guidance in this situation. We must therefore begin to focus on the types of social relationships that must exist for there to be agreement on what is right, good and just. This line of argument is, at best, merely suggested in discussions and articles on business ethics.
Caribbean Transnationalism as a Gendered Process

Migration is nothing new to the Caribbean, having begun five centuries ago when the region was absorbed into the orbit of global capital accumulation and became a crossroads of population movements. After the genocide of its native peoples in less than a hundred years, for three and a half centuries it was a crucible for blending, although not completely fusing, peoples from Africa, Asia, and Europe. For the past century and a half it has been a net exporter of people, mostly to North America and to a lesser extent to Europe (Palmer, 1995: 9-17). As a whole, the Caribbean exports more of its people than any other region of the world (Deere et al., 1990). Indeed, emigration is undertaken by so many to expand their life choices (Thomas-Hope, 1992: 5) that few Caribbean families have been untouched by the departure of at least one of their members. Migration is also fostered by a shortage of schools that drives pupils to seek schooling elsewhere and by the production of more skilled workers of certain kinds than can be absorbed into the local economy (Basch, Schiller, and Blanc, 1994: 72). In addition, postcolonial Caribbean governments contribute to the transnational traffic by treating migration as a safety valve for surplus labor and by emphasizing capital rather than human resources in their development plans (Basch, Schiller, and Blanc, 1994: 61). These governments are also turning more and more to foreign exchange derived from transmigrant remittances as a strategy to offset, if only partially, the unfavorable balance of payments caused by debt servicing and the high cost of imports in relation to the value of exports (Basch, Schiller, and Blanc, 1994: 68). Moreover, the large civil services left behind by the European colonizers have turned into swollen state bureaucracies that are the principal employers of a large segment of the population, access to jobs being controlled by political patronage. The resulting expenditures for civil servant salaries are enormous and deflect resources from more productive sectors (Basch, Schiller, and Blanc, 1994: 70).
Size of Cow and Efficiency of Milk Production

Summary McDowell's (4) published figures of 109,116 yearly records of cows 5 to 9 years of age in dairy herd improvement associations in the United States have been reworked to show, by live weight of cow and breeds: the energy yield in pounds of 4 per cent milk (340 calories); the theoretical coefficient of efficiency, that is, the percentage of feed energy recovered as milk energy; the recorded feed cost in dollars per hundred-weight of 4 per cent milk. As between grade and registered cows energy yield is substantially equal for the Guernsey and Ayrshire breeds; but materially greater for the registered cows in the case of the Jersey and Holstein breeds. In all 4 breeds the feed cost per hundred-weight of 4 per cent milk is lower for the grade cows, to the extent of about $0.10. The average feed cost is $0.90 per hundred-weight of 4 per cent milk for all records, the average yearly yield being 7,737 pounds of 4 per cent milk. For summary of remaining points all breed classes may be combined. Energy yield increases with size of cow in a linear manner and at the rate of about 250 pounds of 4 per cent milk per year for each 100 pounds increase in weight. Since this is about half the corresponding figure found in advanced registry records and the average yield also about half, it appears that the weight-yield relation is similar in the two classes of records if level of yield is used as a base. The theoretical coefficient of efficiency decreases with increasing weight. Interpreted in terms of feed cost this should mean an increase in feed cost per unit of milk with size of cow, amounting to about $0.03 per hundred-weight of 4 per cent milk for each 100 pounds increase in live weight. The recorded feed cost per hundred-weight of 4 per cent milk decreases with live weight of cow in the range 600 to 800 pounds; and is practically constant in the range 800 to 1,600 pounds. The cause of the discrepancy between the theoretical efficiency and recorded feed cost cannot be determined from the data at hand. It is suggested that it may be due to systematic errors in the bookkeeping which tend to overcharge the small cow and undercharge the large cow for feed energy actually consumed, particularly in the matter of pasture.
Universal DNA microarray method for multiplex detection of low abundance point mutations.

Abstract Cancers arise from the accumulation of multiple mutations in genes regulating cellular growth and differentiation. Identification of such mutations in numerous genes represents a significant challenge in genetic analysis, particularly when the majority of DNA in a tumor sample is from wild-type stroma. To overcome these difficulties, we have developed a new type of DNA microchip that combines polymerase chain reaction/ligase detection reaction (PCR/LDR) with “zip-code” hybridization. Suitably designed allele-specific LDR primers become covalently ligated to adjacent fluorescently labeled primers if and only if a mutation is present. The allele-specific LDR primers contain on their 5′-ends “zip-code complements” that are used to direct LDR products to specific zip-code addresses attached covalently to a three-dimensional gel-matrix array. Since zip-codes have no homology to either the target sequence or to other sequences in the genome, false signals due to mismatch hybridizations are not detected. The zip-code sequences remain constant and their complements can be appended to any set of LDR primers, making our zip-code arrays universal. Using the K-ras gene as a model system, multiplex PCR/LDR followed by hybridization to prototype 3 × 3 zip-code arrays correctly identified all mutations in tumor and cell line DNA. Mutations present at less than one per cent of the wild-type DNA level could be distinguished. Universal arrays may be used to rapidly detect low abundance mutations in any gene of interest.
A Hierarchical Formal Framework for Adaptive N-variant Programs in Multi-core Systems

We propose a formal framework for designing and developing adaptive N-variant programs. The framework supports multiple levels of fault detection, masking, and recovery through reconfiguration. Our approach is two-fold: we introduce an Adaptive Functional Capability Model (AFCM) to define levels of functional capabilities for each service provided by the system. The AFCM specifies how, once a fault is detected, a system shall scale back its functional capabilities while still maintaining essential services. Next, we propose a Multilayered Assured Architecture Design (MAAD) to implement reconfiguration requirements specified by AFCMs. The layered design improves system resilience in two dimensions: (1) unlike traditional fault-tolerant architectures that treat functional requirements uniformly, each layer of the assured architecture implements a level of functional capability defined in AFCM. The architecture design uses lower-layer functionalities (which are simpler and more reliable) as reference to monitor highlayer functionalities. The layered design also facilitates an orderly system reconfiguration (resulting in graceful degradation) while maintaining essential system services. (2) Each layer of the assured architecture uses N-variant techniques to improve fault detection. The degree of redundancy introduced by Nvariant implementation determines the mix of faults that can be tolerated at each layer. Our hybrid fault model allows us to consider fault types ranging from benign faults to Byzantine faults. Last but not least, multi-layers combined with N-variant implementations are especially suitable for multi-core systems.
Denial of Death in Close Encounters

Research in the area of death-attitudes has resulted in three widely accepted propositions: (1) that death creates fear, but (2) that respondents often profess little fear of death and, therefore, (3) are denying their fear of death. This last proposition serves as an explanation for the contradiction between the first two but has received little empirical support. In situations of immediate death threats, people often react with fear and with actions to avoid danger. In more remote (attitude-tapping) situations, researchers are unjustified in assuming that fear must be evoked. This differentiation between immediate and remote reactions to death makes the concept of defense unnecessary as a universal explanation for death attitudes.
Design and applications of beam waveguide systems

The various design techniques used for beam waveguide (BWG) feed systems are described. These include the use of Gaussian beam, Geometrical Optics, and Physical Optics design techniques for gain and efficiency and the waveguide modes theory for noise temperature determination. Examples illustrating the advantages, disadvantages and range of applicability of each design technique are given. Included are comparisons of computed and measured results.
Ghost-pulse reduction in 40-Gb/s systems using line coding

At high bit rates, four-wave mixing and nonlinearities in the optical channel give rise to ghost pulses. In this letter, we propose the application of modulation codes to tackle this effect.
It Takes a Village Ethical Publishing of Family Business Research

This editorial explores key issues regarding ethics in family business research – particularly that surrounding the evaluation and publication process – and advocates creating a stronger and more knowledgeable community of scholars to overcome the many challenges facing responsible research. Rather than only discussing the various types of ethical problems in research such as plagiarism, unprincipled data manipulation, and falsification of data, we expand the conversation to include the role the scholarly community – including researchers, reviewers, editors, and institutional leaders – plays in dealing with ongoing ethical concerns in scholarly publishing. We offer a few pragmatic suggestions for improving some processes, but primarily make a broad call for building a stronger (global) community of family business researchers that supports and promotes ethical conduct in publishing research through increased dialogue and interaction.