cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonclassical secretory dynamics of LH revealed by hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal sampling of sheep.

Continuous withdrawal of hypophyseal portal blood from unrestrained sheep has permitted detailed assessments of the pulsatile secretion of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH). To determine if this blood can also be used to characterize the secretory dynamics of pituitary hormones, patterns of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the hypophyseal portal blood of ovariectomized ewes was compared with previous patterns of GnRH and peripheral LH. Hypophyseal portal blood and jugular vein blood were collected every 5 min from six ovariectomized ewes over 6–12 h. Hypophyseal portal blood contained GnRH-associated, sharply defined LH pulses that were much larger than in the periphery. Pulses of secreted LH (hypophyseal portal LH less peripheral LH) showed much faster rates of rise and fall than peripheral and followed pulses of GnRH by an average of 1.26 min. In contrast to pulses in jugular blood, secreted LH pulses often reached a relatively unchanging interpulse nadir-plateau and thereby approached closely algorithm-estimated, extrapolated baselines. The interpulse baseline concentrations of secreted LH (99.6 ng/mL) in hypophyseal portal blood were 31-fold higher than those for jugular LH (3.23 ng/mL). These elevated concentrations also exceeded mean jugular peak concentrations (11.1 ng/mL) and, thus, primarily must represent newly secreted LH. The non-Gaussian profiles of this secreted LH were substantially more complex than the inputs predicted from jugular LH measurements by deconvolution. Furthermore, regardless of the analytical approach, estimations of the mass of secreted LH in each pulse did not correlate well with inputs predicted by deconvolution or Kushler-Brown pulsefit analysis of corresponding pulses in jugular blood (r2 ranging 0.40–0.48). Among alternative explanations is the possibility of heterogeneity in concentrations of GnRH in the portal vessels and variable distribution within the hypophysis. In summary, assay of hypophyseal portal blood obtained directly from the pituitary provides a method for direct assessment of secretory responses to hypothalamic peptides, and thereby serves as an unmatched method for studying the dynamics of LH secretion in vivo. With this approach, LH is revealed to be secreted as complex, non-Gaussian pulses that are far more sharply defined than those in the periphery, include non-GnRH-dependent, secretory components that cannot be predicted by deconvolution and are followed by periods of relatively constant, basal secretion.
Negotiating empire: the cultural politics of schools in Puerto Rico, 1898–1952

Following the Spanish-American War of 1898, and lasting until the Commonwealth era in 1952, Washington policy-makers overtly and proudly endeavoured to forge Puerto Rico’s inhabitants into a new co...
Pericardiectomy for Pericarditis in the Pediatric Population

Background Pericarditis requiring pericardiectomy is uncommon in the pediatric population. The aim of this study is to characterize our experience with this subset of patients. Methods Between February 1978 and May 2008 pericardiectomy was performed on 27 pediatric patients (25 male). The indication for surgery was inflammatory pericarditis in 16 and constrictive pericarditis in 11. Mean age was 16.7 years (range, 3 to 21 years). Chest pain was the most common presenting complaint. Median duration of symptoms prior to operation was 1 year. Most patients had aggressive pharmacologic treatment prior to operation. Before pericardiectomy, 10 patients were hospitalized for treatment of symptoms, 15 underwent pericardiocentesis, and 3 had a prior partial pericardiectomy. Results Twenty-one patients underwent complete pericardiectomy, 3 a biventricular pericardiectomy, and 3 a completion pericardiectomy. Pathologic histology of all specimens was positive for pericarditis. Pericardial cultures were obtained in 13 cases with bacteria retrieved from only 2 specimens. Median length of stay was 7 days, and the majority had an uneventful postoperative course. The one early mortality was due to acute hepatic failure in a patient with radiation-induced heart disease, 155 days after operation. After median follow-up of 1 year, complete resolution of symptoms was achieved in 89% of patients. Conclusions In properly selected pediatric patients, complete pericardiectomy can be performed with good outcomes. Although the etiology of pericardial irritation is frequently elusive, resolution of symptoms can be expected in most patients. Confronted with medically refractory pericarditis, earlier consideration for pericardiectomy may be warranted.
Pepsin immobilised by covalent binding to a chitosan derivative

An insoluble active preparation of pepsin was made by covalent binding of the enzyme to succinylated chitosan through amide bond formation, with carbodiimide as condensing agent. The enzyme retained 80% specific activity and showed greater stability on storage than the soluble enzyme.
eGovernment Services Use and Impact through Public Libraries: Preliminary Findings from a National Study of Public Access Computing in Public Libraries

eGovernment services are delivered in many settings, including public libraries, which have increasingly assumed the role of service provider for users of these services. The U.S. IMPACT Studies are examining use patterns and impacts of eGovernment services (among other uses) in populations using libraries for their primary or secondary means of Internet access. A mixed methods approach national telephone survey (N=1130), web survey (N=45,000), and five field studies (317 interviews)-is providing a comprehensive picture of this activity across the country. Preliminary findings show 22-37% of public access computer or wireless Internet users in public libraries engage in some form of eGovernment use, with evidence that use on behalf of others (LIMB) may extend the impact even further than previously thought. An emergent theme from the case study analysis indicates that a primary use factor may be the trust that users have in the public library setting.
Observational evidence of a change in radiative forcing due to the indirect aerosol effect

Anthropogenic aerosols enhance cloud reflectivity by increasing the number concentration of cloud droplets, leading to a cooling effect on climate known as the indirect aerosol effect. Observational support for this effect is based mainly on evidence that aerosol number concentrations are connected with droplet concentrations, but it has been difficult to determine the impact of these indirect effects on radiative forcing1,2,3. Here we provide observational evidence for a substantial alteration of radiative fluxes due to the indirect aerosol effect. We examine the effect of aerosols on cloud optical properties using measurements of aerosol and cloud properties at two North American sites that span polluted and clean conditions—a continental site in Oklahoma with high aerosol concentrations, and an Arctic site in Alaska with low aerosol concentrations. We determine the cloud optical depth required to fit the observed shortwave downward surface radiation. We then use a cloud parcel model to simulate the cloud optical depth from observed aerosol properties due to the indirect aerosol effect. From the good agreement between the simulated indirect aerosol effect and observed surface radiation, we conclude that the indirect aerosol effect has a significant influence on radiative fluxes.
Thermal imaging with high spatial and temperature resolution

Based on a highly sensitive dierential spectroscopy technique, we present a non-contact method of optical- scanning thermal imaging with a possibility of sub-thermal-wavelength spatial resolution. This technique is general and can also be applied to imaging of strain or impurity distributions at the surfaces of semiconductors. This procedure is particularly well suited for near-eld imaging and investigation of thermal transport on the nanoscale. Applications to optical refrigeration in semiconductors are discussed.
Heterogeneity of engrafted bone-lining cells after systemic and local transplantation

The outcome of various osteoprogenitor-cell transplantation protocols was assessed using Col1a1-GFP reporter transgenic mice. The model requires the recipient mice to undergo lethal total body irradiation (TBI) followed by rescue with whole bone marrow. When the mice are rescued with total bone marrow from a Col1a1-GFP transgenic mouse, green fluorescence protein (GFP)-positive donor cells can be observed on most endosteal and trabecular bone surfaces. Although the cells express an osteoblast-restricted GFP, they fail to progress to osteocytes, do not form a mineralized matrix, and do not generate bone nodules in vitro. However when calvarial progenitor cells derived from the same transgenic mice are injected into the bone marrow space, osteogenesis by the donor cells is observed. Using different GFP colors that distinguish the donor and recipient osteoblasts, commingling of the 2 cells types is observed along the mineralizing osteoblast surface as well as within the osteocyte population of the endosteal bone. Despite the ability of the injected progenitor cells to produce bone within the injected bone, they lack the ability to form mineralized bone nodules when explanted to primary osteoblast culture. These reagents and imaging protocols will be useful in evaluating other cells having a better progenitor potential than calvarial-derived stromal cells.
The stylized facts about the behavior of manufacturers' inventories and backorders over the business cycle: 1959–1980☆

Recent theoretical work has highlighted the role of inventories in propagating business cycles. This paper attempts to provide an empirical foundation for current and future research on the role inventories play in business cycles. The evidence presented here indicates that inventories and backorders are major variables in predicting output fluctuations. Further, the evidence is that disaggregating inventories by stage-of-fabrication is important in predicting output. In concert with previous findings, our results suggest that disaggregated inventories ought to be a component of models of the business cycle.
Bicortical-monocortical fixation of the sagittal mandibular osteotomy

Rigid internal fixation (RIF) has largely replaced wire osteosynthesis in stabilization of the bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (SSSO) of the mandibular ramus. RIF reduces or eliminates the requirement for maxillomandibular fixation (MMF), while preserving the stability of the surgical result. A decrease in the relapse tendency that is associated with the BSSO has been reported when RIF is used.’ Two methods of RIF are generally used in the BSSO: bicortical position screws2 and monocortical miniplates.’ The proponents of each technique cite certain benefits of the one and drawbacks of the other. The authors have developed a hybrid technique that draws on the benefits of each. It has been used for 5 years without technical difficulties or complications. Recent studies using a biomechanical model of the BSSO show that, within a physiologic range of loading, this hybrid technique produces stability that is comparable with or superior to that produced by conventional methods of RIF.4 Surgical Technique
Comparison of the Aggregation Behavior of TiO2 Nanoparticles Exposed to Fulvic Acid and Bacillus subtilis Exudates

The objective of this study was to compare the relative impact of humic and non-humic natural organic matter (NOM) on the aggregation behaviors of engineered TiO2 nanoparticles (nano-TiO2). After exposure of nano-TiO2 to varying concentrations of Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) and Bacillus subtilis exudate in high and low ionic strength (IS) solutions at pH 3 to pH 7.5, aggregation behaviors were evaluated via dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements and sedimentation studies. Although pH, IS, and NOM concentration exerted strong controls on nano-TiO2 aggregation behaviors, suspensions exposed to either SRFA or bacterial exudate at normalized dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations exhibited remarkably similar behaviors. In high IS systems, nano-TiO2 exposed to either SRFA or bacterial exudate sedimented rapidly, except in the presence of high NOM concentrations at pH 6 and 7.5. Low IS treatments exhibited a larger range of effects. In fact, relative to NOM-free controls, nano-TiO2 aggregates in SRFA and bacterial exudate exposures sedimented up to 14 times faster at pH 3 and up to 13 times slower at pH 7.5. Adsorption of organic molecules onto nano-TiO2 can enhance aggregation via colloidal bridging and/or charge neutralization, or with more complete surface coverage, can diminish aggregation via electrostatic repulsion and/or steric hindrance. Collectively, these data suggest that solution pH, IS, and NOM concentration, and to a lesser extent NOM origin, can control the fate and mobility of nano-TiO2 in geologic systems.
IgG Autoantibodies to "Switch Peptide" Determinants of TCR α/β in Human Pregnancy

The fetus is a natural allograft that is protected from immunologic rejection by a complex set of structural and regulatory mechanisms. We determined whether healthy pregnant women differed significantly from healthy non-pregnant controls in their capacity to produce autoantibodies to defined antigenic determinants of the alpha/beta T-cell receptor. Although controls and pregnant women expressed comparable levels of autoantibodies against an intact recombinant T-cell receptor containing the complete V alpha/V beta structures, analysis of comparative reactivity against individual peptide segments of the molecules, indicated enhanced reactivity to regions corresponding to the CDR1 of the alpha chain and to the Fr3 of the variable region of the beta chain. A major difference was noted by increased reactivity of IgG autoantibodies of pregnant women to peptides corresponding to the "switch" region joining the variable and constant domains. This was noted with both the Tcr alpha and beta chains and was directed against highly conserved determinants within these molecules. Antibodies to this region are lacking in the non-pregnant controls. It is possible that autoantibodies directed against conserved regions of the T-cell receptor might function in the suppression of T-cell reactivity of fetal determinants.
Toward shared variable events implications of (@@@@)SVE in APL2

@)SVE, which provides a rudimentary mechanism for detecting events associated with shared variables. Implementation of these constructs raises questions about the signalling rules followed by Shared Variable Processors. This paper discusses those questions and suggests that further research be done.
The Next Generation of Emergency Medicine Reality Television

As any emergency physician knows, it is normal to ride through the hallways of the hospital doing CPR atop the chest of a dying patient while shouting out orders to nurses at the top of their lungsdat least on television. And, while miracles occur in emergency departments (EDs) every day (such as a specialist coming in to see a patient), they are not always sufficiently dramatic for prime time. Like it or not, the American public learns more about emergency medicine from the television than from their personal experiences.ER has just finished 10 seasons; Trauma: Life in the ER has finished 7. Since it’s only a matter of time before these shows fade from the airways, a replacement will soon be necessary. In this era of reality television, something that will grab the public attention and let them feel the true grit of today’s ED is needed. The following are reality television proposals for the next generation of emergency medicine viewers: The ResidentdA powerful and omniscient residency director starts with 12 emergency residents and each week fires one resident and gets all the remaining residents to work the extra shifts vacated. The last resident working gets hired to a large contract management group, but not as a partner. Joe EmergentologistdTen patients compete for the attention of Dr. Joe, the only physician working in a small rural ED. Each hour, Joe transfers off 1 patient to an alternate facility. Imagine the patient’s surprise when it’s finally revealed that Dr. Joe is only a moonlighting first-year dermatology resident, with no experience in any ED. Will the last patient standing still accept the loving care that Dr. Joe offers when they find out the truth? Waiting Room SurvivordTwelve patients are stranded in an isolated, barren waiting room, and triage is closed. Who will survive? Without water or food, they have only their wits and the will to survive. Each week a patient is voted out of the waiting room. As they form tribes and win challenges, they struggle for the ultimate goal: any available treatment room. ER JeopardydIn this game show variant, 3 emergency physician contestants try to guess a patient’s diagnosis, but the answer to every question is another question. Categories of answers include such puzzlers as: ‘‘What Language Is That?,’’
Stepwise Approach to Myopathy in Systemic Disease

Muscle diseases can constitute a large variety of both acquired and hereditary disorders. Myopathies in systemic disease results from several different disease processes including endocrine, inflammatory, paraneoplastic, infectious, drug and toxin-induced, critical illness myopathy, metabolic and myopathies with other systemic disorders. Patients with systemic myopathies often present acutely or sub acutely. On the other hand, familial myopathies or dystrophies generally present in a chronic fashion with exceptions of metabolic myopathies where symptoms on occasion can be precipitated acutely. Most of the inflammatory myopathies can have a chance association with malignant lesions; the incidence appears to be specifically increased only in patients with dermatomyositis. In dealing with myopathies associated with systemic illnesses, the focus will be on the acquired causes. Management is beyond the scope of this chapter. Prognosis is based upon the underlying cause and, most of the time, carries a good prognosis. In order to approach a patient with suspected myopathy from systemic disease, a stepwise approach is utilized.
Controlled overgrowth of Pd on Au nanorods

In this paper, we present a detailed, systematic study of the controlled overgrowth of Pd on Au nanorods. Pd nanoshells with fine-controlled dimensions and architectures were overgrown on single-crystalline Au nanorods through seed-mediated growth using H2PdCl4 as the Pd precursor and ascorbic acid as the reducing agent in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the surface capping agent. The effects of surface capping agent, ascorbic acid to H2PdCl4 ratio, reaction temperature, and structure-directing foreign ions, such as Ag+, on the dimensions and architectures of the resulting Au@Pd core–shell heteronanostructures were systematically studied. At 30 °C, Au nanorods coated with polycrystalline Pd shells were obtained using CTAC as the surface capping agent, while single-crystalline Au@Pd core–shell nanocuboids formed in the presence of CTAB. The thicknesses of the polycrystalline and single-crystalline Pd shells were fine-controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of ascorbic acid to H2PdCl4. At an elevated reaction temperature of 60 °C, irregularly shaped and cylindrical co-axial core–shell nanorods were obtained in CTAC and CTAB, respectively. By introducing Ag+ ions into the Pd growth solution, Au nanorods coated with segregated Pd nanoislands and dumbbell-like core–shell heteronanostructures were obtained as a consequence of the underpotential deposition of Ag and sustainable galvanic replacements that concurred during the Pd overgrowth processes. The effects of the Pd shell dimensions and morphologies on the plasmonic properties of the Au@Pd core–shell nanostructures were also investigated.
Antidepressant and Antipsychotic Drugs.

The antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs are a set of agents with a wide range of different pharmacologic effects. Many of these pharmacologic effects impact sleep-wake function. This can involve promoting sleep, promoting wakefulness, altering the amount or timing of sleep stages across the night and increasing the likelihood of restless legs syndrome and/or periodic movements of sleep which can disturb sleep. Depending on the time of day of administration, the pharmacokinetics of the drug, the dose of the drug, and the context, some of these effects may be therapeutic and some may be adverse effects. For example, when administered at bedtime to a patient with sleep difficulty, the sleep promoting effects of an antipsychotic medication can be therapeutic. However, if that medication is administered in the morning or if the combination of dosage and half-life of the medication result in next-day effects, the sleep promotion associated with this medication can be problematic. Some of the effects on sleep-wake function of these medications, such as altering the amount or timing of sleep stages, are of uncertain clinical significance but have long been of interest in terms of research pursuing whether these changes might be linked to therapeutic effects such as: antidepressant effects, sleep restoration, and improvement in negative symptoms in schizophrenia. This chapter reviews the pharmacology and associated sleep-wake effects of the antidepressant and antipsychotic medications. It discusses factors relevant to these effects such as pharmacokinetic properties, dosing, therapeutic target, and key interactions. Comprehensive review of the clinical trials related to the use of these agents for the treatment of sleep-wake disorders are not covered in this chapter but are included in chapters in Part II of this volume.
Ultrahigh-fidelity qubits for quantum computing

We analyze a system of fermionic $^{6}\text{L}\text{i}$ atoms in an optical trap and show that an atom ``on demand'' can be prepared with ultrahigh fidelity, exceeding 0.999 98. This process can be scaled to many sites in parallel, providing a realistic method to initialize $N$ qubits at ultrahigh fidelity for quantum computing. We also show how efficient quantum gate operation can be implemented in this system and how spatially resolved single-atom detection can be performed.
Species differences in the multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) UK-453,061 in animals and man: implications for safety considerations.

The requirements for safe testing of pharmaceuticals in humans places substantial emphasis on the translation of safety testing performed in animals to man.The comparison of systemic exposure in animals and man has taken on increasing importance in this assessment, with the underlying assumption that plasma concentrations will elicit the same response in different species. This assumption may be flawed for a number of different reasons, one of which is differences in drug disposition between species leading to high doses required in animal species to yield equivalent systemic exposure to humans and consequent higher exposure to organs such as the intestine and liver.Hepatic clearance can vary substantially, particularly between rodents and man, resulting in vast differences in the dose–exposure relationship. A specific example of a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, which causes substantial auto-induction in rodents, is used to illustrate this situation and the impact this has on the interpre...
Reciprocal activity of longitudinal and circular muscle during intestinal peristaltic reflex

A two-compartment, flat-sheet preparation of rat colon was devised, which enabled exclusive measurement of longitudinal muscle activity during the ascending and descending phases of the peristaltic reflex. A previous study using longitudinal muscle strips revealed the operation of an integrated neuronal circuit consisting of somatostatin, opioid, and VIP/pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP)/nitric oxide synthase (NOS) interneurons coupled to cholinergic/tachykinin motor neurons innervating longitudinal muscle strips that could lead to descending contraction and ascending relaxation of this muscle layer. Previous studies in peristaltic preparations have also shown that an increase in somatostatin release during the descending phase causes a decrease in Met-enkephalin release and suppression of the inhibitory effect of Met-enkephalin on VIP/PACAP/NOS motor neurons innervating circular muscle and a distinct set of VIP/PACAP/NOS interneurons. The present study showed that in contrast to circular muscle, longitudinal muscle contracted during the descending phase and relaxed during the ascending phase. Somatostatin antiserum inhibited descending contraction and augmented ascending relaxation of longitudinal muscle, whereas naloxone had the opposite effect. VIP and PACAP antagonists inhibited descending contraction of longitudinal muscle and augmented ascending relaxation. Atropine and tachykinin antagonists inhibited descending contraction of longitudinal muscle. As shown in earlier studies, the same antagonists and antisera produced opposite effects on circular muscle. We conclude that longitudinal muscle contracts and relaxes in reverse fashion to circular muscle during the peristaltic reflex. Longitudinal muscle activity is regulated by excitatory VIP/PACAP/NOS interneurons coupled to cholinergic/tachykinin motor neurons innervating longitudinal muscle.
Antiplatelet drug interactions with proton pump inhibitors

Introduction: Non-aspirin antiplatelet agents (e.g., clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor) are commonly prescribed for the prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events among patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and/or those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In addition, combination therapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is often recommended to attenuate gastrointestinal bleeding risk, particularly during dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with clopidogrel and aspirin. Importantly, a pharmacological interaction between clopidogrel and some PPIs has been proposed based on mutual CYP450-dependent metabolism, but available evidence is inconsistent. Areas covered: This article provides an overview of the currently approved antiplatelet agents and PPIs, including their metabolic pathways. Additionally, the CYP450 isoenzyme at the center of the drug interaction, CYP2C19, is described in detail, and the available evidence on both the potential pharmacological interaction and influence ...
Specific electrocardiographic markers of P-wave morphology in interatrial block.

Background Interatrial block (IAB; P waves ≥ 110 milliseconds), the conduction delay between the right (RA) and left atrium (LA), is depicted on the electrocardiogram (ECG) as prolonged, often bifid (“notched”), P waves with distinguishable RA and LA components. Although electrophysiologic (EP) studies give some insight on how RA and LA components are depicted on the surface ECG in normal conduction, few if at all any, have conclusively demonstrated this correlation with IAB. Using existing EP knowledge, we investigated if such P-wave markers on bedside ECGs exist in IAB and appraised their utility in IAB recognition. Methods We reviewed the medical records of patients admitted to a general hospital from December 1, 2004, to December 15, 2004. Of those, 151 patients had been admitted for nonacute presentations and were screened with 12-lead ECGs. Thirty-eight ECGs were excluded for nonsinus and paced rhythms, severe motion artifact, errors in lead placement, absence of adequate patient identification, and duplicate patient admissions after discharge. The remaining 113 ECGs were then evaluated for IAB. Sixty-three patients who did not have IAB formed the control (group A), whereas of the remaining 50 patients with IAB, 24 who had past ECGs for comparison formed group B1 and 26 without past ECGs formed group B2. Groups were compared for common clinical comorbidities, whereas sensitivity and specificity were calculated for significant P-wave markers. P values were also calculated, with a value of <.05 considered significant. Results Clinical characteristics of patients in all groups were statistically comparable. Overall, almost all P waves in patients with IAB (groups 1 and 2) appeared “notched” (94%, P < .0001; sensitivity, 75%; specificity, 94% for IAB recognition; positive predictive value, 94%). P-wave RA components were commonly depicted as “domes,” whereas their LA counterparts formed “spikes” (48%, P < .0001; sensitivity 96%; specificity, 70% for IAB recognition). When groups B1 and B2 were compared with increased accuracy, more P waves in group B1 were noted to have notches and had easily discernible RA and LA components; often, the RA duration is longer than the LA duration. In addition, more “dome-and-spike” complexes could be determined when past ECGs were present for comparison. These markers could be found on any bedside ECG lead in IAB but were predominant on leads II and V3 to V6. Conclusions Specific noninvasive surface markers such as P-wave “dome-and-spike” complexes and “notches” in any lead (predominantly leads II and V3-V6) on the bedside ECG could alert clinicians to measure P waves and so identify IAB.
Edwin L. Harder and the Anacom: analog computing at Westinghouse

The development of the Anacom, an analog computer that was placed in operations the same year as ENIAC and continued to do valuable work for the electric power field until 1990, in spite of competition from digital computers, is discussed. The career of Edwin L. Harder, who designed and developed the Anacom, among other machines, is reviewed. Although Harder characterized the Anacom as his top achievement, during the 20 years prior to building this machine it is shown that he had already distinguished himself as an engineer and inventor in the electric power industry, and his patents and other technical contributions helped to keep Westinghouse Electric Company solvent during the depths of the Depression. A list of engineering problems suited to the electric analog computer is provided in an appendix. >
Group differences in adult simple arithmetic: good retrievers, not-so-good retrievers, and perfectionists.

We used the choice/no-choice methodology in two experiments to examine patterns of strategy selection and execution in groups of undergraduates. Comparisons between choice and no-choice trials revealed three groups. Some participants (good retrievers) were consistently able to use retrieval to solve almost all arithmetic problems. Other participants (perfectionists) successfully used retrieval substantially less often in choice-allowed trials than when strategy choices were prohibited. Not-sogood retrievers retrieved correct answers less often than the other participants in both the choiceallowed and no-choice conditions. No group differences emerged with respect to time needed to search and access answers from long-term memory; however, not-so-good retrievers were consistently slower than the other subgroups at executing fact-retrieval processes that are peripheral to memory search and access. Theoretical models of simple arithmetic, such as the Strategy Choice and Discovery Simulation (Shrager & Siegler, 1998), should be updated to include the existence of both perfectionist and not-so-good retriever adults.
Association of fat cell size and paracrine growth factors in development of hyperplastic obesity

Inguinal, epididymal, and retroperitoneal adipose tissue from lean and obese Zucker rats, 3–15 wk of age, was used to determine the association among adipocyte size distribution, the presence of pa...
Targeting the HGF/c-MET Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite improvements in local therapies including surgical resection, liver transplantation, and transarterial embolization, the prognosis remains poor for the majority of patients who develop recurrence or present with advanced disease. Systemic therapy with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib represents a milestone in advanced HCC, but provides a limited survival benefit. Ongoing efforts to study hepatocarcinogenesis have identified an important role of c-MET signaling in the promotion of tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. In this review, we summarize the preclinical data from human tissue, cell lines, and animal models that implicate c-MET in the pathogenesis of HCC. We also evaluate potential biomarkers that may estimate prognosis or predict response to c-MET inhibitors for more rational clinical trial design. Finally, we discuss the latest clinical trials of c-MET inhibitors in advanced HCC.
More Reasons to Reexamine the Definition of Viral Blip During Antiretroviral Therapy

that can be used to interrogate subterranean virologic events is increasing, seemingly daily. Consequently, the magnitude of transient viremia that can be considered minor or inconsequential (ie, a blip) needs continual reexamination. In the elegant retrospective observational cohort study by Grennan et al, published in this issue of the Journal [3], viral blip was defined as a transient HIV-1 RNA increase to 50‐999 copies/mL after attaining ,50 copies/mL during ART. The investigators achieved their objectives of (1) determining correlates of the transient HIV-1 RNA increases and (2) determining the impact on virologic rebound. Incidentally, their results also strengthen the need to narrow the definition of viral blip in clinical and research domains. A strength of Grennan et al’s study is
Development of a microstructurally adaptive unified primary-cumsecondary creep model for SAC387 solder joints

Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solders are susceptible to appreciable microstructural coarsening due to the combined effect of thermal and mechanical stimuli during service and storage. This results in evolution of joint properties over time, and thereby influences the long-term reliability of microelectronic packages. Accurate prediction of this aging behavior is therefore critical for joint reliability predictions. Here, we study the coarsening behavior of ball grid array (BGA) joints of Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu (SAC387) solder attached to ENIG bond-pads with four different thermo-mechanical histories. Both Ag 3 Sn and Cu 6 Sn 5 precipitates underwent rapid coarsening due to the combined effects of the temperature and superimposed inelastic strain. However, following aging, the Cu 6 Sn 5 particles were much coarser than the Ag 3 Sn precipitates, and numbered about ∼100 times less. Therefore the mechanical behavior evolution during aging is dominated by the coarsening kinetics of Ag 3 Sn. Based on these observations, a length parameter describing Ag diffusion in Sn (L eff ) was defined, and this is shown to capture the thermomechanical history dependence of Ag 3 Sn particle size and inter-particle spacing. The creep behavior of SAC387 joints was characterized and a unified primary-cum-secondary creep model incorporating the parameter L eff was developed, with the objective of enabling the model to adapt to in situ microstructural changes during thermo-mechanically induced coarsening. This microstructurally adaptive creep model was used to predict the creep behavior of SAC387 subjected to various thermo-mechanical histories and the predictions were compared with experimental results.
Users Of Medicaid Home And Community-Based Services Are Especially Vulnerable To Costly Avoidable Hospital Admissions

Although Medicaid’s coverage of home and community-based services and the program’s capacity to provide such services have increased markedly in recent years, relatively little is known about the population that uses these services. We combined Medicaid and Medicare data to characterize the national Medicaid population of service users by key demographic and health-related attributes. We also assessed one important dimension of their health outcomes: potentially avoidable hospital admissions. We found that in 2005 there were 2.2 million users of Medicaid home and community-based services—almost 4 percent of the total Medicaid population—and that two-thirds of these users were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Users of home and community-based services were particularly vulnerable to avoidable hospital admissions, compared to the full Medicaid and US populations, and these hospitalizations occur at substantial cost to public payers. For the dual eligibles using home and community-based services, M...
Diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma by Assay of Catecholamine Metabolites

Methods for the determination of urinary vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) have been reviewed and variations in VMA excretion in different disease states summarized. The determination of VMA excretion is believed to represent a reliable method for the detection of a pheochromocytoma. Colorimetric screening tests for the detection of elevated VMA excretion have been reviewed and evaluated as laboratory aids in the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.
THE SENSITIZATION BY IODODEOXYURIDINE OF CULTURED HUMAN CELLS TO THE LETHAL EFFECT OF X-RAYS AND HEAVY IONS.

SummaryA long-term line of cultured cells of human-kidney origin grown for at least one doubling time in iododeoxyuridine (IUdR) is characterized by a reduction in growth-rate and plating efficiency. For these IUdR-treated cells, the in vitro sensitivity to the lethal effects of radiation is increased for x-rays and for 26·3 mev 4He ions, but not for 79·0 mev 12C ions. The extent of sensitization appears to be independent of oxygen-tension. The results are interpreted theoretically in terms of injury analogous to sub-lethal radiation damage, but induced by incorporation of IUdR: the ability of the cell to reverse the effects of sub-lethal radiation events is impaired.It remains to be seen whether the uptake of IUdR by human tumours in vivo could be sufficient to render them more sensitive to radiation therapy.
Computations of spaces of Siegel modular cusp forms

Simple homomorphisms to elliptic modular forms are defined on the ring of Siegel modular forms and linear relations on the Fourier coefficients of Siegel modular forms are implied by the codomains of these homomorphisms. We use the linear relations provided by these homomorphisms to compute the Siegel cusp forms of degree n and weight k in some new cases: ( n , k ) = ( 4 , 14 ) , ( 4 , 16 ) , ( 5 , 8 ) , ( 5 , 10 ) , ( 6 , 8 ) . We also compute enough Fourier coefficients using this method to determine the Hecke eigenforms in the nontrivial cases. We also put the open question of whether our technique always succeeds in a precise form. As a partial converse we prove that the Fourier series of Siegel modular forms are characterized among all formal series by the codomain spaces of these homomorphisms and a certain boundedness condition.
Familial Uveal Melanoma: Clinical Observations on 56 Patients

Objective: To study the clinical profile and kindreds of patients with familial uveal melanoma (FUM). Design: Retrospective case series. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Patients: Medical charts of 4500 patients with uveal melanoma were reviewed for family history of uveal melanoma. The clinical profile of these patients and their kindreds were studied to determine the incidence of FUM and pattern of inheritance. The association of FUM to cutaneous melanoma, familial atypical mole and melanoma syndrome, and other nonmelanocytic cancers was analyzed using statistical methods. Results: Of 4500 patients with uveal melanoma, 56 patients in 27 families (0.6%) had a family history of uveal melanoma. The uveal melanoma in all 56 familial patients was unilateral. In 17 cases (63%), the second affected relative was a first-degree relative. In the remainder, the second affected relative was a second- (22%) and third-degree (15%) relative. In 25 families (93%) only two members were affected, and in two families (7%) three members had uveal melanoma. Patients with FUM were four times as likely to have a second primary malignant neoplasm than were people in the general population. However, no evidence was seen that unaffected kindreds of patients with FUM were at higher risk of having a second primary malignant neoplasm. Conclusions: Familial involvement in uveal melanoma is rare. Familial uveal melanoma most often (63%) affects first-degree relatives, rarely affects more than two persons in a family, and may be associated with a generalized inherited predisposition to cancer. Further genetic studies are necessary to fully characterize FUM syndrome.
Letter by Madias regarding article, "Role of microvolt T-wave alternans in assessment of arrhythmia vulnerability among patients with heart failure and systolic dysfunction: primary results from the T-wave alternans sudden cardiac death in heart failure trial substudy".

To the Editor: The disturbing news conveyed to clinicians in the article by Gold et al published in Circulation ,1 requires a hard look at the microvolt T-wave alternant (MTWA) technology and its performance in stratifying patients with cardiomyopathy into those who may and may not need an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. This prospective study of 490 patients from the Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial cohort has not confirmed the favorable predictive role for MTWA for arrhythmic events and therapeutic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks, …
Internal Reflection Spectroscopy in the Far-Infrared Region

This note describes the extension of internal reflection spectroscopy into the far-infrared region below 150 cm−1. To the best of our knowledge this is the first reported use of internal reflection techniques below 250 cm−1, the cutoff point of the widely used KRS-5 reflector plate material.
Transferring the Dharma message of the master – inscriptions on Korean monk portraits from the Chosŏn period

This article aims to give an overview of the inscriptions written on Korean Buddhist monk portraits, which serve as important means to understand the motivation of the donors who financed their production, and to explore the main functions of the portraits to the dharma descendants of the depicted. As will be seen in the examples of the sixteen portraits of the State Preceptors from Songgwangsa, lay persons as well as Buddhist monks donated money for the making of monk portraits in order to accumulate merit. It is in the painting inscriptions that these motivations are revealed. The eulogies provide information about the personal relations between the depicted and his scholar-friends and disciples, information that offers a significant contribution to the understanding of Chos? n dynasty Buddhism. Eulogies written by famous scholars, and lengthy portrait titles, enhance the representative function of the portraits to serve as authorizing devices for the dharma lineage of the designated temple. In other words, by writing a eulogy, the scholars served as multiplicators of their friend's fame and reputation. However, the portraits were commissioned by the disciples, and had never been authorized by the depicted masters themselves. The making of the portraits could thereby assist the disciples in constructing a designated temple's dharma lineage. The eulogies written by the disciples enhance this notion, as they show the wish for the spread of the prestige and fame of the master. For the disciples, a portrait of their master symbolized the continuity of their lineage. At the same time, their eulogies also make one point very clear: a portrait is nothing but an expedient to comprehend the awakened mind of an eminent deceased master.
Case Presentation with Answers to Questions

The Case Presentation offered at the beginning of the text is repeated here along with a brief discussion of the correct answer. The reader will note that the 23 experts at The Greenbrier Conference were frequently not unanimous in their opinion. Obviously, there remains much to be learned as to the management of these patients.
Distribution of an Unidentified Chick Growth Factor

Abstract IN A previous report Robblee, Nichol, Cravens, Elvehjem and Halpin (1947) presented evidence that condensed fish solubles contain an unidentified factor capable of causing an increase in the growth rate of chicks fed on a diet apparently complete in recognized growth essentials. The magnitude of the response was such that it appeared to be adaptable to a biological assay of the factor. Several other reports have appeared in which other materials have been noted to exhibit growth promoting activity for the chick. Berry, Carrick, Roberts and Hauge (1945) found that both liver meal and fish solubles caused a stimulation in growth on a natural ration, and a similar effect with liver meal was observed by Scott, Norris and Heuser (1947) with a purified ration. Rubin and Bird (1946) have reported the presence of a growth factor for chicks in cow manure and found that fish meal also resulted in an . . .
The Land Mammals of the Kodiak Islands

How the few endemic mammals first became established on the Kodiak Islands, approximately 40 miles from the Alaskan mainland, is of course unknown. The presence of one flier and a strong swimmer or two could be explained easily, and a former ice or land bridge might account for the others, but this fails to explain the absence of other types found on nearby shores. Transportation by human residents of long ago is also a possibility. Topography.— The area is comparable in size to that of New Jersey and Delaware. Deeply indenting, steep-sloped bays are numerous and nearly split the main island, Kodiak. Rocky peaks, generally ranging from 2000 to 3500 feet in elevation, are common and a few reach over 4000 feet. The southwestern ends of Kodiak and nearby islands are somewhat less rocky and of a lower, rolling nature. The northeastern parts of the group, northern Afognak and Shuyak islands, are also lower but rocky. The entire group appears to be an above-water portion of a marine ridge, extending southwestward from Kenai Peninsula, roughly paralleling the Alaska Peninsula and separated by the trough of Shelikof Strait (Fig. 1). Fig. 1 General map of the Kodiak Island Group. Vegetation .—A heavy cover of Sitka spruce ( Picea sitchensis ) covers Afognak Island and, in …
Renal Cell Carcinoma with Osteosarcomatous Differentiation Simulating Staghorn Calculus: A Case Report and Literature Review

AbstractWe report a case of renal cell carcinoma that showed extensive osteosarcomatous differentiation and simulated a staghorn calculus clinically and radiologically. The literature on osteosarcomatous differentiation in renal cell carcinoma is reviewed.
New evidence on the impact of concealed carry weapon laws on crime

Abstract For more than a decade, there has been an academic debate over the deterrence effect of concealed carry weapon (shall issue) laws. However, all previous studies do not consider the types of gun-carry laws in place prior to the adoption of “shall issue” laws. Using difference-in-difference methodology, findings of this study imply that considering the type of regulations that states had prior to passing “shall issue” laws matters and “shall issue” laws do have a deterrence effect under certain circumstances. Adopting “shall issue” laws only reduces the crime rate in states with “no issue” laws in place, and “shall issue” laws are redundant to “may issue” (restricted concealed carry) laws in terms of crime reduction.