cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Paw withdrawal thresholds and persistent hindlimb flexion in experimental mononeuropathies

Hypersensitivity of the foot produced by a number of sciatic mononeuropathies was assessed and compared. A new tool was used, the strain-gauge algometer, that delivers a noxious stimulus and gives a direct measurement of the force for paw withdrawal. In addition, we report observations of another alteration of the flexion reflex, persistent hindlimb flexion. The mean mechanical threshold for naive rats was 5.9 +/- 0.97 centinewton (standard deviation). A superficial surgical procedure had no effect on mechanical sensitivity. Sham surgeries and a surgery in which a silicone pellet was glued to the sciatic nerve produced moderate increases in mechanical sensitivity. Interventions that produced the greatest reductions in thresholds were carrageenan neuritis, complete Freund's adjuvant neuritis, and the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model. Mechanical thresholds returned to baseline in 2 weeks in all groups. Neuropathic behaviors (licking and holding the paw after the stimulus) were observed more frequently in the CCI group. Persistent hindlimb flexion was only observed in the CCI group. The results support that midaxonal inflammation is sufficient to induce hyperalgesia. The strain-gauge algometer proved to be efficient and reliable, and calculations support that used as described in this report one can demonstrate changes in paw withdrawal thresholds as small as 15%.
INDIVIDUALIZED, SUCCESS ORIENTED INSTRUCTIONS IN ACHIEVEMENT AND SELF-CONCEPT OF FIRST GRADERS

Summary.--Gains in achievement and self-concept of 23 first graders receiving individualized, supportive, success-emphasizing instruction were compared with those of 22 receiving more traditional instruction. The individualized group showed greater gains in certain academic skills but no greater gain in selfconcept. This study did not support the contention that a supportive, successemphasizing classroom environment enhances self-concept. It is frequently asserted that the teacher can enhance both the self-concept and achievement of students by providing a success-oriented, supportive, individualized learning environment. Lane and Muller ( 1977) demonstrated that self-concept, as measured with the Primary Self-concept Inventory ( 1973), could be rather quickly and easily enhanced by rewarding the positive self-descriptive statements occurring in student writing. However, they observed no change in achievement-related behavior. This study explored this issue by comparing gains in achievement and self-concept of first graders receiving individualized, suppottive, success-emphasizing, enriched instruction with those of students receiving more traditional instruction. Two first grade classrooms participated. There were 9 boys and 14 girls in the enriched classroom and 10 boys and 12 girls in the traditional classroom. The academic content focused on reading readiness and language development. The emphasis in the enriched classroom was on enriched, individualized academic instruction embedded in an atmosphere of support, warmth, and success. No direct teaching of self-concept occurred. A more complete description of instructional details is provided by Backer ( 1975 ). Self-concept was measured with the Primary Self-concept Inventory and achievement with the Metropolitan Readiness Tests (Hildreth, Griffiths, & McGauvran, 1964). The self-concept measure provides scores for personal-self, social-self, and intellectual-self. The Metropolitan Readiness Tests measure word meaning, listening, matching, alphabet, and copying skills. Pretesting occurred in September, posttesting in May. Mean gains on the tests are presented in Table 1. The experimental group showed significantly higher achievement gains in listening (FlI43 = 5.13, p 5 .05) and matching = 8.58, p 5 .05) skills. There were no significant differences in gain in self-concept. While this study suffers from a number of methodological limitations, it suggests that individualized instruction in reading readiness can enhance performance on a test of reading readiness but does not
Learning-based scan plane identification from fetal head ultrasound images

Acquisition of a clinically acceptable scan plane is a pre-requisite for ultrasonic measurement of anatomical features from B-mode images. In obstetric ultrasound, measurement of gestational age predictors, such as biparietal diameter and head circumference, is performed at the level of the thalami and cavum septum pelucidi. In an accurate scan plane, the head can be modeled as an ellipse, the thalami looks like a butterfly, the cavum appears like an empty box and the falx is a straight line along the major axis of a symmetric ellipse inclined either parallel to or at small angles to the probe surface. Arriving at the correct probe placement on the mother's belly to obtain an accurate scan plane is a task of considerable challenge especially for a new user of ultrasound. In this work, we present a novel automated learning-based algorithm to identify an acceptable fetal head scan plane. We divide the problem into cranium detection and a template matching to capture the composite "butterfly" structure present inside the head, which mimics the visual cues used by an expert. The algorithm uses the stateof- the-art Active Appearance Models techniques from the image processing and computer vision literature and tie them to presence or absence of the inclusions within the head to automatically compute a score to represent the goodness of a scan plane. This automated technique can be potentially used to train and aid new users of ultrasound.
A presynaptic mechanism evoked from brain stem reticular formation in the lumbar cord and its temporal significance.

Summary (1) In the decerebrate cat, stimulation of a large spectrum of sites in the brain stem reticular formation (RF) evoked negative and postive dorsal root potentials (DRPs) in the lumbar spinal cord. (2) Both negative and postive DRPs are developed as a function of the stimulus intensity delivered to the reticular sites, although the relationship is not linear. (3) There is a well correlated temporal course of the negativity of DRP, the inhibitory phase of monosynaptic reflexes (MSRs), as well as the increased excitability of intraspinal Ia terminals revealing the presence of primary afferent depolarization (PAD), under the influence of the same RF stimulation. These evidences thus point to the existence of a presynaptic inhibitory mechanism exerted from the RF onto the lumbar cord. (4) Concomitant positive DRP and facilitation of MSR on a parallel time basis, the latter of which overrides a preceding inhibition which corresponds in time to the negative wave, has been shown. This is interpreted as the reflection of a hyperpolarization of the primary afferent terminals (PAH) underlying a presynaptic facilitation. (5) It is concluded that at least two separate groups of reticular neurons are exerting their effects, one initiating PAD and the other PAH on the primary afferent terminals in the lumbar cord. These two would be modulating sensory inputs at the presynaptic level through a competitive process.
Retinal Ganglion Cell Genesis Requires lakritz, a Zebrafish atonal Homolog

Mutation of the zebrafish lakritz (lak) locus completely eliminates the earliest-born retinal cells, the ganglion cells (RGCs). Instead, excess amacrine, bipolar, and Muller glial cells are generated in the mutant. The extra amacrines are found at ectopic locations in the ganglion cell layer. Cone photoreceptors appear unaffected by the mutation. Molecular analysis reveals that lak encodes Ath5, the zebrafish eye-specific ortholog of the Drosophila basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Atonal. A combined birth-dating and cell marker analysis demonstrates that lak/ath5 is essential for RGC determination during the first wave of neurogenesis in the retina. Our results suggest that this wave is skipped in the mutant, leading to an accumulation of progenitors for inner nuclear layer cells.
Evaluating the effectiveness of management practices on hydrology and water quality at watershed scale with a rainfall-runoff model

The adverse influence of urban development on hydrology and water quality can be reduced by applying best management practices (BMPs) and low impact development (LID) practices. This study applied green roof, rain barrel/cistern, bioretention system, porous pavement, permeable patio, grass strip, grassed swale, wetland channel, retention pond, detention basin, and wetland basin, on Crooked Creek watershed. The model was calibrated and validated for annual runoff volume. A framework for simulating BMPs and LID practices at watershed scales was created, and the impacts of BMPs and LID practices on water quantity and water quality were evaluated with the Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment-Low Impact Development 2.1 (L-THIA-LID 2.1) model for 16 scenarios. The various levels and combinations of BMPs/LID practices reduced runoff volume by 0 to 26.47%, Total Nitrogen (TN) by 0.30 to 34.20%, Total Phosphorus (TP) by 0.27 to 47.41%, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) by 0.33 to 53.59%, Lead (Pb) by 0.30 to 60.98%, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) by 0 to 26.70%, and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) by 0 to 27.52%. The implementation of grass strips in 25% of the watershed where this practice could be applied was the most cost-efficient scenario, with cost per unit reduction of $1m3/yr for runoff, while cost for reductions of two pollutants of concern was $445 kg/yr for Total Nitrogen (TN) and $4871 kg/yr for Total Phosphorous (TP). The scenario with very high levels of BMP and LID practice adoption (scenario 15) reduced runoff volume and pollutant loads from 26.47% to 60.98%, and provided the greatest reduction in runoff volume and pollutant loads among all scenarios. However, this scenario was not as cost-efficient as most other scenarios. The L-THIA-LID 2.1 model is a valid tool that can be applied to various locations to help identify cost effective BMP/LID practice plans at watershed scales.
Mg and Ca isotope signatures of authigenic dolomite in siliceous deep-sea sediments

Abstract Authigenic carbonates in marine sediments frequently have carbon isotope ratios that reflect local organic carbon processing rather than the δ C 13 of the global DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) reservoir, but their contributions to ancient sedimentary sections are difficult to assess. In this study of authigenic dolomite from the Miocene-age Monterey Formation of offshore California, Mg and Ca isotopes are shown to vary with stratigraphic depth as a result of early diagenetic processes. The dolomite is a pre-compaction authigenic phase that occurs as beds and nodules with δ C 13 ranging from −16 to + 9 ‰ . Light δ C 13 values were likely acquired from the sedimentary zone of microbial sulfate reduction, while heavy δ C 13 values were acquired from the zone of methanogenesis. Mg and Ca isotopes are roughly anti-correlated, with intervals of negative δ C 13 associated with low δ Mg 26 and higher δ Ca 44 / 40 values. The variability is observed over a wide range of length-scales, from 10 − 2 meters within individual authigenic beds/nodules, to 10 2 meters over the entire stratigraphic column, and can be understood as the consequence of dolomite precipitation in pore fluids where Mg supply is limited by diffusive transport. The relationship of δ Mg 26 and δ Ca 44 / 40 to the more common stable isotope measurements of δ C 13 and δ O 18 represents a new, diagenetically robust, geochemical fingerprint for identifying synsedimentary authigenic carbonates in the geological record.
The vestige of many-body dynamics in relaxation of glass-forming substances and other interacting systems

Relaxation and diffusion in interacting systems including most glass-forming substances involve many-body dynamics. The stretch exponent, n, in the Kohlrasuch correlation function, , is a convenient measure of the many-body relaxation dynamics. Evidences of the importance of the many-body dynamics can be seen from the empirical facts that n either governs or correlates with several general relaxation properties. Two examples of this scenario are shown. The first is the ageing of colloidal glasses. The second is the breakdown of the Stokes–Einstein and the Debye–Stokes–Einstein relations in small molecular glass formers, colloidal particle suspensions and a Lennard-Jones system with rotational degree of freedom. The coupling model has a relation in which n plays a pivotal role in determining relaxation properties. The relation is used once more to explain the findings of the two examples given in this paper.
Glycolytic and respiratory enzyme activity in relation to leucocyte maturation.

Summary. Low activity of intramitochondrial dehydrogenases and of a mitochondrial membrane hydrogen shuttle system has been demonstrated cytochemically in the lymphoblast and in three Burkitt lymphoma cell lines; this contrasts with a relatively high activity of extramitochondrial glycolytic enzymes and may render these cells abnormally sensitive to glycolytic enzyme inhibition. This pattern of enzyme activity was not seen in normal and leukaemic myeloid cells at any stage of maturation, nor in lymphoid cells undergoing benign hyperplasia, and appears to be related to mitochondrial number. This explanation is in contrast to previous claims of specific enzyme deletions in solid tumours and in mouse lymphoma.
Effects of epigallocatechin gallate and quercetin on oxidative damage to cellular DNA.

Phenolic phytochemicals are thought to promote optimal health, partly via their antioxidant effects in protecting cellular components against free radicals. The aims of this study were to assess the free radical-scavenging activities of several common phenolic phytochemicals, and then, the effects of the most potent phenolic phytochemicals on oxidative damage to DNA in cultured cells. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) scavenged the stable free radical, alpha,alpha-diphenyl-beta-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), most effectively, while quercetin was about half as effective. Genistein, daidzein, hesperetin, and naringenin did not scavenge DPPH appreciably. Jurkat T-lymphocytes that were pre-incubated with relatively low concentrations of either EGCG or quercetin were less susceptible to DNA damage induced by either a reactive oxygen species or a reactive nitrogen species, as evaluated by the comet assay. More specifically, control cells had a comet score of only 17+/-5, indicating minimal DNA damage. Cells challenged with 25 microM hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) or 100 microM 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1, a peroxynitrite generator) had comet scores of 188+/-6 and 125+/-12, respectively, indicating extensive DNA damage. The H(2)O(2)-induced DNA damage was inhibited with 10 microM of either EGCG (comet score: 113+/-23) or quercetin (comet score: 82+/-7). Similarly, the SIN-1-mediated DNA damage was inhibited with 10 microM of either EGCG (comet score: 79+/-13) or quercetin (comet score: 72+/-17). In contrast, noticeable DNA damage was induced in Jurkat T-lymphocytes by incubating with 10-fold higher concentrations (i.e., 100 microM) of either EGCG (comet score: 56+/-17) or quercetin (comet score: 64+/-13) by themselves. Collectively, these data suggest that low concentrations of EGCG and quercetin scavenged free radicals, thereby inhibiting oxidative damage to cellular DNA. But, high concentrations of either EGCG or quercetin alone induced cellular DNA damage.
The effect of epidural morphine on the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane in cats

SUMMARY This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of 3 different doses of epidurally administered morphine sulphate on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane in healthy cats. Five 4-year-old, spayed female cats weighing 4.7 ± 0.8 kg were allocated randomly to receive one of 3 doses of morphine on each study day. The 3 doses of morphine were 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg bwt and each cat was studied 3 times so that each cat received all doses. On each study day, cats were anaesthetised with isoflurane and instrumented. The MAC of isoflurane was determined in triplicate and morphine sulphate was administered via an epidural catheter chronically implanted prior to the study. Maximum MAC reduction was determined over the following 2 h. At the end of the study cats were allowed to recover. There was a significant reduction in MAC of isoflurane, with all doses of epidural morphine (P
Noninvasive assessment of canine myocardial oxidative metabolism with carbon-11 acetate and positron emission tomography

Noninvasive quantification of regional myocardial metabolism would be highly desirable to evaluate pathogenetic mechanisms of heart disease and their response to therapy. It was previously demonstrated that the metabolism of radiolabeled acetate, a readily utilized myocardial substrate predominantly metabolized to carbon dioxide (CO2) by way of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, provides a good index of oxidative metabolism in isolated perfused rabbit hearts because of tight coupling between the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. In the present study, in a prelude to human studies, the relation between myocardial clearance of carbon-11 (11C)-labeled acetate and myocardial oxygen consumption was characterized in eight intact dogs using positron emission tomography. Anesthetized dogs were studied during baseline conditions and again during either high or low work states induced pharmacologically. High myocardial extraction and rapid blood clearance of tracer yielded myocardial images of excellent quality. The turnover (clearance) of 11C radioactivity from the myocardium was biexponential with the mean half-time of the dominant rapid phase averaging 5.4 +/- 2.2, 2.8 +/- 1.3 and 11.1 +/- 1.3 min in control, high and low work load studies, respectively. No significant difference was found between the rate of clearance of 11C radioactivity from the myocardium measured noninvasively with positron emission tomography and the myocardial efflux of 11CO2 measured directly from the coronary sinus. The rate of clearance of the 11C radioactivity from the heart correlated closely with myocardial oxygen consumption (r = 0.90, p less than 0.001) as well as with the rate-pressure product (r = 0.95, p less than 0.001). Hence, the rate of oxidation of 11C-acetate can be determined noninvasively with positron emission tomography, providing a quantitative index of oxidative metabolism under diverse conditions.
Interference cancellation by least-squares modeling and adaptive subtraction

Summary The attenuation of strong sinusoidal noise is one of the many challenges in land data. A new method incorporates a least-squares modeling of the sinusoidal noise and a timevarying Wiener match filter to adaptively cancel the sinusoidal noise. The least-squares modeling of the sinusoidal noise directly on the data produces an accurate reference noise model to be used in the adaptivesubtraction process that employs a Wiener match filter to handle the nonstationary noise. An automatic detection of the sinusoidal noise that is based on a median threshold helps to rapidly identify the presence of the interfering noise and to attenuate the noise only when it is needed. The application of this method on the synthetic and real data examples demonstrates the effectiveness of this method in canceling the strong sinusoidal noise with minimum signal distortions.
TU-C-BRB-12: Dose Enhancement Effect of Golden Nanoparticles in a Realistic Voxellized Cell Phantom for Proton Radiation: A Simulation Study with GEANT4

Purpose: To study the dose enhancement of golden nanoparticles on a voxellized cell phantom irradiated by proton beam. Methods: A Monte Carlo application was constructed with GEANT4 version 9.4 using various physics processes. A water cube of 5 mm × 5 mm × 5 mm consisting of a realistic human keratinocyte voxellized cell phantom was irradiated with 1.5 MeV proton beam. The cell is represented by a three dimensional phantom obtained from confocal microscopy technique with realistic nucleus and cytoplasm chemical compositions. Detailed cell phantom information is demonstrated in one of Geant4 examples‘microbeam’. Beam quality of 20 nm FWHM with 20 keV Gaussian energy spread FWHM was used. Golden nanoparticles (size: 50 nm × 50 nm × 50 nm) with 250 nm apart from each other were administered in the phantom to form a solution with concentration of about 2 mg/ml. Simulations of the dose deposited with and without nanoparticles were recorded in each voxel of the cell phantom. Results: The dose distribution histograms in the voxels of the cell nucleus and cytoplasm were obtained. Our results found that the total dose deposited in the cell increased by 12.2% and the mean dose deposited in the voxels of cell nucleus increased by 16.7%. Conclusions: This present work shows a dose enhancement effect of administering golden nanoparticles in a realistic microscopycell environment for proton beam irradiation. Our results agree well with the observation in the previous experiments from literature. This particular application demonstrates the usefulness of GEANT4 toolkit as a powerful tool to understand the dosemetric distribution in small nanoscale target for particle therapy.
The Global Ocean Flux Study (GOFS): Status of the U.S. GOFS Program

The proposed National Science Foundation (NSF) budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 1987 contains funding for a major new initiative [Waldrop, 1986], the Global Geosciences Program, which consists of separate but related research efforts that treat the earth as an integrated system of global oceanic and atmospheric circulation systems and as a delicate and dynamic balance of biogeochemical fluxes that sustain life on our blue planet. This paper concerns the status of one important element of this program, the U.S. segment of the Global Ocean Flux Study, which is now being planned with NSF and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) support. What is the origin of such a program? What are its aims? How might it be accomplished? Finally, why is it necessary at this time?
The Evidence Base for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

In this article, the authors provide background on evidence-based practice and then summarize the evidence base for short-term and long-term psychodynamic psychotherapies. The research included conforms to the hierarchy of evidence promoted by the evidence-based practice movement. Experimental research on psychodynamic psychotherapy reveals these therapies have generally moderate to large effect sizes for depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, somatic disorders, some substance abuse disorders, and some mixed disorders. There is a clear evidence base supporting psychodynamic psychotherapy as effective in treating several mental health disorders. Additional outcome research on psychodynamic psychotherapies, using varied outcome measures, should be funded and completed.
Growth and maturation in Marfan syndrome

Understanding the growth pattern in Marfan syndrome is important for prediction of expected growth, prevention of excessive growth by hormone therapy, timing of surgical epiphysiodesis for cessation of growth, and instituting brace treatment for scoliosis. In this study, we analyze growth patterns and generate growth charts for persons with Marfan syndrome. From the charts of 180 clinically diagnosed Marfan patients, longitudinal height and weight measurements were obtained. From this data, growth charts and growth velocity charts were generated for males and females. Skeletal maturation was studied by determining the Risser signs from the x-rays of 71 males and 56 females. From 22 female patients, age of menarche was available and retrieved either by reviewing the charts or contacting the patients. Mean length at birth was 53 ± 4.4 cm for males and 52.5 ± 3.5 cm for females. Mean final height was 191.3 ± 9 cm for males and 175.4 ± 8.2 cm for females. Mean birth weight was 3.51 ± 0.74 kg for males and 3.48 ± 0.68 kg for females. The puberty-associated peak in growth velocity was 2.4 years earlier than the gender-matched general population for males with Marfan syndrome and 2.2 years earlier for females. Age of menarche was 11.7 ± 2 years of age, which is also early compared to the general population. This study suggests that the growth spurt and pubertal skeletal maturation occur early in Marfan syndrome. The growth curves generated should help more accurately predict adult stature, as well as monitor progression toward it. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Living in the American South and the Likelihood of Having a Tubal Sterilization

This research uses a nationally representative sample of 7,643 American women from the public- and restricted-use National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle 6 data files and logistic regressions to model for the first time the relationship between having a tubal sterilization and southern region of residence. This research finds a disparity in reproductive health for southern women; women living in the South face about 1.5 greater odds of being sterilized compared with women from other regions, all else being equal. When other potential main and moderating effects are included in the model, rural women are found to have twice greater odds as urban women and Protestant women have 1.5 times greater odds than Catholics of having a tubal sterilization, net of other effects.
Hypervelocity impact response of spaced composite material structures

Abstract The design of a spacecraft for a long-duration mission must take into account the possibility of high-speed impacts by meteoroids and orbiting space debris and the effects of such impacts on the spacecraft structure. With the advent of many new high-strength composite materials and their proliferation in aircraft applications, it has become necessary to evaluate their potential for use in long-duration space and aerospace structural systems. One aspect of this evaluation is the analysis of their response to hypervelocity projectile impact loadings. The analyses performed in this study indicate that the extent of damage to a dual-wall composite structure can be written as a function of the geometric and material properties of the projectile/structure system. A comparative analysis of impact damage in composite specimens and in geometrically similar aluminum specimens is also performed to determine the advantages and disadvantages of employing certain composite materials in the design of structural wall systems for long-duration spacecraft.
Online local linear classification

We present a novel convex formulation to learning binary, 2-region local linear classifiers. From this convex formulation, we formulate an online optimization scheme using stochastic gradient descent that allows for efficient training using streaming training data. We demonstrate the fast convergence and accurate classification on the canonical XOR dataset.
Body weight regulation and obesity.

Obesity can be defined as a state of excess body fat, or body energy stores in excess of physiologic needs. During the past 25 years, this disorder has increased dramatically throughout the world. In the United States the prevalence in adults has more than doubled to nearly 31%.1 Rates of increase are even greater in children, suggesting that the prevalence of obesity will continue to rise for the foreseeable future.2 Most disturbingly, the most severe form of obesity (class III or above by body mass index; see below) now affects 2.2% of the adult population in the United States, up from 0.78% as recently as 1990.3 Because excess body fat is associated with a large number of debilitating and life-threatening medical complications, the medical consequences of obesity are increasing rapidly as well. In the late 1990s it was estimated that in the United States alone, approximately 300,000 premature deaths yearly resulted from complications of obesity.4 This premature mortality rate is second only to tobacco use. Recent economic analysis suggests that the total medical costs associated with obesity exceed those associated with tobacco, likely because of the prolonged course of many of the seriousmedical complications of obesity.4 The yearly medical costs of obesity are conservatively estimated at $123 billion in this country, with consumers spending nearly $50 billion more on products and services to induce weight loss.5 For clinical convenience, the degree of obesity is most frequently estimated by body mass index (BMI), which correlates reasonably well with total body fat. BMI is calculated as weight divided by the square of height and is reported in the metric units of kg/m2. If measurements are made in pounds and inches, the following formula can be used to convert from English to metric units:
Home Teaching of Nocturnal Nasogastric Feeding

Nocturnal nasogastric feeding (NGF) supplementation is an effective means of supplying calories to children with chronic diseases which may impair caloric and nutritional intake. Herein, we describe our experience with 18 patients who were taught NGF. They were divided into two groups: one group was instructed in the hospital which is the typical situation, whereas the second group was instructed at home. No complications were associated with NGF taught either at home or in the hospital. Our experience, therefore, indicates that nocturnal NGF can be successfully taught at home. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition12:392-393, 1988)
Genetic population structure of central Oregon Coast coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

We surveyed microsatellite variation from 22 spawning populations of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) from the Oregon Coast to help identify populations for conservation planning. All of our samples were temporally replicated, with most samples obtained in 2000 and 2001. We had three goals: (1) to confirm the status of populations identified on the basis of spawning location and life history; (2) to estimate effective population sizes and migration rates in order to determine demographic independence at different spatial scales; and (3) to determine if releases of Washington hatchery coho salmon in the 1980's into Oregon Coast streams resulted in measurable introgression into nearby wild Oregon Coast coho populations. For the last question, our study included a hatchery broodstock sample from 1985, after the Puget Sound introduction, and a 1975 sample taken from the same area prior to the introduction. Our results generally supported previously hypothesized population structure. Most importantly, we found unique lake-rearing groups identified on the basis of a common life-history type were genetically related. Estimates of immigrant fraction using several different methods also generally supported previously identified populations. Estimates of effective population size were highly correlated with estimates of spawning abundance. The 1985 hatchery sample was genetically similar to contemporary Washington samples, and the contemporary Oregon Coast samples were similar to the 1975 Oregon Coast sample, suggesting that introductions of Washington coho salmon did not result in large scale introgression into Oregon populations.
Curriculum research to improve teaching and learning: national and cross-national studies

Curriculum, as a cultural and system-specific artifact, outlines mathematics teaching and learning activities in school education. Studies of curriculum and its changes are thus important to reveal the expectations, processes and outcomes of students’ school learning experiences that are situated in different cultural and system contexts. In this article, we aim to propose a framework that can help readers to develop a better understanding of curriculum practices and changes in China and/or the USA that have been reported and discussed in articles published in this themed issue. Going beyond the selected education systems, further studies of curriculum practices and changes are much needed to help ensure the success of educational reforms in the different cultural and system contexts.
A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale in a Sample of International College Students

There is the need for a reliable and valid measure to facilitate emotional intelligence (EI) research on international college students (ICSs). The present study examined the factorial invariance of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), a trait EI measure, in a sample of 628 ICSs. A web-based survey was developed to facilitate data collection across the country. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis support the factorial invariance of the WLEIS in ICSs. Reliabilities and scale correlations further supported the psychometric properties of the measure for international students. Additional findings indicate possible country-of-origin difference on trait EI among different national groups.
To reduce urban disparities in health, strengthen and enforce equitably environmental and consumer laws

While observers agree that reducing disparities in health is an important health priority for the USA, there is little agreement and no comprehensive plan to achieve this goal. In this commentary, we make the case for reducing the disproportionate exposure to environmental and consumer hazards as a promising strategy for reducing health disparities. Exposures to environmental risks such as air pollution, lead, and hazardous wastes and to consumer products such as tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy food have been identified as significant threats to health and important contributors to disparities in health. Strengthening the regulations that prevent exposure to these harmful substances and enforcing these rules equitably could bring benefits to the population as a whole and especially to the disenfranchised, primarily urban, populations that are most exposed. The current policy environment may present a window of opportunity for pursuing this strategy.
Recent Pharmacological Advances in the Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common leukaemia in children and third most common in adults. Although the majority of children and adults with ALL achieve a complete remission with intensive chemotherapy, relapse will occur in 20% and 50% respectively. As further intensification risks greater toxicity and may not diminish the risk of relapse, new targeted therapies with less overall toxicity are urgently needed. There have been a number of new agents recently developed directed at specific cellular pathways involved in leukaemia genesis and are beginning to make their way into early phase clinical trials. This review will highlight a number of these novel chemotherapy agents and the pathways they target in relapse ALL.
Pediatric window-cord strangulations in the United States, 1981-1995.

Objective. —To document the prevalence of pediatric asphyxial death from window-covering cords in the United States and identify associated risk factors. Design. —Retrospective analysis of existing death certificate and incident files compiled by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Setting. —United States, 1981 through 1995. Patients. —Children aged 1 month to 8 years suffering unintentional traumatic asphyxiation from a window-covering cord. Results. —A total of 183 fatal window-cord strangulations were reported for the years 1981 through 1995, representing a mortality rate of 0.14 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10-0.18) per 100 000 persons (≤3 years old) per year in the United States. Ninety-three percent of victims were 3 years of age or younger. Pull cords on venetian-type horizontal window coverings accounted for 86% of documented injuries. Infant victims were more likely to become entangled while put down for a nap and toddlers were more likely to be suspended by the cord after falling or jumping from a height ( P =.002). Window coverings remained anchored and did not undrape when substantial weight was suspended in the draw-cord loop. Conclusions. —Window-covering cords represent a substantial strangulation hazard compared with other potentially harmful household products that were modified based on voluntary standards to mitigate the risk of injury. Product design modifications and parental education will be necessary to avert this type of fatal home injury.
Predictors of Short-Term Postoperative Survival After Elective Colectomy in Colon Cancer Patients ‡80 Years of Age

Individuals ≥80 years of age represent an increasing proportion of colon cancer diagnoses. Selecting these patients for elective surgery is challenging because of diminished overall health, functional decline, and limited data to guide decisions. The objective was to identify overall health measures that are predictive of poor survival after elective surgery in these oldest-old colon cancer patients. Medicare beneficiaries ≥80 years who underwent elective colectomy for stage I–III colon cancer from 1992–2005 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results(SEER)-Medicare database. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis determined 90-day and 1-year overall survival. Multivariable logistic regression assessed factors associated with short-term postoperative survival. Overall survival for the 12,979 oldest-old patients undergoing elective colectomy for colon cancer was 93.4 and 85.7 %, at 90 days and 1 year. Older age, male gender, frailty, increased hospitalizations in prior year, and dementia were most strongly associated with decreased survival. In addition, AJCC stage III (vs stage I) disease and widowed (vs married) were highly associated with decreased survival at 1 year. Although only 4.4 % of patients were considered frail, this had the strongest association with mortality, with an odds ratio of 8.4 (95 % confidence interval, 6.4–11.1). Although most oldest-old colon cancer patients do well after elective colectomy, a significant proportion (6.6 %) die by postoperative day 90 and frailty is the strongest predictor. The ability to identify frailty through billing claims is intriguing and suggests the potential to prospectively identify, through the electronic medical record, patients at highest risk of decreased survival.
Arsenic concentrations in tissues and body fluids of dogs on chronic low-level dietary sodium arsenite.

Twenty-four female Beagle dogs, 7–8 months old, were assigned to 4 groups. Control, low-dosage, medium-dosage, and high-dosage groups were offered 0, 1, 2, and 4 mg of sodium arsenite per kilogram of body weight per day (mg/kg/day), respectively, in their feed (equivalent to 0.0, 33.4, 66.7, and 133.4 μg/g in feed). On day 59, the dosage was doubled for the rest of the experiment, which ended on day 183. In general, arsenic concentrations in tissues and body fluids reflected arsenic levels in feed. Arsenic caused a dose-related decrease in food intake. Statistically significant differences in blood, liver, and kidney arsenic were detected, in most cases, between the 2 higher dosage groups and controls. The greatest differences in arsenic concentrations between groups were present in urine and hair. Results indicate that urine and hair would be the most useful specimens for chemical analysis when attempting to confirm low-level dietary inorganic arsenic exposure or poisoning.
The Effects of Technical Support on User Satisfaction using an Interactive Artificial Intelligence Expert System

This study analyzes the influence of technical support (TS) on overall computer user satisfaction as determined by multiple regression. The variables trouble shooting, user expectations, and documentation are found to be the most significant variables affecting overall satisfaction, whereas, the variables, number of computer systems and the microcomputer (as the type of installation) have the least significant effect in the user satisfaction model. An interactive expert system (ES) for TS is demonstrated in this study. The implications for improvements in TS by updates to an AI data base are discussed and analyzed.
Teaching domain testing: a status report

Domain testing is a stratified sampling strategy for choosing a few test cases from the near infinity of candidate test cases. The strategy goes under several names, such as equivalence partitioning, boundary analysis, and category partitioning. We describe a risk-focused interpretation of domain testing and some results (experiential and experimental) of helping students learn this approach.
Morphological and electrophysiological identification of gigantocellular tegmental field neurons with descending projections in the cat: I. Pons.

There are three different descending projections from the bulbar gigantocellular tegmental field (BFTG) in the cat, as defined by intracellular recording and intracellular horseradish peroxidase (HRP) techniques. The first pathway arises from neurons which send axons to the contralateral medial longitudinal fasciculus (cMLF neurons); cMLF neurons show excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) after stimulation of the ipsilateral pontine gigantocellular tegmental field (PFTG). Most cMLF neurons have large ellipsoid-polygonal somata (mean, 56.8 micron), thick axons (average diameter, 3.09 microns), mostly non-spiny dendrites and dendritic fields flattened in the anteroposterior direction. No cMLF neurons with axon collaterals in the BFTG are present in the data of this study. The second pathway arises from neurons which send axons to the ipsilateral MLF (iMLF neurons); iMLF neurons show EPSPs after stimulation of the ipsilateral PFTG. Most iMLF neurons have large ellipsoid-polygonal somata (mean, 60.2 microns), thick axons (average diameter, 3.00 microns), mostly non-spiny dendrites and dendritic fields that are only slightly flattened in the anteroposterior direction. As with cMLF neurons, no iMLF neurons with axon collaterals in the BFTG are present in the data of this study. The third pathway arises from neurons that send axons directly into the ipsilateral caudal bulbar reticular formation (iBRF neurons). Most iBRF neurons have smaller ellipsoid-polygonal somata (mean, 38.6 microns), thinner axons (average diameter, 1.84 microns), mostly nonspiny dendrites, and dendritic fields that are flattened in the anteroposterior direction. In contrast to cMLF and iMLF neurons, axon collaterals are present in 73% of iBRF neurons. About half of iBRF neurons have bifurcated axon collaterals with both anterior and posterior projections, and in these neurons antidromic spike potentials are elicited by stimulation of the ipsilateral PFTG.
Planning A Tragedy: The Americanization of the War in Vietnam

"A thoroughly researched and highly perceptive study of the decisions that turned the tribal struggle in Vietnam into an American war. Berman's book fully documents the role of domestic policy in our tragic involvement. As one who watched the process at firsthand. I commend Professor Berman's book for its fairness and insight."- George W. Ball
Generational Differences Impact On Leadership Style And Organizational Success

Many factors can affect organizational success. One factor that is important to organizational success is effective leadership. Research has shown there are differences in leadership style among generations. A cohort- group whose length approximates the span of life and boundaries and fixed by peer personality defines a generation. The purpose of this paper is to review the current leadership styles and generational differences literature. The paper examines whether there is a relationship between leadership style and generational cohort and its potential impact on organizational success. Structured interviews were conducted with individuals representing each generation. Five open-ended questions were asked to participants to determine the generation they identified. In addition, participants used a 1-10 ranking scale to identify preferred characteristics in admired leaders. The interviews demonstrated there are difference and similarities among the generations. Veterans and Generation Xers view honesty as important core values. Both express the need for communication in bridging the communication gap. Differences related to Baby Boomer belief in self-commitment and Veterans recognizing the importance with surrounding yourself with others. The author recommends researchers continue to examine, using an empirical method, generational differences and leadership styles to understand its affect on organizational success.
Lysis of certain organisms by the synergistic action of complement and lysozyme.

A study was made to determine the effect of lysozyme on certain oral organisms after exposure to guinea pig complement (C'). No effect was observed on gram-positive streptococci or strains of Actinomyces whether pretreated with C' or not. Strains of Veillonella, a gram-negative organism, were partially lysed by the synergistic action of C' and lysozyme. This reaction is described in detail.
Development of the diencephalon in the rat. V. Thymidine-radiographic observations on internuclear and intranuclear gradients in the thalmus

Groups of pregnant rats were injected with two successive daily doses of 3H-thymidine from gestational days 13 and 14 (E13+14) until the day before birth (E21+22). Internuclear and intranuclear cytogenetic gra- dients were examined in radiograms of the thalamus sectioned in the coronal, sagittal and horizontal planes. There was a precise and segregated lateral-to- medial gradient between and within the habenular nuclei. In the ventral thala- mus the reticular nucleus had a lateral-to-medial gradient, the subthalamic nu- cleus a laterodorsal-to-medioventral gradient. There was a caudal-to-rostra1 gradient between the medial geniculate and dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei, and between the pars posterior and pars anterior of the lateral nucleus. A clear intranuclear gradient could not be detected in the sensory relay nuclei with the exception of the medial geniculate nucleus. A lateral-to-medial internuclear gradient was seen between the relay nuclei and the intralaminar nuclei, and between the latter and some of the midline nuclei. On the basis of a consideration of the time of origin and time span of produc- tion of neurons of various thalamic nuclei, and taking into account some of the recognizable internuclear and intranuclear gradients, the thalamus was di- vided into five principal cytogenetic components: the epithalamus, the ventral thalamus, the dorsal thalamus, the medial thalamus, and the posterior thala- mus. The epithalamic nuclei form over a protracted period resembling the nu- clei of the hypothalamus. The nuclei of the ventral thalamus are generated ear- ly and over a relatively long period. The dorsal thalamus consists of the relay nuclei and the intralaminar nuclei; they form rapidly and ahead of the medial thalamus. The medial thalamus was subdivided into the earlier-forming antero- medial nuclei and the latest-forming midline nuclei. The posterior thalamus was not examined in detail. In the preceding paper of this series (Alt- man and Bayer, '79a) we determined quanti- tatively the time of origin of neurons in the nuclei of the epithalamus, thalamus, and ven- tral thalamus of the albino rat. The data were also used to assess cytogenetic gradients across the thalamus and for the construction of isochronic maps. In this paper we are eval- uating qualitatively additional autoradio- graphic materials in an attempt to obtain fur- ther information about intranuclear as well as internuclear gradients in the region of the thalamus. Our purpose is two-fold: (1) to use the intra- and internuclear gradients as "di- rectional arrows" that might reveal the gen-