cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antigen processing and presentation by dendritic cells: cell biological mechanisms.

Dendritic cells (Dcs) are now widely understood to be perhaps the most efficient and critical of all antigen presenting cells. They are primarily responsible for acting as sentinels that detect and internalize foreign antigen in peripheral tissues and then conveying the antigen to lymphoid organs for presentation to T cells. Although B cells also exhibit an exquisite capacity for antigen presentation, they efficiently present only the single antigen recognized by the B cell receptor. DCs, on the other hand, can present a seemingly limitless array of complex protein, carbohydrate, and lipid antigens, and do so even if provided with only minute quantities. Moreover, DCs have a marked capacity to stimulate even immunologically naive T cells, and as such are increasingly thought to play a unique role in the initiation of all antigen-specific immune responses [1].
Mary Tighe and Literary History: The Making of a Critical Reputation

This essay offers a survey of critical (and uncritical) responses to Mary Tighe from the initial private printing of her epic poem Psyche; or, the Legend of Love in 1805 to the present. It opens with a brief discussion of the problematic status of Tighe’s literary papers, reviews the curious fame she experienced before her death in 1810, and then provides a detailed analysis of her literary reception in the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century after the 1811 publication of Psyche, with Other Poems. In addition to its extensive overview of the published scholarship that has shaped Tighe’s critical reputation, the essay also attends to the less prominent readers (or fans) who played a significant role in keeping what Thomas Moore once called Tighe’s ‘quiet fame’ alive.
Residual Thymidine Incorporation in the Presence of Chloramphenicol in Synchronous Cultures of Escherichia coli B/r

Escherichia coli B/r ATCC 12407 which grew synchronously with interdivision times of 45 and 85 min were exposed at intervals to chloramphenicol (200 mug/ml) and [(14)C]thymidine for short or long (residual) periods. The results suggested that the pattern of residual thymidine incorporation in 85-min cells yielded an estimate of the length of the D period rather than the time of initiation of chromosome replication.
Prisoners and Autonomy: Implications for the Informed Consent Process with Vulnerable Populations

This article uses certain essential characteristics of the principle of autonomy to explore the issue of prisoners' rights to decision-making and action in general, and research participation in particular. Exploring the moral principle of autonomy and its importance in furthering human rights will inform nurses who are conducting research with prisoners or other vulnerable populations.
Muscimol inhibition of medullary raphé neurons decreases the CO2 response and alters sleep in newborn piglets.

Abstract Medullary raphe neurons are chemosensitive in vitro (Wang et al., J. Physiol. Lond. 511 (1998)), are involved in the ventilatory response to CO 2 in vivo (Dreshaj et al., Respir. Physiol. 111 (1998); Nattie and Li, J. Appl. Physiol. 90 (2001)), and are abnormal in many Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) victims (Panigrahy et al., J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 59 (2000)). In this study we determine whether the ventilatory response to CO 2 is altered when medullary raphe neuronal function is focally and reversibly inhibited in chronically instrumented newborn piglets. Ventilation was measured by whole body plethysmography in room air and in 5% CO 2 before and during microdialysis of muscimol, a γ-amino butyric acid (GABA A ) receptor agonist, into the medullary raphe. Muscimol (10 mM in the dialysate), had no effect on eupneic ventilation, but reduced significantly the CO 2 response by 17% during wakefulness. Sleep cycling was also disrupted, as characterized by a significant increase in the percentage of time spent awake and a significant decrease in the percentage of time spent in NREM sleep. Disturbances of medullary raphe function can alter central chemoreception and normal sleep architecture, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of SIDS.
Different splice site utilization generates diversity between the rat and human pancreatic polypeptide precursors.

Abstract Pancreatic polypeptide is derived from a polyprotein precursor molecule. Although the amino acid sequences specifying the signal peptide and pancreatic polypeptide are well conserved between the rat and the human, the carboxy-terminal amino acid sequences of the precursors are highly divergent. To better understand the molecular basis of the divergence between the rat and human C-terminal peptides, we have determined the nucleotide sequence of the rat pancreatic polypeptide gene. A comparison between the primary structures of the rat and human genes reveals that the heterogeneity of the C-terminal peptides can be explained in large part by a frameshift mutation and the utilization of an alternative splice donor site in the third exon of the rat gene. As a consequence of the displaced splice site, part of the third exon of the rat gene is homologous to the sequence in the third intron of the human gene. Our results suggest that the rat and human pancreatic polypeptide genes arose from a common ancestral gene, and that differences in the C-terminal domains of the precursor reflect less strict evolutionary constraints than those imposed upon the amino-terminal domains of the precursor.
Genotype-Environment Interaction in Sire Evaluation

Abstract Relative transmitting abilities of dairy sires for milk yield were estimated for models with: 1) no interaction, 2) interaction of sire by herd, and 3) interaction of sire by ideal weight for breeding heifers. There was a reduction in range of relative transmitting abilities when interaction was included in the model. High correlation coefficients between estimated relative transmitting abilities from models including or ignoring interaction, however, suggested only minor reranking of sires.
Abstract P4-13-01: Racial Disparities in the Incidence of Dose-limiting Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Objective: To determine the incidence of and risk factors for dose-limiting chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in non-metastatic breast cancer. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 488 women with an adjuvant or neoadjuvant treatment plan with docetaxel or paclitaxel from June 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011. Exclusion criteria were: metastatic disease, previous neurotoxic chemotherapy, pre-existing neuropathy, pregnant or within 3 months post-partum, and prosthetic limb. The primary outcome was dose-limiting CIPN, defined as a treatment modification event (dose delay, dose reduction, or treatment discontinuation) attributed to CIPN. The primary risk factor of interest was obesity (BMI≥30). Covariates included race, age, menopausal status, diabetes, and other comorbidities, node status, tumor size, regimen, and oncologist. With 80% power and 0.05 type I error rate, the study could detect a risk ratio of 1.8 in the obese versus non-obese. Results: Fifty (10.2%) women had a treatment modification event attributed to CIPN (TM-CIPN). TM-CIPN incidence differed significantly by agent (docetaxel = 2.4% (N = 5/209), paclitaxel=16.1% (N = 45/279); p Conclusion: Obese and non-obese women have a comparable likelihood of having their treatment modified due to CIPN. Women of racial minorities had over 2-to 4-fold increased odds of TM-CIPN compared to white women. Investigations addressing the mechanistic explanations for this association are warranted. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-13-01.
Neurotrophic actions of dopamine on the development of a serotonergic feeding circuit in Drosophila melanogaster

Background In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, serotonin functions both as a neurotransmitter to regulate larval feeding, and in the development of the stomatogastric feeding circuit. There is an inverse relationship between neuronal serotonin levels during late embryogenesis and the complexity of the serotonergic fibers projecting from the larval brain to the foregut, which correlate with perturbations in feeding, the functional output of the circuit. Dopamine does not modulate larval feeding, and dopaminergic fibers do not innervate the larval foregut. Since dopamine can function in central nervous system development, separate from its role as a neurotransmitter, the role of neuronal dopamine was assessed on the development, and mature function, of the 5-HT larval feeding circuit.
A wrinkle in flight: the role of elastin fibres in the mechanical behaviour of bat wing membranes

Bats fly using a thin wing membrane composed of compliant, anisotropic skin. Wing membrane skin deforms dramatically as bats fly, and its three-dimensional configurations depend, in large part, on the mechanical behaviour of the tissue. Large, macroscopic elastin fibres are an unusual mechanical element found in the skin of bat wings. We characterize the fibre orientation and demonstrate that elastin fibres are responsible for the distinctive wrinkles in the surrounding membrane matrix. Uniaxial mechanical testing of the wing membrane, both parallel and perpendicular to elastin fibres, is used to distinguish the contribution of elastin and the surrounding matrix to the overall membrane mechanical behaviour. We find that the matrix is isotropic within the plane of the membrane and responsible for bearing load at high stress; elastin fibres are responsible for membrane anisotropy and only contribute substantially to load bearing at very low stress. The architecture of elastin fibres provides the extreme extensibility and self-folding/self-packing of the wing membrane skin. We relate these findings to flight with membrane wings and discuss the aeromechanical significance of elastin fibre pre-stress, membrane excess length, and how these parameters may aid bats in resisting gusts and preventing membrane flutter.
Possible New Reaction Mechanisms of Dideoxynucleosides as Anti-Aids Drugs:

Evidence is presented that a major class of drugs, the dideoxynucleosides (ddNs) and nucleoside/nucleotide analogues, may inhibit the symptoms of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) by initia...
Sensitization of verbal response-dispositions by n affiliation and n achievement

According to S-R mediation theory, presence of a motivation increases the emission probability of words associated with that motivation. A technique was developed for determining Motivation-Word Association (MWA) scores through use of the semantic differential. Mean MWA scores based on Ss' word usages were correlated with measurements of n Affiliation and n Achievement motivation based on imagery analysis of TAT stories. As predicted, there were positive correlations with n Affiliation and n Achievement. A performance variable was employed to measure n achievement in a subsample of Ss. Mean MWA scores also correlated positively with the performance measure. This correlation was larger than the correlation between imagery measurements of n Achievement and the performance variable, suggesting that in analyses of verbal materials MWA scores provide a more sensitive assessment of motivation than scores based on imagery analysis.
Examination of subnatural spectroscopy using optical pumping.

Recent experiments have shown that optical pumping can produce line shapes with subnatural structure, and that this structure could prove to be useful for extracting oscillator strengths. A key question, however, regarding the optical-pumping technique's potential usefulness is how well it allows the determination of resonance line center. In the present paper we address this question theoretically by considering laser optical pumping and probing of an atomic beam. From the analysis (i) we find that depending on laser polarization the optical-pumping subnatural feature is either a dip or a signal enhancement, (ii) we derive the rigorously correct formula relating the dip width to the transition oscillator strength for an alkali-like atom exhibiting a homogeneous line shape, and (iii) we show that, compared to shot-noise-limited laser-induced fluorescence, the optical-pumping technique of signal enhancement is capable of a 15% improvement in the ability to find resonance line center.
Primary malignant melanoma of the lip

Melanoma of the lip is a very rare clinical entity. As such, no large studies are available to help in diagnosis and treatment. We report our results on 11 patients with lip melanoma. Patients with lip melanoma should be approached in a similar fashion to patients with other cutaneous melanomas.
Developmental Changes in the Response Types Versus Aggression Categories on the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study, Children's Form

To examine the developmental changes on the Children's Form of the Picture-Frustration (P-F) Study, the instrument was administered to 291 children between the ages of 6 and 13, from two schools. Developmental changes in the 11 response types were compared with changes in the six aggression category scores, which were combinations of the 11 response types. In contrast to the findings for the aggression categories, changes in the response types were consistent with developmental research on children's aggression. The findings supported the validity of the P-F Study as a measure of children's thought content in response to frustration and supported previous research indicating that the response types may be more meaningful data from the instrument than from the aggression category scores.
Phylogenetic analyses of Aleurodiscus s.l. and allied genera

The limits and possible subdivision of Aleurodiscus s.I. into Acanthobasidium, Acanthofun- gus, Acanthophysellum, Aleurobotrys, Aleurocystidiel- lum, Aleurodiscus s.s., and Gloeosoma were evaluated. Molecular characters were obtained from an approx- imately 980 base pair fragment at the 5' end of the nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA, in 33 strains representing 23 species of Aleurodiscus s.l., Stereum, Xylobolus, and Megalocystidium leucoxanthum. Pub- lished sequences of 20 additional species of the rus- suloid clade were also included. Phylogenetic analy- ses suggest that Aleurodiscus s.l., Megalocystidium leu- coxanthum, Stereum and Xylobolus form a monophy- letic group, which may be classified as the family Stereaceae. Corticium roseum, which is the type spe- cies of the Corticiaceae, is not in this group, thus Stereaceae is not synonymous with Corticiaceae. Aleu- rocystidiellum is supported as a monophyletic group. Acanthobasidium, which is characterized by pleuro- basidia, is also monophyletic. Aleurodiscus s.s. is sup- ported as monophyletic, but Gloeosoma is not, and the two are not congeneric. The importance of am- yloid acanthophyses for recognizing Aleurobotrys is suspect, and its generic status should be further stud- ied. Most of the smooth-spored species form a mono-
Application of factorial design to SMC viscosity build-up

The thickening behavior of SMC varies with formulation and operating conditions. During the SMC compounding process, alkaline oxides such as MgO, Mg(OH)2, CaO, Ca(OH)2 are added to the formulation to yield the viscosity build-up from a flowable paste to a semi-solid sheet. The thickening curve of SMC can be divided into three stages: 1. The initial thickening period for the wetting process, 2. The middle thickening rate period for viscosity increasing, 3. The final viscosity period for the molding process. By means of factorial design with an appropriate objective set-up, one is able to define the influence of each factor on thickening curves. Combined with the experimental work on some individual factors, the maturation control system can be further understood and the proper thickening rates can be obtained.
Training course/program evaluation: principles and practice

The results of an evaluation provide the means for decision‐making about whether a course or program accomplished what it was designed and developed to accomplish. A three‐part evaluation schema provides a framework for describing a methodology that facilitates such determinations. Details on how to develop and use trainee reaction forms and opinionnaires are provided along with examples. The use of questionnaires and interview schedules for follow‐up evaluation is discussed and guidelines as well as examples are included. Information on evaluation strategies, including the use of pre‐ and post‐tests, and treatment and control groups, is followed by advice on the analysis and interpretation of data. Provides details on formulating recommendations, developing a plan of action to correct deficiencies, and reporting evaluation results.
Geochemical Aspects of Radioactive Waste Disposal

The author's stated purpose in writing this book is to summarize the large number of government-sponsored research reports on the geochemical aspects of high-level nuclear waste isolation. Although this book has a 1984 publication date, the majority of the cited documents were published before 1982. Unfortunately, passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982 and its signing into law by President Reagan (January 1983) [U.S. Congress, 1983] has significantly altered the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (CRWM) Program. Therefore this book does not accurately reflect the present U.S. program in geologic disposal of high-level nuclear waste. For example, chapter 2, “Radioactive Waste Management,” is almost 3 years out of date in a field that is changing rapidly (see U.S. DOE [1984a] for the current status of the CRWM Program). Additionally, the source material, which forms the input for this book, is chiefly grey literature, i.e., the referenced documents may or may not have undergone peer review and therefore do not represent the technical judgment of the scientific community. Also, this book only presents a selective sampling of information because the literature cited does not include a representative selection of the widespread available literature on this topic.
The universe at faint magnitudes. I - Models for the galaxy and the predicted star counts

A detailed model is constructed for the disk and spheroid components of the Galaxy from which the distribution of visible stars and mass in the Galaxy is calculated. The application of star counts to the determination of galactic structure parameters is demonstrated. The possibility of detecting a halo component with the aid of star counts is also investigated quantitatively.
Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia: Relationship Between Cyst Size and Response to Treatment

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is a common cause of death in patients with AIDS. Diagnosis is based on cytological examination of smears prepared from induced sputum samples and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens which have been stained with methenamine silver. We have examined 46 BAL/induced sputum specimens from patients who had clinical symptoms and signs suggestive of P. carinii pneumonia and measured the diameter of a minimum 100 cysts in each specimen. We found that cyst size correlated with response to treatment with co-trimoxazole. This observation has implications for the therapeutic management of patients with this infection. La pneumopathie aPneumocystis carinii est une cause de deces frequente chez les patients atteints d'un syndrome d'immunodeficience acquise (SIDA). Le diagnostic est base sur l'examen cytologique des frottis prepares a partir du produit d'expectoration provoquee ou du liquide de lavage bronchoalveolaire (LBA), apres coloration de Grocott. Le diametre d'au moins 100 kystes par echantillon a ete mesure dans 46 prelevements de LBA/expectoration provoquee de patients presentant des signes cliniques suggerant une pneumopathie aPneumocystis carinii. Nous avons constate que le diametre des kystes est correle avec la reponse au traitment par co-trimoxazole, Cette observation a des implications sur la conduite du traitement des patients porteurs de cette infection. PCP ist eine haufige Todesursache bei HIV-Patienten. Die diagnose beruht auf dem cytologischen Nachweis in induzierten Sputumausstrichen oder bronchio-lo-alveolaren Lavagen mit der Grokott-Farbung. In 46 positiven Fallen wurde der Durchmesser von mindestens 100 Cysten in jeder Probe gemessen und eine Korrelation zum Behandlungserfolg mit Co-Trimoxazol nachgewiesen.
Manifest Needs among Rotc and Non-Rotc Undergraduates

Summary.-Manifest needs of ROTC and non-ROTC undergraduates were studied utilizing the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS). It was hypothesized that the ROTC undergraduates would be higher than non-ROTC undergraduates on Order and lower on Autonomy and Aggression. The EPPS was administered to 20 ROTC undergraduates and to a randomly selected sample of 20 male undergraduates at St. John's University in New York City. None of the hypothesized differences in manifest needs were found, but the ROTC undergraduates were significantly lower on Inuaception and significantly higher on Heterosexuality than the non-ROTC undergraduates. There has been a significant shift in contemporary undergraduates' attitudes toward the military establishment. Indeed, one focus of the student protest movement on many campuses has been the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). Despite the important role the ROTC has played in campus life and in the development of an officer corps, there seems to have been little exploration of either the characteristics or the motivations of undergraduates who participate in ROTC. French (1958) administered the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) to 215 Air Force enlisted trainees during the seventh week of their training at Lackland Air Force Base. When their scores were compared with the EPPS norms, the Air Force trainees were significantly above the norms for Deference, Order, Abasement, and Endurance and significantly below the norms for Exhibitionism, Autonomy, Aggression, and Heterosexuality. French interpreted these differences in manifest needs as reflecting the demands of military training. However, she also suggested that the enlisted men may have merely responded as they thought they should. The present study sought to ascertain whether ROTC participants differed from other male undergraduates in the expression of manifest needs as indexed by the EPPS. Their voluntary participation in a military training program suggested that the ROTC undergraduates would be higher than non-ROTC undergraduates on Order and lower on Autonomy and Aggression. While French found the Air Force trainees to be lower on Heterosexuality than the normative sample, the coeducational nature of the university led to the prediction that ROTC and non-ROTC undergraduate males would not differ in the expression of this need.
Continuity in the Treatment of Carotid Artery Disease: Results of a Carotid Stenting Program Initiated by Vascular Surgeons

The treatment of carotid artery stenosis currently constitutes a major component of vascular surgical practice. Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS), however, is mainly performed by nonvascular surgeon interventionalists with cerebral protection devices available only through investigational protocols. This study reports the initial results of a CAS program initiated and performed by vascular surgeons using commercially available cerebral protection devices. Fifty-seven patients were enrolled in the study over a 14-month period. All patients were at high risk for conventional endarterectomy (7 resentosis, 4 irradiation, and 46 medically high-risk ASA III). Mean age was 75.7 years (range, 45-93 years). High-grade stenosis of the carotid artery was present in all cases (mean stenosis, 85%; range, 80-99%). Twenty-four percent of patients were symptomatic. Cerebral protection was performed with an occlusion balloon-wire in 32 cases and with a filter-wire device in 24; no cerebral protection was used in 1 patient with restenosis after endarterectomy. Initially in the study, atropine was administered selectively for the development of bradycardia. Currently atropine is administered routinely prior to the initial balloon angioplasty of the carotid bulb. Clopidogrel (75 mg/day) was administered for 5 days prior to CAS and for 30 days after CAS. All 57 patients underwent successful dilatation of their carotid stenoses without occlusion or dissection. Ten of 32 patients in whom balloon occlusion was used for cerebral protection exhibited transient evidence of cerebral ischemia during protection balloon occlusion. These symptoms resolved completely without permanent neurological deficit in all cases. Development of bradycardia with a heart rate <50 bpm was significantly reduced by routine administration of atropine prior to the initial dilatation within the carotid bulb (p = 0.01). Mean hospital length of stay was 1.33 days (range, 1-5 days). There were two periprocedure myocardial infarctions, two postprocedure transient ischemic attacks, and one reversible ischemic neurologic deficit. There was no 30-day mortality. There have been no instances of hemodynamically significant restenosis during a mean follow-up period of 5.4 months. From these results we have concluded that CAS can be performed effectively and safely using commercially available cerebral protection devices. A program initiated and performed exclusively by vascular surgeons is effective and should be the standard model used in the endovascular treatment of carotid artery stenosis.
Zebrafish: tools for investigating cellular differentiation

Two recent large-scale genetic screens in zebrafish have identified many mutations that affect differentiation in a variety of organ systems, particularly the notochord, the neural crest and the blood. The combination of these newly identified mutations and well established embryological methods makes zebrafish uniquely suited among vertebrate experimental systems to simultaneously address the roles of specific genes and specific cell-cell interactions during differentiation.
Potential role of selection bias in the association between childhood leukemia and residential magnetic fields exposure: a population-based assessment.

Abstract Purpose Data from the Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study (NCCLS) were used to assess whether selection bias may explain the association between residential magnetic fields (assessed by wire codes) and childhood leukemia as previously observed in case–control studies. Methods Wiring codes were calculated for participating cases, n =310; and non-participating cases, n =66; as well as for three control groups: first-choice participating, n =174; first-choice non-participating, n =252; and replacement (non-first choice participating controls), n =220. Results Participating controls tended to be of higher socioeconomic status than non-participating controls, and lower socioeconomic status was related to higher wire-codes. The odds ratio (OR) for developing childhood leukemia associated with high wire-codes was 1.18 (95% CI: 0.85, 1.64) when all cases were compared to all first-choice controls (participating and non-participating). The OR for developing childhood leukemia in the high current category was 1.43 (95% CI: 0.91, 2.26) when participating cases were compared to first-choice participating controls, but no associations were observed when participating cases were compared to non-participating controls (OR=1.06, 95% CI: 0.71, 1.57) or to replacement controls (OR=1.06, 95% CI: 0.71, 1.60). Conclusions The observed risk estimates vary by type of control group, and no statistically significant association between wire codes and childhood leukemia is observed in the California population participating in the NCCLS.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease: An Evidence-Based Review

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) plays a significant role in many aspects of healthcare worldwide, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). This review describes some of the challenges of CAM in terms of scientific research. Biologically-based therapies, mind-body therapies, manipulative and body-based therapies, whole medical systems, and energy medicine are reviewed in detail with regard to cardiovascular risk factors and mediation or modulation of cardiovascular disease pathogenesis. CAM use among patients with CVD is prevalent and in many instances provides positive and significant effects, with biologically-based and mind-body therapies being the most commonly used treatment modalities. More rigorous research to determine the precise physiologic effects and long-term benefits on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality with CAM usage, as well as more open lines of communication between patients and physicians regarding CAM use, is essential when determining optimal treatment plans.
Cryptosporidium and Isospora belli Infections

Note from Dr. Merle A. Sande ? Diarrhea is one of the most common and most exasperating conditions complicating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Two relatively newly recognized protozoa, Cryptosporidium sp. and Isospora belli, have emerged as common pathogens in HIV-infected patients; to date, Cryptosporidia! infections have been especially resistant to treatment. Drs. Rosemary Soave and Warren D. Johnson have both made significant contributions to our understanding of infections caused by these pathogens. In this AIDS Commentary they approach the diseases from the clinician's perspective by describing clinical presentations, differential diagnoses, diagnostic tests, and what, if anything, can be done to treat them.
Extending integrated pest management to the golden apple snail: examining a community centre approach in northeast Thailand

Although research has been carried out on effective ways of managing the golden apple snail (GAS), little research has examined how to best extend these practices to farmers. This paper offers recommendations for successful extension strategies of GAS management, based on an investigation of a community centre in northeast Thailand. Data from 107 interviews with farmers, government officers and shop owners were analyzed statistically in order to measure effects of the centre on farmers' pest management practices. Relative to the control group, farmers in the centre achieved similar rice yields using less chemical pesticides and more non-chemical control methods. These management practices were successfully passed on to non-members in the same village. In addition, the control group relied significantly more on agrochemical shops for pest management knowledge, resulting in higher chemical use. These findings suggest that Thai community centres are successful extension programmes. Thus, the government might...
Extended thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparins after hospital discharge in high-risk surgical and medical patients: a review.

Abstract Background: Prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism (VTE) is routinely administered during the hospital stay in at-risk surgical and medical patients. However, in high-risk groups, the risk of deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism may persist for several weeks after discharge. The standard duration of thromboprophylaxis (6–14 days) may not provide adequate protection against such events. Objective: This article reviews published data on the efficacy and safety profile of extended-duration thromboprophylaxis in patients at high risk for VTE, the potential cost-effectiveness of such treatment, and practical aspects of ensuring an effective transition from the inpatient to the outpatient setting. Methods: MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched through January 2009 for relevant English-language reports of clinical trials, abstracts, and case reports. The search terms included, but were not limited to, venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism, anticoagulation, thromboprophylaxis, prolonged duration , and extended duration . The reference lists of the identified articles were reviewed for additional relevant publications. Congress Web sites were also consulted. The principal criteria for inclusion of a study were that it have a prospective, randomized design and include a control group. Case series and retrospective analyses were excluded. Results: Studies have found that extended-duration thromboprophylaxis (28–45 days) with low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) can reduce the risk of VTE in high-risk patients. In separate meta-analyses, extended-duration thromboprophylaxis with LMWH was associated with significant reductions in the likelihood of symptomatic VTE compared with standard-duration thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery (odds ratio [OR] = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.24–0.61) or major abdominal or pelvic surgery (Peto OR=0.22; 95% CI, 0.06–0.80). There was large heterogeneity in the reported rates of major and minor bleeding. The occurrence of clinically relevant bleeding events was generally low ( Conclusions: In high-risk surgical and medical patients, the risk of VTE may extend beyond the period of hospitalization. Such patients may benefit from extended-duration thromboprophylaxis to reduce the risk of late VTE events. LMWHs were efficacious, were associated with low rates of clinically relevant bleeding complications, and were cost-effective in patients at high risk for VTE.
Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Organizational Diagnosis: Possible Priming Effects?

This study reviews considerations for integrating closed-ended items and open-ended questions in a single survey instrument, focusing on contextual effects as a potential pitfall in organizational ...
The Impact of Noneconomic Damages Cap on Health Care Delivery in Hospitals

Previous literature focused on narrowly defined treatments reached conflicting conclusions about the association between tort reforms and treatment intensity. Using county-level panel data, I evaluate the impact of noneconomic damages caps on broadly defined measures of health care delivery in hospitals. Caps adoption leads to a 3.5% decrease in surgeries, a 2.5% decrease in admissions, a 4.5% decrease in outpatient visits but has no significant effect on emergency care. These results are not driven by spillovers across state borders or by improvements in health and are accompanied by an increase in mortality from complications of medical and surgical care. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.
Looking back at SFAS no. 90: how it affected nuclear electric utilities

Abstract In 1986, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 90 : Regulated Enterprises—Accounting for Abandonments and Disallowances of Plant Costs (hereafter SFAS No. 90). SFAS No. 90 required many public utilities, particularly those with nuclear generating plants recently completed or still under construction, to record substantial write-offs. Prior to the enactment of this standard by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, public utilities were predicting financial and economic disaster for the industry. In this paper we examine the monetary and economic effects of SFAS No. 90 and find that, although the financial effects certainly can be documented, the dire economic effects predicted by the utility industry did not appear to transpire. In addition, it is difficult to trace the effects that did parallel the development and passage of the standard directly to the standard itself.
Quartiles of peak troponin are associated with long-term risk of death in type 1 and STEMI, but not in type 2 or NSTEMI patients.

Methods: We studied 345 consecutive patients with AMI with mean follow-up of 30.6 months according to quartiles of peak cTn level (QPTL) and the type of AMI. The study outcomes were the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; composite of all causes of mortality and recurrent AMI) and the individual components of MACE. Results: The study included patients with AMI Type 1 (n = 276), type 2 (n = 54), ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI; n = 159), and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI; n = 186). Overall, peak cTn level was an independent predictor of MACE (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.001, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.000–1.003, P = 0.01) and death (HR: 1.002, 95% CI: 1.001–1.004, P = 0.003), but not of recurrent AMI. The highest risk of MACE and death was in the highest QPTL (61.6%, P = .016 and 66.3%, P = 0.021, respectively) while the highest risk of recurrent AMI was in the lowest QPTL (83.7%, P = 0.04). Quartiles of peak cTn level were significantly associated with increased risk of MACE and death in patients with Type 1 (all P = 0.01) and STEMI (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively), but no association existed in type 2 or NSTEMI patients. Conclusions: Overall, peak cTn predicts the risk of MACE and death but not the risk of AMI. While in Type 1 and STEMI patients, QPTL are associated with risk of MACE and death, no association exists in type 2 or NSTEMI patients.
A cryomicroscope using directional solidification for the controlled freezing of biological material

Abstract A new cryomicroscope stage was designed in which large samples of biological materials can be frozen in a predetermined direction with a constant controlled cooling rate. The concept of this new system as well as the details of the cryomicroscope are presented. Directional solidification of physiological saline and saline suspensions of erythrocytes at constant rates verified the successful operation of the cryomicroscope at constant cooling rates. Experimental results show that the freezing pattern in physiological saline and saline suspensions of erythrocytes are identical.
Release of monoiodotyrosine and iodoprotein from human leukocytes.

ABSTRACT One of the several iodinated compounds released from human phagocytic neutrophils was identified as free monoiodotyrosine (MIT); it amounts to approximately 15% of the total iodocompounds released after 20–60 min of incubation. Approximately 30% of the iodocompounds formed and released de novo were found at the position of thyroxine and at the front region on the chromatogram. These compounds were not positively identified. Another 50% is represented by iodoprotein(s) which yield mainly MIT and DIT after pronase hydrolysis. The time study on the formation and release of iodocompounds from phagocytic neutrophils showed that under the experimental in vitro conditions the uptake of radioiodine peaks after 40 min of incubation; however, the release of iodocompounds and iodoprotein(s) rises progressively with time.
The influence of Myrmica queen head extracts on larval growth

Abstract The heads of fertile Myrmica rubra queens have been extracted for lipids, fractionated into sterols, hydrocarbons, sterol esters, triglycerides, diglycerides, monoglycerides, and free fatty acids. All but the sterols (mainly cholesterol) were tested for effects on larval growth and it was found that the free fatty acids depressed growth rate and reduced survival. No other fractions were effective. In this respect the extracts only simulated one of the several known queens' actions. A direct action of the extract through the larval skin was proved. The free fatty acids were analysed and their mean relative compositions listed. The saturated/unsaturated ratio is 0·45 and C18 compounds together comprise about 72 per cent of the total. Oleic acid represents about 50 per cent of the total free fatty acids. Both 9-oxodec-2-enoic acid and 9 hydroxy-dec-2-enoic acid, important in the honey-bee, are absent from Myrmica queens.
Late Cardiac Effects of Doxorubicin Therapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Childhood

Abstract Background. Cardiotoxicity is a recognized complication of doxorubicin therapy, but the long-term effects of doxorubicin are not well documented. We therefore assessed the cardiac status of 115 children who had been treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia with doxorubicin 1 to 15 years earlier in whom the disease was in continuous remission. Methods. Eighteen patients received one dose of doxorubicin (45 mg per square meter of body-surface area), and 97 received multiple doses totaling 228 to 550 mg per square meter (median, 360). The median interval between the end of treatment and the cardiac evaluation was 6.4 years. Our evaluation consisted of a history, 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic recording, exercise testing, and echocardiography. Results. Fifty-seven percent of the patients had abnormalities of left ventricular afterload (measured as end-systolic wall stress) or contractility (measured as the stress—velocity index). The cumulative dose of doxorubicin was the most significant pr...
Hyperspectral pixels in 2D imaging FPAs

Dualband infrared focal plane arrays (FPA), developed for multi-spectral imaging applications, have advantages over conventional multi-FPA sensor configurations in compactness and band-to-band pixel registration. These FPAs have also enabled hyperspectral applications that employ gratings used in two orders, allowing high efficiency hyperspectral imaging over very broad wavelength regions. As time progresses, multi-waveband FPAs are expected to provide an increase in spectral information at the pixel level without the need for external, dispersive optical elements. A variation on this approach, described here, uses detector material of fixed composition, with waveband sensitivity achieved as a function of depth, made possible by the spectral dependence of the absorption coefficient. An increase in the number of wavebands provides hyperspectral capability at the pixel level, hereafter denoted hyperspectral pixel. This technology may someday become possible through advanced detector array architectures, with photons of different wavelength continuously absorbed at different depths, and their resulting photocurrents isolated with a vertical grid of contacts or an equivalent mechanism for transporting depth-dependent signal photocurrent to a read-out circuit unit cell.
Modeling and optimal control of congested transportation systems

An approach is discussed for the modeling of congested transportation systems as store-and-forward networks analogous to communication networks of this type but with a finite travel time between nodes. A variety of approaches is suggested, and illustrated by examples, for the allocation of the usage of the arcs of the network by various competing units of traffic.
Helix formation in reduced, S-carboxymethylated human choriogonadotropin β subunit and tryptic peptides

The β subunit of human choriogonadotropin (hCGβ) and its asialoderivative were digested with trypsin and then reduced and S-carboxymethylated. A series of peptides were purified which corresponded to residues 1–43, 44–95, 96–114, and 123–145 of the 145 amino acid residue glycoprotein. The two N-linked oligosaccharides were present on the amino terminal peptide, and three of the four O-linked oligosaccharides were present on the carboxy terminal peptide. Circular dichroic spectra between 190–240 nm were obtained on reduced, S-carboxymethylated (RCM) hCGβ and the above peptides, both in aqueous solution and in the helicogenic solvent 80% (vol/vol) trifluoroethanol (TFE). In aqueous solution there was evidence of only limited helicity in the peptides and RCM-hCGβ however, in the presence of TFE, peptides 1–43 and 44–95 exhibited significant helicity, as did the full-length linear chain. The helicity developed in TFE by RCM-hCGβ appears much greater than that which occurs in the native, disulfide-intact form, thus suggesting that the disulfides prevent expression of helicity in regions with α-helix potential. Application of the Chou-Fasman secondary structure predictive algorithm to hCGβ suggested that several regions of helix potential, in particular regions 14–21, 59–69, and perhaps 80–88, may account for much of the helicity observed in peptides 1–43 and 44–95, respectively, in TFE. The region from 96–145 has no significant potential for helicity, consistent with the measured circular dichroic spectra of peptides 96–114 and 123–145. These results demonstrate that helicity can occur in the linear form of hCGβ, and this secondary structure can best be attributed to the amino terminal and the middle portion of the molecule. Several potential regions of β-structure and β-turns were also suggested.
FORCING SQUARE PEGS INTO ROUND HOLES: SOME COMMENTS ON “AN ANALYSIS‐OF‐VARIANCE MODEL FOR THE INTRASUBJECT REPLICATION DESIGN”

This paper critically examines the application of fixed-effect one-way analysis-of-variance procedures to learning data from a single subject. Procedures more appropriate for data obtained from intrasubject replication designs are briefly described.
OCCULT LUNG CARCINOMA PRESENTING WITH DYSPHAGIA THE VALUE OF COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

Abstract Dysphagia is a relatively uncommon presenting symptom of lung carcinoma that usually occurs in association with mediastinal adenopathy. However, a bronchogenic carcinoma will occasionally involve the esophagus by direct invasion. These central lesions can be difficult to visualize on chest radiographs and may not be detected by esophogoscopy or barium swallow. In such cases, a computed tomography scan of the thorax may suggest the correct diagnosis.
Maternal nativity and sleep-related infant injury deaths in New York City.

Abstract Background Half of all births in New York City are to women born outside of the United States whose infant care practices may differ from official recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. These infants have an overall lower infant mortality rate than those of their US-born counterparts. Aims The aims of this study were to examine sleep-related infant injury death, a leading cause of infant mortality, and its risk factors among infants of US-born and foreign-born women in a large, diverse urban area. Study design Data for 344 infant death cases from medical examiner and vital statistics records were analyzed. Rate ratios and 95% CIs, calculated with Poisson regression models, were used to quantify differences in death rates by maternal and infant characteristics. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to examine differences within the sample of sleep-related infant injury deaths. Outcome measures The outcome measures were rate of sleep-related injury death, and behavioral risk factors associated with these deaths: unsafe sleep positioning, bed-sharing, and excess bedding. Results US-born mothers had a sleep-related infant injury death rate that was over three times that of foreign-born mothers, even when controlling for maternal race/ethnicity, education, and age. However, adverse sleep-related practices were not consistently more prevalent among US-born infants in the sample of deaths, even when controlling for those same demographic factors. Conclusions The higher rate of sleep-related infant injury death among infants of US-born mothers may be explained by more complex socio-demographic factors, or factors outside of infant sleep practices.