cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A theory of natural selection incorporating interaction among individuals. III. Use of random groups of inbred individuals.

Abstract The present series of papers attempts to accommodate interaction among individuals in evolutionary theory. The interaction phenomenon is genetically characterized by two dimensions (direct and associate) of gene activity. For optimal selection results, a balance between the two dimensions must occur. In the first paper of the series, it was shown that random interactions resulted in an unbalanced selection response in that the direct, but not associate, effects were included in the expression for gene frequency change. The next three papers of the series (II, III and IV) were designed to determine whether or not selection with life-history models that involved non-random interactions would be useful in ameliorating the problem of selection balance. In the present study, two kinds of non-random gene association are analyzed jointly by restricting interactions to related individuals that are derived from inbred base populations. The analyses are generalized to accommodate heterogeneous as well as homogeneous groups of interacting individuals. The joint contributions of inbreeding and consanguinity to selection response are analysed by use of the nine gene-identity parameters devised by Harris. It is demonstrated that consanguinity alone or in conjunction with inbreeding does improve selection balance. However, inbreeding alone does not. Also, the influence of inbreeding is not dependent on group size, whereas the influence of consanguinity is conditioned by the size of the group. Thus, by introducing associate effects into the selection process, the use of related groups can provide the genetical bases for the evolution of social behavior phenomena such as altruism.
Economic viability of button mushroom cultivation in Himachal Pradesh, India

The study shows that more than one-half of sample mushroom growers had 6 to 7 years of experience and remaining upto 5 years and mostly belonged to middle aged class of 40–60 years with matriculation and graduation level formal education. The business principles like knowledge, training prior adoption of activity, market survey, etc. were given due consideration and one-half of them started enterprise with small scale of 50 or even less number of spawned compost bags each weighing 20 kg with average unit investment of Rs 45, 428. Majority (80%) of them could grow a single crop with average yield of 3.62 kg per spawned compost bag which increased with the size from 3.52 kg on small to 3.64 kg per bag on large units showing low cost of production on large units due to scale economies. The financial test ratios revealed greater economic feasibility and profitability of mushroom cultivation on large units on account of higher investment and better marketing linkages with suppliers by ensuring adequate and assured supply of produce. Inadequate supply of spawned compost bags, quality spawned compost material, lack of remunerative prices and incidence of diseases were reported the major constraints requiring immediate attention of policy makers. For improving productivity, the study recommended the adequate supply of quality spawned compost bags at the doorsteps of growers at appropriate time and reasonable prices in addition to encouraging them to grow at least two crops in a year. Sale of mushroom under co-operative ambit especially by small growers may help them in fetching better price.
Psychosocial Readjustment of Canadian Vietnam Veterans.

A survey study was conducted on the psychosocial readjustment of 164 of the estimated 10,000-40,000 Canadians who served in Vietnam with the U.S. military. Results indicate significantly greater rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared with U.S. Vietnam veterans. Evidence of other psychosocial adjustment problems such as depression, inability to handle frustration and anger, difficulty in getting along with and trusting others, and family and marital problems, as well as poor physical health, was also found. Results suggest these problems are due, in part, to prolonged isolation from other Vietnam veterans, lack of recognition, and no readily available treatment for PTSD in Canada.
Crystal structure of penta-O-acetyl-β-d-galactopyranose with modeling of the conformation of the acetate groups

Abstract The crystal structure of penta-O-acetyl-β- d -galactopyranose was determined with Mo Kα radiation at 150 K to R=0.029. The space group is P212121, and the unit cell dimensions are, a=8.348, b=9.021 and c=25.418 A. The ring has the usual 4C1 shape and O-6 is in the tg position as frequently observed for sugars having the axial galacto configuration at C-4. Conformations of the acetate groups were compared with those from the literature. Nearly eclipsed, ‘Z’ conformations are found for the ester moieties, and the torsion angles for the sequence involving the ring hydrogen, carbon, alkoxy oxygen and carbonyl carbon for both 1 and related compounds are eclipsed-to-gauche. Orientations and conformations of the acetate substituents were modeled with both mm 3 molecular mechanics and various levels of quantum mechanics theory. Higher levels of theory and more complete models provided better prediction of the experimental observations.
Biexcitons in two-dimensional systems with spatially separated electrons and holes

The binding energy and wave functions of two-dimensional indirect biexcitons are studied analytically and numerically. It is proven that stable biexcitons exist only when the distance between electron and hole layers is smaller than a certain critical threshold. Numerical results for the biexciton binding energies are obtained using the stochastic variational method and compared with the analytical asymptotics. The threshold interlayer separation and its uncertainty are estimated. The results are compared with those obtained by other techniques, in particular, the diffusion Monte Carlo method and the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.
Feeding habits of the rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ) of Jaipur and Galta, India

Between September 1987 and May 1988, the time budgets of two groups of rhesus monkeys were investigated. One group inhabited an old Observatory which is now a tourist attraction in the center of Jaipur, India. The other group lived in a hilly forest/temple complex on the outskirts of Jaipur known as Galta. Because it was believed that the monkeys of these two different areas ate different proportions of natural and provisioned food, it was expected that they would have different time budgets. To determine differences in time budgets, a combination of census taking and 10-minute interval scan samples were used to collect comparative data. The analysis of the data revealed that there were differences in the time budgets of the two groups — the Observatory monkeys foraged more, moved less, engaged in fewer aggressive acts, and slept less during the day than the Galta group. These differences are mainly attributed to the 1984–1987 drought, site differences in the variety of natural food resources, and the manner in which the monkeys are provisioned.
Replacement of an Electron Transfer Pathway in Cytochrome c Peroxidase with a Surrogate Peptide

A proposed electron transfer pathway in cytochrome c peroxidase was previously excised from the structure by design. The engineered channel mutant was shown to bind peptide surrogates without restoration of cyt c oxidation. Here, we report the 1.6 A crystal structure of (N-benzimidazole-propionic acid)-Gly-Ala-Ala bound within the engineered channel. The peptide retains many features of the native electron transfer pathway: placement of benzimidazole at the position of the Trp-191 radical, hydrogen bonding to Asp235, and positioning of the C-terminus near the point where wild type CcP makes closest contact to cyt c. The inability of this surrogate pathway to restore function supports proposals that electron transfer requires the Trp-191 radical.
Splay states in networks of identical integrate-and-fire neurons

We develop an analytic framework to investigate the stability of splay states in infinite networks of identical integrate-and-fire neurons coupled through synaptic pulses. More specifically we perform a linear stability analysis of the splay state probability distribution whose dynamics is governed by an appropriate Fokker Planck equation. For exponentially decaying synaptic pulses the splay state is unstable for excitation and stable for inhibition. For excitatory alpha-function pulses the splay state becomes stable for sufficiently large decay times and we find an analytic expression for the boundary of stability. This large decay time stability is analogous to the stability of synchronous states for inhibition studied by van Vreeswijk, Abbott and Ermentrout [1]. For inhibitory alpha-function pulses the splay state is unstable, but for smaller decay times (when there is no stable synchronous state) the splay state exhibits a remarkable attracting meta-stable transient. We complement our analytic framework with numerical simulations on finite networks.
Development of a multiple-drug delivery implant for intraocular management of proliferative vitreoretinopathy

Abstract A prototype multiple-drug delivery implant has been developed for the intraocular management of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Because of the recurrent nature of the disease, PVR causes blindness in ∼7% of patients who have undergone retinal re-attachment surgery. The poly( dl -lactide-co-glycolide) 50/50 (PLGA) implant consists of three cylindrical segments, each of which contains one of the following drugs: 5-fluorouridine (5FUrd, an antimetabolite), triamcinolone (Triam, a corticosteroid), and human recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA, a thrombolytic agent). The device can be inserted through a 20-gauge syringe needle into the vitreous body of the eye. The implant also possesses a PLGA coating over the t-PA-containing terminal segment, which creates a lag-time to deliver t-PA when most needed and to decrease the risk of postoperative bleeding. Two methods of cylinder fabrication were investigated: heat and solvent extrusion. The release behavior of several drugs was examined as a function of the processing variables including: extrusion method, drug loading, polymer molecular weight, and drug particle size. The presence of either the organic solvent (acetone) during processing or a highly water-soluble drug (5FUrd) in the formulation increased the polymer porosity, which in turn, increased the drug release-rate. Drug loading effects were consistent with percolation concepts, and a low-molecular-weight PLGA (e.g., M w =42 000 for inherent viscosity=0.58 dl/g) was desirable to produce controlled release close to one month. Based on pharmacological and pharmacokinetic data of these compounds and our clinical experience with this disease, several design criteria for a combined implant were devised. Optimal cylindrical segments from the formulation studies were selected and combined in series to form a contiguous implant. After successful combination and coating procedures were developed, prototype implants were prepared. From the 3-drug prototype, 5FUrd and Triam were released ∼1 μg/day for over 4 weeks and 10–190 μg/day over 2 weeks, respectively. The solvent-extrusion procedure did not significantly alter the stability of the encapsulated t-PA (>94±5% serine protease activity after preparation). After a lag-time of ∼2 days, t-PA was released active at a rate of ∼0.2–0.5 μg/day in ∼2 weeks. The release characteristics from the combined implant largely met our initial design criteria. Hence, controlled-release implants of this kind may have potential use for intraocular treatment of PVR.
Electrode geometries for dielectrophoretic levitation

Abstract Axisymmetric cusped electrostatic fields are useful in the dielectrophoretic levitation of bubbles and particles for dielectric constant measurements. Some geometries produce more usable non-uniform fields than others. Criteria for the selection of one electrode geometry over another include sensitivity, voltage efficiency, and convenience. With these criteria in mind, the experimental measurements reported in this paper demonstrate that optimization of a dielectrophoretic levitation cell is possible. Cell performance is quite sensitive to relatively minor features of the electrode profile, spacing, etc. Several configurations are singled out based on their good performance. One, the circular aperture geometry, offers an advantage in its ease of fabrication in small sizes for levitation of small particles less than 100 μm.
Two different structural abnormalities of chromosome 13 in offspring of chromo‐somally normal parents with two fragile sites

Two siblings were found with different structural abnormalities involving their maternally inherited chromosome 13. The proband exhibited a ring 13 and a small fragment: 46, XX, r(13) (pllq34), +f, while her clinically normal brother carried a dicentric Robertsonian translocation: 45, XY, dic(13;15) (pl 1;pl 1). Both parents had normal karyotypes in peripheral blood and skin fibroblasts. The structural abnormalities of chromosome 13 may be due to an unstable gonadal 13; 15 translocation in the mother. In addition, two autosomal fragile sites were segregating in this family. The mother had a fragile (16) (q22) which was inherited by the proband. The father and paternal grandmother possessed a fragile (12)(q13) which was not inherited by either child. The expression of both fragile sites was dependent on culture conditions.
Age dependent sex disproportion in US asthma hospitalization rates, 2000-2010.

Abstract Background Age-stratified sex differences in asthma hospitalizations rates have been reported to be most marked between the ages of 40 and 54 years in New York. It is not known whether age-dependent sex differences in asthma hospitalization rates also exist for the entire United States. Objectives To compare sex-specific hospitalization rates for asthma in adults in the United States and to describe the adjusted associations between female sex and age in the fifth to sixth decades of life. Methods The National Inpatient Sample databases for 2000-2010 were queried for a principal diagnosis of asthma to calculate the ratio of female to male hospitalization rates for different decades of adult life. Logistic regression modeling was used to determine whether age in the fifth to sixth decades of life had associations with female sex that remained significant after adjusting for comorbidities and demographic features. Results For all years of the study, there was a distinct peaking in female to male ratio most manifested in the fifth to sixth decades of life. This age grouping was significantly associated with female sex. Models revealed that female sex was significantly associated with this age grouping, even after adjustment for obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, race, insurance status, discharge year, and smoking. Excluding identifiable repeat admissions also did not abrogate the age grouping association. Conclusion There is a striking propensity of women in their fifth to sixth decades of life to be admitted for asthma, which appears to be independent of many known comorbidities.
Evaluation of guidewire path reproducibility

The number of minimally invasive vascular interventions is increasing. In these interventions, a variety of devices are directed to and placed at the site of intervention. The device used in almost all of these interventions is the guidewire, acting as a monorail for all devices which are delivered to the intervention site. However, even with the guidewire in place, clinicians still experience difficulties during the interventions. As a first step toward understanding these difficulties and facilitating guidewire and device guidance, we have investigated the reproducibility of the final paths of the guidewire in vessel phantom models on different factors: user, materials and geometry. Three vessel phantoms (vessel diameters approximately 4 mm) were constructed having tortuousity similar to the internal carotid artery from silicon tubing and encased in Sylgard elastomer. Several trained users repeatedly passed two guidewires of different flexibility through the phantoms under pulsatile flow conditions. After the guidewire had been placed, rotational c-arm image sequences were acquired (9 in. II mode, 0.185 mm pixel size), and the phantom and guidewire were reconstructed (512(3), 0.288 mm voxel size). The reconstructed volumes were aligned. The centerlines of the guidewire and the phantom vessel were then determined using region-growing techniques. Guidewire paths appear similar across users but not across materials. The average root mean square difference of the repeated placement was 0.17 +/- 0.02 mm (plastic-coated guidewire), 0.73 +/- 0.55 mm (steel guidewire) and 1.15 +/- 0.65 mm (steel versus plastic-coated). For a given guidewire, these results indicate that the guidewire path is relatively reproducible in shape and position.
Working Both Sides of the Street.

A knowledgeable and experienced evaluator becomes the principal user of a design to make program evaluation and administration mutually reinforcing.
On the importance of position one of ovulation inhibitors, as based on studies on [D-Phe2, Pro3, D-Phe6]-LHRH.

Substitution of cyclopentylcarbonyl-(Cpc) for <Glu1 in the effective and potent antiovulatory inhibitor, [D-Phe2, Pro3, D-Phe6]-LHRH (I) retained the in vitro potency. We know of no other inhibitor of the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) with a modification at position 1, which is as potent in vitro. This result agrees with the concept of the role of <Glu for agonist activity in a low energy conformer of LHRH, and underscores the importance of position 1. [Cpc1, D-Phe2, Pro3, D-Phe6]-LHRH did not inhibit ovulation in rats at the same dosage as did I; this result is under study to circumvent. Des-Gly10-[D-Phe2, Pro3, D-Phe6]-LHRH ethylamide and [Glu1, D-Phe2, Pro3, D-Phe6]-LHRH were significantly less active in vitro than I.
Regulatory incentive policies and abuse

We examine the incentives for abuse under rate-of-return (ROR) and incremental surplus subsidy (ISS) regulation. Abuse consists of expenditures by the regulated firm that provide private benefits, but do not reduce production costs. We show that ISS regulation provides efficient incentives for owners of the regulated firm to limit abuse by subordinates. We also prove that abuse by owners of the firm will generally be greater (smaller) under ROR regulation than under ISS regulation when consumer demand for the regulated product is inelastic (elastic). Furthermore, we show that to limit abuse and improve welfare under ROR regulation, it can be advantageous to “ignore” available information about consumer demand.
Assessment of Implementation and Sustainability of Integrated Pest Management Programs

All parties involved in growing the world's food, including growers, crop consultants, university researchers, extension personnel, national and regional regulatory agencies, and the agrochemical and seed industry, spend significant time, money, and effort to solve the problems associated with growing food. The needs of these parties are varied and sometimes in conflict, which is not always conducive to developing and implementing integrated pest management (IPM) systems that are both sustainable and economical. IPM encompasses simultaneous management of multiple pests, regular monitoring of pests and their natural enemies and antagonists, use of economic or treatment thresholds when applying pesticides, and integrated use of multiple, suppressive tactics. IPM components with the greatest impact on resistance management are rotating classes of chemistry, use of recommended rates, not exceeding label restrictions, and avoiding sequential treatments of products with the same mode of action. The best way to insure that these components are followed is to have pesticide record keeping and reporting. However, pesticide use record keeping and reporting are not currently required in all areas. Other activities that can be integrated include educational workshops on IPM, resistance monitoring of pests to pesticides, proper identification of pests and natural enemies, real time scouting reports on the pests that are being found, maintenance of a data base on the effects of various products on natural enemies, and field validation of IPM use.
Diurnal periodicity of the human vertex potential.

Summwy.-Averaged auditory evoked potential waveforms were recorded from the vertex of human subjects 3, 9, and 15 hr. after awakening. Responses to pure tones of 60 and 80 dB SL were obtained at each session. Amplitude measures of N1-P2 and P2-N2 components were largest in the morning followed by a gradual attenuation across sessions. Waveform amplitude during the late evening ranged from 85 % to 91 % of the morning amplirude.
Two-photon spectra of C 60 and C 70 films between 0.74 and 1.7 μm

Abstract We present new femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) measurements on aC70 film in the wavelength range 0.9 - 1 .6 p.m in conjunction with previously measureddata in C60 and C7O in the ranges 0.74 - 1.7 p. and 0.74 -0.88 p.m, respectively. The new data reveal two closely spaced peaks in the DFWM spectrum which we interpret as two- photon states with excitation energies of 2.41±0.05 eV and 2.64±0.03 eV. We relate these results to nonlinear optical spectra obtained by others in C60 and C70 films. In particular,we compare third-harmonic generation, electro-absorption and DFWM and emphasize therelative advantages of DFWM for two-photon spectroscopy. Keywords: C70, C60, fullerenes, degenerate four-wave mixing, nonlinear opticalspectroscopy, two-photon absorption 1. Introduction The rigid-cage structure of fullerenes coupled with extended delocalized electronic it-bonds favor strong optical nonlinearities. In comparison to organic electronic it- systems, they do not exhibit intrinsic absorption in the telecommunicatons window near1.5 p.m due to the absence of of C-H bonds.1 Due to their high symmetry C60 and C70
A simulation study of a multi-channel queueing system in the hospital environment

This paper deals with the problem of analyzing the medical examinations of employees in a company managed hospital facility consisting of the following work stations, (1) receptionist, (2) rest rooms, (3) personal history, (4) sight screener, (5) x-ray, (6) laboratory, (7) electrocardiogram, (8) doctors, and (9) immunizations. The medical examination system is analyzed through the use of a GPSS simulation model for which the queue information is developed in three phases—(1) data collection, (2) estimation of probability distribution forms, and (3) model format development.Each of the above work stations requires one operator with the exception of the doctor's facility for which there are four full time doctors. Considering the personnel and function requirements of each work station, recommendations are made, as a result of the simulation study, for a more efficient utilization of these facilities.
The IFR/DFR property of the forward recurrence-time distribution

When a failure or replacement process is modeled as a renewal process, the residual life of the unit in use at a given time is generally referred to as the forward recurrence time (RT). Distributional properties of this random variable are critically important in many applications. This paper investigates the extent to which the failure-rate function monotonicity of a life distribution is inherited by the forward RT distribution at time s of its renewal process. For DFR life distributions, the forward RT distribution is also DFR for every s/spl ges/0. However, the corresponding property does not necessarily hold for IFR life distributions. The forward RT distribution is IFR in the limit as s/spl rarr/0 and as s/spl rarr//spl infin/. For IFR Weibull life distributions, we demonstrate numerically that the forward RT distribution is IFR for small s. As s is increased, it alternates between being IFR and non-IFR in an interesting cyclical pattern, and remains IFR beyond a large enough s.
Design in Business Education: A Square Peg in a Round World? By Thomas Lockwood

I was pleased to re-read Tom's 2002 article for two reasons: First, because I am impressed by how spot-on his assessment was at the time; and second, because it is no longer (completely) true. What a relief! In today's United States, programs such as the Strategic Design MBA at Philadelphia University, as well as the design MBA degrees at the California College of Art in San Francisco, the Institute of Design in Chicago, and MICA/Johns Hopkins in Baltimore are resounding proof of integrative approaches in an MBA context. Design thinking and systems thinking are interwoven into the ways these programs teach leadership, operations, marketing, and finance. Additionally, business schools such as Rotman at the University of Toronto and Darden at the University of Virginia have robust business design studios and design thinking modules. Other traditional MBA programs are at least now offering one course in design thinking, if not integrating it throughout their program; and their students, if not the faculty at large, have formed “innovation clubs”—code for “This is a safe space for creativity and design thinking.” It is no longer the rule that graduate business education draws a deep demarcation between creativity and strategy. That is a false dichotomy and, as Tom wrote, there is a “rising importance of corporate creativity.” Of course, relative to the UK, Europe, and Asia, the democratization of design in business-school curricula is still novel. But the “gridlock of curriculum tradition” and accreditation metrics that impeded innovation in graduate business education are melting away and becoming more fluid. This is mainly because the gaps that Tom so rightly identified between design practitioners and business managers, and between industry's embrace of design thinking and academia's reluctant gaze, has been bridged by academic upstarts who are responding to the market's demand to “give us more than a SWOT analysis!” Tom concluded that it could take 10 years before business educators embraced the value of design. He was pretty close. Although it is still true that academia lags behind the current of industry, it is encouraging that there are an increasing number of tributaries in business education forging ahead.
Self-healing composites

Summary form only given. Thermosetting polymers, used in a wide variety of applications ranging from microelectronics to composite airplane wings, are susceptible to damage in the form of cracking. Often these cracks form deep within the structure where detection is difficult and repair is virtually impossible. Inspired by biological systems in which damage triggers a healing response, a new structural polymeric material was recently developed with the ability to autonomically heal cracks. Whenever damage occurs in a self-healing polymer, the repair process is triggered and after sufficient healing time, the inherent strength and toughness of the material is recovered.
Electromyography and high-speed elbow flexor exercise

Our study assessed motor unit behavior and muscle function from high-speed unilateral elbow flexor workouts. Electromyography and performance data were obtained from subjects who completed three workouts on an Impulse (Impulse Training Systems; Newnan, GA) exercise machine. Comprised of both tonic and phasic repetitions, workouts were done with three different loads (1.13, 3.4 and 6.8 kg) added to the machine. Electromyography was measured from three muscles (biceps brachii, triceps brachii, brachioradialis). Dependent variable means, obtained as the elbow flexed and extended, were compared with 2 (tonic, phasic) x2 (men, women) x3 (1.13, 3.4 and 6.8 kg) ANOVAs, with repeated measures for repetition and load. Bonferroni's adjustment preserved family-wise error rates and t-tests served as a post-hoc. With α = 0.05, several dependent variables displayed intra-repetition and -load effects. However triceps root mean square (RMS) values displayed repetition x load interactionsforboth elbowflexion andextension. Thetriceps, an elbowflexionantagonist, may actas animportant joint stabilizer, particularly at faster velocities and more extended joint angles. Unlike isometric or standard low-velocity paradigms performed against heavy loads, high-speed exercise may entail a more equitable distribution among factors (motor unit recruitment, rate coding, reflex potentiation, antagonist co-contraction) responsible for current triceps RMS values.
Incidence of and risk factors for iliocaval venous obstruction in patients with active or healed venous leg ulcers.

Background Iliocaval venous obstruction (ICVO) can be a significant contributor to venous hypertension in patients with advanced disease. The incidence of ICVO in patients with CEAP clinical class 5 and 6 disease has not been reported. In this study, we reviewed a series of patients with healed or active venous leg ulcers to determine the incidence of ICVO and the risk factors related to its occurrence. Methods Patients with CEAP clinical class 5 and 6 venous insufficiency underwent evaluation with duplex ultrasound scan to identify the presence of venous reflux in the deep and superficial systems and either computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) venography to identify ICVO. The venograms were evaluated by two separate examiners to calculate the percentage of obstruction in the iliocaval outflow tract. Demographics and risk factors related to venous disease were collected and examined for their association with severe ICVO. Results A total of 78 CEAP clinical class 5 and 6 patients evaluated with either a CT or MR venogram were retrospectively reviewed. The average patient age was 59.3 years and 53.4% were men. The ulcer affected the left lower extremity in 46% of cases and 50% of patients reported a medical history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Overall, 37% of imaging studies demonstrated ICVO of at least 50% and 23% had obstruction of >80%. Risk factors that were found to be independently associated with a significantly higher incidence of >80% ICVO included female gender (P = .023), a medical history of DVT (P = .035), and reflux in the deep venous system (P = .035). No limb with superficial venous reflux (SVR) alone was found to have ICVO >80%. Conclusions ICVO is a frequent and underappreciated contributor to venous hypertension in patients with venous leg ulcers. Women and patients with a history of DVT or duplex scan-diagnosed deep venous reflux (DVR) have a higher incidence of outflow obstruction and should be routinely studied with CT or MR venography to allow correction in this high-risk group of patients.
To what extent has endovascular aneurysm repair influenced abdominal aortic aneurysm management in the state of Illinois

Purpose This study was performed using population-based data to determine the changing trends in the techniques for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in the state of Illinois during the past 9 years and to examine the extent to which endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has influenced overall AAA management. Methods All records of patients who underwent AAA repair (1995 to 2003 inclusive) were retrieved from the Illinois Hospital Association COMPdata database. The outcome as determined by in-hospital mortality was analyzed according to intervention type (open vs EVAR) and indication (elective repair vs ruptured AAA). Data were stratified by age, gender, and hospital type (university vs community setting) and then analyzed using both univariate (χ 2 , t tests) and multivariate (stepwise logistic regression) techniques. Results Between 1995 and 2003, 14,517 patients underwent AAA repair (85% for elective and 15% for ruptured AAA). The average age was 71.4 ± 7.9 years, and 76% were men. For elective cases, open repair was performed in 86% and EVAR in 14%; and for ruptured cases, open repair in 97% and EVAR in 3%. Elective EVAR was associated with lower in-hospital mortality compared with open repair regardless of age. No differences were observed with age after either type of repair for a ruptured aneurysm. Men had a lower in-hospital mortality compared with women for open repair of both elective and ruptured aneurysms. For EVAR, the mortality of an elective repair was lower in men, but there was no difference after a ruptured AAA. In men, the difference in mortality between elective open repair and EVAR was significant; the type of institution did not influence outcome. Patients >80 years of age had a higher mortality after open repair for both elective and ruptured AAA and after EVAR of a ruptured AAA. The average length of stay was 9.9 days for open elective repair, 13.1 days after open repair of a ruptured AAA, and 3.6 days for EVAR. The independent predictors of higher in-hospital mortality were female gender, age >80 years, diagnosis (ruptured vs open), and procedure (open vs EVAR). The year of the procedure and type of hospital (university vs community) were not predictive of outcome. Conclusions EVAR has had a significant impact on AAA management in Illinois over a relatively short time period. In this population-based review, EVAR was associated with a significantly decreased in-hospital mortality and length of stay. Octogenarians had higher mortality after both types of repair, with the exception of elective EVAR.
Safety aid use and social anxiety symptoms: The mediating role of perceived control

The use of safety aids, cognitive or behavioral strategies used to reduce or cope with anxiety, has emerged as a key construct of interest in anxiety disorders due to their role in the development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms. It has been suggested that individuals with anxiety engage in safety aid use to reduce their anxiety and feel more in control of a situation; however, no studies to date have examined the association between perceived control, that is, perceived level of control over internal events in anxiety provoking situations, and the use of safety aids. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association of perceived control, the use of safety aids, and symptoms of social anxiety. It was predicted that the association between safety aid use and social anxiety symptoms would be mediated by perceived control. This prediction was examined in a large sample of 281 participants. As predicted, perceived control was a significant mediator of the association between the use of safety aids and social anxiety symptoms. This effect remained significant after running a multiple mediation model with distress tolerance added as a competing mediator. Implications for future research are discussed.
ALCOHOLIC VERSUS NONALCOHOLIC CIRRHOSIS IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF EMERGENCY THERAPY OF BLEEDING VARICES

Background It has been proposed that portal-systemic shunts be avoided in alcoholic cirrhotics because survival rate is allegedly lower in alcoholics than in nonalcoholics. We examined this issue in a randomized controlled trial.
Self-rated sleep characteristics and bother from nocturia

Summary Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate if men with varying degrees of bother from a similar number of nocturia episodes differ with respect to self-rated sleep characteristics and fatigue. Materials and methods: As part of the baseline assessments during a nocturia treatment trial, 55 participants reported frequency and bother of nocturia using the AUA Symptom Inventory and completed 7-day sleep diaries prior to treatment. Participants who reported moderate nocturia (either two or three episodes nightly) were further grouped into categories of LOW (nocturia is no problem or a very small problem) or HIGH bother (nocturia is a big problem). Information from the participant completed sleep diaries was abstracted, including information on daytime napping, total sleep time, mean time needed to return to sleep, nighttime ratings of fatigue, and daytime ratings of fatigue. Results: Of the 55 individuals who completed the pilot study, 24 study participants reported two or three episodes of nocturia and had either HIGH (n = 11) or LOW (n = 13) bother. Participants categorised with HIGH bother were significantly more likely than those with LOW bother to report difficulty initiating sleep (47.7 ± 34.4 vs. 23.5 ± 13.6 min, p = 0.05), difficulty returning to sleep after an awakening (28.9 ± 16.1 vs. 15.4 ± 9.6 min, p = 0.03) and greater morning fatigue (3.3 ± 0.7 vs. 2.5 ± 1.0, p = 0.04 on a 7-point scale). Conclusions: Since bother related to nocturia is linked to sleep quality, interventions targeting fatigue and sleep maintenance may provide useful targets in the management of nocturia in men.
Distinct Contributions of Residue 192 to the Specificity of Coagulation and Fibrinolytic Serine Proteases

Archetypal members of the chymotrypsin family of serine proteases, such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase, exhibit relatively broad substrate specificity. However, the successful development of efficient proteolytic cascades, such as the blood coagulation and fibrinolytic systems, required the evolution of proteases that displayed restricted specificity. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), for example, possesses exquisitely stringent substrate specificity, and the molecular basis of this important biochemical property of t-PA remains obscure. Previous investigations of related serine proteases, which participate in the blood coagulation cascade, have focused attention on the residue that occupies position 192 (chymotrypsin numbering system), which plays a pivotal role in determining both the inhibitor and substrate specificity of these enzymes. Consequently, we created and characterized the kinetic properties of new variants of t-PA that contained point mutations at position 192. These studies demonstrated that, unlike in coagulation serine proteases, Gln-192 does not contribute significantly to the substrate or inhibitor specificity of t-PA in physiologically relevant reactions. Replacement of Gln-192 with a glutamic acid residue did, however, decrease the catalytic efficiency of mature, two-chain t-PA toward plasminogen in the absence of a fibrin co-factor.
Pr-doped mixed-halide glasses for 1300 nm amplification

The pump efficiency of Pr-doped fluorozirconate amplifiers at 1300 nm is limited by nonradiative decay. A Pr/sup 3+1/G/sub 4/ excited state lifetime of 322 /spl mu/s has been obtained in a mixed-halide glass. This is 2.9 times longer than the lifetime in a fluorozirconate host. Numerical amplifier modeling combined with calculated emission cross sections predicts a comparable increase in amplifier pump efficiency. The mixed-halide /sup 1/G/sub 4/ emission is peaked at 1310 nm. >
Intravascular Ultrasound for the Assessment of an Ambiguous Left Main Coronary Stenosis

In a recent issue of the Journal , Fassa et al. ([1][1]) reported that there are currently no intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) criteria to determine the significance of a left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis. Recently, we demonstrated that the use of fractional flow reserve (FFR) as the “gold
Asthma: an annotated guide to resources on the world wide web

An increasing number of children and adults are diagnosed with asthma. Current, accurate sources of information are needed to help both patients and physicians manage treatments. This article includes some background information on asthma and a list of selected Internet resources for both health care professionals as well as consumers.
An Assessment of Robot-Assisted Bimanual Movements on Upper Limb Motor Coordination Following Stroke

Robot-assisted training is increasingly being investigated in upper limb rehabilitation for individuals with stroke. Many studies have suggested that an appropriate synchronization of voluntary motor commands and limb movement is critical for long-term efficacy. Bimanual training is one method for enhancing this synchronization or motor coordination. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the potential efficacy of bimanual robot-assisted movements by comparing the relative timing of muscle activation and forces to those generated during unimanual robot-assisted movement. A secondary goal was to compare bimanual robot-assisted movement to bimanual voluntary movement, where both limbs moved independently without robotics. Subjects performed reaching tasks while attached to one or two robotic manipulators. A predefined movement trajectory was prescribed during unimanual robot-assisted movement; in bimanual robot-assisted movement the paretic limb trajectory mirrored the nonparetic limb. Relative to unimanual movements, during bimanual movements the timing of muscle activation and initial interface forces was more similar to the nonparetic limb. However, there were limited differences in these measures between bimanual voluntary and bimanual robot-assisted movements. Bimanual robot-assisted movements resulted in superior motor coordination compared to unimanual movements and could be beneficial for individuals with a restricted movement range. Bimanual movements without robotics were just as efficacious and may be preferred for individuals who can generate movement without assistance.
Low-Delay Prediction- and Transform-Based Wyner–Ziv Coding

This paper studies low-delay Wyner-Ziv coding, i.e., lossy source coding with side information at the decoder, with emphasis on the extreme of zero delay. To achieve zero delay, a scalar quantizer is followed by scalar coding of quantization indices. In the fixed-length coding scenario, under high-resolution assumptions and appropriately defined decodability constraints, the optimal quantization level density is conjectured to be periodic. This conjecture, which is provable when the correlation is high, allows for a precise analysis of the rate-distortion tradeoff. The performance of variable-length coding with periodic quantization is also characterized. The results are then incorporated in predictive Wyner-Ziv coding for Gaussian sources with memory, and optimal prediction filters are numerically designed so as to strike a balance between maximally exploiting both temporal and spatial correlation and limiting the propagation of distortion due to occasional decoding errors. Finally, the zero-delay schemes are also employed in transform coding with small block lengths, where the Gaussian source and side information are transformed separately with the premise that corresponding transform coefficient pairs exhibit good spatial correlation and minimal temporal correlation. For the specific source-side information pairs studied, it is shown that transform coding, even with a small block-length, outperforms predictive coding. Performances of both predictive and transform coding are also compared with the asymptotic rate-distortion bounds.
Inhibition of β-Propiolactone-induced Mutagenesis and Neoplasia by Sodium Thiosulfate

Abstract Studies have been initiated to find compounds that can trap directacting carcinogens within the stomach. Sodium thiosulfate (STS) is a potent nucleophile and in initial experiments was found to inhibit mutagenesis resulting from exposure of Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100 to the direct-acting carcinogens β-propiolactone and styrene oxide. In in vitro experiments STS was shown to maintain its nucleophilicity in the acid pH range. It reacted with β-propiolactone as rapidly at pH 2 as at pH 7.4. Thus STS has the prerequisite attributes to inhibit the carcinogenic effects of electrophiles in the stomach. Experiments were performed in which STS was administered by p.o. intubation to female A/J mice 5 min before p.o. administration of β-propiolactone. Under these conditions, inhibition of formation of the forestomach tumors occurred. The data obtained suggest that use of nucleophiles to protect against direct-acting carcinogens is a potential strategy for chemoprevention.
Chaos in Josephson circuits

Chaotic behavior in Josephson circuits is reviewed using the rf-driven junction as an example. Topics include the effect of chaos on the IV characteristic, the period doubling route to chaos, and power spectra for the chaotic state. Liapunov exponents and the fractal geometry of strange attractors are also discussed.
Studies on the epizootiology of Myxobolus insidiosus Wyatt and Pratt, 1963 (Protozoa: Myxosporida)

. Myxobolus insidiosus from the striated musculature of chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), was studied in disease free and naturally contaminated waters. Infection could not be induced in susceptible fish in a disease free water supply by any means triad. Experiments in naturally contaminated waters provided data on minimum and other exposure times. Studies were also carried out on the effect of water temperature, different substrates and flow rates, time of year and size of fish on infection. The rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, was also checked for infection and not found with this disease in naturally contaminated waters. Transovarian infection was ruled out.
High-Frequency Homologous Recombination between Baculoviruses Involves DNA Replication

We determined the frequency of DNA recombination between Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedroviruses (BmNPVs) and between BmNPV and the closely related Autographa californica NPV (AcMNPV) in BmN cells, Sf-21 cells, and larvae of Heliothis virescens. The BmN cells were coinfected with two BmNPVs, one with a mutation at the polyhedrin gene (polh) locus and a second carrying a lacZ gene marker cassette. Eleven different BmNPV mutants carrying the lacZ gene marker at various distances (1.4 to 61.7 kb) from polh were used for the coinfections. The Sf-21 cells and larvae of H. virescens were coinfected with wild-type AcMNPV and 1 of the 11 lacZ-marked BmNPV mutants. In BmN cells, high-frequency recombination was detected as early as 15 h postcoinfection but not at 12 h postcoinfection. At 18 h postcoinfection, the mean frequency of recombination ranged between 20.0 and 35.4% when the polh and lacZ marker genes were separated by at least 9.7 kb. When these marker genes were separated by only 1.4 kb, the mean frequency of recombination was 2.7%. In BmN cells, the mean recombination frequency between two BmNPVs increased only marginally when the multiplicity of infection of each virus was increased 10-fold. In Sf-21 cells and the larvae of H. virescens, the recombination frequency between BmNPV and AcMNPV was </=1.0%. AcMNPV DNA replication occurred normally after the coinfection of Sf-21 cells. BmNPV DNA replication, however, was not detected, indicating that normal DNA replication by both viruses is required for high-frequency recombination.
Endocrine and behavioral response to a decline in habitat quality: effects of pond drying on the slider turtle, Trachemys scripta.

The effect of the simulated drying of a pond on the behavior and corticosterone secretion of Trachemys scripta was measured in a field situation. Slider turtles were held in experimental and control ponds (1215m) enclosed with a drift fence integrated with spring- triggered livetraps. The experimental pond water level was dropped 10cm per day for 8d, until water was completely drained. Slider turtles responded to the draining of the pond by the emigration of the majority (75%) of the experimental population. Emigrating turtles had significantly elevated corticosterone at Time 0 (blood sample within 10min of handling 54.48ng/mL70.503SE) when compared with turtles captured in a control pond (Time 0 50.954ng/mL70.121SE), where conditions were held constant. Turtles emigrated during the final 72hr of pond draining when ponds reached 30cm depth and lower and water temperature was at least 30.81C or higher. Additionally, the effect of trapping using spring-activated livetraps was tested. Turtles held in livetraps (n 56) for 45-110min showed a characteristic corticosterone response (Time 0 50.957ng/ mL70.091SE; Time 30 52.85ng/mL70.131SE), indicating that this trapping technique alone does not stimulate corticosterone secretion. The findings of the study met our predictions that turtles would respond to the draining of the pond behaviorally by emigrating from the habitat concurrent with an elevated corticosterone concentration. This supports the view that corticosterone is involved in stress avoidance mechanisms that allow organisms to respond to environmental perturbations. J. Exp. Zool. 303A:872-879, 2005. r 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.