cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcatheter occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus with a single device technique: comparison between the Cook detachable coil and the Rashkind umbrella device.

Abstract Transcatheter coil occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has become the interventional treatment option of choice. Immediate occlusion of any residual shunting results in excellent closure rates, but frequently requires multiple coil deployment. Aims: To assess the efficacy and limitations of single Cook detachable coil PDA closure compared to a preceding series of Rashkind umbrella procedures. Methods and results: Between 1990 and 1999, transcatheter occlusion of a small ( n =45) or moderate-sized (2–4 mm; n =47) PDA was successfully attempted in 90/92 consecutive patients (mean age 6±4.8 years) with a coil (39/41) or Rashkind device (51/51). Immediate angiographic closure rates for both devices were low, although better for small (54–68%) than moderate ducts (7–22%, P Conclusions: Single coil transcatheter occlusion is the treatment of choice for the small duct as most residual shunts will resolve spontaneously. However, long-term shunt persistence after single coil deployment in moderate sized ducts is as frequent as with the Rashkind device. A primary multiple coil approach is advocated if the postcoil aortogram shows residual ductal shunting and if there is persistence of a ductal murmur on auscultation.
Neuroactive peptides as markers of retinal ganglion cell populations that differ in anatomical organization and function

Recent immunocytochemical studies indicate the existence of several classes of peptide- (PRGC) and catecholamine-containing retinal ganglion cells in anurans, birds, and mammals. Different classes of PRGC project to discrete and seemingly unique layers in the retino-recipient portion of the anuran and avian optic tectum. Peptide-containing retinofugal projections to the frog tectum originate early in development, and are reestablished by some classes of PRGC during regeneration of the optic nerve. These findings indicate that chemically specific, parallel retinofugal pathways presumably subserve different functional aspects of vision in vertebrates. Exciting prospects for research include the correlation of physiologically with immunocytochemically defined classes of retinal ganglion cells, the analysis of the possible role of neuroactive peptides in retinofugal transmission, and the pharmacological manipulation of putative peptidergic retinofugal pathways to analyze their role in visual function.
Tomato spotted wilt virus on potato in eastern North Carolina

Leaf, stem, and tuber samples collected from diseased potato plants exhibiting tospovirus-like symptoms in eastern North Carolina (NC) were assayed for the presence ofTomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) by serology (ImmunoStrips) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods. All symptomatic samples tested positive for TSWV with serology and RT-PCR. Mechanical inoculation of the indicator hostNicotiana benthamiana with symptomatic leaf, stem, and tuber tissue resulted in plants with symptoms of systemic virus infection. The presence of TSWV in infected tissue ofN. benthamiana was confirmed with serology, RT-PCR, and sequence analysis of the nucleocapsid (N) protein gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the predicted N protein of three isolates of TSWV from potato in NC and 11 isolates obtained from peanut, pepper, and tomato in Georgia and NC suggested that the isolates were related. One isolate of TSWV from potato in NC was selected for vector transmission tests, and the virus was transmitted to potato with tobacco thrips (Frankliniella fusca), but no vertical transmission from infected seed tubers to actively developing potato sprouts, stems or leaves was observed. This is the first documentation of the occurrence, isolation and characterization of TSWV from field-grown potato in North America.
Lymphocyte blastogenic responses in sickle cell disease.

Cell mediated immunity (CMI) has not been extensively studied in sickle cell disease (SCD). In this study, an assessment of lymphocyte blastogenic responses was done in 62 SCD patients (62 steady state and 25 in crisis with or without documented infection), along with 30 normal controls in good health and 10 with various infections. The mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and two antigens (Candida albicans and Tetanus Toxoid) were used as stimuli. An evaluation of these results by stimulation index revealed 53/62 (86%) of SCD steady state patients, 30/30 (100%) of healthy controls and 7/10 (70%) of normal control patients with infection positively responded to all three stimuli. Conversely, only 5/25 (20%) of SCD crisis state patients had totally normal blastogenic responses. Analysis of the data from SCD crisis patients revealed 14/20 (70%) with abnormally depressed proliferation to PHA, 11/20 (55%) to Candida and 6/20 (30%) to Tetanus. When comparisons were made by mean counts per minute, the most striking...
Science Signaling Podcast: 19 November 2013

This Podcast features an interview with Stanton Gelvin, senior author of a Research Article that appears in the 19 November 2013 issue of Science Signaling , about a transcription factor that controls a plant9s susceptibility to infection by a bacterium that is both a disease-causing pathogen and a valuable tool for genetic engineering. Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a bacterium that causes crown gall disease by inserting into plant cells genes that cause the cells to proliferate and form a tumor. Although it can damage crops, Agrobacterium is also useful for research and genetic engineering because the bacterium can be used to transfer genes of interest into plants. Although Agrobacterium is widely used to transform plants, there are some species and strains that are not highly susceptible to Agrobacterium infection. Previous efforts to identify the plant genes involved in infection by Agrobacterium have focused on mutant plants that are resistant to infection. Sardesai et al . took the opposite approach, using mutant plants that are hyper-susceptible to Agrobacterium infection, to identify plant genes that control susceptibility to infection.
Parental influence on child interest in shared picture book reading.

Abstract Children’s early interest in shared reading is thought to be important to later reading achievement. However, influences on such interest have not been adequately studied. The present study evaluated whether parents can affect their children’s interest in shared reading, using a multimethod assessment. Twenty-five parents and their preschool-aged children were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or an attention-control group. Parents in the interest intervention group learned strategies thought to be important to fostering interest in shared reading. After one week, children in the intervention group were more interested in shared reading compared to children in the attention-control group. After four weeks, intervention parents still reported increased child interest, though direct observations suggested somewhat diminished effects. These results provide a rare experimental evaluation of parental influence on interest, and suggest potential value in further developing interest interventions.
Quantitative comparison of retrosigmoid intradural suprameatal approach and retrosigmoid transtentorial approach: implications for tumors in the petroclival region.

Background Retrosigmoid transtentorial (RTT) and retrosigmoid intradural suprameatal (RISA) approaches have been used in the treatment of petroclival tumors. Objective To compare the area of exposure of brainstem and petroclival region obtained through RTT and RISA in cadaveric specimens. Methods Five cadaveric specimens with a total of 10 sides were analyzed. RTT and RISA were performed on five sides each. Brainstem and petroclival surface exposure were measured using both the approaches. These values were compared between the two approaches. Results Brainstem area exposure with RTT was 441 ± 63 mm2 and that with RISA was 311 ± 61 mm2. Student's t-test revealed that the difference was significant (p = 0.01). The area of petroclival exposure medial to the Meckel cave through RTT was 696 ± 57 mm2, and that through RISA was 716 ± 51 mm2 (p = 0.69). The area of brainstem exposure between V and VII-VII complex through RTT and RISA was 387 ± 86 mm2 and 378 ± 76 mm2 (p = 0.87). Conclusion The RTT approach is an excellent approach to ventrolateral brainstem and petroclival region. It provides greater superoventral exposure of the ventrolateral brainstem than RISA and provides similar petroclival exposure.
Effect of corticotropin releasing factor on acid-base alterations and bacterial translocation in a murine model of thermal injury

Abstract Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41 amino acid polypeptide produced by the hypothalamus which has been shown to decrease inflammation and tissue oedema when administered following burns, cold and acid injuries in some animal models, and to increase mesenteric blood flow. We determined whether systemic administration of CRF to burned mice would decrease metabolic acidosis and protect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from ischaemic injury leading to bacterial translocation (BT). Synthetic CRF was administered by intraperitoneal injection in doses of 20 and 200 μg/kg to mice immediately following 25 and 32 per cent TBSA burn injuries; the doses were repeated at 8 and 16 h postburn. Severe metabolic acidosis, measured 12 h after burn injury, was not improved in mice which received CRF treatment. Bacterial translocation, measured by quantifying bacteria in mesenteric lymph nodes harvested from animals 48 h postburn, was also not decreased with CRF treatment. CRF does not improve general tissue perfusion nor decrease GI derangements leading to bacterial translocation in this animal model of burn injury.
Platforms for Cross-Sector Social Partnerships: Prospective Sensemaking Devices for Social Benefit

Cross-sector social partnerships (CSSPs) can produce benefits at individual, organizational, sectoral and societal levels. In this article, we argue that the distribution of benefits depends in part on the cognitive frames held by partnership participants. Based on Selsky and Parker’s (J Manage 31(6):849–873, 2005) review of CSSPs, we identify three analytic “platforms” for social partnerships – the resource-dependence platform, the social-issue platform, and the societal-sector platform. We situate platforms as prospective sensemaking devices that help project managers make sense of partnerships by calling attention to certain desired features or downplaying other features. We describe the three platforms and contrast them on factors that influence social benefit, including orientation, learning, and power. We provide illustrations of each platform and demonstrate how the choice of platform is consequential for practice, such as how a partnership project gets started, evolves and produces social benefits.
Evolutionary energy performance feedback for design: Multidisciplinary design optimization and performance boundaries for design decision support

Abstract In pursuit of including energy performance as feedback for architects’ early stage design decision making, this research presents the theoretical foundation of a designer oriented multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) framework titled evolutionary energy performance feedback for design (EEPFD). Through a comprehensive literature review and gap analysis EEPFD is developed into an MDO methodology that provides energy performance as feedback for influencing architects’ decision making more fluidly and earlier than other approaches to date. Secondly, in response to the lack of an MDO best practice EEPFD is investigated and evaluated through two experiments. The first experiment demonstrates the ability to utilize EEPFD provided energy performance as feedback to pursue multiple architectural designs with competing objectives and tradeoffs. The second experiment identifies performance boundaries as a best practice for MDO applications to the early stage architectural design processes. The research synthesizes the results into the basis for measuring these performance boundaries as a best practice in the context where architects must gauge multiple design concepts with varying complexity coupled with performance objectives through EEPFD, thereby enhancing the influence of energy performance feedback on the early stage design process. Finally, future research into the use of performance boundaries for conceptual energy performance design exploration is discussed.
The practice of regional development in Indonesia: Resolving central‐local coordination issues in planning and finance

Renewed interest by the Indonesian government in decentralization and cost-recovery practices has led to both real and illusory reforms, though the distinction between the two is often not clear. This is particularly true with respect to infrastructure planning and finance. Recently, the allocation criteria for capital grants to local governments have been substantially revised, nearly every year, to reflect long lasting concerns regarding differences in interregional development needs and resources. In addition, the level of funding for local government investment has risen dramatically to support increased local responsibility in planning. Most development spending does not pass through local budgets, however. In either case, the project planning process has remained firmly under the direction of the central government's technical ministries. Infrastructure investment thus tends to be segmented, not only by sector, but also by funding source. The rate at which these two factors balance off in current practice does not indicate a strong commitment to effective decentralization. The article suggests that greater regional government participation in the national planning process would be beneficial. To deal with the fragmented nature of sectoral planning is more problematic, as a more integrated approach would in the long term require either a new layer of bureaucracy or a substantial reorganization of the technical ministries. In the shorter term, a gradual shift toward general purpose grants would also generate regional development plans more consistent with the goals of decentralization while maintaining substantial central control and oversight.
Definability and Definable Groups in Simple Theories

We continue the study of simple theories begun in [3] and [5]. We first find the right analogue of definability of types. We then develop the theory of generic types and stabilizers for groups definable in simple theories. The general ideology is that the role of formulas (or definability) in stable theories is replaced by partial types (or ∞-definability) in simple theories.
Clinical Predictors of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Premature Infants

Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) has emerged as the most common neonatal gastrointestinal emergency, is the most common cause of death in neonates undergoing surgery, and accounts for yearly additional hospital charges in excess of $6.5 million. Prematurity is the only common variable identified in case-controlled studies exploring this disease. Objectives To improve the understanding of the relationship between factors related to intestinal inflammation and ischemia and the enteral feeding regimen in the context of the premature gut, thereby identifying antecedents of NEC. Methods Data were collected from the medical records of 247 premature infants for this retrospective case-controlled study. Diagnosis of NEC, as defined by Bell Stages IIA-IIIB, was required for study group assignment (n = 84). Multivariate analysis techniques were used to predict the relationships between selected variables on the outcome of NEC. Results Premature infants were 13 times more likely to develop NEC if the infant required increased respiratory support to maintain oxygenation during the early neonatal period and 6.4 times more likely to develop NEC if the infant did not receive nutritionally fortified enteral feedings of breast milk. When both factors were present, the odds of NEC increased 28.6 times when compared with infants without these factors. Discussion The study findings extend knowledge of antecedents to NEC beyond prematurity, highlighting the role that respiratory support and nutritional fortification of enteral feedings play in the pathogenesis of this disease. Early identification of antecedents to NEC will improve critical care management of the neonate and, in turn, decrease the incidence of this devastating gastrointestinal disease. The study findings will guide further inquiry in neonatal nutrition, physiologic and metabolic functioning, and acute clinical management of the neonate.
Représentation des distances perceptuelles des consommateurs : évaluation des modèles de représentation par des indicateurs de diagnostic:

Pour comprendre les perceptions par le consommateur des structures de produit/marche, les praticiens du marketing doivent choisir parmi un grand eventail de modeles spatiaux et arborescents. Etant donne que ces modeles de representations font des hypotheses differentes sur la nature de la distribution des distances, des indicateurs de diagnostic (comme le coefficient d'asymetrie) calcules a partir des donnees devraient permettre d'indiquer quel type de representation (spatiale ou arborescente) est la mieux adaptee a un jeu de donnees particulier. Dans cet article, l'auteur s'appuie sur la litterature relative aux caracteristiques des indicateurs de diagnostic et des modeles de representation pour developper plusieurs hypotheses partielles relatives a la capacite de ces indicateurs a prevoir l'adequation des modeles de representations aux donnees a analyser (en termes d'ajustement statistique). Une analyse empirique montre que le coefficient d'asymetrie est clairement le meilleur indicateur de cette adequa...
Daily activity pattern recognition by using support vector machines with multiple classes

The focus of this paper is to learn the daily activity engagement patterns of travelers using Support Vector Machines (SVMs), a modeling approach that is widely used in Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning. It is postulated that an individual’s choice of activities depends not only on socio-demographic characteristics but also on previous activities of individual on the same day. In the paper, Markov Chain models are used to study the sequential choice of activities. The dependencies among activity type, activity sequence and socio-demographic data are captured by employing hidden Markov models. In order to learn model parameters, the authors use sequential multinomial logit models (MNL) and multiclass Support Vector Machines (K-SVM) with two different dependency structures. In the first dependency structure, it is assumed that type of activity at time ‘t’ depends on the last previous activity and socio-demographic data, whereas in the second structure the authors assume that activity selection at time ‘t’ depends on all of the individual’s previous activity types on the same day and socio-demographic characteristics. The models are applied to data drawn from a set of California households and a comparison of the accuracy of estimation of activity types and their sequence in the agenda, indicates the superiority of K-SVM models over MNL. Additionally, the authors show that accuracy in estimating activity patterns increases using different sets of explanatory variables or tuning parameters of the kernel function in K-SVM.
Compound tellurides and their alloys for peltier cooling—A review

Abstract The most recent data on the thermoelectric properties of cooling materials suitable for use near room temperature have been reviewed. The materials discussed include Bi2Te3 and its pseudo-binary Bi2Te3-Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3-Bi2Se3 alloys, with the major emphasis on the pseudo-ternary alloys in the system Bi2Te3-Sb2Te3-Sb2Te3. The data presented include (1) the Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity, and figure of merit as a function of electrical resistivity; (2) the variations in the lattice thermal conductivity with alloying; (3) the temperature dependence of thermoelectric properties of the pseudo-ternary alloys. Presented also are the results of a recent study of growth variables on the thermoelectric properties of these alloys. The pseudo-ternary Bi2Te3-Sb3-Sb2Te2-Sb2Se3 system provided the best n- and p-type materials. These materials, which gave an average figure of merit of 3·3 × 10−3 deg−1 at room temperature, achieved a maximum Peltier cooling from room temperature of 78°K in a single-stage refrigerating couple. Furthermore, a temperature as low as 159°K was attained continuously from 300°K by a six-stage Peltier refrigerator constructed from these ternary alloys. The superior thermoelectric properties of these ternary alloys were interpreted on the basis of a large reduction and a small temperature dependence of the lattice thermal conductivity, and an increase in the energy band gap of the alloys with additions of Sb2Se3.
Integrin inhibition through Lyn-dependent cross talk from CXCR4 chemokine receptors in normal human CD34+ marrow cells.

We studied the effects of Lyn ablation on CXCR4 receptor-mediated migration and adhesion of hematopoietic precursors. Down-regulation of Lyn expression with siRNA greatly reduced CXCR4-dependent hematopoietic cell movement, and increased cell adherence to stroma. This increase was associated with the up-regulated expression of activation-dependent epitopes of the β2 integrin LFA-1 and was prevented by antibodies that selectively block cell adhesion mediated by ICAM-1. Attachment to surfaces coated with ICAM-1 was also enhanced in Lyn-depleted hematopoietic cells, as compared with Lyn-expressing cells. Functional rescue experiments with Lyn siRNA targeting the 3′ UTR indicated that the observed effects can be attributed directly to specific inhibition of Lyn. Our results show that in chemokine-stimulated hematopoietic cells Lyn kinase is a positive regulator of cell movement while negatively regulating adhesion to stromal cells by inhibiting the ICAM-1–binding activity of β2 integrins. These results provide a molecular mechanism for cross talk between the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and β2 integrins. This cross talk may allow chemokine receptors to modulate the arrest of rolling hematopoietic precursors on the surface of bone marrow stromal cells.
SU-FF-I-17: Reduction of Set-Up Error Using Cone Beam-CT in Patients Undergoing Partial Breast Irradiation

Purpose: Partial breast irradiation with multiple external beams requires accurate alignment of the target volume and treatment isocenter. On‐board plannar kV/MV imaging can verify set‐up based on boney landmarks. On‐board cone beam CT(CBCT) may provide additional soft‐tissue‐based information to further improve set‐up accuracy. In this study, we assess the utility of CBCT in patients receiving partial breast radiation therapy, who have been aligned with on‐board plannar kV/MV imaging.Method and Materials: Patients undergoing partial breast irradiation were imaged using an on‐board‐imager attached to the gantry of a Varian 21EX machine. Each patient was aligned to skin marks in the treatment position. Orthogonal kV images were acquired and registered to digitally reconstructedradiographs from the planning CT. Subsequently, a CBCTimage data set was acquired and compared to the planning CT using both boney anatomy and soft tissue information which yielded estimations of residual setup error. Results: 10 patients were studied under an IRB protocol. Each patient had an average acquisition of 9 pre‐RT CBCTimages. After 2D kV image registration based on boney anatomy, the average soft tissue residual error, based on the CBCT vs. planning CT, was 4, 2, and 3 mm in the Ant/Post, Sup/Inf, and Rt/Lt directions respectively. The ranges were 0–15, 0–9, and 0–7 mm, respectively. In one case, 30% of the planning tumor volume (PTV) would have been outside of the therapeutic isodose volume based on the pre‐RT CBCTimages.Conclusion:CBCT is a practical tool for image registration while visualizing the soft tissue of the tumor bed. It provides additional anatomic information and soft‐tissue detail beyond that provided by planar radiographs. Such increased accuracy can significantly improve dosimetric coverage of the planning target volume. Conflict of Interest: Partially supported by a Varian research grant.
Language did not spring forth 100,000 years ago

In response to an Essay by Johan Bolhuis and co-authors, Phillip Lieberman contends that rather than arising from a key recent innovation ("merge"), language arose by gradual evolution of ancient capabilities.
Nothing is hidden: a Wittgensteinian interpretation of Sraffa

In light of Piero Sraffa's well-known influence on Ludwig Wittgenstein's philosophical thoughts, John Davis argues that there is an analogy between Sraffa's criticism of Marshall and Wittgenstein's Sraffa-inspired criticism of his Tractatus Logico- Philosopshicus. However, Wittgenstein criticized not only the particular theory he had in the Tractatus but also the whole construction of the problem that the Tractacus was intended to solve. This paper argues that, analogously, Sraffa's work implies a criticism not simply of the neoclassical theory of value but of the whole construction of the problem that the neoclassical theory of value was intended to solve. (c) 1996 Academic Press Limited Copyright 1996 by Oxford University Press.
IBEX: an open infrastructure software platform to facilitate collaborative work in radiomics.

Purpose: Radiomics, which is the high-throughput extraction and analysis of quantitative image features, has been shown to have considerable potential to quantify the tumor phenotype. However, at present, a lack of software infrastructure has impeded the development of radiomics and its applications. Therefore, the authors developed the imaging biomarker explorer (ibex), an open infrastructure software platform that flexibly supports common radiomics workflow tasks such as multimodality image data import and review, development of feature extraction algorithms, model validation, and consistent data sharing among multiple institutions. Methods: The ibex software package was developed using the matlab and c/c++ programming languages. The software architecture deploys the modern model-view-controller, unit testing, and function handle programming concepts to isolate each quantitative imaging analysis task, to validate if their relevant data and algorithms are fit for use, and to plug in new modules. On one hand, ibex is self-contained and ready to use: it has implemented common data importers, common image filters, and common feature extraction algorithms. On the other hand, ibex provides an integrated development environment on top of matlab and c/c++, so users are not limited to its built-in functions. In the ibex developer studio, users can plug in, debug, and test new algorithms, extending ibex’s functionality. ibex also supports quality assurance for data and feature algorithms: image data, regions of interest, and feature algorithm-related data can be reviewed, validated, and/or modified. More importantly, two key elements in collaborative workflows, the consistency of data sharing and the reproducibility of calculation result, are embedded in the ibex workflow: image data, feature algorithms, and model validation including newly developed ones from different users can be easily and consistently shared so that results can be more easily reproduced between institutions. Results: Researchers with a variety of technical skill levels, including radiation oncologists, physicists, and computer scientists, have found the ibex software to be intuitive, powerful, and easy to use. ibex can be run at any computer with the windows operating system and 1GB RAM. The authors fully validated the implementation of all importers, preprocessing algorithms, and feature extraction algorithms. Windows version 1.0 beta of stand-alone ibex and ibex’s source code can be downloaded. Conclusions: The authors successfully implemented ibex, an open infrastructure software platform that streamlines common radiomics workflow tasks. Its transparency, flexibility, and portability can greatly accelerate the pace of radiomics research and pave the way toward successful clinical translation.
Effect of superior vena cava constriction and obstruction of thoracic duct lymph flow on the liver of the dog.

SummaryChronic impairment of hepatic lymph drainage in the dog resulting from resection of a segment of thoracic duct and or constriction of the superior vena cava leads to discernible changes in liver histology. These changes, though not quantitatively marked, are comparable to those seen in early cardiac fibrosis of the liver (so-called “cardiac cirrhosis”), and support the hypothesis that some of the changes in the liver associated with venous congestion are due to impairment of lymph drainage.
A model of chronic ischemic arrhythmias: The relation between electrically inducible ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation threshold and myocardial infarct size☆

To study the relation between inducible ventricular tachycardia and ventricular vulnerability, myocardial infarction was created in 22 closed chest mongrel dogs by inflating a balloon catheter in the left anterior descending coronary artery for 2 hours. The presence of inducible ventricular tachycardia was determined by programmed electrical stimulation of the right ventricle in each dog before and 4 days after infarction, using a transvenous electrode catheter and a "clinical" stimulation protocol. In each dog the repetitive ventricular response threshold and the ventricular fibrillation threshold were measured before and 4 days after infarction. Ventricular tachycardia was not inducible in any dog before infarction. After infarction, sustained ventricular tachycardia was inducible in 10 (45 percent) of 22 dogs and nonsustained tachycardia in an additional 4 dogs (18 percent). Ventricular fibrillation threshold was greatly reduced 4 days after infarction in dogs with inducible sustained tachycardia (mean +/- standard deviation 29 +/- 11 to 10 +/- 5 mA, p less than 0.001); the mean threshold did not change significantly in dogs without inducible sustained tachycardia. Both the ventricular fibrillation threshold and mean ventricular repetitive response threshold were reduced in the dogs with sustained ventricular tachycardia; neither was significantly altered in the dogs without sustained tachycardia. The magnitude of change in the two thresholds frequently differed; hence, a correlation was weak between the control and postinfarction repetitive response/fibrillation threshold ratio (r = 0.41). Postmortem measurement of infarct size demonstrated an association between this measurement and the presence of inducible ventricular tachycardia. Sustained ventricular tachycardia was not inducible in the presence of a small infarct. It is concluded that: (1) inducible ventricular tachycardia on the 4th day after myocardial infarction is associated with a considerable decrease in the ventricular fibrillation threshold; (2) changes in the repetitive response and fibrillation thresholds after myocardial infarction may not be parallel, complicating the use of the repetitive ventricular response threshold as a substitute for the ventricular fibrillation threshold in the postinfarction state; (3) a large infarct predisposes the heart to electrically inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia.
Toward a sociology of worksite health promotion: A few reactions and reflections

This collection of papers fairly represents the range and depth of current sociological thinking on health promotion at the worksite. In so doing, it invites scholarly attention to a field that is embryonic and in many ways still struggling to formulate workable answers to a cascade of pressing questions about what works best, and why, and at what price, borne by whom (whether wittingly or not). Sociological analysis of health promotion has been relatively rare. As Conrad observes in his introduction to this special issue, the literature on worksite health promotion programs has been concentrated mostly in health education, occupational health, and public health journals. Also, it has been bifurcated. By far the larger branch has been decidedly utilitarian, looking for practical insights into how best to organize programs the value of which is taken mostly for granted. The smaller, more critical branch has sounded alarms about social control, hidden agendas, and harmful and/or unintended consequences. The first group of writings has tended to adopt a positivist tone and to be basically atheoretical; the second has been more frankly polemical, but often short on valid or compelling data. The present collection begins to bridge the gap between the two branches and to adumbrate what sociology can bring to the study of health promotion on the job. More than answers, the worksite health promotion field urgently needs a more self-conscious approach to the posing of answerable-and fundamental--questions. This question posing is what the authors of these eight new papers are struggling to do, with varying degrees of success because the field is so new. Nevertheless there is much we can learn from these papers: from what they say or neglect to say and from difficulties they encounter. Rather than try to canvass all the terrain they collectively cover, I will dwell on the two issues they raise that seem to me most salient. They are intertwined and can be thought of as issues of meanings and questions of motives.
Evolving Monetary/Fiscal Policy Mix in the United States

A micro-founded model that allows for changes in the monetary/fiscal policy mix and in the volatility of structural shocks is fit to US post-WWII data. Agents are aware of the possibility of regime changes and their beliefs have an impact on the law of motion of the macroeconomy. The results show that the '60s and the '70s were characterized by a prolonged period of active fiscal policy and passive monetary policy. The appointment of Volcker marked a change in the conduct of monetary policy, but it took almost ten years for the fiscal authority to start accommodating this regime change.
Pituitary receptors for GnRH and estradiol, and pituitary content of gonadotropins in beef cows. II. Changes during the postpartum period.

Pregnant beef heifers (n = 24) were assigned randomly to four groups and slaughtered at day 1, 15, 30 or 45 postpartum. The day prior to slaughter blood samples were taken from each cow every 15 min for 8 hr. The anterior pituitary gland, preoptic area (POA) and medial basal hypothalamus (HYP) were collected from each cow. Contents of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in extracts of POA and HYP, and luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in extracts of anterior pituitary were quantified by radioimmunoassay. In the anterior pituitary gland, membrane receptors for GnRH were quantified by a standard curve technique and cytosolic receptors for estradiol were quantified by saturation analysis. Concentrations of LH, FSH and prolactin in serum were quantified by radioimmunoassay. Only one cow of eight had a pulse of LH during the 8 hr bleeding period on day 1 postpartum. This increased to 8 pulses in 6 cows on day 30 postpartum. Contents of GnRH in POA (15.0 +/- 3.2 ng) and HYP (14.0 +/- 2.0 ng) did not change significantly during the postpartum period. Pituitary content of LH was low following parturition (.2 +/- .1 mg/pituitary) and increased significantly through day 30 postpartum (1.2 +/- .1 mg/pituitary). Pituitary content of FSH did not change over the postpartum period. Receptors for both GnRH (.9 +/- .2 pmoles/pituitary) and estradiol (5.0 +/- .9/moles/pituitary) were elevated on day 15 postpartum, possibly increasing the sensitivity of the anterior pituitary gland to these hormones and leading to an increased rate of synthesis of LH that restored pituitary content to normal by day 30 postpartum.
Crustal imaging in southern California using earthquake sequences

Abstract An inexpensive means to further understand the geometry of active faults in southern California arises from the use of aftershock recordings to image crustal structures. The advent of regional seismic networks that record digital seismograms from hundreds of stations makes this crustal reflectivity profiling possible even in the absence of conventional active-source seismic data. We show that it is feasible to image fault structure using three-dimensional, wide-angle prestack Kirchhoff migration. We achieve this with the use of aftershock traces recorded on the short-period vertical stations of the Southern California Seismic Network. This work complements seismicity and focal mechanism work by imaging reflectivity volumes and cross-sections rather than having to associate events with certain faults. Further, it can image below the seismogenic zone to resolve current geologic controversies on how proposed faults extend below focal depths. We demonstrate the validity of these images as showing reflective structures, and the ability to use clipped high-gain seismograms as sign-bit data to yield valid geometric imaging. Work with data from the 1991 Sierra Madre earthquake sequence images the prominent lower-crustal reflective zone observed beneath most of the San Gabriel Mountains by the Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment Line 1. Aftershocks of the 1994 Northridge earthquake allow us to image a north-dipping structure that may represent the fault plane of a crustal-penetrating blind thrust. The images serve as a test for the existence and geometry of thrust ramps and detachments proposed from balanced-section reconstructions of shallow-crustal profiles and borehole data. Our results are more consistent with a thick-skinned tectonic regime in the vicinity of the Northridge earthquake, rather than a thin-skinned model.
An evolutionary multi-agent system for production scheduling

In this paper, we develop and test multi-agent coordination strategies for dynamic production scheduling. First, we develop a multi-agent coordination strategy and show the existence of conjectural equilibrium. Next, we test the proposed coordination strategy and show that multi-agent coordination performs better than heuristic dispatching rules for production scheduling
Commentary: From iodine deficiency in Papua New Guinea to a global programme of prevention

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Constituting Common Subjects: Toward an Education against Enclosure.

Drawing upon socio-ecological and critical educational theory, this article examines neoliberal educational reforms through a theoretical framework of commons and enclosure. Neoliberal reforms should be regarded as enclosures because they seek to privatize education for profit accumulation, foreclosing the possibility of education operating as a commons, or a collective process of sustainable, democratic, and ethical social production. However, educational enclosures have subjective dimensions as well. Specifically, the author argues, there is a raced, classed, and gendered process of educational subjection operating through these enclosures. Although mainstream educational research calls for educational innovations in policy and practice, this article contends that the proliferation of ecological devastation and economization of curriculum and pedagogy requires that educational studies rethink educational collectivity and the possibilities of constituting common subjects who resist, refuse, or seek to di...
The null distribution of likelihood-ratio statistics in the conditional-logistic linkage model

Olson's conditional-logistic model retains the nice property of the LOD score formulation and has advantages over other methods that make it an appropriate choice for complex trait linkage mapping. However, the asymptotic distribution of the conditional-logistic likelihood-ratio (CL-LR) statistic with genetic constraints on the model parameters is unknown for some analysis models, even in the case of samples comprising only independent sib pairs. We derive approximations to the asymptotic null distributions of the CL-LR statistics and compare them with the empirical null distributions by simulation using independent affected sib pairs. Generally, the empirical null distributions of the CL-LR statistics match well the known or approximated asymptotic distributions for all analysis models considered except for the covariate model with a minimum-adjusted binary covariate. This work will provide useful guidelines for linkage analysis of real data sets for the genetic analysis of complex traits, thereby contributing to the identification of genes for disease traits.
Use of High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography to Determine Plasma Levels of Metronidazole and Metabolites After Intravenous Administration

A rapid and sensitive high-pressure liquid chromatography assay for metronidazole and its two principle metabolites, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl-2-hydroxymethyl)-5-nitro-imidazole [hydroxy metabolite] and 1-acetic acid-2-methyl-5-metronidazole [acid metabolite], was developed. The retention times observed were 5.7, 3.3, and 4.5 min, respectively. A reverse-phase muC(18) Bondapak column using a solvent system of methanol, acetonitrile, and 0.005 M pH 4 potassium dihydrogen phosphate (4:3:93, vol/vol) was used to achieve separation of the three compounds. Patients receiving metronidazole therapy were given a loading dose of 13.6 mg of drug per kg intravenously over 1 h, followed by a maintenance dose of 1.43 mg/kg per h. The range of metronidazole concentrations observed was 6.8 to 47.5 mug/ml. These levels are well above the minimal inhibitory concentrations of most clinically significant anaerobic bacteria including Bacteroides fragilis. Little of the acid metabolite was observed in the plasma. The concentration of hydroxy metabolite ranged from 1.6 to 16 mug/ml. The latter may represent an additional source of antimicrobial activity since the hydroxy metabolite has approximately 30% the biological activity of metronidazole.
Reconstructing sea-level change from the internal architecture of stromatolite reefs: an example from the Mesoproterozoic Sulky Formation, Dismal Lakes Group, arctic Canada

The Mesoproterozoic Dismal Lakes Group, arctic Canada, contains a relatively thin, yet regionally extensive stromatolitic reef complex that developed subtidally during a major transgression, shoaled to sea level, and was overlain by intertidal to supratidal carbonate and evaporite strata. The September Lake reef complex exhibits a complex internal architecture that records the interaction between stromatolite growth and changes in accommodation space derived from both higher order (4th- or 5th-order, parasequence-scale) changes in sea level and the variable bathymetry of the sea floor. Reef growth, which was initiated during three sea-level cycles, records progressive marine transgression over depositional lows that were formed during pre-reef subaerial exposure and erosion of the underlying strata. A fourth sea-level cycle, represented by spectacular coniform stromatolites with >10 m of synoptic relief, marks a more dramatic rise in sea level and establishment of the main reef complex. Aggradation and ev...
Glutamine tract length of human androgen receptors affects hormone-dependent and -independent prostate cancer in mice

The androgen receptor (AR) is involved in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer and its transition to androgen independence. Genetic variation in AR may contribute to disease risk and has been studied for a polymorphic N-terminal glutamine (Q) tract that shows population heterogeneity. While the length of this tract is known to affect AR in vitro, association with disease is complicated by genetic and environmental factors that have led to discordant epidemiological findings. To clarify the effect of Q tract polymorphism on prostate cancer, we created mice bearing humanized AR genes (h/mAr) varying in Q tract length. ARs with short Q tracts (12Q), which are transcriptionally more active, induce earlier disease in the transgene-induced TRAMP prostate cancer model than alleles with median (21Q) or long (48Q) tracts. Disease length varies within each genotype, with greater differentiation and AR expression in slower growing tumors. Remarkably, following androgen ablation, Q tract length has effects that are also allele-dependent and in directions opposite to those in hormone intact mice. Differences in AR activity conferred by Q tract length thus appear to direct distinct pathways of androgen-independent as well as androgen-dependent progression, and highlight substantial risk that may be associated with alterations in the androgen axis. This AR allelic series in humanized mice provides an experimental paradigm to dissect the role of AR in prostate cancer initiation and progression, to model response to treatment and to test therapies targeted specifically to the human AR.
Predation by and activity patterns of ‘parasitic’ beetles of the genus Amblyopinus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

This study explores the relationship between staphylinid beetles of the genus Amblyopinus and their small mammal hosts. Previous studies had concluded that these beetles were parasitic and fed directly on blood, skin exudates, or other epidermal derivatives of their hosts. We examined the mode of attachment, behaviour, and feeding activities of 254 Amblyopinus (A. tiptoni and A. emarginatus) on 69 hosts which were captured in Sherman live traps. In addition, similar information and diurnal activity patterns were monitored for 11 beetles kept on two hosts (Peromyscus nudipes) over a period of 14 days. Beetles were found to be attached to the host only by grasping clumps of fur in their mandibles. No sign of damage to the skin of the host could be found. Feeding by the beetles on parasitic arthropods was observed and concluded to be the primary feeding habit. Beetles showed a strong circadian activity pattern, in which they are attached to the host during night-time hours and actively hunt in the nest during daylight hours. Attachment to the host is hypothesized to be primarily a vehicle for tracking prey of the beetles within the variety of nests used by any individual host. We conclude that these beetles are not parasitic but, instead, highly specialized predators on ectoparasitic arthropods, with specialized behavioural and morphological adaptations for their unique life style.