cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scalloping deformity of the corpus callosum following ventricular shunting.

PURPOSE To describe six patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal (V-P) shunting for hydrocephalus and developed scalloping deformity of the dorsal surface of the corpus callosum, and to evaluate the cause and frequency of this phenomenon. MATERIALS AND METHODS MR images of 35 patients whose hydrocephalus was successfully corrected by V-P shunting were studied. To elucidate the possible anatomic basis for the scalloping deformity, gross examination of the corpus callosum relative to the adjacent anatomical structures was performed using autopsy specimens. RESULTS Of the 35 patients who underwent successful V-P shunting, six (17%) developed a scalloping deformity of the corpus callosum. The deformity was noted exclusively in the body of the corpus callosum. This phenomenon was observed in both obstructive and communicating hydrocephalus regardless of the patient9s age, but was particularly noted in patients with tectal tumors. CONCLUSION The cause of this phenomenon may be a combination of long-standing hydrocephalus and normal pericallosal artery anatomy. Prolonged hydrocephalus softens the corpus callosum and the branches of the pericallosal arteries tether the corpus callosum to the overlying cingulate cortex at periodic intervals.
Serum Protein-Bound Carbohydrates for Following the Course of Disease in Patients With Metastatic Breast Carcinoma

Abstract Serum protein-bound carbohydrates, L-fucose, sialic acid, D-galactose, and D-mannose, were measured as potential biologic markers in patients with breast cancer with the use of high-resolution anion exchange separation in combination with a sensitive cerate oxidimetric fluorescence detector system. For 22 randomly selected patients with proved metastatic breast cancer, both L-fucose and sialic acid levels were above the normal range in 21 patients (95%). In contrast, D-mannose was increased in the sera of 9 patients (41%), and D-galactose in 6 (27%). By comparison, the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was elevated in 14 patients (64%). The levels for serially determined serum protein-bound carbohydrates paralleled objective changes of response or progression in 5 patients with measurable disease. As might be expected, the degree and pattern of elevation for the individual carbohydrates varied for each patient studied. Combinations of serum protein-bound carbohydrates, particularly L-fucose and sialic acid, and, in addition, CEA, appear to have promise as potential biomarkers for following the course of the disease in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
The effectiveness of psychological profiles

Although psychological profiling of unknown offenders is becoming a popular media topic, there has been little research on the effectiveness of these profiles. In this study, surveys were sent to 95 police departments in the United States, asking participants to indicate if they use psychological profiles to solve crimes. The survey also asked whether the profile was helpful, and in what sense it was helpful. The results from this sample indicate that profiles are used mainly in cases of rape and homicide, and that police officers view profiles as an effective tool to guide interrogations of a suspect and to guide the criminal investigation but not necessarily to identify the suspect.
Patterns of plant diversity and plant–environmental relationships across three riparian corridors

Abstract Riparian corridors are often the ecosystem level component most sensitive to changes within the surrounding environment. High levels of variability and heterogeneity commonly characterize plant communities and plant species within riparian corridors. The overall aim of this study was to assess and characterize riparian forest vegetation (trees and shrubs) and its relationship to environmental attributes along three different riparian corridors. The three corridors represented different levels of disturbance. We wanted to determine if and how disturbance level in the riparian corridor, defined by existing land cover, might be influencing patterns of both native and non-native woody vegetation. Our specific objectives were to: (1) characterize and classify the tree and shrub layers across the three riparian corridors; (2) determine if riparian disturbance was a good predictor of plant diversity patterns; (3) assess the relationships between geomorphology and soils and tree and shrub vegetation; (4) ascertain any linkages between the tree and shrub layers; and (5) characterize the extent of non-native tree and shrub species across corridors. Our assumption that species diversity was negatively correlated with land cover disturbances was not fully supported. In addition, shrub species and tree species appear to be responding to different underlying gradients and in different ways. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) ordinations showed four distinct tree species assemblages that appeared to be responding to both underlying soil (pH, base saturation, NO3, Ca) and morphological (height above river, slope) gradients. However, no unique shrub assemblages could be distinguished in the DCA and CCA ordinations. In addition, other than pH, shrub plots did not exhibit strong correlations with any of the environmental variables measured. Thus, the tree and shrub layers appear to be uncoupled. The shrub layer does appear more susceptible to invasive non-native species than the tree layer although both non-native tree and shrub species appear to have been somewhat evenly distributed across the three riparian corridors. Overall, this study identified key underlying gradients, abiotic conditions and major soil factors that are influencing tree species in the three riparian corridors studied. The importance of shrub species as well as low frequency, non-dominant tree species contributions to diversity in these riparian forests should be emphasized in protection and conservation efforts. Disturbance, as determined by large-scale land cover patterns, provided only a partial explanation of woody species composition, structure and diversity in the riparian corridors.
On the molecular weight distribution polydispersity of continuous living‐radical polymerization

Batch living-radical polymerization techniques were used to produce polymers with molecular weight distributions approaching the narrowness of truly living (ionic) systems. Continuous reactors may offer some advantages for living polymerization in copolymer morphology, but continuous polymerization with any level of backmixing will broaden the molecular weight distribution. This study used simple moment techniques to demonstrate that idealized living-radical polymerization in a single stirred tank reactor will have a polydispersity of 2. This is also the theoretical minimum polydispersity for a truly living polymerization. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 539–542, 2004
Decryption of tissue factor

Tissue factor (TF) is a transmembrane protein which, in complex with factor (F)VIIa, initiates blood coagulation. Numerous studies have determined TF epitopes and individual amino acids which play an important role in the TF/FVIIa complex formation and its activity towards natural substrates. However the subject of cell-surface TF activity remains controversial. It has been almost commonly accepted that TF on the cell surface has low (if any) activity, i.e. is encrypted and requires specific conditions/reagents to become active, i.e. decrypted. One of the leading theories suggests that cell membrane lipid composition plays a crucial role in TF decryption, whereas another assigns the key role to the formation of the Cys186-Cys209 disulfide bond. Despite a number of studies published from several laboratories, the role of this bond in the activity of the TF/FVIIa complex remains elusive and controversial. One of the causes of this controversy could be related to the lack of specificity of the reagents used for the cell treatment leading to possible alterations in other cell surface proteins and cell membrane environment. In conclusion, the influence of the Cys186-Cys209 this bond on cell surface TF function remains unclear.
Exhaled Aerosol Transmission of Pandemic and Seasonal H1N1 Influenza Viruses in the Ferret

Person-to-person transmission of influenza viruses occurs by contact (direct and fomites) and non-contact (droplet and small particle aerosol) routes, but the quantitative dynamics and relative contributions of these routes are incompletely understood. The transmissibility of influenza strains estimated from secondary attack rates in closed human populations is confounded by large variations in population susceptibilities. An experimental method to phenotype strains for transmissibility in an animal model could provide relative efficiencies of transmission. We developed an experimental method to detect exhaled viral aerosol transmission between unanesthetized infected and susceptible ferrets, measured aerosol particle size and number, and quantified the viral genomic RNA in the exhaled aerosol. During brief 3-hour exposures to exhaled viral aerosols in airflow-controlled chambers, three strains of pandemic 2009 H1N1 strains were frequently transmitted to susceptible ferrets. In contrast one seasonal H1N1 strain was not transmitted in spite of higher levels of viral RNA in the exhaled aerosol. Among three pandemic strains, the two strains causing weight loss and illness in the intranasally infected ‘donor’ ferrets were transmitted less efficiently from the donor than the strain causing no detectable illness, suggesting that the mucosal inflammatory response may attenuate viable exhaled virus. Although exhaled viral RNA remained constant, transmission efficiency diminished from day 1 to day 5 after donor infection. Thus, aerosol transmission between ferrets may be dependent on at least four characteristics of virus-host relationships including the level of exhaled virus, infectious particle size, mucosal inflammation, and viral replication efficiency in susceptible mucosa.
Competitive prices for a stochastic input–output model with infinite time horizon

Consider a one-sector stochastic input–output model with infinite time horizon. The technology in each time period exhibits constant returns to scale on positive linear combinations of a finite number of basic input–output pairs. Furthermore, perfect information is available as a filtration generated by finite partitions of the state space. By definition, competitive prices require expected profit maximization in every time period. The Riesz representation of a sequence of competitive price functionals yields a state-price deflator with a supermartingale property. We show that there exists a competitive price system for some feasible program if and only if there is No Free Production (NFP). Furthermore, there exists a competitive price system for a particular program if and only if if NFP holds and the program is short-run efficient. This model includes a securities market model with or without convex cone trading constraints as a special case. Under these circumstances, NFP reduces to No Arbitrage and we recover a version of the fundamental theorem of asset pricing.
Atrial response during ventricular fibrillation

Abstract Electrical activity of the bundle of His and atria were recorded during sinus rhythm and electrically induced ventricular fibrillation in 23 dogs. Multiple bipolar atrial electrograms obtained from several sites within the right and left atria permitted the determination of the frequency, regularity, and sequence of atrial activation (i.e., sinus or retrograde) during ventricular fibrillation. Prior to the induction of ventricular fibrillation, the capacity to retrogradely conduct across the A-V node was tested in each animal by pacing the right ventricle at various cycle lengths. Fourteen animals demonstrated consistent 1:1 retrograde conduction at various paced cycle lengths (Group A); in four animals (Group B) retrograde conduction was intermittent and in three animals (Group C) no retrograde conduction was observed at any paced cycle length. Ventriculo-atrial conduction was also absent in two animals (Group D) with antegrade A-V block within the His-Purkinje system. The most common conduction pattern noted at the onset of ventricular fibrillation was that of rapid, irregular, retrograde activation of both the bundle of His and atria. However, the frequency of retrograde activation of the atria was less than that of the bundle of His indicating that the A-V node was a site of retrograde concealment of impulses. This conduction pattern was noted in all animals of Groups A and B. In all animals of Groups C and D, the atria continued to be activated in a sinus sequence during ventricular fibrillation. In Group C animals, the A-V node was the site of both antegrade and retrograde concealment. In the two animals with A-V block (Group D), the site of retrograde concealment was distal to the site of block. In six studies, retrograde A-V nodal Wenckebach cycles with and without re-entry were observed for varying periods of time. Less often, the irregular atrial responses during ventricular fibrillation were accounted for by short periods of sinus capture interspersed with periods of retrograde capture. During ventricular fibrillation, retrograde conduction across the A-V node could be abolished by vagal stimulation. The results of this study indicate that retrograde concealed conduction within the A-V node is the major determinant of an irregular atrial response during ventricular fibrillation just as antegrade concealed conduction is the major determinant of an irregular ventricular response during atrial fibrillation.
Intergroup Differentiation and Reduction of Intergroup Conflict

An integrative interpretation identifies three fonns of intergroup differentiation within the small group research literature and specifies how each may reduce or prevent informal conflict between groups. Two forms of evaluative intergroup differentiation can provide formal and symbolic substitutes for this conflict. Nonevaluative niche differentiation, in which groups enact equally valued, separate roles that may be similar qualitatively distinct, or interdependent, is identified as especially important in reducing or preventing informal intergroup conflict. Niche differentiation is viewed as differing according to the intergroup role relationships occurring in intergroup environments of varying maturity levels. In all settinigs, niche differentiation can reduce poteiitial and existing conflict by emphasizing larger intergroup concerns. Support for parts of this interpretation is found in the classic studies on intergroup conflict by Sherif atid in related work. Applications are briefly discussed, includ...
Multiplierless Design of Biorthogonal Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transform using Lifting Scheme

In this work, we present the design, implementation and application of two families of biorthogonal dual-tree complex wavelet transform (CWT) filters using lifting scheme. The first design is achieved using exhaustive search with coding gain, DC leakage and directional selectivity as the fundamental criteria. The second set of filters are derived from the biorthogonal design procedure that was recently suggested by Selesnick. Furthermore, this paper also introduces a new theorem that suggests that lifting implementation of filters that are time-reversals of each other is closely related. Various applications are presented to validate the proposed design scheme, including performance in denoising as well as in the JPEG-2000 image coding standard.
An electronically controlled piezoelectric insulin pump and valves

A miniature piezoelectric pump and valves with electronic controls for programmed release of insulin is described. The pumping volume and pressure as a function of voltage are calculated and experimentally verified. The volume pumped per stroke is 19 μcc/V and pump pressure is l mm-Hg/V. The pumping rate can be varied from one stroke per second to any slower rate and is controllebdy a quartz crystal oscillator. Pump and valve driver circuits are given.
A new technological approach to radiant heat whole body hyperthermia.

Abstract A new methodology for administering radiant heat whole body hyperthermia (WBH) in humans is described. The technology utilized circulates hot water in a cylinder constructed from copper tubing; the design incorporates a counter current distribution system to maintain thermal constancy. The tubing is coated with a temperature resistant high emissivity finish. Other features include a humidification system to eliminate evaporative heat losses. Data accured from initial evaluation of this apparatus with a canine model shows that there was no detectable WBH-related hematological, biochemical or physiological toxicity. The perceived advantages of this WBH-system are discussed.
Analysis of orbital configurations for geocenter determination with GPS and low-Earth orbiters

We use a series of simulated scenarios to characterize the observability of geocenter location with GPS tracking data. We examine in particular the improvement realized when a GPS receiver in low Earth orbit (LEO) augments the ground network. Various orbital configurations for the LEO are considered and the observability of geocenter location based on GPS tracking is compared to that based on satellite laser ranging (SLR). The distance between a satellite and a ground tracking-site is the primary measurement, and Earth rotation plays important role in determining the geocenter location. Compared to SLR, which directly and unambiguously measures this distance, terrestrial GPS observations provide a weaker (relative) measurement for geocenter location determination. The estimation of GPS transmitter and receiver clock errors, which is equivalent to double differencing four simultaneous range measurements, removes much of this absolute distance information. We show that when ground GPS tracking data are augmented with precise measurements from a GPS receiver onboard a LEO satellite, the sensitivity of the data to geocenter location increases by more than a factor of two for Z-component. The geometric diversity underlying the varying baselines between the LEO and ground stations promotes improved global observability, and renders the GPS technique comparable to SLR in terms of information content for geocenter location determination. We assess a variety of LEO orbital configurations, including the proposed orbit for the geodetic reference antenna in space mission concept. The results suggest that a retrograde LEO with altitude near 3,000 km is favorable for geocenter determination.
SERVDIV: A Vedic Approach to Measurement of Service Quality

Measurement of service quality is the key determinant in the success of a service business. Measuring service quality has proven to be an exceptionally difficult challenge because of the intangibility and heterogeneity of services. Quality of service cannot be compared against a preset external standard because it could literally vary from moment to moment, and is subject to wild swings in the perceptions of the same service consumption experience by the consumer and the provider. The demographic and the psychographic background of the two parties involved can have unpredictable effects on the quality of services. Previous attempts to measure service quality such as SERVQUAL have gotten bogged down in the cyclical tussle between consumer expectations and the actual delivery of such expectations. This article attempts to correct the problem by introducing an external standard from the ancient Vedic tradition that has flourished in the Indian Subcontinent for more than 6,000 years. This standard is based on...
The specificity of allergic reactions. I. Delayed versus Arthus hypersensitivity.

Guinea pigs sensitized with either hen, duck, or goose egg albumin showed delayed hypersensitivity followed by Arthus reactions to the homologous antigen, but tended to have much weaker delayed responses and slower antibody formation to heterologous antigens. Guinea pigs with delayed hypersensitivity to one of the avian antigens had a slower antibody response to a secondary injection of heterologous antigen than to one of the homologous antigen. Sensitization with a protein conjugated with a hapten such as picryl chloride (Pi) or dinitrofluorobenzene (DFB) resulted in delayed hypersensitivity to the homologous conjugate, the homologous protein, and the homologous protein with a heterologous hapten. Circulating antibody and Arthus reactions occurred subsequently to the homologous conjugate, as well as to the homologous hapten attached to a heterologous protein. Delayed hypersensitivity thus seemed associated with the protein moiety, and Arthus responses with the hapten. Anamnestic responses followed injection of an antigen causing delayed hypersensitivity, but not of a hapten not causing delayed reactions. Thus, animals sensitized initially with Pi·HEA, DFB·HEA, or HEA produced antibodies sooner after a secondary injection of Pi·HEA than did unsensitized animals. No anamnestic response resulted when animals sensitized to Pi·BGG were injected with Pi·HEA. Thus, delayed hypersensitivity is indicated to be a preliminary and immature step in the immune process, with specificity directed against broad, more general features of the protein antigen. This intermediate step is followed by production of circulating antibody to any antigen having a similar basic structure, with the specificity of the antibody also directed against smaller immunologically active sites on the antigen molecule.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Urethral Prolapse in Children: Experience With 34 Cases

OBJECTIVES To retrospectively review 34 cases of urethral prolapse at an inner-city institution with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment in the pediatric population. METHODS We performed a retrospective chart review of 34 patients of all age groups with urethral prolapse treated at our institution and reviewed the relevant published data. RESULTS A total of 34 patients with urethral prolapse were treated at our institution during a 23-year period. The diagnosis was made mainly by physical examination. The findings from the history, physical examination, and pertinent laboratory investigations were reviewed. Most patients were treated successfully with excision of the prolapsed mucosa circumferentially over a Foley catheter and discharged home within 24 hours of the operation. No major complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS Urethral prolapse primarily affects premenarchal black girls and should be treated promptly with excision of the prolapsed mucosa and early hospital discharge.
Infective endocarditis associated superior mesenteric artery pseudoaneurysm.

Background Since William Osler first described mycotic aneurysms in the setting of endocarditis in 1885, few pseudoaneurysms (PAs) of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) have been reported in the literature. We report 2 cases of SMA PA related to infective endocarditis that were managed with open surgery. Results Here we report 2 cases of SMA PAs treated with different surgical techniques. A 59-year-old male with a history of intravenous drug use presented with abdominal pain and was found to have Streptococcus viridans endocarditis and an SMA PA. A laparotomy was performed, and proximal and distal control of the SMA PA was obtained. After ensuring that Doppler signals were still present in the distal mesentery and the entirety of the bowel was viable, the SMA was ligated proximal and distal to the PA. The patient recovered uneventfully. The second case is a 35-year-old female who presented with abdominal pain and was found to have Streptococcos gordonii endocarditis and an SMA PA for which the patient was initially observed. After several weeks, the patient's condition deteriorated and the patient underwent open ligation of the SMA, proximal and distal to the PA, with a bypass from the infrarenal abdominal aorta to a distal unnamed SMA branch and resection of 3 ft of ischemic small bowel. The patient continued to have recurrent bowel ischemia over the next several weeks and ultimately died. Conclusions SMA PAs associated with infective endocarditis are rare, but carry a high risk of rupture and associated morbidity and mortality. Delay in surgical management may increase this risk.
Interactions Between Personality Type and the Experimental Methods

The authors bring together two research streams in the literature that examine separately the effectiveness of using experiments in the principles classroom and the relationship between different personality types and student achievement. Using a sample of 255 principles of microeconomics students, 48 of whom were enrolled in sections that relied heavily on classroom experiments, they estimate the effectiveness of experimental teaching across personality types defined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Although students enrolled in the experimental sections generally outperformed students in lecture-oriented classes, the authors ask whether students with certain personality types (and corresponding learning styles) would have performed better under traditional pedagogy. The experimental approach appears to benefit, or be neutral with respect to, most personality types and learning styles. Some evidence indicates that students in the experimental classroom whose thinking tends to be more concrete and fact...
Decreased empathic sensitivity for distressed infants in neurotic adults: The mediating role of remembered parental rejection

The primary purpose of the present research was to determine whether negative reactions to infant distress in neurotic adults are mediated by representations of same sex parental rejection. Participants were 308 adult males and females who completed questionnaires assessing their personality and their representations of their parents’ care-giving from childhood. Participants also reported their own empathic reactions toward emotionally distressed and non-distressed infants. The present findings revealed that neuroticism significantly predicted a greater recall of parental rejection which, in turn, predicted decreased empathy ratings for distressed infants. In addition, recollections of father rejection mediated the relation between neuroticism and empathy in men, while recollections of maternal rejection mediated the relation between these variables in women.
Sustainable Engineering Assessment Using Rubric-Based Analysis of Challenge Question Responses

AbstractA method to evaluate students’ application of sustainability principles into engineering design and problem solving was developed. Students were presented with two challenge questions that each posed a scenario. Students responded to one question and their answers were scored using a rubric that combined both analytic and holistic scoring criteria to account for sustainability principles. The rubric was iteratively developed and met standard measures of reliability and validity. Based on responses from primarily civil and environmental engineering students at three institutions, it was found that male students, seniors, and participants in many diverse learning activities (extracurricular service, internships, undergraduate research, and engineering design courses) achieved higher rubric scores. Scores on the challenge questions did not correlate to students’ interests in sustainable engineering, which were measured using a Likert-based survey. A challenge-question approach to formative assessment...
Ergonomics practice in manufacturing

To improve the practice of ergonomics, particularly its implementation in manufacturing, the mission of the discipline itself must be examined with respect to the mission of manufacturing industry. Examples of theoretical foundations of ergonomics show a consistent response to practical demands. The environment in which ergonomics operates, in this case manufacturing, is also responding to changed demands. Global competition is forcing industries to be concerned with both their strategic plans and the detailed implementation of continuous improvement. Both concerns have strong implications for how ergonomics practice is conducted. Examples of successful ergonomics implementation in this changing environment suggest that the profession should consider operating at a more strategic level if it wishes to achieve detailed changes at a lower level.
Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 and blood pressure regulation

Prostaglandin E (PGE) 2 is a major arachidonic acid metabolite in a wide variety of tissues and is implicated in the control of inflammatory as well as physiological responses. At least three major forms of PGE synthase (PGES) have recently been cloned and characterized: membrane-associated PGES (mPGES)-1, mPGES-2, and cytosolic PGES (cPGES). Among them, mPGES-1 is highly inducible by cytokine and is critically involved in pain and inflammatory responses. Emerging evidence suggests that mPGES-1 may also participate in blood pressure (BP) regulation through an impact on renal and vascular functions. Within the kidney, mPGES-1 predominates in the distal nephron where its expression is highly inducible by salt loading. Mice lacking mPGES-1 exhibit blunted natriuretic response paralleled with remarkably suppressed nitric oxide production, leading to salt-sensitive hypertension. These mice also exhibit an exaggerated hypertensive response to angiotensin II infusion. Together, these results suggest that mPGES-1 may be an important physiological regulator of BP.
Innovation in diamond

This historical review of the progress of innovation in diamond research is discussed comparing it with the history of other materials. The innovation steps in current diamond technology are shaped by the fact that diamond is a functional material. This series of innovations was mainly brought about by the discovery of CVD methods of synthesizing diamond from the gas phase. Many kinds of expected applications have been proposed. Success in demonstrating diamond electronic devices has been achieved, and atomic scale observations on diamond growth are reported. Thus, even atomic scale control in synthesizing diamond looks quite realistic in the near future. Although such new data enhance the applications of diamond, most industrial applications of diamond still rely on its hardness. Innovation with diamond will be accelerated when a product using diamond as a functional material is used widely.
Beyond the machine model of the firm, toward a holistic human model

Abstract According to mainstream economic theory, businesses are essentially machines, vehicles for transforming inputs into outputs. Although useful for some purposes, this theory unfortunately fails to account for some very important differences between companies. What is missing from the machine model of the firm are the soft ingredients such as leadership, vision, passion, ethical principle, character, empowerment, self-realization, commitment, community, and inspiration. The reason they are missing is that these “soft” factors are considered to be incompatible with the “hard” nature of economic theory. Contrary to the conventional economic wisdom, the present paper develops a holistic model of the firm that incorporates both hard and soft ingredients.
Linking teratogen information service and birth defects registry databases to improve knowledge of birth defect status

BACKGROUND: Although teratogen information services (TISs) obtain maternal exposure information from their callers, such services often do not know if the pregnancies were affected by a birth defect. This study attempted to improve the completeness of this information for Texas Teratogen Information Service (TTIS) callers by linking their records with the Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDR) and Texas birth certificates (TBCs). METHODS: A total of 344 expectant mothers called TTIS with expected dates of delivery between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2001. These pregnancies were linked with TBDR and TBC data. The percentages of pregnancies with known birth defect information both before and after the linkage were compared. RESULTS: The TTIS originally collected birth defect status information for 101 of the 344 callers (29.4%) and 0.6% of all 344 callers or 2.0% of callers with birth defect status information had a pregnancy affected by a birth defect. Linking TTIS records with TBDR and TBC data helped to raise the percentage of callers with birth defect status information from 29.4% to 71.5%. Among those callers, the percentage known to have birth defects increased from 2.0% to 4.1%. The sensitivity of TTIS follow-up calls in identifying birth defects was 50%, and the specificity was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Linking TTIS caller records with TBDR and TBC data significantly increased both the percentage of pregnancies with birth defect status information and the percentage of pregnancies identified as affected by birth defects. Such linkage may be a good approach by which TISs can increase the completeness of their birth defect status information.
Blood flow in gingiva and alveolar bone in beagles with periodontal disease

Radiolabeled microspheres were used to measure gingival and alveolar bone blood flow in beagles with periodontal disease. The severity of periodontal disease was determined using radiographs, and the percent alveolar bone loss around specific tooth areas was calculated. Gingiva and alveolar bone blood flows were lowest in dogs with minimal periodontal disease ( 20% bone loss) had periodontal blood flows 250–400% greater (p < .05). In all animals maxillary alveolar bone had higher blood flow than corresponding mandibular bone (p < .05) whereas gingival blood flow between jaws was similar.
Population based analysis of survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma and venous tumor thrombus.

Abstract Objectives To identify prognostic factors for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with venous tumor thrombus (VTT) and determine the significance of thrombus level on survival. Materials and methods Patients within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database with RCC and VTT were identified and included if managed surgically. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with disease-specific survival. Results A total of 1,875 patients met the inclusion criteria. One-year survival for patients undergoing surgery was 60% for patients with metastases and 90% for those without. Factors associated with worse survival included larger tumor size (HR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0–1.4), medullary, collecting duct, or sarcomatoid histology (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5–3.3), Fuhrman grade 3 (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5–3.3) or grade 4 (HR 2.9, 95% CI 1.8–4.5) tumors, positive lymph nodes (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0–2.0), and metastases (HR 3.5, 95% CI 2.6–4.8). Thrombus level above the diaphragm (T3c) was not significantly associated with worse survival (HR 1.4, 95% CI 0.8–2.5). Conclusions In this large, population-based study of patients with RCC and VTT, we identify several disease-specific factors strongly associated with cancer-specific mortality. After controlling for adverse prognostic factors, thrombus level was not associated with worse outcome.
The effects of intermittent nitrogen dioxide exposure on vitamin E-deficient and -sufficient rats

Abstract In two separate experiments rats fed vitamin E-deficient, normal or high vitamin E-supplemented diets were intermittently exposed to 15 ppm ± 1.0 ppm nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) over a 5-week (4 days/week, total of 31.5 h exposure) or an 18-week (5 days/week, total of 93.5 h exposure) period. In the 5-week, NO 2 -exposed rats, the blood methemoglobin levels were not influenced by NO 2 exposure or the level of vitamin E in the diet. Tissues of the rats exposed to NO 2 for 18 weeks showed some histological changes; in the lung, increased atelectasis and alveolar thickening and in the liver, increased granular changes, karyolysis and karyorhexis. These differences were suppressed by increasing levels of dietary vitamin E. Tissue lipofuscin pigment (LFP) concentrations were not affected by NO 2 exposure or dietary vitamin E. Fatty acid distribution of lung lipid extracts showed no changes due to NO 2 exposure; however, some effects of dietary vitamin E could be seen. The results suggest that intermittent NO 2 exposure, under the described conditions, did not cause ultimate changes of the biochemical parameters measured.
The Hough transform on a reconfigurable multi-ring network

Abstract A novel reconfigurable network referred to as the Reconfigurable Multi-Ring Network (RMRN) is described. The RMRN is shown to be a truly scalable network, in that each node in the network has a fixed degree of connectivity and the reconfiguration mechanism ensures a network diameter of O (log 2 N ) for an N -processor network. Algorithms for the 2-D mesh and the SIMD n -cube are shown to map very elegantly onto the RMRN. Basic message passing and reconfiguration primitives for the SIMD RMRN are designed which could be used as building blocks for more complex parallel algorithms. The RMRN is shown to be a viable architecture for image processing and computer vision problems via the parallel computation of the Hough transform. The parallel implementation of the Y -angle Hough transform of an N × N image is showed to have a asymptotic complexity of O ( Y log 2 Y + log 2 N ) on the SIMD RMRN with O ( N 2 ) processors. This compares favorably with the O ( Y + log 2 N ) optimal algorithm for the same Hough transform on the MIMD n -cube with O ( N 2 ) processors.
Evaluation of the bioeffects of prenatal ultrasound exposure in the cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis): III. Developmental and hematologic studies.

The multiple applications of diagnostic ultrasound in obstet- rics have resulted in a continued rise in the prenatal population exposed each year. Although human epidemiologic and experimental studies with various animal models have not consistently documented any significant, reproducible findings related to clinically relevant exposures, technologic changes in scan- ning equipment and gaps in our knowledge regarding the interactiods) of ul- trasound with tissues emphasize the need to pursue safety issues. Studies with nonhuman primates have provided information on the potential for pre and postnatal effects on offspring exposed repeatedly during gestation (ATL MK 600, 7.5 MHz, Ism* = 27 mW/cmz; IsrpA = 85 Wicm'; Estimated power = 12 mW-scanned for 10 min 5 times weekly gestational day (GDl 20-35; 3 times weekly GD 36-60; once weekly for 20 min GD 60-1501. These studies have indicated transient effects on body weight, white blood cell counts (WBCs), and muscle tone postnatally. In an effort to confirm these findings and focus on hematologic changes, a second series of studies was initiated using the same exposure conditions (N = 22; 11 exposed, 11 sham controls). Data derived from both studies were combined and confirmed transient reductions in body weights for infants up through 4 months of age (P 5 0.03); no statistically significant differences in muscle tone were noted. Similar to the original findings, WBCs were transiently reduced on days 3 (P 5 0.02) and 21 (P 5 0.05); prenatal sampling indicated a significant difference between the groups on GD 140 (P 5 0.04). No direct effects were evident in bone marrow aspirates collected on postnatal days 3, 9, and 21 2 1. Although animals were able to compensate for these observed changes and remained unaffected by their occurrence, additional studies will be required to further our understanding of this phenomenon. 0 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
From Budapest to Maastricht. Perspectives and problems of the eastward enlargement of the euro area

In 2004 the European Union will be enlarged to include ten new Member States, eight of them from the former Soviet bloc. These countries have made outstanding progress in terms of macroeconomic development in recent years, but there remain a number of specific problems which raise doubts as to the future monetary integration of these countries. Hungary is a case in point that illustrates both the achievements and the difficulties of the transition process. In July 2003 the Hungarian government and the National Bank of Hungary (NBH) announced in a joint declaration that Hungary would introduce the euro as national currency on 1 January 2008. The political elite, the policy-makers and the wider public take for granted the benefits of replacing the forint with the euro, while repeated turbulence on the financial markets highlights the fragility of convergence and currency reform. This article discusses various aspects of this unusual period of monetary history.
The patterns of prolactin release by ECT and TRH compared.

Abstract The patterns of prolactin release after bilateral ECT and after 0.4 mg TRH i.v. were studied in 11 female melancholic patients in a 5-min sampling protocol. Mean prolactin peaking times were 10.2 min after ECT and 20.5 min after TRH. The elimination rate coefficients were significantly lower - and the corresponding half-lives longer - for prolactin released by TRH than by ECT. A significant posive correlation of the maximal prolactin responses by the two stimuli was also found.
Urine concentrations of ammonia, urea and uric acid in the green turtle, Chelonia mydas

Abstract 1. 1. Concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen, urea-nitrogen and uric acid-nitrogen are given for urine samples collected from four green turtles caught on their feeding grounds in the Miskito Cays, Nicaragua. 2. 2. Of the three components measured, urea is present in the highest concentrations and ammonia in the lowest. 3. 3. The pH of the urine varies from 5.5 to 8.9. Both pale-yellow and dark-green urine were observed.
Hot embossing of poly(lactic acid) films for an embedded cochlear implant stiffener

Externally attached stiffeners/actuators are required for providing structural rigidity to flexible parylene-based cochlear implants for maintaining a perimodiolar shape in the post-implantation phase. Such backing devices being bulky add dead volume to the implant making the fluid-filled scala tympani chamber more congested during insertion resulting in shallow insertion depth. A thin film parylene array with integrated stiffener will provide a smaller implant cross-section potentially allowing a deeper implantation. A novel fabrication method for embedded cochlear implant stiffener structures by hot embossing of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films is reported. PLA packaging film has been hot embossed on parylene coated silicon substrates using a custom fixture. Embossing results show good pattern transfer fidelity. Rigidity of the embossed stiffeners has been compared with the structural rigidity of poly (ethylene terephthalate) actuators.
An amphipathic alpha-helix at a membrane interface: a structural study using a novel X-ray diffraction method.

The amphipathic alpha-helix is a recurrent feature of membrane-active proteins, peptides, and toxins. Despite extensive biophysical studies, the structural details of its affinity for membrane interfaces remain rather vague. We report here the first results of an effort to obtain detailed structural information about alpha-helices in membranes by means of a novel X-ray diffraction method. Specifically, we determined the transbilayer position and orientation of an archetypal class A amphipathic helical peptide in oriented fluid-state dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) bilayers. The peptide, Ac-18A-NH2(Ac-DWLKAFYDKVAEKLKEAF-NH2), is a model for class A amphipathic helices of apolipoprotein A-I and other exchangeable lipoproteins. The diffraction method relies upon experimental determinations of absolute scattering-length density profiles along the bilayer normal and the transbilayer distribution of the DOPC double bonds by means of specific bromination, and molecular modeling of the perturbed lipid bilayer (derived using the transbilayer distribution of the double bonds) and the peptide. The diffraction results showed that Ac-18A-NH2was located in the bilayer interface and that its transbilayer distribution could be described by a Gaussian function with a 1/e-halfwidth of 4.5(+/-0.3) A located 17.1(+/-0.3) A from the bilayer center, close to the glycerol moiety. Molecular modeling suggested that Ac-18A-NH2is helical and oriented generally parallel with the bilayer plane. The helicity and orientation were confirmed by oriented circular dichroism measurements. The width of the Gaussian distribution, a measure of the diameter of the helix, indicated that the Ac-18A-NH2helix penetrated the hydrocarbon core to about the level of the DOPC double bonds. Bilayer perturbations caused by Ac-18A-NH2were surprisingly modest, consisting of a slight decrease in bilayer thickness with a concomitant shift of the double-bond distribution toward the bilayer center, as expected from a small increase in lipid-specific area caused by the peptide.
ON THE SECOND HOMOLOGY GROUP OF THE DISCRETE GROUP OF DIFFEOMORPHISMS OF THE CIRCLE

Abstract Let G be the discrete group of orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of the circle, and let H be the subgroup of diffeomorphisms which are the identity in a neighborhood of a given point. It is proved that there is a short exact sequence in the integral homology of groups 0→H 2 (H)→H 2 (G) → E Z→0 . The epimorphism E can be identified with the Euler class for transversally foliated circle bundles. The sequence has a natural interpretation in terms of cobordism classes of foliated bundles with Euler class equal to 0.
Gender please, without the gender police: rethinking pain in archetypal narratives of butch, transgender, and FTM masculinity.

Why is it that many of the often-cited narratives about butch, FTM, and/or transgender masculinity happen to be fictions that highlight suffering as a de facto rite of passage for the butch, FTM, or transgendered protagonist? This essay attempts to answer that question, first by outlining the "coherentist assumptions" of lesbian feminism and the forms of gender-policing that cast butch, FTM, and transgendered subjectivities as "false consciousness." It then analyzes the practice of anchoring butch, FTM, and/or transgender identity claims in pain-filled narratives such as "The Well of Loneliness," "Stone Butch Blues," and "Boys Don't Cry." While these narratives do important cultural work-exposing the violence heaped upon butches, FTMs, and transgendered guys-it may be time to imagine alternative narratives that are less invested in suffering as a barometer of masculine authenticity. Language: en
Early onset of reduced morphine analgesia by ingestion of sweet solutions

Morphine analgesia can be reduced by prior exposure to food and flavored fluids. The early onset of reduced morphine-induced analgesia (RMA) was studied in 82 male Wistar rats after allowing them access to either a dextrose-saccharin solution or unflavored tap water for 6 or 3 h (Experiment 1, n = 40) or for 3 h, 90, or 45 min (Experiment 2, n = 42). Morphine (4 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously at the end of the drinking period, and after 25 min a series of tail flick tests was conducted. Morphine produced strong analgesia in all rats that drank unflavored tap water; however, in rats that drank the flavored solution, the analgesic effect of morphine was significantly attenuated following exposures of 6 or 3 h, but not following exposures of 90 or 45 min. Similar quantities of flavored fluid were consumed by groups at all exposure durations; thus, RMA was determined by duration of exposure and not amount consumed. No analgesia attributable to flavor consumption per se was observed. The results suggest that RMA is mediated by endogenous opioid activity in the gustatory and analgesic systems by a mechanism akin to tolerance that requires about 3 h to operate.