cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 20 – Thyroid Function

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the anatomy and physiology of the thyroid gland and its diseases as a corollary to the understanding of the pathophysiology of the thyroid gland in disease. Emphasis is placed on the physiological bases of a variety of thyroid function tests, most of which are now readily available to a veterinary clinician. Disorders of the thyroid gland are the most common endocrine disorders in humans. Among the domestic animals, thyroid function and its diseases are well known in companion animals, but less so in other animals, domestic or wild. In livestock, nutritional iodine deficiencies have been of greater importance than thyroid gland diseases, particularly in the iodine-deficient areas of the world. The importance of thyroid function and its diseases has also become progressively more important as the longevity of companion animals has increased. This chapter begins with a discussion on anatomical considerations of thyroid. The chapter then discusses in detail the nutritional requirements, iodine metabolism, and functions of the thyroid gland. The chapter also elaborates catabolism and excretion of thyroid hormones. The chapter concludes with presenting concepts related to thyroid function tests and different diseases of the thyroid.
A comparison of maternal and perinatal outcomes with vaginal delivery: indicated induction versus spontaneous labor.

Objective: To determine if there is a difference in the maternal and perinatal characteristics and outcomes of women undergoing a medically indicated labor induction and delivering vaginally compar...
Factors Associated With Hypoglycemia Among Neonates Born to Mothers With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of the neonate is a common complication because the hyperglycemic intrauterine environment leads to a relative increase in fetal insulin secretion (1). After delivery, persistent insulin elevation results in neonatal hypoglycemia that can be identified by clinical symptoms or routine screening. Exposure to GDM and hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia have been associated with neurological sequelae and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes (1) as well as long-term metabolic abnormalities including type 2 diabetes and childhood obesity (2). Despite the morbidity associated with neonatal hypoglycemia, there is a paucity of data on predictors of the condition. The goal of this secondary analysis was to evaluate pregnancy characteristics among neonates who developed hypoglycemia within the first 24 h of life compared with those who did not. The prospective cohort study was performed at a single academic medical center between January 2016 and June 2018. Women included were ≥18 years old, diagnosed with GDM during their pregnancy, and enrolled during their postpartum hospitalization. Following enrollment, demographic, obstetric, and neonatal data were obtained from the electronic medical record. Included in this analysis were 597 pregnancies among which 234 neonates (39%) had hypoglycemia and 363 neonates (61%) did …
Coronavirus Infections in the Nervous System of Children: A Scoping Review Making the Case for Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Surveillance.

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to describe the case literature of human coronavirus infections in the nervous system of children, including from SARS-CoV-2, and to provide guidance to pediatric providers for managing the potential long-term effects on neurodevelopment of human coronavirus infections in the nervous system. Methods Using a structured strategy, the PubMed and Ovid:Embase databases were queried for articles about the clinical presentation and pathophysiology of coronavirus infections in the nervous system of children and young adults, aged 0 to 24 years. Results Of 2302 articles reviewed, 31 described SARS-CoV-2 infections in the nervous system of children and 21 described other human coronaviruses: HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1. Excepting MERS-CoV, we found cases of neurological disease in children from each human coronavirus. Children with non-SARS-CoV-2 infections have suffered acute flaccid paralysis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, encephalitis, and seizures. In addition, cases of ischemic, hemorrhagic, and microvascular strokes have occurred in children with SARS-CoV-2. Patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children have suffered encephalitis, stroke, pseudotumor cerebri syndrome, and cytotoxic lesions of deep brain structures. Despite these reports, few articles evaluated the impact of human coronavirus infections on long-term neurodevelopmental domains including cognitive, language, academic, motor, and psychosocial outcomes. Conclusions Neurological manifestations of human coronavirus infections can cause severe disease in children. The case literature suggests a critical gap in knowledge of the long-term effects on child neurodevelopment of these infections. As the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues, this gap must be filled to facilitate optimal outcomes in recovering children.
Abstract WP197: Patient-Reported Physical Outcomes Measures in Mild-to-Moderate Stroke and TIA Patients

Introduction: Mild-to-moderate stroke and TIA patients are discharged directly home, but may have residual physical disability. The purpose of this study was to compare distributions of three patie...
Does preoperative MRI accurately stratify early-stage HER2 + breast cancer patients to upfront surgery vs neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

HER2 +- amplified breast cancer patients derive benefit from treatment with anti-HER2-targeted therapy. Though adjuvant treatment is based on final pathology, decisions regarding neoadjuvant chemotherapy are made in the preoperative setting with imaging playing a key role in staging. We examined the accuracy of pre-operative imaging in determining pathological tumor size (pT) in patients undergoing upfront surgery. Early (cT1–T2N0) HER2 + breast cancer patients who underwent upfront surgery between 2015 and 2016 were identified from a prospective institutional database. We compared data for both clinical and final pathologic stage. Only those who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), mammography, and ultrasound in the preoperative setting were included in the analysis. Adjuvant treatment regimens were reviewed. We identified 87 cT1–2N0 patients with invasive HER2 + breast cancer who underwent upfront surgery. Median age was 52 years (IQR 43, 58) and median tumor size was 1.1 cm (IQR 0.5, 1.6). Fifteen patients (17%) were upstaged to stage II/III based on final pathology. Thirty-seven patients were T1cN0 on final pathology; 8 were cT1a–bN0 preop and 12 had pT overestimated by MRI by an average of 1.5 cm (> 0.5–1.5 cm). Compared to both mammography and MRI, the imaging modality most predictive of pT was ultrasound (p = 0.000072 ultrasound vs mammography and 0.000042 ultrasound vs MRI). For small HER2 + cN0 tumors undergoing upfront surgery, ultrasound was the imaging modality most predictive of pT. MRI overestimated tumor size in approximately 40% of patients. MRI may not accurately discriminate low-volume tumor burden in the breast and carries the potential of overtreatment in the upfront setting.
Being certain that negative events will happen or that positive events will not happen: Depressive predictive certainty and change in suicide ideation over time.

INTRODUCTION Relatively little research has examined the precise components of hopelessness that increase vulnerability to suicidal thinking. We examined whether certainty about an absence of positive future outcomes (Certainty-AP) would more strongly predict suicide ideation over time than certainty about negative future outcomes (Certainty-N). METHOD Young adults (N = 208), ages 18-34 (M = 19.08, SD = 2.22), with either recent suicide ideation, suicide attempt history, or past-year psychiatric diagnosis were assessed four times over 18 months. RESULTS We used multilevel modeling to assess within-participant differences in suicide ideation over time. Both Certainty-AP and Certainty-N predicted later suicide ideation above and beyond generalized hopelessness and depressive symptoms, when examined in separate models. However, Certainty-AP emerged as a stronger predictor of suicide ideation than Certainty-N when examined in the same model. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that certainty about an absence of positive future outcomes may have a more unique prospective relationship to SI than certainty about the presence of negative future outcomes. We discuss clinical and theoretical implications of these findings.
The transcriptomic revolution and radiation biology.

PURPOSE This article will briefly review the origins and evolution of functional genomics, first describing the experimental technology, and then some of the approaches applied to data analysis and visualization. It will emphasize application of functional genomics to radiation biology, using examples from the author's work to illustrate several key types of analysis. It concludes with a look at non-coding RNA, alternative reading of the genome, and single-cell transcriptomics, some of the innovative areas that may help to shape future research in radiation biology and oncology. CONCLUSIONS Transcriptomic approaches have provided insight into many areas of radiation biology and medicine, and innovations in technology and data analysis approaches promise continued contributions to radiation science in the future.
Consciousness: Philosophy’s Great White Whale

On the assumption that phenomenal consciousness (the what-it-is-like) is real, and ruling out Cartesian isolation from the non-mental world, we have two choices for its introduction: either it comes about in the course of the development of the non-conscious realm or it was there from the beginning. The latter comprises versions of panpsychism, a recently trending view in some quarters. In their view the former are broadly taken to be versions of emergentism, embracing even non-eliminatiivist materialisms. After producing what seem to me to be powerful objections to panpsychism, I defend emergentism against pansychist attacks on it. As I explain, my version is also dualist. Finally, with respect to both outlooks I briefly review the prospects of a rapidly advancing AI for expanding (or replacing!) the current population of natural mental subjects.
Weak correlations in health services research: Weak relationships or common error?

Objective To examine whether the correlation between a provider's effect on one population of patients and the same provider's effect on another population is under-estimated if the effects for each population are estimated separately as opposed to being jointly modeled as random-effects, and to characterize how the impact of the estimation procedure varies with sample-size. Data sources Medicare claims and enrollment data on emergency department (ED) visits, including patient characteristics, the patient's hospitalization status, and identification of the doctor responsible for the decision to hospitalize the patient. Study design We used a three-pronged investigation consisting of analytical derivation, simulation experiments, and analysis of administrative data to demonstrate the fallibility of stratified estimation. Under each investigation method, results are compared between the joint modeling approach to those based on stratified analyses. Data collection/extraction methods We used data on ED visits from administrative claims from traditional (fee-for-service) Medicare from January 2012 through September 2015. Principal findings The simulation analysis demonstrates that the joint modeling approach is generally close to unbiased whereas the stratified approach can be severely biased in small samples, a consequence of joint modeling benefitting from bivariate shrinkage and the stratified approach being compromised by measurement error. In the administrative data analyses, the estimated correlation of doctor admission tendencies between female and male patients was estimated to be 0.98 under the joint model but only 0.38 using stratified estimation. The analogous correlations for white and non-white patients are 0.99 and 0.28 and for Medicaid dual-eligible and non-dual-eligible patients are 0.99 and 0.31, respectively. These results are consistent with the analytical derivations. Conclusions Joint modeling targets the parameter of primary interest. In the case of population correlations, it yields estimates that are substantially less biased and higher in magnitude than naive estimators that post-process the estimates obtained from stratified models. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Relationship of Physical Fitness to Selected Measures of Popularity

(1966). Relationship of Physical Fitness to Selected Measures of Popularity. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 286-288.
Bankruptcy Law for Productivity

The accepted economic function of bankruptcy law is that it resolves collective action problems between self-interested creditors. This article argues that this collective-action-resolving function is only one of a multitude of expressions of an overarching economic motivation of bankruptcy law. Bankruptcy law seeks to avoid productivity-destroying consequences of insolvency. The principal expressions of this policy are more prominent features of the bankruptcy system than its collective-action-resolving provisions. The fresh start policy avoids the destruction of individual productivity incentives. The reorganization chapter avoids misallocations and false liquidations due to credit crunches and disrupted markets. The creation of trust funds for future victims of past torts solves the erroneous liquidation incentive that a vicious cycle of tort-driven insolvencies creates. The priority of tort claims during the reorganization cures wasteful incentives for sub-optimal care. None of these fundamental choices is explained as a solution to creditors' collective action problem. Moreover, the resolution of the creditors' collective action problem prevents the destruction of value, becoming itself one more expression in this group of avoiding the economic distortions that insolvency may cause. Closing, I argue that bankruptcy law must address these concerns because they require a study of the debtor's relations in their totality that state law is unlikely to be able to perform. The desired regulatory competition should be provided in the context of the structure of the federal judiciary.
Abstract 20311: MYBPC3 Mutations Causative for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Result in Locus-Dependent Alterations in Cellular Localization and Contractility

Introduction: Mutations in MYBPC3 resulting in truncated proteins are the most common genetic cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Whether lack of sufficient MYBPC3 protein is the primary disease mechanism is controversial. We hypothesize instead that truncated MYBPC3 proteins exert dominant-negative effects on sarcomere structure and function. Methods and Results: MYBPC3 mutations resulting in short (Ile154LeuFs*5, 17 kD) or long (Asp1076Valfs*6 and Trp1098*, each ~120 kD) truncated proteins were studied. For each truncated protein, in silico analysis (I-TASSER) predicted marked deviation from the predicted wild-type (WT) structure. Immunofluorescence of adenoviral-expressed proteins in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes revealed that WT MYBPC3 was correctly localized at sarcomere A-bands. Near-complete mislocalization (predominantly nuclear) was observed for Ile154LeuFs*5 MYBPC3. Both Asp1076Valfs*6 and Trp1098*MYBPC3 mutant proteins localized imprecisely within the sarcomere, but also were ...
SPLANCHNICECTOMY FOR PANCREATIC FIBROSIS Analysis of Results in 24 Patients

Based on the rationale that splanchnicectomy might interrupt a viscero-visceral autonomic reflex are responsible for bronchospasm and bronchorrhea, this operation has been performed on 24 infants and children with mucoviscidosis, most of whom were poor operative risks. Three of them died at or soon after operation, and six others have died at intervals of from 2 to 12 months postoperatively. Of the remaining 15, manifestations are essentially unchanged in five, and equivocally ameliorated in six. No information could be secured concerning the late effects in one child (Patient 17, K. W.). Three patients may have been materially benefited by the procedure.
Dissecting aortic aneurysm diagnosed by echocardiography in a patient with rupture of the aneurysm into the right atrium: rare cause for continuous murmur.

Abstract A patient with a dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta and a continuous heart murmur is presented. The diagnosis of the dissecting aneurysm was made at cardiac catheterization but was first suspected after an abnormal echocardiogram was obtained from the aortic root. The continuous heart murmur was found to be caused by a shunt from the false sac of the dissecting aortic aneurysm to the right atrium. To our knowledge, such a communication has not been previously described in any patient before necropsy.
Exponential Growth and Decay

This chapter describes a wide variety of exponential behavior models, including population growth, radioactive decay, charging and discharging of capacitors, inflation and interest, and armies at war. The rate of change of a variable, whether positive (as it grows) or negative (as it decays), is directly proportional to the immediate value of that variable. More often than not, the rate of change is a time rate of change that is proportional to the variable's instantaneous value. Similar exponential decays also occur spatially, that is, with respect to a spatial coordinate. Behaviors decay over some distance so as to have little or no effect at distances sufficiently far from the initiating behavior. Exponential models are ubiquitous and have many applications in physics, finance, and population and resource predictions. The primary characteristic of exponential growth or decay of a population is the dependence of the rate of growth of the population on its size at any instant. The population growth and projections improve based on an elementary exponential model in which the population growth rate is linearly or directly proportional to the current size of the population.
Dissolution rates and pit morphologies of rhombohedral carbonate minerals

The dissolution and precipitation rates of rhombohedral carbonate minerals, such as CaCO3, ZnCO3, MnCO3, FeCO3, and MgCO3, affect the alkalinity and redox state of natural waters. In the current study, the rates and mechanisms of carbonate dissolution are investigated utilizing an atomic force microscope/flow-through reactor. Based on time series changes of the microtopography, we classify the studied minerals as type I (Ca, Mn), type II (Fe, Mg), or type III (Zn) carbonates. Type I carbonates develop shallow rhombohedral pits, and the step-retreat velocities are pH-dependent for pH < 4. Type II carbonates form deep rhombohedral pits at circumneutral to alkaline pH. The rhombohedral shape alters for pH < 4, and the step retreat velocities are weakly pH-dependent. Type III carbonates develop shallow distorted pits at circumneutral to alkaline pH and triangular pits at acidic pH. Groups of point defects vs. line dislocations apparently give rise to type I vs. type II behavior, whereas the unique tetrahedral surface coordination of adsorbed Zn2+ may explain type III behavior. For type I at all pH values and type II carbonates for pH < 4, geometric models employing the microscopic step retreat velocities are accurate predictors of the absolute rates of macroscopic dissolution. Macroscopic circumneutral dissolution rates, which trend with both water exchange rates and lattice formation energies, vary from 10−5.5 to 10−9.1 mol/m2·s at circumneutral pH and 25 °C.
Cold Tolerance and Potential Overwintering of the Red-Bellied Piranha Pygocentrus nattereri in the United States

Abstract Red-bellied piranhas Pygocentrus nattereri (also known as red piranhas) acclimated to 15–35°C had critical thermal minima (± SD) from 10.5 ± 0.31°C to 19.7 ± 1.25°C. The chronic thermal minimum (± SD) based on equilibrium loss of fish exposed to decreasing water temperatures of 1°C/d was 10.0 ± 0.15°C. Acclimation temperature incorporated into a second-order polynomial regression model accounted for 97% of variation in critical thermal minima. Fish in the laboratory were unable to capture live goldfish Carassius auratus at temperatures less than 14°C but accepted frozen adult brine shrimp Artemia sp. attemperatures as low as 12°C. When combined with shallow surface water temperature estimates for January, our temperature tolerance and feeding behavior data suggested that red-bellied piranhas may overwinter in nine southern states of the USA with varying degrees of success. Red-bellied piranhas would not overwinter where temperatures fall below 10°C. These fish could overwinter at temperatures of ...
Note-A Note on Efficiency of the Antithetic Variate Method for Simulating Stochastic Networks

In a recent paper by Sullivan, Hayya, and Schaul Sullivan, R. S., J. C. Hayya, R. Schaul. 1982. Efficiency of the antithetic variate method for simulating stochastic networks. Management Sci.28 5, May 563-572., they present a theorem which proves that negative covariance will be guaranteed, and thus a variance reduction achieved, when estimating the project completion time in PERT networks using antithetic sampling procedures. Their proof is restricted to stochastic networks in which the arc time distributions are symmetric about their means. In this note we present a proof which guarantees a variance reduction for arbitrary arc time distributions.
Are greek letter social organizations a factor in Undergraduates perceptions of international instructors

Abstract The presence of international instructors on U.S. college campuses is an integral part of the growing multicultural milieu of higher education in this nation. International instructors are often met with resistance, often based on assertions about their linguistic or communicative competence. However a series of recent studies indicates that mainstream students own negative stereotypes may be responsible for some of their dissatisfaction. Previous research provides warrant to suspect that members of Greek letter social organizations may be particularly prone to such xenophobic stereotypes. In the present study participants—40% of whom were Greek-affiliated—listened to the identical taped lecture. Half were led to believe they were listening to a Chinese instructor, the others to a Euro-North American instructor. In rating specific lectures and lecturers, Greek-affiliated students did not differ from their non-affiliated peers. Both sets of students were similarly subject to powerful negative stereotypes associated with the Chinese guise instructor. Perceived language standardness and American-like qualities of the instructor was the best predictor of students evaluations. Degree of Greek-affiliation appeared to be weakly associated with negative attitudes to international instructors in general. However these generalized attitudes did not predict situated evaluations. These findings warrant the conclusions that some international instructors are unfairly subject to negative evaluations irrespective of their actual speech style, and that this is a campus-wide problem and not limited to a particular segment of the university community.
Crystallization and purification of the enzyme anthranilate phosphoribosyl transferase

Anthranilate phosphoribosyl transferase from the bacterium Hafnia alvei has been crystallized. This enzyme is one of a small number that constitute the biosynthetic pathway for tryptophan. Large cubic crystals were grown at 4 degrees C by dialyzing away the glycerol from a protein solution that included ammonium sulfate, polyethylene glycol and glycerol. The crystals were much more temperature stable and resistant to X-ray deterioration than a previous, similar crystal form that had included glycerol. The crystals belong to the space group I432, a = b = c = 189 A (1 A = 0.1 nm). The ratio of the monomer molecular weight, 37,000, to the volume of the unit cell suggests that there is one homodimer per asymmetric unit. The crystals diffracted to a resolution of 3.0 A at the Stanford Synchotron Radiation Laboratory X-ray source.
Suprachiasmatic nucleus projection to the medial prefrontal cortex: a viral transneuronal tracing study

The viral transneuronal labeling method was used to examine whether the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is linked by multisynaptic connections to the medial prefrontal cortex of the rat. In separate experiments, pseudorabies virus (PRV) was injected into one of the three different cytoarchitectonic regions that comprise the medial prefrontal cortex: infralimbic (Brodmann area 25), prelimbic (Brodmann area 32), and cingulate (Brodmann area 24) cortical areas. After 4-days survival, extensive SCN transneuronal labeling was found following infralimbic cortex (ILC) injections, but almost none occurred when the PRV injections were centered in the prelimbic or cingulate areas. In the ILC cases, transneuronal labeling was localized mainly in the dorsomedial SCN, although a moderate number of labeled neurons were found in the ventrolateral SCN. About 13% of the infected neurons were vasopressin immunoreactive and 4% were vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-positive. Another set of experiments was performed in which the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) was destroyed 2 weeks prior to making PRV injections into the ILC. Almost no SCN transneuronal labeling occurred in these animals, suggesting that the SCN projection to the ILC is dependent on a relay in the PVT. We propose that the SCN sends timing signals, via its relay in the PVT, to the ILC. This pathway may modulate higher-level brain functions, such as attention, mood, or working memory. Assuming that a homologous circuit exists in humans, we speculate that neurochemical changes affecting this pathway may account for some of the symptoms associated with clinical depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Improved β-Elimination-Based Affinity Purification Strategy for Enrichment of Phosphopeptides

Alkaline-induced beta-elimination of phosphate from phosphoserine and phosphothreonine residues followed by addition of an affinity tag has recently been pursued as a strategy for enriching phosphorylated species from complex mixtures. Here we report the use of an introduced thiol tag as the ligand for affinity purification via disulfide exchange with an activated thiol resin and the development of a protocol to improve the sensitivity considerably over previous reports (i.e., to subpicomole levels.) During our experiments, we observed a side reaction in which water was eliminated from unmodified serine residues. This side reaction resulted in the introduction of the affinity tag into unphosphorylated proteins, confounding attempts to specifically purify phosphoproteins from mixtures. Unchecked, this side reaction will also prevent application of the beta-elimination strategy to phosphopeptide samples where the phosphorylated species are minor components (i.e., most current phosphoproteomics applications). Quantitation of the side reaction products using three synthetic unphosphorylated peptides showed varying conversion efficiencies; at maximum, 1.7% of unphosphorylated peptide was converted to the affinity-tagged form. Inclusion of EDTA into the reaction reduced the side reaction but also greatly reduced the conversion efficiency of one of the phosphoserine residues of ovalbumin, suggesting a role for trace metal ions in the beta-elimination chemistry. Despite the presence of the side reaction, the affinity strategy was shown to be effective at enriching phosphopeptides from fairly complex peptide mixtures. The strategy was applied to the analysis of in vitro phosphorylation of bovine synapsin I by Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase II, resulting in the identification of four phosphorylation sites, two of which have not been previously reported.
Evolution of Development: The Details Are in the Entrails

Historically, the position of the site of gastrulation has been used to understand the developmental basis for body plan diversity. A recent molecular study, however, challenges long-held views and shows that molecular patterning mechanisms can be used to understand body plan evolution despite variation in gastrulation movements.
A microspectrophotometric study of normal and artificial visual pigments in the photoreceptors ofXenopus laevis

Abstract Absorbance spectra of visual pigments in theXenopus retina were obtained by microspectrophotometry. Principal rods contained a pigment with peak absorbance of 524 ± 2nm. A minority of rods contained a pigment with λmax at 445 ± 6nm; single cone spectra peaked at 611 ± 4nm.Xenopus tadpoles were maintained on a Vitamin A-free diet for 6–8 weeks, then injected systemically with all-trans retinol or 9-cis retinal. In the principal rod, these resulted in pigments peaking at 511 ± 3nm and 498 ± 2nm, respectively. The normally encountered Vitamin A2-based pigment of the principal rod had a broader half-width than its Vitamin A1-based analog. In single cones, all-trans retinol led to the formation of a pigment with λmax 578 ± 7nm. The substantial shifts seen in the wavelengths of peak absorbance as well as in the shapes of the spectral curves following administration of retinol or 9-cis retinal indicate that at least most of the normally encountered Vitamin A2-based pigment was replaced by a Vitamin A1-based pigment.
The Internal Radiation Environment of Cylindrical Spacecraft

A laboratory study of the shielding against energetic electrons afforded by cylindrical aluminum satellites is reported. The incident electron flux had a near-exponential integral energy distribution with a folding energy of 500 kev over the range: 140 kev to 3.0 Mev. The angle of incidence was isotropic in the plane normal to the cylindrical axis and randomly distributed within an envelope of approximately 55 degrees in the orthogonal plane. The satellite was thus simulated at an erect attitude to the earth' s magnetic field in a region of trapped radiation. Internal spectral flux measurements were made on the axis and at the periphery of cylinders having height-to-diameter ratios from 1:4 to 4:1 with wall thicknesses from 180 mg/cm2 to 900 mg/cm2 in nominal 25-mil steps.
A COMPLETE COMPUTERIZED PROGRAM FOR NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT IN THE INTENSIVE CARE NURSERY

A computerized program in BASIC, which integrates the infant's fluid and nutritional requirements per gestational age and weight with the infant's post-partum age, was developed utilizing the Apple II microcomputer, floppy disks and the Epson printer. Daily requirements of fluids, proteins, fat, CHO, vitamins, minerals and trace elements are electronically calculated. For reference purposes, the program displays the composition, indications, and administration routes for IV, hyperalimentation solutions, mature human milk and 14 commercial formulas. Safety limits to prevent overload or deficient formulations are strategically displayed warning the physician about possible complications and gradually orienting him towards achievement of adequate nutritional balance in the patient. The flexibility of the program allows for modifications in the data base according to the clinical situations. The program improves the efficiency of the arduous daily formulation of nutritional needs, reduces the possibility of human error, facilitates the calculation process and diminishes time spent on the calculations.
Overweight children, weight-based teasing and academic performance

Background. School performance of overweight children has been found to be inferior to normal weight children; however, the reason(s) for this link between overweight and academic performance remain unclear. Psychosocial factors, such as weight-based teasing, have been proposed as having a possible mediating role, although they remain largely unexplored. Methods. Random parental telephone survey data (N=1 071) of public school students collected as part of the statewide evaluation of Arkansas Act 1220, a law to reduce childhood obesity, were used. Overweight status (body mass index >85th percentile for gender and age) and weight-based teasing were examined as predictors of poorer school performance. Results. Overweight status was a significant predictor of poorer school performance (OR=1.51; 95% CI=1.01, 2.25), after adjustment for gender, school level, free and reduced lunch participation, and race. However, the addition of weight-based teasing to the model (with weight category and covariates) reduced t...
Optical measurements of thermal diffusivity of a material

The measurement of thermal diffusivity of a material (in particular, a thin film) is important for various reasons, e.g., to predict the heat transfer in the solid subjected to a thermal process, to monitor surface composition or morphology, or to detect invisible subsurface defects like delaminations. This measurement can be done in a noncontact manner using various photothermal methods. Such methods typically involve pulsed heating of the surface by small amounts using a laser source; the decay of the surface temperature after this pulsed photothermal heating is then probed to provide the thermal diffusivity. Various probing methods have been developed in the literature, including the probing of reflection, refraction, and diffraction from the pulsed heated area, infrared thermal radiometry, and surface deformation. This paper provides an overview of such techniques and some examples of their applications.
Anionic synthesis of epoxide-functionalized macromonomers by reaction of epichlorohydrin with polymeric organolithium compounds

The efficient synthesis of ω-epoxide-functionalized macromonomers has been achieved by optimizing the reaction of polymeric organolithium compounds (PLi) with epichlorohydrin (EPC). The addition of epichlorohydrin to a benzene solution of poly(styryl)lithium (Mn = 2 × 103g/mol) forms the ω-epoxide-functionalized polystyrene in only 9% yield; the major products correspond to dimeric species (70%). Inverse addition of epichlorohydrin reduces the yield of dimer to 22% (16% ring-opened dimer and 6% nonfunctional) and increases the epoxidation yield to 28%; the other products correspond to unfunctionalized polymer (18%) and the ring-opened product (32%). Addition of tetrahydrofuran (THF) to the solutions of PLi and EPC decreases the dimer yield to 10% and increases the epoxide functionalization to 74% for poly(styryl)lithium and to 80% for poly(styrene-b-butadienyl)lithium. By reaction of the polymeric chain ends with 1,1-diphenylethylene (DPE) to form the corresponding polymeric (1,1-diphenylalkyl)lithium, fu...
Congenital Anomalies of the Equine Urinary Tract

Congenital anomalies of the urinary tract in horses may be difficult to diagnose and treat. Presenting complaints are variable and include weight loss, depression, dysuria, hematuria, and mild colic. Although the most severe abnormalities are diagnosed in the neonate, some diseases, such as ectopic ureter(s), may be identified in older horses. In human medicine, the fetus is examined in the prenatal period for evidence of urinary tract dysfunction, but this is not yet common practice in equine medicine. As a result, urinary tract anomalies are diagnosed after birth using a wide variety of diagnostic modalities.
Dibenzoylmethane, a natural dietary compound, induces HIF-1α and increases expression of VEGF

Abstract Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is the major transcription factor activated during hypoxia. It is composed of HIF-1α and HIF-1β subunits. While HIF-1β is constitutively expressed, HIF-1α is targeted to proteasome degradation under normoxic conditions. Under hypoxia, HIF-1α is stabilized and heterodimerizes with HIF-1β. Iron chelators have also been reported to stabilize HIF-1α protein and activate HIF-1. In this study, we investigated the effects of dibenzoylmethane (DBM), a natural dietary compound and an iron chelator, on HIF-1 pathway. We found that DBM increases HIF-1α protein levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This induction was accompanied with activation of HIF-1, measured by reporter gene assay and increased production of its downstream target, the vascular endothelial growth factor. Mechanistically, HIF-1α was stabilized by DBM at a step prior to ubiquitination. The effect of DBM on HIF-1 and its low toxicity profile might be therapeutically beneficial in ischemic diseases.
Seasonal activity and road mortality of the snakes of the Pa-hay-okee wetlands of Everglades National Park, USA

Abstract The composition and activity of the snake community of the Pa-hay-okee wetlands of Everglades National Park is described. The study was conducted in February and March 1986 and from February 1987 to January 1989. A total of 1172 individuals of 16 taxa were observed, with Thamnophis sauritus, T. sirtalis, Nerodia fasciata pictiventris and Agkistrodon piscivorus representing 89·2% of the total sample. The seasonal activity of the snakes was closely related to fluctuations in the water table. Periods of greatest snake activity coincided with the periods of greatest human visitation. Seventy-three percent of all snakes observed on the park's main road were either injured or dead. Management recommendations are provided to minimize loss.
Lithography run-to-run control in high mix manufacturing environment with a dynamic state estimation approach

The quest to create robust control solutions for Photolithography processes is an ongoing matter. Over the past few decades several threaded and non-threaded Run-to-Run (RtR) control solutions have been introduced addressing various specific Lithography process control requirements. With continually shrinking semiconductor technology nodes, greater interdependencies are being observed between processes requiring more complex control solutions that rely on increasing process context. With higher product mixes, associated metrology costs add to this growing complexity in using existing control solutions effectively. A new dynamic RtR control solution approach in GLOBALFOUNDRIES high mix manufacturing environment offering coverage to all Lithography process steps in Fab8 has been architected and implemented. This approach not only addresses the issues caused in most commonly used ‘Threaded’ and ‘Non-Threaded’ control approaches in Lithography but also offers a dynamic thread definition implementation approach.
The role of moisture fluctuations in unsaturated transport

Within the framework of stochastic theory and the spectral perturbation techniques, three-dimensional dispersion in partially saturated soils with a finite correlation scale of log-hydraulic conductivity is analyzed. The effects of spatial variability of the moisture distribution parameter on the asymptotic spreading behavior of a unsaturated solute plume are assessed. This is accomplished by comparing two asymptotic macrodispersivities and two variance of solute concentration, obtained for a constant moisture content and spatially varied moisture, respectively.
Distribution and binding parameters of GABAA receptors in the thalamic nuclei of Macaca mulatta and changes caused by lesioning in the globus pallidus and reticular thalamic nucleus

Abstract Ascending output from the basal ganglia to the primate motor thalamus is carried by GABAergic nigro- and pallido-thalamic pathways, which interact with intrinsic thalamic GABAergic systems represented in primates by local circuit neurons and axons of the reticular thalamic nucleus. Disease-triggered pathological processes in the basal ganglia can compromise any of these pathways either directly or indirectly, yet the effects of basal ganglia lesioning on its thalamic afferent-receiving territories has not been studied in primates. Two GABAA receptor ligands, [3H]muscimol and [3H]flunitrazepam, were used to study the distribution and binding properties of the receptor in intact monkeys, those with kainic acid lesions in the globus pallidus, and those with ibotenic acid lesions in the reticular nucleus using quantitative autoradiographic technique on cryostat sections of fresh frozen brain tissue. In control monkeys the binding affinities for [3H]muscimol averaged 50 nM in the thalamic nuclei and 86 nM in the basal ganglia while the binding densities varied (maximum density of binding sites [Bmax] range of 99.4–1000.1 fmol/mg of tissue). Binding affinities and Bmax values for [3H]flunitrazepam averaged 2.02 nM and 81–113 fmol/mg of tissue, respectively. Addition of 100-μM GABA increased average affinity to 1.35 nM whereas Bmax values increased anywhere from 1–50% in different nuclei. Zolpidem (100 nM) decreased binding by 68–80%. Bmax values for both ligands were decreased at the two survival times in both medial and lateral globus pallidus implying involvement of both nuclei in the lesion. Statistically significant, 40% decrease (P=0.055) of Bmax for [3H]muscimol was observed in the ventral anterior nucleus pars densicellularis (VAdc, the main pallidal projection territory in the thalamus) 1 week after globus pallidus lesioning and a 36% decrease (P=0.017) 4 months post-lesioning. In contrast, [3H]flunitrazepam Bmax values in the VAdc of the same animals were increased by 23% (P=0.021) at 1 week and 28% (P=0.005) 4 months postlesion, respectively. One week after the reticular nucleus lesioning, the binding densities of [3H]muscimol and [3H]flunitrazepam were decreased in the thalamic nuclei receiving projections from the lesioned reticular nucleus sector by approximately 50% (P The results suggest that different GABAA receptor subtypes are associated with different GABAergic systems in the thalamus which react differently to deafferentation.
Systemic lupus erythematosus and accelerated atherosclerosis.

An association between accelerated atherosclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), typified by the occurrence of a myocardial infarction in a 30-year-old woman who had had the disease for more than 10 years, was suggested in 1976.1 The two studies by Roman et al. (pages 2399–2406) and Asanuma et al. (pages 2407–2415) in this issue of the Journal confirm this association and provide important information regarding risk factors. The reported prevalence of myocardial infarcts in patients with SLE ranges from 4 percent to 45 percent, with studies of surrogate markers providing support for the higher figure. For example, in one study . . .
Systemic immune complex disease following intestinal bypass surgery: Bypass disease

Twenty-one patients with arthritis and dermatitis following intestinal bypass surgery were studied. The arthritis was polyarticular, remittent, and intermittent. Typically, the synovial fluid was inflammatory. The commonest inflammatory skin lesion was a vesiculopustular dermatitis. Nineteen patients had serum immune complexes using the Raji cell technic. Seventeen patients had serum cryoproteins, primarily consisting of IgG 1, IgG 3, C3, and C4. Three patients had both Escherichia coli antigens and anti- E. coli antibody in their cryoprotein. Five patients had granular and one had linear deposits of immunoglobulin and complement at the dermoepidermal junction. Further evidence that bacterial antigens play a role in tissue injury was provided by detection of granular deposits of E. coli antigen at the dermoepidermal junctions in two patients, and at the glomerular capillary basement membrane in one patient.
Venous thromboembolism in radical prostatectomy: is heparinoid prophylaxis warranted?

OBJECTIVE To review the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and evaluate the need for heparinoid prophylaxis as opposed to mechanical compression devices after RRP. PATIENTS AND METHODS RRP is classified as a category 1 (high risk) procedure for VTE by the American College of Chest Physicians and several international guidelines recommend subcutaneous heparinoids as the preferred prophylaxis. However, this regimen may be associated with a greater risk of bleeding. We have not used heparinoid prophylaxis but place a mechanical compression device for prophylaxis of VTE, and report our clinical experience over a 12-year period. Between 1992 and 2004, all RRPs carried out by one surgeon (M.S.S.) at our centre were retrospectively reviewed after obtaining institutional review board approval. The protocol for prophylaxis of VTE consisted of compression stockings and a sequential compression device from the time of entry into the operating room until complete ambulation (we encourage early ambulation). Patients were evaluated for VTE if they developed any clinical signs or symptoms. Patients were followed at 7 days, 6 weeks and 3 months after RRP in the first year and 6-monthly thereafter. All relevant clinical data and complications were entered in a database. RESULTS In all there were 1364 RRPs; the mean (sd) age of the patients was 61 (7) years and the mean follow-up 44 (38) months. All patients had a mechanical compression device and ambulated on the first day after surgery. None received heparinoid prophylaxis. Three VTE events were identified (0.21%); two patients had a lower limb VTE and one an upper limb VTE. All were successfully treated with anticoagulation. No patient had a documented pulmonary embolus and none died from VTE. There was one death after RRP, from myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION The incidence of VTE after RRP is low, possibly related to the use of a mechanical compression device and early aggressive mobilization. Despite the recommendations by some, we feel that routine heparinoid prophylaxis is questionable.
Herbicide drift can affect plant and arthropod communities

Field edges, old fields, and other semi-natural habitats in agricultural landscapes support diverse plant communities that help sustain pollinators, predators, and other beneficial arthropods. These plant and arthropod communities may be at significant ecotoxicological risk from herbicides applied to nearby crop fields. Recent innovations in herbicide-resistant crop biotechnology may lead to major increases in the use of the herbicides dicamba and 2,4-D. These herbicides selectively affect broadleaf plants, and non-target exposures may therefore lead to a net reduction in the functional diversity and floral resources provided by semi-natural habitats. In multi-year experiments at two sites (a field edge and an old field), we exposed replicated plots to low doses of dicamba designed to simulate herbicide drift and monitored changes in plant and arthropod communities. At the field edge site, we observed a significant decline in forb cover (but not floral resources) in plots treated at doses (∼1% of the field application rate) that are substantially lower than those that have been documented to affect plant communities in previous research. We also observed declines in three herbivorous pest species (pea aphids, spotted alfalfa aphid, and potato leaf hopper), increases in one pest species (clover root curculio), and increases in beneficial seed predators (crickets) associated with dicamba exposure. In contrast, at the old field site, drift-level doses did not affect plant community structure but reduced flowering of a key species (Monarda fistulosa). Variability across sites and taxonomic groups makes it difficult to offer general conclusions about the risks of dicamba drift to plant and arthropod biodiversity. Factors including the successional age of the plant community and water stress at the time of herbicide exposure likely explain the differing responses at the two sites to simulated drift.
Polyimide survival in high temperature high pressure dilute aqueous solutions

Measurements of the gross properties of polyimides at high temperature and pressures in dilute aqueous environments are reported. The polyimide polymer solution is spun onto SiO/sub 2/ substrates prepared with an aluminum chelated adhesion promoter. The cured films are subjected to temperatures exceeding 150/sup 0/C and pressures of more than 1000 lbf in/sup -2/ in dilute aqueous solutions ranging in pH from 3 to 10 for 2 to 4 h. Film quality, adhesion and water adsorption determined by IR measurements are reported.