cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fruit and vegetable consumptions in relation to frequent mental distress in breast cancer survivors

Evidence suggests that fruit and vegetable consumptions may improve mental health among general population. However, their associations among breast cancer survivors are unclear. We planned to investigate this association via a nationwide survey in the USA. We identified 7988 breast cancer survivors from 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Fruit juice, fruit, and vegetable consumptions were categorized as ordinal variables to approximate tertiles. Survivors who were mentally unhealthy for at least 14 days in the past 30 days were defined as having frequent mental distress (FMD). Multivariable logistic regression treating FMD as the outcome was used to calculate adjusted odd ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for exposures. Quadratic model was used to depict the dose-response pattern in primary analysis. Subgroup analyses by adverse lifestyle behaviors were conducted; Wald tests were used to examine if there were interactions between these factors and exposures in relation to FMD. Overall, 825 (10.3%) survivors had FMD. Mean age was 67.2 years, and 89.7% of survivors were white. Juice showed non-significant associations with FMD. Moderate (aOR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.68–0.98) and high (aOR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.63–0.98) fruit consumptions, as well as moderate vegetable consumption (aOR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.64–0.94), were significantly and inversely associated with FMD. The dose-response curves were consistent with results in primary analysis. No interaction was identified for adverse lifestyle behaviors. Fruit and vegetable, but not fruit juice, show potential preventive effects against FMD among breast cancer survivors. The conclusion should be verified by studies with clear temporality in future.
Is investing in religious institutions a viable pathway to reduce mortality in the population

There is established and consistent findings from epidemiologic studies, among individuals, that religion- broadly assessed through frequency of attending worship services-is associated with lower all-cause and cause-specific mortality attributed to suicide, alcohol, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Religious norms, social support, character, virtue, compassion, love, generosity, and religious community are among some mechanisms purported to explain lower mortality, on aggregate. The religious ecology or characteristics of religion within an area or geographic level (e.g., county, ZIP-code, country), has been linked with overall and cause-specific mortality, but directions of findings are mixed. Mechanisms to explain the links between the religious ecology and mortality included social integration, civic engagement, and social control. The study by Clark 2020 a fresh and timely perspective by investigating another mechanism: investment in local healthcare spending. The study found some support of an indirect association from county-level religious denominational composition, through investments in health spending, on Black and White all-cause mortality rates. Should society or government invest finances in religious institutions to indirectly improve population health? This work adds evidence to debate that question. Future work on the topic will need to address several conceptual and methodological challenges. Conceptually, is investigating the market share of religious denominations (i.e., % Catholics vs % Protestants) relevant today given diversity in population and declining trends of worship attendance? Is mortality the most relevant for moving policy or should the focus be on well-being? Methodologically, are there alternate observable measures religious investments/spending in the local economy? Mechanisms, challenges, and opportunities for social epidemiology research on this topic are discussed.
USMLE Step 1 Scoring Changes and the Urology Residency Application Process: Program Directors’ Perspectives

OBJECTIVE To capture the perspectives of urology program directors (PDs) regarding the change in United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 scoring to pass/fail (binary) and the impact of this change on the urology residency application process. METHODS A validated survey was developed and distributed via email to urology PDs at all Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited programs. RESULTS A total of 65 PDs completed the survey, for a response rate of 49.0%. Most PDs (58.7%) did not agree that binary USMLE Step 1 scoring is a good idea. The majority (84.6%) felt that this change would make it more difficult to compare applicants objectively and that the change would increase emphasis on Step 2 clinical knowledge (CK) scores. Likewise, 73.8% of PDs reported that they would start requiring applicants to submit Step 2 CK scores and 78.5% of PDs felt that Step 2 CK should remain numerically scored. Free text responses highlighted concerns for students at medical schools with pass/fail grading and the potential impact this change could have on the early match. CONCLUSION Urology PDs have generally negative perspectives towards binary scoring of USMLE Step 1. They believe the change will make residency selection more arduous and less objective, without increasing medical student well-being. PDs anticipate a heavier emphasis on USMLE Step 2 CK scores and this may alter the urology early match process. Modifications to application requirements and interview schedules may be necessary to uphold an unbiased selection of applicants with respect to the early match timeline.
Modulating lung immune cells by pulmonary delivery of antigen-specific nanoparticles to treat autoimmune disease

Antigen-specific particles can treat autoimmunity, and pulmonary delivery may provide for easier delivery than intravenous or subcutaneous routes. The lung is a "hub" for autoimmunity where autoreactive T cells pass before arriving at disease sites. Here, we report that targeting lung antigen-presenting cells (APCs) via antigen-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) particles modulates lung CD4+ T cells to tolerize murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Particles directly delivered to the lung via intratracheal administration demonstrated more substantial reduction in EAE severity when compared with particles delivered to the liver and spleen via intravenous administration. Intratracheally delivered particles were associated with lung APCs and decreased costimulatory molecule expression on the APCs, which inhibited CD4+ T cell proliferation and reduced their population in the central nervous system while increasing them in the lung. This study supports noninvasive pulmonary particle delivery, such as inhalable administration, to treat autoimmune disease.
Glyoxal: a proposed substitute for formalin in H&E and special stains

Neutral-buffered formalin (NBF) has been used as the primary fixative in anatomic pathology laboratories for decades. Although it yields excellent morphologic and staining results, NBF poses significant health hazards requiring tissue to be grossed under a grossing/chemical fume hood. Glyoxal fixatives offer far less toxic alternatives and do not necessitate use of a grossing hood. Using freshly extracted canine and feline testes, ovaries, and uteri, the effects of glyoxal and NBF fixation were compared. While NBF is still considered the gold standard, some glyoxal fixatives perform as well as NBF in regards to morphology, H&E staining properties, and histochemical staining properties.
Managing Climate Change: The Role of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in Building Climate Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa

Research increasingly suggests that climate change has intensified the frequency of droughts, floods, and other environmental disasters across sub-Saharan Africa. In response to the resulting array of climate-induced challenges, various stakeholders are working collectively to build climate resilience in rural and urban communities and trans-continentally. This paper examines key climate resilience-building projects that have been implemented across sub-Saharan Africa through multi-stakeholder partnerships. It uses a vulnerabilities assessment approach to examine the strategic value of these projects in managing the mitigation of climate shocks and long-term environmental changes. There are still many challenges to building climate resilience in the region, but through multi-stakeholder partnerships, sub-Saharan African nations are expanding their capacity to pool resources and build collective action aimed at financing and scaling up innovative climate solutions. This article contributes to ongoing interdisciplinary academic, management, and policy discourses on global climate adaptation focused on populations and landscapes most at risk.
Other Urban Christians: The Cities in Revelation 1–3:

As impressive as is Meeks' First Urban Christians, it studies ancient cities “from above,” i.e., the perspective of elites and their retainers. He does not appreciate the meanness of cities in Asia...
Pulsed electric current joining of oxide-dispersion-strengthened austenitic steels

The solid-state joining of oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) austenitic steels was achieved using a pulsed electric current joining (PECJ) process. Microstructures of the austenitic grain structures and oxide dispersions in the joint areas were characterized using electron microscopy. Negligible grain growth was observed in austenitic grain structures, while slight coarsening of oxide dispersions occurred at a short holding time. The mechanisms of the PECJ process may involve three steps that occur simultaneously, including the sintering of mechanical alloying powders in the bonding layer, formation of oxide dispersions, and bonding of the mechanical alloying powders with the base alloy. The high hardness and irradiation resistance of ODS alloys were retained in the joint areas. This research revealed the fundamental mechanisms during the PECJ process, which is beneficial for its potential applications during the advanced manufacturing of ODS alloys.
Therapeutic strategies: Surgery for human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal carcinoma

Treatment of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) has undergone considerable evolution since the discovery of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated OPC. It is widely understood that HPV OPC affects a younger population and standard treatment offers improved oncologic outcomes compared with non-HPV OPC but can cause significant toxicities and long-term side effects. Surgery for treatment de-escalation is an active area of research. The purpose of this review is to explore surgery as it relates to the treatment of HPV OPC with a focus on the evolution of treatment, rationale for surgery, surgical techniques, outcomes, and the role of surgery in de-escalation of treatment.
The United States of V, White, and Q

This chapter turns to the events of January 6, 2021, when the Capitol was attacked by a group of conspiracy-minded Trump supporters who believed that the 2020 election of Joe Biden had been “rigged.” I examine this event as a case study in what is at stake if we continue to believe we are “worlds” apart. I also address how the decline of trust in traditional authoritative structures has helped spread conspiracy theories such as QAnon and Russiagate, illustrating that the American political class has been engaged in bad detective work, finding the solution before discovering the clues. After a brief discussion of V for Vendetta to outline the danger of the growing risk of nihilism, I conclude by turning to the topic of democracy, arguing that the same intersubjective matrix that underlies good detective work underlies a functioning democracy.
In vitro expanded skeletal myogenic progenitors from pluripotent stem cell-derived teratomas have high engraftment capacity.

Summary One major challenge in realizing cell-based therapy for treating muscle-wasting disorders is the difficulty in obtaining therapeutically meaningful amounts of engraftable cells. We have previously described a method to generate skeletal myogenic progenitors with exceptional engraftability from pluripotent stem cells via teratoma formation. Here, we show that these cells are functionally expandable in vitro while retaining their in vivo regenerative potential. Within 37 days in culture, teratoma-derived skeletal myogenic progenitors were expandable to a billion-fold. Similar to their freshly sorted counterparts, the expanded cells expressed PAX7 and were capable of forming multinucleated myotubes in vitro. Importantly, these cells remained highly regenerative in vivo. Upon transplantation, the expanded cells formed new DYSTROPHIN+ fibers that reconstituted up to 40% of tibialis anterior muscle volume and repopulated the muscle stem cell pool. Our study thereby demonstrates the possibility of producing large quantities of engraftable skeletal myogenic cells for transplantation.
Evidence-based gatekeeper suicide prevention in a small community context

ABSTRACTThis review examines 10 studies of suicide prevention programs conducted in small communities using these programs: (1) Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), (2) Connect, (3) Campus Connect, and (4) Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR). These evidence-based programs are listed in the Best Practices Registry funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The programs with the strongest evidence of efficacy and effectiveness are ASIST and QPR. Recommendations are the following: (1) increase research on prevention programs with diverse trainees; (2) create decision models that consider program costs relative to impacts; and (3) develop more suicide prevention programs that target at-risk adults.
Efficient parallel computing using digital filtering algorithms.

This chapter introduces a technique to enable integration of unstable systems by using block filtering. It is found that to compute a problem with many blocks, it is also necessary to use interface filtering to obtain a convergent and stable solution. The chapter illustrates a filtering technique that leads to the identification and suppression of these unstable spatial frequencies, and allows the system to be integrated along the stable frequencies. The parallel version of the NPARC code with an explicit Runge–Kutta time-stepping algorithm is used to demonstrate the technique. Domain decomposition is used to divide the domain into blocks and interfaces. The Courant number inside the blocks is increased beyond the stability limit. With a combination of block and interface filtering, high speed-up, and efficiency can be achieved. For the purposes of parallel computation, domain decomposition is used to divide the problem to be solved into subdomains called blocks. The inter-block boundaries are called interfaces and can be of matching or non-matching, overlapping or non-overlapping types. The algorithm employed to calculate the flow field at each grid point in the NPARC code is called the “Block Solver” and communication between the interfaces is handled by the “Interface Solver.” This approach is highly suited for parallel computing because each block may represent a separate process and can be assigned to available processors. The block filtering procedure assumes an average Mach number inside the block to construct the filter. If the Mach number variation inside the block is too high, then the block filtering procedure produces poor results. Hence, blocks with shocks are integrated with a stable Courant number, while neighboring blocks with no shocks or strong Mach number variations can be integrated with higher Courant numbers.
Natural vowel perception by patients with the ineraid cochlear implant.

Vowel recognition was tested in 10 patients using the Ineraid cochlear implant. The vowels were produced by a male speaker in the context 'heed, hid, head, had, hawed, hood, who'd, hud' and 'heard'...
Nutraceutical nanoemulsions: influence of physical states of β-carotene (crystalized versus dissolved) on bioaccessibility (645.13)

β-Carotene has a poor oral bioaccessibility in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) because of its high hydrophobicity and melting point. We investigated the bioaccessibilities of solubilized and cryst...
Restoring the Political in International Political Economy: Taking Constructivism Seriously

Constructing the International Economy. Edited by Rawi Abdelal, Mark Blyth, Craig Parsons. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2010. 239 pp., $24.95 paperback (ISBN 13: 978-0-801-47588-7). The attempt at disembedding the economy from society in the development of industrial capitalism, Karl Polanyi (1957) reminded us many decades ago, was bound to be a failed enterprise. This insight may be well worth recalling for scholars of contemporary economic phenomena, so prone to excise the political as they engage in the rationalist, technical analyses that seem to dominate the current field of international political economy (IPE). When politics enters the analysis, many such studies, under the facade of “objectivism,” appear to reduce it to a mechanistic calculus of self-evident interests. So when Rawi Abdelal, Mark Blyth, and Craig Parsons in Constructing the International Economy take on the task of demonstrating the centrality of nonmaterialist forces in the realm that appears most resolutely materialist—the international economy—they are simultaneously restoring the conceptual richness of politics to the study of the IPE. The book does this by situating itself quite squarely within the “constructivist turn” that has refashioned the study of international politics in some very important directions in the last two decades. In the process, they generate a series of rich, nuanced analyses that add layers of necessary complexity to existing rationalist explanations of various economic phenomena. The 10 empirical chapters in the volume take up a very wide range of economic issues or puzzles that includes the entrenchment of neoliberal ideas in international financial institutions, the politics of regional trading …
The Serum High Density Lipoproteins of Macacus rhesus II. ISOLATION, PURIFICATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THEIR TWO MAJOR POLYPEPTIDES

Abstract The delipidated apoprotein of Macacus rhesus high density lipoprotein of d 1.063 to 1.21 g per ml (HDL) or of its two subclasses, HDL2 (d 1.063 to 1.125 g per ml) or HDL3 (d 1.125 to 1.21 g per ml), was fractionated by a combination of Sephadex G-200 and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography in the presence of urea. Two major polypeptides, operationally termed as Fractions III and IV, were obtained. Fraction III was found to represent a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of about 27,000; NH2-terminal, aspartic acid and COOH-terminal, glutamine. This fraction had immunological and spectral properties (circular dichroism) similar to the human product, but differed from it in its content of glutamic acid, methionine, and arginine. Gel isoelectric focusing of this fraction indicated two components (pI values of 5.21 and 5.69) separable by rechromatography on DEAE-cellulose and probably differing in amide content. Fraction IV was a single polypeptide chain of molecular weight of about 8,500 with pyrrolidone carboxylic acid in NH2-terminal position and glutamine as its COOH terminus. The NH2-terminal sequence determined on pyrrolidoxyl peptidase-treated Fraction IV was: pyrrolidone carboxylic acid-Ala-Glu-Glu-Pro-Ser-Val ... . In human IV (or A-II), position 6 is known to be occupied by cysteine which, in turn, is involved in the disulfide linkage of the two identical monomers into dimers. Neither cysteine or cystine was present in Rhesus IV. Thus, the replacement in position 6 of cysteine by serine, observed in Macacus rhesus, appears to account for the natural occurrence of monomers of Fraction IV in this animal species. A minor class of polypeptides, operationally termed Fraction V, was also present in Rhesus apo-HDL. This fraction was probably the one containing carbohydrates since they were present in whole apo-HDL (1.5 g/100 g of protein) but were detected neither in Fraction III nor IV.
THERAPEUTIC DECISIONS IN CORPUS CANCER.

S T u D I E s of the biology of this tumor have afforded us greater insight into its histogenesis, vitality, and spread, but lack of agreement about coding these facts into an acceptable pattern of classification has deprived gynecologists of the clinical benefits of this knowledge. There has been undue delay in the comparison of various modalities of treatment and a tendency to treat all patients with this disease at one clinic alike, rather than to select the most effective treatment with possible diminution in complication rate and, thus, to improvement of the recovery rate. There is a widespread illusion that treatment of corpus cancer confers almost universally, a good result but this fallacy is demonstrated when one analyzes data from a series of unselected cases of large enough size to be analyzed (Table I). With the view that we might make a precise contribution to the solution of problems of staging and choice of treatment, we have studied 518 patients with corpus cancer treated from 1938 to 1955 at The Sloane Hospital for Women and the Francis Delafield Hospital of the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Actually there were 549
Topological studies of monomeric and dimeric cytochrome c oxidase and identification of the copper A site using a fluorescence probe.

Beef heart cytochrome c oxidase was labeled at a single sulfhydryl group by treatment with 5 mM N-iodoacetylamidoethyl-1-aminonaphthalene-5-sulfonate (1,5-I-AEDANS) at pH 8.0 for 4 h. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis revealed that the enzyme was exclusively labeled at subunit III, presumably at Cys-115. The high affinity phase of the electron transfer reaction with horse cytochrome c was not affected by acetylamidoethyl-1-aminonaphthalene-5-sulfonate (AEDANS) labeling. Addition of horse cytochrome c to dimeric AEDANS-cytochrome c oxidase resulted in a 55% decrease in the AEDANS fluorescence due to the formation of a 1:1 complex between the two proteins. Forster energy transfer calculations indicated that the distance from the AEDANS label on subunit III to the heme group of cytochrome c was in the range 26-40 A. In contrast to the results with the dimeric enzyme, the fluorescence of monomeric AEDANS-cytochrome c oxidase was not quenched at all by binding horse heart cytochrome c, indicating that the AEDANS label on subunit III was at least 54 A from the heme group of cytochrome c. These results support a model in which the lysines surrounding the heme crevice of cytochrome c interact with carboxylates on subunit II of one monomer of the cytochrome c oxidase dimer and the back of the molecule is close to subunit III on the other monomer. In order to identify the cysteine residues that ligand copper A, a new procedure was developed to specifically remove copper A from cytochrome c oxidase by incubation with 2-mercaptoethanol followed by gel chromatography. Treatment of the copper A-depleted cytochrome c oxidase preparation with 1,5-I-AEDANS resulted in labeling sulfhydryl groups on subunit II as well as on subunit III. No additional subunits were labeled. This result indicates that the copper A binding site is located at cysteines 196 and/or 200 of subunit II and that removal of copper A exposes these residues for labeling by 1,5-I-AEDANS. Alternative copper A depletion methods involving incubation with bathocuproine sulfonate (Weintraub, S.T., and Wharton, D.C. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 1669-1676) or p-(hydroxymercuri)benzoate (Li, P.M., Gelles, J., Chan, S.I., Sullivan, R.J., and Scott, R.A. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 2091-2095) were also investigated. Treatment of these preparations with 1,5-I-AEDANS resulted in labeling cysteine residues on subunits II and III. However, additional sulfhydryl residues on other subunits were also labeled, preventing a definitive assignment of the location of copper A using these depletion procedures.
Pivotal role of pericytes in kidney fibrosis

1. Kidney pericytes were recently identified as collagen Iα1-producing cells in healthy kidney, but the developmental, physiological and pathological roles of kidney pericytes remain poorly understood. Pericytes are stromal-derived cells that envelop and have intimate connections with adjacent capillary endothelial cells (EC). Recent studies in the eye and brain have revealed that pericytes are crucial for angiogenesis, vascular stability and vessel integrity. 2. In response to kidney injury, pericytes promptly migrate away from the capillary wall into the interstitial space. Here, pericytes are activated and differentiate into scar-forming myofibroblasts. In the absence of pericytes, peritubular capillaries are destabilized, leading to vascular regression. Consequently, capillary loss and fibrosis following kidney injury are intimately linked and hinge centrally around pericyte detachment from EC. 3. Kinetic mathematical modelling has demonstrated that pericytes are the major source of myofibroblasts in the fibrotic kidney. Comprehensive genetic fate mapping studies of nephron epithelia or kidney stroma has demonstrated that epithelial cells do not migrate outside of the epithelial compartment to become myofibroblasts; rather, interstitial pericytes are progenitors of scar-forming myofibroblasts. Bidirectional signalling between pericytes and EC is necessary for pericyte detachment from peritubular capillaries. 4. In the present review, we summarize the pathologically vital roles of kidney pericytes in fibrosis, including our new findings. The study of kidney pericytes and endothelial-pericyte cross-talk will identify novel therapeutic targets for currently incurable chronic kidney diseases.
The Political Discourse of Spatial Disparities: Geographical Inequalities between Science and Propaganda

Following the Great Recession of 2008–09 and the publication in English of Capital in the 21st Century (2014) by Thomas Piketty, income inequality has resurfaced at the forefront of public debate. ...
Third ventricular width and its relationship to mode of onset of schizophrenia.

The mode of onset of schizophrenia (i.e., insidious versus acute) may be of neurobiologic and prognostic significance. Schizophrenic symptoms which appear acutely are believed to signify a more benign developmental course and a more favorable outcome of illness than symptoms which emerge insidiously. Since third ventricular enlargement may be a neuroradiological marker of negative schizophrenia, a subgroup of schizophrenia which is associated with poor premorbid adjustment and prognosis, I predict that it will be associated also with an insidious development of disease. To empirically test this hypothesis. I investigated in 22 institutionalized chronic schizophrenic patients (20 men, 2 women; mean age = 31.9 years, SD = 7.1). the association between the mode of onset of schizophrenia and third ventricular width (TVW) on CT scan. In the sample. 15 patients (68.2%) experienced an insidious onset of schizophrenia while 7 patients had a more sudden onset. The two cohorts did not differ significantly on any of...
Use of cyclic anhydrides to remove cholesterol and other hydroxy compounds from fats and oils

A method for removing cholesterol from animal fats has been developed based on the reaction between the hydroxyl group of cholesterol and cyclic anhydrides. The reaction forms monoesters with acyl chains having a terminal free acid group. The conversion of cholesterol into an acid derivative makes it possible to remove the cholesterol from fats by extraction with aqueous alkali. A study of the reaction in model systems showed that optimal conditions were a molar ratio of cholesterol to succinic anhydride of 1∶3 at 135°C for several hours. Acid catalysts increased the rate of the reaction, and acetic was selected not only because of its catalytic power but also because its reflux prevented the distillation of the cyclic anhydride from the reaction mixture. If all the cyclic anhydride was added at the beginning of the reaction, animal fats such as lard, tallow and milk fats were reduced in their cholesterol content by about 40%. A study of the reaction mechanism showed that the cholesterol reduction could be increased to 60–70% by altering the amount and the addition sequence of cyclic anhydride. The effectiveness of acid catalysts was related inversely to the negative logarithm of their acid dissociation constant (pK), but as their effectiveness increased, so did their tendency to form other, unwanted esters of cholesterol. A mixture of monoethyl fumarate and acetic acid sped the reaction, compared with acetic acid alone, with minimal formation of cholesteryl acetate. Studies with14C-cholesterol showed little formation of products other than cholesteryl hemiscuccinate during the reaction. The procedure removed some of the tocopherol from the fat but had no other detectable effect on fat stability. The procedure also can be used to concentrate the lactone precursors from milk fat.
Removal of periocular veins by sclerotherapy.

Abstract Purpose Prominent periocular veins, especially of the lower eyelid, are not uncommon and patients often seek their removal. Sclerotherapy is a procedure that has been successfully used to permanently remove varicose and telangiectatic veins of the lower extremity and less frequently at other sites. Although it has been successfully used to remove dilated facial veins, it is seldom performed and often not recommended in the periocular region for fear of complications occurring in adjacent structures. The purpose of this study was to determine whether sclerotherapy could safely and effectively eradicate prominent periocular veins. Design Noncomparative case series. Participants Fifty adult female patients with prominent periocular veins in the lower eyelid were treated unilaterally. Patients and methods Sclerotherapy was performed with a 0.75% solution of sodium tetradecyl sulfate. All patients were followed for at least 12 months after treatment. Main outcome measures Complete clinical disappearance of the treated vein was the criterion for success. Results All 50 patients were successfully treated with uneventful resorption of their ectatic periocular veins. No patient required a second treatment and there was no evidence of treatment failure at 12 months. No new veins developed at the treated sites and no patient experienced any ophthalmologic or neurologic side effects or complications. Conclusions Sclerotherapy appears to be a safe and effective means of permanently eradicating periocular veins.
Enrichment of lysozyme-containing cells from the rabbit endocervix by unit gravity sedimentation.

Lysozyme is a bacteriolytic enzyme component of the secretory granules of endocervical mucous cells. In order to study the subcellular distribution of this enzyme in specific cell populations, endocervical cells from estrous and 5-day pseudopregnant rabbits were separated by unit gravity sedimentation. The application of this technique to pronase-dispersed endocervical cells from estrous rabbits resulted in the isolation and enrichment of two mucous cell types that were distinguished morphologically into type I and type II cell populations. Lysozyme was identified in both cell types, using an unlabeled antibody enzyme method, and the degree of staining paralleled the number of mucous granules. In the absence of estrogen dominance in 5-day pseudopregnant rabbits, there was a 50% reduction in the number of mucous cells with a concomitant reduction in both the number of secretory granules per cell and the intracellular concentration of lysozyme. In the absence of ovarian steroid hormones, i.e., 15-16 weeks after ovariectomy, endocervical cells were devoid of secretory granules and lysozyme staining was negative. Enriched populations of endocervical cells represent a potential experimental model for studying the hormonal role in the regulation of lysozyme synthesis by specific cell populations.
Distribution of c-fos expression in brainstem neurons associated with conditioning and pseudo-conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane reflex

Experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that there is a characteristic distribution of neuronal c-fos expression associated with the classical conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane reflex (NMR). Rabbits were divided into two groups: a conditioning group that received paired tone and airpuff stimuli in a traditional delay NMR conditioning paradigm and a pseudo-conditioning group in which the same number of tone and airpuff stimuli were applied but without being paired. Labeling was present in similar brainstem nuclei in both groups of animals. The labeled sites included trigeminal and auditory nuclei in the classical pathway for the nictitating membrane reflex as well as other nuclei such as the raphe nuclei and those in the ventrolateral medulla (VLM). However, there were quantitative differences in the labeling between the two groups. There were significantly more labeled nuclear profiles in the trigeminal nucleus of the pseudoconditioned rabbits, but more labeled nuclear profiles in the raphe nuclei in the conditioned animals. Interestingly, the ratio of the labeling in the raphe versus the VLM strongly differed between the two groups.
Neonatal Meishan pigs show POU1F1 genotype effects on plasma GH and PRL concentration.

Abstract Chinese Meishan pigs develop rapidly with onset of puberty at less than 100 days of age, and have a smaller placental size and larger litter size as compared with British/Continental breeds. POU1F1 is a member of the POU-domain family gene and is a positive regulator for growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), and thyroid-stimulating hormone β (TSHβ) in several mammalian species. To investigate the role of POU1F1 in controlling pig growth and reproduction traits, Meishan (MS) pigs segregating a MspI POU1F1 polymorphism were used to determine differences of GH and PRL at both mRNA and circulating hormone concentrations. Animals from nine litters were used to collect pituitary (n=60) and/or blood samples (n=80) at day 0, 15, and 30 after birth, and all animals were genotyped (CC, CD, DD) for the MspI POU1F1 polymorphism. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with standard curve quantification was used to quantify mRNA levels for GH, PRL, and two alternative POU1F1 transcripts, POU1F1-α, and POU1F1-β. Radioimmunoassays were done to determine the circulating concentration of GH and PRL in blood plasma. Our results indicated a significant effect of POU1F1 genotype on circulating levels of both GH and PRL at birth, but not thereafter. The DD neonates had lower levels of GH, but higher levels of PRL, than other genotypes. POU1F1-α mRNA decreased (P
Trends in foreign direct investment flows: a theoretical and empirical analysis

This paper seeks to provide a rationale for changing trends in the flow and determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of macro-economic and firm strategy considerations. We identify several factors that impact on such trends, and develop propositions that could explain the phenomenon generically. The study then provides preliminary empirical support for the propositions presented, and outlines the path for further research needed to investigate more causal links. The statistical analysis of investments by US multinational enterprises (MNEs) reveals significant changes in the regional distribution of FDI, and a change in some of its traditional determinants. Results show that US MNEs are now making increasing investments into Asia to exploit low wage levels and to secure entry into new markets.
Correction [to "Linearity of sequential machines"]

Because of the inadvertent omission of Fig. 6 in the October, 1966 issue, this correction is reprinted completely herewith. S.S. Yau and K.C. Wang, authors of the paper, "Linearity of Sequential Machines," which appeared on pages 337-354 of the June, 1966, issue of these Transactions, have called the to the attention of the Editor errors that appeared on pages 337, 338, 339, 342, 343, 344, 346, 347, 350, 351, and 352.
Practical automatic Arabic license plate recognition system

Since 1970's, the need of an automatic license plate recognition system, sometimes referred as Automatic License Plate Recognition system, has been increasing. A license plate recognition system is an automatic system that is able to recognize a license plate number, extracted from image sensors. In specific, Automatic License Plate Recognition systems are being used in conjunction with various transportation systems in application areas such as law enforcement (e.g. speed limit enforcement) and commercial usages such as parking enforcement and automatic toll payment private and public entrances, border control, theft and vandalism control. Vehicle license plate recognition has been intensively studied in many countries. Due to the different types of license plates being used, the requirement of an automatic license plate recognition system is different for each country. [License plate detection using cluster run length smoothing algorithm ].Generally, an automatic license plate localization and recognition system is made up of three modules; license plate localization, character segmentation and optical character recognition modules. This paper presents an Arabic license plate recognition system that is insensitive to character size, font, shape and orientation with extremely high accuracy rate. The proposed system is based on a combination of enhancement, license plate localization, morphological processing, and feature vector extraction using the Haar transform. The performance of the system is fast due to classification of alphabet and numerals based on the license plate organization. Experimental results for license plates of two different Arab countries show an average of 99 % successful license plate localization and recognition in a total of more than 20 different images captured from a complex outdoor environment. The results run times takes less time compared to conventional and many states of art methods.
Therapeutic adherence to oral medication regimens by adolescents with cancer. I. Laboratory assessment.

Outpatient adherence to oral medication regimens was evaluated in 50 adolescents and young adults with cancer: 21 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or Hodgkin disease who were to take prednisone as a component of their chemotherapy regimen, and 29 patients with Hodgkin disease whose chemotherapy had been discontinued and who were to take penicllin for postsplenectomy prophylaxis. Of the 21 adolescent patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or Hodgkin disease who were to take prednisone as outpatients, 11 patients were found to be nonadherent to treatment (52%). Among the 29 adolescents for whom penicillin was prescribed for postsplenetomy prophylaxis, nonadherence was detected in 14 patients (48%). If a method is available, laboratory assessment to determine adherence should be performed in adolescents and young adults receiving long-term therapy, particularly if one wishes to draw valid conclusions regarding efficacy of various treatment protocols.
Flagging Patriotism: The Myth of Old Glory

Debra Merskin. “Flagging Patriotism: The Myth of Old Glory.” Jung Journal: cul- ture & psyche, 1:4, 11-16. When does a symbol become a sign? Did the meaning of the American flag change after 9/11? This essay explores the use of the American flag as a myth- ological image and hegemonic tool used to define who is one of “Us” and who is one of “Them.” For example, President George W. Bush’s statement, “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” The author posits that symbols, verbal and visual, of faith, freedom, and compassion filled contempo- rary popular culture and the popular imagination and became concretized into uniform signs. Symbols give structure and meaning to life, but they can be appropriated into effec- tive tools of intolerance, coercion, and control, representing the societal-level shadow of Jung’s collective unconscious. Because it is such a common part of our visual environment, the flag is the perfect container for fixing and conveying the intended message of confor- mity and consensus. It speaks to Americans’ hunger and need for “mythic renewal.”
Cylindrical light pipes for collecting light scattered from a Gaussian beam

An investigation to enhance the efficiency of Raman- scattered light showed that cylindrical light pipes can significantly increase light collection from a Gaussian beam. Further, the enhanced signal from the light pipe retains the image of the laser beam, permitting the use of smaller detectors and resulting in a favorable signal-to- noise ratios. This investigation focussed on real-time measurements of gaseous media in a laser buildup cavity; however, the imaging properties of the light pipe apply to all measurements of molecular scattering. The light pipe matched the constraints of our measurement system: spectral separation and detection with an optical spectrograph, the need to reduce background light, the need to minimize cost, and stimulation by a laser beam in an optical cavity. After initial experiments collecting light from the ends of light pipes, we developed light pipes with a window on the cylindrical surface. Light emitted from these windows is much more intense than the direct image of the laser beam (typically 10X for light pipes 50 - 100 mm long), and the signal retains the image of the beam. Computer ray tracing modeled this side collection using Monte Carlo techniques, which are discussed in detail. We fabricated and tested light pipes using several different coatings.
Demersal and larval fish assemblages in the Chukchi Sea

A multidisciplinary research cruise was conducted in the Chukchi Sea in summer 2004 during which we investigated assemblages of small demersal fishes and ichthyoplankton and the water masses associated with these assemblages. This study establishes a baseline of 30 demersal fish and 25 ichthyoplankton taxa in US and Russian waters of the Chukchi Sea. Presence/absence of small demersal fish clustered into four assemblages: Coastal Fishes, Western Chukchi Fishes, South Central Chukchi Fishes, and North Central Chukchi Fishes. Habitats occupied by small demersal fishes were characterized by sediment type, bottom salinity, and bottom temperature. Abundance of ichthyoplankton grouped into three assemblages with geographical extent similar to that of the bottom assemblages, except that there was a single assemblage for Central Chukchi Fishes. Water-column temperature and salinity characterized ichthyoplankton habitats. Three water masses, Alaska Coastal Water, Bering Sea Water, and Winter Water, were identified from both bottom and depth-averaged water-column temperature and salinity. A fourth water mass, Resident Chukchi Water, was identified only in the bottom water. The water mass and habitat characteristics with which demersal and larval fish assemblages were associated create a baseline to measure anticipated effects of climate change that are expected to be most severe at high latitudes. Monitoring fish assemblages could be a tool for assessing the effects of climate change. Climate-induced changes in distributions of species would result in a restructuring of fish assemblages in the Chukchi Sea.
The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by organophosphorus compounds containing a PCl bond

Abstract 1. 1. The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7) from electrophorus by a number of substituted phosphono- and phosphoro- mono and dichloridates was studied. Rate constants were determined for both the inhibition of the enzyme and the spontaneous hydrolysis of the inhibitors; the two parameters could be evaluated even when the half time for hydrolysis of the inhibitor was less than 1 s. 2. 2. The second-order rate constants (ki) for enzyme inhibition were higher than 107 M−1·min−1 for most of the chloridates used; it was as high as 3·109 M−1·min−1 for phenyl phosphorodichloridate. No correlation was found between ki and the rates of hydrolysis of the inhibitors used. 3. 3. Isopropyl methyl phosphonochloridate was only six times more potent as an inhibitor than the corresponding fluoridate (i.e. sarin) although the rate of hydrolysis of the former compound is at least 5000 times higher. In contrast, methyl phosphonodichloridate was considerably more potent than the difluoridate. 4. 4. The rate of phosphorylation of the enzyme by the inhibitors was decreased in the presence of reversible cholinesterase inhibitors such as substituted quaternary ammonium compounds. 5. 5. The enzyme inhibited by dichloridates was not reactivatable. It is an “aged” enzyme. 6. 6. The diphenyl phosphoryl enzyme reactivates spontaneously and rapidly. It alsfages rapidly.
Role of bacterial endotoxins in intestinal ischemic (SMA) shock.

Es werden Versuche zur Aufklarung der Rolle der gram-negativen Bakterien im irreversiblen ischamischen Darmschock durchgefuhrt: Ratten erweisen sich unter dem Einfluss einer milden Form von ischamischem Darmschock keinesfalls fur Endotoxemia empfindlicher als falsch operierte oder normale Tiere, die dieselben Dosen von bakteriellem Endotoxin erhalten haben. Dadurch wird die Rolle der Endotoxemia in der Pathogenese des irreversiblen Darmschocks fragwurdig.
Automated diagnosis and treatment planning for craniofacial pain.

Automated models are used to classify and to plan treatments for patients with craniofacial pain. The clinical data used in the construction of the diagnostic and treatment planning models are discussed. Validation results are presented and applications of the models are considered.
Role of nutrition support during induction chemoradiation therapy in esophageal cancer

Background: Preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) potentially benefits a subgroup of patients with esophageal cancer. The ability to administer aggressive CRT may depend on the initial nutritional status and the ability to sustain nutrition during therapy. Parenteral nutrition support during CRT may lead to complications that limit its usefulness and negate any potential benefit. Methods: Data were analyzed to evaluate the role of parenteral nutrition support (PNS) in patients receiving CRT. Forty-five consecutive patients with locoregional esophageal cancer, enrolled in a phase I/II trial of induction CRT, were analyzed. On the basis of the nutrition support received, two groups were defined as follows: group I (with PNS, n = 30) and group II (without PNS, n = 15). Results were compared in terms of chemotherapy (CT) dose tolerated, morbidity of CRT, response rates, and surgical outcome in groups with and without PNS. Results: The two groups were comparable for demographic data, stage and site of disease, and performance status. There was no significant difference between the groups in the nutritional parameters (weight and serum albumin) before and after CRT. Group I patients received significantly more (% of total calculated dose) CT compared with group II (5-fluorouracil [5-FU], 86.4% vs 68.8%, p =.02; cisplatin [CDDP], 90.8% vs 78.2%, p =.05; and interferon α-2b [IFN-α], 95.4% vs 79.8%, p =.05, in groups I and II, respectively). Major (grade III/ IV) adverse effects of CT were hematologic (group I, 93.3% vs group II, 86.6%, p =.59) and gastrointestinal (group I, 56.67% vs group II, 33.3%, p =.2). Postsurgical staging revealed complete response in 10 (22%) and a major response in 23 (51%) patients, although the response rates were similar in the two groups (group I, 76.6% vs group II, 66.6%, p =.8). Surgical morbidity (51.8% vs 61.5%, p =.73), mortality (7.4% vs 7.6%, p = 1.00), and hospital stay (22.5 vs 19.6 days, p =.63) were also similar in the two groups. Conclusions: PNS can be provided to these patients without an increased risk of CRT or resection-related morbidity. Although early and prolonged PNS facilitates administration of complete CRT doses, no benefit is derived from the administration of more CRT in the present regimen. The utility of PNS in this setting is unclear and, until further clarified, should not be applied routinely to this cohort of patients.