cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Persistent of respiratory syncytial virus in human dendritic cells and influence of nitric oxide

The annual epidemics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection are probably explained by poor herd immunity and the existence of a dormant reservoir of virus that is activated by an unknown trigger. The virus causes particular problems in infants, the elderly and patients with chronic obstructive airways disease (COPD). During two consecutive winters, human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) were exposed on a single occasion to one of two forms of RSV labelled with a fluorescent expresser genes (rgRSV or rrRSV) during the epidemic season. The cultures were maintained for many months, with fresh DCs being added at monthly intervals. The cultures were variously exposed to 600 parts per billion (ppb) nitric oxide for 15 min, nitric oxide (NO) donors and NO inhibitors outside the RSV epidemic season. The pattern of productive infection of DCs in vitro appeared to parallel the natural epidemics, in that DCs exhibited evidence of viral replication and productive infection only as manifested by intracellular fluorescence and infection of HeLa cells during the RSV epidemic season. When the long-term cultures were exposed to the above agents outside the RSV epidemic season there was again evidence of vigorous replication and productive infection, as shown by the reappearance of fluorescence and productive infection of HeLa cells. The results indicate that RSV may remain dormant in dendritic cells for prolonged periods and that replication appears to be activated by suppression of endogenous NO production. These observations may be key to our understanding of the mechanisms contributing to the annual epidemics of RSV infection.
Technology and Technique Standards for Camera-Acquired Digital Dermatologic Images: A Systematic Review

Importance Photographs are invaluable dermatologic diagnostic, management, research, teaching, and documentation tools. Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards exist for many types of digital medical images, but there are no DICOM standards for camera-acquired dermatologic images to date. Objective To identify and describe existing or proposed technology and technique standards for camera-acquired dermatologic images in the scientific literature. Evidence Review Systematic searches of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were performed in January 2013 using photography and digital imaging, standardization, and medical specialty and medical illustration search terms and augmented by a gray literature search of 14 websites using Google. Two reviewers independently screened titles of 7371 unique publications, followed by 3 sequential full-text reviews, leading to the selection of 49 publications with the most recent (1985-2013) or detailed description of technology or technique standards related to the acquisition or use of images of skin disease (or related conditions). Findings No universally accepted existing technology or technique standards for camera-based digital images in dermatology were identified. Recommendations are summarized for technology imaging standards, including spatial resolution, color resolution, reproduction (magnification) ratios, postacquisition image processing, color calibration, compression, output, archiving and storage, and security during storage and transmission. Recommendations are also summarized for technique imaging standards, including environmental conditions (lighting, background, and camera position), patient pose and standard view sets, and patient consent, privacy, and confidentiality. Proposed standards for specific-use cases in total body photography, teledermatology, and dermoscopy are described. Conclusions and Relevance The literature is replete with descriptions of obtaining photographs of skin disease, but universal imaging standards have not been developed, validated, and adopted to date. Dermatologic imaging is evolving without defined standards for camera-acquired images, leading to variable image quality and limited exchangeability. The development and adoption of universal technology and technique standards may first emerge in scenarios when image use is most associated with a defined clinical benefit.
Home‐Based Primary Care Practices in the United States: Current State and Quality Improvement Approaches

Objectives To describe the characteristics of home-based primary care practices: staffing, administrative, population served, care practices, and quality of care challenges. Design Survey of home-based primary care practices. Setting Home-based primary care practices in the United States. Participants Members of the American Academy of Home Care Medicine and nonmember providers identified by surveyed members. Measurements A 58-item questionnaire that assessed practice characteristics, care provided by the practice, and how the quality of care that the practice provided was assessed. Results Survey response rate was 47.9%, representing 272 medical house calls practices. Mean average daily census was 457 patients (median 100 patients, range 1–30,972 patients). Eighty-eight percent of practices offered around-the-clock coverage for urgent concerns, 60% held regularly scheduled team meetings, 89% used an electronic medical record, and one-third used a defined quality improvement process. The following factors were associated with practices that used a defined quality improvement process: practice holds regularly scheduled team meetings to discuss specific patients (odds ratio (OR) = 2.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–4.21), practice conducts surveys of patients (OR = 8.53, 95% CI = 4.07–17.88), and practice is involved in National Committee for Quality Assurance patient-centered medical home (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.18–9.07). Ninety percent of practices would or might participate in quality improvement activities that would provide them timely feedback on patient and setting-appropriate quality indicators. Conclusions There is a substantial heterogeneity of home-based primary care practice types. Most practices perform activities that lend themselves to robust quality improvement efforts, and nearly all indicated interest in a national registry to inform quality improvement.
Biblioteca Dr. Uros Bacic

This paper: (1) Gives a general argument why research on nonlinear science in general and chaos in particular is important in economics and finance. (2) Puts forth two definitions of stochastic nonlinearity (IID-Linearity and MDS- Linearity) for nonlinear time series analysis and argues for their usefulness as organizing con- cepts not only for discussion of nonlinearity testing but also for building a new class of struc- tural asset pricing models. (3) Shows how to use ideas from interacting particle systems theory to build structural asset pricing models that turn IID-Linear or MDS-Linear earnings processes into non MDS-Linear equilibrium returns processes. * I thank the NSF (SES-9122344) and the Vilas Trust for research support; and Steve Durlauf and Blake LeBaron for very useful comments. I thank Carlos Urzua for inviting me to present this work at a most exceptional conference. None of the above are responsible for errors, shortcomings, and opinions expressed in this paper. An earlier version of this paper circulated under the title, "Beyond Randomness, or, Emergent Noise: Interactive Systems of Agents with Cross Dependent Characteristics/'
Septic shock of endotoxin type: Some observations based on the management of 50 patients

Abstract Septic shock of the endotoxin type remains of major importance because of persisting high mortality rates. Theories of pathogenesis remain mutually contradictory in many respects, and more basic work is required in this area. The treatment of this condition remains controversial. Fifty cases of septic shock in gynecologic and obstetric patients are reviewed. In 44 women the condition was associated with pregnancy. Septic abortion, chorioamnionitis, and pyelonephritis were the main sources of the infection. Methods of monitoring the patient in septic shock with special attention to blood pressure, central venous pressure, blood volume changes, and urinary output are discussed. Early surgical intervention and the proper use of vasopressors and corticosteroids in pharmacologic doses yielded good results in terms of patient survival. The mortality rate was 26 per cent in the first 6 years of the study and 5.3 per cent in the last 21 months. The over-all mortality rate was 18 per cent.
Metal Dispersal and the Number of Population III Stars

Two fundamental constraints on the earliest star formation conditions in the Galaxy are an apparent empirical low-metallicity threshold of −4 ≲ [Fe/Hl, and an upper limit to the fraction of Population III halo stars of F III < 4 × 10−4. How do these observed constraints compare with predictions of simple models? This is investigated within the framework of element dispersal from clustered core-collapse SNe. Simple arguments considering turbulent mixing within multi-phase ISM suggest that the observed low-metallicity threshold is consistent with rough expected values. However, the observed limit on F III is two orders of magnitude larger than predictions from this simple, one-zone inhomogeneous chemical evolution.
Catabolic fate of Streptomyces viridosporus T7A-produced, acid-precipitable polymeric lignin upon incubation with ligninolytic Streptomyces species and Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Degradation of ground and hot-water-extracted corn stover (Zea mays) lignocellulose by Streptomyces viridosporus T7A generates a water-soluble lignin degradation intermediate termed acid-precipitable polymeric lignin (APPL). The further catabolism of T7A-APPL by S. viridosporus T7A, S. badius 252, and S. setonii 75Vi2 was followed for 3 weeks in aerated shake flask cultures at 37°C in a yeast extract-glucose medium containing 0.05% (wt/vol) T7A-APPL. APPL catabolism by Phanerochaete chrysosporium was followed in stationary cultures in a low-nitrogen medium containing 1% (wt/vol) glucose and 0.05% (wt/vol) T7A-APPL. Metabolism of the APPL was followed by turbidometric assay (600 nm) and by direct measurement of APPL recoverable from the medium. Accumulation and disappearance of soluble low-molecular-weight products of APPL catabolism were followed by gas-liquid chromatography and by high-pressure liquid chromatography, utilizing a diode array detector. Identified and quantified compounds present in culture media included p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and vanillin. The further catabolism of these APPL-derived aromatic compounds varied with the culture examined, and only S. setonii and P. chrysosporium completely degraded all of them. Some new intermediates of APPL metabolism also appeared in culture media, but the patterns were culture specific. Additional evidence from high-pressure liquid chromatography analyses indicated that one strain, S. badius, converted a water-soluble fraction evident by high-pressure liquid chromatography (7 to 10 min retention time range) into new products appearing at shorter retention times. Mineralization of a [14C-lignin]APPL was also followed. The percent 14C recovered as 14CO2, 14C-APPL, 14C-labeled water-soluble products, and cell mass-associated radioactivity, were determined for each microorganism after 1 and 3 weeks of incubation in bubbler tube cultures at 37°C. P. chrysosporium evolved the most 14CO2 (10%), and S. viridosporus gave the greatest decrease in recoverable 14C-APPL (23%). The results show that S. badius was not able to significantly degrade the APPL, while the other microorganisms demonstrated various APPL-degrading abilities. The significance of these findings relative to the fate of APPLs in nature was discussed.
Paramedic and Emergency Department Care of Stroke: Baseline Data From a Citywide Performance Improvement Study

BACKGROUND Rapid diagnosis and transport by paramedics and efficient, effective emergency management are essential to improving care of acute stroke patients. OBJECTIVES To measure the performance of paramedics and emergency departments providing care for patients with suspected acute stroke. METHODS Two stroke centers and 4 other hospitals where most patients with acute stroke in Houston, Tex, are admitted participated. Hospital and paramedic performance data were collected prospectively on 446 patients with suspected acute stroke transported by paramedics between September 1999 and February 2000. RESULTS Paramedics had a sensitivity of 66%, specificity of 98%, and overall accuracy of 72% in diagnosing stroke. For patients with suspected stroke, 58.5% arrived in the emergency department within 120 minutes of symptom onset; in confirmed cases, that percentage was 67%. Mean total transport time was 42.2 minutes and was significantly longer (P < .001) to inner-city hospitals (44 minutes) than to suburban, community-based centers (39 minutes). Door to computed tomography times were significantly (P < .001) shorter for the 2 stroke centers than the other hospitals. Overall thrombolysis treatment rate among patients with confirmed ischemic stroke was 7.4% (range, 0-19.4%); treatment rates at the 2 stroke centers were 5.9% and 19.4%. CONCLUSIONS More than half of patients with suspected stroke arrive at hospitals while thrombolytic treatment is still feasible. Although the current rate for thrombolytic treatment in Houston exceeds the national rate, performance of paramedics and hospitals in treating acute stroke can be improved by increasing efficiency and standardizing medical practices.
The number of preference preorderings

Abstract Recursion formulas for the number of preference preorderings are followed by calculations for small numbers of alternatives and by upper and lower bound estimates.
112 CONSTRICTION AND RELAXATION OF THE DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS IN SMALL PRETERM INFANTS

Small prematures with respiratory distress (RD) are at high risk for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and left-right shunt. Nearly all infants 5 severe). PDA was evaluated by echo (LA/Ao, left ventricular dimensions= LVED) and aortography. Based on the caliber of PDA (Ductus/aorta diameter=PDA/Ao) infants were placed in 3 groups. The PDA was constricted in 17 grp I infants who also had less RD (P<.01). Those infants with larger PDA had larger LA/Ao (P<.05). However, 10/17 infants with constricted ductus and mild RD had abnormal LA/Ao (4 with abnormal LV). Only 15/32 ultimately received indomethacin (4 grp I, 4 grp II). Conclusions: (1) Early constriction of PDA is a common occurrence in very small infants with mild-moderate RD. (2)Abnormal echo dimensions in small asphyxiated infants may be related to factors such as left-right ductal shunt, LV dysfunction or artifacts. (3) Ductal relaxation occurs and contributes to the later increase of left-right shunting.
Organic and inorganic sulfur constituents of a forest soil and their relationship to microbial activity.

Sulfur (S) constituents, microbial biomass, and sulfohydrolase activity were determined for each soil horizon at both hardwood and conifer sites in a Becket soil (Adirondack Mountains, New York). Drying of soil before analysis altered the S constituents. There was a threefold increase (p<0.05) in sulfate in the organic horizons. Total S was greatest in the O horizons with 2,010 and 1,690 ..mu..g S/g in conifer and hardwood solums, respectively. Mineral soil had a maximum S concentration in the B21h horizon. Sulfate concentrations were a small proportion (<15%) of total S in B horizons. Organic S was dominant (93% of total S) in all horizons. Carbon-bonded S and ester sulfate were 74 and 18% of total S, respectively. Microbial biomass was greatest in the O1 horizon of both hardwood and conifer solums (59 and 70 mg biomass C per 100 g/sup -1/ dry mass, respectively). The B21h horizon contained the greatest biomass in the mineral soil. Sulfohydrolase activity exhibited the same distribution. Total S, carbon-bonded S, and ester sulfate were all positively correlated (p<0.05) to percent organic matter in the soil horizons. Correlations between microbial biomass and sulfohydrolase activity with organic S indicate the potential for microbial S transformations. Sulfate formationmore » by mineralization may be more important than exogenous inputs. This has major implications for assessing the impact of atmospheric S deposition on soils.« less
Intraoperative tissue expansion in eyelid reconstruction

Objective: Chronic tissue expansion is a well-accepted modality for increasing available tissue for reconstructive surgery. In rapid intraoperative tissue expansion (RITE), a tissue expander is used intraoperatively to increase the available tissue area for defect closure. The use of the ubiquitous and inexpensive Foley catheter has previously been reported as a tissue expander in RITE. In this paper, the authors examine the application of the Foley catheter for RITE in oculoplastic surgery. Design: Case series. Participants: Twenty-six patients (ages 50 to 87) with eyelid defects from various causes underwent reconstruction using RITE. Intervention: Using this technique, the tip of a #14 French Foley catheter is trimmed, keeping the balloon intact. The balloon is inserted under a skin—muscle flap. Counter traction is applied, and the balloon is filled with saline until the flap blanches. The balloon is inflated twice for 5 minutes with a 1- to 2-minute rest period between expansions. This provides increased tissue area for reconstruction of periocular defects. Main Outcome Measures: The linear extent of the eyelid defect was measured prior to and after expansion with RITE. A comparison was made between the two measurements. Results: The linear extent of the eyelid margin defect decreased by 36% after RITE. Conclusions: Rapid intraoperative tissue expansion with a Foley catheter is a means of providing increased tissue area for reconstructive surgery of the eyelids and periorbital region. This technique provides excellent tissue match for color, texture, and thickness. The technique decreases the size of the incised and undermined skin—muscle flap and the tension needed for wound closure.
A New Method for Opening Load Determination from Compliance Measurements

A brief review of the most popular compliance based methods for determination of the crack opening load is included in the introduction. This review reveals the demand for a noise resistant method that is especially needed in the near-threshold region where a partial crack closure prevails and the existing ASTM method does not calculate the correct opening load. With this in mind, a new technique was developed (‘Q’ method). It uses integration instead of differentiation of the compliance data. It also accounts for the partial crack closure situations. The derivation of the Q method is discussed together with its relation to the ASTM procedure, and both methods were used to analyze experimental data of 2324-T39 and 7475-T7351 Al alloys tested at 0.1 and 0.9 load ratios. On average the crack opening load values from the Q method are smaller by the factor of about 2/π in comparison to those obtained from the ASTM procedure.
SU‐E‐I‐103: Tissue Dependent Deformation Field Regularization through Collapsed Cone Convolution/Superposition

Purpose Previous Tissue‐dependent deformation field filters incur a relatively high computation cost. We present a collapsed‐cone based adaptive filtering method to reduce the computational overhead. Our proposed method is able to reduce the computational complexity of the superposition process from O(q3N3) to O(MN3) time, where q is the chosen neighborhood size, N is the volume dimension and M is the number of kernel axes. Method and Materials Our proposed filter performs diffusion along chosen kernel axes instead of within a size‐limited cubic neighborhood. During the ray tracing process along the kernel axis, the contribution of a given voxel to its neighbors is exponentially attenuated to simulate the physical characteristics of tissues. During the attenuation, local biomedical information can be naturally incorporated by scaling the ray tracing length according to the underlying tissue stiffness. This scaling makes a voxel within soft tissues more “malleable” with respect to its neighbors' movements. Results: We integrated different regularization methods into the same deformable registration approach (Demons algorithm). The kernel size of the Gaussian filter was set to be 5; the number of kernel directions for the CC filter were 4 in 2D and 16 in 3D. The experiments shows that our results produces are no‐worse result with a faster speed than these from other techniques. By investigating the finer details, the proposed method shows better capability of tracking changes. Conclusion Wpresented a collapsed‐cone (CC) based technique for the regularization of the deformation fields in image registration, which provides realistic deformation field and is useful for studying and modelingorgans in motion. Since the CC filter can cover the entire 3D volume of interest, a better maintenance of the overall object shapes can be achieved. The incorporation of tissue information allows the CC filter to adjust its behavior to match the tissue biomedical characteristics.
Sequential virtual motion camouflage method for nonlinear constrained optimal trajectory control

Nonlinear constrained optimal trajectory planning is a challenging and fundamental area of research. This paper proposes bio-inspired fast-time approaches for this type of problems based on the inspiration drawn from the natural phenomenon known as the motion camouflage. Two algorithms are proposed: the virtual motion camouflage (VMC) subspace method and the sequential VMC method. As a hybrid approach, the sequential VMC method works through a two-step structure in each iteration. First, the VMC subspace method will solve for an optimal solution over a selected subspace. Second, an algorithm consisting of a linear programming and a line search will vary the subspace so that the next VMC subspace result will be guaranteed not to be worse than that of the current step. The dimension and time complexities of the algorithms will be analyzed, and the optimality of the solution via the sequential VMC approach will be studied. Through the VMC approaches, the state and control variables in the kinematics or dynamics models of vehicles in the selected subspace can be represented by a single degree-of-freedom vector, called the path control parameter vector. The reduction in dimension and no involvement of equality constraints will in practice make the convergence faster and easier, and a much smaller computational cost is expected. Two simulation examples, the Breakwell problem and a minimum time robot obstacle avoidance problem with different numbers of obstacles, are used to demonstrate the capabilities of the algorithms.
Recovery Of Superquadrics From 3-D Information

Super-quadrics are a volumetric primitive which can model many objects ranging from cubes to spheres to octahedrons to 8-pointed stars and anything in between. They also can be stretched, bent, tapered and combined with boolean to model a wide range of objects. A restricted class of these have been used as the basic primitives of a volumetric modeling system developed ar SRI. At Columbia, we are interested in using superquadrics as model primitives for computer vision applications because they are flexible enough to allow modeling of many objects, yet they can be described by a small (5-14) number of parameters. In this paper, we discuss our research into the recovery of superellipsoids (a restricted class of superquadrics) from 3-D information, in particular range data. We recall the formulation of superellipsoids in terms of their inside-out function, which divides 3 space into regions inside the volume, on the boundary, and outside the volume. Using this function, we employ a nonlinear least square minimization technique to recover the parameters. We discuss both the advantages of this technique, and some of its major drawbacks. Examples are presented, using both synthetic and actual range-data, where the system successfully recovers negative superquadrics, and superquadrics from sparse data including synthetically generated sparse data from multiple viewpoints. While the system was successful in recovering the examples presented, there are some obvious problems. One of these is the relationship between the inside-out function, and the true least-squared distance of the data from recovered model. We discuss this relationship for three different functions based on the inside-out function.
The thermal force in the transition region

Abstract Theoretical and experimental results for the thermal force in the free molecule region are reviewed. A theory is developed for the thermal force for the transition region. Experimental results appear to support the developed theory.
MEASUREMENT OF THE SAMPLING EFFICIENCY OF PERSONAL INHALABLE AEROSOL SAMPLERS USING A SIMPLIFIED PROTOCOL

Abstract Traditional protocols for the performance evaluation of personal inhalable aerosol samplers utilize full-size manikins and large cross-section wind tunnels. Thus, these sampler evaluation procedures are complex, very costly, and time consuming. In addition, it is difficult to provide an adequately uniform wind velocity and aerosol concentration over large cross-section wind tunnels. A simplified test protocol, developed in our recent studies, is evaluated in this paper. The protocol is based on a three-dimensional rectangular simplified torso that simulates the dimensions of the human chest. This arrangement allows simultaneous measurement in four discrete orientations to the wind, thus providing useful orientation-dependent sampler information and possibly reducing the number of measurements needed. Sampling efficiencies of four personal inhalable aerosol samplers (the IOM, GSP, 37-mm closed-face cassette, and the button sampler) were measured using the simplified test protocol and the traditional approach for three particle sizes (7, 29, and 70 μ m) in four inlet orientations to the wind (0, 90, 180, and 270°) and two wind velocities (0.5 and 2.0 m s -1 ). It was found that when these samplers were mounted on the simplified torso versus the full-size manikin, the sampling efficiencies responded to changes in the sampling conditions in the same way regardless of whether the samplers were mounted on the simplified torso or the full-size manikin. Also, the sampling efficiencies were found not to be statistically different when the samplers were mounted on the simplified torso versus the full-size manikin. Thus, the simplified test protocol was shown to be suitable for the performance evaluation of personal inhalable aerosol samplers.
Glial cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage express both kainate- and AMPA-preferring subtypes of glutamate receptor

Abstract mRNAs for AMPA- and kainate-preferring glutamate receptor subunits are expressed abundantly in the CNS, yet functional studies of neurons and glia from brain suggest selective expression of AMPA receptors. We now show that glial cells of the O-2A lineage express rapidly desensitizing responses to kainate, mRNAs for GluR6, GIuR7, KA-1, and KA-2, rapidly desensitizing responses to AMPA, and mRNAs for GIuR-B, -C, and -D. Analysis of glutamate receptor currents in single cells reveals two receptor populations with high and low affinity for kainate and different sensitivity for potentiation by concanavalin A and for block of desensitization by cyclothiazide. Our experiments describe the characterization of native kainate-preferring receptors in glia and reveal coexpression in single cells of functional AMPA- and kainate-preferring receptors.
249. The effects of gender and the estrous cycle on learned helplessness in the rat

Women are more likely to suffer from major depressive disorder than men. Moreover, in depressed women, mood often fluctuates during the menstrual cycle. Learned helplessness is a valid animal model of stress-induced behavioral depression. Few studies have examined gender differences and influences of the estrous cycle in this and other animal behavioral models of clinical depression. We therefore tested the hypothesis that estrogen protects against depression. Learned helplessness was studied in rats using a inescapable tail shock stress followed by a shuttle box test to determine escape latencies. Rats studied were normal cycling female rats in the estrus and diestrus II phases, male and ovariectomized female rats. b-estradiol (10 mg/ml, sc) and progesterone (0.5 mg/kg) were administered to OVX females 12 or 72 hours prior to inescapable tail shock. Diazepam (2 mg/kg) and allopregnanolone (0.5 mg/kg) were administered to diestrus II females thirty minutes prior to inescapable tail shock. Pentylenetetrazole (20 mg/kg, PTZ) was administered to estrus females 10 minutes prior to shuttle box testing. Female rats in the diestrus II phase were significantly more helpless than female rats in the estrus phase. Estradiol decreased the escape latencies of OVX females. Progesterone produced a time-dependent effect such that after 12 hours escape latencies were increased but after 72 hours escape latencies were decreased. Diazepam and allopregnanolone prevented learned helplessness in diestrus II females. PTZ induced learned helplessness in estrus females. These results indicate an influence of the estrous cycle on the development of learned helplessness.
Staging early ovarian cancer: impact on treatment decisions.

The search for clear evidence-based data supportive of treatment decisions in early stage ovarian cancer remains elusive. Previous trials have shown inconsistencies in surgical staging, most likely contributing to inclusion of patients with more extensive disease. In addition, tumours of low malignant potential have been included due to lack of pathology validation. Because of unanticipated delays in completing accrual, even the largest trials have had to be truncated combined or required meta-analysis to support stronger conclusions. Moreover lengthy trials could result in treatments being utilised that are different from standards of care at a trials conclusion. Nevertheless, a considerable amount of useful data have been assembled, collated and critically analysed in past reviews. The main focus here is on the paper by Petra Timmers et al. ‘Understanding the Problem of Inadequately Staging Early Ovarian Cancer,’ published in this issue. The database for this paper originated from ACTION 2003, and provides additional characterisation of the staging process utilised. Of the 40 participant sites, the lowest level of staging occurred at sites where fewer than 5 patients were entered. Sites entering more than 20 or even more than 10 patients had a higher frequency of optimum staging. But even at sites entering more than 20 patients complete staging was only achieved in approximately 36% of patients. ACTION 2003 and ICON1 were two of the largest and most recent randomised trials to examine the effects of adjuvant chemotherapy in early ovarian cancer. Treatment was
The Law of Sun-Spot Polarity.

In a paper on "The Direction of Rotation of Sun-spot Vortices," published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Scieces in June, 1915, I described the general reversal of the magnetic polarity of sun-spots observed at the minimum of solar activity in 1912.
Adsorption of gas phase methyl radicals on the oxygen modified Mo(100) single crystal surface

The interaction of gas phase methyl radicals, •CH3, with a well characterized surface in ultrahigh vacuum has been studied for the first time. Methyl radicals were produced by low pressure thermal decomposition of azomethane flowing through a hot alumina tube. The sticking coefficient and surface reactions of •CH3 interacting with a Mo(100) surface covered by one monolayer of atomic oxygen have been investigated using temperature programmed desorption and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sticking coefficient of •CH3 on this surface is remarkably low, ∼2×10−3. This implies there exists a barrier to adsorption associated with either the energy necessary to distort the molecule from planar to tetrahedral geometry or possibly a restriction imposed by electron spin conservation. •CH3 reacts on the surface to form methane and hydrogen. Residual carbon eventually combines with the surface oxygen present to form carbon monoxide.
Kidney preservation by initial perfusion and surface cooling

Abstract Twenty-four-hour preservation of dog kidneys utilizing the initial flush and surface-cooling technique was carried out in three groups of dogs. The solutions used for flushing were (1) perfusate of Collins, (2) lactated Ringer's solution, and (3) filtered plasma with and without additives. Reimplantation in nephrectomized dogs resulted in survival of six consecutive dogs using the method of Collins. Success was less uniform with the other perfusates, but indicated their potential usefulness. Included are data on renal function and histopathologic correlation as well as modifications to the technique of Collins.
Erythromycin inhibition of cell proliferation and in vitro mitochondrial protein synthesis in human HeLa cells is pH dependent

Abstract The growth of HeLa cells in Hepes-buffered medium was significantly more sensitive to the inhibitory effects of erythromycin than in medium buffered by the more conventional bicarbonate-CO 2 system. Since growth inhibition by erythromycin became more pronounced as the pH of the medium was increased the difference in erythromycin sensitivity between the Hepes-buffered medium vs. the bicarbonate-CO 2 -buffered medium is most likely due to pH effects. The relative growth sensitivity to erythromycin of ERY2301, an erythromycin-resistant mutant of HeLa, was also affected by elevated pH of the growth medium. However, ERY2301 cells were able to proliferate to a greater extent in the presence of erythromycin than HeLa cells grown under the same conditions. The selective growth advantage of ERY2301 (in the presence of erythromycin) is best seen in medium of pH 7.4, or in the Hepes-buffered medium. In vitro protein synthesis by intact mitochondria isolated from HeLa cells was relatively insensitive to erythromycin inhibition at pH 7.4 and 7.6, but at high pH values was inhibited approx. 50%. Although the erythromycin sensitivity of ERY2301 mitochondrial protein synthesis was also affected by increasing the pH, the incorporation of [ 3 H]leucine was more resistant to erythromycin than that observed for HeLa mitochondria over the pH range tested. Increasing the concentration of erythromycin at a given pH did not result in a further increase in the inhibition of either HeLa or ERY2301 mitochondrial protein synthesis. When the mitochondrial membranes were disrupted by Triton X-100, erythromycin inhibition of HeLa mitochondrial protein synthesis was pH dependent and, at the lower pH values tested, greater inhibition was observed as the erythromycin concentration was increased. ERY2301 mitochondrial protein synthesis under the same conditions displayed a high level of erythromycin-resistant activity independent of both pH and erythromycin concentration. It is suggested that, as has been proposed for bacterial systems, only the non-protonated molecule of erythromycin is effective in inhibiting mitochondrial protein synthesis. The ability of erythromycin to permeate the mitochondrial membranes and the plasma membres may also be facilitated by a higher pH.
Influence of catecholestradiol on short-lived corpora lutea in beef cows

The influence of intrauterine administration of catecholestradiol (4-hydroxylated estradiol) on lifespan of the initial postpartum corpus luteum was evaluated in suckled beef cows. In experiment 1, postpartum cows (n=23) were untreated (CONTROL) or received intrauterine infusions (0700 and 1700 hr) of either vehicle (SAL) or catecholestradiol (CATE; 4 μg) from day 15 to 22 (day 0 = parturition). Blood samples were collected three times weekly (day 15 to 100) and analyzed for progesterone. In experiment 2, cows received twice daily intrauterine infusions of either vehicle (n=18), or catecholestradiol (n=19), from day 25 ± .5 to day 30 ± .5. Following the final infusion, calves were temporarily weaned from all cows for 48 hr. At the end of the 48 hr weaning period, cows in each infusion group received either an i.m. injection of 1,000 IU hCG (SAL+hCG, n=9; CATE+hCG, n=9) or no further treatment (SAL, n=9; CATE, n=10). Blood samples were collected daily for 21 d following calf removal and 3 times weekly through 100 d postpartum. In both experiments, the initial postpartum elevation in peripheral progesterone concentrations was characterized as either a short ( 8 d) luteal phase. In experiment 1, postpartum anestrous interval (60 ± 3.4 d) and incidence of short luteal phases (77%) were similar among CONTROL, SAL and CATE treatments. In experiment 2, luteal phases were induced within 10 d of onset of weaning in 90, 100, 56 and 60% of cows in SAL+hCG, CATE+hCG, SAL and CATE treatments, respectively. The incidence of attenuated increases in progesterone, indicative of short luteal phases was markedly lower (P<.05) in CATE (17%) than SAL+hCG (88%), CATE+hCG (100%) and SAL (100%) treatments. In summary, catecholestradiol enhanced function and lifespan of the initial postpartum corpus luteum only if administered shortly before expected ovulation. If the ovulatory stimulus was timed by administration of hCG, beneficial effects of cathecholestradiol were absent.
Bridging the information literacy gap: library participation in summer transition programs

Purpose – With Complete College America and renewed interest in performance‐based funding models for higher education, colleges are focused on improving retention, progression and graduation rates. Many schools bring lower‐achieving students to campus for a pre‐first‐year program called Summer Bridge to give them an introduction to college. These summer programs have varying levels of library involvement. The authors aim to compare the level of library involvement at their institution with that of libraries where similar programs exist.Design/methodology/approach – The authors searched for schools with summer bridge programs, read through their program descriptions to find ones that were similar to their own situation (e.g. not STEM‐focused or Upward Bound), and sent a survey to 103 libraries. In total, 42 responded.Findings – Of the responding libraries 88 percent have face‐to‐face instruction with the summer bridge participants, however only 33 percent of the libraries did any assessment of this contact...
Social Activist Marketing: A Reconceptualization of Countermarketing and Demarketing

ABSTRACT Original conceptualizations of countermarketing and de-marketing as demand-related, discrete marketing functions, were made at a time when social activists focused more upon stopping harmful demand (“don't drink,” “don't smoke” etc.) than they did upon stopping harmful supply (i.e., anti-factory farming and anti-drug dealing campaigns). This discussion proposes that these concepts be reconceptualized as ends of a continuum, as applicable to both harmful demand and harmful supply, and as the foundation for social activist marketing.
Commentary on Sokal et al.'s “Historical Population Movements in Europe Influence Genetic Relationships in Modern Samples” (1996)

The genetic history of Europe has been the focus of many studies looking at the relative influence of geography, language, and prehistoric and historic population movements on genetic differences between populations. Two groups of researchers have had a major impact on the evolution of these studies—Luca Cavalli-Sforza and colleagues (e.g., Cavalli-Sforza et al. 1994; Menozzi et al. 1978) and Robert Sokal and colleagues. The paper reprinted here is one of many of Sokal’s innovative approaches to population genetics, adroitly integrating anthropological data and hypotheses and genetic data in a rigorous and statistically precise manner. The focus of the paper is the use of ethnohistorical data to test the hypotheses of the influence of historical population movements over the past 4,000 years on the genetic structure of contemporary human populations across Europe. Sokal et al. used ethnohistorical data to construct a distance measure based on the likely relative ancestral contribution of different ethnic groups, which were defined in terms of language family membership. They found a significant correlation with genetic distance that was derived from a large sample of classical genetic markers. Further, they showed that this correlation remained even after controlling for geographic distance, thus showing that the expected relationship was not a byproduct of spatial autocorrelation. In addition, they found that the strength of the correlations increased over time, particularly during the past 400 years. This paper is an excellent example of the multidisciplinary approaches that Bob Sokal brought to investigations of genetic history. Ethnohistory is a key factor in the studies of anthropological genetics, because the origin of different groups and their contact with other populations, both near and far, affect genetic variation. Most often, the history of different populations is used to make indirect inferences regarding observed patterns of genetic similarity. For example, in my study of 19th-century Irish anthropometrics, the observed distinction of two island populations was explained by noting that their history pointed to a large influx of English soldiers (Relethford 1988). For many studies, historical hypotheses are treated in such an indirect fashion. What makes Sokal’s paper so innovative is that he and his colleagues quantified European ethnohistory through the compilation of a massive database on European-population movements (this
Convents and Nuns: New Approaches to the Study of Female Religious Institutions in Colonial Mexico

This article serves as an introduction to the subject of the colonial Mexican convent for non-experts, while surveying recent historiographical trends. In the past ten years, historical scholarship on nuns and convents has taken three broad directions. First, historians have begun to study other female religious institutions and other kinds of religious women than cloistered convents and nuns, though the number of works that explicitly compare these institutions and experiences is still disappointingly small. Second, historians have focused on the understudied sixteenth- and late eighteenth-century convents, with the result that we are beginning to gain a textured understanding of how the convent changed over time and responded to changes in the world around it. Third, the older feminist scholarship that tended to characterize the convent as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for women – that is, either less subject to patriarchal maneuverings than the outside world, or more so – is being complicated by more subtle approaches that take nuns’ spirituality and the dynamics of community seriously. We are beginning to build a picture of a complex institution that still tells us much about women's experience in the colonial period, but also tells us a great deal about the institutional church and about the religious values of the broader society.
Adult emergence phenology in checkerspot butterflies: the effects of macroclimate, topoclimate, and population history

The prediction of adult emergence times in insect populations can be greatly complicated by microclimatic gradients, especially in circumstances where distributions of juveniles along those gradients vary from year to year. To investigate adult emergence patterns in topographically heterogeneous habitats, we built a model of postdiapause development of the Bay checkerspot butterfly, Euphydryas editha bayensis. The model uses slope-specific insolation as the rate-controlling variable, and accounts for both solar exposure of the habitat and cloud cover. Instar-specific larval mass gains per unit of insolation were determined from mark-recapture experiments. A small correction for daily low temperatures was used to calibrate the model to five years of field data on larval mass. The model predicted mean mass of 90% of larval samples within 4 clear days over a 70–120 day growing season. The magnitude of spatial variation in emergence times across habitat slopes is greater than annual variation in emergence times due to yearly weather conditions. Historical variation (yearly shifts in larval distributions across slopes) is an important determinant of mean population emergence dates. All of these factors need to be considered in understanding adult emergence phenology in this butterfly and in other insects inhabiting heterogeneous thermal environments. Such an understanding can be useful in managing insect populations for both pest control and conservation.
Politics and the Law in Late Nineteenth-Century Germany: The Origins of the Civil Code

Abbreviations Introduction The theory and practice of Codification, 1814-1867 The politics of legal unity, 1867-1873 The approach to codification, 1874-1888 The public response and the campaign for legal reform, 1888-1896 The Wilhelmine State and the revision of the code, 1888-1896 The final stage: The civil code in the Bundesrat and Reichstag, 1895-1896 Conclusion
Examining interactions between legumes and Aphanomyces euteiches with real-time PCR

Real-time PCR has many applications in the study of host-pathogen interactions including improving the resolution of disease screening programs in selecting highly resistant plants. Identifying the earliest time in the disease process that real-time PCR can be used to reliably identify resistant genotypes will optimise applications of these assays in resistance breeding. Experiments were performed to examine the accumulation of Aphanomyces euteiches in resistant and susceptible pea populations at several different time points (7, 10 and 14 days) during the progress of disease progression. At all times, significantly more A. euteiches DNA was detected in the susceptible cultivar Bolero than in the resistant germplasm 90–2079. The earliest significant correlation between disease severity and pathogen DNA quantitywas observed 14 days after inoculation. In both resistant and susceptible populations, the quantity of A. euteiches DNA reached a maximum at 7 days, and then decreased in a fairly linear manner over time. These observations provide evidence that A. euteiches is a biotrophic organism that primarily produces mycelia early in the disease cycle. These results suggest that control measures be targeted to disrupt the pathogen early in the process of disease to reduce the production of oospores that serve as subsequent field inoculum.
Calcium sensitivity of fast-and slow-twitch human muscle fibers

Muscle fibers from the lateral gastrocnemius muscles of five normal adult males were chemically skinned (sarcolemma disrupted) and each fiber was divided into two parts for histochemical determination of fiber type and calcium-induced tension measurements. The calcium concentration associated with half-maximal tension was 2.5 microM for fast-twitch and 1.3-1.4 microM for slow-twitch fibers. Fast-oxidative-glycolytic (type 2A) and fast-glycolytic (type 2B) fibers had similar calcium sensitivities. Maximum tensions (kg/cm2) were 2.24 for fast-twitch and 2.19 for slow-twitch fibers.
Endothelial monocyte activating polypeptide ii induces endothelial cell apoptosis and may inhibit tumor angiogenesis

Endothelial monocyte activating polypeptide II (EMAP-II) is a tumor-derived cytokine with potent effects on endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo including upregulation of tissue factor and the sensitization of human melanoma to systemic TNF treatment via its effects on the tumor vasculature. We investigated the effects of EMAP-II on tumor growth, angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, and apoptosis. EMAP-II inhibited endothelial cell proliferation, vasculogenesis, and neovessel formation. In vivo growth of human melanoma lines expressing high amounts of EMAP-II demonstrated slower growth, smaller tumors, and increased amounts of tumor necrosis than those expressing lower amounts of EMAP-II. EMAP-II induced endothelial-cell-specific apoptosis via a pathway that includes upregulation of the Fas-associated death domain and downregulation of Bcl-2. EMAP-II appears to have important effects on angiogenesis and may play a role in regulating tumor vascular growth.