cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Hypothesis: Can Erythropoietin Administration Affect the Severity of Retinopathy in Diabetic Patients With Renal Failure?

ABSTRACT Background Before the clinical availability of erythropoietin, diabetic retinopathy was known to stabilize on dialysis. Recently erythropoietin has been shown to be a potent angiogenic factor. Therefore, we chose to examine whether severity and progression of diabetic retinopathy has been accelerated by the administration of recombinant erythropoietin to patients with chronic renal failure. Methods Records of the patients followed by the Hypertension Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation Clinic, the regional nephrology referral center for Eastern Alabama, from 1982 through 2005 were reviewed. Funduscopic examination at the time of ESRD was ranked according to the proposed international scale for severity of clinical diabetic retinopathy. Forty-five patients from the era before the availability of erythropoietin were matched to 45 patients from 2002 to 2004 who had been given erythropoietin but had similar prevalence of proliferative retinopathy, neuropathy, and years of diabetes before the onset of end-stage renal disease. Progression of retinopathy was compared according to multivariate analysis with 2-tailed Pearson correlation coefficient. Results There was significantly greater deterioration of retinopathy at 1 year in the patients who had received erythropoietin ( P = 0.004). Although the presence of retinopathy at ESRD correlated with known traditional risk factors such as years of diabetes, age, and serum cholesterol, the deterioration of retinopathy after the initiation of hemodialysis correlated only with hematocrit ( P = 0.042) and most significantly total dose of erythropoietin ( P = 0.001). Conclusions The prevalence and severity of proliferative retinopathy appear to have increased and are most closely associated with the erythropoietin dosing.
Lipid and 13C signatures of submicron and suspended particulate organic matter in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific: Implications for the contribution of Bacteria

Abstract The contribution of bacterial biomass to total particulate organic matter (POM) in the ocean, including exported material, is poorly constrained. To examine potential signatures for the presence and export of bacterioplankton and their detrital remains, here we provide a detailed compound-specific 13C characterization of fatty acids from membrane polar lipids obtained from a water column profile in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific. POM of submicron size (0.2–0.7 μm; “X-POM”) was sampled and analyzed separately from the size class typically collected as “suspended” POM (0.7–53 μm; “L-POM”). The distributions of polar head group classes, specific fatty acid side chains, and natural 13C contents all vary, both between particle size classes and with depth in the water column. In general, the polar lipids in submicron material – and by inference, lipids of bacterial origin – have higher 13C content than polar lipids from larger POM and are equally abundant. Lipid signatures from the photic zone appear to be partially conserved in the suspended pool during transit down the water column. However, bacterial heterotrophy and possibly chemoautotrophy partially overprint these surface signatures. In addition, active metabolisms in the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) appear to mediate the disaggregation of POM transported from the surface, thus adding complexity to the pathways of mid-water carbon flux and providing additional organic substrates to the OMZ and below. This “substrate injection” may provide important fuel for the denitrification and anammox reactions. Finally, examination of 13C content in polar lipids provides a basis for new interpretation of depth-related variations in δ13C values of bulk suspended POM.
On the 14C content in radioactive ores

Abstract U and Th ores have been found to contain significant levels of 14C. The levels of this isotope can be as high as 14 C α =1.7 · 10 −9 , and can be explained in terms of nuclear reactions and some contribution from heavy-ion emission or asymmetric fission. The levels of 14C are compared to other nucleogenic isotopes that have been found in these ores, such as 10Be, 26Al and excesses of rare-gas isotopes.
An exploration of leadership experiences among white women and women of color

Purpose – The specific aims for this paper are to deal with the conflicting research findings associated with the factors that influence the success of female leaders while using race (African American) as the core variable in this paper.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review was done. An empirical survey was designed and pre‐tested for face validity, relevance, clarity of items, and ease of administration and response. Two versions of the survey were pilot tested with two focus groups.Findings – The analysis centered on racial differences between Caucasian and African American female leaders. Chi‐square test was used for the primary original data, and t‐test for the mean subgroup scores obtained in Likert‐type items. The primary finding is that while Caucasian women and African American women face similar gender obstacles, the factors that determine their paths to success differ significantly.Research limitations/implications – The present study provides an excellent starting point to infuse r...
Dopant segregation during vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger growth with melt stabilization by strong axial magnetic fields

Ga-doped germanium was grown in a vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger system with melt stabilization by axial magnetic fields of 30 kG. It was found that radial segregation of gallium is negligible and that the initial transient of axial macro-segregation is in apparent compliance with the theory of diffusion controlled plane front solidification.
Regulation of α-smooth muscle actin gene expression in myofibroblast differentiation from rat lung fibroblasts

Myofibroblasts express alpha-smooth muscle actin and have a phenotype intermediate between fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Their emergence can be induced by cytokines such as transforming growth factor beta; but the regulatory mechanism for induction of alpha-smooth muscle actin gene expression in myofibroblast differentiation has not been determined. To examine this mechanism at the level of the alpha-smooth muscle actin promoter, rat lung fibroblasts were transfected with varying lengths of the alpha-smooth muscle actin promoter linked to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase reporter gene and treated with transforming growth factor beta1. The results show that the shortest inducible promoter was 150 base pairs long, suggesting the presence in this region of cis-elements of potential importance in transforming growth factor beta1 induced myofibroblast differentiation. Transfection of "decoy" oligonucleotides corresponding to sequences for four suspected regulatory factors demonstrated that only the transforming growth factor beta control element is involved in the regulation of transforming growth factor beta1-induced alpha-smooth muscle actin expression in myofibroblast differentiation. Consistent with this conclusion is the finding that a mutation in the transforming growth factor beta control element caused a significant reduction in promoter activity. These observations taken together show that alpha-smooth muscle actin promoter regulation during myofibroblast differentiation is uniquely different from that in smooth muscle cells and other cell lines. Since myofibroblasts play a key role in wound contraction and synthesis of extracellular matrix, clarification of this differentiation mechanism should provide new insight into fibrogenesis and suggest future novel strategies for modulation of wound healing and controlling fibrosis.
The physical environment in the City of Light

The article describes the physical environment found in the other world or the City of Light, based on published accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs). The City of Light appears to be a world of preternatural beauty that cannot be described adequately. NDE accounts provide descriptions of the landscape, animal life, plant life, and architecture found in the other world.
Spectral functions of correlated electron systems in the local impurity self consistent approximation

We describe the evolution of the spectral density as we dope a Mott insulator within a dynamical mean field method. After giving an intuitive description of this Local Impurity Self-Consistent Approximation (LISA) for a model with several orbitals per unit cell, we illustrate its implementation in the context of the Hubbard model in infinite dimensions. For this purpose a new iterative perturbation theory (IPT) scheme is introduced and compared with results from exact diagonalization.
Uniformity of perfusion in all regions of the human heart by warm continuous retrograde cardioplegia

Background. Animal models have suggested that retrograde cardioplegia may be poorly distributed to septal and right ventricular regions of the heart; if true, this may have dangerous implications for warm continuous retrograde cardioplegia in humans. We have previously shown that blood gases from coronary arteries during warm continuous retrograde cardioplegia represent postcapillary "venous" gases and are reflective of myocardial perfusion. Methods. To determine regional differences in perfusion during warm continuous retrograde cardioplegia we obtained blood gases from three regions of the heart in 141 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic valve replacement, or both. Right heart perfusion was determined by blood gases from the right coronary artery orifice, acute marginal, or posterior descending coronary arteries; circumflex or lateral wall perfusion was determined by samples from obtuse marginal or intermediate coronary arteries; and anterior wall/septal perfusion was determined by left anterior descending and diagonal coronary artery blood gases. Warm continuous retrograde cardioplegia flow ranged from 150 to 300 mL/min depending on heart size. A mean of 4 ± 1 samples/patient were obtained. Results. There were no regional differences in postcapillary pH, carbon dioxide tension, or CO 2 production during warm continuous retrograde cardioplegia. Oxygen tensions were lower in the right and anterior/septal regions of the heart, implying more O 2 uptake. No regional acidosis, consistent with poor perfusion, could be detected. Conclusions. We conclude that, unlike experimental models, regional myocardial perfusion, including the right heart, is uniform during "high-flow" warm continuous retrograde cardioplegia in humans.
Ideological and analytical foundations of mine action: human rights and community impact

This article suggests that the ideological and analytical foundations and steering mechanisms of mine action are at present less than adequate, resulting in failure to optimise impact and efficiency. The article will provide a review of the current drifting ideological basis of mine action and will present the argument for the incorporation and adoption of a rights-based approach. It will also discuss the urgent and continuing need to prioritise mine action through an increased level of community participation and more rigorous impact measurement, while highlighting the limitations of using socioeconomic analysis as the basis for operations and decision making.
Reevaluation of a Nursing Diagnosis: Spiritual Distress

The purpose of this paper is to reevaluate the nursing diagnosis of spiritual distress in relation to Marjory Gordon's criteria of discriminatory power, generality, flexibility, usefulness, and inclusiveness. The author suggests that nursing's perspective of the spiritual dimension and spiritual distress is both narrow and inadequate in today's multicultural, multidimensional healthcare setting. Views of spirituality from multiple disciplines are discussed to illustrate the diversity of the phenomenon and contrast views that primarily emphasize religiosity and psychosocial factors. Reevaluation of spiritual distress and spirituality must come in the form of holistic and humanistic approaches in nursing education and research, integration of the spiritual dimension within nursing curricula, and recognition of multidisciplinary, global perspectives of the spiritual phenomenon. The author stresses the importance of the spiritual dimension and its impact upon a person as a multidimensional being.
Electron beam effects on polymers. III. Mechanical and thermal properties of electron beam‐irradiated poly(phenylene sulfide)

The effect of electron beam (EB) irradiation on the mechanical and thermal properties of initially amorphous and semicrystalline poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) films has been investigated. Irradiations were carried out either in a nitrogen or air atmosphere. Subsequent mechanical testing carried out at 23°C suggested that oxidative degradation occurs in air for high radiation dosages. However, modulus and tensile strength were not greatly affected by irradiation level. Moreover, it was found that elongation by yielding no longer occurs at doses higher than 1000 Mrad for initially amorphous materials and above 500 Mrad for the initially semicrystalline materials. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements utilized to determine crystallinity and melting behavior suggest the likely occurrence of some crosslinking with high irradiation levels. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the irradiated PPS surface suggest the possible occurrence of gas evolution—at least for high dosage levels.
Kidney Stones and the Ketogenic Diet: Risk Factors and Prevention:

A cohort study was performed of children started on the ketogenic diet for intractable epilepsy from 2000 to 2005 (n = 195). Children who developed kidney stones were compared with those without in terms of demographics, urine laboratory markers, and intervention with urine alkalinization (potassium citrate). Thirteen children (6.7%) developed kidney stones. The use of oral potassium citrate significantly decreased the prevalence of stones (3.2% vs 10.0%, P = .049) and increased the mean time on the ketogenic diet before a stone was first noted (260 vs 149 patient-months, P = .29). The prevalence of kidney stones did not correlate with younger age or use of carbonic anhydrate inhibitors (eg, topiramate or zonisamide) but trended toward higher correlation with the presence of hypercalciuria (92% vs 71%, P = .08). No child stopped the diet due to stones; in fact, the total diet duration was longer (median 26 vs 12 months, P < .001). Kidney stones continue to occur in approximately 1 in 20 children on the ketogenic diet, and no statistically significant risk factors were identified in this cohort. As oral potassium citrate was preventative, prospective studies using this medication empirically are warranted.
Scanning photon microscopy

We describe the scanning photon microscopy (SPM), a new method of microscopic image formation that is analogous to the scanning electron microscopy but carried out entirely by optical means and therefore is without the cumbersome sample preparation procedures. A laser beam is focused and raster-scanned over the surface of an object by means of an a motorized micrometer. The light reflected from the object surface is collected by a detector that is placed at a finite angle with respect to the incident beam. The geometry of the system is such that it yields images reminiscent of the scanning electron microscopy with striking three-dimensional impression and the effects of shadowing and diffuse reflection. In the preliminary experiments several artificial and biological objects are imaged using this technique obtaining images with about 5 micron resolution and reasonable image quality. Because this is a scanned optical system, the optical quality requirement is significantly relaxed in comparison to conventional wide-field imaging system. We also consider the possibility of surpassing the wide-field system in terms of the resolution and depth of focus by use of Bessel optics. The simple concept can be extended in many directions such as fluorescence and nonlinear optical imaging.
Teleconferencing, distance learning, and telementoring: new technology harnessed for perioperative education

The much used term “telemedicine” has been broadly defined as the delivery of health care and sharing of medical knowledge over a distance using telecommunications technology. Telecommunications modalities include a gamut of systems from audioconferencing to television to e-mail to the Internet. However, it is the application of teleconferencing and teleconsulting methods that has driven an explosive interest in telemedicine through the 1990s and that continues unabated today. The principal attraction is the potential of telemedicine to improve access to medical services in rural areas (by connecting isolated practitioners in underserved areas with colleagues and medical advances) and to reduce cost (by eliminating unneeded visits or travel cost).
Multiple leiomyomas of the esophagus

A case report of multiple leiomyomas of the esophagus with the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings is presented.
Using social cognitive theory to explain consumers' behavioral intentions in response to direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising

Abstract Background Previous research describing consumers' communication behaviors in response to direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) suggests a social cognitive rationale to explain DTCA-related communication behavior. Objective Guided by social cognitive theory, the objective of this study was to explore outcome expectancy and self-efficacy beliefs as predictors of individuals' intentions to communicate with their physicians about an advertised drug. Methods One hundred and seven female college students completed a questionnaire, read an advertisement for an oral contraceptive drug, and completed a second questionnaire. The questionnaires assessed participants' self-efficacy and outcome expectancy beliefs, intended communication behavior, and demographic information. Results Pearson product-moment correlation analyses showed that outcome expectancy ( r =0.75, P r =0.21, P B =1.56, P t (106)=14.75, P Conclusions The results identify cognitive factors that guide consumers' plans for interacting with physicians in response to DTCA. Health care providers can use these results to guide communication with patients regarding DTCA and meet patients' drug-related informational expectations.
Children Use Nonverbal Cues to Make Inferences About Social Power

Four studies (N = 192) tested whether young children use nonverbal information to make inferences about differences in social power. Five- and six-year-old children were able to determine which of two adults was “in charge” in dynamic videotaped conversations (Study 1) and in static photographs (Study 4) using only nonverbal cues. Younger children (3–4 years) were not successful in Study 1 or Study 4. Removing irrelevant linguistic information from conversations did not improve the performance of 3- to 4-year-old children (Study 3), but including relevant linguistic cues did (Study 2). Thus, at least by 5 years of age, children show sensitivity to some of the same nonverbal cues adults use to determine other people's social roles.
Aqueous solution diffusion in hydrophobic nanoporous thin-film glasses

We demonstrate that diffusion of aqueous buffered solutions into strongly hydrophobic nanoporous methyl silsesquioxane glass films can occur without the application of external pressure. The organic component of these glasses in the form of methyl groups imparts the strong hydrophobicity and perception that they are impervious to the ingress of aqueous solutions by capillary action or diffusion. The presence of small concentrations of organic buffering agents in buffered solutions appears to facilitate the diffusion. The diffusion distance followed a square root of time dependence characteristic of Fick’s Law. The diffusion coefficients varied markedly with the concentration of buffering agents, solution pH, and temperature. Similar effects were not observed for nonbuffered solutions that exhibited no detectable diffusion. Likely mechanisms responsible for the observed behavior are proposed.
Deep Opacity Maps

We present a new method for computing shadows from semitransparent objects like hair. Extending the concept of opacity shadow maps, the deep opacity map method uses a depth map to obtain a per pixel distribution of opacity layers. This approach totally eliminates the layering artifacts of opacity shadow maps and requires much fewer layers to achieve high quality shadow computation. We provide qualitative comparisons to opacity shadow maps and give performance results. Our algorithm is easy to implement, fast, and memory efficient, enabling us to generate high quality hair self-shadows in real-time using consumer graphics hardware on a standard PC.
Light64: lightweight hardware support for data race detection during systematic testing of parallel programs

Developing and testing parallel code is hard. Even for one given input, a parallel program can have many possible different thread interleavings, which are hard for the programmer to foresee and for a testing tool to cover using stress or random testing. For this reason, a recent trend is to use Systematic Testing, which methodically explores different thread interleavings, while checking for various bugs. Data races are common bugs but, unfortunately, checking for races is often skipped in systematic testers because it introduces substantial runtime overhead if done purely in software. Recently, several techniques for race detection in hardware have been proposed, but they still require significant hardware support. This paper presents Light64, a novel technique for data race detection during systematic testing that has both small runtime overhead and very lightweight hardware requirements. Light64 is based on the observation that two thread interleavings in which racing accesses are flipped will very likely exhibit some deviation in their program execution history. Light64 computes a 64-bit hash of the program execution history during systematic testing. If the hashes of two interleavings with the same happens-before graph differ, then a race has occurred. Light64 only needs a 64-bit register per core, a drastic improvement over previous hardware schemes. In addition, our experiments on SPLASH-2 applications show that Light64 has no false positives, detects 96% of races, and induces only a small slowdown for race-free executions --- on average, 1% and 37% in two different modes.
Need Factors Associated With the Intensity of Outpatient Therapy in the Medicare Population

ABSTRACTAims: Concerns have been raised about unnecessary utilization of outpatient therapy in the U.S. Medicare program. The purpose of this study was to determine if demographic factors, functional limitations and medical conditions are associated with the number (intensity) of outpatient therapy visits. Methods: Data about number of outpatient Medicare visits, demographic information, functional limitations and medical conditions for 2009-2011 was downloaded from the MEPS-HC data files. Descriptive statistics of the dataset were calculated. The relationship between the intensity of therapy services and the variables was determined using a negative binomial regression analysis (p < .05). Results: Worse perceived health status, cognitive limitations, need for activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living help and physical function limitations are associated with greater therapy utilization. Conclusions: Greater intensity of outpatient therapy services is associated with need for ...
Constitutive Mutations of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae MAL-Activator Genes MAL23, MAL43, MAL63, and mal64

We report the sequence of several MAL-activator genes, including inducible, constitutive, and noninducible alleles of MAL23, MAL43, MAL63, and mal64. Constitutive alleles of MAL23 and MAL43 vary considerably from inducible alleles in their C-terminal domain, with many of the alterations clustered and common to both alleles. The 27 alterations from residues 238-461 of Mal43-C protein are sufficient for constitutivity, but the minimal number of alterations needed for the constitutive phenotype could not be determined. The sequence of mal64, a nonfunctional homologue of MAL63, revealed that Mal64p is 85% identical to Mal63p. Two mutations that activate mal64 and cause constitutivity are nonsense mutations resulting in truncated proteins of 306 and 282 residues. We conclude that the C-terminal region of the MAL-activator, from residues 283-470, contains a maltose-responsive negative regulatory domain, and that extensive mutation or deletion of the entire region causes loss of the negative regulatory function. Additionally, certain sequence elements in the region appear to be necessary for efficient induction of the full-length Mal63 activator protein. These studies highlight the role of ectopic recombination as an important mechanism of mutagenesis of the telomere-associated family of MAL loci.
Enhanced fracture toughness in carbon-nanotube-reinforced amorphous silicon nitride nanocomposite coatings

Abstract Multiwalled-carbon-nanotube (MWCNT)-reinforced silicon nitride coatings were grown to evaluate the toughness contribution of nanotubes in a ceramic coating. An MWCNT array was first grown using catalytic chemical vapor deposition of acetylene on a silicon substrate. This aligned MWCNT preform was then infiltrated with an amorphous silicon nitride matrix by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of dichlorosilane (DCS) and ammonia (NH 3 ). The fracture toughness of this material was determined by generating cracks using nanoindentation and then employing finite-element analysis to estimate the bridging toughness contribution of the MWCNTs. The MWCNT bridging toughness of the composites is determined to be ∼5.6 MPa m 1/2 , which is seven times higher than that of the matrix. The interfacial frictional stress is also estimated and ranges from 7 to 20 MPa.
Flawed analysis of the possibility of air capture.

In the article entitled “Economic and energetic analysis of capturing CO2 from ambient air,” House et al. (1) drew an analogy between air capture and other gas separation processes. It concludes that (i) “unless air capture significantly outperforms these systems, it is likely to require more than 400 kJ of work per mole of CO2” and (ii) “costs of air capture systems will be on the order of $1,000 per tonne of CO2” (1).
Stimulation of Prostate Cancer Cellular Proliferation and Invasion by the Androgen Receptor Co-Activator ARA70β

ARA70 was first identified as a gene fused to the ret oncogene in thyroid carcinoma and subsequently as a co-activator for androgen receptor (AR). Two isoforms of ARA70 have been identified: a 70-kDa version called ARA70α and an internally spliced 35-kDa variant termed ARA70β. We have previously reported that ARA70α expression is reduced in prostate cancer, and its overexpression inhibits proliferation of LNCaP prostate cancer cells. However, the function of the ARA70β isoform in prostate cancer is not understood. In this report we examined the effects of ARA70β on AR transcriptional regulation as well as prostate cancer cellular proliferation and invasion. Although both ARA70α and ARA70β functioned as transcriptional co-activators of AR in cell-based reporter assays, ARA70β overexpression, in contrast to ARA70α, promoted prostate cancer cellular proliferation and invasion through Matrigel. Interestingly, genome-wide expression profiling of cells expressing ARA70β revealed an increase in the expression of genes involved in the control of cell division and adhesion, compatible with a role for ARA70β in proliferation and invasion. Consistent with its function in promoting cell growth and invasion, ARA70β expression was increased in prostate cancer. Our findings implicate ARA70β as a regulator of tumor cell growth and metastasis by affecting gene expression.
Questions of Causation in the Path-Goal Theory of Leadership1

This paper reports results of two studies which investigated elements of the current (House & Dessler, 1973; House & Mitchell, 1974) and initial (House, 1971) versions of the path-goal theory of leadership. The first constituted a replication and the second a longitudinal study which tested several assumptions about causation which underlie both versions of the theory. The findings largely supported the theory with the notable exception of the hypotheses concerning subordinate performance.
Long wavelength vertical cavity lasers

The need for low cost, high speed telecommunication sources demands the maturation of long wavelength vertical cavity lasers (VCLs). Both long haul fiber optic systems and gigabit ethernet links are potential markets for 1.3 and 1.55 micron VCLs. This past year has seen much progress to this end, but the emerging technology has yet to be determined. This paper overviews critical issues in long wavelength VCL design, and discusses the most recent technological advances in the field.
The Hierarchical Isometric Self-Organizing Map for Manifold Representation

We present an algorithm, Hierarchical ISOmetric Self-Organizing Map (H-ISOSOM), for a concise, organized manifold representation of complex, non-linear, large scale, high-dimensional input data in a low dimensional space. The main contribution of our algorithm is threefold. First, we modify the previous ISOSOM algorithm by a local linear interpolation (LLl) technique, which maps the data samples from low dimensional space back to high dimensional space and makes the complete mapping pseudo-invertible. The modified-ISOSOM (M-ISOSOM) follows the global geometric structure of the data, and also preserves local geometric relations to reduce the nonlinear mapping distortion and make the learning more accurate. Second, we propose the H-ISOSOM algorithm for the computational complexity problem of Isomap, SOM and LLI and the nonlinear complexity problem of the highly twisted manifold. H-ISOSOM learns an organized structure of a non-convex, large scale manifold and represents it by a set of hierarchical organized maps. The hierarchical structure follows a coarse-to-fine strategy. According to the coarse global structure, it "unfolds " the manifold at the coarse level and decomposes the sample data into small patches, then iteratively learns the nonlinearity of each patch in finer levels. The algorithm simultaneously reorganizes and clusters the data samples in a low dimensional space to obtain the concise representation. Third, we give quantitative comparisons of the proposed method with similar methods on standard data sets. Finally, we apply H-ISOSOM to the problem of appearance-based hand pose estimation. Encouraging experimental results validate the effectiveness and efficiency of H-ISOSOM.
Pattern of Development of Hyperprolactinemia After Initiation of Haloperidol Therapy

Abstract Objective: To determine the time it takes for prolactin (PRL) levels to increase after initiation of therapy with haloperidol (a neuroleptic medication) and the pattern and extent of the increase. Methods: Seventeen individuals scheduled to be given treatment with neuroleptic drugs were enrolled. Baseline blood specimens were collected for PRL and TSH levels. Follow-up samples for PRL determinations were obtained every 3 days for 18 days after initiation of haloperidol therapy. Results: There were 17 subjects: 14 women and three men. Two of the subjects were found to have hyperprolactinemia due to hypothyroidism and were excluded from the basic study. The 15 remaining subjects all had normal baseline PRL levels and normal TSH values. The PRL levels in all 15 showed a similar pattern: a rapid increase in PRL levels in the first 6–9 days, followed by a plateau that remained, with minor fluctuations, throughout the study. The highest mean peak level of PRL was 37.4 ng/mL and the maximum was 77 ng/mL. The two individuals with hypothyroidism had somewhat elevated baseline PRL levels; although they showed the same initial pattern of increase after haloperidol administration, their PRL levels reached values well above 100 ng/mL. Conclusion: There is a distinct pattern of response of PRL to haloperidol. The PRL level increases for 6–9 days, then plateaus, the peak being between 30 and 50 ng/mL, and always remains below 77 ng/mL. In our study, levels that continued to increase, or increased above 77 ng/mL, indicated the presence of hypothyroidism. The patterns and levels of the increase were uninfluenced by the therapeutic dose of the medication given. Given that the patients in our study with elevated levels of TSH had such high levels of PRL, all patients should have TSH determinations at the initiation of therapy with neuroleptic medications such as haloperidol.
Food-consumption trends between adolescent and adult years and subsequent risk of prostate cancer

A population-based, case-control study of prostate cancer in Utah was used to assess reported food-con- sumption patterns for the adolescent and adult years. Men re- ported eating eggs, whole milk, butter, white bread, cereals, and candy less frequently and red meat, fish, low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, margarine, fruits and vegetables, and whole- wheat bread more frequently as adults, indicating that diets changed in the hypothesized direction to correspond to na- tional changes in food-consumption practices. Men who con- sumed a diet high in saturated fatty acids as adults were at a slightly increased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer after adjusting for adolescent diet (odds ratio 1.8 comparing high with low intakes), whereas men who consumed a diet high in saturated fatty acids as adolescents were not at increased risk ofdeveloping these tumors after controlling for a diet high in saturated fatty acids as adults (odds ratio 1. 1). Am J C/in Nutr l990;52:752-7.
Collagen-Platelet Composite Enhances Biomechanical and Histologic Healing of the Porcine Anterior Cruciate Ligament

BackgroundThe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) fails to heal after traumatic rupture. Furthermore, large-animal models have recently shown that 1-month functional ACL healing is augmented after suture repair when a bioactive scaffold is placed in the tear site.HypothesisAt the time of suture repair, placement of a bioactive scaffold in the ACL wound site would improve the structural properties of the tissue.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsTwenty-seven knees in immature pigs underwent ACL transection and suture repair. A collagen-platelet composite (CPC) was used to supplement the repair in 14 knees. Knees were harvested at 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months. Mechanical testing and histologic analysis were performed.ResultsThe addition of a CPC to a suture repair resulted in improvements in yield load and linear stiffness of the repair tissue at 3 months, as well as a significant increase in cell density. A reduction in yield load and stiffness occurred at the 6-week time point in both groups, a...
Hypergratings: Sub-diffraction optics with anisotropic plasmonic metamaterials

We propose a technique for sub-diffractional focusing in the far field of optical elements. The method combines subwavelength analogs of Fresnel lenses and planar anisotropic metamaterials, used to generate and propagate sub-diffractional information, respectively.
WILL THE REAL FIFTH LIMB PLEASE STAND UP (OSTRACODA: CYPRIDINIDAE)?

Abstract The complexity of the fifth limb of myodocopine Ostracoda has led to many interpretations of its homologies. The presence of muscles interpreted to mark the axis of the endopod of Isocypridina quatuorsetae supports the interpretations by H. J. Hansen and by G. Boxshall contending that the fifth limb of the Cypridinidae bears an unsegmented exopod.
Methods of Proof

The first chapter is introductory, it explains some methods of mathematical proof: argument by contradiction, the principle of mathematical induction, the pigeonhole principle, the use of an ordering on a set, and the principle of invariance.
Seattle: a platform for educational cloud computing

Cloud computing is rapidly increasing in popularity. Companies such as RedHat, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and IBM are increasingly funding cloud computing infrastructure and research, making it important for students to gain the necessary skills to work with cloud-based resources. This paper presents a free, educational research platform called Seattle that is community-driven, a common denominator for diverse platform types, and is broadly deployed.Seattle is community-driven -- universities donate available compute resources on multi-user machines to the platform. These donations can come from systems with a wide variety of operating systems and architectures, removing the need for a dedicated infrastructure.Seattle is also surprisingly flexible and supports a variety of pedagogical uses because as a platform it represents a common denominator for cloud computing, grid computing, peer-to-peer networking, distributed systems, and networking. Seattle programs are portable. Students' code can run across different operating systems and architectures without change, while the Seattle programming language is expressive enough for experimentation at a fine-grained level. Our current deployment of Seattle consists of about one thousand computers that are distributed around the world. We invite the computer science education community to employ Seattle in their courses.
The Association Between Motor Skills and Academic Achievement Among Pediatric Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

OBJECTIVE Assess the association between fine motor (FM) and visual-motor integration (VMI) skills and academic achievement in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors. METHODS In this 28-site cross-sectional study of 256 children in first remission, a mean of 8.9 ± 2.2 years after treatment for standard-risk precursor-B ALL, validated measures of FM, VMI, reading, math, and intelligence were administered at mean follow-up age of 12.8 ± 2.5 years. RESULTS VMI was significantly associated with written math calculation ability (p < .0069) after adjusting for intelligence (p < .0001). VMI was more strongly associated with math in those with lower intelligence (p = .0141). Word decoding was also significantly associated with VMI but with no effect modification by intelligence. FM skills were not associated with either reading or math achievement. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that VMI is associated with aspects of math and reading achievement in leukemia survivors. These skills may be amenable to intervention.
Between-row mowing + in-row band-applied herbicide for weed control in Glycine max

Abstract Most farmers now rely on herbicides and, to a lesser extent, cultivation to control weeds in Glycine max in the Midwest. However, the general public is concerned that widely used herbicides will contaminate surface and groundwater. Alternative ways to control weeds in field crops are needed to reduce or prevent herbicide contamination of surface and groundwater. A new between-row-mowing weed management system that consists of band-applied herbicides over crop rows + two or more between-row mowings was tested in G. max over 6 yr in Missouri. Mowing weeds close to the soil surface two or more times between crop rows killed or suppressed annual grass and broadleaf weeds, chiefly Setaria faberi, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, and Amaranthus spp., if properly timed. Shading by crop canopy closure contributed to weed suppression in this weed management system. G. max yield also could not be distinguished from weed-free check plots and was greater than the weedy check plots. Herbicide use was reduced 50% by b...
Party Competition between Unequals: POSITION, SALIENCE, AND OWNERSHIP: A STRATEGIC THEORY OF NICHE PARTY SUCCESS

The varied electoral success of green, radical right, and ethnoterritorial parties across Western Europe is the result of mainstream party strategies. This is the thesis introduced in Chapter 1. Contrary to the dominant literature, I argue that the electoral trajectories of niche parties are not mere reflections of the institutional or sociological characteristics of a country. These successes and failures are rather the result of deliberate attempts by center-left and center-right political actors to quell new political threats and bolster their own electoral competitiveness. Niche party fortunes are, in many respects, the by-products of competition between mainstream parties. And yet existing strategic theories of party competition prove ill-suited for understanding the nature of interaction between mainstream parties and their neophyte competitors. Unlike their mainstream party opponents, niche parties refuse to compete within the given policy dimensions, instead promoting and competing on new issues that often cut across existing partisan lines. Consequently, mainstream party reactions are not limited to the standard spatial tools of policy convergence and divergence – i.e., movement toward and away from a competitor – on an established issue dimension. Rather, mainstream parties can also alter niche party electoral support by manipulating the salience and ownership of the neophyte's new issue for political competition. In this chapter, I challenge the standard spatial approach to party interaction by developing a theory of party competition based on this expanded conception of party strategies.
Pink Bollworm: Effects of Temperature, Photoperiod and Light Intensity, Moth Age, and Mating Frequency on Oviposition and Egg Viability

At 15.6° and 21.1°C (14-h photophase), mating, oviposition, and egg viability of adult Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), from laboratory-reared larvae and from field-collected larvae that overwintered in cotton bolls, were reduced. Also, fewer spermatophores per female were transferred. Mating was not reduced by a temperature of 32.2°C. Rate of oviposition per day was highest at 26.7° and 32.2°C. Virgin females produced an avg 16±3 eggs. Females mated once produced as many viable eggs as multiple-mated females. Male and female moths on the night of emergence and night after emergence mated less than older moths, and this resulted in lower oviposition rates of the females. Conditions most conducive to mating appeared to be a temperature of 26.7 and a 14-h photophase. Mating and oviposition were inhibited by continuous light of ca. 100 ft-c and oviposition was inhibited by 50 ft-c. Also, females exposed to such illumination were ca. 1–2 days longer in depositing their 1st eggs.
Economic Optimum Design of the Heterogeneous Azeotropic Dehydration of Ethanol

Several processes are available for the important operation of dehydrating ethanol/water mixtures to concentrations above the azeotrope (90 mol %). Heterogeneous azeotropic distillation has been studied using several entrainers: benzene, cyclohexane, isooctane, ethylene glycol, etc. A pioneering paper by Ryan and Doherty [Ryan, P. J.; Doherty, M. F. Design optimization of ternary heterogeneous azeotropic distillation sequences. AIChE J.1989, 35, 1592–1601.] explored several alternative process configurations and concluded that the three-column flowsheet with a preconcentrator (beer still), an azeotropic column, and a recovery column was the economic optimum. They used approximate ternary diagram methods. It appears that they arbitrarily assumed a beer still distillate composition with an ethanol concentration of about 88 mol %, which is quite close to the azeotropic composition of 90 mol %. Energy consumption in the beer still increases as its distillate composition gets closer to the azeotrope. On the ot...
Towards ab initio extremely metal-poor stars

Extremely metal poor stars have been the focus of much recent attention owing to the expectation that their chemical abundances can shed light on the metal and dust yields of the earliest supernovae. We present our most realistic simulation to date of the astrophysical pathway to the first metal enriched stars. We simulate the radiative and supernova hydrodynamic feedback of a $60\,M_\odot$ Population III star starting from cosmological initial conditions realizing Gaussian density fluctuations. We follow the gravitational hydrodynamics of the supernova remnant at high spatial resolution through its freely-expanding, adiabatic, and radiative phases, until gas, now metal-enriched, has resumed runaway gravitational collapse. Our findings are surprising: while the Population III progenitor exploded with a low energy of $10^{51}\,\text{erg}$ and injected an ample metal mass of $6\,M_\odot$, the first cloud to collapse after the supernova explosion is a dense surviving primordial cloud on which the supernova blastwave deposited metals only superficially, in a thin, unresolved layer. The first metal-enriched stars can form at a very low metallicity, of only $2-5\times10^{-4}\,Z_\odot$, and can inherit the parent cloud's highly elliptical, radially extended orbit in the dark matter gravitational potential.
Studies on heterogeneity of human gastric zymogens

The peptic zymogens of human gastric mucosa have been studied in the past by three different techniques: phosphate-gradient chromatography on a column of DEAE-cellulose, chloride-gradient chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and agar-gel electrophoresis. These techniques have given different results, each suggesting the presence of a different number of pepsin zymogens in human gastric mucosa. In the present experiments gastric mucosal homogenates were subjected to analysis by all three techniques. The two major zymogen peaks obtained from phosphate-gradient chromatography were found to be composed of the three fractions found on chloride-gradient chromatography; these fractions in turn were shown to be heterogeneous on agar-gel electrophoresis. The latter technique demonstrated the presence of seven separable enzymically active components in human gastric mucosal homogenates. The relationships of the components separated by the three techniques are discussed.
Are Activated Cytoxic T Cells in Hodgkin's Disease Biopsies a Poor Prognostic Marker?

To the Editor: In their recent report, Oudejans et al[1][1] studied 80 lymph node biopsies from patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD). In 10 biopsies, greater than 15% of the T cells contained granzyme-B (GrB). Using the Cox-proportional hazards model for multivariate analysis, the investigators
Psychological Profile of Children with Headache and Recurrent Abdominal Pain

The psychological profile of 70 patients (age range 4-18 years; mean 11 years) with headache, 70 with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP), and 70 controls was compared using the Child Behaviour Checklist 4-18 (CBCL).