cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Fed l-Carnitine Exhibit Altered Intermediary Metabolism and Reduced Tissue Lipid, but No Change in Growth Rate

Metabolic evidence was sought to explain the reduced body fat and increased body protein observed in Atlantic salmon fed diets supplemented with L-carnitine. By stimulating fatty acid oxidation, dietary carnitine might increase flux through pyruvate carboxylase and decrease flux through the branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex, by increasing regulatory ratios of acetyl CoA:free enzyme A (CoA-SH) and ATP:ADP. Such changes could conserve nitrogen by providing more carbon for amino acid biosynthesis and by blocking oxidative loss of the branched-chain amino acids. Consistent with this hypothesis, salmon fed carnitine (23 mmol/kg diet) for 9 wk exhibited greater metabolic rates than cohorts fed a carnitine-free diet (P < 0.05) for the following: 1) 1-[14C] palmitate oxidation by liver cubes (48%) and by isolated hepatocytes (151%), 2) pyruvate-dependent [14 CO2]-fixation by isolated mitochondria (81%), 3) incorporation of 1-[14C] lactate into glucose by liver cubes (120%) and by isolated hepatocytes (210%), and 4) incorporation of [35S]-methionine into the acid-insoluble fraction of liver cubes (59%) and isolated hepatocytes (89%). Hepatic concentrations of seven amino acids, including the branched-chain amino acids, were greater (7-112%), as were the plasma concentrations of three of these (45-130%). However, 230% more enzyme in the mitochondria of carnitine-fed fish, and not a difference in the ratios of acetyl CoA:CoA-SH or ATP:ADP, appeared to account for accelerated flux through pyruvate carboxylase; flux through the dehydrogenase complex was unchanged. These results implicate induction of pyruvate carboxylase (or a reduction in turnover) and enhanced protein synthesis in the mechanism for carnitine-induced changes in gluconeogenesis and nitrogen metabolism.
An economic analysis of interorganizational information technology

Abstract This paper first reviews some basic results on the economics of information technology (IT) and strategy. These results begin by developing a model of interorganizational IT, focusing on supplier-buyer interactions and the costs and benefits of IT in facilitating such interactions. The modeling framework incorporates economies of scale and scope, transactions specific sunk costs of IT development, and related issues of bargaining and opportunism. Results of the model are applied to the increasingly important topic of interorganizational information systems, addressing some of the risks of cooperative ventures that are frequently overlooked in the MIS literature.
Development of a new serum-free medium, USC-HC1, for growth and normal phenotype in postembryonic chicken growth plate chondrocytes.

A serum-free medium for postembryonic chicken epiphyseal growth plate chondrocytes has been developed from 104 MCDB medium. To enable these fastidious cells to survive, grow, and express normal phenotype, a substantial increase over MCDB 104 in the level of many of the amino acids was required, as well as a change in the buffer system and the addition of SerXtend, a defined, serum-free product containing various growth factors, including fibroblast growth factor. Also required was the provision of cell attachment factors, either by coating culture surfaces with type II collagen, or better, by allowing the freshly released cells to recover for several hours in a medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum before plating. Ths new serum-free medium, which we call USC-HC1, supports growth and replication, the retention of normal polygonal morphology, the expression of significant levels of cellular alkaline phosphatase activity, the production of sulfated proteoglycans, type II collagen, and the formation of alkaline phosphatase-rich matrix vesicles by the chondrocytes. The major advantage of USC-HC1, however, is that it will provide for the first time an opportunity to examine the effects of various defined growth and hormonal factors on the phenotypic expression and differentiation of growth plate chondrocytes, in the absence of the variable (stimulatory and inhibitory) factors present in fetal bovine serum.
Mechanism of alkali and alkaline earth catalyzed gasification of graphite by CO2 and H2O studied by electron microscopy

The kinetics and mechanism of graphite gasification by CO2 and H2O catalyzed by five alkali and alkaline earth metal catalysts are investigated by studying the monolayer channeling action on the basal plane of graphite. CO2 and H2O are dissociatively chemisorbed by these catalysts, followed by diffusion of O atoms/ions to the edge carbon sites, where breakage of C&.sbnd;C bonds takes place to free CO. The CC bond breakage is the rate-limiting step. The catalytic activities as measured by the turnover frequencies on the edge carbon sites follow the order K > Ba > Ca > Na > Li. The same catalytic mechanism and rate-limiting step operate in both channeling action and bulk reactions using mixed powders of carbon and catalysts. The results on channeling also indicate that the active intermediates are catalysts in the form of particles and clusters, and that the C&.sbnd;OM (where M denotes metal) phenolate groups, although present in abundant amounts, are not the active intermediates. For very small particles, the surface free energy appears to play a role in lowering the amounts of CO2 and H2O chemisorbed, hence decreasing the channeling rates.
Direct computation of qualitative 3-D shape and motion invariants

Structure from motion often refers to the computation of three-dimensional structure from a matched sequence of images. However, a depth map of a surface is difficult to compute and may not be a good representation for storage and recognition. Given matched images it is shown that the sign of the normal curvature in a given direction at a given point in the image can be computed from a simple difference of slopes of line segments in one image. Using this result, local surface patches can be classified as convex, concave, cylindrical, hyperbolic (saddle point), or planar. At the same time, the translational component of the optical flow, from which the focus of expansion can be computed, is obtained. >
Quarterly dynamic relationships between the U.S. wheat market and wheat-related prices for products downstream.

Abstract A quarterly VA R econometric model of the reduced form relationships between the U.S. wheat market and prices of processed wheat-related flour, bread, and other bakery products downstream was estimated. The model then simulated under a rise in production- or import-induced increase in wheat quantity, and a decline in wheat price, to examine the dynamic effects on the U.S. wheat market and on processed wheat-related prices downstream. U.S. trade negotiators at the upcoming WTO agricultural round, Federal policy makers, farmers, and agribusiness agents should be interested in the dynamic patterns with which negotiated trade conditions, farm policy alterations, and climatic variation influence wheat quantity and price, and in turn the price of more highly processed wheat-based products downstream.
Biomedical imaging and sensing using flatbed scanners

In this Review, we provide an overview of flatbed scanner based biomedical imaging and sensing techniques. The extremely large imaging field-of-view (e.g., ~600–700 cm2) of these devices coupled with their cost-effectiveness provide unique opportunities for digital imaging of samples that are too large for regular optical microscopes, and for collection of large amounts of statistical data in various automated imaging or sensing tasks. Here we give a short introduction to the basic features of flatbed scanners also highlighting the key parameters for designing scientific experiments using these devices, followed by a discussion of some of the significant examples, where scanner-based systems were constructed to conduct various biomedical imaging and/or sensing experiments. Along with mobile phones and other emerging consumer electronics devices, flatbed scanners and their use in advanced imaging and sensing experiments might help us transform current practices of medicine, engineering and sciences through democratization of measurement science and empowerment of citizen scientists, science educators and researchers in resource limited settings.
Carrier lifetime measurements in InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice structures

Minority carrier lifetime, photoluminescence (PL), and interband absorption in midinfrared range of spectra were measured in InAs/GaSb strained-layer superlattices (SLS) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaSb substrates. The carrier lifetime was determined by time-resolved PL (TRPL) and from analysis of PL response to sine-wavemodulated excitation. Studies of the PL kinetics in the frequency domain allowed for direct lifetime measurements in SLS structures with an excess carrier concentration level of 3.5×1015 cm-3. The minority carrier lifetime at T = 77 K was obtained from the dependence of the carrier lifetime on excitation power. SLS structures with similar absorption wavelengths but with different InAs and GaSb layer thicknesses and with different amounts of strain were investigated and compared with mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) samples. No apparent trend was seen in structures with different number of interfaces per unit length. All SLS lifetime values measured so far are more than an order of magnitude lower than those of MCT.
Model-based recognition of characters in trademark artwork

Abstract We are building a legal expert system that contains a database of trademarks and reasons about their similarity to assess possible infringement. Our attention in this document is limited to the development of a character recognition component which determines the location and identity of alphabetic characters in the trademarks. The techniques include structural models, graph homeomorphisms, and thinning. Modifications and enhancements to these techniques were required along with changes to existing algorithms.
Comparison of human papillomavirus genotypes, sexual, and reproductive risk factors of cervical adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma: Northeastern United States.

Abstract Objective: Although human papillomavirus causes essentially all cervical carcinoma, cofactors may differ by cancer histologic type. We examined human papillomavirus genotypes and sexual and reproductive risk factors for cervical adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Study Design: One hundred twenty-four women with adenocarcinoma, 139 women with squamous cell carcinoma, and 307 control subjects participated in this case-control study. Logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate odds ratios and CIs. Results: Human papillomavirus 18 was associated most strongly with adenocarcinoma (odds ratio, 105; 95% CI, 23-487). Human papillomavirus 16 was associated most strongly with squamous cell carcinoma (odds ratio, 30; 95% CI, 12-77). More than three lifetime sexual partners was a risk factor for adenocarcinoma (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1-4.0) and squamous cell carcinoma (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.6-5.9). Even being pregnant was associated inversely with adenocarcinoma (odds ratio, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8). Five or more pregnancies was associated with squamous cell carcinoma (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% CI, 0.9-5.4). Conclusion: The relative importance of human papillomavirus genotypes 16 and 18 and the reproductive co-factor differences suggest distinct causes for cervical adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:657-63.)
Rheology of Nematic Side-Chain Liquid-Crystalline Polymer: Comparison with Main-Chain Liquid-Crystalline Polymer

A nematic side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer (SCLCP) was synthesized by grafting a liquid-crystalline monomer, 6-[(4-cyano-4‘-biphenyl)oxy]hexanoic acid (5CN-COOH), onto a nearly monodisperse hydroxylated polyisoprene. The linear dynamic viscoelasticity, steady shear flow, transient and intermittent shear flows, and stress relaxation of the SCLCP in the nematic state were investigated. For comparison, the rheological behavior of a main-chain liquid-crystalline polymer (MCLCP) was also investigated. Similarities and dissimilarities in the rheological behavior between the SCLCP and MCLCP are presented. Some of the important similarities observed are as follows. Upon start-up of shear flow, both SCLCP and MCLCP exhibited a very large overshoot peak of first normal stress difference (N1+ ) and shear stress (σ+ ). The values of first normal stress difference in steady shear flow were positive in both SCLCP and MCLCP over the entire range of shear rates tested. Some of the important dissimilarities observed ...
Acute and Sublethal Effects of Ammonia on Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass

Bioassays in static water (mean ± SD; temperature, 20–22 C; pH, 8.2–8.4; alkalinity, 205 ± 10 mg/L CaCO3; total hardness, 220 ± 10 mg/L CaCO3) were used to determine median lethal concentrations (LC50) of un-ionized ammonia (NH3-N) for striped bass Moronc saxatilis and hybrid striped bass M. saxatilis × M. chrysops. The 96 h LC50 for striped bass was 1.01 ± 0.24 mg/L NH3-N3 and was significantly higher than the LC50 for hybrid striped bass (0.64 ± 0.05 mg/L NH3-N). The effects of sublethal ammonia were evaluated after fish were exposed for 96 h to 0.0, 0.25, or 0.5 mg/L NH3-N or to additional exposure to oxygen depleted water (about 2.0 mg O2/L). Plasma ammonia of striped hass did not change as sublethal ammonia increased, but exposure to oxygen depletion caused a decrease in plasma ammonia. In contrast, plasma ammonia of hybrid striped bass increased as environmental ammonia increased, and increased further after exposure to oxygen depletion. Plasma cortisol levels of striped bass were significantly higher and more variable than cortisol levels of hybrid striped bass; additional exposure to oxygen depletion increased this variability, but these responses may be due to the stress of handling and confinement. Mean differences also existed between species for hemoglobin and hematocrit, while differences in variability occurred for osmolality and oxygen depletion rates. Striped bass tolerated ammonia better than hybrid striped bass but were more susceptible than hybrid striped bass to the additional stress of oxygen depletion. Most changes in physiological characteristics were relatively independent of environmental ammonia, but they were affected by oxygen depletion challenge.
Two-Dimensional Analysis of Mitochondrial Proteins from Potato Cultivars Resistant and Sensitive to Cold-induced Sweetening

Summary Tubers of four potato cultivars (ND860-2, ND651-9, Kennebec and Russet Burbank) were stored at 3 and 9°C for five months. Some of the cold-stressed tubers were placed into reconditioned storage (18°C) for the last one and a half months of this period. Mitochondria were extracted and purified using Percoll gradient centrifugation. Temperature-induced changes in the buoyant density of the mitochondria were detected. Cold temperature (3°C) resulted in mitochondria of a lower buoyant density in all cultivars tested. The change in density was more pronounced, however, in the cultivars accumulating higher amounts of reducing sugars. The shift to lighter mitochondria was reversed after reconditioning at 18°C. The low sugar accumulating cultivar ND860-2 was the only one to retain a higher density band of mitochondria (1.056 g/mL) after being subjected to cold-stress for five months. Total mitochondrial proteins were analyzed using two-dimensional isoelectric focusing/SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A 26-kDa polypeptide was detected after cold stressing primarily in the higher sugar accumulating cultivars. The amounts of the 26-kDa protein decreased upon reconditioning. This polypeptide was absent from the mitochondria of ND 860-2 regardless of the storage temperature used.
The timing and nature of Late Quaternary vegetation changes in the northern Great Plains, USA and Canada: a re-assessment of the spruce phase

Abstract This paper revises the chronology for the northward migration of Picea glauca (white spruce) across the northern Great Plains, following the recession of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, and reinterprets the species composition and structure of the late-glacial vegetation on the basis of pollen and plant-macrofossil analysis. The timing of spruce migration is based on 26 14C ages obtained from Picea macrofossils. The date for the appearance of white spruce in southern South Dakota, USA, remains unchanged, 12,600 14C yr BP (ca 15,000 cal yr BP), but its arrival in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, by 10,300 14C yr BP (ca 12,100 cal yr BP) is about 1500 years later than previously estimated based on an organic sediment date. Picea glauca thus migrated northwards at an average rate of 0.38 km/14C year (0.30 km/calendar year), significantly slower than the previously published rate of 2 km/14C year. White spruce trees probably inhabited lake shorelines, whereas prairie, parkland, and boreal plants occupied both lowlands and uplands, forming an open white spruce parkland. This interpretation differs from a previous reconstruction of a boreal-type spruce forest and thus offers another paleoclimatic interpretation. Precipitation was probably low and summer temperatures relatively mild, averaging about 19 °C.
Are there benefits to specific antihypertensive drug therapy

The antihypertensive drug classes that have reduced cardiovascular events safely either in large placebo-controlled trials or in comparison with other effective antihypertensive drugs in large morbidity trials are diuretics, β-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and calcium channel blockers (CCBs). Although control of blood pressure (BP) is a primary goal of therapy, evidence from several clinical trials suggests that certain antihypertensive agents provide clinical benefits independent of their effect on BP. In the recently reported Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT), an ACE inhibitor, a CCB, and an α-blocker reduced coronary events and mortality to a similar extent as a thiazide-type diuretic, but the diuretic reduced one or more major cardiovascular events, especially heart failure, more than the other agents. In the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction in hypertension (LIFE) trial, the ARB losartan reduced cardiovascular morbidity (primarily stroke) more than the β-blocker atenolol. Although an ARB has not yet been compared with a diuretic in a morbidity trial, as most patients require more than one drug to control BP, and a diuretic plus an ARB is a very effective and well-tolerated combination, this uncertainty applies to a minority of patients. A primary goal in treating hypertension should be to reach a patient's goal BP, but initial selection of drugs based on hypertension morbidity study results and other compelling indications should be given priority.
Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Tranexamic Acid for Reducing Blood Loss in Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty

Tranexamic acid (TA) has been reported to reduce blood loss after total joint arthroplasty; however, the literature is sparse in evaluating its efficacy in simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In this retrospective study of consecutive patients, TA use in bilateral TKA was associated with a significant reduction in perioperative serum hemoglobin drop, as well as allogeneic blood transfusion needs from 50% to 11% of patients. No autologous blood donation or drains were used. There were no venous thromboembolic events reported. Implementation of a systematic intravenous TA protocol in simultaneous bilateral TKA appears highly effective in reducing transfusion requirements, potentially reducing healthcare resource utilization as well as the morbidity and complications associated with allogeneic blood transfusions.
Breeding a Low Producing Strain of Single Comb White Leghorns

Abstract BREEDING for low fecundity in the domestic fowl would seem to be a task very easy of accomplishment. Yet it is an interesting fact that it is almost as difficult a problem to produce a low fecundity strain of birds as it is a high fecundity strain, assuming that the environmental conditions, feed, and management are adequate and the same in both cases. Such a breeding project might be considered by some a waste of time. Certainly in the case of the practical poultry breeder it would be very unprofitable to follow such a line of breeding. However, from the standpoint of experimentation and of practical information, the experiment on low-line and high-line Single Comb White Leghorns has been quite fruitful. Marble and Hall (1931) give a comparison of the low-line high-line leghorns for a number of characters, covering the period 1908 to 1928. So far as the writer is . . .
Rain as a Source of Vitamin B 12

A VAST literature on cobalamines in natural waters has accumulated since bioassays were developed1–4. About 70 per cent of all species of freshwater and marine planktonic algae require some form of vitamin B12 more often than any other metabolite, a factor which has led to the recognition of the potential influence of this vitamin on the composition of the phytoplankton community5,6. Several reports have substantiated the assumption that vitamin B12 is important in this respect5–7. Important sources of vitamin B12 are in situ bacterial activity, soil runoff and clay-absorbed B12 (refs. 7–13).
Asian values and democratic citizenship: exploring attitudes among South Korean eighth graders using data from the ICCS Asian Regional Module

Utilizing data from the 2009 IEA International Civic and Citizenship Study Asian Regional Module, this secondary analysis explores the relationship between traditional Asian values and democratic citizenship. Findings identify two dimensions of Asian values: Asian civic values and obedience to authority. Among South Korean students, Asian civic values have a positive association with democratic citizenship, while obedience to authority displays an inverse relationship. However, attachment to obedience to authority is much weaker. The overall findings suggest the possibility of reconciliation between traditional Asian values and democratic citizenship.
Intervention-related cognitive versus social mediators of exercise adherence in the elderly

Abstract Context: Participation in regular physical activity is recognized as one of the most important health behaviors associated with the prevention of chronic disease and the promotion of health and well-being among the elderly. Although a number of cross-sectional studies have reported predictors of physical activity participation, few studies have assessed changes in intervention-related mediators associated with physical activity adherence in the elderly. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the relative abilities of cognitive mediating variables (i.e., self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectancies/realizations) versus a social mediating variable (i.e., exercise-related social support) to examine mediators of a telephone-based, exercise-counseling intervention on exercise adherence during months 7 to 12 of an exercise intervention. Method: Participants were 103 community-dwelling, healthy, sedentary, older adults (67 women and 36 men). Self-efficacy for exercise, outcome expectancies/realizations, and social support for exercise were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Participants received telephone-based exercise counseling to promote exercise adherence during the course of two 12-month exercise programs (i.e., aerobic/strength or flexibility exercises). Results: Changes in cognitive mediators (i.e., self-efficacy and fitness outcome realizations) were associated with 7- to 12-month exercise adherence while exercise-related social support was not. Conclusion: Attention should be given to increasing confidence in the elderly to overcome barriers to exercise and achieve relevant fitness outcomes in exercise programs.
Dimethyl disulfide mimics the effects of milk on fetal behavior and responsiveness to cutaneous stimuli

This study examined the behavioral responses of near-term rat fetuses to a range of chemosensory fluids that resemble constituents of milk or are present in the context of suckling immediately after birth. Milk and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), a constituent of pup saliva that promotes postnatal nipple attachment, were effective in altering fetal motor activity (increased mouthing and rearlimb movements after infusion), and producing changes in fetal responsiveness to perioral cutaneous stimulation (reduced incidence of facial wiping). The behavioral effects of DMDS were reversed by naloxone and the kappa receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine diHCl, suggesting kappa opioid involvement in these behavioral changes. The existence of prenatal responsiveness to DMDS suggests that this substance may function as a semiochemical during the neonatal period.
A community model of ciliate Tetrahymena and bacteria E coli: Part II. interactions in a batch system.

Premised on relatively simple assumptions, mathematical models like those of Monod, Pirt or Droop inadequately explain the complex transient behavior of microbial populations. In particular, these models fail to explain many aspects of the dynamics of aTetrahymena pyriformis-Escherichia coli community. In this study an alternative approach, an individual-based model, is employed to investigate the growth and interactions ofTetrahymena pyriformis andE. coli in a batch culture. Due to improved representation of physiological processes, the model provides a better agreement with experimental data of bacterial density and ciliate biomass than previous modeling studies. It predicts a much larger coexistence domain than rudimentary models, dependence of biomass dynamics on initial conditions (bacteria to ciliate biomasses ratio) and appropriate timing of minimal bacteria density. Moreover, it is found that accumulation ofE. coli sized particles andE. coli toxic metabolites has a stabilizing effect on the system.
Pseudosarcomatous fibromyxoid tumor of the bladder

Pseudosarcomatous fibromyxoid tumors are uncommon lesions with uncertain pathogenesis. We present the case of a 36-year-old healthy patient who was evaluated for painless gross hematuria. Work-up revealed a bladder mass that was initially treated with transurethral resection that showed pseudosarcomatous fibromyxoid tumors. However, the mass recurred and was subsequently treated definitively with partial cystectomy with no recurrence at last follow-up. Partial cystectomy is a viable option in the treatment of recurrent symptomatic pseudosarcomatous fibromyxoid tumors of the bladder, when performed selectively.
Competitive strategies for high‐wage industries

Over the past decade, union power has pushed the steel, automobile, meat‐packing, machinery, and transportation industries into paying unusually high wages. As a result, many firms in these industries are finding it very difficult to compete. While there are a number of possible strategies these firms could employ, none are ideal. Some can only be implemented if favorable action is taken by others, and some are downright dangerous.
Allergic contact purpura

Summary Isopropylaminodiphenylamine, an antioxidant used in the manufacture of some types of rubber, is capable of causing an allergic contact dermatitis. Some cases are associated with a widespread purpuric capillaritis similar to the eruption produced by sensitivity to carbromal and meprobamate. Two typical cases of this reaction are described in men following the wearing of rubber boots. All haematological findings were normal. No evidence on the mechanism involved has been found.
Treatment-Seeking Disparity Between African Americans and Whites: Attitudes Toward Treatment, Coping Resources, and Racism

African Americans seek mental health treatment at lower rates than Whites. This disparity has been attributed to African Americans' attitudes toward services, alternate coping, and differences in care. Research on microaggressions adds an important element to this literature. Including discussion of microaggressions in counseling training may illuminate subtle student biases. Los individuos Afroamericanos buscan recibir tratamientos de salud mental en un indice menor que los Blancos. Esta disparidad ha sido atribuida a las actitudes de los Afroamericanos hacia los servicios, formas de afrontamiento alternativas, y a las diferencias en la asistencia. Las investigaciones sobre microagresiones anaden un elemento importante a esta documentacion. Incluir la discusion sobre microagresiones en la formacion de consejeros puede iluminar los sesgos sutiles de los estudiantes.
Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Use in Children: A Retrospective Review of Safety

The objective of this work was to assess the efficacy of continuous proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in children and to evaluate changes in biochemical, endoscopic, and histologic parameters during such treatment. A retrospective review of children receiving PPI therapy continuously for 1 year or more with baseline and follow-up esophageal and gastric biopsies on treatment was conducted to assess type, frequency, and duration of PPI dosing, symptom relief, gastrin levels, histologic findings, and adverse events. A total of 113 children (59 male, median age 4.5 years) were identified. Of these, 31% (35/113) were neurologically impaired. The median treatment duration was 35.2 months. Elevated serum gastrin levels occurred in 73% of children with no statistically significant differences in gastrin level by PPI type, dose, and dosing frequency or treatment duration. Adverse events were reported by 12% of children: diarrhea (5%) and constipation (4%) were the most frequent. Long-term PPI therapy appears to be effective, safe and well tolerated in children despite some biochemical, endoscopic, and histologic changes.
On the forced motion of elastic solids

This note develops a method for the solution of the elastokinetic boundary value problem for time dependent surface tractions and/or displacements, as well as body forces which are functions of time and space. The method of Williams is extended to resolve three-dimensional problems of elastodynamics by classical mathematical techniques.
Chatoyant: a computer-aided- design tool for free-space optoelectronic systems.

Chatoyant is a tool for the simulation and the analysis of heterogeneous free-space optoelectronic architectures. It is capable of modeling digital and analog electronic and optical signal propagation with mechanical tolerancing at the system level. We present models for a variety of optoelectronic devices and results that demonstrate the system’s ability to predict the effects of various component parameters, such as detector geometry, and system parameters, such as alignment tolerances, on system-performance measures, such as the bit-error rate.
HAUERWAS AND POLITICAL THEOLOGY: The Next Generation

In this review essay, I consider the recent work of students of Stanley Hauerwas on matters related to political theology. Eight books (and scattered articles) are treated in two groups: one more theoretical, the other more practically oriented. Of special interest is whether and how Jeffrey Stout's concerns about Hauerwas's negative political “influence” apply. I suggest that while sometimes narratives of decline dominate overmuch, these works rightly and creatively seek to expand our political imagination beyond the narrowness of modern nation-state politics and its attending capitalist assumptions. Moreover, in all cases, Hauerwas's students stress a kind of political embodiment of Christ in the practices of particular communities, beginning with the Christian Church, but including also medicine, economy, and family. Spread out, this embodiment combats a pervasive modern Gnosticism, trains us in patience and hope, and gives room for a more truthful description of Church and world.
Acceptability and Composition of Some Acidified Meat and Vegetable Stick Products

Meatsticks (MS; beef, pork) or stewsticks (SS; beef, pork, vegetables) were formulated to pH 5.2 or 4.6 with encapsulated lactic or citric acid. Stewsticks had 18% less fat and calories/serving than MS, and substantially more carbohydrate and vitamins A and C, but were much drier after cooking. Meatsticks were preferred, although 25% of consumer panelists rated SS as moderately acceptable or higher on a 9-point hedonic scale. Acid type (citric or lactic) did not affect consumer panel flavor scores, but samples at pH 4.6 were only marginally acceptable. Acidification to pH 4.6, as might be required according to regulations for hermetically sealed, low acid foods, would greatly decrease commercial appeal of these products.
Outing and Virtue Ethics

The paper argues that the two dominant approaches towards the moral issues surrounding outing are too weak to handle the latter’s complexity and would benefit from being made part of a broader and richer framework, namely, that of virtue ethics. One dominant approach begins by arguing that people do not have the right to privacy in matters of sexual orientation (not behaviour), and so outing gay people does not violate such a right. It continues by arguing that living a dignified life requires the agent to refuse to keep secret the gay sexual orientation of others. The second dominant approach, opposed to the first, argues that gay people have a right to the privacy of sexual orientation, and so outing them is prima facie wrong. Both approaches, the paper argues, are too weak to handle the complexity of outing: the first suffers from emphasizing only one subset of the virtues (dignity, pride, and so on), while the second is too weak to explain fully why in some cases outing is permissible. Virtue ethics is a much richer framework from which to address the complexity of outing.
Eocene tortoise beetles from the Green River Formation in Colorado, U.S.A. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae)

The fossil history of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) is relatively poorly documented despite an abundance of available material. Of particular interest is the origin and radiation of the diverse tortoise beetles, a derived group within Cassidinae s.l. (¼Cassidinae þ Hispinae) defined by the exophagous life history and specialized morphology of the immature stages. Cassidinae is also a group with relatively few fossil records that can be assigned with any degree of certainty. Here we report two of the oldest definitive tortoise beetle fossils, Eosacantha delocranioides gen.n. et sp.n. and Denaeaspis chelonopsis gen.n. et sp.n., from the Eocene Green River Formation (ca. 47 million years old) in northwestern Colorado, U.S.A. Owing to the fine level of preservation, many important features can be observed and are coded into the recent cladistic analysis for the subfamily. Phylogenetic analysis highlights that both genera have affinities with modern lineages, one restricted to the Old World and the other restricted to the Neotropics. Although Cassidinae as a whole extend into the Cretaceous, the available information suggests that the tortoise beetles perhaps originated and diversified during the Early Tertiary. As such, the morphological and biological transitions from the leaf-mining hispiforms to the distinctive tortoise-like cassidiforms, with their elaborate defensive larval shields and other unique behaviours, probably took place during the latest Paleocene or earliest Eocene. These Green River fossils are the oldest yet to document the specialized morphology associated with the transition in cassidine feeding and immature biology.
Broadband and universal service

Section 254(b)(3) of the 1996 Telecommunications Act established the objective that residents of rural areas should have access to advanced telecommunications and information services comparable to services in urban areas. Pursuant to the passage of the Act, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established a new universal fund that provides explicit support to high-cost rural areas. This paper addresses the question of whether people in rural areas have similar access due to the support provided through the Commission's new high-cost fund. This paper focuses on the telephone platform because cable companies often do not serve rural areas due to the high cost of service, and because there is no mechanism for the federal or state government to subsidize the provision of advanced telecommunications services via cable. The Act's objectives are apparently not being met in rural areas served by large companies since people living in these areas are much less likely to have qualified lines that could be used to access advanced telecommunications services. On the other hand, small companies are much closer to satisfying the statutory requirement as a result of the implicit support received through cost sharing.
Female Sexual Dysfunction: Knowledge Development and Practice Implications

PURPOSE. Sexual dysfunctions are thought to be common in the population. However, the majority of research on sexual dysfunctions has focused on male problems. Consequently, women's sexual function is poorly understood. This article aimed to (a) provide a historical overview of the knowledge development of female sexual function, (b) describe the current state of knowledge pertaining to sexual problems in women, and (c) discuss implications for the assessment of sexual problems in women. CONCLUSIONS. A women's sexual response may differ from current conceptualizations. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. A sexual history should be included in routine health assessments. Information specific to contextual and relational factors is particularly important for women.
Criteria to determine drug effects on pulmonary function in children.

The hypothesis presented in this report is that the ratio of oxygen extracted (VO2) per unit volume of alveolar ventilation (VA), or its numerical equivalent, the fraction of inspired oxygen minus the fraction of alveolar oxygen, is a significant measure of pulmonary function in children. Despite the fact that the arterial blood gases of children are within the normal range for adults, the values for the alveolar gases are significantly different. Measurements of these gases in 348 normal school children (ages 6 to 12 years) gave a higher fraction of alveolar oxygen (0.16) and a lower fraction of alveolar CO2 (0.042) than for 101 medical studients (ages 20 to 28 years). The ratio of the volume of oxygen extracted per unit volume of alveolar ventilation was significantly lower (46 ml per liter) for children than for the medical students (69 ml per liter). We suggest that this resistance to the movement of oxygen into the blood from the alveoli is an important parameter to examine in determining the effect of drugs on pulmonary function, since it represents the total effect of pulmonary ventilation, blood perfusion through the lungs, and utilization of oxygen by the tissues.
Oxygen consumption and guanosine diphosphate binding by fetal brown adipose tissue in diabetic pregnancy.

Oxygen consumption and 3H-guanosine diphosphate (GDP) binding were determined in brown adipocytes and mitochondria from 28-day gestation fetuses of alloxan-diabetic rabbit does and saline-injected controls. Maternal diabetes was classified as severe or mild determined by whether maternal blood glucose values were greater or less than 200 mg/dL, respectively, at death. Basal oxygen consumption and adipocyte diameters did not vary among groups. A significant reduction in maximal norepinephrine (NE) stimulated O2 consumption by fetal brown adipose tissue (BAT) cells was seen in offspring of severely diabetic pregnancies when compared with control values (248 +/- 53 +/- v482 +/- 32 microL O2/10(6) cells/h; P less than .005). In contrast, a significant increase in maximal NE-stimulated O2 consumption by fetal BAT cells occurred in offspring of mild diabetic pregnancies (807 +/- 60, P less than .001 v controls). A highly significant inverse correlation between serum glucose levels and maximal O2 consumption by fetal BAT was observed in fetuses from mild and severe diabetic pregnancies (r = -.98, P less than .005), and there was no correlation between these two parameters in offspring of normal pregnancies. A significant inverse correlation was observed between maximal O2 consumption by fetal BAT cells and serum insulin levels in offspring of both control and diabetic pregnancy (r = -.74; P less than .02). Tissue cytochrome oxidase activity was lower in offspring of severely affected diabetic does, indicating a reduction in BAT mitochondrial content compared with controls. BAT mitochondria from fetuses of severely diabetic does exhibited reduced 3H-GDP capacity, which was 2.5-fold lower than controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Regional changes of AQP0-dependent square array junction and gap junction associated with cortical cataract formation in the Emory mutant mouse

The Emory mutant mouse has been widely used as an animal model for human senile cataract since it develops late-onset hereditary cataract. Here, we focus on the regional changes of aquaporin-0 (AQP0) and connexins that are associated with the cortical cataract formation in the Emory mutant mice. Emory mutant and CFW wild-type mice at age 1-16 months were used in this study. By using an established photography system with dissecting microscopy, the opacities were first detected at the anterior or posterior lens center surface in Emory mice at age 7 months, and gradually extended toward the equator during the 16 months examined. Scanning EM verified that disorganized and fragmented fiber cells were associated with the areas of opacities within approximately 200 μm from the lens surface, indicating that Emory mouse cataracts belong to the cortical cataracts. Freeze-fracture TEM further confirmed that cortical cataracts exhibited extensive wavy square array junctions, small gap junctions and globules. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that in contrast to the high labeling intensity of AQP0-loop antibody, the labeling of AQP0 C-terminus antibody was decreased considerably in superficial fibers in Emory cataracts. Similarly, a significant decrease in the labeling of the antibody against Cx50 C-terminus, but not Cx46 C-terminus, occurred in superficial and outer cortical fibers in Emory cataracts. Western blotting further revealed that the C-termini of both AQP0 and Cx50 in Emory cataracts were decreased to over 50% to that of the wild-type. Thus, this systematic study concludes that the Emory mouse cataract belongs to the cortical cataract which is due to regional breakdown of superficial fibers associated with formation of AQP0-dependent wavy square array junctions, small gap junctions and globules. The marked decreases of the C-termini of both AQP0 and Cx50 in the superficial fibers may disturb the needed interaction between these two proteins during fiber cell differentiation and thus play a role in the cortical cataract formation in Emory mutant mice.
Combined extraction/multiwavelength spectrophotometric method for quantification of gold in geological samples

Abstract The capabilities of a combined liquid-liquid extraction/spectrophotometric method for the trace determination of gold in geological samples are presented. After extraction with ethyl acetate, gold in the extracts is quantified as tetrachloroaurate with the multicomponent data-processing programs inherent in a diode-array u.v.-visible spectrophotometer. This method has an overall detection limit of 0.4 μg Au g−1 sample and a combined extraction/measurement imprecision of less than ± 12%.
The Occupational Cost of Being Illegal in the United States: Legal Status, Job Hazards, and Compensating Differentials

Considerable research and pervasive cultural narratives suggest that undocumented immigrant workers are concentrated in the most dangerous, hazardous, and otherwise unappealing jobs in U.S. labor markets. Yet, owing largely to data limitations, little empirical work has addressed this topic. Using data from the 2004 and 2008 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we impute legal status for Mexican and Central American immigrants and link their occupations to BLS data on occupational fatalities and occupational hazard data from the Department of Labor to explore racial and legal status differentials on several specific measures of occupational risk. RESULTS indicate that undocumented workers face heightened exposure to numerous dimensions of occupational hazard - including higher levels of physical strain, exposure to heights, and repetitive motions - but are less exposed than native workers to some of the potentially most dangerous environments. We also show that undocumented workers are rewarded less for employment in hazardous settings, receiving low or no compensating differential for working in jobs with high fatality, toxic materials, or exposure to heights. Overall, this study suggests that legal status plays an important role in determining exposure to job hazard and in structuring the wage returns to risky work. Language: en
Teaching and Learning Guide for: Youth-Subculture Studies: Sociological Traditions and Core Concepts

Studies of youth subcultures have been carried out for decades from varioustheoretical perspectives (including functionalism, social ecology, neo-Marxism,deviance and labeling, cultural studies, sports and leisure studies) as well as fromvarious methodological standpoints (e.g., deductive and inductive approaches,insider and outsider perspectives, ethnographic, historical comparative, and semiotics).The sociological study of youth subcultures thus offers a wide range of oppor-tunities to bring together an interesting topic for young people and theoreticalor methodological pedagogies.
Rural Drug Users: Factors Associated With Substance Abuse Treatment Utilization

The purpose of this study is to use a modified version of Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use to identify the correlates of the number of substance abuse treatment episodes received by rural drug users. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with 711 drug users in rural areas of Ohio, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Descriptive analyses examine rural drug users' substance use histories and retrospective substance abuse treatment service utilization patterns. A negative binomial regression model indicated that selected predisposing, historical health, and enabling factors were significantly associated with the utilization of substance abuse treatment among rural drug users. Despite high levels of recent and lifetime self-reported substance use among these rural drug users, treatment services were underutilized. Future studies are needed to examine the impact of the health care system and characteristics of the external environment associated with rural substance abuse treatment in order to increase utilization among drug users.
Combined Valproate or Carbamazepine and Electroconvulsive Therapy

This pharmacoepidemiological study was undertaken to determine if the combination of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and the anticonvulsants valproate (VPA) or carbamazepine (CBZ) is safe and efficacious. The charts of seven patients receiving ECT and VPA or CBZ (ECT-anticonvulsant group) concurrently between May 8, 1989, and May 9, 1993, were reviewed to determine the indication for each treatment, the number and type of ECT treatments, the seizure duration, adverse events, and the efficacy of the combination. The ECT-anticonvulsant group was compared to patients not treated with anticonvulsants (ECT-alone group) to determine if there were any differences in the two groups. Three patients had a marked clinical improvement, two a moderate response, one a minimal response, and one no response. The ECT-AC group, compared to the control group, had a shorter duration of seizures when unilateral treatments were used. However, there were no differences in the other variables compared. One patient had moderate confusion, and the other mild confusion and hypomania. This small case series suggests that the combination of ECT and anticonvulsants is safe and may be considered in patients for whom prophylaxis with anticonvulsant drugs is planned. Further controlled studies are needed to confirm our findings.