cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postural sway characteristics in women with lower extremity arthritis before and after an aquatic exercise intervention.

Abstract Suomi R, Koceja DM. Postural sway characteristics of women with lower extremity arthritis before and after an aquatic exercise intervention. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000;81:780-5. Objective: To examine the reliability of postural sway assessment in women with lower extremity arthritis and to ascertain the effects of an aquatic exercise intervention program on these measures. Design: The reliability of postural sway measures was analyzed by within-subjects (Subject times Trial) analysis of variance (ANOVA). The effects of aquatic exercise were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA using a planned comparison approach with an independent 2 × 2 (Group times Test) design. Setting: Testing in a motor control research laboratory; aquatic exercise in a warm water pool at an area YMCA. Participants: Volunteer sample, 24 women with lower extremity arthritis (rheumatoid [RA] n = 11, osteo [OA] n = 13) randomly assigned into an aquatic exercise group (n = 14) or control group (n = 10). Intervention: Postural sway measures under a two-legged stance test on two separate test days: day 1, pretest; day 2, posttest, administered after a 6-week aquatic exercise program. Results: Reliability correlation coefficients for postural sway measures ranged from.64 to.94 for both subject groups. Aquatic exercise subjects significantly reduced lateral sway and total sway area scores (by 18% to 30%) under both visual conditions after the 6-week intervention. Postural sway scores were significantly higher under the no-vision condition than under the vision condition in each group for both test sessions. Both OA and RA groups had normal sagittal/lateral ratio scores. Conclusion: Women with lower extremity arthritis can be reliably assessed on postural sway measures on a stable two-legged stance test. Although they had normal sagittal/lateral sway ratio scores (ie, scores typical for nonarthritic peers), vision played an important role in their postural stability for this balance task. Aquatic exercise reduced postural sway in women with lower extremity arthritis, as demonstrated by a two-legged stance test, and this exercise program appears to be a viable treatment for increasing postural stability in this population. © 2000 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Investigation of the Impact of Feedback on Decision Accuracy and Reaction Time in a Perceptual Training Task

This study investigated the impact of feedback interventions on a perceptual aviation training task. Previous research on feedback suggests that knowledge of results and conceptual feedback can facilitate learning in certain contexts. Using an aviation discrimination training module, we sought to examine this influence in perceptual training and collected data from 52 volunteer participants. Initial results suggested that there was no noticeable difference between feedback and non-feedback conditions with respect to post-training performance. However, an interesting finding stemming from the average reaction times during training was that knowledge of results may alter response strategies in training: Whereas the no-feedback and conceptual feedback groups required significantly more time for their responses during training than either in the pre- or post-test (suggesting that they needed time to “think through” their responses in the training), the knowledge-of-results group was not only faster than the o...
Robotic Heller myotomy: a safe operation with higher postoperative quality-of-life indices.

Introduction Achalasia is a primary motility disorder of the esophagus that is treated most effectively with operative myotomy. Excellent outcomes with laparoscopic myotomy and fundoplication are well known. Heller myotomy utilizing a computer-enhanced (robotic) laparoscopic platform allows for a more precise dissection by utilizing the superior optics of a 3-dimensional camera and greater degrees of freedom provided by robotic instrumentation. How this affects outcome and quality of life is unknown. Methods We assessed patients’ health perceptions using a standardized, validated, health-related, disease-specific quality-of-life metric. Sixty-one consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic or robotic myotomy over a 6-year period were evaluated prospectively. All operations were performed using intraoperative manometric and endoscopic guidance and all except 5 patients had a fundoplication. The effects of the operation on health-related quality of life were evaluated with the Short Form (SF-36) Health Status Questionnaire and a disease-specific gastroesophageal reflux disease activity (GERD) activity index (GRACI) preoperatively and postoperatively. All patients completed the questionnaire at both time points. Patient scores were compared using 2-way repeated measures analyses of variance followed by the Tukey test. Operative time, estimated blood loss, duration of stay, intraoperative complication, and postoperative complications were analyzed. Results Thirty-seven patients had laparoscopic and 24 patients had robotic Heller myotomy. There was an increase in SF-36 overall evaluation of health postoperatively compared with preoperatively in both groups ( P P P Conclusions Minimally invasive operative myotomy improves functional status and overall evaluation of health in patients with achalasia. Robotic myotomy had no intraoperative esophageal perforations compared with an 8% intraoperative rate during laparoscopic myotomy. Heller myotomy with partial fundoplication using a robotic platform appears to be a more precise and safer operation than laparoscopic myotomy with improved quality-of-life indices postoperatively compared with laparoscopic myotomy with fewer complications; this suggests that, in skilled hands, the robotic platform may be safer, with improved quality-of-life outcomes.
Comparison of directionally based and nondirectionally based subband image coders

Many different types of analysis/synthesis decompositions have been investigated for image coding. Some, like those used in traditional transform, pyramid, and subband coders, partition the spatial-frequency spectrum into symmetric bands, i.e., the bands occupy a disjoint region in each of the four frequency plane quadrants [1, 2, 3, 4]. Others have examined related systems that use directionally-based decompositions [5, 6, 7, 8] in which diagonally oriented spatial frequency components are coded. However, the directional resolution in these schemes is often very limited. In this paper, some new exactly reconstructing subband decompositions are presented with directional selectivity. They are examined in the context of subband image coding and compared to directionally invariant subband decompositions in terms of subjective quality.
Adaptive linear step-up multiple testing procedure with the bias-reduced estimator

Abstract This paper suggests two novel adaptive linear step-up procedures to reduce the bias of the estimator of π 0 , the proportion of true null hypotheses. Estimators of π 0 are based on the number of p -values less than a threshold which converges to one.
Sodium and potassium content and membrane transport properties in red blood cells from newborn puppies.

The intracellular sodium and potassium concentrations and membrane transport properties for these ions were investigated in red blood cells from newborn puppies and adult dogs. At birth the intracellular concentrations of sodium and potassium are much higher than those found in adult dog red cells. During the first few weeks of life the intracellular concentrations of these ions gradually decrease until the adult level is reached. Changes in the membrane transport properties develop concurrently. The rate of active potassium influx, as measured by ouabain-sensitivity, and the pump to leak ratio are greater in red cells from newborn puppies than in those from adult animals. No ouabain-sensitive sodium efflux could be demonstrated in red cells from older puppies or adult dogs. When either puppy or adult dog red cells are depleted of ATP (by incubation at 37°C with no substrate), potassium permeability increases, and the permeability of the membrane to sodium decreases. The addition of adenosine reverses the effect of depletion.
RCS reduction of dihedral corners

Corner reflectors are inadvertently formed by many surfaces on ships and military ground vehicles and can be dominant contributors to the radar cross section (RCS). The monostatic return from such structures can be reduced by ensuring that flat surfaces never meet at right angles. A criterion is developed that gives the required angle as a function of the RCS reduction desired and the electrical size of the corner faces.
Access to outpatient care for adult rotator cuff patients with private insurance versus Medicaid in North Carolina

Background Access to orthopaedic care for pediatric patients has been shown in previous studies to be decreased for patients with Medicaid compared with those with private insurance. The relationship between type of insurance and access to care for adult patients with acute rotator cuff tears has not yet been examined. This study aimed to determine if type of health insurance would have an impact on access to care for an adult patient with an acute rotator cuff tear. Methods Seventy-one orthopaedic surgery practices within the state of North Carolina were randomly selected and contacted on 2 different occasions separated by 3 weeks. The practices were presented with an appointment request for a fictitious 42-year-old man with an acute rotator cuff tear. Insurance status was reported as Medicaid for the first call and as private insurance during the second call. Results Of the 71 practices contacted, 51 (72%) offered the patient with Medicaid an appointment, whereas 68 (96%) offered the patient with private insurance an appointment. The difference in these rates was statistically significant ( P Conclusion For patients with acute rotator cuff tears, access to care is decreased for those with Medicaid compared with those with private insurance. Patients with private insurance are 8.8 times more likely than those with Medicaid to obtain an appointment.
Geochemical work of the Geochemistry and Petrology Branch U.S. Geological Survey

Abstract The current geochemical work of the Geochemistry and Petrology Branch of the U.S. Geological Survey is outlined under the headings of geochemical compilations, laboratory projects, and field-laboratory projects. Some thirty-seven active projects are described. Six others are mentioned which are planned for the near future. The importance and value of cooperative projects and the “team approach” are emphasized. The hope is expressed that more such projects can be undertaken; also, that summaries of geochemical work under way elsewhere will be published soon for the advancement and better coordination of geochemical research.
Backscatter coefficient estimation using array transducers

This paper describes an extension of our broadband method for estimating backscatter coefficients from random media to include data from array transducers. Four different transducer designs have now been considered: oneand two-dimensional linear arrays, annular arrays, and single-element focused pistons commonly used in mechanical sector scanners. The analysis shows that if the backscatter echo spectrum is properly normalized, the shape of the piezoelectric elements affects only the magnitude and not the frequency dependence of the backscatter coefficient estimates. Experimental data were acquired using laboratory and clinical imaging instrumentation to verify the analysis. We compared backscatter coefficients measured as a function of frequency from well-defined scattering media that were obtained using a 1-D linear array and focused piston transducers. Instrument-independent results were found that matched theoretical predictions within the measurement error between 2 and 12 MHz. We conclude from this study that accurate backscatter coefficient estimates may be easily obtained using current clinical imaging instrumentation. >
Revisiting morphological features of cardiac amyloid with cardiac magnetic resonance

Background Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has become a cornerstone in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloid infiltration, not only due to the presence of typical post-contrast delayed enhancement but also because of accurate morphological characteritization. The aim of this study is to describe morphological features of cardiac amyloidosis by CMR and to establish their diagnostic accuracy. Methods Consecutive patients referred for CMR for possible cardiac amyloidosis were retrospectively evaluated. The final diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis was established in presence of a positive cardiac biopsy and/or a typical pattern of diffuse, predominantly subendocardial, delayed contrast enhancement. Indexed left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volumes and ejection fractions, LV mass, LV basal anteroseptal and inferolateral end-diasto-
Ceftaroline Fosamil for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pulmonary Exacerbation in a Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Patient

Ceftaroline, an advanced generation cephalosporin with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), may present a new therapeutic alternative for treating lung infections among patients with cystic fibrosis. We report a case of ceftaroline therapy in a pediatric patient with cystic fibrosis, whose dose was increased from 9.7 mg/kg/dose every 12 hours to 10.8 mg/kg/dose every 8 hours by using pharmacokinetic analyses.
Increase of Intracellular Ca2+ by Purinergic Receptors in Cultured Rat Lacrimal Gland Myoepithelial Cells

Purpose. To isolate and characterize cultured myoepithelial cells (MECs) from rat lacrimal gland and determine which purinergic receptor subtypes are present and functional in MECs.
Influence of plastic-lined containers on mortality of rust mites of Citrus in laboratory bioassays.

The mites Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead) and Aculops pelekassi (Keifer) were dipped in plastic-lined cartons and in glass beakers containing 3 concentrations of 5 insecticides (cthion, carbophenothion, chlorobenzilate, dicofol, and dioxathion). Mortality was always significantly lower in the plastic-lined container. Plastic liners probably affect results obtained with other compounds.
Electron and Optical Phonon Temperatures in Electrically Biased Graphene

We examine the intrinsic energy dissipation steps in electrically biased graphene channels. By combining in-situ measurements of the spontaneous optical emission with a Raman spectroscopy study of the graphene sample under conditions of current flow, we obtain independent information on the energy distribution of the electrons and phonons. The electrons and holes contributing to light emission are found to obey a thermal distribution, with temperatures in excess of 1500 K in the regime of current saturation. The zone-center optical phonons are also highly excited and are found to be in equilibrium with the electrons. For a given optical phonon temperature, the anharmonic downshift of the Raman G mode is smaller than expected under equilibrium conditions, suggesting that the electrons and high-energy optical phonons are not fully equilibrated with all of the phonon modes.
Evidence for Oligocene–Middle Miocene abyssal circulation changes in the western North Atlantic

Previous studies of benthic foraminiferal isotopic composition have demonstrated that a latest Eocene–earliest Oligocene benthic foraminiferal δ18O increase occurred in the Pacific, Southern and Atlantic Oceans1–9. A Middle Miocene δ18O increase has been noted in the Pacific, Southern and South Atlantic Oceans1–3,7,10,11 and tentatively identified in the North Atlantic12,13. Due to the incomplete nature of the North Atlantic stratigraphical record14,15, however, the Oligocene to Middle Miocene isotopic record of this ocean is poorly understood. In the modern ocean, the North Atlantic and its marginal seas has a critical role in abyssal circulation, influencing deep- and bottom-water hydrography as far away as the North Pacific16–18. We now report oxygen isotope measurements on Oligocene to Middle Miocene (12–36 Myr BP) benthic foraminifera in the western North Atlantic which show two periods of enriched 18O values: early Oligocene and early Middle Miocene. These enriched intervals are interpreted as resulting, in part, from the build-up of continental ice sheets. The Oligocene to Middle Miocene δ13C record shows three cycles of enrichment and depletion of large enough magnitude to be useful for time–Stratigraphical correlations. Within the biostratigraphical age resolution, δ18O and δ13C records correlate with records from other oceans, helping to establish a useful Tertiary isotopic stratigraphy. An Atlantic–Pacific δ13C contrast of 0.3–0.9‰ during the latest Oligocene to Middle Miocene (12–26 Myr BP) indicates North Atlantic deep and bottom-water production analogous to modern North Atlantic deep water (NADW).
The Cultural Worlds of Marco Polo

In the thirteenth century, the Mongols created a vast, transcontinental empire that intensified commercial and cultural contact throughout Eurasia. As with other forms of booty generated by conquest, the Mongolian elite systematically identified, and shared out, the cultural resources oftheir more sedentary subjects. Thus, the Mongols military-political dominance ofthe continent was accompanied by—even accomplished through—cultural dependence. As a product ofthis complex, interactive world of contending cultural currents, Marco Polo viewed the East, and China in particular, through multiple cultural filters—European, Muslim, and Mongolian.
Dendritic arbors of neurons from different regions of the rat thalamic reticular nucleus share a similar orientation

Neurons in different regions of the rat thalamic reticular nucleus were labeled with biotin dextran amine and reconstructed. When viewed in coronal section, some neurons had a radial dendritic tree while others had dorso-ventrally elongated arbors. When rotated, all the neurons had a planar, disc-shaped dendritic field with the dendrites orientated parallel to the long axis of the nucleus. We conclude that all thalamic reticular nucleus neurons have a similar dendritic morphology and orientation.
Uncharted Waters: ERM Implementation in a Medium-Sized Academic Library

There is no perfect formula for successful implementation of an electronic resource management product. Countless issues need to be addressed, ranging from questions about software functionality to distribution of new responsibilities. The end result is a centralized site for information accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere. A little bit of planning and patience can make the implementation of an electronic resource management product a worthwhile venture.
Alcoholism in older women religious.

ABSTRACT The specific risk factors for addiction within religious community members remain poorly understood and undefined. This paper presents data on the characteristics of chemically dependent women Religious (nuns) in order to understand the etiology and treatment needs of this special group. This study contrasts a group of Roman Catholic women Religious who are in treatment for chemical dependency with a volunteer, nonalcoholic, comparison group from similar religious communities. The treatment group had higher levels of mental health symptoms and past history of childhood trauma (parental separation or divorce, early loss of mother), compared to the volunteer sample. Family history of alcoholism did not differ, however, and prevalence of sexual abuse was more common for the volunteers than for those in treatment. Women Religious in this study resemble the classification of “negative affect” alcoholism (Cloninger Type I, Babor Type A), which is characterized by lower severity, prevalence of environme...
Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneity of Regional Pulmonary Blood Flow in Piglets

Regional pulmonary blood flow (PBF) in adult animals varies over space and time, following a fractal pattern. We hypothesized that PBF would follow a fractal pattern in young animals. Five, two-week old piglets were sedated and mechanically ventilated. After stabilization, fluorescent microspheres were injected via the right atrium at baseline and then again at 5, 20, 20.5, 40 and 60 min. The lungs were subsequently excised, dried, inflated, and cored into 0.12-cm3 pieces (mean n = 561 ± 106 per animal) with the spatial coordinates recorded for each piece. Regional PBF was spatially and temporally heterogeneous with a spatial coefficient of variation of 43.3 ± 7.9% and a temporal coefficient of variation of 14.3 ± 0.4%. PBF followed a fractal pattern with a fractal dimension of 1.20 ± 0.06 at 20 min, remaining stable throughout the experiment. PBF decreased with distance from the hilum but did not follow a lobar pattern. Temporal heterogeneity did not significantly increase with time but low flow regions demonstrated the greatest temporal variability throughout the study. Hence, PBF in young piglets was characterized both spatial and temporal heterogeneity.
Factor Scores for Constructing Linear Composites: Do Different Techniques Make A Difference?

Seven distinct factor score procedures for constructing linear composites are compared in a multifactor example. The procedures are compared with respect to validity, invalidity, omega reliability, correlatedness, and linear relationships with external variables. Data are from a national sample taken by the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography. Advantages and disadvantages of the various procedures are indicated
Exposure of Bovine Cytochrome c Oxidase to High Triton X-100 or to Alkaline Conditions Causes a Dramatic Change in the Rate of Reduction of Compound F

The final step in the catalytic cycle of cytochrome oxidase, the reduction of oxyferryl heme a3 in compound F, was investigated using a binuclear polypyridine ruthenium complex ([Ru(bipyridine)2]2(1,4-bis[2-(4′-methyl-2, 2′-bipyrid-4-yl)ethenyl]benzene)(PF6)4) as a photoactive reducing agent. In the untreated dimeric enzyme, the rate constant for reduction of compound F decreased from 700 s−1 to 200 s−1 as the pH was increased from 7.5 to 9.5. Incubation of dimeric enzyme at pH 10 led to an increase in the rate constant to 1650 s−1, which was independent of pH between pH 7.4 and 10. This treatment resulted in a decrease in the sedimentation coefficient consistent with the irreversible conversion of the enzyme to a monomeric form. Similar results were obtained when the enzyme was incubated with Triton X-100 at pH 8.0. These treatments, which have traditionally been used to convert dimeric enzyme to monomeric form, have no effect on the steady-state activity. The data indicate that either the conversion of the bovine oxidase to a monomeric form or some structural change coincident with this conversion strongly influences the rate constant of this step in the catalytic cycle, perhaps by influencing the proton access to the heme-copper binuclear center.
Mutations at residues Tyr771 and Tyr783 of phospholipase C-γ1 have different effects on cell actin-cytoskeleton organization and cell proliferation in CCL-39 cells

Currently a central question that remains unresolved is the potential importance of phospholipase C (PLC)-γ1 in cell mitogenesis. In this study, we introduced wild-type PLC-γ1 plasmid and mutants Y771F and Y783F into CCL-39 fibroblasts and investigated their effect on host cell functions. To our surprise, Y771F and Y783F plasmids appeared to have opposite effects on CCL-39 cell actin-cytoskeleton organization and cell proliferation. Y771F transfectants increased cell proliferation by two-fold. Y783F transfectants showed much thicker actin filaments and decreased cell growth rate by 50%. These results suggest that PLC-γ1 mutations have an essential impact on cell mitogenesis.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Lymphedema After Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Study

Objective To examine factors associated with variations in diagnosis and rehabilitation treatments received by women with self-reported lymphedema resulting from breast cancer care. Design A large, population-based, prospective longitudinal telephone survey. Setting California, Florida, Illinois, and New York. Participants Elderly (65+ years) women identified from Medicare claims as having had an incident breast cancer surgery in 2003. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Self-reported incidence of lymphedema symptoms, formal diagnosis of lymphedema, treatments for lymphedema. Results Of the 450 breast cancer survivors with lymphedema who participated in the study, 290 (64.4%) were formally diagnosed with the condition by a physician. An additional 160 (35.6%) reported symptoms consistent with lymphedema (ie, arm swelling on the side of surgery that is absent on the contralateral arm) but were not formally diagnosed. Of those who reported being diagnosed by a physician, 39 (13.4%) received complete decongestive therapy that included multiple components of treatment (ie, manual lymphatic drainage, bandaging with short stretch bandages, the use of compression sleeves, skin care, and remedial exercises); 24 (8.3%) were treated with manual lymphatic drainage only; 162 (55.9%) used bandages, compression garments, or a pneumatic pump only; 8 (2.8%) relied solely on skin care or exercise to relieve symptoms; and 65 (22.4%) received no treatment at all. Multivariate regressions revealed that race (African American), lower income, and lower levels of social support increased a woman's probability of having undiagnosed lymphedema. Even when they were formally diagnosed, African American women were more likely to receive no treatment or to be treated with bandages/compression only rather than to receive the multimodality, complete decongestive therapy. Conclusions Lymphedema is a disabling chronic condition related to breast cancer treatment. Our results suggest that a substantial proportion of persons reporting symptoms were not formally diagnosed with the condition, thereby reducing their opportunity for treatment. The variation in rehabilitation treatments received by women who were formally diagnosed with the condition by a physician suggests that lymphedema might not have been optimally addressed in many cases despite the availability of effective interventions.
Juror and expert knowledge of child sexual abuse

Mental health professionals with expertise in child sexual abuse (CSA) often testify as expert witnesses in court. There is significant controversy over the admissibility of this type of evidence. To be admissible, the testimony of an expert must be beyond the common knowledge of the jury and based on information generally considered to be reliable within the professional community in which it is used. To date, no empirical data have existed to allow courts to make an informed judgement as to the extent of either juror knowledge or professional acceptance of CSA data. The present study addresses this issue. Jurors and experts completed a questionnaire designed to reveal their understanding of CSA. Results indicate that experts demonstrated strong consensus on 29 of 40 items included in the questionnaire, and that relative to experts, jurors have limited knowledge of these issues. These results suggest that many of the scientific findings concerning CSA are reliable and that the information is often beyond the common knowledge of the jury. These findings argue for the use of expert testimony in select cases of child sexual abuse.
Combination therapy in the management of LUTS – is this the future?

The treatment of LUTS (Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms) has evolved from primarily surgical to medical management. Medical management itself has evolved from single agent to combination therapy. Treatments for BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) are aimed at improving subjective symptoms and quality of life. α-Blockers and 5-α reductase inhibitors are the two main categories for treatment. In addition, both antimuscarinic agents and phosphodiesterase inhibitors have been shown to be effective in the management of LUTS. We discuss the current role of these agents in combination for the management of LUTS associated with BPH.
Microvascular flap reconstruction by otolaryngologists: prevalence, postoperative care, and monitoring techniques.

Background/Objectives: Microvascular “free flap” transplants have become the preferred method of reconstruction for a great variety of complicated head and neck defects. As recently as 10 years ago, having a microvascular surgeon within a department of otolaryngology was the exception rather than the rule, whereas it is our impression that today most academic programs have one or more microvascularly trained head and neck surgeons. Among microvascular surgeons, postoperative care and management regimens vary greatly. Through informal conversations, we discerned that some surgeons take a very aggressive approach to monitoring, perhaps including prolonged stays in an intensive care setting with implanted Doppler devices to monitor flap blood flow and intravenous administration of dextran or other pharmaceutical projects. Others report that patients are quickly discharged from the hospital after just aspirin and subcutaneous heparin for a few days. Some physicians perform “flap checks” hourly, whereas others have residents check only once daily. Design/Methods: We surveyed academic otolaryngology–head and neck surgery departments that sponsor residency programs in the United States to 1) determine the prevalence of microvascular trained otolaryngologists within training programs and 2) assess variations in postoperative and monitoring regimens. Results: We found that on average, 12.2% of otolaryngologists per department perform free flap transplants, and 71.6% of microvascular trained surgeons continue to do free flaps. The surgeons self reported a 96.4% average success rate and a 6.88% return rate to the operating room for complications. Monitoring methods used included flap color (used by 79.4% of surgeons), Doppler signal (79.4%), pin prick and bleeding rate (67.6%), capillary refill (61.8%), skin surface temperature (11.8%), and implanted Doppler (8.8%). Anticoagulants used included aspirin (used by 76.5% of microvascular surgeons), low-molecular-weight dextran (35.3%), and subcutaneous heparin (26.5%). Conclusions: Microvascular training has become commonplace in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery training programs, with more than one in eight of these academic physicians reporting microvascular training. There was no self-reported difference in flap failure rates on the basis of postoperative care and monitoring regimen. The results of this survey suggest that a simplified consensus postoperative regimen can be recommended.
Molecular aspects of sexual differentiation of the rodent brain

Abstract The sexual differentiation of the brain is orchestrated by gonadal steroids during a restricted developmental period and results in permanent changes in the neural substrate including the capacity to support ovulation and expression of sex-specific reproductive behaviors. Sry gene-induced development of testes constitutes a binary switch directing all subsequent differentiation. Androgen produced by the testes of the embryonic male differentiates secondary sex characteristics but also acts in the brain to “masculinize” the neural substrate, many of the latter are the result of aromatization of testosterone to estrogen. Molecular characteristics of aromatase and 5α-reductase enzymes are reviewed. It is assumed that estrogen binds to its receptor which then binds to DNA, inducing transcription of specific genes. Mutations in steroid receptor genes can markedly alter hormone-mediated differentiation. Two questions are addressed: (1), is the assumption correct that estrogen's effects on sexual differentiation are via the classic genomic action of steroids?; and (2) if so, what genes are transcribed as a result of the activated estrogen receptor complex? We have used antisense oligodeoxynucleotides designed to hybridize with and block the translation of mRNA for the estrogen receptor. Administration of antisense into brain of 3-day-old pups had permanent effects on estrogen-induced differentiation as indicated by behavioral and brain morphology differences in adulthood. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of antisense oligonucleotides if administered during a critical period and further confirm the widely accepted tenet that estrogen acts on the brain via its receptor. Subsequent experiments can now address the question of what genes are being activated by the estrogen receptor during development.
On the Nature and Significance of Variability in Lions ( Panthera leo )

Although the lion is one of nature’s best-known species, much remains to be learned about its variability. Recently documented variation in genetics, morphology, ecology and behavior help to explain its adaptability and illustrate the inter-dependencies of biological responses at different organizational scales.
Total synthesis of (−)-sessilifoliamide C and (−)-8-epi-stemoamide

A convergent route featuring [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements of a linchpin azepinopyrrolidine served to install two of the four contiguous stereocenters present in the tricyclic Stemona alkaloids sessilifoliamide and stemoamide. In addition to the first total synthesis of (-)-sessilifoliamide C, a potential biosynthetic relationship between the sessilifoliamides and previously reported Stemona alkaloids is presented.
Autoradiographic analysis of serotonin receptors and transporter in kindled rat brain

While serotonin (5-HT) has been shown to be anticonvulsant in several types of experimentally induced seizures, 5-HT receptor binding has not been investigated in the kindling model of epilepsy. The present study examined the effects of amygdala kindling on two 5-HT receptor subtypes and on the 5-HT transporter in rat brain. Kindling induced a persistent bilateral increase in 5-HT1A binding in the dentate gyrus, while 5-HT1B receptors increased only in a delayed fashion. Binding to the 5-HT transporter was transiently decreased in dentate gyrus. In cerebral cortex, binding of the three ligands was unchanged. Alterations in 5-HT receptors and the 5-HT transporter may endogenously modulate kindled seizures. Additionally, autoradiography of adenosine A1 receptors revealed no change for these receptors in any brain region.
Investigations of a nonlinear energy harvester with a bistable potential well

This paper investigates a nonlinear energy harvester that uses magnetic interactions to create an inertial generator with a bistable potential well. The motivating hypothesis for this work was that nonlinear behavior could be used to improve the performance of an energy harvester by broadening its frequency response. Theoretical investigations study the harvester's response when directly powering an electrical load. Both theoretical and experimental tests show that the potential well escape phenomenon can be used to broaden the frequency response of an energy harvester.
Surgical site surveillance and standardized infection ratios in an orthopedic specialty hospital

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance data is an essential part of infection control programs. Benchmarking data against the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (NNIS) system has been used since 1999 to evaluate SSI in an orthopedic specialty hospital. The presentation of this data is intended to demonstrate trends and risk factors associated within this patient population. METHODS: NNIS criteria were used to classify SSI in orthopedic surgery as superficial, deep, and organ/space. The infection rates were benchmarked with the NNIS report by stratifying total hips, total knees, spinal fusions, and laminectomies by risk factors 0, 1, 2 and 3 (ASA score, duration of operation, and degree of wound contamination). The expected versus actual number of infections, the infection rate, the standardized infection ratio, and probability value were calculated. RESULTS: From fiscal year (FY) 1999 through FY2004, there were 26,202 orthopedic cases with 229 SSIs (0.9%). In FY2004, data were stratified by type of surgery and showed the following infection rates: total hips, 0.3; total knees, 1.0; laminectomies, 0.9; and spinal fusions, 2.0. The standardized infection ratio (the number of infections divided by the expected number of infections) for each group was 0.2, 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9, respectively. Stratification by risk factors (SIR) for each category demonstrated an increased rate in spinal fusions in patients with greater 2 and 3 risk factors (9.3, as compared to the NNIS threshold of 6.3). An investigation revealed additional risk factors in this group: obesity, diabetes, and allograft implantation. Control measures were implemented and infection rates were reduced. CONCLUSION: SSI surveillance in an orthopedic specialty hospital analyzed over a 6-year period has demonstrated rates below NNIS benchmarking using SIR and probability values. The analysis of data in this manner is useful to detect specific problems and focus investigative activities.
Wetland trends in the Southeastern United States

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently completed a survey designed to develop wetland acreage estimates for the conterminous United States during the 1950’s and the 1970’s. A stratified random sample of 3,635 plots of 4 square miles each was used. Aerial photography from each period was interpreted, wetland acreages measured, and changes recorded. Sixty-one percent (2,221) of the sample plots were located in the ten states of the Southeast Region of the Fish and Wildlife Service (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Because of the large sample size, reliable comparisons of estimates for the Southeast could be made with national wetland estimates. Nearly 50 percent (46.5 million acres) of the Nation’s wetland resources are found in the southeastern states. For the study period, wetland losses in the Southeast accounted for 84 percent of the losses nationwide. Nearly all losses of freshwater wetlands can be attributed to agricultural development. Wetland conversion to agriculture has been prominent in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, eastern North Carolina, and the Everglades of Florida. Losses of coastal wetlands have been less severe, except for Louisiana where they are disappearing at the rate of 25,000 acres per year.
Gastric cancer and coal mine dust exposure. A case-control study

Based on evidence that coal miners have elevated gastric cancer mortality rates, a case-control study was developed to assess the gastric cancer risk of coal mine dust exposure. Forty-six cases of US white male gastric cancer deaths from NIOSH coal miner cohorts were individually matched by age to controls. From these data we show that a statistically elevated gastric cancer risk exists for miners who have prolonged exposure to coal mine dust and prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke. Coal workers' pneumoconiosis, a disease defined in terms of coal dust deposition in the lungs, was not found to be a gastric cancer risk.
Shakedown Response to Periodic Loading With Coulomb Friction

Coupled systems with frictional interface subjected to periodic loading may lead to either shakedown or cyclic slip depending on the initial condition. In this paper, we explore the phenomena in the context of the simplest coupled system involving two contact nodes, and findings show the possibility that a reduced form of Melan’s theorem might apply to such systems under suitable restrictions on the loading factor.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Accelerating HMMER on GPUs by implementing hybrid data and task parallelism

Many biologically motivated problems are expressed as dynamic programming recurrences and are difficult to parallelize due to the intrinsic data dependencies in their algorithms. Therefore their solutions have been sped up using task level parallelism only. Emerging platforms such as GPUs are appealing parallel architectures for high-performance; at the same time they are a motivation to rethink the algorithms associated with these problems, to extract finer-grained parallelism such as data parallelism.In this paper, we consider the hmmersearch program as a representative of these problems and we re-design its computational algorithm to extract data parallelism for a more efficient execution on emerging platforms, despite the fact that hmmersearch has data dependencies. Our approach outperforms other existing methods when searching a very large database of unsorted sequences on GPUs.
Nanostructural characterization of amorphous diamondlike carbon films

Nanostructural characterization of amorphous diamondlike carbon (a-C) films grown on silicon using pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) is correlated to both growth energetic and film thickness. Raman spectroscopy and x-ray reflectivity probe both the topological nature of 3- and 4-fold coordinated carbon atom bonding and the topographical clustering of their distributions within a given film. In general, increasing the energetic of PLD growth results in films becoming more ``diamondlike'', i.e. increasing mass density and decreasing optical absorbance. However, these same properties decrease appreciably with thickness. The topology of carbon atom bonding is different for material near the substrate interface compared to material within the bulk portion of an a-C film. A simple model balancing the energy of residual stress and the free energies of resulting carbon topologies is proposed to provide an explanation of the evolution of topographical bonding clusters in a growing a-C film.
The origin of bradykinin.

Summary1. The precursor of bradykinin is contained in Fraction IV of the bovine plasma proteins (Cohn's nomenclature). 2. Of the 2 main subfractions, IV-4 yields approximately twice as much bradykinin as IV-1.
A Singular Career: Nancy Bayley.

This overview attempts to cover the major contributions of Nancy Bayley (1899-) to developmental psychology. Her concern with measurement and methodology and her work on androgyny and body build, growth, and skeletal maturation are summarized briefly. Motor development is discussed separately from mental development, which is given more detailed treatment. The Revised Bayley Scales are included, as is the research using the circumplex models for looking at continuities and for relations between maternal and child behaviors and IQ. Emphasis is given to her early anticipation of a number of current topics, including genetics, motor development, timing of maturation in adolescence, life span approaches to cognitive development, and parental attitudes and beliefs
The More the Merrier? Multiple Parent‐Adult Child Relations

Although parent-adult child ties are generally positive, most parents have multiple children whose relations may yield collective ambivalence combining higher and lower quality. Little research has investigated these multiple relations. NSFH respondents aged 50+ with adult children (N = 2,270) are used to assess patterns of quality and contact across multiple children in the same family. This illuminates mixed experiences, especially for lowest quality and contact across children, contributing to collective ambivalence in parent-adult child relations within families. Having more children increases prevalence of both positive and negative relations. Stepchildren exhibit more negative relations than nonstepchildren, even in the same family. Mothers have more positive but not more negative relations than fathers, but mothers have more negative relations with stepchildren.
Effect of varying dose-per-pulse and average dose rate in X-ray beam irradiation on cultured cell survival

Characterizing the biological effects of flat- tening filter-free (FFF) X-ray beams from linear accelera- tors is of importance, due to their increasing clinical availability. The purpose of this work is to determine whether in vitro cell survival is affected by the higher dose- per-pulse present in FFF beams in comparison with flat- tened X-ray beams. A Varian TrueBeam linear acceler- ator was used to irradiate the T98G, V79-4 and U87-MG cell lines with a single fraction of 5 Gy or 10 Gy doses of X-rays. Beams with energies of 6 MegaVolt (MV), 6 MV FFF and 10 MV FFF were used, with doses-per-pulse as measured at the monitor chamber of 0.28, 0.78 and 1.31 mGy/pulse for 6 MV, 6 MV FFF and 10 MV FFF, respectively. The dose delivered to each Petri dish was verified by means of ionization chamber measurements. No statistically significant effects on survival fraction were observed for any of the cell lines considered, either as a function of dose-per-pulse, average dose rate or total dose delivered. Biological effects of higher instantaneous rates should not be excluded on the basis of in vitro experimental results such as the ones presented in this work. The next step toward an assessment of the biological impact of FFF beams will require in vivo studies.
DEATH AND DEPRIVATION

: The view that death is the loss of a person's future is less defensible than many philosophers have thought, in part because it is often presented as a response to an indefensibly crude Epicurean doctrine. But the most direct argument for this view suffers from two sorts of ambiguity – the first concerning what it is to “have” a future to lose, the second concerning what the loss consists in. However, another conception of what is lost is possible, and this alternative, which is more congenial to the Epicurean outlook, does not depend on considerations about the future.
What role does occupational and environmental health law have in graduate and continuing medical education

A two-stage survey that used the Delphi technique was performed to determine the attitudes and needs of physicians that practice occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) regarding continuing medical education (CME) and Master of Public Health (MPH) curriculum in the area of health law. Forty-six of the 80 subjects (58%) responded to the first survey, and 39 of these 46 (85%) responded to the follow-up survey. The results showed that most subjects agreed with the need for CME to devote approximately 14 hours over the next two years (1993-1995) to occupational/environmental health laws and regulations. Interest was also expressed in some practical business law that would be helpful to medical practices. The survey's results showed agreement on the need for a three-credit hour MPH course for OEM residents. The differences between the subgroups of academic faculty-post-1990 graduates of MPH or occupational medicine residencies, pre-1990 graduates, and those with no formal OEM education-were also investigated. Pre-1990 graduates consistently desired more hours of CME for the topics surveyed. This study should be helpful for planners of OEM CME courses and for residency directors.
An examination of the inhibitory effects of three antibiotics in combination on ribosome biosynthesis in Staphylococcus aureus

Although a number of different antibiotics are used to combat staphylococcal infections, resistance has continued to develop. The use of rifampicin and ciprofloxacin in combination with azithromycin, known for its inhibitory effects on the bacterial ribosome, can create potential synergistic effects on ribosomal subunit synthesis rates. In this work, combination antibiotic treatments gave a significant decrease in cell numbers following growth in the presence of ciprofloxacin or rifampicin with azithromycin compared to those grown with azithromycin or rifampicin alone. DNA, RNA and protein synthesis rates were reduced with single antibiotic treatments and showed further decreases when drug combinations were used. 70S ribosome levels were reduced with every antibiotic treatment. DNA gyrase subunits A and B showed significant decreases for double and triple antibiotic-treated samples. Ribosomal subunit synthesis rates were diminished for each different antibiotic combination. Turnover of 16S and 23S rRNA was also observed in each case and was stimulated by antibiotic combinations. The frequency of spontaneous resistance was reduced in all double selections, and no triply resistant mutants were found.