cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neopterin in HIV-infected pregnant women. 1110

Neopterin (neo) is produced by macrophages when stimulated by gamma-interferon from activated T-cells.Objective:To evaluate the predictive value of neo during pregnancy on cd4 count in the year after delivery in HIV-infected pregnant women. Method:neo was measured by RIA during the third trimester and at delivery. Mean neo in healthy adults is 5.4 + 2.3 nm/l based on the “Immutest neo Kit”. Normal et al found that neo rises from 20 weeks (4 nm/l) until term (6.1 nm/l) in healthy pregnant women. Therefore, we consider neo>10 (mean +2SD) to be elevated. The year post-delivery was divided into trimesters. Results:patient(pt) population consisted of 42 women (57%H, 23%B, 20%W), mean age was 27 years (18 to 37). 17 women received zidovudine (zdv). 10 pts were known to be transmitters. Number of pts by neo level at the third trimester and/or delivery is shown below: Table Mean neo was 10.6 and 10.4 during the 3rd trimester and at delivery respectively, p=ns. During third trimester and at delivery, mean cd4 of pts with neo 10 was not significantly different. Differences in mean cd4 between the two groups became significant during the year following delivery, p=0.0007. There was a mean loss of 43 cd4 cells in both groups per trimester. However, pts with neo>10 at delivery, lost 120 cd4 cells more than pts with neo 10 at delivery. More studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Determination of rosiglitazone and 5-hydroxy rosiglitazone in rat plasma using LC-HRMS by direct and indirect quantitative analysis: a new approach for metabolite quantification.

Background: With recent advances in mass spectrometry instrumentation, HRMS is of increasing interest for quantitative bioanalysis due to its high sensitivity, rapid acquisition of full scan data, and advanced software for metabolite identification. In particular, there is strong interest in use of HRMS for simultaneous quantification of parent drug and metabolites without authentic metabolite standard materials. Materials & methods: Rosiglitazone and 5-hydroxy rosiglitazone in rat plasma were analyzed using LC–Q-TOF by both direct and indirect quantitative analysis. Direct quantitative analysis used an authentic metabolite standard (5-hydroxy rosiglitazone). Indirect quantitative analysis firstly used the parent drug (rosiglitazone) calibration curve to provide a semiquantitative measure of metabolite concentration. A correction factor was then applied to the original data to re-calculate the 5-hydroxy rosiglitazone metabolite concentration. Results: The ratio of the calibration curve slope of rosiglitaz...
Symmetric and Asymmetric Separation Patterns Over a Hemisphere Cylinder at Low Reynolds Numbers and High Incidences

Abstract A careful documentation of the development of leeward vortices, horn vortices and separation bubbles over a hemisphere-cylinder is presented. Flow visualization, static pressure measurements and seven-hole-probe velocity measurements were obtained to provide a comprehensive picture of the flow at angles of attackα=0 to 45°. Skin-friction line topographies and static pressure data are presented. The results indicate that the development of the leeward vortices is strongly affected by the nose structures. Small disturbances on the nose result in steady wake asymmetries.
Physician Competence and Skill Part I: The Role of Hospital Corporate Liability

Note from the Editor-in-Chief: We are pleased to publish the next installment of “Medicolegal Sidebar” to the readers of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®. The goal of this quarterly column is to encourage thoughtful debate about how the law and medicine interact, and how this interaction affects the practice of orthopaedic surgery. We welcome reader feedback on all of our columns and articles; please send your comments to eic@clinorthop.org. Each author certifies that he or she, or a member of his immediate family, has no funding or commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR ® or the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.®
Temperature differences between the hemispheres and ice age climate variability

[1] The Earth became warmer and cooler during the ice ages along with changes in the Earth’s orbit, but the orbital changes themselves are not nearly large enough to explain the magnitude of the warming and cooling. Atmospheric CO2 also rose and fell, but again, the CO2 changes are rather small in relation to the warming and cooling. So, how did the Earth manage to warm and cool by so much? Here we argue that, for the big transitions at least, the Earth did not warm and cool as a single entity. Rather, the south warmed instead at the expense of a cooler north through massive redistributions of heat that were set off by the orbital forcing. Oceanic CO2 was vented up to the atmosphere by the same redistributions. The north then warmed later in response to higher CO2 and a reduced albedo from smaller ice sheets. This form of north‐ south displacement is actually very familiar, as it is readily observed during the Younger Dryas interval 13,000 years ago and in the various millennial‐scale events over the last 90,000 years.
Out-Of-School Care and Youth Problem Behaviors in Low-Income, Urban Areas

Using data from Welfare, Children and Families: A 3-City Study, this study explores how change and stability in out-of-school care are associated with changes in problem behaviors among youth from Time 1 (i.e., at ages 10–11) to Time 2 (an average of 16 months later). Girls in at-home, family care or an organized activity at Time 1 and in informal, out-of-home care or self-care at Time 2 experienced greater increases in problem behaviors than girls remaining in at-home family care or an organized activity. Other changes in care were related to youth outcomes differently depending upon maternal psychological distress. Policies must provide a full range of support services related to childcare and mental health care for low-income families.
MONTE CARLO METHODS IN FUZZY GAME THEORY

In this paper, we consider a two-person zero-sum game with fuzzy payoffs and fuzzy mixed strategies for both players. We define the fuzzy value of the game for both players ($\overline{V}_I$,$\overline{V}_{II}$) and also define an optimal fuzzy mixed strategy for both players. We then employ our fuzzy Monte Carlo method to produce approximate solutions, to an example fuzzy game, for the fuzzy values $\overline{V}_I$ for Player I and $\overline{V}_{II}$ for Player II; and also approximate solutions for the optimal fuzzy mixed strategies for both players. We then look at $\overline{V}_I$ and $\overline{V}_{II}$ to see if there is a Minimax theorem ($\overline{V}_I = \overline{V}_{II}$) for this fuzzy game.
Infaunal community development of artificially established salt marshes in North Carolina

In recent years, artificial establishment of Spartina alterniflora marshes has become a common method for mitigating impacts to salt marsh systems. The vegetative component of artificially established salt marshes has been examined in several studies, but relatively little is known about the other aspects of these systems. This study was undertaken to investigate the infaunal community of artificially established salt marshes. Infauna were sampled from pairs of artificially established (AE) salt marshes and nearby natural marshes at six sites along the North Carolina coast. The AE marshes ranged in age from 1 yr to 17 yr. Total infaunal density, density of dominant taxa, and community trophic structure (proportions of subsurface-deposit feeders, surface-deposit and suspension feeders, and carnivores) were compared between the two types of marsh to assess infaunal community development in AE marshes. Overall, the two marsh types had similar component organisms and proportions of trophic groups, but total density and densities within trophic groupings were lower in the AE marshes. Soil organic matter content of the natural marshes was nearly twice that of the AE marshes, and is a possible cause for the higher infaunal densities observed in the natural marshes, Using the same three criteria, comparisons of the natural and AE marshes at each of the six locations revealed varying degrees of similarity. Similarity of each AE marsh to its natural marsh control appeared to be influenced by differences in environmental factors between locations more than by AE marsh age. Functional infaunal habitat convergence of an AE marsh with a natural marsh somewhere within its biogeographical region is probable, but success in duplicating the infaunal community of a particular natural marsh is contingent upon the developmental age of the natural marsh and the presence and interaction, of site-specific factors.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Assay for Fenoprofen in Fuman Plasma

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the quantitation of fenoprofen, dl-2-(3-phenoxyphenyl)-propionic acid, in human plasma. The proteins in plasma were precipitated by the addition of hydrochloric acid. Fenoprofen and the internal standard, dl-2-(4-phenoxyphenyl)valeric acid, were extracted into butyl chloride and then back-extracted into sodium hydroxide. The aqueous solution was injected onto a reversed-phase alkylphenyl column, and the compounds were eluted using a mobile phase of acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (50:50:2 v/v/v). At a flow rate of 1 ml/min, the retention times of fenoprofen and the internal standard were 8 and 12 min, respectively. The absorbance was monitored at 272 nm. The method requires 1.0 ml of plasma and is sensitive to 0.5 μg/ml. This procedure has been used for routine assay of multiple samples from bioavailability and compliance studies.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm in renal transplant recipients.

Abstract Background Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) requiring surgical management are encountered more frequently in renal transplant recipients, presenting an important technical problem during the repair. The aim of the present study was to analyze the epidemiology and natural evolution of AAA among renal allograft recipients. Methods Three hundred ninety-four renal transplant recipients were periodically evaluated with abdominal aortic ultrasound tomography for AAA. The indication for surgery was a maximal diameter >5 cm. Renal function, graft, and patient survival were evaluated after a mean follow-up of 51 months. Results Four AAA were detected in 394 renal transplant recipients, a prevalence of 1.01%. All of the AAA were found in male recipients of mean age 59.2 ± 5.5 years and mean time posttransplantation of 82.7 ± 77.3 months. The mean follow-up period between diagnosis and indication for surgery was 14.2 ± 10.8 months. Two patients underwent open repair with aneurysmectomy and conventional tube graft positioning, and 2 patients refused surgical repair. To preserve renal graft function during the aortic cross-clamping phase, cold perfusion with 4°C Ringer acetate and local hypothermia with sterile ice were used. Renal function did not change after the operation (preoperative serum creatinine levels were 1.2 and 1.3 mg/dL; postoperative 1.3 and 1.5 mg/dL respectively). The 2 patients who underwent surgery are alive with excellent graft functioning after a follow-up of 1.5 and 7 years, respectively. The 2 patients who refused surgical treatment are dead. Conclusions Yearly ultrasound screening for AAA must be recommended in renal transplant recipients as part of the routine posttransplantation follow-up. De novo AAA occurs in younger subject in the transplant population and shows a faster evolution.
Proliferative epidermis of essential fatty acid deficient mice has reduced cyclic AMP content.

SUMMARY We have simultancoulsy measured epidermal DNA synthesis, epidermal thickness and cyclic nucleotide levels in essential fatty acid (EFA) deficient hairless mice skin. In vitro epidermal DNA synthesis and epidermal thickness were significantly increased in EFA deficient epidermis. Cyclic AMP levels were significantly reduced when expressed using three different data bases. Cyclic GMP levels were increased using two data bases but these increases were not statistically significant. Cyclic AMP cyclic GMP ratios were signiticantly decreased in the EFA deficient skin. The results provide evidence that cyclic nucleotide levels are altered in an animal model of benign epidermal proliferation.
Arabidopsis Chy1 null mutants are deficient in benzoic acid-containing glucosinolates in the seeds

The specific set of reactions that lead to the synthesis of benzoic acid in plants is still unclear, and even the subcellular compartment in which these reactions occur is unknown. Biosynthesis of both vegetative tissues and seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana contain a class of defense compounds termed glucosinolates, but only the seeds synthesize and store high levels of two glucosinolate compounds that contain a benzoic acid moiety. To identify genes involved in the synthesis of benzoic acid (directly or via benzaldehyde) in Arabidopsis, we analysed the levels of benzoylated glucosinolates in several lines that carry mutations in genes with homology to Pseudomonas fluorescens feruloyl-CoA hydratase, an enzyme that converts feruloyl-CoA to vanillin and acetyl-CoA, a reaction analogous to the conversion of cinnamoyl-CoA to benzaldehyde. We show here that mutations in the gene At5g65940, previously shown to encode a peroxisomal protein with beta-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase activity and designated as Chy1, lead to a deficiency of benzoic acid-containing glucosinolates in the seeds. Furthermore, Chy1 exhibits cinnamoyl-CoA hydrolase activity with a K(m) of 2.9 mum. Our findings suggest that at least a part of benzoic acid biosynthesis occurs in the peroxisomes, although the specific pathway that leads to benzoic acid and the specific biochemical role of Chy1 remain unclear.
An overview of thymidine

This review summarizes a body of information suggesting that proper metabolic modulation with certain metabolites can sensitize tumor cells to anti-metabolites, and others can de-sensitize (i.e. protect) normal cells from the toxicity of anti-metabolites. This new approach offers the possibility of increasing the selectivity of drug therapy, with the promise of a real advance in cancer chemotherapy. The metabolite thymidine (TdR), long used as a cell synchronizing agent, is known to exert this effect in vitro by metabolic modulation of a number of enzymes in the salvage pathway to DNA synthesis. Against this biochemical background, in vivo effects of TdR employed as an agent for cancer therapy are reviewed as follows: 1) TdR alone, and in combination with, 2) Methotrexate (MTX), or 3) 5-Fluorouracil (FU), or 4) Cytosine arabinoside (ara-C). TdR is shown in all instances either to protect against host toxicity (eg. MTX), or to potentiate the anti-tumor effect (eg. FU and ara-C). Findings are also presented that a sequential schedule of MTX prior to TdR prior to FU is important for the optimal therapeutic activity of these drugs. The biochemical basis for the MTX leads to FU augmentation is reportedly due to increased activation of FU by MTX (acting indirectely). On the basis of this biochemical insight, a completely different chemotherapeutic agent methyl-mercaptopurine raboside (MMPR) was substituted for MTX, resulting in a dramatic potentiation of anticancer activity. Metabolic modulation with still other metabolites (UR) and a hormone (testosterone) was demonstrated to protect from host toxicity due to certain anti-cancer agents without offsetting anti-tumor activity. The ability to prevent leukopenia by these means was particularly impressive. Clinical trials have been initiated with TdR alone, TdR + MTX, and TdR + FU; the available clinical data are summarized.
Partners in Pediatric Palliative Care: A Program to Enhance Collaboration Between Hospital and Community Palliative Care Services

The provision of high-quality palliative care services to dying children and their families often requires extensive collaboration between hospital-based and community-based care teams. This article describes the origins and development of the Partners in Pediatric Palliative Care program, which has provided pediatric-specific educational offerings and fostered joint endeavors between a palliative care service located in a tertiary care children's hospital and a wide range of hospice and home care agencies in 5 states. The Partners in Pediatric Palliative Care program is evaluated in terms of the favorable ratings that attendees have given the educational components, the relatively modest direct costs of mounting the regional meetings, and the expanded capacity to provide home-based palliative services to children and families who desire them. The Partners in Pediatric Palliative Care program provides another feasible means for hospitals and community agencies to work together to improve pediatric palliative care.
Role of Welding Parameters in Determining the Geometrical Appearance of Weld Pool

A three-dimensional numerical model is developed to describe the fluid flow and heat transfer in weld pools. Both full penetration and free deformation of the top and bottom weld pool surfaces are considered. Temperature distribution and fluid flow field are obtained. In order to analyze the influence of welding parameters on the geometrical appearance of weld pools, a normalized model is developed to characterize the geometrical appearance of weld pools. It is found that welding current can significantly affect the geometrical shape. When welding current increases, the curvature of the pool boundary at the trailing end increases. The effect of the welding speed on the geometrical appearance is slight, although its influence on the pool size is great. In the interest range of arc length (from 1 mm to 4 mm), the arc length can affect both the size and the shape of the weld pool. However, compared with the welding current and speed, its influences are much weaker, GTA welding experiments are performed to verify the validity of the numerical models. The appearance of weld pools was obtained by using machine vision and a high-shutter speed camera. It is found that the calculated results have a good agreement withmore » the experimental ones.« less
Leptin in Human Reproduction: Serum Leptin Levels in Pregnant and Lactating Women

Experiments in ob/ob female mice demonstrated that leptin injections not only reduced weight and fat mass, but also restored fertility and partial lactation. To explore factors regulating ob gene expression in reproductive women, we measured serum leptin, body fat, energy expenditure, and milk production in 65 women at 36 weeks of gestation, and at 3 and 6 months postpartum. Serum leptin was measured by solid-phase sandwich enzyme immunoassay, and serum insulin and PRL by solid-phase 125I RIA. Total body water by deuterium dilution, body volume by hydrodensitometry, and bone density by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry were used to estimate body fat. Serum leptin per unit fat mass was significantly higher at 36 weeks of pregnancy than at 3 and 6 months postpartum (1.25 vs. 0.75, 0.73 ng.mL-1.kg-1). Postpartum normalization of leptin was associated with changes not only in weight and fat mass, but also serum insulin. Leptin was not different between lactating and nonlactating women. Leptin may have affected milk production indirectly through its negative effect on serum PRL. Adjusted for fat-free mass and fat mass, rates of energy expenditure were not significantly correlated with leptin. Our results provide evidence that factors other than fat mass alone modulate serum leptin in reproductive women.
The Memory Bridge Initiative on Service Learners.

This study evaluated the Memory Bridge Initiative (MBI), an educational, experiential program pairing high school students with older adults who have dementia. A qualitative, single group design with baseline and follow-up measures examined whether or not students would have a positive learning experience while gaining newfound appreciation and understanding of older adults with dementia. Findings showed that students' perceptions of older adults and of Alzheimer's disease became more optimistic and hopeful after participation in MBI. Students also favorably described their learning experience and recommended improvements for future programs. This evaluation informs future service-learning and dementia-care programs with results supporting wider dissemination of the Memory Bridge Initiative.
‘…von der Unmöglichkeit der Gegenwart’: Geschlecht, Generation und Nation in Petzolds Die Innere Sicherheit und Sanders‐Brahms' Deutschland, Bleiche Mutter

Christian Petzold gehort zur Berliner Schule, die sich gern als Gegenbewegung zum deutschen Kommerzkino versteht und der deshalb Parallelen zum Neuen Deutschen Film nachgesagt werden. Ein Vergleich zwischen Petzolds Die innere Sicherheit (2000) und Sanders-Brahms' Deutschland, bleiche Mutter (1980) wird jedoch aufzeigen, dass fundamentale Unterschiede in der Bedeutung bestehen, die der (cineastischen) Erinnerung beigemessen werden. Besonders anschaulich lasst sich dieser Gegensatz am Generationenverstandnis ablesen. In Deutschland, bleiche Mutter sorgt – typisch fur feministische Filme des Neuen Deutschen Kinos – intergenerationelle Kommunikation und die aktive Aufarbeitung der (konfliktreichen) Vergangenheit fur die Subjektwerdung. Gleichzeitig hinterfragt der Film traditionelle Generationenvorstellungen, die die odipale Rebellion favorisieren, und gesellschaftliche Konventionen, die die Unterdruckung der Frau befurworten. In Petzolds Terroristendrama ist es dagegen der Generationenkonflikt, der gesellschaftlichen Wandel vorantreibt. Nicht die Auseinandersetzung mit der Vergangenheit, sondern der Bruch mit ihr ist fur die personliche und soziale Identitatsentwicklung verantwortlich. Folglich favorisiert Die innere Sicherheit ein psychoanalytisches und soziologisches Generationenverstandnis, das – im Gegensatz zur (feministischen) Tradition des Neuen Deutschen Films – eine erstaunlich patriarchalische Pragung aufweist.
It is not “either/or”: Activation and desensitization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors both contribute to behaviors related to nicotine addiction and mood

Nicotine can both activate and desensitize/inactivate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). An ongoing controversy in the field is to what extent the behavioral effects of nicotine result from activation of nAChRs, and to what extent receptor desensitization is involved in these behavioral processes. Recent electrophysiological studies have shown that both nAChR activation and desensitization contribute to the effects of nicotine in the brain, and these experiments have provided cellular mechanisms that could underlie the contribution of both these processes to nicotine-mediated behaviors. For instance, desensitization of nAChRs may contribute to the salience of environmental cues associated with smoking behavior and activation and desensitization of nAChRs may contribute to both primary and conditioned drug reward. Similarly, studies of the antidepressant-like effects of nicotinic agents have revealed a balance between activation and desensitization of nAChRs. This review will examine the evidence for the contribution of these two very different consequences of nicotine administration to behaviors related to nicotine addiction, including processes related to drug reinforcement and affective modulation. We conclude that there are effects of nAChR activation and desensitization on drug reinforcement and affective behavior, and that both processes are important in the behavioral consequences of nicotine in tobacco smoking.
Effect of some commonly prescribed drugs on certain chemistry tests

Of the 44 commonly prescribed drugs listed only ascorbic acid, at the upper end of its therapeutic range, significantly affected any (glucose, uric acid) of the twenty-three more frequently requested tests measured in the clinical chemistry laboratory. Acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid, ascorbic acid, nitrofurantom, methyldopa and tetracycline at five times the upper end of their therapeutic ranges individually produced consistently significant effects on one or more of the following tests: glucose, bilirubin, carbon dioxide, calcium, cholesterol, uric acid and aspartate aminotransferase. When drugs are added to lyophilized human serum and to fresh human serum in similar concentrations, their effects on clinical chemistry tests performed on these two different sera are not always the same.
Consumer Racial Profiling in U.S. Restaurants: Exploring Subtle Forms of Service Discrimination against Black Diners

In this article we advance scholarship on consumer racial profiling (CRP), in general, and the practice as it occurs in restaurant establishments, in particular, by presenting findings from a survey of restaurant consumers that was designed to ascertain the degree to which discriminate service is evident in black and white customers' perceptions and evaluations of their servers' behaviors. We found no evidence of interracial differences in subjects' perceptions of being the recipients of subtle server behaviors that are discretionally conveyed (e.g., recommend entree, compliment food choice, joke with, etc.) or those that constitute standard markers of service quality (e.g., eye contact, smiling, expressing appreciation, etc.). We did, however, find some evidence of CRP in customers' perceptions of their servers' attentiveness/promptness. Additionally, we found that African Americans tend to subjectively appraise their servers' performance less favorably than their white counterparts and this is the case even when other indicators of service discrimination are held constant. Findings taken as a whole suggest that servers' extend similar cues of hospitality but do so in qualitatively different ways (e.g., less sincere) across racial groups. We discuss the implications of these findings and conclude by encouraging additional scholarship on the subtle nature of racial discrimination in consumer settings.
Treatment of contaminated waste site runoff at the Seymour recycling site, Seymour, Indiana

Abstract A case study is presented of treatment of contaminated waste site runoff water at Seymour, Indiana by the Environmental Emergency Response Unit of USEPA. A prototype Mobile Independent Physical/Chemical Wastewater Treatment System was utilized to satisfactorily process up to 50,000 gallons of contaminated water per day over a nine month period.
Properties of Small Dark Features Observed in the Pure Near-Infrared and Visible Continua

High-resolution images in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) continua at around 1560 nm were obtained of solar active regions NOAA AR 10707 and AR 10486 with the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST) at the National Solar Observatory/Sacramento Peak (NSO/SP) on 2004 December 1 and 2 and 2003 October 29. The images were taken with the high-order adaptive optics (HOAO) system, and the spatial resolution was close to the diffraction limit of the 76 cm aperture DST in both wavelengths. For the 2004 December run, the NIR observations were made with a newly developed Lyot filter system, which was designed at the Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (CSTR)/New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). The filter has a bandpass of 2.5 A that allows us to observe the pure NIR continuum at the opacity minimum. Our data show that all dark features in the NIR are also dark in the visible light. There is no evidence showing the existence of so-called dark faculae, i.e., faculae that have negative contrasts in the NIR but positive contrasts in the visible. The negative peak contrasts of these small pores are about 50% in the visible and 25% in the NIR, and their dimensions are in the range of 1''-4''.
Getting More Data into Theoretical Statistics Courses

ABSTRACT At many small colleges the only statistics course offered to a mathematics major is the standard sequence in probability and mathematical statistics. This paper offers concrete suggestions on infusing this course with more data and applications so that students coming out of the course better appreciate the nature of statistics as a discipline separate from mathematics.
THE GEOGRAPHY OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM1

ABSTRACT Death rate variations for the United Kingdom and the United States are spatially compared by means of maps. The data mapped include death rates from all causes, and infant mortality. In the United Kingdom, the association between high death rates and areas of industrialization, exploitation, and dense population is very marked. Such an association is somewhat less definite in the United States where the high rates associate more easily with areas of poor socio-economic circumstances such as Indian reservations, Spanish-American districts, and most particularly, the high-proportion Negro areas of the South. In both countries, however, longevity in rural areas and in urban places of limited industry is likely to be greater than in areas not having these attributes. The quality of biostatistics in the United Kingdom has been superior to the United States. The recently launched National Health Survey, however, promises to greatly improve the biostatistic position of the United States. The special con...
Responses of Echinostoma caproni miracidia to gravity, light, and chemicals

In a four-tube vertical system, Echinostoma caproni miracidia exhibited a strong negative geotaxis which was dominated by a positive phototaxis. In horizontal chambers a positive phototactic response was also demonstrated. These miracidia showed a positive chemoresponse, as determined in phi-chambers, to glutamic and aspartic acids but not leucine. Positive responses were also elicited to snail-conditioned water and sulfuric and acetic acids. Ammonia, Mg2+, and HCl produced no significant reactions. Responses of E. caproni and Schistosoma mansoni miracidia, both of which develop in Biomphalaria glabrata snails, were similar providing further evidence that miracidia mimic the behavioral patterns of compatible snail species.
Aqueous-Phase Processing of Bio-oil Model Compounds Over Pt–Re Supported on Carbon

The aqueous-phase processing (APP) of biomass-derived bio-oil model compounds such as ethanol, acetaldehyde, formic acid and acetic acid over Pt–Re/C was examined. For the APP of ethanol at 250 °C, the product distribution was determined and quantified. H2, CO2, CH4, C2H6, acetaldehyde, ethyl ether, ethyl acetate, acetic acid were found to be primary products and C3H8, methanol, butanol and acetal were found to be minor products. By also exploring the product distributions of acetaldehyde, acetic acid and formic acid under APP conditions with the Pt–Re/C, the reaction network associated with the APP conversion of ethanol was determined. Using this reaction network, flux analysis was performed on the ethanol reaction system to determine the reaction pathway and relative rates (v1–v8) for each step. From this analysis, it was found that the dehydrogenation of the ethanol was the most active reaction in the reaction system.
A Rare Case of Primary Ovarian Lymphoma in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Can We Attribute This to Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors?

Abstract Ovarian involvement as an initial manifestation of lymphoma is a rare occurrence. A literature search reveals that the current knowledge is limited to few case reports. Recently it has been suggested that the use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFIs) is associated with increased incidence of malignant lymphomas. Herein, we present a case of primary ovarian lymphoma in a patient with severe rheumatoid arthritis receiving long-term treatment with TNFIs.
Clinically silent cerebral ischemic events after cardiac surgery : Their incidence, regional vascular occurrence, and procedural dependence

Background The reported frequency of stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting varies between 1.5% and 6%, approaches 10% after aortic valve replacement, and may occur in between 40 to 70% in high-risk groups. Clinically silent infarction may be far more frequent and could contribute to long-term cognitive dysfunction in patients after cardiac procedures. Using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging we document the occurrence, vascular distribution, and procedural dependence of silent infarction after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. We also document the association of preexisting white matter lesions with new postoperative ischemic lesions. Methods Thirty-four patients underwent T2-weighted fluid attenuated inversion recovery and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging before and after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass for coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic valve replacement, and mitral valve repair or replacement surgery. Images were evaluated by experienced neuroradiologists for number, size, and vascular distribution of lesions. Results Mean age of participants was 67 ± 15 years. Imaging occurred before and 6 ± 2 days after surgery. New cerebral infarctions were evident in 6 of 34 patients (18%), were often multiple, and in 67% of patients were clinically silent. The occurrence of new infarctions by surgical procedure was as follows: aortic valve replacement (2 of 6), coronary artery bypass grafting and aortic valve replacement (3 of 8), aortic valve replacement with root replacement (1 of 1), coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valve repair or replacement (0 of 4), mitral valve repair or replacement (0 of 2), and isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (0 of 13). New infarction occurred in 6 of 15 (40%) of all procedures involving aortic valve replacement. The severity of preexisting white matter lesions trended toward predicting the occurrence of new lesions ( p = 0.055). Conclusions Diffusion-weighted imaging reveals new cerebral infarctions in nearly 40% of patients after aortic valve replacement.
The influence of neighborhood food stores on change in young girls' body mass index.

Background As the prevalence of childhood obesity has risen in past decades, more attention has been given to how the neighborhood food environment affects children's health outcomes. Purpose This exploratory study examined the relationship between the presence of neighborhood food stores within a girl's neighborhood and 3-year risk of overweight/obesity and change in BMI, in girls aged 6 or 7 years at baseline. Methods A longitudinal analysis of participants in the Cohort Study of Young Girls' Nutrition, Environment and Transitions (CYGNET) was conducted from 2005 to 2008. Neighborhood food stores were identified from a commercial database and classified according to industry codes in 2006. Generalized linear and logistic models were used to examine how availability of food stores within 0.25-mile and 1.0-mile network buffers of a girl's residence were associated with BMI z-score change and risk of overweight or obesity, adjusting for baseline BMI/weight and family sociodemographic characteristics. Data were analyzed in 2010. Results Availability of convenience stores within a 0.25-mile network buffer of a girl's residence was associated with greater risk of overweight/obesity (OR=3.38, 95% CI=1.07, 10.68) and an increase in BMI z-score (β=0.13, 95% CI=0.00, 0.25). Availability of produce vendors/farmer's markets within a 1.0-mile network buffer of a girl's residence was inversely associated with overweight/obesity (OR=0.22, 95% CI=0.05, 1.06). A significant trend was observed between availability of produce vendors/farmer's markets and lower risk of overweight/obesity after 3 years. Conclusions Although food store inventories were not assessed and food store indices were not created, the availability of neighborhood food stores may affect a young girl's weight trajectory over time.
Challenging biopower: “Liquid cuffs” and the “Junkie” habitus

AbstractBackground: Methadone maintenance treatment program (MMTP) is associated with improved quality of life amongst many heroin users. Still, program adherence problems remain a fact. Aim: To improve our understanding of MMTP “adherence problems”. Methods: Using snowball sampling, two subgroups were recruited: MMTP enrollees and non-enrollees. A semi-structured questionnaire guided all in-depth interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, hand-coded and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Findings: Of 28 participants, 23 were male and Fifteen were in MMTP. All were NYC residents. Most were Hispanic (57%) and Caucasian (32%). The average age was 38 years. Twenty-two had a General Educational Development or less. All were poor and 64% were homeless. Many do not enroll in MMTP to quit heroin but to avoid physical withdrawals. Once enrolled, problems emerge with program regulations and methadone’s pharmacology. These they refer to as “liquid cuffs”. Drawing on Michel Foucault, methadone may be...
Stress field in metals at initial stage of plastic deformation

Abstract The initial stage of plastic deformation of a fine grained aggregate with slip occurring only in the most favourably oriented crystals is studied. The elastic modulus of the individual crystals is taken to be isotropic. The sliding crystals are assumed to be cubical in shape and located at the interior of the aggregate. Work-hardening in the sliding crystal is considered. The analogy of plastic strain gradient and body force in producing stress field in an elastic medium is developed. This analogy is applied to calculate the slip and stress fields caused by (1) one sliding crystal and (2) two sliding crystals spaced at a clear distance of half the crystal width. This shows the interaction effect of slips in two nearby crystals. From these stress fields, the residual stress may be easily obtained and the Bauschinger effect is clearly shown.
On the occurrence and nature of planets outside the solar system

Abstract The topic of the occurence of planets outside the solar system is discussed in detail from the point of view of its potential in future astronomical research. It is found that in spite of the speculative nature of most considerations to date, many independent approaches are possible. They stem from present astrometric observations, future observations from space, physical theories on the evolution of submassive stars and planets, theories on the origin of the solar system, problems of the unseen mass in the solar neighborhood and in certain galaxies, statistics of the mass-frequency function of stars and of solar system bodies, and statistics and theories of the angular momenta of stellar systems. It is concluded that as our knowledge of these approaches increases it will eventually be possible to derive meaningful results as to the frequency and nature of planets in the universe. From the astrometric investigations alone it is now known that at least six of the nearest one hundred stars have planetary companions of mass greater than that of Jupiter.
Identification of a Multistep-Ahead Observer and Its Application to Predictive Control

State observation is a fundamental component of modern control theory. In discrete-time format, the standard observer is one-step ahead. It estimates of the system state at the next time step k + \ based on information available at the current time step k. For multi-step ahead prediction (to estimate the state at time step k + a, for some o t>l ) , one can repeatedly propagate the one-step estimation a times into the future, but this process tends to accumulate errors from one propagation to the next. This paper introduces the notion of an observer which directly predicts the state of the system at a some specified time step in the future based on current information. More importantly, this multiple-step ahead observer, which involves the system controllability matrix, is identified directly from input-output data. Hence, there is no need for a model of the system before hand. One possible application of a multi-step ahead observer is in receding-horizon predictive control, which bases its control action at the present time on a prediction of the system response at some time step in the future. If desired, it is possible to recover the usual one-step ahead state-space model of the system from the identified multiple-step ahead observer as well, although a stabilizing feedback controller can be designed from the identified observer directly. Numerical examples will be used to illustrate the key identification and control aspects of this formulation.
Aberrant origin of left coronary artery combined with mitral regurgitation in an adult.

Abstract A case of aberrant origin of the left coronary from the pulmonary artery is described in a woman who lived to the age of twenty-six. In addition, severe mitral regurgitation was present due to a dilated and partially calcific mitral valve. The clinical syndrome is reviewed and the causes for the myocardial ischemia outlined. Angiocardiography is helpful in establishing the diagnosis. Electrocardiograms may be considered pathognomonic of the syndrome only in the absence of mitral regurgitation. Surgical treatment still is unsatisfactory.
Modeling and control of charge-pumped reboost converter for pv applications

Two-stage, grid-tied Photovoltaic (PV) systems commonly use boost-type converters at the front end. The charge-pumped reboost converter is a high-step-up dc-dc converter with continuous input-current which is suitable for this purpose. Using a tapped-inductor boost topology for the small-signal model, a high-bandwidth input-voltage loop can be designed which rapidly tracks reference changes, source transients, and can reject disturbances from the load. The practicality of this model is verified experimentally with frequency response analysis, transient response, and system-level testing.
Constitutions and the growth of government

Abstract I examine the role of a constitution in limiting government. When citizens can observe the exercise of power by government easier than the net benefits of an action, constitutional prohibitions conserve citizens' scarce capacity to monitor government and increase the benefit from use of the remaining powers. Factors affecting the desirability of limited government are analyzed. I present evidence that expansions in the scope of government in the United States preceded growth in the size of government, which is consistent with my model of a constitution as conserving monitoring capacity.
Phenotypic and karyotypic transitions in the spontaneous transformation of a rat cell line

Abstract After 20–50 transfers, a rat myofibroblast line. Hmf-n, ‘spontaneously’ transforms to an established (immortalized) line of smaller, rapidly cycling fibroblastoid cells (tHmf-f). From these 1 ° transformants, colonies of larger, slower growing anchorage-independent (tHmf-e) cells of epithelioid phenotype emerge. Both transformants grow in low serum and low calcium media, but the tHmf-f cells are highly tumorigenic in nude mice, have diminished substrate adhesivity, and limited anchorage independence, whereas tHmf-e are less tumorigenic, firmly substrate adherent, and markedly anchorage independent. Most tHmf-f are trisomic: most tHmf-e transformants are hypodiploid, a third are tetraploid, and all have chromosomal abnormalities, but no trisomy. Hmf-n cells have polar stress fiber arrays terminating in vinculin adhesion plaques, colinear extracellular fibronectin matrices, and linear non-coincident deposits of fodrin. Microtubules (mt) and vimentin-intermediate filaments (IF) parallel the actin cables. Stress fibers of the tHmf-f are moderately reduced, their vinculin adhesion plaques and fibronectin matrices intact; fodrin is diffuse. Mts and IFs are normal and axial. Most epithelioid tHmf-e have no stress fibers, adhesion plaques, or extracellular fibronectin; instead, dense actin microfilament meshworks are attached to plasma membrane, as is fodrin. Mt and IF arc radial. Both transformed phenotypes are stable over >300 continuous passages. The differentiatio-inducing agents DMSO, cyclic AMP, 5-azacytidine, and mezerein, were ineffective in normalizing shape or cytoskeleton of transformed Hmf, and butyrate was selectively toxic to 50% of tHmf-e. But hydrocortisone induced striking polarization, and increase in number, and alignment of stress fibers of both tHmf-f and tHmf-e. Growth, anchorage, cytoskeletal arrangements, and tumorigenic potential are not closely correlated in these stable, spontaneously transformed lines of distinct pheno- and karyotype originating from the same normal parental cell, suggesting independent acquisition of properties associated with transformation.
Construction of permittivity functions for high-explosives using density functional theory

We review a framework for the prediction of explosive molecular spectra, namely, for the common explosives found in improvised explosive devices, e.g., β-HMX. Through the use of excitation by incident electromagnetic waves in the THz frequency range, molecular signatures of these explosives may be detected, identified and perhaps neutralised remotely. A central component of this framework is an S-matrix representation of multilayered composite materials. The individual molecules are first simulated using first-principles density functional theory (DFT). An effective electric permittivity function is then constructed, which yields reflectivity and transmissivity functions of frequency and of angle of incident radiation. The input for this component would be a parameterised analytic-function representation of the electric permittivity as a function of frequency, which is provided by another component model of the framework. The permittivity function is constructed by fitting response spectra calculated usin...
Modification of poly(vinyl butyral) coatings using bis-silanes

Abstract A commercially available poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) coating was modified using a combination of 1–10 wt.% bis(trimethoxysilylethyl)benzene and dibutyltin dilaurate as the hydrolysis catalyst. Results of attenuated total reflectance (ATR)–FTIR analysis indicated the modification resulted in a hybrid coating material containing silicate moieties covalently bonded to the PVB polymer chains. Gravimetric analysis indicted the bis-silane addition resulted in a reduction in the diffusion coefficient of the parent coating to 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (2-CEES), dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), diisopropyl methylphosphonate, and methyl salicylate; the most significant reduction was observed for 2-CEES and DMMP at temperatures ≥50 °C. Glass transition temperature, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, and coating hardness were increased upon incorporation of the bis-silane. Despite incorporation of an inorganic component, coating flexibility was retained at low temperature (−15 °C).
Explicit Versus Implicit Family Decision-Making Strategies Among Mexican American Caregiving Adult Children

Changing U.S. demographics make it increasingly vital to investigate experiences of Latinos caring for aging parents, with specific emphasis on how these families, who often value family closeness, make decisions about caregiving. This study investigates relationships among use of implicit versus explicit decision-making strategies, generation since immigration, and orientation toward family. Findings suggest that those with more recent immigration to the United States were more likely than those who immigrated longer ago to describe family decision making about their parents' care as implicit. Those that were classified as using predominately implicit decision making were also found to be not significantly different from those classified as predominantly explicit with regard to their overall support of a collective orientation toward family. There were exceptions to this, however, regarding two specific aspects of orientation toward family: engagement in shared activities with family members and avoiding...