cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Race, space, and America’s subprime housing boom

Background: While the Great Recession (2007-2009) has largely been framed as a national phenomenon, its impact varied greatly across different localities within the United States, likely reshaping ...
Campuses as living labs for sustainability problem-solving: trends, triumphs, and traps

Colleges and universities around the world are increasingly using their campuses as living laboratories for sustainability problem-solving and engagement. “Campus-as-lab” (CAL) projects emphasize experiential learning and campus sustainability through the integration of research and campus operations. By engaging students in CAL work, campuses make themselves more sustainable while contributing to knowledge and research needed to make an impact beyond their borders. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) is an important tool to track work in this rapidly evolving CAL arena. Here, we use data from STARS 2.0 to assess the self-reporting and concentration of CAL efforts in 14 operational and administrative areas across institutions of higher education in North America. We analyzed self-reported STARS reports in 2016 and 2018 and found that there was a 203% increase in institutions self-reporting CAL efforts (2016: n = 171; 2018: n = 347). Most efforts tend to be concentrated in the operational categories linked to the built environment. Socially explicit categories such as Diversity and Affordability, however, show increases in self-reporting. We identify nascent CAL priority areas, including the arts and biodiversity and conservation, as well as significant mis- or over-reporting of CAL efforts. To optimize the utility of STARS as a metric for capturing sustainability problem-solving efforts through CAL activities, process revisions are needed to ensure that institutions of higher education are accurately interpreting and self-reporting CAL work and that the STARS tool adequately captures the changing role that sustainability plays on university campuses in North America and beyond.
Group identification, uncertainty, and the duration of genocide and politicide

Episodes of genocide and politicide show remarkable variation in how long they last. Some end within months; others continue for decades. Why do some persist while others end soon after they start?...
The Female Offender

The most universal finding in criminal justice is that, across time and space, males offend at significantly greater rates than females. Although this “gender-gap” has begun to close somewhat, the differences remain stark. Understanding why females offend has been a challenge. Most criminological theories are considered “malestream” theories as they were originally developed and tested on male populations, and their applicability to explaining why women offend can be limited. Research suggests that while male and female offenders do not totally differ in what explains their offending, the gendered lives that individuals live can play a part in understanding offending behavior. Among women, histories of trauma and victimization often underpin offending behavior. Special consideration of these experiences is necessary for effectively counsel female offenders. Feminist counselors focus on these gender dynamics and how they may impact both clients as well as the client-counselor relationship using techniques that help women examine their own perspectives of traditional gender roles and empower them to take control of their lives.
Virtual Reality Analgesia for Children With Large Severe Burn Wounds During Burn Wound Debridement

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of adjunctive virtual reality vs. standard analgesic pain medications during burn wound cleaning/debridement. Participants were predominantly Hispanic children aged 6-17 years of age, with large severe burn injuries (TBSA = 44%) reporting moderate or higher baseline pain during burn wound care. Using a randomized between-groups design, participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups, (a) the Control Group = pain medications only or (b) the VR Group = pain medications + virtual reality. A total of 50 children (88% Hispanic) with large severe burns (mean TBSA > 10%) received severe burn wound cleaning sessions. For the primary outcome measure of worst pain (intensity) on Study Day 1, using a between groups ANOVA, burn injured children in the group that received virtual reality during wound care showed significantly less pain intensity than the No VR control group, [mean worst pain ratings for the No VR group = 7.46 (SD = 2.93) vs. 5.54 (SD = 3.56), F (1,48) = 4.29, <0.05, MSE = 46.00]. Similarly, one of the secondary pain measures, "lowest pain during wound care" was significantly lower in the VR group, No VR = 4.29 (SD = 3.75) vs. 1.68 (2.04) for the VR group, F(147) = 9.29, < 0.005, MSE = 83.52 for Study Day 1. The other secondary pain measures showed the predicted pattern on Study Day 1, but were non-significant. Regarding whether VR reduced pain beyond Study Day 1, absolute change in pain intensity (analgesia = baseline pain minus the mean of the worst pain scores on Study days 1-10) was significantly greater for the VR group, F (148) = 4.88, p < 0.05, MSE = 34.26, partial eta squared = 0.09, but contrary to predictions, absolute change scores were non-significant for all secondary measures.
Clinical predictors of I-131 therapy failure in differentiated thyroid cancer by machine learning: A single-center experience.

Well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma is predominantly a slow-growing malignancy, amendable to treatment, and has an excellent prognosis following thyroidectomy and radioiodine (RAI) therapy. However, patients who fail the initial RAI treatment attempt may require repeated RAI or other treatments and with this, comes an associated impact on patient quality of life. Therefore, the anticipation of patients in whom there is a higher risk of RAI failure may help in patient risk stratification and subsequent management. We conducted a retrospective review to determine the factors associated with initial RAI therapy failure in well-differentiated thyroid cancer patients. Using scikit-learn from Python, we implemented a machine-learning algorithm to determine the clinical patient factors associated with a higher likelihood of treatment resistance. We found that clinical factors such as tumor focality (P = 0.026) and lymph node invasion at surgical resection (P = 0.0135) were significantly associated with initial treatment failure following RAI. Elevated serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and Tg antibody levels following surgery but before RAI were also associated with treatment resistance (P 0.064). Clinical outcomes following RAI can be stratified by identifying factors that are associated with initial treatment failure. These findings can help restratify patients for RAI treatment and change patient management in certain cases. Such stratification will ultimately help to optimize successful treatment outcomes and improve patient quality of life.
Personal and Political Bias in the Debate Over Federal Income Taxation Rates and Progressivity

This article is a response to some of the politically aggressive rhetoric contained in a recent symposium issue on tax rates, progressivity, and budget processes published by the Boston College Law Review. The article identifies possible sources of personal and political bias in tax policy scholarship and suggests that scholars should seek neutral, noninflammatory means to analyze the rights and duties of wealthy taxpayers under the Internal Revenue Code.
The implanted pump in metastatic colorectal cancer of the liver. Risk versus benefit.

Summary Forty patients with colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver were treated with an implanted pump for hepatic artery perfusion. Regional chemotherapy utilized floxuridine with half of patients also receiving monthly cisplatin. Follow-up was 13 to 29 months. Responses to treatment occurred in 19 patients (47 percent) and correlated with survival of more than 1 year. Several factors produced significant reductions in survival: presence of extrahepatic disease, large tumor volume, jaundice, ascites, or both, and elevated liver chemistry values. These prognostic factors should govern patient selection. Toxicity included gastritis, peptic ulcer, disruption of arterial integretiy, and severe chemical effects on the hepatic cells, the bile ducts, and the gallbladder. Over half of the patients had serious toxicity. Two died from biliary strictures without autopsy evidence of tumor. Steps to avoid life-threatening toxicity include ligation of all hepatic artery branches to the stomach, prophylactic cholecystectomy, and reduction of chemotherapy at the first sign of toxicity.
Surfactants as chemical shark repellents: past, present, and future

The development of Shark Chaser by the U.S. Navy during World War II was the first serious effort to develop a chemical shark repellent. In the decade following the war reports of Shark Chaser ineffectiveness led the Office of Naval Research to search for a more efficacious shark repellent. After years without success, ONR eventually canceled the use of Shark Chaser and abandoned the search for a chemical shark repellent. In the early 1970s, interest in chemical shark repellents was renewed by the discovery of pardaxin, a natural shark repellent secreted by the Red Sea Moses sole, Pardachirus marmoratus. The surfactant-like nature of pardaxin led investigators to test the potential of various surfactants as repellents. Subsequent studies indicated that the shark repellent efficacy of the effective alkyl sulfate surfactants was due to their hydrophobic nature. Here we report tests conducted on juvenile swell sharks, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum, to determine if the noxious quality of alkyl sulfates is affected by surfactant hydrophobicity [carbon chain length and ethylene oxide (EO) groups] and counterions. Our results indicate that the aversive response of sharks to alkyl sulfate surfactants increases with carbon chain length from octyl to dodecyl, decreases with the addition of EO groups and is not affected by counterions. This study confirms that dodecyl sulfate is the most effective surfactant shark repellent, but it does not meet the Navy’s potency requirement for a nondirectional surrounding-cloud type repellent of 100 parts per billion (0.1.μg ml−1). Thus, dodecyl sulfate is only practical as a directional repellent such as in a squirt application. Future research should test the action of alkyl sulfates on cell membranes, the potential of other biotoxic agents, and semiochemicals in the search for an effective chemical shark repellent.
Intra-operation Dynamic Voltage Scaling

Embedded peripheral devices are often specified with a range of performance characteristics that are determined by their supply voltage. Recent research explored the benefits of modulating peripheral supply voltage with task-level granularity. With Intra-Operation Dynamic Voltage Scaling (IODVS), we further reduce the energy consumption of peripheral devices by modulating the peripheral supply voltage at critical states occurring during operation of the peripheral device. IODVS is designed to have minimal impact on CPU utilization through the use of a lookup table that designates an ideal voltage on a per-state basis. IODVS is unique in that during high-performance states such as data-transmission, peripherals can have the high supply voltage required to reduce overall energy-delay product. Likewise, during low-performance states such as mandatory delays, the system decreases peripheral domain voltage thus reducing energy consumption without adversely affecting performance or correctness. We demonstrate this method on various peripherals common to wireless sensor nodes and have found total energy savings of up to 40%.
Effect of varied dietary levels and forms of mercury on swine.

Mercury in the organic form (Methylmercuric Chloride-CH/sub 3/HgCl) or in the inorganic form (Mercuric Chloride-HgCl/sub 2/) was mixed into a basal ration and fed to groups of pigs in the following concentrations: .5, 5.0 and 50.0 parts per million (ppm). The pigs fed 50 ppm methylmercuric chloride in the ration displayed characteristic clinical signs of mercury toxicosis, with recumbency and death. Gross lesions were seen in the pigs fed all levels of organic mercury but only in the pigs fed 50 ppm level of the inorganic form of mercury. Gross necropsy examinations were made on all slaughtered animals. Various tissue samples were removed and the levels of total mercury were assayed. Mercury in the organic form in the diets fed to swine at the same level as mercury in the inorganic form resulted in higher (P < .01) tissue levels of mercury. Tissue levels of mercury in the pigs fed raw fish were lower than expected. The possibility that selenium (Se) and other substances which may have been present in raw fish and which may have contributed to a reduction in mercurial toxicity is discussed. 20 references, 4 tables.
Racial and Ethnic Trends in the Suburbanization of Poverty in U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 1980–2010

This research examines recent trends in the suburbanization of poor non-Latino Whites, Blacks, and Asians, and Latinos of all races in the United States. The authors find strong associations betwee...
The Tick Test Rule, Investors' Opinions Dispersion, and Stock Returns: The Daily Evidence on the NYSE

This paper investigates the impact of short sale constraints on stock returns associated with the tick-test rule in the NYSE using REG SHO daily short selling data. The results suggest removing the tick-test rule for so called 'pilot' stocks mitigates short-term stock overvaluation by approximately 2% annually. It is surprising that for large pilot stocks, lifting the tick-test rule goes beyond correcting stock overvaluation and is associated with stock undervaluation, suggesting that the SEC's recent decision of removing tick-test restrictions for all U.S. exchange-traded securities may not be considered as an optimal policy if such undervaluation is driven by predatory short sellers' price manipulation. It also shows here that a high level of daily short sale activity signals a short-term stock return reversal during the sample period. On average, a daily rebalanced portfolio consisting of a long position in stocks with the highest shorting activities and a short position of stocks with the lowest shorting activities generates an annual rate of return of more than 150%, before adjusting for trading costs. The returns of these hedge portfolios are short lived; they diminish quickly as the number of days in the holding period increases.
Abstract P116: County Cardiovascular Health is Associated with County-Level Health Care Resources

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. Reducing the population burden of CVD will require an increased focus on understanding how to promote and support population-level cardiovascular health (CVH), which will include the ability to measure the presence of CVH, not merely the presence or absence of CVD. Recently, the American Heart Association developed a comprehensive metric designed to measure CVH at the population level. The metric includes smoking, body mass index, physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose. The purpose of this study was to assess how population-level CVH is related to the availability of health care providers and services within the county. Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to calculate age-adjusted CVH for each county in 2009. Federal Information Processing Standards codes were used to obtain scores for counties with a sample size of 15 or more. Data on county-level health care service...
A modular element for shared buffer ATM switch fabrics

This paper presents the architecture of a modular element for the design of shared buffer ATM switch fabrics. The component is designed for deployment in a bit-sliced approach, and includes mechanisms to allow the number of elements in the fabric to be matched to the required aggregate bandwidth of the switch. All of the input ports must be synchronized to a Start of Cell input signal; the output ports optionally can be synchronized via an Output Hold signal. A bus forwards a portion of each incoming cell to a separate controller for identification and prioritization of the corresponding output operations. In addition to supporting width expansion for increased bandwidth, the component is designed to support depth expansion for more cell storage capacity at a given aggregate throughput. The component includes 32 one-bit inputs, 32 one-bit outputs, and 4 megabits of static RAM storage. Eight of the 100 MHz devices comprise a 32 port ATM switch fabric with an aggregate bandwidth of 20 gigabits per second and a storage capacity of 64 K/spl times/512 bits.
Pulmonary apoptosis in aged and oxygen-tolerant rats exposed to hyperoxia

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that genotoxic and oxidant stress can induce programmed cell death or apoptosis in cultured cells. However, little is known about whether oxidative stress resulting from the deleterious effects of hyperoxia can induce apoptosis in vivo and even less is known regarding the functional significance of apoptosis in vivo in response to hyperoxia. Using hyperoxia as a model of oxidant-induced lung injury in the rat, we show that hyperoxic stress results in marked apoptotic signals in the lung. Lung tissue sections obtained from rats exposed to hyperoxia exhibit increased apoptosis in a time-dependent manner by terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling assays. To examine whether hyperoxia-induced apoptosis in the lung correlated with the extent of lung injury or tolerance (adaptation) to hyperoxia, we investigated the pattern of apoptosis with a rat model of age-dependent tolerance to hyperoxia. We show that apoptosis is associated with increased survival of aged rats to hyperoxia and with decreased levels of lung injury as measured by the volume of pleural effusion, wet-to-dry lung weight, and myeloperoxidase content in aged rats compared with young rats after hyperoxia. We also examined this relationship in an alternate model of tolerance to hyperoxia. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated young rats not only demonstrated tolerance to hyperoxia but also exhibited a significantly lower apoptotic index compared with saline-treated rats after hyperoxia. To further separate the effects of aging and tolerance, we show that aged rats pretreated with LPS did not exhibit a significant level of tolerance against hyperoxia. Furthermore, similar to the hyperoxia-tolerant LPS-pretreated young rats, the nontolerant LPS-pretreated aged rats also exhibited a significantly reduced apoptotic index compared with aged rats exposed to hyperoxia alone. Taken together, our data suggest that hyperoxia-induced apoptosis in vivo can be modulated by both aging and tolerance effects. We conclude that there is no overall relationship between apoptosis and tolerance.
Origin of difference between u ¯ and d ¯ partons in the nucleon

Using the Euclidean path-integral formulation for the hadronic tensor, we show that the large difference between u\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} and d\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} does not come from the disconnected quark-loop insertion. Rather, it can come from the connected (quark line) insertion involving quarks propagating backwards in time. We study the influence of the backward time propagator in the axial-vector and scalar matrix elements in lattice gauge calculations and give an estimate of the violation of the Gottfried sum rule.
Designs for large degree polynomial regression

Limiting designs are considered for estimating the individual coefficients in a large degree polynomial regression.
Secure and Trusted SoC: Challenges and Emerging Solutions

Over the ages, hardware components, platforms and supply chains have been considered secure and trustworthy. However, recent discoveries and reports on security vulnerabilities and attacks in microchips and circuits violate this hardware root of trust. System-on-Chip (SoC) design based on reusable hardware intellectual property (IP) is now a pervasive design practice in the industry due to the dramatic reduction in design/verification cost and time. This growing reliance on reusable pre-verified hardware IPs and a wide array of design automation tools during SoC design, often acquired from untrusted 3rd party vendors, coupled with fabrication in untrusted offshore foundries severely affects the security and trustworthiness of SoCs used in diverse applications. This paper presents an overview of the various security challenges in the SoC design cycle and possible solutions for protection.
Phosphate Therapy in Diabetic Ketoacidosis

To determine the efficacy of phosphate replacement in the therapy for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), 44 patients were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: those who received no phosphate replacement, those who received 15 mmole of sodium phosphate at the fourth hour, or those who received 15 mmole of sodium phosphate at 2, 6, and 10 hours. All patients were treated with intravenous insulin injection (0.1 units/kg/hr), fluids, and potassium. Four hours after a 15-mmole sodium phosphate infusion, the serum phosphate level was 2.8 ± 0.8 mg/dl vs 2.1 ± 0.8 mg/dL in the control patients; however, this dose was insufficient to maintain the serum phosphate level at 16 and 24 hours. Forty-five millimoles of phosphate prevented severe hypophosphatemia in all but one patient and produced substantially higher phosphate levels at 8, 16, and 24 hours. Phosphate therapy did not affect the duration of DKA, dose of insulin required to correct the acidosis, abnormal muscle enzyme levels, glucose disappearance, or morbidity and mortality. Although theoretically appealing, phosphate therapy is not an essential part of the therapy for DKA in most patients. (Arch Intern Med1982;142:517-520)
One-phonon octupole vibrational states in 136 Xe, 137 Cs, 138 Ba, 140 Ce and 142 Nd with N = 82

Excited high spin states in 136Xe, 137Cs, 138Ba, 140Ce and 142Nd with N = 82 are reorganized and interpreted in terms of the weak coupling mode of an octupole 3− phonon. Nearly identical sequences of levels with ΔI = 3 and Δπ = yes built on 17/2+ and 23/2− states are found, for the first time, up to 29/2+ and 35/2−, respectively, for 22 states of 137Cs . Also, nearly identical sequences of levels with ΔI = 3 and Δπ = yes built on the 6+ and 9− states are found, for the first time, up to 14+ and 17−, respectively, for 18 states of 136Xe, up to 14+ and 17−, respectively, for 24 states of 138Ba and up to 11+ and 14−, respectively, for 14 states of 140Ce. New spins and parities are assigned, tentatively, to the high spin states of these nuclei based on the weak coupling mode of an octupole 3− phonon. The weak coupling of an octupole 3− phonon needs to be considered when single particle configurations are assigned to high spin states. Neutron particle-hole states (νh 11/2 −1 f 7/2 +1 ) with weak coupling of an octupole 3− phonon are proposed, for the first time. The νh 11/2 −1 f 7/2 +1 excitation energies (E ext(1p1h)) are nearly constant with increasing of Z. One-phonon excited states in 136Xe, 137Cs, 138Ba and 140Ce have the stretched weak coupling configurations of ΔI = 3. But one-phonon excited states in 142Nd show the non-stretched weak coupling configurations of an octupole phonon with ΔI = 3 and 2.
Postmarital residence and biological variation at Pueblo Bonito.

Although the social organization of many of the present-day pueblos of the American Southwest is well-described in the anthropological literature, many aspects of prehistoric Puebloan social organization have received limited attention since initial investigations of postmarital residence in the 1960s and 1970s. This paper examines postmarital residence at the Chaco Canyon great house of Pueblo Bonito, using biological data. Our findings are inconsistent with the previously well-accepted hypothesis that the Pueblo II and Pueblo III occupants of the San Juan Basin conformed to a socially prescribed pattern of matrilocal residence with matrilineal descent. Univariate variance differences for nine craniometric variables indicate a pattern of increased female variability consistent with patrilocal/bilocal residence. The results of multivariate determinant ratio analyses are in agreement with the univariate results, suggesting the possibility of a patrilocal or bilocal residence preference at Pueblo Bonito. These findings are inconsistent with the notion that the female-based system of matrilocal residence with matrilineal descent observed among the present-day Western Pueblos was the ancestral Anasazi condition.
The matrix for the protobiological quantum: Cosmic casino or shapes of molecules?

The origin of a reproducing protocell is interpreted, on the basis of experiments performed under geophysically relevant conditions, as a sequentially consistent ab initio development of appropriate matter. Progress in conceptualization of the development of a contemporary cell from a protocell is reviewed. The central forces in this evolution appear to be stereochemical rather than statistical. The value of recognizing the cell and protocell as quanta, in such studies, is explained.
Membrane Separations Using Reverse Micelles in Nearcritical and Supercritical Fluid Solvents

The use of reverse micelles coupled with ultrafiltration membranes for the separation of macromolecules dissolved in the cores of the reverse micelles using nearcritical and supercritical fluid solvents is described. This methodology allows one to address the separation of a wide range of polar molecules greatly extending the type of molecules that can be separated using only pure supercritical fluids. The solutes to be separated are initially dissolved in the reverse micellar solution and introduce into the pressure vessel containing the membrane. The surfactant and water core are passed through the membrane while the macromolecule selectivity is based on size and molecular weight. The ability for continuous recycle in an extraction system is discussed.
Effects of knowledge of self-interest and social relationship upon the use of equity, utilitarian, and Rawlsian principles of allocation.

Subjects played a game and were told they had the high score, low score, or were not informed which score was their own. They were previously led to like or dislike the other. Relative performance was generally considered in allocating rewards, indicating the use of an equity principle. Performance was not used as a criteria for allocation, however, by subjects who were uncertain of their score in positive social relationships and poor performers in negative social relationships. When given a chance to increase the total group reward by deviating from the distribution ratio believed most equitable, most subjects did so. This finding indicated that a utilitarian type of principle was clearly used in conjunction with the equity principle. Few subjects, however, followed the Rawlsian principle that inequality is only tolerable when an unequal allocation gives more to each person than an equal allocation.
Die Paläobiochemie, ein neues Arbeitsgebiet der Evolutionsforschung

Attention is focussed on a novel tool to study evolutionary trends in organisms. Emphasis is placed on the comparative biochemistry of shell proteins. It is tentatively concluded that the organic matrix of molluscan shells is predominantly a mixture of “secreted” collagen and k-m-e-f type proteins, and to a lesser extent of mucopolysaccharides. Each species has its characteristic organic pattern. Thus, the heterogeneity of calcified tissues can be related to molluscan phylogeny and evolution.
Detection and characterization of peaks and estimation of instantaneous secretory rate for episodic pulsatile hormone secretion

We have developed a new computer program for detection of "peaks" in sequential hormone measurements in longitudinal studies of episodic hormone secretion. The program provides: (a) several statistically based approaches to the estimation of the random measurement error as a function of hormone level; (b) peak detection based on analysis of first derivatives with logic that has been optimized for asymmetrical peaks with exponential decays; (c) several approaches to the estimation of tolerances for the first and second derivatives; (d) a sensitive curve-fitting approach, to distinguish between upstrokes, exponential decays, and flat baselines; (e) ability to detect multiple overlapping peaks; (f) analysis of "robustness" by systematically varying the threshold around the most-likely value; (g) superimposition of detected peaks, to evaluate "average peak shape"; (h) analysis of the "decay rate," to obtain an estimate of the disappearance rate constant and half-life; (i) use of a "discrete deconvolution" approach, to solve for the apparent instantaneous rate of secretion, and provision of an error analysis to obtain estimates of the precision of these derived values; and (j) correlation with other relevant series as a means of cross validating. The program has been tested extensively on real and synthetic data, and appears to perform well. The frequency of "false positive" peaks can be held at any desired low level, and can be prevented from increasing as sampling frequency increases. The number of arbitrary assumptions, approximations, or thresholds is held to an absolute minimum. These methods are natural, logical, and follow from first principles of statistics.
Polymeric Hollow Fiber Heat Exchangers: An Alternative for Lower Temperature Applications

Because of their better chemical resistance and fouling characteristics, plastic heat exchangers are of increasing interest for lower temperature applications. However, their lower thermal performa...
Hematuria following midbrain lesions in the rat.

Abstract Bilateral electrolytic lesions were placed in the midbrains of fifty rats. Hematuria occurred whenever the lesions involved the dorsomedial midbrain tegmentum between the levels of the red nucleus and the caudal border of the inferior colliculus. Lesions outside this area were without effect. The hematuria appeared within 20 to 30 hours after placement of the lesions and usually was associated with distention of the bladder. There were multiple hemorrhagic areas in the bladder mucosa. Microscopically, edema and hemorrhages involving all layers of the bladder wall were seen, with occasional pin-point, acute ulcerations of the mucosa. The kidneys and ureters were normal. We suggest that these changes are the result of destruction of parasympathetic pathways in the dorsal tegmentum which then may lead to unopposed sympathetic activity.
Update on Chronic Daily Headache

Chronic daily headache (CDH), defined as a primary headache occurring at least 15 days per month, is a problem of worldwide scope, which is seen in 3% to 5% of the population. Though it has been recognized since ancient times, only recently have there been attempts to define and classify it. CDH usually consists of a mixture of migraine and tension-type headaches (TTH), with the more severe headaches having migraine features and the less severe headaches fitting the definition of TTH. Some patients have pure chronic TTH and no migrainous features, and others have only migraine, but most have a mixed migraine-TTH pattern. New daily persistent headache, a CDH pattern that comes on over a few days, constitutes 9% to 10% of this group and is otherwise indistinguishable from CDH. Hemicrania continua (1% of CDH) appears to be unique in being absolutely responsive to indomethacin. Accurate diagnosis of CDH is critical to management, as all organic etiologies of chronic headache must be ruled out. Problems often associated with CDH and complicating the diagnosis are head injury or medication overuse (rebound-withdrawal headache). These accompanying issues must be recognized and treated appropriately in the management plan. Finally, psychiatric problems (unipolar depression, bipolar disease, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive/compulsive disorder) often accompany CDH, as they are comorbid with migraine. These conditions must be recognized and treated along with the headache itself for treatment to succeed fully. Treatment of CDH is multimodal. The cornerstone of therapy is the use of prophylactic antimigraine medications to prevent or modulate the next headache. Amitriptyline, topiramate, valproic acid, and gabapentin have all had class I studies showing effectiveness in reducing headache occurrence. Recent studies with botulinum toxin have also shown effectiveness in reducing the headache burden. Recognition and treatment of medication overuse headache (MOH) must be carried out as part of the initial approach. Use of acute symptomatic treatments such as triptans or NSAIDs must be undertaken with care, as frequent use of these agents can lead to MOH. Educating the patient about the condition and reasonable expectations for therapy is essential to success. Recognition and appropriate treatment of psychiatric disorders is likewise essential. Adjunctive nondrug therapies and lifestyle changes round out the requirements for a management plan. The chances for long-term remission or significant improvement are up to 65%. The patient and physician must understand that CDH is a long-term process with relapses and remissions. A strong and trusting relationship between patient and physician is a major asset in managing this condition.
Detection of biomolecules in complex media using surface plasmon resonance sensors

Detection of multiple biologically relevant molecules was accomplished at sub-ng/mL levels in highly fouling media using fiber- optic based surface plasmon resonance sensors. Myocardial infarction markers, myoglobin and cTnI, were quantified in full serum with limits of detection below 1 ng/mL. Biologically relevant levels are between 15-30 ng/mL and 1-5 ng/mL for myoglobin and cTnI respectively. Cytokines involved in chronic wound healing, Interleukin 1, Interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor α, were detected at around 1 ng/mL in cell culture media. Preliminary results in monitoring these cytokines in cell cultures expressing the cytokines were obtained. The protein diagnostic of spinal muscular atrophy, survival motor neuron protein, was quantified from cell lysate. To obtain such results in complex media, the sensor's stability to non-specific protein adsorption had to be optimized. A layer of the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid is attached to the sensor. This layer optimizes the antibody attachment to the sensor while minimizing the non-specific signal from serum proteins.
Pesticide poisonings in the lawn care and tree service industries : A review of cases in the New York State Pesticide Poisoning Registry

Although pesticides are used extensively by lawn care and tree service workers, the incidence of pesticide poisonings among this population has never been systematically assessed. This article is a review of suspected and confirmed pesticide poisonings of lawn care and tree service applicators that were reported to the New York State Pesticide Poisoning Registry from 1990 to 1993. Thirty-nine cases were identified, of which 28 satisfied the criteria for a suspected or confirmed poisoning. At the time of the poisoning, the majority of applicators reported the use of more than one class of pesticide. The most common classes of pesticide applied were organophosphates (71%) and herbicides (43%). Twenty-four cases were identified through laboratory reporting. All 24 laboratory tests had been ordered for worker surveillance. Twenty of the reported workers were symptomatic. Personal protective equipment was used routinely by 22 of the 27 applicators for whom information was available. These data suggest that pesticide exposures are occurring among a subset of the lawn care and tree service applicators, despite the reported routine use of safety measures. More rigorous evaluation of the control measures utilized in the lawn care and tree and shrub industry is warranted.
Schedule control of eating by fixed-time schedules of water presentation

Eating was measured in water-deprived rats when water was presented at regular intervals ranging from 30 to 240 sec. The temporal patterning of eating resembled that of schedule-induced behavior in that the probability of eating was high early in the interval and declined in the end of the interval. Additionally, (a) the number of pellets consumed was controlled by relative time in the interwater interval, (b) the pellets consumed per water presentation was inversely related to water rate, and (c) food-ingestion rate was directly related to water rate. These relationships parallel those found with behavior regarded as schedule induced.
High peak power (34 W) photonic crystal distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers

We demonstrate room temperature, high power, single mode and diffraction limited operation of a two dimensional photonic crystal distributed feedback (PCDFB) quantum cascade laser emitting at 4.36 μm. Total peak power up to 34 W is observed from a 3 mm long laser with 400 μm cavity width at room temperature. Far-field profiles have M 2 figure of merit as low as 2.5. This device represents a significant step towards realization of spatially and spectrally pure broad area high power quantum cascade lasers.
The anti-progestin CDB 2914 has no antifertility effect in male rats

This study examines the effect of an anti-progestin (CDB 2914) with antiprogestational potencies similar to RU 486 on spermatogenesis, sperm maturation, and fertility in male rats. Adult male rats of proven fertility were administered the anti-progestin (10 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (control group) for 14, 35, and 70 days to study the possible effect of this compound on epididymal sperm maturation, post-meiotic sperm development, spermatogenesis, and fertility, respectively. Fertility rates of the rats were determined by mating studies. The anti-progestin, CDB 2914, had no effect on testis or accessory organ weights, epididymal sperm content or motility, testicular sperm count, spermatogenesis, and fertility of male rats. This study suggests that anti-progestins, when administered even at higher doses than those used in humans, have no contraceptive effect in adult male rats.
X-ray and conformational analysis of arabinan.

Abstract Fibers prepared from the enzymically debranched plant polysaccharide arabinan, containing (1 → 5)-linked α- l -arabinofuranose residues, produce X-ray diffraction patterns containing concentric rings indicative of a high degree of structural organization. The measured unit cell dimensions and fiber density are consistent with a 2-fold helix passing through each unit cell. According to model-building techniques and energy calculations, a total of seven molecular structures (three with C2′- endo and four with C3′- endo sugars), all of pitch 8.74 A, and hence seven different crystal-packing arrangements are the most probable. While intrachain hydrogen bonds are only present in three cases, interhelix association is facilitated by hydrogen bonds in all allomorphs. Small energy differences between them suggest that easy conformational transitions may be made from one form to another. This polymorphism and the tendency to form microcrystals in the solid state might confer upon arabinan the observed fat mimetic properties.
Benefit of Selective Respiratory Muscle Training on Exercise Capacity in Patients With Chronic Congestive Heart Failure

Background Diminished respiratory muscle strength and endurance have been demonstrated in patients with heart failure. This may contribute to exertional dyspnea and reduced exercise capacity in these patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether selective respiratory muscle training could alleviate dyspnea and improve exercise performance in patients with chronic congestive heart failure. Methods and Results Fourteen patients with chronic heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction, 22±9%) were enrolled in a supervised respiratory muscle training program. This consisted of three weekly sessions of isocapnic hyperpnea at maximal sustainable ventilatory capacity, resistive breathing, and strength training. Maximum sustainable ventilatory capacity, maximum voluntary ventilation, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, peak Vo2, and the 6-minute walk test were measured before (pre) and after (post) 3 months of training. Eight patients completed the training program. Respiratory m...
The bulk processing of 2223 BSCCO powders II. Tape rolling

Abstract The anisotropic mechanical properties of densified BSCCO (Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O) powders are of paramount importance during thermo-mechanical processing of superconducting tapes and wires. Maximum current carrying capacity requires both high relative density and a high degree of alignment of the BSCCO single crystal's superconducting planes parallel to the plane of the tape. This is also a configuration that causes high stresses during compressive (ix. powder compaction) deformation processing. These high stresses can lead to cracking and thus degrade the conductive properties of the tape. In Part I of this work, we outlined some of the basic phenomenology of such powders under confined channel die compression. In this part we report results from a detailed finite element analysis of the tape rolling environment. We calculate both pressures and shear strains in the core of oxide powder-in-tube (OPIT) processed tapes. Rod-in-tube processing is investigated, as well as rolling with extra packing material. ...
The Allocation of Blacks in Large Firms and Establishments and Black‐White Wage Inequality in the U.S. Economy

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) for 1988, this study analyzes the allocation of African Americans in large firms and establishments and the effects of the allocation process on Black-White wage inequality. The results show that Blacks are disproportionately employed in large establishments while being under-represented in supervisory positions. The Black-White wage differential, however, remains significant only in the large establishments, despite this study's use of detailed controls for worker quality.
Are the long-term results of the transanal pull-through equal to those of the transabdominal pull-through? A comparison of the 2 approaches for Hirschsprung disease

Abstract Purpose The transanal endorectal pull-through (TERPT) is becoming the most popular procedure in the treatment of Hirschsprung disease (HD), but overstretching of the anal sphincters remains a critical issue that may impact the continence. This study examined the long-term outcome of TERPT versus conventional transabdominal (ABD) pull-through for HD. Methods Records of 41 patients more than 3 years old who underwent a pull-through for HD (TERPT, n=20; ABD, n=21) were reviewed, and their families were thoroughly interviewed and scored via a 15-item post–pull-through long-term outcome questionnaire. Patients were operated on between the years 1995 and 2003. During this time, our group transitioned from the ABD to the TERPT technique. Total scoring ranged from 0 to 40: 0 to 10, excellent; 11 to 20 good; 21 to 30 fair; 31 to 40 poor. A 2-tailed Student t test, analysis of covariance, as well as logistic and linear regression were used to analyze the collected data with confidence interval higher than 95%. Results Overall scores were similar. However, continence score was significantly better in the ABD group, and the stool pattern score was better in the TERPT group. A significant difference in age at interview between the 2 groups was noted; we therefore reanalyzed the data controlling for age, and this showed that age did not significantly affect the long-term scoring outcome between groups. Conclusion Our long-term study showed significantly better (2-fold) results regarding the continence score for the abdominal approach compared with the transanal pull-through. The stool pattern and enterocolitis scores were somewhat better for the TERPT group. These findings raise an important issue about the current surgical management of HD; however, more cases will need to be studied before a definitive conclusion can be drawn.
Fine Particles and Coarse Particles: Concentration Relationships Relevant to Epidemiologic Studies

Fine particles and coarse particles are defined in terms of the modal structure of particle size distributions typically observed in the atmosphere. Differences between the various modes are discussed. The fractions of fine and coarse particles collected in specific size ranges, such as total suspended particulate matter (TSP), PM10, PM2.5, and PM(10-2.5), are shown. Correlations of 24-h concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, and PM(10-2.5) at the same site show that, in Philadelphia and St. Louis, PM2.5 is highly correlated with PM10 but poorly correlated with PM (10-2.5). Among sites distributed across these urban areas, the site-to-site correlations of 24-h PM concentrations are high for PM2.5 but not for PM(10-2.5). This indicates that a PM measurement at a central monitor can serve as a better indicator of the community-wide concentration of fine particles than of coarse particles. The fraction of ambient outdoor particles found suspended indoors is greater for fine particles than for coarse particles because of the difference in indoor lifetimes. Consideration of these relationships leads to the hypothesis that the statistical associations found between daily PM indicators and health outcomes may be the result of variations in the fine particle component of the atmospheric aerosol, not of variations in the coarse component. As a result, epidemiologic studies using PM10 or TSP may provide more useful information on the acute health effects of fine particles than coarse particles. Fine and coarse particles are separate classes of pollutants and should be measured separately in research and epidemiologic studies. PM2.5 and PM(10-2.5) are indicators or surrogates, but not measurements, of fine and coarse particles.
Carotid Duplex Criteria for Patients with Contralateral Occlusion

Abstract Background Contralateral occlusion (CLO) occurs in approximately 8% of patients undergoing intervention for carotid artery stenosis. Patients with CLO have increased stroke risk compared with patients without CLO, but standard carotid duplex ultrasonography (CDUS) criteria are not a reliable manner to screen or follow patients with CLO. Because appropriate duplex criteria for these patients are not well understood, this article defines CDUS parameters that accurately predict carotid artery stenosis at our institution. Methods Sixty-five patients with ipsilateral carotid stenosis and CLO were identified from our institutional database. Fifteen of sixty-five patients had arteriography, computed tomography angiography, or magnetic resonance angiography within 6 mo of CDUS. We determined accuracy of our laboratory's criteria for determining stenosis category compared with three-dimensional imaging. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine optimal peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and systolic ratio (SR) cutoff values for diagnosing ≥50% stenosis in this pilot cohort. Finally, the revised criteria were prospectively applied to a validation cohort (n = 8) from the same institution. Results Categorization of stenosis by standard PSV, EDV, and SR criteria saw similar accuracy trends in both pilot (46.7, 53.3, and 66.7%) and validation (25, 25, and 62.5%) cohorts. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in the pilot cohort identified optimized PSV, EDV, and SR cutoffs (≥250, ≥90, and ≥2.3 cm/s, respectively) for diagnosing ≥50% stenosis. In the pilot cohort, new PSV criteria increased specificity (60%–100%) with minimal decreased sensitivity (90%–80%), whereas new EDV criteria increased specificity (40%–71.4%) and maintained 100% sensitivity. New SR criteria failed to improve sensitivity or specificity above 80%. Similar trends for the new CDUS velocity criteria were observed in the validation cohort. Conclusions Increasingly stringent ultrasound parameters can provide reliable criteria for determining ≥50% carotid stenosis in patients with CLO. Further prospective validation that includes more patients with high-grade ipsilateral stenosis will help identify the role of SR in segregating high-grade versus moderate stenosis in CLO patients.