cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility, resistance development, and synergy of antimicrobial combinations againstClostridium difficile

Studies of susceptibility, development of resistance, and synergy were performed with 32 antimicrobics againstClostridium difficile strains. A microtiter technique was used to demonstrate the in vitro activities of 40C. difficile isolates. Rifampin inhibited 73% of the strains at a concentration of ≤0.06 μg/ml, and metronidazole inhibited 90% at 0.5 μg/ml. Penicillin, vancomycin, cephaloridine, and chloramphenicol were also active. Development of resistance to penicillin or chloramphenicol was not found, but vancomycin, methicillin, and minocycline showed development of low levels of resistance. Rifampin in combination with erythromycin, methicillin, or penicillin was synergistic against more than 90% of theC. difficile isolates. Rifampin-ampicillin was synergistic against 85%, and vancomycin-metronidazole was synergistic against 68% of the isolates.
Cancer incidence among pesticide applicators exposed to permethrin in the Agricultural Health Study.

BackgroundPermethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide widely used in agriculture, in public health, and in many U.S. homes and gardens.ObjectiveIn this study we evaluated the incidence of canc...
Patterning the embryonic kidney: BMP signaling mediates the differentiation of the pronephric tubules and duct in Xenopus laevis

The Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) mediate a wide range of diverse cellular behaviors throughout development. Previous studies implicated an important role for BMP signaling during the differentiation of the definitive mammalian kidney, the metanephros. In order to examine whether BMP signaling also plays an important role during the patterning of earlier renal systems, we examined the development of the earliest nephric system, the pronephros. Using the amphibian model system Xenopus laevis, in combination with reagents designed to inhibit BMP signaling during specific stages of nephric development, we revealed an evolutionarily conserved role for this signaling pathway during renal morphogenesis. Our results demonstrate that conditional BMP inhibition after specification of the pronephric anlagen is completed, but prior to the onset of morphogenesis and differentiation of renal tissues, results in the severe malformation of both the pronephric duct and tubules. Importantly, the effects of BMP signaling on the developing nephron during this developmental window are specific, only affecting the developing duct and tubules, but not the glomus. These data, combined with previous studies examining metanephric development in mice, provide further support that BMP functions to mediate morphogenesis of the specified renal field during vertebrate embryogenesis. Specifically, BMP signaling is required for the differentiation of two types of nephric structures, the pronephric tubules and duct. Developmental Dynamics 237:132–144, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Emergence of Fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli as Cause of Postprostate Biopsy Infection: Implications for Prophylaxis and Treatment

OBJECTIVES To report the sensitivity and resistance of Escherichia coli in patients with infectious complications after prostate biopsy in a North American cohort. Increasing antibiotic-resistant E. coli has been observed worldwide. METHODS Data were available for 1446 patients who had undergone transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy from 2001 to 2010. Of the 1446 patients, 932 were administered 500 mg of ciprofloxacin 1 hour before prostate biopsy and 514 were administered a 3-day course of ciprofloxacin starting 1 day before biopsy plus an enema the night before. The sensitivity and resistance of E. coli were attained through the analysis of the blood and urine cultures of patients with suspected infection. RESULTS Of the 1446 patients, 40 (2.77%) developed an infection after biopsy. Of these 40 patients, 31 (2.14%) had a febrile urinary tract infection and 9 (0.62%) were diagnosed with sepsis requiring hospitalization. Of the 40 patients, 20 (50%) had urine cultures positive for E. coli. Of these 20 patients, 11 (55%) had fluoroquinolone-resistant infection and 9 had fluoroquinolone-sensitive E. coli. Of the remaining 20 patients, culture was not obtained for 9, and 5 had negative urine culture findings. Of the 7 patients (78%) with sepsis had blood cultures positive for E. Coli; 4 (57.1%) of which were fluoroquinolone-resistant and 3 were fluoroquinolone-sensitive. CONCLUSIONS In the present study, a significant risk of fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli was observed in patients with both febrile urinary tract infection and sepsis after prostate biopsy. Alternative prophylactic antibiotics should be researched further, and postbiopsy infections developing after standard quinolone prophylaxis should be treated with cephalosporins until culture findings are available to guide therapy.
Metal ion oxidation state assignment based on coordinating ligand hyperfine interaction

In exchange-coupled mixed-valence spin systems, the magnitude and sign of the effective ligand hyperfine interaction (HFI) can be useful in determining the formal oxidation state of the coordinating metal ion, as well as provide information about the coordination geometry. This is due to the fact that the observed ligand HFI is a function of the projection factor (Clebsch-Gordon coefficient) that maps the site spin value S i of the local paramagnetic center onto the total spin of the exchange-coupled system, S T. Recently, this relationship has been successfully exploited in identifying the oxidation state of the Mn ion coordinated by the sole nitrogenous ligand to the oxygen-evolving complex in certain states of photosystem II. The origin and evolution of these efforts is described.
Marriage and Family Counseling in Counselor Education: National Trends and Implications

The authors report the results of a survey of 274 counselor education chairpersons asked to respond to a series of questions concerning the current status of marriage and family counseling in counselor education. Respondents indicated that marriage and family programs in counselor education are continuing to grow in popularity, identified courses most frequently employed in the training of such counselors, provided information about support that AACD could give to enhance the development of marriage and family counseling, and gave their opinions about how marriage and family counseling programs should be accredited.
Travelling with a Purpose: Understanding the Motives and Benefits of Volunteer Vacationers

With the growing trend of volunteer vacations, research has been warranted in regard to understanding the motivational factors of individuals who participate in such endeavors. With this understanding, the goal is to increase these travel offerings in the industry, which will bring better understanding between cultures. This study examines different travel motivation factors for someone who chooses to use part of their vacation participating in volunteer or humanitarian activities. Considering that ‘mission’ often has connotations of a religious purpose, the phrase ‘travelling with a purpose’ brings on even more significance as this concept expands. To understand travel motivation in general, a variety of scales and theories have been researched. Maslow, Dann, Iso-Ahola, Plog and Pearce are some included in the Literature Review. A qualitative focus group and semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted. The analysis of the data revealed that four main themes for why people traveled with a purpose ...
SOME DATA BASED MODELS FOR ANALYZING SALES FLUCTUATIONS

The models developed in this paper can be used to study period to period fluctuations in sales. They allow for a heterogenious population of consumers; that is, frequent and infrequent buyers and for one package and multiple package buyers. The data needed for the models are readily available from many sources, particularly consumer panel data. Methods for estimating parameters and detailed numerical examples are given. These models allow a manager to answer the following question: “Which type(s) of consumer is most responsible for the fluctuations in my total sales volume.” Some new results in Bayesian inference are also developed.
Characteristics of cloud-to-ground lightning in severe and nonsevere storms over the central United States from 1989–1998

[1] Over a region from the Kansas/Colorado border to Minnesota, previously associated with positive anomalies in the mean annual positive cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning percentage and positive peak current, we describe significant differences in the properties of CG lightning flashes between warm-season severe (i.e., large hail or tornado producing) and nonsevere storms. The percentage of CG lightning flashes lowering positive charge to ground was substantially higher in severe storms (i.e., up to three times higher). The median positive peak current in severe storms was significantly larger (i.e., by about 25%). Finally, the median negative peak current in severe storms was very low (i.e., as low as 12–16 kA) and was noticeably smaller than in nonsevere storms (i.e., by at least 10%). Severe storms appeared to be significant producers of positive CG lightning in the anomaly region (AR). Up to 30%–70% of warm season positive flashes in the AR were associated with severe storms. Only 2%–30% of negative flashes were associated with severe storms in the AR. As a result, the mean warm season (and likely annual) positive anomalies in positive CG percentage and peak current are likely associated with a unique class of severe, organized storms that occur preferentially in this geographical region. We found substantial differences in the properties of CG lightning flashes associated with severe storms in other regions. For example, the mean warm season properties of CG lightning associated with severe storms in the region of peak large hail and tornado activity (e.g., Oklahoma) were fundamentally different (i.e., significantly lower positive CG percentage, lower positive peak currents and higher negative peak currents) compared to severe storms over the AR from western Kansas to Minnesota.
African-American Migration and Mechanized Cotton Harvesting, 1950-1960

Abstract Previous studies have forwarded cotton harvest mechanization as a major explanation of African-American outmigration from the rural South between 1950 and 1960. The paper investigates this hypothesis and finds that the effect has been overstated. In order to link previous estimates of migration to displacement by mechanization, an estimate is made of the number of cotton acres upon which mechanized harvesting would have been profitable in 1959 and of the number of African-Americans harvesting that acreage. It is found that about one-fourth of the migration could have resulted directly from the harvester.
The Influence of Applicant and Interviewer Characteristics on the Use of Impression Management1

This study investigated the relationship between characteristics of applicants and interviewers, and type and amount of impression management (IM) used by applicants in the employment interview. Specifically, applicant self-monitoring, self-esteem, locus of control, age, and training, and interviewer communication apprehension, interpersonal communication skill, age, and experience all were expected to influence the type and amount of IM behavior exhibited by applicants in the employment interview. Data from 64 field interviews confirmed that characteristics of the interviewer and, to a lesser extent, characteristics of the applicants were related to the use of IM tactics by applicants.
Combined effects of pre-pulsing and target geometry on efficient EUV production from laser produced plasma experiments and modeling

Laser produced plasmas (LPP) is currently a promising source of an efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photon source production for advanced lithography. Optimum laser pulse parameters with adjusted wavelength, energy, and duration for simple planar or spherical tin target can provide 2-3% conversion efficiency (CE) in laboratory experiments. These values are also in good agreement with modeling results. Additional effects such as targets with complex geometry and tin-doped targets using pre-pulsing of laser beams can significantly increase CE. Recent studies showed that such improvements in LPP system are due to reduction in laser energy losses by decreasing photons transmission (higher harmonic of Nd:YAG laser) or photons reflection (for CO 2 laser). Optimization of target heating using pre-pulses or ablating low-density and nanoporous tin oxide can further improve LLP sources by creating more efficient plasma plumes and as a result increasing CE, the most important parameter for EUV sources. The second important challenge in developing LPP devices is to decrease fast ions and target debris to protect the optical collection system and increase its lifetime. We investigated the combined effects of pre-pulsing with various parameters and different target geometries on EUV conversion efficiency and on energetic ions production. The much higher reflectivity of CO 2 laser from a tin target leads to two possible ways for system improvement using pre-pulses with shorter laser wavelengths or using more complex targets geometries with special grooves as developed previously by the authors.
Epithelial cell proliferation in the intestine of the winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus.

To study epithelial cell proliferation in the North American flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus), fed and fasted fish received intravenous injections of 3H-thymidine and were killed 11/2 to 2 h later. Radioautographs of proximal, middle, and distal intestinal segments revealed proliferating epithelial cells at all levels of intestinal folds including the crest although labelled nuclei were most abundant in the epithelial cells on the lower half of folds and between folds. Mature appearing goblet cells with labelled nuclei were observed at all levels of the folds. The mean labelling index was greater in the epithelium of fed than fasted flounder. In fed flounder the mean labelling index was greatest in the proximal segment and least in the distal segment; no substantive differences in mean labelling indices were observed in the various segments of intestine from fasted fish. Electron microscopy revealed no major structural differences among epithelial cells along the base of folds compared to cells near the crest of folds. These findings indicate that 1) epithelial cell proliferation occurs at all levels of the folds of flounder intestine and is not compartmentalized to the base of the folds and interfold epithelium as reported in other teleosts, and 2) epithelial cell proliferation in the flounder intestine varies with feeding status.
Inhibition of pancreatic response to cholecystokinin by isoproterenol.

Abstract Pancreatic enzyme secretion was stimulated in dogs by exogenous administration of OP-CCK and by endogenously released CCK. Intravenous isoproterenol inhibited the responses to both exogenous and endogenous CCK in a dose-related manner. The study shows that the effect of isoproterenol is on the action of CCK on pancreatic acini, rather than on the release of CCK from small bowel mucosa.
Where's that phone?: geolocating IP addresses on 3G networks

Cell phones connected to high-speed 3G networks constitute an increasingly important class of clients on the Internet. From the viewpoint of the servers they connect to, such devices are virtually indistinguishable from conventional end-hosts. In this study, we examine the IP addresses seen by Internet servers for cell phone clients and make two observations. First, individual cell phones can expose different IP addresses to servers within time spans of a few minutes, rendering IP-based user identification and blocking inadequate. Second, cell phone IP addresses do not embed geographical information at reasonable fidelity, reducing the effectiveness of commercial geolocation tools used by websites for fraud detection, server selection and content customization. In addition to these two observations, we show that application-level latencies between cell phones and Internet servers can differ greatly depending on the location of the cell phone, but do not vary much at a given location over short time spans; as a result, they provide fine-grained location information that IPs do not.
Comparison of antral tap with endoscopically directed nasal culture.

Objectives/Hypothesis: The diagnosis of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis continues to generate controversy in critically ill patients. The efficacy of endoscopically directed cultures in these patients is unknown. We compared antral tap (AT) with endoscopic tissue culture (ETC) of the osteomeatal complex in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Methods: Twenty patients admitted to a surgical/trauma ICU were evaluated by AT and ENB for the presence of rhinosinusitis. All patients had 1) a fever of unknown origin without resolution on empiric antibiotic therapy for ≥48 hrs; 2) other sources of fever ruled out; 3) computed tomography scan evidence of mucoperiosteal thickening ± sinus air/fluid levels; and 4) attempt at conservative treatment with topical decongestants and removal of all nasal intubation. Microbiologic data were collected and analyzed for any statistical difference between groups. Results: A total of 29 sides underwent simultaneous tap and endoscopically directed tissue culture. The mean age was 40 years (range, 23-77 y) with 85% being males. Fifteen of 20 (75%) patients in the AT group were culture-positive. Of the 49 isolates from the AT, 55% yielded Gram-negative bacilli (Acinetobacter sp. 37%) and 45% yielded Gram-positive cocci. The ETC group was culture-positive in 18 of 20 (90%) patients. Of the 52 isolates from the ETC, Gram-negative bacilli were found in 58% (Acinetobacter sp. 33%) and 42% yielded Gram-positive cocci. The ETCs were culture-positive in all but 1 patient with positive taps. There appeared to be a concordance between AT and ETC in 60% of the patients. In five instances (25%), results of the AT or ETC changed ICU management. Two patients ultimately required sinus surgery. Conclusions: Sinus taps and/or endoscopically directed tissue cultures led to a change in ICU care in 25% of ICU patients studied. In patients with fever of unknown origin and computed tomography evidence of sinusitis, an antral tap continues to provide important information concerning maxillary sinusitis. However, ETC may give as good a representation of the microbiology and secondary inflammatory changes responsible for bacterial ICU rhinosinusitis causing fever of unknown origin. Further study on a larger group of patients is needed.
When and how to visualize traceability links

This position paper discusses the situations when visualizing traceability links is opportune, as well as what information pertaining to these links should be visualized and how.It also presents a prototype tool, which is used to visualize traceability links to provide support for the user during recovery, maintenance, and browsing of such links.
High frequency GaAs/Al/sub 0.25/Ga/sub 0.75/As heterojunction bipolar transistors with transparent indium-tin-oxide emitter contacts

The authors have characterised a GaAs/Al0.25Ga0.75As heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) with transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) emitter contacts. An ITO to n-GaAs contact resistance of 2 × 10−7 Ω/ cm2 was measured with 50A of indium as a prelayer. HBT devices with fT = 18GHz, fmax = 20GHz, and optical pulse response of 80ps FWHM have been measured. The results indicate that this device technology is a good candidate for application in optically controlled microwave circuits.
1/f-Like Scaling in Normal Neutrophil Dynamics: Implications for Hematologic Monitoring

Daily neutrophil counts show considerable variability in normal subjects. The dynamics of these apparently erratic fluctuations have not been characterized. We hypothesized that this variability might reflect the kind of 1/f-like (inverse power-law) spectrum seen in other physiologic processes. Fast Fourier transform analysis of neutrophil count data over 64 consecutive days from four previously reported normal volunteers showed a good fit (r = 0.84; p 0.001) to the predicted power-law regression line (y = ?1.14x ?1.05). Further characterization of normal and pathologic neutrophil spectra may have diagnostic value.
Metabolic Modeling of Dynamic Brain 13C NMR Multiplet Data: Concepts and Simulations with a Two-Compartment Neuronal-Glial Model

Metabolic modeling of dynamic 13C labeling curves during infusion of 13C-labeled substrates allows quantitative measurements of metabolic rates in vivo. However metabolic modeling studies performed in the brain to date have only modeled time courses of total isotopic enrichment at individual carbon positions (positional enrichments), not taking advantage of the additional dynamic 13C isotopomer information available from fine-structure multiplets in 13C spectra. Here we introduce a new 13C metabolic modeling approach using the concept of bonded cumulative isotopomers, or bonded cumomers. The direct relationship between bonded cumomers and 13C multiplets enables fitting of the dynamic multiplet data. The potential of this new approach is demonstrated using Monte-Carlo simulations with a brain two-compartment neuronal-glial model. The precision of positional and cumomer approaches are compared for two different metabolic models (with and without glutamine dilution) and for different infusion protocols ([1,6-13C2]glucose, [1,2-13C2]acetate, and double infusion [1,6-13C2]glucose + [1,2-13C2]acetate). In all cases, the bonded cumomer approach gives better precision than the positional approach. In addition, of the three different infusion protocols considered here, the double infusion protocol combined with dynamic bonded cumomer modeling appears the most robust for precise determination of all fluxes in the model. The concepts and simulations introduced in the present study set the foundation for taking full advantage of the available dynamic 13C multiplet data in metabolic modeling.
Short‐Term Clarithromycin Administration Impairs Clearance and Enhances Pharmacodynamic Effects of Trazodone but Not of Zolpidem

The kinetic and dynamic interactions of 5 mg zolpidem and 50 mg trazodone with 500 mg clarithromycin (4 doses given over 32 h) were investigated in a 5-way double crossover study with 10 healthy volunteers. The five treatment conditions were: placebo + placebo; zolpidem + placebo; zolpidem + clarithromycin; trazodone + placebo; and trazodone + clarithromycin. Coadministration of clarithromycin increased trazodone area under the curve, prolonged elimination half-life, increased peak plasma concentration (Cmax), and reduced oral clearance. In contrast, clarithromycin had no significant effect on any kinetic parameter for zolpidem. Clarithromycin did not potentiate sedation caused by zolpidem. However, clarithromycin coadministered with trazodone significantly increased self- and observer-rated sedation and ratings of feeling “spacey.” Thus, short-term clarithromycin coadministration significantly impairs trazodone clearance, elevates plasma concentrations, and enhances sedative effects. However, clarithromycin has no significant kinetic or dynamic interaction with zolpidem. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2009); 85, 6, 644–650 doi:10.1038/clpt.2008.293
Evaluation of peak-shifting techniques for residential air conditioning demand in Saudi Arabia

Thermal energy storage (TES) can be used to shift air-conditioning (A/C) load and thus reduce peak electricity demand. A case study is presented for Saudi Arabia, within which a high penetration of small-scale residential A/C systems is prevalent. A model that estimates A/C usage for the selected network is developed. Historical demand data is used to forecast the holistic impact of extensive TES use on electricity consumption. An assessment is made of how the spread of small-scale TES may help assuage the extent by which in-Kingdom generating capacity is projected to expand over coming years.
Hypothalamic neurons secreting vasopressin and neurophysin.

Vasopressin is synthesized in the magnocellular system of the hypothalamus in clusters of cells which form the supraoptic nucleus and the paraventricular nucleus. The hormone is synthesized and packaged in neurosecretory granules with an intragpanular protein, neurophysin. The demonstration of axon flow of neurosecretory granules from the perikarya in the hypothalamus to the posterior lobe of the pituitary and subsequent release into the blood has been an important historical chapter in our understanding of neurosecretion. Isolation of neurophysins from several species and development of antisera to these peptides as well as antibodies to vasopressin have provided new tools to re-examine this system. In several species, the data indicate a specific neurophysin for vasopressin and a different neurophysin for oxytocin. It is now well established that neurophysins are secreted with hormones and this has provided a cogent argument that exocytosis is a major form of neurosecretion of vasopressin. Assay of neurophysin in plasma can be used to study vasopressin release. Immunohistochemical studies using antibodies to vasopressin and neurophysin demonstrated that the magnocellular system is more diffusely distributed throughout the hypothalamus than was previously appreciated. In addition, vasopressin and neurophysin are formed in both the supraoptic and paraventricular neurons and there are three pathways of secretion. The major pathway is the supraoptico-hypophyseal tract to the posterior lobe. The second pathway is to the external zone of the median eminence for secretion into the hypophyseal portal blood. The third pathway is to the third ventricle for secretion into cerebral spinal fluid. Vasopressin in the external zone is greatly increased by the absence of adrenal cortical steroids which suggests that vasopressin may play a role in the hypothalamic anterior pituitary adrenal axis. The cerebral spinal fluid pathway may be important in man if vasopressin is found to have the memory consolidating effects which have been investigated in other animals.
The Role of Intracellular Signaling in Insulin-mediated Regulation of Drug Metabolizing Enzyme Gene and Protein Expression

Endogenous factors, including hormones, growth factors and cytokines, play an important role in the regulation of hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme expression in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Diabetes, fasting, obesity, protein-calorie malnutrition and long-term alcohol consumption produce changes in hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme gene and protein expression. This difference in expression alters the metabolism of xenobiotics, including procarcinogens, carcinogens, toxicants and therapeutic agents, potentially impacting the efficacy and safety of therapeutic agents, and/or resulting in drug-drug interactions. Although the mechanisms by which xenobiotics regulate drug metabolizing enzymes have been studied intensively, less is known regarding the cellular signaling pathways and components which regulate drug metabolizing enzyme gene and protein expression in response to hormones and cytokines. Recent findings, however, have revealed that several cellular signaling pathways are involved in hormone- and growth factor-mediated regulation of drug metabolizing enzymes. Our laboratory has reported that insulin and growth factors regulate drug metabolizing enzyme gene and protein expression, including cytochromes P450 (CYP), glutathione S-transferases (GST) and microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH), through receptors which are members of the large receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family, and by downstream effectors such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), Akt/protein kinase B (PKB), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and the p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6 kinase). Here, we review current knowledge of the signaling pathways implicated in regulation of drug metabolizing enzyme gene and protein expression in response to insulin and growth factors, with the goal of increasing our understanding of how disease affects these signaling pathways, components, and ultimately gene expression and translational control.
The Role of Microparticles in Inflammation and Thrombosis

Microparticles (MP) are small membrane-bound vesicles that circulate in the peripheral blood and play active roles in thrombosis, inflammation and vascular reactivity. While MP can be released from nearly every cell type, most investigation has focused on MP of platelet, leucocyte and endothelial cell origin. Cells can release MP during activation or death. Flow cytometry is the usual method to quantify MP; the small size of these structures and lack of standardization in methodology complicate measurement. As MP contain surface and cytoplasmic contents of the parent cells and bear phosphatidylserine, antibodies to specific cell surface markers and annexin V can be used for identification. Through various mechanisms, MP participate in haemostasis and have procoagulant potential in disease. MP contribute to inflammation via their influence on cell-cell interactions and cytokine release, and MP also function in mediating vascular tone. In several disease states characterized by inflammation and vascular dysfunction, MP subpopulations are elevated, correlate with clinical events, and may have important roles in pathogenesis. In the rheumatic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, MP are potentially important markers of disease activity and have an increasingly recognized role in immunopathogenesis. It is clear that MP play an important role in atherosclerosis, and study of these structures may provide insight into the link between chronic inflammatory conditions and accelerated atherosclerosis. As biomarkers, MP allow access to usually inaccessible tissues such as the endothelium. Further research will hopefully lead to interventions targeting MP release and function.
A Homeopathic Model of Psychotherapy

This article sets forth a theoretical model for psychotherapy. Distinction is made between allopathic techniques, which oppose the problem, and homeopathic techniques, which prescribe the problem as a means of treatment. Five techniques are reviewed: psychoanalysis, catharsis, Gestalt awareness techniques, Rogerian acceptance, and paradoxical intention strategies. The literature of each is briefly reviewed and concepts that support the thesis of this article are discussed. The hypothesis is advanced that these techniques constitute a homeopathic approach to psychotherapy, in that (in different ways) each calls on the client to continue to have or to intensify experience already present. Contrasting techniques (psychosurgery, drugs, ECT, certain behavior modification techniques, exhortation, and confrontation) are characterized as allopathic. Differences between the two models are delineated and the rationales and advantages of the homeopathic model are discussed. Parallels between the homeopathic model an...
Annotating Java class files with virtual registers for performance

The Java .class file is a compact encoding of programs for a stack-based virtual machine. It is intended for use in a networked environment, which requires machine independence and minimized consumption of network bandwidth. However, as in all interpreted virtual machines, performance does not match that of code generated for the target machine. We propose verifiable, machine-independent annotations to the Java class file to bring the quality of the code generated by a ‘just-in-time’ compiler closer to that of an optimizing compiler without a significant increase in code generation time. This division of labor has expensive machine-independent analysis performed off-line and inexpensive machine-dependent code-generation performed on the client. We call this phenomenon ‘super-linear analysis and linear exploitation.’ These annotations were designed mindful of the concurrency features of the Java language. In this paper we report results from our machine-independent, prioritized register assignment. We also discuss other possible annotations. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Theory of Relative Shares

I. The theory of relative shares, 575. — II. The aggregation problem, 577. — III. A suggested integration, 584. —IV. An empirical test of the theory, 585. —V. Conclusions, 590.
Considerations for millimeter wave printed antennas

Calculated data are presented on the performance of printed antenna elements on substrates which may be electrically thick, as would be the case for printed antennas at millimeter wave frequencies. Printed dipoles and microstrip patch antennas on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), quartz, and gallium arsenide substrates are considered. Data are given for resonant length, resonant resistance, bandwidth, loss due to surface waves, loss due to dielectric heating, and mutual coupling. Also presented is an optimization procedure for maximizing or minimizing power launched into surface waves from a multielement printed antenna array. The data are calculated by a moment method solution.
Productivity Growth Without Technical Change in European Agriculture: Reply to Komlos

In "Productivity Growth without Technical Change in European Agriculture before 1850," I argued that output per worker in agriculture in the northern United States and Britain was much higher in the early nineteenth century than in Eastern Europe, in large part simply because agricultural laborers worked harder or more effectively in the United States and Britain. The major evidence I had was measures of the rate at which hand threshing and reaping, tasks involving long-established techniques and little capital, were performed in different countries. I also argued that since all labor was employed at harvest time, the much higher outputs of grains per worker in Britain and the northern United States implied harder work, on the grounds that the bushels that could be harvested per worker were not very sensitive to yields. John Komlos has sprung to the defense of the peasants of Eastern Europe who he feels were defamed in my article. They were not the irrational and unproductive sluggards allegedly portrayed there. Output per worker was not particularly low; to the extent it was, it was because labor was cheap in Eastern Europe, capital and land were scarce, the techniques known to the cultivators were primitive, many more animals were employed for traction in the United States, the cultivators were undernourished, the physical environment was not conducive to the systems of agriculture which allowed for high output per worker in such countries as the United States, and cultivators faced a high marginal tax rate.2 Eastern European peasants were doing the best they could given the multitudinous constraints that bound them. "These were not 'aliens' whose 'tastes' for work, or whose 'mental life' differed. Rather East European peasants faced a different set of relative prices, had to contend with a less flexible institutional environment, and had a different endowment of resources and factors of production than American farmers. Although chronically malnourished, and enjoying little opportunity for either spatial or social mobility, they worked a small piece of land with as much care and intensity as could be expected in such an underdeveloped economy."3
Continuous singular measures equivalent to their convolution squares

Throughout this paper, G will denote a locally compact, non-discrete, Abelian group (subjected to various conditions) and X wi11 denote the character group of G. All terminology and notation are as in (7). The measure algebra M(G), as is known, is a very complicated entity. We address ourselves here to some novel peculiarities of the subspace Ms(G) of continuous measures in M(G) that are singular with respect to Haar measure λ.
The Lived Experience of Feeling Misunderstood

The purpose of this study was to uncover the structure of the lived experience of feeling misunderstood. Parse's phenomenological-hermeneutic research method was used to answer the research question: What is the structure of the lived experience of feeling misunderstood? Extraction-synthesis revealed four core concepts. The structure is the lived experience of feeling misunderstood is disheartening insignificance surfacing with discordant affiliations, as resignation with resiliency emerges with inventive endeavors. Implications for nursing research and practice are presented.
Prevalencia, abundancia y caracterización de morfoespecies de sanguijuelas (Annelida: Hirudinea) en peces intermareales de Chile central

The aim of this study is to describe and compare the morphology and morphometry of leeches from intertidal fish. A total of 2, 124 fish specimens that belonged to 15 species were collected from intertidal rocky pools from central Chile. They were externally examined for leeches. Twelve fish species harboured these parasites but only three of them had the sufficient number of individuals to perform morphometrical analyses. Five morphotypes of leeches were cJassified according to their colour and size; three morphotypes (MTl, MT2 and MT3) were from Scartichthys viridis, a morphotype (MT4) was from Sicyases sanguineus, and another morphotype (MT5) was from Aphos porosus. The five morphotypes were compared using six morphometrical measurements (length and width of the body, diarneter of oral and posterior suckers, length of cJitellum and position of cJitellum from the anterior end). Morphometrical comparisons were based on absolute and relative measurements. The results indicated that MT4 and MT5 differed from the other morphotypes, whereas MTl, 2 and 3 did not differ significantly among them. MT4 had body and suckers wider than the other four morphotypes, whereas MT5 was longer, thinner and with a longer clitellum than the other morphotypes. According to these results, each fish species, ofthe three analyzed, harboured a distinct morphospecies. These leeches belong to the Piscicolidae family; although it was not possible to identify them at a genus leve!. This study al so provides new records of leeches for nine intertidal fish species of Chile.
Efficacy of charge sharing in reshaping the surface electric field in high-voltage lateral RESURF devices

A simple one-dimensional (1-D) analytical solution method for analyzing and determining the breakdown properties of reduced surface field (RESURF) lateral devices is presented. The solution demonstrates quantitatively and qualitatively the reshaping and reduction of the electric field and its dependence on the device/process key parameters. The solution is based on a simple and physical charge-sharing approach that takes into account the modulation of the lateral depletion layer spreading caused by the vertical depletion extension, and therefore transforms the inherent two-dimensional effects into a simple 1-D equivalent. It also provides a reasonable insight on the breakdown voltage sensitivity of lateral RESURF devices to key device/process parameters that other researchers failed to provide. Using the technique, device designers can set and choose the optimal processing window of the device's critical layers to yield high breakdown voltages. The results obtained using the proposed solution method agree well with the experimental and simulation results.
Posterior apical ectodermal ridge removal in the chick wing bud triggers a series of events resulting in defective anterior pattern formation.

The ability of the anterior apical ectodermal ridge to promote outgrowth in the chick wing bud when disconnected from posterior apical ridge was examined by rotating the posterior portion of the stage-19/20 to stage-21 wing bud around its anteroposterior axis. This permitted contact between the anterior and posterior mesoderm, without removing wing bud tissue. In a small but significant number of cases (10/54), anterior structures (digit 2) formed spatially isolated from posterior structures (digits 3 and 4). Thus, continuity with posterior ridge is not a prerequisite for anterior-ridge function in the wing bud. Nevertheless, posterior-ridge removal does result in anterior limb truncation. To investigate events leading to anterior truncation, we examined cell death patterns in the wing bud following posterior-ridge removal. We observed an abnormal area of necrosis along the posterior border of the wing bud at 6–12 h following posterior-ridge removal. This was followed by necrosis in the distal, anterior mesoderm at 48 h postoperatively and subsequent anterior truncation. Clearly, healthy posterior limb bud mesoderm is needed for anterior limb bud survival and development. We propose that anterior truncation is the direct result of anterior mesodermal cell death and that this may not be related to positional specification of anterior cells. In our view, cell death of anterior mesoderm, after posterior mesoderm removal, should not be used as evidence for a role in position specification by the polarizing zone during the limb bud stages of development. We suggest that the posterior mesoderm that maintains the anterior mesoderm need not be restricted to the mapped polarizing zone, but is more extensively distributed in the limb bud.
Application of Colorimetric Assays to Assess Viability, Growth and Metabolism of Hydrogel-Encapsulated Cells

The applicability of the colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiozol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays to measure cell growth and viability in hydrogel encapsulation systems was investigated using HepG2 liver cells encapsulated in alginate matrices. The MTT assay was effective in measuring viable cell density in alginate-encapsulated cell systems, demonstrating less variance and higher throughput capability than hemocytometry. The LDH assay was effective in measuring dead cell density in monolayer cultures and in alginate-encapsulated cells simply by measuring the LDH concentration secreted into the medium. Further validation of these assays was shown in two additional cell lines (rat muscle and mouse embryonic fibroblasts). The MTT and LDH assays are particularly significant in the rapid evaluation of in vitro cell encapsulation device design.
Temporal characteristics of human taste judgements as calibrations for gustatory event-related potentials and gustatory magnetoencephalographs.

Activity in the central nervous system (CNS) constantly fluctuates. CNS changes that are potential responses to sensory stimulation must occur before an observable external outcome of the stimulation. If the external change is an overt, measurable behavior, then the time interval between a controlled stimulus and the behavior is a reaction time (RT) (Halpern, 1986, 1991, 1994). Human RT can be used to predict when relevant changes in human CNS activity in response to a specified controlled stimulus will occur. Therefore, human RT both indicate the time after stimulus onset (latency) when relevant human CNS changes should be found and provide a means of excluding CNS changes for which the latency is too long. Human gustatory RT require controlled stimuli with known arrival times, concentration profiles and durations. They can be provided by rapidly changing from a carrier liquid (solvent only) to a stimulus liquid (solvent plus solute), both delivered at a fixed flow rate and temperature over a consistent and limited area of the human tongue for predetermined durations and then rapidly changing back to the carrier liquid (e.g. Kelling and Halpern, 1983, 1987, 1988). Physical measurements at the tongue of concentration changes over time provide calibration of stimulus duration and concentration profile. Effects of the rapid change events on RT are identified by ‘changing’ from carrier liquid to carrier liquid, thus controlling for responses to alterations in liquid flow. If subjects are asked to respond only to taste changes and are given identified practice trials during which there is, or is not, a change from carrier liquid to stimulus liquid and back to carrier liquid, then reports of a change in taste during unidentified simple taste reaction time (RTs) control trials average 100 ms (Kelling and Halpern, 1987). RT responses may require movement of a button or lever, or a spoken word; in some instances, a computer display gives feedback. All timing accuracy can be at the millisecond level.
Surgical risk in alcoholic cirrhotic postmenopausal women: Prognostic value of levels of hormones

Because increased prolactin levels and hyperprolactinemia in the presence of encephalopathy in males with cirrhosis (alcohol-induced cirrhosis in particular) are associated with statistically increased mortality, we have examined pre-surgical levels of prolactin and other hormones, as well as the presence of encephalopathy, in 12 postmenopausal women with end-stage alcohol-induced cirrhosis in relation to liver transplant survival. Levels of estradiol were significantly lower, while luteinizing hormone (LH) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone as well as the ratio of estradiol to testosterone were significantly higher prior to transplantation among the women who survived, compared with non-survivors. A similar pattern was seen for transplant candidates who died before transplantation as compared with still-living candidates. These findings suggest that pre-operative levels of sex steroids and pituitary hormones may have prognostic value in alcoholic cirrhotic postmenopausal women undergoing liver transplantation.
pig's teeth and skull cycles: both sides of the face of humanity

Pigs are a multivocal key symbol in Kaulong definition of humanity. According to individual behavior both pigs and people are placed along a continuum marked at one extreme by that which is characteristic of the inhuman “wild boar,” and at the other by that characteristic of the “ideally human” person of renown. The essential and continuous interdependence of pigs and people in order to maintain humanity in an otherwise inhuman world is explored in depth and in both ritual and nonritual contexts, extending our understanding of the meaning of pigs in Papua New Guinea beyond that of transactable symbols of wealth and power and as elements in ritual ecology. [pigs, humanity, social identity, Melanesia, death rituals]
Genetic and environmental effects on serum cholesterol of dairy cattle of various ages.

Abstract Serum cholesterol of dairy cattle, particularly when measured on animals of the same approximate age, is a heritable trait. Heritabilities were .50 for first lactation cows and .19 for heifers from 2 to 22 mo of age. Serum cholesterol increases with increasing age. Serum cholesterol was 172.8 mg/100 ml in cows and 121.4 mg/100 ml in heifers. Serum cholesterol was relatively low at the onset of lactation, increased at mid-lactation, and leveled off or decreased in late lactation. Month of calving, year of sampling, and ration did not influence serum cholesterol of first lactation cows. However, variation in both month and year of sampling was significant for heifers.