cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estrogen via estrogen receptor beta partially inhibits mandibular condylar cartilage growth.

Summary Objective Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases predominantly afflict women, suggesting a role for female hormones in the disease process. However, little is known about the role of estrogen receptor (ER) signaling in regulating mandibular condylar cartilage growth. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effects of altered estrogen levels on the mandibular condylar cartilage in wild type (WT) and ER beta Knockout (KO) mice. Materials and methods 21-day-old female WT ( n = 37) and ER beta KO mice ( n = 36) were either sham operated or ovariectomized, and treated with either placebo or estradiol. The mandibular condylar cartilage was evaluated by histomorphometry, proliferation was analyzed by double ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine/bromodeoxyuridine (EdU/BrdU) labeling, and assays on gene and protein expression of chondrocyte maturation markers were performed. Results In WT mice, ovariectomy caused a significant increase in mandibular condylar cartilage cell numbers, a significant increase in Sox9 expression and a significant increase in proliferation compared with sham operated WT mice. In contrast, ovariectomy did not cause any of these effects in the ER beta KO mice. Estrogen replacement treatment in ovariectomized WT mice caused a significant decrease in ER alpha expression and a significant increase in Sost expression compared with ovariectomized mice treated with placebo. Estrogen replacement treatment in ovariectomized ER beta KO mice caused a significant increase in Col2 expression, no change in ER alpha expression, and a significant increase in Sost expression. Conclusion Estrogen via ER beta inhibits proliferation and ER alpha expression while estrogen independent of ER beta induces Col2 and Sost expression.
Graduate Engineers Evaluate Their in-House Oral Presentation Course

Graduate engineers who took an eight-week course-Effective Oral Presentation of Scientific Information-evaluated their course according to the following aspects of the course: selection of students, size of the class, number of sessions, conferences, and their reactions to the presentations made on closed-circuit television.
Comparison of modern steroid-eluting epicardial and thin transvenous pacemaker leads in pediatric and congenital heart disease patients.

Objective: Optimal pacemaker lead choice in pediatric patients eligible for either epicardial or transvenous leads remains unclear. We compared performances of modern thin transvenous (TTV) and steroid-eluting epicardial (SEE) leads in patients followed at one pediatric center. Methods: Retrospective review of patients with qualifying leads implanted from August 1997 to March 2004. Threshold energy (TE) at implant and follow-up, sensing thresholds, lead complications, and repeat pacing-related procedures were analyzed. Lead performances were compared using t-tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and Cox regression. Survival curves were plotted using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: A total of 370 implant procedures, 521 leads, and 1549 visits were evaluated. In all, 256 leads were SEE (49%, 184 implants) and 265 were TTV (51%, 186 implants). Median follow-up was 29 months (range 1–80 months). Patients with SEE systems were younger at implant (6 vs. 17 yrs, p < 0.001), and more had congenital heart defects (82% vs. 57%, p < 0.001). At follow-up, ventricular TEs were higher for SEE leads at implant (p < 0.001), 1 month (p < 0.001), and up to 4 years (p = 0.019). When compared across all follow-up durations combined, TTV TEs were significantly lower than SEE TEs for both atrial and ventricular leads (p < 0.001). A total of 70 repeat procedures were performed in 60 patients during the study period, which comprised 18% of SEE and 14% of TTV system patients (p = NS). In all, 18 TTV and 19 SEE leads failed (p = NS). Estimated freedom from lead failure at 1, 3, and 5 years was 97%, 88%, 85% for TTV leads and 96%, 92%, and 58% for SEE leads (log rank P = NS). Conclusions: Both SEE and TTV leads showed good mid-term performance and survival in our cohort. Higher TEs seen for SEE leads, especially ventricular and unipolar leads, may result in higher current drain and thus more generator replacements than TTV systems. Lead failure rates were comparable across lead types. TTV leads offer a promising alternative to SEE systems in terms of performance for young patients without intracardiac shunting who do not require open-chest surgery for another indication.
Discrete-time adaptive control of systems consisting of known and unknown subsystems

A method is presented for the discrete-time adaptive control of systems resulting from the cascade, parallel, and feedback interconnection of two subsystem pairs, each of which consists of a cascade of known and unknown blocks. Such interconnection can realistically represent physical systems to be controlled. Partial plant knowledge is incorporated into the adaptive algorithm so as to reduce the number of parameters to be identified. >
Magnetic susceptibility measurement using a double-DANTE tagging (DDT) sequence.

Preliminary results are presented for the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurement of field gradients generated by differences in magnetic susceptibility. The DDT technique maps the resonant frequency throughout the sample in a single image. Regions of paramagnetic and diamagnetic susceptibility are differentiated with a single magnitude-calculated image. © 1991 Academic Press. Inc.
Expression of Trypanosoma cruzi surface antigen FL-160 is controlled by elements in the 3' untranslated, the 3' intergenic, and the coding regions.

Abstract The FL-160 surface antigen gene family of T. cruzi consists of hundreds of members of 160 kDa glycoproteins expressed in trypomastigotes, but not in epimastigotes. Steady-state levels of FL-160 mRNA were 80 to 100-fold higher in trypomastigotes than in epimastigotes, yet transcription rates were equivalent between the lifecycle stages. Luciferase reporter constructs demonstrated that the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) and intergenic region (IR) following the coding sequence of FL-160 was sufficient to generate 8-fold higher luciferase expression in trypomastigotes compared with epimastigotes. Transfection of 3′ UTR/IR deletion constructs revealed cis-acting elements which conferred a trypomastigote-specific expression pattern similar to that of FL-160. Parasites treated with translation and transcription inhibitors, cyclohexamide and Actinomycin D, respectively, displayed a stage-specific pattern of FL-160 mRNA degradation. Epimastigotes, but not trypomastigotes, treated with the inhibitors accumulated a 1.4 Kb FL-160 cleavage product. The cleavage site mapped to a 31 base poly-purine tract in the FL-160 coding region. The first 526 aa of FL-160, containing the 31 base poly-purine tract and several smaller tracts, were fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) and expressed from the T. cruzi tubulin locus. Stable transformants expressed 4-fold more FL-160:GFP fusion mRNA and 12-fold more fusion protein in the trypomastigote stage than in the epimastigote stage suggesting post-transcriptional and translational control elements. These data reveal at least two distinct control mechanisms for trypomastigote-specific expression of FL-160 surface glycoproteins, one involving the 3′ UTR/IR and one involving the coding region of FL-160.
Synthesis of TiAl from Sponge Ti and Chip Al through a Mechanical Alloying-Pulse Discharge Sintering Process

In order to realize the practical application of TiAl alloys in automobile industry, the possibility of decreasing cost of engine components by applying low-cost and recycled raw materials, in place of expensive elemental powders, was investigated. The TiAl exhaust valves with a relative density of 99% were made from chip Al and sponge Ti/Titanium Hydride (TiH 2 ) through the Mechanical Alloying-Pulse Discharge Sintering technique (MA-PDS). The sintered specimens from the sponge TiH 2 /chip-Al system have the same level of fracture strength as those sintered from the powdered Ti/Al system, although the commercial price of TiH 2 is only one third that of Ti powder and the price of chip Al is one sixteenth that of Al powder. XRD results showed that specimens from the TiH 2 /chip-Al system consisted of duplex phases of TiAl and Ti 3 Al, which is identical with that of specimens from the Ti/Al powder system. On the other hand, the specimens from sponge-Ti/chip-Al system with the lowest cost have slightly lower mechanical properties caused by the unexpected coarse Al-rich phase.
Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin and gamma-glutamyltransferase for the detection and monitoring of alcohol use: results from a multisite study.

Background The purpose of this article is to evaluate the biological marker of heavy alcohol use, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), in contrast to the older and more widely used γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) for the detection and monitoring of heavy alcohol use. Methods In this report, CDT and GGT sensitivity and specificity for heavy alcohol intake are examined in a large multisite study in which 444 recently admitted inpatient alcoholics were compared with 204 matched social drinker controls. In addition, changes in these biomarkers were evaluated during an initial abstinence period and biweekly over 14 weeks of monitoring to compare changes in CDT and GGT during continued abstinence or relapse. Results CDT and GGT were comparable in identifying heavy alcohol consumption in men, but GGT appeared to be better for women. For both genders, when these markers were combined, there was better sensitivity than when used alone. CDT and GGT both decreased during 4 weeks of abstinence. When we used a 30% increase from baseline abstinent levels as an indicator, CDT appeared marginally better than GGT at indicating relapse in men but not in women. For men in particular, relapse over the course of the study was best identified by evaluating changes (30% increase) in both markers simultaneously. Conclusions These results support the utility of CDT, especially when used in conjunction with GGT, as an aid in detecting and monitoring heavy alcohol consumption.
The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis: An overview

In this unifying hypothesis directed to the etiology and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, the importance of focal arterial lesion-prone sites has been emphasized. Key initial participants in these sites include the focal intimal influx and accumulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and a preferential recruitment of blood monocytes. Both are further enhanced in the presence of hyperlipidemia, when the quantity of intimal LDL and the oxidative potential of the intima exceed the capacity of macrophages to remove, via the non-down-regulating scavenger receptor, cytotoxic anionic (Ox-LDL) macromolecules. Foam cells, pathognomonic of the fatty streak, form during the receptor-mediated uptake of Ox-LDL by the macrophages. Interstitial free radicals and the excess of Ox-LDL particles injure and kill cells, including the foam cells, with the formation of the necrotic extracellular lipid core, a key transitional step in lesion progression. Monocyte-macrophage recruitment to the intima is likely to be regulated not only by a multiplicity of endothelial adhesive cytokines, integrins, and selectins, but also by the monocyte-specific chemoattractant, MCP-1, constitutively synthesized and secreted by intimal smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Its synthesis and secretion is augmented by mildly oxidized LDL. Free radicals, pivotal in the oxidation of LDL, and derived from activated macrophages, and also endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Smooth muscle cells migrate from the media through the intimal endothelial layer (IEL) and proliferate under the regulation of a number of mitogens, including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Collagen synthesis by smooth muscle cells is substantial. Lymphocytes, as a source of interferons, invade the plaque and are present in the adventitia in substantial numbers, likely representing an autoimmune response in the later stages of plaque development. Platelets and mural thrombosis directly contribute to subsequent plaque growth, particularly after plaque rupture or fissure and disruption of the thromboresistant endothelial cells (EC). Plaque regression in all likelihood involves the conversion of the inert pool of extracellular lipid to a metabolically active intracellular pool and subsequent clearance by the high-density lipoprotein mediated reverse cholesterol transport system. The atherogenic cascades so described conceptually represent arterial inflammatory and healing processes occurring in a hyperlipidemic environment. Many components of pathogenesis are the targets for modulation by genetic, hemodynamic and selected risk factors. The prevention and treatment of the disease should logically target reduction in plasma LDL levels, the inhibition of the oxidative modification of lipoproteins, including LDL, by free radical scavengers, and augmentation of the reverse cholesterol transport system.
Spectral Estimation of Voiced Speech using a Family of MVDR Estimates

We present a robust approach to modeling voiced speech using a family of minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) spectral estimates. The method exploits the fact that for a fixed model order, for a sinusoidal signal in noise, the MVDR estimate at the sinusoidal frequency is approximately related to the sinusoidal and noise power in a simple linear manner with the coefficients being dependent on the model order. Modeling voiced speech as a sum of harmonic signals, we then use the aforementioned relationship along with a least squares approach to combine a family of MVDR estimates (MVDR estimates of different orders) and develop a robust approach for modeling voiced speech. Experimental results of spectral estimation of sinusoids, synthetic vowels, and actual speech signals at SNR of 0 dB and 5 dB using this approach indicate an increased resolution in the estimated MVDR spectra. The MFCC computed from the MVDR spectra using this approach are also used for speaker identification experiments on the TEMIT database at various SNR. The results indicate a reasonable improvement in recognition performance when compared to the MFCC and the fixed order MVDR-MFCC.
Multimodal optical coherence tomography and fluorescence lifetime imaging system for simultaneous anatomical and biochemical imaging of biological tissue

We have developed a multimodal optical system for simultaneous optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), and demonstrate its capability for high-speed co-registered micro-anatomical and biochemical tissue imaging.
Surgical wound infection rates by wound class, operative procedure, and patient risk index

To perform a valid comparison of rates among surgeons, among hospitals, or across time, surgical wound infection (SWI) rates must account for the variation in patients' underlying severity of illness and other important risk factors. From January 1987 through December 1990, 44 National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System hospitals reported data collected under the detailed option of the surgical patient surveillance component protocol, which includes definitions of eligible patients, operations, and nosocomial infections. Pooled mean SWI rates (number of infections per 100 operations) within each of the categories of the traditional wound classification system were 2.1, 3.3, 6.4, and 7.1, respectively. A risk index was developed to predict a surgical patient's risk of acquiring an SWI. The risk index score, ranging from 0 to 3, is the number of risk factors present among the following: (1) a patient with an American Society of Anesthesiologists preoperative assessment score of 3, 4, or 5, (2) an operation classified as contaminated or dirty-infected, and (3) an operation lasting over T hours, where T depends upon the operative procedure being performed. The SWI rates for patients with scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3 were 1.5, 2.9, 6.8, and 13.0, respectively. The risk index is a significantly better predictor of SWI risk than the traditional wound classification system and performs well across a broad range of operative procedures.
Who performs endocrine operations in the United States

Abstract Background Endocrine surgery is a discipline that is dedicated to high-quality care of patients with endocrine surgical disease. The relationship between its “identity” as a separate field and clinical practice patterns is not known. Methods The National Inpatient Sample was searched by the International Classification of Diseases–9th revision–Clinical Modification codes for parathyroidectomy, thyroidectomy, and adrenalectomy for the years 1988 through 2000. The surgeons who performed these operations were profiled by 2 methods: Method A, by the percentage of the total primary International Classification of Diseases–9th revision–Clinical Modification procedure codes that were the selected endocrine procedures; method B, by absolute number of index endocrine procedures performed per year. Only patients with complete coding data for the surgeons were included. Results In this sample, surgeons whose practice was comprised of 25% or less of these endocrine procedures performed 11,071 parathyroidectomies (78% of total), 46,210 thyroidectomies (82% of total), and 4209 adrenalectomies (94% of total). In contrast, surgeons whose practice was comprised of more than 75% of these endocrine procedures performed 769 parathyroidectomies (5% of total), 1560 thyroidectomies (3% of total), and 128 adrenalectomies (3% of total). Conclusion If these data can be extrapolated to indicate generalized practice patterns, the majority of common operations for endocrine disease are performed by surgeons whose practice is not focused on endocrine surgery. However, much of this effect is due to the fact that non–endocrine surgeons far outnumber endocrine surgeons. This understanding of clinical practice patterns will be important to consider during future studies that seek to determine the relationship between surgeon volume and patient outcomes.
Birds and Their Ticks in Northwestern California: Minimal Contribution to Borrelia Burgdorferi Enzootiology

Birds and their attendant ticks were surveyed for infection with the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, in chaparral and woodland-grass habitats in northwestern California from March to July, 1998 to 1999. In total, 234 birds were captured and recaptured (15%); nearly 2.5 times more birds were captured in chaparral than in woodland-grass. Overall, 34 species representing 15 families were collected during this study; of these, 24 species were caught in chaparral, 19 in woodland-grass, and 9 in both vegetational types. The most frequently captured birds were sage sparrows (Amphispiza belli) in chaparral, and American robins (Turdus migratorius) and oak titmice (Baelophus inornatus) in woodland-grass. Birds hosted 35 Ixodes pacificus (15 larvae, 20 nymphs) and 9 Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (3 larvae, 5 nymphs, 1 adult) ticks, of which 32 were removed from chaparral birds and 12 from woodland birds. The prevalence of tick infestation was 13% (21/167) in chaparral and 5% (3/67) in woodland-grass, but the relative and mean tick intensities of 0.19 and 1.5 for chaparral birds, and 0.18 and 4.0 for woodland birds, respectively, did not differ significantly by habitat. Spirochetes were not detected in either bird-blood or tick-tissue samples when tested by culture, immunofluorescence, or Giemsa-staining. In contrast, over 90% (86/94) of western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) collected in June or July were infested with an average of 6.9 and 8.9 immature I. pacificus in chaparral and woodland-grass, respectively. We conclude that birds contribute little to the enzootiology of B. burgdorferi in chaparral and woodland-grass habitats in northwestern California because of their limited parasitism by tick vectors and lack of detectable spirochetemias.
The Energetic Ear

As the gateway to human communication, the sense of hearing is of enormous importance in our lives. Research on hearing has recently been revolutionized by the demonstration that the ear is not simply a passive receiver for sound, but also an amplifier that augments, filters, and compresses its inputs. Hair cells, the ear's sensory receptors, use two distinct methods to implement an active process that endows our hearing with these remarkable properties. First, the vibration-sensitive structures of the ear, called hair bundles, display a mechanical instability that allows them to oscillate in response to stimulation. And second, the membranes of hair cells are replete with proteins that contract in response to electrical stimuli, thus enabling the cells to act like tiny muscles. The activity of these two motile processes can be so exuberant as to cause normal ears to emit sounds.
Intravascular acoustic radiation force imaging

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up in the arterial wall, narrowing and hardening the vessel and restricting the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. Plaques characterized by a thin fibrous cap and a soft, lipid-rich necrotic core are vulnerable to rupture, which can result in a heart attack or stroke. Our long-term goal is the development of an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) probe capable of high-resolution acoustic radiation force imaging in the coronary arteries, to identify and characterize vulnerable plaque. We investigate the feasibility of this approach through construction of a prototype transducer and finite-element simulation of soft plaque response to an acoustic radiation force excitation.
Benchmarking Short Sequence Mapping Tools

The development of next-generation sequencing instruments has lead to the generation of millions of short sequences in a single run. The process of aligning these reads to a reference genome is time consuming and demands the development of fast and accurate alignment tools. However, the current proposed tools make different compromises between the accuracy and the speed of mapping. Moreover, many important aspects are overlooked when comparing the performance of a newly developed tool to the state of the art. Therefore, there is a need for an objective evaluation method that covers the various aspects. In this work, we introduce a benchmarking suite to extensively analyze various tools with respect to the different comparison aspects and provide an objective comparison. In order to assess our work, we applied our benchmarking tests on seven well known mapping tools, namely, Bowtie, BWA, SOAP, MAQ, RMAP, GSNAP, and FANGS. Bowtie, BWA, SOAP, GSNAP, and FANGS are based on indexing the reference genome, whereas MAQ and RMAP are based on building hash tables for the reads. It is shown that the benchmarking tests reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each tool. In addition, the tests can be further applied to other tools. The results show that there is no clear winner. However, Bowtie maintained the best throughput for most of the tests while BWA performed better for longer read lengths.
Nature of the Platelet Defect in the Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome

Summary The thrombocytopenia in patients with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome was found to be due to increased platelet destruction caused by an intracorpuscular cell defect. Multiple abnormalities of platelet structure, function, and metabolism were also observed. Platelet adhesiveness to collagen, and platelet aggregation with ADP, collagen, and epinephrine were reduced or absent in the affected patients and partially depressed also in the clinically normal female carrier. Of various biochemical alterations, the decrease in platelet glycogen and in hexokinase activity were most prominent. The latter defect was, however, not rate limiting. Although these platelets were capable of phagocytosis, the typical metabolic reaction to it, with increase in the citric acid cycle activity, did not occur. This reaction was severely depressed also when other aggregating stimuli such as ADP, collagen, and epinephrine were used. Thrombin, on the other hand, could produce both aggregation and stimulation of the citric acid cycle. It is concluded that platelets in the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome have a basic defect in energy metabolism. Although there is no intrinsic block in anaerobic and aerobic glycolysis, stimulation of the citric acid cycle does not occur with common aggregating (and degranulating) agents, most probably because a physiologic “regulator” of this metabolic pathway, the energy of which is indispensable for normal platelet aggregation, is lacking or is not made available. Thrombin can either liberate or substitute for such regulator.
Early-Life Antecedents of Atrial Fibrillation: Place of Birth and Atrial Fibrillation-Related Mortality

Purpose Recent evidence suggests early-life factors correlate with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that AF-related mortality, similar to stroke mortality, is elevated for individuals born in the southeastern United States. Methods We estimated 3-year (1999-2001) average AF-related mortality rates by using U.S. vital statistics for 55- to 89-year-old white (136,573 AF-related deaths) and black subjects (8,288 AF-related deaths). We estimated age- and sex-adjusted odds of AF-related (contributing cause) mortality associated with birth state, and birth within the U.S. stroke belt (SB), stratified by race. SB results were replicated with the use of 1989-1991 data. Results Among black subjects, four contiguous birth states were associated with statistically significant odds ratios ≥ 1.25 compared with the national average AF-related mortality. The four highest-risk birth states for blacks also predicted elevated AF-related mortality among white subjects, but patterns were attenuated. The odds ratio for AF-related mortality associated with SB birth was 1.19 (confidence interval 1.13-1.25) for black and 1.09 (CI 1.07-1.12) for white subjects when we adjusted for SB adult residence. Conclusions Place of birth predicted AF-related mortality, after we adjusted for place of adult residence. The association of AF-related mortality and SB birth parallels that of other cardiovascular diseases and may likewise indicate an importance of early life factors in the development of AF.
Automated Testing of Environment-Dependent Programs - A Case Study of Modeling the File System for Pex

Programs that interact with the file system are a classical challenge for automated software testing. A common approach to handling this problem is to insert an abstraction layer between the application and the file system. However, even with a well-defined abstraction layer, the burden on the software developer or tester is still high: they have to understand the subtleties of the file system to craft a meaningful set of test cases. The file system is accessed through a complex API, which often causes developers to overlook obscure yet possible corner cases. In this paper, we present a parameterized model of the file system that can be used in conjunction with Pex, an automated test generation tool, to test code that depends on the file system.
Building information for systematic improvement of the prevention of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers with statistical process control charts and regression

Objectives To demonstrate complementary results of regression and statistical process control (SPC) chart analyses for hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs), and identify possible links between changes and opportunities for improvement between hospital microsystems and macrosystems. Methods Ordinary least squares and panel data regression of retrospective hospital billing data, and SPC charts of prospective patient records for a US tertiary-care facility (2004–2007). A prospective cohort of hospital inpatients at risk for HAPUs was the study population. Results There were 337 HAPU incidences hospital wide among 43 844 inpatients. A probit regression model predicted the correlation of age, gender and length of stay on HAPU incidence (pseudo R2=0.096). Panel data analysis determined that for each additional day in the hospital, there was a 0.28% increase in the likelihood of HAPU incidence. A p-chart of HAPU incidence showed a mean incidence rate of 1.17% remaining in statistical control. A t-chart showed the average time between events for the last 25 HAPUs was 13.25 days. There was one 57-day period between two incidences during the observation period. A p-chart addressing Braden scale assessments showed that 40.5% of all patients were risk stratified for HAPUs upon admission. Conclusion SPC charts complement standard regression analysis. SPC amplifies patient outcomes at the microsystem level and is useful for guiding quality improvement. Macrosystems should monitor effective quality improvement initiatives in microsystems and aid the spread of successful initiatives to other microsystems, followed by system-wide analysis with regression. Although HAPU incidence in this study is below the national mean, there is still room to improve HAPU incidence in this hospital setting since 0% incidence is theoretically achievable. Further assessment of pressure ulcer incidence could illustrate improvement in the quality of care and prevent HAPUs.
Prevention of hypermenorrhea with leuprolide in premenopausal women undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

We report on the use of leuprolide to prevent heavy menstrual bleeding that often occurs before platelet engraftment in premenopausal women undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Leuprolide, a synthetic analog of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH-a), was given to 34 patients by intravenous bolus injection, 1 mg daily, until platelet recovery. The median duration of therapy was 50 days (range 16–170). When necessary, patients self-administered the drug after discharge from the hospital. No adverse effects could be related directly to the use of leuprolide. Leuprolide effectively prevented menstruation in 25 patients (73%), failed in seven (21%), and two patients were not evaluable. The success of leuprolide therapy was related to the time of onset of treatment, as anticipated from the gradual effect of Gn-RH-a on the menstrual cycle. The failure rate was only 6% (one of 16 patients) when leuprolide was started at least 2 weeks prior to the development of thrombocytopenia, compared to a failure rate of 33% (six of 18 patients) when leuprolide was started at a later time. We conclude that leuprolide as a single agent is a safe and effective method to prevent menstrual bleeding during BMT. Additional studies are needed to determine the best timing for the onset of therapy and the relative benefit of leuprolide compared to other prophylactic approaches in patients with lengthy thrombocytopenia. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The impact of perceptual interactions on perceived flavor

Abstract When eating or drinking, the individual experiences a multitude of sensations, including taste, smell, touch, temperature, sight, sound, and sometimes pain/irritation. This multi-faceted sensory experience is the underpinning of perceived flavor, although certainly some sensations contribute more than others. This paper reviews how all these sensations interact, both on a perceptual and a physical level, and discusses the resulting impact each has on flavor ratings. Interactions between taste and smell, and interactions of the remaining sensations will be discussed. Finally, practical implications of these interactions for sensory evaluation are discussed.
The Impetus to Register New Therapeutants for Aquaculture

Abstract Currently, 39 chemicals are registered or approved for use in freshwater and marine aquaculture. In addition, eight chemicals have been identified as the therapeutants in greatest need of registration: (1) a replacement for malachite green, (2) oxolinic acid, (3) chloramine-T, (4) erythromycin, (5) oxytetracycline for lobsters, (6) formalin (formaldehyde solution) for penaeid shrimp, (7) ethyl aminobenzoate (benzocaine), and (8) streptomycin. Registration work has been completed for oxytetracycline and is in various stages of progress for the other chemicals, except streptomycin. The combined efforts of several agencies of the federal and state governments, universities, and private industry suggest that additional therapeutants should soon be registered for use in aquaculture.
Towards fair and efficient SMP virtual machine scheduling

As multicore processors become prevalent in modern computer systems, there is a growing need for increasing hardware utilization and exploiting the parallelism of such platforms. With virtualization technology, hardware utilization is improved by encapsulating independent workloads into virtual machines (VMs) and consolidating them onto the same machine. SMP virtual machines have been widely adopted to exploit parallelism. For virtualized systems, such as a public cloud, fairness between tenants and the efficiency of running their applications are keys to success. However, we find that existing virtualization platforms fail to enforce fairness between VMs with different number of virtual CPUs (vCPU) that run on multiple CPUs. We attribute the unfairness to the use of per-CPU schedulers and the load imbalance on these CPUs that incur inaccurate CPU allocations. Unfortunately, existing approaches to reduce unfairness, e.g., dynamic load balancing and CPU capping, introduce significant inefficiencies to parallel workloads.In this paper, we present Flex, a vCPU scheduling scheme that enforces fairness at VM-level and improves the efficiency of hosted parallel applications. Flex centers on two key designs: (1) dynamically adjusting vCPU weights (FlexW) on multiple CPUs to achieve VM-level fairness and (2) flexibly scheduling vCPUs (FlexS) to minimize wasted busy-waiting time. We have implemented Flex in Xen and performed comprehensive evaluations with various parallel workloads. Results show that Flex is able to achieve CPU allocations with on average no more than 5% error compared to the ideal fair allocation. Further, Flex outperforms Xen's credit scheduler and two representative co-scheduling approaches by as much as 10X for parallel applications using busy-waiting or blocking synchronization methods.
Asian Dust Storm Monitoring Combining Terra and Aqua MODIS SRB Measurements

Sand and dust storms (SDSs), which present environmental risks and affect the regional climate, have been worsened in the East Asian regions over the last decade. Monitoring SDS from space using satellite remote sensing (RS) has become one of the most important issues in this field. At present, satellite RS of SDS is limited to using true-color images or aerosol optical thickness (AOT), or a new algorithm called "Deep Blue". Using current existing approaches makes it difficult to identify SDS from clouds. The authors have detected SDS by combining Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) solar reflectance band (SRB) measurements. Based on the dust spectral characteristic, this letter proposes a normalized difference dust index (NDDI) using MODIS reflectance measurements and applies it to the Asian SDS cases. The simple NDDI index is found to be able to identify SDS and clouds easily. The results suggest that NDDI could be used to detect SDS over bright surfaces where the MODIS AOT product is not available
The Family Conference: The Social Control of Human Development

In this article I look at the family conference as an institutional context wherein professional caregivers and family members negotiate select aspects of the life course of their clients or relatives. Observational data on family conferences were obtained in a physical rehabilitation hospital and two nursing homes. It is argued that in these and similar institutional contexts, the course of a person's life is not simply presented and assessed but is also processed and controlled by persons who have a stake in what is discovered and decided.
Voegelin's Search for Order

The torrent of recent publications contains a small gem which has not sufficiently been noticed perhaps by philosophers and political theorists: Eric Voegelin's In Search of Order. Posthumously published, the slender volume constitutes a fitting epitaph to the author's life-long intellectual journey and pilgrim's progress. As is well known, Voegelin's sprawling opus ranged over the fields of philosophy, politics, anthropology, and history (to mention just a few); probably his most celebrated work so far had been the multi-volume Order and History' which recounted the "history of order" from the dawn of mankind to the "ecumenic age" and which has justly been acclaimed as a classic of philosophical historiography in our time. In Search of Order serves as sequel and capstone to this magnum opus-with a twist. The unsuspecting and hurried reader might have expected the volume to yield a final summation, a definitive statement of the author's position regarding order. Yet, as it stands, the volume is a torso and offers no complete doctrine -which aptly matches the author's steadily growing conviction of the unending and unfinishable character of his quest (and of any genuine inquiry). In the words of Ellis Sandoz who introduces the volume (p. 1): "The fact that the quest of order is an unfinished story as told by Voegelin is most fitting; for, as he insisted, neither reality nor philosophy can be reduced to a system. Thus, the form of the present work can be said to symbolize Voegelin's philosophical vision of history and comprehensive reality as an unfinished tale, one told by God in the reflective language of spiritually gifted men and women open to the mystery of truth." While revealing as an epitaph, however, the new volume has more than autobiographical significance. Generally speaking, Voegelin's writings cannot narrowly be tied to authorial intent-because of the broader "mystery of truth" in which inquiry proceeds. The reason that, for him, philosophy could not be reduced to a "system" was not resignation or some penchant for ob-
Family Environment and Deaf and Hard-Of-Hearing Students with Mild Additional Disabilities

A national survey of teachers of deaf and hard-of-hearing students was conducted to determine the incidence and characteristics of dysfunctional family background among deaf and hard-of-hearing stu...
Classifying Knowledge Management Systems Based on Context Content

This paper discusses using users and the amount of context captured by a Knowledge Management System as the basis for classifying systems. The paper discusses previous classification schemes and concludes they arent helpful as Knowledge Management in an organization encompasses all the classification criteria in an ongoing basis. Ultimately, it is concluded that classifying the system based on the context for the captured knowledge being stored in the users heads or as part of the knowledge base is the appropriate method.
The effect of high pressure on the rhythmicity of bivalve hearts

Abstract 1. 1. The rhythmicity of isolated hearts from 4 bivalve molluscs, Modiolus demissus demissus, Modiolus demissus granosissimus, Mercenaria mercenaria, and Mytilus edulis have been monitored at pressures up to 340 atm using a pressure-tolerant, piezo-electric transducer. 2. 2. Both Modiolus sub-species become bradycardic during and after exposure to 340 atm. Mercenaria and Mytilus have been inhibited by 136 atm. Large pressure changes stop the heart for variable periods. 3. 3. Transient effects of pressure change are common, and sub-species specific. 4. 4. Pressures lower than those inducing bradycardia may either induce or ameliorate arrhythmia.
Opiate and peptide inhibition of transmitter release in parasympathetic nerve terminals

Somatostatin, morphine, and opioids inhibit transmitter release at intact neuromuscular junctions between ciliary ganglion neurons and the choroidal smooth muscle of the chick eye. Somatostatin and morphine, however, have no effect on release from terminals on the striated muscle target of the ciliary ganglion, the iris. In neuronal terminals of both the choroid and the iris, a high-affinity Na+-dependent choline uptake-mediated ACh synthesis is present at hatching. Both tissues exhibit a basal release of 3H-ACh which is potentiated severalfold during a 5 minute incubation in 55 mM K+ Tyrodes. Fifty percent of the basal release and 100% of the stimulated release are Ca2+ dependent and probably mediated through N-like voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Co- incubation of the choroid with 10 microM morphine sulfate blocks approximately 90% of the stimulated release. The same effect is seen with 100 nM somatostatin, 10 microM dynorphin, and 100 microM met- enkephalin arginine phenylalanine. Preincubation of the excised choroid with pertussis toxin (200 ng/ml) reverses the inhibitory effects of both morphine and somatostatin. In contrast, 3H-ACh release from terminals in the striated iris is not affected by either morphine or somatostatin at micromolar levels. These results suggest that both opiate and somatostatin receptors are present in the choroid target and that they may act through a final common pathway to modulate ACh release via G proteins. Second messengers such as cyclic AMP or diacylglycerol do not appear to mediate these effects; neither increasing cAMP levels in terminals nor activation of protein kinase C affects evoked release or its inhibition by morphine or other neuromodulators. It is unclear whether endogenous neuromodulation occurs in this system, although somatostatin-like immunoreactivity can be demonstrated in terminals of choroid neurons.
An application-driven approach to networked multimedia systems

Several architectural choices possible in logical multiplexing, accommodating QoS dynamics, and functional divisions between senders and receivers are discussed. The authors' application requirements favor integration rather than channelization, supporting quality of service (QoS) dynamics with a renegotiation mechanism, and pushing complexity towards receivers. The choices are tested via implementation of a telerobotics/teleoperation application. This application is particularly challenging due to its demand for multiple concurrent media streams with varied QoS requirements.
Novel Document Level Features for Statistical Machine Translation

In this paper, we introduce document level features that capture necessary information to help MT system perform better word sense disambiguation in the translation process. We describe enhancements to a Maximum Entropy based translation model, utilizing long distance contextual features identified from the span of entire document and from both source and target sides, to improve the likelihood of the correct translation for words with multiple meanings, and to improve the consistency of the translation output in a document setting. The proposed features have been observed to achieve substantial improvement of MT performance on a variety of standard test sets in terms of TER/BLEU score.
Developing a flexible core Dental Public Health curriculum for predoctoral dental and dental hygiene schools

Objective The curriculum for graduating dental and dental hygiene students must prepare them to contribute to the improvement or maintenance of health for individual patient's and the public's health. The objective is to describe the background for and the process used to develop a core Dental Public Health Curriculum for such students. Methods The process used was to solicit and review existing dental public health curriculum in dental and dental hygiene schools; review curriculum for other health professionals; identify the themes needed to frame the curriculum; select usable materials and identify gaps in existing curricular materials; and develop appropriate curriculum materials that would embody the competencies developed for undergraduate dental and dental hygiene education. Results Twenty-three topics were identified as embodying the eight competencies. Based on these topics, six courses, Principles of Dental Public Health, Evidence-Based Dentistry, Ethics and Dental Public Health, Dental Public Health Policy and Advocacy, Oral Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Oral Health Literacy and Dental Public Health, were prepared. Each course includes syllabus, PowerPoint presentations, student assignments and activities, instructor guide, and classroom discussion points. Depending on the hours available in the existing curriculum at the dental or hygiene school, lecture presentations and take home assignments/discussions may be used independently or in combination with presentations from other courses. In addition, individual discussions and activities may be used to integrate dental public health materials into other courses. Conclusion A flexible curriculum is available at the AAPHD website to enable the incorporation of DPH topics into the curriculum.
A novel data reduction technique for single slanted hot-wire measurements used to study incompressible compressor tip leakage flows

The single slanted hot-wire technique has been used extensively as a method for measuring three velocity components in turbomachinery applications. The cross-flow orientation of probes with respect to the mean flow in rotating machinery results in detrimental prong interference effects when using multi-wire probes. As a result, the single slanted hot-wire technique is often preferred. Typical data reduction techniques solve a set of nonlinear equations determined by curve fits to calibration data. A new method is proposed which utilizes a look-up table method applied to a simulated triple-wire sensor with application to turbomachinery environments having subsonic, incompressible flows. Specific discussion regarding corrections for temperature and density changes present in a multistage compressor application is included, and additional consideration is given to the experimental error which accompanies each data reduction process. Hot-wire data collected from a three-stage research compressor with two rotor tip clearances are used to compare the look-up table technique with the traditional nonlinear equation method. The look-up table approach yields velocity errors of less than 5 % for test conditions deviating by more than 20 °C from calibration conditions (on par with the nonlinear solver method), while requiring less than 10 % of the computational processing time.
Digital Gabor holographic movie of animal microbes

We demonstrate digital holographic movie recording of moving animal microbes. In-line Gabor holograms are taken at 10 frames per second. The 3D volume of image space is numerically calculated from each of the holograms. The image focus is numerically adjusted to track microbes as they swim through different focal planes.