cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An historical perspective of marginalization in the romanian context: implications for research ethics

Vulnerability may be a consequence of marginalization, of social disorders or just a result of multiple factors (cultural, ethnic, political, economic etc). The semantics may have different meaning in different regions of the world, depending on the historical, social and/or the political context in which the research is to be conducted. The United States has designated the following classes of individuals as vulnerable persons warranting special protection in the context of research: children, pregnant women, and prisoners. In contrast, Uganda has adopted a much broader approach and considers children, orphans and street children specifically, pregnant women, mentally ill and behaviorally disordered persons, prisoners, soldiers on command, and refugees to be vulnerable. Romania has not, to date, formally addressed the need to develop special protections for vulnerable populations, who these vulnerable populations might be in the Romanian context, and what mechanisms might be adopted in the context of research. This article examines the status of several groups in Romania (women, children, homosexuals, ethnic minorities, etc) who, because they exist in one or more dimensions at the fringes of Romanian society, could potentially warrant classification as vulnerable. The article concludes with a discussion of whether individuals within these groups should be considered vulnerable and the implications for research of such classification.
DS-CDMA/polling transmission protocol for personal communication networks

In this paper an efficient direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) transmission protocol is proposed for centralized packet radio networks. This protocol reduces the central station complexity while maintaining the throughput at an acceptable level. First the authors propose a partial DS-CDMA protocol which reduces the number of receivers required at the central station. The central station complexity reduction is usually obtained at the price of throughput reduction. Then to mitigate the problem of throughput reduction, a new protocol which uses DS-CDMA in conjunction with polling is proposed to increase the throughput while maintaining the complexity reduction of the central station.
Crystal Identification in Positron Emission Tomography Using Probabilistic Graphical Models

Determining the location of crystals within detector arrays (position profile) is a crucial part of system tuning in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners. It provides a basis for the mapping of detected events and the most probable crystal location to assign the event. Accurate assignments are crucial for proper coincidence event processing and reconstructed image resolution. In high resolution imaging systems, image resolution is of primary importance and proper position profiles are a critical part of system tuning. The High Resolution Research Tomograph (HRRT) PET scanner is composed of 936 detector blocks each with 64 dual layer crystals arranged in $8 \times8$ grids. Significant engineer time is spent fixing errors in the automated position profile estimation software used for system tuning. We have developed a probabilistic approach to position profile estimation and applied it to the HRRT PET system. Our approach is composed of a segmentation model for crosstalk filtering, a prior over valid position profile configurations, and a grid partitioning algorithm for crystal location finding. Our model outperforms the manufacturer supplied position profile estimation software, yielding a 39% decrease in mean squared error rate as compared to a gold standard configuration in the HRRT, while being a general solution applicable to many detector array configurations.
Motilin receptors on isolated gastric smooth muscle cells

Motilin has a stimulating effect on gastrointestinal motility. The mechanism of its action is not known. Direct and neuronal effects have been postulated. To determine if receptors are present on smooth muscle cells we investigated the effect of synthetic porcine motilin and its interaction with acetylcholine on isolated guinea pig gastric smooth muscle cells. Motilin elicited a dose-dependent contraction of gastric smooth muscle cells. Minimal (8.3 +/- 1.3%) and maximal (33.9 +/- 2.4%) responses were observed at 10(-12) and 10(-6) M, respectively. The ED50 of motilin was 10(-9) M. Acetylcholine also elicited a dose-response muscle contraction with a maximal response observed at 10(-7) M. Atropine (10(-7) M) completely inhibited the maximal response to acetylcholine but did not have any effect on the contractile response to motilin. In addition, dibutyryl guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (10(-3) M) and substance P antagonist, spantide (10(-4) M), also did not inhibit the action of motilin. Acetylcholine (10(-11) M) shifted the dose-response curve of motilin to the left by 1.5 log units. The maximal response to the combination of motilin (10(-6) M) and acetylcholine (10(-11) M) was 32 +/- 3.2%, which was similar to the maximal response to motilin alone. It is concluded that distinct motilin and muscarinic receptors are present on guinea pig gastric smooth muscle cells. The interaction between motilin and acetylcholine is additive and not potentiative.
Natural Resources and Economic Development: The economics of land conversion

T he previous chapter examined empirical evidence of the main factors behind land use change in developing countries. The chapter noted that many economic analyses of tropical deforestation and land conversion have emphasized the important role of institutional factors. In the “synthesis” cross-country panel analysis of agricultural land expansion in tropical countries, various institutional factors were considered, but only control of corruption appeared to be significant. However, it was also noted that one key institutional factor, the prevalence of open access conditions in frontier regions, could not be included adequately in the “synthesis” analysis, as to date an adequate cross-country data set on property rights and land ownership conditions does not exist for developing economies. As emphasized throughout Part One of this book, the problem of open access and poorly defined property rights may have a significant influence on patterns of economic development and resource management in low and middle-income economies. One group of theories explored in Chapter 3 appears to suggest an open access exploitation hypothesis as an explanation of the poor economic performance of resource-dependent developing countries. According to this hypothesis, opening up trade for a developing economy dependent on open access resource exploitation or poorly defined resource rights may actually reduce welfare in that economy (Brander and Taylor 1997 and 1998a; Chichilnisky 1994; Hotte et al . 2000; Southey 1978).
Aurothioglucose Inhibits Murine Thioredoxin Reductase Activity In Vivo

Gold (I)-containing compounds, including aurothioglucose (ATG), are potent in vitro inhibitors of several selenocysteine-containing enzymes. Gold compounds have also been shown to potentiate the virulence of several viruses in mice, including coxsackievirus, implicated as a possible infectious agent in Keshan disease. One possible mechanism by which gold compounds may be increasing the virulence of viral infections in mice is by acting as a selenium antagonist in vivo and inducing oxidative stress. To investigate the possible role of gold compounds in inducing oxidative stress in mice, we assessed the ability of ATG administered in vivo to inhibit the activity of the selenocysteine-containing enzymes thioredoxin reductase (TR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX1). Doses as low as 0. 025 mg ATG/g body weight caused significant and prolonged inhibition of TR activity in all tissues examined. No such inhibition of GPX1 activity was seen, indicating differential in vivo sensitivity of the enzymes to inhibition by ATG. In liver and heart, some recovery of TR activity was observed after a 7-d period, but no recovery was observed in pancreas or kidney. Because TR is involved in several important cellular redox functions, its inhibition most likely will affect multiple cellular processes. These results indicate that in vivo administration of ATG results in significant and long-lasting inhibition of TR activity. Such inhibition of TR could lead to increased levels of oxidative stress in vivo, thereby increasing the virulence of several viruses including the coxsackievirus.
Review of Stuart Kauffman’s Book: Reinventing the Sacred: A New View of Science, Reason, and Religion

The pretense is that emergence provides an unambiguous account of evolution. I will argue that ambiguity remains, even after a close read of Kauffman's "Reinventing the Sacred." Kauffman lauds the "natural" God that is found associated with the apparent "ceaseless creativity," even while he rejects the "Creator God." I think the Creator God is Kauffman's abstraction that sees a God that is held separate from God's creation. However, it seems unreasonable to say that God is separate from God's creation, in my view. Christians pray to God, and live by the golden rule, and this can only imply that God is again united with God's creation. Moreover, mystics from all religions report being united with God and this is far from Kauffman's Creator God. The concept of "natural" in Kauffman's naturalistic God is equally ambiguous given that ambiguity cannot be removed from emergence. You can find this book at Amazon: Reinventing the Sacred: A New View of Science, Reason, and Religion .
Archeological Echocardiography: Digitization and Speckle Tracking Analysis of Archival Echocardiograms in the HyperGEN Study

Background Several large epidemiologic studies and clinical trials have included echocardiography, but images were stored in analog format and these studies predated tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). We hypothesized that digitization of analog echocardiograms, with subsequent quantification of cardiac mechanics using STE, is feasible, reproducible, accurate, and produces clinically valid results. Methods In the NHLBI HyperGEN study (N = 2234), archived analog echocardiograms were digitized and subsequently analyzed using STE to obtain tissue velocities/strain. Echocardiograms were assigned quality scores and inter-/intra-observer agreement was calculated. Accuracy was evaluated in: (1) a separate second study (N = 50) comparing prospective digital strain versus post hoc analog-to-digital strain, and (2) in a third study (N = 95) comparing prospectively obtained TDI e’ velocities with post hoc STE e’ velocities. Finally, we replicated previously known associations between tissue velocities/strain, conventional echocardiographic measurements, and clinical data. Results Of the 2234 HyperGEN echocardiograms, 2150 (96.2%) underwent successful digitization and STE analysis. Inter/intra-observer agreement was high for all STE parameters, especially longitudinal strain (LS). In accuracy studies, LS performed best when comparing post hoc STE to prospective digital STE for strain analysis. STE-derived e’ velocities correlated with, but systematically underestimated, TDI e’ velocity. Several known associations between clinical variables and cardiac mechanics were replicated in HyperGEN. We also found a novel independent inverse association between fasting glucose and LS (adjusted β = −2.4 [95% CI −3.6, −1.2]% per 1-SD increase in fasting glucose; P < 0.001). Conclusions Archeological echocardiography, the digitization and speckle tracking analysis of archival echocardiograms, is feasible and generates indices of cardiac mechanics similar to contemporary studies.
Control experiments in planar manipulation and grasping

Many algorithms have been proposed in the literature for control of multifingered robot hands. The authors compare the performance of several of these algorithms, as well as some extensions of more conventional manipulator control laws, in the case of planar grasping. Based on experiments performed on Styx, the most effective control laws are found to be the simple joint control law and the generalized computed torque law. The computed torque control law is shown to be an attractive alternative for position control of multifingered hands. >
CHANGES IN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF TWIGS AND BUDS OF YELLOW POPLAR DURING THE DORMANT PERIOD

During the dormant period a series of five samples of the buds and of the preceding year's growth was taken from a number of dominant and codominant yellow poplar trees. The samples were dried in an oven at 65? C, and were then ground in a ball mill until the material would pass through a 100-mesh sieve. Duplicate samples of from 25 to 50 grams were taken from this large sample, covered with 80 per cent, (by volume) aldehyde-free ethyl alcohol, and allowed to stand overnight. The liquid was decanted off and the last portion filtered through a hardened filter paper. The residue was dried at 105? C, coarsely pulverized, and extracted in a Soxhlet extractor until the percolate was colorless. The two extracts were united and made up to 1 liter with 80 per cent, alcohol. The residue from the last extraction was dried, coarsely ground, and preserved for analysis. Reducing sugars were determined by the Shaffer-Hartman method in a 200-ml. aliquot of the extract. Total sugars were determined in the reducing sugar aliquot after hydrolysis with HC1 at 73? C. for ten minutes. Total soluble nitrogen was determined in 50-ml. aliquots of the extract, and total insoluble nitrogen on 1.0-gram samples of the residue by a modification of the Kjeldahl method. A 1.0-gram sample of the residue was refluxed with 5 per cent. HC1 for four hours, and the reducing value of the solution (as glucose) was reported as total reserve polysaccharides. Starch was determined by incubation at 38? C. of 2.0-gram samples of the residue suspended in 200 ml. of water with 0.1 gram of taka-diastase. Reducing sugars were determined on the solution. Results
Gadolinium modifies the cell membrane to inhibit permeabilization by nanosecond electric pulses

Abstract Lanthanide ions are the only known blockers of permeabilization by electric pulses of nanosecond duration (nsEP), but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We employed timed applications of Gd3+ before or after nsEP (600-ns, 20 kV/cm) to investigate the mechanism of inhibition, and measured the uptake of the membrane-impermeable YO-PRO-1 (YP) and propidium (Pr) dyes. Gd3+ inhibited dye uptake in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibition of Pr uptake was always about 2-fold stronger. Gd3+ was effective when added after nsEP, as well as when it was present during nsEP exposure and removed afterward. Pores formed by nsEP in the presence of Gd3+ remained quiescent unless Gd3+ was promptly washed away. Such pores resealed (or shrunk) shortly after the wash despite the absence of Gd3+. Finally, a brief (3 s) Gd3+ perfusion was equally potent at inhibiting dye uptake when performed either immediately before or after nsEP, or early before nsEP. The persistent protective effect of Gd3+ even in its absence proves that inhibition by Gd3+ does not result from simple pore obstruction. Instead, Gd3+ causes lasting modification of the membrane, occurring promptly and irrespective of pore presence; it makes the membrane less prone to permeabilization and/or reduces the stability of electropores.
Probing the non-proline cis peptide bond in beta-lactamase from Staphylococcus aureus PC1 by the replacement Asn136 --> Ala.

A non-proline cis peptide is present between Glu166 and Ile167 in the active site of β-lactamase from Staphylococcus aureus PC1. To examine the role of the interaction between the side chain of Asn...
Regional distribution of tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives in rodent, human, and parkinson's disease brain

Several members of the tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) family of monoamine alkaloids can be formed from dopamine or its oxidized metabolites and may be involved in the pathogenesis of monoaminergic cell death in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Using enantiomeric-selective high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectroscopy, the regional concentrations of several TIQ derivatives, including salsolinols, were determined in mouse, rat, normal human, and PD brain. TIQ derivatives were detected in all regions subjected to analysis. In general, salsolinols were present at higher concentrations than TIQ and its benzyl and methyl derivatives, especially in human brain. Moreover, salsolinols were concentrated in areas with increased dopamine synthesis and turnover such as the ventral midbrain and striatum, respectively. A possible consequence of nigrostriatal dopaminergic cell death, significantly lower levels of (R)salsolinol, (S)salsolinol, N-methyl-(R)salsolinol and N-methyl-(S)salsolinol were found in the caudate nuclei of PD in comparison with normal human brain. Our data support the hypothesis of endogenous synthesis of salsolinols and provide evidence for their accumulation in catecholaminergic neurons.
Extraction of cloransulam-methyl from soil with subcritical water and supercritical CO2

Abstract Cloransulam-methyl was extracted from soil samples with supercritical CO2, subcritical water and conventional organic solvents. Supercritical CO2 was less efficient than conventional organic solvents; polarity modifiers had no impact on extraction efficiency. Extraction with supercritical CO2 exhibited a strong temperature dependence. Water was as effective as strong organic solvents for the extraction of cloransulam-methyl; however cloransulam-methyl hydrolyzed when extracted at 150°C. Extraction temperature was the most important variable in increasing the efficiency and rate of extraction, while extraction pressure was not a significant variable.
Coupled mode theory for modeling microring resonators

A method for the design of waveguide-coupled microring resonators is described based on an improved coupled mode theory (CMT) approach. Characteristic parameters including coupling efficiency and Q factor are theoretically analyzed. The effects of variations in the refractive index, waveguide width, bus-to-ring gap spacing, and ring radius are investigated. The accuracy of this model is evaluated by comparing its predicted calculation results to those of the numerical beam propagation method (BPM) and finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations obtained using commercial software. The predictions of the model agree well with the simulation results.
Sports, Labor and the Media An Examination of Media Coverage of the 2011 NFL Lockout

This paper examines media coverage of sports labor issues from a political economic perspective by analyzing New York Times coverage of the 2011 National Football League lockout. We find that sports labor issues are framed in a manner consistent with findings by scholars such as Martin (2004), Schmidt (1993), and McChesney (2008). In particular, the media cover labor from a consumer-based perspective, simplify the conflict between players and owners as being disagreements between “millionaires and billionaires,” and focus more on offers made by owners to players than on owner demands. Other expected findings, such as media denigration of player labor and a general focus on player finances rather than owner finances, were not evident.
The Impact of Multiple Malignancies on Patients with Bladder Carcinoma: A Population-Based Study Using the SEER Database

Purpose. To date, no study has examined a population-based registry to determine the impact of multiple malignancies on survival of bladder cancer patients. Our experience suggests that bladder cancer patients with multiple malignancies may have relatively positive outcomes. Materials & Methods. We utilized data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEERs) database to examine survival between patients with only bladder cancer (BO) and with bladder cancer and additional cancer(s) antecedent (AB), subsequent (BS), or antecedent and subsequent to bladder cancer (ABS). Results. Analyses demonstrated diminished survival among AB and ABS cohorts. However, when cohorts were substratified by stage, patients in the high-stage BS cohort appeared to have a survival advantage over high-stage BO patients. Conclusions. Bladder cancer patients with multiple malignancies have diminished survival. The survival advantage of high-stage BS patients is likely a statistical phenomenon. Such findings are important to shape future research and to improve our understanding of patients with multiple malignancies.
Tensin1 and a previously undocumented family member, tensin2, positively regulate cell migration.

Tensin is a focal adhesion molecule that binds to actin filaments and participates in signaling pathways. In this study, we have characterized a previously undocumented tensin family member, tensin2/KIAA 1075. Human tensin2 cDNA encodes a 1,285-aa sequence that shares extensive homology with tensin1 at its amino- and carboxyl-terminal ends, which include the actin-binding domain, the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, and the phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain. Analysis of the genomic structures of tensin1 and tensin2 further confirmed that they represent a single gene family. Examination of tensin2 mRNA distribution revealed that heart, kidney, skeletal muscle, and liver were tissues of high expression. The endogenous and recombinant tensin2 were expressed as a 170-kDa protein in NIH 3T3 cells. The subcellular localization of tensin2 was determined by transfection of green fluorescence protein (GFP)–tensin2 fusion construct. The results indicated that tensin2 is also localized to focal adhesions. Finally, functional analysis of tensin genes has demonstrated that expression of tensin genes is able to promote cell migration on fibronectin, indicating that the tensin family plays a role in regulating cell motility.
The effect of Nb3Si precipitates on the deformation of the primary Nb phase in Nb-10 a/o Si in-situ composite

This paper reports that upon solidification at normal cooling rates, the microstructure of the Nb - 10 a/o Si alloy consists of primary Nb dendrites, containing Nb{sub 3}Si precipitates in a continuous Nb{sub 3}Si matrix. The matrix consists of Nb{sub 3}Si with dispersed eutectic Nb particles. Nb{sub 3}Si, is a metastable phase and is observed at room temperature due to the sluggish nature of the Nb{sub 3}Si--{gt}Nb{sub 5}Si{sub 3} + Nb eutectoid reaction. The solubility of silicon in niobium is at a maximum, ({approx}3.5 a/o) at the eutectic temperature and decreases dramatically with lowering temperature. The dissolved silicon is almost completely rejected by Nb during cooling to form Nb{sub 3}Si precipitates in the primary Nb phase. The presence of stable precipitates has ben shown to affect recrystallization of Nb, and reduce the ductility. Pervious studies have shown that the Nb phase in Nb-Nb{sub 5}Si{sub 3} composite can undergo both ductile and cleavage failure, and brittle failure was observed in regions with higher silicon content, as detected by EDS.
Maternal serum thromboxane B2 reduction versus pregnancy outcome in a low-dose aspirin trial

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether in a low-dose aspirin trial a longitudinal decrease in maternal serum thromboxane B 2 is associated with improvement in pregnancy outcomes. Study Design: a total of 606 healthy nulliparous women with singleton gestations were randomized at 24 weeks to either 60 mg of aspirin or a placebo. Maternal serum thromboxane B 2 was measured at randomization, at 29 to 31 weeks, at 34 to 36 weeks, and at delivery. After delivery, and without knowledge of patient outcome or group assignment, patients were categorized as having had either a longitudinal twofold or greater (≥50%) or less than twofold reduction ( 2 from baseline levels at randomization. Results: Of 606 entrants, 92% had sufficient thromboxane B 2 determinations to allow categorizatino. Whether patients were assigned to aspirin or placebo, birth weight was significantly greater in women who had a twofold or greater reduction in maternal serum thromboxane B 2 levels. When the aspirin and placebo groups were combined, women with a twofold or greater reduction in thromboxane B 2 levels had less preeclampsia, 1.9% (6314) versus 5.7% (14244) ( p = 0.016), less preterm delivery (5.7% vs 10.7%, p = 0.032), fewer small-for-gestational-age newborns, 9 of 314 (2.95) versus 17 of 244 (7%) ( p = 0.023). and a higher mean birth weight, 3314 gm versus 3121 gm( p = 0.0001). Conclusion: Women with a twofold or greater longitudinal reduction in maternal serum thromboxane B 2 had less preeclampsia and prematurity, fewer small-for-gestational-age newborns, and higher birth weights than women with less than a twofold reduction.
Fetal pulmonary sequestration: a favorable congenital lung lesion.

Abstract Objective: We reviewed the perinatal clinical course of prenatally diagnosed pulmonary sequestrations to determine the natural history of this anomaly. Methods: From January 1992 to August 1998, 192 women were referred to the University of California, San Francisco, Fetal Treatment Center because obstetric ultrasound had demonstrated fetal lung lesions. In 14 fetuses, the echogenic lung masses were pulmonary sequestrations deriving arterial blood supply from clearly identifiable systemic arteries rather than the pulmonary artery. We examined records of the 14 fetuses and documented the location of the lesion, gestational age at diagnosis, need for fetal intervention, prenatal and postnatal complications, gestational age at delivery, and survival. Results: There were 16 intrathoracic pulmonary sequestrations in 14 fetuses (eight left-sided, four right-sided, two bilateral). Three fetuses had histologically mixed lesions (congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation and pulmonary sequestration). The mean age at diagnosis was 23 weeks’ gestation (range 19–31 weeks). Two fetuses required prenatal intervention (placement of a thoracoamniotic shunt for drainage of an ipsilateral tension hydrothorax). The mean gestational age at delivery was 37 weeks (range 32–40 weeks). The large lesions of four fetuses regressed completely prior to birth, and the lesions of the remaining ten fetuses were electively resected after birth without causing morbidity or mortality. Conclusion: Pulmonary sequestrations are a subgroup of congenital lung lesions with a favorable outlook; many regress prenatally, and the persistent ones are resected safely postnatally. Pulmonary sequestrations cause hydrops only because of a tension hydrothorax, which can be drained prenatally, if necessary.
Carpal tunnel syndrome caused by a large osteochondroma

Although many types of mass lesions within the carpal tunnel have been implicated in causing carpal tunnel syndrome, osteochondromas in this location rarely have been described. We describe a case of recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome 5 years after endoscopic carpal release, with intraoperative and pathologic analyses proving the mass to be this unusual but benign tumor.
Hunting in the shadows for savings: reevaluating standing orders

Purpose – Standing orders are remnants of an early period of library acquisition, and while they can provide a useful service in limited cases most have outlived that usefulness and should be cancelled. In a period of restricted funding and increased digital reliance the need for standing orders has diminished; indeed often the standing orders received are no longer relevant to an institution's mission. However, identifying standing orders is complicated by the nature of their classification as a serial rather than a book or monograph. This paper aims to describe the various types of standing orders and how to identify them.Design/methodology/approach – The paper distinguishes between the yearbook or annual standing order and the non‐sequential and often irregularly published books charged to the serial fund code. The latter type, in the author's experience, makes up the majority of standing orders, and this work argues that on the basis of collection development principles and budgetary realities the maj...
Model simulations of dissolved oxygen characteristics of Minnesota lakes: Past and future

A deterministic, one-dimensional, unsteady numerical model has been developed, tested, and applied to simulate mean daily dissolved oxygen (DO) characteristics in 27 lake classes in the state of Minnesota. Reaeration and photosynthesis are the oxygen sources, while respiration, sedimentary, and biochemical water column oxygen demand are the sinks of oxygen in the model. The lake classes are differentiated by surface area (A s), maximum depth (H max), and trophic status expressed as Secchi depth (Z s). Because lake stratification is most important to lake oxygen dynamics, simulated DO characteristics are plotted in terms of a stratification parameterA s/H max 0.25 and Secchi depthZ s. Simulations provide DO profiles on a daily time scale. Specific DO characteristics of ecological and environmental interest are epilimnetic DO, hypolimnetic DO, DO gradient from surface to bottom, and DO minima and maxima. Specific results are as follows: Simulated mean daily and weekly DO values in the epilimnion of all lakes for both past and future climate scenarios are near saturation over the summer season. Hypolimnetic DO values depend strongly on lake morphometry, trophic status, and time throughout the summer season. Future climate conditions are specified as the historical records from 1955 to 1979, adjusted (monthly) by the 2 × CO2 GISS model output to account for doubling of atmospheric CO2. With this climate change, weekly averaged epilimnetic DO is projected to drop by less than 2 mg/liter, and will remain above 7 mg/liter throughout the open water season. The hypolimnetic DO reductions after climate change are on the order of 2–8 mg/liter. Periods of anoxia are longer by as much as 80 days. Those changes would alter water quality dynamics in lakes and have a profound effect on lake ecosystems including indigenous fishes. The results presented are useful for evaluating environmental management options.
Fatty acid composition of organic detritus from Spartina alterniflora

Abstract The fatty acid composition and concentration of the marsh grass Spartina alterniflora were determined monthly (January to December, 1971) on samples of stems and leaves collected from Bissel Cove, Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Seasonal differences were found in both composition and concentration. The fatty acids present in suspended organic matter collected at the mouth of Bissel Cove during ebb and flood tide for the same period have also been analyzed. Laboratory model studies involving the formation of suspended organic matter by the decomposition of S. alterniflora have been investigated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, using both organic solvent-extracted and non-extracted grass. Field model studies were also conducted on marsh grass decomposing in Bissel Cove, using both extracted and non-extracted grass. The fatty acid composition and concentration of suspended organic matter formed in the various model studies were similar to those found in the natural material and differed markedly from that of S. alterniflora . The total fatty acid concentration and the branched chain 15-carbon acids of both natural and model suspended matter gave higher values than those found in S. alterniflora . These branched chain acids appear to be the result of microbial activity and their high levels in the suspended organic matter, together with the fatty acid concentrations of the model studies using extracted marsh grass, indicate that micro-organisms are very important in the formation of the natural organic detritus.
Efficacy of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the pediatric population

Abstract Purpose Gallbladder disease is increasingly affecting the pediatric population. The advent of new technology in the 1980s, specifically, hepatobiliary scintigraphy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy, gave a dramatic rise in both the diagnosis and treatment of biliary disease in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to determine ( a ) whether laparoscopic cholecystectomy for biliary dyskinesia is efficacious in the treatment of children with biliary colic and ( b ) the ability of cholescintigraphy to predict which patients may benefit from an operative intervention. Methods We performed a retrospective review of the records of all patients (N = 184) who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, correlating postoperative results with degree of dyskinesia (percentage of ejection fraction), histopathology, associated gastrointestinal diagnoses, age, and sex. Biliary dyskinesia was defined by ultrasonography without evidence of cholelithiasis with clinical diagnosis of biliary colic. Results Of the 184 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 117 had a diagnosis of biliary dyskinesia and 108 were available for follow-up. Mean follow-up was 8.3 months. One hundred patients (92.6%) reported resolution or improvement of preoperative symptoms (64.8% reported complete resolution and 27.8% reported improvement in symptoms). The mean age of the patients was 14.1 years. No correlation was seen for degree of dyskinesia, histopathology, age, and sex. Patients with a preoperative diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux were more likely to report resolution of symptoms, although this finding was not statistically significant. There was no major complication; 1 patient suffered a prolonged ileus, 1 patient suffered a wound infection, and 1 patient required incisional hernia repair. Conclusion Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is safe, efficacious, and durable in children suffering from biliary dyskinesia.
Will live organ donations no longer be justified

Far from it. But improvements in the technology of organ transplantationparticularly the use of the antirejection drug cyclosporin-have altered the clinical picture radically. Soon, if current trends continue, it may be hard to justify using living donors. Before 1979, discussions dominated the literature comparing the poor results obtained using unrelated cadaver kidneys with success rates for intrafamily transplants, which were estimated to be about 30 percent higher. In that year, cyclosporinsteroid therapy was introduced into clinical medicine, bringing with it a striking improvement in the outlook for cadaver transplants. Medical centers that regularly use cyclosporin therapy now report one-year cadaveric graft survival of better than 75 percent. In some series one-year graft survival has run as high as 90 percent, using randomly matched organs and unrelated donors. Thus, one year after surgery, the results for cadaver and intrafamily transplants have become competitive, thereby greatly reducing the survival advantage for the latter group of patients. In light of these developments, thoughtful physicians, as well as potential recipients and donors, are reconsidering the advisability of living related donations. Such a reassessment is welcome considering the ethical questions raised by the history of transplants using living donors. The legal basis for a living donor nephrectomy was established in Massachusetts in 1954 in a decision involving
Thermo-mechanical response of heterogeneous materials with randomly distributed transforming particles

A hybrid finite element method is developed for thermo-mechanical response analysis of heterogeneous material where inclusions with stress-induced transforming property and (or) distinct thermal expansion coefficients are randomly distributed. The residual stresses due to thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between matrix and inclusions are calculated, and the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method is verified by comparing the obtained results with those by the theoretical elastic solution and conventional finite element method. The developed method is applied to discrete modeling of transformation toughening. It is shown that the predictions based on the discrete modeling match those by a continuum type approach if particles are assumed to transform uniformly within the transformation zone. When particles are assumed to transform linearly within the transformation zone, the discrete modeling predicts results closer to experimental results.
Foreign LIS degrees in contemporary US academic libraries

Purpose – The purpose of this case study is to summarize a task force's efforts to change the educational degree requirements for open librarian positions at a large university in the Midwestern USA.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the literature on degree requirements in academic libraries and the nature of LIS degrees from countries outside the USA. It analyzes 136 position advertisements for academic librarians by required terminal degree and the type and Association of Research Libraries (ARL) status of the institution.Findings – The paper concludes that, while most position advertisements do not specifically address foreign Library and Information Science (LIS) degrees, many advertisements, especially those at ARL libraries, contain flexible language that allows for degrees that are “equivalent” to the American Library Association (ALA) accredited LIS degree.Research limitations/implications – The data collected from the relatively small sample of 136 job advertisements for academic li...
Iatrogenic Tracheal Injury

A49-year-old woman underwent ventral hernia repair. Postoperatively she experienced neck swelling and a voice change. Palpable cervical crepitance prompted a computed tomography of the chest, which revealed mediastinal emphysema and an extensive defect involving the entire length of the intrathoracic membranous trachea. The esophagus seemed intact (Fig 1). With worsening subcutaneous emphysema and impending respiratory failure, the patient was taken to the operating room for intubation and evaluation of the injury. In the operating room, she was intubated to just below the vocal cords. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed a long posterior wall laceration that extended from the neck to the carina (Fig 2). To avoid the risk of an unstable airway, the endotracheal tube was passed into the left mainstem bronchus. A double lumen endotracheal tube was exchanged over an exchange catheter under bronchoscopic guidance. Through a right thoracotomy the azygous was divided
Health services research in alcoholism: current status and future directions with special emphasis on opportunities in the Veterans Administration.

Alcoholism has become an important health care problem for the United States and the VA medical care system. The percentage of inpatients in Veterans Administration hospitals with a diagnosis of alcoholism rose from 13.0% in 1970 to a high of 15.6% in 1977. Health services research work in alcoholism has generally fallen into four major areas: community diagnosis; utilization of services by alcoholics; the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of services; and the organization of information systems and their applicability to alcoholism. Obstacles to research include a poor understanding of the prevalence of the disease among the veteran's population, but the system offers many more opportunities than obstacles. A new information system. SATAR (Substance Abuse Treatment Automated Records), offers a chance for large-scale investigation of the problem of alcoholism among VA patients when combined with other information systems and allows for special comparisons through its large, integrated network of hospitals and clinics.
Prevention of Alcohol-Heightened Aggression by CRF-R1 Antagonists in Mice: Critical Role for DRN-PFC Serotonin Pathway

Alcohol can escalate aggressive behavior in a significant subgroup of rodents, humans, and nonhuman primates. The present study investigated whether blockade of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 (CRF-R1) could prevent the emergence of alcohol-heightened aggression in mice. The serotonin (5-HT) pathway from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) by CRF-R1 was investigated as a possible target for the prevention of alcohol-heightened aggressive behavior. Male CFW mice that reliably exhibited aggressive behaviors after consuming 1 g/kg of alcohol received systemic or intra-DRN administration of CRF-R1 antagonists, CP-154,526 or MTIP, before a confrontation with a male conspecific. Blockade of DRN CRF-R1 receptors with both antagonists significantly reduced only alcohol-heightened aggression, whereas systemic administration reduced both alcohol-heightened and species-typical aggression. Next, a 5-HT1A agonist, 8-OH-DPAT, was coadministered with CP-154,526 into the DRN to temporarily disrupt 5-HT activity. This manipulation abolished the antiaggressive effects of intra-DRN CP-154,526. In the mPFC, in vivo microdialysis revealed that extracellular 5-HT levels were increased in mice that consumed alcohol and were then injected with CP-154,526, both systemically or intra-DRN. Neither alcohol nor CP-154,526 alone affected 5-HT release in the mPFC. The present results suggest the DRN as a critical site for CRF-R1 to modulate alcohol-heightened aggression via action on the serotonergic DRN–PFC pathway.
Increased sensitivity to adenosine in the rat dentate gyrus molecular layer two weeks after partial entorhinal lesions

The molecular layer of the dentate gyrus exhibits extensive circuit and receptor reorganization after entorhinal lesions and in Alzheimer's disease, including decreased adenosine (A1) receptor binding in the terminal zone of damaged perforant path fibers. We examined the adenosine-sensitivity of evoked synaptic activity recorded from the rat dentate gyrus molecular layer in hippocampal slices prepared after electrolytic lesions were placed in approximately the middle third of the entorhinal cortex. Extracellular field potentials (EFPs) recorded in slices prepared from animals two days post-lesion were small, upward-going, and exhibited paired-pulse potentiation, but by two weeks post-lesion EFPs had recovered to large, downward-going responses that exhibited paired-pulse depression. EFPs recorded from two week post-lesion slices were about 2-fold more sensitive (P <= 0.05) to exposure to adenosine when compared to EFPs recorded from slices from unlesioned animals. Adenosine-induced reduction of paired-pulse depression was similar between unlesioned and post-lesion slices. AChE histochemistry performed after recording revealed dense staining in the dentate gyrus molecular layer of post-lesion slices as compared to slices from unlesioned animals, confirming that sprouting of cholinergic fibers occurred as expected from previous entorhinal lesion studies2,25. Autoradiography performed on adjacent slices showed a decrease in binding to A1-adenosine receptors in the dentate gyrus molecular layer in post-lesion slices as compared to slices from unlesioned animals, indicating that there was a loss of presynaptically located A1-adenosine receptors on damaged perforant pathway terminals. These results indicate that, in addition to the recovery of the major excitatory signal to the hippocampus after entorhinal cell loss, this signal is more sensitive to modulation by adenosine, suggesting an increase in A1-adenosine receptor efficacy in the reinnervated region.
An Investigation of Egyptian Consumers’ Attitudes Toward Ethical Issues in Advertising

This article investigates Egyptian consumers’ attitudes toward ethical issues in advertising held by a sample of 306 participants. The subjects completed a 20-item instrument originally designed to measure respondents’ attitudes toward controversial issues in advertising. The study validates the scale in an Arab non-Western context. The results revealed that Egyptian consumers have negative attitudes toward ethical issues in advertising. There are significant differences between males’ and females’ perceptions of ethics in advertising. Finally, the study detects a significant difference between Muslims and non-Muslims in Egypt regarding their attitudes toward ethical issues in advertising. These results lend strong support to the adaptation hypothesis and suggest that ads produced in one country cannot be standardized or directly translated for use in another, particularly if they are different culturally.
Limbic Hyperactivation During Processing of Neutral Facial Expressions in Children with Bipolar Disorder

Reflecting a paradigm shift in clinical neuroscience, many chronic psychiatric illnesses are now hypothesized to result from perturbed neural development. However, most work in this area focuses on schizophrenia. Here, we extend this paradigm to pediatric bipolar disorder (BD), thus demonstrating traction in the developmental psychobiology perspective. To study amygdala dysfunction, we examined neural mechanisms mediating face processing in 22 youths (mean age 14.21 ± 3.11 yr) with BD and 21 controls of comparable age, gender, and IQ. Event-related functional MRI compared neural activation when attention was directed to emotional aspects of faces (hostility, subjects’ fearfulness) vs. nonemotional aspects (nose width). Compared with controls, patients perceived greater hostility in neutral faces and reported more fear when viewing them. Also, compared with controls, patients had greater activation in the left amygdala, accumbens, putamen, and ventral prefrontal cortex when rating face hostility, and greater activation in the left amygdala and bilateral accumbens when rating their fear of the face. There were no between-group behavioral or neural differences in the nonemotional conditions. Results implicate deficient emotion–attention interactions in the pathophysiology of BD in youth and suggest that developmental psychobiology approaches to chronic mental illness have broad applicability.
The physiologic fallacy of adjusting for body weight in performance of the Master two-step test.

Abstract The physiologic load imposed by the double Master two-step test and by a similar step test in which work was carried out at a rate of 40 steps per 3 minutes was evaluated in 14 male subjects having a wide range of body weights. Gross oxygen consumption varied less among individuals during the Master procedure (the S.D. was 25.6 per cent of the mean) than during the 40-step test, in which all subjects worked at the same rate (the S.D. was 41.7 per cent of the mean). However, expression of energy requirements per unit of body weight decreased the coefficient of variation for the energy cost of the 40-step test (9.4 per cent) well below that of the Master test (26.7 per cent). Oxygen requirements per kilogram of body weight were very high for lighter subjects, reaching 38.6 ml. per minute, and very much less for heavy subjects (minimum, 19.1 ml. per minute). The lightest subjects were, therefore, approaching their maximal oxygen intakes while the heavier men were farthest from maximal. These data illustrate the error in decreasing the rate of work for heavier subjects performing the step test, and demonstrate that the Master procedure fails to provide a physiologically equivalent work load for individuals differing in body weight.
Prophylactic Modalities: Pharmacologic and Mechanical Compression

Patients following total hip and knee replacement are at high risk for the development of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Therefore, prophylaxis for thromboembolism is mandatory and should be utilized routinely following joint replacement surgery. Currently, no single method of prophylaxis is ideal and, therefore, a multimodal approach is most prudent. This review details the currently available pharmacologic and mechanical types of prophylaxis and also highlights the multimodal approach that we employ at our institution, which encompasses preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative prophylaxis techniques.