cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient-Controlled Analgesia Following Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery Is Associated With Increased Opioid Consumption and Opioid-Related Adverse Events.

Background Optimal postoperative pain control is critical after spinal fusion surgery. There remains significant variability in the use of postoperative intravenous opioid patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and few data evaluating its utility compared with nurse-controlled analgesia (NCA) among patients with lumbar fusion. Objective To investigate the efficacy of postoperative PCA compared with NCA to improve opiate prescription practices. Methods A retrospective review from a single institution was conducted in consecutive patients treated with posterior lumbar spinal fusion for degenerative pathology. Patients were divided into cohorts on the basis of postoperative treatment with PCA or NCA. Postoperative pain scores, length of stay, and total opioid consumption data were collected. Patients were stratified according to preoperative opioid consumption as opioid naive (0 morphine milligram equivalents [MME] daily), low consumption (1-60 MME), high consumption (61-90 MME), or very high consumption (>90 MME). Results A total of 240 patients were identified, including 62 in the PCA group and 178 in the NCA group. PCA patients had higher mean preoperative opioid consumption than NCA patients (49.2 vs 24.3 MME, P = .009). PCA patients had higher mean opioid consumption in the first 72 h in all 4 of the preoperative opioid consumption subcategories. Pain control and adverse event rates were similar between PCA and NCA in the low to high preoperative opioid consumption groups. Conclusion Postoperative PCA is associated with significantly more opioid consumption in the first 72 h after surgery and equal or worse postoperative pain scores compared with NCA after lumbar spinal fusion surgery.
Globalization, Revising The Terms Of Trade, And The Return Of 'History'

For decades, American political leaders, commentators, and scholars have complained about unfair trading practices in the global economy and talked about the need to address the United States’ chronic trade deficits. But when the Trump administration aggressively sought to renegotiate the terms of international trade, the response of the policy establishment was a sort of panic at the disco, combining an almost visceral reaction against Trump’s efforts with a relentless, often simplistic defense of the post-1947 trading system. This Article criticizes both news organizations and expert commentators for this simplistic defense of international trade, but concludes that we will never know whether the Trump team could have achieved a genuine re-evaluation of the global trade regime because the focus has now turned to China. The Article then explores the trade dispute between the Trump Administration and China, first as an economic matter and then as part of a larger geo-political struggle. In this arena, the Trump Administration has succeeded in changing the terms of the debate: there is now less effort by establishment voices to discuss trade with China as purely about business and there is greater acceptance that trade occurs in the midst of geopolitical and ideological competition. “History,” as Francis Fukuyama conceived it, is back – or never went away. While the Trump team initially wanted to put geopolitics aside to force better trade deals, it is precisely awareness of the geopolitics that is forcing serious reassessment of the China-U.S. economic relationship. Long-term changes are likely, changes for which the business community needs to start planning more comprehensively.
A Novel Ensemble Representation Framework for Sentiment Classification

Text representation has a critical impact on the accuracy of text classifiers which is imperative to be strengthened. On the other hand, the question of how the state-of-the-art embeddings outperform previous approaches cannot be well explained. To advance text representation and better understand the internal mechanism, we propose a novel end-to-end framework named Ensemble Framework for Text Embedding (EFTE), which weightedly combines diverse embeddings and simultaneously represents sentences’ and tokens’ features in a more reasonable way. According to the experimental results in sentiment classification, our proposed embedding apparently improves the effectiveness compared to six single embeddings. Moreover, the importance of each embedding in terms of EFTE integration and how different embeddings influence the results by classification are discussed.
Multi-Organ System Outcomes and Predictors of Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19

Background: We sought to describe the epidemiology, presentation, multi-system outcomes, and predictors of mortality of the critically-ill COVID-19 patients
Dynamical friction in a gas: the subsonic case

We study the force of dynamical friction acting on a gravitating point mass that travels through an extended, isothermal gas. This force is well established in the hypersonic limit, but remains less understood in the subsonic regime. Using perturbation theory, we analyse the changes in gas velocity and density far from the mass. We show analytically that the steady-state friction force is , where is the mass accretion rate on to an object moving at speed V. It follows that the speed of an object experiencing no other forces declines as the inverse square of its mass. Using a modified version of the classic Bondi–Hoyle interpolation formula for as a function of V, we derive an analytic expression for the friction force. This expression also holds when mass accretion is thwarted, e.g. by a wind, as long as the wind–cloud interaction is sufficiently confined spatially. Our result should find application in a number of astrophysical settings, such as the motion of galaxies through intracluster gas.
Augmented reality-mediated stereotactic navigation for execution of en bloc lumbar spondylectomy osteotomies

En bloc spinal tumor resections are technically demanding procedures with high morbidity because of the conventionally large exposure area and aggressive resection goals. Stereotactic surgical navigation presents an opportunity to perform the smallest possible resection plan while still achieving an en bloc resection. Augmented reality (AR)-mediated spine surgery (ARMSS) via a mounted display with an integrated tracking camera is a novel FDA-approved technology for intraoperative "heads up" neuronavigation, with the proposed advantages of increased precision, workflow efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. As surgical experience and capability with this technology grow, the potential for more technically demanding surgical applications arises. Here, the authors describe the use of ARMSS for guidance in a unique osteotomy execution to achieve an en bloc wide marginal resection of an L1 chordoma through a posterior-only approach while avoiding a tumor capsule breach. A technique is described to simultaneously visualize the navigational guidance provided by the contralateral surgeon's tracked pointer and the progress of the BoneScalpel aligned in parallel with the tracked instrument, providing maximum precision and safety. The procedure was completed by reconstruction performed with a quad-rod and cabled fibular strut allograft construct, and the patient did well postoperatively. Finally, the authors review the technical aspects of the approach, as well as the applications and limitations of this new technology.
Smooth Muscle Tumor of Uncertain Malignant Potential Arising from Renal Vein

Smooth muscle tumors (SMTs) typically fall under either benign leiomyoma or malignant leiomyosarcomas based on histologic characteristics. SMTs that cannot be diagnosed as benign or malignant are then labeled as smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP). A 31-year-old male presented with the right abdominal pain for 6 months. Imaging showed an enhancing soft-tissue mass arising from the right renal vein. A pre-operative biopsy confirmed STUMP of renal vein, and the patient underwent surgical resection of the mass with partial nephrectomy. Imaging and pathologic findings play a crucial role in an accurate pre-procedural diagnosis of unusual SMTs.
Advancements in Microfluidic Systems for the Study of Female Reproductive Biology

The female reproductive tract is a highly complex physiological system that consists of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and vagina. An enhanced understanding of the molecular, cellular, and genetic mechanisms of the tract will allow for the development of more effective assisted reproductive technologies, therapeutics, and screening strategies for female specific disorders. Traditional 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional static culture systems may not always reflect the cellular and physical contexts or physicochemical microenvironment necessary to understand the dynamic exchange that is crucial for the functioning of the reproductive system. Microfluidic systems present a unique opportunity to study the female reproductive tract, as these systems recapitulate the multicellular architecture, contacts between different tissues, and microenvironmental cues that largely influence cell structure, function, behavior, and growth. This review discusses examples, challenges, and benefits of using microfluidic systems to model ovaries, fallopian tubes, endometrium, and placenta. Additionally, this review also briefly discusses the use of these systems in studying the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals and diseases such as ovarian cancer, preeclampsia, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
How Cancer Risk SNPs May Contribute to Prostate Cancer Disparities.

Disparities in cancer incidence, prevalence, burden, and outcome exist among specific population groups in the United States. Researchers have identified germline genetic risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) that differ by ancestry and may contribute to some of these differences. In this issue of Cancer Research, Han and colleagues found the prostate cancer risk SNP rs4713266 is associated with increased risk of patients with African ancestry. The authors investigated the functional role of the risk SNP, finding that it alters activity of a NEDD9 enhancer and increases NEDD9 expression. The study provides epidemiologic and mechanistic insight into factors that may drive prostate cancer disparities. See related article by Han et al., p. 3766
A diffusion-based description of shape

A method is presented that uses a diffusion-like process to describe the shape of a region. Convexity is not required, the descriptor is invariant under several common transformations, is applicable in the n-dimensional case, and is easy to compute.
Cultivation and synchronous morphogenesis of Dictyostelium under controlled experimental conditions.

Publisher Summary Cell populations are cultivated for a number of purposes: (1) to maintain strains; (2) to isolate mutants, revertants, or ploidal variants from a parent stock; (3) to harvest large numbers of cells for isolation of DNA, plasma membranes, proteins, and other entities; and (4) to obtain physiologically homogeneous populations of vegetative amoebae that can then be made to proceed synchronously through part or all of the morphogenetic sequence leading to fruiting body construction. To achieve these ends, the myxamoebae are grown axenically or in association with bacteria, on solid substratum or in liquid suspension, clonally or in mass culture. Detailed protocols that cover these exigencies are given. Three methods for strain preservation generally employed: lyophilization, silica gel desiccation and frozen storage. Under optimal conditions, vegetative cell populations harvested from nutrient medium and dispensed homogeneously on a solid substratum can be made to exhibit remarkably consistent morphogenetic behavior in respect to the timing and patterns of aggregation and of fruiting body construction.
Neutron Interaction with Carbon-12 in the Few-MeV Region

Neutron total cross sections of natural carbon are deduced from the observed transmission of approximately monoenergetic neutrons through carbon samples of various thicknesses. The measurements ext...
Address of Welcome

Excerpt Originally, physicians banded themselves together in order to keep their knowledge intact and their calling sacred, as witness the ancient guilds and the Oath of Hippocrates. So strong were...
Fatty acids from diet and microbiota regulate energy metabolism

A high-fat diet and elevated levels of free fatty acids are known risk factors for metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and visceral obesity. Although these disease associations are well established, it is unclear how different dietary fats change the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Here, we review emerging evidence that insulin resistance and fat storage are linked to changes in the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function, in turn, are highly influenced by the composition of fat in the diet. We review findings that certain fats (for example, long-chain saturated fatty acids) are associated with dysbiosis, impairment of intestinal barrier function, and metabolic endotoxemia. In contrast, other fatty acids, including short-chain and certain unsaturated fatty acids, protect against dysbiosis and impairment of barrier function caused by other dietary fats. These fats may promote insulin sensitivity by inhibiting metabolic endotoxemia and dysbiosis-driven inflammation. During dysbiosis, the modulation of metabolism by diet and microbiota may represent an adaptive process that compensates for the increased fuel demands of an activated immune system.
Service Quality in a Reduced payroll Environment: Applying Queuing Analysis to Customer Perception Case Study

This study was conducted in a national retail pharmacy company’s stores inWestern North Carolinato examine the impact of the reduction of store staffing, primarily pharmacists and service staff, on customers’ satisfaction with service time. Customer arrival rates and service times for each queue were conducted to determine optimal staffing. A random customer survey in multiple store locations provided customers’ perceptions of service quality. Analysis determined that over 30% of the customers surveyed were dissatisfied with service time. A regression analysis demonstrated a significant linear relationship (σ = 0.05) between total service time and customer satisfaction. Study results indicate that cutting staff could result in an unacceptable loss of a competitive advantage. Payroll cost savings of less than $70,000 per year could result in lost revenue dollars in excess of $1,700,000 per year. Thus reducing staff hours (decreasing payroll) in the short term may negatively impact long-term effectiveness and productivity.
Abstract W P137: Inflammatory Biomarkers Predict Disability Independently of Vascular Events: The Northern Manhattan Study

Background: Inflammatory biomarkers have been previously associated with stroke and mortality, but inflammation may also have detrimental effects beyond acute events. The association of these biomarkers with functional status is not well defined. We hypothesized that serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (LpPLA2), and tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNFR1) predict long-term functional status independently of vascular risk factors and stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) occurring during follow-up. Methods: In the prospective, multiethnic Northern Manhattan Study, stroke-free individuals in northern Manhattan aged >=40 years had annual assessments of disability with the Barthel index (BI), for a median of 13 years. BI was analyzed as a continuous variable (range 0-100). Baseline demographics, risk factors, and laboratory studies were collected, including CRP (n=2240), LpPLA2 activity (n=1912), and TNFR1 (n=1863). Separate generalized estimating equation models estimated standardized associations between each biomarker and 1) baseline functional status and 2) change in function over time, adjusting for demographics, vascular risk factors, social variables, cognition, and depression measured at baseline, and stroke and MI occurring during follow-up. Results: Mean age was 69 (SD 10) years, 36% were male, 54% Hispanic, 74% had hypertension, 22% diabetes; 337 MIs and 369 first strokes occurred during follow-up. CRP (-0.41, 95% CI -0.82 to 0.002) and LpPLA2 (-0.40, 95% CI -0.75 to -0.04) were associated with baseline BI but not change over time. TNFR1 was associated with baseline BI (-0.93, 95% CI -1.59 to -0.26) and change over time (-0.36 BI points per year, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.03). Conclusions: In this large population-based study, higher serum inflammatory biomarker levels were associated with disability, even when adjusting for baseline covariates and stroke and MI occurring during follow-up. Elevated TNFR1 predicted greater disability over time, suggesting that systemic inflammation may contribute to long-term functional decline and disability.
Rapid lethal effect in rats of a third component found upon fractionating the toxin of Bacillus anthracis

Beall, Francis A. (U.S. Army Chemical Corps, Frederick, Md.), Martha J. Taylor, and Curtis B. Thorne. Rapid lethal effect in rats of a third component found upon fractionating the toxin of Bacillus anthracis. J. Bacteriol. 83:1274–1280. 1962.—Rats were found to be more susceptible to the lethal effect of toxin produced by Bacillus anthracis in vitro than were several species considered less resistant to anthrax. Rats were killed much faster by less toxin per gram of body weight than were mice. Guinea pigs survived doses of toxin that killed rats. Intravenous injection of Fischer 344 rats is a rapid test for lethal activity, which facilitates the demonstration of two components, different from protective antigen, in toxin. One of these, a lethal factor, was separated from the other component, which causes cutaneous edema in the guinea pig. The latter component was not necessary for lethal effect. Neither of these factors was active unless combined with protective antigen. Although the guinea pig skin reaction has been used routinely to assay the toxicity of samples, the present results show that this test does not assay the lethal component.
Untangling criminal networks: a case study

Knowledge about criminal networks has important implications for crime investigation and the anti-terrorism campaign. However, lack of advanced, automated techniques has limited law enforcement and intelligence agencies' ability to combat crime by discovering structural patterns in criminal networks. In this research we used the concept space approach, clustering technology, social network analysis measures and approaches, and multidimensional scaling methods for automatic extraction, analysis, and visualization of criminal networks and their structural patterns. We conducted a case study with crime investigators from the Tucson Police Department. They validated the structural patterns discovered from gang and narcotics criminal enterprises. The results showed that the approaches we proposed could detect subgroups, central members, and between-group interaction patterns correctly most of the time. Moreover, our system could extract the overall structure for a network that might be useful in the development of effective disruptive strategies for criminal networks.
Cartografando conexões entre as políticas públicas para diversidade cultural no Brasil e no Canadá

A luz da abordagem das “historias conectadas”, da historia cultural e considerando os conceitos de jogos e nos de memoria de Gerard Bouchard, reflete-se sobre o cenario das politicas publicas para a diversidade cultural no Brasil e no Canada. Tambem, analisam-se as experiencias brasileiras e canadenses mais recentes, argumentando sobre as complexidades enfrentadas nos dois paises em se tratando desse tema.
Parity doubling in baryons and its relevance to hadronic structure.

The occurrence of parity doubling in baryon spectra is pointed out and its relevance to hadronic structure is discussed. It is suggested that parity doubling is a consequence of the geometric structure of baryons.
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION RATE AND FLUX-ROPE ACCELERATION OF TWO-RIBBON FLARES

Forbes & Lin derived simple equations to link the properties of magnetic reconnection in the corona to observed signatures of solar flares. We measured the photospheric magnetic fields and the flare ribbon separation speeds then applied these equations to derive two physical terms for the magnetic reconnection rates: the rate of magnetic flux change rec involved in magnetic reconnection in the low corona and the electric field Erec inside the reconnecting current sheet (RCS) that is generated during magnetic reconnection. The central interest in this work is to investigate and quantify the statistical correlation between the magnetic reconnection rate and the corresponding flux-rope acceleration. From a sample of 13 well-observed two-ribbon flares, which are associated with filament eruptions or coronal mass ejections (CMEs), the acceleration of erupting filaments is found mainly in the range of 0.05-0.4 km s-2, up to 3 km s-2. Correspondingly, the maximum Erec and rec mostly occur in the range of 0.2-5 V cm-1 and 0.5-6 × 1018 Mx s-1, respectively. A positive and strong correlation is found with a cross-correlation coefficient of 0.94-0.97 between the magnetic reconnection rate and the acceleration of erupting filaments that represents the early stages of flux-rope eruptions in the low corona. However, the inferred reconnection rate is not correlated to the acceleration of CME fronts measured by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) observations in the range of 2-30 solar radii (the correlation coefficient is less than 0.2). A reasonable correlation is found between the reconnection rate and the velocity of CMEs, which indicates the cumulative acceleration of CMEs from the low corona to the LASCO C2 field of view. The temporal correlation between the magnetic reconnection rate and the flare nonthermal emissions has also been verified in this paper.
Ion-Paired Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Assay for Determination of Ceftriaxone in Human Plasma and Urine

A rapid, sensitive, and specific ion-paired reversed-phase HPLC assay for ceftriaxone in human plasma and urine is described. Small volumes (50 microL) of sample are deproteinized with acetonitrile and are directly injected on a C18 analytical column. The UV absorbance is monitored at 280 nm. The assay is linear between 1 and 125 micrograms/mL of ceftriaxone, with less than 10% coefficient of both intra- and interday variation. Chromatography was specific for ceftriaxone as endogenous compounds and 30 common drugs did not interfere. The assay was used in open heart surgery patients where potential interference from corticosteroids was overcome.
Life and Work of C. R. Rao

(2007). Life and Work of C. R. Rao. Journal of Statistical Theory and Practice: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 141-146.
From character to habitus in sociology

Abstract The idea of social character has a long and important history within sociological thought. The concept addresses the fundamental question of the relationship between society and the individual, structure and agency. Tracing the development of the idea of social character from the classical sociology of Marx and Weber to more contemporary writings within American sociology by figures such as Fromm, Reisman, and Mills reveals ideas and perspectives central to the development of social theory. Although many argue that the idea of social character is no longer important in sociology, it has in fact resurfaced in Pierre Bourdieu's notion of habitus. Habitus specifies the original idea of social character without the biological or essentialist traits found in most of the earlier work. Habitus marks a substantial advance beyond earlier ideas of social character, providing a more purely sociological answer to the structure/agency (society/individual) problematic.
Crystallinity in chemically crosslinked low density polyethylenes: 2. Crystallization kinetics

Abstract The bulk crystallization kinetics of low density polyethylene crosslinked to various levels by dicumyl peroxide and its gel and sol fractions have been determined. Analyses of the kinetics of gel fractions conform to Regime III analyses whereas the sol fractions and the original uncrosslinked polymers obey Regime II. Literal interpretations of Avrami coefficients suggest a sheaflike morphology which changes to a fibrillar morphology at high levels of crosslink density. Dicumyl peroxide serves as a nucleating agent for polyethylene.
Money, housing and world market: the dialectic of globalised production

This article offers an interpretation of the domestic and global dimensions of the US housing, financial and economic crisis in a Marxian framework. My key argument is that the origins of the Great Recession can be fully understood only within an analysis of the system of globalised production and the corresponding division of labour manifest in the symbiotic relationship between the financialised US-centred core and the commodity-producing periphery. The imbalance between production and finance in the US economy mirrors the global imbalance between the ability to produce and the capacity to consume.
Correlation between the elastic NN phase and the inelastic analyzing power

A correlation is suggested between the analyzing power ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{N}}$ of the inelastic np${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{+}$ production channel and the elastic $^{3}$${\mathit{F}}_{3}$ nucleon-nucleon phase parameters. Results for ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{N}}$ are shown from a coupled channel isobar model, where the short-range interaction is parametrized as a boundary condition at 0.7 fm, dictated by the internal quark structure, and which differs from other models by an improved description of the $^{3}$${\mathit{F}}_{3}$ elastic phase parameters.
Overexpression of mitochondrial Hsp70/Hsp75 in rat brain protects mitochondria, reduces oxidative stress, and protects from focal ischemia.

Mitochondria are known to be central to the cell’s response to ischemia, because of their role in energy generation, in free radical generation, and in the regulation of apoptosis. Heat shock protein 75 (Hsp75/Grp75/mortalin/TRAP1) is a member of the HSP70 chaperone family, which is targeted to mitochondria. Overexpression of Hsp75 was achieved in rat brain by DNA transfection, and expression was observed in both astrocytes and neurons. Rats were subjected to 100 mins middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by assessment of infarct volume, neurological score, mitochondrial function, and levels of oxidative stress at 24 h reperfusion. Overexpression of Hsp75 reduced infarct area from 44.6%±21.1% to 25.7%±12.1% and improved neurological outcome significantly. This was associated with improved mitochondrial function as shown by protection of complex IV activity, marked reduction of free radical generation detected by hydroethidine fluorescence, reduction of lipid peroxidation detected by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenol immunoreactivity, and increased preservation of ATP levels. This suggests that targeting mitochondria for protection may be a useful strategy to reduce ischemic brain injury.
Multiple ganglion cysts ('cystic ganglionosis'): an unusual presentation in a child.

A case of multifocal and recurrent ganglion cysts is described. An 11‐year‐old boy was referred because of symptomatic cystic masses in the extremities since the age of 2 years. Over the years, he had experienced intermittent appearance of these lesions, which were associated with pain, but without any systemic manifestations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed cystic lesions with synovio‐capsular thickening along the temporomandibular joints (TMJ), atlanto‐axial synovial articulation, and tendons and joints of the right wrist and hand. Histopathological examination of one lesion showed anastomosing fibro‐connective tissue surrounded by a wall of smooth muscle and fibrous connective tissue, findings that were consistent with ganglion cyst. The early onset of the disease, as well as the involvement of multiple and unusual sites, including the TMJ, implies a genetic susceptibility to these lesions that we refer to as ‘cystic ganglionosis’.
On the formation of nanocrystals in the soft magnetic alloy Fe73.5Nb3Cu1Si13.5B9

Studies were conducted on alloys of atomic mass composition Fe73.5Nb3Cu1Si13.5B9 and Fe76.5Cu1Si13.5B9. TEM studies demonstrated that Fe-rich nanocrystals precipitated from the amorphous starting materials exhibited the DO3 structure from very early in the transformation process. This result was corroborated by extended X-ray absorption fines structure (EXAFS) studies which showed evidence of ordering in the Fe-rich precipitates from early in the transformation process. EXAFS studies also showed that Cu clusters with near-f.c.c. structure were present from very early stages of the crystallization process. A model is proposed which describes the role of the Cu clusters as catalyzing nucleation of the DO3 crystallites by providing a low energy interface upon which the activation energy for nucleation of the DO3 phase is lowered.
Semiautomated IMINT processing baseline system

The objective of the SAIP ACTD is to make imagery a responsive contributing source to a commander's overall battlespace awareness by focusing on theater and tactical sensor exploitation. The goal of the exploitation system is to increase the image analyst efficiency in exploiting large volumes of image data produced by current and future theater and tactical imaging platforms. The system will be evaluated based on its ability to improve the analyst's capability to detect and recognize isolated targets, minimize false alarms, recognize force structure (e.g. maneuver battalions), and provide a closed loop cueing of spot mode from strip imagery.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Renal transplantation in the valve bladder: is bladder augmentation always necessary?

Purpose In patients with a fibrotic bladder secondary to posterior urethral valves (“valve bladder”), pre-emptive bladder augmentation is generally recommended in order to preserve graft function. We report our preliminary experience in children with renal transplantation in valve bladders without a preliminary augmentation. Material and methods Out of 151 pediatric candidates for renal transplantation, 15 presented with a valve bladder and were considered candidates for bladder augmentation. In 10 patients the bladder augmentation was performed prior to renal transplantation. In the remaining 5 patients with oligo/anuria the decision for the bladder augmentation was postponed to the post-transplant period. Serum creatinine, urinary ultrasound, voiding diary were re-evaluated at 1,2,3,4 and 6 months and urodynamics at 6 months follow-up. Results Out of the 5 patients, in two grafts a ureterostomy was performed. The other 3 patients had a graft ureteral reimplantation associated with a transient suprapubic catheter which allowed for frequent bladder emptying and overnight bladder drainage for 2 months. At follow-up the 3 patients had normal renal function with an absence of hydronephrosis. At 6 months bladder capacity improved from av.40% of expected capacity for age (range 30 to 65%) to av.95% (range 90 to 120%), with end filling bladder pressure Conclusions In oligo/anuric valve bladder patients it can be hard to decide whether a poorly compliant bladder is due to fibrosis or to defunctionalisation. Bladder cycling before transplantation is not always tolerated. Furthermore, pre-emptive bladder augmentation can be performed several months before transplantation. We think in selected cases bladder augmentation can be avoided before transplantation, and once the normal diuresis is restored the native bladder can show significant improvement in capacity and compliance. Frequent monitoring of graft function and bladder function is mandatory.
Prediction of Thermal Conductivity of Vegetable Foods by the Effective Medium Theory

The Effective Medium Theory (EMT), known in the field of physics to model conductive properties of heterogeneous chaotic media, has been applied to predict the thermal conductivity of sugar-based fruits and of potatoes as a function of the water content. With the thermal conductivity of the constituents, the composition and porosity as data, the equation derived from the EMT for continuous media was applied to apples, pears, and potatoes. The results when compared with experimental values obtained by the probe method and from the literature showed good agreement, with differences not larger than 8%, though the model appeared to be over predictive, particularly for higher water contents.
Seminal vesicle cyst associated with ipsilateral renal agenesis: a case report.

Seminal vesicle cyst associated with ipsilateral renal agenesis is an unusual cause of pelvic pain and bladder symptoms in the male. A case of this syndrome is presented in which preoperative use of computed tomography better defined anatomy by noninvasive techniques.
The effects of hypophysectomy on gastric acidity of adult female rats.

HYPOPHYSECTOMY induces an anemia in adult male or female rats. This anemia is microcytic and hypochromic, accompanied by hypoplasia of the bone marrow (Crafts, 1946). Injections of a combination of thyroxine, iron, and copper alleviated the anemia (Crafts, 1946). This suggests that the metabolism of iron may be disturbed following hypophysectomy. All phases of iron metabolism are being studied in normal and hypophysectomized female rats. Normal gastric acidity is generally recognized as a significant factor in iron absorption. This paper is concerned with changes in the acidity of gastric secretion following removal of the hypophysis.
Cortico-accumbens fiber stimulation does not induce dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens in vitro

Interactions between dopamine (DA) and glutamate in the nucleus accumbens (NA) are important for a variety of cognitive and limbic functions. Although, there is strong evidence that DA controls glutamate responses, the converse (glutamate affecting DA release) is controversial. To determine whether endogenous glutamate released from corticostriatal terminals can evoke DA release by local interactions in the NA, we measured DA release with amperometry simultaneously with whole cell recordings from NA medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in a slice preparation preserving DA terminals (but not cell bodies) and cortico-accumbens fibers. MSNs responded to cortical stimulation with a postsynaptic potential that was blocked by the AMPA antagonist CNQX, but no DA overflow was detected with the carbon fiber electrode. This absence of DA release cannot be accounted for by a deterioration of the DA terminals in this slice preparation since DA release was evoked with a caudal stimulation in the same slices. The DA signal was modulated as expected by bath application of a DA transporter blocker. The data show that cortico-striatal activation does not induce DA release by local interactions, suggesting that observations of glutamate-evoked DA release previously reported in vivo may be taking place via an extra-NA circuit.
Patterns of substance abuse in Schizophrenia: Nature and significance

Recent literature suggests that the increasingly prevalent problem of substance abuse may have important implications for the symptoms and course of schizophrenia. To further examine the impact of substance abuse on this disorder, the clinical and research charts of 67 schizophrenic patients admitted to the Schizophrenia Program of the University of Michigan between 1987 and 1990 were reviewed and data on symptomatology, history of substance use, age at onset and first hospitalization, and family psychiatric history were gleaned. This information was analyzed with respect to clinical, demographic, and outcome variables with the following findings: (i) female subjects abused substances at a much lower rate (20%) than male subjects (48%); (ii) substance-abusing patients with schizophrenia had lower pre- and post-treatment Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression scores, poorer post-discharge treatment compliance, and were younger at first hospitalization than were non-abusing patients; (iii) the most often abused substance was cannabis (28%) followed closely by alcohol (21%), with cocaine, hallucinogens, and stimulants all abused by significantly fewer patients; (iv) rates of family history of schizophrenia were similar in substance-abusing and non-substance-abusing schizophrenic patients. These data suggest that substance abuse may not be etiologically related to schizophrenia but influences the onset, course, and symptomatology of schizophrenia.
Recurrence of Pulmonary Intravascular Bronchoalveolar Tumor with Mediastinal Metastasis 20 Years Later

ee front matter & 2005 med.2005.05.010 s: CT, computerized tom ar bronchoalveolar tum ng author. Tel.: +1 650 5489. ess: upadhyayd@pol.ne Summary Pulmonary intravascular bronchoalveolar tumor (IVBAT) also recognized as pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, is a rare malignant vascular tumor of unknown etiology. IVBAT is a tumor of multicentric origin and the lungs are rarely involved, with only about 60 cases of pulmonary IVBAT described in the literature. The prognosis is unpredictable, with life expectancy ranging from 1 to 15 years. We report an unusual case of pulmonary IVBAT that recurred in the lung with metastasis to the mediastinum. & 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Post-insult exposure to (+/-) kavain potentiates N-methyl-D-aspartate toxicity in the developing hippocampus.

Abstract Kavapyrone extracts of the pepper plant Piper methysticum Forst. have been reported to be pharmacologically active in the brain by modulating the function of several ionotropic receptor systems and voltage-sensitive ion channels. While kavapyrones have previously demonstrated neuroprotective effects against several forms of neurotoxicity, the possibility remains that perturbed function of neuronal ion transport may prove to be neurotoxic in some instances. The present studies were designed to examine the effects of the kavapyrone, (±) kavain, on viability of organotypic hippocampal explants exposed to the excitotoxin N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA). Exposure to (±) kavain (1–600 μM) for 24 h did not alter neuronal viability in the CA1, CA3, or dentate gyrus regions of hippocampal explants. However, higher concentrations of (±) kavain (≥300 μM) produced marked neurotoxicity in the lacunosum moleculare layer of the hippocampus. One hour of exposure to NMDA (20 μM) produced significant neuronal death in both the CA3 and CA1 pyramidal cell regions, effects prevented by co-exposure to MK-801 (30 μM). Co-exposure of explants to (±) kavain (1–100 μM) with NMDA did not alter the severity of NMDA-induced neurotoxicity. However, exposure of NMDA-treated explants to (±) kavain (≥10 μM) for 24 h after insult produced significant increases in neurotoxicity in the CA1 and dentate gyrus regions of explants. In conclusion, while the kavapyrone (±) kavain is neurotoxic only at high concentrations when exposed alone to the developing hippocampus, it appears to adversely affect neuronal recovery following excitotoxic insults.
Firearms and Federal Law: The Gun Control Act of 1968

First, it is an attempt to increase our rather modest knowledge of the effects of governmental efforts to control firearms violence. In recent years the rate of gun violence in the United States has managed to grow to alarming proportions without the benefit of sustained academic attention.2 The 1968 Act-the only major change in federal policy since 1938-seems a natural place to look for clues about the effects of gun controls. And the need for knowledge in this area seems obvious, inasmuch as controversy is rampant and new federal legislative proposals are almost a weekly Washington event. Second, the study is an effort to gain some perspective on the difficulties
Improved Oxygen Reduction Cathodes Using Polyoxometalate Cocatalysts

We report on the influence of a series of transition-metal-substituted Wells-Dawson (P2W17MnO62(12-n)-; M = WVI, FeII, CoII, RuII) and Keggin (PW12O40(3-) and PCoW11O39(5-) anions on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at Au, Pd, and Pt. Wells-Dawson POMs adsorbed on Au lead to large positive shifts of the ORR potential. The magnitude of the shift depends on the transition metal and is explained using a simple thermodynamic model. The best cathode performance was achieved using a PCoW11O39(5-) cocatalyst and a Pt cathode. The +54 mV positive shift in the ORR potential that we observed is comparable to the performance of the best-known bimetallic catalysts.
The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion and its effect on blood indices following spinal fusion

Red blood cell indices in four adolescent and preadolescent patients with documented inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) following spinal fusion were examined for evidence of dilution. The blood indices in these preoperative patients demonstrated evidence of dilution on both the intracellular and extracellular levels. The major factors causing these dilutional effects were elevated ADH, intravenous fluid overloading, and mobilization of "third space" fluids. It appears that extracellular dilution secondary to these factors results in spuriously low blood indices (namely, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cells) during the postoperative period. These findings suggest that an awareness of SIADH and avoiding intravenous fluid overloads by accurately managing intraoperative and postoperative fluids will decrease the dilutional effects observed on blood indices and perhaps save patients from unwarranted transfusions.
Translation-tolerant mask matching using noncoherent reflective optics

Abstract A general difficulty with two-dimensional optical mask matching is the need for accurate registration of the input pattern with each of the masks of the pattern set. A technique is described in which we are able to trade some of the potential performance of a pure two-dimensional correlator for the achievement of registration tolerance. We have, in other words, a modified two-dimensional cross-correlation scheme that offers a significant degree of translation tolerance. Results from a few experiments that verify the basic technique are presented.
Mineralogy and provenance of Pleistocene outwash-plain and modern beach sands of outer Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Abstract Sand and pebbles of the beaches of outer Cape Cod are derived from eroding coastal cliffs of lacustrine-fluvial outwash plains of Wisconsin age. The beach sands and the sands of the older and younger Wellfleet, Highland and Truro plains have similar mineralogically mature, quartzose compositions. These sands are quartz-arenites to subarkoses with small amounts of glauconite pellets. The complete samples of the combined outwash and beach groups average 89% quartz and 4% feldspar; the medium-sand fractions average 91% quartz and 5% feldspar. The non-opaque, non-micaceous heavy minerals in the medium-sand fraction of the beaches average 42% tourmaline, 16% staurolite, 14% garnet, 13% sillimanite, 5% amphibole, 5% andalusite, and 5% others. Although the proportions of heavy minerals in the outwash sands vary among samples, the average composition is similar to the beach sands: 40% tourmaline, 16% staurolite, 16% sillimanite, 12% garnet, 6% andalusite, 4% amphibole, and 6% others. A common provenance for outwash and beach sands is also reflected in the nearly uniform ratios of color varieties of tourmaline in all samples. Most of the quartzose sand of the beaches and outwash has a long history of recycling from Atlantic coastal-plain strata of Cretaceous to Tertiary age. These sands were entrained by Illinoian (?) glacial ice, which deposited gravel and sand in till and outwash over the Gulf of Maine. Sangamon marine reworking of the surface of these deposits mantled them with glauconitic, quartzose sand and gravel. Wisconsin ice moved southeastward, stripping the floor of the Gulf of Maine down to crystalline rocks and remnants of Cretaceous to Tertiary strata. Melt-water streams flowed southwestward from the South Channel Lobe into lakes, building the outwash plains with quartzose sand and lithic pebbles. The shapes and surfaces of many round, subspherical quartz grains were modified by grinding during transport in the ice, producing conchoidal fractures, flat-edged plate-like fragments, sharp edges, sliver-like chips, and grooves. Subsequent longshore transport of the quartzose sand and lithic pebbles north and south from a nodal zone has somewhat rounded the grains, but has not made the medium-sand fraction more quartzose. The nodal zone is northeast of Wellfleet, as evidenced by an increase in hydraulic equivalent ratios for tourmaline, sillimanite, staurolite, garnet and hornblende north and south along the coast from this location.
A guanine nucleotide-independent inwardly rectifying cation permeability is associated with P2Y1 receptor expression in Xenopus oocytes

The functional properties of the G protein-coupled P2Y1 receptor were investigated in Xenopus oocytes. Incubation of oocytes expressing either the human or turkey P2Y1 receptor with adenine nucleotide agonists resulted in an increase in Cl- current and activation of a novel cation current with an inwardly rectifying current-voltage relationship. Activation of either the human P2Y2 (P2U-purinergic) or M1 muscarinic receptor expressed in oocytes resulted in an increase in Cl- current similar to that observed in P2Y1 receptor-expressing oocytes but had no effect on cation current. P2 receptor agonists stimulated both the cation current and Cl- current in P2Y1 receptor-expressing oocytes with EC50 values and an order of potency (2-methylthioadenosine diphosphate > 2-methylthioadenosine triphosphate (2MeSATP) > ATP > UTP) that were similar to those previously observed for activation of phospholipase C in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells stably expressing the human or turkey P2Y1 receptor. The P2Y receptor antagonists suramin and pyridoxal phosphate 6-azophenyl-2'-4'-disulfonic acid both shifted to the right the concentration-response relationship for 2MeSATP for stimulation of oocyte currents. Although injection of oocytes with either GDPbetaS (guanyl-5'-yl thiophosphate) or GTPgammaS (guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate) resulted in loss of adenine nucleotide-promoted Cl- channel activation, neither guanine nucleotide altered the 2MeSATP-stimulated cation current. These data are consistent with the view that activation of the novel cation current by the P2Y1 receptor does not involve a G protein. Tail current analysis of the novel P2Y1 receptor-associated cation conductance revealed that the open channel current-voltage relationship was outwardly rectifying with a reversal potential of -38 mV for the turkey P2Y1 receptor and -36 mV for the human P2Y1 receptor. Replacement of Na+ with K+ ions in the bathing solution produced a shift in reversal potential to near zero mV, but significant outward rectification remained. The cation current was not permeable to either Ca2+ or Ba2+ and exhibited steady-state inactivation at holding potentials below -60 mV. These results indicate that the P2Y1 receptor exhibits both metabotropic properties and a novel G protein-independent ionotropic response when expressed in Xenopus oocytes.