cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for MS: Extraordinary Evidence Still Needed

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system disorder characterized by inflammation, loss of the insulating tissue (myelin) surrounding and protecting nerve axons, and multifocal scarring.1 Multiple sclerosis is a prototypic autoimmune disease likely mediated by pathogenic T and B lymphocytes. There has been substantial progress in the management of MS during the past decade, with 10 variably effective therapies now available and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These therapies suppress the early relapsing-remitting form of MS; however, the late neurodegenerative phase of the disease, progressive MS, remains largely untreatable.
Floral ontogeny and morphology of Cevallia, Fuertesia, and Gronovia (Loasaceae Subfamily Gronovioideae)

Members of Loasaceae subfamily Gronovioideae have distinctive flowers compared to those of other members of the family. In contrast to all other Loasaceae, they have haplostemonous androecia and uniovulate gynoecia. The haplostemonous androecia are paedomorphic. The two major clades of gronovioids—(1) Petalonyx and (2) Cevallia, Fuertesia, and Gronovia—differ in their avenues of diversification. The clade consisting of Cevallia, Fuertesia, and Gronovia has floral variation that is manifested most prominently in stamen, stigma, and nectary forms, although petal shapes and the positions of anthers relative to petals and stigmas also vary. The Petalonyx clade exhibits variation that is manifested in morphological differentiation among stamens (Petalonyx crenatus has staminodes) and in postgenital fusion in the corolla (lacking only in Petalonyx linearis and P. crenatus). Developmental studies have also shown that Gronovioideae share with their sister group Mentzelia the loss of a petal‐stamen synorganization...
Discussion of “Warping Stresses in Curved Box Girder Bridges: Case Study” by Ayman M. Okeil and Sherif El-Tawil

Closure to a discussion of an article with the aforementioned title, published in this journal (Vol. 9, No. 5, September 2004), is presented. The authors reiterate that their intention was to investigate the effects of nonuniform torsion on warping-related normal and shear stresses, rather than the effects of distortional warping. They also reiterate that although warping stresses due to nonuniform torsion are small in their limited study, this does not mean that warping effects are unimportant. Rather, the implication is that there could be a large subset of bridges where the warping effect is small enough to be ignored in design calculations. Additional work is needed to identify such bridges.
Alternating Copolymerization of Chloroprene with Acrylonitrile by RnAICI3-n (n=1, 1.5, 2)-Vanadium Compound Systems

Abstract Chloroprene and acryionitrile were copolymerized by alkylaluminum halides with the formation of a 1:1 copolymer. The copolymer obtained was insoluble in organic solvents and the catalytic activity was not very high. The catalytic activity of alkylaluminum halides combined with small amounts of various vanadium compounds was markedly enhanced. It was found that different feed ratios of chloroprene and acryionitrile resulted in the formation of a 1:1 copolymer soluble in organic solvents when copolymerization was stopped while both monomer remained in the polymerization system. NMR and ir spectra of the copolymer suggested that the chloroprene unit of the copolymer had a 1,4-cis configuration. On decomposition of the ozonide of the prepared copolymer, no succinic acid was detected through analysis by thin layer chromatography. These results showed that the copolymer did not contain chloroprene diad.
The dependence of sorbent/analyte type on observed differences in supercritical fluid extraction efficiencies employing extraction vessels of different dimensions

The effect of extraction cell dimensions (i.d.: length) on supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) efficiencies of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is shown to be dependent on the type of sorbent used. For octadecylsilane (C18) sorbents, there is a significant increase in observed SFE recoveries of PCBs when the cell dimensions are made more broad (increased i.d.: length); whereas, no effect of cell geometry is observed when the common adsorbent, Florisil, is utilized. Additionally, recoveries decreased in proportion to the chlorine number, for the PCBs studied, for octadecylsilane sorbents, while no such effect was observed for Florisil. These results illustrate the magnitude of the matrix effect in SFE, which generally dominated observed recoveries, even in the simplest analyte/sorbent systems such as the one studied here.
Inheritance and molecular mapping of new greenbug resistance genes in wheat germplasms derived from Aegilops tauschii

Molecular mapping of genes for crop resistance to the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum Rondani, will facilitate selection of greenbug resistance in breeding through marker-assisted selection and provide information for map-based gene cloning. In the present study, microsatellite marker and deletion line analyses were used to map greenbug resistance genes in five newly identified wheat germplasms derived from Aegilops tauschii. Our results indicate that the Gb genes in these germplasms are inherited as single dominant traits. Microsatellite markers Xwmc157 and Xgdm150 flank Gbx1 at 2.7 and 3.3 cM, respectively. Xwmc671 is proximately linked to Gba, Gbb, Gbc and Gbd at 34.3, 5.4, 13.7, 7.9 cM, respectively. Xbarc53 is linked distally to Gba and Gbb at 20.7 and 20.2 cM, respectively. Xgdm150 is distal to Gbc at 17.9 cM, and Xwmc157 is distal to Gbd at 1.9 cM. Gbx1, Gba, Gbb, Gbc, Gbd and the previously characterized Gbz are located in the distal 18% region of wheat chromosome 7DL. Gbd appears to be a new greenbug resistance gene different from Gbx1 or Gbz. Gbx1, Gbz Gba, Gbb, Gbc and Gbd are either allelic or linked to Gb3.
Synthesis of ductile titanium-titanium boride (Ti-TiB) composites with a beta-titanium matrix: The nature of TiB formation and composite properties

The study focused on the in-situ synthesis of titanium (Ti)-titanium boride (TiB) composites with β phase in the matrix by reaction sintering of TiB2 with Ti and alloying element powders. The goal was to examine the nature of TiB whisker formation in three different kinds of powder mixtures: (1) β-Ti alloy powders and TiB2; (2) α-Ti powder, a master alloy (Fe-Mo) powder containing the β-stabilizing elements, and TiB2; and (3) α-Ti powder, a β-stabilizing elemental powder (Mo or Nb), and TiB2. The effects of powder packing and the relative locations of powder particles on the morphological changes in TiB whisker formation and their growth were studied at processing temperatures ranging from 1100°C to 1300°C. The morphology, size, and distribution of whiskers were found to be influenced by the powder-packing conditions. A large particle-size ratio in bimodally packed mixtures led to the formation of a TiB monolithic layer around β grains. With a relatively finer starting powder, smaller size ratio, and trimodal packing arrangement, the TiB whiskers were found to be distributed more homogeneously in the matrix. The study also used the X-ray direct comparison method and the structure factor for the β phase to determine the volume fraction of TiB phase from X-ray data. Tensile tests and fractographic investigations were carried out on selected composites. The evolution of the composite microstructure, the influence of powder-packing variables, and the morphology and growth of TiB whiskers and their effect on mechanical properties are discussed.
A Modified Mullins Model for Compressive Behavior of Goose Down Fiber Assemblies

Not much work has been done to explore the mechanisms that could provide fiber assemblies with a high degree of resiliency under repeated compression. Behavior of natural fiber assemblies may provide vital insight that could be leveraged to enhance compressive behavior of fiber assemblies. In this work, low magnification optical microscopy was employed to identify important deformation mechanisms of a goose down fiber assembly at various stages of compression. Microscopy revealed that small tertiary structures exist on most goose down fibers and create points of interlocking contact between secondary fibers. This tertiary contact mechanism has been coupled with fiber orientation and incorporated into an elastic strain energy density function of the assembly. Irreversible deformation and corresponding hysteresis due to disengagement of tertiary contacts and relative sliding of secondary structures upon unloading necessitate another means to determine the stresses during unloading and reloading branches. Fo...
North American Contact Dermatitis Group patch test results for the detection of delayed-type hypersensitivity to topical allergens.

Abstract Background: Allergic contact dermatitis is a significant cause of cutaneous disease affecting many individuals. Patch testing, when used properly, often provides support for the diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis. Objective: This article reports patch testing results from July 1, 1994, to June 30, 1996, by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group (NACDG). Methods: Patients evaluated in our patch test clinics were tested with the same screening series of allergens by the use of a standardized patch testing technique. The data from these patients were recorded on a standard computer entry form and analyzed. Results: Forty-nine allergens were tested on 3120 patients. Budesonide was added to the series in July 1995 and tested on 1678 patients. Of these patients, 66.5% had positive allergic patch test reactions, and 57% had at least one allergic reaction that was felt to be clinically relevant to the present or past dermatitis. The 20 screening allergens commercially available to United States dermatologists in the Allergen Patch Test Kit, accounted for only 54.1% of the patients with positive allergic reactions. The additional 30 allergens on the NACDG screening series accounted for 47% of patients with positive allergic reactions. Had the Allergen Patch Test Kit alone been used, 12.4% of all patients tested may have had their disease misclassified as a nonallergic disorder, and an additional 34.4% of all tested patients would not have had their allergies fully defined. Among those patients with positive responses to the supplemental allergens, 81% of the responses were of present or past relevance. The 12 most frequent contact allergens were nickel sulfate, fragrance mix, thimerosal, quaternium-15, neomycin sulfate, formaldehyde, bacitracin, thiuram mix, balsam of Peru, cobalt chloride, para-phenylenediamine, and carba mix. The present relevance varied with the specific allergen from 10.7% (thimerosal) to 85.7% (quaternium-15). Among newer allergens, methyldibromoglutaronitrile/phenoxyethanol (cosmetic preservative) caused positive allergic reactions in 2% of the patients; tixocortol-21-pivalate and budesonide (corticosteroids), in 2.0% and 1.1% of the patients, respectively; and ethylene urea/melamine formaldehyde mix (textile resin), in 5% of the patients. Conclusion: The usefulness of patch testing is enhanced with the number of allergens tested, because allergens not found on the commercially available screening series in the United States frequently give relevant allergic reactions. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;38:911-8.)
DPA treatment alters α-farnesene metabolism in peel of ‘Empire’ apples stored in air or 1.5% O2 atmosphere

Treatment with diphenylamine (DPA), sometimes in combination with storage under low (≤1.5%) O2 atmosphere, is the major commercial means of limiting superficial scald in apple fruit. Synthesis and oxidation of the sesquiterpene α-farnesene are thought to be directly involved in induction of this storage disorder. Control of scald by DPA has been ascribed to its ability to block both in vitro and in vivo oxidation of α-farnesene to conjugated trienes (CTs), but a number of reports have indicated that DPA has multiple effects, including reduction of α-farnesene synthesis, ethylene production, and respiration. The time course and levels of α-farnesene and CT accumulation in peel tissue were compared in ‘Empire’ apples that were either DPA-treated or untreated and stored for up to 28 weeks at 0°C in air or under 1.5% O2 atmosphere. Also, it was found that the HPLC-UV method previously developed to quantify α-farnesene and CTs could be used to simultaneously measure the concentration of DPA residue. In air-stored fruit, DPA treatment protracted rather than diminished α-farnesene synthesis; a similar maximum level of α-farnesene was reached at 15 and 28 weeks in untreated and DPA-treated fruit, respectively. DPA treatment delayed the onset of CT production by ∼5 weeks and reduced CT accumulation more than 2.5-fold. The low O2 atmosphere was overall more effective than DPA treatment in reducing synthesis and oxidation of α-farnesene. In combination, however, DPA and low O2 had a synergistic effect, resulting in a ninefold reduction in α-farnesene and virtual elimination of CT production over 28 weeks. In both air and 1.5% O2, DPA residue in the peel tissue declined rapidly during the first 15 weeks of storage and more gradually thereafter, with an overall drop from ∼11 to 1.1 μg g−1.
Electrical stress and strain in lunar regolith simulants

Abstract Experiments to entrain dust with electrostatic and fluid-dynamic forces result in particulate clouds of aggregates rather than individual dust grains. This is explained within the framework of Griffith-flaw theory regarding the comminution/breakage of weak solids. Physical and electrical inhomogeneities in powders are equivalent to microcracks in solids insofar as they facilitate failure at stress risers. Electrical charging of powders induces bulk sample stresses similar to mechanical stresses experienced by strong solids, depending on the nature of the charging. A powder mass therefore “breaks” into clumps rather than separating into individual dust particles. This contrasts with the expectation that electrical forces on the Moon will eject a submicron population of dust from the regolith into the exosphere. A lunar regolith will contain physical and electrostatic inhomogeneities similar to those in most charged powders.
CGRP, PACAP, and VIP Modulate Langerhans Cell Function by Inhibiting NF-κB Activation

The neuropeptides calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) suppress Langerhans cell (LC) antigen presentation and modulate cytokine production. We have tested the hypothesis that these neuropeptides (NP) inhibit LC function by modulating activation of NF-kappaB. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activates NF-kappaB in both a LC-like cell line (XS52) and epidermal LC enriched to approximately 95% and this effect is inhibited by each of the NP. Furthermore, CGRP, PACAP, and VIP suppress phosphorylation of IkappaB kinase beta (P-IKKbeta), prevent degradation of the IkappaB alpha, and inhibit activation of NF-kappaB. Thus, these NP modulate LC function by reducing NF-kappaB activation. Bay 11-7085, an inhibitor of IKK, reduced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) production from LPS-stimulated XS52 cells and inhibited the ability of LC to present antigen to a T-cell clone in vitro. Each NP also inhibited LPS-induced secretion of TNFalpha by XS52 cells and LC enriched to approximately 95% homogeneity. We suggest that the inhibitory activities of CGRP, PACAP, and VIP on LC function are mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of P-IKKbeta, which prevents IkappaB alpha degradation and activation of NF-kappaB. Modulation of this signaling pathway may be useful for therapeutic modulation of immunity in the skin.
General Properties and Estimation of Conditional Bernoulli Models

Conditional Bernoulli (in short “CB”) models have been recently applied to many statistical fields including survey sampling, logistic regression, case-control studies, lottery, signal processing and Poisson-Binomial distributions. In this paper, we present several general properties of CB models that are necessary for the applications above. We also show the existence and uniqueness of MLE of parameters in CB models and give two efficient algorithms for computing the MLE. General properties of CB models include: (1) mappings between three characterizations of CB models are homeomorphism modulo rescaling and order-preserving; (2) CB variables are unconditionally independent and conditionally negatively correlated; (3) a simple formula relating inclusion probabilities of adjacent orders can be used to ease computational burden and provide important implication on odds-ratio. Asymptotic properties of CB models are also examined. We show that under a mild condition, (1) CB variables are asymptotically independent; (2) covariances of CB variables are asymptotically on a smaller scale than variances of CB variables; and (3) a CB model can be approximated by a multinomial distribution with the same coverage probabilities. The use and implication of each property are illustrated with related statistical applications.
Sirpent: a high-performance internetworking approach

A clear target for computer communication technology is to support a high-performance global internetwork. Current internetworking approaches use either concatenated virtual circuits, as in X.75, or a “universal” internetwork datagram, as in the DoD Internet IP protocol and the ISO connectionless network protocol (CLNP). Both approaches have significant disadvantages.This paper describes Sirpent™ (Source Internetwork Routing Protocol with Extended Network Transfer)1, a new approach to an internetwork architecture that makes source routing the basis for interconnection, rather than an option as in IP. Its benefits include simple switching with low per-packet processing and delay, support for accounting and congestion control, and scalability to a global internetwork. It also supports flexible, user-controlled routing such as required for security, policy-based routing and realtime applications. We also propose a specific internetwork protocol, called VIPER™2, as a realization of the Sirpent approach.
Single-write self-aligned rim-phase-shift process

Despite very intense work since its re-discovery in the early 1990’s, phase-shift lithography is only in limited use today. The reason for its lack of wide spread use is not performance, for the benefits of phase-shift lithography are very well documented in the literature. The problem has been the greater complexity involved in making phase shirt masks, the inspection and repair of defects, and in dealing with phase-shift conflicts and other layout problems. The phase shift approach most commonly used is attenuated phase-shift. This is not very surprising in view of the fact that this phase-shift approach requires only one write-pass; and the inspection, repair and OPC are less difficult than the other phase-shift options. Despite these shortcomings, work on phase shift continues as we push resolution and extend the life of optical microlithography. The reason is that the alternatives, 157 nm and next-generation lithography, have its own set of issues. As we come to grips with the complexities of working in the vacuum region of the spectrum, we realize that 157 nm is likely to be delayed, and more expensive than originally thought. All next generation lithography options require a great deal of new infrastructure, with it associated coast. In this paper we report on a self-aligned rim phase shift approach. There have been reports of self-aligned rim phase shift approaches before, however our approach is unique in that it only requires one write-pass. This significantly simplifies the mask-making process.
Ethyl Pyruvate Enhances ATP Levels, Reduces Oxidative Stress and Preserves Cardiac Function in a Rat Model of Off-Pump Coronary Bypass☆

Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with transient periods of myocardial ischemia during revascularization resulting in myocardial contractile dysfunction and oxidative injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ethyl pyruvate as a myocardial protective agent in a rat model of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting associated with transient myocardial dysfunction without infarction. Methods: Wistar rats were subjected to transient ischemia via 10min occlusion of the LAD coronary artery followed by 10min of reperfusion. Animals received an IV bolus of Ringer's solution as a control ( n =10) or Ringer's ethyl pyruvate ( n =10) immediately before the initiation of ischemia and reperfusion. Myocardial ATP and lipid peroxidation levels were quantified for an estimation of energetics and oxidative stress, respectively. In vivo cardiac function was assessed throughout the ischemia and reperfusion periods. Results: Ethyl pyruvate significantly increased myocardial ATP levels compared to controls (2650±759nmol/g versus 892±276nmol/g, p =0.04). Myocardial oxidative stress was significantly reduced in animals treated with ethyl pyruvate compared to controls (70.4±2.6nmol/g versus 81.8±2.4nmol/g, p =0.04). d P /d t max and cardiac output were significantly greater in the ethyl pyruvate group compared to controls during ischemia and reperfusion. Conclusions: Ethyl pyruvate enhances myocardial ATP levels, reduces oxidative stress, and preserves myocardial function in a model of transient ischemia/reperfusion injury not subject to myocardial infarction.
Referred phantom sensations and cortical reorganization after spinal cord injury in humans

To test the hypothesis that cortical remapping supports phantom sensations, we examined referred phantom sensations and cortical activation in humans after spinal-cord injury (SCI) at the thoracic level (T3-T12). Of 12 SCI subjects, 9 reported phantom sensations, and 2 reported referred phantom sensations. In both of these subjects, referred phantom sensations were evoked by contact in reference zones (RZ) that were not adjacent in the periphery and were not predicted to be adjacent in the postcentral gyrus (PoCG), suggesting that representations separated by centimeters of cortical space were simultaneously engaged. This finding was supported by functional MRI (fMRI). In a subject with a T6-level complete SCI, contact in RZ on the left or right forearm projected referred phantom sensations to the ipsilateral chest. During fMRI, contact in either forearm RZ evoked activity in the central PoCG (the position of the forearm representation) and the medial PoCG (the position of the chest representation) with ≥1.6 cm of nonresponsive cortex intervening. In contrast, stimulation in non-RZ forearm and palm regions in this subject and in lesion-matched SCI subjects evoked central but not medial PoCG activation. Our findings support a relation between PoCG activation and the percept of referred phantom sensations. These results, however, present an alternative to somatotopic cortical reorganization, namely, cortical plasticity expressed in coactivation of nonadjacent representations. The observed pattern suggests that somatotopic subcortical remapping, projected to the cortex, can support perceptual and cortical reorganization after deafferentation in humans.
Order- N density-matrix electronic-structure method for general potentials

A order-N method for calculating the electronic structure of general (non-tight-binding) potentials is presented. The method uses a combination of the ``purification''-based approaches used by Li, Nunes, and Vanderbilt, and Daw, and a representaiton of the density matrix based on ``traveling basis orbitals.'' This method gives a total energy form that has the form of a cubic multicomponent Landau theory. The method is applied to several one-dimensional examples, including the free-electron gas, the ``Morse'' bound-state potential, a discontinuous potential that mimics an interface, and an oscillatory potential that mimics a semiconductor. The method is found to contain several physical effects that are hard to obtain in real-space total-energy functionals: Friedel oscillations, quantization of charge in bound states, and band-gap formation. Quantitatively accurate agreement with exact results is found in most cases. Possible advantages with regard to treating electron-electron interactions and arbitrary boundary conditions are discussed.
Rate Control Is Preferable to Rhythm Control in the Majority of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

“…but to his surprise — the more he looked — the more Piglet wasn’t there.” — A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner The management of patients with atrial fibrillation has been the subjects of intense investigation over the past 2 decades. In the 1980s and early 1990s, large clinical trials of anticoagulant therapy for stroke prevention were performed. These consistently demonstrated that atrial fibrillation confers a significant and ongoing stroke risk and that anticoagulant therapy significantly reduces this risk.1–10 Warfarin subsequently became a standard of therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation, whether paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent. If patients with atrial fibrillation had a high stroke risk compared with those in sinus rhythm, then logic appeared to dictate that restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm should reduce the likelihood of thromboembolism and hence obviate the need for long-term warfarin anticoagulation. Perhaps driven in part by this belief, new atrial antiarrhythmic drugs were introduced during this period, and there was an increasing use of such drugs among patients with atrial fibrillation.11 A decade after the trials of anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation, several international trials were implemented to determine whether heart rate control would result in a similar outcome to the outcome after a strategy of restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm.12–15 Analysis of these trials demonstrated no benefit either in mortality or in a combined end point of mortality and morbidity. These results are generally interpreted as showing that either rate control or rhythm control is a suitable strategy in a patient with atrial fibrillation, and there has therefore been a rethinking of the appropriate way in which to treat a patient with atrial fibrillation when the options include control of either rate or rhythm. In the treatment of atrial fibrillation, as with most things in medicine, one …
The origin of left hand preference: pathological and non-pathological influences.

Abstract Models of the origin of left hand preference were tested with prospective data. Infants with and without a history of perinatal complications, matched for age, sex and parental handedness, were filmed at 6 weeks of age. Children with a history of perinatal complications lacked the rightward headturning bias of those children without a history of perinatal trauma. Children with a history of perinatal complications were also deviant with reference to the duration of a postural reflex and its degree of lateralization. Perinatal complications may delay the establishment of volitional hand use as well as increase the probability of left-handedness. The data were interpreted as supporting SATZ's (Cortex 8, 121–135, 1972) rather than Bakan et al.'s (Neuropsychologia 11, 363–366, 1973) model of “pathological” left-handedness.
Comparison of Intravascular Ultrasound with Conventional Venography for Detection of Extracranial Venous Abnormalities Indicative of Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency

Abstract Purpose To investigate prevalence of extracranial abnormalities in azygos and internal jugular (IJ) veins using conventional venography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) being evaluated for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, a condition of vascular hemodynamic dysfunction. Materials and Methods PREMiSe (Prospective Randomized Endovascular therapy in Multiple Sclerosis) is a venous angioplasty study that enrolled 30 patients with relapsing MS. The patients fulfilled two or more venous hemodynamic extracranial Doppler sonography screening criteria. Phase I of the study included 10 patients and was planned to assess safety and standardize venography, IVUS, and angioplasty and blinding procedures; phase II enrolled 20 patients and further validated diagnostic assessments using the two invasive techniques. Venography was considered abnormal when ≥ 50% lumen-diameter restriction was detected. IVUS was considered abnormal when ≥ 50% lumen-diameter restriction, intraluminal defects, or reduced pulsatility was detected. Results No venography-related or IVUS-related complications, including vessel rupture, thrombosis, or side effects of contrast media were recorded among the 30 study patients. IVUS-detected venous abnormalities, including chronic, organized, thrombus-like inclusions were observed in 85% of azygos, 50% of right IJ, and 83.3% of left IJ veins, whereas venography demonstrated stenosis of ≥ 50% in 50% of azygos, 55% of right IJ, and 72% of left IJ veins. Sensitivity of venography for detecting IVUS abnormalities was 52.9%, 73.3%, and 80% for the azygos, left IJ, and right IJ veins, respectively. Conclusions IVUS assessment of azygos and IJ veins showed a higher rate of venous abnormalities than venography. IVUS provides a diagnostic advantage over conventional venography in detecting extracranial venous abnormalities indicative of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency.
Parathyroid Localization and Preservation during Transcervical Resection of Substernal Thyroid Glands.

ObjectiveThe feasibility of parathyroid preservation during thyroidectomy has not been well documented for cases in which the thyroid gland extends into the mediastinum.Study DesignRetrospective chart review.SettingTertiary academic referral center.Subjects and MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, 70 consecutive patients who had substernal thyroid glands treated with a transcervical thyroidectomy between 1993 and 2013 were compared with 286 thyroidectomies that did not entail substernal extension within that same time period. All localized parathyroid glands were confirmed histologically.ResultsOf 160 possible parathyroid glands in the substernal cases, 119 (74%) were histologically confirmed intraoperatively (67 superior and 52 inferior). In nonsubsternal cases, 725 (89%) were histologically confirmed (372 superior and 353 inferior). There was a statistically significant difference between the substernal and nonsubsternal cases in the total number of glands found (P < .0001) and the number of super...
Client choices among osteopaths and ordinary physicians in a Michigan community [1]

The U.S.A. has a “plural medical system” in which the most successful unorthodox subculture is osteopathy; however, it is perhaps also the least different from orthodox medicine. Yet the differences are significant. This study shows how client perceptions of osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) and ordinary physicians (M.D.s) influence the utilization of health care services; thus it deals with interrelationships between characteristics of clients and of practitioners. The study of a small Michigan town where clients have approximately equal access to the two kinds of physicians is based on interviews with a random sample of residents. A substantial fraction of the clients say that they do not perceive any difference between D.O.s and M.D.s. Among those who do perceive a difference, M.D.s tend to be rated in the abstract more highly than D.O.s. Nevertheless, more clients utilize D.O.s than M.D.s, and relationships with D.O.s are longer in duration. Most clients recognize the widespread belief in exclusive legitimacy of M.D.s, even if it does not convince them. Yet despite the ideological dominance of M.D.s, clients pragmatically favor consultation with D.O.s.
Evidence that time perspective factors depend on the group: Factor analyses of the CFC and ZTPI scales with professional financial advisors

Abstract The Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) Scale ( Strathman, Gleicher, Boninger, & Edwards, 1994 ) and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) ( Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999 ) have been used in a large body of research examining the impact of time perspective on behavior across a variety of contexts. Both instruments were developed with factor analytic tools incorporating primarily college student samples. Some researchers have suggested that the dimensions of time perspective may be dependent on the group analyzed, but there is little research examining the factor structure of the CFC and ZTPI instruments in non-academic settings. The present study examines the factor structure of the CFC scale and two ZTPI scales (i.e., the Present-Hedonistic and Future scales) using confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses on a sample of professional financial advisors. The results show multiple dimensions of present and future time perspective beyond those previously found for both research instruments, and thus provide some evidence that time perspective factors vary among different populations.
Reflectance spectral characterization of acid sulphate soil in South Yunderup, Western Australia

Acid sulphate soils (ASS) are widely spread worldwide and are detrimental to the environment. South Yunderup is one of the coastal areas of Western Australia heavily affected by ASS. Conventional investigation is costly and time-consuming, and thus there is an urgent need to rapidly characterize and identify this type of soil. This paper aims to characterize these soils using reflectance spectra, which may be one of the most significant steps in effectively identifying them and mapping their extent by remote sensing. The ASS from the study area were divided into several groups and subtypes according to both pH measurements and mineral composition as identified by X-ray diffraction analysis. Each group and subtype was then characterized by its spectral reflectance features. We found that the spectral characteristics of ASS are governed by the spectral features of its compositional minerals. In particular, some secondary iron-bearing minerals produced by the formation of ASS, together with surrounding miner...
Optimization by Simulated Annealing: Quantitative Studies

Simulated annealing is a stochastic optimization procedure which is widely applicable and has been found effective in several problems arising in computeraided circuit design. This paper derives the method in the context of traditional optimization heuristics and presents experimental studies of its computational efficiency when applied to graph partitioning and traveling salesman problems.
Assessment of a policy to reduce placement of prosthetic hemodialysis access.

Assessment of a policy to reduce placement of prosthetic hemodialysis access. Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the determinants of access patency and revision, including the effects of reducing the placement of prosthetic hemodialysis access. Methods A retrospective cohort study of all hemodialysis accesses placed at the Veteran's Administration Puget Sound Health Care System between 1992 and 1999 was conducted. A policy was instituted in 1996 that maximized the use of autogenous hemodialysis access. The impacts of the policy change, demographics, and comorbid factors on access type and patency, were examined. Primary and secondary patency rates were examined using the Kaplan–Meier method, and factors associated with failure and revision were examined using Cox proportional hazard models and Poisson regression. Results During the study, 104 accesses (61 prosthetic grafts and 43 autogenous fistulas) were placed prior to 1996, and 118 (31 prosthetic grafts and 87 autogenous fistulas) were placed after 1996. There was a significant increase in autogenous fistulas placed after 1996 (87 out of 118) compared with before 1996 (43 out of 104, P P = 0.001) and secondary patency (72 vs. 58%, P = 0.003) compared with prosthetic grafts. After adjustment for age, race, side of access placement, and history of prior access placement, patients with a prosthetic graft were estimated to experience a 78% increase in the risk of primary access failure when compared with similar patients having an autogenous access [adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 1.78, 95% CI 1.21–2.62, P = 0.003)]. Similarly, the adjusted relative risk of secondary access failure for comparing prosthetic grafts with autogenous fistulas was estimated to be 2.21 (95% CI 1.38–3.54, P = 0.001). The adjusted risk of access revision was 2.89-fold higher for prosthetic grafts than for autogenous fistulas (95% CI 1.88–4.44, P Conclusions Autogenous conduits demonstrated superior performance when compared with prosthetic grafts in terms of primary and secondary patency and number of revisions. A policy emphasizing the preferential placement of autogenous fistulas over prosthetic grafts may result in improved patency and a reduction in the number of procedures required to maintain dialysis access patency.
Detection of nevirapine in plasma using thin-layer chromatography.

Background: Nevirapine (NVP) is widely prescribed in resource-poor settings to pregnant women for treatment and prevention of HIV infection. High rates of misreported adherence, however, have compelled clinicians to find alternative methods to ensure systemic drug exposure. This report describes a fast, inexpensive thin-layer chromatography (TLC) method to detect the presence of NVP in human plasma. Methods: Human plasma was spiked with various concentrations of NVP. NVP was subsequently isolated using solid-phase extraction and visualized with TLC. Clinical samples with NVP concentrations predetermined by high-performance liquid chromatography were used to validate the TLC method. Results: NVP was detected at concentrations as low as 60 ng/mL. The lower limit of detection was set at 100 ng/mL due to the clear spot definition at this concentration. The turnaround time for assay results averages several hours, and costs associated with the assay are considerably below standard drug quantitation techniques. Conclusion: TLC provides a rapid, sensitive, and economical tool to qualitatively measure NVP in plasma. This method offers clinicians in resource-poor settings an alternative approach for measuring adherence, particularly in developing-world regions where NVP use is common and there is an immediate need to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission.
Electron Transfer and Fluorescence Quenching of Nanoparticle Assemblies

Electron transfer (ET) in aggregates of cadmium selenide (CdSe) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) nanoparticles (NPs) was studied in aqueous solution by fluorescence quenching. Both steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements were used to quantify how the ET depends on the nature of the NP assemblies. The aggregation of CdSe and CdTe NPs was controlled by the electrostatic attraction of the charged functionalities placed on the NP surface coating. Electron transfer quenching was found to depend on three factors: the interparticle distance, the energetic alignment of the NP bands (hence the size of the NPs), and the direction of the electric field between the NPs, created by their surface charges.
Larval fish-induced phenotypic plasticity of coexisting Daphnia: an enclosure experiment

SUMMARY 1. The indirect effects of predators on lower trophic levels have been studied without much attention to phenotypically plastic traits of key food web components. Phenotypic plasticity among species creates phenotypic diversity over a changing environmental landscape. 2. We measured the indirect effects of planktivorous larval walleye (Stizostedion vitreum )o n phytoplankton biomass through their effects on the dominant herbivore species, Daphnia pulicaria and D. mendotae. 3. Fish had no effect on phytoplankton biomass or overall Daphnia density. We observed a compensatory response to predation by functionally comparable species within a trophic level in the form of shifting dominance and coexistence of Daphnia species. We hypothesized that this phenotypically plastic response to predation decoupled a potential trophic cascade in this freshwater pelagic system. Daphnia pulicaria density decreased over time with fish predation, but D. mendotae density increased over time with fish predation. 4. Phenotypically plastic life history trait shifts and reproductive rates differed between species in fishless and fish enclosures, accounting for population trends. Daphnia pulicaria were also proportionally higher in walleye larvae stomachs than in the enclosures, indicating that walleye preferred to feed on D. pulcaria over D. mendotae. The resultant shift in dominance may partially explain the overall benign effect of fish on grazers and supports the hypothesis that trophic level diversity can decouple a trophic cascade.
Eroticism in infancy and childhood

The capacity for sensate experience develops very early in life, begining prenatally. What the child lacks is opportunity, not capacity. Yet children are denied the full range of sexual experiences consistent with their capacity. At least this is true of children brought up in secretive and repressive societies. On the other hand, the full range of cognitive capacity in humans does not emerge during childhood and is not available until adolescence at best. Management of the sexual life at a rational level appears difficult to attain for persons brought up in secretive repressive societies. Therefore much more thought and attention has to go into the development of quality sex education, education that takes into account the child's cognitive capacity plus any developmental lag in learning resulting from lack of prior sexual experience or the negative effects of furtive sexual encounters and negative parental reactions to such encounters.
Assessing intelligence cross-nationally : a case for differential item functioning detection

Abstract Cross-national comparisons of intelligence require the use of measurement instruments that are equivalent across cultural groups. One method for insuring equivalent measures is to use only those test items for which the relationship between ability andand probability of a correct response is the same for both national groups. American and German intelligence tests, based on Thurstone's primary mental abilities, were administered to 205 American and 217 German male and female college students in their native languages. Effects of speed were minimized by examining only those items that the majority of subjects reached. Tests were then examined for items that exhibited differetial item functioning (dif). Group subtest scores were compared before and after dif items and the effects of speed were removed. Ability differences before and after were not the same. The benefits of using a dif analysis and removing the effects of speed in order to establish measurement equivalence in cross-national comparisons of intelligence are discussed.
Role of epitaxy and polycrystallinity in the magnetoresistance and magnetization of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 thin films

La0.8Sr0.2MnO3thin films were simultaneously deposited by pulsed laserablation on silicon (Si) and LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates. Films on Si were polycrystalline while those on LAO were (100) epitaxial with an in‐plane correlation length of ≊10 nm. The magnetization and magnetoresistance behavior of these two films were significantly different. Both films exhibit antiferromagnetic–ferromagnetic transitions—at different temperatures [180 K (LAO); 230 K (Si)]—and their magnetic moments at 10 K were significantly different (Si—0.0035 emu; LAO—0.0022 emu). However, both films showed significant high field slope in magnetization at 10 K. Significant fractions of both films remain antiferromagnetic at low temperatures and hence net susceptibilities, dependent on the direction of the applied magnetic field, are different for the epitaxial (LAO) and randomly oriented polycrystalline (Si) films. The magnetoresistance peak, corresponding to the semiconductor–metal transition is observed at 170 and 130 K for the epitaxial (LAO) and polycrystalline (Si) films, respectively. Moreover, their resistance values are two orders of magnitude different (Si—MO/hms; LAO—KOhms). These properties can be interpreted in terms of the major role of grain boundaries in determining the scattering as well as possible differences in O2 stoichiometry.
Non-photochemical hole burning and impurity site relaxation processes in organic glasses☆

Abstract Laser-induced holes in the inhomogeneously broadened absorption spectra of aromatic hydrocarbons in frozen glasses are reported. The holes are shown to be of non-photochemical origin. Mechanisms for excited state site interconversion based on a metastable distribution of sites in asymmetric double well potentials are presented. Methods of eliminating non-photochemical holes and of distinguishing between photochemical and non-photochemical holes are described.
Increased c-jun/AP-1 levels in etoposide-resistant human leukemia K562 cells

C-jun mRNA and AP-1 levels were examined in etoposide (VP-16)-sensitive (K562) and -resistant (K/VP.5) human leukemia cell lines. Previously, we reported that K/VP.5 cells have increased basal levels of mRNA for the protooncogene c-jun (Ritke MK and Yalowich JC, Biochem Pharmacol 46: 2007-2020, 1993). In this study, we show that the 3-fold increase in c-jun transcripts in K/VP.5 cells was accompanied by a 2-fold increase in the stability of the mRNA for this gene and a nearly 2-fold increase in AP-1 DNA binding activity compared with parental K562 cells. Treatment of K562 and K/VP.5 cells with 50-200 microM VP-16 resulted in 3- to 10-fold stimulation of c-jun transcripts, which peaked 90-150 min after addition of drug and remained elevated up to 5 hr. In contrast, amsacrine stimulated the levels of c-jun mRNA only 3-fold in both cell lines, and its c-jun stimulatory effects were decreased at concentrations greater than 50 microM. VP-16 stimulation of c-jun mRNA levels resulted in a 2-fold increase in AP-1 binding activity in K562 but not in K/VP.5 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that posttranscriptional changes in c-jun mRNA regulation may be associated with acquired resistance to VP-16.
Digital chest radiography with storage phosphor systems: potential masking of bilateral pleural effusions.

A photostimulable storage phosphor (PSP) computed radiography imaging system was analyzed for its potential to mask pleural effusion during normal image processing. This phenomenon has been observed in several clinical cases in our hospital. To better understand the relationship between pleural effusion and the PSP radiograph appearance, portable radiographs of an anthropomorphic chest phantom were acquired with the PSP system in conditions simulating various quantities and distributions of pleural fluid. It was observed that the optical density of the film in one hemithorax was significantly influenced by whether or not fluid was present in the opposite hemithorax. This optical density dependence was determined to be a system-induced effect that results from the image processing (histogram analysis) technique used by the PSP system during image plate readout. It is important to recognize that the PSP system’s normal optical density (sensitivity) adjustment can obscure the presence of bilateral pleural fluid accumulation, particularly if the opposite hemithorax contains fluid in an equal or greater amount.
Data Collection and Elementary School Mathematics

The curriculum standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics advocate the inclusion of data collection activities throughout the middle school. This paper presents activities that implement these recommendations. Activities include data collection in the home, school and community and encourage students to summarize, interpret, and draw inferences from the data they collect individually and in cooperative groups. Four types of data collection activities are presented - observations, surveys, experiments and sampling. Every activity requires minimal planning/preparation by the teacher yet involves students in a variety of roles. Further, each activity can be adapted to different classroom settings.