cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Working together for health and human rights

The right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being is being denied to vast numbers of people all over the world through increasing disparities in income and in wealth. In the name of economic development, a number of international and national policies have increased the grossly uneven distribution of income, with ever-growing numbers of people living in poverty as well as in increasing depths of poverty. Globalization, crippling levels of external debt, and the 'structural adjustment' policies of international agencies have expanded the numbers and the suffering of people living in poverty and have resulted in the neglect of government-funded social programs, of regulations protecting the environment, and of human development. Access to medical care, an essential element in the protection of health, is difficult for many, including the 44 million people in the United States who lack insurance coverage for the cost of medical care services. Working together for health and human rights also requires promotion of the right to peace. The right to life and health is threatened not only by the existence and active deployment of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and anti-personnel landmines, but also other weapons. The twentieth century has been the bloodiest in human history, with an estimated 250 wars, more than 110 million people killed, countless people wounded and at the least 50 million refugees. Health workers must work together with people in our communities for the promotion of health and human rights, which, in Sandwell and elsewhere, are inextricably intertwined.
The NIH Experience With Precocious Puberty: Diagnostic Subgroups and Response to Short-Term Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone Analogue Therapy

Between 1979 and 1983, 129 children (95 girls) with precocious puberty were referred to the National Institutes of Health and received treatment for at least 6 months with the long-acting LHRH analogue D-Trp6-Pro9-NEt-LHRH. The majority (107 of 129) of the children had central precocious puberty mediated by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in association with hypothalamic hamartomas (24 of 107) or other central nervous system lesions (21 of 107), or idiopathic precocious puberty (62 of 107). Hypothalamic hamartomas or other central nervous system lesions were a frequent cause of central precocious puberty in girls (27 of 87), but idiopathic precocious puberty was still the most frequent diagnosis (63%). Idiopathic precocious puberty was uncommon in boys (6%). The patients with peripheral precocious puberty included six girls with McCune-Albright syndrome and six boys with familial male precocious puberty. These children had peripheral sex steroid secretion in the absence of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis maturation. The children with combined peripheral and central precocious puberty included nine children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia and one girl with a virilizing adrenal tumor. In the patients with central precocious puberty or combined peripheral and central precocious puberty, LHRHa therapy caused suppression of gonadotropin and sex steroid levels (P less than 0.001), stabilization or regression of secondary sexual characteristics, and decreases in growth rate and in the rate of bone age maturation (P less than 0.005). Patients with peripheral precocious puberty, however, had no significant change in gonadotropin or sex steroid levels, growth rate, or the rate of bone age maturation, and no improvement in secondary sexual characteristics. Thus, LHRHa is an effective treatment of central precocious puberty and combined peripheral and central precocious puberty, but is ineffective in the therapy of peripheral precocious puberty.
Knowledge Management; A System for Controlling the AI Development Environment for an Expert System Which Performs Satellite Anomaly Resolution

This paper introduces the concept of knowledge management as a comprehensive system for managing and controlling the development and validation of a knowledge base which is a part of an expert system application. In most applications the complexity of the system and the representation used tend to obscure the structure and data which describe the knowledge domain which effectively inhibits Knowledge Verification and Validation and places severe constraints on the ability to extend and maintain a knowledge base. Ford Aerospace has pioneered a unique Knowledge Management system through the evolution of knowledge representation systems and knowledge acquisition tools which overcomes these traditional limitations. It can be anticipated that as expert systems experience wide spread application, Knowledge Management will become an important component of the standard development methodology employed by most firms working in the field. In the near term, researchers need to continue to refine and extend the concept so its application achieves its potential for improving the quality and scope of AI projects.
Control of Translation Initiation through Integration of Signals Generated by Hormones, Nutrients, and Exercise

Control of translation initiation in a tissue of an intact mammalian organism is a highly complex process requiring the continuous integration of multiple positive and negative stimuli. For a tissue such as skeletal muscle, which has the capacity to undergo dramatic changes in size and protein content, translation initiation contributes importantly to the regulation of global rates of protein synthesis and is controlled by numerous stimuli, including those arising from nutrients and hormones in the circulating blood, as well as from contraction-induced signaling within the tissue. Many of the pathways conveying signals generated by these stimuli converge on mTORC1, a serine-threonine protein kinase that has been termed the nutrient and energy sensor of the cell and that plays a prominent role in the regulation of cell growth. Control of translation initiation by mTORC1 is mediated through phosphorylation of downstream targets that modulate the binding of mRNA to the 43 S preinitiation complex. Control of translation initiation is also mediated through modulation of binding of initiator methionyl-tRNA to the 40 S ribosomal subunit. Together, modulation of these two regulatory steps in translation initiation accounts in large part for changes in protein synthesis in skeletal muscle produced by the integration of inputs from hormones, nutrients, and exercise.
Treating serious infections: Focus on Cefepime

Antibiotic resistance among medically important pathogens is curtailing the therapeutic value of many of the standard broad-spectrum antibiotics used for empiric treatment of serious infections. This article presents a brief overview of the etiology of serious infections and the threat of emerging resistance, and reviews the adverse impact of inadequate empiric treatment on patient outcomes and hospital ecology. The treatment of two clinically important infections with cefepime--pneumonia in hospitalized patients and febrile neutropenia--also is discussed.
A Finite Element Method for Free-Surface Flows of Incompressible Fluids in Three Dimensions, Part II: Dynamic Wetting Lines

To date, few researchers have solved three-dimensional free-surface problems with dynamic wetting lines. This paper extends the free-surface finite element method described in a companion paper [Cairncross, R.A., P.R. Schunk, T.A. Baer, P.A. Sackinger, R.R. Rao, "A finite element method for free surface flows of incompressible fluid in three dimensions, Part I: Boundary-Fitted mesh motion.", to be published (1998)] to handle dynamic wetting. A generalization of the technique used in two dimensional modeling to circumvent double-valued velocities at the wetting line, the so-called kinematic paradox, is presented for a wetting line in three dimensions. This approach requires the fluid velocity normal to the contact line to be zero, the fluid velocity tangent to the contact line to be equal to the tangential component of web velocity, and the fluid velocity into the web to be zero. In addition, slip is allowed in a narrow strip along the substrate surface near the dynamic contact line. For realistic wetting-line motion, a contact angle which varies with wetting speed is required because contact lines in three dimensions typically advance or recede a different rates depending upon location and/or have both advancing and receding portions. The theory is applied to capillary rise of static fluid in a corner, the initial motion of a Newtonian droplet down an inclined plane, and extrusion of a Newtonian fluid from a nozzle onto a moving substrate. The extrusion results are compared to experimental visualization. Subject Categories
Interface development and encapsulation in simultaneous coinjection molding of disk. II. Two-dimensional simulation and experiment

Two-dimensional simulation and experimental studies of flow-rate-controlled coinjection molding were carried out. Skin polymer was injected first, and then both skin and core polymers were injected simultaneously into a center-gated disk cavity through a two-channel nozzle to obtain an encapsulated sandwich structure. The physical modeling and simulation developed, reported in Part I of this series, were based on the Hele–Shaw approximation and the kinematics of the interface to describe the multilayer flow, and the interface development was used to predict the skin/core distribution in the moldings. The effects of rheological properties and processing conditions on the material distribution, penetration behavior, and breakthrough phenomena were investigated. The predicted and measured results were found to be in a good agreement. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2310–2318, 2003
Reminiscence and Re-creation in Contemporary American Fiction

Post-modernist fiction apparently presents a world of chance and randomness, devoid of historical intelligibility. Focusing on American post-modernist writers, Stacey Olster offers a challenge to this perception, showing how the experience of political and historical events has shaped the novelist's perspective. Communism after World War II proved particularly instrumental in this capacity; the failure of the Communist ideal in Russia forced a change in the literary perspective of history during the 1950s. Olster analyzes in detail historical narrative configurations in the works of a pivotal group of writers. Norman Mailer, Thomas Pynchon, John Barth, Robert Coover and E. L. Doctorow share a common vision of historical movement in the shape of an open-ended spiral. The modes of temporal movement constructed by these authors manage to recall an early Puritan prototype while remaining nonapocalyptic in direction.
Determinants of spelling ability in deaf and hearing adults: Access to linguistic structure☆

Abstract The extent to which ability to access linguistic regularities of the orthography is dependent on spoken language was investigated in a two-part spelling test administered to both hearing and profoundly deaf college students. The spelling test examined ability to spell words varying in the degree to which their correct orthographic representation could be derived from the linguistic structure of English. Both groups of subjects were found to be sensitive to the underlying regularities of the orthography as indicated by greater accuracy on linguistically-derivable words than on irregular words. Comparison of accuracy on a production task and on a multiple-choice recognition task showed that the performance of both deaf and hearing subjects benefited from the recognition format, but especially so in the spelling of irregular words. Differences in the underlying spelling process for deaf and hearing spellers were revealed in an analysis of their misspellings: Deaf subjects produced fewer phonetically accurate misspellings than did the hearing subjects. Nonetheless, the deaf spellers tended to observe the formational constraints of English phonology and morphology in their misspellings. Together, these results suggest that deaf subjects are able to develop an appreciation for the structural properties of the orthography, but that their spelling may be guided by an accurate representation of the phonetic structure of words to a lesser degree than it is for hearing spellers.
Exercise effects on systemic immunity

Heavy exertion has acute and chronic influences on systemic immunity. In the resting state, the immune systems of athletes and non-athletes are more similar than disparate with the exception of NK cell activity, which tends to be elevated in athletes. Many components of the immune system exhibit adverse change after prolonged, heavy exertion. These immune changes occur in several compartments of the immune system and body (e.g. the skin, upper respiratory tract mucosal tissue, lung, blood and muscle). Although still open to interpretation, most exercise immunologists believe that during this 'open window' of impaired immunity (which may last between 3 and 72 h, depending on the immune measure) viruses and bacteria may gain a foothold, increasing the risk of subclinical and clinical infection. The infection risk may be amplified when other factors related to immune function are present, including exposure to novel pathogens during travel, lack of sleep, severe mental stress, malnutrition or weight loss.
Prediction of body weight of fossil Artiodactyla

Many dimensions of the postcranial skeleton of ruminant artiodactyls scale closely with body weight and are therefore potentially useful as predictors of body weight in fossil species. Using 45 dimensions of the skeleton a series of predictive equations was generated based on the scaling relationships of the family Bovidae. As a test of their usefulness these equations were used to predict body weights of a number of living ruminant artiodactyls, and six genera of fossil artiodactyls. For most species body weight estimates within 25° of actual weight were given by the mean of the predicted weights from all measurements except lengths of long bones. While femur length was a reasonable predictor of body weight, lengths of distal long bones were unreliable and should not be used as indicators of relative or absolute body weights. Some non-length measurements are biased in certain taxonomic groups; the possibility of erroneous estimates from such measurements can be reduced by using as many estimators of body weight as are available. No species of artiodactyl tested is so highly modified in all dimensions that all results were erroneous. Subsets of measurements which might be available from a typical fossil fragment also gave reliable results.
Social data analysis instruction and the MISSIS system

Social data analysis instruction is an enterprise providing experiences to develop problem solving skills. A proper focus upon analysis can best be provided with a data analysis package stressing simplicity rather than complexity. MISSIS is such a system, and it is designed to operate on small computers. Small technology can provide a training ground for making sound decisions in analyzing data.
Procedures for the part family/machine group identification problem in cellular manufacturing

Abstract One of the first, and most important, problems faced in the design of a cellular manufacturing system is the identification of part families and machine groups and the simultaneous or subsequent evaluation of the associated cell properties. This cell formation problem is embedded in a larger cell design process. This article first discusses the general cell design process and its objectives and then proposes a framework for structuring the cell formation problem, which encompasses four basic solution approaches. These approaches are based on the fundamental ways part families and machine groups are identified and matched within the cell formation process. The framework is then used to classify descriptive and analytic procedures for the part family/machine group identification problem found in the literature. In all, over 70 such contributions are categorized and briefly reviewed. Promising procedures are identified and areas where additional research is needed are highlighted. It can be concluded that cell formation, despite the reliance on computerized procedures, is a process that is difficult to formalize and that requires a large portion of human insight and decision making.
Cytotoxicity evaluation of Active GP and Resilon cones in vitro

Objective This study was done to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Activ GP and Resilon cones in an in vitro cell culture system. Study design Gutta-percha (GP), Activ GP, and Resilon cones were tested in this study. L929 cells were seeded into 96-well plates at 3 × 10 4 cells/well. In one set of experiments, 2-mm segments cut from the tip of GP and Resilon cones were placed into the cell culture wells and incubated for 1, 2, and 3 days. In another set of experiments, 2 20-mm segments of GP, Activ GP, and Resilon cones were incubated in 2 mL cell culture medium for 1 week. Then 100 μL elutes were tested for 24 and 48 h. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance. Results When GP, Activ GP, and Resilon segments were placed into cell cultures, cell viability in the Resilon group was significantly greater than in the GP and Activ GP groups at any test time. There was no cell viability difference between the Activ GP and GP groups. When the elutes of GP, Activ GP, and Resilon was placed into cell cultures, the results were the same as using segments of the tested material. The cytotoxicity of GP and Activ GP is greater than that of the Resilon cone. There was no cell viability difference between Activ GP and regular GP. Conclusion Resilon has better biocompatibility than regular GP and Activ GP cones. The cytotoxicity of Activ GP is similar to that of regular GP.
The physiological role of mitochondrial calcium revealed by mice lacking the mitochondrial calcium uniporter

Until the recent discovery of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), the effect of increases in mitochondrial calcium levels could not be tested in vivo. Finkel and colleagues have knocked out the gene coding for MCU in adult mice, and show that MCU is required for transport of calcium into the mitochondria. They also show that, in its absence, the function of skeletal muscle is altered; however, surprisingly, no effects are observed on the sensitivity to cell-death-inducing agents.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy: A Review and a Look at Its Use as a Probative Tool in Deamination Chemistry

Abstract This year (2006) represents the 60th anniversary of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (discovered independently by Nobel laureates Edward Purcell and Felix Bloch). It is therefore appropriate and indeed valuable to reflect on how this versatile methodology has developed, expanded, and evolved into a cornerstone of chemical research since 1946. No doubt multiple reviews discussing various aspects of NMR technology will emerge over the course of this year, but the field has grown so exponentially since its inception that it would be impossible for a single review to meaningfully encompass all features of the NMR methodology. This work, therefore, is not meant to provide a comprehensive review of NMR spectroscopy (such an undertaking would prove unwieldy and is inapt in the current context). Instead, it will provide an overview of NMR spectroscopy including the basic principles of NMR (the NMR phenomenon, instrumentation, and spectral interpretation) the historical development of the fie...
Morphology of thermospheric composition variations in the quiet polar thermosphere from Dynamics Explorer measurements

Composition data obtained by the Neutral Atmosphere Composition Spectrometer carried aboard the Dynamics Explorer 2 satellite have been examined for variations in the polar regions during magnetically quiet conditions. A persistent enhancement of N2 density and a depletion of He density are present in the vicinity of the magnetic poles with maximum density response in the morning hours (magnetic) on average. A universal time (UT) variation in average density levels is evident near both the geographic and magnetic poles. There are systematic morphology changes with UT and between summer and winter which are qualitatively consistent with the shifting and spreading of thermospheric heating effects by the global circulation systems driven by EUV and magnetospheric sources. The magnitude of the UT variations is larger in the southern hemisphere on average, and the UT variations are larger in local winter than summer.
The flash vacuum thermolysis of (-)-cocaine

Abstract (-)-Cocaine is thermally labile and, in a series of remarkable thermal reactions, is cleanly partitioned among benzoic acid, N-methylpyrrole and methyl 3-butenoate.
Expanding the treatment window with mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke.

Acute ischemic stroke is a common disease associated with high mortality and significant long-term disability. Treatment options for acute ischemic stroke continue to evolve and include pharmaceutical and mechanical therapies. With the recent US Food and Drug Administration approval of a new device for mechanical thrombectomy, the options available for treatment of acute ischemic stroke have been expanded. Thrombolytic therapy is generally given intravenously in the first 3 h and up to 6 h via the intraarterial route for pharmacological clot disruption. The maximum time-frame for mechanical thrombectomy devices has yet to be determined. A 78-year-old female presented to the emergency room with a dense right hemiparesis, leftward gaze preference and dense global aphasia. Eight hours after symptom onset, left carotid angiography confirmed a left internal carotid artery terminus occlusion. A single pass was made through the clot with an X6 Merci Retriever device. After a single pass, the vessel was reopened and normal flow in the left internal carotid artery was demonstrated. At the time of discharge, her neurological deficits had improved significantly. Furthermore, the final infarct area, as demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging, was probably much smaller than it would have been if the vessel had not been recanalized. We report the use of a new mechanical thrombectomy device 8 h after onset of ischemic symptoms, with substantial subsequent improvement in neurological outcome. In selected cases, use of the Merci Retriever can result in improved outcomes beyond the traditional 6-hwindow used for intraarterial pharmacological thrombolysis.
Mesoscale mapping of available solar energy at the earth's surface by use of satellites

A method is presented for use of cloud images in the visual spectrum from the SMS/GOES geostationary satellites to determine the hourly distribution of sunshine on the mesoscale. Cloud coverage and density as a function of time of day and season are evaluated through the use of digital data processing techniques. Seasonal geographic distributions of cloud cover/sunshine are converted to joules of solar radiation received at the earth's surface through relationships developed from long-term measurements of these two parameters at six widely distributed stations. The technique can be used to generate maps showing the geographic distribution of total solar radiation on the mesoscale which is received at the earth's surface.
Joint Optimization of Product Price, Display Orientation and Shelf-Space Allocation in Retail Category Management

Abstract We develop a model that jointly optimizes a retailer's decisions for product prices, display facing areas, display orientations and shelf-space locations in a product category. Unlike the existing shelf-space allocation models that typically consider only the width of display shelves, our model considers both the width and height of each shelf, allowing products to be stacked. Furthermore, as demand is influenced by each product's two-dimensional facing area, we consider multiple product orientations that capture three-dimensional product packaging characteristics. That enables our model to not only treat shelf locations as decision variables, but also retailers’ stacking patterns in terms of product display areas and multiple display orientations. Further, unlike the existing studies which consider a retailer's shelf-space allocation decisions independent of its product pricing decisions, our model allows joint decisions on both and captures cross-product interactions in demand through prices. We show how a branch-and-bound based MINLP algorithm can be used to implement our optimization model in a fast and practical way.
Effect of 2-D regular channels and their configurations on properties of ceramic preforms

Abstract Regular channels of various sizes aligned in 2-D were fabricated in alumina using soft solder. The spaces between these channels were varied and their effects on the properties of alumina were investigated. It was found that these channels could significantly affect the fracture strength and elastic modulus of the specimen, depending on the channel diameter and spacing. After 3-point bend tests, it was seen that the presence of channels resulted in enhancement of modulus of rupture (MOR) and decrease in the scatter when compared to the solid specimen (specimen without channels). It was also observed that there exists an optimal spacing between the channels that imparts the highest MOR to the specimen. Beyond this value of spacing the MOR decreased, while the elastic modulus increased. The compressive strength also exhibited much less scatter for the porous specimen than for the solid specimen.
Same Wavelength GPR And Ultra Shallow Seismic Reflection On a River Point Bar: Sand Stratigraphy And Water Table Complexity.

Summary Ultra-shallow seismic reflection images of depths less than 4m are compared to shallow, 100MHz GPR sections, with approximately the same wavelength. In general, the GPR and the seismic sections are not directly comparable since GPR boundaries do not always coincide with the seismic boundaries. Specifically, the GPR water table reflection differs from the seismic water table reflection in both location and geometry. This fact is theoretically justified in complex heterogeneous environment. The ability to compare the two images enables us to locate discontinuities and flow barriers, and to better characterize heterogeneous environments.
Reactivity of Zirconocene Azametallacyclobutenes: Insertion of Aldehydes, Carbon Monoxide, and Formation of α,β-Unsaturated Imines. Formation and Trapping of [Cp2ZrO] in a [4 + 2] Retrocycloaddition1

Azametallacyclobutene Cp2ZrN-t-BuCEtCEt (1) underwent an insertion reaction with CO to form the acyl complex 2 (Cp2Zr(N-t-BuCEtCEtCO), 67% yield). The addition of acetone to azametallacyclobutene 3 (Cp2Zr(NArCMeCPh), Ar = 2,6-dimethylphenyl) yielded the N-bonded enamine and O-bonded enolate complex of zirconocene 4 (Cp2Zr(NArCMeCPhH)(OCMeCH2), 76% yield). The addition of aldehydes RCOH to metallacycle 3 resulted in the insertion of the aldehyde into the Zr−C bond to form complexes Cp2Zr(NArCMeCPhCRHO) (8a) and Cp2Zr(NArCMeCPhC(i-Pr)HO (9) in 85% (R = Ph) and 73% yields, respectively. Similarly, treatment of metallacycle 10 (Cp2Zr(NArCEtCEt)) with benzaldehyde yielded the insertion product 11 (Cp2Zr(NArCEtCEtCPhHO)) in 56% isolated yield. The structure of complex 11 was confirmed by an X-ray crystallographic study. Heating the insertion products 8a and 9 led to elimination of the α,β-unsaturated imines 13 and 14a (ArNCMeCPhCRH) in 53% and 72% yields, respectively, and the formation of oxozirconocene oligom...
TGFβ Regulates the Expression of Gαi2 via an Effect on the Localization of Ras

Abstract S. M. Ward, A. P. Gadbut, D. Tang, A. G. Papageorge, L. Wu, G. LI, J. V. Barnett and J. B. Galper. TGFβ Regulates the Expression of Gαi2 via an Effect on the Localization of Ras. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2002) 34, 1217–1226. The negative chronotropic response of the heart to parasympathetic stimulation is mediated via the interaction of M2 muscarinic receptors, Gαi2 and the G-protein coupled inward rectifying K+ channel, GIRK1. Here TGFβ1 is shown to decrease the expression of Gαi2 in cultured chick atrial cells in parallel with attenuation of the negative chronotropic response to parasympathetic stimulation. The response to the acetylcholine analogue, carbamylcholine, decreased from a 95±2% (±SEM, n=8) inhibition of beat rate in control cells to 18±2% (±SEM,n =8) in TGFβ1 treated cells. Data support the conclusion that TGFβ regulation of Gαi2 expression was mediated via an effect on Ras. TGFβ1 inhibited Gαi2 promoter activity by 56±6% (±SEM, n=4) compared to control. A dominant activating Ras mutant reversed the effect of TGFβ on Gαi2 expression and stimulated Gαi2 promoter activity 1.7 fold above control. A dominant negative Ras mutant mimicked the effect of TGFβ1 on Gαi2 promoter activity. TGFβ had no effect on the ratio of GDP/GTP bound Ras, but markedly decreased the level of membrane associated Ras and increased the level of cytoplasmic Ras compared to control. Furthermore, farnesol, a precursor to farnesylpyrophosphate, the substrate for the farnesylation of Ras, not only reversed TGFβ1 inhibition of Ras localization to the membrane, but also reversed TGFβ1 inhibition of Gαi2promoter activity. FTI-277, a specific inhibitor of the farnesylation of Ras, mimicked the effect of TGFβ1 on Ras localization and Gαi2 promoter activity. These data suggest a novel relationship between TGFβ signaling, regulation of Ras function and the autonomic response of the heart.
Microscopic and Gross Extravesical Extension in Pathological Staging of Bladder Cancer

ABSTRACTPurpose: We evaluated clinical outcomes in patients with pathological microscopic (pT3a) and gross (pT3b) extravesical tumor extension with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder following radical cystectomy.Materials and Methods: A total of 236 patients, including 173 males (73%) and 63 females, underwent radical cystectomy for pathological primary bladder TCC with extravesical extension (pT3), of whom 69 (29%) had pT3a and 167 (71%) had pT3b disease. At a median followup of 8.9 years (range 0 to 19.4) lymph node involvement, local and distant recurrences, and clinical outcomes were determined.Results: Of the 236 patients with pT3 tumors 106 (45%) had lymph node positive disease, including 34 of 69 (49%) with pT3a and 72 of 167 (43%) with pT3b disease. The 10-year recurrence-free survival rate for patients with pT3a tumors was 48% compared with 47% for those with pT3b disease (p = 0.89). Recurrence-free survival was significantly better in patients with lymph node negative disease than ...
Placenta growth factor is not an early marker for the development of severe preeclampsia

Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether plasma concentrations of placenta growth factor may be used as a marker for women who ultimately have severe preeclampsia. Study Design: We performed a nested case-control study to compare plasma concentrations of placenta growth factor in women with severe preeclampsia with the concentrations in normotensive pregnant control subjects. Plasma samples were collected at <20 weeks’ gestation and again in the third trimester. Twenty-two women who ultimately had severe preeclampsia were matched for gestational age at delivery with 22 normotensive control subjects. Placenta growth factor concentrations were measured by a specific antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Comparisons were made by using the Mann-Whitney U test for nonparametric data such as placenta growth factor concentrations. The Student t test was used for parametric data. Results: A total of 880 pregnant women were screened. Severe preeclampsia developed in 22, for an incidence of 2.5%. As expected, women with severe preeclampsia had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and their infants had lower birth weights. Placental weights at delivery were similar between those with severe preeclampsia and control subjects (659 vs 699 g; P =.51). During the third trimester, the median placenta growth factor concentrations were significantly lower in women with severe preeclampsia than in normotensive control subjects (125 vs 449 pg/mL; P =.003). When samples drawn at <20 weeks’ gestation were compared, there was no difference between the group with severe preeclampsia and those who remained normotensive (98.8 vs 56.34 pg/mL; P =.15). Conclusion: During the third trimester, patients with severe preeclampsia have decreased maternal concentrations of placenta growth factor. This difference is not seen earlier in pregnancy. Lower concentrations of placenta growth factor may be a result of severe preeclampsia rather than a causal factor. Placenta growth factor is not a good marker for the subsequent development of severe preeclampsia. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;184:1218-20.)
A state-dependent sex difference in spatial memory in pinyon jays, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus: mated females forget as predicted by natural history

Based on differing roles during the breeding season, male pinyon jays are predicted to be more accurate than females in recovering cached seeds over long retention intervals. We additionally predicted that males should be able to accurately recover caches made by their mates over short and long retention intervals. We conducted four experiments to test these predictions. During experiment 1, we tested the accuracies of the jays' spatial memory at a short retention interval of 5–7 days. We tested their recovery of their own caches and caches made in their presence by their mate and a nonmate of the opposite sex. While females and males found their own caches with similar accuracy, males were more accurate in finding caches made by their mates. Experiment 2 used the same design for caching, but longer retention intervals of 1, 2 and 4 months. Males were more accurate than females in the longer month intervals. To test whether differences found indicated a broad difference in spatial cognition, in experiment 3 we tested nonmated male and female jays in an open-field analogue to the radial arm maze. There were no significant effects of sex for task acquisition, accuracies across retention intervals, or patterns of adjacent holes or errors chosen. In experiment 4, we compared nonmated males and females in cache recovery at long internals and found no sex difference in accuracy. In addition, neither sex was affected by opportunities for memory rehearsal. We conclude that spatial memory in pinyon jays may be a state-dependent trait: females tend to be less accurate after longer intervals when mated than when not mated.
The inhibition of human leucocyte elastase and chymotrypsin-like protease by elastatinal and chymostatin.

Abstract The ability of elastatinal and chymostatin, protease inhibitors of microbial origin, to inhibit human leucocyte proteases (EC 3.4.-) was studied. Elastatinal and chymostatin are capable of inhibiting the pancreatic enzymes elastase and chymotrypsin, respectively. It was found in these studies, with synthetic substrates, that elastatinal is a much weaker inhibitor of human leukocyte elastase than it is of porcine pancreatic elastase. Elastatinal caused no inhibition of the activity of human leucocyte chymotrypsin-like protease. Chymostatin was found to be a powerful inhibitor of human leucocyte chymotrypsin-like protease. Its affinity to the leucocyte protease was higher than its affinity to bovine pancreatic α-chymotrypsin. Chymostatin had a weak inhibitory effect on the activity of human leucocyte elastase. Studies were also carried out on the ability of chymostatin to inhibit the release of 35SO42− from rabbit articular cartilage by human leucocyte chymotrypsin-like protease. Preincubation of the chymostatin with the protease before the latter was added to the 35SO42−-labeled cartilage caused inhibition of proteolysis as measured by 35SO42− release. Preincubation of chymostatin with 35SO42−-labeled cartilage prior to addition of the human chymotrypsin-like protease to the tissue also inhibited 35SO42− release. However, in the case of preincubation of cartilage with α1-antitrypsin there was no such inhibition. It therefore appeared that chymostatin, unlike α1-antitrypsin, was capable of penetrating the cartilage matrix and exerting its inhibitory effect upon the human leucocyte chymotrypsin-like protease that was subsequently added to the tissue.
On the Excitonic Nature of the Photoluminescence in Polythiophene Revealed by ODMR Spectroscopy

Abstract We used the photoluminescence (PL) and photoinduced absorption (PA) techniques, as well as their respective versions of optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), to elucidate the photoexcitation properties and the origin of the PL emission in films of poly(3 octhyl-thiophene). We identified the various PA bands in the PA spectrum as due to triplets, bipolarons and excitons, respectively. We show that the previous models used to explain the ODMR spectra in conjugated polymers are incompatible with our data. We offer a new model, in which the long-lived photoexcitations such as polarons, bipolarons, and triplets are non-radiative centers which compete with the excitonic PL emission.
Formation of a Trailing Vortex

The incompressible flowfield in the vicinity of a l ift ing rectangular finite wing is investigated experimentally to ascertain the nature and detailed characteristics of the formation of a trailing vortex. The mean velocity field was mapped directly using a linearized constant temperature hot-wire anemometry probe in conjunction with a precision wind-tunnel traversing mechanism. The associated vorticity field was inferred from these measurements through a spatial contour integration procedure. The existence of several identifiable flow regions exhibiting similar characteristics was established and verified with both hot-wire and flow visualization data. The nature of the near surface bound vorticity distribution is described including a map of the Prandtl-bound vortex filaments. Measurements at the wing trailing edge show that the properly nondimensionalized characteristic vorticity distribution in this region is independent of angle of attack. Shed vorticity emanating from the lower aerodynamic surface near the wing tip was observed to roll up adjacent to the tip and roll over onto the upper wing surface at a chordwise location which depends on the wing orientation. The presence and behavior of this structure which possesses an identifiable core is suggested as the cause of the modified pressure distribution (l ift increment) normally observed in this region.
Parental consent for pediatric cadaveric organ donation

Abstract Although the cadaveric donor organ shortage has been recognized for over a decade, the disparity between the number of organs needed and the actual number available for transplantation has escalated dramatically. Three reasons for this shortage have been proposed: families are not asked about organ donation, brain death is not pronounced by physicians, and families deny consent for organ donation when asked. Families refusal to consent for donation has been identified as the most prevalent cause for the loss of potential organ donors. Yet very little is known about why families refuse to donate their relatives' organs. Even less is known about how parents make these decisions for their children. The purpose of this study was to improve understanding of why parents do or do not consent to donate their child's organs. Our hypothesis was that this decision is affected by parents' attitudes about organ donation and transplantation, the hospital experience surrounding their child's critical illness and death, and the process of informed consent for donation. To test this hypothesis, we performed an exploratory retrospective survey of parents who had been asked to donate the organs of their child about the reasons for their decision.
Alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster: kinetic differences and developmental differentiation of the larval and adult isozymes.

Abstract The isozymes of α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (α-GPDH) differ markedly with respect to their kinetic and stability parameters. Adult-limited GPDH-1 is stable at 50°C but decays at 57°C, while GPDH-3 is labile at 50°C under similar experimental conditions. By extrapolation of the thermal denaturation curves of crude adult extracts, we estimate GPDH-1 to constitute 76 per cent of the adult α-GPDH activity. Substrate kinetic studies revealed that, at pH 9·5, GPDH-3 exhibits an affinity for α-glycerophosphate which is twofold higher than that of GPDH-1, while Km's for NAD+ are indistinguishable. The apparent Km of GPDH-3 for dihydroxyacetone phosphate is consistently lower than that of GPDH-1 at pH 7·5, whereas at pH 6·7 the latter isozyme's apparent Km approximates that of GPDH-3 at pH 7·5. Indistinguishable molecular weights of 66,000 were estimated by gel filtration for both GPDH-1 and 3. Gene dosage studies indicate that all three α-GPDH isozymes are simultaneously affected by dosage of the Gdh+ locus. These observations support a homomultimeric model of α-GPDH and the isozymes just discussed arise through epigenetic modification of the product of a single structural gene locus.
AN INTRODUCTION TO MULTIVARIATE ADAPTIVE REGRESSION SPLINES

Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) is a method for flexible modelling of high dimensional data. The model takes the form of an expansion in product spline basis functions, where the number of basis functions as well as the parameters associated with each one (product degree and knot locations) are automatically determined by the data. This procedure is motivated by recursive partitioning (e.g. CART) and shares its ability to capture high order interactions. However, it has more power and flexibility to model relationships that are nearly additive or involve interactions in at most a few variables, and produces continuous models with continuous derivatives. In addition, the model can be represented in a form that separately identifies the additive contributions and those associated with different multivariable interactions. This paper summarizes the basic MARS algorithm, as well as extensions for binary response, categorical predictors, nested variables and missing values. It presents tips on interpreting the output of the standard FORTRAN implementation of MARS, and provides an example of MARS applied to a set of clinical data.
Norms of reciprocity and human capital formation in a poor patriarchal household

Abstract If gifts are reciprocated in the future, intra-household distribution of resources will depend on premarital gifts such as dowry, bride-price and parents’ gifts to a child such as schooling and nurturing. If such social norms of reciprocity exist, parental income effects on their child's human capital will be asymmetric, and the effect will depend on the amount of intra-household transfers made before childbirth.
Spin-orbit state specific laser probing of the desorption kinetics and islanding behavior of In on Si(100)

Abstract The adsorption and desorption characteristics of In on Si(100) are investigated. Laser-induced fluorescence is used to probe specific spin-orbit states of the desorbing or scattered In atoms. The sticking coefficients of both In ( 2 P 1 2 ) and In ( 2 P 3 2 ) are determined to be unity ( > 0.9). State specific desorption measurements show that the two spin-orbit states have the same desorption parameters. This indicates that both spin-orbit states originate from the same “bath” of In atoms on the surface. Isothermal desorption measurements, also using Auger spectroscopy, find that at surface temperatures below 820 K, and for coverages θ 1 2 order desorption indicates two-dimensional In islands on the surface. We observe a first order desorption only for temperatures > 820 K. For θ > 0.5 ML, desorption takes place by a 2 3 order mechanism, whereas Knall et al. report a zero order. These differences are discussed in terms of possible differences in surface diffusion rates. The 2 3 order indicates indirect desorption from three-dimensional islands in terms of possible differences in surface diffusion rates. The first order desorption energy for In from Si(100) (θ T > 820 K), is 2.5 ± 0.2 eV with a pre-exponential factor of 10 log A = 14 ± 1 (s −1 . An activation energy, for the 2 3 order regime, which is attributed to diffusion of In from three-dimensional islands onto the surface, is 1.9 ± 0.1 eV, 10 log A = 10.5 ± 0.5 log ML 1 3 s −1 ) .
The desktop computer spreadsheet as a scientific database and powerful research tool

Abstract In comparison to traditional “index-card-type” databases, spreadsheets can hold much the same information, but allow much more manipulation and use of the data contents. Until recently, spreadsheets were limited by computer power, i.e. speed, memory and programs of the budget priced available hardware and software. With the availability of new, more effective spreadsheet software, such as Quattro ® Pro for Windows ™ , and much faster “386” and “486” desktop computers at a much reduced cost, the potential of spreadsheets to hold and manipulate scientific databases has developed into a new powerful research tool. We have now compiled a toxicity database in spreadsheet format, which contains acute and sub-chronic toxicity data on approximately 1500 chemicals for aquatic and terrestrial species, together with various physico-chemical and topological data. This paper provides an overview of the spreadsheet-type database structure and capabilities using the COMPUTOX ™ toxicity database as an example to show the development of qualitative and quantitative relationships of acute toxicities of organic chemicals between various species and/or endpoints, with emphasis on the Microtox ™ ( Photobacterium phosphoreum ) toxicity test.
Ribosome alterations during red cell differentiation.

Abstract Some physical properties and functional aspects of ribosomes from chicken red cells at different stages of maturation have been studied. Ribosomes from chicken embryos, as well as phenylhydrazine-treated and normal adults, were isolated. Sucrose gradient centrifugation analysis and sedimentation velocity determinations showed the presence of polysomes and monosomes in ribosomal preparations from immature cells and only monosomes in preparations from mature cells. In vitro incubation of the red cells with labeled amino acids resulted in high labeling of the polysomes and none or very little of the monosomes. Cesium chloride banding experiments showed many bands for the immature cell ribosomes covering a range from a density of 1.560–1.690 gm/ml. In contrast, while bands from mature cell ribosomes spanned the same total density range, they were fewer in number and were absent from the medium range of 1.590–1.660 gm/ml. Determinations of the sedimentation coefficients in the analytical ultracentrifuge indicated a distinct difference between the S value for monosomes from immature cells (82 average) and the corresponding value from mature cells (62 average). Experiments using synthetic mixtures of isolated monosomes from both cell types confirmed this difference. A model for an in vivo mechanism to account for the rapid disappearance of the ribosomes at the maturation of the red cell is proposed.
Stability of the quantized LMS algorithm

The least mean square (LMS) algorithm is investigated for stability when implemented with two's complement quantization. The study is restricted to algorithms with periodically varying inputs. Such inputs are common in a variety of applications, and for system identification, they can always be generated as shown with an example. It is shown that the quantized LMS algorithm is just a special case of a quantized periodically shift-varying (PSV) filter. Two different sufficient conditions are obtained for the bounded input bounded output (BIBO) stability of the PSV filter. When the filter is BIBO stable, two different bounds on the filter output are also derived. These conditions and bounds are then applied to the quantized LMS algorithm. The results are illustrated with examples.