cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving smoking cessation referrals among elective surgery clinics through electronic clinical decision support.

INTRODUCTION Preoperative visits are an exceptional opportunity to encourage smoking cessation, as studies demonstrate the experience of scheduling elective surgery produces an actionable incentive to quit. However, studies suggest surgeons do not regularly assess smoking behavior or offer cessation therapies. Clinical decision support (CDS) is a system in which providers are presented with clinically integrated tools to enhance decision-making. METHODS A CDS tool was designed to facilitate treatment referrals for smoking cessation services among patients seeking elective surgery. Two clinics were selected: the plastic and vascular surgeries. The study objectives were to assess the utilization rate and effectiveness of this system. RESULTS No smoking cessation referrals had been submitted by the plastic surgery or vascular surgery clinics in the year before CDS tool implementation. Providers at the plastic surgery clinic utilized the CDS tool in 95.0% (191 of 201) eligible patient encounters. Of these patients, 16.3% were identified as active smokers, and 16.1% of these smokers accepted treatment referrals. Providers at the vascular surgery clinic utilized the CDS tool in 50.3% (98 of 195) eligible patient encounters. Of these patients, 10.2% were identified as active smokers, and 30.0% of these smokers accepted treatment referrals. CONCLUSIONS The CDS tool improved the incidence of smoking cessation referrals in two surgical clinics from pretest baselines and achieved satisfactory utilization rates. This report demonstrates the feasibility of CDS tools to actualize the preoperative visit as an opportunity to promote smoking cessation.
Optical coherence angiography to assess the combined effects of alcohol and nicotine on fetal brain vasculature

Prenatal substance abuse is a leading cause of congenital defects. The severity of the defect caused depends on the substance used and the period of gestation during which the abuse happened. Several studies have documented the effects of alcohol and nicotine, used individually. However, the co-abuse of alcohol and nicotine is very common. There is not much literature on this. While first trimester substance abuse is common, several women continue to abuse substances well into their second trimester of pregnancy. The second trimester marks the peak period for fetal neurogenesis and angiogenesis. Exposure to any teratogen during this period is known to affect fetal brain development. This study uses optical coherence angiography to evaluate changes in fetal brain vasculature due to prenatal exposure to a combination of alcohol and nicotine. These results were compared to results from two other groups that were administered alcohol and nicotine independently. These comparisons showed a statistically significant difference between the nicotine group and the group that was administered both alcohol and nicotine, which was not seen with the alcohol group.
Convergence of forepaw somatosensory and motor cortical projections in the striatum, claustrum, thalamus, and pontine nuclei of cats

The basal ganglia and pontocerebellar systems regulate somesthetic-guided motor behaviors and receive prominent inputs from sensorimotor cortex. In addition, the claustrum and thalamus are forebrain subcortical structures that have connections with somatosensory and motor cortices. Our previous studies in rats have shown that primary and secondary somatosensory cortex (S1 and S2) send overlapping projections to the neostriatum and pontine nuclei, whereas, overlap of primary motor cortex (M1) and S1 was much weaker. In addition, we have shown that M1, but not S1, projects to the claustrum in rats. The goal of the current study was to compare these rodent projection patterns with connections in cats, a mammalian species that evolved in a separate phylogenetic superorder. Three different anterograde tracers were injected into the physiologically identified forepaw representations of M1, S1, and S2 in cats. Labeled fibers terminated throughout the ipsilateral striatum (caudate and putamen), claustrum, thalamus, and pontine nuclei. Digital reconstructions of tracer labeling allowed us to quantify both the normalized distribution of labeling in each subcortical area from each tracer injection, as well as the amount of tracer overlap. Surprisingly, in contrast to our previous findings in rodents, we observed M1 and S1 projections converging prominently in striatum and pons, whereas, S1 and S2 overlap was much weaker. Furthermore, whereas, rat S1 does not project to claustrum, we confirmed dense claustral inputs from S1 in cats. These findings suggest that the basal ganglia, claustrum, and pontocerebellar systems in rat and cat have evolved distinct patterns of sensorimotor cortical convergence.
The Effects of Salesperson Trust Overestimation on Relationship Performance

Environmental uncertainty is ever-present in society. One clear and powerful example of this uncertainty is the global pandemic, which caught governments and businesses by surprise. As a result, few business relationships operate the same as they did before the global pandemic. Most popular press articles have been quick to explore the myriad negative effects of the pandemic on the global economy. Our research, however, uses empirical data and identifies potential positive effects of environmental uncertainty in buyer-seller relationships. Prior research examining trust in buyer-seller relationships has shown the effects of trust and trust transgressions on relationship performance. Existing literature, in contrast, does not address the effects of salesperson trust overestimation (the difference between the salesperson’s and customer’s perceptions of trust) on relationship performance. We develop a framework of the effects of trust overestimation on both financial and referral outcomes. Furthermore, we explore conditions in which the negative effects of trust overestimation are exacerbated or mitigated based on customers’ attributions of blame. We use a multi-study approach to test the model, using qualitative interviews from business-to-business (B2B) professionals, surveys of matched dyads of B2B salespeople and their customers, and objective performance from company records. In combination, we find that a 1 unit increase in salesperson trust overestimation decreases financial revenue by $7.89 million, and potential referral revenue by $1.12 million, indicating severe negative consequences of trust overestimation. Moreover, the negative effects of trust overestimation are exacerbated by relationship intensity and mitigated by environmental uncertainty. These findings have significant theoretical and managerial implications, particularly as firms face daily challenges in serving their customers during this period of global economic upheaval. The results of this work suggest limits to the effectiveness of long-term relationships and offer conditions in which environmental uncertainty may actually aid in building relationships between salespeople and their customers.
Induced pluripotent stem cells–derived hematopoietic progenitors for cellular immunotherapies

Abstract Cellular therapies combined with genetic engineering technologies have emerged as increasingly powerful tools for immunotherapies of cancers and viral infections including HIV infection. The use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as an unlimited source of blood progenitors and terminally differentiated cells can further expand applicability of cellular immunotherapies by offering “off-the-shelf” therapeutic products to fit specific clinical needs for a broad group of patients. In this review, we discuss current advances in lymphoid and myeloid cell differentiation of iPSCs along with challenges in de novo generation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and allogeneic iPSC products for “off-the-shelf” immunotherapies.
An overview of 3D synthetic environment construction

This chapter provides introductory material on three-dimensional synthetic environments. Readers are given an understanding of what synthetic environments are and how they are used in varied disciplines along with a look at some of the technologies used for synthetic environment visualization. Readers are provided with an outline of the sources and nature of synthetic environment data and are presented with the challenges associated with constructing realistic synthetic environments.
Enhanced FGF-2 movement through human sclera after exposure to latanoprost.

PURPOSE To determine whether exposure of sclera to latanoprost acid alters transscleral permeation by FGF-2. METHODS Pieces of human sclera were isolated from donor eyes after death, placed in organ culture, and exposed to 50 to 200 nM latanoprost acid or vehicle for 3 days. Transscleral permeability was then assessed by placing each scleral piece into a Ussing apparatus and measuring the amount of FGF-2 that moves from the orbital side to the uveal side of the scleral piece. Transscleral permeation by 10-kDa tetramethylrhodamine-dextran also was determined, for comparison. RESULTS Transscleral permeation by FGF-2 through sclera that had been incubated with vehicle was 1.53 +/- 0.86 x 10(-8) cm/sec. Transscleral permeation by 10-kDa tetramethylrhodamine-dextran was 1.04 +/- 0.39 x 10(-6) cm/sec. FGF-2 permeation of sclera exposed to 50, 100, and 200 nM latanoprost acid was increased by an average of 48% +/- 62%, 100% +/- 108%, and 108% +/- 79%, respectively, compared with sclera exposed to vehicle (n = 13; P < 0.05). Scleral permeation by 10-kDa dextran after exposure to 50, 100, or 200 nM latanoprost acid was significantly increased by 42% +/- 36%, 59% +/- 51%, and 65% +/- 49%, respectively (n = 14; P < 0.05). The ratio of dextran to FGF-2 permeation was approximately 90 and did not vary with 50, 100, or 200 nM latanoprost acid (P = 0.93, ANOVA). CONCLUSIONS Exposure of sclera to latanoprost acid increases transscleral permeation by FGF-2 in human scleral organ cultures. Because this increase parallels the increased scleral permeability caused by dextran, it may reflect a general enhancement of permeability, a possibility that future in vivo studies should explore.
Intracellular Forms of λ Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Escherichia coli Infected with Clear or Virulent Mutants of Bacteriophage λ

Weissbach, Arthur (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.), Allan Lipton, and Arnold Lisio. Intracellular forms of λ deoxyribonucleic acid in Escherichia coli infected with clear or virulent mutants of bacteriophage λ. J. Bacteriol. 91:1489–1493. 1966.—Infection of either the sensitive or lysogenic strain of Escherichia coli K-112S by λ+ leads to the formation of a new phage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) species having the properties of a twisted circular DNA duplex. This new phage DNA species is also seen in cells infected with clear or virulent mutants of λ which cannot lysogenize, or do so at a low frequency. The sedimentation rate of circular λ DNA duplex at various pH values and its lability were examined.
Optimal adiabatic scaling and the processor-in-memory-and-storage architecture (OAS+PIMS)

We discuss a new approach to computing that retains the possibility of exponential growth while making substantial use of the existing technology. The exponential improvement path of Moore's Law has been the driver behind the computing approach of Turing, von Neumann, and FORTRAN-like languages. Performance growth is slowing at the system level, even though further exponential growth should be possible. We propose two technology shifts as a remedy, the first being the formulation of a scaling rule for scaling into the third dimension. This involves use of circuit-level energy efficiency increases using adiabatic circuits to avoid overheating. However, this scaling rule is incompatible with the von Neumann architecture. The second technology shift is a computer architecture and programming change to an extremely aggressive form of Processor-In-Memory (PIM) architecture, which we call Processor-In-Memory-and-Storage (PIMS). Theoretical analysis shows that the PIMS architecture is compatible with the 3D scaling rule, suggesting both immediate benefit and a long-term improvement path.
Grounding spatial relations for outdoor robot navigation

We propose a language-driven navigation approach for commanding mobile robots in outdoor environments. We consider unknown environments that contain previously unseen objects. The proposed approach aims at making interactions in human-robot teams natural. Robots receive from human teammates commands in natural language, such as “Navigate around the building to the car left of the fire hydrant and near the tree”. A robot needs first to classify its surrounding objects into categories, using images obtained from its sensors. The result of this classification is a map of the environment, where each object is given a list of semantic labels, such as “tree” and “car”, with varying degrees of confidence. Then, the robot needs to ground the nouns in the command. Grounding, the main focus of this paper, is mapping each noun in the command into a physical object in the environment. We use a probabilistic model for interpreting the spatial relations, such as “left of” and “near”. The model is learned from examples provided by humans. For each noun in the command, a distribution on the objects in the environment is computed by combining spatial constraints with a prior given as the semantic classifier's confidence values. The robot needs also to ground the navigation mode specified in the command, such as “navigate quickly” and “navigate covertly”, as a cost map. The cost map is also learned from examples, using Inverse Optimal Control (IOC). The cost map and the grounded goal are used to generate a path for the robot. This approach is evaluated on a robot in a real-world environment. Our experiments clearly show that the proposed approach is efficient for commanding outdoor robots.
Financial Shocks and TFP Growth

We investigate how changes in industries’ funding costs affect total factor productivity (TFP) growth. Panel regressions with 31 U.S. and Canadian industries between 1991 and 2007, using industries’ dependence on external funding as an identification mechanism, show that higher funding costs reduce TFP growth. This finding is robust to controlling for industry size and changes in factor utilization. Based on a theoretical model, the estimates suggest that financial shocks distort the allocation of factors across firms within an industry, reducing its TFP. Lower productivity growth accounts for a large fraction of the negative impact of funding costs on output.
Rac-specific nucleotide exchange factor Asef mediates lung endothelial barrier protection by hepatocyte growth factor

Increased levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) observed in the injured lungs have been associated with compensatory body response to reduce acute lung (ALI) injury. Asef is Rac-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor which promotes decreased cell-cell adhesion and aberrant migratory phenotypes of neuronal, kidney epithelial and cancer cells. This study tested the role of Asef in the HGF-induced activation of endothelial cell (EC) cytoskeletal dynamics and vascular endothelial barrier protective response in vitro and in two-hit animal model of ALI. HGF induced membrane translocation of Asef and stimulated its Rac-specific nucleotide exchange activity. Expression of constitutively activated Asef mutant mimicked effects of HGF on enhancement of peripheral actin cytoskeleton. By contrast, siRNA-induced Asef knockdown or expression of dominant negative Asef attenuated HGF-induced Rac activation which was evaluated using Rac-GTP pulldown assay and FRET analysis with Rac biosensor. Asef knockdown attenuated HGF-induced peripheral accumulation of actin polymerization activator cortactin. Asef knockdown compromised HGF protection against thrombin-induced RhoA GTPase activation, Rho-dependent cytoskeleton remodeling and EC permeability. Intravenous HGF injection attenuated lung inflammation and vascular leak in the two-hit model of ALI caused by excessive mechanical ventilation and injection of thrombin signaling peptide TRAP6. This effect was lost in Asef-/- mice. This study shows for the first time the critical role of Asef in HGF-mediated protection against endothelial hyperpermeability and lung injury. Funding: HL089257, HL107920.
Suppression of UAA and UGA termination codons in mutant murine leukemia viruses.

Abstract Genomes of mammalian type C retroviruses contain a UAG termination codon between the gag and pol coding regions. The pol region is expressed in the form of a gag-pol fusion protein following readthrough suppression of the UAG codon. We have used oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to change the UAG in Moloney murine leukemia virus to UAA or UGA. These alternate termination codons were also suppressed, both in infected cells and in reticulocyte lysates. Thus, the signal or context inducing suppression of UAG in wild-type Moloney murine leukemia virus is also effective with UAA and UGA. Further, mammalian cells and cell extracts contain tRNAs capable of translating UAA and UGA as amino acids. To our knowledge, this is the first example of natural suppression of UAA in higher eucaryotes.
Electron beam measurement technologies and techniques in free electron lasers

Measurement techniques for electron-beam parameters are reviewed. The development of a variety of diagnostic methods to characterize the electron beam from an RF linear accelerator, which is used to drive in a free-electron laser (FEL), is summarized. The FEL's electron-beam length is in the microsecond range and consists of many picosecond micropulses separated by nanoseconds. This extreme range of time scale requires complex measurement systems. The focus is on electron spectrum and emittance measurement techniques. >
Early enhancer establishment and regulatory locus complexity shape transcriptional programs in hematopoietic differentiation

We carried out an integrative analysis of enhancer landscape and gene expression dynamics during hematopoietic differentiation using DNase-seq, histone mark ChIP-seq and RNA sequencing to model how the early establishment of enhancers and regulatory locus complexity govern gene expression changes at cell state transitions. We found that high-complexity genes-those with a large total number of DNase-mapped enhancers across the lineage-differ architecturally and functionally from low-complexity genes, achieve larger expression changes and are enriched for both cell type-specific and transition enhancers, which are established in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and maintained in one differentiated cell fate but lost in others. We then developed a quantitative model to accurately predict gene expression changes from the DNA sequence content and lineage history of active enhancers. Our method suggests a new mechanistic role for PU.1 at transition peaks during B cell specification and can be used to correct assignments of enhancers to genes.
Four-dimensional Visualization of Transitional Structures in Phase Transformations by Electron Diffraction

Imaging with ultrashort electron pulses allows visualizing atomic-scale motions in all four dimensions of space and time. We report the transitional structures and mechanism of the ultrafast insulator-to-metal phase transformation in crystalline vanadium dioxide.
Dror Abend-David (Ed.), Media and Translation: An Interdisciplinary Approach

The Oxford English Dictionary defines translation as “the rendering of something into another language or into one’s own from another language,” while other sources loosely see the word as the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Media is generally recognized as mass communication—television, radio, newspapers, newscasts, commercials, video games, websites and web pages, electronic street signs, and social media products. Until a decade ago, media experts and translators produced and published materials without a working knowledge of each other or even considering themselves as a single unit possessing a significant influence on how literate people think and act around the world. But until the fleet-minded reader closely reads every page in this book, he or she will likely find a discordant relationship between translation and media.
Chemical stimulation of the intracranial dura induces enhanced responses to facial stimulation in brain stem trigeminal neurons.

Burstein, Rami, Hiroyoshi Yamamura, Amy Malick, and Andrew M. Strassman. Chemical stimulation of the intracranial dura induces enhanced responses to facial stimulation in brain stem trigeminal neur...
Quantitation of Elastin Production in Cultured Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells by a Sensitive and Specific Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay

Abstract An enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) procedure has been developed to quantitate the amount of elastin produced by cultured porcine aortic smooth muscle cells. ELISA was used to determine both titer and specificity of antisera raised in rabbits against porcine aortic α-elastin conjugated with key-hole limpet hemocyanin. Under optimum conditions (1: 3000 dilution of antiserum, 20 ng α-elastin per assay well), sensitivity averaged 60 ng/ml). Specificity was confirmed by immunoprecipitation of [125I]-tropoelastin, radial immunodiffusion, Western blotting and lack of cross-reactivity with serum proteins or collagen. Extensive cross-reactivity was found with both human α-elastin and porcine β-elastin, while porcine tropoelastin was able to compete with 80 % of the α-elastin determinants. Affinity of anti-porcine antisera for sheep α-elastin was significantly lower. When the ELISA was made specific for tropoelastin by coating wells with 60 ng of this antigen, a time-dependent and serum-dependent rate of production of tropoelastin was observed in the culture medium of primary and secondary cultures of smooth muscle cells. Comparison of elastin production in cultures of porcine smooth muscle cells suggests that porcine aortic elastin production varies as a function of cell density and phase of growth.
Targeted delivery of DNA by liposomes and polymers

Abstract Cationic quaternary ammonium detergents stabilized the lamellar phase of dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) to form liposomes. Such cationic liposomes interacted with and delivered DNA to tissue culture cells with high efficiency. Positively charged polymers conjugated with lipids were also active in DNA delivery. The transfection activity of the lipopoly- l -lysine under optimal conditions was approximately 3-fold higher than that of Lipofectin, a commercially available liposome reagent. Moreover, the conjugate was much more resistant to serum neutralizing effect. Specific delivery of DNA to target cells was achieved by using the anionic pH-sensitive immunoliposomes. It was found that both pH-sensitivity and incorporation of antibody on liposome surface were important for the high transfection activity. Both the short- and long-term transformation efficiency had been determined and shown to be more superior to those of traditional calcium phosphate precipitation method. Successful delivery and expression of the exogenous genes mediated by pH-sensitive immunoliposomes had been demonstrated in both tissue cultured cells and in a mouse model.
Non-Ritzian Nature of the 3 S Terms of Mercury

AT the suggestion of Dr. A. G. Shenstone, a precise determination of the energy values of the 3S terms as well as of the 3D terms of mercury iodide (HgI) has been made. The light from a beam of mercury vapour diffusing from a mercury arc through a slit in the iron anode was examined by means of a Hilger E1 instrument. This light being rich in higher series members yielded values of the 3S terms up to 193S. The plot of the quantum excess (n-n) of the terms against the term value departed considerably from a straight line relation, indicating that the terms cannot be represented by a simple Ritz formula.
Intermediate term biochemical progression rates after radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy in patients with screen detected prostate cancer.

ABSTRACTPurpose:: We compared biochemical progression rates measured by increasing prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels using a standard definition of biochemical recurrence among patients with screen detected prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiotherapy (RT).Materials and Methods:: A total of 1,939 patients diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer in a community based screening study from 1989 to 1998, followed through 2001, were treated with RP or RT and agreed to enroll in a followup study. This prospective cohort study (median followup 62 months, range 0.2 to 141) used adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to examine time to progression. Selection bias was addressed with propensity scores. Biochemical evidence of cancer progression was defined as PSA greater than 0.2 ng/ml in patients who underwent RP and 3 consecutive PSA increases as recommended by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology criteria for radiotherapy.Results:: Of the patient...
EFFECT OF NEONATAL LYMPHOCYTES UPON THE GROWTH OF CANDIDA ALBICANS. † 1343

In critically ill preterm infants, fungal infections produce significant morbidity and mortality. Human adult lymphocytes activated by interleukin-2(IL-2) inhibit the growth of the hyphal form of Candida albicans. We hypothesized that activated lymphocytes from infants with higher severity of illness scores would be less effective in suppressing candidal growth. Methods: Lymphocytes were isolated from adult peripheral blood and cord blood of term and preterm infants by differential centrifugation and placed in RPMI-1640 medium with IL-2 (1000 u/ml) for 5 days. The lymphocytes were then incubated with the hyphal form of C. albicans for 3 hrs. Growth inhibition of the fungal hyphae was assessed by [3H]uridine incorporation. Severity of illness was determined within the first 24 hrs of admission to the NICU by use of the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology(SNAP). Results: Lymphocytes obtained from 36 preterm and term infants demonstrated less (P<0.05) growth inhibition of C. albicans than did lymphocytes from adult blood. In addition, cord blood from female infants had a greater (P<0.05) inhibitory effect than did that from male infants. An inverse relationship (r=-0.412; P<0.02) was found between SNAP and lymphocyte inhibition of candidal growth (i.e., infants with higher SNAPs had the least antifungal activity). Conclusion: We conclude that neonatal lymphocytes are deficient in anti-candidal activity compared to adult lymphocytes. Further, the most severely ill infants were the least capable of mounting effective lymphocyte mediated antifungal activity. This deficiency may contribute to the increased susceptibility to candidal infections in critically ill preterm infants. Supported by: AI-31127 and NR-00085.
Evidence of Reproductive Stoppage in Families With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Large, Population-Based Cohort Study

Importance Few studies have examined the curtailment of reproduction (ie, stoppage) after the diagnosis of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Objective To examine stoppage in a large, population-based cohort of families in which a child has received a diagnosis of ASD. Design, Setting, and Participants Individuals with ASD born from January 1, 1990, through December 31, 2003, were identified in the California Department of Developmental Services records, which were then linked to state birth certificates to identify full sibs and half-sibs and to obtain information on birth order and demographics. A total of 19 710 case families in which the first birth occurred within the study period was identified. These families included 39 361 individuals (sibs and half-sibs). Control individuals were randomly sampled from birth certificates and matched 2:1 to cases by sex, birth year, and maternal age, self-reported race/ethnicity, and county of birth after removal of children receiving services from the California Department of Developmental Services. Using similar linkage methods as for case families, 36 215 pure control families (including 75 724 total individuals) were identified that had no individuals with an ASD diagnosis. Exposures History of affected children. Main Outcomes and Measures Stoppage was investigated by comparing the reproductive behaviors of parents after the birth of a child with ASD vs an unaffected child using a survival analysis framework for time to next birth and adjusting for demographic variables. Results For the first few years after the birth of a child with ASD, the parents’ reproductive behavior was similar to that of control parents. However, birth rates differed in subsequent years; overall, families whose first child had ASD had a second child at a rate of 0.668 (95% CI, 0.635-0.701) that of control families, adjusted for birth year, birth weight, maternal age, and self-reported maternal race/ethnicity. Results were similar when a later-born child was the first affected child in the family. Reproductive curtailment was slightly stronger among women who changed partners (relative rate for second-born children, 0.553 [95% CI, 0.498-0.614]). Conclusions and Relevance These results provide the first quantitative assessment and convincing statistical evidence of reproductive stoppage related to ASD. These findings have implications for recurrence risk estimation and genetic counseling.
‘Beneath the pavement only soil’: The poverty of post‐development

The History of Development: From Western Origins to Global Faith. By Gilbert Rist. London: Zed Books, 1997. Pp.vi + 276. £42.50/$65 and £14.95/$25. ISBN 1 85649 491 8 and 492 6 Grassroots Post‐Modernism: Remaking the Soil of Cultures. By Gustavo Esteva and Madhu Suri Prakash. London: Zed Books, 1998. Pp.223. £45/$62.50 and £14.95/$22.50. ISBN 1 85649 545 0 and 546 9 The Post‐Development Reader. Edited by Majid Rahnema with Victoria Bawtree. London: Zed Books, 1997. £45.00/$65 and £15.95/$25. ISBN 1 85649 473 X and 474 International Development and the Social Sciences: Essays on the History and Politics of Knowledge. Edited by Frederick Cooper and Randall Packard. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997. Pp.xii + 361. £40/$50 and £14.95/$20. ISBN 0 520 20956 7
Focal levator ani eventrations: detection and characterization by magnetic resonance in patients with pelvic floor dysfunction

The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and imaging characteristics of focal levator eventrations in patients with pelvic floor dysfunction on magnetic resonance (MRI). A review of 81 dynamic MR pelvic examinations in patients with pelvic floor dysfunction was carried out to detect and characterize focal eventrations in the levator ani muscle. These were defined as muscle outpouchings which made an angle of >180 degrees with the remainder of the muscle and had a depth of >or=1 cm. Of 81 patients 11(13.5%) had focal eventrations in the levator muscle on MRI: bilateral in 2 cases, right in 5 and left in 4. There was protrusion of pelvic viscera into the eventration in 5 cases, fat in 7 and fluid in 1. Focal levator ani muscle abnormalities are not uncommon on MRI in patients with pelvic floor dysfunction. Characterization of levator muscle morphology can be useful as a research tool in this population.
A modified diffusion equation for room-acoustic predication.

This letter presents a modified diffusion model using an Eyring absorption coefficient to predict the reverberation time and sound pressure distributions in enclosures. While the original diffusion model [Ollendorff, Acustica 21, 236–245 (1969); J. Picaut et al., Acustica 83, 614–621 (1997); Valeau et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 119, 1504–1513 (2006)] usually has good performance for low absorption, the modified diffusion model yields more satisfactory results for both low and high absorption. Comparisons among the modified model, the original model, a geometrical-acoustics model, and several well-established theories in terms of reverberation times and sound pressure level distributions, indicate significantly improved prediction accuracy by the modification.
Modulating the delicate glial–neuronal interactions in neuropathic pain: Promises and potential caveats

During neuropathic pain, glial cells (mainly astrocytes and microglia) become activated and initiate a series of signaling cascades that modulate pain processing at both spinal and supraspinal levels. It has been generally accepted that glial cell activation contributes to neuropathic pain because glia release proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and factors such as calcitonin gene-related peptide, substance P, and glutamate, which are known to facilitate pain signaling. However, recent research has shown that activation of glia also leads to some beneficial outcomes. Glia release anti-inflammatory factors that protect against neurotoxicity and restore normal pain. Accordingly, use of glial inhibitors might compromise the protective functions of glia in addition to suppressing their detrimental effects. With a better understanding of how different conditions affect glial cell activation, we may be able to promote the protective function of glia and pave the way for future development of novel, safe, and effective treatments of neuropathic pain.
IBMA-metal containing polymers

A new convenient route to metal containing polymers is described. This method involves emulsion co(ter) polymerization of a polar hydrocarbon soluble monomer, N-isobutoxymethylacrylamide (IBMA), with styrene or styrene/butadiene, followed by addition of metals. Metal incorporation is effected by latex or solution techniques. Preparative, atomic adsorption, spectroscopic, film observation, and dilute solution data are presented in support of metal complexation. Structures for the complexes are proposed.
Why women earn less than men in self-employment

Data from a sample of 659 selfemployed individuals are used to evaluate explanations for the large earnings differential between selfemployed men and women. A signifi-cant portion of the differential is attributed to differences in the industrial distribution of businesses and to the differential effects of housework and family responsibilites on the earnings of males and females. Differences due to industry position are traced to the lower proportions of women in the relatively rewarding areas of construction and professional practice and their greater representation in the relatively unrewarding personal services sector. Women in selfemployment appear to be burdened by house-work and childrearing in ways that limit the scope of their selfemployed businesses and the intensity of work effort in them. If selfemployed women were to have their total hours of labor redistributed between market work and house work in the same man-ner as men, their selfemployed earnings would be substantially increased. A portion of the differential is traceable to differences in financial capital (femalerun business have smaller capital stocks) and differences in specific human capital (female self-employed have less experience in running their business).
A Mechanistic Study of Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition of Polymers: Analyses of Deposition Rate and Molecular Weight

This work studies the effects of changing equilibrium monomer surface concentration on the deposition rates and the number-average molecular weights (Mn) of polymers deposited from glycidyl methacrylate and cyclohexyl methacrylate using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) with tert-butyl peroxide as the initiator. Both the surface temperature and the monomer partial pressure were varied to effect different equilibrium surface concentrations, measured using a quartz-crystal microbalance. In either case, the deposition rate and Mn were found to be linear in equilibrium monomer surface concentration. This strong dependence concludes that chain propagation occurs predominantly on the surface and suggests that the surface concentration is at equilibrium during iCVD, which in turn infers that the adsorption of monomer is not the rate-limiting step in the polymerization process.
Retinal detachment following neodymium-YAG laser capsulotomy

Five patients developed retinal detachments within one month of undergoing neodymium-YAG laser posterior capsulotomy. In four patients rhegmatogenous retinal detachments developed in association with typical aphakic breaks; in the fifth patient a previously stable extramacular traction detachment extended into the fovea. In all five patients scleral buckling or vitrectomy successfully reattached the retina and visual acuity improved. None of the findings associated with the detachments could be definitely attributed to the YAG laser. These included the lack of structural or positional changes in the vitreous as well as the absence of retinal damage. We were unable to learn the specific settings used for each laser but were told that the minimum energy levels needed to produce a capsulotomy were used.
Placer Mining Silt and its Relation to Salmon and Trout on the Pacific Coast

Abstract Renewed activity in the placer gold mining country of the Pacific Coast States has raised the question of how much harm silt does to salmon and trout. The effect silt may have on migrating adult fish, on the selection of spawning places, and on the survival of fish food, is discussed. The conclusion is drawn that silt, whether from placer mining or natural erosion, is harmful to salmon and trout if it is heavy enough to form a layer on the stream bottom or if it persists during periods between floods.
Sustained attention in the mouse: a study of the relationship with the cerebellum.

To explore the role of the cerebellum in sustained attention, the authors tested lurcher, wildtype, and lurcher chimeric mice with zero, normal, and variable numbers of Purkinje cells, respectively, in a previously validated task of sustained attention. Results indicate that lurcher mice had a deficit in performance likely related to their motor disability, whereas lurcher chimeras performed similarly to wildtype controls. Presentation of auditory or visual distracters caused deficits in the performance of all mice that were specific to either signal (auditory) or nonsignal (visual) events. The authors’ results do not support a role of the cerebellum in sustained attention, instead indicating that behavioral changes are an indirect result of motor deficits.
Reputational dynamics in spatial competition

This paper develops a game-theoretic model of political competition that attempts to confront the disparities between the predictions of standard spatial models and the data, while retaining the compelling features of the spatial paradigm. By contrast with standard models, but in the spirit of Downs, here (1) voters are fundamentally uncertain about the post-election outcomes associated with any candidate and (2) incumbent candidates are distinguished from challenges in their strategic positions and through voters' perceptions. Equilibrium always exists in the model, and its characterization differs sharply from previous results; for example, equilibrium candidate positions are unique and distinct. A set of comparative statics and dynamics completes the predictions of the model.
Histologic chorioamnionitis, antenatal steroids, and perinatal outcomes

Objective: To determine the perinatal effects of histologic chorioamnionitis on preterm neonates and the effectiveness of antenatal steroids in the presence of histologic chorioamnionitis. Methods: We studied neonates at our institution who weighed 1750 g or less at birth from January 1990 through December 1997. The population was stratified primarily by presence of histologic chorioamnionitis and secondarily by exposure to antenatal steroids. Subgroups were compared by various perinatal outcomes and confounding variables. Student t test, χ2, Fisher exact test, and logistic regression were used for analysis. Results: Among 1260 neonates entered, the placentas of 527 had evidence of histologic chorioamnionitis and 733 did not. Those with histologic chorioamnionitis had a lower mean gestational age, lower birth weight, and higher rate of major neonatal morbidities than those without it. After adjusting for confounding variables, histologic chorioamnionitis independently associated with lower gestational age, lower birth weight, and neonatal death. Among neonates exposed to antenatal steroids who had histologic chorioamnionitis, there was a significantly lower incidence of low Apgar scores (18% compared with 33.5%, P < .001), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (39.6% compared with 55.9%, P < .001), intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia (21.9% compared with 36.9%, P < .001), major brain lesions (7.7% compared with 18.4%, P < .001), patent ductus arteriosus (14.8% compared with 23.7%, P = .018), and neonatal death (8.3% compared with 16.2%, P = .02), with no increase in rate of proven neonatal sepsis (18.3% compared with 14%, P = .24). Conclusion: Histologic chorioamnionitis increases major perinatal morbidity through its association with preterm birth and is independently associated with neonatal death. In the presence of histologic chorioamnionitis, antenatal steroids significantly decreased the incidence of RDS, intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia, major brain lesions, and neonatal mortality, without increasing neonatal sepsis.
GLF - A simulation code for X-ray lasers

This paper describes the multi-dimensional Non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (NLTE) simulation code GLF. GLF simulates those physical processes needed for modeling X-ray lasers: atomic kinetics, radiation transport, hydrodynamics and basic laser-plasma interactions. GLF is constructed to be modular, portable and efficient. This paper concentrates on the physical formulations and numerical methods used in GLF.
Decentralized Output Feedback Control of Interconnected Systems Using Low Gain-High Gain Feedback Domination

Abstract This paper examines a decentralized control technique which makes use of a gain domination method that implements both low and high gain to negate the effects of high order nonlinearities found in a series of interconnected systems that are coupled by both measurable and unmeasurable states. We develop a linear controller and observer design technique that applies this low gain-high gain feedback domination technique and by doing so we construct a method that allows for the global stabilization of a general class of nonlinear system. The low gain-high gain feedback domination method is applied to an example to illustrate its performance.
Groups and Deliberation

We present a group-based approach to the study of deliberation. Deliberation occurs in groups, yet many studies of deliberation do not take the group as a unit of analysis. We argue that group composition and the attendant social dynamics to which they give rise are an important aspect of deliberation. We offer several examples of ways to study these effects, including the interaction of gender composition and the group's decision rule in the context of an experimental study of decisions about justice, the effect of racial composition in simulated juries, and the effect of ideological composition in local meetings. We examine the consequences of these factors on a variety of outcomes, including individuals' private opinion, individuals' behaviour, and group decisions. In conclusion we discuss the implications that group effects have for empirical and normative theories of deliberation.
Low-dose antigenic signals to helper lymphocytes.

Balb/c spleen cells from keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) primed mice exposed to picogram quantities of KLH for 15 min in vitro became susceptible to inactivation by antiimmunoglobulin and complement. Susceptibility to antiimmunoglobulin and complement was detected as the loss of helper function measured by the inability of such cells to cooperate in an in vitro antihapten response to trinitrophenyl-KLH. Helper cells to chicken gamma globulin in the same mixture were not affected indicating specificity of the effect. The induction of susceptibility was temperature dependent; it could be induced at 37° or 30° but not at 4°. Cells became maximally susceptible to antiimmunoglobulin and complement within 15 min after exposure to the low dose of carrier after which susceptibility was lost indicating that the induced state was transient. A model is proposed for low dose dependent arming of helper cells which would permit them to discriminate between antigen challenge and background noise.
Crooked Lessons from the Indian Wars

One aim of this article is to chide the U.S. military—and Americans overall—for not paying sufficient attention to our historic relations with American Indians. After all, American Indians are the non-Westerners we Americans should know best. A review of American Indian history can shed important light on our current encounters with tribal peoples elsewhere. At the same time, however, great care needs to be taken. Instead of just citing similarities—as analogies lead us to do—we must also take note of differences, which we can best do by using history as a foil.
Industrial relations agenda for change: the case of the United States

: Over the past several decades, all of the advanced industrial societies have experienced growing pressures on the institutions governing their industrial relations systems. In this paper, the authors analyze the changes in collective bargaining, and more generally, in the entire industrial relations system in the United States. This analysis also takes into consideration the environmental pressures that have produced these changes, and the measures taken by labour and management organizations to cope with them. Underlying this analysis is the central premise that sustaining and diffusing changes in industrial relations will be necessary to achieve a
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and atypical antidepressants in depression treatment

Abstract The development of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and atypical antidepressants has changed the treatment of depression significantly. Newer antidepressants lack many of the side effects associated with the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (isocarboxazid, for example) and the tricyclic antidepressants, thereby increasing patient compliance. They are also less dangerous in overdose and are often used as first-line pharmacologic treatment for depression in the primary care setting.
Ethanolamine and phosphonic acid complexes in heat-treated Tetrahymena cells.

Abstract 1. 1. Three acid soluble phosphorus-containing compounds (referred to as Nos. 17, 18, 19) were isolated from Tetrahymena cultures incubated at supra-optimum temperature for 3 hr. 2. 2. Compound No. 17 appears to be identical to compound No. 19 in respect to glycerol, “sugar” and a “sugar”-phosphate moiety. In addition, compound No. 17 contains ethanolamine, while compound No. 19 is ninhydrin negative. The “sugar” phosphates of both compounds can be hydrolyzed by acid phosphatase. 3. 3. One “sugar” moiety in compound No. 18 is the same as in compounds Nos. 17 and 19. The positive ninhydrin reaction in compound No. 18 is due to the presence of 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid and possibly another phosphonic acid. 4. 4. All three compounds are found in the water phase of a centrifuged homogenate of heat-treated cells, but only compounds Nos. 17 and 19 are present in the pellet.