cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Red blood cell choline. II: Kinetics in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract The kinetic parameters of choline uptake into red blood cells from patients with Alzheimer's disease and normal elderly controls were compared. The K d and V max values for choline uptake into red cells were determined based on a kinetic analysis of choline uptake at six different concentrations of labeled extracellular choline. The theoretical choline uptake, representing the initial rate of choline influx into choline-depleted red cells given the plasma choline concentration and the kinetic parameters of choline uptake, was also calculated. Alzheimer's disease patients and normal controls did not differ in any kinetic parameter of choline uptake. K d and V max values for red cell choline uptake were strongly correlated among normal controls, but not among patients with Alzheimer's disease. In addition, among the patients with Alzheimer's disease, the theoretical choline uptake was strongly correlated with the severity of dementia. The possible significance of these findings in relation to altered choline metabolism in Alzheimer's disease is discussed.
The nature and importance of attachment relationships to parents and peers during adolescence

The nature and quality of adolescents' attachments to peers and parents were assessed with the newly developed Inventory of Adolescent Attachments. The relative influence on measures of self-esteem and life satisfaction of relations with peers and with parents was then investigated in a hierarchical regression model. The sample consisted of 213 adolescents ranging from 12 to 19 years of age. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) The quality of perceived attachments both to parents and peers would be related to well-being, and (2) the quality of parental relationships would be a more powerful predictor of well-being than would the quality of peer relationships. Confirming the study's hypotheses, the perceived quality of the adolescents' relationships to both peers and parents, their frequency of utilization of peers, and their degree of negative life change were significantly related to both measures of well-being. The quality of attachment to parents was significantly more powerful than that to peers in predicting well-being. In addition, quality of attachment to parents showed a moderating effect under conditions of high life stress on the measures of self-esteem. The study suggests that it is useful to consider the quality of attachments to significant others as an important variable throughout the life span.
627 A NEW SYNDROME OF REFRACTORY SIDEROBLASTIC ANEMIA WITH VACUOLIZATION OF MARROW PRECURSORS, ASSOCIATED WITH EXOCRINE PANCREATIC INSUFFICIENCY

Four children were studied with a severe, transfusion dependent, macrocytic anemia with onset in infancy, characterized by striking cytoplasmic vacuolization of erythroid and myeloid precursors. Marrow aspirates were normocellular to slightly hypercellular with a marked increase in iron; 3had ringed sideroblasts. Neutropenia and thrombocytopenia developed shortly after the anemia in each. Electron microscopy suggested the vacuolization represented degenerative change in dying cells. In vitro cell culture showed a decrease in CFU-C and CFU-E, with abnormal colony morphology. Therapy with multiple hematinics was without effect. There was no evidence of nutritional deficiency, toxin or drug ingestion, or of a primary disease previously associated with similar hematologic changes. All children had lab evidence of exocrine pancreatic dysfunction, while only 1 was symptomatic. In 2 children pancytopenia began spontaneous resolution by 2 years of age. The other 2 children died at 2 years of age, having severe pancreatic fibrosis and extreme splenic hypoplasia at autopsy. This differs from the Bodian-Schwachman syndrome in the predominance of anemia, precursor vacuolization, sideroblastic changes, and the degree of pancreatic fibrosis. We postulate an undefined congenital metabolic abnormality affecting a pathway common to at least hematopoietic stem cells and the exocrine pancreas.
Alterations in T-Cell Subset Frequency in Peripheral Blood in Obesity

Background: Obesity affects the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses. This study characterizes differences in peripheral blood lymphocyte phenotype in obese humans. Methods: Frequencies of lymphocyte subsets among peripheral blood mononuclear cells were compared between 10 obese (BMI ≥35) and 10 lean subjects, as determined by antibodies directed against cluster differentiation (CD) markers. Results: Obese patients demonstrated an increased frequency of CD3+CD4+ T-cells (mean difference 12%, P=0.004), a decreased frequency of CD3+CD8+ T-cells (mean difference 9.4%, P=0.016) and an increased frequency of CD3+CD8+CD95+ T-cells (mean difference 13.3%, P=0.032). No other differences among T-cell or monocyte subsets were noted. Conclusions: Obesity is associated with alterations in frequencies of peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells and aberrations in the expression of CD95 among CD8+ T-cells. These data suggest both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell compartments, as well as the regulation of CD95 expression on CD8+ T-cells, as targets for further study into obesity's effects on the immune system.
Changing perspectives on evaluation in HCI: past, present, and future

Evaluation has been a dominant theme in HCI for decades, but it is far from being a solved problem. As interactive systems and their uses change, the nature of evaluation must change as well. In this paper, we outline the challenges our community needs to address to develop adequate methods for evaluating systems in modern (and future) use contexts. We begin by tracing how evaluation efforts have been shaped by a continuous adaptation to technological and cultural changes and conclude by discussing important research directions that will shape evaluation's future.
Effects of different levels of direct current on early ligament healing in a rat model

Electrical stimulation has been shown to enhance the repair of biological tissues such as bone and tendon. The objective of this study was to determine whether low level direct current enhances the early healing of injured medial collateral ligaments. Eighty-seven rats were divided into three groups on the basis of the level of current delivered. All underwent transection of the medial collateral ligament bilaterally. The experimental medial collateral ligaments received current (which varied by group), while the contralateral medial collateral ligaments (the controls), with identical electrodes, received no current. After 12 days, each ligament was tested biomechanically with use of a hydraulic materials testing machine. Group 1 (8.6 +/- 5.9 microA) showed statistically significant improvements in maximum rupture force, energy absorbed, stiffness, and laxity. The groups that had received lower levels of current did not show significant improvements. In this study, stimulation of 1-20 microA was the most effective level of direct current for the enhancement of early healing of the medial collateral ligament.
Description of Ektaphelenchoides spondylis n. sp. (Nematoda: Ektaphelenchinae) isolated from Spondylis buprestoides (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Japan

Ektaphelenchoides spondylis n. sp. is described and figured from Spondylis buprestoides. The new species is characterised by the bipartite stylet conus, male spicule with rounded condylus, blunt rostrum and plate-like cucullus, long postuterine sac and long and smoothly tapering female tail. The new species is almost morphologically identical to E. compsi, but can be distinguished from it by stylet morphology, female tail shape, male ratio (a) and molecular sequence of the D2/D3 expansion segment of the large subunit of ribosomal DNA. In the molecular phylogenetic analysis, E. spondylis n. sp. formed a well supported clade with E. compsi within Ektaphelenchoides. Based upon molecular phylogenetic analysis with one locus, Ektaphelenchoides spp. formed a well supported clade and Ektaphelenchus and Cryptaphelenchus also formed a well supported clade. However, the molecular and morphological information available from our study are insufficient to revise the generic taxonomy of the subfamily. More sampling and an integrated taxonomic revision of the subfamily Ektaphelenchinae are needed.
A SUPERIOR SYNTHESIS OF CHOLINERGIC ANABASEINE

(1995). A SUPERIOR SYNTHESIS OF CHOLINERGIC ANABASEINE. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 510-513.
Multiple small-angle neutron scattering studies of anisotropic materials

Building on previous work that considered spherical scatterers and randomly oriented spheroidal scatterers, we describe a multiple small-angle neutron scattering (MSANS) analysis for nonrandomly oriented spheroids. We illustrate this with studies of the multi-component void morphologies found in plasma-spray thermal barrier coatings.
Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Babesiosis

A patient is described who contracted transfusion-induced babesiosis, and later developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as a fatal complication. ARDS has been reported in patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but to our knowledge has not been observed as a complication of babesiosis.
Astley Cooper: His Life and Surgical Contributions

Sir Astley Paston Cooper (1768-1841) was a successful and influential British surgeon during the early decades of the 19th century. He was a dedicated anatomist, an accomplished researcher, an inspiring teacher, and a skillful surgeon. Cooper published about the cause and treatment of Dupuytren's disease 10 years before Dupuytren. His contributions were widespread and substantially advanced the understanding and treatment of breast disease, vascular aneurysms, and abdominal wall hernias, along with orthopedic, otologic, and hand surgery. His contributions to surgical science have endured and are being used today.
Managing Botrytis Gray Mold in Greenhouse Tomatoes Using Traditional and Bio-Fungicides

Abstract Eight fungicide products were evaluated over a three-year period to compare their efficacy in managing Botrytis gray mold in greenhouse tomatoes. Disease severity ratings indicated that ST...
School Counselors’ General Self-Efficacy, Ethical and Legal Self-Efficacy, and Ethical and Legal Knowledge

School counselors encounter ethical and legal situations that necessitate the knowledge and confidence to apply decision-making skills. We report the findings from a correlational investigation that examines practicing school counselors’ (N = 287) ethical and legal self-efficacy, ethical and legal knowledge, and general self-efficacy. Higher ethical and legal self-efficacy was associated with higher general self-efficacy and ethical and legal knowledge. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Generalized Lindley-type recursive representations for multiserver tandem queues with blocking

Lindley's recursion is an explicit recursive equation that describes the recursive relationship between consecutive waiting times in a single-stage single-server queue. In this paper, we develop explicit recursive representations for multiserver tandem queues with blocking. We demonstrate the application of these recursive representations with simulations of large-scale tandem queueing networks. We compare the computational efficiency of these representations with two other popular discrete-event simulation approaches, namely, event scheduling and process interaction. Experimental results show that these representations are seven (or more) times faster than their counterparts based on the event-scheduling and process-interaction approaches.
Movement Science: Occupational Acquisition of a Milestone—From Sitting to Quadruped

When infants are seated on the floor and are presented with objects at increasing lateral distance, a critical point is reached at which they must assume a quadrupedal position to obtain the object. This study was designed to examine the developmental course of this transition from sitting to quadrupedal position within the context of purposeful action. It asks how infants adjust their actions in response to objects placed at a small distance (5 cm) beyond their previously measured maximum reach. It also examines how they adjust their actions when the reach distance approaches the biomechanical limits of the sitting posture.Five infants were videotaped weekly from the onset of independent sitting (19–26 weeks) to when they would assume quadruped position in a lateral reaching task. Toys were presented to alternate sides at increasing distances to determine the maximum reachable distance each week. Trials were administered at 5 cm beyond the maximum distance and two closer distances. The infants' ability t...
Brain imaging and the effects of caffeine and nicotine

Caffeine and nicotine are the most common psychostimulant drugs used worldwide. Structural neuroimaging findings associated with caffeine and nicotine consumption are limited and primarily reflect the putative relationship between smoking and white matter hyperintensities (WMH), a finding that warrants further appraisal of its clinical implications. The application of newer brain imaging modalities that measure subtle haemodynamic changes or tissue-based chemistry in order to better elucidate brain functional processes, including mechanisms underlying addiction to nicotine and caffeine and the brain functional consequences, provide intriguing findings. Potential influences of caffeine and nicotine on the functional contrast, or metabolic response, to neural activation also necessitates the careful appraisal of the effects that these commonly used drugs may have on the results of functional imaging.
Effects of Changed Semantic Context on Recognition Memory

The effects of semantic context on noun recognition were investigated in three experiments Experiment I examined the effect of changed semantic interpretation at recognition by pairing nouns with the same adjectives for study and recognition or by pairing nouns with adjectives biasing one semantic interpretation for study and with adjectives biasing different semantic interpretations for recognition. Experiment II replicated Experiment I and included a noun-only recognition condition to control for the effects of disrupting the unity of adjective-noun pairs at recognition. In Experiment III the effect of adjective change per se was determined by including a condition in which the adjectives accompanying nouns at recognition differed from the study adjectives but biased the same semantic interpretations of the nouns. Changing the semantic reading of nouns at recognition depressed performance in all three experiments. The need for a model of recognition memory including both retrieval and decision processes was discussed.
CHRONIC SODIUM CHLORIDE TOXICITY IN THE ALBINO RAT II. OCCURRENCE OF HYPERTENSION AND OF A SYNDROME OF EDEMA AND RENAL FAILURE

Sustained arterial hypertension developed in male, albino rats chronically fed diets rich in sodium chloride with demineralized drinking water available ad libitum. After 12 months of the experimental regimen a positive, linear correlation (r = 0.91) was found between the systolic blood pressure and the concentration of sodium chloride in the diet. A syndrome of edema and renal failure was observed in 18 per cent of the group fed at the level of 7.0 to 9.8 per cent of sodium chloride. Significant histologic changes occurred in the kidneys and certain other organs in rats consuming rations containing these levels of NaCl. The relative volume of the radiosodium space was increased in the rat by high dietary sodium chloride.
Characterization of Langmuir-Blodgett films of 3,4-didecyloxy-2,5-di(4-nitrophenylazomethine) thiophene in a stearic acid matrix

Abstract The surface pressure π of two component monolayers of stearic acid (SA) and 3,4-didecyloxy-2,5-di(4-nitrophenylazomethine) thiophene (DNAT) has been measured at the air-water interface by the Wilhelmy method as a function of mean molecular area at various compositions. The surface properties of these mixed films were interpreted in terms of both the additivity rule of molecular areas and the two-dimensional phase rule applied to collapse pressures. Results indicate that SA is miscible with DNAT to up to χ SA = 0.5. At χ SA > 0.5 phase separation occurs and at π > 14 mN m -1 DNAT is ejected from the highly ordered SA film matrix. The index of refraction and thickness of these films dielectrics were determined through surface plasmon (SP) measurements on approximately 500 A thick silver substrates. Horizontal lifting was used to transfer the Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers to glass slides coated with silver. Mixed solid films of DNAT up to 10% (by weight) in polystyrene matrices with thicknesses ranging from 4 to 12 μm were also prepared, indices and thicknesses being measured using the m-line technique. This allowed us to estimate the index of pure DNAT as a cross-check on the SP results. Since index determinations from these techniques are in essential agreement in terms of linear refractivity, we are able to discuss the structural implications of the SP-measured monolayer film thicknesses.
Macroscopic and microscopic biodistribution of intravenously administered iron oxide nanoparticles

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) are being developed for use as a cancer treatment. They have demonstrated efficacy when used either as a monotherapy or in conjunction with conventional chemotherapy and radiation. The success of IONP as a therapeutic tool depends on the delivery of a safe and controlled cytotoxic thermal dose to tumor tissue following activation with an alternating magnetic field (AMF). Prior to clinical approval, knowledge of IONP toxicity, biodistribution and physiological clearance is essential. This preliminary time-course study determines the acute toxicity and biodistribution of 110 nm dextran-coated IONP (iron) in mice, 7 days post systemic, at doses of 0.4, 0.6, and 1.0 mg Fe/ g mouse bodyweight. Acute toxicity, manifested as changes in the behavior of mice, was only observed temporarily at 1.0 mg Fe/ g mouse bodyweight, the highest dose administered. Regardless of dose, mass spectrometry and histological analysis demonstrated over 3 mg Fe/g tissue in organs within the reticuloendotheilial system (i.e. liver, spleen, and lymph nodes). Other organs (brain, heart, lungs, and kidney) had less than 0.5 mg Fe/g tissue with iron predominantly confined to the organ vasculature.
The relationship between the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) and ash (Fraxinus spp.) tree decline: Using visual canopy condition assessments and leaf isotope measurements to assess pest damage

Ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America are being severely impacted by the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) which was inadvertently introduced to the US in the 1990s from Asia. The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a phloem boring beetle which relies exclusively on ash trees to complete its life cycle. Larvae feed in the cambial tissue forming serpentine galleries that may girdle the tree, causing mortality in as little as two years. Although larval feeding is thought to be the cause of rapid tree mortality, the relationship between tree-level water stress and EAB larval activity has never been quantified. Identifying symptoms of an emerald ash borer outbreak at an early stage can facilitate informed management decisions. Although a user-friendly system of ash canopy condition rating has been used extensively to study EAB impacts, the mechanistic relationship between canopy ratings and EAB larval activity has not been quantified.
Comparing nape vs. T4 placement for a mobile Wireless Gait Analysis sensor using the Dynamic Gait Index test

A comprehensive and quantified gait analysis is warranted for patients with balance disorders to prevent injury such as falls. We report here a custom-designed wireless-gait-analysis-sensor (WGAS) to perform functional gait analysis targeted for clinically evaluating balance disorders. We report here our first efforts to determine the optimal placements of the WGAS in normal subjects for movement differentiation, while minimizing outliers and data artifacts with improved sensor technology. Normal subjects performed a gold-standard Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) tests for fall risk assessment, while the WGAS was adhered to either the T4 or the nape area. Our WGAS consists of a 3-axis linear accelerometer and gyroscopes, and the real-time gait data was transmitted wirelessly to a nearby PC and statistical analysis was done on each of the 7 DGI test on 3 volunteers repeated five times for either placement. The data suggests T4 is the preferred WGAS placement for gait analysis.
Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula presenting as myelopathy: Case series and review of literature.

Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula presenting as myelopathy: Case series and review of literature
Teacher–student relationship quality as a function of children’s expectancies

Study 1, a longitudinal field study, tested children's summertime expectancies of their upcoming teachers as a predictor of teacher-student relationship quality (TSRQ) across an academic year. Eighty-one fourth- to sixth-grade children and their 16 teachers reported on TSRQ 2, 20, and 36 weeks into the school year. Children's summertime expectancies predicted TSRQ, with greater expected autonomy support predicting higher quality relationships, as reported by both children and teachers. In Study 2, we manipulated 71 third- through sixth-grade children's expectancies of a guest teacher's autonomy-supportiveness prior to a 6-week instructional unit and measured TSRQ repeatedly throughout. The causal effect of expectancies was limited to the oldest children, and its direction differed by sex and time of measurement. Implications are discussed.
DIFFICULTIES IN THE TREATMENT OF ALCOHOLISM

“The wider and freer a man's education, the better practitioner he is likely to be. … Eeassurance and sympathy may mean much more than pills and potions.” (Sir W. Osier: “The Student Life.”)
Antibody-selectable filamentous fd phage vectors: affinity purification of target genes.

Abstract Foreign DNA fragments can be inserted into a minor coat protein gene of filamentous phage, creating a fusion protein that is incorporated into the virion; we call these particles “fusion phage”. The foreign amino acids are displayed on the surface, allowing fusion phage bearing antigenic determinants from a target gene to be purified in infectious form by affinity to antibody directed against the gene product. Here we introduce fusion-phage vectors that accept foreign DNA inserts with little effect on phage function; and describe affinity purification of virions bearing a target determinant from a 108-fold excess of phage not bearing the determinant, using minute amounts of antibody. These “antibody-selectable” vectors are a promising alternative to conventional expression systems for using antibodies to clone genes, though the ability to isolate rare clones from actual libraries remains to be demonstrated.
Perceptual evaluation of two speech coding methods by native and non-native speakers of English

Abstract The segmental intelligibility of two speech coding methods was evaluated using the modified rhyme test (MRT). In order to investigate how language knowledge and experience affects the perception of coded speech, we used both native and non-native speakers of English as listeners. We used 8 kb/s pitch predictive multi-pulse coding (MPC) and 50 kb/s μ-law PCM as coding methods, along with 120 kb/s unprocessed speech as a control condition. The results indicated that for native listeners, the intelligibility of unprocessed speech was best, followed by PCM and then MPC speech. However, for non-native listeners, the intelligibility of the two types of coded speech was much worse than the unprocessed speech when compared with the performance of the native English listeners. The difference in error rates between MPC and PCM was not significant for non-native listeners. In contrast, for native listeners, the error rate for PCM was significantly less than for MPC speech. Non-native listeners also had a tendency to confuse stops and fricatives more than native listeners, especially in the coded speech. These results suggest that language knowledge and experience play a much more important role in the perception of coded speech than in the perception of unprocessed speech. Furthermore, non-native listeners appear to be much more affected by some of the unique characteristics of coded speech than native listeners. The results have implications for the design and improvement of low bit-rate speech coding methods and for the development of new techniques for perceptual evaluation.
Intimal hyperplasia and wall shear in arterial bypass graft distal anastomoses: an in vivo model study.

The observation of intimal hyperplasia at bypass graft anastomoses has suggested a potential interaction between local hemodynamics and vascular wall response. Wall shear has been particularly implicated because of its known effects upon the endothelium of normal vessels and, thus, was examined as to its possible role in the development of intimal hyperplasia in arterial bypass graft distal anastomoses. Tapered (4-7 mm I.D.) e-PTFE synthetic grafts 6 cm long were placed as bilateral carotid artery bypasses in six adult, mongrel dogs weighing between 25 and 30 kg with distal anastomotic graft-to-artery diameter ratios (DR) of either 1.0 or 1.5. Immediately following implantation, simultaneous axial velocity measurements were made in the toe and artery floor regions in the plane of the anastomosis at radial increments of 0.35 mm, 0.70 mm, and 1.05 mm using a specially designed 20 MHz triple crystal ultrasonic wall shear rate transducer Mean, peak, and pulse amplitude wall shear rates (WSRs), their absolute values, the spatial and temporal wall shear stress gradients (WSSG), and the oscillatory shear index (OSI) were computed from these velocity measurements. All grafts were harvested after 12 weeks implantation and measurements of the degree of intimal hyperplasia (IH) were made along the toe region and the artery floor of the host artery in 1 mm increments. While some IH occurred along the toe region (8.35+/-23.1 microm) and was significantly different between DR groups (p<0.003), the greatest amount occurred along the artery floor (81.6+/-106.5 microm, mean +/- S.D.) (p < 0.001) although no significant differences were found between DR groups. Linear regressions were performed on the paired IH and mean, peak, and pulse amplitude WSR data as well as the absolute mean, peak, and pulse amplitude WSR data from all grafts. The mean and absolute mean WSRs showed a modest correlation with IH (r = -0.406 and -0.370, respectively) with further improvements seen (r = -0.482 and -0.445, respectively) when using an exponential relationship. The overall best correlation was seen against an exponential function of the OSI (r = 0.600). Although these correlation coefficients were not high, they were found to be statistically significant as evidenced by the large F-statistic obtained. Finally, it was observed that over 75 percent of the IH occurred at or below a mean WSR value of 100 s(-1) while approximately 92 percent of the IH occurred at or below a mean WSR equal to one-half that of the native artery. Therefore, while not being the only factor involved, wall shear (and in particular, oscillators wall shear) appears to provide a stimulus for the development of anastomotic intimal hyperplasia.
Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay for the determination of pyronaridine in human urine.

Abstract A reliable method has been developed for the determination of pyronaridine in human urine using amodiaquine as an internal standard. Liquid–liquid extraction was used for sample preparation. Analysis was performed on a Shimadzu LCMS-2010 in single ion monitoring positive mode using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) as an interface. The extracted ion for pyronaridine was m/z 518.20 and for amodiaquine was m/z 356.10. Chromatography was carried out using a Gemini 5 μm C18 3.0 mm × 150 mm column using 2 mM perfluorooctanoic acid and acetonitrile mixture as a mobile phase delivered at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The mobile phase was delivered in gradient mode. The retention times of pyronaridine and amodiaquine were 9.1 and 8.1 min respectively, with a total run time of 14 min. The assay was linear over a range of 14.3–1425 ng/mL for pyronaridine (R2 ≥ 0.992, weighted 1/Concentration). The analysis of quality control samples for pyronaridine at 28.5, 285, 684 and 1140 ng/mL demonstrated excellent precision with relative standard deviation of 5.1, 2.3, 3.9 and 9.2%, respectively (n = 5). Recoveries at concentrations of 28.5, 285, 684 and 1140 ng/mL were all greater than 85%.This LC–MS method for the determination of pyronaridine in human urine has excellent specifications for sensitivity, reproducibility and accuracy and can reliably quantitate concentrations of pyronaridine in urine as low as 14.3 ng/mL. The method will be used to quantify pyronaridine in human urine for pharmacokinetic and drug safety studies.
Epidemiologic, functional, and oncologic outcome analysis of spinal sarcomas treated surgically at a single institution over 10 years.

Abstract Background context Spinal sarcomas are aggressive tumors that originate from the cells of mesechymal origin, specifically fat, cartilage, bone, and muscle. They are high-grade lesions, and treatment of spinal sarcomas can involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. In the appendicular skeleton, sarcomas are often treated with amputation, however, in the spinal column, surgical resection poses a unique set of challenges. Purpose To better understand the optimal treatment regimens and the impact of en bloc or intralesional resection on patient outcome. Study design A cohort of 25 sarcoma patients treated at a single medical institution between 2002 and 2012 was reviewed. Patient sample and outcome measures Patients were classified by tumor type for subgroup analysis, including chondrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and other malignant spinal sarcomas. Demographic data for review included patient age, tumor type, tumor location, surgery type, exposure to chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Methods Survival statistics and Kaplan-Meier curves were calculated using GraphPad Prism 5.0. The threshold for statistical significance was set at p t tests were performed for statistical analyses in Microsoft Excel 2010. Results Twenty-five patients with spinal sarcomas were treated over the 10-year period. Diagnosis included chondrosarcoma (n=9), osteosarcoma (n=4), and other sarcomas (n=12). Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 42 years. Pain was present at the time of diagnosis in 92% patients. Median survival after surgery was 59.5 months for chondrosarcoma, undefined for other sarcomas, and 16.8 months for osteosarcoma. Median survival after en bloc resection was undefined. Median survival after intralesional resection was 17.8 months. The difference in median survival between en bloc and intralesional resection was statistically significant (p=.049). Conclusions The authors report the largest cohort of patients with spinal sarcoma. Median survival in this cohort was the longest for patients with sarcomas of varying pathologies. Median survival was longer for chondrosarcoma. En bloc resection demonstrated a survival advantage over intralesional resection. Long-term follow-up is needed for patients with spinal sarcoma to establish definitive survival data.
Use of Haptic Training to Modify Impulse and Attention Control Deficits of Learning Disabled Children

The purpose of this research was to determine if an haptic training program to teach impulse and attention control to 12 children diagnosed communications handicapped with a secondary classification of neurological impairment could modify their encoding strategies and performance on an haptic discrimination task in the direction of increased reflectivity. The degree to which the effects of haptic training generalized to the educationally more relevant visual modality, and the durability of results for both modalities, were also examined. Significant improvements in scanning and processing times, attention deployment strategies, and response accuracy on the haptic and visual discrimination tasks observed at posttesting and at follow-up, coupled with posttraining increases in reflectivity as measured by the Matching Familiar Figures test, demonstrate the effectiveness, durability, and generalizability of haptic training. Reasons for the intervention's effectiveness in modifying LD children's impulsive cogni...
Recommendations for Training in Performance and Interpretation of Stress Echocardiography

Stress echocardiography has emerged as a clinically useful procedure in the management of patients with ischemic heart disease and other conditions. However, the accuracy of this test relies on the ability of those who carry out the technical aspects of the test and depends critically on proper interpretation of the images. Appreciation of wall motion abnormalities is generally acknowledged as one of the most difficult skills to master in echocardiography. There is consensus that this is also one of the most difficult skills to teach. Appreciating stress-induced changes in wall motion, which sometimes are subtle, requires a significant commitment to initial training in this skill and its maintenance. This document provides recommendations for physician training in stress echocardiography.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy Informed Treatment for Avoidant Personality Disorder With Subsequent Depression

This is a single-case study of a young woman with avoidant personality disorder (APD) and subsequent depression, worry, lack of motivation, feelings of inadequacy, and nonassertive behaviors in her...
Development of piston temperature telemetry system

Abstract The measurement of piston temperature in a reciprocating engine has historically been a very time-consuming and expensive process. Several conditions exist in an engine against which measurement equipment must be protected. Acceleration forces near 2000 G's occur at Top Dead Center (TDC) in automotive engines at rated speed. Operating temperatures inside the crankcase can range to near 150°C. To allow complete mapping of piston temperature, several measuring locations are required in the piston and data must be obtained under various engine operating conditions. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed a telemetry-based system that with stands the harsh environments mentioned above. The device is attached to the underside of a piston and temperature data is transmitted to a receiving antenna in the engine crankcase. The key element of this device is a tiny power generator which utilizes the reciprocating motion of the piston to generate electricity, thus allowing the transmitter to be self-powered. Thick-film hybrid circuit construction techniques have been used to keep the package size small. This paper covers the development of the power generator, multiplexer and transmitter circuits, and the receiver system. Sample data is included from two automotive engines.
Exploring E-book Usage Among Faculty and Graduate Students in the Geosciences: Results of a Small Survey and Focus Group Approach

Faculty and graduate students in the geosciences at the University of Oklahoma were surveyed online about their familiarity with and usage of electronic resources, then observed using e-books via different provider platforms on a computer. E-books from ebrary, Elsevier, Knovel, and Springer platforms were discussed and evaluated by the participants in the study. From the survey and user observation, unique features of geoscience scholarly research are identified that have implications for e-book publishers who wish to make the e-book format viable for the discipline. The educational implications of e-books for libraries are also addressed.
Stochastic perturbation of optical solitons in Schrödinger-Hirota equation

Abstract The soliton perturbation theory is used to study and analyze the stochastic perturbation of optical solitons, governed by the Schrodinger–Hirota equation, in addition to deterministic perturbations. The Langevin equations are derived and analyzed. The deterministic perturbations that are considered here are due to the attenuation and bandpass filtering.
Combined effects of ethanol and MK 801 on locomotor activity in the rat

The present study examined the effects of ethanol (0.75 g/kg IP) alone and in combination with the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK 801 (0.1 mg/kg SC) on the locomotor activity of rats. Sixteen rats were treated with vehicle plus saline, MK 801 plus saline, vehicle plus ethanol, and MK 801 plus ethanol. Locomotor activity was quantified for a period of 12 hours following drug administration. Ethanol was found to significantly decrease locomotor activity whereas MK 801 significantly increased locomotion during the first 2 hours postdrug. In addition, there was a significant additive interaction between ethanol and MK 801 during this time period. Two to four hours postdrug, MK 801 was observed to significantly decrease locomotion. Four to six hours postdrug, ethanol-treated rats had significantly increased locomotor activity whereas MK 801-treated rats displayed significantly decreased locomotion. No significant interaction was found between ethanol and MK 801 4 to 6 hours postdrug. No significant effects of any of the drugs on locomotor activity were observed from 6 to 12 hours postdrug. These results suggest that ethanol and MK 801 produce a pattern of effects on locomotor activity which depend on the time elapsed following drug administration.
Structural remodeling of coronary resistance arteries: effects of age and exercise training

Age is known to induce remodeling and stiffening of large-conduit arteries; however, little is known of the effects of age on remodeling and mechanical properties of coronary resistance arteries. We employed a rat model of aging to investigate whether 1) age increases wall thickness and stiffness of coronary resistance arteries, and 2) exercise training reverses putative age-induced increases in wall thickness and stiffness of coronary resistance arteries. Young (4 mo) and old (21 mo) Fischer 344 rats remained sedentary or underwent 10 wk of treadmill exercise training. Coronary resistance arteries were isolated for determination of wall-to-lumen ratio, effective elastic modulus, and active and passive responses to changes in intraluminal pressure. Elastin and collagen content of the vascular wall were assessed histologically. Wall-to-lumen ratio increased with age, but this increase was reversed by exercise training. In contrast, age reduced stiffness, and exercise training increased stiffness in coronary resistance arteries from old rats. Myogenic responsiveness was reduced with age and restored by exercise training. Collagen-to-elastin ratio (C/E) of the wall did not change with age and was reduced with exercise training in arteries from old rats. Thus age induces hypertrophic remodeling of the vessel wall and reduces the stiffness and myogenic function of coronary resistance arteries. Exercise training reduces wall-to-lumen ratio, increases wall stiffness, and restores myogenic function in aged coronary resistance arteries. The restorative effect of exercise training on myogenic function of coronary resistance arteries may be due to both changes in vascular smooth muscle phenotype and expression of extracellular matrix proteins.
Pyrogallarene-based ion-conducting pores that show reversible conductance properties

Pyrogallol[4]arene macrocycles prepared from pyrogallol and n-dodecanal insert in phospholipid bilayers and form conducting pores that undergo reversible switching over a wide range of potentials.
Musculoskeletal safety for older adults in the workplace: review of current best practice evidence.

Age-associated physical musculoskeletal alterations increase elder adults’ (age 55 and older) risk for injury. Research has demonstrated that on-the-job injuries result in increased absenteeism, an...
A criterion for potentially good reduction in nonarchimedean dynamics

Let K be a non-archimedean eld, and let 2 K(z) be a polynomial or rational function of degree at least 2. We present a necessary and sucient condition, involving only the xed points of and their preimages, that determines whether or not the dynamical system : P 1 ! P 1 has potentially good reduction. Fix the following notation throughout this paper. K: a eld K: an algebraic closure of K j j v: a non-archimedean absolute value on K OK: the ring of integersfx2 K :jxjv 1g of K MK: the maximal ideafx2 K :jxjv < 1g ofOK k: the residue eld
How I Manage Pain after Total Hip Arthroplasty

A very successful comprehensive multimodal pain protocol is used at our institution for both primary and revision total hip arthroplasties. Two concepts are essential to the success of this protocol: 1) using multiple modalities of analgesia to address patients' pain and 2) preemptively treating pain so that patients do not need additional medication to "catch up" with the postoperative pain they are likely to experience. Peripheral nerve blocks are essential to the success of this multimodal analgesia program. Total hip arthroplasty patients receive a lumbar plexus block with an indwelling psoas or fascia iliaca catheter. Before surgery, patients are given a long-acting oral narcotic medication and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to preemptively address pain. After surgery, oral medications, including acetaminophen, a NSAID and a long-acting oral narcotic, are administered on a scheduled basis. Outstanding pain control is achieved routinely without parenteral narcotics and that allows early physical therapy, early return to self-care, and earlier discharge from the hospital.
Quantitation of chemically induced DNA strand breaks in human cells via an alkaline unwinding assay.

DNA strand breaks induced in human CCRF-CEM cells by electrophilic chemicals (carcinogens/mutagens) can be readily quantitated via a facile alkaline unwinding assay. This procedure estimates the number of chemically induced DNA strand breaks on the basis of the percentage DNA converted from double-stranded to single-stranded form during an exposure to the alkaline unwinding conditions. The assay is based on the assumption that each strand break serves as a strand unwinding point during the alkaline denaturation. The extent of strand separation can be standardized with respect to the initial level of induced strand breaks by the use of X-rays, which produce known levels of DNA strand breaks per rad in mammalian cells. Subsequent to the alkaline exposure, the single- and double-stranded DNA were separated by use of thermostated hydroxylapatite columns (60°C), and the DNA was quantitated via a fluorescence assay (Hoechst 33258 compound). A correlation was shown between mammalian DNA strand-breaking potential (as measured in this procedure) and the propensity of these chemicals to revert Salmonella typhimurium TA100.
Credit, cronyism, and control: Evidence from the Americas

Abstract I examine the effects of corruption and government control of the banking system for 18 Western hemisphere countries on the sensitivity of commercial lending rates to changes in international financial conditions and find that most countries' lending rates are insensitive to these conditions. Only the least corrupt nations exhibit a significant positive relation between lending rates and international financial conditions. The responsiveness of these lending rates is nonlinearly related to corruption and government control of the banking sector. The findings suggest that both corruption and government control of banks need to be considered when analyzing international credit markets.
Architectural tradeoffs in the design of VLSI-based associative memories

Abstract Associative memories and algorithms for performing various operations on them have been studied extensively over the past three decades. Speedup analyses offered for such algorithms are based on the assumption of a fixed cycle time for the associative memory, independent of size. Whereas this is acceptable for small capacities which have been practical in the past, the potential for realizing extremelyy large systems by exploiting advances in the VLSI technology necessitates a reexamination of the above premise. In this paper, we offer systolic designs for associative memories whose cyclestimes are realistically constant and independent of their size. The designs are based on well-known principles of pipelining and systolic operation using small building-block associative memories. Several alternative organizations, from a simple linear array to higher-dimensional meshes and trees are examined and evaluated with respect to cost, throughput, and response latency.
Using stable-isotope-labeled proteins for hydrogen exchange studies in complex mixtures.

The use of mass spectrometry to measure hydrogen exchange rates for individual proteins in complex mixtures is described. Incorporation of stable-isotope-labeled (SIL) amino acids into a protein of interest during overexpression in bacteria produced distinctive isotope patterns in mass spectra of peptic peptides from the labeled protein. The isotope pattern was used as a signature for peptides originating from the SIL protein. In addition, stable-isotope labeling simplified identification of the peptic peptides by providing partial amino acid composition information. Despite the complex isotope patterns associated with SIL peptides, hydrogen exchange rates could still be measured for peptides from SIL protein and were found to be the same as exchange rates for unlabeled protein. Hydrogen exchange in a single protein of interest was measured in a complex mixture of proteins, a bacterial cell lysate. This methodology, which includes easy recognition of peptic peptides from the protein(s) of interest during ...
Reactions to bullying and peer victimization: Narratives, physiological arousal, and personality ☆

A mediational model of bullying and victimization is proposed and tested. Ninety-nine 10- to 13-year-old children provided two oral narratives of their victimization experiences, as perpetrator and victim, with their physiological arousal being measured while they told the narratives. The children and one of their parents also completed a variety of questionnaires, including a Big 5 measure of personality and measures of bullying and victimization tendencies. Mediational analyses indicated that children who score low on Conscientiousness and high on Neuroticism are more likely to experience negative affect during peer conflict, such as feeling angrier, blaming the bully more, and forgiving less, and that these reactions are related to higher levels of victimization. For bullies, relations among Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and bullying appear to be mediated by lesser feelings of guilt and gains in physiological arousal while telling a bullying narrative. Advantages of a mediational model of peer victimization processes and implications for interventions are discussed.