cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
α-Substituted thiobutyrolactones potentiate GABA currents in voltage-clamped chick spinal cord neurons

Abstract The effect of the experimental anticonvulsant, α-ethyl,methyl thiobutyrolactone (α-EMTBL), on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) currents was examined in cultured chick spinal cord neurons using gigaseal recording techniques. α-EMTBL potentiated GABA responses in a dose-dependent fashion with half-maximal effect at 7 μM. α-EMTBL also augmented the response to maximal doses of GABA. In competition experiments, α-EMTBL relieved the block of GABA currents produced by saturating concentrations of picrotoxinin whereas diazepam and phenobarbital did not. At a single channel level, α-EMTBL increased the probability of opening GABA channels without significantly altering the mean channel open time or the single channel conductance. These results indicate that α-EMTBL potentiates GABA responses and has properties which distinguish it from benzodiazepines or barbiturates.
Social responsibility goal perception

Abstract The intent of this study is to distinguish areas of difference in the perception of organizational goals among managers, hourly workers, and graduate business students. The managers were chosen to represent the present point of view of management, while the hourly workers were selected to be indicative of labor's viewpoint toward the goal selection of organizations. Students were chosen because they represent the potential transfusion into management. The tool used to solicit these responses was a questionnaire composed of twenty questions, with each question divided into two parts. The first part examined the way the individual perceived the achievement level of the organization (‘is’), and the other half represented the level that the individual aspired for the organization to achieve in the future (‘should be’). These two parts were quantified using a Likert scale ranging from 1 (of no importance) to 5 (of extremely high importance). The results indicate the similarities and differences between each of these three groups in terms of present perceptions and future expectations of these goals.
Fostering alphabet knowledge development: a comparison of two instructional approaches

Preschool-aged children (n = 58) were randomly assigned to receive small group instruction in letter names and/or sounds or numbers (treated control). Alphabet instruction followed one of two approaches currently utilized in early childhood classrooms: combined letter name and sound instruction or letter sound only instruction. Thirty-four 15 minute lessons were provided, with children pre- and post-tested on alphabet, phonological awareness, letter–word identification, emergent reading, and developmental spelling measures. Results suggest benefits of combined letter name and sound instruction in promoting children’s letter sound acquisition. Benefits did not generalize to other emergent literacy skills.
Surveillance of Prophylactic Mastectomy: Trends in Use From 1995 Through 2005

BACKGROUND: Prophylactic mastectomy, prophylactic oophorectomy, and antiestrogen chemoprevention are currently the only available methods for breast cancer risk reduction. To the authors' knowledge there is little published information regarding the prevalence of prophylactic mastectomy for the primary prevention of breast cancer among high-risk women or for the prevention of subsequent tumors among women with breast cancer. METHODS: The objective of the current study was to examine the frequency of prophylactic mastectomy in New York State between 1995 and 2005 using mandated statewide discharge data combined with data from the state cancer registry. RESULTS: Identified were 6275 female residents of New York State receiving prophylactic mastectomy; 19% had no identifiable personal history of breast cancer (including women with lobular carcinoma in situ) and 81% had a personal history of breast cancer (84% with invasive disease and 16% with ductal carcinoma in situ). The increased use of prophylactic mastectomy over time was found to be more pronounced among women with breast cancer compared with those without. Women who underwent prophylactic mastectomies were more likely to be younger and white and to have private insurance compared with women who underwent therapeutic mastectomies and compared with all women with breast cancer. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification diagnostic code for prophylactic mastectomy introduced in 1995 was found to have low sensitivity for identifying prophylactic mastectomies in coded discharge data. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current analysis demonstrate that, although the discharge data alone are inadequate for surveillance purposes, combining these data with the cancer registry data allowed for the detailed examination of the prevalence of prophylactic mastectomies. Mastectomy among high-risk women for cancer prevention appears to be relatively uncommon, but the use of contralateral mastectomy in women with breast cancer is increasing. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Micro-scale drop dynamics for heat transfer enhancement

Abstract With rapid advances in micro-device fabrication, computational techniques, and diagnostic tools, there is a significant interest in applying micro-scale fluid dynamics and heat transfer to flow control, flight vehicle protection, and thermal management. Utilizing energy transfer associated with phase change, multiphase systems offer many new opportunities. To elucidate the main scientific issues and technical implications, recent research addressing the interplay between capillarity, moving boundaries, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and phase change of micro-scale multiphase systems is reviewed. The parametric variations in contact angle, surface tension, impact velocity, and liquid viscosity related to drop impingement and heat transfer are discussed.
Exact inference for categorical data: recent advances and continuing controversies

Methods for exact small-sample analyses with categorical data have been increasingly well developed in recent years. A variety of exact methods exist, primarily using the approach that eliminates unknown parameters by conditioning on their sufficient statistics. In addition, a variety of algorithms now exist for implementing the methods. This paper briefly summarizes the exact approaches and describes recent developments. Controversy continues about the appropriateness of some exact methods, primarily relating to their conservative nature because of discreteness. This issue is examined for two simple problems in which discreteness can be severe--interval estimation of a proportion and the odds ratio. In general, adjusted exact methods based on the mid-P-value seem a reasonable way of reducing the severity of this problem.
Competitive Paths for Methanol Decomposition on Pt(111)

Periodic, self-consistent, Density Functional Theory (PW91-GGA) calculations are used to study competitive paths for the decomposition of methanol on Pt(111). Pathways proceeding through initial C-H and C-O bond scission events in methanol are considered, and the results are compared to data for a pathway proceeding through an initial O-H scission event [Greeley et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 7193]. The DFT results suggest that methanol decomposition via CH(2)OH and either formaldehyde or HCOH intermediates is an energetically feasible pathway; O-H scission to CH(3)O, followed by sequential dehydrogenation, may be another realistic route. Microkinetic modeling based on the first-principles results shows that, under realistic reaction conditions, C-H scission in methanol is the initial decomposition step with the highest net rate. The elementary steps of all reaction pathways (with the exception of C-O scission) follow a linear correlation between the transition state and final state energies. Simulated HREELS spectra of the intermediates show good agreement with available experimental data, and HREELS spectra of experimentally elusive reaction intermediates are predicted.
On multimedia repositories, personal computers, and hierarchical storage systems

The past decade has witnessed a proliferation of personal computers at homes, businesses, classrooms, libraries, etc. Most often, these systems are used to disseminate information. Recently, multimedia repositories have added to the excitement of this information age by allowing a user to retrieve and manipulate continuous media data types (audio and video objects). The design and implementation of these systems is challenging due to both the large size of objects that constitute this media type and their continuous bandwidth requirement. Compression in combination with the availability of fast CPUs (for real-time decompression) provide effective support for a continuous display of those objects with high bandwidth requirement. Hierarchical storage structures (consisting of RAM, disk and tertiary storage devices) provide a cost-effective solution for the large size of their repositories. The focus of this study is on personal computers (single user, single display) that employ fast CPUs, compression and hierarchical storage structures to support multimedia applications. Its goals are to ensure a continuous display of audio and video objects while minimizing the latency time observed by the user. Its contributions include a novel pipelining mechanism and PIRATE as a technique to manage the disk resident objects.
Brachial plexus block with a new local anaesthetic: 0.5 percent ropivacaine

A new local anaesthetic, ropivacaine hydrochloride, was used in a concentration of 0.5 per cent in 32 patients receiving a subclavian perivascular block for upper extremity surgery. One group (n = 15) received 0.5 per cent ropivacaine without epinephrine and a second group (n = 17) received 0.5 per cent ropivacaine with epinephrine in a concentration of 1:200,000. Anaesthesia was achieved in 87 per cent of the patients in both groups in all of the C5 through T1 brachial plexus dermatomes. Motor block was profound with 100 per cent of patients in both groups developing paresis at both the shoulder and hand and 100 per cent developing paralysis at the shoulder. There was a rapid initial onset of sensory block (a mean of less than four minutes for analgesia) with a prolonged duration (a mean of greater than 13hr of analgesia). The addition of epinephrine did not significantly affect the quality or onset of sensory or motor block. The duration of sensory block was reduced by epinephrine at T1 for analgesia and at C7, C8, and T1 for anaesthesia. The duration of sensory block in the remaining brachial plexus dermatomes as well as the duration of motor block was not effected by epinephrine. There was no evidence of cardiovascular or central nervous system toxicity in either group with a mean dose of 2.5– 2.6 mg · kg− 1 ropivacaine.
On finding mixed orthogonal arrays of strength 2 with many 2-level factors

We describe a method for finding mixed orthogonal arrays of strength 2 with a large number of 2-level factors. The method starts with an orthogonal array of strength 2, possibly tight, that contains mostly 2-level factors. By a computer search of this starting array, we attempt to find as large a number of 2-level factors as possible that can be used in a new orthogonal array of strength 2 containing one additional factor at more than two levels. The method produces new orthogonal arrays for some parameters, and matches the best-known arrays for others. It is especially useful for finding arrays with one or two factors at more than two levels.
The importance of Diamantornis eggshell (Aves: Struthionidae) in the age and correlation of the Prospect Hill Formation, South Africa

The reported age estimates for the Prospect Hill Formation in the Western Cape have ranged from Pleistocene to middle Miocene. This vast difference reflects the diversity of techniques and data (microfossils, ratite eggshell, and Sr isotopes) that have been applied to and collected from outcrops of the formation. The older middle to late Miocene age estimate (based on the presence of the extinct ratite eggshell morphology Diamantornis wardi ) has been disputed by more recent work. A reexamination of the fossil eggshell fragments from the Prospect Hill Formation confirms their original species identification. In addition, with increased knowledge of ratite eggshell biostratigraphy across Africa, the presence of Diamantornis wardi in the Prospect Hill Formation demonstrates that the sediments are at a minimum older than 6.5 Ma and most likely older than 9 Ma.
Bronchodilating effects of the anesthetic ketamine in an in vitro guinea pig preparation.

Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, is capable of reducing airway resistance and has proved useful in anesthetizing surgical patients with acute or chronic bronchospasm. To determine if ketamine alters smooth muscle tone, the relative responses of large and small airways of the same animal were studied by comparing the pharmacologic reactivity of tracheal smooth muscle strips with that of a specially prepared perfused bronchial tree. Trachealis and bronchial smooth muscle were found to react to methacholine and histamine in a concentration-dependent manner and have similar sensitivities. Ketamine, by itself, in the concentration range 10−8–10−3 M did not alter resting tone as compared to epinephrine, which reduced baseline tone. In tissues precontracted with histamine or methacholine at ED50 doses, ketamine inhibited smooth muscle contraction. In a second series of experiments, the dose-dependent contraction of smooth muscle to histamine and methacholine was reevaluated in the presence of ketamine. Both tissue sensitivity and maximum contractile response to these agonists were reduced by ketamine at 10−4 M. These data indicate that ketamine alters the in vitro response of guinea pig airways to agonists associated with the asthmatic state. Although ketamine does not reduce airway tone in nonstimulated tissues, its effects on agonist-induced contraction of airway tissues in vitro are consistent with clinical observations that ketamine relieves bronchospasm.
Radon measurements as indicators of permafrost distribution

Abstract Observations in central Alaska indicate that radon concentrations in surface soils over discontinuous permafrost seem to correspond with frozen-ground distribution. These observations were made to determine if radon measurements might provide a method for obtaining information on permafrost distribution. Radon levels from an area of silty soils varied from 14 to 348 pCi 1 −1 and averaged 51 pCi 1 −1 where the top of permafrost was within a meter of the ground surface, compared to an average of 190 pCi 1 −1 where permafrost was absent.
An uncommon presentation of orbital apex syndrome.

Abstract Background Bilateral total ophthalmoplegia secondary to a malignancy or infection of the cavernous sinus and orbital apex is an unusual presentation. Bilateral ophthalmoplegia as the initial sign of this type of rhinocerebral pathology is also uncommon. Case report A 34-year old Haitian woman presented with bilateral vision loss, ptosis, total ophthalmoplegia, and ocular pain. A physical and neurologic examination, laboratory analysis, chest x-rays, and neurologic imaging studies were requested. Cranial and facial computed tomography (CT) scans showed swelling of the soft tissues proximal to the sphenoid extending into the dorsal sella and prepontine cistern, obliteration of the nasopharyngeal reflection, opacification of the ethmoid and sphenoid sinus, bony destruction of the mid-skull base, and bilateral lymphadenopathy of the neck. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed the presence of a soft tissue mass causing destruction of the skull base. Involvement of the clivus, cavernous sinuses, and sella with nasopharynx extension was observed. Hypodense centers within nasopharyngeal tissues suggested the presence of necrosis. Differential diagnosis included nasopaharyngeal carcinoma, lymphoma, or an infectious process. The patient did not consent to a biopsy and refused treatment. Conclusion This presentation is a medical emergency. A combination of surgical, medical, or radiological intervention may be required to manage rhino-cerebral diseases responsible for orbital apex syndrome. Despite advances in neurologic imaging, histologic examination of tissue obtained from a biopsy may ultimately be necessary to obtain a precise diagnosis.
Design of millimeter wave optical modulators with monolithically integrated narrowband impedance matching circuits for 1.3-um photonic links

To implement millimeter wave photonic links using high speed optical modulators, RF input efficiency to the modulator is an important consideration. In this paper we discuss design and fabrication of ultra high speed multiple quantum well electro-absorption modulators for narrow band applications up to 40 GHz. In order to obtain higher RF efficiency at working frequencies of 20 GHz, 25 GHz and 40 GHz, modulators with monolithically integrated matching circuits were designed and fabricated utilizing co-planar waveguide MMIC technologies. Measurement results show excellent matching at specific frequencies with S11 of -16 dB for the 20 GHz devices, -20 dB for the 25 GHz devices and -36 dB for the 40 GHz devices. At least 6 dB of improvement on optical modulation efficiency can be expected over modulators without impedance matching.
Secretion of gastrin-releasing peptide by retroperitoneal tumors

Purpose Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) is a neuropeptide with growth factor activity in vitro for a variety of tumors including neuroblastoma. If GRP is secreted by neuroblastomas, its detection in serum might be an excellent way to both diagnose and monitor this tumor in patients. Methods Small portions of resected tumor specimens were maintained in tissue culture as tumor expiants for 24 hours. The tumors included: 3 ganglioneuromas, 1 neuroblastoma, 1 primitive neuroectodermal tumor, 1 Wilms' tumor, 1 rhabdoid tumor, and 1 benign brachial plexus tumor. Control flasks were maintained simultaneously under identical conditions. After 24 hours of incubation, the tumor-conditioned media and the control media were assayed in duplicate for [GRP] using a radioimmunoassay. Results All the conditioned media from the benign tumors contained Conclusions These data suggest that GRP is secreted by pediatric retroperitoneal tumors and that the amount secreted varies directly with the degree of malignancy of the tumor. This study suggests that GRP may be a candidate tumor marker for pediatric retroperitoneal tumors.
Complications requiring reoperation following vaginal mesh kit procedures for prolapse.

Objective The objective of the study was to the characterize the symptoms and management of vaginal mesh-related complications requiring operative intervention. Study Design This was a case series of patients undergoing excision of vaginal graft material. Only women who had vaginal mesh placement for the correction of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) were included. We describe the symptoms, complications, and management of women treated surgically for vaginal mesh-related complications. Results Thirteen referred women underwent surgery for vaginal mesh-related complications. All meshes were Apogee and/or Perigee. Ten had symptomatic mesh exposures, 1 had an exposure with pelvic abscess, and 2 had pain syndromes without mesh exposure. Patients also had rectovaginal fistula, vesicovaginal fistula, recurrent POP, and persistent discharge. Five women had prior surgery for this problem. All patients underwent transvaginal mesh excision and other indicated procedures at our institution, and 6 women required a second surgery at our institution, with a median of 2 surgeries per patient. Conclusion Vaginal mesh placement for POP can be associated with pain, exposure, and fistula formation, requiring multiple operative interventions.
No instant prairie: planting lean to grow innovation

Incremental innovation tends to be slighted in studies of innovation. We present the Toyota Production System (TPS) as an exemplary and valuable form of incremental innovation, point to the notorious difficulty other companies have in implementing lean manufacturing (as TPS has come to be known in the west) and then demonstrate that TPS, often misunderstood as stand-alone tools, is an integral part of an overall culture of innovation. To clarify how incremental innovation can be adopted, we propose an analogy for building the underlying culture and show TPS integrated in synergistic relationships with production processes and human resource management systems. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Inhibition of catecholamine uptake and retention in synaptosomal preparations by tetrahydroisoquinoline and tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids

Abstract The effects of racemic mixtures of representative tetrahydroisoquinoline and tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids on the mechanisms of catecholamine uptake and retention were studied in synaptosomal preparations from whole rat brain. The synaptosomes were incubated with ( 14 C )-d,l- norepinephrine or ( 14 C)-dopamine in the presence of various concentrations of salsolinol (SAL), tetrahydropapaveroline (THP), 2,3,10,11-tetrahydroxyberbine (THB), or 2,3,10,11-tetramethoxyberbine (TMB). Levels of radioactivity in synaptosomes preloaded with labeled norepinephrine were significantly diminished by the addition of 10 −4 M THP, THB or SAL to approximately 42.7 per cent (P −5 M, also significantly decreased synaptosomal retention of the labeled neuroamine. ( 14 C)-dopamine was used in an analysis of alkaloid effects on catecholamine uptake kinetics. K i values obtained were: 0·7 × 10 −5 M (THP); 3·5 × 10 −5 M (THB); 1·25 × 10 −4 M (SAL); and 2·2 × 10 −4 M (TMB). These results have been interpreted to suggest that the affinity of these amine-derived alkaloids for the catecholaminergic uptake mechanisms, although not marked when compared to that of dopamine or norepinephrine, may be sufficient under conditions of highly localized formation and accumulation to have important physiological sequelae.
Widespread Miocene deep-sea hiatuses: Coincidence with periods of global cooling

High-resolution biostratigraphic analyses of Miocene deep-sea cores reveal eight intervals of widespread hiatuses in the world ocean at 23.0–22.5, 20.0–18.0, 16.0–15.0, 13.5–12.5, 12.0–11.0, 10.0–9.0, 7.5–6.2, and 5.2–4.7 m.y. ago. In complete sections these hiatuses correspond to intervals of cool faunal and floral assemblages, rapid enrichment of δ 18 O, and sea-level regressions. These factors suggest that Miocene deep-sea hiatuses result from an increased intensity of circulation and corrosiveness of bottom currents during periods of increased polar refrigeration.
Family Idealization Explains the Effect Between Family Religiousness and Youth Psychological Functioning

Research suggests that family religiousness may contribute to youth psychological functioning directly and also by protecting against socialization among peers who engage in externalizing behaviors such as substance use. However, attachment variables and their causes may confound the effects between family religiousness, peer substance use, and youth psychological functioning. This study brings family idealization, a novel construct theorized to translate sensitive caregiving into the formation of secure attachments, to bear on this possibility for the first time. We performed a secondary analysis of data from a sample of 522 secondary students and used structural equations modeling to simultaneously estimate the effects between family religiousness and idealization, peer substance use, and psychological functioning. We found that family religiousness and youth psychological functioning were statistically independent conditional on family idealization. Family idealization was independent of peer substance use, while family religiousness predicted lower levels of socially acceptable substance use among peers. Interestingly, peer substance use did not predict psychological functioning. These results suggest family religiousness may impact peer selection, while its association with youth psychological functioning may be attributable to family idealization.
Self-Reported Excessive Daytime Somnolence and Impaired Respiration in Sleep

The purpose of this study was to determine which measures of impaired respiration in sleep relate to self-reported excessive daytime somnolence (EDS). Previous studies conflict regarding the relative importance of arterial hypoxemia and brief awakenings in relating to EDS. A group of 37 elderly clinic patients with complaints of snoring, a clinical diagnosis of sleep apnea, and varying degrees of self-reported somnolence were evaluated polysomnographically and psychometrically. Results showed that a subgroup of somnolent patients were characterized by more severe oxygen desaturations relative to nonsomnolent patients. These differences were obtained even when obesity was controlled. Psychologic symptoms related to the symptom of EDS but not to the sleep measures. This suggested that patients were clearly distressed by their hypersomnolence, but that individual differences played a major role in how the distress was manifested.
A stress analysis of a thermally loaded bimaterial interface: A localized hybrid analysis

Abstract A complex state of stress at a bimaterial interface in a steel/brass plate subjected to a uniform thermal load is investigated using a localized hybrid method which combines an experimental method (high-sensitivity moire interferometry) and a numerical method (finite element analysis). A preliminary discussion of the mechanics of the problem is presented in terms of theoretical and finite element numerical solutions. It is shown that a three-dimensional stress system is generated at this thermally loaded bimaterial interface in the vicinity of the free surface. High-gradient and high-value surface stresses normal to the interface have opposite signs in each material and, very close to the interface, change sign, at least in one of the materials, to satisfy the equilibrium at the interface. The published moire experimental results of this problem are evaluated and further interpreted from the mechanics point of view by means of a localized hybrid analysis. In such an analysis, several comprehensive stress fields are obtained, the free-surface effect regions are identified, and the extent of these regions is determined in association with numerical solutions. The apparent equilibrium paradox suggested in the moire experiment is resolved by a comparison of the localized hybrid and numerical solutions in terms of the mechanics. The three-dimensional nature of this problem is documented. The largest surface stress normal to the interface, which may initiate failure, is found at the corner which is located in a region of intersection of two free-surface effect zones.
Mapping of two promoters for elongation factor Tu within the structural gene for elongation factor G

The str operon of Escherichia coli contains the genes for ribosomal proteins S7 and S12 as well as elongation factors G and Tu (EF-G, EF-Tu). We have previously reported that there is a secondary promoter for expression of EF-Tu mapping within the upstream fus gene encoding EF-G (Zengel, J.M. and Lindahl, L. (1982) Mol. Gen. Genet. 185, 487-492) and have identified several potential promoter sequences within fus (Zengel, J.M., Archer, R.H. and Lindahl, L. (1984) Nucleic Acids Res. 12, 2181-2192). We have now further characterized this promoter activity. Measurements of transcription rates from various regions of the str operon in cells carrying the fus gene and the beginning of the tufA gene on a high copy number plasmid confirmed that transcription was initiated within a 600 bp EcoRI fragment in the distal portion of the fus gene. Furthermore, T1 nuclease mapping studies identified two 5' ends within this region, one about 400 bases upstream of tufA, the other about 270 bases upstream, suggesting that there are two tufA promoters within the fus gene. Both of these promoters are active in the intact chromosomal str operon.
Exploring the Complex Social Processes of Organizational Change: Supply Chain Orientation From a Manager’s Perspective

Effective supply chain management strategies can lead to substantial improvements in customer value and reductions in system wide costs for each participant. Implementing supply chain management strategies, however, is not possible without embracing supply chain orientation (SCO) as a managerial philosophy. Organizational theorists have argued that organizations change only when the people in them change, yet we know little about the complex social processes occurring in the minds of the individuals involved in creating an SCO. The current literature lacks research that describes the transition to an SCO from a supply chain manager’s perspective. Our objective is to fill this gap by delving into the minds of operations managers, who must carry out an interpretation process to set goals, process information, perceive their environment, and actively solve problems when confronted with the organization’s decision to implement supply chain initiatives. We adopt an interpretivist ontology through utilizing grounded theory to provide an in-depth analysis of interviews from seven manufacturing organizations and 121 supply chain managers to provide a rich description of those managers’ perceptions and challenges throughout the transition. Managerial and research implications as well as future research opportunities are provided.
Reciprocal alterations in cortical cannabinoid receptor 1 binding relative to protein immunoreactivity and transcript levels in schizophrenia

The deleterious effects of cannabis use in schizophrenia have been linked, in part, to underlying disturbances in endogenous cannabinoid signaling in the prefrontal cortex. However, while receptor autoradiography studies of the primary cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) have consistently found higher CB1R binding in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, deficits in CB1R mRNA levels and protein immunoreactivity have also been reported in the illness. To investigate this apparent discrepancy, we quantified CB1R binding using receptor autoradiography with the selective CB1R ligand [(3)H]-OMAR in the prefrontal cortex of 21 subjects with schizophrenia who were previously found to have lower levels of both CB1R mRNA using in situ hybridization and CB1R protein using radioimmunocytochemistry relative to matched healthy comparison subjects. We observed higher levels of [(3)H]-OMAR binding in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia subjects that did not appear to be attributable to psychotropic medications or substance abuse. The combination of lower levels of CB1R mRNA and immunoreactivity with higher CB1R receptor binding may reflect 1) altered trafficking of the receptor resulting in higher levels of membrane-bound CB1R or 2) higher CB1R affinity. In either case, greater CB1R receptor availability may contribute to the increased susceptibility of schizophrenia subjects to the deleterious effects of cannabis use.
Metal-Oxide Interfacial Evolution in Thermally Grown Oxide Films

The metal-oxide interface is a crucial zone in the fundamental understanding of oxide growth and growth instabilities. However, obtaining fundamental information on this buried interface has proven extremely difficult using modern surface and interfacial characterization methods. Using copper oxide growth over copper metal, examined between RT and 250°C, as a model system, we have delineated the fundamental physical chemical processes that determine the oxide growth and instabilities at the metal-oxide interface. Application of controlled thermal growth studies in combination with linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) has allowed experimental access to the metal-oxide interface with surprising characterization capabilities. The methodologies involved and the physical chemical phenomena will be discussed in context of the application of modern surface characterization methods including pulsed field desorption mass spectrometry, XPS combined with depth profiling and angular resolved methods. The evolution and alteration of the precursor oxide that develops at low temperatures <75°C will be explained on the basis of previously observed metal oxide interfacial phenomena involving coupled bulk and surface reactions. The nature of the interfacial zone will be discussed with electron transfer and oxygen absorption models that are applicable to oxide growth and instabilities in general.
The impact of the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on chemotherapy dose intensity and cancer survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Results: The search revealed 61 randomized comparisons of chemotherapy with or without initial G-CSF support. Death was reported in 4251 patients randomized to G-CSFs and in 5188 controls. Relative risk (RR) with G-CSF support for all-cause mortality was 0.93 (95% confidence interval: 0.90–0.96; P< 0.001). RR for mortality varied by intended chemotherapy dose and schedule: same dose and schedule (RR = 0.96; P = 0.060), dose dense (RR = 0.89; P< 0.001), dose escalation (RR = 0.92; P = 0.019) and drug substitution or addition (RR = 0.94; P= 0.003). Greater RR reduction was observed among studies with longer follow-up (P= 0.02), where treatment was for curative intent (RR = 0.91; P< 0.001), and where survival was the primary outcome (RR = 0.91; P < 0.001). Conclusions: All-cause mortality is reduced in patients receiving chemotherapy with primary G-CSF support. The
A More Formal Treatment of Classification and Forecasting

This chapter covers much of the foundational material from the last chapter but more formally and in more detail. The chapter opens with a discussion of the model used to characterize how the data were generated. That model is very different from the one used in conventional regression. Then, classification is considered followed by the estimation issues it raises. The bias-variance tradeoff is front and center. So is post-selection statistical inference. Some material in this chapter may require careful reading.
Localization of neuropeptide Y messenger ribonucleic acid in rat and mouse brian by in situ hybridization

The distribution of neuropeptide Y (NPY) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in the rat and mouse brain has been examined. A 28-mer oligonucleotide probe complementary to a distinctive region of NPY mRNA was 3′-end labeled with [35S]-deoxycytosine triphosphate ([35S]-dCTP) by using terminal transferase and was hybridized to fixed sections of rat and mouse brain. The hybridization of the labeled probe to the mRNA in the tissue section was then detected autoradiographically. A strong hybridization signal was seen corresponding to the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Scattered NPY-mRNA-containing cell bodies were seen throughout the cerebral cortex. Experiments which compared the distribution of NPY mRNA with immunohistochemically detected NPY indicated a similar distribution in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex. These results indicate that active transcription of the NPY gene occurs within the brain and this transcription takes place in NPY-containing cell bodies.
National Health Insurance and the Implications for Health-Care Technology

The future role for technology in health-care delivery will be greatly affected by the current debate over national health insurance. A study of the various proposals now in Congress reveals that most bills have in common financial incentives to encourage prepaid comprehensive health-care delivery through group practices called health-maintenance organizations (HMO's). Unlike the typical hospital that operates to maximize the quantity, quality and complexity of care provided, HMO's are designed with incentives to keep people well and keep down the costs of providing care. The likely results of their widespread use will be new incentives to invest in technology designed to increase productivity by lowering the unit cost of care.
A Continuous Source of Bose-Einstein Condensed Atoms

A continuous source of Bose-Einstein condensed sodium atoms was created by periodically replenishing a condensate held in an optical dipole trap with new condensates delivered using optical tweezers. The source contained more than 1 × 106 atoms at all times, raising the possibility of realizing a continuous atom laser.
The Long-Term Influence of Service Employee Attrition on Customer Outcomes and Profits

The authors proposed and tested a model linking service-employee attrition, customer-perceived service outcomes, and financial performance utilizing time-lagged data obtained from 64 business units...
Deviation from Snell's law for beams transmitted near the critical angle: application to microcavity lasers

We show that when a narrow beam is incident upon a dielectric interface near the critical angle for total internal reflection it will be transmitted into the far field with an angular deflection from the direction predicted by Snell's law, because of a phenomenon that we call "Fresnel filtering." This effect can be quite large for the parameter range that is relevant to dielectric microcavity lasers.
Recovery of macular pigment spectrum in vivo using hyperspectral image analysis

We investigated the feasibility of a novel method for hyperspectral mapping of macular pigment (MP) in vivo. Six healthy subjects were recruited for noninvasive imaging using a snapshot hyperspectral system. The three-dimensional full spatial-spectral data cube was analyzed using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), wherein the data was decomposed to give spectral signatures and spatial distribution, in search for the MP absorbance spectrum. The NMF was initialized with the in vitro MP spectrum and rank 4 spectral signature decomposition was used to recover the MP spectrum and optical density in vivo. The recovered MP spectra showed two peaks in the blue spectrum, characteristic of MP, giving a detailed in vivo demonstration of these absorbance peaks. The peak MP optical densities ranged from 0.08 to 0.22 (mean 0.15+/−0.05) and became spatially negligible at diameters 1100 to 1760 μm (4 to 6 deg) in the normal subjects. This objective method was able to exploit prior knowledge (the in vitro MP spectrum) in order to extract an accurate in vivo spectral analysis and full MP spatial profile, while separating the MP spectra from other ocular absorbers. Snapshot hyperspectral imaging in combination with advanced mathematical analysis provides a simple cost-effective approach for MP mapping in vivo.
Multiple lineages of antigenically and genetically diverse influenza A virus co-circulate in the United States swine population

Before the isolation of H3N2 viruses in 1998, swine influenza in the United States was an endemic disease caused exclusively by classical-swine H1N1 viruses. In this study we determined the antigenic and phylogenetic composition of a selection of currently circulating strains and revealed that, in contrast to the situation pre-1998, the swine population in the United States is now a dynamic viral reservoir containing multiple viral lineages. H3N2 viruses still circulate and representatives of each of two previously identified phylogenetic groups were isolated. H1N1 and H1N2 viruses were also identified. In addition to the genotypic diversity present, there was also considerable antigenic diversity seen. At least three antigenic profiles of H1 viruses were noted and all of the recent H3N2 viruses reacted poorly, if at all, to the index A/swine/Texas/4199-2/98 H3N2 antiserum in hemagglutination inhibition assays. The influenza reservoir in the United States swine population has thus gone from a stable single viral lineage to one where genetically and antigenically heterogenic viruses co-circulate. The growing complexity of influenza at this animal-human interface and the presence of viruses with a seemingly high affinity for reassortment makes the United States swine population an increasingly important reservoir of viruses with human pandemic potential.
Experiments, Simulations, and Epistemic Privilege

Experiments are commonly thought to have epistemic privilege over simulations. Two ideas underpin this belief: first, experiments generate greater inferential power than simulations, and second, simulations cannot surprise us the way experiments can. In this article I argue that neither of these claims is true of experiments versus simulations in general. We should give up the common practice of resting in-principle judgments about the epistemic value of cases of scientific inquiry on whether we classify those cases as experiments or simulations, per se. To the extent that either methodology puts researchers in a privileged epistemic position, this is context sensitive.
Improvements in Cognitive Function Following Cardiac Rehabilitation for Older Adults With Cardiovascular Disease

Cognitive impairment is common in persons with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves many aspects of CVD linked to cognitive impairment. The current study explored whether CR may improve cognitive function. Potential mechanisms for cognitive changes were also examined through exploratory analyses, including changes in cardiovascular fitness and cerebral blood flow. Fifty-one older adults with CVD underwent neuropsychological assessment at baseline and discharge from a 12-week CR program. Cardiovascular fitness (i.e., metabolic equivalents [METs]) was estimated from a symptom-limited volitional stress test. Transcranial doppler quantified mean cerebral blood flow velocity and pulsatility indexes for the middle cerebral artery and anterior cerebral artery (ACA). Repeated measures ANOVA showed improvements in global cognition, attention-executive-psychomotor function, and memory. Exploratory analyses revealed improvement in METs and changes in ACA flow velocity, but only improvement in METs was related to improved verbal recall. CVD patients exhibited improvements in multiple cognitive domains following a 12-week CR program, suggesting that cognitive impairment is modifiable in this population. Although other studies are needed to elucidate underlying mechanisms, exploratory analyses suggest that cognitive improvements may be better explained by physiological processes other than improved cardiovascular fitness and cerebral blood flow.
Erratum to “Kinetic modeling of Toxoplasma gondii invasion” [J. Theor. Biol. 249 (2007) 817–825]

Erratum Erratum to ‘‘Kinetic modeling of Toxoplasma gondii invasion’’ [J. Theor. Biol. 249 (2007) 817–825] Bjorn F.C. Kafsack , Vern B. Carruthers , Fernando J. Pineda b,c, a Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, 5641 Medical Sciences Bldg. II, 1150 West Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0620, USA b Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA c Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205-2179, USA
Presence of natural killer cells in human chronic periapical lesions

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphoid in nature and appear to kill target cells (neoplastic and virus-infected cells) without apparent prior immunization. Ten human chronic periapical lesions were examined for the presence of these cells. The lesions were collected, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and sectioned. They were then stained with an indirect immunoperoxidase procedure for the presence of human NK cells. Human tonsils and human periapical scar tissue were used as positive and negative controls. The results showed absence of NK cells in scar tissue and the presence of NK cells in tonsils and all samples of human periapical lesions. NK cells may play a defensive role in controlling root canal infections or, possibly, a role in its pathogenesis.
A case study of US deaf teens’ text messaging: Their innovations and adoption of textisms

The purpose of this article is to explore textism in English as adopted by American deaf adolescents, examining its features and social function within the under-represented population of deaf teens in growing research on texting. This case study collected a corpus of 370 text messages exchanged via cell phone between a high-school pair at a US residential school. Also included were survey responses from 35 high-school students and interviews with the texting pair and several teachers, all of which enhanced the understanding of how deaf adolescents at this school used texting for communication. The corpus was analyzed, along with the surveyed general characteristics of texting. The pair’s messages indicated that the deaf adolescents adopted various characteristics of textism used by the English-speaking hearing adolescents studied by other researchers. However, the corpus also showed incidents of characteristics unique to the deaf teens’ texting, such as structural transfer from sign language.
Managing lupus patients during pregnancy

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an auto-immune disease, primarily affecting young females. Pregnancy in a woman with SLE remains a high-risk situation with higher maternal and foetal mortality and morbidity. Although live births are achieved in majority of the pregnancies, active disease and major organ involvement can negatively affect the outcomes. A higher risk of foetal loss, pre-term birth, intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and neonatal lupus syndromes (NLSs) are major foetal issues. Mothers are faced with disease flares, pre-eclampsia and other complications. Disease flares during SLE pregnancy pose the unique issue of recognition and differentiation between physiologic changes and disease state. Similarly, pre-eclampsia and lupus nephritis may lead to diagnostic confusion. Treatment choices during pregnancy are limited to a few safe drugs, further restricting the options. Refractory pregnancy loss associated with anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPLs) and complete heart block associated with anti-Ro antibodies remain unresolved issues. A multidisciplinary approach, with close monitoring, is essential for optimal outcomes.
Pattern of Melatonin Secretion Mediates Transfer of Photoperiod Information from Mother to Fetus in Mammals

Studies performed over the past 20 years have revealed that mother rodents can provide photoperiod information to their developing fetuses. In adult mammals, the pattern of pineal melatonin secretion changes in relation to changes in day length, and the melatonin pattern is a key part of the photoperiodic mechanism. Melatonin crosses the placenta, and fetal rodents can respond to the maternal melatonin rhythm. Thus, the mother9s melatonin rhythm provides day-length information to the fetus, and this information is used, along with photoperiod information that is obtained after birth, to influence juvenile development. The transfer of photoperiod information from mother to fetus may be part of an adaptive system. When young are born early in the spring or summer breeding season, the increase in day length between the times of fetal and postnatal life results in rapid reproductive maturation, allowing these early-born animals to reproduce later during the same breeding season. In contrast, for young born late in the breeding season, the decrease in photoperiod between fetal and postnatal life results in delayed maturation of the gonads, and reproduction is delayed until the beginning of the next year9s breeding season.