cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Later-life trajectories of cognitive functioning among immigrants of Mexican origin: implications of age at immigration and social resources.

Objective. This study examines age-at-immigration disparities in later-life trajectories of cognitive functioning among immigrant men and women of Mexican descent. This study also considers the rol...
Perinatal Psychiatry: Ready for Prime Time?

Perinatal psychiatry deals primarily with women’s mental health before labor and up to the first year post-childbirth and the growth and development of their offspring. Early insults to the developing brain of the fetus are consistently linked to later neuropsychiatric disorders. Maternal stress and depression, for instance, can trigger inflammation in the fetal brain, and studies consistently show the link between these events and the development of psychiatric disorders in the offspring. Postnatal mental disorders increase maternal morbidity and interfere with maternal bonding, thus impacting the health and development of the offspring. The aim of this chapter was to provide a brief overview of the field of perinatal psychiatry.
Flapping dynamics of a flag in the presence of thermal convection

The flow-induced flapping dynamics of a flexible two-dimensional heated flag in the mixed convection regime is studied here. A linear stability analysis is first used to predict the flutter stability using three dimensionless parameters of reduced flow velocity, mass ratio and Richardson number. This is followed by fully coupled computational simulations to investigate the role of flapping motion on the flag’s thermal performance. The results show that an increase of Richardson number has a non-monotonic stabilizing effect on the flag response over the range of reduced velocities. The distinct flapping response regimes previously reported in the literature are recovered here and expanded upon by finding new flapping modes within the limit-cycle regime. It is found that mode switching is associated not only with the frequency response of the system but is also highly coupled to the flag’s thermal performance. The average Nusselt number over the structure attains the highest value when the flag vibrates in its higher fluttering mode, wherein it shows a higher sensitivity to Richardson number. We also report the correlations for the Nusselt number for the different flapping modes and identify an unexpected dependency of the modes on the flag inertia in the presence of the thermal effects.
22 – “PYROXENE”–ILMENITE XENOLITHS FROM THE STOCKDALE PIPE, KANSAS: CHEMISTRY, CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, AND ORIGIN

Comparison of serpentine–ilmenite xenoliths from the Stockdale kimberlite pipe, Kansas, with pyroxene–ilme–nite xenoliths from African kimberlite pipes indicates both physical and chemical similarity. The intergrown phases are largely single crystals with the ilmenite plates parallel to the crystallographic basal plane of ilmenite. Orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene are orientedr such that the b crystallographic axes are parallel to h0h0 of ilmenite. The results of textural and crystallographic studies do not definitively answer whether these intergrowths have formed by eutectic crystallization, discontinuous precipitation or eutectoid transformation.
Vaping-Associated Lung Injury: A New Cause of Acute Respiratory Failure

E-cigarette-and vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) is a new diagnosis with at least 2,807 hospitalizations and 68 deaths since 2019. This clinical observation describes one of the first cases of EVALI in a teenager who presented with nic-sick symptoms and developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumomediastinum. The manuscript also reviews the presentation, work-up, recommended management, and proposed etiology of the condition and summarizes recent national vaping regulations enacted to address the EVALI epidemic.
Don’t Forget About the Frontline Employee During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Insights and a Research Agenda on Market Shocks

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way services are delivered. In this editorial, we shine a light on how frontline service employees are coping with the changing work environment. Leveragin...
A Five-Switch Four-Level Converter

This paper proposes a five-switch four-level (5S-4L) converter where there are only five power switches are per phase leg. Compared to the existing four-level nested (4L-N) converter, four-level active neutral point clamped four-level (4L-N) converter, and four-level dual T-type (4L-DT) converter, the proposed 5S-4L converter has the least power switches. Like the 4L-N, 4L-ANPC and 4L-DTconverters, the proposed 5S-4L converter also has three series-connected capacitors with severe imbalanced voltages at the DC-link side. How to balance the three capacitor voltages is a big challenge. In this paper, a variable-carrier based voltage-balance control method integrating the carrier modulation scheme of the proposed 5S-4L converter is developed to overcome this issue. Simulation results have been carried out to verify the proposed 5S-4L converter topology and the variable-carrier voltage-balance method.
L - and X -Band Dual-Frequency Synthesizer Utilizing Lithium Niobate RF-MEMS and Open-Loop Frequency Dividers

This article presents an 8.6-GHz oscillator utilizing the third-order antisymmetric overtone ( ${A}_{{3}}$ ) in a lithium niobate (LiNbO3) radio frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF-MEMS) resonator. The oscillator consists of an acoustic resonator in a closed loop with cascaded RF tuned amplifiers (TAs) built on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) RF general purpose (GP) 65-nm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The TAs bandpass response, set by on-chip inductors, satisfies Barkhausen’s oscillation conditions for ${A}_{{3}}$ while suppressing the fundamental and higher order resonances. Two circuit variations are implemented. The first is an 8.6-GHz standalone oscillator with a source-follower buffer for direct 50- $\Omega $ -based measurements. The second is an oscillator-divider chain using an on-chip three-stage divide-by-two frequency divider for a ~1.1-GHz output. The standalone oscillator achieves a measured phase noise of −56, −113, and −135 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz, 100 kHz, and 1 MHz offsets from an 8.6-GHz output while consuming 10.2 mW of dc power. The oscillator also attains a figure-of-merit of 201.6 dB at 100-kHz offset, surpassing the state-of-the-art (SoA) oscillators-based electromagnetic (EM) and RF-MEMS. The oscillator-divider chain produces a phase noise of −69.4 and −147 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz and 1 MHz offsets from a 1075-MHz output while consuming 12 mW of dc power. Its phase noise performance also surpasses the SoA ${L}$ -band phase-locked loops (PLLs). With further optimization, this work can enable low-power multistandard wireless transceivers featuring high speed, high sensitivity, and high selectivity in small-form factors.
The Many Facets of Therapy Resistance and Tumor Recurrence in Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal type of primary brain cancer. Standard care using chemo- and radio-therapy modestly increases the overall survival of patients; however, recurrence is inevitable, due to treatment resistance and lack of response to targeted therapies. GBM therapy resistance has been attributed to several extrinsic and intrinsic factors which affect the dynamics of tumor evolution and physiology thus creating clinical challenges. Tumor-intrinsic factors such as tumor heterogeneity, hypermutation, altered metabolomics and oncologically activated alternative splicing pathways change the tumor landscape to facilitate therapy failure and tumor progression. Moreover, tumor-extrinsic factors such as hypoxia and an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) are the chief causes of immunotherapy failure in GBM. Amid the success of immunotherapy in other cancers, GBM has occurred as a model of resistance, thus focusing current efforts on not only alleviating the immunotolerance but also evading the escape mechanisms of tumor cells to therapy, caused by inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. Here we review the various mechanisms of therapy resistance in GBM, caused by the continuously evolving tumor dynamics as well as the complex TME, which cumulatively contribute to GBM malignancy and therapy failure; in an attempt to understand and identify effective therapies for recurrent GBM.
External validation of a predictive model of adverse events following spine surgery.

ABSTRACT Background context We lack models that reliably predict 30-day postoperative adverse events (AEs) following spine surgery. Purpose We externally validated a previously developed predictive model for common 30-day adverse events (AEs) after spine surgery. Study design/setting This prospective cohort study utilizes inpatient and outpatient data from a tertiary academic medical center. Patient sample We assessed a prospective cohort of all 276 adult patients undergoing spine surgery in the Department of Neurosurgery at a tertiary academic institution between April 1, 2018 and October 31, 2018. No exclusion criteria were applied. Outcome measures Incidence of observed AEs was compared with predicted incidence of AEs. Fifteen assessed AEs included: pulmonary complications, congestive heart failure, neurological complications, pneumonia, cardiac dysrhythmia, renal failure, myocardial infarction, wound infection, pulmonary embolus, deep venous thrombosis, wound hematoma, other wound complication, urinary tract infection, delirium, and other infection. Methods Our group previously developed the Risk Assessment Tool for Adverse Events after Spine Surgery (RAT-Spine), a predictive model of AEs within 30 days following spine surgery using a cohort of approximately one million patients from combined Medicare and MarketScan databases. We applied RAT-Spine to the single academic institution prospective cohort by entering each patient's preoperative medical and demographic characteristics and surgical type. The model generated a patient-specific overall risk score ranging from 0 to 1 representing the probability of occurrence of any AE. The predicted risks are presented as absolute percent risk and divided into low ( 28%). Results Among the 276 patients followed prospectively, 76 experienced at least one 30-day postoperative AE. Slightly more than half of the cohort were women (53.3%). The median age was slightly lower in the non-AE cohort (63 vs 66.5 years old). Patients with Medicaid comprised 2.5% of the non-AE cohort and 6.6% of the AE cohort. Spinal fusion was performed in 59.1% of cases, which was comparable across cohorts. There was good agreement between the predicted AE and observed AE rates, Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0.64 (95% CI 0.56-0.710). The incidence of observed AEs in the prospective cohort was 17.8% among the low-risk group, 23.0% in the medium-risk group, and 38.4% in the high risk group (p = 0.003). Conclusions We externally validated a model for postoperative AEs following spine surgery (RAT-Spine). The results are presented as low-, moderate-, and high-risk designations.
Getting Beyond the First Result of Solving a Vehicle Routing Problem

The simple vehicle routing problem (VRP) is a common topic of discussion in introductory operations research/management science courses. The VRP can be framed in a variety of ways, and it can be di...
Primary Source of Information About COVID-19 as a Determinant of Perception of COVID-19 Severity and Vaccine Uptake : Source of Information and COVID-19.

Identifying the key determinants of vaccine uptake in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is critical to increasing vaccination rates, especially for Medicare beneficiaries. We examined how the source of COVID-19 information shapes perceptions of COVID-19 severity and the likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Medicare beneficiaries. We included 6478 Medicare beneficiaries from the Fall 2020 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 Supplement. Our dependent variables were perception of COVID-19 severity and the likelihood of getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Our key independent variable was the beneficiaries’ primary source of information about COVID-19 and included six mutually exclusive categories: traditional news sources, guidance from government officials, social media, other webpages/Internet, friends or family members, or health care providers. Compared to those relying on traditional news sources or guidance from governmental officials, those relying on other sources had lower perceptions of COVID-19 severity and lower likelihood of getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Those relying on social media had the lowest levels in all measures (65.5% for those who agreed that COVID-19 is more contagious than the flu, 62.1% for those who agreed that COVID-19 is more deadly than the flu, 87.8% for those who agreed that all should take COVID-19 precautions, and 43.3% for those who answered that they would get a COVID-19 vaccine). The likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine uptake was also low among those relying on health care providers (55.5%). These findings remained similar even after adjusting for perceptions of COVID-19 severity in the relationship between the source of COVID-19 information and the likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine uptake. The primary source of information that Medicare beneficiaries used to learn about COVID-19 may play a critical role in shaping perceptions of COVID-19 severity and attitudes toward getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Does Early Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting Influence Need for Additional Maxillary Advancement Procedures in Cleft Lip and Palate

OBJECTIVE To determine if secondary alveolar bone grafting (SABG) timing in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) influences the future need for additional maxillary advancement procedures, particularly Le Fort I osteotomy with rigid external distraction (RED). DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. Groups were separated by SABG timing: early mixed dentition (ages 68 years) or late mixed dentition (ages 9-11 years). The criterion for RED was negative overjet ≥8 mm, and sufficient dental development for RED. SETTING Single tertiary care institution. PATIENTS Patients with CLP that underwent SABG from 2010 to 2015. Exclusion criteria included syndromic conditions, SABG surgery at age >12 years, current age <12 years, and <2 years follow-up. 104 patients were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The number of RED candidates and treated patients. RESULTS There was no statistical difference in the number of RED candidates (P = .0718) nor treated patients (P = .2716) based on SABG timing; stratification by laterality was also insignificant. Early SABG is associated with higher odds of being a RED candidate (pooled, unilateral, bilateral) and treated patient (pooled and unilateral); however, there were no statistically significant associations between SABG timing and the number of RED candidates and treated patients as determined by logistic regression models. CONCLUSION There is no statistically significant association between SABG timing and the odds of being a RED candidate or treated patient. Future prospective studies are recommended to assess the relationship between SABG timing and maxillary growth in patients with CLP.
Endometriosis: Epidemiology, Classification, Pathogenesis, Treatment and Genetics (Review of Literature).

Endometriosis is a “mysterious” disease and its exact cause has not yet been established. Among the etiological factors, congenital, environmental, epigenetic, autoimmune and allergic factors are listed. It is believed that the primary mechanism of the formation of endometriosis foci is retrograde menstruation, i.e., the passage of menstrual blood through the fallopian tubes into the peritoneal cavity and implantation of exfoliated endometrial cells. However, since this mechanism is also observed in healthy women, other factors must also be involved in the formation of endometriosis foci. Endometriosis is in many women the cause of infertility, chronic pain and the deterioration of the quality of life. It also represents a significant financial burden on health systems. The article presents a review of the literature on endometriosis—a disease affecting women throughout the world.
Predicting Binding Free Energy Change Caused by Point Mutations with Knowledge-Modified MM/PBSA Method

A new methodology termed Single Amino Acid Mutation based change in Binding free Energy (SAAMBE) was developed to predict the changes of the binding free energy caused by mutations. The method utilizes 3D structures of the corresponding protein-protein complexes and takes advantage of both approaches: sequence- and structure-based methods. The method has two components: a MM/PBSA-based component, and an additional set of statistical terms delivered from statistical investigation of physico-chemical properties of protein complexes. While the approach is rigid body approach and does not explicitly consider plausible conformational changes caused by the binding, the effect of conformational changes, including changes away from binding interface, on electrostatics are mimicked with amino acid specific dielectric constants. This provides significant improvement of SAAMBE predictions as indicated by better match against experimentally determined binding free energy changes over 1300 mutations in 43 proteins. The final benchmarking resulted in a very good agreement with experimental data (correlation coefficient 0.624) while the algorithm being fast enough to allow for large-scale calculations (the average time is less than a minute per mutation).
Equivalences Between Gödel's Definitions of Constructibility

Publisher Summary Kurt Godel, in his 1939 paper on the consistency of the continuum hypothesis, defined the class of constructible sets in terms of an ordinal hierarchy M α . In his 1940 monograph, he defined the constructible sets as elements of the range of a special ordinal function F(a). This chapter focuses on the consistency of the continuum hypothesis and describes the class of constructible sets in terms of an ordinal hierarchy M α. The constructible sets are elements of the range of a special ordinal function F(α). The chapter investigates the relative locations where sets first occur within these constructions. The transfinite recursion theorem guarantees that for each γ ordinal there exist a unique function f γ.
Identification of a broad family of lipid A late acyltransferases with non-canonical substrate specificity.

Summary Most Gram-negative organisms produce lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a complex macromolecule anchored to the bacterial membrane by the lipid A moiety. Lipid A is synthesized via the Raetz pathway, a conserved nine-step enzymatic process first characterized in Escherichia coli. The Epsilonproteobacterium Helicobacter pylori uses the Raetz pathway to synthesize lipid A; however, only eight of nine enzymes in the pathway have been identified in this organism. Here, we identify the missing acyltransferase, Jhp0255, which transfers a secondary acyl chain to the 3′-linked primary acyl chain of lipid A, an activity similar to that of E. coli LpxM. This enzyme, reannotated as LpxJ due to limited sequence similarity with LpxM, catalyses addition of a C12:0 or C14:0 acyl chain to the 3′-linked primary acyl chain of lipid A, complementing an E. coli LpxM mutant. Enzymatic assays demonstrate that LpxJ and homologues in Campylobacter jejuni and Wolinella succinogenes can act before the 2′ secondary acyltransferase, LpxL, as well as the 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo) transferase, KdtA. Ultimately, LpxJ is one member of a large class of acyltransferases found in a diverse range of organisms that lack an E. coli LpxM homologue, suggesting that LpxJ participates in lipid A biosynthesis in place of an LpxM homologue.
Las Transformaciones de la Producción y Divulgación del Conocimiento Jurídico en Venezuela de la Segunda Mitad del Siglo XX

El articulo propone un analisis de los cambios en la produccion y difusion de conocimientos juridicos en Venezuela, poniendo el acento en los cambios en las instituciones y los estimulos o falta de estimulos que se ofrecen a la investigacion y la publicacion. El analisis de los cambios se apoya en la biografia colectiva de 72 personas nacidas en el siglo XX que han alcanzado reconocimiento como juristas academicos. Tambien se destacan los cambios mas recientes introducidos por regimen de Chavez.
Effects of NAPL contaminants on the permeability of a soil-bentonite slurry wall material.

Soil‐bentonite slurry walls are designed to inhibit the subsurface movement of contaminants from hazardous waste sites. Although it is generally accepted that high concentrations of organic compounds will adversely affect soil‐bentonite slurry walls and clay liners, previous research investigating the effects of NAPLs on the conductivity of clay wall materials has been inconclusive. In this study the effects of various organics (benzene, aniline, trichloroethylene, ethylene dichloride, methylene chloride) on the effective conductivity of a typical soil‐bentonite slurry wall material were studied under two effective stress conditions, 200 and 52 kPa. The hydraulic conductivity for the soil‐bentonite material permeated with water averaged 1.52×10-8 cm s-1. Compared to water, there was little change in conductivity when the sample was permeated with a solution containing a NAPL compound at its solubility limit, except for aniline. However, there was a one to two order of magnitude decrease in conductivity when the sample was permeated with a pure NAPL for all NAPLs tested. When the soil‐bentonite material was permeated with a water/NAPL/water/NAPL sequence, the conductivity decreased one to two orders of magnitude when a NAPL was introduced following water; however, when water was reintroduced after the NAPL, the conductivity increased to the initial hydraulic conductivity. The conductivity again decreased one to two orders of magnitude when the NAPL was reintroduced. This trend occurred for all NAPLs tested, and the fluid properties of the NAPL compounds alone did not account for the decrease in conductivity compared to water.
Mutations in the SH3 domain of the src oncogene which decrease association of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase activity with pp60v-src and alter cellular morphology.

Abstract To analyze the signaling pathways utilized in malignant transformation by pp60v-src, we have isolated and characterized src mutants which possess normal levels of protein tyrosine kinase activity but which cause only a partially transformed phenotype. Our hypothesis is that such mutants are partially defective for transformation because they are defective in their ability to activate specific components of the cellular signaling machinery while still activating others. In this communication, we report on the molecular and biochemical characterization of one such mutant, CU12 (D. D. Anderson, R. P. Beckmann, E. H. Harms, K. Nakamura, and M. J. Weber, J. Virol. 37:455-458, 1981). Cells infected with this mutant are capable of anchorage-independent growth, but rather than exhibiting the rounded and refractile morphology characteristic of wild-type-infected cells, they display an extremely elongated, fusiform morphology. The morphological properties of this mutant src could be accounted for entirely by a single mutation in the SH3 domain (lysine 106 to glutamate). Other mutations were constructed in this region by in vitro mutagenesis, both in a v-src and in an activated c-src background, and several of them also induced a fusiform morphology. All of the mutations inducing fusiform morphology also resulted in decreased association of pp60src with phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase activity. In addition, association of pp60src with some tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins was altered. We propose that the SH3 domain participates (along with the SH2 domain) in the interaction of pp60src with cellular signaling proteins, and we speculate that the association with phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase plays an important role in the regulation of cellular morphology.
A Physics-Based Modeling and Real-Time Simulation of Biomechanical Diffusion Process Through Optical Imaged Alveolar Tissues on Graphical Processing Units

Tissue engineering has broad applications from creating the much-needed engineered tissue and organ structures for regenerative medicine to providing in vitro testbeds for drug testing. In the latter, application domain, creating alveolar lung tissue, and simulating the diffusion process of oxygen and other possible agents from the air into the blood stream as well as modeling the removal of carbon dioxide and other possible entities from the blood stream are of critical importance to simulating lung functions in various environments. In this chapter, we propose a physics-based model to simulate the alveolar gas exchange and the alveolar diffusion process. Tissue engineers, for the first time, may utilize these simulation results to better understand the underlying gas exchange process and properly adjust the tissue growing cycles. In this work, alveolar tissues are imaged by means of an optical coherence microscopy (OCM ) system developed in our laboratory. As a consequence, 3D alveoli tissue data with its inherent complex boundary is taken as input to the simulation system, which is based on computational fluid mechanics in simulating the alveolar gas exchange. The visualization and the simulation of diffusion of the air into the blood through the alveoli tissue is performed using a state-of-art graphics processing unit (GPU). Results show the real-time simulation of the gas exchange through the 2D alveoli tissue.
How Market Makers Affect Efficiency; Evidence Markets are Becoming Less Efficient

Stock exchanges around the world have integrated a hybrid trading system. This has added anonymity for traders, making it harder for market makers to match large continuous trades, leading to an increase in volatility and a decrease in informational efficiency. This occurs because less information is contained in the price of a stock at any given time. Using a relative difference-in-difference estimation I find that as the hybrid market was adopted market volatility increased (for both the NYSE and LSE) relative to an electronic market. Although the use of a hybrid market may increase transaction speed, it decreases informational efficiency.
3D Numerical modeling and its experimental verifications for an inhomogeneous head phantom using broadband fNIR system

SUMMARY Modeling behavior of broadband (30–1000 MHz) frequency modulated near infrared photons through a multilayer phantom is of interest to optical bio-imaging research. Photon dynamics in phantom are predicted using three-dimension (3D) finite element numerical simulation and are related to the measured insertion loss and phase for a given human head geometry in this paper based on three layers of phantom each with distinct optical parameter properties. Simulation and experimental results are achieved for single, two, and three layers solid phantoms using COMSOL (COMSOL AB, Tegnergatan 23, SE-111 40, Stockholm, Sweden) (for FEM) simulation and custom-designed broadband free space optical transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) modules that are developed for photon migration at wavelengths of 680, 795, and 850 nm. Standard error is used to compute error between two-dimension and 3D FE modeling along with experimental results by fitting experimental data to the functional form of . Error results are shown at narrowband and broadband frequency modulation. Confidence in numerical modeling of the photonic behavior using 3D FEM for human head has been established here by comparing the reflection mode's experimental results with the predictions made by COMSOL for known commercial solid brain phantoms. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Income, Program Participation, Poverty, and Financial Vulnerability: Research and Data Needs

This paper assesses the data infrastructure needed for future research and policy evaluation on income, program participation, poverty, and financial vulnerability in the United States. I present a broad-based discussion of research needs on the long-term consequences of income inequality and mobility, transfer-program participation and intergenerational dependence, poverty measurement and poverty persistence, and material deprivation. I summarize what information we currently collect in U.S. household panels, highlighting specific challenges such as earnings nonresponse and transfer-income underreporting. I conclude that a first priority is to improve the quality, scale, and scope of currently fielded surveys, including linked survey-administrative data, before embarking on a new longitudinal panel to address research on inequality, poverty, and material well being.
Race, Prediction, and Pretrial Detention

We use a large, nationally representative and detailed database on criminal defendants to predict the likelihood that the defendant will commit a crime while on bail or other forms of pretrial release. We use this likelihood to estimate an empirical model of judicial behavior. We find that large and persistent gaps in pretrial detention across race is completely explainable as a form of statistical discrimination due to the higher probability a black defendant will commit a pretrial violent crime. The results are robust to a variety of possible statistical biases, including selection bias and misspecification of functional form. We also consider more nuanced models of discrimination and find evidence that judges may be more sensitive to violent crimes committed by white defendants than black defendants.
Leptin Secretion From the Epididymal Fat Pad Is Increased by the Sexual Maturation of the Male Rat

Although leptin has been implicated as an important factor in triggering the onset of puberty in females, much less is known about the role of this adipose tissue hormone in the sexual maturation of males. Previous work in the rat has suggested that the peripubertal rise in testosterone precedes an increase in leptin secretion, and it has been suggested that the testosterone rise induces the leptin increase. These studies examined some of the interactions between leptin secretion and the peripubertal testosterone rise in male rats. Serum leptin concentrations were significantly elevated in young adult male rats compared with immature rats. Cultured epididymal fat pads obtained from adult animals secreted significantly more leptin than did those obtained from immature rats. Castration of immature rats with or without testosterone replacement for 1 week did not result in a significant change in either the serum leptin concentrations or the ability of the epididymal fat pad to secrete leptin. Exposure of epididymal fat to 5 ng/mL of testosterone in vitro resulted in a significantly enhanced secretion of leptin into the media compared with plain media controls. These results confirmed that there is an increase in serum leptin concentrations with sexual maturation in the male rat. They also suggest that this increase is due to an enhanced ability of adipose tissue to secrete leptin. Within a normal physiologic range, testosterone may play a role in inducing this increased ability to secrete leptin.
Unveiling the Mechanism of Coronary Metabolic Vasodilation Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels and Hydrogen Peroxide

Most organs are able to modulate both blood flow and oxygen extraction to meet oxygen demand during increases in metabolism. However, the heart extracts oxygen near maximally (60%–80%) at rest and, therefore, relies almost exclusively on changes in perfusion to meet this demand.1 This requires moment-to-moment changes in arteriolar (resistance artery) tone to match changes in oxygen demand with flow. It is generally thought that a metabolic dilator substance released from the myocardium serves as the signal for vasodilation. However, despite several decades of investigation, the chemical mediator of cardiac metabolic dilation remains elusive. Recently, Chilian laboratory has proposed hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as the link between cardiac metabolism and coronary dilation.2 Although H2O2 had been studied extensively as an endothelium-derived vasodilator, its role in metabolic dilation had not been well-defined. H2O2 has several characteristics that support a role in metabolic dilation. It is a product of cardiac metabolism, is produced in large quantities proportional to mitochondrial respiration, is cell membrane permeable, and has a sufficiently long half-life to serve as an intercellular signaling molecule. H2O2 elicits a dose-dependent dilation in coronary arterioles.3 Article, see p 612 On the basis of these characteristics, H2O2 has been studied as a mediator of metabolic dilation. Chilian laboratory used a bioassay where effluent from freshly isolated cardiomyocytes was dripped onto rat coronary arterioles. The resulting dilation was shown to be catalase-sensitive and related to the metabolic rate of the cultured myocytes.2 A variation of that preparation was used by Shimokawa laboratory, where pressurized coronary arterioles from a rabbit were placed on a canine beating heart.4 Pacing the dog heart induced a …
Applications of Mass Spectrometry in the Petrochemical Industry

The petrochemical industry is one of the essential industries in a modern economy. Its products range from gasoline to synthetic rubber, from simple solvents to complex chemicals. Research and quality control related to the literally thousands of products rely heavily on sophisticated analytical instrumentation.
Hemagglutinin in the blood of the oyster Crassostrea virginica.

Abstract A protein in the blood of normal oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ) agglutinates red blood cells of several vertebrate species. Adsorption tests indicate that this material has a moderate degree of specificity. It exerts an opsonic effect on rabbit red blood cells in vitro and probably influences the rate of phagocytosis of red cells and their disposal in experimentally injected oysters.
Microbially catalyzed nitrate-dependent oxidation of biogenic solid-phase Fe(II) compounds.

The potential for microbially catalyzed NO3--dependent oxidation of solid-phase Fe(II) compounds was examined using a previously described autotrophic, denitrifying, Fe(II)-oxidizing enrichment culture. The following solid-phase Fe(II)-bearing minerals were considered: microbially reduced synthetic goethite, two different end products of microbially hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) reduction (biogenic Fe3O4 and biogenic FeCO3), chemically precipitated FeCO3, and two microbially reduced iron(III) oxide-rich subsoils. The microbially reduced goethite, subsoils, and chemically precipitated FeCO3 were subject to rapid NO3--dependent Fe(II) oxidation. Significant oxidation of biogenic Fe3O4 was observed. Very little biogenic FeCO3 was oxidized. No reduction of NO3- or oxidation of Fe(II) occurred in pasteurized cultures. The molar ratio of NO3- reduced to Fe(II) oxidized in cultures containing chemically precipitated FeCO3, and one of the microbially reduced subsoils approximated the theoretical stoichiometry of 0....
Synthesis of N,N′-Haloacyl Analogs of p,p′-Oxydianiline as Potential Antineoplastic Agents

A series of eight new haloacetyl and halopropionyl derivatives of p , p ′-oxydianiline have been synthesized for evaluation of anticar-cinogenic activity.
Effect of mica addition of the microstructure of portland cement paste

Abstract In assessing the effect of mica reinforcement on cement paste microstructure, modifications to pore-size distribution, porosity, non-evaporable water content, and CH particle size distribution were observed for samples hydrated for up to five years. Microstructural changes were dependent on water-cement ratio and amount of mica added.
The Prevalence of Nonmuscular Causes of Torticollis in Children

Torticollis in children may result from a wide variety of pathologic processes. We retrospectively analyzed 288 patients seen in a tertiary care pediatric orthopedic facility for the evaluation of torticollis over a 10-year period to ascertain the frequency of nonmuscular causes of this condition. Fifty-three of these children (18.4% of the study population) had a nonmuscular etiology for their torticollis. Of these 53 patients, Klippel-Feil anomalies were present in 16 (30%), and an underlying neurologic disorder was present in 27 (51%). These neurologic conditions included ocular disorders in 12 (23%) patients, brachial plexus palsies in nine (17%) patients, and lesions involving the central nervous system in six (11%) patients. We conclude that nonmuscular causes of torticollis are collectively not rare. In a child without an identifiable muscular etiology for torticollis, Klippel-Feil anomalies or an underlying neurologic disorder is likely to be the cause of the deformity in the majority of patients.
A sufficiency theorem for optimal control

A sufficiency theorem is derived for optimal control of dynamical systems governed by ordinary differential equations. A simple example is given to illustrate the application of this theorem.
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm with horseshoe kidney

Abstract A case of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with horseshoe kidney is presented. Two aspects of the operation are discussed: the vascular supply to the kidney and isthmus and the division of the isthmus. It is important in handling these cases either on an emergency basis or electively to be aware of the various vascular anomalies. (J VASC SURG 1984;1:689-91.)
Contingent-Capital Solutions for Mitigating theInvestment Risks of a Private Placement Stock

The final negotiations between angel investors and a company following a thorough due diligence usually involve the following impasse: The angel investors on one side and the company on the other are in disagreement regarding the company’s valuation because the company’s expectations are more optimistic than the investors’. There is no feasible solution. In this article, the author proposes a model that a mediator may use to help the two parties come to a settlement. For the model, we show why traditional instruments of equity or notes are oftentimes infeasible and how feasible solutions—solutions that are currently not considered in negotiations—may be uncovered. With this model, a mediator may at least get one side to understand the implication of the terms to his or her future ownership of the firm, the (in)feasibility of the offering, and more importantly, where the other side is coming from. Better yet, with the model, the mediator may be able to persuade the contending parties to jointly consider alternate feasible solutions, to add their own constraints, or to move their expectations (which are functions of their beliefs about capital needs, risk profiles, intellectual property, etc.) closer to each other in order to get to a quicker settlement.
Observation of Cu NMR in antiferromagnetic PrBa2Cu3O7 : evidence for hole-band filling

Copper nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been observed at plane and chain Cu sites in ${\mathrm{PrBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$. The field-swept NMR signal from plane Cu sites disappears due to magnetic ordering below \ensuremath{\sim}280 K. In the antiferromagnetic state (T=1.4 K) quadrupole-split NMR spectra from plane-site Cu nuclei can be fit using an axial electric-field gradient (${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathit{Q}}$=17\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2 MHz) and an internal field ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathrm{int}}$=65.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 kOe directed at an angle 79\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to the c axis. The observation of plane-Cu magnetism is consistent with the absence of doped holes on ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes in ${\mathrm{PrBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$, which supports the view that hole filling is important in suppressing superconductivity in ${\mathrm{Y}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Pr}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$.
Large Amplitude Dynamics of the Pairing Correlations in a Unitary Fermi Gas

A unitary Fermi gas has a surprisingly rich spectrum of large amplitude modes of the pairing field alone, which defies a description within a formalism involving only a reduced set of degrees of freedom, such as quantum hydrodynamics or a Landau-Ginzburg-like description. These modes are very slow, with oscillation frequencies well below the pairing gap, which makes their damping through quasiparticle excitations quite ineffective. In atomic traps these modes couple naturally with the density oscillations, and the corresponding oscillations of the atomic cloud are an example of a new type of collective mode in superfluid Fermi systems. They have lower frequencies than the compressional collective hydrodynamic oscillations, have a nonspherical momentum distribution, and could be excited by a quick time variation of the scattering length.
Embryogenic cells in plant tissue cultures : occurrence and behavior

Plants develop from meristems where cells proliferate and are partitioned into layers that eventually differentiate to form the various tissues and organs of the plant. A phenomenon unique to certain plant tissues is the ability to inducede nova a range of developmental patterns, including embryogenesis. The temporal and spacial distribution of these developmental competencies suggests that regulatory proteins, rather than a lack of signals or signal receptors, shield specific developmental genes from signals that otherwise would confuse development. Studies involving embryogenic cells demonstrate that they are not strongly shielded from developmental signals, thus they are not determined. Furthermore, the normal development of zygotic and somatic embryos is readily perturbed by abnormal physicochemical environments. This suggests that embryogeny remains developmentally plastic until differentiation is largely completed. The ability to induce somatic embryogenesis from specific tissues by specific signals is providing opportunities to further the molecular characterization of the menagerie of genetic regulation involved in development.
Practical Supplements for Soybean Oil Meal in Chick Rations

Abstract HAYWARD, Steenbock, and Bohstedt (1936) reported that rats required additional cystine in their ration when its protein was supplied by unheated soybean oil meal. Heat treatment of the meal under specified conditions eliminated this deficiency. Hayward, Halpin, Holmes, Bohstedt, and Hart (1937) reported that heated or unheated soybean oil meal was unsatisfactory as the sole protein supplement in poultry rations. The substitution of 2 percent each of dried skimmilk and meat scraps for their protein equivalents of soybean oil meal markedly improved the value of the ration. These two papers included reviews of the previous literature. Very little other work has been published concerning materials which improve the value of soybean oil meal in chick rations. EXPERIMENTAL The following experiments were devised in an attempt to determine the types of commercial products which would be useful as supplements to a soybean oil meal-grain ration. In the experiments to be described, . . .
Television and the Incumbency Advantage in U.S. Elections

We use the structure of media markets within states and across state boundaries to study the relationship between television and electoral competition. In particular, we compare incumbent vote margins in media markets where content originates in the same state as media consumers versus vote margins where content originates out of state. This contrast provides a clear test of whether or not television coverage correlates with the incumbency advantage. We study U.S. Senate and state gubernatorial races from the 1950s through the 1990s and find that the effect of TV is small, directionally indeterminate, and statistically insignificant.
Portable enhanced external counterpulsation for acute coronary syndrome and cardiogenic shock: a pilot study.

Background Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) currently is used as an outpatient therapy for patients with refractory chronic angina. Hypothesis We sought to determine the safety and feasibility of a portable EECP unit to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome and/or cardiogenic shock in the coronary care unit (CCU). Methods Ten patients with acute coronary syndrome and/or cardiogenic shock who were not considered candidates for invasive intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) by the treating cardiologist were prospectively enrolled in this single-center study. Each patient received 2–4 one-hour EECP treatments performed at the bedside in the CCU. Anticoagulation or recent femoral access was not an exclusion criterion. Results The mean age was 58 ± 19 years (range 28–81), and half were women. Patients had either acute coronary syndrome alone (n = 4), cardiogenic shock alone (n = 3), or both (n = 3). The cardiac indications for study enrollment included: acute inferior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock (n = 2), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with postinfarction angina (n = 2) or heart failure (n = 1), unstable angina with refractory rest angina (n = 2), cardiogenic shock from ischemic cardiomyopathy with severe mitral regurgitation (n = 1), and cardiogenic shock from nonischemic cardiomyopathy (n = 2). No adverse events were recorded during or as a consequence of EECP therapy, including no bleeding complications, no heart failure exacerbations, and no skin breakdown. The portable EECP unit did not interfere with ongoing critical care nursing. Conclusions EECP is safe and feasible for acute bedside therapy of critically ill patients with acute coronary syndrome and/or cardiogenic shock who are not candidates for IABP. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Factors Contributing to Institutionalization in Patients with Huntington's Disease

The objective of this study was to determine which factors are predictive of institutionalization in Huntington's disease. Seven hundred and ninety-nine subjects with 4313 examinations from the Baltimore Huntington's Disease Center were included in the data set; 88 of these patients with an average follow-up time of 9.2 years went from living at home to being institutionalized while being observed in our clinic. We examined demographic, genetic, and clinical variables for a relationship with institutionalization using linear regressions, a Cox proportional hazards model, and χ2 or t tests in certain cases. In our linear models, scores on the Quantified Neurologic Examination (R2=0.203, P<.001), Huntington's disease Activities of Daily Living Scale (R2=0.259, P<.001), and Motor Impairment Score (R2=0.173, P<.001) were found to have the strongest correlation with time until institutionalization. In addition, CAG repeat length (R2=0.248, P<.001) was significantly associated with disease duration at institutionalization, when controlling for age at onset. In the Cox proportional hazards model, scores on the Activities of Daily Living Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, Quantified Neurologic Examination, and Motor Impairment Score all significantly predicted placement in long-term care. Finally, institutionalized patients were shown to have a higher CAG number and a lower level of educational attainment than patients who avoided institutionalization for at least 15 years after disease onset. Neurologic findings, functional capacity, cognitive impairment, and CAG repeat length are all likely determinants of institutionalization. In contrast with other dementing conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, psychiatric symptoms were not shown to predict institutionalization in Huntington's disease. This may illustrate the especially debilitating nature of the movement disorder of Huntington's disease in comparison with the other dementias.