cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mouse model demonstrates strain differences in susceptibility to opioid side effects.

Abstract Individual differences have been observed in responses to opioid drugs, including common side effects. In this study, the inbred mouse strains A/J and C57BL/6J were used to determine whether their specific strain differences correlate with differences in susceptibility to respiratory depression and constipation. To measure the effects of morphine on respiration, morphine at 15 and 40 mg/kg was injected subcutaneously. Respiratory parameters were then measured 30 and 60 min later. To measure the effects on constipation, 5, 15, 40, and 60 mg/kg doses were administered subcutaneously three times daily for three days. Gastrointestinal transit distance was then measured using the charcoal bolus test. C57BL/6J mice showed a greater degree of change in several respiratory parameters, resulting in more pronounced respiratory depression. C57BL6J mice also showed significantly more constipation than A/J mice with 40 and 60 mg/kg morphine doses. This study demonstrates that the strain differences between A/J and C57BL/6J mice have a major effect on opioid-induced constipation and respiratory depression. These correlations are of great clinical interest, as they could lead to the development of methods for reducing side effects.
Plastic Multilayered Closure in Pediatric Nonidiopathic Scoliosis Is Associated With a Lower Than Expected Incidence of Wound Complications and Surgical Site Infections.

Abstract Objective To compare the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) and wound complications between standard and plastic multilayered closure (PMC) in patients with pediatric nonidiopathic scoliosis undergoing primary or revision instrumentation or fusion. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Summary of Background Data Although PMC has been used for adult spine patients as well as infected spinal wound closure, it has not been reported as routine closure in the pediatric nonidiopathic scoliosis population. Methods Patients with nonidiopathic scoliosis undergoing primary or revision instrumentation or fusion between 2013 and 2016 were enrolled. Clinical charts and operative reports were reviewed. Following September 2015, all patients with nonidiopathic scoliosis received PMC closure by plastic or orthopedic surgery. The SSI and wound complication incidence in patients undergoing PMC was compared to standard closure. The mean Risk Severity Score (RSS) for SSI, which uses patient characteristics to calculate the excepted SSI probability, was compared to the observed (actual) incidence. The CDC definition of SSI (infection ≤90 days of surgery) was used. Results 115 patients were identified, including 56 standard closure and 59 PMC (mean age of 10.6 years; 54.8% female; mean preoperative major curve = 57.5°). There was no significant difference in age, sex, race, preoperative major curve, BMI, hemoglobin, blood loss, mean RSS score, or etiology between both groups (p > .05). Following PMC implementation, the observed incidence of wound complications decreased significantly from 19.6% in standard closures to 5.1% in the PMC group (p = .02), and the SSI incidence decreased from 8.9% to 1.7% (p = .11). The overall change in the observed (actual) incidence versus expected (RSS score) incidence of SSI indicated a 7.1% reduction following PMC. Conclusion Utilizing PMC in patients undergoing spinal surgery for nonidiopathic scoliosis significantly decreases the incidence of wound complications. Surgeons should consider using PMC in patients with nonidiopathic scoliosis. Level of Evidence Level II.
Brain-computer interface use is a skill that user and system acquire together.

A brain–computer interface (BCI) is a computer-based system that acquires, analyzes, and translates brain signals into output commands in real time. Perdikis and colleagues demonstrate superior performance in a Cybathlon BCI race using a system based on “three pillars”: machine learning, user training, and application. These results highlight the fact that BCI use is a learned skill and not simply a matter of “mind reading.”
Physiology of Regulation of ACTH Secretion

ACTH, as originally isolated from the pituitary gland and subsequently synthesized, is a single-chain polypeptide containing 39 amino acids, which stimulates the adrenal cortex in vertebrate animals and man. The N-terminal 24 amino acids are identical in all species studied. Minor species differences in amino acid composition occur in the 25–39 portion of the molecule. On a molar basis, the 1–24 amino acid sequence of the ACTH molecule possesses biological steroidogenic activity equivalent to that of the ACTH1–39 molecule. There is a marked loss of steroidogenic potency with sequences smaller than ACTH1–18. The duration of action is also diminished by deletion of COOH terminal sequences (Schwyzer 1964).
Set-Theoretic and Algebraic Preliminaries

Set theory is not just one of the main tools in mathematics, it is the very root of mathematics from which all mathematical disciplines stem. Due to a series of his papers, the first of which appeared in 1874, the great German mathematician, Georg Ferdinand Cantor (1845 – 1918), is considered to be the sole founder of set theory. Although the Czech Bernard Bolzano (1781 – 1848) made one of the first attempts to formalize set theory, in particular in his Paradoxien des Unendlichen (of 1851), by considering the one-to-one correspondence between two sets (later on developed by Cantor to what we now know as cardinals), neither he, nor anyone else, was really a predecessor to Cantor's creation. Ernst Zermelo (1871 – 1953) was another German, who among his numerous contributions to set theory, is the author of the first axiom for set theory (of 1908) and undoubtedly one of the primary axioms of the whole mathematics.
Determining Growth Rates of Groups of Hydra and Budding Rates of Individual Hydra

To calculate the logarithmic growth rate for groups of hydra and the linear budding rate of a single animal.
Modems for Wireless Communications

Digital modulation and demodulation techniques together (modem) form the fundamental building block of data transmission in communication systems in general and wireless communication systems in particular (Lucky et al. 1968; Oetting 1979; Amoroso 1980; Feher 1995; Benedetto and Biglieri 1999; Proakis 2001; Simon and Alouini 2005; Schwartz 2005; Couch 2007). The modems can be classified in a multitude of ways (Simon et al. 1995; Sklar 1993, 2001; Haykin 2001). They can be identified in terms of the signal property that is modulated such as amplitude, phase, or frequency. They can also be classified in terms of the number of levels of values (binary, quaternary, or in general M-ary) attributable to the property. Detection methods such as coherent or noncoherent ones can also be used for the classification. We can, in addition, use terms such as “linear” and “nonlinear” modulation to classify the modulation types (Sundberg 1986; Anderson et al. 1986; Gagliardi 1988; Gallager 2008). The output of the frequency modulated system has a constant envelope while the output of the amplitude or phase modulated system has a constant frequency with time varying amplitudes. This makes the amplitude and phase modulation a form of “linear” modulation and the frequency modulation a form of “nonlinear” modulation. Even for a specific modulation type such as phase modulation (phase shift keying, for example), it is possible to have a coherent or a noncoherent detector or receiver. Modems cover a wide range of possibilities with some common themes such as the initial building blocks of the “signal space.” The concepts of signal space make it possible to analyze modems, design them so that they meet certain criteria, provide a uniform framework, and make it possible to compare and contrast the different modems.
Musings on Space Mission Development and Information Systems Support

In recent years the Space Mission Development community, like so many others, has been under increasing pressure to reduce costs, improve performance, shorten development time, and reduce risk (or Faster, Better, Cheaper—FBC). Many approaches to thinking about possible solution spaces were proposed by brilliant people. Of course, cutting red tape, reorganizing, downsizing, working harder, Total Quality Management (TQM), process re-engineering, and gratuitous bloodshed were at the top of the list, and were implemented immediately. Unfortunately, probably due to human nature, in the face of “clear and urgent” necessity most attempts are almost always somewhat simplistic.
Freezing of all embryos in in vitro fertilization is beneficial in high responders, but not intermediate and low responders: an analysis of 82,935 cycles from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology registry.

Objective To assess in vitro fertilization (IVF) and pregnancy outcomes in patients having their first frozen embryo transfer (FET) after a freeze-all cycle versus similar patients having their first fresh embryo transfer (ET). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting None. Patient(s) Registry data on 82,935 patient cycles from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). Intervention(s) All first fresh autologous IVF cycles were analyzed and compared to first FET cycles after a freeze-all first IVF stimulation. The cycles were subdivided into cohorts based upon the number of oocytes retrieved (OR): 1–5 (low), 6–14 (intermediate), and 15+ (high responders). Univariate analyses were performed on cycle characteristics, and multivariable regression analyses were performed on outcome data. Main Outcome Measure(s) Clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live-birth rate (LBR). Results Of the 82,935 cycles analyzed, 69,102 patients had their first fresh transfer, and 13,833 had a first FET. High responders were found to have a higher CPR and LBR in the FET cycles compared with the fresh ET cycles (61.5 vs. 57.4%; 52.0 vs. 48.9%). In intermediate responders, both CPR and LBR were higher after fresh ET compared with FET (49.6% vs. 44.2%; 41.2 vs. 35.3%). Similarly, in low responders, CPR and LBR were higher after fresh compared with FET (33.2% vs. 15.9%; 25.9% vs. 11.5%). Conclusion(s) A freeze-all strategy is beneficial in high responders but not in intermediate or low responders, thus refuting the idea that freeze-all cycles are preferable for all patients.
Global citizenship education: a critical introduction to key concepts and debates

This introductory text seeks to present a comprehensive overview of global citizenship education to undergraduate and masters-level graduate students. The topic has grown considerably in popularity...
The child with a non-blanching rash

Abstract Appearance of non-blanching rash in a child is a common reason to seek medical attention. However, most children with non-blanching rash are well from benign self-limiting illness. Only minority of these children have a serious underlying cause such as invasive meningococcal sepsis or malignancy. Therefore a huge responsibility rests on the frontline clinician to unpick the seriously unwell child or the child who could potentially deteriorate from a cohort of all children with non-blanching rash. A good history and examination with specific focus on distribution of non-blanching rash together with vital parameters, baseline blood investigations such as full blood count, clotting, peripheral smear all help to support clinical diagnosis. Presence of bruising and petechial rash over soft tissue areas in a well child in the absence of a clear history or explanation should alert the clinician to think of non-accidental injury in their differential diagnosis.
Making Room(s): Staging Plays About Women and Houses

Shanahan considers architecture and staging of domestic spaces as physical manifestations of conflicts between the genders. Drawing from her experience directing plays that focus on women and houses, she identifies certain features common among them and demonstrates how the production process has allowed her to devise new, resistant modes of storytelling. Shanahan’s piece centers on the staging of Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba to show that by negotiating how the borders of the fictional house in the play “fit” within the material circumstances of real performance spaces, we can discover strategies for undoing oppressive dramatic tropes and proposing new freedoms in gender expressions more broadly.
Spatiotemporal Metrology of Broadband Optical Pulses

Accurately characterizing the field of broadband optical pulses is required for developing new optical sources, performing successful experiments, and interpreting experimental results. Temporal diagnostics for short optical pulses are now well established. The most recent developments in ultrafast metrology focus on determining the field as a function of time (conversely frequency) and space, potentially revealing the field's nonhomogeneity and coupling between these variables. After a review of common situations where a nonhomogeneous spatiotemporal field is used as a tool or is the outcome of nonideal conditions, historical and state-of-the-art techniques for spatiotemporal ultrafast metrology are described. The different classes of techniques demonstrate the richness of the fundamental and technical developments in this domain.
International issues

This chapter highlights the twelve key elements that are most important for international communications, online publishing, and e-commerce on the Internet. The size of organization or location of country is irrelevant, because the World Wide Web is a stateless network and framework that goes beyond the physical location of electronic resources and information by connecting millions of computers into a seamless global network. Statistics on Internet users worldwide, with a focus on Europe, Asia, and South America, establish a meaningful framework for what it really means to publish globally. A review of the international publishing activities of professional, legal, scientific, technical, and medical journal publishers offers realistic working examples for publishers who are considering the development of their international on-line business. A concise analysis of geographic, cultural, language, economic, technological, and legal factors provides perspective on the global environment for digital publishing.
Fusion-based holistic road scene understanding

This study addresses the problem of holistic road scene understanding based on the integration of visual and range data. To achieve the grand goal, the authors propose an approach that jointly tackles object-level image segmentation and semantic region labelling within a conditional random field (CRF) framework. Specifically, the authors first generate semantic object hypotheses by clustering 3D points, learning their prior appearance models, and using a deep learning method for reasoning their semantic categories. The learned priors, together with spatial and geometric contexts, are incorporated in CRF. With this formulation, visual and range data are fused thoroughly, and moreover, the coupled segmentation and semantic labelling problem can be inferred via graph cuts. The authors’ approach is validated on the challenging KITTI dataset that contains diverse complicated road scenarios. Both quantitative and qualitative evaluations demonstrate its effectiveness.
Polyclonal IgA Gammopathy Associated with Polyclonal Plasmacytosis in Patients Receiving Lenalidomide Maintenance Therapy

Abstract Abstract 5130 INTRODUCTION: Lenalidomide is commonly used in the treatment of multiple myeloma both in the upfront and relapsed settings and appears to also yield promising results as maintenance therapy after autologous stem cell transplantation. The immunomodulatory mechanisms of action of lenalidomide are complex and the side effects of long-term therapy are still not fully known. Here we report a series of patients on lenalidomide maintenance therapy who demonstrated significant elevation of serum polyclonal immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels with associated polyclonal plasmacytosis in the absence of disease progression. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified 6 patients who, in the course of lenalidomide maintenance therapy, were noted to have asymptomatic elevation of serum IgA levels above normal limits without evidence of monoclonality by immunofixation of serum protein electrophoresis. The original myeloma-associated monoclonal protein was IgG kappa in 5 patients and IgG lambda in 1 patient. Two patients received lenalidomide as part of their induction regimen prior to autologous stem cell transplantation, and transient elevation of IgA level was noted at that time. None of the patients had evidence of IgA gammopathy prior to initiation of lenalidomide. Mean time from initiation of lenalidomide maintenance therapy to elevation of IgA level was 9.8 months (range 2 to 22 months). The mean highest IgA level reached for the 6 patients was 534 mg/dl (range 520 to 1190 mg/dl). Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy were available in 3 patients during the period of IgA elevation. The plasma cell population accounted for 9%, 12% and 20% of the bone marrow nucleated cells on the aspirate. Immunohistochemical staining (HIS) of the bone marrow biopsy showed a moderate increase in the number of CD138 positive plasma cells without light chain restriction. HIS using IgA antibody revealed that the plasma cells were mostly IgA producing. None of the 6 patients had any evidence of progression of their original myeloma-associated paraprotein in the setting of polyclonal IgA elevation. Five patients continue to receive lenalidomide maintenance to date (treatment time length ranging between 17.3 and 43.4 months) with no evidence of serologic or clinical disease progression and with persistently elevated IgA levels. One patient discontinued lenalidomide therapy secondary to development of neuropathy with subsequent normalization of IgA level 21 months later. CONCLUSIONS: Polyclonal IgA gammopathy associated with polyclonal IgA-producing plasmacytosis can occur with lenalidomide maintenance and perhaps lenalidomide treatment. The immunologic basis and implication of this observation is unknown. Awareness of this effect is important especially in view of the associated significant bone marrow plasmacytosis, which may mistakenly be construed as disease relapse or progression in patients who are actually responding to treatment. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Understanding reactions to deceit

Abstract Reactions to discovered deceit have important consequences politically, socially, etc. We present and test the Social Norm Model (SNM) of the tolerance of deceit. By it, observers of lies intuitively put themselves in the position of the liar. From that perspective, their tolerance, ranging from condemnation to acceptance, is determined by how much the social norms of reciprocity and social responsibility are perceived to be upheld or violated overall. Tolerance encourages identification with the liar. Condemnation fosters dis-identification. To test the SNM, 116 participants recounted lies they told and were told to them they felt were justified and others they regretted/condemned. The social impact of the deceit, the obligation for honesty, and other relevant constructs were assessed for each. Analyses support the model. We illustrate the SNM's applied value for understanding public reaction to the lying of politicians.
Narrative Self-Experimentation: Johann Wilhelm Ritter’s Methodology as an Alternative to Objectivity

This paper considers the preface to Johann Wilhelm Ritter’s Fragmente aus dem Nachlasse eines jungen Physikers in conjunction with Ritter’s own scientific practice. As in the case of self-experimen...
Absolute instrument spectral response measurements using angle-resolved parametric fluorescence.

The broadband parametric fluorescence from a nonlinear crystal can be used as a compact primary source instead of a blackbody for absolute measurements of instrument spectral efficiency. We describe such a setup for measuring the instrument spectral response function in the wavelength range from 450 to 1000 nm. We perform angle–resolved imaging spectroscopy of conical parametric fluorescence in a beta-barium borate crystal pumped by a 405-nm diode laser. The experimental angle–resolved spectra and the generation efficiency of parametric down–conversion agree with a plane-wave theoretical analysis.
Accountability and Trust in Government: What’s Next?

During the last four years the need for trustworthy leaders who possess both integrity and courage toaddress societal needs and inequities in the U.S. was highlighted, as has been the need for a trust-worthy government. A global pandemic and weakened economy have made it is highly unlikely that governments across the world will return to the old normal, but where do we go from here? Drawing upon the experience in U.S., I discuss what efforts are needed to rebuild accountability, trustworthy governments, and trust in public institutions across the globe. I discuss what the exercise of accountability involves, and describe how authentic evidence-building may support both accountability and trust-building. I also highlight some challenges and opportunities to build trustworthy government and increase trust in government.
Non-Invasive Assessment of the Spatial and Temporal Distributions of Interstitial Fluid Pressure, Fluid Velocity and Fluid Flow in Cancers In Vivo

Interstitial fluid pressure, interstitial fluid velocity and related parameters are of great clinical significance for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. A limited number of non-invasive techniques can be used to estimate these mechanopathological parameters in cancers in vivo . In this study, we designed and tested new ultrasound poroelastography methods capable of estimating the magnitude and spatial distribution of fluid pressure, fluid velocity and fluid flow inside tumors under external compression. We theoretically proved that fluid pressure, velocity and flow estimated using poroelastography from a tumor under creep compression are directly related to the underlying interstitial fluid pressure, interstitial fluid velocity and fluid flow, respectively, differing only in peak values. Furthermore, by knowledge of the spatial distribution of the fluid pressure estimated using poroelastography, it is possible to derive: the parameter $\alpha $ , which quantifies the spatial distribution of the interstitial fluid pressure, the vascular permeability to interstitial permeability ratio and the peak interstitial fluid pressure to effective vascular pressure ratio in the tumor. Our techniques were validated using finite element and ultrasound simulations for a variety of simulated phantoms. Excellent qualitative agreement was found between the fluid pressure and velocity obtained using the finite element models and the corresponding fluid pressure and fluid velocity obtained using the proposed models. The estimated parameter $\alpha $ was found to differ from the corresponding theoretical value by less than 10%. Experiments on a human breast cancer animal model were used as proof-of-principle of the feasibility of the proposed methods in vivo .
An efficient variance estimator for cross-validation under partition sampling

This paper concerns the problem of variance estimation of cross-validation. We consider the unbiased cross-validation risk estimate in the form of a general U-statistic and focus on estimating the ...
Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Wound Healing Response.

Significance: Emerging evidence has shown a link between the status of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and wound healing responses. Thus, better understanding HSCs will contribute to further advanc...
Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reflects Brain Pathology During Progressive HIV-1 Infection of Humanized Mice

Progressive human immunodeficiency viral (HIV) infection commonly leads to a constellation of cognitive, motor, and behavioral impairments. These are collectively termed HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). While antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces HAND severity, it does not affect disease prevalence. Despite decades of research, there remain no biomarkers for HAND and all potential comorbid conditions must first be excluded for a diagnosis to be made. To this end, we now report that manganese (Mn(2+))-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) can reflect brain region-specific HIV-1-induced neuropathology in chronically virus-infected NOD/scid-IL-2Rγc(null) humanized mice. MEMRI diagnostics mirrors the abilities of Mn(2+) to enter and accumulate in affected neurons during disease. T1 relaxivity and its weighted signal intensity are proportional to Mn(2+) activities in neurons. In 16-week virus-infected humanized mice, altered MEMRI signal enhancement was easily observed in affected brain regions. These included, but were not limited to, the hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, globus pallidus, caudoputamen, substantia nigra, and cerebellum. MEMRI signal was coordinated with levels of HIV-1 infection, neuroinflammation (astro- and micro-gliosis), and neuronal injury. MEMRI accurately demonstrates the complexities of HIV-1-associated neuropathology in rodents that reflects, in measure, the clinical manifestations of neuroAIDS as it is seen in a human host.
Inhibition of sterol synthesis in animal cells by 15-oxygenated sterols with the unnatural cis-c-d ring junction—5α, 14β-Cholest-7-en-15α-ol-3-one and 5α, 14β-Cholest-7-en-15β-ol-3-one

Abstract 5α,14β-Cholest-7-en-15α-ol-3-one was prepared in 72 per cent yield by selective oxidation of the 3β-hydroxyl function of 5α,14β-cholest-7-en-3β,15α-diol by cholesterol oxidase. 5α,14β-Cholest-7-en-15β-ol-3-one was prepared in a similar manner from 5α,14β-cholest-7-en-3β,15β-diol in 66 per cent yield. The new compounds were found to inhibit sterol synthesis in mouse fibroblasts in culture. The 15α-hydroxy-3-ketosterol and the 15β-hydroxy-3-ketosterol caused a 50 per cent inhibition of the incorporation of [1− 14 C]acetate into digitonin-precipitable sterols at concentrations of 2.0 × 10 −6 M and 2.5 × 10 −7 M, respectively, and suppressed the level of activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A reductase activity by 50 per cent at concentrations of 3.3 × 10 −7 M and 2.5 × 10 −7 M respectively.
Some acoustic-phonetic correlates of speech produced in noise

Acoustical analyses were carried out on the digits 0-9 spoken by two male talkers in the quiet and in 90 dB SPL of masking noise in their headphones. The results replicated previous studies demonstrating reliable increases in amplitude, duration and vocal pitch while talking in noise. We also found reliable differences in the tilt of the short-term spectrum of consonants and vowels. The results are discussed in terms of: (1) the development of algorithms for recognition of speech in noise; (2) the nature of the acoustic changes that take place when talkers produce speech under adverse conditions such as noise, stress or high cognitive load; and, (3) the role of training and feedback in controlling and modifying a talker's speech to improve performance of current speech recognizers.
Commentary on Dr. Heit and Dr. Gilson's letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Does your pharmacist interpret a new federal standard in a manner that can make your patient suffer in pain?

Imagine your patient sitting at home in pain while their family member goes to the pharmacy to fill the prescription you wrote for oral morphine. The pharmacist looks at the prescription and finds a small but significant error. If the prescription is for a medication like clonidine, the pharmacist simply calls you to correct the error through a telephone order from you with the correct prescription information. If the prescription is for oral morphine and the pharmacist filling the prescription interprets the new federal standard (described …
Newspaper reporting of space weather: End of a golden age

[1] The reporting of the human impacts of space weather phenomena as a significant American newspaper story has passed through a golden age, which ended just after World War II. Prior to this time, significant geomagnetic storms and solar flare events were reported in considerable detail, with specific references made to actual impacts to telegraph, wireless, and radio communications systems among others. After World War II, news stories shrank dramatically in terms of the size of the article, the location of the story in the newspaper, and the number of items mentioned in the article. This paper is an historical analysis of the scope of newspaper reporting on 52 major storms with AA* > 170 occurring in American newspapers since 1870 and the changing trends in how the events were covered. I will show that even before the advent of news reporting on the World Wide Web, there was a precipitous decline in space weather reporting during the postwar period from ca. 1945–1990. The reason for this decline is not immediately obvious, but a few suggestions will be provided. I also publish 141 excerpts from the newspaper sample highlighting a variety of “human impacts” caused by this complete sample of storm events, along with a small collection of interesting illustrations that accompanied a few of the articles.
Serum FSH and LH measurements in the evaluation of menstrual disorders

Abstract Serum FSH and LH levles were measured serially, for 30 days, in primary, oligo-, secondary amenorrheas, and amenorrheas associated with galactorrhea or obesity. Comparison with normal subjects revealed a lack of the characteristic midcycle FSH and LH hypersecretion in amenorrheic patients. Comparison among the amenorrheic patients, most of whom exhibited normal levels of FSH and LH, revealed differences in absolute levels and ratios of FSH and LH. Striking differences in the day-to-day patterns of serum FSH and LH were also noted. A significant correlation existed between the nature of these gonadotropin patterns and responsiveness of gonadotropins to clomiphene citrate. Thus, amenorrheic patients with either low or normal but unfluctuating gonadotropin levels responded poorly to clomiphene citrate, while those with normal levels which did fluctuate from day to day exhibited an ovulatory-type of gonadotropic response to clomiphene citrate. A hypothesis relating serum gonadotropin patterns to the intensity of hypothalamic regulation of gonadotropins is presented.
Optimal foraging, institutions and forest change: a case from Nepal.

The forest composition we witness today is a productof temporal anthropogenic and nonanthropogenicdisturbances. Scholars from geography, anthropology,and other disciplines have long been aware of theinforming nature of spatial relationships: humanactions in a previous time often leave imprints intoday's landscape. Traditional empirical studies offorest condition typically ignore this type ofinformation and rely on aggregated forest-levelindicators developed from aspatial plot-levelanalyses. This paper conducts a spatial analysis ofone important forest product species, Shorearobusta, in a foraging setting in southern Nepal. Forest plot locations were located using DifferentialGlobal Positioning Systems (DGPS) and were processedusing a Geographic Information System. Three rivalhypotheses of the geographic distribution of Shorea robusta are presented: (1) a pattern of nohuman disturbance, (2) a pattern of open access andoptimal foraging, and (3) a pattern of optimalforaging altered by the geographic configuration ofenforced institutions. Multivariate regression modelsare estimated and optimal foraging patterns areidentified. Statistical tests lend support to thethird hypothesis. Methods such as the ones presentedhere are important if we are to better understand thegeographic implications of institutional design onhuman behavior and the environmental outcomes that result.
Patients’ self-efficacy within online health communities: facilitating chronic disease self-management behaviors through peer education

In order to combat the growing burden of chronic disease, evidence-based self-management programs have been designed to teach patients about the disease and its affect on their lives. Self-efficacy is a key component in chronic disease self-management. This research used online ethnography and discourse analysis (N = 8,231) to examine self-efficacy within the computer-mediated communication (CMC) of four online health communities used by people with arthritis. Specifically, online opinion leaders were identified for examination. Across the four communities, there was a cyclical process that involved "disease veterans" sharing their experiences and gaining credibility within the community, new(er) members suffering from disease symptoms and sharing their experiences online, and finally, asking others for help with arthritis self-management behaviors. Three themes follow: (1) sharing disease experience, (2) suffering from disease symptoms, and (3) asking for help. Practical implications for health promotion and education are discussed.
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Melanoma: Controversy Despite Widespread Agreement

Although sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy for melanoma has been adopted throughout the United States and abroad as a standard method of determining the pathologic status of the regional lymph nodes, some controversy still exists regarding the validity and utility of this procedure. SLN biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure, performed on an outpatient basis at the time of wide local excision of the melanoma, with little morbidity. Numerous studies have documented the accuracy of this procedure for identifying nodal metastases. There are four major reasons to perform SLN biopsy. First, SLN biopsy improves the accuracy of staging and provides valuable prognostic information for patients and physicians to guide subsequent treatment decisions. Second, SLN biopsy facilitates early therapeutic lymph node dissection for those patients with nodal metastases. Third, SLN biopsy identifies patients who are candidates for adjuvant therapy with interferon alfa-2b. Fourth, SLN biopsy identifies homogeneous patient populations for entry onto clinical trials of novel adjuvant therapy agents. Overall, the benefit of accurate nodal staging obtained by SLN biopsy far outweighs the risks and has important implications for patient management.
Efficacy of levamisole in children with frequently relapsing and steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome

Objectives To assess the efficacy of levamisole in frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome and steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome.
Body dysmorphic disorder and a prosthesis.

Received November 6, 1998; revised January 8, 1999; accepted February 26, 1999. From the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Roskes, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 22 South Greene Street, Box 291, Baltimore, MD 21201; email: eroskes@umpsy.ab.umd.edu Copyright 1999 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is an illness characterized by “a preoccupation with a defect in appearance” that is “either imagined, or, if a slight physical anomaly is present, markedly excessive,” according to DSM-IV. This illness has recently begun to receive increased attention (see, for example, Phillips, Phillips et al., and Hollander et al.). A MEDLINE literature review focusing on BDD (and variants thereof) and prosthesis revealed only one report of delusional monosymptomatic hypochondriasis (which would be diagnosed under DSM-IV as delusional disorder, somatic type) in which the focus of the disorder was an artifice (dentures). This article reports a case of BDD, without evidence of psychosis, in which the focus of the preoccupation is a prosthesis (eye). The case raises the question of the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in otherwise premorbidly psychiatrically healthy individuals who receive a prosthesis.
Summer rainfall characteristics in northern Utah

This paper presents information on the frequency, depth, intensity, and areal extent of July–August cloudburst type rainfall on part of the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah. Intensities of some rainfall bursts on the mountain land are compared with those at valley stations.
Polypeptide substrate specificity of PsLSMT. A set domain protein methyltransferase.

Rubisco large subunit methyltransferase (PsLSMT) is a SET domain protein responsible for the trimethylation of Lys-14 in the large subunit of Rubisco. The polypeptide substrate specificity determinants for pea Rubisco large subunit methyltransferase were investigated using a fusion protein construct between the first 23 amino acids from the large subunit of Rubisco and human carbonic anhydrase II. A total of 40 conservative and non-conservative amino acid substitutions flanking the target Lys-14 methylation site (positions P-3 to P+3) were engineered in the fusion protein. The catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of PsLSMT was determined using each of the substitutions and a polypeptide consensus recognition sequence deduced from the results. The consensus sequence, represented by X-(Gly/Ser)-(Phe/Tyr)-Lys-(Ala/Lys/Arg)-(Gly/Ser)-π, where X is any residue, Lys is the methylation site, and π is any aromatic or hydrophobic residue, was used to predict potential alternative substrates for PsLSMT. Four chloroplast-localized proteins were identified including γ-tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT). In vitro methylation assays using PsLSMT and a bacterially expressed form of γ-TMT from Perilla frutescens confirmed recognition and methylation of γ-TMT by PsLSMT in vitro. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of the PsLSMT homologue (NtLSMT) in transgenic tobacco plants resulted in a 2-fold decrease of α-tocopherol, the product of γ-TMT. The results demonstrate the efficacy of consensus sequence-driven identification of alternative substrates for PsLSMT as well as identification of functional attributes of protein methylation catalyzed by LSMT.
Bidirectional contrast effects in the perception of VC-CV sequences

The perceived places of articulation of two successive stop consonants are not independent: Given some ambiguity in the formant transition cues and a closure duration between 100 and 200 msec, contrastive perceptual interactions in both directions have been observed in identification tasks. Retroactive contrast declines as the closure interval is lengthened and is strongly influenced by the range of closure durations employed, whereas proactive contrast appears to be less sensitive to these factors (Experiment 1). Reduced contrast and no effects of closure duration are obtained in a discrimination task with selective attention to one stimulus portion; this suggests that the effects in identification arise largely at a higher level of (phonetic) perception (Experiment 2). The contrast effects do not seem to represent a perceptual compensation for coarticulatory dependencies between stops produced in sequence, for there appears to be little coarticulation as far as place of articulation is concerned (Experiment 3). The most plausible hypothesis is that the presumed contrast effects do not result from any direct interaction of spectral cues across the closure interval but are due to perceptual information conveyed by the closure itself: Closure durations of 100–200 msec happen to be most appropriate for sequences of two nonhomorganic stops. Here, it seems, is another case in which listeners’ tacit knowledge of canonical speech patterns determines perception.
Empirical relationships between optical properties in the ocean

The JHU/APL Optical Profiler System (OPS), consisting of a MER1048 spectral radiometer, a beam transmissometer, a backscatterometer, and temperature and conductivity sensors, has been deployed across the Gulf of Alaska, in the Sargasso Sea, in the Bahamas, and in the Caribbean Sea near St. Croix. The data provide profiles of the diffuse attenuation coefficient, Kd, the irradiance reflectance coefficient, RE, the radiance reflectance coefficient, RL, the beam attenuation coefficient, c, light scattered nearly directly backward, (beta) (170 degree(s)), near 488 nm, temperature and BV frequency. The data exhibit salient changes in the optical profiles among the locations, and the relationship between stratification and optical properties also varies significantly. The optical parameters are clearly related to one another, and these data are used to evaluate the accuracy of various empirical relationships, such as those of Gordon-Morel and Morel, in explaining these correlations. We also examine new relationships based solely on these data.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
AIDS-associated lymphomas and other cancers in individuals with haemophilia.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the most common malignancy in individuals with haemophilia and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Among individuals with haemophilia, lymphoma accounts for 5% of primary AIDS diagnoses, and it is the sixth most common primary AID-defining diagnosis in this group. At the time of AIDS-lymphoma diagnosis, the median age in haemophiliacs is 32 years, the mean CD4 count is 116 μL(-1) , and the mean time from seroconversion to development of AIDS-lymphoma is 8 years. The most common primary site of AIDS-lymphomas in haemophiliacs is the gastrointestinal tract, and the most common histological type is large cell lymphoma. EBV has been detected at a molecular level in half of all haemophilia AIDS-lymphomas and its presence is predictive of shorter survival than in those without detectable EBV. The median survival after diagnosis is 6 months, with or without treatment. An increasing proportion of these tumours are occurring as secondary AIDS diagnoses, associated with the longer duration of immunosuppression afforded by antiviral therapy. This paper reviews the natural history, immunological and viral features, clinical characteristics, and risk factors associated with AIDS-lymphoma in the haemophilia population.
Measuring Depressive Affect in Chemically Dependent Persons Using the Depression Adjective Check Lists

To estimate the reliability and validity of the state and trait versions of Set 2 (E, F, G) of the Depression Adjective Check Lists with chemically dependent adults, two independent studies were conducted. Reliabilities [internal consistency (alphas), split-half reliability, and alternate form reliability] and convergent and discriminant validities were adequate. Women's means (state: n = 49; trait: n = 41) were higher than men's (state: n = 50; trait: n = 48) on both versions, and scores on the state version were higher than on the trait version. These heterogeneous chemically dependent subjects (history of drug use and abstinence) were significantly higher on depressive affect than normal persons.
Cycloaromatization Reactions of Methyl 4-Carbomethoxy-5-Methoxy-Penta-2,4-Dienoate

Abstract Synthesis of the title compound, 1, is described. Reaction of 1 with β-dicarbonyl compounds or various activated acetone derivatives provides substituted 1, 3-benzenedicarboxylates.
Retinal nerve fiber layer evaluation in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients.

Abstract PURPOSE: To determine the effect of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on topographic measures of the optic disk and the retinal nerve fiber layer. METHODS: A cross-sectional study at the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Ocular Research Unit at the University of California, San Diego. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness at the optic nerve head was evaluated using the Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph, a confocal scanning laser tomograph in 38 HIV-positive and 24 age-matched HIV-negative subjects. RESULTS: HIV-positive patients without CMV retinitis showed significant differences from HIV-negative normal controls in a number of measures of the retinal nerve fiber layer. This indicated a loss of retinal ganglion cells in HIV-positive patients without retinitis. HIV-positive patients with CMV retinitis were worse in most measurements than both HIV-negative controls and HIV-positive patients without CMV. CONCLUSIONS: Significant thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer occurs in HIV-positive patients without infectious retinopathy, and there are further changes in the optic disk associated with CMV retinitis. Confocal scanning laser tomography may be of use in the diagnosis of early HIV-associated visual function loss.
Sluggish cognitive tempo among young adolescents with ADHD: relations to mental health, academic, and social functioning.

Objective: This study investigated the role of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) in relation to externalizing and internalizing mental health problems, academic functioning, and social functioning amo...
Reversal Frequencies in Developing Cotton Fibers

Directional reversals in the helical deposition of fibrils affect the performance of cotton fibers. A developmental study was therefore conducted to determine the in fluences of genetics and developmental pattern on the incidence of these reversals. One cultivar of cotton, Deltapine 61, was studied in both 1980 and 1981; four other cultivars, Acala SJ-5, Stoneville 825, Stoneville 213, and Pima S-5, were studied only in 1981. Of these, the first four are upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) while the latter is a long-staple cotton (G. barbadense L.). Reversal frequencies were measured by polarized light microscopic techniques. In each cultivar, reversals were first detected after the third week of fiber development, coincident with the initiation of secondary wall formation. Reversal frequency increased with fiber maturity. Because reversal frequencies increased with fiber age, it seems that not all layers of the secondary wall reverse together. Slippage between layers may result from reversals occurring...
Text manipulations influence children's understanding of class inclusion hierarchies☆

Abstract Second, fourth and sixth grade children were presented with a passage which could be represented as a four-level class inclusion hierarchy. Top-down or bottom-up presentation of material and repetition or no repetition of cateegory labels were manipulated in a 2 × 2 design. Children were requested to construct an external representation for the passage and to respond to questions requiring them to reason about its contents. Quality of representation and performance on the question task were related to grade level and to the text manipulations. Implications of the results, particularly as related to education, are discussed.
TEMPERATURE CHARACTERISTIC FOR THE ANAEROBIC PRODUCTION OF CO2 BY GERMINATING SEEDS OF LUPINUS ALBUS

The rate of anaerobic production of CO2 by germinating seeds of Lupinus albus was studied as a function of temperature between 7.5° and 18°C. The mean value for the temperature characteristic was found to be 21,500± calories, which is slightly lower than that for the same process under aerobic conditions (23,500± calories). The values for the individual µ's in the two cases overlap considerably. The possible identity of the processes underlying the production of CO2 aerobically and anaerobically is discussed.