cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laboratory Evaluation of Antiepileptic Drugs

SUMMARY The historical development of the laboratory evaluation of anticonvulsant drugs was briefly reviewed. Attention was directed to the fact that such evaluation can be approached from several biological levels. The numerous methods which have been employed for the study of antiepileptic drugs were summarized and mention made of their relative value in drug evaluation. The usual method for the determination of minimal neurotoxicity was described and six of the classical assay procedures were reviewed. It was pointed out that no one laboratory test is sufficient to delineate the anticonvulsant potential of a new drug and, therefore, a battery of 4 tests (Maximal Electroshock Seizure test, a.c. Electroshock Seizure Threshold test, Hyponatremic Electroshock Seizure Threshold test, and s.c. Metrazol test) has been employed in our laboratories. It was further emphasized that valuable confirmatory data and preliminary clinical information can be obtained by pre-clinical testing of promising drugs in psychiatric patients undergoing electroshock seizure therapy. Finally, the predictive value of the battery of four tests was considered and the need for more selective assay procedures emphasized. RESUME Ľevolution historique des methodes de laboratoire utilisees pour apprecier la valeur des medicaments anticonvulsifs est brievement passee en revue. Ľattention est attiree sur le fait que cette evaluation peut etre abordee a partir de plusieurs niveaux biologi-ques. Les nombreuses methodes utilisees pour ľ;etude des medicaments antiepilep-tiques sont decrites en resume avec une appreciation de leur valeur relative pour ľ;evaluation des medicaments. La methode habituellement appliquee pour la determination de la neurotoxicite minimum ainsi que six des methodes classiques ďessai sont passees en revue. II est souligne qu'aucun test de laboratoire n'est suffisant a lui seul pour apprecier le pouvoir anticonvulsif ďun medicament; aussi utilisons-nous, dans nos laboratoires, une batterie de quatre tests (test de la convulsion maximum par electrochoc, test du seuil de convulsion par electrochoc en courant alter-natif, test du seuil de convulsion par electrochoc sous hyponatremie et test du metrazol en injection sous-cutanee). Ľ;accent est, en outre, mis sur le fait que des donnees de confirmation importantes et des informations cliniques preliminaires peuvent etre recueillies par ľessai preclinique de medicaments prometteurs chez des patients psychiatriques soumis a un traitement par electrochoc. Enfin, la valeur de prediction de notre batterie de quatre tests est appreciee et la necessite de pouvoir disposer de methodes ďessai plus selectives est soulignee.
Gradient-index profile control by field-assisted ion exchange in glass.

Field-assisted ion exchange has been used to extend the profile repertoire and to speed the ion exchange process for gradient-index (GRIN) applications. Profiles are predicted for various ion mobility ratios and time-varying electric fields. Profile control is demonstrated by silver for sodium exchange in an aluminosilicate glass. Diffusion depths of the order of a millimeter are obtained in a few hours using modest field strengths.
The relationship of pattern position to the flow of gold and casting completeness

Abstract To minimize the possibility of incomplete casting due to improper pattern orientation relative to the sprue and direction of the casting arm motion, the following precautions should be taken. 1. Locate the pattern in the trailing half of the casting ring 90 to 135 degrees away from the sprue position. 2. Once the pattern is in the position described, locate it downward in the lower outer quarter of the trailing half of the casting ring and secure it in that position. 3. Mark the ring or sprue former so that the invested pattern can be oriented properly in the casting arm. 4. When using an electric casting machine, be certain that the pyrometer is correct. If in doubt, it is advisable to check the melt state of the gold before casting.
SIGNIFICANCE TO EUTROPHICATION OF SPATIAL DIFFERENCES IN NUTRIENTS AND DIATOMS IN LAKE MICHIGAN1

Sampling was conducted from a railroad ferry between Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Ludington, Michigan, 27 May 1976-6 January 1971, to determine inshore-offshore differences in species and abundance of diatoms, and concentrations of phosphorus, silica, nitrate, and pigments. Inshore waters, especially off Milwaukee, had greater populations of diatoms, different species composition of the diatom communities, and different concentrations of major nutrients and pigments than offshore waters. It appears, therefore, that data from water intakes, which have been used in the nast to document changes in the lake, may have represented only local conditions.
Maturation of West Nile Virus Modulates Sensitivity to Antibody-Mediated Neutralization

West Nile virions incorporate 180 envelope (E) proteins that orchestrate the process of virus entry and are the primary target of neutralizing antibodies. The E proteins of newly synthesized West Nile virus (WNV) are organized into trimeric spikes composed of pre-membrane (prM) and E protein heterodimers. During egress, immature virions undergo a protease-mediated cleavage of prM that results in a reorganization of E protein into the pseudo-icosahedral arrangement characteristic of mature virions. While cleavage of prM is a required step in the virus life cycle, complete maturation is not required for infectivity and infectious virions may be heterogeneous with respect to the extent of prM cleavage. In this study, we demonstrate that virion maturation impacts the sensitivity of WNV to antibody-mediated neutralization. Complete maturation results in a significant reduction in sensitivity to neutralization by antibodies specific for poorly accessible epitopes that comprise a major component of the human antibody response following WNV infection or vaccination. This reduction in neutralization sensitivity reflects a decrease in the accessibility of epitopes on virions to levels that fall below a threshold required for neutralization. Thus, in addition to a role in facilitating viral entry, changes in E protein arrangement associated with maturation modulate neutralization sensitivity and introduce an additional layer of complexity into humoral immunity against WNV.
Bacterial diversity in marine hydrocarbon seep sediments

Marine seeps introduce significant amounts of hydrocarbons into oceans and create unusual habitats for microfauna and -flora. In the vicinity of chronic seeps, microbes likely exert control on carbon quality entering the marine food chain and, in turn, hydrocarbons could influence microbial community composition and diversity. To determine the effects of seep oil on marine sediment bacterial communities, we collected sediment piston cores within an active marine hydrocarbon seep zone in the Coal Oil Point Seep Field, at a depth of 22 m in the Santa Barbara Channel, California. Cores were taken adjacent to an active seep vent in a hydrocarbon volcano, on the edge of the volcano, and at the periphery of the area of active seepage. Bacterial community profiles were determined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (TRFLPs) of 16S ribosomal genes that were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified with eubacterial primers. Sediment carbon content and C/N ratio increased with oil content. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms suggested that bacterial communities varied both with depth into sediments and with oil concentration. Whereas the apparent abundance of several peaks correlated positively with hydrocarbon content, overall bacterial diversity and richness decreased with increasing sediment hydrocarbon content. Sequence analysis of a clone library generated from sediments collected at the periphery of the seep suggested that oil-sensitive species belong to the gamma Proteobacteria and Holophaga groups. These sequences were closely related to sequences previously recovered from uncontaminated marine sediments. Our results suggest that seep hydrocarbons exert a strong selective pressure on bacterial communities in marine sediments. This selective pressure could, in turn, control the effects of oil on other biota in the vicinity of marine hydrocarbon seeps.
A multidimensional version of Turán's lemma

In this article we provide a multidimensional version of Nazarov's extension of Turan's lemma--a result in which the uniform norm of a complex-valued polynomial, p, on the unit circle T is compared with the uniform norm of p on any measurable subset of T. If we let Tn:= T ×...× T represent the distinguished boundary of the polydisk Dn = D ×...× D for n ∈ N and D the open unit disk then, as in the one dimensional case, the constant which relates the uniform norm of p on Tn to the uniform norm of p on any measurable subset E of Tn depends on the order of p and the measure of the set E.
SAR Digital Image-Formation Processing

Current digital signal processing methods used for formation of images from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) are briefly reviewed. Approaches for dealing with the complication of range migration for conventional stripmap mode SAR systems operating at long range are included. In addition, algorithms applicable to Spotlight Mode SAR are presented as a special case to a general formulation of three-dimensional imaging of rotating objects. This latter approach would be particularly useful for applications designed to exploit look angle diversity or to operate in a squinted model. The Spotlight algorithm inherently compensates for range migration effects and can be efficiently applied to stripmap configurations given certain system characteristics.
Robot-assisted mitral valve repair: a single institution review.

ObjectiveMitral valve repair (MVR) is the definitive therapy for mitral myxomatous degeneration. Median sternotomy has been the traditional approach to repair until the advent of the da Vinci Surgi...
Carbon deposition on platinum during ethylene oxidation

Abstract It was found that the structures of carbon films which formed on platinum foil surfaces under ethylene oxidation-fuel excess conditions were a function of temperature. In ethylene-only atmospheres (no oxygen), films formed only above 870 K and were partially graphitic and partially turbostratic. In addition, the films were preferentially oriented with graphite basal planes parallel to the foil surface. Under reaction conditions between 770 and 960 K initially only an amorphous film formed, but after a lengthy treatment a large number of fibers and fibrous shells formed. This was postulated to result from the action of small platinum particles, produced independently by a catalytic etching process. These particles were present only over this limited temperature range. Above 960 K under reaction conditions, preferentially oriented graphitic films formed on the surface. Under all conditions an unusual form of carbon, chaoite, was found to be present in the Carbon films.
De Novo Mutations in SIK1 Cause a Spectrum of Developmental Epilepsies

Developmental epilepsies are age-dependent seizure disorders for which genetic causes have been increasingly identified. Here we report six unrelated individuals with mutations in salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) in a series of 101 persons with early myoclonic encephalopathy, Ohtahara syndrome, and infantile spasms. Individuals with SIK1 mutations had short survival in cases with neonatal epilepsy onset, and an autism plus developmental syndrome after infantile spasms in others. All six mutations occurred outside the kinase domain of SIK1 and each of the mutants displayed autophosphorylation and kinase activity toward HDAC5. Three mutations generated truncated forms of SIK1 that were resistant to degradation and also showed changes in sub-cellular localization compared to wild-type SIK1. We also report the human neuropathologic examination of SIK1-related developmental epilepsy, with normal neuronal morphology and lamination but abnormal SIK1 protein cellular localization. Therefore, these results expand the genetic etiologies of developmental epilepsies by demonstrating SIK1 mutations as a cause of severe developmental epilepsy.
HYALURONIDASE PRODUCTION BY ORAL ENTEROCOCCI.

Abstract Cultures of streptococci obtained from subgingival scrapings of patients with periodontal disease were tested for hyaluronidase production. A total of 57 strains from 9 patients was examined, but only 15 strains were positive. All strains producing hyaluronidase were identified as Streptococcus faecalis . Seven strains identified as Strep. faecalis did not produce hyaluronidase. No hyaluronidase activity was detected in 20 strains of Strep. mitis or 11 strains of Strep. salivarius . Four non-hyaluronidase producing strains could not be identified. Enzyme activity was found among the enterococci only when the microbes were grown in a broth containing hyaluronate, thus suggesting an inducible enzyme.
Band-Trajectory Model for Temperature-Programmed Series-Coupled Column Ensembles with Pressure-Tunable Selectivity

A model and a spreadsheet algorithm is described for the prediction of solute-band migration trajectories in a series-coupled combination of two capillary GC columns with pressure-tunable and -programmable selectivity and operated under temperature-programmed conditions. The model takes into account the acceleration of carrier gas in the two columns as a result of decompression effects, the deceleration of carrier gas as a result of the increase in viscosity during temperature programming, the decrease in solute retention factors with increasing temperature during the temperature program, the differences in retention factors for the two columns, and programmed changes in the carrier-gas flow rates in the two columns during selectivity programming. In the model, the 20-meter-long column ensemble is divided into 1-cm-long intervals, and the carrier-gas velocity and column temperature are assummed to be constant in any interval. Migration times for all of the mixture solutes are computed for each column inte...
Sclerotial formation and strand growth of Phymatotrichopsis omnivora in minirhizotrons planted with cotton at different soil water potentials

In situ strand growth and sclerotium formation of Phymatotrichopsis omnivora were observed in minirhizotrons using a microvideo camera. Strand growth was greater in soils subject to decreasing levels of soil matric potential (high water stress) compared with a continuously wet treatment. Intermediate levels of water stress (‐ 0·5 to ‐ 0·9 MPa) resulted in less strand growth than either the dry or wet treatments. In all treatments strand growth increased to a maximum within 10 days of inoculum placement in soil but then declined to approach an apparent steady-state value. The effects of soil matric potential on sclerotium formation were apparent when barley seeds were sown in the experimental units 3 weeks after the experiment had begun, permitting differential water cycling patterns to be obtained. Sclerotia were recovered in larger numbers from experimental units in which high water potentials (> ‐ 0·2 MPa) occurred 2 weeks prior to and following the death of host plants.
Passive pneumatic shock isolator: Analysis and design

Abstract The paper describes the analysis of response of a pneumatic shock isolator to base acceleration of rectangular and half-sine shape. The isolator consists of a pneumatic damper in parallel with a linear spring. The equations of motion are cast into non-dimensional form by defining dimensionless parameters corresponding to mass, stiffness and area. Steps for optimum system design are given.
Comparative effects of pravastatin and lovastatin on nighttime sleep and daytime performance

Pravastatin and lovastatin, two HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors with similar cholesterol-lowering effects, differ in their lipid solubility. The hydrophilic characteristics of pravastatin may explain why the drug has not been detected in cerebrospinal fluid. On the other hand, lovastatin, a lipophilic compound, has been detected in the cerebrospinal fluid. Previous reports have suggested that lovastatin administration may be associated with insomnia, which reflects an action in the central nervous system. The effects of the two drugs on nocturnal sleep and daytime performance in young, healthy men have been assessed in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. Computer-based performance tests were administered on two consecutive days before drug administration and at the end of a 3-week active drug or placebo treatment period. Results from both sites were combined for analysis. Neither pravastatin nor lovastatin significantly affected nocturnal sleep or daytime sleepiness in this study population, but lovastatin significantly affected daytime performance. In subjects treated with lovastatin, the results showed that two measures of performance, divided attention (p<0.05) and vigilance (p<0.01), worsened significantly from baseline as did global performance (p<0.01). Performance was not affected in the pravastatin and placebo groups. These results provide preliminary evidence of an adverse effect of lovastatin on daytime performance.
Full configuration interaction benchmark calculations for TiH

Full configuration interaction (FCI) calculations have been performed for the /sup 3/F and /sup 5/F states of Ti atom and the /sup 4/Phi and /sup 2/..delta.. states of TiH. The FCI calculations are compared to approximate treatments of the correlation problem; for the /sup 2/..delta.. state, the CASSCF/MRCI treatment agrees with the FCI results for r/sub e/, omega/sub e/, the dipole moment, and the dipole derivative. For the /sup 4/Phi state, the CASSCF/MRCI approach agrees well with the FCI for r/sub e/, omega/sub e/, and D/sub e/. However, the agreement between CASSCF/MRCI and FCI treatments for the dipole moment is not as good, even when the CASSCF and MRCI reference spaces contain up to 800 CSFs. Natural orbital iterations improve the dipole moment but have a smaller effect on the other spectroscopic parameters. The CPF and MCPF methods agree well with the FCI for the /sup 4/Phi state, which is reasonably well described by the SCF; this is true even for the dipole moment, where a natural orbital iteration must be performed for the CASSCF/MRCI treatment. The CPF and MCPF treatments do not agree as well for the /sup 2/..delta.. state, which is not as well described by the SCF.
Physical Activity, Tinnitus Severity, and Improved Quality of Life.

Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the effects of tinnitus severity on quality of life (QOL) and the benefits physical activity may have on tinnitus severity and QOL. The authors hypothesized that (1) QOL would be negatively correlated with tinnitus severity, (2) physical activity would be negatively correlated with tinnitus severity, (3) tinnitus severity and physical activity would have significant independent effects on QOL, and (4) physical activity would have significant and independent effects on tinnitus severity. Design An online survey was used to collect data from adults with tinnitus; 1030 individuals initiated the survey. Approximately 40% of responses were not included in data analysis due to incomplete data. The following measures were included in the survey: the Tinnitus Functional Index, the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Question, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form (Physical Component Score [PCS]; Mental Component Score [MCS]), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Results Higher levels of physical activity were significantly associated with improved health-related and global QOL and lower levels of tinnitus severity. Both tinnitus severity (12.3% SWLS, 3.8% PCS, and 21.2% MCS) and physical activity (1.1% SWLS, 5.8% PCS, and 1.1% MCS) accounted for significant unique variations in the QOL measures. Physical activity accounted (0.8% Tinnitus Functional Index) for significant unique variation in tinnitus severity. Conclusions Physical activity had a small but statistically significant correlation with QOL and tinnitus distress. Our results suggest that physical activity may be a management strategy for those with tinnitus, but further testing is necessary to assess the relationship between physical activity and tinnitus severity.
To communicate or not to communicate: A decision-theoretic approach to decentralized adaptive control

It was recently shown that adaptive laws, for the adjustment of control parameters in strictly decentralized control systems with unknown parameters, can be developed to assure stability, provided prior information is available concerning the objectives of the various subsystems. However, while this can be theoretically justified, practical simulation studies have shown that the transient responses of the subsystems will be generally prohibitively large. To overcome this problem, the authors have been studying the possibility of using limited communication between subsystems to improve the responses significantly. This paper discusses in detail the stability and performance questions in such systems, and demonstrates that substantial improvement in performance may be possible with very little communication at critical instants. First, the paper discusses the communication problem as a switching problem, in which the controllers switch between two different adaptive laws, when there is no communication and over intervals when communication takes place. It is shown using a common quadratic Lyapunov function, that the stability and performance issues can be decoupled. Next, by attaching a cost for communication between subsystems as well as the errors at the outputs, the problem is cast as an optimization problem. Extensive simulation studies on a network containing six subsystems are included to indicate the effect of intermittent communication on performance.
What is the optimal approach to the administration of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in ovarian cancer

Three well-designed and conducted randomized phase 3 trials have revealed that the intraperitoneal administration of cisplatin-based chemotherapy as primary treatment of small-volume residual advanced ovarian cancer improves both progression-free and overall survivals compared to an all intravenous cisplatin-based regimen. Based on very reasonable extrapolations from existing evidence-based data, a number of possible “options” can be proposed that use the intraperitoneal route for delivery of chemotherapy in this clinical setting
An Improvement of Reliability of Memory System with Skewing Reconfiguration

In a memory system with skewing reconfiguration, a virtual memory address is encoded by an address encoder to avoid using a faulty memory area. This correspondence shows one method to improve the reliability of the address encoder by encoding a virtual memory address together with data to an error correcting code. Only a few additional gates are required for the implementation if the memory system has already employed an error correcting code.
Life cycle energy consumption and GHG emission from pavement rehabilitation with different rolling resistance

Abstract This paper describes a pavement life cycle assessment (LCA) model developed to evaluate energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from pavement rehabilitation strategies. The LCA model analyzes the energy and GHG emissions associated with material production, construction and pavement use, which includes the effects of pavement rolling resistance on vehicle operation. The model was used to evaluate a set of case studies of pavement rehabilitation for both asphalt and concrete surfaces with different rolling resistances and traffic levels. The primary goal of the case studies is to evaluate the effect of rolling resistance on the life cycle performance of pavements, not to compare asphalt and concrete pavements. Energy and GHG emission savings from pavement rehabilitation are compared with an alternative where no rehabilitation occurs, only routine maintenance of damaged pavement. The results of the case studies show that for highway sections with high traffic volumes the energy and GHG savings accrued during the use phase due to reduced rolling resistance can be significantly larger than the energy use and GHG emissions from material production and construction, with the extent of the benefit dependent on constructed smoothness. These savings can be larger than those from other strategies to reduce highway transportation energy use and emissions, such as projected improvements in vehicle fuel economy. For low traffic volume highways, the smoothness obtained by the contractor and materials used have a more significant effect on the performance of the rehabilitation, and may result in a net increase in energy use and GHG emissions if low traffic volumes and poor construction quality occur together.
Intramolecular hydrogen bond strength and pK(a) determination of N,N'-disubstituted imidazole-4,5-dicarboxamides.

N,N‘-Disubstituted imidazole-4,5-dicarboxamides (I45DCs) form an intramolecular hydrogen bond worth an estimated 14 ± 1 kcal/mol, as measured with a model structure in DMSO-d6 at 3 mM, thereby predisposing the molecular conformation to a folded rather than extended form. The I45DCs also show evidence of aggregation in both CDCl3 (>1 mM) and DMSO-d6 (>10 mM) solutions. These compounds are uncharacteristically weak bases in comparison with imidazoles bearing similar electron-withdrawing groups.
THE POLITICAL ROOTS OF AMERICAN CORPORATE FINANCE

The distinctive ownership and governance structure of the large American corporation-with its distant shareholders, a board of directors that defers to the CEO, and a powerful, centralized management-is usually seen as a natural economic outcome of technological requirements for large-scale enterprises and substantial amounts of outside capital, most of which had to come from well-diversified shareholders. Roe argues that current U.S. corporate structures are the result not only of such economic factors, but of political forces that restricted the size and activities of U.S. commercial banks and other financial intermediaries. Populist fears of concentrated economic power, interest group maneuvering, and a federalist American political structure all had a role in pressuring Congress to fragment U.S. financial institutions and limit their ability to own stock and participate in corporate governance. Had U.S. politics been different, the present ownership structure of some American public companies might have been different. Truly national U.S. financial institutions might have been able to participate as substantial owners in the wave of end-of-the-century mergers and then use their large blocks of stock to sit on the boards of the merged enterprises (much as Warren Buffett, venture capitalists, and LBO firms like KKR do today). Such a concentrated ownership and governance structure might have helped to address monitoring, information, and coordination problems that continue to reduce the value of some U.S. companies. The recent increase in the activism of U.S. institutional investors also casts doubt on the standard explanation of American corporate ownership structure. The new activism of U.S. financial institutions-primarily pension funds and mutual funds-can be interpreted as the delayed outbreak of an impulse to participate in corporate ownership and governance that was historically suppressed by American politics.
Error identification and decomposition in large stochastic rainfall-runoff models

Abstract The quality of the streamflow predictions is known to be dependent on the user's assigned accuracy of the rainfall-runoff model. Based on the maximum likelihood method, a simple procedure is presented to identify the statistics of errors of a conceptual hydrologic model. The procedure is illustrated with data from the Bird Creek river basin in Oklahoma, U.S.A. The problem of forecasting river flows in a basin composed of several interconnected sub-basins is also investigated. Decomposition procedures are proposed to efficiently filter and forecast states in all sub-basins simultaneously. The procedures decouple soil states in different sub-basins and connect them through the river network. This time a branch of the Potomac river, West Virginia, U.S.A., is used as a case study.
The mechanism of protein kinase C activation

Protein kinase C (PKC) consists of a family of closely related enzymes highly concentrated in the CNS. These enzymes respond to the second messengers calcium (Ca2+) and diacylglycerol (DAG), to express their activities at membrane locations. Each member of this enzyme family displays distinct biochemical characteristics and is enriched in different cellular and subcellular locations. Activation of PKC in the nervous system has been implicated in the regulation of neurotransmitter release, ion channels, growth and differentiation, and neural plasticity. It is believed that an increase in the intracellular concentration of Ca2+ triggers the association of a group of PKC isozymes with the membrane where DAG interacts with PKC to stimulate the enzyme activity. Stimulation of PKC at the cellular membrane is, therefore, dependent upon the duration and magnitude of the DAG signal. The association of PKC with the membrane may also lead to a conversion of the enzyme into an effector-independent form for a sustained activation after the Ca2+ and DAG signals dissipate. Activation of PKC results in the phosphorylation of cellular proteins; however, the physiological substrates of this enzyme in the nervous system are still poorly characterized.
Brachiocephalic arterial occlusions and stenoses. Manifestations and management of complex lesions.

• Complex stenotic and occlusive lesions involving multiple brachiocephalic arteries were encountered in 17 symptomatic patients, 25 to 76 years of age. Symptoms included hemispheric transient ischemic attacks (16), visual symptoms (ten), global cerebral ischemia (11), true syncope (six), upper extremity ischemic symptoms (eight), and frank tissue loss (one). Of 68 brachiocephalic arteries, 53 exhibited hemodynamically significant stenoses, including 21 that were totally occluded. Transthoracic surgical reconstruction consisted of bypass grafting (11), innominate artery endarterectomy (five), or proximal left common carotid endarterectomy with reimplantation into the contralateral carotid artery (one). There were no operative deaths and only one transient perioperative neurologic deficit. All patients had relief of symptoms. When multiple brachiocephalic arterial occlusions and stenoses preclude standard cervical reconstructive procedures, direct transthoracic reconstruction is appropriate and may be undertaken with acceptable risk in properly selected patients. (Arch Surg1985;120:370-376)
Development of the Health Insurance Literacy Measure (HILM): conceptualizing and measuring consumer ability to choose and use private health insurance.

Understanding health insurance is central to affording and accessing health care in the United States. Efforts to support consumers in making wise purchasing decisions and using health insurance to their advantage would benefit from the development of a valid and reliable measure to assess health insurance literacy. This article reports on the development of the Health Insurance Literacy Measure (HILM), a self-assessment measure of consumers' ability to select and use private health insurance. The authors developed a conceptual model of health insurance literacy based on formative research and stakeholder guidance. Survey items were drafted using the conceptual model as a guide then tested in two rounds of cognitive interviews. After a field test with 828 respondents, exploratory factor analysis revealed two HILM scales, choosing health insurance and using health insurance, each of which is divided into a confidence subscale and likelihood of behavior subscale. Correlations between the HILM scales and an ...
Dependence of aflatoxin in almonds on the type and amount of insect damage.

The aflatoxin distribution of single insect damaged Nonpareil almonds (1999 crop) has been measured. Separate distributions were obtained for pinhole, insect (feeding), and gross damage. Only a low level of aflatoxin contamination (〈c〉 = 0.0003 ng/g) was found for pinhole-only damaged nuts. The distributions for insect and gross damage did not differ, but did differ significantly from the distribution previously obtained for gross damaged Ne Plus almonds from a different producer (Schatzki, T. F.; Ong, M. S. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2000, 48, 489−492; also 1999 crop). The Nonpareil almond distribution could be explained on the basis of a preharvest hull splitting, similar to previous results in pistachios (0−4 weeks versus 2−6 weeks preharvest). The Ne Plus distribution differs in detail from pistachio results and from the Nonpareil results found here. This may indicate additional cultural damage of Ne Plus almonds around harvest time and/or use of different sorting parameters. Aflatoxin lot averages of 31.7 ...
An experimental study of the mechanisms of crack extension along an oxide/metal interface

The mechanisms of mode I crack propagation along Au/sapphire interfaces in both humid and dry environments have been investigated. Interface failure occurs by bond separation at the interfaces accompanied by substantial deformation of the Au along intersecting slip planes. In a dry environment, crack extension occurs by interfacial decohesion at multiple sites ahead of the main crack front. The associated fracture energy Φi is of order 50 J m−2. These debonds initiate from interfacial defects. The main crack experiences extensive plastic blunting; whereas debonds ahead of the crack have diminished blunting and propagate, subject to a rising resistance curve. Because of the small blunting displacements, the stresses ahead of the debond are sufficient to cause rupture of the interface bonds. In a humid environment, the crack propagation mechanism changes. In this case, the crack front itself extends, when Φi ≈ 10 J m−2, subject to small blunting displacements.
GENETIC SCREENING FOR IDENTIFICATION OF SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM TN5 MUTANTS WITH POTENTIAL HYPERSENSITIVITY TO SHORT-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS

This study was conducted to test if transposon footprinting could be used to identify transposon mutants of Salmonella typhimurium with growth defects in a media containing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) as the test selective condition. High concentrations of SCFA are one of the characteristic conditions in the animal intestine that has been suggested to play a role in inhibiting colonization by nonindigenous bacterial pathogens. When the mutant pools containing 25 Tn5 mutants/pool were analyzed for transposon footprints before and after selection, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product could be identified that was present in an input pool, but not in a corresponding output pool. The results indicate that transposon footprinting can be used for negative screening of genes sensitive to SCFA in the S. typhimurium bacterial genome.
Facing a prostate cancer diagnosis: who is at risk for increased distress?

BACKGROUND The psychological adaptation to a cancer diagnosis is characterized by significant distress. Although distress levels in cancer patients have been reported to be the highest shortly after diagnosis and before treatment, few attempts have been made to study emotional adjustment during the diagnostic period of prostate cancer patients. This study's purpose was to determine whether differences in distress levels can be attributed to differences in diagnostic status, optimism, and/or coping strategies. METHODS This study followed patients across 4 weeks, from prebiopsy to 2 weeks postdiagnosis, using these two time points as measurements. Data were collected between 1995 and 1998 at the Miami and Palo Alto VA Medical Center urology clinics. Biopsies were performed on 101 men (ages 46–87) to determine whether prostate cancer was present. These men completed prebiopsy and postdiagnosis questionnaires. RESULTS Of optimism, coping, and cancer status, the only significant predictor of increased distress at postdiagnosis was dispositional avoidance at prebiopsy for both cancer and noncancer groups. CONCLUSIONS Although these findings complement other studies linking avoidance with increased distress, the similarities between the cancer and noncancer groups underscore the need to consider both of these groups during the first few weeks of the prostate cancer diagnostic process. Cancer 2002;94:2923–9. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10564
PET/CT-guided radiofrequency and cryoablation: is tumor fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose activity dissipated by thermal ablation?

Abstract Purpose To determine if tumor Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) activity is dissipated by radiofrequency (RF) ablation or cryoablation during tumor ablation guided by positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Materials and Methods This prospective study enrolled 12 patients (9 women and 3 men, 39–65 years old), each with at least one 18 F-FDG-avid liver, perihepatic, or lung tumor. Six patients (experimental group) underwent percutaneous PET/CT-guided RF ablation ( n = 3) or cryoablation ( n = 3). Six patients (control group) underwent diagnostic PET/CT-guided percutaneous biopsy. At a mean time of 103.5 minutes after a single intravenous 18 F-FDG dose, preprocedure and postprocedure PET/CT scans, separated by a mean time interval of 83.4 minutes, were obtained in all patients. Target tumor maximum standardized uptake value (TSUVmax) and ratio (SUVratio) of TSUVmax to normal liver average standardized uptake value (LSUVavg) were measured on all scans. Percentage changes in TSUVmax and SUVratio from preprocedure to postprocedure scans were compared for both groups and analyzed using the Student t test ( P Results For all patients in both groups, TSUVmax and SUVratio increased from preprocedure to postprocedure PET/CT scans without statistically significant differences. The mean percentage increase in TSUVmax for the ablation group was 32.5% (range 8.2%–46.7%) and for the biopsy group was 24.6% (3.7%–42.4%; P = .45). The mean percentage increase in SUVratio for the ablation group was 47.9% (18.8%–69.6%) and for the biopsy group was 37.6% (9.4%–65%; P = .37). Conclusions Tumor 18 F-FDG activity is not dissipated by percutaneous RF ablation or cryoablation. When performing 18 F-FDG PET/CT-guided RF ablation or cryoablation, changes in target tumor 18 F-FDG activity cannot be used to monitor treatment effects.
The granulocyte connection in MPD-associated thrombosis

[Comment on Carobbio et al, page 2310, and][1][comment on Landolfi et al, page 2446][2]Leukocyte count has been directly correlated with the incidence of thrombosis in the general population. In this issue of Blood , Landolfi and colleagues and Carobbio and colleagues describe a similar scenario in
A new understanding of the co‐catalytic activity of alumoxanes: The opening of a black box!

The isolation of non-fluxional alumoxane compounds, [(tBu)2Al{OAl(tBu)2}]2 and [(tBu)AlO]n (n = 6, 7, 8, 9), has allowed for an investigation of the mode of activity observed for alumoxanes as co-catalysts for the zirconocene polymerization of olefins. [(tBu)2Al{OAl(tBu)2}]2, which contains two three-coordinate aluminum centers, shows no reaction with Cp2ZrMe2, and no catalytic activity towards ethylene polymerization. In contrast, the closed cage compound [(tBu)AlO]6 reacts reversibly to give the ion pair complex, [Cp2ZrMe][(rBu)6Al6O6Me], which is active as a catalyst for the polymerization of ethylene. Polymerization is also observed for mixtures of Cp2ZrMe2 with [(tBu)AlO]n (n = 7, 9). A new concept, “latent Lewis acidity”, is proposed to account for the reactivity of the cage alumoxanes, [(tBu)AlO]n.
A NOVEL PHOTO‐OXETANE FROM 6‐ACETYLURACIL

. Photolysis of 6-acetyluracil (λ>300nm) in aqueous solutions produced a single major photoproduct, arising from a singlet excited state. This photoproduct has been isolated and characterized as a novel oxetane-type dimer.
Continuum theory for coherent phase transitions incorporating an order parameter

A theory for displacive phase transitions where the state in the sense of phase is characterized by an order parameter and phase interfaces are identified with thin transition zones across which the strain and order parameter exhibit large gradients is presented. Connections between this theory and more standard continuum approaches that identify phase interfaces with surfaces of strain discontinuity are discussed.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The bivariate H-function distribution

Abstract In an earlier paper concerned with the distribution associated with products, quotients, and powers of two dependent nonnegative random variables, a generalized distribution called the bivariate H -function distribution was presented. Here, further properties of this distribution are explored. Formulae for finding the normalizing constant, ordered noncentral moments, and marginal distribution functions are presented. The cumulative to the bivariate H -function pdf is shown to be an H -function of higher order. Special cases along with associated contour plots demonstrating the robustness of the bivariate H -function distribution are presented at the end of the paper.
An amphipathic helical region of the N-terminal barrel of phospholipid transfer protein is critical for ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux.

Phospholipid lipid transfer protein (PLTP) mimics high-density lipoprotein apolipoproteins in removing cholesterol and phospholipids from cells through the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1). Because amphipathic α-helices are the structural determinants for ABCA1 interactions, we examined the ability of synthetic peptides corresponding to helices in PLTP to remove cellular cholesterol by the ABCA1 pathway. Of the seven helices tested, only one containing PLTP residues 144–163 (p144), located at the tip of the N-terminal barrel, promoted ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux and stabilized ABCA1 protein. Mutating methionine 159 (Met-159) in this helix in PLTP to aspartate (M159D) or glutamate (M159E) nearly abolished the ability of PLTP to remove cellular cholesterol and dramatically reduced PLTP binding to phospholipid vesicles and its phospholipid transfer activity. These mutations impaired PLTP binding to ABCA1-generated lipid domains and PLTP-mediated stabilization of ABCA1 but increased PLTP binding to ABCA1. PLTP interactions with ABCA1 also mimicked apolipoproteins in activating Janus kinase 2; however, the M159D/E mutants were also able to activate this kinase. Structural analyses showed that the M159D/E mutations had only minor effects on PLTP conformation. These findings indicate that PLTP helix 144–163 is critical for removing lipid domains formed by ABCA1, stabilizing ABCA1 protein, interacting with phospholipids, and promoting phospholipid transfer. Direct interactions with ABCA1 and activation of signaling pathways likely involve other structural determinants of PLTP.
Measurement Skills in Low-Income Elementary School Students: Exploring the Nature of Gender Differences

In this research, we examined overall performance and gender differences in measurement skills in elementary-school students from low-income families. In Study 1, accuracy and error patterns were analyzed in a large sample of fourth-graders; in Study 2 error patterns and strategy usage were examined with a smaller sample of fourth-graders. Study 1 showed no main effect of gender on students’ performance. Instead, as predicted, the direction of gender difference varied as a function of problem type: boys outperformed girls on spatial/conceptual measurement, whereas girls outperformed boys on formula-based measurement, as well as on a test of computation skills. Study 2 revealed both similarities and differences in the way boys and girls approached measurement problems. Girls appeared to have specific difficulty with spatial/conceptual problems where objects and measurement units were not pictorially presented. When recording their solutions, girls generally wrote down calculations while boys made drawings....
Model checking the behavior of frameworks extended with other frameworks

Frameworks are important in software development. There are problematic aspects of framework development. When frameworks are extended with functionality implemented by other frameworks, developers face a difficult task solving static and (specially) dynamic mismatches. The dynamic aspect is less visible to developers thus it is usually the cause of failure, specially in frameworks using multi threading programming.This paper shows how to verify the soundness of framework compositions at dynamic level using using temporal logic and tools provided by Full Maude.
Definitive peritoneal drainage in the extremely low birth weight infant with spontaneous intestinal perforation: predictors and hospital outcomes.

To identify characteristics associated with definitive peritoneal drainage (PD) in the extremely low birth weight infant diagnosed with spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP). We also sought to determine whether patients requiring a second operation (salvage laparotomy) following PD are at increased risk of adverse hospital outcomes, including increased times to full enteral feedings and decreased 30-day survival. We performed a retrospective chart review of infants with a birth weight 30 days) was not significantly different between the two groups. PD was definitive therapy for the majority of neonates included in this study who were referred for surgical evaluation of SIP. Our data point to trends in being able to identify infants with SIP who are at risk for salvage laparotomy following PD, and thus, adverse nutritional outcomes. Larger, prospective studies are needed to further evaluate this specific patient population and identify those patients who are likely to succeed with PD following the diagnosis of SIP.
Results of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Patients With Thin Melanoma

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has been shown to be a highly accurate method of staging nodal basins in melanoma patients. Although this technique is widely accepted in patients with intermediate-thickness tumors, it is unclear what the indications are for thin (≤1 mm) melanoma. From May 1991 to October 2004, 223 patients with thin melanoma underwent SLN biopsy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Most patients with thin melanoma were selected for the procedure because of high-risk clinicopathologic features. Nodal metastases were found in eight patients (3.6%) who underwent SLN biopsy. All positive SLNs were found in patients with ≥.75 mm-thick and Clark level IV melanoma (8 of 114; 7%). Age, sex, tumor location, thickness, Clark level, ulceration, regression, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, mitotic rate, and number of mapped nodal basins were not predictive of positive SLNs (χ2; P = not significant). With a median follow-up of 25 months, there have been no recurrences or deaths in patients with melanoma <.75 mm. Six patients have had regional and/or systemic recurrences (2.7%), only one of whom had a positive SLN. Three patients have died of melanoma; all had negative SLNs. Nodal metastasis in thin melanoma is uncommon, especially in patients with <.75 mm and Clark level II or III melanoma. In our experience, no single clinicopathologic factor was predictive of nodal metastases. The prognostic implications of positive SLNs in thin melanoma remain undefined.