cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ankle instability: evaluation of the lateral ligaments

Bilateral ankle stress testing was performed on 25 subjects in a device which controlled position of the foot and the amount of force applied during the examination. Both inversion testing in the anteroposterior plane and anterior drawer testing in the lateral plane were performed in the same group of symptom-free patients. The reproducibility of the test was demonstrated. Previous history of injury, left vs. right handedness, side and anthropometric measurements did not affect the test. There was no difference in the inversion test between ankles tested in neutral and plantar flexion. In functionally normal ankles, the range of inversion "talar tilt" was 0 to 18 degrees while the maximum of anterior displacement on drawer testing was 3 mm. The effective stiffness of the anterior talofibular ligament was thus computed as 65 +/- 34 N/m. Anterior drawer testing appears to evaluate lateral ligamentous integrity of the ankle more critically than the talar tilt test.
Atmospheric propagation characteristics of highest importance to commercial free space optics

There is a certain amount of disconnect between the perception and reality of Free Space Optics (FSO), both in the marketplace and in the technical community. In the marketplace, the requirement for FSO technology has not grown to even a fraction of the levels predicted a few years ago. In the technical community, proposed solutions for the limitations of FSO continue to miss the mark. The main commercial limitation for FSO is that light does not propagate very far in dense fog, which occurs a non-negligible amount of the time. There is no known solution for this problem (other than using microwave or other modality backup systems), and therefore FSO equipment has to be priced very competitively to sell in a marketplace dominated by copper wire, fiber optic cabling and increasingly lower cost and higher bandwidth wireless microwave equipment. Expensive technologies such as adaptive optics, which could potentially increase equipment range in clear weather, do not justify the added cost when expected bad weather conditions are taken into account. In this paper we present a simple equation to fit average data for probability of exceeding different atmospheric attenuation values. This average attenuation equation is then used to compare the expected availability performance as a function of link distance for representative FSO systems of different cost.
Epidemics of Phymatotrichum root rot (Phymatotrichum omnivorum) in cotton: environmental correlates of final incidence and forecasting criteria

SUMMARY Epidemics of Phymatotrichum root rot (PRR), caused by Phymatotrichum omnivorum, in cotton were monitored in field plots at the Blackland Research Center, Temple, Texas during the years 1969–1982. In most years disease incidence, assessed at periodic intervals during the growing season, increased smoothly and levelled off at values in the range 0–04-0-99 (proportion of plants killed). During two years there were marked increases in PRR late in the growing season. Increments in PRR were associated with preceding increments in precipitation but only when the latter were large. The final incidence of PRR late in August was directly related (in all but one of the 14 years) to cumulative precipitation in the range 36–100 cm, and inversely related (in all 14 years) to air temperatures greater than 34 oC. Regression was used to relate final PRR incidence to derived weather variates but the equations obtained did not provide a realistic basis for forecasting: the best predictive variates included cumulative precipitation up to mid-August. A threshold criterion given by P/T > 1·45, where P was cumulative precipitation (cm) from 1 January and T was the mean maximum temperature (°C) during the preceding 10 days, was derived. This criterion satisfactorily grouped years with high (>0·;50) and low (<0–50) incidences of PRR. In those years where a forecast of high incidence was made, the criterion was satisfied prior to the first appearance of PRR (mid-June); where a forecast of low incidence was made, the criterion was not satisfied until late August. The forecasting criterion was evaluated at three sites in the Blacklands region in 1983, at two in 1984, and at Temple only in 1985. In 1983 and 1984, final PRR incidences of less than 0–50 were forecast and observed; in 1985, cumulative annual precipitation exceeded 50 cm by early June, the threshold criterion was satisfied prior to the first observation of symptoms, and PRR incidence was 0–80 late in August.
Coronal CT scan abnormalities in children with chronic sinusitis

Coronal computed tomography (CT) scans are currently the optimal study to display the normal and abnormal anatomy in children with chronic and recurrent acute sinusitis after failure of medical therapy. To assess the extent and distribution of disease as well as associated anatomic abnormalities in this pediatric population, 74 coronal CT scans of children with continued symptoms of sinusitis after failure of extensive medical therapy were reviewed retrospectively. Twelve children with cystic fibrosis showed the characteristic features of medial displacement of the lateral nasal wall in the middle meatus and uncinate process demineralization, creating the appearance of a maxillary sinus mucocele. Nine of these 12 children had increased attenuation in the maxillary sinus on soft-tissue windows. In the remaining 62 children, a significantly greater frequency of disease, when compared with that reported for adults, was seen in the maxillary, anterior ethmoid, posterior ethmoid, and frontal sinuses. Children with asthma (n = 33) had more extensive disease. Bony anatomic abnormalities were similar to those reported for adults, except for a lower incidence of septal deformity.
System Reliability and Down-Time Analysis

This paper describes a computer simulation program developed to aid in estimating the over-all system reliability and down time of the 600-foot radio telescope that was being designed for the U. S. Navy. The simulation program was designed to provide early estimates of the system reliability and down time and also to provide for periodically updating and refining the estimates as improved input data became available.
Effects of prolonged depolarization on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of PC12 cells.

: To determine whether prolonged depolarization and/or changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations stimulate adaptive responses of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, PC12 pheochromocytoma cells were grown in medium containing various concentrations of K+. Nicotinic receptor function was determined as carbachol-stimulated uptake of 86Rb+. Cells were exposed to 50 mM K+ for up to 4 days and then allowed to repolarize for 60 min. Under these conditions, no changes in basal or carbachol-stimulated uptake of 86Rb+ were observed. Furthermore, neither the time course of carbachol-stimulated uptake or the carbachol concentration dependence of 86Rb+ uptake was altered. Finally, concurrent depolarization did not affect the functional down-regulation produced by chronic exposure of the cells to carbachol. Thus, neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on PC12 cells do not appear to be regulated by depolarization or prolonged elevation of the intracellular Ca2+ level.
Extensive middle atmosphere (20-120 KM) modification in the Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM-90)

The Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM) is currently available in the 'GRAM-88' version (Justus, et al., 1986; 1988), which includes relatively minor upgrades and changes from the 'MOD-3' version (Justus, et al., 1980). Currently a project is underway to use large amounts of data, mostly collected under the Middle Atmosphere Program (MAP) to produce a major upgrade of the program planned for release as the GRAM-90 version. The new data and program revisions will particularly affect the 25-90 km height range. Sources of data and preliminary results are described here in the form of cross-sectional plots.
Role of the juxtamembrane tyrosine in insulin receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of p60 endogenous substrates.

Prior studies have demonstrated that a juxtamembrane tyrosine (tyrosine 972) in the insulin receptor is required for the receptor to elicit various biological responses and to stimulate the tyrosine phosphorylation of two endogenous substrates, the insulin receptor substrate-1 and the adaptor protein called Shc. In the present studies the role of this tyrosine was examined in the insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of a group of 60-kDa endogenous proteins. These include a 60-kDa protein which, when phosphorylated, becomes associated with the GTPase activating protein of Ras, a distinct 60-kDa protein that associates with either the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase or the tyrosine phosphatase Syp, as well as a 58/53-kDa protein that is tyrosine phosphorylated in response to insulin but has no known associated protein. In each case, a mutant insulin receptor in which tyrosine 972 has been changed to phenylalanine was found to be defective in its ability to phosphorylate these three endogenous substrate...
Concerns of the Basic Scientist

The most general and immediate concern of the basic scientist in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (referred to hereafter as ENT) is the identification and definition of his role in the field of ENT and in the department. This general concern comes in the following different forms. The relevance of the basic scientist's personal and scientific goals to the goals of the field of ENT. The relationship of the basic scientist's efforts to departmental goals. The effect of the changing federal and local funding bases for research and higher education on the goals of the field and the department. The appropriate level of interactionwith clinical colleagues in their clinical and research responsibilities. The effect of the increasing clinical responsibilities of clinical colleagues on this interaction and on related decreasing research opportunities and/or their interest in this interaction. The effect on clinical colleagues of the changing technical state of the field on
Prevalence and Trends of Symptomatic Pelvic Floor Disorders in U.S. Women

OBJECTIVE:To estimate the prevalence and trends of these pelvic floor disorders in U.S. women from 2005 to 2010.METHODS:We used the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey from 2005–2006, 2007–2008, and 2009–2010. A total of 7,924 nonpregnant women (aged 20 years or older) were categorize
Lamb shift in singly ionized helium.

The Lamb shift ($n=2$) in $^{4}\mathrm{He}^{+}$ has been measured in a beam of metastable helium ions by means of the microwave resonance method. Our result is 14.0420(12) GHz which is in good agreement with the theoretical result based on the binding correction of Mohr, 14.0423(5) GHz.
Pulmonary Embolization of Vascular Occlusion Coils in Dogs with Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Transcatheter coil embolization of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) was performed in 206 dogs between 1994 and 2003 at Texas A&M University, of which 7 (3%) had embolization of coils to the pulmonary vasculature. Thoracic radiographs indicated that coils were located in the right pulmonary artery in 6 of the 7 dogs. Pulmonary perfusion scans were available for review in 5 dogs, and moderate perfusion defects were observed in the right caudal lung lobe in 4 dogs within 24 hours of embolization. Perfusion deficits observed initially in 2 of the dogs resolved on perfusion scans performed at 6 months and 3.1 years. One dog did not have evidence of focal perfusion defects on a perfusion scan performed 4.5 months after embolization. All pulmonary embolizations occurred during the procedure. Attempts at retrieval of coils were unsuccessful in the 2 dogs in which it was attempted. No short- or long-term clinical complications were observed in any of the dogs with pulmonary embolization. We conclude that pulmonary embolization of vascular occlusion coils is an uncommon event and is not typically associated with adverse clinical effects in dogs with PDA.
On the Use of Thermal NF3 as the Fluorination and Oxidation Agent in Treatment of Used Nuclear Fuels

Abstract This paper presents results of our investigation on the use of nitrogen trifluoride as a fluorination or fluorination/oxidation agent for separating valuable constituents from used nuclear fuels by exploiting the different volatilities of the constituent fission product and actinide fluorides. Our thermodynamic calculations show that nitrogen trifluoride has the potential to produce volatile fission product and actinide fluorides from oxides and metals that can form volatile fluorides. Simultaneous thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses show that the oxides of lanthanum, cerium, rhodium, and plutonium are fluorinated but do not form volatile fluorides when treated with nitrogen trifluoride at temperatures up to 550 °C. However, depending on temperature, volatile fluorides or oxyfluorides can form from nitrogen trifluoride treatment of the oxides of niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, tellurium, uranium, and neptunium. Thermoanalytical studies demonstrate near-quantitative separation of uranium from plutonium in a mixed 80% uranium and 20% plutonium oxide. Our studies of neat oxides and metals suggest that the reactivity of nitrogen trifluoride may be adjusted by temperature to selectively separate the major volatile fuel constituent uranium from minor volatile constituents, such as Mo, Tc, Ru and from the non-volatile fuel constituents based on differences in their reaction temperatures and kinetic behaviors. This reactivity is novel with respect to that reported for other fluorinating reagents F 2 , BrF 5 , ClF 3 .
Opinion dynamics in a group-based society

Many models have been proposed to analyze the evolution of opinion structure due to the interaction of individuals in their social environment. Such models analyze the spreading of ideas both in completely interacting backgrounds and on social networks, where each person has a finite set of interlocutors. In this paper we analyze the reciprocal feedback between the opinions of the individuals and the structure of the interpersonal relationships at the level of community structures. For this purpose we define a group-based random network and we study how this structure co-evolves with opinion dynamics processes. We observe that the adaptive network structure affects the opinion dynamics process helping the consensus formation. The results also show interesting behaviors in regards to the size distribution of the groups and their correlation with opinion structure.
There exist finite-dimensional Hopf algebras with antipodes of arbitrary even order

Abstract Let F be an arbitrary field and n be an arbitrary positive integer. Then there is a finite-dimensional Hopf algebra over F with antipode of order 2n.
Subcellular fractionation of pig platelets.

Abstract Subcellular components were obtained from pig platelets, disrupted by means of a French press and separated into 4 primary fractions. The granule fraction (10 000 g) was subjected to a sucrose gradient fractionation. Primary fractions and the granule subfractions were studied electron microscopically and biochemically by following the distribution of markers of membranes, lysosomes of α-granules, mitochondria and dense granules. With this technique of platelet homogenization, 80% of the serotonin and 93% of the β-N-acetylglucosaminidase were found to be particulate. In the gradient, mitochondria were sharply banded in a fraction (density 1.16–1.17) having a specific activity 10–100 times higher than the other fractions of the gradient. Serotonin-containing granules were found in a pellet of density greater than 1.27 and contained 60% of the serotonin and adenine nucleotides of the granule fraction. The lysosome markers that were monitored, acid phosphatase and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, exhibited different distribution patterns. Acid phosphatase showed the highest specific activity in the microsomal fraction with only 2.8% in the granule fraction, and this latter amount also appeared to be associated with membranes upon further fractionation. β-N-Acetylglucosaminidase was present in both the granule fraction and in the microsomal fraction with nearly the same specific activity. However, that present in the granule fraction was clearly associated with granules that distributed over a wide range of densities on a sucrose gradient. The calcium distribution was followed to attempt to determine its subcellular location; 19% was found in the same subfraction as the serotonin-containing granules, but at least 50% of the particulate calcium was associated with granules distinctly separate from the storage granules.
Preparation of Atomically Smooth Germanium Substrates for Infrared Spectroscopic and Scanning Probe Microscopic Characterization of Organic Monolayers

The suitability of antimony-doped germanium crystals for use as infrared attenuated total reflection wave guides and conducting substrates for scanning tunneling microscopic imaging of absorbed organic monolayers has been evaluated. We have used repetitive ion bombardment followed by resistive heating of a germanium crystal under ultrahigh vacuum conditions to produce large, atomically flat regions on a Ge(111) crystal face. Through the combined use of STM, Auger spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction, we have demonstrated that monolayer quantities of tellurium electrochemically deposited onto the Ge surface dramatically reduce the rate of surface oxidation and permit the use of germanium crystals as STM substrates in air. The first STM images acquired in air with Ge as the conductive substrate are reported. No degradation of IR spectral quality occurs when using the Te-covered, Sb-doped Ge crystals as ATR elements. These findings suggest that Te-coated, atomically flat, low-resistivity Ge subst...
Effect of the Pion-Pion Resonance on K - -p Scattering

The assumption that. tn the K--p tnteraction, k cot delta is constant and equal to the reciprocal scattering length is examined on the basis of the Chew-Mandelstam program. It is concluded that the pi - pi exchange, which determines the long range tail of the K-N interaction, gives a substantial energy dependence to k cot delta . (D.L.C.)
Concurrent chromoblastomycosis caused by Fonsecaea pedrosoi and actinomycetoma caused by Nocardia brasiliensis

Chromoblastomycosis and mycetoma are chronic infections caused by the repeated traumatic inoculation of organisms into the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Chromoblastomycosis is caused by several dematiaceous (pigmented) fungi, occurs in tropical regions, and usually affects the lower extremities. The lesions may be nodules, plaques, or tumorous masses. Mycetomas are caused by either true fungi (eumycetes) or filamentous bacteria (actinomycetes); they also occur predominantly in tropical areas and most frequently affect the foot or leg. Typically there is a firm swelling with multiple sinus tracts that drain small granules. The treatment of these infections is difficult. Surgery, cryotherapy, heat therapy, and antimicrobial agents are used to treat chromoblastomycosis. Surgery and antimicrobial agents are used for treatment of mycetomas. This is the first report of concurrent infections caused by these agents.
Change mechanisms in the diffusion of residential energy conservation practices: an empirical study

Abstract Four types of variables that affect the diffusion of home energy conservation measures are assessed. These variables are the information possessed by households, household attitudes, the economic and demographic characteristics of households, and the attributes of conservation measures. A causal model of behavior change is presented based on Fishbein's theory of reasoned action. The model is tested using panel data on 225 homeowners from Decatur, Illinois and two conservation practices: employing winter night-time thermostat setbacks and adding attic insulation. The results illustrate the importance of all four change mechanisms. Many nonadopters have erroneous information about the financial and other benefits of the two practices. The elderly and the poor are particularly ill-informed. Negative attitudes are closely related to discomfort (for night-time setback) and expense (for attic insulation). As expected, barriers and incentives differ across population subgroups and innovations.
A history of haemopoietic cell transplantation.

Fifty years have gone by since the first experiments that were to lead to the wide application of haemopoietic cell transplantation. Many disciplines have been involved including radiation biology, immunology, molecular biology, drug development, blood component transfusion technology and numerous adult and paediatric clinical disciplines. At every turn, the solution of problems depended heavily on animal research ranging from mice to dogs to non-human primates. At present more than 20000 human transplantations of haemopoietic cells from marrow, peripheral blood or cord blood are being performed annually. Initially these cellular transplantations were carried out only in terminally ill patients, but now in many instances transplantation is the preferred treatment and is carried out early in the course of the disease. Exciting research designed to continue improvement of the application to human patients includes the achievement of engraftment without lethal marrow ablative regimens, the use in autoimmune diseases, and the development of techniques for inducing tolerance for solid organ grafting. The development of effective anti-viral and anti-fungal drugs and the shift to out-patient care has resulted in dramatic reduction of the cost of transplantation as well as improved long-term survival. Pending the development of highly specific curative agents, it is likely that the use of haemopoietic cell transplantation will continue to increase during the early years of the third millenium.
Half-site reactivity and the “induced-fit” hypothesis

Abstract Many subunit enzymes show the phenomenon of half-site reactivity, that is, the reaction with a substrate or substrate analogue shows a stoichiometry equal to one-half the number of “identical” subunits. One obvious potential explanation for this phenomenon is that reaction with one substrate molecule induces a change in an adjacent subunit, preventing a subsequent substrate molecule from reacting. Such an explanation has been proposed for the half-site reaction of the enzyme cytidine triphosphate synthetase with a substrate analogue (Levitzki et al. , 1971). Analogous studies with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase reveal that the four active-site (Cys-149) sulfhydryl groups per tetrameric molecule react equivalently with iodoacetate whereas only two of the four sites undergo facile acylation with the substrate. The simple fact that the 2:1 stoichiometry ratio for the alkylation-acylation reactions is independent of the degree of prior alkylation rules out the ligand-induced asymmetry model as an explanation of the stoichiometries. Rather, it suggests that in muscle dehydrogenase there is a pre-existent non-equivalence among the subunits. On these bases we propose a procedure for distinguishing induced from pre-existent asymmetry in quaternary structure.
Profitability of Short-Term Contrarian Strategies: Implications for Market Efficiency

In recent years, several researchers have argued that the stock market consistently overreacts to new information, which, in turn, results in price reversals. Lehmann and others showed that a contrarian can make substantial profits in the short run by simply buying losers and selling winners. We, however, demonstrate that these profits are largely generated by the bid–ask bounce in transaction prices; accounting for this “bounce” by using bid prices eliminates all profits from price reversals for NASDAQ-NMS stocks and most of the profits for NYSE/AMEX stocks. Moreover, any remaining profits (regardless of their source) disappear at trivial levels of transactions costs.
Clinical application of DNA microarrays: Molecular diagnosis and HLA matching of an Amish child with severe combined immune deficiency

Amish and Mennonite children with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) often die without treatment as a result of delayed diagnoses and prohibitive costs of therapy. In this detailed case report, we describe the novel use of DNA microarrays to improve the diagnosis and management of an Amish infant with SCID. Using 10,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes from the patient, her parents, and seven siblings, we identified the recombinase activating genes for diagnostic sequencing, and then characterized a novel pathogenic variant in RAG1 (c.2974A>G). The same genotype data were used to identify a sibling stem cell donor who was haplo-identical at human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and blood group (ABO) loci. Autozygosity and linkage analysis of SNP genotypes within a family narrows the search for SCID candidate genes and provides a relatively simple and inexpensive way to identify potential tissue donors among biological siblings.
The political economy of primary care and "health by the people": an historical exploration.

Abstract The historical development of personal health services within the Third World, as background to the current discussion of primary health care and so-called “health by the people” efforts, is reviewed. This development is located within broader societal relationships, both at the national and international levels. It is argued that most of the Third World is in a state of advanced crisis characterized by static or even worsening life conditions for the mass of the population of those countries. The roots of this crisis lie in the colonial period, but contemporary national and international relationships are perpetuating essential characteristics of the inherited health care and other systems. Partly in response to this growing crisis, the narrow emphasis on growth of national product as the primary solution to underdevelopment has been largely replaced, at least in international discussion, by an approach that requires the meeting of everyone's basic human needs. In the health sector, primary health care and/or “health by the people” is perceived as the major vehicle for this. The paper examines some of the issues involved in the development and application of these concepts. It is concluded that in the Third World improved health is not primarily a matter of medical systems, but rather a broader question requiring better understanding of the nature of underdevelopment itself. As a consequence, all activities concerned with health must begin with the specifics of underdevelopment in particular circumstances. Only from this background will it be possible to come to grips with the issues of improved health status as well as more relevant health and medical services in the Third World. As long as it remains essentially impossible to deal seriously with existing social and property relations, so long will it remain impossible to alter significantly the health status of the world's poorest, say, one billion people.
Direct Composite Restorative Materials

Composite dental restorative materials have advanced considerably over the past 10 years. Although composites have not totally replaced amalgam, they have become a viable substitute in many situations. Problems still exist with polymerization contraction stress, large differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of composites compared with tooth structure, and with some technique sensitivity; however, new expanding resins, nanofiller technology, and improved bonding systems have the potential to reduce these problems. With increased patient demands for esthetic restorations, the use of direct filling composite materials will continue to grow. The one major caveat to this prediction is that clinicians must continue to use sound judgment on when, where, and how to use composite restoratives in their practices.
Distribution of 45Ca in the superior cervical ganglion of the cat

Superior cervical ganglia isolated from immature cats accumulated 0.9 ng atoms of 45Ca per mg wet weight during 10-min incubations at 37°C; when expressed as an equivalent volume of medium the accumulation was four times the uptake of 3H-inulin. Orthodromic stimulation of the ganglia doubled 45Ca accumulation, whereas excitation with 50 mM KCl, 5 mM glutamate, or antidromic stimulation increased accumulation by one-half. Hexamethonium reduced the increment in 45Ca accumulation due to orthodromic stimulation only, but another ganglionic blocking agent, tetraethylammonium, did not reduce accumulation in any case. Both agents blocked ganglionic transmission monitored electrophysiologically. To resolve this discrepancy, and to approach the localization of 45Ca within the ganglia, the efflux of previously accumulated 45Ca was examined. The data could be fitted by an equation incorporating the sum of three exponentials, representing a rapidly exchanging compartment plus two more slowly exchanging ones. The latter two appeared to reflect the pre- and postganglionic elements in the ganglia: 45Ca content of the “preganglionic” compartment was increased by orthodromic but not by antidromic stimulation, and was not decreased by either blocking agent; conversely, 45Ca content of the “postganglionic” compartment was increased by both orthodromic and antidromic stimulation, and was decreased by both blocking agents after orthodromic stimulation. The lack of effect of tetraethylammonium on the whole ganglion resulted from an increase in “preganglionic” accumulation that offset the “postganglionic” decrease. After preganglionic denervation, the 45Ca content of the “preganglionic” compartment was reduced by two-thirds, while the 45Ca content of the “postganglionic” compartment was unchanged. Chemical stimulation increased 45Ca accumulation in both compartments. Diphenylhydantoin, 0.1 mM, decreased the increment in 45Ca accumulation due to electrical stimulation and to 50 mM KCl; this inhibition occurred in the “preganglionic” compartment (and perhaps also in the “postganglionic”), and was accompanied by an increased efflux of 45Ca.
Have racial disparities in ovarian cancer increased over time? An analysis of SEER data

Abstract Objective Race has been postulated to be a prognostic factor in women with ovarian cancer. The reasons for racial disparities are multifactorial. Recent literature suggests that racial disparities in ovarian cancer survival emerged in the 1980s, when modern treatments such as aggressive surgical debulking and platinum-based chemotherapy first gained widespread use. We suspect that as improvements in treatment have evolved, the effects of access to treatment have amplified racial disparities in survival from ovarian cancer. Methods SEER 9 data were analyzed, including African American and white patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer from 1973 to 2007, with 2008 as the cutoff for follow-up. Using the Kaplan–Meier method, we evaluated racial differences in survival, to determine whether this difference has increased over time. Results There were 44,562 white and 3190 African American women available for analysis. Overall African Americans had 1.10 times the crude hazard (95% CI 1.06–1.15) of all-cause mortality compared to whites, with a widening trend over time (p Conclusions African Americans diagnosed with ovarian cancer have worse survival than whites, and this disparity has increased over time. Measured differences in treatment, such as receipt of surgery, account for part of the disparity.
A brief review: HPLC methods to directly detect drug glucuronides in biological matrices (Part I)

Detection of a drug and its glucuronide metabolite(s) is of great importance in interpretive forensic and clinical toxicology. Until recently, glucuronides were determined by cleavage of the glucuronide with an enzyme (e.g., β-glucuronidase) to yield the parent compound, which was subsequently detected, or via derivatization to a more volatile or detectable analogue. Direct detection of the glucuronide conjugates overcomes the critical limitations of approaches that involve enzymatic cleavage procedures and/or derivatization. This review will focus on direct methods to determine glucuronides of various potentially abused drugs in human biological matrices. More specifically, this review will be restricted to methods that involve liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with various detectors. Papers are presented in chronological order for each compound class to emphasize the evolution of methodology and continued importance of the application.
The Unmet Need for a National Surgical Quality Improvement Curriculum: A Systematic Review

Introduction The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Next Accreditation System will require general surgery training programs to demonstrate outstanding clinical outcomes and education in quality improvement (QI). The American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Quality In-Training Initiative reports the results of a systematic review of the literature investigating the availability of a QI curriculum. Methods Using defined search terms, a systematic review was conducted in Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar (January 2000-March 2013) to identify a surgical QI curriculum. Bibliographies from selected articles and other relevant materials were also hand searched. Curriculum was defined as an organized program of learning complete with content, instruction, and assessment for use in general surgical residency programs. Two independent observers graded surgical articles on quality of curriculum presented. Results Overall, 50 of 1155 references had information regarding QI in graduate medical education. Most ( n = 24, 48%) described QI education efforts in nonsurgical fields. A total of 31 curricular blueprints were identified; 6 (19.4%) were specific to surgery. Targeted learners were most often post graduate year-2 residents (29.0%); only 6 curricula (19.4%) outlined a course for all residents within their respective programs. Plan, Do, Study, Act ( n = 10, 32.3%), and Root Cause Analysis ( n = 5, 16.1%) were the most common QI content presented, the majority of instruction was via lecture/didactics ( n = 26, 83.9%), and only 7 (22.6%) curricula used validated tool kits for assessment. Conclusion Elements of QI curriculum for surgical education exist; however, comprehensive content is lacking. The American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Quality In-Training Initiative will build on the high-quality components identified in our review and develop data-centered QI content to generate a comprehensive national QI curriculum for use in graduate surgical education.
The North-South Differential In Italian Economic Development

Though the economy of Italy has been transformed in the one hundred years since its uninfication, the various regions have experienced quite different degrees of development. Southern Italy, including Sicily and Sardinia, all of which comprises 40 per cent of the land area and, today, about 37 per cent of the population, has lagged far behind the North.
Developmental Intergroup Theory: Explaining and Reducing Children's Social Stereotyping and Prejudice

Social stereotyping and prejudice are intriguing phenomena from the standpoint of theory and, in addition, constitute pressing societal problems. Because stereotyping and prejudice emerge in early childhood, developmental research on causal mechanisms is critical for understanding and controlling stereotyping and prejudice. Such work forms the basis of a new theoretical model, developmental intergroup theory (DIT), which addresses the causal ingredients of stereotyping and prejudice. The work suggests that biases may be largely under environmental control and thus might be shaped via educational, social, and legal policies.
Intravenous cocaine lethality in the rat

Summary A series of experiments was conducted in order to ascertain several factors related to the convulsant (lethal) effect of cocaine following intravenous administration to freely moving rats. The results of the initial study demonstrated that as the concentration of a cocaine infusion is increased, the time to death and the mean lethal dosage are significantly reduced. Pretreatment with non-depressing dosages of either alpha-methylparatyrosine, pimozide, or U-14,624 failed to alter either the convulsant action or the mean acute lethal dose of cocaine. These results suggest that the convulsant and/or lethal action of cocaine may not be mediated by catecholamines. Subacute intravenous treatment with cocaine for seven consecutive days resulted in a significant elevation in the mean lethal dose of cocaine. However, only half of the subjects survived this treatment regimen. In those subjects not surviving, evidence of sensitization to the convulsant action of cocaine was demonstrated.
Scopulariopsis brevicaulis : Effect of pH and substrate on growth

Scopulariopsis brevicaulis Bainier NRRL 5867, isolated from ammonia-treated corn during preservation studies, was grown in shaken and still liquid cultures on Blakeslee's malt extract. The medium was adjusted to different pH values between 5.0 and 10.6 with sodium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide. Maximum mycelium was produced at an initial pH of 9.0–10.0. Considerably more mycelium was produced in shaken flasks than in still cultures. When the initial pH was adjusted to 10.0 with ammonium hydroxide, 1350 mg mycelium/200 ml Blakeslee's malt extract was produced in contrast to 540 mg with sodium hydroxide. Approximately 28% of the total solids and 25% of the nitrogen in an ammoniated corn infusion broth were converted to mold mycelium high in essential amino acids and protein by both NRRL 5867 and NRRL 3273, another strain ofS. brevicaulis. WhenS. brevicaulis was grown 7 days on a solid substrate of ammoniated corn, ammonia was converted to organic material, carbohydrate was utilized and the protein of the fermented corn increased in lysine and methionine. Approximately 9% of the weight of the corn was lost during the process.
Plant profilin isovariants are distinctly regulated in vegetative and reproductive tissues

Profilin is a low-molecular weight, actin monomer-binding protein that regulates the organization of actin cytoskeleton in eukaryotes, including higher plants. Unlike the simple human or yeast systems, the model plant Arabidopsis has an ancient and highly divergent multi-gene family encoding five distinct profilin isovariants. Here we compare and characterize the regulation of these profilins in different organs and during microspore development using isovariant-specific monoclonal antibodies. We show that PRF1, PRF2, and PRF3 are constitutive, being strongly expressed in all vegetative tissues at various stages of development. These profilin isovariants are also predominant in ovules and microspores at the early stages of microsporogenesis. In contrast, PRF4 and PRF5 are late pollen-specific and are not detectable in other cell types of the plant body including microspores and root hairs. Immunocytochemical studies at the subcellular level reveal that both the constitutive and pollen-specific profilins are abundant in the cytoplasm. In vegetative cell types, such as root apical cells, profilins showed localization to nuclei in addition to the cytoplasmic staining. The functional diversity of profilin isovariants is discussed in light of their spatio-temporal regulation during vegetative development, pollen maturation, and pollen tube growth. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 52:22–32, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Short-term lithium treatment promotes neuronal survival and proliferation in rat striatum infused with quinolinic acid, an excitotoxic model of Huntington's disease.

We assessed the ability of lithium to reduce neurodegeneration and to stimulate cell proliferation in a rat model of Huntington's disease in which quinolinic acid (QA) was unilaterally infused into the striatum. LiCl (0.5–3.0 mEq/kg) was injected subcutaneously 24 h before and 1 h after QA infusion. At 7 days after QA injection, lithium significantly diminished the loss of neurons immunostained for Neuronal Nuclei (NeuN) in the injured striatum, but failed to prevent the reduction of NADPH-diaphorase-positive striatal interneurons. Lithium also reduced the number of neurons showing DNA damage or activated caspase-3. This neuroprotection was associated with an upregulation of Bcl-2 protein levels in the striatal tissue and an increase in the number and density of Bcl-2 immunostaining in striatal neurons. Bromodeoxyuridinie (BrdU) labeling in the lithium-treated injured striatum revealed the presence of large numbers of proliferating cells near the QA-injection site, with a reduction of BrdU-labeled cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ). All BrdU-labeled cells in the SVZ and the majority of BrdU-labeled cells near the QA-injection site were negative for either NeuN or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), suggesting that they are undifferentiated progenitor cells. However, a small number of BrdU-positive cells found in the QA-injected and lithium-treated striatum site were positive for either NeuN or GFAP. Our results suggest that lithium is neuroprotective in the QA-injection model of Huntington's disease not only due to its ability to inhibit apoptosis but also because it can stimulate neuronal and astroglial progenitor proliferation in the QA-injected striatum or their migration from the SVZ.
Biocompatibility studies in preparation for a spaceflight experiment on plant tropisms (TROPI)

Abstract The interaction among tropisms is important in determining the growth form of a plant. Thus, we have developed a project to study the interaction between two key tropistic responses (i.e., gravitropism and phototropism) to be performed in microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS). Specifically, we are interested in the role of red-light-absorbing phytochrome pigments in modulating tropisms in seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana . This project, termed TROPI for tropisms, is to be performed on the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS), which provides an incubator with atmospheric control, lighting, and high-resolution video. The EMCS has two rotating centrifuge platforms so that our experiments can be performed at microgravity, 1 g (control), and fractional g -levels. In order to optimize these spaceflight experiments, we have continued ground-based technical tests as well as basic science experiments. Since the seeds will have to be stored for several months in hardware prior to use on the ISS, we tested the effects of long-term storage of seeds in the TROPI EUE (experimental unique equipment) on germination rates and plant growth. The EUE consists of five seedling cassettes with LED lighting and a water delivery system in an Experimental Container (EC). Preliminary studies showed that there were reduced seed germination and plant growth after several months of storage in the EUE. We determined that the likely source of this biocompatibility problem was the conformal coating of electrical components of the EUE, which was required by NASA for safety reasons. In order to alleviate this problem, carbon filters were added to both the seedling cassettes and to the base of the EC. We expect that these improvements to the hardware will result in healthy plants capable of robust tropistic responses in our spaceflight experiments.
Execution migration in a heterogeneous-ISA chip multiprocessor

Prior research has shown that single-ISA heterogeneous chip multiprocessors have the potential for greater performance and energy efficiency than homogeneous CMPs. However, restricting the cores to a single ISA removes an important opportunity for greater heterogeneity. To take full advantage of a heterogeneous-ISA CMP, however, we must be able to migrate execution among heterogeneous cores in order to adapt to program phase changes and changing external conditions (e.g., system power state).This paper explores migration on heterogeneous-ISA CMPs. This is non-trivial because program state is kept in an architecture-specific form; therefore, state transformation is necessary for migration. To keep migration cost low, the amount of state that requires transformation must be minimized. This work identifies large portions of program state whose form is not critical for performance; the compiler is modified to produce programs that keep most of their state in an architecture-neutral form so that only a small number of data items must be repositioned and no pointers need to be changed. The result is low migration cost with minimal sacrifice of non-migration performance.Additionally, this work leverages binary translation to enable instantaneous migration. When migration is requested, the program is immediately migrated to a different core where binary translation runs for a short time until a function call is reached, at which point program state is transformed and execution continues natively on the new core.This system can tolerate migrations as often as every 100 ms and still retain 95% of the performance of a system that does not do, or support, migration.
Pseudoaneurysm of the Uterine Artery After an Uncomplicated Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery

Apseudoaneurysm is a pulsatile hematoma that communicates with the lumen of a damaged parent artery via a small neck. Pseudoaneurysms of the uterine artery are rare causes of delayed postpartum hemorrhage. In this setting, accurate diagnosis using pelvic sonography with Doppler imaging is critical to allow for proper treatment with either surgical arterial ligation or transcatheter embolization because curettage may cause life-threatening uterine bleeding. 1 Reports in the literature regarding uterine artery pseudoaneurysms as etiologic factors in postpartum hemorrhage mainly involve patients with a history of uterine trauma and include cases after both vaginal 2-4 and cesarean 4-8 deliveries. We report a case of a uterine artery pseudoaneurysm after an uncomplicated spontaneous vaginal delivery in a patient with no surgical history.
A New Species of Parafilaroides (Nematoda: Filaroididae) in Three Species of Fur Seals (Carnivora: Otariidae) From the Southern Hemisphere

Blocks of frozen lungs of 2 Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus Wood Jones, 1925), 2 New Zealand fur seals (A. forsteri [Lesson, 1828]), and 1 sub-Antarctic fur seal (A. tropicalis [Gray, 1872]) from 3 different locations (Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, respectively) were examined and found to contain lung parasites. This represents the first thorough description and identification of a new species, Parafilaroides normani, from an eared seal (Otariidae) in the Southern Hemisphere. The new species is described, illustrated, and differentiated from the 6 recognized species in the genus by body size, spicule shape and size, vulva to anus length, and vaginal sphincter musculature.