cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
15 The effect of different bovine oocyte recovery methods on oocyte ultrastructure pre- and post-in vitro maturation

In current in vitro embryo production practices, method of oocyte recovery tends to be based primarily on the personal preference of the operators and availability of resources rather than on any practical understanding of the best practices for retrieving oocytes of the greatest competence for embryo production. There is little consensus on the effects of either postmortem follicular atresia or exogenous hormone-stimulated follicle development on the quality of oocytes, but it is expected that both interventions have effects. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were collected from beef cattle using 3 methods: unstimulated ovum pickup (OPU), OPU following superstimulation (FSH), and oocyte aspiration from postmortem-recovered ovaries (PM). Each collection method was repeated 3 times, with 25 individuals used in each. There were no interventions in place before oocyte recovery in either OPU or PM. In FSH, cows underwent dominant follicle removal and were treated with 200 mg of FSH in 6 doses before OPU. The majority of oocytes (66 OPU, 80 FSH, and 160 PM) were fertilized and cultured, with a portion being reserved for transmission electron microscopy (2 per treatment at each of germinal vesicle and metaphase II) and a portion being reserved for a complementary study. However, oocytes collected by OPU following FSH had notable ultrastructure differences from those collected by other methods, suggesting a potential effect of follicle stimulation on both the development and cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes. Although oocytes from all recovery methods and at both maturation levels exhibited mitochondria primarily in the hooded conformation, both OPU and FSH oocytes, at germinal vesicle and metaphase II, had several anomalous mitochondria exhibiting a lobulated, budding-type shape. This is potentially indicative of these oocytes having failed to complete the mitochondrial division phase before recovery. An average of 11.6, 10.6, and 11.9 oocytes per individual were recovered from PM, FSH, and OPU, respectively, resulting in oocyte recovery of 55, 61, and 57% of aspirated follicles, respectively (P > 0.05). Fewer oocytes from OPU developed to morulas compared with other recovery methods (chi-square; P < 0.01; 24% PM, 21% FSH, and 3% OPU). Cleaved embryos from OPU had decreased blastocyst production rates at 14% compared with 59% (PM) and 55% (FSH; chi-square; P < 0.01). Overall results suggest that although superstimulation may affect oocyte ultrastructure, this does not have a negative effect on oocyte competence, though further investigations are required. Oocyte recovery rates were not affected by recovery method, but oocytes recovered by unstimulated OPU had decreased developmental competence compared with those recovered either postmortem or following superstimulation.
The harm of medical disorder as harm in the damage sense.

Jerome Wakefield has argued that a disorder is a harmful dysfunction. This paper develops how Wakefield should construe harmful in his harmful dysfunction analysis (HDA). Recently, Neil Feit has argued that classic puzzles involved in analyzing harm render Wakefield’s HDA better off without harm as a necessary condition. Whether or not one conceives of harm as comparative or non-comparative, the concern is that the HDA forces people to classify as mere dysfunction what they know to be a disorder. For instance, one can conceive of cases where simultaneous disorders prevent each other from being, in any traditional sense, actually harmful; in such cases, according to the HDA, neither would be a disorder. I argue that the sense of harm that Wakefield should employ in the HDA is dispositional, similar to the sense of harm used when describing a vile of poison: “Be careful! That’s poison. It’s harmful.” I call this harm in the damage sense. Using this sense of harm enables the HDA to avoid Feit’s arguments, and thus it should be preferred to other senses when analyzing harmful dysfunction.
Quantifying Carcinoembryonic Antigen-like Cell Adhesion Molecule-Targeted Liposome Delivery Using Imaging Flow Cytometry.

Carcinoembryonic antigen-like cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) are human cell-surface proteins that can exhibit increased expression on tumor cells and are thus a potential target for novel tumor-...
Quantification of Compositional Runaway during Electroformation in TaO x Resistive Switching Devices

In this work, we demonstrate that the electroformation of resistive switching devices occurs in two steps where the device first goes through thermal runaway followed by formation of the permanent conductive filament by elemental diffusion. The current transients caused by composition change exhibit slow-fast-slow dependence of rate on time, which is characteristic of a positive feedback runaway process. In this case, the feedback loop is between current in the filament and filament composition. The incubation time for the compositional runaway was measured as a function of device temperature and the activation energy for the process was estimated to be 1.4 eV. Plan-view TEM revealed a metal-rich filament formed in the device during the second runaway. Device resistance post-forming was found to be negatively correlated with forming power as a result of thermal effects.
In-office balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube under local anesthesia: A retrospective review

Abstract Objective To study the effectiveness and feasibility of in office balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube (BDET) utilizing a novel anesthetic protocol. Study design: retrospective review. Methods Retrospective chart review looking at the tolerability and effectiveness of stand-alone BDET in an office setting utilizing a novel topical anesthesia protocol in 33 patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction as defined by an ETDQ-7 score greater than 2.2 and type B or C tympanograms for greater than 3 months despite maximal medical management, including at least 4 weeks of nasal steroids. Results BDET in the office was well tolerated with 94% (31/33) of patients completing the procedure as planned. No adverse effects or complications were reported; however, the planned dilation time was cut short in one case due to significant discomfort and aborted prior to dilation in another due significant coughing. Tympanograms normalized at six weeks in 87.1% (27/31) of patients who underwent dilation. Conclusion This study demonstrates that performing BDET in an office setting utilizing a local anesthesia protocol is feasible and effective when the unique barometric considerations of BDET are addressed.
Bariatric and metabolic therapies targeting the small intestine

The global prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) necessitates an increased reliance on effective and safe endoscopic therapies. While surgery is highly effective, endoscopic therapies may be able to reach a greater number of affected individuals and help to reduce the burden of disease worldwide. Although current endoscopic treatments entail space occupying gastric devices as well as suturing or plication, innovative, non-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved small bowel specific endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies have been developed within the last several years. Small intestine therapies include endoluminal bypass liners, duodenal mucosal resurfacing, endoscopic anastomosis systems, and restricted duodenal flow treatments. These endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies rely upon foregut and hindgut mechanisms to achieve weight loss and improve glucose homeostasis. This review will detail these important small bowel mechanisms and evaluates current small bowel endoscopic treatments.
Antecedents of Social Media–Induced Retail Commerce Activities: Impact of Brand–Consumer Relationships and Psychological Sense of Community

Young consumers’ social media activities are increasingly important for marketers and retailers. A key phenomenon of social media platforms is that groups of people who share similar interests crea...
Photocurrent in Metal-Halide Perovskite/Organic Semiconductor Heterostructures: Impact of Microstructure on Charge Generation Efficiency

Hybrid organic-inorganic metal-halide perovskites have emerged as versatile materials for enabling low-cost, mechanically flexible optoelectronic applications. The progress has been commendable; however, technological breakthroughs have outgrown the basic understanding of processes occurring in bulk and at device interfaces. Here, we investigated the photocurrent at perovskite/organic semiconductor interfaces in relation to the microstructure of electronically active layers. We found that the photocurrent response is significantly enhanced in the bilayer structure as a result of a more efficient dissociation of the photogenerated excitons and trions in the perovskite layer. The increase in the grain size within the organic semiconductor layer results in reduced trapping and further enhances the photocurrent by extending the photocarriers' lifetime. The photodetector responsivity and detectivity have improved by 1 order of magnitude in the optimized samples, reaching values of 6.1 ± 1.1 A W-1, and 1.5 × 1011 ± 4.7 × 1010 Jones, respectively, and the current-voltage hysteresis has been eliminated. Our results highlight the importance of fine-tuning film microstructure in reducing the loss processes in thin-film optoelectronics based on metal-halide semiconductors and provide a powerful interfacial design method to consistently achieve high-performance photodetectors.
Infectious Uveitis

Infectious uveitis is one of the most common and visually devastating causes of uveitis in the US and worldwide. This review provides a summary of the identification, treatment, and complications associated with certain forms of viral, bacterial, fungal, helminthic, and parasitic uveitis. In particular, this article reviews the literature on identification and treatment of acute retinal necrosis due to herpes simplex virus and varicella virus as well as cytomegalovirus retinitis. While no agreed-upon treatment has been identified, the characteristics of Ebola virus panuveitis is also reviewed. In addition, forms of parasitic infection such as Toxoplasmosis and Toxocariasis are summarized, as well as spirochetal uveitis. Syphilitic retinitis is reviewed given its increase in prevalence over the last decade. The importance of early identification and treatment of infectious uveitis is emphasized. Early identification can be achieved with a combination of maintaining a high suspicion, recognizing certain clinical features, utilizing multi-modal imaging, and obtaining specimens for molecular diagnostic testing.
Alzheimer's disease-associated β-Amyloid does not protect against Herpes Simplex Virus 1 brain infection

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is devastating fatal neurodegenerative disease. An alternative to the amyloid cascade hypothesis is the hypothesis that a viral infection is key to the etiology of late-onset AD, with amyloid Aβ peptides playing a protective role. Contrary to previous work, in the current study the 5XFAD genotype failed to protect mice against infection with two strains of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), 17syn+ and McKrae. Moreover, the region- or cell-specific tropisms of HSV-1 were not affected by the 5XFAD genotype, arguing that host-pathogen interactions were not altered. In aged 5XFAD mice with abundant Aβ plaques, only small, statistically non-significant protection against acute HSV-1 infection was observed, yet no colocalization between HSV-1 and Aβ plaques was found. While the current study questions the antiviral role of APP or Aβ, it neither supports nor refutes the viral etiology hypothesis of late-onset AD.
Modulation of Continuous-Wave Magnetrons*

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the techniques for frequency and amplitude modulation of continuous-wave (cw) magnetrons. The techniques for frequency modulation discussed are by spiral electron beams and electron clouds. The techniques for amplitude modulation discussed are by using absorption by a spiral electron beam, electron coupler, and plate modulation of a magnetron with simultaneous frequency control. The chapter also discusses voltage tuning of cw magnetrons, modulation by injection phase locking, and frequency control of modulated oscillators.
Geochemical effects of rapid sedimentation in aquatic systems: Minimal diagenesis and the preservation of historical metal signatures

Rapid sedimentation exerts a pronounced influence on early sedimentary diagenesis in that there is insufficient time for a sediment particle to equilibrate in any one sediment layer before that layer may be displaced vertically by another layer. These sedimentation patterns are common in surface-water reservoirs whose sedimentation rates (1-10 cm yr-1) are several orders of magnitude greater than those for natural lakes (0.01-0.5 cm yr-1). Two examples of the effects of rapid sedimentation on geochemical metal signatures are presented here. Interstitial-water data (Fe) from two sites in the Cheyenne River Embayment of Lake Oahe on the Missouri River illustrate the effects of changing sedimentation rates on dissolved species. Rapid burial during high-flow yrs appears to limit early sedimentary diagenesis to aerobic respiration. Solid-phase metal data (Pb) from a site in Pueblo Reservoir on the upper Arkansas River in Colorado appear to record historical releases by flooding of abandoned mine sites upstream in Leadville, Colorado. Interstitial-water ammonia and ferrous Fe data indicate that at least one interval at depth in the sediment where solid metal concentrations peak is a zone of minimal diagenesis. The principal diagenetic reactions that occur in these sediments are aerobic respiration and the reduction of Mn and Fe oxides. Under slower sedimentation conditions, there is sufficient time for particulate organic matter to decompose and create a diagenetic environment where metal oxides may not be stable. The quasi-steady-state interstitial Fe profiles from Tidal Potomac River sediments are an example of such a situation. This occurs primarily because the residence time of particles in the surficial sediment column is long enough to allow benthic organisms and bacteria to perform their metabolic functions. When faster sedimentation prevails, there is less time for these metabolic reactions to occur since the organisms do not occupy a sediment layer for any length of time. Also, the quantity and quality of the organic matter input to the sediment layer is important in that reservoirs often receive more terrestrial organic matter than natural lakes and this terrestrial organic matter is generally more refractory than autochthonous aquatic organic matter.
Professional Services Marketing: A House of Quality Approach

ABSTRACT The article discusses a professional services marketing and quality project conducted for the Financial Services Group, a division of a 10,000-member retail cooperative. The project combined primary and secondary research to obtain comprehensive information about the perceptions and expectations of customers, as well as the company's and its competitors' performance levels. The result of the research was a set of recommendations that were able to be readily implemented and helpful in enhancing customer satisfaction, market share and profitability of the Financial Services Group. In addition to outlining the impact of the changes in this company, the paper also introduces a generic framework for similar professional service providers to institute quality and service improvements in their organizations.
Z-DNA: the long road to biological function

Biologists were puzzled by the discovery of left-handed Z-DNA because it seemed unnecessary. Z-DNA was stabilized by the negative supercoiling generated by transcription, which indicated a transient localized conformational change. Few laboratories worked on the biology of Z-DNA. However, the discovery that certain classes of proteins bound to Z-DNA with high affinity and great specificity indicated a biological role. The most recent data show that some of these proteins participate in the pathology of poxviruses.
Evolution of alkalic lavas at Haleakala Volcano, east Maui, Hawaii.

The postshield and posterosional stages of Haleakala Volcano contain intercalated alkalic basalt and evolved alkalic lavas. Isotopic and incompatible element abundance ratios in the Haleakala postshield basalts changed systematically with time, providing evidence for significant temporal changes in the mantle components contributing to the magmatic sources. Specifically, a depleted, i.e. low87Sr/86Sr and high143Nd/144Nd, mantle component is more abundant in younger lavas. However, as magma-production rates decreased during the postshield and posterosional stages, basaltic melts in magma reservoirs cooled and fractionated, leading to evolved residual melts such as hawaiite. Because primary basalt compositions changed with time, the evolved Haleakala lavas formed from a range of parental compositions. However, basalts and evolved lavas of similar age and isotopic ratios (Sr and Nd) have major and trace element contents that are consistent with a crystal-fractionation model. Although alkalic basalt and hawaiite are the dominant lavas of the postshield stages of both Haleakala and Mauna Kea volcanoes, there are important differences between their lavas. For example, compositional differences between the hawaiite suites at Haleakala and Mauna Kea indicate that, on average, the evolved lavas at Haleakala formed at lower pressures. Also, at Haleakala basalts are intercalated with hawaiites, whereas at Mauna Kea basalts and hawaiites are separated by a sharp boundary. These differences probably reflect a higher magma supply rate to the Haleakala volcano.
Vocational rehabilitation in Zimbabwe: a socio-historical analysis

This article reviews the social history of vocational rehabilitation in Zimbabwe as developments from the inside or the outside. The reviews take into account indigenous approaches to employment and occupation, missionary and colonial legacies, the post-colonial period, and examples of recent African developments as parts of the complex picture of vocational rehabilitation. Both inside and outside forces are marking the current situation. For consideration for further study and development are the impact of migration, the impact of colonial legacy, and the phenomenon of begging. The article concludes with raising the need of a platform to discuss vocational rehabilitation and disability issues related to Africa. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Evaluation of a 7-Methoxycoumarin-3-carboxylic Acid Ester Derivative as a Fluorescent, Cell-Cleavable, Phosphonate Protecting Group.

Cell-cleavable protecting groups often enhance cellular delivery of species that are charged at physiological pH. Although several phosphonate protecting groups have achieved clinical success, it remains difficult to use these prodrugs in live cells to clarify biological mechanisms. Here, we present a strategy that uses a 7-methoxycoumarin-3-carboxylic acid ester as a fluorescent protecting group. This strategy was applied to synthesis of an (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl diphosphate (HMBPP) analogue to assess cellular uptake and human Vγ9Vδ2 T cell activation. The fluorescent ester displayed low cellular toxicity (IC50 >100 μm) and strong T cell activation (EC50 =0.018 μm) relative to the unprotected anion (EC50 =23 μm). The coumarin-derived analogue allowed no-wash analysis of biological deprotection, which revealed rapid internalization of the prodrug. These results demonstrate that fluorescent groups can be applied both as functional drug delivery tools and useful biological probes of drug uptake.
Multiresolution Analysis of Fractal Image Compression

In this research, we perform a multiresolution analysis of the mappings used in fractal image compression. We derive the transform-domain structure of the mappings and demonstrate a close connection between fractal image compression and wavelet transform coding using the Haar basis. We show that under certain conditions, the mappings correspond to a hierarchy of affine mappings between the subbands of the transformed image. Our analysis provides new insights into the mechanism underlying fractal image compression, leads to a new non-iterative transform-domain decoding algorithm, and suggests a new transform-domain encoding method with extensions to wavelets other than the Haar transform.
Simulation of turbulent heat transfer in a rotating duct

'Tilton, D. E., Ambrose, J. H., and Chow, L. C., "Closed-System, High-Flux Evaporative Spray Cooling," Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE-892316, Sept. 1989. Choi, K. J., and Yao, S. C., "Mechanism of Film Boiling Heat Transfer of Normally Impacting Spray," International ] ournal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 30, No. 2, 1987, pp. 311-318. Oka, T., Abe, Y., Mori, Y. H., and Nagashima, A., "Pool Boiling of /z-Pentane, CFC-113 and Water Under Reduced Gravity," Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Journal of Heat Transfer (to be published).
Meshfree natural vibration analysis of 2D structures

Determination of resonance frequencies and vibration modes of mechanical structures is one of the most important tasks in the product design procedure. The main goal of this paper is to describe a pioneering application of the solution structure method (SSM) to 2D structural natural vibration analysis problems and investigate the numerical properties of the method. SSM is a meshfree method which enables construction of the solutions to the engineering problems that satisfy exactly all prescribed boundary conditions. This method is capable of using spatial meshes that do not conform to the shape of a geometric model. Instead of using the grid nodes to enforce boundary conditions, it employs distance fields to the geometric boundaries and combines them with the basis functions and prescribed boundary conditions at run time. This defines unprecedented geometric flexibility of the SSM as well as the complete automation of the solution procedure. In the paper we will explain the key points of the SSM as well as investigate the accuracy and convergence of the proposed approach by comparing our results with the ones obtained using analytical methods or traditional finite element analysis. Despite in this paper we are dealing with 2D in-plane vibrations, the proposed approach has a straightforward generalization to model vibrations of 3D structures.
Nystatin-perforated patch recordings disclose NMDA-induced outward currents in cultured neocortical neurons

Abstract Excitatory amino acid-induced responses were studied in cultured rat neocortical neurons using two types of whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Conventional recording methods, using either KCl or CsCl in the patch pipet, showed N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) currents to be biphasic, consisting of peak and steady-state currents with similar reversal potentials. Recordings obtained with the nystatin-perforated patch method and KCl as the principal intracellular cation disclosed an NMDA-evoked outward current. Outward currents were not seen with either recording method in response to kainate or quisqualate, nor in response to NMDA when CsCl was the major intracellular cation. The NMDA-evoked outward current is attributed to activation of a potassium current by calcium entering through the NMDA channel. This outward current may serve to limit neuronal depolarization during excessive NMDA-mediated excitation.
Correlation between Doppler vascular density and PSA response to radiation therapy in patients with localized prostate carcinoma.

Abstract Rationale and Objectives The authors performed this study to ascertain whether there is a correlation between pretreatment Doppler vascular density (DVD) of the prostate and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response following radiation therapy in prostate cancer patients. Materials and Methods Prior to radiation therapy, 14 patients with biopsy-proven carcinoma (of Gleason grades 2–7) were imaged with transrectal ultrasound in gray-scale, color Doppler, and power Doppler modes. The Doppler images were analyzed for mean DVD with the aid of a computer program. PSA levels were measured before therapy and every 3 months after therapy. The PSA measurements were fitted to an exponential to determine PSA halving time (T1/2). Correlations were made between T1/2> and the following pretherapy measurements: mean DVD, PSA level, prostate volume, and Gleason grade. Results Median follow-up time was 392 days. A linear correlation with regression coefficient (R) of 0.75–0.80 was observed between mean DVD and T1/2> for color Doppler and power Doppler imaging. In both imaging modes, each percentage increase in mean DVD led to an increase in T1/2> by 25 days. Pretherapy prostate volume, PSA level, and Gleason score did not correlate with T1/2>. Conclusion The pretreatment mean DVD correlates inversely with the rate of posttherapy decline in PSA in patients with prostate cancer. That is, pretreatment vascularity prognosticates postirradiation PSA response. The mechanism underlying this correlative relationship is not known.
Generation X and Religion: Evaluating and Improving Existing Distribution Strategies

This manuscript reviews the challenge of increasing the participation in organized religions among members of Generation X. Given the pervasiveness of Consumerism in American society, this Generati...
Academic Resiliency Among Dominican English-Language Learners

This study examined how Dominican English-language learners at Bronx Community College achieved academic resiliency despite facing personal, academic, and environmental adversities. Using individual interviews, data were analyzed from the perception of students. A resilient-based model emerged that sheds light on the personal barriers experienced by Dominican English-language learners in an urban community college and the facilitating factors which fostered educational resiliency. The author found seven resiliency factors that contributed to the academic achievement of Dominican English-language learners: (a) faculty support, (b) tutoring support, (c) counseling support, (d) peer support, (e) family support, (f) self-motivation, and (g) bi-cultural identity development.
Exploring User Acceptance of a Text-Message Based Health Intervention

Information technology has been used in diverse ways. It has been utilized to reduce costs in the public sector and increase consumer satisfaction in the private sector. Technology may also be instrumental in improving individuals' healthy behaviors. For instance, statistics suggest that technology-based interventions may promote healthy sexual behaviors, however, few studies have explored willingness to participate in technology mediated interventions. This study uses Diffusion of Innovation Theory to identify factors that influence one's intention to use a text-message service to receive sexual health information. The results indicate that technology adoption factors rather than risk beliefs and privacy concerns impacted participant's intention to use a text-message intervention. The findings of this study have significant implications for innovative uses of technology to promote health.
Terminal Satire and Jude the Obscure

MOSTLY THE SATIRISTS Two words haunted Thomas Hardy in the years he was plotting and composing Jude the Obscure . The first of these, satire , litters his notebooks and diaries of the era, and it appears with remarkable frequency in the finished novel itself. The word first surfaces when Jude receives his cousin Sue's letter stating her decision to marry his former schoolmaster Phillotson. The letter is brutally short; Sue is so formal that she signs her complete name. Hardy then shifts to Jude's reaction: Jude staggered under the news; could eat no breakfast; and kept on drinking tea because his mouth was so dry. Then presently he went back to his work and laughed the usual bitter laugh of a man so confronted. Everything seemed turning to satire. And yet, what could the poor girl do? he asked himself: and felt worse than shedding tears. The sentence in question seems deliberately vague, as if Jude's paranoid sense of victimhood cannot place the source of the cruel joke to which he has been subjected. The satire is on Jude. But from what or from whom does this satire issue – from Sue, or Phillotson, or God? This question may be simply another useless effort to pursue the elusive riddle of Jude the Obscure , which is the problem of knowing why Jude Fawley must suffer so intensely and relentlessly. The satirist in question must be elusive.
The Virtual Reality of GIS

In this paper, I review the development of three-dimensional geographic information systems (GISs) and demonstrate how we can move beyond this to extend GIS to virtual reality. Existing elements of GIS which can imply three-dimensional representation, namely two-dimensional representation, digital elevation modeling, and visualization techniques, are first reviewed. Then it is argued that new techniques in multimedia, three-dimensional modeling and virtual reality are now at the point where they might be embodied in GIS. However, to do this, a true three-dimensional GIS must enable the following functions: realistic representation of the third dimension in data and in visualization, free movement of the user within the three-dimensional representation, normal GIS functions such as query, overlay, etc, but within three-dimensional data space, and visibility functions such as line of sight and related requirements. These ideas are then illustrated with several demonstrations being developed using new genera...
Visualizing the impact of space-time uncertainties on dengue fever patterns

In this article, we evaluate the impact of positional and temporal inaccuracies on the mapping and detection of potential outbreaks of dengue fever in Cali, an urban environment of Colombia. Positional uncertainties in input data are determined by comparison between coordinates following an automated geocoding process and those extracted from on-field GPS measurements. Temporal uncertainties are modeled around the incubation period for dengue fever. To test the robustness of disease intensities in space and time when accounting for the potential space-time error, each dengue case is perturbed using Monte Carlo simulations. A space-time kernel density estimation (STKDE) is conducted on both perturbed and observed sets of dengue cases. To reduce the computational effort, we use a parallel spatial computing solution. The results are visualized in a 3D framework, which facilitates the discovery of new, significant space-time patterns and shapes of dengue outbreaks while enhancing our understanding of complex ...
Work incentives and salary distributions in the national hockey league

Students of efficiency wage models of the labor market hold that contracts which base rewards on an ordering of employee performance will induce employees to work harder [Lazear and Rosen, "Rank-Order Tournaments as Optimum Labor Contracts," JPE, 89, October 1981, pp. 841-64]. But perhaps there are strong work disincentives associated with such contracts. Empirical support for this counterfactual may be found in professional team sports. Players (and, more vociferously, their fans) complain about the extraordinary sums of money team owners spend to sign international stars. The size of these superstar contracts may not only anger veterans on the team but adversely affect overall team performance. To determine whether or not the structure of compensation has any effect on worker shirking, Gird coefficients were calculated for all 26 teams in the National Hockey League. Player salary data for 1996-97 are from www.nhlpa.com/nhlpa/comp/compteam.html. (Salaries of some Canadian players, reported in Canadian dollars, were adjusted at the rate of $1 Canadian = U.S. $0.74, the foreign exchange quote for 1996IV in the 1997 Economic Report of the President.) The larger a team's Gird coefficient, the more unequal is the salary distribution. A Gird coefficient of 1 would represent complete inequality (one player earns all of the team's payroll) and a Gird coefficient of 0 would represent complete equality of the salary distribution. Season-ending point totals (two points for a win, one for a tie, and no points for a loss) by team were regressed on the team's Gird coefficient and average team salary. The reason for including the average team salary in the regression is the belief that players care more about their relative team position than about their salary relative to the league average. The regression results were as follows (t-values in parentheses):
Efficient recyclable organic solar cells on cellulose nanocrystal substrates with a conducting polymer top electrode deposited by film-transfer lamination

We report on efficient solar cells on recyclable cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) substrates with a new device structure wherein polyethylenimine-modified Ag is used as the bottom electron-collecting electrode and high-conductivity poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS, PH1000) is used as the semitransparent top holecollecting electrode. The PEDOT:PSS top electrode is deposited by a film-transfer lamination technique. This dry process avoids swelling damage to the CNC substrate, which is observed when PEDOT:PSS is directly spin-coated from an aqueous solution. Solar cells on recyclable CNC substrates exhibit a maximum power conversion efficiency of 4.0% with a large fill factor of 0.64 ± 0.02 when illuminated through the top semitransparent PEDOT:PSS electrode. The performance of solar cells on CNC substrates is comparable to that of reference solar cells on polyethersulfone substrates.
The freckle sign--an endoscopic feature of the cecum.

Mucosal spots, or “freckles”, surrounding the appendiceal orifice are an endoscopie feature of the cecum. These are clusters of 1 to 2 mm round or oval slightly raised spots, each with a pale center and an erythematous border. They correlate microscopically with subepithelial and submucosal lymphoid follicles. The freckling pattern, identified in about one third of colonoscopies, was seen best with the videoendoscope and was identified more commonly in patients with systemic illness. Recognition of mucosal freckling around the appendiceal orifice helps identify the cecum and may be useful in the evaluation of cecal and appendiceal pathology.
New Drug for Type 2 Diabetes.

* A new sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, dapagliflozin (Farxiga), has been approved to control type 2 diabetes. * Hypotension is possible with dapagliflozin use, and the drug can alter renal function. Hypovolemia should be corrected prior to the start of treatment. Kidney function and glucose levels should be assessed throughout therapy. * The most common adverse effects are genital yeast infections, nasopharyngitis, and urinary tract infections.
APPROACHES FOR TEACHING DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN AMBULATORY PRIMARY CARE CLINICS. † 809

APPROACHES FOR TEACHING DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN AMBULATORY PRIMARY CARE CLINICS. † 809
Regiospecific transfer of tritium into 3H2O from labeled estrogens by mushroom tyrosinase

The specificity of mushroom tyrosinase in displacing 3H from estradiol and catechol estrogens labeled at C-1, C-2, C-4 or C-6,7 was investigated under various conditions. [2-3H]E2 Yielded significant amounts of 3H2O, in the presence of NADH, and the rate of 3H loss from the steroid paralleled that of the radioactivity remaining in the aqueous fraction after extraction with organic solvents. NADH had little effect on the release of 3H from [1-3H]E2 or [4-3H]E2 but glutathione was highly active in this respect, with considerable differences being observed between lyophilizable 3H2O and yields of water-soluble products. It is proposed that 3H losses from C-2 of estradiol reflects oxidative displacement of this isotope by tyrosinase while the loss observed from C-1 and C-4 is the result of non-enzymatic conjugation with glutathione after the formation of the catechol estrogen. The difference between lyophilizable 3H2O and the yield of water-soluble products obtained with [1-3H]E2 and [4-3H]E2 provided a measure of the relative amount of conjugation occurring at C-1 and C-4. These findings were confirmed by double label experiments with 3H- and 14C-labeled estrogens and the isolation of the glutathionyl derivatives. The catechol estrogens did not serve as substrates for further hydroxylation by the enzyme even when C-2 was available for this reaction. These experiments give further information about the specificity of tyrosinase in its reaction with aromatic steroids and provide a simple and rapid method for confirming the distribution of 3H at C-2 or C-4 of estradiol.
The production of phosphatidylinositol trisphosphate is stimulated by thrombin in human platelets

Abstract Untreated human platelets labeled to equilibrium with 32 P i contained undetectable levels of 3-phosphorylated phosphoinositides. Stimulation of platelets with thrombin for 5 min resulted in an enormous increase in the amount of phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate (Nolan and Lapetina, J. Biol. Chem. 265 , 2441–2445; 1990). We now report that the levels of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate are greatly elevated within 90 s of treatment of platelets with thrombin. Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-phosphate might have an important role in platelet aggregation.
A psychophysical metric for visual space perception.

A new psychophysical metric is proposed for the measurement of visual cues in space perception. Its application to the discrimination of distance by means of binocular disparity, monocular movement parallax and linear perspective is discussed. Experiments are described in which the validity of the proposed psychophysical metric is tested in relation to judgments of visual slant and shape
974-39 Differential Response of Left Ventricular Work Efficiency and Inotropy to Dobutamine in the Failing Canine Heart

Left ventricular work efficiency (LVWE), a measure of the efficiency of energy transfer from LV to systemic circulation, declines as heart failure (CHF) becomes more severe. We compared changes in the response of LVWE and inotropy to dobutamine as progressively more severe CHF was induced by tachypacing. Seventeen dogs (weights 19–24 kg) were instrumented with micromanometer catheters, Ultrasonic crystals and a pacemaker and paced at 215–240 bpm over 3 weeks. Ventricular volumes and pressures were digitally acquired at baseline and weekly over 3 weeks. Pressure-volume area (PVA), external work (EW), end-systolic pressure-volume relation slope (E es ) and arterial elastance (E a ) were derived from variably loaded beats after IVC occlusion. The LVWE was calculated as EW/PVA. Measurements were made with and without dobutamine (DOB) at 10 μg/kg/min. Results Baseline CHF 1 CHF 2 CHF 3 EW(mmHg * ml) 1308 ± 663 1050 ± 542 861 ± 633 * 738 ± 506 * % † on DOB +80 ± 34 +133 ± 71 +145 ± 89 +222 ± 188 * LVVVE(%) 52 ± 8 42 ± 10 * 36 ± 10 * 33 ± 11 * % † on DOB +65 ± 27 +77 ± 26 +108 ± 77 * +115 ± 1.2 * E es (mmHg/ml) 5.1 ± 2.9 3.8 ± 1.6 2.9 ± 1.6 * 2.5 ± 1.0 * % † on DOB +269 ± 159 +135 ± 118 * +125 ± 31 * +131 ± 58 * peak + dP/dt (mmHg/s) 1680 ± 482 1312 ± 354 * 1008 ± 178 * 1080 ± 325 * % † on DOB +162 ± 63 105 ± 49 * 108 ± 52 * +81 ± 42 * E a /E es ratio 2.0 ± 08 3.7 ± 2.4 * 4.1 ± 2.2 * 4.1 ± 1.6 * % ↓ on DOB –78 ± 11 –72 ± 9 –73 ± 9 –65 ± 4 * * p l 0.05 vs baseline The inotropic responsiveness of the LV is significantly reduced in CHF as demonstrated by the response of E es and +dP/dt to DOB. However, EW on DOB in CHF is not significantly different than at baseline (1924 ± 1205 vs 2269 ± 1051 mmHg * ml). This is caused by a greater increase in LVWE on DOB in CHF Improved LVWE and E a /E es coupling is an important mechanism for enhanced LV pump performance in CHF and helps counterbalance the reduction of inotropic responsiveness of the LV as CHF progresses.
Effects of intensive insulin therapy alone and in combination with pioglitazone on body weight, composition, distribution and liver fat content in patients with type 2 diabetes

Aim: To evaluate the effects of intensive insulin therapy alone and with added pioglitazone on body weight, fat distribution, lean body mass (LBM) and liver fat in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: Twenty-five insulin-treated, obese patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized to addition of pioglitazone 45 mg (n = 12) or placebo (n = 13) and treated intensively for 12–16 weeks. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry/abdominal computed tomography scans were performed before/after treatment. LBM, visceral/subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT/SAT) and liver/spleen (L/S) attenuation ratios were measured pre-/posttreatment (a ratio <1 represents fatty liver). Results: Intensive insulin alone and insulin + pioglitazone significantly improved glycaemic control (7.8 ± 0.3 to 7.2 ± 0.3% and 7.6 ± 0.3 to 7.1 ± 0.4%, respectively). Body weight gain was greater with insulin + pioglitazone (4.9 ± 4.5 kg) versus insulin therapy alone (1.7 ± 0.7 kg). SAT increased significantly with pioglitazone + insulin therapy (393.9 ± 48.5 to 443.2 ± 56.7 cm2, p < 0.01) compared to a non-significant increase with insulin therapy alone (412.9 ± 42.5 to 420.8 ± 43.8 cm2). VAT decreased non-significantly in both groups (240.3 ± 41.7 to 223.8 ± 38.1 cm2 with insulin + pioglitazone and 266.6 ± 27.4 to 250.5 ± 22.2 cm2 with insulin therapy). LBM increased significantly by 1.92 ± 0.74 kg with insulin + pioglitazone treatment. The L/S attenuation ratio in the placebo + insulin group decreased from 1.08 ± 0.1 to 1.04 ± 0.1 (p = ns) and increased from 1.00 ± 0.1 to 1.08 ± 0.05 (p = 0.06) in the pioglitazone + insulin group. Conclusions: Intensification of insulin therapy in type 2 diabetic patients causes modest weight gain and no change in body fat distribution, LBM or liver fat. In contrast, the addition of pioglitazone, at equivalent glycaemia, increases weight gain, fat mass and SAT; increases LBM and tends to decrease liver fat. These changes in fat distribution may contribute to the beneficial effects of pioglitazone, despite greater weight gain.
Public Perceptions in Water Quality Evaluation

: A Visual Perception Test, consisting of photographic slides of water sites, was designed to examine laymen's water quality perceptions. The slides were taken at five water sites where the level of visual pollution was artifically altered by the investigator. Analysis of variance indicated that the water sites were evaluated differently for each of five pollution levels. Increases in water discoloration and the quality of litter were viewed as increases in level of pollution. Laymen not only evaluated visually polluted sites lower for uses such as picnicking, but they also evaluated the quality of the actual water lower. Stepwise multiple regression indicated that a combination of water color, scenic beauty appreciation, quality of the surrounding environment and industry as a pollution source explained 73 percent of the variance in predicting Overall Pollution. Application of factor analysis simplified the variables to an Overall Pollution Factor and a Boating Use Factor.
THROMBOTIC MICROANGIOPATHIES ASSOCIATED WITH DRUGS AND BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

This type of thrombotic microangiopathy more commonly resembles the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) than thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). The syndrome has been associated with the use of cyclosporin, mitomycin C, combinations of other chemotherapeutic and immunosuppressive agents, and total body irradiation. Endothelial cell injury and von Willebrand factor may be involved in pathogenesis of the intravascular platelet aggregation and tissue (especially renal) ischemia and infarction that characterize the entity. The most effective therapy for thrombotic microangiopathy associated with drugs and bone marrow transplantation has not been determined.
Understanding East Asian international relations

It will hardly have escaped even the most myopic observer of international relations that we all have to become familiar with the East Asian region. This new engine of growth in the global economy is transforming the patterns of economic, military and even cultural dimensions of global power. Long gone are the days when a specialist on British foreign policy was considered an international relations authority, while someone who studied Chinese foreign policy was a mere area studies expert.
Deposition of PtxRu1-x Catalysts for Methanol Oxidation in Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Platinum-ruthenium electrodes (PtxRu1-x) have been prepared by elec- trochemical and electroless deposition and investigated as catalysts for the oxidation of methanol in acidic solutions. PtxRu1-x deposits were electrochemically deposited from acidic chloride electrolytes at potentials between -0.46 and 0.34 V (vs. NHE). The composition of the electrodeposit was estimated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and is a strong function of the electrode potential. An empirical model for the deposition process is presented and kinetic parameters are estimated and dis- cussed. Also, the methanol oxidation activity of the PtxRu1-x catalysts was character- ized by cyclic voltammetry in 1.0 M CH3OH, 1.0 M H2SO4 solutions. Electroless PtxRu1-x samples were prepared in a modified Leaman bath with hydrazine dihydrochloride as the reducing agent. The kinetic results for the electro- chemical deposition of PtxRu1-x were directly applied and the deposition potential was estimated as approximately 0.40 V.
DNA fingerprinting: Basic techniques, problems, and solutions

Abstract The series of techniques and procedures commonly known as “DNA fingerprinting” is gaining acceptance among members of the legal profession. This article reviews the current state of this young science by outlining the scientific protocols and the nature of the mathematical calculations leading to the exclusion or inclusion of individuals in legal matters. In addition, some of the problems inherent in DNA fingerprinting as it is currently done are discussed. Technologies and ideas that will improve the current situation are presented, and areas in need of further basic research are identified.
Influence of Formulation and Other Factors on the Release of Chlorpheniramine Mateate from Polymer Coated Beads

AbstractControlled release beads containing chlorpheniramine maleate, coated with Eudragit RL and RS, were prepared using the Wurster process. The effect of membrane thickness, polymer ratio of the coating material, agitation speed and pH of the dissolution medium on drug release were investigated using the USP dissolution basket method. The in vitro release of drug was described adequately by a previously published equation. The release rate constant (K) was dependent on the membrane thickness, the polymer ratio and pH of the dissolution medium. On the other hand, agitation speed used in this study did not have any influence on the release of the drug.