cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in Food Cravings and Eating Behavior after a Dietary Carbohydrate Restriction Intervention Trial.

Compared to low-fat diets, low-carbohydrate (CHO) diets cause weight loss (WL) over a faster time frame; however, it is unknown how changes in food cravings and eating behavior contribute to this more rapid WL in the early phases of dieting. We hypothesized that reductions in food cravings and improved eating behaviors would be evident even after a relatively short (4-week) duration of CHO-restriction, and that these changes would be associated with WL. Adult participants (n = 19, 53% males, mean ± SD: BMI = 34.1 ± 0.8 kg/m2; age 40.6 ± 1.9 years) consumed a CHO-restricted diet (14% CHO, 58% fat, 28% protein) for 4 weeks. Before and after the intervention, specific and total cravings were measured with the Food Craving Inventory (FCI) and eating behaviors assessed with the Three-Factor Eating questionnaire. Food cravings were significantly reduced at week 4, while women had significantly greater reductions in sweet cravings than men. Dietary restraint was significantly increased by 102%, while disinhibiton and hunger scores were reduced (17% and 22%, respectively, p < 0.05). Changes in cravings were unrelated to changes in body weight except for the change in high-fat cravings where those who lost the most weight experienced the least reductions in fat cravings (r = −0.458, p = 0.049). Changes in dietary restraint were inversely related to several FCI subscales. A short-term, low-CHO diet was effective in reducing food cravings. These data suggest that in subjects that have successfully lost weight on a low-CHO diet, those who craved high-fat foods at the onset were able to satisfy their cravings—potentially due to the high-fat nature of this restricted diet.
Individualized Instruction - Who Needs It?.

JFrom an elementary principal's point of view, few changes in education have created as many joys or headaches as the contemporary implementation of individualized instruction. It is easy to spot an elementary school principal who has recently inaugurated an individualized-instruction program. In all probability, he is slightly paranoid; his professional life is a delirious mixture of smiles and heartaches. At the
Pacific walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) reproductive capacity changes in three time frames during 1975–2010

Reductions in sea ice and increases in air and seawater temperatures have been documented in the Arctic, making female Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) vulnerable to changes in foraging, energy budgets, and reproductive fitness. The aim of the present study was to assess how walrus reproductive capacity has changed over a span of 35 years analyzing ovaries from three distinct time frames: 1975, 1994 to 1999 and 2008 to 2010. Ovarian weights and volumes, corpora lutea diameter, total number of corpora lutea and albicantia, and the percent of females ovulating in their current cycle were used to evaluate reproductive capacity. Ovaries were collected from walruses hunted by Alaska Native communities for subsistence purposes. There were no differences in ovarian weights or percent of quiescent females between 1975 and 2008 to 2010. Ovaries from 1994 to 1999 were significantly heavier, exhibited more corpora, and all females from this time frame were ovulating at the time of harvest. Reproductive capacity was limited during 1975, due to known density-dependent stressors; reproductive capacity increased during 1994–1999, as harvests increased and more resources became available, and in 2008–2010, females were as reproductively limited as those of 1975. The cause for this reduction in reproductive capacity is unknown, but maybe a result of multiple factors, including an increase in population size coincident with a decrease in carrying capacity, and cumulative stressors relating to sea ice loss, contaminants, and anthropogenic impacts.
Assessment of patient and provider attitudes towards therapeutic drug monitoring to improve medication adherence in low-income patients with hypertension: a qualitative study.

Objectives Previous studies have implicated therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), by measuring serum or urine drug levels, as a highly reliable technique for detecting medication non-adherence but the attitudes of patients and physicians toward TDM have not been evaluated previously. Accordingly, we solicited input from patients with uncontrolled hypertension and their physicians about their views on TDM. Design Prospective analysis of responses to a set of questions during semistructured interviews. Setting Outpatient clinics in an integrated health system which provides care for a low-income, uninsured population. Participants Patients with uncontrolled hypertension with either systolic blood pressure of at least 130 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of at least 80 mm Hg despite antihypertensive drugs and providers in the general cardiology and internal medicine clinics. Primary and secondary outcome measures Attitudes towards TDM and the potential impact on physician–patient relationship. Results We interviewed 11 patients and 10 providers and discussed the findings with 13 community advisory panel (CAP) members. Of the patients interviewed, 91% (10 of 11) and all 10 providers thought TDM was a good idea and should be used regularly to better understand the reasons for poorly controlled hypertension. However, 63% (7 of 11) of patients and 20% of providers expressed reservations that TDM could negatively impact the physician–patient relationship. Despite some concerns, the majority of patients, providers and CAP members believed that if test results are communicated without blaming patients, the potential benefits of TDM in identifying suboptimal adherence and eliciting barriers to adherence outweighed the risks. Conclusion The idea of TDM is well accepted by patients and their providers. TDM information if delivered in a non-judgmental manner, to encourage an honest conversation between patients and physicians, has the potential to reduce patient–physician communication obstacles and to identify barriers to adherence which, when overcome, can improve health outcomes.
Thioredoxin deficiency exacerbates vascular dysfunction during diet‐induced obesity in small mesenteric artery in mice

Objective Thioredoxin (Trx) is a small cellular redox protein with established antioxidant and disulfide reductase properties. We hypothesized that Trx deficiency in mice would cause increased oxidative stress with consequent redox imbalance that would exacerbate obesity-induced vascular dysfunction. Methods Non-transgenic (NT, C57BL/6) and dominant-negative Trx (dnTrx-Tg, low levels of redox-active protein) mice were either fed a normal diet (NC) or high fat diet plus sucrose (HFS) diet for 4 months (3-month HFD+ 1-month HFS). Weight gain, glucose tolerance test (GTT), insulin tolerance test (ITT), and other metabolic parameters were performed following NC or HFS diet. Arterial structural remodeling and functional parameters were assessed by myography. Results Our study found that dnTrx mice with lower levels of active Trx exacerbated myogenic tone, inward arterial remodeling, arterial stiffening, phenylephrine-induced contraction, and endothelial dysfunction of MA. Additionally, FeTMPyP, a peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst, acutely decreased myogenic tone and contraction and normalized endothelial function in MA from dnTrx-Tg mice on HFS via increasing nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation. Conclusions Our results indicate that deficiency of active Trx exacerbates MA contractile and relaxing properties during diet-induced obesity demonstrating that loss of redox balance in obesity is a key mechanism of vascular endothelial dysfunction.
Wood identification based on longitudinal section images by using deep learning

Automatic species identification has the potential to improve the efficacy and automation of wood processing systems significantly. Recent advances in deep learning allowed for the automation of many previously difficult tasks, and in this paper, we investigate the feasibility of using deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for hardwood lumber identification. In particular, two highly effective CNNs (ResNet-50 and DenseNet-121) as well as lightweight MobileNet-V2 were tested. Overall, 98.2% accuracy was achieved for 11 common hardwood species classification tasks.
Reconstructing Newton’s Law of Universal Gravity as a Covariate Relation

Research shows that students have difficulties explaining the underlying principles of Newton’s law of universal gravity and algebraically formulating equations for an object’s motion when forces act-at-a-distance. This study contributes to that research; it attempts to generalize possible causes of these challenges by zooming into underlying principles of mutual attractions of two objects and suggest a treatment. A survey of college freshman physics students (N = 25) has revealed that they cannot explain why the mutual forces of attraction are the same and confuse the gravitational force concept with the gravitational field. Properties of gravitational fields, which are the primary causes of gravitational forces, are not typically highlighted in introductory physics courses. The instructional unit was supported by the premise that the gravitational fields mediate gravitational interaction; thus, the covariance between the mass and external field generates the force. An emphasis was then given to understanding the properties of gravitational fields before introducing the algebraic form of the law of universal gravitation. Posttest results showed students’ improvement in explaining the equity of gravitational forces between two different masses and their handling of formulating motion equations when forces act at a distance.
Think Globally, Act Locally: Case Study BSU Summer School in Shanghai, China 2018

Advancing the idea of world citizenship among college students coupled with the framework of decreasing state and federal funding for public education in the United States, scuffle for students along with high academic desire for the internationalization of higher education, colleges and universities turned their attention to the world. As a medium sized public institution, Bridgewater State University (BSU) was among the pioneering institutions to do both; signing partnership and working with a third-party organization in China to recruit students. This article focuses on the teaching and learning style, intercultural knowledge, and educational abilities as experienced by both; the Chinese students and faculty. The analytical discussion analysis is based on a qualitative and quantitative methodology. Theories of interpersonal communication, and the development of communication and management highlighted the international educational model KAP: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice in this article.
CLINICAL CONFERENCE: A Complication in Treatment of Nephrosis

Dr. Scaglione: During the past 2 years in the Babies Hospital, two instances have been observed of severe disturbance of the central nervous system in patients in an edematous phase of nephrosis and undergoing rapid diuresis during adrenal steroid therapy. The first patient to show this alarming reaction was a 6-year-old white girl who, while being treated with intramuscular adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), rapidly lost fluid and developed marked hypo chloremic, hypo kalemic alkalosis. She became comatose for several weeks and, since that time, has had a convulsive disorder resistant to therapy. She also underwent severe impairment of intellect and is now considered to be hopelessly retarded. The second patient, to be presented in greater detail, is a child who reacted in a similar manner while receiving prednisone, but she has apparently suffered no permanent alteration in intellectual function. Patty H. is an 8-year-old Negro female who had the onset of edema in July 1955. During the first 6 months of the disease, she was given two courses of prednisone therapy in a local hospital and this resulted in prompt diuresis, but there was equally rapid re-accumulation of edema following cessation of therapy. The urine showed persistent proteinuria, cylindruria and hematuria. In January of 1956 she was treated again with prednisone at the Duke University Hospital in North Carolina. A moderate diuresis was obtained but she required admission 3 months later because of marked anasarca. The patient was then treated with a 12-day course of ACTH-gel (20 units/ day) following which she underwent a massive diuresis and lost approximately 14 liters of urine in 4 days.
Just Who Can You Sue? The Cyr Approach to Determining Proper Defendants in ERISA Actions

On June 22, 2011, in Cyr v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Co., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, sitting en banc, held that a third-party insurer is a proper defendant in an ERISA action, and that potential liability under ERISA is not limited to the benefits plan itself or the designated plan administrator. In doing so, the court increased protections for benefit plan participants and gave third-party insurers and employers incentives to act fairly and responsibly when deciding employee claims. Accordingly, this Comment argues that the Cyr approach, compared to approaches taken by other circuits, most closely reflects the legislative intent behind ERISA to protect American workers’ benefits in a uni-
Nerve fiber layer splaying at vascular crossings.

Purpose To examine the anatomic relationships of retinal blood vessels to the nerve fiber layer. Methods Retinal flat preparations from monkey and cat were stained with methylene blue dye and examined by light microscopy. Results A focal transition in nerve fiber bundle patterns occurs just above major retinal blood vessels. Bundles abandon a compact form and splay open just as they reach a major blood vessel. Maximum separation of axon fascicles occurs immediately above the blood vessel and the bundles reform after the crossing of the blood vessel is complete. In so doing, nerve fiber bundles temporarily thin and broaden, assuming the shape of an inverted hull. In contrast, at the retinal periphery, minor blood vessels and axon fascicles have no special relationship to each other. Conclusions At major blood vessel crossings, a focal alteration in nerve fiber bundle anatomy takes place under which local deformability may be enhanced. This adaptation probably lessens the risk of injury to ganglion cell axons from vascular compression. In addition, deflection of the nerve fiber pathway obviates the need for major blood vessels to bend or kink to achieve a crossing, thus avoiding turbulent flow.
Chromosome Replication and Segregation

Microorganisms accurately position newly replicated chromosomes within genetically identical daughters prior to cell division. New DNA synthesis initiates from specialized chromosomal sites, termed replication origins, and regulation of ordered interactions with initiator proteins ensures replication forks are properly timed and assembled only once per-cycle. In eukaryotic microbes, movement of newly replicated chromosomes requires a microtubule-based mitotic spindle, but chromosomal segregation during the cell cycle is less well understood in bacteria. The rapid separation of replication origins and active remodeling of chromosome structure suggest an intimate relationship between segregation mechanisms and the DNA replication machinery.
Surface Tension as an Indicator of Cetane Number of Diesel Fuels

Developpement d'une relation empirique qui permet, a partir de proprietes physiques telles que la tension superficielle, la viscosite, la densite et la courbe d'ebullition, de calculer l'indice de cetane des combustibles diesels
Working Memory, Neural Basis of

Working memory is the memory system used by humans and other animals to store small amounts of information for brief periods in the service of reasoning, thinking, problem-solving and the like. Keywords: short-term memory; primary memory; secondary memory; rehearsal; executive processes; long-term memory; brain lesions; neuro imaging
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of female periurethral area: Light and electron microscopic study

Abstract A case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the female periurethral area with subsequent pulmonary metastasis is presented. We believe this is the first reported case. An embryologic explanation relating it to mesonephric duct remnants is given.
Components of perceived risk for consumer products

The present study examined the underlying dimensions associated with perceived risk for consumer products. Eighty undergraduate students evaluated 40 products using seventeen rating questions. Principal components analysis was then performed on the ratings. Results indicated the presence of three underlying components or dimensions along which the products varied. The first component dealt with qualitative aspects of the risks associated with a product, such as the degree to which potential hazards were known (or knowable) and the immediacy of their onset. The second component concerned subjects' familiarity with the product. The third component was associated with quantitative aspects of the risks and reflected notions about the magnitude of the potential harm (in terms of the number of potential victims) that might be incurred as a result of using the product. Subsequent regression analyses revealed that each dimension was significantly related to subjects' rated intent to act cautiously with a product....
Training algorithms for robust face recognition using a template-matching approach

This paper describes a complete face recognition system. The system uses a template matching approach along with a training algorithm for tuning the performance of the system to solve two types of problems simultaneously: 1) correct classification experiments which correctly recognize and identify individuals who are in the database; and 2) false positive experiments which reject individuals who are not part of the database. Experimental results are given which indicate that this training method is capable of consistently producing high correct classification rates and low false positive rates.
HATCH TIMING, INCUBATION PERIOD, AND REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE FOR CAPTIVE PRIMIPAROUS AND MULTIPAROUS RED KING CRAB, PARALITHODES CAMTSCHATICUS

Abstract Adolescent and mature female red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus were captured by scuba divers and held in seawater tanks at the Kodiak Fisheries Research Center at ambient temperatures. Over three separate years, we monitored dates of embryo extrusion, timing and length of the hatching period, duration of embryological developmental, total degree-days, and volume and number of larvae released on a daily basis. Primiparous females extruded their embryos on a mean date of 3 February, two months prior to extrusion by multiparous crab. Mean hatching date for primiparous females occurred 16 days prior to that of multiparous females in 2001, and 12 days earlier in 2003. Primiparous females required a mean of 365 days and 2601 degree-days for complete embryonic development, whereas multiparous females required significantly less time, with a mean of 328 d, and 2482 degree-days. Although multiparous females were significantly larger than primiparous females, there was no significant difference betw...
Isothermal diffusion in uranium-plutonium-zirconium alloys

Abstract Isothermal diffusion couple experiments were performed at 1023 K to investigate diffusion phenomena in body-centered cubic UPuZr alloys. The UPuZr alloys covered the uranium-rich corner of the ternary phase diagram with plutonium concentrations up to 27 at.% and zirconium concentrations up to 20 at.%. Ternary interdiffusion coefficients were calculated at the common composition between two couples with intersecting diffusion paths. The cross interdiffusion coefficient for zirconium ( D ZrPu U ) is negative and has a magnitude twice that of the main coefficient ( D ZrZr U ). In contrast, D PuZr U is negligible compared with D PuPu U , D PuPu U is an order of magnitude greater than D ZrZr U . Average effective interdiffusion coefficients were determined for all components over concentration ranges on the two sides of the Matano plane as well as for the entire diffusion zone of the couples. In general, these coefficients increase with increasing plutonium concentration and decrease with increasing zirconium concentration.
A least-squares finite element formulation for unsteady incompressible flows with improved velocity-pressure coupling

In the weak form Galerkin formulation for incompressible flows, the pressure has a well-understood role. At all times, it may be interpreted as a Lagrange multiplier that enforces the divergence-free constraint on the velocity field. This is not the case in least-squares formulations for incompressible flows, where the divergence-free constraint is enforced in a least-squares sense in a variational setting of residual minimization. Thus, the role of the pressure in a least-squares formulation is rather vague. We find that this lack of velocity-pressure coupling in least-squares formulations may induce spurious temporal pressure oscillations when using the non-stationary form of the equations. We present a least-squares formulation with improved velocity-pressure coupling, based on the use of a regularized divergence-free constraint. A first-order system least-squares (FOSLS) approach based on velocity, pressure and vorticity is used to allow the use of practical C0 element expansions in the finite element model. We use high-order spectral element expansions in space and second- and third-order time stepping schemes. Excellent conservation of mass and accuracy of computed pressure metrics are demonstrated in the numerical results.
SU-E-J-43: Deformed Planning CT as An Electron Density Substitute for Cone-Beam CT

Purpose: To confirm that deforming the planning CT to the daily Cone-Beam CTs (CBCT) can provide suitable electron density for adaptive planning. We quantify the dosimetric difference between plans calculated on deformed planning CTs (DPCT) and daily CT-on-rails images (CTOR). CTOR is used as a test of the method as CTOR already contains accurate electron density to compare against. Methods: Five prostate only IMRT patients, each with five CTOR images, were selected and re-planned on Panther (Prowess Inc.) with a uniform 5 mm PTV expansion, prescribed 78 Gy. The planning CT was deformed to match each CTOR using ABAS (Elekta Inc.). Contours were drawn on the CTOR, and copied to the DPCT. The original treatment plan was copied to both the CTOR and DPCT, keeping the center of the prostate as the isocenter. The plans were then calculated using the collapsed cone heterogeneous dose engine of Prowess and typical DVH planning parameters used to compare them. Results: Each DPCT was visually compared to its CTOR with no differences observed. The agreement of the copied CTOR contours with the DPCT anatomy further demonstrated the deformation accuracy. The plans calculated using CTOR and DPCT were compared. Over the 25 plan pairs, the average difference between them for prostate D100, D98 and D95 were 0.5%, 0.2%, and 0.2%; PTV D98, D95 and mean dose: 0.3%, 0.2% and 0.3%; bladder V70, V60 and mean dose: 1.1%, 0.7%, and 0.2%; and rectum mean dose: 0.3%. (D100 is the dose covering 100% of the target; V70 is the volume of the organ receiving 70 Gy). Conclusion: We observe negligible difference between the dose calculated on the DPCT and the CTOR, implying that deformed planning CTs are a suitable substitute for electron density. The method can now be applied to CBCTs. Research version of Panther provided by Prowess Inc. Research version of ABAS provided by Elekta Inc.
Uncertainty Avoidance and the Preference for Innovation Championing Roles

This paper examines the preferences of 4405 individuals in forty-three organizations from sixty-eight different countries for four innovation championing roles: the organizational maverick, the network facilitator, the transformational leader and the organizational buffer. The study shows that the cultural value of uncertainty acceptance is significantly associated with preferences for these four championing roles. It suggests that uncertainty-accepting societies may be more innovative than uncertainty-avoiding societies because of the greater legitimacy of those roles.
Negotiating the middle years : Ego-resiliency and successful midlife adjustment in women

Midlife is a time of heightened reevaluation and reorientation during which individuals are faced with potentially stressful changes and turning points. Ego-resiliency (ER) is proposed to be a powerful personality resource that enables individuals to adaptively negotiate the challenges of this period. Through examination of data from 2 longitudinal samples of women (N = 208), Study 1 examined whether observer-based and self-reported ER assessed at the beginning of midlife (at age 43) can predict life adjustments of specific relevance to this period assessed in late middle age (ages 52 and 48). In Study 2 age 43 ER was used to predict directional changes in central life adjustments and feelings about life over this same period (between ages 43 and 52). Predictions across samples, across measures of ER, or both were confirmed by replicated findings.
Experimental Study on Effects of Nozzle Hole Geometry on Achieving Low Diesel Engine Emissions

Three injectors with different nozzle geometries were tested in a multicylinder diesel engine with a high-pressure common-rail injection system. Various injection pressures were tested along with exhaust gas recirculation to achieve low NO x and soot emissions. The injectors used in the study included a six-hole nozzle, a ten-hole nozzle, and a six-hole convergent nozzle with a K-factor of 3. All three injectors had the same flow numbers. All three injectors tested were effective in reducing NO x and soot emissions at appropriate conditions. It was found that low temperature combustion can be achieved by using high levels of exhaust gas recirculation with late injection timings. High injection pressures significantly reduced soot emissions at conventional injection timings. The effect of injection pressure was not significant at retarded injection timings, i.e., 5 ATDC. The convergent nozzle was found to produce higher soot emissions compared with the straight-hole nozzle under the same injection conditions. Effects of the convergent nozzle on NO x emissions and fuel consumption were not significant. The small nozzle size in the ten-hole injector can generate smaller fuel drops and lead to better atomization. The ten-hole injector appeared to have better air utilization and resulted in significant reductions in NO x and soot emissions over a wide range of operating conditions.
Cytosolic Ca2+ triggers early afterdepolarizations and torsade de pointes in rabbit hearts with type 2 long QT syndrome

The role of intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) in triggering early afterdepolarizations (EADs), the origins of EADs and the mechanisms underlying Torsade de Pointes (TdP) were investigated in a model of long QT syndrome (Type 2). Perfused rabbit hearts were stained with RH327 and Rhod-2/AM to simultaneously map membrane potential (V(m)) and Ca2+i with two photodiode arrays. The I(Kr) blocker E4031 (0.5 microM) together with 50 % reduction of [K+]o and [Mg2+]o elicited long action potentials (APs), V(m) oscillations on AP plateaux (EADs) then ventricular tachycardia (VT). Cryoablation of both ventricular chambers eliminated Purkinje fibres as sources of EADs. E4031 prolonged APs (0.28 to 2.3 s), reversed repolarization sequences (baseapex) and enhanced repolarization gradients (30 to 230 ms, n = 12) indicating a heterogeneous distribution of I(Kr). At low [K+]o and [Mg2+]o, E4031 elicited spontaneous Ca2+iand V(m) spikes or EADs (3.5 +/- 1.9 Hz) during the AP plateau (n = 6). EADs fired 'out-of-phase' from several sites, propagated, collided then evolved to TdP. Phase maps (Ca2+ivs. V(m)) had counterclockwise trajectories shaped like a 'boomerang' during an AP and like ellipses during EADs, with V(m) preceding Ca2+iby 9.2 +/- 1.4 (n = 6) and 7.2 +/- 0.6 ms (n = 5/6), respectively. After cryoablation, EADs from surviving epicardium (~1 mm) fired at the same frequency (3.4 +/- 0.35 Hz, n = 6) as controls. At the origins of EADs, Ca2+ipreceded V(m) and phase maps traced clockwise ellipses. Away from EAD origins, V(m) coincided with or preceded Ca2+i. In conclusion, overload elicits EADs originating from either ventricular or Purkinje fibres and 'out-of-phase' EAD activity from multiple sites generates TdP, evident in pseudo-ECGs.
S-alkyl-L-thiocitrullines. Potent stereoselective inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase with strong pressor activity in vivo

Nitric oxide synthase catalyzes the oxidation of a guanidino nitrogen of L-arginine to nitric oxide with concomitant formation of citrulline. Enzyme activity is inhibited by a variety of N omega-monosubstituted L-arginine analogs including N omega-alkyl-, N omega-amino-, and N omega-nitro-L-arginine derivatives. We report here that both constitutive and inducible isoforms of nitric oxide synthase are strongly inhibited by S-alkyl-L-thiocitrullines (N delta-(S-alkyl)isothioureido-L-ornithines) with n-alkyl groups of one to three carbons. These compounds represent a novel class of inhibitors and are the most potent nitric oxide synthase-inhibiting amino acids described to date. Inhibition is reversible, stereoselective, and competitive with L-arginine. Spectral studies show no direct interaction of inhibitor sulfur with heme iron, a result in contrast to that seen previously with the parent compound, L-thiocitrulline. The S-alkyl-L-thiocitrullines have strong pressor activity in normotensive control rats; S-methyl-L-thiocitrulline reverses hypotension in a rat model of septic peritonitis and in dogs administered endotoxin. These latter findings suggest that the inhibitors may have therapeutic utility in treating hypotension due to the overproduction of nitric oxide.
Stimulant-induced psychosis, the dopamine theory of schizophrenia, and the habenula

While one of the original underpinnings of the dopamine theory of schizophrenia was the paranoid psychosis which often develops during the binges or speed runs of chronic amphetamine addicts (and, more recently, in cocaine addicts), neurochemical studies of such drug abusers or from animals given continuous stimulants in an effort to model stimulant psychoses have not played a major role in the further evolution of this theory. One clear persisting alteration produced by continuous amphetamine is a neurotoxicity to dopaminergic innervations in caudate. Yet continuous cocaine administration apparently does not induce a similar neurotoxicity and this makes this effect a poor candidate for an underpinning of stimulant psychoses. However, it has recently been found that both continuous amphetamine and cocaine induce a strong pattern of degeneration which is highly confined to the lateral habenula and its principal output pathway, fasciculus retroflexus. This finding has led to a reconsideration of the role of these structures in psychoses. The habenula, as the chief relay nucleus of the descending dorsal diencephalic system (consisting of stria medullaris, habenula and fasciculus retroflexus), is an important link between limbic and striatal forebrain and lower diencephalic and mesencephalic centers. Studies of glucose utilization have consistently shown the habenula to be highly sensitive to dopamine agonists and antagonists. Lesions of habenula produce a wide variety of behavioral alterations. The dorsal diencephalic system has major and predominantly inhibitory connections onto dopamine-containing cells and it mediates part of the negative feedback from dopamine receptors onto dopamine cell bodies. It represents one of the major inputs in brain to the raphe nuclei and has anatomical and functional connections to modulate important functions such as sensory gating through thalamus, pain gating through central gray and raphe and motor stereotypies and reward mechanisms through substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area. It is argued that alterations in these pathways are ideal candidates for producing the behaviors which occur during psychosis and that future considerations of the circuitry underlying psychoses need to include this highly important but relatively neglected system.
CONTRAST ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY : INFLUENCE OF ULTRASONIC MACHINE SETTINGS, MIXING CONDITIONS, AND PRESSURIZATION ON PIXEL INTENSITY AND MICROSPHERE SIZE OF ALBUNEX SOLUTIONS IN VITRO

To use Albunex as a blood-flow tracer, the stability and consistency of microspheres under mixing conditions must be known. This study examined the effects of mixing conditions and machine settings on the size and echogenicity of Albunex solutions in vitro. Acoustic power, log compression, time-gain compensation, and transducer frequency were varied as Albunex solutions were imaged after mixing with magnetic stirring and pressurized. Higher acoustic power and lower transducer frequency decreased mean pixel intensity of Albunex solution images over time. Intensity, size, and number of Albunex microspheres were not significantly different between stirring speeds. The echogenicity of the Albunex solutions decreased with pressurization, and the critical pressure necessary to reduce the intensity to half its initial value increased with the logarithm of concentration ( r =0.91; p p
Rates of convergences for suboptimal controls

We present here a summary of some of the results in [6], obtained jointly with H. Frankowska. These results concern approximation of optimal controls in some control problems by means of suboptimal (that is, almost optimal) controls and include precise error bounds (in particular, rates of convergence).
Molecular simulations of ion exchange in NaA zeolite membranes

Abstract Molecular simulations using the method of molecular dynamics have been carried out to determine the possibility of studying ion exchanges between electrolyte solutions (here an aqueous LiCl solution) and an ion-exchange membrane (NaA zeolite) using direct simulations of upto a nanosecond. Our results show that with appropriate driving forces, such ion-exchange processes can be clearly witnessed and investigated using molecular simulations. We have also attempted to understand the phenomenon at the molecular level. Our results have shown that the ion-exchange process is energetically driven and entropic forces are not playing any significant role in the exchanges observed.
High-Frequency Internal Waves on the Oregon Continental Shelf

Abstract Measurements of vertical velocity by isopycnal-following, neutrally buoyant floats deployed on the Oregon shelf during the summers of 2000 and 2001 were used to characterize internal gravity waves on the shelf using measurements of vertical velocity. The average spectrum of Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB)-scaled vertical kinetic energy has the level predicted by the Garrett–Munk model (GM79), plus a narrow M2 tidal peak and a broad high-frequency peak extending from about 0.1N to N and rising a decade above GM79. The high-frequency peak varies in energy coherently with time across its entire bandwidth. Its energy is independent of the tidal energy. The energy in the “continuum” region between the peaks is weakly correlated with the level of the high-frequency peak energy and is independent of the tidal peak energy. The vertical velocity is not Gaussian but is highly intermittent, with a calculated kurtosis of 19. The vertical kinetic energy varies geographically. Low energy is found offshore and ...
Melittin shares certain cellular effects with phorbol ester tumour promoters.

MELITTIN, a 26-amino acid polypeptide of known sequence, is the major constituent of bee venom1. Its primary amino acid sequence reveals that the molecule has both basic and hydro-phobic termini, which give the molecule an amphipathic character. Consequently melittin can insert into phospholipid bilayers and exhibits surfactant activity. There is evidence that the association of melittin with cellular membranes results in: (1) disturbance of the acyl groups of phospholipids such that they assume a broader range of angles with respect to each other2,3; (2) increased phospholipid susceptibility to hydrolysis by phospholipase4,5; and (3) increased synthesis of prostaglandins from the arachidonic acid released from the phospholipids6. Another amphipathic but structurally unrelated group of compounds consists of esters of the diterpene alcohol phorbol. These compounds are well known tumour promoters and have also recently been shown to have the ability to enhance phospholipid deacylation7,19. It is therefore of interest to determine whether melittin can produce some of the other phenotypic effects that can be induced in cells in culture by phorbol ester tumour promoters8,9. We report here that both melittin and the phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), inhibit differentiation of mouse melanoma cells, enhance anchorage-independent growth of adenovirus-transformed rat embryo cells, and induce arachidonic acid release and prostaglandin synthesis from C3H/10T½ mouse embryo fibroblasts.
Scleral Lenses in the United States

There is growing acceptance of scleral lenses by ophthalmologists, optometrists, and patients in the United States. Options among mini-scleral and scleral lenses will be reviewed. PROSE treatment (prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface ecosystem) as a therapeutic approach will be introduced. Success rate for PROSE treatment among patients with ectasia/astigmatism and in patients with ocular surface disease will be presented, as will experience with PROSE treatment in pediatric patients. Evidence for reversal of corneal scarring with PROSE treatment of ocular surface disease will be presented. Scleral lens and PROSE treatment are important alternatives to keratoplasty for corneal scarring and to tarsorrhaphy for exposure. Clinicians and researchers should be aware of scleral lens and PROSE treatment as important options for patients with ocular surface disease or contact lens intolerance, who may be at at higher risk of complications, contact lens dependence, or graft failure with penetrating keratoplasty.
Development of a quantitative donor risk index to predict short-term mortality in orthotopic heart transplantation.

Background No standard index based on donor factors exists for predicting mortality after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). We utilized United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) data to develop a quantitative donor risk score for OHT. Methods We examined a prospectively collected open cohort of 22,252 patients who underwent primary OHT (1996 to 2007). Of the 284 donor-specific variables, those associated with 1-year (year) mortality (exploratory p -value n = 17,788) and then independently validated on the remaining patients ( n = 4,464). Results A 15-point scoring system incorporated 4 variables: ischemic time; donor age; race mismatching; and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio. Derivation and validation cohort scores ranged from 1 to 15 and 1 to 12, respectively (mean 4.0 ± 2.1 for each). Each increase of 1 point increased the risk of 1-year death by 9% (OR = 0.09 [1.07 to 0.12]) in the derivation cohort and 13% (OR = 0.13 [1.08 to 0.18]) in the validation cohort (each p p p p p p Conclusions We present a novel donor risk index for OHT predicting short- and long-term mortality. This donor risk score may prove valuable for donor heart allocation and prognosis after OHT.
Land and labor in the post-industrial university town: remaking social geography

The relationship between urban universities and their host communities has long been a source of both hope and anger for city leaders, activists and scholars alike. Part servant and part ruler, part benefactor and part exploiter, universities act out a contradictory set of agendas in relation to their surrounding communities. In many cities, universities bring an infusion of money, visitors, talent and respectability which cannot be gotten from any other source. Moreover, in contrast to other industries, universities declare themselves committed to higher and more humane goals than simple profit motives. One of the essential activities of urban schools, asserts the Association of American Universities (1998), is to “provide extensive public service.... helping improve the quality of life in their communities, often in support of the most disadvantaged residents.” Thus, college towns have reason to hope that their universities will prove not only a vital source of local jobs but also an enlightened force for civic-minded development. At the same time, however, universities often wield significant power over the city’s finances, employment and real
Effect of dietary cation-anion difference on urinary pH, feedlot performance, nitrogen mass balance, and manure pH in open feedlot pens

Six experiments were conducted to evaluate dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) in concentrate diets on urinary pH, feedlot performance, and N mass balance. In Exp. 1, 15 wether lambs (33.5 ± 3.0 kg) in five 3 × 3 Latin squares were fed a basal diet of 82.5% dry-rolled corn (DRC), 7.5% alfalfa hay, 5% molasses, and 5% supplement with different proportions of anionic and cationic salts. The DCAD was -45, -24, -16, -8, 0, +8, +16, +24, +32, and +40 mEq per 100 g of DM with the control basal diet (DCAD = +8) included in each square. Urinary pH increased (cubic, P 0.11) among treatments in either experiment. Efficiency of BW gain was increased (P = 0.05) for steers fed NEG compared with POS in Exp. 5 but was not different (P = 0.11) in Exp. 6. Amount of N intake, retention, excretion, and manure N (kg/steer) were not different (P > 0.11) among treatments in either experiment. Manure pH (soil, feces, and urine) was decreased (P < 0.01) in pens fed NEG compared with POS in both experiments. Amount of N lost (kg/steer) was not different (P = 0.44) in Exp. 5, but tended (P = 0.09) to be 10.6% greater for POS compared with NEG in Exp. 6. Urinary pH was decreased by reducing DCAD, but this had minimal effect on N losses in open feedlot pens in these experiments.
Der derzeitige Stand der Methoden zur Bestimmung von Pulver‐Oberflächen

Bis heute last sich die Oberflache disperser Feststoffe nur angenahert bestimmen. So wird die Zuverlassigkeit von Oberflachenmessungen im wesentlichen durch strukturelle Merkmale wie Mikrobruche und Poren in den Partikeln bestimmt. Es werden brauchbare Methoden fur die Messung der Oberflache von nichtporosen Partikeln und von Partikeln mit relativ grosen Poren besprochen. Weist der Feststoff Mikrobruche auf, so kann nur die ausere Oberflache mit bekannten Methoden ermittelt werden. Der Beitrag von Poren mittlerer Grose zur Oberflache last sich bestimmen, wenn Annahmen uber die Form der Poren gemacht werden. In allen anderen Fallen ist nur eine Schatzung moglich. Oberflachengebiete einer bestimmten spezifischen Zusammensetzung lassen sich nur bestimmen, wenn diese sich in ihrer chemischen Aktivitat betrachtlich unterscheiden.
Molecular programming of endothelin-1 in HIV-infected brain: role of Tat in up-regulation of ET-1 and its inhibition by statins

Human Immune Deficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) infection can induce severe and debilitating neurological problems, including behavioral abnormalities, motor dysfunction, and dementia. HIV can persistently infect astrocytes, during which viral accessory proteins are produced that are unaffected by current antiretroviral therapy. The effect of these proteins on astrocyte function remains unknown. Astrocytes are the predominant cells within the brain; thus, disruption of astrocyte function could influence the neuropathogenesis of HIV infection. To explore further these effects, we constitutively expressed HIV-Tat protein in astrocytes. Since the nuclear presence of Tat protein leads to alteration of host gene expression, we further analyzed the effects of Tat on host gene transcripts. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) was a significantly elevated transcript as verified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and it was subsequently released extracellularly in Tat-expressing and HIV-infected astrocytes. ET-1 ...
Liberal democracy and beyond: extending the sequencing debate

The extreme optimism that shaped the nascent democracy promotion community in the 1980s and early 1990s has been strongly tempered by an increasing number of setbacks to the global expansion of dem...
The Cost and Impact of Health Conditions on Presenteeism to Employers: A Review of the Literature

Employers are becoming concerned with the costs of presenteeism in addition to the healthcare and absenteeism costs that have traditionally been explored. But what is the true impact of health conditions in terms of on-the-job productivity? This article examines the literature to assess the magnitude of presenteeism costs relative to total costs of a variety of health conditions. Searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL and PubMed were conducted in July 2008, with no starting date limitation, using 'presenteeism' or 'work limitations' as keywords. Publications on a variety of health conditions were located and included if they assessed the total healthcare and productivity cost of one or more health conditions. Literature on presenteeism has investigated its link with a large number of health conditions ranging from allergies to irritable bowel syndrome. The cost of presenteeism relative to the total cost varies by condition. In some cases (such as allergies or migraine headaches), the cost of presenteeism is much larger than the direct healthcare cost, while in other cases (such as hypertension or cancer), healthcare is the larger component. Many more studies have examined the impact of pharmaceutical treatment on certain medical conditions and the resulting improvement in on-the-job productivity. Based on the research reviewed here, health conditions are associated with on-the-job productivity losses and presenteeism is a major component of the total employer cost of those conditions, although the exact dollar amount cannot be determined at this time. Interventions, including the appropriate use of pharmaceutical agents, may be helpful in improving the productivity of employees with certain conditions.
Should Both UNOS and CMS Provide Regulatory Oversight in Kidney Transplantation

Since publication of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation Final Rule in 2007, there has been dual regulation of transplant centers by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) contractor the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and CMS. Herein, we summarize the environment leading to the development of the present regulatory framework and identify significant and unintended consequences of the current regulations.
Stability and Change in Family Size Expectations Over the First Two Years of Marriage

Family size expectations expressed in 1955 by a national probability sample of white married women in the childbearing years well predicted the aggregate fertility of the cohort for the period 1955-1960. A longitudinal study to assess the relationship of aggregate and individual stability in expectations and the relationship of these to other factors was conducted in Detroit. Responses about expected number of children were obtained in 1962 from a sample of zero-parity women (just married) or who had borne a first second or fourth baby in July 1961. A second and third set of expectations were obtained from the same women in 1962 and 1963. At each interview zero parity women expected on the average .2 more children than the first and second parity women. The family size expectations of the zero parity women were as stable over the interval as were the expectations of mothers of one two or four children. Therefore results supported the view that family size expectations are formed very early in the family life cycle.
A type of statistical analysis useful in experiments involving drugs with transient effects

Abstract When drug effects are transient, the usual statistical analysis of comparing before- drug means with after-drug means may not be always reasonable. By formulating hypotheses specific to the basic questions of interest, however, statistical tests for detecting the significance of the drug may be constructed. The methods considered are discussed in terms of a numerical example from an investigation of the effect of a drug on a certain type of “activity” in urine.