cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomized comparison of oral misoprostol and oxytocin for labor induction in term prelabor membrane rupture

Abstract Objectives: To compare labor induction intervals between oral misoprostol and intravenous oxytocin in women who present at term with premature rupture of membranes. Methods: One hundred eight women were randomly assigned to misoprostol 50 μg orally every 4 hours as needed or intravenous oxytocin. The primary outcome measure was time from induction to vaginal delivery. Sample size was calculated using a two-tailed α of 0.05 and power of 80%. Results: Baseline demographic data, including maternal age, gestation, parity, Bishop score, birth weight, and group B streptococcal status, were similar. The mean time ± standard deviation to vaginal birth with oral misoprostol was 720 ± 382 minutes compared with 501 ± 389 minutes with oxytocin ( P = .007). The durations of the first, second, and third stages of labor were similar. There were no differences in maternal secondary outcomes, including cesarean birth (eight and seven, respectively), infection, maternal satisfaction with labor, epidural use, perineal trauma, manual placental removal, or gastrointestinal side effects. Neonatal outcomes including cord pH, Apgar scores, infection, and admission to neonatal intensive care unit were not different. Conclusion: Although labor induction with oral misoprostol was effective, oxytocin resulted in a shorter induction-to-delivery interval. Active labor intervals and other maternal and neonatal outcomes were similar.
Optical coherence tomography: imaging the larynx.

Purpose of review Using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to image the larynx during diagnosis and treatment of a vast array of laryngeal disorders continues to develop along with innovative surgical techniques. Precise delineation of vocal fold-layered microstructure allows for better understanding of the impact of benign and malignant lesions on laryngeal function, and optical coherence is uniquely suited to provide detail of the interface between these lesions and adjacent normal tissue. This review provides the reader with a timely update on current clinical and research applications of OCT. Recent findings Recent advances in OCT include adaptation of these modalities to obtain images of moving vocal folds and provide real-time information during procedures. Additionally, an augmented form of OCT called polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) shows promise in further characterizing benign and malignant lesions and in delineating areas of normal pliability from scar. PS-OCT can quantify areas of increased collagen (scar) and three-dimensional PS-OCT imaging can visualize the extent and location of lesions within vocal folds. Summary Imaging the layered microstructure of vocal folds to precisely delineate boundaries between normal pliability and scar provides valuable information during diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant disorders. Current OCT imaging techniques are guiding phonomicrosurgical interventions and improving patient care.
Caloric restriction in humans: impact on physiological, psychological, and behavioral outcomes.

Abstract The current societal environment is marked by overabundant accessibility of food coupled with a strong trend of reduced physical activity, both leading to the development of a constellation of disorders, including central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension (metabolic syndrome). Prolonged calorie restriction (CR) has been shown to extend both the median and maximal lifespan in a variety of lower species such as yeast, worms, fish, rats, and mice. Mechanisms of this CR-mediated lifespan extension are not fully elucidated, but possibly involve significant alterations in energy metabolism, oxidative damage, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and functional changes in both the neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous systems. Here we review some of the major physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes after 6 months of CR in overweight otherwise healthy volunteers. Special emphasis is given to the first completed clinical studies that have investigated the effects of co...
Concepts of ventricular defibrillation

Despite its critical role in restoring cardiac rhythm and thus, in saving human life, cardiac defibrillation remains poorly understood. For a defibrillation shock to be successful, the shock must e...
Utility of droperidol for conscious sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures.

Although narcotics and benzodiazepines are widely used as premedications for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, we have found a significant number of patients in whom this combination is either inadequate for sedation or results in paradoxical agitation. Over the last 54 months, we have administered droperidol, a neuroleptic, as an adjunct to narcotics and benzodiazepines in 764 patients undergoing 1102 procedures. The most common indication for droperidol usage was active alcohol abuse or withdrawal (45%). The most frequent dose administered was 2.5 mg (41.1%) followed by 3.75 mg (25.8%). The level of sedation and cooperation was adequate in all but 22 procedures (2.0%). Complications related to droperidol use were infrequent, occurring in 17 procedures (1.5%). There was no mortality or major morbidity resulting from droperidol usage. In our endoscopic population, we find droperidol to be a safe and efficacious adjunctive agent for conscious sedation.
Dual fluorescence analysis of DNA apoptosis in sperm.

Abstract Objective: The objective was to compare fluorochrome Hoechst 33342 (Ho342) with combined Ho342/propidium iodide (PI) stains for assessment of sperm quality. Study Design: Washed donor sperm cells were incubated in either 0, 0.15, or 15 μmol/L camptothecin (CAM) or 0.37 or 3.7 mmol/L genistein (GEN) for 4 hours at 37°C. The sperm cells were analyzed for cycle-independent apoptosis and necrosis by single- compared with dual-stained fluorescence microscopy to contrast the relative effectiveness of these two approaches. Results: The single-stain procedure did not detect viability differences (overall 76.1% ± 2.2% live). In contrast, the dual-stain procedure identified a dose-dependent decrease in viability and increased necrozoospermia for CAM and GEN treatments. Apoptosis was 2-fold higher with topoisomerase inhibitor treatment. Conclusion: The two topoisomerase inhibitors were associated with increased apoptosis and dosedependent necrosis. The data suggested that the dual-stain combination Ho342/PI was more sensitive than the single Ho342 stain analysis and permitted quantifying the apoptosis and necrosis events in sperm. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:1156-7.)
Tomlinson-Harashima precoding for the magnetic recording channel

A new view on Tomlinson-Harashima (TH) precoding demonstrates the applicability of this precoding technique to input restricted channels. TH precoders of this kind are derived, and a hybrid of decision feedback equalisation and TH precoding is proposed.
The changing role of the American firm in a global economy

The paper addresses the nature and role of US-based firms in a globalised economy. The role of the firm is examined in the context of various forms of American capitalism. The paper begins with an examination of the reason for the existence of the firm with a focus on the evolutionary aspects of business organisation and historical conditions that have led to the rise of particular market orientations. In acknowledging the evolutionary aspects of the firm, the paper underscores the fact that there are a number of factors, including the market context, which shape and determine organisational goals.
Computational 3D Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging

We show cell images from two different approaches of computational 3-D fluorescence imaging integrated on a single wide-field fluorescence microscope system and discuss advantages and disadvantages of the two techniques under investigation.
Assay of tyrosine hydroxylase by coupled decarboxylation of dopa formed from 1-14C-l-tyrosine

1. 1. A method has been presented for the measurement of tyrosine hydroxylase using a reaction coupled to aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase. 2. 2. The specificity of the assay has been demonstrated in experiments in which various factors that influence either tyrosine hydroxylase or aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase activity were omitted. 3. 3. The validity of the assay has been shown by the close agreement between the moles of CO2 produced and the moles of dopa formed, as well as the loss of all activity when the essential cofactors are omitted. 4. 4. The sensitivity of the method has been shown to be greater in our laboratory than tyrosine hydroxylase assays currently used.
Alkalic parental magmas for chassignites

Detailed analysis of cumulate and melt inclusion assemblages in the chassignites provide important constraints on the nature of the melt trapped as inclusions in cumulus olivine (and, by extension, parental magma compositions), the pressures of crystallization, and magmatic volatile contents. These mineral assemblages show strong similarities to the experimental fractionation assemblages that produce the sodic silica-saturated alkalic lavas on Earth (e.g., Ascension Island, Azores, the Nandewar volcano of Australia). The experimental assemblages were produced from silica-saturated hawaiite at pressures above 4.3 kbar with dissolved water contents above 0.5 wt%. Such pressures are consistent with Ti:Al ratios of the melt-inclusion pyroxenes in the Chassigny meteorite. Pyroxene compositions suggest early high crystallization temperatures and thus relatively low initial water and F contents. Feldspars indicate that melt evolution proceeded to rhyolite compositions both within the interstices of the cumulate olivine and within the melt inclusions, even though rhyolitic glass is only found within olivine-hosted polyphase melt inclusions. The observed rhyolite glass is compositionally similar to the alkali-rich rhyolite of Ascension Island which is produced experimentally by crystallization of hawaiite. It is proposed that the melt trapped in cumulus olivine of the Chassigny dunite was similar to a terrestrial silica-saturated hawaiite, while that trapped in olivine of the Northwest Africa (NWA) 2727 dunite was less evolved, perhaps mildly alkalic basalt. Melts similar to terrestrial intra-plate tholeiite could be parental to the cumulus minerals and evolve upon crystallization at pressures above 4.3 kbar and water contents above ~0.4 wt% to mildly alkalic basalt, silica-saturated hawaiite, and alkali-rich rhyolite. The melt inclusion assemblages are inconsistent with either crystallization of a low-Al, high-Fe basalt, or low- pressure crystallization of a terrestrial-like tholeiite.
Alcohol and aggressive personality styles: Potentiators of serious physical aggression against wives?

This study examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and marital aggression in a community sample (N = 272) assessed in a longitudinal study at premarriage and at 6, 18, and 30 months of marriage. Participants completed selfreport measures of alcohol problems and total alcohol consumption, aggressive personality style, marital aggression, marital adjustment, and divorce potential. Husbands' alcohol problems were associated with serious aggression at premarriage and at 6 months. Alcohol use interacted with aggressive personality traits in predicting aggression at 18 months. Husbands' premarital aggression, but not alcohol problems, was predictive of wives' future steps toward divorce and lower marital adjustment. Results are discussed in relation to the marital mediational model of alcohol and aggression in marriage and to the need to account for developmental changes in the relation between alcohol and aggression during the early years of marriage
Refined 1.8 A structure of human aldose reductase complexed with the potent inhibitor zopolrestat.

Abstract As the action of aldose reductase (EC 1.1.1.21) is believed to be linked to the pathogenesis of diabetic complications affecting the nervous, renal, and visual systems, the development of therapeutic agents has attracted intense effort. We report the refined 1.8 A x-ray structure of the human holoenzyme complexed with zopolrestat, one of the most potent noncompetitive inhibitors. The zopolrestat fits snugly in the hydrophobic active site pocket and induces a hinge-flap motion of two peptide segments that closes the pocket. Excellent complementarity and affinity are achieved on inhibitor binding by the formation of 110 contacts (< or = 4 A) with 15 residues (10 hydrophobic), 13 with the NADPH coenzyme and 9 with four water molecules. The structure is key to understanding the mode of action of this class of inhibitors and for rational design of better therapeutics.
Two forms of the major barley stripe mosaic virus nonstructural protein are synthesized in vivo from alternative initiation codons

Abstract Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) has a tripartite genome comprising RNAs designated α, β, and γ, which collectively encode seven polypeptides. We show here that an antiserum raised against an abundant disease-specific protein from BSMV-infected plants reacts specifically with the viral βb gene product expressed as part of a β-galactosidase fusion protein in Escherichia coli . Two predominant forms of the protein, βb and βb′ are synthesized in vivo . Infectious in vitro transcripts derived from wild-type and mutant BSMV cDNA clones have been used to map the initiation site for translation of the βb protein in vivo . The results of our mutagenesis experiments are consistent with a model in which translation of the βb′ protein is initiated by ribosomes that scan past the 5′-proximal βb initiation site. A mutant which is able to synthesize only the shorter βb′ protein was indistinguishable from the wild-type with respect to all of the phenotypes tested. Thus, the βb form of the protein is dispensable in planta , and whether the two forms of the protein have different functions in vivo is unclear at present.
Avoidance of heat by rats: Effects of thermal context on rapidity of extinction

Abstract Rats were trained to avoid radiant heat in a one-way, jump-up apparatus. The animals that could avoid heat responded more frequently and more rapidly than did yoked controls that received heat, but for whom no avoidance contingency was deliberately arranged. Control animals trained with light, rather than heat, did not learn to avoid. Using this jump-up avoidance, rats were trained to avoid heat in a room maintained at 27°C. They were then given a series of extinction trials, with no heat presentations, with the temperature maintained at either 27 or 7°C. Placing the rats in a cold environment facilitated extinction of heat avoidance behavior, but only in animals that had previously experienced heat while they were in the cold. Prior heat experience administered in a warm, rather than cold, context was not sufficient to potentiate the effect of ambient temperature on avoidance extinction. Implications of these results for theories of avoidance learning are discussed.
Patterns of interpersonal behaviors and borderline personality characteristics

Abstract Linehan (1993) identified two interpersonal sub-syndromal patterns in her Borderline patients. Similar sub-syndromal patterns were identified by Leihener and colleagues (2003) in a clinically diagnosed sample of Borderline hospitalized patients. These sub-syndromes were referred to as “autonomous” and “dependent” patterns by the authors. This study attempted to determine if these patterns could also be observed in a college student sample that evidenced sub-clinical patterns of borderline features on a widely used questionnaire measure of borderline symptoms. Interpersonal functioning was assessed utilizing the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP). Individuals with high levels of borderline features formed two groups distinguishable by separate patterns of scores on the IIP that were consistent with the descriptions of Leihener et al. The autonomous sub-type was characterized by problems of being overly assertive, lack of intimacy, and keeping others at a distance. The dependent subtype was characterized by submissiveness, having little influence over others, difficulty conveying needs, obtrusiveness, and low self-confidence. As Linehan has indicated these patterns have implications for therapy.
Substrate specificity of ceramide trihexosidase.

Artificial substrates such as 4-methylumbelliferyl glycosides and p-nitrophenyl glycosides have been employed commonly to determine the levels of glycosyl hydrolase activities in plasma, urine and tissues [l-7]. They have provided a simple and rapid method for the diagnosis of some lysosomal storage diseases, whereas in other instances inconsistencies have been noted in the results obtained with these artificial substrates and with the natural substrates. Two examples which may be cited are Krabbe’s globoid cell leucodystrophy, characterized by a galactocerebroside fl-galactosyl hydrolase deficiency, for which p-nitrophenyl P_galactoside cannot be used to detect decreased enzymatic activity in the homozygous patients [8] ; and the isolation from Tay-Sachs brain of hexosaminidase which has a much higher Km for the GM2 ganglioside substrate than for the p-nitrophenyl P-N-acetylgalactosaminide used to monitor the enzyme during purification [9]. We have reported preliminary studies of a-galactosidase activity in Fabry plasma following infusion of normal plasma, and suggested that the enzymatic activities measured by the artificial substrates and by cr-galactosyl-( 1 --f 4)flgalactosyl( 1 --f 4)glucosylceramide (ceramide trihexoside) are not due to the same enzyme. The present report provides unequt vocal experimental evidence for the existence of unique cu-galactosidases for the artificial substrates and for ceramide trihexoside. 2. Experimental
Complicated pulse structure and chaotic fronts in multispecies self-induced transparency

Self-induced-transparency phenomena in systems with multiple atomic or molecular species are investigated theoretically. It is shown that under certain conditions relating relative concentrations and transition probabilities that (in the absence of loss processes) complex highly structured solitons can propagate through the system. For some parameters the inversion of some of the species and the field envelope can have very many maxima. Under other (more typical) conditions it is shown that a chaotic infinite train of irregular maxima and minima can propagate.
Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the central star forming region in NGC 1140 (exp 1)

We present broadband images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope's Planetary Camera of the central supergiant H II region in the amorphous galaxy NGC 1140. These images allow observations to a resolution of about 13 pc at the galaxy, and they reveal that its central 1/2 kpc contains 6-7 blue, luminous, compact super star clusters, many of which would be comparable in luminosity to globular clusters at the same age. A blue arc-shaped structure near the center may be a grouping of less luminous, R136/NGC 2070-sized clusters or a sheet of OB stars. Additional somewhat less luminous and redder clusters are also found farther out from the center. If these clusters are older, they too could have had luminosities comparable to those of the central six clusters at a comparable age. Thus, we find that NGC 1140 is remarkable in the number of extreme clusters that it has formed recently in a relatively small area of the galaxy. Since NGC 1140 exhibits global characteristics that are consistent with a recent merger, these clusters are likely to be a product of that event. This galaxy adds to the number of cases where rapid star formation has evidently produced super star clusters.
Foster mothers in contemporary America: objectification, commodification, sexualization

Abstract This article presents a discussion of the sociocultural implications of contemporary women's magazine stories and daily newspaper articles which deal with the subject of fostering within the USA. Contemporary media themes regarding foster mothers are historically contextualized within nineteenth-century economic shifts. These shifts contributed to sacralizing white, middle-class women and children and contributed to sentimentalizing their role in nuclear families. Consistent with a Victorian construction of women's and children's roles, duties, and personality characteristics, contemporary foster mothers and the children they care for are portrayed within the media as idealized cultural archetypes. The knowledge that is produced through the portrayal of foster mothers in the media represents a form of internal cultural colonialism that objectifies women and robs them of their humanity.
Institutional Change, Absorptive Capacity, and the Organizational Zone of Inertia

A framework of theoretical propositions is presented as a heuristic to describe the potential linkage between institutional absorptive capacity and organizational inertia. Means through which insight inertia and action inertia might be addressed are presented. A series of propositions and associated literature are presented for illustration. The concept of a zone of inertia is incorporated to facilitate understanding of the variables involved.
Exposure Through Written Emotional Disclosure: Two Case Examples

Abstract Written disclosure is a procedure in which individuals repeatedly write about the most traumatic experience of their lives with as much emotion as possible. Research has demonstrated that, relative to a control writing condition, written disclosure is associated with improvements in physical and psychological functioning. As a result of these findings, there has been suggestion that written disclosure may be used as a primary intervention for psychological distress. In this paper, two case studies are presented in which written disclosure was used as an intervention for trauma-related psychopathology. The written disclosure procedure resulted in significant symptom improvements for one individual but not for the other. Differences between the two cases are highlighted and the strengths and weaknesses of the written disclosure procedure as a stand-alone intervention are considered.
Central action of intravenous curare.

THE use of muscle relaxants as an adjuvant for immobilization in experimental neurology is widely accepted as standard technique. These agents are used because, when given parenterally under the usual experimental conditions, they apparently have little or no effect on central nervous activity1–7. Since it is known that neuro-muscular blocking agents (especially d-tubocurarine and gallamine triethiodide) can markedly alter central nervous system activity when applied directly to the brain (pertinent references reviewed by Winterstein8), failure to observe central nervous system effects following intravenous administration of these drugs has been attributed to the existence of a functional barrier interposed between the blood and the brain9. Notwithstanding, and in apparent contradiction to this general consensus, several workers have reported a marked and well-defined central action of curare when administered parenterally11–15.
Excitation of a spherical resonant medium by an external field

The coherent radiation of N atoms that are excited by an external field is studied close to a resonant transition. The resonant atoms are uniformly distributed over a sphere and the external field is a pulse that propagates in a fixed direction. The linear classical continuum theory is used for the above configuration. Exact expressions are obtained for the polarization, for the fields everywhere in space, and for the energy radiated and absorbed by the resonant atoms. Two equivalent methods for the derivation of the exact expression of the polarization are given, i.e., either by solving Maxwell’s equations and boundary conditions, or by solving an integral equation inside the sample. The equivalence of the two methods, in the general case of an arbitrary external field, has been proved elsewhere. Approximate expressions are also obtained for the physical quantities mentioned above in the extreme cases of a dilute and a dense resonant sample with radius much smaller than the radiation wavelength. Inside the dense small sample the polarization depends on position, and this space dependence is expressed in terms of spherical Bessel functions and vector spherical harmonics. It is shown that outside the dense small sample, a broadening of the original resonant line and a shift of the resonance frequency occur in the radiation spectrum of the atoms.
Production of hydroxyl radicals and their disassociation from myocardial cell injury during calcium paradox.

Abstract The production of hydroxyl radicals during calcium paradox injury was investigated by measuring the production of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA) from salicylate. Four groups of rats were analyzed. In the first group, isolated hearts were perfused with calcium-free medium for 10 minutes followed by perfusion with medium containing Ca ++ for 10 minutes. In the other groups, 0.25 μM N,N′-diphenyl-1,3-phenylenediamine (DPPD), 80 μM cytochrome c , or 450 U/ml catalase was added. Coronary effluent was analyzed for the presence of 2,5-DHBA, and tissue sections were examined using light microscopy. In the first group, 2,5-DHBA production began during the calcium-free period, peaked tenfold 60–90 sec. into the Ca repletion period, and declined thereafter. The increase in 2,5-DHBA was accompanied by severe cell damage. Cytochrome c reduced 2,5-DHBA production, and catalase almost completely inhibited 2,5-DHBA production, while DPPD had no effect on 2,5-DHBA production. None of the three additives provided any complete morphological protection. The data provide evidence for the production of hydroxyl radicals during calcium-paradox injury, that their production is dependent upon the presence of hydrogen peroxide, and that cell damage in the calcium paradox is not primarily mediated by the extracellular hydroxyl radicals.
A method of centers algorithm for certain minimax problems

An algorithm is presented for the numerical solution of nonlinear programming problems in which the objective function is to be minimized over feasiblex after having been maximized over feasibley. The vectorsx andy are subjected to separate nonlinear constraints. The algorithm is obtained as follows: One starts with an `outer' algorithm for the minimization overx, that algorithm being taken here to be a method of centers; then, one inserts into this algorithm an adaptive `inner' procedure, which is designed to compute a suitable approximation to the maximizery in a finite number of steps. The `outer' and `inner' algorithms are blended in such a way as to cause the inner one to converge more rapidly. The results on convergence and rate of convergence for the outer algorithm continue to hold (essentially) for the composite algorithm. Thus, what is considered here, for the first time for this type of problem, is the question of how one inserts an approximation procedure into an algorithm so as to preserve its convergence and its rate of convergence.
Sensitivity of Locally Regenerated Testicular Vessels to Cadmium

The conditions under which capillaries and venules within the testes of most scrotum-bearing mammals become sensitive and/or resistant to cadmium are not clearly elucidated. Localized heat lesions were produced within the testes of rats to allow regrowth from surrounding Cd-sensitive vessels into the damaged areas. After 2, 4, or 8 weeks rats were given a subcutaneous injection of CdCl2 in saline (5 mg/kg) and were sacrificed 6 h later. Tissue samples were examined by both light and electron microscopy. No evidence of Cd sensitivity in regenerated vessels was present after 2 weeks, but the surrounding normal tissue did show typical Cd-related damage. By 8 weeks, vessels within the lesioned areas responded to Cd in a manner similar to those in the surrounding tissue. Newly grown testicular vessels do not demonstrate Cd sensitivity, but they develop it between 4 and 8 weeks.
Structural requirements for mitochondrial mutagenesis

Ethidium bromide (3, 8-diamino-5-ethyl-6-phenylphenanthridinium bromide) and euflavine (3, 6-diamino-10-methylacridinium chloride) are superficially similar in structure and ability to intercalate into DNA. However, they exhibit qualitative differences in their ability to bring about a mitochondrial mutation (ρ+ ρ−) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This investigation tried to establish and compare the essential structural prerequisites in three series of planar, heterocyclic dyes: the phenanthridines (P series), the acridines (A series), and molecules with different heteroatoms related to acridines (X series). Compounds capable of bringing about the mutation in the complete absence of growth and energy sources are restricted to di-primary amines in the P series: quaternization of the ring nitrogen, and an aromatic side chain at C-6 also appear essential. Compounds in the A series are mutagenic only with growing cells; quaternization (C1 through C4) is essential. The 10-allyl derivative is unusual; it is highly effective even in buffer supplemented only with an energy source. The results are interpreted in terms of a model that requires interaction of the mutagen with the mitochondrial inner membrane as well as with its DNA.
Prenatal diazepam exposure in rats: long-lasting, receptor-mediated effects on hypothalamic norepinephrine-containing neurons.

Abstract The concentration and turnover of catecholamines (CAs) were measured in thecortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus of rats exposed in utero to diazepam (DZ, 1.0, 2.5, or 10.0 mg/kg/day) over gestational days 13–20. Prenatal DZ induced a regionally specific, dose-related decrease in the level of norepinephrine (NE) (maximum decrease, 65%) and turnover rate of NE (maximum decrease, 85%) in the hypothalamus of 90-day-old adult rats. Dopamine levels were not altered in this region and neither of the CAs were altered in the other regions. Dividing the prenatal exposure period into two shorter periods revealed that late gestation (days 17–20) was the period when factors influencing NE function in the hypothalamus were most sensitive to DZ. Analysis of the development of the CA in the hypothalamus demonstrated that the effect of the prenatal exposure on NE levels did not become apparent until after 28 days of age. However, at 28 days, there was a dose-related increase in turnover rate of NE (maximum increase, 52%). Concurrent administration of the specific benzodiazepine (BZ) antagonist RO15-1788 with DZ (2.5 mg/kg) to pregnant rats effectively reversed the effects of DZ in the hypothalamus of the adult offspring, suggesting that the effects were mediated via the BZ receptor. These data have provided insight into the intricate processes of neuronal development; in particular the importance of target cell-nerve terminal interactions and the role of early developing receptors.
Potemkin Villages: “The” Medium‐Term Expenditure Framework in Developing Countries

By neglecting institutional and capacity considerations, medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) introduction has produced in most developing countries elaborate facades of fiscal reform at high transaction costs without improving budgetary outcomes. There have been positive impacts: awareness of the need to look beyond the immediate urgencies; some encouragement of intragovernmental coordination; and initial orientation toward results. Negative impacts have been much heavier: little local ownership; distraction from basic budgeting problems; and severe strain on limited capacity. Unbundling “the” MTEF permits identifying the variant suitable to the specific country and the steps to gradually develop it: unlike a “programmatic MTEF,” a simple “forecasting MTEF” is both feasible and useful.
Occupational exposure to chromium--an assessment of environmental pollution levels and biological monitoring of exposed workers.

In an aircraft construction factory where adhesives containing Cr(VI) compounds were used, the risk of chromium exposure was studied by assessing airborne chromium levels and urinary levels of chromium excretion. Chromium exposure was evaluated by personal sampling over a period of 4 hr in a group of 16 occupational workers selected from a group of 55. Chromium absorption was determined by collecting urine samples from all subjects (n = 55) at 3 different times: prior to the work-shift at the beginning of the working week and prior to and after the workshift at the end of the working week. Each urine sample was tested for chromium and creatinine concentration. Results showed very low exposure to airborne chromium, since values obtained (0.02-1.5 micrograms/m3, GM: 0.17, GSD: 5.34 micrograms/m3) were significantly lower than the ACGIH Hygiene Standard (50 micrograms/m3). Likewise, urinary chromium excretion (0.16-7.74 micrograms/g creat.) was higher than excretion in the general population (0.07-0.17 microgram/g creat.) but lower than BEI-ACGIH (30 micrograms/g creat.). The greatest difference between excretion levels measured before and after the workshift was 2.44 micrograms/g creat, i.e. 4 times lower than the difference proposed by ACGIH (10 micrograms/g creat.).
Combined hepatocellular carcinoma‐cholangiocarcinoma: Report of MR appearance in eleven patients

Purpose: To describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of hepatic combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) in 11 patients. Materials and Methods: The database of the Department of Pathology was cross-referenced with the MRI database to identify patients with confirmed cHCC-CC who had undergone MRI. Eleven consecutive patients were included (seven female, mean age 57.6 years). All patients were Caucasian. Five of 11 had a clinical history of chronic liver disease. Two radiologists retrospectively analyzed the images in consensus. Results: cHCC-CC was a single mass in 10/11 patients. Margins were well-defined in 6/11. All tumors showed heterogeneous hyperintensity on T2. On postcontrast imaging, 6/11 showed early ring-enhancement (four noncirrhotic), with progressive enhancement in central portions, and 5/11 patients showed a diffuse heterogeneous early enhancement. Three of these five were cirrhotic and displayed partial washout with portions of contrast retention on later phases. Other findings included: late capsule enhancement (two patients), biliary dilatation (one), venous invasion (three), lymphadenopathy (six), and findings of cirrhosis (five). Conclusion: cHCC-CC presents most commonly as a single mass. Five of 11 had MR findings of cirrhosis. Clues to the diagnosis were moderately high signal on T2, portions of tumor that show progressive enhancement/contrast retention, and frequent lack of capsule. Early enhancement patterns included early ring-enhancement and diffuse heterogeneous enhancement. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:1139–1147. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Taxonomy and the conservation of the critically endangered Bakersfield saltbush, Atriplex tularensis

Abstract The Bakersfield saltbush Atriplex tularensis is a salt-tolerant, monoecious annual member of the alkali sink scrub plant community which was once widely distributed in southern San Joaquin Valley, California. The plant has been reduced, by conversion of habitat to agriculture, to a single population at Kern Lake Preserve, about 25 km south of Bakersfield. Seed bank status, soil moisture, germination requirements, and artificial propagation were investigated to determine the most effective strategy for conservation of that remnant population and the associated eccological community. Five seedlings were successfully transferred from the preserve site to greenhouse facilities where they have produced numerous fruits. Phenotypic variation of plants in the field and greenhouse, however, indicates incomplete reproductive isolation between A. tularensis and A. serenana , a widespread, closely related species. The possibility that introgressive hybridization is occurring and its impact on potential conservation strategies are discussed.
Incisions and esophagectomy: is surgical approach all that matters?

A variety of issues relating to the performance of esophagectomy have been fodder for lively discussion among thoracic surgicaloncologists.Thesedebateshave focused largelyon the effect on surgical outcomes of differences in operative technique (method of anastomosis or conduit choice for esophageal reconstruction)orapproach(resectionwithorwithout thoracotomy, minimally invasive, or open). Bhayani and colleagues,1 reporting in this issue, abstracted data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACSNSQIP) to address whether perioperative outcomes differ between patients undergoing transthoracic or transhiatal esophagectomy. In this studyof 1568 patients for whom the surgical approach could be determined, transthoracic approaches were associated with increased ratesofpulmonarycomplicationsandsepsis, butoverall 30-daymortalityandcomplicationratesweresimilar inboth cohorts.Within the transthoracic esophagectomy cohort, the authors also concluded that anastomotic leak ratesdidnotdiffer between cervical and thoracic esophagogastric anastomoses. Because such procedure-specific complicationswere not monitoredwithin the ACSNSQIP database, sepsis and organspace infection were used as markers for this complication. The ACS NSQIP database is upheld justly as a paragon for assessing risk-adjusted short-term surgical outcomes and is representative of both academic and private sector health systems,2 but this database captures only a fraction of major operations performed annually in the United States.3 Missing values within this prospective clinical database can lead to inaccurate estimation of risk-adjusted outcomes,4 particularly in smaller data sets with sample sizes ranging from 3000 or fewer to 15 000.5 Although patients undergoing high-risk operations such as esophagectomy are less likely to have missing data,4 the present study indicates a disparity between the rates of radiotherapy (29%) and chemotherapy (8%), which suggests that other unidentified but important patient-level variables may have been recorded incompletely. As in findings from other studies using broadly collected databases, administrative or clinical, the association between thoracotomy and increased perioperative complication rates probably indicates thepresence of unidentified factors forwhich the surgical approach is at best a surrogate. This studyunderscores theneed for further collaborative efforts to collect, share, and analyze patient-specific and systemsrelated data and identify the salient adverse risk factors associated with worse outcomes after esophagectomy.
Failure of the peroxisome proliferator WY-14,643 to induce unscheduled DNA synthesis in rat hepatocytes following in vivo treatment

Peroxisome proliferator hepatocarcinogens lack genotoxic activity in numerous in vitro assays using non-target cells which do not respond with peroxisome proliferation. Therefore, the effect of in vivo treatment with WY-14,643 on DNA repair was quantitated in rat hepatocytes, the target cell for carcinogenesis. Palmitoyl CoA oxidase and carnitine acetyltransferase activities in isolated hepatocytes were elevated by WY-14,643 (50 mg/kg/day by gavage for up to 5 consecutive days) and by WY-14,643 (0.1%) or di(2-ethyl-hexyl)phthalate (DEHP) (1.2%) feeding (for up to 28 days), indicating peroxisome proliferation had occurred. DNA repair as unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) was measured autoradiographically as net nuclear grains following thymidine incorporation in primary hepatocyte cultures. Treatment of rats with WY-14,643 (gavage or feeding) or DEHP (feeding) did not induce UDS. Addition of 2-acetylaminofluorene to replicate cultures demonstrated that WY-14,643 or DEHP treatment did not prevent repair response. Additional cultures were treated with H2O2 (0.8 mM H2O2 3x at 1-h intervals) to evaluate the ability of UDS to detect any repair which may be induced by peroxisomal metabolism. H2O2 did not induce UDS at this concentration, nor did it prevent 2-acetylaminofluorene-induced repair. UDS was, however, observed in a separate experiment using a higher concentration of H2O2. In summary, a highly carcinogenic peroxisome proliferator did not induce UDS in the target cell for carcinogenesis in spite of peroxisome proliferation following in vivo treatment.
Gaps in exposure to essential competencies in hand surgery fellowship training: a national survey of program directors

Background Graduate medical education has moved towards competency-based training. The aim of this study was to assess hand surgery program directors’ opinions of exposure gaps in core competencies rated as essential for hand surgery training.
Clinical and Demographic Characteristics Associated With Prostate Cancer Progression in Patients on Active Surveillance

Purpose: Active surveillance is an established management option for patients with low risk prostate cancer. However, little is known about the characteristics associated with the increased probability of progression in patients on active surveillance. We analyzed our active surveillance cohort in search of such features.Materials and Methods: A total of 272 men with prostate cancer have enrolled in our active surveillance program since 1994, of whom 249 underwent at least 1 surveillance biopsy and were included in analysis. Our active surveillance inclusion criteria are biopsy Gleason grade less than 7, 2 or fewer positive biopsy cores, 20% or less tumor in any core and clinical stage T1-T2a. Changes in any of these parameters during followup that went beyond these limits were considered progression. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was done to determine patient characteristics associated with an increased risk of progression.Results: A total of 64 patients (26%) showed progression at ...
Cooperative learning: The best of the one‐room schoolhouse

(1991). Cooperative learning: The best of the one‐room schoolhouse. The Teacher Educator: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 6-13.
The segmented sieve of eratosthenes and primes in arithmetic progressions to 10 12

The sieve of Eratosthenes, a well known tool for finding primes, is presented in several algorithmic forms. The algorithms are analyzed, with theoretical and actual computation times given. The authors use the sieve in a refined form (the “dual sieve”) to find the distribution of primes in twenty arithmetic progressions to 1012. Tables of values are included.
Transverse and longitudinal response functions in quasielastic electron scattering from nuclei

Abstract Transverse and longitudinal response functions have been extracted for 3 He, 12 C, 40 Ca, 48 Ca. and 56 Fe up to a momentum transfer of 550 MeV c . The quenching of the longitudinal response function in the quasi-elastic region is significant and might be a signature of modification of the intrinsic properties of the nucleon in nuclear matter.
Action spectrum studies for induction of immunologic unresponsiveness to dinitrofluorobenzene following in vivo low dose ultraviolet radiation.

— Topical application of the contact sensitizer dinitrofluorobenzene to the skin of C3H mice previously exposed in vivo to low doses of UVB radiation from FS20 sun lamps resulted in the acquisition of antigen-specific unresponsiveness to that hapten. When narrow band radiation at various wavelengths between 260 and 320 nm was employed, increasing doses of radiation were found to produce increasing amounts of immunosuppression. Construction of an action spectrum curve revealed that radiation between 260 and 300 nm was most efficient in producing unresponsiveness. Wavelengths above 300 nm were much less efficient than those below 300 nm. These results indicate that there are major differences in the effectiveness of various components of the short and middle wavelength UV spectrum in eliciting immunologic unresponsiveness to a topically administered hapten. Potential chromophores for this UVB-induced immunosuppressive effect include DNA and urocanic acid.
An Assessment of the Hydrokinetic Energy Resource of the Florida Current

Available ocean model and physically measured data from the Florida Current are analyzed to provide a detailed assessment of the hydrokinetic energy resource of the Florida Current, in support of harnessing a portion of it using ocean energy conversion devices. It has been estimated that approximately 25 GW of hydrokinetic power is available in the Florida Current. Fluctuations in this energy resource are described. Based on the analysis, realistic parameters governing where hydrokinetic energy extraction devices-turbines-may be ideally installed are discussed. An energy resource assessment methodology that has been developed is described. It can be used as a design tool for implementation of arrays of ocean energy extraction devices.
Educational justice for all: the capability approach and inclusive education leadership

Leaders within education must weigh a number of fundamentals as they engage the needs of the stakeholders they represent within the political, social and economic context they operate within. Leaders must consider the unique needs and capabilities of individuals who might not possess similar abilities or talents to those of the majority. In this paper, we explore the capability approach as a frame to consider such contextual fundamentals in inclusive education leadership. In order to examine how educational leaders address the diverse needs of the groups they serve, we interviewed five central office educational administrators in the USA with the responsibility for leading programming for students with special needs. Using a human capabilities frame, we developed targeted questions to determine whether school leaders uphold the tenets of this theoretical foundation within their district's practices in an era of tight fiscal management and accountability. Findings indicate that those leaders whose district...
Self-nanoscaling in FeCo alloys prepared via severe plastic deformation

Abstract Nanocrystalline Fe100−xCox (x = 20, 35, 50, 60) alloys have been prepared by mechanical alloying of Fe and Co powders via high energy ball milling. The alloy formation process and microstructure evolution of the samples have been investigated. Energy filtered transmission microscopy (EFTEM) observations revealed the strip formation of the Fe and Co phases at an initial stage of milling. The final grain size of the equiaxed grains in the obtained alloys reached 8 nm upon milling for 20 h. The saturation magnetization of the mixtures of Fe and Co increases with milling time, indicating an increasing homogeneity in composition and the phase formation. It is found that the saturation magnetization is also dependent on the Co content, which reaches the highest value of 240 emu/g at Fe65Co35. The phase transformation of the as-prepared FeCo alloys was also studied using differential scanning calorimetry.
Connectivity restoration in disjoint Wireless Sensor Networks using centrality measures

In Mobile Sensor Networks (MSNs), connectivity of the sensor nodes with the sink node must be maintained at all times in order to sustain network operations. However, due to the depletion of limited on-board batteries and the exposure of the nodes to harsh environmental conditions, network can be subject to random node failures. While some of the failures can be compensated with redundancy, failure of the cut-vertex nodes renders the network partitioned. In order to restore connectivity with the sink, network structure can be updated through mobility of the nodes. However, mobility incurs excessive energy consumption and therefore, movement cost must be limited so that the network lifetime can be extended. In this paper, we present two approaches based on centrality metrics, which are commonly used in social network analysis. By applying these algorithms, we assess the relative importance of the nodes in a partition and use their centrality score while picking a node for movement. The first approach is based on closeness centrality where the less central nodes are favored for movement. The second approach is based on betweenness centrality where the nodes with the lower centrality scores are preferred for movement. The proposed approaches are implemented and tested against the currently used techniques.