cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-resolution cross-sectional imaging of the gastrointestinal tract using optical coherence tomography: preliminary results

Abstract Background : Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel technique for noninvasive cross-sectional imaging with high spatial resolution (10 to 20 μm). OCT is similar to B-mode ultrasound except that it uses infrared light rather than ultrasound. We studied OCT imaging of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in vitro to analyze the potential of this technique for endoscopic applications. Methods : Human gastrointestinal tissues harvested from surgical resection and autopsy specimens were used. Specimens were imaged within 5 hours of resection or snap frozen in liquid nitrogen. After imaging, OCT scan locations were carefully marked using dye microinjections, fixed, and prepared for routine histologic processing. OCT images were then compared and correlated with the histologic sections. Results : OCT images demonstrated clear delineation of the mucosa and submucosa in most specimens. Furthermore, microscopic structures such as crypts, blood vessels, or esophageal glands in the submucosa and lymphatic nodules were observed. Conclusions : The resolution of OCT images of GI wall is sufficient to delineate the microscopic structure of the mucosa and submucosa. Potentially, OCT would allow in vivo imaging at endoscopy of the microstructure of the mucosa and submucosa. This would be particularly useful in the detection and staging of small lesions such as early stage cancers.
A Risk-Benefit Assessment of Tamoxifen Therapy

Tamoxifen is the endocrine treatment of choice for all women with hormonally responsive breast cancer. 30 years of experience in both the laboratory and clinical setting have shown tamoxifen to be an effective adjuvant treatment with minor short term adverse effects. However, as therapeutic use has extended to 5 years and beyond, and as clinical trials begin which will assess the effectiveness of tamoxifen as a preventive treatment, concern about possible long term adverse effects is justified. Tamoxifen has an estrogen-like influence on the skeletal and cardiovascular systems, resulting in decreases in both postmenopausal bone loss and low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. These effects will, it is hoped, result in decreases in the incidences of osteoporosis and coronary heart disease, which are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the postmenopausal age group. Tamoxifen therapy also results in decreased rates of contralateral breast cancer. Long term tamoxifen treatment may result in a small increase in the incidence of endometrial and/or hepatocellular carcinoma, but with millions of women taking tamoxifen for long periods, such small increases in incidence translate to a significant number of women at risk. Tamoxifen is clearly beneficial for short term treatment, but the clinical decision of tamoxifen use in the long term must be made on the individual benefits versus risks of tamoxifen treatment.
Hyperammonemia complicating parenteral nutrition in infants

The parenteral administration of protein hydrolysate-glucose mixtures is being used increasingly to prevent tissue catabolism and promote growth in infants with various conditions which preclude adequate ingestion or absorption of calories. Although nitrogen retention can be regularly attained, several complications have been reported.
Prosopo-thoracopagus conjoined twins and other cephalopagus-thoracopagus intermediates: case report and review of the literature.

Prosopo-thoracopagus twins are united from the face down to the umbilicus, none with union in the brain but all with visceral anomalies intermediate between those of cephalopagus and thoracopagus. In a review of over 1200 cases of conjoined twins reported during the past 100 years, there were 14 that illustrate the continuum between cephalopagus and thoracopagus, including three that were united only from the cervical region to the umbilicus. Classic cephalopagus twins are joined from the top of the head to the umbilicus, sharing a single foregut as well as two relatively normal hearts, the “posterior” one often diminished. Typical thoracopagus, however, are conjoined only from the upper thorax to the umbilicus, each twin with a normal foregut but both sharing a single complex multiventricular heart. The intermediate cases shared either a single very abnormal heart or two hearts united by double aortic arches, and all except one had a single foregut. It is these cases intermediate between cephalopagus and thoracopagus which are the subject of this report.
Overwhelming Evidence for Generation Me A Reply to Arnett

Documenting trends in young people’s self-reported traits and attitudes is empirical research, not a complaint or a stereotype. Rising cultural individualism has both good consequences (more gender...
One-armed Spiral Waves in Galaxy Simulations with Counterrotating Stars

Motivated by observations of disk galaxies with counterrotating stars, we have run two-dimensional, collisionless N-body simulations of disk galaxies with significant counterrotating components. For all our simulations the initial value of Toomre's stability parameter was Q = 1.1. The percentage of counterrotating particles ranges from 25% to 50%. A stationary one-arm spiral wave is observed to form in each run, persisting from a few to five rotation periods, measured at the half-mass radius. In one run, the spiral wave was initially a leading arm that subsequently transformed into a trailing arm. We also observed a change in spiral direction in the run initially containing equal numbers of particles orbiting in both directions. The results of our simulations support an interpretation of the one-armed waves as being due to the two-stream instability.
On solvability of two-dimensional Lp-Minkowski problem

Abstract Given p≠0 and a positive continuous function g, with g(x+T)=g(x), for some 0 0 the functional F(u)= ∫ 0 T {(u′(x)) 2 −u 2 (x)}dx+C( ∫ 0 T g(x)u p (x) dx) 2/p has a minimizer in the class of positive functions u∈C1(R) for which u(x+T)=u(x) for all x∈R. This minimizer is used to prove the existence of a positive periodic solution y∈C2(R) of two-dimensional Lp-Minkowski problem y1−p(x)(y″(x)+y(x))=g(x), where p∉{0,2}.
MINIMAX ANALYSIS OF STOCHASTIC PROBLEMS

In practical applications of stochastic programming the involved probability distributions are never known exactly. One can try to hedge against the worst expected value resulting from a considered set of permissible distributions. This leads to a min-max formulation of the corresponding stochastic programming problem. We show that, under mild regularity conditions, such a min-max problem generates a probability distribution on the set of permissible distributions with the min-max problem being equivalent to the expected value problem with respect to the corresponding weighted distribution. We consider examples of the news vendor problem, the problem of moments and problems involving unimodal distributions. Finally, we discuss the Monte Carlo sample average approach to solving such min-max problems.
Acute exposure to CXC chemokine ligand 10, but not its chronic astroglial production, alters synaptic plasticity in mouse hippocampal slices

Brain levels of CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) are elevated in a number of neuropathological conditions. To determine its impact on neuronal function, we measured synaptic transmission and plasticity in hippocampal slices prepared from transgenic (TG) mice with chronic astroglial production of CXCL10. We also tested the acute effect of recombinant CXCL10 applied to slices from normal C57Bl/6J mice, CXCL10 TG mice and CXCR3 knock out (KO) mice. Chronic production of CXCL10 did not alter synaptic plasticity. By contrast, exogenous CXCL10 (10 ng/ml) significantly inhibited long-term potentiation (LTP) in slices from normal C57Bl/6J mice and CXCL10 TG. The effect was probably receptor-mediated because CXCL10-induced inhibition of LTP was not observed in CXCR3 KO mice. Our findings suggest that acute exposure to CXCL10 alters synaptic plasticity via CXCR3 in mouse hippocampus.
Crystal Structure of the TAO2 Kinase Domain; Activation and Specificity of a Ste20p MAP3K.

TAO2 is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) that doubly phosphorylates and activates the MAP kinase kinases (MAP2Ks) MEK3 and MEK6. The structure of the kinase domain of TAO2 (1-320) has been solved in its phosphorylated active conformation. The structure, together with structure-based mutagenic analysis, reveals that positively charged residues in the substrate binding groove mediate the first step in the dual phosphorylation of MEK6, on the threonine residue in the motif DS*VAKT*I (*denotes phosphorylation site) of MEK6. TAO2 is a Ste20p homolog, and the structure of active TAO2, in comparison with that of low-activity p21-activated protein kinase (PAK1), a Ste20p-related MAP4K, reveals how this group of kinases is activated by phosphorylation. Finally, active TAO2 displays unusual interactions with ATP, involving, in part, a subgroup-specific C-terminal extension of TAO2. The observed interactions may be useful in making specific inhibitors of TAO kinases.
Polarity: the role of localized secretion

Studies of single cells from brown algae suggest that localized secretions stabilize the polar axis resulting in an asymmetry in the cell wall. This cortical asymmetry appears to play a role in orienting the plane of cell division and in determining the different fates of the resulting daughter cells. Recent studies indicate that similar processes may operate in seed plants.
Delivery Systems for Pulmonary Gene Therapy

Delivery of therapeutic genes to the lungs is an attractive strategy to correct a variety of pulmonary dysfunctions such as cystic fibrosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, pulmonary hypertension, asthma, and lung cancer. Different delivery routes such as intratracheal instillation, aerosol and intravenous injection have been utilized with varying degrees of efficiency. Both viral and non-viral vectors, with their respective strengths and weaknesses, have achieved significant levels of transgene expression in the lungs. However, the application of gene therapy for the treatment of pulmonary disease has been handicapped by various barriers to the delivery vectors such as serum proteins during intravenous delivery, and surfactant proteins and mucus in the airway lumen during topical application of therapeutic genes. Immune and cytokine responses against the delivery vehicle are also major problems encountered in pulmonary gene therapy. Despite these shortcomings much progress has been made to enhance the efficiency, as well as lower the toxicity of gene therapy vehicles in the treatment of pulmonary disorders such as cystic fibrosis, lung cancer and asthma.
Concurrent venography during first rib resection and scalenectomy for venous thoracic outlet syndrome is safe and efficient

Objective Surgical treatment of acute axillosubclavian vein thrombosis from venous thoracic outlet syndrome (VTOS) traditionally involves first rib resection and scalenectomy (FRRS) followed by interval venography and balloon angioplasty. This approach can lead to an extended need for anticoagulation and a separate anesthesia session. We present outcomes for FRRS with concurrent venography. Methods Retrospective chart review was performed for consecutive patients undergoing FRRS with concurrent venography for VTOS from February 2007 to April 2014. Venography was performed immediately after FRRS with the arm in neutral and provocative positions. The primary outcomes of this study were primary and primary-assisted patency. Secondary outcomes included whether concurrent venography resulted in modification of the procedure, postoperative anticoagulation use, and postoperative complications. Results Thirty patients underwent first rib resection with venography with a mean follow-up time of 24.4 months. The mean age was 29.5 years (range, 17-52 years), and 17 (56.7%) were female. All were maintained on anticoagulation before the procedure. Concurrent venography resulted in modification of the procedure in 28 patients (93.3%). Of these, 27 patients (96.4%) underwent balloon angioplasty and two patients (7.1%) underwent further rib resection. Twenty patients (66.7%) were discharged after the procedure with no anticoagulation. For those receiving postoperative anticoagulation for persistent minor thrombus, median time for anticoagulation duration was 5.0 months (range, 0.8 and 16.7 months). Two patients (6.7%) had postoperative bleeding requiring thoracentesis or video-assisted thoracoscopic evacuation of hemothorax. One patient (3.3%) suffered rethrombosis and was successfully lysed open, resulting in a 2-year subclavian vein (SCV) primary patency of 96.7% and primary-assisted patency of 100%. No patients required reoperation for VTOS, and all reported improvements in symptoms. Three patients (10.0%) later underwent prophylactic first rib resection on the contralateral side for symptoms and SCV stenosis. Conclusions FRRS with concurrent venography is a safe procedure for VTOS that allows effective intraoperative modification of the surgical plan, resulting in excellent patency of the SCV, early cessation of anticoagulation, and durable relief of symptoms.
Effectiveness of Negative Pressure in Promoting Tissue Growth Into Porous Metal Implants

Extremity War Injuries (EWI) with large open segmental and periarticular defects constitute a high volume and high morbidity challenge for the military trauma management system. Open segmental tibia and elbow fractures caused by Improvised Explosive Device (IED) wounds, are two examples of such injuries. Several problems occur when trying to repair such a wound. The large, gaping wounds make skin closure difficult. Infection is also a prevalent complication typically caused by debris contaminating the wound. Lastly, large amounts of damaged tissue including segmental bone defects make repair difficult.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Microtubular architecture of biodegradable polymer scaffolds

It is a relatively new approach to generate tissues with mammalian cells and scaffolds (temporary synthetic extracellular matrices). Many tissues, such as nerve, muscle, tendon, ligament, blood vessel, bone, and teeth, have tubu- lar or fibrous bundle architectures and anisotropic proper- ties. In this work, we have designed and fabricated highly porous scaffolds from biodegradable polymers with a novel phase-separation technique to generate controllable parallel array of microtubular architecture. Porosity as high as 97% has been achieved. The porosity, diameter of the microtu- bules, the tubular morphology, and their orientation are con- trolled by the polymer concentration, solvent system, and temperature gradient. The mechanical properties of these scaffolds are anisotropic. Osteoprogenitor cells are seeded in these three-dimensional scaffolds and cultured in vitro. The cell distribution and the neo-tissue organization are guided by the microtubular architecture. The fabrication technique can be applied to a variety of polymers, therefore the deg- radation rate and cell-matrix interactions can be controlled by the chemical composition of the polymers and the incor- poration of bioactive moieties. These microtubular scaffolds may be used to engineer a variety of tissues with anisotropic architecture and properties. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 56: 469-477, 2001
Improved methods for determination of guanylyl cyclase activity and synthesis of [α-32P]GTP

Abstract A modification of the adenylyl cyclase assay method of Y. Salomon, C. Londos, and M. Rodbell (1974, Anal. Biochem. 48 , 541–548) is described. It makes the method applicable to the determination of guanylyl cyclase in subcellular tissue fractions. The modification consists of performing the Dowex 50 chromatography at acid pH in a column that has bed volume that is three times as large. This modification results in low blanks and allows for reuse of both Dowex 50 and aluminum oxide columns. A modification of the method of Symons [1974, Methods in Enzymology (Grossman, L., and Moldave, K., eds.), Vol. 29, pp. 105–115, Academic Press, New York] for synthesis of [α- 32 P]nucleoside triphosphates is also presented. It allows all steps to be carried out within 5 h in a single reaction vessel. Synthesized NTPs are then purified by DEAE-Sephadex A-25 (HCO 3 − form) using a linear ammonium bicarbonate gradient. Its applicability to synthesis of [α- 32 P]GTP, [α- 32 P]dGTP, and [α- 32 P]ATP having specific activities of up to 75 Ci/mmol is shown.
Determination of cellular and subcellular distribution of tritiated cortisol derivatives in rat liver by autoradiography.

Forty-five min after intraperitoneal injection of a tracer dose of cortisol-l,2-3H into male adrenalectomized rats, radioactivity in the liver was shown by autoradiographic techniques to be concentrated mainly in hepatocytes. Very low labeling occurred in the cells of the reticuloendothelial system and cells of the bile duct were practically unlabeled. Controls with liver sections of nonradioactive rats indicated that the radioactivity detectable by autoradiography was caused by the hormone or its metabolites and was not artifactual. There was about 5 to 15 times more labeling in the cytoplasm of the hepatocyte than in the cell nucleus. (Endocrinology 80: 774, 1967)
Detecting Bias in Jury Selection

The process of jury selection typically requires opposing counsel to reduce a pool of prospective jurors to the prescribed jury size by alternately excusing or striking individuals from service. These decisions, called peremptory strikes, are executed without the need of revealing any underlying rationale. However, recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have held that attorneys may not exercise their peremptory strikes to systematically exclude prospective jurors on the basis of race or gender. The first step in establishing a charge of such improper bias requires the challenging party to show evidence that his or her opponent's strikes are inconsistent with random consideration of these protected characteristics. Since court procedure dictates that there is some alternating between Prosecution and Defense in the striking process, choices for each side impact those of the other, and a simple comparison of the jury pool with the peremptory strikes is insufficient for establishing any inference of bias. For thes...
Depression Among Latina Immigrant Mothers Separated From Their Children

OBJECTIVE: Latinas who immigrate to the United States and leave their children in their homelands may experience psychological consequences of this separation. This study examined whether immigrant Latinas who were separated from their children differed in rates of probable major depression from those who lived with their children and from those who did not have any children. METHODS: Data were obtained between March 1997 and May 2002 from women in Women, Infants, and Children programs that target low-income pregnant and postpartum women and their children (up to five years of age), women in county-run Title X family planning clinics, women in pediatric clinics for low-income families, and women who were living in a subsidized-housing project or attending programs for county welfare recipients. Latinas in this study were all immigrants to the United States. The women were screened for major depressive disorders with the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. RESULTS: A total of 5,122 Latina immigran...
Glutaredoxin Mediates Akt and eNOS Activation by Flow in a Glutathione Reductase-Dependent Manner

Objective— The glutathione (GSH)/glutaredoxin (Grx) system regulates activities of many redox sensitive enzymes. This system has been shown to protect cells from hydrogen peroxide–induced apoptosis by regulating the redox state of Akt. Grx can be regulated by redox state; the oxidized Grx is selectively recycled to the reduced form by GSH. Flow can maintain endothelial cells in a reduced state by activating glutathione reductase (GR) and increasing the GSH/GSSG ratio. Because steady laminar flow exerts an antioxidant effect, we hypothesized that Grx mediates flow induced Akt and eNOS phosphorylation in a GR dependent manner. Methods and Results— Exposure of endothelial cells (ECs) to physiological steady laminar flow (shear stress=12 dyn/cm2) for 5 minutes significantly increased Grx activity (1.9±0.2-fold), and also increased Akt and eNOS phosphorylation. Overexpression of GFP-GR in ECs significantly increased Grx activity by 1.6±0.1-fold. Pretreatment with the GR inhibitor 1,3-bis[2-chloroethyl]-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) for 30 minutes dramatically reduced Grx activity and inhibited the increase in Akt and eNOS phosphorylation induced by flow. Overexpression of wild-type Grx in ECs increased both Akt and eNOS phosphorylation. In contrast, a mutated Grx (C22S/C25S), which lacks thioltransferase activity, had no effect. Therefore, flow-induced Akt and eNOS phosphorylation depend on Grx thioltransferase activity. Downregulation of Grx by small interfering RNA decreased flow induced Akt and eNOS phosphorylation. Conclusions— These data suggest that Grx is an important mediator for flow-induced Akt and eNOS activation, and Grx activity depends on GR-mediated changes in EC redox state.
Rotationally acceptable ocean tide models for determining the response of the oceans to atmospheric pressure fluctuations

[1] Suitably generalized, ocean tide models can be used to determine the oceans' response to atmospheric pressure forcing; but the huge range of spatial and temporal scales of that forcing limits the relevance of state-of-the-art tide modeling techniques, like data assimilation, for such determinations. With an interest in its effects on Earth's rotation, in 1998 I employed a generalized but non-assimilating spherical harmonic tide model to determine the oceanic response to pressure forcing, however restricting its application to time scales exceeding a few days. This article revisits that spherical harmonic model in an attempt to improve its rotational predictions of short-period tides. We find that increasing the resolution of the model ocean does not by itself affect the tidal solution much, but varying the model's frictional parameters can produce diurnal tides whose effects on Earth's polar motion are similar to those of a variety of other ocean tide models. Such an improved model will allow our calculations of the oceans' dynamic response to pressure forcing, and the effects of that response on Earth's rotation, to be extended down to diurnal time scales.
Origins and scale dependence of temporal variability in the transparency of Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada

Secchi depth has been measured in Lake Tahoe an average of every 12 d since July 1967. Because of the unusual clarity of the lake, Secchi depth measurement is responsive to small changes in light-attenuating particles, and the record exhibits strong variability at the seasonal, interannual, and decadal scales. Using recently developed methods of applied time-series analysis, the mechanisms of change were delineated at each scale. The seasonal pattern is a bimodal one, with two minima at approximately June and December. The June minimum is due mostly to cumulative discharge of suspended sediments following melting of the snowpack. The December minimum is probably a result of mixed-layer deepening as the thermocline passes through layers of phytoplankton and other light-attenuating particles that reach a maximum below the summer mixed layer. The interannual scale exhibits two modes of variability, one during the weakly stratified autumn‐winter period and the other during the more stratified spring‐ summer period. The first mode is a result of variable depth of mixing in this unusually deep lake, while the second results from year-to-year changes in spring runoff. A decadal trend also exists ( 20.25 m yr 21 ), resulting from accumulation of materials in the water column. It is not yet understood, however, how much of this change is due to phytoplankton or recent phytoplankton-derived materials and how much is due to other materials such as mineral suspensoids. Based on the available measurements and physical considerations, both categories may play a significant role.
Mineralogical constraints on the high-silica martian surface component observed by TES

Abstract The Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) has observed a high-silica material in the dark regions of Mars that is spectrally similar to obsidian glass and may have a volcanic origin. An alternate interpretation is that the spectrally amorphous material consists of clay minerals or some other secondary material, formed by chemical alteration of surface rocks. The regions where this material is observed (e.g., Acidalia Planitia) have relatively high spectral contrast, suggesting that the high-silica material exists as coarse particulates, indurated soils or cements, within rocks, or as indurated coatings on rock surfaces. The geologic interpretation of this spectral result has major implications for understanding magmatic evolution and weathering processes on Mars. One of the complications in interpreting spectral observations of glasses and clay minerals is that both are structurally and compositionally complex. In this study, we perform a detailed spectroscopic analysis of indurated smectite clay minerals and relate their thermal emission spectral features to structural and crystal chemical properties. We examine the spectral similarities and differences between smectite clay minerals and obsidian glass from a structural-chemical perspective, and make further mineralogical interpretations from previous TES results. The results suggest that neither smectite clays nor any clay mineral with similar structural and chemical properties can adequately explain TES observations of high-silica materials in some martian dark regions. If the spectrally amorphous materials observed by TES do represent an alteration product, then these materials are likely to be poorly crystalline aluminosilicates. While all clay minerals have Si/O ratios ⩽0.4, the position of the emissivity minimum at Mars suggests a Si/O ratio of 0.4–0.5. The spectral observation could be explained by the existence of a silica-rich alteration product, such as Al- or Fe-bearing opal, an intimate physical mixture of relatively pure silica and other aluminosilicates (such as clay minerals or clay precursors), or certain zeolites. The chemical alteration of basaltic rocks on Mars to phyllosilicate-poor, silica-rich alteration products provides a geologically reasonable and consistent explanation for the global TES surface mineralogical results.
Recognizing faces with PCA and ICA

This paper compares principal component analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA) in the context of a baseline face recognition system, a comparison motivated by contradictory claims in the literature. This paper shows how the relative performance of PCA and ICA depends on the task statement, the ICA architecture, the ICA algorithm, and (for PCA) the subspace distance metric. It then explores the space of PCA/ICA comparisons by systematically testing two ICA algorithms and two ICA architectures against PCA with four different distance measures on two tasks (facial identity and facial expression). In the process, this paper verifies the results of many of the previous comparisons in the literature, and relates them to each other and to this work. We are able to show that the FastICA algorithm configured according to ICA architecture II yields the highest performance for identifying faces, while the InfoMax algorithm configured according to ICA architecture II is better for recognizing facial actions. In both cases, PCA performs well but not as well as ICA.
Polarimetric radars for in-situ studies: design, calibration and applications

An inexpensive dual-frequency FM radar called PAIR (polarization-agile instrumentation radar) and a step-frequency radar based on an HP-8753B network analyzer were developed for polarimetric scattering measurements. These systems were designed to operate at ranges between 3 and 6 m and for collecting data over incidence angles from 0 degrees to 60 degrees . The FM radar was developed for operation at center frequencies of 5.3 and 10 GHz, and the step-frequency system was developed for operation at 5 and 13.6 GHz. These systems were used to measure backscattering from artificial sea ice. The authors present the design considerations, system performance, system calibration, and results from the experiments over artificial sea ice. >
Relations among Perceived Intimate Partner Acceptance, Remembered Parental Acceptance, and Psychological Adjustment among Young Adults in India

The principal goal of this study was to explore the way in which remembered childhood experiences of maternal and paternal acceptance mediated or moderated the relation between perceived intimate-partner acceptance and the psychological adjustment of 79 young adults in India. Results of simple correlations showed a positive relationship between parental (mothers' and fathers') acceptance and psychological adjustment, and similarly between intimate partner acceptance and psychological adjustment. However, results of multiple regression analyses showed that remembered maternal acceptance no longer made a significant contribution to the psychological adjustment of either men or women when the influence of paternal and partner acceptance was partialed out. Perceived partner acceptance was the strongest single predictor of psychological adjustment for men, although this relation was partially mediated by remembered paternal (but not maternal) acceptance in childhood. For women, on the other hand, both perceived partner acceptance and remembered paternal acceptance were about coequal as predictors of psychological adjustment. The influence of remembered paternal acceptance in childhood also moderated the relation between perceived partner acceptance and respondents' psychological adjustment.
Raman Spectra of Polyacrylonitrile

The polarized Raman spectra of polyacrylonitrile have been obtained and compared with ir spectra. On the basis of the selection rules, various proposed structural models are compared with the experimental results. The spectra suggest a syndiotactic rich composition with a planar structure. The blocks of syndiotactic placements are disrupted by short sequences of isotactic or atactic placements.
Predictors of long-term mortality in Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial II (MADIT II) patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

Background Data on long-term follow-up and factors influencing mortality in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) recipients are limited. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate mortality during long-term follow-up and the predictive value of several risk markers in the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial II (MADIT II) patients with implanted cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). Methods The study involved U.S. patients from the MADIT II trial randomized to and receiving ICD treatment. Data regarding long-term mortality were retrieved from the National Death Registry. Several clinical, biochemical, and electrocardiogram variables were tested in a multivariate Cox model for predicting long-term mortality, and a score identifying high-, medium-, and lower risk patients was developed. Results The study population consisted of 655 patients, mean age 64 ± 10 years. During a follow-up of up to 9 years, averaging 63 months, 294 deaths occurred. The 6-year cumulative probability of death was 40%, with evidence of a constant risk of about 8.5% per year among survivors. Median survival was estimated at 8 years. Multivariate analysis identified age >65 years, New York Heart Association class 3–4, diabetes, non–sinus rhythm, and increased levels of blood urea nitrogen as independent risk predictors of mortality. Patients with three or more of these risk factors were characterized by a 6-year mortality rate of 68%, compared with 43% in those with one to two risk factors and 19% in patients with no risk factors. Conclusion A combination of a few readily available clinical variables indicating advanced disease and comorbid conditions identifies ICD patients at high risk of mortality during long-term follow-up.
Changes in transmyocardial impedance during prolonged ventricular fibrillation. Implications for current flow and delivered energy during DC countershock.

Transthoracic resistance (TTR) and transmyocardial resistance (TMR) were measured during 10 minutes of uninterrupted ventricular fibrillation (VF) in a canine model. TMR was measured at 10- to 50-second intervals with two wire-mesh patch electrodes in 16 dogs. TTR was measured through two identical low-impedance electrodes. A monophasic exponentially truncated pulse with a duration of 5 msec was used for measurement of TMR as well as TTR. Low-energy pulses of 100 V were used for TMR measurements and pulses of 300 V for TTR measurements. TMR showed an increase of 22.8 ± 5.14 Ω (from 96.2 ± 12.3 Ω) after 600 seconds of uninterrupted VF (p < 0.0006). TTR showed a change of 2.4 ± 1.94 Ω, which was not statistically significant in comparison with the initial value of 69.0 ± 11.4 Ω. A mathematical model was developed to predict energy delivered to the heart after a transthoracic shock. Observed values of TMR and TTR were used in this model. With the use of this model, the predicted fall in transmyocardial current after 600 seconds of uninterrupted VF and 19.3%, and the fall in energy delivered to the heart was 14%. Our study suggests that increase in TMR may contribute to the observed lack of successful defibrillation during prolonged VF.
Kainic acid decreases hippocampal neuronal number and increases dopamine receptor binding in the nucleus accumbens: an animal model of schizophrenia

Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of kainic acid (KA) produces graded neuronal loss in the hippocampus and other regions of the medial temporal lobe. Many of these brain regions send excitatory projections to the nucleus accumbens, a dopaminergic brain area implicated in psychotomimetic and antipsychotic drug action. In the present study, neurochemical function in the nucleus accumbens and anterior caudate-putamen was examined one week after i.c.v. administration of 1.5, 4.5, or 6.6 nmol of KA. As expected, i.c.v. KA produced dose-dependent neuronal loss in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. Extrahippocampal neuronal loss was also observed in the thalamus and piriform cortex in some of the KA-treated rats. While ambient levels of dopamine turnover and excitatory amino acids in the nucleus accumbens were unaltered by KA, administration of the highest KA dose elevated [3H]spiperone binding exclusively in the accumbens. Finally, behavioral hyperactivity was observed in KA-treated rats over a five-week period following i.c.v. administration. The pattern of neuronal loss, receptor upregulation, and behavioral hyperactivity found after i.c.v. KA administration may provide a useful animal model of the limbic neuropathology and neurochemical dysfunction associated with schizophrenia.
CAD based planning and execution of inspection

The authors have created an interface between computer vision processes and CAD (computer-aided design) databases as part of the development of an automated visual inspection system. A recognition planning system uses rules to select the important vision features from the given CAD database and generates feature-recognition procedures. An inspection planning system provides overall inspection procedures given the CAD database. This system provides such information as a list of features to be measured, techniques to use, and the range of values allowed. Thus, after the design cycle, parts can be thoroughly inspected with no technical decisions or programming required. >
Statures of 19th century Chinese males in America

Objective: This study considers statures of 19th century male Chinese immigrant to the American West and assesses how their personal characteristics were related with stature variation.Subjects: The subjects were 1423 male Chinese prisoners received between 1850 and 1920 in the Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington state prisons.Method: The study compares 19th century Chinese inmate statures with other studies and employs stature regression models on time, socio-economic status and residence within the USA to account for biological variation.Results: Between 1830 and 1870, Chinese youth male stature declined by over 2 cm. Between 1820 and 1860, Chinese adult male stature also declined by over 2 cm. Chinese stature did not vary with socio-economic status or residence.Conclusions: Nineteenth century Chinese emigrant statures were influenced more by political and economic events than socio-economic status, and male emigrants' biological conditions may have deteriorated...
A Macroscopic Agglutination Test with Typhus Rickettsiae Prepared from Infected Rodent Lungs

ployed agglutination of rickettsiae to measure the result of immunizing the horse against typhus, and FitzPatrick4 showed that agglutinins appeared in monkeys and guinea pigs after vaccination with agar slant-tissue cultures of rickettsiae of typhus and spotted fever, respectively. The presence of rickettsial agglutinins in the serum of typhus vaccinated persons was studied by Liu, Zia and Wang,5 and after experimental typhus infection by Zia and Liu.6 The antigens used in the agglutination tests reported have been the Weigl louse vaccine,1,2,3,5 peritoneal washings of infected rats,",2 and chick tissue culture on agar slants.4 A difficulty militating against the exstensive use of the test in research and in diagnosis of human typhus has been the lack of rickettsiae in large enough numbers and in a sufficiently purified state. More recent advances in the cultivation of rickettsiae
PET/MRI of the Liver

Current imaging methods for liver disease include the use of US, CT, MRI and PET/CT. While US and CT are the initial and more cost-effective imaging methods worldwide, MR imaging has become the modality of choice for liver imaging due to its high sensitivity and specificity in characterizing liver lesions. Introduction of liver-specific MR contrast agents has further increased the role of MR imaging of liver in primary and secondary liver malignancy lesion detection, treatment planning, and follow-up. Similarly, 18 FDG PET/CT imaging has established a place in staging and follow-up of liver malignancies, especially of liver metastases. Due to decreased sensitivity of 18FDG PET in primary hepatocellular carcinoma, focus is being made on introduction of new radiotracers.
Serologic and clinical outcomes of 1536 Alaska Natives chronically infected with hepatitis B virus.

Hepatitis B e antigen cleared in more than 70% of 1536 Alaska Native patients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen during the first 10 years of follow-up.
Implementation of analog ICs based on neural networks

Concepts found in the study of neural networks can be used to aid the analysis and increase the understanding of conventional analog ICs, as well as suggest new circuits and applications. The development of a series of analog ICs based on crossbar neural networks is presented. There are two main problems in their implementation: the choice of the correct weights to ensure that stable states correspond to solutions to the problem addressed by the network and the stability of the network which depends critically on its integrated circuit construction. The transfer curve of an analog IC implementation of an A/D converter illustrates the problems of choosing the weights in such networks correctly in order to avoid incorrect solutions. >
Microbial pesticide application during defoliator outbreaks may reduce loss of regional forest beetle richness

To date, research on the effects of forest defoliator outbreaks and pesticide applications to suppress these outbreaks on non-target forest arthropods has generally focused on non-target Lepidoptera and has not examined effects on regional diversity. In this study, we assessed the effects of forest defoliation by gypsy moths and application of the microbial pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) to suppress gypsy moth populations on the species richness and (Shannon index) diversity of beetles in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. In addition, we examined how these disturbances affected overall beetle abundance and abundances within different feeding guilds (herbivore, predator, fungivore, or xylophage). Three years after a gypsy moth outbreak, beetles were sampled four times throughout spring and summer at 15 sites belonging to one of three disturbance histories: undisturbed, defoliated, or sprayed with Btk. Beetles were captured using blacklight traps and then sorted to family and morphos...
Phosphorothioate Oligodeoxynucleotides as Inhibitors Of Gene Expression: Antisense and Non-Antisense Effects

Substantial progress has been made in the past several years in the development and use of oligonucleotide analogs as pharmacological tools and as therapeutic agents. Oligonucleotides are short single strand DNA molecules which target messenger RNA (mRNA). These compounds have many advantages over more traditional protein-targeted drugs. During the process of transcription, every gene gives a rise to a multiple copies of mRNA, these are then translated into a very large number of protein molecules. Thus, inhibition of gene expression should be more efficient at the level of mRNA than at the level of protein. If a disease is known to be caused by inappropriate production or abnormal function of a specific protein, antisense oligonucleotides can be rationally designed and tested simply on the basis of the sequence of the gene encoding that protein. A theoretically greater advantage is the specificity by which these molecules act on their target receptor. A drug is considered specific if it has a high binding affinity for its receptors relative to other binding sites. Traditional drugs typically have limitations (i.e., toxicity) because of their lack of specificity. Due to the specificity of the Watson-Crick base-pair interaction, oligonucleotide-based drugs have the theoretical potential to be orders of magnitude more specific than traditional drugs. This raises the possibility that antisense oligonucleotides can be used not only as research tools, but more importantly, developed as a completely new class of drugs.
Nonfouling NTA-PEG-Based TEM Grid Coatings for Selective Capture of Histidine-Tagged Protein Targets from Cell Lysates

We report the preparation and performance of TEM grids bearing stabilized nonfouling lipid monolayer coatings. These films contain NTA capture ligands of controllable areal density at the distal end of a flexible poly(ethylene glycol) 2000 (PEG2000) spacer to avoid preferred orientation of surface-bound histidine-tagged (His-tag) protein targets. Langmuir-Schaefer deposition at 30 mN/m of mixed monolayers containing two novel synthetic lipids-1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[(5-amido-1-carboxypentyl)iminodiacetic acid]polyethylene glycolamide 2000) (NTA-PEG2000-DSPE) and 1,2-(tricosa-10',12'-diynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(methoxypolyethylene glycolamide 350) (mPEG350-DTPE)-in 1:99 and 5:95 molar ratios prior to treatment with a 5 min, 254 nm light exposure was used for grid fabrication. These conditions were designed to limit nonspecific protein adsorption onto the stabilized lipid coating by favoring the formation of a mPEG350 brush layer below a flexible, mushroom conformation of NTA-PEG2000 at low surface density to enable specific immobilization and random orientation of the protein target on the EM grid. These grids were then used to capture His6-T7 bacteriophage and RplL from cell lysates, as well as purified His8-green fluorescent protein (GFP) and nanodisc solubilized maltose transporter, His6-MalFGK2. Our findings indicate that TEM grid supported, polymerized NTA lipid monolayers are capable of capturing His-tag protein targets in a manner that controls their areal densities, while efficiently blocking nonspecific adsorption and limiting film degradation, even upon prolonged detergent exposure.
A Study of the Results of Eight Weeks of Participation in a University Physical Fitness Program for Men

(1944). A Study of the Results of Eight Weeks of Participation in a University Physical Fitness Program for Men. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 23-28.
Alteration of normal gastric flora in critical care patients receiving antacid and cimetidine therapy.

One hundred fifty-three critical care patients with documented cimetidine and antacid use were prospectively studied with serial gastric pH determinations and semiquantitative gastric fluid cultures. This study documents the abnormal gastric colonization of patients with therapeutically altered gastric acidity by hospital acquired gram negative rods (GNR). Three hundred twenty-four gastric fluid cultures from 153 patients revealed 152 (47%) positive cultures for GNR, 78 (24%) sterile specimens, and 94 (29%) positive for mixed oropharyngeal flora. One hundred forty (59%) of the 236 cultures at a pH of 4 or greater were positive for GNR. In contrast, only 12 (14%) of the 88 cultures at a pH of less than 4 were positive for GNR (p less than .001). Forty-six (52%) of 88 cultures at a pH of less than 4 were sterile as compared to only 32 (14%) of 236 sterile cultures at a pH of 4 or greater (p less than .001). At low pH, cultures are predominantly sterile and at a pH of 4 or greater the flora dramatically changes to hospital acquired GNR. This artificially maintained reservoir of gram negative rods in the critically ill patient is a potential reservoir of organisms causing nosocomial bacteremia or pneumonia in this high risk population.
The Negro and American Advertising, 1946–1965:

This article presents a content analysis of ads that have used Negro models or actors in selected mass circulation magazines over a 20-year period—a communications research technique seldom used in marketing. Results indicate that the frequency of using Negroes has not increased over the 20-year period. Instead it decreased in 1956, and by 1965 it merely reached the 1946 level. The Negro's occupational status, however, has risen significantly, but he is still seldom found in conventional middle-class settings.
Wellness Programs, Broccoli, and Libertrarianism

My paper describes employer wellness programs and the governing law. It is a short essay on the threat to employee privacy posed by employer wellness programs, ending with a critique of the central premise of libertarianism, that limiting the power of government necessarily increases human freedom.
Parameter Estimation of Standard Signals for Transient Characteristics Test of Current Transformer

Transient performance of the current transformer(CT) is one of key factors that relates to the security and stability of power grids and whether the protective relaying could be operated correctly, so it is of great significance for grid-connected CT to perform transient performance test or detection. To master the information of standard signals for the test, corresponding parameter estimation method is proposed to solve the positive maximum of standard signals within the allowed noise range. Combining with the time information when the transient process happens, positive maximums within the transient time period are captured, then they are transformed into linear function by logarithmic transformation, and then using least square fitting both intercept and slope of the linear function are obtained, which correspond to the amplitude and time constant of transient current respectively. Simulation results show that when the sampling frequency of the standard signal is 6.4 kHz accompanied with 20 dB of Gaussian white noise, using the proposed method the moment when the transient happens can be estimated accurately, and the estimated accuracy of transient current time constant is higher than the estimated accuracy of transient current amplitude, the estimation range of transient current time constant is from 80 ms to 210 ms. The obtained results are available for reference to the CT transient performance tests.