cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PREVALENCE OF CEREBRAL PALSY IN THE BIRACIAL POPULATION OF COPlAH COUNN, MISSISSIPPI

SUMMARY As part of a door-to-door survey of major neurological disorders, the prevalence of cerebral palsy was ascertained in the institutionalized and non-institutionalized biracial population of Copiah County, Mississippi. The over-all prevalence ratio was 212 per 100,000 inhabitants. For whites, as for blacks, males had a higher prevalence ratio than females. For both sexes, blacks had a higher prevalence ratio, but the race difference was not striking. Prevalence ratios declined with age. Other findings are presented on clinical features and degree of disability. RESUME Au cours d'une recherche porte a porte de troubles neurologiques majeurs, la prevalence de l'IMC a ete appreciee dans la population biraciale, en etablissement ou hors etablissement, du comte de Copiah, Mississippi. Le taux de prevalence globale a ete de 212 pour 100,000 habitants. Pour les Blancs comme pour les Noirs, le taux de prevalence etait plus eleve pour les garcons que pour les fille. Dans l'un et l'autre sexe, le taux de prevalence etait plus eleve pour les Noirs, le taux de prevalence baissait avec l'âge. D'autres donnees sont presentees concernant les caracteristiques cliniques et le degre d'infirmite. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Teil eines Uberlicks uber die wichtigsten neurologischen Erkrankungen war es, die Haufigkeit der Cerebralparese bei den stationaren und nicht-stationaren Patienten in der Gesamtbevolkerung von Copiah County, Mississippi festzustellen. Die Inzidenz betrug 212 pro 100000 Rewohner. Fur weise wie fur schwarze Manner fand sich eine hohere Inzidenz als fur Frauen. Die Schwarzen hatten fur beide Geschlechter eine hohere Inzidenz. Die Haufigkeit nahm mit zunehmendem Alter ab. Es werden noch einige Befunde uber klinische Merkmale und den Grad der Behinderung angegeben. RESUMEN Formando parte de una investigacion puerta a puerta acerca de alteraciones neurologicas mayores, se determino la prevalencia de paralisis cerebral en la poblacion institucionalizada y no institucionalizada biracial del condado de Copiah, Mississippi. La prevalencia en conjunto era de 212 por 100,000 habitantes. Habia una proporcion mayor en varones que en hembras tanto para los blancos como para los negros. Para ambos sexos, habia una mayor proporcion en los negros. Las proporciones disminuian con la edad. Se presentan otros hallazgos tales como las caracteristicas clinicas y el grado de minusvalencia.
High-Temperature Series and Critical Amplitudes for the Spin-Spin Correlations of the Three-Dimensional Ising Ferromagnet

High-temperature series for the inverse spin-spin correlation function of the $s=\frac{1}{2}$ Ising ferromagnet are presented for the three cubic lattices. Series are tabulated to twelfth order in $K=\ensuremath{\beta}J$ in zero magnetic field and to eighth order in finite field. Direct series expansions for the true correlation length are derived. The critical correlations are analyzed for scaling behavior in both position and momentum space. The critical amplitudes which characterize the correlations both at ${T}_{c}$ and in the Ornstein\char22{}Zernike region are determined. The Fisher\char22{}Burford scattering approximant is found to be consistent with the data. Finally, the consequences of the universality hypothesis are formulated for the correlations. Correlation-amplitude data for the three cubic lattices are shown to be in remarkable agreement with a formulation of universality which requires that the free energy in a region of diameter given by the coherence length be scale independent.
Measurement of glycine receptor function by radioactive chloride uptake

The glycine receptor is an important inhibitory receptor for both spinal and supraspinal functions, and mutations in receptor subunits are responsible for neurological disorders in several species, including humans. However, functional measurements of glycine receptors have generally been restricted to electrophysiological analysis of immature, cultured neurons. We developed a 36Cl- flux assay to measure glycine receptor function using membrane vesicles from spinal cord and brainstem of adult mice. The uptake of 36Cl- stimulated by glycine was characterized by a glycine EC50 of 22 microM for the major component and an EC50 of 0.5 microM for a minor component. Strychnine inhibited the glycine-stimulated uptake with an IC50 of 0.4 microM. The uptake was not affected by picrotoxin, bicuculline, or pentobarbital. Glycine-stimulated uptake reached a maximum by 10 s. This technique should prove useful for genetic and pharmacological analysis of the function of glycine receptors.
Reconstruction of pelvic exenterative wounds with transpelvic rectus abdominis flaps: a case series.

Exenterative pelvic surgery is commonly performed for advanced carcinoma of the cervix and selected cases of locally advanced colorectal cancers. Low-lying lesions that are locally invasive in contiguous organs require resection of the perineal body en bloc with the resected specimen. The resulting defect, both in the pelvis and the perineum, creates a difficult management problem. Dead space in the pelvis, especially with adjunctive irradiation, leads to delayed wound healing and prolapse of small bowel into the pelvis. Small bowel obstruction and/or fistula formation are the greatest sources of morbidity in the operative group. Fifteen patients underwent exenterative pelvic procedures (total exenteration, 1 patient; posterior exenteration, 8 patients; abdominoperineal resection, 6 patients). All patients were reconstructed by transpelvic placement of the rectus abdominis muscle (muscle only, 4 patients; muscle with skin grafting, 8 patients; musculocutaneous, 3 patients). Eighty-seven percent received radiation therapy. One patient had Crohn's disease and all others had carcinoma. Healing was complete in 12 of 15 patients at discharge. There were no complications related to pelvic dead space (i.e., bowel obstruction, perineal fistula), with a mean follow-up time of 24.3 months. Small bowel was effectively excluded from the pelvis to the level of the acetabular roof by computerized axial tomography scan. The transpelvic rectus abdominis muscle flap is effective in preventing major morbidity after exenterative pelvic surgery.
Comparative studies of the covalent binding of [14C]-2-chloro-4-acetotoluidide by liver and kidney slices of the starling.

In tissue slices of female starlings, binding of [14C]-2-chloro-4-acetotoluidide (CAT) radioactivity to liver proteins was almost five times greater than binding to kidney proteins after 2 h of incubation. Binding to protein of liver slices increased in a log linear fashion with increasing CAT concentrations. Binding to protein of kidney slices also increased with increasing concentrations but not in a log linear fashion. Mixed-function oxidase inhibitors, SKF 525-A and α-naphthoflavone, decreased binding to liver slices but did not affect binding to kidney slices. Anaerobic incubation conditions inhibited binding to both tissues. P-Hydroxymercuribenzoate and sodium cyanide did not affect the binding of radioactivity associated with [14C]-CAT to proteins of either liver or kidney slices. Diethyl maleate increased binding of the radioactivity to proteins of the kidney slices but not to liver slices. Cysteine also increased binding in kidney slices. Binding in liver slices did not increase significantly with cysteine. The cysteine-induced increase in protein binding in kidney slices did not appear to depend on the formation of sulfate from the metabolism of cysteine. There was no sex-dependent difference in starlings as to the binding of radioactivity in either liver or kidney slices. Male chicken kidney slices bound a much higher amount of radioactivity associated with [14C]-CAT than male starling kidney slices, while the liver slices bound comparable amounts. Male hamster liver slices bound much more radioactivity than did male starling liver slices. However, hamster kidney slices bound much less than did starling kidney slices. Male mouse liver and kidney slices bound much less radioactivity than the comparable tissue slices of male starlings. It was concluded that in vivo metabolism of CAT in starlings plays an important role in covalent binding of [14C]-CAT radioactivity to kidney proteins and this may be responsible for nephrotoxicity.
The effect of exports and imports on the stablity of employment in manufacturing industries in the United States

This paper endeavours to study the changes in the distribution of aggregate employment variation among manufacturing industries. Within the structure developed, estimates of the effects of exports ...
Drop and Bubble Migration at Moderate Reynolds and Marangoni Numbers

The migration of a drop or bubble in a fluid, onto which a temperature gradient is being applied, is treated analytically. The original calculation by Young, Goldstein and Block /1/ neglects the convective terms in the momentum equation and in the energy equation. Accounting for these terms by perturbation theory fails due to convergence problems. Numerical methods have been applied instead. In this paper an Oseen-type method is applied. Convergence is achieved by splitting the convective contributions into terms proportional to the velocity \(\overrightarrow {{\text{u}}_0 }\) of migration and terms proportional to the local flow velocity \(\overrightarrow {{\text{u}}_1 } \:(\overrightarrow {{\text{r}})}\). Inclusion of the overall convective heat transport \(\overrightarrow {\text{u}} _0 \cdot\:\vec \nabla {\text{T}}(\overrightarrow {\text{r}} )\) into the homogeneous differential operator of the energy equation entails representing the temperature field by modified Bessel functions and convergence for Marangoni numbers up to forty. Likewise, inclusion of the overall convective momentum transport \(\overrightarrow {\text{u}} _0 \cdot\vec \nabla \overrightarrow {\text{u}} (\overrightarrow {\text{r}} )\) into the homogeneous differential operator of the momentum equation causes a representation of the flow field by modified Bessel functions and convergence for Reynolds numbers up to forty. — For the case of equal physical parameters of the migrating particle and the outer fluid, an exact analytical representation of the velocity of migration in terms of an exponential integral is derived. Although this situation may hardly be achieved, it enables a fair extrapolation of the numerical results to large Marangoni numbers. The velocity \(\overrightarrow {{\text{u}}_0 }\) of migration decreases inversely proportional to the Marangoni number. — The local contributions \(\overrightarrow {\text{u}} _1 \cdot\vec \nabla {\text{T}}(\overrightarrow {\text{r}} )\) and \(\overrightarrow {\text{u}} _1 \cdot\vec \nabla \overrightarrow {\text{u}} (\overrightarrow {\text{r}} )\) to the convective heat transport and momentum transport are treated by a Green’s function formalism. The resulting set of equations for the flow field and the temperature field is solved self-consistently.
Interpolation by completely positive maps

Given commuting families of Hermitian matrices {A 1, … , A k } and {B 1, … , B k }, conditions for the existence of a completely positive map Φ, such that Φ(A j ) = B j for j = 1, … , k, are studied. Additional properties such as unital or/and trace preserving on the map Φ are also considered. Connections of the study to dilation theory, matrix inequalities, unitary orbits and quantum information science are mentioned.
On the variability of chlorogenic acid concentration.

The plasticity of phenolic acid concentration in plants under various physiological stress situations raises questions concerning the ecological significance of such behavior. Helianthus annuus L. is remarkably plastic with regard to chlorogenic and ischlorogenic acid concentrations when subjected to nitrogen deficiency, NaCl-stress, short exposures to UV radiation or to combinations of these stresses. Stress due to NaCl has not previously been reported to produce this effect.
A Real-Time Cardiac Arrhythmia Classification System with Wearable Electrocardiogram

Long term continuous monitoring of electrocardiogram (ECG) in a free living environment provides valuable information for prevention on the heart attack and other high risk diseases. A design of a real-time wearable ECG monitoring system with cardiac arrhythmia classification is proposed in this paper. One of the striking advantages is that ECG analog front-end and on-node digital processing are designed to remove most of the noise and bias. In addition, a novel layered hidden Markov model is seamlessly integrated to classify multiple cardiac arrhythmias in real time. Last, human activities by an accelerometer can be identified to reduce the chance of false alarm in classification due to the motion artifacts.
A Contract Design Approach for Colocation Data Center Demand Response

Demand response programs maintain transmission stability in power grid through reducing electricity use during peak period, making grid more eff cient and robust. While numerous demand response programs are currently being deployed by utility companies, we focus on emergency demand response program, which is critical to ensure reliability during emergency situations. As a key participant in such program, we consider a critical type of data center: multi-tenant colocation data center (or colocation), where multiple tenants mange their own servers in shared space but typically lack incentives to reduce energy for demand response. To enable multi-tenant data center demand response, we propose a contract-based mechanism, called Contract-DR, which offers f nancial incentives to tenants to shed energy during emergency situations, reducing the usage of cost-ineffective and environmentally-unfriendly diesel generation. We conduct theoretical analysis to prove the optimality of Contract-DR and also validate it through a trace-based study.
Sexual Selection in the Great Plains Toad (Bufo Cognatus)

Breeding aggregations of Bufo cognatus were observed in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico during June, July and August, 1980-82. Most breeding aggregations lasted only two or three nights following summer rainstorms. Males substantially outnumbered females at choruses, and females actively selected mates from among displaying males. Some small males adopted satellite positions near calling males, and the percentage of time a male was observed calling was significantly correlated with snout-vent length. Male mating success was positively correlated with the percentage of time a male was observed calling, but male size and mating success were not correlated. There was no indication of positive assortative mating with respect to body size. It is concluded that Bufo cognatus has a lek mating system.
A look at student cheating in college science classes

To gain an appreciation of the collusion rate of college students in science classes, over three hundred undergraduates from western Pennsylvania were sampled for their attitudes toward different forms of cheating. The science students were sampled from several different divisions within the university. The survey used in the study was developed by Baird (1980) and holds a reliability coefficient of 89%. The results of the survey indicate that eighty three percent of the respondents had cheated in science sometime in their lives. The vast majority (86%) of the pupils had “shared” homework answers with classmates and most (81%) had told “little lies” to teachers or administrators to avoid getting in trouble. Fewer, but still the majority (75%), of the students admitted to have copied phrases directly out of glossaries, encyclopedias, journals or reference books turning it in as their own work. Most students (80%) had also used crib notes or written science terms on their shoes, wrists or other parts of their body to get by “minor” quizzes at times in their biology course. Over three quarters of the students admitted to cheating on large exams and major projects. When the results of the study are compared to students surveyed with the same instrument a decade ago, it is revealed that the cheating among students is growing. Alarmingly, when the results of the 1993 study were compared to the one in 1980, it was discovered that student collusion had increased in all of the categories in the questionnaire.
FtsZ from Escherichia coli, Azotobacter vinelandii, and Thermotoga maritima—quantitation, GTP hydrolysis, and assembly

We have cloned the ftsZ genes from Thermotoga maritima and Azotobacter vinelandii and expressed the proteins (TmFtsZ and AzFtsZ) in Escherichia coli. We compared these proteins to E. coli FtsZ (EcFtsZ), and found that several remarkable features of their GTPase activities were similar for all three species, implying that these characteristics may be universal among FtsZs. Using a calibrated protein assay, we found that all three FtsZs bound 1 mole guanine nucleotide per mole FtsZ and hydrolyzed GTP at high rates (> 2 GTP per FtsZ per min). All three required magnesium and a monovalent cation for GTP hydrolysis. Previous reports showed that EcFtsZ (and some other species) required potassium. We confirmed this specificity for EcFtsZ but found that potassium and sodium both worked for Az- and TmFtsZ. Specific GTPase activity had a striking dependence on FtsZ concentration: activity (per FtsZ molecule) was absent or low below 50 microg/ml, rose steeply from 50 to 300 microg/ml and plateaued at a constant high value above 300 microg/ml. This finding suggests that the active state requires a polymer that is assembled cooperatively at 50-300 microg/ml. A good candidate for the active polymer was visualized by negative stain electron microscopy--straight protofilaments and protofilament pairs were seen under all conditions with active GTPase. We suggest that the GTP hydrolysis of FtsZ may be coupled to assembly, as it is for tubulin, with hydrolysis occurring shortly after an FtsZ monomer associates onto a protofilament end. As a part of this study, we determined the concentration of EcFtsZ and TmFtsZ by quantitative amino acid analysis and used this to standardize the bicinchonic acid colorimetric assay. This is the first accurate determination of FtsZ concentration. Using this standard and quantitative Western blotting, we determined that the average E. coli cell has 15,000 molecules of FtsZ, at a concentration of 400 microg/ml. This is just above the plateau for full GTPase activity in vitro.
Zymographic measurement of gelatinase activity in brain tissue after detergent extraction and affinity-support purification

Abstract Several methods have been developed for the measurement of gelatinase activity from various tissues using detergent extraction. Gelatin-affinity chromatography has been employed for the large-scale purification of gelatinases from conditioned medium obtained from cultured cells. The objective of this paper was to develop a rapid method whereby gelatinase activity could be extracted from regional brain tissues without tedious, intervening purification steps. After Triton X-100 extraction and gelatin-Sepharose 4B purification of rat brain tissue extracts, two major activities were observed on gelatin zymograms. These were identified as gelatinase A and B using co-migration with astrocyte-derived enzymes and inhibition of activity by tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). The non-ionic detergents, Triton X-100 and 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane-sulfonate (CHAPS) were equally effective in extracting activities from brain tissue. Little difference in recovery was observed among 0.1, 1 and 10% concentrations of Triton X-100. The method developed here was capable of recovering gelatinase activities from rat brain tissue over a 4–10-fold range using gelatin zymography for the measurement of activity. It is possible that this method may be modified for the measurement of gelatinases in tissues such as biopsy samples of gliomas or astrocytomas or other cancers where gelatinases are thought to play a role in tumor invasion and/or metastasis.
Respiratory phase and visual signal detection

Previous studies have implicated respiration as a source of intra-S variation in visual signal detection tasks. In the present study, pneumographic respiration records were obtained on 22 female undergraduates during a visual signal detection task. The analysis of signal detection with respect to respiration phase showed that signals presented during exhalation were detected more frequently than those presented during inhalation. These findings suggest that the intra-S variation in signal detection performance may be partially accounted for by respiratory behavior at the moment of signal presentation.
Obesity and Cardiac Function - The Role of Caloric Excess and its Reversal.

Obesity is recognized as an independent and increasingly prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This stems in part from the contribution of obesity toward insulin resistance and diabetes, which associate with premature atherosclerosis, enhanced thrombogenicity and activation of systemic inflammatory programs with resultant cardiovascular dysfunction. This review will focus on the more direct mechanisms underpinning obesity-associated cardiac pathophysiology including the metabolic consequences of lipid accumulation in the myocardium and the consequences of direct systemic effects of lipid toxicity. Furthermore, there is growing recognition that metabolic intermediates, which may be perturbed with caloric excess, may play an important role in intracellular signal transduction and on the post-translational control of metabolic functioning within the heart. As strategies to reverse obesity appear to have ameliorative cardiac effects, surgical and therapeutic approaches to facilitate weight reduction will also be discussed.
Studies on Heavy Metal Poisoning: I. The Use of Natural Radioactivity for Tracer Studies on Uranium.

Summary1. A method is described whereby the alpha-particle radioactivity of uranium can be utilized to follow its course in the body. 2. Four hours after the intravenous injection of a minimal lethal dose of uranium nitrate (5.0 mg/kg) practically none of the injected heavy metal can be detected in the blood plasma. 3. Within the first 24 hours after the intravenous injection, approximately 2/3 of the uranium is eliminated in the urine. 4. Similar tracer studies have been applied to dogs protected by sodium citrate injections, but no satisfactory data have been obtained to explain the manner in which sodium citrate protects against a lethal dose of uranium nitrate.
Influences of acoustic instabilities on turbulent-flame propagation

Abstract Influences of acoustic instabilities on premixed turbulent-flames have been studied experimentally in a Taylor–Couette (TC) combustor for downward flame propagation in a turbulent flow-field generated in the annulus between two cylinders. Flow-field velocities were measured at a fixed location upstream of the propagating flame using laser-doppler velocimetry, while flame speeds were determined from video-recorded images. It is found that the existence of pre-ignition turbulence in the combustor (generated by rotation of the combustor-cylinder walls) does not eliminate acoustic instabilities, however as the level of pre-ignition turbulence is increased the influence of the secondary acoustic instability on the turbulent-flame speed becomes insignificant. For low intensities of pre-ignition turbulence the flame is found to accelerate during the latter stages of flame propagation, while for high levels of pre-ignition turbulence the flame propagates at a statistically constant speed, even though velocity fluctuations have been substantially amplified by the time the flame reaches the bottom end of the combustor as a result of acoustic instability.
Molecular Dynamics and Hydrogen Bonds in Water

The results of an extensive set of molecular dynamics simulations of the SPC/E water model are described. The states examined cover a range of densities from greater than ambient at 1200 kg/m3 to states near the critical density at 300 kg/m3 and over a range of temperatures from 297 K to 823 K. The emphasis is on hydrogen bonding measures and how these measures vary with density and temperature. The mean number of bonds per molecule, the distribution of the lifetimes of the bonds and the size of hydrogen bonded clusters are reported.
Enhanced Low-Pressure Pneumatic Conveyance Using Swirl

Two designs for swirl amplification have been considered for pneumatic conveyance in vertical pipes. Both designs have been experimentally evaluated in order to predict their capability. The designs have been compared to other methods of amplification or swirl generation. The motivation for the swirl in pneumatic conveyance is to minimize axial velocity by using multiple swirl amplifications to enhance the transportation for long distances. In this experimental evaluation two swirl amplifiers are considered. The evaluations are done by determining the static pressures before and after the swirl amplifier in the vertical section of an experimental system. This difference in pressure points allowed the determination of length of decay, which is the distance in which this two-phase system travels before a reduction in radial velocity. In the amplifiers, compressed air at two pressures was used for the purpose of creating a low pressure pneumatic conveying system. It is determined that when using these amplifications in the air boost, longer lengths of decay can be achieved in comparison to a no swirl system. This meant that the products transportation could be enhanced due to the addition of the swirl amplifiers. The experimental values were used to compare both designs. The more productive one was determined by its length of decay. As well as estimating the maximum obtainable distances for both swirl amplifiers at each particular amplification.© 2010 ASME
Effects of neonatal mercuric chloride administration on growth and biochemical development of neuronal and non-neuronal tissues in the rat: comparison with methylmercury

Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) was administered at 3 dosage levels (0.5, 1, and 2.5 mg/kg s.c.) daily to newborn rats beginning at 1 day of age and continuing through weaning. HgCl2 produced a dose-dependent inhibition of body growth which was apparent only after weaning and which worsened as the animals approached adulthood; brain growth was also adversely affected, but less so than was body weight. Growth of other tissues (heart, kidney, liver) was influenced in a different manner, with initial increases over control organ weights and a subsequent decline toward normal (kidney) or to subnormal levels (heart, liver). Examination of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, an index of cellular maturation, confirmed that HgCl2 produced separable types of effects in different organ systems. Although the patterns of growth alterations caused by HgCl2 resembled those seen with methylmercury, the effects on ODC were dissimilar, suggesting that there were some differences in the underlying biochemical mechanisms. In addition to causing generalized alterations of cellular development, HgCl2 produced specific effects on catecholamine neurotransmitter systems, with increases in brain norepinephrine levels and turnover as well as elevations in synaptosomal uptake capabilities for norepinephrine. Dopamine levels and turnover were slightly reduced or unchanged, but synaptosomal uptake was still elevated. Target-specific effects were also apparent in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system, where renal but not cardiac norepinephrine was elevated in the HgCl2 group. Again, some but not all of these changes can be produced by comparable exposure to methylmercury; many of the neuronal effects in animals exposed to HgCl2 were in the opposite direction from those seen with the organomercurial.
Differential regulation of action potential- and metabotropic glutamate receptor-induced Ca2+ signals by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in dopaminergic neurons

Ca2+ signals associated with action potentials (APs) and metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation exert distinct influences on neuronal activity and synaptic plasticity. However, it is not clear how these two types of Ca2+ signals are differentially regulated by neurotransmitter inputs in a single neuron. We investigated this issue in dopaminergic neurons of the ventral midbrain using brain slices. Intracellular Ca2+ was assessed by measuring Ca2+-sensitive K+ currents or imaging the fluorescence of Ca2+ indicator dyes. Tonic activation of metabotropic neurotransmitter receptors (mGluRs, alpha1 adrenergic receptors, and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors), attained by superfusion of agonists or weak, sustained (approximately 1 s) synaptic stimulation, augmented AP-induced Ca2+ transients. In contrast, Ca2+ signals elicited by strong, transient (50-200 ms) activation of mGluRs with aspartate iontophoresis were suppressed by superfusion of agonists. These opposing effects on Ca2+ signals were both mediated by an increase in intracellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) levels, because they were blocked by heparin, an IP3 receptor antagonist, and reproduced by photolytic application of IP3. Evoking APs repetitively at low frequency (2 Hz) caused inactivation of IP3 receptors and abolished IP3 facilitation of single AP-induced Ca2+ signals, whereas facilitation of Ca2+ signals triggered by bursts of APs (five at 20 Hz) was attenuated by less than half. We further obtained evidence suggesting that the psychostimulant amphetamine may augment burst-induced Ca2+ signals via both depression of basal firing and production of IP3. We propose that intracellular IP3 tone provides a mechanism to selectively amplify burst-induced Ca2+ signals in dopaminergic neurons.
A SPIN TRAPPING STUDY OF THE PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF 5,5‐DIMETHYL‐1‐PYRROLINE N‐OXIDE (DMPO)

The photochemistry of 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) has been studied in benzene, cyclohexane and aqueous buffer solutions (pH 7.4) by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and the spin trapping technique. Ultraviolet irradiation of DMPO in aqueous buffer with unfiltered UV radiation from a Xe arc lamp results in photoionization of the spin trap and the generation of the DMPO cation radical, DMPO+. The aqueous electron, eaq−, was trapped by DMPO and detected as the DMPO/H adduct. The DMPO+- reacted with the water to yield the DMPO/OH adduct. Ultraviolet irradiation of DMPO in nitrogen-saturated benzene gave an unidentified carbon-centered DMPO adduct that was replaced by hydroperoxyl and alkoxyl adducts of DMPO when oxygen was present. Experiments employing 17O2 gas indicated that the oxygen in the DMPO alkoxyl adduct was derived from molecular oxygen. However, UV irradiation of DMPO in cyclohexane yielded the cyclohexyl and cyclohexyloxyl adducts of DMPO in nitrogen-saturated and air-saturated solutions, respectively. These observations suggest that in aprotic solvents UV irradiation of DMPO generates a carbon-centered radical (R−), derived from the trap itself, which in benzene reacts with oxygen to yield an alkoxyl radical (RO−), possibly via a peroxyl radical (ROO−) intermediate. In cyclohexane R− abstracts a hydrogen atom from the solvent to yield the cyclohexyl radical in the absence of oxygen and the cyclohexyloxyl radical in the presence of oxygen. These findings indicate that when DMPO is used as a spin trap in studies employing short-wavelength UV radiation (λ < 300 nm) the photochemistry of DMPO cannot be ignored.
Contribution of nerve growth factor to upregulation of P2X3 expression in DRG neurons of rats with femoral artery occlusion

Femoral artery occlusion augments the sympathetic nerve and pressor responses to muscle contraction and muscle metabolites injected into the arterial blood supply of the hindlimb muscles in rats. The underlying mechanism by which these reflex responses are enhanced after muscle vascular insufficiency is unclear. Purinergic P2X3 receptor has been reported to contribute to the metabolic component of the exercise pressor reflex. Thus the purpose of this study was to examine if chronic femoral occlusion would alter the expression of P2X3 in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons of rats. Also, P2X3-mediated sympathetic responsiveness was examined after femoral occlusion. In addition, the role played by nerve growth factor (NGF) in regulating the expression and response of P2X3 was examined. Western blot analysis showed that 24 h of femoral ligation increased the levels of P2X3 (optical density: 0.93 ± 0.07 in control and 1.37 ± 0.10 after occlusion; P < 0.05 vs. control). The fluorescence immunohistochemistry further demonstrated that the occlusion elevated P2X3 expression in DRG neurons (percentage of P2X3-positive cells: 33 ± 3% in control and 51 ± 3% in occlusion; P < 0.05 vs. control). Furthermore, the results showed that responses of renal sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure to stimulation of P2X were greater in occluded rats than responses in control rats by injection of α,β-methylene ATP into the arterial blood supply of the hindlimb muscle. Finally, infusion of NGF in the hindlimb muscles of healthy rats increased P2X3 (optical density: 0.98 ± 0.12 in control and 1.37 ± 0.16 with NGF; P < 0.05 vs. control). The pressor response to injection of α,β-methylene ATP was increased in the rats with NGF infusion. Likewise, blocking NGF attenuated exaggeration of the reflex response induced by α,β-methylene ATP in occluded rats. The findings of this study suggest that the levels of P2X3 in primary afferent neurons are upregulated as the blood supply to the hindlimb is deficient under ischemic conditions, leading to augmentation of the muscle reflex. NGF is closely related to increases in P2X3 receptor expression and response.
Fungus Spores, Air Pollutants, and Other Determinants of Peak Expiratory Flow Rate in Children

The impact of summertime haze episodes on daily variations in symptoms and peak expiratory flow rates (PEFRs) was examined in a study of 108 children living in State College, Pennsylvania, during the summer of 1991. Twice daily, each child recorded symptoms, PEFRs and hours spent outdoors. Environmental measurements included daily 12- and 24-hour averages for meteorologic and air pollutant variables and 24-hour average fungus spore concentrations. A 10,000-spore/m3 increment in Cladosporium spore concentration was associated with a deficit in morning PEFR (-1.0 liters/minute, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.9 to -0.2). A 60-spore/m3 increment in Epicoccum spore concentration was associated with increased incidence of morning cough (odds ratio (OR) = 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.2) and a deficit in morning PEFR (-1.5 liters/minute, 95% CI -2.8 to -0.2). Fungi spore counts were not associated with respirable particle mass. A 125-nmol/m3 increment in 12-hour daytime particle-strong acidity was associated with a deficit in evening PEFR (-0.5 liters/minute, 95% CI -1.2 to 0.2) and increased incidence of cold episodes that evening or the subsequent morning (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.14-1.61). A 20-microgram/m3 increment in 24-hour respirable particles lagged by 24 hours was associated with a deficit in evening PEFR (-0.5 liters/minute 95% CI -1.4 to 0.4) and increased incidence of cough episodes that evening or the subsequent morning (OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.13-1.66). These results confirm the acute effects of summertime particulate air pollution and suggest that aeroallergens have independent effects on respiratory symptoms and PEFR in children.
"Growing fontanelle": a serious complication of difficult vacuum extraction.

Growing skull fractures in combination with leptomeningeal cysts are well known in childhood. A rare case of a growing fontanelle due to a leptomeningeal cyst is presented. The cyst occurred due to a traumatic delivery with vacuum extraction. Operative repair of the cyst revealed a dural tear at the border of the fontanelle. The imaging findings are discussed.
Etiology and epidemiology of endometriosis

The true prevalence of endometriosis remains undetermined because diagnostic laparoscopy cannot be performed on large, random, population-based samples of women. However, available evidence suggests that the disease occurs in approximately 1% to 7% of women in the United States. The cause of endometriosis is though to be associated with mechanical factors (such as retrograde menstrual flow) or estrogen production. Recent research also has suggested that regular exercise may help to protect against the disease by decreasing the rate of estrogen production.
Career outcomes of nondesignated preliminary general surgery residents at an academic surgical program.

Purpose There remains a debate as to whether nondesignated preliminary (NDP) positions in surgery ultimately translate into successful surgical careers for those who pursue them. We sought to identify the success with which our NDP residents were able to transition to their desired career and what, if any, factors contributed to their success. Methods The records of all NDP residents accepted into the Massachusetts General Hospital General Surgery Residency Program from 1995 to 2010 were examined and long-term follow-up was completed. Results Thirty-four NDP residents were identified, including 26.5% US graduates and 73.5% international medical graduates. At the end of the initial preliminary year, 30 (88%) got placed in a postgraduate residency program, whereas 4 (12%) pursued other career paths. Of those who got placed, 25 (83%) attained surgical residency positions, including 17 (57%) who continued as preliminary residents at our institution and 8 (27%) who got placed in categorical surgical positions at other programs. After multiple preliminary years, 15 of 17 achieved a categorical position, of which, 93% were in surgical fields. Overall, 64.7% of all entering NDP residents eventually went on to have careers in general surgery (50%) or surgical subspecialties (14.7%), and 24 of 34 (71%) fulfilled their desired career goals. No factor predicted success. From 1995 to 2012 there have been 15 midlevel (11 postgraduate year 4) vacancies in our program, 4 of which were filled by preliminary residents, 2 from our program and 2 from elsewhere. All have gone on to board certifications and careers in surgery. Conclusions More than 70% of NDP residents in our program successfully transitioned to their desired career paths, many achieving categorical surgical positions and academic surgical careers, thus demonstrating the benefit of this track to both residency programs and trainees.
Entrepreneurial Discovery as Constrained, Sytematic Search

This research uses a randomized, two-sample, post-test experiment to pit the alertness perspective against a new approach for searching systematically for venture ideas to create new wealth. The new approach uses self-selected consideration sets to constrain an entrepreneur's search do- main, which makes it possible to maximize the search results. The constrained domain conforms to the behavior of repeat entrepreneurs who do not search the whole world for venture ideas. Subjects in the treatment group were successful 60% of the time compared with 6.25% success rate for the control group. Fourteen percent of control group emulated the treat- ment group without receiving instructions to do so.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for Cushing disease: a review

A contemporary review of the use of stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of Cushing disease (CD) is presented with information drawn from a literature review and from the author's experience. Stereotactic radiosurgery is an effective and safe therapeutic alternative for treating CD in carefully selected cases. Improvements in imaging, dose planning, and general understanding of radiobiology are likely to yield better results in the future.
Evaluation of an emergency department patient advocacy program

In the Patient Advocacy Program at the Adult Emergency Department of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, first year medical and health associate students provide patient teaching, crisis intervention, emotional support, assistance in patient-provider-family communication, resource referrals, information and assistance in maintaining patients' rights. The advocacy program was evaluated through a three-month trial of a Control Group, Patient Advocacy Group, Halo Group and Placebo Group, including 412 study subjects in all. It was hypothesized that patients' satisfaction, behavior and knowledge would improve significantly as a result of the advocate's intervention in this order: Patient Advocacy, Halo, Placebo and Control. Patient interviews and medical records were used to assess the impact of patient advocacy. Results did not support the hypotheses of either improvement or the ranked order. Competition with traditional roles, identification of advocates with providers rather than patients, and placing the needs of the institution over patients were suggested as explanations for the advocacy program's failure.
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage as a complication of cardiac catheterization

This report describes three patients who developed the rate complication of gastrointestinal hemorrhage following cardiac catheterization. These cases illustrate the diverse mechanisms by which bleeding may occur. The important predisposing factors appear to be widespread atherosclerosis, prolonged hypotension, and gastrointestinal disease potentially associated with bleeding.
Effects of support and dispersion on the CO hydrogenation activity/selectivity properties of cobalt

Abstract Specific activities and selectivities of unsupported cobalt and cobalt supported on alumina, silica, titania, carbon, and magnesia carriers for CO hydrogenation were measured in a single-pass differential reactor at low conversions, 1 atm, and 175–350 °C. The results indicate that specific activity and selectivity of cobalt vary with support, dispersion, metal loading, and preparation method. The order of decreasing CO hydrogenation activity at 1 atm and 225 °C for catalysts containing 3 wt% cobalt is Co TiO 2 , Co SiO 2 , Co Al 2 O 3 , Co C , and Co MgO . The specific activity of cobalt decreases significantly with increasing dispersion. Product selectivity is best correlated with dispersion and extent of reduction i.e., the molecular weight of hydrocarbon products is lower and the CO 2 H 2 O ratio is higher for catalysts having higher dispersions and lower extents of reduction. This effect may be due to stable oxides in the well-dispersed, poorly reduced catalysts, which catalyze the water-gas-shift reaction thereby increasing the H 2 CO ratio at the surface. In the Co Al 2 O 3 system, activity and selectivity for high molecular weight hydrocarbons increase very significantly with increasing cobalt loading. A 15% Co Al 2 O 3 is 20 times more active than 3% Co Al 2 O 3 ; moreover, 86 wt% of its hydrocarbon fraction is in the C5–C12 (gasoline) range compared to 18 wt% for 3% Co Al 2 O 3 .
Disordered Cholinergic Neurotransmission and Dysautoregulation After Acute Cerebral Infarction

The possible role of displaced neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) in dysautoregulation was examined after experimental regional cerebral infarction was produced by occluding the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in baboons. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured after intracarotid injection of 133Xenon using the gamma camera. Autoregulation was tested with metaraminol or angiotensin infusion and the autoregulation index (A.I.) was calculated. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was measured in brain tissue of noninfarcted and infarcted hemispheres. Cerebral arteriovenous (A-V) differences for cholinesterase (ChE) were also measured. Regional dysautoregulation was found in infarcted gray matter and correlated with increased AChE levels in the same zones of cortex and basal ganglia. The time course of onset of dysautoregulation correlated with increased ChE uptake by the brain. Intravenous infusion of the cholinergic neurotransmitter blocker, scopolamine, restored autoregulation to the ischemic zones. Autoregulation appears to be a myogenic reflex, influenced by neurogenic and metabolic mechanisms.
Effect of punishment: Facilitation or inhibition? A reply to Martin and Melvin

Martin and Melvin take too narrow a definition of vicious circle behavior, restricting it to situations in which punishment is administered in the middle of a straight alley but not at the start or the goal In the author’s view, the paradigm should apply to any response motivated by aversive conditions and vicious circle behavior should occur whenever punishment-induced motivation generalizes to the conditions of training. It is further concluded that the experimental conditions leading to vicious circle behavior are not yet fully delineated.
Optimization Problems for the Navier-Stokes Equations with Regular Boundary Controls

Abstract We study the necessary conditions for an optimal boundary control problem associated with the stationary Navier-Stokes equations with regular controls. The control is the velocity on part or all of the boundary of the given flow domain. We present a rigorous justification for the use of the Lagrange multiplier rule to derive first order necessary conditions for optimality; these are expressed as a system of partial differential equations. We study the regularity of solutions of this system, and, finally, we give some examples of specific functionals useful in applications.
Using groupware tools to extend the organizational memory with collaboration aspects

In this paper is described how computer supported cooperative work can be used to enhance project development memory, focusing on software development. The collaboration model that is presented is based upon the concepts of communication, coordination and cooperation. Each of these concepts is analyzed regarding software specification. The paper presents some examples of systems that seek to capture and refine group ideas through the process of argumentation. The paper also shows how the building of project memory can facilitate the recovery of the context and the reasoning that led to the taking of project decisions.
Counseling and testing for HIV prevention: Costs, effects, and cost-effectiveness of more rapid screening tests

WE ASSESSED THE PREVALENCE of obesity, high normal blood pressure (BP), and the relationship between BP and anthropometric measurements in a sample of Navajo adolescents. The prevalence of obesity in boys and girls was 3 times that expected in U.S. white adolescents of the same age (17.1% for boys, 15.9% for girls) using body mass index as a criterion. The prevalence of high normal BP (between the 90th and 95th percentiles) was nearly twice that expected by definition (8.7% for boys and 9.1% for girls). Although systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) increased significantly with age for boys and not for girls, SBP and DBP increased significantly with increasing body mass for both boys and girls. Given the high prevalence of obesity and the observed association with BP, primary prevention of hypertension among the Navajo should emphasize maintaining a healthy body weight at early ages.
Magnitude comparisons distort mental representations of magnitude.

Many cognitive processes rely on representations of magnitude, yet these representations are often malleable (H. Helson, 1964; J. Huttenlocher, L. V. Hedges, & J. L. Vevea, 2000; A. Parducci, 1965). It is likely that factors that affect these representations in turn affect the psychological processes that rely on them. The authors conducted 4 experiments to investigate whether language-expressible magnitude comparisons distort mental representations of compared magnitudes. Participants compared magnitudes and estimated those magnitudes in a variety of tasks. Experiments 1 through 3 demonstrated systematic comparison-induced distortions. Experiment 4 demonstrated that comparison-induced distortions might account for the asymmetric dominance effect discussed in the decision-making literature. Potential effects of comparison-induced distortions on other psychological processes (e.g., density effects, order effects, body-size estimation, pain estimation, and consumer decision making) are discussed.