cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mandatory Securities Arbitration’s Impermissibility Under State Corporate Law: An Analysis of the Johnson & Johnson Shareholder Proposal

Under New Jersey corporate law, may a corporation adopt a mandatory arbitration provision in its bylaws that would require shareholders to bring federal securities law claims via separate individual arbitration? The issue is squarely raised by a recent shareholder proposal at Johnson & Johnson, a New Jersey corporation, that asks the board to adopt such a bylaw for “disputes between a stockholder and the Corporation and/or its directors, officers or controlling persons relating to claims under federal securities laws.” This whitepaper, which has been signed on to by 26 professors of securities and business law, explains why such a bylaw would violate the New Jersey Business Corporation Act, the relevant provisions of which are similar to those in the Delaware General Corporation Law. Although bylaws may be used to modify the “corporate contract” with shareholders, that authority is not unlimited. Under New Jersey law, as in Delaware, a corporation’s bylaws may only include provisions relating to internal corporate affairs. Because a mandatory securities arbitration provision purports to govern matters that are not internal affairs of the corporation, it is not an allowable subject for corporate bylaws.
Trends in the incidence of physician-diagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder among active-duty U.S. military personnel between 1999 and 2008

The impact of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan on the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military service members has been poorly quantified. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in the incidence rate of physician-diagnosed PTSD in active-duty military personnel between 1999 and 2008. We conducted a retrospective cohort study utilizing data extracted from the Defense Medical Surveillance System to identify incident cases of PTSD within the study population. The incidence rate of physician-diagnosed PTSD was the primary outcome of interest. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to analyze the data. The overall incidence rate of PTSD among all active-duty US military personnel was 3.84 (95% CI: 3.81, 3.87) cases per 1000 person-years. The adjusted average annual percentage increase in the incidence rate of PTSD prior to the initiation of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) was a modest 5.02% (95% CI: 1.85, 8.29%). Following the initiation of OIF, the average annual percentage increase in the rate of PTSD was 43.03% (95% CI: 40.55, 45.56%). Compared to the baseline period between 1999 and 2002, the incidence rate of PTSD in 2008 was nearly 7 times higher (RR = 6.85, 95% CI: 6.49, 7.24). Significant increases in the incidence rate of PTSD were observed following the initiation of OIF regardless of sex, age, race, marital status, military rank, or branch of military service. Notably, the rate of PTSD among females was 6–7 times higher prior to OIF, but there was no difference by gender by 2008. Overall, these data quantify the significant increase in the incidence rate of PTSD following the initiation of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan within the active-duty military population during the study period.
The Importance of Narratives in Finding Hope in Grief

This closing chapter explores the constant contradictions of navigating grief in academia: the heartfelt sympathy and the ceaseless, time-sensitive responsibilities coming into conflict. This section and the book insist on erasing the formalities and the separating lines of academia, in order to humanize grief as a real, ever-present, and important aspect of higher education. This chapter revisits the ways that the editors and authors have offered pieces of themselves in an effort to ensure the reader that not only are they not alone, but that they are seen, that they are understood.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities

Abstract Intellectual disability and developmental delay encompass a heterogeneous group of disorders that have a negative impact on the physical, emotional, behavioral, and intellectual development of an individual. These can be caused by genetic and nongenetic factors and can lead to syndromic or nonsyndromic intellectual and developmental disability (ID). While most of these disorders are diagnosed in childhood, they pose a distinct challenge to adult healthcare providers, particularly when the etiology is unknown. With advances in genetic testing, the diagnosis and in turn, management of adults with ID has become more feasible. In this chapter, we discuss the evaluation of an adult patient with ID and review several disorders that lead to syndromic ID including fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Nonsyndromic ID including autism spectrum disorders is also discussed.
Optical Models in Molecular Collision Theory

The subject of elastic collisions of two atoms interacting through a radial potential is the best developed one in the field of molecular dynamics. The simplicity of the interaction allows for thorough quantum mechanical and semiclassical treatments. However, molecular elastic collisions are in most cases governed by multidimensional potentials and are accompanied by inelastic and reactive processes that vastly complicate theoretical studies. Optical potential models have been developed in order to preserve the simplicity of two-body processes while at the same time providing flexible potentials to fit experimental cross sections. Their name derives from the analogy between the wave-mechanical aspects of molecular collisions and electromagnetic wave propagation in an inhomogeneous medium with a complex index of refraction, which leads to both refractive and absorptive scattering. Optical potentials have been used extensively in atomic and nuclear theory(1,2) but are relatively new in the field of molecular collisions. We shall present here an exposition of both physical models and formal theories of optical potentials. We have not tried to review the subject but have instead developed the fundamentals along deductive rather than historical lines. As a result, the list of references is not complete, nor have the references been chosen to indicate priorities in publication.
New Method for Determining and Predicting Test Interconnect Pin Current Carrying Capacity

With new advances in the semiconductor technology, current carrying requirements for electronic packages and interconnects (sockets) are on the rise. Although there are a lot of documented methods for determining current carrying capacity (CCC) of electrical wires, there is no specific industry standard for determining current carrying capacity of socket pins and their contact interface with package balls and pads. This paper presents a new current carrying capacity measurement method, developed specifically to address the challenges of test socket pins and their contact interface with solder balls and pads. In addition, a method for predicting CCC in future test socket pins is presented and correlated to measured data.
Mycobacterial Infections of the Hand.

BackgroundHand infections caused by mycobacteria are relatively uncommon compared to infections caused by other pathogens; therefore, much of the available literature consists of case reports and l...
The Future of Potassium Bitartrate Stabilization: Minimizing Energy, Wine Loss, and Treatment Time

Summary Aim: Potassium bitartrate (KHT) stability is an important measure for most wines to meet consumer expectations. Batch cold stabilization, the most common KHT stabilization practice used today, is highly energy-intensive and time consuming. The possibility of using fluidized bed crystallizers (FBCs) to perform cold stabilization in a continuous process is discussed. This review also examines alternative subtractive and additive KHT stabilization methods a winery may use to reduce energy and water usage, wine loss and treatment time. Key Themes: Why is potassium bitartrate instability a problem? What is cold stabilization and how is it inefficient? What are fluidized bed crystallizers and how can they improve upon cold stabilization? What are the alternative subtractive methods for removing excess KHT? What are some additives that can be used for stabilization? Impact and Significance: One of the most energy-intensive practices of a winery is potassium bitartrate (KHT) stabilization of wines using batch cold stabilization. The number of alternative options for KHT stabilization, both additive and subtractive, is increasing. Time of treatment, water and energy use, and changes to wine chemistry should be considerations for each approach. In the future, fluidized bed crystallizers (FBCs) could perform cold stabilization in a continuous process, while reducing time, energy, and wine loss, as well as minimizing additions to wine. This review attempts to detail some of the most common cold stabilization techniques and provides a deeper look at an emerging technology, the fluidized bed crystallizer.
Towards Locating the Brightest Microlensing Events on the Sky

It is estimated that a star brighter than visual magnitude 17 is undergoing a detectable gravitational microlensing event, somewhere on the sky, at any given time. It is assumed that both lenses and sources are normal stars drawn from a standard Bahcall-Soneira model of our Galaxy. Furthermore, over the time scale of a year, a star 15th magnitude or brighter should undergo a detectable gravitational lens amplification. Detecting and studying the microlensing event rate among the brightest 10$^8$ stars could yield a better understanding of Galactic stellar and dark matter distributions. Diligent tracking of bright microlensing events with even small telescopes might detect planets orbiting these stellar lenses.
Ethical Conflicts and Legal Liability in Professional Nursing

When one thinks of the nursing profession, many images often come to mind: the reservoir of knowledge, the supportive listener, the thoughtful caretaker, or the quick-thinking multitasker, to name a few. With a continually increasing acuity seen in the patient population, combined with a widening gap in the nursing shortage, nurses are having to face new challenges and adapt to new roles. With a rapidly evolving profession come newfound responsibilities; and an ever-increasing number of nurses are faced with ethical and legal conflicts throughout employment. Specifically, as a critical care nurse, it is not uncommon to encounter multiple ethical or legal debacles within one 12-hour shift (Gutierrez KM, Dimens Crit Care Nurs. 24:229–241, 2005). In the coming pages, we will explore examples of ethical dilemmas among critical care nurses and how ethics and legal liability are beginning to shape the field of nursing.
Periodic Schur decomposition: algorithms and applications

In this paper we derive a unitary eigendecomposition for a sequence of matrices which we call the periodic Schur decomposition. We prove its existence and discuss its application to the solution of periodic difference equations arising in control. We show how the classical QR algorithm can be extended to provide a stable algorithm for computing this generalized decomposition. We apply the decomposition also to cyclic matrices and two point boundary value problems. Key words. Numerical algorithms, linear algebra, periodic systems, K-cyclic matrices, two-point boundary value problems
Child Sexual Abuse Recurrence: A Narrative Review

Child sexual abuse recurrence can have a detrimental and devastating effect on victims. Less is known, however, about the risk and protective factors associated with child sexual abuse recurrence. In order to better understand these risk and protective factors, a narrative review was conducted of the current literature. Academic databases, cited references, and reference lists were searched for peer-reviewed research that focused on sexual abuse recurrence prior to age 18 years. The risk and protective factors identified in the literature were organized into four a priori categories based on an ecological systems framework: child, characteristics of the maltreatment, family, and community/social systems. Examples of risk factors at each level were child mental health concerns (child), the perpetrator being the mother’s significant other (characteristics of the maltreatment), parental history of sexual abuse (family), and active or prior child welfare involvement (community/social systems). Only two protective factors were identified, both regarding the family: family social support and a parent believing the child’s report of the initial victimization. There were mixed or inconclusive findings for several factors. Overall, the review indicates that tertiary prevention, including child-, caregiver-, and perpetrator-focused strategies, should be employed to mitigate the risk factors and enhance the protective factors for child sexual abuse recurrence. Further research is needed to address protective factors and community/social systems factors and could, building on this narrative review, involve a systematic review of the child sexual abuse recurrence literature.
Nettle: A Language for Configuring Routing Networks

Interdomain routing is the task of establishing connectivity among the independently administered networks (called autonomous systems ) that constitute the Internet. The protocol used for this task is the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) [1], which allows autonomous systems to independently define their own route preferences and route advertisement policies. By careful design of these BGP policies, autonomous systems can achieve a variety of objectives. Currently available configuration and policy languages are low-level and provide only a few basic constructs for abstraction, thus preventing network operators from expressing their intentions naturally. To alleviate this problem, we have designed Nettle , a domain-specific embedded language (DSEL) for configuring BGP networks, using Haskell [3] as the host language. The embedding in Haskell gives users comprehensive abstraction and calculation constructs, allowing them to clearly describe the ideas generating their BGP policies and router configurations. Furthermore, unlike previous router configuration and policy languages, Nettle allows users to both specify BGP policies at an abstract, network-wide level, and specify vendor-specific router details in a single uniform language. We have built a compiler that translates Nettle programs into configuration scripts for XORP [4] routers and a simulator that allows operators to test their network configurations before deployment.
Navigating the virtual landscape: coordinating the shared use of space

Collaborative virtual environments, such as multi-user domains (MUDs), chatrooms, or three-dimensional graphical environments, provide a common space for people to interact in, independent of geographical location. In this chapter we examine how the different metaphors used to represent two- and three-dimensional environments might influence interpersonal behaviours. We focus on behaviours related to navigation and positioning: (1) proxemics — the maintenance of personal space, (2) the signaling of private space and (3) the effects of crowding. We discover that the design of the three-dimensional space offers sociopetal spaces that encourage interaction, make clusters of actors easily visible and provide cues so that people maintain a sense of personal space. In both environments, adverse reactions to crowding occur. We suggest that differences in interpersonal behaviours may be influenced by embodiment (avatar) design features of the space and the number of other actors present. In a three-dimensional environment, these factors appear to influence navigation and positioning in the environment.
Technical change, employment, and supply response of agriculture in the Nile Delta: A system-wide approach

Abstract In this paper, a system-wide model of crop production in the Delta region is developed in order to comprehensively analyze Egyptian agricultural policies and also to identify the main causes of the slow growth of the sector in the seventies. Previous studies based on single-crop models have blamed the government's price policies as the culprit. Our estimation results show that although there might have been some gains from appropriate changes in the relative prices of crops, price policies in general were not responsible for the poor performance of the sector, since the aggregate supply response of crops to the price levels in indeed quite low. The main factor which seems to explain the slow growth of agriculture is the decline in the level of investment in irrigation and drainage. Investment in land reclamation, on the other hand, has had negative effects on the short-run growth of the sector. On the question of the impact of increased mechanization on Egyptian agriculture, we find that mechanical power has essentially displaced animals in crop production without much affecting the growth rate of the sector or its employment opportunities directly.
A study of the acylcarnitine content of sows' colostrum, milk and newborn piglet tissues: demonstration of high amounts of isovalerylcarnitine in colostrum and milk.

As part of a project to determine if newborn piglets contain less than optimal amounts of carnitine, the carnitine and acylcarnitine content of colostrum, milk and serum of sows and of serum, liver, heart and muscle of newborn and 2-day-old piglets was measured. Colostrum contained high amounts (370 nmol/ml) total carnitine, with greater than 95% being acylated. The principal acylcarnitines (approx. 45% each) were acetyl- and isovalerylcarnitine . In contrast, serum from lactating or nonpregnant nonlactating sows and from piglets all contained primarily free carnitine and some acetylcarnitine but only traces of isovalerylcarnitine . At birth, the blood and liver of piglets contained very low amounts of total carnitine, which increased two- and fourfold, respectively, after 2 days of suckling. These data show that newborn piglet liver and blood are carnitine poor and indicate that the high levels in colostrum and milk are a source of tissue carnitine. The large amounts of acetyl- and isovalerylcarnitine in colostrum and milk might facilitate secretion of available carnitine.
Effect of exercise on oxidative stress biomarkers.

1. Abstract Acute bouts of aerobic and anaerobic exercise can induce a state of oxidative stress, as indicated by an increase in oxidized molecules in a variety of tissues and body fluids. The extent of oxidation is dependent on the exercise mode, intensity, and duration, and is specifically related to the degree of oxidant production. Findings of increased oxidative stress have been reported for both healthy and diseased subjects following single bouts of exercise. While acute exercise has theability to induce an oxidative stress, this same exercise stimulus appears necessary to allow for an upregulation in endogenous antioxidant defenses. Thischapter presents a summary of exercise‐induced oxidative stress.
State Space Partitioning for Hybrid Control Systems

In this paper, the state space partitioning in the interface of the hybrid control system is modeled using covering halfspaces; this formulation extends the model introduced in [1]. The concept of determinism is then defined and liked to controllability and observability.
MATURITY VERSUS WEIGHT AS PREDICTORS OF SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (SBP) IN LOW BIRTHWEIGHT (LBW) INFANTS DURING THE 1st SIX WEEKS (WKS) OF LIFE

Although research in SBP in newborns suggests that chronological age (CA) and gestational age (GA) may be predictors of SBP, weight (WT) is more commonly used to evaluate SBP in LBW infants. This study was designed to determine the contribution of WT versus CA, GA and postconceptual age (PCA=GA+CA) to SBP in LBW infants (birthweight BW≤1500 gm) over the 1st wks of life. The SBP of 33 symptomatic infants (BW=1071±242 gm, GA=29.1±1.9 wks) was determined daily for the 1st 6 wks of life using a Dinamap monitor. Three maturity effects of SBP were noted: GA at birth, CA during the 1st wk and PCA during wks 2-6. At birth GA, BW and SBP were highly correlated: GA/BW (.75), GA/SBP (.50), BW/SBP (.33). Regression analysis (RA) revealed that at birth GA made an independent contribution (IC) of 16%, GA/WT overlapped to predict 9%, BW made no IC to SBP. SBP during the 1st wk of life was correlated with CA (.49), GA(.41), WT (.20). RA revealed that the independent contributors to SBP during the 1st week of life were CA 24%, GA 7%, WT 0%. The overlap between GA/WT contributed 10% of the variance. During wks 2-6 PCA was the most important predictor of SBP. PCA/SBP were correlated (.40); PCA made an IC of 5% of the variance in SBP and combined to predict an additional 11% of the variance during wks 2-6 (multiple R=.40). This study suggests that the common practice of using WT to evaluate SBP in LBW infants ignores the majority of systematic variance available from each of the three operations of maturity: GA, CA and PCA.
X-ray Ejecta, White-Light CMEs and a Coronal Shock Wave

We report on a coronal shock wave inferred from the metric type II burst of 13 January 1996. To identify the shock driver, we examined mass motions in the form of X-ray ejecta and white-light coronal mass ejections (CMEs). None of the ejections could be considered fast (> 400 km s−1) events. In white light, two CMEs occurred in quick succession, with the first one associated with X-ray ejecta near the solar surface. The second CME started at an unusually large height in the corona and carried a dark void in it. The first CME decelerated and stalled while the second one accelerated, both in the coronagraph field of view. We identify the X-ray ejecta to be the driver of the coronal shock inferred from metric type II burst. The shock speed reported in the Solar Geophysical Data (1000–2000 km s−1) seems to be extremely large compared to the speeds inferred from X-ray and white-light observations. We suggest that the MHD fast-mode speed in the inner corona could be low enough that the X-ray ejecta is supermagnetosonic and hence can drive a shock to produce the type II burst.
Global STEM: Opportunities and Challenges

The need for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) literacy extends beyond the boundaries of the major developed economies. The lack of wide reaching STEM literacy in the Countries with Less Economic Resources (CLER) is caused, and indeed compounded, by the lack of STEM economy in those countries. Here CLER is used as an umbrella acronym for the ‘Least Developed Countries’ and the lower tier ‘Developing Countries’ according to the United Nations (UN) economic classifications. Any STEM workforce development in a country without a foundation in the STEM economy would simply feed those countries (through immigration) where STEM jobs are located and in abundance. This flight of talent is known as ‘brain drain’. Tragically, this has manifested itself into a ‘feast’ or ‘famine’ situation for countries seeking economic prosperity. Whereas the major developed economies are feasting on STEM-based economic prosperity and growth, CLER is seemingly in perpetual famine state. On an intellectual level...
Isorefractivity: Teaching and research perspectives

The isorefractive condition augments the set of geometries for which electromagnetic boundary value problems are solvable with the mode matching method. From a teaching viewpoint, understanding the isorefractive condition enables to appreciate the underpinnings of the special functions used in certain coordinate systems. From a research viewpoint, the isorefractive condition extends the set of problems for which an exact solution is known, thus leading to new canonical problems that can be used as challenging benchmarks to validate numerical approaches.
An Attempt to Evaluate Cohesion in WC/Co/Cr Coatings by Controlled Scratching

As well as phase composition, microstructural defects and residual stresses influence the wear resistance of WC-based coatings, so their integrity or cohesion may give a guide to their wear behaviour. Parallel scratching by a suitable probe induces increasing scratch interaction with ramp loading on each scratch. Controlled plastic strain has, thus, been accumulated, and ductile microfracture induced, on the surfaces of WC-Co–Cr thermal sprayed coatings. Cohesion criteria based on wear area, acoustic emission, grain fracture and tensile cracking in the scratch groove are described, and results are presented that correlate reasonably well with the erosive wear characteristics of a number of differently sprayed coatings.
Prehistoric habitat stability and post-settlement habitat change in a Chesapeake Bay freshwater tidal wetland, USA:

Analyses of fossil seeds and pollen grains preserved in seven sediment cores and borings were combined with historical land-use records to reconstruct an 1800-yr history of Otter Point Creek (OPC), a freshwater tidal deltaic wetland in the upper Chesapeake Bay. The objectives of the study were to document the role of natural and anthropogenic disturbance on habitat development at different sites within the wetland. Fossil seeds revealed a 1500-yr period (AD 230 to 1700) of subtidal habitat stability characterized by the aquatic macrophytes Zannichellia palustris, Najas gracillima, N guadalupensis, Elodea canadensis and Vallisneria americana. Natural disturbance had little or no impact on the estuarine habitat during this time. By the early 1700s, forest clearance for agriculture and lumber during European settlement led to higher erosion rates in the watershed. This led to rapid sediment efflux and broad habitat changes along a hydrologic gradient within the estuary. The aquatic macrophytes disappeared wh...
Characterizing Asphalt Pavements for Performance

Having fast computers with lots of memory makes it possible to make performance predictions using mechanics, which simply could not have been done even as recently as 3 or 4 years ago. This trend can be expected to continue. Pavement materials, whether asphalt concrete, base course, or subgrade, can now be characterized in realistic ways that were simply unavailable to pavement engineers. The dependence of these materials on stress state, moisture, temperature, strain rate, and damage is what has made their characterization difficult, if not impossible. This complexity has posed an almost insuperable problem for computational mechanics and for the linkage of these properties to construction specifications on the one hand and performance of in-service pavements on the other. Although these tasks will never be simple, the tools to work on them are becoming more adequate. Some examples are given of how one can proceed to simplicity through complexity in several areas that are important to pavement performanc...
Populations of a Connecticut River midge structured by geological history and downstream gene flow.

Connecticut River midges in the genus Axarus are constrained to semi-isolated populations associated with submerged clay exposures, and gene flow between populations is restricted. I sampled larval midges from fifteen spatially separated sites in the Connecticut River and determined karyotypes for 3111 larvae in two closely related species. In one of these species, an undescribed species referred to as Axarus species varvestris, 5chromosomal rearrangements were present as polymorphisms. Four of these are paracentric inversions, and the fifth is a terminal insertion or deletion. I used chromosomal rearrangement frequencies to calculate Nei’s genetic distance measures for all pairwise population comparisons and I constructed a neighbor-joining phenetic tree for the populations using these distances. Genetic distance between populations of A. sp. varvestris increases with geographic separation, and tree structure indicates that restricted gene flow only occurs in a downstream direction. The effect of unidirectional (downstream)gene flow on population genetic structure in riverine midges is described here for the first time. A genetic break is apparent between populations associated with 12 000-year-ol sediments originating in different ancient lakes. The geological break between lakes also coincides with a break in the species composition of the Axarus populations
Electric power in China

The handicap under which China has attemped to start industrialization is due largely to the inadequacy of her electric power installations. Installed generating capacity per capita in China is 1.7 watts, less than 0.5 per cent of that in the United States. Future power development has been planned by the Chinese National Resources Commission involving almost two million kilowatts to be installed in the next five years. This ambitious program, which almost will quadruple the present capacity, may meet with success or failure depending upon the outcome of the present civil war and the establishment of economic stability.
Performance and detection mechanism of a new class of catalyst (Pd, Pt, or Ag)-adsorptive oxide (SnOx or ZnO)-insulator-semiconductor gas sensors

Abstract A new class of gas-sensitive capacitors utilizing a catalytic gate-adsorptive oxide-insulator-semiconduction (CAIS) structure has been developed. The incorporation of Pd, Pt, or Ag as the catalytic gate, and SnOx or ZnO as the gas-adsorptive oxide with the silicon MIS capacitor enhances the detection of O2, CO, and H2 at a relatively low temperature. Device performances in terms of sensitivity, response rate, response time, repeatability, and stability are presented. A detection model based on adsorption/reduction of chemisorbed oxygen ions at the catalytic metal-adsorptive oxide interface is proposed for the sensing mechanism. Fundamental analytical relations are established to explain the change in Vfb characteristics in terms of the gas reaction. kinetics. Analysis of the experimental data using the proposed reaction kinetics has confirmed that the detection of O2 is attributed to the dissociation and chemisorption of O2 molecules at the catalyst-adsorptive oxide interface in the form of negatively charged oxygen ions. The detection of CO is mainly through the reaction of CO with the chemisorbed oxygen ions. The detection mechanism of H2 is due to the hydrogen dipoles in addition to the reduction of chemisorbed oxygen at the interface.
Subjective effects of an initial dose of nicotine nasal spray predict treatment outcome

Nicotine nasal spray (NS) is recommended as one of five first-line smoking cessation products. A clinically convenient tool to identify smokers most likely to benefit from NS could assist healthcare practitioners in selecting the optimal treatment for individual patients. To evaluate whether the subjective effects of an initial pre-treatment dose of NS predict 6 month abstinence rates following NS treatment for tobacco dependence. One hundred and seventy-five smokers received an initial 1 mg pre-treatment dose of NS and completed a new measure of NS subjective effects (initial spray experience, ISE). This measure, together with demographic and smoking history variables, was examined as a predictor of 6-month point-prevalence (biochemically verified) abstinence rates. Factor analysis revealed positive and negative effects subscales of the ISE. Smokers with higher ratings of positive effects from the pre-treatment NS dose were significantly more likely to be abstinent at 6-month follow-up. These effects were partially mediated by reduction in urge to smoke. Pending additional validation in human laboratory and clinical studies, assessment of the acute positive subjective effects of initial NS delivery may be an efficient way to predict who will be successful with NS treatment for tobacco dependence.
ThinPrep vs. conventional smears in fine-needle aspirations of sarcomas: A morphological and immunocytochemical study.

Very limited data exist describing the characteristics of sarcomas sampled by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and processed by the ThinPrep (TP) method. We compared the cytopathological and immunocytochemical features of sarcoma aspirates prepared using both the conventional and TP method. We reviewed 70 sarcoma FNAs. Samples were first used to prepare conventional smears and the remainder of the specimen was rinsed in Cytolyt. The average number of slides examined per case was two for the TP method and five for the conventional technique. Immunocytochemistry for different markers was performed in a subset of cases. Sixty-five cases were positive for sarcoma both by conventional and TP methods. Five cases were positive by one method only. Cellularity was higher on conventional slides. In terms of cytoarchitecture, TP slides revealed fewer thick clusters, more single cells that were more evenly distributed, and sometimes distortion of expected cellular arrangements and architectural patterns. Cytomorphological and nuclear details were better preserved on TP slides. The background of TP slides revealed a reduction of blood but also some loss of necrosis and characteristic background tumor features. Immunocytochemical staining revealed superior results on TP slides. TP and conventional slides showed good correlation. TPs were excellent for immunocytochemistry and represent an alternative to conventional smears when expertise in slide preparation is not available. However, TPs may require additional experience in the interpretation of sarcomas, mainly related to the loss of tumor-specific background features. They are useful as an adjuvant to conventional smears in sarcoma diagnoses, particularly when special studies are needed. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;21:351-354.
Identification of Cortexin: A Novel, Neuron-Specific, 82-Residue Membrane Protein Enriched in Rodent Cerebral Cortex

Nucleotide sequence analysis of a cDNA clone of a rat cortex-enriched mRNA identifies a novel integral membrane protein of 82 amino acids. The encoded protein is named cortexin to reflect its enriched expression in cortex. The amino acid sequence of rat cortexin and its mouse homologue are nearly identical (98% similarity), and both contain a conserved single membrane-spanning region in the middle of each sequence. Northern blot analysis shows that cortexin mRNA is brain-specific, cortex-enriched, and present at significant levels in fetal brain, with peak expression in postnatal rodent brain. In situ hybridization studies detect cortexin mRNA primarily in neurons of rodent cerebral cortex, but not in cells of the hindbrain or white matter regions. The function of cortexin may be particularly important to neurons of both the developing and adult cerebral cortex.
Comparisons of measured and estimated daily potential evapotranspiration in a humid region

Abstract Daily totals of continuous micrometeorological measurements made over one of the monolith lysimeters at Coshocton, Ohio were used during the summers of 1968 and 1969 to test the application of various meteorological methods for computing daily potential evapotranspiration (PET). Evapotranspiration from corn and clover was at or near potential during the two periods of observation. Estimates of PET made with various versions of the combination equation that utilized measured net or solar radiation were superior to estimates made with the other methods tested. A daily value of net radiation was a good measure of evapotranspiration when conditions were at potential. In one version of the combination equation we utilized “true” crop roughness parameters, which gave a good fit with the clover data but over-predicted potential ET for corn by 44%. A modified combination equation developed at Coshocton, Ohio for predicting actual ET was tested with data independent from that used in the derivation. The successful application of this equation, during both potential and nonpotential conditions, adds confidence that it could be used to estimate actual daily ET in the humid northeastern United States from climatic data.
Psychological aspects of HIV infection in children

Despite advances in the pharmaceutical treatment of HIV disease, there are still an increasing number of people living with the disease, and an increasing number of children and adolescents are personally affected by the epidemic. The psychological effects on these children are significant and relate not only to a parent's degree of illness and the threat of death but also to the association of the disease with substance abuse and the pervasive effects of the stigma that surround it. To intervene optimally on behalf of these children, programs must be multidisciplinary and take a holistic approach to address specific social and psychological issues and ensure stability in a child's care giving.
A 4 Hz Oscillation Adaptively Synchronizes Prefrontal, VTA, and Hippocampal Activities

Network oscillations support transient communication across brain structures. We show here, in rats, that task-related neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), the hippocampus, and the ventral tegmental area (VTA), regions critical for working memory, is coordinated by a 4 Hz oscillation. A prominent increase of power and coherence of the 4 Hz oscillation in the PFC and the VTA and its phase modulation of gamma power in both structures was present in the working memory part of the task. Subsets of both PFC and hippocampal neurons predicted the turn choices of the rat. The goal-predicting PFC pyramidal neurons were more strongly phase locked to both 4 Hz and hippocampal theta oscillations than nonpredicting cells. The 4 Hz and theta oscillations were phase coupled and jointly modulated both gamma waves and neuronal spikes in the PFC, the VTA, and the hippocampus. Thus, multiplexed timing mechanisms in the PFC-VTA-hippocampus axis may support processing of information, including working memory.
Alterations in noradrenergic physiological characteristics with DOCA-hypertension: interaction between norepinephrine and GABA in rat lateral hypothalamus.

Abstract The lateral hypothalamus (LH) is involved in the central integration of fluid and electrolyte balance. Several studies have suggested a role for norepinephrine (NE) in these functions. In previous studies we presented evidence in support of a modulatory role for NE within the LH circuitry. Specifically, NE facilitated responses of LH cells to synaptic inputs and putative transmitters. In the present studies, we examined the influence of NE on the response of LH neurons to the inhibitory amino acid transmitter GABA. Neuronal responses were studied in normal, DOCA hypertensive, and 1% NaCl diet (HSD)-treated rats. Male rats were uninephrectomized and received a DOCA implant (200 mg/kg). They were given 1% NaCl and 0.1% KCl in their drinking water (4–6 weeks). HSD rats received the same treatment, except that no DOCA was given. Extracellularly recorded responses from single LH neurons to iontophoretic pulses (5–50 nA; 10 s duration) of GABA were examined before, during and after NE microiontophoresis (5–50 nA) in anesthetized rats. The results indicated a shift of NE modulatory action from potentiating to antagonizing GABA-induced inhibition. In control rats, NE routinely potentiated GABA depressant responses (19 of 26, 73%), whereas in HSD rats the ability of NE to enhance GABA responses was reduced to 33% of the cases tested (10 of 30). Likewise, NE did not augment, but rather antagonized GABA inhibition in the majority of cells recorded (21 of 35, 60%) from DOCA hypertensive rats. The β agonist isoproterenol was still capable of potentiating GABA inhibition of LH cells in HSD and DOCA treated animals, suggesting that the change in the capacity of NE to enhance GABA action is not a result of alterations in β receptor function, but could arise from a modification of the ratio between α- and β-adrenoceptors. NE modulating capability was also altered-in LH neurons responsive to experimentally induced changes in blood pressure. In summary, these findings suggest that chronic HSD and DOCA treatments can alter the modulatory capacities of NE within the LH. These alterations in noradrenergic action within hypothalamic cardiovascular centers might affect the way neurons respond to afferent barroceptor information, as well as the way they control sympathetic and parasympathetic effector mechanisms. A decrease in the inhibitory capacities of GABA transmission in these areas, due to alterations of NE, may play a role in the genesis of hypertension.
The accuracy of ionogram-derived N(h) profiles

Abstract At the Millstone Hill station the Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) and a Digisonde 256 are simultaneously operating. Some characteristic true heights determined by both instruments are compared with each other, possible reasons for observed difference are indicated.
Post-Machine Regimes and the Growth of Government A Fiscal History of the City of Chicago, 1970-1990

In this study, the author outlines and tests the strong party organization (SPO) theory of urban fiscal politics. The theory states that cities governed by SPOs are better able to maintain fiscal d...
Molecular and immunohistochemical staging of men with seminal vesicle invasion and negative pelvic lymph nodes at radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND Patients with seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) at radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) have a poor prognosis. Routine microscopic examination of pelvic lymph nodes (LNs) can miss small metastases and, thereby, confuse tumor staging and clinical decision-making. The authors used immunohistochemical and molecular methods to examine archival paraffin-embedded LNs of men who had undergone RRP for clinically localized prostate carcinoma and who had tumors demonstrating SVI and negative LNs at surgery. METHODS Between June 1982 and June 1997, 2151 consecutive men underwent RRP for clinically localized prostate carcinoma. Of these, 109 (5.1%) tumors had SVI with negative LNs. The actuarial likelihood of having a tumor that was undetectable by testing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 5 and 10 years after surgery was 45% and 29%, respectively, for men with isolated SVI. Archival LN specimens were available for 102 men who had isolated SVI. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed for PSA and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). All specimens were examined concurrently by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS Careful reevaluation of pelvic LNs demonstrated metastases in 9 (8.8%) men originally classified as metastasis-free. Reevaluation by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining identified three previously unrecognized cases of LN metastases. IHC identified six cases, three of which were missed by H&E. RT-PCR identified four cases, three of which were not revealed by other methods. CONCLUSIONS The poor prognosis of patients with SVI does not seem due to occult LN metastases. The low yield of unsuspected foci of prostate carcinoma in the LNs of men with SVI and negative LNs by routine staging does not justify IHC or molecular examination to find occult carcinoma. Cancer 2000;89:2577–86. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Circular dichroism estimate of secondary structure of glutamate dehydrogenase.

The circular dichroism of glutamate dehydrogenase has been measured between 240 and 200 nm to give an experimental estimate of secondary structure. The amounts of α helix and β form have been estimated as 43% and 13%, respectively, based upon this circular dichroism. The circular dichroism was also measured in the presence of reduced coenzyme with a resultant intensification of the protein circular dichroism bands.
Genetic background comparison using distance-based regression, with applications in population stratification evaluation and adjustment.

Population stratification (PS) can lead to an inflated rate of false positive findings in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A commonly used approach is to adjust for a fixed number of principal components (PCs) in GWAS but this approach could have a deleterious impact on power when the cases and controls are equally distributed along selected PCs, or if the adjustment of certain covariates, such as self-identified ethnicity or recruitment center, already included in the association analyses, correctly map to major axes of genetic heterogeneity. We propose a computationally efficient procedure, PC-Finder, to identify a minimal set of PCs while permitting an effective correction for PS. A general pseudo F statistic, derived from a non-parametric multivariate regression model, can be used to assess whether PS exists or has been adequately corrected by a set of selected PCs. Empirical data from two GWAS conducted as part of the Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility (CGEMS) project demonstrate the application of the procedure. Furthermore, simulation studies show the power advantage of the proposed procedure in GWAS over currently used PS correction strategies, particularly when the PCs with substantial genetic variation are distributed similarly in cases and controls and therefore do not induce PS.
Pseudomalfunctions of dual-chamber pacemakers.

La proliferation de la stimulation auriculoventriculaire a cree de nombreux cas de “pseudo-dysfonctionnemenl” du stimulateur. En ce qui concerne ľinterpretation electrocardiographique, il est devenu parfois impossible de faire la distinction entre normal et anormal. La classification et les criteres de ces phenomenes sont decrits. Il semble que seule la connaissance parfaite du fonctionnement de cheque stimulateur previendra la fausse interpretation des traces electrocardiographiques. The proliferation of dual-chamber pacemakers has created a host of electrocardiography problems relating to interpretation. The term “pseudomalfunction” identifies an electrocardiographic finding that looks like pacemaker malfunction but is not. Several different models of dual-chamber pacemakers, which are either presently available or in clinical evaluation, produce different types of pseudomalfunc-tions. These are classified and described. Intimate knowledge of individual pacemaker characteristics is required for proper evaluation of these units.
Aortic Dissection: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Acute Care Management

Acute aortic dissection is a life-threatening illness requiring early diagnosis and treatment. Management of this disease incorporates not only emergency department personnel, but also the medical, surgical, and intensive care specialties. If left untreated, the mortality rate of acute aortic disease exceeds 50% within 48 hours and 80% within 2 weeks, with a 5-year survival rate of 19%. The most common cause of death in untreated acute aortic dissection, regardless of etiology, is aortic rupture. In this article, the author reviews: the incidence and pathology; etiology; clinical manifestations; diagnostic workup; patient care management.
The Time Course of Selected Malarial Infections in Cytokine-Deficient Mice

Abstract Murine malarial parasites have long been characterized by their requirement for either antibody-mediated immunity (AMI) or cell-mediated immunity (CMI) for suppression of acute parasitemia, with Plasmodium yoelii reportedly requiring AMI for suppression and P. chabaudi requiring CMI. To assess this characterization in terms of the current T H1 /T H2 –CMI/AMI hypothesis, we infected gene-targeted “knockout” mice lacking either a type-1 cytokine (IL-2 or IFN-γ) or a type-2 cytokine (IL-4 or IL-10) with one or the other species of Plasmodium. We observed that type-1 cytokine-deficient mice developed exacerbated malaria with either P. yoelii or P. chabaudi, compared with that seen in heterozygote controls. Moreover, type-2 cytokine knockout mice showed a similar time course of infection with either parasite compared with that seen with their controls. We conclude that the mechanism of resolution of these well characterized malarial infections cannot be linked definitely to these T H1 - and T H2 -associated cytokines as predicted by the T H1 /T H2 –CMI/AMI hypothesis.