cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physician Empathy as a Driver of Hand Surgery Patient Satisfaction.

Purpose To examine the relationship between patient-rated physician empathy and patient satisfaction after a single new hand surgery office visit. Methods Directly after the office visit, 112 consecutive new patients rated their overall satisfaction with the provider and completed the Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure, the Newest Vital Sign health literacy test, a sociodemographic survey, and 3 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-based questionnaires: Pain Interference, Upper-Extremity Function, and Depression. We also measured the waiting time in the office to see the physician, the duration of the visit, and the time from booking until appointment. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to identify factors independently associated with patient satisfaction. Results Patient-rated physician empathy correlated strongly with the degree of overall satisfaction with the provider. After controlling for confounding effects, greater empathy was independently associated with patient satisfaction, and it alone accounted for 65% of the variation in satisfaction scores. Older patient age was also associated with satisfaction. There were no differences between satisfied and dissatisfied patients with regard to waiting time in the office, duration of the appointment, time from booking until appointment, and health literacy. Conclusions Physician empathy was the strongest driver of patient satisfaction in the hand surgery office setting. As patient satisfaction plays a growing role in reimbursement, targeted educational programs to enhance empathic communication skills in hand surgeons merit consideration. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic II.
Interseismic strain accumulation: Spin-up, cycle invariance, and irregular rupture sequences

Using models of infinite length strike-slip faults in an elastic layer above linear viscoelastic regions, we investigate interseismic deformation. In the models we investigate, interseismic strain accumulation on mature faults is the result of the cumulative effects of all previous ruptures and is independent of the fault loading conditions. The time for a fault to spin-up to a mature state depends on the rheologies and the fault loading conditions. After the model has spun-up, the temporal variation of shear stresses is determined by the fault slip rate and model rheologies. The change in stress during spin-up depends on the slip rate, rheologies, and fault loading conditions but is independent of the magnitude of the initial stress. Over enough cycles such that the cumulative deformation is block-like, the average mature interseismic velocities are equal to the interseismic velocities of an elastic model with the same geometry and distribution of shear moduli. In a model that has spun-up with the fault rupturing periodically, the cumulative deformation is block-like at the end of each seismic cycle, and the interseismic deformation is cycle-invariant (i.e., the same in all cycles). When the fault ruptures nonperiodically, the fault spins up to a mature state that is the same as if the fault had ruptured periodically with the mean slip rate. When the fault slip rate within each cycle varies, the interseismic deformation evolves toward the cycle-invariant deformation determined by the most recent fault slip rate. Around a fault whose slip rate has been faster (slower) than average, interseismic velocities are larger (smaller) than the cycle-invariant velocities and increase (decrease) from cycle to cycle.
Women with Alcohol and Drug Problems in Aftercare Treatment

Abstract The purpose of this study was to analyze changes if any in alcohol and drug abusing women from admission to discharge from an aftercare program. Sixty-nine women were admitted to three programs and 51 of them completed aftercare treatment. Of the women who did not complete aftercare treatment (n = 18), fourteen relapsed or did not successfully complete the program and were discharged, two were still in treatment, one was referred to treatment in another agency or could not be located, and one had an abusive partner who prevented her from continuing in the program. Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and sleep disturbance were reduced at discharge. Women's experiences of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse were significantly reduced at discharge and the number of women having custody of their children increased at discharge. Women's personal concerns about ability to raise their children, as well as those of others, were reduced at discharge.
3 Situational Inalienability and Social Change in Formative Period Coastal Oaxaca

This paper examines the role of caches, burials, and mortuary offerings as forms of inalienable wealth in the lower Rio Verde valley of Pacific coastal Oaxaca, Mexico. Interred in socially meaningful places, bodies and objects were removed from circulation but remained integral to interactions among the living, acquiring “situational” inalienability. Tracing the history of caching and burial practices over the course of the later Formative period (400 B.C.E.–C.E. 250), we argue that these buried inalienable possessions were important elements of identity creation and also served both to establish and to undermine hierarchical social relations during the process of political centralization.
Inflation in Egypt: Internal or External Driven?

This paper investigates whether internal or external factors explain inflation in Egypt over the period 2003M1–2012M12. Using an autoregressive distributed lag model, results indicate that money supply and global commodity prices affect inflation in the long-run, while important short-run factors are inflation persistence, exchange rate depreciation and supply side bottlenecks. It is also shown that global commodity prices, especially energy prices, pass-through into headline inflation in Egypt with a short lag. These results take into account the different stationary characteristics of different time series variables and are robust to different model specifications. Policy recommendations include the necessity of reforming the government's energy subsidy bill, less monetization of the deficit and gradual liberalization of the currency in order to curb inflationary pressures in Egypt and put the economy on a more sustainable path.
Sequence and molecular characterization of human monocyte/neutrophil elastase inhibitor.

Abstract cDNA encoding human monocyte/neutrophil elastase inhibitor (EI), a M(r) approximately 42,000 protein with serpin-like functional properties, has been sequenced. The 1316-base-pair sequence was obtained from overlapping clones and amplified DNA from libraries of monocyte-like and neutrophil-like cells. Hybridization with EI cDNA identified three EI mRNA species of 1.5, 1.9, and 2.6 kilobases in U937 monocyte-like cells and no hybridizing mRNA in lymphoblastoid cells lacking detectable EI. The cDNA open reading frame encodes a 379-amino acid protein, of which 167 residues were confirmed by tryptic peptides. Although EI may function extracellularly as well as intracellularly, its deduced sequence lacks a typical cleavable N-terminal signal sequence. Sequence analysis established that EI is a member of the serpin superfamily. EI has greatest homology (50.1% identity of amino acids) with plasminogen activator inhibitor 2, also a monocyte protein, and ovalbumin and gene Y, which were previously grouped as an ancient branch of the serpin superfamily. The extent of EI identity with the functionally related serpin alpha 1 antitrypsin is only 30.1%. Sequence alignment indicates that the reactive center P1 residue is Cys-344, consistent with abrogation of elastase inhibitory activity by iodoacetamide and making EI a naturally occurring Cys-serpin. The cleavable bond, Cys-Met, suggests an oxidation-sensitive molecule capable of inhibiting more than one serine protease. Oxidation sensitivity would limit the place of action of EI to the immediate vicinity of carrier cells. The molecular structure will help clarify the likely role of EI in regulating protease action and preventing tissue damage by phagocytic cells.
Fullerene-like chemistry at the interior carbon atoms of an alkene-centered C26H12 geodesic polyarene.

The title compound (1) undergoes 1,2-addition reactions of both electrophilic and nucleophilic reagents preferentially at the “interior” carbon atoms of the central 6:6-bond to give fullerene-type adducts 2, 3, 4, and 5. Such fullerene-like chemistry is unprecedented for a topologically 2-dimensional polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and qualifies this geodesic polyarene as a “bridge” between the old flat world of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the new round world of fullerenes. The relief of pyramidalization strain, as in the addition reactions of fullerenes, presumably contributes to the atypical mode of reactivity seen in 1. Molecular orbital calculations, however, reveal features of the nonalternant π system in 1 that may also play an important role. Thus, the fullerene-like chemistry of 1 may be driven by two or more factors, the relative importances of which are difficult to discern.
Radiation therapy for the palliation of multiple myeloma

Abstract Purpose: This study reviews the experience at the University of Arizona in an effort to define the minimum effective radiation dose for durable pain relief in the majority of patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma. Methods and Materials: The records of 101 patients with multiple myeloma irradiated for palliation at the University of Arizona between 1975 and 1990 were reviewed. Three hundred sixteen sites were treated. Ten sites were asymptomatic, including six hemibody fields with advanced disease unresponsive to chemotherapy and four local fields with impending pathological fractures. Three hundred six evaluable symptomatic sites remained. The most common symptom was bone pain. Other symptoms included neurological impairment and a palpable mass. Results: Total tumor dose ranged from 3.0 to 60 Gy, with a mean of 25 Gy. Symptom relief was obtained in 297 of 306 evaluable symptomatic sites (97%). Complete relief of symptoms was obtained in 26% and partial relief in 71%. Symptom relief was obtained in 92% of sites receiving a total dose less than 10 Gy (n = 13) and 98% of sites receiving 10 Gy or more (n = 293). No dose-response could be demonstrated. The likelihood of symptom relief was not influenced by the location of the lesion or the use of concurrent chemotherapy. Of the 297 responding sites, 6% (n = 19) relapsed after a median symptom-free interval of 16 months. Neither the probability of relapse nor the time to relapse was related to the radiation dose. Retreatment of relapsing sites provided effective palliation in all cases. Conclusion: Radiation therapy is effective in palliating local symptoms in multiple myeloma. A total dose of 10 Gy should provide durable symptom relief in the majority of patients.
Are mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width useful parameters in children with acute rheumatic carditis

Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease caused by autoimmune response to a preceding group A streptococcal infection. Mean platelet volume (MPV) reflects the platelet size and the rate of platelet production in bone marrow, and it may be used as an indicator of platelet activation and severity of inflammation. Fifty-three consecutive patients diagnosed with acute rheumatic carditis and 53 control subjects were enrolled into this study. Leukocyte and platelet counts were significantly higher in patients with acute carditis before treatment compared with controls, whereas MPV and platelet distribution width (PDW) values were not significantly different between groups. Platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) values were decreased significantly in patients with RF after treatment. There was not a significant difference in terms of platelet count between the controls and the patient group after treatment. ESR was found to be correlated with CRP in patients before and after treatment. In conclusion, the results of our study showed that MPV and PDW levels do not change during acute rheumatic carditis before and after treatment.
Evaluation of the Commitment to Living (CTL) curriculum: a 3-hour training for mental health professionals to address suicide risk.

Background: Finding effective and efficient options for training mental health professionals to assess and manage suicide risk is a high priority. Aims: To test whether an innovative, brief workshop can improve provider knowledge, confidence, and written risk assessment in a multidisciplinary sample of ambulatory and acute services professionals and trainees. Methods: We conducted a pre/post evaluation of a 3 h workshop designed to improve clinical competence in suicide risk assessment by using visual concept mapping, medical records documentation, and site-specific crisis response options. Participants (N = 338 diverse mental health professionals) completed pre- and postworkshop questionnaires measuring their knowledge and confidence. Before and after the workshop, participants completed documentation for a clinical vignette. Trained coders rated the quality of risk assessment formulation before and after training. Results: Participants’ knowledge, confidence, and objectively-rated documentation skills i...
Development of neuropeptide Y immunoreactive amacrine and ganglion cells in the pre- and postnatal cat retina

In the adult cat, neuropeptide Y (NPY) immunoreactivity (IR) is found within a subgroup of gamma-type ganglion cells and a large group of regularly arrayed amacrine cells. To examine the development of these two cell groups, we charted the appearance and maturation of neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity in the pre- and post-natal cat retina. Neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity is first observed at the central retina within the ganglion cell layer on embryonci day 46, and immunoreactivity within amacrine cells of the inner plexiform layer is present by E50. The number of immunoreactive profiles reaches the adult level in the amacrine population first (around P7), while the ganglion cell population shows a protracted development, with new cells being added until the third postnatal week. NPY-immunoreactive profiles in the ganglion cell layer were confirmed to be ganglion cells by retrograde labeling in both pre- and post-natal animals. Thus, neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive ganglion cells and amacrine cells attain their mature state with very different timecourses, although both cell groups initially follow a central to peripheral pattern of development. Interestingly, NPY expression within the ganglion cell population is temporally correlated with retinal synaptogenesis in the inner plexiform layer. As in the adult cat, NPY-immunoreactive ganglion cells never show a regular distribution during development, while NPY-IR amacrine cells are always distributed regularly even at the earliest ages. The prenatal presence of a regular distribution of NPY-IR amacrine cells suggests that these cells may participate in establishing the ganglion cell mosaics that appear during postnatal development. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Stereoselectivity of Propafenone RyR2 Channel Block and Prevention of Ventricular Arrhythmia In Vivo

BACKGROUND: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is characterized by emotional or physical stress-induced arrhythmias in carriers of mutations in either cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) or cardiac calsequestrin (Casq2). These mutations cause spontaneous premature sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release, which activates the Na+/Ca2+ exchange resulting in delayed afterdepolarization with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias. As reported elsewhere, we found that the enantiomers of the class 1 antiarrhythmic drug propafenone are stereoselective inhibitors of single RyR2 channels expressed in bilayers. Here we studied the efficacy of propafenone and its R and S enantiomers on spontaneous Ca2+ release in myocytes and in vivo in a CPVT mouse model.RESULTS: Consistent with its higher potency of RyR2 channel block in bilayers, R-propafenone was more potent than S-propafenone in reducing the rate of isoproterenol-stimulated Ca2+ waves (IC50=1.1±0.47µM and 6±0.41µM respectively) in intact myocytes isolated from Casq2-/- mice. We then tested the effects of an intraperitoneal injection of either racemic propafenone or its enantiomers in vivo in Casq2-/- mice using a treadmill exercise test. A dose of 5mg/kg of racemic mixture of propafenone protected the mice from CPVT during exercise compared to the vehicle but not during the hours following the test. Consistently with our in vitro results, we then observed that 5mg/kg of R-propafenone significantly prevented CPVTs, both during exercise and in the follow-up hours, whereas the same dose of 5mg/kg of S-propafenone was not effective. A dose of 20 mg/kg S-propafenone were required in order to obtain the same protection as R-propafenone.CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that compared to S-propafenone, R-propafenone, has a higher potency in blocking RyR2 channels and spontaneous Ca2+ waves, which resulted in a significantly better protection from stress-induced CPVT in vivo. Supported by NIH-R01-HL088635.
Symptom research in gynecologic oncology: A review of available measurement tools

Abstract Objective Cancer and its treatment produce multiple symptoms that significantly distress patients and impair function. Effective symptom management requires effective symptom assessment. A variety of measurement instruments have been created to identify symptoms in oncology practice. Here we review symptom assessment measures available for gynecologic cancers. Methods A systematic literature search was performed to identify articles on symptom assessment and quality-of-life instruments in gynecologic oncology. Articles were accessed through searches performed in PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, and the Cochrane Library. Studies were selected if they described development of symptom assessment tools for diagnosis and measurement of symptoms of gynecologic cancers and treatments. We also included studies using quality-of-life measurement tools that contained symptom items. Results Nine studies examined symptom assessment, quality-of-life assessment, or symptom indexes for various gynecologic cancers. Studies varied in design, patient profiles, symptoms assessed, and outcomes measured. Meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity in the studies. Conclusion Although pain is well-studied and well-characterized, other disease-specific and general systemic symptoms of gynecologic cancers need better understanding and assessment. Accordingly, assessment of symptoms throughout the course of disease is crucial for treatment decisions and outcomes monitoring for patients with gynecologic cancer. This is especially true for survivors of gynecologic cancer, for patients whose treatment was unsuccessful, or for choosing between treatments with comparable survival outcomes. However, measurement and assessment of cancer-related symptoms is challenging because of the complex interaction between disease progression, multi-modality treatments, and symptoms. In this review, we evaluate the currently available symptom assessment tools for gynecologic cancers, along with quality-of-life assessment tools that include symptom items, and we give recommendations for further research.
The biomechanics and energetics of human running using an elastic knee exoskeleton

While the effects of series compliance on running biomechanics are well documented, the effects of parallel compliance are known only for the simpler case of hopping. As many practical exoskeletal and orthotic designs act in parallel with the leg, it is desirable to understand the effects of such an intervention. Spring-like forces offer a natural choice of perturbation for running, as they are both biologically motivated and energetically inexpensive to implement. To this end, we investigate the hypothesis that the addition of an external elastic element at the knee during the stance phase of running results in a reduction in knee extensor activation so that total joint quasi-stiffness is maintained. An exoskeletal knee brace consisting of an elastic element engaged by a clutch is used to provide this stance phase extensor torque. Motion capture of five subjects is used to investigate the consequences of running with this device. No significant change in leg stiffness or total knee stiffness is observed due to the activation of the clutched parallel knee spring. However, this pilot data suggests differing responses between casual runners and competitive long-distance runners, whose total knee torque is increased by the device. Such a relationship between past training and effective utilization of an external force is suggestive of limitations on the applicability of assistive devices.
Molecular instabilities in capillary flow of polymer melts: Interfacial stick‐slip transition, wall slip and extrudate distortion

This article summarizes our recent experimental studies of an important class of polymer melt rheological phenomena including flow instabilities, stick-slip transitions, interfacial melt/wall slip, gross extrudate distortion and sharkskin like surface roughening of extrudates. Our experimental results indicate that most aspects of the perplexing flow behavior of strongly entangled melts in polymer extrusion can be depicted in terms of melt/wall interfacial interactions at a molecular level. For high surface energy walls, a transition from no-slip to slip hydrodynamic boundary condition (HBC) occurs through molecular disentanglement (coil-to-stretch) of adsorbed chains from unbound chains. For weakly adsorbing walls, interfacial slip takes place through a second molecular mechanism involving a stress-induced polymer desorption process. Since the coil-stretch transition of adsorbed chains is controlled by interfacial shear stress, the HBC can be unstable throughout the die wall under the condition of a constant flow rate, where the wall stress may fluctuate in time. Unstable HBC due to the interfacial molecular instabilities is shown to be the origin of a variety of global and local flow instabilities including the oscillating flow and the sharkskin like distortion of extrudate surface. With a set of new experiments to directly probe the interfacial molecular processes, we will be able to support the unified understanding of intriguing capillary melt flow characteristics summarized in this article.
Probabilities of Pure Nash Equilibria in Matrix Games when the Payoff Entries of One Player Are Randomly Selected

The Nash equilibrium in pure strategies represents an important solution concept in nonzero sum matrix games. Existence of Nash equilibria in games with known and with randomly selected payoff entries have been studied extensively. In many real games, however, a player may know his own payoff entries but not the payoff entries of the other player. In this paper, we consider nonzero sum matrix games where the payoff entries of one player are known, but the payoff entries of the other player are assumed to be randomly selected. We are interested in determining the probabilities of existence of pure Nash equilibria in such games. We characterize these probabilities by first determining the finite space of ordinal matrix games that corresponds to the infinite space of matrix games with random entries for only one player. We then partition this space into mutually exclusive spaces that correspond to games with no Nash equilibria and with r Nash equilibria. In order to effectively compute the sizes of these spaces, we introduce the concept of top-rated preferences minimal ordinal games. We then present a theorem which provides a mechanism for computing the number of games in each of these mutually exclusive spaces, which then can be used to determine the probabilities. Finally, we summarize the results by deriving the probabilities of existence of unique, nonunique, and no Nash equilibria, and we present an illustrative example.
Kernel methods for Calmodulin binding and binding site prediction

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein that is involved in a variety of cellular processes, interacting with many proteins. Since many CaM interactions are calcium-dependent, they are difficult to detect using high-throughput methods like yeast-two-hybrid. Furthermore, detection of CaM binding sites requires a significant experimental effort. Using a collection of CaM binding sites extracted from the Calmodulin Target Database we trained SVM-based classifiers to detect CaM binding sites using a variety of sequence features; our best classifier achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.89 for detecting binding site locations at the amino acid level. We apply our classifiers to the problem of detecting CaM binding proteins in Arabidopsis; at a false-positive level of 0.05 we detected 638 novel putative CaM binding proteins. These proteins share overrepresented Gene Ontology terms associated with the functions of known CaM binders.
Quantifying brain–behavior relations in cetaceans and primates

In their recent TREE review, Connor et al.[1xConnor, R.C. et al. Trends Ecol. Evol. 1998; 13: 228–232Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (116)See all References][1]provide an excellent and thought-provoking comparison of behavioral ecological patterns between toothed whales (odontocetes) and terrestrial mammals, particularly primates. The authors end their review with a provocative call for efforts to quantify the relationship between behavioral ecology and brain size among odontocetes in a similar manner to Dunbar's analyses for primates[2xDunbar, R.I.M. J. Hum. Evol. 1992; 20: 469–493CrossRef | Scopus (618)See all References, 3xDunbar, R.I.M. Evol. Anthropol. 1998; 6: 178–190CrossRefSee all References]. Nevertheless, in doing so they leave the reader with the impression that these quantitative studies have not yet been attempted. There are two studies that do exemplify the very approach Connor et al. advocate. These studies provide quantitative support for the `combination of convergence and novelty'[1xConnor, R.C. et al. Trends Ecol. Evol. 1998; 13: 228–232Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (116)See all References][1]suggested by observational and qualitative comparisons of brain and behavior between odontocetes and primates.First, there is a significant positive correlation between pod size and encephalization quotient (a measure of relative brain size taking into account brain–body allometry) among 21 odontocete species from all six odontocete families[4xMarino, L. Evol. Anthropol. 1996; 5: 81–85CrossRefSee all References][4]. Therefore, the relationship between one measure of sociality (i.e. social group size and brain size) appears to be similar in primates and odontocetes.Second, although there is a positive correlation between encephalization level and gestation length among primates[5xSee all References][5], in an analysis using the same encephalization values for the 21 odontocete species already mentioned, there is no significant relationship between encephalization and gestation length among odontocetes[6xMarino, L. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 1997; 13: 133–138CrossRefSee all References][6]. Rather, body size accounts for more of the variation in gestation length than encephalization among odontocetes. Therefore, there is quantitative evidence for differences in brain and life history relationships across primates and odontocetes.My point here is not to criticize Connor et al. but to strengthen and extend their emphasis on quantitative analyses of odontocete behavioral ecology by showing that these kinds of studies are already underway. It is, of course, important to continue to further these studies while moving towards formulating and testing hypotheses about the evolution of cetacean brain–behavioral relationships and its implications for general mammalian evolution.
An Experimental System For The Integration Of Information From Stereo And Multiple Shape From Texture Algorithms

In numerous computer vision applications, there is both the need and the ability to access multiple types of information about the three dimensional aspects of objects or surfaces. When this information comes from different sources the combination becomes non-trivial. This paper describes the present state of ongoing research in Columbia's Vision Laboratory in the integration of multiple visual sensing methodologies which yield three dimensional information, in particular, feature based stereo algorithms, and various shape-from-texture algorithms are already in operation and multi-view shape-from-texture and shape-from shading modules are expected to be incorporated. Unlike most systems for multi-sensor integration, which fuse all the information at one conceptual level, e.g., the surface level, the system under development uses two levels of data fusion, intra-process integration and inter-process integration. The paper discusses intra-process integration techniques for feature-based stereo and shape-from-texture algorithms. It also discusses a inter-process integration technique based on smooth models of surfaces. Examples are presented using camera acquired images.
A comparison of fire hazard mitigation alternatives in pinyon-juniper woodlands of Arizona

Abstract Concern over uncontrollable wildfire in pinyon–juniper woodlands has led public land managers in the southwestern United States to seek approaches for mitigating wildfire hazard, yet little information is available concerning effectiveness and ecological responses of alternative treatments. We established a randomized block experiment at a pinyon–juniper site in northern Arizona and tested effects of no treatment (Control), thinning only (Thin), prescribed fire only (Burn), and thinning followed by prescribed fire (Thin + Burn) on overstory structure, hazardous fuels reduction, and woody understory responses. One year after implementation, mean trees per hectare (TPH) of Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) and pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), and basal area (BA) of pinyon, were significantly (P
RADIO COMMUNICATION AND NAVIGATION IN THE PRESENCE OF LINEARLY DISTRIBUTED NOISE SOURCES

This paper compares the regions of operability, as measured by signal-to-interference ratio contours, of radio communication and navigation links operating in the presence of single and linearly distributed arrays of noise sources. The distributed noise sources are, for analytic tractibility, modeled as a finite line source. This yields expressions that not only indicate the relative effectiveness of the distributed interference compared to the single noise source, but also the geometry-dependent factors that govern changes in link performance as the transmitter moves closer to or farther from the distributed sources of interference. This work was supported by the U.S. Air Force Electronic Systems Division, Hanscom Air Force Base, MA, under Contract AF F19628–82-C-0001.
Expression of the gap junction protein connexin43 in embryonic chick lens: molecular cloning, ultrastructural localization, and post-translational phosphorylation.

Lens epithelial cells are physiologically coupled to each other and to the lens fibers by an extensive network of intercellular gap junctions. In the rat, the epithelial-epithelial junctions appear to contain connexin43, a member of the connexin family of gap junction proteins. Limitations on the use of rodent lenses for the study of gap junction formation and regulation led us to examine the expression of connexin43 in embryonic chick lenses. We report here that chick connexin43 is remarkably similar to its rat counterpart in primary amino acid sequence and in several key structural features as deduced by molecular cDNA cloning. The cross-reactivity of an anti-rat connexin43 serum with chick connexin43 permitted definitive immunocytochemical localization of chick connexin43 to lens epithelial gap junctional plaques and examination of the biosynthesis of connexin43 by metabolic radiolabeling and immunoprecipitation. We show that chick lens cells synthesize connexin43 as a single, 42-kD species that is efficiently posttranslationally converted to a 45-kD form. Metabolic labeling of connexin43 with32P-orthophosphate combined with dephosphorylation experiments reveals that this shift in apparent molecular weight is due solely to phosphorylation. These results indicate that embryonic chick lens is an appropriate system for the study of connexin43 biosynthesis and demonstrate for the first time that connexin43 is a phosphoprotein.
The combined application of supercritical fluid and extrusion technology

The supercritical fluid extrusion (SCFX) process has the potential for producing a range of puffed food products, such as ready-to-eat cereals, pasta and confectionery products, with improved texture, color and taste. The conventional extrusion process has some limitations with regard to the process-related product characteristics. The SCFX process has been successful in overcoming some of these limitations, making extrusion a more versatile and controllable process. Some novel products produced using the SCFX process are presented in this article in the light of the above remarks. The principles of the SCFX process are described with particular focus on the thermodynamic and rheological fundamentals underlying the process improvements.
Is there a phase transition to the re-entrant spin glass?

Abstract The appearance of spin-glass character at low temperatures in random alloys, which have made a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition at some higher temperature, is discussed in the light of the apparent theoretical possibilities and the arguments of experimentalists about various systems. This Letter argues against a unique answer to the question it poses.
Body computed tomography findings in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abstract Fifty-five computed tomography scans in 27 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were reviewed. The most frequent indication for scanning was suspected intraabdominal sepsis, and the most frequent finding was mild lymphadenopathy. Renal abnormalities were: subcapsular hematoma, focal defects, overall enlargement, and diminution of size. Other findings included serositis, bowel wall thickening with pneumatosis interstinalis, pancreatic pseudocyst, and hepatic and splenic enlargement. Five abscesses were found that were indistinguishable from other fluid collections. Computed tomography was helpful in clinical evaluation and in some cases changed management.
FLURAZEPAM VERSUS AMOBARBITAL AS A SEDATIVE‐HYPNOTIC FOR GERIATRIC PATIENTS: DOUBLE‐BLIND STUDY

: Twenty-seven patients were given, orally, 15 mg of flurazepam (Dalmane) daily for fourteen days and then 50 mg of sodium amobarbital (Amytal sodium) daily for another fourteen days—or else these drugs in reverse order—according to a double-blind cross-over design. The patients were men who resided in a Veterans Administration domiliciary. Their average age was 66.5 years. Favorable subjective and objective reports were given concerning the effect of these drugs on sleep, and no adverse reactions or side effects were observed. Physical and psychological tests for assessment of both immediate and cumulative effects did not show any significant differences between the effects of the two drugs. Further studies of flurazepam are indicated.
A Contextual Analysis of Catholicism and Abortion Attitudes in Western Europe

The effects of Roman CathoScism on attitudes toward abortion in Westenl EUTOPe aTe examined at the individl and country levels. At the individusl level, CathoScism consistently occasions negative attitudes toward legal abortion. However, the contextual effects of Roman Catholicisrn run in the opposite direction, meaning that narl-Catholics living in predarrunantly Catholic counmes are more likely to approve of legal aon than theiT counterparts in nonons unth Protestit majorities. The irnplicabons # these findinv for Catholic poatici aaivt are ^d.
Fluorescence of glycyl peptides and collagen degradation mixtures

The fluorescence curves of partial acid hydrolysates of dentin and skin collagens were compared with the curves of aqueous solutions of 21 amino acids, and 16 small peptides which might be obtained from the backbone chain of collagen. The collagen degradation mixtures showed maximum emission at 410 mμ. Of the amino acids, only hydroxylysine had an emission peak at 410 mμ. Glycyl peptides in which glycine was amino-terminal also gave maximum emission in this region. Such peptides, present in high concentration in collagen hydrolysates, may account for much of the observed fluorescence.
High-performance liquid chromatographic enantioseparation of methanobenzazocines

Chiral recognition and resolution of methanobenzazocines was investigated by HPLC using polysaccharide, Pirkle-type, native and derivatized β-cyclodextrin chiral stationary phases. Enantioseparation of phenyl substituted 2,6-methanobenzazocines was achieved with multiple chiral stationary phases throughout the classes described. Chiral resolution of the enantiomers of 1,5-methano-3-methyl-6-oxo-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydro-3-benzazocine was produced on both polysaccharide and Pirkle-type phases. In the case of 1,5-methano-3-methyl-6-phenyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydro-3-benzazocine only a dinitrophenyl substituted β-cyclodextrin produced a separation of enantiomers.
3′,5′-Diiodothyronine in Health and Disease: Studies by a Radioimmunoassay

A simple, reproducible, and highly specific RIA has been developed for measurement of 3′,5′- diiodothyronine (3′,5′-T2) in unextracted serum. Interference in binding of radioactive 3′,5′-T2 to anti-3′,5′-T2 by serum proteins was minimized by using 0.4 m phosphate buffer (pH 6.2) and merthiolate. The detection threshold of the RIA was 2.5 ng/100 ml. Recovery of nonradioactive 3′,5′-T2 added to serum averaged 99%. T4, T3, and rT3 cross-reacted with 3′,5′-T2-binding sites on anti-3′,5′-T2 antibody only to the extent of 0.0025, <0.0004, and 0.22%, respectively. 3′-Monoiodothyronine cross-reacted 1.7%. Serum 3′,5′-T2 concentrations were (mean ± sd) 6.4 ± 2.4 ng/100 ml in 53 normal subjects, 4.2 ± 3.5 ng/100 ml in 7 hypothyroid patients, 14.9 ± 7.7 ng/100 ml in 34 hyperthyroid patients, 13.5 ± 10.2 ng/100 ml in 25 patients with hepatic cirrhosis, and 14.3 ± 5.3 ng/100 ml in 31 newborns' cord blood sera. The values in each of the latter four groups were significantly different from normal. The mean serum 3′,5′-T...
An MBoC Favorite: A guide to simple and informative binding assays

This MBoC Technical Perspective (Pollard, 2010) was sorely needed. The author had been grousing about this for some time and conveying it in various quarters. One occasion was the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) Physiology Course. He had given a typically fine lecture, during which he had stunned the students by asking whether they knew the equilibrium association constants for any of the protein–protein complexes being studied in the course. The silence in the MBL Lille auditorium was deafening. This unease continued to work on the author and was manifest later in the didactic underpinnings of a distinctive textbook he coauthored with Bill Earnshaw. His MBoC Technical Perspective was a wake-up call about shabby versus proper binding assays, supportively emphasizing that the concepts and methodology are in fact not so daunting, with the added imperative that the investigator should care. Elegantly written, this was a class act.
Gene therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by a balanced translocation that leads to the formation of the the BCR-ABL fusion gene. Although autografts can prolong the life of CML patients, patients relapse owing to malignant cells that persist in the graft and the host. This review discusses various experimental strategies that target the BCR-ABL gene or gene products that are downstream of it. Various strategies have been adopted to block BCR-ABL at the gene, mRNA and protein level. One promising strategy involves the cotransduction of a patient's hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with anti-BCR-ABL antisense sequences and a drug resistance gene. This might allow for the elimination of any residual disease in the graft or host by chemotherapy while rendering any drug-resistant, malignant CML HSCs functionally normal.
Measuring the overall genetic component of nevirapine pharmacokinetics and the role of selected polymorphisms: towards addressing the missing heritability in pharmacogenetic phenotypes?

Objective Nevirapine is an important component of highly active antiretroviral therapy used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection. There is considerable variation in the pharmacokinetics of nevirapine and this variation can impact the efficacy and toxicity of nevirapine. While some of this variation can be attributed to environmental factors, the degree to which heritability influences nevirapine pharmacokinetics is unknown. This study aims to estimate how much variation in nevirapine pharmacokinetics is due to genetic factors and to investigate the contribution of selected polymorphisms to this variability.
Circuit Theory in a Unified Curriculum

Conventional circuit analysis courses are generally taught by electrical engineering instructors in a proprietary fashion. The underlying reasons for this state of affairs are history and utility; circuit theory was developed from a consideration of electric circuits and found its most important area of application there. Intrinsically, however, circuit theory is no more "electrical" than arithmetic is "financial." This paper explains the basis for an abstract circuit course "abstract" in the sense that the circuit connotation is not necessarily electrical but may, with equal validity, be mechanical, acoustical, thermal, etc. Generalized circuit variables are classed as either potential or flow variables, and generalized circuit parameters are then categorized according to their behavioral equations (Hooke's Law, Ohm's Law, Fourier's Law, etc.). A simple systematic method of finding a circuit diagram for a system composed of such parameters is shown.
EVIDENCE AGAINST A ROLE OF ARACHIDONIC ACID METABOLITES IN AUTOREGULATORY RESPONSES OF THE ISOLATED PERFUSED KIDNEY OF THE RAT

The role of arachidonic acid metabolites in renal autoregulatory responses to changes in pressure was examined in rat isolated perfused kidneys. We also studied the influence of diabetes, a condition associated with hyperfiltration and altered renal eicosanoid production, on autoregulatory responses. The perfused rat kidney demonstrated autoregulation of flow within a pressure range of 100-150 mm Hg, with no differences between diabetic and control rat kidneys. Nifedipine resulted in vasodilatation and loss of autoregulation. Inhibition of the cyclooxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism with indomethacin failed to alter autoregulatory capacity. Similarly, inhibition of lipoxygenase with BW755C or NDGA, or inhibition of cytochrome P450-dependent enzymes with NDGA, clotrimazole or 7-ethoxyresorufin were without effect on autoregulatory responses. In vivo treatment with stannous chloride to deplete renal cytochrome P450-dependent enzymes also failed to modify autoregulatory responses. These results argue against a role of arachidonic acid metabolites in autoregulation of perfusate flow in the isolated kidney.
Charm production at RHIC to O(αs3)

Abstract We present results on rapidity and transverse momentum distributions of inclusive charm quark production in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC, including the next-to-leading order, O ( α s 3 ), radiative corrections and the nuclear shadowing effect. We find the effective, nuclear K-factor to be K ( y ) ≈ 1.4 for ∥ y ∥ ≤ 3 in the rapidity distribution, while 1 ≤ K(p T ) ≤ 3 for 1 GeV ≤ p T ≤ 6 GeV in the p T distribution. We incorporate multiple parton scattering in our calculations of the fraction of all central events that contain at least one charm quark pair. We obtain the effective A -dependence of the charm cross sections. Finally, we comment on the possibility of detecting the quark-gluon plasma signal as an enhanced charm production in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC.
A study of the voltammetric response of thiourea and ethylene thiourea at gold electrodes in alkaline media

Abstract The voltammetric response of thiourea (TU) and ethylene thiourea (ETU) is influenced by strong adsorption of these sulfur-containing compounds. Interpretation of the current-potential curves obtained at a Au rotating-disk electrode (RDE) is aided by the results of shielding and collection data obtained with a AuAu rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE). Pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) was applied at the ring of the RRDE to avoid the loss of electrode response to TU and ETU that is observed for a constant (dc) applied potential. The largest response for both compounds is in the form of an anodic peak obtained for the positive potential scan in the region from ca. +0.1 to +0.6 V vs. SCE for 0.10 M NaOH. This current peak is composed of contributions from the formation of surface oxide, oxidation of TU and ETU adsorbed in the potential region below 0.1 V, and oxidation of TU and ETU transported to the electrode simultaneously with the appearance of the anodic peak. The relative contributions of each component depend on the concentrations of TU and ETU, the rotational velocity of the electrode and the potential scan rate. Voltammetric data indicate that ETU is adsorbed to a greater extent than TU and, furthermore, that adsorbed TU undergoes desulfurization with accumulation of adsorbed S° in the region from −0.6 to −0.1 V.
Using Community Health Workers to Improve Clinical Outcomes Among People Living with HIV: A Randomized Controlled Trial

AIDS-related mortality remains a leading cause of preventable death among African-Americans. We sought to determine if community health workers could improve clinical outcomes among vulnerable African-Americans living with HIV in Miami, Florida. We recruited 91 medically indigent persons with HIV viral loads ≥1,000 and/or a CD4 cell count ≤350. Patients were randomized to a community health worker (CHW) intervention or control group. Viral load and CD4 cell count data were abstracted from electronic medical records. At 12 months, the mean VL in the intervention group was log 0.9 copies/μL lower than the control group. The CD4 counts were not significantly different among the groups. Compared to the control group, patients randomized to CHWs experienced statistically significant improvements in HIV viral load. Larger multi-site studies of longer duration are needed to determine whether CHWs should be incorporated into standard treatment models for vulnerable populations living with HIV.
Emerging drugs in lung transplantation.

The balance between immunosuppression to ensure graft tolerance while preventing emergence of infectious complications is key in lung transplantation. Although opportunistic infection may appear to be the most important of these complications, malignancies and severe drug toxicities significantly affect the short- and long-term outcomes of the patients. The present practice is combination therapy using drugs with complementary immunosuppressive action, to achieve synergistic immunosuppression with the lowest possible toxicity. Components of immunosuppression include induction and maintenance regimens. Primary graft failure remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity in the immediate post-transplant period. Acute rejection is a common complication after lung transplant, but responds well to augmented immunosuppression and immunomodulation. Chronic rejection still is the major cause of mortality in patients who survive the initial year post-transplantation. Several new drugs have shown promise in ...