cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MICE TO STUDY ENDOCRINE DISORDERS

Methods for introducing genes into mice (transgenic technology) and inactivating genes in mice (gene “knock out” technology) are rapidly contributing to our understanding of the role which specific DNA sequences play in the physiology of the whole organism. Transgenic mice are derived from fertilized zygotes in which micro injected foreign DNA has integrated into the genome. The introduced genetic sequences are present in all cells of the transgenic animal, and the offspring of a transgenic parent inherit the injected DNA sequences in a Mendelian manner. This genetic engineering approach has enabled researchers to create lines of mice which express genes not normally present, and to examine the effects of this expression at an organismal level. Several examples of how transgenic mice have been used to study endocrine disorders will be described. Gene “knock out” mice are animals which have been engineered so that genes normally expressed by the organism have been inactivated. The creation of such animals is dependent upon the use of embryonic stem cells. These cells are primitive germ cells which can be grown in culture but which still maintain the capacity when introduced into a blastocyst to contribute to all cell types of the resulting animal. To make a gene “knock out” mouse, embryonic stem cells growing in culture are transfected with a cloned mouse gene designed to contain a mutation precluding its expression. The transfected gene integrates through homologous recombination, replacing the normal mouse gene in the genome of the stem cells. These cells are then introduced into mouse blastocysts, and the resulting animals are bred to derive a line of mice homozygous for the inactivated allele. Such gene “knock out” mice have been used to study the role of a variety of genes in the whole organism since they lack production of specified gene products. Several examples of how these animals have been used to study endocrine disorders will be described.
Class of GOS (generalized order-statistic) filters, similar to the median, that provide edge enhancement

AbstractWe present a class of nonlinear (generalized) robust order statistical filters. Theentire class of filters is robust in that all filters in the class demonstrate the same impulse rejection properties as the median. Each filter in the class of filters is an optimaledge enhancing filter in that edges converge to upe.fectuI edges.I . INTRODUCTIONOne criterion often used in judging the qualty of an image is the sharpness of theedges. The median filter is a nonlinear filter that replaces the central value in a window(usually assumed to have an odd number of values) with the median of the windowed set of values. The median filter [1 ] has gained recognition as a filter that will edit impulses and retain locally monotonic trends but the median is inadequate as an edgeenhancer since it preserves a gradual degredation of an edge. This has lead to resultsof other researchers [2,3] in edge enhancers that restore edges when distorted. In thiswork we develop a class of optimal GOS (Generalized Order Statistic) filters that restoredistorted edges to the "closest" edge and reject impulsive and bursty noise similarly tothe median.
Regional volatility in emerging countries The case of Russia1

An uneven distribution of natural resources and the Soviet legacy of artificial regional specialization expose Russia's regions to large income shocks. Using an unique regional dataset covering Russian regions between 1992 and 2003, we assess how these features influence the magnitude and persistence of regional income shocks. We propose a novel measure of regional exogenous shocks that we use to show that fiscal policy in Russia's regions has largely been pro-cyclical, exacerbating rather than moderating regional exogenous shocks.
Formation and properties of UPD copper deposits on polycrystalline platinum electrodes

Abstract Formation and properties of UPD Cu deposits on polycrystalline Pt electrodes have been studied in sulfuric acid with various additions of chloride, thiourea (TU), acetonitrile (ACN) and polyethylenglycole (PEG). The experimental set-up combines coulometry, in situ microgravimetry and in situ differential reflectance spectroscopy. This set-up allows the simultaneous examination of the same electrode by recording cyclic voltammograms, frequency shifts of a mass sensitive oscillating quartz crystal and the reflected light intensities of a coherent light source from the surface. The latter technique uses a HeNe laser which operates at a wavelength of 543 nm and was focused perpendicularly onto the Pt surface. The observed surface coverages θ, the electrosorption valencies γ, and the optical properties ΔI I of UPD copper adsorbates on Pt shed some light on their charge and size distribution and the adsorbate-substrate interaction.
Effect of pulmonary-generated reactive oxygen species on left-ventricular dysfunction associated with cardio-pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion injury.

The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the contribution of pulmonary-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) on cardiac dysfunction using a rat model of ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury. Three groups of rats were subjected to regional IR injury in (i) lung, (ii) heart, (iii) lung + heart. A fourth (control) group of rats were instrumented using the same methods but without induction IR. Hemodynamic data were recorded in real time. Blood from the proximal aorta was sampled during baseline, ischemia, and reperfusion, mixed with α-phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) for measuring ROS by electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry. Data were analyzed by a two-way analysis of variance. The results showed that the lung IR generated an increased burst of ROS that resulted in significant cardiac dysfunction, including hypotension and ECG changes. The results indicated that generation of ROS as a result of acute IR lung injury may be sufficiently large enough to cause direct cardiac dysfunction that is independent of injury caused to the myocardium as a result of regional myocardial IR injury alone.
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President CandiceMillard. New York: Doubleday, 2011.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness/ Medicine, and the Murder of a President Candice Millard. New York: Doubleday, 2011. Candice Millard's Destiny of the Republic, follows her superb first book, River of Doubt (2005). She brings the same meticulous research to President Garfield's life and assassination that she applied to Theodore Roosevelt's post-presidential exploration of over a thousand unknown and potentially lethal river miles in Brazil. Destiny consists of several, intricately interwoven, themes. In one, she brings a living Garfield - the man, the scholar, the general, the congressman, and the president - to our attention, and restores him for the modern world. Americans tend to have a weak or almost nonexistent grasp of history, and thus are likely to dismiss presidents of the late Nineteenth Century as bearded nonentities who could be interchangeable if they were even interesting enough to consider. Many scholars and other writers take the same position, but they are wrong to do so. These presidents had strengths and significance of their own. Millard certainly makes this clear with regard to Garfield. Nevertheless, in his generally quite favorable review of Destiny in the New York Times Book Review (2 October 2011), Kevin Baker, begins snidely with a quip ("If an obscure 19th-century president falls, does he make a noise?"), and asserts that Garfield's assassination "made little difference." Even Baker, though, concedes that one of the "many pleasures of Millard's new book," is that she documents just how remarkable Garfield's life was. Clearly, Garneld was remarkable. How can anyone conclude that this man, whose brief time in office made his the second shortest of any presidency, would not have been a major force had he had another three and a half years - or even seven and a half years - as president; that his assassination was unimportant historically? As Millard documents, even the previously hapless Vice President Chester Arthur ("Chet Arthur, president? Good God!" said one former crony), rose to the occasion. As Millard quotes another of Arthur's former associates who found that later he had risen above machine politics, "He isn't 'Chet Arthur' anymore, . . . he's the President" (250). Despite his machine background as a spoilsman, Arthur resisted the bosses, strongly supported, and signed the Pendleton Act establishing the foundation for the merit-based Civil Service. However forgotten, Arthur became significant himself. Another theme of her tale revolves around the assassin, the "madman" alluded to in her subtitle, Charles Guiteau. She pieces together his disturbed and arrogant life, always using others and mistreating women. He is almost always described in textbooks as "a disappointed office seeker." Although that is technically correct, it is misleading. The job he sought was hardly a civil service position. With no qualification whatever, he assumed that he should be named minister to Austria or to France. …
Reported and Validated Voter Registration

This research article assessed the validity of self-reports of registration status using the Survey Research Center-Center for Political Studies (SRC-CPS) vote validation studies. Overall, reported registration rates exceeded validated registration rates by approximately 5%. However, approximately 15% of all reports of registration status were in error. Unlike turnout, misreporters of registration status fell into two different types: those who reported being registered when they were not, and those who failed to report being registered when they were. The correlates of registration, however, were largely unaffected by whether registration was measured with reported or validated data. Race posed the only exception to this generalization. The reported data underestimated racial differences in registration rates and the degree to which black registration trailed that of whites.
Laparoscopic-assisted vagotomy and distal gastrectomy.

This is a report of the techniques used on and outcome for three patients who underwent laparoscopic-assisted vagotomy and distal gastrectomy for complicated peptic ulcer disease
On the survival of sequence information in filters (Corresp.)

Given a binary data stream A = \{a_i\}_{i=o}^\infty and a filter F whose output at time n is f_n = \sum_{i=0}^{n} a_i \beta^{n-i} for some complex \beta \neq 0 , there are at most 2^{n +1) distinct values of f_n . These values are the sums of the subsets of \{1,\beta,\beta^2,\cdots,\beta^n\} . It is shown that all 2^{n+1} sums are distinct unless \beta is a unit in the ring of algebraic integers that satisfies a polynomial equation with coefficients restricted to +1, -1, and 0. Thus the size of the state space \{f_n\} is 2^{n+1} if \beta is transcendental, if \beta \neq \pm 1 is rational, and if \beta is irrational algebraic but not a unit of the type mentioned. For the exceptional values of \beta , it appears that the size of the state space \{f_n\} grows only as a polynomial in n if \mid\beta\mid = 1 , but as an exponential \alpha^n with 1 if \mid\beta\mid \neq 1 .
Adenovirus advances: new diagnostic and therapeutic options.

Purpose of reviewAdenoviral infection is common, can be severe, and may cause significant morbidity.Recent findingsOphthalmologists and optometrists are often guilty of spreading adenovirus because it is highly contagious and has 53 serotypes with variable morphology. Adenovirus is often difficult t
Evaluation of Hereditary Risk in a Mammography Population

Abstract Purpose BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations significantly increase a women's lifetime risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Because several management options have shown promise in decreasing morbidity and mortality for these women, identifying potential mutation carriers is increasingly important. We have developed a largescale method to collect family histories in a population of unaffected women presenting for mammography. We then applied current risk-assessment models to determine the prevalence of women at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective review of family histories using data collected on all unaffected women presenting for mammography over a 14-week period. The Claus, Myriad II, and Hartmann models for hereditary risk assessment were applied to the survey results. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 5736 women, 695 of whom were excluded because of a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer. Family histories of the remaining 5041 women were evaluated. Totals of 5.9%, 5.2%, and 3.3% of patients, respectively, met criteria for increased risk according to the Hartmann, Myriad II, and Claus models, corresponding to 3.5, 3.1, and 1.9 patients per day. Although 9.2% of patients met criteria for ≥ 1 model, only 1.4% met criteria for all 3. Conclusions Application of available models to a screening population classifies a larger than expected number of women at high risk for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. New approaches to risk assessment and counseling are needed to apply our knowledge of hereditary risk to a broad population in a practical manner.
Therapeutic doses of cranial irradiation induce hippocampus-dependent cognitive deficits in young mice

Fractionated cranial irradiation is an essential part of treatment in the management of cohorts of pediatric brain tumor and leukemia patients. Ionizing radiation damages normal brain parenchyma through a variety of poorly understood mechanisms and results in cognitive dysfunction and significant life-long disability. The goal of our study was to establish and characterize a mouse model of radiation-induced damage to the developing nervous system. Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a total dose of 20 Gy of fractionated cranial irradiation at 1 month of age to assess the early and late effects of clinically relevant irradiation doses on the young mouse brain. Compared to age-matched controls, an acute and prolonged decrease in proliferation and the number of immature neurons in the stem cell niche of the hippocampal subgranular zone within the dentate gyrus at 72 h and 1 month following cranial irradiation was noted. Behavioral characterization at 1 and 5 months post-radiation demonstrated significant, persistent and progressive hippocampus-dependent learning deficits. Our study characterizes a clinically relevant mouse model of radiation-induced damage that serves as a platform for future evaluation of therapeutic interventions that may mitigate such cognitive damage. Our research also emphasizes the need for targeted treatment strategies that protect regions of neurogenesis while maximizing therapeutic effects in pediatric cancer patients.
Psychological Effects of Mastectomy on a Woman's Feminine Self-Concept

Previous literature on mastectomy indicates that the operation may be perceived by the patient as a threat to her femininity. Accordingly, the present study attempted to measure changes in body image, self-concept, and total self-image in mastectomy patients and two control groups (biopsy and surgical controls). Patients were given a questionnaire measuring the concepts in question three times. 1 day before surgery: 6 days after surgery; and 6 to 11 months later. There were distinctly different patterns of results for the three groups. Mastectomy patients did indeed evince a decline in body image and total self-image, but not until months after surgery. This was not unexpected in light of previous findings of massive denial in mastectomy patients. Immediately after surgery, this denial would be at its strongest, and it is feasible that it would take some months of reality testing until the denial is no longer a necessary defense. Biopsy patients showed a decline in body image and total self-image immediately after surgery, when their denial was no longer needed. Surgical control patients showed little overall change Thus, mastectomy patients do appear to react to the operation with a decline in self-image, although this does not appear until some time after the operation.
Practical methods for verifying removal of Trojan stable operating points

Several methods that can be used to verify effectiveness of startup circuits in eliminating known stable Trojan operating states will be discussed. It will be shown that some widely used approaches do not guarantee Trojan states have been removed. Some of the methods introduced appear to be more practical to work with than others. These methods can also be used to identify the presence of unknown stable Trojan states in many useful circuits.
Estradiol Valerate/Dienogest: A Novel Combined Oral Contraceptive

Abstract Background Estradiol valerate/dienogest (E2V/DNG) is a combined oral contraceptive (COC) with 2 new hormonal entities and a unique 4-phasic dosing regimen indicated for women to prevent pregnancy. Objective The purpose of this article is to review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, tolerability, and cost of E2V/DNG. Methods MEDLINE (1966–June 2011) and EMBASE (1966–June 2011) were searched for original research and review articles published in the English language using the terms Natazia or Qlaira or estradiol valerate and dienogest. The reference lists of identified articles were reviewed for additional pertinent publications. Abstracts from the 2005 to 2011 American Society of Reproductive Medicine and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists meetings were searched using the same terms. Results The search provided 56 articles that addressed the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy, and tolerability of E2V/DNG in women of reproductive age. Articles reporting efficacy or tolerability in the setting of menopause were excluded. The initial efficacy of E2V/DNG on ovulation inhibition was investigated in 2 prospective, randomized, open-label, Phase II dose-finding studies. The dose that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration resulted in 3.13% of women ovulating in the second cycle of treatment (90% CI, 0.2%–6.05%). Rate of pregnancy prevention with this agent was reported with a Pearl Index ranging from 0.73 to 1.27 (unadjusted) to 0.34 to 0.72 (adjusted for method failure only). The mean duration of withdrawal bleeding was 4.3 days (range, 4.0–4.6 days) among 2266 women receiving 13 treatment cycles. Adverse events reported in >1% of patients included abdominal pain, acne, breast pain, dysmenorrhea, emotional lability, headache, nausea, and weight increase. Conclusions Estradiol valerate/dienogest is a new contraceptive formulation. It offers efficacy, tolerability, and an acceptable safety profile with a potentially better bleeding pattern than levonorgestrel-containing COCs. This COC may be especially useful for older women of reproductive age who are adherent to therapy and looking for shorter and/or lighter menstrual cycles. Studies will need to be performed to determine whether clinically significant differences in outcomes exist among E2V/DNG and other available COCs.
Hypotension is 100 mm Hg on the battlefield

Abstract Background Historically, emergency physicians and trauma surgeons have referred to a systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 90 mm Hg as hypotension. Recent evidence from the civilian trauma literature suggests that 110 mm Hg may be more appropriate based on associated acidosis and outcome measures. In this analysis, we sought to determine the relationship between SBP, hypoperfusion, and mortality in the combat casualty. Methods A total of 7,180 US military combat casualties from the Joint Theater Trauma Registry from 2002 to 2009 were analyzed with respect to admission SBP, base deficit, and mortality. Base deficit, as a measure of hypoperfusion, and mortality were plotted against 10-mm Hg increments in admission SBP. Results By plotting SBP, baseline mortality was less than 2% down to a level of 101 to 110 mm Hg, at which point the slope of the curve increased dramatically to a mortality rate of 45.1% in casualties with an SBP of 60 mm Hg or less but more than 0 mm Hg. A presenting SBP of 0 mm Hg was associated with 100% mortality. The data also established a similar effect for base deficit with a sharp increase in the rate of acidosis, which became manifest at an SBP in the range of 90 to 100 mm Hg. Conclusions This analysis shows that an SBP of 100 mm Hg or less may be a better and more clinically relevant definition of hypotension and impending hypoperfusion in the combat casualty. One utility of this analysis may be the more expeditious identification of battlefield casualties in need of life-saving interventions such as the need for blood or surgical intervention.
Integrative characteristic evaluation of DFIG maximum power extraction using lookup table approach

A DFIG wind turbine is a variable-speed wind turbine widely used in modern wind power industry. The maximum power extraction of the turbine is affected by 1) electrical characteristics of the generator, 2) aerodynamic characteristics of the turbine blades, and 3) maximum power extraction control strategies. This paper presents a DFIG maximum power extraction study through integrated steady-state characteristic and transient close-loop control evaluation approach. The generator characteristics are examined for different d-q control conditions; the peak power tracking and extracted wind power characteristics are presented versus generator slip. Then, all the three characteristics are analyzed in a joint environment to investigate the lookup-table maximum power extraction principle. A nested current- and speed- loop control structure is developed using the stator-voltage-oriented frame, which is then used to evaluate factors that may affect the DFIG peak power tracking control performance. Simulation studies are conducted to investigate how the maximum power extraction is influenced by wind turbine electrical and aerodynamic characteristics as well as different sampling rate and low-pass filtering strategies.
Marxism, technology, and labor

(1979). Marxism, technology, and labor. New Political Science: Vol. 1, No. 2-3, pp. 105-117.
Sulfide inclusions in diamonds: not monosulfide solid solution

Abstract Sulfide inclusions in diamonds, the most common of all inclusions, contain critical evidence about the timing and physical/chemical conditions prevailing during diamond formation. Typically, sulfide inclusions are encapsulated as a monosulfide solid solution (Mss) in the Fe-Ni-S system, with a minor amount of Cu. This Mss and the enclosing diamond have sufficiently different thermal expansion properties, so that, after encapsulation, the Mss creates a series of cracks in the diamond radiating from the sulfide. On cooling, this increase in volume permits the Mss to undergo exsolution to an assemblage of pyrrhotite + pentlandite + chalcopyrite + pyrite. The kinetics of this exsolution is so rapid that practically no Mss remains in nature. Instead, in recovered diamonds, all sulfides that originally were Mss now consist of this fine-grained assemblage. Chalcopyrite prefers to form around the edges of the inclusions and also migrates into the minute cracks in the diamonds. It is the bulk composition of the Mss as encapsulated that is important for interpretation of diamond petrogenesis (P- versus E-type diamonds) and to the commonly used Re-Os dating technique. However, this bulk composition is definitely not attainable with polished sections cut through the inclusions. The assumption that the kernel of the sulfide inclusion for Re-Os age dating represents the entire original Mss may also be incorrect, depending what has been lost, mostly chalcopyrite, which has migrated into the surrounding cracks within the diamond host.
“Minute particulars” and the visionary labor of words

Blake’s Jerusalem the Emanation of the Giant Albion presses the idea of “minute particulars,” discrete, significant units of sound and meaning. Los works with such materials to build a system of signification and reading that answers the Blakean imperative: “Labour well the Minute Particulars, attend to the Little‐ones” (49: 58, 55: 51). This paper considers how “minute particulars” expose the “dumb,” embedded structures that produce Albion’s melancholy, and it explores how Jerusalem resists “Dumb despair” by creating a counter‐melancholic poetics that figures “Minute Particulars” as both the symptoms of and cure for Albion’s melancholy. As the smallest units of sound and meaning, “minute particulars” are essential to Blake’s production of a liberated poetics, for “he who wishes to see a Vision; a perfect Whole / Must see it in its Minute Particulars” (91: 20–21).
Diverse Pathways in Early Childhood Professional Development: An Exploration of Early Educators in Public Preschools, Private Preschools, and Family Child Care Homes

This paper presents a naturalistic investigation of the patterns of formal education, early childhood education training, and mentoring of a diverse group of urban early childhood educators participating in the Los Angeles: Exploring Children's Early Learning Settings (LA ExCELS) study. A total of 103 preschool teachers and family child care providers serving primarily low-income 3- and 4-year-old children in Los Angeles County provided data on their education, training, and beliefs about teaching. This sample worked in public center based preschool programs including Head Start classrooms and State preschool classrooms (N=42), private non-profit preschools including community based organizations and faith-based preschools (N=42), and licensed family child care homes (N=19). This study uses a person-centered approach to explore patterns of teacher preparation, sources of support, supervision, and mentoring across these 3 types of education settings, and how these patterns are associated with early childhood educators' beliefs and practices. Findings suggest a set of linkages between type of early education setting, professional development, and supervision of teaching. Public preschools have the strongest mandates for formal professional development and typically less variation in levels of monitoring, whereas family child care providers on average have less formal education and more variability in their access to and use of other forms of training and mentorship. Four distinct patterns of formal education, child development training, and ongoing mentoring or support were identified among the educators in this study. Associations between professional development experiences and teachers' beliefs and practices suggested the importance of higher levels of formal training for enhancing the quality of teacher-child interactions. Implications of the findings for changing teacher behaviors are discussed with respect to considering the setting context.
Is Management Performance a Factor in Municipal Bond Credit Ratings? The Case of Texas School Districts

Municipal bond ratings are an important determinant of interest costs that a bond issuer must pay. The three major bond rating firms profess that economic and management factors are considered in assigning a bond rating. The management component is of particular interest to public administrators because they can exert more direct control over management factors. Management factors have not been studied empirically in the literature because management performance is generally difficult to quantify. However, the public education sector has seen advances in performance measures and at the same time has increasingly relied on municipal bonds to finance construction. The ordered probit estimation provides support that management performance, as measured in the districts performance on standardized test scores and success in student college admission rates, does influence Texas school district bond credit ratings.
Polymeric stenting in the porcine coronary artery model : differential outcome of exogenous fibrin sleeves versus polyurethane-coated stents

Objectives. In a porcine coronary model, fibrin film soaked for 3 h in heparin was used as a circumferential coating on a tantalum stent to assess the effect of this naturally occurring biopolymer on arterial healing. The results were compared with those obtained with medical grade polyurethane-coated stainless steel stents. Background. Thrombus plays an important role in healing after arterial injury and may affect the development of neointimal hyperplasia. Manipulation of the initial thrombus may alter the healing response. To study this, we placed a template of fibrin in a porcine coronary artery restenosis model. Methods. Thirty-four fibrin film stents were delivered in 20 swine. Oversizing was avoided, to prevent deep arterial injury, by placement of optimally sized stents. Initial patency of the syented vessel was confirmed by angiography. Results. Three fibrin-stented swine died within 48 h; in each, the stent was occluded with a fibrin/red blood cell mass. In two of these three, a portion of the exogenous fibrin had become detached from the stent and partially occluded the lumen. Of the remaining 31 stents, all were patent at elective sacrifice at 28 days. Eightyfour percent had a diameter stenosis <50%, and the mean (± SD) diameter stenosis was 32.3 ± 13%. There was no evidence of significant foreign-body giant-cell reaction. These results contrasted with the medical grade polyurethane-coated stents placed according to the same protocol without oversizing. Twelve of these stents were placed; six swine died of thrombotic occlusion within the 1st 48 h. At elective sacrifice at 28 days, the remaining polyurethane-coated stents were occluded by marked neointimal hyperplasia. Conclusions. Fibrin film-coated stents seem promising as a template for modifying the local response to arterial injury and for potentially decreasing restenosis rates.
Why Does the Sensitivity of Computed Tomographic Scan for Detecting Subarachnoid Blood Never Improve

An article in this issue reexamines the sensitivity of computed tomographic (CT) scan for detecting subarachnoid hemorrhage. Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage is a potentially devastating neurologic emergency for which the underlying anatomic basis is most often an aneurysm or vascular malformation. When an initial spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage is not lethal or devastating, it is critical to identify treatable causes because of the high risk of rebleeding. Rebleeding after subarachnoid hemorrhage has a 50% risk of death or severe disability, which can be prevented by neurosurgical interventions. With this great risk for preventable death and disability, the ideal diagnostic approach for subarachnoid hemorrhage should have 100% sensitivity. The present study confirms the previous literature that CT scans are about 94% sensitive for detecting subarachnoid hemorrhage. This failure of sensitivity to increase despite decades of improvement in the quality of CT scanners is related to the physical properties of blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The ability of any radiographic procedure for detecting subarachnoid hemorrhage is determined by the concentration of blood in the cerebrospinal fluid. Blood has to be sufficiently concentrated in the cerebrospinal fluid at imaging to appear hyperdense on CT scan. One study reports that a “hematocrit” level greater than 27% was necessary for cerebrospinal fluid to be hyperdense in a CT scanner. CT scans become less sensitive with increasing time after a transient bleeding event because blood diffuses away from the site and the local concentration of blood decreases. Therefore, bleeds too small to create a local cerebrospinal fluid hematocrit level greater than 27%, or bleeds that are imaged when the blood has diffused away from the site of hemorrhage, will not attenuate the passage of radiographs more than surrounding structures. No improvement or modification of CT scanners can overcome this limit. It is widely accepted that detection of blood in the cerebrospinal fluid by lumbar puncture has the greatest sensitivity for subarachnoid hemorrhage. In a series of 71 patients with headaches and a normal lumbar puncture result, no patient subsequently had subarachnoid hemorrhage or neurologic deterioration during an average of 3.3 years of follow-up. Just as the sensitivity of CT scans
Interaction of Hg(II) with soil-derived humic substances

Abstract The complexation of Hg(II) with soil-derived humic substances was investigated using an iodide selective electrode. Humic substances were titrated with Hg(II) at fixed pH values, 4, 5, and 6. The binding behavior was successfully described with a continuous multiligand distribution model, which incorporated proton competitive binding and ionic strength effects. The parameters obtained from the three titration curves at different pH values were very similar with a Hg binding constant, 4.69 ± 0.19. Less Hg(II) was bound by humic substances at lower pH values due to competitive binding of protons.
Development of a functional assessment questionnaire for geriatric patients: The comprehensive older persons’ evaluation (cope)

Several sources of data were used to identify questions worthy of inclusion in a functional assessment questionnaire for older patients. Community hospital use of the Functional Assessment Inventory was reviewed to identify questions that discriminated between inpatients and outpatients. Repeated administrations of the Older Americans Resources and Services questionnaire with elderly patients were reviewed to identify questions that discriminated between community and nursing home status and predicted nursing home placement. Twenty clinicians providing geriatric care identified clinically important questions in a modified Delphi survey. Questions were retained if they: were considered clinically essential; discriminated between inpatients and outpatients and between independent living and nursing home status; predicted nursing home placement; and showed changes in responses over 6 months that predicted subsequent nursing home placement. These questions were organized into a brief, clinically relevant functional assessment questionnaire, known as the Comprehensive Older Persons' Evaluation (COPE), that may facilitate the efficient provision of geriatric care.
Schistosoma mansoni: Silver ion (Ag+) stimulates and reversibly inhibits lipid-induced cercarial penetration

KING, C. I., AND HIGASHI, G. I. 1992. Schistosoma mansoni: Silver ion (Ag+) stimulates and reversibly inhibits lipid-induced cercarial penetration. Experimental Parasitology 75, 31-39. Certain long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (FA) found on mammalian skin trigger cercariae to penetrate and transform into schistosomules; however, the mechanism by which FAs stimulate cercariae is unknown. In order to determine whether argentophilic papillae concentrated at the apical region of the cercariae are the chemoreceptors that may mediate cercarial response to FAs, an assay assessed the proportion of cercariae that penetrated a 0.25% agar matrix in the presence (61%) and the absence (2.3%) of linolenic acid at 0.22 mM. Silver nitrate (Ag+) which selectively binds to cercarial papillae (Short and Cartrett, J. Parasitol. 59, 1041, 1973) is nontoxic (at 0.09 mM used in this study) as demonstrated by the ability of Ag+ treated cercariae to mature successfully into adult worms (8.8% maturation compared to 10.2% of untreated controls, n = 5) after subcutaneous injection. When Ag+ was added to cercarial suspensions, penetration into linolenicimpregnated agar was significantly inhibited (80.8%). Washing cercariae free of Ag+ reversed this inhibition. These data, as well as observations that both argentophilic papillae and cercarial response to FAs disappeared within 3 to 4 hr after mechanical conversion to schistosomules, implicate argentophilic papillae on cercariae as chemoreceptors for lipid stimulation. 0 1992 Academic Press, Inc. INDEX DESCRIPTORS AND ABBREVIATIONS: Schistosoma mansoni; Cercariae; Chemoreceptors; Skin penetration; Silver nitrate; FA, fatty acid.
A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Discovery versus Didactic Methods and Teacher-Guided versus Independent Procedures in Principle Learning

AbstractA 6-week experimental program was written to teach six basic spelling principles to sixteen sixth-grade classes. The classes were randomly assigned to four experimental treatment groups-each of which used a different combination of method and procedure. One immediate and one delayed posttest were given to determine spelling achievement in terms of retention, transfer, and problem-solving abilities. Analysis of variance procedures used to analyze the results showed no significant differences for method, procedure, or interaction. Several of the results approached significance, however, as the discover)’ method and the teacher-guided group procedure showed some advantage on the delayed transfer test. Implications for further research are suggested.
Discourse processing for context question answering based on linguistic knowledge

Motivated by the recent effort on scenario-based context question answering (QA), this paper investigates the role of discourse processing and its implication on query expansion for a sequence of questions. Our view is that a question sequence is not random, but rather follows a coherent manner to serve some information goals. Therefore, this sequence of questions can be considered as a mini discourse with some characteristics of discourse cohesion. Understanding such a discourse will help QA systems better interpret questions and retrieve answers. Thus, we examine three models driven by Centering Theory for discourse processing: a reference model that resolves pronoun references for each question, a forward model that makes use of the forward looking centers from previous questions, and a transition model that takes into account the transition state between adjacent questions. Our empirical results indicate that more sophisticated processing based on discourse transitions and centers can significantly improve the performance of document retrieval compared to models that only resolve references. This paper provides a systematic evaluation of these models and discusses their potentials and limitations in processing coherent context questions.
Coevolution: Puff Pollination in Tropical Flowers

Summary A new study shows that birds plucking anthers of the Melastome, Axinaea , demonstrate a novel bird pollination mechanism. Each stamen of Axinaea offers a nutrient-rich, berry-like food body that, when bitten, releases a puff of pollen allowing transfer to stigmas by wind or the pollen-dusted bird.
Maintaining normal intracranial pressure in a rabbit model during treatment of severe diabetic ketoacidemia

Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) resulting in death or neurologic morbidity continues to complicate traditional management of diabetic ketoacidemia (DKA) in pediatric patients. When ICP or cerebrospinal fluid pressures have been measured, correction of hyperglycemia in animals and treatment of DKA in humans have consistently resulted in pathologic increases in ICP. We hypothesized that elevations in ICP can be minimized if changes in effective osmolality (Eosm) are controlled during treatment of DKA. During a six-hour study period, three groups of rabbits were studied: a normal control group of nondiabetic animals (Cnor, n = 10), a control group of animals with DKA (CDKA, n = 8), and an experimental group of animals with DKA (EDKA, n = 8). There was no significant difference between the two groups with DKA regarding pretreatment degree of dehydration, blood pressure, hyperglycemia, acidemia or ICP. During the treatment period, Cnor received maintenance fluids only. CDKA received insulin and an assumed volume of deficit (150 ml/kg) along with maintenance fluids and urinary output replacement with 0.45% NaCl. EDKA received insulin and one-half the volume of deficit calculated by the weight lost with 0.9% NaCl plus maintenance fluids. There was no significant difference between CDKA and EDKA regarding the rate at which DKA was corrected. While CDKA demonstrated a progressive and statistically significant increase in ICP, EDKA exhibited no such increase in ICP compared to normal, nondiabetic controls (Cnor) during treatment. Changes in Eosm during treatment in CDKA compared to Cnor and in CDKA compared to EDKA were significantly greater (p < .01), however, changes in EOSM in EDKA compared to Cnor were not significant. These data support the clinical observation that decreasing EOSM during treatment of DKA is associated with increased ICP and suggest that DKA can be treated effectively with i.v. fluids and insulin without increasing ICP.
Assessment and change leadership in an academic library department: a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report an academic library's efforts to introduce course-integrated assessment into its library instruction program. Applying a leadership change model to the process allows for a step-by-step examination of both organizational change and the creation of cultures of assessment. Design/methodology/approach – Over a period of three years, course-integrated assessment was introduced into an academic library's instruction program. Rather than implementing rapid, superficial change, the process focused on transforming librarians' thoughts and feelings about their teaching and student learning. Dr John P. Kotter's eight-step process for leading organizational change is applied to explain the methodology. Findings – Kotter's leadership change model provides a suitable framework for organizing and implementing organizational change within an academic library. However, the use of his method to create and sustain cultures of assessment proves questionable. This may not be f...
Uniting Spirituality and Sexual Counseling: Semitic Traditions

A barrier between spirituality and counseling appears to be fading away as the quest for spiritual understanding expands. Practitioners who unite sexual counseling and spirituality must not only examine their personal experiences, values, and beliefs in the spiritual realm, but must also become familiar with a wide array of spiritual traditions that clients can and will bring to the counseling process. This article provides information about spirituality and sexuality from both Islamic and Jewish perspectives.
Why Do We Live So Long

The maximum human life span is presently recorded at about 120 years. Maximum life spans are inherited species characteristics and are consequences of evolution. The Human Genome Project will ultimately identify and characterize genes that are determinants of longevity, which may be both genes for resistance to causes of death and genes for biological characteristics consistent with long life. Human reproductive senescence occurs midway through the maximum life span, but human features can be recognized that are supportive of both reproductive success and longevity after reproductive senescence, which could have been the basis for the evolution of longevity. Although more humans can be expected to reach old ages in the future, it is doubtful that the maximum human life span as it is known today will be exceeded significantly. The human life span has important societal implications, and larger numbers of frail elderly people can be anticipated.
The influence of CT based attenuation correction on PET/CT registration : an evaluation study

We are currently developing a PET/CT based navigation system for guidance of biopsies and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of early stage hepatic tumors. For these procedures, combined PET/CT data can potentially improve current interventions. The diagnostic efficacy of biopsies can potentially be improved by accurately targeting the region within the tumor that exhibits the highest metabolic activity. For RFA procedures the system can potentially enable treatment of early stage tumors, targeting tumors before structural abnormalities are clearly visible on CT. In both cases target definition is based on the metabolic data (PET), and navigation is based on the spatial data (CT), making the system highly dependent upon accurate spatial alignment between these data sets. In our institute all clinical data sets include three image volumes: one CT, and two PET volumes, with and without CT-based attenuation correction. This paper studies the effect of the CT-based attenuation correction on the registration process. From comparing the pairs of registrations from five data sets we observe that the point motion magnitude difference between registrations is on the same scale as the point motion magnitude in each one of the registrations, and that visual inspection cannot identify this discrepancy. We conclude that using non-rigid registration to align the PET and CT data sets is too variable, and most likely does not provide sufficient accuracy for interventional procedures.
When is the Quasi-Steady-State Approximation Admissible in Metabolic Modeling? When Admissible, What Models are Desirable?

A strategy is presented for scrutiny of the quasi-steady-state (QSS) approximation in metabolic modeling that involves tracking dynamic data on extracellular products in so-called flux, as well as yield vector spaces when the substrate uptake flux is perturbed sinusoidally about some average value with specified frequency and amplitude. Criteria accrue for the diagnosis of any violation (and its extent) of the QSS approximation and are applied to data produced by simulations from models free from the QSS approximation. It is shown that, even when the assumption is admissible, the choice of the appropriate QSS model depends on the frequency and amplitude of the perturbation. Three different QSS models in the literature, viz., dynamic flux balance analysis, the macroscopic bioreaction model, and the hybrid cybernetic model, are evaluated, and circumstances are identified when one or more of the QSS models might be valid, as well as when none of them are.
Central Leptin Infusion Attenuates the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects of Fasting in Rats

The role of reduced leptin signaling in the regulation of cardiovascular responses to negative energy balance is not known. We tested the hypothesis that central infusion of leptin would attenuate the cardiovascular and metabolic responses to fasting. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, instrumented with telemetry devices and intracerebroventricular cannulas, were housed in metabolic chambers for continuous (24 hours) measurement of dark-phase (active) and light-phase (inactive) mean arterial pressure, heart rate, oxygen consumption, and respiratory quotient. Rats received central infusions of either saline (0.5 μL/h) or leptin (42 ng/h) for 6 days through osmotic pumps and were either fed ad libitum or were fasted for 48 hours followed by refeeding for 4 days. In ad lib animals, continuous intracerebroventricular leptin infusion significantly reduced caloric intake, body weight, and respiratory quotient compared with saline controls while having no effect on mean arterial pressure or heart rate. Fasting reduced mean arterial pressure, heart rate, oxygen consumption, and respiratory quotient in rats receiving saline infusions. Fasting-induced reductions in mean arterial pressure were specific to the active phase and were not attenuated by central leptin infusion. In contrast, intracerebroventricular leptin, at a dose that had no cardiovascular effects in ad lib control animals, completely prevented fasting-induced decreases in light-phase heart rate and oxygen consumption and blunted fasting-induced reductions in dark-phase heart rate and oxygen consumption. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that reductions in central leptin signaling contribute to the integrated cardiovascular and metabolic responses to acute caloric deprivation.