cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thomas Hettche's Wound Ethics

This essay analyzes the work of Thomas Hettche as the combination of an attention to corporeality with an attempt at developing an alternative ethics. Like several other writers in the context of the turn to the body in recent German writing, Hettche probes medical metaphors, especially dissection, prosthetics, and incubation. For him, however, the body is not only “Schnittflache,” a cut—and cutting—surface, but a “Schnittstelle,” an interface where differences can be thought together. Hettche's work, reminiscent of poststructuralism's ethical turn, attempts to construct an intrinsic ethics without an a priori transcendental, nor psychoanalytical basis for its injunctions. This ethics hinges upon wounds—as does this essay, formally and thematically obsessed with multiple cuts: wounds conducive to corporeal sympathy instead of psychological empathy; wounds as a site of the radical openness of the same to the other; wounds as the cuts between pain and its textual representation.
Monte Carlo testing of the statistical analysis of nucleation data

Abstract A method is proposed for experimentally determining the magnitude of the preexponential and exponential factors in the nucleation rate equation. The method is a modification of a statistical approach developed by Skripov, which allows nucleation data, such as a collection of undercoolings prior to nucleation, to be analyzed to yield quantitative information on the nucleation rate equation. Three expressions for the nucleation rate equation (Fisher–Turnbull, Spaepen–Turnbull, and Thompson–Spaepen) were used to generate probability distributions of nucleation events as a function of temperature. The probability density functions generated from these expressions differ for the homogeneous nucleation case when normalized to a common mode undercooling. However, for common mode undercoolings in the heterogeneous regime (approximately 15% Tm undercooling) the resulting probability distributions are quite similar. To test the approach and evaluate the uncertainty of the statistical analysis, nucleation data sets were simulated by a Monte Carlo technique. For data sets of 100 experimental runs, the uncertainty in the exponential factor and the log of the preexponential factor is 10% if temperature measurement is exact. The implications of temperature measurement uncertainty were evaluated numerically.
Design study of parallel HEV drive train with full size engine

The HEV drive train with a full size engine can guarantee vehicle performance at least as good as the conventional vehicle, and with an electrical drive in parallel it will improve the fuel economy and performance beyond the conventional car, but with minimal cost increase. By analyzing the HEV fuel economy versus the increasing of the electrical drive power on typical driving conditions, the optimal hybridization electric power capacity is determined. Thus, the full size engine HEV shows significant improvement in fuel economy and performance, with relatively short cost recovery period.
Corrosion Initiation Projection for Reinforced Concrete Exposed to Chlorides: Part 1—Black Bars

Abstract A protocol is described whereby time-to-corrosion, Ti, of reinforcing steel in concrete exposed to chlorides is calculated as a distributed, rather than a discrete, parameter. The method consists of inputting distribution functions for surface Cl− concentration (Cs), the effective diffusion coefficient (D), concrete cover over the reinforcement (x), and the critical Cl− concentration threshold to initiate active corrosion (CT) into a governing, first-principles equation from which the fraction of identically exposed, electrochemically independent elements that has initiated corrosion is calculated at a specific time. By doing this for multiple times, a cumulative distribution function (CDF) plot of Ti is developed. Example analyses were performed based upon either literature or assumed distributed Cs, D, x, and CT data. The results indicate that reinforced concrete durability should be characterized not simply in terms of the time at which reinforcement corrosion occurs initially, as is normally ...
Different mechanisms may be required for maintenance of NMDA receptor-dependent and independent forms of long-term potentiation.

In hippocampal area CA1, long-term potentiation (LTP) is induced by tetanic stimulation protocols that activate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. In addition, some stimulation protocols can induce LTP during NMDA receptor blockade. An initial signal in both NMDA receptor-dependent and independent LTPs is increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration in postsynaptic neurons. It therefore seems possible that subsequent steps leading to expression and maintenance of potentiation are shared whether or not LTP is induced through NMDA receptor activation. We tested this hypothesis by applying a broad spectrum protein kinase, inhibitor, previously shown to inhibit NMDA receptor-dependent LTP. In agreement with earlier reports, we found that H-7 inhibited NMDA receptor-dependent LTP when applied either during tetanic stimulation, or beginning 30 min following tetanic stimulation. In contrast, NMDA receptorindependent LTP was not inhibited by H-7 applied during or following tetanic stimulation. We also tested for mutual occlusion between NMDA receptor-dependent and independent LTPs. Although induction of NMDA receptor-independent LTP did not occlude later induction of NMDA receptor-dependent LTP, induction of NMDA receptordependent LTP did occlude NMDA receptor-independent LTP. While the kinase inhibitor experiment showed a clear difference between NMDA receptor-dependent and independent LTPs, the occlusion experiments suggest an interaction between the signalling pathways for the two LTPs. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Elders and Higher Education: Instrumental or Expressive Goals?.

This study examines the learning goals of older adult students. Instrumental and expressive learning goals are known to be associated with students’ reasons for enrolling in college‐level programs. The findings of the research reported in this study suggest that the concepts employed in distinguishing between instrumental and expressive goals are relevant to older learners. The elders in the study were more likely than the middle‐aged students to consider “learning for its own sake” (i.e., expressive goals) to be their most important reason for enrollment. More study is advised to determine whether this tendency toward expressive goals is related to program type or low expectations regarding roles available to older adults.
Safer mine hoisting with conveyance position and load monitoring.

A mine shaft is the lifeline to underground mines. Mine operators depend on safe, uninterrupted, and efficient movement of workers and materials. The shaft and hoisting system provides access to the network of openings used to recover the underground resource, provides vertical transport of miners and materials, and serves as an escapeway in case of an emergency. Accidents involving hoisting can be catastrophic. Such was the case in 1973 at the Markham Colliery in Derbyshire, UK when the conveyance overwound and fell to the shaft bottom, resulting in 17 deaths. Hoist and elevator machinery must meet the requirements specified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 57 and 75. According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) data, many shaft-related accidents in the United States are associated with the hoisting cycle. MSHA statistics show that there were about 1500 shaftrelated accidents in the 5-year period between 1992-1996. Most of these accidents resulted from the action, motion, or failure of the hoisting equipment or mechanism and involved movement of the conveyance which includes cages, skips, ore buckets, and elevators. A hoisting hazard may be characterized as an "unsafe hoist operating condition caused by insufficient or inaccurate information available to the hoist operator" (authors' quote). Earlier investigators have defined safety features and operating and maintenance standards for hoists, and reported on monitoring and contml systems and sensors
Functional characterization of newly-discovered mutations in human SR-BI.

In rodents, SR-BI has been firmly established as a physiologically relevant HDL receptor that mediates removal of HDL-cholesteryl esters (CE). However, its role in human lipoprotein metabolism is less defined. Recently, two unique point mutations in human SR-BI — S112F or T175A — were identified in subjects with high HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. We hypothesized that mutation of these conserved residues would compromise the cholesterol-transport functions of SR-BI. To test this hypothesis, S112F- and T175A-SR-BI were generated by site-directed mutagenesis. Cell surface expression was confirmed for both mutant receptors in COS-7 cells upon transient transfection, albeit at lower levels for T175A-SR-BI. Both mutant receptors displayed defective HDL binding, selective uptake of HDL-CE and release of free cholesterol (FC) from cells to HDL. Mutant receptors were also unable to re-organize plasma membrane pools of FC. While these impaired functions were independent of receptor oligomerization, inability of T175A-SR-BI to mediate cholesterol-transport functions could be related to altered N-linked glycosylation status. In conclusion, high HDL-C levels observed in carriers of S112F- or T175A-SR-BI mutant receptors are consistent with the inability of these SR-BI receptors to mediate efficient selective uptake of HDL-CE, and suggest that increased plasma HDL concentrations in these settings may not be associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Radio Observations of Interstellar Hydroxyl Radicals

Hydroxyl radical emission, hypotheses attempting to explain OH emission origin, including possible maser mechanism and interstellar communications
The potential for the evolution of co-operation among web agents

In building intelligent network agents, computer scientists may employ a variety of different design strategies, and their design decisions can have a significant effect on the ultimate nature of network interactions. Some agent designs are “co-operative”, and populations of agents based on them would be able to interact smoothly, effectively utilizing network resources. In contrast, other agent designs can lead to ineffective and wasteful competition for network resources, resulting in massive bottlenecks and unacceptable access delays. We focus here on a particular design question, themultiple-access problem: if an agent seeking a piece of information knows of several sites that have, or might have, that information, how many queries should it issue, and when? We provide a formal analysis that demonstrates the viability of cooperative responses to this question under certain assumptions. We then discuss the limitations of this analysis and present the results of experiments done using a genetic-algorithms approach in which simulated network agents “evolve” co-operative strategies, under less restrictive assumptions than those made in the formal analysis.
Relating nutrient and water uptake models to biotic interactions, nutrient cycling and plant growth

Abstract Nutrients commonly limit plant growth in terrestrial ecosystems, but nutrient uptake and plant growth are not usually related to total nutrient content of soil. Mineral nutrition of plants depends on size of the available nutrient pool; concentration in soil solution that the available pool can maintain; transport characteristics of the soil; density, geometry and uptake mechanisms of roots; and plant-water relations. Complexity of biological and physico-chemical interactions and sampling difficulties constrain empirical studies of these phenomena. Dynamic simulation models are proposed as tools for overcoming these constraints and for generating pertinent hypotheses that can be evaluated empirically. Water and nutrient uptake models are discussed and applications are demonstrated by examples.
Reactions of Strained Hydrocarbons with Alkene and Alkyne Metathesis Catalysts

Here we describe the metathesis reactions of a strained eight-membered ring that contains both alkene and alkyne functionality. We find that the alkyne metathesis catalyst produces polymer through a ring-opening alkyne metathesis reaction that is driven by the strain release from the monomer. The strained monomer provides unusual reactivity with ruthenium-based alkene metathesis catalysts. We isolate a discrete trimeric species—a Dewar benzene derivative that is locked in this form through an unsaturated cyclophane strap.
Is there a Thin Film of Air at the Interface between Water and Smooth Hydrophobic Solids

Optical measurements using an ellipsometer are inconsistent with the existence of continuous air films that are greater than about 0.1 nm in thickness at the interface between water and silicon wafers that have been rendered hydrophobic through the adsorption of silane agents. If adsorbed air consists of discrete bubbles, then the separation between the bubbles must be much greater than the radius of a bubble. For example, an approximate calculation for 80 nm radius bubbles that are attached with the macroscopic contact angle shows that the minimum spacing consistent with our data is in the range of 5 μm to infinite separation, depending on the sample. Although these putative bubbles would be sparsely distributed, we cannot rule out a density that is great enough to affect surface force apparatus measurements. A new variant of the multiple incidence method for ellipsometry is described and used to decrease the error in determining the thickness of adsorbed films.
Diagnostic Significance of Pleural Fluid pH and Pco2

The pH, Pco2 and bicarbonate levels were measured in 178 pleural effusions grouped according to preset criteria into various diagnostic categories. The pH and Pco2 were found to vary widely, the ranges being 6.80 to 7.60 and 26 to 126 mm Hg, respectively. The effusions associated with pneumonia (parapneumonic effusions) showed the most widely varying values of pH. Apparently the pleural fluid pH has predictive value for the course of parapneumonic effusions. Therapy consisting of antibiotics and thoracentesis alone was inadequate to effect resolution of any of the five parapneumonic effusions with a pH of less than 7.20. None of these five effusions was grossly purulent. On the other hand, all 19 parapneumonic effusions with a pH greater than 7.20 resolved with antibiotic therapy, without tube drainage. The mean pH of tuberculous effusions was significantly lower than the mean pH of malignant effusions. When these two possibilities exist, a pH below 7.30 is highly suggestive of tuberculosis, while a pH greater than 7.40 is highly suggestive of malignancy. It is concluded that the measurement of pleural fluid pH is useful in the diagnosis and management of pleural effusions.
Inference from Nonrandomly Missing Categorical Data: An Example from a Genetic Study on Turner's Syndrome

Abstract The process leading to partial classification with categorical data is sometimes nonrandom. A particular model accounting for incomplete data, which allows the probability of uncertain classification to depend on category identity, is utilized for an analysis of data obtained from a genetic study on Turner's syndrome. Estimates of population proportions are obtained from maximum likelihood. A method for handling nonrandomly missing data arrayed in contingency tables is discussed. Sensitivity analyses incorporating parameters related to the missing-data mechanism are recommended for estimation and testing.
The Angelman Syndrome Protein Ube3a/E6AP Is Required for Golgi Acidification and Surface Protein Sialylation

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe disorder of postnatal brain development caused by neuron-specific loss of the HECT (homologous to E6AP carboxy terminus) domain E3 ubiquitin ligase Ube3a/E6AP. The cellular role of Ube3a remains enigmatic despite recent descriptions of synaptic and behavioral deficits in AS mouse models. Although neuron-specific imprinting is thought to limit the disease to the brain, Ube3a is expressed ubiquitously, suggesting a broader role in cellular function. In the current study, we demonstrate a profound structural disruption and cisternal swelling of the Golgi apparatus (GA) in the cortex of AS (UBE3Am−/p+) mice. In Ube3a knockdown cell lines and UBE3Am−/p+ cortical neurons, the GA is severely under-acidified, leading to osmotic swelling. Both in vitro and in vivo, the loss of Ube3a and corresponding elevated pH of the GA is associated with a marked reduction in protein sialylation, a process highly dependent on intralumenal Golgi pH. Altered ion homeostasis of the GA may provide a common cellular pathophysiology underlying the diverse plasticity and neurodevelopmental deficits associated with AS.
The Sources Are Many: Exploring History Teachers' Selection of Classroom Texts

Abstract In this paper, we address the issue of how teachers select primary and secondary texts for classroom use by focusing on two New York state middle school history teachers. Our field studies show that, although they teach diverse groups of students, each teacher chooses a wide variety of sources to develop classroom units and test preparation activities. The high–stakes testing environment both teachers work under influences their decisions, but so, too, do their subject matter knowledge and their views of their students. We know from previous research what is typical in social studies classrooms. By cataloging these teachers' text selections, we offer a glimpse into what is possible.
Extensive posttranscriptional deletion of the coding sequences for part of nucleotide-binding fold 1 in respiratory epithelial mRNA transcripts of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene is not associated with the clinical manifestations of cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive hereditary disorder, requiring both parental cystic fibrosis conductance transmembrane regulator (CFTR) genes to carry mutations for clinical disease to manifest, i.e., only 50% of normal CFTR gene expression is required to maintain a normal phenotype. To help define the minimum amount of normal CFTR gene expression necessary to maintain normalcy, we have capitalized on our prior observation (Chu, C.-S., B. C. Trapnell, J. J. Murtagh, Jr., J. Moss, W. Dalemans, S. Jallat, A. Mercenier, A. Pavirani, J.-P. Lecocq, G. R. Cutting, et al. 1991. EMBO [Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ] J. 10:1355-1363) that normal individuals can have up to 66% of bronchial CFTR mRNA transcripts that are missing exon 9, a region representing 21% of the sequence coding for the critical nucleotide (ATP)-binding fold 1 (NBF1) of the predicted CFTR protein. The study population included 78 individuals with no prior diagnosis of CF. Evaluation of bronchial epithelial cells (obtained by bronchoscopy) revealed that exon 9 was variably deleted in all individuals. Remarkably, there were four individuals, all greater than or equal to 35 yr, in whom bronchial epithelial cells exhibited 73, 89, 90, and 92% CFTR transcripts with inframe deletion of exon 9, respectively, despite normal sweat Cl- and no clinical manifestation of CF. In the context that only 8% or less of bronchial CFTR transcripts need exon 9 to maintain normal airway function, these observations strongly suggest that either exon 9 is not necessary for CFTR structure and/or function or that only a very small fraction of bronchial epithelial cells need to express normal CFTR mRNA transcripts with exon 9 to perform the function of CFTR sufficient to maintain a normal phenotype in vivo.
A Stable Range for Dimensions of Homogeneous O(n)-Invariant Polynomials on the n × n Matrices

Abstract The complex orthogonal group O(n) acts on the n × n matrices, Mn, by restricting the adjoint action of GL(n, C ). This action provides us with an action on the ring of complex valued polynomial functions on the n × n matrices, P (Mn). The polynomials of degree d, denoted P d(Mn), form a finite dimensional representation of O(n) and provide a graded module structure on P (Mn) as well as the subring of invariant polynomials, P (Mn)O(n). For 0 ≤ d ≤ n, it is shown that dim P d(Mn)O(n) is equal to the coefficient of qd in Π∞k = 1(1/(1 − qk))ck, where ck is the number of k vertex cyclic graphs with directed edges counted up to dihedral symmetry. The above formula provides a combinatorial interpretation of an initial segment of the Hilbert series for this ring.
Influence of body mass index on median nerve function, carpal canal pressure, and cross‐sectional area of the median nerve

Obese individuals have slowed conduction in the median nerve across the wrist, but the mechanism for this is not established. This case-control study of 27 obese subjects and 16 thin subjects was designed to test the hypothesis that obese individuals have higher carpal canal pressures and more median nerve swelling than thin individuals. All subjects were asymptomatic for hand symptoms, and had measurements of median and ulnar sensory nerve conduction in the nondominant hand, ultrasound measurement of the median nerve cross-sectional area proximal to the carpal canal, and carpal canal pressure measurement. There was no difference in age or gender ratio between the obese and thin groups. The median nerve cross-sectional area was equal in the obese and thin groups (9.3 mm2 vs. 9.4 mm2), as was the carpal canal pressure (16.2 mmHg vs. 15.5 mmHg, respectively). There was a strong correlation between median nerve conduction slowing across the wrist and median nerve cross-sectional area at the wrist (r = 0.55, P = 0.002). Obesity does not influence carpal canal pressure or the size of the median nerve at the wrist. However, there is a strong association between slowed median nerve conduction and increased nerve size which suggests endoneurial edema as a metabolic mechanism; the conduction slowing does not appear to be related to mechanical stress. Muscle Nerve 30: 481–485 2004
Mesoscopic modeling as a starting point for computational analyses of cystic fibrosis as a systemic disease.

Abstract Probably the most prominent expectation associated with systems biology is the computational support of personalized medicine and predictive health. At least some of this anticipated support is envisioned in the form of disease simulators that will take hundreds of personalized biomarker data as input and allow the physician to explore and optimize possible treatment regimens on a computer before the best treatment is applied to the actual patient in a custom-tailored manner. The key prerequisites for such simulators are mathematical and computational models that not only manage the input data and implement the general physiological and pathological principles of organ systems but also integrate the myriads of details that affect their functionality to a significant degree. Obviously, the construction of such models is an overwhelming task that suggests the long-term development of hierarchical or telescopic approaches representing the physiology of organs and their diseases, first coarsely and over time with increased granularity. This article illustrates the rudiments of such a strategy in the context of cystic fibrosis (CF) of the lung. The starting point is a very simplistic, generic model of inflammation, which has been shown to capture the principles of infection, trauma, and sepsis surprisingly well. The adaptation of this model to CF contains as variables healthy and damaged cells, as well as different classes of interacting cytokines and infectious microbes that are affected by mucus formation, which is the hallmark symptom of the disease (Perez-Vilar and Boucher, 2004) [1] . The simple model represents the overall dynamics of the disease progression, including so-called acute pulmonary exacerbations, quite well, but of course does not provide much detail regarding the specific processes underlying the disease. In order to launch the next level of modeling with finer granularity, it is desirable to determine which components of the coarse model contribute most to the disease dynamics. The article introduces for this purpose the concept of module gains or ModGains, which quantify the sensitivity of key disease variables in the higher-level system. In reality, these variables represent complex modules at the next level of granularity, and the computation of ModGains therefore allows an importance ranking of variables that should be replaced with more detailed models. The “hot-swapping” of such detailed modules for former variables is greatly facilitated by the architecture and implementation of the overarching, coarse model structure, which is here formulated with methods of biochemical systems theory (BST). This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Computational Proteomics, Systems Biology & Clinical Implications. Guest Editor: Yudong Cai.
Occult papillary carcinoma of the thyroid with distant metastases

It is well established that small clinically undetected thyroid carcinomas can produce extensive lymphatic metastases. However, occult papillary carcinoma of the thyroid presenting as a large blood-borne metastasis and occult papillary carcinoma of the thyroid leading to death are both uncommon. The authors report two unusual cases of clinically occult carcinoma of the thyroid. The first case is a 2.4 mm microscopic carcinoma presenting as a large solitary pulmonary metastasis, and is one of the smallest reported primary papillary thyroid carcinomas presenting as a distant hematogenous metastasis. The second case represents a lethal carcinoma with extensive metastases not diagnosed until autopsy. These two cases effectively illustrate that the absence of a clinically detectable thyroid abnormality does not exclude the possibility of extensive hematogenous and lymphatic metastases from a minute or undetected carcinoma of the thyroid.
AMO- and ENSO-Driven Summertime Circulation and Precipitation Variations in North America

AbstractInterannual and multidecadal time-scale anomalies in sea surface temperatures (SST) of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans could result in persistent atmospheric circulation and regional precipitation anomalies for years to decades. Understanding the processes that connect such SST forcings with circulation and precipitation anomalies is thus important for understanding climate variations and for improving predictions at interannual–decadal time scales. This study focuses on the interrelationship between the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) and El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and their resulting interannual to multidecadal time-scale variations in summertime precipitation in North America. Major results show that the ENSO forcing can strongly modify the atmospheric circulation variations driven by the AMO. Moreover, these modifications differ considerably between the subtropics and the mid- and high-latitude regions. In the subtropics, ENSO-driven variations in precipitation are...
Short pulse generation using multisegment mode-locked semiconductor lasers

Mode-locked semiconductor lasers which incorporate multiple contacting segments are found to give improved performance over single-segment designs. The functions of gain, saturable absorption, gain modulation, repetition rate tuning, wavelength tuning, and electrical pulse generation can be integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The optimization of the performance of mode-locked lasers in terms of material parameters, waveguiding parameters, electrical parasitics, and segment length is discussed experimentally and theoretically. >
The plasma of pregnant women contains a novel oxytocin-vasotocin-like peptide.

Basal levels of immunoreactive oxytocin (OT) were measured in plasma of healthy pregnant women using two antisera to OT, Pitt Ab-1 and Pitt Ab-2, and an antiserum to arginine vasotocin, Tor AVT Ab. The mean (±SEM) level of immunoreactive OT Pitt Ab-1 was significantly higher, 7.7 ± 0.9 μU/mL, than immunoreactive OT Pitt Ab-2, 0.9 ± 0.2 μU/mL, P < .001 measured in the same samples. AVT immunoreactivity in plasma of nonpregnant individuals was 0.8 ± 0.16 pg/mL and in plasma of women in late pregnancy was 5.0 ± 0.4 pg/mL. In four pregnant women receiving an infusion of synthetic OT (Pitocin, Parke-Davis, Morris Plains, NJ) a linear correlation was found between the dose of OT infused and the concentration of OT in plasma in samples measured with Pitt Ab-2, but no correlation was found in the same samples measured with Pitt Ab-1. Immunoreactive OT Pitt Ab-1 in plasma was not destroyed by a 60-minute incubation with pregnancy plasma. Pooled plasma from pregnant women was separated by reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). OT Pitt Ab-1 and Tor AVT immunoreactivities in pregnancy plasma eluted in a position separate from synthetic OT. The differences found in levels of immunoreactive OT in the same samples of plasma measured with two antisera to OT illustrate an important reason why levels of OT in pregnant women may be reported to be variable among laboratories.
Thermo-Optical Compensation in High-Index-Contrast Waveguides Using Polymer Claddings

We present the design and fabrication of temperature-insensitive high-index-contrast waveguides using acrylate polymer claddings. The large negative thermo-optic coefficient of the polymers effectively compensates the intrinsic positive thermo-optic effects induced from the waveguide core.
Reverse End-to-Side Nerve Transfer: From Animal Model to Clinical Use

Purpose Functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury is predominantly influenced by time to reinnervation and number of regenerated motor axons. For nerve injuries in which incomplete regeneration is anticipated, a reverse end-to-side (RETS) nerve transfer might be useful to augment the regenerating nerve with additional axons and to more quickly reinnervate target muscle. This study evaluates the ability of peripheral nerve axons to regenerate across an RETS nerve transfer. We present a case report demonstrating its potential clinical applicability. Methods Thirty-six Lewis rats were randomized into 3 groups. In group 1 (negative control), the tibial nerve was transected and prevented from regenerating. In group 2 (positive control), the tibial and peroneal nerves were transected, and an end-to-end (ETE) nerve transfer was performed. In group 3 (experimental model), the tibial nerve and peroneal nerves were transected, and an RETS nerve transfer was performed between the proximal end of the peroneal nerve and the side of the denervated distal tibial stump. Nerve histomorphometry and perfused muscle mass were evaluated. Six Thy1-GFP transgenic Sprague Dawley rats, expressing green fluorescent protein in their neural tissues, also had the RETS procedure for evaluation with confocal microscopy. Results Nerve histomorphometry showed little to no regeneration in chronic denervation animals but statistically similar regeneration in ETE and RETS animals at 5 and 10 weeks. Muscle mass preservation was similar between ETE and RETS groups by 10 weeks and significantly better than negative controls at both time points. Nerve regeneration was robust across the RETS coaptation of Thy1-GFP rats by 5 weeks. Conclusions Axonal regeneration occurs across an RETS coaptation. An RETS nerve transfer might augment motor recovery when less-than-optimal recovery is otherwise anticipated. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic I.
The Social Work Approach to Juvenile Delinquency in the United States

The history of the social work approach to juvenile delinquency is summarized, and current problems in using a treatment approach in the juvenile justice system are described. A treatment approach ...
Degradation of a multilayer dielectric filter as a result of simulated space environmental exposure

The exterior optical surfaces of satellites are directly exposed to the harsh space environment. Here, a multilayer dielectric solar rejection filter was deposited on a silicon substrate and then subjected to electron and proton irradiation, simulating an orbital environment. Following the exposure, damage was observed that was attributed to dielectric breakdown. Optical and scanning electron microscopy revealed extensive pitting as a result of this exposure. The typical size of dischrage pits was 50 - 100 microns at the surface, extending to the substrate material, where a 10 micron diameter melt region was found. Pit damage occurred at pre-existing coating defects and was accelerated by pre-exposure to proton radiation. Pitting was not observed on similar samples that had also been overcoated with a conductive thin-film.
The Drosophila βFTZ-F1 Orphan Nuclear Receptor Provides Competence for Stage-Specific Responses to the Steroid Hormone Ecdysone

Abstract The acquisition of competence is a key mechanism for refining global signals to distinct spatial and temporal responses. The molecular basis of competence, however, remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the βFTZ-F1 orphan nuclear receptor functions as a competence factor for stage-specific responses to the steroid hormone ecdysone during Drosophila metamorphosis. βFTZ-F1 mutants pupariate normally in response to the late larval pulse of ecdysone but display defects in stage-specific responses to the subsequent ecdysone pulse in prepupae. The ecdysone-triggered genetic hierarchy that directs these developmental responses is severely attenuated in βFTZ-F1 mutants, although ecdysone receptor expression is unaffected. This study defines βFTZ-F1 as an essential competence factor for stage-specific responses to a steroid signal and implicates interplay among nuclear receptors as a mechanism for achieving hormonal competence.
The role of RbfA in 16S rRNA processing and cell growth at low temperature in Escherichia coli.

Abstract RbfA, a 30 S ribosome-binding factor, is a multicopy suppressor of a cold-sensitive C23U mutation of the 16 S rRNA and is required for efficient processing of the 16 S rRNA. At 37 °C, Δ rbfA cells show accumulation of ribosomal subunits and 16 S rRNA precursor with a significantly reduced polysome profile in comparison with wild-type cells. RbfA is also a cold-shock protein essential for Escherichia coli cells to adapt to low temperature. In this study, we examined its association with the ribosome and its role in 16 S rRNA processing and ribosome profiles at low temperature. In wild-type cells, following cold shock at 15 °C, the amount of free RbfA remained largely stable, while that of its 30 S subunit-associated form became several times greater than that at 37 °C and a larger fraction of total 30 S subunits was detected to be RbfA-containing. In Δ rbfA cells, the pre-16 S rRNA amount increased after cold shock with a concomitant reduction of the mature 16 S rRNA amount and the formation of polysomes was further reduced. A closer examination revealed that 30 S ribosomal subunits of Δ rbfA cells at low temperature contained primarily pre-16 S rRNA and little mature 16 S rRNA. Our results indicate that the cold sensitivity of Δ rbfA cells is directly related to their lack of translation initiation-capable 30 S subunits containing mature 16 S rRNA at low temperature. Importantly, when the C-terminal 25 residue sequence was deleted, the resulting RbfAΔ25 lost the abilities to stably associate with the 30 S subunit and to suppress the dominant-negative, cold-sensitive phenotype of the C23U mutation in 16 S rRNA but was able to suppress the 16 S rRNA processing defect and the cold-sensitive phenotype of the Δ rbfA cells, suggesting that RbfA may interact with the 30 S ribosome at more than one site or function in more than one fashion in assisting the 16 S rRNA maturation at low temperature.
A likelihood-based method for real-time estimation of the serial interval and reproductive number of an epidemic

We present a method for the simultaneous estimation of the basic reproductive number, R0, and the serial interval for infectious disease epidemics, using readily available surveillance data. These estimates can be obtained in real time to inform an appropriate public health response to the outbreak. We show how this methodology, in its most simple case, is related to a branching process and describe similarities between the two that allow us to draw parallels which enable us to understand some of the theoretical properties of our estimators. We provide simulation results that illustrate the efficacy of the method for estimating R0 and the serial interval in real time. Finally, we implement our proposed method with data from three infectious disease outbreaks. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Playing science? Environmentally focused think tanks and the new scientific paradigm

Although research published by think tanks is generally studied for its contributions to policy discourses, this study finds that think tank–authored studies also affect scientific scholarly communications. Think tanks clearly represent political interests. However, this study shows that their exclusion from scientific rhetoric is not a matter of their failing to meet the community’s standards; it is a matter of ideology, which helps maintain a socially constructed boundary between scientific and political domains. The scientific community’s instinct to construct this boundary remains strong despite the emergence of a more inclusive scientific paradigm. This study takes an empirical view of the dispersion of research products generated by think tanks throughout scientific discourses. It does so through a type of bibliometrics called publication analysis, which looks at the distribution of an author’s or institution’s research products over time. This paper uses the number of articles found in scholarly publications as a proxy for productivity and as a measure of academia’s acceptance of ideas developed in those papers. Additional metrics include impact factor and Eigenfactor scores of journals where think tank–authored papers are published and the journals’ rankings within their respective disciplines.
Arterial Drug Infusion: Pharmacokinetic Problems and Pitfalls

The pharmacokinetic theory of intra-arterial drug administration has been clearly articulated. It provides a useful guide to the development and interpretation of preclinical studies and clinical trials. Despite the clarity and usefulness of the theory, there are misunderstandings of its implications and technical problems associated with its implementation. Few studies have been properly designed to validate the theory experimentally. Independence of steady-state pharmacokinetic advantage on intraregion blood flow differences predicted for a nonextracted drug is counterintuitive. Extrapolation from laboratory animals to humans raises some important questions of allometry, particularly for the brain, which does not follow the scaling rules applicable to other organs. Finally, drug streaming from the site of infusion has been observed in vitro and in vivo. The extent of the resulting clinical problem has not been adequately characterized, but it may be severe under some circumstances.
Fatty acid and carotenoid composition of gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) fruit

In this study, we analyzed fatty acid and carotenoid composition of fruit tissues, including seed (which are surrounded by a bright red, oily aril) of Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng, known as gac in Vietnam. Carotenoid content was analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC, using a C(30) column and a method separating cis- and trans-isomers of the major carotenoids in this fruit. Mean values obtained in aril tissues were 1342 microg trans-, 204 microg cis-, and 2227 microg total lycopene; 597 microg trans-, 39 microg cis-, and 718 microg total beta-carotene; and 107 microg alpha-carotene/g FW. Mesocarp contained 11 microg trans-, 5 microg cis-beta-carotene/g FW, trace amounts of alpha-carotene, and no lycopene. Gac aril contained 22% fatty acids by weight, composed of 32% oleic, 29% palmitic, and 28% linoleic acids. Seeds contained primarily stearic acid (60.5%), smaller amounts of linoleic (20%), oleic (9%), and palmitic (5-6%) acids, and trace amounts of arachidic, cis-vaccenic, linolenic, and palmitoleic, eicosa-11-enoic acids, and eicosa-13-enoic (in one fruit only) acids.
Indications for cardiac defibrillators in patients with congestive heart failure

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a significant cause of mortality in patients suffering from heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction. Implantable cardiac defibrillators have been shown to effectively reduce the incidence of SCD in this population. Multiple clinical trials have redefined the indications and patient profiles for their use: from secondary prevention to primary prevention of SCD. In this article, we will review the clinical trials contributing to the current practice guidelines, which include device therapy.
Mechanisms underlying antigen-specific CD8+ T cell homeostasis.

Badovinac et al . ([1][1]) reported important new insights concerning the role of perforin and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in regulating antigen-specific (Ag-specific) CD8+ T cell homeostasis. Using an attenuated strain of Listeria monocytogenes , they demonstrated that absence of perforin resulted in
The First Measles Vaccine

Like in the more familiar story of polio vaccine, the development of the first successful live attenuated vaccine against measles began in the laboratory of John Enders. One of the greatest virologists of the 20th century, Enders pioneered the technique of viral tissue culture, which makes it possible to grow viruses in vitro in cells nourished in laboratory media.1 In 1949, he and his pediatric infectious disease fellows Thomas Weller and Frederick Robbins showed that poliovirus could be cultivated in tissue of nonneuronal origins, a discovery that set the stage for the first successful vaccines against the disease and led to a Nobel Prize in 1954.2 Enders himself was a remarkable character. He never tried to patent his work or share results with the media before peer review. He was consistently generous in sharing his knowledge with potential competitors, and despite his personal wealth he was equally known for his frugality; fellows learned to wash their own glassware, and every year the “chief” returned unspent grant money to the National Institutes of Health. Above all, Enders took seriously the role of mentor, rounding each day beside the benches of his select group of fellows with his bow tie, vest, and jacket asking, “Well, what's new?” A positive response was often rewarded by an hour-long conversation.3 In 1954, while the national field trials of Jonas Salk's polio vaccine captivated media attention, Enders and pediatrician Thomas Peebles successfully cultivated measles virus in human kidney cell culture for the first time.4 Ever-ingenious in finding sources for his tissue cultures, Enders obtained kidneys from a neurosurgeon colleague who treated hydrocephalus by performing a unilateral nephrectomy and connecting a shunt to carry cerebrospinal fluid to the ureter. Peebles traveled the Boston, Massachusetts, area with a throat swab in search of measles … Address correspondence to Jeffrey P. Baker, MD, PhD, Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine, Box 3040 DUMC, Durham, NC 27710. E-mail: baker009{at}mc.duke.edu
Role of Mismatch Repair Enzymes in GAA·TTC Triplet-repeat Expansion in Friedreich Ataxia Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The genetic mutation in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is a hyperexpansion of the triplet-repeat sequence GAA·TTC within the first intron of the FXN gene. Although yeast and reporter construct models for GAA·TTC triplet-repeat expansion have been reported, studies on FRDA pathogenesis and therapeutic development are limited by the availability of an appropriate cell model in which to study the mechanism of instability of the GAA·TTC triplet repeats in the human genome. Herein, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from FRDA patient fibroblasts after transduction with the four transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. These cells were differentiated into neurospheres and neuronal precursors in vitro, providing a valuable cell model for FRDA. During propagation of the iPSCs, GAA·TTC triplet repeats expanded at a rate of about two GAA·TTC triplet repeats/replication. However, GAA·TTC triplet repeats were stable in FRDA fibroblasts and neuronal stem cells. The mismatch repair enzymes MSH2, MSH3, and MSH6, implicated in repeat instability in other triplet-repeat diseases, were highly expressed in pluripotent stem cells compared with fibroblasts and neuronal stem cells and occupied FXN intron 1. In addition, shRNA silencing of MSH2 and MSH6 impeded GAA·TTC triplet-repeat expansion. A specific pyrrole-imidazole polyamide targeting GAA·TTC triplet-repeat DNA partially blocked repeat expansion by displacing MSH2 from FXN intron 1 in FRDA iPSCs. These studies suggest that in FRDA, GAA·TTC triplet-repeat instability occurs in embryonic cells and involves the highly active mismatch repair system.
Strategies for Defining Financial Benchmarks for the Research Mission in Academic Health Centers

AbstractValid financial benchmarks are needed for the research mission in academic health centers (AHCs). Databases listing institutional success in obtaining sponsored research funding are publicly available. However, these databases are generally not adjusted for AHC size, confounding useful compa
Localization of glucocorticoid receptors and glucocorticoid receptor mRNAs in the rat cochlea

The distribution of glucocorticoid (GR) receptor messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and GR receptors was studied by in situ hybridization histochemistry and immunocytochemistry, respectively. In situ hybridization histochemistry was performed with a biotin-labeled riboprobe complementary to rat GR receptor mRNA. GR receptor mRNAs were demonstrated in spiral ligament cells, spiral limbus cells, and spiral ganglion cells. GR receptor mRNAs were demonstrated neither in cells of the stria vascularis nor in cells of the organ of Corti region. With the use of a monoclonal and a polyclonal antibody, GR receptors were observed in the spiral ligament cells, stria vascularis cells, spiral limbus cells, and spiral ganglion cells by immunocytochemistry. Binding of anti-GR-receptor antibodies to a lesser extent was observed in the organ of Corti region; however, cellular distribution of the GR receptors could not be resolved with the applied techniques. These results suggest that the GR receptor is expressed differently in the heterogeneous cochlear tissues.
Pressure Behavior During Polymer Flow in Petroleum Reservoirs

This paper presents solutions of the nonlinear partial differential equation using the Douglas-Jones predictor-corrector method for the numerical solution of nonlinear partial differential equations. The results are presented in tabular form and as semilogarithmic and log-log type-curve graphs. Graphs of dimensionless pressure versus dimensionless radius also are presented. Compared to results from analytical solutions of the linear partial differential equation, the graphs have the same shape. The error introduced by the linearizing approximation is small for many values of the flow behavior index, /eta/, and decreases as /eta/ tends to unity. Dimensionless pressure is a linear function of dimensionless radius to the power (l - /eta/), near the well, as predicted by the steady-state equations. Also radius of investigation equation derived analytically agrees with results from numerical solutions.
Role of individual and developmental differences in voluntary cocaine intake in rats

Rationale Early-onset drug taking is associated with increased likelihood of addiction, but it is unclear whether early onset is causal in development of addiction. Many other factors are associated with increased risk of addiction and also promote early intake. Here, a rodent model is used to explore the causality of early onset in development of self-administration and addiction-like behavior and to examine factors that promote self-administration.