cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leveraging Population Information in Family-based Rare Variant Association Analyses of Quantitative Traits

Confounding due to population substructure is always a concern in genetic association studies. Although methods have been proposed to adjust for population stratification in the context of common variation, it is unclear how well these approaches will work when interrogating rare variation. Family-based association tests can be constructed that are robust to population stratification. For example, when considering a quantitative trait, a linear model can be used that decomposes genetic effects into between- and within-family components and a test of the within-family component is robust to population stratification. However, this within-family test ignores between-family information potentially leading to a loss of power. Here, we propose a family-based two-stage rare-variant test for quantitative traits. We first construct a weight for each variant within a gene, or other genetic unit, based on score tests of between-family effect parameters. These weights are then used to combine variants using score tests of within-family effect parameters. Because the between-family and within-family tests are orthogonal under the null hypothesis, this two-stage approach can increase power while still maintaining validity. Using simulation, we show that this two-stage test can significantly improve power while correctly maintaining type I error. We further show that the two-stage approach maintains the robustness to population stratification of the within-family test and we illustrate this using simulations reflecting samples composed of continental and closely related subpopulations.
Propagation loss measurements for low frequency sonar in Emerald Basin and Exuma Sound

Propagation loss measurements for low frequency sonar in Emerald basin and Exuma sound was presented. A low-frequency hyperbolic frequency modulated signal (HFM) was employed to measure propagation loss in both a deep water environment and in a shallow water surface duct environment. The shallow water measurements indicated that loss of signal coherence increases the propagation loss measured, in this case by 5 dB to 10 dB over this range.
Uncontrolled growth of the alveolar processes of the maxilla and mandible in a 20-month-old child. Report of a case.

Abstract The diagnosis and treatment of swellings of the maxilla and mandible are an important part of the practice of oral surgery. The cause of these problems varies.
Atrial Septal Defect

The population of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is rapidly growing as a result of improvement in diagnostic techniques, medical and surgical expertise. It is estimated that 85% of infants born with CHD survive into adulthood, some of whom have never had any intervention or surgery. This patient population represents a heterogeneous group that includes simple defects such as atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects, pulmonary stenosis, coarctation of aorta, and complex defects such as Tetralogy of Fallot, Ebstein’s anomaly, pulmonary atresia, transposition of the great artery, and univentricular heart. Adults CHD survivors have special needs and require expertise care even after surgical repair since there is usually no cure after repair of CHD and many residua and sequelae are being recognized. The challenges of caring for these adult survivors of CHD can be diagnostic, medical, electrophysiologic, surgical, and psychological. Many of these patients require reoperation that should be performed by surgeons with expertise in that field. The improved outlook for adults with CHD could be best sustained by having adult congenital specialists working in close collaboration with electrophysiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac imaging including echocardiography (ECHO), magnetic resonance imaging, computer tomography, as well as obstetricians, psychiatrists, intensivists, transplant service, and medical subspecialists. This multidisciplinary approach toward the care of adults with CHD is the best we can offer for these survivors. This chapter will illustrate the most important echocardiographic features of the common CHD seen before and after repair.
Constructing Communities in the Late Roman Countryside: Power as a competitive exercise

Alongside the collection of negotiations and interactions that made up the internal dynamics of their communities, the peasants of the late Roman world were enmeshed in a collection of complementary relationships with the powerful figures who lived on the margins of their world. These relations of power, authority, and dependence have long been regarded as the principal determinants of the socio-economic contours of the late Roman countryside. Certainly, such accounts as survive of interactions between peasants and the powerful in the period tend to stress the unthinking deference of the former and the unquestioned dominance of the latter. However, these narratives have, on the whole, been constructed by the powerful and for the powerful. When placed within the context of the strategies for the management and mitigation of subsistence and social risk that were outlined in the preceding chapters, interactions between peasants and aristocratic landowners and soldiers, bishops and holy figures take on a subtly different valence. In this chapter, I sketch the array of powerful figures who interacted with rural communities and their inhabitants in the period. I begin from two propositions which appear at first blush to be contradictory, but which should in fact be regarded as complementary. On the one hand, relations of power are fundamental to an understanding of the structure and functioning of rural communities in the late Roman world. Patrons and would-be patrons operated within a competitive environment, expressing their claims to power and, by extension, authority using a variety of subtly different vocabularies, both familiar and unfamiliar to the peasants who served as their interlocutors. Their capacity to exercise their power effectively rested upon their ability to obtain or elicit an acknowledgment from subordinates that that power was legitimate, and therefore carried authority. This reliance upon the peasantry as a source of legitimacy granted the latter, both singly and collectively, a certain amount of agency in both initiating and structuring their interactions with the powerful.
Elements of Informed Consent for Hormone Replacement Therapy in Patients With Diagnosed Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: An approach to providing informed consent to breast cancer survivors considering hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is offered. METHODS: Current information on HRT, breast cancer, and chronic disease prevention is reviewed in the context of risks faced by women with resected breast cancer. RESULTS: Breast cancer patients, unwilling to trade symptom reduction for even a small increase in recurrence risk, are at substantially increased risk of death from breast cancer relative to other causes. Observational studies suggest that long-term HRT increases breast cancer development. The influence of HRT on the growth of established breast cancer has not been determined; however, estrogen reduction (oophorectomy) significantly reduces recurrence in premenopausal women, and current evidence cannot exclude a risk that HRT increases recurrence to the same degree. The following issues are of particular relevance to breast cancer survivors: HRT reduces mammographic sensitivity, increases thromboembolic events,...
Cholinergic Modulation of Appetite-Related Synapses in Mouse Lateral Hypothalamic Slice

Nicotine administration reduces appetite and alters feeding patterns; a major deterrent to smoking cessation is hyperphagia and resultant weight gain. We demonstrate here that lateral hypothalamic (LH) circuits involving melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons are subject to cholinergic modulation that may be related to the effects of nicotine on appetite control. Cholinergic input to the perifornical LH area of the mouse is confirmed by examination of immunostaining for vesicular acetylcholine (ACh) transporter (VAT) in conjunction with antibodies to MCH and the vesicular GABA transporter (vGABAT). vAChT-positive neurons border the LH, and VAT-positive projections are detected throughout the perifornical area. MCH-positive dendrites appear studded with vGABAT-positive contacts, consistent with recordings of GABAergic inputs to LH/MCH neurons identified by their location, morphology, electrophysiological profile, and MCH expression. Activation of presynaptic nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) enhances GABAergic transmission. GABAergic transmission is potentiated by (1) direct nicotine application, (2) increasing local ACh concentration, and (3) stimulation of cholinergic projections. Based on pharmacological studies and comparisons of wild-type versus α7 nAChR subunit mutant mice, we propose that α7*-nAChRs are required for the modulation of GABAergic inputs in LH. Prenatal exposure to nicotine elicits a persistent elevation of GABAergic transmission in the LH of postnatal pups. Furthermore, GABAergic inputs to LH of prenatal nicotine-exposed pups are insensitive to subsequent nicotine challenge. Our studies support the hypothesis that nicotine administration or elevated cholinergic tone enhance inhibition of perifonical LH/MCH neurons via activation of presynaptic α7*-nAChRs.
The Role of Activating Protein 1 in the Transcriptional Regulation of the Human FCGR2B Promoter Mediated by the -343 G → C Polymorphism Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The inhibitory receptor FcγRIIb is a negative regulator of antibody production and inflammatory responses. The -343 G → C polymorphism in the human FCGR2B promoter is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. The -343 C mutant promoter has decreased transcriptional activity. In the present study, we show that the transcriptional change correlates with quantitative differences in the interaction of the activating protein 1 complex with the mutant FCGR2B promoter. Promoter pulldown and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated binding of c-Jun to the FCGR2B promoter. Phosphorylation of c-Jun was accompanied by transactivation of both FCGR2B promoter variants, whereas dephosphorylation of c-Jun by an inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, markedly decreased the promoter activities. The -343 G → C substitution enabled the specific interaction of the transcription factor Yin-Yang 1 with the mutant FCGR2B promoter. Yin-Yang 1 competed with activating protein 1 for binding at the -343 site, and contributed to the repression of the mutant FCGR2B promoter activity. This mechanism could be responsible for the decreased expression of FcγRIIb associated with the -343 C/C homozygous FCGR2B genotype in lupus patients. These findings provide a rationale for the transcriptional defect mediated by the -343 C/C FCGR2B promoter polymorphism associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, and add to our understanding of the complex transcriptional regulation of the human FCGR2B promoter.
Synthesis and Spectroscopy of Poly(9,9-dihexylfluorene-2,7-diyl-co-9,9-dihexylfluorene-3,6-diyl)s and Their Model Oligomers

A series of poly(9,9-dihexylfluorene-2,7-diyl-co-9,9-dihexylfluorene-3,6-diyl) copolymers of varying composition were synthesized by Suzuki polymerization. Their composition and properties were determined by NMR, UV−vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The incorporation of 3,6-fluorene units gives distinct blue emissions and near-UV absorptions that are blue-shifted in a nonlinear fashion as the fraction of 3,6-units increases. Sequences of 2,7-fluorene units with different lengths punctuated by 3,6-units indicate the presence of distinct chromophores. In order to better understand these changes, dimer and trimer model co-oligomers of the 2,7- and 3,6-fluorene monomers were synthesized, and their spectral properties were compared with those of the copolymers. ZINDO calculations on the models showed excellent agreement of experimental and calculated absorption spectra.
Using Kodak DCS460IR digital camera in the museum

The Kodak DCS460IR Digital Camera has been applied in the Hermitage Museum for photographing the museum objects in visual luminescence under UV, in the near IR and for X- radiography in the 10 - 80 kV range using the fluorescent screens. We found the instrument to suit quite well for the qualitative examination, providing the possibility for substitution of the corresponding conventional photographic materials. In case of the near IR the sensor permits to work in the range where the infrachromatic materials are not commercially sensitized. The quantitative estimates for the images were difficult at the same time.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Photometric calibration of the first three spectroscopic orders of an extreme-ultraviolet spectrometer by use of synchrotron radiation.

We report here a technique for determining the quantum throughput of a high-resolution, extreme-UV spectrometer by use of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Synchroton Ultraviolet Radiation Facility at Gaithersburg, Md. (SURF-II). Observations were obtained at three different synchrotron operating energies with and without a magnesium fluoride filter and a tin–germanium filter. This calibration permits us to extract system efficiencies for three overlapping spectroscopic orders with uncertainties of 10–30%. The uncertainties quoted in this preliminary experiment were limited by the available time, and we propose that with minor refinements a significant improvement could be realized.
Reason, Reference, and the Quest for Knowledge

There is a traditional theory of meaning, or, more exactly, a class of theories of meaning, which has been much discussed in recent years both within and outside philosophy of science. Briefly, the idea is the following: we choose certain features as defining a type of thing, as giving the “meaning” of the term we choose to use for that type of thing. From then on, those features will serve as “criteria”, in the sense of necessary and, or perhaps or, sufficient conditions for anything’s being that sort of thing, for deserving to be referred to by that term. If the criteria are not satisfied (or, for that version known as the “cluster” theory, if “enough” of them are not satisfied), we will not apply the term in question to it. According to such theories, nothing we find out empirically about the things in question can be relevant to changing those criteria; for if a thing did not satisfy them, it would not even be that sort of thing, and hence could not be a counterexample affecting the criteria. One aspect of this type of theory that has been the focus of much attention among philosophers of science is that it, if anything, was supposed to account for continuity of discussion between different, and particularly successive, theories: theories would be “talking about the same”, and thus really in agreement or competition with one another, if and only if the terms used in those theories have the same “meaning”.
PhnJ - A novel radical SAM enzyme from the C-P lyase complex $

Abstract PhnJ from the C–P lyase complex catalyzes the cleavage of the carbon–phosphorus bond in ribose-1-phosphonate-5-phosphate (PRPn) to produce methane and ribose-1,2-cyclic-phosphate-5-phosphate (PRcP). This protein is a novel radical SAM enzyme that uses glycyl and thiyl radicals as reactive intermediates in the proposed reaction mechanism. The overall reaction is initiated with the reductive cleavage of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) by a reduced [4Fe–4S] 1+ -cluster to form an Ado-CH 2 ∙ radical intermediate. This intermediate abstracts the proR hydrogen from Gly-32 of PhnJ to form Ado-CH 3 and a glycyl radical. In the next step, there is hydrogen atom transfer from Cys-272 to the Gly-32 radical to generate a thiyl radical. The thiyl radical attacks the phosphorus center of the substrate, PRPn, to form a transient thiophosphonate radical intermediate. This intermediate collapses via homolytic C–P bond cleavage and hydrogen atom transfer from the proS hydrogen of Gly-32 to produce a thiophosphate intermediate, methane, and a radical intermediate at Gly-32. The final product, PRcP, is formed by nucleophilic attack of the C2-hydroxyl on the transient thiophosphate intermediate. This reaction regenerates the free thiol group of Cys-272. After hydrogen atom transfer from Cys-272 to the Gly-32 radical, the entire process is repeated with another substrate molecule without the use of another molecule of SAM or involvement from the [4Fe–4S]-cluster again.
Heteroepitaxy of InSe/GaSe on Si(111) Substrates

High quality growth of InSe on Si(111) was achieved by insertion of GaSe buffer layer. Rhombohedral polytypes were formed in both the InSe and GaSe layers. Twinning and stacking disorder was often detected in these materials due to their layered structure. Moreover, in samples with a thin GaSe layer, strong interdiffusion of indium into the GaSe layer was detected that resulted in the formation of an In x Ga y Se phase. The dominant threading defects present in these InSe/GaSe heterostructures were screw dislocations, which may act as nonradiative recombination centers.
RESEARCH PARTNERS: A NEW LOOK AT COLLABORATION OF FACULTY AND CLASSROOM TEACHERS

(1998). RESEARCH PARTNERS: A NEW LOOK AT COLLABORATION OF FACULTY AND CLASSROOM TEACHERS. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education: Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 285-292.
Accelerated Testing of Epoxy-FRP Composites for Civil Infrastructure Applications: Property Changes and Mechanisms of Degradation

Accelerated testing of FRP systems is frequently performed due to the long service life of these materials used to repair damaged civil structures. This testing typically involves exposure to common environmental conditions seen in the field. However, the main limitation of these experiments is that the testing protocols typically do not consider a change in the failure mechanism as a result of the temperature of the testing in relation to the glass transition temperature of the polymer. This review article presents methods and limits of accelerated testing of epoxies and FRP-concrete composites, and the mechanisms of property loss for these systems.
Improving case ascertainment of a population‐based birth defects registry in New York State using hospital discharge data

BACKGROUND: The assessment of the data quality of population-based registration systems is essential to understanding the reliability and usefulness of disease surveillance and research findings resulting from the use of registry data. Since the New York State Congenital Malformations Registry (CMR) uses passive case ascertainment, the completeness of the registry data is an important aspect of the quality of information. This paper presents the results of hospital audits, which were conducted to capture the unreported cases using hospital discharge files, and evaluates the effectiveness of the audits. METHODS: Children age 2 years or younger and diagnosed with reportable birth defects for the birth years 1998-2000 were selected from hospital discharge files of all reporting hospitals in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) and matched to the CMR database for the same birth year period. The unmatched reports from the SPARCS hospital discharge files that the CMR possibly missed were sent to hospitals, requesting submission of the missed reports. Two audits on all reporting hospitals in New York State were conducted: 1) 1998 and 1999 birth cohorts audited from June 2000 to March 2002, and 2) 2000 birth cohort audited from November 2001 to November 2002. RESULTS: Hospital audits using SPARCS hospital discharge data identified 5,460 reports that the CMR missed for the selected 66 hospitals analyzed. About 86% of these reports had reportable conditions and were added to the CMR, which comprised 21.4% of all reports from the 66 hospitals for the birth years 1998-2000. The number of reports that would have been missed without audits decreased from the 1998 and 1999 birth cohort (25.1%) to the 2000 birth cohort (13.9%). Low reporting rates and, thus, a high percent of added reports, were found for hospitals with a relatively small number of annual reports and for some specific birth defects such as chromosomal anomalies, anencephalus and congenital anomalies of the urinary system. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates that using hospital discharge data to improve case ascertainment is a valuable and effective method of enhancing birth defect surveillance, particularly for those hospitals with low reporting rates.
Colloidal hydrolysis products of SbCl3 in acidic solutions

The hydrolysis of SbCl3 in hydrochloric acid solution (2.0 mol dm−3 HCl) at 0 °C yields an amorphous product consisting of uniform spherical particles (d∼0.5 µm), which on continuous aging at the same temperature transform to larger crystals, indicated by XRD to be Sb4O5Cl2. In contrast, in the same solution kept at 25 °C crystalline particles of the same composition form directly after an induction period and then grow with time. The final products, obtained at 0 °C and 25 °C consist of aggregated subunits. These powders on calcination in nitrogen are converted to Sb2O3 and in air to Sb2O4.
Pressures on a surface-mounted rectangular prism under varying incident turbulence

Abstract The pressure and load coefficients obtained from two groups of eight pressure taps on the upper surface of a surface-mounted prism are characterized in terms of their mean, rms, peak, probability distribution, peak correlations and durations. The prism is a 1:50 scale model of the WERFL experimental building at Texas Tech University. Results obtained with flows generated over seven different wind tunnel floor-roughness configurations in the boundary layer wind tunnel at Clemson University cover a wide range of turbulence intensities. The results presented include the spatial variation of the peak pressure and peak load coefficients, and their variations with incident turbulence. The stochastic characteristics of the peak coefficients are also addressed here. The results reveal that the distribution of the peak coefficients is in general well established by the Extreme Value Type I (Gumbel) distribution. Conditional sampling is employed to study the duration as well as the space and space–time correlations of the peaks. Analysis of the peaks reveals that those with the larger magnitudes are generally of longer duration.
FTIR study of the effects of water pretreatment on the acid sites and the dispersion of metal particles in Y zeolites and mordenites

Abstract FTIR results on zeolite-supported Pt and Pd show that the presence of water during metal reduction modifies both the acid and the metal functions of these catalysts. The water treatment eliminates Lewis acid sites and lowers the concentration of Bronsted acid sites by partial dealumination. At low temperature CO is adsorbed on Bronsted sites; the position of the corresponding FRIR band indicates that for Pt/HMOR, (MOR = mordenite) unlike Pt/HY, the intrinsic acid strength of these sites is increased by the wet reduction procedure. FTIR spectra after CO adsorption at room temperature show that wet reduction markedly improves the dispersion of Pt in HMOR; this effect is weaker for HY and absent for the Na forms of the zeolites. Bands of gem-Pt(CO)2, which are indicative of very small, possibly electron-deficient Pt clusters, are detected in Pt/HMOR.
Microstructure and fracture of anomalous eutectic silicon-disilicide composites

Abstract Microstructural and mechanical investigations have been performed on a new class of silicon-disilicide eutectic composites comprising a Si matrix and reinforcing (Cr,V)Si 2 disilicide phase. These composites are cast from the liquid and undergo anomalous eutectic solidification, during which loosely coupled growth of the consitutent phases results in a wide range of eutectic morphologies depending on the volume fraction (V f ) of the minor phase. As the chromium content is varied from 0 to 20 wt. %, the eutectic morphology changes from an irregular fibrous (V f = 7%) to an irregular plate (V f = 20%) to an irregular/complex regular plate (V f = 24%) to a pseudo-colony (V f = 40%) structure. Chevron-notched beam fracture toughness values for the composites were measured to be around 2–3 MPa m 1/2 – more than twice that of unreinforced Si and comparable to SiC. This toughening is due to crack deflection and bridging mechanisms resulting from the weak interfaces between the Si matrix and (Cr,V)Si 2 reinforcements. The experimental toughness values are reasonably well modeled using a conventional crack bridging model with some discrepancies that highlight the complexities arising from the anomalous eutectic structures.
A new injectable agent for the treatment of GERD: results of the Durasphere pilot trial.

Background A variety of endoscopic modalities have been introduced to treat GERD, including radiofrequency energy, suturing, plication, and injection therapy. Objective Our purpose was to assess the long-term safety and effectiveness of Durasphere (Carbon Medical Technologies, St Paul, Minn), a new injectable bulking agent, in the treatment of mild-moderate GERD. Design Initial human pilot study. Setting Single endoscopy center; study period from January 2005 to August 2006. Patients Ten GERD subjects, confirmed by pH monitoring, on daily proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy, hiatal hernia Intervention Endoscopic injection with Durasphere, a new submucosal bulking agent, at the gastroesophageal junction. Outcomes Change in symptom scores, PPI use, pH scores, and endoscopic findings; monitoring of safety profile. Results Nine of 10 patients completed the 12-month trial. There were no adverse events. The procedure was well tolerated with minimal patient discomfort and no dysphagia. At 12 months 70% of patients discontinued all antacid medication completely; 90% of patients reduced PPI use by greater than 50%. DeMeester scores improved from a mean of 44.5 at baseline to 26.5 at 12 months; 4 patients achieved normal pH scores. There was no esophagitis at 12 months, and no erosion, ulceration or sloughing of material was noted at any injection site. The Durasphere material did not appear to migrate. Limitations Nonrandomized study design without a control group; small number of subjects. Conclusions Durasphere appears to be a promising new injectable bulking agent for the treatment of mild-moderate GERD, with demonstrable efficacy and no significant adverse events in a small cohort.
Factorial invariance of child self-report across socioeconomic status groups: a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis utilizing the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales.

The measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in pediatric medicine and health services research has grown significantly over the past decade. Socioeconomic status (SES) differences in health outcomes have been extensively documented in adult and child populations. In order for HRQOL comparisons to be meaningful across different socioeconomic status (SES) groups, items on a HRQOL measure must have equivalent meaning across the SES subpopulations being compared. That is, they must demonstrate factorial invariance. This study examined factorial invariance of child self-report for ages 5–18 across SES groups in 453 children utilizing the PedsQLTM 4.0 Generic Core Scales. Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed specifying a five-factor model across two SES groups. SES groupings were assigned according to the Hollingshead Index of Social Status. Factorial invariance across socioeconomic status groups was demonstrated based on stability of the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) between the models, and several additional indices of practical fit including the Root Mean Squared Error of Approximation (RMSEA), the Non-Normed Fit Index (NNFI), and the Parsimony Normed Fit Index (PNFI). The findings support an equivalent five-factor structure of child self-report on the PedsQLTM across the two SES groups studied. Based on these data, it can be concluded that children across SES groups interpreted items on the PedsQLTM in a similar manner.
Screening of child behavior problems for prevention programs at school entry.

Targeted programs designed to prevent conduct problems in childhood and adolescence rely on screening systems to identify high-risk individuals. This study examines the proximal usefulness of a multiple-gating approach to screening, using teacher and parent ratings in a 2-step procedure with a sample of 382 kindergarten children. The study explored differences in the accuracy of the 2 steps of screening information and whether parents' reports of parenting practices augments the prediction of negative outcomes. The 2-step screening system was found to effectively predict negative behavior outcomes over 1 year later, although some false-positive and false-negative predictions were evident. The Parenting Practices Screen did not substantially add to prediction accuracy. The discussion emphasizes the potential contributions and problems of using screening measures.
The prebiotic chemistry of nucleotides

Diiminosuccinonitrile (DISN), formed by the oxidation of diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN), has been investigated as a potential prebiotic phosphorylating agent. DISN effects the cyclization of 3′-adenosine monophosphate to adenosine 2′, 3′-cyclic phosphate in up to 39% yield. The mechanism of this reaction was investigated. The DISN-mediated phosphorylation of uridine to uridine monophosphate does not proceed efficiently in aqueous solution. The reaction of DISN with uridine-5′-phosphate and uridine results in the formation of 2,2′-anhydronucleotides and 2,2′-anhydronucleosides respectively, and other reaction products resulting from an initial reaction at the 2′- and 3′-hydroxyl groups. The clay mineral catalysis of the cyclization of adenosine-3′-phosphate was investigated using homoionic montmorillonites.
Strategy for the Management of Vasovagal Syncope

The disorders of autonomic control associated with orthostatic intolerance are a diverse group of syndromes that can result in syncope and near-syncope. A basic understanding of the pathophysiology of these disorders is essential to diagnosis and proper treatment. It is especially important to recognise the difference between the effect of prolonged upright posture on a failing autonomic nervous system (a hyposensitive or dysautonomic response) and the vasovagal response (which may be a hypersensitive response). Vasovagal syncope is the most common abnormal response to upright posture and occurs in all age groups. The advent of tilt table testing has helped define a population with an objective finding during provocative testing that has enabled researchers to study the mechanism of vasovagal syncope and to evaluate the efficacy of treatments. In most patients, vasovagal syncope occurs infrequently and only under exceptional circumstances and treatment is not needed. Treatment may be indicated in patients with recurrent syncope or with syncope that has been associated with physical injury or potential occupational hazard. Based on study data, patients with vasovagal syncope can now be risk stratified into a high-risk group likely to have recurrent syncope and a low-risk group. Many patients with vasovagal syncope can be effectively treated with education, reassurance and a simple increase in dietary salt and fluid intake. In others, treatment involves removal or avoidance of agents that predispose to hypotension or dehydration. However, when these measures fail to prevent the recurrence of symptoms, pharmacological therapy is usually recommended. Although many pharmacological agents have been proposed and/or demonstrated to be effective based on nonrandomised clinical trials, there is a remarkable absence of data from large prospective clinical trials. Data from randomised placebo-controlled studies support the efficacy of β-blockers, midodrine, serotonin reuptake inhibitors and ACE inhibitors. There is also considerable clinical experience and a consensus suggesting that fludrocortisone is effective. Encouraging new data suggest that a programme involving tilt training can effectively prevent vasovagal syncope. For patients with recurrent vasovagal syncope that is refractory to these treatments, implantation of a permanent pacemaker with specialised sensing/pacing algorithms appears to be effective. A number of larger clinical trials are underway which should help further define the efficacy of a number of different treatments for vasovagal syncope.
Tin(II) tert-butoxide-catalyzed routes to homoleptic Group 4 and -5 tert-butoxides: The solid-state structure of Nb(OtBu)5

Abstract The homoleptic Group 4 and -5 metal tert-butoxides Ti(OtBu)4, Zr(OtBu)4, and Nb(OtBu)5 were synthesized at room temperature from NaOtBu and [TiCl4(THF)2], cis-[ZrCl4(THF)2], and [NbCl4(THF)2], respectively. All reactions were catalyzed by Na[Sn(OtBu)3]. The solid-state structure of trigonal–bipyramidal Nb(OtBu)5 was determined by single-crystal X-ray methods.
Evaluation of a new phosphor plate technology for neonatal portable chest radiographs.

Rationale and Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate a new thick-needle phosphor plate for computed radiography. Materials and Methods Two studies were performed. Patients acted as their own controls. In the first study, old powder and new needle phosphor plate technologies were compared. Twenty infants were identified who had undergone chest x-rays with both systems within 3 days of each other. Exposure factors were constant. In the second study, standard and reduced exposure techniques (tube current–time product reduced by 20%) using the needle phosphor technology were compared. Twenty babies who had been imaged with both standard and reduced exposures within 3 days of each other were evaluated. Results There was a significant preference for images obtained with the new needle phosphor technology compared with the older powder technology ( P P Conclusions For the study comparing old and new phosphor plate technology at fixed exposure, images were better with the new technology. Using the new plate technology, dose can be decreased by ≥20%.
Effect of gender and ethnicity on self reports of mild, moderate and severe sexual coercion

The current study examines the influence of gender and ethnicity on various levels of sexual coercion among heterosexual partners. The Revised Conflicts Tactics Scale (Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy & Sugarman, 1996) was distributed to 452 southern California college students. ANOVA tests revealed a strong effect for gender. Males are more likely than females to report experiencing sexual coercion at mild, moderate and severe levels. The effect for ethnicity was minor.
Capillary Condensation and Snap-off in Nanoscale Contacts

When a surface is placed in a vapor, several layers of molecules may adsorb depending on the intermolecular forces involved. As two such surfaces are brought together, a critical point is reached a...
Photoionization resonance in Cr(CO) 6 : implications for bonding of adsorbed CO

Abstract The partial photoionization cross sections of the valence levels of Cr(CO)6 are reported in the photon energy range of 30 to 100 eV. The 4o derived level shows a resonance at ≈ 18 eV kinetic energy. This resonance is well understood and has been seen in gas phase CO at 12 eV kinetic energy and in CO adsorbed on Ni(100) at 20 eV kinetic energy. The Cr(CO)6 data show that the large shift in the kinetic energy of the resonance in adsorbed CO is due to potential changes upon bonding, not changes in the C to O distance. This resonance is not observed in the Cr(CO)6 energy levels derived from the CO 5o level. Calculations of the initial and final wavefunctions are presented to explain the sensitivity of the resonance in the 5o level to bonding.
Ancient groundwater flow in the Valles Marineris on Mars inferred from fault trace ridges

Long linear ridges in the Valles Marineris region of Mars most likely represent fault zones that have been cemented by water-deposited minerals. This implies that water in the Martian crust could have traversed long distances via faults and fractures.
A characterization of metacompactness in the class of θ-refinable spaces

The notion of a pointwise collectionwise normal space is introduced and investigated in this paper. The main result is that a space is metacompact if and only if it is pointwise collectionwise normal and θ-refinable. Pointwise collectionwise normality is hereditary in spaces with closed Gδ. A semi-stratifiable space is hereditarily metacompact if and only if it is pointwise collectionwise normal.
Chinese Political Attitudes and Values in Comparative Context: Cautionary Remarks on Cultural Attributions

Cultural explanations have a long and distinguished tradition in the study of Chinese politics. This paper examines the extent to which standard cultural attributions about the Chinese are supported by survey evidence from the World Values Survey. Moreover, it compares the values and beliefs articulated by the Chinese respondents with those of their Taiwanese, American, Canadian counterparts. Although in some instances the survey data support conventional wisdom, in many other respects they contradict the stylized characterizations often found in the literature. One is therefore led to conclude that cultural attributions should be grounded in empirical evidence, evaluated comparatively, and made with sensitivity to the potential for change and hidden biases.
Pulmonary arterial lipid deposit in newborn infants receiving intravenous lipid infusion

Three newborn infants are described with a distinctive pulmonary arterial lipid lesion, characterized by a wide foamy layer of intima partially occluding the lumen of small muscular pulmonary arteries. Lipid stains indicated lipid infiltration of the walls of these arteries, involving not only the intimal layer, but media and adventitia as well. All three infants had received intravenous lipid infusions. All three infants also had histologic evidence of pulmonary hypertension, one on the basis of chronic lung disease (BPD) and two on the basis of congenital heart disease. A retrospective autopsy study of long-term neonatal ICU dwellers receiving such infusions revealed two additional patients with lipid deposits in pulmonary arterial walls. It is speculated that the pulmonary arterial lipid deposits were derived from the lipid infusions and were dependent on antecedent or concurrent vascular damage from pulmonary hypertension.
Learning by a dominant firm

This paper is concerned with the optimal output decisions of a dominant firm in the presence of imperfect information about the rival's reactions. The model is multi-period with the profits in each period being independent of those in other periods. Consequently, if the rival's reaction parameter were known to the dominant firm, a myopic policy would be optimal, In the presence of imperfect information about the rival's unknown reaction parameter, the dominant firm acts in a Bayesian manner by updating its prior distribution based on the observations of the rival's outputs. Because of the multiplicative shape of the rival's reaction function, the Bayesian updating rule is a function of the dominant firm's decision variable, i.e. its output decisions. This creates a dependence of the future value of the dominant firm on the present output decision, and hence a myopic policy is not, in general, optimal. It is shown that through output experimentation the dominant firm will tend to overproduce and, consequently, will increase its expected discounted profits (market value).
Computer reconstruction of high resolution gas chromatograms

This paper describes two programs that are used to plot digital area slice data from glass capillary gas chromatograms. The programs are written in H/P LAB BASIC II, and can be executed on Hewlett-Packard 3354A Laboratory Data Systems using digital plotting devices. The programs are designed to plot high resolution chromatograms, allow horizontal and vertical scaling, and the plots can be numbered and labelled.
The motion of a trailing vortex-wake in a stratified medium

Abstract An analytical study of a trailing vortex-wake in a uniform and a stratified environment is presented. A turbulent entrainment velocity is postulated based on the assumption of similarity of the wake surface and consistent with several averaged conservation equations. In a homogeneous density environment, the descending wake is brought to rest due to its buoyancy in the initial phase of wake motion. It is then accelerated upwards. The lifetimes of the wakes are found to be in excellent agreement with previous experimental results. In the absence of mutual interaction of vortices in the wake, the final ascending phase is a decelerating phase. The effect of weak linear stratification is to damp the movement of the vortex wake. The wake oscillates with decreasing amplitude and wavelengths with increasing magnitudes of linear stratification.
Processing of stepped-density alumina via gelcasting and reaction bonding techniques

Ceramics that combine property gradients or steps in monolithic bodies are increasingly being sought as alternatives to ceramic composites made of multiple dissimilar materials. Furthermore, more sophisticated applications specify single components to serve many functions that often require disparate properties. For example, oxygen impermeability and high compliance may need to be coupled with low thermal conductivity in thermal barrier coatings or a thin, oxygen permeable membrane may need to be coupled to a rigid porous support for electrochemical gas extraction. Density graded materials are also of interest for structural applications, as one may couple a thin, dense wear resistant layer with a lightweight support structure or a porous, flaw tolerant surface with a dense, stiff support structure. However, graded density ceramics are difficult to process due to the need to accommodate differential volume changes upon firing. For example, a green body containing a particle size gradient would result in graded density due to higher densification of the small particle portion upon firing. However, due to the non-uniform volume changes throughout the specimen, sintering stresses occur which cause macroscopic cracking. This paper presents a novel method to produce stepped-density alumina bodies which maintain mechanical integrity by eliminating non-uniform volume changes. The processing instead relies on a reaction bonding technique.
Social grooming in assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis)

Reciprocity and social bonding hypotheses were evaluated as explanations for observed patterns of social grooming in assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis). In accordance with social bonding, females, as the long-term residents of this matrifocal group, groomed each other and juveniles more often than males groomed one another or juveniles. On the other hand, males groomed females more often and for longer durations than females groomed males and, whereas both males and females groomed juveniles more often than juveniles groomed them, juveniles groomed their elders for longer durations. Male grooming of females did not seem directly related to matings as males are single mount ejaculators and use coercive mating tactics. Male grooming of females could not be accounted for in terms of reciprocity; it was not a simple function of dominance. Although both sexes groomed subordinate females more than vice versa, males groomed dominant males more and females groomed subordinate males more than they received grooming from them. Grooming was concluded to function to establish and maintain affiliative social bonds rather than as a specific mechanism to obtain matings or any other specific reciprocation in terms of services or favors.
Transhepatic closure of atrial septal defect and assisted closure of modified Blalock/Taussig shunt.

The details of transhepatic closure of moderate – large size atrial septal defect as well as assisted closure of a modified Blalock Taussing shunt in a 2 1/2 year old patient with occluded femoral vessels are discussed. The technical variations as well as the potential advantages of this route are outlined. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of air pollutants on basophil degranulation

Abstract Rationale Environmental pollutants are known to exacerbate asthma and allergic rhinitis, however the mechanism of this induction is not clearly understood. We examined the effect of environmental pollutants on mast cell/basophil degranulation. Methods A rat basophil leukemia cell line (RBL-2H3) was exposed to aldehyde pollutants (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acrolein) found in high concentrations in large cities and industrial areas, to asses the acute effect of the pollutants on basophil degranulation. Granule release was assessed using either the β-Hexosaminidase assay or serotonin release assay. The effect of the pollutants on IgE crosslinking mediated degranulation was also assessed. Exposures were carried out for 30 minutes. Dependence of the degranulation process on cellular calcium was also assessed. Results Direct exposure of RBL-2H3 to aldehydes induced degranulation at concentrations ranging from 4 to 7.8 ppm. No enhancement of the IgE mediated degranulation was observed when the chemical was incubated prior to IgE crosslinking. Further, the process appears to be extracellular calcium independent. Conclusions Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein, are capable of directly inducing degranulation of basophils. Given the important role of mast cells and basophils in asthma and allergic rhinitis, direct chemical induced degranulation may play a key role in pollutant induced airway hyperreactivity.
X‐linked Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease: Molecular analysis of interfamilial variability

This report describes two families with type 1 Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX), or hereditary motor sensory neuropathy type 1. Pedigree analysis is consistent with X-linked recessive inheritance in one family and X-linked dominant inheritance in the second. In the first family, a mutation in the connexin32 gene has been demonstrated and analyzed in family members. In the second family, linkage analysis is consistent with a mutation at the same locus. This report demonstrates the interfamilial variability in X-linked CMT and underscores the observation that regardless of the pattern of inheritance, X-linked CMT constitutes a single, variable disorder.
Pediatric Window-Cord Strangulations-Reply

In Reply. —Since documented accident investigations indicate that children become entangled in window cords as well as suspended from looped cords, we agree with Dr Bishai that the ideal environment to reduce pediatric window-cord strangulations is one in which window cords are eliminated. However, even a cordless environment will not eliminate all asphyxia deaths since slat strings also pose a risk (7% of documented strangulations). Voluntary industry conformance to the recently published standard for corded window-covering products goes a long way in correcting many mechanisms of injury in new products. However, the rate of mortality does not appear to be decreasing, partly because public awareness results in increased reporting and because older products remain in many homes. Cutting the loop and adding individual tassels to each cord is an instantly effective, cost-efficient, and easily implemented method of reducing the risk of asphyxia death associated with these window blinds. We also advocate the
A controlled laboratory and clinical evaluation of a three-dimensional endoscope for endonasal sinus and skull base surgery.

BackgroundOne criticism of current video systems for endoscopic surgery is that two-dimensional (2D) images lack depth perception and may impair surgical dissection. To objectively measure the effi...