cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PseudoBartter syndrome in eating disorders.

Objective: PseudoBartter's syndrome, a complex pattern of seemingly unrelated metabolic abnormalities, is frequently seen in patients with eating disorders, particularly those who indulge in purging behaviors. We present two cases that, despite divergent background histories and clinical presentations, possess the unifying pathophysiology that ultimately leads to this syndrome. Method: Case report and review of literature pertaining to Bartter's and PseudoBartter's syndromes. Results: Purging behaviors commonly result in a state of profound dehydration and chloride depletion that leads to the metabolic abnormalities characteristic of inheritable sodium and chloride renal tubular transport disorders. In the eating disorder patient, these abnormalities lead to a propensity towards marked edema formation. Discussion: The metabolic and clinical manifestations of PseudoBartter's syndrome are seen more commonly than previously thought. It is important to appreciate that a complex self-perpetuating pathophysiology leads to the hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis characteristic of PseudoBartter syndrome. The metabolic abnormalities characteristic of this phenomenon should therefore be viewed in this context and the resulting predilection towards marked edema formation should be borne in mind. © 2011 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2012)
Wives' earnings and marital instability: Another look at the independence effect

Abstract The utilitarian independence effect framework ignores important sociological factors resulting in a substantive misinterpretation of the relationship between wives' earning potential and marital instability. Previous studies also had empirical problems which led to an overestimate of the size of the independence effect. Using data from The Panel Study of Income Dynamics for the years 1968–1972, estimates of the probability of divorce or separation were made on a sample of 1855 families. Some qualified support for the independence effect hypothesis is found. But, it is also shown that the measured effects of wives' earnings on marital instability result, to some extent, from “role overload” and forgone opportunities for status enhancement. The possible impact of unobserved attitudes related to both nonemployment of wives and marital instability is discussed.
Winter photosynthesis in red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.): limitations, potential benefits, and risks.

Numerous cold-induced changes in physiology limit the capacity of northern conifers to photosynthesize during winter. Studies of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) have shown that rates of field photo...
Effects of blanching and storage conditions on soluble sugar contents in vegetable soybean

Abstract Vegetable soybean is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. because of its rich source of isoflavones, folic acid, and other nutrients. The objective of this study was to investigate various blanching and storage conditions in order to identify the proper post-harvest management strategy in preserving sugar composition of vegetable soybean during storage. Fresh soybean pods of two vegetable soybean genotypes were stored at 4 °C for 30 days or 25 °C for 8–12 days in fresh air or nitrogen atmosphere. Shelled seeds and intact pods were blanched in boiling water or steamed at 100 °C for 10 min. All blanched soybean was stored at −20 °C and sampled monthly for 6 months for sugar analysis. Glucose, fructose and sucrose decreased gradually in fresh soybean when stored at 4 °C in air or nitrogen atmosphere for 28 days. Soybean stored at 25 °C in open air showed a rapid decrease of sucrose in the first 24 h, and then followed by a gradual increase; whereas oligosaccharides accumulated significantly during storage. Significant degradation in all sugars was found in soybean stored in nitrogen atmosphere at 25 °C. Soluble sugars decreased from leaching during the water blanching and cooling treatment of vegetable soybean seeds. Steam blanching and the presence of pod effectively retained soluble sugars in vegetable soybean during thermal treatment.
Cyclization by intramolecular carbolithiation of alkyl- and vinyllithiums prepared by the action of aromatic radical anions on phenyl thioethers. High stereoselectivity in the cyclization accelerated by an allylic lithium oxyanion.

The reductive lithiation of alkyl and vinyl phenyl thioethers by aromatic radical anions is shown to be the most general method yet known for preparing organolithiums capable of intramolecular carbometalation of unactivated alkenes to produce five-membered rings and in one case a four-membered ring (in a far higher yield than known cases). The relative rates of cyclization for alkyllithiums are secondary > tertiary > primary, and the yields are very high. In the secondary case, the stereoselectivity is extremely high, producing a cyclopentylmethyllithium with a trans-2-alkyl substituent. A remarkable finding is that for all of the organolithiums a lithium oxyanionic group in the proximal allylic position to the alkene greatly accelerates the cyclization and leads almost exclusively to a trans relationship between the CH2Li group and the OLi group, the opposite relationship from that observed in intramolecular carbolithiations by allyllithiums. A mechanistic rationale for this divergence is discussed. One ...
Development of a melt‐extrudable biobased soy flour/polyethylene blend for multilayer film applications

Monolayer and multilayer films from biobased linear low-density polyethylene and milled soy flour were produced through cast film coextrusion processes using conventional thermoplastic processing equipment. Films containing 10 and 20% by weight of soy flour milled to maximum particle sizes of 8, 11, and 22 µm were extruded and characterized as a packaging film material. Water resistance, tensile properties, and gas permeability were measured on each film and analyzed with respects to the soy particle size, soy loading, and layer configuration in the multilayer film structure. Mechanical properties results indicated that ultimate elongation of the soy-containing films decreased by as much as 14% compared to the control, while tensile strength and maximum load testing did not reveal any identifiable trends. Monolayer soy-containing film showed high moisture sensitivity, as measured by contact angle and absorption testing, while the multilayer films demonstrated a more hydrophobic nature as indicated by higher contact angle measurements. This increase in hydrophobic properties is due to protective polyolefin skin layers, which are more hydrophobic. Oxygen transmission rates of the multilayer films decreased by 38% due to the presence of soy flour as compared to the control that did not contain any soy flour. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40707.
A modified spectrophotometric method appropriate for measuring cholinesterase activity in tissue from carbaryl-treated animals.

Inhibited cholinesterase in tissues of animals exposed to carbamate pesticides is known to reactivate readily, presenting considerable problems in the accurate assessment of cholinesterase activity in these tissues. Decarbamylation of cholinesterase is favored when the tissue samples are diluted and/or are incubated for an extended time. The present study was performed to identify modifications of the commonly used spectrophotometric assay for cholinesterase activity that would minimize spontaneous reactivation of enzyme activity. Those modifications included preincubation of concentrated tissue with concentrated chromogen (i.e., DTNB), dilution to final reaction volume immediately before measurement, and measurement of cholinesterase over a short period of time (5-10 min). The Ellman assay with and without modifications was performed using a microtiter plate reader on tissues from carbaryl-treated rats:undiluted plasma, diluted erythrocytes (1:25), minimally diluted erythrocytes (1:2), diluted brain (1:100), or minimally diluted brain (1:2). The results were compared to cholinesterase activities obtained using a radiometric method which employs minimally diluted tissue and short incubation times. The degree of cholinesterase inhibition for undiluted or minimally diluted tissue assayed by the modified method agreed with those obtained using the radiometric method. Even if the tissues were diluted immediately before assay, however, significant reactivation occurred by the time the first measurements were made by the conventional method. Furthermore, significant spontaneous reactivation may still occur using the modified method if the assay is run for more than 10 min. Use of this modified Ellman method will enable more accurate estimation of in vivo cholinesterase activity in animals treated with carbamates.
Neutralization of Interleukin-18 Ameliorates Ischemia/Reperfusion-induced Myocardial Injury

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is characterized by the induction of oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokine expression. Recently demonstrating that oxidative stress and TNF-α each stimulate interleukin (IL)-18 expression in cardiomyocytes, we hypothesized that I/R also induces IL-18 expression and thus exacerbates inflammation and tissue damage. Neutralization of IL-18 signaling should therefore diminish tissue injury following I/R. I/R studies were performed using a chronically instrumented closed chest mouse model. Male C57BL/6 mice underwent 30 min of ischemia by LAD coronary artery ligation followed by various periods of reperfusion. Sham-operated or ischemia-only mice served as controls. A subset of animals was treated with IL-18-neutralizing antibodies 1 h prior to LAD ligation. Ischemic LV tissue was used for analysis. Our results demonstrate that, compared with sham operation and ischemia alone, I/R significantly increased (i) oxidative stress (increased MDA/4-HNE levels), (ii) neutrophil infiltration (increased MPO activity), (iii) NF-κB DNA binding activity (p50, p65), and (iv) increased expression of IL-18Rβ, but not IL-18Rα or IL-18BP transcripts. Administration of IL-18-neutralizing antibodies significantly reduced I/R injury measured by reduced infarct size (versus control IgG). In isolated adult mouse cardiomyocytes, simulated ischemia/reperfusion enhanced oxidative stress and biologically active IL-18 expression via IKK-dependent NF-κB activation. These results indicate that IL-18 plays a critical role in I/R injury and thus represents a promising therapeutic target.
The Propeptide Domain of Membrane Type 1-Matrix Metalloproteinase Acts as an Intramolecular Chaperone when Expressed in transwith the Mature Sequence in COS-1 Cells

It has been assumed that cleavage of the N-terminal propeptide domain of membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is required for enzyme function. We recently demonstrated that the propeptide domain of MT1-MMP is not cleaved and actually is required for function of the membrane-bound enzyme in transfected COS-1 cells (Cao, J., Drews, M., Lee, H. M., Conner, C., Bahou, W. F., and Zucker, S. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 34745-34752). In this report, we have inserted the cDNA encoding the signal and propeptide sequences of MT1-MMP (MT(1-109)) and the cDNA encoding propeptide-deleted mature MT1-MMP (MT delta pro) in expression vectors that were then transfected into matrix metalloproteinase-deficient COS-1 cells. Co-expression of both the mature sequence and the prosequence of MT1-MMP as independent polypeptides (in trans) in COS-1 cells resulted in reconstitution of MT1-MMP function in terms of facilitating (125)I-labeled tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 binding to transfected cells and subsequent activation of progelatinase A. Transfection of cells with either cDNA alone resulted in non-functional cells. These results are consistent with the propeptide sequence of MT1-MMP functioning as an intramolecular chaperone involved in protein folding and trafficking to the cell surface.
Rabies in raccoons: optimal control for a discrete time model on a spatial grid

An epidemic model for rabies in raccoons is formulated with discrete time and spatial features. The goal is to analyze the strategies for optimal distribution of vaccine baits to minimize the spread of the disease and the cost of implementing the control. Discrete optimal control techniques are used to derive the optimality system, which is then solved numerically to illustrate various scenarios.
Perceptions and Concerns Regarding Diabetes Mellitus During Pregnancy Among American Indian Women

Diabetes among American Indian (AI) people is a. condition that creates excessive morbidity and mortality and is a significant health disparity. This research delineated culturally constructed models of diabetes mellitus (DM) among 97 pregnant women in 2 large AI Nations to Oklahoma. Analysis of data revealed intense anxiety, fear, and dread related to DM during pregnancy. The sample was stratified by DM status: (a) absence of DM (n = 66), (b) DM prior to pregnancy (n = 4), and (c) gestational (n = 27). Structured and semistructured interviews elicited patient culturally based explanatory models (EMs) of etiology, course, and treatment. The research incorporated an integrated phenomenologic and ethnographic approach and yielded both quantitative and qualitative data. General findings comprised the following main categories of patients' concerns regarding DM as an illness: (a) care-seeking behaviors, (b) medical management, (c) adherence and self-management, (d) complications, and (e) the conceptual sense of DM as a "severe" and feared condition. Many findings varied according to acculturation status, but all included significant fear and anxiety surrounding (a) the health and well-being of the unborn child, (b) the use of insulin injections, (c) blindness, (d) amputation, and (e) death, but with (f) a paradoxically lowered anxiety level about diabetes severity overall, while at the same time expressing extreme dread of specific outcomes. The latter finding is considered consistent with the presence of chronic conditions that can usually be managed, yet still having risk if severe.
Regulation of Mu element copy number in maize lines with an active or inactive Mutator transposable element system.

In the progeny of an active Mutator plant, the number of Mu elements increases on self-pollination and maintains the average parental Mu content on outcrossing to a non-Mutator line; both patterns of transmission require an increase in the absolute number of Mu elements from one generation to the next. The same average copy number of Mu elements is transmitted through the male and female, but there is wide variation in the absolute copy number among the progeny. In inactive Mutator plants —defined both by the loss of somatic instability at a reporter gene (bronze2-mu1) and by modification of the HinfI sites in the terminal inverted repeat sequences of Mu elements —the absolute copy number of Mu elements is fixed in the parent. Thus, in outcrosses Mu element number is halved, and on self-pollination Mu copy number is constant. Reactivation of somatic mutability at cryptic bz2-mu1 alleles in inactive individuals by crossing to an active line seems not to involve an increase in Mu element copy number transmitted by the inactive individual. These and other results suggest that increases in Mu copy number occur late in plant development or in the gametophyte rather than after fertilization.
Kinetics of phase coarsening in dense systems

Diffusion-limited coarsening is formulated as a statistical description of the evolving particle size distribution. Diffusional interactions among dispersed particles are accounted for using a statistical field cell associated with each particle size class. The field cells correlate particle volumes with an averaged growth rate and the corresponding volume of the matrix phase associated with a particle's transport field. The particle and matrix volumes obey a linear affine transformation, derived here from self-similar dynamics. The coarsening kinetics are determined by adding two global constraints on the distributional representation of the microstructure, which specify the volume fraction and critical (zero-growth) particle size in terms of explicit spatial and ensemble averages. Comparison of the theoretically predicted coarsening rates with those obtained from liquid-phase sintering experiments in binary alloys show agreement over a wide range of phase fractions.
Fluorescence confocal optical microscopy imaging of the grain boundary structure of zeolite MFI membranes made by secondary (seeded) growth

Abstract Fluorescence confocal optical microscopy (FCOM) was used to characterize MFI membranes made by secondary (seeded) growth. It is demonstrated that FCOM is a powerful tool for the non-destructive evaluation of zeolite membranes. This technique can provide two-dimensional, optical sections of the membranes with submicron resolution without physical damage to the sample. When contrasted with fluorescein-Na salt, it is shown that the grain boundary network in MFI membranes can be observed along the thickness of the membranes. Moreover, defects that do not propagate to the membrane surface and, therefore, are not detected by SEM, can be clearly imaged. One example of such a defect are internal cracks in the membrane.
Ultrasound-assisted percutaneous liver biopsy performed by a physician assistant.

OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous liver biopsy is an essential diagnostic tool utilized in the management of patients with liver disease. This procedure is generally performed by a physician and has a small but well-defined complication rate. We report on the complication rate and efficiency of ultrasound-assisted percutaneous liver biopsy performed by an experienced physician assistant. METHODS: One thousand eighty-six consecutive outpatient liver biopsies (847 hepatic allografts and 239 native livers) were performed at a single center by a physician assistant between June, 1996 and June, 2000. Patients with hepatic mass lesions, unusual hepatic anatomy, and uncorrectable coagulopathy (international normalized ratio > 1.7, platelet count < 50 × 109/L) were excluded. Bedside ultrasonography was used to determine the optimal site for the liver biopsy. Liver biopsies were performed with a 15-gauge Jamshidi aspiration biopsy needle. Patients were observed for 3 h after biopsy, followed by dismissal with subsequent contact in 24 h to assess outcome and complications. RESULTS: Adequate tissue was obtained in 1084 cases (99.8%), with a mean tissue length of 3.2 cm. After the procedure, narcotic analgesia was necessary in 116 (10%) of the patients undergoing liver biopsies. The overall complication rate requiring hospitalization was 0.6%. Major complications requiring intervention occurred in four patients (0.4%). There were no deaths resulting from liver biopsies. CONCLUSION: We conclude that outpatient percutaneous liver biopsy can be safely and effectively performed by a trained physician assistant.
Workplace Literacy: A Selected Bibliography.

Literacy has been one of the most publicized societal problems of the past decade, and it is likely to continue as such for some time to come. Like many problems of modern society, it involves a variety of educational, social, and economic factors, and will therefore not be easily solved.
Plastic Behavior of Metals in Reverse Straining after Large Pre-Strains

The present work examines the reversal response of a face-centered cubic (fcc) polycrystalline metal after large pre-strains. While reversal responses among different fcc metals are similar after small pre-strains, they can vary widely after large pre-strains depending on material and microstructure. In this article, these characteristics are considered to be governed by three distinct mechanisms: (1) reverse glide of dislocations previously held by backstresses, (2) reverse glide of dislocations previously held by barriers, and (3) ‘reverse hardening’ by reverse glide over stable dislocation barriers formed in pre-straining. These small-scale mechanisms are incorporated into a polycrystal code to investigate their influence on the macroscopic reversal response and to interpret large strain reversal tests in the literature. It is shown that mechanism (2) is responsible for worksoftening and reductions in hardening rate and mechanism (3) for the overshoot seen in α- brass and other low stacking fault energy alloys. Mechanism (1) is responsible for the Bauschinger effect and occurs in all metals. A large fraction of second phases leads to a strong Bauschinger effect that can either reduce or postpone the effects of mechanisms (2) and (3).
Efficient reordering of C-PROLOG

PROLOG uses a depth-first search of an AND/OR graph to satisfy queries against its database. It searches sequentially through the clauses of a predicate whose head matches the query, trying to satisfy the goals in the clause body in a sequential left-to-right order. The ordering of clauses and goals is a major factor in the efficiency of a PROLOG program. We have developed a profiler for C-PROLOG that collects statistics including the failure rate of clauses and goals in a C-PROLOG program. These statistics are used by any of several reordering predicates capable of local or global reordering. The intent is to construct a reordered PROLOG program that outputs an equivalent set of answers, and is more efficient. Test results are promising.
Free Acts and Chance: Why the Rollback Argument Fails

The ‘rollback argument,’ pioneered by Peter van Inwagen, purports to show that indeterminism in any form is incompatible with free will. The argument has two major premises: the first claims that certain facts about chances obtain in a certain kind of hypothetical situation, and the second that these facts entail that some actual act is not free. Since the publication of the rollback argument, the second claim has been vehemently debated, but everyone seems to have taken the first claim for granted. Nevertheless, the first claim is totally unjustified. Even if we accept the second claim, therefore, the argument gives us no reason to think that free will and indeterminism are incompatible. Furthermore, seeing where the rollback argument goes wrong illuminates how a certain kind of incompatibilist, the ‘chance-incompatibilist,’ ought to think about free will and chance, and points to a possibility for free will that has remained largely unexplored.
'ReCapricorning' the Atlantic

The lead section of this LBR volume brings together four articles on the Lusophone South Atlantic by historians of Africa and Brazil originally presented to the Michigan State University and University of Michigan’s Atlantic History workshop “ReCapricorning the Atlantic: Luso-Brazilian and Luso-African Perspectives on the Atlantic World.”  Th e workshop and this special volume’s title is a twist on Andre Gunder Frank’s Re Orient: Global Economy in the Asian Age (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998) in which the renowned economic historian argued that Asia had been the hub of the global economy through the early modern period and that a Johnnycome-lately Europe “used its American money to buy itself a ticket on the Asian train” aft er 1800 to “temporarily” become the new hub of global trade (p. xxv). Frank’s interest in Asia’s role in the global economy was a signifi cant departure from his earlier work which had focused on exploring Portuguese and Spanish America’s underdevelopment within the frameworks of dependency and world systems theory. “ReCapricorning the Atlantic” returns to the site of Frank’s earlier work to consider a similar reorientation based on perspectives centered around the Tropic of Capricorn within a body of scholarship that has come to be known as “Atlantic History.” Th e South Atlantic was the economic hub and arguably the most signifi cant formative matrix of the early modern European colonial enterprise in Africa and the Americas. Yet to date, most Atlantic history has focused on the British and to a somewhat lesser extent, French Empires and their remnants in the Americas and Africa. Th is “North Atlantic-centrism” is refl ected in many classic titles in Atlantic History that conceal their much more limited geographic emphases in terms of primary research (e.g., David Eltis, Th e Rise of African Slavery in the Americas; Paul Gilroy, Th e Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness, or David Brion Davis, Th e Problem of Slavery in Western Culture). With these legacies in mind, workshop participants set out to “ReCapricorn the Atlantic” by assessing how new research on the Lusophone South Atlantic modifi es, challenges, or confi rms major
Having it All Ways: The Tourist, the Traveler, and the Local in The L Word

One of the most effective strategies of the lesbian-themed serial drama The L Word has been a double one: to produce sex scenes that ensure appeal for a premium-paying straight audience, while offering specific pleasures for queer viewers "in the know." Analyzing scenes from the show's first and second seasons, I will demonstrate how the hit Showtime series makes us all tourists, through the enticement of lesbian sex (a spectacle of attraction for straight and queer viewers alike) and through the wonderment of either "understanding" the other or "recognizing" oneself (fantasy of authenticity), through both "watching from a remove" and "being there."
Effects of hypoxia on calcium fluxes and force development in the neonatal rat atrium

The effects of hypoxia on 45calcium fluxes and force development were studied in the resting and stimulated (high potassium/low sodium solutions or Bay K 8644) neonatal rat atrium. Under normoxic conditions, high potassium (100 mmol·litre−1)/low sodium Tyrode solution and Bay K 8644 (2.5 × 10−5 mol·litre−1) significantly increased calcium uptake above that measured in normal Tyrode solution. High potassium/low sodium Tyrode solution elicited a sustained tonic contracture. Bay K 8644 did not increase resting tension but induced spontaneous phasic contractions in some preparations. Hypoxia failed significantly to alter resting calcium uptake but partially inhibited (50-90%) the high potassium/low sodium and Bay K 8644 induced calcium uptake (that is, the calcium uptake above that measured in normal Tyrode solution). The magnitude of the high potassium/low sodium induced contracture was increased by hypoxia (15 min). Bay K 8644 had no effect on resting tension (in five out of six experiments) after 15 min of hypoxia. Acidosis failed to affect resting (with the exception of the 210 min time point), high potassium/low sodium induced, and Bay K 8644 induced calcium uptakes and had little effect on the high potassium/low sodium induced contracture. It is hypothesised that hypoxia reduces the cells' ability to regulate calcium. Furthermore, it appears that hypoxia's effects on calcium fluxes and the high potassium induced contracture involve other mechanisms besides the associated acidosis.
Device for Direct Measurement of True Dip from Apparent Dip

An easily constructed nonmagnetic lightweight device consisting of a small plane surface to which two movable arms are attached has been successfully used to form the true dip plane where only apparent dips are available. Measurement of strike and dip with a Brunton compass using the surface of the device as the true dip surface eliminates additional measurement as well as all calculations. It is also useful where bedding planes are too small to make readings on, as well as on hard rock where only bedding traces are visible. The device has proved to be exceptionally useful where many measurements of cross-strata were required.
Tools for electromagnetic investigation of the shallow subsurface

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Environment Management supported a study, in 1996, to identify electromagnetic methods appropriate for environmental investigations. The purpose was to establish the capabilities of systems presently available and target areas for research.
The Decay of a Neutral V Particle into Two Mesons

An unusual example of the decay of a neutral $V$ particle has been observed in a multiplate cloud chamber operated at 10 600 feet. From this event, it is uncertain if the decay is a two- or three-body process, though in either case neither of the charged decay products can be as heavy as a proton. If we assume a two-body decay, the event may be completely and consistently described according to either of the following decay schemes: ${{V}_{2}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}+\ensuremath{\pi}+Q$, ${{V}_{2}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}+\ensuremath{\mu}+Q$. The corresponding $Q$ values are approximately 185 Mev and 150 Mev, respectively.
Cardiac Remodeling: Mechanism and Treatment

Barry Greenberg, MD, ed 569 pages. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis; 2006. $199.95. ISBN 0-8247-2387-2. The appreciation that the myocardium changes shape and structure in response to disease has been appreciated for more than a century. The German anatomists including Krehl, Romberg, Aschoff, and Tawara debated the morphological changes occurring in the heart related to function at the end of the last century. The seminal work of Linzbach1 described the changes in myocyte size in response to aging and to hypertension, valvular heart disease, and heart failure. Because the cardiomyocyte is considered to be “terminally differentiated,” it must respond to disease by adapting to change by modifying its molecular and …
SEGMENTATION OF OFF-LINE CURSIVE HANDWRITING USING LINEAR PROGRAMMING☆

Abstract Segmentation of cursive words into letters has been one of the major problems in handwriting recognition. We introduce a new segmentation algorithm, guided in part by the global characteristics of the handwriting. We find the successive segmentation points by evaluating a cost function at each point along the baseline. The cost of segmenting at a point is a weighted sum of four feature values at that point. The weights of the features are determined using linear programming. In our tests with 750 words written by 10 writers, 97% of the letter boundaries were correctly located.
Nanoscale TEM tomography of metal oxide photocatalyst systems

Transmission electron microscope (TEM) tomography provides three-dimensional structural information from tilt series with nanoscale resolution. We have collected TEM projection data sets to study the internal structure of photocatalytic nanoparticles. Multiple cross-sectional slices of the nanoparticles are reconstructed using an algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) and then assembled to form a 3D rendering of the object. We recently upgraded our TEM with a new sample holder having a tilt range of ±70° and have collected tomography data over a range of 125°. Simulations were performed to study the effects of field-of-view displacement (shift and rotation), limited tilt angle range, hollow (missing) projections, stage angle accuracy, and number of projections on the reconstructed image quality. This paper discusses our experimental and computational approaches, presents some examples of TEM tomography, and considers future directions.
Safety in the Operating Room: Team Approach Saves Lives

Improvements in technology, classic peer review, and even relentless determination of the individual practitioner have proven insufficient to eliminate adverse events in surgical patients. Preventing avoidable harm must focus on changing the operating room culture from one of separate—and well-meaning individuals—to a cohesive approach by surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and associated or health staff. Neily and colleagues report the results of a comprehensive team training program implemented across 74 Veterans Health or facilities, which was associated with an 18% reduction in annual mortality (rate ratio=0.82; P = 0.01).
Yeast aldehyde dehydrogenase.

Summary o 1. A soluble enzyme has been isolated from baker's yeast which catalyzes the reduction of pyridine nucleotides by several aldehydes. With acetaldehyde, the most rapidly utilized substrate, the oxidative product is acetic acid. A reverse reaction was not demonstrated. 2. Potassium ions and cysteine are essential for the enzyme's activity. Rubidium or NH 4 + can be substituted for K + , and glutathione for cysteine. Lithium, Na + , and Cs + inhibit the reaction. 3. A procedure is described for concentrating the enzyme about 300-fold from crude yeast juice. This procedure is largely dependent upon heat precipitation of inactive proteins in the presence of nucleic acid and precipitation of the enzyme as a nucleic acid complex in acid solution, followed by precipitation from saturated NaCl.
Protein kinase D-HDAC5 signaling regulates erythropoiesis and contributes to erythropoietin cross-talk with GATA1

In red cell development, the differentiation program directed by the transcriptional regulator GATA1 requires signaling by the cytokine erythropoietin, but the mechanistic basis for this signaling requirement has remained unknown. Here we show that erythropoietin regulates GATA1 through protein kinase D activation, promoting histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) dissociation from GATA1, and subsequent GATA1 acetylation. Mice deficient for HDAC5 show resistance to anemic challenge and altered marrow responsiveness to erythropoietin injections. In ex vivo studies, HDAC5−/− progenitors display enhanced entry into and passage through the erythroid lineage, as well as evidence of erythropoietin–independent differentiation. These results reveal a molecular pathway that contributes to cytokine regulation of hematopoietic differentiation and offer a potential mechanism for fine tuning of lineage-restricted transcription factors by lineage-specific cytokines.
An eye for relations: eye-tracking indicates long-term negative effects of operational thinking on understanding of math equivalence.

Prior knowledge in the domain of mathematics can sometimes interfere with learning and performance in that domain. One of the best examples of this phenomenon is in students’ difficulties solving equations with operations on both sides of the equal sign. Elementary school children in the U.S. typically acquire incorrect, operational schemata rather than correct, relational schemata for interpreting equations. Researchers have argued that these operational schemata are never unlearned and can continue to affect performance for years to come, even after relational schemata are learned. In the present study, we investigated whether and how operational schemata negatively affect undergraduates’ performance on equations. We monitored the eye movements of 64 undergraduate students while they solved a set of equations that are typically used to assess children’s adherence to operational schemata (e.g., 3 + 4 + 5 = 3 + __). Participants did not perform at ceiling on these equations, particularly when under time pressure. Converging evidence from performance and eye movements showed that operational schemata are sometimes activated instead of relational schemata. Eye movement patterns reflective of the activation of relational schemata were specifically lacking when participants solved equations by adding up all the numbers or adding the numbers before the equal sign, but not when they used other types of incorrect strategies. These findings demonstrate that the negative effects of acquiring operational schemata extend far beyond elementary school.
Selective fluorescence detection of cysteine and N-terminal cysteine peptide residues

A new fluorogenic fluorescein derivative containing an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde moiety produces a selective fluorescent signal enhancement in the presence of cysteine or peptides containing N-terminal cysteine residues. The mechanism is based on synergistic covalent and supramolecular interactions.
Finite element analysis for grinding of wire-sawn silicon wafers: a designed experiment

Abstract Silicon is the primary semiconductor material used to fabricate microchips. The quality of microchips depends directly on the quality of starting silicon wafers. A series of processes are required to manufacture high quality silicon wafers. Surface grinding is one of the processes used to flatten the wire-sawn wafers. A major issue in grinding of wire-sawn wafers is the reduction and elimination of wire-sawing induced waviness. This paper presents the results of a finite element analysis for grinding of wire-sawn silicon wafers. In this investigation, a four-factor two-level full factorial design is employed to reveal the main effects as well as the interaction effects of four factors (wafer thickness, waviness wavelength, waviness height and grinding force) on effectiveness of waviness reduction. The implications of this study to manufacturing are also discussed.
PHYLOGENETIC CONSTRAINT, ABSENT LIFE FORMS, AND PREADAPTED ALIEN PLANTS: A PRESCRIPTION FOR BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS

Widely separated plant communities supported by similar physical environments can display much similarity in their life form spectra even though these communities are often floristically unrelated. Such structural similarity reveals the strength of the physical environment in natural selection, particularly for the height, position, and duration of the perennating bud—the underlying premise of Raunkiaer’s life form system. But similarities among communities in life form spectra can be limited in part by phylogenetic constraints within the native flora. Phylogenetic constraint has been forcefully and repeatedly demonstrated with the arrival into new ranges of species with novel life forms that have become invasive (i.e., alien species with life forms novel to a recipient community have often become persistent, prolific, and even dominant). Communities invaded by species with a heretofore unrepresented life form are exceptionally diverse, both geographically and environmentally, and include coastal foredune...
Metabolic syndrome: Definition, pathophysiology, and mechanisms

In 1988, Reaven proposed that insulin resistance is central to the etiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The concept of insulin resistance and associated metabolic abnormalities leading to increased risk of cardiovascular disease became known by a variety of names, including metabolic syndrome, dysmetabolic syndrome, syndrome X, cardiometabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance syndrome. Today, metabolic syndrome is a matter of immense public concern for atherosclerosis prevention. The syndrome may affect more than 50% of the elderly in the United States and even higher percentages in various ethnic groups around the world. Its prevalence continues to rise, probably as a result of increasing obesity in the United States and elsewhere. In April 2002, a conference on bThe Metabolic Syndrome of Cardiovascular Risk and Insulin ResistanceQ was held in Washington, DC. This is the first of 2 papers summarizing the discussion at that conference. This paper will address the definition of metabolic syndrome, the components of the syndrome, and the underlying pathophysiology. The second paper will address atherogenesis and therapeutic targets, as well as the design of future studies and clinical trials.
Dynamic modulation of excitation-contraction coupling by protein phosphatases in rat ventricular myocytes.

1. The effects of the serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PP) type 1 and 2A on L-type Ca2+ current (ICa) and the intracellular [Ca2+]i transient were examined in rat ventricular myocytes. ICa was measured under voltage clamp using patch-type microelectrodes in the whole-cell mode with the cells in a steady state of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ loading. [Ca2+]i transients were measured simultaneously using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator indo-1 (50 microM) which was added to the pipette filling solution along with PP-1 or PP-2A (4 units ml-1). 2. PP-1 had no effect on the ICa-V relationship but decreased the [Ca2+]i-voltage relationship (by 43% at 0 mV). PP-2A decreased both ICa-V (by 26% at 0 mV) and the [Ca2+]i transient-voltage (by 65% at 0 mV). Excitation-contraction coupling gain, defined as (delta [Ca2+]i/ICa), was decreased to 43% of control by PP-1 and to 29% of control by PP-2A at-28 mV. 3. Diastolic [Ca2+]i (i.e.[Ca2+]i measured immediately before each voltage clamp pulse) was not altered by PP-1 or PP-2A and neither phosphatase changed steady-state SR Ca2+ content, as measured with caffeine. 4. We conclude that the reduced [Ca2+]i transient following the application of PP-1 was due to reduced SR Ca2+ release channel activity. The effects of PP-2A, while more broadly based, were still consistent with a decrease in SR Ca2+ release channel activity. 5. Our experiments, combined with recent experiments by others, suggest that the basal state of contractility in heart is dynamically regulated by dephosphorylation and phosphorylation of the SR Ca2+ release channel.
Analyzing the normal mode dynamics of macromolecules by the component synthesis method.

This paper presents a general method for studying the harmonic dynamics of large biomolecules and molecular complexes. The performance and accuracy of the method applied to a number of molecules are also reported. The basic approach of the method is to divide a macromolecule into a number of smaller components. The local normal modes of the components are first calculated by treating individual components and the interactions between nearest neighboring components. The physical displacements of all atoms are then represented in the local normal mode space, in which a selected range of high-frequency local modes is neglected. The equation of motion of the molecule in the local normal mode space will then have a smaller dimension, and consequently the normal modes of the whole structure, particularly for large molecules, can be solved much more easily. The normal modes of two polypeptides--(Ala)6 and (Ala)12--and a double-helical DNA--d(ATATA).d(TATAT)--are analyzed with this method. Reductions on the dimensions of harmonic dynamic equations for these molecules have been made, with the fraction of the deleted high-frequency modes ranging from 1/2 to 5/6. The calculated low-frequency normal modes are found to be very accurate as compared to the exact solutions by standard procedure. The major advantage of the present approach on macromolecule harmonic dynamics is that the reduction on the dimensionality of the eigenvalue problems can be varied according to the size of molecules, so the method can be easily applied to large macromolecules with controlled accuracy.
Continuing the Discussion: Managed Care—Boon or Boondoggle?:

The arti cle by Thomas Golaszewski, EdD, rep re sents one view of the poten tial ben e fits man aged care, as rep re sented by employer pur chas ers, holds for increased oppor tu ni ties for the deliv ery of health edu ca tion through worksite health pro mo tion (WHP). The author pres ents 10 con clu sions based on a review of rel e vant lit er a ture and inter views with key rep re sen ta tives from an HMO in Roch es ter, New York, and selected experts in both the health pro mo tion and man aged care indus tries. The con clu sions are then fol lowed by a set of rec om men da tions to both aca demic and prac tic ing health edu ca tors for advanc ing the role of health edu ca tion within the con text of man aged care. The author pres ents these con clu sions and rec om men da tions not as defin i tive find ings, but rather to invite dis cus sion so that health edu ca tors may respond to the oppor tu nity in a uni fied man ner. The con clu sions are not too dif fer ent from those I have heard in con ver sa tions over the past 20 years with pro fes sion als who work with busi nesses, ben e fits con sul tants, insur ers, and health care and health pro mo tion pro vid ers. There fore, this com men tary will attempt to add to the dis cus sion by offer ing dif fer ent per spec tives on the oppor tu nity than Dr. Golaszewski has pre sented. As Dr. Golaszewski did, this arti cle will use the terms health edu ca tion and health pro mo tion syn on y mously. Much of the author’s foun da tion regard ing the oppor tu nity for health edu ca tion in a man aged care envi ron ment focuses on the role that health care costs play in stim u lat ing inter est in health edu ca tion and how pre ven tion should be sold on a cost-sav ings basis. While pay ing atten tion to the cost issues may serve to guide some of our efforts to increase the reach of and demand for health edu ca tion in man aged care envi ron ments, there are other issues to stress that per tain to the join ing of man aged care and pub lic health. In fact, should not improved health or risk sta tus be the goal of health edu ca tion, with costs being a sec ond ary con sid er ation? This is no dif fer ent from med i cal care and other health ser vices. Do phy si cians say that bypass sur gery will save dol lars? We should not fall into the trap of jus ti fy ing health edu ca tion on cost sav ings. This is not to say that we should ignore the cost issues as they arise (and they will). How ever, it seems that mak ing this the cen tral tenet of our case for growth could lead to long-term disas ter as we can not fore see what will drive costs, even in the near future.
The antithyrotoxic factor: its solubilization and relation to intestinal xanthine oxidase.

Abstract 1. 1. The major portion of the antithyrotoxic factor in liver and soybean meal is not extractable with water, but the factor becomes water soluble upon hydrolysis with proteolytic enzymes, sodium hydroxide, or sulfuric acid. 2. 2. Although molybdenum produces the saturation level of intestinal xanthine oxidase activity in normal rats fed a casein-type diet, in the hyperthyroid rat it gives values of about two-thirds of those obtained with liver residue. 3. 3. The correlation between the growth of rats fed iodinated casein and the level of intestinal xanthine oxidase activity suggests that the antithyrotoxic factor may be required to give maximum xanthine oxidase activity when the animal is under stress.
Does Intensive Outpatient Cocaine Treatment Reduce AIDS Risky Behaviors

The purposes of this study were: (1) to examine the characteristics of 447 cocaine dependent, first admission outpatients in relation to their AIDS risky behavior at intake; (2) to ascertain whether there was a reduction in risky behavior at follow-up 9 months after admission; and (3) to determine whether reductions in risky behavior were related to patient characteristics, group as compared to individual treatment, or time in treatment. In this sample of cocaine dependent patients entering outpatient treatment, those engaging in higher AIDS risky behaviors were not characterized by any particular demographic profile or by a lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. They did have higher scores on the SCL-90-R symptom scales, the Beck Depression Inventory, and higher ratings on the Drug, Alcohol, Family, and Medical scales of the ASI. At 9-month follow-up, AIDS risky behaviors as measured by the RAB were found to have decreased significantly. The degree of improvement was not associated with demographic variables but was predicted by higher intake problem severity and psychological symptomatology scale scores. While improvement in risky behavior was not related to type of treatment or duration of treatment, it was related to decreased substance use. The individuals whose risky behavior decreased were those whose substance use had decreased. Improvement, then required not only being in a treatment program, but also participation and involvement in the program. Treatment and not merely attendance would seem to be critical.