cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of acetaminophen and aspirin in the relief of preoperative dental pain.

Through direct questioning of 113 patients and by recording preoperative dental pain at 15-minute intervals, investigators were able to examine the efficacy of two analgesics and a placebo.
Abstract IA4: Deconstructing p53 pathways in vivo

The activation of the p53 protein by cellular stress signals is fundamental for tumor suppression but also promotes pathological states, such as provoking the side effects of genotoxic cancer therapies. To better understand the mechanisms of p53 action in different contexts, we have leveraged both mouse genetic and genomic approaches. First, we have used mouse genetics to define transcriptional programs involved in p53 function in different in vivo settings, specifically by generating a panel of p53 transcriptional activation domain mutant knock-in mouse strains. These include strains expressing p53 mutants in the first (p5325,26), second (p5353,54), or both transactivation domains (p5325,26,53,54). We have observed that p5325,26 is severely compromised for transactivation of most classical p53 target genes, but retains the ability to activate a subset of p53 targets, while p5325,26,53,54 lacks transactivation activity completely. Interestingly, although unable to induce apoptosis or cell cycle arrest in response to acute DNA damage signals, p5325,26 retains full activity in suppressing cancers of a wide range of types, indicating that robust transactivation of most canonical p53 targets is dispensable for tumor suppression. Importantly, as p5325,26 activates only a subset of p53-dependent genes, yet retains tumor suppressor activity, it has helped to define a small set of novel p53-inducible tumor suppression-associated genes, which we are currently analyzing in detail. Second, we have utilized genomic approaches to better understand p53 function. Using ChIP-sequencing and RNA-sequencing to analyze transcriptional programs in acute DNA damage-treated mouse embryo fibroblasts, our studies have revealed an extensive p53-regulated autophagy program that contributes to p53 responses. Together, these approaches will help better define the transcriptional networks important for p53 action in different settings. Citation Format: Colleen A. Brady, Daniela Kenzelmann Broz, Dadi Jiang, Stephano Spano Mello, Kathryn Bieging, Thomas M. Johnson, Leslie A. Jarvis, Margaret M. Kozak, Shashwati Basak, Laura D. Attardi. Deconstructing p53 pathways in vivo. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Third AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; Sep 18-22, 2013; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(19 Suppl):Abstract nr IA4.
Identification of transcription factor's targets using tissue-specific transcriptomic data in Arabidopsis thaliana

Background Transcription factors (TFs) regulate downstream genes in response to environmental stresses in plants. Identification of TF target genes can provide insight on molecular mechanisms of stress response systems, which can lead to practical applications such as engineering crops that thrive in challenging environments. Despite various computational techniques that have been developed for identifying TF targets, it remains a challenge to make best use of available experimental data, especially from time-series transcriptome profiling data, for improving TF target identification.
Estimating confidence bands for soil-crop simulation models

(...) Stochastic data are generated for model inputs and model coefficients. These data reproduce the statistical characteristics of the climate, soil properties, and internal model coefficients including distributions, temporal, spacial and variable cross correlations, means, and standard deviations. Model output based on these inputs is then analyzed to produce means, standard deviations, and confidence bands. A typical application of the method is illustrated using a stochastic model for soils input data together with the nitrogen-tillage-residue management (NTRM) simulation model to generate confidence bands for soil NO 3- N profiles in Houston County, MN.(...)
Minimization principles and computation for the generalized linear response eigenvalue problem

The minimization principle and Cauchy-like interlacing inequalities for the generalized linear response eigenvalue problem are presented. Based on these theoretical results, the best approximations through structure-preserving subspace projection and a locally optimal block conjugate gradient-like algorithm for simultaneously computing the first few smallest eigenvalues with the positive sign are proposed. Numerical results are presented to illustrate essential convergence behaviors of the proposed algorithm.
Particle composition and size distributions in and around a deep-pit swine operation, Ames, IA

The contribution of emissions from agricultural facilities is rapidly becoming a major concern for local and regional air quality. Characterization of particle properties such as physical size distribution and chemical composition can be valuable in understanding the processes contributing to emissions and ultimate fate of particulate matter from agricultural facilities. A measurement campaign was conducted at an Iowa, deep-pit, three-barn swine finishing facility to characterize near-source ambient particulate matter. Size-specific mass concentrations were determined using minivol samplers, with additional size distribution information obtain using optical particle counters. Particulate composition was determined via ion chromatographic analysis of the collected filters. A thermal-CO2 elemental/organic carbon analyzer measured particulate carbon. The chemical composition and size distribution of sub-micron particles were determined via real-time aerosol mass spectrometry. Primary particulate was not found to be a major emission from the examined facility, with filter-based impactor samples showing average near-source increases (~15–50 m) in ambient PM10 of 5.8 ± 2.9 μg m−3 above background levels. PM2.5 also showed contribution attributable to the facility (1.7 ± 1.1 μg m−3). Optical particle counter analysis of the numerical size distributions showed bimodal distributions for both the upwind and downwind conditions, with maximums around 2.5 μm and below the minimum quantified diameter of 0.3 μm. The distributions showed increased numbers of coarse particles (PM10) during periods when wind transport came from the barns, but the differences were not statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The PM10 aerosols showed statistically increased concentrations of sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, calcium, organic carbon, and elemental carbon when the samplers were downwind from the pig barns. Organic carbon was the major constituent of the barn-impacted particulate matter in both sub-micron (54%) and coarse size (20%) ranges. The AMS PM1 chemical speciation showed similar species increases, with the exception of $${\text{NO}}_{\text{3}} ^ - $$ and Ca+2, the latter not quantified by the AMS.
On the correlation of rotationally inelastic rates: A scaling theoretical analysis

Abstract The recently measured rates for the rotationally inelastic process (A 1 Σ u ) Na 2 ( j ) + Xe → (A 1 Σ u ) Na 2 ( j ) + Xe are analyzed and correlated with a scaling theory that explicitly accounts for the adiabaticity of the collision. A brief discussion of previous scaling theories (which neglect this effect) is presented.
Establishing a successful coronary CT angiography program in the emergency department: official writing of the Fellow and Resident Leaders of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (FiRST).

Abstract Coronary CT angiography is an effective, evidence-based strategy for evaluating acute chest pain in the emergency department for patients at low-to-intermediate risk of acute coronary syndrome. Recent multicenter trials have reported that coronary CT angiography is safe, reduces time to diagnosis, facilitates discharge, and may lower overall cost compared with routine care. Herein, we provide a 10-step approach for establishing a successful coronary CT angiography program in the emergency department. The importance of strategic planning and multidisciplinary collaboration is emphasized. Patient selection and preparation guidelines for coronary CT angiography are reviewed with straightforward protocols that can be adapted and modified to clinical sites, depending on available cardiac imaging capabilities. Technical parameters and patient-specific modifications are also highlighted to maximize the likelihood of diagnostic quality examinations. Practical suggestions for quality control, process monitoring, and standardized reporting are reviewed. Finally, the role of a “triple rule-out” protocol is featured in the context of acute chest pain evaluation in the emergency department.
Elastic Gaussian wave packets in isotropic media

The theory of Gaussian wave packet (GWP) propagation in elastic materials is developed. The GWP solutions are in the form of localized disturbances with Gaussian spatial envelopes at any instant in time. The method is explicitly time dependent, but is conceptually no more difficult than time harmonic ray theory. The equations of propagation and evolution are very similar to those of standard, elastodynamic ray theory, but include an extra degree of freedom not considered previously: the temporal width of the pulse. The theory is valid if the carrier wavelength is short in comparison with typical length scales in the medium. Interfaces of discontinuity in material properties give rise to reflected and transmitted GWPs. Explicit expressions are presented that relate the incident GWP to the reflected and transmitted GWPs. These results are illustrated by numerical simulations of a pulse incident upon a spherical interface.
The dynamic stability of OPEC's oil price mechanism

Abstract This paper examines OPEC's long-lived mechanism which targets the oil price and adjusts the quality ceiling to meet the target. The stability of this controversial mechanism is compared to that of two alternatives: one requires quantity control without any price targeting and the other is a synthesis of quantity control and the OPEC mechanisms. All three mechanisms passed the stability test and the two alternatives give rise to some interesting policy implications. Practically considerations which involve the availability of specific information make OPEC's mechanism the most appropriate in terms of achieved targeted revenues. The paper also offers a convergence strategy that speeds up the achievement of targeted revenues under OPEC's current mechanism.
Blood pressure in a hypertensive mouse model of SLE is not salt-sensitive

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a risk factor for hypertension. Previously, we demonstrated that an established mouse model of SLE (female NZBWF1 mice) develops hypertension with renal inflammation and oxidative stress, both characteristics known as contributing mechanisms to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension. On the basis of this model, we hypothesized that blood pressure in SLE mice would be salt-sensitive. Thirty-week-old female SLE and control mice (NZW/LacJ) were fed 8% high-salt (HS) diet or normal diet (0.4% salt) for 4 wk. Plasma levels of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) autoantibodies, a marker of SLE disease activity, were increased in SLE mice compared with controls (472 ± 148 vs. 57 ± 17 U/ml × 1,000, P < 0.001). HS did not alter dsDNA autoantibody levels in SLE or control mice. Mean arterial pressure was increased in SLE mice compared with controls (132 ± 3 vs. 118 ± 2 mmHg, P < 0.001) and was not significantly altered by the HS diet in either group. Similarly, albuminuria was higher in SLE mice compared with controls (10.7 ± 9.0 vs. 0.3 ± 0.1 mg/day) but was not significantly increased in SLE or control mice fed a HS diet. In summary, blood pressure during SLE is not salt-sensitive, and the HS diet did not adversely affect SLE disease activity or significantly augment albuminuria. These data suggest that renal inflammation and oxidative stress, characteristics common to both SLE and models of salt-sensitive hypertension, may have diverging mechanistic roles in the development of hypertension.
Eisenmenger Syndrome With Unrepaired Patent Ductus Arteriosus

A 19-year-old girl with a history of pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) presented in respiratory failure after blood transfusion for severe menorrhagia. The patient had been raised previously in a rural mountain community that did not engage in medical care. She had been experiencing cyanosis and syncope for 2 years before emancipating herself from her family. One year before this admission, she was seen by a physician for the first time and underwent an echocardiogram, which showed a PDA and right ventricular enlargement. Right heart catheterization demonstrated severe pulmonary arterial hypertension with a mean pulmonary artery pressure of 68 mm Hg and a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of 8 mm Hg. Cardiac output was 4 L/min. The patient was started on sildenafil 20 mg 3 times a day and bosentan 125 mg twice a day, and her exercise tolerance improved, with resolution of her syncopal episodes. In the week before admission, the patient developed progressive menorrhagia and presented to an outside hospital where she required blood transfusions. After transfusion, the patient developed respiratory …
Identification of subunits of bovine heart cytochrome oxidase

Purified lipid-depleted cytochrome oxidase, at purity of 12--14 nmol heme a per mg protein, has been shown to contain seven non-identical subunits in the ratio of unity. Their molucular weights on polyacrylamide gel are, in thousands, 40, 21, 14.8, 13.5, 11.6, 9.5, and 7.6 from gel electrophoresis after dissociation in sodium dodecyl sulfate and beta-mercaptoethanol. The molar ratio is determined by the amino acid composition of each subunit obtained from direct hydrolysis of the stained polyacrylamide gel slices. The amino acid composition of the isolated subunits I and II determined by regular hydrolysis method is found practically the same as that from direct hydrolysis of gel slices. The heme-associated polypeptides are identified with subunits of molecular weights of 40.10(3) and 11.6.10(3). One of the two coppers associated with the polypeptide of molecular weight of 21 000. The second copper may be associated with heme in the subunit of 40.10(3). Evidence of the existence of interpolypeptide disulfide linkages is presented.
Natural Abundance 43Ca NMR as a Tool for Exploring Calcium Biomineralization: Renal Stone Formation and Growth

Renal stone diseases are a global health issue with little effective therapeutic recourse aside from surgery and shock-wave lithotripsy, primarily because the fundamental chemical mechanisms behind calcium biomineralization are poorly understood. In this work, we show that natural abundance 43Ca NMR at 21.1 T is an effective means to probe the molecular-level Ca2+ structure in oxalate-based kidney stones. We find that the 43Ca NMR resonance of an authentic oxalate-based kidney stone cannot be explained by a single pure phase of any common Ca2+-bearing stone mineral. Combined with XRD results, our findings suggest an altered calcium oxalate monohydrate-like Ca2+ coordination environment for some fraction of Ca2+ in our sample. The evidence is consistent with existing literature hypothesizing that nonoxalate organic material interacts directly with Ca2+ at stone surfaces and is the primary driver of renal stone aggregation and growth. Our findings show that 43Ca NMR spectroscopy may provide unique and cruci...
An assessment of quality management in the US/Mexico export processing industry

Abstract The focus of this analysis is on the critical issues of quality performance and management in manufacturing facilities operating under the co-operative US/Mexico export processing system. Results of the study reveal that a multi-faceted, proactive approach is extensively used in achieving world-class quality levels, and that quality management methods and techniques can be successfully transferred and implemented between First and Third World socioeconomic environments. Adjustments to the quality management methods are necessary to account for differences in ownership and in mode of operations.
Elevated prolidase activity in keloids: correlation with type I collagen turnover.

Summary Background Keloid pathogenesis involves an altered balance of extracellular matrix metabolism, mainly accumulation of type I collagen. This could be due to excessive synthesis or decreased degradation of matrix, or a combination of both processes. Prolidase, an imidodipeptide-cleaving cytosolic enzyme, plays an important role in the collagen catabolic process by recycling proline for collagen synthesis. Collagen accumulation in keloids is due to an imbalance in the steady state of collagen turnover. Objectives To investigate prolidase activity and its role in the steady state of collagen turnover between normal skin and keloid tissue and their derived fibroblasts. Methods Ten sets of keloid and normal skin tissues and their derived fibroblasts were employed. Measurements were made of tissue prolidase activity, free proline level, and concentrations of the collagen synthesis product aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP) and the collagen degradative product carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP). Also, synthesis of collagens type I and III and matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 2 was investigated using Western blot analysis. Results Keloid tissues had a significant increase in prolidase activity, up to fourfold that in normal skin. The elevated prolidase activity was accompanied by an increase in tissue PINP and ICTP concentrations in keloid; in addition, the collagen turnover index (PINP/ICTP) was higher in keloids. Conclusions The combination of elevated prolidase activity and associated higher collagen synthesis to degradation ratio in keloids suggests a possible metabolic process for the excessive accumulation of type I collagen in keloids.
SEASONAL VARIABILITY OF CHEDDAR CHEESE WHEY POWDER: A CASE STUDY

Cheddar whey powder from one plant was evaluated for variations in quality parameters over 12 months. Representative samples were analyzed monthly for microbiological, physicochemical and sensory properties. The seasonal variability in the physicochemical properties was minor. Fall samples were higher in Hunter Lab parameter L * (lightness) and pH but lower in solubility index. Summer samples were high in solubility index and titratable acidity but low in L*. May production was significantly higher in standard plate count (SPC) and free moisture than the rest of the year. February production was significantly lower in SPC and free moisture content. There were no significant differences in aroma and flavor across the seasons. The flavor was generally bland, with the most intense attribute rating 5 on the 15-point intensity scale. The order of intensity of the most intense attributes was cooked flavor and aroma > sweetness > caramelized flavor and aroma.
Interleukin-1 involvement in the induction of leukemia inhibitory factor mRNA expression following axotomy of sympathetic ganglia.

Abstract Axotomy of superior cervical (sympathetic) ganglia (SCG) results in increased neuropeptide gene expression. In vitro, neuropeptide gene expression is similarly increased by exposure to the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1). The effect of IL-1 in vitro has been shown to be mediated by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Since IL-1 regulates neuropeptide expression via LIF in vitro, we asked whether axotomy in vivo produces an increase in LIF mRNA, and whether that increase is regulated by IL-1 activity. Within 6 h following axotomy, ganglionic LIF mRNA is substantially elevated. Moreover, axotomy produces a rapid and transient increase in intraganglionic IL-1 β mRNA, followed rapidly by an increase in ICAM-1 mRNA, thereby suggesting a local source of IL-1 activity. Pretreatment with the anti-inflammatory agent dexamethasone (DEX) reduces the increases of both IL-1 β and LIF mRNAs following axotomy. mRNA encoding the specific signal-transducing Type I IL-1 receptor is present in unlesioned SCG in vivo, and increases following axotomy. Local application of IL-1 β in vivo induces LIF mRNA even in uninjured ganglia, though not to the extent seen with axotomy. DEX treatment blocks this IL-1β-mediated increase in LIF mRNA. Therefore, DEX blocks the induction of LIF mRNA by inhibiting both the production of IL-1 and its action on LIF gene expression. Axotomy of a homozygous IL-1 receptor type I gene knockout mouse leads to a delayed and/or diminished induction of LIF mRNA in SCG, but does not prevent LIF mRNA expression. We conclude that while IL-1 is likely to be involved in the cascade of gene expression that follows axotomy, it alone is not sufficient to mediate the full induction of LIF mRNA by axotomy.
Development of hypoxia-induced Fos expression in rat caudal hypothalamic neurons

Abstract The caudal hypothalamus is an important CNS site controlling cardiorespiratory integration during systemic hypoxia. Previous findings from this laboratory have identified caudal hypothalamic neurons of anesthetized rats that are stimulated during hypoxia. In addition, patch-clamp recordings in an in vitro brain slice preparation have revealed that there is an age-dependent response to hypoxia in caudal hypothalamic neurons. The present study utilized the expression of the transcription factor Fos as an indicator of neuronal depolarization to determine the hypoxic response of caudal hypothalamic neurons throughout postnatal development in conscious rats. Sprague–Dawley rats, aged three to 56 days, were placed in a normobaric chamber circulated with either 10% oxygen or room air for 3 h. Following the hypoxic/normoxic exposure period, tissues from the caudal hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray, rostral ventrolateral medulla and nucleus tractus solitarius were processed immunocytochemically for the presence of the Fos protein. There was a significant increase in the density of neurons expressing Fos in the caudal hypothalamus of hypoxic compared to normoxic adult rats that was maintained in the absence of peripheral chemoreceptors. In contrast, no increase in the density of Fos-expressing caudal hypothalamic neurons was observed during hypoxia in rats less than 12 days old. Increases in Fos expression were also observed in an age-dependent manner in the periaqueductal gray, rostral ventrolateral medulla and nucleus tractus solitarius. These results show an increase in Fos expression in caudal hypothalamic neurons during hypoxia in conscious rats throughout development, supporting the earlier in vitro reports suggesting that these neurons are stimulated by hypoxia.
Serotoninergic varicosities make synaptic contacts with pleural sensory neurons of Aplysia

Serotonin is a modulatory neurotransmitter that produces many of the cellular changes associated with sensitization of reflexes in Aplysia. These changes have been carefully documented in sensory neurons located in the abdominal ganglion that mediate the gill-siphon withdrawal reflex and in sensory neurons located in the pleural ganglion that mediate the tail-siphon withdrawal reflex. Although serotonin appears to be necessary for sensitization, there is no direct evidence that serotoninergic neurons make synaptic contacts with sensory neurons. In this study, the immunoperoxidase technique was used to label serotonin-immunoreactive neurites surrounding the cell bodies of sensory neurons in the pleural ganglion. Serotonin-immunoreactive neurites had varicosities whose mean short axis diameter was 1.1 +/- 0.6 microns (mean +/- S.D.). The shape of the size distribution was skewed toward larger sizes, however, suggesting that there were multiple subpopulations of varicosities. One subpopulation was that of varicosities located at branch points whose average short axis diameter was larger than normal (1.7 +/- 0.5 microns). Serotonin-immunoreactive varicosities were directly apposed to the sensory neurons without intervening glial cells. In most contacts, serotonin-immunoreactive neurites invaginated into the plasma membranes of the sensory neurons. There were also a few contacts onto spinelike processes, but these were flat rather than invaginated. Serotoninergic neurons whose activity produces changes in the electrophysiological properties of sensory neurons have been identified, but this study provides the first direct evidence for synaptic connections between serotoninergic neurons and sensory neurons in Aplysia.
Interactions among γR268, γQ269, and the β Subunit Catch Loop of Escherichia coli F1-ATPase Are Important for Catalytic Activity *

Removal of the ability to form a salt bridge or hydrogen bonds between the β subunit catch loop (βY297-D305) and the γ subunit of Escherichia coli F1Fo-ATP synthase significantly altered the ability of the enzyme to hydrolyze ATP and the bacteria to grow via oxidative phosphorylation. Residues βT304, βD305, βD302, γQ269, and γR268 were found to be very important for ATP hydrolysis catalyzed by soluble F1-ATPase, and the latter four residues were also very important for oxidative phosphorylation. The greatest effects on catalytic activity were observed by the substitution of side chains that contribute to the shortest and/or multiple H-bonds as well as the salt bridge. Residue βD305 would not tolerate substitution with Val or Ser and had extremely low activity as βD305E, suggesting that this residue is particularly important for synthesis and hydrolysis activity. These results provide evidence that tight winding of the γ subunit coiled-coil is important to the rate-limiting step in ATP hydrolysis and are consistent with an escapement mechanism for ATP synthesis in which αβγ intersubunit interactions provide a means to make substrate binding a prerequisite of proton gradient-driven γ subunit rotation.
Co-culture of Retinal and Endothelial Cells Results in the Modulation of Genes Critical to Retinal Neovascularization

Background Neovascularization (angiogenesis) is a multistep process, controlled by opposing regulatory factors, which plays a crucial role in several ocular diseases. It often results in vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, neovascularization glaucoma and subsequent vision loss. Hypoxia is considered to be one of the key factors to trigger angiogenesis by inducing angiogenic factors (like VEGF) and their receptors mediated by hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1α) a critical transcriptional factor. Another factor, nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) also regulates many of the genes required for neovascularization, and can also be activated by hypoxia. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of interaction between HRPC and HUVEC that modulates a neovascularization response.
Lines of power: Availability to networks as a social phenomenon

More than a semantic difference, investigating what it means to be online or offline shines light on the contours and configurations of digitally augmented life (Jurgenson, 2011). Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, this essay traces the origin of the terms online and offline to the early railroad industry where “the line” was a powerful orienting image. I propose that rather than an individual binary status; online/offline distinctions are more accurately described as a communal social relationship. This paper will argue that, rather than boycotts or similar market solutions, users are best served by following the historical example of railroads and fighting for democratized administrative control over networks.
Status and Power in Classic Maya Society: An Archeological Study

This article uses archeological data to examine how social relations allocate economic and political power in ancient complex societies. Based on recent excavations in the Copan Valley, Honduras, the socioeconomic organization of the basic residential group is reconstructed and the existence of a pervasive social hierarchy demonstrated. I argue that during the Late and Terminal Classic periods, the Maya were organized into a series of internally ranked and externally stratified status lineages (Goldman 1970) that structured social, economic, and political relationships.
A preoperative molecular nomogram predicts central compartment lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer

RESULTS: Patient demographics included 23 women, 18 men with a mean age of 56.4 years. Patients presented with poorly controlled hypertension (n1⁄432, 78%), adrenal incidentalomas (n1⁄46, 15%), recurrent pheochromocytoma (n1⁄42) and detection by surveillance after prior contralateral disease (n1⁄41). Surgical approach was laparoscopic (n1⁄436, 88%) and open (n1⁄45, 12%). Mean operative time was 165 (range 74-510) minutes and mean length of stay was 4 (range 2-8) days. Over the last seven years 50% (13/26) did not require any intensive care. The average size of the lesions was 4.1 cm (range 1.0 e 11.5 cm). Open adrenalectomy was utilized on larger mean tumor size, (open 7.4 cm, range 4.0 e 11.5 cm vs lap. 3.3 cm, range 1.0 e 9.0 cm), but there was considerable overlap in tumor size for both approaches. Morbidity was 17% with no periprocedural mortality.
New database products: Social science, humanities, news and general (Issue 14).

Outlines new database products appearing in the Gale Directory of Databases, a two‐volume work published twice a year. Provides figures for the distribution and percentage of new and newly implemented business and law databases, together with a lits of the databases including name, vendor and medium. Briefly discusses these by each medium.
Genotypic discrepancies arising from imputation

The ideal genetic analysis of family data would include whole genome sequence on all family members. A strategy of combining sequence data from a subset of key individuals with inexpensive, genome-wide association study (GWAS) chip genotypes on all individuals to infer sequence level genotypes throughout the families has been suggested as a highly accurate alternative. This strategy was followed by the Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 data providers. We examined the quality of the imputation to identify potential consequences of this strategy by comparing discrepancies between GWAS genotype calls and imputed calls for the same variants. Overall, the inference and imputation process worked very well. However, we find that discrepancies occurred at an increased rate when imputation was used to infer missing data in sequenced individuals. Although this may be an artifact of this particular instantiation of these analytic methods, there may be general genetic or algorithmic reasons to avoid trying to fill in missing sequence data. This is especially true given the risk of false positives and reduction in power for family-based transmission tests when founders are incorrectly imputed as heterozygotes. Finally, we note a higher rate of discrepancies when unsequenced individuals are inferred using sequenced individuals from other pedigrees drawn from the same admixed population.
Field decrystallization and structural modifications of highly doped silicon in a 2.45-GHz microwave single-mode cavity

Highly doped n-type silicon powder responds aggressively to a 2.45-GHz microwave E-field, whereas it remains unperturbed in the H-field. In the E-field, after about 30 s of treatment, the silicon powder attained submelting temperatures and thus coagulated to a bulk solid piece. X-ray diffraction analysis of the surface and the cross section of this solid material failed to show any detectable peaks, ascertaining the fact that the material had decrystallized. The Raman spectra of the material had broad and shallow peaks quite different from the thin, sharp lines exhibited by Si wafer. It appears that the E-field treatment has considerably distorted the lattice structure creating lattice strains throughout the sample. These lattice strains were relieved by grinding (recrystallized).
Magical Reels: A History of Cinema in Latin America

Magical Reels: A History of Cinema in Latin America. JOHN KING. New York: Verso, 1990. x + 266 pp. $15.95 (paper). ISBN 0–86091–513–1
Outcomes after false lumen embolization with covered stent devices in chronic dissection

Objective Persistent retrograde false lumen perfusion is a common mode of failure after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for chronic dissection. Objectives were to describe a novel endovascular approach for false lumen occlusion and assess outcomes. Methods From 2009 to 2013, 21 patients (mean age, 64 ± 11 years) with chronic thoracoabdominal dissection underwent adjunctive false lumen embolization using covered stent devices for persistent retrograde perfusion. Eight patients had type B dissection, 13 had residual dissection after prior type A repair, and all were deemed high risk for open operation. False lumen embolization in 17 patients was an adjunct at the initial TEVAR or extension, including two as elephant trunk completion. In the other four, this was done as an isolated procedure, and three had previously undergone TEVAR sparing the celiac artery. Covered stent devices included iliac plugs in 18, nitinol embolization plugs in two, and occluded stent graft in one. More than one device was used in 15 patients. Results There was one hospital death due to left subclavian artery aneurysm rupture but no patient had stroke, paraplegia, myocardial infarction, or renal failure. Mean follow-up was 25 ± 19 months. During surveillance computed tomography imaging, false lumen thrombosis was noted in all patients, but four required further embolization because the thrombosis was incomplete. Mean maximum aortic diameter decreased from 64 ± 14 to 59 ± 15 mm. There was one late death from intracranial hemorrhage and no aortic ruptures. Conclusions Adjunctive false lumen embolization with a covered stent device promotes thrombosis and remodeling after stent grafting the true lumen for chronic dissection. Further study of this strategy is warranted.
A Regulatory Update on Postmarketing Drug Safety Surveillance

Monitoring the safety of marketed drugs has been a concern in the United States and internationally for decades, and this concern is reflected in American regulations. The regulatory aspects of postmarketing drug safety surveillance have long been recognized and documented in American law and regulations. Though this safety monitoring has a long history, it remains a dynamic area for both industry and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The purpose of this paper is not to describe the regulatory history of drug safety surveillance, as that has been done before (1). Rather, the purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the regulatory aspects of postmarketing safety surveillance of drugs at FDA.
The uniqueness of a good optimum for K-means

If we have found a "good" clustering C of a data set, can we prove that C is not far from the (unknown) best clustering Copt of these data? Perhaps surprisingly, the answer to this question is sometimes yes. When "goodness" is measured by the distortion of K-means clustering, this paper proves spectral bounds on the distance d(C, Copt). The bounds exist in the case when the data admits a low distortion clustering.
Bi-layered mass-spring model for fast deformations of flexible linear bodies

We present a new method for the modeling and animation of deformable and flexible thin or thick linear bodies. Our method highly reduces the computation required to animate deformations and motions of objects with a cylindrical topology, while preserving their visual quality and their control. To increase the speed we introduce a bi-layered mass-spring system with two main properties: it is not constructed as the whole geometric mesh thus limiting the number of dynamically computed points, and it is partly constrained to reduce physical computations. The visual quality is improved with an appropriate integration scheme to preserve volume as much as possible and to ensure high stability at low cost. The two mass-spring layers and their linkage provide all the required controls on the objects: the first layer, corresponding to an axial flexible backbone structure, is used as a controller for global motions. The second layer, geometrically and dynamically constrained, controls envelope elastic deformations.
Measurement of Norepinephrine and Epinephrine in Small Volumes of Human Plasma by a Single Isotope Derivative Method: Response to the Upright Posture

ABSTRACT A single-isotope modification of the double-isotope derivative method for the measurement of norepinephrine and epinephrine, employing S-adenosylmethionine (3H-methyl) rather than S-andenosylmethionine (14C-methyl), was found to be sufficiently sensitive (to less than 10 pg/ml) and reproducible (interassay coefficient of variation of 3.5% for norepinephrine and 8.5% for epinephrine) for the measurement of these catecholamines in 1.0 ml of human plasma obtained from supine, resting subjects. In 8 normal subjects the mean (±SE) plasma norepinephrine concentration rose from 182 ± 21 pg/ml in the resting, supine position to 425 ± 28 pg/ml (p < 0.001) after 5 mins in the standing position. Corresponding supine and standing mean plasma epinephrine concentrations were 44 ± 11 pg/ml and 73 ± 17 pg/ml (p < 0.02) respectively. Supine plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations measured in 18 subjects with this method were quite comparable to those reported with the parent double-isotope method.
T-cell exhaustion: characteristics, causes and conversion

Summary T-cell exhaustion is characterized by the stepwise and progressive loss of T-cell functions and can culminate in the physical deletion of the responding cells. Exhaustion is well-defined during chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection and commonly develops under conditions of antigen-persistence, which occur following many chronic infections that are of significant public health concern including hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus infections, as well as during tumour outgrowth. Exhaustion is not a uniformly disabled setting as a gradation of phenotypic and functional defects can manifest, and these cells are distinct from prototypic effector, memory and also anergic T cells. We are gaining insights into the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that determine the severity of exhaustion. These include the duration and magnitude of antigenic activation, availability of CD4 T-cell help, the levels of stimulatory and suppressive cytokines, as well as the expression of activatory and inhibitory receptors. More information is now becoming available regarding the molecular mechanisms that attenuate the responsiveness of exhausted T cells. As the parameters that dictate exhaustion are more thoroughly defined, this is fostering the development of methods that prevent and rejuvenate functionally inferior responses. In this article we discuss our current understanding of the properties of exhausted T cells and the mechanisms that promote and maintain this state.
How the annual cycle affects the extratropical response to ENSO

[1] The relationship between tropical remote forcing and seasonality in the extratropics is examined with a set of numerical experiments that use prescribed sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Pacific and a simple thermodynamic slab mixed-layer model outside the prescribed region coupled to an atmospheric general circulation model. The numerical experiments use an idealized El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) evolution where the peak phase (with respect to the annual cycle) can be arbitrarily shifted. In this case, we shift the phase of ENSO by 6 months. An ENSO composite analysis indicates that the extratropical remote response is phase locked with the local season, not ENSO. Pacific basin zonal mean cross section shows that the tropical atmosphere continuously responds to the prescribed SST forcing, but the atmospheric bridge connecting to the extratropics occurs in specific seasons.
Chemisorption of carbon dioxide on sodium oxide promoted alumina

New equilibrium and column dynamic data for chemisorption of carbon dioxide from inert nitrogen at 250, 350, and 450°C were measured on a sample of sodium oxide promoted alumina, which was found to be a reversible chemisorbent for CO2. The equilibrium chemisorption isotherms were Langmuirian in the low pressure region (p <2.0 kPa) with a large gas–solid interaction parameter. The isotherms deviated from the Langmuirian behavior in the higher pressure region. A new analytical model which simultaneously accounted for Langmuirian chemisorption of CO2 on the adsorbent surface and additional reaction between the gaseous and sorbed CO2 molecules was used to describe the measured equilibrium data. The heats of CO2 chemisorption and the additional surface reaction were, respectively, 64.9 and 37.5 kJ/mol. The column breakthrough curves for CO2 sorption from inert N2 on the chemisorbent as well as the desorption of CO2 from the chemisorbent by N2 purge at 350°C could be described by the linear driving force (LDF) model in conjunction with the new sorption isotherm. The same LDF mass transfer coefficients can be used to describe both sorption and desorption processes. The CO2 mass transfer coefficients were (i) independent of feed gas CO2 concentration in the range of the data at a given temperature, and (ii) a weak function of temperature. The ratio of the mass transfer zone length to the column length was very small due to highly favorable CO2 sorption equilibrium. Several sequential cyclic CO2 sorption–desorption column dynamic tests were conducted to demonstrate the apparent stability of the material. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2007
Nonparametric Bayesian word sense induction

We propose the use of a nonparametric Bayesian model, the Hierarchical Dirichlet Process (HDP), for the task of Word Sense Induction. Results are shown through comparison against Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a parametric Bayesian model employed by Brody and Lapata (2009) for this task. We find that the two models achieve similar levels of induction quality, while the HDP confers the advantage of automatically inducing a variable number of senses per word, as compared to manually fixing the number of senses a priori, as in LDA. This flexibility allows for the model to adapt to terms with greater or lesser polysemy, when evidenced by corpus distributional statistics. When trained on out-of-domain data, experimental results confirm the model's ability to make use of a restricted set of topically coherent induced senses, when then applied in a restricted domain.
Observation of strong radiation pressure forces from squeezed light on a mechanical oscillator

Non-classical states of light, such as squeezed states, are used in quantum metrology to improve the sensitivity of mechanical motion sensing, but conversely mechanical oscillations can enhance the measurement of squeezed light.
Locally Redistributing Charge

All materials contain electrically charged particles. At a minimum, these are the electrons and protons that are part of the constituent atoms. Many ceramics also contain ions, which are charged. In a dielectric, charges have limited mobility, and they move only when they have enough energy to overcome their inertia. When an insulator receives a charge, it retains that charge, confining it within the localized region in which it was introduced. On the other hand, a conductor allows charge to flow freely and redistribute itself within the material. The distinction between conductors and nonconductors (and it’s not always a clear one) arises from the relative mobility of charge within the material.
Massachusetts General Hospital participation in Operation Unified Assistance for tsunami relief in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

ABSTRACT When Project HOPE invited Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to participate in a tsunami relief mission aboard the USNS Mercy hospital ship in January 2005, MGH responded swiftly and enthusiastically. Overcoming differences in medical styles and standards, as well as a variety of cultural and institutional differences, MGH volunteers collaborated successfully with Navy personnel and volunteers from other hospitals to deliver excellent care to a large number of tsunami victims. Lessons were learned regarding the need for better initial team orientation, more-open communication, and more-transparent decision-making; still, a rapid response of tertiary medicine, joining public and private resources, proved to be a powerful effective model.
Nasal lining mobilization for primary and secondary palatoplasty.

BACKGROUND Repair of wide primary cleft palates and secondary cases are challenging. Much literature is dedicated to technique modifications and useful pearls for approaching these patients. Nasal lining is not often highlighted or addressed as a solution to these challenging cleft palate surgeries. The goal of this article was to describe and demonstrate through case examples the simple dissection and significant mobilization of nasal lining as a tool for cleft palate repair. METHODS Retrospective case examples were selected to highlight the technique. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The surgical technique is standardly used by the senior author and has not been previously published. This technique for tension-free nasal lining closure is detailed, and case examples are provided. This technique for nasal lining mobilization is easily reproducible and is versatile. It can be used as an adjunct to any palatoplasty technique and is particularly useful in the treatment of wide clefts and revision cases.
Party Systems and Political System Performance: Voting Participation, Government Stability and Mass Violence in Contemporary Democracies

This article examines alternative visions of “strong” party systems by analyzing relationships between party systems and several dimensions of performance of the political process in 28 democracies of the 1967-1976 decade. Party system theorists agree that voting support for extremist parties manifests a weakness in the party system. They disagree, however, about the virtues or vices of party majorities and close linkages between social groups and parties. The evidence, including multivariate analysis of party system types and characteristics, with controls for environmental conditions, indicates that during this period extremist party support was associated with executive instability and mass rioting. Scholarly concern about other aspects of party system strength or weakness should focus on the desired feature of political performance. The representational, multiparty systems were most successful in limiting rioting. Aggregative majorities, responsible majorities, and representational party systems all had good executive stability in the short run, although the first two types seemed somewhat more stable over the decade. Aggregative majority party systems were associated with low citizen voting participation.