cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Absorption of calcium, zinc, and iron from breast milk by five- to seven-month-old infants.

Data are scarce regarding mineral bioavailability from human milk in older infants who may also be receiving solid foods (beikost). We measured the absorption of Ca, Zn, and Fe in 14 healthy, nonanemic 5-7-mo-old breast-fed infants whose mothers milk was extrinsically labeled with stable isotopes (44Ca, 70Zn, and 58Fe) of these minerals. In addition, Ca and Zn stable isotopes (46Ca and 67Zn) were administered i.v., and a second isotope of Fe (57Fe) was given orally without food as a non-meal dose. Subjects were not receiving any artificial infant formula or cow's milk, but most (10/14) were receiving beikost. Ca and Zn absorption was calculated using the urinary excretion of the isotopes during the 24 h after dosing (Ca) or their urinary ratio 72 h after dosing (Zn). Fe absorption was calculated using the red blood cell incorporation at 14 d. Fe absorption averaged 20.7 +/- 14.8% from the 58Fe given with human milk (geometric mean, 14.8%) and 17.7 +/- 15.1% (geometric mean, 11.0%) from the 57Fe non-meal dose. Ca absorption averaged 61.3 +/- 22.7% and Zn absorption (n = 10) averaged 49.5 +/- 18.5%. Absorption of Fe (natural logarithm) from the non-meal Fe dose (57Fe) but not from the human milk (58Fe) was significantly negatively correlated to serum ferritin (r = -0.70, p = 0.007 versus r = -0.35, p = 0.24). At the intake levels in this study, total daily Fe, Ca, and Zn intakes from beikost were not significantly correlated to their fractional absorption from breast milk, but Fe intake from beikost was significantly negatively correlated to absorption of Fe from the non-meal dose (r = -0.61, p = 0.021). We conclude that minerals are well absorbed from human milk in older infants after the introduction of beikost to the diet.
Middle Range Theory and the Study of Organizations

The article reviews the book “Middle Range Theory and the Study of Organizations,” edited by Craig C. Pinder and Larry F. Moore.
Changes in immunomodulatory properties of Echinacea spp. root infusions and tinctures stored at 4 °C for four days

Abstract Background Phytomedicinal preparations from members of the genus Echinacea are popular worldwide and frequently used to treat upper respiratory infections. With the increasing popularity of herbal medicines, many people are making their own Echinacea extracts at home and storing them at refrigerator (4 °C) temperatures. We tested the hypothesis that Echinacea extracts made using homemade methods change in immunomodulatory efficacy with storage at 4 °C over a 4-day period. Methods Three extract types (50% ethanol tincture, cold water infusion, hot water infusion) from 5 different species (Echinacea angustifolia, E. pallida, E. purpurea, E. sanguinea, E. tennesseensis) were prepared. Four in vitro immune assays (monocyte secretion of TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-12; and peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation) using human blood were used to test extract efficacy at Days 1 and 4 post-extraction. Two statistical analyses, traditional ANOVA and several statistical models that account for endotoxin effects, were used. Results Endotoxin was found to significantly impact immune outcomes only in 4-day old cold water infusions and not in all assays. Extracts showed the greatest stimulation in TNF-α assays. By extract type, 50% ethanol tinctures produced the most immune stimulation. By species, extracts from E. angustifolia extracts were the most efficacious in our assays; extracts from E. sanguinea showed the least activity overall. Conclusions Taken together, these results suggest that: (1) homemade Echinacea extracts are efficacious in modulating immune cell activity in vitro but that their properties change with time during storage at 4 °C; and (2) endotoxin effects from extracts may be important considerations in the analysis of immunobiological data.
Trustworthiness and Professional Ethics

Earlier this year, Kansas City, Mo., pharmacist Robert Courtney admitted to charges that he had adulterated, tampered with, and mislabeled the chemotherapy drugs Taxol (paclitaxel—Bristol-Myers Squibb) and Gemzar (gemcitabine—Lilly) prescribed for 34 patients with cancer. Courtney pleaded guilty to 20 federal counts in an agreement with the government that avoided a
Engineering ethics in every decision

In one recent graduate engineering class, my final assignment was to write a mock NSF proposal on a topic of my choosing. While reviewing the assignment, the professor offhandedly remarked there wa...
Data driven signal processing: an approach for energy efficient computing

The computational switching activity of digital CMOS circuits can be dynamically minimized by designing algorithms that exploit signal statistics. This results in processors that have time-varying power requirements and perform computation on demand. An approach is presented to minimize the energy dissipation per data sample in variable-load DSP systems by adaptively minimizing the power supply voltage for each sample using a variable switching speed processor. In general, using buffering and filtering, the computation can be spread over multiple samples averaging the workload and lowering energy further. It is also shown that four levels of voltage quantization combined with dithering is sufficient to closely emulate arbitrary voltage levels.
Socialization, Gender, and Adolescent's Self‐Reports of Their Generalized Use of Product Labels

This study examines how various aspects of the consumer socialization process affect male and female teenagers' tendencies to use product labels in general. In contrast to the traditional information-processing perspective used in many studies of gender differences and studies of labeling, this research focus more on sociological explanations for gender differences in teens' tendencies to read product labels. Specifically, because males and females are likely to receive differential consumer socialization, differences are expected in the genders' use of product labels. Male and female teenagers may be differentially taught about the importance and use of product labels through differences in exposure to marketplace-related communication from parents, peers, and mass media. Exposure to marketplace-related communication, in turn, is likely to have positive effects on teens' tendencies to use product labels in general. With the exception of exposure to mass media, results based on data from a sample of high school students generally supported this mediational model.
The status and promise of compliant substrate technology

Abstract Compliant substrates offer significant promise as a new approach for strain management in semiconductors. The primary application is to produce device-quality highly mismatched materials on dissimilar substrates. Various implementations and processes for achieving substrate compliancy have been proposed and demonstrated. These include the use of twist-, glass-, and metal-bonds, and the use of engineered templates realized with laterally oxidized Al-containing alloys. A recent focus in our work has been on the growth of GaN on a novel and easily removable substrate — lithium gallate — for regrowth on a bonded GaN template.
Electrostatic Contributions to the Binding Free Energy of the λcI Repressor to DNA

Abstract A model based on the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann (NLPB) equation is used to study the electrostatic contribution to the binding free energy of the λ cI repressor to its operator DNA. In particular, we use the Poisson-Boltzmann model to calculate the pK a shift of individual ionizable amino acids upon binding. We find that three residues on each monomer, Glu 34 , Glu 83 , and the amino terminus, have significant changes in their pK a and titrate between pH 4 and 9. This information is then used to calculate the pH dependence of the binding free energy. We find that the calculated pH dependence of binding accurately reproduces the available experimental data over a range of physiological pH values. The NLPB equation is then used to develop an overall picture of the electrostatics of the λ cI repressor–operator interaction. We find that long-range Coulombic forces associated with the highly charged nucleic acid provide a strong driving force for the interaction of the protein with the DNA. These favorable electrostatic interactions are opposed, however, by unfavorable changes in the solvation of both the protein and the DNA upon binding. Specifically, the formation of a protein-DNA complex removes both charged and polar groups at the binding interface from solvent while it displaces salt from around the nucleic acid. As a result, the electrostatic contribution to the λ cI repressor–operator interaction opposes binding by ∼73kcal/mol at physiological salt concentrations and neutral pH. A variety of entropic terms also oppose binding. The major force driving the binding process appears to be release of interfacial water from the protein and DNA surfaces upon complexation and, possibly, enhanced packing interactions between the protein and DNA in the interface. When the various nonelectrostatic terms are described with simple models that have been applied previously to other binding processes, a general picture of protein/DNA association emerges in which binding is driven by the nonpolar interactions, whereas specificity results from electrostatic interactions that weaken binding but are necessary components of any protein/DNA complex.
Loss of Health Insurance Among Non-elderly Adults in Medicaid

BACKGROUND Major policy efforts to expand health coverage to the uninsured are under consideration. Drop-out among children in Medicaid — due to annual renewal requirements — is well-documented, but the recent extent of this problem among non-elderly adults is unknown.
A diode laser wavelength reference system applied to the determination of Rb in atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Abstract A single mode wavelength modulated diode laser has been used as the excitation source in atomic fluorescence spectroscopy. A wavelength reference system was used to eliminate noise which originates from phase shifting in the lock-in amplifier detection system due to random wavelength fluctuations in the diode laser output. A detection limit of 0.2 ng ml −1 was obtained for rubidium in a hydrogen-air flame, which is an improvement on the lowest fluorescence detection limit reported up to date.
A room-temperature silicon single-electron metal–oxide–semiconductor memory with nanoscale floating-gate and ultranarrow channel

We have demonstrated a room-temperature silicon single-electron transistor memory that consists of (i) a narrow channel metal-oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor with a width (∼10 nm) smaller than the Debye screening length of single electron; and (ii) a nanoscale polysilicon dot (∼7×7 nm) as the floating gate embedded between the channel and the control gate. We have observed that storing one electron on the floating gate can significantly screen the channel from the potential on the control gate, leading to a discrete shift in the threshold voltage, a staircase relationship between the charging voltage and the threshold shift, and a self-limiting charging process.
LIDAR, TEOM, and sunphotometer measured and model reconstructed atmospheric parameters

With the dramatically climate changing we are facing today atmospheric monitoring is of major importance. Several atmospheric monitoring instruments are used for measuring atmospheric composition, optical coefficients, PM2.5, aerosol optical depth, size distribution, PBL height and many other parameters. However an inexpensive method of determining these parameters is by use of models and one model that depicts the aerosol dynamics in the atmosphere is the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. Our paper is comparing the lidar, sunphotometer and TEOM measurements performed at City College of the City University of New York against CMAQ model.
Cue-controlled relaxation: Its effect on EMG levels during aversive stimulation

Abstract The present study is concerned with establishing the effectiveness of cue-controlled relaxation as a technique for anxiety relief. The results of three single subject case studies suggest that cue-controlled relaxation was effective in reducing and maintaining low frontalis EMG during aversive stimulation.
Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in discrete nuclei of hypothalamus and substantia nigra

Abstract The distribution of l -glutamate decarboxylase activity (GAD) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was investigated in the hypothalamic nuclei and in parts of the substantia nigra in the rat. GAD varied markedly among these areas. The reticular part of the nigra showed the highest activity two-fold higher than any other nucleus. Among the hypothalamic nuclei, a 5-fold difference was found between the poorest and richest nuclei. High GAD was measured in the preoptic, anterior and dorsomedial nuclei. Low activity was found in arcuate and supraoptic nuclei. The lowest GAD activity was measured in the median eminence with only half the activity of the whole brain homogenate. This suggests that GABAergic neurones might not be involved in neuroendocrine regulation at the median eminence level. GABA was determined using the sensitive cycling microassay. The rats were killed by microwaves, a procedure which was found to inactivate enzymatic processes within two sec without affecting the level or the distribution of GABA. Postmortem increments during the first 3 min following decapitation ranged up to 5 times the endogenous levels, and were proportional to the GAD activity of the corresponding nucleus. This confirms that GAD is the limiting factor in GABA synthesis and suggests that GABA turnover might be rapid. Endogenous GABA showed a uniform distribution within hypothalamic nuclei and nigra. No relationship appeared between endogenous GABA levels and GAD activities in the various nuclei. These results suggest that while GABA synthesis is likely to occur in non-evenly distributed nerve cells, most GABA may be stored in surrounding cells, presumably glia cells.
Changes in the colour of light cue circadian activity

The discovery of melanopsin, the nonvisual opsin present in intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), has created great excitement in the field of circadian biology. Now, researchers have emphasized melanopsin as the main photopigment governing circadian activity in vertebrates. Circadian biologists have tested this idea under standard 12:12 h light:dark cycles in the laboratory that lack the dramatic daily colour changes of natural skylight. Here we used a stimulus paradigm in which the colour of the illumination changed throughout the day, thus mimicking natural skylight, but luminance, sensed intrinsically by melanopsin containing ganglion cells, was kept constant. We show in two species of cichlid, Aequidens pulcher and Labeotropheus fuelleborni , that changes in light colour, not intensity, are the primary determinants of natural circadian activity. Moreover, opponent-cone photoreceptor inputs to ipRGCs mediate the sensation of wavelength change, and not the intrinsic photopigment, melanopsin. These results have implications for understanding the evolutionary biology of nonvisual photosensory pathways and answer long-standing questions about the nature and distribution of photopigments in organisms, including providing a solution to the mystery of why nocturnal animals routinely have mutations that interrupt the function of their short-wavelength-sensitive photopigment gene.
An Anvilian (early pleistocene) marine fauna from western Seward Peninsula, Alaska

Abstract Cover sediments of the York Terrace exposed near the California River, western Seward Peninsula, Alaska, yield mollusks, ostracodes, and foraminifera that lived during the Anvilian transgression of early Pleistocene age. The fossiliferous sediments lie at the inner edge of the York Terrace, a deformed wave-cut platform that extends eastward from Bering Strait along much of the southern coast of Seward Peninsula. The seaward margin is truncated by the little-deformed Lost River Terrace, carved during the Pelukian (Sangamonian) transgression. The early Pleistocene sediments seem to have been deposited between the first and second of four glaciations for which evidence can be found in the California River area. The California River fauna includes several extinct species and several species now confined to areas as remote as the northwestern Pacific and north Atlantic. The fauna probably lived in water temperatures much like those of the present time but deeper water on the Bering Shelf is suggested. The presence of an early Pleistocene fauna at the inner edge of the York Terrace at California River shows that the terrace was largely carved before and during early Pleistocene time. However, a marine fauna apparently of middle Pleistocene age is found on the York Terrace near Cassiterite Peak, and this seems to indicate that the terrace remained low until middle Pleistocene time. Uplift of the York Terrace probably was accompanied by uplift of Bering Strait. The strait may have been deeper, and there may have been no land bridge between the Seward Peninsula of Alaksa and the Chukotka Peninsula of Siberia during most of early and middle Pleistocene time.
Medical consequences of the New Mexico State penitentiary riot

On February 2, 1980, a riot broke out among the 1,157 inmates at the New Mexico State Penitentiary and 139 people were injured. Of these, 33 died. Survivors had a variety of problems resulting from blunt or penetrating trauma, acute intoxication with drugs, or smoke inhalation. Fourteen percent of the casualties arrived at local hospitals in serious or critical condition. A study of the injury patterns revealed a significant difference (P
Influence of Phosphorus in Rainbow Trout Diets on Phosphorus Discharges in Effluent Water

Abstract Two experiments were conducted with rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to investigate the influence of several diets and supplemental phosphorus on discharges of phosphorus in hatchery effluent water. A diet was formulated to contain no fish meal and a reduced level of non-phytin phosphorus (approximately 0.9%) provided, in part, by supplemental defluorinated rock phosphate, which has a low solubility in water. Feeding rainbow trout this diet supported 86% of the growth attained with a conventional hatchery diet while discharges of phosphorus in the effluents decreased by 40–51%.
Cellulose Crystallinity and the Reconstitution of Dehydrated Carrots

SUMMARY Blanched and unblanched dice of carrot phloem were dehydrated at two different rates and stored for periods up to 6 months. The rehydrated volume was always greater for blanched dice than for unblanched. In all samples, the rehydrated volume decreased as a result of storage. No consistent differences among samples could be attributed to differences in rate of dehydration. Cellulose, extracted from the dice, was examined for crystalline content by water-vapor sorption, X-ray diffraction, iodine adsorption, enzymatic digestibility, and density methods. All methods agreed in showing a higher crystallinity in unblanched than in blanched samples, a continual increase in crystallinity in all samples as storage time increased, and no notable differences in crystallinity as a result of different dehydration rates.
Validation of the doctor–patient communication component of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates Clinical Skills Assessment

Background The pivotal role of doctor–patient communication in effective health care delivery led the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) to incorporate the assessment of interpersonal skills and spoken English proficiency into its Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA). Furthermore, it was decided that to pass the CSA, a candidate would need to meet or surpass defined performance standards for doctor–patient communication as a discrete component. This requirement, among others, is designed to ensure the readiness of graduates of foreign medical schools (FMGs) to enter postgraduate medical education programmes in the United States. Objective The primary focus of this study was to determine the extent to which performance in a simulated testing environment is related to performance in the clinical setting. Method Nurses were trained to rate the communication skills of residents from the patient’s perspective. A total of 43 first-year residents were evaluated. The survey ratings (n=225) were compared with the residents’ CSA communication scores. Results Corrected correlations between CSA ratings and those obtained from nurses ranged from 0·61 to 0·73. Conclusion This study provides evidence for the validity of the communication ratings provided by standardized patients. The reasonably strong associations between ratings obtained during testing and those obtained through observation of ‘real’ patient interactions suggest that external observers can provide accurate evaluations of doctor–patient communication.
MULTT-COMPONENT ADSORPTION OF ASPHALT FUNCTIONALITIES ON SILICA

ABSTRACT Single- and multi-component adsorption of compounds representing highly polar functional groups in asphalt onto SI-1000 silica has been performed at 25 °C using cyclohexane as a solvent. The asphalt functionalities used are benzoic acid (strong acid), 1-naphthol (weak acid), phenanthridine (strong base), and phenyisulfoxide (weak base). The bi-, tri-, and quadh-component adsorption behaviors demonstrated that the competitive adsorptive affinities of the asphalt functionalities for the silica are ranked as 1-naphthol < benzoic acid » phenanthridine < phenyisulfoxide. The prediction of multi-component adsorption equilibria has been made by applying the Langmuir Competitive Model (LCM) and the Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (LAST) to single-component adsorption data. Both the LCM and the LAST provided a good prediction for benzoic acid/1-naphthol and phenanthridine/phenyisulfoxide combinations. In the cases that involved acid-base combinations, however, both the LCM and the LAST yielded predictions ...
Solid sorbent method for the collection and analysis of volatile halogenated organic compounds in soil gas

Abstract A solid sorbent technique was developed to measure volatile halogenated organic compounds (VHOCs) in soil gas. The VHOCs were preconcentrated onto graphitized carbon black (Carbotrap) and analyzed by thermal desorption/high-resolution gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The method detection limit (MDL) for trichloromethane (CHCl3) and tetrachloromethane (CCl4) in soil gas was approximately 1 μg m−3 for a 60-ml sample volume. A thermal-desorption temperature of 200°C was sufficient to recover more than 90% of the VHOCs from the sorbent. Breakthrough volumes for CHCl3 and CCl4 were at least 1000 ml when soil gas was drawn through the sample cartridge at a rate of 30 ml min−1. Sorbent cartridges stored at 20°C were sufficiently stable for at least 30 days. Application of the method in the field indicated that the measured concentration of VHOCs in soil-gas monitoring wells was sensitive to the volume of soil gas that was withdrawn.
Accounting and the construction of institutions: The case of a factory

Abstract Despite the substantial body of research which assumes that management accounting was a reflex to the emergence of the factory system, little is known of the relationship between the two. Archival materials are presented in this paper which would suggest a far more complex relationship between accounting and the rise of the factory. In particular, we emphasize the way in which periodic reports, rather than ad boc calculations of cost or profit, were interwined with this new organization of work.
Mechanical Ageing Protocol Selection Affects Macroscopic Performance and Molecular Level Properties of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Running Shoe Midsole Foam

Existing attempts to evaluate footwear via cyclic compression fail to sufficiently represent biofidelic force-time curves or provide the underlying mechanism of EVA foam fatigue. A uniaxial biofidelic waveform was compared to a sine wave of the same frequency to examine differences in (1) net displacement, (2) absorbed energy, and (3) peak force from ASTM F1614. A non-destructive molecular-level technique (ATR-FTIR) recorded differences in hydroxyl, ester, and unsaturated moieties due to EVA degradation. It was concluded that (1) biofidelic waveforms may better simulate human running, (2) material degradation is discernible, and (3) inferences regarding polymeric degradation and macroscopic performance require further investigation.
Transcarinal Aspiration of a Mediastinal Cyst to Facilitate Anesthetic Management

Marked airway obstruction and interference with gas exchange was encountered following institution of general anesthesia for resection of a cystic subcarinal mass. Intraoperative bronchoscopy revealed marked airway compression. The cyst was decompressed using a transbronchial needle through a fiberbronchoscope. This allowed for safe anesthetic managment and resection of the mass.
The Erdős–Heilbronn problem for finite groups

Additive Number Theory can be best described as the study of sums of sets of integers. A simple example is given two subsets A and B of a set of integers, what facts can we determine about A + B where A + B := {a + b | a ∈ A and b ∈ B}? We will state a result regarding this example shortly. We note that a very familiar problem in Number Theory, namely Lagrange’s theorem that every nonnegative integer can be written as the sum of four squares, can be expressed in terms of sumsets. In particular, if we let N0 be the set of nonnegative integers and if we let S be the set of all integers that are perfect squares, then Lagrange’s Theorem has the form
The induction of multinuclearity in agitated and in aging cultures of Acanthamoeba sp. Neff.

Unagitated cultures of Acanthamoeba in the logarithmic growth phase have been observed to consist of over 99% mononucleates and less than 1% multinucleates. A small increase in the relative numbers of multinucleates occurs as the culture age and conditions for growth become limiting. A large increase in the proportion of multinucleates occurs during logarithmic growth, if the cultures are agitated by shaking or by the bubbling from a stream of air. After an initial increase and until the end of logarithmic growth, the numbers of multinucleates in the agitated cultures are maintained at a constant fraction of the total population. Proportions of multinucleates as high as 25% are observed during this period. A second increase in the relative numbers occurs as conditions for growth become limiting. Under these conditions, the multinucleates may exceed 50% of the total population. The factors inducing multinuclearity as well as the kinetics of the mononucleate and multinucleate accumulation curves are discussed.
Incorporating semantics into 2D strings to recognize Candida strains and species

This paper summarizes research performed to develop an image information system to aid in the recognition of Candida strains/species, to analyze trends in Candida outbreaks, and to trace mutations of Candida. The development of an image information system that will (1) incorporate a larger amount of knowledge extracted from an image, (2) allow for query by example, and (3) allow for efficient pattern matching requires the development of an efficient and effective means of representing the images. The result is the addition of semantics to the classical 2D string approach. Through this addition, queries are reduced to matching strings rather than matching multiple features of objects. This paper reports on background information concerning Candida and the extension of 2D strings to include attribute information and the addition of semantic operators to facilitate this expansion.
Separation of the lapse rate and the cold point tropopauses in the tropics and the resulting impact on cloud top-tropopause relationships

Four years of temperature profiles from Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate GPS satellite retrievals are used to examine the difference between the World Meteorological Organization lapse rate definition and the cold point definition of the tropopause in the tropics. The separation between the cold point tropopause (CPT) and lapse rate tropopause (LRT) heights is quantified in seasonal averages and with the frequency of occurrence. In seasonal averages, small separations, <0.5 km, are found in the deep tropics, increasing to ~1 km toward higher latitudes and maximizing at ~1.5 km near the jet streams. The seasonal average separations show significant longitudinal structures in the December-January-February (DJF) and June-July-August (JJA) seasons. Case studies indicate that breaking Rossby waves and their effects extending into the equatorial region are responsible for the longitudinal structure in the DJF season. The seasonal average CPT-LRT separation therefore identifies the regions of the tropical upper troposphere-lower stratosphere that are controlled by extratropical forcing. Examination of individual profiles shows that a small yet significant fraction (~12%) of temperature profiles has CPT-LRT separations of 1 km or larger in the region of small seasonal average separation. These large separations are produced by wave perturbations of the upper tropospheric temperature structure. The impact of tropopause separation on the cloud top-tropopause relationship is examined using colocated CALIPSO cloud top data. We find that the frequency of clouds above the tropopause is reduced by approximately 50% if the CPT is used instead of LRT. The occurrence of clouds above the CPT is nevertheless significant, especially over the western Pacific in the DJF season and over the Asian monsoon region in the JJA season.
Alternative Assessment for Physical Education

(1997). Alternative Assessment for Physical Education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 68, No. 7, pp. 19-24.
Comparison of Cholangiography and Ultrasonography in the Operative Screening of the Common Bile Duct

Operative cholangiography and operative real-time, B-mode ultrasound scanning were compared as the initial screening tests for calculi in the common bile duct. On the basis of experience at 150 operations, the 2 tests were comparable in terms of sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, and predictability of a negative test. Ultrasound was associated with a higher predictability of a positive test than was cholangiography. However, this difference was not significant. Operative Ultrasonography appears to match the accuracy of operative cholangiography as a screening test for stones in the common duct. The disadvantage of ultrasound is that most surgeons are currently not familiar with its performance and interpretation. The advantages are that ultrasound is less time-consuming and requires less tissue manipulation and no contrast material injection or exposure to radiation.
Adhesive Properties of Connexin Hemichannels

Gap junctions are intercellular channels formed by hemichannels (or connexons) from two neighboring cells. Hemichannels, which are composed of proteins called connexins, can function as conduits of ATP and glutamate, and interact with adhesion molecules and other signaling elements. As a result, their functional repertoire is expanding into other roles, such as control of cell growth or cell migration. Here we further elucidate the involvement of hemichannels in cell-cell adhesion by analyzing how connexins regulate cell adhesion without the need of gap junction formation. Using a short-term aggregation assay with C6-glioma and HeLa cells stably transfected with connexin (Cx) 43 or Cx32, we found that the connexin type dictates the ability of these cells to aggregate, even though these two cell types do not usually adhere to each other. We have also found that high expression of Cx43, but not Cx32 hemichannels, can drive adhesion of cells expressing low levels of Cx43. Aggregation was not dependent on high levels of extracellular Ca(2+), as Ca(2+) removal did not change the aggregation of Cx43-expressing cells. Our data confirm that connexin hemichannels can establish adhesive interactions without the need for functional gap junctions, and support the concept that connexins act as adhesion molecules independently of channel formation.
Carnivory in plants as a beneficial trait in wetlands

Abstract A new hypothesis for the benefit of carnivory in plants (i.e., an alternative to aerenchyma for avoiding hypoxia) is evaluated. Root porosity and root depth were quantified in eight carnivorous plant species and 48 non-carnivorous species within a nutrient-poor wet pine savanna in south Mississippi, USA. Carnivorous and non-carnivorous plant species were contrasted with respect to their indication of wetlands, open habitats, and habitats with nutrient-poor soils. We used path analysis, multiplicative regression, and a field experiment to test hypotheses of the effects of soil moisture/hypoxia on the abundance of carnivorous and non-carnivorous plants. All carnivorous plant species produced non-porous roots (or no roots), which were shallower than the average for non-carnivorous plants (6.9 ± 0.95 cm vs. 11.9 ± 0.96 cm), even after correcting for plant size. Root porosity in non-carnivorous species (mean = 22%) was positively correlated with root depth ( r = 0.6). Despite lacking porous roots, carnivorous plants were four times more indicative of wetland habitats than were the non-carnivorous species encountered in the wetland studied here. Carnivorous plants, along with non-carnivorous plants with well-developed aerenchyma, were positively associated with the wettest microsites and were more negatively affected by elevating the substrate than were non-carnivorous plants with low-porosity roots. Non-carnivorous plants with shallow roots, while less indicative of wetlands and less abundant in wet microsites of the wet pine savanna than were carnivorous plants, were no less indicative of nutrient-poor soils than were carnivorous plants. Results supported the hypothesis that carnivory is advantageous in wet soils and disadvantageous in drier (including mesic) soils and are more indicative of wetland conditions than of low soil fertility.
Fiber optic monooxygenase biosensor for toluene concentration measurement in aqueous samples.

Abstract Measurements of pollutants such as toluene are critical for the characterization of contaminated sites and for the monitoring of remediation processes and wastewater treatment effluents. Fiber optic enzymatic biosensors have the potential to provide cost-effective, real time, continuous, in situ measurements. In this study, a fiber optic enzymatic biosensor was constructed and characterized for the measurement of toluene concentrations in aqueous solutions. The biological recognition element was toluene ortho -monooxygenase (TOM), expressed by Escherichia coli TG1 carrying pBS(Kan)TOM, while an optical fiber coated with an oxygen-sensitive ruthenium-based phosphorescent dye served as the transducer. Toluene was detected based on the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by TOM, which resulted in the consumption of oxygen and changes in the phosphorescence intensity. The biosensor was found to have a limit of detection of 3 μM, a linear signal range up to 100 μM, and a response time of 1 h. The performance was reproducible with different biosensors (RSD = 7.4%, n = 8). The biosensor activity declined with each measurement and with storage time, particularly at elevated temperatures. This activity loss could be partially reversed by exposure to formate, suggesting that NADH consumption was the primary factor limiting lifetime. This is the first report of an enzymatic toluene sensor and of an oxygenase-based biosensor. Since many oxygenases have been reported, the design concept of this oxygenase-based biosensor has the potential to broaden biosensor applications in environmental monitoring.
Intertube Falling-Film Heat Transfer Behavior of Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Suspensions (MWCNT Nanofluids)

The thermal conductivity and viscosity of water-based and ethylene-glycol-based multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) suspensions are measured for MWCNT volume concentrations up to 0.24%. The thermal conductivity is found to increase up to 8.6% and 9.3% for water-based and ethylene-glycol-based nanofluids, respectively. The viscosity of the nanofluids increases compared to that of their base fluids, with larger increases for the ethylene-glycol-based nanofluids. Intertube falling-film heat transfer characteristics of these nanofluids are measured and compared to data for the base fluids. The heat transfer coefficient of the water-based nanofluids decreases at low MWCNT concentrations but increases as the concentration increases. The heat transfer coefficient of the ethylene-glycol-based nanofluids decreases with an increase in MWCNT concentration, with a maximum deviation of 30%.© 2011 ASME
Visual attributes for enhanced human-machine communication

In computer vision systems today, humans typically communicate with the machine via limited interactions e.g. providing coarse image labels. This seems rather wasteful because it is precisely the human abilities that we aim to replicate in automatic image understanding. Moreover, humans are often meant to interact with vision systems as users (e.g. image search) or as supervisors training the system - be it for niche applications or for generic visual concepts such as everyday objects and scenes. On the flip side, machines today also rarely communicate with humans. Vision models are often complex and non-transparent. They simply fail without explaining why which is frustrating for users and perplexing for researchers. Here we describe some of our recent efforts towards using attributes to enhance the mode of communication between humans and machines to improve visual recognition.
An Outline of Recent Advances in Birdsong Neurobiology

Several landmark discoveries have shaped the recent study of brain substrates for birdsong. The failure of deaf birds to reproduce a song from memory lent support for the concept of a song template. An attempt to test this idea resulted in the discovery of lateralization of song control. Search for the brain sites of lateralization and auditory control of voice led to the discovery of the main song control nuclei. Neurophysiological studies have unequivocally shown that auditory information reaches the song control system, but the exact pathway by which the song control system receives auditory inputs needs further investigation. The finding that lesions of the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum or area X affect song development in young birds but not the maintenance of song in adults suggested a role of the anterior forebrain pathway to RA in song learning. Another area of research in which much progress has been made concerns the relationships between the vocal and respiratory systems. The archistriatal and midbrain vocal nuclei innervate some of the respiratory centers in the medulla. The old questions of 'mini-breath' during fast singing and independent control of the two sides of the syrinx have been resolved. Finally, comparisons of the vocal and auditory systems between taxa indicate that different groups may use different neural circuits to achieve similar vocal-auditory behavior.
NEW ASSESSMENTS OF WEIGHT-RELATED BODY IMAGE DERIVED FROM EXTANT INSTRUMENTS

A study of 79 female college students examined the reliability and validity of two new size/weight-related measures of body image. The Body-size Appraisal Scale and the Overweight Preoccupation Scale were derived from existing instruments. Analyses supported the internal consistency and 2-wk. test-retest reliability of both new scales. Correlations of scores on each scale with measures of anxiety about being fat, negative body-image affect and avoidance, restrained and bulimic eating, and depression support their concurrent and construct validity. Scores on the Overweight Preoccupation Scale were also related to the extent of investment in physical appearance. Regression analyses indicated that each new scale could be predicted from several other conceptually relevant body-image attitudes, even after actual body weight was controlled.
Weight management goals and use of exercise for weight control among U.S. high school students, 1991–2001

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine trends in weight management goals and the use of exercise for weight control among U.S. high school students. Methods As part of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 6 national school-based surveys were conducted between 1991 and 2001. Each survey used a three-stage cross-sectional sample of students in grades 9–12. African-American and Hispanic students were oversampled. Logistic regression models were used to test for trends among gender and race/ethnic subgroups, controlling demographic changes over time. Results From 1991 to 2001, the percentage of female students trying to lose weight (61.7%–62.3%) or stay the same weight (15.4%–16.0%) did not change significantly. Among male students, trying to lose weight (22.7%–28.8%) and trying to stay the same weight (17.8%–21.5%) both increased significantly, while trying to gain weight decreased significantly (32.7%–26.3%). Among female and male students who were trying to lose weight or stay the same weight, the use of exercise for weight control increased significantly. Among students who reported using exercise for weight control, participation in vigorous physical activity ≥ 3 days per week increased among African-American female students, and participation in strengthening exercises ≥ 3 days per week increased among male students. Conclusions These findings suggest increased interest in weight control among male adolescents, and increased use of exercise for weight control among female and male adolescents.
Time-integrated range-Doppler maps for visualizing and classifying radar data

A time-integrated range-Doppler map shows the micro-Doppler characteristics of targets in radar images that enable an operator to classify different target types and to classify different activities being done by the targets. A time-integrated range-Doppler map is a compilation of range-Doppler maps over time that results in a spectrogram-like characterization of Doppler while maintaining the range information as well. These are compiled from the range-Doppler maps by taking the maximum value for each pixel over a time range. The time resolution is overlapped onto the range resolution, which is in effect a rotation of the traditional spectrogram which compresses range. This type of radar imaging also allows multiple subjects to be viewed simultaneously and avoids tracking issues in spectrogram creation.
Transition Strategies of Former State-Owned Enterprises in Russia

This paper examines ownership status, governance structure and survival strategies using interview data collected from managers of 34 former state-owned enterprises (FSOEs) in 4 cities in 1994 and 1995. Interview evidence indicates that a year after the conclusion of voucher privatization, many FSOEs are becoming increasingly aggressive and sophisticated, rapidly implementing long-term competitive strategies. FSOEs that were privatized earlier and with more concentrated ownership, that is, better governance structures, are far more likely to undertake significant structural changes in their operations that greatly enhance their survival chances.
GCM simulations of Snowball Earth conditions during the late Proterozoic

In order to simulate the Snowball Earth conditions that may have existed during the late Proterozoic we have conducted a series of GCM simulations using a simple 50-meter slab ocean, a reduced solar constant of 6% and varied CO2 concentrations. In this study, we vary the CO2 concentration from 100 to 3400-ppmv and use rotation rates corresponding to 18 and 24-hour day-lengths. We also examine the effects of increasing the poleward transport of heat by the oceans. Our results show that below a critical value of approximately 1700 ppmv of atmospheric CO2, sea-ice and sub-freezing temperatures occur from the poles to the Equator. A global mean annual two meter air temperature of 221°K is found for boundary conditions of 100 ppmv atmospheric CO2, 6% reduction in solar forcing and a rotation rate corresponding to an 18 hour day. These results confirm those of earlier studies suggesting or implying that low-latitude glaciation occurred during the late Proterozoic. However, since the ocean is the critical factor for low-latitude glaciation, the results should be view cautiously because of the simple slab-ocean used in this study.
Biomimetic Arrays of Oriented Helical ZnO Nanorods and Columns

Extended helical or chiral nanostructures are usually associated with biomolecules but are mostly absent in synthetic materials. Here we report the first synthesis of unusual oriented and extended helical nanostructures in synthetic ceramics. Large arrays of oriented helical ZnO nanorods and columns are formed using simple citrate ions to control the growth habits of the ZnO crystal. This novel mechanism could lead to new approaches to control the orientation, the surface area, and the defect structure of synthetic materials that are critical for practical applications. The morphology generated in the helical ZnO nanostructure shows remarkable resemblance to the growth morphology of nacreous calcium carbonate and thus may shed new light on morphology and orientation control of biominerals.
Brain Injury from Cardiac Arrest in Children

This article reviews the important differences between children and adults suffering brain injury following cardiac arrest. The differences in etiology, pathophysiology, neuronal vulnerability, and repair in the context of the developing brain are reviewed. The available clinical data are reviewed, and selected treatment priori-ties are declared. The article includes a discussion of knowledge gaps and future directions.
STUDIES BASED ON A MALIGNANT TUMOR OF THE RABBIT V. METASTASES. PART 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE LESIONS WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION.

As a part of a general investigation of a malignant tumor of the rabbit, the phenomena of metastasis were studied in a group of 191 animals. The results of this investigation are presented from the standpoint of the relation of metastasis to animal resistance. The incidence and distribution of different classes of lesions are given and the peculiarities of the growth in different organs and tissues are described with especial reference to the time and circumstances of their occurrence and the relation of metastases in one organ or tissue to those of another. It was found that while the picture presented by different animals varied greatly, there was a remarkable degree of uniformity in the character of the lesions in a given organ or tissue and in the circumstances under which metastases occurred in a given location. It was thus possible to establish a relationship between the distribution of metastases and the function of animal resistance. In brief, the conclusion was reached that the peculiarities of metastatic involvement displayed by individual animals were not entirely attributable to chance distribution of tumor cells but that they were founded very largely upon constitutional differences and that the picture presented in any given instance represented an expression of the interaction between tumor and host, the character and force of which were indicated by the nature and distribution of the lesions or by the organs and tissues affected.
A brief method for determining the effect of selected counselor characteristics on clients' expectations of counseling success

Abstract Using a self-report questionnaire, the present study investigated the effect of several counselor characteristics on potential clients' ratings of counseling effectiveness. The results are discussed in terms of (1) how counselors might enhance their effectiveness by modifying their own behaviors and (2) the use of this method for determining positive counselor characteristics in local settings.