cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fetus-in-Fetu: A Case of Ovarian Involvement and Residual Regrowth in a Teenager.

Background Fetus-in-fetu (FIF) is a rare congenital soft tissue mass that resembles a fetus, occurring in approximately one in 500,000 births. It is typically a benign condition, with only one reported case of malignant recurrence in literature. FIF typically occurs in neonates under 18 months of age, and have largely been described as occurring in the retroperitoneum. In this case, we present a 13-year-old female with initial occurrence and subsequent residual re-growth of FIF following resection, within her right ovary. Case A 13-year-old female presented with abdominal pain and was found to have a 19-centimeter, complex right adnexal mass. Pre-operative tumor markers were normal and pre-operative risk assessment favored a benign process. She underwent an open, right ovarian cystectomy and was diagnosed with FIF on final pathology. Nine months after her procedure, during post-operative surveillance, she complained of intermittent abdominal pain and was found to have a recurrence of her complex right ovarian mass. Pre-operative tumor markers were normal and again pre-operative risk assessment favored a benign process. Intraoperatively there was no normal appearing ovarian tissue and she therefore underwent a right oophorectomy. Pathology noted tissue similar to her initial mass, indicative of growth of residual FIF tissue. Comments In rare cases where FIF is found within the ovary, consider post-operative surveillance, as there is a risk of recurrence or residual disease. Pre-operative assessment using imaging, tumor markers, and a multidisciplinary team is crucial for management of pediatric and adolescent ovarian masses.
Use of computed tomography to determine a species-specific formula for body surface area in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps).

OBJECTIVE To use CT-derived measurements to calculate a shape constant (K constant) and create a formula to calculate body surface area (BSA) on the basis of body weight in bearded dragons (Pogona ...
Photoinduced C(sp3)-H sulfination empowers the direct and chemoselective introduction of the sulfonyl group.

Direct installation of the sulfinate group by the functionalization of unreactive aliphatic C–H bonds can provide access to most classes of organosulfur compounds, because of the central position of sulfinates as sulfonyl group linchpins. Despite the importance of the sulfonyl group in synthesis, medicine, and materials science, a direct C(sp3)–H sulfination reaction that can convert abundant aliphatic C–H bonds to sulfinates has remained elusive, due to the reactivity of sulfinates that are incompatible with typical oxidation-driven C–H functionalization approaches. We report herein a photoinduced C(sp3)–H sulfination reaction that is mediated by sodium metabisulfite and enables access to a variety of sulfinates. The reaction proceeds with high chemoselectivity and moderate to good regioselectivity, affording only monosulfination products and can be used for a solvent-controlled regiodivergent distal C(sp3)–H functionalization.
Pancreatic β-Cell O-GlcNAc Transferase Overexpression Increases Susceptibility to Metabolic Stressors in Female Mice

The nutrient-sensor O-GlcNAc transferase (Ogt), the sole enzyme that adds an O-GlcNAc-modification onto proteins, plays a critical role for pancreatic β-cell survival and insulin secretion. We hypothesized that β-cell Ogt overexpression would confer protection from β-cell failure in response to metabolic stressors, such as high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozocin (STZ). Here, we generated a β-cell-specific Ogt in overexpressing (βOgtOE) mice, where a significant increase in Ogt protein level and O-GlcNAc-modification of proteins were observed in islets under a normal chow diet. We uncovered that βOgtOE mice show normal peripheral insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance with a regular chow diet. However, when challenged with an HFD, only female βOgtOE (homozygous) Hz mice developed a mild glucose intolerance, despite increased insulin secretion and normal β-cell mass. While female mice are normally resistant to low-dose STZ treatments, the βOgtOE Hz mice developed hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance post-STZ treatment. Transcriptome analysis between islets with loss or gain of Ogt by RNA sequencing shows common altered pathways involving pro-survival Erk and Akt and inflammatory regulators IL1β and NFkβ. Together, these data show a possible gene dosage effect of Ogt and the importance O-GlcNAc cycling in β-cell survival and function to regulate glucose homeostasis.
Gender, racial and ethnic disparities in index hospitalization operations for symptomatic carotid stenosis in Texas hospitals.

Objective Recent literature and societal recommendations support early revascularization of symptomatic carotid patients over the traditional six-week period. Nonetheless, the timing of these interventions can vary widely among populations. The goal of this study is to identify any factors influencing carotid revascularization during the index hospitalization for patients with symptomatic disease. Methods The Texas Department of State Health Services database was queried to identify all patients >45 years old admitted to non-federal Texas Hospitals between 2009 to 2013 with an admission diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis and either transient ischemic attack (TIA), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), or amaurosis fugax. Diagnoses codes and demographic data were also used to adjust for clinical, social, and demographic factors (including area of residence and treatment). Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify significant factors for index admission revascularization. Results A total of 29,046 symptomatic patients were identified among the 153,484 patients who had an eligible admission diagnosis. This included 16,244 (55.9%) males and 12,802 (44.1%) females. Only 4,594 (15.8%) patients were revascularized during the index hospitalization. The majority of these patients presented with amaurosis (OR 5.58; 95% CI 4.84-6.44) instead of CVAs (OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.45-0.51) or TIAs (Table 2). Adjusting for hospital volume, insurance coverage, residence, and other clinical factors, rates of index admission carotid intervention remained significantly lower for women (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.79-0.91), persons categorized as black (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.53-0.69), and persons categorized as Hispanic (OR 0.77; 95% CI 0.70-0.86). Conclusion Gender, race and ethnicity appear to correlate with rates of carotid intervention at index hospitalization despite thorough risk adjustment for clinical, social and demographic factors. Efforts should be directed towards reducing these disparities.
Ecological study of dietary and smoking links to lymphoma

The ecological approach is used to investigate dietary and smoking links to lymphoma. International mortality rate data for 1986 and 1994 by gender and age group are compared with national dietary supply values of various food components for up to 10 years prior to the mortality data as well as per capita cigarette consumption rates 5 and 15 years earlier. The non-fat portion of milk, 3-9 years prior to the 1986 mortality data and 4 years prior to the 1994 data, was found to have the highest association with lymphoma, with r as high as 0.89. The results imply that 70 percent of lymphoma mortality may be related to this dietary component. Cigarette smoking in 1980 was found to have a weaker association with 1994 lymphoma mortality rates, being most important for younger men and statistically insignificant for younger women. The non-fat milk result is consistent with both case-control studies and a Norwegian prospective study, and with the often-observed finding that abnormal calcium metabolism, hypercalciuria, and dysregulated calcitriol production are common in normocalcemic patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). It is hypothesized that excess dietary calcium from milk is a significant risk factor for lymphoma.
Are We Legislating Away Our Scientific Future? The Database Debate

The ambiguity of the present copyright laws governing the protection of databases creates a situation where database owners, unsure of how IP laws safeguard their information, overprotect their data with oppressive licenses and technological mechanisms (condoned by the DMCA) that impede interoperation. Databases are fundamental to scientific research, yet the lack of interoperability between databases and limited access inhibits this research. The US Congress, spurred by the European Database Directive, and heavily lobbied by the commercial database industry, is presently considering ways to legislate database protections; most of the present suggestions for legislation will be detrimental to scientific progress. The author agrees that new legislation is necessary, but not to provide extra-copyright protections, as database owners would like, but to create an environment wherein data is easily accessible to academic research and interoperability is encouraged; yet simultaneously providing database owners with incentives to produce new databases. One possibility would be to introduce standardized compulsory licensing of databases to academics following an embargo period where databases could be sold at free-market prices (to recoup costs). Databases would be given some sort of intellectual property protection both during and after this embargo in return for a limiting of technical safeguards and conforming to interoperability standards.
Three Models of Group-Differentiated Rights

Group-differentiated rights, or rights that vest on the basis of an individual's membership in a particular social or cultural group, are an increasingly common and controversial aspect of modern liberal legal systems. In justifying such rights, theorists have largely focused on demonstrating the conformity of group-differentiated rights with principles of liberal neutrality. This article suggests that group-differentiated rights present a further, largely unrecognized, potential moral cost from the perspective of liberal theory. Group-differentiated rights threaten to impede individual self-invention. The first section of the article introduces the essential terms and structure of the contemporary debate over group-differentiated rights. The second section describes analytically the processes by which rights categorize persons and influence social identity. The third section then constructs a liberal theory of membership, the central precept of which is individual constitutive autonomy. The fourth section describes three models (ascription, affirmation and culturalization) of the process by which social and cultural groups and identities may be constituted by rights, and evaluates each model according to the principles which inform the liberal conception of membership previously constructed. The analysis demonstrates that while the group-differentiated form of right does indeed threaten individual constitutive autonomy, the true extent of any loss depends in significant part upon the particular model invoked.
Who should pay for bad genes

Parents have long been able to influence the genetic composition of their children through their choice of a reproductive partner, if only very approximately. They are, however, increasingly able to determine the genetic make-up of their children in other, more precise ways, such as by selecting a particular gamete or embryo or by genetically modifying an embryo prior to artificial implantation. This Article discusses parents' obligations to their children and other members of the community stemming from their children's genes. In a just state, it argues, parents would be responsible for redressing any genetic disadvantage their children suffer as a result of parents' voluntary actions. Within the context of a liberal egalitarian account of distributive justice, this responsibility might most fairly be discharged through a compulsory insurance plan that provides compensation to genetically disadvantaged children when they might have had non-disadvantaged children instead would in some circumstances incur greater liability, because they could not fairly push the cost of their choices off on other members of the insurance pool. The Article also asks whether parents wrong a child by allowing it to be born with a genetic impairment when, had they taken steps to remove the impairment, the unimpaired child they had would have been a different person from the genetically disadvantaged child because the better-off child's capacities and experiences differed considerably from those that the disadvantaged child would have had. Contrary to many people's moral intuitions, the Article argues that parents do not wrong such a child. Nevertheless, parents remain morally obligated to bear any added costs occasioned by the child's impairment. Any other approach would allow them unjustly to shift the burden of their choices to other parents. Finally, the Article takes up the much debated question of whether parents harm a child by allowing it to be born with a life not worth living when they could have prevented its birth. It suggests that the answer to this question should be irrelevant to parents' legal liability. Acting on behalf of the parental insurance pool, the state may nonetheless adopt a variety of measures to help potential parents avoid giving birth to such children, which one can assume virtually all would prefer.
Time‐Series Data

Time-series data are defined as information gathered for specific variables which are observed over a period of time. Keywords: cross-section analysis; linear regression; inflation
Hydrologic investigations of the groundwaters of central Texas using U-234U-238 disequilibrium

Abstract U -234 U -238 disequilibrium can be used as a natural tracer in the groundwaters of central Texas. Utilizing the analytical methods of isotope dilution and alpha-particle spectrometry in monitoring variations in the uranium isotopic activity ratios and concentrations of natural waters, it is possible to evaluate the hydrogeology of the Trinity aquifer in terms of (a) the general groundwater circulation pattern, (b) the differentiation of water bodies upon the basis of their uranium signatures, and (c) the determination of absolute flow rates beyond the age limits of other techniques.
The Burden of Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Military

Musculoskeletal injuries and conditions are endemic in the military. While the recent focus on severe combat wounds has revealed that musculoskeletal injuries account for a majority of injuries sustained in battle, the investigation of noncombat or non-battle musculoskeletal injuries and conditions has shown an even higher burden in military populations. In fact, sprains of the shoulder, knee, and ankle have all been reported at an order of magnitude greater in this extremely active population than in referent civilian cohorts. These injuries affect unit readiness and have the largest impact on disability discharge. Increased awareness and future research will hopefully help illuminate the modifiable risk factors for many of these musculoskeletal injuries and conditions with the hope of developing and implementing effective preventive strategies to reduce the risk in this population.
The Evolution of Postdocs

The last four years have seen many constructive activities designed to enhance the postdoc experience. The greatest remaining concern is the quality of mentoring by advisers. Many principal investigators view postdocs not as apprentices but as skilled, bargain-rate assistants, who become increasingly valuable with time. In this Policy Forum, Maxine Singer notes that when the independence of junior researchers is postponed, science suffers. Other strategies and incentives are discussed that can promote continued constructive change in the postdoctoral system.
Computer Power and Legal Reasoning: A Case Study of Judicial Decision Prediction in Zoning Amendment Cases

While social scientists have long advocated the use of statistical methodology in legal analysis, its practical application has not been tested. Statistical models based on social science theories have been used to predict judicial decisions and explain court behavior, but the legal profession has failed to develop statistical models based on traditional legal theories and using data familiar to the lawyer. This article seeks to demonstrate by practical application of statistical methodologies, coupled with traditional legal research methods, that such research can produce important insight into a court's decision making and provide a useful model for predicting the probability of a favorable decision. The zoning amendment decisions of the Connecticut Supreme Court are the data base of this study, which also provides a comprehensive explanation of zoning amendment law in Connecticut as a backdrop against which to evaluate the insights gained by statistical analysis.
Lattice Magnetostriction in Spinel-Type Iron Chromites

SEVERAL accounts have previously been given from these Laboratories of the lattice dilatation effects that occur when monoxides and other compounds of the transition metals are cooled through their paramagnetic–antiferromagnetic transition temperatures.
Non-rheumatic streptococcal myocarditis mimicking acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: characterization by cardiac magnetic resonance

Acute myocarditis may mimic acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and result in unnecessary invasive coronary angiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can differentiate myocarditis from acute ischemic myocardial injury and provide a basis for adoption of an appropriate treatment strategy in such patients.
Clutch size variation in the Nazca booby: a test of the egg quality hypothesis

In obligately siblicidal bird species, aggressive behavior by a dominant chick results in a fixed brood size of one, yet these species usually show clutch size variation between individuals. Simmons proposed that variation in clutch size in obligately siblicidal species is related to a trade-off between egg quality and egg quantity: some individuals produce a single highly hatchable egg, while others produce two small, lower quality eggs. We tested the egg quality hypothesis as an explanation for observed clutch size variation in the Nazca booby (Sula granti), an obligately siblicidal seabird. We tested the assumption that egg volume is positively correlated with hatchability and the prediction that eggs from one-egg clutches are larger than eggs from two-egg clutches. We did not find a positive relationship between egg volume and hatchability in this species. Eggs from two-egg clutches were either equivalent in volume or larger than eggs from one-egg clutches. Thus, the egg quality hypothesis was rejected as an explanation for clutch size variation in the Nazca booby. Instead, two-egg clutches appear to be favored because of the insurance value of the second-laid egg, while one-egg clutches result from food limitation. Copyright 2002.
Development of the Drug-Exposed Infant Identification Algorithm (DEIIA) and Its Application to Measuring Part C Early Intervention Referral and Eligibility in Massachusetts, 1998–2005

The objectives of this study were to develop an algorithm using government-collected administrative data to identify prenatally drug-exposed infants (DEI) and determine the percent who were referred to and eligible for Part C Early Intervention (EI) in Massachusetts. Data from the population-based Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal (PELL) Data System were used to develop the Drug-Exposed Infant Identification Algorithm (DEIIA). The DEIIA uses positive toxicology screens on the birth certificate and International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition, Clinical Modification diagnostic codes in hospital records of the mother (prenatal and birth) and infant (birth and postnatal) to identify infants affected by substance abuse/dependence, withdrawal, and/or prenatal exposure to non-medical use of controlled substances. PELL-EI data linkages were used to determine the percent referred, evaluated, and eligible. The DEIIA identified 7,348 drug-exposed infants born in Massachusetts from 1998 to 2005 to resident mothers (1.2 % of all births). Most DEI (82.6 %) were identified from maternal/infant birth hospital records. Sixty-one percent of all DEI were referred to EI; 87.2 % of those referred were evaluated, and 89.4 % of those evaluated were found eligible. EI data contained information on drug exposure for 59.9 % of referred DEI. Only 2.8 % of MA resident births who were referred to EI but not identified by the DEIIA had drug indicators in EI data. DEI referrals to EI are federally mandated, but many are not referred. The DEIIA uses data available in most states and could be used as a public health screening tool to improve access to developmental services for DEI.
Associations between baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of educational environment and HESI™ scores and GPA

Summary Background Students' perceptions of their educational environment have been found to be related to their approaches to learning and learning outcomes. Educational environment is just beginning to be researched in nursing education with the vast majority of studies focusing on the clinical educational environment. Perception of educational environment has been shown to influence student implementation of a specific learning style and influences educational outcomes such as program completion and GPA. There is a need for sound research that explores the relationship, if any, between perceptions of environment and outcomes. Objective To explore the relationship between baccalaureate nursing student (BSN) perception of educational environment (SPEE) and objective learning outcomes. Design Retrospective correlational descriptive study. Setting Private School of Nursing in the Southwest. Participants Convenience sample of 62 graduating baccalaureate students. Methods All graduating BSN students were invited to complete the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) through the online survey application Qualtrics™. A total of 62 students completed the DREEM survey. These results were compared with each student's GPA and HESI™ score. Results A total of 62 students completed the survey for an overall response rate of 57%. There was no correlation between total SPEE and nursing grade point average (NGPA) or HESI™ exit scores. Conclusions: Based on this study at this institution, it appears that students' performance was not influenced by SPEE. One of the major implications of this study is the possibility that an “acceptable” SPEE (one that is neither exceptional nor terrible) may not significantly influence student outcomes. Exploring this relationship has theoretical as well as practical implications as educators seek to determine the effectiveness of educational interventions. Student perception of learning environment is measured in various ways at the majority of institutions. It has been assumed that an educational environment that is ranked high by students result in increased learning. However, as the science of nursing education advances, educators need to determine if and how these perceptions relate to actual learning outcomes. As academicians, we need to be concerned with the relationship between learning outcomes and environment in order to create the most effective learning environment.
Mitochondrial Role in Cellular Mineralization

Light and electron microscopy followed by microincineration procedures on the cells of the growing deer antler tip showed a concentration gradient of granules as cell maturation proceeded from the primitive to the mature cell type. The distribution of the intramitochondrial granules in the various cell types suggested mitochondria in the initial phase of the mineralization process.
Sticks and stones can break…: building a case for when names can hurt you

Commentary on the paper by Griffiths et al (see page 121) “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” [Lord (John Emerich Edward Dalberg) Acton] Bullying as an international problem has been recognised in multiple studies over the last ten years. Almost 30% of teens in the United States (or over 5.7 million) are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both. In a recent US survey of students in grades 6–10, 13% reported bullying others, 11% reported being the target of bullies, and another 6% said …
Interactive tool to aid in proposal preparation for the Hubble Space Telescope

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) has developed a new tool for the preparation of an observing program with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This tool, called the Remote Proposal System Generation 2 (RPS2), provides the astronomical user with immediate feedback on important aspects of the observing program such as fundamental observing constraints and the detailed structure of the observations, allowing the user to detect errors and make informed trade-offs in observing plans. RPS2 was developed by `gluing' together several existing systems that are used in the day-to-day operations of the HST, and adding new components where necessary.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An analysis of renal nitric oxide contribution to hyperfiltration in diabetic rats.

Abstract We have investigated whether nitric oxide (NO) generation is increased in diabetes and whether specific NO synthase (NOS) isoforms are up-regulated in 4-week diabetic male Wistar rats. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), kidney weight, and urinary nitrate (NOx) generation were measured in the following groups (n = 6): normal control animals, diabetic animals, diabetic animals given L -NIL (a selective iNOS inhibitor)(D + L -NIL), diabetic animals given L -NAME (a nonselective NOS inhibitor)(D + L -NAME), and control animals given L -NAME (C + L -NAME). Diabetes increased GFR (0.78 ± 0.05 mL/min/100 g body wt vs 1.49 ± 0.07 mL/min/100 g body wt, P L -NIL did not affect hyperfiltration, while L -NAME decreased GFR to values that were lower than those in normal control animals, a response identical to that in non-diabetic control rats. L -NIL did not affect urinary NOx values, but L -NAME completely abolished the increase in urinary nitrates. Kidney weight was not affected by L -NIL, but L -NAME significantly attenuated kidney growth. Inducible NOS (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) mRNA levels measured by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction in diabetic rats were not changed as compared with levels in controls. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate responses to carbachol (an index of eNOS activity) in glomeruli from diabetic rats were significantly reduced as compared with those in controls, and guanylate cyclase responses to sodium nitroprusside were significantly decreased. Therefore, renal NO generation, at least via eNOS and iNOS, is not the primary cause of glomerular hyperfiltration in diabetes. (J Lab Clin Med 2001;137:107-14)
OFDM, laurent operators, and time-frequency localization

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) has gained considerable interest as an efficient technology for high- date-data transmission over wireless channels. The design of pulse shapes that are well-localized in the time-frequency plane is of great importance in order to combat intersymbol interference and interchannel interference caused by the mobile radio channel. Recently proposed methods to construct such well-localized functions are utilizing the link between OFDM and Gabor systems. We derive a theoretical framework that shows why and under which conditions these methods will yield well-localized pulse shapes. In our analysis we exploit the connection between Gabor systems, Laurent operators and the classical work of Gelfand, Raikov, and Shilov on commutative Banach algebras. In the language of Gabor analysis we derive a general condition under which the dual window and the canonical tight window inherit the decay properties of the analysis window.
Associations of Tabanidae (Diptera) Larvae with Plant Species in Salt Marshes, Carteret County, North Carolina

Larvae of Tabanus nigrovittatus Macquart, Chrysops fuliginosus Wiedemann and C. atlanticus Pechuman were recovered most often and in greatest abundance in regularly flooded areas of salt marshes with nearly uniform stands of Spartina alterniflora Loisel (smooth cordgrass). Areas of S. cynosuroides (L.) Roth. (giant cordgrass), Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene (salt grass), and Juncus roemerianus Scheele (black needle rush) yielded decreasing numbers of tabanid larvae (in that order). In mixed vegetation, as the proportion of other vegetation increased and S. alterniflora decreased, the numbers of tabanid larvae declined
Application of ℓ p -regularized least squares for 0 ≤ p ≤ 1 in estimating discrete spectrum models from sparse frequency measurements

It is difficult to robustly estimate the parameters of an additive exponential model from a small number of frequency-domain measurements, especially when the model order is unknown and the parameters must be constrained to be real. Recent work in sparse sampling and sparse reconstruction casts this problem as a linear dictionary selection problem by densely sampling the parameter space. We present a modified l p -regularized least squares algorithm, for 0 ≤ p ≤ 1, and show that it is effective when the frequency sampling is sparse over a couple of decades and the parameters must be estimated over more than four decades. An empirical method for choosing the regularization parameter is also studied. Using tests on synthetic data and laboratory measurements for an EMI application, the proposed method is shown to provide robust estimates of the model parameters up to eighth order.
Effect of Sulfur Source on Sulfur Oxidation

The rate of elemental sulfur (So) oxidation in soils may be affected by the source of So. This study was conducted to determine the effect of So source on So oxidation. Liquid culture studies with Thiobacillus thiooxidans and T. thioparus, laboratory incubations with a Holloman soil (loamy, gypsic, thermic, shallow Typic Torriorthent) and a Belen soil (clayey over loamy, montmorillonitic [calcareous], thermic Typic Torrifluvent), and a field study on the Belen soil were conducted. Periodic measurements included pH as a measure of So oxidation to H2SO4, electrical conductivity (EC) as a measure of dissolution of CaCO3 from H2SO4 production, and available Fe, Zn, P, and SO4 at the end of soil experiments as a measure of So-oxidation effects on nutrient availability. The So sources included pure So (Sp), Wettable S (Sw), flowable So (Sf), and Disper-Sul So (Sd). In liquid culture, Sw, Sf, and Sd inhibited or slowed So oxidation, compared with Sp, suggesting an ingredient of the commercial So sources was responsible for oxidation inhibition. Oxidation of Sw, Sf, and Sd were similar to Sp oxidation in laboratory soil incubations and in the field. Results indicate that the So source is not the cause of slow So oxidation in some New Mexico soils. Chemoautotrophic So oxidizers were present in unamended soils and their numbers increased in So-amended soils. Although So amendment (25 g So kg−1) in the field decreased pH approximately 0.5 unit and increased SO4 tenfold, So amendment did not increase available Fe, Zn, or P. The slow rate of So oxidation in some New Mexico soils and failure of So amendment to increase nutrient levels are attributed to the buffering capacity of the calcareous soils
Molecular evolution of the myosin family: relationships derived from comparisons of amino acid sequences.

Abstract To examine the evolutionary relationships between members of the myosin family, we have used two different phylogenetic methods, distance matrix and maximum parsimony, to analyze all available myosin head sequences. We find that there are at least three equally divergent classes of myosin, demonstrating that the current classification of myosin into only two classes needs to be reexamined. In the myosin II class, smooth muscle myosin is more closely related to nonmuscle myosin than to striated muscle myosin, implying that smooth muscle and skeletal muscle myosins were independently derived from nonmuscle myosin and suggesting that similarities between these types of muscle are the result of convergent evolution. The grouping of head sequences produced by phylogenetic analysis is consistent with classifications based on enzymology and structural localization and is generally consistent with grouping based on common tail structure elements. This result demonstrates that specific head sequences are tightly coupled to specific tail sequences throughout evolution and challenges the idea that myosin heads are freely interchangeable units whose unique function is determined only by the tail structure to which it is attached.
Individual heterogeneity in reproductive rates and cost of reproduction in a long-lived vertebrate.

Individual variation in reproductive success is a key feature of evolution, but also has important implications for predicting population responses to variable environments. Although such individual variation in reproductive outcomes has been reported in numerous studies, most analyses to date have not considered whether these realized differences were due to latent individual heterogeneity in reproduction or merely random chance causing different outcomes among like individuals. Furthermore, latent heterogeneity in fitness components might be expressed differently in contrasted environmental conditions, an issue that has only rarely been investigated. Here, we assessed (i) the potential existence of latent individual heterogeneity and (ii) the nature of its expression (fixed vs. variable) in a population of female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), using a hierarchical modeling approach on a 30-year mark–recapture data set consisting of 954 individual encounter histories. We found strong support for the existence of latent individual heterogeneity in the population, with “robust” individuals expected to produce twice as many pups as “frail” individuals. Moreover, the expression of individual heterogeneity appeared consistent, with only mild evidence that it might be amplified when environmental conditions are severe. Finally, the explicit modeling of individual heterogeneity allowed us to detect a substantial cost of reproduction that was not evidenced when the heterogeneity was ignored.
Characterization of Polyiodide-Polymer Complexes by Resonance Raman Spectroscopy

The addition of I2 to PPO/MI and MEEP/MI complexes, where M - Na or Li, PPO - poly(propylene oxide), MEEP - methoxyethoxyethoxy phosphazene results in ohmic conductivity. Even in the absence of the metal iodide salt, high conductivities are observed in the polymer/I2 complexes. The presence of polyiodides in all cases is indicated by a Raman band at 170 cm-1. The width of this peak is found to depend on the concentration of iodine and correlates with increasing conductivity at higher I2 concentrations. An additional feature of the polyiodide complexes is the apparent lack of dependence of conductivity on polymer flexibility as indicated by Tg. In most polymer electrolytes, the conductivity depends upon the glass transition, Tg, with conductivity dropping rapidly at T < Tg. By contrast, the polyiodides show only a small inflection in the conductivity around Tg and substantial conductivity below that temperature. Apparently charge transport dynamics are only weakly coupled to the dynamics of the host polymer. Variable temperature Raman spectroscopy has been employed to investigate the low temperature behavior of polyiodides in PPO/MIn systems.
Water reservoir loading of long anisotropic valleys with irregular topographies

Abstract The nature of the stress field induced by water reservoir loading of long anisotropic valleys is considered using an analytical method proposed earlier by the authors. The rock mass is modeled as a linearly elastic, transversely isotropic or nearly isotropic and homogeneous continuum that deforms under a condition of plane strain. The method is used to determine stresses in symmetric and asymmetric valleys induced by water reservoir loading with or without gravity. Numerical examples are presented to analyze the disturbance associated with a water reservoir on the existing gravitational stress field. They show that the presence of a water reservoir does not much affect the horizontal and vertical gravity-induced normal stresses except near the valley bottom. There the effect of the water reservoir is to reduce the magnitude of the gravity-induced horizontal tensile stress and to increase the magnitude of the gravity-induced vertical compressive stress. On the other hand water reservoir loading affects the gravity-induced shear stress in a relatively large region below the valley. Finally a parametric study is presented on the effect of 1. (1) water reservoir height, 2. (2) degree of anisotropy, and 3. (3) orientation of anisotropy on the magnitude and distribution of stresses induced by water reservoir loading only.
Asp338 controls hydride transfer in Escherichia coli IMP dehydrogenase.

IMP dehydrogenase (IMPDH) catalyzes the oxidation of IMP to XMP with the concomitant reduction of NAD+. This reaction involves the formation of a covalent adduct with an active site Cys. This intermediate, E-XMP*, hydrolyzes to produce XMP. The mutation of Asp338 to Ala severely impairs the activity of Escherichia coli IMPDH, decreasing the value of kcat by 650-fold. No DVm or DV/Km isotope effects are observed when 2-2H-IMP is the substrate for wild-type IMPDH. Values of DVm = 2.6 and DV/Km (IMP) = 3.4 are observed for Asp338Ala. Moreover, while a burst of NADH production is observed for wild-type IMPDH, no burst is observed for Asp338Ala. These observations indicate that the mutation has decreased the rate of hydride transfer by at least 5 × 103-fold. In contrast, kcat for the hydrolysis of 2-chloroinosine-5‘-monophosphate is decreased by only 8-fold. In addition, the rate constant for inactivation by 6-chloropurine riboside 5‘-monophosphate is increased by 3-fold. These observations suggest that the mu...
The bonding strength of Ag+(C2H4) and Ag+(C2H4)2 complexes

Abstract The association reactions Ag+(C2H4)n−1+C2H4Ag+(C2H4)n(n= 1 or 2) were studied using high pressure mass spectrometry (HPMS). The enthalpy and entropy changes determined are −ΔH032.4 kcal/mol, and −ΔS0 = 30.2 cal/mol K for the n2 reaction. In the case of the n1 reaction, the Gibbs free energy change at 750 K is measured to be −ΔG017.1 kcal/mol. Using the free energy change and the calculated entropy change −ΔS022.1 cal/mol K, we derived an enthalpy change −ΔH033.7 kcal/mol for the n1 reaction. The bonding in both Ag+ (C2H4) and Ag+ (C2H4)2 complexes is extremely strong, and much higher than expected based on the simple electrostatic-interaction considerations. The strong bonding suggests that covalent interaction or a two-way donor—acceptor interaction dominates in the complexes.
Spin-polarized photoemission studies of the exchange splitting of the Gd 5d electrons near the Curie temperature.

Spin-polarized photoemission was employed to investigate the temperature dependence of the exchange splitting of Gd(0001) for both the surface state near the Fermi level ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{F}}$ and the 5d bulk bands. The bulk bands at 1--2 eV below ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{F}}$ show Stoner-like behavior where two peaks with opposite spin polarization shift toward each other as the temperature increases. In contrast, the temperature dependence of the surface state indicates spin-mixing behavior due to fluctuating local moments. These differences are attributed to the degree of itinerancy of the 5d electrons in the two cases.
Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) from a molecule adsorbed on a nanoscale silver particle cluster in a holographic plate

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy has become a viable technique for the detection of single molecules. This highly sensitive technique is due to the very large (up to 14 orders in magnitude) enhancement in the Raman cross section when the molecule is adsorbed on a metal nanoparticle cluster. We report here SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) experiments performed by adsorbing analyte molecules on nanoscale silver particle clusters within the gelatin layer of commercially available holographic plates which have been developed and fixed. The Ag particles range in size between 5 - 30 nanometers (nm). Sample preparation was performed by immersing the prepared holographic plate in an analyte solution for a few minutes. We report here the production of SERS signals from Rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules of nanomolar concentration. These measurements demonstrate a fast, low cost, reproducible technique of producing SERS substrates in a matter of minutes compared to the conventional procedure of preparing Ag clusters from colloidal solutions. SERS active colloidal solutions require up to a full day to prepare. In addition, the preparations of colloidal aggregates are not consistent in shape, contain additional interfering chemicals, and do not generate consistent SERS enhancement. Colloidal solutions require the addition of KCl or NaCl to increase the ionic strength to allow aggregation and cluster formation. We find no need to add KCl or NaCl to create SERS active clusters in the holographic gelatin matrix. These holographic plates, prepared using simple, conventional procedures, can be stored in an inert environment and preserve SERS activity after several weeks subsequent to preparation.
Numerical methods: An implementation of difsub on an ibm-pc

Abstract An implementation of the Gear program for numerical integration, DIFSUB, has been done on an IBM-PC microcomputer. A Simplex optimization subroutine has been added and the program is parameterized for six species reacting by first order reversible processes. The accuracy and speed of the program, SMPLXKS, is compared to that of the Runge-Kutta programs that have previously been used in studies of hydrocarbon isomerizations. Two examples of the use of SMPLXKS in the study of the Cope rearrangement are given.
Platinum substitutes and two-phase-glass overlayers as a low cost alternatives to platinum aluminide coatings

The feasibility of processing less-expensive alternative coatings to platinum aluminide was examined. Three approaches were followed: (1) enhancement of nickel-aluminide coatings by application of sol-gel derived two-phase-glass (TPG) overlayers, (2) evaluation of TPG coatings on bare IN 738LC, and (3) substitution of Pt with a less expensive platinum group metal (palladium). Accordingly, IN 738LC coupons were tested with several coatings including TPG, aluminide coatings (platinum aluminide, palladium aluminide, and conventional nickel aluminide), and TPG overlayers on the aluminide coatings. Isothermal-oxidation, cyclic-oxidation, and hot-corrosion tests were conducted at 900°C for 500 h to evaluate the coatings. The results showed that the TPG by itself provided superior protection compared to the platinum-aluminide coatings under both oxidation and hot-corrosion conditions. The TPG coating also showed promise as an overcoat on aluminide coatings.
Impact of a transfer center on interhospital referrals and transfers to a tertiary care center.

Background: The partnership of faculty physicians and senior clinical hospital administrators in the decision to accept interhospital transfers has not been fully studied. Transfers to academic medical centers on the basis of economics have been of particular concern. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of joint decision making on transfer acceptance, and to evaluate the basis for decisions to transfer patients to an academic medical center. Methods: This was a database study of requested adult interhospital transfers, excluding psychiatric transfers, occurring between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2003, by using data from a computerized patient-tracking system. Where possible, comparisons with the prior calendar year (i.e., prior to implementation of the administrative review process) were made. Incidence of refusal to accept requested transfers and payer mix of transfer patients were the main outcomes of interest. Results: More than 90% of the adult patients were transferred for conditions that required tertiary care or met Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requirements. The patient conditions that did not meet tertiary care needs included obstetric patients who did not have prenatal care, patients who had hand and facial trauma, and patients who weighed more than 300 pounds. The payer mix of transfer patients remained stable when using the administrator and physician team to determine acceptance of transfers. During the evaluation period, approximately 91,500 patients statewide lost some level of Medicaid coverage. Conclusions: The value of an administrator and physician team as partners in the interhospital transfer process was demonstrated. Active management of interhospital transfers supports transfer of patients who require tertiary care or who meet EMTALA criteria, thus conserving limited bed capacity and ensuring financial equity, while caring for the uninsured and underinsured patients throughout the state.
Carpal Boss in an Adolescent: Case Report

Carpal boss is a relatively uncommon cause of pain and swelling on the dorsum of the wrist and usually presents in adult patients. However, it is occasionally seen in adolescents. We describe an unusual case of a 15-year-old girl with a carpal boss treated surgically after failed conservative treatment. Surgical excision of the carpal boss resulted in relief of symptoms with no complications.
Kinetics of polychlorinated biphenyl dechlorination by Hudson River, New York, USA, sediment microorganisms.

The kinetics of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dechlorination by Hudson River (New York, USA) sediment microorganisms were investigated using Aroclor 1242 at 10 concentrations ranging from 0 to 900 ppm (0–11.2 μmol Cl/g sediment). The time course of PCB dechlorination and population growth were determined by congener-specific analysis and the most-probable-number technique, respectively, over a 44-week incubation period. Dechlorination rate (nmol Cl removed/g sediment/d) was a linear function of PCB concentrations similar to the dechlorination of Aroclor 1248 by sediment microorganisms from the St. Lawrence River (New York, USA). However, the rate was much slower, with the linear slope being only 24% that of the St. Lawrence River. The threshold concentration below which no dechlorination occurs was (mean ± standard deviation) 1.06 ±0.18 μmol Cl/g sediment (85±14 ppm), threefold higher than that for the dechlorination of Aroclor 1248. The maximum extent of dechlorination was greater at higher Aroclor concentrations. Dechlorinating microorganisms did not show any significant growth until late in the lag phase of dechlorination, and their maximum was greater at higher initial Aroclor 1242 concentrations. Although dechlorination rates were significantly lower with the Hudson River inoculum, when normalized to the maximum number of dechlorinating organisms, they were not significantly different from those for Aroclor 1248 by St. Lawrence River microorganisms. These results further support the idea that PCB dechlorination is tightly linked to the growth of dechlorinating microorganisms.