cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The nonfenestrated extracardiac Fontan procedure: a cohort of 145 patients.

Background There are limited data available on the outcomes of single-ventricle patients who have undergone a nonfenestrated extracardiac Fontan procedure. This study examined the clinical experience of a large cohort of patients from a single institution who received this procedure. Methods A retrospective data set of 145 patients who underwent a nonfenestrated extracardiac Fontan procedure from July 1997 to September 2008 was reviewed. Results The hospital survival was 94.5%. Takedown of the Fontan conduit was necessary in 4 patients (2.8%), and 3 of these 4 patients were also operative deaths. Although female sex ( p = 0.048), cardiopulmonary bypass time ( p = 0.002), and aortic cross-clamp time ( p = 0.007) were found to be significant in the univariate analysis, only sex ( p = 0.035; odds ratio, 3.869; 95% confidence limits, 1.097 to 13.644) and cardiopulmonary bypass time in minutes ( p = 0.001; odds ratio, 1.023; 95% confidence limits, 1.009 to 1.037) were found to be significant in the multivariate analysis for hospital survival. The late survival was 95.6% (131 of 137 patients) with a mean follow-up of 3.3 years (range, 0.0 to 10.8 years). The freedom from Fontan failure was 92% at 1 year, 89% at 5 years, and 82% at 10 years. Stepwise logistic regression found cardiopulmonary bypass time ( p = 0.003; odds ratio, 1.023; 95% confidence limits, 1.008 to 1.039) to be a significant risk factor for late survival. Conclusions The nonfenestrated extracardiac Fontan procedure can be successfully used in the palliation of single-ventricle patients.
Cultural transmission in the ancient Near East: twenty squares and fifty-eight holes

Board games have a wide and complex distribution in the ancient world. Two board games from antiquity that were transmitted across the borders of empires and city states and played for nearly two millennia show only minor changes in the appearance of the board. This lack of branching for antique board games can be explained by the abstract characteristics of the games and the dominance of certain cultures in antiquity. A historical analysis of their transmission process supports this hypothesis.
Recent results on diamond radiation tolerance

Results are presented on two topics associated with prediction and measurement of the radiation hardness of diamond sensors in environments relevant to detector tracking systems at the HL-LHC. In the first suite of studies, diamond sensors are exposed to particle beams of a variety of energies and species. The damage incurred is compared to predictions by the Monte Carlo simulation package FLUKA incorporating the number of displacements per atom (DPA) according to the model by Norgert, Robinson, and Torrens. In the second study, the resistivity of polycrystalline chemical vapor deposition diamond sensors is inferred from measurements of the leakage current for a range of bias voltages on samples irradiated with 800 MeV protons up to 1.6 ? 1016 p/cm2. The devices' resistivity is extracted for temperatures in the ?10?C to +20?C range and found to be independent of fluence and temperature over the ranges studied.
Gamma spectrometry with high-efficiency sum-peak coincidence spectrometer

Abstract Methods of gamma spectrometry with a two-crystal integral-bias scintillation coincidence spectrometer described earlier have been studied especially for the case of an almost 4π geometry. Detection of gamma rays with a system of this type has been investigated, and methods of intensity and coincidence relationship determinations are described. The coincidence detection efficiency of the spectrometer presented is two to three orders of magnitude higher than that of comparable conventional scintillation coincidence spectrometers, which makes the system especially useful in detection and identification of multiple coincidences, as well as in study of weak sources. A comparison between the present method and some other coincidence detection techniques is made.
Boundary-value problem for equations with variable coefficients unsolvable with respect to the higher time derivative

In a cylindrical domain, we study the unique solvability of a boundary-value problem with data given on the whole boundary of the domain for a certain class of linear equations with partial higher-order derivatives that are unsolvable with respect to the higher time derivative with variable coefficients depending on spatial coordinates. The obtained results are transferred to the case where the equation is perturbed by a nonlinear term in the linear part.
Odd neighborhood transversals on grid graphs

An odd neighborhood transversal of a graph is a set of its vertices that intersects the set of neighbors of each of its vertices in an odd number of elements. In the case of grid graphs this odd number will be either one or three. We characterize those grid graphs that have odd neighborhood transversals.
Strong-coupling expansion in the large-N limit

We study a strong-coupling expansion of a ${\ensuremath{\phi}}^{4}$ quantum field theory with an $\mathrm{O}(N)$ internal symmetry. For large values of $N$ we observe that there is a critical point in $2lDl4$ dimensions and recover the known results for the two-point and the four-point Green's functions near the critical point, and for the critical exponent.
Investing in Medical Students: Which Ones Are Worth a Surgeon's Time?

Background Little information exists on which third-year medical students will become worthy proteges. Methods Performance and encounter metrics for 4 classes of medical students were correlated with the students who matched into a surgery residency. Results Overall, 68 of 422 (16%) graduating seniors matched into a surgery residency. Male students were twice as likely as female students to match in surgery were, and most (81%) matching students took their general surgery rotation at the university hospital. Students who took certain elective rotations (eg, urology and orthopedics) tended to enter those surgical professions. Grades, test scores, clinical performance, oral presentation skills, and encounter data were not predictive of which students would enter the surgical profession. Conclusion For surgeons who are willing to mentor medical students, our data suggest that currently, the selection of medical students worthy of surgeon–mentor's time will remain an art.
Biochemical and structural analysis of α-catenin in cell-cell contacts

Cadherins are transmembrane adhesion molecules that mediate homotypic cell–cell contact. In adherens junctions, the cytoplasmic domain of cadherins is functionally linked to the actin cytoskeleton through a series of proteins known as catenins. E-cadherin binds to β-catenin, which in turn binds to α-catenin to form a ternary complex. α-Catenin also binds to actin, and it was assumed previously that α-catenin links the cadherin–catenin complex to actin. However, biochemical, structural and live-cell imaging studies of the cadherin–catenin complex and its interaction with actin show that binding of β-catenin to α-catenin prevents the latter from binding to actin. Biochemical and structural data indicate that α-catenin acts as an allosteric protein whose conformation and activity changes depending on whether or not it is bound to β-catenin. Initial contacts between cells occur on dynamic lamellipodia formed by polymerization of branched actin networks, a process controlled by the Arp2/3 (actin-related protein 2/3) complex. α-Catenin can suppress the activity of Arp2/3 by competing for actin filaments. These findings lead to a model for adherens junction formation in which clustering of the cadherin–β-catenin complex recruits high levels of α-catenin that can suppress the Arp2/3 complex, leading to cessation of lamellipodial movement and formation of a stable contact. Thus α-catenin appears to play a central role in cell–cell contact formation.
Gold occlusal surfaces and organic occlusion in denture construction

Abstract When this technique is used in denture construction, the forces applied to the residual ridges are only vertical, eliminating horizontal movement of the denture bases. The occlusal tables may be kept small in width, and the cutting ridges can be sharpened to achieve maximum chewing efficiency with minimum force. The cuspfossa relationship tends to centralize the mandible in harmony with the temporomandibular joints and muscles.
Malignant melanoma and the breast.

Malignant melanoma characteristically disseminates widely but infrequently metastasizes to the breast; primary melanoma of the breast is even rarer. Two cases of metastatic melanoma presenting as solitary breast tumors are reported, and unusual primary and metastatic sites in melanoma are discussed. A review of all metastatic tumors to the breast is presented. Conservative excision is recommended since mastectomy has not altered survival.
Metabolic adaptation of Zostera marina (eelgrass) to diurnal periods of root anoxia

The temperate seagrass Zostera marina L. is common in coastal marine habitats characterized by the presence of reducing sediments. The roots of this seagrass grow in these anoxic sediments, yet eelgrass is highly productive. Through photosynthesis-dependent oxygen transport from leaves to roots, aerobic respiration is supported in eelgrass roots only during daylight; consequently, roots are subjected to diurnal periods of anoxia. Under anoxic root conditions, the amino acids alanine and γ-amino butyric acid accumulate within a few hours to account for 70% of the total amino acid pool, while glutamate and glutamine decline. Little ethanol is produced, and the pool size of the organic acid malate changes little or declines slowly. Upon the resumption of shoot photosynthesis and oxygen transport to the roots, the accumulated γ-amino butyric acid declines rapidly, glutamate and glutamine pools increase, and alanine declines over a 16-h period. These adaptive metabolic responses by eelgrass to diurnal root anoxia must contribute to the successful exploitation of shallow-water marine sediments that have excluded nearly all vascular plant groups. A metabolic scheme is presented that accounts for the observed changes in organic and amino acid pool sizes in response to anoxia.
Note on the Dicynodont Vomer

IN 1898 I directed attention to the fact that the paired elements in the front of the palate of lizards and snakes seem in all their relations to agree with the pair of bones in Ornithorhynchus, which afterwards fuse to form the dumb-bell bone, and that they cannot be homologous with the median unpaired vomer of mammals, and must have another name, and I proposed to call them prevomers. While the embryological evidence seems conclusive, the palontological testimony has not hitherto been so satisfactory as one could desire. Cynodont reptiles appear to have a single median vomer, very like that of the mammal, and one specimen of Gomphognathus shows what appear to be a pair of elements in front. Dicynodon appears to have also a single median vomer, and no paired elements. The Therocephalians, on the other hand, I have a pair of large anterior elements, and apparently no median element. With the palaeontological evidence in this condition, it is not surprising that the theory, though fully accepted by a few, and hesitatingly by others, has failed so far to be generally adopted.
Parvalbumin Isoforms in Zebrafish

By using an analysis of existing genomic information it is concluded that in zebrafish nine genes encode parvalbumin (PV). These genes possess introns that differ in size and show nucleotide variability but they contain the same number of exons, and for each corresponding exon, the number of nucleotides therein are identical in all the paralogs. This rule also applies to the multiple PV genes of other species e.g. mammals. Each of these genes displays, however, characteristic 5′ and 3′ UTRs which appear highly conserved between closely related species (so that orthologs among these species can be readily identified) but which show larger numbers of mutations between species that are more distant in evolution. A tree is presented which suggests that the traditional classification of PVs as alpha or beta (based mainly on charge of the protein molecule) is not sustainable. Numbers 1–9 are assigned to the various isoforms to facilitate their identification in future studies. A bifurcation of isoforms into 1 and 4; 2 and 3; 6 and 7; 8 and 9 appears to have occurred simultaneously in more recent time, i.e. perhaps approximately 60 mys ago when primates and rodents branched.
Personality, Family, Educational, and Criminological Characteristics of Bright Delinquents:

30 male juvenile offenders with IQs 115 or above (bright subjects) were compared to 30 delinquents with IQs ranging from 90 to 104 (average subjects). All subjects were administered the Personality...
Analysis of movement of intrathoracic neoplasms using ultrafast computerized tomography

Twenty patients with intrathoracic neoplasms were evaluated with ultrafast (cine) computerized tomography to determine the contribution of tumor motion to geographic errors. The treatment portals were setup with conventional simulation techniques and then scanned with cine computerized tomography. Eight tomographic levels were studied, 10 images per level over 7 seconds time. Major geographic misses were detected in three patients (15%), and minor geographic misses in an additional three (15%). The greatest tumor movement was noted in lesions located adjacent to the heart or aorta or near the diaphragm. Five of six hilar lesions showed significant lateral motion (average = 9.2 mm) with cardiac contraction, and three of four lower lobe lesions showed significant craniocaudal movement with respiration. Mediastinal lesions moved an average of 8.7 mm laterally. Lesions in the upper lobes showed minimal movement (average = 2.2 mm), and tumors attached to the chest wall showed no measurable movement.
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NAD(P)H‐DEPENDENT LIPID PEROXIDATION SYSTEM IN THE MICROSOMAL FRACTION OF CHICKEN BREAST MUSCLE

Incubation of the microsomal fraction isolated from chicken breast muscle in the presence of NADPH, ADP and Fe+++ ions was shown to result in lipid peroxidation. NADH was able to replace NADPH as the source of reducing equivalents but was less efficient. The pH optimum for malonaldehyde (MDA) production was found to be around pH 6. 7. Oxygen uptake by the system was shown to have a pH optimum of 5.5. Oxygen uptake was approximately linearly dependent on temperature but malonaldehyde production exhibited a sharp increase between 25°C and 37°C. Inhibitor studies and the virtual absence of cytochromes indicate that this system is not similar to that isolated from rat liver microsomes. The activity of the lipid peroxidation system was maintained after storage for 7 days at pH 7.25 and 4°C. At pH 5.6 a reduction in activity was noted after 7 days.
Sampling density for the quantitative evaluation of air trapping.

Background Concerns have been expressed recently about the radiation burden on patient populations, especially children, undergoing serial radiological testing. To reduce the dose one can change the CT acquisition settings or decrease the sampling density.
The differentiation of L5:A10 myoblast cell line (a subclone of L5 line) is controlled by changes of culture conditions

Abstract We report here that it is possible to induce differentiation in a subline of L5 myoblast line (L5/A10) by manipulating the culture media. When L5/A10 myoblast are cultured in F 14 supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum the cells grow with a division time of 12 h and reach confluency at a cell density of approximately 2.4 × 10 5 cells per cm 2 , without undergoing differentiation, characterized, morphologically, by formation of multinucleated fibers, and biochemically, by the synthesis of muscle specific proteins such as creatine phosphokinase or myokinase. However, cells, grown in F 14 + 10% fetal calf serum, will undergo regular differentiation after a limited number of division when transferred to F 14 medium supplemented with limiting concentrations (1–2%) of fetal calf serum. Investigations of the biochemistry of myoblast differentiation in cell culture will be facilitated by the availability of a cell line that can undergo differentiation under controlled conditions.
1.3‐Bis(2‐chloroethyl)‐1‐nitrosourea(BCNU), cyclophosphamide, vincristine‐ and prednisone‐(BCOP): A new therapeutic regimen for diffuse histiocytic lymphoma

Sixty-seven evaluable patients with mixed cellular and histiocytic lymphomas, both nodular and diffuse, were treated with a combined drug regimen of BCNU, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone administered for six monthly courses. Of 28 previously untreated patients with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma, 14 (50%) achieved a complete remission, and an additional 7 (25%) had a good partial response for an overall remission rate of 75%. Complete remissions were also obtained among the small number of mixed and nodular histiocytic lymphomas which were treated. The median survival for previously untreated patients with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma who achieved a complete remission is nearly two years and 42% (8/19) of these patients remain in their initial unmaintained remission (range 2–119 weeks). Hematologic toxicity, although acceptable, was the limiting factor. Granulocytes were more often and more severely depressed than platelets.
Domestic Institutions, Capacity Limitations, and Compliance Costs: Host Country Determinants of Investment Treaty Arbitrations, 1987–2007

The number of investment treaty arbitrations has exploded in recent years. However, the distribution of known arbitral claims varies among states. Some states have had multiple claims brought against them, while others appear not to have experienced any. This article represents the first study to seek causal explanations for this variation. My principal hypothesis is that a country's institutional capacity for protecting investor rights should be negatively correlated with the number of treaty-based arbitral claims brought against it. A panel analysis suggests that, after controlling for other determinants, countries with greater institutional capacity experience fewer disputes than those with lower capacity. This finding reveals an important truth about investment treaties: while they may be designed to help developing countries compensate for domestic-level institutional deficiencies in order to attract more foreign investment, it is precisely those countries with the weakest institutions for which the ...
Surface defects and core excitons at the (2×1) asymmetric-dimer (100) surface of Si

Predictions are given for the chemical trends in (i) deep energy levels associated with 28 ${\mathrm{sp}}^{3}$- bonded substitutional defects, and (ii) energies of Hjalmarson-Frenkel core excitons at the (100) surface of Si, reconstructed according to Chadi's (2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1) asymmetric-dimer model. The predictions suggest that P at this surface should produce a deep level, and that the Hjalmarson-Frenkel surface core exciton should have a binding energy that is strongly site dependent.
Heat or mass transfer in laminar flow through a concentric annulus with convective flux at walls

Abstract Theoretical equations describing the temperature fields and Nusselt numbers have been obtained for a fully developed laminar flow through an annular passage where thermal radiation from the wall to the surrounding medium takes place according to Newton's law of cooling. The analytical solutions were obtained by reducing the governing energy equation to a pair of ordinary differential equations. One of these equations constitutesan eigenvalue problem of the “Sturm-Liouville” system. Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions satisfying the characteristic equation and the appropriate radiative boundary conditions are determined and tabulated. Variations of the local Nusselt number are illustrated for the respective cases of unilateral (outer wall insulated) and bilateral radiative transfer. For the latter case, the effects of varying the relative magnitude of the radiation coefficients at the inner and the outer walls of the annulus are also investigated and discussed. Solutions are also obtained for the case where radiative heat transfer at the wall and uniform internal heat generation take place simultaneously.
Validity of Health History Data Collected from Dental Patients and Patient Perception of Health Status

Recently, dental practitioners have recognized the need to be aware of the patient's medical history before proceeding with treatment. However, the validity of the data acquired by the usual means, written questionnaire and dialogue history, has been questioned. A study was made comparing results obtained with the two methods to determine the accuracy of each.
Color reactions of aldehydes and ketones with vanillin in alkaline medium

Abstract Vanillin in alkaline medium is a very useful reagent for the detection of carbonyl-bearing compounds, especially ketones, yielding yellow, orange or red colorations in the reaction mixture. he intensity of the reaction and the particular color produced depends upon the constitution of the compound and its concentration. The reaction works best with aliphatic ketones, especially when these contain a methyl group. Acetone with two methyl radicals yields the maximal color. As the carbon chains in the ketone radicals lengthen, reactivity diminishes. Aromatic ketones are least reactive or do not react at all.
Investigation of the action of the X locus in the tomato

The action of the X locus in the tomato was explored by studying meiotic behavior, pollen germination, pollen tube growth, and fertilization capability. Normal meiosis was observed suggesting no x meiotic lethality. Percent germination showed much variation from test to test depending on size of population. X and x pollen from homozygous sources showed no differences in pollen tube growth capability or fertilization capability. Pollen from the F1 plant had a lower mean pollen tube length than either X and x pollen. Using F1 pollen in backcrosses to the recessive parent resulted in deviations from expected segregation ratios for characters linked to x.
Emotionality differences between artists and scientists.

Abstract Advanced art and science students were compared on measures of emotionality and subjective well-being. Consistent with traditional findings, artists were found to experience more frequent negative affectivity, more anxiety symptoms, and more global symptomology. Artists were also higher in affect intensity, were no different from scientists in life satisfaction or positive affect, and listed fewer strivings to contain or control emotional experience. Results are discussed in terms of affect-intensity and arousal regulation theory (Diener and Larsen, 1987).
Reliable uncoded communication in the SIMO MAC via low-complexity decoding

We consider a multiple access channel with a large number of transmitters sending symbols from a constellation to the receiver of a multi-antenna base station. We investigate the joint decoding of the signals from all the users using a low complexity convex relaxation of the maximum likelihood decoder (constellation search). We show that, in a rich scattering environment, and in the asymptotic limit of a large number of transmitters, reliable communication is possible even without employing coding at the transmitters.
Centroid-moment tensor solutions for January–March 1989

Abstract Centroid-moment tensor solutions are presented for 196 earthquakes that occurred during the first quarter of 1989. The solutions are obtained using corrections for aspherical Earth structure.
Correlation of Human Arterial Morphology With Hemodynamic Measurements in Arterial Casts

A realistic pulsatile flow was passed through a cast of the aortic bifurcation of a 63-yr-old male with mild atherosclerosis, and a laser Doppler anemometer was used to measure fluid velocities in the cast at 15 selected sites near the lateral and medial walls. Intimal, medial and adventitial thicknesses were measured and sudanophilia was scored at corresponding sites in the vessel from which the cast had been made. A negative correlation was found between intimal thickness (IT) and wall shear rate. The strongest negative correlation (p less than 0.005) was between IT and "pulse shear rate" (PSR), defined by analogy with pulse pressure. Sudanophilia also correlated negatively with PSR (p less than 0.01). Medial thickness correlated positively with shear rate, and most strongly with the mean (i.e., time-average) rate (p less than 0.005). From an analysis of the fluid mechanical data, it appears possible to separate the effects of bifurcation geometry and the shape of the arterial cross section on interfacial shear.
Wnt2 Expression and Signaling is Increased by Different Classes of Antidepressant Treatments

Background Despite recent interest in glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) as a target for the treatment of mood disorders, there has been very little work related to these illnesses on the upstream signaling molecules that regulate this kinase as well as downstream targets. Methods With a focused microarray approach we examined the influence of different classes of antidepressants on Wnt signaling that controls GSK-3β activity as well as the transcription factors that contribute to the actions of GSK-3β. Results The results demonstrate that Wnt2 is a common target of different classes of antidepressants and also show differential regulation of Wnt-GSK-3β signaling genes. Increased expression and function of Wnt2 was confirmed by secondary measures. Moreover, with a viral vector approach we demonstrate that increased expression of Wnt2 in the hippocampus is sufficient to produce antidepressant-like behavioral actions in well-established models of depression and treatment response. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that Wnt2 expression and signaling is a common target of antidepressants and that increased Wnt2 is sufficient to produce antidepressant effects.
Graphoids over Counterfactuals

Augmenting the graphoid axioms with three additional rules enables us to handle independencies among observed as well as counterfactual variables. The augmented set of axioms facilitates the derivation of testable implications and ignorability conditions whenever modeling assumptions are articulated in the language of counterfactuals.
Hypothalamo-spinal pathways and responses to photoperiod in syrian hamsters

Abstract Descending projections from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to the spinal cord mediate the effects of photoperiod on the reproductive system of hamsters. To elucidate the course of these PVN efferent fibers, injections of horseradish peroxidase conjugated to either cholera toxin or wheat germ agglutinin were made into the T1-C7 region of the spinal cord of hamsters. Four sets of descending tracts were identified in males and females. Two sets of fibers originated from the medial PVN and exited the nucleus dorsally and ventrally, respectively. Most of the descending fibers, however, organized themselves into two tracts that exited the PVN laterally. In earlier experiments, destruction of these lateral pathways prevented photoperiodic responses in hamsters of both sexes. Photoperiodism Paraventricular nucleus Seasonal cycles Spinal cord
Happy Cly and the Unhappy History of Uranium Mining on the Navajo Reservation

The camera pans across the vermillion mesas and buttes of Monument Valley that John Ford and John Wayne made mythic. Here, near the border between Utah and Arizona, lives the most famous family you have never heard of, the family of Happy Cly, pictured again and again in Arizona Highways, the portfolios of photographers Josef Muench and Ray Manley, and postcards sold at Goulding’s tourist lodge. Dissolve. The next scenes introduce Cly’s great-grandson, Lorenzo Begay. He leafs through old black-and-white pictures of his family, stills from a movie he has never seen: a smiling girl in a velveteen blouse studded with silver conchos, a grinning boy with a bandana tied across his forehead. “I never thought that pictures would change anyone’s life,” Begay narrates. “But that was before the return of the Navajo boy.” 1
The Effect of a Sublethal Temperature Elevation on the Structure of Bacterial Communities Associated with the Coral Porites compressa

Evidence points to a link between environmental stressors, coral-associated bacteria, and coral disease; however, few studies have examined the details of this relationship under tightly controlled experimental conditions. To address this gap, an array of closed-system, precision-controlled experimental aquaria were used to investigate the effects of an abrupt 1°C above summer ambient temperature increase on the bacterial community structure and photophysiology of Porites compressa corals. While the temperature treatment rapidly impacted the photophysiology of the coral host, it did not elicit a statistically significant shift in bacterial community structure from control, untreated corals as determined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 16S rRNA genes. Two of three coral colonies harbored more closely related bacterial communities at the time of collection and, despite statistically significant shifts in bacterial community structure for both control and treatment corals during the 10-day acclimation period, maintained this relationship over the course of the experiment. The experimental design used in this study proved to be a robust, reproducible system for investigating coral microbiology in an aquarium setting.
Sumoylation of Critical Proteins in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Emerging Pathways of Pathogenesis

Emerging lines of evidence suggest a relationship between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and protein sumoylation. Multiple studies have demonstrated that several of the proteins involved in the pathogenesis of ALS, including superoxide dismutase 1, fused in liposarcoma, and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), are substrates for sumoylation. Additionally, recent studies in cellular and animal models of ALS revealed that sumoylation of these proteins impact their localization, longevity, and how they functionally perform in disease, providing novel areas for mechanistic investigations and therapeutics. In this article, we summarize the current literature examining the impact of sumoylation of critical proteins involved in ALS and discuss the potential impact for the pathogenesis of the disease. In addition, we report and discuss the implications of new evidence demonstrating that sumoylation of a fragment derived from the proteolytic cleavage of the astroglial glutamate transporter, EAAT2, plays a direct role in downregulating the expression levels of full-length EAAT2 by binding to a regulatory region of its promoter.
Ultraviolet refractometry using field-based light scattering spectroscopy.

Accurate refractive index measurement in the deep ultraviolet (UV) range is important for the separate quantification of biomolecules such as proteins and DNA in biology. This task is demanding and has not been fully exploited so far. Here we report a new method of measuring refractive index using field-based light scattering spectroscopy, which is applicable to any wavelength range and suitable for both solutions and homogenous objects with well-defined shape such as microspheres. The angular scattering distribution of single microspheres immersed in homogeneous media is measured over the wavelength range 260 to 315 nm using quantitative phase microscopy. By least square fitting the observed scattering distribution with Mie scattering theory, the refractive index of either the sphere or the immersion medium can be determined provided that one is known a priori. Using this method, we have measured the refractive index dispersion of SiO2 spheres and bovine serum albumin (BSA) solutions in the deep UV region. Specific refractive index increments of BSA are also extracted. Typical accuracy of the present refractive index technique is ≤0.003. The precision of refractive index measurements is ≤0.002 and that of specific refractive index increment determination is ≤0.01 mL/g.
The Problem of the Unseen World of Wealth for the Rich: Toward an Ethnography of Complex Connections

This paper is an effort to outline a major challenge (as well as opportunity) for a developing ethnography of modernity within anthropology through ironic reference to a traditional anthropological problem in the traditional arena of traditional society. The focus is on how the construction of order in everyday (modern or traditional) life depends on the postulation of at least dual, parallel worlds, one of which is unseen. In a broader sense, this paper reflects an effort to recast, but sustain, the comparative framework so central to anthropology's identity as ethnography and equally central to the discipline, to expand its capacity for representation in posing new questions and new objects for study. The foundation of cultural order among the Kaluli, the people of the Great Papuan Plateau of New Guinea so vividly represented by the Schieffelins and Steve Feld, rests on the positing of an unseen world that intimately parallels the happenings of everyday life. As Edward Schieffelin has written:
Assistive technologies to track ocean forests: data visualization and clustering for large scale systems

P. oceanica is a species of seagrass indigenous to the shallow water seabeds in Mediterranean Sea. The large underwater meadows it forms span the shallower waters around the islands and are vital to the sustainability of its encompassing marine ecosystem. Recently, environmental impacts have resulted in an irreversible degradation of the species. Stronger evidence of degradation is needed to provide reason for changing policy on activities that are potential sources of environmental impact. By running a classification algorithm on aerial imagery containing visible P. oceanica, data points that circumscribe the species in polygons can be created. By projecting this data on the original images, information about the species' environmental presence is visualized. Accuracy of the data can be verified by collecting ground truthing data. When repeated over multiple years, a history of the environment and the species' coverage can be built, providing evidence of environmental trends.
Carbon and oxygen isotopes as diagenetic and stratigraphic tools: Surface and subsurface data, Barbados, West Indies

Carbon isotopic values reported in the literature for low-magnesium calcite Pleistocene limestones are generally more negative than −4‰ PDB, while values reported for most ancient limestones are more positive than −2‰ PDB. This relationship has recently led to suggestions that subaerial diagenesis was of minor importance in forming ancient limestones. Isotopic analyses of Barbados subsurface Pleistocene limestone samples show that samples from shallow subsurface diagenetic regimes have δC13 compositions much closer to those reported for ancient rocks. In the vadose environment, Barbados limestones become systematically enriched in C13 by 3 to 4‰ with increasing depth. This δC13 versus depth relationship may prove useful for identifying subaerial exposure surfaces in ancient sequences. Barbados subsurface limestone samples, as a group, are characterized by a narrow range of δO18 compositions and a much wider range of δC13 compositions. This relationship may provide a means for identifying ancient limestones that have undergone subaerial diagenesis. Finally, our data indicate that positive δC13 PDB values are not inconsistent with diagenesis within the near-surface freshwater phreatic environment.
Biologically active recombinant human complement factor H: synthesis and secretion by the baculovirus system.

Abstract A complete cDNA clone (4.3 kb) encoding human complement factor H (hCFH; 155 kDa) has been cloned into the pVL1393 baculovirus expression vector and transfected into Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 insect cells. A biologically active (92 ± 15%) 140-kDa protein was secreted into the medium with a yield of more than 5 mg/liter. This is the first report of synthesis of biologically active recombinant hCFH in a heterologous system.
Collaborative Community-Based Research as Activism: Giving Voice and Hope to Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth

SUMMARY Psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals who work with lesbian, gay, and/or bisexual (LGB) youth are in an ideal position to engage in activism aimed at improving societal conditions for LGB youth and to assist them in their quest for compassion, understanding, and basic human rights. In this paper, the authors discuss ways in which psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals can engage in LGB youth activism through structural-level change efforts, with a specific focus on: (1) raising awareness within the academy about the issues that confront LGB youth and the need for activism, while also working to elevate the status of LGB research within these academic institutions; (2) creating safe settings in which LGB youth can be affirmed and validated when they engage in self expression; and (3) improving the capacity of local community organizations to advocate for LGB youth. The authors purport that one way to affect structural-level factors is throu...
A Gene Expression Map for Caenorhabditis elegans

We have assembled data from Caenorhabditis elegans DNA microarray experiments involving many growth conditions, developmental stages, and varieties of mutants. Co-regulated genes were grouped together and visualized in a three-dimensional expression map that displays correlations of gene expression profiles as distances in two dimensions and gene density in the third dimension. The gene expression map can be used as a gene discovery tool to identify genes that are co-regulated with known sets of genes (such as heat shock, growth control genes, germ line genes, and so forth) or to uncover previously unknown genetic functions (such as genomic instability in males and sperm caused by specific transposons).
Depletion of the ATPase NSF from Golgi membranes with hypo-S-nitrosylation of vasorelevant proteins in endothelial cells exposed to monocrotaline pyrrole

Investigations of regulated S-nitrosylation and denitrosylation of vasorelevant proteins are a newly emergent area in vascular biology. We previously showed that monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP)-induce...
A knowledge based object-oriented database schema generator

The design and implementation are discussed of a knowledge based object-oriented database (OODB) schema generator called KERO. KERO converts entity-relationship (ER) diagrams into structurally object-oriented database schema. A set of rules translating ER schema to OODB schema and their implementation are discussed with examples. KERO's input ER schema are capable of containing most of the semantic constructs used in the literature. The ER approach has been the most popular methodology for the relational database design. KERO allows one to utilize in the design of OODB schema the valuable knowledge of information engineers, as obtained through the design and use of relational database systems using the ER methodology. The KERO system has been implemented in MIKE, which is a meta-interpreter written in Prolog. >
Why do firms issue global bonds

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the motivations of firms that issue global bonds. Specifically, it seeks to test whether firms are motivated to offer bonds in multi‐markets to raise more capital, take advantage of being well‐known in foreign markets and/or owing to poor domestic economic conditions.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of global bond offerings of US industrial firms during the period 1995 to 2001 was studied. Logistic regressions were used to examine the determinants of the choice between global and domestic debt offerings. The factors that explain the stock price reaction of global bond issues were also analyzed.Findings – The authors find evidence suggesting that firms with a good reputation abroad and firms that want to raise large amounts of funds choose to issue global bonds instead of domestic bonds. Firms also tend to issue global bonds when the domestic economy is weak. In addition, the stock markets do not react more positively to global bond issues than domestic bond issue...
Composition of software architectures from reusable architecture patterns

In this paper a software architecture perspective is taken to designing reusable software applications. An application domain is defined as a family of systems that have some features in common and others that differentiate them. During domain engineering, reusable specifications, architectural design patterns, and component types are developed, which capture the similarities and variations of the family of systems that compose the application domain. This paper describes the composition of software architectures from reusable feature based domain specific architectural design patterns.
Charting a course for health services research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse

Through research, we continue to develop and refine an array of safe and efficacious interventions to prevent and treat drug abuse; however, these interventions have not led to widespread improvements in prevention and treatment services in nonresearch settings. In addition, investigator-initiated research rarely examine or refine interventions that practitioners have found relevant and that are widely practiced. To address these problems, the National Institute on Drug Abuse convened a blue ribbon task force to examine its health services research program. The report served as a catalyst for the institute to promote a vigorous program of research that seeks to examine prevention and treatment intervention delivery systems and policies that facilitate provision of effective care in a range of real world settings. Findings from this research should help address the translational bottleneck of bringing evidence-based interventions into the community.
Communication and control of distributed hybrid systems

The rich and exciting research over the past decade concerning the description, analysis, controller design, simulation, and implementation of distributed systems is reviewed. From control engineering, this research has inherited the concepts and theories of optimality, stability, controlled differential equation models, and the motivation to improve the performance of increasingly complex physical processes. From computer science, the research has incorporated the theories of logical specification and verification, event-driven state machine models, concurrent processes and object-oriented approaches. The review is organized in the framework of dynamic networks of hybrid automata. The case study of an automated highway system is used to illustrate the challenges posed by a complex distributed system, and the research contributions that address different challenges. There is an equal emphasis on the conceptual and theoretical contributions and on tools and techniques that yield more immediately practical benefits.
The Effects of Mothers' Singing on Full-term and Preterm Infants and Maternal Emotional Responses

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of mothers' singing on their adjustment to and bonding with their new infants as well as use of music in the home environment in the first 2 weeks after their infants' birth. Preterm mothers were assessed for coping with their infants' NICU stay, and premature infants' length of hospitalization was evaluated. Fifty-four full-term infants and mothers and 20 premature infants and 16 mothers were randomly assigned to experimental or control conditions. Mothers in both experimental groups were recorded singing songs of their choice for use at home. Recordings of each preterm mother's voice were played 20 minutes per day, 3 to 5 times per week, at a time when she was not able to visit her infant in the NICU. All full-term and preterm mothers in experimental and control groups completed a posttest survey 2 weeks after infants were discharged. Comparisons revealed that experimental preterm and full-term mothers indicated less adjustment to their baby and lifestyle changes and less bonding compared to control mothers, though this difference was not significant. Preterm and full-term experimental mothers reported the greatest number of postpartum medical complications, which might explain their poor adjustment and bonding scores. There was a significant difference between mothers' value of music, with preterm experimental valuing music more. Preterm and full-term experimental mothers used music with and sang to infants more compared to preterm and full-term control mothers, but not to a significant degree. Preterm mothers reported a mean score of 4.75 (with a 5 indicating that they strongly agreed) for the following item: knowing my infant listened to my singing helped me to cope with my infant's stay in the NICU. Furthermore, preterm infants who listened to the CD recording of their mothers' singing left the hospital an average of 2 days sooner than those in the control group, though this difference was not significant.
Anaphylactic Reaction to a Dietary Supplement Containing Willow Bark

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of anaphylaxis resulting from the use of a willow bark–containing dietary supplement in a patient with a history of an aspirin allergy.CASE SUMMARY:A 25-year-old white woman presented to the emergency department of a community teaching hospital with anaphylaxis requiring epinephrine, diphenhydramine, methylprednisolone, and volume resuscitation to which she responded favorably. Medication history revealed that she had ingested 2 capsules of Stacker 2 (NVE Pharmaceuticals, Newton, NJ), a dietary supplement promoted for weight loss, prior to experiencing her initial symptoms. Among other active ingredients, this product contains willow bark. Of significance is that this patient also reported a history of allergy to acetylsalicylic acid. No other causes for anaphylaxis were identified. She continued to receive routine supportive care and the remaining hospital course was uncomplicated.DISCUSSION:Dietary supplements, including herbal products, are used by many individuals who consid...
Dynamics of isolated water molecules in a sea of ions in a room temperature ionic liquid.

The vibrational dynamics of the antisymmetric and symmetric stretching modes of very low concentration spatially isolated D2O molecules in the room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BmImPF6) were examined using two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) vibrational echo spectroscopy and infrared pump–probe experiments. In BmImPF6, D2O’s antisymmetric and symmetric stretching modes are well resolved in the IR absorption spectrum in spite of the fact that the D2O is surrounded by a sea of ions, making it is possible to study inter- and intramolecular dynamics. Both population exchange between the modes and excited-state relaxation to the ground state contribute to the population dynamics. The kinetics for the incoherent population exchange (scattering) between the two modes was determined by the time dependence of the exchange peaks in the 2D IR spectrum. In addition, coherent quantum beats were observed at short time in both the amplitudes and 2D IR band shapes of the m...