cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of two programs to teach firearm injury prevention skills to 6- and 7-year-old children.

Background. Each year, hundreds of children unintentionally kill or injure other children while playing with firearms in the United States. Although the numbers of these deaths and injuries are distressing, few prevention programs have been developed to prevent gun play among children. Objective. This study compared the efficacy of 2 programs designed to prevent gun play among young children. Design. A posttest-only, control group design with 2 treatment groups was used. Children were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups or a control group. For all children who did not exhibit the skills after training, 1 in situ (ie, real-life situation) training session was conducted. Setting. Participant recruitment, training sessions, and assessments were all conducted in the children’s after-school program facility. Participants. Forty-five children, 6 or 7 years of age, were recruited for participation. Interventions. The efficacy of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program, developed by the National Rifle Association, and a behavioral skills training program that emphasized the use of instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback was evaluated. Main Outcome Measures. The criterion firearm safety behaviors included both motor and verbal responses, which were assessed in a naturalistic setting and then assigned a numerical value based on a scale of 0 to 3. Results. Both programs were effective for teaching children to verbalize the safety skills message (don’t touch the gun, get away, and tell an adult). However, children who received behavioral skills training were significantly more likely to demonstrate the desired safety skills in role-playing assessments and in situ assessments than were children who received Eddie Eagle program training. In addition, in situ training was found to be effective for teaching the desired safety skills for both groups of children. Conclusions. Injury prevention programs using education-based learning materials are less effective for teaching children the desired safety skills, compared with programs incorporating active learning approaches (eg, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback). The efficacy of both types of injury prevention programs for teaching the desired skills could be significantly enhanced with the use of in situ training. This program, when implemented with 6- and 7-year-old children, was effective in teaching the desired safety skills.
Siderophore-promoted dissolution of cobalt from hydroxide minerals.

Recent research has revealed that siderophores, a class of biogenic ligands with high affinities for Fe(III), can also strongly complex Co(III), an element essential to the normal metabolic function of microbes and animals. This study was conducted to quantify the rates and identify the products and mechanisms of the siderophore-promoted dissolution of Co from synthetic Co-bearing minerals. The dissolution reactions of heterogenite (CoOOH) and four Co-substituted goethites (Co-FeOOH) containing different Co concentrations were investigated in the presence of a trihydroxamate siderophore, desferrioxamine B (DFOB), using batch and flow-through experiments. Results showed that DFOB-promoted dissolution of Co from Co-bearing minerals may occur via pH-dependent ligand-promoted or reductive dissolution mechanisms. For heterogenite, ligand-promoted dissolution was the dominant pathway at neutral to alkaline pH, while production of dissolved Co(II) for pH <6. It was not possible from our data to decouple the separate contributions of homogenous and heterogeneous reduction reactions to the aqueous Co(II) pool. Cobalt substitution in Co-substituted goethite, possibly caused by distortion of goethite structure and increased lattice strain, resulted in enhanced total dissolution rates of both Co and Fe. The DFOB-promoted dissolution rates of Co-bearing minerals, coupled with the high affinity of Co(III) for DFOB, suggest that siderophores may be effective for increasing Co solubility, and thus possibly Co bioavailability. The results also suggest that siderophores may contribute to the mobilization of radioactive 60Co from Co-bearing mineral phases through mineral weathering and dissolution processes.
GDF-3 is an adipogenic cytokine under high fat dietary condition

Growth differentiation factor 3 (GDF-3) is structurally a bone morphogenetic protein/growth differentiation factor subfamily member of the TGF-β superfamily. GDF-3 exhibits highest level of expression in white fat tissue in mice and is greatly induced by high fat diet if fat metabolic pathway is blocked. To identify its biological function, GDF-3 was overexpressed in mice by adenovirus mediated gene transfer. Mice transduced with GDF-3 displayed profound weight gain when fed with high fat diet. The phenotypes included greatly expanded adipose tissue mass, increased body adiposity, highly hypertrophic adipocytes, hepatic steatosis, and elevated plasma leptin. GDF-3 stimulated peroxisome proliferator activated receptor expression in adipocytes, a master nuclear receptor that controls adipogenesis. However, GDF-3 was not involved in blood glucose homeostasis or insulin resistance, a condition associated with obesity. In contrast, similar phenotypes were not observed in GDF-3 mice fed with normal chow, indicating that GDF-3 is only active under high lipid load. Thus, GDF-3 is a new non-diabetic adipogenic factor tightly coupled with fat metabolism.
Observations on osteoarthritis

Modern concepts of osteoarthritis are summarized by a physician who has had a sustained interest in this form of joint disease for many years. The various aspects of osteoarthritis that are reviewed include definitions, pathogenesis, pertinent research and clinicopathologic correlations in generalized osteoarthritis. Le conception moderne de osteoarthritis es summarisate per un medico qui depost multe annos ha habite un interesse non-interrumpite pro iste forma de morbo articular. Le vane aspectos de osteoarthritis passate in revista include definitiones, pathogenese, recercas pertinente, e correlationes clinico-pathologic in osteoarthritis generalisate.
Postoperative results of opponensplasty and flexor tendon transfer in patients with spinal cord injuries

Key pinch, palmar pinch, and grasp strength were evaluated after opponensplasty and flexor tendon transfer in 24 patients who had suffered cervical spinal cord injuries during a 17-year period. The patients had 57 tendon transfers: 35 opponensplasties and 22 flexor tendon transfers. The average follow-up was 4.2 years. The brachioradialis and pronator teres were the most frequently used motors for the opponensplasty and flexor tendon transfer. Key pinch strength averaged 1.47 kg (range of 0.13 to 4.70 kg). Grasp strength averaged 2.81 kg (range of trace to 10.0 kg). Palmar pinch was obtained in 45% of the extremities; the overall result was 1.04 kg (range of 0.20 to 3.00 kg). In general, patients with higher functional classifications achieved better results. We believe that intraoperative length-tension studies were an important factor in improving the results. The choice of muscle for opponensplasty or flexor transfer when two different adequate motors were available did not seem to affect the outcome of key pinch or grasp. We believe that tendon transfers are beneficial and should be considered in all patients with spinal cord injuries regardless of age at injury if at least 1 year has elapsed since injury and the patients are neurologically stable and have participated in a rehabilitation program.
Considerations for the pre-clinical evaluation of new psychiatric drugs: a case study with phenothiazine-like tranquilizers.

A conceptual framework for psychopharmacology is presented to guide experimentation, new drug development, pre-clinical drug evaluation, and the therapeutic selection and use of psychiatric drugs. The more important considerations for pre-clinical evaluation are analyzed and discussed, what constitutes an adequate animal assessment, and phenothiazine-like tranquilizers are used to illustrate the process of new drug development and evaluation. Discussed are the predictions required from animals to man, and the nature and range of information and methodological approaches required to achieve this. Stressed are the importance of systematic multidimension observational procedures, information on minimal dose effects rather than ED 50's, and on acquiring information of therapeutic relevance. The therapeutic effects of phenothiazines in man are reviewed, areas for drug improvement defined, and attention directed to procedures for testing agents of this type. Also reviewed are drug affects in animals predictive of anti-psychotic activity, extrapyramidal stimulation, sedative-hypnotic, and a variety of other effects for man.
Ignorant armies: The state, the public, and the making of foreign policy

Abstract A state's foreign policy is constrained by parameters that inhere in the structure of the international system and in the nation's own political‐constitutional, social, and economic systems. The latter, domestic parameters, include “public opinion.” Because the public is largely ignorant of foreign affairs, policy‐making elites have wide scope for acting more rationally than would otherwise be possible, although public opinion operates on the second‐order effects of foreign policy (e.g., taxes, casualties)—inviting mismatches of objectives and means. The prevalent nonrational theories of foreign‐policy derivation are themselves largely ignorant of the dominantly rational processes of the state, particularly in its foreign and military functions.
The Role of Zinc and Iron-Folic Acid Supplementation on Early Child Temperament and Eating Behaviors in Rural Nepal: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Child eating behaviors play an important role in nutrient intake, ultimately affecting child growth and later outcomes in adulthood. The study assessed the effects of iron-folic acid and zinc supplementation on child temperament and child eating behaviors in rural Nepal. Children (N = 569) aged 4–17 months in Sarlahi district, southern Nepal were randomized to receive daily supplements of placebo, iron-folic acid, zinc, or zinc plus iron-folic acid and followed for approximately 1 year. At baseline and four follow-up visits mothers completed questionnaires including information on demographic characteristics and child temperament and eating behaviors. The main effects of zinc and iron-folic acid supplementation on temperament and eating behaviors were assessed through crude and adjusted differences in mean cumulative score changes between visits 1 and 5. The adjusted rate-of-change for these outcomes was modeled using generalized estimating equations. Mean changes in temperament scores and in eating behavior scores between visits 1 and 5 were not significant in either the zinc or non-zinc group. Children in the iron-folic acid group increased temperament scores by 0.37 points over 5 visits (95% CI 0.02, 0.7), which was not significant after adjustment. Neither the adjusted rate-of-change in temperament scores between zinc and non-zinc (β = −0.03, 95% CI −0.3, 0.2) or iron-folic acid and non-iron-folic acid (β = 0.08, 95% CI −0.2, 0.3) were significantly different. Adjusted rate of change analysis showed no significant difference between zinc and non-zinc (β = −0.14, 95% CI −0.3, 0.04) or between iron and non-iron eating behavior scores (β = −0.11, 95% CI −0.3, 0.1). Only among children with iron-deficiency anemia at baseline was there a significant decrease in eating behavior score, indicating better eating behaviors, when supplemented with zinc (β = −0.3, 95% CI −0.6, −0.01), Ultimately, this effect of zinc on eating behaviors was the only effect we observed after approximately one year of micronutrient supplementation. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00109551","term_id":"NCT00109551"}}NCT00109551
Void Fraction in Bubbly and Slug Flow in Downward Two-Phase Flow in Vertical and Inclined Wellbores

Much work has been done in the area of two-phase upflow, while the flow of gas and liquid in the downward direction has not received much attention. This paper presents a model for estimating void fraction in downward flow for vertical and inclined systems for the two dominant flow regimes, bubbly flow and slug flow. The author uses the drift-flux approach to determine slip between the phases and the transition between the flow regimes. The flowing mixture densities calculated from the model are useful for pressure gradient estimation. Extensive data are used to validate the model. The data show that for both bubbly and slug flow the effect of buoyancy, expressed by the terminal bubble-rise velocity, has the same magnitude as that for the case of upflow. In addition, the flow distribution parameter in bubbly flow appears to have the same value of 1.2 as in upflow. For slug flow, however, the flow parameter is represented by a somewhat lower value (1.12) than for upflow.
Study of refractive index of GeO(2):SiO(2) mixtures using deposited-thin-film optical waveguides: erratum.

Refractive indices of deposited thin films of amorphous GeO2:SiO2 mixtures were determined by multimode optical waveguide measurement techniques at four different wavelengths and used to characterize waveguide properties as a function of material composition. The results indicate that the refractive index varies linearly with the mole fraction of GeO2 in the guide, while wavelength dispersion increases with heavier GeO2 dopant concentrations. This is consistent with previously reported findings for bulk samples and suggests that linear variation of the film’s compositional content is a viable method for obtaining refractive indices and dispersive properties needed to interface with other optical devices in integrated optics-type applications.
Physostigmine-insensitive behavioral excitatory effects of atropine in squirrel monkeys.

Abstract Lever press responses of squirrel monkeys were maintained under a multiple schedule in which the first response after 3 min produced either food or electric shock depending on the prevailing stimulus. Atropine sulfate (0.3–3 mg/kg, IM) given immediately before experimental sessions disrupted the temporal pattern of responding and produced dose-related decrease in rates of food- and shock-maintained responding. Increases in responding occurred when 1 mg/kg atropine was given 1 to 2-hr pretreatment. Qualitatively similar effects were obtained with scopolamine suggesting that the time-dependent increases may be a general consequence of muscarinic receptor blockade. Response patterning changes and response rate increases were also produced by coadministration of atropine and physostigmine both given immediately before the session. Increases in rates of responding have also been observed previously after administration of atropine with rate-decreasing doses of the direct-acting muscarinic agonist oxotremorine. Physostigmine did not reverse the rate increases or the alteration in temporal patterning produced by the 2-hr atropine pretreatment; rate decreases induced by immediate pretreatment with atropine were blocked by physostigmine. Thus, the response rate-decreasing effects of atropine were distinct from its rate-increasing effects. Whereas the rate-decreasing effects of atropine appear to involve muscarinic receptors, increases in responding may not. Such nonmuscarinic behavioral excitatory actions of atropine may be expressed when the muscarinic-related decreases are blocked by physostigmine or oxotremorine, or when the decreases are overridden by excessive nonmuscarinic stimulation, perhaps triggered by time-dependent changes in acetylcholine turnover associated with atropine.
Influence of tissue, age, and environmental quality on DNA methylation in Alligator mississippiensis

Epigenetic modifications are key mediators of the interactions between the environment and an organism's genome. DNA methylation represents the best-studied epigenetic modification to date and is known to play key roles in regulating transcriptional activity and promoting chromosome stability. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated the utility of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) as a sentinel species to investigate the persistent effects of environmental contaminant exposure on reproductive health. Here, we incorporate a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to directly measure the total (global) proportion of 5-methyl-2'-deoxycytidine (5mdC) in ovarian and whole blood DNA from alligators. Global DNA methylation in ovaries was significantly elevated in comparison with that of whole blood. However, DNA methylation appeared similar in juvenile alligators reared under controlled laboratory conditions but originating from three sites with dissimilar environmental qualities, indicating an absence of detectable site-of-origin effects on persistent levels of global 5mdC content. Analyses of tissues across individuals revealed a surprising lack of correlation between global methylation levels in blood and ovary. In addition, global DNA methylation in blood samples from juvenile alligators was elevated compared with those from adults, suggesting that age, as observed in mammals, may negatively influence global DNA methylation levels in alligators. To our knowledge, this is the first study examining global levels of DNA methylation in the American alligator and provides a reference point for future studies examining the interplay of epigenetics and environmental factors in a long-lived sentinel species.
Serial storage architecture

This paper describes Serial Storage Architecture (SSA), a definition and general specification of a high-performance serial link for the attachment of input/output devices. An overview is given of the architecture itself, followed by a general description of the hardware implementation of a dual-port SSA node on a single chip.
Volume of fluids administered during resuscitation for severe sepsis and septic shock and the development of the acute respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the volume of intravenous (IV) fluids administered in the resuscitative phase of severe sepsis and septic shock and the development of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Materials and methods This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted with severe sepsis and septic shock at a large academic public hospital. The relationship between the volume of IV fluids administered and the development of ARDS was examined using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results Among 296 patients hospitalized for severe sepsis and septic shock, 75 (25.3%) developed ARDS. After controlling for confounding variables, there was no significant association between the volume of IV fluids administered in the first 24 hours of hospitalization and the development of ARDS (odds ratio [OR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95-1.18). Serum albumin (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.31-0.87) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04-1.13) on admission were the most informative covariates for the development of ARDS in the regression model. Conclusions For patients hospitalized for severe sepsis and septic shock, fluid administration to improve end-organ perfusion should remain the top priority in early resuscitation despite the potential risk of inducing ARDS.
Syndromes with lissencephaly. I: Miller-Dieker and Norman-Roberts syndromes and isolated lissencephaly

Lissencephaly (smooth-brain) is an abnormality of brain development characterized by incomplete neuronal migration and a smooth cerebral surface. At least 2, and possibly more, distinct pathological types occur, each associated with several distinct syndromes. In this paper, the manifestations of 3 disorders associated with type I (classical) lissencephaly are discussed, including the Miller-Dieker syndrome with or without deficiency of 17p13, Norman-Roberts syndrome, and isolated lissencephaly sequence.
Minimally displaced clavicle fracture after high-energy injury: are they likely to displace?

BACKGROUND: Nondisplaced or minimally displaced clavicle fractures are often considered to be benign injuries. These fractures in the trauma patient population, however, may deserve closer follow-up than their low-energy counterparts. We sought to determine the initial assessment performed on these patients and the rate of subsequent fracture displacement in patients sustaining high-energy trauma when a supine chest radiograph on initial trauma survey revealed a well-aligned clavicle fracture. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of trauma alert patients who sustained a midshaft clavicle fracture (AO/OTA type 15-B) with less than 100% displacement treated at a single level 1 trauma centre between 2005 and 2010. We compared fracture displacement on initial supine chest radiographs and follow-up radiographs. Orthopedic consultation and the type of imaging studies obtained were also recorded. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients with clavicle fractures met the inclusion criteria. On follow-up, 57 (60.0%) had displacement of 100% or more of the shaft width. Most patients (63.2%) in our study had an orthopedic consultation during their hospital admission, and 27.4% had clavicle radiographs taken on the day of admission. CONCLUSION: Clavicle fractures in patients with a high-energy mechanism of injury are prone to fracture displacement, even when initial supine chest radiographs show nondisplacement. We recommend clavicle films as part of the initial evaluation for all patients with clavicle fractures and early follow-up within the first 2 weeks of injury. Language: en
Neurologic and neuroendocrinologic responses during orgasm: What do we know?

In recent decades, progress has been made in terms of understanding the neurologic and neuroendocrinologic control of sexual function, particularly orgasm. This has been achieved primarily with rodent animal models in which the physical (autonomic and somatic) changes observed during orgasmic reflexes are similar to those reported in humans. More recently, imaging studies in men and women have examined the brain regions activated with sexual stimulation and these observations correlate well with data from animal studies. This paper discusses what is known about the central nervous system regions and neurotransmitters involved in orgasmic-like responses in men and women.
Learned adaptations: Teachers’ understanding and use of curriculum resources

This study focused on the use of curriculum materials for three teachers who had enacted instructional sequences from the materials on multiple occasions. The study investigated how the teachers drew on the materials, what they understood about the curriculum resources, and how they connected their use of the materials to their observations of student thinking. There were similarities across the teachers, particularly with respect to their goals and how they read and followed recommendations in the teacher resource materials. There were differences in how their task revisions were in response to what they observed about student thinking. The teacher who most intensively observed student thinking made connections between her interpretations of students’ strategies and her use of the curriculum resources, allowing her to design learned adaptations. Learned adaptations required both an understanding of the design rationale and empirically developed knowledge of how that rationale played out in practice. The empirically developed knowledge could not be totally anticipated by the designers, in part because it developed within a particular context by a teacher with particular characteristics. The case of the teacher who developed learned adaptations showed how these complementary forms of knowledge helped her to use the curriculum resources in ways that enhanced students’ opportunities for sense making. Furthermore, her adaptations were intended to facilitate success not only at the task level, but also across instructional sequences as well. This study also shows how professional vision is not limited to informing only in-the-moment instructional decisions, but also to the use of curriculum materials.
Input-covering schedules for multithreaded programs

We propose constraining multithreaded execution to small sets of input-covering schedules, which we define as follows: given a program P, we say that a set of schedules ∑ covers all inputs of program P if, when given any input, P's execution can be constrained to some schedule in ∑ and still produce a semantically valid result.Our approach is to first compute a small ∑ for a given program P, and then, at runtime, constrain P's execution to always follow some schedule in ∑, and never deviate. We have designed an algorithm that uses symbolic execution to systematically enumerate a set of input-covering schedules, ∑. To deal with programs that run for an unbounded length of time, we partition execution into bounded epochs, find input-covering schedules for each epoch in isolation, and then piece the schedules together at runtime. We have implemented this algorithm along with a constrained execution runtime for pthreads programs, and we report resultsOur approach has the following advantage: because all possible runtime schedules are known a priori, we can seek to validate the program by thoroughly verifying each schedule in ∑, in isolation, without needing to reason about the huge space of thread interleavings that arises due to conventional nondeterministic execution.
Allergic skin testing: A clinical investigation☆

Forty patients were administered a total of 2,395 skin tests in order to assess the effects of method, concentration, diluent, manufacturer, and mixtures on patient reaction to inhalant extract solutions. The prick method was found to be superior to the scratch method. The intracutaneous technique exhibited the greatest degree of specificity. Patients reacted at a higher level to higher concentrations of extract solution, descending to a lower level of reaction to lesser concentrations of extract solution. Patient reactions were variable to aqueous vs glycerin solutions. Clear differences in the potency of extract solutions produced by manufacturers A, B, and C were evident. Specifically, the products of manufacturer C were least potent. The results illustrate the possibility of a dilution factor existing in mixtures of extract solutions, producing a decrease in their potency when compared to the potency of their individually administered components. A technique with the potential for wide acceptance and clinical applicability is proposed.
Unsteady laminar separation over impulsively moved cylinders

Abstract A numerical method is employed to integrate the unsteady laminar boundary layers about circular and elliptic cylinders started impulsively from rest. An upwind differencing scheme permits the integration through thin layers of reversed flow that are embedded in the boundary layer. The results are in agreement with numerical solutions of the full Navier-Stokes equations and with small time inner-outer expansion solutions. At later times, a singularity of the Goldstein type appears; Sears and Telionis defined this singularity as unsteady boundary-layer separation. For the circular cylinder, this singularity travels upstream and for large times, arrives asymptotically at the point of steady-state separation.
Treatment with a Toll-like receptor inhibitory GpG oligonucleotide delays and attenuates lupus nephritis in NZB/W mice

Activation of the innate immune system by DNA containing hypomethylated CpG motifs has been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we examined the consequences of immunostimulatory CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) and inhibitory GpG-ODN treatment in the NZB × NZW F1 (NZB/W) murine model of SLE. Beginning at 5 months of age, we administered CpG-ODN or GpG-ODN at regular intervals to female NZB/W animals. We also determined the effects of ODN administration on NZB/W mouse lymphocyte function, and the specificity of ODN binding to Toll-like receptors (TLRs) other than TLR-9. While CpG-ODN treatment did not appear to have a major impact on disease severity, GpG-ODN treatment significantly delayed the onset of proteinuria in NZB/W mice. Interestingly, short-term GpG-ODN treatment promoted Th2-type T and B cell responses, and inhibited B lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. On the other hand, extended GpG-ODN treatment did not result in sustained Th2 responses or significantly r...
Chromosome Numbers and Systematic Relations in the Genus Thomomys (Rodentia: Geomyidae)

Published data concerning chromosome numbers of forms within the genus Thomomys are reviewed and additional data are presented. These indicate that the living species of the genus can be arranged in two groups, one with diploid chromosome numbers in the range of 40 to 60 and a second in the range of 74 to 82. Other morphological characters support this dichotomy, suggesting that each group is composed of closely related species. These relationships are best expressed by grouping the nine living and three extinct species into two subgenera: Thomomys and Megascapheus . A third subgenus, Plesiothomomys , includes three additional extinct species.
Computational Study of Aqueous Reactions in Tocopherol Regeneration.

The α-tocopheroxyl radical, resulting from the scavenging of the peroxyl radical by α-tocopherol (vitamin E) in the cell membrane, will further react with the peroxyl radical to form tocopherones. A computational study is presented of the aqueous proton-transfer reactions of the α-8a-(hydro-dioxy)tocopherone and α-8a-(methyl-dioxy)tocopherone to produce 1-benzopyrylium, the subsequent hydrolysis to 2H-1-benzopyran-6(8aH)-one, and the terminating rearrangement of 8a-hydroxytocopherone to 2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-dione. The alkyl tail of true tocopherol is replaced by methyl in these studies. Calculations of the structures and energies along the reaction pathways were first performed at the BP86/TZVP/DGA1 level with a COSMO solvent model, and additional solvent corrections from COSMO-RS theory were subsequently added. The proposed mechanism is found to be thermodynamically and kinetically feasible in water. The ion-mediated steps are found to have free-energies of activation under 3 kcal mol-1, with kinetics ...
Lipid-lowering therapy: who can benefit?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the US. Despite the decline in CVD-associated mortality rates in recent years, coronary heart disease (CHD) still causes one in every six deaths in this country. Because most CHD risk factors are modifiable (eg, smoking, hypertension, obesity, onset of type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia), cardiovascular risk can be reduced by timely and appropriate interventions, such as smoking cessation, diet and lifestyle changes, and lipid-modifying therapy. Dyslipidemia, manifested by elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), is central to the development and progression of atherosclerosis, which can be silent for decades before triggering a first major cardiovascular event. Consequently, dyslipidemia has become a primary target of intervention in strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular events. The guidelines of the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III, updated in 2004, recommend therapeutic lifestyle changes and the use of lipid-lowering medications, such as statins, to achieve specific LDL-C goals based on a person’s global cardiovascular risk. For high-risk individuals, such as patients with CHD and diabetic patients without CHD, an LDL-C target of < 100 mg/dL is recommended, and statin therapy should be considered to help patients achieve this goal. If correctly dosed in appropriate patients, currently approved statins are generally safe and provide significant cardiovascular benefits in diverse populations, including women, the elderly, and patients with diabetes. A recent primary prevention trial also showed that statins benefit individuals traditionally not considered at high risk of CHD, such as those with no hyperlipidemia but elevated C-reactive protein. Additional evidence suggests that statins may halt or slow atherosclerotic disease progression. Recent evidence confirms the pivotal role of statins in primary and secondary prevention.
Raman Spectra of a Series of Normal Alcohols and Other Compounds

The Raman spectra of benzene, cyclohexane, cyclohexene, carbon disulfide, butyl bromide and the normal alcohols from C${\mathrm{H}}_{3}$OH to ${\mathrm{C}}_{12}$${\mathrm{H}}_{25}$OH were investigated. The technique recently developed by Wood was used in conjunction with a praseodymium filter. New lines were found in all cases and for some compounds the number was nearly doubled. Two new frequencies at 2660 and 2730 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ were found in the spectra of essentially all the alcohols and butyl bromide. They appear to be characteristic of the saturated hydrocarbons. The lines which appear in the Raman spectra of the aliphatic hydrocarbons at 1450 and 1300 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ have been attributed respectively to the transverse vibrations of the hydrogens of the C${\mathrm{H}}_{3}$ and C${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ groups. The line appearing in the Raman spectra of the alcohols at 1270 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is attributed to the transverse vibrations of the hydrogens of the C${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$OH groups. It is pointed out that the Raman spectra of ${\mathrm{C}}_{12}$${\mathrm{H}}_{25}$OH is that of an infinitely long normal alcohol. The new lines of benzene reported by Weiler and Krishnamurti were verified with the exception of the 806 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ frequency. In addition a new line at 1690 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ was found. The two relatively strong lines of C${\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ at 650 and 800 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ were each found to be doublet, thus completing the analogy with C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$. The separation of the components in each case was 10 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The existence of a line at 391 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, originally reported by Bhagavantam, was verified.
The Stability of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ICP0 Early after Infection Is Defined by the RING Finger and the UL13 Protein Kinase

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)-infected cell protein 0 (ICP0) is a multifunctional protein that plays a key role in overcoming numerous facets of host innate immunity. A key function of ICP0 that requires an intact RING finger domain is that of an ubiquitin E3 ligase: ICP0 interacts with at least three ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes of which one, UbcH5a, is required for degradation of PML and SP100. A preceding report showed that ICP0 is highly unstable at very early times after infection but becomes stable at later times. We report here that (i) the degradation of ICP0 is not infected cell specific, (ii) the degradation does not require the interaction of ICP0 with either UbcH5a, UbcH6, or UbcH9, (iii) ICP0 is degraded both early and late in cells infected with a mutant lacking the UL13 protein kinase, (iv) ICP0 encoded by wild-type virus or the ΔUL13 mutant is stable in cells transfected with a plasmid encoding UL13 before infection, (v) ICP0 carrying mutations in the RING finger domain is stable both early and late in infection, and, finally, (vi) in cells infected with both wild type and RING finger mutant only the wild-type ICP0 is rapidly degraded at early times. The results suggest that the stability of ICP0 is mediated by the UL13 protein kinase and that the target of proteolysis is a site at or near the RING domain of ICP0. IMPORTANCE ICP0, a major regulatory protein of HSV-1, turns over rapidly early in infection but becomes stable at late times. We report that stabilization requires the presence of UL13 protein kinase and that an ICP0 with mutations in RING finger is stable. In mixed infections mutant ICP0 is stable, whereas the wild-type ICP0 is degraded. Our findings suggest that the lifestyle of HSV-1 requires an ICP0 that turns over rapidly if late proteins are absent.
Controlling and measuring the interdependence of local properties in biomembranes

Local composition, structure, morphology, and phase are interrelated in lipid bilayer membranes. This work describes proofs-of-concept for methods that may be used and combined to modulate, to measure, and to probe the local structure of model membranes through control of membrane curvature in liposomes. These studies are performed using combinations of simultaneous two-color widefield fluorescence imaging, three-dimensional rendering of vesicle domains, and manipulation of the vesicle morphology via micropipet aspiration and the polymerization of cytoskeletal elements inside the membrane. Additionally, we report an electroformation method for preparing unilamellar lipid vesicles that allows hydration of membranes in physiological buffer conditions and formation of multicomponent/multiphase vesicles.
Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric determination of inhibition of human cytochrome P450 isozymes by resveratrol and resveratrol-3-sulfate.

trans-Resveratrol, a phenolic phytoalexin occurring in grapes, wine, peanuts, and cranberries, has been reported to both have anticarcinogenic, antioxidative, phytoestrogenic, and cardioprotective activities, and to be a weak inhibitor of cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4, which might have significance for drug-drug interactions. Since trans-resveratrol is rapidly converted in vivo to primarily trans-resveratrol-3-sulfate, a rapid, selective, and sensitive method using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) was developed to investigate human cytochrome P450 inhibition by trans-resveratrol-3-sulfate. Effects of trans-resveratrol and trans-resveratrol-3-sulfate on the metabolism of selective cytochrome P450 substrates (CYP1A2/ethoxyresorufin, CYP2C9/diclofenac, CYP2C19/(S)-mephenytoin, CYP2D6/bufuralol, CYP3A4/testosterone) were monitored using cDNA-expressed human recombinant isozymes. For method validation, LC/MS/MS was used to measure the inhibition of various cytochrome P450 isozymes by different concentrations (0-50 microM) of known selective inhibitors. IC(50) values of 3.2, 1.4, 8.9, 0.2, and 0.3 microM were obtained for the standard isozyme inhibitors CYP1A2/furafylline, CYP2C9/sulfaphenazole, CYP2C19/tranylcypromine, CYP2D6/quinidine, and CYP3A4/ketoconazole, respectively, which were in good agreement with literature values. trans-Resveratrol showed IC(50) values of 11.6 microM for CYP2C19 and 1.1 microM for CYP3A4, but the IC(50) values exceeded 50 microM for all the other CYP isozymes, which indicated no inhibition. No enzyme inhibition was observed for trans-resveratrol-3-sulfate. Our results indicate that trans-resveratrol is a marginal inhibitor of CYP3A4 and a weak inhibitor of CYP2C19, but its major metabolite trans-resveratrol-3-sulfate is not an inhibitor of any of the cytochrome P450 isozymes investigated.
Engaging the Law in China: State, Society, and Possibilities for Justice

Engaging the Law in China: State, Society, and Possibilities for Justice. Edited by Neil J. Diamant, Stanley B. Lubman, and Kevin J. O'Brien. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2005. 256p. $49.50. This book, an outgrowth of a 2002 conference held at the University of California at Berkeley, takes as a given the importance of law as an operational concept in China. Rather, the fundamental questions for investigation are 1) how, when, and to whom law matters, and 2) how to study the relationship between law and society (p. 3). Traditionally, the study of Chinese law has been the preserve of legal specialists, predominantly lawyers, who have focused their attention on the institutional development of the Chinese legal system. This book takes an alternative approach in that it seeks to broaden the scope of investigation of Chinese legal issues. The contributors are primarily young scholars in the social sciences—notably political science and sociology—who report on their recent field research in China.
Does the Karakoram fault interrupt mid-crustal channel flow in the western Himalaya?

Abstract Variations in the volume and age of Miocene granites and in mid-crustal conductance from the northwest Himalaya to southeastern Tibet imply lateral differences in late orogenic processes. The change from west to east occurs near the Gurla Mandhata dome, where the Karakoram fault terminates and merges with the Indus–Yarlung suture zone. The ‘channel flow’ model, developed in southeastern Tibet, predicts that anatectic partial melts beneath the Tibetan plateau are gravitationally-driven south to a topographic erosional front and are exposed as leucogranites in the Greater Himalaya Sequence; upwellings of these channel granites occur as gneiss domes in the Tethyan Himalaya Sequence. Published magnetotelluric profiles show high conductivity 30–40 km deep beneath Tibet from c. 400 km north of the Main Frontal thrust south across the suture zone, beneath the Himalayan gneiss domes, and to the topographic front; this conductive middle crust corresponds to 2–4% partial melt in the northwest Himalaya and 5–12% melt in southeastern Tibet, sufficient in the latter case to weaken rock for flow. East of the Karakoram termination leucogranites are abundant and are as young as 7 Ma; west of the termination, channel granites are less abundant and no younger than 18 Ma. Middle Miocene (16–14 Ma) leucogranites are found in the Karakoram fault zone located north of the suture zone and south of the proposed anatectic melt source. The initiation of motion on the crustal-penetrating Karakoram fault at 25–21 Ma may have created a barrier to the southward flow of mid-crustal melts and acted as a vertical conduit for these same melts.
Strategies for Reducing the Stress of Negative Life Experiences: An Averaging/Summation Analysis

Experiments 1 through 4 investigated how different orientations to stimulus events influenced whether the addition of a mildly negative stressor to a highly negative one did or did not decrease stress. In Experiment 1, reductions in stress levels were obtained when perceivers concentrated on the negative implications of each stressor but not when they concentrated on the implications associated with the entire situation. In Experiments 2 and 3, reductions in stress were obtained when participants were asked to think about a mildly negative event in addition to a highly negative one, but this effect was reduced when participants overtly appraised each stressor before reporting their overall stress reaction. In Experiment 4, stress reductions were obtained when participants were induced to think about either two or four of the negative implications associated with a single stressor but not when they thought about six negative implications.
Titanium nitride nanoparticles based electrocatalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Titanium nitride nanoparticles act as a catalyst support material for proton exchange membrane fuel cells showing higher catalytic performance than conventional platinized carbon electrocatalysts.
Doing Intersectionality Research: From Conceptual Issues to Practical Examples

Research interrogating the simultaneity of oppression in American politics is rare. Political scientists, as compared to scholars of other disciplines, have paid far less attention to the ways in which race and gender operate in tandem to produce and maintain the unequal distribution of power and privilege in the American political system. Far too often, political scientists have treated race and gender as separate, dichotomous variables in regression models that employ either/or versus both/and identity categorizations. That is to say, political science as a discipline historically has had limited relevance and prescriptive utility for individuals and groups that confront interlocking systems of oppression, as it has largely ignored the intersection (or interaction) of race, class, and gender in American politics. For example, political scientists have seldom studied those who struggle with dual identity—specifically, African-American women—with a critical eye attentive to the ways in which race, gender, and class shape their public opinion and political behavior, as well as election campaigns and legislative decisions. Feeling called upon to both articulate and translate the complexities of life for African-American women, scholars from Jewel Prestage and Mae King to Linda Williams and Shelby Lewis have played a critical role in bringing to the academic fore the study of intersecting patterns of discrimination, as they unveiled a “portrait of marginality” and provided the theoretical framework on which intersectionality research is based today. The recent publication of several books and articles on and by African-American women in political science clearly attests to this fact (see, for example, Berger 2004; Hancock 2004; Jordan-Zachery 2003; Simien 2006; Smooth 2006). These works, concentrating as they do on race and gender, are excellent examples of intersectionality research authored by political scientists.
The Genetic Basis of a Rare Flower Color Polymorphism in Mimulus lewisii Provides Insight into the Repeatability of Evolution

A long-standing question in evolutionary biology asks whether the genetic changes contributing to phenotypic evolution are predictable. Here, we identify a genetic change associated with segregating variation in flower color within a population of Mimulus lewisii. To determine whether these types of changes are predictable, we combined this information with data from other species to investigate whether the spectrum of mutations affecting flower color transitions differs based on the evolutionary time-scale since divergence. We used classic genetic techniques, along with gene expression and population genetic approaches, to identify the putative, loss-of-function mutation that generates rare, white flowers instead of the common, pink color in M. lewisii. We found that a frameshift mutation in an anthocyanin pathway gene is responsible for the white-flowered polymorphism found in this population of M. lewisii. Comparison of our results with data from other species reveals a broader spectrum of flower color mutations segregating within populations relative to those that fix between populations. These results suggest that the genetic basis of fixed differences in flower color may be predictable, but that for segregating variation is not.
Measuring the performance of communication middleware on high-speed networks

Conventional implementations of communication middleware (such as CORBA and traditional RPC toolkits) incur considerable over-head when used for performance-sensitive applications over high-speed networks. As gigabit networks become pervasive, inefficient middleware will force programmers to use lower-level mechanisms to achieve the necessary transfer rates. This is a serious problem for mission/life-critical applications (such as satellite surveillance and medical imaging).This paper compares the performance of several widely used communication middleware mechanisms on a high-speed ATM network. The middleware ranged from lower-level mechanisms (such as socket-based C interfaces and C++ wrappers for sockets) to higher-level mechanisms (such as RPC, hand-optimized RPC and two implementations of CORBA - Orbix and ORBeline). These measurements reveal that the lower-level C and C++ implementations outperform the CORBA implementations significantly (the best CORBA throughput for remote transfer was roughly 75 to 80 percent of the best C/C++ throughput for sending scalar data types and only around 33 percent for sending structs containing binary fields), and the hand-optimized RPC code performs slightly better than the CORBA implementations. Our goal in precisely pinpointing the sources of overhead for communication middleware is to develop scalable and flexible CORBA implementations that can deliver gigabit data rates to applications.