cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traditional medicines for modern times: antidiabetic plants

Introduction to Diabetes Mellitus, K.C.R. Baynes Plants Used in the Treatment of Diabetes, M.S.J. Simmonds and M.-J.R. Howes Preclinical and Clinical Methods for Evaluating Antidiabetic Activity of Plants, C. Day and C.J. Bailey In Vitro Models for Assessing Antidiabetic Activity, A. Soumyanath and S. Srijayanta Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Tribal Medicine, V.P. Menon and P.S.M. Prince Traditional Chinese and Kampo Medicines, M. Yoshikawa and H. Matsuda Treating Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus from a Western Herbalist's Perspective, J. Roberts, A. McQuade Crawford, and J. Bowen Crowley Native American Medicine, R.H. Cichewicz and L.J. Clifford Antidiabetic plants in Mexican and Central American Medicine, F.J Alarcon-Aguilar and R. Roman-Ramos Antidiabetic Plants in the Caribbean, C.E. Seaforth Management of Diabetes in African Traditional Medicine, D.R. Katerere and J.N. Eloff Antidiabetic Plants of North Africa and the Middle East, P.S. Haddad, L.C. Martineau, B. Lyoussi, and P.M. Le Australian and New Zealand Plants with Antidiabetic Properties, E.L. Ghisalberti Plant Polysaccharides in the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus, P.A. Judd and P.R. Ellis Saponins, M. Yoshikawa and H. Matsuda Flavonoids, Xanthones, and Other Antioxidant Polyphenols, L.M. McCune, P. Owen, and T. Johns Index
The Role of Actin Microfilaments in the Down-Regulation of the Degranulation Response in RBL-2H3 Mast Cells

Cross-linking of FceRI on rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells initiates a signaling cascade leading to degranulation of the cells and the release of inflammatory mediators. Inhibitors that disrupt microfilaments, such as latrunculin and cytochalasin D, do not cause any degranulation on their own, but they do enhance FceRI-mediated degranulation. Dose-response studies show a good correlation between inhibition of actin polymerization and increased degranulation. In RBL cells, latrunculin causes a decrease in basal levels of filamentous actin (F-actin), while cytochalasin D does not. This is particularly evident in the Triton-insoluble pool of F-actin which is highly cross-linked and associated with the plasma membrane. A concentration of 500 nM latrunculin decreases the basal level of Triton-insoluble F-actin by 60–70% and total F-actin levels by 25%. Latrunculin increases both the rate and extent of Ag-induced degranulation while having no effect on pervanadate-induced degranulation. Pervanadate activates the signaling pathways directly and bypasses the cross-linking of the receptor. RBL cells, activated through FceRI in the presence of latrunculin, show increased phospholipase activity as well as increased tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk and increased tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptor itself by the tyrosine kinase Lyn. This indicates that the very earliest signaling events after receptor cross-linking are enhanced. These results suggest that actin microfilaments may interact, either directly or indirectly, with the receptor itself and that they may regulate the signaling process at the level of receptor phosphorylation. Microfilaments may possibly act by uncoupling Lyn from the cross-linked receptor.
On the Feasibility of a Technological Response to the Surveillance Morass

We consider mass surveillance from a computer-science perspective. After presenting some objections to the behavior of the US National Security Agency and its counterparts in allied nations (emphasizing technical problems associated with such behavior, rather than political, legal, and social problems), we propose a grass-roots, technological response: decentralized cloud services, facilitated by open-source, decentralized configuration-management tools.
Recent Observations Relating to the Dynamics and Origin of the Magnetotail Plasma Sheet

This paper reviews the substorm behavior of the plasma sheet and the evidence that a substorm expansive phase onset signals the sudden formation of a magnetic neutral line across a near region of the magnetotail. The neutral line forms at distances less than ~ 18 RE in moderate to intense substorms, but at distances greater than ~ 30 RE in weak substorms, or substorms detected only at high latitudes (on the contracted auroral oval). Several types of observations are presented as evidence that solar wind plasma enters the plasma sheet via convection along the cleft, through the magneto tail surface layer, through the magnetotail lobes and finally earthward from a magnetotail neutral line. These observations were made, however, during periods of southward interplanetary magnetic field; possibly this is a less effectual route for plasma entry to the plasma sheet when the IMF is northward.
Access services in the 21st century

Information technologies have transformed libraries in ways that most academic librarians could not have imagined twenty years ago. Traditional services, such as interlibrary loan and document delivery, have changed dramatically with the advent of technology and new telecommunications protocols. Electronic access to a myriad of databases, the proliferation of Internet sites, and patron expectations of speedy service have forced academic libraries to re-examine how they function. Higher education is no longer campus bound. Where librarians once served as the gatekeepers to information, that role is less important, as patrons now find information without the use of an intermediary.Thus, the questions for those librarians working in access services areas become those of service and resource provision. This chapter will examine interlibrary loan, electronic reserves, licenses and contracts, and the impact of distance learning on access to electronic resources and services.
Laboratory assessment of severe chronic active liver disease during and after corticosteroid therapy: Correlation of serum transaminase and gamma globulin levels with histologic features

Abstract Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and gamma globulin levels were correlated with morphologic findings during and after corticosteroid therapy of severe chronic active liver disease to assess ability to monitor histologic change. Morphologic features were interpreted by a single observer from 441 coded biopsy specimens obtained from 69 patients. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase values were more predictive of histologic findings than gamma globulin levels (p
In-fiber frequency shifter using acousto-optic polarization mode coupling

We demonstrate a single-sideband in-fiber frequency shifter using acousto-optic polarization mode coupling. Using 200 mW power to a bulk shear-wave acoustic transducer bonded to a polarization-preserving D-fiber, we have observed power coupling from an optical carrier to an upper sideband, shifted by the 17.5 MHz acoustic frequency. The suppression of the lower sideband, relative to the upper sideband level is at least 10 dB, with the actual sideband level below the noise level of the experiment. This frequency shifting property may be used for the development of in-fiber Bragg cells with improvement of the weak 0.16% observed power coupling efficiency in this work.
Solidification in continuous casting of aluminum

During casting of aluminum ingot by a new process utilizing level pouring, variations in cooling rate within the surface band occur as a result of the discontinuous nature of metal flow. Associated segregation contributes to a marked cyclic pattern of the macrostructure in that region. The kinetics of metal flow into the surface zone are explained graphically using a sequence of macrographs. The proposed mechanism is also supported by results of thermal measurements and Electron Microprobe analyses.
Simultaneous intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy.

Abstract Simultaneous ectopic and intrauterine pregnancy is a comparatively uncommon condition of more than usual interest. The condition is sufficiently engaging to have arrested the attention of a few authors and to have been the subject of some excellent reviews. The purpose of this paper is to review clinically the cases which have been reported since 1935, to arrive at the approximate total number of cases which are known to date, since many of the earlier case reports are incomplete, and to report the cases which have been seen at the Mayo Clinic.
Light represses transcription of asparagine synthetase genes in photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic organs of plants.

Abstract Asparagine synthetase (AS) mRNA in Pisum sativum accumulates preferentially in plants grown in the dark. Nuclear run-on experiments demonstrate that expression of both the AS1 and AS2 genes is negatively regulated by light at the level of transcription. A decrease in the transcriptional rate of the AS1 gene can be detected as early as 20 min after exposure to light. Time course experiments reveal that the levels of AS mRNA fluctuate dramatically during a "normal" light/dark cycle. This is due to a direct effect of light and not to changes associated with circadian rhythm. A novel finding is that the light-repressed expression of the AS1 gene is as dramatic in nonphotosynthetic organs such as roots as it is in leaves. Experiments demonstrate that the small amount of light which passes through the soil is sufficient to repress AS1 expression in roots, indicating that light has a direct effect on AS1 gene expression in roots. The negative regulation of AS gene expression by light was shown to be a general phenomenon in plants which also occurs in nonlegumes such as Nicotiana plumbaginifolia and Nicotiana tabacum. Thus, the AS genes can serve as a model with which to dissect the molecular basis for light-regulated transcriptional repression in plants.
Twelve microsatellites for two deep sea polychaete tubeworm species, Lamellibrachia luymesi and Seepiophila jonesi , from the Gulf of Mexico

The vestimentiferan tubeworms Lamellibrachia luymesi and Seepiophila jonesi are found at hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Primers for polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed from genomic libraries of L. luymesi (five loci) and from S. jonesi tissue (eight loci) and were used to screen individuals collected from nine northern Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon seep sites. Loci had from four to more than 50 alleles with high expected levels of heterozygosity. Cross-species amplification, tested on seven vestimentiferan species including both hydrothermal vent and cold seep species, was generally strong in similar species but weak in more genetically distant species.
Developing a parallel Monte Carlo transport algorithm using large-grain data flow

Abstract We describe use of large-grain data flow to formulate a parallel solution for a moderately complex Monte Carlo particle transport problem. The large-grain data flow computation model combines the parallelism of traditional data flow and subroutine-like sequential programming. This paper summarizes our experience in implementing the solution and gives speedup results on the Denelcor HEP parallel processor.
Thalamic connections of the auditory cortex in marmoset monkeys: core and medial belt regions.

The auditory cortex of primates contains a core region of three primary areas surrounded by a belt region of secondary areas. Recent neurophysiological studies suggest that the belt areas medial to the core have unique functional roles, including multisensory properties, but little is known about their connections. In this study and its companion, the cortical and subcortical connections of the core and medial belt regions of marmoset monkeys were compared to account for functional differences between areas and refine our working model of the primate auditory cortex. Anatomical tracer injections targeted two core areas (A1 and R) and two medial belt areas (rostromedial [RM] and caudomedial [CM]). RM and CM had topographically weighted connections with all other areas of the auditory cortex ipsilaterally, but these were less widespread contralaterally. CM was densely connected with caudal auditory fields, the retroinsular (Ri) area of the somatosensory cortex, the superior temporal sulcus (STS), and the posterior parietal and entorhinal cortex. The connections of RM favored rostral auditory areas, with no clear somatosensory inputs. RM also projected to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala and tail of the caudate nucleus. A1 and R had topographically weighted connections with medial and lateral belt regions, infragranular inputs from the parabelt, and weak connections with fields outside the auditory cortex. The results indicated that RM and CM are distinct areas of the medial belt region with direct inputs from the core. CM also has somatosensory input and may correspond to an area on the posteromedial transverse gyrus of humans and the anterior auditory field of other mammals.
Top-down protein fragmentation by infrared multiphoton dissociation in a dual pressure linear ion trap.

Infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) was implemented in a novel dual pressure linear ion trap for rapid top-down proteomics. The high pressure cell provided improved trapping and isolation efficiencies while the isotopic profiles of 10+ charged ions could be resolved by mass analysis in the low pressure cell that enabled effective top down protein identification. Striking differences between IRMPD in the low pressure cell and CID in the high pressure cell were observed for proteins ranging from 8.6 to 29 kDa. Because of secondary dissociation, IRMPD yielded product ions in significantly lower charge states as compared to CID, thus facilitating more accurate mass identification and streamlining product ion assignment. This outcome was especially useful for database searching of larger proteins (∼29 kDa) as IRMPD substantially improved protein identification and scoring confidence. Also, IRMPD showed an increased selectivity toward backbone cleavages N-terminal to proline and C-terminal to acidic resid...
Increased and altered DNA binding of human p53 by S and G2/M but not Gl cyclin-dependent kinases

CENTRAL to the role of p53 in cell regulation are its sequence-specific interactions with genes that control the cell cycle and apoptosis1,2. p53 response elements contain two or more copies of a somewhat promiscuous consensus sequence: 5′-XXXC(A,T)(T,A)GYYY-3′ (where X is a purine and Y is a pyrimidine) (ref. 3). The sequence-specific DNA-binding region of p53 resides in its central conserved region4. Although this region itself is not known to be phosphorylated, the amino and carboxy termini of human p53 contain sites for phosphorylation by several protein kinases. We have examined the role of cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) shown previously to phosphorylate human p53 at serine 315 (ref. 5). We report here that p53 is efficiently and selectively phosphor-ylated by S and G2/M Cdks. Such phosphorylation markedly stimulates sequence-specific DNA binding by p53 and also causes a distinctive conformational change in p53 as revealed by partial protease analysis. Strikingly, Cdk phosphorylation also confers binding-site preference on p53. These data suggest a potential regulatory mechanism of p53 activity.
Recovery of normal and eczematous skin from alkali; control of surface pH by exchange resins.

Exposure of the skin to alkalis, such as soap solutions, cement or plaster, results in large displacements of skin pH, and this often gives rise to a dermatitis or continues or aggravates an existing one. Dermatologists know from clinical experience and the laboratory shows resistance to alkali varies within wide limits among patients with cutaneous irritations as well as with those with apparently normal skin. Burckhardt (1) showed persons with alkali dermatitis have less ability to combat alkali in that it takes them longer to regain the normal skin acidity after exposure to basic materials. It would seem desirable to extend our fundamental knowledge on the behavior of the normal and pathological skin toward alkali, to differentiate normal from the apparently normal skin in their potential alkali capacities and find means to improve the performance of all skin exposed to this common hazard.
Non-Linear Growth and Limiting Amplitude of Acoustic Oscillations in Combustion Chambers

Due to non-linear loss or gain of energy, unstable oscillations in combustion chambers cannot grow indefinitely. Very often the limiting amplitudes are sufficiently low that the wave motions appear to be sinusoidal without discontinuities. The analysis presented here is based on the idea that the gasdynamics throughout most of the volume can be handled in a linear fashion. Non-linear behavior is associated with localized energy losses, such as wall losses and particle attenuation, or with the interaction between the oscillations and the combustion processes which sustain the motions. The formal procedure describes the non-linear growth and decay of an acoustic mode whose spatial structure does not change with time. Integration of the conservation equations over the volume of the chamber produces a single non-linear ordinary differential equation for the time-dependent amplitude of the mode. The equation can be solved easily by standard techniques, producing very simple results for the non-linear growth rate, decay rate, and limiting amplitude. Most of the treatment is developed for unstable motions in solid propellant rocket chambers. Other combustion chambers can be represented as special cases of the general description.
A visit to the museum: The ovid galleries

A. Koloski-Ostrow schrieb in einer Rezension (American Journal of Archaeology 98 [1994] 381) zur Erstausgabe: ,,A work that covers so wide an area, across so many centuries will inevitably receive some criticisms from specialists." Das ist richtig. Die gute Nachricht: Dieses Buch ist die Auseinandersetzung in jedem Falle wert! Es schafft Standards, auch wenn die Anordnung der Kapitel, wie gezeigt, nicht iiberzeugt. Hunderte von Pliinen-viele von Verf. neu gezeichnet oder zumindest iiberarbeitet-zeigen grundsitzliche Ahnlichkeit. Sie lassen sich somit leicht lesen und vergleichen. Die Fertigstellung dieses Buches brauchte viele Jahre, und fir viele Jahre wird man es auch einreihen k6nnen unter die wichtigsten Arbeiten zum Thema ,,Baths and Bathing in Classical Antiquity".
The Role of Chelation in the Treatment of Arsenic and Mercury Poisoning

Chelation for heavy metal intoxication began more than 70 years ago with the development of British anti-lewisite (BAL; dimercaprol) in wartime Britain as a potential antidote the arsenical warfare agent lewisite (dichloro[2-chlorovinyl]arsine). DMPS (unithiol) and DMSA (succimer), dithiol water-soluble analogs of BAL, were developed in the Soviet Union and China in the late 1950s. These three agents have remained the mainstay of chelation treatment of arsenic and mercury intoxication for more than half a century. Animal experiments and in some instances human data indicate that the dithiol chelators enhance arsenic and mercury excretion. Controlled animal experiments support a therapeutic role for these chelators in the prompt treatment of acute poisoning by arsenic and inorganic mercury salts. Treatment should be initiated as rapidly as possible (within minutes to a few hours), as efficacy declines or disappears as the time interval between metal exposure and onset of chelation increases. DMPS and DMSA, which have a higher therapeutic index than BAL and do not redistribute arsenic or mercury to the brain, offer advantages in clinical practice. Although chelation following chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic and inorganic mercury may accelerate metal excretion and diminish metal burden in some organs, potential therapeutic efficacy in terms of decreased morbidity and mortality is largely unestablished in cases of chronic metal intoxication.
Effect of cultural conditions on the presence of a cholera-toxin cross-reactive factor in culture filtrates of Aeromonas hydrophila

Culture filtrates ofAeromonas hydrophila isolate SSU were shown to contain an extracellular product that antigenically cross-reacts with cholera enterotoxin as determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We have termed this extracellular product “cholera-toxin cross-reactive (CTC) factor” until further characterization is accomplished. Various cultural conditions were examined to determine maximum CTC factor production. The results indicate that optimal conditions for the highest levels of extracellular CTC factor produced byA. hydrophila grown in CYE broth occurred when cultures were incubated at 37°C with shaking at 100 rpm. CYE culture filtrates caused fluid accumulation in rabbit ligated intestinal loops. Heating the culture filtrates at 56°C for 10 min resulted in the loss of biological activity and antigenic integrity of the CTC factor as determined by the rabbit ligated intestinal loop assay and theELISA, respectively. The data presented in this study suggest that culture filtrate containing this molecule, or aggregate of molecules, may play a role in the pathogenesis ofA. hydrophila-mediated disease. Further studies including the purification of this factor(s) presently are being conducted in our laboratory.
Electron Transfer between Cytochrome B5 Surface Mutants and Cytochrome C

Abstract The surface amino acid residues of rat liver Cytochrome b5 (Cyt b5) thought to be involved in forming salt bridges with horse heart Cytochrome c (Cyt c) have been mutated in order to probe the relation between the protein complex structure and the electron transfer function. The intracomplex electron transfer rate constants measured by flash photolysis, in aqueous solution at pH 7.3, range from about 2000–5000 s−1. There is no significant difference between the wild type (WT) and the mutant Cyt b5′s in the electron transfer rate constant. The electron transfer rate constants are also measured under different pH and solvent conditions. These experiments indicate that the protein dynamic fluctuations may play important roles in the search of favorable conformations in order for electron transfer to occur.
Being Margaret Haley, Chicago, 1903

This paper uses the experience of urban life as both a documentary and an impressionist source in the writing of a biography. Drawing on a biography of Margaret Haley, the turn-of-the-century leader of the Chicago Teachers' Federation, and the author's autobiographical reflections, the city is used not only as a resource that provides historical data, but also as an influence on the lives of urban women. The subject's relationship with the city in which she lived is used as an interpretative device.
Quinine and quinidine inhibit and reveal heterogeneity of K-Cl cotransport in low K sheep erythrocytes.

Low K (LK) sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) serve as a model to study K-Cl cotransport which plays an important role in cellular dehydration in human erythrocytes homozygous for hemoglobin S. Cinchona bark derivatives, such as quinine (Q) and quinidine (QD), are effectively used in the treatment of malaria. In the present study, we investigated in LK SRBCs, the effect of various concentrations of Q and QD on Cl-dependent K efflux and Rb influx (K(Rb)-Cl flux), activated by either swelling in hyposmotic media, thiol alkylation with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), or by cellular Mg (Mg i ) removal through A23187 in the presence of external chelators. K efflux or Rb influx were determined in Cl and NO3 medium and K(Rb)-Cl flux was defined as the Cl-dependent (Cl minus NO3) component. K(Rb)-Cl flux stimulated by all three interventions was inhibited by both Q and QD in a dose-dependent manner. Maximum inhibition of K(Rb)-Cl flux occurred at Q and QD concentrations ⩾1 mm. The inhibitory effect of Q was manifested in Cl, but not in NO3, whereas QD reduced K and Rb fluxes both in Cl and NO3 media. The mean 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of Q and QD to inhibit K(Rb)-Cl flux varied between 0.23 and 2.24 mm. From determinations of the percentages of inhibition of the different components of K and Rb fluxes, we found that SRBCs possess a Cl-dependent QD-sensitive and a Cl-dependent QD-insensitive K efflux and Rb influx. These two components vary in magnitude depending on the manipulation and directional flux, but in average they are about 50% of the total Cl-dependent flux. This study raises the possibility that, in SRBCs, the Cl-dependent K(Rb) fluxes are heterogeneous.
Cognitive behavioural therapy has short term but not long term benefits in people with residual symptoms of depression.

Paykel ES, Scott J, Cornwall PL, et al . Duration of relapse prevention after cognitive therapy in residual depression: follow-up of controlled trial. Psychological Med 2005;35:59–68. Q Does cognitive behavioural therapy reduce the risk of relapse in people with residual symptoms of depression? ### ![Graphic][1] Design: Retrospective follow up of an earlier randomised controlled trial. ### ![Graphic][2] Allocation: Not clear. ### ![Graphic][3] Blinding: Not clear. ### ![Graphic][4] Follow up period: Follow up extended from about 1.5 to 6 years. ### ![Graphic][5] Setting: Cambridge and Newcastle, UK. ### ![Graphic][6] Patients: 135 people with a diagnosis of depression (DSM-III-R) in the last 18 months with continual residual symptoms, and receiving antidepressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Main exclusion criteria: history of bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, drug or alcohol dependence, persistent antisocial behaviour or self harm, dysthymia, borderline personality disorder, IQ of <70, organic brain disorder, previous cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), another axis 1 disorder, and current psychotherapy. ### ![Graphic][7] Intervention: Participants received CBT plus clinical management, or clinical management alone. CBT consisted of 16 sessions over 20 weeks with two booster sessions. ### ![Graphic][8] Outcomes: Relapse rates. ### ![Graphic][9] Patient follow up: 90% completed follow up. In a previously reported phase of this prospective randomised controlled trial, CBT … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif [3]: /embed/inline-graphic-3.gif [4]: /embed/inline-graphic-4.gif [5]: /embed/inline-graphic-5.gif [6]: /embed/inline-graphic-6.gif [7]: /embed/inline-graphic-7.gif [8]: /embed/inline-graphic-8.gif [9]: /embed/inline-graphic-9.gif
Neural image processing of the wear of cutting tools coated with thin films

Small milling cutters are susceptible to very small changes in geometry on the surface of the cutting edge that are substantial when machining at the microscale. The purpose of this paper is to show how to design a neural image processing program to accurately determine the amount of wear accumulated on small milling cutters after successive machining operations. After determining the amount of wear on a small milling cutter, the program creates the appropriate amount of compensation to be used for a computer numerical control (CNC) machining program that will account for in-process tool wear.
A Content Analysis of the Curricular Philosophies Reflected in States' Alternate Assessment Performance Indicators:

Both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 and the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) require the provision of an alternate assessment for students who cannot participate in state or district assessments with accommodations. Most states have defined performance indicators for these alternate assessments linked to their state standards. In this article, we consider five curricular philosophies (i.e., developmental, functional, social inclusion, self-determination, and academic) for students with severe disabilities and analyze how they are reflected in the performance indicators of states selected from an earlier study on curricular alignment. Overall, these states reflected a blend of academic and functional philosophies in defining reading and math performance indicators with few examples of social inclusion, self-determination, or developmental philosophies. The predominance of an academic philosophy was especially evident in states that experts and stakeholders identified as having performa...
Reminiscences of early days in solid state physics

Bardeen, John. Born Wisconsin 1908. Educated Universities of Wisconsin and Princeton. Research in many aspects of solid state science. Nobel Prize for physics (shared) 1956 for research leading to the invention of the ; Nobel Prize for physics ( shared) 1972 for the ‘ BCS ’ theory of superconductivity associated with his name. Professor, University of Illinois, since 1951.
On the Meaning and Measurement of Engagement in Youth Residential Treatment Centers

Objective: This study describes the development of an engagement scale for use with youth in residential treatment centers. Engagement includes attitude about treatment, bond with providers, and participation in treatment activities. Method: Interview data were collected at the midpoint in residence of 130 youth in two centers. Items were selected to capture practitioners' description of three related concepts in a logic model. The authors conducted confirmatory factor analysis and examined interitem reliability. Results: Results indicate a single underlying factor, which the authors label engagement, an acceptable level of reliability, and strong content validity. Conclusion: The scale integrates several concepts in the treatment process literature and might serve to assess youth engagement in residential settings. Additional study should examine construct and construct validity.
Facilitating the transition to practice: a weekend retreat curriculum for business-of-medicine education of United States anesthesiology residents

Anesthesiology residents in the United States (US) not only must develop the clinical skills needed to provide independent patient care, but also are required to become familiar with the business aspects of the modern health care system. Unfortunately, practice management education may be inadequate during anesthesiology residency training. The authors describe the design and implementation of a weekend retreat curriculum in business-of-medicine education for anesthesiology residents. Experts were recruited to discuss interviewing skills, contract law and negotiation, billing and reimbursement, insurance, malpractice, and financial planning. A strict lecture didactic format was avoided, and presentations were designed to encourage speaker-audience interaction. The program was relatively simple to design and implement, satisfied several Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education core competencies for US anesthesiology education, may be altered as practice management evolves, and may be adapted to accommodate the needs of programs in other countries.
A methodological framework for assessing and reducing temporal uncertainty in paleovegetation mapping from late-Quaternary pollen records

Abstract Mapping past vegetation dynamics from heterogeneous databases of fossil-pollen records must face the challenge of temporal uncertainty. The growing collection of densely sampled fossil-pollen records with accurate and precise chronologies allows us to develop new methods to assess and reduce this uncertainty. Here, we test our methods in the context of vegetation changes in eastern North America during the abrupt climate changes of the last deglaciation. We use the network of fossil-pollen records in the Neotoma Paleoecology Database ( www.neotomadb.org ) and data contributed by individual investigators. Because many of these records were collected decades before the current generation of 14 C and age-model technologies, we first developed a framework to assess the overall reliability of 14 C chronologies by systematically evaluating individual 14 C ages and associated chronologies. We developed a qualitative ranking scheme for individual 14 C ages that combines information about their accuracy and precision. ‘Benchmark’ pollen records were defined to have at least one 14 C age with an accuracy within 250 years and a precision less than 500 years that is within 1000 years of the time interval of interest, and at least five pollen samples per 1000 years across this time period. Only 22 of >350 late-Pleistocene pollen cores in eastern North America met the benchmark criteria.We then used Bayesian change-point analysis to identify widespread ecological events ( Picea decline, Quercus rise, and Alnus decline), and interpolated the ages of these events from the benchmark sites to non-benchmark sites. Leave-one-out cross-validation analyses with the benchmark sites indicated that the spatial error associated with interpolation was less for inverse distance-weighting (IDW) than thin-plate splines (TPS) and was about 500 years for the three biotic events. By comparison, the difference between the original ages of events at poorly constrained sites and the biostratigraphic ages interpolated from the benchmark sites was close to 1000 years, suggesting that the use of biostratigraphic ages can significantly improve the age models for poorly constrained sites. Overall, these analyses suggest that the temporal resolution of multi-site syntheses of late-Pleistocene fossil-pollen data in eastern North America is about 500 years, a resolution that allows analysis of ecological responses to millennial-scale climate change during the last deglaciation.
BLM, the Bloom’s syndrome protein, varies during the cell cycle in its amount, distribution, and co-localization with other nuclear proteins

BLM, the protein encoded by the gene mutated in Bloom's syndrome (BS), is a phylogenetically highly conserved DNA helicase that varies in amount and distribution in the nucleus during the cell-division cycle. It is undetectable in many cells as they emerge from mitosis but becomes abundant during G(1) and remains so throughout S, G(2), and mitosis. BLM is widely distributed throughout the nucleus but at certain times also becomes concentrated in foci that vary in number and size. It co-localizes transitorily with replication protein A (RPA) and promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies, and at times it enters the nucleolus. The observations support the hypothesis that BLM is distributed variously about the nucleus to manipulate DNA in some, very possibly several, nucleic acid transactions, when and where they take place. The specific transaction(s) remain to be identified. Although absence from the nucleus of functional BLM - the situation in BS - obviously is not lethal in the human, other helicases would appear to be unable to substitute for it completely, witness the hypermutability and hyperrecombinability of BS cells.
Kelco microbial polysaccharides S-130 (welan) and S-657 Display similar dilute aqueous solution behavior

Abstract The comb-like, branched microbial polysaccharides S-130 (welan gum) from Alcaligenes ATCC 31555 and S-657 from Xanthomonas ATCC 53159, produced by the Kelco Division of Merck, have potential commercial applications as non-gelling water-soluble thickening and suspending agents. Each is structurally related to the Kelco linear copolysaccharide S-60 (gellan gum) from Auromonas ATCC 31461 which forms gels in aqueous salt solutions and has the repeating unit structure [→ 3)-β- d -Glc p -(1 → 4)-β- d -Glc p A-(1 → 4)-β- d -Glc p - (1 → 4)-α- l -Rha p (1 → ] . In S-130 this backbone is regularly glycosylated at C(3) of the second β- d -Glcp with α- l -Rhap (67%) or α- l -Manp (33%), while in S-657 regular glycosylation occurs at the same backbone site with α- l -Rha p -(1 → 4)-α- l -Rha p . Both S-130 and S-657 were purified, degraded to various extents by sonication and, for most samples, fractionally precipitated into moderately dispersed fractions differing in mean molecular weight. Potentiometric proton titration and investigations of the dependence of intrinsic viscosity on ionic strength suggest only very weak polyelectrolyte behavior. For neither polymer does the temperature or ionic strength dependence of optical activity or reduced specific viscosity present evidence of a conformational change in the temperature range 20≤T≤62°C. Light scattering as a function of ionic strength discloses a modest tendency of both polymers to aggregate with increasing aqueous NaCl concentration in the range 0·001–0·100 m ; intrinsic viscosities were large relative to the molecular weights and essentially constant over the same range of salt concentration. The mean chain extension per back-bone sugar residue measured by light scattering, as well as the molecular weight dependence of the intrinsic viscosity, suggest a highly extended chain configuration, similar for the two polymers and comparable to that of the most highly extended cellulose derivatives. This is found despite the periodic occurrence in S-130 and S-657 of the α-(1 → 3)-linkage, which is expected on elementary grounds to disrupt the essentially rectilinear propagation of the otherwise cellulose-like backbone and generate a less extended chain configuration.
Particle-in-cell modeling of potential gradients in expanding helicon plasmas using XOOPIC

Summary form only given. The particle-in-cell (PIC) code XOOPIC is used to model expanding, low-density (ne~109-1010 cm-3, Te~5-10 eV) argon plasmas in an effort to further understand the formation of potential gradients in the region of expansion. There is experimental evidence that a self-bias voltage forms between the plasma in the grounded expansion chamber and that in the insulating source region in the Madison helicon experiment. In this experiment, low-density argon plasma is created in a system typically used to create helicon discharges. The RF antenna capacitively couples to the low-density plasma, which results in large-amplitude plasma potential fluctuations at the RF frequency (13.56 MHz). These fluctuations lead to an increased initial flux of electrons from the source region to the expansion region, resulting in the measured self-bias voltage and corresponding gradient in time-averaged plasma potential between the upstream and downstream chambers. Plasma ions are then accelerated by this gradient. This phenomenon is being modeled in XOOPIC in an effort to better understand the evolution of the plasma potential and electron energy distribution (EEDF).
The effects of more Conservative neck dissections and radiotherapy on nodal yields from the neck

Objective: To determine the effects of conservative neck dissections (NDs) and preoperative radiotherapy on the quantitative recovery of lymph nodes from the neck. Design: Retrospective review of case series. Data were obtained for age, preoperative TNM staging, type of ND, preoperative radiotherapy, total nodal yield (tNY), and positive nodal yield (pNY). The tNY and pNY were analyzed with factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine differences among types of ND and the effect of radiotherapy. Setting: Tertiary care center for head and neck cancer. Patients: Consecutive sample of 135 NDs in 110 patients with cancer of the head and neck. Results: A significant difference in tNY was found among dissections (P,.001, ANOVA). Supraomohyoid ND had a significantly lower mean tNY (9.9 nodes) than both radical ND and modified radical ND (21.8 and 26.3 nodes, respectively; P,.05). Functional ND also had a signifi
A subject-specific anisotropic visco-hyperelastic finite element model of female pelvic floor stress and strain during the second stage of labor.

Objectives To develop an improved model representation of the biomechanics of the levator muscles during the second stage of labor and to use a sensitivity analysis to explore the pathomechanics of levator muscle injury.
Global Occupational Hazard: Silica Dust

One of the oldest industrial diseases, silicosis, results from exposures to respirable crystalline silica, also known as silica dust. Workers worldwide exposed to silica dust span a variety of industries from construction, mining, sandblasting, to masonry, and machinery. In the United States alone 1.7 million workers are exposed to crystalline silica, which can also lead to lung cancer, tuberculosis, and other chronic airway diseases [1].This paper will examine the health effects of silica dust on the worker, discussing exposure paths, work groups affected, occupational safety measures, worker health policies, and compare these among the developed and developing world. Implementing worker safety programs, which include wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and health monitoring and developing exposure limits, can help mitigate the adverse health risks of working with silica dust. A comparison of the successes and limitations of several programs from around the world will show that strong national occupational safety programs can reduce the mortality and illness rates of silicosis due to occupational silica dust exposure.Without a strong national occupational safety program history shows that workers will remain unprotected until they rally together under tragedy to fight for safety. Before more workers suffer and die tragically and unnecessarily, global safety policy makers can take a lesson from history, examine and compare current programs, and implement strong national occupational safety programs that save lives.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
A Generalized Learning Curve Adapted for Purchasing and Cost Reduction Negotiations

This paper presents the use and validation of a generalized learning curve in the economies of scale purchasing experience. The model, based on Wright’s curve, incorporates two extra degrees of freedom to accommodate initial purchases of multiple (instead of single) units and a finite asymptotic price at high volumes. The study shows that each time the part purchase quantity is doubled, the price is reduced either by a constant percentage (a learning rate) or by an approach to an asymptotic plateau rate indicating a point of diminishing returns. Supplier price quotations at multiple purchase quantities were obtained for a pool of 17 critical parts. The data were fitted with the generalized learning curve by the method of least squares regression. The regressed learning rate, first unit price, and the asymptotic price can be used to infer supplier pricing strategies. Coupled with a “should-cost” analysis based on estimates of standard time and material, a system cost reduction task was carried out by the supply chain organization.
Interpretable whole-brain prediction analysis with GraphNet

Multivariate machine learning methods are increasingly used to analyze neuroimaging data, often replacing more traditional "mass univariate" techniques that fit data one voxel at a time. In the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) literature, this has led to broad application of "off-the-shelf" classification and regression methods. These generic approaches allow investigators to use ready-made algorithms to accurately decode perceptual, cognitive, or behavioral states from distributed patterns of neural activity. However, when applied to correlated whole-brain fMRI data these methods suffer from coefficient instability, are sensitive to outliers, and yield dense solutions that are hard to interpret without arbitrary thresholding. Here, we develop variants of the Graph-constrained Elastic-Net (GraphNet), a fast, whole-brain regression and classification method developed for spatially and temporally correlated data that automatically yields interpretable coefficient maps (Grosenick et al., 2009b). GraphNet methods yield sparse but structured solutions by combining structured graph constraints (based on knowledge about coefficient smoothness or connectivity) with a global sparsity-inducing prior that automatically selects important variables. Because GraphNet methods can efficiently fit regression or classification models to whole-brain, multiple time-point data sets and enhance classification accuracy relative to volume-of-interest (VOI) approaches, they eliminate the need for inherently biased VOI analyses and allow whole-brain fitting without the multiple comparison problems that plague mass univariate and roaming VOI ("searchlight") methods. As fMRI data are unlikely to be normally distributed, we (1) extend GraphNet to include robust loss functions that confer insensitivity to outliers, (2) equip them with "adaptive" penalties that asymptotically guarantee correct variable selection, and (3) develop a novel sparse structured Support Vector GraphNet classifier (SVGN). When applied to previously published data (Knutson et al., 2007), these efficient whole-brain methods significantly improved classification accuracy over previously reported VOI-based analyses on the same data (Grosenick et al., 2008; Knutson et al., 2007) while discovering task-related regions not documented in the original VOI approach. Critically, GraphNet estimates fit to the Knutson et al. (2007) data generalize well to out-of-sample data collected more than three years later on the same task but with different subjects and stimuli (Karmarkar et al., submitted for publication). By enabling robust and efficient selection of important voxels from whole-brain data taken over multiple time points (>100,000 "features"), these methods enable data-driven selection of brain areas that accurately predict single-trial behavior within and across individuals.
Monocarboxylic acid permeation through lipid bilayer membranes

The membrane permeability coefficients for the homologous monocarboxylic acids, formic through hexanoic, as well as benzoic and salicylic, were determined for egg phosphatidylcholine-decane planar bilayer membranes. The permeabilities of formic, acetic and propionic acid were also determined for “solvent-free” phosphatidylethanolamine bilayers. Permeability coefficients were calculated from tracer fluxes measured under otherwise symmetrical conditions, and precautions were taken to ensure that the values were not underestimated due to unstirred layer effects. The relation between the nonionic (HA) permeability (Pm) and the hexadecane/water partition coefficient (Kp) was: logm=0.90 log Kp+0.87 (correlation coefficient=0.996). Formic acid was excluded from the analysis because its permeability was sixfold higher than predicted by the other acids. The permeabilities for “solvent-free” membranes were similar to those for decanecontaining membranes. The exceptionally high permeability of formic acid and the high correlation of the other permeabilities to the hexadecane/water partition coefficient is a pattern that conforms with other nonelectrolyte permeabilities through bilayers. Similarly, the mean incremental free energy change per methylene group (σΔG-CH2-) was −764 cal mol−1, similar to other homologous solutes in other membrane systems. However, much less negative σΔG values (−120, to −400 cal mol−1) were previously reported for fatty acids permeating bilayers and biological membranes. These values are due primarily to unstirred layer effects, metabolism and binding to membranes and other cell components.
Synthesis of substituted 2‐amino‐3‐cyano‐4‐methylpyrroles

A facile route for the synthesis of substituted 2-amino-3-cyano-4-methylpyrroles from N-acetyl-α-amino ketones and malononitrile is reported.