cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and determinants of insourced and offshored projects: A comparative analysis

Abstract Similar in-house (or insourced) and offshored software development data were paired to find differences (if any) on four project performance criteria: project elapsed times, size, data quality, and same-source nations. For each paired project, the differences between five technical variables (development type, application type, architecture, development platform, and programming language) were considered. The resource dependency theory was used to examine the technical differences between matched projects. Additionally, Hofstede's cultural dimensions were used to analyze the performance of offshored software projects. Data from the International Software Benchmarking Standard Group (ISBSG) was used. The main empirical findings were as follows: project completion time is significantly shorter for in-house development projects; and firms prefer offshoring for new projects, client-service platforms, and newer application languages. Some of Hofstede's cultural dimensions do affect project quality and work effort for offshore projects.
GEOMYOID RODENTS (MAMMALIA) FROM THE RIDGEVIEW LOCAL FAUNA, EARLY-EARLY ARIKAREEAN (LATE OLIGOCENE) OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

Ten species of geomyoid rodents are recognized from the early-early Arikareean Ridgeview local fauna of Nebraska: three heliscomyids, four florentiamyids, one heteromyid, and two species of the probable geomyid Tenudomys Rensberger, 1973. Two new genera are described, the heliscomyid Tylionomys and a harrymyine heteromyid Proharrymys. Two previously described Arikareean species are referred to Proharrymys Heliscomys schlaikjeri Black, 1961 and Proheteromys fedti Macdonald, 1963 (new combinations). Four new species are named: the heliscomyids Heliscomys macdonaldi and Tylionomys voorheisi, the heteromyid Proharrymys wahlerti, and the probable geomyid Tenudomys ridgeviewensis.Heliscomyids are more diverse in the Ridgeview local fauna than in any other Arikareean fauna in North America. This increases the known diversity of this family during a time interval from which only a single species was previously recognized. Larger florentiamyids are poorly represented in the fauna, but the sample is large enough to demonstrate that Florentiamys kennethi Wahlert, 1983 is a junior synonym of F. tiptoni (Macdonald, 1970). A large sample of the small florentiamyid Kirkomys Wahlert, 1984 is sufficient to demonstrate that Proheteromys nebraskensis Wood, 1937 is synonymous with Kirkomys milleri Wahlert, 1984, resulting in the new combination Kirkomys nebraskensis.The only heteromyid in the fauna, P. wahlerti, is believed to be the basal harrymyine from which the Hemingfordian Harrymys can be derived.
Self-Assembly and Electrochemical Desorption of Thioctic Acid Monolayers on Gold Surfaces

Self-assembled monolayers of thioctic acid (1,2-dithiolane-3-pentanoic acid) on Au surfaces were studied by electrochemical desorption experiments and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The cathodic stripping of thioctic acid monolayers from Au electrodes in 0.5 M KOH electrolyte is characterized by two desorption features. The first, centered at -0.93 V (vs Ag/AgCl), is in good agreement with earlier studies of thioctic acid monolayers on Au. The second peak occurs at about -1.27 V and, to our knowledge, has not previously been reported. Kinetic studies, in which electrochemical desorption curves and XPS spectra were recorded as the total self-assembly time was varied from 1 min to 2 weeks, reveal two distinct adsorption states of thioctic acid on gold surfaces. The first voltammetric wave (-0.93 V) is associated with the desorption of thioctic acid itself, and the second is due to the desorption of oxidized thioctic acid (present as the both the disulfinate and the disulfonate). Finally, oxidized TA was prepared by two synthetic routes and self-assembled monolayers of oxidized TA were allowed to form. Electrochemical desorption experiments showed a single desorption wave at -1.27 V, confirming our assignment.
Fingerprint scanner using digital interference holography

We present three-dimensional imaging of artificial fingerprints using the Digital Interference Holography (DIH) scanner. DIH is based on a multiwavelength optical sensing technique that can be used to build holographically the three dimensional structure of the fingerprints. Many holograms (~50) were acquired by a CCD camera by scanning a range of wavelengths. Each hologram was numerically reconstructed and then superposed yielding tomographic images which represented the artificial fingerprint structure. The axial resolution is a parameter that depends on the wavelength scanning range and is about 5 μm. The light source was a solid state pumped dye laser with a tunable wavelength range of 550 nm to 600 nm. Holograms were captured by a monochrome CCD camera (Sony XC-ST50, with 780 × 640 pixels and a pixel size of ~ 9 μm). An image acquisition board (NI IMAQ PCI-1407) digitized the image with 8 bit resolution. All software was developed in house with the NI LabView. We used a Michelson interferometer in a backscattering geometry and the reconstruction of the optical field was done using the angular spectrum algorithm. Our goal is to identify and quantify, Level 1 (pattern), Level 2 (minutia points), and Level 3 (ridge contours) features from the amplitude images, using the DIH technique and fingerprints recognition. The results could be used in the two fingerprint matching phases, identification and verification.
Molecular modeling and NMR spectroscopic examination of (E)-cyclodec-5-enone and its 2- and 10-methyl analogs

The 1H and 13C NMR spectra of (E)-cyclodec-5-enone and its 2- and 10-methyl analogs were determined. The 1H NMR spectrum of the former was determined over the temperature range −60 to 20°C. Information from the 2-D INADEQUATE spectrum of the parent compound was combined with that derived from the homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation spectra to assign the olefinic proton at C-6. In all three proton spectra, this was the only set of resonances sufficiently well defined to allow conformational information to be deduced. Molecular modeling by molecular mechanics, semi-empirical and ab initio molecular orbital methods were used to predict conformational preferences. These results were then compared with the NMR data.
Antibodies to grass in vernal conjunctivitis

Abstract Thirty-five cases of vernal conjunctivitis were studied to determine: 1.1. whether antibodies to grass, as measured by the direct skin test, the Prausnitz-Kustner reaction, and the bis-diazotized benzidine hemagglutination test to a grass antigen (rye grass), occur in a significant number of patients with this disease, and 2.2. whether clinical features of the disease correlate with those of known atopic conditions. A significant number of patients with vernal conjunctivities were found to have antibody to grass antigen by all methods used; certain features of the disease are highly suggestive of atopic etiology; and there is a trend to correlation of spring exacerbations with the presence of antibodies to grass antigen. On the basis of the clinical and laboratory evidence cited, vernal conjunctivitis seems to represent a type of atopic sensitization.
Effect of varying degrees of "normal" glucose metabolism on maternal and perinatal outcome.

Prior studies concerning effects of varying degrees of normal glucose metabolism on pregnancy have reported an increase in the incidence of a variety of pregnancy complications in women with normal oral glucose tolerance test results as the glucose concentration after a standardized meal rose. However, these investigations have neglected to include a control group of women with gestational diabetes for comparison. We theorized that if the adverse outcomes noted were indeed a reflection of glucose concentration, women with gestational diabetes should have an even higher incidence of these complications. Mother and infant charts of 312 consecutive women undergoing an oral glucose tolerance test were reviewed. A glucose challenge test preceded the oral glucose tolerance test in 310. The glucose challenge test value was 180 mgidl. However, when women with gestational diabetes were excluded from analysis, neither the glucose challenge test nor the 2-hour glucose tolerance test measurements were related to adverse outcome. When analysis was limited to women with gestational diabetes, there was no clinically significant relationship between either glucose challenge test or 2-hour glucose tolerance test and the outcome parameters. Finally, when analysis was repeated according to diagnosis, women with gestational diabetes had a significantly higher risk of having nonelective operative delivery, premature delivery, growth-retarded neonate, 1-minute Apgar score p p
Federated ALCI: Preliminary Report

We introduce F-ALCI, a federated version of the description logic ALCI. An F-ALCI ontology, like its package-based counterpart $ALCIP-$, consists of multiple ALCI ontologies that can import concepts or roles defined in other modules. Unlike $ALCIP-$, which supports only contextualized negation, F-ALCI, supports contextualization of each of the logical connectives, a feature that allows more flexible reuse of knowledge from independently developed ontologies. We provide a new semantics for F-ALCI based on image domain relations and establish the conditions that need to be imposed on domain relations to ensure properties, such as preservation of unsatisfiability and monotonicity of inference, that are desirable in distributed web applications. We also establish the decidability of F-ALCI.
Monitoring incorporation, transformation and subcellular distribution of N-l-leucyl-doxorubicin in uterine sarcoma cells using capillary electrophoretic techniques

Previous reports have demonstrated that N-l-leucyl-doxorubicin (LeuDox) is less toxic than its parent drug, Dox, but the underlying causes of this reduced toxicity have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, the incorporation of LeuDox into (i) the MES-SA human uterine sarcoma cell line and (ii) its Dox resistant counterpart, MES-SA/Dx5 cell line and the subsequent transformation of LeuDox into Dox and its subcellular distribution, were investigated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection (MEKC-LIF). In both cell lines the cellular uptakes of Dox and LeuDox were similar at equimolar doses, while the percent transformation of LeuDox into Dox in MES-SA/Dx5 cells was about twice as great as its transformation in MES-SA cells, which is beneficial for reaching Dox cytotoxic levels in this resistant cell line. When both cells lines were treated with IC(35) concentrations of either Dox and LeuDox, the intracellular Dox amounts were 6-fold higher in the resistant cell line than in the sensitive cell line, suggesting that other cellular processes play a role in the cytotoxicity of Dox in the resistant cell line. The amounts and ratios of Dox and LeuDox in four subcellular fractions of LeuDox-treated MES-SA/Dx5 cells were also investigated. The highest Dox/LeuDox ratio (i.e. 2.92) was found in the nuclear fraction, followed by the ratio in the low density organelle fraction (i.e. 1.92) that contains lysosomes, organelles in which lysosomal hydrolytic enzymes, capthesins, transform LeuDox into Dox.
Release-etch modeling for complex surface micromachined structures

A release etch model for etching sacrificial oxides in aqueous HF solutions is presented. This model is an extension of work done by Monk et al. and Liu et al. The model is inherently one dimensional, but can be used to model the etching of complex three dimensional parts. Solutions and boundary conditions are presented for a number of geometries. Knowledge of release-etch kinetics is essential for designing manufacturing processes for large surface micromachined structures such as sealed diaphragms and cavities and flow channels.
The effects of self-reinnervation of cat medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles on hindlimb kinematics in slope walking

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of self-reinnervation of the medial (MG) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles on joint kinematics of the whole hindlimb during overground walking on surfaces of varying slope in the cat. Hindlimb kinematics were assessed (1) with little or no activity in MG and LG (short-term effects of self-reinnervation), and (2) after motor function of these muscles was presumably recovered but their proprioceptive feedback permanently disrupted (long-term effects of self-reinnervation). The stance phase was examined in three walking conditions: downslope (−50%, i.e. −26.6°), level (0%) and upslope (+50%, +26.6°). Measurements were performed prior to and at consecutive time points (between 1 and 57 weeks) after transecting and immediately suturing MG and LG nerves. It was found that MG-LG self-reinnervation did not significantly change hip height and hindlimb orientation in any of the three walking conditions. Substantial short-term effects were observed in the ankle joint (e.g., increased flexion in early stance) as well as in metatarsophalangeal and knee joints, leading to altered interjoint coordination. Hindlimb kinematics in level and upslope walking progressed back towards baseline within 14–19 weeks. Thus in these two conditions the cats were walking without any detectable kinematic deficits, despite the absence of length feedback from two major ankle extensors. This was verified in a decerebrate preparation for four of the five cats. In contrast, ankle joint kinematics as well as interjoint coordination in downslope walking gradually progressed towards, but never reached their baseline patterns. The short-term effects can be explained by both mechanical and neural factors that are affected by the functional elimination of MG and LG. Permanent changes in kinematics during downslope walking indicate the importance of proprioceptive feedback from the MG and LG muscles in regulating locomotor activity of ankle extensors. Full recovery of hindlimb kinematics during level and upslope walking suggests that the proprioceptive loss is compensated by other sensory sources (e.g. cutaneous receptors) or altered central drive.
Amperometric assay for collagenase. Amplification by the use of glucose oxidase conjugated to insoluble collagen.

A sensitive and rapid amperometric assay for collagenase has been developed. The substrate for the assay is glucose oxidase covalently linked to insoluble collagen with dimethylsuberimidate. The collagenase cleaves the insoluble collagen-glucose oxidase conjugate into smaller, soluble fragments that have glucose oxidase activity. That activity is proportional to the collagenase activity hydrolyzing the insoluble conjugate. In the absence of collagenase, no glucose oxidase activity is found in the soluble phase. Glucose oxidase activity was assayed by measuring amperometrically the rate at which hydrogen peroxide is produced. The kinetics follow that proposed for a soluble enzyme acting on an insoluble substrate.
Synthesis of Novel (P,S) Ligands Based on Chiral Nonracemic Episulfides. Use in Asymmetric Hydrogenation

A strategy for the synthesis of new chiral (P,S) ligands is described. It is based on the opening of chiral nonracemic episulfides using phosphorus nucleophiles. Chiral episulfides, 4, are derived either from the reaction of thiourea with the corresponding epoxide (4a, R = CH3) or from the stepwise conversion of chiral diols to the episulfide via the thiocarbonate (4b, R = cyclohexyl). The reaction of lithium salts of phosphines, R2‘PLi (R = Ph, cyclohexyl), with episulfides is regioselective and gives the ring-opened products 5−8, PR2CH2CH(R‘)SLi. Upon treatment with electrophiles, R‘ ‘Cl (R‘ ‘ = −CH2Ph, −CH2(C5(CH3)5), −CH2(C14H9), −CH(C14H12)), they give novel chiral (P,S) ligands, PR‘2CH2CH(R‘)SR‘ ‘, 9−17 in 31−93% yield. Reactions of PCy2CH2CH(CH3)SCH2(C6(CH3)5), 11, with LMCl2 (LM = (DME)Ni, (COD)Pd, and (NBD)Pt; DME = dimethoxyethane, COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, NBD = 2,5-norbornadiene) yields the corresponding metal complexes, (11)MCl2, 18. Variable-temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy indicates that in ...
Isolation of human retinal genes: recoverin cDNA and gene.

Summary A human retina cDNA library enriched for retina-specific clones was prepared by subtraction with a non-retina population of cDNA in combination with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications. A highly retina-specific cDNA clone (1190 bp) was obtained through this library encoding a 200 amino acid protein with three calcium binding sites and 87% homology to the bovine photoreceptor protein, recoverin, which has been shown to mediate the recovery of the dark current after photoactivation, and 58% homology to the calcium-binding chick cone protein, visinin. Analysis of the gene indicated a 9–10 kb single-copy gene with at least three exons and two introns. The three exons contained the entire coding sequence, and all of the calcium-binding EF-hand regions were in putative exon 1. The recoverin gene was mapped to human chromosome 17 by hybridization to a panel of human-rodent hybrid DNAs.
Epidemiology of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Rape Victims

Rape is a violent crime that is increasing rapidly in incidence. Victims can include male and female adults and children. These victims may be at risk for the acquisition of many sexually transmitted conditions. The risk will vary with the sex and socioeconomic status of the assailant as well as with the nature of the sexual contact. Infections with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus, and Treponema pallidum have all been found to occur following sexual assault of female adults or children. Although data are lacking, male victims of homosexual rape are presumably at risk for the acquisition of the above infections as well as hepatitis B, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and other infections prevalent among homosexual men. All victims of sexual assault should undergo a comprehensive physical examination with a complete history. Baseline and follow-up laboratory tests should be performed. In some instances, prophylactic administration of antimicrobial agents may be warranted.
Latitudinal effects on treehopper species richness (Hornoptera: Membracidae)

. 1. Membracid species richness declines with increasing latitude in the Western hemisphere but begins to increase again in temperate regions. In northern latitudes this transition occurs in the highlands of Mexico and is the result of the emergence of a new tribe and greater host specialization. 2. The relationship between number of species per genus and latitude is parabolic. 3. We suggest the low number of species per genus in tropical regions may be due to the lack of host specialization and reduced coordination of life history with host phenology.
Exogenous steroid effects on litter size and early embryonic survival in swine

Abstract These studies confirm the efficacy of 12.5 μg estrone and 25 mg progesterone, administered on Days 16 and 17 of pregnancy, on increased litter size in swine. Substitution of estradiol (with ten-fold greater biological activity) for estrone in this regimen eliminated the positive effect on litter size and estradiol given alone at dosages of 3.1 and 6.3 μg were without effect. However, when estradiol was given in combination with progesterone (25 mg) at a dosage equivalent to 10% the effective estrone dosage (1.25 μg), a 22.6% increase in total pigs born per litter over controls was observed. Estrone alone at dosages of 6.25 and 12.5 μg did not alter litter size. At a dosage of 18.75 μg, an 8.7% decrease in total pigs born was noted. The amniotic fluid from sows treated for ten days with 12.5 μg estrone and 25 mg progesterone near the time of implantation, had significantly higher protein concentration, pH and osmolality.
Gamma-ray emission in competition with neutron emission in the beta decay of 87Br☆

Abstract Evidence is presented for the existence of a γ -ray at 5594.7±0.6 keV following beta decay of 87 Br. This observation indicates population of neutron unbound levels in 87 Kr from which photon emission competes successfully with neutron emission.
Revisiting p53 for cancer-specific chemo- and radiotherapy: Ten years after

Despite intense studies, highly effective therapeutic strategies against cancer have not yet been fully exploited, because few true cancer-specific targets have been identified. Most modalities, perhaps with the exception of radiation therapy, target proliferating cells, which are also abundant in normal tissues. Thus, most current cancer treatments have significant side effects. More than 10 years ago, the tumor suppressor p53 was first explored as a cancer-specific target. At the time, the approach was to introduce a normal p53 gene into mutant p53 (mp53) tumor cells to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. However, this strategy did not hold up and mostly failed in subsequent clinical studies. Recent research developments have now returned p53 to the limelight. Several studies have reported that mutant or null p53 tumor cells undergo apoptosis more easily than genetically matched, normal p53 counterparts when inhibiting a specific stress kinase in combination with standard chemotherapy or when exposed to an ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase inhibitor and radiation, thus achieving true cancer specificity in animal tumor models. This short review highlights several of these recent studies, discusses possible mechanism(s) for mp53-mediated “synthetic lethality,” and the implications for cancer therapy.
Evidence for β Scission in the Oxidation of Amino Acids

Time-resolved ESR and steady-state spin trapping were used to identify the radicals and their kinetics following the radiolytic oxidation by the •OH radical of the anion of α-methylalanine, H2N−C(CH3)2−CO2-. Spectra of two new radicals were identified in aqueous solution, the aminyl radical, HN•−C(CH3)2−CO2-, and the decarboxylated radical, H2N−•C(CH3)2. Time-resolved ESR spectra of the two new radicals were obtained, and the hyperfine couplings and g factors were determined. The radical formation times were consistent with both of the radicals being formed in the initial attack of the •OH radical on α-methylalanine. Measurements of the radical yields indicated that the aminyl radical was the major radical product from the initial •OH attack. The observations (a) that the aminyl radical decays via a first-order process (lifetime about 14 μs) and (b) that there is a large presence of •CO2- spin adducts with CH2NO2- are consistent with β scission being a prominent reaction of the aminyl radical from α-methy...
Hair loosening in Angora goats using cyclophosphamide

Thirty-five Angora goats, 2 to 4 yrs of age, were randomly divided into three groups, a control and two treatments, 1 and 2 (0, 15 and 30 mg cyclophosphamide (CPA)/kg body weight, respectively) to determine if CPA causes hair loosening and thus provide a possible alternative to mechanical shearing. The neck, back, ribs and belly of each animal were assigned a daily hair loosening score as follows: 10 (very tight), 20 (removed with difficulty) or 30 (easily removed). Both treatment groups showed no signs of hair loosening prior to day 11. Animals on treatment 1 showed some measurable hair loosening on day 11 in the neck, rib and back body regions, but no measurable hair loosening thereafter. Goats on treatment 2 showed considerable hair loosening on day 11 and significantly higher hair loosening scores (P<0.05) for days 11 to 17 than the other two groups. These results indicated that a dose of 30 CPA mg/kg body weight may be used as a hair-loosening agent in Angora goats.
Concurrent processing for computer graphics

Abstract Three classes of concurrency are identified: data, functional and procedural. Within the constraints of human perception, interactive computer graphics requires real-time processing. Concurrent processing provides an alternative method of achieving real-time performance. Examples of graphic computations are presented which are applicable to each of these classes of concurrent processing.
Modern veterinary vaccines and the Shaman's apprentice

This paper is an overview and assessment of new, commercially available veterinary vaccines placed in a historical context. The authors critically evaluate the current state of the field of veterinary vaccines in both food and companion animals and the promises for future vaccine development. The authors maintain that there is considerable variability in safety and sustained efficacy among veterinary vaccines, especially those developed for companion animals. It is proposed that establishment of an international vaccine advisory committee be supported which would function to apprise the veterinary profession of the current status of vaccines and their use.
Terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Missing Data

Although the situation is improving, terrorist incidents in sub-Saharan Africa appear to have been underreported in the media and under recorded in the existing database. This situation results in ...
Underwater Acoustic Communications with Multi-Carrier Modulation

The underwater acoustic channel belongs to a class of stochastic communication channels that are frequency- and, at long range, energy-limited and doubly spread. The primary challenge in underwater communications is a very large delay and Doppler spread, which complicate the application of "optimal" methods of communication. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) (or more generally multi-carrier modulation, MCM) systems are well known as being attractive for communications through multi-path communications channels. The traditional approach expects the symbol duration of the transmitted signal to be larger than channel delay spread. This results in a low rate "sampling" of the channel impulse response (once per symbol in each sub-channel) and a sub-channel bandwidth that is less than the coherence bandwidth of the physical propagation channel. An alternative approach is proposed here that uses shorter pulses. This results in subchannels that have delay spreads of greater than one symbol but which are small enough in terms of symbols of delay spread to enable the use of soft decision multi-path decoders (e.g., the maximum-likelihood sequence detection (MLSD) algorithm). The expected result is a more robust and reliable system in doubly spread channels. A few approaches for MLSD receiver are considered. The comparison and numerical simulation of the approaches has shown the superior performance of the MLSD algorithm with a joint channel estimation and data recovery for each sequence of data symbols. The system has much better performance than the traditional decision feedback equalizer in a channel with severe frequency selective fading, and its energy efficiency is 3 dB better than that of a system that uses a pilot signal
Metapopulation extinction in fragmented landscapes: using bacteria and protozoa communities as model ecosystems.

Abstract Extinction is notoriously difficult to study because of the long timescales involved and the difficulty in ascertaining that extinction has actually occurred. The effect of habitat subdivision, or fragmentation, on extinction risk is even harder to study, as it requires copious replication of habitat patches on large spatial scales and control of area effects between treatments. I used simple small‐scale communities of bacteria and protozoa to study extinction in response to habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. I studied several different community configurations, each with three trophic levels. Unlike most metapopulation studies (experimental as well as theoretical), which have tended to deal with inherently unstable species interactions, I deliberately used community configurations that were persistent in large stock cultures. I recorded the time to extinction of the top predator in single habitat patches of different sizes and in fragmented systems with different degrees of subdivision but ...
Maxillary Arch Dimensions and Spectral Characteristics of Children With Cleft Lip and Palate Who Produce Middorsum Palatal Stops

Purpose The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to determine maxillary arch dimensions of children with repaired cleft lip and palate (CLP) who produced middorsum palatal stops and (b) to descri...
Maternal and fetal outcomes in placenta accreta after institution of team-managed care.

Placenta accreta significantly contributes to maternal morbidity and mortality. We evaluated whether planned delivery and experienced, team-managed surgical intervention results in improved outcomes. We also examined whether risk factors differed for accreta, increta, and percreta and evaluated whether excess lower segment uterine vascularity correlates with disease severity. We retrospectively analyzed patients before versus after institution of a management protocol. Of the 58 044 deliveries over 10 years, there were 67 women whose pregnancies were histopathologically confirmed as placenta accreta, increta, or percreta (1/866). Clinical outcome measures were estimated blood loss (EBL), packed red blood cells (pRBCs) transfused, maternal and fetal complications, intensive care unit admission, and length of stay. There were no maternal or infant deaths. In the managed cohort, EBL was reduced by 48% (P 50% (P < .01). Assessment of maternal risk factors by diagnosis revealed marked differences between accreta versus increta and percreta. Clinically assessed excess vascularity of the lower uterine segment correlated with disease severity. The incidence of neonatal complications was similar in both cohorts. Targeted delivery at 34 weeks and team-managed diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with placenta accreta were associated with improved maternal, but not neonatal outcomes.
Acute Esophageal Necrosis: A Case of Black Esophagus Associated with Bismuth Subsalicylate Ingestion.

We present a case of acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) likely caused by chronic use of bismuth subsalicylate, an active ingredient in over-the-counter Pepto-Bismol®, which contains 220 g of salicylic acid in each 30 mL quantity. While aspirin is known to cause gastritis and gastric ulcers, this is the first case, to our knowledge, reporting AEN after chronic bismuth subsalicylate use.
Functional Analysis of a Nuclear Waste Repository System

Systems engineering analysis results are presented and discussed for two related systems: (1) a geologic repository for the disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste; and (2) an exploratory studies facility for use in site characterization.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: management after excisional biopsy of a solitary metastatic neck node.

Abstract Purpose : The judiciousness of open biopsy of lymph node mestastases in the neck is controversial. A retrospective review of treatment results at the University of Florida in patients who underwent excisional biopsy of a solitary metastatic neck node followed by radiotherapy was undertaken to determine whether the approach resulted in increased rates of regional and distant recurrence or wound complications. Methods and Materials : Between October 1964 and September 1987, 41 patients were referred for radiotherapy after excisional biopsy of a solitary cervical node containing metastatic squamous cell carcinoma from a known mucosal site (19 patients) or unknown primary (22 patients) in the head and neck. None had known gross residual neck disease. The neck stage (based on N stage before surgery or size of the excised node) was unknown in seven patients, N1 in 15 patients, N2A in 18 patients, and N3A in one patient. All patients received radiotherapy to the neck and two had a planned neck dissection after radiotherapy. Doses to the nodal bed ranged from 5485 cGy to 8100 cGy (median, 6675 cGy). Results : The probability of control of neck disease was 95% at both 5 and 10 years. Five-year probability of disease control above the clavicles was 90%. Distant metastasis occurred in 0 of 36 patients whose disease was controlled above the clavicles vs. 3 of 5 patients who suffered failure above the clavicles. Conclusion : Excisional biopsy of a solitary neck node followed by radiotherapy produced excellent regional control and no apparent increased rate of distant metastasis.
Practice Guidelines and Practicing Medicine: Are They Compatible?

Various factors, including increased financial pressures on the health system, the rapidity of the introduction of technology, and data showing high levels of inappropriate care, will coalesce into a movement that will yield practice guidelines. If the guidelines are developed with the aid of the best methods and if they are applied constructively, then the twin goals of increased health of the American public and physician satisfaction can be achieved. ( JAMA . 1989;262:3027-3030)
Involvement of a thioesterase in the production of short-chain fatty acids in the uropygial glands of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)☆

Abstract Fatty acid synthetase from the uropygial glands of five different genera of waterfowl, which generate 2,4,6,8-tetramethyldecanoic acid, 2,4,6-trimethyloctanoic acid, or 2- and 4-monomethylhexanoic acid as major products, were compared. The purified enzyme from all sources generated n -C 16 acid and 2,4,6,8-tetramethyldecanoic acid from malonyl-CoA and methylmalonyl-CoA, respectively, with acetyl-CoA as the primer. The synthetases were immunologically very similar and the molecular and catalytic properties of the enzyme from the different sources were quite similar irrespective of the nature of the products generated in vivo . Gel filtration of 105,000 g supernatant from the mallard gland (which generates monomethyl C 6 acid) revealed a protein fraction which could cause production of short-chain n - and branched acids by fatty acid synthetase. This protein fraction showed thioesterase activity and it was partially resolved into two thioesterases by Sephadex G-150 gel filtration. The smaller thioesterase (B) but not the larger one (A) was found to be responsible for the chain shortening. Thioesterases A and B were fully resolved by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography and this procedure revealed that the goose gland, which does not produce short-chain acids, contains only thioesterase A, but not B. Whereas, the thioesterase segment of mallard fatty acid synthetase showed specificity for C 16 and longer thioesters, thioesterase B could catalyze hydrolysis of shorter-chain acids as well as the longer ones. Modification of the thioesterase segment of fatty acid synthetase by phenylmethanesulfonylfluoride inhibited the synthetase and the enzyme-bound acyl chains generated by the modified enzyme were C 16 to C 22 . This inhibition was reversed by thioesterase B, but not by thioesterase A and the bulk of the acyl chains generated in the presence of thioesterase B were free C 10 –C 14 . These results strongly suggest that thioesterase B replaces the thioesterase segment of fatty acid synthetase and thus causes release of short-chain acids.
A Requirement for DNA Synthesis during Auxin Induction of Cell Enlargement in Tobacco Pith Tissue

IAA (indoleacetic acid) is known to induce cell enlargement without cell division in tobacco pith explants grown on an agar medium without added cytokinin. The very long lag period before IAA (2 × 10−5M) stimulates growth, about 3 days, can be useful to study the metabolic changes which lead to the promotion of growth. When the disks are transferred to a medium without IAA after 2 days or less of treatment with IAA, the IAA does not stimulate growth. Disks transferred after 3 days, subsequently show an auxin response, almost as great as those given IAA continuously. At 5 × 10−4M, 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUDR), which inhibits DNA synthesis by blocking formation of thymidylate, completely suppresses the lAA-induced growth if it is added together with the IAA or 1 day later. When the FUDR is given 2 days after the IAA, there is a small increment of auxin-induced growth, and an even greater amount if added after 3 days. The period when exogenous auxin must be present to stimulate growth corresponds to the period of FUDR sensitivity. The FUDR inhibition is prevented by thymidine but not by uridine. Other inhibitors of DNA synthesis, hydroxyurea and fluorouracil, also inhibit auxin-induced growth. Thus DNA synthesis seems to be required for auxin induction of cell enlargement in tobacco pith explants. In contrast, FUDR does not inhibit auxin-induced growth in corn coleoptile and artichoke tuber sections.
Physical property retention of PC/ABS blends

Abstract Polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) blends were subjected to repeated injection molding cycles, using regrind from the previous run. Physical property data (tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength and flexural modulus) collected after each molding cycle indicated virtually complete retention of mechanical properties. Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the PC/ABS blends did not undergo oxidative degradation or phase coarsening.
A G protein alpha null mutation confers prolificacy potential in maize

Plasticity in plant development is controlled by environmental signals through largely unknown signalling networks. Signalling coupled by the heterotrimeric G protein complex underlies various developmental pathways in plants. The morphology of two plastic developmental pathways, root system architecture and female inflorescence formation, was quantitatively assessed in a mutant compact plant 2 (ct2) lacking the alpha subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein complex in maize. The ct2 mutant partially compensated for a reduced shoot height by increased total leaf number, and had far more ears, even in the presence of pollination signals. The maize heterotrimeric G protein complex is important in some plastic developmental traits in maize. In particular, the maize Gα subunit is required to dampen the overproduction of female inflorescences.
MicroRNAs in Cardiometabolic Disease

Defects in homeostatic regulation of cholesterol and fatty acids are associated with major cardiometabolic risk factors that are prevalent in type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Regulatory input is found at many levels; however, recent findings have revealed pivotal roles for small non-coding RNAs (microRNAs) of the endogenous RNA interference pathway in post-transcriptional control of major regulatory mechanisms underpinning cholesterol and energy homeostasis. In addition, aberrant expression of microRNAs has been implicated in marked pathophysiologic events contributing to the progression and development of atherosclerosis, including loss of endothelial integrity, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, neointimal hyperplasia, and foam cell formation. This review surveys the impact of microRNA-mediated regulation in biological processes governing the cholesterol/lipoprotein metabolism, fatty acid β-oxidation (eg by miR-122 and miR-33), and endothelial dysfunction related to atherosclerosis. Given the current advances in microRNA-based technologies, the clinical potential of microRNAs as novel therapeutic targets is highlighted as new alternative strategies to ameliorate cardiometabolic diseases.
Alternative Teaching Certification in Special Education: Rationale, Concerns, and Recommendations

Perhaps one of the most controversial topics in the field of teacher education today is what constitutes an effective preservice program for preparing individuals to instruct students in the twenty-first century. Questions concerning the content of such teacher education programs as well as the most resourceful method of delivery of this content have arisen.Adiscussionof themerits of theapproaches to teacher certification has also been compounded by issues relating to legal mandates such as the “highly qualified teacher” provision of the No Child Left Behind Act and jobmarket realities, including teacher shortages in key instructional areas, one of which is special education, the focus of this article. In response to such issues, alternative routes to teacher certification have appeared in various formats and levels of rigor. There has been much discussion regarding the benefits of these alternative approaches to certification in comparison with the more traditional route of university-sponsored programs of specific requirements and coursework. Some of the advantages of alternative certification (AC) approaches reported in the professional literature include the ability to attract (a) a more diverse field of educators (Humphrey W Zeichner
Clinical Reasoning: A 21-year-old woman with right eye swelling and bruising

A 21-year-old woman presented with right eye swelling and bruising. Several weeks prior to admission, she had bifrontal headaches associated with a “whooshing” pulsation in her right ear. She went to a local emergency department where CT scan of the brain was read as negative. One week later, she noticed that her right eye was turned toward her nose. She denied diplopia. On the day of admission, she awoke and noticed bruising under her right eye accompanied by swelling. She also had blurry vision. Her physical examination was remarkable for right eye ptosis, conjunctival injection, and mild proptosis with ecchymosis above and below the eye (figure 1). She was unable to abduct her right eye past midline, visual acuity was 20/30 bilaterally, and her visual fields were intact. There was an ocular bruit auscultated over the right eye. Figure 1 Initial external eye findings Right eye ptosis with proptosis, conjunctival injection, and ecchymosis surrounding the right eye. ### Questions for consideration: 1. What other history is important to obtain? 2. What is the differential diagnosis? The patient denied any history of trauma. Her past medical history was significant for Ehlers-Danlos type IV, complicated by bowel rupture 6 years prior, necessitating subtotal colectomy and colostomy. She also had chronic migraine and corrective surgery for amblyopia as a child. Family history was significant for her mother who died at age 35 of splenic rupture and maternal grandmother who died at age 43 of subarachnoid hemorrhage. The differential diagnosis included thyroid ophthalmopathy, tumor, infection, inflammation (e.g., Tolosa-Hunt), and carotid cavernous aneurysm or fistula. ### Question for consideration: 1. What further testing should be considered? Magnetic resonance angiography revealed enlarged superior ophthalmic veins bilaterally, right greater than left, with an increased prominence in the right cavernous sinus (figure 2, A and B). The patient was diagnosed with carotid cavernous fistula. She was sent to the ophthalmology clinic where her intraocular …
Desensitization of anaphylactic hypersensitivity specific for the penicilloate minor determinant of penicillin and carbenicillin

A 68-yr-old man with a history of a morbilliform rash caused by intravenous penicillin required carbenicillin (CB) therapy for refractory Serratia marcescens septicemia. Skin testing showed a positive immediate skin test to the penicilloate minor determinant in the presence of negative tests to benzylpenicilloylpolylysine (BPL) and penicillin G (PG), as well as cross-reactivity between the penicilloate derivatives of PG and CB. True densensitization was accomplished by gradual administration of CB intravenously and was accompanied by a diffuse flush reaction. There was specific loss of wheal-and-flare reactivity as well as of specific serum reaginic antibody activity during the procedure, and there was no evidence of activation of serum complement. This case illustrates the usefulness of skin tests in the prediction and management of penicillin allergy and presents data pertaining to immunologic mechanisms involved in true desensitization.
“SAVING BRITISH NATIVES”: FAMILY EMIGRATION AND THE LOGIC OF SETTLER COLONIALISM IN CHARLES DICKENS AND CAROLINE CHISHOLM

As Cambridge historian J. R. Seeley writes inThe Expansion of England (1883), the fear of colonial secession, inspired by that of the United States, haunted Britons’ perception of their “second Empire” throughout the nineteenth century, effectively working against a sense of shared national destiny with the white settlers of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia (14–15). One important way Victorian writers combatted the “optimistic fatalism” Seeley observed in his fellow Britons was through an imperial economy of affect, which circulated sentiment and stressed emotional identification between settlers and metropolitan Britons (15). If mid-nineteenth-century British literature can be said to negotiate the tensions of Britain's empire through representations of racial, cultural, and linguistic difference, then narratives of sameness – of British families across the oceans – offer models for cohering the British settler empire. In such a model, techniques designed to reinforce the sentimental bonds of settlers to their families might also reinforce the social, political, and affective connections of the settlers to the metaphorical “mother country.”
Statin cardiomyopathy? A potential role for Co-Enzyme Q10 therapy for statin-induced changes in diastolic LV performance: description of a clinical protocol.

Lipid-lowering statins are thought to have a favorable safety profile. Statins inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate-limiting step of mevalonate synthesis. Mevalonate is the substrate for further synthesis of cholesterol and Co Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 plays an important role during oxidative phosphorylation in the myocardial cell. Since myocardial diastolic function is a highly ATP dependent, we reasoned that early changes of diastolic function may be an early marker of ventricular dysfunction Methods: Patients who are to commence on statin therapy will be enrolled in the trial. Baseline measurements of plasma CoQ10, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, CoQ10/LDL ratio, peak E, peak A velocities, E/A ratio, deceleration time, isovolumetric relaxation time, color M-mode propagation velocity will be performed and patients will then begin to take Oral atorvastatin (Lipitor, Parke-Davis) 20 mg daily for three to six months. All baseline measurement will be repeated after 3 to 6 months of statin therapy. Those patients demonstrating > 1 measurement of diastolic LV function that worsened during the 3 to 6 months of statin therapy will be supplemented with CoQ10 300 mg. daily for 3 months. A followup echocardiogram and blood CoQ10 level will be measured in patients who received CoQ10 supplementation. Results: Statistical analysis will be performed using the paired t test to compare coenzyme levels and echocardiographic indices at baseline and after treatment and after supplementation. Heart failure is an international epidemic and continues to increase in frequency. In the United States, it is the single most common cause for hospitalization among patients over the age of 65 years. In up to half of these patients, impaired diastolic left ventricular function contributes to their heart failure. Major factors for the rise in heart failure incidence include better and aggressive treatment of coronary artery syndromes, aggressive use of lipid lowering therapy as well as the aging of the population.
Simultaneous mass spectrometry and thermoconductivity measurements of end-tidal xenon concentrations: A comparison

Studies in which the rate of local cerebral blood flow is determined by xenon-enhanced computerized tomography require measurement of end-tidal gas. A mass spectrometer and a thermoconductivity detector were compared in measuring the concentration of xenon in end-tidal gas both in humans and in a clinically simulated ("breathing bag") system. The experiments showed that the two instruments provided virtually identical results up to a rate of 18 breaths/min, at which rate recorded concentrations showed marginal degradation with the thermoconductivity detector. Given the absence of a significant difference in the ability of the mass spectrometer and the thermoconductivity detector to measure end-tidal xenon concentration, the thermoconductivity detector appears to be a satisfactory alternative in studies measuring the rate of local cerebral blood flow by enhanced computerized tomography.