cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Construction principles of "hyparenes": families of molecules with planar pentacoordinate carbons.

Density-functional theory calculations predict that three borocarbon units with planar pentacoordinate carbons −C3B3−, −C2B4−, and −CB5−, can replace the −(CH)3− subunits in aromatic or even in antiaromatic hydrocarbons to construct “hyparenes” (families of molecules with planar pentacoordinate carbons). These borocarbon units contribute two, one, and zero electrons, respectively, to the parent pi system. Depending on the choice of these units, the hyparenes (judging from computed proton and nucleus-independent chemical shifts), can maintain or can interconvert the aromatic or antiaromatic character of the parent compounds. The hyparenes are low-lying local minima with normal carbon-boron, boron-boron, and carbon-carbon bond lengths. The multicenter bonding in the hyparenes involves contributions of partial sigma and partial pi bonds to the planar pentacoordinate carbons; the octet rule is not violated. Borocarbon species, for which there is some mass spectrometric evidence, might be observed and identified, for example, in matrix isolation by vibrational spectroscopy.
A solid oxide membrane electrolyzer for production of hydrogen and syn-gas from steam and hydrocarbon waste in a single step

Abstract This paper describes a novel solid oxide membrane (SOM) electrolyzer that can utilize the energy value in any hydrocarbon waste or reductant to lower the energy requirement for hydrogen production from steam. The SOM electrolyzer consists of a one-end closed oxygen-ion-conducting yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) tube with Ni–YSZ cathode coated on the outside and liquid metal anode inside the tube. The SOM electrolyzer is operated by feeding steam on the cathodic side and hydrocarbon reductant in the liquid metal anode. By feeding hydrocarbon waste it is possible to lower the chemical potential of oxygen in the liquid metal such that the SOM electrolyzer can spontaneously dissociate steam and generate hydrogen on the cathodic side and oxidize the hydrocarbon waste on the anodic side to produce syn-gas. The rate of these reactions can be increased by applying a small potential across the electrodes.
cAMP Response Element-binding Protein Monomers Cooperatively Assemble to Form Dimers on DNA

We have analyzed the properties of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in solution with emphasis on dimerization and effects of phosphorylation. Using a purified CREB fusion protein, a novel dye-label technique, and sedimentation equilibrium analysis, we directly and conclusively demonstrate that, unlike Jun and Fos, CREB dimerization is DNA-dependent. CREB exists primarily as a monomer in solution and cooperatively assembles on DNA to form dimers. Sedimentation equilibrium analysis also indicates that dimerization is unaffected by cAMP-dependent protein kinase-phosphorylation or by the symmetry of the cAMP-responsive element binding site. Filter binding assays reveal that CREB binding is unaffected by phosphorylation regardless of the symmetry of the cAMP-responsive element binding site. Our results suggest that structurally similar members of the same bZIP superfamily may differ significantly in their regulation at the level of dimerization.
Hemifacial Spasm: A Review

Hemifacial spasm can be diagnosed by observation and clinical history. It is thought to arise primarily from compression of the facial nerve at the pons, usually by an adjacent artery. Although many approaches to treatment have been tried, the most effective is microvascular decompression of the facial nerve at the pons. That operation has well-recognized risks, including ipsilateral deafness. The latter complication ordinarily can be avoided by the use of intraoperative monitoring of auditory evoked potentials.
The Effect of Embolic Protection Filters on Distal Embolization and Slow Flow Condition in Carotid Artery Stenting

Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States today. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) used in conjunction with a cerebral protection device (CPD) is a current alternative treatment for severe carotid artery disease. A type of CPD, an embolic protection filter (EPF), has received attention recently due to its allowance of distal perfusion during use. This investigation studied the effects of four EPFs (Spider RX, FilterWire EZ, RX Accunet, Emboshield) on both pressure gradient and flow rate in the internal carotid artery (ICA) in vitro. Dyed polymer microspheres larger than the pore size of the devices tested were injected into the ICA of a 70% stenosed carotid artery model. The percentage of particles missed was calculated. None of the devices tested were able to completely prevent embolization. Emboshield had the least desirable performance (missing 35.4% of particles) while Spider RX had the best (missing 0.06%). A decrease in flow rate and an increase in pressure drop were seen after the device was filled with particles. From these results, it is inferred that improper wall apposition is the primary cause for inadequate capture efficiency rates, which may lead to an increase in distal embolization and stroke. METHODS Experimental Setup
Politics of indigeneity in Fogarty's poetry

In his article "Politics of Indigeneity in Fogarty's Poetry" Sean Gorman discusses Indigenous themes and issues with regards to the poetry of Murri writer Lionel Fogarty. As Fogarty is seen as a poet who writes complex prose, his material challenges non-Indigenous readerships by subverting Standard English and conventional reading practices. Gorman suggests strategies by which to engage with Fogarty's material and, employing the theories of Mikhail Bakhtin, namely heteroglossia and dialogism, to arrive at a better understanding of the rich and complex nature of Fogarty's work. Gorman executes his analysis in relation to the political debates that have arisen since the Little Children Are Sacred report was made public and the intervention in Australia's Northern Territory occurred in 2007. Sean Gorman, "Politics of Indigeneity in Fogarty's Poetry" page 2 of 8 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 13.2 (2011): Thematic Issue About Indigenous Literature. Ed. Angeline O'Neill and Albert Braz
Validation study of vortex methods

Abstract Convergence of the vortex method applied to viscous, incompressible flow is demonstrated. We compute the solution of flow over a backwards-facing step for Reynolds number 50, 125, 250, 375, 500, and 5000, and study the effect of the choice of numerical parameters on the accuracy of the computed solution. Within the laminar regime, we demonstrate convergence of the computed means to a time-independent solution as the numerical parameters are refined, decay of variance around the computed mean inversely proportional to the number of vortex elements, and accurate comparison of size and length of recirculation zones with experimental measurements as a function of Reynolds number. At higher Reynolds number, we show detailed and robust calculations of eddy shedding and pairing, and qualitative numerical convergence in such flow variables as eddy size and average velocity profiles.
Asparagine Metabolism in Chicks and Rats

Abstract Asparaginase and asparagine synthetase specific activity (enzyme units/mg protein) was determined in chicks and rats fed various protein diets. The specific activity of asparaginase was twofold higher in the kidney compared to the liver of chicks fed a 25% protein control diet, whereas the specific activity of asparaginase was eightfold greater in the liver compared to kidney tissue of rats fed the 25% protein control diet. The asparaginase specific activity in the chick liver, chick kidney, and rat liver were all significantly increased when animals were fed the 75% protein diet. Asparaginase specific activity increased significantly in rat and chick kidneys when the animals were fasted. Dietary supplementation of asparagine did not significantly increase asparaginase specific activity in either animal. The combined kidney and liver asparagine synthestase specific activity for chicks fed the control diets is over seven hundred times less than the corresponding combined asparaginase specific activity. Rats fed the control diet had a combined kidney and liver asparagine synthetase specific activity about 75 times less than the corresponding asparaginase specific activity. The asparagine synthetase specific activity was significantly increased in the rat and chick kidney when a 2% protein diet was fed.
SUPPRESSOR GENES WITH GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ACTIVITY IN NATURAL POPULATIONS OF DROSOPHILA ROBUSTA: ANOTHER APPROACH TO WILD-TYPE

Homozygous or hemizygous expression of an X-linked wing mutant of Drosophila robusta varies from a rudimentary wing that does not reach the tip of the abdomen (called 'club') to forms with full-sized but curled or crumpled wings (called 'curly'). Homozygous club females crossed to flies from natural populations or laboratory stocks derived from wild flies invariably produce significantly less club male progeny than the 100% expected, most of them exhibiting less severe phenotypes: 'curly' forms and wild-type. The male progeny from similar crosses using curly females tend to be predominantly normal. By contrast, the male progeny of outcrossed females homozygous for an X-linked eye colour mutant, vermilion, are all vermilion. The data indicate that natural populations of D. robusta contain suppressors of the wing mutant but not of the eye colour mutant studied. Activity of the suppressors differs by gender: in experiments in which genetic theory expects similar results in the two sexes, males consistently show stronger effects of the suppressors than females.
Chronic administration of sertraline, a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor, decreased the density of β-adrenergic receptors in rat frontoparietal cortex

Abstract Sertraline, a potent and selective inhibitor of serotonin uptake, was chronically administered to laboratory rats. Using in vitro receptor autoradiographic techniques, we found that the binding of [3H]dihydroalplrenolol ([3H]DHA) was reduced in cortex layers IV–VI. Results of a saturation experiment indicated that the reduction in cortex layer IV was due to a change in number but not affinity of β-adrenergic receptors.
Ubiquitination Regulates the Internalization, Endolysosomal Sorting, and Signaling of the Erythropoietin Receptor

Ubiquitination is a common mechanism of down-regulation of mitogenic receptors. Here, we show that ubiquitination of the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) at Lys256 is necessary and sufficient for efficient Epo-induced receptor internalization, whereas ubiquitination at Lys428 promotes trafficking of activated receptors to the lysosomes for degradation. Interestingly, EpoR that cannot be ubiquitinated has reduced mitogenic activities and ability to stimulate the STAT5, Ras/MAPK, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. We therefore propose that ubiquitination of the EpoR critically controls both receptor down-regulation and downstream signaling.
Avalon terrane in eastern coastal Maine: Seismic refraction-wide-angle reflection data

A 145-km-long seismic refraction line recorded parallel to the eastern coastline of Maine within the Avalon terrane provides information about the crustal velocity structure within the Avalon block and its relation to other Appalachian terranes. A crustal velocity model for the upper 8 km, determined by using two-dimensional ray tracing, accounts for all first arrivals on the traveltime curves for each of the shots recorded and shows that, except for a thin surficial layer of velocity 5.0-5.3 km/s, upper crustal granites and country rocks have velocities in the range 6.0-6.3 km/s and gabbros have a 6.5 km/s velocity. To determine the lower crustal structure, deep reflections were analyzed by applying normal moveout corrections routinely used in reflection data processing. Major reflective boundaries at approximately 3-4, 7, and 10-11 s two-way traveltime are easily distinguished, and are similar to those observed in a near-vertical seismic reflection survey crossing the refraction profile at its southwestern end. The deepest reflections correspond to the crust-mantle boundary at a depth of 34-35 km.
Two-dimensional hexagonally oriented CdCl2.H2O nanorod assembly: formation and replication.

This paper reports a simple bottom-up method that can controllably fabricate 2D hexagonally oriented and randomly distributed CdCl 2 .H 2 O nanorods on mica surfaces. The as-formed nanorod assemblies have been successfully replicated into various matrixes, including gold, poly(dimethylsiloxane), and polyurethane. Thus, this method is compatible with soft-lithography towards further applications.
Increased urinary vasopressin excretion in the doca-hypertensive pig

A possible role for vasopressin in the development and/or maintenance of DOCA hypertension in pigs was studied. In control pigs mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), plasma lysine vasopressin (LVP) concentration, the 24-h urinary excretion of LVP (ULVPV) and plasma renin activity (PRA) did not change throughout the 30 days of the experiment. In DOCA-treated pigs MABP began to increase from the initial level of 95 ± 2 mm Hg within 5 days and reached a level of 127 ± 3 mm Hg between days 20-30 (P < 0.01). At this time in the DOCA treated pigs, ULVPV increased threefold (P < 0.05), although PLVP was unchanged and PRA was reduced to almost zero.
LDPC codes and stochastic decoding for beyond 100 Gb/s optical transmission

We present a modified stochastic LDPC decoding algorithm suitable for implementation at 100-Gb/s and above. The stochastic decoding is invented for low-precision digital circuits, and as such is suitable for beyond 100-Gb/s implementation to avoid the problem of nonexistence of high-precision analog-to-digital converters operating at those speeds.
Worksite Wellness Programs for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association

With >130 million Americans employed across the United States, workplaces provide a large audience for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke prevention activities. Experience has shown that workplace wellness programs are an important strategy to prevent the major shared risk factors for CVD and stroke, including cigarette smoking, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, and diabetes. An estimated 25% to 30% of companies’ medical costs per year are spent on employees with the major risk factors listed above.1 Employees and their families share the financial burden through higher contributions to insurance, higher copayments and deductibles, reduction or elimination of coverage, and trade-offs of insurance benefits against wage or salary increases. When programs are successful, their influence extends beyond the individual workers to immediate family members, who are often exposed to their favorable lifestyle changes. Worksite wellness programs that can reduce these risk factors can ultimately decrease the physical and economic burden of chronic diseases, including CVD, stroke, and certain cancers. The societal benefits of a healthy employed population extend well beyond the workplace. As such, comprehensive, culturally sensitive health promotion within the workplace can improve the nation’s health. The Healthy People 2010 goal is for 75% of all worksites, regardless of size, to develop comprehensive wellness programming.2 However, the development of comprehensive programs takes time and resources, especially for smaller employers. Because program development and initiation can be resource intensive, the American Heart Association (AHA) supports incremental efforts to achieve a comprehensive worksite wellness program to address CVD and stroke prevention and makes the following recommendations. 1. Components of Wellness Programs
First-order nonlinear effects in travelling-wave tubes

Previous analytical work on travelling-wave-tube (t.w.t.) nonlinear effects has been extended to include the effects of electron space-charge and nonzero beam-coupling impedance. Modulation transfer effects for single- and double-signal operation in a weakly saturated state are discussed and shown to be determined by the design parameters of the t.w.t. Large coupling impedance and low circuit loss are shown to reduce intermodulation signal power and crossmodulation effects.
Ageism: A Review of Research and Policy Implications

The current literature on aging and ageism is summarized in support of a theoretical perspective that includes both the biological and the psychosocial components of these processes. Conceptual and methodological problems are identified in models that rely on a deficit approach to aging. We suggest that the biased responses of others foster older adults' stress-related emotional and hormonal responses—responses that may effectively reduce their social and cognitive competence. This negative feedback process ultimately acts in a stereotype-maintaining fashion. Implications are drawn for possible changes in social policy and institutional practices that may reduce or prevent the harmful effects of ageism. Examples are given of existing policies and practices that limit the lives of older adults (in the guise of protection), along with newly instituted policies and practices (including those at an international level) that place the welfare of older adults in the context of life course issues shared by all.
IS LOVE BLIND? THE EFFECTS OF EXPERIENCE AND INFATUATION ON THE PERCEPTION OF LOVE

We hypothesized that participants in love and more experienced in romantic love (e.g., schematics) would perceive love more accurately than those who were not in love and less experienced. Judges viewed and rated a series of 25 thin-slice video clips of couples for whom their love for another was known via Sternberg’s (Psychological Review, 93, 119–135) love scale. Individual differences in love judgment accuracy were large. Not surprisingly, participants who were in love at the time of the study and who reported having had a lengthy romantic relationship were more confident in their love judgment accuracy but, in fact, were less accurate. Apparently the love schemas people develop subjectively may not adequately represent the way in which the construct manifests among the population in general. Although love judgments may come easier to those in love, their perceptions of the love around them may be biased and inaccurate.
Expression, Activation, and Biochemical Properties of a Novel Arabidopsis Protein Kinase

An Arabidopsis SOS2 (salt overly sensitive 2)-like protein kinase gene, PKS6, was expressed in leaves, stems, and siliques, but not detectable in roots of adult plants; its expression in young seedlings was up-regulated by abscisic acid. To determine the biochemical properties of the PKS6 protein, we expressed the PKS6 coding sequence as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The bacterially expressed glutathione S-transferase-PKS6 fusion protein was inactive in substrate phosphorylation. We have constructed constitutively active forms of PKS6 by either a deletion of its putative auto-inhibitory FISL motif (i.e. PKS6deltaF) or a substitution of threonine-178 with aspartic acid within the putative activation loop. We found that PKS6deltaF exhibited a strong preference for Mn2+ over Mg2+ as a divalent cation cofactor for kinase activity. PKS6DeltaF displayed substrate specificity against three different peptide substrates and had an optimal pH of approximately 7.5 and temperature optimum of 30 degrees C. The apparent Km values for ATP and the preferred peptide substrate p3 of PKS6deltaF were determined to be 1.7 and 28.5 microM, respectively. These results provide significant insights into the regulation and biochemical properties of the protein kinase PKS6. In addition, the constitutively active, gain-of-function kinase mutants will be invaluable for future determination of the in planta function of PKS6.
Attempting to Enhance Students' Learning through Innovative Programs: The Case for Schools Evolving into High Reliability Organizations 1

ABSTRACT We are in an unprecedented period of call for educational improvement. This paper explores the reasons why this generation's educational reform period is lasting much longer than previous reform periods. It then asks what can be done, and looks at several “promising programs” for improving students’ learning. Third, the paper argues not just for valid teaching methods and programs, but also for high reliability implementation methods. Adults create and implement programs, students experience schooling, including new reading programs, as the programs are presented. In a high reliability organization, schooling as designed by adults would be very nearly the same as schooling experienced by children. The paper ends with implications of this reasoning. 1. This paper was written under a grant from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education (No. OERI‐R‐117‐R‐90002). The Special Strategies Studies were funded through the U.S. Department of Education (Contract Nos. L...
The Use of Alteplase in a Newborn Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

OBJECTIVE:To present a case of the use of alteplase for the successful resolution of an upper extremity occlusion in a newborn receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).CASE SUMMARY:A two-day-old full-term Hispanic girl receiving ECMO support developed a left upper extremity occlusion distal to the brachial artery. Alteplase therapy was initiated with a bolus dose of 0.48 mg/kg followed by a continuous infusion of 0.27 mg/kg/h for three hours. A repeat Doppler ultrasound revealed little improvement, resulting in continuation of alteplase therapy at an infusion rate of 0.27 mg/kg/h for an additional three hours. At the completion of the infusion, perfusion was greatly improved with palpable radial pulse present. While remaining on ECMO support, a brain ultrasound approximately 13 hours after alteplase therapy revealed a grade I right caudate head hemorrhage with normal ventricles. ECMO support was discontinued during the next 24 hours, with a repeat brain ultrasound three days later indicating n...
Diagnostic imaging over the last 50 years: research and development in medical imaging science and technology

Over the last 50 years, diagnostic imaging has grown from a state of infancy to a high level of maturity. Many new imaging modalities have been developed. However, modern medical imaging includes not only image production but also image processing, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD), image recording and storage, and image transmission, most of which are included in a picture archiving and communication system (PACS). The content of this paper includes a short review of research and development in medical imaging science and technology, which covers (a) diagnostic imaging in the 1950s, (b) the importance of image quality and diagnostic performance, (c) MTF, Wiener spectrum, NEQ and DQE, (d) ROC analysis, (e) analogue imaging systems, (f) digital imaging systems, (g) image processing, (h) computer-aided diagnosis, (i) PACS, (j) 3D imaging and (k) future directions. Although some of the modalities are already very sophisticated, further improvements will be made in image quality for MRI, ultrasound and molecular imaging. The infrastructure of PACS is likely to be improved further in terms of its reliability, speed and capacity. However, CAD is currently still in its infancy, and is likely to be a subject of research for a long time.
Basic Biological Sciences Pre-apatitic Mineral Deposition in Bacterionema matruchotii

A preliminary examination of calcification of Bacterionema matruchotii was undertaken to provide a base-line for future kinetic and mechanistic studies. Specific ion ratios were correlated with crystallography and ultrastructure. Observations include: three consistent X-ray diffraction patterns; no resolution of cellular EMP by electron microscopy; increasing Ca/Mg, Ca/P during calification.
DUB-2A, a new member of the DUB subfamily of hematopoietic deubiquitinating enzymes.

Protein ubiquitination is an important regulator of cytokine-activated signal transduction pathways and hematopoietic cell growth. Protein ubiquitination is controlled by the coordinate action of ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes and deubiquitinating enzymes. Recently a novel family of genes encoding growth-regulatory deubiquitinating enzymes (DUB-1 and DUB-2) has been identified. DUBs are immediate-early genes and are induced rapidly and transiently in response to cytokine stimuli. By means of polymerase chain reaction amplification with degenerate primers for the DUB-2 complementary DNA, 3 murine bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones that contain DUB gene sequences were isolated. One BAC contained a novel DUB gene (DUB-2A) with extensive homology to DUB-2. Like DUB-1 and DUB-2, the DUB-2A gene consists of 2 exons. The predicted DUB-2A protein is highly related to other DUBs throughout the primary amino acid sequence, with a hypervariable region at its C-terminus. In vitro, DUB-2A had functional deubiquitinating activity; mutation of its conserved amino acid residues abolished this activity. The 5* flanking sequence of the DUB-2A gene has a hematopoietic-specific functional enhancer sequence. It is proposed that there are at least 3 members of the DUB subfamily (DUB-1, DUB-2, and DUB-2A) and that different hematopoietic cytokines induce specificDUB genes, thereby initiating a cytokine-specific growth response. (Blood. 2001;98: 636-642)
Assessment of augmentative releases of parasitic nematode Thripinema nicklewoodi for control of Frankliniella occidentalis in impatiens bedding plants

Abstract The efficacy of Thripinema nicklewoodi Siddiqi as a biological control agent of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) was tested on caged impatiens bedding plants in a greenhouse. Inoculative releases of parasitized female thrips were made seven times into the caged impatiens preinfested with adult thrips. Two rates were used, one or two parasitized thrips per release date, and impacts on thrips population and flower production were compared with spinosad insecticide treatment and untreated control. Sampling began 9 January 2003 and repeated every 100 degree-days until 4 March 2003. The best thrips control was achieved in the spinosad treatment. None of the four thrips life stages was found at levels higher than 0.09 thrips per flower. Nematode release treatments also reduced thrips population up to 56% for second instars, 72% for adult females, and 62% for adult males, compared with thrips numbers in untreated control cages. However, no difference in reduction of thrips populations was found bet...
Combined Neuroprotection and Reperfusion Therapy for Stroke Effect of Lubeluzole and Diaspirin Cross-Linked Hemoglobin in Experimental Focal Ischemia

Background and Purpose In search of a better treatment for acute ischemic stroke, we evaluated the use of lubeluzole and hemodilution with diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin (DCLHb) therapy to test whether treatment with two complementary acting compounds provides more potent protection than either treatment alone. Methods We used unilateral reversible middle cerebral artery (MCA) and common carotid artery (CCA) occlusion of various durations in Long-Evans rats to produce ischemic cortical lesions. We calculated the average maximal lesion volume (Volmax) and the time required to produce half maximal lesion size (T50) in control animals (n=31) and evaluated the effects on cerebral perfusion and infarct size of treatment with lubeluzole (n=23), hemodilution (to 30% hematocrit) with albumin (n=17) or DCLHb (n=23), and combined lubeluzole+DCLHb therapy initiated 15 minutes after MCA/CCA occlusion. Results The Volmax produced by MCA/CCA occlusion in control animals was 138.5±7.7 mm3, and T50 was 98.5±10.2 minutes. Lubeluzole alone reduced Volmax by 53% with no significant effect on T50. In contrast to lubeluzole, DCLHb hemodilution prolonged T50 by 68% with no significant effect on Volmax. Prolongation of T50 by DCLHb was not due to hemodilution itself, since a similar degree of hemodilution with albumin had no effect. Finally, combined lubeluzole+DCLHb rescued 72% of the tissue and augmented the effect of lubeluzole alone by 40% (Volmax, 66.3±13.0 versus 39.4±12.2 mm3) while prolonging T50 by 31%. Conclusions Combination therapy for acute stroke using compounds with complementary action can result in more complete attenuation of neuronal damage and demonstrates the possible clinical utility of combined neuroprotective and reperfusion therapies.
Antibiotic-loaded polymethylmethacrylate beads for the treatment of extracavitary vascular surgical site infections

Objective This study assessed the efficacy of antibiotic-loaded polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) beads in the treatment of lower extremity vascular surgical site infections (VSSIs). Methods This was a retrospective review of all patients with a VSSI of a lower extremity bypass treated with antibiotic-loaded PMMA beads and culture-specific antibiotics during a 4.5-year period. Data collected included patient demographics, comorbidities, site of initial graft infection, symptoms and signs at presentation, initial and additional surgical debridement, wound culture results, type of antibiotic beads implanted, and graft treatment strategy, comprising conduit preservation or in situ replacement, with associated soft tissue management by muscle flap or vacuum-assisted closure. Primary outcome measures included death, recurrent infection, and limb salvage. Results Forty patients developed 42 extracavitary lower extremity VSSIs (bilateral groin infections in two). Patients were treated according to our treatment algorithm with antibiotic-impregnated PMMA beads. Previous reconstructions included nine aortofemoral bypasses (groin infection only), 20 infrainguinal bypasses, five extra-anatomic bypasses, five femoral interpositions, two combined inflow–outflow bypass procedures, and one patch angioplasty with VSSI. Cultures isolated 59 pathogens (39 gram-positive, 18 gram-negative, 2 Candida spp). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from 10 VSSs (23.8%) overall and from 27.7% of those patients with attempted graft preservation or in situ reconstructions. Two patients (4.8%) had no growth despite clinical signs of infection. Repeat VSS exploration and culture results led to an average of 1.4 bead replacements before definitive treatment. Final treatment strategy included graft preservation of patent bypasses in 28, partial graft excision with in situ replacement in eight, graft removal only with residual graft remaining at implant site (ie, incorporated anastomotic conduit, 11.9%) in five, and extra-anatomic reconstruction in one. Sartorius muscle flap was performed in 14 groin infections (37.8%). The 30-day mortality was 0%, and limb loss was 7.1% (n = 3). At the median follow-up of 17 months, the limb loss was 21.4% and the recurrent infection rate was 19.4% (seven of 36) in those with attempted graft preservation or in situ replacement. Conclusions Antibiotic-loaded PMMA beads may serve as an adjunct in the management of VSSIs and may also expand treatment options for graft preservation or in situ reconstruction, with expected recurrent infection rate approaching 20%. Further experience with this adjunct may help elucidate its role in the management of this complicated problem, including the need for bead exchanges, until perigraft cultures are free of microbes.
India's missing women: disentangling cultural, political and economic variables

The severe anti-female bias in natality and child mortality that gives rise to India’s missing women has been widely documented and various explanations ranging from agricultural labor demand to dowries have been oered in the literature. In general, the low demand for girls has been interpreted as a rational response to economic constraints. This paper shows the importance of culture both in determining the value of girls and in shaping parental economic constraints. We find that conservative cultural attitudes, proxied by the electoral success of religious parties, is positively correlated with anti-female bias. Moreover, higher household expenditure is negatively correlated with the number of girls. This suggests that we cannot rely on rising income levels, brought about by economic growth, to improve the demographic disadvantage faced by Indian women. Our policy recommendations therefore focus on changing attitudes of son-preference that motivate anti-female bias as much as enforcement of gender-equality legislation.
A UNIFIED APPROACH TO AUTOMATIC LABEL PLACEMENT

The automatic placement of text or symbol labels corresponding to graphical features is critical in several application areas such as cartography, geographical information systems, and graph drawing. In this paper we present a general framework for solving the problem of assigning text or symbol labels to a set of graphical features in two dimensional drawings or maps. Our approach does not favor the labeling of one type of graphical feature (such as a node, edge, or area) over another. Additionally, the labels are allowed to have arbitrary size and orientation. We also present a fast and simple technique, based on the general framework, for assigning labels to edges of graph drawings. We have implemented our techniques and have performed extensive experimentation on hierarchical and orthogonal drawings of graphs. The resulting label assignments are very practical and indicate the effectiveness of our approach.
Stocker and Feedlot Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Purebred Angus and Romosinuano Steers

Abstract Stacker and feedlot performance of purebred Angus (n = 61) and Romosinuano (n = 99) steers were compared over two 11-mo production cycles (2000 through 2002). Calves were born in the winter (January through March), reared in a subtropical environment (central Florida), weaned in the fall, and shipped 1,900 km for growth and finishing in a more temperate environment (central Oklahoma). Calves were managed as a single group each year during the winter (125 d) and spring (84 d) stocker phases. Annual cool season grasses (wheat Triticum aestivum and Bromus sp.) were the primary forage resource for the stocker phase. Angus and Romosinuano calves had similar BW upon arrival (193 ± 3.5 kg). During the winter stocker period, Romosinuano calves gained less (P 2 of floor space per steer) to measure individual feed intake. Romosinuano steers ate less feed (P
Assessing bowel preparation quality using the mean number of adenomas per colonoscopy

Introduction: The quality of the bowel preparation directly influences colonoscopy effectiveness. Quality indicators are widely employed to monitor operator performance and to gauge colonoscopy effectiveness. Some have suggested that the enumeration of the mean number of adenomas per colonoscopy (MNA) may be a more useful measure of bowel preparation quality, but evidence of the utility of this metric is limited. The relationship between bowel preparation quality and MNA was assessed. Methods: Records of adult patients, aged 50-74 years, who had undergone a screening colonoscopy in a 6 month period at a hospital-based endoscopy suite in New York City were examined. Excluded were those who were symptomatic or having a colonoscopy for surveillance. Patient and procedural characteristics and clinical findings were abstracted from the endoscopy database. Bowel preparation quality was recorded as excellent, good, fair and poor. Histology and size of polyps removed were gathered from pathology reports. MNA was calculated and incident rate ratios assessing the relationship between bowel preparation quality, MNA, and covariates was calculated using Poisson regression. Results: A total of 2422 colonoscopies were identified; 815 (33.6%) were screening colonoscopies among average risk individuals, 50-74 years; 203 (24.9%) had ≥1 adenomas; and 666 (81.7%) had excellent/good preparation quality. Overall MNA was 0.34 (standard deviation (SD) 0.68) and MNA was greater among those >60 years (incident rate ratio (IRR) 1.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.48-2.42), males (IRR 1.60, 95%CI 1.26-2.04) and those with good bowel preparation (IRR 2.54, 95%CI 1.04-6.16). Among those with ≥1 adenomas, MNA was 1.48 (SD 1.05) for excellent and 1.00 (SD 0.00) for poor quality preparation (p = 0.55). Conclusions: We found that MNA is sensitive to changes in bowel preparation with higher MNA among those with good bowel preparation compared with those with poor preparation. Our evidence suggests MNA was particularly sensitive when restricted to only those in whom adenomas were seen.
Legal Barriers to Adolescent Participation in Research About HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections

Whether adolescents can participate in clinical trials of pharmacologic therapies for HIV prevention, such as preexposure prophylaxis, without parental permission hinges on state minor consent laws. Very few of these laws explicitly authorize adolescents to consent to preventive services for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Unclear state laws may lead to research cessation. We have summarized legal, ethical, and policy considerations related to adolescents' participation in HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention research in the United States, and we have explored strategies for facilitating adolescents' access.
Crustal signatures of the tectonic development of the North American midcontinent

Abstract The stable eastern portion of the North American continent offers an excellent environment to study the tectonic development of intra-continental structures. The midcontinent of North America formed by the accretion of Proterozoic terranes, and has since experienced episodes of deformation during the subsidence of the Illinois Basin and uplift of the Ozark Plateau. Rifting also initiated in eastern North America, but extension did not continue and arms of failed rifts extend across the region. The New Madrid Seismic Zone, situated within a portion of the failed Reelfoot Rift, represents an active zone of intraplate seismicity. Analyzing the structure of the crust and upper mantle within the midcontinent will therefore provide insight into the factors that lead to intraplate deformation. Using data from over 180 Transportable Array seismic stations, we calculate receiver functions to investigate the crust and upper mantle of the midcontinent. At close to 40 km thick, the crust of the New Madrid Seismic Zone is thinner than in the surrounding areas outside of the Reelfoot Rift and Rough Creek Graben. The Illinois Basin cannot be characterized by a single crustal structure, as crust near 50 km thick in the central portion of the basin thins to between 40 and 45 km thick towards the northern and southern portions of the basin. Discontinuities within the crust and upper mantle are prominent in and around the New Madrid Seismic Zone and mark locations of crustal modification and underplating. Comparing changes in crustal structure to the distribution of Bouguer gravity anomalies, the presence of positive gravity anomalies suggests that higher density crust plays a role in maintaining low surface elevations within the Reelfoot Rift. Conversely, a negative gravity anomaly in an area of thinner crust within the Ozark Plateau supports the need for low-density crustal material to influence the uplift of the plateau.
A NeoPresocratic Manifesto

Ancient Greek philosophy begins with natural philosophy (the Milesians, Heraclitus, Empedocles, Anaxagoras), followed after about a century by a focus on moral philosophy (Socrates and the sophists). The pattern is repeated in the Modern period: first natural philosophy re-emerged after the Dark and Middle Ages (Copernicus, Galileo, Descartes, Newton) followed by a correlative revolution in moral philosophy (Hobbes, Hume, Kant). In particular, moral ontology (externally related individuals) reflected the ontology of physics (externally related atoms). Individuals are, in effect, social atoms. Curiously, 20 th -century philosophy has largely turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the vast philosophical implications of the second scientific revolution in 20 th -century science, among them a correlative moral ontology of internal relations and social wholes. The environmental turn in the humanities, grounded in ecology and evolutionary biology, is a harbinger of the re-orientation of philosophy to the revolutionary ideas in the sciences and foreshadows an emerging NeoPresocratic revival in 21 st -century philosophy. According to Aristotle in Book IV (Γ) of the Metaphysics, the philosophy of being as such— being qua being—is "first philosophy." By "first," Aristotle did not mean that the philosophy of being as such was first in the order of time—although Heidegger seems to ignore the distinction—but rather first in the hierarchical order of thought. In the temporal sequence that Aristotle himself outlines in Book I (A) of the Metaphysics, the first philosophy that the Greeks pursued—beginning with Thales, according to Aristotle—was natural philosophy. Aristotle maps the progress of the natural philosophy of his predecessors onto his own scheme of causes. Thales and his fellow Milesians in the sixth century BCE were concerned with the material cause (positing water, air, and the like as the material "substrate"). After Parmenides had problematized motion and change, fifth century philosophers, such as Anaxagoras and Empedocles also concerned themselves with the moving or "efficient" cause (Mind and Love and Hate, respectively)—the force or forces that move material things. Following the fifth century Pythagoreans, Plato, in the fourth century, focused attention on the formal cause—the Numbers, according to Aristotle, who was certainly in a better position to know than we. (To understand this equation of Number and Form, we must remember that the ancient Greeks thought of number exclusively in geometrical terms—such "numbers" as the several species of triangle, the circle, the several species of polyhedron, and the sphere.) We call the ancient Greek natural philosophers the "pre-Socratics"—but not just because they lived and worked before Socrates. Indeed many were contemporaries of Socrates.
Characterization of rice endo-β-glucanase genes (Gns2–Gns14) defines a new subgroup within the gene family

Abstract Thirteen new β-glucanase-encoding genes have been identified in the rice genome. These genes, together with other monocot β-glucanases, have now been classified into four subfamilies based on the structure and function of the genes. Two tandem gene clusters, Gns2 – Gns3 – Gns4 and Gns5 – Gns6 , were classified in the defense-related Subfamily A. Growth-related 1,3;1,4-β-glucanase Gns1 was classified in Subfamily B. Gns7 and Gns8 , together with the barley genes GVI and Hv34 , represent Subfamily C. Gns9 and a β-glucanase gene from wheat were grouped in Subfamily D. Genes in Subfamilies C and D have structures that are distinct from those of the other subfamilies, but there are very little data available on the biochemical or physiological roles of these genes. Gene expression in growing tissues and lack of gene induction in response to disease-related treatments suggest that Subfamilies C and D may function in control of plant growth.
Prelude, Tumult, Aftermath: An Academic Library Perspective on the Swets B.V. Bankruptcy

This article details the journey of the Colorado State University (CSU) Libraries to sever their ties with the Swets subscription agency. Although the CSU Libraries had not participated in Swets early pre-payment discount program, the CSU account with Swets involved over $1M in subscriptions. As a result of the bankruptcy, the Libraries methodically performed an elaborate number of steps to divest themselves of their former agreement with Swets and to ensure continual delivery of the relevant subscription content from publishers. Recounted are the early stirrings of trouble; the policy legacy of the previous bankruptcy of a major subscription agent more than a decade before (the Rowe.com/Faxon agency collapse); the steps undertaken by the university legal counsel, the library administration and the Acquisitions and Metadata Services Department to disentangle from the Swets agreement and account; the workflow for set-up of new accounts to achieve fairly unbroken subscription service for affected journal ti...
EMERGENZE AMBIENTALI IN REGIONE LOMBARDIA: DALL'ORGANIZZAZIONE ALLA GESTIONE

Lombardy is one of the first regions to have established a systematic collection of reports of environmental emergency man-made, about a range of very varied types. To deal with such requests, the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Lombardy – ARPA – has adopted a detailed Emergency Response System which, in addition to staffing, including the use of assistive technology.
A Critical Assessment of the Bunge-Wand-Weber Ontology for Conceptual Modeling

The most influential work in the application of ontology to conceptual modeling is that of Wand and Weber (1990, 1995) who used the ontology posed by Mario Bunge (1977). However, Bunge's ontology is concerned with representing the material world - the world of material objects that possess physical properties existing independently from human perception. It has no place for human intentions, interpretations, creations, or meaning. It is unconcerned about institutional reality - the world of conceptual objects and attributes created by human intentions and for human purposes. Examples of such conceptual objects are corporations, government agencies, money, educational institutions, contracts, and transactions. None of these are material objects about which Bunge's ontology is concerned yet they are at the core of what business organizations are. Lacking constructs for such objects, Bunge's ontology is an inappropriate foundation for conceptual modeling in the context of organizational information systems.
A Study of Pulse-Echo Image Formation Using Non-Quadratic Regularization with Speckle-Based Images

Objective: B-mode imaging is a standard way of presenting results when pulse-echo data acquisition is used. Inverse approaches have been explored to a limited extent. The goals of this study are to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of regularization by: (a) evaluating the quality of the reconstruction of speckle-based images as a function of imaging parameters (i.e., bandwidth of the transducer, f/number, and distance between region of interest (ROI) and focal region), and (b) comparing the reconstructed images with those obtained by conventional imaging techniques (e.g., B-mode and synthetic aperture focusing techniques (SAFT)). Methodology: Two-dimensional pulse-echo data from a single-element focused transducer with center frequency of 6 MHz and focal distance of 19 mm were simulated using fractional bandwidths of 33%, 50% and 100%, f/numbers of 1, 2 and 3, and distances between ROI and focus of 0, 2.5 and 5 mm. A minimum scatterer density of 4 scatterers per resolution cell was used. The images were reconstructed using non-quadratic regularization. Because the desired image was known, the normalized mean squared error (MSE) was used as a quantitative indicator of reconstruction performance. The reconstructed images were also evaluated by visual inspection. Results: The best reconstructions were achieved when the ROI was at the focus, the bandwidth was 100% and the f/number was 1, for which the MSE was 25% for a 20-dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The MSE increased as the bandwidth decreased, the f/number increased, and the distance between ROI and focus increased. The bandwidth was the most sensitive parameter, increasing the MSE up to 86% for a SNR of 20 dB. For all cases, parameter selection techniques such as the L-curve and generalized cross-validation (GCV) gave a close approximation to the image with the best visual appearance. Conclusion: For speckle-based images the inversion using regularization gave better results than conventional techniques for high SNR. A lower bound of 20 dB was found for this study. Below this threshold contrast information and most of the image features were lost during the reconstruction process in order to control the distortion due to the noise. Further work will be required to improve the stability of the forward model and to use more appropriate a priori model information in order to use this technique in a more realistic scenario including the effect of modeling errors