cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The anorexigenic effect of adrenomedullin in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) involves increased proopiomelanocortin and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript mRNAs in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus

Abstract Central administration of adrenomedullin (AM), a 52–amino acid peptide, is associated with anorexigenic effects in some species, including rodents and chickens. However, the associated hypothalamic mechanisms remain unclear and it is unknown if this peptide exerts satiety-inducing effects in other avian species. The objective of this study was thus to investigate AM-induced anorexigenic effects in 7-day-old Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). After intracerebroventricular injection of 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 nmol of AM, quail injected with 3.0 nmol of AM ate and drank less than vehicle-injected quail at 180 min after injection. Except for the 1.0 nmol dose of AM exerting an anorexigenic effect at 90 min after injection, no other inhibitory effects on food or water intake were observed. At 60 min after injection, the AM-injected quail had more c-Fos immunoreactive cells in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) than vehicle-injected birds. In the ARC, AM injection was associated with increased proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) mRNAs. In conclusion, the results suggest that the anorexigenic effect of AM is possibly influenced by the synergistic effect of POMC and CART in the ARC.
Estimating elasticities of substitution for sin goods

Own-price and cross-price elasticities of substitution are estimated for the six ‘sin’ goods of spirits, beer, wine, casino gambling and lotteries using aggregate U.S. quarterly national data. The ...
Chronic alcohol exposure during critical developmental periods differentially impacts persistence of deficits in cognitive flexibility and related circuitry.

Abstract Cognitive flexibility in decision making depends on prefrontal cortical function and is used by individuals to adapt to environmental changes in circumstances. Cognitive flexibility can be measured in the laboratory using a variety of discrete, translational tasks, including those that involve reversal learning and/or set-shifting ability. Distinct components of flexible behavior rely upon overlapping brain circuits, including different prefrontal substructures that have separable impacts on decision making. Cognitive flexibility is impaired after chronic alcohol exposure, particularly during development when the brain undergoes rapid maturation. This review examines how cognitive flexibility, as indexed by reversal and set-shifting tasks, is impacted by chronic alcohol exposure in adulthood, adolescent, and prenatal periods in humans and animal models. We also discuss areas for future study, including mechanisms that may contribute to the persistence of cognitive deficits after developmental alcohol exposure and the compacting consequences from exposure across multiple critical periods.
Rhetorical Styles on the Fuller Court

"Formalism" is the label regularly used to describe judicial opinions of the late nineteenth century.' The label is descriptive when used in contradistinction to "instrumentalism." Use of the label, however, has certain drawbacks. For example, there is little objective or empirical evidence to support the application of the two antithetical terms. In addition, a single term cannot reflect whatever diversity of styles may exist among the judges of a single court. This article describes the results of an attempt to rectify those two drawbacks and to determine whether the Justices of the Supreme Court at the turn of the century-while Melville Fuller was Chief Justicewere as monochromatic as the single term "formalism" would suggest. The article relies upon objective measurements to demonstrate that there was a variety, one might say a richness, of styles among the Justices of the Fuller Court. The article is based upon a study of a sample of cases from eleven terms, from 1895 through 1905, of the Fuller Court. The sample was made up of the cases involving a challenge to the constitutionality of a statute, including state, federal, and territorial. In all there were 286 cases.2 The terms were selected because they were the terms during which Justices Brown and Peckham sat together. Those Justices were of interest because preliminary research had suggested that their styles might represent the extremes on the Court. They were also the terms with the most continuity among the
Leverage as a Measure of Risk

Leverage is treated as a measure of risk factor sensitivity. It can be computed using the "equivalent security'' approach to determine "bucketized risk''.
Poverty and Inequality

Poverty and economic inequality are two of the most highly contested policy issues in both developing and advanced countries. While poverty is frequently associated with the lack of economic progress with the view that greater progress brought about by increasing economic growth and expanding economic opportunities can lower the experience of poverty, the prevalence of poverty amidst the plenty in high-income countries has also been a difficult challenge for policymakers. The issue first is whether or not individuals can derive earnings from the labor market that are sufficient to maintain a basic living standard, which if deficient for reasons beyond the control of individuals can be addressed by some state measures. But the idea of basic living standard itself can be politically charged as what is needed to maintain this standard largely determines the poverty measurement outcomes showing the face of poverty in any society. It is in this relative sense that the issues of poverty and inequality become highly contested as they touch on who has the responsibility to ensure economic security and whose responsibility it is to determine to what extent poverty and inequality are tolerated.
Acquirers of Net Operating Losses in U.S. Loss Corporations: Buyer Beware

Net Operating Losses (NOLs) in a loss corporation can be valuable to an acquiring company as well as to the loss corporation itself. However, IRC Section 382 places a limitation on the availability to an acquirer of pre-discharge NOL carryovers. A bankruptcy court may wish to enjoin the sale of large blocks of shares in the debtor on the ground that if too many shares of stock are turned over, the NOLs may be lost. Such a loss is arguably not the loss corporation’s concern as the stock is in the hands of a separate entity, the estate, once the bankruptcy petition is filed. Nonetheless, it is the loss corporation’s concern where the stock’s fate can play a significant role in determining whether the loss corporation may ultimately emerge from bankruptcy.The central issue is whether the debtor corporation’s potential ability to carry over pre-bankruptcy petition NOLs is protected by the automatic stay from the acquirer’s attempt to deduct the loss corporation’s worthless stock. While several courts have addressed the matter, this paper attempts to review their treatment along with the relevant Internal Revenue Code sections in order to recommend prudential standards for future courts to follow. Such considerations must include any failure by the acquirer to make a bona fide effort to fall within the more valuable of IRC Section 382(l)(6) or within IRC Section 382(l)(5)’s exception to the reduction of NOL carryover amounts. Additionally, an acquirer’s failure to respect the automatic stay’s preservation of NOLs as property of the estate should also affect judicial determinations.
A study of link state flooding optimizations for scalable wireless networks

Several methods have recently been proposed to improve link state protocol efficiency within wireless ad hoc networks. One class of approaches targets the reduction of link state control overhead that contributes to network-wide broadcast storms, therefore enhancing protocol scalability. We have implemented and studied two such methods and demonstrate and discuss their relative performance characteristics. We present early simulation analysis over a number of scalability factors, including average nodal density and network diameter (maximum path length). Based upon initial results, we demonstrate that the two approaches to link state overhead reduction are somewhat complementary and that they provide additional benefit when applied together in many topologies studied. While both approaches are valid scalable flooding techniques, we discuss further the relative merits and potential disadvantages of each technique.
Transcriptional activation by p53, but not induction of the p21 gene, is essential for oncogene-mediated apoptosis.

Abstract The p53 tumor suppressor limits cellular proliferation by inducing either G1 arrest or apoptosis, depending on the cellular context. To determine if these pathways are mechanistically distinct, we have examined the effects of different p53 mutants in p53 null primary mouse embryo fibroblasts. We chose this system as it is highly physiological and ensures that the interpretation of the results will not be confounded by the presence of endogenous p53 or oncoproteins which target p53. Using single cell microinjection assays for both G1 arrest and apoptosis, with loss-of-function and chimeric gain-of-function mutants, we have demonstrated that transcriptional activation is critical for both processes. Replacement of the p53 activation domain with that of VP16, or replacement of the p53 oligomerization domain with that of GCN4, reconstituted both G1 arrest and apoptosis activities. However, despite the importance of transcriptional activation in both processes, the target gene requirements are different. The p21 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, which has been shown to be a direct target of p53 and a component of the radiation-induced G1 arrest response, is dispensable for oncogene-induced apoptosis, suggesting that these two p53-dependent transcriptional pathways are distinct.
Summary: Developing a successful measurement program

The editor finds consensus on ten points among the authors of this book. The ten points form the basis of some recommendations for those conducting studies that measure effectiveness.
Connectionist Modeling of Developmental Changes in Infancy: Approaches, Challenges, and Contributions

Connectionist models have been applied to many phenomena in infant development including perseveration, language learning, categorization, and causal perception. In this article, we discuss the benefits of connectionist networks for the advancement of theories of early development. In particular, connectionist models contribute novel testable predictions, instantiate the theorized mechanism of change, and create a unifying framework for understanding infant learning and development. We relate these benefits to the 2 primary approaches used in connectionist models of infant development. The first approach employs changes in neural processing as the basis for developmental changes, and the second employs changes in infants� experiences. The review sheds light on the unique hurdles faced by each approach as well as the challenges and solutions related to both, particularly with respect to the identification of critical model components, parameter specification, availability of empirical data, and model comparison. Finally, we discuss the future of modeling work as it relates to the study of development. We propose that connectionist networks stand to make a powerful contribution to the generation and revision of theories of early child development. Furthermore, insights from connectionist models of early development can improve the understanding of developmental changes throughout the life span. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)
Finding the density of objects without measuring mass and volume

A simple method based on the moment of forces and Archimedes' principle is described for finding density without measuring the mass and volume of an object. The method involves balancing two unknown objects of masses M1 and M2 on each side of a pivot on a metre rule and measuring their corresponding moment arms. The object whose density is to be found is then immersed in a liquid of known density and the new moment of the arm of this object is measured. The density of the immersed object is then determined using only its measured moment arms and the density of the liquid.
SU‐FF‐J‐156: High Throughput Micro‐CT Scanner Using a Distributed Multi‐Beam Field Emission X‐Ray Source

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of a stationary gantry‐free micro‐CT scanner using spatially distributed multi‐beam x‐ray source. A prototype multi‐beam micro‐CT (MBμCT) scanner has been developed and its imaging performance characterized. Method and Materials: The MBμCT system consists of a 20‐beam carbon nanotube(CNT)field emission x‐ray source; an object table; a flat panel x‐ray detector; a MOSFET based control circuitry and a control console with a customized software user interface written in LabVIEW for data acquisition and processing. The x‐ray beams are individually controlled and can generate a scanning beam covering an angle span of 36°. It takes merely 9 steps to finish a full rotation in less than 10s. The projection images are acquired and stored for imaging processing and CTreconstruction.Results: The performance (focal spot size, field emission I‐V characteristics and current stability) of the multi‐beam x‐ray source has been characterized. The control circuitry and LabVIEW based controlsoftware have been implemented and tested. A mouse carcass has been scanned using the prototype MBμCT system and the acquired projection images showed decent imaging quality. We are currently working on refining the system geometry calibration and developing the corresponding CTreconstruction algorithm for this novel MBμCT imagingsystem, and some preliminary data will be presented. Conclusion: The feasibility of a stationary gantry‐free MBμCT has been evaluated based on the study of the as‐developed prototype system. Our preliminary results showed that the MBμCT scanner has the potential to deliver fast CT scan speed as a result of its novel scanning configuration. As a prototype system, it will be used to perform various feasibility tests for the future development of a fully stationary multi‐beam micro‐CT scanner. Once fully developed, this system would potentially provide fast screening, image registration and guidance for radiotherapy in pre‐clinical studies as well.
Isolation of possible replicative intermediate structures from vesicular stomatitis virus-infected cells.

Abstract Conditions have been established whereby vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) RNA replication is the predominant RNA synthetic event. A partially double-stranded RNA structure has been isolated from cells infected under these conditions. This structure has been isolated by precipitation in high salt and cellulose column chromatography. It has a heterogeneous sedimentation profile and a molecular weight more than twice that of single strand virion RNA and resolves upon denaturation into RNA species, 60% of which are the size of virion RNA. Additionally, 60% of the total RNA contained in this structure is of negative strand (virion) polarity.
Corrugation and Buckling Defects in Wound Rolls

Sheet metal, paper, and polymer webs are often stored and processed as large rolls comprising thousands of layers. Depending on the elastic properties of the web material, the roll's dimensions, the type of core, and the winding tension, the stresses that develop within the roll can be sufficiently high to cause local or gross buckling defects to form. For instance, the cylindrical core onto which the web is wound can collapse, a failure mode that is termed "v-buckling." In other cases, while the core might remain intact, a group of layers interior to the roll can wrinkle into a near-sinusoidal corrugated pattern around the circumference. This paper examines such "starring " defects analytically and experimentally. Measurements on a laboratory-scale web transport system are used to validate the model, and to identify conditions where no defects occur and the roll has acceptable quality, where starring patterns develop, and where v-buckling occurs. For particular core and web materials, the tension and diameter are the primary variables that influence the roll's stability, and demarcations between stable and buckled configurations are identified in the tension-diameter design space. A model for the elastic stability of the roll-core system is developed, in which the corrugated layers are treated as multiple rings subjected to the resultant pressure generated by the roll's internal stresses, and to the elastic support provided by the core and neighboring web layers. At the onset of corrugation, adjacent web layers couple through surface contact which is incorporated in the model as an elastic shear layer.
Photochemistry of 1,n-dibenzyloxy-9,10-anthraquinones.

The photochemistry of a series of 9,10-anthraquinones with multiple benzyloxy substituents was investigated. In polar solvent, the expected Blankespoor oxidative cleavage reaction is the major reaction pathway, but in most cases, several minor products were observed. In nonpolar solvents, the abundance of these minor products increases dramatically. Four types of product were observed with the favored reaction pathway shifting with minor changes in substitution on the anthraquinone. Several types of product require cleavage of the C−O bond on the benzyloxy group and, apparently, follow a photo-Claisen-type mechanism. Others involve the expected 1,5-diradical but do not exhibit the single-electron transfer usually observed in the Blankespoor-type reaction. The results indicate the importance of considering the medium and photoredox behavior in anthraquinone photochemistry.
Pain syndromes and etiologies in ambulatory AIDS patients

Ambulatory AIDS patients participating in a quality of life study were recruited for an assessment of pain syndromes. Of 274 patients with pain, 151 (55%) consented to the assessment which included a clinical interview, neurologic examination, and review of medical records. The number, type, and etiology of pains were evaluated in terms of risk factors, age, sex, CD4+ lymphocyte count, and performance status. The average number of pains per patient was 2.7 (range, 1-7), yielding a total of 405 pains. The most common pain diagnoses were headache (46% of patients; 17% of all pains), joint pain (31% of patients; 12% of pains), pain due to polyneuropathy (28% of patients; 10% of pains), and muscle pain (27% of patients; 12% of pains). Pathophysiology was inferred for all pain syndromes (except for headache), 45% of pain syndromes were somatic in nature, 15% were visceral, 19% were neuropathic, and 4% were unknown, psychogenic, or idiopathic; 17% of pains were classified as headache, hence pathophysiology could not be determined. Pain resulted from diverse etiologies, including the direct effects of HIV/AIDS-related conditions (30%) pre-existing unrelated conditions (24%), and therapies for HIV/AIDS and related conditions (4%). The latter category, pain related to HIV therapies, occurred in 11% of patients. In 37% of the pains, the etiology could not be determined from the information available. In univariate analyses, lower CD4+ cell counts were significantly associated with polyneuropathy (P < 0.05) and headache (P < 0.05), and female gender was significantly associated with the presence of headache (P < 0.05) and radiculopathy (P < 0.001). These data confirm the diversity of pain syndromes in AIDS patients, clarify the prevalence of common pain types, and suggest associations between specific patient characteristics and pain syndromes. The large proportion of patients who could not be given a diagnosis underscores the need for a careful diagnostic evaluation of pain in this population.
Selective vestibular ablation by KTP laser in endolymphatic hydrops.

Objectives and Hypothesis: Vertigo, the cause of disability in many patients with Meniere's disease, may be the result of the effects of endolymphatic hydrops on the semicircular canals. We hypothesize that intractable vertigo may be controlled by destruction of the semicircular canal neuroepithelium using visible light lasers without the need for extensive fenestration of the bony labyrinth. This study was designed to assess the cochlear effects of potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser-assisted triple semicircular canal ablation (TSCA) in endolymphatic hydrops. Study Design: Randomized, prospective, and controlled. Methods: Forty-one adult guinea pigs underwent either a unilateral endolymphatic duct occlusion to induce hydrops or a sham procedure. Ten weeks after induction of the hydrops, a KTP laser-assisted TSCA or a sham surgery was performed. Results: Electrocochleographic thresholds to clicks and tone-bursts (2-20 kHz) did not change significantly up to 4 weeks after TSCA in hydropic ears. Cross-sectional histology confirmed the presence of hydrops and the ablation of the semicircular canals. Cochlear whole-mounts for hair cell counts showed no significant loss of outer or inner hair cells in hydropic ears treated with TSCA. Conclusion; KTP laser-assisted TSCA can be performed in the guinea pig model of endolymphatic hydrops without significant loss of hearing. Evaluation of this technique may be warranted in patients with intractable Meniere's disease.
Connectivity of diffusing particles continually deposited on a surface: relation to LECBD experiments

Abstract We generalize the conventional model of two-dimensional site percolation by including both (1) continuous deposition of particles on a two-dimensional substrate, and (2) diffusion of these particles in two-dimensions. This new model is motivated by recent thin film deposition experiments using the low-energy cluster beam deposition (LECBD) technique. Depending on various parameters such as deposition flux, diffusion constant, and system size, we find a rich range of fractal morphologies including diffusion limited aggregation (DLA), cluster-cluster aggregation (CCA), and percolation.
BARCRAWL and BARTAB: software tools for the design and implementation of barcoded primers for highly multiplexed DNA sequencing

Background Advances in automated DNA sequencing technology have greatly increased the scale of genomic and metagenomic studies. An increasingly popular means of increasing project throughput is by multiplexing samples during the sequencing phase. This can be achieved by covalently linking short, unique "barcode" DNA segments to genomic DNA samples, for instance through incorporation of barcode sequences in PCR primers. Although several strategies have been described to insure that barcode sequences are unique and robust to sequencing errors, these have not been integrated into the overall primer design process, thus potentially introducing bias into PCR amplification and/or sequencing steps.
Reactor design for the enzymatic isomerization of glucose to fructose

A comprehensive methodology is presented for the design of reactors using immobilized enzymes as catalysts. The design is based on material balances and rate equations for enzyme action and decay and considers the effect of mass transfer limitations on the expression of enzyme activity. The enzymatic isomerization of glucose into fructose with a commercial immobilized glucose isomerase was selected as a case study. Results obtained are consistent with data obtained from existing high-fructose syrup plants. The methodology may be extended to other cases, provided sound expressions for enzyme action and decay are available and a simple flow pattern within the reactor might be assumed.
The effect of fentanyl on the end-tidal sevoflurane concentration needed to prevent motor movement in dogs

Abstract Objective The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of fentanyl on the end-tidal concentration of sevoflurane needed to prevent motor movement (MAC NM ) in response to noxious stimulation, and to evaluate if acute tolerance develops. Study design Randomized cross-over experimental study. Animals Six healthy, adult (2–3 years old), intact male, mixed-breed dogs weighing 16.2 ± 1.1 kg. Methods Six dogs were randomly assigned to receive one of three separate treatments over a 3 week period. After baseline sevoflurane MAC NM (MAC NM-B ) determination, fentanyl treatments (T) were administered as a loading dose (Ld) and constant rate infusion (CRI) as follows: T1-Ld of 7.5 μg kg −1 and CRI at 3 μg kg −1 hour −1 ; T2-Ld of 15 μg kg −1 and CRI at 6.0 μg kg −1 hour −1 ; T3-Ld of 30 μg kg −1 and CRI at 12 μg kg −1 hour −1 . The MAC NM was defined as the minimum end-tidal sevoflurane concentration preventing motor movement. The first post-treatment MAC NM (MAC NM-I ) determination was initiated 90 minutes after the start of the CRI, and a second MAC NM (MAC NM - II ) determination was initiated 3 hours after MAC NM-I was established. Results The overall least square mean MAC NM-B for all groups was 2.66%. All treatments decreased ( p NM , and the decrease from baseline was 22%, 35% and 41% for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Percentage change in T1 differed ( p NM-I was not significantly different from MAC NM-II within treatments. Conclusions and clinical relevance Fentanyl doses in the range of 3–12 μg kg −1 hour −1 significantly decreased the sevoflurane MAC NM . Clinically significant tolerance to fentanyl did not occur under the study conditions.
Neuropsychological Outcome of mTBI: A Principal Component Analysis Approach

Abstract The multitude of variables associated with a battery of outcome measures presents a risk for spurious findings in clinical trials and observational studies of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We have used principal components analysis (PCA) to facilitate data reduction by identifying components which represent subsets of neuropsychological measures that are selectively correlated with each other. By merging data from two concurrent mTBI studies using the same outcome measures, we obtained a cohort of 102 mTBI patients and 85 orthopedic injury (OI) comparison patients whom we recruited from 24 hours to 96 hours post-injury and evaluated at one week, 1 month, and 3 months post-injury. Cognitive domains included episodic memory, evaluated by both verbal and visual memory tasks, cognitive processing speed tests, and executive function. Post-concussion and stress-related symptoms were measured by rating scales. PCA identified four components, including cognitive processing speed, verbal memory, vis...
Discussing Dementia-Related Behaviors During Medical Visits for People With Alzheimer’s Disease:

Research suggests that caregivers appreciate support from primary care physicians (PCPs) regarding dementia care; however, there remains a need for studies examining the role that PCPs play in behavior management. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively characterize the discussion on dementia-related behaviors (DRBs) during PCP visits and compare findings to an independently administered assessment of DRBs exhibited within a period of 4 weeks prior to the PCP visit. Twenty-five PCP visits of persons with dementia, in which caregivers coattended the visit, were audio-recorded and analyzed for occurrence of DRB discussion. Disruptive behaviors were reported by 80% of caregivers via independent assessment, yet discussed in 23% of medical visits. Dementia-related behavior discussion occurred in visits where caregivers independently reported significantly higher behavior frequency and behavior-related burden. Implications of findings for ways PCPs can assist the caregiver in behavior management are discussed.
Animal models of CRH deficiency.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), the major regulator of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, was first isolated due to its ability to stimulate the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone from the anterior pituitary. Later, it was also found to have also a wide spectrum of actions within the central nervous system and the periphery. Studies with pharmacological administration of this peptide and/or antagonists and antibody neutralization techniques have yielded important information concerning the physiological relevance of CRH. The development of CRH knockout mice (CRH KO) has been an important tool for addressing the physiologic and pathologic roles of CRH. This review describes the phenotype of CRH-deficient mice, as well as the use of this model to study the roles of CRH on fetal development and postnatal life. The role of CRH in prenatal development and postnatal regulation of the HPA axis, in activation of the reproductive system during stress, and in modulation of the immune function will be discussed. The review concludes with a comparison of CRH KO mice with other models of CRH deficiency.
The ongoing experiment with “regulation from below”: Expanded reporting requirements for HMDA and CRA

Abstract The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) were enacted in the 1970s to curb redlining, the discriminatory lending practice whereby financial institutions refuse to make mortgage loans to certain neighborhoods based on the racial composition of those areas or the age of their housing stock. HMDA and CRA implicitly sanctioned an important role for local citizen monitors, whose “regulation from below,” as it has been termed, was believed to be needed to augment the formal enforcement apparatus. In 1989, Congress amended both of these laws by expanding publicly available information on the lending practices of financial institutions. The paper reviews the early experiences with the new requirements and suggests some of the factors likely to determine whether grassroots organizations seek further reforms. While the use of “de facto” bank examiners succeeded more than many knowledgeable observers expected, it remains to be seen whether community‐based watchdogs can ke...
“Covalent cationization method” for the analysis of polyethylene by mass spectrometry

Polyethylene and other polyolefins have not been amenable to mass spectrometric characterization of molecular mass distribution due to the ineffectiveness of conventional methods of cationization. The lack of polar groups, unsaturation, and aromaticity excludes cationization methods that are used commonly for polymers. A new method is introduced in which an organic cation is covalently bonded to the polymer to produce the necessary ionization for successful matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A strong MALDI signal results from modified polymers that give no response in their unmodified form.
Lipoinjection augmentation of the soft palate for velopharyngeal stress incompetence.

Objectives/Hypothesis Velopharyngeal stress incompetence in professional musicians is an uncommon but potentially career-ending problem. Pharyngeal flaps, V-Y palatal pushback procedures, Teflon or collagen injection of the posterior pharyngeal wall, and speech therapy have all been used to address this problem. The ideal procedure for this subset of patients with velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) with high-pressure, mild VPI would be one that combines low morbidity and an expedient recovery for the busy musician. We describe an approach of endoscopically assisted autologous lipoinjection of the soft palate. Study Design A retrospective review of our experience treating high-pressure stress VPI in two professional musicians. Methods Literature review and retrospective chart review. Results Two musicians underwent autologous lipoinjection of the soft palate for stress VPI. Patients resumed full play within 2 weeks of the operation with no serious complications. There has been no recurrence of the VPI after 18 and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. Conclusions Velopharyngeal stress incompetence in musicians is an uncommon disorder. Velopharyngeal incompetence in these patients may not present as in a typical manner with hypernasality but may go undiagnosed for years mistakenly rationalized as a declining performance ability rather than a curable structural problem. The performance demands of professional musicians necessitate a timely solution to their VPI. More precise and limited contouring of palatal bulk can be achieved through the lipoinjection technique than compared with traditional palatal V-Y pushback or a standard pharyngeal flap. Lipoinjection of the palate can be performed as an outpatient procedure with only minor discomfort and an expedient recovery for the career musician.
Social perception of bisexuality

Theorists have pointed out that in America the bisexual community tends to be more or less invisible (Firestein, B.A. (1996). Bisexuality as a paradigm shift: Transforming our disciplines. In B.A. Firestein (Ed.), Bisexuality: The psychology and politics of an invisible minority (pp. 263--291). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage). They offer many reasons why this is so, including the tendency for people to assume that one’s sexual orientation can be judged by the gender of one’s current partner (Brekhus, W. (1996). Social marking and the mental coloring of identity: Sexual identity construction and maintenance in the United States. Sociological Forum, 11, 497–522) or to rely on the ‘one-time rule’ of homosexuality (Anderson, E. (2005). In the game: Gay athletes and the cult of masculinity. Albany: State University of New York Press). (The one-time rule declares that if a person experiences sexual desire one time or engages in one homo‐sexual act, he or she is ‘really’ homosexual and that is that.) This study was des...
Improving Responsiveness to Intervention for English-Language Learners: A Comparison of Instructional Pace on Letter Naming Rates

An alternating treatments design was used to compare the effects of a 1-s and a 5-s paced intervention on rates of letter naming by English Language Learners (ELL). Participants were four kindergarten students performing below the average letter naming level and learning rate than other ELL classmates. The fast paced intervention consisted of a 1-s paced letter modeling and 1-s response wait time combined with a 1-s intertrial interval. Alternatively, the slower paced intervention consisted of 5-s modeling, response wait time, and intertrial intervals. For three students, the 5-s paced intervention resulted in greater increases in letter naming rates as compared to the 1-s intervention and baseline condition. All students first obtained the mastery criterion level during the 5-s intervention.
Prognostic significance of Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) in advanced colorectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) in advanced colorectal cancer and create statistically distinct prognostic groups of colorectal cancer patients based on clinical and nutritional variables. Design: A retrospective clinical epidemiologic study. Setting: A private tertiary care American Cancer Center. Subjects: In total, 234 colorectal cancer patients aged 29–82 y treated at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center between January 1995 and March 2001. Intervention: SGA Questionnaire. SGA A—well nourished; SGA B—moderately malnourished; and SGA C—severely malnourished. Malnutrition was defined as either SGA B or SGA C. Results: The prevalence of malnutrition in this patient population, as determined by SGA, was 52% (113/217). The median survival of patients with SGA A was 12.8 months (95% CI; 9.1–16.5), those with SGA B was 8.8 months (95% CI; 6.7–10.9) and those with SGA C was 6 months (95% CI; 3.9–8.1); the difference being statistically significant at P=0.0013. Regression tree analysis identified prior treatment history, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and SGA to be important predictors of survival for our patient cohort. Patients with no prior treatment history (newly diagnosed disease), low LDH scores, and SGA A had the best overall survival of 40.4 months (95% CI; 30.45–50.4), whereas patients with prior treatment history (progressive disease), high LDH scores, and SGA B/C had the worst overall survival of 4.5 months (95% CI; 2.22–6.76). Conclusion: The SGA provides useful prognostic information in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Sponsors: Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
Evaluation of Aroclor 1260 exposure in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in epidemiologic studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hepatic effects of a PCB mixture, Aroclor 1260, whose composition mimics human bioaccumulation patterns, in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity (DIO). Male C57Bl/6J mice were fed control diet or 42% high fat diet (HFD) and exposed to Aroclor 1260 (20 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg in corn oil) for 12 weeks. A glucose tolerance test was performed; plasma/tissues were obtained at necropsy for measurements of adipocytokine levels, histology, and gene expression. Aroclor 1260 exposure was associated with decreased body fat in HFD-fed mice but had no effect on blood glucose/lipid levels. Paradoxically, Aroclor 1260 + HFD co-exposed mice demonstrated increased hepatic inflammatory foci at both doses while the degree of steatosis did not change. Serum cytokines, ALT levels and hepatic expression of IL-6 and TNFα were increased only at 20 mg/kg, suggesting an inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production at the 200 mg/kg exposure. Aroclor 1260 induced hepatic expression of cytochrome P450s including Cyp3a11 (Pregnane-Xenobiotic Receptor target) and Cyp2b10 (constitutive androstane receptor target) but Cyp2b10 inducibility was diminished with HFD-feeding. Cyp1a2 (aryl hydrocarbon Receptor target) was induced only at 200 mg/kg. In summary, Aroclor 1260 worsened hepatic and systemic inflammation in DIO. The results indicated a bimodal response of PCB-diet interactions in the context of inflammation which could potentially be explained by xenobiotic receptor activation. Thus, PCB exposure may be a relevant “second hit” in the transformation of steatosis to steatohepatitis.
Stat and interferon genes identified by network analysis differentially regulate primitive and definitive erythropoiesis.

Background: Hematopoietic ontogeny is characterized by overlapping waves of primitive, fetal definitive, and adult definitive erythroid lineages. Our aim is to identify differences in the transcriptional control of these distinct erythroid cell maturation pathways by inferring and analyzing gene-interaction networks from lineage-specific expression datasets. Inferred networks are strongly connected and do not fit a scale-free model, making it difficult to identify essential regulators using the hub-essentiality standard. Results: We employed a semi-supervised machine learning approach to integrate measures of network topology with expression data to score gene essentiality. The algorithm was trained and tested on the adult and fetal definitive erythroid lineages. When applied to the primitive erythroid lineage, 144 high scoring transcription factors were found to be differentially expressed between the primitive and adult definitive erythroid lineages, including all expressed STAT-family members. Differential responses of primitive and definitive erythroblasts to a Stat3 inhibitor and IFNγ in vitro supported the results of the computational analysis. Further investigation of the original expression data revealed a striking signature of Stat1-related genes in the adult definitive erythroid network. Among the potential pathways known to utilize Stat1, interferon (IFN) signaling-related genes were expressed almost exclusively within the adult definitive erythroid network.
An inflationary model without fine-tuning or supersymmetry☆

Abstract An SU 5 model with a fundamental scale M and a additional 5 + 5 of fermions will, for a range of values of the Yukawa coupling, develop a second, deeper asymmetric minimum at a scale ⪢ M due to radiative corrections. If the latter minimum is 10 15 GeV, the fundamental scale could be quite small. This potential is discussed in some detail, and it is shown that the transition from the first asymmetric vacuum at φ ∼ M to the second at φ ∼ 10 15 GeV will be inflationary if M ≲ 10 11 GeV. This model will then be an inflationary model with similar phenomenology to Coleman-Weinberg inflation, but without fine-tuning.
Cy3 in AOT Reverse Micelles II. Probing Intermicellar Interactions Using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

Cyanine-3 (Cy3) fluorescent dye molecules confined in sodium di-2-ethylhexyl sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles were examined using dynamic light scattering and fluorescence correlation spectros...
Gunshot wounds to the head and neck.

• Gunshot wounds to the head and neck contribute to substantial medical, economic, and social problems in the United States today. The treatment of these patients requires the contemporary head and neck surgeon to be precisely informed in anatomy, wound ballistics, resuscitation, and surgical decision making. Ninety recent cases at the University of Texas Health Science Center affiliated hospitals in Houston were reviewed and are reported. Data show substantial trends in patient demographics and corroborate other reports in the trauma literature. Controversies in patient management continue, but current evidence favors a protocol of selective surgical exploration. ( Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118:592-597)
A Diagnostic for Assessing the Influence of Cases on the Prediction of Missing Data

Summary. An important aspect of statistical modelling involves the identification of cases that have a significant influence on certain inferential results. In modelling problems where data are missing, the predicted values for the missing observations are frequently of interest. To assist in the identification of cases that substantially affect these predicted values, we introduce a case deletion diagnostic which is often conveniently evaluated in the setting of the EM algorithm. Our diagnostic is defined as the Kullback-Leibler information between two versions of the conditional density of the missing data given the observed data: one based on the parameter estimates arising from the full data set; the other based on the parameter estimates arising from the case-deleted data set. We outline the computation of the diagnostic for two Gaussian frameworks: for bivariate data applications in which some of the data pairs are incomplete, and for time series forecasting applications in which the missing observations are future realizations of the series. Our analyses involve bivariate data from the 1998 American Major League Baseball season and a time series consisting of cardiovascular mortality readings from the Los Angeles area.
Spin-dependent scattering of conduction electrons in diluted magnetic semiconductors: Hg

Analysis of the quantum oscillations in the transverse magnetoresistance (Shubnikov--de Haas effect) for H\ensuremath{\parallel}[110] in oriented single crystals of the compound semiconductor ${\mathrm{Hg}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Fe}}_{\mathrm{x}}$Se with x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.03 and x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.05 provide evidence for spin-dependent scattering of the conduction electrons. Line-shape fits to the data allow estimates for the difference Dingle temperature \ensuremath{\delta}${T}_{D}$ and the exchange-enhanced effective g factor as a function of temperature and magnetic field. It is concluded that some Fe ions, when incorporated in a HgSe host, exist in a magnetically active state. This result indicates the presence of ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ in addition to the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}$ that might normally be expected in this material.
Effects of microsomal enzyme inducers on thyroid-follicular cell proliferation, hyperplasia, and hypertrophy.

Abstract The microsomal enzyme inducer (MEI), phenobarbital (PB), has been proposed to promote thyroid tumors by increasing the biotransformation and elimination of T4, resulting in an increase in serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). In turn, TSH stimulates thyroid gland function, growth, and ultimately neoplasia. The dose-dependent effects of MEI on thyroid-follicular cell proliferation, a measure of thyroid gland growth, has not been reported. In the present study, it was hypothesized that MEIs that increase TSH would stimulate thyroid-follicular cell proliferation and the total number of thyroid-follicular cells. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed either a basal diet or a diet containing PB (at 300, 600, 1200, or 2400 ppm), pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile (PCN) (at 200, 400, 800, or 1600 ppm), 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) (at 50, 100, 200, or 400 ppm), or Aroclor 1254 (PCB) (at 25, 50, 100, or 200 ppm) for 7 days. PB and PCN increased TSH 65% and 95%, respectively, whereas 3MC and PCB did not appreciably affect TSH. PB and PCN increased thyroid-follicular cell proliferation 625% and 1200%, respectively, whereas 3MC and PCB did not have a consistent or appreciable effect. The total number of thyroid-follicular cells was not significantly increased by MEI treatment. In conclusion, small increases in TSH by PB and PCN produced large increases in thyroid-follicular cell proliferation, which did not result in a comparable increase in the total number of thyroid-follicular cells. Furthermore, MEI that did not increase TSH did not consistently or appreciably increase thyroid-follicular cell proliferation or cell number.
Large Stroke Electrostatic Comb-Drive Actuators Enabled by a Novel Flexure Mechanism

This paper presents in-plane electrostatic comb-drive actuators with stroke as large as 245 μm that is achieved by employing a novel clamped paired double parallelogram (C-DP-DP) flexure mechanism. The C-DP-DP flexure mechanism design offers high bearing direction stiffness Kx while maintaining low motion direction stiffness Ky over a large range of motion direction displacement. The resulting high (Kx/Ky) ratio mitigates the onset of sideways snap-in instability, thereby offering significantly greater actuation stroke compared with existing designs. Further improvement is achieved by reinforcing the individual beams in this flexure mechanism. While the traditional paired double parallelogram (DP-DP) flexure design with comb gap G = 3 μm and flexure beam length L1 = 1 mm results in a 50- μm stroke before snap-in, the reinforced C-DP-DP design with the same comb gap and flexure beam length achieves a stroke of 141 μm. Furthermore, this C-DP-DP flexure design provides a 215- μm stroke with G = 4 μm and a 245-μm stroke with G = 6 μm. The presented work includes closed-form stiffness expressions for the reinforced C-DP-DP flexure, a design procedure for selecting dimensions of the overall comb-drive actuator, microfabrication of some representative actuators, and experimental measurements demonstrating the large stroke.
Fluxes of nitrous oxide and methane from nitrogen-amended soils in a Colorado alpine ecosystem

In order to determine the effect of increased nitrogen inputs on fluxed of N2O and CH4 from alpine soils, we measured fluxes of these gases from fertilized and unfertilized soils in wet and dry alpine meadows. In the dry meadow, the addition of nitrogen resulted in a 22-fold increase in N2O emissions, while in the wet meadow, we observed a 45-fold increase in N2O emission rates. CH4 uptake in the dry meadow was reduced 52% by fertilization; however, net CH4 production occurred in all the wet meadow plots and emission rates were not significantly affected by fertilization. Net nitrification rates in the dry meadow were higher in fertilized plots than in non-fertilized plots throughout the growing season; net mineralization rates in fertilized dry meadow pots were higher than those in non-fertilized plots during the latter half of the growing season.