cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mometasone absorption in cultured airway epithelium.

BACKGROUND Topical mometasone is frequently used as an intranasal spray, on drug-eluting stents, and compounded by specialty pharmacies as a sinus rinse. A typical sinus rinse contains 1.2 mg of mometasone dissolved in 240 mL of buffered saline and is flushed through the sinonasal cavity. The mometasone irrigation rapidly flows to the contralateral sinonasal cavity or the nasopharynx with a contact time on the order of 5 to 10 seconds. However, no information is available on the absorption rate of topical mometasone on the sinonasal surface. METHODS To determine the absorption characteristics of mometasone, we harvested nasal epithelium from 2 healthy donors and differentiated them into a mature ciliated epithelium on Millicell membranes. We applied mometasone to the apical surface for various time intervals and then rinsed off non-absorbed mometasone with phosphate-buffered saline. Millicell membranes with the adherent epithelial cells were then harvested and stored in guanidine hydrochloride for quantification using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS Fifty percent of the maximal absorption occurred after an average of 38 minutes after application, and maximal absorption occurred after an average of 114 minutes. CONCLUSION Our data provide an estimate for rates of absorption of mometasone applied to the sinonasal cavity and suggest that the absorption rates poorly match contact time during saline lavage.
The temporality of becoming: care as an activity to support the being and becoming of the other

This study addresses what it means to care for a person who has been catapulted into an unfamiliar new world and has lost a sense of being-in-the-world. I develop the relational ontological framewo...
Experimental Laboratories: Social and Economic

The experimental laboratory has become a key component in social and economic research. The article discusses how to prioritize the equipment and personnel needed to create a fully operational laboratory to answer research questions.
Theoretical and Empirical Advances in the Study and Control of White-Collar Offenders

Over the past decade the study of white-collar crime has been undergoing a resurgence of interest, productivity, and creativity. New findings have emerged regarding the social, demographic and psyc...
Endoscopic Mucosal Resection

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is an effective diagnostic and potentially therapeutic treatment of dysplastic Barrett's esophagus and early intramucosal esophageal carcinoma. Appropriate patient selection for therapeutic resection can follow a diagnostic endoscopic resection, and liberal use of EMR is encouraged to gain insight into the metastatic potential of any early esophageal tumor that appears amenable to EMR. EMR is a low-risk procedure; multidisciplinary groups should consider it a vital component of the staging algorithm for esophageal cancer.
Coil Embolization of Tributaries of Brachiocephalic Fistula is Effective in the Management of Vascular Steal

Background To determine if an aggressive approach to occlude all or majority of the tributaries of the cephalic vein is effective in eliminating signs and symptoms of vascular steal in patients with brachiocephalic fistula. Methods Retrospective chart review over a 15-month period of all patients managed with coil embolization of tributaries of brachiocephalic fistulae. Results A total of 19 patients (11 females, age 65 ± 9.7 years), presented with signs and symptoms of vascular steal. All patients had a brachiocephalic fistula with a 6.3 month average fistula age. Overall, a total of 111 coils were used to occlude 42 tributaries. Two patients had concomitant surgical ligation of 3 tributaries. Postoperative pain at the site of coiled tributaries was reported by two patients. A single patient suffered a major postprocedure complication (delayed hypotension), requiring hospital admission. All but one patient had significant improvement in symptoms of vascular steal postintervention. Conclusions An aggressive approach to coil embolization of all major tributaries of a brachiocephalic fistula is effective in eliminating signs and symptoms of vascular steal.
Teaching media grammar and convergence through hybrid letter writing

This article introduces an assignment that will help instructors effectively teach media grammar and convergence to their students. Hybrid letter writing (HBL) is an experiential learning assignmen...
PCTP contributes to human platelet activation by enhancing dense granule secretion.

Abstract PCTP (phosphatidylcholine transfer protein) was discovered recently to regulate aggregation of human platelets stimulated with PAR4 activating peptide (PAR4AP). However, the role of PCTP following thrombin stimulation, the mechanisms by which PCTP contributes to platelet activation, and the role of PCTP with other receptors remained unknown. As mouse platelets do not express PCTP, we treated human platelets with various agonists in the presence of the specific PCTP inhibitor A1. We observed that PCTP inhibition significantly reduced dense granule secretion in response to thrombin, PAR1AP, PAR4AP, convulxin (GPVI agonist) and FcγRIIA crosslinking. In contrast, among these agonists, PCTP inhibition reduced aggregation only to low dose thrombin and PAR4AP. Unlike its effects on dense granule secretion, PCTP inhibition did not reduce alpha granule secretion in response to thrombin or PAR4AP. PCTP inhibition reduced both the increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ as well as PKC activity downstream of thrombin. These data are consistent with PCTP contributing to secretion of dense granules, and to being particularly important to human PAR4 early signaling events. Future studies will address further these molecular mechanisms and consequences for hemostasis and thrombosis.
Differential effects of ants as biological control of the coffee berry borer in Puerto Rico

Abstract Conservation biological control consists of managing agroecosystem to maintain and enhance the action of natural enemies. Agroforestry systems such as shaded coffee system has been shown to maintain high diversity of organisms, including predators and parasitoids of insect pest. The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, is one of the most widely distributed coffee pests frequently causing severe economic damage. Ants have been reported as natural enemies of the CBB, but different species of ants are known to have different and sometime contrasting effects against the CBB. In this study, we examine the damage and survival of CBB on coffee plants that are dominated by six different species of ants, Solenopsis invicta, Wasmannia auropunctata, Monomorium floricola, Paratrechina longicornis, Brachymyrmex heeri and Pheidole moerens, in Puerto Rico. This represents a novel community of natural enemies since four of the six species are non-native. We hypothesized that the large and dominant species, S. invicta, would reduce the damage of the CBB by preying on adult CBB outside the berries, while the smaller species, would reduce the survival of the CBB by preying on the reproducing adults inside the berries (and potentially also on the immature stages, although not quantified in this study). Results show that S. invicta was associated with significantly reduced CBB damage. The only species associated with reduced survival of CBB inside berries was W. auropunctata, whereas the others were not associated with any effect on survival. Surprisingly, P. moerens and P. longicornis had a significant positive effect on the damage of the CBB suggesting that these species could only forage on plants that did not harbor S. invicta or W. auropunctata, the two most aggressive ants both of which were associated negatively with the CBB. The study also suggests that the negative impact of S. invicta on W. auropunctata indirectly facilitates the CBB by protecting it from predation by W. auropunctata once the adult CBB gains entrance to the coffee berry.
Asynchronous Federated Learning for Sensor Data with Concept Drift

Federated learning (FL) involves multiple distributed devices jointly training a shared model without any of the participants having to reveal their local data to a centralized server. Most of previous FL approaches assume that data on devices are fixed and stationary during the training process. However, this assumption is unrealistic because these devices usually have varying sampling rates and different system configurations. In addition, the underlying distribution of the device data can change dynamically over time, which is known as concept drift. Concept drift makes the learning process complicated because of the inconsistency between existing and upcoming data. Traditional concept drift handling techniques such as chunk based and ensemble learning-based methods are not suitable in the federated learning frameworks due to the heterogeneity of local devices. We propose a novel approach, FedConD, to detect and deal with the concept drift on local devices and minimize the effect on the performance of models in asynchronous FL. The drift detection strategy is based on an adaptive mechanism which uses the historical performance of the local models. The drift adaptation is realized by adjusting the regularization parameter of objective function on each local device. Additionally, we design a communication strategy on the server side to select local updates in a prudent fashion and speed up model convergence. Experimental evaluations on three evolving data streams and two image datasets show that \model~detects and handles concept drift, and also reduces the overall communication cost compared to other baseline methods.
Interactions in entomology: multiple comparisons and statistical interactions in entomological experimentation

Research reports published in agricultural journals indicate that in many situations the use of multiple comparison procedures has been either inappropriate or not the most meaningful method of ana...
Chapter 2 Chemical methods for the investigation of stereochemical problems in biology

Publisher Summary The contributions of chemical methods and principles to the study of stereochemical problems in biology have, of course, been prodigious. They have ranged from determinations of configurations and conformations of many compounds, through syntheses of substrates and products, to studies of model compounds and reactions. An interesting development is that increasingly, biochemical methods are being applied in organic chemistry. It would be impossible to give a complete account of all of the chemical investigations in this chapter. This chapter attempts to cover some of the important work. In many investigations, chemical and biochemical methods have been used together. The terminology and nomenclature used in this chapter are those generally accepted.
Description of an Incompatibility Mutant of Escherichia coli

A mutant Hfr strain of Escherichia coli which has an impaired incompatibility function but is normal for other F factor functions has been isolated. This Inc(-) Hfr permits the maintenance and transfer of both the integrated F factor and an F' factor. F' factors have been isolated from the integrated F factor of the Inc(-) Hfr strain. When these episomes were tested in matings with Hfr or F' strains, they did not differ in any observed way from wild-type F' factors.
Large-scale computations on histology images reveal grade-differentiating parameters for breast cancer

Tumor classification is inexact and largely dependent on the qualitative pathological examination of the images of the tumor tissue slides. In this study, our aim was to develop an automated computational method to classify Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained tissue sections based on cancer tissue texture features. Image processing of histology slide images was used to detect and identify adipose tissue, extracellular matrix, morphologically distinct cell nuclei types, and the tubular architecture. The texture parameters derived from image analysis were then applied to classify images in a supervised classification scheme using histologic grade of a testing set as guidance. The histologic grade assigned by pathologists to invasive breast carcinoma images strongly correlated with both the presence and extent of cell nuclei with dispersed chromatin and the architecture, specifically the extent of presence of tubular cross sections. The two parameters that differentiated tumor grade found in this study were (1) the number density of cell nuclei with dispersed chromatin and (2) the number density of tubular cross sections identified through image processing as white blobs that were surrounded by a continuous string of cell nuclei. Classification based on subdivisions of a whole slide image containing a high concentration of cancer cell nuclei consistently agreed with the grade classification of the entire slide. The automated image analysis and classification presented in this study demonstrate the feasibility of developing clinically relevant classification of histology images based on micro- texture. This method provides pathologists an invaluable quantitative tool for evaluation of the components of the Nottingham system for breast tumor grading and avoid intra-observer variability thus increasing the consistency of the decision-making process.
Heat conduction in X-ray clusters: Spitzer over 3

Effective heat conduction in a random variable magnetic field should be equal to one third of the Spitzer's value. Recent observations indicate that this heat conduction is sufficient to account for the bremsstrahlung in cooling X-ray clusters.
Optical beam routing using arrays of vertical-cavity phase-flip modulators

Summary form only given. While typical vertical-cavity Fabry-Perot optical modulators are amplitude switches, we have previously demonstrated that it is possible to make a vertical-cavity phase-flip AlGaAs-GaAs modulator that maintains the same reflected amplitude but varies reflected phase from 0 to 1800 between the off and on states. We have used these latter devices to create a single-element electrically controlled phase diffraction grating operating at 7 V bias.
The Promise of Effective Assistance of Counsel: Good Enough Isn't Good Enough

As a part of the ANtional Association of Crminal Defense Lawyers perspectives on Gideon v. Wainwright's 50th anniversary, this article examines the promise of effective assistance of defense counsel, and how low that standard is and its deleterious effects on justice.
Mitral Annular Kinetics, Left Atrial, and Left Ventricular Diastolic Function Post Mitral Valve Repair in Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation.

Objective: The relationship of mitral annular (MA) kinetics to left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) function before and after mitral valve repair has not been well studied. Here we sought to provide comprehensive analysis that relates to MA motions, LA and LV diastolic function post mitral valve repair. Methods: Three-dimensional analyses of mitral annular motion, LA function and LV volumetric and diastolic strain rates were performed on 35 degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) patients at baseline and 1-year post mitral valve repair, and 51 normal controls, utilizing cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with tissue tagging. Results: All had normal LV ejection fraction (EF) at baseline. LV and LA EFs decreased 1-year post-surgery vs. controls. LV early-diastolic myocardial strain rates decreased post-surgery along with decreases in normalized early-diastolic filling rate, E/A ratio and early-diastolic MA relaxation rates. Post-surgical LA late active kick remained higher in MR patients vs. control. LV and LA EFs were significantly associated with peak MA centroid to apex shortening. Furthermore, during LV systolic phase, peak LV ejection and LA filling rates were significantly correlated with peak MA centroid to apex shortening rate, respectively. While during LV diastolic phase, both peak early diastolic MA centroid to apex relaxation rate and LA ejection rate were positively significantly associated with LV peak early diastolic filling rate. Conclusions— MA motion is significantly associated with LA and LV function. Mitral annular motion, left atrial function and left ventricular diastolic strain rates are still impaired one year post mitral valve repair. Long term effects of these impairments should be prospectively evaluated.
Ability of new octapolar bioimpedance spectroscopy analyzers to predict 4-component–model percentage body fat in Hispanic, black, and white adults

BACKGROUND New, vertical, 8-electrode bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) analyzers provide detailed body-composition and nutritional information within 2 min. This is the first report on BIS's accuracy in predicting relative fatness [percentage body fat (%BF)] in a heterogeneous sample according to a multicomponent model criterion. OBJECTIVE We compared %BF measurements from 2 BIS devices with those from a multicomponent model in a sample of Hispanic, black, and white adults. DESIGN Equal numbers of apparently healthy men and women (n = 75 of each) from each racial-ethnic group, diverse in body mass index and age, volunteered. Reference %BF (%BF(4C)) was computed by using a 4-component (4C) model with total bone mineral content obtained from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, body density from underwater weighing with measured residual lung volume, and total body water from traditional BIS. Estimations from InBody 720 (%BF(720)) and InBody 320 (%BF(320)) BIS analyzers were validated against %BF(4C). RESULTS The %BF(720) (r = 0.85, SEE = 5.19%BF) and %BF(320) (r = 0.84, SEE = 5.17%BF) correlations were significant (P < 0.05) in the men; main effects were nonsignificant. Correlations for %BF(720) (r = 0.88, SEE = 4.85%BF) and %BF(320) (r = 0.89, SEE = 4.82%BF) also were significant in the women (P < 0.05); there was a main effect for method but not race-ethnicity. There were no sex-specific overestimations or underestimations at the extremes of the distributions. CONCLUSIONS BIS estimates of %BF(4C) were well correlated in men and women. There were no significant methodologic differences in the men. The %BF(4C) was significantly underestimated by %BF(720) and %BF(320) in the women.
Expression of mutant eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha subunit (eIF-2 alpha) reduces inhibition of guanine nucleotide exchange activity of eIF-2B mediated by eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation

The inhibition of protein synthesis that occurs upon phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 alpha) at serine 51 correlates with reduced guanine nucleotide exchange activity of eIF-2B in vivo and inhibition of eIF-2B activity in vitro, although it is not known if phosphorylation is the cause of the reduced eIF-2B activity in vivo. To characterize the importance of eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation in the regulation of eIF-2B activity, we studied the overexpression of mutant eIF-2 alpha subunits in which serine 48 or 51 was replaced by an alanine (48A or 51A mutant). Previous studies demonstrated that the 51A mutant was resistant to phosphorylation, whereas the 48A mutant was a substrate for phosphorylation. Additionally, expression of either mutant partially protected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells from the inhibition of protein synthesis in response to heat shock treatment (P. Murtha-Riel, M. V. Davies, J. B. Scherer, S. Y. Choi, J. W. B. Hershey, and R. J. Kaufman, J. Biol. Chem. 268:12946-12951, 1993). In this study, we show that eIF-2B activity was inhibited in parental CHO cell extracts upon addition of purified reticulocyte heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI), an eIF-2 alpha kinase that phosphorylates Ser-51. Preincubation with purified HRI also reduced the eIF-2B activity in extracts from cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha. In contrast, the eIF-2B activity was not readily inhibited in extracts from cells overexpressing either the eIF-2 alpha 48A or 51A mutant. In addition, eIF-2B activity was decreased in extracts prepared from heat-shocked cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha, whereas the decrease in eIF-2B activity was less in heat-shocked cells overexpressing either mutant 48A or mutant 51A. While the phosphorylation at serine 51 in eIF-2 alpha impairs the eIF-2B activity, we propose that serine 48 acts to maintain a high affinity between phosphorylated eIF-2 alpha and eIF-2B, thereby inactivating eIF-2B activity. These findings support the hypothesis that phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha inhibits protein synthesis directly through reducing eIF-2B activity and emphasize the importance of both serine 48 and serine 51 in the interaction with eIF-2B and regulation of eIF-2B activity.
Promoting prevention through meaningful measures: Improving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network urinary tract infection surveillance definitions

The new year of 2015 brought with it the release of the update to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) urinary tract infection (UTI) definitions. Although the NHSN UTI definitions were last updated in 2009, the inclusion of catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs) in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Inpatient Quality Reporting Program in 2012 heightened the challenges to the definitions by many professionals involved in infection prevention. Feedback to CDC beginning in 2012 highlighted the gap between clinical and surveillance determinations of CAUTI1, raised questions about the clinical relevance of some CAUTIs reported to NHSN and drew attention to variability in the application of, and adherence to, the UTI surveillance criteria and differences in clinical laboratory practices relevant to the criteria. Many commenters questioned the validity and fairness of using CAUTI data for public reporting and payment purposes and called for definitions which would more accurately measure the success of CAUTI prevention activities.
Cultural Surplus and Social Mobility among Minorities

The traditional approach to the study of the integration of immigrants has assumed the main constraints to be fixed dispositional characteristics internal to individuals. An alternative, in line with Verkuyten and de Wolf (2002), is to view constraints as cultural, as part of a collectively constructed and collaboratively upheld social world that is fluid and changing rather than fixed and static. The concept of cultural surplus is introduced to clarify further the nature of cultural constraints faced by immigrants, and to illuminate the cultural factors associated with the differetial success of immigrant groups in the adopted land.
Heat capacities of 1,4-polybutadienes

Abstract Heat capacities of solid cis-and trans-1,4-polybutadienes are calculated over the full temperature range from approximated normal mode frequency spectra and low temperature measurements in the ATHAS data bank. θ3 and θ1 are 87 K, 589 K and 599 K, for the cis and trans isomers, respectively. The heat capacities of both isomeric liquids have been measured by differential scanning calorimetry to be 52.63 + 0.178T JK−1 mol−1. Semicrystalline heat capacities between glass and first order disordering transitions are linear with crystallinity. The trans-isomer possesses a conformationally disordered crystal phase, which may be the only ordered phase in copolymers with more than 10% cis-content. At low temperature the trans-isomer may consist of three different phases: melt, fully ordered, and conformationally disordered (condis) crystals. At lower temperature, the condis crystals and the melt change to glasses. Thermodynamic functions H, S and G, transition temperatures, crystallinity and annealing are discussed.
Enforced symmetry of the stance phase for the Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum

The Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP) is considered the simplest model to effectively describe bouncing gaits (such as running and hopping) for many legged animals and robots. For this reason, it is has often been used as a model for robot design. A key challenge in using this model, however, is the lack of a closed-form solution for the equations of motion that define the stance phase of its dynamics. This results in the impossibility of analytically predicting its trajectory. Consequently, developing a practical control strategy to operate on the model is computationally intensive, because accurately predicting the step-to-step dynamics is still an unsolved problem. By adding an actuator in series with the spring, we can develop a control law for actuator displacement which enforces a desired trajectory during stance. In particular, for our specific chosen control law, we can compute an analytical solution for the stance phase trajectory. Furthermore, we give examples of higher level control strategies for foothold placement and for keeping the forward velocity or the apex height constant on rough terrain that employ our low-level control laws, and we illustrate through simulations the performance typical of our strategy.
Insulin Sensitivity in African‐American and White Women: Association With Inflammation

Whether the contribution of inflammation to risk for chronic metabolic disease differs with ethnicity is not known. The objective of this study was to determine: (i) whether ethnic differences exist in markers of inflammation and (ii) whether lower insulin sensitivity among African Americans vs. whites is due to greater inflammatory status. Subjects were African-American (n = 108) and white (n = 105) women, BMI 27–30 kg/m2. Insulin sensitivity was assessed with intravenous glucose tolerance test and minimal modeling; fat distribution with computed tomography; body composition with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR)-1, sTNFR-2, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin (IL)-6) with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Whites had greater intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT), insulin sensitivity, and concentrations of TNF-α, sTNFR-1, and sTNFR-2 than African Americans. Greater TNF-α in whites vs. African Americans was attributed to greater IAAT in whites. Among whites, but not African Americans, CRP was independently and inversely associated with insulin sensitivity, after adjusting for IAAT (r = −0.29 P < 0.05, and r = −0.13 P = 0.53, respectively). Insulin sensitivity remained lower in African Americans after adjusting for CRP (P < 0.001). In conclusion, greater IAAT among whites may be associated with greater inflammation. Insulin sensitivity was lower among African Americans, independent of obesity, fat distribution, and inflammation.
De patiënt met schizofrenie bij de huisarts

De Vries D. De patient met schizofrenie bij de huisarts. Huisarts Wet 2009;53(3):161-4. De huisarts moet een duidelijker rol krijgen en verantwoordelijkheid nemen in de zorg voor chronisch psychiatrische patienten, ook voor patienten met schizofrenie. De huisarts dient met de geestelijke gezondheidszorg tot overeenstemming te komen over wie wat doet. Nog te vaak wordt de zorg voor psychiatrische patienten ontwricht doordat men deze afschuift naar elkaars domein, ook binnen de geestelijke gezondheidszorg zelf.
Examination of the hydrogen-bonding networks in small water clusters (n = 2–5, 13, 17) using absolutely localized molecular orbital energy decomposition analysis

Using the ωB97X-D and B3LYP density functionals, the absolutely localized molecular orbital energy decomposition method (ALMO-EDA) is applied to the water dimer through pentamer, 13-mer and 17-mer clusters. Two-body, three-body, and total interaction energies are decomposed into their component energy terms: frozen density interaction energy, polarization energy, and charge transfer energy. Charge transfer, polarization, and frozen orbital interaction energies are all found to be significant contributors to the two-body and total interaction energies; the three-body interaction energies are dominated by polarization. Each component energy term for the two-body interactions is highly dependent on the associated hydrogen bond distance. The favorability of the three-body terms associated with the 13- and 17-mer structures depends on the hydrogen-donor or hydrogen-acceptor roles played by each of the three component waters. Only small errors arise from neglect of three-body interactions without two adjacent water molecules, or beyond three-body interactions. Interesting linear correlations are identified between the contributions of charge-transfer and polarization terms to the two and three-body interactions, which permits elimination of explicit calculation of charge transfer to a good approximation.
Targeted expression of islet neogenesis associated protein to beta cells enhances glucose tolerance and confers resistance to streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia

Islet neogenesis associated protein (INGAP) stimulates experimental pancreatic islet growth, as evidenced by elevated markers of beta cell mass, in rodents, dogs and primates. Previous analyses of mice that have a transgenic expression of INGAP targeted to the exocrine pancreas have indicated additional biological activity attributed to INGAP. In this study we report on mice with a targeted expression of INGAP to the islet beta cell. The beta cell transgenic mice (IP-INGAP) showed enhanced normalization of blood glucose during IPGTT. Further, IP-INGAP mice had a significant delay in development of hyperglycemia following a diabetogenic dose of streptozotocin. INGAP conferred beta cell protection and enhanced islet function. Analysis of oxidative stress genes in IP-INGAP mice revealed a decrease in islet expression of the NADPH oxidase, NOX1, in both basal state and in response to pro-inflammatory cytokine stimulation. These data are consistent with a pleiotropic role for INGAP and reveal new pathways to target in the discovery of improved diabetic therapies.
Speculative note on kinematics

A probabilistic kinematics is described. The point of departure is the introduction of probability distributions for measurements of length and time. For macroscopic systems, the usual Lorentz transformations remain valid. Fundamental parameters of length and time, which measure the dispersions of the probability distributions, are postulated to be Lorentz invariants. Comments are included concerning the establishment of coordinate systems. The kinematics itself does not indicate how the probabilistic character of space and time measurements is to be incorporated into dynamical calculations, and additional prescriptions are necessary. In order both to investigate dynamical applications and to set a limit on the values of the fundamental parameters, calculations are undertaken of the kinematical corrections to the potential and kinetic energies for the shift between the hydrogenic 2s and 2p levels.
Resource Use Among Rural Agricultural Households Near Protected Areas in Vietnam: The Social Costs of Conservation and Implications for Enforcement

This article examines the use of forests in a protected area by nearby agriculturalists in central Vietnam. Research indicates that the majority of rural farmers interviewed who lived near a state designated protected area were receiving both subsistence and cash incomes from forest-based activities, primarily from the collection of forest products. However, much of the collection of forest produce was officially illegal, as it occurred in state protected forests, and interdiction efforts were on the increase. Yet, little attention has been paid in Vietnam to the need for income substitution for households who lose access to forest produce as a result of conservation enforcement, particularly in the case of farmers who live near, but not in, protected areas; their resources use has been ‘invisible’ due to a lack of attention and research on the topic. This misunderstanding of the importance of forests to rural farmers has the potential to result in households facing adverse welfare and livelihood outcomes as protected areas boundaries are tightened, and local communities face increased opportunity costs due to stricter conservation enforcement. The article concludes that substitution for loss of income due to conservation activities would best be achieved through carefully targeted interventions to specific high-impact and high-dependency households. Additionally, investments in new sources of wage labor and other low capital-input activities, rather than in agriculture, would likely be of most benefit.
Interaction of 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulphonate with human serum low-density lipoprotein☆

Abstract The binding of the fluorescent probe 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulphonate to human serum low-density lipoprotein has been studied under varying conditions of pH and in different concentrations of CaCl 2 or NaCl. The effect of different alkali metal cations on 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulphonate binding by low-density lipoprotein was studied by using LiCl, NaCl, KC1 or CsCl in the medium. It has been found that 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulphonate fluoresces strongly when bound to low-density lipoprotein in 5 mM Tris buffer, pH 7.4; the fluorescence was enhanced on addition of salt, the divalent ion Ca 2+ having a much more pronounced effect than the monovalent cations. Among the alkali metal cations the enhancement of fluorescence decreased in the order Li + > Na + > K + > Cs + . Reciprocal as well as Scatchard plots showed only one type of binding site, the number per molecule of low-density lipoprotein being about 200, in 1.4 mM CaCl 2 . The fluorescence increased with lowering of pH down to the lowest pH (2.45) studied. The effects of pH and of Ca 2+ on the fluorescence suggest the binding site to be the phospholipid.
Infrared spectra of matrix-isolated tungsten oxides☆☆☆

The infrared spectra of the WO, WO2, and WO3 molecules were observed in Kr and Ar matrices at 14 K. The vibrational constants of W16O, ωe and ωeχe, in both Ar and Kr matrices were derived from the measured frequencies of W16O and W18O. The ν1 and ν3 mode absorptions of three WO2 isotopomers were identified in krypton matrices and an upper limit to the bond angle of 119.4 ± 0.5° was determined. The true bond angle is estimated to be 114 ± 3°. The different effects of tungsten isotopes on the linewidths of the ν1 and ν3 absorption peaks of WO2 were observed and are consistent with the calculated effects. The WO3 molecule, whose spectrum was observed in Ar matrices and possibly in Kr, was found to be planar symmetric (D3h). The observed lineshapes of WO3 absorption peaks are consistent with the expected effects of tungsten isotopes in natural abundance.
Equilibrium delay in a simple dynamic model of investment

This paper studies a version of war of attrition where two agents with private information make irreversible investment decisions in continuous time. It analyzes a monotone equilibrium where the amount of delay in the timing of decisions is a monotone function of the strength of one’s private signal: an agent with a clear signal makes a prompt decision, whereas an agent with a weak signal delays a decision to gather more information from the move of the other agent. Equilibrium delay is characterized under different assumptions about the number of investment options available.
Soil absorption of atmospheric nitrogen in florida

Abstract Nitrogen content of rain water and that of leachates through quartz sand and two sandy soils of Florida were measured over a 3‐year period. Only NO3‐N was found in appreciable amounts. Annual rainfall of 45 to 50 in. contributed only from 2 to 3 lb N/acre. Leachates, from naturally occurring rain passing through Tavares and Placid fine sands, contained from 40 to 50 lb of N/ acre annually. Changes in soil pH and loss of base cations indicate that nitrification was taking place. Because there was little loss of organic N by the soils, atmospheric NH3 is assumed to be the main source of N.
Enhancement of Saturation Boiling of PF-5060 on Microporous Surface

Pool boiling experiments were conducted to investigate the saturation boiling of PF-5060 dielectric liquid on micro porous copper surface. The micro porous surface is deposited on a copper coated silicon wafer diced to a size of 40 mm × 68 mm. Reference experiments were performed using a bare silicon wafer of the same size. Experiments are also performed using deionized water that was degassed prior to the experiment. The experimental results show that there is ∼48% enhancement of heat flux in nucleate boiling regime on the micro porous copper surface, compared to that on a bare surface for pool boiling of PF-5060. The measurement uncertainty for heat flux in these experiments is estimated to be ∼15%. The enhanced surface area provided by the micro porous copper surface as well as the reduction in the magnitude of the Taylor instability wavelength on a copper surface, increase in the nucleation site density on the porous surface, capillary replenishment of the dry out regions and the increase in transient heat transfer from the porous surface — are postulated to be the enhancement mechanisms for the observed augmentation in heat flux values.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Economic Reform and the Strange Case of “Liberalization” in Sierra Leone

The International Monetary Fund imposes policy conditions upon Sierra Leone in exchange for loans. The country's president, however, shapes these policies into tools for his domestic struggle to control strongmen-politicians active in the informal (black) market. The president seeks political gain by manipulating creditor demands that he promote foreign in-vestment. This internal dynamic of “reform” does not accomplish creditors' public aims of supporting stronger state institutions. But creditors acquiesce in some of the president's manipulations of reforms when they generate arrears payments. Ironically, Sierra Leone's president proves able to translate creditor and foreign investor demands into political resources in his effort to bolster his extremely weak political authority.
Are Chinese smokers sensitive to price

Abstract We estimate cigarette price and income elasticities for urban China, 1995. We find an overall cigarette price elasticity of 0.5, which lies between previous estimates. This implies that a 10% increase in price would result in a decline in cigarette consumption of 4.5 billion packs and would raise Y34 billion in additional tax revenue.
Into the wild: taming uncertainty in perpetual mobile networks

Catalyzed by advances in low-power electronics and energy harvesting, we can now build mobile systems that operate perpetually, sensing and streaming data to scientists. Unfortunately, current mobile software systems are not well suited to the combined challenges of node mobility, unpredictable connectivity, and variable energy. Under such conditions, an efficient and robust system must adapt to its changing network and energy environment. Writing adaptive code and understanding the impact of local adjustments on global network performance present significant challenges.This talk describes research aimed at significantly improving the programmability and performance of perpetual mobile systems, in the context of two ongoing collaborative wildlife studies, focused on endangered turtles and invasive mongooses. At the core of this effort is the Eon programming language and runtime system which significantly simplifies programming energy-aware code by separating adaptation from program logic. Additionally, extensions to Eon's local adaptation features provide support for efficient, balanced, and fair data collection in energy-constrained mobile networks.
Comparison of Pentacam and Orbscan IIz on posterior curvature topography measurements in keratoconus eyes.

Purpose To compare the measurements of posterior elevation above the best-fit sphere and of pachymetry in established keratoconus patients using 2 different technologies—Scheimpflug imaging with the Pentacam and scanning slit combined with Placido imaging with Orbscan IIz. Design Retrospective comparative case series. Participants Patients with confirmed keratoconus by biomicroscopy and Placido topography who had corneal topography scans by the Pentacam and Orbscan IIz on their visit from April 2004 to April 2005. These scans were obtained routinely for patient diagnosis, treatment, and progression. Methods The mean difference, standard deviation (SD), and 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were calculated, and Bland–Altman plots were constructed for best-fit sphere radius of curvature, posterior elevation above the best-fit sphere, and pachymetry of the thinnest point. Results Thirty-six eyes of 29 patients were analyzed. The average radius for posterior best-fit sphere was 5.97 μm (range, 4.69–6.79) for the Pentacam and 6.00 μm (range, 4.97–6.55) for Orbscan IIz. The mean difference (Pentacam − Orbscan IIz) for the radius generated for the best-fit sphere was −0.03±0.22 SD with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of −0.11 to 0.04 and a 95% LOA of −0.46 to 0.40 ( P = 0.362). The mean posterior elevation by best-fit sphere fixed to the apex was 34.86 μm (range, 3–120) for the Pentacam and 48.50 μm (range, 11–118) for Orbscan IIz. The mean difference was −13.64±26.08 SD (95% CI, −22.46 to −4.81; 95% LOA, −64.75 to 37.48; P = 0.003). The average thinnest point for the Pentacam was 443.6 μm (range, 164–587), and that for Orbscan IIz was 445.9 μm (range, 204–597). The mean difference in the thinnest point for the Pentacam and Orbscan IIz was −2.28±35.55 (95% CI, −14.31 to 9.75; 95% LOA, −71.95 to 67.39; P = 0.703). Conclusion Both the Pentacam and Orbscan IIz determine similar thinnest points but have a measurable difference in posterior elevations above the best-fit sphere, despite similar radii of curvature. This difference may be important in the screening of patients for refractive surgery to avoid surgery on patients with early keratoconus. This study cannot determine if the Pentacam is underestimating the posterior vault or if Orbscan is overestimating this height, and further studies with a standardized test object are needed.
Advances in prenatal screening for Down syndrome: II first trimester testing, integrated testing, and future directions.

Background: The acceptability of prenatal screening and diagnosis of Down syndrome is dependent, in part, on the gestational age at which the testing is offered. First trimester screening could be advantageous if it has sufficient efficacy and can be effectively delivered. Issues: Two first trimester maternal serum screening markers, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and free β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), are useful for identifying women at increased risk for fetal Down syndrome. In addition, measurement of an enlarged thickness of the subcutaneous fluid-filled space at the back of the neck of the developing fetus (referred to as nuchal translucency or NT) has been demonstrated to be an indicator for these high-risk pregnancies. When these three parameters are combined, estimates for Down syndrome efficacy exceed those currently attainable in the second trimester. Women who are screen-positive in the first trimester can elect to receive cytogenetic testing of a chorionic villus biopsy. The first trimester tests could also, theoretically, be combined with the second trimester maternal serum screening tests (integrated screening) to obtain even higher levels of efficacy. There are, however, several practical limitations to first trimester and integrated screening. These include scheduling of testing within relatively narrow gestational age intervals, availability of appropriately trained ultrasonographers for NT measurement, risks associated with chorionic villus biopsy, and costs. There is also increasing evidence that an enlarged NT measurement is indicative of a high risk for spontaneous abortion and for fetal abnormalities that are not detectable by cytogenetic analysis. Women whose fetuses show enlarged NT, therefore, need first trimester counseling regarding their Down syndrome risks and the possibility of other adverse pregnancy outcomes. Follow-up ultrasound and fetal echocardiography in the second trimester are also indicated. Conclusion: First trimester screening appears to be a highly effective method to screen for Down syndrome. Women with screen-positive results based on NT measurement appear to be at increased risk for diverse fetal abnormalities. The finding of a normal fetal karyotype may not, therefore, carry a high level of reassurance for a normal baby.
In Situ Measurements of Organics, Meteoritic Material, Mercury, and Other Elements in Aerosols at 5 to 19 Kilometers

In situ measurements of the chemical composition of individual aerosol particles at altitudes between 5 and 19 kilometers reveal that upper tropospheric aerosols often contained more organic material than sulfate. Although stratospheric aerosols primarily consisted of sulfuric acid and water, many also contained meteoritic material. Just above the tropopause, small amounts of mercury were found in over half of the aerosol particles that were analyzed. Overall, there was tremendous variety in aerosol composition. One measure of this diversity is that at least 45 elements were detected in aerosol particles. These results have wide implications for the complexity of aerosol sources and chemistry. They also offer possibilities for understanding the transport of atmospheric aerosols.
VALUE AND LIMITATIONS OF COLOR DOPPLER ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN THE EVALUATION OF PERCUTANEOUS BALLOON MITRAL VALVULOPLASTY FOR ISOLATED MITRAL STENOSIS

The limitations of 2-dimensional and pulsed Doppler echocardiography in patients undergoing mitral valvuloplasty are well known. This study was undertaken to assess the value of color Doppler flow imaging in 36 symptomatic mitral stenosis patients who subsequently underwent successful balloon mitral valvuloplasty by comparing the results to those obtained at cardiac catheterization. Color Doppler-guided conventional Doppler assessment agreed well with cardiac catheterization results in classifying mitral stenosis as mild, moderately severe and severe, both before and after valvuloplasty. Color Doppler was also useful in identifying patients who had moderate to severe mitral regurgitation before and after valvuloplasty. Color Doppler flow mapping was more sensitive than oximetry in the detection of iatrogenic atrial septal defects, which were noted in 25 patients. The defects of those patients with smaller defects by color Doppler (diameter less than 0.7 cm) or echocardiographic shunt volume less than 0.7 liters/min tended to close, usually within 6 months, as opposed to those with larger defects or higher shunt volumes, which tended to persist. Echocardiographic shunt volumes revealed a fair correlation with oximetric results.