cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Hyperinsulinemia Required to Develop Overeating-Induced Obesity?

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance, and the hyperinsulinemia commonly observed in patients is thought to be a compensatory response. Yet it has been difficult to disentangle cause and effect. Mehran et al. (2012) provide genetic evidence that a reduction of insulin secretion prevents high-fat feeding-induced obesity.
Effect of amperozide on rat cortical 5-HT2 and striatal and limbic dopamine D2 receptor occupancy: Implications for antipsychotic action

Abstract Amperozide (FG 5606, N-ethyl-4-[4′,4′-bis(p-fluorophenyl)butyl]-1-piperazine-carboxamide) is an atypical antipsychotic drug which has relatively weak in vitro affinity for striatal dopamine2 (D2) receptors and strong affinity for cortical 5-HT2 receptors. The in vivo affinity for 5-HT2 binding sites in rat cortex was 1.1 mg/kg. In striatum or olfactory tubercle, doses of amperozide up to 40 mg/kg did not displace radioligand binding to D2 receptors. Amperozide, haloperidol and ritanserin had similar in vivo potency in blocking the 5-HT2 binding site, but only haloperidol displaced D2 receptor binding. Based on the clinically effective dose of amperozide (0.14–0.28 mg/kg per day), it is suggested that the antipsychotic effect of amperozide is related, in part, to its in vivo interaction with the 5-HT2 receptor and that amperozide cannot be expected to exert its antipsychotic action by blockade of D2 receptors in the striatum or limbic regions.
Terahertz plasmonic high pass filter

Metamaterials, which contain engineered subwavelength microstructures, can be designed to have positive or negative e and μ at desired frequencies. In this letter, we demonstrate a metamaterial which has a “plasmonic” response to electromagnetic waves in the terahertz (THz) range. The sharp change of reflection and transmission at this plasma frequency makes the structure a high pass filter. The reflection response is characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and a plasma frequency at 0.7 THz is observed, which agrees with the theoretical calculation. The metamaterial is a two-dimensional cubic lattice consisting of thin metal wires, having wire diameter of 30 μm, lattice constant of 120 μm, and wire length of 1 mm. The microstereolithography technique is employed to fabricate the high-aspect-ratio lattice.
Seasonal Variation in Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Two Freshwater Bivalves: Sphaerium striatinum and Anodonta grandis

Oxygen isotopic values have been obtained from microsamples of the aragonitic freshwater bivalves Sphaerium striatinum (Pisidiidae) and Anodonta grandis (Unionidae) collected alive from Wellington Creek, OH. To test whether these organisms secrete their shell in isotopic equilibrium, the SO values of shell aragonite are compared to ambient water temperature and δ18O values monitored for > 1 yr. These bivalves were chosen for study because they are abundant in surface sediments and cores from Lake Erie where they represent a source of information on the environmental history of the lake. The observed mean values are −5.54‰ for A. grandis and −6.16‰ for S. striatinum. The mean δ18O value expected for bivalve aragonite if equilibrium precipitation is occurring during May–August in Wellington Creek is −5.69‰. The similarity between measured and predicted isotopic values for both species suggests that they are useful sources of paleoenvironmental data. Overall, the isotopic composition of the shells of the two species reflects less than one half of the calculated range of potential biogenic aragonite values for the stream and omits recording evaporative conditions associated with ponded water. Bivalve δ18O and δ13C data covary. The δ13C data are highly negative and values could reflect 12C enrichment of dissolved organic carbon from organic matter oxidation and/or ingestion of food carbon.
Surface charging limit for a woven fabric on a ground plane

Abstract This paper investigates the problem of depositing the maximum possible charge on a sheet of porous material, such as cloth, using a corona discharge. In the experiments, 50 to 75 μm-thick samples of nylon parachute fabric of varying porosity were charged over a ground plane using corona ions generated by a pin array energized at 6 kV – 9 kV dc and 0.5 cm gap spacing. The cloth exhibited a material-dependent maximum surface potential that was independent of the potential of the corona electrodes. This characteristic maximum surface potential was larger for low-porosity fabrics (tighter weave pattern), reaching a high of approximately 600V for 65 μm-thick, “zero porosity”, calendared ripstop nylon. Maximum surface potentials on the order of 200–500 V were observed on higher-porosity, “standard-issue” parachute fabrics of similar thicknesses. The experiments suggest a fundamental limit to surface charge that depends on the properties of the cloth, but not on the corona charging voltage. The observed results can be explained, in part, by a back ionization discharge mechanism that limits the indefinite build up of surface charge. The onset of back ionization is predicted from the Paschen breakdown curve and the weave geometry of the cloth. Breakdown field strengths inside the pores of the material were estimated using a simple dielectric layer model.
Using passive acoustics to model blue whale habitat off the Western Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract Habitat preferences of calling blue whales were investigated using data from two multidisciplinary oceanographic cruises conducted off the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) during the austral falls of 2001 and 2002. Data were collected on depth, temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration, krill biomass, zooplankton abundance, and blue whale call presence. In 2001, the study area was sea ice free, high Chl-a concentrations occurred over a small area, krill biomass and zooplankton abundance were high, and few blue whale calls were detected. In 2002 the sea ice covered the southern part of the survey area, Chl-a was high over a large area, krill and zooplankton were low, and there were more blue whale calls. Logistic regression analysis revealed blue whale calls were positively correlated with depth and SST, and negatively correlated with the mean zooplankton abundance from 101 to 300 m and the mean krill biomass in the top 100 m. The negative correlation between blue whale calls and zooplankton could occur if feeding animals do not produce calls. Our survey area did not cover the full range of blue whale habitat off the WAP, as blue whales probably follow the melting and freezing ice edge through this region. Passive acoustics can provide insight to mesoscale habitat use by blue whales in the Southern Ocean where visual sightings are rare, but the ability to localize on the calling animals would greatly improve the ability to model at a finer scale.
Survival of the Two-Year College Mathematics Teacher

(1975). Survival of the Two-Year College Mathematics Teacher. The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 11-13.
K-Cl Co-Transport: Immunocytochemical and Functional Evidence for More Than One KCC Isoform in High K and Low K Sheep Erythrocytes

K-Cl co-transport (COT) is significantly higher in low K (LK), L-antigen (L) positive, than in high K (HK), M-antigen (M) positive, sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) and is inhibited by sheep allo-anti-L1 antibody. To answer the question of whether this difference in K-Cl co-transport activity resides at the level of the transporter or its regulation, a combined immunocytochemical and functional approach was taken. At least four isoforms of K-Cl COT encoded by different KCC genes are known, with 12 transmembrane domains and cytoplasmic C- and N-terminal domains (Ctd and Ntd, respectively). Polyclonal anti-rat (rt)KCC1 antibodies against a fusion peptide with 77 amino acids from the Ctd of rtKCC1 and anti-human (h)KCC3 against an 18-aa peptide from the Ntd of hKCC3, were prepared in rabbits (rb). Two distinctly separate protein bands of 180 and 145 kDa molecular mass were detected in hemoglobin-free ghosts from RBCs of two LK (one homozygous LL and one heterozygous LM) and one HK (homozygous MM) sheep by Western blots with rb anti-rtKCC1 and rb anti-hKCC3. Confocal microscopy showed specific immunostaining of KCC1 with rb anti-rtKCC1, and of KCC3 with rb anti-hKCC3, in white ghosts from both LK and HK SRBCs. To test the functional heterogeneity of K-Cl COT, the effect of the anti-L1 antibody was assessed on K-Cl COT activated by the kinase inhibitor staurosporine. Incubation of LK SRBCs with anti-L1 serum inhibited by 30% staurosporine-stimulated K-Cl COT suggesting that approximately two-thirds of the transport activity is independent of the L1 antigen. That staurosporine altered the L1 antigen/antibody reaction is unlikely since the action of another antibody, anti-Lp, stimulating the Na/K pump flux, was not modified. The present results, in conjunction with earlier work, lead to the hypothesis that the partial anti-L1 inhibition of K-Cl COT may be related to the molecular KCC dimorphism, seen in these cells with anti-KCC1 and anti-KCC3 antibodies.
A dynamic non-parametric measure of output efficiency

A non-parametric programming model for measuring output efficiency that allows for input allocation over finitely many time periods is introduced in this paper. The model thus generalizes the standard non-parametric efficiency measuring models by adding a dynamic aspect to efficiency gauging.
Conversation, cohesive and thematic patterning in children's dialogues∗

The investigation of conversation has recently taken several directions including speech act analysis, examination of the linguistic structures used in conversation, and the ethnomethodological approaches of conversational organization. This report presents some interactions among these kinds of approaches that are simultaneously present in spontaneous conversation. It was found that the use of cohesion in conversation is related to the conversational status of the different kinds of turns a speaker may take. The organization of information within clauses was also found to be related to both the turn‐taking structureof the conversation and the use of cohesion.
Design, fabrication and characterization of tunable perfect absorber on flexible substrate

This paper reports our recent progress on a highly flexible dynamic perfect absorber at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Metamaterial unit cells were patterned on thin GaAs patches, which were fashioned in an array on a 5μm polyimide substrate via transfer printing technique, and the backside of the substrate was coated with gold film as ground plane. Optical-pump THz-probe reflection measurements show that the absorptivity at resonance frequency of 1.58THz can be tuned up to 57% through photo-excitation of free carriers in GaAs layers in presence of 800nm pump beam. Our flexible tunable MM perfect absorber exhibits potential applications in energy harvesting, imaging and stealth coating.
How Bacteria Bind More Strongly Under Mechanical Force: The Catch-Bond FimH

We study a protein that responds to mechanical force in most striking manner. We demonstrate that Escherichia coli bacteria need shear stress to bind to certain tissues and model surfaces; they bind strongest precisely when the body tries to wash them off. We have determined that the protein responsible for this behavior is FimH, a ubiquitous adhesion protein in intestinal bacteria that mediates adhesion to host cells via the carbohydrate mannose. Although mechanical force noramlly decreases bond lifetimes, we have shown that the bond betweeen FimH and simple mono-mannose receptors is s “catch-bond” that lasts longer under shear stress. In contrast, structural variations in either FimH or the receptor cause a stronger mode of adhesion in static conditions with little or no activation under force. We derive a structural for how mechanical force switches FimH to a strong binding mode by using steered molecular dynamics simulations, and validate the predictions with subsequent site-directed mutagenesis. The physiological consequences as well as the engineering principles suggested by the structural model will be discussed.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Immortalization of primary mouse embryo fibroblasts with SV40 virions, viral DNA, and a subgenomic DNA fragment in a quantitative assay

Abstract In order to investigate the capacity of the N-terminal half of large T antigen to convert primary cells to continuous cell lines conditions were standardized for transforming primary mouse embryo fibroblasts of C57B1/6 origin (B6/MEF) with DNA. Using these conditions the transforming capability of SV40 virions, viral DNA, and a plasmid, pSV3T3-20-GV ( C. E. Clayton, D. Murphey, M. Lovett, and P. W. J. Rigby, Nature (London) , 299 , 59–61, 1982 ) containing the 5′ half of the SV40 early region, was determined in a quantitative immortalization assay. The plasmid pSV3T3-20-GV transformed B6/MEF at only 1 16 the frequency of a plasmid containing the entire early region. These results suggest that the 3′ half of large T antigen which cannot be produced by this plasmid strongly influences the frequency of immortalization. It is not known whether this influence reflects the presence of a transformation domain in the carboxy terminus of large T antigen or, alternatively, results from an altered conformation or stability of the truncated polypeptide.
Effect of Payload on Risk of Vehicle Loss Due to Engine Failure

A family of optimal-control problems for an NLS-type vehicle involving single engine failures has been solved. The solutions to these problems indicate that loading a vehicle under the assumption of a core engine out at launch may not be ideal. This study has partially quantified the added risk of additional payload by showing the maximum payload for various engine failure times. The ability to reoptimize trajectories midcourse in response to an engine loss coupled with a willingness to accept a degraded orbit, as an emergency measure, can result in much larger payloads for a given vehicle.
Brotherhoods of Color: Black Railroad Workers and the Struggle for Equality

Brotherhoods of Color: Black Railroad Workers and the Struggle for Equality. By Eric Arnesen. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001. Pp. 332. Prologue, illustrations, conclusion, notes, acknowledgments, index. $39.95.) Brotherhoods of Color provides a comprehensive history of African American railroad workers' organizing efforts from the industry's beginnings through the 1990s. Enlivened by stories of individual leaders and rank and file workers, the narrative includes a balanced assessment of divergent strategies and organizations and a careful evaluation of complex legal cases. Excluded from the supervisory positions of conductors and engineers and from membership in white craft unions, blacks were concentrated in service jobs where they experienced many indignities connected with the Jim Crow system. Blacks also worked as construction and maintenance-ofway workers, yard laborers, and freight handlers. In the South, blacks did gain jobs as locomotive firemen and brakemen but were paid less than their white counterparts. World War I brought new job opportunities and federal promises of equal pay for equal work. After the war, however, white workers conducted a sometimes murderous campaign to drive African Americans out of skilled jobs and secured contract provisions benefitting whites at the expense of blacks. The first significant gains came when unions representing predominately black work groups won collective bargaining elections under New Deal labor laws. Arnesen integrates the well-known story of A. Philip Randolph and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) into a narrative of numerous organizations pursuing varied strategies to improve the lives of distinct categories of African-American railroad workers. Arnesen sees the Socialist-led BSCP and the Communist-led Joint Council of Dining Car Employees as "racial unions that turned the disadvantage of race into organizational assets and transformed trade unions into civil rights associations" (p. 101). Both organizations received support from community groups, improved their members' work lives, and promoted civil rights activism. The United Transport Service Employees of America organized station red caps and played a similar role. All three black-led unions participated in the larger white-led labor movement. Independent associations existed among black craft workers excluded from white unions. The independents sought help from managers and federal agencies, worked for legislation against discriminatory contracts and the killing of black railroaders, and pursued redress through the courts. …
Improving the Reading Comprehension of Children with Dysphonetic and Dyseidetic Dyslexia Using Story Grammar

Five 8- to 10-year-old children with dysphonetic and dyseidetic dyslexia were given instruction in reading comprehension using a story grammar strategy in which story instruction was differentially designed to match the simultaneous or sequential mental processing strengths of each dyslexia subtype. A multiple baseline, single subject experimental design and statistical analyses indicated that the experimental treatments yielded statistically and clinically significant improvements in the proportion of qualitatively important story elements recalled by the subjects, when compared to baseline traditional remedial instruction. The results suggested that students with dyslexia can increase their reading comprehension with training in metacognitive strategies. The question of whether the results were attributable to the subtype-matched methods per se or to strategy training in general, as well as a number of methodological issues, is being explored in subsequent research.
Compound Conditioning: Secondary Extinction or Delay of Extinction?

Earlier studies have shown that extinction of a stimulus component proceeds faster following extinction of another stimulus component than it does immediately following acquisition. This phenomenon could be attributed either to secondary extinction or some delay of extinction effect. The present study used conditions [immediate extinction, two timed intervals (10 and 20 min.) between acquisition and extinction, and two filled intervals (20 and 40 trials of extinction to another stimulus component) between acquisition and extinction] to distingiush between these two alternatives. The results clearly demonstrate that the rapid extinction noted above reflects something other than secondary extinction.
Optimization of anti‐pseudomonal antibiotics for cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbations: IV. colistimethate sodium

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) often experience acute pulmonary exacerbations (APE) and may be treated with a wide variety of intravenous antibiotics. The aim of this review is to provide an evidence-based summary of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD), tolerability, and efficacy studies utilizing the intravenous (IV) polymixin antibiotic colistimethate sodium (CMS) in the treatment of APE and to identify areas where further study is warranted. Currently, there is not an international standard on the labeling of CMS products. As a result, this has lead to confusion in the interpretation of the literature with respect to efficacy, tolerance, and optimal dosing strategy. The dosing ranges of IV CMS from the literature are 5.3-12.9 mg/kg/day, maximum 480 mg per day for 60 kg patient (Colomycin® injection-European product) and 8-21.3 mg/kg/day, maximum 800 mg per day for 60 kg patient (Coly-Mycin M® parenteral-US product).The literature supports a CMS dose of 8 mg/kg/day divided every 8 hr (maximum 480 mg/day) for the treatment of APE secondary to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The maximum recommended CMS dose of 480 mg/day is less than is recommended by the FDA-approved and CFF dosing guidelines but in agreement with UK CF Trust Antibiotic Working Group recommendations. There is debate over the frequency of CMS administration (once daily vs. thrice-daily) and its impact on resistance and clinical efficacy. Further study is needed to determine the tolerability and efficacy of extended-interval dosing of CMS in the treatment of APE.
Psychoanalysis to the People!: Alienation, Anguish, and the Unconscious in a Review of the Italian Left, 1961–9

This article explores how the Italian filmmaker and novelist Lorenza Mazzetti (1928–) has appropriated psychoanalysis. By looking at her novels and basically at her column of personal advice within the Communist weekly Vie Nuove during the 1960s, the article shows her increasing use of psychoanalytic insights as a form of defending a secular sexual morality and changes in gender relations as well as way of analysing the relationship between youth and politics. The article highlights Mazzetti's initial distrust towards psychoanalysis, and contrasts it with her increasing enthusiasm for psychoanalysis as a necessary companion of revolutionary activism. It takes Mazzetti's case as evidence of the receptivity towards psychoanalysis among Italian Communists.
Morbidity and mortality of cardiac surgery following renal transplantation.

BACKGROUND With improved survival following renal transplantation, the number of patients undergoing cardiac surgery has increased. The purpose of this study was to review the morbidity, mortality, and allograft function in renal transplant patients undergoing major cardiac surgery. METHODS Retrospective database review of consecutive renal transplant patients undergoing cardiac surgery from 1987 to 2002. Patients requiring dialysis (D) before cardiac surgery versus those with stable renal transplants (ND) were compared. RESULTS Cardiac surgery was performed in 46 patients during the study period. Twenty patients (42%) required dialysis (D) before surgery while 26 (58%) had stable allograft function (ND). Among patients who had stable allograft function prior to surgery, there was no allograft loss. In the ND group, preoperative and discharge creatinine levels were 2.17 +/- 1.0 and 2.4 +/- 1.5 mg/dL, respectively. All operative deaths occurred in the dialysis dependent group. The 30-day and 3-year survival, respectively was 80% and 20% in the D group compared to 100% and 69% amongst the ND group (p </= 0.01). Infectious complications consisted of pneumonia and sepsis each in 8.5% and of deep sternal wound infection in 4.3% of the entire group. CONCLUSIONS (1) Morbidity and mortality of cardiac surgery in renal transplant patients with stable allograft function is low and stable allograft function can be maintained without allograft loss. (2) Mortality following cardiac surgery is significantly higher among renal transplant patients who become dialysis dependent and intermediate-term survival is poor.
Enhancing Document Exploration with OLAP

Finding relevant documents in digital libraries has been a well studied problem in information retrieval. It is not uncommon to see users browsing digital collections without having a clear idea of the keyword search that they should perform. However, we believe that such initial query search is not totally independent from the target search. Therefore, we use these initial document selections to further explore these documents. In the following demonstration, we exploit On-line Analytical Processing (OLAP) for knowledge discovery in digital collections to achieve query refinement. Such refinement is the result of applying a traditional ranking technique, based on the vector space model, selecting the top keywords in the resulting subset of documents, and then displaying certain cuboids of the keywords. Based on these cuboids, which are ranked by their frequency, the users can select a query that can better represent their actual target search. We show that this document exploration can be done efficiently within the DBMS and exploit in-database extensions, such as User-Defined Functions, as well as standard SQL. Additionally, we demonstrate a novel approach to obtaining query refinement through OLAP data cubes.
Estimated loss of juvenile salmonids to predation by northern squawfish, walleyes, and smallmouth bass in John Day Reservoir, Columbia River

Abstract –We estimated the loss of juvenile salmonids Oncorhynchus spp. to predation by northern squawfish Ptychocheilus oregonensis, walleyes Stizostedion vitreum, and smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in John Day Reservoir during 1983–1986. Our estimates were based on measures of daily prey consumption, predator numbers, and numbers of juvenile salmonids entering the reservoir during the April–August period of migration. We estimated the mean annual loss was 2.7 million juvenile salmonids (95% confidence interval, 1.9–3.3 million). Northern squawfish were responsible for 78% of the total loss; walleyes accounted for 13% and smallmouth bass for 9%. Twenty-one percent of the loss occurred in a small area immediately below McNary Dam at the head of John Day Reservoir. We estimated that the three predator species consumed 14% (95% confidence interval, 9–19%) of all juvenile salmonids that entered the reservoir. Mortality changed by month and increased late in the migration season. Monthly mortality estim...
Racial and ethnic disparities in low birth weight delivery associated with maternal occupational characteristics.

Objectives Work characteristics and maternal education have both been associated with low birth weight (LBW) delivery. We sought to examine the relative contribution of these two factors to LBW delivery and determine whether ethnic/racial differentials in educational attainment and work characteristics might play a role in well-described disparities in LBW. Methods Scores for work substantive complexity (SC) derived from the O*NET were imputed to maternal occupation for Connecticut singleton births in 2000. Risks for LBW were estimated separately for black, Hispanic, and white mothers using logistic regression controlling for maternal covariates. Results Using white mothers as a referent, working is associated with reduced LBW risk in black mothers compared to those not in work (OR 2.06 vs. 3.07). LBW in working black women was strongly associated with less that a high school education (OR 4.80, 95% CI 1.68–13.7), and with low work SC in blacks in those with a college education or greater (OR 4.48, 95% CI 1.24–16.2). Examination of work SC scores, controlling for age and educational level, showed lower values for blacks; increased work SC was seen in Hispanics after adjustment for lower educational attainment. A decrease in risk for LBW was seen in black mothers, compared with whites, as work SC increased. By contrast, college-educated black mothers had a greater risk for LBW than those with high school or some college education. Conclusions Maternal employment and work in a job with greater SC were associated with a reduced risk of LBW in black mothers. Improved LBW risk was also seen with employment in Hispanics. Low work SC in those with higher educational attainment was strongly associated with LBW in blacks, but not whites or Hispanics. Education/work mismatch may play a role in racial disparities in birth outcomes. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:153–162 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Optical waveguide based on CdS quantum-dot-doped sodium borosilicate glass fabricated by the sol-gel technique

Semiconductor CdS quantum dot-doped sodium borosilicate glasses were successfully fabricated by the sol-gel technique. The dot size and concentration of CdS are controlled by chemistry and processing conditions. Optical absorption spectra were measured for these quantum dot-doped glasses, and absorption shoulder due to the exciton effect was observed. Nonlinear optical properties of high third-order susceptibility, (chi) (3), and room-temperature optical gain were observed. Potassium ion exchange was performed on the glass, and channel waveguides were successfully fabricated in the CdS-doped glass. The waveguide was tested with single mode laser pulses, and single mode output was demonstrated. Spectral broadening of the output pulses was observed.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Volvulus of the colon

We have reviewed the records of 48 patients who had colonic volvulus. Volvulus occurred in the sigmoid colon in 27 (56%) and in the right colon in 19 (40%). Volvulus elsewhere in the colon is rare, requiring unusual anatomic circumstances of a long mesentery and a mobile colon. The clinical history is characterized by a long history of bowel dysfunction followed by an episode of acute intestinal obstruction. The patient is often aged and is plagued by mental disorders and a number of degenerative diseases. Distention of the abdomen is the most significant finding, and tenderness may indicate peritonitis due to ischemic changes in the bowel. Three-positional films of the abdomen are most valuable, showing great distention of the colon and air-fluid levels in the bowel with regularity. Barium-enema studies will more accurately reveal the site and nature of obstruction. The barium-enema examination must be done carefully. It is omitted when peritonitis is present. Operative treatment is necessary for volvulus of the right colon. Non-operative reduction is effective for nonstrangulating volvulus of the sigmoid colon as an emergency procedure. Sigmoidoscopic examination and insertion of a long rubber tube will give dramatic relief to a substantial number of patients. Operative intervention is necessary when conservative measures fail. When gangrene is found at operation, exteriorization resection of the colon may be life-saving. Elective resections are recommended for patients who are in otherwise good health in order to prevent recurrences. The mortality rate in this series of 48 cases was 12.5 per cent. Cecal volvulus was present in each of the six patients who died. Sepsis and cardiopulmonary diseases were common in patients who died.
Interfacial roughness of sputtered multilayers: Nb/Si

We have carried out studies of the interfacial roughness of a number of Nb/a-Si multilayers using cross-section transmission electron microscopy, wide-angle x-ray diffraction, and low-angle x-ray reflectivity and diffuse scattering. The multilayers studied were grown by sputtering in an Ar atmosphere at various pressures. The effect of the layer thickness and of the number of layers has also been studied. We observed a clear transition in the growth morphology when the sputtering pressure is raised above the thermalization pressure (\ensuremath{\approxeq}9 mTorr) of the sputtered atoms. Both the mosaic of the Nb crystallites and the interface roughness increase dramatically when the Ar pressure exceeds 9 mTorr. The roughness of the various interfaces is strongly conformal and the samples with large roughness show a roughness that increases with deposited layer number. We discuss the quantitative extraction of these parameters from the x-ray data and the implications of these results for the physics of the deposition process.
Self-Assembly of a Group I Intron from Inactive Oligonucleotide Fragments

The Azoarcus group I ribozyme was broken into four fragments, 39-63 nucleotides long, that can self-assemble into covalently contiguous ribozymes via RNA-directed recombination events. The fragments have no activity individually yet can cooperate through base pairing and tertiary interactions to produce stable trans complexes at 48 degrees C. These complexes can then catalyze a sequence of energy-neutral recombination reactions utilizing other oligomers as substrates, assembling covalent versions of the ribozyme. Up to 17% of the original fragments are converted into approximately 200 nucleotide products in 8 hr. Assembly occurs primarily by only one of many possible pathways, and the reaction is driven in the correct and forward direction by the burial of key base-pairing regions in stems after recombination. Autocatalysis, and hence self-replication, is inferred by a reaction rate increase upon doping the reaction with full-length RNA.
Failure to Perform Cholecystectomy for Acute Cholecystitis in Elderly Patients Is Associated with Increased Morbidity, Mortality, and Cost

Background Cholecystectomy during initial hospitalization is the current recommended therapy for acute cholecystitis. The rate of cholecystectomy and subsequent health care trajectory in elderly patients with acute cholecystitis has not been evaluated. Study Design We used 5% national Medicare sample claims data from 1996 to 2005 to identify a cohort of patients aged 66 years and older, requiring urgent or emergent admission for acute cholecystitis. We evaluated cholecystectomy rates on initial hospitalization, factors independently predicting receipt of cholecystectomy, factors predicting further gallstone-related complications, and 2-year survival in the cholecystectomy and no cholecystectomy groups in univariate and multivariate models. Results There were 29,818 Medicare beneficiaries who were urgently or emergently admitted for acute cholecystitis from 1996 to 2005. Mean age was 77.7 ± 7.3 years, 89% of patients were white, and 58% were female. Twenty-five percent of patients did not undergo cholecystectomy during the index admission. Lack of definitive therapy was associated with a 27% subsequent cholecystectomy rate and a 38% gallstone-related readmission rate in the 2 years after discharge; the readmission rate was only 4% in patients undergoing cholecystectomy (p Conclusions Our study demonstrated that 25% of cholecystectomies on Medicare beneficiaries were not performed on initial hospitalization, leading to readmissions in 38% of surviving patients. For patients requiring readmission, the percentage of open procedures was increased, and the additional Medicare payment was $7,000 per re-admission. Cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in elderly patients should be performed during initial hospitalization to prevent recurrent episodes of cholecystitis, multiple readmissions, higher readmission rates, and increased costs.
Effect of Dispersed Tetradecanol Particles or Droplets on the Dynamic Surface Tension of Aqueous Tetradecanol Systems

For sparingly soluble surfactants at their solubility limit, the surface tension equilibration is usually very long, and adsorption depletes the solution considerably. By replenishing the adsorbed material and by being close to the surface, dispersed particles or droplets of the surfactant material can increase the rate of adsorption to the surface by orders of magnitude. Since the rates of particle migration or diffusion and particle dissolution can control the adsorption rates, the particle sizes and protocols of preparation can be quite important. The behavior of tetradecanol in water is reported for its importance in producing low dynamic surface tensions for potential lung surfactant applications and as a typical sparingly soluble surfactant, having a solubility of 0.3 ppm (1.4 μM) at 25 °C. The dynamic tension has been measured at 25, 37, and 41 °C (the latter is above the tetradecanol melting point) in water or saline (0.9 wt % NaCl), with a bubble method (measured from the pressure jump and the bubble radius) at constant or pulsating area (1-80 cycles/min). The dynamic surface densities Γ(t) were inferred from the dynamic surface tensions γ(t) by using the fitted data of the surface equation of state Γ(Π), where Π = γ 0 - y, determined from pressure-area isotherms, which were obtained with a Langmuir trough and precautions to account for possible monolayer losses. At 20-80 rpm and the concentration 1500 ppm, tensions much lower than the equilibrium values (22 ± 2 mN/m) and as low as 9 mN/m were observed. These low tensions were inferred to be related to compressed monolayers rather than thicker films at the air/water interface.
Research on coordinated control technology for AC/DC hybrid system in China

As the power industry is rapidly developing in China, the regional grid interconnections are now under construction. Based on the existing planning national grid configuration, the AC/DC coordinated control technology for regional interconnected power grid is developed in this paper. By 2013, there have been six High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission lines delivering power from Central China to East China. Based on the planning Ultra High Voltage (UHV) power grid in China, a series of simulation tests is carried out. The following topics are investigated in this paper: 1) How multiple HVDC systems support each other under the loss of bipolar HVDC transmission capacity; 2) How the HVDC system is applied to providethe emergent power support for the parallel AC power corridors when severe faults occur in the AC system; 3) How is the impact of the AC/DC coordinated control on the AC system. According to several simulation experiments under the typical kinds of faults, the conclusions can be drawn as follows: 1) Once the bipolar fault occurs at any one of above six HVDC lines, the power transferring and voltage fluctuation of AC network after fault could be dramatically diminished when the power running up is issued to the other five HVDC lines 2) Once a large amount of generation lost occurs in East China Power grid, power run up of above six HVDC lines can significantly improve the stability margin of Central China Power Grid — East China Power Grid. Finally, a suggestion of establishing a coordinated control center is proposed so as to realize the cooperative control among multiple HVDC lines in case of various system emergencies.
Evidence and expertise: the challenge of the outcomes movement to medical professionalism.

The outcomes movement--including evidence-based medicine--challenges medicine as a profession by disputing what and how physicians know. First, the movement considers probabilistic research to be virtually the only way to arrive at knowledge in medicine. Second, it insists on objective or impersonal
Outcomes of a randomized, controlled community-level HIV prevention intervention for adolescents in low-income housing developments.

Youth are increasingly at risk for contracting HIV infection and community level interventions are needed to reduce behavioral risk. A randomized controlled multi-site community-level intervention trial was undertaken with adolescents living in 15 low-income housing developments in five US cities. Baseline (n = 1172) short-term follow-up (n = 865) and long-term follow-up (n = 763) risk assessments were conducted among adolescents ages 12–17 in all 15 housing developments. The developments were randomly assigned in equal numbers to each of three conditions: experimental community-level intervention (five developments); ‘state-of-the-science’ skills training workshops (five developments); and education-only delayed control intervention (five developments). At long-term follow-up adolescents living in the housing developments receiving the community-level intervention were more likely to delay onset of first intercourse (85%) than those in the control developments (76%) while those in the workshop developments (78%) did not differ from control condition adolescents. Adolescents in both the community-level intervention (77%) and workshop (76%) developments were more likely to use a condom at last intercourse than those in control (62%) developments. Community-level interventions that include skills training and engage adolescents in neighborhood-based HIV prevention activities can produce and maintain reductions in sexual risk behavior including delaying sexual debut and increasing condom use. (authors)
Ablative Laser Propulsion: Specific Impulse and Thrust Derived from Force Measurements

Specie c impulse, thrust, and other dynamic characteristics of solid elemental propellants for ablative laser propulsion are studied experimentally with the aid of a piezoelectric force sensor. This sensor allows direct measurements of applied thrust. Experimental results show that the highest specie c impulse, » 4:0 ££ 10 3 s, occurs for carbonand aluminum, whereasthehighestcoupling coefe cient (8dyne/W)wasobserved forleadtargets.Theablation time,derived from independenttime-of-e ight (TOF)experimentsand used forthecalculation of impulses, was » 1.5 πs for the majority of the elements studied. These new measurements cone rm a decrease of specie c impulse and an increase in thrust with increasing atomic mass of the propellant; the major trend previously determined from TOF experiments. The plasma image analysis also cone rms the previously reported angular independence of ion velocity, established after the e rst 100 ns of plasma life. In previously reported TOF studies, all observations were based on the ionic component ejected from a laser-ablated material. An almost e vefold reduction in the absolute values of the specie c impulse was observed in the current effort. This result is attributed to “ dilution” of the high specie c impulse values for ions by slower atomic neutrals and larger fragments. Among all of the tested elements, aluminum is found to provide the optimum tradeoff for Isp and thrust values.
Glucose tolerance, insulin and catecholamine levels in germfree rats.

SummaryGlucose was administered intravenously to 50- and 100-day-old GF and CV rats. Fasting blood glucose levels in GF and CV rats were found to be comparable. Glucose tolerance tests showed that GF and CV rats clear glucose from the blood at a similar rate. Although insulin concentrations in 100-day-old GF rats tended to be somewhat lower than in CV rats, the percentage increase during the 30-min period after glucose administration was similar, and matched the increase in blood glucose. Levels of plasma catecholamines were analyzed fluorometrically and were found to be comparable in 100-day-old GF and CV rats. It was concluded that insulin insufficiency plays no role in the syndrome of metabolic anomalies demonstrated by the germfree rat.
Comparison of Metrics of Inter-Structure Distance When Applied to Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) exist in a naturally unfolded state consisting of a vast ensemble of transient conformations. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of IDPs are capable of estimating subsets of these ensembles, but most current tools to analyze MD trajectories are optimized to study protein simulations sampling relatively small conformational spaces. The commonly used measurement, root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), appears to saturate to maximal distance within tens to hundreds of nanoseconds in simulations of highly disordered proteins. Furthermore, in paired structures with inter-structure distances near the saturation of the RMSD measurement, the fits to the reference structures were sometimes meaningless. We have created and validated several tools based on the libraries and interface of the MD simulation software Gromacs 4 [Hess, et al. 2008]. In addition, we have completed a library which implements ten metrics of inter-structure distance. The metrics that we have investigated include modifications to the RMSD metric, various comparisons of backbone angles and dihedrals, calculations of correlation coefficients based on coordinates and shape, and two additional metrics of structure comparisons based on recent publications: MAMMOTH [Ortiz, et al. 2002] and elastic shape analysis [Liu, et al. 2011]. We will present a comparison of metric saturation as well as the performance of these metrics in differentiating protein simulations by mean conformational differences. We have produced MD trajectories to validate and apply the tools we have written. These trajectories include replicates of fragments of the FG-nucleoporins nsp1 and nup116 as well as several mutants with simulation times of 200-250 nanoseconds in implicit and explicit solvent. To compare these results with a simpler set of trajectories along a known spectrum of disorder, we simulated three sets of homopolymers with increasing conformational flexibility in explicit solvent.
Telling Western Stories: From Buffalo Bill to Larry McMurtry

What has the western of literature and film contributed to American culture? Richard Etulain, the leading cultural historian of the West, answers that question by tracing four distinct storytelling traditions and exploring the indelible images each has left in the public's mind over the past 125 years. Our images of cowboys, lawmen, outlaws, and Indians come from a collage of sources, including Buffalo Bill, Frederick Jackson Turner, Calamity Jane, Mary Hallock Foote, Geronimo, Mourning Dove, Owen Wister, Zane Grey, Walter Noble Burns, John Ford, Louis L'Amour, Wallace Stegner, Patricia Nelson Limerick, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Larry McMurtry. Etulain begins with the dominant image conveyed in Wild West shows and dime novels of the late nineteenth century--the West as a place of adventure and danger. In the early twentieth century stories by women and Indians appeared, but they were soon overlooked and not rediscovered until the 1970s. The period from the 1920s to the 1950s represents the classic era of western movies and novels--of cavalry charges to save the day and heroes in white hats. But since the 1960s a counter story has emerged, one of ambiguity and complexity that often turned upside down our notions about what really mattered in how we look at the West. Etulain carefully explores why stories of the frontier and American West still rival those of the American Civil War as the country's most popular tales, and he shows how narratives that persisted relatively unchanged for a century have moved in notable new directions since the 1960s.
Implementation fidelity of Team Decisionmaking

Abstract Prior to pursuing a full outcome evaluation, studies of implementation fidelity are often conducted to determine the extent to which practice-level implementation conforms to a program's specified conceptual framework and practice guidelines. This purpose of this study is to measure indicators of the implementation of Team Decisionmaking (TDM), an approach to making child welfare placement decisions sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in which birth parents, relatives and community members play a central role in the decision-making process. Researchers review literature pertaining to implementation fidelity, especially in the field of child welfare, and outline the key components of TDM practice. Quantitative analyses of TDM implementation indicators across three sites reveal a large degree of consistency in adherence to practice guidelines, although key discrepancies point to the need for closer examinations of cross-site differences. Researchers conclude with implications for practice and research.
Development of a through wafer 3D vertical micro-coaxial probe

A through wafer 3D vertical micro-coaxial probe flushed in a silicon substrate has been designed and fabricated. As a result of using silicon as a dielectric, the probe's compatibility with commercial applications has significantly increased. The probe has been designed using radio frequency (RF) calculations and consists of 100 µm inner diameter and 300 µm outer diameter vias, which corresponds to a 1:3 inner/outer conductor ratio. Fabrication results indicate that the probe through holes can be formed using standard photolithography techniques and Bosch's process for deep reactive ion etching. The probe vias were successfully metalized with a diluted silver paste using a novel filling method. Measured results demonstrate that the probe has good signal transmission with a reflection coefficient less than −10 dB from 15 to 57 GHz. By developing an RF based three-dimensional micro-coaxial probe, its use as vertical interconnects in high frequency system-in-package technologies have considerably improved.
A measure of interpersonal dominance

Adolescent males, both delinquent and nondeliquent, were used in the development of a task in which two Ss first make separate decisions, then a joint decision regarding a number of paired photos of girls' faces. The task was developed in order to facilitate and encourage controlled experimentation in the study of interpersonal dominance.