cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breast reconstruction with the TRAM flap: pedicled and free

Background Breast cancer is a ubiquitous disease affecting one in seven women. While breast conservation techniques are available for local control of the disease for many patients, not all patients are good candidates for these techniques. Mastectomy, therefore, remains a common method of breast cancer treatment. Methods of reconstruction include implant reconstruction and autogenous reconstruction. The advantages of autogenous reconstruction include the creation of a soft, ptotic breast mound, which tends to match a native contralateral breast both in and out of bra support. Autogenous reconstructions do not tend to change with time and usually do not require periodic revision as seen in implant reconstructions. Methods The most common method of autogenous reconstruction is the TRAM flap, either pedicled or free. The TRAM flap employs the redundant excess lower abdominal tissue typically removed during a cosmetic abdominoplasty. This tissue is brought to the mastectomy defect as a pedicled flap, passing subcutaneously from the upper abdomen and into the defect site. The pedicled flap is based upon the superior epigastric vessels. A free TRAM is harvested with the overlying muscle and the attached inferior epigastric vessels. This flap is completely separated from the abdomen and brought to the chest defect where it is anastomosed to either the thoracodorsal or internal mammary vessels. The donor defect within the abdominal wall is repaired with an inlay mesh with both the pedicled and free techniques. Results Patient selection criteria usually help determine which technique is used. The advantage of the free flap technique is improved blood supply to the skin island. The free flap, therefore, is used in patients at higher risk for partial flap loss with the pedicled technique. Such high-risk patients include smokers, the obese, patients with significant medical comorbidities, and patients with prior abdominal surgery. Patients without these risk factors can be expected to achieve good results with either the pedicled or free flap technique. Conclusion Autogenous breast reconstruction with the TRAM flap achieves long lasting satisfactory results in most patients with the creation of a soft, naturally ptotic breast mound, which typically matches well a contralateral native breast. J. Surg. Oncol. 2006;94:532–537. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Urban Teenagers Work and Dropout

This article explores how employment affects the likelihood of dropout among high school students in Baltimore, a high-poverty city with a high dropout rate. Among 15-year-olds, those with teen jobs (e.g., lawn mowing, babysitting, etc.) were less than one third as likely to drop out as those who took adult-type jobs (manufacturing or business). This pattern reversed at age 16, however, because, at that age, holding an adult-type job as compared to a teen job reduced dropout risk. Patterns of work, for those older than ages 15 and 16, also affected dropout risk. Students who had been retained, but who made an orderly transition into work, were less likely to drop out than retained students who made a disorderly transition.
Analysis of photoproducts, free radicals, and particulate debris generated during in vivo argon laser myoplasty

Catheter-guided laser myoplasty in a closed ventricle has been advocated for the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ablation of arrythmogenic foci, and transmyocardial laser revascularization of ungraftable regions of ischemic myocardium. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nature of particulate debris and photoproducts generated in vivo. Accordingly, cardiopulmonary bypass was established in four dogs without active cooling and an apical left ventricular vent was placed. In two dogs, a laser catheter was inserted into the cardioplegia-arrested left ventricle through the left atrial appendage and across the mitral valve. In the other two dogs the laser catheter was inserted into a perfused, fibrillating left ventricle retrograde across the aortic valve. Myocardial ablation of the ventricular septum was performed using continuous argon-ion laser irradiation (8–10 watts, 4–11 minutes) and blood samples were drawn through the ventricular vent. The final ablation in each dog was done during a separate ventricular flush with a chemical “spin trap” capable of detecting free radicals. Analysis of ventricular effluent revealed levels of carboxyhemoglobin and hydrogen cyanide which were well below accepted clinical toxic limits. Microparticulate debris (2-300 femtoliter) was not detected. Evidence of trace free radical generation was suggested in one of four dogs. In conclusion, closed ventricular argon laser myoplasty did not generate clinically significant levels of the toxic photoproducts we measured, or microparticulate debris. These in vivo findings suggest that the clinical application of catheter-based laser myoplasty will not be limited by the generation of these toxic photoproducts or microembolic debris.
A network model shows the importance of coupled processes in the microbial N cycle in the Cape Fear River Estuary

Abstract Estuaries serve important ecological and economic functions including habitat provision and the removal of nutrients. Eutrophication can overwhelm the nutrient removal capacity of estuaries and poses a widely recognized threat to the health and function of these ecosystems. Denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) are microbial processes responsible for the removal of fixed nitrogen and diminish the effects of eutrophication. Both of these microbial removal processes can be influenced by direct inputs of dissolved inorganic nitrogen substrates or supported by microbial interactions with other nitrogen transforming pathways such as nitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). The coupling of nitrogen removal pathways to other transformation pathways facilitates the removal of some forms of inorganic nitrogen; however, differentiating between direct and coupled nitrogen removal is difficult. Network modeling provides a tool to examine interactions among microbial nitrogen cycling processes and to determine the within-system history of nitrogen involved in denitrification and anammox. To examine the coupling of nitrogen cycling processes, we built a nitrogen budget mass balance network model in two adjacent 1 cm3 sections of bottom water and sediment in the oligohaline portion of the Cape Fear River Estuary, NC, USA. Pathway, flow, and environ ecological network analyses were conducted to characterize the organization of nitrogen flow in the estuary and to estimate the coupling of nitrification to denitrification and of nitrification and DNRA to anammox. Centrality analysis indicated NH 4 + is the most important form of nitrogen involved in removal processes. The model analysis further suggested that direct denitrification and coupled nitrification-denitrification had similar contributions to nitrogen removal while direct anammox was dominant to coupled forms of anammox. Finally, results also indicated that partial nitrification-anammox may play an important role in anammox nitrogen removal in the Cape Fear River Estuary.
Do Cultural Differences Matter in IT Implementation?: A Multinational's Experience with Collaborative Technology

As multinational firms increasingly adopt collaborative technology with supply chain partners in other countries, their implementation strategies need to accommodate cultural differences. This paper draws upon Hofstede's framework for understanding national cultural characteristics to propose differences in implementation timing and strategy. These propositions are tested with a case study involving a large U.S. based multinational's implementation of Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment CPFR with partners in four different countries: U.S., Germany, China, and Poland. This research suggests that cultural differences impact the rollout life cycle for CPFR. The authors recommend that 1 implementation strategies should match national culture, 2 implementation timing can be a function of national culture, and finally 3 customer readiness assessments for CPFR rollout should include an assessment of national cultural differences.
Assessment of Partial Least-Squares Calibration and Wavelength Selection for Complex Near-Infrared Spectra

Complex near-infrared (near-IR) spectra of aqueous solutions containing five independently varying absorbing species were collected to assess the ability of partial least-squares (PLS) regression and wavelength selection for calibration and prediction of these species in the presence of each other. It was confirmed that PLS calibration models can successfully predict chemical concentrations of all five chemicals from a single spectrum. It was observed from the PLS spectral loadings that spectral regions containing absorption bands of a single analyte alone were not sufficient for the model to adequately predict the concentration of the analyte because of the high degree of overlap between glucose, lactate, ammonia, glutamate, and glutamine. Three wavelength selection algorithms were applied to the spectra to identify regions containing necessary information, and in each case it was found that nearly the entire spectral range was needed for each determination. The results suggest that wavelength selection does result in a reduction of data points from the full spectrum, but the decrease seen with these near-infrared spectra was less than typically seen in mid-IR or Raman spectra, where peaks are narrower and well separated. As a result of this need for more wavelengths, the engineering of a dedicated system to measure these analytes in complex media such as blood or tissue culture broths by using this near-infrared region (2.0-2.5 mu m) is further complicated.
Video face recognition against a watch list

Due to a large increase in the video surveillance data recently in an effort to maintain high security at public places, we need more robust systems to analyze this data and make tasks like face recognition a realistic possibility in challenging environments. In this paper we explore a watch-list scenario where we use an appearance based model to classify query faces from low resolution videos into either a watch-list or a non-watch-list face. We then use our simple yet a powerful face recognition system to recognize the faces classified as watch-list faces. Where the watch-list includes those people that we are interested in recognizing. Our system uses simple feature machine algorithms from our previous work to match video faces against still images. To test our approach, we match video faces against a large database of still images obtained from a previous work in the field from Yahoo News over a period of time. We do this matching in an efficient manner to come up with a faster and nearly real-time system. This system can be incorporated into a larger surveillance system equipped with advanced algorithms involving anomalous event detection and activity recognition. This is a step towards more secure and robust surveillance systems and efficient video data analysis.
Electroluminescence from an Organic−Inorganic Perovskite Incorporating a Quaterthiophene Dye within Lead Halide Perovskite Layers

Room-temperature electroluminescence was realized from an OILED (organic−inorganic light-emitting device) by employing a hybrid organic−inorganic perovskite as the emission layer. The hybrid perovskite consists of a specially modified quaterthiophene dye incorporated within infinite, lead halide perovskite sheets. Relatively efficient (0.1 lm/W) green emission (λmax = 530 nm), with low turn-on voltages (5.5 V), was obtained from a device with a 3000-A-thick emission layer.
HAWKMOTHS AND THE GEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS OF FLORAL VARIATION IN AQUILEGIA CAERULEA.

The correlations between certain floral characteristics of plant species and the kinds of animal pollen vectors that visit their flowers are well known. The functional basis for the convergence of floral forms and colors has long been recognized, and terms such as "bumblebee flower" and "hummingbird flower" are commonly used (Macior, 1971; Proctor and Yeo, 1972; Faegri and van der Pijl, 1979). On the other hand, relatively few plant species are visited by only one kind of potential pollinator, exhibiting instead what Macior (1971) referred to as an "adaptation spectrum" of pollinators. Although the flowers of a particular plant population are visited by a characteristic array of potential pollen vectors, the spectrum of effective pollinators may be different for populations in other habitats, at different elevations, or elsewhere in the species' geographic range. If the selective pressures exerted by floral visitors on different populations of a species are consistently dissimilar, distinct races may develop. Grant and Grant (1965) reported this pattern of differentiation to be common in North American members of the Polemoniaceae. Variation in flower color often occurs both within and between populations of a plant species, and in some cases there is evidence that color morphs differ in their relative attractiveness to potential pollinators as in Lantana (Dronamraju, 1960), in Leavenworthia (Lloyd, 1969), in Phlox (Levin, 1972), in Cirsium (Mogford, 1974), and in Raphanus (Kay, 1976). Thus flower color polymorphisms within a plant species may reflect adaptation by different populations to different pollination conditions. Kay (1978) and Mogford (1978) have reviewed the literature on flower color polymorphisms and pollinator behavior. This paper examines the geographic distribution of flower color and spur length in populations of Aquilegia caerulea, the Colorado Columbine, in western North America and considers these patterns of floral variation in relation to the composition of the pollinator fauna in different portions of the range of the species.
Political arenas, life styles, and the impact of technologies on policymaking

Public policies are often founded upon or employ specific technologies. Two basic types of technology are distinguished—behavioral and physical technologies—and their contributions to policy and policymaking are discussed. The attractiveness of a technology to policymakers depends on how politically significant groups view the technology's impact on life styles and its implications for the allocation of values. Following Theodore Lowi's groundwork, behavioral technologies generally are perceived to “redistribute” values (power, respect, wealth, status) and “regulate” styles of living, while physical technologies generally appear to “distribute” values, opportunities, and freedom to pursue desired life styles. The policy sciences are given separate treatment as a behavioral technology with both “distributive” and “redistributive” aspects. The creative use of physical technology, development of multidisciplinary policy studies, and efforts towards more “distributive” behavioral technologies are discussed as more relevant and productive for policymaking.
Effective Practice An Investigation of Observed Practice Behaviors, Self-Reported Practice Habits, and the Performance Achievement of High School Wind Players

The primary goal of this study was to examine relationships among observed practice behaviors, self-reported practice habits, and performance achievement of high school wind players (N = 60). Parti...
OVATOOMB: other viruses and the origins of molecular biology.

Evolution de l'interet porte aux virus depuis le debut du 20eme siecle, a savoir depuis la decouverte des maladies infectieuses tant des plantes que des animaux jusqu'a l'utilisation des virus en tant que materiel de recherche en biologie moleculaire
Electron Properties of F, and N Doped Hematite: The Application for Photocatalysis

To improve photocatalytic activity of hematite, the electronic structures of F, and N doped hematite were studied via the first-principles band calculations with GGA+U methods. By analyzing the band structures of pure and doped hematite, we showed that the significant acceptor levels were induced by N dopants, whereas F dopants created shallow donor levels and Fermi energy entered the conduction bands. Our findings proposed that p-type dopant N was in favor of realizing the expectation of producing hydrogen in the visible-light photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting without voltage bias, and n-type dopant F was helpful to solve the problem of recombination of photo-produced electron-hole pairs The results of our calculation should be applicable to the improvement of photocatalytic performances of hematite.
Silicon ions below 100 km: A case for SiO2+

Silicon ions are normally detected at altitudes above 100 km and within sporadic E layers. Traces have rarely been observed within the more permanent metallic layer near 93 km. This is surprising since silicon is an important constituent of chondritic meteorites, which ablate material in this region to provide a primary source of the metallic species observed there. Evidence is presented that Si(+)ions form SiO2(+) at the lower altitudes, and exist in this ionic state prior to recombination. A rocket launched from El Arenosillo, Spain on 3 July 1972, at 0743 LMT, during the predicted period of the Beta Taurids meteor shower, passed through a continuous belt of metallic ions that began near 85 km, ended near 115 km, and exhibited an order of magnitude increase in the form of a layer near 114 km. Si(+)was measured in and below the ledge down to 103 km. It showed a rapid decrease below this height. Radiative association is offered as a primary mechanism for SiO2(+) production.
Plasma Actuators for Hypersonic Flow Control

A summary of recent research progress in hypersonic plasma actuators for flow control is attempted. The most effective plasma actuator is derived from an electromagnetic perturbation to the growth rate of a shear layer and amplified by the strong viscous-inviscid interaction. Computational efforts that use a driftdiffusion and a simple phenomenological plasma model, as well as, experiments in a hypersonic plasma channel have shown the effectiveness of using electroaerodynamic interaction as a hypersonic flow control mechanism. In principle, the plasma actuator based on magneto-aerodynamic interaction should have an added mechanism in the Lorentz force to be even more effective as a flow control mechanism. However, this approach also incurs additional challenges due to the Hall effect for experimental and computational simulations. Magneto-aerodynamic interactions have also been demonstrated for separated flow control, albeit in a very limited scope. Numerical simulations based on a simple phenomenological plasma model have shown the feasibility for separated flow suppression in shockboundary-layer interaction over a compression ramp at a hypersonic flow of Mach 14.1. The control mechanism relies on the Lorentz force to energize the retarded shear layer in the viscous interacting region, but the effectiveness of momentum transfer via inelastic collision requires further validation. Nomenclature
Structure-function relationships of cellular retinoic acid-binding proteins. Quantitative analysis of the ligand binding properties of the wild-type proteins and site-directed mutants.

It has been suggested that electrostatic interactions are critical for binding of retinoic acid by cellular retinoic acid-binding proteins (CRABP-I and CRABP-II). However, the roles of two conserved arginine residues (Arg-111 and Arg-131 in CRABP-I; Arg-111 and Arg-132 in CRABP-II) that interact with the carboxyl group of retinoic acid have not been evaluated. A novel competitive binding assay has been developed for measuring the relative dissociation constants of the site-directed mutants of CRABPs. Arg-111 and Arg-132 of CRABP-II were replaced with methionine by site-directed mutagenesis. The relative dissociation constants of R111M and R132M (Kd(R111M)/Kd(CRABP-II) and Kd(R132M)/Kd(CRABP-II)) were determined to be 40-45 and 6-8, respectively. The ring protons of the aromatic residues of the wild-type CRABP-II and the two mutants were sequentially assigned by two-dimensional homonuclear NMR in conjunction with three-dimensional heteronuclear NMR. Detailed analysis of the nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy spectra of the proteins indicated that the conformations of the two mutants are highly similar to that of the wild-type CRABP-II. These results taken together showed that Arg-111 and Arg-132 are important for binding retinoic acid but contribute to the binding energy only by ∼2.2 and 1.2 kcal/mol, respectively. In addition, the relative dissociation constant of CRABP-II and CRABP-I (Kd(CRABP-II)/Kd(CRABP-I)) was determined to be 2-3, in close agreement with that calculated using the apparent Kd values determined under the same conditions by fluorometric titrations.
Deep Standing Internal Waves in California Basins1

Periodic variations of the water temperature observed at depths of 700, 850, and 1000 m in the Catalina Basin (sill at 982 m, bottom at 1357 m) lead to the inferred existence of deep standing internal waves having an amplitude of 130 to 200 m. The presence of such waves may account for the prior observation of bottom currents as great as 18 cm/sec, of suspended sediment near the basin floors, of a virtual absence of gradients of oxygen and nutrients near the bottom, of locally coarser sediments at basin sills than at their bottoms, and of replacement of basin water so rapidly that oxygen does not become deficient nor do regenerated nutrients become abnormally concentrated in the basin waters.
Hilbert-Pachpatte type fractional integral inequalities

We present here very general weighted univariate and multivariate Hilbert-Pachpatte type integral inequalities. These involve Caputo and Riemann-Liouville fractional derivatives and fractional partial derivatives of the mentioned types.
Phosphorylation of syntaxin 3B by CaMKII regulates the formation of t-SNARE complexes.

Abstract Ribbon synapses in the retina lack the t-SNARE (target-soluble N -ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) syntaxin 1A that is found in conventional synapses of the nervous system, but instead contain the related isoform syntaxin 3B. Previous studies have demonstrated that syntaxin 3B is essential for synaptic vesicle exocytosis in ribbon synapses, but syntaxin 3B is less efficient than syntaxin 1A in binding the t-SNARE protein SNAP-25 and catalyzing vesicle fusion. We demonstrate here that syntaxin 3B is localized mainly on the presynaptic membrane of retinal ribbon synapses and that a subset of syntaxin 3B is localized in close proximity to the synaptic ribbon. We show further, that syntaxin 3B can be phosphorylated by the Ca 2 + /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). We determine that the phosphorylation site is located close to the N-terminus at T14. Syntaxin 3B with a phosphomimetic mutation (T14E) had a stronger binding affinity for SNAP-25 compared with wild type syntaxin 3B. We propose that phosphorylation of syntaxin 3B by CaMKII can modulate the assembly of the SNARE complex in ribbon synapses of the retina, and might regulate the exocytosis of synaptic vesicles in ribbon synapses.
Phosphorus leaching through intact soil cores as influenced by type and duration of manure application

Leaching of phosphorus (P) in manure-amended soils has received increased attention as a significant source of non-point source P pollution. Intact soil cores were collected from fields on a farm in Southern New York to test the effects of long-term dairy or poultry manure application on P leaching. Nine fields were selected (four poultry, four dairy, and one unamended) to represent a broad range of P saturation levels (5.3 to 62.4%) in the topsoil (0–7.5 cm). Water was applied weekly at a rate matching a 1-year return period storm for the study area (230 mm h−1). Dissolved reactive P (DRP) losses in leachate from all soil cores ranged from 0.007 to 0.055 kg P ha−1, except in two fields with long-term histories of dairy and poultry manure application, where losses averaged 0.21 and 0.45 kg P ha−1, respectively. Hydrographs of the field with the dairy manure history suggested preferential flow as an explanation of leachate P enrichment. In the poultry manure amended field, high levels of soil P saturation throughout the profile suggested subsoil P desorption as a factor controlling leachate P. Surface application of dairy manure to the soil cores (167 kg total P ha−1) increased the mean leachate DRP concentration from 1.5 to 10.5 fold. After five leaching events spanning 22 days, DRP concentrations remained 2.0 to 13.4 fold above pre-manure application levels. This study points to saturation of P in subsoils by long-term manure application as a key concern to P loss in leachate and highlights the role of annual manure additions on subsurface P loss potential.
Fluorescence lifetime‐based discrimination and quantification of cellular DNA and RNA with phase‐sensitive flow cytometry

Background Simultaneous measurement of cellular DNA and RNA content provides information for determination of the functional status of cells and, clinically, for the diagnosis and grading assessment of various tumors. Most current flow cytometric methods are based on resolving the fluorescence emission spectra of dyes that bind preferentially to either type of nucleic acid. However, several monochromatic nucleic acid–binding fluorochromes display resolvable differences in fluorescence lifetime when bound to DNA or RNA. The differences in the lifetime of one fluorescent probe provide an alternate means to distinguish the binding of one probe to these cellular macromolecules and to simultaneously measure their cellular contents. Methods Three nucleic acid intercalating dyes, propidium iodide, ethidium bromide, and ethidium homodimer 1, were selected to study differences in fluorescence lifetimes when bound to cellular DNA and RNA. Fixed HL-60 cells were treated with specific nucleases to initially determine the lifetime values of each dye when bound to the cellular DNA, RNA, or both. The lifetime values were then used as the signatures to resolve the cellular DNA and RNA contents in untreated cells. Results All three dyes showed fluorescence lifetime differences when bound to RNase-treated, DNase-treated, or untreated cells. With these lifetime values, the fluorescence emissions from DNA, RNA, or DNA/RNA were resolved from untreated cells with the use of phase-sensitive detection. The lifetime differences resulting from the binding to either type of nucleic acid depended on the dye, the staining concentration, and the analysis condition. Conclusions The lifetimes of the nucleic acid–binding fluorochromes were altered when binding to different macromolecules under different conditions. Phase-sensitive flow cytometry provided a unique means for simultaneous discrimination and quantification of subcellular macromolecules with one fluorescent probe. The data demonstrated the capabilities for resolving relative cellular DNA and RNA contents based on fluorescence lifetime. Cytometry Part A 52A:46–55, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Reconsidering Mortality Compression and Deceleration: An Alternative Model of Mortality Rates

In this research we develop a model of mortality rates that parameterizes mortality deceleration and compression, permits hypothesis tests for change in these parameters over time, and allows for formal gender comparisons. Our model fits mortality data well across all adult ages 20–105 for 1968–1992 U.S. white data, and the results offer some confirmation of findings of mortality research using conventional methods. We find that the age at which mortality deceleration begins is increasing over time, that decompression of mortality is occurring, and that these trends vary substantially across genders, although male and female mortality patterns appear to be converging to some extent.
Interaction of Genetically Engineered Host Plant Resistance and Natural Enemies of Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Tobacco

Field experiments were conducted to examine interactions of Heliothis virescens (F.), its natural enemies, and tobacco plants engineered to express low levels of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner toxin. Survival of H. virescens larvae was measured in response to four treatments: (1) toxin-producing plants exposed to natural enemies, (2) toxin-producing plants caged to exclude enemies, (3) toxin-free plants exposed to enemies, and (4) toxin-free plants caged to exclude enemies. B. thuringiensis toxin mediated resistance caused a significant decrease in first-instar survival, and natural enemies caused a significant decrease in third-instar survival. Survival of uncaged first instars as a proportion of survival of caged first instars was significantly lower on toxic plants than control plants, indicating synergism of resistance and natural enemies. Among collections of artificially infested larvae, parasitism by Campoletis sonorensis (Cameron) was significantly higher on toxic plants than on control plants, another indication of synergism. Among collections of wild larvae and larvae censused in the field, parasitism usually did not differ between plant lines. Larval development of H. virescens was significantly slower on toxic plants than on control plants in two out of five trials. Prolonged vulnerability to natural enemies appeared to provide a mechanism for synergism. However, synergistic increases in mortality and parasitism were detected in two trials when development rates on toxic plants and control plants were equal, indicating existence of another mechanism. B. thuringiensis toxin-mediated partial resistance appeared compatible with natural enemies for control of H. virescens . However, a simulation using a theoretical population genetic model suggested that synergism of the level measured in this study could accelerate pest adaptation to resistant plants.
Pathway Logic: Executable Models of Biological Networks

Abstract In this paper we describe the use of the rewriting logic based Maude tool to model and analyze mammalian signaling pathways. We discuss the representation of the underlying biological concepts and events and describe the use of the new search and model checking capabilities of Maude 2.0 to analyze the modeled network. We also discuss the use of Maude's reflective capability for meta modeling and analyzing the models themselves. The idea of symbolic biological experiments opens up an exciting new world of challenging applications for formal methods in general and for rewriting logic based formalisms in particular.
Discovery of highly selective alkyne semihydrogenation catalysts based on first-row transition-metallated porous organic polymers.

Five different first-row transition metal precursors (VIII, CrIII, MnII, CoII, NiII) were successfully incorporated into a catechol porous organic polymer (POP) and characterized using ATR-IR and XAS analysis. The resulting metallated POPs were then evaluated for catalytic alkyne hydrogenation using high-throughput screening techniques. All POPs were unexpectedly found to be active and selective catalysts for alkyne semihydrogenation. Three of the metallated POPs (V, Cr, Mn) are the first of their kind to be active single-site hydrogenation catalysts. These results highlight the advantages of using a POP platform to develop new catalysts which are otherwise difficult to achieve through traditional heterogeneous and homogeneous routes.
Peripheral innervation by migrating neuroblasts in the chick embryo.

Abstract Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was injected into the mandibular process of the first visceral arch in chick embryos of 3–6 days of incubation. On days 3 1 2 , 4 and 4 1 2 of incubation, this procedure resulted in granular reaction product in neuroblasts of the lateral trigeminal nucleus and in soma and processes of neuroblasts in the process of migrating from the medial column to form the lateral nucleus. On days 5 and 6 of incubation, similar labeling was found in cells migrating from the lateral nucleus dorsal to form the dorsal trigeminal nucleus. This is the first clear demonstration of the extent of differentiation which may take place during neurogenesis prior to the completion of migration.
Stochastic modeling of fatigue crack propagation

This paper presents a stochastic model of fatigue-induced crack propagation in metallic materials. The crack growth rate predicted by the model is guaranteed to be non-negative. The model structure is built upon the underlying principle of Karhunen-Loeve expansion and does not require solutions of stochastic differential equations in either Wiener integral or Ito integral setting. As such this crack propagation model can be readily adapted to damage monitoring and remaining life prediction of stressed structures. The model results have been verified by comparison with experimental data of time-dependent fatigue crack statistics for 2024-T3 and 7075-T6 aluminum alloys.
Clear plastic cups: a childhood choking hazard

Abstract The disposable plastic beverage cup is not usually regarded as hazardous to young children. Certain varieties of these products, however, are manufactured from a brittle, clear plastic that easily cracks and fragments. While most conscientious parents keep their children safe from peanuts, balloons, and other known choking hazards, a child can surreptitiously bite a cup edge and aspirate the fragment. We report two cases of foreign body aspiration involving clear plastic cups that went undetected, one of which remained 21 months following a negative rigid bronchoscopy. Diagnostic difficulties are related to the transparency and radiolucency of these objects. When suspicious of foreign body aspiration in children, otolaryngologists should inquire about the availability of clear plastic cups in the household and be mindful of the diagnostic pitfalls. Further investigations including CT scanning and repeat bronchoscopy may be helpful in cases of suspected missed foreign bodies. An educational campaign aimed at prevention and placement of product package warning labels should be established.
A note on equality in anderson's theorem

In this note it is shown, by a counterexample, that the necessary and sufficient condition for equality in Anderson's theorem, given by Anderson (1955), is incorrect. A more general condition is given which is shown to be sufficient.
Short- and Long-Term Reproducibility of Heart Rate Variability in Patients With Long-Standing Type I Diabetes Mellitus

Heart rate variability (HRV) has been used to assess cardiac autonomic function noninvasively, understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms of heart disease, evaluate therapy, and assess long-term prognosis. We examined both the short- and long-term reproducibility of the time and frequency domain HRV parameters in 23 type I diabetics over a 12-month interval. Entry criteria included juvenile onset diabetes before age 35 years, >24-year duration of diabetes, diabetes difficult to control, and albuminuria. Standardized noninvasive autonomic testing and 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings were obtained. Fifteen men and 8 women (mean age 36.7 years) were enrolled. Fifty-three percent of the men and 75% of the women were smokers, and women had higher cholesterol than men. All HRV parameters were markedly decreased when compared with normal persons. Using Pearson correlation, the time domain indicators of parasympathetic activity demonstrated very strong correlations at 3 and 6 months compared with baseline, with good correlations at 1 year. The average SD of all 5-minute RR intervals maintained a very strong correlation for the entire year (r >0.94). In the frequency domain, the measures of parasympathetic and sympathetic activity maintained a solid correlation for the entire study period. Reproducibility of HRV was also examined using repeated-measures analysis of variance. The time and frequency domain parameters demonstrated very little variation over the study period of 12 months. Thus, our investigation demonstrated that HRV in long-term diabetics using 24-hour ambulatory recordings is abnormal and reproducible over a 12-month interval; very little variation in all HRV parameters, especially in parameters of parasympathetic activity, occurred during the study period.
Jejunal/kidney glucose transporter isoform (Glut-5) is expressed in the human blood-brain barrier

The recently cloned Glut-5, glucose transporter isoform, is expressed in human jejunum and kidney. Employing previously characterized polyclonal antibodies directed towards the C-terminus region of the derived human Glut-5 peptide and Western blot analysis, a 50-55 kilodalton Glut-5 protein was detected in adult human brain homogenates. The amount of Glut-5 protein in brain was 4-fold lower when compared to the levels in adult kidney. Immunohistochemical analysis using cerebral and cerebellar sections demonstrated Glut-5 immunoreactivity in only some of the Glut-1 and factor VIII-positive brain microvascular endothelial cells, the intravascular red and white blood cells being negative. This selective localization pattern was confirmed by the 5-fold enrichment of Glut-5 vs. a 20-fold enrichment of Glut-1 in an isolated human cerebral cortical microvascular preparation, when compared to whole cerebral homogenates. We conclude that Glut-5 is localized in the endothelial cells of human brain microvasculature....
The role of corporate governance in convergence with IFRS: evidence from China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the important role played by corporate governance in de facto International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) convergence, and to provide empirical evidence that audit quality mediates the degree of IFRS convergence.Design/methodology/approach – The paper develops a model showing the role of corporate governance in converging national accounting standards with the IFRS, and empirically tests the model using a sample of Chinese listed companies with B‐shares. Both analysis of variance and multiple regressions are employed to test the hypotheses.Findings – Effective internal corporate governance helps companies to be more aligned with IFRS and thus provide high quality financial information. Furthermore, audit quality as an external governance factor mediates the relationship between internal corporate governance and IFRS convergence.Research limitations/implications – The paper extends research findings, as shown in the literature, by showing the role of...
ICTA Certified references materials for low temperature

Abstract The standardization program for ICTA certified references materials for measurement below 350 K disclosed variations which are clearly attributable to differences between instruments. The variations are related to the types of sample holder and to the location of the temperature sensor. The existence of these variations shows clearly the need for use of certified reference materials when interlaboratory comparison of data is to be made.
Importance of the psyche in heartburn and dyspepsia

SUMMARY There is a complex and incomplete relationship between symptoms and altered gastrointestinal physiology in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease or functional dyspepsia. In patients with reflux disease, symptoms are presumed to relate to the effects of exposure of the oesophageal mucosa to gastric acid and, generally, patients have increased symptoms when damage to the oesophageal mucosa (oesophagitis) occurs. However, it is also recognized that some patients with severe reflux, Barrett's oesophagus or stricture have little history of heartburn: conversely, there is a large group of patients who have acid sensitivity but no oesophagitis or abnormal levels of acid reflux. The relationship between symptoms and delayed gastric emptying is also variable. Clearly, the degree of physiological dysfunction manifested by altered motility (in terms of acid reflux or gastric dysmotility) is not sufficient to account for the symptoms experienced by these patients. One possible explanation for this incomplete association between symptoms and altered gastrointestinal physiology relates to evidence that there are varying degrees of mucosal and neural sensing of the physiological challenges of acid or gastric distension. The evidence for a modulatory role of psychosocial factors, via central nervous system-enteric pathways, on symptoms of heartburn and dyspepsia is discussed. Preliminary data indicate that psychological treatments may be effective in reducing dyspeptic and psychological symptoms; further work is needed, however, to determine the degree to which these treatments affect gastrointestinal physiology.
Cardiac sympathetic activity in stress-induced (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy

Prasad and colleagues report on the novel technique of11C hydroxyephedrine PET imaging for the measurement of myocardial sympathetic neuronal activity in a patient with stress (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy. Background. A 54-year-old postmenopausal woman presented with retrosternal chest pressure, nausea, and vomiting of 4 h duration. Her medical history included hypertension (treated with metoprolol and ramipril), hyperlipidemia (treated with atorvastatin), and depression (treated with fluoxetine). A few hours before symptom onset, she had witnessed an accident in which her sister sustained serious injuries. The patient was visiting her sister—who was in critical condition in the hospital—when the symptoms began. Investigations. Physical examination, chest radiography, laboratory testing, electrocardiography, coronary angiography, and PET with 11C hydroxyephedrine. Diagnosis. Stress-induced (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy (apical ballooning syndrome). Management. The patient was monitored with cardiac telemetry. Metoprolol and ramipril were continued.
The criterion-related validity of psychoeducational tests for actual reading ability of learning disabled students

Although norm-referenced educational tests are used widely to identify children with learning disabilities, there have been few studies examining how performance on these tests relates to actual classroom functioning. This study examines the criterion-related validity of a battery of six educational diagnostic and achievement tests for actual reading level of a group of 155 learning disabled students enrolled in grades 4 to 7 and a subgroup of 46 learning disabled students enrolled in grades 5 and 6. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that six subtests from the battery accounted for over 70% of the variance in reading for the larger group. When type of reading curriculum used was controlled, five subtests accounted for over 76% of the criterion. The theoretical and applied implications of these results for diagnostic assessment are discussed.
Oxidation state of a buried interface: Near-edge x-ray fine structure of a crystal truncation rod.

We observe that the crystal-truncation-rod (CTR) diffraction from the ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ substrate of an ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$/${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$(001) interface has fine structure when the x-ray energy is tuned through the Cr K absorption edge. This fine structure is attributed to interference between scattering from the substrate and Cr atoms at the interface, which are coherent with the substrate. Comparisons with x-ray-absorption spectra of standard samples demonstrate that the Cr at the interface is predominantly in the ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{3+}$ oxidation state. We demonstrate how the near-edge energy dependence of the CTR diffracted intensity may be used to deduce the amplitude and phase of the interface scattering. This phase information is used in conjunction with reciprocal-lattice-vector-dependent measurements of diffracted power due to CTR's to deduce the structure of the ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$/${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ interface. While the local atomic coordination at the interface is the same as that of ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, there is a stacking fault at the interface covering half of the interface area.
Transforming Leadership and the Obama Presidency

Objective This study seeks to identify the political speech of President Obama to better understand the leadership techniques utilized. Methods Political speech is coded using textual analysis and leadership frames are grouped into transactional and transforming categories. Results The findings of this study suggest that President Obama does seek to use transformational leadership but that this transformational leadership is more often found in rational persuasion than inspirational appeals. Conclusion The informal powers of the presidency do include the power to inspire but for President Obama this power secondary to appeals to reason.
Chemists, Physicians, and Changing Perspectives on the Scientific Revolution

Positivism in the history of science and medicine was challenged by Walter Pagel more than fifty years ago. He sought to understand early modern figures such as Harvey, Paracelsus, and van Helmont by looking at all their work, including nonscientific material generally ignored by other scholars. Of special importance in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was the chemistry found in the writings of Paracelsus and his followers. These "chemical philosophers" offered a new philosophy based on chemistry and chemical analogies that was to replace the works of the ancients. As physicians, they debated first with Galenists and Aristotelians and later with mechanists. The essay argues that these debates were an essential chapter in the development of the Scientific Revolution and important for understanding the Chemical Revolution of the eighteenth century.
The Discipline and Its Other: The Dialectic of Alterity in the Study of Religion

The academic study of religion emerges, in part at least, from an encounter with the religious Other. This essay traces out a history of this encounter, a history that is dialectical. In each historic moment, the simple dichotomy that was previously thought to ground a hard and facile distinction between self and other comes to be challenged. But in the wake of such challenges, new categories come to be posited, categories on the basis of which the Self can (once again) emerge not simply as different from, but also as superior to the Other. This process - this dialectic of alterity - is as operative today in the discipline of religious studies as it was in the discipline's antecedents. We consider some of the core concepts around which the identity of the discipline is constructed in the present moment: the categories that allow for the differentiation of the discipline from its Other(s), and for its emergence in a position of superiority vis a vis its Other(s). The essay concludes by identifying four recent developments that are challenging a notion of the discipline constructed in these terms.
Collisional energy dependence of T-R and T-V energy transfer between Ar*(3P) and CO2(X1Σ+g)

Abstract We report the collisional-energy dependence of the fraction of the collision energy transferred to CO 2 (X 1 Σ + g rotation from Ar*( 3 P) using crossed-molecular beams between 55 and 184 meV. A discontinuity observed at 70 meV indicates the presence of vibrational excitation.