cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF DIET ON URINARY EXCRETION OF VMA AND HVA IN NEUROBLASTOMA

It has been shown that diet does not affect VMA and HVA excretion in normal children (Weetman, et al: J. Pedlat. 88:46-50, 1976) and this study was designed to determine the effect of diet on urinary excretion of VMA and HVA in children with neuroblastoma. Four patients with neuroblastoma in full remission with no evidence of disease were studied during chemotherapy. Urinary VMA and HVA on a 24 hour specimen were determined on two separate occasions at monthly intervals in each patient while on a regular diet, on 3 days of a diet loaded with and on a diet free from foods known to interfere with VMA and HVA determinations. The mean VMA on a regular, loaded and free diet was 4.57, 4.58 and 4.4 ug/mg creatinine respectively and the HVA was 7.8, 8.0 and 9.5 ug/mg creatinine on these diets respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the values obtained for urinary VMA and HVA excretion on the three diets. There was a statistically significant difference in excretion of these metabolites in the same patient on the same diet at different periods with wider variations of readings for HVA than for VMA. All the values, however, were within normal range for age. It is concluded that different diets do not significantly alter the urinary excretion of VMA and HVA in children with neuroblastoma in remission.
Cryogenic Tensile, Fatigue, and Fracture Parameters for a Solution-Annealed 18 Percent Nickel Maraging Steel

The mechanical properties of an eighteen percent nickel, solution-annealed 300-grade maraging steel were measured to assist in the evaluation of this material for low-temperature structural applications. Tensile, fatigue-crack growth rate, and fracture toughness tests were performed in ambient air (295 K), liquid nitrogen (76 K), and liquid helium (4 K), with the following results: the yield strength of this material increases from 831 MPa at room temperature to 1596 MPa at 4 K; the tensile ductility is moderate with elongation decreasing from 15.5 to 6.7 percent for this temperature region; the estimated values of fracture toughness (K/sub Ic/) decrease from 165 MPa.m/sup /sup 1///sub 2// at room temperature to 83 MPa.m/sup /sup 1///sub 2// at 4 K; and the fatigue-crack propagation resistance at intermediate stress intensity ranges is relatively insensitive to temperature. These results are compared with similar data for other cryogenic alloys.
Relationship between learning styles and effectiveness of online learning systems

Online learning has become a popular medium to disseminate knowledge for both institutions of learning and for companies. The economic benefits to deliver knowledge and training online are well documented; however, there are still issues as to its effectiveness. One way that online learning may be more effective is by taking into account a student’s learning style. Our research seeks to understand if online learning tools account for learning styles, will users find them useful and easier to use thus resulting in a successful online learning environment? We propose an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to include learning styles as an external variable. Our results show significance for six of the seven hypotheses. Educators and corporate training departments can use these findings to design a better online learning environment for their students and workforce.
Association of smoking with abnormal exercise heart rate responses and long-term prognosis in a healthy, population-based cohort.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is associated with chronotropic incompetence, defined as an attenuated heart rate response to exercise. The long-term prognostic implications of this association have not been well explored. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Adults enrolled in the Lipid Research Clinics' Prevalence Study who had no history of cardiovascular disease and who were not taking beta-blockers were observed for 12 years. Chronotropic incompetence was assessed as the failure to achieve 90% of an age-predicted target heart rate during an exercise test or as a low chronotropic index, a measure of exercise heart rate response adjusted for age, resting heart rate, and physical fitness. RESULTS: Of the 5,354 eligible participants (mean [± SD] age of 44 ± 10 years; 61% male), 1,931 (36%) smoked cigarettes. Smokers were more likely to have a low chronotropic index (26% versus 16%, odds ratio=1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6 to 2.1) and fail to achieve an age-predicted target heart rate (32% versus 22%, odds ratio=1.7, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.0). Adjustment for standard cardiac risk factors and physical fitness did not affect these associations. During follow-up, there were 327 deaths. Among subjects without chronotropic incompetence, the relative risk of mortality associated with smoking was moderately increased (hazard ratio=1.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.3); among smokers with chronotropic incompetence, the relative risk of mortality was markedly increased (hazard ratio=2.7, 95% CI 2.0 to 3.7, P for interaction=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In this large, middle-aged population-based cohort, smoking was associated with chronotropic incompetence, which in turn identified smokers with a particularly high mortality rate.
Detecting low concentrations of plutonium hydride with magnetization measurements

We report the formation of plutonium hydride in 2 at. % Ga-stabilized δ-Pu, with 1 at. % H charging. We show that magnetization measurements are a sensitive, quantitative measure of ferromagnetic plutonium hydride against the nonmagnetic background of plutonium. It was previously shown that at low hydrogen concentrations, hydrogen forms super-abundant vacancy complexes with plutonium, resulting in a bulk lattice contraction. Here, we use magnetization, X-ray, and neutron diffraction measurements to show that in addition to forming vacancy complexes, at least 30% of the H atoms bond with Pu to precipitate PuHx on the surface of the sample with x ∼ 1.9. We observe magnetic hysteresis loops below 40 K with magnetic remanence, consistent with ferromagnetic PuH1.9.
Snapshots of the South: Eudora Welty's Photography and Contested Images of Race

Best known for her Southern fiction, Eudora Welty began her career with the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. Her photographic “snapshots,” as she called them, served as a window into the Jim Crow South, focusing on the poor, Black, female experience and providing an image of the South that runs counter to public memory. Welty's photographs alter memories of the segregated South by allowing contemporary audiences to gaze upon the Black experience, highlighting positive experiences and emphasizing a shared history. This altered public memory allows for more possibilities of a shared past and the potential for healing. At the same time, this alteration is problematic because it undermines the reality of the suffering experienced by African Americans.
Generation of Acyl Nitroso Compounds by the Oxidation of N-Acyl Hydroxylamines with the Dessmartin Periodinane

Abstract The oxidation of hydroxamic acids, N-hydroxyureas and N-hydroxycarbamates with the Dess-Martin periodinane generates the corresponding acyl nitroso compounds that react with conjugated dienes to produce the corresponding cycloadducts.
Mortality Differences after Heart Transplantation in Patients Bridged with Balloon Pumps vs. Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Purpose To evaluate survival following orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) in patients supported with durable left ventricular assist devices (dLVAD) vs. intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) preoperatively. Methods and Materials Adult subjects undergoing primary OHT after mechanical circulatory support (MCS) from 1/2002 through 12/2011 were analyzed using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database. Generalized linear models were used to assess postoperative mortality based on treatment with IABP or dLVAD at the time of listing and at transplant. Results 1,576 patients were analyzed. The IABP group (n=320) required more inotropic (63.8% vs. 8.7%, p figure 1 ] Conclusions Data from UNOS suggests that despite shorter wait times, patients undergoing OHT following IABP support have higher inotropic and ventilatory support requirements at the time of transplantation and higher early postoperative mortality compared to those supported with dLVAD; however long-term survival is similar. The implications of organ selection, severity of illness, and the circumstances of MCS initiation require further investigation to determine an optimal algorithm for patients awaiting OHT who have failed inotropes.
The prevalence and characteristics of nerve compression symptoms in the general population

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the prevalence and intensity of nerve compression symptoms and to estimate the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the general population. A survey that included the Katz hand diagram, the Carpal Tunnel Instrument (CTI), and the Short Form-36 questionnaire was sent to 1,559 people. A short telephone survey was conducted to a random sample of 110 nonresponders to determine if they were systematically different from the responders. Of the responders 35.1% had a symptom severity (CTI subscale) score of > or =1.5. Of the responders and the nonresponders 23.2% and 14.5%, respectively, reported waking at least once per night with numbness; 37.3% of the responders and 33.6% of the nonresponders experienced pain in the hand at least once per day. As determined by the Katz hand diagrams, 58 (16.3%) of the responders had classic or probable distributions of symptoms (likely to have CTS) and 298 (83.7%) had possible and unlikely distributions. After correcting for nonresponders our lowest possible estimate of CTS prevalence in the general US population is 3.72%, indicating a larger pool of symptomatic people than previously reported.
Estimating the demand for energy and natural resource inputs: trade–offs in global properties

(1989). Estimating the demand for energy and natural resource inputs: trade–offs in global properties. Applied Economics: Vol. 21, No. 7, pp. 931-945.
Identification of invasive vegetation using hyperspectral remote sensing in the California Delta ecosystem

Abstract Estuaries are among the most invaded ecosystems on the planet. Such invasions have led in part, to the formation of a massive $1 billion restoration effort in California's Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. However, invasions of weeds into riparian, floodplain, and aquatic habitats threaten the success of restoration efforts within the watershed and jeopardize economic activities. The doctrine of early detection and rapid response to invasions has been adopted by land and water resource managers, and remote sensing is the logical tool of choice for identification and detection. However meteorological, physical, and biological heterogeneity in this large system present unique challenges to successfully detecting invasive weeds. We present three hyperspectral case studies which illustrate the challenges, and potential solutions, to mapping invasive weeds in wetland systems: 1) Perennial pepperweed was mapped over one portion of the Delta using a logistic regression model to predict weed occurrence. 2) Water hyacinth and 3) submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), primarily composed of Brazilian waterweed, were mapped over the entire Delta using a binary decision tree that incorporated spectral mixture analysis (SMA), spectral angle mapping (SAM), band indexes, and continuum removal products. Perennial pepperweed detection was moderately successful; phenological stage influenced detection rates. Water hyacinth was mapped with modest accuracies, and SAV was mapped with high accuracies. Perennial pepperweed and water hyacinth both exhibited significant spectral variation related to plant phenology. Such variation must be accounted for in order to optimally map these species, and this was done for the water hyacinth case study. Submerged aquatic vegetation was not mapped to the species level due to complex non-linear mixing problems between the water column and its constituents, which was beyond the scope of the current study. We discuss our study in the context of providing guidelines for future remote sensing studies of aquatic systems.
DF-DFT-SAPT Investigation of the Interaction of a Water Molecule to Coronene and Dodecabenzocoronene: Implications for the Water−Graphite Interaction

In the present study we revisit the problem of the interaction of a water molecule with a single graphite sheet. The density fitting-density functional theory-symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (DF-DFT-SAPT; J. Chem. Phys. 2005, 122, 014103) method is used to calculate the individual contributions arising from the interaction of a water molecule with various acenes, including benzene, coronene, and dodecabenzocoronene. These results are combined with calculations of the electrostatic interactions with water and a C216H36 acene to extrapolate to the limit of an infinite graphite sheet, giving a interaction energy of −2.2 kcal/mol for the water−graphite system, with the assumed geometrical structure with one hydrogen atom pointed down toward the ring system. The structure with two hydrogens pointed down is predicted to be more stable, with a net interaction energy of −2.7 kcal/mol.
Variations of the lattice constant and line width of x-ray reflections from manganese ferrite

Abstract Lattice constant and high angle X-ray reflection line width variations of manganese ferrite were measured. The samples were prepared at various oxygen pressures and temperatures within the one-phase stability field of the material. Measurements were made at high temperature and on quenched samples at room temperature. The lattice constant was found to decrease with increasing oxidation (higher average cation valence). The large value of the line width of the high angle reflections at room temperature decreased at high temperatures. This decrease is interpreted in terms of a disordering of the tetragonal distortion of the lattice due to the Jahn-Teller effect of trivalent manganese.
NEURAL NETWORK TECHNIQUES FOR A RUN II SEARCH 0F SINGLE TOP PRODUCTION AT CDF

At the Tevatron Collider it is possible to create single top quarks in the final state via either off mass shell W production (W*), or the W-gluon fusion process. The Standard Model predicts a production cross section of only a few picobarns. In addition, the backgrounds for single top production at large. The datasets collected during Run I at the Tevatron were not sufficiently large to extract the signal from the large W+jets background. In Run II at the Tevatron, we expect to collect 2 fb-1 of data, a twenty fold increase. We present here a method of searching for single top production using the Artificial Neural Network technique. We will describe the technique and present results based on Monte Carlo studies. We will demonstrate that the Neural Net approach is well suited for extracting the signal from a sample with a poor signal-to-background ratio.
Fictional Characters and Literary Practices

I argue that the ontological status of fictional characters is determined by the beliefs and practices of those who competently deal with works of literature, and draw out three important consequences of this. First, heavily revisionary theories cannot be considered as 'discoveries' about the 'true nature' of fictional characters; any acceptable realist theory of fiction must preserve all or most of the common conception of fictional characters. Second, once we note that the existence conditions for fictional characters (established by those beliefs and practices) are extremely minimal, it makes little sense to deny the existence of fictional characters, leaving anti-realist views of fiction unmotivated. Finally, the role of ordinary beliefs and practices in determining facts about the ontology of fictional characters explains why non-revisionary theories of fiction are bound to yield no determinate or precise answer to certain questions about fictional characters, demonstrating the limits of a theory of fiction.
Practical task-oriented parallelism for Gaussian elimination in distributed memory

Abstract This paper discusses a methodology for easily and efficiently parallelizing sequential algorithms in linear algebra using cost-effective networks of workstations (NOW), where the algorithm lends itself to parallelism. A particular target architecture of interest is the academic student laboratory, which typically contains many networked computers that lay idle at night. A case is made for why a task-oriented approach lends itself to the twin goals of programming ease and run-time efficiency. The approach is then described in the context of Task-Oriented Parallel C (TOP-C), an example of a system to support task-oriented parallelism. In this system, the programmer is relieved of lower level concerns such as latency, bandwidth, and message passing protocols, so as to better concentrate on higher level issues of task granularity and reduction of communication traffic. Gaussian elimination is chosen as the main example, since this algorithm is both widely used and sufficiently interesting to require non-trivial forms of parallelization for the sake of efficiency.
Withdrawing life support and resolution of conflict with families

What is the best way for the intensive care team to work with a family to decide on a plan of care when withdrawing or withholding life support? A high proportion of deaths in intensive care occur after withdrawal or withholding of life support. In a survey of critical care physicians, 85% of respondents had withheld or withdrawn life support in the preceding year.1 A US study showed a large increase in the proportion of deaths in intensive care that were preceded by a decision to withhold or withdraw life support, from 50% in 1987-88 to over 90% in 1992-93.2 In many countries, most deaths in intensive care are preceded by a decision to withdraw or withhold life support, 3 4w1-w4 although the proportion of deaths preceded by withdrawal versus withholding varies.4 Although limitation of life support before death is common in most intensive care units, there are wide variations in approaches to end of life care. 5 6w1 w5 w6 In a survey of 131 intensive care units in the United States, the proportion of deaths in which life support was withheld varied from 0% to 67% and the proportion of deaths after withdrawal of life support varied from 0% to 79%.5 These wide variations suggest the need for increased consensus on best practices for managing death in intensive care units. In this article, we review the empirical research that can guide physicians in deliberations over whether to withdraw life support, maximising patient and family involvement in the decision making process, and negotiating conflicts that may arise. We performed literature searches with PubMed using the index terms for critical care (“critical care” or “intensive care” or “mechanical ventilation”) and palliative care (“palliative care” or “end of life”). This gave 493 citations. We also …
Speeding up chemical searches using the inverted index: the convergence of chemoinformatics and text search methods.

In ligand-based screening, retrosynthesis, and other chemoinformatics applications, one often seeks to search large databases of molecules in order to retrieve molecules that are similar to a given query. With the expanding size of molecular databases, the efficiency and scalability of data structures and algorithms for chemical searches are becoming increasingly important. Remarkably, both the chemoinformatics and information retrieval communities have converged on similar solutions whereby molecules or documents are represented by binary vectors, or fingerprints, indexing their substructures such as labeled paths for molecules and n-grams for text, with the same Jaccard–Tanimoto similarity measure. As a result, similarity search methods from one field can be adapted to the other. Here we adapt recent, state-of-the-art, inverted index methods from information retrieval to speed up similarity searches in chemoinformatics. Our results show a several-fold speed-up improvement over previous methods for both ...
Conjugated 3,4 dihydroxy phenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) in human and monkey cerebrospinal fluid and rat brain and the effects of probenecid treatment.

Abstract Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to measure 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) in cerebrospinal fluid from humans and monkeys and in rat caudate nuclei. DOPAC was found to be present mainly in conjugated form. In human lumbar CSF the average concentration of total DOPAC before probenecid treatment was 1.48 ± 0.31 ng/ml; after probenecid it increased to 15.06 ± 3.17 ng/ml. This increase was mainly due to conjugated DOPAC but increases in free DOPAC also occurred. There is a relatively greater accumulation of DOPAC than of HVA, suggesting that in human CSF conjugated DOPAC may have a faster turnover rate than HVA. In monkey, ventricular CSF contained higher concentrations of DOPAC and HVA than did lumbar CSF. In rat brain, treatment with probenecid caused increases in DOPAC, HVA and their conjugates. These results suggest that DOPAC is conjugated in brain and that both compounds are removed from brain and CSF by a probenecid-sensitive acid transport system in the same manner as is HVA.
An escalating dose/multiple high-dose binge pattern of amphetamine administration results in differential changes in the extracellular dopamine response profiles in caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens

Amphetamine (AMPH)-induced psychosis is most frequently associated with a chronic high-dose "binge" or "run" pattern of stimulant abuse, generally preceded by a period of gradually escalating doses of the drug. We showed previously that animals subjected to such a regimen of AMPH administration developed, over multiple daily binges, a unique pattern of behavioral response that included a decrease in stereotypy and a pronounced increase in locomotion. Because of the involvement of mesolimbic and mesostriatal dopamine (DA) pathways in locomotion and stereotypy, respectively, we hypothesized that a persistent shift in the relative magnitude of caudate-putamen (CP) and nucleus accumbens (NAC) DA transmission may contribute to this altered behavioral profile. To test this hypothesis, we examined CP and NAC extracellular DA in response to multiple high-dose AMPH binges. Our results revealed that with multiple binges the CP DA response but not the NAC response developed a profound tolerance/tachyphylaxis to the drug-induced increase in extracellular transmitter. These differential regional response alterations seem to correspond to the shift in the relative expression of stereotypy and locomotion. We hypothesize that changes in DA synthesis, perhaps mediated by regionally specific adaptations in DA autoreceptor function, contribute to the differential extracellular transmitter response profiles, and suggest that these neurochemical changes may have important implications for the mechanisms underlying the addictive and psychotogenic properties of AMPH.
Abnormal cardiac function in children after renal transplantation

Abstract Background: Cardiac hypertrophy frequently is found in children with a renal transplant. In adults with a transplant, left ventricular (LV) mass (LVM) is associated with cardiac dysfunction. However, in children with a transplant, the relationship between LVM and LV function has not been evaluated. Methods: Twenty-nine children who underwent transplantation and 33 controls had echocardiographic evaluations during rest and peak exercise. LV contractility was determined based on the relation between heart rate-corrected velocity of circumferential fiber shortening and end-systolic wall stress. Contractile reserve was assessed by the difference between contractility at rest and peak exercise. Early diastole was assessed using indices of LV relaxation derived from transmitral and tissue Doppler and reported as maximal early (E wave) and late (A wave) wave ratio (E-A ratio) and septal mitral annular velocities (Em). Late diastole was determined using an index of LV compliance (E-Em ratio). Results: Compared with controls, children with a transplant had a significantly greater LVM index ( P P P P P = 0.03) and abnormal LV compliance (E-Em ratio; P = 0.02). Conclusion: Results show impaired cardiac structure and diastolic function in pediatric renal allograft recipients. This suggests that LVH may be a risk factor for diastolic dysfunction in these children.
Vibrio in the United States: Vibrio cholerae and Other Pathogenic Vibrios

Vibrio cholerae and its relatives are ubiquitous in the surface waters of the world. Endemic foci of V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus (among other Vibrio species) in the waters of the United States have led to a constant, although low, background of indigenous infections with these organisms. The experience with such infections following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita served as a reminder that these organisms can cause rapidly fatal infections, making timely identification paramount. Since they require special media for their isolation from stool and often require confirmatory testing, it is important for laboratory professionals to be aware of the challenges presented by these organisms. This review discusses the presence of V. cholerae and other Vibrio species in the United States, the types of infections caused by vibrios, and key tests needed to differentiate them from other genera of enteric bacteria and to identify the species.
Spatial Ability and Prenatal Androgens: Meta-Analyses of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and Digit Ratio (2D:4D) Studies

Hormonal manipulations indicate that early androgens organize sex differences in spatial ability in laboratory rats. In humans, spatial ability is also sexually dimorphic, and information about the effects of prenatal androgens on spatial ability can be obtained from studies of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and the ratio of the second and fourth finger lengths (2D:4D). CAH is characterized by prenatal overproduction of adrenal androgens and several lines of evidence suggest that 2D:4D reflects prenatal androgen exposure. Some studies have found that these proxy measures of prenatal androgens predict spatial ability, others have found no significant relationship, and yet others have obtained results in the opposite direction. In light of these mixed findings, we conducted meta-analyses of published literature and unpublished results to determine if, across studies, either of these indicators of prenatal androgens predicts performance on spatial tasks that show a male advantage. In addition, we applied a trim and fill analysis to the data in search of asymmetry that might be an indication of publication bias. Results indicated that females with CAH perform better on these spatial tasks, and CAH males perform worse, than do controls. Little or no relationship exists between 2D:4D and spatial ability. Implications for possible hormonal contributions and the developmental timing of sex differences in spatial cognition are discussed.
Strategies in Gene Therapy for Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain cancer, with a dismal prognosis and extremely low percentage of survivors. Novel therapies are in dire need to improve the clinical management of these tumors and extend patient survival. Genetic therapies for GBM have been postulated and attempted for the past twenty years, with variable degrees of success in pre-clinical models and clinical trials. Here we review the most common approaches to treat GBM by gene therapy, including strategies to deliver tumor-suppressor genes, suicide genes, immunomodulatory cytokines to improve immune response, and conditionally-replicating oncolytic viruses. The review focuses on the strategies used for gene delivery, including the most common and widely used vehicles (i.e., replicating and non-replicating viruses) as well as novel therapeutic approaches such as stem cell-mediated therapy and nanotechnologies used for gene delivery. We present an overview of these strategies, their targets, different advantages, and challenges for success. Finally, we discuss the potential of gene therapy-based strategies to effectively attack such a complex genetic target as GBM, alone or in combination with conventional therapy.
A Single-Copy Gene Encodes Kex1, a Serine Endoprotease of Pneumocystis jiroveci

We have cloned and characterized the kex1 gene of Pneumocystis jiroveci. Unlike the case for Pneumocystis carinii, in which the homologous PRT-1 genes are multicopy, kex1 is a single-copy gene encoding a protein homologous to fungal serine endoproteases, which localize to the Golgi apparatus. Thus, substantial biological differences can be seen among Pneumocystis species.
Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing Diabetes Self-Management Guidelines

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to examine primary care providers9 perceived challenges when implementing evidence-based diabetes self-management guidelines and opportunities for promoting the use of such guidelines in practice. Methods: We engaged 3 group discussions with 43 key stakeholders representing family physicians, medical directors, and quality assurance leaders in a large, university-affiliated, integrated health care organization in Central Texas. Transcripts from group discussions were summarized using thematic content analysis. Results: Key themes that emerged as challenges of implementing evidence-based diabetes self-management guidelines included lack of easily retrievable electronic patient health information, inadequate coordination with other health care providers when implementing guidelines, conflict between information in the guidelines and physicians9 knowledge, and physician compensation by patient load rather than by quality of care. Two main opportunities identified were the use of health coaches or nurses trained in diabetes self-management and active collaboration between practicing providers and key stakeholders in the development and dissemination of guidelines. Conclusion: Our study shows a need for involving front-line family physicians and other primary care providers as well as patients in the design and development of best practice guidelines to enhance implementation of diabetes self-management guidelines in primary care settings.
Dominant-negative mutants of a toxin subunit: An approach to therapy of anthrax

The protective antigen moiety of anthrax toxin translocates the toxin's enzymic moieties to the cytosol of mammalian cells by a mechanism that depends on its ability to heptamerize and insert into membranes. We identified dominant-negative mutants of protective antigen that co-assemble with the wild-type protein and block its ability to translocate the enzymic moieties across membranes. These mutants strongly inhibited toxin action in cell culture and in an animal intoxication model, suggesting that they could be useful in therapy of anthrax.
At the Nexus of New Challenges: China’s Leadership Change and Cross-Strait Relations

China’s 2012 leadership change revealed signs of factional divide at the top level. The elitist/princeling faction has outnumbered the populist faction. Princelings have better and stronger ties with the military, which tends to have a more hawkish view regarding any potential Taiwan independence. In Taiwan, changing social experiences have created a new Taiwanese identity, which is different from that of the Chinese. People in Taiwan are increasingly thinking of themselves as Taiwanese instead of Chinese. On the mainland, Chinese popular nationalism has been on the rise, as anti-Taiwan independence remains one of the most nationalistic issues. When the forces of new identity and nationalism meet each other, a diverging path regarding the future of Taiwan is being created. Moreover, China’s economic and military power continues to rise, giving China more confidence. I argue that the overall effect is that China’s new leadership will increasingly have the capability to act tougher against any potential Taiwanese independence. The potential need to act tougher with Taiwan may be beyond the desire and control of Chinese elites due to the rise of popular nationalism in China and the leadership’s need to maintain internal legitimacy and survival.
Redundancy of exchangeable estimators

Exchangeable random partition processes provide a framework for statistical inference in large alphabet scenarios from a Bayesian perspective. On the other hand, the notion of the pattern of a sequence provides a framework for data compression in large alphabet scenarios. Owing to the relationship between data compression and parameter estimation, both these approaches are related. Motivated by the possibilities of cross-fertilization, we examine the redundancy of Bayes estimators (specifically those that emerge from the “Chinese restaurant processes”) in the setting of unknown discrete alphabets from a universal compression point of view. In particular, we identify relations between alphabet sizes and sample sizes where the redundancy is small- and hence, characterize useful regimes for these estimators.
The Sisterhood of Boa Morte in Brazil: Harmonious Mixture, Black Resistance, and the Politics of Religious Practice

Este artigo analisa a relacao entre politica e religiao no Reconcavo Baiano, regiao do Nordeste brasileiro, a partir da observacao da festa afro-catolica da Irmandade da Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte. No Brasil, religioes de origem africana tem sido consideradas exemplos idealizados de mistura cultural, especialmente quando combinadas as tradicoes europeias. Entretanto, e mais recentemente, militantes que lutam contra desigualdades raciais tem tomado estas mesmas praticas religiosas como simbolos de resistencia cultural. Enquanto os politicos da elite invocam a Irmandade como simbolo de mistura harmoniosa, militantes anti-racista a interpretam como demonstracao de resistencia negra a dominacao. Neste contexto, o artigo investiga de que modo as praticantes interpretam esta apropriacao simbolica em torno de suas praticas religiosas. Especificamente, examino de que modo as irmas da Boa Morte se utilizam destes dois discursos, o da mistura harmoniosa e o da resistencia negra, para o beneficio de seus proprios objetivos. This article focuses on the intersection of religion and politics in the Reconcavo region of the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil. African-derived religions, particular practices that combine African and European traditions, have long been cited as examples of the Brazilian ideal of cultural mixture. More recently, however, activists struggling against racial inequality have sought to claim African-derived religions as emblems of cultural defiance. Focusing on the Afro-Catholic festival of the Sisterhood of Our Lady of Boa Morte in the state of Bahia, I investigate how elite politicians invoke this sisterhood as a symbol of harmonious cultural and racial mixture while antiracist activists simultaneously claim it as an emblem of black resistance. Against this backdrop, I explore how practitioners have responded to and engaged politicized representations of their religion. In particular, I examine how the sisters of Boa Morte negotiate the discourses of harmonious mixture and black resistance for their own purposes.
Incest and other harms to daughters across cultures: Maternal complicity and patriarchal power

Abstract This article addresses the problematic position of mothers who know that their daughters are being sexually abused. Departing from the medical and psychiatric approaches that focus on the mother’s individual psychology or on the family system in incest, this article ranges across history and culture to examine the structural context of other instances where mothers participate in or have participated in harm to their daughters: footbinding, female genital mutilation, female infanticide, and the abortion of female fetuses. Though conducted in private, each of these practices is maintained by certain kinds of public knowledge and acceptance. All of these practices are closely connected with women’s survival in families within the intergenerational context of male domination. This exploration suggests that mothers’ participation in harm to their daughters needs to be considered within the broader context of power in their families and in the culture at large.
WALRAS'S LAW IN MACROECONOMIC DISEQUILIBRIUM*

Does Walras's Law hold in general disequilibrium? This note finds in the affirmative. Against a depression's unmistakably effective excess supplies of goods and services stands an effective excess demand for money. Expressed in terms of effective excess demands, Walras's Law, far from the equilibrium condition that some writers portray, is a tool of disequilibrium analysis. The Law reminds us how effective and notional demands diverge in the first place and why any apparent failure of effective demand for currently produced output stems from attempts to hold cash balances adding up to more money than actually exists. Copyright 1986 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd/University of Adelaide and Flinders University of South Australia
Readability of Spine-Related Patient Education Materials From Leading Orthopedic Academic Centers.

STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of online spine-related patient education materials from leading academic centers. OBJECTIVE To assess the readability levels of spine surgery-related patient education materials available on the websites of academic orthopedic surgery departments. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The Internet is becoming an increasingly popular resource for patient education. Yet many previous studies have found that Internet-based orthopedic-related patient education materials from subspecialty societies are written at a level too difficult for the average American; however, no prior study has assessed the readability of spine surgery-related patient educational materials from leading academic centers. METHODS All spine surgery-related articles from the online patient education libraries of the top five US News & World Report-ranked orthopedic institutions were assessed for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. Mean readability levels of articles amongst the five academic institutions and articles were compared. We also determined the number of articles with readability levels at or below the recommended sixth- or eight-grade levels. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability of readability assessment were assessed. RESULTS A total of 122 articles were reviewed. The mean overall FK grade level was 11.4; the difference in mean FK grade level between each department varied significantly (range, 9.3-13.4; P < 0.0001). Twenty-three articles (18.9%) had a readability level at or below the eighth grade level, and only one (0.8%) was at or below the sixth grade level. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability were both excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient of 1 for both). CONCLUSION Online patient education materials related to spine from academic orthopedic centers are written at a level too high for the average patient, consistent with spine surgery-related patient education materials provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and spine subspecialty societies. This study highlights the potential difficulties patients might have in reading and comprehending the information in publicly available education materials related to spine. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE N/A.
Hydrocarbon condensation in horizontal smooth tubes: Part I – Measurements

Abstract This paper presents the results from an experimental investigation of propane condensing inside horizontal tubes at three mass fluxes, two tube diameters and reduced pressures of 0.25–0.95. These conditions represent the saturation pressures and mass fluxes of most interest to the process and HVACR notably, all correlations perform increasingly poorly at higher reduced pressures. Also, no correlation from the literature adequately predicts the frictional pressure drops measured in this study. In the companion paper, Part II, the heat transfer and pressure drop results from this paper are used to develop correlations applicable to a wide range of operating conditions.
High-Temperature Anisotropic Magnetoresistive (AMR) Sensors

Magnetic field sensors are employed in downhole oil and gas well drilling applications for azimuth sensing, orientation/rotation sensing, and magnetic anomaly detection. As the wells get deeper there is demand from industry to increase the operating temperature from ~175°C to ~225°C and higher. We have extended the operating regimen of silicon-based anisotropic magnetoresistive sensors to higher temperatures to address this demand. The low-frequency minimum detectable field of these sensors monotonically increases with increasing temperature. At room temperature it is 2.2 μG/√Hz@1 Hz reaching a value of 26 μG/√Hz@1 Hz at 225°C. Signal and noise density both increase with increasing sensor bias voltage such that low-frequency signal-to-noise ratio does not vary in the bias voltage range of 2.5–10 V. We achieve excellent linearity of transfer function in the ±0.8 Gauss range in a closed-loop configuration. Deviation from linearity increases monotonically with increasing temperature but remains <0.002% of fu...
Primary High-Grade Osteosarcoma of the Clivus: A Case Report and Literature Review

Background Osteosarcoma is the second most common primary tumor of the skeletal system and the most common primary bone tumor. Usually occurring at the metaphysis of long bones, osteosarcomas are highly aggressive lesions that comprise osteoid-producing spindle cells. Craniofacial osteosarcomas comprise Case Description A 29-year-old man presented to our institution with a progressively worsening right frontal headache for 3 weeks. There were no sensory or cranial nerve deficits. Computed tomography revealed a destructive mass involving the clivus with extension into the left sphenoid sinus. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a homogenously enhancing lesion measuring 2.7 × 2.5 × 3.2 cm. The patient underwent endonasal transphenoidal surgery for gross total resection. The histopathologic analysis revealed proliferation of malignant-appearing spindled and epithelioid cells with associated osteoclast-like giant cells and a small area of osteoid production. The analysis was consistent with high-grade osteosarcoma. The patient did well and was discharged on postoperative day 2. He was referred for adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Two-year follow-up showed postoperative changes and clival expansion caused by packing material. Conclusions Osteosarcoma is a highly malignant neoplasm. These lesions are usually found in the extremities; however, they may rarely present in the craniofacial region. Clival osteosarcomas are relatively infrequent. We present a case of a primary clival osteosarcoma with high-grade pathology.
33. Arnold’s the Scholar-Gypsy and Thyrsis

(1957). 33. Arnold’s the Scholar-Gypsy and Thyrsis. The Explicator: Vol. 15, No. 5, pp. 75-79.
“NextGen” Biologics: Bispecific Antibodies and Emerging Clinical Results

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Bispecific antibodies (BsAb) are emerging as a novel approach for dual targeting strategies. Two bispecific antibodies are approved for therapy and >30 are in clinical development. The first generation of BsAb were produced by chemical cross-linking or hybridoma technology; with the recent advent of genetic and protein engineering technologies numerous formats of bispecific antibodies have emerged using either the fragments of IgG or whole IgG molecules. Further areas of development include dual blockade of different disease pathways, diagnosis and imaging.Areas covered: Biologics, including bi- or multi-specific antibodies and T cell-based approaches are rapidly changing the landscape of cancer therapeutics. New engineering platforms for bi- or multi-specific antibodies and scaffolds offer improved efficacy and reduced toxicities over IgG-based monoclonal antibodies. Preclinical and clinical studies using different formats of BsAbs are described in this review using PubMed as a lite...
Regional Integration vs. Globalization: A Social Network Analysis of the Trade Within and Outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

According to its treaty, one of the main objectives of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is to achieve “development and economic growth” through regional integration. However, by the time it was created in 1992, the powerful wind of globalization was already blowing across the continent and the whole world, removing or lowering trade barriers everywhere. Analyzing the trade within and outside SADC, the purpose of this study is to find out whether the SADC member states are integrated more to their regional organization than to the global economy (or globalized), and whether they are forming among themselves a single community or different clusters. Using basic statistical analysis along with social network analysis, this study finds that the SADC member states trade more with partners outside their organization than among themselves; and, that South Africa, the European Union, and -- to a lesser extent -- China, occupy the central position in the trade network within and outside SADC. Finally, this study also reveals that instead of forming a single community, the SADC member states are actually divided into two major clusters revolving around South Africa and the European Union.
Collaborative Practice Patterns for Included Students among Elementary Educators and Speech and Language Pathologists

Models of collaboration between education professionals extol the advantages of inclusive classrooms and encourage Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) and General Education Teachers (GETs) to apply the practice. However, instruction in a general education classroom may conflict with the therapeutic process, as the roles of the two professionals differ and skilled co-teaching poses implementation challenges. In this study we sought to discern the current practice trends occurring in classrooms in our area. We surveyed SLPs and GETs from several NJ public schools on their practices, preferences, and opinions regarding collaboration in treating and instructing children with speech and language problems.
Robert Ascher: Archaeologist, Sculptor, Filmmaker

I came to know Bob Ascher quite well over a span of 46 years and yet I am somewhat at a loss when it comes to conveying an adequate sense of his persona and a remarkable career characterized by hig...
Real Time Detecting Method for PLL-less Three-phase Active Current Detection of DFT

The effectiveness of single-phase and three-phase detection method based on instantaneous reactive power theory and Fourier transformer is limited by phase lock loop's(PLL) signal error.The detecting methods without PLL are difficult to detect active and reactive current of fundamental frequency.A PLL-less three-phase detecting method is presented to detect active,reactive and harmonics currents using iteration DFT.This kind of detecting method has strong immunity to voltage distortion.αβ transformer is used to transform three-phase into two-phase,and α-axis and β-axis components are combined into a complex.Positive sequence component can be obtained by iteration DFT.And the power factor can be obtained according to the phase difference of voltage and current.Active and reactive currents can be detected by above process.Theory analysis and results of simulation prove the validity of this method.