cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lesinurad combination therapy with allopurinol in gout: do CLEAR studies make the treatment of gout clearer?

In his recent editorial commenting on the Combining Lesinurad with Allopurinol in Inadequate Responders studies,1 Dr Singh provides a thorough overview of the phase 3 trials demonstrating the efficacy and safety of lesinurad given in combination with allopurinol for the treatment of gout in patients who do not reach serum uric acid goal on …
TrkA Bumps into Its Future Self.

In neurons, correct targeting of receptors to the axon is critical for cell survival and circuit formation. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Yamashita et al. (2017) report that the ER-resident phosphatase PTP1B is required to prime TrkA for axonal transport.
An Application of Search Theory in Medicine: The Detection of Glaucoma

There is substantial medical interest in improving screening and monitoring of large populations for the presence of diseases such as cancer, hypertension, and glaucoma for which prognosis is much better with early detection. Operations research models can play a role in the design and evaluation of screening programs (Klein and Kirch [1974], Nichols and Weinstein [1978], Rabin and Kolesar [1978], and Schwartz [1978]). The nature of these problems suggests that the concepts or methods of search and screening theory might be useful, and we illustrate this with an application of search theory to the detection of glaucoma.
SEDIMENTARY ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF LONG ISLAND SOUND, USA WITH MULTIVARIATE STATISTICS

ABSTRACT A multivariate statistical strategy, which reduces the sample-variable matrix to a set of interpretable graphical relationships, was used to maximize the environmental information extracted from bottom-sediment, grain-size data for Long Island Sound, USA. The weight-percent whole phi variables were tested for redundancy using R-mode cluster analysis. Q-mode cluster analysis partitioned 57 traverse samples into five facies. This classification was extended to the other 171 samples through discriminant analysis. Ordination was employed to depict the gradational relationships among the samples and facies, and to observe significant environmental and textural parameter gradients within the sample space. Interpretations obtained with the ordination and with other standard techniques were tested by comparing the facies map with the distribution of known environmental phenomena. Five environmentally significant facies were determined for Long Island Sound with the described strategy. These facies are: (1) clayey silt, (2) sandy-clayey silt, (3) silty-clayey sand, (4) silty sand, and (5) sands, which contain individually some-what dissimilar samples. The sand and silty-sand facies are restricted to shoal areas and the margins of the Sound. Most of Long Island Sound, however, is blanketed by sediments which contain a high portion of silt-sized particles. A scarcity of sediment sources is suggested by the fine nature of the sediment.
Fundamentals of Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy

With the advent of minimally invasive surgery, an increasing number of surgeons have incorporated this approach into their esophageal surgery practice. Recent evidence suggests improved patient outcomes without compromised oncologic results with minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE). In addition to considering the operative approach, it is imperative to remember that the multidisciplinary and well-orchestrated care of the esophageal cancer patient begins in the clinic with the first meeting, extends into the operating room and recovery period, and continues with a surveillance program that emphasizes quality of life.
Neutron activation analysis of the NIST Bovine Serum Standard Reference Material using chemical separations

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology is currently in the process of certifying a Bovine Serum Standard Reference Material. In addition to elements normally considered to be of clinical interest, a number of other elements, which are analytically more difficult to determine yet are of importance from either a nutritional or toxicological viewpoint, are being determined by a variety of analytical techniques. Neutron activation analysis in combination with appropriate pre- or post-irradiation chemical separations, has been used to determine many of these difficult elements.
Nutritional programming in fishes: insights from mammalian studies

Epidemiological evidence and subsequent studies using mammalian models have established a strong correlation between suboptimal nutritional status during early life and predisposition to metabolic diseases later, such as permanent growth retardation and impairment of neural development and key metabolic pathways. This phenomenon, termed nutritional programming or metabolic programming, is beginning to be studied in fishes. Despite important differences in maternal nutrient delivery and developmental processes between mammals and fishes, early nutrition of fishes from both endogenous (maternally derived) and exogenous (larval feeding) sources, could induce similar programming effects on development and metabolism. Documented programming effects in fishes include: growth, survival, brain development, and nutrient metabolism. These programming effects could be mediated through altered metabolic pathways and/or epigenetic regulation of gene expression during a critical window when organisms exhibit high plasticity in development. As a result, nutritional programming could be employed as a strategy in aquaculture to promote sustainable feeding strategies. In addition, this critical window overlaps with high mortality during the early life stages. This means programming effects could potentially translate into measurable consequences for the dynamics of wild populations. Given the wide variety of metabolic consequences of programming and the diversity of fishes, many important questions remain unanswered. This report summarizes research from mammalian and fish models and identifies knowledge gaps and priority areas for research into nutritional programming in fishes.
The role of social cohesion in addressing the impact of COVID-19 on mental health within marginalized communities

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted Black and other minority communities. While government aid has offered temporary assistance to vulnerable individuals suffering economic hardsh...
Disassembly Study of Ultrasonically Welded Thermoplastic Composite Joints via Resistance Heating

This manuscript explores the disassembly potential of ultrasonically welded thermoplastic composite joints for reuse or recycling through resistance heating via a nanocomposite film located at the welded interface. Nanocomposite films containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were characterized for thermo-electrical behavior to assess self-heating. It was generally observed that maximum temperature increased with MWCNT and film thickness. To demonstrate potential for disassembly, glass fiber/polypropylene adherends were welded with nanocomposite films. Shear stress during disassembly was measured for three initial adherend’s surface temperatures. It was found that the required tensile load decreased by over 90% at the highest temperatures, effectively demonstrating the potential for disassembly via electrically conductive films. Fracture surfaces suggested that disassembly was facilitated through a combination of nanocomposite and matrix melting and weakened fiber–matrix interface. Limitations, such as slow heating rates and the loss of contact at the interface, imply that the method could be more suited for recycling, instead of repair and reuse, as the heat-affected zone extended through the adherends’ thickness at the overlap during heating.
Mitotic Kinases Choreograph Receptor Storage and Redistribution During Asymmetric Cell Division

Endosomal trafficking of receptors and associated proteins plays a critical role in signal processing. Until recently, it was thought that trafficking was shut down during cell division. Thus, remarkably, the regulation of trafficking during division remains poorly characterized. Here we delineate the role of mitotic kinases in receptor trafficking during asymmetric division. Targeted perturbations reveal that Cyclin Dependent Kinase 1 (CDK1) and Aurora Kinase promote storage of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors (FGFRs) by suppressing endosomal degradation and recycling pathways. As cells progress through metaphase, loss of CDK1 activity permits differential degradation and targeted recycling of stored receptors, leading to asymmetric induction. Mitotic receptor storage, as delineated in this study, may facilitate rapid reestablishment of signaling competence in nascent daughter cells. However, mutations that limit or enhance the release of stored signaling components could alter daughter cell fate or behavior thereby promoting oncogenesis.
What are the pathologies of nonlesional epilepsy: One pathologist’s perspective?

Surgery is a well established option in treating patients with medically intractable epilepsy. Better outcomes are achieved in surgical candidates who have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions present prior to surgery. In a minority of cases, no discernible MRI lesion is evident prior to surgery (nonlesional). The most commonly documented histopathologic findings in this clinical setting are focal cortical dysplasias, nonspecific gliosis, hippocampal sclerosis and no identifiable light microscopic alteration. There are a number of potential explanations for the absence of light microscopic findings in a subset of MRI-negative or nonlesional epilepsy patients related to the surgical resection being off-target, pathologic tissue sampling, interobserver and intraobserver variability in the diagnosis of certain pathologies, evolving pathology and lesions that are beyond light microscopic detection. This paper reviews the definition of nonlesional epilepsy, the pathologies encountered in this setting, possible explanations for the absence of apparent light microscopic abnormalities in some cases, and future directions.
Bell system R&D activities: The impact of divestiture

Abstract Divestiture of the US Bell System in 1984 caused concern about the future of research and development activities conducted at Bell Labs. This article 4describes the history of R&D in the Bell System, and in the organizations which have been formed since divestiture, and looks at likely future trends in research. In terms of both staffing and funding levels, no major changes have occurred as a result of divestiture. However, competitive pressures on AT&T may cause AT&T Bell Labs to be more secretive and proprietary about its research. There is also cause for concern about the stability of funding levels. Vigilance is warranted for the future.
Protein Structure Classification

The molecular basis of life rests on the activity of large biological macromolecules, including nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. Although each plays an essential role in life, there is something special about proteins, as they are the lead performers of cellular functions. As a response, structural molecular biology has emerged as a new line of experimental research focused on revealing the structure of these bio-molecules. This branch of biology has recently experienced a major uplift through the development of high-throughput structural studies aimed at developing a comprehensive view of the protein structure universe. Although these studies are generating a wealth of information that are stored into protein structure databases, the key to their success lies in our ability to organize and analyze the information contained in those databases, and to integrate that information with other efforts aimed at solving the mysteries behind cell functions. In this survey, the first step behind any such organization scheme, namely the classification of protein structures, is described. The properties of protein structures, with special attention to their geometry, are reviewed. Computer methods for the automatic comparison and classification of these structures are then reviewed along with the existing classifications of protein structures and their applications in biology, with a special focus on computational biology. The chapter concludes the review with a discussion of the future of these classifications.
Antiangiogenic Therapies and Extracranial Metastasis in Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

We present a case report of a patient with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) complicated by extracranial metastasis (ECM) whose survival of nearly four years surpassed the anticipated life expectancy given numerous negative prognostic factors including EGFRvIII-mutation, unmethylated MGMT promoter status, and ECM. Interestingly, while this patient suffered from locally aggressive disease with multiple intracranial recurrences, the proximal cause of death was progressive extracranial disease and complications related to pulmonary metastases. Herein, we review potential mechanisms of ECM with an emphasis upon glioblastoma molecular and genetic profiles and the potential implications of targeted agents such as bevacizumab.
Investigation of nitric oxide adsorption on Zr(0001)

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO, 15 N 18 O ) adsorption on Zr(0 0 0 1) surfaces is studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). The results of our TPD experiments imply that subsurface oxygen and hydrogen are involved in surface reactions during heating, resulting in water and ammonia evolution. NO exposure shifts the Zr(MNV) AES feature by 2 eV indicating a change in oxidation state of +1 after adsorption. A superstructure (1×1) LEED pattern is observed after annealing, and is attributed to residual nitrogen at or near the surface.
Novel Targeted Agents in Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Therapy

There has been a recent emergence of novel targeted agents for treatment of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In particular, antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates directed against surface antigens, agents that block immune checkpoint pathways, and small molecule inhibitors directed against cell signaling pathways have shown significant promise in patients with relapsed and refractory disease and in the frontline setting. With the development of these new therapies, cytotoxic chemotherapy may be avoided entirely in some clinical settings. This review will present the latest information on these novel treatments in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and will discuss both recently approved agents as well as drugs currently being studied in clinical trials.
Critical research issues in development of biomathematical models of fatigue and performance

This article reviews the scientific research needed to ensure the continued development, validation, and operational transition of biomathematical models of fatigue and performance. These models originated from the need to ascertain the formal underlying relationships among sleep and circadian dynamics in the control of alertness and neurobehavioral performance capability. Priority should be given to research that further establishes their basic validity, including the accuracy of the core mathematical formulae and parameters that instantiate the interactions of sleep/wake and circadian processes. Since individuals can differ markedly and reliably in their responses to sleep loss and to countermeasures for it, models must incorporate estimates of these inter-individual differences, and research should identify predictors of them. To ensure models accurately predict recovery of function with sleep of varying durations, dose-response curves for recovery of performance as a function of prior sleep homeostatic load and the number of days of recovery are needed. It is also necessary to establish whether the accuracy of models is affected by using work/rest schedules as surrogates for sleep/wake inputs to models. Given the importance of light as both a circadian entraining agent and an alerting agent, research should determine the extent to which light input could incrementally improve model predictions of performance, especially in persons exposed to night work, jet lag, and prolonged work. Models seek to estimate behavioral capability and/or the relative risk of adverse events in a fatigued state. Research is needed on how best to scale and interpret metrics of behavioral capability, and incorporate factors that amplify or diminish the relationship between model predictions of performance and risk outcomes.
Receptor and Transduction Processes for Umami Taste

The unique taste of umami argues for a specific receptor at the taste cell level. The taste synergism between monosodium glutamate (MSG) and certain 5'-ribonucleotides provides a pharmacologic test for hypothetical mechanisms of umami taste. Early neurophysiologic and biochemical studies demonstrated specific recognition of L-glutamate by taste tissue and suggested that the synergism found with certain 5'-ribonucleotides was due to a peripheral event. The search for a receptor for umami relies at present on the data in the literature on central nervous system (CNS) glutamate receptors. These data distinguish several classes of receptors on the bases of pharmacologic properties and mode of action. Two hypotheses now seek to explain umami taste transduction. One states that umami is transduced by an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate ion channel receptor, the other that this taste is transduced via a metabotropic-type glutamate receptor. Evidence for the first hypothesis derives from earlier reconstitution studies, revealing a glutamate-stimulated ion channel conductance whose kinetics were affected by 5'-ribonucleotides. Additional evidence is provided from more recent calcium-imaging and patch-clamp studies, both showing that an ionotropic-type receptor on rodent taste cells mediates glutamate-induced depolarization. Evidence for the second mechanism derives from studies that located the message for an metabotropic-type (mGluR4) receptor to rat taste buds, and from whole-cell patch-clamp recordings that revealed sustained cellular conductances to glutamate and an mGluR4 agonist. It appears likely that both mechanisms are involved in umami taste transduction, suggesting the possibility that reception and transduction of the umami signal constitute a collective property of a number of cells within the taste bud.
Corrigendum to ``Pleistocene megafauna from eastern Beringia: Paleoecological and paleoenvironmental interpretations of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope and radiocarbon records'' [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 261 (2008) 30-46]

Corrigendum to “Pleistocene megafauna from eastern Beringia: Paleoecological and paleoenvironmental interpretations of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope and radiocarbon records” [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 261 (2008) 30–46] Kena Fox-Dobbs ⁎, Paul L. Koch b a Department of Geology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA 98416, United States b Paul L. Koch, Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064, United States
Functional Outcome Following Salvage of Failed Trapeziometacarpal Joint Arthroplasty

The outcomes in 12 patients who underwent revision surgery for a failed trapeziometacarpal joint arthroplasty were assessed. Multiple procedures were common (an average of 4.5 per patient), and associated with an overall complication rate of 27%. However, after an average follow-up of 5 years, nine of the 12 patients reported improved function and ability to complete normal daily tasks. Most patients were satisfied with their level of pain relief, their grip and pinch strength, and their overall final result. The subjective outcome was less satisfactory in those involved in workers' compensation litigation. All seven attempted scaphoid-thumb metacarpal fusions failed.
Overcoming the odds: access to care for immigrant children in working poor families in California.

Objectives: To explore the extent to which, among working poor families, uninsured immigrant children experience more barriers to care than uninsured nonimmigrants, and compare these differences to those of insured children. Methods: We used data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, a randomized, population-based telephone survey conducted from November 2000 through September 2001. Financial and nonfinancial access to health care and utilization of health services were examined for 3,978 nonimmigrant and 462 immigrant children and adolescents under the age of 18 years. We compared differences in crude rates across four subgroups (insured immigrants, uninsured immigrants, insured nonimmigrants, uninsured nonimmigrants) and in adjusted models controlling for socioeconomic and immigration characteristics, parental language, health status, and other demographic factors. Results: More immigrant than nonimmigrant children lacked health insurance at the time of the interview (44% vs. 17%, p < 0.0001). Among the uninsured, immigrants had higher odds of perceiving discrimination (11% vs. 5%, p < 0.05) and postponing emergency room (ER) (16% vs. 7%, p < 0.05) and dental care (40% vs. 30%, p < 0.05) after controlling for covariates. Among the insured, immigrants fared worse on almost every access and utilization outcome. Among insured immigrants, child and parent undocumented status and having a non-English-speaking parent contributed to missed physician and ER visits. Conclusions: Disparities in access and use remain for immigrant poor children despite public insurance eligibility expansions. Insurance does not guarantee equitable health care access and use for undocumented children. Financial and nonfinancial barriers to health care for immigrant children must be removed if we are to address disparities among minority children.
Compensation effects in the complexation reactions of α‐ and β‐cyclodextrin

Analysis of temperature dependent equilibrium constant data for the complexation of α-cyclodextrin with approximately 70 different substrates demonstrates the existence of a general compensation effect. Enthalpies (kJ mol−1) and entropies (J K−1 mol−1) of complexation are related by ΔH = −5·70(±0·05) + [421·1(±1·2)]ΔS. A few substrates deviate from the general effect, possibly owing to reorganization of internal hydrogen bonding interactions. Complexation reactions involving β-cyclodextrin are found to divide into two groups. Eleven small molecule or ion substrates undergo isoentropic complexations with ΔS = −5·7±2 J K−1 mol−1. Fourteen larger substrate species exhibit a compensation effect with ΔH = −23·5(±0·2) + [634(±26)]ΔS. The compensation behavior of the two cyclodextrins is discussed in terms of bonding mechanisms and cavity size.
Random-phase calculation of the low-energy circular dichroism in glucans.

The CD of the long-wavelength electronic transition in the α-(1 4)-linked glucan dimer (maltose) and polymer (amylose), and in the β-(1 6)-linked dimer (gentiobiose) and polymer (pustulan), are calculated in the random-phase approximation using time-dependent Hartree theory. This long-wavelength transition (180–190 nm) is assumed to be localized on the linkage oxygen atom and to be of a σ*/3 s n character. The zerothorder σ*/3s n magnetic-dipole transition moment is coupled to the CC, CO, and CH bond density of states via a polarizability approximation. We assume this coupling is dominated energetically by the electric-dipole, electric-dipole interaction terms in the context of Schellman's μe-μm coupling mechanism of rotatory power. The CD is calculated as a function of rotation about the two single bonds of the linkage oxygen atom and also as a function of rotation about the C(5)-C(6) bond. For maltose, four rotational isomers are considered, resulting from combinations of the gg and gt C(6)H2OH group rotational isomers. The calculated CD values were then Boltzmann-averaged over an empirical potential, and the resulting CD was found to compare satisfactorily with experiment. In the case of the polymers, only structures having periodicity (helicity) were examined.
Genus and the geometry of the cut graph

We study the quantitative geometry of graphs in terms of their genus, using the structure of certain "cut graphs," i.e. subgraphs whose removal leaves a planar graph. In particular, we give optimal bounds for random partitioning schemes, as well as various types of embeddings. Using these geometric primitives, we present exponentially improved dependence on genus for a number of problems like approximate max-flow/min-cut theorems, approximations for uniform and nonuniform Sparsest Cut, treewidth approximation, Laplacian eigenvalue bounds, and Lipschitz extension theorems and related metric labeling problems.We list here a sample of these improvements. All the following statements refer to graphs of genus g, unless otherwise noted.• We show that such graphs admit an O(log g)-approximate multi-commodity max-flow/min-cut theorem for the case of uniform demands. This bound is optimal, and improves over the previous bound of O(g) [KPR93, FT03]. For general demands, we show that the worst possible gap is O(log g + CP), where CP is the gap for planar graphs. This dependence is optimal, and already yields a bound of O(log g + √log n), improving over the previous bound of O(√g log n) [KLMN04].• We give an O(√log g)-approximation for the uniform Sparsest Cut, balanced vertex separator, and treewidth problems, improving over the previous bound of O(g) [FHL05].• If a graph G has genus g and maximum degree D, we show that the kth Laplacian eigenvalue of G is (log g)2 · O(kgD/n), improving over the previous bound of g2·O(kgD/n) [KLPT09]. There is a lower bound of Ω(kgD/n), making this result almost tight.• We show that if (X, d) is the shortest-path metric on a graph of genus g and S ⊆ X, then every L-Lipschitz map f: S → Z into a Banach space Z admits an O(L log g)-Lipschitz extension f: X → Z. This improves over the previous bound of O(Lg) [LN05], and compares to a lower bound of Ω(L√log g). In a related way, we show that there is an O(log g)-approximation for the 0-extension problem on such graphs, improving over the previous O(g) bound.• We show that every n-vertex shortest-path metric on a graph of genus g embeds into L2 with distortion O(log g + √log n), improving over the previous bound of O(√g log n). Our result is asymptotically optimal for every dependence g = g(n).
Theory of Finite Nuclei

A theory of finite nuclei is formulated, based on the reaction-matrix theory of the nuclear many-body system. The reaction matrix appropriate to the finite nucleus is in the exact theory determined by the solution of coupled Hartree-Fock and reaction-matrix self consistency problems. This formal procedure is extremely difficult to carry out; the finite-nucleus reaction matrix has instead been approximated by the reaction matrix appropriate to the local density, which is a nonlocal coordinate space operator ($\mathrm{r}|K|{\mathrm{r}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$). It is shown that this approximation is equivalent to the assumption that a finite nucleus has the same short-range correlation structure as nuclear matter.The formalism used to determine ($\mathrm{r}|K|{\mathrm{r}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$) from the results previously obtained in the study of nuclear matter is derived, and the methods used in explicit evaluation are described. The numerical results discussed are based on the phenomenological two-body potentials of Gammel and Thaler which give an excellent description of all scattering data up to 300 Mev. The operator ($\mathrm{r}|K|{\mathrm{r}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$) obtained shows marked nonlocality for $r$ and ${r}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ less than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ cm. That this is largely associated with the repulsive cores in the potentials is shown by a simple analytic approximation to ($\mathrm{r}|K|{\mathrm{r}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$). The nonlocality is further enhanced in the triplet states by the effects of the noncentral forces which lead to marked $l$ dependence in the even states.The reaction matrix so determined contains a large spin-orbit term. It is shown that this is almost entirely due to the spin-orbit two-body potential and that the tensor forces give only a very small contribution.Proceeding from the reaction matrix as an effective two-body interaction, the Hartree-Fock problem is formulated taking into account the complicated exchange and nonlocal character of the reaction matrix. A general result is obtained for the single-particle spin-orbit potential which is shown in the case of a local interaction to reduce approximately to the form of the Thomas interaction.An iteration method is proposed for solving the single-particle eigenvalue problem with a nonlocal potential which reduces the differentio-integral equation characteristic of the theory to an ordinary differential equation. This procedure requires the introduction of a linear derivative term in the differential equation. The method is exact in the limit of convergence of the iteration method or if the nonlocal potential is replaced by a local approximation.
Effect of free surface shape on combined thermocapillary and natural convection

Combined thermocapillary and natural convection in an open square cavity with differentially-heated side walls is studied numerically as well as experimentally. The test fluid is silicone oil with Prandtl number of 105. The shape of fluid-free surface is made either flat or curved to study its effect on the flow. A finite difference scheme to deal with a curved free surface is developed. The experimental results shown agree with the numerical results. With the curved-free surface, the flow and local heat transfer rate are reduced in the corner regions, and a sharp peak in heat transfer rate at the top edge of the cold wall disappears.
Endocrine and Metabolic Disturbances in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Numerous alterations in endocrine function are observed in HIV infection. Direct destruction of endocrine organs by HIV itself or by invasive infection with opportunistic organisms resulting in loss of function is rare. When acutely ill, HIV patients can develop the metabolic derangements that accompany any severe systemic disorder. Studies of thyroid function tests emphasize that the presence of acute secondary infection must be analyzed when evaluating such patients. In addition to euthyroid sick syndrome other hormonal axes are affected by severe illness. These alterations may be cytokine mediated. As with seronegative patients, these changes can be transient and resolve with successful treatment of the intervening illness. Given the complexity of HIV disease, future reports should characterize patients by CD4 cell count, history of AIDS-indicating illnesses, and viral load. Viral burden is an independent predictor of immunosuppression and progression to AIDS. A large number of medications used in the treatment of HIV infection and related illnesses can alter endocrine function, mineral and electrolyte balance, and substrate turnover. Drug therapy must be considered in the evaluation of endocrine abnormalities in HIV-infected patients and carefully characterized in studies of these patients. The endocrine effects of medications used in the treatment of HIV infection are summarized in Table 3. Concomitant factors that affect endocrine function independent of the HIV virus can confound results in these patients. For example, opiate use affects PRL, gonadotropins, and cortisol response to ACTH stimulation. Investigations in HIV-infected patients must include careful descriptions of the study population and comparison to relevant controls. HIV-infected patients may also demonstrate more subtle alterations in endocrinological function in early, relatively asymptomatic, stages. The etiology and clinical significance of these changes, particularly their relationship to cytokines, continues to be investigated. The sequential studies of stable aldosterone levels despite decreased aldosterone response to ACTH stimulation indicate that alterations in response to provocative testing do not predict the development of hormonal insufficiency in this patient population. Similar longitudinal studies need to be done for the other hormonal axes to further delineate the endocrinological alterations in HIV infection. Finally, when the rationale for hormone replacement is debatable, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies are necessary. Transient improvement in clinical status during open-label treatment does not prove hormone insufficiency. The long-term efficacy and safety of hormonal therapy must be demonstrated.
The effects of epidural betamethasone on blood glucose in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objective To determine the effects of lumbosacral transforaminal and caudal epidural betamethasone injections on blood glucose levels in diabetic subjects. The hypothesis is that epidural steroid injections result in transient elevation of blood glucose levels in diabetic subjects. Design This is a prospective, observational cohort. Twelve diabetic subjects (6 non–insulin-dependent and 6 insulin-dependent) receiving lumbosacral or caudal epidural betamethasone injections for neurogenic claudication or radicular pain were studied. Spinal level and approach were decided based on symptoms, pathology, and magnetic resonance imaging findings. Subjects recorded their finger stick blood glucose levels twice daily for 3 days before the injection, the day of the injection, and 3 days after the injection. Setting A tertiary, university-based, spine center. Participants Inclusion criteria included diabetic subjects (age 18 years) with the ability and willingness to monitor and report their blood glucose. Exclusion criteria included epidural steroid injections (ESIs) within the previous 2 months or peripheral corticosteroid injections within the previous 2 weeks. Nineteen subjects initially enrolled, and 12 successfully completed the study. Interventions After informed consent was obtained, subjects underwent fluoroscopically guided lumbosacral transforaminal ESIs (TFESIs) or caudal ESIs, using contrast to confirm targeted needle placement and to rule out vascular uptake. Main Outcome Measures Subjects recorded morning and evening blood glucose (mg/dL) via glucometer. Results There was a 106 mg/dL average elevation in blood glucose level on the evening of the injection day. The blood glucose elevation remained statistically significant for 3 days after the injection ( P Conclusions Lumbosacral transforaminal and caudal epidural betamethasone injections are associated with statistically significant elevations in blood glucose levels in diabetic subjects. This effect peaked on the day of the injection and lasted approximately 2 days.
FT-IR STUDY OF THIRD PHASE FORMATION IN THE U(VI) OR Th(IV)/HNO3, TBP/ALKANE SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT The infrared reflectance spectra of the third phases formed in the systems UO2(NO3)2/HNO3/20%TBP in n-dodecane and Th(NO3)4/HNO3/20%TBP in n-octane gave evidence for the presence in solution of a significant amount of weakly bonded molecular nitric acid. From the correlation between the ratio of the areas of the bands at 1672 cm−1 and 1648 cm−1, characteristic of weakly intermolecularly hydrogen-bonded nitric acid and nitric acid strongly bonded to TBP, respectively, the molecular HNO3 concentration was determined. The presence of these two bands in the spectra of the third phase samples provides evidence that only part of the HNO3 is directly and strongly bound to the TBP phosphoryl group. The ratio of the weakly intermolecularly hydrogen-bonded HNO3 to that bound directly to P=O group of TBP was much higher for the uranium than for the thorium third phases formed under comparable conditions. The estimated amounts of the weakly intermolecularly hydrogen-bonded HNO3 were about 47% and 30% of the ...
The effects of grouping and cueing in the performance of location tasks

In location tasks such as assembly of a control panel, operators respond to stimulus information by locating a given target in an extensive set of response alternatives. Arrangement of the response alternatives and the method of presenting the location information (cueing), as well as the interaction between these factors, were hypothesised to influence performance in this type of task. To test these hypotheses, a factorial experiment involving 60 subjects was performed in which five levels of grouping and four levels of cueing were investigated. Grouping appeared to affect location accuracy more than location time, whereas the effects of cueing were found to be significant for both location accuracy and time. The absence of an interaction effect between grouping and cueing suggested that the effects of these factors on performance were independent.
Mood over matter: can happiness be your undoing?

Research in the field of positive psychology has revealed many advantages of positive emotions. According to the undoing hypothesis of Fredrickson and Levenson, positive affect can undo the physiological effects of negative emotion. The present study examined whether positive emotions could undo the cognitive effects of negative emotion. A letter identification task was used to measure changes in the cognitive processing of 86 college students who were induced into a positive, negative, or neutral affective state by viewing various film clips. The results of this study provided preliminary support for the hypothesis that positive emotions undo the cognitive effects of negative emotions.
Assembly of Hybrid Inorganic−Organic Materials from Octahedral Nb6 Clusters and Metal Complexes

The octahedral edge-bridged niobium cyano-chloride cluster [Nb6Cl12(CN)6]4- and the [Mn(salen)]+ metal complex have been used as building units to prepare solid-state materials with extended frameworks at room temperature through self-assembly processes. Three materials with different dimensionalities were prepared and characterized: (Me4N)4[Nb6Cl12(CN)6]·2MeOH (1) (0D), (Me4N)2[Mn(salen)]2[Nb6Cl12(CN)6] (2) (2D), and (Et4N)2[Mn(salen)(MeOH)]2[Nb6Cl12(CN)6]·2MeOH (3) (1D). 1 was used as cluster precursor for the preparation of 2 and 3. The framework dimensionality seems to be affected by the size of the template-counterion used. Single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed that 1 is based on discrete [Nb6Cl12(CN)6]4- separated by (Me4N)+ and MeOH molecules. 2 has a two-dimensional framework, in which each layer is formed by [Nb6Cl12(CN)6]4- clusters connected through four cyanide ligands to four different [Mn(salen)]+. Each manganese complex connects two clusters through Nb−CN−Mn−NC−Nb bridges, leading to the ...
ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF THE HYPOTHALAMUS DURING ALIMENTARY CONDITIONING.

Electrical activity of the brain of unrestrained animals during the alimentary conditioned reaction as well as during eating has been studied by a number of investigators. Rougeul (1958), recording the EEG of visual, acoustic and sensory. motor cortex in the course of elaboration of feeding conditioned reflexes in cats, observed desynchronization of the EEG pattern to the positive conditioned stimulus, and slow activity to a differential inhibitory stimulus. Gastaut (1958) found a slow synchronization of the EEG from the somato.motor region of the cortex during extinction and differentiation. Similar changes of cortical potentials were observed by Roitbak (1960) in the course of acute extinction of conditioned reflexes. Yoshii el aL (1960), who, in their extensive electroeneephalographic studies of conditioned reflexes, recorded electrical activity from the cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and other structures, found that increased, irregular slow waves appeared in the course of extinction of the alimentary conditioned reaction. The slow wave activity of the hippocampus during "approach learning" connected with feeding, was studied in detail by Adey (1961). Anokhin (1961a) observed a "stress rhythm" in response to the conditioned stimulus, as well as a regular rhythm of higher frequency and amplitude during the act of eating. He also found that in a satiated state, slow electrical activity appears in the cortex and hypothalamus. Trofimow el aL {1960) found there was an increase of amplitude and frequency of cortical oscillations while, correspondingly, there was
Obligations beyond national borders: international institutions and distributive justice

Recent scholarship has tied duties of distributive justice to the existence of coercive institutions. This body of work argues that, because the international system lacks institutions that can coerce individuals in the same manner as domestic institutions, there are no international obligations to address relative poverty and inequality. Proponents of this view use it to support the existence of a compatriot preference that requires us to meet the needs of compatriots before meeting those of the global poor. Even supposing distributive justice to be linked to coercion, coercive institutions do exist at the international level. These institutions coerce states rather than individuals, but their ability to coerce gives rise to duties of economic redistribution between states.
Sum and Mapping Theorems for B(D, ω0)‐Refinable Spaces

It is known that closed maps preserve θ-refinability and subparacompactness. It is also known that perfect maps preserve weak θ-refinability. Some results toward a perfect mapping theorem for B(D, ω0)-refinability are given, as well as some results on sum theorems for this property.
Being in the minority is my circumstance, not my identity

Among scholars, practitioners, politicians, and the media, the term ‘minority’ is often used to refer to people of colour – human beings of African and Asian descent. However, the etymology of the term ‘minority’ means the smaller part or number, or an amount forming less than half of the whole. Minority also suggests diminution. To say that people are in the minority because they are not part of the racial, ethnic and political majority in the United States is accurate. But is it appropriate to use a group's statistical representation as the euphemism for their identity? Besides, are people in the majority labelled as ‘majorities’? In an autoethnographic, ‘open-form’ or ‘free verse’ poem format, the author explains her racial and ethnic self and suggests that, when referring to her and other people of colour, it is most fitting to do so by name or identity rather than by circumstance.
Bitableaux Bases for the Diagonally Invariant Polynomial Quotient Rings

LetR=Q[x1, x2, …, xn,y1, y2, …, yn,z1, …, zn,w1, …, wn], letRSn={P∈R:σP=P∀σ∈Sn} and letμandνbe hook shape partitions ofn. WithΔμ(X, Y) andΔν(Z, W) being appropriately defined determinants, ∂xibeing the partial derivative operator with respect toxiandP(∂)=P(∂x1, …, ∂xn, ∂y1, …, ∂wn), define Iμ, ν={P∈RSn:P(∂)Δμ(X, Y)Δν(Z, W)=0}. A basis is constructed for the polynomial quotient ringRSn/Iμ, νthat is indexed by pairs of standard tableaux. The Hilbert series ofRSn/Iμ, νis related to the Macdonaldq, t-Kostka coefficients.
Nutrient deficiency diagnosis of corn (Zea Mays L.) plants from yield and composition responses to additions of N and S

Abstract Corn (Zea mays L.) was grown in the greenhouse in a Laughlin (Ultic Haploxeroll) loam soil, with various amounts of N and S added in order to determine possible interactions of these nutrients with the relationship between plant composition and grain yields. Previous field experience and preliminary experiments had shown that this soil gave yield responses to N and S additions. Regression equations were used to describe the relationship between composition of various plant parts and grain yields. The best correlation (R2 = 0.943) was obtained using the total N concentration in leaf samples taken at the silking stage, but excluding data from plants which, based on their amide N concentrations (greater than 500 ppm), were considered S deficient. Calculations using the first derivative of the cubic polynomial indicated that a concentration of 2.5% N in the lower leaves was necessary in order to obtain maximum grain yields. The concentrations of total N in the upper leaves and the stalks at the silki...
Understanding a critical basinal link in Cretaceous Cordilleran paleogeography: Detailed provenance of the Hornbrook Formation, Oregon and California

The Hornbrook Formation is a Cretaceous overlap assemblage that rests unconformably on accreted terranes and plutons of the Klamath Mountains in southern Oregon and northern California. The combined results of sandstone petrography, detrital zircon U-Pb age and Hf isotopic systematics, and wholerock Nd analysis document an abrupt change in sediment sources for the Hornbrook Formation during the Late Cretaceous. The lower members of the Hornbrook Formation record provenance in the Klamath Mountains and the Sierran Foothills belt that is characterized by detrital zircon age distributions with large Jurassic and Early Cretaceous peaks (170–130 Ma) and positive zircon Hf and whole-rock Nd values. In contrast, upper members of the Hornbrook Formation include abundant sediment derived from the Cretaceous Sierran Batholith that is characterized by large Cretaceous peaks (120– 85 Ma) in detrital zircon age distributions and less positive zircon Hf and whole-rock Nd values. A similar Late Cretaceous provenance shift is present in the Great Valley Group of California, which likely formed the southern continuation of the Hornbrook basin during deposition of the upper Hornbrook members. These provenance results may refl ect changing plate kinematics along the U.S. Cordilleran margin during the Late Cretaceous, including extension and subsidence in the Klamath Mountains and Blue Mountains regions followed by rapid uplift of the main Sierra Nevada Batholith. Thus, the detailed provenance signature for the Hornbrook Formation presented here records regional tectonic events in the mid- to Late Cretaceous U.S. Cordillera, and suggests that the Hornbrook Formation and Great Valley Group shared similar sources but remained separate basins until mid- to Late Cretaceous time.
Epiglottitis due to nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in a vaccinated child

Once a prevalent disease, acute epiglottitis in children has become a rare entity. The introduction of the Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine has had a dramatic impact on the number of invasive infections caused by this organism. However, physicians must be aware that epiglottitis may result from vaccine failures or from infection with other pathogenic organisms. Vaccinated children with epiglottitis present in a similar fashion to those who are not vaccinated. We present a rare case of acute epiglottitis in a fully vaccinated child due to nontypeable H. influenzae and discuss the clinical presentation and management.