cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thiocolchicoside suppresses osteoclastogenesis induced by RANKL and cancer cells through inhibition of inflammatory pathways: a new use for an old drug.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Most patients with cancer die not because of the tumour in the primary site, but because it has spread to other sites. Common tumours, such as breast, multiple myeloma, and prostate tumours, frequently metastasize to the bone. To search for an inhibitor of cancer-induced bone loss, we investigated the effect of thiocolchicoside, a semi-synthetic colchicoside derived from the plant Gloriosa superba and clinically used as a muscle relaxant, on osteoclastogenesis induced by receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and tumour cells. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We used RAW 264.7 (murine macrophage) cells, a well-established system for osteoclastogenesis, and evaluated the effect of thiocolchicoside on RANKL-induced NF-κB signalling and osteoclastogenesis as well as on osteoclastogenesis induced by tumour cells. KEY RESULTS Thiocolchicoside suppressed osteoclastogenesis induced by RANKL, and by breast cancer and multiple myeloma cells. Inhibition of the NF-κB pathway was responsible for this effect since the colchicoside inhibited RANKL-induced NF-κB activation, activation of IκB kinase (IKK) and suppressed inhibitor of NF-κBα (IκBα) phosphorylation and degradation, an inhibitor of NF-κB. Furthermore, an inhibitor of the IκBα kinase γ or NF-κB essential modulator, the regulatory component of the IKK complex, demonstrated that the NF-κB signalling pathway is mandatory for osteoclastogenesis induced by RANKL. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Together, these data suggest that thiocolchicoside significantly suppressed osteoclastogenesis induced by RANKL and tumour cells via the NF-κB signalling pathway. Thus, thiocolchicoside, a drug that has been used for almost half a century to treat muscle pain, may also be considered as a new treatment for bone loss. LINKED ARTICLE This article is commented on by Micheau et al., pp. 2124–2126 of this issue. To view this commentary visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01792.x
Deliberative Democracy's Attemp to Turn Politics into Law

The theory of deliberative democracy sketches a model of politics based on models of law and legal decision-making. It aspires to turn political decisions into a form of legal decision-making. It is easy to see how this ambition responds to the widespread belief that partial interests dictate public outcomes. Among other things, it implies that the kind of electoral calculations sketched out above would be entirely out of bounds, and that a sound public decision would be one based on science and ethics-science to predict the consequences of possible decisions, and ethics to evaluate the relative merits of those consequences. This legalistic vision of politics leaves much out of account, portrays an unrealistic and unattractive picture of politics, and is ultimately self-defeating, or so this paper will argue. Part II elaborates on deliberative democracy's attempt to displace politics with law. Part III exposes some of the difficulties with that attempt. Part IV returns to the impetus behind the attempt - deliberative democracy's belief that comprehensive views and partial interests should play no role in politics - and questions that belief. The role of partial interests in influencing particular political outcomes is and needs to remain endogenous to political practice itself. Politics should thus bear less resemblance to law than the deliberativists claim, and partial interests should rightly play a greater role in political decisions than the deliberativists would prefer.
A note on the pronominal origin of the Indo-European first person singular verbal desinence

AbstractAlthough it is widely assumed that the athematic verbal suffixes of Indo-European derive etymologically from affixed personal pronouns, the problem has remained to explain why the first person singular secondary ending *-m appears to have as its etymon the oblique stem of the corresponding pronoun, not the nominative form in *eg(h)om. However, in light of current views of the process of grammaticalization, it is plausible to assert that *eg(h)om does indeed underlie the desinence*-m.
Virtual communities - exchanging ideas through computer bulletin boards

This is an essay originally published in Whole Earth Review, Winter, 1987. Reprinted in the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, Vol.1, issue 1 by permission of author.
Comparative analysis of wavelet based approaches for reliable removal of ocular artifacts from single channel EEG

For biomedical and scientific fields, Electroencephalography (EEG) has turned out to be an important tool to understand, study, and utilize brain functionalities. To fully utilize EEG signals in real-life closed-loop applications, artifacts such as ocular must be removed. Wavelet transform is one of the powerful methods to remove ocular artifacts from single channel EEG devices. In this study, both stationary and discrete wavelet transforms (SWT and DWT, respectively) have been compared with various wavelet basis functions, such as sym3, haar, coif3, and bior4.4 using either universal threshold (UT) or statistical threshold (ST). Different combinations of wavelet transform techniques, mother wavelets, and thresholds are compared to identify an optimum combination for ocular artifact removal. Performance metrics like Correlation Coefficient (CC), Normalized Mean Square Error (NMSE), Time Frequency Analysis, and execution time have been calculated for measuring the effectiveness of each combination. According to CC, DWT+UT combination turned out to be a good option for the ocular artifact removal. However, according to NMSE and time frequency analysis, SWT+ST has generated better performance in keeping neural segments of EEG unaffected. According to the measurement of execution times, DWT+ST is faster compared to other combinations. The study shows that wavelet transform is suitable in artifact removal from single channel EEG data to implement in ambulatory real-time EEG systems.
Perceived discrimination and cancer screening behaviors in US Hispanics: the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study

Perceived discrimination has been associated with lower adherence to cancer screening guidelines. We examined whether perceived discrimination was associated with adherence to breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer screening guidelines in US Hispanic/Latino adults. Data were obtained from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study, including 5,313 Hispanic adults aged 18–74 from Bronx, NY, Chicago, IL, Miami, FL, and San Diego, CA, and those who were within appropriate age ranges for specific screening tests were included in the analysis. Cancer screening behaviors were assessed via self-report. Perceived discrimination was measured using the Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire. Confounder-adjusted multivariable polytomous logistic regression models assessed the association between perceived discrimination and adherence to cancer screening guidelines. Among women eligible for screening, 72.1 % were adherent to cervical cancer screening guidelines and 71.3 % were adherent to breast cancer screening guidelines. In participants aged 50–74, 24.6 % of women and 27.0 % of men were adherent to fecal occult blood test guidelines; 43.5 % of women and 34.8 % of men were adherent to colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy guidelines; 41.0 % of men were adherent to prostate-specific antigen screening guidelines. Health insurance coverage, rather than perceived ethnic discrimination, was the variable most associated with receiving breast, cervical, colorectal, or prostate cancer screening. The influence of discrimination as a barrier to cancer screening may be modest among Hispanics/Latinos in urban US regions. Having health insurance facilitates cancer screening in this population. Efforts to increase cancer screening in Hispanics/Latinos should focus on increasing access to these services, especially among the uninsured.
Alternate deacylating specificities of the archaeal sirtuins Sir2Af1 and Sir2Af2.

Sirtuins were originally shown to regulate a wide array of biological processes such as transcription, genomic stability, and metabolism by catalyzing the NAD+-dependent deacetylation of lysine residues. Recent proteomic studies have revealed a much wider array of lysine acyl modifications in vivo than was previously known, which has prompted a reevaluation of sirtuin substrate specificity. Several sirtuins have now been shown to preferentially remove propionyl, succinyl, and long-chain fatty acyl groups from lysines, which has changed our understanding of sirtuin biology. In light of these developments, we revisited the acyl specificity of several well-studied archaeal and bacterial sirtuins. We find that the Archaeoglobus fulgidus sirtuins, Sir2Af1 and Sir2Af2, preferentially remove succinyl and myristoyl groups, respectively. Crystal structures of Sir2Af1 bound to a succinylated peptide and Sir2Af2 bound to a myristoylated peptide show how the active site of each enzyme accommodates a noncanonical acyl chain. As compared to its structure in complex with an acetylated peptide, Sir2Af2 undergoes a conformational change that expands the active site to accommodate the myristoyl group. These findings point to both structural and biochemical plasticity in sirtuin active sites and provide further evidence that sirtuins from all three domains of life catalyze noncanonical deacylation. PDB Code(s): 4TWI; 4TWJ
Rhetorical strategies, electronic media, and China English

: Scholars tend to explain or predict China English's rhetorical strategies on the basis of Chinese discourse and cultural preferences. This inference model, I argue, falls short in studying the Chinese variety of English because, first, it essentializes both China English and Chinese, treating their discursive strategies as two easily generalizable, static entities; second, it neglects context, which determines the semiotic meaning potential of any language. I propose an alternative model that studies China English with context treated as the main variable. In light of the context model and Aristotelian and Confucian rhetorical concepts, I examine how Chinese youths use English to foster a community and to realize their particular goals in a bulletin board forum. It has been found that they develop patterned rhetorical strategies in the contexts of requesting opinions, seeking advice, sharing experiences, and expressing feelings. These strategies evidence China English's growing meaning potential in electronic medium spaces because they differ remarkably from those identified in other contexts by previous scholarship, and they cannot be easily labeled as traditional Chinese. As China English finds its way into more contexts and domains, I suggest that we adopt the context model to fully unveil the language's expanding meaning potential.
Toy model for open inflation

The open inflation scenario based on the theory of bubble formation in the models of a single scalar field suffers from a fatal defect. In all the versions of this scenario known so far, the Coleman--De Luccia instantons describing the creation of an open universe do not exist. We propose a simple one-field model where the CDL instanton does exist and the open inflation scenario can be realized.
Woodpecker Predation on Insect Borers in Living Hardwoods

Recent observations during research on insect borers southern hardwoods have revealed considerable predation by woodpeckers. Although it is well known that woodpeckers feed upon wood-boring insects, most pertinent literature is based upon stomach analyses and deals with borers of dead and decaying wood (Beal 1911, Bent 1964). This paper reports predation on 14 species of insect borers infesting trunks and branches of living hardwood trees Stoneville, Miss., and Archer Island, Arkansas, between 1962 and 1968. While the information is not from formal studies, it may be of some use to those who wish to pursue the subject systematically.
Immunology careers at the NIH, FDA and CDC: different paths that focus on advancing public health

The NIH, FDA and CDC offer a wide spectrum of job opportunities focused on improving public health through the discovery and translation of research, the regulation of safe and effective medicines, and the protection of health security.
Instability of accelerated elastic metal plates

When subjected to rapid acceleration, a metal plate that is not perfectly flat displays a type of Rayleigh–Taylor instability, which is affected by shear strength. We investigate the initial stage of this instability assuming that the deviation from flatness is small and the pressure producing the acceleration is moderate. Under these assumptions, the plate can be modeled as elastic and incompressible, and the linearized form of the governing are valid. We derive a linear initial/boundary–value problem that models the flow and obtain analytical formulae for the solutions. Our solutions exhibit vorticity inside the plate, an important feature caused by shear strength that was omitted in previous solutions. The theoretical relationship between the acceleration and the critical perturbation wave length, beyond which the flow is unstable, agrees quantitatively with results of numerical simulations and experiments.
Apoptosis: a modulator of cellular homeostasis and disease states

In normal epithelial tissue, a homeostatic balance is maintained between cell replication and apoptosis. Disruption of this balance has serious pathological consequences in disease states, such as Sjogren's syndrome, salivary gland degeneration, and cancers. Apoptosis may be modulated by cytokine endogenous factors and exogenous factors. A vast array of environmental compounds, such as differentiating agents and microconstituents found in the diet, initiate apoptosis through a redox signal mechanism. In addition to increasing apoptosis, these redox signals and transient or permanent changes in cellular redox status elevate detoxification enzymes known to protect against many disease states. Clearly a further understanding of the regulation of apoptosis and protective enzyme elevation by exogenous redox signals will lead to the development of future therapeutic strategies against disease.
COMPOSITON OF RAW AND COOKED POTATO PEEL AND FLESH: PROXIMATE AND VITAMIN COMPOSITION

A comparative analysis of raw and cooked tuber peel and flesh was performed. Wllether raw or cooked, and regardless of the cooking methods used tuber peel contained significantly higher amounts of ash, crude fiber,. prote.n and riboflavin but less thiamine than the corresponding flesh. Raw peel contained less ascorbic acid and niacin, more folic acid than and about the same amount of vitamin B. as the corresponding tuber fle\h. However, the relative amounts of these four vitamins changed depending on the cooking method used
Distributed Spatio-Temporal Social Community Detection Leveraging Template Matching

Community association is an important attribute of a social network because people may belong to varying groups with different characteristics at different times. Traditional community detection approaches often rely on a centralized server and are only useful for offline data analysis. In this paper, we propose and evaluate a distributed community detection approach that allows individual users to detect their own communities based on local observations. Our proposed template- matching method derives dynamic spatial and temporal characteristics of social communities by exploiting human's mobility patterns. Our template matching method allows users with similar moving patterns to be grouped together as one community. Our results using both simulation as well as real experiments demonstrate that our method can detect local communities effectively with high detection rate and low false positive rate.
A framework for computing crowd emotions using agent based modeling

We present a computational framework for modeling geospatial dynamics of crowd emotions as part of anticipatory analysis. The framework is based on agent based modeling (ABM) and evaluation-activation space for emotion representation. ABM is a simulation technique that uses the actions and interactions of individual agents to represent the behavior of a given population or system. The agent based models used in this paper employ geospatial data such as elevation, population density and locations of interest to define the context of agent decisions. We apply our framework to model the emotional dynamic of a population during disaster evacuation. In our examples we use a simple evacuation scenario: the agents learn of an incoming hurricane and evacuate for safety to the nearest shelter. At each time step, an agent chooses the direction of motion using a bounded rationality model that accounts for his or her emotional state (an evaluation-activation tuple) and geospatial context. After t time steps we use fuzzy set methods to analyze the crowd emotions in each of the Ns shelters.
Squalene synthase inhibition alters metabolism of nonsterols in rat liver

Abstract We have used the potent squalene synthase inhibitor squalestatin I to investigate the regulation of isoprenoid metabolism in rat liver. Fresh-frozen liver pieces from normal rats and rats infused with squalestatin I at 16 μg h −1 for 16 h were assayed for farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) by HPLC after dephosphorylation. Levels of FPP and GGPP were 5.4 ± 1.6 nmol g −1 and 1.6 ± 0.7 nmol g −1 ( n = 13) wet wt., respectively, in control livers and 110 + 41 nmol g −1 and 3.0 ± 2.2 nmol g −1 ( n = 13) in livers from squalestatin I infused rats. In order to determine the relative level of isopentenyl pyrophosphate, liver slices from normal and squalestatin I infused rats were labeled to steady-state with [ 3 H]acetate. Analysis of isoprenoid pyrophosphate intermediates by radio-HPLC after dephosphorylation indicated that squalestatin I brought about a 20-fold increase in the relative level of FPP (confirming direct analysis) and a 5-fold increase in the relative level of IPP. No change in either of these compounds was observed in livers from cholesterol-fed rats. To determine if squalestatin I altered the synthesis of nonsterol products, rats were subjected to long term subcutaneous infusion. After 14 days of infusion of 15 μg h −1 , the median chain length of hepatic dolichol and dolichyl phosphate increased from C95 to C115 and the levels of these lipids increased ≈ 3-fold. In addition, dolichyl phosphate mannose synthase activity in microsomes from squalestatin I treated rats was increased relative to controls when assayed in the absence of dolichyl phosphate. Squalestatin I affected ubiquinone metabolism to a lesser extent: chain lengths shifted from a Q 10 /Q 9 ratio of 0.118 ± 0.021 in the normal rat to 0.185 ± 0.016 in the squalestatin I treated animals, and levels rose by ≈ 90%. These results suggest that the isoprenoid pyrophosphate intermediates are shared by the cholesterol, dolichol and ubiquinone pathways and further show that the dolichol and ubiquinone pathways are not saturated. Apparently, under normal conditions, the levels of these intermediates are maintained relatively constant by coordinate enzyme regulation, thereby ensuring a constant rate of synthesis of nonsterols.
Oxidation of vapour plated w as a function of the O2 content of the metal

Abstract Samples of vapour plated W were prepared by H 2 reduction of WF 6 , and seven of eight such samples were deliberately, contaminated during the deposition process. Specimens of this W were oxidized in dry air at 600°–1000°C and at a pressure of 1 atm, using a recording balance to measure the weight change. By employing a computer, program to analyse the data, a strong relationship was found to exist between the O 2 content of the W and its resistance to oxidation at 700–900°C. No other definite trends could be established.
Raman Effect in Solutions of some Amino Acids

THE purpose of this letter is to report some measurements of Raman frequencies in solutions of glycine, alanine, tyrosine and cystine, which have been observed as a preliminary to the development of a spectroscopic method of analysis for molecules of this class.
Twinkle, twinkle little StAR, how we wonder what you are

Exposure of cells from steroidogenic tissues to trophic peptide hormones results in a rapid increase in the rate of steroid hormone production. Ingrained in the mind of every student of endocrinology is the concept that this stimulation of steroidogenesis hinges on increasing the rate of conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone. But what are the biochemical events associated with this increased rate of metabolism of cholesterol? The current hypothesis attributes this “acute regulatory response of steroid hormone synthesis” to the mobilization and transport of cholesterol from cytosolic stores to the inner mitochondrial membrane where the enzyme for the first step of steroid hormone formation resides, i.e., cytochrome P450 11A, also called the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme or P450scc. So, the “acute response” is the consequence of a rapid increase in substrate (cholesterol) availability at the active site of P450scc. What then is the nature of the agent(s) that facilitate the transport of cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membrane? Answering this and related questions has served as a long-standing challenge for many investigators studying the biochemical factors influencing the rapid activation of steroidogenesis, in tissues such as the adrenal, ovary, and testis. Recently, Clark et al. (1) reported the cloning and expression of a protein that seemed to provide a possible answer—a short-lived 37-kDa protein that they named StAR (for steroidogenic acute regulatory protein). They proposed that StAR, in the form of a mitochondrial precursor protein, plays a critical role in the rapid translocation of cholesterol across the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes. In this way, the rapid import of StAR into the mitochondria would provide, through an undetermined mechanism, cholesterol access to P450scc located on the matrix face of the inner mitochondrial membrane. This interpretation now has been challenged by studies reported in the paper by Arakane et al. (2) in …
Cultural Struggles: Performance, Ethnography, Praxis

I recently attended a performance of the critically acclaimed The Book of Mormon. If you know the text, then you know that the production is a religious satire musical. Separate from the signal of ...
Three-dimensional effects of the bend–stretch forming of aluminum tubes

Abstract Bend–stretch forming is commonly used to shape extruded tubular aluminum parts for automotive applications. The tubes are pre-stretched, pressurized and bent over rigid dies. Tension prevents buckling of the compressed side and significantly reduces springback during unloading. An unwanted byproduct of the process is distortion of the cross section. Small amounts of pressure applied during forming can reduce this distortion. A systematic study of how to select the appropriate amounts of tension and pressure for accurate forming with minimal distortion has been conducted. The problem was first studied experimentally using a custom forming facility. An efficient 2-D model of the process was previously developed which was shown capable of capturing the main deformation features of interest. Its efficiency made this model a useful design tool for optimally selecting the forming parameters. In this paper, a 3-D finite element model of the forming process is used to simulate the complete forming process. By using a specially calibrated non-quadratic yield function, the model accurately reproduces all aspects of the process. The model is used to study 3-D features of the problem such as variations of distortion and springback along the length, the effect of friction, the lifting of a section of the tube around the mid-span off of the die, the effect of post-tension, and forming over a variable radius die.
Flow cytometric DNA analysis of corneal epithelium.

We have modified an existing technique in order to perform DNA analysi by flow cytometry (FCM) of corneal epithelium from the mouse, rat, chicken, rabbit, and human. This protocol permitted an investigation of human corneal scrapings from several categories: normal, aphakic bullous keratopathy (ABK), keratoconus (KC), Fuch's dystrophy, edema, epithelial dysplasia, and lipid degeneration. No abnormal characteristic cell-kinetic profile was detected when averaged DNA histograms were compared statsitically between the normal and either ABK, KC, edema, or Fuch's dystrophy groups. Abnormal DNA histograms were recorded for cell samples that were taken (1) from three individuals who had epithelial dysplasia and (2) from one individual diagnosed with lipid degeneration. The former condition was characterized by histograms that had a subpopulation of cells with an aneuploid amont of DNA or had higher than normal percentages of cells in the S and G2 + M phases of the cell cycle. Corneal cells from the patient who had lipid degeneration had an abnormally high percentage of cells in the G2 + M phases of the cell cycle. The availability of accurate DNA flow cytometric analysis of corneal epithelium allows further studies on this issue from both experimental and clinical situations.
From Perception to Subject: The Bergsonian Reversal

In lieu of an abstract, here is the opening paragraph to the essay: What singles out philosophical analyses of perception is the challenge to common sense, that is, to the spontaneous, instinctive belief that an external world exists and that it is similar to the perception we have of it. Even those theories that refrain from questioning the independent existence of the world concede that the resemblance of whatever is out there to the perceived reality is anything but assured. Henri Bergson proposes a theory of perception that not only restores the common belief in the existence of an external world, but also goes a long way in narrowing the alleged disparity between perception and the objective world. With few exceptions, Bergson’s theory of perception has been either ignored or misunderstood. Through a close reading of the first chapter of Matter and Memory , the paper argues, in addition to correcting misreadings, that the strength and originality of Bergson’s theory lie in the reversal of the method of explaining perception from the premise of a given subject, a premise shared by all idealist and realist theories as well as phenomenology. This de-subjectification proposes an approach deriving perception from the interactions of objects while countering the materialist theory of the brain as an organ of representation. The paper contends that the Bergsonian elucidation of the brain as an organ of simulation both anticipates the findings of the sensorimotor theory and overcomes its limitation by showing how simulation inserts indetermination into materiality, thereby actualizing consciousness.
Oxygen plasma activation of Cr(CO)6 on α-Fe2O3(0001)

The chemistry of Cr(CO)6 on the Fe3O4(111) surface termination of α-Fe2O3(0001) was explored using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) both with and without activation from an oxygen plasma source. No thermal decomposition of Cr(CO)6 was detected on the surface in the absence of O2 plasma treatment, with first layer molecules desorbing in TPD at 215 K from a close-packed overlayer. The interaction of first layer Cr(CO)6 with the Fe3O4(111)-termination was weak, desorbing only ~30 K above the leading edge of the multilayer state. Activation of multilayer coverages of Cr(CO)6 with the O2 plasma source at 100K resulted in complete conversion of the outer Cr(CO)6 layers, presumably to a disordered Cr oxide film, with Cr(CO)6 molecules near the surface left unaffected. Absence of CO or CO2 desorption states suggests that all carbonyl ligands are liberated for each Cr(CO)6 molecule activated by the plasma. AES and SSIMS both show that O2 plasma activation of Cr(CO)6 results in a carbon-free surface (after desorption of unreacted Cr(CO)6). LEED, however, shows that the Cr oxide film is disordered at 600 K and likely O-terminated based on subsequent water TPD. Attemptsmore » to order the film at temperatures above 650 K results in dissolution of Cr into the α-Fe2O3(0001) crystal based on SSIMS, an observation that is linked to the Fe3O4(111) termination of the surface and not to the properties of α-Cr2O3/α-Fe2O3 corundum interfaces. Nevertheless, this study shows that O2 plasma activation of Cr(CO)6 is an effect means of depositing Cr oxide films on surface without accompanying carbon contamination.« less
The impact of managed care and current governmental policies on an urban academic health care center

Abstract Background. Managed care and governmental policies have restructured hospital reimbursement. We examined reimbursement trends in trauma care to assess the impact of this market driven change on an urban academic health center. Methods. Patients injured between January 1997 and December 1999 were analyzed for Injury Severity Score (ISS), length of hospital stay, hospital cost, payer, and reimbursement. Results. Between 1997 and 1999, the volume of patients with an ISS less than 9 increased and length of stay decreased. In addition, overall cost, payment, and profit margin increased. Commercially insured patients accounted for this margin increase, because the margins of managed care and government insured patients experienced double-digit decreases. Patients with ISS of 9 or greater also experienced a volume increase and a reduction in length of stay; however, costs within this group increased greater than payments, thereby reducing profit margin. Whereas commercially insured patients maintained their margin, managed care and government insured patients did not (double- and triple-digit decreases). Conclusions. Managed care and current governmental policies have a negative impact on urban academic health center reimbursement. Commercial insurers subsidize not only the uninsured but also the government insured and managed care patients as well. National awareness of this issue and policy action are paramount to urban academic health centers and may also benefit commercial insurers. (Surgery 2001;130:539-45.)
USA: For Better or Worse — The Most Visible American Corporate Reputations

During the early fall of 2000, a random sample of Americans and Europeans in 11 countries were asked to nominate the companies with the best reputation overall and the worst reputation overall. This process aimed to help determine the availability of the construct ‘corporate reputation’ to people and to identify the best and worst companies, which rated in each country. In this article, the results of the US nomination process are presented and the distribution of those nominations compared to aggregate results obtained in Europe is examined.
Numerical Solutions for Unsteady Subsonic Vortical Flows Around Loaded Cascades

A frequency domain linearized unsteady aerodynamic analysis is presented for three-dimensional unsteady vortical flows around a cascade of loaded airfoils. The analysis fully accounts for the distortion of the impinging vortical disturbances by the mean flow. The entire unsteady flow field is calculated in response to upstream three-dimensional harmonic disturbances. Numerical results are presented for two standard cascade configurations representing turbine and compressor bladings for a reduced frequency range from 0.1 to 5. Results show that the upstream gust conditions and blade sweep strongly affect the unsteady blade response.
Control system development for undergraduate exposure

The more “real world” exposure students get on all aspects of control system development the better prepared they will be to quickly adapt to product development in industry. Undergraduate student involvement in automotive hybrid development competitions, such as EcoCAR, exposes them to areas that they usually not see in typical undergraduate controls courses. EcoCAR design competition exposes them to a product development experience very similar to what they would see in industry. This paper will discuss the benefits obtained by undergraduate students and industry sponsors participating in design competitions such as EcoCAR. The student exposure experienced in the competition includes a complete system architecture selection and design, control strategy development, both high and low level control code generation, in the loop testing, and product validation. The students also have the opportunity to interface with professionals from the sponsor companies guiding them on use of state-of-the-art industry engineering tools and techniques.
Working with non-medical prescribers

Your editorial on non-medical prescribers1 does not mention the huge problems the grass root GPs face on a daily basis, picking up the pieces after supplementary prescribers and some independent prescribers have decided to prescribe drugs to their patients. GPs are regularly requested to write out and print FP10s for drugs prescribed on paper by palliative care teams, community diabetic care teams, community cardiology teams, community nursing teams, leg ulcer clinics, wound management clinics, podiatry clinics, continence clinics, and the list goes on.2 They appear in large volumes throughout our day and many times GPs just generate prescriptions and sign them because there is no time to liaise with the relevant health professionals and verify their validity. There is pressure from patients and relatives who have been asked to collect their drugs from the GP and are often waiting in surgery. This is very frustrating and raises doubts about the safety of such prescribing. As the person signing the prescription is ultimately responsible, it is not fair to ask GPs to do this. If we are going to give this duty to other professionals, they should take full responsibility for their actions. GPs could be consulted but should not be left with a pile to process with no other information. This is sadly a routine practice in our area. I wonder what the experience of GPs elsewhere is?
On a random graph evolving by degrees

Abstract We consider a random (multi)graph growth process { G m } on a vertex set [ n ] , which is a special case of a more general process proposed by Laci Lovasz in 2002. G 0 is empty, and G m + 1 is obtained from G m by inserting a new edge e at random. Specifically, the conditional probability that e joins two currently disjoint vertices, i and j, is proportional to ( d i + α ) ( d j + α ) , where d i , d j are the degrees of i, j in G m , and α > 0 is a fixed parameter. The limiting case α = ∞ is the Erdős–Renyi graph process. We show that whp G m contains a unique giant component iff c : = 2 m / n > c α = α / ( 1 + α ) , and the size of this giant is asymptotic to n [ 1 − ( α + c ∗ α + c ) α ] , where c ∗ c α is the root of c ( α + c ) 2 + α = c ∗ ( α + c ∗ ) 2 + α . A phase transition window is proved to be contained, essentially, in [ c α − A n − 1 / 3 , c α + B n − 1 / 4 ] , and we conjecture that 1/4 may be replaced with 1/3. For the multigraph version, { MG m } , we show that MG m is connected whp iff m ≫ m n : = n 1 + α − 1 . We conjecture that, for α > 1 , m n is the threshold for connectedness of G m itself.
Preparation and identification of partially fractionated Chinese hamster chromosomes.

Abstract Mitotic Chinese hamster chromosomes were isolated from synchronized, cultured M3-1 cells by hypotonic swelling followed by homogenization. The chromosomes were then fractionated by size by sucrose gradient sedimentation centrifugation. The resolution of the fractionation was determined by studying the morphology and Giemsa-banding patterns of the chromosomes found in each fraction. Fractions were obtained which were composed of as much as 50% of one chromosome type. Preparations such as these can be used for large scale physicochemical studies of single chromosome types.
Ammonia-induced astrocyte swelling in primary culture.

The effect of ammonia on water space of astrocytes in culture was determined as a means of studying the neurotoxicity of ammonia in fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). Treatment of primary astrocyte cultures obtained from neonatal rat cortices with 10 mM NH4Cl for 4 days resulted in a 29% increase in astrocytic water space, as measured by an isotopic method utilizing 3-O-methyl-[3H]-glucose. this effect was time- and dose-dependent. The ammonia-induced swelling was reversible as the water space in cultures treated with 10 mH NH4Cl for 3 days, and then returned to normal culture media for 1 day, was similar to control cultures. These findings suggest that elevated levels of ammonia lead to astrocyte swelling and may contribute to the brain edema in FHF.
The reaction of SO2 with molten nitrates and nitrites

Abstract Sulfur dioxide was observed to react rapidly with molten alkali metal nitrates and nitrites. The overall reaction of SO 2 with nitrate produced sulfate and NO 2 . Reaction of SO 2 with nitrite resulted in sulfate, NO, NO 2 , and N 2 O as major products. Reaction schemes are suggested to account for the observed products.
The Use of Clinical Interviews to Develop Inservice Secondary Science Teachers’ Nature of Science Knowledge and Assessment of Student Nature of Science Knowledge

Abstract To fully incorporate nature of science knowledge into classrooms, teachers must be both proficient in their own nature of science knowledge, but also skillful in translating their knowledge into a learning environment which assesses student knowledge. Twenty-eight inservice teachers enrolled in a graduate course which in part required a clinical interview. For the interview, teachers developed six increasingly difficult questions, interviewed a student, and analyzed the result. Findings show that while teachers needed scaffolding to write cognitively higher questions, they were, however, encouraged to shift their practice from asking questions that had one-word answers to engaging students in connecting knowledge.
The 2020 emissions reduction impact of urban water conservation in California

This paper assesses the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction impacts of urban water conservation. Using California as a case study, it estimates this co-benefit of California9s statewide urban water conservation goal of 20% per capita reduction by 2020 (relative to a year 2000 baseline). We developed a model of a water supply system to assess the impact of reduced urban water demand on emissions. Embedded energy and emissions were established for each stage of the water supply cycle: supply and conveyance, treatment, distribution, end use and wastewater treatment. We conclude that water conservation, in addition to being an important strategy for adaptation to climate change, represents a significant opportunity for mitigation. Under policies that prioritize savings of water that is heated, the most energy-intensive process in the supply cycle, water conservation offers the potential to conserve 3.5 Mt CO 2 e in 2020. This result suggests that water conservation could be an important mitigation strategy in other states, even those that are not water-constrained and do not have highly energy intensive supply sources.
Online service failure, consumer attributions and expectations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences in consumers' attributions of blame for service failures and its affect on their expectations for recovery in both online and offline settings.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of non‐student adults participated in a 2 (service type) by 2 (shopping medium) experimental design testing the affects of on‐ and offline shopping on consumers' attributions of blame for a service failure. Specifically, regression is employed to test the effects of on/offline medium on blame and expected service failure recovery in both the airline and banking industries.Findings – Empirical support is found for the hypotheses that online subjects blame themselves more for service failures, and, in turn, expect less of a recovery than offline consumers. The on/offline medium is shown to have a mediated effect on expected service failure recovery through blame in the airline data. In the bank data, on/offline medium has a significant affect on blame, and blame h...
Methylphenidate treatment in adolescent rats with an attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder phenotype: cocaine addiction vulnerability and dopamine transporter function.

Appropriate animal models of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and drug reinforcement allow investigation of possible underlying biological bases of ADHD and its comorbidity with cocaine addiction. Toward this end, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) exhibiting an ADHD phenotype were compared with Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and Wistar (WIS) rats. Initially, 1.5 mg/kg oral methylphenidate or vehicle was administered between postnatal days 28 and 55, and acquisition of visual discrimination learning was examined. After discontinuing adolescent treatments, adult rats were evaluated for cocaine self-administration and dopamine transporter (DAT) function in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum. During adolescence, SHRs showed deficits in visual discrimination relative to WKY and WIS rats when non-medicated. Methylphenidate improved visual discrimination only in SHRs. Compared with WKY and WIS rats, SHRs with previous methylphenidate treatment acquired cocaine self-administration faster, identified cocaine as a highly efficacious reinforcer by displaying an upward shift in the cocaine dose–response function, and showed the greatest motivation to self-administer cocaine by exhibiting the highest progressive ratio breakpoints. In the PFC, the maximal dopamine uptake (Vmax) at DAT was decreased in SHRs and increased in WKY and WIS rats by previous methylphenidate treatment. The affinity (Km) for dopamine at DAT in the PFC was not different between strains, nor was Vmax or Km altered in the striatum by previous methylphenidate treatment in any strain. Methylphenidate-induced decreases in dopamine clearance by DAT in the PFC may underlie increased cocaine self-administration in SHRs. These preclinical findings suggest that caution should be exercised when methylphenidate is prescribed for first-time treatment of ADHD in adolescent patients, as cocaine addiction vulnerability may be augmented.
Astrocytes in hemangioblastomas of the central nervous system and their relationship to stromal cells

Thirteen cases of CNS hemangioblastoma were examined with the immunoperoxidase technique for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GEAP) to determine if there were astrocytic elements among the “stromal cells” of these tumors.
Soybean Flower Production as Related to Plant Growth and Seed Yield

Flowers are directly related to seed yield through the fruits that form from flowers, but the physiological factors that regulate flower production after induction of the flowering state are not well understood for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], where the connection of flowering to yield is complicated by abortion of potential fruits. The objectives of this research were to (i) evaluate methods of obtaining flower count data and characterizing flowering in terms of rate of flower production(FRATE), duration of flowering (FPERIOD), and total flowers (FTO-TAL) in soybean genotypes differing in numbers of flowers and levels of reproductive abortion; (ii) determine relationships between these characteristics and seed yield; and (iii) measure effects of plant factors on the flowering characteristics when both plant growth and flowering are altered by variation in planting date
Soil-gas entry into houses driven by atmospheric pressure fluctuations—The influence of soil properties

Abstract Atmospheric pressure fluctuations can draw soil gas into houses without the indoor-outdoor pressure differences commonly associated with the advective entry of radon and other soil-gas contaminants. To study this phenomenon, we employ a transient finite-element model based on Darcy's law to simulate the soil-gas flow around a prototypical basement caused by changes in atmospheric pressure. The characteristic response time and the capacitance of the soil are used to characterize how changes in permeability, air-filled porosity, and water-table depth affect this soil-gas flow. The shorter the characteristic response time and the larger the capacitance of the soil, the larger the soil-gas flow rate into a basement caused by a given fluctuation in atmospheric pressure. Such a soil must have a high permeability and a large air-filled porosity. The addition of a high permeability subslab gravel layer increases the soil-gas flow rate into the basement by a factor of ∼ 3. Relative to entry driven by steady indoor-outdoor pressure differences, contaminant entry induced by atmospheric pressure fluctuations will likely be most important in houses situated in a soil of low permeability ( −12 m 2 ) and large air-filled porosity.
Case report 572

Cas particulier de myelome osteosclerotique (POEMS syndrome) avec involution de l'os spongieux, regressant partiellement par un traitement corticosteroide
Method For Measuring Modulation Transfer Function Of CCD's Using Laser Speckle

AbstractA new method has been developed to measure the modulation transfer function (MTF) of an array out to theNyquist frequency without high -quality optical or mechanical components, without precision alignment, and withonly one moving part. Test results for an infrared staring array of PtSi Schottky barrier construction showthat this technique is a viable MTF measurement approach in the 3 to 5 pm spectral regions.IntroductionThe measurement method depends on the determination of a system transfer function by means of a series ofrandom inputs. The input Sin(E,n) and output Sout(,n) power spectra of a two -dimensional system are relatedin the following manner: Sout(E,n) = 1H(E.n)12 Sin(E,n), (1) where H(E,n) is the system transfer function. In the present application, the system transfer function is theMTF of the device. Laser speckle provides an input of optical spatial noise of known spatial power spectrum into the system. The output power spectrum is computed directly from the array data.Speckle PropertiesSpeckle is an interference phenomenon observed when coherent radiation is scattered from a rough surface.