cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physician-driven or self-directed safe firearm storage guidance: Which one is best?

Abstract Background/purpose Access to firearms is a preventable cause of unintentional injury and suicide in children. Pediatric physicians provide injury prevention guidance, but firearm safety may not routinely be included. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of firearm safety guidance (FSG) provided by a physician. Methods Prospective, randomized-controlled, trial assessing physician-delivered FSG at two pediatric clinics in Houston, Texas. Firearm-owning parents were randomized to physician guidance (PG) versus control (CG) groups. The CG received a handout with firearm safety facts and a free cable lock. The PG additionally received FSG by a physician. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi square analysis. Results Thirty-two families participated; most (70%) were satisfied with the guidance. Pre-intervention safe firearm storage was high in both groups, and the intervention did not lead to improved habits in either group [PG: Pre 93% vs. Post 89%, p = 0.7 and CG: Pre 82% vs. 78%, p = 0.7].There was no difference in use of the free cable lock among groups (44% vs. 22%, p = 0.9). The PG demonstrated improved knowledge of the state child access protection law (PG: Pre 60% vs. Post 100% vs. CG: Pre 29% vs. Post 67%; p = 0.02). Conclusions For firearm-owning parents, physician-delivered safe storage guidance may not be more effective than self-directed guidance provided by a handout. A larger trial is underway to confirm the findings of this pilot study.
His-Bundle Electrography

Intracardiac electrography via a tripolar electrode catheter ascertains the electrical activity of the His bundle and right and left bundle branches. The technique allows precise localization of the site of atrioventricular block.
Honey Child New Beginnings: A Faith-Based Initiative Increasing Breastfeeding in African American Women

African-American women in Houston, Texas are disproportionately burdened with high rates of premature births, 1.5 times higher than white women. Prematurity remains a leading cause of high infant mortality rates. African-American women have the highest infant mortality rates compared to White and Hispanic women. Breast milk is …
NIST MEP Management Information Reporting Procedures: Summary of Questions, Sample Project List, and Survey Questions

Created in 1988, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), provides knowledge and problem-solving services to improve the productivity, economic competitiveness, and technological capabilities of America's manufacturers, particularly small manufacturers. Since 1996, NIST MEP has used an independent third-party organization to conduct national research with clients who have completed their first projects with local NIST MEP centers. The surveys collect aggregate information on program performance indicators to report to stakeholders, and provide center-specific program performance and impact information for center use. This information is a sample of what clients receive in the pre-notification package with the letter.
The Purification and Properties of Pig Liver Geranyl Pyrophosphate Synthetase

Abstract The purification and properties of geranyl pyrophosphate synthetase are reported. This enzyme is purified simultaneously with the enzyme for the synthesis of farnesyl pyrophosphate. It does not, however, have geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthetase activity. This enzyme, obtained as a single band of protein by starch gel electrophoresis, catalyzes the formation of both geranyl and farnesyl pyrophosphates from dimethylallyl pyrophosphate and 4-14C-isopentenyl pyrophosphate. These products have been identified by paper and gas-liquid chromatography. A pH range of 7.0 to 7.8 is optimum for the reaction. A metal ion is required and either Mg++ or Mn++ may be used, but Mn++ inhibits the reaction at concentrations greater than 4 x 10-3 m. Km values for isopentenyl and dimethylallyl pyrophosphates are 1.25 x 10-6 and 2.2 x 10-6 m, respectively. N-Ethylmaleimide and p-chloromercuribenzoate strongly inhibit the synthetase reaction, but iodoacetamide has only a slight inhibitory effect. The s20,w value for the synthetase is 4.7.
Per Henrik Ling, and His Successors at the Stockholm Normal School of Gymnastics

(1904). Per Henrik Ling, and His Successors at the Stockholm Normal School of Gymnastics. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 227-243.
Effects of nutrients on specific growth rate of bacterioplankton in oligotrophic lake water cultures.

The effects of organic and inorganic nutrient additions on the specific growth rates of bacterioplankton in oligotrophic lake water cultures were investigated. Lake water was first passed through 0.8-μm-pore-size filters (prescreening) to remove bacterivores and to minimize confounding effects of algae. Specific growth rates were calculated from changes in both bacterial cell numbers and biovolumes over 36 h. Gross specific growth rates in unmanipulated control samples were estimated through separate measurements of grazing losses by use of penicillin. The addition of mixed organic substrates alone to prescreened water did not significantly increase bacterioplankton specific growth rates. The addition of inorganic phosphorus alone significantly increased one or both specific growth rates in three of four experiments, and one experiment showed a secondary stimulation by organic substrates. The stimulatory effects of phosphorus addition were greatest concurrently with the highest alkaline phosphatase activity in the lake water. Because bacteria have been shown to dominate inorganic phosphorus uptake in other P-deficient systems, the demonstration that phosphorus, rather than organic carbon, can limit bacterioplankton growth suggests direct competition between phytoplankton and bacterioplankton for inorganic phosphorus.
Laparoscopically Guided External Transanastomotic Stenting in Dismembered Pyeloplasty: A Safe Technique.

Objective To describe a technique for insertion of external transanastomotic stents during laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty in children of all age-groups. To analyze stent-associated complications and changes in differential renal function (DRF). Patients and Methods A retrospective study was performed of all patients up to 18 years of age undergoing laparoscopic pyeloplasty at our institution between March 2004 and December 2013. We analyzed patients in whom an external transanastomotic stent was placed using a specially constructed semicircular spear. Medical records were reviewed for stent-associated complications such as bleeding, stent dislocation, stent obstruction, and urinary tract infection. Additionally required secondary surgical procedures and changes in DRF were assessed. Results A total of 150 patients (155 renal units [RU]) were included in the study, with a median patient age of 22 months (range, 1-214). Stents were removed after a median time of 7 days (range, 3-21). Stent-associated complications were observed in a total of 11 patients (12 RU), consisting of stent dislocations (6 RU), stent obstructions (3 RU), and persistent percutaneous leakage along the stent (1 RU) or after stent removal (2 RU). Stent-associated complications required a secondary surgical procedure in 4 RU. Neither significant blood loss nor urinary tract infection was associated with external transanastomotic stent placement. DRF did not change significantly after the procedure. Conclusion External transanastomotic stenting during laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty using a specially constructed semicircular spear is a safe technique associated with a low complication rate and only rarely requires secondary surgical procedures for stent-related complications. This technique makes an additional anesthesia for stent removal unnecessary, as it is required for internal urinary diversion.
Primary Structure of the Soluble Lactose Binding Lectin L-29 from Rat and Dog and Interaction of Its Non-collagenous Proline-, Glycine-, Tyrosine-rich Sequence with Bacterial and Tissue Collagenase*

A lactose-binding lectin from rat lung (RL-29) and a related lectin from Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells have been analyzed with the primary goal of identifying post-translational modifications. The sequences show that RL-29 and the dog lectin are homologues of a lectin designated here as L-29 and elsewhere as CBP-35, epsilon BP, Mac-2, or L-34. RL-29 has a 140-amino-acid COOH-terminal carbohydrate-binding domain, a 20-amino-acid NH2-terminal domain, and an intervening domain consisting of 11 repeating elements rich in Pro, Gly, and Tyr (R-domain). The dog homologue has 14 repeating elements in its R-domain explaining its larger size. The sensitivity of the R-domain to bacterial collagenase allowed us to isolate the NH2-terminal domain and show that the NH2 terminus was blocked by acetylation and, in the accompanying paper (Huflejt, M. E., Turck, C. W., Lindstedt, R., Barondes, S. H., and Leffler, H. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 26712-26718), that the NH2-terminal domain is phosphorylated. In addition, we unexpectedly found an endogenous component, resembling 92-kDa type IV collagenase, that co-purified with L-29 and slowly digested the R-domain. Hence, L-29 is a substrate for bacterial and tissue collagenases even though the R-domain is non-collagenous. Moreover, the co-purification suggests a non-enzymatic interaction between 92-kDa collagenase and L-29.
From Semiotics to Philosophy: Daring to Ask the Obvious

From the late 1960s through the 1980s a steadily-expanding group of international scholars joined forces to develop a comprehensive and unified semiotic theory of theatre. The semiotic wave had largely subsided by the early 1990s, leaving in its wake a profound, and largely justified, scepticism about universal, essentialist, and ahistorical theoretical models. It is possible, however, to ask basic philosophical questions about the ‘nature’ of theatre and performance without falling into the trap of universalizing or essentializing what are, in fact, historically and/or culturally specific practices and biases. In this essay, I advocate an open-ended and dialogic process that characterizes the work of many contemporary philosophers, in both the analytic and continental traditions, and in particular those who have been inspired by the late-Wittgensteinian notion of philosophy as a kind of conceptual therapy.
Dependence on Wrongdoing in the Consumption of Meat: A Kantian Analysis

Kant's ethics is used by some as a defence of the exploitation of animals and is criticised by others for not recognising any moral relevance of the plight of animals. These appeals overlook the broad applicability of Kant's principles. In this article, I argue that Kant's ethics implies a duty to abstain from most meat and some other animal products derived from farming. I argue that there is a Kantian principle not to choose goods that have been derived from wrongdoing, with certain qualifications. This principle isolates the wrong of using others to commit wrongdoing on one's behalf. As has been argued by others, Kant's ethics implies that animal farming as we know it in our society almost universally involves wrongdoing and the slaughter of animals is especially tied to wrongdoing. I argue for a broad sense in which these ideas together imply that choosing farmed meat, and probably other animal products, is treating animal industry workers as mere means. Thus, we have a Kantian duty to abstain from these products.
Reframing the Praxis of School Leadership Preparation through Digital Storytelling

This article introduces a social innovation that contributes to the formation of educational leaders. Digital storytelling is employed as a process for data creation, analysis, and synthesis. Emerging educational leaders are guided through a process to better understand the experiences and social constructs that inform their identity. Through a dialogical and reflective mode this article employs a student's story, where the text of story emerges as the unit of analysis as it is embedded into the text as primary data. Technology complements the storytelling process to construct a digitalstory of self as the student embarks in a leadership program.
The Eyes of the People: Democracy in an Age of Spectatorship, by Jeffrey Edward Green

Jeffrey Green's The Eyes of the People is a singularly brave attempt at defending as normatively appealing the ideal of plebiscitary democracy held in suspicion by most democratic theorists. The th...
Bubble trouble: off-line de-anonymization of bubble forms

Fill-in-the-bubble forms are widely used for surveys, election ballots, and standardized tests. In these and other scenarios, use of the forms comes with an implicit assumption that individuals' bubble markings themselves are not identifying. This work challenges this assumption, demonstrating that fill-in-the-bubble forms could convey a respondent's identity even in the absence of explicit identifying information. We develop methods to capture the unique features of a marked bubble and use machine learning to isolate characteristics indicative of its creator. Using surveys from more than ninety individuals, we apply these techniques and successfully reidentify individuals from markings alone with over 50% accuracy. This bubble-based analysis can have either positive or negative implications depending on the application. Potential applications range from detection of cheating on standardized tests to attacks on the secrecy of election ballots. To protect against negative consequences, we discuss mitigation techniques to remove a bubble's identifying characteristics. We suggest additional tests using longitudinal data and larger datasets to further explore the potential of our approach in realworld applications.
Comparison of the Restriction Endonuclease Digestion Patterns of Mitochondrial DNA from Normal and Male Sterile Cytoplasms of ZEA MAYS L

High resolution gel electrophoresis has allowed the assignment of fragment number and molecular weight to EcoRI, SalI and PstI restriction fragments of mitochondrial DNA from B37 normal (N) and B37 T, C and S male sterile cytoplasmic types of maize. A minimum complexity of 450-475 kb has been established. Hybridization of cloned EcoRI fragments to restriction digests of total mitochondrial DNA suggests that at least 80% of the genome is composed of unique sequences. Restriction fragments of identical size in N, T, C and S contain similar sequence information as evidenced by their hybridization behavior.—The total SalI digest and the larger PstI fragments representing 80% of the total complexity were used to calculate the fraction of shared fragments of each pairwise combination of cytoplasmic types. The C type mtDNA is most closely allied with the other mtDNAs and shares 67% of fragments with S, 65% with N, and 60% with T. The S type mtDNA is quite divergent from N (53% shared fragments) and T (56% shared fragments). N and T share 59% of the fragments. These results are discussed in terms of the origin of mtDNA diversity in maize.
Chaotic synchronization recovery through an imperfect channel

An idea to reduce the chaotic synchronization mismatch level due to an imperfect channel is presented. The compensation block, which is added before the receiver, is used to reduce the distortion of the imperfect channel in the frequency domain. It uses the genetic algorithm. The validity of this approach is proved by an example channel.
In Vivo Analysis of Membrane Fusion

Membranes provide a barrier that allows chemical reactions to be isolated from the environment. The plasma membrane, for example, delineates self from nonself, and thus must have played an essential role in the evolution of life. Yet under numerous circumstances it is equally important that membranes be breached. Numerous forces oppose the spontaneous fusion of membranes; thus, specialized proteins have evolved to fuse membranes. The most well-understood fusion proteins are the viral fusion proteins and the SNARE proteins used in the secretory pathway. In addition, recent discoveries have lead to models for the fusion of organelles such as mitochondria and peroxisomes, as well as for cell–cell fusion. Despite the diverse structures of fusion proteins, it is possible that they function to drive membranes through a series of common lipid intermediates. Here we review the mechanisms of fusion for biological membranes, and highlight the similarities and differences in these processes. Key concepts Fusion proteins are thought to lead membranes through the common set of lipid intermediates: lipid stalk, hemifusion diaphragm and pore formation. There are three known classes of viral fusogens: type I, II and III. Type I and II are structurally unique yet undergo similar structural rearrangements during membrane fusion. Viral fusion proteins are initially present only on a single membrane and must insert a fusion peptide into the target membrane to accomplish fusion. SNAREs are used throughout the secretory pathway. SNAREs are present on both membranes destined to fuse. SNAREs and viral fusion proteins play an active role in all steps of the fusion process. Multimerization of viral fusion proteins and SNARE proteins is needed for fusion to occur. The fusogens used in cell–cell fusion are not evolutionarily conserved. The coordinated action of Fzo1 and Mgm1 is needed to fuse the inner and outer membranes of mitochondria. Keywords: membrane fusion; virus; SNARE; lipid; fusogen
THE INDEX OF SOUTHERNNESS REVISITED

A study by Gastil concludes that the Southern area of the United States constitutes a regional subculture of violence. Loftin and Hill (1974) empirically challenge Gastil's findings at the ecological level of analysis. This study adds a further dimension to that line of research by examining violence-related items from a national survey at the individual level of analysis. Results fail to confirm the existence of a divergent value system among Southerners today. It is suggested that if a “regional culture of violence” once existed, it has vanished over the years.
Characterization of Pzt Films by Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM)

Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM) has been used for the determination of friction, phase transformation, piezoelectric behavior (contact mode), polarization state and dielectric constant (non contact mode) in several nanometer regions of Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) films. The use of the SFM tip, in the contact mode, to polarize different nanoregions of the film and to apply an oscillating field thereon, led to effective piezoelectric coefficients and piezoelectric loops. In the non-contact mode, application of an ac signal (frequency ω) to the tip-electrode system produced an oscillation of the tip at ω (fundamental or first harmonic) and 2ω (second harmonic). The signals ω and 2ω were related to the state of polarization and the dielectric constant of the film. Analysis of the combined contact, non-contact and friction force microscopic data have provided considerable insight into the piezoelectricity and polarization in the nanodomains.
High Efficiency Nuclear Power Plants Using Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor Technology

An overall system analysis approach is used to propose potential conceptual designs of advanced terrestrial nuclear power plants based on Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) experience and utilizing Closed Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) thermal-to-electric energy conversion technology. In particular conceptual designs for an advanced 1 GWe power plant with turbine reheat and compressor intercooling at a 950 K turbine inlet temperature (TIT), as well as near term 100 MWe demonstration plants with TITS of 950 K and 1200 K are presented. Power plant performance data were obtained for TITS ranging from 650 to 1300 K by use of a Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) systems code which considered the interaction between major sub-systems, including the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR), heat source and heat sink heat exchangers, turbo -generator machinery, and an electric power generation and transmission system. Optional off-shore submarine installation of the power plant is a major consideration.
New nucleosynthesis constraint on the variation of G.

Big bang nucleosynthesis can provide, via constraints on the expansion rate at that time, limits on possible variations in Newton's constant, $G$. The original analyses were performed before an independent measurement of the baryon-to-photon ratio from the cosmic microwave background was available. Combining this with recent measurements of the primordial deuterium abundance in quasar absorption systems now allows one to derive a new tighter constraint on $G$ without recourse to considerations of helium or lithium abundances. We find that, compared to today's value, ${G}_{0}$, ${G}_{\mathrm{BBN}}/{G}_{0}={1.01}_{\ensuremath{-}0.16}^{+0.20}$ at the $68%$ confidence level.
Age and growth of big skate (Raja binoculata) and longnose skate (R. rhina) in the Gulf of Alaska

In 2003, big skates, Raja binoculata, and longnose skates, Raja rhina, were the target of a commercial fishery around Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for the first time. The sudden development of a fishery for these species prompted the need for improved life history information to better inform fishery managers. Due to the selective nature of the skate fishery, mostly larger individuals were captured. Back-calculation from skate vertebral measurements was used to estimate size-at-age for younger skates. Because back-calculated age-length data within individuals were highly correlated, bootstrap resampling methods were used to test for differences between male and female growth curves. Results from bootstrapping indicated that differences between male and female growth were statistically significant for both species. This investigation indicates that growth of big skates in the GOA (max size 178 cm total length, max age 15 years) is similar to that in California, but different from that in British Columbia. For longnose skates, our GOA results agree with those reported in British Columbia, but were considerably older (max size 130 cm, max age 25 years) than those reported in California, which may not be surprising because longnose skates in the present study were generally larger. This life history information suggests that both big and longnose skates are at risk of unsustainable exploitation by targeted fisheries.
Relation of Temperature to Survival and Incubation of the Eggs of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu)

Abstract Field observations indicated considerable loss of eggs of smallmouth bass and a high incidence of fungus infection in the nests in Cayuga Lake, New York, and tributaries. To investigate the possible effect of temperature changes on embryo survival, several tests were run using constant-temperature facilities at the Cornell University Insectary. In 1945, two trials were run raising the temperature of developing ova from 53° to 77° F., and no eggs were killed. During 1946, eggs developing at 65° F. were transferred at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 days following fertilization to 50° and 75° F. None of the eggs was adversely affected. The temperature changes took place within one-half hour. The mean incubation period was determined to vary from about 2 1/4 days at a constant temperature of 75° F. to nearly 10 days at 55° F. The observations presented lead to the conclusion that temperature changes in the ranges indicated are not directly responsible for the death of smallmouth bass embryos.
Inversion of rugate spectra

Abstract Reflection spectra from inhomogeneous films can be interpreted in terms of a characteristic admittance to obtain the dielectric profile of a complex film. All of the standard formulas used for film analysis remain valid if the film index is replaced by the characteristic admittance. The reflection spectrum consists of a rapidly oscillating function contained within two envelopes. The envelopes yield the characteristic admittance, which can be transformed to obtain the shape of the index profile. The periodicity of the fast oscillations give the number of layers in the film and phase information. In most cases a simple Fourier transform of the characteristic admittance gives a sufficiently accurate inversion. Phase information is needed at no more than one point in the spectrum.
A model for the quantitative electromagnetic analysis of an infinitely long solenoid with a laminated core

We present a semi-analytical model for the quantitative investigation of the electromagnetic fields inside an infinitely long solenoid of rectangular cross section with planar laminated core comprised of interlaid dielectric and magnetic sheets. The model is based on a mathematical formulation of the electromagnetic boundary value problem inside the core as the superposition of two boundary value problems, one amenable to a closed-form solution using separation of variables, and one amenable to a physics-driven approximation in terms of an auxiliary problem that also lends itself to a closed-form solution. The understanding of the underlying physics that is responsible for field penetration inside the laminate core beyond the limits imposed by the skin effect in homogeneous magnetic cores is facilitated by the solutions of these two boundary value problems. The model lends itself to the expedient quantitative assessment of the impact of laminate composition and core dimensions on the per-unit-length inductance and resistance of the solenoid and their variation with frequency. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Affine and polynomial mutual information coregistration for artifact elimination in diffusion tensor imaging of newborns.

Abstract We have investigated the use of two different image coregistration algorithms for identifying local regions of erroneously high fractional anisotropy (FA) as derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data sets in newborns. The first algorithm uses conventional affine registration of each of the diffusion-weighted images to the unweighted (b=0) image for each slice, while the second algorithm uses second-order polynomial warping. Similarity between images was determined using the mutual information (MI) criterion, which is the preferred ‘cost’ criterion for coregistration of images with significantly different image intensity distributions. We have found that subtle differences exist in the FA values resulting from affine and second-order polynomial coregistration and demonstrate that nonlinear distortions introduce artifacts of spatial extent similar to real white matter structures in the newborn subcortex. We show that polynomial coregistration systematically reduces the presence of erroneous regions of high FA and that such artifacts can be identified by visual inspection of FA maps resulting from affine and polynomial coregistrations. Furthermore, we show that nonlinear distortions may be particularly pronounced when acquiring image slices of axial orientation at the height of the nasal cavity. Finally, we show that third-order polynomial MI coregistration (using the images resulting from second-order coregistration as input) has no observable effect on the resulting FA maps.
Amelioration of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using nonsurgical septal ablation in a cirrhotic patient prior to liver transplantation.

A 53-year-old male with hepatitis C cirrhosis, who had been refused liver transplantation because of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), underwent nonsurgical septal ablation using alcohol with resolution of his ventricular outflow obstruction. This patient was able to subsequently undergo a successful deceased donor liver transplantation. This is the first reported case of alcohol induced septal ablation being performed in a cirrhotic patient with HC. Such nonsurgical procedures may be attractive in cirrhotic patients who are refused access to liver transplantation because of high surgical risk. (Liver Transpl 2005;11:236–238.) C irrhosis of the liver is associated with a hyperdynamic cardiovascular state, manifested by an increase in the cardiac output as a result of markedly reduced systemic vascular resistance. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is a disorder of the genes that encode cardiac sarcomere proteins. A significant percentage of patients with this condition may develop left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. Cirrhotic patients with this condition may be at great risk for circulatory collapse, especially when undergoing a demanding surgical procedure such as liver transplantation. Surgical myomectomy is the standard of care for treating symptomatic patients who fail medical therapies, but may not be feasible in a cirrhotic patient, who usually has coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia, and hypoalbuminemia, and is cachectic as well. Recent success has been reported 1 with a nonsurgical means of treating HC, using alcohol injections.
Modulation of P-glycoprotein expression by cytochrome P450 3A inducers in male and female rat livers☆

Abstract A strong overlap between P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) substrates and modulators has been reported. To test the hypothesis that CYP3A and Pgp are coordinately regulated, we examined the effects of known inducers of CYP3A (triacetyloleandomycin, rifampicin, dexamethasone, pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile) on Pgp expression in rat liver. We also investigated the gender-specific expression of Pgp and compared its response to dexamethasone between male and female rats. In male rats, western blot analyses showed that rifampicin and dexamethasone caused 50% and 5-fold increases in Pgp levels, respectively. RNase protection assays using gene-specific probes for the three Pgp isoforms revealed a 3-fold increase in mdr2 mRNA levels after dexamethasone administration and a 2-fold increase following rifampicin treatment. Triacetyloleandomycin and pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile had no effect on Pgp expression and mRNA levels. We also observed that the basal level of Pgp was 40% lower in male rats than in females and that mdr2 mRNA levels in male rats were one-half those in females. As opposed to the results in male rats, dexamethasone reduced Pgp expression by approximately 60% and caused a 30% decrease in mdr2 mRNA levels in female rats. Mdr1a was not affected and mdr1b was not detected in female or male rats. We conclude that, at the dosage regimen used, CYP3A and Pgp responses to CYP3A inducers are regulated independently in rat liver. In addition, this study shows that Pgp expression and regulation are gender specific.
Psychoneuroimmunology and cancer: Historical perspectives and current research

The belief that cancer might be related to temperament or distress has been emphasized throughout the history of medicine. The field of psychoneuroimmunology has its origins in psychosomatic medicine, and has evolved to the investigations of complex interactions between the psyche and the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. Such interactions may have implications in both cancer risk and survival.
Approximating maximum weight K-colorable subgraphs in chordal graphs

We present a 2-approximation algorithm for the problem of finding the maximum weight K-colorable subgraph in a given chordal graph with node weights. The running time of the algorithm is O(K(n+m)), where n and m are the number of vertices and edges in the given graph.
Effect of Monomeric Sequence on Mechanical Properties of P(VP-co-HEMA) Hydrogels at Low Hydration

We have used molecular modeling of both random and blocky hydrogel networks of poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) with VP:HEMA = 37:13 composition to investigate the effect of the monomeric sequence on the mechanical properties. The degrees of monomer sequence randomness for the random and the blocky copolymers were 1.170 and 0.104, respectively, and the degree of polymerization was set as 50. The equilibrated density of the dry gel network was 0.968 ± 0.007 and 0.911 ± 0.007 g/cm3 for the random and the blocky sequences, respectively. In the partially hydrated state with 10 wt % water content, the effect of the monomeric sequence causes more distinct differences in density of 1.004 ± 0.007 and 0.916 ± 0.009 g/cm3 for the random and the blocky copolymer network, respectively. We observed that in such networks, the water molecules are associated more closely with the N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone than with the hydroxyethyl methacrylate moieties, which is consistent with results from quantu...
Collapse of minibands in far-infrared irradiated superlattices

Quasienergy minibands in superlattices which interact with intense far-infrared laser radiation collapse under conditions that are experimentally accessible. In particular, it is shown that the miniband width becomes close to, but not identical to, zero if the ratio of the Bloch frequency and the laser frequency approaches a zero of the Bessel function ${\mathit{J}}_{0}$.
Immunosuppressive structure-activity relationships of Brequinar and related cinchoninic acid derivatives

Abstract The immunosuppressive structure-activity relationships of substituted cinchoninic acid derivatives related to Brequinar were explored. Activities as inhibitors of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and the mixed lymphocyte reaction were related to benzo-ring substitution, replacement of the benzo-ring by heterocycles, and variation in the 2-biphenyl, 3-methyl, and 4-carboxy groups.
Magnetic trapped particle modes

It is shown that very-low-frequency magnetic modes may be unstable for systems such as tandem mirrors which contain plasma trapped in regions of unfavorable curvature. Onset of the instability occurs when the diamagnetic plasma pressure is sufficient to reverse particle drift velocities.
Mice deficient in tissue factor demonstrate attenuated intimal hyperplasia in response to vascular injury and decreased smooth muscle cell migration

Tissue factor (TF) is the primary initiator of the coagulation cascade and is thought to play a key role in the generation of arterial thrombosis. Recent studies have suggested that TF mediates inflammatory processes in the arterial wall and may be an important regulator of intimal hyperplasia. We have employed genetically engineered mice (mTF-/-/hTF+) with markedly diminished TF activity (˜1% normal levels) to examine the role of TF in mediating the response to arterial injury. mTF-/-/hTF+ displayed a marked reduction in intimal hyperplasia (46% decrease in intimal area, 60% decrease in intimal/medial ratio) in response to femoral artery injury when compared to wild type controls.The decreased intimal hyperplasia seen in low TF mice was noted in a model of vascular injury not associated with significant thrombosis, suggesting that it may be mediated by non-procoagulant properties of TF. Smooth muscle cells from mTF-/-/hTF+ mice grew normally in response to serum, but exhibited a marked defect in cell migration in a modified Boyden chamber assay. In contrast, there was no difference in platelet derived growth factor- induced migration, suggesting that the effect of TF on smooth muscle cell migration is agonist dependent. These data suggest that TF may mediate intimal hyperplasia by regulating smooth muscle cell migration.
On knowing books by their colors.

In a search and recognition task utilizing real-world objects, the usefulness of color cues is observed to depend upon the availability of alphanumeric information. Following a 45-sec. inspection of a randomly selected collection of 17 books, spread on a table with their titles exposed, subjects were asked to identify as many of these as possible during a test period beginning 3 min. later in which 17 decoys were also present. Some subjects wore glasses with red filters during the test and inspection periods. The color blindness thereby introduced did not impair their performance in comparison with control subjects who were able to utilize normal color vision. Moreover, the introduction of color during the test period impaired the performance of subjects who had been deprived of color cues during inspection. It was concluded that subjects paid attention mostly to book titles and for that reason did not use other cues, including color, to much advantage. In a second experiment, where titles were obscured, ...
The club industry: The challenging years of 2003–2008

This article is based on a research project on the U.S. club industry spanning the six-year period of 2003–2008. Those six years saw many events that affected the economy of the world. The results showed the club industry was not immune to larger economic forces. While the financial viability of an individual club is tied strongly to its local economy, the entire industry is closely affected by the general economy. Twenty ratios are reported covering the five general classes of financial ratios. The ratio results suggest 2004 was a banner year for the club industry while the current tough recession has pushed the club business into turmoil, and little relief is in sight.
Emulsion-based delivery systems for lipophilic bioactive components.

ABSTRACT: There is a pressing need for edible delivery systems to encapsulate, protect, and release bioactive lipids within the food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. The fact that these delivery systems must be edible puts constraints on the type of ingredients and processing operations that can be used to create them. Emulsion technology is particularly suited for the design and fabrication of delivery systems for encapsulating bioactive lipids. This review provides a brief overview of the major bioactive lipids that need to be delivered within the food industry (for example, ω-3 fatty acids, carotenoids, and phytosterols), highlighting the main challenges to their current incorporation into foods. We then provide an overview of a number of emulsion-based technologies that could be used as edible delivery systems by the food and other industries, including conventional emulsions, multiple emulsions, multilayer emulsions, solid lipid particles, and filled hydrogel particles. Each of these delivery systems could be produced from food-grade (GRAS) ingredients (for example, lipids, proteins, polysaccharides, surfactants, and minerals) using simple processing operations (for example, mixing, homogenizing, and thermal processing). For each type of delivery system, we describe its structure, preparation, advantages, limitations, and potential applications. This knowledge can be used to facilitate the selection of the most appropriate emulsion-based delivery system for specific applications.
Identification of antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using human monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract Pleural tuberculosis constitutes a human model of local protective immunity to mycobacterial infection as the disease is usually self-limited and recurrent pleurisy is rare. To identify potentially protective antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 37 human pleural fluid B cell clones were established using EBV and their supernatants assayed by ELISA and Western blot for antibody reactivity with M. tuberculosis sonicate and culture filtrate. One antibody identified 29,000, 31,000, and 33,000 bands in culture filtrate, and 31,000, 33,000, and 47,000 bands in sonicate; its species reactivity by ELISA was limited to M. tuberculosis. Eight antibodies identified a 31,000 band in culture filtrate and a 68,000 band in M. tuberculosis sonicate, suggesting recognition of a secreted antigen. The species crossreactivity of these eight antibodies extended to M. avium. Six antibodies identified multiple bands and had crossreactivity that included M. avium and M. kansasii. There was no reactivity with recombinant M. tuberculosis 65,000 antigen. Tuberculous pleurisy may prove useful in the identification of potentially protective mycobacterial antigens, particularly those secreted during active infection, and thus accessible to the human immune response.
Programmer-controlled application-level multicast

Group communication abstractions provide application-level multicasting to communicate information among distributed processes. A variety of such abstractions have been provided to implement synchronous collaborative applications but they do not allow control over the multicast of information to the selected group of processes. We have developed a new abstraction that overcomes this limitation. It defines a two-level grouping of distributed processes, with one level defining the users interacting with a specific collaborative application, and the other defining the set of collaborative applications a set of users is sharing simultaneously to perform some collaborative task. It allows information to be sent directly to the receiving processes or through a centralized relayer. In either case, programmer-choosable and replaceable send and receive filters provide consistency guarantees. The abstraction provides message passing rather than remote procedure calls, and supports asynchronous sending and receiving of messages. It is designed to support both centralized and replicated architectures. The abstraction has been implemented on top of the Java Remote Method Invocation layer and has been used to implement a broad range of collaboration functions.
Radial Head Excision and Synovectomy in Patients with Hemophilia

BACKGROUND: Chronic hemophilic synovitis of the elbow usually leads to enlargement and erosion of the radial head, resulting in mechanical blockage of forearm rotation, synovial impingement, recurrent hemarthrosis, and pain. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the intermediate-term results of radial head excision and synovectomy in a large group of patients with hemophilia who had been managed at a single institution. METHODS: Information on forty radial head excision and synovectomy procedures that had been performed at our institution from 1969 to 2004 was retrospectively collected. All but one of the operations had been performed in patients with severe hemophilia. The mean age of the patients at the time of the procedure was thirty-three years. Pain, limited range of motion, and bleeding were the indications for surgery. The mean duration of follow-up was 7.7 years. RESULTS: Only one postoperative complication was observed: a posterior interosseous nerve palsy that fully resolved by six months. No additional surgical intervention for bleeding was required in sixteen of the nineteen elbows in which bleeding was one of the indications for surgery. Of the forty elbows, seven required a secondary surgical procedure at a mean of five years after the excision of the radial head. Examination of the mean range of motion at the time of the latest follow-up demonstrated a 63° increase in the pronation-supination arc (p < 0.00001) but only a 2° increase in the flexion arc. CONCLUSIONS: Radial head excision in patients with hemophilia is an effective procedure for improving forearm rotation and reducing pain and bleeding frequency, with a low risk of complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. ORIGINAL ABSTRACT CITATION:“Radial Head Excision and Synovectomy in Patients with Hemophilia” (2007;89:[2156-62][1]). [1]: /lookup/volpage/89/2156
The influence of boundary objects on group collaboration in construction project teams

This note outlines the critical role that boundary objects play in construction project teams. In this domain, boundary objects extend beyond their traditional role as information artifacts used to communicate between teams to serve a more influential role as guides for team collaboration.
Further studies of the formation of filamentous carbon from the interaction of supported iron particles with acetylene

Abstract A combination of controlled atmosphere electron microscopy and Mossbauer spectroscopy has been used to investigate the characteristics of supported α-iron and γ-iron particles during the formation of carbon filaments via decomposition of acetylene. γ-iron was found to exhibit a higher intrinsic activity than α-iron for this reaction when the metal was supported on graphite. In both systems, however, catalytic action decreased significantly at temperatures in excess of 700°C. Major changes were observed in the catalytic behavior of the metal particles when they were supported on silica. The rate of formation of carbon filaments from the α-iron/silica system showed a uniform increase up to 900°C. Mossbauer spectroscopy analysis of similarly treated samples revealed that under these conditions α-iron was the only metallic phase present, even though experiments were conducted through a temperature region where the transformation of α-iron to γ-iron can occur, suggesting that silica stabilizes the α-form of iron. In contrast, the catalytic activity displayed by γ-iron particles supported on silica was considerably reduced over that found for the corresponding graphite supported system. The results of this study are discussed in terms of some of the factors controlling the growth characteristics of filamentous carbon.
Reciprocity between luminance and dot density in the perception of brightness.

Abstract Thresholds were measured for detecting perturbations in a regular lattice of dots by modulating local dot density, local dot luminance, or some combination of the two. For high mean densities (dot spacing ⩽ 15 min of arc), perturbations in local density increase the perceived brightnesses of the individually resolved elements in the more densely filled regions, and appear (at near threshold levels) as modulations of brightness rather than density. This illusory brightness modulation may be nulled by applying a real luminance modulation to make the lattice elements appear equally bright. Once this is done, thresholds for detecting any nonumiformity in the array are elevated compared to thresholds for detecting uncompensated density modulation. This result suggests that uncompensated density modulation is detected via the illusory brightness variations. This interpretation suggests that dot brightness is determined on the basis of the space average luminance of an area a substantial fraction of 1 deg in diameter. To test this hypothesis, thresholds were measured for detecting luminance modulation in a regular array of dots viewed against a comparatively dim background, where the modulation was applied to the dots themselves, to the background alone, or to both the dots and the background in either reinforcing or cancelling relative phase. For small, closely spaced dots, the threshold for modulation of luminance can be predicted on the basis of the amplitude of the Fourier component at the modulation frequency, regardless of whether it is carried by dots, the background, or both. The threshold is greatly elevated when modulation in the dots cancels the background modulation, so that there is contrast modulation of the dots, but no net energy at the fundamental frequency (zero amplitude of the Fourier component). For large, coarsely spaced dots, on the other hand, thresholds for conditions which contain energy at the fundamental modulation frequency are higher. The threshold increase is much greater when the modulation is applied to the dots than when it is applied to the background. This result suggests that the coarsely spaced dots are saturating the response of spatially opponent units. This hypothesis was confirmed by tests using backgrounds with the same luminance as the dots; threshold elevations selective for dots or background were abolished.