cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the effects of intramuscular injection volume on midazolam-butorphanol induced sedation in domestic pigeons (Columba livia)

Abstract Background Combinations of midazolam and butorphanol are commonly used in avian sedation protocols but no studies have been performed in Columbiformes. Minimizing intramuscular drug injection volumes is desirable, in order to reduce the potential for injection-induced discomfort. Reduction of drug injection volumes can be achieved by using higher concentrated drug formulations. The goals of this study were to evaluate a midazolam-butorphanol sedation protocol in domestic pigeons and to evaluate if a difference in total drug injection volume has an effect on sedation parameters in this species. Methods Twelve adult pigeons were sedated with butorphanol (2 mg/kg) combined with 4 mg/kg of midazolam as either a standard (5 mg/mL) or concentrated (50 mg/mL) formulation, intramuscularly, in a randomized, blinded, complete cross-over study. Various parameters were used to assess for differences in sedation onset, depth, and recovery. Flumazenil (0.05 mg/kg) was administered intramuscularly for reversal of midazolam 30 minutes after sedative administration. Results The sedation protocol resulted in moderate sedation and all birds became sternally recumbent, while 4of 12 birds lost righting reflex. Recovery was rapid in all birds following administration of flumazenil and no adverse reactions were observed. Significant differences in drug injection volumes had no clinically relevant effects on sedation parameters. Conclusions and clinical relevance Use of concentrated midazolam resulted in ∼3.5 times smaller total injection volumes, while achieving the same efficacy as standard concentration of midazolam. The reduced injection volumes are desirable from an animal welfare standpoint, as they may reduce the risk of local discomfort associated with intramuscular injections.
Toward photoswitchable electronic pre-resonance stimulated Raman probes

Reversibly photoswitchable probes allow for a wide variety of optical imaging applications. In particular, photoswitchable fluorescent probes have significantly facilitated the development of super-resolution microscopy. Recently, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) imaging, a sensitive and chemical-specific optical microscopy, has proven to be a powerful live-cell imaging strategy. Driven by the advances of newly developed Raman probes, in particular the pre-resonance enhanced narrow-band vibrational probes, electronic pre-resonance SRS (epr-SRS) has achieved super-multiplex imaging with sensitivity down to 250 nM and multiplexity up to 24 colors. However, despite the high demand, photoswitchable Raman probes have yet to be developed. Here, we propose a general strategy for devising photoswitchable epr-SRS probes. Toward this goal, we exploit the molecular electronic and vibrational coupling, in which we switch the electronic states of the molecules to four different states to turn their ground-state epr-SRS signals on and off. First, we showed that inducing transitions to both the electronic excited state and triplet state can effectively diminish the SRS peaks. Second, we revealed that the epr-SRS signals can be effectively switched off in red-absorbing organic molecules through light-facilitated transitions to a reduced state. Third, we identified that photoswitchable proteins with near-infrared photoswitchable absorbance, whose states are modulable with their electronic resonances detunable toward and away from the pump photon energy, can function as the photoswitchable epr-SRS probes with desirable sensitivity ( 40 cycles). These photophysical characterizations and proof-of-concept demonstrations should advance the development of novel photoswitchable Raman probes and open up the unexplored Raman imaging capabilities.
Risk of secondary malignancies in non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors: 40 years of follow-up assessed by treatment modality.

e19525Background: Survivors of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are at increased risk of secondary malignancies (SM). We quantified this risk in survivors with over 40 years of follow-up, and evaluated d...
Protein, Fats and Fertility in Dairy Cows

Levels of dietary protein that optimize milk production may depress fertility in dairy cows. While fertility responses of dairy cows fed diets with increased levels of crude protein have not been consistent, trends towards increased services/conception and days open have been reported. New concepts in ruminant protein nutriture partition crude protein into rumen undegradable and degradable fractions. Few studies investigating protein effects on fertility have accounted for partitioning of dietary protein. Dairy cows in their fourth or greater lactation are more likely to become pregnant by 120 days postpartum when fed diets balanced for rumen degradable and undegradable protein. Superovulation studies suggest fertilization failure occurs in older cows fed diets with high levels of rumen degradable protein. Increases in milk yield has been reported in dairy cows receiving fat supplemented diets. Fats protected from rumen degradation have been advocated over vegetable oils and fat mixtures of grease and tallow. Dairy cows fed protected fats have a 2.052 risk odds ratio for pregnancy compared to cows not receiving fats. Conception rate in cows fed protected fats is 59.3% versus 41.5% in control cows. Fat included in dairy cattle rations may not only benefit production, but also reproduction.
Gut check: can other microbes or communities phenocopy H. pylori's early gastric pathology?

The gastric mucosa is exposed to billions of diverse microorganisms every day. To stymie gastric colonisation as well as to limit passage of potential pathogens to more distal segments of the GI tract, the stomach has several broadly active defence mechanisms: acidity, mucus and proteolytic enzymes. Other extragastric mechanisms may contribute: for example, glycosylation epitopes like 3′-Sulfo-Lewis A on salivary mucins cotransit with swallowed bacteria and associate with them when the pH drops in the stomach,1 presumably preventing the bacteria from binding the mucosa. Despite these defenses, at least one bacterial species, Helicobacter pylori is able to colonise the human stomach. This pathogen initially invades the gastric antrum, but it can also spread to the gastric body by inducing a metaplastic glandular response,2 characterised by loss of acid-secreting parietal cells (oxyntic atrophy) and metaplastic glandular changes (ie, Spasmolytic Expressing Polypeptide Metaplasia or SPEM). In a small proportion of individuals, metaplasia can progress to dysplasia and gastric adenocarcinoma. Thus, identifying the early histological changes associated with H. pylori infection becomes clinically important.3 The decrease in or absence of acidity associated with oxyntic atrophy creates an environment permissive for colonisation by opportunistic microbes. Although the presence of these ectopic microbial communities correlates with oxyntic atrophy,4 previously there has been no clear demonstration that …
The Preclinical Toxicity of Dazoxiben: A Specific Inhibitor of Thromboxane A2 Synthetase

The recent discovery of highly selective inhibitors of thromboxane synthetase has opened exciting new therapeutic possibilities in cardiovascular disease, ranging from peripheral vascular disorders, angina and ischaemic heart disease to atherosclerosis. One such agent, dazoxiben (4–2-(1H-imidazol-l-yl)ethoxy benzoic acid) has been shown to be orally active in man. Clinical studies are currently in progress, the therapeutic dose being of the order of 2–3 mg/kg, three times per day (Tyler 1983).
An Ecological Approach to Infant Memory

There are many ways to approach the problem of memory in infancy. I was asked to examine the problem from a Gibsonian point of view. This is no easy task given Gibson’s (1966, 1979) rejection of the need for memory in perception. His rejection is based on his view that perception is a process that continues over time; therefore, it becomes very difficult to separate past from present, and the attempts to do so lead to what Gibson (1966) called the “muddle of memory.” This chapter represents my attempt to apply Gibson’s ecological approach to perception to topics that are generally included under the rubric of infant memory. The chapter may not, in the end, be as radical as Gibson’s view, but it will reflect the Gibsonian emphasis on events, that is, changes that occur over time, and actions. The initial portions of the chapter will be a discussion of what is perceived and recognized in the context of events. The last part will approach the definition of memory more directly.
The End of the High-Energy Frontier

In the past twenty years, the great accelerators have dominated the field of high-energy physics. Consider the 16 basic particles of contemporary physics: six leptons, photons, gluons, W’s and Z’s. Seven of them were “discovered” before 1960 without the use of artificial acceleration. Five were discovered since 1960 and with accelerators. Brookhaven may claim muon neutrinos and part of charm; SPEAR found the tau lepton and the rest of charm; Fermilab found beauty; and PETRA saw the spoor of gluons. Four fundamental particles remain: the tau neutrino, the top quark, and the two weak-interaction intermediaries. These particles will almost certainly turn up at accelerators during the eighties. It seems folly to speak now of the end of the high-energy frontier. So much is to be done, and so many machines are abuilding.
Dietary cholesterol and heart health: a systematic review and meta-analysis (267.6)

Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effects of dietary cholesterol on cardiovascular outcomes in healthy adults. Methods: Medline, Cochrane Central, and CAB databases were searched through March 31, 2013 for prospective studies in English-language that quantified dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular or lipid outcomes in adults. Random effect models meta-analysis was used when at least 3 studies reported the same outcome. Results: 28 studies (16 cohorts with 361,923 subjects and 9 randomized trials with 579 subjects) published between 1981 and 2013 were eligible. Dietary cholesterol was not significantly associated with ischemic heart disease deaths (4 cohorts, summary relative risk [RR] 1.35, 95% CI 0.91, 2.01) or ischemic stroke (4 cohorts, summary RR 1.13, 95% CI 0.99, 1.28). Dietary cholesterol intake 蠅300mg/day compared to <300 mg/day, had a small but statistically significant increase in plasma total cholesterol (9 trials, net change 6.76 mg/dL, 95% CI 0.71, ...
Supply chain risk modelling and mitigation

In today’s global competitive environment, supply chains are more susceptible to vulnerability due to the increasing occurrence of internal and external risk events. In addition, the trend associated with lean management, which involves reducing inventory, leads to more dependency of supply chain partners on each other which exacerbates risk exposure of companies in the supply chain. This creates the need for more effective management of supply chain risks. In this research, a methodology based on Bow-Tie analysis and optimisation techniques is proposed to quantify and mitigate supply chain risks. The proposed methodology takes into consideration risk interconnections, and it identifies the best combination of mitigation strategies under budget constraints. A real case study from a high-end server manufacturing environment is presented. Results from the case study showed that the proposed methodology for risk modelling and mitigation can effectively be used to quantify the risks and achieve the required r...
Combining Distributional Weights and the Marginal Cost of Funds: The Concept of Person-Specific Marginal Cost of Funds

Both distributional weights and the marginal cost of funds (MCF) play important roles in cost-benefit analysis, and both are based on the premise that individual lump sum taxes are unavailable. Yet...
Biosynthesis of a fucose-containing glycopeptide from rat small intestine in normal and vitamin A-deficient conditions.

Abstract The number of goblet cells in the small intestine decreased in the vitamin A-deficient rat. Incorporation of 14C-d-glucosamine into a fucose-containing glycopeptide declined markedly. Ultracentrifugation of this glycopeptide in H2O gave only a single component, with a sedimentation value of 3.6 S, whereas, in 0.1 m phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) two components appeared, with much higher sedimentation constants (6.2 S and 7.2 S). The glycopeptide was found to contain glucosamine, galactose, fucose, and sialic acid in the molar ratios of 3:3:1:0.25, respectively. Synthesis of the fucose-containing glycopeptide in vitro, using uridine-diphosphate-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine-1-14C and 3H-serine, showed a 2- to 3-fold decrease in the incorporation of the labels by rough endoplasmic reticulum prepared from vitamin A-deficient animals as compared with normal animals.
Fermilab and Latin America

As Director of Fermilab, starting in 1979, I began a series of meetings with scientists in Latin America. The motivation was to stir collaboration in the field of high energy particle physics, the central focus of Fermilab. In the next 13 years, these Pan American Symposia stirred much discussion of the use of modern physics, created several groups to do collaborative research at Fermilab, and often centralized facilities and, today, still provides the possibility for much more productive North‐South collaboration in research and education. In 1992, I handed these activities over to the AAAS, as President. This would, I hoped, broaden areas of collaboration. Such collaboration is unfortunately very sensitive to political events. In a rational world, it would be the rewards, cultural and economic, of collaboration that would modulate political relations. We are not there yet.
MEMS fixtures for handling and assembly of microparts

Fixtures are used to locate and hold parts during automated inspection, machining, or assembly. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are tiny devices built in batch processes derived from integrated circuit fabrication. We describe a design for an array of MEMS microfixtures for parallel inspection, transport, and assembly of microfabricated parts. In a microfixture array, parts are brought near the fixture by random motion provided e.g. by vibratory agitation. The fixture clamps actively close when the parts enter the fixture. In large future fixture arrays, electrostatic or optical sensors integrated into the fixture cell can trigger this clamping function. Each cell operates autonomously and no global control is necessary. We fabricated a prototype cell consisting of two upfoldable fixture walls and a bimorph thermal actuator using a standard CMOS process. This approach allows batch fabrication of large numbers of cells on a single silicon wafer, as well as easy integration of sensors and actuators that autonomously close each cell when filled.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of water temperature on the reward value and satiating capacity of water in water-deprived rats

Since orolingual cooling is a primary reward for water-deprived rats, cold water should be more rewarding than warm water. Hooded rats were allowed to bar press on a VI 1-min schedule for water at approximately 12° or 36°C. Testing started when their body weights had dropped to 80% of their predeprivation levels and was continued as their weights were allowed to drift slowly upward. Mean number of bar presses for cold and body-temperature water were compared under the various body-weight conditions, and in almost all cases the rats bar pressed at a higher rate for cold water. When these same animals were again deprived to 80% body weight, they showed an overwhelming preference for cold water over warm water in 10-min choice tests. A third experiment with these animals replicated Kapatos and Gold's (1972) finding that rats offered either only warm water or only cold water in different test sessions drink more warm water than cold. The results of these experiments are consistent with the hypothesis that cold water is both more rewarding and more satiating than is body-temperature water, but it could be that the intake of cold water is terminated prematurely by the drop in body temperature which it produces.
Racial Typicality, Racial Identity, and Health Behaviors: A Case for Culturally Sensitive Health Interventions

Culturally sensitive health interventions have proven to be vitally important for the elimination of the health disparities that Black Americans face. The purpose of this study was to illuminate the role and importance of health behavior racial typicality and racial identification in how Black Americans view and engage in health behaviors. Black Americans completed racial identity measures and rated a variety of both health-promoting and health-compromising behaviors on whether they were more typical of Blacks or Whites (i.e., racial typicality), personal importance, and frequency of engagement. Results indicated the extent to which health behaviors were viewed as relatively more descriptive of Blacks (rather than Whites) was associated with higher perceived importance and greater frequency of engagement, particularly among those reporting higher levels of nationalist racial identification. Finally, health behavior importance mediated the relationship between racial typicality of the behavior and engageme...
Errors in relay servo systems

This paper presents some of the errors that are present in a nonlinear second-order feedback-control system. In order to investigate some of the errors that exist in a piece-wise (See Appendix for definitions) linear control system, the phase-plane method of analysis is used. Along with a description of some of the errors that exist, equations are presented for determining these errors, and curves covering the normal operating range are included.
Lactate Dehydrogenase in Tears

Lactate dehydrogenase levels in tears were measured in normal subjects and in patients with retinoblastoma. When specimens were collected without trauma in normal subjects, there were usually no detectable levels of lactate dehydrogenase. When the eyelids were rubbed (probably liberating epithelial cells) lactate dehydrogenase levels were detectable and were five to ten times those of normal aqueous humor. When lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in such specimens were analyzed, the level of lactate dehydrogenase 5 was always higher than that of lactate dehydrogenase 1 (similar to normal aqueous humor). While occasional patients with retinoblastoma do have elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase in tears, it is uncertain if this is due to epithelial destruction or retinoblastoma itself. Lactate dehydrogenase in tears does not appear to be a useful test for the diagnosis of retinoblastoma given present techniques for collection and analysis.
Cognitive health: an emerging public health issue.

A focus on cognitive health is consistent with the major principles that guide public health efforts in the United States. The purpose of our commentary is to provide a framework for placing cognitive health within the context of public health. We begin by describing the demographic and historical imperatives compelling the nation to attend to the issue of cognitive health, and then we explore several critical roles that public health can play to prevent cognitive decline and to promote cognitive health among all Americans.
Expression and characterization of the preoptic regulatory factor-1 and -2 peptides

The preoptic regulatory factors, PORF-1 and PORF-2, were originally detected as cDNAs from the rat preoptic area of the hypothalamus. Expression of the messenger RNAs is dependent on age, gender and hormonal status. PORF-1 is a putative transcription factor while PORF-2 affects cell growth. However, expression of peptides predicted from the PORF-1 and PORF-2 open reading frames has not been reported. The characterization of PORF-1 and PORF-2 peptides expressed in vitro and in vivo is described here. There are three potential PORF-1 peptides of 37, 59 and 86 amino acids, because of the presence of two TGA codons that can code either for termination or for selenocysteine incorporation in the PORF-1 open reading frame. All three peptides are detected after in vitro translation of full-length porf-1 brain mRNA. The two larger ones are found in normal male rat brain. The expression of a given peptide in bacteria depends upon the host strain. In contrast, a single 75 amino acid PORF-2 peptide is detected by in vitro translation, in transformed bacteria, and in rat brain. The PORF-1 and PORF-2 peptides have the charges and hydrophobicities predicted from their brain cDNA open reading frames. These small peptides may represent examples of multiple usage of single genetic loci in eukaryotes, giving rise to both a protein product and its regulatory peptide.
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Is Well Tolerated in People With Alzheimer-Related Cognitive Impairment

Abstract Objective To retrospectively assess whether cardiopulmonary exercise testing would be well tolerated in individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) compared with a nondemented peer group. Design We retrospectively reviewed 575 cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) in individuals with and without cognitive impairment caused by AD. Setting University medical center. Participants Exercise tests (N=575) were reviewed for nondemented individuals (n=340) and those with AD-related cognitive impairment (n=235). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measure for this study was reporting the reason for CPET termination. The hypothesis reported was formulated after data collection. Results We found that in cognitively impaired individuals, CPETs were terminated because of fall risk more often, but that overall test termination was infrequent—5.5% versus 2.1% ( P =.04) in peers without cognitive impairment. We recorded 6 cardiovascular and 7 fall risk events in those with AD, compared with 7 cardiovascular and 0 fall risk events in those without cognitive impairment. Conclusions Our findings support using CPETs to assess peak oxygen consumption in older adults with cognitive impairment caused by AD.
Regio- and stereoselective hydroborations of chiral allyl amines. Synthesis of amino alcohols

Abstract Chiral allyl amines with the carboncarbon double bond at an internal position undergo regio- and stereocontrolled hydroborations to provide 1,2-amino alcohols in good yields. The precursor olefins are readily available from a nucleophilic alaninol synthon prepared from serine.
Economic evaluations for short-rotation biomass production systems

Abstract Economic evaluations were added, for the first time, as a formal ‘Activity’ in the 1986 International Energy Agency Bioenergy Agreement task II. The objective of the ‘Activity’ was to economically evaluate the state of the art for short-rotation biomass production systems. This was done through three significant economic workshops, a comprehensive annotated bibliography, the development and testing of a standardized cost accounting spreadsheet for reporting cost informations, and the publishing of numerous technical papers. Given the economic climate during 1986–88, short-rotation woody crop systems for energy appeared marginal in most instances without government incentives.
Defects in B-cell function and metabolism in uremia: Role of parathyroid hormone

Defects in B-cell function and metabolism in uremia: Role of parathyroid hormone. Patients with chronic renal failure have impaired humoral immunity, inadequate B-cell proliferation and antibody production, and elevated basal levels of cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) in their B cells. Multiple mechanisms can be involved in generation of these derangements. This article reviews data suggesting that high levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) of uremia affect the metabolism and function of B cells. We also review studies on the role of normalization of [Ca2+]i in these abnormalities. Small but well-documented studies suggest that treatment of dialysis patients with calcium channels blockers can reverse the elevation of [Ca2+]i in B cells, which was followed by improvement of B-cell function. Thus, therapy with calcium channel blockers has the potential to decrease the infectious complication of uremia.
SOLUBLE INTRAMUSCULAR COLLAGEN CHARACTERISTICS FROM STRETCHED AND AGED MUSCLE

SUMMARY –Changes occurring during stretching and post-mortem aging of intramuscular collagen from bovine muscle were studied. Sucrose density-gradient ultracentrifugation analyses of denatured guanidine hydrochloride-soluble intramuscular collagen (GSIC) indicated stretching and/or aging muscle changes the molecular structure of the collagen. The quantity of aldehyde cross-links in native GSIC supported this finding. The yield of GSIC from stretched muscles was slightly greater than from normal muscles. A high correlation existed between quantity of each collagen chain component and muscle shear value. Stretched muscle had significantly longer sarcomeres than normal muscles, regardless of aging period. Sarcomere length and muscle tenderness were closely associated in unaged muscle.
A study of the relationship between the latency and consistency of stuttering.

Previous research indicates that the latency of learned responses is inversely related to the strength of the stimulus-response bond. If this is true for stuttering, then a word stuttered on the fi...
Kinetics and mechanism of HCN evolution from nylon 66 and design of apparatus

The evolution of HCN from the oxidation of nylon 66 has been studied in three apparatuses of different design (all based on stream flow) over a temperature range from 390 to 700°C. Although the numerical values for rate constants (diffusion controlled) and energies of activation differ, the same mechanism is deduced from the results of the three designs. It is concluded that a simple horizontal tube in a furnace is the most efficient apparatus as far as sweeping out volatile products is concerned. The mechanism of thermal oxidative degradation has been evaluated in detail. It is shown that mechanisms where the first reaction step is not the slowest or the slowest one of first or second order all fit the experimental results. However, it is concluded that the mechanism where the first step is first order and the slowest one is the most likely one. The respective parameters have been evaluated for the results obtained from the horizontal tube apparatus.
High-Pressure Polymorphism of Titanium Dioxide

X-ray diffraction studies made in situ under conditions of high pressure and high temperature revealed the direct transition of rutile to the alpha lead dioxide form in titanium dioxide. Compressibility studies of this alpha lead dioxide form at room temperature showed anomalous behavior in that its molar volume converges close to, but not equal to, that of the rutile form. Under this circumstance an unexpectedly large error appears in the calculations of the equilibrium pressure for the two forms at 298 degrees K.
The Economic Lag of Central and Eastern Europe: Income Estimates for the Habsburg Successor States, 1870–1910

The lack of nineteenth-century national income figures for the small states of present-day Central and Eastern Europe hampers studies of long-term economic development in the region. This article fills the gap by using a proxy approach to estimate GDP per capita on the territories of the Habsburg successor states for the period 1870 to 1910. The results give added support for more optimistic interpretations of the region's performance under Habsburg rule. More importantly, they can be linked to national income figures for later years and used directly in comparisons of international income levels between 1870 and 1987. r he end of the cold war and the collapse of communism mark a major . discontinuity in the economic history of Central and Eastern Europe. Yet the dramatic events in the region have not left a completely blank slate. Perhaps the most obvious legacy is the region's relative economic backwardness compared to Western Europe. Comparisons of international income levels are problematic, especially when they involve countries with different economic systems at different stages of development. Yet even if the available data have a substantial margin of error, they demonstrate the sizable lag of the former East-bloc economies within Europe. To what extent does the current lag of Central and Eastern Europe predate the communist period? Even a rudimentary survey of European economic history shows that the source of economic backwardness in Central and Eastern Europe lies deep in the past, not simply in the post-1945 cold war era.1 For centuries prior to World War I, much of the region fell under Habsburg rule. Straddling east and west, the Habsburg Empire stood somewhere in the midrange of Europe's west to east economic gradient and displayed a similar pattern of regional disparities within its own boundaries.2
A wear model and simulation of superfinishing process: analysis for the superfinishing of bearing rings

Simulation of wear evolution during abrasive processes is a very difficult task compared to that of machining processes because of the degree of randomness of geometry and disposition of cutting teeth. Superfinishing is a specific case of abrasive process, where the temperature is not consistently involved. A wear model and a numerical method of simulating the process, involving data collected in a testing experiment that resulted in determining an abrasive function, are presented for the specific case of the superfinishing the ball track of an inner bearing ring. Four types of stones were tested while abrading a cylindrical sample of M50 steel, using a high fluidity oil as a lubricant. The abrasive function characteristic to the materials involved in the process was determined. The wear volume of stone, that resulted in simulation and superfinishing experiments, is compared for three of the stones, and a good agreement between them was obtained, endorsing the viability of the simulation. The stability of the results with mesh refinement was analyzed. Three other output parameters of the simulated process and their dependency on the stone type were discussed.
Wang Shizhen's Yan Shan Garden essays: narrating a literati landscape

The practice of building gardens in China dates from at least the Han, and persisted throughout subsequent periods as a relatively minor aspect of the lives of members of the highest levels of the ...
The Effects of an Early Reading Curriculum on Language and Literacy Development of Head Start Children

Abstract This study examined the effectiveness of the Montana Early Literacy Project (MELP) curriculum on literacy and language skills of preschool-age children in Head Start. The MELP model utilizes everyday events and existing routines of classroom and home environments to build literacy and language directly into children's daily experiences. Using a control group design, the researchers analyzed skill development in preschool children participating in a classroom, using the MELP model as a supplement to the traditional Head Start curriculum (n=14). Results were compared to children who participated in the traditional Head Start curriculum (n=15). Assessments used were the Emerging Literacy Screening from Building Early Literacy and Language Skills (Paulson, Noble, Jepson, & van den Pol, 2001) and language sampling. Analyses indicated an important difference in the literacy and language skills gained by children in the MELP classroom, particularly in the areas of narrative discourse, vocabulary, phonol...
Hydride Shifts in the Biosynthesis of the p-Menthane Monoterpenes α-Terpinene, γ-Terpinene, and β-Phellandrene

Abstract The biosynthesis of several monoterpenes from the acyclic precursor geranyl pyrophosphate requires the migration of positive charge from the isopropyl side chain into the cyclohexenoid ring of the universal α-terpinyl cation intermediate of the reaction. The hydride shifts responsible for charge migration in the formation of three p-menthane olefin isomers were examined in a range of plant species: α-terpinene in American wormseed, γ-terpinene in thyme, and (−)-β-phellandrene in lodgepole pine. The experimental approach utilized soluble cell-free enzyme systems and specifically labeled geranyl substrates, with the determination of the labeling patterns in the resulting cyclic products. The results were consistent with stereoelectronic features of the cyclization and support the general model for monoterpene formation.
Power conversion schemes in nanometer CMOS mixed-signal SoCs

An overview of various schemes for realizing a large number of on-chip power supply domains in mixed-signal System-on-Chip (SoCs) implemented in nanometer CMOS technologies are presented. This includes two-step power conversion schemes that employ a separate Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) to generate few shared highly-efficient power supplies, followed by secondary fully-integrated power converters to generate multiple on-chip power supplies inside the SoC. Three alternatives for implementing the secondary power converters will be discussed, which includes linear regulators as well as fully-integrated inductor-based and capacitor-based high-frequency switching regulators. An overview of single-step power conversion schemes based on Single-Inductor-Multiple-Output (SIMO) switching power converters will also be presented. The advantages and limitations of these various schemes in terms of power conversion efficiency and dynamic performance, as well as cost and size will be detailed. Some techniques to improve the above performance metrics will also be discussed.
Homosexual behavior in a laboratory group of stumptail monkeys (Macaca arctoides): forms, contexts, and possible social functions.

Observations of stumptail monkeys revealed frequent prolonged, intensive genital stimulation between individuals of the same sex, both males and females, adults and infants, These homosexual interactions occurred in positive emotional contexts, were accompanied by positive emotional facial expressions, and often were evidently elicited by the observation of heterosexual behavior. Infants' first copulations were performed with adults of the same or opposite sex who actively aided them. This suggests that homosexual and heterosexual encounters function as training for adult sexual roles, and that homosexual behavior is a basic primate pattern not exclusive to man.
Organomagnesates from Reactions of Dialkylmagnesium Compounds with Alkali-Metal Alkoxides, Potassium Hydride, and Other Salts

Reactions of R2Mg and KOR‘ in benzene form solutions containing organomagnesates that incorporate equal amounts of the reactants. NMR spectra of preparations in which the choice of R and R‘ leads to stereoisomers are consistent with a dimeric organomagnesate structure in which the magnesium atoms of two R2Mg units are bridged by the oxygen atoms of two OR‘ groups. Similar species result when NaOR‘ is the salt or diethyl ether is the solvent. When less than 1 equiv of KOR‘ is used, other species also are present. Reactions in benzene of R2Mg with some other salts, including tetrabutylammonium halides and LiNR‘2 compounds, also furnish 1:1 organomagnesates, but reactions with KH can lead to solutions of R3MgK.
SU-E-I-38: Constrained - Total - Variation - Minimization - Based Image Reconstruction in Breast CT

Purpose: Current breast‐CT prototypes acquire data at a large number of views because analytical algorithms such as FDK are used. Constrained‐ total‐variation‐minimization‐based algorithms, however, have the potential to reconstructimages from data collected at a substantially lower number of views, thus further reducing imaging dose to patients. In this study, we investigate and compare reconstructions from data collected in breast‐CT patient studies with both FDK and constrained‐TV‐minimization‐based algorithms. Methods: In breast CT, a small imaging dose has to been distributed among a large number of views required by analytic algorithms, which results in a low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) level of the data. Reconstruction from low‐SNR data is challenging for analytic and, in particular, iterative algorithms such as constrained‐TV‐minimization‐based algorithms, which often leads to artifacts such as blocky appearance or salt‐ and‐pepper artifact. We have developed a constrained‐TV‐minimization algorithm (ASD‐POCS) and carefully implemented for reconstruction from low‐SNR breast‐CT data. In this work, we investigate image reconstruction using ASD‐POCS algorithm from breast‐CT patient data acquired in a clinical trial carried out at UC‐Davis. For each study, data were acquired at 500 views over 360 degrees with a circular‐cone‐beam configuration. We also created data sets that are subsets of the 500‐view data. Images were reconstructed from the 500‐view and created data sets, using both FDK and ASD‐POCS algorithms. Results: The results of our study suggest that the ASD‐POCS algorithm may yield improved images, depending on data quantitative and evaluation metrics, over the FDK algorithm. For example, the contrast‐to‐noise ratios in ASD‐POCS images are generally higher than that in FDK images. For images with calcifications, this means possibly higher calcifications contrast. Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that the proposed technique can potentially improve image quality of breast CT. The proposed algorithm can further reduce total imaging dose in breast CT by reducing the number of views.
The reciprocal effects of eating disorders and the postpartum period: a review of the literature and recommendations for clinical care.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the areas of psychological and physiological concern when working with patients who have eating disorders as they move through the postpartum period. These concerns include infant feeding, maternal-child bonding, and postpartum adjustment. The combination of psychological stressors of new motherhood and body image concerns intensified by the residual bodily changes of pregnancy may predispose women to have an exacerbation in eating disordered symptoms as well as the development of postpartum mood disorders. Depression can lead mothers to be nonresponsive, inconsistent, or rejecting of the infant, placing the mother-baby attachment at risk. The added existence of an eating disorder compounds these risks, with medical and psychological risks becoming increasingly apparent. Healthcare providers (e.g., primary care physician, obstetric provider) are more likely to have contact with women during the postpartum period, making such providers instrumental in the screening and referral...
Magnetic Structure of Ga2−xFexO3

High‐magnetic‐field‐Mossbauer and magnetic‐moment experiments have been performed with Ga2−xFexO3. This magnetic system is of considerable interest because it is piezoelectric, weakly magnetic,1 and magnetoelectric.2 The crystal structure has been determined3 and a magnetic ordering inferred.3 The magnetic‐moment measurements were made using a vibrating sample magnetometer in fields up to 75 kOe. The samples used for the Mossbauer absorption experiments consisted of 57Fe enriched powders, grown from a flux, embedded in lucite, and having x=0.8 and 1.2. A mosaic absorber made of small x‐ray oriented single crystals was also studied. Measurements were made over the temperature range 4.2° to 320°K and in external magnetic fields up to 130 kOe. At low temperatures the zero‐external field‐absorption spectra indicate that there are at least two magnetically nonequivalent sites. In a large external field the hyperfine spectrum lines corresponding to Δm=0 vanish, while each of the outer lines (corresponding to Δm...
Interrelationship between dietary lipids and calories and experimental mammary gland tumorigenesis

The purpose of this communication was to review and critique the studies designed to examine the interrelationship between dietary fat and calories in experimental rodent mammary gland tumorigenesis. The results of these studies clearly show that hyperalimentation of fat, either saturated or unsaturated, significantly stimulates this tumorigenic process. This has been demonstrated in an impressive array of carcinogen-induced, transplantable, spontaneous, and metastatic experimental rodent mammary gland tumor systems. The stimulatory effect of high levels of dietary fat appears to act primarily at the promotional stage of this tumorigenic process. Whether the mammary tumor stimulatory effect of high levels of dietary fat is a result of the metabolic activity of the fat per se or is due to an excessive energy (caloric) intake has been examined. Data obtained from the experimental studies that address this issue support the viewpoint that the mammary tumorigenic-enhancing activities of a high fat diet is, at least in part, through a caloric mechanism.
Human metapneumovirus inhibits the IL-6-induced JAK/STAT3 signalling cascade in airway epithelium.

The host cytokine IL-6 plays an important role in host defence and prevention of lung injury from various pathogens, making IL-6 an important mediator in the host’s susceptibility to respiratory infections. The cellular response to IL-6 is mediated through a Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3) signal transduction pathway. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is an important causative agent of viral respiratory infections known to inhibit the IFN-mediated activation of STAT1. However, little is known about the interactions between this virus and other STAT signalling cascades. Herein, we showed that hMPV can attenuate the IL-6-mediated JAK/STAT3 signalling cascade in lung epithelial cells. HMPV inhibited a key event in this pathway by impeding the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3 in A549 cells and in primary normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Further studies established that hMPV interrupted the IL-6-induced JAK/STAT pathway early in the signal transduction pathway by blocking the phosphorylation of JAK2. By antagonizing the IL-6-mediated JAK/STAT3 pathway, hMPV perturbed the expression of IL-6-inducible genes important for apoptosis, cell differentiation and growth. Infection with hMPV also differentially regulated the effects of IL-6 on apoptosis. Thus, hMPV regulation of these genes could usurp the protective roles of IL-6, and these data provide insight into an important element of viral pathogenesis.
Chemical modification of Lactobacillus casei thymidylate synthetase with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene.

Previous studies of the pH dependence of sulfhydryl group modification in thymidylate synthetase (W. A. Munroe, C. A. Lewis and R. B. Dunlap, 1978, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.80, 355–360) suggested that a neighboring general base residue enhanced the nucleophilicity of the catalytic cysteinyl side chain. In an effort to identify the latter residue by active site crosslinking, chemical modification of the enzyme by 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene was investigated and compared with results of modification by 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Incubation of enzyme with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene led to rapid inactivation and loss of ability to form ternary complexes. Paper chromatography of the acid hydrolysate of enzyme modified with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene yielded two yellow spots, identified as dinitrophenylenecysteine and dinitrophenylenelysine. Specific active site labeling was indicated by substrate protection with dUMP, by the release of 1.65 of fluoride ion per enzyme dimer during inactivation, and by the fact that 70% of the activity was recovered after incubation of the inactivated enzyme with 2-mercaptoethanol, The results of a similar series of studies with 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene indicated quite specific active site modification. The equivalents of fluoride ion released during modification, 3.5 per enzyme dimer, and the fact that thiolysis of the totally inactivated enzyme led to a recovery of only 18% of the original activity provided evidence for active site crosslinking with the catalytic cysteine as one of the modification sites. Characterization of the modified enzyme, its yellow acid hydrolysate fragments, and a variety of dinitrophenylene crosslinked models suggested that 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene had modified the enzyme by crosslinking cysteine and serine residues.
Response to Letter to the Editor on “Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (ABCG2) Determines Distribution of Genistein Phase II Metabolites: Reevaluation of the Roles of ABCG2 in the Disposition of Genistein”.

The purpose of this letter is to respond to a comment made by Dr. Alvarez to our recently published article ([Yang et al., 2012][1]). We thank Dr. Alvarez for her interest and comments. We take this opportunity to reemphasize that the conclusion of our article breaks away from a conventional wisdom
Factors associated with prolongation of transport times of emergency pediatric patients requiring transfer to a tertiary care center

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with longer times to transport of emergency pediatric patients requiring tertiary care. Design: Retrospective case series. Setting: Emergency pediatric transport service. Participants: Infants and children transported by the transport service at the University of North Carolina Hospitals at Chapel Hill from January 1, 1988, to December 31, 1990. Main measurements: The time-to-request, the time from patient arrival at the referring hospital to the time when the request for transfer was received, and the ground time, defined as the time between the transport team's arrival at the referring hospital and their departure, were recorded for each transported patient. Results: Three hundred consecutive children 0 to 16 years (61% male) were transferred. Time-to-request was shorter for trauma patients (median 62 minutes, quartiles 29 and 153 minutes) than for medical patients (median 172 minutes, quartiles 83 and 508 minutes) (P = 0.0001). Infants, children, and adolescents had similar times-to-request of 147 minutes, 129 minutes, and 128 minutes, respectively (P = 0.91). Increased ground times were associated with diagnosis category (median of 40 minutes for medical patients vs 29 minutes for trauma patients) (P = 0.0001), with younger age (median of 46 minutes for infants, 35 minutes for children, and 28 minutes for adolescents) (P = 0.0001), and with the performance of major procedures (median of 35 minutes if no procedures were performed, 38 minutes if one procedure was performed, and 54 minutes if two procedures were performed) (P = 0.039). After the transport team arrived, 13% (40/300) of patients required at least one major procedure prior to transport. Conclusions: Increased time-to-request for patients with medical diagnoses, increased ground times for younger patients and patients with medical diagnoses, and failure to perform necessary procedures contribute to a prolongation of the time-to-transport of emergency pediatric patients. The magnitude of the impact of these longer transport times on outcome is unknown.
Combined cytoreductive laser therapy and immunotherapy for palliation of metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the head and neck

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) remains the mainstay of treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but minimally invasive surgical techniques have provided new options for the combined treatment of RCC. Two patients with metastatic RCC to the head and neck treated by combined laser-induced thermal therapy and IL-2 were described in this case report. Both patients had an extended survival compared to the historical survival of 10 months for metastatic RCC but eventually succumbed to progressive disease. The authors’ initial experience with metastatic RCC suggests that laser thermoablation and immunotherapy in selected patients with metastatic RCC is warranted as a palliative treatment, but a larger study with long-term follow-up is necessary to determine the effectiveness of this approach.