cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Presentation and Progression of Papilledema in Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis

Purpose To determine the natural history and visual outcomes of papilledema in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). Design Retrospective observational case series. Methods This multicenter study included 7 tertiary care neuro-ophthalmology clinics. Sixty-five patients with CVST were identified who received serial eye examinations with documented papilledema from 2008-2016. Outcome measures included time from diagnosis to papilledema documentation, papilledema progression, time to papilledema resolution, treatment interventions and final visual outcomes. Results Papilledema was present on initial presentation in 54% of patients or detected later during the course of the disease in 46% of patients. The average time from CVST diagnosis to papilledema documentation was 29 days with a mean (SD) initial Frisen grade of 2.7 (1.3). In 21.5% of cases, papilledema progressed over an average of 55.6 (56.6) days. Time to papilledema resolution was approximately 6 months. Final visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to light perception, with 40% of patients having residual visual field defects on standard automated perimetry. Frisen grade ≥3 (odds ratio [OR] 10.21, P Conclusions Our study indicates the importance of serial ophthalmic evaluation in all cases of CVST. Follow-up fundoscopy is critical given that a subset of cases can show delayed onset and/or worsening of papilledema with time. Specifically, we recommend an ophthalmic examination at the time of initial diagnosis, with repeat examination within a few weeks and further follow-up depending on the level of papilledema or vision changes.
System Design for Quadrant-Based Indoor Localization of Emergency Responders

This work is aimed at realizing a prototype of a personalized wearable technology to localize emergency responders in GPS-denied indoor environments. In this paper, we specifically focus on the design of a 2D quadrant-based localization system using low-cost inertial sensors and ultra-wideband (UWB) based positioning system. A Kalman filter is implemented to reduce the error produced by the gyroscope and a velocity-reset method is introduced to mitigate the random walk errors in velocity estimate from the accelerometer data. The system is tested in a 2D environment and the results demonstrate that a quadrant-based localization accuracy can be achieved when compared to the ground truth.
Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Abnormalities Contribute to Decreased Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression and Renal Disease Progression in Early Experimental Polycystic Kidney Disease

Vascular abnormalities are the most important non-cystic complications in Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and contribute to renal disease progression. Endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress are evident in patients with ADPKD, preserved renal function, and controlled hypertension. The underlying biological mechanisms remain unknown. We hypothesized that in early ADPKD, the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-producing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NAD(P)H)-oxidase complex-4 (NOX4), a major source of ROS in renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) and endothelial cells (ECs), induces EC mitochondrial abnormalities, contributing to endothelial dysfunction, vascular abnormalities, and renal disease progression. Renal oxidative stress, mitochondrial morphology (electron microscopy), and NOX4 expression were assessed in 4- and 12-week-old PCK and Sprague-Dawley (wild-type, WT) control rats (n = 8 males and 8 females each). Endothelial function was assessed by renal expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Peritubular capillaries were counted in hematoxylin-eosin (H&E)-stained slides and correlated with the cystic index. The enlarged cystic kidneys of PCK rats exhibited significant accumulation of 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as early as 4 weeks of age, which became more pronounced at 12 weeks. Mitochondria of TECs lining cysts and ECs exhibited loss of cristae but remained preserved in non-cystic TECs. Renal expression of NOX4 was upregulated in TECs and ECs of PCK rats at 4 weeks of age and further increased at 12 weeks. Contrarily, eNOS immunoreactivity was lower in PCK vs. WT rats at 4 weeks and further decreased at 12 weeks. The peritubular capillary index was lower in PCK vs. WT rats at 12 weeks and correlated inversely with the cystic index. Early PKD is associated with NOX4-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial abnormalities predominantly in ECs and TECs lining cysts. Endothelial dysfunction precedes capillary loss, and the latter correlates with worsening of renal disease. These observations position NOX4 and EC mitochondria as potential therapeutic targets in PKD.
Application of LED-Based Photoacoustic Imaging in Diagnosis of Human Inflammatory Arthritis

Using low cost and small size light emitting diodes (LED) as the alternative illumination source for photoacoustic (PA) imaging has many advantages, and can largely benefit the clinical translation of the emerging PA imaging (PAI) technology. To overcome the challenge of achieving sufficient signal-to-noise ratio by the LED light that is orders of magnitude weaker than lasers, extensive signal averaging over hundreds of pulses is performed. According to our research, the LED-based PAI could be a promising tool for several clinical applications, such as assessment of peripheral microvascular function and dynamic changes, and diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis. In this chapter, we will first introduce a commercially available LED-based PAI system, and then show the ability of this system in identifying inflammatory arthritis in human hand joints. B-mode ultrasound (US), Doppler, and PA images were obtained from 12 joints with clinically active arthritis, five joints with subclinically active arthritis, and 12 normal joints. The quantitative assessment of hyperemia in joints by PAI demonstrated statistically significant differences among the three conditions. The imaging results from the subclinically active arthritis joints also suggested that the LED-based PAI has a higher sensitivity to angiogenic microvasculature compared to US Doppler imaging. This initial clinical study on arthritis patients validates that PAI can be a potential imaging modality for the diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis.
Systematic identification of modifiable risk factors and drug repurposing options for Alzheimer’s disease: Mendelian randomization analyses

Abstract Introduction Several Mendelian randomization studies have been conducted, which identified multiple risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, they typically focus on a few pre-selected risk factors. Methods Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was used to systematically examine the potential causal associations of 1,054 risk factors/medical conditions and 28 drugs with the risk of late- onset AD. To correct for multiple comparisons, the false discovery rate was set at Results There were strong evidence of a causal association between glioma risk, reduced trunk fat-free mass, lower education levels, lower intelligence and a higher risk of AD. For 28 investigated treatments (such as antihypertensive drugs), we found limited evidence for their associations. Conclusion MR found robust evidence of causal associations between glioma, trunk fat-free and AD. Our study also confirms that higher educational attainment and higher intelligence are associated with a reduced risk of AD.
Self-regulation in Preschool and Early Elementary Classrooms: Why It Is Important and How to Promote It

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the role of self-regulation for academic achievement and behavior in the early childhood education classroom. It discusses neurocognitive processes involved in self-regulation including response inhibition, voluntary attention, and working memory. Response inhibition creates a delay in responding which makes it possible to override habitual behavior, thus providing students with an opportunity to master new skills. Voluntary attention is involved in selecting relevant information and combating distractors, while working memory is essential for maintaining internal representations that guide students’ behavior and task performance. The paper identifies classroom demands for these processes. It further discusses environmental, instructional, and behavioral interventions to foster self-regulation skills in the classroom.
LONG-TERM SAFETY, TOLERABILITY, AND EFFICACY OF FREMANEZUMAB IN MIGRAINE: A RANDOMIZED STUDY

Objective To assess the long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of fremanezumab, a fully humanized monoclonal antibody approved for the preventive treatment of migraine. Methods A 52-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study evaluated fremanezumab monthly or quarterly in adults with chronic migraine (CM) or episodic migraine (EM). Safety and tolerability were assessed by adverse event (AE) monitoring (performed by the investigators), systematic local injection-site assessments (immediately and 1 hour after injection), laboratory/vitals assessments, and immunogenicity testing. Prespecified exploratory evaluations included change from baseline in the monthly number of migraine days, headache days of at least moderate severity, and days with any acute headache medication use. Change from baseline in headache-related disability (6-item Headache Impact Test scores) was also measured. Results Of 1,890 patients enrolled, 551 and 559 patients with CM received quarterly and monthly dosing; 394 and 386 patients with EM received quarterly or monthly, respectively. The most commonly reported AEs were injection-site reactions (induration 33%, pain 31%, and erythema 26%). Fremanezumab reduced monthly migraine days (CM quarterly −7.2 days, CM monthly −8.0 days, EM quarterly −5.2 days, EM monthly −5.1 days) and headache days of at least moderate severity (CM quarterly −6.4 days, CM monthly −6.8 days, EM quarterly −4.4, EM monthly −4.2 days) from baseline to 12 months. Reductions in any acute headache medication use and headache-related disability were also maintained over 12 months. Conclusions Fremanezumab quarterly and fremanezumab monthly were well tolerated and demonstrated sustained improvements in monthly migraine days, headache days, and headache-related disability for up to 12 months in patients with migraine. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02638103. Classification of evidence This study provides Class IV evidence that long-term fremanezumab treatment is safe, well tolerated, and effective at sustaining reductions in monthly migraine and headache days.
Genomic and functional characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-targeting bacteriophages isolated from hospital wastewater

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections can be difficult to treat and new therapeutic approaches are needed. Bacteriophage therapy is a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics, but large numbers of isolated and characterized phages are lacking. We collected 23 genetically and phenotypically diverse P. aeruginosa isolates from people with cystic fibrosis (CF) and clinical infections, and characterized their genetic, phenotypic, and prophage diversity. We then used these isolates to screen and isolate 14 new P. aeruginosa-targeting phages from hospital wastewater. Phages were characterized with genome sequencing, comparative genomics, and lytic activity screening against all 23 bacterial host isolates. For four different phages, we evolved bacterial mutants that were resistant to phage infection. We then used genome sequencing and functional analysis of the resistant mutants to study their mechanisms of phage resistance as well as changes in virulence factor production and antibiotic resistance, which differed from corresponding parent bacterial isolates. Finally, we tested two phages for their ability to kill P. aeruginosa grown in biofilms in vitro, and observed that both phages reduced viable bacteria in biofilms by least one order of magnitude. One of these phages also showed activity against P. aeruginosa biofilms grown on CF airway epithelial cells. Overall, this study demonstrates how systematic genomic and phenotypic characterization can be deployed to develop bacteriophages as precision antibiotics.
Rawls’ Paradox

Rawls’ theory of justice is paradoxical, for it requires a society to aim directly to maximize the basic goods received by the least advantaged even if directly aiming is self-defeating. Rawls’ reasons for rejecting capitalist systems commit him to holding that a society must not merely maximize the goods received by the least advantaged, but must do so via specific institutions. By Rawls’ own premises, in the long run directly aiming to satisfy the difference principle is contrary to the interests of the poor, though it is meant to aid them.
Evolution of methyltransferase like (METTL) proteins in Metazoa: A complex gene family involved in epitranscriptomic regulation and other epigenetic processes.

The methyltransferase like (METTL) proteins constitute a family of seven-beta-strand methyltransferases with S-adenosyl methionine binding domains that modify DNA, RNA, and proteins. Methylation by METTL proteins contributes to the epigenetic, and in the case of RNA modifications, epitranscriptomic regulation of a variety of biological processes. Despite their functional importance, most investigations of the substrates and functions of METTLs within metazoans have been restricted to model vertebrate taxa. In the present work, we explore the evolutionary mechanisms driving the diversification and functional differentiation of 33 individual METTL proteins across Metazoa. Our results show that METTLs are nearly ubiquitous across the animal kingdom, with most having arisen early in metazoan evolution (i.e., occur in basal metazoan phyla). Individual METTL lineages each originated from single independent ancestors, constituting monophyletic clades, which suggests that each METTL was subject to strong selective constraints driving its structural and/or functional specialization. Interestingly, a similar process did not extend to the differentiation of nucleoside-modifying and protein-modifying METTLs (i.e., each METTL type did not form a unique monophyletic clade). The members of these two types of METTLs also exhibited differences in their rates of evolution. Overall, we provide evidence that the long-term evolution of METTL family members was driven by strong purifying selection, which in combination with adaptive selection episodes, led to the functional specialization of individual METTL lineages. This work contributes useful information regarding the evolution of a gene family that fulfills a variety of epigenetic functions, and can have profound influences on molecular processes and phenotypic traits.
Case Report: Young Nulligravid with Chronic Non-Puerperal Uterine Inversion Secondary to a Prolapsed Myoma with Malignant Histopathology

Study Objective To present an interesting case report of a 23-year-oldnulligravid with a 5-month history of heavy and prolonged vaginal bleeding with intermittent hypogastric pain. Examination showed a necrotic mass measuring 7 × 8 × 5 cm occupying the vaginal vault with no palpable cervix and uterus. Ultrasound confirmed a prolapsed submucous myoma with uterine inversion. Admitting diagnosis was chronic and complete non-puerperaluterine inversion secondary to prolapsed infected submucous myoma with secondary anemia. The patient was anemic with leukocytosis and she was given intravenous antibiotic and transfused with packed RBC, properly typed and crossmatched. Biopsy of the prolapsed mass revealed an infarcted polyp. Surgical plan was to preserve fertility and perform a hysteroscopic- and laparoscopic- guided vaginal myomectomy followed by uterine repositioning. On diagnostic hysteroscopy, there was no identifiable cervix, the prolapsed mass was too large and surgical landmarks were not identified. Concurrent laparoscopy revealed the uterus was inverted into a constricted "flower-pot" cervical ring towards the vaginal canal at the level of the round ligaments and bilateral ovaries and fallopian tubes were grossly normal. Proceeded with amputation of the prolapsed mass in a piecemeal fashion followed by attempts at uterine repositioning by Huntington's and Hultain's maneuvers but were not successful. The remaining vaginal mass was too large to pass through the cervix hence decision was to proceed with laparoscopic total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy. Histopathology revealed Malignant Spindle Cell Neoplasm. Design N/A. Setting N/A. Patients or Participants N/A. Interventions N/A. Measurements and Main Results N/A. Conclusion Uterine inversion is rare in the non-puerperal period and is often difficult to diagnose and manage. There should be high index of suspicion in the setting of a mass protruding from the vagina, non-palpable uterus, and pelvic organs not visualized on ultrasound. When inversion is chronic, reverting maneuvers may prove difficult rendering fertility-sparing techniques implausible. In the setting of fertility preservation, malignancy must be ruled out.
What is Atypical Junctional Melanocytic Hyperplasia

The histological term, junctional melanocytic hyperplasia (JMH), refers to the proliferation of single melanocytes along the dermal epidermal junction that is the basal layer where normal melanocytes reside. JMH is characteristic of lentigo simplex, junctional nevus, and dysplastic nevus.
State Fiscal Constitutions and the Law and Politics of Public Pensions

Pension plans for state and local employees are, as a whole, significantly underfunded. This underfunding creates intense fiscal pressure on governments and often either crowds out other desired governmental spending or results in employees and retirees losing earned benefits. Political theorists often explain that underfunded public pension plans are all but inevitable given the political realities that affect funding decisions. Politicians who desire to be reelected should rationally prefer to spend money on current constituents, rather than commit scarce funds to a pension plan to pay benefits due to workers decades in the future. These dynamics are exacerbated by existing state fiscal constitutions that require balanced budgets and often restrict the ability to raise taxes. Paying a pension plan less than the amount due provides an easy way to free up money in the state budget by creating a form of debt that is not reflected on the state’s balance sheet. This article presents original analysis of the effect that state fiscal constitutions – even those that contain explicit requirements to fund public pension plans – impact public pension funding dynamics. It finds that even where explicit constitutional funding requirements are in place, plans often continue to be underfunded both because of political and financial pressures, and also because of the distinct lack of an enforcement mechanism. The article concludes by suggesting that these weakness in pension funding requirements can be addressed through the creation of clear and objective funding standards and, most importantly, through the creation of enforcement mechanisms that can, where appropriate, override legislative decisions to underfund public pension plans.
Rubisco activase - Rubisco's catalytic chaperone.

The current status of research on the structure, regulation, mechanism and importance of Rubisco activase is reviewed. The activase is now recognized to be a member of the AAA+ family, whose members participate in macromolecular complexes that perform diverse chaperone-like functions. The conserved nucleotide-binding domain of AAA+ family members appears to have a common fold that when applied to the activase is generally consistent with previous site-directed mutagenesis studies of the activase. Regulation of the activase in species containing both isoforms can occur via redox changes in the carboxy-terminus of the larger isoform, mediated by thioredoxin-f, which alters the response of activase to the ratio of ADP to ATP in the stroma. Studies of Rubisco activation in transgenic Arabidopsis plants demonstrated that light modulation is dependent on redox regulation of the larger isoform, providing a model for the regulation in other species. Further insights into the mechanism of the activase have emerged from an analysis of the crystal structures of Rubisco conformational variants and the identification of Rubisco residues that confer specificity in its interaction with the activase. The physiological importance of the activase is reinforced by recent studies indicating that it plays a vital role in the response of photosynthesis to temperature. Rubisco activase is one of a new type of chaperone, which in this case functions to promote and maintain the catalytic activity of Rubisco.
Clinical review: Reappraising the concept of immediate defibrillatory attempts for out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation

Despite well developed emergency medical services with rapid response advanced life support capabilities, survival rates following out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation (VF) have remained bleak in many venues. Generally, these poor resuscitation rates are attributed to delays in the performance of basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation by bystanders or delays in defibrillation, but recent laboratory data suggest that the current standard of immediately providing a countershock as the first therapeutic intervention may be detrimental when VF is prolonged beyond several minutes. Several studies now suggest that when myocardial energy supplies begin to dwindle following more prolonged periods of VF, improvements in coronary artery perfusion must first be achieved in order to prime the heart for successful return of spontaneous circulation after defibrillation. Therefore, before countershocks, certain pharmacologic and/or mechanical interventions might take precedence during resuscitative efforts. This evolving concept has been substantiated recently by clinical studies, including a controlled clinical trial, demonstrating a significant improvement in survival when basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation is provided for several minutes before the initial countershock. Although this evolving concept differs from current standards and may pose a potential problem for automated defibrillator initiatives (e.g. public access defibrillation), successful defibrillation and return of spontaneous circulation have been rendered more predictable by evolving technologies that can score the VF waveform signal and differentiate between those who can be shocked immediately and those who should receive other interventions first.
Identifying Etiologically Distinct Sub‐Types of Cancer: A Demonstration Project Involving Breast Cancer

With the advent of increasingly detailed molecular portraits of tumor specimens, much attention has been directed toward identifying clinically distinct subtypes of cancer. Subtyping of tumors can also be accomplished with the goal of identifying distinct etiologies. We demonstrate the use of new methodologies to identify genes that distinguish etiologically heterogeneous subtypes of breast cancer using data from the case–control Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study. Tumor specimens were evaluated using a breast cancer expression panel of 196 genes. Using a statistical measure that distinguishes the degree of etiologic heterogeneity in tumor subtypes, each gene is ranked on the basis of its ability to distinguish etiologically distinct subtypes. This is accomplished independently using case–control comparisons and by examining the concordance odds ratios in double primaries. The estrogen receptor gene, and others in this pathway with expression levels that correlated strongly with estrogen receptor levels, demonstrate high degrees of etiologic heterogeneity in both methods. Our results are consistent with a growing literature that confirms the distinct etiologies of breast cancers classified on the basis of estrogen receptor expression levels. This proof-of-principle project demonstrates the viability of new strategies to identify genomic features that distinguish subtypes of cancer from an etiologic perspective.
Dynamic High-temperature Testing of an Iridium Alloy in Compression at High-strain Rates: Dynamic High-temperature Testing

Iridium alloys have superior strength and ductility at elevated temperatures, making them useful as structural materials for certain high-temperature applications. However, experimental data on their high-strain -rate performance are needed for understanding high-speed impacts in severe environments. Kolsky bars (also called split Hopkinson bars) have been extensively employed for high-strain -rate characterization of materials at room temperature, but it has been challenging to adapt them for the measurement of dynamic properties at high temperatures. In our study, we analyzed the difficulties encountered in high-temperature Kolsky bar testing of thin iridium alloy specimens in compression. We made appropriate modifications using the current high-temperature Kolsky bar technique in order to obtain reliable compressive stress–strain response of an iridium alloy at high-strain rates (300–10 000 s-1) and temperatures (750 and 1030°C). The compressive stress–strain response of the iridium alloy showed significant sensitivity to both strain rate and temperature.
Cys2His2 Zinc Finger Proteins

The Cys2His2 (C2H2) zinc finger is one of the simplest independently folded structural domains known, yet the number of proteins with distinct and complex functions that contain the motif is too large to count. The domain consists of a small antiparallel β-sheet and a single helix that contribute two cysteine and two histidine ligands respectively to coordinate a central Zn(II) ion in a nearly perfect tetrahedral geometry. The C2H2 zinc finger is one of the major DNA binding motifs in eukaryotic transcription factors, and probably the most common protein motif in the human genome. DNA sequence specificity is achieved through residue side-chain contacts to DNA bases that occur at preferential residue positions located in the N-terminal region of the zinc finger helix (‘fingertip’) that reside primarily on one surface of the domain. Functional specificity and diversity of C2H2 zinc finger proteins are, paradoxically, both achieved through tandem repeats of the motif separated by short, conserved peptide linkers, where each individual finger is capable of recognizing a distinct DNA subsite. Diversity of the C2H2 motif extends beyond DNA recognition to protein–RNA and protein–protein interactions, although these functions are not well understood. Since the first reported structure of a single finger almost 15 years ago, over 40 C2H2 zinc finger structures have been reported both free and bound to DNA. Detailed molecular aspects of C2H2 zinc finger structure, function, and metal binding are examined. 3D Structure Keywords: zinc finger; DNA-binding; transcription regulation; domain; repeat; linker; zinc binding; nuclear protein
Disruption of microtubules ablates the specificity of insulin signaling to GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Although the cytoskeletal network is important for insulin-induced glucose uptake, several studies have assessed the effects of microtubule disruption on glucose transport with divergent results. Here, we investigated the effects of microtubule-depolymerizing reagent, nocodazole and colchicine, on GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. After nocodazole treatment to disrupt microtubules, GLUT4 vesicles were dispersed from the perinuclear region in the basal state, and insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation was partially inhibited by 20-30%, consistent with other reports. We found that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), which did not stimulate GLUT4 translocation in intact cells, was surprisingly able to enhance GLUT4 translocation to ∼50% of the maximal insulin response, in nocodazole-treated cells with disrupted microtubules. This effect of PDGF was blocked by pretreatment with wortmannin and attenuated in cells pretreated with cytochalasin D. Using confocal microscopy, we found an increased co-localization of GLUT4 and F-actin in nocodazole-treated cells upon PDGF stimulation compared with control cells. Furthermore, microinjection of small interfering RNA targeting the actin-based motor Myo1c, but not the microtubule-based motor KIF3, significantly inhibited both insulin- and PDGF-stimulated GLUT4 translocation after nocodazole treatment. In summary, our data suggest that 1) proper perinuclear localization of GLUT4 vesicles is a requirement for insulin-specific stimulation of GLUT4 translocation, and 2) nocodazole treatment disperses GLUT4 vesicles from the perinuclear region allowing them to engage insulin and PDGF-sensitive actin filaments, which can participate in GLUT4 translocation in a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent manner.
Deamination of Adenine by Ionizing Radiation

A small amount of hypoxanthine is formed when a solution of adenine is irradiated. This has been detected by using C14-labeled adenine and the techniques of paper chromatography and liquid-scintillation counting. The biological significance of this conversion is suggested.
Adoptive Parents' Framing of Laypersons' Conceptions of Family

Extending previous research (e.g., Baxter et al., 2009) by examining adoptive parents' sense-making of laypersons' conceptions of family, and following Owen (1985), we conducted a metaphoric analysis of twelve focus groups—69 parents with adopted children from either Vietnam or China. Adoptive family as battleground emerged as the primary metaphorical frame that adoptive parents use to make sense of laypersons' remarks about their families. A battlefield with lines drawn between dueling ideologies about family comprises this battleground. Demographers' and scholars' plural views oppose laypersons' narrow conceptions of how families “should be.” Parents understood laypersons' remarks as saying (directly or indirectly) that their adoptive families violated the traditional view of family in terms of: racial dissimilarity between members, construction of family via adoption, and adoption of a child born outside the United States. Laypersons' traditional view is both reinforced and constituted by racist, biolo...
A CONTRAST IN EUROPEAN AND US APPROACHES TO THE JEWISH CULINARY HERITAGE: CLAUDIA RODEN'S AND JOAN NATHAN'S JEWISH COOKBOOKS

Claudia Roden's The Book of Jewish Food and Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America arise from markedly different sensibilities and cultural backgrounds. Roden is from Egypt and Europe, old diasporic territories marked by tragedies and traumas for their Jewish populations. Nathan lives in the United States, “a good Diaspora” where Jews have enjoyed unprecedented freedoms and possibilities. My paper argues that these different cultural backgrounds have profoundly coloured the approach that each author takes to the Jewish culinary heritage. In making this argument, I examine and compare the books' covers, formal structure, images/photographs, content and narrative, graphic design, publishing histories, and approaches to traditional and innovative recipes.
Chromium(VI) Reduction by Hydrogen Sulfide in Aqueous Media: Stoichiometry and Kinetics

The objective of this work was to investigate the reaction stoichiometry, kinetics, and mechanism for Cr(VI) reduction by hydrogen sulfide in the aqueous phase. Batch experiments with excess [Cr(VI)] over [H2S]T indicated that the molar amount of sulfide required for the reduction of 1 M Cr(VI) was 1.5, suggesting the following stoichiometry: 2CrO4(2-) + 3H2S + 4H+-->2Cr(OH)3(s) + 3S(s) + 2H2O. Further study with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed that chromium hydroxide and elemental sulfur were the stable products. The kinetics of Cr(VI) reduction by hydrogen sulfide was measured under various initial concentrations of Cr(VI) and sulfide as well as pH values controlled by HEPES, phosphate, and borate buffers. Results showed that the overall reaction was second-order, i.e., first-order with respect to Cr(VI) and first-order to sulfide. The reaction rate increased as pH was decreased, and the pH dependence correlated well with the fraction of fully protonated sulfide (H2S) in the pH range of 6.5-10. The nature of buffers did not influence the reaction rate significantly in the homogeneous system. The reaction kinetics could be interpreted by a three-step mechanism: formation of an inner-sphere chromate-sulfide intermediate complex ((H2O4CrVIS)2-), intramolecular electron transfer to form Cr(IV) species, and subsequent fast reactions leading to Cr(III).
Oxidation mechanisms in Mo-reinforced Mo5SiB2(T2)–Mo3Si alloys

Abstract Results of a systematic investigation of the oxidation in a Mo–Si–B alloy containing the three phases, Mo, Mo 3 Si, and Mo 5 SiB 2 (T2) are presented. The relative kinetics of B-containing silica-scale formation, permeation of MoO 3 through the viscous scale, the viscosity of the B-containing SiO 2 scale, volatilization of MoO 3 and B 2 O 3 from the silica scale, are identified as key parameters that determine the kinetics of the oxidation of the alloy in the temperature range of 500–1300 °C. The oxidation is worst in the intermediate temperature range, 650–750 °C, where MoO 3 begins to volatilize but B 2 O 3 does not, resulting in gaseous MoO 3 bubbling through a low viscosity borosilicate scale. In this temperature range, the scale provides insufficient protection suggesting that attempts to improve the oxidation resistance of this system must focus on this temperature range.
Metal carbonyl-trifluorophosphine systems IX. Tetracarbonylnitrosylmanganese substitution

The compound Mn(NO)(CO)4 reacts with PF3 under thermal-high pressure conditions to yield all compositions of the type Mn(NO)(PF3)x(CO)4-x except x = 4. These compounds are separable by gas-liquid partition chromatography. The infrared spectra show clear evidence for more than one isomer within each composition. Solvolysis studies show that isomerization occurs among the compositional species and the chemistry of this system clearly indicates it to be an intramolecular process. Fluorine NMR gives time average spectra at room temperature showing that the intramolecular process is an extremely fast one.
Monocarboxylates (pyruvate and lactate) as alternative energy substrates for the induction of long-term potentiation in rat hippocampal slices

We previously reported that mild hypoglycemic conditions hamper the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices. In the present study, we examined whether monocarboxylates (pyruvate and lactate) permit LTP induction when glucose is unavailable. During glucose deprivation, pyruvate and lactate not only maintained basal synaptic transmission but also allowed LTP induction, with pyruvate being more effective than lactate. Additionally, LTP inhibition by 5 μM iodoacetate, a glycolytic inhibitor, was prevented by addition of pyruvate but not lactate. These results suggest that monocarboxylates can be effective alternative energy substrates for LTP induction when glucose is not available. However, lactate and pyruvate are not identical as energy sources for LTP induction.
Influence of cyclic AMP and serum factors upon expression of a retinoid-responsive gene in neuroblastoma cells

Cyclic AMP can profoundly influence the growth and differentiation of neuronal cells in culture. In this study, the relationship between this second messenger signal transduction pathway, cell differentiation, and the expression of a retinoid-responsive, thymosin beta-10 gene was examined. Thymosin beta-10 and cognate mRNA were expressed at high levels in actively proliferating rat B104 neuroblastoma cells cultured in medium containing 10% FCS. These cells were induced to differentiate in the presence of the cAMP analog N6, 2′-O-dibutyryladenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate (Bt2-cAMP) (1 mM) and the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) (100 μM). Expression of thymosin beta-10 mRNA was markedly inhibited (>90% and 70%, respectively) by these compounds. Addition of sodium butyrate (NaB, 1 mM) indicated that at least part of the inhibitory actions of Bt2-cAMP were due to esterase-induced release of butyrate from this compound. Adenosine (50 μM), a metabolic precursor to endogenous cyclic AMP, also inhibited accumulation of thymosin beta-10 mRNA (to 50% 24 hours after addition of the cAMP analog and by >90% after 72 hours. Serum starvation (0.2% FCS for seven days) provoked a marked increase in neurite outgrowth; this morphological change was also accompanied by a modest inhibition of thymosin beta-10 mRNA accumulation. These findings together with previous observations imply that both cyclic AMP-dependent and retinoid-responsive mechanisms coordinate thymosin beta-10 gene expression during neuroembryogenesis.
Anticipated changes in reimbursements for US outpatient emergency department encounters after health reform.

Study objective We study how reimbursements to emergency departments (EDs) for outpatient visits may be affected by the insurance coverage expansion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as previously uninsured patients gain coverage either through the Medicaid expansion or through health insurance exchanges. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data (2005 to 2010) from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We specified multiple linear regression models to examine differences in the payments, charges, and reimbursement ratios by insurance category. Comparisons were made between 2 groups to reflect likely movements in insurance status after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act implementation: (1) the uninsured who will be Medicaid eligible afterward versus Medicaid insured, and (2) the uninsured who will be Medicaid ineligible afterward versus the privately insured. Results From 2005 to 2010, as a percentage of total ED charges, outpatient ED encounters for Medicaid beneficiaries reimbursed 17% more than for uninsured individuals who will become Medicaid eligible after Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act implementation: 40.0% versus 34.0%, mean absolute difference=5.9%, 95% confidence interval 5.7% to 6.2%. During the same period, the privately insured reimbursed 39% more than for uninsured individuals who will not be Medicaid eligible after Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act implementation: 54.0% versus 38.8%, mean absolute difference=15.2%, 95% confidence interval 12.8% to 17.6%. Conclusion Assuming historical reimbursement patterns remain after Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act implementation, outpatient ED encounters could reimburse considerably more for both the previously uninsured patients who will obtain Medicaid insurance and for those who move into private insurance products through health insurance exchanges. Although our study does provide insight into the future, multiple factors will ultimately influence reimbursements after implementation of the act.
Reply to “Comment on ‘Counterfactual entanglement and nonlocal correlations in separable states’ ”

Two objections have been raised to the arguments presented in O. Cohen, Phys. Rev. A 60, 80 (1999). It is pointed out that neither objection has anything whatsoever to do with the main subject matter of that paper, and shown that both objections are based on misunderstandings of the examples to which they relate.
Neoliberalism by other means: the “war on terror” at home and abroad

This paper offers a theoretical framework for understanding both the invasion of Iraq and the “war on terror” in the context of neoliberal globalization. I argue that both the foreign and domestic policy pursued by the Bush administration under the rubric of the war on terror are in fact best understood as strategies for advancing the neoliberal agenda, in large part by seeking to undo gains made by the labor movement during the 1990s. I argue that for this ambitious and aggressive administration, the post‐9/11 atmosphere offers the prospect of permanently restructuring both popular expectations of government and the ability of working people to challenge corporate prerogatives.
Theoretical study of the elasticity, mechanical behavior, electronic structure, interatomic bonding, and dielectric function of an intergranular glassy film model in prismatic β -Si 3 N 4

Microstructures such as intergranular glassy films (IGFs) are ubiquitous in many structural ceramics. They control many of the important physical properties of polycrystalline ceramics and can be influenced during processing to modify the performance of devices that contain them. In recent years, there has been intense research, both experimentally and computationally, on the structure and properties of IGFs. Unlike grain boundaries or dislocations with well-defined crystalline planes, the atomic scale structure of IGFs, their fundamental electronic interactions, and their bonding characteristics are far more complicated and not well known. In this paper, we present the results of theoretical simulations using ab initio methods on an IGF model in $\ensuremath{\beta}{\text{-Si}}_{3}{\text{N}}_{4}$ with prismatic crystalline planes. The 907-atom model has a dimension of $14.533\text{ }\text{\AA{}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}15.225\text{ }\text{\AA{}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}47.420\text{ }\text{\AA{}}$. The IGF layer is perpendicular to the $z$ axis, $16.4\text{ }\text{\AA{}}$ wide, and contains 72 Si, 32 N, and 124 O atoms. Based on this model, the mechanical and elastic properties, the electronic structure, the interatomic bonding, the localization of defective states, the distribution of electrostatic potential, and the optical dielectric function are evaluated and compared with crystalline $\ensuremath{\beta}{\text{-Si}}_{3}{\text{N}}_{4}$. We have also performed a theoretical tensile experiment on this model by incrementally extending the structure in the direction perpendicular to the IGF plane until the model fully separated. It is shown that fracture occurs at a strain of 9.42% with a maximum stress of 13.9 GPa. The fractured segments show plastic behavior and the formation of surfacial films on the $\ensuremath{\beta}{\text{-Si}}_{3}{\text{N}}_{4}$. These results are very different from those of a previously studied basal plane model [J. Chen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 256103 (2005)] and add insights to the structure and behavior of IGFs in polycrystalline ceramics. The implications of these results and the need for further investigations are discussed.
Liposomal uptake of microcrystalline benzo(a)pyrene studied with synchronous fluorescence

Abstract Synchronous fluorescence spectrometry is employed for kinetic studies of benzo(a)pyrene uptake by phospholipid bilavers. It provides several advantages over the conventional mode. These include less background interferences, higher sensitivity, and relatively independent of dynamic quenching by paramagnetic ions. The rate limiting step in benzo(a)pyrene uptake appears to be a first order process not controlled by diffusion. Signal enhancement upon successive increments of liposomes decreases as if it is dependent on the number of free microcrystals in solution.
Pulmonary mucus: Pediatric perspective

Airway mucus hypersecretion is a clinical feature of a number of childhood diseases, including asthma and bronchitis-associated conditions. However, compared with adults, there is relatively scarce information concerning mucus pathophysiology in respiratory diseases in children. The available evidence indicates many similarities between adult and childhood respiratory hypersecretory conditions, including goblet-cell hyperplasia and submucosal gland hypertrophy, and airway mucus plugging in asthma. Consequently, it is likely that treatments that are effective in adults would be effective in children. Numerous therapeutic targets are linked to the pathophysiology of airway mucus hypersecretion in experimental models and adults with respiratory disease. Whether or not these same targets are relevant in children is for the most part unclear. These targets include the inflammatory cells mediating the inflammatory response that generates the hypersecretory phenotype, and highly specific cellular elements such as epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase and calcium-activated chloride (CACL) channels. Identification of these factors is linked with the development of different classes of pharmacotherapeutic molecules directed at these targets. Compounds with a broader spectrum of anti-inflammatory activity are likely to be more effective than compounds with restricted activity. However, certain highly specific targets, such as human CACL1 channels, appear to be strongly associated with the development of an airway hypersecretory phenotype. Data from current clinical trials in adults with blockers of these specific targets are awaited with great interest. The hope is that, if effective, pediatric trials with these compounds could be initiated with a view to alleviation of the clinical impact of airway mucus hypersecretion in children. A significant challenge to the therapeutic progression of these new compounds is effective delivery to the airways in children, with the research effort into development of new compounds matched by advances in inhaler design.
A general analytical approach toward the thermal conductivity of porous media

Abstract A general analytical approach to the thermal conductivity of porous media is developed which leads to theoretically sound expressions having a wide range of applicability and easily fitted to available empirical data. Specifically, practical expressions are derived for pore distributions of any concentration, randomly oriented pores of arbitrary shape, pores of any conductivity, radiant heat transfer within pores, and fibrous media. Most results transfer freely to electrical conductivity or any other general area where Laplace's equation applies. Fundamental limitations of the approach restrict its use to random pore distributions and heat transfer through the continuous medium by conduction. Examples are chosen from selected problem areas of current interest, spanning a wide range of pore types, volume fractions, and conductivities.
Electron Decoherence by a Single Spin

Recently it has been suggested that the ubiquitous saturation of electron dephasing time at low temperatures could be due to an extremely small number of magnetic impurities–even as small as a single magnetic spin. However, extensive data from a series of recent experiments at both low and high magnetic fields clearly indicate the contrary. At high magnetic fields, the spins, irrespective of their number or concentration, freeze along the field, and the electron dephasing time is determined only by mechanisms that do not involve magnetic impurities. This dephasing time measured via conductance fluctuations still saturates at low temperatures, unequivocally suggesting that the saturation is not due to a mechanism that involves magnetic impurities at any level.
Mid-Infrared Silicon Raman Lasers

Silicon is arguably the best Raman medium for the mid-wave infrared spectrum. This new technology can expand the application space of silicon photonics beyond data communication and into biochemical sensing, laser medicine, and LIDAR.