cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robotic cardiac surgery.

Traditionally, cardiac surgery has been performed by median sternotomy. How- ever, a renaissance is occurring. Cardiac operations are being performed through smaller and alternative incisions with enhanced technological assistance. Both coronary artery bypass graft- ing and valve surgery can be accomplished with this novel methodology. Specifi cally, minimally invasive mitral valve surgery has become standard for many surgeons. At our institution, we have developed a robotic mitral surgery program with the da Vinci™ telemanipulation system. Th is system allows the surgeon to perform complex mitral valve operations through small port sites rather than a traditional median sternotomy. Our techniques and initial results are reported, as is a brief overview of the evolution of robotic cardiac surgery.
Genetic algorithm for rotary machine scheduling with dependent processing times

This paper focuses on scheduling a rotary injection molding machine with dependent processing times. The injection machine has n pairs of positions to process n pairs of shoes. It is rotated after every cycle time. Cycle time is the maximum injection time of the jobs currently loaded in the machine. Thus, for all practical purposes, the processing time of a job depends on the combination of the jobs currently assigned to the machine. The uncertainty of processing time makes this problem more complicated than traditional parallel machine scheduling problems. Additionally, since switching jobs leads to mold changes, set-up time is also included in the analysis. We develop a Sequential Genetic Algorithm (SGA) to identify the best schedule with regard to makespan. In this approach, multiple GA evolvers are connected by using a feeding strategy, where each GA evolver identifies the best schedule with minimum makespan for the corresponding product family. A multi-segment (product lines) chromosome representation is applied to represent the product line sequence as well as the job sequence within a product family. Furthermore, an adaptive feeding strategy is also proposed to improve results and reduce computation times. Besides SGA, we also improve the performance of a traditional heuristic procedure by proposing a minimum ΔIT heuristic approach. The experimentation is performed by using four experimental data sets with different demand patterns and nine data sets from a shoe manufacturing plant. The results indicate that our SGA provides better schedule with respect to makespan value, while heuristic procedures take insignificant time to obtain results. Another observation is that adaptive feeding strategy helps to find good results in a shorter time.
The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor flavopiridol inhibits glycogen phosphorylase.

Abstract Flavopiridol has been shown to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in various tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Using immobilized flavopiridol, we identified glycogen phosphorylases (GP) from liver and brain as flavopiridol binding proteins from HeLa cell extract. Purified rabbit muscle GP also bound to the flavopiridol affinity column. GP is the rate-limiting enzyme in intracellular glycogen breakdown. Flavopiridol significantly inhibited the AMP-activated GP-b form of the purified rabbit muscle isoenzyme (IC 50 of 1 μM at 0.8 mM AMP), but was less inhibitory to the active phosphorylated form of GP, GP-a (IC 50 of 2.5 μM). The AMP-bound GP-a form was poorly inhibited by flavopiridol (40% at 10 μM). Increasing concentrations of the allosteric effector AMP resulted in a linear decrease in the GP-inhibitory activity of flavopiridol suggesting interference between flavopiridol and AMP. In contrast the GP inhibitor caffeine had no effect on the relative GP inhibition by flavopiridol, suggesting an additive effect of caffeine. Flavopiridol also inhibited the phosphorylase kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of GP-b by inhibiting the kinase in vitro. Flavopiridol thus is able to interfere with both activating modifications of GP-b, AMP activation and phosphorylation. In A549 NSCLC cells flavopiridol treatment caused glycogen accumulation despite of an increase in GP activity, suggesting direct GP inhibition in vivo rather than inhibition of GP activation by phosphorylase kinase. These results suggest that the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor flavopiridol interferes with glycogen degradation, which may be responsible for flavopiridol's cytotoxicity and explain its resistance in some cell lines.
Performance evaluation of canny edge detection on a tiled multicore architecture

In the last few years, a variety of multicore architectures have been used to parallelize image processing applications. In this paper, we focus on assessing the parallel speed-ups of different Canny edge detection parallelization strategies on the Tile64, a tiled multicore architecture developed by the Tilera Corporation. Included in these strategies are different ways Canny edge detection can be parallelized, as well as differences in data management. The two parallelization strategies examined were loop-level parallelism and domain decomposition. Loop-level parallelism is achieved through the use of OpenMP,1 and it is capable of parallelization across the range of values over which a loop iterates. Domain decomposition is the process of breaking down an image into subimages, where each subimage is processed independently, in parallel. The results of the two strategies show that for the same number of threads, programmer implemented, domain decomposition exhibits higher speed-ups than the compiler managed, loop-level parallelism implemented with OpenMP.
The impact of removing corn subsidies in mexico: A general equilibrium assessment

This paper evaluates the impact of removing corn subsidies on the Mexican economy. More specifically, this paper employs a computable general equilibrium model of Mexico. The model will first simulate the economy's activity under the present conditions. Next, a simulation is conducted under the assumption that the present corn subsidies are reduced. The results are quite revealing. They indicate that while all income classes are initially made worse off, there is an increase in government income. These transfer payments could be targeted to displaced workers as well as the working poor who face inflationary pressures due to rising food costs. These findings also indicate that a decrease in subsidy levels will lead to a marked increase in saving and, consequently, economic investment.
Stability of cefmetazole—doxycycline mixtures in sodium chloride and dextrose injections

SUMMARY This study involved the mixing of cefmetazole 1 and 2 Gm with doxycycline 100 and 200 mg, in sodium chloride and dextrose injections. The mixtures were stored either at ambient temperature for 96 h or at 4°C for 168 h followed by 8 h at ambient temperature. HPLC assay of both cefmetazole and doxycycline levels were performed at prescribed sampling times. Cefmetazole 1 Gm in doxycycline 100 and 200 mg mixtures, in sodium chloride injection was not stable up to 4 h, but cefmetazole 2 Gm in doxycycline 100 and 200 mg mixtures, in sodium chloride injection was stable for up to 24 h. The cefmetazole controls were stable for 72 h in sodium chloride injection. Cefmetazole 1 Gm with doxycycline 100 mg, in dextrose injection was stable up to 72 h. The 2 Gm cefmetazole and 100 mg doxycycline mixture in dextrose injection was stable for 96 h. Cefmetazole 1 Gm and doxycyline 200 mg in dextrose injection was stable up to 96 h, but the 2 Gm cefmetazole-200 mg doxycycline mixture was only stable for 72 h. Cefmetazole controls in dextrose injection were stable for 24 h. Doxycycline 100 and 200 mg were stable with cefmetazole 1 and 2 Gm, in both sodium chloride and dextrose injections for 96 h at ambient temperature. Doxycycline control solutions were also stable for 96 h. Cefmetazole 1 and 2 Gm and doxycycline 100 and 200 mg were generally stable in both sodium chloride and dextrose injections at 4°C for 168 h, and at ambient temperature for 8 h. A precipitate was observed at 48 h with the cefmetazole 2 Gm-doxycycline 100 mg mix in sodium chloride and at 8 h in dextrose injection. In both cases, removal from 4°C storage followed by storage and re-assay at ambient temperature supported the re-dissolution of one or both medications.
WALL FREE ENERGY BASED POLYNOMIAL BOUNDARY CONDITIONS FOR NON-IDEAL GAS LATTICE BOLTZMANN EQUATION

In the non-ideal gas lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE), the intermolecular forces between solid and uid can be represented by the inclusion of the wall free energy in the expression of the total free energy. We derived and investigated three types of polynomial (linear, quadratic, and cubic) wall free energy based boundary conditions for the non-ideal gas LBE method. Static cases with a liquid drop sitting on solid surfaces are examined. All the proposed boundary conditions are able to predict the equilibrium states very well in the range of moderate contact angles by incorporating the potential form of the intermolecular forces and the bounce-back rule that guarantees mass conservation. Simulations with dieren t boundary conditions are carried out and the results are compared concerning the accuracy as well as the applicability of dieren t polynomial boundary conditions.
Modelling of the Mark I pool suppression system

Abstract A mathematic model of the Mark I type pool suppression system is presented, together with its computer implementation. The time-dependent compressible gas dynamics through the vent system and the bubble formation are described. The pressure, velocity and mass flow rates in the system have been determined. Scaling laws and compressibility effects are studied. The analysis forms the starting point for the determination of the pool swell and the dynamic loading of the torus shell.
Deficits in Peroneal Latency and Electromechanical Delay in Patients with Functional Ankle Instability

The purpose of this study was to compare alterations in peroneal latency and electromechanical delay (EMD) following an inversion perturbation during walking in patients with functional ankle instability (FAI) and with a matched control group. Peroneal latency and EMD were measured from 21 patients with unilateral FAI and 21 controls. Latencies were collected during a random inversion perturbation while walking. EMD measures were collected during stance using a percutaneous stimulus. Two-way ANOVAs were used to detect differences between leg (affected, unaffected) and group (FAI, Control). Functionally unstable ankles displayed delayed peroneus longus (PL) latencies and EMD when compared to the unaffected leg and a matched control group. Peroneal latency and EMD deficits could contribute to recurrence of ankle injury in FAI subjects. How these deficits are associated with the chronic symptoms associated with FAI remains unclear, but gamma activation and subsequent muscle spindle sensitivity likely play a role.
Late Holocene fluctuations of Qori Kalis outlet glacier, Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peruvian Andes

Geology v. 42, p. [347–350][1], doi:10.1130/G35245.1 There was an error in determining the number of 10Be atoms per gram of quartz for samples JS-09-20, -24, -14, and -15 and, thus, the calculated 10Be ages. All usage of these samples and their ages has been corrected in the GSA Data Repository (
Physicochemical identity of Neurospora malate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase

Abstract Neurospora malate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase are identical in primary and quaternary structure as evidenced by their purification properties, immunoneutralization and immunodiffusion-precipitin reactions, amino acid composition, and tryptic peptide maps.
Performance enhancement in sport: A cognitive behavioral domain.

The clinical technology developed by cognitive behavioral practitioners has become the foundation for psychological efforts to enhance athletic performance. To provide a backdrop for this sport intervention research, the history of applied sport psychology is briefly noted. Then, the empirical literature which supportes the use of cognitive behavioral intervention strategies in athletic contexts is considered. This work includes the treatment evaluation evidence for performance improvement of non-elite sport participants, and correlational evidence that supports the consideration of psychological variables in the performance of elite athletes. The intervention strategies under review include imagery and mental rehearsal, arousal management, goal-setting, self-instruction and self-monitoring, and multi-component treatment programs. The implications of this research for applied sport psychology and the broader field of clinical intervention are discussed.
Uptake of Tritiated Glucosamine by the Femur and Mandible of 7-Day-Old and Adult Mice

This work suggests that the osteoid matrix is characterized by a hexosamine component that was lost after calcification occurred. Thereafter, labeling appeared restricted to cementing lines.
An Extension of the Nash Bargaining Solution to Nonconvex Problems

Abstract We investigate the domain of comprehensive but not necessarily convex bargaining problems. Without convexity the Nash solution is not well defined. We propose a new solution, theNash extension, that coincides with the Nash solution whenSis convex. We characterize it by weak Pareto optimality, symmetry, scale invariance, continuity, and a new axiom,ethical monotonicity.Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Numbers: 020, 022, 026.
Magnetic and Fluorescence Detection of Hybridized DNA Assemblies Immobilized onto a Hall Device

The development of a dual detection platform to probe and discriminate nucleic acid base-pairing events through a combination of fluorescent and magnetic signatures may significantly impact the performance and dimensions of biomedical sensing devices. Toward this aim, investigations on the selective and controlled assembly of DNA duplex formation onto a micro-scale Hall device will be addressed. The biological assembly is composed of three distinct components. The first component is a streptavidin-coated magnetic nanobead (350 nm mean diameter) pre-conjugated with both biotinylated and fluorescently labeled ssDNA. The second component is thiolated ssDNA that was selectively immobilized onto photolithography prepared Au patterns on a fabricated Hall sensor. The third component is the label free target ssDNA sequence for detection, which is complementary to both the biotinylated and thiolated DNA sequences. The device readout consists of a decrease in voltage across the Hall junction due to the biologically assembled magnetic nanobead, as well as a redundant fluorescence signature. The Hall device sensitivity is approaching single nanobead bead detection. Support: NIH NIGMS GM079592.
5-methyl cytosine content in the DNA of colchicine and spontaneously induced polyhaploids of Gossypium

Abstract A small but significant decrease in 5-methylcytosine content is noted for the DNA composition of colchicine and spontaneously doubled polyhaploids of both Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense as compared to the parental forms of these doubled haploids.
Pulmonary atypical carcinoid tumor with metastatic involvement of the pituitary gland causing functional hypopituitarism.

ABSTRACT Objective To report a unique case of a peripherally located pulmonary atypical carcinoid tumor with metastatic involvement of the pituitary, manifesting with evidence of functional hypopituitarism and compressive symptoms of dysarthria, bitemporal loss of vision, and ataxia. Methods We present a case report, including detailed laboratory, radiologic, and pathologic findings in a 50-year-old woman with a peripherally located pulmonary atypical carcinoid tumor and a lesion metastatic to the pituitary gland. The pertinent literature is also reviewed. Results A 50-year-old woman with a medical history of metastatic pulmonary atypical carcinoid tumor presented with symptoms of bitemporal hemianopia, ataxia, and dysarthria. Laboratory evaluation revealed functional hypopituitarism, and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain with use of gadolinium contrast demonstrated a pituitary lesion measuring 3.5 by 2.5 by 2.5 cm. Visual field testing revealed bitemporal superior quadrantanopia, consistent with a pituitary lesion of the chiasm. Computed tomographic angiography excluded the presence of an aneurysm of the internal carotid artery. Subsequently, the patient underwent subtotal transsphenoidal hypophysectomy. Findings on pathology examination were consistent with a lesion metastatic from the primary pulmonary atypical carcinoid tumor. The patient subsequently received monthly octreotide injections as well as chemotherapeutic regimens of capecitobine and temozolomide. At 18-month follow-up, disease had not recurred. Conclusion This case of metastatic involvement of the pituitary gland from a peripherally located pulmonary atypical carcinoid tumor manifesting with evidence of functional hypopituitarism is highly uncommon. To our knowledge, such a case has not been previously reported. The presentation of an advanced pituitary metastatic lesion can be particularly dramatic, and the course can be potentially complicated. Therefore, heightened awareness of the possibility of a pituitary lesion metastatic from a pulmonary atypical carcinoid tumor is important. (Endocr Pract. 2007;13:291-295)
Transducer Placement for Broadband Active Vibration Control Using a Novel Multidimensional QR Factorization

This paper advances the state of the art in the selection of minimal configurations ofsensors and actuators for active vibration control with smart structures. The method extends previous transducer selection work by (1) presenting a unified treatment of the selection and placement of large numbers of both sensors and actuators in a smart structure, (2) developing computationally efficient techniques to select the best sensor-actuator pairs for multiple unknown force disturbances exciting the structure, (3) selecting the best sensors and actuators over multiple frequencies, and (4) providing bounds on the performance of the transducer selection algorithms. The approach is based on a novel, multidimensional extension of the Householder QR factorization algorithm applied to the frequency response matrices that define the vibration control problem. The key features of the algorithm are its very low computational complexity, and a computable bound that can be used to predict whether the transducer selection algorithm will yield an optimal configuration before completing the search. Optimal configurations will result from the selection method when the bound is tight, which is the case for many practical vibration control problems. This paper presents the development of the method, as well as its application in active vibration control of a plate.
Effects of medical and psychotherapeutic treatment on the survival of women with metastatic breast carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The authors previously reported a statistically significant effect of psychosocial intervention on survival time of women with metastatic breast carcinoma. In this study, the authors investigated whether this effect could be explained by differences in the medical treatment patients received subsequent to their group participation or differences in causes of death. METHODS Of the original 86 study participants, medical treatment charts for 61 and death certificates for 83 were available for further analysis. The authors reviewed the course of the medical treatment they received subsequent to their entry into the randomized psychotherapy trial. RESULTS Although there were no statistically significant differences with regard to chemotherapy and hormone therapy between the control and treatment groups, women in the control group tended to have received more adrenalectomies, although this procedure did not account for the difference in survival time between the control group and the treatment group. Furthermore, women in the control group developed more bone and lung metastases than the women in the treatment group. CONCLUSIONS Differences in disease course between the control and treatment groups appeared to be independent of any differences in medical treatment received. Cancer 1997; 80:225-30. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
Transrectal Sonography in Prostate Evaluation

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent newly diagnosed noncutaneous malignancy in men. With the continued use of prostate-specific antigen screening, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of prostate biopsied performed. Transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) is an essential tool used for detecting prostate pathology and performing prostate biopsies. This article review the indications and principles of TRUS of the prostate, the technique of TRUS, and controversies pertaining to prostate core biopsy.
THE BOMBARDMENT OF SOLID D2O BY LOW-ENERGY ELECTRONS UNDER ASTRONOMICAL CONDITIONS

A simple beam source of electrons with energies of 2 kev is described. The beam was used to bombard solid D2O held at 77 deg K, and observations on the rate of production of D2 from D2O are presented. The D2 was detected and measured with an ordinary helium mass spectrometer leak detector. The study was begun in an effect to determine experimentally the effect of astronomical conditions on simple chemical compounds, and the implications of the present experiments concerning this are discussed.
Visualization of the flow adjacent to a vertical ice surface melting in cold pure water

Time-exposure photographs of the buoyancy-driven flow adjacent to a vertical ice surface melting in pure water are presented for ambient water temperatures between 3·9 and 8·4 °C. These conditions are of special interest since between about 4 and 8 °C the buoyancy force distribution is locally bi-directional across the thermal transport region, owing to the density extremum at about 4 °C. Although knowledge of the transport for such circumstances is important in both environmental and technological applications, previous experimental studies have provided only limited information, concerning only the gross aspects of the resulting fluid motions. It is now possible, from the extensive experimental results presented here, to understand some of the more subtle mechanisms which arise in such flows. Photographs of the entire flow field document the many complicated flow configurations which occur for these circumstances. As the ambient water temperature is increased from 3·9 to 8·4 °C, regimes of upward, locally bi-directional, and downward flow are observed. Bi-directional flow is seen to result from the reversal of part or all of the upward wake above the top of the ice surface. Local velocities and surface heat-transfer rates, measured from the photographs, are compared, where possible, with the analytical results of Carey, Gebhart & Mollendorf (1980). It was found that the flow velocities for ambient temperatures from 4·05 to 4·70 °C, depart only slightly from the analytical predictions, in spite of an interaction of the outer portion of the upward flow with downward-moving remnants of the upward wake. However, near the surface, the velocity profiles, and consequently the heat transfer and melting rates, agree well with the analytical results. Comparisons at ambient temperatures below 4·05 °C and above 5·9 °C show that the velocity profile and surface heat transfer are in excellent agreement with the results of Carey et al. (1980). At ambient water temperatures between 4·7 and 5·0 °C the flow was found to be bi-directional and weakly time dependent. This weak time dependence is attributed to the instability of the upward wake, which in turn is the source of the outside downward flow in such circumstances.
Cardiac injury in myocarditis induced by Coxsackievirus group B, type 3 in Balb/c mice is mediated by Lyt 2 + cytolytic lymphocytes.

Abstract Male Balb/c mice inoculated with a heart-adapted variant of Coxsackievirus, group B, type 3 (CVB3) develop severe myocarditis 7 days later. The lesions are characterized by mononuclear cell inflammation and myocyte necrosis. Infected T-lymphocyte-deficient mice show either minimal or no cardiac injury, although virus concentrations in the hearts of T-cell-deficient and -sufficient animals are similar. Adoptive transfer of 2 × 10 6 CVB3 immune Thy 1 + cells into CVB3-infected T-cell-deficient mice effectively restored myocarditis to levels observed in intact animals. Similar reconstitution with immune Ig + cells or serum resulted in only a minimal increase in cardiac injury. To determine whether T-lymphocyte-dependent humoral or cellular immunity was responsible for myocarditis, T lymphocytes were obtained from Balb/c mice 6 days after infection with CVB3, separated into Lyt 1 + 2 − (helper) and Lyt 1 − 1 − 2 + (cytolytic/suppressor) cell populations, and 2 × 10 6 of the enriched helper and cytolytic cells were adoptively transfused into infected T-cell-deficient recipients. Animals receiving the immune Lyt 2 + cells developed severe myocarditis, had cytolytic T lymphocytes to both CVB3-infected and uninfected myocytes, but lacked a detectable IgG antibody response. Recipients of the Lyt 1 + cells failed to develop either myocarditis or cytolytic T cells but had normal serum IgG antibody titers to the virus. These results demonstrate that cardiac injury in CVB3-induced myocarditis is the product of cellular immune mechanisms.
Thematic mapper studies of volcanism and tectonism in central Mexico

Abstract Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images were used to define and map fault zones and crustal blocks in central Mexico. These fault zones have been active intermittently during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic and are closely related in time and space to the dominantly calc-alkaline volcanics of the Neogene Mexican Volcanic Belt (MVB). This indicates that deformation within the crust of central Mexico is possibly the dominant factor controlling the oblique orientation of the MVB relative to the Acapulco Trench. Although this area has been intensely studied for decades using a variety of techniques, the regional mapping of neotectonic activity there and the detection and mapping of major fault zones and their relationship to the character and location of volcanism have not been possible until the application of high resolution satellite imagery.
Catalytic contribution of threonine 244 in human ALDH2.

Amongst the numerous conserved residues in the aldehyde dehydrogenase superfamily, the precise role of Thr-244 remains enigmatic. Crystal structures show that this residue lies at the interface between the coenzyme-binding and substrate-binding sites with the side chain methyl substituent oriented toward the B-face of the nicotinamide ring of the NAD(P)+ coenzyme, when in position for hydride transfer. Site-directed mutagenesis in ALDH1A1 and GAPN has suggested a role for Thr-244 in stabilizing the nicotinamide ring for efficient hydride transfer. Additionally, these studies also revealed a negative effect on cofactor binding which is not fully explained by the interaction with the nicotinamide ring. However, it is suggestive that Thr-244 immediately precedes helix αG, which forms one-half of the primary binding interface for the coenzyme. Hence, in order to more fully investigate the role of this highly conserved residue, we generated valine, alanine, glycine and serine substitutions for Thr-244 in human ALDH2. All four substituted enzymes exhibited reduced catalytic efficiency toward substrate and coenzyme. We also determined the crystal structure of the T244A enzyme in the absence and presence of coenzyme. In the apo-enzyme, the alpha G helix, which is key to NAD binding, exhibits increased temperature factors accompanied by a small displacement toward the active site cysteine. This structural perturbation was reversed in the coenzyme-bound complex. Our studies confirm a role for the Thr-244 beta methyl in the accurate positioning of the nicotinamide ring for efficient catalysis. We also identify a new role for Thr-244 in the stabilization of the N-terminal end of helix αG. This suggests that Thr-244, although less critical than Glu-487, is also an important contributor toward coenzyme binding.
Nutritional Vitamin B12 Deficiency in a Breastfed Infant Following Maternal Gastric Bypass

Breasfed infants of women who have had gastric or intestinal bypass procedures may develop nutritional deficiencies. We describe a 10-month-old exclusively breastfed white male infant who presented with vomiting, failure to thrive, and megaloblastic anemia. He was found to have vitamin B12 deficiency. His mother had undergone a gastric bypass procedure for morbid obesity 2 years Prior to her pregnancy with this child. She had subclinical vitamin B12 deficiency, with an abnormal Schilling test that corrected with the addition of intrinsic factor. Therefore, we believe that the mother's gastric bypass had caused a decrease in available intrinsic factor, resulting in subclinical vitamin B12 deficiency and decreased breast milk B12. Although she was asymptomatic, her breastfed infant developed symptomatic B12 deficiency. This is the first reported case of a maternal gastric bypass resulting in vitamin B12 deficiency in an infant. These mothers should receive vitamin supplements, including vitamin B12 during a...
The role of glass in chemical analysis

Abstract The availability of various types of glass in the form of laboratory ware and the ease of fabrication of glass into special apparatus provides a valuable aid to the analytical chemist in many ways. Simple composition, good chemical durability and good thermal shock properties have made borosilicate glass a leader in general analytical applications. 96% silica glass has all the advantageous properties of borosilicate glass plus excellent thermal shock resistance and high service temperature characteristics. Other glasses, such as alkali resistant glass, low actinic glass, and aluminosilicate glass, are unique in their properties of good durability to alkaline solutions, absorption of ultraviolet light, and high service temperature respectively. Glasses with tailored optical transmittance or thermal expansions characteristics are useful in special applications. Progress in any field of science is dependent on the tools available for experimentation and glass, because of its versatility and flexibility, plays a vital role as an important laboratory implement for the analytical chemist.
Cell-specific Expression of the Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide Gene in a Mouse Neuroendocrine Tumor Cell Line

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a 42-amino acid gastrointestinal regulatory peptide that, in the presence of glucose, stimulates insulin secretion. GIP is expressed in K cells of the small intestine and in cells of the submandibular salivary gland. Using a rat GIP cDNA as a specific probe, we screened a number of established cell lines for the expression of GIP mRNA. STC-1 cells, a cell line derived from a mouse neuroendocrine tumor, were found to express high levels of GIP mRNA. GIP-specific transcripts were not detected in other cell lines tested, which included cells of intestinal, salivary, and endocrine origin. Analysis of GIP-luciferase fusions identified two promoters, a distal and a proximal promoter, upstream of the translation initiation codon for GIP. The distal promoter, located upstream of position +1, corresponds to the principal promoter of the GIP gene and can promote cell-specific transcription. Sequential deletion and site-directed mutational analysis of the distal promoter demonstrated that the sequence between -193 and -182 determines cell-specific expression of GIP. Contained in this region is a consensus GATA motif, suggesting that a member of the GATA family of DNA-binding proteins is involved in the cell-specific regulation of the GIP gene.
Obese Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Evidence that Metformin Does Not Restore Sensitivity of the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Pulse Generator to Inhibition by Ovarian Steroids

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have reduced GnRH sensitivity to suppression by ovarian steroids, which can be ameliorated by androgen blockade. We studied nine PCOS women and nine controls to determine whether metformin could change feedback inhibition by estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P). LH was measured every 10 min, and FSH, E2, P, and testosterone (T) were measured every 2 h. Frequently sampled iv glucose tolerance test was performed at the end of each admission. After the first admission, metformin (500 mg, three times a day) was started. The second admission occurred on d 8–11 of the next menstrual cycle in controls and on d 28 in PCOS patients. Patients subsequently took E2 and P for 1 wk until the third admission. At baseline, PCOS women had higher T, free T, androstenedione, and estrone. After 4 wk of metformin, controls had a slight reduction in total T, but free T was unchanged. However, PCOS patients had reduced insulin, T, and E2, and increased LH mean/amplitude and FSH. After ...
Integration of passive acoustic monitoring data into OBIS-SEAMAP, a global biogeographic database, to advance spatially-explicit ecological assessments

We successfully developed an extension of the OBIS-SEAMAP database, a global biogeographic database specializing in marine mammals, seabirds and sea turtles, to integrate passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data with other commonly collected data types (i.e. line-transect visual sightings, animal telemetry, and photo-identification). As part of this effort, we made significant improvements in mapping and visualization tools for PAM data, including spatially and temporally interactive summary statistics, diel plots, temporal effort representation, and the unique rendering of PAM data to distinguish them from other data types. In this paper, we summarize technical challenges we overcame, report the methodologies and implementation of the integration, and conduct case studies using visual sightings and PAM data from bowhead whales and Risso's dolphins to demonstrate how the integrated database facilitates in-depth ecological assessments that form the foundation for spatially-explicit conservation efforts.
The Humanizing Power of Medical History: Responses to Biomedicine in the 20th-Century United States☆

Abstract From the end of the 19th century through the present, the idea that medical history can and ought to serve modern medicine as a humanizing force has been a persistent refrain in American medicine. Focusing on the United States, this paper explores the emergence of this idea at precisely the moment when modern Western biomedicine became ascendant. At the same institutions where the new version of scientific medicine was most energetically embraced, some professional leaders began to warn that the same allegiance to science driving the professional technical and cultural success was also endangering humanistic values that were fundamental to professionalism, the art of medicine, and cultural cohesion. They saw in history a means for re-humanizing modern medicine and countering the risk of cultural crisis. The meanings attached to medical “humanism” have been changing and multiple, but, as this paper shows, some iteration of this vision of history as a humanizing force was remarkably durable across the 20th century. It was especially revitalized in the 1970s as part of a larger cultural critique of the putative “de- humanization” of the medical establishment, when some advocates promoted medical history as tool for fashioning a new kind of humanist physician and a source of guidance in confronting social inequities of the health care system. What has persisted across time is the way that the idea of history as a humanizing force has almost always function as a discourse of deficiency—a response to perceived shortcomings of biomedicine, medical institutions, and medical professionalism.
Arbitrary values, good causes, and premature verdicts

Abstract This paper offers an alternative interpretation of the conclusions Kahneman and Knetsch propose based on two contingent valuation (CVM) surveys. The evaluation argues that while framing is important to CVM estimates, the design, implementation, and empirical findings reported from these surveys do not support their judgments. Moreover, with the exception of temporal embedding, conventional economic descriptions of individual behavior can explain the response patterns that they suggest are at variance with standard value theory.
Studies on local immunity to sperm-dissolving of cervical mucus by use of bromelin with retention of antibody activity.

: The complete dissolving of human cervical mucus was achieved with bromelin. The adequacy and the mildness of this procedure were studied by making both solutions and simple extracts of a number of mucus samples. Both types of preparation were tested for sperm antibody by our methods of agglutination and immobilization. The comparisons showed a high degree of concurrence between these two types, with the bromelin solutions showing positive results more often than the extracts. Other control tests showed that addition of bromelin did not perturb the antibody testing of positive and negative sera. We concluded that addition of bromelin, in a 1/3 volume, gives a quick, thorough, and undamaged solution of cervical mucus, on which sperm antibody tests can be done with ease and reliability.
A Synopsis of the Genus Sibara (Brassicaceae)

Abstract. Sibara includes 12 species exhibiting amphitropical disjunction. Six of these grow in California and Baja California, and six in northern Chile and Argentinean Mendoza and Patagonia. The new species S. davidsonii and S. dilloniorum are described from Baja California and Chile, respectively. The genera Pterygiosperma and Werdermannia are reduced to synonymy of Sibara, and the new combinations S. anethifolia, S. macrostachya, S. mendocina, S.pinnata, and S. tehuelches are proposed. Four species described by Philippi in Nastrutium and Sisymbrium are lectotypified.
A Critical Case Study of Cause-Related Marketing

This article examines a critical case study of cause-related marketing (CRM) held in conjunction with a university's United Way campaign. CRM involves the sale of products with a percentage of the price going to charity. It is positioned as part of a broader discourse about ethical consumption and the power of citizen consumers in a neoliberal market society. Drawing on data from interviews, observation, and document analysis, this research examines how CRM organizers frame their efforts and the implications for understanding the potential of ethical consumption. It shows that organizers frame CRM around engagement, brand recognition, and easy participation, but there is little that connects purchases to the end-goal of helping those in need or making the world a better place.
The Enon, Ohio, Meteorite (Mesosiderite)

This paper tells of the recognition and the recovery of a small (763-g.) mesosiderite, known as the Enon, Ohio, meteorite; it contains also some interesting notes on both the extent and the range in composition of meteorites.
A Holistic Approach to System Reliability in Blue Gene

Optimizing supercomputer performance requires a balance between objectives for processor performance, network performance, power delivery and cooling, cost and reliability. In particular, scaling a system to a large number of processors poses challenges for reliability, availability and serviceability. Given the power and thermal constraints of data centers, the BlueGene/L supercomputer has been designed with a focus on maximizing floating point operations per second per Watt (FLOPS/Watt). This results in a drastic reduction in FLOPS/m2 floor space and FLOPS/dollar, allowing for affordable scale-up. The BlueGene/L system has been scaled to a total of 65,536 compute nodes in 64 racks. A system approach was used to minimize power at all levels, from the processor to the cooling plant. A Blue- Gene/L compute node consists of a single ASIC and associated memory. The ASIC integrates all system functions including processors, the memory subsystem and communication, thereby minimizing chip count, interfaces, and power dissipation. As the number of components increases, even a low failure rate per-component will lead to an unacceptable system failure rate. Additional mechanisms will have to be deployed to achieve sufficient reliability at the system level. In particular, the data transfer volume in the communication networks of a massively parallel system poses significant challenges on bit error rates and recovery mechanisms in the communication links. Low power dissipation and high performance, along with reliability, availability and serviceability were prime considerations in BlueGene/L hardware architecture, system design, and packaging. A high-performance software stack, consisting of operating system services, compilers, libraries and middleware, completes the system, while enhancing reliability and data integrity.
Modeling nonlinear time series

It is argued that the ubiquity of strange attractors in nature suggests that using nonlinear modeling techniques might improve performance in some signal processing applications. A synthetic data set generated by numerically integrating a simple nonlinear differential equation is described, and the case with which crude nonlinear methods outperform linear methods is illustrated. The synthetic data are fit by linear autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models and three nonlinear methods: piecewise linear, hidden Markov models (HMM) with discrete outputs, and HMMs with continuous autoregressive outputs (ARHMM). Criteria for assessing model performance are discussed, and connections between these criteria and fundamental invariants developed in ergodic theory are noted. >
A girl with severe hand swelling and abdominal cramps.

A 16-year-old girl presented to the emergency room with severe swelling of her left hand and forearm. Her symptoms began 12 h earlier with left forearm swelling that progressed to the tips of her fingers. She reported her forearm felt normal, but her hand had a tingling sensation and she was barely able to move her fingers. She also reported having had moderately painful abdominal cramps earlier that day. She denied urticarial or pruritic rashes, respiratory distress, and throat tightness. During the previous week she had felt stressed because of schoolwork and also had developed a mild headache, clear rhinorrhea, and cough. She had never had episodes of swelling in the past. Family history revealed similar episodes in multiple family members. The patient’s father and 15-year-old sister had histories of numerous episodes of painful localized edema since childhood. Her paternal grandmother, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather died of asphyxiation due to attacks of angioedema and swelling of the throat. Her mother and 13-year-old brother were healthy. On examination, the patient appeared well and in no respiratory distress. Vital signs were stable. Her skin had no rashes. Her left upper extremity was severely swollen from the midforearm to the fingertips. Her left hand was cold and capillary refill was mildly delayed. The patient reported a tingling sensation when her fingers were superficially palpated. Flexion and extension of her fingers were greatly reduced. The patient’s abdomen was soft but diffusely tender, without hepatosplenomegaly. There was no swelling of other body parts. Physical examination results were otherwise unremarkable. Complete blood count showed mild leukocytosis with neutrophilic predominance. C-reactive protein was 15 mg/L (reference interval <5 mg/L), C3 was 1170 mg/L (reference interval 830–1770 mg/L), and C4 was <60 mg/L (reference interval 140–420 mg/L). Angioedema in a patient with positive family history and low C4 is …
FDG-PET scan in patients with clinically and/or radiologically suspicious colorectal cancer recurrence but normal CEA

Although frequently used for tumor surveillance, the sensitivity of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) to detect recurrent colorectal cancer (CRC) is not optimal. Fluorine 18-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography (18F FDG-PET) scans promise to improve recurrent CRC detection. We aimed to review PET scans of patients with clinically and/or radiologically suspicious tumor recurrence but normal CEA. A retrospective review of an electronic database of 308 patients with CRC who had PET scans was performed. Only PET studies of patients with normal CEAs and suspected tumor recurrence who had pathological verification were selected for further analysis. Thirty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. PET was positive in 26 patients (67%) and normal in 13 (33%). Histopathologic evidence of tumor recurrence was seen in 27 of the 39 patients (69%). When correlated with histopathology, PET was true positive in 22 patients, false positive in 4, true negative in 8 and false negative in 5. Overall, the accuracy of PET was 76.9%, negative predictive value (NPV) was 61.5%, and positive predictive value (PPV) was 84.6%. PPV value of PET for liver metastases was 88.8% compared to 73.3% for local recurrence. In two patients with confirmed recurrence, CEA became positive 2 months after PET scan indicating earlier detection of disease with PET. The false positive PET findings were mainly in the bowel and were secondary to acute/chronic inflammation and granulation tissue. In 3 patients with false negative PET, histopathology was consistent with mucinous adenocarcinoma. PET yields high PPV for recurrent CRC, particularly for liver metastases, in spite of normal CEA levels and should be considered early in the evaluation of patients with suspected tumor recurrence.
What Is the Reservoir of Emergent Human Norovirus Strains

Since 1996, there have been at least six human norovirus pandemics. All of the pandemic strains are genetically related, segregating in the genogroup II, genotype 4 (GII.4) cluster within the Norovirus genus. Evidence indicates that these strains are closely related but antigenically distinct, supporting immune-driven viral evolution. Thus, norovirus vaccines will likely require periodic reformulation to protect from newly emergent strains. A major obstacle is that the reservoir of emergent strains is unknown. Noroviruses display tight species specificity and there is no evidence supporting zoonotic transmission, so an animal reservoir is considered unlikely. Moreover, available data indicate minimal viral diversity in most natural human infections. In this Gem, we discuss the widely speculated idea that chronically infected immunocompromised individuals are norovirus reservoirs and provide a rationale for the theory that elderly and malnourished hosts may also represent norovirus reservoirs.
PaRS: fast and near-optimal grid-based cell sizing for library-based design

We propose PaRS, a parallel and randomized tool which solves the discrete gate sizing (cell sizing) problem on a grid. PaRS is formulated based on an optimization framework known as Nested Partitions which uses parallelism and randomization from a novel perspective to better identify the optimization direction. It achieves near-optimal solutions for minimizing total power and area subject to meeting a delay constraint. The embarrassingly-parallel nature of PaRS makes it highly efficient. We show small algorithm run-times, in at most minutes for circuits with over 47,000 cells. We make comparison with the optimal solution generated by a custom and parallel branch-and-bound algorithm. Consequently, we are able to generate the optimal solution within hours. While the optimal algorithm uses up to 200 nodes in our grid, PaRS achieves its speedups and near-optimal solutions using only 20 nodes.
Preparation and Reactions of 2-tert-Butyl-1,1,3,3-Tetramethylguanidine: 2,2,6-Trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl Iodide

Preparation and reactions of 2-tert-butyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine: 2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl iodide intermediate: 2-tert-butyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine 1 product: 2,2,6-Trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl iodide (2) reactant: 2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanone hydrazone (4.6 g, 0.03 mol) Keywords: enamine or imine formation; halogenation, iodination; replacement reactions, miscellaneous; tert-butylamine, drying; toluene; hydrazine, toxicity