cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An exploratory investigation of the origin and maintenance of phobias.

Abstract Phobies were asked to relate past events which they believed caused or contributed to their fear, and to describe cognitive events experienced while imagining phobic interactions. Approximately half the subjects were able to recall relevant learning experiences, with direct experiences far more common than vicarious experiences or learning based on verbal instruction. Almost all of the subjects reported self-verbalizations while imagining the phobic situation, in every case phobic relevant. However, in a minority of instances were the verbalizations ‘catastrophic’ in nature. In only about half the cases did the phobies report that, in vivo, thoughts preceeded fear in the phobic situation (in contrast to a comparison group of less fearful subjects for which thoughts did preceed fear to a significant degree). Results are discussed in terms of possible limitations of a cognitive interpretation of phobic behavior.
Inferolateral early repolarization in athletes

Purpose Early repolarization (ER) has been considered a common benign ECG pattern among young athletes. In contrast, an inferolateral early repolarization pattern has been associated with an increased risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of inferolateral ER among young collegiate athletes and to describe the characteristics associated to the pattern.
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM OF LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY IN THE PILL BUG, ARMADILLIDIUM VULGARE (ISOPODA)

Rhythms of locomotor activity in constant darkness, under a 24-hour skeleton photoperiod, and under 4-hour and 24-hour light-dark cycles were studied in the pill bug, Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda). The animals showed clear daily rhythmicity under the 24-hour light-dark cycle but exhibited weak rhythmicity under the skeleton photoperiod and in constant darkness. Unmasking of free-running rhythms was not observed under the 4-hour light-dark cycle. The results indicate that pill bugs must possess an endogenous circadian pacemaker but that this pacemaker is either very weak or has a very weak connection with the mechanisms responsible for locomotor activity. The modulatory effect of light on the rhythm of locomotor activity is almost entirely due to negative masking.Ritmos de atividade locomotora foram estudados no tatuzinho, Armadillidium vulgare, em condicoes de escuridao continua, esqueleto de fotoperiodo de 24 horas, e ciclos de luz e escuridao de 4 horas e de 24 horas. Os animais exibiram ritmicidade robusta quando expostos ao ciclo de luz e escuridao de 24 horas mas ritmicidade muito fraca quando expostos ao esqueleto de fotoperiodo ou a escuridao continua. Desmascaramento de ritmos em livre curso nao foi observado sob a condicao de ciclo de luz e escuridao de 4 horas. Os resultados indicam que o tatuzinho deve possuir um relogio circadiano endogeno mas que este relogio e muito fraco ou tem conexao muito fraca com os mecanismos responsaveis por atividade locomotora. O efeito modulatorio da luz sobre of ritmo de atividade locomotora e quase inteiramente devido a mascaramento negativo.
Synthesis and characterization of phosphine adducts of the open zirconocene Zr(C5H7)2

Abstract Reactions of either P(CH 3 ) 2 C 6 H 5 or dmpe (dmpe = (CH 3 ) 2 PC 2 H 4 P(CH 3 ) 2 ) adducts of ZrCl 4 with four equivalents of KC 5 H 7 lead to the formation of the respective 16 or 18 electron mono(ligand) adducts of the open zirconocene Zr(C 5 H 7 ) 2 . Both complexes were found to exist in the expected symmetric conformations, as confirmed for the dmpe complex by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study.
Work-function dependence of above-surface neutralization of multicharged ions

Measurements have been made of projectile [ital K]-Auger-electron emission during interactions of 60-keV N[sup 6+] ions grazingly incident on a Au(011) single crystal whose work function was modified by submonolayer deposits of Cs. [ital K] Auger spectra were obtained for incidence angles in the range 0.3[degree]--5[degree], using clean, as well as cesiated, Au surfaces whose work function had been reduced by as much as 3.3 eV. For incidence angles smaller than 5[degree], an enhancement on the above-surface [ital K] Auger component, relative to that observed for clean'' Au, could be discerned with decreasing surface work function, which appears to saturate below 0.7[degree] (corresponding to an inverse perpendicular velocity of about 200 a.u.[sup [minus]1]) at approximately 30--35 %. The experimental results are compared with modeling studies of the work-function dependence of above-surface neutralization and projectile [ital K] Auger emission, using a simulation based on the classical over-the-barrier model that was modified to treat the case of a two-component'' surface. The simulation results agree qualitatively with the experimental results up to [ital v][sub [perpendicular]][sup [minus]1]=200. At higher inverse perpendicular velocities, the simulated enhancement continues to increase and exceeds the clean Au result by more than a factor of 2 at [ital v][submore » [perpendicular]][sup [minus]1]=1000. Speculations about possible reasons for this discrepancy will be presented.« less
The link between lower serum magnesium and kidney function in patients with diabetes mellitus Type 2 deserves a closer look.

Introduction: We previously reported that lower serum magnesium levels [Mg 2+ ] can be associated with more rapid decline in renal function in patients with diabetes mellitus Type 2 (DM2). We now report long-term renal outcomes of the same patient cohort. Materials and methods: Most recent serum creatinine (SCr) and routine urinary analyses (RUA) for the 550 DM2 patients from our original study were collected. Data analysis: Patients with follow-up data were stratified according to the original study: Group 1 had initial [Mg 2+ ] 1.6 - 1.8 mg/dl, Group 3 > 1.8 - 2.0 mg/dl and Group 4 > 2.0 mg/dl. The change in renal function was defined by the ratio of the most recent to the initial SCr as well as slope of 1/SCr-versus-time. Any level of proteinuria detected from RUA provided evidence for overt proteinuria. Renal outcomes were analyzed for each defined patient group. Results: SCr were available for 329 out of 550 patients (59.8%). The duration of follow-up ranged from 93.8 ± 23.4 - 99.4 ± 22.4 months among 5 groups. The ratios of the most recent to the initial SCr were 1.54 ± 1.01, 1.28 ± 0.51, 1.26 ± 0.57 and 1.09 ± 0.29 for Groups 1 - 4, respectively; where the differences between Groups 1, 2 and 3 against Group 4 were significant (p = 0.02, 0.001 and 0.007, respectively). Accordingly, the mean slope of 1/SCr-versus-time was the best for Group 4. RUA were available for 176 patients: 22.2%, 9%, 7.3% and none from Groups 1 to 4, respectively, developed overt proteinuria. Conclusion: Our follow-up data suggest a link between low [Mg 2+ ] and worse renal outcomes in DM2 patients.
Anatomy of autoantibody production: Dominant localization of antibody-producing cells to T cell zones in fas-deficient mice

Abstract The goal of this study was to examine the in vivo site of autoantibody production in normal and autoimmune-prone mice. B cells were identified in tissue sections with IgM- and IgG2a-specific riboprobes that readily distinguished resting cells from antibody-forming cells (AFC). In normal mice, the few identifiable IgG2a-secreting cells were found in the red pulp. By contrast, in Ipr mice exceedingly high numbers of IgG2a and autoantibody-producing cells were found deep within the T cell-rich periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths (PALS). This unusual anatomic location of autoantibody-secreting B cells is unique to Fas dysregulated strains, since IgG2a-producing cells in MRL/+ and (SWR × NZB)F1 mice were found predominantly in the red pulp or outer PALS, similar to normal mice. Furthermore, analysis of spleens from Ipr and non- Ipr anti-DNA immunoglobulin transgenic mice revealed dramatic accumulation of Tg + cells in the inner PALS only in Ipr mice. These data suggest that in the absence of Fas, autoreactive B cells accumulate in T cell-rich zones, and this anatomic feature may contribute to autoantibody production.
Retrograde amnesia and brain RNA content after TCAP

Abstract TCAP has been previously reported to increase the whole brain content of RNA and to attenuate the retrograde amnesia produced by ECS in mice [6, 7]. This was consistent with theories that RNA synthesis represents an essential step in the consolidation of memory. The present studies reinvestigated these experiments and found that TCAP had no effect at any point along the gradient of retrograde amnesia when ECS was given at 9–960 sec after training in a one-trial passive avoidance task. TCAP also did not alter the whole brain content of RNA nor the uptake of tritiated cytidine into RNA. We conclude that under a variety of conditions TCAP does not affect retrograde amnesia produced by ECS, thus suggesting that it has no general effect on the rate of memory consolidation.
Aerosol size distribution in a coagulating plume : Analytical behavior and modeling applications

In a previous paper (Turco and Yu, 1997), a series of analytical solutions were derived for the problem of aerosol coagulation in an expanding plume, as from a jet engine. Those solutions were shown to depend on a single dimensionless time-dependent number, NT, which is related to the particle coagulation kernel and the plume volume. Here, we derive a new analytical expression that describes the particle size distribution in an expanding plume in terms of NT. We show how this solution can be extended to include the effects of soot particles on the evolving volatile sulfuric acid aerosols in an aircraft wake. Our solutions apply primarily to cases where changes in the size distribution—beyond an initial period encompassing emission and prompt nucleation/condensation—is controlled mainly by coagulation. The analytical size distributions allow most of the important properties of an evolving aerosol population—mean size, number greater than a minimum size, surface area density, size dependent reactivities, and optical properties—to be estimated objectively. We have applied our analytical solution to evaluate errors associated with numerical diffusion in a detailed microphysical code, and demonstrate that, if care is not exercised in solving the coagulation equation, substantial errors can result in the predictions at large particle sizes. This effect is particularly important when comparisons between models and field observations are carried out. The analytical expressions derived here can also be employed to initialize models that do not resolve individual aircraft plumes, by providing a simple means for parameterizing the initial aerosol properties after an appropriate mixing time.
Nuclear translocation of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A induced by an antisense oligonucleotide directed against the RIα regulatory subunit

Nuclear translocation of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A induced by an antisense oligonucleotide directed against the RIα regulatory subunit
Tumor lysis syndrome occurring after the administration of rituximab in lymphoproliferative disorders: high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Rituximab, an anti-CD20 antibody, has been recently approved for the treatment of low-grade or follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Because of its relatively benign side effect profile, it has been considered a nontoxic alternative to chemotherapy. Recently, however, tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) resulting from rituximab has been reported in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We herein present two cases of rituximab-induced TLS. The first case occurred in a patient with high-grade NHL, while the second case occurred in a patient with CLL. We also present a summary of the literature regarding TLS induced by immunotherapies.
Brain metastasis from prostate carcinoma: antemortem recognition and outcome after treatment.

BACKGROUND In patients with prostate carcinoma, brain metastasis has most commonly been reported in autopsy series. Symptomatic brain metastasis from prostate carcinoma has occasionally been detected. METHODS The authors retrospectively studied a series of 38 patients with antemortem intracerebral metastasis found on review of 7994 patients treated over an 18-year period at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. RESULTS The mean time from diagnosis of prostate carcinoma to discovery of brain metastasis was 28 months, with a mean survival of 9.2 months after the discovery of the brain metastasis. The brain metastasis was treated only with whole brain irradiation in 29 patients, with craniotomy and irradiation in 8 patients, and with surgery alone in 1 patient. Small cell carcinomas and primary transitional cell carcinomas of the prostate were much more likely to produce brain metastasis than were adenocarcinomas. Also noted among the overall prostate carcinoma cohort was a second group of 16 patients with prostate carcinoma and brain metastasis that had developed from a second primary tumor, which in all was either lung carcinoma or melanoma. CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of brain metastasis in prostate carcinoma patients is rare, usually signifies a late stage of the disease, and may in some patients be produced by a tandem extraprostatic tumor. Cancer 1999;86:2301–11. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
The Knowledge Context: Comparative Perspectives on the Distribution of Knowledge

(1989). The Knowledge Context: Comparative Perspectives on the Distribution of Knowledge. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 60, No. 5, pp. 602-604.
30GHz silicon platform for photonics system

We present a silicon photonic platform offering low loss passive components, integrated highspeed silicon traveling wave MZ modulators (30GHz), ring modulators (45GHz) and inductance peaking Germanium photodetectors (58GHz). The bandwidth of the photonic devices is sufficient to support 50Gb/s bit rate. Our platform is available to the community as part of the OpSIS project.
Deficiency of Prdm13, a dorsomedial hypothalamus‐enriched gene, mimics age‐associated changes in sleep quality and adiposity

The dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) controls a number of essential physiological responses. We have demonstrated that the DMH plays an important role in the regulation of mammalian aging and longevity. To further dissect the molecular basis of the DMH function, we conducted microarray-based gene expression profiling with total RNA from laser-microdissected hypothalamic nuclei and tried to find the genes highly and selectively expressed in the DMH. We found neuropeptide VF precursor (Npvf), PR domain containing 13 (Prdm13), and SK1 family transcriptional corepressor (Skor1) as DMH-enriched genes. Particularly, Prdm13, a member of the Prdm family of transcription regulators, was specifically expressed in the compact region of the DMH (DMC), where Nk2 homeobox 1 (Nkx2-1) is predominantly expressed. The expression of Prdm13 in the hypothalamus increased under diet restriction, whereas it decreased during aging. Prdm13 expression also showed diurnal oscillation and was significantly upregulated in the DMH of long-lived BRASTO mice. The transcriptional activity of the Prdm13 promoter was upregulated by Nkx2-1, and knockdown of Nkx2-1 suppressed Prdm13 expression in primary hypothalamic neurons. Interestingly, DMH-specific Prdm13-knockdown mice showed significantly reduced wake time during the dark period and decreased sleep quality, which was defined by the quantity of electroencephalogram delta activity during NREM sleep. DMH-specific Prdm13-knockdown mice also exhibited progressive increases in body weight and adiposity. Our findings indicate that Prdm13/Nkx2-1-mediated signaling in the DMC declines with advanced age, leading to decreased sleep quality and increased adiposity, which mimic age-associated pathophysiology, and provides a potential link to DMH-mediated aging and longevity control in mammals.
Hydraulic characteristics of a small Coastal Plain stream of the southeastern United States : effects of hydrology and season

Various physical and biological properties affect solute transport patterns in streams. We measured hydraulic characteristics of Payne Creek, a low-gradient upper Coastal Plain stream, using tracer experiments and parameter estimation with OTIS-P (one-dimensional transport with inflow and storage with parameter optimization). The primary objective of this study was to estimate the effects of varying discharge, season, and litter accumulation on hydraulic parameters. Channel area A ranged from 0·081 to 0·371 m2 and transient storage area As ranged from 0·027 to 0·111 m2. Dispersion D ranged from 1·5 to 11·1 m2 min−1 and exchange coefficient α ranged from 0·009 to 0·038 min−1. Channel area and dispersion were positively correlated to discharge Q, whereas storage area and exchange coefficient were not. Relative storage size As/A ranged from 0·17 to 0·59, and was higher during fall than other seasons under a similar Q. The fraction of median travel time due to transient storage ranged from 8·8 to 34·5% and was significantly correlated with Q through a negative power function. Both metrics indicated that transient storage was a significant component affecting solute transport in Payne Creek, especially during the fall. Comparison between the measured channel area Ac and A suggested that surface storage was dominant in Payne Creek. During fall, accumulation of leaf litter resulted in larger A and As and lower velocity and D than during other seasons with similar discharge. Seasonal changes in discharge and organic matter accumulation, and dynamic channel morphology affected the magnitude of transient storage and overall hydraulic characteristics of Payne Creek. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Composition and spatial heterogeneity of submersed vegetation in a softwater lake in Wisconsin

Big Muskellunge Lake, a softwater lake (pH 7.5–8.0, alkalinity 0.36 meq/L) in northern Wisconsin, harbors a diverse (25 species) submersed macrophyte vegetation. The present submersed flora combines species generally thought distinct in their ecological affinities, and is very similar to that reported in 1935. The only differences are the apparent loss of three previously infrequent Potamogeton species, and the addition to the flora of two infrequent Potamogeton species and the now abundant Elodea canadensis. Dramatic differences in composition and pattern of the vegetation occurred between sites of contrasting exposure and sediment type. Substantial compositional variation, at scales ranging from tens of centimeters to tens of meters, occurred along transects of contiguous quadrats at uniform depth and exposure. Analyses of species sequences along line transects detected significant segregation of species that is most plausibly explained by biotic factors such as colonization, clonal growth, and competition. Heterogeneity at small scales of a few meters or less is common in Big Muskellunge Lake. Such pattern has been neglected in macrophyte ecology, in spite of its significance for neighbor relationships which may critically influence growth and reproduction of aquatic plants.
Anaphylactic reactions in mice induced by Bordetella pertussis lipopolysaccharide

Abstract The lipopolysaccharide of Bordetella pertussis is capable of engendering a heightened sensitivity to histamine in the white mouse, although not to the same degree as the intact bacteria. A somewhat parallel anaphylactic sensitivity results concomitantly from the administration of a mixture of the endotoxin and a heterologous protein. The lipopolysaccharides of certain gramnegative organisms similarly possess this capacity to sensitize. Mice pretreated with B. pertussis will show fatal anaphylaxis-like reactions when challenged by the intravenous injection of these lipopolysaccharides.
Guest Editors' Introduction: Autonomic Computing

Autonomic computing systems are self-monitoring, self-tuning, self-organizing, self-optimizing, self-healing, and self-protecting, and they can address quality of-service, failure-recovery, and security issues with minimal human intervention.
ConChat: a context-aware chat program

ConChat is a context-aware chat program that enriches electronic communication by providing contextual information and resolving potential semantic conflicts between users.ConChat uses contextual information to improve electronic communication. Using contextual cues, users can infer during a conversation what the other person is doing and what is happening in his or her immediate surroundings. For example, if a user learns that the other person is talking with somebody else or is involved in some urgent activity, he or she knows to expect a slower response. Conversely, if the user learns that the other person is sitting in a meeting directly related to the conversation, he or she then knows to respond more quickly. Also, by informing users about the other person's context and tagging potentially ambiguous chat messages, ConChat explores how context can improve electronic communication by reducing semantic conflicts.
MODELLING AND SCALEUP OF DISPERSED PHASE LIQUID-LIQUID REACTORS.

Abstract The problem of modelling dispersed phase liquid-liquid reactors is discussed from a global view. The two major areas of microscopic and macroscopic problems are addressed. The microscopic problem is concerned with the determination of the local rate of transfer of reactants and/or products between the two phases. Attention is focussed on approaches to obtain kinetic data; and results on recent important chemical systems such as nitrations, metal chelation reactions, and phase transfer catalytic reactions are discussed. The liquid jet recycle reactor is pointed out as a useful tool for obtaining laboratory data. Recent works employing the classical film and penetration theories to obtain flux expressions for complex reactions are described. The macroscopic problem deals with the reactor design question. Various models proposed to account for macromixing and/or micromixing effects are categorized into noninteraction and coalescence- dispersion or interaction models. The former approach includes the...
The use of warrants as underwriter compensation in initial public offerings

Abstract Previous research suggests that offering costs are higher when warrants are used to compensate underwriters. This finding potentially arises from a failure to account for self-selection in estimating offering cost relations. Using methods that account for self-selection, I find that underpricing and total offering costs are reduced for firms using warrants as underwriter compensation, consistent with the hypothesis that issuers choose compensation contracts which minimize costs.
Studying the effectiveness of MOVE: a contextually optimized in-vehicle navigation system

In-vehicle navigation has changed substantially in recent years, due to the advent of computer generated maps and directions. However, these maps are still problematic, due to a mismatch between the complexity of the maps and the attentional demands of driving. In response to this problem, we are developing the MOVE (Maps Optimized for Vehicular Environments) system. This system will provide situationally appropriate map information by presenting information that uses appropriate amounts of the driver's attention. In this paper, we describe our findings of studies to help shape the design of the MOVE system, including studies on map reading and in-vehicle navigation, and studies on the effectiveness of a variety of contextually optimized route map visualizations in a simulated driving context.Results show that contextually optimized displays designed for the MOVE system should significantly reduce perceptual load in the context of driving. In our laboratory experiment there was a six-fold decrease in the total map display fixation time and nearly threefold decrease in the number of glances needed to interpret the contextually optimized display compared to a static display.
mHealth taxonomy: a literature survey of mobile health applications

There has been tremendous increase in both the different types of Mobile Health (mHealth) applications and the number of applications being created for both the clinical and consumer healthcare space. The rapid proliferation of mHealth applications is creating confusion in the domain among both consumers and healthcare professionals due to uncertainty about reliability, security, regulation, and integration concerns. New applications are being developed faster than researchers, patients, and healthcare professionals can grasp the multiplicity of the mHealth applications and the various ways they can be used. This paper proposes a taxonomy of existing and emerging mHealth applications to help all users understand this domain.
Capacity Bounds and Rate-Distortion-Analysis in Dither Vector QIM Watermarking With JPEG and JPEG2000 Attack

Capacity of a digital watermarking scheme is the maximum bit rates that can be embedded in a designated host signal with certain constraints. When host signal and channel attack are both Gaussian, the watermarking capacity is known. Rate-distortion-robustness analysis is investigating the relationship between information rate, embedding distortion and counter-attack robustness. The latter is normally measured by error probability. In this work, we present a dither vector QIM embedding algorithm for image watermarking against JPEG and JPEG2000 attack channels. It is showed that this kind of channel could be approximately viewed as a Gaussian channel. Based on the general Gaussian channel capacity results, we give some bound results for typical images. The theoretical relationship between the rate, distortion, and robustness for this vector QIM scheme has been studied. Simulation results are presented to show the mutual effects of these parameters in the scheme.
The GridSAT portal: a Grid Web-based portal for solving satisfiability problems using the national cyberinfrastructure

We present a Grid portal problem (which is accessible through http://orca.cs.ucsb.edu/sat_portal) for solving Boolean satisfiability. The portal provides a simple and public interface to a sophisticated and complex Grid application—GridSAT—running on a large set of distributed computational resources hosted in different large-scale national computing centers (i.e. the national cyberinfrastructure circa 2005). In this paper we describe the design goals of the portal and how it has influenced some of the application features. We also describe how the adaptive and self-tuning features of Grid applications (written from first principles) make the portal simpler and easier to implement. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
James McGready: Theologian of Frontier Revivalism

When the historians of frontier revivalism turn to James McGready, they find him difficult to comprehend. Since the Kentucky Great Revival of 1797 to 1802 first arose in his frontier congregations, the historians point to McGready as the original frontier revivalist, imitated by all other revivalists. Because the origins of the frontier camp meeting were inextricably tied to his career, McGready has been described as the leading innovator of the western awakenings, who gave frontier religion its peculiar flavor. And the revivals have been described as a bizarre form of undisciplined religious barbarism, dominated by emotional intensity, primitive excesses, and pious anti-intellectualism. The difficulty with these widely accepted generalizations is that McGready was neither the model nor the advocate for the revivalism the historians said he created.
Periodontal Therapy in Humans: I. Microbiological and Clinical Effects of a Single Course of Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing, and of Adjunctive Tetracycline Therapy

The present results showed that maarked and long-lasting changes in the subgingival microflora associated with periodontal disease could be achieved by a single course of periodontal treatment. Immediately following therapy, the total number of subgingival organisms decreased 10- to 100-fold and the proportions of cultivable Gram negative organisms and anaerobic organisms generally decreased 3- to 4-fold or more. After treatment, most periodontal pockets were populated by a scant microflora predominated by facultative Actinomyces and Streptococcus species. The kinetics of the subgingival bacterial recolonization revealed that the total cell counts and the proportions of spirochetes and Capnocytophaga species did not reach their pretreatment levels even after 6 months. Other Gram negative anaerobic species returned to pretreatment proportions after 3 to 6 months. Several Gram positive species exhibited higher posttreatment than pretreatment proportions throughout the 6 months study. The microbiological shifts paralleled significant changes in the clinical status of the periodontal tissues. Following therapy, the periodontal pocket depths decreased generally 1 to 4 mm, the gingival inflammatory index, the gingival fluid flow, and the suppurative index were generally lower, and nine of 33 test pockets examined showed apposition of alveolar bone. The microbiological and clinical changes described were exhibited by two patients treated with periodontal scaling and root planing alone and by two patients treated with the adjunctive use of systemic tetracycline therapy. In two other patients, mechanical periodontal therapy only slightly reduced the total number of subgingival organisms and the proportions of spirochetes and other Gram negative anaerobic rods. A shift in the subgingival microbial composition was achieved in these two patients after tetracycline therapy. The following model for treatment of periodontal disease is proposed: (1) Conventional therapy including thorough periodontal scaling and root planing; (2) Monitoring the subgingival flora and the clinical course; and (3) Use of antimicrobial therapy in refractory cases. Further studies are needed to develop means for rapid identification of refractory patients, and to determine the optimal antimicrobial agent, the optimal route of administration, and the optimal dosage regime.
Pyrosequencing, a High-Throughput Method for Detecting Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Dihydrofolate Reductase and Dihydropteroate Synthetase Genes of Plasmodium falciparum

A pyrosequencing protocol was developed as a rapid and reliable method to identify the mutations of the dhfr and dhps genes of Plasmodium falciparum that are associated with antifolate resistance. The accuracy and specificity of this method were tested using six laboratory-cultured P. falciparum isolates harboring known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes dhfr (codons 50, 51, 59, 108, and 164) and dhps (codons 436, 437, 540, 581, and 613). The lowest threshold for detection of all the SNPs tested by pyrosequencing was the equivalent of two to four parasite genomes. Also, this method was highly specific for P. falciparum, as it did not amplify any DNA products from the other species of human malaria parasites. We also mixed wild-type and mutant-type parasite DNAs in various proportions to determine how pyrosequencing, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and direct conventional sequencing (for dhfr) compared with each other in detecting different SNPs in the mixture. In general, pyrosequencing and RFLP showed comparable sensitivities in detecting most of the SNPs in dhfr except for the 164L mutation, which required at least twice the amount of DNA for pyroseqencing as for RFLP. For detecting SNPs in dhps, pyrosequencing was slightly more sensitive than RFLP and direct sequencing. Overall, pyrosequencing was faster and less expensive than either RFLP or direct sequencing. Thus, pyrosequencing is a practical alternative method that can be used in a high-throughput format for molecular surveillance of antimalarial-drug resistance.
Testicular Development in Male Rats Is Sensitive to a Soy-Based Diet in the Neonatal Period

Approximately 30% of infants in the United States are exposed to high doses of isoflavones resulting from soy infant formula consumption. Soybeans contain the isoflavones genistin and daidzin, which are hydrolyzed in the gastrointestinal tract to their genistein and daidzein aglycones. Both aglycones possess hormonal activity and may interfere with male reproductive development. Testosterone, which supports male fertility, is mainly produced by testicular Leydig cells. Our previous studies indicated that perinatal exposure of male rats to isoflavones induced proliferative activity in Leydig cells and increased testosterone concentrations into adulthood. However, the relevance of the neonatal period as part of the perinatal window of isoflavone exposure remains to be established. The present study examined the effects of exposure to isoflavones on male offspring of dams maintained on a casein-based control or whole soybean diet in the neonatal period, that is, Days 2 to 21 postpartum. The results showed that the soybean diet stimulated proliferative activity in developing Leydig cells while suppressing their steroidogenic capacity in adulthood. In addition, isoflavone exposure decreased production of anti-Mullerian hormone by Sertoli cells. Similar to our previous in vitro studies of genistein action in Leydig cells, daidzein induced proliferation and interfered with signaling pathways to suppress steroidogenic activity. Overall, the data showed that the neonatal period is a sensitive window of exposure to isoflavones and support the view that both genistein and daidzein are responsible for biological effects associated with soy-based diets.
Design and Performance of a Modular Portable Object Adapter for Distributed, Real-Time, and Embedded CORBA Applications

ZEN is a CORBA ORB designed to support distributed, real-time, and embedded (DRE) applications that have stringent memory constraints. This paper discusses the design and performance of ZENs portable object adapter (POA) which is an important component in a CORBA object request broker (ORB). This paper makes the following three contributions to the study of middleware for memory-constrained DRE applications. First, it presents three alternative designs of the CORBA POA. Second, it explains how design patterns can be applied to improve the quality and performance of POA implementations. Finally, it presents empirical measurements based on the ZEN ORB showing how memory footprint can be reduced significantly while throughput is comparable to a conventional ORB implementation.
Stress-driven Melt Segregation in Partially Molten Olivine-rich Rocks Deformed in Torsion

Torsion experiments on partially molten aggregates of olivine þ chromite þ 4 vol. % mid-ocean ridge basalt provide new insights into the interactions between deformation and melt segregation. When samples are sheared, melt segregates into distinct melt-rich bands oriented � 208 antithetic to the macroscopic shear plane. In one series of experiments, samples were deformed at similar shear strain rates (or stresses) to a range of finite shear strains to explore the evolution of melt-rich bands. In another series of experiments, samples were deformed to similar finite shear strains at a range of strain rates to explore the effect of strain rate (or stress) on band spacing and microstructure. We relate variations in strain rate to the compaction length and show that band spacing increases with increasing compaction length. These experiments provide new information on the evolution of melt distribution, the partitioning and localization of strain, and the scaling of experimental results to the Earth’s mantle.
A single-use, disposable iridium-modified electrochemical biosensor for fructosyl valine for the glycoslated hemoglobin detection

Abstract A single-use, disposable biosensor prototype of fructosyl valine (FV) was developed in this study. FV was a model compound for the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) detection and the measurement of HbA1c level was important for the long-term management of diabetic patients. Therefore, the detection of FV would be important for diabetic patient management as a means for HbA1c biosensing, particularly if this biosensor could be a single-use, disposable and manufactured cost effectively. This single-use, disposable FV electrochemical biosensor was fabricated using thick film screen-printing technique. Iridium nano-particle catalysts were incorporated in the carbon-based working and counter electrodes enhancing the performance of the biosensor for the FV detection. The enzyme fructosyl amine oxidase (FAO, EC 1.5.3, 0.45 U mg−1 of solid from recombinant Escherichia coli) was immobilized on the working electrode of the biosensor prototype. This biosensor operated at a relatively low electrochemical potential (+0.25 V versus Ag/AgCl) at ambient temperature to detect the enzymatically produced H2O2 from FV. This biosensor responded well to the FV level in a physiological range and the sensor output could be modeled by the Michaelis–Menton relationship. Thus, this biosensor prototype could be used effectively as the basis for a single-use, disposable HbA1c detection for diabetic patient management.
Accuracy of surgeon-performed gallbladder ultrasound

Abstract Background: Symptomatic cholelithiasis is among the most common of general surgery referrals. With an appropriate clinical presentation, definitive diagnosis requires documentation of gallstones by ultrasonography (US). The authors evaluated the accuracy of surgeon-performed US for identifying gallstones in patients with a nonacute indication for study. Methods: Patients referred for symptomatic cholelithiasis and who provided informed consent received an US examination by one or more of the surgical investigators. Surgeon-performed US findings were correlated with radiologist US findings and pathologic diagnoses. Results: Seventy-seven patients received a total of 128 examinations by the investigators. Surgeon-performed US examination agreed with the radiologist US findings for 112 of 122 studies (92%) with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 95%. Surgeon-performed US findings correlated with the pathologic diagnoses for 83 of 86 studies (97%). Conclusions: Surgeons can perform gallbladder US in the nonacute setting with a high degree of accuracy.
Minimalist explicit solvation models for surface loops in proteins.

We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of protein surface loops solvated by explicit water, where a prime focus of the study is the small numbers (e.g., 100) of explicit water molecules employed. The models include only part of the protein (typically 500-1000 atoms), and the water molecules are restricted to a region surrounding the loop. In this study, the number of water molecules (Nw) is systematically varied, and convergence with a large Nw is monitored to reveal Nw(min), the minimum number required for the loop to exhibit realistic (fully hydrated) behavior. We have also studied protein surface coverage, as well as diffusion and residence times for water molecules as a function of Nw. A number of other modeling parameters are also tested. These include the number of environmental protein atoms explicitly considered in the model as well as two ways to constrain the water molecules to the vicinity of the loop (where we find one of these methods to perform better when Nw is small). The results (for the root-mean-square deviation and its fluctuations for four loops) are further compared to much larger, fully solvated systems (using 10 000 water molecules under periodic boundary conditions and Ewald electrostatics) and to results for the generalized Born surface area (GBSA) implicit solvation model. We find that the loop backbone can stabilize with a surprisingly small number of water molecules (as low as five molecules per amino acid residue). The side chains of the loop require a somewhat larger Nw, where the atomic fluctuations become too small if Nw is further reduced. Thus, in general, we find adequate hydration to occur at roughly 12 water molecules per residue. This is an important result because, at this hydration level, computational times are comparable to those required for GBSA. Therefore, these "minimalist explicit models" can provide a viable and potentially more accurate alternative. The importance of protein loop modeling is discussed in the context of these, and other, loop models, along with other challenges including the relevance of an appropriate free-energy simulation methodology for the assessment of conformational stability.
Phylogeography of Philypnodon species (Teleostei: Eleotridae) across south‐eastern Australia: testing patterns of connectivity across drainage divides and among coastal rivers

Phylogeographical studies based on DNA sequences offer insights into intraspecific genetic patterns, elucidating the history and structure of populations and their habitats. We used mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b) to study the phylogeography and population genetics in two sympatric species in the freshwater fish genus Philypnodon throughout south-eastern Australia. We sought to determine how populations were related across drainage divides, and whether transfer among adjacent coastal drainages was related to continental shelf width or intradrainage distance. Phylogeographical structure was greater in Philypnodon macrostomus Hoese & Reader, 2006 compared with Philypnodon grandiceps (Krefft, 1864), with results for P. macrostomus showing evidence for the presence of distinct groupings in different areas of south-eastern Australia. There was evidence of drainage-divide crossings in P. grandiceps in western Victoria, and in P. macrostomus between the Burnett River and the Murray-Darling Basin in south-eastern Queensland. Both species showed low levels of divergence along the narrow continental shelf of New South Wales, but as continental shelf width increased moving north in south-eastern Queensland, population divergence also generally increased. Thus, as the potential riverine connectivity during periods of low sea levels increased, genetic divergences also increased, counter to expectations. Also, population Fst measures did not correlate as predicted with continental shelf width, nor was a significant relationship detected between Fst and the distance between populations. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95, 175‐192.
Unique foreign body injury: Bamboo penetration of thigh and pelvis while skiing

We present a case of traumatic bamboo foreign body penetration through the posterior thigh extending cephalad into the pelvis sustained during skiing. The unsuspected bamboo foreign body was missed prospectively on the initial portable trauma radiograph of the pelvis, but was retrospectively quite apparent as a linear 12 x 2-cm radiolucent region overlying the left pelvis and hip region. On CT examination, the bamboo stick appeared as a round cylindrical air-filled structure of high density compared to soft tissue - the typical appearance of bamboo. Bamboo foreign bodies can be recognized radiographically by this typical appearance, since it is one of the few wood products that causes high attenuation relative to soft tissue on CT.
Selenium and asthma

Se is a potent nutritional antioxidant important for various aspects of human health. Because asthma has been demonstrated to involve increased oxidative stress, levels of Se intake have been hypothesized to play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. However, significant associations between Se status and prevalence or severity of asthma have not been consistently demonstrated in human studies. This highlights both the complex etiology of human asthma and the inherent problems with correlative nutritional studies. In this review, the different findings in human studies are discussed along with results from limited intervention studies. Mouse models of asthma have provided more definitive results suggesting that the benefits of Se supplementation may depend on an individual's initial Se status. This likely involves T helper cell differentiation and the mechanistic studies that have provided important insight into the effects of Se levels on immune cell function are summarized. Importantly, the benefits and adverse effects of Se supplementation must both be considered in using this nutritional supplement for treating asthma. With this in mind new approaches are discussed that may provide more safe and effective means for using Se supplementation for asthma or other disorders involving inflammation or immunity.
The political constitution of emergency powers: parliamentary and separation-of-powers regulation

Constitutional democracies control the exercise of emergency powers through law and through politics. Although many believe that legal controls on the exercise of such powers are essential, examining the structure and history of political controls on emergency powers demonstrates that there are conditions under which such controls can be more effective than legal controls, even in systems committed to parliamentary supremacy. Political controls can sometimes be deployed effectively more quickly than legal ones can. Even in settings seemingly quite unfavourable to the development of constraints on the flow of power to executive government during emergencies, political controls can work, and sometimes might work in real time more effectively than judicial controls do in real time.
The Zone of Proximal Development and the Genesis of Self-Assessment

Self-assessment practices have become widespread in second language (L2) education, and while its proponents have long argued that such reflection enhances learner awareness of their abilities and promotes independent learning (Alderson, 2005; Chen, 2008; Little, 2007), others have questioned its value vis-a-vis other indicators of performance (Gipps, 1994; Ross, 1998). This article approaches learner self-assessment from a Vygotskian perspective, and specifically the proposal of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). According to this view, development is understood as transitioning from other-regulated to self-regulated functioning. Following Zuckerman (2003), engaging in reflective evaluation of performance is argued to be a critical feature of this process. Data from a study involving L2 learners of French participating in a Dynamic Assessment (Lantolf & Poehner, 2004) program are presented to explore how this development may occur and to examine challenges learners may experience as they endeavor to regulate not only their use of the L2 during completion of tasks but also while evaluating their performance. In keeping with the notion of the ZPD, it is argued that learner efforts to self-assess must be carefully mediated as they move from a cooperative to an independent mode of self-assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Personal Identification Based on Sole Pressure Distribution Using a Hetero-core Optical Fiber Sensor Network for Personal Web Services

When creating a personal web service, the personal identification method used in the service should not give users a feeling of being managed or supervised. We have proposed a personal identification method based on information about the "sole" of the foot, which has not yet been applied in the biometrics field, and evaluated the algorithm used in this method. This paper describes on the implementation of the filtering, packetizing and matching functions needed in a real-time identification system, and on the evaluation of the method using a prototype. Also, we propose a personal web service that uses this personal identification method. We built the integrated system in order to evaluate the algorithm for the personal web service, in which TV programs are selected based on a user’s preferences.