cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unusual splenic image in massive bleeding after capsular tear

Abstract A woman, who had suffered blunt trauma to the thorax and abdomen, had radiocolloid splenic images which revealed splenomegaly, a shift of radiocolloid to the spleen, and a minor interruption of splenic continuity along the medial border. At laparotomy, it was estimated that 2.51 of blood had been lost via a splenic laceration. It was hypothesized that, when the capsule was ruptured (without a major intrasplenic component), a clot failed to form. This led to massive bleeding, and possible venous or other vasoactive phenomena which may have accounted for the splenomegaly and shift of radiocolloid.
An adaptive, multiple restarts neural network algorithm for graph coloring

Abstract The graph coloring problem is amongst the most difficult ones in combinatorial optimization, with a diverse set of significant applications in science and industry. Previous neural network attempts at coloring graphs have not worked well. In particular, they do not scale up to large graphs. Furthermore, experimental evaluations on real-world graphs have been lacking, and so have comparisons with state of the art conventional algorithms. In this paper we address all of these issues. We develop an improved neural network algorithm for graph coloring that scales well with graph size. The algorithm employs multiple restarts, and adaptively reduces the network's size from restart as it learns bettwe ways to color a given graph. Hence it gets faster and leaner as it evolves. We evaluate this algorithm on a structurally diverse set of graphs that arise in different applications. We compare its performance with that of a state of the art conventional algorithm on identical graphs. The conventional algorithm works better overall, though ours is not far behind. Ours works better on some graphs. The inherent parallel and distributed nature of our algorithm, especially within a neural network architecture, is a potential advantage for implementation and speed up.
Techniques And Applications Of High-Speed Rotating Mirror Camera

In order to expand the application of a high-speed rotating mirror camera, some high-speed photographic techniques including a magnification optics system, a turning mechanism, a transmitting-type schlieren system and a multi-channel fibreoptical sensor have been developed. The detail of these techniques and results from experiments are described in this paper. It's well known that a high-speed rotating mirror camera is an important optical instrument with a high space-time resolution. It has widely been used in fields of explosion mechanics, high-velocity impacts, plasma physics, electrical pulse discharge and so on. In 1958, Northwest Optical Factory and the others in China started to develop the camera and to produce it on a small scale for use. In 1962, Xian Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics was established. After that time, most of the researching work about high-speed rotating mirror cameras have been charged by the Institute. However, the others have also made some special cameras according to their own need. In order to expand the applications of high-speed rotating mirror camera, various additional optical equipment has been made to satisfy different demand. A part of additional equipment is as follows.
ac Conductivity of 4.5 TiO2−x · 2 P2O5

The ac conductivity of a member of the family of glasses 4.5 TiO2−x · 2 P2O5 has been measured between 77 and 300 K, and up to 100 kHz. The dc conductivity was measured over only part of this temperature range. The measured ac conductivity can be represented by σac = σ0 + σ1ωs, with s < 1, and temperature dependent. A similar equation describes the ac dielectric constant, ϵac = ϵ0 + ϵ1ωs−1, where ϵ1 = σ1tan12 sπ. A simple proportionality of s to temperature holds at low temperature; at the higher temperatures, the T-dependence of s is no longer simple. The observed behaviour of the ac properties of this glass is in general accordance with a recently proposed model for systems where transport occurs by hopping. The over-all behaviour is comparable to other transition metal glasses. Using the model and treating the carriers as polarons yields an expression for s in terms of temperature. Values for the polaron radius and the effective dielectric constant are then extracted from the measurements. These values are in good agreement with values for similar systems obtained by other means.
Modulation of rat hepatic cytochrome P‐450 activity by garlic organosulfur compounds

Abstract Garlic organosulfur compounds exert chemopreventive effects at several organ sites in rodents after administration of chemical carcinogens, possibly by inhibiting carcinogen activation via cytochrome P‐450‐mediated oxidative metabolism. It has been suggested that the variability in potency of tumor inhibition by garlic sulfur compounds is due to structural differences, such as the number of allyl and sulfur groups. In this study, diallyl sulflde (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS), and allyl methyl sulfide (AMS) were administered to acetone‐treated adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats by gastric gavage at a dose of 1.75 mmol/kg in cottonseed oil. After 15 hours, hepatic microsomal cytochrome P‐450 activity and content were examined. The activity of p‐nitrophenol (pNP) hydroxylase (E.C. 1.14.13.29) was significantly decreased by all garlic compounds, whereas benzphetamine N‐demethylase and ethoxyresorufin O‐deethylase activities were not changed The activity of pNP hydroxylase was decreased to 31%, 54%, and...
Cycle Lengths in Hamiltonian Graphs with a Pair of Vertices Having Large Degree Sum

A graph of order n is said to be pancyclic if it contains cycles of all lengths from three to n. Let G be a Hamiltonian graph and let x and y be vertices of G that are consecutive on some Hamiltonian cycle in G. Hakimi and Schmeichel showed (J Combin Theory Ser B 45:99–107, 1988) that if d(x) + d(y) ≥ n then either G is pancyclic, G has cycles of all lengths except n − 1 or G is isomorphic to a complete bipartite graph. In this paper, we study the existence of cycles of various lengths in a Hamiltonian graph G given the existence of a pair of vertices that have a high degree sum but are not adjacent on any Hamiltonian cycle in G.
Insight into optical properties of strain-free quantum dot pairs

Self-assembled GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dot pairs (QDPs) are grown by molecular beam epitaxy using high temperature droplet epitaxy technique. A typical QDP consists of dual-size quantum dots as observed based on atomic force microscopy image. The average height of quantum dot is 5.7 nm for the large quantum dots and 4.6 nm for the small ones. The average peak-to-peak distance of the two dots is about 75 nm. The optical properties of GaAs QDPs are studied by measuring excitation power-dependent and temperature-dependent photoluminescence. Unique photoluminescence properties have been observed from both excitation power-dependent and temperature-dependent measurements. Excitation power-dependent as well as temperature-dependent PL measurements have suggested lateral exciton transfer in the QDPs.
Adult Continuing Education and Human Resource Development: Present Competitors, Potential Partners.

Author's Note: In May 1989, this article was published in Livelong Learning, the monthly practitioner journal of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (Vol. 12, No. 7, pp. 13–17). Now viewed as a period reference article, it presents the relationship of adult and continuing education (ACE) and human resource development (HRD) in the late 1980s, providing both a description of the differences between ACE and HRD and the conceptual and programmatic reasons for these differences. When asked if it could be published again, I first thought of updating some of the data, particularly the ACE and HRD productivity. I didn't for two reasons. First, it would no longer be a period piece, where you could compare the ACE and HRD productivity with 25 year old data. Second, and more important, the purpose of the article was to emphasize how and why ACE and HRD would benefit from working together. Now, some 25 year later it is my observation that little has changed. The relationship between ACE and HRD is still about the same - they remain competitors that still don't talk and work with each other.
Photochemical substitution reactions of manganese nitrosyl tetracarbonyl

Abstract The photochemical substitution reaction of Mn(NO(CO) 4 show a quantum yield which is dependent upon the nature of the nucleophile and also upon the concentration of the better nucleophiles. When Mn(NO)(CO) 4 is irradiated at 427 nm, the quantum yield Φ, for its photochemical reaction with As( 6 H 5 ) 3 is 0.15. For P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 the quantum yield depends on the concentration of the nucleophile. This is interpreted in terms of a mechanism involving two pathways. For poor nucleophiles, a S N 1 pathways is postulated and the deviation of the quantum yield 1.0 is discussed in terms of the absorption band being irradiated. For better nucleophiles both S N 1 and S N 2 photochemical pathways are indicated.
Accurate color reproduction of CRT-displayed images as projected 35-mm slides

Accurate color reproduction of images presented on a computer-controlled CRT display as projected 35-mm transparencies is a complicated procedure requiring the characterization and control of several imaging processes and the application of appropriate color appearance modeling to account for the changes in viewing conditions. We review a process for image recorder characterization, projection system characterization, and testing of color appearance models for this application. Accurate image recorder characterization was achieved through a combination of empirical modeling of the exposure and processing system and of a physical model of photographic film. The projection system characterization included specification of the spectral properties of the light source, reflectance properties of the viewing screen, and the effects of light exposure and temperature on the photographic transparencies. Color appearance models were used to predict the changes in image color appearance due to changes in media, white point, luminance, and surround. The RLAB model proved to work best in this application.
MicroRNA and brain tumors: a cause and a cure?

Malignant brain tumors, including high-grade gliomas, are among the most lethal of all cancers. Despite considerable advances, including multi-modal treatments with surgery, radiotherapy, and chemo...
Trimming of ubiquitin chains by proteasome-associated deubiquitinating enzymes

The proteasome generally recognizes substrate via its multiubiquitin chain followed by ATP-dependent unfolding and translocation of the substrate from the regulatory particle into the proteolytic core particle to be degraded. Substrate-bound ubiquitin groups are for the most part not delivered to the core particle and broken down together with substrate but instead recovered as intact free ubiquitin and ubiquitin chains. Substrate deubiquitination on the proteasome is mediated by three distinct deubiquitinating enzymes associated with the regulatory particle: RPN11, UCH37, and USP14. RPN11 cleaves at the base of the ubiquitin chain where it is linked to the substrate, whereas UCH37 and apparently USP14 mediate a stepwise removal of ubiquitin from the substrate by disassembling the chain from its distal tip. In contrast to UCH37 and USP14, RPN11 shows degradation-coupled activity; RPN11-mediated deubiquitination is apparently delayed until the proteasome is committed to degrade the substrate. Accordingly, RPN11-mediated deubiquitination promotes substrate degradation. In contrast, removal of ubiquitin prior to commitment could antagonize substrate degradation by promoting substrate dissociation from the proteasome. Emerging evidence suggests that USP14 and UCH37 can both suppress substrate degradation in this way. One line of study has shown that small molecule USP14 inhibitors can enhance proteasome function in cells, which is consistent with this model. Enhancing protein degradation could potentially have therapeutic applications for diseases involving toxic proteins that are proteasome substrates. However, the responsiveness of substrates to inhibition of proteasomal deubiquitinating enzymes may vary substantially. This substrate specificity and its mechanistic basis should be addressed in future studies.
Microcirculatory homeostasis 1930-1990: insight into microcirculatory readjustments provided by studies on the peripheral circulatory insufficiency of the shock syndrome.

The present overview is intended to serve several purposes. It highlights efforts over the years to resolve the difficult key issues raised by August Krogh in the 1930s and by the urgent need created in the 1940s and 1950s by World War II to come to grips with the basic problems underlying the collapse of tissue perfusion in the syndrome of circulatory shock. The complex operational issues raised by circulatory insufficiency at the systemic, as well as the local tissue level, during the shock syndrome, are used as a framework to keep in perspective the impact of advances in methodology, ultrastructure, and in recent years in molecular biology on microvascular research. In view of the current continuing need to integrate the newly emerging body of in vitro information into specific aspects of the operation of the peripheral vascular tree, emphasis is placed on the advances in dealing with data provided by in vivo microscopy of selected tissues.This overall review has made it clear that a top priority remai...
Computer verification of fluence map for intensity modulated radiation therapy

In a treatment planning system for intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT), the time sequence of multileaf collimator(MLC) settings are derived from an optimal fluence map as a post-optimization process using a software module called a “leaf sequencer.” The dosimetric accuracy of the dynamic delivery depends on the functionality of the module and it is important to verify independently the correctness of the leaf sequences for each field of a patient treatment. This verification is unique to the IMRT treatment and has been done using radiographic film, electronic portal imaging device(EPID) or electronic imaging system (BIS). The measurement tests both the leaf sequencer and the dynamic multileaf collimator(MLC)delivery system, providing a reliable assurance of clinical IMRT treatment. However, this process is labor intensive and time consuming. In this paper, we propose to separate quality assurance (QA) of the leaf sequencer from the dynamic MLCdelivery system. We describe a simple computer algorithm for the verification of the leaf sequences. The software reads in the leaf sequences and simulates the motion of the MLC leaves. The generated fluence map is then compared quantitatively with the reference map from the treatment planning system. A set of pre-defined QA indices is introduced to measure the “closeness” between the computed and the reference maps. The approach has been used to validate the CORVUS (NOMOS Co., Sewickley, PA) treatment plans. The results indicate that the proposed approach is robust and suitable to support the complex IMRT QA process.
Stability of Nanoscale Cobalt Silicide Film Formation on Polysilicon

We have extended the recent work1,2 on grain boundary grooving, agglomeration and islanding during the reaction of thin Co films on single crystal Si substrates (source/drain contacts) to the case of poly silicon substrates3 (gate contact and local interconnects). The stability of 27 to 50 nm CoSi2 films formed via rapid thermal annealing on polysilicon substrates with and without P+ or Ge+ implantation was examined using XTEM, RBS, XRD, and Four-probe measurements. For an undoped polysilicon, partial agglomeration of a 30 nm CoSi2 film has been observed, similar to that seen on a single crystal Si substrate.2For heavily Phosphorus doped polysilicon, a transition from low resistance, stoichiometric cobalt disilicide films (700 °C, 10 sec RTA) to high resistance films at 700 °C, 30 sec RTA (600–1000 Ω per square and discontinuous suicide grain growth) has been observed. Concurrent suicide formation on preamorphized polysilicon (Ge+ I/I and no anneal) has been found to suppress agglomeration of nanoscale cobalt suicide layers, since small grain size and low grain boundary energy are favorable for improving thermal stability4. These continuous layers also exhibited the lowest sheet resistance corresponding to a resistivity of ≤ 21 μΩ-cm.
Elemental Trace Analysis of Biological Materials

I. INTRODUCTION A. Scope and Purpose of the Review The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a number of the more popular trace element analytical techniques in meeting the needs of the life scientists. Emphasis is directed towards the determination of trace elements in biological materials using those techniques that are currently being used extensively for this purpose or show promise in the immediate future. Techniques compared include anodic-stripping voltametry (ASV), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), electrothermal atomization-atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA-AAS), emission spectrometry (ES), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), ion-selective electrodes (ISE), neutron activation analysis (NAA), spark-source mass spectrometry (SSMS), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. Emphasis is placed on their actual use in clinical analyses as indicated by their appearance in the clinical chemical literature for the past 10 years, rather than convent...
Social motives among Anglo American and Mexican American children: Experimental and projective measures

Abstract The measurement approaches to social motives, cooperation-competition games and projective tests, have revealed apparently similar findings: Anglo American children are more competitive and higher in n Achievement compared to Mexican American children, who are more cooperative and higher in n Affiliation. The present experiment tested the extent to which (1) competitiveness is related to n Achievement, (2) cooperativeness is related to n Affiliation, and (3) the cultural differences in cooperation-competition are related to those in n Affiliation and n Achievement. Results indicate that social motives inferred from a cooperation-competition game have a meaningful relation to those inferred from a projective test, but that the cultural differences in cooperation-competition are larger and are not explained by cultural differences in n Affiliation and n Achievement. Social motives inferred from each measurement methodology, while somewhat related, are distinct.
Visual chromophore electronic structure.

The implications that recent work on the electronic structure of polyenes have for the low lying electronic states of retinal are reviewed and a very simple model for the diffuseness of the absorption spectra of visual chromophores is presented.
Analyzing a sudden eruption of deep gas near Rome

On 24 August 2013 a sudden burst of gas erupted from the ground near Rome's airport, about 15 kilometers southwest of the city. The eruption produced a crater that was initially about half a meter wide but that gradually increased in size and eventually reached a diameter of about 3 meters.
The use of indium 111 leukocyte scans in children with inflammatory bowel disease.

Abstract Indium 111 leukocyte (WBC) scans have been used in the investigation of inflammatory bowel disease in recnt years, but their use in children is not well described. We reviewed our experience with 281 indium 111 scans over an 8-year period in a total of 109 children with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease 70, ulcerative colitis 39). One humdred twenty-eight indium 111 scans done within 2 weeks of a radiographic contrast study, endoscopic examination, or surgical procedure were evaluated for diagnostic accuracy. Analysis showed that indium 111 scans were accurate when compared with conventional diagnostic tests and operative findings. This noninvasive imaging technique can play a useful role in the management of children with inflammatory bowel disease.
The peritoneal fluid cytology of the adult female Rhesus monkey.

Le % de distribution des cellules de fluide peritoneal d'une femelle adulte de singe rhesus fut enregistre dans des echantillons de fluide cytologique extraits par la paratomie. Les donnees sond comparees a celles qui ont obtenues precedemment chez la femme.
Ronald Reagan: Conviction politics and the transatlantic relationship

‘Personal relations matter more in international politics than the historians would have us believe’1 Ronald Reagan, writing about Margaret Thatcher in 1989 This article argues that any ‘nomination’ of a president for Transatlantica, interpreted here as being a ‘territory’ primarily occupied by the United States and the United Kingdom, should have three elements. The first is an acceptance by the ‘governed’ of the said ‘president’, with the former in this case being the leadership of the UK. The second is a unity of purpose founded on a common world view and evidenced at all levels, from the identification of enemies abroad to the proffered solutions to practical issues at home. The third is a consistency of action and a resiliency of trust in the face of differences in opinion or policy. Margaret Thatcher, while prime minister, accepted Ronald Reagan's leadership, despite the fact she was arguably the more experienced international politician. The two shared a form of ‘conviction politics’ that drove not...
Dietary Supplement Use Pattern of U.S. Adult Population in the 2007–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Data from the 2007–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) suggested that nearly half of U.S. adults aged 20 to 69 reported taking at least one dietary supplement in the past month. Logistic regression showed that the following factors were independently associated with a greater likelihood of supplement use: being female, older, white, having higher level of education, non-SNAP participation, and living in a food-secure household. To compare nutrient intakes between supplement users and non-supplement users, daily intakes of eight nutrients were examined. When considering nutrients from food, supplement users tended to consume greater amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, and iron; meanwhile there was no association between supplement use and daily intakes of vitamin B12 and zinc from food sources only. Including nutrients from daily supplement use, supplement users consumed greater amounts of all eight nutrients.
Extending the medical home into the community: a newborn home visitation program for pediatric residents.

Abstract Objective To describe the Health Begins at Home (HBH) intervention and examine pediatric resident change in knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behaviors after the HBH intervention. Methods A prospective mixed-methods cohort study was conducted in 2 outpatient clinics at an urban academic pediatric residency program. Residents serving as primary care providers (n = 50) of newborn infants participated in HBH, an educational home visit intervention. Study outcomes included resident pre– and post–home visit surveys and an end-of-residency survey assessing knowledge of community, attitudes, and self-reported practice behaviors. Qualitative comments from surveys and small group post–home visit debriefing sessions were coded and themes identified. Results After intervention, residents demonstrated a significant positive change (all P Conclusions Conducting home visits was associated with residents' improved understanding of the community and home environment of their patients, which was sustained throughout the remainder of training. Residents reported that home visits provide an important educational experience and should be part of the permanent curriculum. Training programs should consider incorporating home visiting programs into curricula to improve resident knowledge of family home, community, and social determinants of health.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Near Eutectic β-Nial Plus α-Re Alloys Produced by Rapid Solidification and Extrusion

Two β-NiAl plus α-Re alloys with near eutectic composition were produced by rapid solidification and then consolidated through a powder extrusion process. Microstructures of the rapidly solidified, as-consolidated, and deformed alloys were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Both compression and tensile properties of these alloys were determined over the temperature range of 300–1300 K. The Re additions were found to greatly enhance low and intermediate temperature yield strengths when compared to other β-NiAl alloys. This enhancement was attributed to a combination of solid solution strengthening, precipitate hardening, and grain size refinement. Above 1200K the strength of these Re-modified alloys was comparable to the binary β-NiAl compound.
Microzooplankton grazing and the control of phytoplankton biomass in the Suwannee River estuary, USA

Microzooplankton grazing can have significant impacts on the distribution and abundance of phytoplankton, thereby influencing the frequency and duration of algae blooms. Observations of high ciliate abundances in the Suwannee River estuary, Florida, suggest a significant potential for top-down pressure on the phytoplankton community by microzooplankton. We examined the composition of the microzooplankton and determined grazing mortality losses for phytoplankton within the Suwannee River estuary from 2001 to 2002. Our results indicated grazing mortality rates of 1.4 d−1, equivalent to a loss of up to 76% of phytoplankton standing crop and up to 83% of total daily primary production. The microzooplankton community was primarily composed of ciliates, dinoflagellates, and copepod nauplii. The densities of ciliates in the estuary were comparable to densities reported in highly eutrophic ecosystems (9,400–72,800 ciliates l−1). Grazing pressure on small phytoplankton may be further enhanced because ciliates and small dinoflagellates have growth rates similar to those of phytoplankton, and therefore can keep up with surges in abundance.
Optimal control of positive optical photoresist development

This work considers the modeling and control of positive optical photoresist development. The control effort is applied to this final process step in order to compensate for deviations in previous irreversible steps. A new approach to line-width control is studied. State estimation, combining interferometric development measurements with a process model, is used to calculate the time at which developer breakthrough to the substrate occurs. Parameter identification is used to determine any sample-to-sample changes in the process model. The optimal control policy is shown to be bang-bang with switching at the final time. A model describing development after breakthrough is derived and used to calculate the final developer shutoff time, based upon an on-line identified development process parameter. The policy is tested experimentally on different batches of the same resist type. Results indicate that accurate control is achieved, despite changes in environmental conditions and unexpected transient disturbances.
Study of dielectric behavior of DNA in shear gradient.

The dielectric behavior of the DNA molecule is investigated in the presence of mechanical force as well as the electrical field. In the present experiment, the direction of the electrical field is perpendicular to that of the mechanical force. The dipole moment of polar molecules manifest itself as dielectric increment at low frequencies or as the conductance increment at high frequencies. These two quantities are closely related to each other by Eq. (1) in the text. Because of the difficulty due to electrode polarization at low frequencies, no useful information was obtained by investigating the dielectric increment in the present system. Therefore, the effect of shear gradient was studied by measuring the conductance increment at high frequencies with various velocity gradients. The conductance increment decreased when the shear was applied perpendicular to the electrical field. The conductance change is converted into the unit of dielectric constant; it was found that the dielectric increment of DNA solution decreases by as much as 85 percent. From these observations, it is concluded that the direction of the dipole moment in DNA is longitudinal rather than transverse. The same experiment was repeated with the random coil DNA and no anisotropy in the dielectric increment was observed.
Interactions between leaf litter quality, particle size, and microbial community during the earliest stage of decay

With global change expected to alter aspects of the carbon (C) cycle, empirical data describing how microorganisms function in different environmental conditions are needed to increase predictive capabilities of microbially-driven decomposition models. Given the importance of accelerated C fluxes during early decay in C cycling, we characterized how varying litter qualities (maple vs. oak) and sizes (ground vs. 0.25 cm2 vs. 1 cm2), and contrasting soils (sandy vs. loamy), altered microbial biomass-carbon and community structure, respiration, enzyme activities, and inorganic nutrients over the initial 2 weeks of decomposition. Our hypotheses were (1) mixing ground maple with loam should result in a quicker, more prolonged respiration response than other treatments; and (2) “priming”, or substrate-stimulated soil organic matter turnover, should be minimal over the first few days due to soluble C substrate uptake. Respiration peaks, biomass increases, nutrient immobilization, low enzyme activities, and minimal priming occurred in all treatments over the first 72 h. These general features suggest soluble C compounds are degraded before polymeric substrates regardless of litter size or type, or soil. Ground litter addition to the high C and microbial biomass loam resulted in a more prolonged respiration peak than the poorly aggregated sand. Priming was greater in loam than the C limited sandy soil after the first 72 h, likely due to co-metabolism of labile and recalcitrant substrates. We conclude that the general features of early decay are widespread and predictable, yet differences in litter and soil characteristics influence the temporal pattern and magnitude of C flux.
The modified Honig velopharyngoplasty – a new technique to treat hypernasality by palatal lenghtening

Summary Background Palatal lengthening by pushback with a pharyngeal flap is a commonly used operative technique for the treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency. The conventional Honig velopharyngoplasty uses full thickness mucoperiosteal flaps for the oral lining of the defect. Purpose A modification is described using only mucosal flaps, thus preserving the periosteum and the palatine arteries. Vascularisation of the hard palate is preserved and bone is not exposed, avoiding potential detrimental scar formation overlying the hard palate, which may affect normal outgrowth of the maxilla. Study design Eight patients with persisting hypernasality were included. Velopharyngeal closure was evaluated by nasendoscopy, nasometry and a Dutch speech test for cleft patients. Results Hypernasality was corrected in all cases. One patient developed a light hyponasality. In four patients the overall speech normalised and in the remaining four cases small errors persisted, but speech was well understandable. Conclusion The procedure yields satisfactory speech results in this preliminary study, comparable to the conventional Honig velopharyngeaplasty. Long term follow up regarding maxillary growth and comparative studies with other operative techniques are now warranted.
Communication Skills Training for Resource Teachers

In this issue of PMT the accent is on improving the communication skills and strategies of those persons (teachers, parents, clinic and school personnel) who wish to assist children with learning disabilities. Robinson and Brosh focus on strategies to improve teachers' affective interpersonal communication skills. Towle describes a process through which parents or school personnel in any community can organize a present group to help themselves and their children. Gottesman details the collaborative efforts of clinic and school district personnel to provide evaluations of comprehension in children with severe learning difficulties and to facilitate communication between parents and the school. — D.A.S.
The transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) polymorphism may be associated with focal arteriolar narrowing in Caucasians with hypertension or without diabetes: The ARIC Study

Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) has emerged as a consistently replicated susceptibility gene for type 2 diabetes, however, whether the TCF7L2 gene also has similar effects on the retinal microvasculature is less clear. We therefore aimed to investigate the association between the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) rs7903146 polymorphism and retinal microvascular phenotypes in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study (1993-1995). This was a population-based, cross-sectional study of 10,320 middle-aged African American (n = 2,199) and Caucasian (n = 8,121) men and women selected from four United States communities to examine the association between TCF7L2 rs7903146 polymorphism and retinal microvascular signs (retinopathy, focal arteriolar narrowing, arteriovenous nicking, arteriolar and venular calibers). Photographs on one randomly selected eye were graded for presence of retinal microvascular signs and used to measure retinal vessel calibres. After adjusting for age, sex, study center, mean arterial blood pressure, total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and other covariates, few associations of TCF7L2 rs7903146 and retinal microvascular signs were noted. TCF7L2 rs7903146 T risk allele was significantly associated with focal arteriolar narrowing in Caucasians with hypertension [odds ratio (OR)CT vs. CC (95% CI) = 1.25 (1.09-1.44); ORTT vs. CC = 1.56 (1.18-2.06); P = 0.002] and in Caucasians without diabetes [OR CT vs. CC = 1.18 (1.06-1.32); OR TT vs. CC = 1.40 (1.12, 1.75); P = 0.003]. No significant association of the TCF7L2 rs7903146 polymorphism and retinal vascular signs was noted among African American individuals. TCF7L2 rs7903146 is not consistently associated with retinal microvascular signs. However, we report an association between the TCF7L2 rs7903146 polymorphism and focal arteriolar narrowing in Caucasians with hypertension or without diabetes. Further research in other large, population-based studies is needed to replicate these findings.
FIRE, N AVAILABILITY, AND PLANT RESPONSE IN GRASSLANDS: A TEST OF THE TRANSIENT MAXIMA HYPOTHESIS

In tallgrass prairie, periodic spring fires often result in enhanced aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) that exceeds the productivity of either annually burned or unburned sites. This study evaluated two alternate hypotheses for the “pulse” in productivity following an infrequent fire: (1) enhanced ANPP results from increased net N mineralization rates due to the removal of surface litter and elevated soil temperatures following fire (the enhanced mineralization hypothesis) or (2) enhanced ANPP results from a transient release from both light and N limitation during a nonequilibrium period as a switch from energy to N limitation occurs (the transient maxima hypothesis). The former hypothesis predicts greater N availability following an infrequent fire, relative to either annually burned or unburned prairie. The latter predicts that N availability following an infrequent fire will decline to intermediate levels, relative to unburned and annually burned prairie, and continue to decline with successive annual fires. To test these hypotheses, I measured inorganic soil N, net N mineralization rates, and plant productivity and N content at Konza Prairie in sites with several different burn histories (unburned, annually burned, infrequently burned). Inorganic soil N and cumulative net N mineralization rates were greatest on the unburned sites, lowest in annually burned sites, and intermediate in infrequently burned sites. Net N mineralization rates and plant tissue N content both declined with successive spring burning. These results did not support the enhanced mineralization hypothesis but indicated that enhanced ANPP following an infrequent fire resulted from an accumulation of inorganic and mineralizable N in the absence of fire which, under conditions of adequate light availability, was utilized following a spring fire. This is consistent with the transient maxima hypothesis and suggests that nonequilibrium responses to multiple, variable resources (light, energy, N) are an important aspect of tallgrass prairie ecosystem dynamics.
Kant and Rastafari on Respect

This paper is part of a new comparative political theory book project-in-progress on the Rastafari and Carl Schmitt with regards to the notions of political theology, sovereignty, and agency (human and non-human). The paper is a prolegomena to a future metaphysics, a metaphysics of morals on the topic of respect that will serve as the groundwork for application to political theory, Africana thought, Political Science, and global politics. I turn to the work of Immanuel Kant as a thinker in the tradition of modern German thought who Schmitt was critical of yet nonetheless was an inheritor of problematics that Kant set forth in the critical and post-critical years. I contend that Kant provides a useful theory of respect abstracted away from experience. The contradictions in Kant’s ideal theory surrounding race pose problems for his interpretation of respect and personhood in a non-ideal world. The second part of the paper is a meditation on Rastafari moral theory, mediated by the transnational black thought of the Jamaican intellectual and activist Marcus Garvey. Unlike Kant, the Rastafari blend a priori reasonings with the experience of dread and love, thereby formulating a conception of respect attentive to the dialectics of dread and hope in dark times. The conclusion poses the stakes of the argument for agency, the expanding boundaries of political theory today, and my contention that we live in the era of the persistence of intersubjectivity.
Contemporary Imaging in Sarcoma

Sarcomasareaheterogeneousgroupof>50subtypesof neoplasm. It is imperative to obtain appropriate imaging of these tumors in order to adequately assess, characterize, and stage bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Anatomic imaging such as radiographs, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remain the foundation for both biopsy planning and postoperative evaluation of these neoplasms. However, anatomic imaging may not be entirely accurate in the evaluation of treatment response. Newer techniques, such 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, are being used to evaluate distant metastases. Newer radiopharmaceuticals, such as 18 F-fluorodeoxythymidine, are being developed to assist in the differentiation between benign and low-grade malignant neoplasms. Newer functional imaging techniques, such as dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and diffusionweightedimaging,amongothers,arebeingdevelopedto evaluate treatment response. The Oncologist 2009;14: 1021–1038
Facial Palsy and Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in Twins With Cystic Fibrosis and Hypovitaminosis A

Facial nerve palsies are uncommon in infants. We report on 10-week-old monozygotic twins, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis by newborn screening, who developed facial palsy and increased intracranial pressure. Cranial imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis produced normal results. Levels of serum vitamin A were below normal range. Low levels of vitamin A are associated with facial nerve paralysis, and are at least partly implicated in the development of increased intracranial pressure in infants with cystic fibrosis.
Comparison of lidocaine, xylazine, and lidocaine−xylazine for caudal epidural analgesia in cattle

Abstract Objective To directly compare the time to onset and duration of analgesia produced by a lidocaine/xylazine combination with that produced by lidocaine and xylazine administered alone in the caudal epidural space of dairy cattle. Design Prospective randomized experimental study. Animals Nine adult (> 4 years of age) dairy cows (520–613 kg). Methods Caudal epidural analgesia was produced in all cows with 2% lidocaine (0.22 mg kg −1 ; 5.5 mL 500 kg −1 ), 10% xylazine (0.05 mg kg −1 diluted to 5.5 mL 500 kg −1 with sterile water), and 2% lidocaine/10% xylazine (0.22 mg kg −1 /0.05 mg kg −1 ; total volume of 5.7 mL 500 kg −1 ), at no earlier than weekly intervals in a Latin square design. Time to onset, duration and cranial spread of analgesia were recorded, as were degree of sedation, ataxia and ptyalism. Results No significant difference ( p > 0.05) was noted for time (mean ± SEM) of onset of analgesia between lidocaine (4.8 ± 1.0 minutes) and the lidocaine/xylazine combination (5.1 ± 0.9 minutes) but onset of analgesia following xylazine was significantly longer (11.7 ± 1.0 minutes) than either of the other two treatments. Lidocaine/xylazine (302.8 ± 11.0 minutes) produced analgesia of significantly longer duration than that of xylazine (252.9 ± 18.9 minutes) and both the lidocaine/xylazine combination and xylazine alone produced analgesia of significantly longer duration than that produced by lidocaine (81.8 ± 11.8 minutes). In all cattle, xylazine, administered either alone or with lidocaine, induced mild to moderate sedation and ataxia and cutaneous analgesia from the coccyx to T13. Mild ataxia was also present in those cattle receiving lidocaine alone. Conclusion The combination of xylazine and lidocaine produces analgesia of quicker onset and longer duration than xylazine administered alone and of longer duration than lidocaine administered alone. Clinical relevance Utilizing this combination, long–duration obstetrical and surgical procedures could commence relatively soon after epidural injection and could be completed without re–administration of anesthetic agents.
Acute changes in fluid status affect the incidence, associative clinical outcomes, and urine biomarker performance in premature infants with acute kidney injury

During the first postnatal weeks, infants have abrupt changes in fluid weight that alter serum creatinine (SCr) concentration, and possibly, the evaluation for acute kidney injury (AKI). We performed a prospective study on 122 premature infants to determine how fluid adjustment (FA) to SCr alters the incidence of AKI, demographics, outcomes, and performance of candidate urine biomarkers. FA-SCr values were estimated using changes in total body water (TBW) from birth; FA-SCR = SCr × [TBW + (current wt. – BW)]/ TBW; where TBW = 0.8 × wt in kg). SCr-AKI and FA-SCr AKI were defined if values increased by ≥ 0.3 mg/dl from previous lowest value. AKI incidence was lower using the FA-SCr vs. SCr definition [(23/122 (18.8 %) vs. (34/122 (27.9 %); p < 0.05)], with concordance in 105/122 (86 %) and discordance in 17/122 (14 %). Discordant subjects tended to have similar demographics and outcomes to those who were negative by both definitions. Candidate urine AKI biomarkers performed better under the FA-SCr than SCr definition, especially on day 4 and days 12–14. Adjusting SCr for acute change in fluid weight may help differentiate SCr rise from true change in renal function from acute concentration due to abrupt weight change.
Atmospheric Controls on Soil Moisture–Boundary Layer Interactions. Part I: Framework Development

This paper investigates the influence of soil moisture on the development and triggering of convection in different early-morning atmospheric conditions. A one-dimensional model of the atmospheric boundary layer (BL) is initialized with atmospheric sounding data from Illinois and with the soil moisture set to either extremely wet (saturated) or extremely dry (20% of saturation) conditions. Two measures are developed to assess the lowlevel temperature and humidity structure of the early-morning atmosphere. These two measures are used to distinguish between four types of soundings, based on the likely outcome of the model: 1) those soundings favoring deep convection over dry soils, 2) those favoring deep convection over wet soils, 3) those unlikely to convect over any land surface, and 4) those likely to convect over any land surface. Examples of the first two cases are presented in detail. The early-morning atmosphere is characterized in this work by the newly developed convective triggering potential (CTP) and a low-level humidity index, HIlow. The CTP measures the departure from a moist adiabatic temperature lapse rate in the region between 100 and 300 mb (about 1‐3 km) above the ground surface (AGS). This region is the critical interface between the near-surface region, which is almost always incorporated into the growing BL, and free atmospheric air, which is almost never incorporated into the BL. Together, these two measures form the CTP-HIlow framework for analyzing atmospheric controls on soil moisture‐boundary layer interactions. Results show that in Illinois deep convection is trigged in the model 22% of the time over wet soils and only 13% of the time over dry soils. Additional testing varying the radiative conditions in Illinois and also using the 1D model with soundings from four additional stations confirm that the CTP-HI low framework is valid for regions far removed from Illinois.
Enteric Microbial Toxins and the Intestinal Epithelial Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeleton provides structure and organization to the epithelial cell. In addition to providing support and rigidity on demand, the cytoskeleton mediates adhesion of cells to surfaces and to each other, anchoring of proteins into the plasma membrane, and, to a large extent, control of cellular processes. The cytoskeleton of epithelial cells, as in most mammalian cells, is composed of three major structures: microtubules, intermediate filaments, and microfilaments. Epithelial cells adhere to one another at their lateral surfaces through desmosomes, adherens junctions, and tight junctions (TJs) and to a surrounding basal lamina through hemidesmosomes and focal contacts. Given the many important roles of the epithelial cytoskeleton, it should come as no surprise that bacterial toxins have evolved to subvert these functions. Bacteroides fragilis toxin (BFT) was the first bacterial toxin identified to remodel the intestinal epithelial cytoskeleton and F-actin architecture via cleavage of a cell surface molecule. Enteric toxins now provide a remarkable set of tools with which to dissect the complex interactions of the epithelial cytoskeleton. The field lies at the nexus of bacteriology, protein chemistry, and cell biology and provides a prominent example of synergistic research among scientific disciplines.