cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rank Equity Index: Measuring Parity in the Advancement of Underrepresented Populations in Academic Medicine.

As educators, researchers, clinicians, and administrators, faculty serve pivotal roles in academic medical centers (AMCs). Thus, the quality of faculty members' experiences is inseparable from an AMC's success. In seeking new methods to assess equity in advancement in academic medicine, the authors developed the Rank Equity Index (REI)-adapted from the Executive Parity Index, a scale previously implemented within the business sector-to examine national data on gender and racial/ethnic equity across faculty ranks. The REI was employed on self-reported demographic data, collected by the Association of American Medical Colleges, from U.S. medical school faculty in 2017, to make pairwise rank comparisons of the professoriate by demographic characteristics and department. Overall results indicated that women did not attain parity at any pairwise rank comparison, while men were above parity at all ranks. Similar results were observed across all departments surveyed: women in the basic sciences had REIs closest to parity, women in pediatrics had the highest representation but had REIs that were further from parity than the REIs in the basic sciences, and women in surgery demonstrated the lowest REIs. Nationally, REIs were below 1.00 for all racial/ethnic group rank comparisons except for White and, in one case, multiple race non-Hispanic/Latinx. Across all analyzed departments, Black/African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, and multiple race Hispanic/Latinx faculty had REIs below parity at all ranks except in two cases. In a comparison of 2017 and 2007 data, REIs across both race/ethnicity and gender were lower in 2007 for nearly all groups. REI analyses can highlight inequities in faculty rank that may be masked when using aggregate faculty proportions, which do not account for rank. The REI provides AMCs with a new tool to better analyze institutional data to inform efforts to increase parity across all faculty ranks.
The Importance of Ascertaining Participant Preferences: The Importance of What Is Important.

Rosalie Kane made major contributions to research on ascertaining personal preferences. Her work influenced others and was part of a growing movement to place high priority on the voice and subject...
Obesity and Surgery

A 7-year-old girl is scheduled for cystoscopy and bilateral ureteral reimplants for grade IV reflux, recurrent UTIs. She weighs 55 kg (120 lbs) and is 4 feet (48 inches, 122 cm) tall (BMI = 36.6). She has a history of asthma and uses albuterol, ipratropium, and budesonide (Pulmicort®) intermittently. She has depression, treated with Prozac® (fluoxetine). Her blood pressure is 142/88 measured with an obesity cuff; HR = 110 and SpO2 = 94%. Her HbA1c = 5.1, which is part of a screening study for the surgery. She takes no other medication.
Bowel Obstruction as a Complication of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT).

TO THE EDITOR: With great interest, we recently read Strosberg et al.’s publication regarding the risk of bowel obstruction in patients with mesenteric or peritoneal disease who receive peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) ([1][1]). At the author’s institution, 5 patients experienced a
Strong-field ionization of the triplet ground state of O 2

Using strong-field ionization as a probe, we observe highly nonperiodic evolution of the spin-rotation wave packet launched by a nonionizing femtosecond pulse in oxygen. The nonperiodicity is readily apparent only in rotationally cold molecules that are pumped with a weak alignment pulse. We show that this behavior is a consequence of the spin-rotation and the spin-spin couplings in the triplet ground state of the neutral molecule. A model that includes these couplings in the field-free Hamiltonian but in neither the alignment nor the ionization step explains most of the observed dynamics, suggesting that neither process depends explicitly on the electronic spin. We also show that the angle dependence of strong-field ionization can be retrieved from the delay-dependent signal even when coupling to spin complicates the rotational dynamics.
CAD, CAD/CAM, CAE and integrated systems ― An overview

The development of numerical control, interactive computer graphics and finite element analysis has spawned an overabundance of new acronyms to describe the application of computers in the engineering and manufacturing environment. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of these technologies and describe how greater productivity improvement can be achieved via the synergistic benefits of integrating these diverse systems. Discussions will be based largely on the Ford Motor engineering and manufacturing environment which includes not only the internally developed Ford graphics systems, but systems provided by every major turn-key graphics vendor. Evaluation of the Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) and communication of computer graphics data to Ford suppliers will also be discussed.
Political Economy of Gentrification in Metropolitan Atlanta

The purpose of the research is to study the impact of the political economy of gentrification on metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. This research will focus on the policies influencing or affecting the governing policies of host communities as a result of migrants relocating from various sections of a gentrified community to another community. According to a discussion paper prepared for The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy by Maureen Kennedy and Paul Leonard on gentrification, the authors discussed neighborhood changes, including economics and steps to build a stronger community by embracing this redevelopment. The research, however, does not fully address the new challenges host or recipient communities undertake as a result of a boost in its citizen population. Current research does not fully address the pressure on host/recipient communities’ resources due to (possible) lack of housing, schools, transportation, and social services as a result of an influx of citizens; nor does the current research fully address an overall strategy to sustainable community and economic development for host/recipient communities.
Distribution patterns of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef produced by a laboratory-scale grinder.

This study determined the distribution patterns of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef when a contaminated beef trim was introduced into a batch of uncontaminated beef trims prior to grinding in a small-scale laboratory grinder. A beef trim (15.3 6 2 g) was inoculated with a rifampicin-resistant strain of E. coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7 rif ) and introduced into a stream of noncontaminated beef (322 6 33 g) prior to grinding. Seven inoculum levels (6, 5, and 4 total log CFU [high]; and 3, 2, 1, and 0 total log CFU [low]) were studied in triplicate. E. coli O157:H7 rif was not detected in 3.1 to 43% of the ground beef inoculated with the high levels or in 3.4 to 96.9% of the ground beef inoculated with the low levels. For all inoculum levels studied, the eve ground beef fractions (each 7.8 6 0.6 g) with the highest pathogen levels accounted for 59 to 100% of the total pathogens detected. For all inoculum levels, there was a linear relationship between the quantity of ground beef containing E. coli O157:H7 rif and the inoculum level. The quantity of E. coli O157:H7 rif in the beef remaining in the grinder was proportional to the inoculum level and was related to the location in the grinder. Different components of the grinder accumulated E. coli O157:H7 rif in different quantities, with the most signie cant accumulation being in the nut (collar) that attaches the die to the blade. This study determined specie c distribution patterns of E. coli O157:H7 rif after the grinding of a contaminated beef trim along with uncontaminated trims, and the results indicate that the grinding operation should be regarded as a means of distribution of microbial contamination in risk analyses of ground beef operations.
Ascorbic acid blocks hyperglycemic impairment of endothelial function in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Objective To determine whether acute ascorbic acid infusions alter the effect of hyperglycemia on endothelial function in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Research design and methods The forearm blood flow (FBF) reactive hyperemic response to 5 min of upper arm occlusion was studied in eight adolescents with type 1 diabetes during euglycemic and hyperglycemic insulin clamp (40 mU/m2/min) with and without ascorbic acid infusion (3 mg/min). Results The ratio of post- to preocclusion FBF decreased during hyperglycemia without ascorbic acid (p = 0.013), but did not change during hyperglycemia with ascorbic acid. The changes during hyperglycemia were different between the two studies (p = 0.038). Similar results were found when the percent change in forearm vascular resistance following occlusion was assessed. Conclusions These results indicate that antioxidant treatment with ascorbic acid blocks acute hyperglycemic impairment of endothelial function in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
Long-Range Dependence in Heartbeat Dynamics

Physiologic signals are generated b complex self-regulating systems that process inputs with a broad range of characteristics [1,2,3]. Man physiological time series are extremely inhomogeneous and nonstationary, fluctuating in an irregular and complex manner. An important question is whether the “heterogeneous” structure of physiologic time series arises trivially from external and intrinsic perturbations which push the system away from a homeostatic set point. An alternative hypothesis is that the fluctuations are, at least in part, due to the underlying dynamics of the system. The key problem is how to decompose subtle fluctuations (due to intrinsic physiologic control)from other nonstationary trends associated with external stimuli. Till recently, the analysis of the fractal properties of such fluctuations has been restricted to second moment linear characteristics such as the power spectrum and the two-point autocorrelation function. These analyses reveal that the fractal behavior of healthy, free-running physiological systems is often characterized by 1/f-like scaling of the power spectra over a wide range of time scales [4,5,6 7,8]. A signal which exhibits such power-law long-range dependence and is homogeneous (i.e. different parts of the signal have different statistical properties) is called a monofractal signal. Man physiologic time series, however, are inhomogeneous with different parts of the signal characterized by different statistical properties. In addition, there is evidence that physiologic dynamics exhibits nonlinear properties [9,10,11 12,13,14,15]. Such features are often associated with multifractal behavior, i.e., presence of long-range power-law dependence in the higher moments which is a nonlinear function of the scaling of the second moment [16]. Up to now, robust demonstration of multifractalit for nonstationary time series has been hampered by problems related to a drastic bias in the estimate of the singularity spectrum due to diverging negative moments. Moreover, the classical approaches based on the box-counting technique and structure function formalism fail when a fractal function is composed of a multifractal singular part embedded in regular polynomial behavior [17]. By means of a wavelet-based multifractal formalism, we show that health human heartbeat dynamics exhibits even higher complexity (than previously expected from the finding of monofractal 1/f scaling) which is characterized by a broad multifractal spectrum [18].
The world before climate change

ISSN: 1939-0459 (Print) 1939-0467 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rjnr20 The world before climate change Frank Ackerman To cite this article: Frank Ackerman (2015) The world before climate change, Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research, 7:2-3, 157-160, DOI: 10.1080/19390459.2015.1043703 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19390459.2015.1043703 Published online: 11 May 2015.
Tryptophan biosynthetic enzymes of Staphylococcus aureus

Tryptophan biosynthetic enzymes were assayed in various tryptophan mutants of Staphylococcus aureus strain 655 and the wild-type parent. All mutants, except trpB mutants, lacked only the activity corresponding to the particular biosynthetic block, as suggested previously by analysis of accumulated intermediates and auxonography. Tryptophan synthetase A was not detected in extracts of either trpA or trpB mutants but appeared normal in other mutants. Mutants in certain other classes exhibited partial loss of another particular tryptophan enzyme activity. Tryptophan synthetase B activity was not detected in cell extract preparations but was detected in whole cells. The original map order proposed for the S. aureus tryptophan gene cluster was clarified by the definition of trpD (phosphoribosyl transferase(-)) and trpF (phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerase(-)) mutants. These mutants were previously unresolved and designated as trp(DF) mutants (anthranilate accumulators). Phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerase and indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthetase enzymes were separable by molecular sieve chromatography, suggesting that these functions are coded by separate loci. Molecular sieve chromatography failed to reveal aggregates involving anthranilate synthetase, phosphoribosyl transferase, phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerase, and indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthetase, and this procedure provided an estimate of the molecular weights of these enzymes. Tryptophan was shown to repress synthesis of all six tryptophan biosynthetic enzymes, and derepression of all six activities was incident upon tryptophan starvation. Tryptophan inhibited the activity of anthranilate synthetase, the first enzyme of the pathway.
Murky mess of MERS: The complications of collecting on promissory notes when MERS is around

In this era of "robo-signers," asset-backed securities and unprecedented foreclosures, the mechanics of collecting on a promissory note accompanying a mortgage or deed of trust are often forgotten or not followed for a number of reasons such as: the sheer volume of paperwork accompanying every such file; the fact that many of these promissory notes are indorsed to third parties or are no longer in the possession of the servicer or the interested financial party; or because the notes themselves are simply lost. These cases have been complicated recently due to differing decisions in various state and federal courts as to the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.’s (MERS) ability to foreclose without being a "holder" of the corresponding promissory note. This essay briefly describes the split in the current state of the law regarding MERS’ ability to proceed in foreclosure proceedings or join in bankruptcy proceedings.
Insulin-like growth factor-I has a biphasic effect on colon carcinoma cells through transient inactivation of forkhead1, initially mitogenic, then mediating growth arrest and differentiation

IGF-I stimulates intestinal cell differentiation after initiating a short proliferative burst, similar to its effect on muscle cell differentiation. Levels of IGF-I attainable in serum (10–20 ng/ml) induced transient growth stimulation of colon carcinoma cells, then growth arrest. When IGF-I functioned as a mitogen, it blocked differentiation. Intestinal cell differentiation occurred once cells had undergone the IGF-I–initiated growth arrest and IGF-I and butyrate acted synergistically to induce maturation markers. IGF-I induces NIH-3T3 cell proliferation and survival by activating the kinase akt, which in turn inhibits various apoptotic mediators and the forkhead family of transcription factors, which mediate expression of p27kip1. Promoter reporter assays demonstrated that forkhead1 mediates transcription of p27kip1 in colon carcinoma cells. The mitogenic effects of IGF-I on 4 colon carcinoma cell lines were transient because the inactivating phosphorylation of forkhead1 by akt was short-lived. This allowed transcriptional upregulation of the cdk inhibitor p27kip1, with a resulting growth arrest. In contrast, in NIH-3T3 cells treated in parallel with identical IGF-I levels, forkhead phosphorylation levels were sustained; thus, no increase in p27kip1 levels was seen and cells continued to proliferate. Intestinal epithelial cells in vivo undergo a limited number of divisions, then growth arrest and completion of their maturation. IGFs found in intestinal tissue may control the timing of this process. In addition, colon cancers may have developed strategies to overcome IGF-I–mediated growth arrest. Earlier (Kansra et al., Int J Cancer 2000;87:373–8), we found that levels of IGFBP-3 were elevated at least 2-fold in 70% of resected colon cancers compared with adjacent normal tissue. In the current study, growth inhibition by IGF-I and IGF-II was blocked by concurrent addition of IGFBP-3, implying that colon cancers with elevated IGFBP-3 levels would be selected for in vivo because they could bind and inactivate high serum IGF-I levels and continue to proliferate. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Supporting interaction outside of class: anchored discussions vs. discussion boards

Newsgroups and online discussion boards have long been used to supplement class discussions. We describe a study comparing the use of two systems, WebAnn and EPost, to support class discussion of technical papers in a graduate course. WebAnn is a shared annotation system that supports anchored discussions on web pages, and allows users to easily associate comments with a particular paragraph, phrase, or word in the paper being discussed. EPost is a high-quality conventional discussion board system. In our study, students contributed almost twice as much to the online discussion using WebAnn. WebAnn also encouraged a different discussion style, focused on specific points in the paper. We expected WebAnn discussions to serve as a starting point for in-depth discussions in the classroom; but in fact, online discussions often competed with classroom discussions. We conclude with implications of the study for technology design and the process of its use.
Autoreactive rat T-cell lines: establishment and cellular characteristics.

Abstract Stable self-reactive T-cell lines were established from the draining lymph nodes of Buffalo rats primed with rat thyroglobulin (Tg) in complete Freund's adjuvant. Following two rounds of in vitro selection with Tg or with purified protein derivative (PPD) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Tg- or PPD-specific lines were selected. Self-reactivity, manifested by a potent proliferative response of these lines to syngeneic stimulators in the absence of the selecting antigen (Tg or PPD), emerged by 3–4 weeks after the establishment of the lines. This proliferation could not be attributed to reactivity against heterologous serum components. Despite this syngeneic mixedleukocyte reaction (SMLR) which was readily detectable, specific stimulation by Tg or PPD over the level of the SMLR could still be demonstrated. These lines also responded to concanavalin A but not to allogeneic stimulator cells. More than 95% of T cells of these lines displayed the rat T-helper-cell-specific (W3/25) marker and they secreted a defined lymphokine, T-cell growth factor (TCGF), upon stimulation with syngeneic stimulator cells, independent of the presence of soluble antigen. T-Cell lines such as the ones described here will be useful in elucidating the biological significance of the AMLR/SMLR and its relation to nominal antigen reactivity.
Inhomogeneities and their control via solidification

A review is presented on the origin of inhomogeneities and their type, quantity, distribution, and scale which arise in a solidification process. Microscopic inhomogeneity originates from dendritic growth as dendritic segregation and can lead to precipitation of secondary phases in the interdendritic interstices. Precipitation of high temperature phases, grain boundary segregation, and porosity are also discussed. Macroscopic inhomogeneities are considered as arising from macrosegregation due to thermal and constitutional convection, inverse segregation and gravity segregation. Structure can be varied by variations of composition, alterations in the thermal environment and additions of external force fields, and this is discussed from the viewpoint of promoting a more homogeneous solid.
Flux distributions in small critical systems-where: Intuition fails?

Abstract The spatial distribution of the scalar flux is investigated for vanishinly small critical systems in the three standard one dimensional geometries. In slab geometry, this distribution is found to be flat. In spherical and cylindrical systems, one finds the unexpected result that the scalar flux distributions do not approach a constant as the radius of the system goes to zero. Numerical results are given for the scalar flux distributions in this vanishingly small limit. Numerical results are also given for the criticality conditions for these three geometries for small, but non-zero size, systems. These exact results are used to re-investigate the criticality problem for highly anisotrbpic scattering. The trends previously reported from an approximate variational approach are confirmed. An argument is presented why the standard reasoning which leads to the conclusion that vanishing small systems have spatially flat flux distribution is not valid for critical systems.
Improved pen harvester for powering a pulse rate sensor

With the continued advancement in electronics the power requirement for micro-sensors has been decreasing opening the possibility for incorporating on-board energy harvesting devices to create self-powered sensors. The requirement for the energy harvesters are small size, light weight and the possibility of a low-budget mass production. In this study, we focus on developing an energy harvester for powering a pulse rate sensor. We propose to integrate an inductive energy harvester within a commonly available pen to harvest vibration energy from normal human motions like jogging and jumping. An existing prototype was reviewed which consists of a magnet wedged between two mechanical springs housed within a cylindrical shell. A single copper coil surrounds the cylindrical shell which harvests energy through Faraday's effect during magnet oscillation. This study reports a design change to the previous prototype providing a significant reduction in the device foot print without causing major losses in power generation. By breaking the single coil in the previous prototype into three separate coils an increase in power density was achieved. Several pulse rate sensors were evaluated to determine a target power requirement of 0.3 mW. To evaluate the prototype as a potential solution, the harvester was excited at various frequencies and accelerations typically produced through jogging and jumping motion. The improved prototype generated 0.043 mW at 0.56 grms and 3 Hz; and 0.13 mW at 1.14 grms at 5 Hz. The design change allowed reduction in total volume from 8.59 cm3 to 1.31 cm3 without significant losses in power generation.
The nuclear pore complex protein ALADIN is mislocalized in triple A syndrome

Triple A syndrome is a human autosomal recessive disorder characterized by an unusual array of tissue-specific defects. Triple A syndrome arises from mutations in a WD-repeat protein of unknown function called ALADIN (also termed Adracalin or AAAS). We showed previously that ALADIN localizes to nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), large multiprotein assemblies that are the sole sites of nucleocytoplasmic transport. Here, we present evidence indicating that NPC targeting is essential for the function of ALADIN. Characterization of mutant ALADIN proteins from triple A patients revealed a striking effect of these mutations on NPC targeting. A variety of disease-associated missense, nonsense, and frameshift mutations failed to localize to NPCs and were found predominantly in the cytoplasm. Microscopic analysis of cells from a triple A patient revealed no morphological abnormalities of the nuclei, nuclear envelopes, or NPCs. Importantly, these findings indicate that defects in NPC function, rather than structure, give rise to triple A syndrome. We propose that ALADIN plays a cell type-specific role in regulating nucleocytoplasmic transport and that this function is essential for the proper maintenance and/or development of certain tissues. Our findings provide a foundation for understanding the molecular basis of triple A syndrome and may lead to unique insights into the role of nucleocytoplasmic transport in adrenal function and neurodevelopment.
Total testosterone quantitative measurement in serum by LC-MS/MS.

Reliable measurement of total testosterone is essential for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of a number of hormone-related diseases affecting adults and children. A mass spectrometric method for testosterone determination in human serum was carefully developed and thoroughly validated. Total testosterone from 100 μL serum is released from proteins with acidic buffer and isolated by two serial liquid–liquid extraction steps. The first extraction step isolates the lipid fractions from an acidic buffer solution using ethyl acetate and hexane. The organic phase is dried down and reconstituted in a basic buffer solution. The second extraction step removes the phospholipids and other components by hexane extraction. Liquid chromatography–isotopic dilution tandem mass spectrometry is used to quantify the total testosterone. The sample preparation is automatically conducted in a liquid-handling system with 96-deepwell plates. The method limit of detection is 9.71 pmol/L (0.280 ng/dL) and the method average percent bias is not significantly different from reference methods. The performance of this method has proven to be consistent with the method precision over a 2-year period ranging from 3.7 to 4.8% for quality control pools at the concentrations 0.527, 7.90 and 30.7 nmol/L (15.2, 228, and 886 ng/dL), respectively. This method provides consistently high accuracy and excellent precision for testosterone determination in human serum across all clinical relevant concentrations.
Reactions to Cheap Art

Mass-produced art (also known as factory art or kitsch) is a popular and affordable type of art found in homes, businesses, and public places, but not in museums. In order to understand more about ...
Measurement of Heat Capacity of Microscopic Particles at Low Temperatures

The problem of measuring the heat capacity of microscopic particles at temperatures up to a few degrees absolute is discussed. In order to avoid the heat effects of helium adsorption, it appears that such measurements must be made with the individual particles out of equilibrium with each other. In practice this restricts such investigations to paramagnetic substances which can be measured by the techniques of adiabatic demagnetization.
Cadmium fetotoxicity in rats following prenatal exposure.

Timed pregnant Holtzman rats were received on day 3 of gestation, weighed, and housed in individual stainless steel cages. Tap water and food pellets were allowed ad libitum. The maternal weight gain was monitored throughout the gestationeal period. A single intraperitoneal injection of 1.0 or 2.0 mg/kg of cadmium, as cadmium acetate, was administered to pregnant rats on day 12, 14, 18, or 20 of gestation. Control rats received saline solution. Maternal rats receiving cadmium on day 12 or 14 of gestation (Groups I and II) were sacrificed 2 days later. The majority of maternal rats receiving cadmium on day 18 or 20 (Groups III and IV) were sacrificed on day 21 of gestation while a limited number of Group III and IV maternal animals were allowed parturition on day 21 of gestation and viable neonates sacrificed 2 days later and examined.
Developmentally regulated transcripts and evidence of differential mRNA processing in Giardia lamblia

Although encystation and excystation are crucial to transmission of Giardia lamblia, little is known about the regulation of these very distinct differentiation processes. Fingerprinting of giardial mRNA populations throughout the time course of differentiation demonstrated complex patterns in mRNA differential display. Certain transcripts appeared or increased, while others decreased or disappeared at specific times, in response to physiologic stimuli that mimic key stages in parasite descent through the host gastrointestinal tract. This approach has allowed the direct identification of critical stages in differentiation, as well as isolation of genes which may be crucial to the development of G. lamblia. One stage-specific single copy gene (ENC6) whose transcript is greatly upregulated during encystation was analyzed further. Partial sequence analysis revealed no correspondence with known genes. 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (3'-RACE) analysis of ENC6 transcripts at various times of encystation revealed two polyadenylation sites. The more proximal site, 10 nucleotides past the single classic AGTAAA sequence, was utilized only during encystation and its transcript increased approximately 16-fold during the first 24 h of encystation. In contrast, a slightly divergent polyadenylation site 288 nucleotides downstream from the open reading frame (ORF) was used during both vegetative growth and encystation, although its transcript was present at low levels. These studies are the first evidence of differential mRNA processing in G. lamblia and suggest a potential role of the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) in modulating gene expression during differentiation of this primitive eukaryote.
Maturation of intrarenal blood flow distribution in newborn puppies

Intrarenal glomerular blood flow distribution was studied in 34 newborn puppies ranging in age from 1 to 40 days using radio-labeled carbonated microspheres 15–25 μ. The technique was validated by histological sectioning, dual labeling of microspheres and multiple sectioning of the same kidney. Relative blood flow per gram tissue to juxtamedullary inner cortical (IC) and outer cortical (OC) glomeruli was determined by the ratio of microspheres trapped in the respective region. IC/OC ratios fell from 1.2 at birth to 0.25 at 14 days and remained relatively constant thereafter. There was no correlation between IC/OC ratio and PAH extraction (EPAH). EPAH remained constant at 0.50 during the first 40 days of life (adult EPAH = 0.85). IC/OC ratio declined as blood pressure rose from 30 to 70 mm Hg and remained relatively constant at blood pressures above 70 mm Hg. These results suggest that there is a marked change in intrarenal blood flow distribution during the first two weeks of life as more blood is delivered to outer cortical nephrons with maturation. The early large flow to juxtamedullary glomeruli suggests a large post-glomerular medullary flow. The lack of correlation between IC/OC ratio and EPAH suggests that the low EPAH in the newborn period is not due solely to a large medullary flow. Finally, intrarenal flow distribution maturation is closely related to blood pressure maturation.
Stick-slip during fibre pull-out

It has long been recognized that the mechanics associated with interfacial sliding and debonding is of paramount importance in determining the toughness of fibre-reinforced brittle-matrix composites. As a crack advances through such a composite it will be straddled by fibres. If the fibres are fairly ductible then a number of energy-absorbing mechanisms may be important: debonding and sliding of the interface, and deformation and possible failure of the fibres. In a composite reinforced with brittle fibres only the energy lose when the debonded fibres slide against the matrix can have any significant influence on the toughness. The mechanics of delamination and pull-out can most easily be studied by investigating a model system consisting of a single fibre embedded in a matrix. Although both the initial delamination process and the stick-slip behaviour associated with fibre pull-out have been frequently noted before they have not been investigated in detail. Recent advances in the data collection capabilities of testing machines have now made it possible to explore the details associated with both these processes. This paper present some initial findings of the phenomena that occur during fibre pull-out.
Myopia and ambient night-time lighting

Quinn et al. report a strong association between myopia in children and their exposure to night-time lighting during their first two years1. We have been unable to confirm this surprising result, but we find that myopic parents are more likely to employ night-time lighting aids for their children. Moreover, there is an association between myopia in parents and their children2,3.
Student interest, empowerment and motivation

Literature from the fields of educational psychology and instructional communication are reviewed to lend insight into the relationship between interest and empowerment. Theoretical similarities of these two constructs are highlighted in an attempt to argue for concept isomorphism. Results obtained from Pearson's Correlation's, factor‐analytic techniques, and relationships with other known constructs (motivation) suggest that the Learner Empowerment Scale is a valid and reliable means for the assessment of Student Interest.
Incorporating Alternative and Complementary Health Practices Within University-Based Nursing Education:

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing aims to fully incorporate comple mentary and alternative health philosophy and healing practices into its baccalau reate, master's and doctoral programs. A planning process (1998-99) included School of Nursing faculty, administrators, and representatives of the university's Center for Spirituality and Healing. A comprehensive course of action was devel oped that included strengthening didactic and experiential learning, offering indi vidualized plans of clinical study in a variety of modalities, improving access to an interdisciplinary graduate minor in Complementary Therapies and Healing Practic es, and encouraging faculty research initiatives and continuing education in CAM.
Thallium (I) activation of pyruvate kinase.

Abstract Thallium (I) has been found to serve as the required monovalent cation in the activation of rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40). The observed maximum velocity is approximately 60% that of the K + -activated system; a value similar to that for Rb + , a cation with approxiately the same ionic radius. The kinetically determined affinity of Tl + for pyruvate kinase is approximately 50 times that observed for K + . Maximal activation is reached at a level of 2 m m Tl + . The affinity depends to a small degree on the concentration of the divalent activator present, indicating some protein-mediated effect. At high Tl + concentrations, an inhibition of the reaction occurs which, is shown to be most likely due to the formation of the T1 + -ADP complex. Studies with the radioactive isotope 204 Tl + indicated that four binding sites were available, corresponding with the number of active sites.
Between Assertiveness and Insecurity: Russian Elite Attitudes and the Russia-Georgia Crisis

A political scientist discusses the content and sources of Russian elite perspectives on international affairs. The "color revolutions," the perceived specter of Islamic radicalism, contestation over Russian identity, and evolving perceptions of Russia's international leverage are examined for their impact on elite attitudes. Discussion of the crisis in relations between Russia and Georgia illustrates the article's theme about the relationship between insecurity and assertiveness.
Critical-Field Curves for Gapless Superconductors

Superconducting critical-field curves have been measured for pure Th and Th-Gd alloys at magnetic-impurity concentrations up to 60% of the critical concentration required to completely quench superconductivity. These samples all show a Meissner effect and type-I magnetic transitions which are reversible to at least 1% of ${H}_{c}$. The Abrikosov-Gor'kov theory has been used to make detailed calculations of the critical-field curves over the entire temperature range, and of lifetime broadening up to $\frac{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}{\ensuremath{\Delta}(0, \ensuremath{\Gamma})}=1$. Theory and experiment agree to an accuracy of better than 0.5%.
A Wind Tunnel Investigation on the Riming of Snowflakes. Part II: Natural and Synthetic Aggregates

Abstract Natural and artificial snowflakes have been rimed both in free fall and while suspended on a thin flexible fiber in the UCLA cloud tunnel. The results of these experiments show that during the early stage of riming, the motions exhibited by a riming aggregate do not affect the distribution of the rime accretion, in agreement with the observations of the riming behavior of porous ice disks, reported in Part I of this study. It was also found that the collection kernel of a 10-mm diameter porous aggregate increased with respect to porosity at the same rate as that in part I of this study. A discussion is presented of the free-fall behavior and the time evolution of the terminal velocities of riming aggregates.
Anisotropic thermal expansion of potassium dinitramide: a variable-temperature crystallographic study.

The structure of potassium dinitramide (KDN), KN3O4, has been refined in the temperature range 85–298 K from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The unit-cell axial lengths and the cell volume decrease linearly on cooling with the b axis being the most sensitive to the change of temperature. The β cell angle increases with decreasing temperature. The thermal expansion of KDN is significantly anisotropic, expanding along the b axis [010] more than three times the amount parallel to any other crystallographic direction. Other eigenvectors of the thermal expansion tensor lie approximately parallel to the diagonals of the ac plane. A rigid-body analysis of the dinitramide ion using the TLS formalism was performed and shows that the thermal motion of the anion is well represented by the rigid-body model. The eigenvalues of the libration tensor show significant anisotropy, whereas the translation tensor is close to isotropic. The variation of all descriptions of the thermal motion with respect to temperature indicates an anharmonic contribution to the mean field potential. The direction of greatest unit-cell expansion coincides with the largest components of the displacement tensor of the potassium ions and the direction of the largest atomic amplitudes due to the libration of the dinitramide anions.
An improved harvesting net for freshwater prawns

Abstract In Hawaii, because of the transformation from a small-farm operation into fairly large aquacultural enterprises, the need to develop an improved harvesting net for fresh-water prawns has been developed. The design/operation of a mechanized net and the success of the full-scale prototype for the industry is detailed.
The Cambridge Companion to Hannah Arendt Edited by Dana Villa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. 320p. $55.00 cloth, $20.00 paper.

This is an excellent collection of essays about the political thought of Hannah Arendt. Its editor, Dana Villa, has assembled a first-rate group of scholars, many of whom are already well known for their contributions to Arendt studies. The volume is distinguished by the high quality of its contributions and by the effort of so many of its contributors to go beyond standard lines of exegesis to raise interesting questions and to press the boundaries of Arendt commentary. Arendt's work has received a great deal of attention from political theorists in recent years. The Cambridge Companion to Hannah Arendt makes clear the richness of her thinking, the range of her concerns, and the ability of her writings to inspire creative commentary and constructive political theory.
Mental Disorder and Violence: An Examination of Stressful Life Events and Impaired Social Support

Research on the relationship between mental disorder and violence has focused largely on the effects of clinical characteristics, such as treatment adherence and psychotic symptoms, with little attention to the potentially important role of stressful life events and impaired social support. Yet, stressful life events and impaired social support have been found to be significantly associated with the onset and course of mental disorder and with the occurrence of violence. This raises the question: Do stressful life events and impaired social support contribute to the association between mental disorder and violence? The current study addresses this question using general population data from the Durham site of the National Institute of Mental Health's Epidemiological Catchment Area Surveys ( N = 3,438). Results indicate that when stressful life events and impaired social support are controlled, the association between mental disorder and violence is substantially reduced. Implications for future research on the relationship between mental disorder and violence are discussed.
Total synthesis and evaluation of [Ψ([CH2NH]Tpg4]vancomycin aglycon : Reengineering vancomycin for dual D-Ala-D-Ala and D-Ala-D-Lac binding

An effective synthesis of [Ψ[CH2NH]Tpg4]vancomycin aglycon (5) is detailed in which the residue 4 amide carbonyl of vancomycin aglycon has been replaced with a methylene. This removal of a single atom was conducted to enhance binding to d-Ala-d-Lac, countering resistance endowed to bacteria that remodel their d-Ala-d-Ala peptidoglycan cell wall precursor by a similar single atom change (ester O for amide NH). Key elements of the approach include a synthesis of the modified vancomycin ABCD ring system featuring a reductive amination coupling of residues 4 and 5 for installation of the deep-seated amide modification, the first of two diaryl ether closures for formation of the modified CD ring system (76%, 2.5−3:1 kinetic atropodiastereoselectivity), a Suzuki coupling for installation of the hindered AB biaryl bond (90%) on which the atropisomer stereochemistry could be thermally adjusted, and a macrolactamization closure of the AB ring system (70%). Subsequent DE ring system introduction enlisted a room-tem...
On a Class of Calderón-Zygmund Operators Arising from Projections of Martingale Transforms

We prove that a large class of operators, which arise as the projections of martingale transforms of stochastic integrals with respect to Brownian motion, as well as other closely related operators, are in fact Calderon-Zygmund operators. These operators have played an important role in studying the Lp boundedness, 1 < p < ∞, of classical Calderon-Zygmund operators such as the Beurling-Ahlfors transform and the Riesz transform. Showing that these operators are Calderon-Zygmund implies that they are not only bounded on Lp, but also satisfy weak-type inequalities. Unlike the boundedness on Lp, which can be obtained directly from the Burkholder martingale transform inequalities, the weak-type estimates do not follow from the corresponding martingale results. The reason for this is that the Lp boundedness of these operators uses conditional expectation, which unfortunately does not preserve weak-type inequalities. Instead, we represent these operators in a purely analytic fashion as integration against a kernel and obtain our result by showing that our kernel satisfies suitable estimates.
42.8 Gbit/s chirp-managed signal transmission over 20km standard SMF at 1550nm without DCF

Error-free transmission at 42.8 Gbit/s over 20 km of standard singlemode fibre at 1550 nm without dispersion compensation using a directly modulated chirp-managed laser is demonstrated.
How to (Selectively) Broadcast A Secret

At the 1982 Symposium on Security and Privacy, a software protection scheme [1] devised by George Purdy, James Studier and the present author was presented. Unfortunately, the cryptographic protocol in that scheme was fatally flawed making it possible for a "pirate" who observed the communica-tions between a software vendor and a legitimate licensee to forge a license that would permit him to also use the protected software. In the course of analyzing the reasons for this weakness in the protocol and of finding an improved one, the cryptographic protocol reported here was found that permits the originator of a cipher message to specify precisely the subset of receivers out of a much larger potential audience who will be able to decrypt the cipher but who will be unable to pass along this ability to any other receiver not designated by the originator of the message. We shall first describe the flaw in the original software protection scheme that prompted this work, and then systematically develop the selective broadcast protocol . Finally, almost as a footnote to the discussion of the secure broadcast protocol, we show how the original software protection problem has also been solved.
In vivo NAD assay reveals the intracellular NAD contents and redox state in healthy human brain and their age dependences

NAD is an essential metabolite that exists in NAD(+) or NADH form in all living cells. Despite its critical roles in regulating mitochondrial energy production through the NAD(+)/NADH redox state and modulating cellular signaling processes through the activity of the NAD(+)-dependent enzymes, the method for quantifying intracellular NAD contents and redox state is limited to a few in vitro or ex vivo assays, which are not suitable for studying a living brain or organ. Here, we present a magnetic resonance (MR) -based in vivo NAD assay that uses the high-field MR scanner and is capable of noninvasively assessing NAD(+) and NADH contents and the NAD(+)/NADH redox state in intact human brain. The results of this study provide the first insight, to our knowledge, into the cellular NAD concentrations and redox state in the brains of healthy volunteers. Furthermore, an age-dependent increase of intracellular NADH and age-dependent reductions in NAD(+), total NAD contents, and NAD(+)/NADH redox potential of the healthy human brain were revealed in this study. The overall findings not only provide direct evidence of declined mitochondrial functions and altered NAD homeostasis that accompany the normal aging process but also, elucidate the merits and potentials of this new NAD assay for noninvasively studying the intracellular NAD metabolism and redox state in normal and diseased human brain or other organs in situ.
Spontaneous Repositioning of Displaced Molars after Marsupialization of a Dentigerous Cyst

Dentigerous cysts may be treated by enucleation or marsupialization. A case is reported in which marsupialization resulted in elimination of a large cyst and normal development of the dentition.
Heat conduction with solidification in a stratified medium

With the use of the heat balance integral method, a formula for the depth of solidification in a stratified medium is derived that applies to Newton's cooling at the surface, where the temperature of the cooling medium is variable. The presence of a surface layer with zero latent heat is given a special consideration. Comparison of the proposed formula with the direct field measurements and the calculations carried out by others shows a satisfactory coincidence. For the simplified boundary conditions, the formular reduces to a known analytical solution.