cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FROM CRISIS TO CUMULATIVE EFFECTS: FOOD SECURITY CHALLENGES IN ALASKA

Recent increases in the price of fuel in rural Alaska, coupled with high prices of grocery store foods and decreased efficacy of hunting and fishing have led to a food crisis in many regions of rural Alaska. In the summer of 2008 it was predicted that these events would lead to an upswing in the number of individuals migrating to urban areas of Alaska, putting additional stress on the already dwindling resources of food assistance providers. Through discussions with food assistance providers in Fairbanks, Alaska, a research program was designed to assess how well recent migrants were able to meet their food needs. In total 39 individuals were interviewed in November and December 2008, using face-to-face, semistructured interviews. This article discusses a smaller subset of the overall interviews, namely the responses of Natives who currently live in Fairbanks, Alaska. Further, this article informs understandings of “crisis” in the global sense, highlighting the importance of placing “crises” into the larger context of cumulative effects which are long-term and differentially distributed, rather than treating them as discrete and individually mitigatable events.
Use of Regional Geochemical Survey Data and exploratory statistics to estimate natural condition concentrations for trace metals in stream sediments: a case study for the Cook Inlet watershed, Alaska

The United States and other nations use the term natural conditions or reference conditions in legislation providing for the protection of aquatic ecosystems. Natural or reference conditions are generally used to describe environmental conditions in an aquatic resource before any human introduced pollution. The natural or reference conditions are used in establishing water quality criteria for protection of aquatic resources, helping classify aquatic resources within a regulatory category, and for assessing effectiveness of aquatic resource restoration actions. Regional scale geochemical mapping of stream sediments is available for many countries that when combined with exploratory data analysis and geospatial data can be used to establish screening level natural conditions for trace metals in stream sediments. This approach is applied to the Cook Inlet watershed in Alaska using the US Geological Survey National Geochemical Survey stream sediment trace metals data. Upper concentration limits are developed for As, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, and Zn in the Cook Inlet watershed to aid in screening sediments for potential anthropogenic contamination.
Vertical distributions and stable isotopic compositions of live (stained) benthic foraminifera from the North Carolina and California continental margins

The vertical distributions of live (Rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera were determined in Soutar box cores from six sites on the North Carolina continental margin (337–1477 m) and three sites on the California continental margin (786–3705 m). Stained specimens of the most abundant taxa were analyzed for their carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions. Bottom water δ13C values and pore water δ13C profiles were determined at seven of the sites to aid in interpretation of the live benthic foraminiferal δ13C data. The abundance profiles of most benthic foraminiferal species show consistent patterns within the sediments at each site. These patterns enable us to characterize taxa as epifaunal and shallow, intermediate, and deep infaunal. The vertical range of the living assemblage is small (2–4 cm) in several of the cores, presumably as a consequence of the relatively high organic carbon fluxes and correspondingly small oxygen penetration depths in these continental margin environments. At each site, species with deeper within-sediment microhabitats have lower average δ13C values than do shallow-dwelling species. The δ13C offset from bottom water for each species is larger at high bottom water oxygen sites (North Carolina) than at low bottom water oxygen sites (California). Both of these observations are consistent with a pore water influence on benthic foraminiferal δ13C. The Atlantic-Pacific differences rule out a constant species-specific fractionation as the explanation for the δ13C values of these foraminifera. Despite substantial downcore changes in pore water δ13C, foraminiferal δ13C values for most species change very little over the entire depth range of stained individuals within each core. This lack of vertical δ13C variation may imply that calcification takes place in a relatively small sub-zone of the microhabitat range suggested by the distribution data.
Focused crawling enhanced by CBP–SLC

The complexity of Web information environments and multiple-topic Web pages are negative factors significantly affecting the performance of focused crawling. In a Web page, anchors or some link-contexts may misguide focused crawling, and a highly relevant region also may be obscured owing to the low overall relevance of that page. So, partitioning Web pages into smaller blocks will significantly improve the performance. In view of above, this paper presents a heuristic-based approach, CBP–SLC (Content Block Partition–Selective Link Context), which combines Web page partition algorithm and selectively uses link-context according to the relevance of content blocks, to enhance focused Web crawling. For guiding crawler, we build a weighted voting classifier by iteratively applying the SVM algorithm based on a novel TFIDF-improved feature weighting approach. During classifying, an improved 1-DNF algorithm, called 1-DNFC, is also proposed aimed at identifying more reliable negative documents from the unlabeled examples set. Experimental results show that the performance of the classifier using TFIPNDF outperforms TFIDF, and our crawler outperforms Breadth-First, Best-First, Anchor Text Only, Link-context, SLC and CBP both in Harvest rate and Target recall, which indicate our new techniques are efficient and feasible.
Learning from Students as Agents of Social Change: Toward an Emancipatory Vision of the University

This article draws from over two decades of qualitative studies of student activism conducted by the author, mostly in the United States, but also in Argentina and Mexico. This research ranges from rich ethnographic work lasting nearly two years to more ‘fly-by’ case studies encompassing a few days. In all, close to 400 interviews were conducted and they offer a rich understanding of the ways in which grassroots student organizers struggle to forge more democratic conceptions of universities and societies. Many of the studies conducted, such as the student strike at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1999, the Chicano Studies movement at UCLA in 1993, the Mills College strike of 1990, and graduate student unionization during the early 2000s, relate to fundamental issues of power and privilege and whose voices matter in shaping the nature of contemporary universities and their missions. In revisiting his data, the author imposes upon it a critical lens grounded in the work of Paulo Freire and ...
Systematic Reviews in Sports Medicine

Background:The number of systematic reviews published in the orthopaedic literature has increased, and these reviews can help guide clinical decision making. However, the quality of these reviews can affect the reader’s ability to use the data to arrive at accurate conclusions and make clinical decisions.Purpose:To evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in the sports medicine literature to determine whether such reviews should be used to guide treatment decisions. The hypothesis was that many systematic reviews in the orthopaedic sports medicine literature may not follow the appropriate reporting guidelines or methodological criteria recommended for systematic reviews.Study Design:Systematic review.Methods:All clinical sports medicine systematic reviews and meta-analyses from 2009 to 2013 published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM), The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), Arthroscopy, Sports Health, and Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatol...
Partitioning of skim milk components as a function of pH, acidulant, and temperature during membrane processing

Abstract Skim milk was concentrated using a DDS-20 UF reverse osmosis module equipped with DDS HC-50 nanofiltration membranes. Temperatures were controlled over a range of 10 to 50°C. The pH of the milk was controlled with lactic acid and citric acid over a range of 5.6 to 6.8. Lower pH and lower temperatures improved component retention of the gross milk components, protein, lactose, and ash. Total solids, protein, and ash quantities in the retentates showed a significant pH effect on a wet basis and, in addition to lactose, on a dry basis. Protein, lactose, and ash quantities in the permeates showed a significant temperature effect on a wet basis, and ash showed a significant pH effect on both a wet basis and a dry basis. Fat was only detected in the retentates and at very low amounts only because skim milk was used. After concentration to approximately twofold by volume, permeated solids increased in all cases, and levels were higher at higher pH and temperatures. Ion partitioning as a function of temperature and pH was determined for samples by inductively coupled plasma analysis. Amounts of P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, and Zn showed a significant pH effect on both a wet basis and a dry basis. A significant temperature effect was shown for A1 and Na on a wet basis and for Al, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr on a dry basis.
Localization of NADPH diaphorase/nitric oxide synthase in the optic nerve of the normal guinea pig: a light and electron microscopic study.

The aim of this study is to determine the presence and subcellular distribution of NADPH diaphorase (NADPH-d)/nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the optic nerve of the normal guinea pig. Optic nerve specimens were stained by NADPH-d histochemistry, and double labeled by combining NADPH-d histochemistry with immunostaining for (a) anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibody for recognition of astrocytes, (b) griffonia simplicifilia B4-isolectin (GSA-IB4) horse radish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugate for identification of microglia, or (c) oligodendrocyte-associated antibodies to carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme II (CA-II) or to galactocerebroside (GalC) for visualization of oligodendrocytes. In addition, constitutive NOS (cNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) immunostaining were used for colocalization with NADPH-d histochemistry. Light microscopy revealed NADPH-d reaction product in the blood vessels and neuroglia of the unmyelinated optic nerve head and myelinated retrobulbar optic nerve. Double labeling with GFAP immunoperoxidase combined with NADPH-d histochemistry revealed both activities in astrocytes. Microglia were labeled with GSA-IB4 isolectin HRP-conjugate, but they did not have NADPH-d activity. Oligodendroglia were immunolabeled with anti CA-II or antiGalC antibodies, but they did not have NADPH-d activity. Both iNOS and cNOS immunoperoxidase labeled astrocytes, but not microglia or oligodendroglia. Under transmission electron microscopy, NADPH-d reaction product appeared as electron-dense particles. These particles were seen in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells, perivascular smooth muscle cells and fibrous astrocytes. Axons and myelin were devoid of NADPH-d activity. This study demonstrates the existence and cellular distribution of NADPH-d/NOS activity in endothelial cells, perivascular smooth muscle cells and fibrous astrocytes of the optic nerve of the normal guinea pig. The presence of these non-neuronal sources of NOS in the optic nerve provides the foundation for future comparative studies of the functional role of reactive oxygen induced toxicity in disorders affecting the optic nerve. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Intestinal Permeability Barrier in Crohn’s Disease: The Difficulty in Shifting the Paradigm

Dr. Daniel Hollander Crohn’s disease has become a relatively common inflammatory disease of the intestine. The etiology of the disease is unknown despite a great deal of research by many talented investigators. During most of the twentieth century, the search for Crohn’s etiology focused mostly on immunological abnormalities. This dominant paradigm hindered the approval of research proposals or manuscripts dealing with other, non-immunological etiological factors or mechanisms. In the early 1980s my research centered on the intestinal transport of lipid compounds, in general, and fat-soluble vitamins in particular [1]. Simultaneously, I was caring for increasing numbers of patients with Crohn’s disease and felt frustrated by the dearth of basic understanding of the etiology of Crohn’s disease and the paucity of available therapeutic approaches. It was known that the disease had a heritable component since it had a clear familial clustering, but the specific genetic abnormalities or predisposing genetic factors were not known. Furthermore, no measurable parameters existed that would enable us to identify the disease in its subclinical phase in the healthy relatives of Crohn’s disease patients. In the early 1980s, I was approached by the father of a patient with Crohn’s who was frustrated by the lack of progress in understanding the pathogenesis of the disease or its effective therapy. He searched the literature regarding Crohn’s and conferred with several investigators, but he was not satisfied with the outcomes of their efforts. He asked if I would be interested in searching for new causes of Crohn’s disease and stated that he was willing to fund a preliminary pilot project through his family foundation to search for new etiological leads [2]. I was aware of three small studies that looked at a newly recognized function of the intestine, namely, the barrier function of the bowel which limits the absorption of D. Hollander (&) Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA School of Medicine and The Broad Foundation, 10900 Wilshire Blvd, 12th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA e-mail: dhollander@broadmedical.org; dholland@ucla.edu
Ruminal and abomasal starch hydrolysate infusions selectively decrease the expression of cationic amino acid transporter mRNA by small intestinal epithelia of forage-fed beef steers.

Abstract Although cationic amino acids (CAA) are considered essential to maximize optimal growth of cattle, transporters responsible for CAA absorption by bovine small intestinal epithelia have not been described. This study was conducted to test 2 hypotheses: 1) the duodenal, jejunal, and ileal epithelia of beef cattle differentially express 7 mRNA associated with 4 mammalian amino acid (AA) transport activities: y + (CAT1), B 0,+ (ATB 0,+ ), b 0,+ (b 0,+ AT and rBAT), and y + L (y + LAT1, y + LAT2, and 4F2hc), and 2) the expression of these mRNA is responsive to small intestinal luminal supply of AA substrates (derived from ruminal microbes) or glucose-derived energy (from starch hydrolysate, SH), or both. Eighteen ruminally and abomasally catheterized Angus steers (body weight=260±17kg) fed an alfalfa cube-based diet at 1.33×net energy for maintenance requirement were assigned to 3 treatments (n=6): ruminal and abomasal water infusion (control); ruminal SH and abomasal water infusion; and ruminal water and abomasal SH infusion. The dosage of SH infusion amounted to 20% of metabolizable energy intake. After 14 or 16 d of infusion, steers were slaughtered, duodenal, jejunal, and ileal epithelia were harvested, and total RNA was extracted. The relative amounts of mRNA expressed by epithelia were quantified using real-time reverse transcription-PCR. All 7 mRNA species were expressed by the epithelium from each region, but their abundance differed among the regions. Specifically, duodenal expression of CAT1 and ATB 0,+ mRNA was greater than jejunal or ileal expression; ileal expression of b 0,+ AT, rBAT, and y + LAT1 mRNA was greater than jejunal or duodenal expression, whereas the expression of y + LAT2 and 4F2hc mRNA did not differ among the 3 epithelia. With regard to SH infusion effect, ruminal infusion down-regulated or tended to down-regulate the jejunal expression of CAT1, rBAT, y + LAT2, and 4F2hc mRNA. Abomasal infusion down-regulated the jejunal expression of y + LAT2 mRNA and tended to down-regulate the jejunal expression of 4F2hc mRNA. This study characterized the pattern of CAA transporter mRNA expressed by growing beef cattle fed an alfalfa-based diet. Moreover, this study demonstrated that increasing the luminal supply of microbe-derived AA (by ruminal supplementation of SH) results in a reduced capacity of apical and basolateral membrane to transport of CAA, whereas increasing luminal glucose supply (by abomasal supplementation of SH) reduces only the basolateral transport capacity, assuming that CAA transporter mRNA content represents functional capacity.
Synthesis, characterization, biotoxicity and antifouling study of a new organotin monomer and polymer

Abstract A new organotin monomer, p-acryloamino tributyltin benzoate, has been synthesized by the reaction of p-amino tributyltin benzoate and acryloyl chloride in the presence of dry pyridine. The monomer is polymerized by free radical polymerization using azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator in dimethylformamide and 1–4 dioxane at 55 ± 0.1 °C. The monomer and the unfractionated homopolymer have been characterized by tin analysis, solubility, i.r. and NMR spectral studies and viscosity measurements. The thermal properties were examined by thermogravimetry (TG), and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Biotoxicity testing of the premonomer, monomer and homopolymer was performed with two bacterial and one larval species. The antifouling property of the homopolymer was tested in a marine environment. The newly developed monomer and its homopolymer were compared with tributyltin acrylate (TBTA), tributyltin methacrylate (TBTMA), tributyltin α-chloroacrylate (TCA) and α-methyl p-acryloxy tributyltin benzoate (MATE) and their homopolymers.
A novel gene expression pathway regulated by nuclear phosphoinositides.

Star-PAP is a recently identified nuclear speckle localized non-canonical poly(A) polymerase that has a functional interaction with PIPKIα, and whose activity is modulated by the PIPKIα product, PI4,5P2. Similar to other poly(A) polymerases, such as the canonical PAPα and the non-canonical GLD2 PAP, Star-PAP resides in a large complex of proteins involved in the 3’ end formation of mRNAs (Fig. 4). The Star-PAP complex shares components with the canonical PAPα complex though contains unique associated proteins such as PIPKIα and CKIα. The Star-PAP complex assembles into a highly stable 3’ end processing machine upon oxidative stress induction. This assembled complex shows enhanced enzyme activity and hypersensitivity to exogenous PI4,5P2, implying that an activated Star-PAP is distinctly modified and/or contains unique factors as compared to Star-PAP purified from resting cells. Open in a separate window Fig. 4 Model of the Star-PAP complex induced to assemble on its target gene ho-1 for the 3’ end processing of HO-1 mRNA. A stimuli such as oxidative stress induction can drive the inclusion of a phosphoinositide signaling components PIPKIα and CKIα into a stable Star-PAP complex that targets the stress response gene heme oxygenase-1, ho-1.
Postoperative Radiotherapy for Patients with Stage II or III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Sublobar Resections: A SEER Registry Analysis

Materials/Methods: The 17-registry Survival, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was searched for patients with stage II or III NSCLC diagnosed between 1988 and 2003 and treated with sublobar resections. Only patients coded as receiving PORT or not receiving radiotherapy were included. Patients with prior malignancies were excluded. Patients with survival of less than 4 months were excluded to reduce selection bias favoring PORT. The inclusion criteria identified 958 patients. The median follow-up time was 5.2 years for patients still alive.
Choriocarcinoma following a partial hydatidiform mole: A case report

Abstract Hydatidiform moles are classified as partial or complete by histologic criteria (Am J Obstet Gynecol 131:665–671, 1978 and Am J Obstet Gynecol 132:20–27, 1978). While persistent gestational trophoblastic tumors follow both types, there remains controversy as to whether the malignant extreme of gestational trophoblastic tumors, choriocarcinoma, can follow a partial hydatidiform mole (Am J Obstet Gynecol 127:167–170, 1977 and Arch Gynecol 234:161–166, 1984). In this instance, a 37-year-old woman presented with a partial hydatidiform mole that persisted and was treated with one course of chemotherapy. She attained a remission for 10 months, when a routine follow-up examination revealed an asymptomatic rise in serum betahuman chorionic gonadotropin from baseline to 14,600 mIU/mL. Dilatation and curettage revealed abundant avillous cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast with marked atypia, diagnostic of choriocarcinoma. Flow cytometry of paraffin blocks of both specimens showed the partial hydatidiform mole to be triploid and the choriocarcinoma diploid. The patient had no evidence of metastatic disease and was successfully treated with multiple-agent chemotherapy.
Infrared spectroscopic studies of calcium binding to inhibited β-trypsins

Abstract Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to examine the effect of calcium binding on the secondary structure of two inhibited bovine β-trypsins. Neither the diisopropyl fluorophosphate- nor benzamidine-inhibited forms showed detectable secondary structure perturbation upon calcium binding at pD 6.9 and 5.0, respectively. Considered in light of the recent assignment of an amide I′ band to the autolysis loop of bovine β-trypsin, these results contradict the generally held hypothesis that calcium slows trypsin autolysis by induction of a conformational change at this site and support the recent contention that the mechanism of action has a specific electrostatic origin. In addition, the appearance of a band at 1699 cm−1 in the benzamidine-inhibited form can be interpreted as resulting from the NCN stretching vibrations of the amidinium moiety, which the observed crystal structure indicates is hydrogen-bonded to the carboxyl group of active-sie Asp-189.
The continuous and concurrent use of streptomycin, para-aminosalicylic acid, isoniazid plus early surgery in the treatment of tuberculosis.

SUMMARY 1) When we compare the streptomycin-isoniazid combination with our usage of streptomycin, para-aminosalicylic acid and isoniazid, the three drugs used concurrently and continuously have a greater therapeutic value with a higher conversion rate and the emergence of fewer resistant strains of organisms. 2) It is possible to maintain this regimen of therapy on a high percentage of patients because of the few toxic reactions. The cost is negligible. 3) Surgery after four to six months of this three drug regimen is not only safe but it is desirable because it prevents the development of resistant organisms. 4) Sixty patients have been discharged and returned to their previous occupations, regardless of the amount of activity these occupations require. They have shown no roentgenological change, have maintained their discharge weights or gained, and some have already had negative gastric cultures as out-patients.
Effects of acute and chronic administration of caffeine on schedule dependent and schedule induced behavior

The effects of caffeine (3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) on lever pressing, schedule induced licking and water consumption induced by a fixed interval 1 min schedule were studied. Changes in these dependent variables were assessed when animals were reduced to 80% of their initial body weight by partial food deprivation and when body weights recovered after the animals were returned to conditions of ad lib feeding. Results indicate differential effects of the drug between animals at 80% body weight and when they are permitted to recover. Tolerance was examined for a single large dose only for the same dependent variables in animals at 80% body weight.
The role of radiotherapy in the palliation of advanced bronchogenic carcinoma.

A study of 68 patients with far advanced (inoperable) bronchogenic carcinoma indicated that cobalt teletherapy (5000r) modestly prolonged the survival of patients with squamous cell tumors. Radiation therapy was also occasionally of benefit in the palliation of pain and mediastinal compression. Treatment of patients with anaplastic carcinoma did not prolong survival and resulted in increased morbidity. The mode of death in all cases was characterized by progressive weight loss, weakness, and shortness of breath.
Flexor tendon healing in vitro: Effects of TGF-β on tendon cell collagen production

Flexor tendon healing is complicated by adhesions to the surrounding sheath. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a cytokine with numerous activities related to wound healing. We examined the effects of TGF-beta-1, -2 and -3 on tendon cell proliferation and collagen production. Three separate cell lines--sheath fibroblasts, epitenon and endotenon tenocytes--were isolated from rabbit flexor tendons and cultured separately. Cell culture media was supplemented with 1 or 5 ng/mL of TGF-beta-1, -2, or -3. Cell number and collagen I and III production were measured and compared with unsupplemented control cultures. The addition of TGF-beta to cell culture media resulted in a decrease in cell number in all 3 lines that did not reach statistical significance. There was a significant increase (p <.05) in collagen I and III production with the addition of all 3 TGF-beta isoforms. Modulation of TGF-beta production may provide a mechanism to modulate adhesion formation clinically.
Experimental studies of the interaction between collisionless plasmas and electromagnetic fields.

Steady state interaction between collisionless plasma flow and immersed stationary magnetized or unmagnetized objects by inserting Cs ion accelerator into plasma wind tunnel
Catalytic activity of a series of Zn(II) phenoxides for the copolymerization of epoxides and carbon dioxide

A series of zinc phenoxides of the general formula (2,6-R2C6H3O)2Zn(base)2 [R = Ph, tBu, iPr, base = Et2O, THF, or propylene carbonate] and (2,4,6-Me3C6H2O)2Zn(pyridine)2 have been synthesized and characterized in the solid state by X-ray crystallography. All complexes crystallized as four-coordinate monomers with highly distorted tetrahedral geometry about the zinc center. The angles between the two sterically encumbering phenoxide ligands were found to be significantly more obtuse than the corresponding angles between the two smaller neutral base ligands, having average values of 140° and 95°, respectively. In a noninteracting solvent such as benzene or methylene chloride at ambient temperature, the ancillary base ligands are extensively dissociated from the zinc center, with the degree of dissociation being dependent on the base as well as the substituents on the phenolate ligands. That is, stronger ligand binding was found in zinc centers containing electron-donating tert-butyl substituents as opposed...
Semantic operations deficits in sentence comprehension

The ability of aphasic patients to comprehend sentences involving the combination of two linguistic operations was tested in a sentence/picture matching task. Sentences included affirmative, negative, uncompared and comparative types. Aphasic patients had significantly greater difficulty in understanding negative-comparative constructions than sentence types involving only a single operation. Comparison of the responses of the aphasic patients with data obtained in a perceptual comparison task revealed that a subgroup of patients had marked difficulty in integrating information in both tasks. The results are interpreted as an indication that some aphasic patients are especially disturbed in their ability to combine several operations in the construction of semantic representations for sentences. It is further argued that this deficit may extend to an inability to integrate information in the perceptual/spatial domain, as suggested by Luria in his discussion of the syndrome of semantic aphasia.
DISPOSITION OF MORPHINE-6-GLUCURONIDE AND MORPHINE IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS

The pharmacokinetics and subjective side effects of i.v. morphine sulphate 120 μg kg −1 and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) 30 μg kg −1 were determined in six healthy volunteers, using a placebo-controlled, single-blind randomized crossover design. Five of these volunteers underwent an additional (non-randomized) study of M6G 60 μg kg −1 . Subjective side effects were similar following both drugs, but of shorter duration following M6G. Morphine was not detected after administration of M6G. For M6G 30 μg kg −1 the mean (SD) volume of distribution, elimination half-life and clearance were 29.38 (18.36) litre, 2.05 (1.2) h and 187.81 (37.41) litre h −1 , respectively. These values were not significantly different from those obtained for M6G 60 μg kg −1 . In all subjects the volumes of distribution and clearances were significantly smaller for M6G than for morphine, but the elimination half-lives were similar.
Deconstructing Social Constructionist Theory in Tobacco Policy: The Case of the Less Hazardous Cigarette

Scholars in tobacco control have utilized a social construction approach to test and explain tobacco control policy and advocacy. Some recent tobacco control policy research has contended that Philip Morris's support of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of tobacco (including purportedly reducing the harm of cigarettes) is to obtain the social construction goal of a socially responsible company. However, the primary motivation for Philip Morris's support of proposed FDA regulation and harm reduction for cigarettes was to maintain the company's market stability and profitability implemented by U.S. political process and institutions. In tandem with this, Philip Morris also sought political stability, a new company image, and federal preemption of conflicting and costly state requirements for harm reduction and tobacco ingredients. Social construction theory did not explain Philip Morris's motivation for seeking FDA regulation of tobacco. Only by reducing tobacco industry markets and cus...
Control of robot using a brain computer interface

Summary form only given. In the video, experiments demonstrating the control of robot using a brain computer interface are shown. This is done using “actemes”. Actemes are fundamental units of action. The actemes can be combined to perform complex tasks. The user who performs the tasks imagines the complex actions as an ordered combination of actemes. The EEG of the user during the process is collected and classified in real-time using independent component analysis (ICA)[1, 2] and a neural network classifier[3, 4] to identify the actemes. This ordered set of actemes can be considered to be meaningful sentence in a language. The order in which the complex action is constructed is called the grammar. Two such tasks are demonstrated using these experiments. The first task involves insertion of round peg into a hole and rotating the peg inorder to simulate the insertion of a screw into threaded hole. The actemes involved are “insert” and “rotate”. The second task is a point-to-point movement of a peg in which the peg is to be moved from a circular zone at the bottom right to the circular zone centered at the cross hair at the top left of the screen. The representative image is shown in Fig 1.
Measuring the Adhesion Forces between Alkanethiol-Modified AFM Cantilevers and Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Nanotube/polymer composite interfaces are of interest for next generation composites. We have examined the adhesion between thiolated AFM cantilever tips and single walled carbon nanotube paper usi...
All That Glitters: Competing Narratives and Transaction Costs in Complex Collaborative Environments

By recognizing that economists use the transaction-cost methodology to account for the role of actors engaged in market exchange, this study draws from that insight as a way of delineating various critical factors that influence the effectiveness of collaborations in the public sector. Collaboration is not only about making public service delivery more efficient, but it also transcends the constant struggle for advantage and accommodation between agencies either in specific policy domains or in the control over resources and asset-specific programmatic initiatives. As organizations seek the protection of their institutional identity, culture, and power, they also set in motion corresponding processes that work in tandem to create factors that may lead to collaborative inertia. Effective collaboration therefore requires a complementary structural design (governance mechanism) that accommodates the various disincentives of asymmetry and size–power relations in complex collaborative processes.
Invalid Performance and the ImPACT in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Players

Context: Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is a computerized cognitive test battery commonly used for concussion evaluation. An important aspect of these procedures is baseline testing, but researchers have suggested that many users do not use validity indices to ensure adequate effort during testing. No one has examined the prevalence of invalid performance for college football players. Objective: To examine the prevalence of invalid scores on ImPACT testing. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I university. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 159 athletes (age = 20.3 ± 1.41 years; range = 17.8–23.7 years) from a Division I collegiate football team participated. Intervention(s): An informational intervention regarding the importance of concussion testing to promote safety was administered before testing for the most recent season. Main Outcome Measure(s): We examined preseason ImPACT testing data across a 3-yea...
The importance of sagittal balance: how good is the evidence?

Sagittal balance is a concept familiar to spine deformity surgeons. Postural imbalance with displacement of the patient’s center of gravity anteriorly to the sacrum due to spinal disease is biomechanically disadvantageous and may cause significant pain and ambulatory difficulty. The evaluation of patients with sagittal imbalance involves a careful assessment of the thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and pelvic angulation. Surgical planning prior to operative treatment involves careful study to determine the correct location and amount of sagittal angulation that needs to be achieved to create neutral sagittal balance. Equally important is the preservation of neutral sagittal alignment in patients without sagittal imbalance who undergo fusion in which instrumentation is placed from the lumbosacral spine to the pelvis; these patients possess a
Got Milk?: Breastfeeding as an 'Incurably Informed' Feminist STS Scholar

‘Got Milk?’ considers the author's own commitment to and experience of breastfeeding as a mother/intellectual, examining ways of theorizing embodiment and complex bio-social practices while also sh...
Gene Pathway Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Genomic Expression Datasets

Background Genomic analyses of cancer rarely show significant overlap in reported significant genes from one study to the next. We posit that viewing transcriptomic data from the broader view of gene pathways and biologic processes will yield a more coherent and meaningful understanding compared with analyzing lists of individual genes. Materials and Methods To this end, we collected publicly available data from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) gene expression studies and collectively analyzed them using ANOVA, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, and gene pathway analyses. Results The degree of pathway and function overlap was very high between datasets compared with individual gene overlap. Analysis of pathways shared among all the datasets showed that processes such as cell proliferation, cell cycle control, and apoptosis were highly represented in the HCC samples, and liver-specific processes such as lipid synthesis, coagulation protein synthesis, and drug metabolism were present in normal liver cells. Specific gene networks known to be important in HCC, such as WNT, PCNA, TGF, and TP53, are present in the study. Conclusions We describe a generalizable method to combine multiple genomic datasets generated from diverse experimental platforms and study populations into an intuitive and biologically meaningful format. This approach allows the delineation of biologic processes of clinical significance that can predict important endpoints such as survival and tumor recurrence.
Aerospace gas/liquid separator for terrestrial applications

The space gas/liquid separator, a key component in the heat transport subsystem of a space reactor power system, was developed to remove helium gas from liquid lithium in zero gravity. This paper describes terrestrial applications which are a direct result of a new technology that was developed for a space power system. One application is removing air from cola syrup just prior to mixing with carbonated water. Another application is removing air from purified water prior to carbonating the water. The gas/liquid separator is also applicable for large commercial power plants to deaerate the water before and after the feedwater heaters. Another terrestrial application is for industrial companies to use the gas/liquid separator and wet chemistry to remove all the gases from the air and only discharge clean air to the atmosphere. An additional application that resulted from this gas/liquid separator technology was separating liquid carbon dioxide from nitrogen. This application is opposite from the space application in that it is removing a liquid from a gas rather than a gas from a liquid.
Propagation loss optimization in metal/dielectric coated hollow flexible terahertz waveguides

Low-loss hollow flexible metal/dielectric coated polycarbonate waveguides have been designed and fabricated for the maximal transmission of Terahertz radiation (THz). Attenuation characteristics of Terahertz radiation in Ag/Au coated waveguides with bore diameters 4.1 mm, 3.2 mm, 2 mm were studied at 215 μm wavelength and the maximal transmission was obtained by coupling the lowest loss TE 11 mode from an optically pumped terahertz laser. Transmission loss can be reduced substantially by adding a dielectric layer to the metal coated waveguide and by coupling HE11 mode into it. Polystyrene (PS) was chosen to be the dielectric, due to its low extinction coefficient, which enhances the transmission through the waveguide. A propagation loss of less than 1 dB/m was achieved with these metal/dielectric coated waveguides.
Differential production of tumor necrosis factor, macrophage colony stimulating factor, and interleukin 1 by human alveolar macrophages

Human alveolar macrophages (AMO) have been investigated for their ability to produce three monokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), macrophage colony stimulating factor (CSF-1), and interleukin 1-beta (IL-1). No TNF activity was found in supernatants of unstimulated AMO cultured for 20 h, although TNF mRNA was detected in the cells by Northern blot analysis. Stimulation of the cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced production and release of high levels of TNF into the culture supernatant. Increased levels of TNF mRNA were detectable at 90 min after LPS stimulation by dot blot analysis, reaching maximum expression between 4 and 8 h and declining thereafter. TNF activity peaked at approximately 8 h in the AMO supernatants. After 24 h TNF production had ended. Compared to autologous monocytes the AMO produced 5.7 times more TNF on a per cell basis (activity accumulated in 20 h supernatants). Uncultured AMO expressed CSF-1 mRNA which was translated into active protein recovered in supernatants upon culture in the absence of stimulus. The addition of LPS to AMO slightly reduced both mRNA levels and amount of factor in the supernatants. In contrast to the AMO, monocyte production of CSF-1 was enhanced by LPS. CSF-1 production by AMO continued for at least 48 h of culture. Spontaneous production of low amounts of IL-1 was found in one-third of the AMO samples, while low levels of IL-1 mRNA were present in all tested preparations. LPS stimulation induced increase in IL-1 mRNA within 90 min; mRNA levels peaked between 12 and 20 h and stayed high for at least 42 h. However, while all LPS-stimulated AMO expressed high levels of IL-1 mRNA biologically active IL-1 was again detected only in a fraction of the AMO supernatants. These results show that the production of monokines CSF-1, TNF, and IL-1 is differentially regulated by LPS in alveolar macrophages and has different responses as compared to monocytes. The longevity of the messages for each of the factors is possible indicators of the relative contribution of these factors to the response to endotoxin-induced injury and repair processes in the lung.
Genetic Variation in Responses to Repeated Administrations of ACTH and Hydrocortisone in Immature Chickens

Abstract BEFORE one considers the relationships between responses to exogenous ACTH or glucocorticoid administration and responses to environmental stimuli, it is important to consider whether birds from varying genetic backgrounds respond similarly to these exogenous materials. Thiessen and Nealy (1962), using eosinophil count and adrenal weight as response criteria to handling stress, reported that the pattern of response for one of five inbred strains of mice could not be used to predict the pattern for the others. Highly significant differences in changes of plasma corticosterone levels resulting from electric shock treatments were found among four inbred mouse strains by Levine and Treiman (1964). Genetic differences in thiouracil-induced hypothyroidism (El-Ibiary and Shaffner, 1951; Shaklee and Shaffner, 1955), and in assay sensitivity to gonadotropins (Siegel and Siegel, 1964a, b) have been observed; however, little has been reported concerning genetic influences upon the response of the avian pituitary-adrenal cortical system to exogenous hormone stimulation… .
Psychometric properties of the Food Craving Inventory among obese patients with binge eating disorder

Abstract Objective To examine the psychometric properties of the Food Craving Inventory [FCI; White, M. A., Whisenhunt, B. L., Williamson, D. A., Greenway, F. L., & Netemeyer, R. G. (2002). Development and validation of the food-craving inventory. Obesity Research, 10 (107–114)] in a group of obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED). Method Participants were 122 obese patients seeking treatment for BED who completed the FCI. Data from the original 28-item FCI were examined. The current study sample was then compared to a community sample of obese patients. Results Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 4-factor structure of the FCI. An improved model was found following the deletion of 3 items, yielding a 25-item questionnaire. Secondary analyses indicated differences in patterns of food cravings between BED patients and an obese comparison group. Discussion The current study confirmed the psychometric properties of the FCI for use with a group of treatment-seeking obese patients with BED. Collectively, the results imply that obese patients with BED may crave sweets to a heightened degree relative to other food classes.
Frequencies of NRAS and BRAF mutations increase from the radial to the vertical growth phase in cutaneous melanoma.

A lack of consensus exists with regards to the relative rates of NRAS and BRAF mutations in the radial (RGP) and vertical (VGP) growth phases of individual melanoma tumors. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that mutations are acquired with progression from RGP to VGP. Using laser capture microdissection, pure tumor DNA was obtained from 15 in situ melanomas, and from the RGP and VGP of 29 invasive tumors. NRAS exon 2 and BRAF exon 15 DNA were amplified by PCR and sequenced. Mutations were present in 6 of 15 in situ melanomas (40%). Of 29 invasive tumors, 16 exhibited RGP mutations (55.2%); 22 showed VGP mutations (75.9%). Paired RGP/VGP mutation analysis revealed a trend toward discordance in the distribution of mutations, favoring VGP localization (P=0.07). Of 15 samples, 12 with mutations in both phases had an increased proportion of mutated DNA in the VGP, measured on DNA chromatograms (P=0.08). Limitations of this study include a relatively small sample cohort selected for technical reasons from a larger population, presenting the risk of selection bias. These concerns notwithstanding our findings support the hypothesis that NRAS and BRAF mutations increase with tumor progression from superficial to invasive disease. JID JOURNAL CLUB ARTICLE: For questions, answers, and open discussion about this article, please go to http://network.nature.com/group/jidclub
Colonial Education Systems and the Spread of Local Religious Movements: The Cases of British Egypt and Punjab

Most education in the pre-colonial Middle East and South Asia was inextricably permeated by religion, in that it relied heavily on study or memorization of religious scriptures and rituals for the purpose of training believers, or on the use of religious texts or stories to teach ostensibly secular subjects such as geography or history. Colonial penetration of these areas introduced a new model of Western education, in which the curriculum was dominated by material whose truth claims were not based on religious faith, and which were not taught through the medium of religious texts. Religion, if allowed at all, was confined to discrete classes on the topic. This marginalization or exclusion of religious material did not necessarily mean that the resulting education was inexorably secular: Gauri Viswanathan has demonstrated that British educators in India circumvented policies forbidding the teaching of Christianity in government schools by creating English literature courses designed “to convey the message of the Bible.” In contrast to its predecessors, however, Western-style education was based on the conceptualization of religion as a discrete subject separate from and incapable of shedding reliable light upon worldly matters, and on the premise that it was mastery of these worldly matters, rather than knowledge of sacred scriptures and rituals, that would bring students success. In this model, religion would be understood “as a new historical object: anchored in personal experience, expressible as belief-statements, dependent on private institutions and practiced in one's spare time.”