cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Frailty on Patient-Centered Outcomes Following Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background Frailty confers risk for surgical morbidity and mortality. Whether patient-reported measures of health, well-being, or quality of life respond differently to surgery in non-frail and frail individuals is unknown. Methods Older adults with severe aortic stenosis presenting for surgery were assessed for frailty using Cardiovascular Health Study Criteria. Patient-reported measures of functional capacity (Duke Activity Status Index [DASI]), physical and mental health (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-Physical and Mental Component Scales [SF-12 PCS and SF-12 MCS, respectively]), well-being (linear analogue self-assessment [LASA]), and quality of life (LASA) were administered before and 3 months after surgery. Results Of 103 participants (mean age of 80.6 years), 54 were frail. Frail participants had lower baseline DASI, SF-12 PCS, SF-12 MCS, physical well-being, and quality of life scores than non-frail participants. At follow-up, frail participants showed significant improvement in physical function, with DASI and SF-12 PCS scores improving by 50% and 14%, respectively. Non-frail subjects did not significantly improve in these measures. SF-12 MCS scores also improved to a greater extent in frail compared to non-frail participants (3.6 vs < 1 point). Furthermore, the frail participants improved to a greater extent than non-frail participants in physical well-being (21.6 vs 7.1 points) and quality of life measures (25.1 vs 8.7 points). Conclusions Frailty is prevalent in older adults with severe aortic stenosis and is associated with poor physical and mental function, physical well-being, and quality of life. In response to surgery, frail participants exhibited greater improvement in these patient-centered outcomes than non-frail peers.
Characterization of Surface-Active Biofilm Protein BslA in Self-Assembling Langmuir Monolayer at the Air-Water Interface.

Biofilm is an extracellular matrix of bacteria and serves as a protective shield of bacterial communities. It is crucial for microbial growth and one of the leading causes of human chronic infections as well. However, the structures and molecular mechanism of biofilm formation remain largely unknown. Here, we examined a protein, BslA, expressed in the biofilms of Bacillus subtilis. We characterized the Langmuir monolayers of BslA at the air/water interface. Using techniques in surface chemistry and spectroscopy, we found that BslA forms a stable and robust Langmuir monolayer at the air/water interface. Our results show that the BslA Langmuir monolayer underwent two-stage elasticity in the solid state phase upon mechanical compression: one is possibly due to the intermolecular interaction and the other is likely due to both the intermolecular compulsion and the intramolecular distortion. The Langmuir monolayer of BslA shows abrupt changes in rigidities and elasticities at ∼25 mN/m. This surface pressure is...
The expanding significance of hypothalamic peptides, or, is endocrinology a branch of neuroendocrinology?

Publisher Summary Somatostatin has many biological effects; it inhibits the secretion of thyrotropin but not of prolactin, normally stimulated by TRF; it also inhibits the secretion of glucagon, insulin, gastrin, and secretin by acting directly on the secretory elements of these peptides. Somatostatin also inhibits the secretion of pepsin, HCl, the exocrine secretion of the pancreas, also by direct action on the secretory elements of these peptides. In juvenile-type diabetics, somatostatin diminishes fasting hyperglycemia by as much as 50% in the complete absence of circulating insulin. Although somatostatin impairs carbohydrate tolerance after oral or intravenous glucose challenges in normal man by inhibiting insulin secretion, the carbohydrate tolerance after ingestion of balanced meals is improved in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus through the suppression of excessive glucagon responses. Besides somatostatin, other peptides are now known to be present and, most likely, synthesized by cellular elements, both in the central and peripheral nervous system and also in glandular elements of the gastrointestinal tract. The first peptide so observed was substance P in the remarkable experiments of Ulf von Euler and Gaddum as early as 1931. There is also evidence that neurotensin, gastrin, VIP, GIP, the endorphins and enkephalin(s) are found both in the brain and in the gastrointestinal tract plus the pancreas.
Anatomic Basis for Minimally Invasive Resection of Intradural Extramedullary Lesions in Thoracic Spine

Objective Since the first resections of intradural extramedullary neoplasms, neurosurgeons have tended to preserve as much of the integrity of the spine as possible while ensuring a safe corridor to resect these lesions. A dimensional analysis of intradural lesions superimposed on a dimensional analysis of the thoracic canal would provide the anatomic basis for a minimal access approach. The authors report the results of such an analysis on a series of patients with intradural extramedullary lesions. Methods A retrospective analysis was undertaken of 26 thoracic intradural extramedullary lesions managed with open or minimally invasive resection. The size of each lesion was measured in the rostrocaudal, lateral, and anteroposterior dimensions and then averaged and compared with reported dimensions of the thoracic spinal canal. Results The mean (range) dimensions of the surgically resected thoracic lesions were 18.6 mm (10–25 mm) for rostrocaudal, 13.0 mm (7–18 mm) for lateral, and 13.6 mm (9–17 mm) for anteroposterior. No patient had any evidence of thoracic canal remodeling. Conclusions Thoracic intradural extramedullary lesions become symptomatic as they approach the limits of the thoracic canal, resulting in an inherent dimensional limitation in the rostrocaudal, lateral, and anteroposterior dimensions. Displacement of the spinal cord by the lesion to one side further favors a minimally invasive unilateral approach. A paraspinal unilateral hemilaminectomy approach with a 35 × 20 mm exposure centered over the lesion offers a safe surgical corridor for resection while preserving the posterior tension band, facet complexes, and paraspinal musculature.
Historic Firsts: Public Opinion Toward Michelle Obama and Ann Romney in the 2012 Presidential Election

This chapter explores public perceptions of the 2012 presidential candidate spouses, Michelle Obama and Ann Romney. Although these two women had different backgrounds and embodied different personal styles, they embraced similar roles during the 2012 presidential election. Both were visible and gifted campaign surrogates, drawing on their unique personal knowledge of their husbands to make the case that they would make the best possible president. Both emphasized traditionally gendered themes such as the importance of motherhood and family in their convention speeches. Both signaled that they were not interested in influencing administrative decision or shaping policy. And, as a result, the American public had quite favorable opinions of both Ann Romney and Michelle Obama. While the partisan political terrain of the 2012 election did constrain the popularity of Michelle Obama and Ann Romney, both women remained less polarizing and more popular than their husbands. Since these two spouses represent historic firsts, with Michelle Obama the first African American presidential candidate spouse and Ann Romney the first Mormon presidential candidate spouse, the analysis pays attention to the role of gender, race, and religion in public evaluations of these two women, finding evidence that both women provided representation to marginalized groups.
The effect of prenatal maternal cigarette smoking on children's BMI z-score with SGA as a mediator.

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of prenatal maternal cigarette smoking on children’s BMI z-score trajectories, and to evaluate whether small-for-gestational-age (SGA) acts as a potential mediator between prenatal maternal cigarette smoking and child’s BMI z-score at 4 years of age. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) methods were employed to describe and classify developmental BMI z-score trajectories (the outcome of interest) in children from 9 months to 4 years of age (n = 5221) in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) study (2001–2005). Further analysis examined whether the identified BMI z-score trajectories varied with the exposure, prenatal maternal cigarette smoking. Mediation analyses were utilized to examine whether being SGA (binary measure) acted as a potential mediator in the relationship between prenatal maternal cigarette smoking and BMI z-score among 4-year-old children. Using GBTM, two BMI z-score trajectory groups were identified: normal BMI z-score (57.8%); and high BMI z-score (42.2%). Children of mothers who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy were 2.1 times (RR 95% CI: 1.1–4.0, P value = 0.023) more at risk of being in the high BMI z-score trajectory group. Prenatal cigarette smoking was positively related to SGA at birth, but SGA was inversely related to BMI z-score at 4 years. The direct effect (0.19, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.19; P value < 0.001) of maternal cigarette smoking status during pregnancy on BMI z-score among 4-year-old children was stronger and in the opposite direction of the indirect effect (−0.04, 95% CI: −0.04, −0.04; P value < 0.001) mediated through SGA. In this study, prenatal maternal cigarette smoking was positively associated with the high BMI z-score group, as well with SGA. The effects of prenatal smoking on BMI z-score at 4 years appears to act through pathways other than SGA.
Achievement Oriented: Developing Positive Academic Identities for Girl Students at an Urban School.

The link between noncognitive skills and achievement is well established. There is much less evidence on how these skills are developed and transmitted to students, especially as it relates to girl...
Aspiration and Tetracycline Sclerotherapy of Hydroceles

Aspiration and sclerotherapy of hydroceles have been considered an effective outpatient procedure. We report on our experience with modification of this procedure in the treatment of 28 hydroceles. A 10 per cent solution of tetracycline hydrochloride was used as the sclerosant. In this series the mean followup was 15 months and there was an over-all 93 per cent success rate. A single treatment was successful in 75 per cent of the hydroceles. Complications included a hematoma in 2 patients and epididymitis in 1. We consider aspiration and sclerotherapy of hydroceles to be a reasonable alternative to an operation.
Molecular Approaches for an Operational Marine Biodiversity Observation Network

Abstract Biological health underpins ecosystem services, including the production of food from the sea. Therefore, many policy frameworks rely on biological observations to guide the sustainable use of marine resources. For example, a marine biodiversity observation network can provide evidence of ecosystem degradation, remediation success, and progress toward goals of sustainable development. The utility of biodiversity observations is limited, however, if measurements are not standardized to allow comparisons across space and time or if they are too difficult or expensive to make routinely or at large scale. Molecular approaches (e.g., metagenomics, metabarcoding, eDNA, metatranscriptomics) offer efficiencies in sample collection and processing and provide analysis across trophic levels compared to traditional methods. Increased affordability and throughput of nucleic acid sequencing allow integration of molecular biological techniques into operational monitoring with the potential benefit of expanding the spatial and temporal scale of biological observations.
Summary and Conclusions and Significance of Study

Patnaik explains how to bring about institutional change in the rural context by reducing power inequities and identifying the right kind of institutional champion. The basic conclusion on the convening process is that it results in reduction of intra-community power asymmetries irrespective of the kind of government intervention. Social power asymmetry is the most crucial base to be addressed followed by economic, political and other asymmetries. With over two decades of experience as a policy maker, the author underlines the importance of the study to public policy, design and implementation. Significantly, the work expands and extends the literature on institutional change, hitherto embedded in commercial space, to the social arena. It also enriches collective action literature by bringing power and power asymmetry into discussion and debate.
Vertebrate pathogens vectored by ancient hematophagous arthropods

The present work reviews the topic of ancient vertebrate pathogens that have been discovered associated with arthropods in Tertiary and Cretaceous amber. The great majority of these pathogens have ...
Degree Modification and Pluractionality in Spanish

Standard and Puerto Rican Spanish has two modifiers, bastante/enough and mas/more . These modifiers behave like the Spanish modifier muy/very in that they can modify gradable adjectives. However, these modifiers have an additional property. They are categorically flexible, in that they can combine not only with adjectives but also nouns and verbs. And when they modify verbs, plucational readings emerge. I show that these modifiers convey a multiplicity of pluractional readings that stem from the verb’s lexical property. Also, I show how these modifiers can be syntactically flexible. In the grammar, mas and bastante bind to an event variable which determines its semantic. El espanol puertorriqueno y estandar cuenta con dos modificadores, bastante/enough y mas/more . Estos se comportan como el modificador muy/very en que modifica adjetivos gradables. Sin embargo, estos modificadores tienen una propiedad adicional. Son categoricamente flexibles, en que pueden combinar no solamente con adjetivos, pero tambien con sustantivos y verbos. Y cuando modifican verbos, surge unas interpretaciones de pluraccionales. Demuestro que estos modificadores codifican una multiplicidad de interpretaciones pluraccionales. Estas interpretaciones surgen de las propiedades lexicas del verbo cuyo estan modificando. Tambien, demuestro como estos modificadores pueden ser sintacticamente flexibles. En la gramatica, mas y bastante se enlazan a una variable de eventos el cual determina su semantica.
POSTRACIAL POLITICS?: Counterevidence from the Presidential Elections, 2004–2012

This paper examines the claim that the historical election of Barack Obama demonstrated a new era of postracial politics in America (Ceaser et al., 2009). Drawing on arguments in the recent American political development literature (King and Smith, 2005; Novkov 2008), this research proposes a racial tension theory to link Obama’s White voter support to the deep-seated racial tension at the state level. In doing so, a theoretic and empirical solution is offered to solve the problem of high correlations between the major contextual variables measuring Black density (Key 1949), racial diversity (Hero 1998), state political culture (Elazar 1984), and social capital (Putnam 2000). The converged findings based on multiple methods clearly show that the state-level White support for Obama in both 2008 and 2012 was directly related to the racial tension of a state. In contrast, racial tension did not affect the White vote for John Kerry, the Democratic nominee in the 2004 Presidential election.
118th Annual Meeting, Medical Library Association, Inc., Atlanta, GA, May 18–23, 2018

The Medical Library Association (MLA) held its 118th annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, May 18–23, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The meeting theme was “Adapting, Transforming, Leading.”
Editorial Commentary: Shoulder Bone Loss for Dummies: A Reproducible Technique for Quantifying Glenohumeral Osseous Defects

Recent research has questioned the decades-old benchmark for "critical" anterior glenoid bone loss. As little as 13.5% bone loss may portend suboptimal patient outcomes after arthroscopic Bankart repair for anterior shoulder instability. The flat anterior glenoid morphology provides a quick method for reliably estimating subcritical, clinically significant glenoid bone loss, potentially supplanting the "inverted pear." Furthermore, as the bone loss debate forges on, the shoulder community would be wise to establish a universal measurement method to base research and clinical decisions on. Speaking the same language within our craft can only translate to better patient care.
Concordance as a Person‐Centered Measure of Breastfeeding Success: From Adequacy to Agency

Health benefits associated with breastfeeding are supported by extensive research. Measurements of breastfeeding success in clinical and research settings have focused on maximizing adherence to population-level health recommendations for infant feeding (compliance). Concordance, a new adjunct measure of breastfeeding success, uses a comparison between the parent's intended feeding method and the actual feeding method to better assess whether the person's goals for infant feeding have been met. This measure uses a modified patient-centered outcomes research question to evaluate success in a person-centered framework and is congruent with patient-centered individualized care and shared decision making. Use of concordance as an adjunct success metric in evaluation of interventions and clinical programs will provide an opportunity to approach breastfeeding promotion holistically and incorporate the parent's desired outcome(s) as central to that success.
Analyzing the Functionality of Non-native Hsp70 Proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yeast are an ideal system to study Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) function in a cellular context. This protocol was generated to analyze the function of non-native Hsp70 proteins by expressing them as the sole cytosolic Hsp70 in yeast. As an initial step, Hsp70 variants (such as Ssa1 point mutants and non-yeast versions such as Nematostella vectensis NvHsp70A, B and D) are cloned into an appropriate expression plasmid. Next, these plasmids are transformed into ssa1-4Δ yeast [expressing native Ssa1 from an uracil-based (URA3) plasmid] which are subsequently cured of the original yeast on 5-Fluroorotic Acid (5-FOA). The resulting cells can be screened for a variety of phenotypes which match to the activity of well-studied cellular pathways.
Computer-integrated interventional medicine: A 30 year perspective

Abstract This chapter will discuss insights gathered over nearly 30 years of research on medical robotics and computer-integrated interventional medicine (CIIM), both at IBM and at Johns Hopkins University. The goal of this research has been the creation of a three-way partnership between physicians, technology, and information to improve treatment processes. CIIM systems combine innovative algorithms, robotic devices, imaging systems, sensors, and human–machine interfaces to work cooperatively with surgeons in the planning and execution of surgery and other interventional procedures. For individual patients, CIIM systems can enable less invasive, safer, and more cost-effective treatments. Since these systems have the ability to act as “flight data recorders” in the operating room, they can enable the use of statistical methods to improve treatment processes for future patients and to promote physician training. We will discuss the information flow, intraoperative components, and research issues associated with CIIM systems. Finally, we will offer some thoughts about future research opportunities and system evolution.
A Brief History of Electrogenesis and Electroreception in Fishes

The primary goal of this volume is to provide an updated perspective on the topics of electrogenesis and electroreception in fishes. Throughout, there is an emphasis on how comparative perspectives can inform general issues regarding the neural mechanisms of behavior, from detailed comparisons among related species having divergent phenotypes to broad comparisons across distantly related clades having similar phenotypes. The underlying theme throughout is that evolution provides a natural experiment that can be exploited to relate variation in behavior to variation in its neural substrates. This allows for the development and testing of hypotheses regarding the neural control of behavior and for distinguishing generally applicable principles from clade-specific differences. The chapters cover a range of topics including the evolution and development of electric organs and electroreceptors, electrosensory transduction, evolutionary drivers and biophysical bases of electric signal diversity, influences of hormones and motor systems on electrosensory processing, envelope and temporal coding, use of control theory to characterize active sensing, and the role of active electrolocation and spatial learning in behavior. In this introductory chapter, a brief history of research on electrogenesis and electroreception in fishes is presented, with a summary of some of the most important neuroethological studies in electric fish that have contributed greatly to our understanding of brain function and the neural basis of behavior. The field of electroreception research continues to provide fertile ground for using comparative frameworks to understand the neurobiology of animal communication, social behavior, orientation and navigation, and the evolution of information processing.
Plastic bag consumption habits in the Northern Philippines

Abstract Plastic bags are abundant globally and pose a significant amount of environmental and public health concerns. The purpose of this research is to examine individual variables that predict plastic bag consumption in 3 Northern Philippine municipalities that do not have plastic bag bans, and exhibit wide variations in the quality of their solid waste management systems. These include Sarrat, Vintar, and Solsona in the province of Ilocos Norte. An equal number of respondents were surveyed from each municipality. Results suggest that age, municipality, dumping solid waste in public areas compared to dropping it off at designated locations, and composting solid waste compared to dropping it off at designated locations are all predictors of weekly plastic bag consumption. Education variables were not predictors of weekly plastic bag consumption nor were perceptions of plastic bags as bad for the environment. This suggests that additional educational programs and incentives are needed at the local levels to reduce plastic bag consumption.
Chapter 7 – Sensory Methods of Texture and Viscosity Measurement

Publisher Summary Sensory evaluation is the measurement of a product's quality based on information received from the five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. Sensory texture measurement is perceived primarily by touch, although the eyes and ears can provide information on some important components of the total texture profile of a product. Sensory evaluation offers the opportunity to obtain a complete analysis of the textural properties of a food as perceived by the human senses. A number of processes occur while food is being masticated, including deformation, flow, comminution, mixing and hydration with saliva, and sometimes changes in temperature, size, shape, and surface roughness of the food particles. All of these changes are recorded with great sensitivity by the human senses, but many of them are difficult to measure with instruments. Sensory evaluation is important for product development. It is the best method for evaluating texture of new types of foods in the early stages of development, especially fabricated foods, and for providing a basis on which instrumental methods might later be designed for use as a quality measure and production control. The major steps in the operation of establishing a sensory texture profile are (1) selection of panel, (2) training the panel, (3) establishing standard rating scales, (4) establishing a basic texture profile analysis (TPA) score sheet, and (5) developing a comparative TPA score sheet for each commodity.
Mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle of fukutin-deficient mice is resistant to exercise- and 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide-induced rescue.

NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? Does fukutin deficiency in skeletal muscle cause mitochondrial dysfunction, and if so, can AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) stimulation via 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide attenuate this through regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy? What is the main finding and its importance? Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with fukutin deficiency and AMPK stimulation may benefit muscle contractility to a greater extent than mitochondrial function. ABSTRACT Disruptions in the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) are clearly the primary basis underlying various forms of muscular dystrophies and dystroglycanopathies, but the cellular consequences of DGC disruption are still being investigated. Mitochondrial abnormalities are becoming an apparent consequence and contributor to dystrophy disease pathology. Herein, we demonstrate that muscle-specific deletion of the fukutin gene (Myf5/fktn-KO mice (Fktn KO)), a model of secondary dystroglycanopathy, results in ∼30% lower muscle strength (P < 0.001) and 16% lower mitochondrial respiratory function (P = 0.002) compared to healthy littermate controls (LM). We also observed ∼80% lower expression of the gene for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) (P = 0.004), a primary transcription factor for mitochondrial biogenesis, in Fktn KO mice that likely contributes to the mitochondrial defects. PGC-1α is post-translationally regulated via phosphorylation by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Treatment with the AMPK agonist 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) failed to rescue mitochondrial deficits in Fktn KO mice (P = 0.458) but did have beneficial (∼30% greater) effects on recovery of muscle contractility following injury in both LM and Fktn KO mice compared to saline treatment (P = 0.006). The beneficial effects of AMPK stimulation via AICAR on muscle contractile function may be partially explained by AMPK's other role of regulating skeletal muscle autophagy, a cellular process critical for clearance of damaged and/or dysfunctional organelles. Two primary conclusions can be drawn from this data: (1) fukutin deletion produces intrinsic muscular metabolic defects that likely contribute to dystroglycanopathy disease pathology, and (2) AICAR treatment accelerates recovery of muscle contractile function following injury suggesting AMPK signalling as a possible target for therapeutic strategies.
Influence of Texture and Grain Morphology on the Two-Point Correlation of Elastic Constants: Theory and Implications on Ultrasonic Attenuation and Backscattering

The discontinuity in the elastic properties at the grain boundaries of a polycrystal controls the attenuation [1] and noise backscattered [2] by an elastic wave propagating through the material. In stochastic theories, which describe the propagation of the mean field in an ensemble of macroscopically identical microstructures, the effects of these discontinuities are quantified by the two-point correlation of elastic constants. It is well known that this correlation, and hence the attenuation and backscttering, is influenced by grain size [3–5] and shape [6], and recent experimental results of Hirao et al [7] imply a strong dependence on preferred grain orientation (texture). The purpose of this paper is to develop the theory necessary to describe these relationships.
Relationship between the Malan Loess and the Salawusu Formation in the Salawusu River Area, Ordos, and Their Geological Ages

In the middle and lower reaches of the Salawusu River, the Salawusu Formation regarded traditionally as fluvio-lacustrine deposits actually includes a series of strata which mainly consist of eolian sandy deposits named as “Chengchuan Formation” by the authors. The eolian sand of the Chengchuan Formation and the Malan loess distributed in the upper reaches of the Salawusu River are deposits of sand and loess facies formed by wind action during the same period. The relationship of the Chengchuan Formation and the Malan Loess with the Salawusu Formation which is really of fluvio-lacustrine deposits is that the former two superpose the latter. This can be demonstrated by the difference of the extinct species proportion of the faunas in different strata. In this area, the Salawusu formed during the early period of Late Pleistocene, while the Malan Loess and the Chengchuan Formation deposited during the late period of the Late Pleistocene.
The effect of manual therapy with augmentative exercises for neck pain: a randomised clinical trial.

Objectives: To compare the effect of manual therapy (MT) and an augmentative exercise programme (AEP) versus MT and general neck range of motion (ROM) on functional outcomes for patients with neck pain. A secondary objective was to examine changes in self-report measures and quantitative sensory testing (QST) following MT and AEP.Methods: This was a randomised clinical trial. Seventy-two patients with neck pain were recruited. All patients received a single session of MT. Patients were randomly assigned to MT+AEP or MT+ROM. Clinical self-report outcome measures for disability and pain, and QST measures (pain and vibration thresholds) were collected at baseline, post MT treatment, at ∼48 hours, and at ∼96 hours. Repeated measures ANOVA and MANOVA were used to analyse within and between-group effects for clinical and QST measures.Results: There were no between-group differences for disability, pain and QST measures. There was, however, a significant difference between groups for Global Rating of Change (GRo...
Necrosis of the femoral condyles in a four‐week‐old foal: Clinical, imaging and histopathological features

Summary A 4-week-old Thoroughbred filly foal with a history of sepsis was evaluated for right hindlimb lameness. Bilateral femoropatellar and femorotibial joint effusions were detected. Ultrasonography and radiography of the right stifle revealed signs of joint collapse and periarticular swelling. Computed tomography revealed abnormalities in the bone density of the medial femoral condyle of the right hindlimb and lateral femoral condyle of the left hindlimb. Euthanasia was recommended based on the severity of the lesions. Gross and microscopic examinations revealed extensive separation of the articular-epiphyseal cartilage complex from the subchondral bone of the femoral condyles. The histological features suggest an ischaemic aetiology; comparisons are made with lesions of osteochondrosis and avascular necrosis of bone.
Stress-intensity factors for small surface and corner cracks in plates

Three-dimensional finite-element and finite-alternating methods were used to obtain the stress-intensity factors for small surface and corner cracked plates subjected to remote tension and bending loads. The crack-depth-to-crack-length ratios (a/c) ranged from 0.2 to 1 and the crack-depth-to-plate-thickness ratios (a/t) ranged from 0.05 to 0.2. The performance of the finite-element alternating method was studied on these crack configurations. A study of the computational effort involved in the finite-element alternating method showed that several crack configurations could be analyzed with a single rectangular mesh idealization, whereas the conventional finite-element method requires a different mesh for each configuration. The stress-intensity factors obtained with the finite-element-alternating method agreed well (within 5 percent) with those calculated from the finite-element method with singularity elements.
MetaLinks: Authoring and Affordances for Conceptual and Narrative Flow in Adaptive Hyperbooks

MetaLinks, an authoring tool and web server for adaptive hyperbooks, is described. MetaLinks hyperbooks provide textbook-like content in a flexible manner that supports opportunistic processes of active reading and learning. Through adaptive methods a single on-line artifact can address the diverse needs of a variety of user goals and backgrounds. The system is designed to support inquiry, exploratory, or curiosity-driven learning in richly interconnected material and to ameliorate a number of usability issues that arise in such open ended learning environments. Chief among the usability issues addressed are the potential for discontinuous conceptual and narrative flow as users navigate flexibly and idiosyncratically through hyperbook content. Our goals are addressed through a number of interface features and adaptive methods including narrative smoothing, custom depth control, and thematic links. In this paper we describe the MetaLinks system, discuss a number of hyperbook design issues, and give the results of two formative evaluations of a MetaLinks Hyperbook.
The Use of Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography to Detect Glaucoma Progression

Detection of progression and measurement of rates of change is at the core of glaucoma management, and the use of Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) has significantly improved our ability to evaluate change in the disease. In this review, we critically assess the existing literature on the use of SD-OCT for detecting glaucoma progression and estimating rates of change. We discuss aspects related to the reproducibility of measurements, their accuracy to detect longitudinal change over time, and the effect of aging on the ability to detect progression. In addition, we discuss recent studies evaluating the use of combined structure and function approaches to improve detection of glaucoma progression.
Automatic Mash Up of Composite Applications

The need for integration of both client and server applications that were not initially designed to interoperate is gaining popularity. One of the reasons for this popularity is the capability to quickly reconfigure a composite application for a task at hand, both by changing the set of components and the way they are interconnected. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) has become a popular platform in the IT industry for building such composite applications recently with the integrated components being provided as web services. A key limitation of such a web service is that it requires extra programming efforts when integrating non web service components, which is not cost-effective. Moreover, with the emergence of new standards, such as OSGi, the components used in composite applications have grown to include more than just web services. Our work enables progressive composition of non web service based components such as portlets, web applications, native widgets, legacy systems, and Java Beans. Further, we proposed a novel application of semantic annotation together with the standard semantic web matching algorithm for finding sets of functionally equivalent components out of a large set of available non web service based components. Once such a set is identified the user can drag and drop the most suitable component into an Eclipse based composition canvas. After a set of components has been selected in such a way, they can be connected by data-flow arcs, thus forming an integrated, composite application without any low level programming and integration efforts. We implemented and conducted experimental study on the above progressive composition framework on IBM's Lotus Expeditor which is an extension of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) platform called the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP) that complies with the OSGi standard.
Responding to 9/11: Lurching Toward a Rule of Scofflaw

Despite the lip service that the Bush-Cheney administration has paid to the notion of a rule of law - claiming, for example, that countries around the world should embrace and respect the rule of law in their internal governance - the record since 9/11 suggests that the Bush-Cheney administration itself in fact decided not to practice what it preached. It can be regarded, therefore, as a "scofflaw" - a person, or in this case a cluster of powerful persons, exhibiting a cavalier disregard for written laws - in this case international laws that the USA played a central role in creating.
Growth of single crystals of ZrO2 and HfO2 from PbF2

Abstract : Single crystals of ZrO2, HfO2, and ZrO2-HfO2 solid solution were grown from molten PbF2. The growth parameters are listed and the habits of the crystals are given. They grew as transparent, colorless platelets. (Author)
Leucine incorporation into mixed skeletal muscle protein in humans.

Fractional mixed skeletal muscle protein synthesis (FMPS) was estimated in 10 postabsorptive healthy men by determining the increment in the abundance of [13C]-leucine in quadriceps muscle protein during an intravenous infusion of L-[1-13C]leucine. FMPS in our subjects was 0.046 +/- 0.003%/h. Whole-body muscle protein synthesis (MPS) was calculated based on the estimation of muscle mass from creatinine excretion and compared with whole-body protein synthesis (WBPS) calculated from the nonoxidative portion of leucine flux. A significant correlation (r2 = 0.73, P less than 0.05) was found between MPS (44.7 +/- 3.4 mg.kg-1.h-1) and WBPS (167.8 +/- 8.5 mg.kg-1.h-1). The contribution of MPS to WBPS was 27 +/- 1%, which is comparable to the reports in other species. Morphometric analyses of adjacent muscle samples in eight subjects demonstrated that the biopsy specimens consisted of 86.5 +/- 2% muscular as opposed to other tissues. Because fiber type composition varies between biopsies, we examined the relationship between proportions of each fiber type and FMPS. Variation in the composition of biopsies and in fiber-type proportion did not affect the estimation of muscle protein synthesis rate. We conclude that stable isotope techniques using serial needle biopsies permit the direct measurement of FMPS in humans and that this estimation is correlated with an indirect estimation of WBPS.
Host tissue identification for cryptic hymenopteran parasitoids associated with Sirex noctilio

Establishing host-parasitoid relationships is challenging for cryptic insects feeding deep in the xylem tissue of trees. Sirex noctilio is a xylophagous feeder and recent invader of North America that co-occurs in pines (Pinus) with a native siricid (Sirex nigricornis) and a suite of shared hymenopteran parasitoids. This insect has a long history as a destructive pest in Southern Hemisphere pine plantations. 2 To establish explicit trophic linkages between native hymenopteran parasitoids and two species of woodwasp (Sirex) in North America, a polymerase chain reaction assay was developed to amplify mitochondrial DNA that was restriction digested with the aim of identifying species. The assay was used to identify species of Sirex from cadavers and gut contents from different parasitoid stages with the aim of establishing host-parasitoid relationships. 3 The host woodwasp species was identified successfully from parasitoid gut contents collected from larvae, pupae and adults. Across all parasitoid life stages, woodwasp host was identified in 52.9% of ibaliid parasitoids and 78.5% of rhyssine parasitoids. Host was successfully identified from 88.1% of associated siricid cadavers. 4 These results demonstrate the utility of molecular techniques to verify host-parasitoid associations that previously had only been inferred. Development of molecular tools is a rapid and crucial tool for establishing trophic linkages and is particularly useful in situations involving non-native species with cryptic lifestyles.
Whose cows are they, anyway?: Ideology and behavior in Nandi cattle “ownership” and control

The system of rights in cattle among the Nandi of western Kenya is built on a paradox: wives' predominant rights in certain categories of cattle vs. a strong public ideology assigning cattle control to men. Various Nandi categories of cattle and the structure of rights in them are described. Husbands' and wives' interests at times conflict; the negotiation of such conflicts is explored through analysis of several case studies. These studies show that it is possible, though not common, for wives to use traditional legal processes to counter husbands' herd management decisions. It is suggested that this possibility, and the potential loss of face it entails, explains why husbands rarefy take actions contrary to wives' rights in livestock. Different rhetorical strategies of men and women in talking about rights in cattle, and emphasis on different aspects of customary law, are also discussed. This discussion is related to the emerging theory of “customary law” as the result of conflicts negotiated in the political context of colonialism. Ongoing economic changes are eroding wives' positions in negotiations over cattle “ownership.” Literature on other African societies is reviewed, showing similar patterns of erosion of women's property rights, and differing interpretations of customary rights from those formalized in customary law.
Paying Attention : a Study of Attentional and Interpersonal Styles of Hotel and Restaurant Administration Students

Perception is selective due to the limited ability of humans to process information. Choices must be made whether to attend with a broad or narrow focus, and to focus externally or on internal thoughts. These choices determine performance in a variety of settings.Sixty-one hotel and restaurant administration students took a self-report inventory measuring attentional and interpersonal style. Results indicate that they read and react to the environment better, court a busier world, present a more outgoing style, and take a more competitive approach to matters than other university students. They also differed from business and sales executives in a number of areas. These differences are discussed relative to instructor/curriculum presentations, industry recruiting, and career potential for HRA graduates.Key Words:
Biochemical correlates of respiratory deficiency VI. Mitochondrial DNA

The isolation, purification, physical and chemical properties of a mitochondrial DNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are described and compared with the nuclear DNA of the same organism. The two entities are clearly distinct in absorption spectra at various pH values, thermal transition temperature in two different solvent systems, buoyant density in CsCl and base composition, all of which are consistent with a GC content of 35 % for nuclear and 21 % for mitochondrial DNA. The latter, a normal double helical molecule, occurs integrated into respiratory particles which renders it DNase resistant. It is present to the extent of 0.71 μg per mg of particle protein in highly aerobic cells of the wild type, decreases during glucose repression and is greatly reduced (⩽ 0.06 μg/mg protein) in a cytoplasmic respiratory-deficient mutant (vegetative petite, ϱ−). The So20,w of the isolated DNA equals 33 s, hence its molecular weight is approximately 2 × 107. Evidence is also presented for its preferential interaction with acridines. The implications of all these findings in the problems of mitochondrial autonomy and self-duplication are discussed.
Raman scattering by pure and mixed polaritons in BeO

Raman scattering in BeO by ordinary polaritons of the pure types ${A}_{1}$ and ${E}_{1}$ and by extraordinary polaritons of the mixed type ${A}_{1}+{E}_{1}$ has been studied. Experimentally determined dispersion curves are in good agreement with theoretical curves predicted from a Fresnel equation analysis. The dependence on wave vector of scattered light intensity also is discussed.
Heat transfer modeling for turbulent shear flows on curved surfaces

This paper examines two models for two-dimensional curved flow heat transfer. Both models are based on the assumption of local-equilibrium turbulence. Yet, one model predicts an increase for the turbulent Prandtl number with convex curvature, while the other gives the opposite behavior. Through examination of the near wall temperature profiles, it is possible to identify the correct behavior for turbulent Prandtl number. It is found that the turbulent Prandtl number for curved flows increases with convex curvature. The discrepancy between the two models is traced to the modeling terms proposed for the pressure-temperature-gradient correlation and for wall corrections. While the introduction of the “rapid” component and the wall corrections in the modeling of the pressure-strain correlation do not affect the behavior of the resultant shear stress, these modeling terms in the pressure-temperature-gradient correlation cause the turbulent Prandtl number to decrease with convex curvature.
Channel Properties Of TRPM8 In Supramolecular Complex With Inorganic Polyphosphate And Polyhydroxybutyrate

Transient Receptor Potential channel of melastatin subfamily 8 (TRPM8) is a cold and menthol receptor. We have shown that the TRPM8 protein purified from HEK 293 cells is associated with inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). In order to study the possible roles of these homopolymers we examined the channel activity of TRPM8 in vivo and in vitro experiments.Using whole-cell patch-clamp and fluorescent calcium measurements we demonstrate that enzymatic breakdown of polyP by exopolyphosphatase (scPPX1) inhibits channel activity in human embryonic kidney cells and F11 neuronal cells expressing the TRPM8 channel. Furthermore, addition of scPPX1 completely blocked the activity of the purified TRPM8 channels reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers, where the activity of the channel was observed in the presence of phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) and menthol. In the planar lipid bilayer experiments we found that two major agonists PtdIns(4,5)P2 and menthol affect the channel's open probability in concentration dependent manner, while elimination of polyP from the channel diminishes the magnitude of the conductance. Biochemical analysis of the TRPM8 protein supported the idea that polyP association with the channel is insured by non-covalent interactions, while PHB binds to the TRPM8 protein covalently.These evidences indicate that TRPM8 exists in a supramolecular complex, where its structure and function are modified by association with polyP and conjugation with PHB.