cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SEX IN THE 90s: SRY and the Switch to the Male Pathway

▪ Abstract In mammals the male sex determination switch is controlled by a single gene on the Y chromosome, SRY. SRY encodes a protein with an HMG-like DNA-binding domain, which probably acts as a local organizer of chromatin structure. It is believed to regulate downstream genes in the sex determination cascade, although no direct targets of SRY are clearly known. More genes in the pathway have been isolated through mutation approaches in mouse and human. At least three genes, SRY itself, SOX9, and DAX1, are dosage sensitive, providing molecular evidence that the sex determination step operates at a critical threshold. SRY initiates development of a testis from the bipotential cells of the early gonad. The dimorphic male and female pathways present a rare opportunity to link a pivotal gene in development with morphogenetic mechanisms that operate to pattern an organ and the differentiation of its cells. Mechanisms of testis organogenesis triggered downstream of SRY include pathways of cell signaling cont...
Nonlymphomatous Hepatobiliary Masses in Cats: 41 Cases (1972 to 1991)

The medical and necropsy records of 41 cats diagnosed with nonlymphomatous hepatobiliary (NLHB) masses, including neoplasia and cysts, were reviewed. Overall, benign masses (n = 27) were more common than malignant ones (n = 14). The single most common malignancy was cholangiocellular carcinoma. The median age at diagnosis was significantly lower (P < .01) for cats with malignant rather than benign disease. Clinical signs associated with hepatobiliary neoplasia were usually vague and included lethargy, vomiting, and anorexia, often present for at least 2 weeks before presentation. Benign masses were an incidental finding in significantly more (P < .01) of the cases than were malignant masses. Median values for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin were significantly higher (P < .05) in cats with malignant versus benign masses. The prognosis for malignant disease was poor, with 86% of the cats dying or being euthanatized during hospitalization. Cats with benign disease that underwent exploratory celiotomy were more likely to recover and warranted a more favorable prognosis than cats with malignant tumors. Factors associated with malignancy included age at presentation, presence of clinical signs at presentation, and specific serum chemistry changes.
Acoustic quality factor of aluminum alloys from 50 mK to 300 K

Measurements of the acoustic quality factor (reciprocal internal friction) of commercial aluminum alloys 2090, 5056, and 6061 in a torsional vibrational mode at a frequency of 1 kHz in the temperature range from 50 mK to 300 K are reported. The temperature dependence of the mode frequency, which is a measure of the shear modulus of the material, is also given. The quality factor (Q) of all alloys exhibited the highest values at the lowest measurement temperature. A heat‐treated sample of the 5056 alloy gave the highest Q of 6.5×107 at 53 mK. Maximum Q values of 8.9×106 in 2090 and 6.5×106 in 6061 were observed. Internal friction mechanisms which may explain the measured Q values are discussed. The results provide support for the planned construction and operation of very sensitive 50‐mK aluminum‐alloy bar gravity‐wave detectors.
The effectiveness of a low lipid diet and exercise in the management of coronary artery disease

To evaluate the effects of a high complex carbohydrate, low lipid diet on the management of coronary artery disease, we reviewed data on 32 patients, who had participated in a diet and exercise program, and compared the results with 40 patients who had been managed only with exercise. After a follow-up period of 10 to 16 weeks the patients on the diet-exercise program showed significant reduction in body weight (-6 +/- 2 kg mean +/- standard deviation), serum cholesterol (-43 +/- 41 mg/dl), and triglycerides (-51 +/- 70 mg/dl), while patients who were managed only with exercise had no significant changes in weight or serum lipids. Both the diet-exercise and the exercise groups showed significant improvement in working capacity and reduction in resting systolic blood pressure. Patients on the diet-exercise program had significantly less angina (21.9%) occurring on the exercise test after the program compared to before, even though the same double product was reached. Multiple logistic regression analysis of the data for patients with angina on the exercise test demonstrated that the only significant (p = 0.004) contributor for reduction in angina was the dietary intervention. Beta-blocking drugs did not affect the results. Although randomized controlled trials must be run in order to ascertain the significance of this finding, this study strongly suggests that a low lipid, high carbohydrate diet is a useful addition to exercise in the management of patients with coronary disease.
On intelligent dictionaries

Cet article decrit les etapes initiales de la conception de GLOSSARUS, un modele de dictionnaire intelligent qui sert de complement a un systeme documentaire
Maternal-perinatal outcome associated with the syndrome of hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets in severe preeclampsia-eclampsia

During an 8-year period, 112 severe preeclamptic-eclamptic patients with the above syndrome were studied. The incidence of this syndrome was significantly higher in white patients, in patients with delayed diagnosis of preeclampsia and/or delayed delivery, and in multiparous patients. Twenty-six patients had amniocentesis and 16 received epidural anesthetics. There was one maternal bleeding episode associated with epidural anesthetics. The use of steroids in 17 patients did not improve maternal platelet count. The overall perinatal mortality was 367 per 1000 and neonatal morbidity was significant. There were two maternal deaths and two patients with ruptured liver hematoma, and nine had acute renal failure. Thirty-eight percent had intravascular coagulopathy and 20% had abruptio placentae. On follow-up, 44 patients used oral contraceptives without maternal morbidity and 38 patients had 49 subsequent pregnancies. Only one patient had recurrence of the syndrome in subsequent pregnancies. The presence of a "true" syndrome of hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP syndrome) in preeclampsia is associated with poor maternal-perinatal outcome.
Classical transport coefficients in a field-reversed configuration

A Hill's Vortex equilibrium model is utilized to calculate the classical transport properties of a plasma confined in a field-reversed magnetic configuration. Consistent with zero dimensional steady state conservation of particles and energy the authors compute the corresponding fluxes at the separatrix using volume-averaged values for the density and conductivity. They find that the confinement times scale directly with the size of the Vortex and conductivity at that point, and inversely with a function of the profile parameter.
Iron solubilisation by chicken muscle protein digests

The objective of this work was to compare the solubilisation of iron by in vitro digests of soluble and insoluble protein fractions from chicken muscle. Chicken breast muscle was extracted to provide dilute salt-soluble protein (DSSP) and dilute salt-insoluble protein (DSIP) fractions. These fractions together with casein and ovalbumin were subjected to in vitro digestion in the presence of ferric iron. After proteolytic digestion, soluble iron increased fourfold for DSSP, 20-fold for DSIP, twofold for casein and 0.5-fold for ovalbumin. 64% of the soluble iron in the DSSP digest and 30% of the soluble iron in the DSIP digest were ferrous; in the casein and ovalbumin digests, less than 6% was ferrous. Dialysable iron was less than 5% of the soluble iron for all proteins and was mostly ferric iron. DSIP solubilised twice as much iron as DSSP but much less than casein or ovalbumin digests. It was concluded that muscle proteins solubilise iron by reduction and chelation to mostly large (non-dialysable) peptides resulting from digestion.
A history of the International Association for Dental Research Wilmer Souder Award in Dental Materials, with a short biography of Wilmer Souder

Abstract In the 39 years that Dr. Wilmer Souder was associated with the National Bureau of Standards, he accumulated many awards in several disciplines. The principal areas of his recognition, criminology and dental materials research, were founded in his interest in and capability of making precise length measurements. In 1919, the army dental corps asked the Bureau to assist in formulating a specification for the purchase of alloys for dental amalgam. Dr. Souder agreed to take on the assignment. From that beginning the Dental Materials Section grew to encompass all dental materials and some equipment. His dedication to precision in all of this endeavors led to Dr. Souder's being recognized as the “Father of Dental Materials Research”. He became president of the International Association for Dental Research and an honorary member of the American College of Dentists and the American Dental Association. A short biography covers his early years and his education in physics at the University of Chicago. It also includes his many contributions to dental materials research and some of his many successes in criminology.
Potent inhibition of HIV-1 fusion by cyanovirin-N requires only a single high affinity carbohydrate binding site: characterization of low affinity carbohydrate binding site knockout mutants.

Cyanovirin-N (CVN) is a novel cyanobacterial protein that potently inhibits viral entry by human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) via high affinity carbohydrate-mediated binding to the surface envelope glycoprotein gp120. Bearing C2 pseudo-symmetry, CVN contains two carbohydrate binding sites of differing affinities located at opposite ends of the protein. CVN selectively binds with nanomolar affinity the mammalian high mannose oligosaccharides oligomannose-8 D1D3 and oligomannose-9, which also govern binding to gp120. At nanomolar concentrations CVN binds these oligosaccharides only through its high affinity site, while at micromolar to millimolar concentrations the oligosaccharides are bound through both sites leading to divalent protein–carbohydrate interactions. Similarly, two modes of binding to gp120 can be envisioned where CVN either binds gp120 solely through the high affinity site, or binds divalently using both carbohydrate binding sites. To determine the role of the low affinity site in binding to gp120, we sought to design a variant of CVN that lacks the low affinity carbohydrate binding site but retains a fully functional high affinity site. Thus, we constructed a series of CVN mutants possessing cumulative mutations in the low affinity site only, and characterized by NMR the overall structure and carbohydrate binding ability of each of these mutants. We demonstrate that carbohydrate binding by the low affinity site is completely absent in two mutants bearing three or four mutations (namely, m3-CVN=Lys3Asn, Glu23Ile, Asn93Ala; and m4-CVN=Lys3Asn, Thr7Ala, Glu23Ile, Asn93Ala), while the high affinity site binds the high affinity ligand Manα(1-2)Manα with a Kd value equal to that measured for CVN. Using an HIV-1 cell fusion assay, we show that all of the mutants inhibit HIV-1 fusion with nearly identical IC50 values as wild-type CVN. We interpret these results as indicating that the low affinity carbohydrate binding site of CVN is not necessary for high affinity binding to gp120, and HIV-1 fusion can therefore be blocked by monovalent protein–carbohydrate interactions.
A Study of the Effects of Vertical Resolution and Measurement Errors on an Iteratively Inverted Temperature Profile.

A direct inversion method for inverting the temperature profile from satellite-measured radiation is discussed. The nth power of the weighting function in the integral radiative-transfer equation is used as the weight in the averaging process. The vertical resolution of the inverted temperature profile and the response of the inverted temperature profile to the measurement errors are examined in terms of n. It is found that for smaller values of n, the vertical resolution and the effect of measurement errors are reduced. When n = 0, both the vertical resolution and error effect are minimum. The temperature profile is adjusted by a constant; any structure different from the initial shape cannot be resolved. This is equivalent to the case where the entire atmosphere is treated as one layer with a fixed shape of temperature profile. When n approaches infinity, both the vertical resolution and error effect are maximum. This is equivalent to the case where the entire atmosphere is divided into m (the number of spectral channels) layers. Within each layer, the temperatures are adjusted by a constant, and any structure different from the initial shape cannot be resolved. Also, the shape of the final solution is closer to the initial profile if the value of n is smaller.
Modeling and estimating variances in regression

ABSTRACT It is well known that ignoring heteroscedasticity in regression analysis adversely affects the efficiency of estimation and renders the usual procedure for constructing prediction intervals inappropriate. In some applications, such as off-line quality control, knowledge of the variance function is also of considerable interest in its own right. Thus the modeling of variance constitutes an important part of regression analysis. A common practice in modeling variance is to assume that a certain function of the variance can be closely approximated by a function of a known parametric form. The logarithm link function is often used even if it does not fit the observed variation satisfactorily, as other alternatives may yield negative estimated variances. In this paper we propose a rich class of link functions for more flexible variance modeling which alleviates the major difficulty of negative variances. We suggest also an alternative analysis for heteroscedastic regression models that exploits the pr...
Presidential Address: On Mainstreaming Evaluation

The practice of evaluation in organizations continues to be limited by perceptions that evaluation is a marginal activity. Arguments demonstrating the importance of evaluation have been ineffective in moving most organizations toward integrating evaluation into their daily routines. A multifaceted approach to making evaluation a part of organizational culture is proposed. It includes using allies, examples, models, research, process guides, and trainers/developers. This article is based on The Presidential Address given by Dr. James R. Sanders at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) in St. Louis, MO. The theme for the conference was “Mainstreaming Evaluation.”
MET as a target for treatment of chest tumors

The receptor tyrosine kinase MET has been studied of a large variety of human cancers, including lung and mesothelioma. The MET receptor and its ligand HGF (hepatocyte growth factor) play important roles in cell growth, survival and migration, and dysregulation of the HGF-MET pathway leads to oncogenic changes including tumor proliferation, angiogenesis and metastasis. In small cell lung cancer (SCLC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), MET is dysregulated via overexpression, constitutive activation, gene amplification, ligand-dependent activation, mutation or epigenetic mechanisms. New drugs targeted against MET and HGF are currently being investigated in vitro and in vivo, with promising results. These drugs function at a variety of steps within the HGF-MET pathway, including MET expression at the RNA or protein level, the ligand-receptor interaction, and tyrosine kinase function. This paper will review the structure, function, mechanisms of tumorigenesis, and potential for therapeutic inhibition of the MET receptor in lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Changes in phospholipid biosynthetic enzymes in Type II cells and alveolar macrophages isolated from rat lungs after NO2 exposure

Abstract The activities of phospholipid biosynthesizing enzymes and subcellular marker enzymes were measured in type II cells and alveolar macrophages isolated from rat lungs 48 hr after exposure to air or 40 ppm NO 2 . DNA and protein increased in cell fractions from NO 2 -exposed lungs, but NO 2 exposure had no effect on the percentage of type II cells in isolated cell fractions. A general increase in cell content of biosynthetic enzyme activities (units/mg DNA) was observed in type II cells from NO 2 -exposed rats, but no change was detected in the activity of the microsomal marker enzyme, NADPH cytochrome c reductase. Glycerolphosphate acyltransferase and choline phosphotransferase increased 171 and 168%, respectively, and phosphatidate phosphohydrolase increased 69%. Glycerolphosphate phosphatidyltranferase increased 143% and succinate cytochrome c reductase, the mitochondrial marker enzyme, increased 111%. Type II cells from control lungs contained a greater than threefold higher activity of the phosphatidylglycerol synthesizing enzyme, glycerolphosphate phosphatidyltransferase, compared to alveolar macrophages, and comparable activities of the enzymes of phosphatidylcholine synthesis and of the microsomal and mitochondrial reductases. Exposure to NO 2 resulted in a significant increase in NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity (46%) in macrophages, but no change in any biosynthetic enzymes. The increases in protein content and activity of phospholipid biosynthetic enzymes in type II cells are consistent with a general hypertrophy of type II cells which includes stimulation of surfactant phospholipid biosynthesis 2 days after exposure to NO 2 , when type II cell proliferation is occurring.
Garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O12 Electrolyte Prepared by a Solution-Based Technique for Lithium ion battery

High quality garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O12 solid electrolyte was synthesized using a solution-based technique. The electrolyte pellets were sintered at 900 °C, resulting in tetragonal phase, which then transformed to cubic phase after annealing at 1230 °C. The ionic conductivity of both phases was studied and revealed to be 3.67×10−7 S/cm and 1.67×10−4 S/cm, respectively. A proto-type cell comprising of Li7La3Zr2O12 electrolyte, LiCoO2 cathode and lithium metal anode was assembled. The cell made with the cubic phase electrolyte exhibited superior performance than the one made with the tetragonal phase electrolyte. The former cell possessed a very promising gravimetric discharge capacity of 3.4 mAh/g, which is the highest value obtained among similar setups.
The Picard Group of Equivariant Stable Homotopy Theory

Abstract Let G be a compact Lie group. We describe the Picard group Pic(HoG S ) of invertible objects in the stable homotopy category of G-spectra in terms of a suitable class of homotopy representations of G. Combining this with results of tom Dieck and Petrie, which we reprove, we deduce an exact sequence that gives an essentially algebraic description of Pic(HoG S ) in terms of the Picard group of the Burnside ring of G. The deduction is based on an embedding of the Picard group of the endomorphism ring of the unit object of any stable homotopy category C in the Picard group of C .
Extra-cellular polysaccharides, soluble microbial products, and natural organic matter impact on nanofiltration membranes flux decline.

Extra-cellular polysaccharides (EPS), soluble microbiological products (SMP), dispersed bacterial cells, and a well-characterized natural organic matter (NOM) isolate were observed to determine their influence on the flux decline of model nanofiltration membrane systems. Biofouling tests were conducted using bench-scale, flat-sheet membrane modules, fed with particle-free (laboratory) waters and natural waters, some of which were augmented with readily biodegradable organic carbon. The modules were operated 6.7 × 105 Pa, and 21 ± 2° C. Membrane flux-decline was associated with increases in surface EPS mass: between 30 and 80% of normalized flux decline occurred when membrane-associated EPS content increased from 5 to 50 μg/cm2. As judged by standard culturing, heterotrophic cell densities recovered from membrane biofilm samples showed no significant correlations with the different carbon sources present in the feedwaters, or flux decline rates. Results suggested that, in the absence of microbiological ac...
Partitioning rectilinear figures into rectangles

This paper discusses the problem of partitioning rectilinear regions, with or without holes, into a minimum number of rectangles. An algorithm which solves this partitioning problem in time O(n5/2), where n is the number of vertices of the rectilinear figure, is presented.
Characterization of the 2-[(R)-2-hydroxypropylthio]ethanesulfonate dehydrogenase from Xanthobacter strain Py2: product inhibition, pH dependence of kinetic parameters, site-directed mutagenesis, rapid equilibrium inhibition, and chemical modification.

Although the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily contains a very large number of members defined in annotated databases and by biochemical and structural studies, very few SDR enzymes have been identified that have a homologous partner catalyzing the same reaction but with an opposite stereospecificity. In the present study we have cloned and expressed one of these enzymes, the 2-((R)-2-hydroxypropylthio)ethanesulfonate (R-HPC) dehydrogenase, that is part of the coenzyme M-dependent pathway of alkene and epoxide metabolism in Xanthobacter strain Py2. Investigation of the kinetic mechanism using product inhibition suggested that a compulsory-ordered ternary complex mechanism was followed. The pH dependence of kcat/Km indicated the presence of a single ionizable residue of catalytic importance (pKa ) 6.9) that was proposed to be Y155 of the catalytic triad. Amino acid substitutions of the putative catalytic triad residues produced inactive enzymes (S142C, Y155F, Y155E, and K159A) or enzyme with a greatly decreased activity (S142A). Inhibitors were investigated as probes of the molecular features of R-HPC that contribute to substrate binding. 2-(( S)-2-Hydroxypropylthio)- ethanesulfonate (S-HPC) and 2-(2-methyl-2-hydroxypropylthio)ethanesulfonate were found to be competi- tive inhibitors of R-HPC with Kic values close to the Km for R-HPC. The arginine-specific modifiers 2,3-butanedione and phenylglyoxal were found to be inactivators, and inactivation could be protected against by the addition of R-HPC. 2,3-Butanedione was found to reduce enzyme activity with R-HPC as a substrate much more dramatically than with substrates that lacked a sulfonate moiety (e.g., 2-propanol, (R)-2-pentanol, and (R)-2-heptanol). Amino acid analyses of enzyme modified by 2,3-butanedione in the presence and absence of S-HPC suggested protection of a single arginine residue. On the basis of these results, we propose that one or more active site arginines play a key role in substrate binding via an ionic interaction with the sulfonate moiety of R-HPC.
Ultracompact corner-mirrors and T-branches in silicon-on-insulator

In this letter, we have designed and fabricated low-loss ultrasmall corner mirrors and T-branches on thin silicon-on-insulator material system. The measured performance of the devices agrees with simulations using finite-difference time-domain calculations. These devices demonstrate the potential of this high-refractive-index-contrast material system for high-density planar optical integrated circuits.
Malebranche and Occasional Causes

In VI.ii.3 of The Search After Truth Malebranche offers an argument for the view that only God is a cause. Here I defend an interpretation of the argument according to which Malebranche is supposing (quite rightly) that if there is a necessary connection between a cause and its effect, then if creatures were real causes, God's volitions would not be sufficient to bring about their intended effects. I then consider the argument from constant creation that Malebranche offers in Dialogues on Metaphysics and on Religion. If Malebranche holds that God is literally creating things in their entirety at each and every moment, it is difficult to understand how his system could make room for finite substances, and it is difficult to understand how he can allow that finite minds are to be held accountable for what they do. Here I defend a weakened version of the doctrine of constant creation according to which God is constantly creating the modifications of things but is not constantly creating things in their entirety.
Improving Downward Communication: focus on Management Methods

(1968). Improving Downward Communication: focus on Management Methods. Hospital Topics: Vol. 46, No. 6, pp. 58-60.
PREDICTORS OF PATHOLOGICAL STAGE BEFORE NEOADJUVANT ANDROGEN WITHDRAWAL THERAPY AND RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY

AbstractPurpose: This prospective randomized trial was used to compare predictive factors for organ confined margin negative status after radical prostatectomy with and without a 3-month course of neoadjuvant androgen withdrawal therapy.Materials and Methods: A total of 213 patients with localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate were randomized to radical prostatectomy with or without a 3-month course of 300 mg. neoadjuvant cyproterone acetate daily. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine significant predictors of organ confined margin negative status after radical prostatectomy in both groups. Parameters evaluated included baseline prostate specific antigen (PSA 4 or less, 4.1 to 10, greater than 10 ng./ml.), clinical stage (T2c versus T2b or less), biopsy Gleason score and percentage of surface area of biopsies involved with cancer. The multivariate analysis was repeated with PSA density and the natural logarithm of PSA to optimize the model.Results: In the radical prostatectomy ...
Aligning Assessments With State Curriculum Standards and Teaching Strategies

This article describes the steps of moving from state curriculum standards for writing to selecting and teaching a writing strategy to designing curriculum-based assessments in writing. The relationship between assessment and instruction is strengthened as educators monitor student progress in the state curriculum standards, make sound instructional decisions, and prepare students for annual assessments required by state education agencies.
Oscillator Strengths of the Resonance Lines of Krypton and Xenon

The oscillator strengths of the 1S0–1P1 (1165 A) and the 1S0–3P1 (1236 A) resonance transitions in krypton and the 1S0–1P1 (1296 A) resonance transition in xenon were determined by the method of total absorption. A 2-m absorbing path and pressures in the range of 0.006–0.064 torr were used. The results were Kr: 1S0–1P1 (1165 A)f = 0.193±0.009 (39 determinations)Kr: 1S0–3P1 (1236 A)f = 0.187±0.006 (49 determinations)Xe: 1S0–1P1 (1296 A)f = 0.194±0.005 (35 determinations).
Evolution from BCS to BEC superfluidity in p-wave Fermi gases.

We consider the evolution of superfluid properties of a three-dimensional $p$-wave Fermi gas from a weak coupling Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) to strong coupling Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) limit as a function of scattering volume. At zero temperature, we show that a quantum phase transition occurs for $p$-wave systems, unlike the $s$-wave case where the BCS to BEC evolution is just a crossover. Near the critical temperature, we derive a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory and show that the GL coherence length is generally anisotropic due to the $p$-wave nature of the order parameter, and becomes isotropic only in the BEC limit.
Pertussis toxin alters the innate and the adaptive immune responses in a pertussis-dependent model of autoimmunity

Pertussis toxin (PTX) is used to promote development of autoimmune diseases. The mechanism(s) are still incompletely understood. We dissected the innate and adaptive immune responses in a PTX-dependent model of autoimmune retinal disease, experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU), a Th1-driven disease of the neural retina elicited in F344 rats with a peptide derived from the retinal antigen interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP). Our results showed that optimal doses of PTX led to strongly increased innate cytokine responses, followed by enhanced adaptive Th1 immunity and disease. At supraoptimal doses of PTX, EAU was suppressed, the animals exhibited persistent lymphocytosis and had an inhibited chemotactic response to chemokines. We suggest that the suppressive effect of PTX at supraoptimal doses is due to inhibition of lymphocyte emigration from the blood into the target tissue, secondary to inhibition of Gi-protein-coupled chemokine receptor signaling, that persists into the effector phase of disease.
Patterns of CO2Variability from Global Satellite Data

AbstractThe authors present an analysis of the global midtropospheric CO2 retrieved for all-sky (clear and cloudy) conditions from measurements by the Atmospheric Infrared Radiation Sounder on board the Aqua satellite in 2003–09. The global data coverage allows the identification of the set of CO2 spatial patterns and their time variability by applying principal component analysis and empirical mode decomposition. The first, dominant pattern represents 93% of the variability and exhibits the linear trend of 2 ± 0.2 ppm yr−1, as well as annual and interannual dependencies. The single-site record of CO2 at Mauna Loa compares well with variability of this pattern. The first principal component is phase shifted relative to the Southern Oscillation, indicating a causative relationship between the atmospheric CO2 and ENSO. The higher-order patterns show regional details of CO2 distribution and display the semiannual oscillation. The CO2 distributions are compared with the distribution of two major characteristi...
A Comparison of Some Finite Element and Finite Difference Methods for a Simple Sloshing Problem

It is expected that such agreement in the shock position be- tween hot and cold tests would persist at points off the cen- ter plane. The shock position in the center-plane and at several span- wise locations was calculated from the charts presented by Squire1 for Mach 6.8 and ratio of specific heats 1.4. The computed points are compared with the shock shape traced off the vapor screen photographs, corrected for perspective distortion, in Fig. 2. Here again a generally good agreement is found in the range of incidence investigated. The use of Squire's theory to check the experimental results requires comment. This theory has not been previously assessed experimentally for shock shape in published litera- ture (except in the plane of symmetry by optical measure- ments, as in Ref. 2 where agreement similar to that found here was obtained at .M = 8.2). However, it has been found to yield satisfactory predictions of spanwise pressure distribu- tion over a variety of delta wing shapes in the Mach number range 2.47 to 8.6.1 Squire's solution for the wing shock shape was used to calculate the interaction with the flap shock on a delta wing with trailing-edge flap at M = 8.23 and good agree- ment with experiment was obtained. Thus, it is felt that Squire's theory provides the shock shape for delta wings with reasonable accuracy. While the data presented here is limited to one Mach num- ber and model configuration, the schlieren results as well as theoretical calculations of this study suggest that the vapor screen technique is useful for quantitative shock information. A very simple experimental technique would then appear to be available for determining the hypersonic shock envelope of complex vehicle configurations.
The Use of Ultraviolet Irradiation in the Estimation of Retinol (Vitamin A Alcohol) and Its Derivatives With Special Reference to the Unusual Stability of Retinoic Acid

Quantitative studies on the estimation of retinol (Vitamin A alcohol) and its derivatives retinoic acid, retinal, retinyl acetate, and retinyl palmitate in dilute solution using the method of destruction by ultraviolet irradiation, showed that retinoic acid in organic solvents required a period of irradiation of from 2.5 to 8 times as long for destruction as did the other forms of the vitamin. This fact should be taken into consideration in any attempt to apply the method of Bessey et al. (1) for the analysis of retinoic acid in biologic material. Furthermore, standard solutions of retinoic acid in organic solvents are more stable after storage in the dark than are the other derivatives of the vitamin.
Spatial compressive sensing approach for field directionality estimation.

This work addresses the problem of field directionality estimation using uniform linear array. Recent advances from the compressive sensing theory were invoked for this application. Motivated by a sparse representation of the field directionality in frequency-wavenumber domain, a spatial compressive sensing-based method for the field directionality estimation is proposed in this work. This method is conceptually different from other classical algorithms, achieving a high azimuth resolution using relatively short array. This work provides an alternative, spatial interpretation for the compressive sensing theory in application to array signal processing. Major advantages of the proposed approach are simplicity of an implementation and a high angular resolution achievable by short arrays.
Phosphate-dependent glutaminase from rat kidney: Cause of increased activity in response to acidosis and identity with glutaminase from other tissues

Abstract Immune serum was prepared against phosphate-dependent glutaminase purified from rat kidney and was used to investigate the cause of increased renal glutaminase activity in acidotic rats. Crude kidney homogenates from acidotic rats exhibited a fourfold greater specific activity for phosphate-dependent glutaminase. The glutaminase was solubilized initially by lyophilization of borate treated mitochondria with a 40–60% recovery and with maintenance of threefold difference in specific activity. Both preparations showed the same equivalence point in a quantitative precipitin experiment. To confirm these results, phosphate-dependent glutaminase was also solubilized by treatment of mitochondria isolated from normal and acidotic rat kidney cortex with 1% Triton X-100. The two preparations exhibited a fivefold difference in specific activity and again showed the same equivalence point in a quantitative precipitin experiment. These results indicate that the cause of increased phosphate-dependent glutaminase activity during acidosis is due to the presence of an increased amount of this enzyme. The antiserum prepared against the kidney phosphate-dependent glutaminase did not crossreact with glutaminase solubilized from rat liver mitochondria. But, rat brain mitochondria do contain a phosphate-dependent glutaminase that is immunologically identical to the enzyme from rat kidney.
Model reduction of stochastic systems

A method for reducing the order of a stochastic time invariant linear system (i.e., system with parameter-uncertainty), is presented. It relies on the singular value decomposition of the controllability Grammian to determine the aggregation matrix and the state feedback law to insure the stability of the model. With this model, the desired state variables or their linear combinations are reproduced. Thus, some of the internal structural properties of the system are preserved in the model. The results are illustrated by a numerical example.
Subclinical Hypothyroidism, Weight Change, and Body Composition in the Elderly: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism is common in the elderly, yet its relationship with weight and body composition is unclear. Objective: We examined the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and weight change and body composition in older adults. Methods: A total of 427 subclinically hypothyroid and 2864 euthyroid U.S. individuals ≥65 years old enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study and not taking thyroid preparations were included. Analyses of 6-year weight change were performed, compared by thyroid status. A cross-sectional analysis of thyroid status and body composition was performed in a subset of 1276 participants who had dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans. Models were risk factor-adjusted and stratified by sex. Results: Overall, participants lost weight during follow-up (−0.38 kg/y in men, −0.37 kg/y in women). Subclinical hypothyroidism, when assessed at a single time point or persisting over 2 years, was not associated with a difference in weight change compared with euthyr...
Age at first court intervention and the likelihood of recidivism among less serious juvenile offenders

One of the rationales for diverting younger, less serious juvenile offenders from juvenile court is that there may be an inverse relationship between a juvenile offender's age at first formal intervention and his or her probability of recidivating. Yet, a truly reliable empirical test of this relationship has never been presented in the literature. Overcoming the barriers to such a test, this study examined the recidivism rates of six age-group cohorts of male delinquents in Illinois in order to test whether differences in juvenile's ages at first formal intervention (in cases in which first arrests involved class 3 or class 4 felonies) correspond with significant differences in recidivism probabilities. Results support the idea that differences in age at first formal intervention do not correspond with significant differences in recidivism probabilities. These findings would not have resulted without the use of varied follow-up periods for the different cohorts (to control for the influence of age during the follow-up period on the probability of criminal behavior).
Modeling Temporal Crowd Work Quality with Limited Supervision

While recent work has shown that a worker’s performance can be more accurately modeled by temporal correlation in task performance, a fundamental challenge remains in the need for expert gold labels to evaluate a worker’s performance. To solve this problem, we explore two methods of utilizing limited gold labels, initial training and periodic updating. Furthermore, we present a novel way of learning a prediction model in the absence of gold labels with uncertaintyaware learning and soft-label updating. Our experiment with a real crowdsourcing dataset demonstrates that periodic updating tends to show better performance than initial training when the number of gold labels are very limited (< 25).
“I Won’t Pay Child Support, But I Insist on Visitation.” Should Visitation and Child Support Be Linked?

When parents with minor children divorce, they have legal as well as moral duties to support their children. Turning from support to custody, divorcing parents share equal rights to legal and physical custody. In most cases, parents agree on the post-marital custody and support arrangement that is best for their family. When parents cannot agree, a judge decides. If one parent gets sole or primary physical custody, the noncustodial parent enjoys visitation. Millions of divorced parents “make it work.” Often, there isn’t enough money, but that’s true for most Americans most of the time. Divorced parents do their best to forge new lives for themselves and their kids, cooperating despite the breakup. Unfortunately, anyone who has spent more than fifteen minutes in family court understands that some divorced couples are anything but cooperative. The anger, frustration, and depression wafting through family court are thick enough to cut with a knife. Charles Dickens would struggle for words to describe the torrent of emotion running through family court. Some warring parents wield their children as weapons on the post-divorce battlefield. One tactic designed to vanquish the other parent is to withhold child support. Untold numbers of noncustodial parents who could pay child support don’t. In 2013, Emily Alpert Reyes reported in the Los Angeles Times, “More than $14 billion of child support was left unpaid to American parents in a single
A Preliminary Study Examining the Digital Cushion in Horses

Abstract The digital cushion is important for the dissipation of impact as the foot contacts the ground. If there is inefficient energy dissipation, potential exists for changes to occur in the foot. Although ultrasonic imaging of the digital cushion has been reported, it is unknown if these measurements account for compositional changes that have been reported across age, breed, and between fore and hind feet. Therefore, the objective of this preliminary study was to establish baseline values in mature, stock type horses with adequate body condition score (BCS). To meet this objective, 24 mature, stock-type horses of similar age, height, and weight were used to establish baseline values for the digital cushion thickness in the live horse. All horses were sound at the time of data collection and had no known history of long-term lameness conditions. Digital cushion thickness of the left fore and left hind foot was determined using ultrasound through the transcuneal approach. Data were analyzed using the PROC MEANS and PROC GLM procedure of SAS with a least square means statement. Significance was set at P ≤ .05. Mean values (±standard error [SE]) for age, weight, height, and BCS were 10.7 ± 0.86 years, 476.2 ± 7.75 kg, 153.56 ± 0.90 cm, and 5.6 ± 0.12, respectively. Mean values (±SE) for the digital cushion of the left fore and left hind were 0.96 ± 0.03 and 1.02 ± 0.04 cm, respectively. When comparing the left fore and left hind, there was no significant difference observed. Overall, baseline values of digital cushion thickness for fore and hind feet were established, allowing for future studies to assess the different variables known to affect digital cushion composition.
Maintenance Training and Simulation: Design Processes and Evaluation Criteria

There is general agreement among instructional designers that training people to maintain complex systems has unique characteristics not found in other training endeavors. These unique characterist...
Ventricular endoaneurysmorrhaphy: results of an improved method of repair.

Abstract We recently repaired 4 large ventricular aneurysms using a new technique that restores normal shape, contour, and volume to the ventricle. An elliptical woven Dacron patch graft is fashioned to replace the diseased area in the ventricular cavity, and to exclude the nonfunctioning fibrous area. In all patients, left ventricular function improved postoperatively in each variable measured by single and biplane computer analysis. There was a 2-fold or greater increase in ejection fraction. This technique restores the internal contour and preserves the surface anatomy of the ventricle, and permits revascularization of the anterior descending or other coronary arteries when indicated. (Texas Heart Institute Journal 1989;16:72-5)
Eosinophil resistance to glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis is mediated by the transcription factor NFIL3

The mainstay of asthma therapy, glucocorticoids (GCs) exert their therapeutic effects through the inhibition of inflammatory signaling and induction of eosinophil apoptosis. However, laboratory and clinical observations of GC-resistant asthma suggest that GCs' effects on eosinophil viability may depend on the state of eosinophil activation. In the present study we demonstrate that eosinophils stimulated with IL-5 show impaired pro-apoptotic response to GCs. We sought to determine the contribution of GC-mediated transactivating (TA) and transrepressing (TR) pathways in modulation of activated eosinophils' response to GC by comparing their response to the selective GC receptor (GR) agonist Compound A (CpdA) devoid of TA activity to that upon treatment with Dexamethasone (Dex). IL-5-activated eosinophils showed contrasting responses to CpdA and Dex, as IL-5-treated eosinophils showed no increase in apoptosis compared to cells treated with Dex alone, while CpdA elicited an apoptotic response regardless of IL-5 stimulation. Proteomic analysis revealed that both Nuclear Factor IL-3 (NFIL3) and Map Kinase Phosphatase 1 (MKP1) were inducible by IL-5 and enhanced by Dex; however, CpdA had no effect on NFIL3 and MKP1 expression. We found that inhibiting NFIL3 with specific siRNA or by blocking the IL-5-inducible Pim-1 kinase abrogated the protective effect of IL-5 on Dex-induced apoptosis, indicating crosstalk between IL-5 anti-apoptotic pathways and GR-mediated TA signaling occurring via the NFIL3 molecule. Collectively, these results indicate that (1) GCs' TA pathway may support eosinophil viability in IL-5-stimulated cells through synergistic upregulation of NFIL3; and (2) functional inhibition of IL-5 signaling (anti-Pim1) or the use of selective GR agonists that don't upregulate NFIL3 may be effective strategies for the restoring pro-apoptotic effect of GCs on IL-5-activated eosinophils.
In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A 30-Year Review

Background: We performed a meta-analysis to (1) assess the disputed issue of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) success rates among elderly patients, (2) investigate the possibility of a declining CPR success rate between 1960 and 1990, (3) provide an overview estimate of CPR effectiveness in specific patient groups, and (4) assess CPR risks. Methods: Ninety-eight reports providing in-hospital CPR survival-to-discharge rates were included in this overview. These reports were identified from MEDLINE searches, previous reviews, and reference citations. Results: A pooled analysis revealed that 2994 (15 percent) of 19,955 patients were successfully resuscitated (survival to discharge). The rate of successful CPR has not changed in 30 years (r = –0.14, P > 0.05), but there has been a steady decline in the optimism regarding its value (r = –0.29, P Conclusion: The increasing pessimism about the value of CPR, specifically, its futility in the elderly patient, is not supported by this review. The results of this meta-analysis should assist both the physician and the patient in determining the probable outcome of CPR.
Quality of life following definitive therapy for localized prostate cancer: potential impact of multiple therapies.

Purpose of reviewPatients with clinically localized prostate cancer often undergo multiple therapies during their disease trajectory, either as planned combinations or as salvage for recurrence. Most studies of health-related quality of life in men with prostate cancer have focused on those receivin
Listeria monocytogenes transfer during mechanical dicing of celery and growth during subsequent storage.

The transfer of Listeria monocytogenes to previously uncontaminated product during mechanical dicing of celery and its growth during storage at various temperatures were evaluated. In each of three trials, 275 g of retail celery stalks was immersed in an aqueous five-strain L. monocytogenes cocktail to obtain an average of 5.6 log CFU/g and then was diced using a hand-operated dicer, followed by sequential dicing of 15 identical 250-g batches of uninoculated celery using the same dicer. Each batch of diced celery was examined for numbers of Listeria initially and after 3 and 7 days of storage at 4, 7, and 10°C. Additionally, the percentage by weight of inoculated product transferred to each of 15 batches of uninoculated celery was determined using inoculated red stems of Swiss chard as a surrogate. Listeria transfer to diced celery was also assessed after removing the Swiss chard. L. monocytogenes transferred from the initial batch of inoculated celery to all 15 batches of uninoculated celery during dicin...
Case-control Study on Effect of Oral Rotavirus Attenuated Live Vaccine against Rotavirus Diarrhea

Objective This study is to evaluate the effect of oral rotavirus attenuated live vaccine (ORV) against rotavirus diarrhea among children who were hospitalized under five years old. Methods 838 cases of rotavirus diarrhea being in hospital from 2007 to 2009 were matched according to gender, age,residence in Tianjin children's hospital. Vaccine efficacy was calculated of ORV with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results The vaccine efficacy of one dose ORV was 70. 8% (95% CI 57. 5%-80. 0%),which in children of 2-22 months old was better than those of 12-23 months old (81. 3% and 54. 0%,respectively). Conclusion We found that one dose ORV was moderately effective for preventing hospitalized rotavirus diarrhea.