cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect and Safety of Prolonged Ibuprofen Exposure on Preventing White-Matter Injury in Premature Infants

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of prolonged ibuprofen exposure on preventing white-matter injury in premature infants. Methods Forty-four cases of premature infants in the NICU of Wuhan Children′s Hospital from Apr.2008 to Aug.2009 were randomly divided into 3 groups.In control group,15 cases of premature infants received 6 doses of oral placebo at 24-hour intervals.In short-course treatment group,15 cases of premature infants received 3 doses of oral ibuprofen suspension at 24-hour intervals,then followed by 3 doses of placebo postnatal 2 to 3 days.In long-course treatment group,14 cases of premature infants received 6 doses of oral ibuprofen suspension at 24-hour intervals.The patients in all 3 groups were measured by the neonatal behavioral neurological assessment(NBNA) at 40-week correction gestational age and by the development quotient(DQ) at 3,6,12 months old.All of the patients were detected by magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) postnatal 4 to 7 days or 3 months old. Results 1.The score of NBNA:There was significant difference among 3 groups at 40-week correction gestational age(F=5.80,P0.01).By paired comparison,the score in long-course treatment group was significantly higher than that in control group and short-course treatment group(Pa0.05),but there was no significant difference between control group and short-course treatment group(P0.05).2.The score of DQ:Compared among 3 groups,there were significant differences at 3,6,12 months old respectively(Pa0.05).The score in long-course treatment group was significantly higher than that in control group and short-course treatment group(Pa0.05),but there was no significant difference between control group and short-course treatment group(Pa0.05).3.The score of MRI:Among 3 groups no statistical difference was found in the neonatal period(P0.05),but there was significant difference at 3 months old(P0.05),and the score in long-course treatment group was significantly lower than that in control group(P0.05).4.The incidence of adverse effects:There was no significant difference among 3 groups(28.57% vs 26.67% vs 20.00%;χ2=0.32,P0.05). Conclusion There is an obvious preventing effect on white-matter injury in premature infants by prolonged ibuprofen exposure and no adverse effects.
Journal Club: Time trends in incidence, case fatality, and mortality of intracerebral hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains one of the most catastrophic stroke subtypes, with high case-fatality rate and poor functional outcomes. In the Journal Club article “Time trends in incidence, case fatality, and mortality of intracerebral hemorrhage” by Jolink et al.,1 hospital and population registries were used to assess age- and sex-specific trends in incidence and case fatality of patients with ICH in the Netherlands. The study provides a significant epidemiologic contribution examining a large cohort of patients with ICH from 1980 to 2010. The authors report a decline in incidence, case-fatality, and mortality rates of ICH in men and women younger than 75 years but stable rates in patients 75 years and older in the Dutch population. Although these data do not have direct implications for clinical practice, and their generalizability to all ICH patient populations may be limited, they are very useful in consolidating epidemiologic knowledge about ICH in the last decades.
Applied Antifungal Pharmacometrics: Fluconazole and Echinocandins in the Treatment of Candidemia and Invasive Candidiasis

In this chapter, we review the application of pharmacometric data to the treatment of invasive candidiasis in adults. Echinocandin antifungals are increasingly recognized as first-choice agents against candidemia and many other types of invasive candidiasis. Fluconazole is the agent of choice against mucosal candidiasis and remains an effective alternative agent against invasive candidiasis. In particular, fluconazole may be preferred for the treatment of patients with prior echinocandin exposure or infections such as urosepsis or endophthalmitis, in which echinocandins are limited by pharmacokinetic considerations. Fluconazole is also a useful step-down agent after a clinical response to treatment with an echinocandin. Data from the mouse model of hematogenously disseminated candidiasis identify fluconazole area under the curve (AUC)/minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and echinocandin C max/MIC as pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK–PD) parameters that are most closely associated with successful treatment. Fluconazole AUC/MIC ≥ 25 and ≥ 75 are acceptable and optimal targets, respectively, for achieving successful outcomes in mouse models and humans. Simulation models predict that acceptable and optimal AUC/MIC will be reliably achieved in patients if daily fluconazole dose/MIC ratio is ≥ 50 and ≥ 100, respectively. Echinocandins are more active than fluconazole against Candida albicans and C. glabrata strains in the mouse model. Echinocandin MICs are higher against C. parapsilosis than other species, but PK–PD targets are lower and echinocandins have been used successfully against C. parapsilosis candidemia in clinical trials. PK–PD data suggest that echinocandins will be most effective if administered infrequently at high doses; such regimens must be validated in clinical trials, and the impact on resistance and toxicity must be defined.
Intracavernous Pharmacotherapy for Impotence: Selection of Appropriate Agent and Dose

AbstractWe performed a retrospective analysis of 101 impotent patients using intracavernous self-injections as primary therapy for vasculogenic impotence. A total of 70 patients used an average of 5.58μg. prostaglandin E1 (95% confidence interval 4.83 to 6.34μg.) as a single agent, and 31 injected 0.40ml. (95% confidence interval 0.342 to 0.457ml.) of a combination of papaverine (12mg./ml.), phentolamine (1mg./ml.) and prostaglandin E1 (9μg./ml.). We describe the procedure to establish the dosage for home use and discuss the implications of the low dosages relative to previous reports.
Insect Conservation in an Urban Biodiversity Hotspot: The San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area hosts a diverse insect fauna and a dense cluster of urban areas. The high diversity of insects in the Bay Area arises for three primary reasons: its location in the California biotic province, the diverse local environment and the entomologist-area effect. The juxtaposition of high insect diversity and an area intensively used by humans led to the first recorded extinction as well as the first efforts to conserve insects in the United States. Habitat loss due to urbanization, agriculture, and invasive species is largely responsible for local extinctions and reduction in abundance of the remaining species. Invasive species such as the Argentine ant and pathogens causing mortality of oaks and pines are poised to have substantial impacts on the insect fauna of the Bay Area in the near future. Understanding which taxa can or cannot persist in remnant habitat patches within an urban or agricultural matrix, and what management practices would encourage persistence should be a focus of future research. Assessments of population status should be focused on insects at risk of extinction because of their restricted geographic ranges, low vagility, interactions with invasive species, or known reduction in their habitat. Assessments that combine examinations of museum collections, literature, and field surveys might enable determination of the status of many species within the Bay Area. Such an approach might better define the scope and magnitude of the problem of conserving insects in an increasingly urbanized region.
Standard Test Methods for Spine Implants

Spinal implants must withstand a wide range of variable loads during daily activities in the human body. These loads can be static or dynamic, and their magnitudes can differ drastically depending on their position in the spine (cervical, thoracic, or lumbar) and the patient's activity level. Static compressive loads in the upper cervical spine are limited mainly to the weight of the human head Static compressive loads in the lower lumbar spine may be significantly higher, supporting not only the weight of the head and the rest of the spine, but the trunk and arms as well. This chapter discusses various methods for mechanical testing of spinal implant devices, focusing on methods that have been developed by standards organizations such as the American Society for Testing of Materials International (ASTM) and the International Standards Organization (ISO). It also discusses how these voluntary standards are developed and outlines the benefits and limitations of using a standard method for a new device design as opposed to developing an original test method.
The Impact of Mobile Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in Ubiquitous Health Sciences Libraries

ABSTRACTHealth sciences libraries (HSLs) are predisposed to systemic changes that result from the increased use of mobile information communication and technology (ICT). The impact of mobile ICTs requires libraries, especially health sciences libraries (HSLs), to remain viable by adapting to the modifications needed to support the information behaviors of their clients. The use of mobile ICTs is instrumental in how library client’s access digital information. Many HSLs have yet to consistently define their purpose and mission in midst of changing library information ecology. Additionally, “library as place” requires HSLs to redefine the purpose of physical space in order to align with the information needs of their clients. Literature revealed a need for HSLs to provide ongoing professional development, which includes basic technology proficiencies as a way to effectively connect and interact with the growing number of digitally born clients. A review of selected literature was examined to gain clarity on...
Who Are the NSF POWRE Awardees: Why are their Experiences Significant for Academic Women Scientists?

Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE), the National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative designed to facilitate the careers of individual women scientists was conceived in the wake of the November, 1994 Republican sweep of Congress. With a thought of keeping the money for the gender-based program more secure, POWRE became a cross-directorate program funded by the research directorates. The complete four-year cohort of all POWRE awardees (1997–2000) responded to questions regarding career opportunities and challenges and laboratory climate. 389 of the population of 598 POWRE awardees (65 percent) responded to the e-mail, with the respondents being representative of the awardees with regard to discipline. The relatively large sample size and response rates coupled with lack of disciplinary bias suggested that these data might be generalized to the broader population of women scientists and engineers. Knowing and understanding the perceptions and experiences of these successful women faculty and the context available from their qualitative comments provided significant information that administrators and faculty used to develop institutional transformation strategies.
Soviet Conception of Sovereignty and International Law

This author does not believe, as a rule, in the adequacy of such designation of theoretical conceptions of international law as for instance: Italian, or French, or German, etc. Unless a theory is proclaimed to be a national theory of a country, or all the writers in a country are of one and the same opinion in a field, it seems inadequate, from the scholarly point of view, to tie up a theory with the name of a particular nation. It is inadequate because such a terminology tends to cover with one name various and often divergent concepts and beliefs.
From Discovery to Explanation: The History of Gallina Archaeology

This article explores the history of Gallina Phase archaeology including the trajectory of discovery, archaeological research, intellectual thought, and cultural resource management. Discovery and ...
Comparative Analysis of Behavioural Response of Captive-Reared and Wild-Trapped Northern Bobwhites to Simulated Predator Attacks:

Isolated populations of Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) have declined causing many landowners to attempt population restoration by releasing captive-reared birds. These attempts have resul...
Are Gates at Rail Grade Crossings Always Safe? Examining Motorist Gate-Violation Behaviors Using Path Analysis

Abstract Gates are installed at highway-rail grade crossings to prevent collisions between highway users and trains. However, sometimes motorists may intentionally go around or through the lowered gates and this behavior often causes severe crashes. The behavior of violating gates is one of the most dangerous actions a motorist might take at gated crossings; it may compromise the intended safety improvement made by adding gates at crossings. This study answers an important research question – what factors are associated with gate-violation at rail grade crossings. Answering this question extends the understanding of correlates of injury severity in rail grade crossing crashes. This study uses path analysis to explore the contributing factors to the gate-violation behavior and the correlation between gate-violation and injury severity. This study investigated 7129 crashes that occurred at gated crossings between 2005 and 2014 in the United States. Results show there is a 9.92% greater likelihood of gate-violation in crashes at crossing with two quadrant gates (compared with four quadrant gates), and gate-violation is associated with a 7.47% larger chance of being killed in a gated crossing crash. Therefore, through the path analysis, the crossings with two quadrant gates is related to a higher possibility of fatality given a crash, owing to the greater likelihood of gate-violation at such crossings. The study identifies the issue of gate-violation at gated crossings, and contributes to enhancing the understanding of gated crossing safety by incorporating pre-crash behaviors at highway-rail grade crossings.
The role of cytokines in malaria infection.

Abstract We have tested the prophylactic effect of Escherichia coli-derived recombinant human interferon gamma (rHuIFN-(gamma] against sporozoite- or trophozoite-induced Plasmodium cynomolgi B malaria infection in rhesus monkeys. Data show that treatment with only five doses of rHuIFN-(gamma) (0.1 mg/kg body weight) given on days -2, 0, and +2 after infection protected the monkeys against sporozoite-induced P. cynomolgi infection. Animals initially protected by rHuIFN-(gamma) treatment remained susceptible to reinfection. No inhibitory effect of rHuIFN-(gamma) was seen against trophozoite-induced infection. We have also tested the effect of recombinant human tumour necrosis factor (rHuTNF) in rhesus monkeys. No significant activity of TNF was seen against trophozoite-induced P. cynomolgi B infection. rHuIFN-(gamma) inhibited schizogony in functional human hepatocytes infected with P. falciparum sporozoites. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of IFN is limited to the exoerythrocytic stage of parasite development. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) also inhibited hepatic development of P. falciparum sporozoites; however, IL-1 treatment was effective only when applied before sporozoite inoculation. IL-2 and TNF were effective in higher doses.
Zone of retinal vascularization and refractive error in premature eyes with and without spontaneously regressed retinopathy of prematurity.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the relationship between zone of retinal vascularization and refractive error in premature infants without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) or with spontaneously regressed ROP. Methods The medical records of neonates screened for ROP between 2009 and 2015 at a tertiary academic center were reviewed retrospectively. Cases included untreated eyes with spontaneously regressed ROP; premature eyes without a diagnosis of ROP were control subjects. Primary outcomes were zone of retinal vascularization and refractive error, determined by cycloplegic retinoscopy (CR). Results Of 378 eyes evaluated, 184 had ROP, 24 of which underwent treatment and were excluded. Mean corrected age at first CR was 7.5 months. Seventeen eyes without ROP were myopic at first CR (8.8%), compared to 35 eyes with regressed ROP (21.9%). No untreated eyes had halted vasculature in zone I; notably, 44% of spontaneously regressed zone II eyes were myopic. Irrespective of ROP status, CR significantly differed by zone of vascularization ( P P P = 0.001); zone III versus complete vascularization did not statistically differ ( P = 0.15). This relationship held true for untreated, spontaneously regressed ROP eyes ( P P = 0.01, P = 0.8343). Conclusions More myopic refraction occurred in neonates screened for ROP with posterior halting of vascularization. Patients with halted vascular growth in zone II should be closely monitored for myopia and refractive amblyopia.
Reducing the web's carbon footprint: Does improved electrical efficiency reduce webserver electricity use?

Abstract Webservers are major consumers of electricity and, therefore, offer important opportunities for energy conservation. Server electrical efficiency has increased dramatically in recent years, suggesting that technological innovation can curtail electricity consumption. However, over a century ago, Jevons noted reasons to expect that technologies that increase the efficiency of resource use, paradoxically, can increase consumption of those resources. Here, we investigate the extent to which recent gains in server efficiency have translated into lower electricity use. We use the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation's dataset on the electrical consumption and efficiency of over 600 server models tested between 2007 and 2019 to identify the extent to which improvements in electrical efficiency reduce server electricity use (watts) or increase server performance (operations per second). Our analysis estimates that server design innovation tends to favor the latter over the former. Electricity reductions typically equal one-quarter to one-third of a given improvement in electrical efficiency, suggesting a conservation-offsetting “rebound” but not one large enough to constitute a Jevons paradox in which efficiency actually increases resource use.
Computational Study of the Effect of Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Bubbly Flows on Bulk Gas-Liquid Heat Transfer.

A numerical investigation is performed on buoyancy-driven homogeneous and heterogeneous bubbly flows to compare the bulk gas-liquid heat transfer effectiveness for Prandtl (Pr) numbers 0.2-20 and void fractions 〈αg〉 0.3-0.5. For this purpose, transient two-fluid model simulations of bubbles rising in a stagnant pool of liquid are conducted in a rectangular box by applying periodic boundary conditions to all the sides. The temperature difference ( ΔT ) between gas and liquid phase is averaged over the rectangular box and monitored with respect to time, the heat transfer rate is studied based on the time at which the ΔT tends to zero. The results of numerical study show that at low Pr numbers, faster decay of ΔT is observed for homogeneous flow of bubbles indicating higher heat transfer rate in comparison with the heterogeneous flow of bubbles for the same void fraction. On the contrary, for high Pr numbers, higher heat transfer rate is observed in heterogeneous flow compared to the homogeneous. The comparison of heat transfer behavior between different void fractions for heterogeneous flow show that, for low Pr numbers higher heat transfer rate is achieved for void fraction 0.4 in comparison with void fraction 0.5. And for high Pr numbers, higher heat transfer is observed for void fraction 0.5 in comparison with void fraction 0.4.
The medical metropolis: Health care and economic transformation in Pittsburgh and Houston, by Andrew T. Simpson: Philadelphia, PA, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019

In The Medical Metropolis, Andrew T. Simpson tells the story of the United States’ march toward a market-focused health care system through the experiences of two iconic American cities. With detai...
THE EIGENFUNCTION EXPANSION METHOD IN MULTI-FACTOR QUADRATIC TERM STRUCTURE MODELS

We propose the eigenfunction expansion method for pricing options in quadratic term structure models. The eigenvalues, eigenfunctions, and adjoint functions are calculated using elements of the representation theory of Lie algebras not only in the self-adjoint case, but in non-self-adjoint case as well; the eigenfunctions and adjoint functions are expressed in terms of Hermite polynomials. We demonstrate that the method is efficient for pricing caps, floors, and swaptions, if time to maturity is 1 year or more. We also consider subordination of the same class of models, and show that in the framework of the eigenfunction expansion approach, the subordinated models are (almost) as simple as pure Gaussian models. We study the dependence of Black implied volatilities and option prices on the type of non-Gaussian innovations.
College Students' Motives for In-Person Meetings with Dating Application Matches.

Although some research has explored emerging adults' motives for using mobile dating applications, no studies have investigated motives for in-person (or offline) meetings with dating app matches. ...
Popular Culture and Nationalism in Lebanon: The Fairouz and Rahbani Nation

Introduction 1. Baalbeck and the Rahbanis: Folklore 2. The Musical Theater of the Rahbani Brothers: Representation and the Formation of Subjectivities 3. Ziad Rahbani's Theatrical "Novelization" of the Rahbanis' Lebanon 4. Fairouz and/as the Nation. Conclusion: Beiteddine 2000 and Beyond. Appendix: The Musical Theater of the Rahbanis
Plant invasions in protected areas at multiple scales: Linaria vulgaris (Scrophulariaceae) in the west Yellowstone area.

Invasive alien plants have long been recognized as a threat to low-elevation, disturbed environments, but the case of Linaria vulgaris Mill. in Yellowstone National Park and Gallatin National Forest shows that invasions can also spread to high-elevation natural reserves. Because invasions in protected areas are a product of complex processes occurring over a broad range of scales, we argue that a multi-scale research approach is needed to capture both patterns and potential mechanisms of the invasion process. Mapping L. vulgaris at the landscape scale, we found the species occupying a broad range of sites, apparently originating from just 2 historical sources, colonizing both human-caused and natural disturbances. Analyzed at the stand scale, patches tend to aggregate in newly invaded areas and disperse in heavily infested areas. The data suggest that patches grow in size by clonal growth and in number by creation of new satellite patches. Radial patch growth rates are related to site characteristics. Clonal patch scale analysis shows that ramet densities and Linaria 's effects on native plants are highest in patch centers. Both mean ramet height and reproductive vs. vegetative ramet height ratio are higher in patch cores. These results suggest that L. vulgaris may displace natural vegetation by maintaining vigor even in large and old clonal patches. Our results confirm that L. vulgaris is a significant threat to native biodiversity in open, human- or naturally disturbed environments in protected areas of the Rocky Mountains. A multi-scale method can allow managers to better understand patterns of invasion and prioritize management activities to control invasive alien plants, especially in heterogeneous protected area landscapes.
Pseudospectral Solutions of One- and Two-Dimensional Inviscid Flows with Shock Waves

A new approach is presented for the utilization of pseudospectra l techniques for the solution of inviscid flows with shock waves using the full Euler equations of motion. Artificial viscosity is applied together with low pass spectral filtering to damp out numerical oscillations that arise ahead of and behind the shock waves. Both second- and fourth-order artificial viscosity schemes are utilized. The fourth-order scheme is shown to be superior. Solutions are presented for the one-dimensional propagating shock wave problem and for two-dimensional supersonic wedge flow. Agreement between the computational results and the analytic solutions is very good. control the numerical oscillations which arose. Taylor utilized the flux corrected transport algorithm of Boris and Book.3 The computations were stable and the shock position was well predicted. However, due to the strength of the smoothing scheme, the shock corners were rounded. Gottlieb et al. 4 developed a filter which was applied directly to the spectral components of the solution. The filter screened out the high- frequency solution components and yielded a stable scheme. The low pass spectral filter did not by itself provide smooth solutions, in that oscillations were still present. To remedy this, a postprocessor Shuman filter was employed. The shock wave location was determined by an examination of the spectral coefficients. Then, the Shuman filter was applied to the flow on either side of the shock front (not across the shock) to yield smooth flow zones together with a sharp shock front. The present paper describes a third approach to the use of pseudospectral techniques for computing compressible flows with shock waves. Artificial viscosity and a low pass spectral filter are applied throughout the flowfield to control the oscil- latory behavior which the solution otherwise has. Solutions for the one-dimensional propagating shock wave and for the two-dimensional wedge flow are presented which agree very well with the analytical solutions of these classical problems. This "hands-orF approach to obtaining sharp shock fronts and correct shock locations appears to be well suited for the solution of more general two- and three-dimensional prob- lems, with multiple discontinuities whose shape and strength are not known a priori.
Microglial CX3CR1 required for M2 polarization and recovery after intracerebral hemorrhage (INC5P.322)

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, resulting in the activation of microglia. Upon activation, microglia polarize into a pro-inflammatory, M1 phenotype or an M2 phenotype associated with repair. Microglia and monocyte subsets express the chemokine receptor CX3CR1. CX3CR1-null microglia have been shown to have dysregulated inflammation. We hypothesize that microglial CX3CR1-deficiency promotes dysregulated, M1 microglia that do not aid in repair. C57BL/6 (WT) and CX3CR1GFP/GFP (CX3CR1-null) mice were irradiated and reconstituted with bone marrow from WT mice (CD45.1) to generate bone marrow chimeras (CD45.1→WT or CD45.1→CX3CR1-null). ICH was modeled by injecting 20μl of blood into the right striatum. Behavioral outcomes were measured using gait analysis, cylinder test, and beam walking. Mice were sacrificed 14 days after ICH; perihematomal regions were harvested for intracellular staining. The CD45.1→CX3CR1-null mice display greater neurological deficit 14 days after ICH by cylinder test (p=0.002), beam walking (p=<0.001) and gait analysis (p=0.02). By intracellular staining, WT microglia have produce more for IL-10 (p=0.002) and IL-4 (p=0.0003) than CX3CR1-null microglia. CX3CR1-null microglia have less SIRPα (p=0.02) and higher CD36 expression (p=0.0004) compared to WT microglia. Our results suggest CX3CR1 signaling is necessary for microglia to transition from M1 to M2 and contributes to recovery after ICH.
HOXA13 regulates the expression of bone morphogenetic proteins 2 and 7 to control distal limb morphogenesis

In humans and mice, loss of HOXA13 function causes defects in the growth and patterning of the digits and interdigital tissues. Analysis of Hoxa13 expression reveals a pattern of localization overlapping with sites of reduced Bmp2 and Bmp7 expression in Hoxa13 mutant limbs. Biochemical analyses identified a novel series of Bmp2 and Bmp7 enhancer regions that directly interact with the HOXA13 DNA-binding domain and activate gene expression in the presence of HOXA13. Immunoprecipitation of HOXA13- Bmp2 and HOXA13- Bmp7 enhancer complexes from the developing autopod confirm that endogenous HOXA13 associates with these regions . Exogenous application of BMP2 or BMP7 partially rescues the Hoxa13 mutant limb phenotype, suggesting that decreased BMP signaling contributes to the malformations present in these tissues. Together, these results provide conclusive evidence that HOXA13 regulates Bmp2 and Bmp7 expression, providing a mechanistic link between HOXA13, its target genes and the specific developmental processes affected by loss of HOXA13 function.
Hair cell sensing with encapsulated interface bilayers

A gel-supported lipid bilayer formed at the base of an artificial hair is used as the transduction element in a membrane-based artificial haircell sensor inspired by the structure and function of mammalian outer hair cells. This paper describes the initial fabrication and characterization of a bioderived, soft-material alternative to previous artificial haircells that used the transduction properties of synthetic materials for flow and touch sensing. Under an applied air flow, the artificial hair structure vibrates, triggering a picoamp-level electrical current across the bilayer. Experimental analysis of this mechanoelectrical transduction process supports the hypothesis that the oscillating current is produced by a time-varying change in the capacitance of the membrane caused by the vibration of the hair. Specifically, frequency analysis of both the motion of the hair and the measured current show that both phenomena occur at similar frequencies, which suggests that changes in capacitance occur as a result of membrane bending during excitation.
Repair of multiple defects of a regulatory mutant of Neurospora by high osmotic pressure and by reversion.

Abstract A mutant, eth-1 r , of Neurospora crassa is ethionine-resistant, temperature-conditional lethal, and nonrepressible by methionine for the synthesis of aryl sulfatase. Raising the osmolar concentration with glycerol repairs all of these defects. All of these defects are also corrected by reversion events that occur near or in the region of the original eth-1 r alteration.
Interaction of molecules with nucleic acids. II. Two pairs of families of intercalation sites, unwinding angles, and the neighbor-exclusion principle.

Intercalation-site geometries are generated for a tetramer duplex extracted from B-DNA. Glycosidic angles and puckers of the deoxyribose sugar groups bonded to base pairs BP1 and BP4, namely, those at either end of the tetramer duplex, are assumed to be those of B-DNA to insure continuity. All possible geometrical conformations for combinations of C(2′)-endo, C(3′)-endo, C(2′)-exo, and C(3′)-exo sugar puckers are determined for the tetranucleotide backbone. Those with minimum energy are selected as candidates for intercalation sites. Calculations reveal two pairs of physically meaningful families of intercalation sites which occur in two distinct regions, I and II, of helical angles which orient BP2 relative to BP3 and with the helical axis disjointed between these base pairs. For each site I and II within BP2 and BP3, there are two distinct backbone conformations, A and B, connecting BP3 to BP4 or BP1 to BP2 which do not disrupt backbone conformations connecting BP2 to BP3. Hence two pairs, IA and IB, and IIA and IIB, of intercalation sites exist in which the sugar puckers along the backbone of the tetramer alternate from C(2′)-endo to C(3′)-endo on the backbone (5′p3′) connecting BP2 to BP3. The glycosidic angles of the C(3′)-endo sugar χ3γ are, coincidentally, 80° ± 2° for both conformations γ = A and B connecting BP3 to BP4 along the phosphate backbone (5′p3′). Consistent with the theoretical results, the experimental unwinding angles can be grouped into two categories with absolute values of 18° and 26°. The theoretical unwinding angles for sites IA and IB of 16° and for sites IIA and IIB of 20° occur for a displacement of -0.8 A in the helical axes of BP2 and BP3 and for a 100% G·C composition, with a decrease depending on the amount of A·T base pairs present. Ratios of theoretical unwinding angles of sites I and II, which range from 0.75 to 0.84 for the two principal sites, compare well with the experimental value of 0.71. The theoretical results, in agreement with experimental observation, provide a new interpretation of the nature and conformation of the possible binding sites. Conformations obtained from these studies of intercalation sites in a tetramer duplex are used to rationalize the well-known neighbor-exclusion principle. The possibility of violation of this principle is demonstrated by the existence of two families of physically meaningful conformations. Conformations of unconstrained dimer duplexes are also obtained, one of which corresponds to the experimental crystal structure of ethidium–dinucleoside complexes, but these cannot be joined to the B-DNA structure. Backbone conformations of the tetramer duplex can be constructed until the base-pair separation reaches 8.25 A, which may limit the molecules that can intercalate.
An integer-programming-based heuristic for the balanced loading problem

This paper presents an efficient heuristic algorithm for the one-dimensional loading problem in which the goal is to pack homogeneous blocks of given length and weight in a container in such a way that the center of gravity of the packed blocks is as close to a target point as possible. The proposed algorithm is based on the approximation of this problem as a knapsack problem. This algorithm has the same computational complexity but a better worst-case performance than the algorithm recently proposed by Amiouny et al. [Oper. Res. 40 (1992) 238]. Moreover, the computational results also show that, in general, it performs better on randomly generated problems.
Methods for indole alkaloid synthesis:Reactions of -arylsulfonylenamines with electrophiles. An expeditious synthesis of (±)-eburnamonine.

Abstract Treatment of 4 with MCPBA gave 9 . The pentacyclic amide 3 on exposure to cyanogen chloride gave the cis-chloro-hydrin 20 , and the geminal dichloride 21 . When 21 was treated with HCl/MeOH it rapidly rearranged to eburnamonine lactam 22 .
Microinvasive transaxillary thoracoscopic sympathectomy: technical note.

OBJECTIVE To describe a two-port transaxillary thoracoscopic approach for thoracic sympathectomy that maximizes working space, improves manipulative ability, and enhances visualization of the surgical field. METHODS Positioning of the patients was optimized to displace the scapula posteriorly, widen the avenue of approach to the sympathetic ganglia, and create a more direct route to the target. The semi-Fowler position permitted the lung apex to fall away from mediastinal structures, obviating a separate retraction port. A 30-degree endoscope allowed an unobstructed view of surgical progress, and anatomic relationships were manipulated in a temporal sequence to facilitate dissection. RESULTS Microinvasive transaxillary sympathectomy was performed successfully in 13 patients, all of whom had a good outcome without complications. CONCLUSION The modifications implemented increase the speed and safety of thoracoscopic sympathectomy while minimizing complications.
The mid‐life crisis of the American labor movement

Although the US labor movement remains an important part of the nation's organized economic and political life it is now struggling to reverse its decline in power and membership. In this article the author identifies factors explaining this decline and its implications for American labor. This contribution continues the debate begun by Michael Piore in Vol 17 No 3 Autumn 1986.
The assessment of mother-child interactions in physically abusive and nonabusive families

Physically abusive mothers and their children were compared with matched nonabusive mothers and their children in a laboratory playroom setting. Parenting skills, as well as mother-child interaction patterns, were assessed using three different tasks designed to create varying levels of parental stress and child frustration. Mother-child interactions were observed and coded. Questionnaire measures of knowledge of child behavior and a measure of social desirability were also administered. Discriminant function analyses revealed that 10 of the 11 abusive mothers and 10 of the 12 control mothers could be correctly identified, representing an 87% classification rate. The main difference between the two groups was in the overall rate of activity. Abusive mothers engaged in significantly less behavior toward their children than control mothers; behavior rates were essentially similar for both groups of children. Abusive mothers contingently praised appropriate behavior significantly less often than controls, and abused children complied significantly less often to requests. The implications of these findings for the understanding and treatment of abusive parent-child interactions were discussed.
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Age, Race, and Gender Effects

Women have a higher risk of developing torsade de pointes when taking QT-prolonging antiarrhythmic drugs. Elderly women with heart failure may have the highest risk of proarrhythmia. Greater caution should be used when treating women with these drugs, especially when additional risk factors for developing proarrhythmia are present. Women with congenital heart disease frequently experience arrhythmias during pregnancy, and use of antiarrhythmic drugs in this setting poses a special challenge. In the elderly population, the risk of antiarrhythmic drug use may outweigh the benefit, especially in individuals with asymptomatic arrhythmias. Limited data suggest potential ethnic differences in arrhythmic substrates and in proarrhythmic response to antiarrhythmic drugs.
Social comparison after success and failure: Biased search for information consistent with a self-serving conclusion

Abstract Based on the traditional and attributional perspectives on social comparison, it was hypothesized that the search for social comparison information after performance outcomes is biased so as to provide evidence consistent with a favorable self-evaluation. In Experiment 1, subjects were led to believe that they obtained 16 or 8 out of 20 items correct on a bogus social sensitivity test and were then led to expect that most other students performed either well or poorly on the test. They were then given the opportunity to inspect up to 50 scored answer sheets from previous subjects. Consistent with the hypothesis, failure subjects requested more information when they expected it to reveal that most students performed poorly than when they expected it to reveal that most students performed well; success subjects showed little interest in this additional information, regardless of their expectancies as to what it would reveal. Experiment 2 employed a different approach to manipulating performance outcomes and led subjects to expect that most other subjects performed better, the same, or worse than themselves. Regardless of their own performance, subjects showed the least interest in additional information in the higher score expectancy condition and the most interest in additional information in the lower score expectancy condition. The role that this information search bias may play in producing self-serving attributions for success and failure and maintaining positive self-evaluations was discussed.
Terahertz imaging in dielectric media with quasi-Bessel beams

Terahertz (THz) imaging is promising for nondestructive evaluation, since many optically opaque dielectrics are transparent to THz waves. Conventional THz imaging systems employ focusing elements such as spherical lenses and off-axis parabolas, but their fixed focal length produces an inherent trade-off between lateral resolution and depth of focus. Furthermore, image quality suffers when imaging objects located inside a dielectric medium. The air-dielectric interface introduces significant spherical aberration that degrades spatial resolution. Bessel beams are known to produce a small spot size over a large depth of focus. The contribution of our work is two-fold: (1) We demonstrate THz imaging with a significantly improved depth of focus using a zero-th order Bessel beam produced by an axicon lens. (2) We also demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, that Bessel beams experience reduced spherical aberration when imaging objects embedded in a dielectric medium. Imaging experiments are performed with a time-domain THz system, where a zero-th order quasi-Bessel beam is formed with an axicon lens made from high density polyethylene (HDPE). The HDPE axicon has a 50 mm diameter and an apex angle of 120 degrees. Point spread function (PSF) measurements confirm that lateral resolution is maintained over a 25 mm depth of field in air. The same lateral resolution is achieved over a 35 mm range inside a HDPE substrate. Needle objects embedded inside a thick HDPE substrate are imaged with high spatial resolution. Image contrast is significantly improved by digital filtering to reduce sidelobe levels. These promising results suggest that Bessel beams are well suited for terahertz nondestructive imaging of thick dielectric objects.
On the market risk of securitized timberlands

Abstract Over 10 million acres of timberlands in the United States have been securitized through Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in recent years. Publicly traded timber REITs have better liquidity and tax efficiency than private ownership, but at the same time, they are exposed to higher market risk as public firms. In this study, copula modeling is employed to assess the joint distribution between daily returns of five timber REITs and a stock market index. Both constant and time-varying symmetrized Joe-Clayton copulas are estimated to evaluate the dependence of timber REITs on the equity market from 1994 to 2010. In most cases, there exist lower tail dependence for market stresses, upper tail dependence for market booms, and tail asymmetry between individual firms and the market. On average, the dependence measure becomes larger after a firm is converted into a REIT. Each firm has smaller volatility of tail dependence after the conversion, except for Plum Creek. These findings reveal that the REIT structure has introduced non-diversifiable market risk into its ownership, and thus the diversification benefit of publicly traded timber REITs in a portfolio may be limited.
Prognostic significance of the initial electrocardiogram in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Context.—Early risk stratification of patients with myocardial infarction is critical to determine optimum treatment strategies and enhance outcomes, but knowledge of the prognostic importance of the initial electrocardiogram (ECG) is limited.Objective.—To assess the independent value of the initial ECG for short-term risk stratification after acute myocardial infarction.Design.—Retrospective analysis of the Global Utilization of Streptokinase and t-PA (alteplase) for Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO-I) clinical trial database.Setting.—A total of 1081 hospitals in 15 countries.Patients.—From the 41021 patients enrolled in the overall study, we selected those who presented within 6 hours of chest pain onset with ST-segment elevation and no confounding factors (paced rhythms, ventricular rhythms, or left bundle-branch block) on the ECG performed before thrombolysis was administered (n=34166).Main Outcome Measure.—Ability of initial ECG to predict all-cause mortality at 30 days.Results.—Most ECG variables were associated with 30-day mortality in a univariable analysis. In a multivariable analysis combining the initial ECG variables and clinical predictors of mortality, the sum of the absolute ST-segment deviation (both ST elevation and ST depression: odds ratio [OR], 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-1.69), ECG, heart rate (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.41-1.59), QRS duration (for anterior infarct: OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.43-1.68), and ECG evidence of prior infarction (for new inferior infarct: OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 2.02-3.00) were the strongest ECG predictors of mortality. A nomogram based on the multivariable model produced excellent discrimination of 30-day mortality (C-index, 0.830).Conclusions.—In patients presenting with myocardial infarction accompanied by ST-segment elevation, components of the initial ECG help predict 30-day mortality. This information should be valuable in early risk stratification, when the opportunity to reduce mortality is greatest, and may help in assessing outcomes adjusted for patient risk.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CONTROLLED SIZES: POLYSTYRENE LATEXES

ABSTRACT Several parameters and their limitations to prepare monodisperse polystyrene particles were discussed. Polystyrene latexes B, C and D of diameter 129.8, 142.8 and 264.5 nm, respectively, were synthesized by emulsion polymerization method. The latex D is almost monodisperse with very low polydispersity of 0.005 while B and C are having polydispersity of 0.1837 and 0.1601. The particle size and particle size distribution of the latexes were determined by a TEM and Brookhaven particle size analyzer. It was observed that the particle size of the latexes decreased with increasing initiator (ammonium persulfate) or surfactant (SDS) concentrations. The surface area of the latexes were calculated by using BET equation on the basis of the amount of nitrogen gas adsorbed at the surface of the particles to form a monolayer. It was observed that the surface area of latex D is less than B and C because of the bigger size of the particles. The average molecular weights, zeta potentials and densities of the lat...
A Call for Organizational Trans-Formation

Abstract In the collection of papers presented in this volume, several authors have enumerated the needs of transgendered youth and identified the obstacles that youth-serving agencies face in addressing their needs. This final paper, using case examples from several nationally-known transgendered affirming agencies, offers recommendations on agency philosophies concerning the reality of transgendered youth and additionally offers suggestions on ways to create safe, welcoming, and nurturing environments.
C−H Bond Activation by a Ferric Methoxide Complex: Modeling the Rate-Determining Step in the Mechanism of Lipoxygenase

Lipoxygenases are mononuclear non-heme iron enzymes that regio- and stereospecifcally convert 1,4-pentadiene subunit-containing fatty acids into alkyl peroxides. The rate-determining step is generally accepted to be hydrogen atom abstraction from the pentadiene subunit of the substrate by an active ferric hydroxide species to give a ferrous water species and an organic radical. Reported here are the synthesis and characterization of a ferric model complex, [FeIII(PY5)(OMe)](OTf)2, that reacts with organic substrates in a manner similar to the proposed enzymatic mechanism. The ligand PY5 (2,6-bis(bis(2-pyridyl)methoxymethane)pyridine) was developed to simulate the histidine-dominated coordination sphere of mammalian lipoxygenases. The overall monoanionic coordination provided by the endogenous ligands of lipoxygenase confers a strong Lewis acidic character to the active ferric site with an accordingly positive reduction potential. Incorporation of ferrous iron into PY5 and subsequent oxidation yields a sta...