cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hybridization thermodynamics of DNA oligonucleotides during microchip capillary electrophoresis.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a powerful analytical tool for performing separations and characterizing properties of charged species. For reacting species during a CE separation, local concentrations change leading to nonequilibrium conditions. Interpreting experimental data with such nonequilibrium reactive species is nontrivial due to the large number of variables involved in the system. In this work we develop a COMSOL multiphysics-based numerical model to simulate the electrokinetic mass transport of short interacting ssDNAs in microchip capillary electrophoresis. We probe the importance of the dissociation constant, KD, and the concentration of DNA on the resulting observed mobility of the dsDNA peak, μw, by using a full sweep of parametric simulations. We find that the observed mobility is strongly dependent on the DNA concentration and KD, as well as ssDNA concentration, and develop a relation with which to understand this dependence. Furthermore, we present experimental microchip capillary ele...
Abstract 3906: Annexin A1 overexpression preferentially predicts poor prognosis of basal-like breast cancer patients by activating m TOR-S6 signaling

Introduction: Annexin A1 is an anti-inflammatory protein reported to play a role in cell proliferation, apoptosis and to be deregulated in breast cancer. The role and regulation of annexin A1 in the biology and prognosis of breast cancer remain unclear because most of the studies did not consider specific differences between the different subtypes of breast cancer. Thus, in this study, we hypothesize that annexin A1 plays subtype-specific role in basal like breast cancer progression and metastasis. Methods: By mining The Cancer Genome Atlas-Breast Cancer Dataset (TCGA-BRCA) and manipulating annexin A1 levels in breast cancer cell lines, we studied the role of annexin A1 in breast cancer and underlying signaling pathways. Results: Our in-silico analysis of TCGA-BRCA dataset demonstrated that annexin A1 mRNA expression is higher in basal subtype compared to luminal and HER2 subtypes. Within the basal subtype, patients show significantly poorer survival associated with higher expression of annexin A1. In both TCGA patient samples and cell lines, annexin A1 levels were significantly higher in basal-like breast cancer tumors than luminal and Her2/neu-positive breast cancer tumors. Stable annexin A1 knockdown in TNBC cell lines suppressed the mTOR-S6 pathway. Specifically, annexin A1 knockdown inhibited phosphorylation of mTOR and S6 (18-73% inhibition in pmTOR and 50-60% inhibition in pS6). But annexin A1 knockdown had no impact on the MAPK, c-Met, and EGFR pathways. In cell migration assays, annexin A1-depleted TNBC cells showed delayed migration as compared to wild-type cells which we found to be through suppression of MMP9. Conclusions: Our data suggest that annexin A1 is prognostic only in patients with basal like breast cancer. This appears to be due in part to the role of annexin A1 in activating mTOR-pS6 pathway. Citation Format: Kazunoshin Tachibana, Anjana Bhardwaj, Nivetha Ganesan, Kimal Rajapakshe, Constance T. Albarracin, Preethi H. Gunaratn, Cristian Coarfa, Isabelle Bedrosian. Annexin A1 overexpression preferentially predicts poor prognosis of basal-like breast cancer patients by activating m TOR-S6 signaling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3906. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3906
A range data acquisition system using a uniquely encoded light pattern

The study develops a vision system which acquires spatial coordinates (range data) of a three-dimensional object using structured light. A structured lighting system uses a camera and a light source for the triangulation of a surface point of an object. Since the triangulation requires correspondence between the points in the light source and the captured image, unambiguous correspondence is necessary for obtaining range data. The developed system guarantees unambiguous correspondence by using a uniquely encoded light pattern which requires only a single image. Using a single image is an advantage over most of the conventional systems which use multiple images to achieve unambiguous correspondence. The requirement of a single image enables the system to perform in a dynamic environment, which contains moving objects, such as manufacturing, robotics, and medical imaging. There are two main achievements of the study. First, the study develops a unique code generation method for designing a uniquely encoded light pattern. The method solves a combinatorial optimization problem to construct a two-dimensional code matrix. Using the code matrix, a pattern can be encoded in the form of either color dots or modified grid. For the modified grid, a fault tolerant pattern is also developed for the robustness in the image analysis. Second, the study develops a low cost ranging system which provides accurate range data. For reducing computing time and memory space in the image analysis, simple yet robust algorithms and an O(n) decoding scheme are also developed and implemented in C. The developed system is examined and verified using various objects, and the system performance is evaluated by analyzing the ranging error.
Small Food Store Retailers’ Willingness to Implement Healthy Store Strategies in Rural North Carolina

Access to supermarkets is lacking in many rural areas. Small food stores are often available, but typically lack healthy food items such as fresh produce. We assessed small food store retailer willingness to implement 11 healthy store strategies to increase the availability, display, and promotion of healthy foods and decrease the availability, display, and promotion of tobacco products. Interviews were conducted with 55 small food store retailers in three rural North Carolina counties concurrently with store observations assessing current practices related to the strategies. All stores sold low-calorie beverages, sugar-sweetened beverages, candy and cigarettes. Nearly all sold smokeless tobacco and cigars/cigarillos, and 72 % sold e-cigarettes. Fresh fruits were sold at 30.2 % of stores; only 9.4 % sold fresh vegetables. Retailers reported being most willing to stock skim/low-fat milk, display healthy snacks near the register, and stock whole wheat bread. About 50 % were willing to stock at least three fresh fruits and three fresh vegetables, however only 2 % of stores currently stocked these foods. Nearly all retailers expressed unwillingness to reduce the availability of tobacco products or marketing. Our results show promise for working with retailers in rural settings to increase healthy food availability in small food stores. However, restrictions on retail tobacco sales and marketing may be more feasible through local tobacco control ordinances, or could be included with healthy foods ordinances that require stores to stock a minimum amount of healthy foods.
Newer Surgical Options for Glaucoma

Conventional filtering surgeries such as trabeculectomy and tube-shunt surgery have traditionally been considered the gold standard for management of glaucoma. However, they have a significant complication profile due to the invasive nature of the surgery, and have a relatively high risk of failure such as exuberant fibrotic responses leading to obstruction of the created outflow system. Due to these limitations of traditional incisional surgeries, new surgical techniques for management of glaucoma are of particular interest, especially in the setting of increasing prevalence of glaucoma with an aging population. These new procedures target either inflow or outflow system of the eye in order to manage the intraocular pressure (IOP). The recent innovative techniques share a common goal of effective intraocular pressure control while decreasing the complication profile and minimizing failure rate. This article reviews the primary challenges of developing a successful glaucoma surgery and the recent advancements in glaucoma laser and surgeries. Recent surgical modalities have been designed to target eye inflow or outflow system. The advancements in their designs are based on detailed knowledge about eye fluidic system. These new developments have been associated with higher success rate and lower complications. More detailed investigations are currently being conducted regarding the long-term safety and repeatability of these interventions. Advanced surgical modalities have shown promising results in modulating IOP, minimizing the complications, lessening the exaggerated inflammatory-fibrotic response, and reducing the number of post-surgical medications.
Treatment Outcomes in Patients (Pts) with Transformed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) in One Institution.

Abstract CLL is usually an indolent lymphoproliferative disease; however pts are at risk over time (3-5% yr) of transformation to a more aggressive histology, e.g., prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL), or Richter's transformation (RT). The outcome of these pts is poor with median overall responses of 5–43%, CR 5–43%, and overall survival of 5–8 months regardless of the chemotherapeutic approach. We report on 15 pts with CLL transformed to PLL or RT treated at our institution over the last 4 years. The median pt age at transformation was 64 (51–79). 9 had PLL, 4 had RT, one had an anaplastic histology, and another with atypical transformation. 7/14 pts were positive for ZAP-70 expression. 10/14 presented with CLL prior to the transformation with a median time of 7 yrs (range 3–27), and had undergone prior therapy with either fludarabine or chlorambucil. Pts were treated with mainly rituximab chemotherapy combinations. One pt who achieved a CR, was consolidated with a matched related donor transplantation and remains disease free for 3 yrs. Conclusion. CR and ORR were higher than reported in the literature. Also, pts treated with rituximab-based combinations achieved longer overall survivals. Rituximab based-combinations should be considered in treating such pts. Whether they would benefit from consolidation therapy needs further investigation. Treatment Based Response and Overall Survival in Patients with Transformed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatment # Pts Prev. Tx # Pts CR (%) PR (%) OS after Transformation (Months) PLL R/Flu +/− Cy 2/6 6 67 12 36+, 36+, 36, 24+, 4, 12+ RCHOP or R-EPOCH 2/2 2 0 50 8, 3+ Alemtuzumab 1/1 1 0 100 12+ RT RCHOP or REPOCH 1/4 4 75 25 36+, 30+, 3, 9 Anaplastic RCHOP 1/1 1 100 0 24+ Atypical R/Flu/Cy 1/1 1 100 0 24+ Overall 60 27 Pts, patients; Prev., previously; Tx, treated; CR, complete response; PR, partial response; OS, overall survival; R, rituximab; Flu, fludarabine; Cy, cyclophosphamide
Effects of surface tension on the suction forces generated by miniature craters

Abstract There are emerging demonstrations that micro- or nano-craters engineered on polymer surfaces can enable enhanced adhesion. In the past, we have developed a framework for quantifying the suction forces produced by isolated macroscopic craters neglecting surface effects. In this paper, we take surface tension into consideration because it plays a significant role in miniature craters on soft polymers. We have derived linear and nonlinear elastic solutions for the elasto-capillary distortion in miniature hemi-spherical craters when they are demolded from the template. By implementing a user-element subroutine in finite element modeling (FEM) software ABAQUS, we have also simulated the demolding, compression, and unloading processes of the craters subjected to surface tension under large deformation. With the simulated volume changes of the crater, pressure drop and suction force can be deduced. We find that surface tension induced crater contraction has a negative effect on the generation of suction forces. We discover that reinforcing the crater surface by a thin and stiff shell can help sustain the crater shape after demolding. The effects of shell thickness and stiffness are quantitatively investigated through FEM and optimal parametric combinations are identified.
Army Risk Assessment Modeling System (ARAMS)

U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) operations of munition plants, bases, training ranges, and other facilities have resulted in the release of military relevant compounds (MRCs) and other contaminants to soil, groundwater, surface water, and air. The risks to both human and ecological health associated with multimedia exposure to these compounds must be evaluated. The Army utilizes risk assessment procedures to determine cleanup target levels and to evaluate remediation alternatives to provide the most cost-effective approach to reach these levels. Currently, risk assessment procedures are plagued by high levels of uncertainty in both the estimate of effects of the contaminants as well as the probability of exposure. This uncertainty results in excessively conservative risk estimates and levels of cleanup, driving the cost of the cleanup to prohibitive levels.
Sustainability assurance provider participation in standard setting

Abstract This paper examines the participation of accounting firms in the development of sustainability standards by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). This study shows that the Big Four accounting firms have an active role in both the submission of comment letters on sustainability to the SEC and participation in the industry working groups (IWG) for the SASB. The SASB participation reveals that individuals located within the US and at international affiliates are participating at earlier career stages. In addition, this paper leverages LinkedIn data, identifying the career path of the individuals subsequent to their participation with the IWG, to determine how large accounting firms are retaining the skills and knowledge necessary for this field. Since the Big Four firms are market leaders in sustainability assurance, the finding that Big Four firms can retain individuals with financial assurance backgrounds differently than individuals with other backgrounds speaks to the unique skill set that financial assurance develops. This suggests that the career opportunities for interested financial assurance individuals within the sustainability sphere remain robust within the Big Four environment.
A Rationale for the Use and Development of Methods for Image-Guided Brain Tumor Surgery

For over 80 years, researchers and clinicians have acknowledged the difficulty of achieving optimal outcomes during brain tumor resection. In the past decade, a growing body of evidence has emerged linking extent of surgical resection to outcome. Nonetheless, safely maximizing extent of resection remains a central challenge in modern neurosurgical oncology. A variety of technologic innovations have been developed to assist surgeons in performing the best possible brain tumor resections. This chapter will focus on how current perspectives on glioma surgery justify the development and use of technologic innovations to ensure maximal safe resection.
Die befreiende Leistung an den Überbringer einer Quittung, § 370 BGB

In § 370 bestimmt das BGB, das der Uberbringer einer Quittung als ermachtigt gelte, die Leistung zu empfangen, sofern nicht dem Leistenden bekannte Umstande der Annahme einer solchen Ermachtigung entgegenstunden.
Cost variance analysis in treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

e18929Background: There exists significant variation in lung cancer treatment depending on physician, payer and stage of disease without significant difference in survival or QoL (Quality of Life)....
The Digitization of Patient Care: A Review of the Effects of Electronic Health Records on Health Care Quality and Utilization

Electronic health records (EHRs) adoption has become nearly universal during the past decade. Academic research into the effects of EHRs has examined factors influencing adoption, clinical care benefits, financial and cost implications, and more. We provide an interdisciplinary overview and synthesis of this literature, drawing on work in public and population health, informatics, medicine, management information systems, and economics. We then chart paths forward for policy, practice, and research.
Fostering and Achieving Organizational Change: A Framework for Studying the Complexities of School Leadership.

While education research has explored the role of the principal in the advent of No Child Left Behind (2001), quantitative and qualitative studies fail to describe and explain the ways in which pri...
Progress towards the total synthesis of trichodermamides A and B: construction of the oxazine ring moiety.

Trichodermamides are modified heterocyclic dipeptides that possess a unique 4H-5,6-dihydro-1,2-oxazine ring. Starting from affordable, easily available (−)-quinic acid, the enantioselective synthes...
Retrospective analysis of complications associated with retrobulbar bupivacaine in dogs undergoing enucleation surgery.

Abstract Objective To investigate complications associated with, and without, bupivacaine retrobulbar local anesthesia in dogs undergoing unilateral enucleation surgery. Study design Retrospective, observational study. Animals A total of 167 dogs underwent unilateral enucleation surgery via a transpalpebral approach. Methods Records from 167 dogs that underwent unilateral enucleation surgery that did (RB) or did not (NB) include retrobulbar bupivacaine anesthesia were reviewed, including anesthetic record, daily physical examination records, surgery report, patient discharge report and patient notes within 14 days of the surgery. Specific complications and severity were compared between RB and NB using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. A ‘complication burden’ (0–5) comprising five prespecified complications was assigned and tested using rank-sum procedures. Statistical significance was set to 0.05. Results Group RB included 97 dogs and group NB 70 dogs. Dogs in NB had a 17.0 percentage points (points) greater risk for a postoperative recovery complication (38.6% versus 21.6%; 95% confidence interval: 3.0–30.6 points; p = 0.017). There was inconclusive evidence that dogs in group RB had a lower risk of requiring perioperative anticholinergic administration (12.4% versus 22.9%; 10.5 points; p = 0.073). Other complications were similar between groups RB and NB with risks that differed by Conclusions and clinical relevance In this retrospective study, the use of retrobulbar bupivacaine for enucleation surgery in dogs was not associated with an increased risk of major or minor complications.
An Intelligent Load Shedding Scheme for the Micro-grid in Shipboard Power System Using Probabilistic Methods

This paper presents a probabilistic approach for integrating the load-shedding scenario in the intelligent Power Management Systems (PMS). PMS plays a crucial role in Shipboard Power Systems (SPS). The core idea of PMS is to integrate all the Distributed Generators (DGs), Energy Storage Devices (ESDs) and flexible loads. It also services all such loads when a fault or maintenance situation occurs, and generation is not available at optimum condition. This is when load shedding appears in the scenario. The proposed method uses the concept of load clustering and the Markov model. This instructs the energy managers to switch between different load clusters and serve crucial loads at the time of power shortage. A statistical modeling approach is taken to outline the crucial and non-crucial loads and to define the clusters. A program that takes the probabilistic approach is developed and defined by Markov models and serves the loads under power shortage without disrupting the crucial loads. A few case studies, which were implemented in a notional SPS are illustrated. Satisfactory results encouraged to describe different reliability indices to validate the proposition.
The pluralism of Jewish identity among students at the University of Michigan, 1897–1945: An apt microcosm of American Jewry’s cultural heterogeneity and diverse identity

This article highlights the overlap in Judaism’s presence as ethnicity and religion. By looking at the world of secular Jewish students at the University of Michigan during the first half of the 20th century, the study identifies four categories of Jews at this institution and demonstrates their overlapping as well as contrasting identities. The study thus underlines the massive diversity of secular Jewish identity in an often hostile world.
The Good Lease: Protecting the Sanctity of Every Home

The Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB) Standard Form Apartment Lease is commonly used in the Greater Boston area as the starting point for lease negotiations. However, the GBREB standard lease contains several problematic provisions, some of which contradict Massachusetts housing law. This paper analyzes each of these provisions and provides both a legal and normative case for why these provisions should be changed. The paper concludes with an original model lease entitled "The Good Lease," designed to correct many of the flaws contained in the GBREB standard lease.
Optimizing Cloud Use Under Interval Uncertainty

One of the main advantages of cloud computing is that it helps the users to save money: instead of buying a lot of computers to cover all their computations, the user can rent the computation time on the cloud to cover the rare peak spikes of computer need. From this viewpoint, it is important to find the optimal division between in-house and in-the-cloud computations. In this paper, we solve this optimization problem, both in the idealized case when we know the complete information about the costs and the user’s need, and in a more realistic situation, when we only know interval bounds on the corresponding quantities.
Vengeance in the Middle Ages: Emotion, Religion and Feud

Contents: Introduction: the study of vengeance in the Middle Ages, Susanna A. Throop 'Vengeance is mine': saintly retribution in medieval Ireland, MA!ire Johnson The 'fyre of ire kyndild' in the 15th-century Scottish Marches, Jackson W. Armstrong Living in fear of revenge: religious minorities and the right to bear arms in 15th-century Portugal, FranA ois Soyer Feudal war in 10th-century France, Dominique Barthelemy The way vengeance comes: rancorous deeds and words in the world of Orderic Vitalis, Thomas Roche Verbal and physical violence in the Historie of Aurelio and Isabell, Marina S. Brownlee Was there really such a thing as a feud in the High Middle Ages?, Paul R. Hyams Zeal, anger and vengeance: the emotional rhetoric of crusading, Susanna A. Throop Afterword: neither unnatural nor wholly negative: the future of medieval vengeance, Paul R. Hyams Index
Quantal Classes and Subunits of Quanta in the Neuromuscular Junction

There are three classes of spontaneous miniature endplate potentials (MEPPs) in the normal vertebrate preparation and the ratios vary during synaptogenesis and with various treatments. In the unstressed adult preparation (frogs and mammals) most MEPPs (96%) contribute to a bell-shaped distribution (bell-MEPPs) which has a coefficient of variance of about 30% (Fatt and Katz, 1952). Del Castillo and Katz (1954) showed that the unitary evoked potentials are the same size as MEPPs and they proposed that the larger endplate potentials are composed of quanta the size of MEPPs. Liley (1956) and Boyd and Martin (1956) published amplitude histograms of small endplate potentials that were reduced with a low calcium-high magnesium saline that have distinct peaks that are integral multiples of the mean MEPP. These results. show that both spontaneous and evoked release are from the same pool of quanta. With conditions of low quantal content or with relatively low rates of spontaneous release the size of a quantum remains very constant (Katz, 1978). However, with high rates of evoked release (Kriebel, 1978) or induced spontaneous release, the average MEPP is greatly reduced (Kriebel and Gross, 1974; Kriebel and Stolper, 1975; Kriebel, et al., 1976; Kriebel and Florey, 1983; Kriebel and Pappas, 1987). These changes reflect differences in the ratio of two classes of MEPPs that are found in the normal preparation; and, do not usually reflect a change in the percentage of giant MEPPs as found with chronic botulinum toxin poisoning (see Thesleff and Molgo, 1983, for a review).
The Matuyama Chronozone at ODP Site 982 (Rockall Bank): Evidence for Decimeter‐Scale Magnetization Lock‐In Depths

At ODP Site 982, located on the Rockall Bank, component magnetizations define a polarity stratigraphy from the middle part of the Brunhes Chronozone to the top of the Gauss Chronozone (0.3-2.7 Ma). The Cobb Mountain and Reunion subchronozones correlate to marine isotope stages (MIS) 35 and 81, respectively. The Gauss/Matuyama boundary correlates to the base of MIS 103. The slope of the natural remanence (NRM) versus the anhysteretic remanence (ARM) during stepwise alternating field demagnetization is close to linear (r > 0.9) for the 900-1700 ka interval indicating similarity of NRM and ARM coercivity spectra. The normalized remanence (NRM/ARM) can be matched to paleointensity records from ODP Sites 983/984 (Iceland Basin) and from sites in the Pacific Ocean. The age model based on δ 18 O stratigraphy at ODP Site 982 indicates sedimentation rates in the 1-4 cm/kyr range. At ODP Site 980/981, located ∼200 km SE of Site 982 on the eastern flank of the Rockall Plateau, sedimentation rates are 2-7 times greater. According to the δ 18 O age models at Site 982 and Site 980/981, the boundaries of the Jaramillo, Cobb Mountain, Olduvai and Reunion subchronozones appear older at Site 982 by 10-15 kyr. We model the lock-in of magnetization using a sigmoidal magnetization lock-in function incorporating a surface mixed layer (base at depth M corresponding to 5% lock-in) and a lock-in depth (L) below M at which 50% lock-in is achieved. The observed age offsets can be simulated by values of DM (difference between values of M at Sites 982 and 980/981) in the 16-23 cm range, and values of L <10 cm. The low values of L imply that the magnetization is rapidly locked (within 10 cm) after sediment passes through the decimeter-scale surface mixed-layer.
Is There a Confirmation Mess--An Analysis of Professor Stephen Carter's Critique of the Federal Appointments Process

The key to understanding Yale Law Professor Stephen Carter's book, The Confirmation Mess, is the dedication of the book: "For Thurgood Marshall." Carter reveres Marshall (for whom he clerked) and describes Marshall with unrestrained praise and admiration.' Carter believes (correctly) that Marshall was unfairly harassed and vilified during his 1967 confirmation hearing (pp. 3-5); and, more significantly, Carter opines that if Marshall were nominated today he might not be confirmed because he would have "too much baggage, too many eccentricities, too many enemies" (p. 4) and therefore would be disqualified in the court of public opinion. Indeed, Carter believes "[t]he chances are . . . that under today's silly rules, the nomination would have been withdrawn" (p. 4). To Professor Carter, the idea that the magnificent Thurgood Marshall might be denied a seat on the Supreme Court is blasphemy and clearly indicates that the system by which we select and confirm Supreme Court Justices badly needs fixing (p. 5).2 I do not agree with Carter's gloomy prognostication about a hypothetical 1990s nomination of Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court. I believe that were he considered today, Marshall would be nominated and confirmed. More importantly, I do not agree with Carter's assessment that
Analysis of multi-rate traffic in WDM grooming networks

Traffic grooming in optical networks employing wavelength division multiplexing has gained prominence due to the prevailing sub-wavelength capacity requirements of users. One approach to achieving wavelength sharing is through time division multiplexing. Connection requests can have a varying number of time slot requirements. Analytical modeling for computing the blocking performance of establishing multi-rate connections in WDM grooming networks involves extensive combinatorial complexity and thus requires prohibitively large state-space for solution. In this paper, we develop an analytical model that employs an approximation to the exact distribution of number of calls of a certain bandwidth requirement on a wavelength. We validate the approximation through simulation results for two different networks that have high and low link-load correlation. It is observed that up to an order of magnitude performance improvement is obtained by improving the grooming capability in the network for calls that require two time slots.
Covalent structure of liver microsomal flavin-containing monooxygenase form 1

Liver microsomal, flavin-containing monooxygenases catalyze NADPH- and oxygen-dependent oxidation of a wide variety of antipsychotic and narcotic drugs. Two forms of these enzymes have been isolated and partially characterized (Ozols, J. (1989) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 163, 49-55). The amino acid sequence of form 1 is presented here. Sequence determination has been achieved by automated Edman degradation of peptides generated by chemical and enzymatic cleavages. The NH2 terminus of form 1 oxygenase is blocked. Partial acid hydrolysis of the blocked peptides removed acetyl groups and permitted their analysis by Edman degradation. Form 1 monooxygenase contains 536 residues. A peptide of 32 residues at the COOH terminus of the protein could not be sequenced in a gas-phase or pulsed liquid-phase sequenator, due to its extreme hydrophobicity. Covalent coupling of this peptide to an aryl amine membrane by means of carbodiimide, followed by automated solid-phase sequencing, established the order of 30 amino acid residues. The hydrophobic segment at the COOH terminus presumably functions to anchor the monooxygenase to the microsomal membrane. The amino acid sequence of form 1 monooxygenase, despite overlapping substrate specificity, is not related to the cytochrome P-450 superfamily. Comparison of the sequence of form 1 oxygenase with other known sequences, except for some short segments similar to those in the bacterial flavin-containing monooxygenases, did not reveal significant sequence similarities that would suggest a structural or evolutionary relationship.
Tailoring Silicon Oxycarbide Glasses for Oxidative Stability

BlackglasTM polysiloxane systems produce silicon oxycarbide glasses by pyrolysis in inert atmosphere. The silicon oxycarbides evidence oxidative degradation that limits their lifetime as composite matrices. The present study characterizes bonding rearrangements in the oxycarbide network accompanying increases in pyrolysis temperature. It also addresses the changes in susceptibility to oxidation due to variations in the distribution of Si bonded species obtained under different processing conditions. The study is carried out using 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and a design of experiments approach to model the oxidation behavior. The NMR results are compared with those obtained by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Samples pyrolyzed under inert conditions are compared to those pyrolyzed in reactive ammonia environments.
Integrated primary care and behavioral health services for Latinos: a blueprint and research agenda.

ABSTRACT Disparities in Latino utilization of mental health services have been documented for some years. Factors such as stigma, low rates of health insurance, paucity of culturally competent providers, and linguistic inaccessibility have contributed to this underutilization. The documented tendency of many Latinos to experience the mind and body as a unified whole, often referred to as “non-dualism,” provides a unique opportunity to address these disparities in utilization. This article advocates a specific model of engagement of Latinos into a continuum of needed behavioral health services via the primary care clinic, and suggests a variety of clinical and administrative outcome measures for evaluating the effectiveness of the model. The model centers on the inclusion of a behavioral health specialist who is “nested” within the primary care team. The preparation and perspectives of clinically trained social workers make them ideal for this role.
Agenda Setting and Policy Adoption of India's National Health Insurance Scheme: Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

AbstractAbstract—Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) is India's largest health insurance scheme. Launched in 2007, it now covers over 37 million, mostly poor, families. This massive scheme represents a major departure from past approaches to government support for health care in India. In this article, we use data from key informant interviews, published and unpublished documents, and newspaper reports, applying Kingdon's framework for agenda setting and policy adoption to explain how RSBY became national policy. India's government-operated health care delivery system had consistently failed to meet its most basic objectives—especially for the poor. A variety of previous reform efforts had been unsuccessful. Then, in 2004, the result of the national election was seen by the victors as representing a mandate to address deprivation among those in India's vast unorganized sector. That election also brought to the fore a new set of policy makers who were willing to introduce subsidized health insurance that...
The Thought of Mikhail Bakhtin: From Word to Culture

The Thought of Mikhail Bakhtin: From Word to Culture. David K. Danow. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1991. 166 pp.
Erlebnis of Story

Of story, J. Hillis Miller writes, “Nothing seems more natural and universal to human beings that telling stories. Surely there is no human culture, however ‘primitive,’ without its stories and habits of storytelling …” (66). Roland Barthes goes so far as to say, “… narrative is present in every age, in every place, in every society; it begins with the very history of mankind and there nowhere is nor has been a people without narrative…. Narrative is international, transhistorical, transcultural; it is simply there, like life itself” (78). if what Hillis Miller and Barthes observe is true, and few activities are as basic to human life as storytelling, why — relatively speaking — has so little attention been paid to story? Hillis Miller believes it has been ignored because being “so natural, so universal,” story seems so elementary and unproblematic. Along with Hillis Miller, however Barthes concludes “that, far from the abandoning of any idea of dealing with narrative on the grounds of its universality” (80), it is story’s universality that demands our attentions: “For example, why is it that narration is so universal, present in all human beings everywhere? … Exactly what psychological or social functions do stories serve? Just why do we need stories, lots of them, all the time? The answers to those questions are not so east to reach” (Hillis Miller 67).
Structure, stability and evolution of Saturn's rings

Recent data obtained from the Voyager spacecrafts and ground-based measurements indicate: (1) the rings have a thickness of at most 150 m (ref. 1) and probably several times less2,3; (2) the rings are mostly composed of ice particles ranging from centimetres to metres in size4; (3) the rings are subdivided into a large number of ringlets with a radial dimension ranging from 10-km down to the several metres resolution of the Voyager spacecraft's camera5; (4) the B ring contains very many optical depth variations (0.6–3)3. This behaviour is essentially determined by the collisional properties of the rings' ice particles. Here we report some preliminary results from an experiment designed to measure the coefficient of restitution of ice particles colliding at impact velocities relevant to Saturn's rings. We apply these results to simple dynamical models for Saturn's rings and deduce the rings' thickness to be ≺5 m. We also show that regions with optical depth <0.5, such as the B ring, are unstable to viscous diffusion. Such an instability may be the cause of optical depth variations in the B ring.
The earwigs of Kansas, with a key to genera north of Mexico (Insecta: Dermaptera)

Abstract The earwigs occurring in Kansas are summarized, figured, and a key to aid their identification is provided. The biology and general evolution of the order is briefly overviewed and the higher classification of Dermaptera summarized, with the following new names proposed: Neodermaptera (= Forficulina auctorum), †Eodermaptera, Epidermaptera, Metadermaptera, Eteodermaptera, Plesiodermaptera, †Turanodermidae, and †Turanoviidae. A key to dermapteran genera occurring north of Mexico is provided.
The effect of wearing a flexible wrist splint on carpal tunnel pressure during repetitive hand activity

We investigated how repetitive hand activity normally affects carpal tunnel pressure and whether a flexible wrist splint can influence this effect. Nineteen healthy subjects were evaluated under four test conditions: at rest with and without a wrist splint (baseline) and while performing a repetitive task with and without a wrist splint. The task involved loading and unloading 1 lb. cans from a box at a rate of 20 cans per minute for period of 5 minutes. Carpal tunnel pressure and wrist angles were continuously monitored by means of a fluid-filled catheter inserted into the carpal canal and a two-channel electrogoniometer mounted on the dorsum of the hand and forearm. Without the splint, carpal tunnel pressure rose from a median baseline level of 8 +/- 6 mmHg to 18 +/- 13 mmHg during activity. With the splint, carpal tunnel pressure rose from a baseline of 13 +/- 5 mmHg to 21 +/- 12 mmHg during activity. Median carpal tunnel pressure during activity with the splint was no different from that without the splint. Our data indicate that the median nerve is subjected to increased pressure within the carpal tunnel during repetitive hand activity. Wearing a flexible wrist splint during activity limits the range of wrist motion but has no significant effect on carpal tunnel pressure.
Reproductive Traits in the Northern Scorpion (Paruroctonus boreus)

Despite its large geographic range, little is known about reproductive traits in the northern scorpion (Paruroctonus boreus). We analyzed reproductive traits for 36 females from a population near Billings, Montana. All data were collected within a single year. Litter size, offspring mass, total litter mass (TLM), and relative litter mass (RLM) were within the ranges of values reported for other species in the Vaejovidae. Female size (length or mass) was not cor- related with any reproductive trait. Litter size and offspring mass were each positively correlated with RLM, suggesting that females investing relatively larger amounts of energy in reproduction increase both size and number of offspring. Finally, the within-litter coefficient of variation in offspring mass was negatively correlated with RLM, TLM, and mean offspring mass, suggesting that females investing more energy in reproduction produce more-uniformly sized offspring, an observation that appears common in scorpions.
A practical difference scheme for Fokker-Planck equations☆

A practical finite difference scheme for initial value problems of Fokker-Planck equations has been studied. In addition to satisfying the conditions of convergence and unconditional stability, this scheme provides numerical solutions which preserve some of the more important intrinsic properties of the original partial differential equation. In particular, the solutions are non-negative, particle conserving in the absence of external sources or sinks, and exact representations of the analytic solution upon equilibration. Furthermore, coupled with variable mesh size, this scheme actually significantly reduces the number of mesh points required with no loss of accuracy.
How to Use Fraser’s Dissociative Table Technique to Access and Work With Emotional Parts of the Personality

This Clinical Q&A article responds to a question about what process to use to access and identify ego states when working with complex trauma. The procedure for implementing Fraser’s Dissociative Table Technique is explained and detailed in 8 clearly defined steps. The author builds on Fraser’s original instructions and adds several innovations for use by EMDR therapists. Tips on implementing this technique are given. The article then concludes with a session transcript to illustrate the use of this powerful tool.
As super-heroínas das história em quadrinhos e as relações de gênero

As transformacoes que ocorreram na historia nos ultimos cem anos tiveram eco nas paginas das historias em quadrinhos de super-herois. Estes quadrinhos, ao refletirem sobre as mudancas sociais e politicas ressaltaram a questao da diferenca e as relacoes de genero construidas socialmente. As historias em quadrinhos com seus super-herois e heroinas tambem foram responsaveis por trazer para os meios de comunicacao de massa o debate sobre a diferenca entre os sexos. As mulheres estiveram presentes nas HQ’s, primeiramente como coadjuvantes, sendo o objeto das maquinacoes dos viloes, e, acompanhando os novos tempos com as marchas dos movimentos feministas, passam ao papel principal, transformando-se em super-heroinas. O presente artigo ira abordar os temas acima descritos nas historias das personagens: Mulher-Maravilha, Jean Grey e Tempestade.
Dietary restriction modulated carcinogen-DNA adduct formation and the carcinogen-induced DNA strand breaks

Dietary restriction (DR) alters the activities of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes and modulates the formation of carcinogen-DNA adducts in carcinogen treated animals. Our previous results showed that a 40% restriction of diet (60% of ad libitum (AL) food consumption) reduced the hepatic metabolic activation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) but increased the activation of benzo[a]-pyrene (BaP) in both rats and mice. In this study, the focus was directed toward the levels of carcinogen-DNA adducts formation and the carcinogen-induced DNA strand breaks in mouse kidney and liver DNA. DR significantly inhibited both AFB1-DNA adduct formation and AFB1-induced DNA strand breaks in kidney DNA of mice that received a single dose of [3H]AFB1 (5 mg/kg). The levels of AFB1-DNA adduct formation in mouse kidney DNA correlated well with increased AFB1-induced DNA strand breaks. The correlation between the levels of AFB1-DNA-adducts formed and DNA strand breaks in kidney DNA of DR-mice was less linear than between its AL-counterpart suggesting that other factors, such as different rates of DNA repair, may be involved. In addition, DR enhanced hepatic BaP- and 6-nitrochrysene (6-NC)-DNA adduct formation in the mice treated with BaP and 6-NC, respectively. The formation of the specific BaP-adduct, 10-(N2-deoxyguanosinyl)-7,8,9-trihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-BaP (N2-dG-BaP), in mouse liver was proportional to the dose, and was compatible to the BaP-induced DNA strand breaks affected by DR. The enhancement of the total 6-NC-DNA adduct formation in DR-mouse was also in correlation with the increased 6-NC-induced DNA strand breaks. The activity of mouse liver microsomal nitro-reductase increased by 2-fold in response to DR indicating that the nitroreduction may contribute to the increase of the metabolic activation of 6-NC. Our present results indicate that the effect of DR on the carcinogen activation is dependent upon the DR-modulated carcinogen metabolizing enzyme activities.
Biologically inspired technology using electroactive polymers (EAP)

Evolution allowed nature to introduce highly effective biological mechanisms that are incredible inspiration for innovation. Humans have always made efforts to imitate nature's inventions and we are increasingly making advances that it becomes significantly easier to imitate, copy, and adapt biological methods, processes and systems. This brought us to the ability to create technology that is far beyond the simple mimicking of nature. Having better tools to understand and to implement nature's principles we are now equipped like never before to be inspired by nature and to employ our tools in far superior ways. Effectively, by bio-inspiration we can have a better view and value of nature capability while studying its models to learn what can be extracted, copied or adapted. Using electroactive polymers (EAP) as artificial muscles is adding an important element to the development of biologically inspired technologies.
An Improved Operation for the Definitive Treatment of the Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Abstract As our experience increased with the definitive surgical treatment of patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), an intraatrial method was devised that permits separation of the atria from the ventricles at any point along the annulus fibrosus. This technique depends on separating the atrium from the annulus fibrosus, using the fat about the coronary vessels and epicardial reflections from the aorta to the right atrial wall as the plane of dissection. This method allows easy approach to the septal area on the right. Successful results with 2 patients, one with Type A (left-sided) and the other with Type B (right-sided) WPW are recorded to illustrate the use of this method.
Sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of bovine blood in animal feed

The feeding of ruminant proteins to ruminants is prohibited in most countries because the practice is thought to be responsible for the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. However, currently available methods to detect ruminant blood products in rendered feedstuffs are inadequate because they lack species specificity, tissue specificity, and are not based on a thermostable analyte. A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for this study that provides reliable and sensitive (0.05-0.5% v/v) detection of bovine blood materials in animal feed. The new sandwich ELISA employs two previously developed monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), Bb6G12 as the capture antibody and biotinylated MAb Bb3D6 as the detecting antibody, and is bovine-specific and blood-specific. The assay is based on the detection of a 60 kDa thermostable protein in bovine blood and provides a useful regulatory tool for monitoring fraudulent labeling or contamination of bovine blood in both heat-processed feedstuffs and unprocessed raw materials.
Rethinking the Mainstream

The papers in this session deal with the balance between economic theory, applied quantitative research, and the way economic research is translated into public policy or economic intelligence. The correct balance, of course, will never be known. Even if it were known, the ratio would change each year forcing us to engage continually in these kinds of discussions. Given this constant change, it is useful to examine the question of balance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the notion that the total social product of the profession could be increased by increasing the amount of time spent in formulating problems, generating hypotheses, and selecting appropriate theories. Agricultural economics emerged in about 1890 as an intermingling of classical economics, institutional economics, and scientific empiricism. The classical root of the profession was nurtured by any number of general economists who began to recognize agricultural problems in their research and writing in the 1890s. At that time, many schools had courses devoted to agricultural economics or the economics of agriculture, but the focus was on the industry rather than the farm firm. The interest spread and deepened, producing a broad base of individuals well trained in the lessons of David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill, and Alfred Marshall. A second root stemmed from the German Historical School and had such U.S. advocates as Richard T. Ely and other early land economists who developed the Institutional School.