cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Ocular Graft-versus-Host Disease

Purpose To assess the vision-related quality of life (QOL) in a cohort of patients with ocular graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Design Prospective study. Participants Eighty-four patients diagnosed with chronic ocular GVHD. Methods We assessed the vision-related QOL with the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25). The symptoms of ocular GVHD were assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Symptom Assessment in Dry Eye (SANDE) questionnaires. Main Outcome Measures We assessed vision-related QOL with the NEI-VFQ-25 and compared the scores obtained from patients with ocular GVHD with those from a healthy population. In the ocular GVHD population, we also evaluated the associations between the NEI-VFQ-25 and the dry eye symptoms measured by the OSDI and SANDE questionnaires, age, duration of disease, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), tear break-up time, and Schirmer test. Results The mean composite NEI-VFQ-25 score in patients with ocular GVHD was 76.5±17. Compared with healthy subjects, patients with ocular GVHD reported reduced scores on all NEI-VFQ-25 subscales (each P P = 0.11). The NEI-VFQ-25 composite scores significantly correlated with OSDI ( R = −0.81, P R = −0.56, P R = −0.36, P = 0.001), and BCVA ( R = −0.30, P = 0.004). Conclusions Patients with ocular GVHD experience measurable impairment of vision-related QOL. This study highlights the impact of ocular GVHD on the vision-related QOL, and thus the importance of comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of this condition.
Concerns and Coping Strategies of Women Inmates Concerning Release

Abstract This article examines reintegration issues as experienced by women inmates approaching release. The data, based on unstructured, in-depth interviews with 40 incarcerated women, highlight the practical concerns that the inmates anticipate upon release and how they plan to overcome the obstacles before them. Housing, employment, familial reintegration, and substance abuse issues were commonly discussed. Coping strategies for overcoming these obstacles included education, 12-step programs, and prayer. Their accounts reveal the anxiety and fear associated with release and highlight the need for programs and policies to assist reintegration efforts.
Erosion rate diagnostics in ion thrusters using laser-induced fluorescence

We have used laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to monitor the charge-exchange ion erosion of the molybdenum accelerator electrode in ion thrusters. This real-time, nonintrusive method was implemented by operating a 30cm-diam ring-cusp thruster using xenon propellant. With the thruster operating at a total power of 5 kW, laser radiation at a wavelength of 390 nm (corresponding to a ground state atomic transition of molybdenum) was directed through the extracted ion beam adjacent to the downstream surface of the molybdenum accelerator electrode. Molybdenum atoms, sputtered from this surface as a result of charge-exchange ion erosion, were excited by the laser radiation. The intensity of the laser-induced fluorescence radiation, which is proportional to the sputter rate of the molybdenum atoms, was measured and correlated with variations in thruster operating conditions such as accelerator electrode voltage, accelerator electrode current, and test facility background pressure. We also demonstrated that the LIF technique has sufficient sensitivity and spatial resolution to evaluate accelerator electrode lifetime in ground-based test facilities.
Effects of a novel differentiation factor on the development of catecholamine traits in noncatecholamine neurons from various regions of the rat brain: studies in tissue culture.

The muscle-derived differentiation factor called MDF initiated expression of the catecholamine (CA) enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in non-CA neurons isolated from a variety of regions in the rat brain. Specifically, subpopulations of neurons from the striatum, collicular plate, and cerebellum were TH-immunoreactive after an overnight exposure to MDF in culture. The number of immunopositive cells was greatest in the striatum, where more than half of all plated neurons expressed the enzyme. In contrast, MDF had no effect on the central neurons of the hippocampus or on peripheral sensory neurons. In 3H- thymidine studies, only brain neurons that had already withdrawn from mitosis expressed TH. These cells remained open to the epigenetic influence of MDF only during a brief and defined critical period that appears to be timed intrinsically. Without daily replenishment of MDF, expression of the enzyme disappeared after several days in culture, suggesting that MDF was rapidly depleted or degraded in vitro. However, in the continued presence of MDF, TH expression was maintained indefinitely, thus producing a permanent alteration in phenotype. Moreover, a single exposure to MDF during the critical period was sufficient to render neurons permanently receptive to the molecule so that TH expression could be reinitiated many days later. It is postulated that a memory of this biochemical interaction was established in these neurons, making transmitter phenotypic plasticity possible at later stages.
The Business of Being a Lawyer

This book begins with the assumption that in today’s legal market, each of us, as a lawyer, is a business, our own business. Whether we are self-employed or work for a private firm, public interest or government office, or in a non-legal position, we need to understand our own balance sheet. What are our assets and liabilities? What are our short-term and long-term business plans? How do we implement our business plans? For which contingencies do we prepare? What are our accounts receivables? What investments have we made and need to make in our businesses? This book covers four topics: (1) the changing economics of the legal profession and resulting consequences for law students and practicing lawyers, focusing on the changing business model of private law practice; an updated calculus of public interest/government employment vis a vis private employment; impact of technology on the delivery of legal services, (2) personal financial planning basics, addressing the twenty-plus major financial decisions most lawyers will face during their careers including educational debt repayment; monetary implications of different career paths; negotiating less than full-time employment; establishing one’s own practice, (3) Emotional Intelligence (EQ) issues, covering predictable life crises in adulthood, particularly for attorneys, including topics such as using one’s strengths, dealing with stress, maintaining resilience in the face of hardships, (4) “free agency”: how to market oneself as an effective free agent throughout one’s career, given the fact that the average attorney changes jobs seven times in a career. This section builds on industrial psychology studies of effective “star performers” in the workplace and discusses specific steps law students and lawyers can take to thrive in the legal market ahead.
Neural Networks Approach to Automatic Startup and Control of An Exothermic Batch Reactor

This paper describes a neural network approach to the automatic startup and control of a batch reactor where exothermic reactions take place. A backpropagation neural network model is used for online determination of the startup switching time and a model predictive control strategy based on a back propagation neural network is to be designed for a regulatory control after the desired reactor temperature is reached during startup. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the applicability of the proposed neural network approach to the rapid startup and control of exothermic batch reactors.
Ocean floor boundaries.

The base of the continental slope, combined with the concepts of a boudary zone, a technical advisory boundary commission, and special treatment for restricted seas, offers a readily attainable, natural, practicable, and equitable boundary between national and international jurisdiction over the ocean floor. There is no point in bringing into the boundary formula the unnecessary added complication of thickness of sediments, as recently proposed. Review of the U.S. offshore brings out the critical importance with respect to energy resources of proper choice of boundary principles and proper determination of the base-of-continent line about our shores. The advice of the pertinent science and technology community should urgently be sought and contributed to decisions on offshore boundaries.
Influence of δ-opioid receptors on production of labeled methionine5-enkephalin in murine neuroblastoma cells

Synthesis of methionine5-enkephalin by intact cells of murine neuroblastoma clone N1E-115 has been demonstrated both immunocytochemically and biochemically. In addition, N1E-115 cells possess homogeneous enkephalin (delta) receptors which inhibit prostaglandin E1-induced intracellular cyclic AMP formation. An assay was developed for measuring de novo synthesis of methionine5-enkephalin by pulsing cells in culture with radioactive methionine and isolating this pentapeptide to radiochemical purity by a procedure that included immunoaffinity chromatography specific for oxidized methionine5-enkephalin. This assay indicated that production of radiolabeled-methionine5-enkephalin was increased upon lengthy exposure of intact N1E-115 cells in the late logarithmic phase of growth to a nonproteolyzable analog of methionine5-enkephalin. This increase in synthesis of intracellular methionine5-enkephalin relative to control cells was prevented by prior incubation of the clone with naloxone, indicating that the response was mediated by the delta receptor.
Patient selection for mechanical circulatory support

Heart failure continues to be associated with high morbidity and mortality. Over the past decade, left ventricular assist devices have been shown to improve the survival and quality of life. However, it is quite clear that very sick patients do not do as well, and it is therefore imperative to select patients at the proper time. In this article, we review both the indications for considering left ventricular assist device therapy as well as discuss the considerations and therapy that should be done pre-operatively to possibly improve post-insertion outcomes.
Survival and outcome after endotracheal intubation for acute stroke.

Objective: To assess survival and functional outcome in patients endotracheally intubated after ischemic stroke (IS) or spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Background: Endotracheal intubation is both a necessary life support intervention and a measure of severity in IS or ICH. Knowledge of associated clinical variables may improve the estimation of early prognosis and guide management in these patients. Methods: We reviewed 131 charts of patients with IS or ICH who were admitted to the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit at Duke University Medical Center between July 1994 and June 1997 and required endotracheal intubation. Stroke risk factors, stroke type (IS or ICH) and location (hemispheric, brainstem, or cerebellum), circumstances surrounding intubation, neurologic assessment (Glasgow Coma Score [GCS] and brainstem reflexes), comorbidities, and disposition at discharge were documented. Survivors were interviewed for Barthel Index (BI) scores. Results: Survival was 51% at 30 days and 39% overall. Variables that significantly correlated with 30-day survival in multivariate analysis included GCS at intubation ( p = 0.03) and absent pupillary light response ( p = 0.008). Increase in the GCS also correlated with improved functional outcome measured by the BI ( p = 0.0003). In patients with IS, age and GCS at intubation predicted survival, and in patients with ICH, absent pupillary light response predicted survival. Conclusions: Predictors for mortality differ between patients with IS and ICH; however, decreased level of consciousness is the most important determinant of increased mortality and poor functional outcome. Absent pupillary light responses also correspond with a poor prognosis for survival, but further validation of this finding is needed.
Collapse of long, noncircular, cylindrical shells under pure bending

Abstract This paper describes an extension of a method developed in a previous paper to determine the moment carrying capacity of elastoplastic noncircular cylindrical shells with infinite length by the finite element method. As a result of the shape change in the cross section of a shell during deformation, the bending moment reaches a global maximum value and then decreases as the bending curvature further increases. The shell would consequently collapse at the maximum moment. However, a bifurcation buckling may occur before the maximum moment can be developed. This bifurcation buckling could induce collapse of the shell under a moment less than the maximum. Determination of the likelihood that the bifurcation buckling would generate shell collapse may be made from the initial post-buckling behavior. An initial post-buckling analysis based on the J 2 deformation theory of plasticity has been developed in this paper. The finite element method with one spatial variable is used to locate the bifurcation point as well as to analyze the initial post-buckling behavior. Numerical examples of cylindrical shells with various cross-sectional shapes are shown. In particular, for a shell of square cross section, the moment at the bifurcation is much lower than the maximum value; however, the initial post-buckling analysis reveals that the state of equilibrium is still stable. Deep post-buckling analysis is required to determine the moment carrying capacity of a shell with such cross section.
Mental health ideologies of psychiatric nurses.

Students in graduate programs of psychiatric nursing across the United States were surveyed in terms of their individual commitment to three major mental health ideologies-community mental health ideology, psychotherapeutic ideology, and somatotherapeutic ideology. In contrast to earlier research, which had indicated that psychiatric nurses are ideologically neutral, it was found in the present study that as a group these 386 young psychiatric nurses were more committed to community mental health ideology than to the other two psychiatric orientations measured.
Replacement technique for a broken occlusal rest

Abstract A simple technique for repairing the RPD with a broken occlusal rest in described.
Crossed beam measurement of the H+ velocity-angle distribution from He*(2 1S) + H penning ionization

Abstract The first measurement of a doubly differential cross section for Penning ionization is reported. At an energy of 0.33 eV, the protons are scattered sharply forward, and an additional 0.26 eV is released as translational energy. A completely ab initio prediction compares favorably with these results.
NF-κB activation by oxidative stress and inflammation suppresses contractility in colonic circular smooth muscle cells

Abstract Background & Aims: Transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) plays a critical role in transcriptional changes in several diseases, including inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether NF-κB is activated by inflammation and oxidative stress in colonic circular smooth muscle cells and whether that leads to suppression of their contractility. Methods: The experiments were performed on freshly dissociated single cells using electrophoretic mobility shift assay, Western immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence imaging. Results: The NF-κB DNA binding was ∼6-fold greater in cells from the inflamed colon vs. those from the normal colon. Supershift assay indicated that the antibodies to p65, p50, and c-Rel, but not that to p52, shifted the NF-κB band. Western immunoblotting and immunofluorescence imaging also demonstrated the presence of p65, p50, and c-Rel proteins in the cytoplasm and their translocation to the nucleus by H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress. H 2 O 2 treatment degraded IκB β , but not IκB α , to translocate NF-κB to the nucleus. Hydrogen peroxide concentration and time dependently activated NF-κB DNA binding and suppressed cell contraction to acetylcholine. NF-κB inhibitors significantly inhibited these effects. Inhibition of NF-κB prior to and during inflammation in intact dogs also reversed the suppression of contractility. Conclusions: Transcription factor NF-κB is activated in colonic circular muscle cells by inflammation and oxidative stress. This activation of NF-κB mediates the suppression of cell contractility.
Relationship between changes in prostate-specific antigen and prognosis of prostate cancer

Changes in prostate-specific antigen (PSA), used to estimate PSA doubling times, may reflect prostate cancer growth. To determine if PSA doubling time prior to diagnosis predicted outcome in men with prostate cancer, we evaluated 16 men with prostate cancer who had (1) serial PSA determinations (mean 9.9) on frozen sera from twelve to twenty-six years before diagnosis; (2) at least five years of follow-up in those subjects without metastatic disease (range 5.5-12.3 years); and (3) archival material from diagnosis available for pathologic evaluation. PSA doubling time prior to diagnosis was investigated with relation to patient outcome (regardless of treatment) and the known predictors of tumor behavior, Gleason score and nuclear morphometry. In 5 of 16 men who had evidence of metastatic disease at diagnosis, metastasis developed or they died of prostate cancer during follow-up (group 1). Eleven of 16 had no evidence of metastatic disease during follow-up (group 2). Both Gleason score and variance of nuclear roundness (VNR) were significantly greater for group 1 (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to PSA doubling time, and the PSA level at diagnosis did not correlate with the development of metastatic disease. One of 5 men with no PSA level greater than 4.0 ng/mL prior to diagnosis died within two years of diagnosis. These data suggest that (1) a normal PSA at diagnosis does not exclude an aggressive cancer, and (2) changes in PSA that occur before the diagnosis of prostate cancer may not always predict outcome. Since PSA level is influenced by tumor grade, an inability to correct PSA for tumor grade could have influenced the results.
A comparison of two band models for nitrous oxide in the infrared region at two different resolutions

A comparison of the double exponential model and the equivalent absorption coefficient model as applied to the atmospheric gas nitrous oxide N20 is made for low (20 cm -1) and high (5 cm -1) spectral resolutions. Both models are shown to represent low resolution N20 transmittance well. The double exponential model is shown to represent high resolution transmittance better than the equivalent absorption coefficient model does. Comparisons of the double exponential model at low and high resolutions using the same transmittance data base are made. It is shown that virtually no more error occurs when the double exponential model is used to model high resolution N20 transmittance as occurs when the double exponential model is used to represent low resolution transmittance.
Variation of overtides by wave enhanced bottom drag in a North Florida tidal inlet

Abstract Month-long observations of waves and tidal currents at Ponce de Leon Inlet, North Florida are used to investigate the importance of wave-induced bottom drag as a mechanism for overtide generation in estuaries. While bottom drag can in theory lead to overtide generation, in practice, resolving unambiguously this effect is difficult as it tends to be overshadowed by the stronger effect of diurnal–semidiurnal tidal variance. Bottom boundary layer numerical simulations based on observational data suggest that waves can cause the bottom drag experienced by currents to increase by a factor of 1.7, compared with relatively calm conditions. Despite the relatively short duration and limited scope of the experiment, the analysis suggests that overtide modulations (East–West velocity components of the 5th and 6th diurnal constituents) are correlated with wave-enhanced drag trends. Therefore, wave-enhanced bottom drags may be enhancing generation of overtides. Further work is necessary to understand the scope and the strength of this mechanism, in relation to the characteristics (e.g., flow direction) of individual overtides.
205 Ultrathin nanopores for structural analysis of small nucleic acids

Pinpointing the mechanisms behind function in biological macromolecules is essential for understanding the emerging and evolving nature of life. Biological macromolecules have evolved over billions of years to function efficiently in the highly heterogeneous, crowded environment of a cell. In particular, non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) and deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) are omnipresent in cells, preforming both regulatory and catalytic functions by virtue of their structure. One class of such nucleic acids, ironically termed “junk DNA,”1 is significantly involved in orchestrating gene regulation. The RNA subunits of the ribosome2 are an integral part of the translational machinery for protein synthesis. Many ribozymes and other viral RNAs such as the hammerhead ribozyme and the canonical internal ribosome entry site3 exhibit enzymatic activity. Although the exact mechanisms remain unclear, the uniting theme in these non-coding nucleic acids is that their tertiary (spatial) structure yields specific che...
Evaluation of a simple screening test for serum ant1-trypsin activity

Abstract A simple and rapid test for serum antitrypsin activity is described. The inhibitory action of serum upon trypsin is determined by following, with a suitable indicator, the pH change during the enzymic cleavage of benzoylarginine ethyl ester. Values for normal serum and plasma are presented and the application of the test to large scale screening programmes for serum alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency is discussed.
Turkish Girls, Allah's Daughters, and the Contemporary German Subject: Itinerary of a Figure1

This essay considers the very recent emergence of the category of ‘Muslim’ in German public discourse and through it examines current German self-understandings. In contemporary Germany, the notion of a resident ‘Muslim’ minority has been primarily created by relabelling and recasting immigrants from Turkey, the country's largest minority. I argue that the rearticulation of longstanding storylines about abused women of Turkish background – increasingly presented as ‘Muslim’– serves as a key point of transfer in this shift from ethnonational to religious framings. Analysing exemplary media sources as well as the sociologist Necla Kelek's influential non-fiction book Die fremde Braut (2005), I point to the crucial and multilayered work done by gender in this shift as well as its large-scale implications for reimagining Germany and Europe.
Adolescence: Normal Psychological Development and Psychiatric Problems

ADOLESCENCE IS A DRAMATIC illustration of the inseparability of the biological influences on the human organism. It is a phase of development initiated by and continually influenced by the pressures on the organism exerted by the qualitative and quantitative changes in biochemical, physiological and particularly hormonal processes. The psychological tasks involved include both working out a pattern of adjustment to these new levels of biological pressure on the organism, and preparing the individual for a new set of responsibilities and tasks. The personality development which eventuates is the end result of the individual's answers to the process of finding answers to both these tasks. The struggles in the process of finding solutions to both these tasks are inevitably intertwined and the end result can best be understood by looking at each individual in terms of how he is dealing with the simultaneous pressures.
Carbon dioxide sequestration: how much and when?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration has been proposed as a key component in technological portfolios for managing anthropogenic climate change, since it may provide a faster and cheaper route to significant reductions in atmospheric CO2 concentrations than abating CO2 production. However, CO2 sequestration is not a perfect substitute for CO2 abatement because CO2 may leak back into the atmosphere (thus imposing future climate change impacts) and because CO2 sequestration requires energy (thus producing more CO2 and depleting fossil fuel resources earlier). Here we use analytical and numerical models to assess the economic efficiency of CO2 sequestration and analyze the optimal timing and extent of CO2 sequestration. The economic efficiency factor of CO2 sequestration can be expressed as the ratio of the marginal net benefits of sequestering CO2 and avoiding CO2 emissions. We derive an analytical solution for this efficiency factor for a simplified case in which we account for CO2 leakage, discounting, the additional fossil fuel requirement of CO2 sequestration, and the growth rate of carbon taxes. In this analytical model, the economic efficiency of CO2 sequestration decreases as the CO2 tax growth rate, leakage rates and energy requirements for CO2 sequestration increase. Increasing discount rates increases the economic efficiency factor. In this simple model, short-term sequestration methods, such as afforestation, can even have negative economic efficiencies. We use a more realistic integrated-assessment model to additionally account for potentially important effects such as learning-by-doing and socio-economic inertia on optimal strategies. We measure the economic efficiency of CO2 sequestration by the ratio of the marginal costs of CO2 sequestration and CO2 abatement along optimal trajectories. We show that the positive impacts of investments in CO2 sequestration through the reduction of future marginal CO2 sequestration costs and the alleviation of future inertia constraints can initially exceed the marginal sequestration costs. As a result, the economic efficiencies of CO2 sequestration can exceed 100% and an optimal strategy will subsidize CO2 sequestration that is initially more expensive than CO2 abatement. The potential economic value of a feasible and acceptable CO2 sequestration technology is equivalent – in the adopted utilitarian model – to a one-time investment of several percent of present gross world product. It is optimal in the chosen economic framework to sequester substantial CO2 quantities into reservoirs with small or zero leakage, given published estimates of marginal costs and climate change impacts. The optimal CO2 trajectories in the case of sequestration from air can approach the pre-industrial level, constituting geoengineering. Our analysis is silent on important questions (e.g., the effects of model and parametric uncertainty, the potential learning about these uncertainties, or ethical dimension of such geoengineering strategies), which need to be addressed before our findings can be translated into policy-relevant recommendations.
Quantum dot immunoassays in renewable surface column and 96-well plate formats for the fluorescence detection of botulinum neurotoxin using high-affinity antibodies

A fluorescence sandwich immunoassay using high-affinity antibodies and quantum dot (QD) reporters has been developed for detection of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) using a nontoxic recombinant fragment of the holotoxin (BoNT/A-H(C)-fragment) as a structurally valid simulant for the full toxin molecule. The antibodies used, AR4 and RAZ1, bind to nonoverlapping epitopes present on both the full toxin and on the recombinant fragment. In one format, the immunoassay is carried out in a 96-well plate with detection in a standard plate reader using AR4 as the capture antibody and QD-coupled RAZ1 as the reporter. Detection to 31 pM with a total incubation time of 3 h was demonstrated. In a second format, the AR4 capture antibody was coupled to Sepharose beads, and the reactions were carried out in microcentrifuge tubes with an incubation time of 1 h. The beads were subsequently captured and concentrated in a rotating rod "renewable surface" flow cell equipped with a fiber optic system for fluorescence measurements. In PBS buffer, the BoNT/A-H(C)-fragment was detected to concentrations as low as 5 pM using the fluidic measurement approach.
Further results on message-passing algorithms for motif finding

A new class of message-passing algorithms for motif finding is presented. Motif finding is the problem of identifying a collection of common subsequences within a given set of DNA sequences. It can be cast as an integer linear program (ILP). Message-passing techniques are a computationally efficient alternative to the often infeasible combinatorial solutions to the ILP. We introduce a new graphical representation of the ILP formulation of the problem, and use it to develop new message-passing algorithms for motif finding. Simulation results demonstrate that the new algorithms have better performance and convergence properties than the previously proposed solutions.
Morphological study of the time histories of gamma-ray bursts

Time histories of gamma-ray bursts have revealed a great diversity, both in total duration and in the details of fine time structure. Results of the gamma-ray experiment on the Helios-2 spacecraft have suggested some similarities in time profiles of events. The possibility of some characteristic 'separation times' in events may also be indicated.
Aeroelastic instability of aircraft wings modelled as anisotropic composite thin-walled beams in incompressible flow

An encompassing aeroelastic model developed toward investigating the influence of directionality property of advanced composite materials and non-classical effects such as transverse shear and warping restraint on the aeroelastic instability of composite aircraft wings is presented. Within the model developed herein, both divergence and flutter instabilities are simultaneously addressed. The aircraft wing is modelled as an anisotropic composite thin-walled beam featuring circumferentially asymmetric stiffness lay-up that generates, for the problem at hand, elastic coupling among plunging, pitching and transverse shear motions. The unsteady incompressible aerodynamics used here is based on the concept of indicial functions. Issues related to aeroelastic instability are discussed, the influence of warping restraint and transverse shear on the critical speed are evaluated, and pertinent conclusions are outlined.
Isolated symptomatic midcervical stenosis of the internal carotid artery

All carotid arteriograms performed between January 1, 1986 and December 31, 1991 were reviewed for instances of midcervical carotid stenosis. Sixteen cases were identified. A stenosis related to the hypoglossal nerve was specifically identified in three operative reports in the retrospective review. Pathologic examinations of the specimens confirmed the presence of atherosclerotic plaque or fibrous dysplasia. In another case, relief of intermittent neurologic symptoms (TIAs) was obtained by division of the tylohyoid ligament. Prospective observation of five cases confirmed a stenosis immediately distal to a transverse neurofascial band formed by the hypoglossal nerve, which arose with the varus nerve in three patients, and a large cervical contribution to the ansa hypoglossi in two. Presumably the lesion was caused by the turbulent low in the internal carotid artery distal to the band. Isolated stenosis of the midcervical internal carotid artery unrelated to bifurcation disease may be the result of turbulence induced by tethering neural or myofascial bands.
Protein‐based carbon capture: progress and potential

Increasing atmospheric levels of CO2 and potential resulting climate changes require new, innovative solutions. As currently employed, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology is unable, by orders of magnitude, to cope with the tremendous (and increasing) amount of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In the biosphere, enzymatic CCS captures more than quadruple the amount of CO2 emitted by human activity, and so a bio-inspired approach to CCS is greatly appealing. In this perspective, recent work concerning the ability of various CO2-utilizing enzymes (Rubisco, carbonic anhydrase, and others) to act as carbon capture agents is discussed. Particular attention is given to computational modeling and simulation research, which has revealed useful, fundamental information about the way a protein interacts with carbon dioxide at the primary, secondary, and tertiary structure levels. Novel computational approaches that have been developed to rapidly screen proteins for their suitability for enzymatic CCS are discussed. It is proposed that increased carbon utilization must be incorporated into CCS, and furthermore that enzymatic utilization, especially when guided by computational modeling, will be a crucial component of success. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Controlling Odor and Volatile Substances in Liquid Hog Manure by Amendment

Five commercial pit additive products were examined for effectiveness of controlling the release of odorous and volatile compounds from swine manure. pH, volatile fatty adds, total solids, total volatile solids, total N, and total ammonia N were monitored, and levels of aerial ammonia and hydrogen sulfide were measured. Odor thresholds were determined by a dynamic triangle forced-choice olfactometer. The five products tested reduced the odor thresholds from 58 to 87% as compared with control samples. Three of the five products showed significant reductions in volatile fatty acids (34-44%; P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the odor threshold is not correlated with volatile fatty acids concentrations existing in the swine manure (coefficient of correlation: r = 0.16). Malodor could be produced by certain types of volatile fatty acids not necessarily present in high concentrations. The abatement of ammonia emission from swine manure was not determined in this study due to low pH values for both the treated and control samples.
Mud Displacement During Cementing State of the Art

This paper is a summary of past and present work on the subject of mud displacement during cementing. Such topics as centralization, pipe movement, pipe-lowering speed, drilling-fluid conditioning, hole geometry, spacer design, flow rate, equivalent circulating density, job monitoring, postjob evaluation, and the application of each to the mud-displacement process are discussed. This work includes a mud-displacement ''checklist'' for use before and during cementing. Although most of what is discussed has been presented previously, this discussion ties all these critical points into one discussion for use by both operations and engineering personnel involved in cementing jobs.
Influence of shape on electron transport in ballistic quantum dots

We have investigated the low-temperature ([ital T]=0.43--4.25 K) magnetotransport of quantum dots fabricated in the shape of an open circle and a circle having a central bar. The characteristic magnetic fields for both coherent backscattering and conductance fluctuations are strongly shape dependent: both are larger by a factor [ge]3 in the device with the central bar. Comparison of large and small devices of nominally identical shape shows that characteristic trajectory areas are proportional to the device area.
A public health perspective on HIV/AIDS in Africa: Victories and unmet challenges

More than three decades after the first cases of HIV were recognized in the United States and worldwide, Africa remains a remarkable example of both public health successes and remaining challenges. Although many African countries initially lacked the resources and sociopolitical will to advance HIV treatment and prevention strategies, world governments, a committed scientific community, and activists have made tremendous advances. We present a public health perspective on the history of the HIV epidemic in Africa, combining summaries of the epidemiology of HIV infection rates and risk factors for horizontal and vertical HIV transmission, along with a historic perspective on programmatic and funding initiatives that have strongly reduced levels of HIV infection across the continent. In our preparation of this review two clear themes emerged: that (1) the HIV epidemic in Africa remains geographically and culturally heterogeneous, so that treatment and prevention strategies need to be thoughtfully tailored for maximal effectiveness; and (2) a lack of openness to recognize and discuss infection disparities in high risk groups, disseminate prevention information, and enact policies to partner with these highly stigmatized risk groups. This is especially true of female sex workers, people who inject drugs, and men who have sex with men, communities that are often not recognized or typically undercounted when HIV testing and prevention policies are developed by many African governments. Without changes to recognize and de-stigmatize these high-risk groups, a lack of sociopolitical will to alter public health perspectives will likely hinder advances to further curb the HIV epidemic.
Wealth effects and the current account with endogenous terms of trade

Abstract Portfolio balance models of exchange rate dynamics generally neglect diversification in internationally traded goods. They thereby avoid a difficulty in demonstrating that models allowing such diversification are not globally unstable, as highlighted by Dornbusch and Fischer (1980) . This note shows that simple perfect foresight versions of traditional endogenous terms of trade models are unambiguously characterized by saddlepoint stability.
SYNTHESIS OF LIFE IN THE LAB? DEFINING A PROTOLIVING SYSTEM

The synthesis of a living system in the lab has been judged by a number of critics as partly attained by the proteinoid microsphere because of its primitive properties of metabolism, growth, and reproduction. These same critics, however, judge the organism as not alive, or as being 50 to 75 percent alive (Baltscheffsky and Jurka, 1984), owing to the absence of a nucleic acid genetic coding mechanism. The experiments in retracing evolution suggest, however, that the self-sequencing of amino acids was the evolutionary precursor of modern nucleic acid templating; the genetic memory is the molecule. The proteinoid microsphere is not a modern living system, but does represent at least a protoliving system (Fox and Dose, 1972). Berra (1990, p. 75) has commented on other difficulties in defining a protoliving system. In Berra's opinion, metabolism, reproduction, responsiveness to stimuli, and cellularity constitute or describe aliveness. These properties characterize proteinoid microspheres. A number of experiments demonstrate that amino acids in aminoacyl adenylates yield specific products, whereas nucleotides are without effect. For this and related reasons, especially the demonstrated self-sequencing of amino acids when they are warmed, resultant bio-functional properties of self-assembled microstructures, and demonstrated self-sequencing of amino acids in modern systems, the results appear to bridge from the chemical era to the biological period. All the above emerges from a departure in style of research (Young, 1984; Pauling and Zuckerkandl, 1972). The latter authors said, "It appears likely that biogenesis is the passage from a 'non-living system' existing in a large number of states to a 'living' system also existing in a large number of states."(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Staphylococcal carrier rates of patients withcystic fibrosis and of members of their families

The staphylococcal carrier rate in the upper respiratory tracts of patients with cysticfibrosis and of members of their families is not different from that of patients with chronic respiratory infections of other causes and of members of their families. Patients with cystic fibrosis, however, carry phage type 80/81 staphylococcus more frequently and for more prolonged periods than do patients with chronic respiratory infections not associated with cystic fibrosis. It is thought that patients with cystic fibrosis frequently acquire “hospital strains” of staphylococci during periods of hospitalization and that colonization in their respiratory tracts is facilitated by the abnormal tracheobronchial secretions characteristic of this disease.
Combined ultrahigh vacuum/electrochemistry study of the adsorption of lead on clean and sulfur-modified nickel surfaces in aqueous environments

The adsorption oflead on clean and sulfur-modified nickel surfaces was studied as a function ofimmersion time. The effect of preadsorbed sulfur and lead adsorption on nickel oxidation was also examined by open-circuit potential (OCP) measurements. Sulfur adsorbed on nickel inhibits the formation of the inner NiO layer, which results in an enhanced nickel oxidation/dissolution in aqueous solutions. The adsorption of lead is enhanced by as much as 1200% when the nickel electrode is first modified by a monolayer of adsorbed sulfur. The chemical shift in Pb(4f) binding energies indicates that lead (Pb 2+ ) ions interact directly with the preadsorbed sulfur on nickel. Lead adsorbed on sulfur-modified nickel electrode is also found to retard the oxidation/dissolution of nickel, which is enhanced by sulfur. On sulfur-modified nickel surfaces, 70% of the lead adsorption occurs during the initial 30 s of immersion. The rate of lead adsorption approaches zero after an immersion time of 10 min. On the basis of the observations of this study, a model for the sulfur-induced lead adsorption has been formulated.
Origin of the Plio-Pleistocene Vrica laminites: Organic geochemical evidence

Meyers, P.A., 1993. Origin of the Plio-Pleistocene Vrica laminites: Organic geochemical evidence. Mar. Geol., 115: 117-127. Organic geochemical properties of samples from lower Pleistocene laminite Layer H at Vrica, Calabria, have been examined for evidence of the origin of these dark-colored sediments. The laminite samples are geochemically distinct from the surrounding gray marly clays. They contain less CaCO 3 and more TOC, have higher C/N ratios and lower 613C values, and their hydrocarbon contents indicate larger proportions of land-derived organic matter. The Vrica taminites appear to have originated principally as a consequence of enhanced runoff of land-derived organic matter and clastic sediments from nearby land areas during episodes of wetter regional climate. Freshening of surface waters by the runoff created salinity stratification of the water column, diminished availability of oxygen in near-bottom waters, and improved preservation of organic matter. Marine productivity was probably also enhanced, but not as much as is evident for pelagic sapropels in the eastern Mediterranean.
Analysis of force fields and BET theory for polymers of intrinsic microporosity

A detailed force field analysis for polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) was carried out in this study. The generalised amber force field (GAFF) with united atom transferable potential for phase equilibria (TraPPE-UA), and the atomistic polymer consistent force field were evaluated. Analysis carried out with PIM-1 showed that the use of GAFF for bonded interactions and TraPPE-UA for non-bonded interactions yielded a simulated sample that compared best with available experimental data (wide-angle X-ray scattering and nitrogen adsorption at 77 K). In addition, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface areas, calculated from simulated nitrogen isotherms as pseudo-experimental data, showed that this common method failed to measure the geometric surface area of this type of material. These findings are expected to facilitate the predictive screening of different PIM functionalities.
A selectionist explanation for the success and failures of science

I argue that van Fraassen’s selectionist explanation for the success of science is superior to the realists’ explanation. Whereas realists argue that our current theories are successful because they accurately reflect the structure of the world, the selectionist claims that our current theories are successful because unsuccessful theories have been eliminated. I argue that, unlike the explanation proposed by the realist, the selectionist explanation can also account for the failures of once successful theories and the fact that sometimes two competing theories are both equally successful.
Application of small sample back extrusion test for measuring texture of cooked sorghum grain.

A small sample back extrusion test cell mounted in an Instron Universal testing machine was used to measure the texture of cooked whole and decorticated sorghum grains. Measurements were done on 8-g (undecorticated grain) and 10-g (decorticated grain) cooked samples of 11 sorghum cultivars. The cultivars differed widely in percent vitreousness. The percent vitreousness data significantly correlated to the back extrusion energy values of cooked whole grain (r= 0.91) and cooked decorticated grain (r=0.94**). Ancillary measurement performed on the weight ratio of cooked to uncooked grain indicated weaker but still significant correlation of the data with the percent vitreousness of the grain.
How does glucose regulate the human pancreatic A cell in vivo

To investigate the mechanism whereby changes in plasma glucose level alter human pancreatic A-cell activity in vivo, A-cell activity was determined during manipulation of plasma glucose and pancreatic B-cell activity by insulin and glucose infusions. A-cell activity (the acute immunoreactive glucagon response to intravenous arginine, 0–10 min) rose from 482±125 to 968±191 pg · ml-1 · 10 min-1 (mean±SEM) when the plasma C-peptide level (a measure of B-cell activity) was suppressed from 2164±365 to 872±162 pg/ml by an insulin infusion at euglycaemia (employing the glucose clamp technique) in six normal subjects. Raising plasma glucose to 6.7 mmol/l during the same insulin infusion returned mean C-peptide (2688±581 pg/ml) and the acute glucagon response to arginine (447±146 pg · ml-1 · 10 min-1) close to basal levels. Individual changes in the acute glucagon response to arginine followed the C-peptide changes. The mean change in the acute glucagon response to arginine per unit change in plasma glucose (-191±36) was similar to that seen when plasma glucose was raised to twice basal levels in six different subjects without an insulin infusion (-159±45). This suggests that, when plasma glucose is raised to about twice basal level in vivo, the major factor in suppressing A-cell activity is the concurrent change in B-cell activity rather than direct effects of glucose or circulating insulin on the A cell.
A note on Craig's paper on the minimum of binomial variates

Craig (1962) described an application of order statistics from a binomial distribution and gave an approximate expression for the mean value of the minimum of two binomial variables having the same probability of success and the same number of trials. In this note we suggest another approximation for the mean and also for the standard deviation of the minimum, using normal order statistics tabulated by Teichroew (1956).
Influence of Ga flux on the growth and electron transport properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract The growth and electrical properties of the Al 0.15 Ga 0.85 N/GaN two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) were studied for a range of III/V ratios during growth. All films were grown by RF-plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Al 0.15 Ga 0.85 N growth in the Ga-rich regime has a surface structure that is controlled by the Ga flux, ranging from morphologies indicative of statistical roughening effects to step-flow growth. The 2DEG sheet carrier concentration was insensitive to Ga flux—this is because the saturated 2DEG charge is approximately equal to the fixed polarization charge at the AlGaN/GaN interface. By increasing the Ga flux during growth, the measured low temperature 2DEG mobility was found to increase, reaching a maximum just before Ga droplets began to form on the surface. In the Ga droplet growth regime, the mobility decreased and was insensitive to further increase in Ga flux. The highest quality surface structure and maximum mobility were realized for structures grown with Ga fluxes just below those necessary to form droplets.