cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dppa2/4 Facilitate Epigenetic Remodeling during Reprogramming to Pluripotency.

Summary As somatic cells are converted into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), their chromatin is remodeled to a pluripotent configuration with unique euchromatin-to-heterochromatin ratios, DNA methylation patterns, and enhancer and promoter status. The molecular machinery underlying this process is largely unknown. Here, we show that embryonic stem cell (ESC)-specific factors Dppa2 and Dppa4 play a key role in resetting the epigenome to a pluripotent state. They are induced in reprogramming intermediates, function as a heterodimer, and are required for efficient reprogramming of mouse and human cells. When co-expressed with Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, and Myc (OKSM) factors, Dppa2/4 yield reprogramming efficiencies that exceed 80% and accelerate reprogramming kinetics, generating iPSCs in 2 to 4 days. When bound to chromatin, Dppa2/4 initiate global chromatin decompaction via the DNA damage response pathway and contribute to downregulation of somatic genes and activation of ESC enhancers, all of which enables an efficient transition to pluripotency. Our work provides critical insights into how the epigenome is remodeled during acquisition of pluripotency.
A data mining approach to evaluate stock-picking strategies

A supervised learning model is introduced to evaluate the adequacy of a proposed parameter set in creating a stock-picking strategy. Since the stock market's behavior appears volatile, identifying rules that consistently predict stock movement can, at best, be challenging and perhaps unattainable. Hence, the relationship among the attributes used to predict stock behavior is often obscure, leading some speculators to falsely perceive associations among a set of disparate attributes when constructing stock-picking rules. A data mining-based model is used to evaluate the adequacy of proposed parameter set when constructing investment decision making rules. Thus, the rules are built by analyzing a combination of historical stock market data and related derived attributes. Different users can propose a separate set of parameters for constructing the decision rules representing distinct stock-picking strategies. The presented approach uses established principles from the Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) process, data classification functions, and other data mining techniques.
Implicit model of other people's visual attention as an invisible, force-carrying beam projecting from the eyes.

As a part of social cognition, people automatically construct rich models of other people’s vision. Here we show that when people judge the mechanical forces acting on an object, their judgments are biased by another person gazing at the object. The bias is consistent with an implicit perception that gaze adds a gentle force, pushing on the object. The bias was present even though the participants were not explicitly aware of it and claimed that they did not believe in an extramission view of vision (a common folk view of vision in which the eyes emit an invisible energy). A similar result was not obtained on control trials when participants saw a blindfolded face turned toward the object, or a face with open eyes turned away from the object. The findings suggest that people automatically and implicitly generate a model of other people’s vision that uses the simplifying construct of beams coming out of the eyes. This implicit model of active gaze may be a hidden, yet fundamental, part of the rich process of social cognition, contributing to how we perceive visual agency. It may also help explain the extraordinary cultural persistence of the extramission myth of vision.
Photoredox Radical/Polar Crossover Enables Construction of Saturated Nitrogen Heterocycles

Photoredox-mediated radical/polar crossover (RPC) processes offer new avenues for the synthesis of cyclic molecules. This process has been realized for the construction of medium-sized saturated nitrogen heterocycles. Photocatalytically generated alkyl radicals possessing pendant leaving groups engage imines in C-C bond formation, and subsequent reduction of the intermediate nitrogen-centered radical triggers anionic ring closure. With the aid of visible light irradiation, substituted pyrrolidines, piperidines, and azepanes can be prepared under mild, redox-neutral conditions.
Atypical Fibroxanthoma: The Washington University Experience.

BACKGROUNDAtypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) is a rare dermal neoplasm typically occurring on sun-exposed skin in the elderly. As AFX remains a diagnosis of exclusion, updated characterization and treatment assessments are necessary to support informed diagnosis and management.OBJECTIVECharacterization of
Acoustic analysis of nasal and lateral consonants: The merger in Eastern Min

The contrast between word-initial [n] and [l] is disappearing in many Chinese languages, including Eastern Min. Before investigating the status of the merger, we need to identify the acoustic cues that distinguish [n] from [l]. In English and Mandarin, languages with the [n] and [l] contrast, we examined: (1) Duration: consonant duration and consonant-vowel transition duration; (2) Formant frequencies: F1, F2 and F3 at the midpoint of the consonant; (3) Formant intensities: I1, I2, and I3 at the midpoint of the consonant; and (4) Relative amplitude (the amplitude difference between the consonant and the following vowel). Preliminary results show that [n] is significantly longer than [l] in Mandarin and English but not in Eastern Min. F2 of [n] is higher than F2 of [l] in English and Mandarin, whereas the direction is reversed in Eastern Min. Finally, the difference in relative amplitude between [n] and [l] is greater in English and Mandarin than in Eastern Min. Together, these results suggest a merger in progress in Eastern Min . Moreover, older Eastern Min speakers showed the merger to a greater degree than younger speakers, presumably because the older speakers use Mandarin less frequently.
A Progressive Motion-Planning Algorithm and Traffic Flow Analysis for High-Density 2D Traffic

Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) are a promising new mode of transportation for cargo delivery. Although control, navigation, and communication technologies are becoming available on individual fli...
The specificity of the protein kinase C α, βII and γ isoforms as assessed by an unnatural alcohol-appended peptide library

Previous studies using conventional peptide-based libraries have demonstrated that homologous protein-processing enzymes [e.g. the alpha, betaII and gamma isoforms of protein kinase (PKC)] typically display identical amino acid consensus sequences. These observations have hampered the acquisition of selective synthetic substrates for the individual members of these enzyme families. We describe here a parallel synthesis strategy, readily adaptable to the preparation of large libraries, that has led to the emergence of the first examples of selective substrates for the conventional PKC isoforms. In addition, we have found that a wide variety of structurally diverse N-appended alcohol-containing residues, including tyrosine, serve as substrates for the PKC alpha, betaII and gamma isoforms. This broad active-site substrate specificity with respect to both natural and unnatural residues may prove to be especially applicable to the construction of transition-state analogues and suicide substrates, species that often require the presence of structurally elaborate functionality.
Free Vibration Analysis of Rotating Nonlinearly Elastic Structures with Symmetry: An Efficient Group-Equivariance Approach

We show in this work that use of group-theoretic ideas can greatly simplify the procedure for finding both linear vibration modes and frequencies and locating solution branches for nonlinear vibration problems. These methods can be employed in both analytic and numerical settings, and they lead to dramatic increases in solving efficiency via block diagonalization. For the class of problems studied here (in which gyroscopic effects are present), we demonstrate that the original structural symmetry group can be employed to analyze the dynamics of the system despite the loss of reflection symmetry. This allows for a simpler and more intuitive implementation of the group representation techniques. In addition, we explain how ideas from bifurcation theory can be included with symmetry analysis to prove the existence of solution branches for nonlinear vibration problems. These examples provide great insight to the many advantages of using group-theoretic methods in structural vibrations problems.
A multifaceted intervention improves antibiotic stewardship for skin and soft tissues infections.

Abstract Objective Assess the effectiveness of a multifaceted stewardship intervention to reduce frequency and duration of inappropriate antibiotic use for emergency department (ED) patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). We hypothesized the antibiotic stewardship program would reduce antibiotic duration and improve guideline adherence in discharged SSTI patients. Design Nonrandomized controlled trial. Setting Academic EDs (intervention site and control site). Patients or participants Attending physicians and nurse practitioners at participating EDs. Intervention(s) Education regarding guideline-based treatment of SSTI, tests of antimicrobial treatment of SSTI, implementation of a clinical treatment algorithm and order set in the electronic health record, and ED clinicians' audit and feedback. Results We examined 583 SSTIs. At the intervention site, clinician adherence to guidelines improved from 41% to 51% (aOR = 2.13 [95% CI: 1.20–3.79]). At the control site, there were no changes in adherence during the “intervention” period (aOR = 1.17 [0.65–2.12]). The between-site comparison of these during vs. pre-intervention odds ratios was not different (aOR = 1.82 [0.79–4.21]). Antibiotic duration decreased by 26% at the intervention site during the intervention compared to pre-intervention (Adjusted Geometric Mean Ratio [95% CI] = 0.74 [0.66–0.84]). Adherence was inversely associated with SSTI severity (severe vs mild; adjusted OR 0.42 [0.20–0.89]) and purulence (0.32 [0.21–0.47]). Mean antibiotic prescription duration was 1.95 days shorter (95% CI: 1.54–2.33) in the time period following the intervention than pre-intervention period. Conclusions A multifaceted intervention resulted in modest improvement in adherence to guidelines compared to a control site, driven by treatment duration reductions.
Reviewing the recent advances in application of pectin for technical and health promotion purposes: From laboratory to market

Pectin is natural biopolymer derived from various plant sources and its activity is driven by functional groups. Affinity of pectin and chemical interactions of the active sites to chemicals in media determines fate of adjuvant molecules. Pectin is appropriate co-polymer in modulation of drawbacks of other biopolymers such as low glass transition temperature, low water solubility, and susceptibility to human digestive tract. However, functionality of pectin is improved by its optimized complexation with other chemicals especially in food packaging and tissue engineering. In the last decade, several technical and health-related functions of pectin have been studied through which some products designed and marketed progressively. Pectin-based formulations were commercialized in food, medicine, and radioprotection sectors. It is also advised for alleviation of constipation symptoms. Cost-effectiveness of this multifunctional biopolymer compared to the others that are currently used, has introduced it as a potential alternative for the next years.
What do you remember about Captain Jon's visit?: Parent-child conversations and children's memory for a science lesson.

Abstract Previous research on parent–child conversations about personal and school events has consistently demonstrated positive relationships between parents’ elaborative questioning and preschool/kindergarten children’s event memory. This study examined whether similarly positive relationships would be evident in school-age children. Kindergarten, 2nd/3rd-grade, and 5th/6th-grade children participated in a classroom science lesson about flight. At home following the lesson, parents talked with their children about this event in any way that seemed natural to them. Children’s memory was assessed both during the parent–child conversation and with a researcher at delays of 3 and 15 days. Expected positive associations between parents’ use of elaborative questioning and children’s memory for novel details during the parent–child conversation were apparent for kindergartners but not for older children. In addition, parents’ use of elaborative questioning techniques, including asking open-ended memory questions, was negatively correlated with older children’s longer-term memory performance. Predicted positive associations were observed between children’s initial recall of novel details and their memory for the lesson after 3 days (all three age groups) and after 15 days (the two older age groups). We discuss possible reasons why relationships between parental conversational styles and children’s event memory change as children advance to formal schooling.
Electrochemical Detection of Serum Antibodies Against Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis .

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) causes a chronic inflammatory intestinal disease, called Johne's disease (JD) in many ruminants. In the dairy industry, JD is responsible for significant economic losses due to decreased milk production and premature culling of infected animals. Test-and-cull strategy in conjunction with risk management is currently recommended for JD control in dairy herds. However, current diagnostic tests are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and/or too difficult to operate on site. In this study, we developed a new method for the detection of anti-M. paratuberculosis antibodies from sera of M. paratuberculosis-infected animals. M. paratuberculosis antigen-coated magnetic beads were sequentially reacted with bovine serum followed by a horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled secondary antibody. The reaction of HRP with its substrate was then quantitatively measured electrochemically using a redox-active probe, ferrocyanide. After optimization of electrochemical conditions and concentration of the redox-active probe, we showed that the new electrochemical detection method could distinguish samples of M. paratuberculosis-infected cattle from those of uninfected cattle with greater separation between the two groups of samples when compared with a conventional colorimetric testing method. Since electrochemical detection can be conducted with an inexpensive, battery-operated portable device, this new method may form a basis for the development of an on-site diagnostic system for JD.
Nikolai Berdyaev’s Philosophy of Creativity as a Revolt Against the Modern Worldview

In Nikolai Berdyaev’s oeuvre two books, The Meaning of the Creative Act (1916) and The New Middle Ages (1924), frame the experience of the Russian Revolution. Between these two books, both marking watershed moments in the philosopher’s own development, Berdyaev experienced the First World War, the February and October revolutions of 1917, the Civil War, and his own forced exile from Russia (1922). The turbulent historical background makes it evident that Berdyaev’s philosophy of creativity presented in these books should be understood as a rebellion against the modern worldview. It needs to be viewed in the context of the main currents of philosophical thought of the first decades of the twentieth century. The chief factor in the evolution of philosophical ideas in that period was yet another collision between modern immanentist infinitism and traditional mysticism. Berdyaev advances his doctrine of creativity on behalf of the latter and in the process creates yet another version of modern mystical philosophy. His revolt against the modern outlook pushes him to the extremes of the opposite way of thinking: he openly adopts a mythical-dogmatic method for constructing the key tenets of his position. However, he cannot simply reproduce a medieval worldview and his version of its revival becomes suffused with modern ideas, among which the idea of progress and the Romantic aesthetic sensibility loom large. As a criticism of Berdyaev’s doctrine, one can remark that mythical-dogmatic antinomism cannot serve as an adequate response to modern progressivism and immanentist infinitism, the two basic characteristics of the modern outlook that underlay, among other things, both the war and the revolution. To the extent that it is a reversal of modern abstractions, such antinomism falls victim to the same pitfalls as its medieval predecessor, and is equally haunted by abstractions. Berdyaev’s approach lacked the crucial dialectical component that alone could help him articulate a genuine alternative to the modern outlook. In this sense Berdyaev’s philosophical approach suffers from a shortcoming that is typical of much Russian religious-philosophical thought of his time. The chapter will close with a sketch of solutions to the key problems that prevented Berdyaev from articulating a philosophically compelling doctrine of creativity that is capable of accommodating the modern experience in a genuinely dialectical fashion. These solutions cast a particularly vivid life on what is of lasting value in Berdyaev’s philosophy of creativity and what stems in it from erroneous premises.
Enhancing Distribution Grid Resilience Through Model Predictive Controller Enabled Prioritized Load Restoration Strategy

Effective resilience improvement strategies enable the power grid to cope with disruptive extreme events. Most power grid outages are caused by disruptions in distribution grids. Motivated by the urgent need for power system resilience research, this paper proposes a priority-weighted optimal load restoration technique to enhance the resilience of distribution grids against extreme events. The proposed technique is based on smart distribution technology and framed as sequential multi-step decision process (MDP) and mixed integer linear program (MILP). It is formulated as optimal control problem with a model predictive control (MPC) approach. We applied the devised MILP-MPC-based load restoration technique to a simplified single-bus version of the IEEE 13-bus distribution system with integrated distributed energy resources (DERs) such as wind turbine, photovoitaic array, microturbine, and energy storage device. The technique executes a reducing and rolling horizon optimization in each control step in real-time using the forecasted information of the renewables, the fuel status of the microturbine and the state of charge of the energy storage device. We consider an extreme event which triggered outage of the upstream utility grid and caused islanded operation of the distribution grid. We demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed MPC approach in restoring the distribution grid loads based on their priority during the main grid outage-caused islanded operation.
Effect of Doping Density on the Performance of Metamorphic GaInAs Solar Cells Grown by Dynamic Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy

We study the effect of doping density on the performance of inverted metamorphic ~1 eV GaInAs solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy. We find that the doping efficiency of Se in this material is extremely high, with 5x1017 cm-3 being the lowest controlled value we could achieve with our present Se source. We compared rear heterojunction devices grown with intentional n-doping of 5x1017 cm-3 and unintentional n-doping of 5x1015 cm-3. The intentionally doped sample exhibited an open circuit voltage ~80 mV higher than the unintentionally doped sample due to reduced dark current, and a bandgap voltage offset, or W OC , of 0.407 V. We believe that future doping optimization will improve carrier collection and W OC in these devices.
A Unique Blending of Technology and Education Using the Self-Controlled Interactive Learning Systems (SCILS) in an On-Going Early Childhood Program

To function adequately in society today, one of the most important skills one is expected to attain is literacy. In the past, the criteria for literacy for all but the select few were merely the abilities to read and write one’s name or read from a religious text. However, society has changed and the expectations of today are much greater. Now, individuals are expected not only to “learn to read” but also to “read to learn.”1
Music and Ceremony at the Court of Charles V: The Capilla Flamenca and the Art of Political Promotion

The presentation of Charles V as universal monarch, defender of the faith, magnanimous peacemaker, and reborn Roman Emperor became the mission of artists, poets, and chroniclers, who shaped contemporary perceptions of him and engaged in his political promotion. Music was equally essential to the making of his image, as this book shows. It reconstructs musical life at his court, by examining the compositions which emanated from it, the ordinances prescribing its rituals and ceremonies, and his prestigious chapel, which reflected his power and influence. A major contribution, offering new documentary material and bringing together the widely dispersed information on the music composed to mark the major events of Charles's life. It offers.a very useful insight into music as one of many elements that served to convey the notion of the emperor-monarch in the Renaissance. TESS KNIGHTON Mary Ferer is Associate Professor at the College of Creative Arts, West Virginia University.
Performance Tests of Navy Radio Meteorograph System

Improvements of the Navy radio meteorograph system are described and the results are given of a series of 50 simultaneous radio meteorograph and aerograph soundings under typical service conditions. The improvements have resulted in a simplified calibrating and operating procedure which affords greater accuracy of performance while at the same time increasing the allowable manufacturing tolerances. The results of the simultaneous soundings show that the radio meteorograph is sufficiently accurate to warrant its early adoption for routine use.
Through the Looking Glass: Runaway Production and 'Hollywood Economics'

This paper uses the issue of runaway production as a looking glass into the complex world of Hollywood economics and politics. As such, a broad overview of Hollywood's business practices, history, and technology are discussed so the reader can understand how runaway production (a major issue itself) is one piece of the Hollywood puzzle. Specifically, this paper attempts to study runaway productions from the Law and Economics approach described in Judge Richard Posner's text on the subject. Events in 2006 illustrate the continuing importance of runaway productions and CEIDR's August 2006 report is discussed in this paper.Recently expanded, this updated version has new statistics on free trade issues and a discussion on how many jobs are directly and indirectly involved in the motion picture industry.This paper only examines runaway production of theatrical movie productions; runaway production as it pertains to television shows, mini-series, movies of the week and commercials is not discussed. Since runaway production is a hot button issue in Hollywood (and around the world), it serves as an excellent starting point for a newcomer to the movie industry or a future entertainment attorney seeking to understand the policy issues runaway production presents and how local, state and national governments have responded.
Menopause in rhesus monkeys: Model for study of disorders in the human climacteric

Hormonal and menstrual patterns were studied in rhesus monkeys 22 years of age or older. Sustained elevations of serum gonodotropins, low circulating levels of estradiol and progesterone, associated with oligomenorrhea or amneorrhea, were similar to changes reported for peri- and postmenopausal women. During the menopausal transition, pituitary FSH appears to be modulated independently of LH. These observations suggest that the rhesus monkey may be a suitable model for study of disorders afflicting women in the climacteric.
Evaluating Women Candidates: The Impact of Political Gender Stereotypes on Vote Choice in the 2010 Midterm Elections

This paper uses data from an original survey conducted with 3150 U.S. adults in the fall of 2010 to test a series of hypotheses about the impact of political gender stereotypes on candidate evaluations and vote choice in mixed-sex races for the U.S. House and Senate. The analysis demonstrates that people's stereotyped views of women and men are less important to evaluations and vote choice than earlier work has suggested.
Mitral valve diseases in Williams syndrome-case report and review of the literature

Williams syndrome is a genetic syndrome involving an unusual facies, short stature, developmental delay and heart defects. There is a genetic marker for this disease. Williams syndrome is frequently associated with congenital heart defects. The most common cardiac diagnoses are supravalve aortic stenosis, supravalve pulmonic stenosis, and arterial hypertension. In contrast, the association of mitral valve prolapse with Williams syndrome is less well defined. We present a case of a 15-year-old girl with Williams syndrome who underwent successful mitral valve repair. Review of the echocardiographic database of our institution over a 10-year period identified 26 other patients with Williams syndrome. Overall, 10 of the 27 children with Williams syndrome had mitral valve disease (37%) including 9 patients with mitral valve prolapse and one with mitral insufficiency. In conclusion, patients with Williams syndrome should be examined for mitral valve disease. Mitral valve repair is feasible and may be considered in the growing child with Williams syndrome.
A direct experimental test of founder-flush effects on the evolutionary potential for assortative mating

Founder-flush speciation models propose that population bottlenecks can enhance evolutionary potential for reproductive isolation. To test this prediction, we subjected bottlenecked (three-pair founder-flush) and nonbottlenecked populations of the housefly to 18 generations of selection for assortative mating. After the selection regime, we analysed videotaped courtship bouts in these lines to identify correlated responses to the selection protocol. The realized heritabilities for assortative mating for both the bottlenecked and nonbottlenecked treatments were very low, but still significant. The founder-flush populations had thus responded to selection as well as the nonbottlenecked populations, although not significantly greater (i.e. total increases in assortative mating were 9.6 and 8.6%, respectively). Multivariate analyses on the courtship repertoires found that, although both bottlenecked and nonbottlenecked treatments attained similar levels of assortative mating, the treatments exhibited different evolutionary solutions in their correlated responses. Specifically, the bottlenecked lines demonstrated a significantly more diverse set of evolutionary trajectories (i.e. significant shifts along the second principal component for courtship). This suggests that the bottlenecked lines had greater potential for the evolution of novel phenotypes as predicted by founder-induced speciation models. Our results, however, cannot distinguish whether the more variable evolutionary responses resulted from increased heritabilities in courtship components, reduced potential to follow the convergent evolutionary trajectories noted for the nonbottlenecked lines, or some combination of both general processes in determining the resultant multivariate phenotype.
Hubble Space Telescope six-battery nickel-cadmium mission simulation test

A simulation test of the six-battery nickel-cadmium mission to determine battery life and electrical power system (EPS) performance characteristics for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) program, is described. The basic HST power system requirements are to provide power generation, energy storage, and EPS control and distribution for 2.5 years with the nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries at an end of life solar array of two years. Mission simulation life testing began in April of 1986, and the batteries have completed their 2.5 year mission requirement. Conditions as close as practical to the actual predicted mission profiles were used. These included solar array degradation, load variations, beta angle changes, temperature changes (with excursions to 10 degrees C), battery reconditioning, safemode simulations, and off-normal roll activities. Discounting system cycling interruptions caused by hardware, software, human error, and periodic updates and revisions, the HST EPS breadboard hardware operated continuously for 30 months and demonstrated the power system's ability to meet the HST requirement. >
The importance of constructive comprehension processes in learning from tests

Abstract The goal of these experiments was to introduce and test the constructive retrieval hypothesis, according to which retrieval practice will be most effective when it encourages constructive elaborations of text content. Experiment 1 provided baseline performance data for the materials included in Experiments 2 and 3. In Experiment 2, instilling inference-based test expectancies before an initial retrieval attempt led to more constructive retrieval practice and better final test performance than instilling detail-based expectancies. In Experiment 3, instructions to construct explanations during initial retrieval attempts led to more constructive retrieval practice than free recall, and better final test performance than free recall or rereading instructions. These experiments support a constructive retrieval account of testing effects, and demonstrate that it is not retrieval practice alone, but rather the kind of constructive processing invoked during retrieval attempts that can improve both retention and comprehension when learning from text.
Nursing Care Delivery Models: The Perioperative Environment

Changes in health care on the national level are affecting perioperative nursing drastically. Perioperative nursing needs innovative approaches to guide the delivery of nursing care for patients whose operative procedures are performed outside traditional institutions. Managed care and case management are gaining in importance as more surgical procedures are performed in the outpatient arena. New minimally invasive techniques call for new models of delivering professional nursing care. Any model that is developed must ensure that professional perioperative nursing is rewarded, quality patient care provided, and surgical procedure expenses reimbursed.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Fluticasone Propionate for Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Background & Aims: Eosinophilic esophagitis is an increasingly recognized disorder with distinctive endoscopic, histologic, and allergic features. Although several therapies are advocated, no placebo-controlled trials have been conducted. We aimed to determine the efficacy of swallowed fluticasone propionate (FP) in the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of swallowed FP in pediatric patients with active eosinophilic esophagitis. Thirty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive either 880 μg of FP (21 patients) or placebo (15 patients) divided twice daily for 3 months. The primary end point was histologic remission, defined by a peak eosinophil count of ≤1 eosinophil in all 400× fields in both the proximal and distal esophagus. Results: Fifty percent of FP-treated patients achieved histologic remission compared with 9% of patients receiving placebo ( P = .047). FP decreased esophageal eosinophil levels, with a more pronounced effect in nonallergic individuals (65.9 ± 25.3 vs 1.4 ± 1.1 eosinophils/high-power field in the proximal esophagus [ P = .03] and 84.6 ± 19.7 vs 19.6 ± 12.9 eosinophils/high-power field in the distal esophagus [ P = .04]). Resolution of vomiting occurred more frequently with FP than placebo (67% vs 27%; P = .04). FP-induced resolution of mucosal eosinophilia was associated with resolution of endoscopic findings, epithelial hyperplasia, younger age ( P = .0003), shorter height ( P = .002), and lighter weight ( P = .02). Effective treatment with FP decreased the number of CD8 + T lymphocytes and mast cells in both the proximal and distal esophagus ( P
Selective Weathering of Dolomite Bodies from a Limestone Host

A weathering pattern in which saccharoidal dolomite is removed from a biopelmicritic limestone may be observed in some Lower Ordovician rocks of central Kentucky. Experiments indicate that the pattern initiates from combined solution and frost wedging. Once established, the selective removal of dolomite is probably spatially concentrated by the preferential collection of water on the rougher dolomite surfaces.
Epitaxial growth of gold on mica in an ultra-high vacuum

The effect of adsorbed gas on the growth of gold films on mica at epitaxial temperatures is investigated by comparing the growths on air exposed and vacuum cleaved mica surfaces. Evaporations at residual gas pressures of 3 x 10-8 mm Hg are employed to make films with optical thicknesses of 10 A. Optical and electron transmission examinations show that adsorbed gas drastically effects the initial growth of the film.
Electron paramagnetic resonance crystallography of spin-labeled hemoglobin-protein fine structures

Various hemoglobin derivatives have been labeled at the Cys-β93 residue with a bulky and “strongly immobilized” nitroxide maleimide (I) and a smaller, more flexible and “weakly immobilized” nitroxide iodoacetamide (II) and crystallized. The angular dependence of the paramagnetic resonance of the spin-label was measured for the ab, ac∗ and bc∗ planes at 298 K and 77 K for spin-labeled crystals of Oxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin fluoride, and methemoglobin azide. In the case of the methemoglobin crystals, the angular variation of the heme resonance was also monitored at 77 K. From the hyperfine splitting data, the spin-label I was found to assume specific orientations at both temperatures with some motional narrowing at 298 K. Spin-label II is specifically oriented only at room temperature but is frozen at 77 K in random orientations. Oxyhemoglobin labeled with I (I-HbO2†) has the most prominent spin-label orientation (z∥b, x∥a) and the less abundant spin-labels with (z∥b ± 15 °) (Ohnishi et al., 1966). The corresponding spin-label orientations for I-Hb+ F− are (z∥a, x∥c∗) and (z∥c∗, x∥a). Crystals of I-Hb+ N−3 have spin-labels oriented along angular directions similar, but not identical to those of I-Hb+F−. Therefore, there are probably significant peptide segmental displacements when HbO2 is oxidized to methemoglobins. At 25 °C II-Hb+ N−3 has spin-label orientations not too different from those in I-Hb+ N−3, whereas in HbO2 the two spin-labels show significant differences in their orientations.
Stereotaxic intracavitary irradiation for cystic craniopharyngiomas

✓ Stereotaxic intracavitary irradiation with instillation of phosphorus-32 (32P) colloidal chromic phosphate was performed in nine patients with cystic craniopharyngiomas. Serial neurological, ophthalmological, neuroendocrinological, and radiological examinations were performed before and after treatment. Dosimetry was determined based on a computerized tomography (CT) estimation of tumor volume, and was calculated to provide a tumoricidal dose (200 to 300 Gy) to the cyst wall. The follow-up period ranged from 14 to 45 months (mean 27 months). After treatment, all nine patients showed improvement of symptoms and radiological evidence of cyst regression. Because of an expanding solid component producing recurrent symptoms, one patient required a craniotomy 14 months after isotope instillation. Three of five patients with impaired visual acuity before surgery had significant improvement in acuity after treatment. Preoperative visual field defects in eight patients improved in four after 32P therapy. Of seve...
Misconceptions and Complexities in the Study of China's Cities: Definitions, Statistics, and Implications

A noted American authority on urbanization and the household registration system in China reviews and clarifies factors leading to misunderstanding and misconceptions regarding the number of inhabitants of China's major cities. Principal sources of confusion linked to reliance on official statistical sources are the multi-layered meanings of the term "city" and, consequently, simultaneous publication and use of a multitude of official population statistics for the country's "cities." Other complicating factors analyzed by the author include the effects of the Chinese hukou (household registration) system and the rapid rate of urban growth and change over the last three decades. Systematic population and per capita GDP data for the years 2000 and 2005, all based on the multiple boundaries and systems for five major cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen), are collected to illustrate both the countrywide situation and specific cases. Also included is a critique of several studies and ...
Efficiency in Midwest US corn ethanol plants: A plant survey

Continuation of policy support for the US corn ethanol industry is being debated due to doubts about the greenhouse gas effects of the industry and the effects of the industry on food prices. Yet there is no publicly available data on the economic and technical performance of the current generation of plants, which constitute the overwhelming majority of the industry. This study helps to fill that gap. Seven recently constructed ethanol plants in seven Mid west US states provided details on input requirements and operating costs during 2006 and 2007. Results show that technical performance is substantially better than current estimates available in the literature. Average net operating returns exceeded capital costs during the survey period, but price changes by mid-2008 reduced these margins to near zero. While the economic performance of the industry is currently viable, this study demonstrates that it can be threatened by current price trends, and certainly would be in the absence of current subsidies.
Protection of polymers from degradation by ultraviolet light: Compensation for increased UV light intensity by increased UV absorber concentration

Discussion de «regle du pouce»: il faut doubler la concentration en absorbant UV pour avoir la meme duree de vie d'un plastique lorsque l'intensite des UV augmente de 50%
Paradoxical Peace: A Scholar-activist's Auto-ethnography on Religious Pacifism and Anti-capitalism

AbstractHow can one subscribe to forms of ethico-religious pacifism and revolutionary communism or anarchism simultaneously, let alone conceive of their adherents as comprising the same transnational social movement? The author explores this conundrum via a playful probing of her own paradoxes related to violence and peace, dualism and non-dualistic thinking, and activist engagement along with more contemplative and quiet reflection. It experiments with expressive auto-ethnography in order to convey what living in and through these paradoxes feels like, and to access and convey other kinds of insights, (self) knowledge, and wisdom, unavailable or inadmissible by more orthodox forms of social science inquiry and writing. It embraces the postmodern relationship among authors, audiences, and texts and valorizes storytelling as deeply pedagogical, constitutive, meaningful, and meaning-making phenomena. The essay weaves together newspaper headlines, apocryphal diary entries, and dream poems into a methodologic...
CALCIUM BINDING TO INTESTINAL MEMBRANES

Flame photometry reveals that glutaraldehyde and buffer solutions in routine use for electron microscopy contain varying amounts of calcium. The presence of electron-opaque deposits adjacent to membranes in a variety of tissues can be correlated with the presence of calcium in the fixative. In insect intestine (midgut), deposits occur adjacent to apical and lateral plasma membranes. The deposits are particularly evident in tissues fixed in glutaraldehyde without postosmication. They are also observed in osmicated tissue if calcium is added to wash and osmium solutions. Deposits are absent when calcium-free fixatives are used, but are present when traces of CaCl2 (as low as 5 x 10-5 M) are added. The deposits occur at regular intervals along junctional membranes, providing images strikingly similar to those obtained by other workers who have used pyroantimonate in an effort to localize sodium. Other divalent cations (Mg++, Sr++, Ba++, Mn++, Fe++) appear to substitute for calcium, while sodium, potassium, lanthanum, and mercury do not. After postfixing with osmium with calcium added, the deposits can be resolved as patches along the inner leaflet of apical and lateral plasma membranes. The dense regions may thus localize membrane constituents that bind calcium. The results are discussed in relation to the role of calcium in control of cell-to-cell communication, intestinal calcium uptake, and the pyroantimonate technique for ion localization.
On the statistics of particle identification using ionization

Abstract First an analytic expression is obtained for the distribution in energy losses of high energy particles traversing a thin sample. It generalizes the theories of Landau and of Blunck and Leisegang by taking into account of the atomic energy levels. Secondly a statistical procedure is described for estimating a location and a width parameter of the distribution from a set of energy loss measurements. These determine the particle velocity even in the vicinity of the ionization minimum and the confidence with which particle identification can be obtained from such measurements is discussed.
Awareness and Acceptance of Evolution and Evolutionary Medicine Among Medical Students in Pakistan

Evolutionary medicine is a perspective on medical sciences derived through application of theory of evolution to aid in therapeutics. This study sought to determine the level of knowledge and acceptance of evolutionary theory in medical students along with their attitude toward teaching evolutionary medicine as a part of their undergraduate course. Factors that are likely to cause difficulty in teaching evolutionary medicine were also identified. A cross-sectional study was carried out at Army Medical College, National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan in which 299 medical students were selected by nonprobability convenient sampling technique to participate in the study. Participants’ views were obtained by a structured questionnaire comprised of three sections: appreciation of evolutionary medicine, acceptance of evolutionary theory, knowledge of evolutionary theory. Medical students had a low acceptance [mean measure of acceptance of theory of evolution (MATE) = 58.32] and a low knowledge (mean score of 5.20 out of a total ten marks). Students believed that religious beliefs, lack of resources, and an existent extensive medical curriculum would cause difficulty in imparting such an education despite its potential to improve medical research and clinical practice. Only 37.2% agreed that the subject should be taught in medical schools as an individual subject.
An optical probe for ferroelectric thin film memory capacitors

Abstract An optical probing of sol-gel derived polycrystalline thin films of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), sandwiched between two metal electrodes to form a memory capacitor, is described. In principle, both electronic as well as thermal mechanisms could be triggered by photon exposure on to ferroelectric thin films. Choice of the illumination intensity and wavelength, combined with the nature of the top electrode of the device determine the predominant phenomenon observed. The effects of two distinct optical probes: first, a non-coherent (300 nm to 600 nm), relatively weak intensity source and second, an energetic laser pulse are described. The photoresponse to the non-coherent illumination source is observed to be a probe of the space charge distribution within the ferroelectric thin film. On the other hand, utilizing laser pulses, with a full width at half maximum of ∼10 ns at 532 nm wavelength, a high speed nondestructive probing of the polarization state of the memory is demonstrated. The polarizati...
Dopamine and adenosinetriphosphatase changes in the corpus striatum of the rat

Nachweis, dass im Ratten-Striatum die Reserpin-induzierte Dopamin-Depletion mit einer Erhohung der ATPase-Aktivitat verbunden ist.
Evidence for the presence of N-Acetyl-α-l-aspartyl-l-glutamate in human brain

Abstract A peptide composed of equimolar quantities of glutamic and aspartic acids was isolated from a protein-free extract of human brain by a combination of ion-exchange and paper chromatography. Hydrazinolysis studies established that glutamic acid was C-terminal and that the amino group of the aspartyl residue was substituted with an acetyl group. To determine which aspartyl carboxyl group was linked to glutamic acid, N -acetyl-α- and N -acetyl-β-aspartyl glutamate were synthesized. When the partial acid hydrolyzates of the synthesized acetylated peptides were chromatographed on the amino acid analyzer, two distinct elution patterns were observed. The elution pattern of the brain dipeptide resembled the alpha rather than the beta derivative. When acetylated amino acids prepared from brain dipeptide were incubated with hog l -specific kidney acylase, aspartic and glutamic acids were liberated.
Canonical row-column-exchangeable arrays

Consider a standard row-column-exchangeable array X = (Xij : i,j ≥ 1), i.e., Xij = f(a, ξi, ηj, λij) is a function of i.i.d. random variables. It is shown that there is a canonical version of X, X′, such that X′, and α′, ξ′1, ξ′2,…, η′1, η′2,…, are conditionally independent given ∩n ≥ 1 σ(X′ij : max(i,j) ≥ n). This result is quite a bit simpler to prove than the analogous result for the original array X, which is due to Aldous.
Entrapment of below-the-knee bypass grafts

A case is presented in which a below-the-knee saphenous vein bypass graft was compressed between the sartorius and the semimembranosis, semitendinosis, and gracilis muscles. Angiography and noninvasive Doppler showed occlusion with leg extension but no obstruction to flow with flexion. Recognition of this entrapment syndrome and its prompt correction can preserve patency of the graft.