cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rarity of preclinical alcoholic cardiomyopathy in chronic alcoholics <40 years of age

Abstract Preclinical alcoholic cardiomyopathy, myocardial damage in the absence of overt congestive heart failure in chronic alcoholics, is well characterized at necropsy, but attempts to identify such a clinical entity before death have produced conflicting results. Studying subjects only at rest, the inclusion of older alcoholics and limitations of noninvasive techniques may explain some of the disagreement. To determine if preclinical alcoholic cardiomyopathy could be identified independent of the aforementioned limitations, 25 asymptomatic chronic alcoholics aged For comparison, an age-matched group of healthy control subjects was also studied. For alcoholics and control subjects at rest, mean ejection fraction (67 ± 7% vs 71 ± 6%) and diastolic peak filling rate (3.4 ± 0.6 vs 3.3 ± 0.6 end-diastolic volumes per second [EDV/s]) were similar. At peak exercise, the mean ejection fraction (83 ± 6 vs 82 ± 10), change in ejection fraction (14 ± 10 vs 14 ± 7) and peak filling rate (8.9 ± 2.0 vs 9.5 ± 1.9 EDV/s) were also similar, but ejection fraction failed to increase appropriately in 3 alcoholics (12%), suggesting possible stress-induced myocardial dysfunction. Left ventricular chamber size, fractional shortening, wall thickness and ventricular mass by echocardiography were similar in the alcoholic and control groups, as were red blood cell levels of selenium and thiamine. Repeat studies after 4 weeks of abstinence from alcohol showed persistence of the exercise-induced abnormal response in 2 of the 3 alcoholics. These data suggest that the occurrence of preclinical cardiomyopathy in young, asymptomatic chronic alcoholics is rare and may require exercise stress testing to be detected.
Magnesium Carbonate-Containing Phosphate Binder Prevents Connective Tissue Mineralization in Abcc6−/− Mice–Potential for Treatment of Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a heritable disorder characterized by ectopic mineralization of connective tissues primarily in the skin, eyes, and the cardiovascular system. PXE is caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene. While PXE is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality, there is currently no effective or specific treatment. In this study, we tested oral phosphate binders for treatment of a mouse model of PXE which we have developed by targeted ablation of the corresponding mouse gene (Abcc6(-/-)). This "knock-out" (KO) mouse model recapitulates features of PXE and demonstrates mineralization of a number of tissues, including the connective tissue capsule surrounding vibrissae in the muzzle skin which serves as an early biomarker of the mineralization process. Treatment of these mice with a magnesium carbonate-enriched diet (magnesium concentration being 5-fold higher than in the control diet) completely prevented mineralization of the vibrissae up to 6 months of age, as demonstrated by computerized morphometric analysis of histopathology as well as by calcium and phosphate chemical assays. The magnesium carbonate-enriched diet also prevented the progression of mineralization when the mice were placed on that experimental diet at 3 months of age and followed up to 6 months of age. Treatment with magnesium carbonate was associated with a slight increase in the serum concentration of magnesium, with no effect on serum calcium and phosphorus levels. In contrast, concentration of calcium in the urine was increased over 10-fold while the concentration of phosphorus was markedly decreased, being essentially undetectable after long-term (> 4 month) treatment. No significant changes were noted in the serum parathyroid hormone levels. Computerized axial tomography scan of bones in mice placed on magnesium carbonate-enriched diet showed no differences in the bone density compared to mice on the control diet, and chemical assays showed a small increase in the calcium and phosphate content of the femurs by chemical assay, in comparison to mice on control diet. Similar experiments with another experimental diet supplemented with lanthanum carbonate did not interfere with the mineralization process in Abcc6(-/-) mice. These results suggest that magnesium carbonate may offer a potential treatment modality for PXE, a currently intractable disease, as well as for other conditions characterized by ectopic mineralization of connective tissues.
Family ties: the use of DNA offender databases to catch offenders' kin.

“The sins of the fathers are to be laid upon the children.” Just after midnight on March 21, 2003, a drunk stood on a footbridge over a motorway in a village in Surrey in southern England. After eight pints of beer, he was drunk enough to decide to drop a brick from the overpass into traffic to see if he could hit something; unfortunately, he was not so drunk that he missed. The brick crashed through the windshield on the driver's side of a truck. It hit the driver, Michael Little, in the chest, triggering a fatal heart attack. He stayed conscious long enough to pull the truck safely to the side of the road, thereby perhaps saving other motorists; then he died. The crime was widely publicized, as was the driver's role in preventing any further accidents.
Bariatric surgery and diabetes: who should be offered the option of remission?

Diabetes has been considered the model chronic disease—progressive, managed rather than cured, and burdensome to patients and the health care system. But all this changed with the observation that many patients undergoing surgically induced weight loss appear to have a form of lasting remission of their diabetes.1 Now that the medical community can offer a chance for diabetes remission, why has surgery not become the standard of care for severely obese patients, and what public health strategy could offer bariatric surgery in a sensible manner?
On Trying to Save the Simple View

According to the analysis of intentional action that Michael Bratman has dubbed the ' Simple View ' , intending to x is necessary for intentionally x-ing . Despite the plausibility of this view, there is gathering empirical evidence that when people are presented with cases involving moral considerations, they are much more likely to judge that the action (or side effect) in question was brought about intentionally than they are to judge that the agent intended to do it. This suggests that at least as far as the ordinary concept of intentional action is concerned, an agent need not intend to x in order to x intentionally. 1. Setting the Stage
NF-κB Activation and Modulation in Hepatic Macrophages during Cholestatic Injury

Cholestatic liver injury induces an inflammatory response that follows the activation of hepatic macrophages. Constitutive activation of the transcription factor, NF-kappaB, was found in these macrophages over the course of hepatic injury. Since NF-kappaB activation has been shown to have a key role in the inflammatory process, the modulatory effects of the antioxidant, alpha-tocopherol succinate, and the glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, on NF-kappaB activation were examined in this study. Male Sprague Dawley rats underwent 2-7 days of common bile duct division and ligation (CBDL) or sham laparotomy. Hepatic macrophages were isolated by collagenase Pronase perfusion and purified by centrifugal elutriation. Activation was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and ELISA. We determined that NF-kappaB activation in injured hepatic macrophages could only be inhibited by dexamethasone. Dexamethasone-mediated inhibition of NF-kappaB activation required the synthesis of a regulatory protein since cycloheximide-treated cells were resistant to its effects. Furthermore, dexamethasone-treated hepatic macrophages showed elevated steady-state levels of IkappaB-alpha mRNA, suggesting the role of IkappaB-alpha as a potential regulatory mediator. Consistent with constitutive transcriptional activation we showed constitutive secretion of TNF-alpha from injured hepatic macrophages which could be inhibited by dexamethasone. These data show for the first time, in a biologically significant model of hepatic injury, constitutive activation of the key inflammatory transcription factor NF-kappaB and cytokine TNF-alpha. These results support an approach focused on the NF-kappaB/IkappaB-alpha pathway as a critical target for therapeutic intervention during hepatic injury, and the consideration of possible steroid-based therapies.
Synthesis and degradation of xanthine dehydrogenase during chick liver development

Abstract Xanthine dehydrogenase is known to undergo a marked increase in activity in chick liver in the period after hatching. The increase in the specific activity of this enzyme has been confirmed in the present investigation. The enzyme was obtained in highly purified form from adult chick liver after a modification of the method of Rajagopalan and Handler (1967) . Specific antiserum to the enzyme was used to measure the amount of enzyme protein from chicks 1–4 days old when there is at least a 3-fold increase in the specific activity of the enzyme. The results indicate that the increase in specific activity of the enzyme may be correlated with a similar increase in the amount of immunologically reactive protein. The rate of synthesis and of degradation of xanthine dehydrogenase was investigated by using uniformly labeled l -valine-14C. The labeled amino acid was injected at various times after hatching. The animals were sacrificed, livers were removed, and the enzyme was partially purified before precipitation with antiserum. The label incorporated into the enzyme after a brief 4-hour pulse provided an estimate of the rate of synthesis. The results indicate that the increase in specific activity of the enzyme may best be accounted for in terms of an increase in the rate of synthesis as well as a decrease in the rate of degradation at the early stages of development.
An implicit Monte Carlo scheme for calculating time and frequency dependent nonlinear radiation transport

A flexible and accurate method for solving nonlinear, frequency-dependent radiative transfer problems by a Monte Carlo technique is developed. The method is based upon the concept of effective scattering, wherein a fraction of the radiative energy absorbed is instantaneously and isotropically reradiated in a manner analogous to a scattering process. The method appears to be unconditionally stable, conserves energy exactly, and is suitable for handling either transparent or optically thick media.
Axially symmetric harmonic maps minimizing a relaxed energy

Here we obtain various results on the class of axially symmetric harmonic maps from B3 to S2. We find some new classes of non-minimizing harmonic maps exhibiting unusual singular behavior. Optimal partial regularity estimates are obtained for mappings which minimize, among axially symmetric maps, various relaxed energies which have been studied in [4]and [11].
Transform and filtration methods in fluctuation analysis

Abstract Digitized fluctuation signals from an ex-core ion-chamber of a PWR were analysed to produce a Power Spectral Density, (PSD), curve by two means: (1) by digital filter techniques and (2) by a Fast Fourier Transform program. For both these methods, the effects of the precision of the input data were investigated and it is shown that reasonably good PSD curves may be obtained using very poor input precision.
Arousing effects of trophic hormones in hibernating Citellus lateralis

Abstract 1. 1. Premature arousal was evoked in hibernating Citellus lateralis by the intraperitoneal injection of all of the trophic hormones produced by the pituitary, with the exception of prolactin. 2. 2. Injection of cyclic AMP and db-cyclic AMP resulted in arousal similar to that produced by the trophic hormones. 3. 3. Injections of target-organ secretions, oxytocin, vasopressin, insulin, and glucagon, did not cause premature arousal.
An efficient modelling method for laminated composite plates with piezoelectric sensors and actuators

Finite element formulations for the modelling of a laminated composite plate with distributed piezoelectric sensors/actuators are presented. The formulation is based on the first-order shear deformation laminated plate theory. The stiffness and mass effects of the piezoelectric sensors and actuators are also considered in the formulation. The closed loop of the negative velocity feedback control through the piezoelectric sensors and actuators is expressed as an active damping matrix. No additional degree of freedom (DOF) for the voltage is introduced in this formation. After the global finite element model is formulated, the total DOFs of the structure are divided into the kept and deleted sets. An efficient method is presented to condense the deleted DOFs from the global model while the accuracy is kept as high as required. The effects of the active damping, Rayleigh damping, and the external loads on the deleted DOFs are also discussed in this paper. Natural frequencies as well as the responses in frequency and time domains are applied to demonstrate the accuracy of the reduced model. Numerical results show that the present modelling method is very efficient. Usually, only two or three iterations are enough for the accuracy of the responses in the frequency and time domains. The proposed approach is also compared with the conventional condensation method, Guyan condensation, in the derivation and numerical example.
T1R3: A human calcium taste receptor

Many animals can detect the taste of calcium but it is unclear how or whether humans have this ability. We show here that calcium activates hTAS1R3-transfected HEK293 cells and that this response is attenuated by lactisole, an inhibitor of hT1R3. Moreover, trained volunteers report that lactisole reduces the calcium intensity of calcium lactate. Thus, humans can detect calcium by taste, T1R3 is a receptor responsible for this, and lactisole can reduce the taste perception of calcium by acting on T1R3.
Recent Alcohol Use and Binge Drinking Based on Authoritative Parenting Among Hispanic Youth Nationwide

Parenting styles influence youth’s overall well-being and behaviors. Few studies have examined the effects of parenting styles on alcohol use among Hispanic youth. Although the field of alcohol prevention has made progress in recent years, most prevention initiatives lack the capability to directly address the special needs of this high-risk population. The primary aim of our study was to examine the relationship of recent alcohol use, binge drinking (past 30 days) and authoritative parenting among Hispanic youth. We conducted a secondary data analysis of the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data in the present study. All Hispanic participants from 12 to 17 years of age (N = 3,457) completed the valid and reliable survey in the privacy of their own homes. The university-based Institutional Review Board granted approval to conduct this study. A total of 13.8 % of Hispanic youth reported recent alcohol use, and 8.0 % of these participants reported binge drinking. Hispanic youth who reported having low authoritative parenting was at significantly increased odds for reporting both recent alcohol use and binge drinking. Specifically, Hispanic youth with low authoritative parenting that were at increased risk for reporting alcohol use included males, females, the age group 14–15 years, and the age group 16–17 years compared to their counterparts with high authoritative parenting. Results from our study can be used to assist prevention specialists in more thoroughly understanding the protective influence authoritative parenting has on Hispanic youth involvement in alcohol use.
The antisense transcriptomes of human cells

Transcription in mammalian cells can be assessed at a genome-wide level, but it has been difficult to reliably determine whether individual transcripts are derived from the plus or minus strands of chromosomes. This distinction can be critical for understanding the relationship between known transcripts (sense) and the complementary antisense transcripts that may regulate them. Here, we describe a technique that can be used to (i) identify the DNA strand of origin for any particular RNA transcript, and (ii) quantify the number of sense and antisense transcripts from expressed genes at a global level. We examined five different human cell types and in each case found evidence for antisense transcripts in 2900 to 6400 human genes. The distribution of antisense transcripts was distinct from that of sense transcripts, was nonrandom across the genome, and differed among cell types. Antisense transcripts thus appear to be a pervasive feature of human cells, which suggests that they are a fundamental component of gene regulation.
CHARGED VORTEX DYNAMICS IN GINZBURG–LANDAU THEORY OF THE FRACTIONAL QUANTUM HALL EFFECT

We write a Ginzburg–Landau Hamiltonian for a charged order parameter interacting with a background electromagnetic field in 2 + 1 dimensions, which we propose as an effective theory for the fractional quantum Hall effect. We further propose to identify vortex excitations of the theory with Laughlin's fractionally charged quasiparticles. Using the method of Lund we derive a collective coordinate action for vortex defects in the order parameter and demonstrate that the vortices are charged. We examine the classical dynamics of the vortices and then quantize their motion, demonstrating that their peculiar classical motion is a result of the fact that the quantum motion takes place in the lowest Landau level. The classical and quantum motion in two-dimensional regions with boundaries is also investigated. The quantum theory is not invariant under magnetic translations. Magnetic translations add total time derivative terms to the collective action, but no extra constants of the motion result.
Effect of Protein Concentration and Binding on Antibiotic Assays

ASSAY CURVES, USING A DISK DIFFUSION METHOD FOR THE ANTIBIOTICS GENTAMICIN AND CEFAZOLIN, WERE PREPARED WITH: saline, saline plus 10% serum, and ascitic, synovial, cerebrospinal, and pleural fluids. The curves were compared with a standard curve prepared with pooled human serum. The pH, total protein, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, chloride, CO(2) content, uric acid, cholesterol, bilirubin, serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, CPK, LDH, and alkaline phosphatase were determined and compared for all fluids. Measurements for cefazolin levels were falsely elevated in those fluids with low protein content when serum was used as a reference standard. There was a linear inverse relationship between the protein content of the fluids and the cefazolin level with serum as the standard for the assay of this highly protein-bound antibiotic. No discrepancies were observed in the assay curves for gentamicin, an antibiotic known not to be bound by serum proteins.
Chemical and Physical Aspects of the Formation of Carbon Fibres from PAN-based Precursors

An analysis of current knowledge of the chemical reactions and the simultaneously occurring morphological changes in the conversion of PAN-based precursor fibres to carbon fibres is presented. This is discussed in the context of the evolution of the mechanical properties of carbon fibres. Needs that remain unfulfilled and the potential mechanisms for accomplishing them are also discussed briefly.
Effect of deamidation by protein-glutaminase on physicochemical and functional properties of skim milk.

Protein-glutaminase (PG) is an enzyme that catalyzes the deamidation of glutamine residues in proteins, and protein deamidation is a promising method of improving solubility and other functional properties of foods. We investigated the effect of PG on skim milk proteins, finding that their deamidation degree increased dose-dependently. The solubility and relative viscosity of skim milk solution were remarkably improved as the deamidation degree increased, while its turbidity decreased until the milk became translucent; emulsifying capacity also increased, and the mean droplet diameter decreased to <4 μm. Particle size distribution analysis and transmission electron microscopy showed that smaller submicelle particles were produced in highly deamidated skim milk. These observations suggest that PG deamidation induces the dissociation of casein micelle, resulting in an increase of the oil/water surface area. This enzymatic deamidation helped to improve the functionality of skim milk by increasing the electrostatic repulsion of carboxyl groups in caseins.
The specificity of behaviors and measurements

This essay examines the fundamental fact of specificity in behaviors both outside and inside the testing room. Two tests of the same construct typically have a moderate to low correlation between them, the level of relationship depending on whether the mode, the situation, the task, and the stimuli for one test are similar to or different from those for the other. The great majority of psychological tests have considerable specificity. Their scores tend to correlate far less than perfectly with other tests of the same variable. Even when an ability is defined within a model such as Guilford's Structure-of-Intellect, each test of that ability will usually have some specific determinants not shared by other tests of that aspect of intelligence. Moreover, such a test is likely to correlate almost as well with tests of other similar abilities as with tests of its particular one.
Effect of Dimers on the Temperature-Dependent Absorption Cross Section of Methyl Iodide

Due to the implication of iodine chemistry in stratospheric ozone depletion, an accurate atmospheric lifetime of methyl iodide has recently become of interest. To calculate this lifetime, a reliable temperature-dependent UV photodissociation cross section, in the region that overlaps with available solar light, is vital. Unfortunately, measurement of this cross section is complicated by the fact that, at typical laboratory pressures, methyl iodide readily forms dimers whose ultraviolet absorption differs from that of the monomer and that dimer formation is also temperature-dependent. We use a combination of theory and experiment to separate the changes in the absorption due to the temperature dependence of dimer formation from the narrowing of the absorption band that results from rotational and vibrational cooling of isolated methyl iodide molecules. Calculation of the predicted absorption cross section shows that the valence band absorption spectrum narrows only slightly upon cooling from 25 to −73 °C (...
Adsorption and dissociation of HCN on the Pt(111) and Pt(112) surfaces

Abstract The interaction of HCN with the Pt(111) and Pt(112) surfaces has been studied with temperature programmed desorption (TPD), scanning kinetic spectroscopy (SKS), LEED and work function measurements (Δφ) in the temperature range 87 to 1000 K. The only desorption products observed were H 2 , C 2 N 2 (cyanogen) and HCN. Labelling studies utilizing D 13 CN + HCN revealed that HCN desorbs molecularly in three different low temperature states, while higher temperature β states were due to recombination of H(a) + (CN)(a). Different β-state desorption behavior was observed on Pt(112) which may be due to competitive desorption effects. Evidence suggests that the highest temperature molecular desorption state of HCN may act as a precursor to dissociation. The high step density Pt(112) surface was found to be more effective in promoting dissociation of HCN. The following sequence of LEED patterns was observed on Pt(111) with decreasing coverage of HCN beginning with monolayer coverage: (3×3) → c(4×2) → (2×2) → (1×1). Both HCN(a) and CN(a) were found to give an overall work function decrease on Pt(111) yielding values of −1.2 and −0.8 V, respectively at saturation. LEED measurements in conjunction with TPD and Δφ results suggest that HCN is bonded in a linear fashion at saturation with the nitrogen bonded to Pt. After dissociation, CN(a) is likely bonded with the molecular axis parallel to the Pt surface.
Interethnic aggression and willingness to help: Judgments of Black and White victims and perpetrators

In this study we explored the effect of ethnicity on aggression and helping behavior. Black participants and White participants each read a vignette describing an incident in which the ethnicity of the aggressor and victim were varied. Participants judged the harmfulness of the aggressor and indicated whether they would be willing to help the victim. Results revealed significant differences in judgments of aggression and willingness to help that were associated with the ethnicity of the aggressor depicted in the vignettes, as well as with participants’ own ethnicity.
Serodiagnosis of Systemic Candidiasis

on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October, 1966. t Present address: Department of Biology, Saint Francis College, Brooklyn, New York 11201 1960; Seeliger, 1962; Vogel and Padula, 1958; Kaufman and Blumer, 1965). Agglutinin titers exceeding 1:160, though considered diagnostically significant (Seeliger, 1958, 1962), fail to distinguish between superficial and visceral infections.
Mining the Human Gut Microbiota for Effector Strains that Shape the Immune System

The gut microbiota codevelops with the immune system beginning at birth. Mining the microbiota for bacterial strains responsible for shaping the structure and dynamic operations of the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system represents a formidable combinatorial problem but one that needs to be overcome to advance mechanistic understanding of microbial community and immune system coregulation and to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that promote health. Here, we discuss a scalable, less biased approach for identifying effector strains in complex microbial communities that impact immune function. The approach begins by identifying uncultured human fecal microbiota samples that transmit immune phenotypes to germ-free mice. Clonally arrayed sequenced collections of bacterial strains are constructed from representative donor microbiota. If the collection transmits phenotypes, effector strains are identified by testing randomly generated subsets with overlapping membership in individually housed germ-free animals. Detailed mechanistic studies of effector strain-host interactions can then be performed.
Ascending Thoracic Aorta Exhibits Anisotropic Failure Behavior in Shear Lap Testing

Aneurysm dissection and rupture, resulting in imminent death, is the primary risk associated with thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA). Nearly 60% of TAA involves the ascending aorta [1]. Dissection and rupture occur when the remodeled tissue is no longer able to withstand the stresses generated by the arterial pressure. As the ascending TAA grows, however, changes in its mechanical behavior, particularly wall strength, are unknown.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Pharmacokinetics of ketamine and two metabolites in the dog.

The plasma concentrations of ketamine, N-demethylketamine (I), and the cyclohexene metabolite (II) formed by oxidation of I were determined at various times after rapid i.v. administration of 15 mg of ketamine HCl/kg of body weight to dogs. A pharmacokinetic model that included two compartments for ketamine and one compartment for each metabolite was developed. Ketamine distributed rapidly with (t 1/2)alpha averaging 1.95 min. The apparent volumes of the central and peripheral compartments for ketamine averaged 542 and 1940 ml/kg of body weight, respectively, and the (t 1/2)beta averaged 61 min. The model indicated that 62% of ketamine was transformed to I and that 11% of I was converted to II. The apparent volumes of distribution of I and II averaged 61% and 59% of body weight, respectively. The total body clearances (plasma) of ketamine, I, and II averaged 32.2, 89.4, and 8.54 ml/min/kg, respectively. Plasma protein binding was determined by equilibrium dialysis; it averaged 53.5% for ketamine (concentration range 0.34-19.5 micrograms/ml), 60.3% for I (0.05-19.6 micrograms/ml), and 70.1% for II (0.09-0.58 micrograms/ml). A minimum anesthetic concentration of 3 micrograms ketamine HCl/ml plasma was used with the model to predict that the duration of ketamine anesthesia after an i.m. dose would not be significantly affected if the absorption t 1/2 varied from 0.48 to 31 min. The model also predicted that accumulation of I and II would not interfere with ketamine anesthesia that was prolonged by repeated doses, each dose administered i.v. on termination of anesthesia from the previous dose.
Effects of caffeine on vocal acoustic and aerodynamic measures of adult females

PURPOSE: To explore the effect of caffeine on voice, as evidenced by acoustic and aerodynamic measures, based on the fact that caffeine is considered to be a systemic dehydrating agent. METHODS: The participants in this investigation were 58 females ranging in age from 18 to 35 years, who self-reported normal vocal production. The participants abstained from caffeine ingestion for 24 hours and from ingesting foods and liquids for 12 hours prior to the test. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups, control and experimental, and were individually tested. After the preliminary phase, participants in the experimental group ingested a 100 mg caffeine tablet; participants in the control group ingested placebo, and followed the same protocol as the experimental group. All participants were retested 30 minutes after ingesting caffeine or placebo. RESULTS: Differences were not identified in any of the acoustic or aerodynamic measures across both groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a conservative (100 mg) dosage of caffeine may not have an impact on vocal acoustics and aerodynamics.
Congenital tracheoesophageal fistula

Summary In this study of 3 cases observed at the Colorado General Hospital and 7 cases observed at the Children's Hospital, 8 cases of congenital tracheoesophageal fistula proved at autopsy, 1 case, proved by esophagoscopy and bronchoscopy, and 1 case suspected clinically, but not yet proved, are reported. Seven of the nine infants with proved cases, or about 80 per cent, had a congenital atresia of the esophagus; the other 3 infants, including the 1 suspected clinically, had little, if any, esophageal obstruction and could take their feedings from a bottle. The 9 proved cases were Type 3 (b), according to Vogt's classification.Of the 10 cases, only 2 were boys and 8 were girls. Most statistics show about an equal number of each sex.
Building for social translucence: a domain analysis and prototype system

The relationships and work that facilitate content creation in large online contributor system are not always visible. Social translucence is a stance toward the design of systems that allows users to better understand collaborative system participation through awareness of contributions and interactions. Like many socio-technical constructs, social translucence is not something that can be simply added after a system is built; it should be at the core of system design. In this paper, we conduct a domain analysis to understand the space of architectural support required to facilitate social translucence in systems. We describe an instantiation of those requirements as a system architecture that relies on data from Wikipedia and illustrate how translucence can be propagated to some basic visualizations which we have created for Wikipedia users. We close with some reflections on the state of social translucence research and some openings for this important design perspective.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of combined calcitriol and cisplatin in dogs with spontaneously occurring tumors

Purpose Calcitriol potentiates cisplatin-mediated activity in a variety of tumor models. We examine here, the effect of calcitriol and cisplatin pre-clinically and clinically in canine spontaneous tumors through in vitro studies on tumor cells and through a phase I study of calcitriol and cisplatin to identify the maximum-tolerated dosage (MTD) of this combination in dogs with cancer and to characterize the pharmacokinetic disposition of calcitriol in dogs.
Europium redox equilibria in aqueous solution

Thermochemical data and recent advances in theoretical aqueous solution chemistry enable prediction of the relative stabilities of aqueous Eu2+ and Eu3+ over a wide range of temperatures and pressures. At low temperatures, near earth surface conditions, the aqueous geochemistry of europium should be dominated by the trivalent state, except possibly in the most reducing, alkaline pore waters of anoxic marine sediments. However, at temperatures greater than about 250°C and elevated pressures, divalent europium should predominate. Even with significant amounts of complexing, trivalent europium is not stable at elevated temperatures and pressures. Consequently, under most hydrothermal and metamorphic conditions, europium in aqueous solution should be divalent. At intermediate temperatures, around 100°C, significant activities of both Eu2+ and Eu3+, and related complexes, can occur in aqueous solutions, depending on the oxidation state and the pH of the solutions, and the activities of potential ligands such as sulfate, carbonate and chloride. The predicted stability of divalent europium in aqueous solution at elevated temperatures is consistent with the large positive europium anomalies in rare earth element patterns of high-temperature barites of hydrothermal and metamorphic origin reported by Guichard et al. [5] and with the observed depletion of europium as a result of high-temperature sericitization of feldspar-bearing assemblages discovered by Alderton et al. [1]. It is suggested that significant fractionation of europium relative to the other rare earth elements may take place during high-temperature hydrothermal alteration processes, such as in the mid-oceanic ridge systems, because of the expected stability of divalent europium during these processes.
A remark on global existence of solutions of shadow systems

Let Ω be an open, bounded domain in $${\mathbb{R}^n\;(n \in \mathbb{N})}$$ with smooth boundary ∂Ω. Let p, q, r, d 1, τ be positive real numbers and s be a non-negative number which satisfies $${0 < \frac{p-1}{r} < \frac{q}{s+1}}$$ . We consider the shadow system of the well-known Gierer–Meinhardt system: $$ \left \{ \begin{array}{l@{\quad}l} \displaystyle{u_t = d_1\Delta u - u + \frac{u^p}{\xi^q}}, & \quad {\rm in}\;\Omega \times (0,T), \\ \displaystyle{\tau \xi_t = -\xi + \frac{1}{|\Omega|} \int\nolimits_\Omega\frac{u^r}{\xi^s} {\rm d}x}, & \quad {\rm in}\;(0,T), \\ \displaystyle{\frac{\partial u}{\partial \nu} =0}, & \quad {\rm on}\;\partial \Omega \times (0,T), \\ \displaystyle{\xi(0) = \xi_0 >0 , \quad u(\cdot,0) = u_0(\cdot)} \geq 0 & \quad {\rm in}\;\Omega. \end{array} \right. $$ We prove that solutions of this system exist globally in time under some conditions on the coefficients. Our results are based on a priori estimates of the solutions and improve the global existence results of Li and Ni in [4].
Behavioral responses to a change in stimulus: transport vs. attack behavior in a carnivorous land snail, Haplotrema concavum

. Haplotrema concavum, a carnivorous land snail, responds differently to the same prey when hunting versus when transporting food. The ability of these animals to distinguish between fresh, unmanipulated or uneaten prey and manipulated or partially eaten prey was tested by switching prey items while the predator was in the process of transporting the prey. Predators responded to a switch from a manipulated egg of Anguispira alternata to an unmanipulated egg by suspending transport behavior while the new egg was manipulated. Seven of ten predators responded to a switch from an egg of A. alternata to a conspecific (H. concavum) egg by stopping transport and abandoning the less-preferred food. Predators responded to a switch from partially eaten hatchlings of A. alternata to fresh but injured hatchlings by stopping transport after the retrieval stage to eat the new hatchling, after which transport was resumed. Predators which were not engaged in transport behavior attacked rather than retrieved fresh, injured hatchling prey. These results suggest that by manipulating its prey, the predator alters the sensory stimulus of the prey by marking the prey with predator mucus which, in turn, elicits the transport behavior by the predatory snail.
Model for robot motion performance

Experimental studies were conducted on the Prab Model E, General Electric P-50, and Cincinnati T3 robots to develop a model to predict performance times for motions in the X, Y, and Z axes. Based on this analysis, it was determined that some robots have a definite point where the programmed velocity does not affect the time to move from one point to another.
A study of occlusal relationships and the incidence of myofacial pain

Abstract A survey of 123 subjects (dental students) was performed to evaluate quantitative data that may be of value in the incidence and treatment of myofacial pain. Social statistics, subjective and objective symptoms, and the influence of occlusal interferences on these symptoms were quantitated and recorded. The data indicated that, of 123 subjects, 26% had maximum intercuspation of the teeth at terminal hinge closure, 42% had maximum intercuspation of the teeth with the condyles located symmetrically anterior to terminal hinge, and 32.5% had maximum intercuspation of the teeth with asymmetric variations of the condyles anterior to terminal hinge. Averages were obtained for the maximum intercuspal opening, the condylar inclination, and the distance anterior from the terminal hinge of both condyles in symmetrical and asymmetrical variations. The location of the transverse (terminal hinge) axis from the external auditory meatus was measured on the ala-tragus line. These latter averages indicate that a significant occlusal discrepancy can result from prevailing techniques of locating an arbitrary hinge axis 10 to 13 mm anterior from the external auditory meatus. The results showed that most subjects demonstrated, both subjectively and clinically, symptoms of neuromuscular dysfunction without occlusal interferences. Therefore, it may be concluded that treatment modalities considered within the first 6 weeks should be conservative and reversible to eliminate or decrease myofascial trigger zones and their areas of referred pain. Alteration of the existing occlusion and maxillomandibular relations may be adjusted with caution, if necessary.
Does active K+ influx to roots occur?

Abstract Experiments were performed to determine if active net K+ uptake by non-growing segments of corn root could be demonstrated. In this report we demonstrate net K+ uptake over 17 to 9 μm K+ externally, and using measured potentials and electrochemical activities deduced from analysis of the potential, we show this influx must be active.
Bullying in children who stutter: Speech-language pathologists’ perceptions and intervention strategies

Bullying in school-age children is a global epidemic. School personnel play a critical role in eliminating this problem. The goals of this study were to examine speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perceptions of bullying, endorsement of potential strategies for dealing with bullying, and associations among SLPs' responses and specific demographic and practice-oriented variables. A survey was developed and mailed to 1000 school-based SLPs. Six vignettes describing episodes of physical, verbal, and relational bullying of hypothetical 10-year students who stutter were developed. Three vignettes described bullying specifically mentioning stuttering behaviors, while three described bullying without mentioning stuttering behavior. The data from 475 SLPs were analyzed. SLPs rated physical bullying as most serious and in need of intervention, followed by verbal bullying. Relational bullying was rated as not serious or in need of intervention. SLPs also responded to the likelihood of using strategies for dealing with bullying. Physical and verbal bullying elicited the use of "talking with the teacher", "working with school personnel", and "reassuring the child of his safety" strategies. Relational bullying elicited "ignore the problem" and "be more assertive" strategies. Correlations among variables are reported. The seriousness of physical and verbal bullying, likelihood of intervention, and the lack of knowledge about relational bullying is discussed. Educational objectives: Readers should be able to: (1) summarize the research describing the negative effects of three major types of bullying, (2) summarize the research describing bullying and children with communication disorders, especially stuttering, (3) report results of a survey of speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perceptions of bullying in school-age children, (4) explain the perceived seriousness of the problem by SLPs and likelihood of intervention, and (5) describe the need for continued prevention and intervention activities for children who stutter. Language: en
UPTAKE OF METAL IONS BY A NEW CHELATING ION-EXCHANGE RESIN. PART 6 : CALCULATIONS ON THE EFFECT OF COMPLEXLNG ANIONS ON ACTINIDES

ABSTRACT A previous paper reported the effect of increasing concentrations of hydrofluoric, oxalic, sulfuric and phosphoric acids at three fixed HCl or HNO3 concentrations on the retention of Am(III), Th(IV) or Np(IV), and U(VI) by the new chelating ion-exchange resin Diphonix™. In this paper the metal uptake data have been analyzed by calculating the effect that complex formation in solution has on the overall metal uptake by the resin. The calculations performed have allowed us to conclude that in most cases the uptake of Am(III) and U(VI) by Diphonix can be explained by assuming that only the uncomplexed metal cation is sorbed. With tetravalent actinides, on the contrary, the uptake data can only be explained if the simultaneous sorption of the uncomplexed cation and of neutral metal complexes is assumed. Indirect evidence has also been obtained on the existence of anionic fluoride complexes of Np(IV). In all other cases, with minor exceptions, the complex formation data available in the literature see...
Peatland establishment on mineral soils: Effects of water level, amendments, and species after two growing seasons

Recent surveys of peatland initiation that occurred over the past 10,000 years in northeastern Alberta have revealed that most peatlands initiated by paludification, or swamping of upland soils. Peatland ecologists have long known the importance of the paludification process, but it has not been transferred to peatland restoration methodologies. We initiated this study to determine if wetland structure and function could be re-established on two well sites established with mineral fill within a peatland complex. At two well sites near Peace River, AB, the mineral material was lowered to near the water level of the surrounding peatland. We placed 288 plots of 2 m × 2 m in size using a series of fertilizer, water level, cultivation, and amendment treatments and then introduced a suite of wetland plants. Four questions are addressed: – (1) Will locally available peatland vascular plant species establish on these wet, compacted, mineral soils? If so: (2) are species responses affected by these treatments? (3) are plants that we did not introduce in the planting regime (weeds) a concern? and (4) will the surrounding bog water chemistry have an effect on water in contact with mineral soils? Results after two growing seasons are – (1) Carex aquatilis and Salix lutea have all successfully established at both well sites; (2) C. aquatilis plants (ramets) have increased to an average of 58.5 per plot, up from the 16 original genets planted; (3) the plant responses to amendments are not significantly different from the control plots; (4) weed abundance is significantly different among some amendment types; and (5) pad ditch water chemistry is affected by the surrounding bog waters. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Z’ Diagnostics at Future Colliders

We summarize the status of heavy gauge boson (Z’) diagnostics at future hadron and e+e- colliders. The emphasis is on the model independent determination of gauge couplings of Z’ to quarks and leptons at the pp (CERN LHC) and e+e- (NLC) colliders. For MZ’ ~1 TeV, the NLC would have a capability to probe all the quark and lepton charges to around 10-20%, provided heavy flavor tagging and longitudinal polarization of the electron beam is available. On the other hand, at the LHC primarily the magnitude of normalized couplings can be determined, with typical uncertainties by about a factor of 2 smaller, however, still comparable to the ones at the NLC. The complementarity between the diagnostic power of the two types of machines is emphasized.
A National Survey to Examine Teacher Professional Development and Implementation of Desktop GIS

ABSTRACT This article examines the results of an online national survey of K–12 educators who attended a series of GIS training workshops conducted by the authors between 1998 and 2004. Data from the self-report survey (N = 186) suggest new information about potential changes in instruction and assessment patterns following GIS training. The survey provides insight for those designing GIS-based professional development, while simultaneously describing relatively little change in instructional methodology. The survey confirms some classroom implementation constraints from an earlier national implementation survey, identifying a lack of time for teachers, variable skill levels among students, and software complexity.
Password Authenticated Key Exchange Based on RSA for Imbalanced Wireless Networks

We consider an imbalanced wireless network setup in which a low-power client communicates with a powerful server. We assume that public key cryptographic operations such as Diffie-Hellman key exchange conducted over a large multiplicative group is too computationally intensive for a low-power client to implement. In this paper, we propose an authenticatedk ey exchange protocol such that it is efficient enough to be implemented on most of the target low-power devices such as devices in sensor networks, smart cards and low-power Personal Digital Assistants. In addition, it is secure against dictionary attacks. Our scheme requires less than 2.5 seconds of pure computation on a 16MHz Palm V andab out 1 secondfor data transmission if the throughput of a network is 8 kbps. The computation time can be improvedto 300 msec and the transmision time can also be reduced to 300 msec if caching is allowed.
Mitigation of thermal blooming and diffraction effects with high-power laser beams

The three-dimensional (3-D) pulse propagation code, pulsed ultrashort laser simulation emulator (PULSE), has been used to model the interaction of thermal blooming, diffraction, and nonlinear self-focusing in the atmosphere. PULSE is a derivative of the free-electron laser (FEL) simulation code, free-electron laser experiment (FELEX) [Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A250, 449 (1986)] that was used for many years to model the 3-D interaction of optical pulses with electron beams. This code has now been modified to model nonlinear material interactions. In its current configuration, an electromagnetic pulse is modeled on a Cartesian grid, thereby allowing for arbitrary amplitude and phase modulations in the transverse (x, y) and longitudinal (z) directions. The code includes models for thermal blooming (in a laminar transverse wind field), diffraction, Kerr self-focusing and self-phase modulation, plasma defocusing and absorption, and multiphoton and avalanche ionization. Simulation of picosecond length pulses indicate that the defocusing effects of thermal blooming and diffraction can be effectively eliminated by Kerr self-focusing. Simulation results show that the beam arrives at the target with a spot size comparable to (or less than) its initial spot size. For propagation distances of many kilometers, this can result in order-of-magnitude increases of the on-target intensity at range, which can significantly reduce the average power requirement of the laser required to provide a given irradiance level.