cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The thickness of the skin and subcutaneous tissueby age and sex in childhood

I T HAS been common practice to note the amount or thickness of the soft tissues overlying certain muscle groups as a part of the routine physical examination of infants and children. The usual procedure has been to select a fold of these tissues in a part which is fre'ely movable, as over the biceps or recti, and assign a rating subjectively, but some physicians have measured this thickness with a ruler, and Franzen 1 devised a special spring caliper to determine it under constant pressure. The thickness of these tissues has received attention as an indication of nutritional state for the obvious reason that the subcutaneous tissue is a repository for the storage of fat and hence reflects any large accumulations or withdrawals of fat in the body. The accumulation or loss of water in this tissue may also account for rapid change in its thickness, but characteristic differences in tissue quality are usually associated with edema or dehydration so that the clinician can recognize when this measurement is grossly distorted by changes in the storage of water. The subcutaneous tissue varies characteristically in thickness between individuals of different body types, and this variation has much to do with a child's customary position in the weight range and with how closely his weight will approximate the average weight for height and age. The range of difference in this respect between individuals of the same age and in apparent good health is proportionately greater than for most physical attributes. Using Sheldon %2 classification of body types, a person predominantly endomorphic in type characteristically will have a heavy panniculus adiposus, and hence a thick fold of subcutaneous tissue, whereas an ectomorphic individual will tend to have a light or thin one. These persistent individual characteristics must be taken into account in assessing physical or nutritional status. Associated with differences in physical type undoubtedly are differences in the consumption and utilization of food and in the amount of physical or the rate of physiologic activities, but to some extent these differences may be considered constitutional.
Cutaneous extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma

Extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma has been recognized as being histologically indistinguishable from Ewing's sarcoma of bone. Although the occurrence of extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma in deep soft tissues has been well described, such cutaneous lesions arc rare. We report the clinical history, histopathologic findings, and results of ultrastructural study of this rare variant occurring in a 12-year-old girl. She presented with a dermal and subcutaneous tumor of the left third toe, without osseous involvement. The lesion was composed of masses of round-oval cells, with perilobular fibrosis, focal hemorrhage, ill-defined pale cytoplasm containing glycogen, and absent pericellular reticulin. Ultrastructural study showed a monotonous cell population, with focal thickening of apposing membranes, high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, copious intracytoplasmic glycogen, and paucity of organ cells except mitochondria. We present this case along with discussion of the literature and problems concerning differential diagnosis of small cell malignancies in the skin.
Beamspace MIMO prototype for low-complexity Gigabit/s wireless communication

The rapid proliferation of data hungry devices is creating a bandwidth crisis, with aggregate data rates expected to increase 1000 fold by 2020. Millimeter-wave (mm-wave) systems, operating in the 30–300GHz band, are poised to meet this exploding demand through large bandwidths and high-dimensional MIMO operation. However traditional MIMO techniques result in prohibitively high-complexity transceivers. In this paper, we report initial results on a Continuous Aperture Phase MIMO (CAP-MIMO) prototype that uses a discrete lens array (DLA) for analog spatial beamforming to reduce complexity. The CAP-MIMO prototype is based on the theory of beamspace MIMO communication - modulating data onto orthogonal spatial beams - to achieve near-optimal performance with the lowest transceiver complexity. We build on previous theoretical and experimental results to construct a prototype CAP-MIMO link at 10GHz for line-of-sight communication and for initial proof-of-concept demonstration. The prototype supports four spatial channels with Gigabits/s data rates.
Toxicological Studies of 2-Mercaptoethanol

The toxicity of 2-mercaptoethanol, a potential reaction product between residual ethylene oxide and sulfides in rubber medical devices sterilized by ethylene oxide, was investigated. This report includes LD50 determinations for mice by both the intraperitoneal and oral routes of administration, as well as sub-chronic dosage studies. Both ethanol and sodium pentobarbital significantly decreased the acute toxicity potential of 2-mercapto-ethanol, although pretreatment with atropine and with a combination of metal ions had no beneficial effects. 2-Mercaptoethanol was found to be more toxic to all tissues than ethanol but showed a marked decrease in such activity upon dilution.
Cyclic Stretch Down-regulates Calcium Transporter Gene Expression in Neonatal Rat Ventricular Myocytes

Abnormal intracellular Ca2+ handling in hypertrophied and failing hearts is partly due to changes in Ca2+ transporter gene expression, but the mechanisms responsible for these alterations remain largely unknown. We previously showed that intrinsic mechanical load (i.e. spontaneous contractile activity) induced myocyte hypertrophy, and down-regulated SR Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA2) gene expression in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM). In the present study, we examined whether extrinsic mechanical load (i.e. cyclic stretch) also induced NRVM hypertrophy, and led to down-regulation of SERCA2 and other Ca2+ transporter genes which have been associated with cardiac hypertrophy and failure in vivo. NRVM were maintained in serum-free culture medium under control conditions, or subjected to cyclic mechanical deformation (1.0 Hz, 20% maximal strain, 48 h). Under these conditions, cyclic stretch induced NRVM hypertrophy, as evidenced by significant increases in total protein/DNA ratio, myosin heavy chain (MHC) content, and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) secretion. Cyclic stretch also induced the MHC isoenzyme "switch" which is characteristic of hemodynamic overload of the rat heart in vivo. Cyclic stretch significantly down-regulated SERCA2 and ryanodine receptor (RyR) mRNA and protein levels, while simultaneously increasing ANF mRNA. In contrast, Na+-Ca2+ exchanger and phospholamban mRNA levels were unaffected. Load-dependent SERCA2 and RyR down-regulation was independent of Ca2+ influx via voltage-gated, L-type Ca2+ channels, as cyclic stretch down-regulated SERCA2 and RyR mRNA levels in both control and verapamil-treated NRVM. These results indicate that extrinsic mechanical load (in the absence of other exogenous stimuli) induces NRVM hypertrophy and causes down-regulation of Ca2+ transporter gene expression. This in vitro model system should prove useful to dissect the intracellular signaling pathways responsible for transducing this phenotype during cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in vivo.
Unusual variant of left superior vena cava

The first computed tomography-documented case of a persistent left superior vena cava that drains directly into the right superior vena cava is presented. The venous embryology is reviewed and the differential diagnosis of other pertinent venous anomalies is discussed. The patient also had an incidental finding of a congenitally absent left lobe of the thyroid gland.
Central resource involvement during the visual search for single features and conjunctions of features.

Abstract The present experiment investigated the attentional demands of visual search for targets defined by a single feature (feature search), or a conjunction of separable features (conjunctive search). The visual search task was based on Treisman and Gelade's (1980) visual search paradigm, which typically reveals a large interaction between search condition and display size. The present experiment differed from theirs, however, by the inclusion of a concurrent task, which was a simple detection response to an auditory probe. This concurrent task measured the involvement of central processing resources during feature and conjunctive search, from the moment the array was presented until initiating a visual search response. Marked interference effects during the first 50 msec of array presentation demonstrated the involvement of central processing resources in the two visual search conditions. Further, the data is suggestive of the notion that both feature registration and feature combination compete for our limited attentional resources.
Patterns of the zombie in Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea

Interpreters generally agree that a major part of the strength of Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea comes through its suggestiveness, its reliance on inference, and its ability to project possibilities of action and implication beyond just those of its central causal episodes. The novel rewards those who give it not just a careful close reading, but who also explore its potential for extra-textual stories and avenues of meaning. This potential is both promoted and subdued by the narrative's framing and texture, about which so much has been written. Todd Bender, for example, argues that this novel is an "open" text — one where the shifts from "fictive reality to fantasy" work "to force the reader into constructive activity" — as opposed to the more traditional "closed" narrative where most of the connections are reliably spelled out (97-98). The very name "Antoinette Bertha Cosway Mason Rochester" suggests some of the complications in her shifting identities and Rhys's re-evaluation of her character invites investigation into the moral subtleties involved in the problems of identity. The title itself of Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar's popular critical investigation The Madwoman in the Attic demonstrates how emblematic this character has become in reassessing our critical perspectives. Clearly, the figure of Antoinette will continue to be an important focal point for re-examining fictional techniques and the range of ideas that fiction can incorporate. But learning to "read" allusion and implication in relation to Antoinette in Wide Sargasso Sea comes first, for it is only when readers learn to assimilate Rhys's montage of impression and sensation that a more complete sense of the design emerges from her work. Narrative patterns not central to the surface stories of the first-person chronological discourses start to emerge once we start to sense links behind repeated images and suggestions, and these patterns then begin to take on new significance. The best example of such discovery is, of course, how much knowledge of Charlotte Bronte's Bertha Mason we bring to the novel and at what point and in what ways that knowledge informs our reading. The history of Antoinette's involvement with her cousin Sandi is another important story almost entirely concealed from the central narratives
Solution structure of the HIV‐1 frameshift inducing stem–loop RNA

The translation of reverse transcriptase and other essential viral proteins from the HIV-1 Pol mRNA requires a programmed -1 ribosomal frameshift. This frameshift is induced by two highly conserved elements within the HIV-1 mRNA: a slippery sequence comprised of a UUUUUUA heptamer, and a downstream stem-loop structure. We have determined the structure of the HIV-1 frameshift inducing RNA stem-loop, using multidimensional heteronuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods. The 22 nucleotide RNA solution structure [root mean squared deviation (r.m.s.d.) = 1.2 A] was determined from 475 nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE)-derived distance restrains, 20 residual dipolar couplings and direct detection of hydrogen bonds via scalar couplings. We find that the frameshift inducing stem-loop is an A-form helix capped by a structured ACAA tetraloop. The ACAA tetraloop is stabilized by an equilateral 5' and 3' stacking pattern, a sheared A-A pair and a cross-strand hydrogen bond. Unexpectedly, the ACAA tetraloop structure is nearly identical to a known tetraloop fold, previously identified in the RNase III recognition site from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Test Techniques for Transient Radiation Effects

This paper gives examples of specific test techniques which have been used in performing transient radiation effects test measurements. The techniques were developed primarily for use with electron linear accelerators but can be applied directly in flash X-ray and pulsed reactor test programs as well.
Neurotrophic Factors and Gene Therapy in Spinal Cord Injury

The discovery that molecules naturally occurring in the CNS can enhance neuronal survival and axonal growth has inspired new directions into spinal cord regeneration research. The knowledge about the function of these peptide growth factors (termed neurotrophic factors) has substantially increased in recent years, and it has become clear that they can induce specific axonal growth responses from various spinal pathways. Data from several laboratories indicate that spinal sensory and motor projections, as well as supraspinal projections from brain stem and motor cortex, retain the ability to respond to neurotrophic factors throughout adulthood in rodent and primate models of spinal cord injury (SCI). Furthermore, functional improvement as a result of neurotrophin delivery has been shown in partial lesions of the rat spinal cord. This article will summarize recent results from experimental studies utilizing neurotrophic factor delivery in rodent models of SCI.
A distributed representation approach to group problem solving

This article develops a theoretical framework of distributed representations to explore the representational properties in group problem solving. The basic principle of distributed representations is that the representational system of a group problem solving task is distributed across the representations of individuals, which together represent the abstract structure of the task. The framework was used to analyze the distributed representation of the Waitress and Orange task. From this analysis, an experiment was designed to examine group problem solving behaviors under different distributed representations. The experiment shows that (1) different distributed representations across two individuals produced dramatically different group problem solving behaviors, even if they had the same abstract structure; and (2) two minds could be better than, not different from, or even worse than one mind, depending on how representations were distributed across the two minds. These results further support the interactionist view of group problem solving, which is that the interactions among individuals can produce group cognitive properties that can neither be reduced to, nor be inferred from, the cognitive properties of individuals. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
How visual salience wins the battle for awareness

Voluntarily paying attention to one object in a crowded scene enhances perception of that object and increases the activity of neurons representing it. Attention can also be drawn involuntarily by salient objects—for example, by the sudden onset of a bright stimulus. A study now shows how this involuntary type of attention may mediate competition between representations in human visual cortex.
Activity in various embryonic and postembryonic sources for induction of kidney tubules

Abstract Different regions of the embryonic and postembryonic central nervous system have been tested for their ability to induce tubule formation in metanephrogenic mesenchyme in vitro. Throughout fetal life dorsal regions of brain and spinal cord proved to be very active inducers. These tissues appear to be the most likely source from which to isolate active material. There is a rapid decline of activity during the first postnatal week. Tubule-inducing activity is present in ventral regions but shows up with a delay of 24–48 hours. Tubule production is induced by various other embryonic tissues including the 9-day chick dorsal brain.
Charge-exchange reactions in metal clusters: Role of magic numbers.

Using total energies calculated from self-consistent theories, we show thatthe charge-exchange reactions of metal clusters tend to favor the production of''magic-number'' species in larger clusters. Implications of our results forone's ability to produce neutral-cluster beams of a given size are discussed.
Effect of lung, liver, and kidney toxicants on respiratory rate in the mouse.

Abstract The intraperitoneal administration of either butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) ± thoracic X-irradiation, or cyclophosphamide, and intravenous injection of oleic acid, resulted in lung injury and repair in BALB/c mice which could be assessed in unanesthetized animals by changes in respiratory rate (RR) using a total body plethysmograph. Studies with BHT ± X-rays, and cyclophosphamide found that the RR right before sacrifice (2 weeks after BHT and 3 weeks after cyclophosphamide) correlated well (r = 0.19) with the degree of pulmonary fibrosis as measured by changes in hydroxyproline content. However, prior to this timepoint, there was a peak and trough in respiratory rate response that could not be correlated with the time course of fibrosis development in the BHT-X-ray model. In an effort to determine the influence of pulmonary edema and lung cell proliferation on respiratory rate changes, an agent (oleic acid) capable of producing lung injury followed by a high level of cellular proliferation with only minimal development of fibrosis was studied. These studies showed that good correlations were found on day 3 following injection (day of peak increase in respiratory rate) between respiratory rate and either lung wet weight (r = 0.81) or the degree of cellular proliferation as measured by the incorporation of thymidine into pulmonary DNA (r = 0.80). Liver (carbon tetrachloride) and kidney (mercuric chloride) toxicants, and starvation produced decreases or no changes in RR.
On the Signaling of Electrochemical Aptamer-Based Sensors: Collision- and Folding-Based Mechanisms

Recent years have seen the emergence of a new class of electrochemical sensors predicated on target binding-induced folding of electrode-bound redox-modified aptamers and directed against targets ranging from small molecules to proteins. Previous studies of the relationship between gain and probe-density for these electrochemical, aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors suggest that signal transduction is linked to binding-induced changes in the efficiency with which the attached redox tag strikes the electrode. This, in turn, suggests that even well folded aptamers may support E-AB signaling if target binding sufficiently alters their flexibility. Here we investigate this using a thrombin-binding aptamer that undergoes binding-induced folding at low ionic strength but can be forced to adopt a folded conformation at higher ionic strength even in the absence of its protein target. We find that, under conditions in which the thrombin aptamer is fully folded prior to target binding, we still obtain a ca. 30% change in E-AB signal upon saturated target levels. In contrast, however, under conditions in which the aptamer is unfolded in the absence of target and thus undergoes binding-induced folding the observed signal change is twice as great. The ability of folded aptamers to support E-AB signaling, however, is not universal: a fully folded anti-IgE aptamer, for example, produces only an extremely small, ca. 2.5% signal change in the presence of target despite the larger steric bulk of this protein. Thus, while it appears that binding-induced changes in the dynamics in fully folded aptamers can support E-AB signaling, this signaling mechanism may not be general, and in order to ensure the design of high-gain sensors binding must be linked to a large-scale conformational change.
Acute degradation of surface-bound unsaturated polyolefins in common solvents under ambient conditions.

We describe the detachment of covalently grafted polybutadiene and polynorbornene chains, which were prepared by surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization (SiROMP), from Si/SiO2 subs...
Impact of shockwave lithotripsy on upper urinary tract calculi

Abstract Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) currently is performed in selected urologic centers to treat over 80 per cent of patients with symptomatic upper urinary tract calculi. This noninvasive technique utilizing shockwaves to disintegrate stones into sand-sized particles allows the patient to pass the particles with spontaneous urination and replaces most surgery or percutaneous endoscopy for stone removal. However, stone free success rates must be individualized depending on stone position, stone size, and composition. Lithotripsy of renal stones prior to migration and proximal ureteral stones early in their symptomatic course may alter significantly the incidence of distal ureteral calculi requiring hospitalization, cystoscopy, or ureteroscopy.
Investigating single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) density in the human genome and its implications for molecular evolution

We investigated the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) density across the human genome and in different genic categories using two SNP databases: Celera's CgsSNP, which includes SNPs identified by comparing genomic sequences, and Celera's RefSNP, which includes SNPs from a variety of sources and is biased toward disease-associated genes. Based on CgsSNP, the average numbers of SNPs per 10 kb was 8.33, 8.44, and 8.09 in the human genome, in intergenic regions, and in genic regions, respectively. In genic regions, the SNP density in intronic, exonic and adjoining untranslated regions was 8.21, 5.28, and 7.51 SNPs per 10 kb, respectively. The pattern of SNP density based on RefSNP was different from that based on CgsSNP, emphasizing its utility for genotype-phenotype association studies but not for most population genetic studies. The number of SNPs per chromosome was correlated with chromosome length, but the density of SNPs estimated by CgsSNP was not significantly correlated with the GC content of the chromosome. Based on CgsSNP, the ratio of nonsense to missense mutations (0.027), the ratio of missense to silent mutations (1.15), and the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous mutations (1.18) was less than half of that expected in a human protein coding sequence under the neutral mutation theory, reflecting a role for natural selection, especially purifying selection.
Efficacy of the addition of interferential current to Pilates method in patients with low back pain: a protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Chronic low back pain is one of the four most common diseases in the world with great socioeconomic impact. Supervised exercise therapy is one of the treatments suggested for this condition; however, the recommendation on the best type of exercise is still unclear. The Pilates method of exercise is effective in reducing pain and disability in these patients, as well as the analgesia promoted by interferential current. Currently, the literature lacks information on the efficacy of the association of these two techniques in the short- and medium-term than performing one of the techniques isolated. The objective of this study will be to evaluate the efficacy of adding interferential current to the Pilates method exercises for the treatment of patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain in the short- and medium-term. This study will be a randomized controlled trial with two arms and blinded evaluator, conducted at an outpatient Physical Therapy Department in Brazil. Patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain and pain equal to or greater than 3 in the Pain Numerical Rating Scale (0/10) will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: Group with active interferential current + Pilates (n = 74) will be submitted to the active interferential current associated to the modified Pilates exercises, and Group with sham interferential current + Pilates (n = 74) will be submitted to the sham interferential current associated with the modified Pilates exercises during 18 sessions. The outcomes pain intensity, pressure pain threshold, general and specific disability, global perceived effect and kinesiophobia will be evaluated by a blinded assessor at baseline, six weeks and six months after randomization. Because of the study design, blinding of the participants and the therapists involved in the study will not be possible. The results of this study could contribute to the process of clinical decision- making for the improvement of pain and disability in participants with nonspecific chronic low back pain. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01919268
Accumulation of replicating bacterial plasmid DNA during thymine limitation or hydroxyurea treatment

The rate of DNA chain elongation of a thymine auxotroph of Proteus mirabilis harboring an R factor was reduced by either thymine limitation or treatment with hydroxyurea. Using CsCl density gradient centrifugation, sedimentation in sucrose gradients, and electron microscopy, it has been shown that the fraction of total R factor DNA which is in the process of replication is greatly increased when the rate of DNA chain elongation is reduced while the initiation of plasmid replication continues at the normal rate. This makes possible the isolation and characterization of replicating plasmid DNA. Electron microscopy revealed that replicating R factor DNA consists of double-branched (theta type) circular molecules.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Pulses in Third Ventricular Cerebrospinal Fluid of Ovariectomized Rhesus Monkeys: Correlation with Luteinizing Hormone Pulses*

Morphological evidence suggests that GnRH may be released into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the third ventricle. Therefore, a method of cannulating the third ventricle of monkey brains was developed for the purpose of examining GnRH secretion in primates. A stainless steel guide cannula was stereotaxically implanted into the third ventricle of 14 ovariectomized rhesus monkeys. A Silastic cannula for collecting CSF was inserted via the guide cannula into the ventral portion of the ventricle, permitting repeated CSF sampling for long time periods from the same animal. One week to 6 months after cannulation, CSF was collected continuously for periods of 5–10 h at 2 different rates (480 and 120 μl/h) from conscious monkeys seated in chairs. Samples were divided into 15-min fractions, and the GnRH concentration in each was determined by RIA. In contrast to most previous studies, third ventricular CSF was found to contain significant concentrations of GnRH. GnRH was detected in 40 of 50 collections. Concentrati...
Work Function Difference Between N-Type μc-Si Gate Electrodes Deposited by Remote Pecvd and P-Type c-Si Substrates in Mos Capacitors

We have used remote PECVD to deposit highly-doped fuc-Si films for use as gate electrodes in MOS capacitors. The flatband voltages of capacitors with different oxide thicknesses have been measured by high-frequency capacitance-voltage and have been used to determine the work function difference between an n-type fuc-Si electrode and a p-type c-Si substrate. This value for φΛs is discussed in terms of a band diagram for the stacked-gate MOS device, and is compared to the expected value.
Snyder v. American Association of Blood Banks: a re‐examination of liability for medical practice guideline promulgators

Medical practice guidelines are playing an increasingly important role in both the medical and the legal context. As tools for the health practitioner, it is thought that medical practice guidelines may contribute to an increase in the quality of patient care and cost-effectiveness. In the legal setting, guidelines may improve the functioning of the medical malpractice system by creating more rational, predictable standards of care. The development and promulgation of medical practice guidelines, while increasing, are still evolving. A number of concerns, especially in the areas of physician autonomy, physician control, and ethics, as well as efficacy, need to be resolved. The use of such guidelines as the legal standard of care in malpractice cases evokes similar concerns, along with fears that the use of guidelines at trial may either lower the standard of care, or, conversely, raise the standard of care to levels that are difficult to meet. Adding to this controversy is the recent case of Snyder v. American Association of Blood Banks (1996), in which the New Jersey Supreme Court upheld a jury finding that the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) was liable to a plaintiff who contracted AIDS from an HIV-tainted transfusion, for negligent failure to adopt guidelines requiring blood testing for surrogate markers. This opinion is significant as the first to find a duty of care running from a medical guideline promulgator to a third person, the injured patient. The opinion is examined in depth and within the context of other relevant case law. The impact the opinion will have is difficult to gauge. The somewhat unique facts of the case, as well as the court's unusually stinging critique of the defendant, AABB, and its motivations informing its response to the concerns about blood contamination, may limit its value as precedent. However, precedent does exist in analogous non-medical cases for promulgator liability. The pros and cons of promulgator liability are weighed. While closer regulation of guideline development and promulgation or promulgator immunity may be warranted, it is premature to consider either seriously until the impact of the Snyder opinion can be appreciated.
A Mediational Model of the Impact of Marital Conflict on Adolescent Adjustment in Intact and Divorced Families: The Role of Disrupted Parenting.

The present study was concerned with the development and testing of a structural equation model wherein the relation of interparental conflict to the adjustment problems of young adolescents is mediated through its impact on 3 aspects of parenting behavior: lax control, psychological control, and parental rejection/withdrawal. The model was tested separately on a sample of 46 young adolescents from intact families and a group of 51 adolescents from recently divorced families. The hypothesis that most of the relation between martial conflict and adolescent adjustment problems could be explained through perturbations in the parent-child relationship received considerable support; the only direct effect of conflict was on externalizing problems in the intact sample. The results also suggested that the mediational patterns were somewhat different for the 2 samples, and that the model accounts for a greater proportion of the variance in the adjustment problems of adolescents from intact homes than of those from recently divorced families.
Images in clinical medicine. Acute myocardial infarction and coronary spasm.

Figure 1. Acute Myocardial Infarction and Coronary Spasm. A 41-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and cigarette smoking was admitted to the emergency department with chest pain. Electrocardiography revealed changes consistent with acute anterior myocardial infarction. Recurrent ventricular fibrillation required several electric cardioversions. At coronary angiography, spontaneous spasm of the proximal left anterior descending artery (white arrows) was evident (Panel A), as was mild catheter-induced spasm of a portion of the left main coronary artery (black arrow). Intracoronary nitroglycerin reversed the coronary spasm (Panel B). The patient was treated with nitrates and a calcium-channel blocker. Two weeks after admission . . .
NKX2-3 transcriptional regulation of endothelin-1 and VEGF signaling in human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells.

Background: NKX2-3 is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). NKX2-3 is expressed in microvascular endothelial cells and the muscularis mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. Human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells (HIMECs) are actively involved in the pathogenesis of IBD and IBD-associated microvascular dysfunction. To understand the cellular function of NKX2-3 and its potential role underlying IBD pathogenesis, we investigated the genes regulated by NKX2-3 in HIMEC using cDNA microarray. Methodology/Principal Findings: NKX2-3 expression was suppressed by shRNA in two HIMEC lines and gene expression was profiled by cDNA microarray. Pathway Analysis was used to identify gene networks according to biological functions and associated pathways. Validation of microarray and genes expression in intestinal tissues was assessed by RT-PCR. NKX23 regulated genes are involved in immune and inflammatory response, cell proliferation and growth, metabolic process, and angiogenesis. Several inflammation and angiogenesis related signaling pathways that play important roles in IBD were regulated by NKX2-3, including endothelin-1 and VEGF-PI3K/AKT-eNOS. Expression levels of NKX2-3, VEGFA, PI3K, AKT, and eNOS are increased in intestinal tissues from IBD patients and expression levels of EDN1 are decreased in intestinal tissues from IBD patients. These results demonstrated the important roles of NKX2-3, VEGF, PI3K, AKT, eNOS, and EDN1 in IBD pathogenesis. Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between mRNA expression of NKX2-3 and VEGFA and a negative correlation between mRNA expression of NKX2-3 and EDN1 in intestinal tissues from IBD patients. Conclusion/Relevance: NKX2-3 may play an important role in IBD pathogenesis by regulating endothelin-1 and VEGF signaling in HIMECs.
Metabotropic glutamate receptor modulation of excitotoxicity in the neostriatum: role of calcium channels

We have previously shown that metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation can attenuate N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxic injury in the neostriatum both in vivo and in vitro. Our earlier studies made use of the non-subtype selective mGluR agonist 1-amino-cyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (tACPD). In the present study, we extended these observations by identifying the subtype of mGluR involved. Using selective mGluR agonists, we provide evidence that the Group II mGluRs are responsible for inhibition of NMDA excitotoxicity in the neostriatum. In addition, we provide evidence that the inhibitory effects of tACPD on excitotoxicity are dependent upon calcium influx as they are blocked by a low calcium solution as well as the broad-spectrum calcium channel blocker cadmium. The tACPD-induced attenuation was also blocked by omega-conotoxin GVIA suggesting participation of N-type calcium channels. Whole cell voltage clamp recordings were made to directly determine the effects of mGluRs on voltage-gated calcium channels in neostriatal neurons. As predicted, both tACPD and the Group II agonist 3C4HPG inhibited calcium currents in neostriatal neurons. Again this effect was blocked by omega-conotoxin GVIA. Overall the results suggest that mGluR regulation of voltage-gated calcium channels can limit NMDA toxicity in the neostriatum.
Can America Ecucate Itself Out of Inequality

Economists Claudia Golden and Lawrence Katz claim that the race between education and technology pits the supply of educated workers against the demand for their services. For most of its course, the distance separating contestants has remained more or less the same, with exceptions between 1915 and 1940, when supply began to overtake demand, and in the years after 1980, when the pace of supply flagged. The race is crucial because the relation of supply to demand widens or narrows inequality and determines the trajectory of economic growth. Despite the authors’ stunning and invaluable empirical contributions, a number of their interpretations and, even, their book’s framework itself, remain questionable. A tension at the book’s core undermines the authors’ thesis about the implications of history for turning around the recent trajectory of American inequality.
Representation's Coup

Some 25 years after its publication, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's “Can the Subaltern Speak?” continues to cause an ethical consternation not fully explicable by its apparent political claims. This article explores the grounds for that effect by elaborating the philosophical system of representation that the original essay only partially addresses in its reading of Marx's writings. It argues for the necessity of a critical understanding of the role of the intellectual as the agent of a system of representation that dialectically produces the subaltern. Without such a critical genealogy of the function of the intellectual as embedded within the system of representation, the subaltern becomes the object of melancholy postcolonial identifications and ethical distress. The essay concludes with a re-reading of Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea as a novel that stages the crisis and failure of colonial identifications.
Maternal politics: the principles and practice of maternity care in eighteenth-century Hamburg.

This article traces the development of publicly financed maternity care in Hamburg and places that development firmly within the context of urban social structure and social policy. Such maternity care evolved in late seventeenth- century Hamburg as a pragmatic response to an internal problem plaguing several municipal institutions, i.e., how to care for pregnant inmates. Gradually the program expanded to include poor, homeless, or transient women who were able to call on no other form of assistance or charity. The first true Lying-In Ward in Hamburg was established by the General Poor Relief in 1796. Crucial issues of population policy (especially the control of aliens) and the regulation of the labor market influenced the conditions under which certain groups of women received (or did not receive) free lying-in.
Seizure-related injuries in children with newly diagnosed and untreated epilepsy.

Summary: Purpose: Patients with epilepsy are reported to have an increased risk of physical injury. One of clinicians' concerns for diagnosing epilepsy early is to try to prevent such injuries and also to allay parental anxiety that seizures may cause injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate injuries in children with newly diagnosed epilepsy and before starting antiepileptic medication. Methods: A prospective study was undertaken of all newly diagnosed and untreated patients with at least two unprovoked, afebrile seizures of any type, aged 1–16 years, presenting consecutively to seven paediatric/paediatric neurology outpatient departments over a 12-month period. Information was collected on the duration of epilepsy before diagnosis, the epilepsy syndrome, the seizure type causing the injury, how and the age at which the injury was sustained, and whether hospital treatment was required for the injury. Results: One hundred ninety-eight patients (116 boys) were surveyed. No patient died as a result of an injury. Twenty-five (12.6%) children experienced an injury before the diagnosis of epilepsy was established. Only four of the 25 patients (2% of all 198 patients) required medical attention for the injury. The injuries occurred at a mean age of 10.3 years (range, 4–15.1 years), and epilepsy was diagnosed at a mean age of 11.1 (range, 4.2–15.8) years. Fifteen patients were injured at home, six at school, and four outside the home. The seizures causing the injuries were tonic–clonic (17), complex partial (four), myoclonic (one), and of uncertain type (three). None of the 32 patients with childhood-onset typical absence epilepsy had accidental injuries. Conclusions: Injuries caused by epileptic seizures were uncommon in this newly diagnosed and untreated, consecutive paediatric outpatient series. These unique data could help to reassure clinicians that the diagnosis of epilepsy should not be influenced by any concern that accidental injuries caused by seizures are common in children before starting medication.
L-O-(2-malonyl)tyrosine (L-OMT) a new phosphotyrosyl mimic suitably protected for solid-phase synthesis of signal transduction inhibitory peptides

A new phosphotyrosyl (pTyr) mimic L-O-(2-malonyl)tyrosine (L-OMT, 4) utilizes a malonyl structure in place of the parent phosphate group. This compound is stable to protein-tyrosine phosphatases and has advantages over phosphonate-based pTyr mimics in that protection of the malonyl group as its diester allows passage of the OMT across cell membranes, with subsequent esterase-mediated liberation of the free diacid once inside cells. Herein is reported the synthesis of Nα-Fmoc-L-OMT-O,O-(tert-butyl)2 (5) for the solid-phase synthesis of L-OMT containing peptides as modulators of cellular signal transduction. Additionally included is the preparation of Nα-Fmoc-L-OMT-O,O-(n-butyl)2 (6) for the direct solid-phase synthesis of OMT-peptide diester prodrugs for use in cell-based studies.
Achievable bounds on signal transition activity

Transitions on high capacitance busses in VLSI systems result in considerable system power dissipation. Therefore, various coding schemes have been proposed in the literature to encode the input signal in order to reduce the number of transitions. In this paper we derive achievable lower and upper bounds on the expected signal transition activity. These bounds are derived via an information-theoretic approach in which symbols generated by a source (possibly correlated) with entropy rate H are coded with an average of R bits/symbol. These results are applied to, 1.) determine the activity reducing efficiency of different coding algorithms such as Entropy coding, Transition coding, and Bus-Invert coding, 2.) bound the error in entropy-based power estimation schemes, and 3.) determine the lower-bound on the power-delay product. Two examples are provided where transition activity within 4% and 8% of the lower bound is achieved when blocks of 8 and 13 symbols respectively are coded at a time.
Reconstructing Last Glacial Maximum bottom water salinities from deep-sea sediment pore fluid profiles

Deep-sea sediment pore fluids contain a record of past glaciations in their [Cl] and δ^(18)O. The signal of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ice volume increase remains in the pore fluids as a local peak in each of these species. Using a one-dimensional model to account for the diffusive and advective transport within the sediment column since the LGM, the past bottom water salinity and δ^(18)O_(seawater) values can be estimated. The model is most sensitive to the shape of the forcing function used to represent bottom water variations through time, the effective diffusion coefficient, and the scatter in the data. Assuming steady-state compaction, the model is relatively insensitive to the initial condition, the bulk sedimentation rate and the assumed porosity profile, though these last two are measured independently. Overall uncertainties in the relative [Cl] increase at the LGM are between 0.1 and 0.5%, where the mean ocean change is about 3.5%.
A distributed, architecture-centric approach to computing accurate recommendations from very large and sparse datasets

The use of recommender systems is an emerging trend today, when user behavior information is abundant. There are many large datasets available for analysis because many businesses are interested in future user opinions. Sophisticated algorithms that predict such opinions can simplify decision-making, improve customer satisfaction, and increase sales. However, modern datasets contain millions of records, which represent only a small fraction of all possible data. Furthermore, much of the information in such sparse datasets may be considered irrelevant for making individual recommendations. As a result, there is a demand for a way to make personalized suggestions from large amounts of noisy data. Current recommender systems are usually all-in-one applications that provide one type of recommendation. Their inflexible architectures prevent detailed examination of recommendation accuracy and its causes. We introduce a novel architecture model that supports scalable, distributed suggestions from multiple independent nodes. Our model consists of two components, the input matrix generation algorithm and multiple platform-independent combination algorithms. A dedicated input generation component provides the necessary data for combination algorithms, reduces their size, and eliminates redundant data processing. Likewise, simple combination algorithms can produce recommendations from the same input, so we can more easily distinguish between the benefits of a particular combination algorithm and the quality of the data it receives. Such flexible architecture is more conducive for a comprehensive examination of our system. We believe that a user's future opinion may be inferred from a small amount of data, provided that this data is most relevant. We propose a novel algorithm that generates a more optimal recommender input. Unlike existing approaches, our method sorts the relevant data twice. Doing this is slower, but the quality of the resulting input is considerably better. Furthermore, the modular nature of our approach may improve its performance, especially in the cloud computing context. We implement and validate our proposed model via mathematical modeling, by appealing to statistical theories, and through extensive experiments, data analysis, and empirical studies. Our empirical study examines the effectiveness of accuracy improvement techniques for collaborative filtering recommender systems. We evaluate our proposed architecture model on the Netflix dataset, a popular (over 130,000 solutions), large (over 100,000,000 records), and extremely sparse (1.1%) collection of movie ratings. The results show that combination algorithm tuning has little effect on recommendation accuracy. However, all algorithms produce better results when supplied with a more relevant input. Our input generation algorithm is the reason for a considerable accuracy improvement.
Development of a conceptually equivalent Chinese-language translation of the US Household Food Security Survey Module for Chinese immigrants to the USA.

Due to an editing error, the authors inadvertently transposed two strings of Chinese characters. The last sentence of the Education and Literacy sub-section should read: “When the formal phrasing was poorly understood by participants at lower education and literacy levels, we opted for colloquial phrasing (for example,你有沒有 instead of 你有否 for ‘did you’).” We regret the error.
Future Antarctic bed topography and its implications for ice sheet dynamics

The Antarctic bedrock is evolving as the solid Earth responds to the past and ongoing evolution of the ice sheet. A recently improved ice loading history suggests that the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) has generally been losing its mass since the Last Glacial Maximum. In a sustained warm- ing climate, the AIS is predicted to retreat at a greater pace, primarily via melting beneath the ice shelves. We employ the glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) capability of the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM) to combine these past and future ice loadings and provide the new solid Earth computations for the AIS. We find that past loading is relatively less important than future loading for the evolution of the future bed to- pography. Our computations predict that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) may uplift by a few meters and a few tens of meters at years AD 2100 and 2500, respectively, and that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is likely to remain unchanged or subside minimally except around the Amery Ice Shelf. The Amundsen Sea Sector in particular is predicted to rise at the greatest rate; one hundred years of ice evolution in this region, for example, predicts that the coastline of Pine Is- land Bay will approach roughly 45 mm yr 1 in viscoelastic vertical motion. Of particular importance, we systematically demonstrate that the effect of a pervasive and large GIA up- lift in the WAIS is generally associated with the flattening of reverse bed slope, reduction of local sea depth, and thus the extension of grounding line (GL) towards the continen- tal shelf. Using the 3-D higher-order ice flow capability of ISSM, such a migration of GL is shown to inhibit the ice flow. This negative feedback between the ice sheet and the solid Earth may promote stability in marine portions of the ice sheet in the future.