cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS, GLUCOSE TOLERANCE AND INSULIN SENSITIVITY OF NEW ZEALAND OBESE MICE.

Abstract Comparisons were made between New Zealand obese (NZO) and control mice with respect to the following points: (1) the age of onset of obesity, (2) the frequency and severity of glucose intolerance, and (3) the degree of insulin sensivity. Total body composition analyses, intravenous glucose tolerance tests and insulin sensitivity tests were performed on the NZO and control strains. The results indicate that NZO mice have developed a significant chemical obesity by the fourth week of life while excessive body weight does not occur until after the twelfth week. Approximately two-thirds of the NZO mice demonstrate abnormal glucose tolerance tests although the degree of the glucose intolerance is relatively mild. The NZO mice are 4 to 5 times more resistant to insulin-induced convulsions than are the control mice.
Dynamics of iron release from transferrin N-lobe studied by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Transferrins constitute a class of metalloproteins that are involved in circulatory iron transport in a variety of species. The metal ion-binding properties of these proteins have been the focus of extensive research efforts in the past decade due to their extreme importance in a variety of biological and healthcare-related fields. The large size of these proteins, as well as the presence of high-spin metal ions (e.g., Fe3+), limits the use of NMR. In this work, we report on the use of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) to study dynamics of the transferrin system in vitro under conditions that are designed to mimic the endosomal environment. ESI MS is shown to provide valuable insights into the mechanistic aspects of metal ion-binding/release by transferrins and is complementary to other spectroscopic techniques. Conformational stability of the complex is evaluated based on the appearance of the charge-state distribution of protein ions, while the composition of the protein−ligand complex ...
A Surface Wind Model–Based Method to Estimate Rain-Induced Radar Path Attenuation over Ocean

Abstract The rainfall retrieved using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) depends on estimating the radar signal path-integrated attenuation using the surface reference technique (SRT). This technique assumes uniform ocean surface backscattering background at precipitation scale and attributes the difference in measured surface backscattering cross sections inside and outside of storms to path-integrated attenuation. Since surface wind is the major environmental variable that controls the strength of the ocean backscattering, it is very desirable to examine the impact of surface wind variation on the retrieved attenuation. To this end, we examined the feasibility of retrieving ocean surface winds from TRMM PR data for the benefit of the surface reference technique. A geophysical model function, a forward model, is developed based on ocean surface wind speed retrieved from TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) data. A fieldwise wind-retrieval procedure, an inverse model, is formul...
Nonlinear Optical Image Filtering By Time-Sequential Threshold Decomposition

Shape-changing, or morphological, transformations (e.g., erosion, dilation, median filtering, and other ranked-order filtering) on binary imagery can be obtained by optically convolving the input image with a disk or other binary spread function and thresholding the output. Gray-scale images can be processed if the input is decomposed into a sequence of binary "slices" by a variable thresholding operation (threshold decomposition). The slices undergo shape-changing transformations and are then added together to produce the output gray-scale image. Median filtering to remove "salt-and-pepper" noise from a gray-scale image is demonstrated. The use of gray-scale (as opposed to binary) convolution kernels allows extension of the method to a more general class of nonlinear filtering operations that includes stack filters.
Deadly pediatric poisons: nine common agents that kill at low doses

More than 97% of pediatric exposures reported to the AAPCC in 2001 had either no effect or mild clinical effects. Despite the large number of exposures, only 26 of the 1074 reported fatalities occurred in children younger than age 6. These findings reflect the fact that, in contrast to adolescent or adult ingestions, pediatric ingestions are unintentional events secondary to development of exploration behaviors and the tendency to place objects in the mouth. Ingested substances typically are nontoxic or ingested in such small quantities that toxicity would not be expected. As a result, it commonly is believed that ingestion of one or two tablets by a toddler is a benign act and not expected to produce any consequential toxicity. Select agents have the potential to produce profound toxicity and death, however, despite the ingestion of only one or two tablets or sips. Although proven antidotes are a valuable resource, their value is diminished if risk after ingestion is not adequately appreciated and assessed. Future research into low-dose, high-risk exposures should be directed toward further clarification of risk, improvements in overall management strategies,and, perhaps most importantly, prevention of toxic exposure through parental education and appropriate safety legislation.
Personality of Cleartype Fonts

Substantial research regarding typeface persona has not been conducted for onscreen media. Previous research indicates that printed typefaces have associated personas and have the potential to create meanings that extend beyond the printed text. This study examined six new ClearType fonts and six existing fonts representing serif, sans serif, and monospaced font groups. Fonts were examined using 15 personality pairs through an online survey. Results indicated that serif fonts were characterized as more traditional in personality; sans serif fonts were perceived as more casual; and monospaced fonts were described as plain and dull. Overall, this study makes an initial attempt to establish perceived onscreen personas common fonts while evaluating the newest Microsoft fonts.
Parabolized Navier--Stokes code for hypersonic flows in thermo-chemical equilibrium or nonequilibrium

Abstract A parabolized Navier–Stokes (PNS) code has been developed to efficiently compute three-dimensional flows in thermo-chemical equilibrium or nonequilibrium. The new code is an extension of NASA’s three-dimensional upwind PNS (UPS) code. The chemical, vibrational, and electronic nonequilibrium effects have been incorporated via a loosely-coupled approach. The new code has been used to compute air flows in thermo-chemical equilibrium and nonequilibrium through expanding hypersonic nozzles. The results are in good agreement with existing numerical and experimental results.
Residual compressive stress in sputter-deposited TiC films on steel substrates

Abstract Polycrystalline TiC films with thickness between 0.1 and 2.8 microm were deposited by r.f. sputtering onto 1010 steel and borosilicate glass substrates at 200°C. All films were found to be in a state of compression. For a film grown under a given set of deposition conditions, the incremental compressive stress, i.e. the average stress in the uppermost deposited layer, was generally found to be largest near the film-substrate interface and to become constant with film thickness tf for tf ≳ 0.3 microm. However, for a given tf the incremental stress increased with a decrease in the argon sputtering pressure PAr. Experimental results showed that the incremental compressive stress in bulk films could be directly related to the trapped argon concentration. Argon incorporation is due to the burial of energetic species incident on the growing film surface from two primary sources: energetic neutrals produced by Ar+ ions scattered off the target in binary collisions and Ar+ ions accelerated to the substrate owing to its induced negative potential with respect to the positive space charge region in the r.f. discharge. The trapped argon concentration from both contributions increased with decreasing PAr. All films grown on steel substrates exhibited good adhesion as indicated by indentation and diamond stylus scratch tests. The residual compressive stress in the films was found to be beneficial for wear-related applications in which the film was subjected to a large tensile stress.
A new probe using hybrid virus-dye nanoparticles for near-infrared fluorescence tomography

A fluorescent probe based on bionanoparticle cowpea mosaic virus has been developed for near-infrared fluorescence tomography. A unique advantage of this probe is that over 30 dye molecules can be loaded onto each viral nanoparticle with an average diameter of 30 nm, making high local dye concentration (∼1.8 mM) possible without significant fluorescence quenching. This ability of high loading of local dye concentration would increase the signal-to-noise ratio considerably, thus sensitivity for detection. We demonstrate successful tomographic fluorescence imaging of a target containing the virus-dye nanoparticles embedded in a tissue-like phantom. Tomographic fluorescence data were obtained through a multi-channel frequency-domain system and the spatial maps of fluorescence quantum yield were recovered with a finite-element-based reconstruction algorithm.
SimWare: A Holistic Warehouse-Scale Computer Simulator

To optimize datacenter energy efficiency, SimWare analyzes the power consumption of servers, cooling units, and fans as well as the effects of heat recirculation and air supply timing. Experiments using SimWare show a high loss of cooling efficiency due to the nonuniform inlet air temperature distribution across servers.
Multiple Application of Magnetorheological Effect in High Precision Finishing

Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is enabling technology that may produce surface accuracy of the order of 10nm peak-to-valley and surface micro-roughness less than 10A. In this technique, magnetorheological fluid performs the primary function, which is deterministic material removal. There are several auxiliary devices that also function on a smartness of magnetorheological fluid. A non-intrusive magnetorheological valve is an integral part of the finishing machine circulatory system and provides the pump stiffness and computer control of the flow rate. To provide MR polishing fluid continuous circulation, a special means for fluid removal from the polishing wheel and returning to the delivery system has been designed. Once the fluid leaves the polishing zone, it is removed from the wheel surface by a suction cup. The cup has a magnetic system that forms a dynamic magnetorheological fluid seal in the gap between the cup and the wheel surface. Finite element analysis software has been used for magnetic systems and flow design and optimization.
Aortic Nonanastomotic Pseudoaneurysm Eroding Lumbar Vertebra: A Case Report

Nonanastomotic pseudoaneurysms are uncommon complications of prosthetic grafts, which are mostly associated with axillofemoral grafts. The case presented describes a pseudoaneurysm secondary to a previously placed end-to-side aortobifemoral bypass. Back pain developed 3 years after the original bypass and was not relieved with narcotics and muscle relaxants. The patient also complained of a 20-pound weight loss, night sweats, and frequent emesis. Approximately 1 year after the onset of back pain, left leg claudication developed. He eventually underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbosacral spine, which depicted a tumorlike mass eroding the vertebral bodies of L2 and L3. Full oncologic workup was pursued preoperatively. The patient also underwent aortography, computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis, and an inferior venacavogram to elucidate the relationships between the mass and the major vascular structures. On exploration, no malignancy was present. A hole in the native aorta approximately 2 cm above the level of the end-to-side aortic anastomosis was discovered. This was contiguous with the vertebral bodies and the left psoas muscle. The pseudoaneurysm was repaired by conversion of the proximal anastomosis to an end-to-end aorto right iliac and left femoral bypass. All of the preoperative symptoms resolved after repair of the pseudoaneurysm. Chronic aortic rupture or pseudoaneurysms are difficult to diagnose due to the unusual clinical presentations. Despite complete radiologic evaluation, preoperative diagnosis may be difficult or impossible without a high degree of suspicion. Surgical repair will depend on the cause of the pseudoaneurysm--all but infected aneurysms may be repaired in line by creating a proximal anastomosis above the level of the pseudoaneurysm. Atypical back pain in patients with previous aortic reconstructions should alert the clinician to the possibility of vascular involvement. Patients with aortic pseudoaneurysms should undergo prompt repair to avert the potential risk for rupture when the surrounding structures are no longer able to contain the pulsatile flow.
Evidence from Voyager II photometry for early resurfacing of Umbriel

THE uranian satellite UmbriePs dark, heavily cratered surface is remarkable for its apparent uniformity in Voyager II images1. Its most conspicuous geological feature is a comparatively high-albedo, annulus-shaped deposit which covers the floor of the 40-km diameter crater Wunda1. Here we present new Voyager II albedo maps of Umbriel which reveal that its surface is subdivided into low-contrast, crudely polygonal areas ranging in size from tens to hundreds of kilometres (Fig. 1). The largest polygons are elongate with systematically trending northeast–southwest boundaries. Some of the polygonal areas form topographic depressions several kilometres in depth. We suggest that this newly discovered global albedo pattern is a relic of the early tectonic disruption of Umbriel's surface.
Rheumatoid arthritis in the 46, XX, 18p- syndrome.

Some of the evidence suggesting a relationship between autoimmunity and chromosomal aberrations is reviewed and an example which may support such a relationship is presented. The propositus was a 5-year-old Caucasian female who had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and a deletion of the short arm of a chromosome 18 (46, XX, 18p-). Her serum IKA was normal, although IgA deficiency has been reported in a significant number of patients having an 18 deletion syndrome as well as in patients having rheumatoid arthritis. This patient focuses attention on the presently unresolved problem of the association between autoimmune disease and chromosomal aberrations.
The Structural and Kinetic Ensemble of ASB9's N-Terminus and It's Role in Substrate Recognition

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) have structural ensembles which lack stable tertiary and secondary structure under physiological conditions. IDPs have remolded the structure-function paradigm, often participating in one-to-many and many-to-one protein interactions. One class of IDPs which have remained largely unstudied are the ankyrin repeat and SOCS (supressor of cytokine signaling) box containing proteins (ASBs). This class of proteins have an intrinsically disordered N-terminus, a six ankyrin repeat domain (ARD), and a C-terminal SOCs box domain. The SOCS box of ASB9 is known to interact with elongin B and C and cullin 5 to form E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, targeting creatine kinases (CK) for ubiquitin mediated degradation. Using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) we found the interaction between ASB9 and CK to be largely entropic, with some residues between 19-34 in ASB9 constituting a major portion of ASB9's binding interface. The ARD alone and the N-terminus + ARD of ASB9 have the same entropic contribution to the binding free energy with CK. However, when the first 18 amino acids are removed from ASB9, the entropy of binding to CK is lowered by an order of magnitude. We performed molecular dynamics simulations to rationalize the interaction thermodynamics and explore the structural ensembles of ASB9 (1-252) and CK. These simulations were clustered and dockings were performed on their centroids. Remarkably, residues 23-34 docked into the active site of CK. The docking also found that CK residues 180 to 203 constitute a part of the binding interface, which agree with our hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDXMS) studies. We plan to precisely characterize the residual dynamics of ASB9 within the complex using NMR spectroscopy interpreted in the light of accelerated molecular dynamics.
Fourth-order gradient expansion of the fermion kinetic energy: Extra terms for nonanalytic densities.

The fourth-order density-gradient expansion of the fermion kinetic energy contains terms which integrate over space to zero for analytic densities, but not for the densities of atoms or of those metal-surface models for which the expansion has been tested. Evaluation of these terms shows that the fourth-order expansion is not quite as accurate as it has been believed to be.
BlackTie: Injecting elements of formality into enterprise social software

Successful organizations rely on a healthy mixture of formal and informal structures to coordinate effectively and operate efficiently. Formal structures, such as documented business processes, are valuable when they can be applied successfully to new contexts and because they provide a high degree of visibility and traceability during their application. When they fail, or are simply not available, an organization relies on its informal structures and the human capacity for innovation to continue operating. Despite their resiliency, informal structures are not as easily understandable which can make them difficult for outsiders to learn, comprehend, and audit. Although formal structures are often the byproducts of recurrent patterns of ad-hoc collaboration, most cooperative tools cannot externalize usage data into human readable artifacts that can be systematically reused and evolved. In this paper we introduce BlackTie, a collaborative system designed to extract tangible and reusable models of collaboration during ad-hoc interaction and facilitate their reuse and evolution over time.
N2 positive and N2+ band systems and the energy spectra of auroral electrons

Use of the relative emission rates of the auroral N2 positive and N2(+) band systems to limit the permissible range of differential electron fluxes in auroras, due to remarkable differences in electron excitation functions for the two kinds of systems. Use of recently measured electron cross sections and many observational data from ground based and rocket studies shows that the results are consistent with spectra equivalent to a power law E to the minus 1.4 power for primaries and secondaries combined. The unified primary spectra of Rees (1969) and secondary spectra of Rees et al. (1969) fail seriously to predict the optical ratios. It is shown that Rees' primary spectrum is deficient in slow primaries, owing to the use of defective Monte Carlo results of Maeda (1965). Doubt is thereby cast on the validity of experimental results for the differential spectrum below 50 eV reported by Feldman et al. (1971) because of the rapid decrease in flux with energy shown by those measurements.
Chip-scale optical interconnects based on hybrid integrated multiple quantum well devices

Hybrid integrated chip-scale optical interconnects based on small-footprint coupling to surface-normal MQW devices are advanced. Refinements to the grayscale lithographic fabrication process provide a path to ultra-high-density seamless interfacing between the on- and off-chip domains.
A model of dynamic scattering by microemulsions

Abstract A model previously developed for the statistical thermodynamics of microemulsion phase equilibria is used to treat the static and dynamic scattering by such systems. The random internal oil/water geometry is represented as resulting from a Voronoi tessellation, and temporal fluctuations are introduced by allowing the generating Poisson nuclei to perform independent Brownian motions. This dynamic model maintains the stationary statistics required of an equilibrium system and also allows representation of a continuous set of structures from oil-in-water to water-in-oil geometries including the bicontinuous geometries expected when oil and water are present in comparable amounts. Comparison of calculated scattering functions with experiment shows quantitative agreement with Rayleigh scattering data and at least qualitative agreement with measured space-time autocorrelation functions. Calculations of a k-dependent diffusion coefficient also are compared with experimental results.
Neuroprotective role of taurine during aging

Aging of the brain is characterized by several neurochemical modifications involving structural proteins, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and related receptors. Alterations of neurochemical indices of synaptic function are indicators of age-related impairment of central functions, such as locomotion, memory and sensory performances. Several studies demonstrate that ionotropic GABA receptors, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), and somatostatinergic subpopulations of GABAergic neurons are markedly decreased in experimental animal brains during aging. Additionally, levels of several neuropeptides co-expressed with GAD decrease during aging. Thus, the age-related decline in cognitive functions could be attributable, at least in part, to decrements in GABA inhibitory neurotransmission. In this study, we showed that chronic supplementation of taurine to aged mice significantly ameliorated the age-dependent decline in spatial memory acquisition and retention. We also demonstrated that concomitant with the amelioration in cognitive function, taurine caused significant alterations in the GABAergic and somatostatinergic system. These changes included (1) increased levels of the neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate, (2) increased expression of both isoforms of GAD (65 and 67) and the neuropeptide somatostatin, (3) decreased hippocampal expression of the β3 subunits of the GABAA receptor, (4) increased expression in the number of somatostatin-positive neurons, (5) increased amplitude and duration of population spikes recorded from CA1 in response to Schaefer collateral stimulation and (6) enhanced paired pulse facilitation in the hippocampus. These specific alterations of the inhibitory system caused by taurine treatment oppose those naturally occurring in the aging brain, suggesting a protective role of taurine in this process. An increased understanding of age-related neurochemical changes in the GABAergic system will be important in elucidating the underpinnings of the functional changes of aging. Taurine supplementation might help forestall the age-related decline in cognitive functions through interaction with the GABAergic system.
Mycobacteriophage D29 integrase-mediated recombination: Specificity of mycobacteriophage integration

Abstract Mycobacteriophage D29 is a lytic phage that infects both fast- and slow-growing species of the mycobacteria. D29 forms clear plaques on lawns of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette–Guerin (BCG) in which a very high proportion of infected cells are killed. However, genomic analysis of D29 demonstrates that it is a close relative of the temperate mycobacteriophage L5, and is presumably a non-temperate derivative of a temperate parent. The D29 genome encodes a putative integrase protein with a primary amino acid sequence similar to that of the L5 integrase; the corresponding int genes fall in colinear positions within the D29 and L5 genomes, immediately flanking and transcribed away from their associated attP sites. We show here that the D29 integrase is functional and catalyzes integrative recombination between the D29 attP site and the M. smegmatis attB site in vitro in an mIHF-dependent manner. D29 integrase also mediates recombination between the L5 attP site and attB DNA and, reciprocally, L5 integrase catalyzes recombination with D29 attP DNA. However, in both in-vitro and in-vivo assays, the D29-encoded integrase recombines the D29 attP more efficiently than the L5 attP , and vice versa, suggesting that each integration system has evolved a degree of specificity of attP recognition. We also present the sequences of the putative attP site and integrase protein of the cryptic prophage-like element φRv2, and compare them to those of mycobacteriophages L5 and D29.
A domain decomposition method for two-phase transport model in the cathode of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell

Using Kirchhoff transformation, we develop a Dirichlet-Neumann alternating iterative domain decomposition method for a 2D steady-state two-phase model for the cathode of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) which contains a channel and a gas diffusion layer (GDL). This two-phase PEFC model is represented by a nonlinear coupled system which typically includes a modified Navier-Stokes equation with Darcy's drag as an additional source term of the momentum equation, and a convection-diffusion equation for the water concentration with discontinuous and degenerate diffusivity. For both cases of dry and wet gas channel, we employ Kirchhoff transformation and Dirichlet-Neumann alternating iteration with appropriate interfacial conditions on the GDL/channel interface to treat the jump nonlinearities in the water equation. Numerical experiments demonstrate that fast convergence as well as accurate numerical solutions are obtained simultaneously owing to the implementation of the above-described numerical techniques along with a combined finite element-upwind finite volume discretization to automatically control the dominant convection terms arising in the gas channel.
Evaluation of the instrumental quality of pressure-assisted thermally processed carrots

This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of pressure-assisted thermal processing (PATP) in preserving the texture, color, and carotene content of carrot cylinders in the pressure range of 500 to 700 MPa and the temperature range of 95 to 121 degrees C. The effectiveness of PATP was compared with that of conventional thermal processing (TP) by matching carrot preprocess temperature history. Results indicated that under comparable process temperatures (up to 105 degrees C), PATP retained the carrot quality attributes such as color and carotene content better than TP. However, process and preprocess thermal history at 121 degrees C greatly influenced carrot textural change and pressure protective effects were less pronounced. This study demonstrated that PATP has the potential to produce low-acid foods with a relatively better quality than TP.
Abstract 2456: Mechanism of pancreatic cancer induction by smoking

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Background & Aims: Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for pancreatic cancer. However, the molecular signaling mechanisms of cigarette smoking remain poorly understood. We studied the effects of the cigarette smoking extract (CSE) and the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) on apoptosis, proliferation and autophagy and underlying signaling mechanisms both in vitro in human pancreatic ductal cells and in vivo in mouse pancreas. We also studied the effect of K-ras mutation on the smoking-induced cell survival and proliferation. Methods: Immortalized human ductal cells HPDE6 were cultured for up to 1 week in the presence or absence of CSE (0.04-4µg/ml) or NNK (1nM-1µM). Pancreas-specific K-ras transgenic mice EL-K-ras were used as a cancer model. Wild type and EL-K-ras mice were injected with NNK (100mg/Kg) once weekly for 4 weeks and animals sacrificed 72h after the last injection. Apoptosis was assessed by measuring DNA fragmentation with Cell death ELISA or TUNEL and proliferation by 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA or BrdUrd labeling. Autophagy was measured with its marker LC3 using immunofluorescence staining. Molecular signaling mechanisms were evaluated with Western. Results: Exposure of human ductal cells to CSE and NNK for 24h to 1 week time-dependently decreased apoptosis and autophagy and increased proliferation. Exposure to CSE and NNK decreased AMPK phosphorylation and increased Akt phosphorylation. Akt activation occurred at the times of AMPK inhibition. Pharmacological Akt inactivation reversed the inhibition of AMPK phosphorylation by CSE and NNK and prevented the effects of CSE and NNK on apoptosis and autophagy, indicating a central role of Akt in the prosurvival effects of tobacco compounds. In K-ras mice model of pancreatic cancer NNK injections induced increase in Akt kinase and decrease in AMPK phosphorylation. NNK decreased autophagy and apoptosis and stimulated proliferation in the pancreas. The NNK inhibitory effect on apoptosis and autophagy and the stimulation of proliferation were more pronounced in K-ras mice compared to wild type mice. Conclusion: Our in vitro and in vivo data indicate that smoking compounds create conditions favorable for cancer promotion through activating survival pathways including activation of Akt kinase and inhibition of AMPK activities; this leads to a decrease in apoptosis and autophagy and stimulation of proliferation. Our data suggest that smoking works in concert with K-ras mutation to induce adenocarcinoma. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2456.
Torsion of a Uterine Leiomyoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature:

A 55 year-old woman presented with abdominal pain. Transvaginal ultasonography demonstrated an enlarged fibroid uterus. She underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and was found to have torsion of a large pedunculated leiomyoma. There are fewer than 10 cases reported in the literature of torsion of a uterine leiomyoma.
Lone versus multiple offending in homicide: Differences in situational context

Homicide researchers have noted that information on specific types of homicide, particularly group homicide, is lacking. Using a sample of homicide incidents from urban areas, this research examined differences in lone versus multiple offender homicides. Through both bivariate and multivariate analyses, the victim, offender, and situational characteristics of these two types of events were compared. The results suggest that differences in lone versus multiple offender homicides do exist, with these differences being driven by the offender.
Mutation screen of the cone-specific gene, CLUL1, in 376 patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Clusterin is a secreted glycoprotein expressed ubiquitously in many tissues that appears to function as a molecular chaperone capable of protecting stressed proteins. It is upregulated in many different forms of neurodegeneration and is thought to represent a defense response against neuronal damage. Clusterin has been found to be a common protein identified in drusen preparations isolated from the retina of donor eyes of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the elderly population of developed countries. A retina-specific clusterin-like protein (CLUL1) showing nearly 25% identity to clusterin at the protein level was recently cloned and shown to be expressed specifically in cone photoreceptor cells. For these reasons, we investigated CLUL1 as a candidate gene for AMD. A mutation screen of the entire coding region of the CLUL1 gene in 376 unrelated patients with AMD uncovered three sequence variations, one isocoding change and two intronic changes. One int...
Improving Data Reliability Using a Non-Compliance Detection Method versus Using Pharmacokinetic Criteria

Data from clinical trials present numerous problems for the data analyst. These include non-compliance with the prescribed dosing regimen and inaccurate recollection of dosing history by patients as well as mistakes in recording data. Several methods have been proposed to address these issues. One such technique by Lu et al. (Selecting reliable pharmacokinetic data for explanatory analyses of clinical trials in the presence of possible noncompliance. J. Pharmacokinet. Pharmacodyn. 28:343-362 (2001)) identifies occasions in pharmacokinetic (PK) data where the preceding dosing history is likely to be unreliable. We used this method, implemented in the software program NONMEM (beta) VI, to clean a dataset containing indinavir (IDV) plasma concentrations from HIV-1 infected patients. The data was also cleaned by inspection in Microsoft Excel using clinical PK criteria. A one-compartment model with first order absorption and elimination was fit to both sets of cleaned data. IDV population PK parameters obtained from these analyses were similar to those reported previously. It is established that IDV nephrotoxicity is related to high IDV exposure. However, no relationships were found between any PK parameters and nephrotoxicity in the "compliance cleaned" dataset. In the "PK cleaned" dataset, the oral clearance and apparent volume were lower by 9.1% and 6.6%, respectively in patients with any type of nephrotoxicity and the maximum IDV concentration (C(max)) was 12.1% higher. In patients suffering from nephrolithiasis in particular, C(max) was 15.5% higher. Accordingly, the use of the non-compliance detection method did not improve the reliability of our dataset over the usual method of applying clinical criteria. In fact, analyses on the compliance-cleaned dataset missed some exposure-toxicity relationships. Thus, automated methods must be tested rigorously with 'real life' datasets, used with caution, and always in conjunction with clinical reasoning to avoid overlooking a signal in noisy data.
A "naked" Fe(III)-(O₂²⁻)-Cu(II) species allows for structural and spectroscopic tuning of low-spin heme-peroxo-Cu complexes.

Here we describe a new approach for the generation of heme-peroxo-Cu compounds, using a “naked” complex synthon, [(F8)FeIII-(O22–)-CuII(MeTHF)3]+ (MeTHF = 2-methyltetrahydrofuran; F8 = tetrakis(2,6-difluorophenyl)porphyrinate). Addition of varying ligands (L) for Cu allows the generation and spectroscopic characterization of a family of high- and low-spin FeIII-(O22–)-CuII(L) complexes. These possess markedly varying CuII coordination geometries, leading to tunable Fe-O, O-O, and Cu-O bond strengths. DFT calculations accompanied by vibrational data correlations give detailed structural insights.
Creep mitigation in composites using carbon nanotube additives

A major limitation of thermosetting epoxy based polymeric materials in long-term structural applications is mechanical creep. Here it is demonstrated that single-walled carbon nanotube additives in low weight fractions (0.1?0.25%) are effective in limiting the load-induced re-orientation of epoxy chains, resulting in a significant slowing of the creep response. Nanotube additives could therefore be the key enabler for the long-term higher-temperature application of polymeric structures which would otherwise fail by excessive creep deformation.
Women in Utopia: The Ideology of Gender in the American Owenite Communities

This study contributes to the understanding of Owenism and why it failed. It corrects many of the earlier misconceptions and errors of fact about New Harmony, Indiana, and the seven other Owenite communities founded in 1826 and 1827.
Phenomenon and sensation: A reflection on Husserl's concept of Sinngebung

Analyse de la notion de Sinnegebung chez Husserl, definie comme don-de- sens, c'est-a-dire comme acte creatif et originaire de l'experience, dans les «Recherches logiques» et les «Idees I». L'A. examine le concept fondamental de phenomene et etudie le probleme de l'apparence sensible, afin de determiner le style de signification propre a la conscience intentionnelle et a la subjectivite transcendantale
Stress transfer in earthquakes, hazard estimation and ensemble forecasting: Inferences from numerical simulations

Abstract Observations indicate that earthquake faults occur in topologically complex, multi-scale networks driven by plate tectonic forces. We present realistic numerical simulations, involving data-mining, pattern recognition, theoretical analyses and ensemble forecasting techniques, to understand how the observable space–time earthquake patterns are related to the fundamentally inaccessible and unobservable dynamics. Numerical simulations can also help us to understand how the different scales involved in earthquake physics interact and influence the resulting dynamics. Our simulations indicate that elastic interactions (stress transfer) combined with the nonlinearity in the frictional failure threshold law lead to the self-organization of the statistical dynamics, producing 1) statistical distributions for magnitudes and frequencies of earthquakes that have characteristics similar to those possessed by the Gutenberg–Richter magnitude–frequency distributions observed in nature; and 2) clear examples of stress transfer among fault activity described by stress shadows, in which an earthquake on one group of faults reduces the Coulomb failure stress on other faults, thereby delaying activity on those faults. In this paper, we describe the current state of modeling and simulation efforts for Virtual California , a model for all the major active strike slip faults in California. Noting that the Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities (WGCEP) uses statistical distributions to produce earthquake forecast probabilities, we demonstrate that Virtual California provides a powerful tool for testing the applicability and reliability of the WGCEP statistical methods. Furthermore, we show how the simulations can be used to develop statistical earthquake forecasting techniques that are complementary to the methods used by the WGCEP, but improve upon those methods in a number of important ways. In doing so, we distinguish between the “official” forecasts of the WGCEP, and the “research-quality” forecasts that we discuss here. Finally, we provide a brief discussion of future problems and issues related to the development of ensemble earthquake hazard estimation and forecasting techniques.
[4+3] Cycloadditions of some allylic dioxolanes

Four allylic dioxolanes were prepared and reacted with several dienes in the presence of Lewis acids, affording [4+3] cycloadducts. The reaction could be conducted with catalytic amounts of Lewis acid. The use of a chiral Lewis acid gave a cycloadduct with only a low enantiomeric excess.
Effects of specimen thickness on fracture toughness of an aluminum alloy

J-integral resistance curves for three specimen thicknesses and valid (according to ASTM Method E 399) K Icvalues at 76 K are reported for aluminum alloy 2219. The J-integral values were independent of thickness at small crack extensions, but at substantial crack extensions the values for the thin specimens were larger than those for the thick specimens. The measured J Icvalues were less than those calculated from the measured K Icvalues. The reason for this discrepancy was that crack extension occurred before the K Icmeasurement point was reached.
Constructionism, Personal Construct Psychology and Narrative Psychology

Constructionist explanations of behavior, in general, have become more acceptable as scientists have adopted constructionist positions regarding their own systems of knowledge. Personal construct psychology approaches and narrative psychology approaches, which share philosophical foundations with social constructionism, can be coalesced to provide a substantial theoretical base for the behavioral sciences. The attempt to adapt the principles of each position to an overarching theory provides the impetus for an analysis of the ways in which these perspectives reciprocally supplement each other. The construct random collection of sentences-story is identified as the key construct in the shaping of selfdefining narrative. Propositions which order motivational processes and memory processes readily follow from aligning personal construct psychology and narrative psychology. With these propositions the functioning of a person as a story-teller may be cast in terms which allow a broad range of explanation, as w...
Infectious complications in the neutropenic patient

Abstract As strategies for managing the febrile neutropenic cancer patient have evolved during the last four decades and risk factors for infection have been delineated, the spectrum of infecting agents has broadened and routine empiric antimicrobial therapy has been adapted. The degree and duration of neutropenia continues to be the most important factor predictive of infection, although the status and type of underlying malignancy, degree of disruption of host defenses, and presence of central venous catheters influence the risk for and type of infection encountered. Pathogens in patients with microbiologically documented infection include a predominance of gram-positive organisms, most notably staphylococci and α-hemolytic streptococci. However, infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and fungi, particularly Candida species and Aspergillus, continue to be associated with the highest case-fatality rates. Prompt empiric antimicrobial therapy initiated after careful diagnostic evaluation is the mainstay of management, with the knowledge that classic diagnostic hallmarks of infections generally are absent in such patients. Patients with congenital neutropenia and neutropenia associated with HIV infection also are at risk for life-threatening infections. Future strategies in the management of all such patients should focus on improved diagnostic modalities, use of growth factors and cytokines to improve bone marrow function, and the continued adaptation of antimicrobial regimens in response to evolving pathogens and emergence of resistance. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
The Isolated Nuclear Family: Fact or Fiction

Current family theory postulates that the family in American Society is a relatively isolated social unit. This view of the family stems largely from theories of social differentiation in more complex societies.
COLORING ALGEBRAIC KNOTS AND LINKS

Let K be a knot or link and let p = det(K). Using integral colorings of rational tangles, Kauffman and Lambropoulou showed that every rational K has a mod p coloring with distinct colors. If p is prime this holds for all mod p colorings. Harary and Kauffman conjectured that this should hold for prime, alternating knot diagrams without nugatory crossings for p prime. Asaeda, Przyticki and Sikora proved the conjecture for Montesinos knots. In this paper, we use an elementary combinatorial argument to prove the conjecture for prime alternating algebraic knots with prime determinant. We also give a procedure for coloring any prime alternating knot or link diagram and demonstrate the conjecture for non-algebraic examples.
On Weyl geometry, random processes, and geometric quantum mechanics

This paper discusses some of the technical problems related to a Weylian geometrical interpretation of the Schrodinger and Klein-Gordon equations proposed by E. Santamato. Solutions to these technical problems are proposed. A general prescription for finding out the interdependence between a particle's effective mass and Weyl's scalar curvature is presented which leads to the fundamental equation of geometric quantum mechanics, $$m(R)\frac{{dm(R)}}{{dR}} = \frac{{\hbar ^2 }}{{c^2 }}$$ The Dirac equation is rigorously derived within this formulation, and further problems to be solved are proposed in the conclusion. The main one is based on obtaining the relationship between Feynman's path integral quantization method, among others, and the methods of geometric quantum mechanics. The solution of this problem will be a crucial test for this theory that attempts to “geometrize” quantum mechanics rather than the conventional approach in the past of quantizing geometry. A numerical prediction of this theory yields a 3×10−35 eV correction to the ground-state energy of the hydrogen atom.
The role of complement in membranous nephropathy

Membranous nephropathy (MN) describes a histopathologic pattern of injury marked by glomerular subepithelial immune deposits and collectively represents one of the most common causes of adult nephrotic syndrome. Studies in Heymann nephritis, an experimental model of MN, have established a paradigm in which these deposits locally activate complement to cause podocyte injury, culminating in cytoskeletal reorganization, loss of slit diaphragms, and proteinuria. There is much circumstantial evidence for a prominent role of complement in human MN because C3 and C5b-9 are found consistently within immune deposits. Secondary MN often shows the additional presence of C1q, implicating the classic pathway of complement activation. Primary MN, however, is IgG4-predominant and IgG4 is considered incapable of binding C1q and activating the complement pathway. Recent studies have identified the M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) as the major target antigen in primary MN. Early evidence hints that IgG4 anti-PLA2R autoantibodies can bind mannan-binding lectin and activate the lectin complement pathway. The identification of anti-PLA2R antibodies as likely participants in the pathogenesis of disease will allow focused investigation into the role of complement in MN. Definitive therapy for MN is immunosuppression, although future therapeutic agents that specifically target complement activation may represent an effective temporizing measure to forestall further glomerular injury.
Rules for a lender of last resort: An historical perspective

Abstract The Federal Reserve was established in 1913 to be a lender of last resort. Paul Warburg, its principal architect had in mind that a U.S. central bank would follow Bagehot׳s strictures ‘to lend freely at a penalty rate’ in the face of a scramble for high powered money. Yet the Federal Reserve Act never spelled out how the Fed was supposed to act as an LLR. This omission came to the fore in the Great Contraction 1929 to 1933 when the Fed failed to prevent four banking panics which turned a serious recession into the Great Contraction. Reforms in the 1930s corrected some of the Fed׳s failures but clamped down on financial activity for 40 years. The financial crisis problem returned in the 1970s with financial liberalization. The Fed abandoned Bagehot׳s strictures and adopted the ‘Too big to fail’ doctrine and ‘creative ambiguity’. This policy shift contributed to moral hazard and created new threats to financial stability with the rise of the ‘shadow banking system’. The subprime mortgage crisis prompted the Fed to take unprecedented LLR activities which have opened up a Pandora׳s box of perils. The Fed has moved away from rules based policy in its LLR function.
Sub-femtosecond resolution wave packet measurements using correlated pairs

Summary form only given. Correlation offers a new route to time resolved measurements. Exploiting correlation we measure H/sub 2//sup +/ double ionization dynamics with sub-femtosecond precision and we measure vibrational wave packet dynamics in D/sub 2//sup +/ with ∼0.03- Angstrom, ∼200-Attosecond precision.