cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Rod Photoreceptor-Specific Nuclear Receptor Nr2e3 Represses Transcription of Multiple Cone-Specific Genes

This study addresses one genetic regulatory mechanism that establishes the distinct identities of rod and cone photoreceptors. Previous work has shown that mutations in either humans or mice in the gene coding for photoreceptor-specific nuclear receptor Nr2e3 cause a progressive retinal degeneration characterized by increased numbers of short-wave cones. In the present work, we have examined the cellular and developmental pattern of Nr2e3 protein localization in mammals and fish, identified an optimal Nr2e3 DNA-binding site using cycles of binding to recombinant Nr2e3, characterized the transcriptional activity of wild type and one of the disease-associated point mutations in Nr2e3 in transfected cells, and characterized the transcriptional defects in the naturally occurring Nr2e3 mutant (rd7) mouse. These experiments indicate that in the mature vertebrate retina Nr2e3 is expressed exclusively in rods, that expression of Nr2e3 is one of the earliest events in the pathway of rod-specific photoreceptor development, and that Nr2e3 functions, either directly or indirectly, as a repressor of cone-specific genes in rod photoreceptor cells.
T cell cytokines determine the severity of experimental IgA nephropathy by regulating IgA glycosylation.

Hyperfunction of Th2 cells and aberrant glycosylation of IgA have been proposed independently as factors in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the most common form of glomerulonephritis. To investigate the relationship between Th2 cytokines and IgA glycosylation in the genesis of IgAN, we induced IgAN in C3HeB and BALB/c mice by oral immunization and intranasal challenge with Sendai virus. Although both strains of mice developed microhaematuria and glomerular IgA immune deposits to similar degrees, only BALB/c mice developed significant renal insufficiency. More profound reductions of terminal galactosylation and sialylation occurred in Sendai virus-specific IgA from BALB/c versus C3HeB mice, and splenocytes from immunized BALB/c mice produced more Th2 and less Th1 cytokines compared to C3HeB mice when stimulated with antigen in vitro. Furthermore, the decreased glycosylation of IgA elicited by Th2 cytokines in vitro was blunted by the addition of IFN-γ. We conclude that increased production of Th2 cytokines can lead to abnormalities in IgA glycosylation, which in turn promote heightened phlogistic responses to IgA immune complexes lodging in the glomerulus. We suggest that a relative or absolute increase in Th2 cytokine production in response to mucosal infection is a significant pathogenic factor in human IgAN.
Distribution of immunoreactive androgen-binding protein/sex hormone-binding globulin in tissues of the fetal rat

Androgen-binding protein/sex hormone-binding globulin (ABP/SHBG) is an extracellular carrier protein that binds androgens and estrogens with high affinity. In the adult, ABP/SHBG is thought to function in the male reproductive system and the general circulation in both sexes to modulate the actions of sex steroids. The ABP/SHBG gene is also expressed in the embryonic rat liver, where SHBG is secreted into the fetal blood of male and female rats. The embryo also expresses an alternative SHBG with a unique N-terminal sequence. In this study, the distribution of immunoreactive SHBG in the 17-day-old male fetal rat was determined with six antisera. In general, all of the antisera reacted with the same structures. Specific tissue immunoreactivity was mostly cytoplasmic and/or extracellular. By far the most prominent immunoreactive structures were the mesoderm-derived tissues: connective tissue, striated and cardiac muscle, cartilage, and the liver hematopoietic system. In addition, all regions of the fetal brain contained immunoreactive neurons. In the developing male reproductive system, there was minor reactivity in the testicular cords, whereas the connective tissue in the differentiating Wolffian duct stained with all of the antisera. The Wolffian duct epithelium and epithelia in other developing organs contained small amounts of immunoreactive SHBG, except for the lung, which stained in the epithelial extracellular matrix. An antibody raised against a unique N-terminal peptide specific for the alternative SHBG protein revealed that it was also present in many tissues. These data suggest that SHBG is important for the differentiation of mesodermal tissues. SHBG may modulate the action of androgens in embryonic stroma, thereby regulating development of the epithelium in hormone-dependent tissues.
Porphyrin Stability in Plant Supernatant Fractions: Implications for the Action of Porphyrinogenic Herbicides

Abstract Photobleaching diphenyl ether herbicides act by inhibiting the chloroplast and mitochondrial enzyme which converts protoporphyrinogen to protoporphyrin, a step in the porphyrin synthesis pathway. This results in accumulation of the phototoxic compound protoporphyrin and subsequent light-dependent membrane damage. Recent findings suggest that protoporphyrin accumulation is a result of protoporphyrinogen accumulation in the herbicide-inhibited chloroplast followed by export into the cytoplasm and subsequent oxidation to the phototoxic protoporphyrin by herbicide-resistant mechanisms associated with extraorganellar plant membranes. The present study indicates that accumulated protoporphyrinogen can be decomposed to nonporphyrin (and therefore nonphototoxic) products by factors in the soluble fraction of barley and mustard leaves. In contrast, protoporphyrin is quite stable in these fractions. The rate of protoporphyrinogen destruction is dependent upon the amount of soluble leaf fraction present and the time of incubation. Protoporphyrinogen destruction is suppressed in the presence of the reducing agent dithiothreitol (5 m M ) and by ascorbic acid (0.5 m M ). Boiling of the soluble extract also suppresses protoporphyrinogen destruction. Uroporphyrinogen I is not destroyed by soluble leaf extracts. These findings suggest that the protoporphyrinogen which accumulates outside of the chloroplast upon herbicide treatment may decompose to nonporphyrin (and therefore nontoxic) products if it is not rapidly oxidized to protoporphyrin by herbicide-resistant mechanisms in extraorganellar membranes. Protoporphyrinogen destruction may be a mechanism for providing protection from the toxic affects of protoporphyrin accumulation. Some evidence for this was provided by our observation that older mustard leaves are more active in protoporphyrinogen destruction than younger leaves. Other studies have shown that older weeds are more herbicide tolerant than younger weeds.
Post-9/11: Making Islam an American Religion

This article explores several key events in the last 12 years that led to periods of heightened suspicion about Islam and Muslims in the United States. It provides a brief overview of the rise of anti-Muslim and anti-Islam sentiment known as “Islamophobia”, and it investigates claims that American Muslims cannot be trusted to be loyal to the United States because of their religion. This research examines American Muslim perspectives on national security discourse regarding terrorism and radicalization, both domestic and foreign, after 9/11. The article argues that it is important to highlight developments, both progressive and conservative, in Muslim communities in the United States over the last 12 years that belie suspicions of widespread anti-American sentiment among Muslims or questions about the loyalty of American Muslims. The article concludes with a discussion of important shifts from a Muslim identity politics that disassociated from American identity and ‘American exceptionalism’ to a position of integration and cultural assimilation.
Impacts of Mountain-Plains Solenoid on Diurnal Variations of Rainfalls along the Mei-Yu Front over the East China Plains

AbstractConvection-permitting numerical experiments using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are performed to examine the impact of a thermally driven mountain–plains solenoid (MPS) on the diurnal variations of precipitation and mesoscale convective vortices along the mei-yu front over the east China plains during 1–10 July 2007. The focus of the analyses is a 10-day simulation that used the 10-day average of the global analysis at 0000 UTC as the initial condition and the 10-day averages every 6 h as lateral boundary conditions (with diurnal variations only). Despite differences in the rainfall intensity and location, this idealized experiment successfully simulated the observed diurnal variation and eastward propagation of rainfall and mesoscale convective vortices along the mei-yu front. It was found that the upward branch of the MPS, along with the attendant nocturnal low-level jet, is primarily responsible for the midnight-to-early-morning rainfall enhancement along the mei-yu front. Th...
Proton-nucleus total cross sections in the intermediate energy range

Proton-nucleus total and reaction cross sections are computed for a number of target nuclei at energies ranging from 100 to 2200 MeV using the Kerman, McManus, and Thaler optical potential formalism and the impulse approximation. Corrections due to Pauli, short-range dynamical, and center-of-mass correlations are included in the calculations. In addition, the electric form factor of the neutron and the nucleon magnetic moments are included in deriving the necessary proton densities from available empirical charge distributions. The proton-nucleon scattering amplitudes are obtained from phase shift solutions or directly from the published $N\ensuremath{-}N$ data. The proton and neutron point densities are deduced where possible from analyses of electron and proton scattering or from Hartree-Fock predictions if the appropriate elastic angular distribution data are unavailable. An estimate of the uncertainty in the calculated total cross sections is given. The total and reaction cross sections computed in this way are shown to be in very good agreement with the data above 400 MeV but overestimate the data by 15-25% at lower energies, indicating that the approximate multiple scattering calculations generally performed near 1 GeV are inadequate when applied at energies below 400 MeV. Several theoretical improvements are suggested for this lower energy range and some numerical estimates are given. Analysis of total cross section data is also shown to be an unsuitable method for obtaining accurate measurements of neutron matter densities.NUCLEAR REACTIONS proton-nucleus scattering; total and reaction cross sections; ${E}_{p}=100 \mathrm{to} 2200$ MeV; targets $^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{16}\mathrm{O}$, $^{27}\mathrm{A}1$, $^{56}\mathrm{Fe}$, $^{63,65}\mathrm{Cu}$, $^{72,74}\mathrm{Ge}$, $^{127}\mathrm{I}$, and $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$; Kerman, McManus, and Thaler optical potential; target nucleon correlations.
Quantitative studies on the expression of a transformed character in Bacillus subtilis.

Abstract The effect of media supplementation upon the expression of a transformed genetic character has been studied in Bacillus subtilis . Localization of cells on the surface of a membrane filter disc eliminated bias due to population changes, and also permitted manual relocation of cells from one medium to another. Replicate samples of competent recipient cells were banked in liquid nitrogen so that comparative experiments could be carried out on successive days. Transient supplementation of solid medium with a nutritional factor (tryptophan) required by B. subtilis during incubation periods up to 5 h has no effect on subsequent transformation frequency. Control cells manipulated in the same manner, but incubated throughout the experiment on the unsupplemented medium selective for the transformant phenotype, gave similar results. Identical experiments using a complete medium prior to transferring the filter disc to minimal selective medium yielded quite different results. In this case, transformation frequency increased as a linear function of the incubation time on complete medium. Furthermore, the ordinate value of the transformation frequency was directly proportional to the time the cells were exposed to transforming DNA, although the rate of transformation frequency increase was identical at all times. The data suggest that these techniques effectively separate the transformation event per se (altered genome) from subsequent phenotypic expression of the new potentiality.
Age-related changes in reducible crosslinks of human dental pulp collagen

Coronal pulp of human third molars from patients ranging in age from 16 to 40 yr was analysed for collagen, protein, calcium and reducible crosslink content. Dihydroxylsinonorleucine (DHLNL) was the major crosslink; it decreased with age. Hydroxylsinonorleucine (HLNL) and lysinonorleucine (LNL) appeared in insignificant amounts. Calcium content increased with age. Based on the premise that collagen synthesis is characterized by the presence of reducible crosslinks, the study showed that coronal pulp collagen synthesis decreases with age; this is accompanied by a decrease in collagen concentration in terms of dry weight and total protein between 16 and 30 hr of age.
Academic radiology: time to think outside of the box.

who wish to explore the frontiers of medicine and radiology. With their successes come personal accolades as well as prestige to both their universities and their radiology departments. The work of these individuals around the country and world is vital for our future. These people, without question, must be afforded the time to pursue their work. Radiologists who are more interested in the clinical and educational components of the job are equally important to our future and to the prestige and perceptions of their radiology departments. Classically, academic productivity has been measured in terms of peer-reviewed articles, published abstracts, and presentations. It is more difficult to measure the productivity of those who invest the time and energy it takes to help adequately educate our residents and fellows and to expose medical students to the positive aspects of our field. It is dangerous and harmful for a department’s and university’s reputation to graduate dissatisfied and undereducated
Prolongation of off-cycle interval by finasteride is not associated with survival improvement in intermittent androgen deprivation therapy in LNCaP tumor model.

BACKGROUND We have previously reported that finasteride administration in intermittent androgen deprivation therapy (IADT) can improve survival of nude mice bearing LNCaP xenograft tumors when the duration of off-cycle in IADT was fixed. A recent retrospective study showed that addition of finasteride doubled the duration of the off-cycle, without changing progression to castration resistance. In view of the above difference, we attempted to investigate the relationship of 5α-reductase inhibition with the off-cycle interval and overall survival in a murine model.
Thermodynamic assessment of binary solid-state thermal storage materials☆

Polyalcohols are potential thermal energy storage materials that exhibit energetic solid-state phase transformations, and usually referred to as ‘Plastic Crystals’. The adjustment of solid-state phase transition temperatures is of significance to practical applications; phase diagram are useful for this purpose. We have established binary phase diagrams of 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (AMPL)–neopentylglycol (NPG), pentaerythritol (PE)–AMPL,tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS)–NPG systems. In this work, we present results of our thermodynamic assessments of these organic binary systems. The CALPHAD approach using Thermo-Calc software was utilized for this purpose. It is interesting to note that two high temperature plastic phases co-exist in all three binaries considered here. Thermal energies are predominantly stored in these cubic γ or γ′ plastic phases in molecular librations (O–H⋯O bonds) and lattice vibrations. The calculated phase diagrams are in close agreement with the experimental phase diagrams.
Popolohuanone A and B. two new sesquiterpenoid aminoquinones from a pacific sponge dysidea sp

Abstract Popolohuanone-A ( 1 ) and B ( 2 ) are two new sponge metabolites of composition C42H57NO3. Their structures, which were determined by spectral and chemical correlations, comprise two molecules of a benzenoid moiety each linked to a rearranged drimane sesquiterpene and connected by an amino function.
Cardiolipin Binding a Light Chain from Lupus-Prone Mice†,‡

Autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus react with multiple epitopes on highly conserved molecules such as nucleic acids, cytoskeletal proteins, phospholipids, and phospholipid-binding proteins. Analysis of the heavy- and light-chain variable sequences (VH and VL) has shown that a restricted set of V genes gives rise to these autoantibodies. Several monoclonal antibodies were developed from a strain of mouse prone to lupus (F1 male NZW × BXSB). Two of these antibodies, A1.72 and A1.84, reacted directly with cardiolipin and their VH and VL sequences were analyzed. Surprisingly, these two antibodies had identical light-chain variable sequences despite having substantially different heavy-chain variable sequences. This VL sequence, VL 72/84 was 97% identical with the germ-line sequences with only four single nucleotide substitutions. When this VL sequence was shuffled with the VH sequence of other monoclonal antibodies and expressed as single chain variable fragment (scFv) in Escherichia coli, it impa...
The adrenal cortex and the metabolic response to stress.

SINCE the development of the concepts of the “alarm reaction,” the “general adaptation syndrome” and the “diseases of adaptation” by Hans Selye (1), there has been a great deal of interest in; and considerable controversy about the precise role of the adrenal cortex in the response to stress. That there is an intimate relationship between the adrenal cortex and the response to stress is well established on the basis of the following facts: (a) After stressful stimuli, there are unmistakable evidences in most cases of adrenocortical stimulation comparable with that after treatment with corticotropin. These include morphologic changes in the adrenal cortex, depletion of adrenal ascorbic acid and cholesterol, adrenal hypertrophy and, in many cases, increased levels of adrenal steroids in adrenal venous or peripheral venous blood and in the urine, (b) Many of the morphologic and metabolic alterations after stress in the normal organism are identical with those following overdosage with corticotropin or 11-oxy...
Supersonic Aerodynamic Characteristics of Blunt Body Trim Tab Configurations

Trim tabs are aerodynamic control surfaces that can allow an entry vehicle to meet aerodynamic performance requirements while reducing or eliminating the use of ballast mass and providing a capability to modulate the lift-to-drag ratio during entry. Force and moment data were obtained on 38 unique, blunt body trim tab configurations in the NASA Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. The data were used to parametrically assess the supersonic aerodynamic performance of trim tabs and to understand the influence of tab area, cant angle, and aspect ratio. Across the range of conditions tested (Mach numbers of 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5; angles of attack from -4deg to +20deg; angles of sideslip from 0deg to +8deg), the effects of varying tab area and tab cant angle were found to be much more significant than effects from varying tab aspect ratio. Aerodynamic characteristics exhibited variation with Mach number and forebody geometry over the range of conditions tested. Overall, the results demonstrate that trim tabs are a viable approach to satisfy aerodynamic performance requirements of blunt body entry vehicles with minimal ballast mass. For a 70deg sphere-cone, a tab with 3% area of the forebody and canted approximately 35deg with no ballast mass was found to give the same trim aerodynamics as a baseline model with ballast mass that was 5% of the total entry mass.
A Multifactor Experiment on the Generalizability of Direct Mail Advertising Response Techniques to Mail Survey Design

This field experiment support for the idea that response-enhancing techniques developed in the direct mail advertising field may be generalized to mail surveys of commercial populations. Significant response-speed techniques. It was also discovered that none of the three techniques tested significantly affected response-quality. The results of this study suggest that response-rate and-speed are stimulated by different factors which must be treated as distinct components when designing a mail survey. Finally, the findings imply that the experimental factors' effect on response-speed is an additive combination of factor interactions and main effects. This, in turn, suggests that the impact of the experimental manipulation on response-speed operates through a more complex process than the one generally found for the response-rate criterion.
Alternative hormone replacement regimens: is there a need for further clinical trials?

Purpose of review To review the randomized trials of hormone replacement therapy. Recent findings Studies have shown that conjugated equine estrogen 0.625 mg a day plus medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5 mg a day increased the risk of cardiovascular events during the first year of treatment in women both with and without coronary heart disease. Conjugated equine estrogen plus medroxyprogesterone acetate also increased the overall risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in women without coronary heart disease, and myocardial infarction or death in women with coronary heart disease, and also increased the risk of breast cancer, cognitive decline and dementia. Unopposed, oral 17B-estradiol increased the risk of stroke during the first 6 months of treatment in women with a previous stroke. Oral 17B-estradiol with or without cyclic progestin had no effect on the progression of atherosclerosis or reinfarction. Transdermal 17B-estradiol plus cyclic progestin was associated with a non-significant increase in coronary heart disease events in women with coronary heart disease. Compared with placebo, cardiovascular events increased in the ongoing estrogen-only arm of the Women's Health Initiative, indicating that unopposed conjugated equine estrogen is unlikely to be cardioprotective. However, oral 17B-estradiol retarded the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in younger women without coronary heart disease. Summary Hormone replacement therapy should not be initiated for the primary or secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in women. A trial of 17B-estradiol started at menopause in women without coronary heart disease should be considered.
Non-apoptotic effects of antiapoptotic agent zVAD-fmk in renal injury

To the Editor: We read with interest the paper by Linkermann et al., 1 who demonstrated that specific inhibition of apoptosis by the pan-caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk was unable to prevent ischemia–reperfusion (IR)-induced kidney damage, renal dysfunction, and cell death. Recently, we also reported that zVAD-fmk did not improve cisplatin-induced decline in renal function, histology, and cell death, but rather worsened renal damage. 2 However, our interpretation of inability of zVADfmk to provide protection from cisplatin acute kidney injury (AKI) is different from that of Linkermann and his colleagues, who postulated that apoptosis may not have much of a role in renal IR injury. Our conclusions are based on several observations. First, we provided evidence that zVAD-fmk promoted lysosomal dysfunction and impaired autophagic flux by blocking autophagosomal clearance that worsened renal function. 2 Second, in renal tubular epithelial cells in culture, we showed that treatment of cells with zVAD-fmk prevented cisplatin-induced apoptosis but promoted defects in autophagic flux, and cells eventually died of necrotic cell death. 2 Third, others have shown zVAD-fmk promotes autophagic and necrotic cell death and is capable of inhibiting lysosomal proteases including cathepsins and calpains in renal and non-renal cells, resulting in lysosomal dysfunction. 3 Therefore, the antiapoptotic effect of zVAD-fmk will be confounded in AKI considering its apoptoticindependent effects. Thus, considering these observations, one should be cautious about concluding that apoptosis is not important in AKI. Such a conclusion would be contrary to numerous studies that have described the role of apoptosis in AKI and that renal function in AKI correlates better with apoptosis than necrosis. 4
Abstract PR-14: Regression of rectal polyps in familial adenomatous polyposis patients with freeze-dried black raspberries

PR-14 Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a dominantly inherited disease characterized by the early onset of colonic polyposis and a risk of colon cancer of nearly 100% by the age of 40. The traditional management of FAP is colectomy followed by lifelong endoscopic surveillance of the rectum and removal of rectal polyps. Our laboratory has reported on the ability of freeze-dried black raspberry (BRB) powder to prevent chemically-induced cancer in the rodent colon. Administration of BRB powder at 2.5, 5 and 10% in a synthetic diet to rats treated with the carcinogen, azoxymethane, reduced the development of colonic adenocarcinomas by 50 - 80%. BRBs prevent cancer in rodents by reducing cell proliferation, inflammation and angiogenesis, and by stimulating apoptosis and differentiation. We also showed in a Phase I clinical trial that BRB powder is well tolerated by humans when administered in a slurry of water at 45g/day for 7 days. Based upon these results, we undertook the present study to determine if BRB might regress rectal polyps in FAP patients. Fourteen FAP patients who had undergone a colectomy were treated with BRB daily for a period of nine months. Seven patients received BRB powder (20g/3x/day) orally in a slurry of water plus two suppositories (each composed of 700 mg BRB) that patients inserted into the rectum one hour before bedtime. The other seven patients were randomized to receive an oral placebo plus the two rectal suppositories. Rectal polyp counts were taken at time zero and after nine months of BRB treatment. The number of rectal polyps was reduced by a median of 43% at nine months overall including a median reduction of 59% in patients treated by both routes and 36% in patients treated with the suppositories only. Polyps and aberrant crypt foci were collected both before and after berry treatment, and molecular studies are underway to determine the mechanism(s) for BRB-induced rectal polyp regression in FAP patients. (Supported by NCI grant CA103180 and USDA grant 38903-03560). Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):PR-14.
Magnetic resonance imaging: occult popliteal artery entrapment syndrome in a young soldier.

Background Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is frequently misdiagnosed because of symptom overlap with other conditions and lack of a definitive diagnostic modality. The incidence is widely variable, although it should be considered in all patients under 50 years with symptoms of lower extremity claudication. Long-term sequelae of PAES include critical limb ischemia, arterial occlusion, and aneurysm formation caused by repetitive external compression. Methods We review the case of a 27-year-old soldier originally treated for exertional compartment syndrome with fasciotomies without relief of symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) failed to demonstrate an aberrant slip of the gastrocnemius muscle, which was ultimately found and released on surgical exploration. Results Surgical exploration and release of an aberrant band of gastrocnemius muscle through a medial approach resulted in significant relief of symptoms and improvement of walking distance. Conclusions Healthy athletes without peripheral vascular disease and symptomatic calf and foot claudication should have an early referral to vascular surgery. The risk of false-negative MRI warrants further investigation into provocative, noninvasive imaging modalities to properly classify PAES. This report reviews the literature to discuss the diagnostic challenges, natural history of disease, and surgical interventions for PAES.
Critical aspects of institutional programs for youths

This study examines aspects of institutional life that influence, for better or worse, the treatment of adolescent residents. Psychosocial development of 802 youths was measured by four indices, internality, self-concept, opportunism and number of deviant signs. Subjects were interviewed while placed at fourteen residential and five alternative day treatment programs. An analysis of 200 youths' developmental progress after two to five months of treatment showed slight positive changes among institutional residents and negative changes among day treatment youths. Canonical correlation analysis of measures suggested three main types of programs: the positive program which produced the most mature youths, the poorly staffed facility which went with delinquent personality development, and the underfinanced but caring program which seemed to foster more disturbed personality profiles.
The effect of antegrade femoral nailing on femoral head perfusion: a comparison of piriformis fossa and trochanteric entry points

Piriformis fossa entry antegrade femoral nailing is a common method for stabilizing diaphyseal femur fractures. However, clinically significant complications such as chronic hip pain, hip abductor weakness, heterotopic ossification and femoral head osteonecrosis have been reported. A recent cadaveric study found that piriformis entry nailing damaged either the deep branch of the medial femoral circumflex artery (MFCA) or its distal superior retinacular artery branches in 100 % of specimens and therefore recommended against its use. However, no study has quantitatively assessed the effect of different femoral entry points on femoral head perfusion. Twelve fresh-frozen cadaveric lower extremity specimens were randomly allocated to either piriformis fossa or trochanteric entry nailing using a 13-mm reamer. The contralateral hip served as an internal matched control. All specimens subsequently underwent gadolinium-enhanced fat-suppressed gradient-echo sequence MRI to assess femoral head perfusion. Gross dissection was also performed to assess MFCA integrity and distance to the opening reamer path. MRI quantification analysis revealed near full femoral head perfusion with no significant difference between the piriformis and trochanteric starting points (95 vs. 97 %, p = 0.94). There was no observed damage to the deep MFCA in either group. The mean distance from the reamer path to the deep MFCA was 3.2 mm in the piriformis group compared to 18.5 mm in the trochanteric group (p = 0.001). Additionally, there was a significantly greater number of mean terminal superior retinacular vessels damaged by the opening reamer in the piriformis cohort (1 vs. 0; p = 0.007). No statistically significant difference in femoral head perfusion was found between the two groups. Therefore, we cannot recommend against the use of piriformis entry femoral nails. However, we caution against multiple errant starting point attempts and recommend meticulous soft tissue protection during the procedure.
Understanding why rheumatoid arthritis patient treatment preferences differ by race.

Racial disparities in the delivery of health services have been well-documented in patients with arthritis as well as other disorders (1–5). These disparities occur even amongst insured populations with access to care (6, 7). Differences in patient preferences may account for some of the variability in healthcare utilization amongst different racial groups (2, 3). Some data suggest that Black patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are less likely to receive aggressive care compared to White patients (8, 9) and that this difference might be explained in part by patients’ preferences (10). How and why treatment preferences differ by race, however, is not well understood. RA treatment decisions are frequently complex and require multiple trade-offs involving relief of symptoms, long-term reduction in disability, common reversible adverse events, and rare serious complications. In this study, we sought to determine whether Black and White RA patients differ in how they make trade-offs between the specific risks and benefits related to treatment. To quantify how patients evaluate specific treatment risks and benefits, we used conjoint analysis. Conjoint analysis is a well-established method that has been used to elicit patients’ preferences for diverse domains in healthcare including treatment options, cancer screening, and healthcare delivery (11–14). We chose to use this approach, because data generated from a conjoint study can be used to quantify the importance that respondents attach to specific risks and benefits, thereby enabling one to identify the impact of each treatment characteristic on patients’ preferences. Using conjoint analysis, it is therefore possible to determine if a patient’s preference is driven primarily by concerns related to the risk of toxicity or the expectations of benefit.
Cross-layer virtual observers for embedded multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC)

There is a growing concern about the increasing vulnerability of future computing systems to errors in the underlying hardware due to manufacturing process variability, exponentially increasing power dissipation and heating, as well as drastic and harsh environments such systems may have to operate in. This research proposes the concept of cross-layer virtual observers and actuations with the aim of achieving improved reliability, performance, thermal stability, and reduced power and energy consumption applied across different layers of system stack. Cross-layer resilient systems, which distribute the responsibility for tolerating errors, device variation, and aging across the system stack, have the potential to provide the resilience required to implement reliable, high-performance, low-power systems in future fabrication processes at significantly lower cost. By using redundant, complementary, or more timely information from multiple sensors at different layers, virtual observers can provide more reliable and accurate information, specific inferences, context, and conditions as well as accurate assessment of the surrounding environment, while identifying malfunction and dangers (e.g thermal overheating or hotspot) in diverse kind of system including emerging Cyber-physical and Multiprocessor system-on-chips (MPSoCs). Virtual observer enabled self-awareness allows a system to observe it's own internal behaviors as well as external systems it interacts with such that it is capable of making judicious decision to optimize performance and other quality of service (QoS) metrics. With the ability to discover potential present action and predict future actions as well as evaluate past actions and behaviors, these computer systems will be capable of adapting their behavior and resources to automatically find the best way to accomplish a given goal despite changing environmental conditions and demands. We demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of these concepts specifically overcoming the vulnerabilities introduced by faults and process variability using two case studies: one using virtual observer to estimate temperature of unmeasured core and the other to predict the failure rate of the unmeasured core using the estimated temperature using concepts drawn from embedded multiprocessor systems on a single chip (MPSoC) respectively.
Estimating reference nutrient criteria for Maryland ecoregions

Management of stream nutrients is becoming increasingly important in order to protect both water quality and aquatic resources throughout the USA. Using an extensive water quality database from the long-term Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS), we describe nutrient relationships to landscape characteristics as total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) of small-order, non-tidal streams in USEPA L2 and L3 ecoregions in Maryland and by MBSS stream order at the L2 and L3 ecoregion levels. To protect stream ecosystem integrity, preliminary reference nutrient estimates (TN and TP) as percentiles (25th of all stream reaches and 75th of stream reference reaches) for the six Maryland L3 ecoregions are: Blue Ridge TN 0.29 and 0.64 mg/L, TP 0.0065 and 0.0090 mg/L; Central Appalachians TN 0.40 and 1.0 mg/L, TP 0.0060 and 0.015 mg/L; Middle Atlantic Coastal Plains TN 0.93 and 2.5 mg/L, TP 0.094 and 0.065 mg/L; Northern Piedmont TN 1.6 and 1.8 mg/L, TP 0.010 and 0.015 mg/L; Ridge and Valley TN 0.40 and 0.98 mg/L, TP 0.0063 and 0.012 mg/L; and Southeastern Plains TN 0.33 and 0.82 mg/L, TP 0.016 and 0.042 mg/L. High levels of both TN and TP are present in many streams found in non-tidal watersheds associated with all Maryland ecoregions, but are especially elevated in the Northern Piedmont and Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain ecoregions, with the latter second-order streams (average TN > 2.9 mg/L) significantly higher than all other ecoregion–order combinations. Across all six ecoregions, mean nutrient loading for both TN and TP was generally equivalent in first-order streams to nutrient concentrations seen in both second- and third-order streams, indicating a definite need to increase efforts in preventing nutrients from entering first-order streams. Small-order stream nutrient levels are the drivers for subsequent TN and TP inputs into the upper freshwater tidal reaches of the Chesapeake Bay, resulting in a potential risk for altered estuarine ecosystems.
The estimation of the thickness of the nonsuperconducting layer at the interfaces in YBa2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract The results of a computer simulation of the atomic structure of interfaces in YBa2Cu3O7−δ (twin boundary and large-angle symmetrical tilt grain boundary) are presented. These results allow us to determine the lattice displacements and distortions in the vicinity of analyzed interfaces. Basing on the strain level ≈ 0.01 as a phenomenological criterion for the suppression of superconductivity, estimates of the thickness of the nonsuperconducting regions enveloping interfaces are made.
The ovary of the lobster, Homarus americanus. I. Architecture of the mature ovary.

We have examined the architecture of the mature lobster ( Homarus americanus ) ovary using microscopical techniques. The ovary is comprised of five tubular lobes which are organized in an H-shaped pattern. Each lobe contains four morphological components which are: (i) the ovarian wall, (ii) the epithelium, (iii) the follicles, and (iv) the extensions of the ovarian wall. The wall is made up of blood vessels and sinuses, blood cells, and nonstriated muscle cells which may undergo spontaneous contraction when the ovary is cut. The epithelial cells are flat and rest on a thick basal lamina. They form a thin seet on the luminal surface of the ovary. Portions of this sheet fold outward toward the ovarian wall. Epithelial cells are continuous with and may give rise to follicle cells around oocytes. The mature ovary contains large (mature, 1.2–1.6 mm)-, intermediate (0.1–0.4 mm)-, and small (0.07–0.1 mm)-sized follicles. Small follicles and some intermediate follicles are found embedded in the epithelium lining the lumen. Most intermediate follicles form chains linking the luminal epithelium to mature follicles. The mature follicles are stacked in tiers three to five follicle layers deep between the ovarian wall and the lumen. The extensions of the ovarian wall consist of both blood vessels and muscle cells; these project into the follicular region and insert on follicle walls and on the epithelium. This description of the mature lobster ovary extends our knowledge on the organization of the decapod ovary and provides a basis for future detailed structural and physiological analyses of this organ.
Painting by numbers: A GMT primer for merging swath-mapping sonar data of different types and resolutions

Swath-mapping sonar systems are used to map the sea floor either by collecting bathymetry or backscatter data. However, the manipulation of such data to produce maps for interpretation requires specialized expertise that most geologists do not possess. This paper is intended to introduce a geoscientist to the Generic Mapping Tools and to supplement existing documentation for this software package by showing how to use it to process data gathered from swath-mapping sonar systems. Though this document is intended to be an introductory text and includes some basic examples, it will also introduce the novice user to more sophisticated techniques for merging data sets from a variety of sources and types, and will conclude with an algorithm for merging bathymetry with backscatter imagery.
The proximate/ultimate distinction in the multiple careers of Ernst Mayr

Ernst Mayr's distinction between “ultimate” and “proximate” causes is justly considered a major contribution to philosophy of biology. But how did Mayr come to this “philosophical” distinction, and what role did it play in his earlier “scientific” work? I address these issues by dividing Mayr's work into three careers or phases: 1) Mayr the naturalist/researcher, 2) Mayr the representative of and spokesman for evolutionary biology and systematics, and more recently 3) Mayr the historian and philosopher of biology. If we want to understand the role of the proximate/ultimate distinction in Mayr's more recent career as a philosopher and historian, then it helps to consider hisearlier use of the distinction, in the course of his research, and in his promotion of the professions of evolutionary biology and systematics. I believe that this approach would also shed light on some other important “philosophical” positions that Mayr has defended, including the distinction between “essentialism: and “population thinking.”
Venture failure, stigma, and impression management: A self‐verification, self‐determination view

We offer a theoretical basis for understanding how and to what end entrepreneurs employ impression management strategies in response to the negative attributions associated with the stigma of venture failure. Our framework offers counterintuitive insights into why some entrepreneurs stigmatized by failure will use impression management strategies to align their conception of self with how others perceive them—even if that means adopting a negative view of self. Our model highlights a potential paradox related to competing individual (the entrepreneur) and organizational goals, with regard to actions positioned to enhance the psychological well-being of the failed entrepreneur. Copyright © 2011 Strategic Management Society.
Computer-Based Analysis oc Continuous Wave Operation of Distribution Feeders

This paper describes a set of computer programs developed for the analysis of continuous wave, steady-state operation of distribution feeders. The programs are designed for distribution feeders which are tree configured. They use a recursive algorithm and require only small dimensioned matrix operations. They are application user-oriented and, while they make an exact representation of the feeder, are easy to use, since they make extensive use of precomputed data bases.
Apotimema: Athenian terminology for real security in leases and dowry agreements

When entering into a legal agreement, it is not unusual for one of the parties to ask the other to provide some security so as to ensure that the latter's obligations under the agreement will be fulfilled. There are two basic forms of security, personal and real. In personal security for a loan, the borrower arranges for a third party to come forward and to promise the lender that he will fulfil the borrower's obligations in the event that the borrower does not make interest payments or repay the principal. In real security, the borrower pledges some of his property, either movable or immovable, as security to the creditor. If the borrower defaults, the creditor has the right to seize the property pledged as security, and, if he wishes, to sell it for cash in lieu of repayment.
Waste Heat Use Through Microfabrication and Micro System Development

To effectively harvest waste heat from larger devices, a MEMS-based boiler is fabricated to boil working fluids for use in a low temperature steam system. The boiler is designed and fabricated to collect waste heat and drive working fluid phase change through novel microstructures. This boiled working fluid can then be made available for expansion by other MEMS-based components like piezoelectric membranes or cantilevers. Two different boiler designs are studied and compared in these experiments. Both designs rely on capillary channels to pump working fluid from surrounding reservoirs out across heated boiling surfaces. First, a baseline silicon device is fabricated using standard RIE techniques to produce silicon capillary channels. Channel widths of 300 and 100 μm are studied with maximum aspect ratios of 1:1. Improved aspect ratio capillary channels are investigated through the use of SU-8 polymer structures. The maximum aspect ratios of the SU-8 based channels are 20:1 with channel widths down to 10 μm. SU-8 based boilers deliver improved performance compared to their silicon counterparts. The maximum mass transfer rate was 4.49 mg/s for SU-8 channels with 20:1 aspect ratios. By contrast, the maximum mass transfer rate was 3.18 mg/s for silicon capillary channels with 1:1 aspect ratios. Working fluids like 3M™ HFE 7200 are used in these experiments.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Features of cancer in nonagenarians and centenarians.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence rates and sites of cancer, the causes of death, and gender and ethnic variations in patients with cancer in a population of people 90 years of age and older. DESIGN: Analysis of the 14,088 cases of cancer in this age group, accessioned by the California Cancer Registry from 1988 through 1993, and comparison with those less than age 90. MEASUREMENTS: Incidence rates and numbers and percents of cases with various features (gender, ethnicity, site of tumor, stage, causes of death). RESULTS: The peak age-specific incidence (ASI) of cancer is in the group 80 to 84 years of age. Those 90 to 94 years of age had a higher ASI than any group except those ages 75 to 89. There are ethnic variations in the sites of cancer in people aged 90 or older. Colorectal cancer accounts for more than one-fifth of the new cases of cancer in people 90 or older. In women aged 90 or older, the most common sites of cancers are colorectal, breast, and lymphoma/leukemia. In men of the same age, prostate, colorectal, and lung/bronchus are the most common sites. As age increases, fewer people have their cancers staged, and for lung/bronchus, prostate, and breast, more cancers are first diagnosed in the distant stage in people aged 90 and older. Of the people with cancer who die, the proportion dying of cancer decreases as age increases. CONCLUSION: Cancer is a common disease in nonagenarians and centenarians and will be an increasing healthcare problem. Knowledge of its features is essential to those planning, delivering, and financing health care. J Am Geriatr Soc 46:994–998, 1998.
The Platonic Paradox Plato's Rhetoric in Contemporary Rhetoric and Composition Studies

This article surveys and analyzes the contemporary reception of Plato's rhetorical theory in contemporary rhetoric and composition studies by examining the response from three current perspectives: (1) presenting Plato as completely against rhetoric; (2) leaving Plato out of rhetoric altogether; and (3) interpreting Plato's work as raising issues central to classical and contemporary rhetoric. The discussion of the first two responses to Plato's relationship to rhetoric reveals a reductive, or formulaic, presentation of classical rhetoric. The discussion of the third perspective shows that it is the most accurate interpretation. Plato's rhetoric is related to the traditional five canons that were prominent in Greek rhetoric and explicitly systematized in Roman rhetoric, beginning with the Rhetorica Ad Herennium. If Plato's extensive contribution to the last two of the classical canons of rhetoric, memory and delivery, were more commonly included in the historicizing of rhetoric, then the five canons would...