cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The natural product avrainvillamide binds to the oncoprotein nucleophosmin.

Here we present evidence that (+)-avrainvillamide, a naturally occurring alkaloid with antiproliferative effects, binds to the nuclear chaperone nucleophosmin, a proposed oncogenic protein that is overexpressed in many different human tumors. Among other effects, nucleophosmin is known to regulate the tumor suppressor protein p53. A synthetic biotin−avrainvillamide conjugate, nearly equipotent to the natural product in inhibiting the growth of cultured T-47D cells, was used for affinity-isolation of a protein identified as nucleophosmin by MS sequencing and Western-blotting. Affinity-isolation of nucleophosmin was inhibited in the presence of iodoacetamide (10 mM), free (+)-avrainvillamide (100 μM), and a series of closely related structural analogues of (+)-avrainvillamide, the latter with inhibitory effects that appear to correlate with measured growth-inhibitory potencies. Using fluorescence microscopy, a synthetic dansyl−avrainvillamide conjugate was observed to localize within the nucleoli and the cy...
Is it Really the thought that Counts?: Toward a Rational Theory of Christmas

As a social institution, the exchange of goods as gifts is difficult to reconcile with the theory of rational choice. A gift of money allows the recipient to choose the goods to consume according to his own preferences, thereby presumably providing the maximum satisfaction per dollar given. The article shows that when individuals' utilities depend on others' consumption of particular goods, gifts of goods can be preferable to gifts of money. It shows further, by an example, that gift giving can be a Pareto-superior equilibrium of noncooperative individual behavior.
Study of the rotational diffusion properties of peptides in solution

In this paper we examine the theory and method for obtaining rotational diffusion coefficients for peptides in dilute solution from 13C-nmr spin-lattice relaxation data. We show that even for the case of nearly equal observed relaxation times of chemically and magnetically nonequivalent alpha-carbons marked rotational anisotropy will be the usual case. We describe two interactive, minicomputer programs which are of general use in this type of work. The implications of this study on spectral density-based conformational determinations of peptides is discussed.
On Hardness and Electronegativity Equalization in Chemical Reactivity Theory

Chemical Reactivity Theory (CRT) contains reactivity indices defined as first and second derivatives of ground-state properties with respect to electron number such as the electronegativity and the hardness. This necessitates use of the Perdew, Parr, Levy, and Balduz (PPLB) version of noninteger density-functional theory (NIDFT) to provide a basis for CRT in DFT. However, the PPLB NIDFT yields ground-state properties which are piecewise linear continuous functions of number, yielding vanishing hardness and staircase electronegativities which do not admit electronegativity equalization. To overcome these difficulties, in the present paper we modify the relationship between CRT and DFT, basing the former on our previously formulated “atoms” in “molecules” theory (AIMT) but retaining the PPLB NIDFT. We recapture electronegativity equalization through the agency of a uniquely defined reactivity potential. We demonstrate that a positive definite hardness matrix can be defined which controls the minimum cost to the AIMT energy functional of internal fluctuations of the electron numbers of the parts of a system.
Plant cytoplasm preserved by lightning.

Usually only an organism with hard parts may be preserved in the fossil record. Cytoplasm, which is a physiologically active part of a plant, is rarely seen in the fossil record. Two Cretaceous plant fossils older than 100 million years with exceptional preservation of cytoplasm are reported here. Some cytoplasm is well preserved with subcellular details while other cytoplasm is highly hydrolyzed in the cortex of the same fossil even though both of preservations may be less than 2 μm away. The unique preservation pattern, sharp contrast of preservation in adjacent cells and the exceptional preservation of cytoplasm in the cortex suggest that lightning should play an important role in the preservation of cytoplasm and that cytoplasmic membranes may be more stable than the cell contents. Interpreting the preservation needs knowledge scattering in several formerly unrelated fields of science, including geophysics, botany, biophysics, cytology and microwave fixation technology. This new interpretation of fossilization will shed new light on preservation of cytoplasm and promote cytoplasm fossils from a position of rarity to a position of common research objects available for biological research. The importance of the identification of cytoplasm in fossil lies not in itself but in how much it influences the future research in paleobotany.
Adequacy of prenatal care and risk of pre term rupture of amniotic sac membranes

Premature rupture of amniotic membranes (PROM) is associated with perinatal morbidity and mortality. A matched case-control study was undertaken to determine whether adequacy of prenatal care was associated with increased risk for PROM. Three study groups were defined, consisting of women delivering pre term with PROM, full term with PROM, and pre term without PROM. Cases were singly matched by race, age, and parity with women having full term deliveries without PROM. Data were collected by face-to-face structured interviews with eligible subjects and by medical records abstraction. Conditional multiple logistic regression indicated that among women with inadequate levels of prenatal care during pregnancy the risk for pre term PROM was 3.11 (CI = 1.10-8.78) and for pre term without PROM 2.18 (CI= 1.05–4.53) times higher than for their matched controls, even when adjusted for other sociodemographic, behavioral, index pregnancy, and medical history factors. We conclude that inadequate prenatal care may be a...
GATA3 risk alleles are associated with ancestral components in Hispanic children with ALL

To the editor: In this issue of Blood , Migliorini et al identify rs3824662 in GATA3 as a novel susceptibility locus for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) via genome-wide association analyses of European children.[1][1] Their results suggest that rs3824662 is strongly associated with
Relationships between lightning flash rates and radar reflectivity vertical structures in thunderstorms over the tropics and subtropics

[1] Relationships between the vertical profile of radar reflectivity and lightning flash rates are investigated using 13 years of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observations during 1998–2010. First the Radar Precipitation Features (RPFs) are defined by grouping raining areas detected by the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR). Then the characteristics of radar reflectivity and lightning flash rate are calculated in each RPF using PR and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) observations. Using these RPFs, temperatures at 20, 30, and 40 dBZ radar echo tops, used as proxies of the maximum convective intensity of precipitation systems, are examined as indicators of the probability of lightning. Although 30 and 40 dBZ echo top temperatures are better indicators of the probability of lightning than the 20 dBZ echo top temperature, there is a large regional variation in the temperature thresholds, especially between land and ocean. In general, oceanic thunderstorms have higher 20 dBZ echo top and larger horizontal extent than those over land. However, radar reflectivity is more likely to exceed 30 and 40 dBZ at cold temperatures over land than over ocean. The correlations between flash rates and radar echo top temperatures, areas and volumes of radar reflectivity, and ice water contents in the mixed phase region are analyzed using RPFs with at least one flash. In agreement with previous studies, the correlations with the echo top temperatures are low, but the correlations between flash rates and areas and volumes of high radar reflectivity in the mixed phase region are much higher. There is a high correlation between the flash rates and the volumes with radar reflectivity greater than 30, 35, or 40 dBZ in the mixed phase region, but the correlation coefficient varies significantly between thunderstorms over different regions, especially between land and ocean. These results are confirmed by repeating the analysis for regions of the storms defined as convective, thus eliminating the contribution from large areas of stratiform radar echo that have much less lightning.
Advances in instrumentation at the W. M. Keck Observatory

In this paper we describe both recently completed instrumentation projects and our current development efforts in the context of the Observatory's science driven strategic plan which seeks to address key questions in observational astronomy for extra-galactic, Galactic, and planetary science with both seeing limited capabilities and high angular resolution adaptive optics capabilities. This paper will review recently completed projects as well as new instruments in development including MOSFIRE, a near IR multi-object spectrograph nearing completion, a new seeing limited integral field spectrograph for the visible wavelength range called the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, and the Keck Next Generation Adaptive Optics facility and its first light science instrument DAVINCI.
Determining Gelatinized Starch in a Dry Starchy Product

Degree of gelatinization (DG) of starch in dry products was measured from the amount which dissolved in 0.2N KOH. The dissolved starch was complexed with O.1N iodine and quantitated from absorption at 600 nm. When pregelatinized starch in KOH was the basis for the standard curve only 94% of added gelatinized starch mixed with raw starch was recovered. Recovery was 100% and coefficient of variation was <2% when absorbance of a blank was used to correct sample absorbance. The blank was prepared from the same mixture with only raw starch. The procedure adequately differentiated DG in several dry sweet potato-tapioca samples.
Military System Reliability: Department of Defense Contributions

This report describes the Defense Department's increasing concern regarding electronic equipment reliability during the period 1942-1959. It discusses the establishment of the joint Army-Navy Vacuum Tube Development Committee (VTDC) in June, 1943, and VTDC's successor, the Panel on Electron Tubes (PET) in October, 1946. Also described is the formation of the Ad Hoc Group on Reliability of Electronic Equipment in December, 1950, the Advisory Group on Reliability of Electronic Equipment (AGREE) in August, 1952, the Advisory Group on Electron Tubes (AGET) in March, 1954, the Advisory Group on Electron Parts (AGEP) in June, 1954, and the Ad Hoc Committee for Guided Missile Reliability (ACGMR) in March, 1957. The interrelation of the tasks and findings of these organizations are discussed.
A psychophysical analysis of acupuncture analgesia

A psychophysical analysis of acupuncture analgesia was carried out in which low back pain patients made visual analogue scale (VAS) responses both to their chronic pain and to different levels of experimental heat pain (5 sec exposures to 43-51 degrees C) before and after electroacupuncture. VAS (sensory) responses to chronic pain, direct temperature matches to chronic pain, and VAS (sensory) responses to experimental pain were reduced in an internally consistent manner 1-2 h after treatment. The magnitude of this analgesic response was similar for dermatomes within the region of chronic pain and acupuncture needle placement (lower back) as well as for dermatomes remote from needle placement and chronic pain (forearm). Individual patients manifested either (1) a central-inhibitory pattern of analgesia wherein experimental and chronic pain in back regions and experimental pain in forearm regions were reduced, or (2) an origin-specific pattern wherein only the chronic low back pain was reduced. Patients tested several days after treatment all manifested the latter pattern of analgesia. VAS sensory and VAS affective analgesic responses to electroacupuncture treatment showed a delayed onset (1-24 h) to maximum effect and a duration of 10-14 days. Cumulative sensory and affective analgesic effects were observed at the end of 4 months of biweekly acupuncture treatments. The results of this analysis reveal the unique spatial and temporal properties of electroacupuncture analgesia and the extent to which it is mediated by at least two different mechanisms.
H-adaptive finite element methods for dynamic problems, with emphasis on localization

Various types of error criteria are examined and it is shown that for problems involving plastic response or localization, an error criterion based on an L 2 -projection of strains is the most effective for the constant strain elements considered here. Examples of one-dimensional and two-dimensional localization (shear band formation) problems are given
Synchronization of Early Afterdepolarizations and Arrhythmogenesis in Heterogeneous Cardiac Tissue Models

Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are linked to both triggered arrhythmias and reentrant arrhythmias by causing premature ventricular complexes (PVCs), focal excitations, or heterogeneous tissue substrates for reentry formation. However, a critical number of cells that synchronously exhibit EADs are needed to result in arrhythmia triggers and substrates in tissue. In this study, we use mathematical modeling and computer simulations to investigate EAD synchronization and arrhythmia induction in tissue models with random cell-to-cell variations. Our major observations are as follows. Random cell-to-cell variations in action potential duration without EAD presence do not cause large dispersion of refractoriness in well-coupled tissue. In the presence of phase-2 EADs, the cells may synchronously exhibit the same number of EADs or no EADs with a very small dispersion of refractoriness, or synchronize regionally to result in large dispersion of refractoriness. In the presence of phase-3 EADs, regional synchronization leads to propagating EADs, forming PVCs in tissue. Interestingly, even though the uncoupled cells exhibit either no EAD or only a single EAD, when these cells are coupled to form a tissue, more than one PVC can occur. When the PVCs occur at different locations and time, multifocal arrhythmias are triggered, with the foci shifting in space and time in an irregular manner. The focal arrhythmias either spontaneously terminate or degenerate into reentrant arrhythmias due to heterogeneities and spatiotemporal chaotic dynamics of the foci.
Adducts of α-Lactams and a Dihydro-1,3-Oxazine: A Convenient Synthesis of α-Amino Ketones

Abstract The reaction of α-lactams (1a–1d) with tert-butyllithium at room temperature to yield α-hydroxy imines (5ax–5dx) was reported by us as the first example of a reaction between an α-lactam and an organolithium reagent.1 Subsequent investigation revealed that α-amino ketones (4ax–4dx) could be isolated from the reaction mixtures at lower temperatures under very carefully controlled conditions that prevent the rearrangement of 2 and 3.2 In fact, a variety of α-amino ketones were synthesized in this fashion,3 a result that was confirmed later by Baumgarten and co-workers.4 As part of a broader study of the reactions of a-lactams with organometallic reagents, we investigated the reactions of α-lactams with the lithium salt of 2,4,4,6-tetramethyl-5,6-dihydro-4H1,3-oxazine (6), a reagent that has been extensively used by Meyers5 for the synthesis of aldehydes. Although these reactions did not lead to aldehydes under the conditions described by Meyers, we did find them to be convenient routes to α-amino k...
Enhanced Multiphoton-Induced Luminescence in Silver Nanoparticles Fabricated with Nanosphere Lithography

We study multiphoton-absorption-induced luminescence (MAIL) in triangular silver nanoprisms fabricated with nanosphere lithography. We observe strong MAIL when the exciting infrared fs laser pulses overlap the main surface plasmon resonance of the particles, with significantly less signal from off-resonance structures present on the same substrate. The MAIL signal partially bleaches during imaging, but at higher illumination intensities, certain particles undergo a sudden multiplefold increase in MAIL brightness, which we show is associated with the deformation or melting of the particles into spheroids. The brightening may be due to the reduction of surface silver oxide into strongly luminescent silver nanoclusters or to the formation or activation of emission centers on the particle surface triggered by the melting of the particle. Regardless of the exact nature of the emission, silver oxide plays an important role in the process, evidenced by a twofold or threefold increase in MAIL luminosity from the triangular particles when their surface oxide is chemically reduced during imaging.
Universal Coverage For Children: Alternatives, Key Issues, And Political Opportunities

This paper describes four alternatives for expanding childhood insurance coverage, discusses key health policy issues, and assesses the political possibilities for enacting universal coverage. Alte...
Minority Recruitment and Retention

I am writing in response to the research report titled “Recruitment and Retention of Students From Minority Groups” by Haskins and Kirk-Sanchez (January 2006). The article hints at institutional discrimination or prejudice, but I believe that this article is an attempt to pass off rhetoric as fact. According to the article, the minority population of the United States has increased from 24.4% to 30.9% from 1990 to 2000. The authors then state, “Despite this increased diversity in the US population, members of minority groups remain underrepresented in the profession of physical therapy.” The next fact stated is that “only 12.6% of physical therapists are members of minority groups.” My first question is, how does one achieve “membership” in these groups? As an Irish-German descendant, I do not have “membership” in any group, nor do I actively seek preferential treatment of others who would qualify to be in my group. I self-identify as an American male. To identify race or ethnic origin is problematic, as this article inadvertently illustrates. Why not strive for admission questionnaires that are blind to race? I am in full agreement that a person should be judged on the content of his or her character and not on the color of his or her skin, as Martin Luther King, Jr, proclaimed. Why then, do we need to know the applicant’s race or the color of the applicant’s skin before we even meet the person? The people calling for affirmative action and quotas are not seeking justice, but power. They want the power to tell employers and universities who they must accept. Forget about competence, test scores, and qualifications. The authors refer to a report published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which draws the conclusion: “Racial concordance of patient and provider is associated with greater patient participation …
A GLRT and bootstrap approach to detection in magnetic resonance force microscopy

Magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) is a technology that will potentially enable microscopy of molecules and proteins at atomic-scale detail. Physicists are pursuing MRFM and single electron spin microscopy (SESM). Many technological challenges exist for MRFM and SESM to deliver on the promise of "visualizing" a single electron spin. The forces of interest are in the subattoneNewton and attoneNewton range (10/sup -18/ N). In this paper we consider the problem in MRFM and SESM of detecting extremely weak signals buried in noise with SNR in the range of -15 dB to -40 dB. We describe a model that, although simplistic, captures the features of the problem. We present a GLRT and bootstrap approach that incorporates a bank of Viterbi algorithms, and show by simulations that, with physically realistic parameter values, the detector can achieve probability of detection /spl beta/ = 0.9 with false alarm rate /spl alpha/ = 0.05, at SNR= -20 dB.
A Program for Reliability Evaluation of Undirected Networks via Polygon-to-Chain Reductions

This paper discusses the design and implementation of PolyChain, a FORTRAN program for reliability evaluation of undirected networks of a special structure via polygon-to-chain reductions. Theoretical results presented by Satyanarayana & Wood are reviewed. The program's design and its implementation in FORTRAN are described. A small problem is tested illustrating the code's output. Several large problems are run to evaluate the code's performance capabilities.
Significance of char active surface area for appraising the reactivity of low- and high-temperature chars☆

Abstract Contemporary char reactivity studies have focussed primarily on coal chars prepared under severe (high-temperature) conditions. In this study, the reactivity of chars prepared under mild (low-temperature) conditions has been addressed. A thermogravimetric analysis system (TGA) was used to determine the reactivity of chars in oxidizing atmosphere using isothermal or non-isothermal techniques. Coal chars were prepared in a TGA or in a slow heating rate organic devolatilization reactor (SHRODR) at a temperature range between 500 ° and 950 °C. The chars prepared by mild pyrolysis of coal at 500 °C are shown to be highly reactive. Comparison of reactivities of low- and high-temperature chars shows that the low-temperature chars exhibit higher reactivity than either the parent coals or the high-temperature chars. Correlation between isothermal reactivity results (e.g. time) and non-isothermal reactivity data (e.g. temperature) has been obtained. Hydrogen contents of chars correlate well with the reactivity of the chars. The study confirms the importance of oxygen chemisorption capacity as a significant reactivity parameter for both low- and high-temperature chars. A new approach has been used for calculating the oxygen chemisorption capacity of chars by accounting for the carbon surface sites occupied by hydrogen (and, therefore, these sites were unavailable for oxygen chemisorption). The occupied sites are readily freed during reactivity measurements and thus were available for participation in carbon-oxygen reactions.
Antiretroviral Therapy at the End of Life The Experience of an Academic HIV Clinic

Introduction:There are no guidelines regarding the discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy at the end of life.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed our databases and identified patients with HIV/AIDS who died over the last 12 months in our HIV clinic.Results:A total of 41 patients from our HIV clinic died in a period of 12 months. Seventy-three percent of the patients were on antiretroviral therapy during the last clinic visit. During the last 3 months of life, 32% (13 of 41) were off antiretroviral therapy, with 77% (10 of 13) of them having intermittent therapy due to noncompliance. The remaining 23% (3 of 13) decided to stop antiretroviral therapy after discussion among families, patients, and providers.Conclusion:Discussions among providers, patients, and families are encouraged to establish goals of care and role of antiretrovirals during the last months of life.
temporaljmlc: A JML Runtime Assertion Checker Extension for Specification and Checking of Temporal Properties

Most mainstream specification languages primarily deal with a program’s functional behavior. However, for many common problems, besides the system’s functionality, it is necessary to be able to express its temporal properties, such as the necessity of calling methods in a certain order. We have developed temporaljmlc, a tool that performs runtime assertion checking of temporal properties specified in an extension of the Java Modeling Language (JML). The benefit of temporaljmlc is that it allows succinct specification of temporal properties that would otherwise be tedious and difficult to specify.
Calcitonin: its nature and role in man.

In the short span of 7 years since the first evidence for the existence of the hypocalcemic, hypophosphatemic principle, calcitonin, was advanced by Copp, et al., the study of this hormone has revealed many aspects of its chemical properties, biological action, and phylogenetic significance. Recently, the study of this hormone culminated in the structure determination and synthesis of the poncine and human hormones. During this period, the subject has been reviewed by several authors and it has been discussed at three international meetings. The purpose of this communication is to deal with the recent information that accrued since publication of those reviews. This newer information will be discussed with particular reference to the role of the hormone in children and adults. Consideration will be given to the distribution in nature, structure, and physicochemical and biological properties of the hormone; its measurement, regulation of secretion, and laboratory synthesis; and, finally, its role in health and disease in humans. DISTRIBUTION IN NATURE Calcitonin on calcitonin-like activity has been demonstrated in tissues derived from embryological precursors of the thyroid and other pharyngeal glands of every mammalian species tested to date. A partial list includes the guinea-pig, rabbit, sheep, goat, pig, cattle, monkey, and man. In vertebrates other than mammals, calcitonin activity is widely distributed, although its role and action in these forms await further study. Tissue of Origin Copp9s original experiments in the dog did not differentiate between the thyroid and parathyroid glands as the source of calcitonin. However, the thyroid origin of the hormone in some mammals was later suggested by perfusion studies in the goat and pig and finally proved by a demonstration of calcitonin activity in thyroid homogenates.
Defect-Tolerant Logic Mapping on Nanoscale Crossbar Architectures and Yield Analysis

Crossbar architectures are promising in the emerging nanoelectronic environment. However, fabrication processes for nano-scale circuits introduce numerous defects. Logic mapping on these defective nanofabrics thus emerges as a fundamental challenge. We establish a mathematical model for the logic mapping problem, followed by a probabilistic analysis to gain yield information. Since the most challenging part of the problem is the exponential runtime in searching for a solution, we examine the practical perspective of yield where a runtime limit is imposed. Yield improvement can be achieved through one of two ways: adding hardware redundancy by increasing crossbar size or allowing longer runtime. It turns out that correlations in the mapping solution space play an essential role on the complexity of the problem. Therefore, developing effective mechanisms to improve yield requires insights and analysis on correlations in the solution space. The analysis provided in this paper reveals the following points. Even though yield can always be improved through increasing crossbar size, the improvement gained by increasing crossbar size has a theoretical upperbound when a runtime limit is imposed. Consequently, there exists an optimal size for a crossbar to improve yield effectively within a runtime limit. Last but not least, for large-sized logic functions, longer runtime can be invested to improve yield significantly.
Burn scar analysis using remotely sensed multispectral imagery

This paper describes a simple image processing algorithm that estimates the area of burn scars using multispectral imagery acquired by space based remote sensing platforms. The algorithm is used to track the regeneration of biomass destroyed by the 2011, Central Florida, Iron Horse brush fire. Our results indicate approximately 6.98e7 m2 (17,257 acres) were destroyed by the fire and nearly 100% of the burned biomass regenerated in less than 1 year.
Topical Gene Electrotransfer to the Epidermis of Hairless Guinea Pig by Non-invasive Multielectrode Array

Topical gene delivery to the epidermis has the potential to be an effective therapy for skin disorders, cutaneous cancers, vaccinations and systemic metabolic diseases. Previously, we reported on a non-invasive multielectrode array (MEA) that efficiently delivered plasmid DNA and enhanced expression to the skin of several animal models by in vivo gene electrotransfer. Here, we characterized plasmid DNA delivery with the MEA in a hairless guinea pig model, which has a similar histology and structure to human skin. Significant elevation of gene expression up to 4 logs was achieved with intradermal DNA administration followed by topical non-invasive skin gene electrotransfer. This delivery produced gene expression in the skin of hairless guinea pig up to 12 to 15 days. Gene expression was observed exclusively in the epidermis. Skin gene electrotransfer with the MEA resulted in only minimal and mild skin changes. A low level of human Factor IX was detected in the plasma of hairless guinea pig after gene electrotransfer with the MEA, although a significant increase of Factor IX was obtained in the skin of animals. These results suggest gene electrotransfer with the MEA can be a safe, efficient, non-invasive skin delivery method for skin disorders, vaccinations and potential systemic diseases where low levels of gene products are sufficient.
Adaptive Transthoracic Refocusing of Dual-Mode Ultrasound Arrays

We present experimental validation results of an adaptive, image-based refocusing algorithm of dual-mode ultrasound arrays (DMUAs) in the presence of strongly scattering objects. This study is motivated by the need to develop noninvasive techniques for therapeutic targeting of tumors seated in organs where the therapeutic beam is partially obstructed by the ribcage, e.g., liver and kidney. We have developed an algorithm that takes advantage of the imaging capabilities of DMUAs to identify the ribs and the intercostals within the path of the therapeutic beam to produce a specified power deposition at the target while minimizing the exposure at the rib locations. This image-based refocusing algorithm takes advantage of the inherent registration between the imaging and therapeutic coordinate systems of DMUAs in the estimation of array directivity vectors at the target and rib locations. These directivity vectors are then used in solving a constrained optimization problem allowing for adaptive refocusing, directing the acoustical energy through the intercostals, and avoiding the rib locations. The experimental validation study utilized a 1-MHz, 64-element DMUA in focusing through a block of tissue-mimicking phantom [0.5 dB/(cm?MHz)] with embedded Plexiglas ribs. Single transmit focus (STF) images obtained with the DMUA were used for image-guided selection of the critical and target points to be used for adaptive refocusing. Experimental results show that the echogenicity of the ribs in STF images provide feedback on the reduction of power deposition at rib locations. This was confirmed by direct comparison of measured temperature rise and integrated backscatter at the rib locations. Direct temperature measurements also confirm the improved power deposition at the target and the reduction in power deposition at the rib locations. Finally, we have compared the quality of the image-based adaptive refocusing algorithm with a phase-conjugation solution obtained by direct measurement of the complex pressures at the target location. It is shown that our adaptive refocusing algorithm achieves similar improvements in power deposition at the target while achieving larger reduction of power deposition at the rib locations.
Room temperature seed mediated growth of gold nanoparticles: mechanistic investigations and life cycle assesment

In this study, we report the first room temperature seed-mediated synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the presence of citrate and a gold salt. In contrast to citrate-reduction in boiling water, these mild reaction conditions provide expanded capacity to probe the mechanism of seed-mediated growth following gold salt addition. Moreover, comparative life cycle assessment indicates significant reductions in the environmental impacts for the room temperature synthesis. For this study, highly uniform gold seeds with Z-average diameter of 17.7 ± 0.8 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.03 ± 0.01 were prepared by a pH controlled protocol. We investigated the AuNP growth mechanism via time resolved UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. This study indicates that citrate and its oxidation byproduct acetone dicarboxylate serve to bridge and gather Au(III) ions around gold nanoparticle seeds in the initial growth step.
Inhibition of Dexamethasone Suppression of ACTH Secretion in vivo By Actinomycin D

SummaryActinomycin D inhibited the capacity of dexamethasone to suppress pituitary ACTH secretion in vivo in normal and adrenalectomized rats. While a definitive explanation for such results awaits further elucidation, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that dexamethasone inhibits ACTH secretion by a mechanism that involves RNA synthesis.
Immediate complications related to anesthesia in patients undergoing uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for obstructive sleep apnea

Objectives/Hypothesis To analyze and assess the perioperative risks and complications in patients receiving general anesthesia undergoing surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Study Design Retrospective chart review of patients with documented OSA who underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) with or without septoplasty for OSA between January 2009 and January 2010 at a specific institution. Anesthesia, operative, clinical, and postoperative/recovery nursing records were collected and reviewed for predetermined complications and risk factors. Methods Chart review was performed via electronic medical records, reviewing the perioperative course of 32 patients undergoing UPPP as identified by Current Procedural Terminology coding. Perioperative, clinical, and anesthetic records were reviewed for any complications and risks, defined as any adverse event delaying surgical progress or recovery along with any additional risk to patient safety. Criteria included interventions beyond those involved in undergoing routine general anesthesia. This included difficult intubation, reintubation, postoperative pulmonary edema, postoperative desaturations, and/or need for continuous positive airway pressure. The data obtained were stratified into results for intubation and special equipment needed along with airway visibility and intubation technique, reintubation, induction and supplemental drugs, neuromuscular blockade, neuromuscular blockade reversal, pain medications, body mass index, and overall anesthesia risk. Results Thirty-two patients were reviewed with no severe adverse events such as reintubation, prolonged intubation, or postoperative pulmonary edema. Patients who were difficult to intubate or required nasal/oral airways failed to show any adverse outcomes. Conclusions Patients undergoing surgery for OSA are considered to be at increased risk of complications. Review of 32 patients failed to show any life-threatening risks or complications. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 123:2892–2895, 2013
The VEP thresholds for full-field stimuli in dark-adapted infants

Dark-adapted adults' electroretinographic b-wave thresholds are approximately 2 log units below a-wave thresholds and approximately 3 log units above the perceptual threshold, and their perceptual and the visually evoked cortical potential (VEP) thresholds are similar. Dark-adapted infants' scotopic a- and b-wave thresholds for full-field stimuli are both about 0.5 log units above those of adults, but their scotopic VEP thresholds for such stimuli have not been studied. We obtained scotopic VEP thresholds for brief, full-field stimuli from dark-adapted, infants and adults to consider the relationships of the cortical responses to the responses of more distal structures, namely the rod photoreceptors (scotopic a-wave) and ON-bipolars (scotopic b-wave). The median VEP threshold of infants is 0.5 log unit above that of adults. Thus, the relationships of a- and b-wave and VEP thresholds in infants are similar to those in adults. These results are consistent with rod cell immaturities being the primary determinant of the difference between infants' and adults' thresholds.
Results of ocular dominance testing depend on assessment method.

Purpose We developed a near ocular dominance test modeled after the distance hole-in-the-card test and assessed both test-retest reliability of four tests of ocular dominance and agreement between tests. Methods Forty-six subjects aged 18 to 78 years with visual acuity 20/40 or better in each eye were enrolled from a primary care practice. All subjects had normal eye examinations, with the exception of refractive error, and were examined in their habitual correction. Subjects were tested twice each with the distance hole-in-the-card test, new near hole-in-the-card test, near convergence test, and the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group fixation preference test. Results There was excellent test-retest reliability for each ocular dominance test. Nevertheless, there was only moderate to slight agreement between each possible pairing of tests. Conclusions Results of ocular dominance tests vary depending on both the testing distance and the specific activity performed as part of the testing procedure.
Ground Water, Gravity and Rift Valleys in Malawi

A preliminary geohydrologic survey was carried out in the Lower Shire Vailey, Malawi, Africa in the summer of 1967. The valley is part of: he East African Rift System. In order to develop more adequate knowledge of subsurface conditions, a reconnaissance gravity survey was performed. The survey showed that potential aquifer material over much of the valley was too chin to support high yield irrigation wells. In addition, when combined with hydrochemical data the survey disclosed a high probability of water contamination by brines circulating upward along fault systems.
Fire and insects in northern and boreal forest ecosystems of North America.

▪ Abstract Fire and insects are natural disturbance agents in many forest ecosystems, often interacting to affect succession, nutrient cycling, and forest species composition. We review literature pertaining to effects of fire-insect interactions on ecological succession, use of prescribed fire for insect pest control, and effects of fire on insect diversity from northern and boreal forests in North America. Fire suppression policies implemented in the early 1900s have resulted in profound changes in forest species composition and structure. Associated with these changes was an increased vulnerability of forest stands to damage during outbreaks of defoliating insects. Information about the roles that both fire and insects play in many northern forests is needed to increase our understanding of the ecology of these systems and to develop sound management policies.
National Organizations and Famine Early Warning The Case of Mali1

In the Sahelian countries of West Africa, the problems of drought and famine are sufficiently long term to justify the existence of permanent food security agencies. Yet donors are reluctant to fund these agencies when there is not a crisis, forcing poor countries to use their own resources for food security and famine early warning efforts. To make more effective use of limited resources and since the data needs for effective famine early warning are similar to those for basic rural development, information systems to provide data simultaneously for development projects and famine early warning should be developed and supported. In Mali, one of the larger and poorer countries of the West African Sahel, basic information systems which gather a range of appropriate data already exist, but there need to be improvements in the quality of design and the timeliness of analysis to make the information more useful for either development or famine early warning.
Testing for Induction of Clindamycin Resistance in Erythromycin-Resistant Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus

Disk diffusion and broth microdilution (BMD) were used to perform clindamycin (CLI) induction testing on 128 selected nonduplicate isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Disk diffusion testing involved placing CLI and erythromycin (ERY) disks approximately 12 mm apart (measured edge to edge) on a Mueller-Hinton agar plate that had been inoculated with an S. aureus isolate; the plate was then incubated for 16 to 18 h. Two distinct induction phenotypes (labeled D and D+) and four noninduction phenotypes (designated as negative [Neg], hazy D zone [HD], resistant [R], and susceptible [S]) were observed in disk diffusion results. A clear, D-shaped zone of inhibition around the CLI disk was designated as the D phenotype and was observed for 21 isolates while a D-shaped zone containing inner colonies growing up to the CLI disk was designated as D+ (17 isolates). In addition, 10 isolates were CLI susceptible and ERY resistant but were not inducible and showed no blunting of the CLI zone (Neg phenotype). Isolates that were CLI and ERY resistant (constitutive macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance) demonstrated either a double zone of inhibition with an inner ring of reduced growth up to the edge of the disks (HD phenotype; 33 isolates) or solid growth around the CLI and ERY disks (R phenotype; 16 isolates). Finally, 31 isolates were susceptible by disk testing to both CLI and ERY (S phenotype). PCR results showed that isolates with a D phenotype harbored ermA, isolates with a D+ phenotype contained either ermC (16 isolates) or ermA and ermC (one isolate), and all 10 isolates with a Neg phenotype contained msrA. All isolates with an HD or R phenotype harbored at least one erm gene. Isolates showing the D+ phenotype by disk diffusion were also detected by BMD using a variety of CLI and ERY concentrations; however, isolates with the D phenotype were more difficult to detect by BMD and will likely require optimization of ERY and CLI concentrations in multilaboratory studies to ensure adequate sensitivity. Thus, at present, disk diffusion is the preferred method for testing S. aureus isolates for inducible CLI resistance.
Carotid artery pseudoaneurysm: A rare complication following tonsillectomy

Tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in children. The most frequent complications are dehydration and bleeding. We present the case of a 6 year old child who developed an internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm following elective tonsillectomy, necessitating urgent coil embolization and stenting. This is the first reported case in the pediatric population of a vascular injury that manifested in a delayed fashion (6 months) after routine tonsillectomy, and is also one of the youngest reported cases. It is imperative for the otolaryngologist to be aware of this rare complication.
Collaborative writing and telecommunications-communication technology for the twenty-first century

The author describes how she-as part of a design team-designed, implemented, and evaluated courseware for collaborative writing. She first gives an overview of the course, the courseware, and the use of telecommunications. Then she discusses how the project was implemented and the effects of the courseware and telecommunications on students' collaborative processes, the quality of their final documents, and their attitudes toward collaboration and computer technology. >
Determination of diffusion and partition coefficients of propofol in rat brain tissue: implications for studies of drug action in vitro

Background. Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is a widely used general anaesthetic that modulates γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter receptor in the brain. Previous studies have found that the concentration of propofol that is required to affect synaptic inhibition in brain slices is much higher than the free concentration that is achieved clinically and that modulates isolated receptors. We tested whether this is accounted for by slow equilibration in brain tissue, and determined the concentration that must be applied to achieve appropriate brain levels. Methods. Rat brain slices 300-μm thick were placed in a solution of 100 μM propofol in artificial cerebrospinal fluid for times ranging from 7.5 to 480 min. Concentrations in these slices were measured by HPLC to determine diffusion and partition coefficients. Electrophysiological measurements of the rate at which effects of 5 μM propofol developed were compared with the calculated rate of increase in tissue concentration. Results. The diffusion coefficient was approximately 0.02×10−6 cm2 s−1, and the brain:artificial cerebrospinal fluid partition coefficient was 36. Diffusion times in brain slices agreed well with time course measurements of propofol-induced depression of synaptic responses, which continued to increase over 5 h. This depression was reversed by blocking GABA inhibition with picrotoxin (100 μM). Conclusions. Propofol does enhance inhibition in brain slices at a concentration of 0.63 μM in the superfusate, which produces brain concentrations corresponding with those achieved in vivo, but equilibration requires several hours. It is likely that slow diffusion to GABA receptors accounts for the high concentrations (>10 μM) that were needed to depress evoked responses in previous investigations.
The Non-Amyloid-β Component of Alzheimer’s Disease Plaque Amyloid: Comparative Analysis Suggests a Normal Function as a Synaptic Plasticizer

A second intrinsic peptide component of Alzheimer’s Disease amyloid has recently been identified and called the “Non-Amyloid-β Component” (NAC)1. The peptide’s precursor (NACP) is the homologue of a brain-specific presynaptic protein of unknown function, identified independently in at least four other laboratories. The first report of this protein was in 1988 by Maroteaux et al.2, who identified it as a component enriched in a biochemical preparation of synaptic vesicles from the electric organ of Torpedo. Later, they cloned related sequences from the rat, and showed them to be enriched in telencephalic regions of the rat brain3. They originally termed this protein “synuclein,” although early evidence for nuclear localization2 has yet to be corroborated. Nakajo and colleagues identified a closely-related protein, first in bovine brain4 and then from rats5. They showed this protein to be phosphorylated on serine residues, and have suggested it is also phosphorylated on tyrosine6; they named the protein Phosphoneuroprotein-14-kDa (PNP-14). More recently, Jakes et al.7, using an antibody originally raised against paired helical filaments, detected two forms of the same human protein, one more closely related to PNP-14 and the other more related to the original synuclein. Consistent among all these reports has been the observation that the protein(s) is especially abundant in the telencephalon (especially the hippocampus) where it is distinctly enriched in presynaptic elements2, 7–10.
Between the Cracks : Balkan Cigarette Smuggling

(2004). Between the Cracks : Balkan Cigarette Smuggling. Problems of Post-Communism: Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 35-44.
Vestibular Dysfunction after Subconcussive Head Impact

Abstract Current thinking views mild head impact (i.e., subconcussion) as an underrecognized phenomenon that has the ability to cause significant current and future detrimental neurological effects. Repeated mild impacts to the head, however, often display no observable behavioral deficits based on standard clinical tests, which may lack sensitivity. The current study investigates the effects of subconcussive impacts from soccer heading with innovative measures of vestibular function and walking stability in a pre- 0–2 h, post- 24 h post-heading repeated measures design. The heading group (n = 10) executed 10 headers with soccer balls projected at a velocity of 25 mph (11.2 m/sec) over 10 min. Subjects were evaluated 24 h before, immediately after, and 24 h after soccer heading with: the modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS); a walking stability task with visual feedback of trunk movement; and galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) while standing with eyes closed on foam. A control group (n = 10) f...