cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New codons for efficient production of unnatural proteins in a semisynthetic organism

Natural organisms use a four-letter genetic alphabet that makes available 64 triplet codons, of which 61 are sense codons used to encode proteins with the 20 canonical amino acids. We have shown that the unnatural nucleotides dNaM and dTPT3 can pair to form an unnatural base pair (UBP) and allow for the creation of semisynthetic organisms (SSOs) with additional sense codons. Here, we report a systematic analysis of the unnatural codons. We identify nine unnatural codons that can produce unnatural protein with nearly complete incorporation of an encoded noncanonical amino acid (ncAA). We also show that at least three of the codons are orthogonal and can be simultaneously decoded in the SSO, affording the first 67-codon organism. The ability to incorporate multiple, different ncAAs site specifically into a protein should now allow the development of proteins with novel activities, and possibly even SSOs with new forms and functions. Systematic characterization of codons using the unnatural base pair dNaM·dTPT3 leads to the discovery of nine new functional codon–anticodon pairs, three of which are shown to be orthogonally decoded by ribosomes and allow incorporation of up to three noncanonical amino acids in Escherichia coli.
Familiares de colaboradores y perpetradores en el cine documental chileno: memoria y sujeto implicado

Hasta la fecha, los debates sobre la posmemoria o la memoria intergeneracional dentro de los estudios de memoria latinoamericanos han enfocado casi exclusivamente las memorias de hijos de victimas de la violencia estatal. Sin embargo, desde mediados de 2017, en un contexto global en que la derecha politica ha ganado fuerza en muchas partes de las Americas y del mundo, estan emergiendo nuevas voces que estan revelando otras visiones (complejas) de las dictaduras civico-militares del Cono Sur: en particular, las voces de familiares de colaboradores y perpetradores de graves violaciones a los derechos humanos y crimenes de lesa humanidad. Este articulo estudia dos intervenciones cinematograficas chilenas recientes de la autoria de personas cuyos parientes —un padre y una tia, respectivamente— participaron de los organismos represores del estado chileno durante el periodo 1973 a 1990. En estos documentales —El color del camaleon (2017), de Andres Lubbert, y El pacto de Adriana (2017), de Lissette Orozco— los descendientes de colaboradores civiles confrontan los pasados oscuros de las figuras que los engendraron y/o los criaron. Se trata de jovenes que se ven atrapados entre la lealtad a la familia y la responsabilidad publica de contar la verdad. Si bien ambas peliculas ofrecen una vision de como los colaboradores y los perpetradores se construyen discursivamente, ambos documentales tambien reflexionan sobre los dilemas politicos, eticos y humanos que experimentan los herederos de figuras represoras. Empleando el concepto de “sujeto implicado”, acunado por Michael Rothberg, el articulo pone en relieve la diversidad de respuestas posibles que este puede adoptar frente al secreto familiar.
Projecting effects of land use change on human well-being through changes in ecosystem services.

Abstract Changing patterns of land use, temperature, and precipitation are expected to impact ecosystem services, including water quality and quantity, buffering of extreme events, soil quality, and biodiversity. Scenario analyses that link such impacts on ecosystem services to human well-being may be valuable in anticipating potential consequences of change that are meaningful to people living in a community. Ecosystem services provide numerous benefits to community well-being, including living standards, health, cultural fulfillment, education, and connection to nature. Yet assessments of impacts of ecosystem services on human well-being have largely focused on human health or monetary benefits (e.g. market values). This study applies a human well-being modeling framework to demonstrate the potential impacts of alternative land use scenarios on multi-faceted components of human well-being through changes in ecosystem services (i.e., ecological benefits functions). The modeling framework quantitatively defines these relationships in a way that can be used to project the influence of ecosystem service flows on indicators of human well-being, alongside social service flows and economic service flows. Land use changes are linked to changing indicators of ecosystem services through the application of ecological production functions. The approach is demonstrated for two future land use scenarios in a Florida watershed, representing different degrees of population growth and environmental resource protection. Increasing rates of land development were almost universally associated with declines in ecosystem services indicators and associated indicators of well-being, as natural ecosystems were replaced by impervious surfaces that depleted the ability of ecosystems to buffer air pollutants, provide habitat for biodiversity, and retain rainwater. Scenarios with increases in indicators of ecosystem services, however, did not necessarily translate into increases in indicators of well-being, due to covarying changes in social and economic services indicators. The approach is broadly transferable to other communities or decision scenarios and serves to illustrate the potential impacts of changing land use on ecosystem services and human well-being.
Effect of COVID-19 on Kidney Disease Incidence and Management

The COVID-19 outbreak has had substantial effects on the incidence and management of kidney diseases, including acute kidney injury (AKI), End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD), glomerulonephritis, and kidney transplantation. Initial reports from China suggested a lower AKI incidence in patients with COVID-19, but more recent studies from North America reveal a much higher incidence, likely due to higher prevalence of comorbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). AKI in this setting is associated with worse outcomes, including requirement for vasopressors or mechanical ventilation and death. Performing renal replacement therapy in those with AKI poses challenges such as limiting exposure of staff, preserving PPE, coagulopathy, and hypoxemia due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy is the preferred modality, with sustained low-efficiency dialysis also an option, both managed without 1:1 hemodialysis nursing support. Regional citrate is the preferred anticoagulation, but systemic unfractionated heparin may be used in cases of coagulopathy. Ultrafiltration rate has to be set carefully, taking into consideration hypotension, hypoxemia, and responsiveness to presser and ventilatory support. Chance of transmission puts in-center chronic hemodialysis and other immunosuppressed patients at particularly increased risk. Limited data show that patients with CKD are also at increased risk for more severe disease if infected. Little is known about the virus9s effects on immunocompromised patients with glomerular diseases and kidney transplants, which introduces challenges for management of immunosuppressant regimens. While there are no standardized guidelines regarding the management of immunosuppression, several groups recommend stopping the anti-metabolite in hospitalized transplant patients and continuing a reduced dose of calcineurin inhibitors. This comprehensive review critically appraises the best available evidence regarding the effect of COVID-19 on the incidence and management of kidney diseases. Where evidence is lacking, current expert opinion and clinical guidelines are reviewed and knowledge gaps worth investigation are identified.
Electrospun Thermosetting Carbon Nanotube–Epoxy Nanofibers

This paper represents the process of fabrication and characterization of submicron carbon nanotube (CNT)–epoxy nanocomposite filaments through an electrospinning process. Electrospinning is one of ...
Differences in the Selection of Health State Utility Values by Sponsorship in Published Cost-Effectiveness Analyses:

BackgroundHealth state utility values (HSUVs) are among the most influential attributes of cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs). Our objective was to evaluate whether industry-funded studies select s...
Using a Meta-cognitive Wisconsin Card Sorting Test to measure introspective accuracy and biases in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Abstract People with schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) have challenges in self-evaluation of their cognitive and functional performance (introspective accuracy). They also manifest response biases, with tendencies toward overestimation. This study aimed to examine objective test performance, momentary judgments of performance, momentary confidence, and subsequent global judgments of performance on a metacognitive version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). This sample included 99 participants with SCZ and 67 with BD. After each of the 64 WCST trials, participants reported whether they believed their sort was correct and how confident they were in that judgment, they then received performance feedback. After completion of the entire task, participants generated a global performance judgment. On average, the SCZ group got 31 sorts correct, reporting being correct on 49 whereas the BD group got 37 trials correct but reported being correct on 53. For participants with BD, sorting performance correlated with trial x trial accuracy judgments, confidence, and predicted global judgments. For SCZ participants, performance minimally correlated with trial x trial accuracy judgments, confidence, and global judgments, while trial x trial confidence was strongly associated with trial x trial accuracy judgments (r = 0.58). Our findings suggest that confidence in participants with BD is correlated with task performance, whereas in SCZ confidence was entirely associated with self-generated performance judgments. SCZ participants manifested challenges with utilization of feedback. Global judgments of performance were predicted by task performance and confidence for BD participants, with performance and confidence judgments occurring prior to generation of the global performance judgments.
Effects of Aerobic Exercise on the Cerebral White Matter in Parkinson’s Disease Determined by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (P6.029)

Objective: To determine effects of aerobic exercise on white matter integrity in PD. Background: DTI in PD shows progressive reduction in fractional anisotropy (FA) and increase in diffusivity, suggesting white matter deterioration over time. Aerobic exercise has been shown to restore tissue integrity in animal models of PD. Design/Methods: Non-demented patients with PD who can walk without assistance participated in a 6-month Phase I/II study of an aerobic walking intervention (45 min/session, three times/week). They underwent MRI to obtain DTI before and after intervention. Results: Forty-nine participants (81%) completed the study, exercising at a mean heart rate reserve of 46.8%, and showed improvements (p Conclusions: Results suggest that structural integrity of the cerebral white matter in PD is associated with aerobic fitness and improves following aerobic exercise intervention. Aerobic exercise appears to exert restorative effects mainly on the myelin sheath. A randomized, controlled study would help provide confirmation and further details on aerobic exercise mechanisms and efficacy in PD. Study Supported by: Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation R&D Branch Merit Review Award B6261R (EYU), and by National Center for Research Resources/NIH grant UL1RR024979 (University of Iowa) Disclosure: Dr. Uc has nothing to disclose. Dr. Magnotta has nothing to disclose. Dr. Darling has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bruss has nothing to disclose. Dr. Doerschug has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thomsen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kline has nothing to disclose. Dr. Anderson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rizzo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Voss has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dawson has nothing to disclose.
Influence of Heart Rate Variability on Abstinence-Related Changes in Brain State in Everyday Drinkers.

Alcohol consumption is now common practice worldwide, and functional brain networks are beginning to reveal the complex interactions observed with alcohol consumption and abstinence. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has a well-documented relationship with alcohol use, and a growing body of research is finding links between the ANS and functional brain networks. This study recruited everyday drinkers in an effort to uncover the relationship between alcohol abstinence, ANS function, and whole brain functional brain networks. Participants (n = 29), 24–60 years-of-age, consumed moderate levels of alcohol regularly (males 2.4 (±0.26) drinks/day, females 2.3 (±0.96) drinks/day). ANS function, specifically cardiac vagal tone, was assessed using the Porges-Bohrer method for calculating respiratory sinus arrhythmia (PBRSA). Functional brain networks were generated from resting-state MRI scans obtained following 3-day periods of typical consumption and abstinence. A multi-task mixed-effects regression model determined the influences of HRV and drinking state on functional network connectivity. Results showed differences in the relationship between the strength of network connections and clustering coefficients across drinking states, moderated by PBRSA. Increases in connection strength between highly clustered nodes during abstinence as PBRSA increases demonstrates a greater possible range of topological configurations at high PBRSA values. This novel finding begins to shed light on the complex interactions between typical alcohol abstinence and physiological responses of the central and autonomic nervous system.
Comparison of Single-Trait and Multi-Trait Genome-Wide Association Models and Inclusion of Correlated Traits in the Dissection of the Genetic Architecture of a Complex Trait in a Breeding Program

Traits with an unknown genetic architecture make it difficult to create a useful bi-parental mapping population to characterize the genetic basis of the trait due to a combination of complex and pleiotropic effects. Seedling emergence of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from deep planting is a vital factor affecting stand establishment and grain yield, has a poorly understood genetic architecture, and is historically correlated with coleoptile length. This study aimed to dissect the genetic architecture of seedling emergence while accounting for correlated traits using one multi-trait GWAS model (MT-GWAS) and three single-trait GWAS models (ST-GWAS). The ST-GWAS models included one single-locus model (MLM), and two multi-locus models (FarmCPU and BLINK). We conducted the GWAS using two populations, the first consisting of 473 varieties from a diverse association mapping panel phenotyped from 2015-2019, and the other population used as a validation population consisting of 279 breeding lines phenotyped in 2015 in Lind, WA, with 40,368 markers. We also compared the inclusion of coleoptile length and markers associated with reduced height as covariates in our ST-GWAS models. ST-GWAS found 107 significant markers across 19 chromosomes, while MT-GWAS found 82 significant markers across 14 chromosomes. FarmCPU and BLINK models were able to identify many small effect markers, and the inclusion of covariates helped to identify large effect markers on chromosome 5A. By using multi-locus models combined with pleiotropic covariates, breeding programs can uncover the complex nature of traits to help identify candidate genes and the underlying architecture of a trait, such as seedling emergence.
A Lipidomics Atlas of Selected Sphingolipids in Multiple Mouse Nervous System Regions

Many lipids, including sphingolipids, are essential components of the nervous system. Sphingolipids play critical roles in maintaining the membrane structure and integrity and in cell signaling. We used a multi-dimensional mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomics platform to selectively analyze the lipid species profiles of ceramide, sphingomyelin, cerebroside, and sulfatide; these four classes of sphingolipids are found in the central nervous system (CNS) (the cerebrum, brain stem, and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) (the sciatic nerve) tissues of young adult wild-type mice. Our results revealed that the lipid species profiles of the four sphingolipid classes in the different nervous tissues were highly distinct. In addition, the mRNA expression of sphingolipid metabolism genes—including the ceramidase synthases that specifically acylate the N-acyl chain of ceramide species and sphingomyelinases that cleave sphingomyelins generating ceramides—were analyzed in the mouse cerebrum and spinal cord tissue in order to better understand the sphingolipid profile differences observed between these nervous tissues. We found that the distinct profiles of the determined sphingolipids were consistent with the high selectivity of ceramide synthases and provided a potential mechanism to explain region-specific CNS ceramide and sphingomyelin levels. In conclusion, we portray for the first time a lipidomics atlas of select sphingolipids in multiple nervous system regions and believe that this type of knowledge could be very useful for better understanding the role of this lipid category in the nervous system.
Assaying ATE1 Activity in Yeast by β-Gal Degradation

In 1980s it was found that addition of N-terminal Arg to proteins induces their ubiquitination and degradation by the N-end rule pathway. While this mechanism applies only to the proteins which also have other features of the N-degron (including a closely adjacent Lys that is accessible for ubiquitination), several test substrates have been found to follow this mechanism very efficiently after ATE1-dependent arginylation. Such property enabled researchers to test ATE1 activity in cells indirectly by assaying for the degradation of such arginylation-dependent substrates. The most commonly used substrate for this assay is E. coli beta galactosidase (beta-Gal) because its activity can be easily measured using standardized colorimetric assays. Here we describe this method, which has served as a quick and easy way to characterize ATE1 activity during identification of arginyltransferases in different species.
Chemical studies of histone acetylation. Substrate specificity of a histone deacetylase from calf thymus nuclei.

The activity of a calf thymus histone deacetylase was tested on histone F2A1 and derivative peptides prepared by cyanogen bromide cleavage, chymotryptic digestion, and solid phase peptide synthesis. Enzyme assays were based on the release of radioactively labeled acetate from the substrates. The large fragment (residues 1 to 84) derived by CNBr treatment and the NH2-terminal sequence (residues 1 to 37) prepared by chymotryptic digestion were both active as substrates for the deacetylase. The enzyme failed to remove acetyl groups from a smaller synthetic peptide (residues 15 to 21) encompassing the major site of acetylation at Lys16.
Home of Your Own Programs

ABSTRACT This description of Home of Your Own (HOYO) programs offers strategies for community collaboration that benefit people with disabilities. As more people with disabilities choose to live in the community rather than in institutions and as the population of the U.S. ages, community practitioners need to understand their needs as well as the resources available to assist them. HOYO programs involve home buyers, financial institutions, realtors and organizations such as Centers for Independent Living, in locating properties, training clients and publicizing the program. Practitioners and instructors can utilize HOYO programs to illustrate the positive results of cooperation between federal, state and local agencies.
Albert Kritzer: Pioneer of Open Access to International Private Law

This essay explores the enormous contributions that Professor Albert H. Kritzer has made to the field of international commercial law through the creation of a unique and powerful database that explicates the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (ClSG).
Capsaicin Pre-treatment Provides Neurovascular Protection Against Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury in Rats

Capsaicin, a transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) agonist, has recently been shown to provide neuroprotection against brain injury in experimental adult models of cerebral ischemia. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the way in which capsaicin-mediated TRPV1 modulation could attenuate damage in an experimental hypoxic-ischemic (HI) neonatal brain injury model. The Rice-Vannucci method was used in 10-day-old rat pups by performing unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by 2 h of hypoxia (8% O2 at 37°C). Capsaicin was administered intraperitoneally (0.2 mg/kg or 2.0 mg/kg) at 3 h pre-HI or 1 h post-HI. Post assessment included measurement of infarction volume at 24 and 72 h in addition to an assessment of the vascular dynamics of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) at 6 h post-HI. The results indicated that pre-treatment with capsaicin reduced infarction volume significantly with either low-dose or high-dose treatment. Pre-treatment also improved myogenic tone and decreased apoptotic changes in the distal MCA. We concluded that capsaicin pre-treatment may provide neurovascular protection against neonatal HI.
Speculative parallel threading architecture and compilation

Thread-level speculation is a technique that brings thread-level parallelism beyond the data-flow limit by executing a piece of code ahead of time speculatively before all its input data are ready. This technique appears particularly appealing for speeding up hard-to-parallelize applications. Although various thread-level speculation architectures and compilation techniques have been proposed by the research community, scalar applications remain difficult to be parallelized. It has not yet shown how well these applications can actually be benefited from thread-level speculation and if the performance gain is significant enough to justify the required hardware support. In an attempt to understand and realize the potential gain with thread-level speculation especially for scalar applications, we proposed an SPT (speculative parallel threading) architecture and developed an SPT compiler to generate optimal speculatively parallelized code. Our evaluation showed that with our SPT approach 10 SPECint2000 programs can achieve an average of 15.6% speedup on a two-core SPT processor by exploiting only loop parallelism. This paper describes the SPT architecture and the SPT compiler which performs aggressive cost-driven loop selection and transformation, and presents our performance evaluation results.
Thermal destruction of Listeria monocytogenes during liver sausage processing

Abstract We studied the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes during the thermal processing of liver sausage. Liver sausage emulsion was prepared and inoculated with L. monocytogenes Scott A to yield an initial population of c. 109 g-1. The inoculated emulsion was stuffed into large diameter, moisture-proof fibrous casings and cooked in a smokehouse. Individual sausages were removed as the product reached various predetermined internal temperatures, and duplicate core samples were analyzed for viable L. monocytogenes by surface plating onto tryptose agar. The viable count remained unchanged in product heated to 140°F. In product heated to 145°F, the number of viable L. monocytogenes decreased and at 155°F, no viable L. monocytogenes were detected. Thus, liver sausage and other large diameter non-fermented sausage product heated to 155°F should be free of viable L. monocytogenes.
Phosphatidylserine binding alters the conformation and specifically enhances the cofactor activity of bovine factor Va.

Factor Va is a cofactor for the serine protease factor Xa that activates prothrombin to thrombin in the presence of Ca2+ and a platelet membrane surface. A platelet membrane lipid, phosphatidylserine (PS), regulates the proteolytic activity of factor Xa as well as the structure of prothrombin. Here we ask whether PS also regulates the structure and cofactor activity of factor Va, which is a heterodimer composed of one heavy chain (A1-A2 domains) and one light chain (A3-C1-C2 domains). We use fluorescence, circular dichroism, equilibrium dialysis, and activity measurements to demonstrate the following: (1) Factor Va has four sites for dicaproyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine (C6PS, a soluble form of PS); the heavy and light chains each bind two C6PS molecules. (2) In the absence of Ca2+, only two sites remain, one in the heavy chain and another in the light chain. (3) Binding to these sites causes conformational changes evidenced by changes in intrinsic fluorescence and in CD spectra and changes in cofacto...
In vivo measurement of hemodialyzer fiber bundle volume: Theory and validation

In vivo measurement of hemodialyzer fiber bundle volume: Theory and validation. Background Fiber bundle volume (FBV), the space within the blood compartment of hollow fiber dialyzers, may decrease during treatment due to clotting. The clots may be flushed out of the dialyzer prior to measurements of FBV by dialyzer reprocessing equipment and a significant drop in FBV during the session may go unrecognized. Methods FBV was measured ( 1 ) from the transit time of a saline bolus passing through the dialyzer as recorded by ultrasound dilution sensors placed on the arterial and venous blood lines; ( 2 ) from the change in blood concentration induced by a step change in the rate of ultrafiltration as recorded by the venous sensor. Results. In vitro FBV ranged from 47 to 121ml. Paired absolute differences between the ultrasound and volumetric measurements (flushing saline out of the dialyzer into a graduated cylinder) were 0.16 ± 4.23% ( N = 42) and 2.10 ± 7.26% ( N = 13) for the bolus and ultrafiltration methods, respectively. In vivo reproducibility of the bolus and ultrafiltration methods were 2.65 ± 2.11% ( N = 122) and 3.79 ± 3.93% ( N = 32), respectively. During 31 treatments the FBV by dilution showed an average decrease of 4.17 ± 8.60%, and in 6 cases FBV fell more than 10%, while measurements of the same FBV by reuse equipment showed an increase of 0.99 ± 5.82%, P Conclusions FBV measured by the dilution methods was accurate and reproducible. Preliminary results suggest that in vivo FBV may differ significantly from results reported by reprocessing machines.
Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Field Influencing Horizontal Direct Chill Casting of Aluminum Alloy Rods

The horizontal direct chill (HDC) casting process is a well-established production route for an aluminum alloy ingot; however, the ingot may suffer from inhomogeneous microstructures and serious macrosegregation due to the unbalanced cooling condition and gravitational effect. In order to control the defect, a low frequency electromagnetic field has been applied in the HDC casting process and its influences on microstructures and macrosegregation have been studied. The results show that the low frequency electromagnetic field can improve macrostructures, reduce inhomogeneous microstructures and macrosegregation in HDC product; and two main parameters of the electromagnetic field—density and frequency influence the microstructures and solution distribution along the diameter of the ingot significantly. In the range of ampere-turns and frequency employed in the experiments, the optimum ampere-turns and frequency have been found to be 10000At, 30Hz.
The Optimal State for Gravity Currents in Shear

This study examines the lifting of sheared environmental air by gravity currents, focusing primarily on the theoretical ‘‘optimal state’’ in which near-surface flow is turned into a vertically oriented jet. Theoretical models are presented from multiple perspectives, including the vorticity perspective that was first presented by Rotunno, Klemp, and Weisman and a flow-force balance perspective based on conservation of mass and momentum. The latter approach reveals a constrainton the depth of the environmental shearlayer relative to the depth of the cold pool. Based on these control-volume constraints, a numerical solution for steady, inviscid, isentropic flow is obtained that shows how the cold-pool interface has a slightly concave shape and is nearly (although not strictly) vertical. Then, by initializing a time-dependent numerical model with a stagnant cold pool in an environment with low-level shear, it is shown that a statistically steady flow can be maintained with all the important elements of the analytic solution. Most notably, the front-relative flow is negligible behind the surface gust front at all levels, the interface of the cold pool maintains a predominantly vertical structure, and the net generation of vorticity by buoyancy within a control volume closely matches the horizontal flux of environmental vorticity on the side of the control volume. Sensitivity simulations confirm that the constraints identified by the analytic study must be met for the optimal state to be realized and that lifting of near-surface environmental air is optimized when a vertically oriented jet is created and maintained.
The use of ERCP in the management of common bile duct stones in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the indications and results of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for gallstone disease since the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In our personal series of 410 consecutive cases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, we found 17 common bile duct (CBD) stones; seven were identified by preop ERCP, nine at laparoscopy by intraoperative cholangiography, and one postop by ERCP. We have performed preop ERCP in 21 patients (5.1%); CBD stones were found in seven. Our indications for preop ERCP were elevated liver function tests, dilatation of the common duct by ultrasound, or a history of jaundice/pancreatitis, and all stones were successfully removed by endoscopic sphincterotomy. At laparoscopic cholecystectomy nine patients were found to have stones; one was treated with laparoscopic methods, four with open CBD exploration, and four by postop endoscopic sphinecterotomy. Post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy, five patients underwent ERCP for pain or increased liver function tests suggestive of common duct stones. One of the five was found to have stones and these were successfully removed by endoscopic sphincterotomy. ERCP is very useful as a diagnostic and therapeutic modality in laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients with suspected CBD stones. Elevated liver function tests and dilated CBD by ultrasound are the most accurate predictors of stones. Endoscopic sphincterotomy is a more effective route, at present, for stone removal than a laparoscopic approach.
Mortality following surgery for gastric ulcer

1. Of 108 patients treated surgically for benign gastric ulcer, during the years 1951–1961, 15 died during the postoperative period—13 after emergent, and 2 after elective, procedures. 2. The mortality associated with emergent operations was 23 per cent, and that associated with elective procedures was 4 per cent. 3. The causes of these deaths are reviewed. Over 25 per cent were caused by suture-line leaks. This should be a preventable complication. 4. The fact that accurate differentiation between benign and malignant gastric ulcers has reduced the hazard of conservative therapy has led to an increase in the frequency of emergent surgery for benign gastric ulcers.
Nutritional concerns of women with breast cancer

Abstract Health professionals should assess the nutrition information needs of women with breast cancer in order to provide appropriate services. Questionnaires were mailed to 143 Reach to Recovery volunteers who had had surgery for breast cancer, and 72% responded. The subjects were mostly concerned about and wanted information on diets for cancer prevention, low‐fat diets, weight reduction, and vitamin supplements. Findings also showed the potential for excessive vitamin/ mineral use among one‐third of respondents and a tendency toward weight gain regardless of whether or not chemotherapy was received. The results provide direction for development of nutrition educational materials and programs for women with breast cancer.
Lethal and sublethal effects of direct exposure to acetamiprid on reproduction and survival of the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, is a popular crop-protection agent used in fields as well as in protected cultivation. The lethal and sublethal effects of acetamiprid on direct exposure to Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a major pest of small grains, were tested under greenhouse condition. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) value for the populations treated with LC30, LC50, LC60, LC70, LC80 concentrations of acetamiprid and distilled water as control was 0.1446 ± 0.01, 0.1842 ± 0.0144, 0.1979 ± 0.016, 0.1595 ± 0.0105, 0.0779 ± 0.0242, 0.3156 ± 0.0029; the net reproductive rate (R0) was 4.95 ± 0.63, 7.1 ± 1.19, 7.05 ± 1.16, 4.95 ± 0.77, 2.15 ± 0.53, 85.5 ± 2.53; the finite rate of increase (λ) was 1.1555 ± 0.0115, 1.2022 ± 0.0173, 1.2186 ± 0.0195, 1.1728 ± 0.0182, 1.0807 ± 0.026, 1.3711 ± 0.004; the gross reproduction rate was 7.26 ± 0.69, 9.92 ± 1.03, 9.28 ± 0.84, 5.79 ± 0.58, 2.96 ± 0.49, 85.5 ± 2.53: the mean generation time (T) was 11.13 ± 0.2, 10.72 ± 0.2, ...
Free-standing carbon nanotube-titania photoactive sheets.

Abstract We report on the development of a new photoactive material via titania (TiO2) nanoparticle deposition on free-standing aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets. Controlling homogeneous dispersion of negatively charged TiO2 nanoparticles, achieved by adjusting pH higher than the point of zero charge (PZC), influenced electrochemical deposition of TiO2 on CNT sheets substrate. Varying deposition time with constant voltage, 5 V allowed different thickness of TiO2 to be deposited layer on the CNT sheets. The thickness and morphology of CNT–TiO2 sheets was verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical experiments show that diffusion coefficient of Fe ( CN ) 6 3 - was 5.56 × 10−6 cm2s−1 at pristine CNT sheets and 2.19 × 10−6 cm2 s−1 at the CNT–TiO2 sheets. Photocatalytic activity for CNT–TiO2 sheets exhibits high photocurrent density (when deposition time = 30 min, 4.3 μA cm−2 in N2, 13.4 μA cm−2 in CO2). This paper proved a possibility to use CNT–TiO2 sheets based on highly-aligned CNT sheets substrate as new photoactive material.
Male preference for a subtle posture cue that signals spawning readiness in female sticklebacks

Abstract We presented territorial male three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus , two stationary dummies simultaneously, each simulating an equally gravid female. Both dummies featured the head-up orientation indicative of a sexually receptive female but differed in more subtle aspects of posture. In one dummy the back and tail were moulded in a relaxed straight posture and the other was moulded with the raised tail and concave back posture (lordosis), which mating tests revealed to be a strong predictor of spawning readiness in females. Males courted both dummies but directed more to the lordosis posture. Male sticklebacks thus recognize and respond appropriately to relatively subtle features of female posture in addition to other cues such as the head-up angle and dorsal barring reported in earlier studies. Physiological or morphological constraints may make the lordosis posture a reliable, and hence relatively honest, indicator of spawning readiness in females. Males may therefore enhance their fitness by preferentially courting females that assume this posture. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .
The horticultural industry as a vector of alien snails and slugs: widespread invasions in Hawaii

The horticultural industry is an important vector of alien snails and slugs. Surveys of nurseries in the Hawaiian Islands recorded 31 terrestrial snail/slug species, all but two of them alien and five previously unrecorded. Individual facilities had 1–17 species. In total, 38 non-native terrestrial snail/slug species have become established, originating globally. Numbers on each island do not reflect numbers of survey locations but rather the total numbers established on each island. Species richness and community composition in nurseries differed significantly among islands and among different-sized nurseries. Certain species were more common on Oahu (main port of entry to Hawaii) so most of these alien species may have been first introduced to Oahu and then spread to other islands. Some of them cause damage in nurseries. Some may cause shipments of nursery products to be rejected when they are inadvertently exported with them. When they are transported to and become established in new areas they may cau...
Elbow Position Affects Distal Radioulnar Joint Kinematics

Purpose Previous in vivo and in vitro studies of forearm supination–pronation suggest that distal radioulnar joint kinematics may be affected by elbow flexion. The primary hypotheses tested by this study were that, in vivo , ulnar variance changes with elbow flexion and forearm rotation, and the arc of forearm rotation changes in relationship to elbow flexion. Methods Changes in radioulnar kinematics during forearm supination–pronation and elbow flexion (0° to 90°) were studied in 5 uninjured subjects using computed tomography, dual-orthogonal fluoroscopy, and 3-dimensional modeling. Analysis of variance and post-hoc testing was performed. Results Proximal translation of the radius was greatest with the elbow flexed to 90° with the arm in midpronation. With the arm in midpronation, the translation of the radius was significantly greater at 0° versus 45° of elbow flexion (0.82 ± 0.59 mm vs 0.65 ± 0.80 mm, F: 4.49, post hoc : 0.055; p=.05) and significantly smaller at 45° versus 90° of elbow flexion (0.65 ± 0.80 mm vs 0.97 ± 0.35 mm, F: 4.49, post hoc : 0.048; p=.05). Proximal translation of the radius in midpronation was significantly greater than when the forearm was in a supinated position when the elbow was at 0° or 90° flexion (F: 14.90, post hoc : post hoc : post hoc : 0.79; p=.09). The center of rotation shifted volarly and ulnarly with increasing elbow extension. Conclusions Elbow position affects the kinematics of the distal radioulnar joint. The kinematics of the distal radioulnar joint are primarily affected by forearm rotation and secondarily by elbow flexion. These findings have clinical relevance to our understanding of ulnar impaction, and how elbow position affects the proximal–distal translation of the radius. These findings have implications for the treatment of ulna impaction, radiographic evaluation of the distal ulna, and future biomechanical studies.
Experience with activity based anorexia enhances conditioned taste aversion learning in rats.

Abstract Activity based anorexia (ABA) is a model that mimics the self-starvation and hyperactivity features of anorexia nervosa (AN). This study investigated whether a history of ABA will enhance food avoidance learning and retard its extinction in female rats. We compared the acquisition and extinction of a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in naive (ad lib with no access to RW), ABA, and pair-fed to the food intake of ABA (with access to a locked RW) female Sprague–Dawley rats. The CTA conditioning was conducted after the ABA and pair-fed rats had recovered to their pre-food restriction body weights. For the CTA learning, 0.3 M sucrose consumption was followed by low doses LiCl (0.009 M or 0.018 M at 1.33 ml/100 g of body weight, IP) injection. The results revealed that the ABA rats acquired an aversion to sucrose significantly sooner than the naive controls. Furthermore, they completely avoided sucrose while the naive and pair-fed controls still sampled it by the end of 10 conditioning trials. When extinction was assessed by 1-bottle and 2-bottle tests, the ABA rats extinguished more slowly than the controls. However, the differences in sucrose aversion extinction between the ABA and control rats were only significant in the 1-bottle test. These data suggest that experience with AN-like behaviors results in an acquired aversion to a preferred food sooner and a longer retention of the negative food associations. These findings have implications for understanding the persistence of aberrant eating behaviors in eating disorders.
Ritz analysis of discontinuous beams using local trigonometric functions

The objective of the current paper is to present a Ritz-type analytical model for predicting the behavior of discontinuous beams such as thin-walled beams with cracks and multiply-stepped beams. The beam is discretized in the cracked as well as the un-cracked domains for a cracked thin-walled beam and in uniform beams for a multiple-stepped beam. A set of local trigonometric trial functions is used to define the twist angle for the cracked domain and the un-cracked domains, as well as to define the displacement field for uniform domains. A global equation system of unknown Ritz coefficients is derived by minimizing the Lagrangian functional or the total potential energy. In the present Ritz model, the interface continuity conditions between sub-domains are investigated and enforced into the global equation system using the condensation procedure or the Lagrange multipliers. Examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the current model for free vibration and torsional analysis. Results obtained from the current model are found to agree well with those obtained using a detailed finite element method or with existing results in literature. The proposed model offers an efficient approach to reduce the modeling efforts and computational time required to analyze complex beams with cracks or multiple steps.
ViewPoints: differential string analysis for discovering client- and server-side input validation inconsistencies

Since web applications are easily accessible, and often store a large amount of sensitive user information, they are a common target for attackers. In particular, attacks that focus on input validation vulnerabilities are extremely effective and dangerous. To address this problem, we developed ViewPoints--a technique that can identify erroneous or insufficient validation and sanitization of the user inputs by automatically discovering inconsistencies between client- and server-side input validation functions. Developers typically perform redundant input validation in both the front-end (client) and the back-end (server) components of a web application. Client- side validation is used to improve the responsiveness of the application, as it allows for responding without communicating with the server, whereas server-side validation is necessary for security reasons, as malicious users can easily circumvent client-side checks. ViewPoints (1) automatically extracts client- and server-side input validation functions, (2) models them as deterministic finite automata (DFAs), and (3) compares client- and server-side DFAs to identify and report the inconsistencies between the two sets of checks. Our initial evaluation of the technique is promising: when applied to a set of real-world web applications, ViewPoints was able to automatically identify a large number of inconsistencies in their input validation functions.
Breaking a one-dimensional chain: Fracture in 1+1 dimensions

The breaking rate of an atomic chain stretched at zero temperature by a constant force can be calculated in a quasiclassical approximation by finding the localized solutions (``bounces'') of the equations of classical dynamics in imaginary time. We show that this theory is related to the critical cracks of stressed solids, because the world lines of the atoms in the chain form a two-dimensional crystal and the bounce is a crack configuration in (unstable) mechanical equilibrium. Thus the tunneling time, action, and breaking rate in the limit of small forces are determined by the classical results of Griffith. For the limit of large forces we give an exact bounce solution that describes the quantum fracture and classical crack close to the limit of mechanical stability. This limit can be viewed as a critical phenomenon for which we establish a Levanyuk-Ginzburg criterion of the weakness of fluctuations and propose a scaling argument for the critical regime. The post-tunneling dynamics is understood by the analytic continuation of the bounce solutions to real time.
Dental care visits among dentate adults with diabetes and periodontitis.

Objectives Two national surveys have shown that dentate adults with diabetes are less likely to visit a dentist than are those without diabetes; one survey showed this association only among women. We hypothesize that periodontal health among those with diabetes could explain this disparity. This report investigates the influence of periodontitis on the association between diabetes and dental care visits. It also tests whether disparities are limited to women. Methods Data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Covariates included age, sex, race/ethnicity, poverty status, education level, dental insurance, and periodontitis status. Weighted analyses were limited to dentate adults aged > or =25 years. Results Overall, 56.8 percent of dentate adults with diabetes reported having a dental care visit in the preceding year compared with 64.7 percent for those without diabetes. In a multivariable model, diabetes status was significantly associated with having a dental care visit, independent of periodontitis status and covariates. Neither periodontitis status nor sex served as effect modifiers for the association between diabetes status and dental care visits. Conclusions These data revealed that dental care visits for dentate adults with diabetes were unrelated to their periodontal health, suggesting that fear of periodontal therapy did not influence visit patterns. These data also showed that dental care visit disparities existed for all adults with diabetes, not just women. Future research should investigate whether factors that are indirectly related to diabetes status, such as competing costs, attitudes, and knowledge, are influencing dental care visit patterns among dentate adults with diabetes.
Resonant light scattering from weakly rough random surfaces and imperfect gratings

Rayleigh’s method is used in a numerical study of the light scattered from a one-dimensional, randomly rough surface on a metal illuminated by a plane wave whose direction of incidence is perpendicular to the grooves of the surface. In the regime of interest a significant component of the amplitude of the p-polarized light scattered in the far field may be attributed to the resonant interaction between the incident wave and surface polaritons. The dependence of the coherent and of the diffuse scattering on the incident wavelength, the roughness parameters, the polarization, and the angle of incidence or of scattering is considered. The conditions under which an enhanced backscattering peak may be observed are determined within the range of convergence of Rayleigh’s method. A random roughness superimposed upon a periodic grating may produce enhanced backscattering at wavelengths longer than twice the period of the grating. At the wavelength and the angle at which a grating anomaly is found, the diffuse scattering may display a band or a minimum, depending on the angle of incidence.
PROGRAM EVALUATION AS A STRATEGY FOR PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT

Formal program evaluation is one of the most widely used tools for program termination decisions in universities. By understanding and anticipating program evaluation, a farsighted geography department can convert it from a threat into a strategy for survival in the 1980s. In the process, many departments will be renewed and improved.