cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An intervention program to reduce the hospitalization cost of asthmatic patients requiring intubation

Background Asthma is the single disease that accounts for the largest proportion of total health care cost in the US. Objective To analyze whether an asthma management program affected the cost of subsequent asthma care for patients in whom intubation had been necessary. Methods We evaluated patients with asthma who (1) had required intubation for treatment of status asthmaticus; (2) were 45 years old or younger; (3) had regular follow-up visits in our clinic for 1 year after initial evaluation; and (4) had complete medical records 1 year before and 1 year after the intervention for our evaluation. Medical costs of asthma treatment for each patient were determined for 1 year before and 1 year after intervention. The program included patient education, regular outpatient visits, specialist care, and access to the Allergy Immunology emergency call service. The outcome measures were the total cost of care, inpatient hospitalizations, outpatient services, emergency services, and medicine costs. Results Nine patients [mean age 19.6 years (SD = 9.9)] fulfilled the criteria (six women and three men). The mean duration of asthma was 14.0 years (SD = 9.7). The mean total cost of care decreased from $43,066 to $4,914 (t = −4.53, P P Conclusions The intervention—which included education, specialist care, regular outpatient visits, and access to an emergency call service—significantly reduced the cost of asthma care in our population of patients intubated for asthma.
Continuing Bonds, Risk Factors for Complicated Grief, and Adjustment to Bereavement

This study examined type of continuing bonds (CB) expression in relation to risk factors for complicated grief and measures of bereavement-related adjustment. Externalized CB expressions involving illusions and hallucinations with the deceased were distinguished from internalized CB expressions involving use of the deceased as an autonomy promoting secure base. 502 bereaved participants completed over the internet a CB measure assessing externalized and internalized CB along with various known risk-factor measures that included cause of death (i.e., violent vs. non-violent death), responsibility for the death, and attachment style as well as measures of psychological adjustment that included complicated grief symptoms, perceived physical health, and personal growth. As predicted, externalized CB was positively associated with violent death and responsibility for the death, whereas internalized CB was negatively associated with these risk factors as well as uniquely positively linked to personal growth. The implications of the findings for the role of CB in adjustment are discussed.
Future Needs for Faculty in Clothing and Textiles

In recent years departments teaching courses in clothing and textiles have been challenged from a number of directions, including qualifications and/or lack of academic productivity of some faculty members. The evolving nature of the discipline and changing employment opportunities for graduates also suggest the need for accurate information. This Association of College Professors of Textiles and Clothing-sponsored study provides data on characteristics of current departments and anticipated future needs for faculty.The majority of the academic units teaching clothing and textiles are Home Economics departments with fewer than four faculty members teaching in the subject area. Anticipated retirements indicate a fluctuating but continuing demand for faculty who have terminal degrees. Future faculty will need different qualifications than the people they replace. Merchandising or other industry experience is important, as are teaching experience and research/publishing expertise. Some faculty hired in the p...
Thermal degradation of poly(aryl-ether−ether-ketone) (PEEK): a differential scanning calorimetry study

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been used to study the crystallization kinetics and thermal characteristics of poly(aryl-ether–ether-ketone) (PEEK) samples heated under a variety of conditions. Samples were heated in nitrogen and air at temperatures between 380 and 420°C for times up to 120 min. The results indicate that as the holding time and temperature of the melt increased, the amount of recrystallizable material decreased, especially when heated in air. Isothermal crystallization kinetics confirmed the presence of a two-stage crystal nucleation and growth process with Avrami exponents of the order of about 2.4 and 1.5 for the first and second processes, respectively. Analysis of the primary crystallization process using the Avrami equation revealed that PEEK samples heated above the melt temperature in air crystallized at a much slower rate than samples heated in nitrogen.
Partial Bi-immunity, Scaled Dimension, and NP-Completeness

The Turing and many-one completeness notions for NP have been previously separated under measure, genericity, and bi-immunity hypotheses on NP. The proofs of all these results rely on the existence of a language in NP with almost everywhere hardness. In this paper we separate the same NP-completeness notions under a partial bi-immunity hypothesis that is weaker and only yields a language in NP that is hard to solve on most strings. This improves the results of Lutz and Mayordomo (Theoretical Computer Science, 1996), Ambos-Spies and Bentzien (Journal of Computer and System Sciences, 2000), and Pavan and Selman (Information and Computation, 2004). The proof of this theorem is a significant departure from previous work. We also use this theorem to separate the NP-completeness notions under a scaled dimension hypothesis on NP.
Opinion #1: Arthur Lipman, PharmD

Use of multiple mu agonist opioids for analgesia by various routes of administration, as was done in this case, presents a clinical conundrum. It is difficult to define the patient's total opioid dose requirement and response. Whenever the oral route is possible, it should be used. A single opioid should be titrated to response. There is no advantage to using multiple mu agonists (i.e., only additive, not synergistic effects). Additionally, genetic polymorphism results in some patients being more responsive to one opioid than another. Therefore, it is not possible to determine what amount of the total effect could be attributed to each of the opioids this patient was receiving for analgesia. When a patient has been using illicit or licit opioids on a regular basis and now needs opioid analgesia, it is essential to add the desired analgesic dose to the amount of (illicit) opioid the …
Optimal control of batteries with fully and partially available rechargeability

Motivated by the increasing dependence of many systems on battery energy, we study the problem of optimally controlling how to discharge and recharge a non-ideal battery so as to maximize the work it can perform over a given time period and still maintain a desired final energy level. Modeling a battery as a dynamic system, we adopt a Kinetic Battery Model (KBM) and formulate a finite-horizon optimal control problem when recharging is always feasible under the constraint that discharging and recharging cannot occur at the same time. The solution is shown to be of bang-bang type with the property that the battery is always in recharging mode during the last part of the interval. When the length of the time horizon exceeds a critical value, we also show that the optimal policy includes chattering. Numerical results are included to illustrate our analysis. We then extend the problem to settings where recharging is only occasionally feasible and show that it can be reduced to a nonlinear optimization problem which can be solved at least numerically.
Design and prosthetic perception

Purpose – The paper aims to consider competing accounts of perception and to examine their potential to support design activity that seeks to extend and enrich perception using interface technologies. The interfaces will enable the direct perception of electromagnetic phenomena that are not now considered to be directly available to humans.Design/methodology/approach – Two models are considered. According to one, the standard view, perception is of an external world known by means of information flowing into an organism from it as conditioned by the organism's biological sensory modalities; according to the other, the enactive view, perception occurs by means of learning to differentiate oneself from the world by undertaking activities, by learning and mastering sensorimotor contingencies.Findings – The paper presents preliminary results of design work based on enactive cognition and argues that the results, in turn, re‐inform and reinforce the theory by the introduction of novel perceptual phenomena that...
Experience with cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in the management of retroperitoneal tumors with large vena caval thrombi

From June 1984 to September 1989, 43 patients with large vena caval tumor thrombi from retroperitoneal malignancies underwent surgical treatment with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). The primary malignancies were renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (n = 39), renal pelvic transitional cell carcinoma (n = 1), adrenal pheochromocytoma (n = 1), and renal (n = 1) or retroperitoneal (n = 1) sarcoma. The level of the caval thrombus was either suprahepatic (n = 27), intrahepatic (n = 14), or subhepatic (n = 2). In all cases the primary tumor and caval thrombus were completely removed. Concomitant procedures included coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 5), pulmonary resection (n = 2), and hepatic lobectomy (n = 1). The time of circulatory arrest ranged from 10 to 44 minutes (mean, 23.5 minutes). There were two operative deaths (4.7%), neither of them due to to the use of DHCA. Major postoperative complications occurred in 13 patients (30.2%). There were no ischemic or neurologic complications and no cases of perioperative tumor embolization. The median postoperative hospital stay was 9 days. Twenty-two patients (51%) are alive and enjoying a good quality of life. The 3-year patient survival rates in patients with localized (n = 24) versus metastatic (n = 15) RCC are 63.9% and 10.9%, respectively (p = 0.02). We conclude that CPB with DHCA facilities excision of retroperitoneal malignancies with large caval thrombi and provides the potential for cure with low morbidity and mortality rates.
Scrapie infectivity and prion protein are distributed in the same pH range in agarose isoelectric focusing

We separated lysed synaptosomal-microsomal membrane fraction from scrapie-infected hamster brain in preparative agarose isoelectric focusing. We also studied the distribution of PrP27–30 and scrapie infectivity in 13 regions of the gel in the range of pH 3.5 to 9.3. Most of the infectivity remained in the trough, where it had been placed at the beginning of the electrophoresis, along with PrP27–30. Scrapie infectious particles that entered the gel demonstrated charge heterogeneity and were distributed in the range of pH 5.4 to 9.3. Analysis of charge heterogeneity of PrP27–30 after sodium dodecyl sulfate solubilization showed an isoelectric pattern in the same pH range as that for scrapie infectious particles. The similarity in charge heterogeneity between infectivity and PrP27–30, together with copurification, support the idea that PrP27–30 is an essential component of the scrapie infectious agent.
Family environment, depression, attitudes toward life and death, and suicidality in young adults

Abstract To examine the correlates of suicidality, 282 young adults at a medium-sized southern university completed measures of depression, family environment, attitudes toward life and death, and suicidality. Family cohesion accounted for 14.6% of the variance in suicidality, while repulsion by death and attraction to life accounted for an additional 1.3% and 1.4% of the variance in suicidality respectively. Suicidality was higher for young adults who reported less cohesion, less repulsion by death, and less attraction to life. Depression accounted for no significant variance in suicidality. High suicidality (n = 38) was not significantly correlated with attitudes toward life and death, family environment, or depression. However, low suicidality (n = 132) was significantly negatively correlated with family cohesion and adaptability. Results suggest that interventions focused on the family, particularly those designed to facilitate and heal family interactions, might lessen the likelihood that young adult...
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Women's Retirement Security

Women face a greater risk of poverty than men as they get older, but this risk varies considerably by race and ethnicity. Using data from the Census Bureau's 2002–2005 March Current Population Surveys, this article examines racial and ethnic differences in women's retirement security, with special attention given to differences in their marital status and living arrangements in old age. Findings show that African American and Hispanic women are more likely than white or Asian American women to be unmarried at ages 65 and older. Older minority women are also much more likely than older white women to live in extended family households, regardless of marital status. The poverty rate is lower for those living in extended family households than those living alone, indicating a potential safety net provided by other family members; yet, the degree of economic support received from extended family arrangements tends to vary by race and ethnicity. The examination of personal sources of retirement income—Social S...
Determining and analyzing differentially expressed genes from cDNA microarray experiments with complementary designs

We present a hierarchical Bayes model for determining genes in the sporulation pathway of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) using two complementary replicated cDNA microarray experimental designs. The first design involves the mutation of a transcription factor, Sigma factor E (σE), and the second is an overexpression of this factor. We first normalize the microarray data using a rank invariant method. Genes found to be overexpressed in both experimental designs are further examined experimentally to determine their role in the sporulation pathway. Through statistical and experimental methods we found 181 genes that had not been previously described as controlled by σE. We identify the chromosome locations of clusters of σE-controlled genes using a nearest neighbor scan-statistic, and determine B. subtilis functional categories that are over-represented in subsets of expressed genes.
Association genetics in Pinus taeda L. II. Carbon isotope discrimination

Dissection of complex traits that influence fitness is not only a central topic in evolutionary research but can also assist breeding practices for economically important plant species, such as loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L). In this study, 46 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 41 disease and abiotic stress-inducible genes were tested for their genetic association with carbon isotope discrimination (CID), a time-integrated trait measure of stomatal conductance. A family-based approach to detect genotype/phenotype genetic association was developed for the first time in plants by applying the quantitative transmission disequilibrium test on an association population of 961 clones from 61 families (adopted from previous breeding programs) evaluated for phenotypic expression of CID at two sites. Two particularly promising candidates for their genetic effects on CID are: dhn-1, involved in stabilization of cell structures, and lp5-like, a glycine rich protein putatively related to cell wall reinforcement proteins, both of which were shown in previous studies to be water-deficit inducible. Moreover, association in lp5-like involves a nonsynonymous mutation in linkage disequilibrium with two other nonsynonymous polymorphisms that could, by acting together, enhance overall phenotypic effects. This study highlights the complexity of dissecting CID traits and provides insights for designing second-generation association studies based on candidate gene approaches in forest trees.
The Rieger flap for nasal reconstruction.

Objective: To repair surgical defects of the middle and distal third of the nose. Design: The anatomic and technical design of the Rieger (dorsonasal) flap is described. Conclusion: When performed on properly selected patients, the Rieger flap is an aesthetically predictable, onestage procedure. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1995;121:634-637)
Quantum dot-photonic crystal chips for quantum information processing

We have recently developed a technique for local, reversible tuning of individual quantum dots on a photonic crystal chip by up to 1.8nm, which overcomes the problem of large quantum dot inhomogeneous broadening - usually considered the main obstacle in employing such platform in practical quantum information processing systems. We have then used this technique to tune single quantum dots into strong coupling with a photonic crystal cavity, and observed strong coupling both in photoluminescence and in resonant light scattering from the system, as needed for several proposals for scalable quantum information networks and quantum computation.
High speed solution of 2nd order curves with special application to planar sections of blood vessels

Abstract Rapid determination of the areas of planar sections through a blood vessel are required in an on-line blood flow measurement system which utilizes an intravascular ultrasonic catheter. Vessel areas are determined by: (1) using a fast algorithm to fit an ellipse to 6 data points of the vessel wall's location measured with the ultrasonic catheter; (2) computing the area of the determined ellipse. The program is implemented in a general purpose computer with a hardware floating point processor, using 3320 of 16 bit words of memory for storing variables, data, look-up tables, and computation instructions. The program executes in 3 ms, which, when combined with the other computations and timing requirements of the system, allows instantaneous flow computation every 7.3 ms. The system is fast enough to follow pulsitile blood flow. The algorithm applies in other areas which also require fast quantitative measurement, for example, in determining organ or tissue structural contours describable with a 2nd order equation.
Augmentation of streptokinase-induced thrombolysis by heparin and prostacyclin.

The ability of heparin and prostacyclin to improve streptokinase-induced recanalization was examined in open-chest dogs subjected to thrombotic occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery. Vessel injury was produced by electrical stimulation of the intimal surface at the site of a noncircumferential fixed stenosis. Animals were divided into three treatment groups as follows: group 1 received intracoronary streptokinase alone (75,000 units/80 min starting 30 min postocclusion; n = 8); group 2 received streptokinase plus heparin (300 units/kg i.v. at 20 min postocclusion; n = 7); group 3 received streptokinase plus heparin plus prostacyclin (500 ng/kg/min, intracoronary, given intermittently during reperfusion; n = 7). Overall, the groups did not differ with respect to preocclusion coronary blood flow (27 +/- 1 ml/min; +/- SEM), the duration of streptokinase infusion required to achieve reflow (15 +/- 2 min), and the percentage of animals recanalized (85%). They did differ in the average rate of reflow, which was greater in group 2 (16 +/- 2 ml/min) and group 3 (20 +/- 4 ml/min) as compared with group 1 (6 +/- 1 ml/min; p less than 0.05). The intermittent reocclusions which persisted during reperfusion in group 1 and 2 dogs were diminished during the periodic infusions of prostacyclin. Thrombus mass at the site of injury was comparable among groups. In contrast, distal circumflex thrombi, about twice the weight of the proximal mass, were observed in all group 1 dogs and were undetectable in group 2 and 3 animals. Transient improvements in contractile force during reperfusion were observed only with groups 2 and 3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Kriegserfahrungen in einer multiethnischen Stadt: Lemberg 1914–1947

Christoph Mick, Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz, 2010, (=DHI Warschau, Quellen und Studien, 22), 632 pp., ISBN 978-3-447-06193-3 In 1914, the Austro-Hungarian city of Lemberg (the Polish Lwow, nowadays the...
Partial reversal of lesion-induced deficits in cortical cholinergic markers by nerve growth factor.

Abstract Nerve growth factor (NGF) was injected into the lateral ventricle (5 μg on 4 occasions) of rats which had previously sustained ibotenic acid-induced lesions of the nucleus basalis of Meynert. Lesioned, but vehicle-injected and sham-lesioned and vehicle-injected rats were run as controls. Infusion of NGF led to a significant recovery of cortical choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activity 6 weeks, but not two weeks after the lesion.
758-2 Failure of 6 Minute Walk to Predict Exercise Capacity in Patients Evaluated for Cardiac Transplantation

In patients evaluated for cardiac transplantation the measured peak oxygen consumption is an objective and powerful predictor of survival that helps to prioritize patients on the transplant list. The 6 minute walk has been shown to correlate with NYHA functional class and to predict morbidity and mortality in patients with congestive heart failure but its correlation with VO2 max has not been established. The easily performed 6 minute walk would be an ideal screening test for congestive heart failure patients if it could be shown to correlate with Vo2 max. We studied 24 patients with CHF who were undergoing cardiac transplant evaluation. Functional class assessment was obtained prior to performing the 6 minute walk and subsequent metabolic stress test. Patients were given standardized instructions for the 6 minute walk and all tests were supervised by one Exercise Physiologist. Coaching was kept to a minimum since this has been shown to effect the test results. Metabolic stress testing was performed within 1 hour of the 6 minute walk. Results Regression analysis showed little correlation between the 6 minute walk distance and the measured Vo2 max (R squared = 0.04, P = 0.375). The physician determined NYHA functional class correlated poorly with Vo2 max (R squared = 0.1. p = 0.151). Download : Download high-res image (111KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusion Neither the 6 minute walk distance nor the physician determined functional class correlates well with the measured Vo2 max obtained during metabolic stress testing and appear not to be reliable screening tests for patients considered for cardiac transplantation.
Effects of pre- or postnatal dexamethasone, adrenocorticotrophic hormone and environmental stress on phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase activity and catecholamines in sympathetic ganglia of neonatal rats.

— Injections of dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg/day, s.c.) on the first 2–3 days of life increased the phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT) activity and epinephrine content of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and stellate ganglion of neonatal rats; the dopamine content was unaltered while norepinephrine was slightly reduced in these ganglia. Dexamethasone did not alter the PNMT activity or epinephrine content of the salivary glands or heart. The PNMT activity and epinephrine content of the SCG remained elevated for 10–14 days. Pretreatment with 6-hydroxydopamine did not alter the dexamethasone effects. Injections of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) (25 munits/rat twice a day) or exposure to a cold stress (4°C, 3 times a day) on the first 2–3 days of life, elevated the plasma concentration of corticosterone, and also increased the PNMT activity and epinephrine content in SCG of neonatal rats. Injecting pregnant rats with dexamethasone or ACTH, or exposing them to cold or restraint stress on the last 3 days of gestation increased the PNMT activity and epinephrine content in the SCG of their pups. These results indicate that the actions of dexamethasone on neonatal sympathetic ganglia may be mimicked by increasing the plasma concentration of endogenous adrenocortical steroids.
Statement from the Editor Regarding “Status Conflict in Groups”

In the original version of the paper “Status Conflict in Groups” by Corinne Bendersky and Nicholas A. Hays (Organization Science, Articles in Advance, August 4, 2010, DOI 10.1287/orsc.1100.0544), one of the variables in the hierarchical OLS regressions in Table 5 was misspecified. This was discovered by the authors after the online publication of the article in Articles in Advance. The accepting editor-in-chief, Daniel Levinthal, has chosen to retract the original published paper, allowing the authors the opportunity to resubmit a new paper that fully resolves those issues to the satisfaction of the authors and the journal.
The Perceptions of New Orleans Educators on the Process of Rebuilding the New Orleans School System after Katrina

This exploratory study seeks to understand the perceptions of New Orleans educators on the process of rebuilding the school system destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August, 2005. Interviews with 10 educators and extensive document analysis allowed for an exploration of the phenomenology of this unique case of school reform in response to a natural disaster. Using the theoretical framework of chaos theory, the data reveal that this instance of school reform is influenced heavily by the uncertainties of life in post-Katrina New Orleans and that the presence of both hope and pessimism for positive change indicate a slower, less dramatic change in the New Orleans Public Schools (NOPS) than some had predicted.
Exorcising the devil: Adding details to a descriptive account of oculomotor control

Findlay & Walker give voice to several common lines of thought regarding oculomotor control but do not provide sufficient detail for a critical evaluation of their theory. I argue that arbitrary spatial and temporal saccade metrics can be produced simply by manipulating the initial activation values in their model – values that the authors never specify. This lack of detail makes it difficult to anticipate the model's specific oculomotor behavior, or to compare this behavior to models opting for a more quantitative framework.
Metal fume fever

A 35-year-old welder developed metal fume fever after working two hours longer than usual and with a new metal. Metal fume fever is an acute illness of short duration produced by many metals. Symptoms are of sudden onset, four to six hours, and include rigors, high fever, profuse sweating, weakness and muscle aches. Some metals cause pulmonary involvement as in this case. Therapy involves steroids to reduce respiratory tract injury, oxygen to correct hypoxemia, and aminophylline to treat bronchospasm.
Gallbladder Color and Relative Fullness as a Field Technique for Estimating Time Since Last Feeding in Brook Trout

Abstract Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) fingerlings were held for up to 13 days without food. Gallbladders sampled from these fish at successive times after their last meal showed filling and darkening in color directly related to time since last feeding. It is suggested that these changes may be useful in estimating the feeding state of fish in the field.
Selective release from cultured mammalian cells of heat-shock (stress) proteins that resemble glia-axon transfer proteins

Cultured rat embryo cells were stimulated to rapidly release a small group of proteins that included several heat-shock proteins (hsp110, hsp71, hscp73) and nonmuscle actin. The extracellular proteins were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Heat-shocked cells released the same set of proteins as control cells with the addition of the stress-inducible hsp110 and hsp71. Release of these proteins was not blocked by either monensin or colchicine, inhibitors of the common secretory pathway. A small amount of the glucose-regulated protein grp78 was externalized by this pathway. The extracellular accumulation of these proteins was inhibited after they were synthesized in the presence of the lysine analogue aminoethyl cysteine. It is likely that the analogue-substituted proteins were misfolded and could not be released from cells, supporting our conclusion that a selective release mechanism is involved. Remarkably, actin and the squid heat-shock proteins homologous to rat hsp71 and hsp110 are also among a select group of proteins transferred from glial cells to the squid giant axon, where they have been implicated in neuronal stress responses (Tytell et al.: Brain Res., 363:161-164, 1986). Based in part on the similarities between these two sets of proteins, we hypothesized that these proteins were released from labile cortical regions of animal cells in response to perturbations of homeostasis in cells as evolutionarily distinct as cultured rat embryo cells and squid glial cells.
Transient expression of a Drosophila melanogaster hsp70 promoter/lacZ construct injected into larvae of two species of predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

The Drosophila melanogaster heat shock 70 promoter (hsp70) was used to regulate expression of the Escherichia coli β-galactosidase gene (lacZ) in transiently-transformed predatory mite larvae. A construct containing the hsp70 promoter upstream of the D. melanogaster alcohol dehydrogenase (adh) translational start site and Escherichia coli lacZ gene fusion (adh/lacZ) was injected into larvae of Metaseiulus occidentalis and Amblyseius finlandicus. LacZ expression was compared to expression of a similar construct lacking any upstream regulatory sequence. Expression from the hsp70 promoter was strong and heat shock-dependent in both species. The Drosophila hsp70 promoter therefore appears useful for regulating expression of exogenous DNA in both phytoseiid species and may be broadly applicable in the Phytoseiidae. Furthermore, the lacZ gene is a useful gene for analysis of expression in both species. Larval microinjection provides a method of assessing transient expression and of examining native regulatory sequences in these two phytoseiids and will likely be useful in other phytoseiid mites with only minor modifications.
MeCP2 in Rett syndrome: transcriptional repressor or chromatin architectural protein?

Rett syndrome is a progressive neurological disorder caused by mutations in the methyl-DNA binding protein MeCP2. The longstanding model depicting MeCP2 as a transcriptional repressor predicts that the Rett syndrome phenotype probably results from misregulation of MeCP2 target genes. Somewhat unexpectedly, the identification of such targets has proven challenging. The recent identification of two MeCP2 targets, BDNF and DLX5, are suggestive of two very different roles for this protein — one as a classical repressor protein, and the other as a mediator of a complex, specialized chromatin structure.
Phosphorylation-independent dimer-dimer interactions by the enhancer-binding activator NtrC of Escherichia coli: A third function for the C-terminal domain

The response regulator NtrC transcriptionally activates genes of the nitrogen-regulated (Ntr) response. Phosphorylation of its N-terminal receiver domain stimulates an essential oligomerization of the central domain. Deletion of the central domain reduces, but does not eliminate, intermolecular interactions as assessed by cooperative binding to DNA. To analyze the structural determinants and function of this central domain-independent as well as phosphorylation-independent oligomerization, we randomly mutagenized DNA coding for an NtrC without its central domain and isolated strains containing NtrC with defective phosphorylation-independent cooperative binding. The alterations were primarily localized to helix B of the C-terminal domain. Site-specific mutagenesis that altered surface residues of helix B confirmed this localization. The purified NtrC variants, with or without the central domain, were specifically defective in phosphorylation-independent cooperative DNA binding and had little defect, if any, on other functions, such as non-cooperative DNA binding. We propose that this region forms an oligomerization interface. Full-length NtrC variants did not efficiently repress the glnA-ntrBC operon when NtrC was not phosphorylated, which suggests that phosphorylation-independent cooperative binding sets the basal level for glutamine synthetase and the regulators of the Ntr response. The NtrC variants in these cells generally, but not always, supported wild-type growth in nitrogen-limited media and wild-type activation of a variety of Ntr genes. We discuss the differences and similarities between the NtrC C-terminal domain and the homologous Fis, which is also capable of intermolecular interactions.
A Hybrid Centrifuge Rotor for Continuous Bioprocessing

All existing centrifuges have a resolving power that is proportional to their centrifugal field, G = ω 2 R, raised to the first power. By combining conventional sedimentation with field-flow fractionation in a two-dimensional separation system, it is possible to devise a continuous rotor whose selectivity is proportional to the second power of its centrifugal field. This extraordinary result suggests that a hybrid rotor could fractionate submicrometer solutes to high purity at high process capacity. However, a number of obstacles, in particular the stability of the carrier flow and the solute path lines, may hinder development of this rotor. This paper describes the principles underlying the design and operation of a hybrid rotor, as well as some of the problems that will have to be resolved before this technology can be reduced to practice.
Marcel's “availability” in existential psychotherapy with couples and families

Gabriel Marcel was a French, Catholic, existential philosopher who first presented the concept of human availability as a central way of strengthening the self and facilitating the experience of human freedom. In this article Marcel's ideas about availability are described, reviewed, and examined for their implications for the practice of existential psychotherapy with couples and families.
Capitalizing on Culture: Moral Ironies in Urban Fiji

To an historian or anthropologist familiar with land problems in Fiji, nothing would have been less predictable than the urban discontents over land rights since independence, for these disturbances, in an ethnically plural society whose colonial history is marked by hostility between Indians and Fijians, were among the Fijians themselves. During the whole of the colonial period, from cession of the islands to Britain in 1874 to independence in 1970, the coexistence of Europeans, Indians (first imported as indentured labor), and Fijians had been forged out of land law. Successive colonial administrations labored for four decades around the turn of the century to secure for Fijians a precapitalist system of property rights that would become a bulwark against encroachment by a white planter and settler community. The system “by law established” subsequently became the basis for hostility between several generations of rural Fijian landowners and a growing number of landless Indian peasants. By the time self-government arrived in the mid-1960s, Indian access to land and Fijian resistance thereto was the most important issue threatening the stability of the new state, and government-commissioned reports and legislative acts pointed to this conflict of interest as the most significant problem for an independent Fiji. But the authoritative history written from commission reports and based on administrative policy often conceals another history, that formed by the experience of everyday life, where opposed groups confront each other over interests not always visible to legislators and judges, and often less so to scholarly observers.
Multiclass linear dimension reduction via a generalized Chernoff bound

In this paper, we consider the problem of linear dimension reduction (LDR) for multiclass classification. Often, a linear projection in which classes are separable may exist, but is hard to find. In the absence of methods that can find such plane, one may unnecessarily resort to nonlinear dimension reduction (DR). Generalization of two-class separation criteria such as Mahalanobis, Bhattacharya, or Chernoff distance are often done in an ad-hoc fashion. In this paper, we propose two algorithms for multiclass LDR that aim at minimizing upper bounds on the probability of misclassification and are based on generalizations of Chernoff distance for the multiclass problem. We present a numerical study and comparison to state-of-the-art LDR methods on datasets from the UCI machine learning repository. We show that our algorithms result in lower classification error rates compared to techniques of the same class.
Characterization of the Calf Uterine Progesterone Receptor and Its Stabilization by Nucleic Acids

The molecular and steroid hormone-binding properties of the calf uterine progesterone receptor and its interaction with nucleic acids were investigated. A positive cooperative binding interaction of [3H]progesterone with the receptor was evident from a nonlinear Scatchard plot and a Hill coefficient of 1.22 ± 0.02. The range of progesterone receptor concentrations was 0.73–1.04 pmol/mg protein, approximately twice that of the estrogen receptor. Competitive binding assays revealed a high specificity for progesterone: R5020 > progesterone > deoxycorticosterone > 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione ≫ 17α-hydroxyprogesterone > 20α-dihydroprogesterone > testosterone > estradiol > cortisol. Thus, a progesterone-specific receptor of high affinity and concentration is obtainable from calf uterus in large quantities without estrogen pretreatment. Thermal inactivation of the unoccupied progesterone receptor is inhibited by 10 mm sodium molybdate, whereas thermal inactivation of the ammonium sulfate-purified progesterone recepto...
154 SINUS NODE RECOVERY TIMES FOLLOWING REPAIR OF TRRNSPOSITION OF THE GREAT ARTERIES. COMPARISON BETWEEN MUSTARD AND SENNING OPERATION

154 SINUS NODE RECOVERY TIMES FOLLOWING REPAIR OF TRRNSPOSITION OF THE GREAT ARTERIES. COMPARISON BETWEEN MUSTARD AND SENNING OPERATION
Potential impact of noncontrast computed tomography as gatekeeper for myocardial perfusion positron emission tomography in patients admitted to the chest pain unit.

We investigated the ability of coronary artery calcium (CAC) to predict a normal adenosine stress rubidium-82 (Rb-82) myocardial perfusion positron emission tomography (PET) in patients admitted to the chest pain unit. Eighty-four consecutive patients (33 men; mean age 62 ± 14.8 years) with low to intermediate likelihood of coronary artery disease were included. A single noncontrast computed tomogram under shallow breathing was obtained for attenuation correction and to assess the presence of CAC. This was followed by a rest and adenosine stress dynamic Rb-82 emission PET. Computed tomography and PET images were interpreted independently. There was a high prevalence of risk factors (80% hypertension, 30% diabetes, 38% hypercholesterolemia, 13% smoking); prior coronary revascularization and myocardial infarction were present in 21% and 15% of the patients, respectively. The absence of CAC was associated with a normal adenosine stress Rb-82 myocardial perfusion PET in 34 of 34 patients, yielding a negative predictive value of 100%. The presence of CAC (50 of 84) was associated with a higher incidence of myocardial perfusion defects (13 of 50), yielding a positive predictive value of 26%. Sensitivity was 100% (13 of 13) and specificity was 48% (34 of 71). In conclusion, the absence of CAC is predictive of a normal adenosine stress Rb-82 myocardial perfusion PET in patients admitted to the chest pain unit. If these results are confirmed, myocardial perfusion imaging probably can be safely avoided in chest pain patients with negative CAC with low to intermediate pretest likelihood of disease. This approach may decrease overall radiation exposure and hospital time and prove to be cost effective.
Abstract 3033: NKX2-5, a potential tumor suppressor gene in prostate cancer

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common malignancy and a leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States. Abundant evidence has accumulated to suggest that epigenetic DNA methylation changes may appear earlier during PCa development than genetic changes, as well as more commonly and consistently suggesting that DNA methylated genes can be explored as DNA-based biomarker for PCa disease detection. Recently, we have identified NKX2-5 as a novel that is hypermethylated in prostate cancer. However, there is little information about the biological significance of this gene in prostate carcinogenesis. We hypothesize that NKX2-5 is a potential tumor suppressor gene that is frequently inactivated in prostate cancer. Methods: We carried out gain-and-loss functional studies of NKX2-5 in prostate cancer cell lines and validated expression at the RNA transcript level using quantitative RT-PCR. Protein expression was analyzed by western blotting and cell cycle analysis investigated by flow cytometer. Results: Over-expression of NKX2-5 was detrimental to prostate cancer cell proliferation as evidenced by significant inhibition of prostate cancer cell proliferation in comparison to control (vector only transfection) and this was due to cell arrest in Go/G1 phase and increase apoptosis. In contract, successful knockdown of NKX2-5 by shRNA transfection increased prostate cancer cell proliferation. Western blot analysis demonstrated that NKX2-5 plays a key regulatory role in the expression of several genes including p53, PTEN, Histone H1 and the androgen receptor. Conclusion: Our observation suggests that NKX2-5, a member of the homeobox gene family of plays an important tumor suppressor activity in prostate carcinogenesis. Because this gene plays important role in several signal transduction pathways, this gene can be exploited as potential biomarker for the early detection of prostate cancer and could be an attractive target to explore for drug investigation or gene therapies of prostate cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3033. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3033
Ritalintm for nicotine withdrawal: Nesbitt's paradox revisited

Abstract This was a unblinded clinical trial of the stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin TM ) for nicotine withdrawal. Nineteen nicotine-dependent smokers received oral methylphenidate (30 mg target daily dosage) for 5 days following abrupt cessation. Tobacco withdrawal, Spielberger state anxiety, blood pressure, and pulse were measured at baseline, then serially for 7 days. Tobacco withdrawal and state anxiety increased significantly, but 12 (71%) of the 17 smokers who completed the study rated withdrawal relief “very definite” and 13 (76%) rated this quit attempt “much easier than other times.” Methylphenidate neither increased blood pressure nor blocked cessation-related pulse decrease and appears safe for this indication. Twelve (63%) of the enrolled smokers were confirmed abstinent at day 5. Methylphenidate effect on nicotine withdrawal should be studied in a placebo-controlled clinical trial.
DOE/OIT Plant-wide Energy Assessment Experience Summary

ABSTRACT The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) is sponsoring cost-shared, plant-wide energy assessments of industrial facilities through its BestPractices Program. The purpose of these assessments is to examine plant utility and process operations and to identify opportunities for improving their energy efficiency. During the past 18 months, DOE has awarded grants to a total of 13 plants in the steel, metal casting, aluminum, forest products, chemical, and petroleum industries. All of these industries are part of the DOE Industries of the Future (IOF) Program. The average annual savings identified in these studies has been more than $1,000,000 per facility, with payback periods usually less than 18 months (some have been as short as 3 months). In some cases, the non-energy benefits identified (e.g., reduced scrap, increased productivity, and maintenance reductions) have been greater than the energy savings. This article summarizes the findings from the completed assessment...
Rupture process of the 2004 Parkfield earthquake from near‐fault seismic waveform and geodetic records

[1] The 28 September 2004 Parkfield earthquake, arguably the best recorded earthquake ever, allows for detailed investigation of finite-source models and their resolution. We have developed finite-source models using GPS and interferometric synthetic aperture radar geodetic data and seismic strong motion waveform data (f ≤ 0.5 Hz) both independently and combined. The preferred model shows that the rupture is predominantly unilateral to the NW with a small component to the SE. Slip is concentrated into two primary patches, one near the hypocenter and the other between 10 and 23 km to the NW within a narrow depth range (5–13 km). The scalar seismic moment is 1.3 × 1018 N m (Mw 6.0), the overall rupture length is 23 km, the peak slip is 0.45 m, and the rupture velocity is 2.6 km/s. The average static stress drop obtained from the spatially distributed slip model is 2.3 MPa, and peak values are 10 MPa. A detailed sensitivity and resolution analysis shows that the recovered slip, the average rupture velocity, risetime, and slip velocity are well resolved.
Difficult serial anticipation learning in rats: Rule-encoding vs. memory

Rats, trained in a runway, were asked to anticipate, while running slowly, the last two events in repeating series of .045-g food pellets. The series were either weakly monotonic (14, 5, 5, 1, and then 0 pellets/run) or nonmonotonic (5·5-14-1-0). While the terminal O-pellet event was better anticipated in the weakly monotonic series, the reverse was the case for the next-to-last l-pellet event. These findings were expected from a memory-discrimination learning hypothesis of serial learning, which suggests that the memory of one event in a series can be used to signal the next event. However, the better anticipation of the l-pellet event by the nonmonotonic group was inconsistent with the recently stated rule-encoding position of Hulse (1980). According to that view, difficult series of the sort employed in the present investigation are learned by encoding the rule structure of the series, with events in the series with the simple rule structure (the weakly monotonic series in this investigation) being better anticipated than events in the series with the complex rule structure.
A STANDARDIZED, SHORT, AND COMPREHENSIVE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST BATTERY BASED ON THE LURIA NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Neuropsychology has played an ever increasing role in neurological and psychiatric evaluations. However, the tests and test batteries available today suffer from a number of problems including an i...
Trans-Endocytosis of Notch Receptors into Ligand-Expressing Cells

The animation shows a schematic representation of how trans-endocytosis of Notch into Delta-expressing cells contributes to Notch activation. Notch proteins are receptors that mediate several developmental processes. Notch receptors are activated upon binding transmembrane ligands of the DSL family, such as Delta (δ). Following ligand binding, Notch is cleaved twice. First, Notch is cleaved in its extracellular domain at the S2 site. The subsequent cleavage within Notch9s transmembrane domain at the S3 site releases an intracellular domain (N-ICD), which translocates into the nucleus and regulates the transcription of target genes. The cleavage and trans-endocytosis of the Notch extracellular domain (N-ECD) into the ligand-expressing cell facilitates release of the N-ICD. [Resource Details]