cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute Hospital Care Is The Chief Driver Of Regional Spending Variation In Medicare Patients With Advanced Cancer

The root causes of regional variation in medical spending are poorly understood and vary by clinical condition. To identify drivers of regional spending variation for Medicare patients with advanced cancer, we used linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER)–Medicare data from the period 2004–10. We broke down Medicare spending into thirteen cancer-relevant service categories. We then calculated the contribution of each category to spending and regional spending variation. Acute hospital care was the largest component of spending and the chief driver of regional spending variation, accounting for 48 percent of spending and 67 percent of variation. In contrast, chemotherapy accounted for 16 percent of spending and 10 percent of variation. Hospice care constituted 5 percent of spending. However, variation in hospice spending was fully offset by opposing variation in other categories. Our analysis suggests that the strategy with the greatest potential to improve the value of care for pa...
YY1's role in DNA methylation of Peg3 and Xist

Unusual clusters of YY1 binding sites are located within several differentially methylated regions (DMRs), including Xist, Nespas and Peg3, which all become methylated during oogenesis. In this study, we performed conditional YY1 knockdown (KD) to investigate YY1's roles in DNA methylation of these DMRs. Reduced levels of YY1 during spermatogenesis did not cause any major change in these DMRs although the same YY1 KD caused hypermethylation in these DMRs among a subset of aged mice. However, YY1 KD during oogenesis resulted in the loss of DNA methylation on Peg3 and Xist, but there were no changes on Nespas and H19. Continued YY1 KD from oogenesis to the blastocyst stage caused further loss in DNA methylation on Peg3. Consequently, high incidents of lethality were observed among embryos that had experienced the reduced levels of YY1 protein. Overall, the current study suggests that YY1 likely plays a role in the de novo DNA methylation of the DMRs of Peg3 and Xist during oogenesis and also in the maintenance of unmethylation status of these DMRs during spermatogenesis.
Good neurological recovery after cardiopulmonary resuscitation and thrombolysis in two old patients with pulmonary embolism

The use of thrombolysis as an emergency treatment for cardiac arrest (CA) due to massive pulmonary embolism (MPE) has been described. However, there are no reports of successful treatment of MPE-associated CA in patients over 77 years of age. We report two cases of successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation for an MPE-associated CA in two very old women (87 and 86 years of age). In both cases, typical signs of MPE were documented using emergency echocardiography, which showed an acute right ventricle enlargement and a paradoxical movement of the interventricular septum. Emergency thrombolysis was administered during resuscitation, which lasted 45 and 21 min, respectively. Despite old age and prolonged resuscitation efforts, both patients had good neurological recovery and one of them was alive and neurologically intact 1 year later. Thrombolysis is a potentially useful therapy in MPE-associated CA. A good neurological outcome can be obtained even in very old patients and after prolonged resuscitation.
Some observations of caffeine-induced contracture of barnacle muscle fibers

Abstract Isometric tension measurements carried out on uncannulated, intact barnacle muscle fibers show that the minimal concentration of caffeine which produces contracture is 2mM and that which produces maximal tension is 30mM. Pretreatment of barnacle fibers with 3mM-caffeine renders these fibers less sensitive to a second challege e.g. with 30mM-caffeine, the amplitude of the contractile response being time-dependent. Caffeine-treated fibers fail to relax completely. Isotonic tension measurements indicate that the residual tension caused by caffeine is dose-dependent. Significantly, the tension caused by caffeine is independent of the external Ca 2+ .
The dimension of product spaces

The covering dimension of a product space can exceed the sum of the dimensions of its factors. A separable metric space X and a paracompact space Y are constructed such that dim X + dim Y = 0 < 1 = dim(X x Y). Related results are also discussed.
ESTERIFICATION AND TRANSESTERIFICATION ON TUNGSTATED ZIRCONIA: EFFECT OF CALCINATION TEMPERATURE

Abstract As part of ongoing efforts to investigate heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel synthesis, the catalytic activity of the strong solid acid tungstated zirconia (WZ) was studied for the esterification of acetic acid (in both the gas and liquid phase) and the transesterification of triacetin (a synthetic triglyceride in the liquid phase) with methanol. Acetic acid and triacetin were used as model compounds for free fatty acids (FFAs) and triglycerides, respectively. Complex mixtures of FFAs and triglycerides are typical biodiesel precursors found in unrefined vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste greases. The effect of calcination temperature (400–900 °C) on the catalytic properties of WZ was investigated with the goal of determining the optimum pretreatment temperature and increasing the understanding of the nature of the active sites for esterification and transesterification. Catalyst characterization by powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, TGA, elemental analysis, and total BET surface area allowed us to correlate the changes in catalyst physicochemical properties with calcination temperature. Ion-exchange/titration and NH3-TPD were used to characterize the number and strength of the acid sites. Esterification and transesterification rates (on a catalyst weight basis) increased with increasing surface WOx densities between 1.9 and 6.6 W-atoms nm−2 and then decreased for densities above 6.6 W-atoms nm−2. The growth of WO3 crystalline species resulted in lower esterification and transesterification rates, consistent with a decrease in the number of active sites. For the catalyst that exhibited the optimum catalytic activity (calcined at 800 °C), selective poisoning of the potential catalytic centers revealed that Bronsted sites play the major role in carrying out these reactions.
Coupling volume-of-fluid based interface reconstructions with the extended finite element method

We examine the coupling of the patterned-interface-reconstruction (PIR) algorithm with the extended finite element method (X-FEM) for general multi-material problems over structured and unstructured meshes. The coupled method offers the advantages of allowing for local, element-based reconstructions of the interface, and facilitates the imposition of discrete conservation laws. Of particular note is the use of an interface representation that is volume-of-fluid based, giving rise to a segmented interface representation that is not continuous across element boundaries. In conjunction with such a representation, we employ enrichment with the ridge function for treating material interfaces and an analog to Heaviside enrichment for treating free surfaces. We examine a series of benchmark problems that quantify the convergence aspects of the coupled method and examine the sensitivity to noise in the interface reconstruction. The fidelity of a remapping strategy is also examined for a moving interface problem.
Leucocyte-transforming agent from mononucleosis is ether-stable.

SEVERAL agents are known to transform human lymphocytes. Co-cultivation with lethally irradiated cells from Burkitt's lymphoma will transform lymphocytes but so will cell free filtrates prepared from lymphoid cells killed by radiation or by freeze-thawing1–9. Throat washing from several infectious mononucleosis patients also contained the lymphocyte transforming agent(s)10. Our study dealt with the transforming agents from mononucleosis and in particular with our discovery that the agents are not destroyed by ether. This discovery is unexpected and surprising because the transforming agents associated with other cell lines are believed to be the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpesvirus, the infectivity of which is destroyed by ether.
Rates of protein synthesis in the regenerating hypoglossal nucleus: Effects of testosterone treatment

Rates of protein synthesis (lCPSleu) along the entire rostral to caudal extent of the hypoglossal nucleus were determined in adult, female rats with the quantitative autoradiographicl-[1-14C]leucine method two and five weeks after unilateral hypoglossal axotomy with and without chronic treatment with testosterone. Rates of protein synthesis were increased on the axotomized side, and the increases were greater in the rostral portion of the nucleus at both time points examined. The effects of axotomy on lCPSleu were less at five weeks post-axotomy than at two weeks. In spite of the fact that testosterone has been shown to accelerate both the rate of outgrowth of regenerating cranial motor nerves (Kujawa et al., J. Neurosci. 11∶3898–3906, 1991) and the recovery of function (Kujawa et al., Exp. Neurol. 105∶80–85, 1989) and to attenuate the loss of neurons (Yu et al., Exp. Neurol. 80∶349–360, 1983) there were no effects of testosterone on 1CPSleu in the hypoglossal nucleus in either sham-operated or axotomized rats.
Solution structure of a single-domain thiosulfate sulfurtransferase from Arabidopsis thaliana

We describe the three-dimensional structure of the product of Arabidopsis thaliana gene At5g66040.1 as determined by NMR spectroscopy. This protein is categorized as single-domain sulfurtransferase and is annotated as a senescence-associated protein (sen1-like protein) and ketoconazole resistance protein (http://arabidopsis.org/info/genefamily/STR_genefamily.html). The sequence of At5g66040.1 is virtually identical to that of a protein from Arabidopsis found by others to confer ketoconazole resistance in yeast. Comparison of the three-dimensional structure with those in the Protein Data Bank revealed that At5g66040.1 contains an additional mobile β-hairpin not found in other rhodaneses that may function in binding specific substrates. This represents the first structure of a single-domain plant sulfurtransferase. The enzymatically active cysteine-containing domain belongs to the CDC25 class of phosphatases, sulfide dehydrogenases, and stress proteins such as senescence specific protein 1 in plants, PspE and GlpE in bacteria, and cyanide and arsenate resistance proteins. Versions of this domain that lack the active site cysteine are found in other proteins, such as phosphatases, ubiquitin hydrolases, and sulfuryltransferases.
Dynamic evolutionary pattern of α2-macroglobulin in a model organism, the zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Studies of alpha-2-macroglobulin (alpha(2)M), a universal protease inhibitor, have indicated that it plays a unique and critical role in the innate immune system of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. The distinctive mechanism of pathogen inhibition--through physical entrapment of the pathogen-derived protease--makes alpha(2)M an ideal candidate for molecular evolutionary analysis. Furthermore, recent studies revealed that the Osteichthyes are characterized by levels of alpha(2)M diversification that exceed those recorded in other animal groups. Our study of Danio rerio (zebrafish) indicated that (1) two distinct lineages of alpha(2)M and alpha(2)M-like isoforms exist and (2) at least some codons in the functional domains of alpha(2)M have been subjected to positive Darwinian selection. The findings of several hot-spots for nonsynonymous substitutions in the two functional domains such as bait region and receptor binding domain, suggest that host-immune selection have played a dominant role in these two genomic regions of alpha(2)M. The presence of two, non-monophyletic alpha(2)M lineages in zebrafish provides compelling evidence of an ancient gene duplication event. The accelerated rate of nucleotide substitution in the functional domains of alpha(2)M is consistent with similar observations of other immune system components.
Flow-Through Microcuvette for Fluorometric Determination of Chlorophyll

This paper describes a flow-through microcuvette for determination of chlorophyll with the Turner Designs model 10 fluorometer. The device approximately doubles the speed of repetitive chlorophyll determinations. With a single-standard calibration procedure, chlorophyll concentrations in the approximate range of 0.01-2.0 ug/mL (in solvent extracts) can be determined with a relative error of less than 3 percent.
Transient Separation Control Using Pulse-Combustion Actuation

The transitory response of the flow over a stalled, two-dimensional (NACA 4415) airfoil to pulsed actuation on time scales that are an order of magnitude shorter than the characteristic convective time scale is investigated experimentally (Re = 570, 000). Actuation is effected by momentary [O(1 ms)] pulsed jets that are generated by a spanwise array of combustion-based actuators integrated into the center section of the airfoil. The flowfield in the cross-stream plane above the airfoil and in its near wake is computed from multiple high-resolution particle image velocity images that are obtained phase locked to the actuation waveform and allow for tracking of vorticity concentrations. The brief actuation pulse leads to a remarkably strong transitory change in the circulation about the entire airfoil that is manifested by a severing of the separated vorticity layer and the subsequent shedding of a large-scale clockwise vortex that forms the separated flow domain. The clockwise severed vorticity layer that follows behind this detached vortex has a distinct sharp streamwise edge that grows and rolls up as the layer is advected along the surface. It is shown that the shedding of the severed vortex and the accumulation of surface vorticity are accompanied by a transitory increase in the magnitude of the circulation about the airfoil that lasts 8—10 convective time scales. The attached vorticity layer ultimately lifts off the surface in a manner that is reminiscent of dynamic stall, and the flow separates again.
Development of the basilar pons in the North American opossum: dendrogenesis and maturation of afferent and efferent connections.

The present study provides data on temporal factors that may play a role in the development of precerebellar-cerebellar circuits in the North American opossum. In this study the basilar pons and cerebellum are analyzed from birth, 12–13 days after conception, to approximately postnatal day (PD) 80 at which time the brainstem and cerebellum have a mature histological appearance. In Nissl preparations, the basilar pons was first seen at PD 7 as a small cluster of tightly packed cells. Analysis of Golgi impregnations revealed that dendritic growth occurred between PD 25–80. During this period, dendrites gradually increased in length and in the complexity of their branching pattern. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was placed into the cerebellar and cerebral cortices in order to examine the development of efferent and afferent projections of the basilar pons, respectively. Evidence for the growth of pontine axons into the cerebellum was first detected on PD 17. Neurons located dorsally within the basilar pons appear to be the first neurons retrogradely labeled with horseradish peroxidase. By PD 27 retrogradely labeled neurons are found throughout the basilar pons. Afferent fibers from the cerebral cortex are not seen within the neuropil of the nucleus until after PD 25 and by PD 29, they have greatly expanded their terminal fields. Degeneration techniques reveal that afferent fibers from the cerebellum arrive by PD 19 and increase in number until PD 30 when their adult distribution is achieved. These data suggest that the time of afferent arrival from the cerebral cortex and deep cerebellar nuclei is closely correlated in time with the initiation of dendritic maturation and the outgrowth of pontocerebellar axons. Afferent axons from the cerebral cortex and deep cerebellar nuclei reach the basilar pons and afferents from the basilar pons grow into the cerebellum when the dendrites of the respective target neurons are very immature. Thus, the time of axon arrival in these circuits may be an important factor in determining their synaptic location on individual neurons. The data derived from the present study is compared to those obtained in previous studies on the inferior olive. The results of this comparison provide evidence for a similar sequence of events, but a differential timetable for the development of specific connections within precerebellar-cerebellar circuits.
Testing the radiometric accuracy of Fourier transform infrared transmittance measurements.

We have investigated the ordinate scale accuracy of ambient temperature transmittance measurements made with a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometer over the wavelength range of 2–10 µm. Two approaches are used: (1) measurements of Si wafers whose index of refraction are well known from 2 to 5 µm, in which case the FT-IR result is compared with calculated values; (2) comparison of FT-IR and laser transmittance measurements at 3.39 and 10.6 µm on nominally neutral-density filters that are free of etaloning effects. Various schemes are employed to estimate and reduce systematic error sources in both the FT-IR and laser measurements, and quantitative uncertainty analyses are performed.
Development of an evolved gas-time-of-flight mass spectrometer for the Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR) instrument

Abstract Low power, robust technologies are appealing for in situ planetary science throughout the Solar System. The VAPoR (Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith) instrument is under development toward studying soil composition, volatiles, and trapped noble gases in the polar regions of the Moon and on the surface of other airless bodies. VAPoR will ingest a soil sample and conduct analysis by pyrolysis and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ToF-MS). Two components of the system have been characterized in parallel development: a field-tested sample heater design and a laboratory-based time-of-flight mass spectrometer that emphasizes reduced mass and power through the use of micro- and nanotechnology. The pyrolysis field unit, vacuum-coupled to a commercial residual gas analyzer, has been used in Hawaii to analyze Mauna Kea soils. Water was detected, as were key inorganic pyrolysis products, including CO2 and SO2, and organic volatiles, including methane, benzene, toluene, and various hydrocarbon fragments. In parallel development, a laboratory reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been designed, assembled, and tested using electron impact ionization from a carbon nanotube electron gun. Preliminary testing reveals a mass resolution of 270.
Another look at the australopithecine hip

Abstract The climbing ability and locomotor efficiency of australopithecine species, particularlyAustralopithecus afarensis, remain controversial despite decades of research. The hip joint is an informative area of anatomy in this regard: determination of relative hip mobility contributes significantly to reconstructing climbing ability, because a mobile hip joint is useful in navigating discontinuous arboreal substrates. This study quantified the distribution of subchondral bone on the femoral head and/or acetabulum inA. afarensis,Australopithecus africanusandAustralopithecus robustus and used it to infer range of movement and loading environment at the hip. Animation of three-dimensional computer models was used to estimate maximum range of abduction for one completeA. afarensiship (AL 288-1). All of the hominid species had a preponderance of articular surface on the anterior aspect of the femoral head, a morphology associated with moderate hip mobility, and a more adducted femur. Although there was variation in the degree of development of this trait, all of the hominids differed fromPanwhich has a femoral articular surface which is distributed uniformly about the fovea capitis. The cranial acetabular articular surface of early hominids was expanded, with the exception of AL 288-1, which did not possess the same degree of cranial acetabular development. Greater cranial expansion in the acetabulum ofA. robustusas compared withA. afarensismay be indicative of a greater habituation to the cranially directed forces generated by bipedal gait. However, despite evidence for variation in the pattern of bipedal hip use among australopithecines, three-dimensional simulations of posture and maximum abduction indicate that AL 288-1 had an adducted hip and a limited range of abduction, similar to modern humans and less than chimpanzees and some monkeys. Limited hip abduction probably reflects a diminished ability to climb and cross substrate gaps using the hindlimb, alternatively, it may signify that climbing kinematics inA. afarensisdiffered from that of non-human anthropoids.
Is Everything A World

This paper discusses “inclusionism” in the context of David Lewis’s modal realism (and in the context of parasitic accounts of modality such as\ John Divers’s agnosticism about possible worlds). This is the doctrine that everything is a world. I argue that this doctrine would be beneficial to Divers-style agnosticism; that it suggests a reconfiguration of the concept of actuality in modal realism; and finally that it suffers from an as-yet unsolved difficulty, the problem of the unmarried husbands. This problem also shows that Stephen Yablo’s analysis of “intrinsic” is inadequate.
Differential gene expression in the brain of channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus) in response to cold acclimation.

Aquatic ectotherms can adapt to a wide range of temperature changes, but the molecular mechanisms that underlie this adaptability are not well understood. We identified genes that are differentially expressed in the catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) brain using a cDNA microarray approach to gain an initial understanding of adaptation to low temperature. Among 660 genes analyzed, 61 were differentially expressed when compared at 12°C and 24°C. Gene induction was rapid, occurring within 2 h of the temperature shift. The major categories of differentially expressed genes included (1) genes for chaperones such as Hsp70 and Hsp70/Hsp90 organizing protein; (2) genes for transcription factors and gene products involved in signal transduction pathways such as zinc-finger proteins, calmodulin kinase inhibitor, the nuclear autoantigen SG2NA, interferon regulatory factor 3, and inorganic pyrophosphatase; (3) genes involved in lipid metabolism such as TB2 and acyl CoA binding protein; and (4) genes involved in the translational machinery such as ribosomal proteins. Some genes were induced transiently, whereas others were induced in an enduring fashion. Several genes, primarily ribosomal protein genes, were down regulated, indicating reduced metabolic activities after extended incubation at the low temperature. Thus channel catfish respond to low temperature by adjusting expression of a large number of genes. The rapid induction of proteins involved in signal transductions and chaperones suggests that both de novo synthesis of cold-induced proteins and modification of existing proteins are required for adaptation and tolerance of catfish to low environmental temperature.
An overtraining-reversal effect with differential avoidance conditioning in rabbits

Two groups were formed from a large sample of rabbits used as subjects in ongoing studies of the neural correlates of discriminative avoidance conditioning and reversal. The members of one group (N = 9) received conditioning to criterion, whereas members of the second group (N = 9) received conditioning to criterion followed by three sessions of overtraining. All subjects received 5 days of reversal training. The groups were matched for mean number of sessions to the acquisition criterion. The CS+ and CS− were pure tones which differed in frequency, and the UCS was shock delivered through the grid floor of a rotating wheel apparatus. The response was locomotion within the wheel. The overtrained group showed a significantly greater discrimination appropriate to the reversal problem than did the nonovertrained group on Day 5 of reversal training. This result indicates that an overtraining reversal effect (ORE) occurs in the context of acoustically cued, aversively motivated discriminative avoidance behavior of rabbits.
Role of acetaldehyde in the ethanol-induced impairment of hepatic glycoprotein secretion in the rat In vivo

Ethanol administration inhibits hepatic protein and glycoprotein secretion. Previous studies have shown that the metabolism of ethanol is required for this effect. Experiments were designed to determine whether acetaldehyde, the first metabolite of ethanol oxidation, mediated the ethanol-induced secretory defect in rats with normal and stimulated (inflammation-induced) rates of hepatic protein secretion. This study used cyanamide, an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor, to correlate enhanced acetaldehyde levels with an increased ethanol-induced inhibition of hepatic protein secretion. Inflammation was induced by turpentine 24 hr prior to cyanamide (5 mg per kg body weight) or saline pretreatment. Nonfasted rats were intragastrically gavaged with ethanol (4 to 6 gm per kg body weight) or isocaloric glucose 1 hr following pretreatment. [3H]Fucose and/or [14C]leucine were injected intravenously 2 hr following intubation. With elevated levels of acetaldehyde, the ethanol-induced impairment of secretion of labeled proteins and their parallel retention in the liver were markedly potentiated.During inflammation, this inhibition of secretion by ethanol was maintained and further increased with cyanamide pretreatment. These results indicate that the ethanol-induced impairment of hepatic glycoprotein secretion is mediated by acetaldehyde in both normal and inflammation-stimulated animals.
Late Pleistocene California droughts during deglaciation and Arctic warming

Abstract Recent studies document the synchronous nature of shifts in North Atlantic regional climate, the intensity of the East Asian monsoon, and productivity and precipitation in the Cariaco Basin during the last glacial and deglacial period. Yet questions remain as to what climate mechanisms influenced continental regions far removed from the North Atlantic and beyond the direct influence of the inter-tropical convergence zone. Here, we present U-series calibrated stable isotopic and trace element time series for a speleothem from Moaning Cave on the western slope of the central Sierra Nevada, California that documents changes in precipitation that are approximately coeval with Greenland temperature changes for the period 16.5 to 8.8 ka. From 16.5 to 10.6 ka, the Moaning Cave stalagmite proxies record drier and possibly warmer conditions, signified by elevated δ 18 O, δ 13 C, [Mg], [Sr], and [Ba] and more radiogenic 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, during Northern Hemisphere warm periods (Bolling, early and late Allerod) and wetter and possibly colder conditions during Northern Hemisphere cool periods (Older Dryas, Inter-Allerod Cold Period, and Younger Dryas). Moaning Cave stable isotope records indicate that wet conditions persisted in this area well beyond 11.5 ka, suggesting the effects of the Younger Dryas event may have been longer lived in the western Sierra Nevada than in Greenland. However, a shifting drip center and corresponding change in seepage water routing may have influenced the trace element records between 10.6 and 9.6 ka. Linkages between northern high-latitude climate and precipitation in the Sierra Nevada suggested here could indicate that, under conditions of continued global warming, this drought-prone region may experience a reduction in Pacific-sourced moisture.
Thermionic emission from phosphorus (P) doped diamond nanocrystals supported by conical carbon nanotubes and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy study of P-doped diamond films

Materials with low work function values (< 2 eV) are highly in demand for low temperature thermionic electron emission, which is a key phenomenon for waste heat recovery applications. Here we present the work function reduction of phosphorus (P) doped (i) diamond nanocrystals grown on conical carbon nanotubes (CCNTs) and (ii) diamond films grown on silicon substrates. Thermionic emission measurements from phosphorus doped diamond crystals on CCNTs resulted in a work function value of 2.23 eV. The CCNTs provide the conducting backbone for the P-doped diamond nanocrystals and the reduced work-function is interpreted as due to the presence of midband-gap state and no evidence for negative electron affinity was seen. However, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy studies on phosphorus doped diamond films yielded a work function value of ~ 1.8 eV with a negative electron affinity (NEA) value of 1.2 eV. Detailed band diagrams are presented to support the observed values for both cases.
A wideband circularly polarized microstrip patch antenna for 5–6-GHz wireless LAN applications

A wideband slotted circularly polarized (CP) patch antenna is introduced for 5–6-GHz WLAN applications. A small 14.6 × 14.6 mm square patch on Duroid 5880 substrate can provide a return-loss bandwidth of 11% and an axial-ratio bandwidth of 8% with a single feed. A possible reconfigurable design achievable using PIN diode or MEMS switches capable of left-hand or right-hand circular polarization is also introduced. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 45: 279–285, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20796
Acoustic communications and navigation under Arctic ice

Initial results of experiments performed under Arctic ice have shown that acoustic communications and navigation can be performed on scales of 10–100 km using relatively inexpensive and compact hardware. Measurements of the impulse response at ranges of 10 and 75 km reveal extensive scatter and both resolvable and unresolvable rays. Phase coherent communication using adaptive equalization was successful up to ranges of 70–90 km at data rates of 5–10 b/s. As the SNR drops to levels too low for phase coherent communication, short FM sweeps (5–10 s), are shown to provide sufficient gain to provide lower rate communications and also support navigation.
Exploring New Paths in Language Pedagogy: Lexis and Corpus‐Based Language Teaching edited by MORENO JAÉN, MARÍA, FERNANDO SERRANO VALVERDE, & MARÍA CALZADA PÉREZ

The article reviews the book “Exploring New Paths in Language Pedagogy: Lexis and Corpus-Based Language Teaching," edited by Maria Moreno Jaen, Fernando Serrano Valverde, and Maria Calzada Perez, part of the Equinox English Language and English Language Teaching Series.
A Novel Presentation of Addison's Disease: Hypoglycemia Unawareness(HU) in an Adolescent with Type I Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) 411

A Novel Presentation of Addison's Disease: Hypoglycemia Unawareness(HU) in an Adolescent with Type I Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) 411
Age at focal epilepsy onset varies by sex and hemispheric lateralization.

Background: Previous studies have shown that interictal epileptiform discharges favor the left hemisphere in adults but the right side in children up until age 5. This may be due to sex-influenced asymmetric brain maturation. To clarify this relationship, the authors analyzed age at epilepsy onset by sex and by lateralization of epileptiform activity. Methods: An adult epilepsy center long-term monitoring database was used to define patients with exclusively unilateral epileptiform findings. Three groups were studied: any epileptiform activity (n = 404), ictal activity (n = 287), and interictal activity (n = 265). The second and third groups were drawn from the first group and the second and third groups overlapped with each other. Side of lateralized finding and sex were analyzed via factorial two-way analysis of variance with the outcome variable being age at epilepsy onset. Comparison analysis included patients with generalized epilepsy (n = 114), nonepileptic seizures (NES, n = 232), and surgical mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS, n = 116). Results: Patients with unilateral epileptiform activity displayed bimodal epilepsy onset ages with infant and adolescent peaks. For patients with a right-sided focus, epilepsy onset was earlier in men (14.4 years) than women (20.7 years). In contrast, among patients with a left-sided focus, epilepsy began earlier in women (18.2 years) than men (19.9 years, p p p = 0.01). Patients with surgical MTS, NES, or generalized seizure showed no similar patterns. Conclusions: In adult patients with focal epilepsy, sex and lateralized epileptiform abnormalities may be related to age at epilepsy onset.
Modification of CETP function by changing its substrate preference: A new paradigm for CETP drug design

We previously determined that hamster cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), unlike human CETP, promotes a novel one-way transfer of TG from VLDL to HDL, causing HDL to gain lipid. We hypothesize that this nonreciprocal lipid transfer activity arises from the usually high TG/cholesteryl ester (CE) substrate preference of hamster CETP. Consistent with this, we report here that ∼25% of the total lipid transfer promoted by the human Q199A CETP mutant, which prefers TG as substrate, is nonreciprocal transfer. Other human CETP mutants with TG/CE substrate preferences higher or lower than wild-type also possess nonreciprocal lipid transfer activity. Mutants with high TG/CE substrate preference promote the nonreciprocal lipid transfer of TG from VLDL to HDL, but mutants with low TG/CE substrate preference promote the nonreciprocal lipid transfer of CE, not TG, and this lipid flow is in the reverse direction (from HDL to VLDL). Anti-CETP TP2 antibody alters the TG/CE substrate preference of CETP and also changes the extent of nonreciprocal lipid transfer, showing the potential for externally acting agents to modify the transfer properties of CETP. Overall, these data show that the lipid transfer properties of CETP can be manipulated. Function-altering pharmaceuticals may offer a novel approach to modify CETP activity and achieve specific modifications in lipoprotein metabolism.
Quenching of *UF6 (A state) by alkanes

The removal of *UF/sub 6/ (A state) molecules by selected alkanes has been investigated at 25/sup 0/C. The following rate constants (units of 10/sup 11/ l/mol . sec) were evaluated: iso-C/sub 4/F/sub 10/, 0.0432 +- 0.0115; n-C/sub 4/F/sub 10/, 0.0764 +- 0.020; C/sub 2/F/sub 6/, 0.0192 +- 0.0052; CH/sub 4/, 0.0612 +- 0.0061; C/sub 2/H/sub 6/, 3.78 +- 0.60; C/sub 3/H/sub 8/, 5.08 +- 0.60; n-C/sub 4/H/sub 10/, 5.05 +- 0.78; iso-C/sub 4/H/sub 10/, 4.17 +- 1.15; neo-C/sub 5/H/sub 12/, 6.59 +- 0.93; CF/sub 3/-CH/sub 3/, 0.0385 +- 0.0056; CF/sub 2/H-CF/sub 2/H, 0.0729 +- 0.0074; and CF/sub 2/H-CFH/sub 2/, 0.149 +- 0.015. The perfluoro-alkane quenching of *UF/sub 6/ proceeds via a physical mechanism. The other alkane quenching reactions are consistent with a chemical mechanism also contributing in varying degrees which may involve removal of two hydrogens from the alkane. 3 figures, 1 table.
Who Theorises Age

The question ‘Who theorises age?’ is meant to draw attention to the everyday theorising about age and ageing engaged by ordinary men and women, which, it is argued, has striking parallels with the theoretical products of professional peers. Following a discussion of some phenomenological features of conventional theorising in the field of ageing, the process of ordinary theorising is illustrated from observational and narrative data gathered in a variety of human service institutions, home settings and small groups. Implications of the parallels for understanding the relation between ‘theory’ and ‘data’ are addressed and a programme suggested for linking ageing, gerontology, and the humanities.
Doing business in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest market in the Arabian Gulf region and, despite current political and economic uncertainties, offers investors and exporters many opportunities in a wide variety of business sectors. Key factors driving economic policy include the desire to reduce the dependence on oil, and the need to provide jobs, housing, and services to citizens in a time of rapid population growth. The foreign investment law of 2000 significantly changed the rules for foreign investors, permitting 100% ownership of projects. There is a streamlined foreign investment application process with various investment incentives. Important policies are privatization, economic diversification (such as the development of a tourism sector), and the education and training of Saudi workers. Although lifestyle in the kingdom is ultramodern and high-tech, Saudi Arabia is an extremely conservative country and many of its citizens desire to preserve their religious values and ancient traditions. The Saudi culture is influenced by two dimensions: Islam and the Bedouin tradition. Foreign executives doing business in Saudi Arabia must be prepared to conduct thorough preliminary research, visit the kingdom regularly, show genuine concern for Saudi development goals and culture, be patient in business negotiations, and adapt carefully to the Saudi environment. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neglect in children.

Child neglect is by far the most common form of child maltreatment. Approximately two-thirds of reports to child protective services involve neglect. Per a community survey in 2006, the frequency of neglect is 30.6 per 1,000 children, with lower rates of 6.5, 2.4, and 4.1 for physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, respectively. Language: en
Fundamental and accidental symmetries

The Standard Model of elementary particle physics distinguishes between fundamental and accidental symmetries. The distinction is not based on empirical features of the symmetry, nor on a metaphysical notion of necessity. A symmetry is fundamental to the extent that other aspects of nature depend on it, and it is recognized as fundamental by its being theoretically well-connected. This paper clarifies the concept of what it is to be fundamental in this sense, and suggests broader implications for the analysis of scientific knowledge.
Mode of action of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and other phenols in preventing loss of 11β-hydroxylase activity in cultured bovine adrenocortical cells

When cultured bovine adrenocortical cells are incubated with cortisol, or other steroids that are pseudosubstrates for 11 beta-hydroxylase (cytochrome P-45011 beta), the activity of the enzyme decreases. In previous experiments, three substances were shown to protect 11 beta-hydroxylase against loss of enzymatic activity in the presence of pseudosubstrates:BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole,2(3)-tert-butyl-4-methoxyphenol), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and metyrapone. The present experiments examine the protective effects of several phenolic analogs of BHA in this system, and compare their activities to that of DMSO and metyrapone. When a variety of analogs of BHA were tested for their abilities to prevent loss of 11 beta-hydroxylase activity in cultured adrenocortical cells incubated with 50 microM cortisol for 24 hr, phenol itself was found to be about equipotent with BHA. Addition of methyl, methoxy and benzyl groups to phenol did not diminish protective activity of the compound, but addition of one and particularly two tert-butyl groups greatly diminished activity. Thus, BHT(2,6-di-t-butyl-4-methylphenol) was inactive, in contrast to BHA. The hydroxy group of phenol was essential since benzene and fluorobenzene were inactive. Compounds with multiple hydroxyl groups were not as active as phenol itself, with the exception of catechol. No products of phenol formed during incubations of cells with cortisol were detected by high performance liquid chromatography. Estimated EC50 values for protection of 11 beta-hydroxylase by phenols were about 100 microM, whereas the EC50 values for dimethyl sulfoxide and metyrapone were 10 mM and 300 nM respectively. On a semilogarithmic plot, the dose-response curves for all these compounds were approximately parallel. To aid in determining the mechanism of protection of 11 beta-hydroxylase, phenols and DMSO were tested for prevention of loss of 11 beta-hydroxylase activity at three different oxygen concentrations (2, 5, and 19% O2). Lowering the oxygen concentration itself resulted in a small diminution of the loss of 11 beta-hydroxylase. Phenols and dimethyl sulfoxide were more effective at low oxygen and less effective in air. Because the cytochrome P-450 inhibitor metyrapone was found previously to be very effective in protecting 11 beta-hydroxylase against loss of activity, we examined whether phenols and dimethyl sulfoxide may act by directly inhibiting 11 beta-hydroxylase activity. In a 1-hr incubation with cells, BHA, phenol, and dimethyl sulfoxide all inhibited 11 beta-hydroxylase, but at concentrations that ranged from 4- to greater than 100-fold higher than those required for protection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Offset acetabular components introduce torsion on the implant and may increase the risk of fixation failure.

Loading of an offset acetabular component causes torsion on the implant around the center of the reamed acetabular bed. A mechanical analysis was performed to determine this torsional moment. A 70 kg person walking normally on a well-positioned, 4-mm offset acetabular component will produce torsion on the prosthesis of approximately 3.86 Nm. A 10-mm offset increases the applied torsion to 9.65 Nm. Vertical placement of the cup further increases this torsion. These torsional moments are comparable to moments shown to cause failure of the initial interference fit of cementless acetabular components in vitro. If using an offset cementless acetabular component, one should initially limit weight bearing and consider using pegs or screws to augment fixation and minimize the risk of interference fit failure.
Energy extraction for a self-energized pressure sensor

With the prolific use of sensors for manufacturing process monitoring, proper power supply and installation scheme has assumed an increasingly central role. Cable-based sensor powering, while commonly used on the factory floor, faces various real-world constraints. It is desirable that the power required by the sensors be "extracted" from the process being monitored itself to enable "self-energized" sensing. Such a novel design for a wireless pressure sensor for injection molding process monitoring is presented in this paper. The focus is on the energy extraction mechanism from the pressure transients exerted by the polymer melt during the injection molding process to power a piezoelectric signal transmitter, which digitally reconstructs the polymer melt pressure profile. An analytical model examining the energy conversion mechanism due to interactions between the mechanical strain and the electric field developed within the energy extraction device is first established. Using a coupled-field analysis, a numerical model is then developed to evaluate the electromechanical properties dependent upon the geometric effects of the energy extraction device. The two models are then compared with experimental results obtained from a functional prototype to evaluate the relevance of the assumptions made and the modeling accuracy. Preliminary experimental results describing the integration of the energy extraction device with the ultrasonic transmitter and the subsequent transmission of pressure information acoustically through a block of steel are also presented. The presented design introduces a new generation of self-energized sensors that can be employed for the condition monitoring of a wide range of high-energy manufacturing processes.
On testing equality of variances of correlated variates with incomplete data

A test due to Bhoj (1979) for testing the hypothesis of equality of the variances with incomplete data is modified so that the approximate formula for finding optimal weights can be obtained. The empirical powers of this test are compared with those of other known statistics. The comparison suggests that the test is to be preferred to Ekbohm's (1982) statistic based on weighted combinations of the available sums of squares.
Viral nephropathies: core curriculum 2008.

Establishing a direct causative relationsh etween a virus and a specific kidney dise ften is problematic. Documenting a pathog etic role for a specific virus typically invo emonstration of viral antigens and host antib es in blood and/or kidney tissue. Simply do enting a virus or viral particles in the ki oes not prove causation because viral partic ay be present without clinical disease. Viru re most specifically identified with glomeru iseases, but they also have been associated w he development of tubulointerstitial disease, v ulitis, and other renal manifestations. So irus infections cause kidney diseases in indivi ls with previously normal immune systems mmune systems impaired as a result of the v nfection (ie, human immunodeficiency vir HIV]), whereas others cause disease primar n previously immunocompromised hosts, ie, he result of transplant immunosuppression. K ey disease can also occur indirectly as the r f systemic consequences of a virus infecti uch as with hepatorenal syndrome, multiorg ailure caused by an overwhelming viral inf ion; rhabdomyolysis; or treatment of a vi nfection.
Sequence, structural, functional, and phylogenetic analyses of three glycosidase families.

Abstract ABSTRACT: Glycosidases, which cleave the glycosidic bond between a carbohydrate and another moiety, have been classified into over 63 families. Here, a variety of computational techniques have been employed to examine three families important in normal and abnormal pathology with the aim of developing a framework for future homology modeling, experimental and other studies. Family 1 includes bacterial and archaeal enzymes as well as lactase phlorizin-hydrolase and klotho, glycosidases implicated in disaccharide intolerance II and aging respectively. A statistical model, a hidden Markov model (HMM), for the family 1 glycosidase domain was trained and used as the basis for comparative examination of the conserved and variable sequence and structural features as well as the phylogenetic relationships between family members. Although the structures of four family 1 glycosidases have been determined, this is the first comparative examination of all these enzymes. Aspects that are unique to specific members or subfamilies (substrate binding loops) as well those common to all members (a (β/α)8barrel fold) have been defined. Active site residues in some domains in klotho and lactase-phlorizin hydrolases differ from other members and in one instance may bind but not cleave substrate. The four invariant and most highly conserved residues are not residues implicated in catalysis and/or substrate binding. Of these, a histidine may be involved in transition state stabilization. Glucosylceramidase (family 30) and galactosylceramidase (family 59) are mutated in the lysosomal storage disorders Gaucher disease and Krabbe disease, respectively. HMM-based analysis, structure prediction studies and examination of disease mutations reveal a glycosidase domain common to these two families that also occurs in some bacterial glycosidases. Similarities in the reactions catalyzed by families 30 and 59 are reflected in the presence of a structurally and functionally related (β/α)8barrel fold related to that in family 1.