cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IT Culture and BPM Adoption in Organizations.

The present study investigates the relationship between IT organizational culture type and Business Process Management adoption in organizations implementing IT solutions. Specifically, the study investigates how the success of BPM adoption varies by organizational culture type. The target population consisted of IT resources who work in the United States at organizations with at least 50 employees and who have participated in the development and implementation of a BPM initiative involving an IT solution within the last two years. A survey was conducted with 157 anonymous participants representing the target population. The study found the highest level of BPM adoption success was with the adhocracy culture type compared to the market and hierarchy culture types. There is a significant positive correlation between the adhocracy culture type and BPM adoption as measured by BPO. There is also a significant negative correlation between the market culture type and BPM adoption as measured by BPO and PPI. The insights gained by this study can help practitioners make informed decisions on their BPM adoption approach within their IT community and scholars in future research on the relationship between organizational culture and BPM.
Effect of Intraoperative Multidimensional Fluoroscopy Versus Conventional Fluoroscopy on Syndesmotic Reduction.

Background:Despite multiple techniques to improve syndesmotic reduction accuracy, syndesmotic malreduction in unstable ankle fractures remains prevalent. We performed a prospective, observational s...
Education Contracts of Adhesion in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Stuck inside our house with our young children during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a newfound appreciation for the vital role that elementary, middle, and high schools play in youth development and the successful functioning of both the home and workplace. At this moment, primary and secondary (K-12) schools and local school districts in the United States hold the key to workforce re-entry for parents. These school systems are positioned to impose an exacting price if they re-open for in-person instruction. Some are doing so by attempting to shift legal responsibility for student campus safety to parents using a device that we call an “education contract of adhesion.” Grounded in terms that are non-negotiable and arcane, this device demands that parents waive their rights to bring suit if their minor children become ill or die due to COVID-19 acquired through school participation. In this article, we examine this device, we call it the “education contract of adhesion,” in the context of K-12 public and private schools re-opening partially or fully residentially during the current pandemic. Our hope is that this essay will bring greater attention to the problematic dynamic that “education contracts of adhesion” pose in this context; in general, a “contract of adhesion” describes so-called “contracts” prepared by one party, to be signed by the party in a weaker position, with the weaker party having little to no choice about the terms. We see these “education contracts of adhesion” as driven by motives in conflict with the core, traditional, and advertised aims of school: to nurture and cultivate students and to prepare them to become members of a liberal democracy facing serious and growing threats from authoritarian forces, both private and public.
Synergy of chemotherapy and macrophage depletion leads to T cell memory activation and durable triple negative breast cancer regression

Abstract Immunosuppressive elements within the tumor microenvironment such as Tumor Associated Macrophages (TAMs) can present a barrier to successful anti-tumor responses by cytolytic T cells. We employed preclinical syngeneic p53 null mouse models of TNBC to develop a treatment regimen that harnessed the immunostimulatory effects of low-dose chemotherapy coupled with the pharmacologic inhibition of TAMs. Combination therapy was used to successfully treat several highly aggressive, claudin-low murine mammary tumors and lung metastasis. Long-term responders developed tertiary lymphoid structures co-infiltrated by T and B cells at the treatment site. Mechanistically, CD86+ antigen-experienced T cells exhibited polyclonal expansion and resulted in exceptional responses upon tumor rechallenge. Combination treatment also eliminated lung metastases. High dimensional transcriptomic data for CD45+ immune cells lead to the identification of an aberrant developmental trajectory for TAMs that were resistant to treatment. Signatures derived from these TAM populations were predictive of patient response to our therapy. This study illustrates the complexity of tumor infiltrating myeloid cells and highlights the importance of personalized immuno-genomics to inform therapeutic regimens. Statement of significance Triple negative breast cancer is aggressive and hard to treat as it has no targeted therapies. Targeting immunosuppressive macrophages in murine models of TNBC alongside an immunostimulatory chemotherapy achieved long-term primary tumor regression in multiple murine mouse models. The transcriptomic heterogeneity between TAMs in phenotypically similar models can be used to uncover future therapeutic targets. Additionally, signatures derived from these murine models can be applied to TNBC patient data sets to predict cohorts of patients that will respond to the treatment strategy.
Effects of Diverse STEM Role Model Videos in Promoting Adolescents’ Identification

Role models are critical for broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); however, little is known about STEM role model characteristics most likely to promote identification. This study focused on adolescents’ preferences and identification with diverse STEM role models featured in online videos. Findings from a quantitative analysis of adolescents from a suburban community in the Midwest of the USA showed that same-sex and same-race STEM role models did not affect preference. Post hoc analysis indicated that students rated STEM role models who were established or early in their careers and fictitious STEM role model characters higher than portrayals of famous STEM professionals. Students rated role models who were female, non-white higher than female, white and male, non-white, but students did not rate them differently than male, white characters. Students rated female, white characters equivalently to male, non-white characters but lower than male, white characters. Lastly, male, white characters were rated higher than male, non-white characters. Findings from the qualitative analysis of adolescents’ written reflections found identification with STEM role models who challenged gender and racial/ethnic STEM stereotypes, pursued interesting hobbies, and worked in STEM fields perceived as interesting. Implications for educators and media practitioners are discussed.
Geometric triangulations of a family of hyperbolic 3-braids

We construct topological triangulations for complements of $(-2,3,n)$-pretzel knots and links with $n\ge7$. Following a procedure outlined by Futer and Gueritaud, we use a theorem of Casson and Rivin to prove the constructed triangulations are geometric. Futer, Kalfagianni, and Purcell have shown (indirectly) that such braids are hyperbolic. The new result here is a direct proof.
Staging for prostate cancer: time to incorporate pretreatment prostate-specific antigen and Gleason score?

BACKGROUND. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for prostate cancer is based primarily based on clinical tumor (T) classification. In this article, the authors summarize arguments for incorporating additional pretreatment parameters and creating a new staging system for prostate cancer. METHODS. Men with localized prostate cancer who received treatment with external beam radiation alone were analyzed using the 1997 AJCC staging system compared with a system that included pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (pPSA) level and Gleason score (GS). Multivariate analyses using a Cox proportional-hazards model were carried out to evaluate T classification, GS, and pPSA as predictors of overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and freedom from PSA failure (FFPF). RESULTS. Based on pretreatment characteristics in a series of contemporary patients, only 0.6% of patients were classified with AJCC stage I disease, 16.0% were classified with AJCC stage III disease, and 83.4% were classified with AJCC stage II disease. Multivariate analyses indicated the independent statistical significance of T classification, GS, and pPSA in predicting OS, DSS, and FFPF (model chi-square value, P < .0001 for each). Using these 3 predictors, subsets of patients who had similar outcomes were combined to provide examples of the insensitivity of the AJCC system for predicting outcomes. Incorporating pPSA and GS allowed the identification of differences in OS, DSS, and FFPF for subsets of patients with AJCC stage II disease (P < .0001, P = .005, and P < .0001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS. The current AJCC staging system does not divide contemporary patients with prostate cancer into prognostic subgroups and does not identify patients who have comparable biochemical control and survival. The AJCC staging system for prostate cancer should be changed to incorporate pPSA, GS, and risk stratification. Cancer 2007. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Effects of Vitamin E Deficiency on the Relative Incorporation of 14C-Arachidonate into Platelet Lipids of Rabbits

THe potential influence of vitamin E in vivo on the transformation of 14C-arachidonate (14C-ArA) in washed platelets from vitamin E-depleted, pair-fed control and ad libitum-fed control rabbits was investigated. We considered rabbits vitamin E-depleted when their plasma total tocopherol levels were less than 50% of initial values. By week 7 deficient rabbits exhibited significantly lower (p less than 0.01) plasma and platelet tocopherol levels and significantly higher (p less than 0.01) urinary creatine:creatinine ratios than those of controls. Thrombin treatment of platelet suspensions that were previously incubated with 14C-ArA resulted in significantly greater (P less than 0.05) losses of radiolabel from phospholipids (PL) and significantly greater (P less than 0.05) 14C incorporation into prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) fractions from deficient animals than those of either control group. The significantly greater (P less than 0.05) losses in lipid phosphorus content of phosphatidylcholine (PC) fractions corroborated the significantly diminished (P less than 0.05) radiolabel detected in the PC fraction of deficient animals with thrombin activation. Such findings suggest an enhancement of thrombin-induced phospholipase A2 (PLPA) activity in platelets of vitamin E-deficient rabbits compared to that of controls.
Anticipatory and preemptive self-defense in cyberspace: The challenge of imminence

As the potential for disastrous consequences from cyber threats increases in prevalence, the speed which such cyber threats can occur presents new challenges to understandings of self-defense. This paper first examines the cyber threats nations could face. It next looks at existing concepts of self-defense with particular focus on anticipatory and preemptive self-defense, and then moves to a review of the underlying criteria which govern the right to resort to such actions. As will be shown, definitions for anticipatory and preemptive self-defense are less useful than an understanding of the actual criteria that must be met to justify their use. These criteria include necessity and proportionality, and for anticipatory and preemptive actions, imminence. The paper will turn this review to the cyber context, first examining how cyber operations are conducted, and then applying the self-defense criteria to the cyber domain. As will be shown, the most critical legal challenge in this analysis will be the determination of an imminent threat. Imminence in the cyber domain must not be tied to a strict temporal analysis, but should accommodate a broader window of opportunity approach, which in turn must give consideration to the likelihood that a victim State may not always know the intent of an adversary who implants malicious malware on the victim State's critical infrastructure. Using a hypothetical case, the paper will evaluate potential decision making for a State facing a potential cyber threat. In conclusion, the paper will show that an understanding of the process for determining a right to anticipatory or preemptive self-defense must be considered by a cyber actor conducting cyber operations on a potential adversary's systems to help ensure such actors do not inadvertently give their adversary a reasonable basis to determine that an attack is imminent.
Partial characterization of the major lipooligosaccharide from a strain of Haemophilus ducreyi, the causative agent of chancroid, a genital ulcer disease.

Abstract The first preliminary structure of a surface lipooligosaccharide from Haemophilus ducreyi has been determined. The major oligosaccharide was released by mild acid hydrolysis and analyzed by liquid secondary ion and tandem mass spectrometry. The mass spectral data combined with composition and methylation analysis yielded the most probable structure; Gal1----4GlcNAc1----3Gal1----4Hep1----6Glc1----( Hep1----2Hep1----)3,4Hep1---- KDO, where the reducing terminal 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (or KDO) exists in an anhydro form. This anhydro species results from the elimination of a phosphate from C-4 of KDO during mild acid hydrolysis. The core heptose trisaccharide consists of L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, but analysis of the peracetylated sugars indicated that the 1,4-linked heptose is likely D-glycero-D-manno-heptose. The monoclonal antibody 3F11 generated against Neisseria gonorrhoeae also binds to this lipooligosaccharide and suggests that the terminal trisaccharide is Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----3Gal beta 1----, an epitope found in the glycose moiety of the human erythrocyte glycosphingolipid lactoneotetraglycosylceramide. Mass spectrometric and composition analysis of the lipid A moiety shows that it is similar to the lipid A of Haemophilus influenzae strain I-69 Rd-/b+ proposed by Helander et al. (Helander, I. M., Lindner, B., Brade, H., Altmann, K., Lindberg, A. A., Rietschel, E. T., and Zahringer, U. (1988) Eur. J. Biochem. 177, 483-492). Electrospray mass spectrometric analysis of the intact O-deacylated lipooligosaccharides gave an average Mr of 2710, and supported an overall structure consisting of the above nonasaccharide linked directly to a diphosphorylated lipid A moiety through the single KDO which is phosphorylated. This structure should provide a framework to investigate the roles of lipooligosaccharides in the host immunochemical response and pathology of H. ducreyi infection, a leading cause of genital ulcer disease.
Red flag imaging in Barrett's esophagus: Does it help to find the needle in the haystack?

Esophageal Adenocarcinoma (EAC) has suffered a sharp increase on its incidence for the last decades, and it is associated with a poor prognosis. Barrett's Esophagus (BE) is the most important identifiable risk factor for the progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma. The key to prevent and provide a curative treatment of esophageal adenocarcinoma is the detection and eradication of early neoplasia in patients with esophagus. Endoscopic surveillance is evolving from a blind or random four quadrant biopsies protocol (Seattle protocol) to a more targeted approach. A detailed white light examination with high-resolution endoscopy is the cornerstone for recognition of early neoplastic lesions in BE. Additional imaging modalities may enhance targeting of lesions or provide more information at a focused level. There are emerging data that some of these new modalities can increase the yield of detecting dysplasia, although its routine use has yet to be validated.
A model for user-oriented data provenance in pipelined scientific workflows

Integrated provenance support promises to be a chief advantage of scientific workflow systems over script-based alternatives. While it is often recognized that information gathered during scientific workflow execution can be used automatically to increase fault tolerance (via checkpointing) and to optimize performance (by reusing intermediate data products in future runs), it is perhaps more significant that provenance information may also be used by scientists to reproduce results from earlier runs, to explain unexpected results, and to prepare results for publication. Current workflow systems offer little or no direct support for these “scientist-oriented” queries of provenance information. Indeed the use of advanced execution models in scientific workflows (e.g. process networks, which exhibit pipeline parallelism over streaming data) and failure to record certain fundamental events such as state resets of processes, can render existing provenance schemas useless for scientific applications of provenance. We develop a simple provenance model that is capable of supporting a wide range of scientific use cases even for complex models of computation such as process networks. Our approach reduces these use cases to database queries over event logs, and is capable of reconstructing complete data and invocation dependency graphs for a workflow run.
Family Context and Criminal Victimization in Adolescence

In this article, data from the Denver Youth Survey, a panel study of families in Denver, Colorado, are used to investigate the influence of family factors in predicting adolescent victimization. St...
Managing multiple generations: scenarios from the workplace.

PROBLEM. The current nursing workforce is composed of multigenerational staff members creating challenges and at times conflict for managers. METHODS. Generational cohorts are defined and two multigenerational scenarios are presented and discussed using the ACORN imperatives and Hahn's Five Managerial Strategies for effectively managing a multigenerational staff. FINDINGS. Communication and respect are the underlying key strategies to understanding and bridging the generational gap in the workplace. CONCLUSION. Embracing and respecting generational differences can bring strength and cohesiveness to nursing teams on the managerial or unit level.
Extracorporeal Resuscitation of Cardiac Arrest

Abstract. Objective: Extracorporeal support of heart and lung function (venoarterial perfusion) during cardiac arrest (ECPR) has been advocated as a means of improving survival following cardiac arrest. The authors retrospectively reviewed their institution's seven-year experience with this intervention. Methods: Emergency department patients and inpatients in cardiac arrest or immediately postarrest were considered candidates. ECPR was instituted using venoarterial bypass and was continued until patients regained sufficient cardiopulmonary function to allow weaning from the device or until their condition was deemed irrecoverable. Results: ECPR was attempted in 25 patients and successfully instituted in 21. Four patients (16%) were converted from ECPR to ventricular assist devices, two of whom survived and await transplantation. Seven additional patients were discharged from the hospital, resulting in an overall survival of 36%. Because none of the children treated survived, there was a trend toward higher age among survivors (survivors 40 ± 14 yr, nonsurvivors 33 ± 15 yr, p = 0.29). The duration of conventional CPR was shorter among survivors (survivors 21 ± 16 min, nonsurvivors 43 ± 32 min, p = 0.04), as was the duration of extracorporeal support (survivors 44 ± 21 hr, nonsurvivors 87 ± 96 hr, p = 0.18). Survival was seen only in patients whose conditions were amenable to a definitive therapeutic intervention, particularly cardiac arrest due to respiratory or pulmonary embolic disease. While four of the five patients treated in the ED were successfully supported, none survived to discharge. Conclusion: In select patients with reversible disease, extracorporeal CPR can be used to successfully treat cardiac arrest. Further investigation into its most appropriate application is warranted.
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells inhibit Th2-mediated allergic airways inflammation in mice.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) mitigate inflammation in mouse models of acute lung injury. However, specific mechanisms of BMSC actions on CD4 T lymphocyte-mediated inflammation in vivo remain poorly understood. Limited data suggests promotion of Th2 phenotype in models of Th1-mediated diseases. However, whether this might alleviate or worsen Th2-mediated diseases such as allergic asthma is unknown. To ascertain the effects of systemic administration of BMSCs in a mouse model of Th2-mediated allergic airways inflammation, ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic airways inflammation was induced in wild-type C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice as well as in interferon-γ (IFNγ) receptor null mice. Effects of systemic administration during antigen sensitization of either syngeneic or allogeneic BMSC on airways hyperreactivity, lung inflammation, antigen-specific CD4 T lymphocytes, and serum immunoglobulins were assessed. Both syngeneic and allogeneic BMSCs inhibited airways hyperreactivity and lung inflammation through a mechanism partly dependent on IFNγ. However, contrary to existing data, BMSCs did not affect antigen-specific CD4 T lymphocyte proliferation but rather promoted Th1 phenotype in vivo as assessed by both OVA-specific CD4 T lymphocyte cytokine production and OVA-specific circulating immunoglobulins. BMSCs treated to prevent release of soluble mediators and a control cell population of primary dermal skin fibroblasts only partly mimicked the BMSC effects and in some cases worsened inflammation. In conclusion, BMSCs inhibit Th2-mediated allergic airways inflammation by influencing antigen-specific CD4 T lymphocyte differentiation. Promotion of a Th1 phenotype in antigen-specific CD4 T lymphocytes by BMSCs is sufficient to inhibit Th2-mediated allergic airways inflammation through an IFNγ-dependent process. STEM CELLS 2011;29:1137–1148
Formation of Sulfur Atomic Layers on Gold from Aqueous Solutions of Sulfide and Thiosulfate: Studies Using EC-STM, UHV-EC, and TLEC

The formation of S atomic layers on Au from alkaline solutions of sulfide and thiosulfate is described. These studies are relevant to the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), as sulfide can be thought of as the simplest thiol and, thus, S atomic layers as the shortest chain SAM. S atomic layers are also of interest as precursors for the electrochemical formation of compound semiconductor thin films such as ZnS, CdS, and PbS. The deposition of S was investigated using electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM), thin layer electrochemistry (TLEC), and ultrahigh vacuum electrochemical techniques (UHV-EC). UHV-EC studies included analysis with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). EC-STM and LEED revealed a 1/3 coverage (√3 × √3)R30°-S structure, previously observed by a number of workers, formed from both sulfide and thiosulfate solutions. From sulfide solutions, EC-STM showed that the (√3 × √3)R30°-S struc...
Identifying, affirming, and building upon male strengths: the positive psychology/positive masculinity model of psychotherapy with boys and men.

The bulk of the extant literature on thepsychology of boys, men and masculin-ity has been focused on the importantchallenges of: a) creating an awarenessabout the detrimental effects of con-stricted forms of masculinity on boysand men and their relationships withothers; and b) developing remedial ap-proaches to psychotherapy that are de-signed to help boys and men recoverfrom dysfunctional masculinity. Thepurpose of this article is to expand thisliterature by introducing the positivepsychology/positive masculinity (PPPM)framework, which emphasizes malestrengths as the starting point for psy-chotherapy with boys and men. Thecentral principles of the PPPMframework are described, and the ap-plication of the PPPM model with anadult man in psychotherapy is pre-sented. The implications of the PPPMmodel for future practice and re-search pertaining to boys, men, andmasculinity are discussed.Keywords:
Regulation of rat mammary gene expression by extracellular matrix components

In the mammary gland the induction and maintenance of differentiation are dependent on both lactogenic hormones and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Since mammary epithelial cells differentiate on a basement membrane in vivo we have examined the effects of basement membrane components on the expression of milk protein genes in primary rat mammary cultures. We examined the effects of a basement membrane gel derived from the Englebreth-Holm-Swarm tumor as well as its major component, laminin, on the expression of a group of milk protein genes. We demonstrate that the basement membrane gel induces alpha-casein and alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) accumulation up to 160- and 70-fold, respectively, of that on tissue culture plastic. Laminin, a major component of the basement membrane, also caused significant induction of these same proteins. In order to determine whether these ECM effects occurred at a translational or post-translational level, pulse-chase experiments were performed. These experiments demonstrated that a laminin substratum selectively effects milk protein turnover and secretion. In order to demonstrate whether ECM effects occurred at the level of steady state accumulation of mRNA we performed dot blot and Northern analyses using cloned cDNA probes for alpha-, beta-, and gamma-caseins and alpha-LA. These studies demonstrated that ECM components induced alpha- and beta-caseins up to 10-fold, and alpha-LA up to 3-fold, with no significant effect on gamma-casein. These results demonstrate that milk protein genes are not coordinately regulated by ECM components. Furthermore, since the amount of induction of milk proteins exceeds the amount of induction of mRNAs for these proteins, we conclude that in our system a major effect of ECM components is at the translational and/or post-translational levels. Based on these findings we propose a model in which basement membrane components effect mammary gene expression at multiple levels.
Bayes A-Optimal and Efficient Block Designs for Comparing Test Treatments with A Standard Treatment

A sufficient condition for the Bayes A-optimality of block designs when comparing a standard treatment with v test treatments is given by Majumdar. (In:Optimal Design and Analysis of Experiments, Y. Dodge, V. V. Fedorov and H. P. Wynn (Eds.), 15-27, North-Holland, 1988). The priors that he considers depend on a constant α e [0, ∞), with α - 0 corresponding to no prior information at all. The given sufficient condition, consequently, also depends on a. Large families of optimal and highly efficient designs are only known for the case α - 0. We will show how some of the results for α - 0 can be extended to obtain large families of optimal and highly efficient designs for arbitrary values of α. In addition, these results are useful when considering design robustness against an improper choice of α.
The Frequency of Serologic Evidence of Bordetella Infections and Mixed Infections with Other Respiratory Pathogens in University Students with Cough Illnesses

The Frequency of Serologic Evidence of Bordetella Infections and Mixed Infections with Other Respiratory Pathogens in University Students with Cough Illnesses
Influence of electro-acupuncture on pain threshold in horses and its mode of action

Summary Electro-acupuncture (EA) treatments varied in their effect on pain threshold in horses. EA stimulation using local acupuncture points or/and high frequency (80–120 Hz) can be more effective to relieve the experimental pain than the use of distal points and/or low frequency (20 Hz). The acupoints close to the painful areas may need to be stimulated with high frequency EA while the acupoints far from the painful areas may be stimulated with low frequency EA. The release of β-endorphin may be one of the pathways in which electro-acupuncture relieves the experimental pain.
Mitochondrial BKCa Channel

Since its discovery in a glioma cell line 15 years ago, mitochondrial BKCa channel (mitoBKCa) has been studied in brain cells and cardiomyocytes sharing general biophysical properties such as high K+ conductance (~300 pS), voltage-dependency and Ca2+-sensitivity. Main advances in deciphering the molecular composition of mitoBKCa have included establishing that it is encoded by the Kcnma1 gene, that a C-terminal splice insert confers mitoBKCa ability to be targeted to cardiac mitochondria, and evidence for its potential coassembly with β subunits. Notoriously, β1 subunit directly interacts with cytochrome c oxidase and mitoBKCa can be modulated by substrates of the respiratory chain. mitoBKCa channel has a central role in protecting the heart from ischemia, where pharmacological activation of the channel impacts the generation of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial Ca2+ preventing cell death likely by impeding uncontrolled opening of the mitochondrial transition pore. Supporting this view, inhibition of mitoBKCa with Iberiotoxin, enhances cytochrome c release from glioma mitochondria. Many tantalizing questions remain. Some of them are: how is mitoBKCa coupled to the respiratory chain? Does mitoBKCa play non-conduction roles in mitochondria physiology? Which are the functional partners of mitoBKCa? What are the roles of mitoBKCa in other cell types? Answers to these questions are essential to define the impact of mitoBKCa channel in mitochondria biology and disease.
Evidence for a Circadian Rhythm of Susceptibility to Retinal Light Damage

This study investigated a possible circadian rhythm of light damage susceptibility in photoreceptors of both cyclic light-reared and dark-reared rats. A single exposure to intense green light was administered, beginning either in the early light period, the late light period or the dark period. In some animals exposed in the dark period, the synthetic antioxidant dimethylthiourea was administered before or after the onset of intense light exposure. Retinas were examined either immediately after exposure or after 2 weeks of recovery in darkness. Rod outer segment length and outer nuclear layer thickness measurements were used to assess light damage, along with qualitative analysis of swelling and disruption of the outer retinal layers. In all animals, retinal light damage was the most severe when intense light exposure began during the dark period. However, this severe damage was significantly reduced by pretreatment with the antioxidant. In a separate set of unexposed animals, fluctuations in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone concentrations followed the same time course, regardless of the light regime during rearing. Our data support the notion of a circadian rhythm of light damage susceptibility that peaks in the dark period and yet can be modulated by the exogenous administration of an antioxidant.
The Family Environment in Nonorganic Failure to Thrive: A Controlled Study

Compared 48 families of nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFT) infants with those of 52 physically healthy infants of similar demographic characteristics using the Family Environment Scale (FES). Families of NOFT infants had more problematic relationships as indicated by lower scores on the Family Relationships Inventory (FRI) components of the FES, including lower Cohesion and Expressiveness, than families of physically healthy infants. Contrary to predictions, families did not differ in level of Conflict or Organization. Families of NOFT infants had lower intellectual and Cultural Orientation. These findings suggest that problematic intrafamilial relationships are associated with NOFT and may influence the psychological outcomes of children with this condition. Studies are needed to document the effects of family functioning on the physical growth and psychosocial development of NOFT children.
Pathways for movement of ions and water across toad urinary bladder. I. Anatomic site of transepithelial shunt pathways.

Mucosal hypertonicity, produced by the addition of NaCl, KCl, mannitol, urea, sucrose or raffinose, reduced the electrical resistance of toad urinary bladder and induced bullous deformations (blisters) of the most apical junctions of the mucosal epithelium: the smaller solutes were most effective in eliciting both phenomena. Study of the effect of addition and subsequent removal of mannitol from the mucosal medium indicated that both the electrical and morphologic changes are reversible and follow the same time course. Mucosal hypertonicity induced comparable changes in the tissue in the presence or absence of inhibition of active sodium transport by replacement of sodium by choline, or by addition of ouabain or amiloride. Dilution of the tonicity of the serosal medium similarly reduced the tissue resistance and induced blisters within the epithelium, demonstrating that the osmotic gradient, rather than the mucosal hypertonicity itself is the cause of the osmotically-induced resistance change. The data indicate, therefore, that the osmotic gradient reduces the electrical resistance of the tissue primarily by deforming the apical junctions. The simplest interpretation of the data is that the apical tight junctions are considerably more permeable to water and small solutes than had previously been thought. Addition of solute to the mucosal medium leads to the diffusion of solute into the junctions: the subsequent transfer of water from the lateral intercellular spaces and/or the adjacent cellular cytoplasm, deforms these structures and reduces the resistance to the passage of ions across the tissue. The results suggest that the apical junctions constitute the rate-limiting permeability barrier of the putative parallel shunt pathway across toad bladder.
Inferior phrenic artery embolization in the treatment of hepatic neoplasms.

Twenty-nine inferior phrenic artery embolizations were performed in 20 patients with primary or metastatic hepatic neoplasms. All patients had interruption of their hepatic arteries by previous inf...
Approximation of sweep surfaces by tensor product NURBS

Methods for approximating sweep surfaces by tensor product NURBS are presented. Sweep surfaces are generated by sweeping a (possibly deforming) NURBS cross-section curve along a NURBS axis curve. A general form for NURBS approximation to sweep surfaces is derived and expressed in terms of the approximation to a set of offset curves of the axis curve. The actual algorithm used to construct the surface approximation depends on the nature of the desired deformation and change in orientation that the cross-section undergoes as it is swept along the axis.
Resolution of Fission and Fusion Technology Integration Issues: An Upgraded Design Concept for the Subcritical Advanced Burner Reactor

AbstractThe conceptual design of the subcritical advanced burner reactor (SABR), a 3000-MW(thermal) annular, modular sodium pool–type fast reactor, fueled by metallic transuranic (TRU) fuel process...
Generation, characterization, and molecular cloning of the Noerg-1 mutation of rhodopsin in the mouse

We performed genome-wide mutagenesis of C57BL/6J mice using the mutagen N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) and screened the third generation (G3) offspring for visual system alterations using electroretinography and fundus photography. Several mice in one pedigree showed characteristics of retinal degeneration when tested at 12–14 weeks of age: no recordable electroretinogram (ERG), attenuation of retinal vessels, and speckled pigmentation of the fundus. Histological studies showed that the retinas undergo a photoreceptor degeneration with apoptotic loss of outer nuclear layer nuclei but visual acuity measured using the optomotor response under photopic conditions persists in spite of considerable photoreceptor loss. The Noerg-1 mutation showed an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance in progeny. Studies in early postnatal mice showed degeneration to occur after formation of partially functional rods. The Noerg-1 mutation was mapped genetically to chromosome 6 by crossing C57BL/6J mutants with DBA/2J or BALB/cJ mice to produce an N2 generation and then determining the ERG phenotypes and the genotypes of the N2 offspring at multiple loci using SSLP and SNP markers. Fine mapping was accomplished with a set of closely spaced markers. A nonrecombinant region from 112.8 Mb to 115.1 Mb was identified, encompassing the rhodopsin (Rho) coding region. A single nucleotide transition from G to A was found in the Rho gene that is predicted to result in a substitution of Tyr for Cys at position 110, in an intradiscal loop. This mutation has been found in patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and results in misfolding of rhodopsin expressed in vitro. Thus, ENU mutagenesis is capable of replicating mutations that occur in human patients and is useful for generating de novo models of human inherited eye disease. Furthermore, the availability of the mouse genomic sequence and extensive DNA polymorphisms made the rapid identification of this gene possible, demonstrating that the use of ENU-induced mutations for functional gene identification is now practical for individual laboratories.
IUE observations of hot stars

Abstract Stellar winds are found in hot and luminous stars of all types. We see evidence of these winds in P Cygni profiles of resonance lines in the UV spectral regions, and obtain density information from them, and from optical emission lines and from free-free radiation in the infrared and radio continua from the ionized plasma. Data recently acquired from the IUE satellite are now sufficient to enable us to outline the broad parameters of these winds. It is found that for the hottest stars, those of 0-type, the mass loss rate ⇅ is proportional to L α . A proportionality between ⇅ and L is predicted by the theory of radiatively driven winds; the value for α is also anticipated by the details of the theory. The dispersion of individual stellar values may be due to observational uncertainty alone, but it may also suggest that other physical parameters affect the stellar winds. The kinetic energy input of the stellar winds to the interstellar medium is considerable and may, in aggregate, be of the same order as the contribution of supernovae.
Mucin core O-glycosylation is modulated by neighboring residue glycosylation status. Kinetic modeling of the site-specific glycosylation of the apo-porcine submaxillary mucin tandem repeat by UDP-GalNAc:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases T1 and T2.

The influence of peptide sequence and environment on the initiation and elongation of mucin O-glycosylation is not well understood. The in vivo glycosylation pattern of the porcine submaxillary gland mucin (PSM) tandem repeat containing 31 O-glycosylation sites (Gerken, T. A., Gilmore, M., and Zhang, J. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 7736–7751) reveals a weak inverse correlation with hydroxyamino acid density (and by inference the density of glycosylation) with the extent of GalNAc glycosylation and core-1 substitution. We now report the time course of the in vitro glycosylation of the apoPSM tandem repeat by recombinant UDP-GalNAc:polypeptide α-GalNAc transferases (ppGalNAc transferase) T1 and T2 that confirm these findings. A wide range of glycosylation rates are found, with several residues showing apparent plateaus in glycosylation. An adjustable kinetic model that reduces the first-order rate constants proportional to neighboring glycosylation status, plus or minus three residues of the site of glycosylation, was found to reasonably reproduce the experimental rate data for both transferases, including apparent plateaus in glycosylation. The unique, transferase-specific, positional weighting constants reveal information on the peptide/glycopeptide recognition site for each transferase. Both transferases displayed high sensitivities to neighboring Ser/Thr glycosylation, whereas ppGalNAc T2 displayed additional high sensitivities to the presence of nonglycosylated Ser/Thr residues. This is the first demonstration of the ability to model mucinO-glycosylation kinetics, confirming that under the appropriate conditions neighboring glycosylation status can be a significant factor modulating the first step of mucinO-glycan biosynthesis.
An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: Theoretical considerations and preliminary results

The practice of mindfulness meditation was used in a 10-week Stress Reduction and Relaxation Program to train chronic pain patients in self-regulation. The meditation facilitates an attentional stance towards proprioception known as detached observation. This appears to cause an "uncoupling " of the sensory dimension of the pain experience from the affective/evaluative alarm reaction and reduce the experience of suffering via cognitive reappraisal. Data are presented on 51 chronic pain patients who had not improved with traditional medical care. The dominant pain categories were low back, neck and shoulder, and headache. Facial pain, angina pectoris, noncoronary chest pain, and GI pain were also represented. At 10 weeks, 65% of the patients showed a reduction of greater than or equal to 33% in the mean total Pain Rating Index (Melzack) and 50% showed a reduction of greater than or equal to 50%. Similar decreases were recorded on other pain indices and in the number of medical symptoms reported. Large and significant reductions in mood disturbance and psychiatric symptomatology accompanied these changes and were relatively stable on follow-up. These improvements were independent of the pain category. We conclude that this form of meditation can be used as the basis for an effective behavioral program in self-regulation for chronic pain patients. Key features of the program structure, and the limitations of the present uncontrolled study are discussed.
THE CHANGING PROFILE OF BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA (BPD) IN PREMATURE INFANTS: A COMPARISON OF TWO PERIODS 1158

THE CHANGING PROFILE OF BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA (BPD) IN PREMATURE INFANTS: A COMPARISON OF TWO PERIODS 1158
Coordinated design and control optimization of nonlinear processes

Abstract On a small time-scale, disturbances to a process can lead to off-spec production, decreased profitability and the violation of hard process constraints, creating unsafe conditions. A strategy is presented for the design of processes that are operationally optimal, as well as steady-state optimal, and that operate prudently far from hard constraints. In addition to the evaluation of an economic objective, each potential design is evaluated for its controllability, using the closed-loop response to several disturbances, simulated with model predictive control (MPC) algorithms. These algorithms provide excellent responses to unmeasured disturbances, allow for the inclusion of constraints and are fairly insensitive to the tuning parameters, allowing for an evaluation of the inherent controllability of a process. This strategy has been applied to a fermentation process with complex chemical and physical interactions and characterized by hysteresis and periodic behavior for some ranges of its design parameters. A simple optimization of venture profit leads to a design that is highly constrained and unstable. Using the above strategy, it is demonstrated that alternative designs exist with improved controllability, but without retreating from the design constraints. This is counterintuitive and contrary to the results of several case studies. Furthermore, the design remains unstable.
Does DeLee suction at the perineum prevent meconium aspiration syndrome

Abstract OBJECTIVE: We attempted to determine the impact of “early” (before delivery of the chest) oronasopharyngeal DeLee suctioning at the perineum in the prevention of meconium aspiration syndrome and to confirm that meconium aspiration syndrome is a postnatal event. STUDY DESIGN: We compared infants with meconium-stained fluid who underwent “early” oronasopharyngeal DeLee suctioning with a similar group of infants whose airways were suctioned “early” (after chest delivery). Practicing obstetricians did not know the study was being conducted by the pediatric staff, and an independent observer documented whether obstetricians performed “early” or “early” oronasopharyngeal DeLee suctioning. Immediate postnatal tracheal suctioning was performed in both groups. The study was conducted in a private tertiary care center averaging 5800 deliveries annually. A consecutive sample of 438 infants with meconium-stained fluid was analyzed. Of these infants, 221 received “early” oronasopharyngeal DeLee suctioning, while 217 infants were suctioned “early”. RESULTS: Of the 438 infants with meconium-stained fluid, meconium aspiration syndrome developed in 38 (9%). These infants had higher rates of fetal distress (i.e., abnormal fetal heart rates) and lower Apgar scores (≤6) than infants without meconium aspiration syndrome (58% vs 17% and 65% vs 13%, respectively; p CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that “early” oronasopharyngeal DeLee suctioning at the perineum does not affect the rate of meconium aspiration syndrome. We speculate that meconium aspiration syndrome is predominantly an intrauterine event associated with fetal distress and that meconium in the airways is merely a “marker” of previous fetal hypoxia.
Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Tryptic Peptides From Wheat Gluten

We have prepared nanocomposites in one step by hydrolyzing wheat gluten (WG) with trypsin and then drying the solution. Some tryptic peptides from WG can self-assemble into fibrous structures under benign conditions (37 °C, pH 8) to form a reinforcing phase while the balance do not to form the matrix phase. Here we describe the characterization of the self-assembled fibers, which were hierarchically structured and showed organization from the nanometer to the micrometer scale. The basic building block of the fiber was a stack of beta–sheets. Scanning and transmission electron micrographs showed large fibers about 10–15 μm in diameter with left-handed helical configuration and appeared to be bundles of 10–20 nm diameter fibrils. Preliminary investigation suggested that the elastic modulus of the WG-based fibers was 0.16 ± 0.03 GPa, consistent with reported values for natural protein fibers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thioflavin-T binding assay indicated that the framework of the fibrils was composed of cross-beta structures, where beta-strands ran perpendicular to the fiber axis.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Shrink-free ceramic crown versus ceramometal: A comparative study in dogs

T he shrink-free alumina ceramic crown (Cerestore, Coors Biomedical Co., Lakewood, Colo.) offers an alternative to the conventional ceramometal or porcelain jacket restoration. ’ Primary acute toxicity screening tests conducted in animal and in vitro systems demonstrated that the shrink-free alumina ceramic used in this study was biocompatible.2a3 The purpose of the study was to determine the biofunctionability and histopathologic reaction of the shrinkfree alumina restorations as compared to ceramometal crowns.