cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aluminum Penicillin Administered Orally: Comparison with Sodium Penicillin *

There are to our knowledge, only two reports on the oral administration of procaine penicillin (1, 2), and in both of these reports, comparisons have been made between procaine and sodium penicillin, but the conclusions drawn are strikingly dissimilar. On the one hand, when a comparison of 500,000 unit doses was made, it has been stated that “crystalline procaine penicillin G appeared in the serum in a much lower concentration and disappeared more rapidly than did crystalline sodium penicillin G” (1), and on the other, when a comparison of 200,000 unit doses was made, the averages of the plasma concentrations and the urinary recoveries that resulted from the use of buffered tablets of procaine penicillin and a buffered tablet of potassium penicillin, did not differ significantly (2). It should be stated that the conditions under which procaine and sodium penicillins were compared were not the same in the two studies. In the one case, the penicillins were administered to patients in the fasting state (1), and in the other the penicillin was administered shortly after a meal (2) ; furthermore, in one instance, different groups of patients were compared (1), whereas in the other the same group of patients was compared (2) when given the two types of penicillin. Because of the disagreement in the results reported on the comparison of orally administered procaine and sodium penicillins, the following study was conducted.
Pore- and fracture-filling gas hydrate reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II Green Canyon 955 H well

Abstract High-quality logging-while-drilling (LWD) downhole logs were acquired in seven wells drilled during the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II in the spring of 2009. Well logs obtained in one of the wells, the Green Canyon Block 955 H well (GC955-H), indicate that a 27.4-m thick zone at the depth of 428 m below sea floor (mbsf; 1404 feet below sea floor (fbsf)) contains gas hydrate within sand with average gas hydrate saturations estimated at 60% from the compressional-wave (P-wave) velocity and 65% (locally more than 80%) from resistivity logs if the gas hydrate is assumed to be uniformly distributed in this mostly sand-rich section. Similar analysis, however, of log data from a shallow clay-rich interval between 183 and 366 mbsf (600 and 1200 fbsf) yielded average gas hydrate saturations of about 20% from the resistivity log (locally 50−60%) and negligible amounts of gas hydrate from the P-wave velocity logs. Differences in saturations estimated between resistivity and P-wave velocities within the upper clay-rich interval are caused by the nature of the gas hydrate occurrences. In the case of the shallow clay-rich interval, gas hydrate fills vertical (or high angle) fractures in rather than filling pore space in sands. In this study, isotropic and anisotropic resistivity and velocity models are used to analyze the occurrence of gas hydrate within both the clay-rich and sand dominated gas-hydrate-bearing reservoirs in the GC955-H well.
Growth hormone treatment and left ventricular dimensions in Turner syndrome.

Objective To determine whether cardiac dimensions were different in girls with Turner syndrome (TS) who received growth hormone (GH) compared with those who did not receive GH. Study design This retrospective, cross-sectional study analyzed echocardiograms in 86 females with TS divided into GH-treated (n = 67) and untreated (n = 19) groups. The subjects all participated in the National Institutes of Health protocol between 2001 and 2006. Results The average age was 16.2 years (range, 10 to 25 years), and average duration of GH treatment was 4.4 years (range, 1 to 14 years). The GH-treated group was taller by ∼7 cm ( P = .004), but cardiac dimensions normalized to body surface area (BSA), including septal and posterior wall thickness and left ventricular (LV) mass and internal diameters, did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. The fractional shortening index was similar in the 2 groups. Multiple regression analyses indicated that BSA, but not duration of GH treatment, predicted LV dimensions in girls with TS. Conclusions GH treatment of girls with TS increases stature but does not disproportionately affect cardiac dimensions.
Rock weathering rates at the soil surface in an alpine environment

Abstract Mass loss from 60 g samples of crushed rhyodacite exposed on 71 plots at two localities above treeline in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado are used to estimate weathering rates at the soil surface. The results define an average rate of loss of 0.079 ± 0.012 %/yr (mean of 42 plots over 5 years, ± 2 standard errors), with an apparent slowing of the rate as the period of observation increased. Two features of the soil surface environment influence the observed weathering rates: the soil pH (which is dependent on the vegetation cover); and the volume and residence time of water moving through and over the soil. Both of these are controlled basically by the distribution of the winter snow cover.
Breath carbon stable isotope ratios identify changes in energy balance and substrate utilization in humans.

Breath carbon stable isotope ratios identify changes in energy balance and substrate utilization in humans
Effects of Intraocular Irrigating Solutions on the Corneal Endothelium After in Vivo Anterior Chamber Irrigation

We used wide-field specular microscopy and corneal pachymetry to evaluate the effect of anterior chamber irrigation with BSS and BSS Plus on the corneal endothelium of cats. Endothelial changes were quantitated by computerized morphometric analysis of individual cells. After short-term (15 and 30 minutes) and long-term (one and two hours) irrigation, endothelial cell density remained unchanged. Corneal thickness increased significantly in the BSS group after one hour of irrigation. BSS Plus caused minimal changes in endothelial morphologic characteristics regardless of the irrigation time. By comparison, BSS caused a significant increase in the coefficient of variation of cell area (polymegethism) and a decrease in the percentage of hexagonal cells (pleomorphism). These changes were more prominent after prolonged irrigation. The morphologic changes caused by BSS irrigation are indicative of a stressed endothelial monolayer that may be more susceptible to additional surgical trauma.
Mechanisms for Sn whisker growth in rare earth-containing Pb-free solders

Abstract It has recently been documented that Pb-free solder alloys doped with trace amounts of rare earth (RE) elements show a very strong propensity to grow Sn whiskers. In this work, we have investigated the effect of the addition of 2 wt.% Ce, La or Y on the whiskering behavior of Sn–3.9Ag–0.7Cu. Hillock-type whiskers around particle peripheries were observed in water-quenched alloys with smaller RESn 3 particles, while furnace-cooled alloys with larger RESn 3 particles formed needle-like whiskers from within the particle. Phase separation between Sn and RE oxides occurred during oxidation of the RESn 3 intermetallics. A focused ion beam serial sectioning approach was used to visualize the Sn whiskers and the oxide structure. We show that the driving force for whisker growth is related to the compressive stresses that develop in these particles during the oxidation of the RE intermetallic phases.
Multipixel frequency-domain imaging of spontaneous canine breast disease using fluorescent contrast agents

In this paper we demonstrate the ability to detect the frequency-domain fluorescent signal from the contrast agent indocyanine green within the mammary chain of dogs with spontaneous mammary tumors. We use a gain-modulated image intensifier to rapidly capture multi-pixel images of the fluorescent modulation amplitude, modulation phase, and average intensity signals. Excitation is provided by a 100 MHz amplitude-modulated, 780 nm laser diode. Time series images of the uptake and clearance of the contrast agent in the diseased tissue are also presented.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Associations of Extracranial Carotid Atherosclerosis Progression With Coronary Status and Risk Factors in Patients With and Without Coronary Artery Disease

Background— Intimal medial thickness of the extracranial carotid arteries (IMT) is related to coronary artery disease (CAD) and CAD risk factors. Few studies have explored the association of risk factors with progression of IMT, and none have evaluated their associations with IMT progression specifically in patients with and without CAD. Methods and Results— We used coronary angiography to identify 280 patients equally divided between men and women and those with either ≥50% coronary artery stenosis or no CAD. Risk factors were measured at baseline and IMT was measured at baseline and yearly for 3 years in 241 of these individuals. Baseline risk factors and CAD status were related to IMT progression. IMT of patients with CAD progressed 3 times faster than that of patients with no CAD (mean±SEM, 33.7±7.4 versus 8.9±7.1 μm/year; P=0.02), and CAD status and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were independently associated with IMT progression. Male sex, increased waist to hip ratio, cigarette smoking,...
Antimicrobial Stewardship in Immunocompromised Hosts

The global spread of antimicrobial resistance has limited the availability of antimicrobial agents to treat infections that affect immunocompromised hosts. Efforts to optimize the selection, dosing, and duration of antimicrobial therapy to improve patient outcomes and minimize selective pressure on antimicrobial resistance are relevant to immunocompromised patients. Collaborative efforts between health care providers with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with various degrees of immunosuppression are pivotal for the success of antimicrobial stewardship programs in immunocompromised patients.
The effect of brevenal on brevetoxin-induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes

Brevenal is a nontoxic short-chain trans-syn polyether that competes with brevetoxin (PbTx) for the active site on voltage-sensitive sodium channels. The PbTxs are highly potent polyether toxins produced during blooms of several species of marine dinoflagellates, most notably Karenia brevis. Blooms of K. brevis have been associated with massive fish kills, marine mammal poisoning, and are potentially responsible for adverse human health effects such as respiratory irritation and airway constriction in beach-goers. Additionally, the consumption of shellfish contaminated with PbTxs results in neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether PbTx could induce DNA damage in a human cell type, the lymphocyte, and if so, whether the damage could be antagonized or ameliorated by brevenal, a brevetoxin antagonist. The DNA damage may occur through both endogenous and exogenous physiological and pathophysiological processes. Unrepaired or erroneously repaired DNA damage may result in gene mutation, chromosome aberration, and modulation of gene regulation, which have been associated with immunotoxicity and carcinogenesis. A single-cell gel electrophoresis assay, or comet assay, was used to determine and compare DNA damage following various treatments. The data were expressed as tail moments, which is the percentage of DNA in the tail multiplied by the length between the center of the head and center of the tail (in arbitrary units). The negative control tail moment was 29.2 (SE=±0.9), whereas the positive control (hydrogen peroxide) was 72.1 (1.5) and solvent (ethanol) was 24.2 (2.1). The PbTx-2 (from Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA), 10−8 M was 41.3 (3.6), PbTx-9 (Sigma), 10−8 M was 57.0 (5.3), PbTx-2 (from University of North Carolina at Wilmington, UNCW), 10−8 M was 49.4 (9.9), and PbTx-3 (UNCW), 10−8 M was 64.0 (6.4). 1.0 μg/ml brevenal applied 1 h before the PbTxs protected the lymphocytes from DNA damage; PbTx-2 (Sigma), 31.3 (2.1); PbTx-9 (Sigma), 35.5 (2.9); PbTx-2 (UNCW), 33.9 (1.4); PbTx-3 (UNCW), 34.9 (1.25). The tail moment for 1.0 μg/ml brevenal alone was 30.8 (2.6). The results indicate that extensive genotoxic damage is induced by PbTx-2 and 9 (Sigma), and PbTx-2 and 3 (UNCW) in normal human lymphocytes, which is fully antagonized by brevenal. This suggests that the immune systems of individuals exposed to PbTx during harmful algal bloom (HAB) events may be at risk.
Fixation of bimaxillary osteotomies with resorbable plates and screws: experience in 20 consecutive cases.

Abstract Purpose: This study evaluated the potential effectiveness of resorbable plate and screw fixation for skeletal stabilization of simultaneously performed maxillary and mandibular osteotomies. Patients and Methods: Twenty consecutive patients underwent simultaneous maxillary and mandibular osteotomies that were fixed using copolymeric poly L-lactic acid/polyglycolic acid (PLLA/PGA) plates and screws. Prefabricated acrylic intermediate and final splints were used as guides and then removed at completion of the surgery. Guidance elastics were applied at 2 weeks postoperatively. Results: The LeFort I osteotomies included segmentalizations with and without bone grafts (7/20), impactions (4/20), advancements (8/20), and unilateral downgrafting with a bone graft (2/20)—one of which was segmental. The mandibular sagittal split osteotomies involved advancements (11/20), setbacks (5/20), and asymmetric rotation (4/20). Three patients had simultaneous genioplasties, which were also stabilized with resorbable fixation. All maxillae were fixed with four 2.0-mm L-shaped plates and screws. The mandibular rami were maintained with three 2.5-mm bicortical screws per side. The mandibular symphyseal segments were held in position with two or three 2.5 mm bicortical screws. All surgeries were accomplished uneventfully, and no problems in the immediate postoperative stability of the occlusion were encountered. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 25 months. Conclusions: The initial clinical findings suggest that this form of bone fixation is a viable alternative to standard metallic fixation techniques for certain maxillomandibular deformities in which excessive bony movements are not performed. Differences exist in both intraoperative application and postoperative management of masticatory function. This is partially a US government work. There are no restrictions on its use.
Soybean oil is not allergenic to soybean-sensitive individuals

We have previously demonstrated that peanut oil is not allergenic to peanut-sensitive individuals. Seven soybean-sensitive patients were enrolled in a double-blind crossover study to determine whether ingestion of soybean oil can induce adverse reactions in such patients. All subjects had histories of systemic allergic reactions (urticaria, angioedema, wheezing, dyspnea, and/or vomiting) after soybean ingestion and had positive puncture skin tests with a 1:20 w/v glycerinated-saline whole soybean extract. Sera from six of the seven subjects were tested by RAST assay for the presence of specific IgE antibodies to soybean allergens. All patients had elevated levels of serum IgE antibodies to the crude soybean extract; binding values ranged from 2.3 to 28.1 times that of a negative control serum. Before the oral challenges, all patients demonstrated negative puncture skin tests to three commercially available soybean oils and to olive oil (control). On four separate days, patients were challenged with the individual soybean oils and olive oil in random sequence. At 30-minute intervals, under constant observation, patients ingested 2, 5, and 8 ml of one of the soybean oils or olive oil contained in 1 ml capsules. No untoward reactions were observed with either the commercially available soybean oils or olive oil. Soybean oil ingestion does not appear to pose a risk to soybean-sensitive individuals.
Input frequency and children's first words

In once-monthly, hour-long recordings of uncontructured interactions at home between parents and 45 children averaging 11-17 months old, the first productive words recorded for each child were exam...
Ten-year patterns of alcohol consumption and drinking problems among older women and men.

Aims This study focused on changes in 10-year patterns of alcohol consumption among older women and men, late-life and life history predictors of drinking problems, and gender differences in these predictors. Design, setting, participants A sample of late-middle-aged community residents (N = 1291) who had consumed alcohol in the past year or shortly before was surveyed at baseline and 1 year, 4 years and 10 years later. Measurements At each contact point, participants completed an inventory that assessed their alcohol consumption, drinking problems and health-related and life context factors. Participants also provided information about their life history of drinking. Results Over the 10 years, the proportion of individuals who consumed alcohol declined. Among individuals who continued to drink, women and men showed comparable declines in alcohol consumption, minor concomitants of alcohol consumption and drinking problems. In addition to the amount of alcohol consumption, smoking, friends’ approval of drinking and avoidance coping consistently predicted late-life drinking problems. With respect to life history factors, heavy drinking, drinking problems and increased drinking in response to life events were related to a higher likelihood of late-life drinking problems; obtaining help from family members and friends and, among men, participation in Alcoholics Anonymous, were related to a lower likelihood of problems. Conclusion Older women and men show comparable declines in alcohol consumption and drinking problems. Specific late-life social context and coping variables, and life history indices, are risk factors for late-life drinking problems among both women and men.
Using application communication characteristics to drive dynamic MPI reconfiguration

Modern HPC applications, for example adaptive mesh refinement and multi-physics codes, have dynamic communication characteristics which result in poor performance on current MPI implementations. Current MPI implementations do not change transport protocols or allocate resources based on the application characteristics, resulting in degraded application performance. In this paper, we describe PRO-MPI, a Protocol Reconfiguration and Optimization system for MPI that we are developing to meet the needs of dynamic modern HPC applications. PRO-MPI uses profiles of past application communication characteristics to dynamically reconfigure MPI protocol choices. We show that such dynamic reconfiguration can improve the performance of important MPI applications significantly when exact communication profiles are known. We also present preliminary data showing that profiles from past application runs with different (but related) inputs can be used to optimize the performance of later application runs.
Standards or semantics for curriculum search

Aligning digital library resources with national and state educational standards to help K-12 teachers search for relevant curriculum is an important issue in the digital library community. Aligning standards from different states promises to help teachers in one state find appropriate materials created and cataloged elsewhere. Although such alignments provide a powerful means for crosswalking standards and curriculum across states, alignment matrices are intrinsically sparse. Hence, we hypothesize that such sparseness may cause significant numbers of false negatives when used for searching curriculum. Our preliminary results confirm the false negative hypothesis, demonstrate the usefulness of term-based techniques in addressing the false negative problem, and explore ways to combine term occurrence data with standards correlations.
Preserving an important collection.

We, together with Aaron Klug and Jim Hudson, have been trying to save the papers of some early molecular biologists. They sit in Christie's, New York and include papers from people such as Rosalind Franklin, Aaron Klug, Max Perutz, Rollin Hotchkiss, Sven Furberg, etc. They were collected by a
American Society of Nephrology Quiz and Questionnaire 2013: Electrolyte and Acid-Base

The Nephrology Quiz and Questionnaire (NQ&Q) remains an extremely popular session for attendees of the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology. As in past years, the conference hall was overflowing with interested audience members. Topics covered by expert discussants included electrolyte and acid-base disorders, glomerular disease, ESRD/dialysis, and transplantation. Complex cases representing each of these categories along with single-best-answer questions were prepared by a panel of experts. Prior to the meeting, program directors of United States nephrology training programs answered questions through an Internet-based questionnaire. A new addition to the NQ&Q was participation in the questionnaire by nephrology fellows. To review the process, members of the audience test their knowledge and judgment on a series of case-oriented questions prepared and discussed by experts. Their answers are compared in real time using audience response devices with the answers of nephrology fellows and training program directors. The correct and incorrect answers are then briefly discussed after the audience responses, and the results of the questionnaire are displayed. This article recapitulates the session and reproduces its educational value for the readers of CJASN. Enjoy the clinical cases and expert discussions.
Chondrule formation by repeated evaporative melting and condensation in collisional debris clouds around planetesimals

A synthesis of previous work leads to a model of chondrule formation that involves periodic melting of dispersed dust in debris clouds that were generated by collisions between chondritic planetesimals. I suggest that chondrules formed by the passage of nebular shock waves through these dust clumps, which temporarily surrounded disrupted planetesimals. Type I chondrules formed by more intense evaporative heating of fewer particles in tenuous clumps, or at the edges of dense clumps, and type II chondrules formed by less intense evaporative heating of more particles deeper within dense clumps. Chondrules reaccreted by self-gravity into the planetesimals, mixing with less heated dust and rock. This process of disruption, melting, and reaccretion could have repeated many times. In this way, chondrite components of various origins and thermal histories could remain preserved in planetesimals as a distinctive mix of materials for extended periods of time, while still allowing for a repetitive melting process that converted some of the planetesimal debris into chondrules. I also suggest that during chondrule formation, the inner solar nebula gas was evolving by the gradual incorporation and heating of icy bodies depleted in 16 O, causing a general increase in gaseous D 17 O with time in most places, especially close to the ''snow line.'' In this model, early formed type I chondrules in C chondrites with lower D 17 O values were produced inside the snow line, and later formed type I and type II chondrules in C and O chondrites with higher D 17 O values were created nearer the snow line after it had moved closer to the young Sun.
Naive binning improves phylogenomic analyses

Motivation: Species tree estimation in the presence of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) is a major challenge for phylogenomic analysis. Although many methods have been developed for this problem, little is understood about the relative performance of these methods when estimated gene trees are poorly estimated, owing to inadequate phylogenetic signal. Results: We explored the performance of some methods for estimating species trees from multiple markers on simulated datasets in which gene trees differed from the species tree owing to ILS. We included *BEAST, concatenated analysis and several ‘summary methods’: BUCKy, MP-EST, minimize deep coalescence, matrix representation with parsimony and the greedy consensus. We found that *BEAST and concatenation gave excellent results, often with substantially improved accuracy over the other methods. We observed that *BEAST’s accuracy is largely due to its ability to co-estimate the gene trees and species tree. However, *BEAST is computationally intensive, making it challenging to run on datasets with 100 or more genes or with more than 20 taxa. We propose a new approach to species tree estimation in which the genes are partitioned into sets, and the species tree is estimated from the resultant ‘supergenes’. We show that this technique improves the scalability of *BEAST without affecting its accuracy and improves the accuracy of the summary methods. Thus, naive binning can improve phylogenomic analysis in the presence of
Rare target enrichment for ultrasensitive PCR detection using cot–rehybridization and duplex-specific nuclease

Nucleic acid detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is invaluable for the detection of dilute and rare sequences, including pathogens and infrequent species in complex clinical and environmental backgrounds. The presence of excess complex background nucleic acid can reduce sensitivity and specificity. This is because mispriming can cause failure of the amplification reaction. Here we describe a new approach to ultrasensitive PCR detection, using enrichment of rare target nucleic acid from abundant background by combining the classic technique of cot–rehybridization to convert the abundant background to double-stranded form, with the use of a newly described, highly processive duplex-specific crab nuclease. We show that trace sequences in a vast excess of background DNA can be undetectable by PCR, independent of the amount of the mixture added to the PCR, and that these sequences can be made detectable by background suppression using this method.
Synthesis and Characterization of Strongly Fluorescent CdTe Nanocrystal Colloids

We present a synthesis of colloidal CdTe nanocrystals whose absolute room temperature quantum yields are routinely above 60%. The preparation is based on the trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) method reported by Murray, with a more stalbe tellurium precursor now used as the chalcogenide source. The photoluminescence is continuously tunable over the range 590-760 nm and is as narrow as 135 meV (45 nm) FWHM. No deep trap luminescence is detected for the diameter range 4-11 nm. CdTe nanocrystals are characterized by UV/vis absorption, photoluminescence emission, transmission electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction.
Biodiversity conservation and the extinction of experience

Biodiversity loss is a matter of great concern among conservation scientists, but the wherewithal to reverse this trend is generally lacking. One reason is that nearly half of the world's people live in urban areas and are increasingly disconnected from nature. If there is to be broad-based public support for biodiversity conservation, the places where people live and work should be designed so as to provide opportunities for meaningful interactions with the natural world. Doing so has the potential not only to engender support for protecting native species, but also to enhance human well-being. Accomplishing these goals will necessitate conservation scientists forging new collaborations with design professionals, health practitioners and social scientists, as well as encouraging the participation of the general public.
Emotional Consequences of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl: Lessons Learned for Fukushima

The psychosocial consequences of the Three Mile Island (TMI) and Chernobyl nuclear power plant accidents are regarded as their biggest public health effect. This chapter reviews the specific evidence about the mental health impact of these enormous events and the unique role of damaging health risk perceptions stemming from perceived radiation exposure. The short- and long-term mental health consequences range from general distress in the form of anxiety and depressive symptoms to clinical depression and anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and medically unexplained physical symptoms. The two most vulnerable groups after TMI and Chernobyl were mothers of very young children residing near the facilities and cleanup workers. The group of greatest concern, namely, children and adolescents raised in the shadows of these events, were not significantly impacted psychologically, socially, or cognitively. The mental health of older adults was not studied. Early findings from Fukushima suggest that anxiety and depression are major issues among the affected population. The elements needed for well-designed, inclusive, multidisciplinary studies of the psychological aftermath of Fukushima are discussed.
Assessment of explicit and semi‐explicit classes of model‐based algorithms for direct integration in structural dynamics

Summary The “model-based" algorithms available in the literature are primarily developed for the direct integration of the equations of motion for hybrid simulation in earthquake engineering, an experimental method where the system response is simulated by dividing it into a physical and an analytical domain. The term “model-based" indicates that the algorithmic parameters are functions of the complete model of the system to enable unconditional stability to be achieved within the framework of an explicit formulation. These two features make the model-based algorithms also a potential candidate for computations in structural dynamics. Based on the algorithmic difference equations, these algorithms can be classified as either explicit or semi-explicit, where the former refers to the algorithms with explicit difference equations for both displacement and velocity, while the latter for displacement only. The algorithms pertaining to each class are reviewed and a new family of second order unconditionally stable parametrically dissipative semi-explicit algorithms is presented. Numerical characteristics of these two classes of algorithms are assessed under linear and nonlinear structural behavior. Representative numerical examples are presented to complement the analytical findings. The analysis and numerical examples demonstrate the advantages and limitations of these two classes of model-based algorithms for applications in structural dynamics. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Impacts of Social-Emotional Curricula on Three-Year-Olds: Exploratory Findings from the Head Start Cares Demonstration

This report suggests that evidence-based approaches can improve 3-year-olds’ social-emotional competence in mixed-age preschool classrooms. While the findings are promising, further research is needed to confirm the results and to better understand how these benefits are generated.
WebWise: Guide to the Joint Genome Institute Web Site

This installment of the WebWise series reviews the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) web site (http://www.jgi.doe.gov/). The JGI, established in 1997 (Casey 1996), represents an ongoing consolidation of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) genome sequencing centers established at the Los Alamos (LANL), Lawrence Berke ley (LBNL) , and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL). The JGI web site presents a centralized information center to disseminate information pertaining to the sequencing efforts still being carried out at the three laboratories while a new central research facility is being built. Many of the data links lead to pages that are actually still hosted by these three research laboratories. This review is intended to summarize the consolidated JGI web resource; pages hosted by LANL, LBNL, or LLNL are indicated on the site map displayed in Figure 1. However, the site map does not attempt to represent all of the information available at the LANL, LBNL, or LLNL web sites (http://www-ls.lanl.gov/; http://www-hgc.lbl.gov/; http://wwwb i o . l l n l . g o v / b b r p / g e n o m e / g e nome.html). The site map (Fig. 1) is intended to provide a simple road map to data and tools pages. Therefore, it does not include all of the links provided on the JGI site map; redundant links as well as some groupings of related links are depicted as a single link on the site map. The main features of this web site, as well as the features of those sites already reviewed, are indicated in Table 1. As with the previous WebWise reviews, you may find it useful to point your Browser window to the JGI web site while reading.
Loopholes: Opportunity, Responsibility, or Liability?

This paper, which was solicited as a column for The Ethical Health Lawyer, briefly considers the role of health care attorneys in advising clients on revenue-maximizing opportunities under regulatory loopholes. Health law practice in the ethical gray area highlights tensions between competing duties of client loyalty and zealous advocacy, socially responsible corporate behavior, and legal professional ethics. The article explores those themes through several specific examples of loopholes in government health care reimbursement methodologies and other regulatory frameworks.
Neomycin Sulfate Improves the Antimicrobial Activity of Mupirocin-Based Antibacterial Ointments

In the midst of the current antimicrobial pipeline void, alternative approaches are needed to reduce the incidence of infection and decrease reliance on last-resort antibiotics for the therapeutic intervention of bacterial pathogens. In that regard, mupirocin ointment-based decolonization and wound maintenance practices have proven effective in reducing Staphylococcus aureus transmission and mitigating invasive disease. However, the emergence of mupirocin-resistant strains has compromised the agent's efficacy, necessitating new strategies for the prevention of staphylococcal infections. Herein, we set out to improve the performance of mupirocin-based ointments. A screen of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug library revealed that the antibiotic neomycin sulfate potentiates the antimicrobial activity of mupirocin, whereas other library antibiotics did not. Preliminary mechanism of action studies indicate that neomycin's potentiating activity may be mediated by inhibition of the organism's RNase P function, an enzyme that is believed to participate in the tRNA processing pathway immediately upstream of the primary target of mupirocin. The improved antimicrobial activity of neomycin and mupirocin was maintained in ointment formulations and reduced S. aureus bacterial burden in murine models of nasal colonization and wound site infections. Combination therapy improved upon the effects of either agent alone and was effective in the treatment of contemporary methicillin-susceptible, methicillin-resistant, and high-level mupirocin-resistant S. aureus strains. From these perspectives, combination mupirocin-and-neomycin ointments appear to be superior to that of mupirocin alone and warrant further development.
Western pine forests with continuing frequent fire regimes: Possible reference sites for management

In contrast to a few isolated forests in northern Mexico, most forests in the western Untied States have been significantly modified by fire suppression, harvesting, and livestock grazing. This has increased their fire hazards and many are in need of restoration. Understanding reference conditions is challenging because we have few intact forests functioning under the continuing influence of climate variation, insects, diseases, and frequent fires. This article summarizes information from reference sites and argues for incorporating natural heterogeneity in restoration targets across similar forests in the United States.
Forces acting in the Milwaukee brace on patients undergoing treatment for idiopathic scoliosis

The forces acting on the mandibular and occipital supports of the Milwaukee brace were measured in eleven patients undergoing treatment for idiopathic scoliosis. Special dynamometers were designed to measure three mutually perpendicular force components in both mandibular and occipital pads. Measura
Lessons Learned From Offshore It Outsourcing: A Client And Vendor Perspective

AbstractAchieving success in international information technology (IT) sourcing or offshoring projects is a significant, emerging challenge for many organizations. Success requires a significant amount of detailed management, cooperation and coordination among the client and vendor organizations. This paper synthesizes the key findings from eight dyadic case studies consisting of 56 interviews in total from both client and vendor firms detailing their IT offshoring experiences. The case investigations lead to the discovery of twelve disparate and innovative lessons learned emerging from the experiences and challenges involved with IT offshoring on the part of client and vendor firms. These lessons cover a wide assortment of economic, strategic, relational, personal (individual), and organizational issues encountered while offshoring. The list of lessons learned can suitably guide client and vendor firms in their plans to engage in successful IT offshoring projects in the future as well as academic researc...
Production of Pulmonary Edema by Thiourea in the Rat, and Its Relation to Age.∗:

ConclusionsThiourea, in addition to effecting thyroid enlargement and a decline in the B.M.R., produces in appropriate doses, rapid and fatal pulmonary edema in adult rats. No necessary relation between these two reactions has been demonstrated. The immature rat is much less susceptible to the pulmonary edema and more susceptible to the thyroid enlargement produced by this compound. On a weight basis it tolerates 50 times the lethal dose for adult rats.
LOCAL ADAPTATION IN TWO SUBSPECIES OF AN ANNUAL PLANT: IMPLICATIONS FOR MIGRATION AND GENE FLOW.

Plant populations often adapt to local environmental conditions. Here we demonstrate local adaptation in two subspecies of the California native annual Gilia capitata using standard reciprocal transplant techniques in two sites (coastal and inland) over three consecutive years. Subspecies performance in each site was measured in four ways: probability of seedling emergence, early vegetative size (length of longest leaf), probability of flowering, and total number of inflorescences produced per plant. Analysis of three of the four variables demonstrated local adaptation through site-by-subspecies interactions in which natives outperformed immigrants. The disparity between natives and immigrants in their probability of emergence and probability of flowering was greater at the coastal site than at the inland site. Treated in isolation, these two fitness components suggest that migration from the coast to the inland site may be less restricted by selection than migration in the opposite direction. Two measurements of individual size (leaf length and number of inflorescences), suggest (though not strongly) that immigrants may be subject to weaker selection at the coastal site than at the inland site. A standard cohort life table is used to compare replacement rates (R0 ) for each subspecies at each site. Comparisons of R0 s suggest that immigrants are under a severe demographic disadvantage at the coastal site, but only a small disadvantage at the inland site. The results point out the importance of integrating over several fitness components when documenting the magnitude of local adaptation.
An alternative approach to autopsy education and training: changing of the guard.

Formal education and training programs share many characteristics with many other activities in colleges, universities, and teaching hospitals. These include demands for the time of both teachers and those being taught, competition for time and space in curricula, competition for physical space and resources, and competition for support and attention from administrators. Training in health care brings an additional level of complexity due to changes in health care delivery, increasing regulatory oversight, limitations on the roles of students and residents, and clinical demands on teachers and trainers. Not surprisingly, these issues encourage efforts to find more cost-effective ways to teach and train, as well as to find new approaches that have better outcomes. As noted in previous articles in the Journal’s series on education and training in pathology and laboratory medicine, …
Kimberlite (U-Th)/He dating links surface erosion with lithospheric heating, thinning, and metasomatism in the southern African Plateau

Documenting the surface response to processes at depth is a central challenge in continental tectonics. Kimberlites bear an unusual record of both surface and deep processes through their downrafted crustal clasts, pipe erosion levels, and mantle xenolith suites. Here we combine new apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) data from four South Africa kimberlites ranging in emplacement age from ca. 143 Ma to ca. 74 Ma with a wealth of other geologic information from the pipes to resolve the timing, patterns, and causes of erosion across ∼200 km of the southern African Plateau. Comparison of the AHe dates with the kimberlite eruption ages constrains a strong regional unroofing pulse ca. 117–90 Ma, which was most intense from ca. 100 to 90 Ma. This unroofing phase is synchronous with warming, thinning, and metasomatism of the mantle lithosphere recorded by xenocrysts and peridotite xenoliths within these same kimberlites. These thermochemical changes could be related to still deeper dynamic mantle processes. Our AHe data appear to directly document the erosional response to surface uplift induced by these various events. The AHe results also detect as much as 1.5 km of Cenozoic unroofing that is spatially centered on a proposed mid-Tertiary paleotributary to the Orange River, suggesting drainage patterns as the cause. Our results not only tightly refine the surface history of the interior of the southern African Plateau, but show that kimberlite AHe dating can tie cratonic erosion phases with contemporaneous thermochemical changes in the mantle and thereby point to causative links.
Application of Mass Spectrometry to Study Proteomics and Interactomics in Cystic Fibrosis

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) does not function in isolation, but rather in a complex network of protein-protein interactions that dictate the physiology of a healthy cell and tissue and, when defective, the pathophysiology characteristic of cystic fibrosis (CF) disease. To begin to address the organization and operation of the extensive cystic fibrosis protein network dictated by simultaneous and sequential interactions, it will be necessary to understand the global protein environment (the proteome) in which CFTR functions in the cell and the local network that dictates CFTR folding, trafficking, and function at the cell surface. Emerging mass spectrometry (MS) technologies and methodologies offer an unprecedented opportunity to fully characterize both the proteome and the protein interactions directing normal CFTR function and to define what goes wrong in disease. Below we provide the CF investigator with a general introduction to the capabilities of modern mass spectrometry technologies and methodologies with the goal of inspiring further application of these technologies for development of a basic understanding of the disease and for the identification of novel pathways that may be amenable to therapeutic intervention in the clinic.
Rehabilitation for scapholunate injury: Application of scientific and clinical evidence to practice.

In this article, the development of a rehabilitation approach is describe using scapholunate injury as a model. We demonstrate how scientific and clinical evidence is applied to a treatment paradigm and modified based on emerging evidence. Role of the scapholunate interosseous ligament within the pathomechanics of the carpus, along with the progression of pathology, and specific rehabilitation algorithms tailored to the stage of injury. We review the recent and current evidence on the kinematics of wrist motion during functional activity, role of the muscles in providing dynamic stability of the carpus, and basic science of proprioception. Key relevant findings in each of these inter-related areas are highlighted to demonstrate how together they form the basis for current wrist rehabilitation. Finally, we make recommendations for future research to further test the efficacy of these approaches in improving functional outcomes.
Quintilian, Progymnasmata, and Rhetorical Education Today

ABSTRACTThere has been a surge of scholarly interest lately in the progymnasmata, those ordered exercises in composition that played such an important role in rhetorical education from antiquity to the Renaissance. Comprising an integrated program in literary, civic, and moral effectiveness, they offer a compelling alternative to language arts pedagogy today, which seems too often driven by the goal of “college and career readiness.” But to be truly useful as a pedagogical model, the progymnasmata need to be embedded in something like the comprehensive educational philosophy of Quintilian’s Institutio Oratoria.
An arbitrary order, fully implicit, hybrid kinetic solver for radiative transport using integral deferred correction

An implicit, hybrid method for linear kinetic equations was recently proposed and an implementation using the implicit Euler method was studied1. We present an arbitrarily high order solver based on this hybrid method using integral deferred corrections with respect to the implicit Euler method. The convergence properties of the hybrid method are examined, and multiple test problems are provided to show the efficacy of the hybrid method extends to implicit methods of higher order in both highly collisional and non-collisional regimes.
Geophysical Evidence for a San Andreas Subparallel Transtensional Fault along the Northeastern Shore of the Salton Sea

Abstract The southern San Andreas fault (SSAF) accommodates a significant amount of strain between the Pacific and North American plates; thus, the fault represents a major geohazard to the populated areas of southern California, in particular the larger Los Angeles metropolitan area. Paleoseismic chronology of ruptures along the SSAF segment suggests this fault is near the end of its interseismic period (∼180 years), because it has not ruptured in historic times (∼320 years). A recent active‐source seismic experiment performed in the Salton Sea west of the SSAF provides evidence for extensional deformation along the northeastern shore of the Salton Sea. This study posits that the extensional deformation is due to a previously unmapped fault, here named the Salton trough fault (STF). The seismic reflection data image a divergent sediment package that dips toward the northeast with thicknesses up to at least 2 km. Refraction inversion produces a southwestward‐dipping velocity discontinuity that crops out east of the SSAF surface trace, consistent with the existence of a southwest to northeast gradient in lithology. If present, the existence of the STF has scientific and societal relevance. First, the STF appears to control the recent Salton trough architecture north of Bombay Beach. Second, from a seismological hazards perspective, the presence of this structure could alter the current understanding of stress transfer and rupture dynamics in the region, as well as community fault models and ground‐motion simulations on the SSAF. Online Material: Uninterpreted seismic‐reflection profiles.
Paying the price for military patronage

This important contribution chronicles the forging of the US military-industrial-academic complex and the impact of Department of Defense (DOD) funding on higher education institutions. It does so by carefully examining the evolution of physics and engineering departments at two leading schools, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University, but similar stories could be told for other institutions.