cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suicide and Violence in US Colleges: Legal and Clinical Perspectives 46

Throughout history, changes in the relationship between a college and its students have reflected their respective changes in American society. Violence on campus has become a pressing problem for the modern university. To understand the current state of the mental health crisis on campus, one must understand the history of American higher education and student rights. This chapter will provide a review of mental health concerns on college campuses, describe key legal cases regarding the college’s role and responsibilities, frame the ethical issues surrounding patient privacy and public safety, and provide recommendations to colleges and mental health practitioners for managing the student in crisis.
Brain-Specific Inhibition of mTORC1 by a Dual Drug Strategy: A Novel Approach for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder affecting a large portion of the population. Unfortunately, efficacious medications to treat the disease are limited and thus AUD represents an area of unmet medical need. mTORC1 plays a crucial role in neuroadaptations underlying alcohol use. mTORC1 also contributes to alcohol craving, habit, and relapse. Thus, mTORC1 inhibitors are promising therapeutic agents to treat AUD. However, chronic inhibition of mTORC1 in the periphery produces undesirable side effects in humans, which limit their potential clinical use for the treatment of AUD. To overcome these limitations, we utilized a binary drug strategy in which mice were co-administered the mTORC1 inhibitor RapaLink-1 together with a novel small molecule (RapaBlock) to protect mTORC1 activity in the periphery. We show that the dual administration of RapaLink-1 with RapaBlock, abolishes RapaLink-1-dependent mTORC1 inhibition in the liver and blocks adverse side effects detected in humans including body weight loss, glucose intolerance and liver toxicity. Importantly, we show that co-administration of RapaLink-1 and RapaBlock inhibits alcohol-dependent mTORC1 activation in the Nucleus Accumbens and robustly moderates the level of alcohol use. Our data present a novel approach that could be used to treat individuals suffering from AUD .
Baseline sensitivity of Fusarium graminearum from wheat, corn, dry bean and soybean to pydiflumetofen in Michigan, USA

Abstract Fusarium graminearum is perhaps best known for causing head blight in wheat and ear and stalk rot in corn. However, F. graminearum can also cause seedling diseases and root rot on many field crops including wheat, corn, soybean, and dry bean. In 2019, a new Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide, pydiflumetofen (Syngenta, Switzerland), was registered for management of Fusarium Head Blight of wheat and corn ear rot. Here, we determined the sensitivity of isolates of F. graminearum from wheat, corn, soybean and dry bean from Michigan to this new active ingredient. In vitro sensitivity of 94 isolates was assessed with a poison plate mycelial growth assay, and a subset with 21 isolates was also tested with a spore germination assay. The effective concentration that reduced growth or germination by 50% (EC50) was determined for each isolate. Mycelial growth EC50 values ranged from 0.008 to 0.263 μg/mL, with a mean of 0.060 μg/mL. EC50 values for spore germination assays ranged from 0.167 to 0.538 μg/mL, with a mean of 0.321 μg/mL. This study demonstrates both mycelial growth and spore germination are inhibited by this new chemistry in vitro. This data also establishes baseline sensitivity values of Michigan populations of F. graminearum before widespread application of this chemistry on commercial fields.
On the 3-dimensional water waves system above a flat bottom

As a starting point for studying the long-time behavior of the 3-dimensional water waves system in the flat bottom setting, we try to improve the understanding of the Dirichlet–Neumann operator in this set-up. As an application, we study the 3-dimensional gravity waves system and derive a new energy estimate of L2−L∞ type, which has good structure in the L∞-type space. This has been used in our Ph.D. thesis (2016) to prove the global regularity of the 3-dimensional gravity waves system for suitably small initial data.
Contagious Antibiotic Resistance: Plasmid Transfer Among Bacterial Residents of the Zebrafish Gut

By characterizing the trajectories of antibiotic resistance gene transfer in bacterial communities such as the gut microbiome, we will better understand the factors that influence this spread of resistance. Our aim was to investigate the host network of a multi-drug resistance broad-host-range plasmid in the culturable gut microbiome of zebrafish. This was done through in vitro and in vivo conjugation experiments with Escherichia coli as donor of the plasmid pB10::gfp. When this donor was mixed with the extracted gut microbiome, only transconjugants of Aeromonas veronii were detected. In separate matings between the same donor and four prominent isolates from the gut microbiome, the plasmid transferred to two of these four isolates, A. veronii and Plesiomonas shigelloides, but not to Shewanella putrefaciens and Vibrio mimicus. When these A. veronii and P. shigelloides transconjugants were the donors in matings with the same four isolates, the plasmid now also transferred from A. veronii to S. putrefaciens. P. shigelloides was unable to donate the plasmid and V. mimicus was unable to acquire it. Finally, when the E. coli donor was added in vivo to zebrafish through their food, plasmid transfer was observed in the gut but only to Achromobacter sp., a rare member of the gut microbiome. This work shows that the success of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance spread in a gut microbiome depends on the donor-recipient species combinations and therefore their spatial arrangement. It also suggests that rare gut microbiome members should not be ignored as potential reservoirs of multi-drug resistance plasmids from food.
Increasing Area Deprivation Index negatively impacts ovarian cancer survival.

Abstract Introduction While individual-level measures of socioeconomic status have been well-studied in relation to ovarian cancer survival, no studies to date have examined both state and national-level Area Deprivation Indices (ADIs), which incorporate neighborhood affluence and resources. Methods We abstracted clinical data from medical records for ovarian cancer cases from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and obtained ADIs from the Neighborhood Atlas®. Associations with clinical characteristics were assessed with Spearman correlations and Kruskal-Wallis tests; associations with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed with Cox proportional-hazards regression. Results Among 184 cases, state and national ADIs were highly correlated, but not related to any cancer characteristics. In multivariable adjusted regression models, both were significantly associated with OS; each decile increase in state or national ADI corresponded to a 9 % or 10 % greater risk of death, respectively. Conclusions Increasing area-level deprivation may negatively impact ovarian cancer survival.
Counseling in Aphasia: Information and Strategies for Speech-Language Pathologists

Purpose The purpose of this tutorial is to provide an overview of mental health concerns of persons with aphasia (PWAs), strategies that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can use to address the m...
Investigating the Role of Different Prep Pathways on CS2 Performance Across Three Different Majors

Research have shown that introductory programming sequence have a significant impact in the retention of students in computing and engineering majors. There has been extensive research about the CS1 course [1]. Much less has been written about the CS1.5 and CS2 course, which are often gateway courses for computing and engineering majors. CS2 classes often reflect a second semester course in programming, yet when studying this course many universities have different purposes for this course. Currently, there is a wide range of variation in CS courses. Some of these are used to expose students to a wider range of languages; in other cases, a new language is used to introduce concepts such as object-oriented programming, instead of the language used in CS1. However, even though CS2 is one of the fundamental courses in computing or CS major curriculum, the impacts of the different prep pathways leading to CS2 course is not well studied [2, 3]. Due to the critical nature of the CS2 course and its importance in CS major curriculum, in many institutions, CS2 or data structure course is recognized as an attrition point for CS Majors [4]. Understanding the impacts of the different prep pathways in CS2 course performance and the CS2 curriculum itself could give insights into the attrition behaviors. This paper presents a study which is conducted to understand the impact how student performance in CS2 course gets impacted by different programming languages used in CS1.5 course.
NAD+ flux is maintained in aged mice despite lower tissue concentrations

Summary NAD+ is an essential coenzyme for all living cells. NAD+ concentrations decline with age, but whether this reflects impaired production or accelerated consumption remains unclear. We employed isotope tracing and mass spectrometry to probe age-related changes in NAD+ metabolism across tissues. In aged mice, we observed modest tissue NAD+ depletion (median decrease ∼30%). Circulating NAD+ precursors were not significantly changed, and isotope tracing showed the unimpaired synthesis of nicotinamide from tryptophan. In most tissues of aged mice, turnover of the smaller tissue NAD+ pool was modestly faster such that absolute NAD+ biosynthetic flux was maintained, consistent with more active NAD+-consuming enzymes. Calorie restriction partially mitigated age-associated NAD+ decline by decreasing consumption. Acute inflammatory stress induced by LPS decreased NAD+ by impairing synthesis in both young and aged mice. Thus, the decline in NAD+ with normal aging is relatively subtle and occurs despite maintained NAD+ production, likely due to increased consumption.
Monitoring Surface UV-B Radiation from Space

While the problem of estimating expected global changes in surface UV-B is complex, the UV-B input into the troposphere can be estimated quite accurately because of the high quality record of global ozone measurements from the TOMS instrument on Nimbus 7. A continuous record of daily total column ozone measurements extends from November 1978 through May 1993. The relative accuracy of the ozone record from TOMS has been maintained to within ±2% (2 sigma error) over this period, so the measured changes in global ozone over this period can reliably be used to compute UV transmission through the atmosphere. The uncertainties in the calculation of surface UV-B will then be the uncertainties involved in the transmission of UV through the troposphere—uncertainties in assumed cloud cover and in tropospheric aerosol loading.
Essays on Dynamic Competition and Academic Entrepreneurship - Dissertation Executive Summary

My dissertation focuses on dynamic firm competition and academic entrepreneurship. The first essay studies the dynamics and equilibrium outcomes of a duopoly in which firms make decisions about both capacity expansion and cost reduction. The second essay is an extension of the framework used in the first essay to study the strategic roles of exogenous spillovers and absorptive capacity. The third essay examines the effects of the Bayh-Dole Act (1980) and the Pasteur’s Quadrant effects on a faculty’s research efforts over a career life cycle, taking into account research preferences and productivities, spillovers among different types of research knowledge, and monetary payoffs. The last essay further looks at a professor’s transition between academia and entrepreneurship.
Chapter 28 Regulation of prices and investment in hospitals in the United States

Abstract With the spread of cost-based hospital payment systems in the United States in the 1960s, and the implementation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs in 1966, rapidly rising hospital costs imposed unexpected pressures on Federal and state budgets and generated a demand for regulatory interventions. Large numbers of states responded with regulatory controls on hospital investment and a significant minority of states enacted hospital price regulation (rate-setting) laws. As strong hospital sector inflation continued into the 1970s, Federal efforts to regulate prices (through the Economic Stabilization Program) and to encourage additional state regulation were also enacted. This chapter reviews the economic research on the impact of these regulatory interventions, focusing on econometric studies in particular. Several conclusions emerge from this review. First, studies of adoption of regulation show that pressure on state budgets and pro-regulation political views were more influential than “provider capture” or “rent-seeking” factors. Second, cost-containment impacts of state rate-setting programs varied over time, with changes in the national health care economy and major Federal policy thrusts. Third, there is little evidence that investment controls reduced the rate of cost growth though inconsistent reports of constraining effects on numbers of beds and diffusion of some specialized services did appear. Fourth, econometric studies of the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) supported the presumption that PPS would constrain the growth in cost per case, but concomitant increases in case-mix intensity and declines in admissions raised questions about (1) the extent to which PPS truly induced efficiency gains and (2) the adequacy of our analytic models of hospital behavior. Fifth, as cost-based payment was replaced by prospective payment in Medicare, Medicaid and the private sector, and as managed care encouraged price competition, the evidence of regulatory cost savings dwindled and rate regulation virtually disappeared. While investment regulation is still widespread, its role and effect in the new hospital marketplace is still unclear.
Seasonality and monthly dynamics of marine myovirus communities.

Summary Marine myoviruses (i.e. bacteriophages with a contractile tail sheath) are numerically abundant and genetically diverse. We developed a terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism assay (TRFLP) for g23, the conserved gene encoding the major capsid protein, to investigate T4-like myovirus communities at USC's Microbial Observatory at the San Pedro Ocean Time-series (SPOT), where we previously reported bacterial seasonality. Between 71 and 154 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were observed monthly over 3 years. Roughly 25% of OTUs were detected in 31 or more months. T4-like myoviral community structure varied seasonally with some OTUs peaking repeatedly in spring–summer and others in fall–winter, while moderately abundant OTUs persisted year-round. Recurring community structure was demonstrated using discriminant function analysis (DFA, selecting taxa that best predict months) and average Bray–Curtis similarity. DFA showed communities from adjacent months or 12 months apart were positively auto-correlated, while communities 3–7 months apart were negatively auto-correlated. Bray–Curtis similarity was highest between adjacent months – with a local maximum at 12-month and local minima at 6- and 18- to 20-month lags. The T4-like virus community at SPOT exhibited seasonality, yet the somewhat unexpected persistence of moderately abundant OTUs and predictability of the community add new twists to existing conceptual models of marine viruses.
A case of severe allergic reaction to cooked potato

UNLABELLED White potato is a very common ingredient in the diet of infants in Mediterranean countries, and in its cooked form, it is one of the first solid foods introduced, usually around the age of 4-6 months. Allergy to potato is uncommon, and allergic reactions to cooked potato have been reported only in children. We report a case of severe potato-induced allergic reaction in an 8-month-old infant with atopic dermatitis and multiple food allergies that raises questions about differential diagnosis between anaphylaxis and food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). CONCLUSION Allergy to cooked potatoes could be a cause of severe although rare allergic reactions; it could be very difficult, in some cases, to make a differential diagnosis between anaphylaxis and FPIES. Moreover, the diagnosis appears to be very important for the choice of therapy and long-term allergologic management.
Contextual reusability metrics for event-based architectures

Component based software engineering has been perceived to have immense reuse potential. This area has evoked wide interest and has led to considerable investment in research and development effort. Most of these investigations have explored internal characteristics of software components such as correctness, reliability, maintainability, modularity, understandability, readability, interoperability, portability, generality and genericity for promoting reuse. But experience over the past decade has demonstrated that the usefulness of a component depends as much on the context into which it fits as it does on the internal characteristics of the component. This context takes into account the requirements of the domain and an architectural description is a useful way of representing that domain. In this paper, we present a set of reusability metrics designed to measure how well a software component fits into such an architectural context.
Visualizing lipid-formulated siRNA release from endosomes and target gene knockdown

A central hurdle in developing small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) as therapeutics is the inefficiency of their delivery across the plasma and endosomal membranes to the cytosol, where they interact with the RNA interference machinery. With the aim of improving endosomal release, a poorly understood and inefficient process, we studied the uptake and cytosolic release of siRNAs, formulated in lipoplexes or lipid nanoparticles, by live-cell imaging and correlated it with knockdown of a target GFP reporter. siRNA release occurred invariably from maturing endosomes within ~5-15 min of endocytosis. Cytosolic galectins immediately recognized the damaged endosome and targeted it for autophagy. However, inhibiting autophagy did not enhance cytosolic siRNA release. Gene knockdown occurred within a few hours of release and required <2,000 copies of cytosolic siRNAs. The ability to detect cytosolic release of siRNAs and understand how it is regulated will facilitate the development of rational strategies for improving the cytosolic delivery of candidate drugs.
Levothyroxine dose following thyroidectomy is affected by more than just body weight.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To determine the factors that affect levothyroxine (LT4) requirements following thyroidectomy. Study Design: Retrospective study. Methods: This study evaluated 246 participants who had undergone total thyroidectomy and were on a stable dose of LT4. Actual weight–based (AWB) and ideal body weight–based (IBWB) LT4 dose requirements were analyzed, and other confounders including adherence, concurrent medications, comorbidities, female menopausal status, and hormone replacement therapy were examined. Results: A total of 205 women and 41 men were evaluated, with 48 (20%) benign and 198 (80%) malignant pathology findings. The mean AWB LT4 doses for men and premenopausal women were similar among members of the benign groups and similar among members of the malignant groups. There was a trend for lower dose LT4 in postmenopausal women off hormonal therapy (PM/NH) and on hormonal therapy (PM/H) in the benign group (1.4 and 1.6 μg/kg vs. 1.8 μg/kg in the men and premenopausal women) and a trend for lower dose LT4 in the PM/H women in the malignant group (1.9 μg/kgvs. 2.1 and 2.2 μg/kg in the men and premenopausal women), but they were not significant. However, PM/NH women required significantly less LT4 (1.7 μg/kg) than both the men (2.2 μg/kg) and premenopausal women (2.1 μg/kg) in the malignant group (P=.0006). The IBWB LT4 dosage was not statistically different between groups. Conclusions: LT4 dosage following thyroidectomy, calculated using actual body weight, can range from 1.4 to 2.2 μg/kg and is dependent on diagnosis (benign vs. malignant), goal TSH, sex, and menopausal status. Laryngoscope, 2012
Promiscuous chromosomal proteins: complexes about sex.

In the phenomenon of dosage compensation, the expression of genes from the entire X chromosome is adjusted to be equivalent between the two sexes. This is necessary because one sex usually has two X chromosomes, while the other has only one. In the Perspective, Kuroda and Villeneuve explain the findings in two reports in this issue of Science from Meyer and co-workers ([p. 1732][1] and [p. 1736][2]), in which subunits of a protein complex critical for dosage compensation are shown to be also used in the process of chromosome segregation during meiosis, suggesting that both occur by the regulated condensation of chromosomes. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.274.5293.1732 [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.274.5293.1736
The role of temporal expectancies in the production of film suspense

Abstract The present paper explores the role of temporal expectancies in the production of suspense in film. It is proposed that both temporal predictability (giving rise to temporal expectancies) and temporal contrast (involving a temporal disparity between an event's actual and expected ending) may add to suspense. It is suggested that temporal expectancies in suspense discourse structures depend, in part, on (1) the temporal relationships as described in the plan schemas involved, and (2) the temporal succession of breakpoints (i.e., the beginnings or endings of the separate events). It is illustrated how the manipulation of the screen duration could be used to manipulate the temporal succession of breakpoints, and therefore also, temporal expectancies. It is hypothesized that higher suspense levels might be reached when the outcome event is presented a little later than expected. An imaginary experiment is presented in which this hypothesis could be put to test.
Interference effects in electron-ion recombination. III. Excited target states and continuum-continuum coupling

Provision is made for the existence of excited target states and projectile continuum-continuum coupling, within the framework of the interacting resonance theory of electron-ion recombination described previously (Phys. Rev. A 36, 4662 (1987); 38, 1820 (1988)). This ''extended'' theory makes explicit what was merely implicit in these earlier works. Dielectronic recombination probabilities, which include the effects of interaction and interference between resonances, are derived for two model systems: (a) A target ground state supporting two coupled projectile continua, and one excited target state as a closed channel; (b) a ground and first excited target state, each supporting one projectile continuum, and a second excited target state as a closed channel. Explicit calculations are performed for model (b), wherein are included Rydberg series of fully interacting resonances built on each of the two excited target states. The probability of excitation from the ground to the first excited target state is also obtained for model (b). This probability includes the effect of the interaction and interference between resonances, as well as the interference between resonance and direct excitation processes.
Review and State of the Art Biological Effects and Hazards of Microwave Radiation

Microwaves does interact with a variety of materials and systems including Biological. The question arises as to the mode of interaction and whether it constitutes a hazard. The IEEE and the Department of the Navy are co-sponsors of an American National Standards Institute Committee-C-95 on RF Radiation Hazards. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the national clearinghouse and coordinating body for voluntary standards in the United States. C-95 is an ANSI committee composed of representatives of scientific and technical organizations, industry and trade groups, government agencies and public interest groups, and their task is to develop standards relating to the committees field of interest. The actual work of the committee is accomplished by sub-committees, membership in which is a function of expertise and the ability to contribute to the work of the committee. In addition to its co-sponsorship of C-95 the IEEE has five (5) representatives, voting as a group, one of which represents MTT-S. This session is essentially a report to MTT-S on the technical activities of C-95 as well as a review and state of the art in the area of Biological Effects and Hazards of Microwave Radiation. It will also provide an opportunity for interaction between members of C-95 and the microwave community.
Academic Performance Gap Between Summer-Birthday and Fall-Birthday Children in Grades K-8

Much interest exists among parents and researchers regarding the benefits and drawbacks of delaying kindergarten entrance to acquire academic advantage ("red-shirting"). How evident is this assumed advantage at the kindergarten level and beyond? The authors evaluated large-scale test data from Grades K-8 to investigate the difference in performance between younger children (summer birthday) and older children (fall birthday). The performance gap evident in kindergarten decreased rapidly in Grades 1-3 but persisted up to Grade 5, until leveling off at middle school. The performance gap in the early grades that resulted from birth date was much larger than was the gap caused by gender difference.
Gurdjieff's presentation of emotions: Toward a phenomenology of affective experience

Abstract This essay presents a phenomenology of emotion by drawing on the psychological account of human beings provided by the Armenian‐Russian philosopher and spiritual teacher George I. Gurdjieff (c. 1877–1949), whose work until recently was ignored by conventional academics. Relatively unknown to the West in his lifetime, Gurdjieff presents in his writings and teachings a detailed picture of the essential constitution of human experience, including the emotional dimension. Although not explicitly phenomenological, his work depicts five affective modes that fit together into a holistic, experientially verifiable conception of human emotion.
Ligand redistribution reactions of some organometallic rhodium and iridium complexes

Abstract Ligand redistribution reactions of some organometallic rhodium and iridium complexes have been investigated and their possible reaction pathways have been discussed.
Integrating Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) into Clinical Practice Settings: A Brief Review

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services for individuals at risk of developing substance use disorders (SUDs) and those who have already developed these disorders. SBIRT can be flexibly applied; therefore, it can be delivered in many clinical care settings. SBIRT has been adapted for use in hospital emergency settings, primary care centers, office- and clinic-based practices, and other community settings, providing opportunities for early intervention with at-risk substance users before more severe consequences occur. In addition, SBIRT interventions can include the provision of brief treatment for those with less severe SUDs and referrals to specialized substance abuse treatment programs for those with more severe SUDs. Screening large numbers of individuals presents an opportunity to engage those who are in need of treatment. However, additional research is needed to determine how best to implement SBIRT.
Adaptive response of the human dental alveolar process: correction of a Class I protrusive and mutilated dentition, with 32-year follow-up

A healthy young woman with a severe Class I dental malocclusion and extreme maxillary arch protrusion was treated with conventional edgewise-arch fixed appliance therapy. Four first premolars were removed, and the mandibular second and third molars were moved into positions normally occupied by the mandibular first and second molars. Diagnostic records at ages 17 years 5 months, 22 years 11 months, and 54 years 8 months are presented. (These pretreatment and posttreatment records were presented to the American Board of Orthodontics in 1976 in partial fulfillment of its requirements for the certification process.)
Proton and carbon magnetic resonance studies of the synthetic polypentapeptide of elastin.

Abstract Proton and 13C magnetic resonance studies are reported on the synthetic polypentapeptide of elastin, HCO-(Val(1)-Pro(2)-Gly(3)-Val(4)-Gly(5))n-Val-OMe, where n ∼- 18. Temperature and solvent dependence of peptide N H chemical shift and solvent dependence of peptide carbonyl chemical shift were used to delineate these moieties preliminary to identification of secondary structure. Based on these studies it is proposed, for the organic solvents of dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol, and low-temperature trifluoroethanol, that dynamic hydrogen bonds form in order of decreasing frequency of occurrence between the Val(1) C O and the Val(4) N H (a β-turn), between the Gly(3) N H and the Gly(5) C O (an 11-atom, hydrogen-bonded ring), and a more limited interaction between the Gly(3) C O and the Gly(5) N H (a γ-turn). Arguments are presented that relate the conformational features proposed above to the coacervate, which is a filamentous state.
Political Participation and Social Capital Among Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Central Illinois

This study tested the influence of bridging and bonding social capital in political participation while controlling for sociodemographic and psychological factors among Mexicans and Mexican America...
Electron microscopical studies on the lysosomes and the Golgi apparatus in the motoneurons of spinal cords of mice under physiological and pathological conditions.

In motoneurons of the spinal cord of mice, the structure of lysosomes and Golgi zone was investigated using light and electron microscopy, under the influence of the cornpulsatory motor activity and tetanus toxine. In the motoneurons the activity of acid phosphatase according Gomori and activity of thiamine pyrophosphatase according Novikoff and Goldfischer were estimated.
Algal banks near La Paz, Baja California — Modern analogues of source areas of transported shallow-water fossils in pre-alpine flysch deposits

Abstract Banks of living red calcareous algae and coral reefs contribute skeletal debris to form algal gravels and calcarenites in the shallow water around La Paz and Isla Espiritu Santo near the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. A core taken in deep water, on the western slope of the La Paz Basin downslope from the algal banks, displays graded beds containing abundant shallow-water carbonate skeletal debris; downslope transport of this skeletal debris by tidal, storm, and turbidity currents is indicated. The calcareous skeletal debris in these graded beds are tecturally, faunally and florally similar to skeletal carbonate debris described from flysch deposits of Early Tertiary age in Switzerland and surrounding areas. Both present-day southern Baja California with its adjacent basins in the Gulf of California and the flysch cordilleras and basins of Early Tertiary Switzerland share the following characteristics: ( 1 ) a tropical marine climate prevails around; ( 2 ) in land areas, including islands chains, of high relief close by deep marine basins and troughs, the topography in large part is controlled by fault block structures; ( 3 ) the deep marine basins and the land areas are separated by narrow, shallow fringing shelves; ( 4 ) upon these shelves algal banks and coral reefs grow, contributing skeletal debris to form algal gravels and calcarenites containing coral, algal, molluscan, bryozoan, echinoid and foraminiferal debris which is subject to ( 5 ) resedimentation by tidal, storm and turbidity currents, thus contributing shallow-water skeletal debris to deeper-water sediments. The La Paz area is of interest to students of Alpine geology because around La Paz one may study the type, scale and intensity of sedimentational processes such as must have been active during the Early Tertiary filling of pre-Alpine flysch basins in Switzerland.
Bacteremia in transplant recipients: A prospective study of demographics, etiologic agents, risk factors, and outcomes

Background: Bacteremic infections are a major cause of death among organ transplant recipients. We sought to identify the risk factors associated with death and examine the timing of the bacteremic episode after operation to recognize patients who may benefit from perioperative prophylactic antibiotic therapy. Methods: A total of 125 episodes of bacteremia or fungemia in 16 heart, 26 kidney, and 70 liver recipients were monitored prospectively in 1 year. Results: The urinary tract was the most frequent portal for kidney recipients, the gastrointestinal and biliary tracts were frequent for liver recipients, and the lung was frequent in heart recipients. Heart and liver recipients were more severely ill at the time of bacteremia and had bacteremia sooner after operation. Death at 14 days after onset of bacteremia was 33% in heart recipients, 24% in liver recipients, and 11% in kidney recipients. Risk of death was associated with the severity of the underlying condition of the transplant recipient, the source of the bacteremia, and the microbial agent. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species had fatality rates of 47% and 63%, respectively. P. aeruginosa and Enterobacter were also most commonly associated with failures of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Conclusions: There are distinct clinical patterns of bacteremia in transplant recipients. The emergence of P. aeruginosa and Enterobacter species in the immediate postoperative period appeared to be a significant cause of morbidity and death among transplant recipients.
Bipolar charging in the transition regime

Abstract Results of experimental measurements of the electrical charge acquired by transition regime aerosols exposed simultaneously to positive and negative ions of unequal conductivities are presented and compared with theoretical predictions. Uncharged, highly monodisperse oleic acid aerosols of 0.03, 0.09, 0.15 and 0.3 μm diameter are exposed to counter currents of positive and negative ions in the presence of external electric fields ranging from 25 to 300 kV m −1 . Aerosol charge distributions are determined with an integral mobility analyzer and electrical aerosol detector. Mean charge is found to saturate at steady-state levels for conductivity ratios of three and ten and to increase monotonically for a conductivity ratio of infinity (unipolar). Charge levels show a strong dependence on particle size and ion conductivity ratio, but exhibit a field strength dependence only for dimensionless fields above approximately 0.4–0.5. The experimental measurements are first compared with continuum field-diffusion theory. The continuum predictions are significantly higher than experiment, and the relative difference increases with decreasing particle size. The data are also compared with two transition theories: one due to Fuchs-Natanson and a second based on Marlow's general theory for transition regime transport. Since neither transition theory includes the effect of an external electric field, experimental comparisons are obtained by extrapolating measurements at low fields to zero field strength. Both transition theories show good agreement with experiment.
Sexual Development in Apparently Nonmosaic Turner's Syndrome (XO)

Two girls with many features of Turner's syndrome and XO karyotypes menstruate regularly at ages 14 and 15. Menarches occurred at 10 yrs 11 mos and 13 yrs 5 mos. Laparoscopy in patient 1 showed grossly normal ovaries. Biopsies (40 mm3 on right and 24 mm3 on left) showed stroma with no follicles in the right and stroma with 1 atretic and one primordial follicle in the left ovary. Patient 2 had a cystic 2×2-cm. left and a yellow-white streak right ovary with a 1-cm. paraovarian cyst. 2-mm3 biopsy of the right ovary showed on atretic follicle. 72-mm3 biopsy of the left ovary yielded 8 or fewer primordial and atretic follicles and part of one Graafian follicle. LH and FSH during follicular phase were 11.1 and 15.8 mIu/ml in pt. 1 and 4.5 and 12.4 mIu/ml in pt. 2. Total serum estrogens in pt. 1 were 137 pg/ml. Studies of responses to LHRH are in progress. Buccal smears from the girls showed Barr bodies in 1/200 and 0/200 cells respectively. Karyotypes of three separate blood lymphocyte preparations and one ovarian fibroblast preparation from pt. 1 and one blood lymphocyte preparation from pt. 2 show only 45X with no evidence of mosaicism. Further chromosome studies are in progress. Traditionally, sexual development in 45X patients is attributed to occult mosaicism. Since both X's are active in the ovary before meiotic entry, we believe the 45X complement Just accelerates the normal atresia of oocytes and that these girls are not mosaics.
Random mutagenesis of the zinc-binding motif of betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase reveals that Gly 214 is essential.

Abstract Betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT; EC2.1.1.5) is a zinc metalloenzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from betaine to homocysteine to produce dimethylglycine and Met, respectively. This enzyme is a member of a family of zinc-dependent methyltransferases that use thiols or selenols as methyl acceptors and which contain the following motif: G[ILV]NCX(20, 100)[ALV]X(2)[ILV]GGCCX(3)PX(2)I. We recently reported that the three cysteine residues within this motif function as ligands to zinc in BHMT because changing any of them to alanine abolished zinc-binding and enzyme activity (A. P. Breksa, III, and T. A. Garrow, 1999, Biochemistry 38, 13991–13998). To determine if other amino acid residues in this motif were critical for enzyme function, the two regions defined by the motif in human BHMT, GVNCH218 and VRYIGGCCGFEPYHI307, were subjected to semirandom and random site-directed mutagenesis. Mutant enzymes were classified as either active or inactive based on their ability to complement the Met auxotrophy of Escherichia coli strain J5-3. The Gly residue at position 214 was found to be absolutely essential for complementation. The positions occupied by Gly297, Gly298, and Gly301 favored substitutions of small amino acids like Ala and Ser. We hypothesize that these Gly residues provide the necessary flexibility to the Zn-binding region to permit coordination of the metal.
Risk of breast cancer and breast cancer characteristics in women treated with supradiaphragmatic radiation for Hodgkin lymphoma: Mayo Clinic experience.

Objective To evaluate the overall risk of breast cancer and breast cancer characteristics in women given supradiaphragmatic radiation therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma. Patients and Methods Medical records of 653 female patients who received supradiaphragmatic radiation therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, between 1950 and 1993 were abstracted, and follow-up questionnaires were mailed. In 4 patients, breast cancer was diagnosed before Hodgkin lymphoma was discovered. Results The median age of 649 patients at supra-diaphragmatic radiation therapy was 31.8 years (range, 2.6–86.5 years). The median duration of follow-up was 8.7 years (range, P P P =.01). Breast cancer detection was by self-examination in 15 cancers, by mammography in 13, and by clinical examination in 4; in 2 cancers, the mode of detection was unknown. Modified radical mastectomy was used to treat breast cancer. Conclusion The increased risk of breast cancer in survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma given supradiaphragmatic radiation therapy appears to be limited to patients who are younger than 30 years at radiation therapy or to those who have undergone splenectomy.
Comparative study of vitreous carbon, pyrolytic carbon, pyrolytic graphite/silicon-carbide, and titanium implants in rabbit mandibles.

Abstract For some time, metals, plastics, and ceramics have been used for the construction of dental endosseous implants. Recently, vitreous carbon has been used, and the results have been encouraging. In a limited study using twelve New Zealand albino rabbits, vitreous carbon, pyrolytic carbon, and pyrolytic graphite/silicon-carbide implants were placed into the inferior borders of the rabbit mandibles. Titanium was used as a control, and each rabbit mandible received one each of the four materials. The experimental animals were then killed in groups of four at 14, 45, and 90 days, and the tissues surrounding the implants were evaluated histologically. All specimens revealed fibrous connective tissue capsules of varying thicknesses. Macrophages were present in some specimens, with evidence of those macrophages having phagocytized carbon particles. The conclusion reached was that none of the materials employed in this study was completely compatible with the rabbit mandibular tissues.
Solid‐state microcellular polycarbonate foams. I. The steady‐state process space using subcritical carbon dioxide

The process parameters for production of solid-state microcellular polycarbonate using subcritical CO2 were explored. Sufficiently long foaming times were used to produce foams, where cell growth had completed, resulting in steady-state structures. A wide range of foaming temperatures and saturation pressures below the critical pressure of CO2 were investigated, establishing the steady state process space for this polymer–gas system. Processing conditions are presented that produce polycarbonate foams where both the foam density and the average cell size can be controlled. The process space showed that we could produce foams at a constant density, while varying the cell size by and order of magnitude. At a relative density of 0.5, the average cell size could be varied from 4 to 40 μm. The ability to produce such a family of foams opens the possibility to explore the effect of microstructure, like cell size on the properties of cellular materials. It was found that the minimum foaming temperature for a given concentration of CO2, determined from the process space, agrees well with the predicted glass transition temperature of the gas–polymer solution. A characterization of the average cell size, cell size distribution, and cell nucleation density for this system is also reported. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
Receptor Binding Activities of Biotinylated Derivatives of β-Nerve Growth Factor

beta-nerve growth factor (NGF) was modified by biotinylation via carboxyl group substitution (C-bio-NGF) using biotin hydrazide and the coupling reagent 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide, under reaction conditions that yielded an average of 3 biotin additions per NGF subunit. NGF was also biotinylated through amino group substitution, using N-hydroxysuccinimidyl biotin, to produce derivatives with ratios of one, two, and four biotin moieties per NGF subunit (N-bio-NGF). The various biotinylated NGF derivatives were compared with native NGF for their capacity to compete with 125I-NGF for binding to NGF receptors on rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells at 4 degrees C. On the basis of such radioreceptor assays, C-bio-NGF was as effective as native NGF in binding to NGF receptors. C-bio-NGF was also as effective as native NGF in promoting neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells. In contrast, N-bio-NGF containing one biotin per NGF subunit was only 28% as active in binding as native NGF. Increasing the biotin:NGF ratio to 2 to 4 further decreased receptor binding to 13% and 6%, respectively, as compared to native NGF. Once bound to cells, C-bio-NGF had the capacity to mediate the specific binding of 125I-streptavidin to PC12 cells. This binding of streptavidin was prevented by excess native NGF and by antiserum to NGF, but not by RNase A, insulin, cytochrome c, or nonimmune serum. In addition, a variant PC12 line lacking functional NGF receptors was not labeled by 125I-streptavidin after prior incubation with C-bio-NGF.
Recursive trace line method for detecting myelinated bundles: a comparison study with pyramidal cell arrays.

Minicolumns are thought to be the smallest cortical modules within the hierarchical organization of the isocortex. Several reports suggest alterations in minicolumnar morphometry may be involved in psychiatric disorders such as autism, dyslexia, and schizophrenia. Thus far anatomical studies of minicolumns have primarily relied on measurements of pyramidal cell arrays. This study expands on a recursive trace line segmentation method used to define morphometric measures for myelinated axon bundles. The results were compared against those of pyramidal cell arrays derived from immediately adjacent serial sections. Width estimates based on cell somas and myelinated axon bundles were highly correlated (r = 0.9888). Histograms of signal intensity using the recursive trace line method produced expected features of myeloarchitectonics; that is, bundles of Meynert and intervening interradiary plexus. The close correspondence of derived values for myelinated axon bundles and pyramidal cell arrays suggests their participation and interaction within the same modular arrangement of the isocortex.
L∞ Metric Criteria for Convergence in Bayesian Recursive Inference Systems

Motivated by applications to probabilistic inference, we consider a sequence of probability measures, called “conclusion measures,” on a fixed space X. The sequence is generated recursively via conditional probability, driven by a sequence of input measures (rather than by a sequence of punctual data, as in Bayesian statistical inference). The general problem is to give conditions on the input measures such that the sequence of conclusion measures converges weakly. We develop L∞-metric criteria defined recursively on the input measures, which are sufficient (but not necessary) for the sequence of conclusion measures to converge at a given rate. We discuss the applications of this to the “directed convergence strategy” introduced in 1]. Finally, we show that if the input measures satisfy the criteria, then the input sequence also converges at a comparable rate.
Some common mistakes students make when learning discourse analysis

In teaching discourse analysis a number of common problems arise. In this article, four problems often encountered by teachers of discourse analysis are explicated. In addition, a prototypical teaching approach is described.