cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ureteroscopy for Treatment of Calculi

The focus of this chapter is on the indications, technical considerations, and complications of ureteroscopy for both renal and ureteral calculi. When making decisions about treatment of both renal and ureteral calculi, it is important to take the following into consideration: probability of stone-free rate, need for additional procedures, and morbidity related to the treatment modality. We will discuss in detail the indications for each of the treatment modalities that are considered for both renal and ureteral calculi including: ureteroscopy (URS) with intracorporeal lithotripsy, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Discussion will include treatment decisions based on the following stone characteristics: size, location, and Hounsfield unit (HU) density to suggest potential stone composition. During surgical planning, it is also important to consider the following patient characteristics: children, pregnancy, coagulopathies or bleeding disorders, and patient body habitus. In addition, we will discuss technical considerations including specifications of current available flexible ureteroscopes and lithotripters. The last section of the chapter will review the possible complications from ureteroscopy including: bleeding, infection, ureteral stent discomfort, ureteral injury, need for secondary treatment, renal damage, and ureteral stricture.
Robustness analysis method for underwater vehicle control systems

Current stability and performance robustness techniques are surveyed and evaluated for application to the underwater vehicle control system design problem. These robustness techniques have been classified into the following five categories: matrix perturbation techniques, characteristic equation methods, structured singular value techniques, input-output methods, and Lyapunov methods for nonlinear systems. Matrix perturbation and characteristic equation techniques are conceptually and computationally simple approaches to determining the stability robustness of a linear system to parameter uncertainty or variations. If the control system is determined robust to parametric uncertainty, the stability robustness of the control system to unmodeled dynamics and parametric uncertainty can be tested with the more sophisticated structured singular value technique. The structured singular value approach can also be used to determine the performance robustness of the control system. The input-output and Lyapunov methods are the only methods applicable to nonlinear systems. >
Acquiring a Family Firm: A Case Study

Several choices are available to family firms when intergenerational succession is not an option. One alternative is to explore merger and acquisition (M&A) opportunities. This paper addresses two research questions: (a) What are the key differences between typical M&As and those involving a family firm? and (b) What are the key success factors for the post-acquisition integration process, and what is the impact on this process when the acquired company is a family firm? Results from an acquired family firm case study suggest that these M&A processes differ along structure, motivation, and culture dimensions. The case study also suggests post-acquisition considerations for M&As involving family firms.
The Man of Law's Tale and Rome

Abstract This essay examines Rome and materialism in Chaucer's Man of Law's Tale. Opening with a reflection on place/thing associations in American modernist poetry, especially Eliot's "Prufrock," this essay argues that the tale locates Rome in a world of both Mediterranean trade as well as devotional commerce to critique image-based devotion, offering Custance as a foil to "dead" images. From the outset the tale associates Rome with commerce—or place and things—as it draws on a reformist tradition that condemned Rome for the traffic in indulgences and relics. Writing at the time of the papal schism, Chaucer concludes the tale with a picture of Rome, as in the Second Nun's Tale, as a renewed papal home.
Regional distribution of maternal messenger RNA in the amphibian oocyte

Abstract We show that there is a non-random distribution of information in the form of mRNAs along the animal/vegetal axis of Xenopus oocytes. Polyadenylated RNA isolated from different regions along this axis was translated in a cell-free system, and the products were fractionated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. A comparison of the resulting protein products using a computer program has established that specific translatable mRNAs are regionally localized within the oocyte prior to fertilization. Seventeen mRNAs show significant qualitative or quantitative differences in their subcellular location. These sequences comprise as much as 4% of the total detected translatable polyadenylated RNA. Asymmetric segregation of these messages during Xenopus development may be involved in the determination of cell fate.
Physico-chemical and nutritional properties of cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) heated under pressure

Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) at four stages of maturity were heated in water at 34.5 kPa for varying times up to 40 min. All measurements except ash were affected by the stage of maturity and time of heating. Changes occurred most rapidly during the first 10 min of heating. The greenness of the most immature cowpeas was lost. The degrees of firmness of all groups differed initially but decreased rapidly during the first 5 min and more slowly thereafter. Fresh cowpeas were softened sufficiently for eating after 10 min at which time pH increased 0.65 units to pH 6.75 and acidity decreased to 0.17%. In-vitro protein digestibility of the most mature, unheated cowpeas was 70.7% and increased to 83.4% after 10 min heating. Heating decreased the original trypsin inhibitor activity by 81.7% after 5 min and 85.9% after 10 min.
Investigating the Performance of Bi-Porous Disk-Shaped Wick With the Restricted Vapor Space by Developing an Electric Analogue Method

In this work, we build up a model applying our analogy strategy to investigate the performance of the Bi-porous wicks which are intended to eventually be used as the substrate in the TGP (Thermal Ground Plane) devices which function like thin heat pipes. In order to more closely simulate the operating conditions in a TGP, the vapor space above the wick is restricted, and consequently inserting vapor grooves in the wick is required to maintain the vapor removal. Further, adding a mono-porous layer at the bottom aids in delaying dry out by enhancing the liquid supply. [1] Here, we present our effort improving an electric analogue model to simulate the bi-porous wick described above. The model is based on the similarity between the differential equations governing the two systems. The analog model is initially improved for a disk-shaped bi-porous wick with a restrictor on top and grooves introduced in the bi-porous region. Moreover, the analogue technique is employed as a tool to investigate the performance of the wick with the vapor restrictor mounted thoroughly on top, to compare the experimental data achieved in a boiling chamber versus TGP device, and to estimate the required data for the bi-porous evaporator calculations.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Chitin complex for the remediation of mine impacted water: Geochemistry of metal removal and comparison with other common substrates

Abstract Remediation of mine impacted water (MIW) generally requires decreasing the acidity and concentrations of dissolved and/or particulate contaminants ( SO 4 2 - , metals and metalloids). By fulfilling these requirements in both laboratory and field trials, the sustainable composite waste material, crab-shell chitin complex (CC) has proven to be a promising substrate for MIW remediation, but has not yet been directly compared with other substrates under controlled conditions. In this study, remediation rates and metal removal mechanisms promoted by CC were evaluated and compared to the more commonly used lactate and spent mushroom compost (SMC) using sacrificial batch microcosms and geochemical modeling. Under comparable conditions with equivalent mass of substrate to water ratios, increases in pH were much faster in the microcosms containing CC than with the other substrates: CC increased the pH from pH 3.0 to near neutral in 3 d. In microcosms containing CC, steady alkalinity generation and acidity removal were observed at average rates of 26.5 and −25.2 mg CaCO3/L-d, respectively. The activity of SO 4 2 - -reducing bacteria was evident after 9 d of incubation, with average reduction rates of −17.8 mg SO 4 2 - /L-d. Similar changes in alkalinity, acidity, and SO 4 2 - were also observed in lactate-containing microcosms, but only after a 27 d lag period. No alkalinity generation or SO 4 2 - reduction activity was observed in bottles containing SMC. Aluminum removal (100%) was eventually observed with all substrates, but occurred much faster with CC. Results from thermodynamic geochemical modeling indicate that Al removal was consistent with the precipitation of hydroxides and/or alunite. Iron removal was consistent with precipitation of Fe(III) oxides and Fe(II) sulfides, as well as sorption onto CC and SMC. The addition of Na lactate interfered with such mechanisms due to complexation effects. Chitin complex was the only substrate able to partially remove Mn (>73%), likely due to the formation of rhodochrosite. The results of this study indicate that CC is an attractive substrate for treating metal-laden waste streams, especially those which are high in Mn.
PRIME: a modular architecture for terminal-oriented systems

The architecture of most interactive systems is based on the general strategy that suitable terminal service can be provided by a central processor that is timemultiplexed among all the active terminals. In order to achieve adequate response time in an interactive environment, the CPU is usually time sliced. Other major system facilities such as I/O channels and secondary storage units are also shared among the users, and multiprogramming techniques are employed to keep all the major system resources as fully utilized as possible. An operating system is usually developed which performs these functions as well as supervising the terminal communications, implementing a system-wide filing subsystem, handling user commands, etc. The result of combining these and other functions into a time-sharing operating system is a highly complex software system which transforms what is basically a batch processing computer structure into a multi-terminal system with significant limitations that are an outgrowth of this strategy. While a failure can occur in any section of the hardware or software, we know that hardware failures are more likely to occur in the electromechanical and core memory sectors than in solid state logic, and that software failures tend to be concentrated in the more complex areas of code. Failures of hardware components may require modification of the operating system in order to regain operational status since the allocation strategies may need more than parametric modification when system resources are affected.
Ethnomedical and cultural foundations of psychiatry for the person

Ethnomedicine highlights the cultural framework in terms of which societies understand and shape the subjective experiences of sickness and healing. As social and cultural institutions, ethnomedicines evolve and function through inclusion of diverse forms of sickness, including symptomatic expressions of both physical and emotional concomitants of distress. The symptomatic expressions of physical and emotional concomitants of distress are the principal focus of clinical psychiatrists and of other clinicians in fields closely related to psychiatry, in their efforts to help relieve the distress of their patients. Such symptoms are manifestations of peoples’ fears of all the types of misfortunes that can befall individuals, their families and communities; fears relating as much to supernatural influences as to the natural world order, to fears of malign magic, fate and divine punishment for evil thoughts and deeds, as much as to fears of flood, earthquake, drought and fire. As a clinical discipline, cultural psychiatry is concerned with both the intra-cultural and cross-cultural variations in the physical and emotional concomitants of distress. The history of ethnomedicine and cultural psychiatry reinforces the claim that the diverse needs of persons experiencing distress are central concerns of psychiatric practice
Evaluation of FIV protein-expressing VEE-replicon vaccine vectors in cats

Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus-replicon particles (VRP) were used to generate feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) Gag- and ENV-expressing vaccine vectors. Serum and mucosal FIV-specific antibody was detected in cats immunized subcutaneously, once monthly for 5 months, with FIV-expressing VRP. Expansion of the CD8+ l-selectin negative phenotype and transient CD8+ noncytolytic suppressor activity were seen in cats immunized with FIV-expressing or control VRP. Despite induction of FIV-specific immune responses and nonspecific suppressor responses, all cats became infected following vaginal challenge with high dose, pathogenic cell-associated FIV-NCSU1 although relative early maintenance of CD4+ cells was seen in FIV-immunized cats.
Ultrastructure of the median neurosecretory cells of Manduca sexta in vivo and in vitro

Abstract Ultrastructural comparisons of median neurosecretory cells of Manduca sexta were made by using fresh and cultured specimens. Examination of the endomembrane system, the abundance and electron density of neurosecretory granules, and the condition and abundance of mitochondria showed that brains cultured for 4 days were similar to those taken directly from the insect. After 10 days, the neurosecretory cells had broken down but the neurosecretory granules were still present.
Follow-up mail surveys

Abstract This article discusses the possible risks of failing to follow up mail surveys of business and industrial firms and the relative costs of follow-up procedures. Without follow-up, nonresponse error is greater, and the validity and reliability of data are reduced. The article argues that survey data may be only marginally useful if based on unrepresentative samples of the population in question, and demonstrates that the costs of follow-up compare favorably to what it costs to achieve a high response with a single mailing. Features of the total design method, which can be used to increase response rates, and the usefulness of data from surveys of business and industrial populations are then discussed.
The Rich and the Rest

Using data from the General Social Survey, sociologist Thomas J. Linneman shows that conservatives and liberals increasingly differ regarding government action to reduce income inequality. Rich liberals support government action nearly as much as poor liberals, while among rich conservatives there is very little support for government action.
THIONO COMPOUNDS. 5. PREPARATION AND OXIDATION OF SOME THIONO DERIVATIVES OF IMIDAZOLES

Abstract 1,3-Dimethyl-3H-imidazole-2-thione (3), prepared by a much improved procedure from 1,3-dimethyl-imidazolium iodide (6) with sulfur and an organic base, was oxidized with H2O2 in MeOH; three molar proportions of H2O2 were consumed, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium picrate (14; synthesized independently) was isolated in 61% yield, and 80% of the expected sulfate ion was found. Oxidation of the analogous imidazolidine (4), prepared from 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidone (16) with Lawesson's reagent (17), gave a counterpart picrate (73% from 4) in a similar but slower reaction. 1,3-Diphenyl-2-imidazolidinethione (5) had to be oxidized in DMF-AcOH, with H2SO4 catalysis, and only 1,3-diphenyl-2-imidazolidone (19, 63%) could be isolated. Understanding is added to the behavior in oxidations of thiono derivatives of imidazoles by these extensions of several earlier studies to different types within the class, i.e., of an N-unsubstituted one (1)15 to the N,N-dimethyl counterpart (4). of an N-methyl unsaturated one (2)14...
Ferredoxin-dependent synthesis of labelled pyruvate from labelled acetyl coenzyme A and carbon dioxide.

Evidence is presented for a ferredoxin-dependent reductive synthesis of pyruvate from CO2 and C14-acetyl-CoA or C14-acetate by extracts of C.pasteurianum and Chromatium.
An investigation of two forms of organization in free recall

Following multiple free-recall trials, the protocols for S s presented with a categorized (C) list were scored for both categorical clustering and intertrial (subjective) organization, while the data for S s given a noncategorized (NC) list were scored for just intertrial organization. The results indicate that organization in the form of broad conceptual grouping (clustering) was adopted more readily than fixed sequential ordering. Previous findings that the clustering with the C list did not influence the degree of fixed ordering were also replicated. Additionally, it was shown that “percentage-of-maximum-possible” scores are an adequate way of expressing the two forms of organization for comparison, while the standard “observed-minus-expected” scores are not as useful for this purpose.
T-cell memory: You must remember this ...

While antigen-inexperienced (naive) T cells appear to require constant tickling of their receptor by self-antigens for homeostasis, antigen-experienced (memory) T cells have no such requirement. An implication is that long-term T-cell memory does not depend on persisting antigen.
The continuing problem of carcinoma of the pancreas

The courses of 208 patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were reviewed. The lesion was located in the head of the pancreas in 142 patient, (68%) and of these, in 22 patients the diagnosis was confirmed histologically at postmortem examination; 21 patients underwent laparotomy and biopsy with a 33% operative mortality and a 3.4-month average survival; 89 patients underwent biliary and/or gastric bypass with a 24% mortality and 4.8-month average survival; 10 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with a 20% mortality and 14.6-month average survival. The lesion was located in the body or tail of the pancreas in 77 patients (32%); and, of these, 15 patients had histologic confirmation of clinical diagnoses at postmortem examination; 19 patients underwent biopsy of extra-abdominal metastases and survived an average of 1.4 months; 27 patients underwent laparotomy and biopsy with a 26% operative mortality and 3.5-month average survival; 4 patients underwent gastric and/or biliary bypass with a 50% mortality and 4.5-month average survival; one patient underwent noncurative distal pancreatectomy and survived 1 month postoperatively. No patient was cured of his disease. Of the 55 operative survivors of biliary bypass alone for carcinoma of the head of the pancreas, 5 (9%) required subsequent gastroenterostomy for duodenal obstruction.
Selection, Training, and Company-support Systems of Expatriate Employees in the Textile and Apparel Industry

The textile and apparel industry is in a state of revolutionary change. The future competitiveness of US textile and apparel companies largely depends on their adaptability in the international market. With the recent expansion into the international arena, companies have been challenged to hire personnel to fill positions outside the USA to oversee foreign operations. The hiring process that personnel managers utilize for domestic employees has proved ineffective in hiring expatriate employees because of the different challenges faced in another country. A telephone questionnaire with sections on selection, training, and company-support systems for expatriate employees was used to collect data from 28 US textile and apparel manufacturers (82% response rate). The success rate of expatriate employees was high for these companies. Companies placed the greatest importance on adaptability and flexibility as personality traits in selecting expatriate employees. Training procedures considered most important amo...
Fuzzy ARTMAP Prediction of Biological Activities for Potential HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors Using a Small Molecular Data Set

Obtaining satisfactory results with neural networks depends on the availability of large data samples. The use of small training sets generally reduces performance. Most classical Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) studies for a specific enzyme system have been performed on small data sets. We focus on the neuro-fuzzy prediction of biological activities of HIV-1 protease inhibitory compounds when inferring from small training sets. We propose two computational intelligence prediction techniques which are suitable for small training sets, at the expense of some computational overhead. Both techniques are based on the FAMR model. The FAMR is a Fuzzy ARTMAP (FAM) incremental learning system used for classification and probability estimation. During the learning phase, each sample pair is assigned a relevance factor proportional to the importance of that pair. The two proposed algorithms in this paper are: 1) The GA-FAMR algorithm, which is new, consists of two stages: a) During the first stage, we use a genetic algorithm (GA) to optimize the relevances assigned to the training data. This improves the generalization capability of the FAMR. b) In the second stage, we use the optimized relevances to train the FAMR. 2) The Ordered FAMR is derived from a known algorithm. Instead of optimizing relevances, it optimizes the order of data presentation using the algorithm of Dagher et al. In our experiments, we compare these two algorithms with an algorithm not based on the FAM, the FS-GA-FNN introduced in . We conclude that when inferring from small training sets, both techniques are efficient, in terms of generalization capability and execution time. The computational overhead introduced is compensated by better accuracy. Finally, the proposed techniques are used to predict the biological activities of newly designed potential HIV-1 protease inhibitors.
Energy dispersion relations of spin-split subbands in a quantum wire and electrostatic modulation of carrier spin polarization

We numerically calculate the energy dispersion relations of the spin-split subbands in a quantum wire subjected to a transverse magnetic field in the presence of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions. The spin splitting energy at zero wave vector is found to be neither equal to the bare Zeeman splitting nor linear in the magnetic field in any subband. This happens because the expectation value of the spin angular momentum operator varies along the width of the wire, causing a spatial modulation of the spin density. We also show that spin splitting energy is subband dependent and has a complex dependence on the external magnetic field. In some subbands, it can vanish entirely at nonzero values of the external magnetic field. The effective spin polarization of carriers in any subband can be changed in both magnitude and sign with an external electrostatic potential, applied, for example, via a gate terminal. This has practical applications in quantum computing and other areas.
Coupled grooving and migration of inclined grain boundaries: Regime II

Grain-boundary migration controls the growth and shrinkage of crystalline grains and is important in materials synthesis and processing. A grain boundary ending at a free surface forms a groove at the tip, which affects its migration. This coupled grooving and migration is studied for an initially straight, inclined grain boundary intercepting a horizontal free surface. The groove deepens by surface diffusion. Previous work on a groove migrating at constant speed suggests that the grain boundary is pinned if the inclination angle is small. We find that the grain boundary is never pinned. The coupled motion can be separated into two time regimes. In Regime I, both the groove and grain-boundary profiles grow with time following similarity laws. The groove profile is symmetric about the groove root which turns the grain boundary tip vertically. This bending drives the migration. The self-similar profiles are shown to be linearly stable, and they grow continuously into Regime II.
Pancreatic duct cells as a source of VEGF in mice

Aims/hypothesis Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is essential for proper pancreatic development, islet vascularisation and insulin secretion. In the adult pancreas, VEGF is thought to be predominantly secreted by beta cells. Although human duct cells have previously been shown to secrete VEGF at angiogenic levels in culture, an analysis of the kinetics of VEGF synthesis and secretion, as well as elucidation of an in vivo role for this ductal VEGF in affecting islet function and physiology, has been lacking.
Benefits and costs of lifestyle change to reduce risk of chronic disease

Individuals do not benefit equally from attempts to change their lifestyles in an effort to lower their risk for disease or to improve their quality of life. A change in one lifestyle behavior may cause an increase in another risk factor and reduce the benefits of the anticipated change. The social environment exerts pressures and makes available resources that also influence the benefits and costs of a particular health behavior change. These pressures and resources vary depending on the individual and his or her social context. This article uses the target behavior of smoking as an example of a lifestyle change and considers the benefits and costs that interventionists need to be aware of if they are to effectively facilitate health behavior change. This approach requires the identification of resources at different levels of the environment (e.g., family, community, institutions) that may influence the cost/benefit ratio. Such an analysis is appropriate whether one is considering a model of individual behavior change or a public health model that seeks to intervene at the community-wide level to promote health and reduce disease risk among a large segment of the population. Specific recommendations based on this approach are offered and it is concluded that both individual and public health approaches are necessary to achieve optimal health behavior change in our population and to optimize the cost/benefit ratio of such change for all individuals.
Current ebola vaccines

Introduction: Ebolaviruses cause severe viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and non-human primates (NHPs), with case fatality rates of up to 90%. Currently, neither a specific treatment nor a vaccine...
T n -actions on holomorphically separable complex manifolds

Here we consider complex manifolds M which are holomorphically separable, i.e., the global holomorphic functions (9 (M) separate the points of M. We investigate T n (n-torus) actions on M, where T"={(ei~ ei~ 0eN"}, and n is the complex dimension of M. We assume that the action is effective, i.e., if 0ET ~ is nonzero, then there exists z e M with O.z+z. Our final assumption on the action is one of smoothness; the map T n x M ~ M given by (0, z ) , O . z is C 1 in both variables and holomorphic in z. The most obvious examples of such actions are given by Reinhardt domains in ~", with the usual action O.z=(ei~ . . . . , e i ~ The standard Reinhardt action may also be changed as follows: if A is an algebraic automorphism of T n, then O.az=(AO).z. An obvious question that arises is whether all T"-actions can arise in this way. Our main results are contained in the following four theorems.
Application of Semirigid Vibrating Rotor Target Model to the Reaction of O(3P) + CH4 → CH3 + OH†

In this paper, the SVRT (semirigid vibrating rotor target) model has been applied to study the reaction of O(3P) + CH4 → CH3 + OH using the time-dependent wave packet (TDWP) method. Employing the basic SVRT model, quantum dynamics calculation for any atom−polyatom reaction involves only four mathematical dimensions (4D). The reaction probability, cross section, and rate constant from the initial ground state are calculated for the title reaction on potential energy surfaces of Corchado et al. (C-T) and Jordon and Gilbert (JG). The calculated reaction probabilities on the C-T surface are significantly smaller than those calculated on the JG surface. The difference in barrier height is insufficient to account for the difference in the magnitude of reaction probabilities on two surfaces. Instead, global contour plots show that the C-T surface appears to have incorrect contour lines near the reaction region which tend to help reflect the wave packet back toward the entrance channel. On the other hand, our cal...
Phonon modes and vibrational entropy of disordered alloys with short-range order: A first-principles calculation

There has been increasing evidence about the effects of short-range order (or local chemical environment effects) on the lattice dynamics of alloys, which eventually affect the vibrational entropy difference among various phases of a compound, and hence their relative stability. In this article, we present an ab initio calculation of the lattice dynamics and the vibrational entropy of disordered systems with short-range order. The features in the phonon density of states were found to change systematically with chemical short-range order in the alloy. Plausible explanations for our smaller value of vibrational entropy of mixing compared to experiment are given in some detail. A general trend of the magnitude of vibrational entropy of mixing is explained by making a connection to the phonon lifetime broadening, an intrinsic property of any multiple scattering phenomenon. We illustrate the method by applying it to a body-centered cubic Fe${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Cr${}_{x}$ alloy.
Epithelial carcinogenesis in the absence of accessory structures.

Abstract The role of the accessory epidermal structures, sebaceous glands and hair follicles, in skin carcinogenesis has been reviewed and a comparison made between the response of epidermal and oral mucous membrane epithelium to the action of carcinogenic hydrocarbons. The rather marked susceptibility to tumor induction of an oral epithelium which is devoid of accessory structures has been pointed out. In light of this finding, as well as the reports of other investigators, 1, 2 it is suggested that epithelial adnexa acting as requisites to chemical induction of tumors may merit some re-evaluation.
Correlates of Psychopathology in Sick Children: An Empirical Model

The significance of family disturbance, past case history, socioeconomic problems, severity of the disease and life events for individual psychopathology of the. child was studied in three groups of patients. In a matched group design, children suffering from cystic fibrosis or bronchial asthma and healthy controls were compared with one another. Multiple correlation analyses revealed that the severity of the disease was the most important predictor of psychopathology in cystic fibrosis patients, followed by only few family variables. Among asthmatic patients, nearly all family-functioning variables, recent life events, and prior undesirable life events predicted individual psychopathology, while severity of the illness was not significant. In the control group, only family-functioning, but not the various life events variables, was a relevant predictor of psychopathology.
Confronting Syrian‐Backed terrorism

Over the years, Syria has aided a daunting array of terrorist groups, but it seldom has been an ardent supporter. Continued pressure through U.S. leadership and multilateral, particularly Arab, action can help push the Syrian regime in the right direction.
Successful pregnancy after the mustard operation for transposition of the great arteries

Abstract Recent advances have dramatically increased survival rates of infants born with complete transposition of the great arteries. Quality of life is also important as these patients mature, and a major consideration for a woman is her ability to have a baby. Such was the case with the patient described herein.
Information flow in a landscape has a direction

Sediment flux and other properties in a landscape are often influenced by landscape properties at points away from the point of interest. How does information flow from these distant points to the point of interest? Voller et al. developed a mathematical model of sediment transport that includes this nonlocal nature. They found that in erosional landscapes, information flows downstream—points upstream influence points downstream—whereas in depositional landscapes, information flows upstream—downstream points influence upstream ones. The study could be useful in providing a richer interpretation of features in the sedimentary record. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL050265, 2012) —EB
Modeling of Endothelial Cell Adhesion Dynamics Modulated by Molecular Engineering

Vascular thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and atherosclerosis are common disorders affecting a very large portion of the human population. A potential reduction in these disorders will elicit a significant impact. It has been shown that endothelial cells play a critical role in protecting blood vessels against the formation of thrombosis and atherosclerosis. Hence, a successful endothelial cell lining of arterial constructs will prevent intimal hyperplasia in reconstructed arteries. However, in practice endothelial cells often detach from reconstructed arteries due to weak adhesion strength, hindering the effectiveness of endothelial cell lining.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Phytochelatin synthase, papain's cousin, in stereo.

Supraoptimal levels of essential heavy metals (e.g., Cu and Zn) and trace or higher levels of nonessential heavy metals (e.g., As, Cd, and Hg) pose a threat because they undergo aberrant capping reactions with the thiol groups of proteins, displace endogenous metal cofactors from their cellular binding sites, and promote the formation of active oxygen species (1). One of the most sophisticated mechanisms known to confer protection from metal toxicity is the enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of short-chain peptides, phytochelatins (PCs), which serve as high-affinity, thiol-rich cellular chelators and thereby contribute to the detoxification of heavy metal ions, most notably Cd2+, in vascular plants and some algae, diatoms, fungi, and invertebrates (2). Derived from glutathione (GSH) and related thiols in a γ-glutamylcysteinyl transpeptidation reaction catalyzed by phytochelatin synthases (PC synthases, EC 2.3.2.15) (1, 3, 4), PCs have the general structure (γ-Glu-Cys)n-Xaa, where n = 2–11 and Xaa is usually Gly (Fig. 1). Although studies of PC synthases have largely been concerned with the enzymes from eukaryotes, recent database searches have disclosed PC synthase-like sequences in the genomes of several prokaryotes (1, 5). In and of itself, this finding might not be of particular interest except that all of the prokaryotic PC synthase homologs identified are half the length of their cognates from eukaryotes (220–237 residues compared with 421–506 residues) because they lack the more sequence-variable C-terminal domain characteristic of the latter. Moreover, the one prokaryotic PC synthase homolog to have been assayed for activity, the alr0975 protein from the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 (NsPCS), catalyzes the deglycylation of GSH to γ-Glu-Cys at a high rate and the synthesis of PC2 at a relatively low rate (Fig. 1) (5, 6). It is as if the prokaryotic enzymes, despite an overall sequence identity of only 22–36% with the N-terminal domains of the eukaryotic enzymes, consist solely of the core catalytic domain of a canonical eukaryotic PC synthase (Fig. 1) (1, 7, 8). Against this background, the stereo structure of NsPCS in its native and γ-Glu-Cys-acylated state reported by Vivares et al. in a recent issue of PNAS (9) is seminal. The results presented not only represent the first crystal structure for a PC synthase but they also establish, as had been inferred tentatively from kinetic, protein chemical, and site mutagenic analyses of the prototypical eukaryotic PC synthase, Arabidopsis thaliana PC synthase 1 (AtPCS1) (Fig. 1) (1, 8, 10), that these enzymes belong to the papain superfamily and deploy a cysteine protease-like catalytic mechanism.
Laryngotracheal anesthesia device as jet ventilation cannula for removal of fragmented intratracheal T-tube

For tracheotomy procedures with general anesthesia, adequate surgical exposure, oxygenation, and ventilation of the lungs can be obtained by different techniques. We present a method of jet ventilation with use of a modified laryngotracheal anesthesia (LTA) device as a jet ventilation cannula during retrieval of a tracheal T-tube that broke within the trachea during removal. To our knowledge, this report is the first to document friability and subsequent difficult removal of a tracheal T-tube after intubation longer than recommended by the manufacturer. It is also the first report of a new technique using a simple LTA device modification to provide oxygen insufflation or jet ventilation in this or similar situations.
Adenovirus-Like Particles from Cancers induced by Adenovirus-12 but Free of Infectious Virus.

Particles resembling adenovirus were recovered from tumors induced by adenovirus-12. The particles were similar to incomplete adenovirus in size, subunit morphology, and density. The presence of such incomplete viral units helps to explain why attempts to isolate infectious virus from adenovirus-induced tumors have failed despite the serological evidence that viral elements are present.
Luminal alkalinization in the intestine of the goby.

The rate of luminal alkalinization in vitro byGillichthys mirabilis posterior intestine as measured by a manual pH stat technique was 0.70±0.05 μEquiv/cm2 h; acidification of the mucosal medium was never observed. The rate of HCO 3 − secretion (J HCO 3) was reduced by ouabain, serosally-applied DIDS, removal of serosal HCO 3 − and replacement of media Cl− with gluconate. HCO 3 − secretion was enhanced replacement of Cl− with isethionate and unaffected by mucosal DIDS, furosemide or acetazolamide.J HCO 3 was reduced at mucosal pH above or below 7.5. These results support active HCO 3 − secretion via a Cl−/HCO 3 − exchange mechanism on the basolateral membrane and a conductive exit pathway for HCO 3 − , H+ or OH− on the apical membrane.
The effect of impurities on the anode, cathode, and a.c. galvanoluminescence spectra of aluminum

Abstract The anode, cathode, and a.c. spectra of galvanoluminescent aluminum were measured in 1% aqueous H3PO4, using 140 V, 110 V, and 128 V respectively. Aluminum of technical purity, zone-refined aluminum, and zone-refined aluminum doped with single elements were studied; the impurities were Mn, Cr, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mg, and Nd. The spectra for anode and a.c. luminescence appear to be characteristic of these impurities, indicating that these phenomena are electroluminescence in the impurity-activated amorphous Al2O3 layer on the aluminum surface. The spectra of the cathode luminescence are essentially independent of the impurities, indicating that this phenomenon is probably not electroluminescence in the same sense.
Dependence of Alamethicin Membrane Orientation on the Solution Concentration

Alamethicin has been extensively studied as an antimicrobial peptide and is widely used as a simple model for ion channel proteins. It has been shown that the antimicrobial activity of peptides is related to their membrane orientation. In this study, we determined the relationship between the solution concentration of alamethicin and its membrane orientation in lipid bilayers using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. Our SFG results indicated that the alamethicin molecules more or less lay down on the surface of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) lipid bilayers at a low peptide concentration of 0.84 μM; the α-helix segment tilts at about 88°, and 310-helix segment tilts at about 58° versus the surface normal. However, when the peptide concentration was increased to 15.6 μM, we observed that alamethicin molecules further inserted into the lipid bilayers: the α-helical component changes its orientation to make a 37° tilt from the lipid bilayer normal, and the 310-he...
The rhetoric of domination and its strategic use by homeless mothers

I examine power as it is used by those thought to be among the most powerless women in our society—sheltered homeless women. I first describe homeless shelters as a form of total institution. Next, using evidence from a longitudinal study of sheltered mothers, I demonstrate that homeless women are not passive victims of this total institution. Instead, the structure of shelter life provides homeless women with opportunities for effective action. Homeless women often effectively use strategies based on stereotypical representations of poor welfare mothers to gain resources important to their ongoing survival. Although subtle, this is, I argue, a strategic use of power by these victimized women. These actions maintain a sense of personal efficacy while also helping to secure their most important goal, a permanent place to live. Gaining a home in which to raise their children and protect themselves and their families from the worst ravages of poverty represents a real increase in social power for impoverishe...
The HERA-B ring imaging Cherenkov system – design and performance

Abstract The Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector of the HERA-B experiment at DESY has been completed in January of 1999. Data in its final configuration were taken recently. The HERA-B RICH uses C4F10 as radiator gas and a large 24 m 2 spherical mirror for imaging. The photon detector employs 2240 Hamamatsu multi-anode photomultipliers with a total of 27 000 channels. To match anode dimension (4.5 mm) and dispersion error and to solve the PMT packing problem we used a 2 : 1 reducing two-lens telescope in front of each PMT. The design performance of the RICH was fully reached: the average number of photons for a β=1 particle detected in the RICH was found to be 35.4; a single-photon resolution of 0.65 mrad was reached. We used stand-alone ring finding algorithms to measure the angle and β of tracks. With the position information of the target and that of clusters in the electromagnetic calorimeter we were able to identify electrons, pions, kaons and protons.
Determining Vehicle Sensitivity to Changes in Test-Course Roughness

Test courses are monitored at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) on a monthly basis and are altered as required to maintain a "constant" roughness. The monitoring process consists of a jury ride and analysis of data acquired using an instrumented, light wheeled vehicle. The surface profiles of test courses at ATC are also measured on a monthly basis using a profilometer. A series of displacement and angular measurements are made. These are used to compute surface roughness as a function of distance traveled over the test course. This article proposes two techniques for determining vehicle sensitivity to changes in test-course roughness (vehicle-dependent ride quality and vehicle-independent fatigue damage spectrum) and, thus, the requirement to maintain the course. Both of these techniques require a data transformation in the spatial domain analogous to the power spectral density function in the temporal domain. An example using data measured before and after grading of an actual test course is pres...
Direct seismic detection of methane hydrate on the Blake Ridge

Seismic detection of methane hydrate often relies on indirect or equivocal methods. New multichannel seismic reflection data from the Blake Ridge, located approximately 450 km east of Savannah, Georgia, show three direct seismic indicators of methane hydrate: (1) a paleo bottom‐simulating reflector (BSR) formed when methane gas froze into methane hydrate on the eroding eastern flank of the Blake Ridge, (2) a lens of reduced amplitudes and high P‐wave velocities found between the paleo‐BSR and BSR, and (3) bright spots within the hydrate stability zone that represent discrete layers of concentrated hydrate formed by upward migration of gas. Velocities within the lens (∼1910 m/s) are significantly higher than velocities in immediately adjacent strata (1820 and 1849 m/s). Conservative estimates show that the hydrate lens contains at least 13% bulk methane hydrate within a 2‐km3 volume, yielding 3.2 × 1010kg [1.5 TCF (4.2 × 1010 m3] of methane. Low seismic amplitudes coupled with high interval velocities with...
A progressive synthetic strategy for class B synergimycins

Described are the syntheses of four macrocyclic peptides that are the core structure of class B synergimycins, and the synthesis of a final class B derivative. Our synthetic route to these synergimycin derivatives allows the incorporation of amino acid substitutions at all points in the macrocycle, leading to structurally diverse class B analogs.
A Systematic Replication and Extension of Using Incremental Rehearsal to Improve Multiplication Skills: An Investigation of Generalization

The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend a previous study by Burns (Education and Treatment of Children 28: 237–249, 2005) examining the effectiveness of incremental rehearsal on computation performance. A multiple-probe design across multiplication problem sets was employed for one participant to examine digits correct per minute and percentage of digits correct on problems targeted during treatment and response maintenance sessions. Treatment occurred twice weekly across 12 weeks. Retention of target facts was measured prior to each treatment session. Treatment impact on generalized skills including single skill mastery probes, multiplying fractions, and word problems was examined. Results suggested that the participant achieved accurate and fluent performance on the problem sets. This performance was maintained over time and generalized to SSM, fraction, and word problem probes.
Construct validity of the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life Questionnaire.

KOLOTKIN, RONETTE L, SUSAN HEAD, ALAN BROOKHART. Construct validity of the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life questionnaire. The Impact of Weight on Quality of Life questionnaire (IWQOL) is a 74-item self-report, condition-specific instrument that (1) assesses the effect of weight on quality of life in eight key areas, and (2) may be used as a treatment outcome measure and/or an evaluation tool for healthcare policy makers and third-party payers. This study explores IWQOL construct validity and provides new information on internal consistency, treatment effects, and differences between men and women. IWQOL total scores correlated highly with other measures of overall quality of life, and subscale scores correlated well with counterparts in the assessment battery. Internal consistency estimates for the IWQOL scales generally were high. For the women, 4-week participants, and the total sample, pretreatment-posttreatment differences were significant for all IWQOL scales and total score. For men, treatment differences were significant for the total score and all subscales except for Work and Mobility. Treatment differences for 2-week participants were significant for all scales except for Work. Consistent with previous IWQOL study results, the Comfort With Food scale scores reflected more discomfort at posttreatment as compared with pretreatment. The IWQOL, already translated into French and Italian, currently is demonstrating clinical and research utility as a quality-of-life outcome measure for clinical trials of antiobesity drugs and surgical treatments for patients with obesity.