cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
METOCLOPRAMIDE INCREASES LOWER ESOPHAGEAL SPHINCTER PRESSURE (LESP) AND REDUCES THE NUMBER OF EPISODES AND DURATION OF REFLUX IN INFANTS WITH GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX (GER)

Thirteen infants (age range 1-24 mo; x-6.8 mo) with GER were studied with esophageal manometry (8) and 24 hr pH probe monitoring (13) to determine what effect metaclopramide has on LESP and reflux. Esophageal manometry was performed before and after intravenous metoclopramide (0.1 mg/kg). Twenty-four hr pH monitoring was divided into 2, 12 hr periods: A, no drug, and B, drug, metoclopramide 0.1 mg/kg/dose orally, given 30 min before every other 3 hr feeding. Mean LESP before metoclopramide, 17.9 mmHg; after, 26.3 mmHg (p 0.5). Mean differences in the number of episodes of reflux and the duration without and with drug 1, 2, and 3 hrs postprandially were: 10.9 ± 8.58 vs 3.62 ± 5.53 (p<0.01) and 26.8 ± 22.3 min vs 7.69 ± 11.4 min (p<0.01); 12.8 ± 11.0 vs 3.31 ± 3.68 (p<0.005) and 48.5 ± 42.7 vs 15.9 ± 11.2 min (p<0.01); 9.31 ± 6.65 vs 5.00 ± 3.70 (p<0.05) and 36.8 ± 24.8 min vs 18.6 ± 16.0 min (p<0.025). We conclude that in infants with GER metoclopramide: 1) increases LESP, 2) decreases the total number of episodes of reflux, and 3) reduces the total time esophageal pH is <4.0. These later effects occur primarily during the first and second postprandial hours.
Modulated ellipsometry for band structure studies of solids and films

Abstract The use of modulated ellipsometry to measure the very small changes in the optical or dielectric constants of surfaces under the influence of external electric fields or applied stresses can provide more experimental information than the normal incidence electro- or piezoreflectance experiments generally used in optical studies of the energy band structure of solids. The experiment provides enough independent measured parameters to directly calculate the complex dielectric constant and the modulation-induced change in it from measurements taken at only the photon energy of interest. Thus, the Kramers-Kronig analysis of the reflectance and the modulation-induced change in reflectance, required to obtain the dielectric constants and the induced changes from the normal incidence data, is not required with modulated ellipsometry. Extrapolation of the Kramers-Kronig integral to experimentally inaccessible photon energies can lead to errors in the dielectric constant calculations in certain cases. The change δe1 in the real part e1, and the change δe2 in the imaginary part e2, of the dielectric constants of opaque, evaporated films of Au and Ag, have been measured using this method. The modulation is a high (10 5 –10 7 V cm ) electric field applied normal to the sample surface across the dipole layer of a 1 N KCl electrolyte. It is apparent that the electronic structure is shown more clearly in δe1 and δe2 than in δR R alone, since δe1 and δe2 can evidently combine in δR R such as to mask certain structure in the curves. Much of the energy band structure in the range of photon energies measured can be readily identified in the lineshapes of δe1 and δe2.
Programming in the large

It is asserted that ad-hoc programming techniques do not work in the development of big software systems. The programs faced in developing large software include starting from fuzzy and incomplete requirements; enforcing a methodology on the developers; coordinating multiple programmers and managers; achieving desired reliability and performance in the system; managing a multitude of resources in a meaningful way; and completing the system within a limited time frame. The authors examine some of the trends in requirement specification; life cycle modeling; programming environments; design tools; and other software engineering areas for tackling the above problems. The authors suggest several phase-independent and phase-dependent techniques for programming in the large. It is shown how research in automatic programming, knowledge-based systems, metrics, and programming environments can make a significant difference in the ability to develop large systems.
Vapor growth of cadmium telluride

Abstract Single crystals of cadmium telluride have been grown in a closed tube by vapor transport. Growth under nearly isothermal conditions results in small single crystals (⪕250 mm 3 ) characterized by well formed {110} facets. Growth with controlled thermal gradients results in larger single crystals (⪕3 cm 3 ) whose vapor-solid interfaces are characteristic of temperature isotherms. When growth proceeds under the condition 2 p Te2 = p Cd and In is added to the starting material, further compositional changes after crystal growth are not necessary to obtain semi-insulating material.
Effect of flagellates on free-living bacterial abundance in an organically contaminated aquifer

Little is known about the role of protists in the saturated subsurface. Porous media microcosms, containing bacteria and protists, were used to determine whether flagellates from an organically contaminated aquifer could substantively affect the number of free-living bacteria (FLB). When flagellates were present, the 3–40% maximum breakthrough of fluorescently labelled FLB injected into the microcosms was much lower than the 60–130% observed for killed controls. Grazing and clearance rates (3–27 FLB flag−1 h−1 and 12–23 nl flag−1 h−1, respectively) calculated from the data were in the range reported for flagellates in other aqueous environments. The data provide evidence that flagellate bacterivory is an important control on groundwater FLB populations.
Denominationalism: the Shape of Protestantism in America

The Christianity which developed in the United States [after 1800] was unique. It displayed features which marked it as distinct from previous Christianity in any other land. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the Christianity of Canada most nearly resembled it, but even that was not precisely like it.
Analysis of arterial blood gases in the curarized, artificially respira ted rat

The present paper describes a simple and accurate technique for the artificial respiration of curarized rats that avoids the trauma involved in a tracheotomy. Success of the technique depends on the proper positioning of a special face mask on the rat. The results of an experiment on arterial blood gases in 48 curarized rats are presented to illustrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the techniques described.
Optical Fiber Biosensor with Self-Assembled Nanoscale Coatings for Rapid Detection of Methicilin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

A turnaround point long-period grating with an ionic self-assembled multilayer film and monoclonal antibody on the cladding surface can detect methicilin-resistant staphylococcus aureus at a level of 450 cells/ml in under an hour.
A Model-Based Interactive Object Segmentation Procedure

A global parametric shape model (boundary) of the object is optimized according to evidence accumulated from local features and the prior probability of the model parameters learned from already segmented training samples. The parametric boundary is then deformed to the most conspicuous edge pixels near it. We emphasize the effectiveness of human intervention. Any unsatisfactory automatic segmentation is corrected interactively with mouse clicks. We demonstrate the above segmentation procedure on a flower image database of 1078 samples from 113 species. 257 out of 1078 images are segmented without interactive correction. On average, 5.7 mouse clicks are needed for each image, and the segmentation process takes 15.2 seconds
Sincerity and truth: Essays on Arnauld, Bayle and toleration

(1990). Sincerity and truth: Essays on Arnauld, Bayle and toleration. History of European Ideas: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 147-148.
Biological and biochemical characterization of HIV-1 Gag/dgp41 virus-like particles expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana.

The transmembrane HIV-1 envelope protein gp41 has been shown to play critical roles in the viral mucosal transmission and infection of CD4+ cells. Gag is a structural protein configuring the enveloped viral particles and has been suggested to constitute a target of the cellular immunity that may control viral load. We hypothesized that HIV enveloped virus-like particles (VLPs) consisting of Gag and a deconstructed form of gp41 comprising the membrane proximal external, transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains (dgp41) could be expressed in plants. To this end, plant-optimized HIV-1 genes were constructed and expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana by stable transformation, or transiently using a Tobamovirus-based expression system or a combination of both. Our results of biophysical, biochemical and electron microscopy characterization demonstrates that plant cells could support not only the formation of enveloped HIV-1 Gag VLPs, but also the accumulation of VLPs that incorporated dgp41. These findings provide further impetus for the journey towards a broadly efficacious and inexpensive subunit vaccine against HIV-1.
Epidemiology of Spine Care: The Back Pain Dilemma

In this article, the epidemiology of back pain and the use of a variety of treatments for back pain in the United States are reviewed. The dilemma faced by medical providers caring for patients with low back pain is examined in the context of epidemiologic data. Back pain is becoming increasingly common and a growing number of treatment options are being used with increasing frequency in clinical practice. However, limited evidence exists to demonstrate the effectiveness of these treatments. In addition, health-related quality of life for persons with back pain is not improving despite the availability and use of an expanding array of treatments. This dilemma poses a difficult challenge for medical providers treating individual patients who suffer from back pain.
Challenges of power asymmetry and justice for problem-solving workshops

The applicability and effectiveness of problem-solving workshops (PSWs) has been questioned in the case of significant power differences between the parties and in relation to an impartial facilitation role that may be blind to questions of justice in conflict resolution. This article analyzes these challenges in light of the theory of practice and the social-psychological rationale that support PSW methods. These methods attempt to acknowledge and address the challenges of asymmetric conflict, for example by empowering the weaker party, but may not be able to transfer workshop outcomes to policy making given the power realities on the ground. The difficulties of transfer are magnified in situations of power asymmetry wherein the more powerful party is less likely to listen to or act on the outcomes of unofficial interventions. Sadly, without change in the status quo toward greater equality and justice, most intractable, ethno-political conflicts will not be resolved.
Activation of the Smk1 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase by Developmentally Regulated Autophosphorylation

Smk1 is a meiosis-specific mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that controls spore morphogenesis. Similar to other MAPKs, it is controlled by dual phosphorylation of its T-X-Y activation motif. However, Smk1 is not phosphorylated by a prototypical MAPK kinase. Here, we show that the T residue in Smk1's activation motif is phosphorylated by the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-activating kinase, Cak1. The Y residue is autophosphorylated in an independent intramolecular reaction that requires the meiosis-specific protein Ssp2. Although both SMK1 and SSP2 are expressed as middle-meiosis-specific genes, Smk1 protein starts to accumulate before Ssp2. Thus, Smk1 exists in a low-activity (pT) form early in sporulation and a high-activity (pT/pY) form later in the program. Ssp2 must be present when Smk1 is being produced to activate the autophosphorylation reaction, suggesting that Ssp2 acts through a transitional intermediate form of Smk1. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation for how Smk1 activity thresholds are generated. They demonstrate that intramolecular autophosphorylation of MAPKs can be regulated and suggest new mechanisms for coupling MAPK outputs to developmental programs.
Resident outcomes of person-centered care in long-term care: A narrative review of interventional research

Abstract Background Person-centered care has been widely promoted in long-term care settings. It is commonly referred to as a core concept that guides the care philosophy change in long-term care settings from a traditional medical model to a more humanistic approach to care. Current person-centered practice in long-term care settings is guided by multiple person-centered care models. However, evidence regarding the effects of person-centered practice guided by multiple models on residents' outcomes has not been well established or synthesized. Objectives To outline and compare the principal models and to synthesize current evidence of the effects of multiple person-centered care models on resident outcomes. Method Systematic searches were conducted using CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsychoINFO, Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, Cochrane Review databases, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses using the following keywords (UK and US spellings) individually and in multiple combinations: person-centered care, resident-centered care, client-centered care, individualized care, patient-centered care, culture change, Eden Alternative, Wellspring, Green House, Pioneer Network, dementia, nursing home, assisted living and long-term care. The searches were limited to articles written in English and published from January 1990 to April 2013. Then a manual search of the reference lists of selected relevant articles was conducted. Results Twenty-four studies from three countries were reviewed and compared in terms of person-centered interventions, measurement, and resident outcomes. 15 culture change studies for residents who were cognitively intact or with minor cognitive impairment and 9 studies for residents with dementia were reviewed. Across the studies, culture change models had some beneficial effects on residents' psychological wellbeing. Person-centered dementia care had significant effects on decreasing behavioral symptoms and psychotropic medication use in dementia residents in long-term care. Conclusion An agreed upon definition of person-centered care is essential for researchers and clinicians to guide person-centered care development and implementation. Rigorous study design and objective and subjective measurement use are needed for future studies, especially those guided by culture change models. The effectiveness of person-centered care on residents' bio-psycho-social outcomes like sleep, stress, and physical wellbeing need to be addressed and systematically examined with subjective and objective measures in future studies.
Human mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase: characterization, investigation of the mevalonate diphosphate binding site, and crystal structure.

Abstract Expression in Escherichia coli of his-tagged human mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (hMDD) has expedited enzyme isolation, characterization, functional investigation of the mevalonate diphosphate binding site, and crystal structure determination (2.4 A resolution). hMDD exhibits V max = 6.1 ± 0.5 U/mg; K m for ATP is 0.69 ± 0.07 mM and K m for (R,S) mevalonate diphosphate is 28.9 ± 3.3 μM. Conserved polar residues predicted to be in the hMDD active site were mutated to test functional importance. R161Q exhibits a ∼1000-fold diminution in specific activity, while binding the fluorescent substrate analog, TNP-ATP, comparably to wild-type enzyme. Diphosphoglycolyl proline ( K i = 2.3 ± 0.3 uM) and 6-fluoromevalonate 5-diphosphate ( K i = 62 ± 5 nM) are competitive inhibitors with respect to mevalonate diphosphate. N17A exhibits a V max = 0.25 ± 0.02 U/mg and a 15-fold inflation in K m for mevalonate diphosphate. N17A’s K i values for diphosphoglycolyl proline and fluoromevalonate diphosphate are inflated (>70-fold and 40-fold, respectively) in comparison with wild-type enzyme. hMDD structure indicates the proximity (2.8 A) between R161 and N17, which are located in an interior pocket of the active site cleft. The data suggest the functional importance of R161 and N17 in the binding and orientation of mevalonate diphosphate.
Abstract 2026: Targeted delivery of therapeutic NefM1 peptide with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) suppresses growth of 3-D cultures of breast and colon cancers

Background and Objectives: In vitro studies with NefM1 peptide demonstrated apoptotic effects on a number of cancer cell lines containing CXCR4 receptors. This suggests that NefM1 apoptotic peptides can be used as a therapeutic agent for breast and colon cancers. In this study we hypothesized these cancers cultured as 3-D tumor spheres will undergo greater regression and destruction after treatment with NefM1 peptide- linked-carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) particles than with NefM1 peptide alone. Material and Methods: Human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468) and colon cancer (HT-29, WiDr, SW 480) cells were cultured with 1% Sea Prep hydrogel in supplemented RPMI1640 medium. After 3 weeks the 3-D cultures developed as tumor spheres. Like in vivo conditions these 3-D cultures had cell-cell interactions and the sphere is held together by an extracellular matrix. The cultures were treated with NefM1 peptide and NefM1 carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to compare their relative effects on the growth of the tumor spheres. The viability status of the tumor spheres was established using ethidium bromide and acridine stain and fluorescent microscopy. The Nef peptide was linked to SWNTs using thionine and binding was verified by gel electrophoresis. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed internalization of NefM1-SWNTs nanoparticles. Results: In 3-D cultures, the SeaPrep hydrogel facilitated the growth of tumor spheres. All breast (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468) and colon (HT-29, WiDr, SW-480) tumor spheres showed reduction and disintegration with nefM1 administration. This was enhanced with the NefM1- SWNTs conjugate which destroyed all cells in the culture. This indicated effective delivery of NefM1 into the cells via SWNTs. This is novel in that not only were these growing tumor spheres killed by the peptide binding to the CXCR-4 receptors, but the nanoparticles allowed for increased internalization of the peptide into the cells. The NefM1-SWNT9s will undergo further study regarding its ability to enhance suppression of these tumors in SCID mice models. Conclusion: An apoptotic peptide (NefM1) can be linked to a nanoparticle which enhances its cytotoxicity to breast and colorectal cancers in vitro. Using 3-D cultured tumor spheres to evaluate the suppression of cancer growth is convenient and cost effective for drug delivery and drug discovery. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2026. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2026
Environmental Correlation Between Paternal Half-Sisters for Milk and Milk Fat Production

Abstract Environmental correlations (c 2 ) among paternal half-sisters in the same herd were estimated by four different methods. The data were 55,170 first lactation records in 2,326 herds in eight midwestern states. Both mature-equivalent and deviation records of milk and milk fat were used. The intraclass correlation within herds and sires estimates an environmental correlation due to the variation within herds that affects the paternal half-sisters. Estimates of c 2 for sires in artificial insemination were similar to those of sires in natural service (about 0.11). This environmental correlation is large enough to be important in estimating breeding values of sires. A nonlinear function for the regression of one sample of daughters on an independent sample of daughters of the same sire was developed that included c 2 and h 2 Terms. Hartley's modified Gauss-Newton method was then used to obtain simultaneous solutions for the two parameters.
Reduction of Transmitter Release by D-Tubocurarine

D-TUBOCURARINE is one of the most widely used drugs in pharmacology, physiology and anaesthesia. It is generally assumed that the muscle paralysis produced by its administration is due to competition with acetylcholine (ACh), the nerve muscle transmitter, for receptor sites at the endplate1. There is no doubt that D-tubocurarine does act postsynaptically. But the question arises, is this its only action2? Special importance has been given to this question recently by the report3 that D-tubocurarine reduces the depolarizing action of iontophoretically applied ACh much less than it reduces the amplitude of the endplate potentials (e.p.p.s) produced by the depolarizing action of the natural transmitter, implying a possible presynaptic effect.
Characterization of the Role of individual Protein Binding Motifs within the Hepatitis B Virus Enhancer I on X Promoter Activity Using Linker Scanning Mutagenesis

A combination of linker scanning mutagenesis and deletional analyses has been used to determine the role of individual DNA-protein binding sites on expression from the hepatitis B virus (HBV) enhancer I-X promoter (map position (mp) 1042-1354, HBV adw2). Linker scanning mutation of the EF-C site caused a 67.5% drop in X promoter activity in HuH7 cells, but had no effect in HepG2 or HepSK cells. Mutation of the E element resulted in an approximately 50% reduction in X promoter activity in HuH7, HepG2, and HepSK cells. Deletional analysis showed that sequences upstream of the EF-C site (mp 1163) were required for full X promoter activity and implicated the NF-1a site as being sufficient for basal X promoter activity. However, PCR-directed linker scanning mutation of the NF-1a site did not cause a reduction in X promoter activity, indicating that this site was not an essential component of the X promoter. Taken together, these results indicated that multiple, partially redundant protein:DNA interactions in the enhancer I are essential for full X promoter activity. The lack of an essential basal promoter element supports the suggestion that the two separate HBV enhancer elements (enhI and enhII) were created by integration of the X gene into a primordial enhancer element.
Novel design concepts of widely tunable germanium terahertz lasers

Abstract We explore the full parameter space for laser operation and compile guidelines for building improved Ge lasers, especially for continuous wave applications. We present laser emission from p-type Ge lasers with small volumes at high repetition rates and with inter-contact distances as low as 750 μm. The emission is analyzed as a function of the current–voltage characteristic. The Poisson equation is solved to determine the electric field distribution and two new laser designs are presented.
Photodiode forward bias to reduce temporal effects in a-Si based flat panel detectors

Lag and sensitivity modulation are well known temporal artifacts of a-Si photodiode based flat panel detectors. Both effects are caused by charge carriers being trapped in the semiconductor. Trapping and releasing of these carriers is a statistical process with time constants much longer than the frame time of flat panel detectors. One way to reduce these temporal artifacts is to keep the traps filled by applying a pulse of light over the entire detector area every frame before the x-ray exposure. This paper describes an alternative method, forward biasing the a-Si photodiodes and supplying free carriers to fill the traps. The array photodiodes are forward biased and then reversed biased again every frame between the panel readout and x-ray exposure. The method requires no change to the mechanical construction of the detector, only minor modifications of the detector electronics and no image post processing. An existing flat panel detector was modified and evaluated for lag and sensitivity modulation. The required changes of the panel configuration, readout scheme and readout timing are presented in this paper. The results of applying the new technique are presented and compared to the standard mode of operation. The improvements are better than an order of magnitude for both sensitivity modulation and lag; lowering their values to levels comparable to the scintillator afterglow. To differentiate the contribution of the a-Si array, from that of the scintillator, a large area light source was used. Possible implementations and applications of the method are discussed.
Reactive arthritis and psittacosis

A 54-year old man had severe inflammatory polyarthritis 10 days after the onset of an acute febrile illness that was serologically documented to be psittacosis. The pattern and chronicity of the articular symptoms, the response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and the presence of HLA-B7-CREG strongly suggest that this was a reactive arthritis. The association of psittacosis and reactive arthritis has previously been reported in the British literature, but this may be the first reported North American case.
Optical Interconnect Of Digital Integrated Circuits And Systems

Conventional interconnect and switching technology is rapidly becoming a critical issue in the realization of systems using silicon-based VHSIC/VLSI chips or GaAs integrated circuits. Optical interconnect technology promises to enhance performance significantly, provide relief from the pinout problem, decrease implementation complexity, and provide improvements to the flexibility and real-time reconfigurability of these systems. Furthermore, by releasing the bandwidth constraints on interconnects, the full processing speed capabilities of silicon logic could be exploited to improve system throughput dramatically. This paper outlines the key issues involved in implementing optical interconnects and the impact of exploiting this concept on the architecture of digital systems.
One-loop Vilkovisky-DeWitt counterterms for two-dimensional gravity plus scalar field theory.

The divergent part of the one-loop off-shell effective action is computed for a single scalar field coupled to the Ricci curvature of two-dimensional gravity ([ital c][phi][ital R]), and self-interacting by an arbitrary potential term [ital V]([phi]). The Vilkovisky-DeWitt effective action is used to compute gauge-fixing-independent results. In our background field covariant gauge we find that the Liouville theory is finite on shell. Off shell, we find a large class of renormalizable potentials which includes the Liouville potential. We also find that for backgrounds satisfying [ital R]=0, the Liouville theory is finite off shell, as well.
Infrared study of the sorption of HSiCl3 on silica and the stability of the chemisorbed layers

Abstract The chemisorption of HSiCl 3 by silica occurs slowly at room temperature but complete dehydroxylation occurs at 350°C in 30 min. The surface layer consists predominantly of SiO-SiHCl 2 groups and is stable at 350°C but not at higher temperatures. Hydrolysis occurs when the silanated surface is treated with H 2 O vapor; the surface layer is then a mixture containing some silsesquioxane-like structures. Upon degassing at 500°C the silanized and also the hydrolyzed surfaces decompose and become unusually reactive. Such induced activity should be considered when studying the reactions of silanized surfaces.
What the stretch frequency spectrum of D2O/Ru(0 0 0 1) does and does not mean☆

Abstract Based on O–D stretch frequencies, Denzler et al., reject partial dissociation of D2O molecules as the explanation of the measured structure of 3 × 3 – D2O/Ru(0 0 0 1). But it is largely the O–O distance that determines the O–D stretch frequency in an O–D⋯O bond of an H-bonded network. Thus, a D2O adlayer's stretch spectrum reflects its O–O distances, not its proportion of intact vs. dissociated molecules. This idea suggests that deuteron disorder in the heavy-water adlayer is the key to understanding its broad O–D stretch spectrum.
Isoniazid uptake and growth inhibition of mycobacterium tuberculosis in relation to time and concentration of pulsed drug exposures

We have examined the relationships of drug concentration and exposure time to drug uptake and growth inhibition of tubercle bacilli following single pulsed isoniazid exposures. Isoniazid-sensitive strain H37Ra of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was grown in Sauton's medium with aeration at 37C. Cells were suspended in fresh medium at 0·6 mg. dry wt./ml., isoniazid or 14C-isoniazid was added and incubation continued. Pulses were terminated by two methods. Samples were either diluted l:200 in drug-free medium for turbidimetric growth assay or filtered and cell-bound 14C. activity determined. When isoniazid was varied from 0-l to 0·5 ug./ml. and the period of exposure varied accordingly to give a constant time-concentration product (TCP) of exposure equal to 0·5 μg. hr., a transient growth inhibition resulted followed by rapid recovery. At six days pulsed cells were inhibited approximately 25% A more pronounced effect occurred at a TCP of l-0 μg. hr. and at six days inhibition was about 50%. Populations arising from treated cells retained isoniazid sensitivity. At TCPs of 0·5 and 1·0 μg. hr., 14C. activity corresponding to 20–26 and 37–47 nanograms isoniazid/mg. cells was bound respectively. Since drug carry-over became a problem in growth assays with isoniazid pulses in excess of 0·5 μg./ml., filtration was substituted for dilution to terminate exposures. At a TCP of 1·0 μg. hr. over a range of 0·25 to 4·0 μg./ml., growth inhibition was about 50%. Our data indicate that the degree or extent of inhibition following short pulsed isoniazid exposures is rather precisely governed by the time-concentration product of exposure and is closely correlated with the amount of drug bound by the cells.
The tropospheric biennial oscillation and Indian monsoon rainfall

An analysis of observed data shows that the tropospheric biennial oscillation (TBO, with roughly a 2–3 year period) encompasses most ENSO years (with their well-known biennial tendency) as well as additional years that contribute to biennial transitions in the Indian monsoon. Three conditions (related to anomalous surface temperatures) postulated to contribute to TBO transitions are examined for the northern spring season before the Indian monsoon: 1;) anomalous tropical Pacific SSTs, 2) atmospheric circulation-related anomalous south Asian land temperatures and resulting meridional temperature gradients, and 3) anomalous SSTs in the Indian Ocean. We quantify these three interannual transition conditions on a year by year basis, thus taking into account intermittent influences and secular variations in the strength of any particular linkage in any given year. The more transition conditions that are included in the analysis, the greater the TBO amplitude in terms of spectral power in the TBO periods of 2–3 years.
The Prevalence of Coffee Drinking Among Hospitalized and Population-Based Control Groups

Data on coffee-drinking habits obtained from a case-control study conducted in Detroit were used to compare the proportions of coffee drinkers in a hospital and a population control series. The comparison was based on interviews with 262 hospitalized controls and 427 population controls. The overall proportion of coffee drinkers in the total hospital control group was similar to that in the population control group. However, the proportion of moderate-to-heavy coffee drinkers among controls hospitalized for conditions that may have caused them to alter their diet (eg, gastrointestinal disorders and cardiovascular disease) was lower than that among population controls. In contrast, the proportion of moderate-to-heavy coffee drinkers among controls hospitalized for conditions that probably did not cause a change in diet (eg, fractures) was almost identical to that among population controls. These results suggest that, in hospital-based casecontrol studies of the effects of coffee consumption, it would be prudent to restrict the referent group to those patients hospitalized for conditions that probably did not cause a change in diet. The magnitude of bias resulting from failure to exclude controls hospitalized for diet-altering conditions will depend on two factors that may vary between studies: (1) the distribution of diet-altering conditions among the hospital controls, and (2) the relationship of these diseases to coffee consumption. ( JAMA 1983;249:1877-1880)
Prenatal intraabdominal bowel dilation is associated with postnatal gastrointestinal complications in fetuses with gastroschisis

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether prenatal intraabdominal bowel dilation (IBD) is associated with increased postnatal complications in fetuses with gastroschisis. Study Design A retrospective review was performed on all maternal-fetus pairs with prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis that was treated at the University of California San Francisco from 2002-2008. Postnatal outcomes were compared between fetuses with and without IBD. Results Forty-three of 61 maternal-fetal pairs met the criteria for inclusion. Sixteen fetuses (37%) had evidence of IBD. Fetuses with IBD were significantly more likely to have postnatal bowel complications (38% vs 7%; P = .037). The presence of multiple loops of IBD (n = 6) as opposed to a single loop (n = 10) was associated highly with bowel complications and increased time to full enteral feeding and length of hospital stay (100% vs 0% [ P = .001]; 44 vs 23 days [ P = .034]; 69 vs 27 days [ P = .001], respectively). Conclusion IBD is associated with increased postnatal complications in infants with prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis; however, this association seems to be limited to those with multiple loops of dilated intraabdominal bowel.
A stochastic precipitation disaggregation scheme for GCM applications

In the surface hydrologic parameterization of general circulation models (GCMs), it is commonly assumed that the precipitation processes are homogeneous over a GCM grid square and that the precipitation intensity is uniformly distributed. Based on evidence that the spatial distribution of precipitation within a GCM grid square is crucial for the land surface hydrology parameterization, a few researchers have explored the impacts of assuming that the precipitation is exponentially distributed. This paper explores the suitability of the aforementioned assumptions. First, a statistical analysis is conducted of historical precipitation data for three GCM grids in different regions of the United States. The analysis suggests that neither the uniform nor the exponential distribution assumption may be suitable at the GCM grid scale and, that instead, the spatial variability in precipitation is characterized by statistical patterns that are inhomogeneous. These patterns vary from grid to grid and are induced by the interaction between atmospheric conditions and various land surface characteristics, such as topographical features, surface properties, etc. Within the same grid square, however, the statistical patterns are generally constant from year to year. Based on this analysis, a computationally viable (i.e., usable with GCMs) stochastic precipitation disaggregation scheme that utilizes these stable statistical patterns is proposed. The method was used to generate spatially distributed hourly rainfall for a summer season in the southwestern region of the continental United States. Analysis of the results shows that the methodology preserves the seasonal characteristics of spatial variability in precipitation that is observed in the long-term historical data.
An Advocacy Exercise for a Psychology and Law Course

This article describes an active learning component of an advanced course in psychology and law. The assignment is to present, in the context of a mock appellate court, the best available psycholog...
Attenuation of longitudinal soundwaves by conduction electrons

Abstract The attenuation of longitudinal soundwaves in high purity tin has been measured in a large, perpendicular magnetic field as well as in the absence of a field. It is shown that such measurements make it possible to investigate the magnitude of the electron-phonon interaction, the electronic mean free path, and the temperature dependence of the mean free path.
MBA programs and business needs: Is there a mismatch?

T he MBA degree, perennially a certain credential for advancement, is losing some of its luster. The reduced prospects for MHAs result partly from the proliferation of MBA programs, currently estimated at more than 600 in the llnited States, with about 75,000 students graduating each year. In recent years, because many MBA graduates have been unable to find suitable jobs, interest in the degree and enrollments have begun to decline. For many business schools this trend is aUSe for great concern. MBA programs have been the “cash cows“ of program portfolios, particularly the part-time programs, whose students generate a good income (from tuition) for their institutions’ marginal overhead because they use idle facilities and do not require expensive labs or other rest~urce-abs~~rb~ng accoutrements. The increased output of MBAs at a time of prolonged economic recession has dramatically altered the demand-and-supply relationship for MBAs. However, newly minted graduates are likely IO encounter employer reservations that go beyond current structural problems into the deeper issue of whether a business school education is congruent with the needs of business. Employers are questioning the value of the traditional ‘LIBA program. Many perceive the MBA degree as emphasizing quantitative abilities and analytical skills while neglecting the development of other essential skills that enable a person to function in a business organization. Corporate critics say there should be a broader approach, with more focus on qualitative management and the ah&y to deal with people in an organization. Other critics of MBAs and business school programs cite these additional sllo~comings: l Business schools do little to produce future managers who are able to meet the challenges of the changing global business environment. l .YIBAs are ill-prepared to cope with an increasingly diverse work force.
Probabilistic collocation for simulation-based robust concept exploration

In the early stages of an engineering design process it is necessary to explore the design space to find a feasible range that satisfies design requirements. When robustness of the system is among the requirements, the robust concept exploration method can be used. In this method, a global metamodel, such as a global response surface of the design space, is used to evaluate robustness. However, for large design spaces, this is computationally expensive and may be relatively inaccurate for some local regions. In this article, a method is developed for successively generating local response models at points of interest as the design space is explored. This approach is based on the probabilistic collocation method. Although the focus of this article is on the method, it is demonstrated using an artificial performance function and a linear cellular alloy heat exchanger. For these problems, this approach substantially reduces computation time while maintaining accuracy.
Evaluation of multi-sensor semi-arid crop season parameters based on NDVI and rainfall

Metrics that estimate the beginning of the growing season in semi-arid monsoonal ecosystems have become a central part of both crop models that are used to monitor crop production using satellite remote sensing and early warning indicators of possible future reductions in yield due to growing season length. This paper presents a new phenological model which is tuned to the semi-arid, monsoonal ecosystem of the West African Sahel and that uses humidity instead of calendar dates to identify the beginning of the season. We implement this model on vegetation index data from AVHRR, SPOT-Vegetation and MODIS data, and evaluate the results along with a rainfall-based start of season estimate for the region. Contributions of the paper include evaluating existing methods using ground observations of sowing date, comparing the same metric across multiple sensors and to rainfall-based SOS, and the development of a metric based on NDVI and relative humidity.
Cyclin E and Bcl-xL cooperatively induce cell cycle progression in c-Rel-/- B cells.

Aberrant overexpression of the c-rel protooncogene is associated with lymphoid malignancy, while c-rel deletion produces severe lymphoproliferative defects and immunodeficiency. To investigate the mechanism of c-rel-induced proliferation and cell cycle progression in B lymphocytes, we have compared signaling events elicited through the BCR in c-rel−/− and wild-type B cells. BCR stimulation of c-rel−/− B cells fails to induce proper cyclin expression, resulting in G1 phase arrest, but it is unclear whether these defects are in fact secondary events of decreased B-cell survival, since c-rel deletion also affects the expression of antiapoptotic genes such as bcl-xL. Here, we use the bcl-xL transgene to correct the viability of c-rel-deficient B cells, and show that the inhibition of apoptosis does not necessarily confer hyperproliferation of B cells activated through the BCR. c-rel−/− B cells still fail to enter the S phase despite improved survival by bcl-xL overexpression, suggesting that c-Rel-associated cell cycle progression is dependent on more than just enhanced cell viability. Overexpression of cyclin E protein, however, can cooperate with Bcl-xL to restore cell cycle progression to c-rel−/− B cells via induction of the cyclin–CDK/Rb–E2F pathway. Furthermore, we show that c-Rel can directly regulate transcription of the e2f3a promoter/enhancer, which is then likely to lead to transcriptional activation of the cyclin E promoter by E2F3a. Hence, these studies provide clear evidence that control of lymphocyte proliferation via c-Rel is linked to a cyclin-dependent process, and suggest that c-Rel not only activates antiapoptotic signaling but also the induction of cell cycle progression.
Radiofrequency ablation for nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus: Should we do it, because we can?

8. Gundrie JJ, PouwRE, Sondermeijer CM, Peters FP, CurversWL, RosmolenWD, et al. Stepwise circumferential and focal ablation of Barrett’s esophagus with high-grade dysplasia: results of the first prospective series of 11 patients. Endoscopy. 2008;40:359-69. 9. Ganz RA, Overholt BF, Sharma VK, Fleischer DE, Shaheen NJ, Lightdale CJ, et al. Circumferential ablation of Barrett’s esophagus that contains high-grade dysplasia: a U.S. multicenter registry. Gastrointest Endosc. 2008;68:35-40. 10. Velanovich V. Endoscopic endoluminal radiofrequency ablation of Barrett’s esophagus: initial results and lessons learned. Surg Endosc. 2009;23: 2175-80. 11. Lyday WD, Corbett FS, Kuperman DA, Kalvaria I, Mavrelis PG, Shughoury AB, et al. Radiofrequency ablation of Barrett’s esophagus: outcomes of 429 patients from a multicenter community practice registry. Endoscopy. 2010;42:272-8.
Image-guided small animal radiation research platform: calibration of treatment beam alignment

Small animal research allows detailed study of biological processes, disease progression and response to therapy with the potential to provide a natural bridge to the clinical environment. The small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) is a portable system for precision irradiation with beam sizes down to approximately 0.5 mm and optimally planned radiation with on-board cone-beam CT (CBCT) guidance. This paper focuses on the geometric calibration of the system for high-precision irradiation. A novel technique for the calibration of the treatment beam is presented, which employs an x-ray camera whose precise positioning need not be known. Using the camera system we acquired a digitally reconstructed 3D 'star shot' for gantry calibration and then developed a technique to align each beam to a common isocenter with the robotic animal positioning stages. The calibration incorporates localization by cone-beam CT guidance. Uncorrected offsets of the beams with respect to the calibration origin ranged from 0.4 mm to 5.2 mm. With corrections, these alignment errors can be reduced to the sub-millimeter range. The calibration technique was used to deliver a stereotactic-like arc treatment to a phantom constructed with EBT Gafchromic films. All beams were shown to intersect at a common isocenter with a measured beam (FWHM) of approximately 1.07 mm using the 0.5 mm collimated beam. The desired positioning accuracy of the SARRP is 0.25 mm and the results indicate an accuracy of 0.2 mm. To fully realize the radiation localization capabilities of the SARRP, precise geometric calibration is required, as with any such system. The x-ray camera-based technique presented here provides a straightforward and semi-automatic method for system calibration.
Correlation of transient vision loss with outer retinal disruption following intravitreal ocriplasmin.

Correlation of transient vision loss with outer retinal disruption following intravitreal ocriplasmin
Best practices for designing third party applications for contextually-aware tools

This experience report examines the user interface designs of Twitter and selected third party Twitter applications: Tweetdeck and Brizzly. Since participants are using different tools to communicate across the same system, Twitter users have different communication expectations. Evaluating Twitter and these tools based on usability heuristics found in activity theory and Morville's notion of findability, we argue for the normalization of these tools based on a set of mental models and affordances for Twitter. From this basis, we will report on how third-party clients more effectively exploit Twitter's affordances by making the streams, and thus the user's experiences, modular, emergent, and contextual. By comparing the UIs of Tweetdeck and Brizzly, along with that of Twitter's own web-based UI, we will assess how these clients allow participants to adapt Twitter streams to their own communication needs. The flexibility given to users via such clients serves as a tremendous signpost to the nature of and need for modular, context-aware experiences in communication channels as information content evolves. Not only do the social networks themselves need to be articulated and modular, but so do the UIs through which users engage with these networks. We argue that these features are critical for social media participants. Based on our analysis of Tweetdeck and Brizzly, we develop a set of best practices that should guide the research and design of participant experiences in social media and the third-party applications that many of them often use.
Developmental control of replication timing defines a new breed of chromosomal domains with a novel mechanism of chromatin unfolding

We recently identified a set of chromosome domains that are early replicating uniquely in pluripotent cells. Their switch from early to late replication occurs just prior to germ layer commitment, associated with a stable form of gene silencing that is difficult to reverse. Here, we discuss results demonstrating that these domains are among the least sensitive regions in the genome to global digestion by either MNase or restriction enzymes. This inaccessible chromatin state persists whether these regions are in their physically distended early replicating or compact late replicating configuration, despite dramatic changes in 3D chromatin folding and long-range chromatin interactions, and despite large changes in transcriptional activity. This contrasts with the strong correlation between early replication, accessibility, transcriptional activity and open chromatin configuration that is observed genome-wide. We put these results in context with findings from other studies indicating that many structural (DNA sequence) and functional (density and activity of replication origins) properties of developmentally regulated replication timing ("switching") domains resemble properties of constitutively late replicating domains. This suggests that switching domains are a type of late replicating domain within which both replication timing and transcription are subject to unique or additional layers of control not experienced by the bulk of the genome. We predict that understanding the unusual structure of these domains will reveal a novel principle of chromosome folding.