cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glitazones: good for glycemia. Good for the liver?

43 IN THIS ISSUE OF Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, Zhu and colleagues1 have confirmed in another population three well-known facts about therapy with rosiglitazone added to insulin secretagogues for type 2 diabetes mellitus: It is moderately efficacious in glycemic lowering; it often causes edema; and it is associated with significant weight gain in some patients in a relatively short period of time. Furthermore, since most of the patients had poor diabetes control prior to the study [mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) 9.8%], the addition of rosiglitazone to sulfonylureas in most patients did not result in the achievement of modern glycemic goals (HbA1c ,7%). Such patients would require triple oral therapy with the addition of metformin (an often-used and recently Food and Drug Administration-approved indication of this combination of drugs), or the addition (or substitution) of insulin therapy. This latter situation would apply particularly to patients with the worst glycemic control at baseline. (At present, the addition of insulin to rosiglitazone is not a Food and Drug Administration-approved indication.) All of the above not withstanding, the combination of rosiglitazone plus insulin secretagogues is a useful tool in our glycemic armamentarium. The uniqueness of the present study relates to the high prevalence of seropositivity for hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the study subjects. While it is doubtful that many of these patients had active viral replication, it is nonetheless reassuring that patients with a history of viral hepatitis, and, possibly, those with active but asymptomatic disease, can be safely treated with rosiglitazone. A cloud of suspicion has troubled the thiazolidinediones since the removal of troglitazone (the first agent in this class) from world markets, due to rare and unpredictable liver toxicity that proved fatal in some patients.2 Adverse hepatic effects from the newer glitazones appear to be rarer and milder than those seen with troglitazone.3 Of greater interest to this observer is to question the potential role of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARg) activators like rosiglitazone as possible agents for the treatment of liver disease. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is becoming increasingly recognized in obese patients, including those with type 2 diabetes mellitus.4 This entity is felt to be a significant cause of fibrosis and cirrhosis (so-called cryptogenic cirrhosis). One small study with troglitazone for up to 6 months suggests that liver transaminases and histology can be improved with PPARg agonist therapy.5 This effect is presumably due to mobilization of fat from the liver to peripheral tissues. However, long-term treatment of obese and diabetic mice with PPARg agonists has been associated with hepatic centrilobular steatosis.6 Newer glitazones or non-glitazone PPARg agonists should be tested for their ability to reduce he-
Influence of Two Planes of Feeding and Care upon Milk Production

When testing for the Advanced Registry and the Register of Merit was started at the dairy experiment station of the Bureau of Dairy Industry a number of years ago, it was noticed that the cows when on test produced a great deal more milk than they did when milked and fed only twice a day and otherwise managed in much the same way that any good dairyman might take care of his herd. This led to some specific experiments with certain animals to ascertain how much increase might be expected by keeping them under test conditions, and also to the tabulation of data regarding other animals which in the ordinary course of events were found to have made yearly records under each of the two conditions called for convenience " tes t" and "herd." In brief, the test conditions were as follows: Keeping the cows in boxstalls, milking three times a day, feeding three times a day, feeding a large quantity of alfalfa hay and a small quantity of silage, feeding somewhat in excess of requirements as computed from the common feeding standards, feeding beet pulp, breeding to freshen about fifteen months from previous calving, and allowing no pasture. The herd conditions in the main were as follows: Keeping the cows in stanchions, milking twice a day, feeding twice a day, feeding smaller quantities of hay and a generous amount of silage, feeding only slightly more nutrients than called for by the standards, feeding no beet pulp, breeding to freshen about twelve months from previous calving, and allowing pasture to some of the cows. Twenty-two cows included in this study have completed records under both conditions. One has made four records, six hs~e made three records, while each of the remainder have made
Education and training in contemporary cartography: A review

Education and Training in Contemporary Cartography, Progress in Contemporary Cartography Series no. 3 D. R. Fraser Taylor (Ed.), 1985 Chichester, Wiley
Do persons respond differently to inductively‐derived and deductively‐derived lists of compliance gaining message strategies? A reply to Wiseman and Schenck‐Hamlin

In this paper Wiseman and Schenck‐Hamlin's claim of the superiority of inductively‐derived lists of compliance gaining message strategies is examined. Their arguments for this claim are found to be less than compelling. One of their arguments, that the responses to the Marwell and Schmitt list may be affected by a social desirability bias, yielded a testable prediction. An experiment was designed to test this proposition. The results offered no support for the Wiseman and Schenck‐Hamlin suggestion. Moreover, further analyses suggested that persons' responses to the inductively‐derived Wiseman and Schenck‐Hamlin strategies were similar to responses to the deductively‐derived Marwell and Schmitt strategies. The implications of these results for future research in the area of compliance gaining message selection are discussed.
A higher order analogue of the Carathéodory–Julia theorem

Abstract A higher order analogue of the classical Caratheodory–Julia theorem on boundary derivatives is proved.
The development of a multi-functional aerospace coating: considerations in the use of nano-dimensioned materials

Abstract Materials fabricated in the nano-dimension (10 0 –10 2 nm) are purported to possess property advantages and thus provide avenues for performance and functional gains in structures made with these materials unthought with conventional materials. This paper examines some of the possible gains in performance and function that might occur by the inclusion of nano-dimensioned materials within organic coatings for military aircraft. Both, advantages and possible disadvantages when using these materials are examined. Within the multitude of physical and chemical attributes that could be impacted, this paper will focus on the topics of stability, mechanical properties, and optical properties, as these may be affected when using nano-dimensioned materials to increase the functionality of a paint.
Diminishing Exposure to Doppler Ultrasound The Sonographer's Role

Diagnostic ultrasound has an unblemished record for safety. The introduction of pulsed Doppler may involve higher intensities exceeding 1 W/cm2 (SPTA). These intensities must cause concern for fetal exposure, and the FDA has introduced strict guidelines to limit such exposure. Presented here are practical ways in which sonography can minimize exposure. These include the use of Doppler only when clinically indicated or part of an approved research protocol, knowledge of the emitted intensity, and how to attenuate this to prudent levels. It is desirable to use sensitive equipment and increase the TGC before increasing power. Such prudent use will allow ultrasound to be used in these new applications without hazard.
Abdominal Abscess Detection: Gallium, 111In-, and 99mTc-Labeled Leukocytes, and Polyclonal and Monoclonal Antibodies

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are excellent modalities for imaging patients with localizing signs of an intra-abdominal abscess. However, radionuclide techniques have an advantage over CT and MRI because they can evaluate the entire body for infection. In addition, radionuclides can noninvasively differentiate infection and inflammation from benign fluid collections. Radiopharmaceuticals available for imaging abdominal infection include gallium-67 citrate, indium-111, and technetium-99m-labeled leukocytes, and radiolabeled whole antibodies. The use of these radiopharmaceuticals for abdominal imaging is dependent on their biodistribution and mechanism of abscess localization.
A response to isoprenaline unrelated to α-and β-adrenoceptor agonism

The hypothesis that beta-adrenoceptor agonism might explain a reported lack of competitive antagonism between alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists and agonists of the phenylethylamine class was tested in the electrically field stimulated ileum of the guinea-pig. The beta-adrenoceptor agonist, isoprenaline, was used as the phenylethylamine and inhibition of 'twitch' response evoked by cholinergic stimulation was measured. In the presence of idazoxan (3 microM), to block inhibitory alpha 2-adrenoceptors, propranolol (0.1 to 5.0 microM) failed to act competitively toward isoprenaline. Isoprenaline responses totally resistant to inhibition by propranolol were obtained. As inhibitory alpha 1-adrenoceptors are absent from guinea-pig ileum, a recognition site distinct from the currently defined alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors is postulated. Agonism by phenylethylamine based agonists at this site may explain their inability to act competitively with alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor antagonists.
Discrete velocities for solitary-wave solutions selected by self-induced transparency

Theoretical studies of self-induced transparency have used the slowly varying envelope approximation with perturbative corrections. These analyses indicated that for a carrier wave of given frequency, there was a continuum of possible steady-state pulse velocities. We show that the exact steady-state solutions of the full Maxwell-Bloch equations do not share this property; instead, there is a nonperturbative selection mechanism: a carrier wave of given frequency gives rise to steady-state pulses with discrete values of the velocity only. We present analytical and numerical calculations, and suggest some experiments for the semiconductor CdS.
Stability of intravenous admixtures of 5-fluorouracil and spirogermanium, a novel combination of cytotoxic agents

Abstract When used in combination, spirogemianium (SG) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) have to be administered at separate intravenous-infu- sion sites. To ease the administration of this potentially useful combination of antineoplastic agents, the stability of SG and 5-FU admixtures was studied. Direct mixing of SG and 5-FU formulations resulted in the formation of a precipitate. This precipitate was the free base form of SG, which has a low solubility at the pH of the i.v. admixtures. The appropriate dilution in D5W needed to prevent the precipitation was calculated from the pH-solubility curves of SG and 5-FU and the stability of 250 mg SG and 1000 mg 5-FU in 250 ml infusion containers was then investigated. There was no loss of SG or 5-FU in glass bottles after storage for 7 days at 4° C followed by 2 days at room temperature. However, in Polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyolefin infusion bags at pH > 8.0, the SG concentration decreased by 68 and 28%, respectively, after 7 days at room temperature. This decrease was independent of the 5-FU concentration and was believed to be due to sorption or adsorption of SG by the plastic. Loss of SG was also found when the admixtures were passed through PVC or polyolefin tubing at 20 ml h −1 . By lowering the pH of the admixture to a value of less than 6.0, the loss of SG to PVC containers or tubing was prevented. Simultaneous administration of SG and 5-FU is possible if adequate dilution is maintained to prevent precipitation and the resulting pH of the admixture is kept below 6.0.
Pioneer and Voyager Observations of Large-Scale Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Solar Wind

The Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, and Voyager 2 spacecraft were launched in 1972, 1974, and 1977, respectively. While these three spacecraft are all at comparatively low heliographic latitudes compared with Ulysses, their observations span almost two solar cycles, a range of heliocentric distances from 1 to 57 AU, and provide a unique insight into the long-term variability of the global structure of the solar wind. We examine the spatial and temporal variation of average solar wind parameters and fluxes. Our observations suggest that the global structure of the outer heliosphere during the declining phase of the solar cycle at heliographic latitudes up to 17.5°N was characterized by two competing phenomena: 1) a large-scale increase of solar wind density, temperature, mass flux, dynamic pressure, kinetic energy flux, and thermal energy flux with heliographic latitude, similar to the large-scale latitudinal gradient of velocity seen in IPS observations, 2) a small-scale decrease in velocity and temperature, and increase in density near the heliospheric current sheet, which is associated with a band of low speed, low temperature, and high density solar wind similar to that observed in the inner heliosphere.
Modeling diameter growth in local populations : a case study involving four North American deciduous species

Abstract Many existing models representing the growth of forest overstory species as a function of environmental conditions make a number of assumptions which are inappropriate when applied to local populations. For example, maximum tree diameter and height are often assumed to be constant limiting factors for a given species even though growth functions can often be localized by utilizing information in the forest growth and yield literature to make site-specific estimates of these values. Most existing models also use an annual timestep which may be inappropriate when attempting to model the growth response of individual trees to environmental conditions. In this study, a model utilizing a weekly timestep is described and applied to four widespread North American deciduous tree species. Because response to environmental conditions can vary regionally as a result of genetic heterogeneity, the resulting model should not be considered as universally appropriate for these species. This study illustrates methods which can be utilized to develop models for application to local populations.
Loess of the Upper Mississippi Valley Driftless Area

Loess of the Driftless Area includes four distinct late Quaternary lithostratigraphic units: the Wyalusing (new), Loveland, Roxana, and Peoria formations. Erosion has removed parts or all of the pre-late Wisconsian loess at many sites. These formations consist largely of loess and retransported loess that typically occurs on uplands, terraces, and valley margins in the region. The oldest widespread formation (probably > 125,000 yr B.P.) is here formally named the Wyalusing Formation. The three younger formations correlate with the Loveland (probably > 125,000 yr B.P.), Roxana (55,000-25,000 yr B.P.), and Peoria (25,000-12,000 yr B.P.) loesses recognized elsewhere in the midcontinental United States. The soil/stratigraphic morphology of the Wyalusing-Loveland and Roxana-Peoria couplets appears to represent two distinct loess sedimentation sequences related to major expansion and contraction of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during oxygen isotope stages 6 and 3-2, respectively. The occurrence-frequency of loess units is inversely related to age, illustrating the erosional nature of the Driftless area landscape. The occurrence of four loess units at some sites in Driftless Area stratigraphic sections corroborates loess stratigraphy along the length of the Mississippi Valley, where typically not more than four or five loess units are found and they represent only the late and middle Pleistocene (<790,000 yr B.P.). Past climatic conditions, which favored erosion of loess, as well as a temporally erratic spatial extent of former continental ice sheets in North America, which provided the dust supply, probably account for the low number of loess units along the Mississippi Valley.
A Simple Precipitin Test for Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin: Use in a Search for the Absence of Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin in 10,000 Subjects

ABSTRACT We developed a simple precipitin test that allows detection of human corticosteroidbinding globulin (CBG) on Ouchterlony plates. Using this test, we screened 10,124 sera for CBG and found it to be present in each sample examined.
Positron annihilation studies of some odd-n fatty acids

Positron lifetime measurements have been made as a function of temperature in solid samples of fatty acids having chain lengths of 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23 carbon atoms in order to complement a previous study of even-n fatty acids (1). The well-known solid-solid transitions occurring several degrees below the melting point were clearly observed in the positron data. Good agreement with published values (2) for the transition temperatures was obtained. Comparison of the lifetime data for odd-n acids with that obtained for even-n acids reveals a pronounced odd-even effect, especially in the dependence of the long lifetime intensity I 3 on chain length
Enhancement of optical processes in coupled plasmonic nanocavities (Invited)

We present detailed experimental and numerical investigations of resonances in deep nanogroove gratings in metallic substrates. These plasmonic nanocavity gratings feature enhanced fields within the grooves that enable a large enhancement of linear and nonlinear optical processes. This enhancement relies on both localized and propagating surface plasmons on the nanopatterned surface. We show that the efficiency of optical processes such as Raman scattering and four-wave mixing is dramatically enhanced by plasmonic nanocavity gratings.
Measuring intergenerational obligations

Researchers have defined intergenerational obligations in diverse ways, and they have used many labels and ways of measuring intergenerational obligations. Using vignettes, we compared responses to questions about what family members should do when another family member needed assistance (normative obligations) with responses to questions about what respondents would do if they were in the situation in the vignette (felt responsibilities). Felt and normative obligations were similar. When there were disagreements, respondents indicated they would help more than they thought the character in the vignette should. The results point to the need for researchers to clearly define their terms, and they must carefully select operational definitions that match the conceptual definitions used when studying obligations about intergenerational assistance.
The failure of feminist epistemology

I. Specific Feminist Criticism T here are two general types of feminist critique of science and scientific epistemology. On the one hand there is the critique of science and traditional epistemology based on an examinat ion of part icular episodes in scientilic inquiry. This has the aim of exposing the occur rence of"mascul ine" bias on the part of scientists in the choice of hypotheses, the selection of evidence, the process of sampling, or in the choice of some epistemic standards for the critique of evidence. While the principles o f logic and mathemat ics seem beyond question to most, 1 there may be some epistemic e r ro r that science is systematically making because, being domina ted by men, scientists have not suspected a difficulty. A woman, however, may realize what has been overlooked. There are n o a p r io r i objections to the project. And there appear to be some positive values in these critiques.'-' Persons of differing sensitivity, of d i f ferent e thnic or cuhural backgrounds, etc., may sometimes notice someth ing that others have simply overlooked, or have been too biased to see. Science, as a critical process, should be self-corrective as these errors are b rough t to light.
A novel process for the generation of pristine sapphire surfaces

Abstract Sapphire is widely used as a substrate material for blue light emitting diode and laser diode devices, as well as for visible/infrared window and radome applications. The ensuing component performance is highly dependent on the quality of the surface finish, and degree of subsurface damage. A novel process has been developed which has the potential to replace the final stage chemical and mechanical polishing steps currently necessary to achieve the requisite surface finish. The process entails deposition of a thin film of Al on the (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrate, followed by an oxidation anneal. The final step is grain growth of the underlying substrate, which leads to complete single crystal conversion. The influence of heat treatment conditions on the final surface finish was investigated. Microstructural and topographical development of the surface layer was studied using scanning electron microscopy, orientation image microscopy, and atomic force microscopy.
SU-GG-T-277: Characterization of the OneDosePlus™ MOSFET Detector and Assessment of Its Suitability as An in Vivo Dosimeter

Purpose: To characterize the OneDosePlus™ MOSFETdetector, compare its response to both that of a Thomson‐Nielsen MOSFETdetector and that of an ionization chamber, and assess its feasibility for use as an in vivo dosimeter. Method and Materials: Using, alternately, a OneDosePlus™ MOSFETdetector, a Thomson‐Nielsen MOSFETdetector and an ionization chamber—the gold standard, the output of a 6 MV photon beam from a clinical linear accelerator was measured at the depth of d max = 1.5 cm in a water‐equivalent plastic phantom (i) as a function of field size and SSD for a fixed 0° gantry angle, and (ii) as a function of gantry angle for a fixed field size of 10×10 cm2 and SSD of 100 cm. Field sizes in the range 5×5–40×40 cm2, SSDs in the range 80–120 cm, and gantry angles in the range 0–80° were studied. For each detector, a similar geometrical setup was employed and the same number of monitor units was delivered. MOSFET measurements were normalized to those obtained correspondingly with an ionization chamber, and then compared. Results: The OneDosePlus™ detector exhibited a response to the delivered radiation dose that was consistent with the corresponding Thomson‐Nielsen MOSFET and ionization chamber measurements for all SSDs and field sizes. As expected, the output increased with increasing field size and decreasing SSD. The OneDosePlus™ measurements demonstrated significant angular dependence with respect to gantry angle beyond ∼40°, deviating by as much as 60% from the ion chamber reading at 80°. Conclusion: The OneDosePlus™ detector is suitable for in vivo skin‐dose determination. It provides a direct, reliable dose measurement for a range of field sizes, SSDs and gantry angles. Though significant angular‐dependent corrections are required beyond ∼40° incidence—owing to the detector's asymmetric construction—it is otherwise a highly convenient alternative to the Thomson‐Nielsen MOSFET.
Salt Excretion by Nasal Gland of Laysan and Black-Footed Albatrosses

Excretion of a liquid which dripped from the tip of the beak followed administration of salt loads. The Na + concentration in the liquid was 792 to 856 milliequivalents per liter, almost twice that in sea water. The nasal gland may thus enable these birds to meet their need for water by drinking sea water.
Ellipsometric imaging of surface drops

We quantify the behavior of the real (ℛ) and imaginary (ℐ) components of the optical response of a recently developed ellipsometric microscope. For a polydimethylsiloxane drop spreading on top of a silicon wafer substrate the experimental values of ℛ and ℐ show the same correlation as a function of film thickness as do the theoretical values. This confirms that the ellipsometric microscope is operating as predicted. The ellipsometric microscope has a thickness resolution of ~0.1 nm and a lateral spatial resolution of ~1 μm and can collect 512 × 512 pixels of information in approximately 20 s.
Delegate, Decorate, State, and Illustrate in the OOP Course

We regularly teach a required OOP course which serves as the bridge between the introductory CS1/CS2 sequence and the senior software engineering sequence. We stress the fundamental concepts of polymorphism, inheritance, and encapsulation. The students transition from writing small programs to larger programs with multiple classes and hierarchical structures. They learn and apply several of the original Gang of Four (GoF) design patterns [1]. We share practical and fun examples of applying the decorator, state, and model-view-controller (MVC) design patterns, along with the critical OOP concept of delegation, that we have used in the classroom and our weekly labs and programming assignments.
On Consistency of Bayesian Inference with Mixtures of Logistic Regression

This is a theoretical study of the consistency properties of Bayesian inference using mixtures of logistic regression models. When standard logistic regression models are combined in a mixtures-of-experts setup, a flexible model is formed to model the relationship between a binary (yes-no) response y and a vector of predictors x. Bayesian inference conditional on the observed data can then be used for regression and classification. This letter gives conditions on choosing the number of experts (i.e., number of mixing components) k or choosing a prior distribution for k, so that Bayesian inference is consistent, in the sense of often approximating the underlying true relationship between y and x. The resulting classification rule is also consistent, in the sense of having near-optimal performance in classification. We show these desirable consistency properties with a nonstochastic k growing slowly with the sample size n of the observed data, or with a random k that takes large values with nonzero but small probabilities.
Research Note---Analyzing Pricing Strategies for Online Services with Network Effects

In this study, we model firms that sell a product and a complementary online service, where only the latter displays positive network effects. That is, the value each consumer derives from the service increases with the total number of consumers that subscribe to the service. In addition, the service is valuable only to consumers who buy the product. We consider two pricing strategies: (1) bundle pricing, in which the firm charges a single price for the product and the service, and (2) separate pricing, in which the firm sets the prices of the product and the service separately, and consumers self-select whether to buy both or only the product. We show that in contrast to the common result in the bundling literature, often the monopolist chooses not to offer the bundle (he either sells the service separately or not at all) although bundling would increase both consumer surplus and social welfare. Thus, underprovision of the service can be the market outcome. We also demonstrate that network effects may cause the underprovision of the service.
The BlackWidow High-Radix Clos Network

This paper describes the radix-64 folded-Clos network of the Cray BlackWidow scalable vector multiprocessor. We describe the BlackWidow network which scales to 32K processors with a worstcase diameter of seven hops, and the underlying high-radix router microarchitecture and its implementation. By using a high-radix router with many narrow channels we are able to take advantage of the higher pin density and faster signaling rates available in modern ASIC technology. The BlackWidow router is an 800 MHz ASIC with 64 18.75Gb/s bidirectional ports for an aggregate offchip bandwidth of 2.4Tb/s. Each port consists of three 6.25Gb/s differential signals in each direction. The router supports deterministic and adaptive packet routing with separate buffering for request and reply virtual channels. The router is organized hierarchically [13] as an 8×8 array of tiles which simplifies arbitration by avoiding long wires in the arbiters. Each tile of the array contains a router port, its associated buffering, and an 8×8 router subswitch. The router ASIC is implemented in a 90nm CMOS standard cell ASIC technology and went from concept to tapeout in 17 months.
Photodissociation Dynamics of the Charge-Transfer State of the C6H6-I2 Complex

A pulsed-extraction time-of-flight method was employed to investigate the photodissociation dynamics of the C6H6−I2 charge-transfer state. Measurement of the kinetic energy release for the I atom fragments indicates that the charge-transfer state dissociates to a I(2P3/2) + I*(2P1/2) product state. An anisotropic high-velocity distribution and a Maxwell−Boltzmann distribution with a velocity-dependent spatial anisotropy were observed as distinct components in the product spectra. Rapid dissociation from an oblique complex geometry, with the I2 bond axis inclined at an angle with respect to the benzene symmetry axis, appears to be responsible for the experimental results. The free I atom recoils away from the complex while the bound I atom interacts strongly with the benzene partner, yielding the different fragment distributions. As a result of charge-transfer excitation, the I2 is left on the same repulsive excited state that is optically accessed in the uncomplexed molecule, leading to prompt fragmentati...
Similarities of EEG and seizures in del(1q) and benign rolandic epilepsy

We studied the seizure disorders manifested by three previously reported children with "de novo" terminal deletions of the long arm of chromosome 1 (46,XX,del(1)(q43)) and similar clinical phenotypes. In late infancy, two of these children developed partial seizures characterized by tonic-clonic movements of the ipsilateral face and arm with occasional involvement of the leg. In both children, the seizure frequency decreased with increasing age. Electroencephalograms of these two children demonstrated centrotemporal spike discharges morphologically similar to rolandic spikes. Although these cases present significant similarities to benign rolandic epilepsy, they also express many manifestations not detected in benign rolandic epilepsy that may reflect the extensive deletion of chromosome 1. Based on the seizure semiology and centrotemporal epileptiform discharges, we suggest that the distal portion of the long arm of chromosome 1 is a potential site for a candidate gene for benign rolandic epilepsy.
Predicting the severity of congenital high airway obstruction syndrome.

Abstract Background Congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS) is caused by complete or near-complete obstruction of the fetal airway. Obstruction sets in motion a sequence of events that can ultimately lead to fetal demise. However, on rare occasions in utero airway decompression occurs, reversing syndromic findings and improving the prognosis. In our relatively large series of CHAOS patients, we have observed a spectrum of clinical severity. The aim of this study was to identify the prenatal characteristics of CHAOS predictive of a milder postnatal course. Methods The medical charts of all fetuses observed at our institution with the diagnosis of CHAOS were reviewed for radiologic findings, delivery information, perinatal course, autopsy or discharge report, and long-term follow-up. Results Between 1996 and 2008, 12 fetuses with CHAOS were identified. Four fetuses had no evidence of hydrops on initial imaging. Of the 8 fetuses displaying hydrops, 3 were terminated, 2 died in utero, and 1 with multiple anomalies died at birth. Six fetuses were delivered via the ex utero intrapartum therapy procedure for attempted salvage, and 5 of the 6 survived the neonatal period including all 4 fetuses without hydrops. Serial prenatal imaging demonstrated less severe signs of CHAOS in 3 fetuses, and in 2 of them, direct laryngoscopy revealed a tiny opening in the airway. All 3 fetuses that showed improvement on serial imaging survived the neonatal period and were discharged home by 2-10 weeks of age. Conclusions Although the natural history of CHAOS is variable, trends in prenatal ultrasound findings are highly predictive of postnatal outcome and are a valuable guide to prenatal counseling.
Complete nucleotide sequence of tbuD, the gene encoding phenol/cresol hydroxylase from Pseudomonas pickettii PKO1, and functional analysis of the encoded enzyme.

Abstract The gene (tbuD) encoding phenol hydroxylase, the enzyme that converts cresols or phenol to the corresponding catechols, has been cloned from Pseudomonas pickettii PKO1 as a 26.5-kbp BamHI-cleaved DNA fragment, designated pRO1957, which allowed the heterogenetic recipient Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1c to grow on phenol as the sole source of carbon. Two subclones of pRO1957 carried in trans have shown phenol hydroxylase activity in cell extracts of P. aeruginosa. The nucleotide sequence was determined for one of these subclones, a 3.1-kbp HindIII fragment, and an open reading frame that would encode a peptide of 73 kDa was found. The size of this deduced peptide is consistent with the size of a novel peptide that had been detected in extracts of phenol-induced cells of P. aeruginosa carrying pRO1959, a partial HindIII deletion subclone of pRO1957. Phenol hydroxylase purified from phenol-plus-Casamino Acid-grown cells of P. aeruginosa carrying pRO1959 has an absorbance spectrum characteristic of a simple flavoprotein; moreover, the enzyme exhibits a broad substrate range, accommodating phenol and the three isomers of cresol equally well. Sequence comparisons revealed little overall homology with other flavoprotein hydroxylases, supporting the novelty of this enzyme, although three conserved domains were apparent.
Spontaneous somatic reversion in mice. Effects of parental genotype on stability at the p-locus.

Abstract π-Unstable ( π un ) is an allele of pink-eyed dilution (π) in the house mouse and is phenotypically similar to it in that each causes a dilution of coat-color pigment and pink eyes. Breeding data show that spontaneous somatic reversion π un to wild-type occurs with greater frequency in π un / π un progeny of heterozygous parents, π / π un or +/ π un mated inter se , than from homozyous π un / π un parents mated inter se . The frequency of spontaneous somatic reversion is also greater in π un/ π un progeny from somatically mosaic parents, even in cases where there is no evidence for germinal mosaicism. The proportion of coat affected follows a bimodal distribution, i.e. , it is generally either very small or quite large with few intermediate cases. The majority of mosaic mice, however, fall into the former category. Comparative estimates of the somatic reversion rates in π un / π un progeny from various types of matings have been calculated for the 10-day embryonic stage based on a melanoblast pool of 200 at that stage. Also, comparisons of the rates at the periods of most frequent reversion, 2-cell and 10-day, have been made. The spontaneous somatic reversion rates (at day 10) in π un / π un progeny from matings in which the parents are mosaic or heterozygous, are generally 2–3 times that of π un / π un progeny from non-mottled un / π un inter se matings. Also the reversion rate at the 2-cell stage is significantly higher than at the 10-day stage. It is suggested that certain heterozygous combinations allow the formation, by recombination, of new alleles of varying stability, and that the choice of mosaic mice for experimental matings may, in fact, result in selection for unstable alleles.
Comparing isotope signatures of prey fish: does gut removal affect δ13C or δ15N?

Stable isotope analysis is a quick and inexpensive method to monitor the effects of food web changes on aquatic communities. Traditionally, whole specimens have been used when determining isotope composition of prey fish or age-0 recreational fishes. However, gut contents of prey fish could potentially alter isotope composition of the specimen, especially when recent foraging has taken place or when the gut contains non-assimilated material that would normally pass through fishes undigested. To assess the impacts of gut content on prey fish isotope signatures, we examined the differences in isotopic variation of five prey fish species using whole fish, whole fish with the gut contents removed, and dorsal muscle only. We found significant differences in both δ15N and δ13C between the three tissue treatments. In most cases, muscle tissue was enriched compared to whole specimens or gut-removed specimens. Moreover, differences in mean δ15N within a species were up to 2‰ among treatments. This would result in ...
Letter from California--health care reform.

Despite all the publicity, it appears that President Clinton's health care reform may turn out to be much less than people were expecting. It is still going to be a private system with health insurance coming from the employer for those who have a job, and via the state or federal government for those who do not
Cross-Layer Design of Opportunistic Spectrum Access in the Presence of Sensing Error

We address the design of cognitive MAC protocols for opportunistic spectrum access in the presence of sensing error. Decentralized protocols are presented for ad hoc networks where there is no central coordinator or dedicated communication/control channel. Secondary users search for and access spectrum opportunities independently without exchanging local information on spectrum availability. We assume on-demand partial spectrum monitoring subject to sensing errors. Specifically, a secondary user may not be able to simultaneously sense the whole spectrum of interest due to hardware limitation and may only monitor the spectrum when it has data to transmit in order to conserve energy. We propose two approaches to formulating opportunistic spectrum access in the presence of sensing error by considering either a constraint on the probability of colliding with primary users or a penalty imposed on each collision. Under these formulations, we address the joint design of both the spectrum sensor at the physical layer and the cognitive protocol at the MAC layer to maximize spectrum efficiency while limiting the interference to primary users.
Modulation of Aflatoxin B1–Mediated Genotoxicity in Primary Cultures of Human Hepatocytes by Diindolylmethane, Curcumin, and Xanthohumols

This study employed cultured human primary hepatocytes to investigate the ability of the putative chemopreventive phytochemicals curcumin (CUR), 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), isoxanthohumol (IXN), or 8-prenylnaringenin (8PN) to reduce DNA adduct formation of the hepatocarcinogen aflatoxin B1 (AFB). Following 48 h of pretreatment, DIM and 8PN significantly increased AFB-DNA adduct levels, whereas CUR and IXN had no effect. DIM greatly enhanced the transcriptional expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and CYP1A2 mRNA. Glutathione S-transferase mRNAs were not increased by any of the treatments. In vitro enzyme activity assays demonstrated that 8PN and DIM, but not CUR or IXN, inhibited human CYP1A1, CYP1A2, and CYP3A4 activities. To distinguish between treatment effects on transcription versus direct effects on enzyme activity for DIM, we evaluated the effects of pretreatment alone (transcriptional activation) versus cotreatment alone (enzyme inhibition). The results demonstrated that effects on gene expression, but not catalytic activity, are responsible for the observed effects of DIM on AFB-DNA adduct formation. The increase in AFB-DNA damage following DIM treatment may be explained through its substantial induction of CYP1A2 and/or its downregulation of GSTM1, both of which were significant. The increase in DNA damage by DIM raises potential safety risks for dietary supplements of DIM and its precursor indole-3-carbinol.
The chemistry, fluxes, and sources of carbon dioxide in the estuarine waters of the Satilla and Altamaha Rivers, Georgia

The pH, alkalinity (Alk), and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in estuarine waters of several rivers of Georgia in the southeastern United States are reported. Although they discharge into a narrow area in the South Atlantic Bight, the rivers along the coast of Georgia differ significantly in their drainage area (Piedmont rivers vs. coastal plain rivers), chemical composition (contents of carbonate and humics), and discharge rates. Large differences in pH, DIC, and Alk between these rivers clearly reflect the differences of material inputs to the rivers. Dramatic pH increases in the early stage of mixing (more obvious for the coastal plain rivers) reflect the low buffering capacity of the river waters despite the high content of humic substances. Flux of riverine DIC to the South Atlantic Bight is estimated to be 52.5 X lo9 mol yr-*. We suggest that the presently available world total riverine DIC flux to the ocean could have much uncertainty if the small river fluxes are important. Calculated pC0, values from the pH and DIC measurements are extremely high in low-salinity areas (1,000 to >6,000 patm at salinity 250 mol m-* yr-I at salinity <lo). Data presented suggest that the most likely causes that sustain the high pC0, values and high water-to-air fluxes in the estuaries are CO, inputs from organic carbon respiration in the tidally flooded salt marshes and groundwater. Carbon dioxide is biogeochemically important in estuarine and coastal waters. It is closely linked to the organic carbon pool through photosynthesis and respiration. CO, is also a greenhouse gas and therefore its air-sea exchange is an important issue for climate change study. The coastal ocean, with its small area but large atmospheric CO, flux, plays an important role in determining whether the whole ocean is
Stable-isotopic anomalies and the accretionary assemblage of the Earth and Mars: A subordinate role for carbonaceous chondrites

Abstract Plots such as e 54 Cr vs. e 50 Ti and e 54 Cr vs. Δ 17 O reveal a fundamental dichotomy among planetary materials. The “carbonaceous” chondrites, by virtue of high e 50 Ti and high e 62 Ni, as well as, especially for any given Δ 17 O, high e 54 Cr, are separated by a wide margin from all other materials. The significance of the bimodality is further manifested by several types of meteorites with petrological-geochemical characteristics that suggest membership in the opposite category from the true pedigree as revealed by the stable isotopes. Ureilites, for example, despite having diversely low Δ 17 O and about the same average carbon content as the most C-rich carbonaceous chondrite, have clear stable-isotopic signatures of noncarbonaceous pedigree. The striking bimodality on the e 54 Cr vs. e 50 Ti and e 54 Cr vs. Δ 17 O diagrams suggests that the highest taxonomic division in meteorite/planetary classification should be between carbonaceous and noncarbonaceous materials. The bimodality may be an extreme manifestation of the effects of episodic accretion of early solids in the protoplanetary nebula. However, an alternative, admittedly speculative, explanation is that the bimodality corresponds to a division between materials that originally accreted in the outer solar system (carbonaceous) and materials that accreted in the inner solar system (noncarbonaceous). In any event, both the Earth and Mars plot squarely within the noncarbonaceous composition-space. Applying the lever rule to putative mixing lines on the e 50 Ti vs. e 54 Cr and Δ 17 O vs. e 54 Cr diagrams, the carbonaceous/(carbonaceous + noncarbonaceous) mixing ratio C /( C + NC ) is most likely close to (very roughly) 24% for Earth and 9% for Mars. Estimated upper limits for C /( C + NC ) are 32% for Earth and 18% for Mars. However, the uncertainties are such that isotopic data do not require or even significantly suggest that Earth has higher C /( C + NC ) than Mars. Among known chondrite groups, EH yields a relatively close fit to the stable-isotopic composition of Earth.
A k-Distribution-Based Spectral Module for Radiation Calculations in Multi-Phase Mixtures

k-distribution-based approaches are promising models for radiation calculations in strongly nongray participating media. Advanced k-distribution methods were found to achieve close-to benchmark line-by-line (LBL) accuracy for strongly inhomogeneous multi-phase media accompanied by several orders of magnitude smaller computational cost. In this paper, a k-distribution-based portable spectral module is developed, incorporating several state-of-the-art k-distribution methods along with compact and high-accuracy databases of k-distributions. The module construction is flexible — the user can choose among various k-distribution methods with their relevant k-distribution databases, to carry out accurate radiation calculations. The spectral module is portable, such that it can be coupled to any flow solver code with its own grid structure, discretization scheme, and solver libraries. This open source code module is made available for free for all noncommercial purposes. This article outlines in detail the design and the use of the spectral module. The k-distribution methods included in the module are briefly described with a discussion of their advantages, disadvantages and their domain of applicability. Examples are provided for various sample radiation calculations in multi-phase mixtures using the new spectral module and the results are compared with LBL calculations.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Survival and Injury of Listeria monocytogenes , Listeria innocua and Listeria ivanovii in Ground Pork Following Electron Beam Irradiation †.

The sensitivity of five strains of Listeria to electron beam irradiation in ground pork as well as the extent of sublethal radiation injury exhibited by each were investigated. Ground pork was inoculated with one of five strains of Listeria and irradiated with from 0 to 1.25 kGy at 0.25 kGy intervals. Listeria innocua NADC 2841 was more radiation-resistant (D 10 = 0.638 kGy) than L. monocytogenes NADC 2045 Scott A (D 10 = 0.447 kGy), L. monocytogenes NADC 2783 (a hamburger isolate) (D 10 = 0.424 kGy), L. monocytogenes ATCC 15313 (D 10 = 0.445 kGy), and L. ivanovii NADC 3518 (D 10 = 0.372 kGy), when recovered on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 0.6% yeast extract. D 10 values for L. innocua, L. ivanovii, and L. monocytogenes ATCC 15313 were lower when cells were recovered on modified Oxford medium. These three strains were susceptible to radiation-induced sublethal injury, with the numbers of injured organisms increasing with irradiation dose. The two pathogenic strains of L. monocytogenes were not injured significantly at the dose levels used. The results show that the dose range currently being considered by the Food and Drug Administration for the irradiation of beef and pork (1.5 to 4.5 kGy) is adequate for the elimination of L. monocytogenes from pork.
Framing responsibility for depression: how U.S. news media attribute causal and problem-solving responsibilities when covering a major public health problem

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes how major U.S. print and broadcast news media framed depression causal and problem-solving responsibilities at individual and societal levels over the past three decades. Results from the content analysis showed that the media placed more causal and problem-solving responsibilities on individuals than the society. However, references to societal solutions increased moderately over time. Organizational differences emerged in news attribution of responsibilities, as print media presented more individual-level causes while broadcast media focused more on solutions at both individual and societal levels. Additionally, local newspapers put more problem-solving responsibilities on individuals than national newspapers, while a cable news channel allocated more time to the discussion of overall depression responsibilities than network TV. Findings are discussed in the context of cultural orientations, organizational constraints, changing practice and trends in health news reporting, an...