cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epileptic encephalopathies due to focal or unilateral brain lesion

Abstract Epileptic encephalopathies are clinical conditions characterised by epilepsy and cognitive or motor deterioration, in which epilepsy and/or epileptiform abnormalities are considered a major cause of the regression. Several epileptic encephalopathies have been identified by the Commission for Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy. However, many other clinical conditions, for instance those due to a focal brain lesion, can be considered as an epileptic encephalopathy. Because of the severity of these diseases and their progressive course, all efforts should be made to stop seizures and/or EEG epileptiform abnormalities. Particular attention should be given to epileptic encephalopathies with an underlying focal structural brain lesion, particularly cortical malformations, as in these conditions a surgical approach could be envisaged. Surgical options for epileptic encephalopathy due to focal or unilateral brain lesions should be considered as soon as possible during the diagnostic procedure.
Revascularization alone (without mitral valve repair) suffices in patients with advanced ischemic cardiomyopathy and mild-to-moderate mitral regurgitation.

Abstract Background Whether or not to perform adjunctive mitral repair in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for advanced ischemic cardiomyopathy with moderately severe mitral regurgitation (MR) remains controversial. Methods We examine the clinical and echocardiographic outcome after isolated CABG in 49 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and 1+ to 3+ MR undergoing surgical revascularization. The patients were identified for analysis of mitral valve-related issues from a larger series of 183 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (MUGA ejection fraction ≤30%) undergoing CABG by a single surgeon from 1986 to 1996. Patient age was 66.3 years (mean, range 45 to 83 years). There were 5 women (10.2%) and 44 men (89.8%). Mean ejection fraction was 22.4% with a range of 10% to 30%. Thirty-four patients had preoperative congestive heart failure (70%) and 12 (25%) had pulmonary edema. Number of grafts was 2.8 (mean, range 1 to 5). The MR was 1+ in 18 patients (37.5%), 2+ in 26 (52%) and 3+ in 5 patients (10.5%). Results Hospital mortality was 2.0% (1 of 49 patients). Ejection fraction improved from 22.0% to 31.5% ( p p p Conclusions We conclude that, in patients with advanced ischemic cardiomyopathy and mild-to-moderate MR, isolated CABG (without mitral valve, repair) suffices, producing dramatic improvement in ejection fraction, in congestive heart failure, and in degree of MR, with excellent (relative) long-term survival. The improvement in MR likely results from improved left ventricular function and size consequent upon revascularization.
Resistance to Decentralization under Medvedev and Putin

How political systems divide functions between levels of government is universally a subject of political struggle, with important implications for democracy, inequality, economic efficiency, and conflict resolution. Russia under Vladimir Putin has shifted from an anarchic proto-federalism in the 1990s to a highly centralized state. Over time, the negative consequences of over-centralization have generated pressures from regional leaders and other political actors to “re-decentralize.” This article, using Russian government documents, transcripts of meetings between officials, and press materials, examines this process in the period from 2008 (when Putin temporarily gave up the presidency to Dmitrii Medvedev) through December 2013 (a year and a half after Putin returned for his third term as president). It finds that decentralization has been successfully resisted by the entrenched interests that grew stronger as a result of Putin’s early centralizing efforts. Putin’s political system has ceded to ministries de facto veto power, and this has determined political outcomes. As an alternative to genuine decentralization to regions or cities, the Kremlin has sought a solution in what could be called “decentralization substitutes.” First, the new North Caucasus Federal District attempts to avoid decentralization to republic leaders by empowering Aleksandr Khloponin to coordinate development policies as both deputy prime minister and presidential representative. Second, the newly created Far East Development Ministry, based in Khabarovsk and initially headed by Viktor Ishaev, placed some responsibility for planning on Ishaev, who served simultaneously as government minister and presidential representative in the Far East Federal District. Third, state-run companies and corporations were increasingly viewed as the most effective mechanism for distributing budgetary resources and overseeing investment programs in the regions. Special corporations have ’been created ’both for the North Caucasus and the Far East regions. There is little evidence that these decentralization substitutes will produce the desired results, but they are more consistent with the precepts of the Putin era than would be a real shift of power to governors and regions.
Heat and entropy of fusion of isotactic polypropylene

Heats and entropies of fusion of polymers are customarily evaluated through melting point depression measurements with the assumption that the observed and thermodynamic melting points are nearly identical. However, it has recently become evident that the crystal surface free energy is not negligible, so that apparent melting points measured dilatometrically or calorimetrically are low by perhaps 5–15°C. the status of the accumulated body of thermodynamic data is rendered still more uncertain by the possibility that the surface free energy may vary in a systematic manner with diluent concentration. To investigate this question, dilatometric data were obtained by two procedures for tetralin solutions of isotactic polypropylene. The first set of measurements was performed upon samples which had been slowly cooled from the melt, while in the second procedure the apparent melting point was measured as a function of the isothermal crystallization temperature. Extrapolation of the latter data gave tM° = 186 ± 2°C., a value of 12°C. higher than the apparent melting temperature observed according to the first procedure; however, the heats of fusion obtained by the two methods agreed to within the experimental error. A possible explanation for this behavior may be offered by the observations that both the parameter β of Hoffman and Weeks, and the ratio of the temperature of maximum crystallization rate to the melting temperature, are independent of diluent concentration over the range investigated. This suggests that the addition of diluent does not affect the distribution of fold lengths. If this behavior proves to be general, dilatometric heats of fusion will be reinstated as valid thermodynamic data for polymers.
Acoustic boundary control method for interior sound suppression

Suppressing interior sound radiation in helicopters, fixed- wing aircraft and land vehicles is a very important problem. It has been studied quite extensively in the past few decades. There are two mainstream methods for this problem: active noise cancellation (ANC) using loudspeakers and sound radiation reduction via structural controls (often called active structural acoustic control or ASAC). An ANC system often requires an impractically high dimensionality to achieve the level of global noise reduction in a three dimensional volume that ASAC systems with a relatively low dimensionality are capable of, while actuators for structural control systems are power intensive and less reliable. This paper presents an acoustic boundary control method that may reserve the advantages of both ANC and ASAC. Numerical simulation results of interior noise control are presented to demonstrate the ability of the acoustic boundary control to cancel sound fields due to different primary sources. A discussion is also presented on the spatial characteristics of the acoustic boundary control as a function of frequency. An interesting phenomenon is discovered that may have significant implications to the actuator grouping studies.
Crosslinking of proteins to ribosomal RNA in HeLa cell polysomes by sodium periodate.

Abstract HeLa cell polysomes were oxidized with sodium periodate and reduced with sodium borohydride to induce covalent crosslinks between ribosomal RNA and nearby proteins. We proved that RNA was tryly crosslinked to protein in oxidized, and not in control, samples using denaturing cesium trichloroacetate density gradients and phenol extraction. By both one- and two-dimensional gel analysis, we found that protein S3a can be crosslinked to 18S RNA, protein L3 to 28S RNA, and proteins L7′ and L23′ to 5.8S RNA. Because of the specificity of the periodate reaction, and since we were able to crosslink protein S1 to 16S RNA in Escherichia , coli 30S ribosomal subunits, it is likely that we have crosslinked proteins to the 3′OH ends of HeLa polysomal RNAs.
Different temporal behavior for the forward- and backward-circulating radiation within a microdroplet.

Spatially resolved nonlinear scattering of a train of picosecond pulses from ethanol microdroplets is investigated. Different time behavior is observed for light with the same and the opposite sense of circulation as the input-coupled light. The forward-circulating light exhibits a smooth, delayed pulse-to-pulse growth, attributed to increased input coupling with time induced by the laser pulses. The backward-circulating light has an irregular time behavior, attributed to near-backward stimulated Brillouin scattering. Increased scattering as a result of CO2 (compared with He) dissolved gas is demonstrated by an intensity decrease of the spatially precessed radiation on a cavity resonance.
Experiment Study on Bolts Foundation of Large-Jointed Rock Mass in Transmission Lines

Large-jointed rock mass is the main geological condition of transmission lines of Qingyuan Regions in Guangdong Province. The bolt foundations haven’t be studied and applied in this geological condition. Static load tests of 15 single-bolt foundations and 8 group-bolt foundations were carried out. Experiment study shows that the mechanical characteristics of bolt foundation are suitable for transmission lines in large-jointed rock mass. The design parameters of anchor bar in large-jointed rock mass are derived from the measured data:τa>2359kPa, τb>618kPa, τc>42kPa.
Enhanced glycolytic metabolism is associated with exhaustion and poor antitumor efficacy in a xenograft model of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy for sarcoma

Meeting abstracts Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) provide a promising new approach for generating T cell populations for the adoptive immunotherapy of cancer. CAR T cell (CART) therapies demonstrate activity against leukemias in preclinical and clinical studies, but CART targeting solid tumors
Carcinoma of the colon in asbestos-exposed workers: analysis of asbestos content in colon tissue.

Epidemiological studies have indicated an increased incidence of carcinoma of the colon in asbestos workers. The present study evaluated the colon tissue asbestos burden, by light and electron microscopic analytic techniques, in patients with a history of occupational asbestos exposure and colon cancer. Asbestos fibers and/or asbestos bodies were present in colon tissue from 14 of 44 (31.8%) asbestos workers with colon carcinoma (range 142,199 to 15,231, 543 fibers/g/wet weight, mean 2,517,823). Chrysotile was identified in 9 patients and amosite in 3 patients. Both amosite and chrysotile were found in the colonic wall in one individual. Other forms of asbestos (e.g., crocidolite, tremolite, or anthophyllite) were not found. Asbestos fibers and asbestos bodies were not found in colon tissue from 20 control patients (colon carcinoma and no asbestos exposure). Asbestos fibers frequently enter and reside in the wall of the colon and are often intimately associated with tumor tissue at the site of colon carcinoma in workers with asbestos exposure and colon carcinoma.
Irritative and Systemic Symptoms following Exposure to Microban Disinfectant through a School Ventilation System

Microban, a pesticide not registered in California, was sprayed into an operating heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) unit at an elementary school in San Francisco, California. This incident occurred on Monday, September 28, 1992, while 396 students and 67 staff members were in the school. The Microban formulation used contains ortho-phenylphenol (0.21%), a quaternary ammonium complex (di-isobutylphenoxy-ethoxy-ethyldimethylbenzyl-ammonium chloride, 0.69%), and bromine (0.04%). This study of the health effects of Microban mist exposure on the school staff was conducted as a result of legal and toxicological concerns. California registration for this formulation had been denied because of inadequate data and because there were concerns about inhalation toxicity in test animals. Predicted health effects from short-duration exposure to Microban are primarily skin and mucous membrane irritation. A self-administered health symptom questionnaire that covered the work week following the evacuation was used to determine a pattern of higher symptom risks for those who were at work on Monday and who reported that they felt they were exposed to a chemical. Symptoms, which were generally consistent with exposure to an irritating chemical, were elevated on Monday and Tuesday; the symptoms normalized by the end of the work week. No additional health effects were detected following application of chlorpyrifos to cracks and crevices for ant control 2 d following the Microban incident. Strict supervision and coordination of pesticide use in public schools are recommended to prevent adverse health effects and emotional trauma in students and staff.
A Teacher Educator Writes and Shares: Student Perceptions of a Publicly Literate Life

A literature review reveals limited information regarding the modeling of authentic writing practices by teacher educators for their students. This study examines the effect of the author's modeling processes as evidenced by education students' assessments of his courses. The author analyzed data using a grounded approach to document their perceptions of the benefits of his in-class writing and sharing of literacy work. Responses revealed perceptions of five primary benefits, underscoring both academic and affective components. Perceived academic benefits included the learning of skills, strategies, and methods that influence a teacher's ability to address intellectual or technical aspects of classroom life. Perceived affective benefits included the enhancement of student motivation and the creation of a respectful, caring, and trustworthy learning community. Together, responses appeared to set the stage for the establishment of a more complex, multifaceted classroom discourse.
Laboratory Observations of Wave-Induced Radial Transport within an "Artificial Radiation Belt"

Wave-induced radial transport of energetic electrons has been observed in a laboratory terrella. In the experiment, electron-cyclotron-resonance heating (ECRH) is used to create a localized population of trapped energetic electrons (1 keV < E h < 50 keV) within a low-density discharge which we refer to as an artificial radiation belt. As the.intensity of the radiation belt increases, quasiperiodic bursts of drift-resonant fluctuations, ω ≃ ω dh , are excited. The frequency spectrum of this instability is time-varying and complex, and global chaotic radial transport is induced whenever the frequency spectrum is both intense and compact. High-speed measurements of the energetic electron transport are made with particle detectors, and these measurements can be directly compared with nonlinear and self-consistent simulations. We find quasilinear transport simulations do not reproduce the experimental measurements. In contrast, simulations which retain the electron's guiding-center Hamiltonian dynamics and which preserve the first, μ, and second, J, adiabatic invariants reproduce key temporal characteristics of the experimental measurements. The resemblance between simulation and experiment suggests that persistent phase-space structures strongly modulate the energetic electron transport and contribute to the growth and saturation of the instability.
Varieties of design

Abstract Many human activities have the identifying characteristics of design. Taken as a whole they are an aggregation, having some similarity to the aggregation called science, in which ‘new thoughts’ are an essential element.
RELATIVE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF FAST NEUTRONS, GAMMA RAYS, X-RAYS ON GRASSHOPPER NYMPH OVARIOLES. (MELANOPLUS DIFFERENTIALIS)

SummaryIn order to destroy every egg in each grasshopper ovariole, with the exception of the most advanced, it was necessary to irradiate the total body with 350 r (200 kv) x-rays, 420 r Co60 gamma rays, or 22.5 rep of fast neutrons. Thus, the relative biological effectiveness of Co60 gamma rays: 200 kv x-rays: fast neutrons, for this specific effect, is 1.0: 1.2: 19. This is correlated with relative specific ionization and linear energy transfer. It is suggested that damage to the grasshopper ovariole could be used as a biological dosimeter for fast neutron doses in the range 10-50 rep.
Mitotic figures in sweat gland adenomas

Mitotic rates (mitotic figures per 10 400X fields) were determined for 115 sweat gland adenomas. The observations were also combined for all lesions within each category of adenoma. The combined mitotic rates of spiradenoma, cylindroma, syringoma, and chondroid syringoma were each less than 1.0. Individual lesions within these categories often lacked mitotic figures. With the exception of 1 chondroid syringoma, none of the individual lesions within these groups had mitotic rates exceeding 2.0. The combined mitotic rates of acrospiroma and hidradenoma papilliferum were 1.6 and 1.52, respectively. Twenty-five percent of the acrospiromas had mitotic rates exceeding 2.0 (maximum 7.5). Mitotic figures were concentrated in specific cell populations, particularly in acrospiromas and chondroid syringomas. The potential for cell division appeared to be reduced or lost in areas of increased cytologic or structural differentiation. A review of the literature indicates that there can be overlap between the mitotic rates of sweat gland adenomas and those of carcinomas.
Peptides Derived from the C2 Domain of Protein Kinase Cϵ (ϵPKC) Modulate ϵPKC Activity and Identify Potential Protein-Protein Interaction Surfaces

Peptides derived from protein kinase C (PKC) modulate its activity by interfering with critical protein-protein interactions within PKC and between PKC and PKC-binding proteins (Souroujon, M. C., and Mochly-Rosen, D. (1998) Nat. Biotechnol. 16, 919-924). We previously demonstrated that the C2 domain of PKC plays a critical role in these interactions. By focusing on ϵPKC and using a rational approach, we then identified one C2-derived peptide that acts as an isozyme-selective activator and another that acts as a selective inhibitor of ϵPKC. These peptides were used to identify the role of ϵPKC in protection from cardiac and brain ischemic damage, in prevention of complications from diabetes, in reducing pain, and in protecting transplanted hearts. The efficacy of these two peptides led us to search for additional C2-derived peptides with PKC-modulating activities. Here we report on the activity of a series of 5-9-residue peptides that are derived from regions that span the length of the C2 domain of ϵPKC. These peptides were tested for their effect on PKC activity in cells in vivo and in an ex vivo model of acute ischemic heart disease. Most of the peptides acted as activators of PKC, and a few peptides acted as inhibitors. PKC-dependent myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate phosphorylation in ϵPKC knock-out cells revealed that only a subset of the peptides were selective for ϵPKC over other PKC isozymes. These ϵPKC-selective peptides were also protective of the myocardium from ischemic injury, an ϵPKC-dependent function (Liu, G. S., Cohen, M. V., Mochly-Rosen, D., and Downey, J. M. (1999) J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 31, 1937-1948), and caused selective translocation of ϵPKC over other isozymes when injected systemically into mice. Examination of the structure of the C2 domain from ϵPKC revealed that peptides with similar activities clustered into discrete regions within the domain. We propose that these regions represent surfaces of protein-protein interactions within ϵPKC and/or between ϵPKC and other partner proteins; some of these interactions are unique to ϵPKC, and others are common to other PKC isozymes.
Seasonal incidence and cause of blackleg and a stem soft rot of potatoes in Oregon.

Blackleg of potatoes in a center pivot irrigated circle of Kennebec potatoes in Oregon’s Columbia Basin was caused by eitherErwinia carotovora var.atroseptica (Eca) orE. carotovora var.carotovora (Ecc). Eca was recovered only early in the growing season whereasEcc was associated with blackleg symptoms later in the season.
β-Glucuronidase activity in seedlings of the parasitic angiosperm Cusctua pentagona: developmental impact of the β-glucuronidase inhibitor saccharic acid 1,4-lactone

Endogenous plant β-glucuronidase (β-GUS) activity was detected in germinating seeds, seedlings, stems, flowers and haustoria of the parasitic angiosperm Cuscuta pentagona Engelm. In vitro characterisation of this activity showed it to have an acidic pH optimum, similar to previously characterised plant activities, and a sensitivity to the β-GUS inhibitor saccharic acid 1,4-lactone (SAL). Application of SAL to seeds immediately after chemical scarification resulted in a significant developmental delay and, frequently, in the total arrest of seedling growth. In contrast, application of SAL subsequent to the emergence of the radicle did not produce a significant effect on the development of the seedling. Thus, the distribution of activity and the developmentally contingent potency of SAL in inhibiting growth suggest a role for β-GUS at an early stage of seed germination or seedling growth. Further, the inability of the inhibitor to prevent subsequent shoot elongation suggests that at least some plant growth processes do not require this activity, or that it is required only at minimal levels and is unaffected by the application of SAL.
Iodinated amino acid chromatography on polystyrene resins.

Abstract The iodinated amino acids have been separated by elution analysis on ion exchange columns of Dowex 50 × 4 using an automated procedure which presents the radioactivity and iodide determinations on the effluent on a recorder chart. The iodinated amino acids are eluted using ammonium formate buffers containing 30% ethanol. The method is applicable to samples containing iodinated amino acids of concentrations as found in human plasma without carrier and quantitative recovery of I 131 has been achieved.
A new characteristic subgroup of a p-stable group

Abstract We define a new non-identity characteristic subgroup, D ⁎ ( S ) , of a finite p-group S, and prove that D ⁎ ( S ) is characteristic in a significant family of p-stable finite groups G having S as a Sylow p-subgroup. This result is analogous to an earlier result about Z J ( S ) by the first author and has a very short proof.
Parental perceptions of the burden of genetic disease.

Parents who are carriers of genes that code for genetic disease face a complex decision regarding procreation. To investigate how parents perceive the potential effects of having a child with congenital defects and how such perceptions influence their reproductive decisions, 202 women accepting and 50 women rejecting amniocentesis after genetic counseling were followed in a 3-year longitudinal study. Using multiple correspondence analysis, we found that perceived burdens associated with hypothetical congenital abnormalities leading to prolonged illness or early death were considered the most serious, those related to physical handicap or facial abnormalities were perceived as least serious, while genetic defects causing mental retardation fell between. The parents were increasingly likely to accept amniocentesis the more they felt they would be unable to cope with the consequences of a genetic disease leading to prolonged illness or mental retardation (R = .23). Overall, the women who accepted amniocentesis were those who perceived the consequences of congenital malformation as most burdensome. The findings suggest that genetic counselors should not only explore parents' attitudes about specific congenital abnormalities, but also their perceptions of how they would cope with the medical and social consequences of the various genetic defects.
Sexual Partnering and HIV Risk among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men: New York City

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected with HIV in the US. Limited event-specific data have been reported in Black MSM to help understand factors associated with increased risk of infection. Cross-sectional National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Study data from 503 MSM who reported ≥1 male sexual partner in the past year in New York City (NYC) were analyzed. Case-crossover analysis compared last protected and last unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). A total of 503 MSM were enrolled. Among 349 tested for HIV, 18% were positive. Black MSM (N = 117) were more likely to test HIV positive and not know their HIV-positive status than other racial/ethnic groups. Case-crossover analysis of 208 MSM found that men were more likely to engage in protected anal intercourse with a first time partner and with a partner of unknown HIV status. Although Black MSM were more likely to have Black male partners, they were not more likely to have UAI with those partners or to have a partner aged >40 years. In conclusion, HIV prevalence was high among Black MSM in NYC, as was lack of awareness of HIV-positive status. Having a sexual partner of same race/ethnicity or older age was not associated with having UAI among Black MSM.
A Lidar Technology Experiment From Space Shuttle: Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE)

Plans to conduct a technology experiment with a Shuttle-based lidar instrument are described. The design of the Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE) is presented, including performance goals for the laser transmitter, telescope, optical receiver, and associated electronics. Experimental results from space flight of the LITE instrument are used to define performance criteria and designs for future atmospheric sounding experiments planned for the Space Station, Earth Observing System platform, and for more complex scientific lidar experiments.
Taxing America: Wilbur D. Mills, Congress, and the State, 1945-1975

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Part I. Learning the Ways and Means: 2. An Arkansas traveler comes to Washington 3. 'Where is the money coming from?' 4. 'Taxation of whom and for what?' 5. The legislative mills, 1958-61 6. The postwar fiscal discourse Part II. The Politics of Policy: 7. The road to tax reduction 8. Bringing Medicare into the State 9. The war on inflation 10. Spending through taxes 11. Expanding social security: inflation and social insurance, 1969-70 Part III. Conclusion: 12. Looking backward and forward.
The impact of philosophy on students' critical thinking ability

Abstract College students enrolled in various kinds of philosophy courses and in a nonphilosophy control group were tested at the beginning and end of the term with different forms of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal in order to determine the effect of course content on growth in critical thinking. It was found that Logic had a consistent impact on certain aspects of critical thinking, while other philosophy courses when compared to the control group did not have this consistent effect. It was also found that student sex interacts with number of previous philosophy courses for at least one aspect of critical thinking, with females scoring lower than males when both have no previous courses in philosophy and higher than males when both sexes have had previous philosophy courses. Implications of these findings for increasing the growth of critical thinking in other disciplines are discussed.
Sepsis and Septic Shock: Selection of Empiric Antimicrobial Therapy

This article is a brief overview of empiric antibiotic selection for sepsis and septic shock. The article includes a differential diagnosis of the mimics of sepsis and stresses a strategy for avoiding problems associated with antibiotic resistance. Although early appropriate empiric therapy is the cornerstone of sepsis and septic shock therapy, nonantibiotic interventions are critical as well. In patients with septic shock, adequate and effective early volume replacement is essential. Early surgical intervention is critical in controlling and eliminating the septic focus if sepsis is related to perforation of a viscus (eg, the colon); obstruction of the biliary, gastrointestinal, or urinary tract; or presence of an abscess that requires drainage. If device-related infection is the cause of sepsis, device removal is essential. Empiric monotherapy for sepsis and septic shock is preferred. Multiple-drug therapy is more expensive, has an increased potential for drug–drug interactions, has a higher likelihood of side effects, and does not decrease the resistance potential of the antibiotics being used. For these reasons, early empiric monotherapy is optimal and de-escalation is not necessary if initial mono therapy was wisely selected.
Gradient ion chromatography of inositol phosphates

Inositol phosphates including phytic acid were separated in 30 min by gradient ion chromatography with postcolumn derivatization. All four pentakisphosphates were resolved, while four tetrakisphosphate peaks were detected. The limits of detection for all polyphosphates, including tris- and bisphosphates, were between 1 and 2 nmol. The method was used to compare nonenzymatic dephosphorylation of inositol hexakisphosphate at pH 4.0 versus pH 10.8. The only pentakisphosphate detected in calf brains was identified as myo-inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate. The major pentakisphosphate in raw soybean seeds was myo-inositol 1,2,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate of unknown enantiomeric composition, while lesser amounts of myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5-pentakisphosphate of unknown enantiomeric composition, myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,6-pentakisphosphate, and myo-inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate were also present.
Apprehension of Thought in Ennead 4.3.30

Plotinus maintains that our intellect is always thinking. This is due to his view that our intellect remains in the intelligible world and shares a natural kinship with the hypostasis Intellect, whose being and activity consists in eternal contemplation of the Forms. Moreover, Plotinus maintains that although our intellect is always thinking we do not always apprehend our thoughts. This is due to his view that “we” descend into the sensible world while our intellect remains in the intelligible world. Furthermore, Plotinus maintains that it is only when logoi unfold the content of our thoughts into the imagination that we apprehend them. This is due to a complex account between, on the one hand, the relationship between intellect and discursive reasoning, and on the other hand, the relationship between discursive reasoning and language. Plotinus tells this story with remarkable brevity in Ennead 4.3.30. In this paper I explain the role the imagination plays in the apprehension of thoughts through a close analysis of this treatise in connection with Ennead 1.4.10.
Alveolar progenitor cells develop in mouse mammary glands independent of pregnancy and lactation

We have previously described pluripotent, parity-induced mammary epithelial cells (PI-MEC) marked by Rosa26-lacZ expression in the mammary glands of parous females. PI-MEC act as lobule-limited epithelial stem/progenitor cells. To determine whether parity is necessary to generate PI-MEC, we incubated mammary explant cultures from virgin mice in vitro with insulin alone (I), hydrocortisone alone (H), prolactin alone (Prl), or a combination of these lactogenic hormones (IHPrl). Insulin alone activated the WAP-Cre gene. Hydrocortisone and prolactin alone did not. Any combination of hormones that included insulin was effective. Only I, H and Prl together were able to induce secretory differentiation and milk protein synthesis. In addition, EGF, IGF-2 and IGF-1 added individually produced activated (lacZ(+)) PI-MEC in explant cultures. Neither estrogen nor progesterone induced WAP-Cre expression in the explants. None of these positive initiators of WAP-Cre expression in PI-MEC were effective in mammospheres or two-dimensional cultures of mammary epithelium, indicating the indispensability of epithelial-stromal interaction in PI-MEC activation. Like PI-MEC, lacZ(+) cells from virgin explants proliferated and contributed progeny to mammospheres in vitro and to epithelial outgrowths in vivo after transplantation. LacZ(+) cells induced in virgin mouse mammary explants were multipotent (like PI-MEC) in impregnated hosts producing lacZ(+) mammary alveolar structures comprised of both myoepithelial and luminal progeny. These data demonstrate PI-MEC, a mammary epithelial sub-population of lobule-limited progenitor cells, are present in nulliparous female mice before parity and, like the PI-MEC observed following parity, are capable of proliferation, self-renewal and the capacity to produce progeny of diverse epithelial cell fates.
Institutional disparities in the pricing of adjustable rate mortgage loans

In recent years, commercial banks and savings and loan associations in South Florida have consistently offered initial adjustment period “teasers,” or subsidies, on their adjustable rate mortgage loans (ARMs). This study adopts the size of the initial subsidy as a proxy for a lender's willingness to offer ARM loans and develops an econometric model which relates the size of the teaser to a series of internal variables (other lending parameters), and external variables (financial market conditions).
Studies on inhibition of neutrophil cathepsin G by alpha 1-antichymotrypsin.

α1-Antichymotrypsin, a member of the serpin family of serine proteinase inhibitors, has been reported to inhibit chymotrypsin by a modified version of the suicide substrate reaction mechanism operative for other serpins. To investigate if this mechanism is also applicable to the inhibition of cathepsin G by this serpin, the effect of temperature on the reaction between cathepsin G andα1-antichymotrypsin has been examined by SDS-PAGE and stoichiometric titrations. At 0° C, a cathepsin G-α1-antichymotrypsin complex of Mr 89,250 is formed which, at 38° C, was cleaved by free enzyme to give a stable complex of Mr 80,250. The reaction stoichiometry at 0°C was 1.53, which decreased to 1.30 at 38°C, consistent with an decrease in the substrate pathway. These data are compatible with the modified suicide substrate reaction scheme. The formation of three products (cleaved inhibitor and two forms of complex) from the reaction and the potential for differential product formation suggests that modulation of the suicide substrate mechanism may play a role in the regulation of inflammatory processes mediated by cathepsin G.
Oceanography and hydrology: monthly averages of surface currents along the coast of central California computed from temperatures

Let R equal the rate at which solar radiation penetrates the surface of the sea, and b equal its absorption-coefficient, which is an average value pertaining to the total energy of radiation. Then if the rate of loss of heat due to evaporation, conduction, convection, and back radiation from the surface is proportional to the surface-temperature 8, the constant being k, the following fundamental differential equation of temperature can readily be derived: dθ/dt = + Rbe −by/σ ‐ kθ (1) where t = time and σ = specific heat = approximately 1, and y = the depth.
Large Phymatoderma in pliocene slope deposits, northwestern Ecuador: Associated ichnofauna, fabrication, and behavioral ecology

Phytnatoderma is a complex, branching biogenic structure that is seldom mentioned in the ichnologic literature, although it may have been misidentified recently as “Zonarites” and large pellet‐filled “Chondrites”. The ichnogenus is usually interpreted as the product of subsurface deposit‐feeding animals. Well‐preserved examples from Pliocene slope mudstone in Ecuador are assignable to P. granulatum (Schlotheim, 1822). These structures are typically 30–40 cm in overall diameter; consist of outward‐branching, horizontal to subhorizontal, overlapping tunnels grouped in bundles; and have tunnel fills consisting of pelleted volcanic ash. The Ecuadorian Phymatoderma occur with a moderately rich ichnoassemblage that includes Alcyonidiopsis ichnosp., Chondrites intricatus, several kinds of Phycodes‐like structures, Phycosiphon incertum, Planolites ichnosp., Rorschachichnus amoeba, Scolicia ichnosp., Taenidium barretti, and Zoophycos ichnosp. Benthic foraminiferids and geologic context point to deposition on the u...
Tools for Direct Observation and Assessment of Clinical Skills of Medical Trainees: A Systematic Review

Context Direct observation of medical trainees with actual patients is important for performance-based clinical skills assessment. Multiple tools for direct observation are available, but their characteristics and outcomes have not been compared systematically. Objectives To identify observation tools used to assess medical trainees' clinical skills with actual patients and to summarize the evidence of their validity and outcomes. Data Sources Electronic literature search of PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL, and Web of Science for English-language articles published between 1965 and March 2009 and review of references from article bibliographies. Study Selection Included studies described a tool designed for direct observation of medical trainees' clinical skills with actual patients by educational supervisors. Tools used only in simulated settings or assessing surgical/procedural skills were excluded. Of 10 672 citations, 199 articles were reviewed and 85 met inclusion criteria. Data Extraction Two authors independently abstracted studies using a modified Best Evidence Medical Education coding form to inform judgment of key psychometric characteristics. Differences were reconciled by consensus. Results A total of 55 tools were identified. Twenty-one tools were studied with students and 32 with residents or fellows. Two were used across the educational continuum. Most (n = 32) were developed for formative assessment. Rater training was described for 26 tools. Only 11 tools had validity evidence based on internal structure and relationship to other variables. Trainee or observer attitudes about the tool were the most commonly measured outcomes. Self-assessed changes in trainee knowledge, skills, or attitudes (n = 9) or objectively measured change in knowledge or skills (n = 5) were infrequently reported. The strongest validity evidence has been established for the Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX). Conclusion Although many tools are available for the direct observation of clinical skills, validity evidence and description of educational outcomes are scarce.
Diabetes trials: is an ounce of prevention enough?

A review of recently registered interventional trials in diabetes has found that only 10% of such trials have a preventive, rather than therapeutic, purpose [1]. Will this adequately address our ne...
Principle and experimental verification of compensation calorimetry

Abstract A new principle of calorimetry, i.e., the principle of compensation calorimetry, is proposed on the basis of modem electronic technology and computer science: its main points are introduced. A prototype of a “digital compensation calorimeter” has been designed and built following the new principle. Elementary verification of the new principle has been obtained through experiments for calibration of the prototype's “pulse energy equivalent” and for the measurement of stirring heat.
Bone Mineral Density and Blood Flow to the Lower Extremities: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures

This study tests the hypothesis that reduced blood flow to the lower extremities may affect bone remodeling, resulting in a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD). BMD was measured in the axial and appendicular skeleton of 1292 elderly women (mean age, 71 years) enrolled in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. The ratio of the posterior tibial and brachial systolic blood pressures, the ankle/arm index, was used as a measure of blood flow to the legs. In the cross-sectional analysis, this index was positively correlated with BMD at the radius, calcaneus, and hip, but not at the spine. A decrease in the index of 2 standard deviations (SD) (as might occur in patients with moderate arterial disease) was associated with a decrease of 3.7% (95% CI, 1.7%, 5.8%) in hip BMD. The effect size at the hip decreased from 3.7 to 1.8% (and was not statistically significant) when adjustment was made for smoking and/or body mass index (BMI). In the prospective analysis, the rate of bone loss at the hip and calcaneus was greater (p < 0.05) among women whose annual decrease in ankle/arm index was more than 1 SD greater than the mean decrease. This increase was independent of estrogen use, smoking, BMI, pattern of fat distribution, history of diabetes, exercise, and ability to walk. The results from this prospective community-based study provide the first evidence that among relatively healthy older women decreased vascular flow in the lower extremities may be associated with an increased rate of bone loss at the hip and calcaneus.
Sensitive quantitation of reboxetine enantiomers in rat plasma and brain, using an optimised reverse phase chiral LC-MS/MS method.

Abstract A sensitive liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) method has been developed for stereoselective determination of reboxetine in rat plasma and brain homogenate (LLOQ, 50 pg/ml). The method optimised ionisation efficiency with an electro-ionspray source, by adjusting the composite flow conditions (rate, pH, organic content) from column eluent and post-column organic modifier. LC conditions utilized a chiral AGP column (5 μm) with 12.5 mM ammonium carbonate buffer adjusted with formic acid (pH 6.7) and included a wash step (0.05% acetic acid in water) to maintain assay robustness and chromatographic performance. The total method cycle time was 23 min. Imprecision (R.S.D.) was below 10% and inaccuracy (% error) below 7% for both enantiomers in plasma and brain homogenate, over a 2000-fold dynamic range (0.05–100 ng/ml). An automated liquid–liquid extraction technique was used (borate buffer, pH 10/ tert -butyl methyl ether) and the matrix type used produced no difference in the assay performance. The method was successfully applied to determine the pharmacokinetic profiles of S,S- and R,R-reboxetine in rats, following subcutaneous administration of racemate drug.
Impact of metabolic genotypes on levels of biomarkers of genotoxic exposure.

Phase I and Phase II xenobiotic-metabolising enzyme families are involved in the metabolic activation and detoxification of various classes of environmental carcinogens. Particular genetic polymorphisms of these enzymes have been shown to influence individual cancer risk. A brief overview is presented about recent research of the relationship between metabolic genotypes and internal dose, biologically effective dose and cytogenetic effects of complex and specific genotoxic exposures of human study populations, and we report our new results from two molecular epidemiological studies. We investigated the effects of multiple interactions among CYP1A1 Ile462Val, CYP1A1 MspI, CYP1B1 Leu432Val, CYP2C9 Arg144Cys, CYP2C9 Ile359Leu, NQO1 Pro189Ser, GSTMI gene deletion and GSTP 1 Ile105Val genotypes on the levels of carcinogen-DNA adducts determined by 32 P-postlabelling and PAH-DNA immunoassay in peripheral blood lymphocytes from workers occupationally exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aluminium plants, and in bronchial tissue from smoking lung patients. A statistically significant positive linear correlation was observed between white blood cell aromatic DNA adduct and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPY) levels from potroom workers with GSTMI null genotype (P = 0.011. Our results suggest interactions between GSTMI and GSTP1 alleles in modulation of urinary 1-OHPY levels and white blood cell DNA adduct levels in the PAH-exposed workers. Interactions between GSTMI and GSTPI alleles, in association with particular genotype combinations of CYPs, were also recognised in bronchial aromatic DNA adduct levels of smoking lung patients. The impact of single metabolic genotypes and their combinations on biomarkers of exposure was usually weak, if any, in both our studies and reports of the literature. The effect of special metabolic gene interactions may he better recognised if the compared groups of individuals are stratified for multiple potential modulators of the observable biomarker end-point, and/or if chemical structure-specific biomarker methods are applied.
Chapter 10: Guidelines for the Effective Use of Humor in Children's Educational Television Programs

Summary Teaching via television is contrasted with classroom teaching, and the unique objectives to be served by educational television programs for children are elaborated. Pertinent research findings are reviewed concerning (a) the attraction of audiences in a competitive media environment, (b) post-choice attention to educational programs, (c) acquisition of educational information from these programs, and (d) the viewing experience in hedonic terms. Strategies for the effective utilization of humor as both an audience attractant and a facilitator of information acquisition are suggested. Optimal patterns for the interspersion of humor in educational programs are detailed. The risks associated with the use of reality-distorting humor, such as irony, are discussed. Finally, the implications of using ridicule as a behavior corrective are considered.
Increased Expression of the Insulin-like Growth Factor-II Gene in Wilms' Tumor Is Not Dependent on Loss of Genomic Imprinting or Loss of Heterozygosity

Loss of imprinting of insulin-like growth factor-II gene (IGF2) and/or loss of heterozygosity at the 11p15 loci have been postulated to be responsible for IGF2 overexpression in Wilms' tumor. In order to delineate the mechanism of IGF2 overexpression in Wilms' tumors, we have genotyped the 11p15-11p13 chromosomal region and determined allelic expression of IGF2 and H19 in both tumor tissue and in normal adjacent kidney tissue from 40 patients with Wilms' tumor. In five of the eight subjects informative for the ApaI IGF2 polymorphism, loss of imprinting of IGF2 was observed in both normal and tumor tissues. A significant increase (>5-fold) in IGF2 expression in tumor tissues compared to the normal adjacent kidney tissue was observed regardless of the IGF2 imprinting or the chromosome 11p15 heterozygosity status. In each case, the overexpression of IGF2 in the tumors was accompanied by activation of all four IGF2 promoters. Our data indicate that alterations of IGF2 imprinting occurred in normal adjacent kidney tissue before tumorigenesis and that the IGF2 overexpression in Wilms' tumor tissue occurs through a loss of heterozygosity- or loss of imprinting-independent process.