cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanisms of isoniazid resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Isoniazid is one of the most important first-line drugs of anti-tuberculosis strategy. In the past 50 years, isoniazid played a very important role in anti-tuberculosis treatment. However, with the emergence of isoniazid-resistant Myeobacterium tuberculosis, the efficacy is decreasing. Herein, this article discusses the mechanism of isoniazid action against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and reviews the molecular mechanism of isoniazid resistance in Myeobacterium tuberculosis. Key words: Isoniazid; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Drug-resistant
COVID-19 Fatigue: Not So Fast.

![Figure][1] With over 5 million cases of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection since the outbreak in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, we have been focused as health care providers in leadership on the acute manifestations of the illness, and preparing our health systems for a rapid
Therapeutic Efficacy of Cannabidiol (CBD): A Review of the Evidence from Clinical Trials and Human Laboratory Studies.

Global policy changes have increased access to products containing cannabidiol (CBD), a primary constituent of hemp and cannabis. The CBD product industry has experienced tremendous growth, in part, because CBD is widely touted as an effective therapeutic for myriad health conditions. However, only 1 CBD product (Epidiolex®) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to date. There is substantial interest among consumers and the medical and scientific communities regarding the therapeutic potential of CBD, including for indications that are not recognized by the FDA. The purpose of this review was to synthesize available evidence from clinical research regarding the efficacy of CBD as a therapeutic. Human laboratory studies and clinical trials (e.g., randomized controlled trials and single-arm, open-label trials) evaluating the efficacy of CBD as a therapeutic were identified for various medical conditions, including epilepsy, anxiety, pain/inflammation, schizophrenia, various substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others. There is clear evidence supporting the utility of CBD to treat epilepsy. For other health conditions reviewed, evidence was often mixed and/or there was a general lack of well-powered randomized, placebo-controlled studies to draw definitive conclusions. Rigorous, controlled evidence for the therapeutic efficacy of CBD is lacking for many health conditions. Possible concerns with the use of CBD as a therapeutic include the potential for adverse effects (e.g., liver toxicity), drug-drug interactions, and lack of sufficient regulatory oversight of retail CBD products.
Lesion Sequence and Catheter Spatial Stability Affect Lesion Quality Markers in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

Abstract Objectives This study sought to analyze high-frequency catheter excursion in relation to lesion quality markers in 20 consecutive patients undergoing first-time radiofrequency (RF) ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Background Ablation therapy for AF requires the delivery of durable lesions. The extent to which lesion sequence, catheter spatial stability, and anatomic location influence lesion formation during RF ablation of AF is not well understood. Methods Three-dimensional spatial excursion of the ablation catheter sampled at 60 Hz during pre-specified pairs of RF lesions was extracted from the CARTO3 System (Biosense Webster Inc., Irvine, California) and analyzed by using custom-developed MATLAB software (MathWorks, Natick, Massachusetts) to define precise catheter spatial stability during RF ablation. Ablation parameters including bipolar electrogram amplitude reduction, impedance decline and transmurality-associated unipolar electrogram (TUE) as evidence of lesion transmurality during lesion placement were recorded and analyzed. Results We collected 437,760 position data points during lesion placement. Ablation catheter spatial stability and lesion formation parameters varied considerably by anatomic location. Lesions placed immediately had similar bipolar electrogram amplitude reduction, smaller impedance decline, but higher likelihood of achieving TUE compared to delayed lesions. Greater catheter spatial stability correlated with lesser impedance decline. Conclusions Lesion sequence, ablation catheter spatial stability, and anatomic location are important modifiers of RF lesion formation. Lesions placed immediately are more likely to exhibit TUE. Greater ablation catheter stability is associated with lesser impedance decline but greater likelihood of TUE.
Hematopoietic Cell Transplant

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is used to treat a variety of malignant and nonmalignant conditions and carries unique toxicities. This chapter provides an overview of the principles of HCT, focusing on common acute complications that should be recognized by clinicians across all specialties. HCT is also associated with long-term complications associated with increased morbidity and mortality and impairment of quality of life; these chronic complications are beyond the scope of this chapter.
Implementing Asynchronous Instructional Materials for Students With Learning Disabilities

Online learning continues to be an increasingly popular option in K–12 and postsecondary settings As this trend continues, it is important that the developers of online instructional environments a...
Relative Efficacy of Intra-articular Injections in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

Background:In younger patients and those without severe degenerative changes, the efficacy of intra-articular (IA) injections as a nonoperative modality for treating symptomatic knee osteoarthritis...
Postoperative 4-Year Outcomes in Septuagenarians Following Bariatric Surgery.

Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity; however, its utilization in older patients remains low. There is a dearth of literature on long-term effectiveness and safety of bariatric surgery in septuagenarian patients. The aim of this study was to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of bariatric surgery in this population. Patients who underwent primary laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) at our institution between 2011 and 2015 were included. Patients were divided into two age groups: < 70 and ≥ 70 years. Outcomes included postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS), 30-day complications, up to 4-year complications, 90-day mortality, comorbidity resolution, and 4-year weight loss (BMI change-ΔΒΜΙ). The groups were also compared using multivariable analyses adjusting for potential confounders (gender, preoperative BMI, and type of procedure). Twenty-nine septuagenarians who underwent 21 LRYGB (72.4%) and 8 LSG (27.6%) were compared to 1016 patients aged < 70 years operated on during the same time period. Additionally, following the multivariable analyses, the septuagenarians had higher LOS (3 vs 2.3 days, p = 0.01), 4-year complications (38% vs 23%, p = 0.012), and less comorbidities’ resolution but similar 4-year ΔBMI (− 8.6 vs − 10, p = 0.421), and 30-day complications (10% vs 6%, p = 0.316). Bariatric surgery in carefully selected septuagenarians can be accomplished with acceptable safety and comparable postoperative weight loss at 4 years. Surgeons may consider broadening their selection criteria to include this patient subgroup but may allow the patients to reap its benefits if offered earlier in life.
A Generalized Laboratory Automation Scheme for a Group of Different Analytical Instruments

The Materials Research Laboratory of The Pennsylvania State University is a general purpose central analytical facility, which has most of the currently available instruments found in industrial laboratories. For the pastfour years a determined effort has been made by the scientists to introduce the computer for instrument control, data collection, and analysis. The two reasons which primarily motivated these changes were: (1) increased use-since the computer could collect data and control instruments at off hours, thus increasing the total instrument use time per week, and (2) increased analytical capability-since the instruments can spend the time on important data rather than background. Also, once the data are stored in a digital format, it is possible to use a selection of independent routines to analyze the data. The central computer facility consists of a dual processor PDP-1½0 with a full assortment of input/output (I/O) peripherals. The system is being run under Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) operating system RT-11 with the users (scientists) programming in BASIC or FORTRAN. Several important desicions have been made by the manager of this facility and include the following: (a) all equipment is optically isolated from each other; (b) computer science and electrical engineering graduate students are responsible for the interface software and hardware; (c) the scientists, alone, are responsible for the application software; (d) all DEC equipment is maintained through a service contract; and (e) a link with an International Business Machine's (IBM) 370/3033 is available for large computational problems. A discussion of these topics and the actual use with the following five instruments will constitute the body of the paper: (1) scanning electron microscope, (2) ellipsometer, (3) ion scattering/electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, spectrometer, (4) dielectric measurement facility, (5) soft X-ray spectrometer, and (6) laser raman spectrometer.
Experiments in intraocular hydrodynamics *: II. The effect of dichlorphenamide on dextrose-induced ocular hypertension

The ocular hypertension produced by massive intravenous injection of dextrose does not appear to be specific and is not statistically affected by dichlorphenamide.
The Use of Predictive Annotation for Question Answering in TREC8.

This paper introduces the technique of Predictive Annotation, a methodology for indexing texts for retrieval aimed at answering fact-seeking questions. The essence of the approach can be stated simply: index the answers. This is done by establishing about 20 classes of objects that can be identified in text by shallow parsing, and by annotating and indexing the text with these labels, which we call QA-Tokens. Given a question, its class is identified and the question is modified accordingly to include the appropriate token(s). The search engine is modified to rank and return short passages of text rather than documents. The QA-Tokens are used in later stages of analysis to extract the supposed answers from these returned passages. Finally, all potential answers are ranked using a novel formula, which determines which ones among them are most likely to be correct.
Kennan and Human Rights

George Kennan, the distinguished historian, scholar, and elder statesman, recently has reconfirmed and explained his initial assault against dangers from what he saw as the "legalistic-moralistic" approach to the United States foreign policy.1 Soon after taking leave from the foreign service and moving to Princeton, Kennan delivered a series of lectures at the University of Chicago in 1951. Forming the basis of his first book on diplomacy, the lectures concentrated on American diplomacy during the first fifty years of the .twentieth century.2 Kennan drew extensively upon examples of the use of supposed idealistic purposes that concealed failure in dealing consciously or realistically with the dilemmas of substance in the international relations of a nation thrust into world power. Surprised in pursuing the contrast between the lucid, realistic thinking of early American statesmen and the "bombast" of their later successors, Kennan found a form of utopianism in the rationale and rhetoric of foreign policy which began after the Civil War and held sway until World War II. He described this style as "utopian in its expectations, legalistic in its concept of methodology, moralistic in the demands it seemed to place on others, and self-righteous in the degree of high-mindedness and rectitude it imputed to ourselves."3 This style found expression in too much reliance upon arbitration treaties, world disarmament conferences, multilateral treaties outlawing war such as the Kellogg-Briand Pact, and illusions about the hope of world
The social impact of emerging telephone services

Abstract This article considers the complex social issues raised by new technological developments in telecommunications under the general headings of privacy, intrusion, equity, a ‘human touch’ and freedom of expression. Caller identification is discussed in some detail. The author concludes that, ironically, technological innovations and the regulatory response to them could eventually erode the popularity of the telephone itself.
Recommendations and Guidelines Regarding the Preferred Research Protocol for Investigating the Impact of an Optimal Healing Environment on Patients with Substance Abuse

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Hypertension is the most common single reason for visits to primary care physicians accounting for more than 35 million visits annually. Pharmacotherapy can achieve adequate control of blood pressure. Multiple interventions compares to single therapies are more efficacious in treating hypertension, and this fact supports using the holistic approach to hypertension treatment. Implementing an optimal healing environment (OHE) in a hypertension treatment regimen has the potential to impact not only health care costs, but also to optimize blood pressure control, and thus decrease the total cardiovascular disease burden. The research questions for the study of OHE in hypertension may differ between the individual patient perspective and the public health perspective. The use of a 2 × 2 factorial design would allow analysis of both perspectives simultaneously. Using an OHE setting with multiple interventions in formulating an individuali...
Methodologies for evaluating HIV prevention intervention (populations and epidemiologic settings).

PURPOSE OF REVIEW There have been over 30 HIV-prevention trials of which only four reported evidence of efficacy. The reasons for these negative findings may be due to ineffective interventions, but in part reflect the inappropriate selection of study populations and epidemiologic settings. RECENT FINDINGS Three trials showed that male circumcision reduces HIV acquisition in men by 50-60%. In contrast, seven out of eight trials of bacterial and viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) control, and multiple microbicide trials show no efficacy for HIV prevention. Several microbicide trials found vaginal irritation and microulceration, which may increase HIV risk. Three vaccine trials failed to show efficacy and one trial suggested increased HIV risk in a subgroup of uncircumcised men. SUMMARY The failure of most prevention trials reflects inadequate pretrial screening of potentially efficacious interventions, insufficient information on background HIV incidence, selection of high-risk populations with poor compliance and lack of generalizability, and treatment interruption during pregnancy all of which compromise power.
Structured Group Treatment of Couples Experiencing Sexual Dysfunctions

This paper describes a structured, time-limited method for treating couples in which both people are experiencing sexual dysfunctions. In our previous research, we found that group treatment was as effective as single-couple treatment for treating men experiencing premature ejaculation and women experiencing secondary orgasmic dysfunction. In this article we have described our procedures for evaluating and selecting group participants, our 12-week structured group treatment format, the group process, common problems and resistances, and our methods for assessing treatment outcome. Our structured group treatment approach is a cost efficient and effective method for treating the many couples experiencing sexual dysfunctions.
Experimental and simulated solute transport in a partially‐saturated, variable‐aperture fracture

[1] We compare solute transport experiments to simulations in a partially-saturated, variable-aperture fracture in measured fracture aperture and entrapped-air geometry fields. The computational model tracks particles through a quasi-three-dimensional velocity field that is based on the two-dimensional solution to the Reynolds equation. The model predicts 84% of the relative increase in dispersion caused by the entrapped phase, and reproduces the experimentally observed nonlinear velocity-dependence of solute dispersion.
Block-Fixation Finite Element Lumbar Spine Model to Examine Load-Sharing, Bone-Screw Interaction, and Stress in Carbon Fiber Reinforced PEEK Construct

Carbon-fiber-reinforced (CFR) polyetheretherketone (PEEK) combines the high strength of metals with the extensive biocompatibility and imaging compatibility of polymers. CFR PEEK composite is similar to the stiffness of cortical bone (approximately 15–20 GPa) and shows comparable performance to metallic materials such as titanium alloy, cobalt chrome alloy, and stainless steel in terms of strength. CFR-PEEK becomes an attractive alternative to the metallic materials traditionally used in spinal implants (e.g. pedicle screw rod fixation). Finite element (FE) models have been developed to study the biomechanical behaviors of spinal structures with pedicle screw rod fixation ([1–5]). However, it is limited to implement these models to study the bone screw interaction, and local bone strain at the bone screw interface due to the intrinsic low mesh density of the intact model. The aim of this study is to develop a refined block fixation FE model to investigate the load sharing, bone screw interaction, and strain/stress in CFR PEEK construct.© 2009 ASME
China in the eyes of western travelers as represented in travel blogs.

ABSTRACT Travel blogs provide a new way of understanding consumers' perceptions on destination and its associated products. The purpose of this study was to examine international tourists' destination image of China as represented in travel blog discourse. Data were obtained from blog entries relating to trips to China posted on three dominant travel blog websites. Content analysis facilitated by Atlas.ti 6.0 was performed on a total of 89 China-related travel blogs. The study identified the most frequently discussed aspects of tourists' experiences in China. The results also indicated that the blog authors had mixed and paradoxical images of China as identified by previous research. Marketing implications for China's tourism development based on the results were discussed.
Coronary Artery Revascularization in Chronic Kidney Disease Time for a Randomized Trial

Coronary artery revascularization procedures, performed via coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous (PCI) methods, are among the most commonly performed therapeutic interventions worldwide with >1 million performed annually in the United States alone.1 The relative merits of each approach have been examined in numerous landmark clinical trials that inform practice guidelines and daily clinical decision making.2–5 Although the percutaneous comparator to CABG in early studies usually included balloon angioplasty or bare metal stents, recent studies reflect iterative advances in both stent technology and contemporary medical therapy. Despite this large evidence base, however, routine exclusion of patients with underlying chronic kidney disease (CKD) persists in many clinical trials. In the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation in Type 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) and Future Revascularization Evaluation in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus: Optimal Management of Multivessel Disease (FREEDOM) studies, for example, patients were excluded with serum creatinine levels exceeding 2 mg/dL and severe renal disease, respectively.2 The public health implication of such systematic under-representation is highlighted by the fact that CKD is present in >40% of all patients undergoing PCI and ≈30% of those receiving CABG.6,7 In addition, renal dysfunction confers a strong, independent, and graded risk for morbidity and mortality after PCI or CABG. The high prevalence of CKD in patients requiring revascularization, coupled with the excess cardiac risk associated with this condition, has motivated consensus statements and clinical investigations examining the impact of PCI and CABG in this high-risk population.8,9 See Article by Chan et al It is within the context that Chan et al10 have reported their findings comparing CABG to PCI with drug-eluting stents (DES) in a large cohort …
The photosynthetic electron transport chain of a mutant strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardi lacking P700 activity.

Abstract Components and reactions of the photosynthetic electron transport chain were investigated in a mutant strain of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardi which is virtually devoid of the System I reaction center pigment, P700. The plastocyanin and ferredoxin isolated from this mutant strain are both qualitatively and quantitatively indistinguishable from that isolated from the wild-type strain. Cytochromes with absorption maxima at 553 and 559 nm cannot be oxidized by far-red light in the mutant strain, but they are reduced by red light. The Fe(CN) 6 3− -Hill reaction in the mutant strain is about 50% of that of wild type at high light intensities; however, at low light levels, it is not significantly different from the rate of wild type. These results are interpreted to indicate that P700 is not so closely involved or complexed with adjacent electron carriers or with the reaction center of System II that destruction of P700 necessarily leads to alteration of these other components of the electron transport chain. It is suggested that the Hill reaction data can be explained by the existence of two separate sites for photoreduction of Fe(CN) 6 3− in wild type, whereas only one remains operative in the mutant strain.
PRECISION CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE GEOACOUSTIC PARAMETERS OF AN UNCONSOLIDATED, SANDY MARINE SEDIMENT

A recently introduced theoretical model of wave propagation in an unconsolidated, sandy marine sediment is discussed in this article. Essentially, the model consists of four analytical expressions, which specify four wave properties of the sediment, namely the speed and attenuation of the compressional and the shear wave. These expressions contain just three unknown constants, which must be evaluated from data. A technique is described in which these constants are determined from measured values of the compressional wave speed, the shear wave speed, and the shear wave attenuation. This technique is applied to preliminary data from O.N.R.s SAX'99 recent experiment on a sandy sediment in the Gulf of Mexico. From the fully specified equations, the fourth wave property, the attenuation of the compressional wave, is computed and found to lie within 0.5 dB/m of the measured value. Based on this limited evidence, it appears that the wave properties of an unconsolidated sediment are highly correlated and predictable. According to the theory, the causal connections between the wave properties originate in the sliding of one micro/asperity against another on the surfaces of contact between contiguous grains in the medium.
Efficient utilization of aqueous phase bio-oil to furan derivatives through extraction and sugars conversion in acid-catalyzed biphasic system

Abstract Fractionation, by water addition, is recognized as a strategy for utilization of bio-oil produced from fast pyrolysis process of lignocellulosic biomass. The aqueous fraction was emerged by fractionation which involved water-like and polar compounds such as sugars and furan derivatives. An efficient and selective extraction (80%) of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) already existing in the aqueous fraction was performed by using 2-butanone solvent and Amberlyst 16 Wet cation exchange resin. More value-added furan chemicals such as HMF and furfural were produced by the dehydration of sugars in the fractionated aqueous solution. Conversion of sugars into furan derivatives was achieved by using formic acid-catalyzed biphasic system of methylisobutylketone (MIBK) and the aqueous fraction. The conversion process was optimized to produce high furans (HMF and furfural) yield by varying the concentration of formic acid, temperature and time. High furans yield were obtained at high reaction temperature (190 °C) and low acid concentration (0.5 M), or at lower temperature (170 °C) and high acid concentration (1.5 M). The selective production of HMF was favored at high reaction temperature. Modification of the aqueous phase with DMSO addition led to remarkable increase in the yields furan derivatives. The content of DMSO in the aqueous phase was dependent upon the acidity of the aqueous phase and reaction temperature. High DMSO content was preferred at lower formic concentration and higher reaction temperature.
Perturbation analysis of quasi-static behavior of brush-type super flywheels

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to present an improved analysis of the quasi-static behavior of a typical radial filament in a brush-type super flywheel. The material is assumed to be perfectly elastic with a finite Poisson's ratio. It is shown that the rotational speed at which tensile instability resulting in filament necking occurs can be considerably lower than that predicted by previous analyses reported in the literature. Numerical results are presented in dimensionless form for ranges of parameters of current design interest.
Even Further Beyond Civil Society: The Rise of Internet-Oriented Chinese NGOs (Response to Kin-Man Chan and Li Zhang)

The relatively recent emergence of Chinese NGOs has drawn the attention of many scholars for good reason. For those interested in state–society relations, Chinese NGOs are at the nexus of a far-rea...
The relationship between metabolism of 2,3,4,5,3',4',5'-heptachlorobiphenyl and its ability to induce both cytochromes P-448 and P-450.

Male CD rats received i.p. injections of 2,3,4,5,3′,4′,5′-heptachlorobiphenyl (7CB) under conditions resulting in induction of both benzphetamine demethylase (cytochrome P-450-dependent) and ethoxyresorufin deethylase (cytochrome P-448-dependent) activities. To test the possibility that one class of induction (P-450) was due to the parent compound and the other (P-448) to a metabolite, liver, adipose, bile, urine and feces were analyzed for the presence of 3,4,5,3′,4′,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (6CB) (the major photolysis product of 7CB) and/or 2-hydroxy-3,4,5,3′,4′,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (OH-6CB), another known P-448 inducer. To allow for the possibility that 6CB might be a transient intermediate, 3H-labeled 7CB was given along with unlabeled 6CB in a trapping experiment. The results supported the hypothesis that 7CB is a true ‘mixed inducer’, not requiring metabolic alteration for its dual activity.
Symptomatic Sinus Node Disease: Natural History After Permanent Ventricular Pacing*

SIMON, A.B., AND ZLOTO, A.E. Symptomatic sinus node disease: Natural history after permanent ventricular pacing. Fifty-nine patients between the ages of 13 and 88 with sinus node disease, who received a permanent ventricular pacemaker between 1965 and 1976 at one institution, were followed to determine the natural history of the disorder after permanent pacing. Nineteen had ischemic heart disease, six had primary myocardiaJ disease, and eight vaJvuJar heart disease. In 26, no etiology for the arrhythmia was apparent. The one- and five-year survival was 85,5% and 73,1%, respectively. Patients with underlying heart disease had a significantly poorer survival when compared to those without (58% versus 94% at 36 months], and all but 3 of 13 deaths in the first 36 months were in those with ischemic heart disease. There was a distinct trend toward poor survival in those with heart failure prior to pacemaker implant and those over age 65, Patients with sinus bradycardia alone did best (91% survival three years after implantj, while those with bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome and those with sinoatrial arrest alone did distinctly worse f76% and 65% survival at three years, respectively}. Twelve of 18 deaths were due to progression of underlying heart disease. The long-term prognosis with symptomatic sinus node disease can be predicted in part by (lj etiology of the underlying heart disease, [2} pre-implant arrhythmia, and (3J ventricular function prior to implant. (PACE, Vol. 2, May-June, 1979] bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome, patient longevity Sinus node disease is manifested by either intermittent or persistent severe sinus bradycardia, sinoatrial block or periods of sinoatrial arrest,'"' In its symptomatic stage, patients may have pre-syncope or syncope palpitations due to supraventricular tachyarrhythmias or congestive heart failure.*'^ Sinus node disease may be associated with congenital, valvular, myo
Deep convective influence on the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone and associated tracer variability observed with Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)

[1] The Asian summer monsoon anticyclone is linked to climatological deep convection over Southeast Asia, and the coupling of circulation and convection strongly influences constituent behavior in the upper troposphere – lower stratosphere (UTLS). This work explores the variability of the Asian monsoon circulation and trace constituents linked to transient deep convection, on the basis of dynamical fields and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data, plus water vapor and ozone retrievals from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument. Within the monsoon region, transient deep convection varies with a timescale of ∼10–20 days, linked to active/break cycles in the monsoon circulation. We show that these convective events trigger variations of the anticyclone itself, with strong correlations between OLR and the area of low potential vorticity (PV) defining the anticyclone. Relatively high PV (stratospheric air) is also advected to low latitudes to the east of the anticyclone following enhanced convection. AIRS data show that the transient convective events are associated with the vertical transport of low ozone and high water vapor into the UTLS region, with significant effects over potential temperature levels 340–360 K (∼7–13 km). Idealized transport calculations are used to demonstrate that constituent anomalies are confined within the upper tropospheric anticyclone, and this confinement contributes to the climatological constituent patterns observed during summer.
Scalar-reflexive rings II

This paper is a continuation of the work in [S]. Throughout? R is a commutative ring with identity and all modules are assumed to be unitary, An R-endomorphism T on an R-module JZ%! is locally scalar if, for each x in J%?. there is an r.r in R such that Tx= r,x. Equivalently, T is locally scalar on JZ if T(,I’) c ,V for every R-submodule ,I,‘” of ,&‘. An R-module JC since we have completely characterized strongly scalar-reflexive rings (Theorem 5), we feel that the new terminology is more appropriate. The notion of scalar-reflexivity was motivated by results on algebraic reflexivity [4] that were used to prove reflexivity theorems for Banachspace operators [4, 61. In this paper we show that a ring is strongly scalar-reflexive if and only if it is a finite direct sum of maximal valuation rings. (Note that we do not require valuation rings to be domains.) We also show that a local ring is scalar-reflexive if and only if it is an almost maximal valuation ring. In addition, we show that every Dedekind domain is scalar-reflexive, and we 311 0021~8693189 163.W
Antimicrobial Activity of Xoconostle Pears (Opuntia matudae) against Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Laboratory Medium.

The objective of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of xoconostle pears ( Opuntia matudae) against Escherichia coli O157:H7. Xoconostle pears were sliced, blended, and centrifuged. The supernatant was then filtered using a 0.45 μm filter to obtain direct extract. Direct extract of xoconostle pears was tested against four strains of E. coli O157:H7 in brain heart infusion (BHI) laboratory medium using growth over time and agar well diffusion assays. Our results showed that direct extract of xoconostle pears had a significant ( <path id="x1D443" d="M619 482q0 -69 -40.5 -119t-96 -72.5t-118.5 -26.5h-44l-70 20l-31 -151q-14 -67 0.5 -83t89.5 -22l-5 -28h-287l8 28q65 7 81.5 22t29.5 83l79 398q12 56 0.5 70.5t-78.5 20.5l7 28h255q108 0 164 -43t56 -125zM524 478q0 141 -146 141q-25 0 -47 -8q-16 -6 -20.5 -13.5 t-10.5 -39.5l-43 -241q37 -13 83 -13q67 0 125.5 45t58.5 129z"/> <path id="x30" d="M241 635q53 0 94 -28.5t63.5 -76t33.5 -102.5t11 -116q0 -58 -11 -112.5t-34 -103.5t-63.5 -78.5t-94.5 -29.5t-95 28t-64.5 75t-34.5 102.5t-11 118.5q0 58 11.5 112.5t34.5 103t64.5 78t95.5 29.5zM238 602q-32 0 -55.5 -25t-35.5 -68t-17.5 -91t-5.5 -105 q0 -76 10 -138.5t37 -107.5t69 -45q32 0 55.5 25t35.5 68.5t17.5 91.5t5.5 105t-5.5 105.5t-18 92t-36 68t-56.5 24.5z"/> <path id="x35" d="M153 550l-26 -186q79 31 111 31q90 0 141.5 -51t51.5 -119q0 -93 -89 -166q-85 -69 -173 -71q-32 0 -61.5 11.5t-41.5 23.5q-18 17 -17 34q2 16 22 33q14 9 26 -1q61 -50 124 -50q60 0 93 43.5t33 104.5q0 69 -41.5 110t-121.5 41q-53 0 -102 -20l38 305h286l6 -8 l-26 -65h-233z"/> ) inhibitory effect at 4, 6, and 8% (v/v) concentrations and complete inhibitory effect at 10% (v/v) during 8 h of incubation at 37°C. Minimum inhibitory volume (MIV) was 400 μL mL −1 (v/v) and minimum lethal volume (MLV) was 650 μL mL −1 (v/v). The inhibitory effect of xoconostle pears found to be concentration dependent and not strain dependent. Thus, xoconostle pears extract has the potential to inhibit the growth of E. coli O157:H7 and could provide a natural means of controlling pathogenic contamination, thereby mitigating food safety risks.
Using Multivariate Techniques to Predict Wheat Flour Dough and Noodle Characteristics from Size-Exclusion HPLC and RVA Data

ABSTRACT Flour proteins of hard and soft winter wheats grown in Oregon were characterized by size-exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC). Flour pasting characteristics were assessed by a Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). Principle component scores (PCS) were calculated from both RVA data and from absorbance area and % absorbance values from SE-HPLC. The PCS and cross-products, ratios, and squares were used to derive wheat classification and quality prediction models. A classification model calculated from PCS of SE-HPLC data could reliably separate these hard and soft wheats. The prediction models for mixing and noodle characteristics showed better performance when calculated from PCS values of both SEHPLC and RVA data than from SE-HPLC data only. The R2 values of prediction models for mixograph absorption, peak time, and tolerance were 0.827, 0.813, and 0.851, respectively. Prediction models for noodle hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and resilience immediately after cooking had R2 values of 0.928, 0.928, 0.896, and 0.855...
Length–Weight Relationship of the White Croaker

(1964). Length–Weight Relationship of the White Croaker. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society: Vol. 93, No. 3, pp. 302-303.
Search for Utopia, Desire for the Sublime: Cristina García's Monkey Hunting

�� ��� and Vietnam. In just over 250 pages, the novel tells a family history of four generations, covering a time period between a Chinese man’s 1857 migration to Cuba and the middle years of the Vietnam War. It employs third- and fi rst-person points of view, male and female voices, and fragmented sequencing. While Garcia used multiple viewpoints and settings in her fi rst two novels, Monkey Hunting expands in ethnic, geographic, and chronological focus. Moreover, Monkey Hunting defi es tidy genre classifi cation. It blends genres, including the slave narrative, family saga, historical and immigrant fi ction, prose, and poetry. The novel’s beginning seems more like a slave narrative than anything else, but as soon as the protagonist Chen Pan escapes from a Cuban sugar plantation, this description becomes insuffi cient. 2 A helpful family tree signals a family saga, yet the novel’s relative brevity contrasts with celebrated family sagas such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) and Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits (1982). Ethnic mixing in the novel—Chinese and African, Afro-Chinese Cuban and Vietnamese—also impedes neat classifi cation. Perhaps because of some or all of these issues, Monkey Hunting received more mixed reviews than Garcia’s fi rst two novels. 3 While many praised Garcia’s knack for sensuous detail, several reviewers found the novel’s lack of development dissatisfying. Jennifer Schuessler of the New York Times Book Review claims that Monkey Hunting “is an honorable attempt to recover ancestral memories. But all her blossoms and incantations and tears don’t quite succeed in making those ancestors live again” (11), and Michiko Kakutani perceives Monkey Hunting as lacking “the fi erce magic and unexpected humor” (E6) of Dreaming in Cuban and calls the novel’s beginning “workmanlike.” An additional review claims that “Garcia leaves too much story unexplored. The book is succinct at the expense of the fi ne characterizations and plot developments that grace Garcia’s previous works . . . this novel whets, but doesn’t sate, the appetite”
Notes from the director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: shaping the future of research: the NHLBI strategic plan.

With the extensive involvement of the communities it serves, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has just completed development of a scientific working plan to guide its activities and initiatives in the near future. Shaping the Future of Research: A Strategic Plan for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute is accessible on the NHLBI Web site at http://apps.nhlbi.nih.gov/strategicplan/. The plan is the outcome of an inclusive, “bottom-up” approach that called on the wisdom and expertise of >600 individuals, including researchers, representatives of patient-advocacy groups and professional societies, and other members of the scientific and lay communities. The initial step (level 1) comprised 23 thematic meetings held during the spring and summer of 2006. Participants were asked to identify scientific areas that the NHLBI could and should play a major role in advancing and to recommend operational policies to facilitate the conduct of high-priority scientific research. In October 2006, a level 2 meeting brought together members of the National Heart, Lung, …
Weld Repair of 2-1/4Cr-1Mo Service-Aged Header Welds

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of different weld repair techniques as applied to service-aged 2-1/4Cr-1Mo steel weldments. A header which had been in service for 244,000 h at 1,050 F (565 C) was utilized for the study. Three girth welds were partially excavated and subjected to repairs using gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) with postweld heat treatment (PWHT), and without postweld heat treatment using a temperbead technique. Results show that all the weld repairs improved the creep rupture lives of the ex-service weldments and that remaining lives of several decades could be achieved in the repaired condition. The SMAW-temperbead repairs resulted in increase of future life, tensile strength, and impact toughness compared to the SMAW-PWHT repairs. The GTAW-PWHT repairs also produced a superior combination of mechanical properties. Remaining creep rupture lives were a function of the extrapolation procedure and specimen size. These results are described here and discussed in comparison with results previously reported for a less severely degraded condition of the steel in order to delineate the effect of prior degradation on weld repair performance.
Detection of free radicals in blood by electron spin resonance in a model of respiratory failure in the rat

Previous work has suggested that a free radical mechanism is involved in some types of muscle fatigue and that there can be free radicals released extracellularly. Because muscle fatigue may be an important factor in respiratory failure, the authors tested the hypothesis that increased concentrations of free radicals could be detected in the blood of animals undergoing severe resistive loading to respiratory failure. An ex vivo spin trapping technique with α-phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) was used to investigate the possible formation of free radicals in systemic blood samples by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry. After 2.5–3 h of severe inspiratory resistive loading with 70% supplemental inspired oxygen, free radical levels in the form of PBN-adducts were found to rise significantly over the control group breathing room air and the control group breathing 70% oxygen (p < 0.05, N = 8). There were no significant differences between control groups breathing room air and control groups breathing 70% oxygen. This study presents direct evidence that free radicals are produced ex vivo and that they can be detected in the systematic circulation due to excessive resistive loading of the respiratory muscles.
Earthquake risk and insurance

Our concern is with protection against natural catastrophes through financial insurance. Development of appropriate premium rates requires consideration of a wide variety of variables entering into the occurrence of the disaster, and a broad range of scientific and statistical investigations results. Topics discussed include: premium computation, distribution of large earthquakes in time, ground motion at sites, attenuation of energy with distance, damage description and actual practice in various countries. Statistical considerations that arise include: description, stochastic modelling, conditioning, spatial processes, (marked) point processes, uncertainty estimation and robust/resistant procedures. Study of the insurance problem is scientifically enlightening because it requires one to focus on the whole context of the problem; geology, seismology, earthquake engineering, and damage.
Targeted parathyroidectomy: effectiveness and intraoperative rapid-parathormone dynamics.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of selective parathyroid exploration, using preoperative image localization and intraoperative rapid-parathormone (rPTH) assay. The kinetics of intraoperative rPTH in parathyroid adenoma vs. multiglandular disease is assessed. Design: This is a prospective noncontrolled study of a cohort of 100 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, at a single academic institution. The patients underwent selective parathyroidectomy after preoperative localization, including sestamibi scan and ultrasonography. Intraoperative rPTH assay was used to determine the extent and success of parathyroidectomy. Frozen sections were used as additional confirmation. Follow-up serum calcium levels were used to assess the effectiveness of selective parathyroidedcomy. Results: Mean preoperative serum calcium (Ca) and baseline intact-parathormone were 11.6 mg/dL and 136, respectively. Data were available in 96 cases: 87 single-gland adenoma with two in ectopic mediastinal position, two double adenoma and seven cases of hyperplasia. Ten percent of patients with adenoma needed bilateral exploration for nonlocalizing or false negative imaging, or for intraoperative rPTH failure to decay. All of the patients undergoing unilateral targeted exploration were normocalcemic on follow up. There were only one failed exploration and two cases of recurrent mild hypercalcemia, all three in bilateral exploration cases. Intraoperative rPTH reduction by standard curves was predictive of successful excision of all of the abnormal glands, as confirmed by postoperative serum calcium levels. More than one postexcision rPTH measurement was useful by showing failure of a decaying slope in multiglandular disease. Conclusion: Targeted parathyroidectomy, when appropriately selected and carried out, is an effective treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism in most cases. Intraoperative rPTH can correctly guide removal of hyperfunctioning glands. Targeted parathyroidectomy offers the advantage of less invasive surgery with less tissue dissection confined to one side and avoids surgically disturbing the remainder of the neck. This should reduce postoperative complications and allow for easier and safer re-exploration in the few cases with persistent or recurrent disease.
Swim stress differentially affects limbic contents of 2-arachidonoylglycerol and 2-oleoylglycerol.

Abstract Restraint stress exposures evoke progressively larger increases in 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in limbic brain regions as the number of repetitions increases. The Porsolt swim test usually involves two swim exposures separated by 24 h, and we asked whether the 2-AG response differed between the first and second exposures. Methods: Four groups of male C57/Bl6N mice were studied: control; exposed to a single 6 min swim and killed immediately; exposed to a single 6 min swim and killed 24 h later; and exposed to two swims, separated by 24 h, and killed after the second swim. Outcomes were swim behavior, serum corticosterone, and 2-AG and 2-oleoylglycerol (2-OG) contents in amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. Results: Mean 2-AG contents were not significantly different among the four treatment groups in any brain region and did not correlate with immobility in either forced swim exposure. However, 2-AG contents in all three brain regions only of the mice exposed to two swims were significantly, positively correlated with serum corticosterone concentrations measured at the same time. 2-OG is present in brain and exhibits a striking regional heterogeneity in control mice. 2-OG concentrations in prefrontal cortex were significantly reduced in the mice killed on the second day compared with the mice killed on the first day. As the target of 2-OG in brain is not known, the significance of these observations await further studies. Conclusions: Although prior exposure to swim stress does not alter brain 2-AG contents upon re-exposure, 2-AG concentrations in brain become significantly correlated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to stress when prior exposure to the stress has occurred. These data suggest that even a single exposure to a short period of intense stress sensitizes the 2-AG response to re-exposure to that situation and are consistent with a role for endocannabinoid signaling in modulating stress responses. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Stress, Emotional Behavior and the Endocannabinoid System.
Temperature dependence for the rate of hole transfer in DNA: Nonadiabatic regime

Abstract The positive charge transfer in DNA is investigated, using the first principle treatment of the electron-vibrational interaction. We show that rearrangements of atoms belonging to base pairs induced by charge transfer are essentially quantum mechanical in nature. Particularly at room temperature, around half of the rearrangements occur via quantum tunneling, while the other half takes place via thermally activated transitions. This effect reduces activation energies for charge transfer between both AT and GC pairs by a factor of two compared to their classical values. These behaviors are described within small polaron theory for the non-adiabatic charge transfer and compared to the experimental data and previous theoretical studies.
Synapsis and the formation of paranemic joints by E. coli RecA protein

E. coli RecA protein promotes the homologous pairing of a single strand with duplex DNA even when certain features of the substrates, such as circularity, prohibit the true intertwining of the newly paired strands. The formation of such nonintertwined or paranemic joints does not require superhelicity, and indeed can occur with relaxed closed circular DNA. E. coli topoisomerase I can intertwine the incoming single strand in the paranemic joint with its complement, thereby topologically linking single-stranded DNA to all of the duplex molecules in the reaction mixture. The efficiency of formation of paranemic joints, the time course, and estimates of their length, all suggest that they represent true synaptic intermediates in the pairing reaction promoted by RecA protein.