cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing a cultural competency curriculum: asking the stakeholders.

Background The design of a cultural competency curriculum can be challenging. The 2002 Institute of Medicine report, Unequal Treatment, challenged medical schools to integrate cross-cultural education into the training of all current and future health professionals. However, there is no current consensus on how to do this. The Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the John A. Burns School of Medicine formed a Cultural Competency Curriculum Development team that was charged with developing a curriculum for the medical school to address Native Hawaiian health disparities. By addressing cultural competency training of physicians, the team is hoping to help decrease the health disparities found in Native Hawaiians. Prior attempts to address culture at the time consisted of conferences sponsored by the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence for faculty and clinicians and Problem Based Learning cases that have imbedded cultural issues. Objective Gather ideas from focus groups of Native Hawaiian stake- holders. The stakeholders consisted of Native Hawaiian medical students, patients and physicians. Information from the focus groups would be incorporated into a medical school curriculum addressing Native Hawaiian health and cultural competency training. Methodology Focus groups were held with Native Hawaiian medical students, patients and physicians in the summer and fall of 2006. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained from the University of Hawaii as well as the Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems. Qualitative analysis of tape recorded data was performed by looking for recurrent themes. Primary themes and secondary themes were ascertained based on the number of participants mentioning the topic. Results Amongst all three groups, cultural sensitivity training was either a primary theme or secondary theme. Primary themes were mentioned by all students, by 80% of the physicians and were mentioned in all 4 patient groups. Secondary themes were mentioned by 75% of students, 50% of the physicians and by 75% of patient group. All groups wanted medical students to receive cultural sensitivity training, and all wanted traditional healing to be included in the training. The content of the training differed slightly between groups. Students wanted a diversity of teaching modalities as well as cultural issues in exams in order to emphasize their importance. They also felt that faculty needed cultural competency training. Patients wanted students to learn about the host culture and its values. Physicians felt that personal transformation was an important and effective tool in cultural sensitivity training. Cultural immersion is a potential teaching tool but physicians were concerned about student stages of readiness and adequate preparation for cultural competency training modalities such as cultural immersion. Conclusions Cultural competency or sensitivity training was important to patients, students and physicians. The focus group data is being used to help guide the development of the Department of Native Hawaiian Health's cultural competency curriculum.
Genotyping technology: the present and the future

Genotyping technologies for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have matured greatly in recent years. Although a universal method that meets all genotyping needs does not exist, many innovative, robust, high-throughput, and cost-effective approaches have been developed. The enormous interest in using SNPs as markers for mapping complex disease genes, and their other applications in diagnostics and pharmacogenomics will continue to drive the improvement of genotyping methods. In this article, we discuss several directions being taken for further development of genotyping technologies. Keywords: SNP; genotyping; mutation detection; variation
Reconsidering Dhimmah as a Model for a Modern Minority Rights Regime

Within Islam there has long existed an institution regulating non-Muslims' rights of much greater conceptual sophistication than existed in the Christian West, which often accorded levels of protection, dignity, and socio-economic integration surpassing what many minorities experience today under modern rights regimes. The practice of dhimmah is almost entirely moribund, but Islamist activists are revisiting it, because the quasi-secular, multi-confessional UN model is obviously problematic for many believers. Any system that could claim a connection to classical Islam could claim a legitimacy international rights regimes lack. What would the human rights perspective on such a system be? Drawing on the classical period and contemporary perspectives, this paper argues that dhimmah might provide a more robust framework for minority protection, but the limitations it places on non-Muslim political participation are difficult to square with modern conceptions - and equally difficult to remove. Yet why does this apparent tension incline us to say that dhimmah ought to be rejected? Do aspirations always trump results? Simply asking about the value of dhimmah raises important questions about the claims the human rights consensus makes in the face of alternate modes of legitimation and organization. This is the real theoretical focus of this paper: preferring rights over a system legitimated by immanent, divine sanction is difficult to motivate. Rights thinking evinces a triumphalist universalism hostile to the (equally) universalizing claims of religious authority. Human rights' implicitly secular claim - that religion should withdraw from temporal political ordering - cannot be proven, only preferred, and if one believes in autonomy (for cultures as well as people), there may be grounds for conceding others' right to order their societies in a different way. This paper is part of a larger project to look at the tensions between universalism and cultural particularism as alternative ordering structures. It proposes a model of legislative competence vested in cultural communities and commitment to systemic diversity - notions that may conflict with the universalizing individual commitments of orthodox human rights.
Market withdrawal of new molecular entities approved in the United States from 1980 to 2009.

Purpose Economic factors, market dynamics, and safety issues are largely responsible for decisions to withdraw pharmaceutical products from the market. In this study, new molecular entities (NMEs) approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were examined in the USA from 1980 to 2009. Methods Data were obtained from the FDA, Micromedex, Medline, and Lexis-Nexis. Descriptive analyses were used to classify product discontinuations by therapeutic category, time frame for discontinuation, and reason for withdrawal. Results There were 740 NMEs approved by the FDA during the study period. As of 1 December 2010, the number of drugs discontinued was 118 (15.9%). Discontinuations were the highest for antiparasitic products, insecticides, and repellents (6, 33.3% of approvals), systemic hormonal preparations excluding sex hormones and insulins (5, 33.3%), musculo-skeletal system (11, 32.4%), diagnostic agents (16, 28.1%), and anti-infectives for systemic use (27, 25.2%). Safety was the primary reason for withdrawing 26 drugs (3.5% of approvals). Conclusions Approximately one in seven approved NMEs were discontinued from the market in the period of 1980–2009. Less than one-quarter (22%) of the total withdrawals were attributed to safety reasons. An ongoing evaluation of new drugs throughout their product life cycle is important to determine their efficacy, safety, and value to society. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A modification of conventional control algorithms for improved performance

The basic PI and PID controller structures are augmented with a time dependent gain which exponentially decays as t->/spl infin/. Through the use of simulation it is shown that this modification is capable of improving system performance with little or no loss of stability characteristics. Several test cases are examined for both load and set point response and the results are compared to those obtained with the conventional algorithm. The modified controller algorithm are also evaluated with the regard to the incorporation of internal model control tuning.
The cohomology rings of abelian symplectic quotients

Let $M$ be a symplectic manifold, equipped with a Hamiltonian action of a torus $T$. We give an explicit formula for the rational cohomology ring of the symplectic quotient $M//T$ in terms of the cohomology ring of $M$ and fixed point data. Under some restrictions, our formulas apply to integral cohomology. In certain cases these methods enable us to show that the cohomology of the reduced space is torsion-free.
Understanding men's attributions of why they ejaculate before desired: an internet study.

Abstract Introduction Recent developments in the study of men's sexual response have raised significant issues related to the definition and diagnosis of premature ejaculation (PE). Aim We wanted to understand men's perceived reasons for “ejaculating before they wanted,” whether they selected attributions from the same broad category when allowed to endorse multiple reasons, and whether younger and older cohorts differed in their attributions. Methods A subsample of 376 men who indicated that they “ejaculated before they wanted” was drawn from a larger pool of 1,249 men participating in an online survey on men's sexual health. This subsample responded to a number of items regarding their ejaculatory patterns, including two questions listing 10 possible self‐reported attributions/reasons for their quick ejaculation—one item allowed respondents to endorse multiple reasons, the other limited the response to the most important reason. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome measure was men's attributions for ejaculating before desired, with choices from 10 possible pretested reasons. In addition, concordance across attributions was determined, that is, if a man responded to one category, was he also likely to select another category? Results Men who met the ejaculatory latency criterion for PE were generally no different from those who did not. Overall, when required to select the most important attribution, most men identified a specific issue with “lack of self‐efficacy” (lack of control or aroused too quickly). Few respondents identified erection loss, partner issues, or medical/medication concerns as the reason—and these patterns were independent of age. Concordance was high across self‐efficacy attributions but low across other attributions. Conclusions Most men who complain of ejaculating before desired attribute this response to problems with self‐efficacy. Only a small percent of men identified other possible reasons for their quick ejaculation. Such findings have implications for both the diagnostic process and definitional language for PE. Rowland DL and Neal CJ. Understanding men's attributions of why they ejaculate before desired: An internet study. J Sex Med 2014;11:2554–2561.
Accumulation of unsaturated acylcarnitine molecular species during acute myocardial ischemia: metabolic compartmentalization of products of fatty acyl chain elongation in the acylcarnitine pool.

Long-chain acylcarnitines accumulate during myocardial ischemia and contribute to membrane dysfunction in ischemic zones. On the basis of the 3-fold selectivity for saturated fatty acid accumulation during myocardial ischemia, it was implicitly assumed that saturated long chain acylcarnitine molecular species predominantly accumulated in ischemic myocardium. By exploiting the analytical power of electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy, we now report that unsaturated acylcarnitines are the predominant molecular species of acylcarnitine which accumulate during myocardial ischemia (rank order: octadecadienoyl carnitine > octadecenoyl carnitine > hexadecanoyl carnitine > octadecanoyl carnitine). The aliphatic chain distribution of myocardial acylcarnitine molecular species identified by electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy was independently substantiated by sequential HPLC purification and capillary gas chromatography. Detailed analysis of the individual molecular species of long-chain acylcarnitine d...
Building a scientific base for nutrition care of Hispanic nursing home residents.

By 2030, one-quarter of the U.S. Hispanic population will be aged 80 or over. At least 4.5 million of them will require long-term care, most probably in nursing homes. Although Hispanic families traditionally care for elders at home despite their declining cognitive and physical function, family ability to provide such care is eroding due to acculturation, increasing the likelihood of nursing home admission. A synthesis of two studies (findings from a focus group and a Hispanic data subset from a federally funded grant) found that Hispanic nursing home resident food intake could be improved by traditional entrees, appealing presentations, and flour tortillas from a supplier recommended by Mexican American families. There were no statistically significant differences between Anglo and Hispanic residents on study variables, but results suggest that there may be clinically meaningful differences among such residents on Mini Mental State Examination scores, prealbumin results, the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Katz Activities of Daily Living that call for further investigation.
Rosenau, pre‐theories and the evolution of the comparative study of foreign policy

As part of a continuing analysis and critique of the comparative study of foreign policy (CFP), this paper addresses the question of whether or not there are substantive, theoretical, and/or logical barriers between those who have worked within the “core” tradition of CFP and those who have worked within the subfield of international political economy. Reviewing the intent and content of Rosenau's seminal “Pre‐Theories” article, I argue against an overly narrow view of CFP or of the agenda set out in “Pre‐Theories.” I argue for a logic of comparative inquiry that could connect the two, and the existence of common issues as introduced in “Pre‐Theories.”
Phorbol ester-mediated desensitization of histamine H1 receptors on a cultured smooth muscle cell line.

Abstract The present study was undertaken in order to examine the effect of protein kinase C (PKC) on histamine H1 receptors (H1R) present on the smooth muscle cell line, DDT 1 MF-2. [ 3 H]-pyrilamine binding revealed that specific [ 3 H]-pyrilamine binding sites were reduced by pretreatment with 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), an activator of PKC, but not the Kd. The TPA analogue, 4α phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, which does not activate PKC, failed to induce down-regulation of H1R. TPA-induced down-regulation of H1R was inhibited by pretreatment with 1-(5-Isoquinilinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H-7), a PKC inhibitor, in a dose dependent manner. The H-7 analogue, H-8, which is a less potent inhibitor of PKC, but a potent inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide dependent protein kinase, had no effect on H1R. Moreover, treatment with TPA inhibited histamine-induced increases in [Ca 2+ ] i in cells loaded with the fluorescent indicator, indo-1. These data suggest that HIR in DDT 1 MF-2 cells are functionally regulated by PKC.
Layered surgical repair of traumatic cloacal deformities: technical details and functional outcomes

Traumatic cloaca due to severe obstetric injury is a disabling condition that results in debilitating fecal incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and psychosocial distress for the patients, and poses a complex and challenging clinical situation for the surgeon. The aim of this study is to describe our technique and functional outcomes for the surgical repair of traumatic cloacal deformities. Between 2000 and 2010, four women with traumatic cloacal deformities related to obstetric injury underwent repair by a single surgeon. In all patients, a systematic layered repair of the anovaginal structures was performed, including internal and external sphincteroplasties, without the implementation of tissue flaps or fecal diversion. Anorectal function before and after surgery as well as wound healing was evaluated. The patients presented 4.8 years after the obstetric injury. Mean preoperative Fecal Incontinence Severity Index was 34. All patients had complete disruption of the perineum, anal canal, distal vagina, and rectum, with a mean external sphincter defect of 151 degrees. Postoperatively, there were no wound-related complications and complete healing occurred by the fourth week. Median long-term follow-up was 4.5 years. At long-term follow-up, mean postoperative Fecal Incontinence Severity Index score was zero and all patients reported complete absence of dyspareunia. A layered surgical repair of cloacal deformities after severe obstetrical injury is associated with excellent functional outcomes and cosmetic results. The need for fecal diversion or complex surgical flaps for wound closure is obviated in this small series.
Ray redistribution optics for high-feedback annular resonators, II: resonator analysis with wave optics

We consider resonator designs with a range of effective magnifications (1.2 to 2.95), and show how these resonators perform. Specifically, we analyze power extraction performance, internal power gains and losses, and resonator wavefront beam quality for this range of effective magnifications. As perturbations, we consider the effect of struts and compact leg misalignments. We find that, at the lower levels of magnification, the resonators produce more power but are more sensitive to perturbations.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
DEVELOPMENT OF METAL-CUTTING GUARDRAIL TERMINAL

A crashworthy terminal for strong-post W-beam guardrail systems was developed at the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. The terminal incorporates an impact head that is placed over the end of a tangent section of W-beam rail. The impact head is designed to be pushed down the rail and to dissipate impact energy by cutting the W-beam along the peaks and valley to produce four essentially flat strips of steel. These flat strips are then deflected out of the path of the vehicle, striking the end of the rail. Static and dynamic component tests as well as full-scale developmental crash tests conducted during the development of this system are described. Finally, the results of the three full-scale compliance crash tests are presented and discussed. The metal-cutting guardrail terminal was shown to meet NCHRP Report 230 safety performance standards.
Pocketing the difference: structures of uracil excision repair proteins

The recognition of abnormal DNA structure by proteins is fundamentally different from sequence-specific DNA binding. Recent crystal structures of uracil-DNA glycosylases show a novel uracil-binding pocket that explains the enzyme's selectivity for uracil-containing DNA and provide a structural basis for exploring the catalytic mechanism of amino-glycosylic bond cleavage.
Muscimol injected into the right or left amygdaloid complex differentially affects retention performance following aversively motivated training

The effects of intra-amygdala infusion of the GABAA agonist, muscimol, prior to retention testing was examined. In Expt. 1, rats were trained in a one-trial inhibitory-avoidance task and given bilateral intra-amygdala infusions of vehicle or muscimol or simultaneous unilateral infusions of each, 5 min before the retention test 24 h after training. Expt. 2 used the same procedures as those in Expt. 1 but two retention measures were taken: initial step-through latency and the number of trials to reach criterion during continuous multiple-trial inhibitory-avoidance (CMIA) training. Groups given bilateral infusions of muscimol or unilateral infusion of muscimol into the right amygdala had significantly shorter latencies to enter the dark compartment than groups given bilateral infusions of vehicle or unilateral infusion of muscimol into the left amygdala. Bilateral muscimol infusions impaired acquisition of CMIA relative to bilateral vehicle infusions or unilateral muscimol infusion into the left amygdala. These results suggest differential involvement of the right and left amygdala in memory.
Photoluminescence excitation of the 1.441 -eV cation antisite emission in p-type GaAs

Photoluminescence excitation spectra have been obtained at 4.2 K for the 1.441 -eV cation antisite double acceptor ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{\mathrm{As}}$ emission present in undoped $p$-type GaAs. The oscillating structures at above-band-gap energy can be attributed to the energy relaxation of the conduction-band electron by the successive emissions of the zone-center longitudinal phonon. The energy of the oscillatory periods shows that the 1.441 -eV emission at 4.2 K is primarily due to the neutral donor-acceptor pair transition involving the ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{\mathrm{As}}$ center.
A hybrid passive control device for steel structures, II: Physical testing

Abstract A hybrid passive control device (HPCD) consisting of a high-damping rubber (HDR) damper in series with a buckling-restrained brace (BRB) provides an innovative two-phase system for improving structural response to earthquakes. The initial phase provides damping for all magnitudes of vibration through an HDR damper. The second phase is initiated by a locking mechanism in the damper. Once engaged, the mechanism transfers sufficient force to yield the BRB. Component testing of an HPCD prototype was used to demonstrate performance and validate device design. The experimental results reported in this paper show the expected phased behavior and energy dissipation. The physical testing provides a proof-of-concept for the HPCD and supplies the motivation for further development.
Spinal opiates: a review of their effect on spinal function with emphasis on pain processing.

Several opiate receptor systems have been identified in the spinal cord. They produce a powerful analgesia when opioid agonists are administered intrathecally in the intact, unanesthetized animal. These effects appear mediated by an action on opioid receptors which are located presynaptically, in the terminals of primary afferents, and postsynaptically on certain dorsal horn neurons. Based on structure-activity relationships in different tests, quantitative studies of naloxone antagonism and selective cross tolerance, it appears that, in the spinal cord, there are three distinguishable populations of opioid receptors: mu, delta and kappa. Aside from the effects on nociception, these receptors are also associated with a variety of spinal mechanisms related to other aspects of sensory, autonomic and motor functions. Though in some cases these represent important side-effects (e.g. inhibition of the micturition reflex), in others, the subtle effects may have important therapeutic benefits (e.g. relieving spasticity in spinal injured patients).
Intrusive age and geochemistry of the Kebne Dyke Complex in the Seve Nappe Complex, Kebnekaise Massif, arctic Sweden Caledonides

The Seve Nappe Complex of the Scandinavian Caledonides is predominately metamorphosed rift-related igneous and sedimentary rocks formed during Rodinia breakup in the Neoproterozoic. The Kebne Dyke Complex of the Kebnekaise Massif, arctic Sweden, is one such unit within the Seve Nappe Complex and is mostly composed of dolerite dykes metamorphosed and thrust onto Baltica during the Caledonian orogeny. Structurally adjacent to the dyke complex are geochemically similar amphibolites that have a common origin as the metadolerite dykes. Collectively, these rocks have transitional mid-ocean ridge basalt geochemistry similar to correlative Seve Nappe Complex rocks to the north (Indre Troms dykes) and south (Sarek Dyke Swarm). U–Pb single-crystal chemical abrasion–thermal ionization mass spectrometry of zircon from a metagabbro and a metagranitoid, showing co-mingling magmatic textures with the metadolerite, produced 11 concordant analyses with 206Pb/238U ages ranging from 608 to 596 Ma, which includes the magmati...
Where do triptans act in the treatment of migraine

Migraine headache is a pervasive but poorly understood primary pain disorder. Sumatriptan and the ‘triptan’ class of serotonin receptor subtype-selective drugs have well-established efficacy in treating the pain of migraine. Although sumatriptan was originally selected to target vasoactive properties thought to be fundamental to the etiology of migraine, other studies point to an action of triptans at several levels of the nervous system. To this day, however, it is not clear whether the antimigraine activity of the triptans involves an action only in the periphery or in the CNS as well. Because sumatriptan is hydrophilic, it penetrates the blood–brain barrier poorly, suggesting a peripheral site of action. On the other hand, it has been proposed that the barrier is compromised in migraineurs, so a CNS site of action has not been ruled out. Finally, the basis for the apparent selectivity of triptans in the treatment of migraine pain but not other kinds of somatic pain is still not understood. Determining that mechanism of triptan action will likely provide important new insights into the unique and essential features of migraine.
Effect of lithium ion on melibiose transport in Escherichia coli.

Both Li+ and Na+ stimulated the uptake of thiomethylgalactoside by the melibiose transport system ofEscherichia coli. On the other hand, Li+ inhibited the growth of cells on melibiose as a sole source of carbon. This inhibition was specific for melibiose, and Li+ had no effect on growth of cells on glucose, galactose, lactose, or glycerol. The effect of the cation on melibiose transport was investigated in a mutant which cannot utilize glucose. After entry into this cell, melibiose is cleaved into glucose and galactose by α-galactosidase, and the resulting glucose is excreted. Since the entry step was found to be rate-limiting, glucose production could be taken as a measure of melibiose transport. Li+ inhibited the transport of melibiose, but not the induction of the melibiose operon nor the activity of α-galactosidase. Li+ was found to inhibit the entry ofp-nitrophenyl-α-d-galactoside, but notp-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactoside entry. Thus, the cation specificity for the melibiose membrane carrier varies with different transport substrates.
The Sequence of Errors Made to Double Simultaneous Stimulation in Older Persons

Summary When double simultaneous stimulation is used as part of the neurological examination both of young children and elderly individuals, one of the difficulties in interpreting the evidence obtained is the separation of age effects from those associated with central nervous system damage. In the present study we made an attempt to differentiate between such age-specific errors and those associated with brain lesions by examining the magnitude and sequential ordering of error patterns made in response to a standard series of 10 face-hand trials by 64 elderly left hemiplegic patients (right cerebral damage) and by 67 age matched patients without evidence of central nervous system damage. Two differences were found: 1) the patients with known brain damage tended to make significantly more errors and to repeat errors when given test trials were replicated later in the series, and 2) although the errors made by the patients with central nervous system damage were spread throughout the test series, the errors made by the comparison group tended to be restricted to the initial four trials of the series with errors diminishing steadily over these initial trials. The findings suggested that the errors made by the patients with central nervous system damage reflected varying degrees of a primary disturbance in the ability to integrate multiple stimuli. In contrast, the early errors made by the patients diagnosed as non-brain-damaged were probably the result of their need either to learn the task demands rapidly or to change an early faulty performance “set.” Thus, errors made early in the testing series and not repeated later are probably clinically insignificant, but errors distributed over the entire testing course and repeated when trials are replicated may be useful in establishing a diagnosis.
Apolipoprotein E Receptors Mediate Neurite Outgrowth through Activation of p44/42 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase in Primary Neurons

Several ligands of the endocytic low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP), such as apoE-containing lipoproteins and activated α2-macroglobulin (α2M*), promote neurite outgrowth, suggesting that LRP may have signaling functions. In this study, we found that the treatment of neurons with α2M* significantly increased the individual length (by 71%) and numbers (by 139%) of neurites of primary mouse cortical neurons. These effects were blocked by the LRP antagonist, the receptor-associated protein. We found similar neurite outgrowth with purified apoE3 and a tandem apoE peptide containing only the receptor-binding domain. To investigate the intracellular pathway of the LRP signaling involved in neurite outgrowth, we tested the effects of α2M* on the phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). We found that 1) phospho-MAP kinase levels were altered within 30 min after treatment with α2M*, 2) the MAP kinase inhibitor, PD98059, specifically blocked the α2M*-induced neurite outgrowth, 3) manipulating intracellular calcium by BayK or BAPTA altered the neurite outgrowth and associated changes in the phospho-MAP kinase levels, which were blunted by α2M*, 4) α2M* promoted the phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB through MAP kinase, and 5) LRP-specific antibodies increased levels of phosphorylated MAP kinase and phosphorylated CREB. The effects of α2M*, apoE3, and apoE peptides increased LRP levels in the cortical neurons, whereas LRP receptor-associated protein reduced dendritic LRP expression. These results demonstrate that p44/42 MAP kinase plays an important role in LRP-mediated neurite outgrowth with activation involving the effects on calcium homeostasis and downstream effects involving the activation of gene transcription through CREB.
Suppression of growth hormone-dependent human serum sulfation factor by estrogen.

In view of the demonstrated metabolic antagonism of estrogen and growth hormone, the effect of estrogen administration upon serum sulfation factor was studied in four acromegalic patients, and in three growth hormone-treated hypopituitary patients. Sulfation factor was measured by a modification of Daughaday's rat rib cartilage method permitting statistical evaluation of validity, precision and fiducial limits for each individual assay. Estrogen in vitro had no effect upon the sulfation factor bioassay system. Shortterm estrogen therapy (7–18 days) promptly reduced elevated sulfation factor levels, hypercalciuria and hydroxyprolinuria in the acromegalic patients, without significantly affecting basal plasma growth hormone levels. Estrogenic antianabolic effect was frequently observed, as shown by elevations of BUN and of urinary nitrogen. In each of the growth hormone-deficient patients, subnormal sulfation factor levels rose to normal or high levels during HGH administration for four or six days, returni...
Laser Shock Induced Nano-Patterning of Graphene

Nano-patterning of graphene film by a novel approach making use of laser ablation generated pressure is presented in this paper. Arrays of nanoscale holes were fabricated by applying laser shock pressure on graphene film suspending on well trenches in silicon substrate. Round holes with diameters ranging from 50 to 200 nm on graphene film were successfully punched. The critical pressure was found to be dependent on the diameter of holes. Smaller the diameters, higher critical pressure, which was also captured by the molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The laser shock based approach presented in this paper provides an effective way to pattern graphene film with nanoscale features at an easy, fast and scalable manner.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Second-Order Closure PBL Model with New Third-Order Moments: Comparison with LES Data

This paper contains two parts. In the first part, a new set of diagnostic equations is derived for the third-order moments for a buoyancy-driven flow, by exact inversion of the prognostic equations for the third-order moment equations in the stationary case. The third-order moments exhibit a universal structure: they all are a linear combination of the derivatives of all the second-order moments, bar-w(exp 2), bar-w theta, bar-theta(exp 2), and bar-q(exp 2). Each term of the sum contains a turbulent diffusivity D(sub t), which also exhibits a universal structure of the form D(sub t) = a nu(sub t) + b bar-w theta. Since the sign of the convective flux changes depending on stable or unstable stratification, D(sub t) varies according to the type of stratification. Here nu(sub t) approximately equal to wl (l is a mixing length and w is an rms velocity) represents the 'mechanical' part, while the 'buoyancy' part is represented by the convective flux bar-w theta. The quantities a and b are functions of the variable N(sub tau)(exp 2), where N(exp 2) = g alpha derivative of Theta with respect to z and tau is the turbulence time scale. The new expressions for the third-order moments generalize those of Zeman and Lumley, which were subsequently adopted by Sun and Ogura, Chen and Cotton, and Finger and Schmidt in their treatments of the convective boundary layer. In the second part, the new expressions for the third-order moments are used to solve the ensemble average equations describing a purely convective boundary laye r heated from below at a constant rate. The computed second- and third-order moments are then compared with the corresponding Large Eddy Simulation (LES) results, most of which are obtained by running a new LES code, and part of which are taken from published results. The ensemble average results compare favorably with the LES data.
Biosorption of arsenic from contaminated water by anaerobic biomass

The potential of an anaerobic sludge from an anaerobic wastewater treatment plant to remediate (inorganic) arsenic contaminated water was evaluated. The granular biomass was chemically modified as PO(4)-biomass and Cl-biomass. The biomass was then investigated in equilibrium batch experiments and continuous flow fixed-bed column operation. Initial arsenic concentration, contact time and solution pH affected the biosorption capacity. Arsenate exhibited greater removal rates than arsenite. Adsorption data fitted better with the Langmuir than the Freundlich isotherm model. Kinetic data followed a pseudo-second-order model. In column operation, at pH 5, 90 and 220 bed volumes of water with the respective arsenate concentrations of 500 and 200 μg/L were treated. Desorption of almost 40% arsenate was achieved by using 0.5M NaCl solution. Protein/amino acid-arsenic interaction was proposed as the dominant mechanism in the biosorption process. The arsenic-laden biomass satisfied USEPA's Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test and can be safely disposed of as non-hazardous waste.
A two-dimensional hydrogen bonded organic framework self-assembled from a three-fold symmetric carbamate.

A flexible organic sheet spontaneously assembled under mild conditions from a tri-carbamate. By introducing cyclohexyl side chains as ‘pillars’ between the sheets, a hydrogen bonded organic framework was formed which displayed a capacity for accommodating and releasing guest molecules. The guest size/shape selectivity of the lamellar framework was demonstrated by testing with various guests.
R1, a Novel Repressor of the Human Monoamine Oxidase A

Monoamine oxidase catalyzes the oxidative deamination of a number of neurotransmitters. A deficiency in monoamine oxidase A results in aggressive behavior in both humans and mice. Studies on the regulation of monoamine oxidase A gene expression have shown that the Sp1 family is important for monoamine oxidase A expression. To search for novel transcription factors, the sequences of three Sp1 sites in the monoamine oxidase A core promoter were used in the yeast one-hybrid system to screen a human cDNA library. A novel repressor, R1 (RAM2), has been cloned. The R1 cDNA encodes a protein with 454 amino acids and an open reading frame at the 5′-end. The transfection of R1 in a human neuroblastoma cell line, SK-N-BE (2)-C, inhibited the monoamine oxidase A promoter and enzymatic activity. The degree of inhibition of monoamine oxidase A by R1 correlated with the level of R1 protein expression. R1 was also found to repress monoamine oxidase A promoter activity within a natural chromatin environment. A gel-shift assay indicated that the endogenous R1 protein in SK-N-BE (2)-C cells interacted with the R1 binding sequence. R1 also bound directly to the natural monoamine oxidase A promoter in vivo as shown by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Immunocytochemical analysis showed that R1 was expressed in both cytosol and nucleus, which suggested a role for R1 in transcriptional regulation. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of endogenous R1 mRNA in human brain and peripheral tissues. Taken together, this study shows that R1 is a novel repressor that inhibits monoamine oxidase A gene expression.
American origin of Cupriavidus bacteria associated with invasive Mimosa legumes in the Philippines

To identify the origins of Cupriavidus nodule symbionts associated with two invasive Mimosa species in the Philippines, 22 isolates were sequenced for portions of three chromosomal genes and two symbiotic plasmid loci. Eleven isolates were identical at all gene loci (2713 bp) to a lineage found in Central America. Four other Philippine isolates were identical to a second Cupriavidus lineage distributed both in Central America and in the Caribbean. None of the remaining Philippine strains had more than 0.6% sequence divergence from American Cupriavidus lineages. These results imply that the Philippine population was founded by multiple introductions from the native range of their Mimosa hosts.
Last word: imagining the future.

H. G. Wells warned, in 1895, not to allow economic injustices to become to so acute that they ultimately transform human biology. Wells's warn- ing is all the more pertinent today as society contemplates the use of biotechnolo- gies to manipulate or "enhance" the human genome. I n his 1895 novel The Time Machine, H. G. Wells has the reader fol- low a Time Traveller to a remote future world where the human race has become divided into two separate species. The Eloi are a gentle, herbivorous people who inhabit the park-like surface of the planet. Dwell- ing beneath them, in a dark subterranean world, are the Morlocks, a grotesque, mole-like species, who appear to maintain the planet's me- chanical life support systems and who, as their price for this service, occa- sionally capture and devour an Eloi. Wells's two species are not the result of genetic engineering. They seem to have evolved naturally over time—it is not clear whether by Lamarck- ian or Darwinian mechanisms—from the extreme class divisions of nine- teenth century British society. But Wells's warning to his contemporaries is clear: Do not allow economic injustices to become to so acute that they ultimately transform human biology. It is a warning that remains appli- cable in the present era of genetic engineering. Ronald Lindsay (2005) tells us not to worry. Among other things, he argues that if the human species were to divide into Eloi and Morlocks, the circumstances of justice, as described by Hume and Rawls, might no longer apply. This could be true if the unenhanced are possessed of a "marked inferiority" of body and mind. In that case, the two species would be as human beings are to animals. Although duties of compassion or kindness might apply—we think it desirable to prevent animal suffering—
Mission Oriented Support and Theory (MOST) for MMS—the Goddard Space Flight Center/University of California Los Angeles Interdisciplinary Science Program

The MOST IDS team was tasked with focusing on two general areas: The first was to participate with the Fast Plasma Investigation (FPI) team in the development of virtual detectors that model the instrument responses of the MMS FPI sensors. The virtual instruments can be “flown through” both simulation data (from magnetohydrodynamic, hybrid, and kinetic simulations) and Cluster and THEMIS spacecraft data. The goal is to determine signatures of magnetic reconnection expected during the MMS mission. Such signatures can serve as triggers for selection of burst mode downloads. The chapter contributed by the FPI team covers that effort in detail and, therefore, most of that work has not been included here. The second area of emphasis, and the one detailed in this chapter, was to build on past and present knowledge of magnetic reconnection and its physical signatures. Below we describe intensive analyses of Cluster and THEMIS data together with theoretical models and simulations that delineate the plasma signatures that surround sites of reconnection, including the effects of turbulence as well as the detailed kinetic signatures that indicate proximity to reconnection sites. In particular, we point out that particles are energized in several regions, not only at the actual site of reconnection.
Monitoring effects of timeout: A comparative analysis of response trends across five- and two-hundred-minute time samples

In this single-case study, the dangerous mouthing behavior of a 5-year-old multihandicapped boy was treated with a response-contingent, timeout procedure in a public school setting. Using an A-B-A-B experimental design, treatment effects were compared for 5- and 200-min time samples. Results indicated high frequencies of mouthing during nontreatment conditions, which rapidly decelerated when timeout was in effect. The mouthing patterns captured in the 5-min samples represented a microcosm of the mouthing trends displayed in the 200-min samples, calling into question the need to conduct the longer assessments. Treatment effects were maintained at 30- and 45-day follow-up assessments; clinical implications are discussed.
Cadmium sulfate application to sludge‐amended soils: III. Relationship between treatment and plant available cadmium, zinc, and manganese1

Abstract Swiss chard (Beta vulgarisvar. cicla) and corn (Zea maysL.) were used as biological indicators of Cd, Zn and Mn availability in 12 soils amended with and without sludge, CdSO4and CaCO3. Soil Cd, Zn and Mn were partitioned into six fractions: soluble, exchangeable, adsorbed, organically bound, carbonate bound and sulfide bound, by the use of H2O, KNO3, H2O, NaOH, EDTA and HNO3, respectively. The data indicate that the major portion of total Cd was found in the carbonate, residual and organic fractions. Addition of CaCO3caused an increase in the soluble and exchangeable fractions of Cd in the soils. The concentrations of Cd in the saturation extracts of the limed soils were significantly greater than those of the unlimed soils; however, this was not reflected in greater plant uptake of Cd from limed soils.
Dynamic Game Results of the Acquisition of New Technology

Open and closed-loop Nash strategies are derived and analyzed for a differential game in which two competing firms choose prices and productive capacity where new technology reduces a firm's unit operating cost. Using an open-loop strategy, a firm makes an irreversible commitment to a future course of action. For example, a contract with a labor union may force a firm to commit to maintaining its entire workforce regardless of its competitor's future realized behavior. In contrast, using a closed-loop strategy, a firm's decisions evolve over time, continuously responding to the competitor's behavior. The dynamic Nash strategies obtained for the closed-loop model exhibit a more restricted acquisition of new technology and a greater reduction of existing capacity relative to the open-loop solutions. In addition, the dynamic Nash price to be charged for output is higher in the closed as opposed to open-loop competitive environment. Numerical solutions are presented to demonstrate that if both firms apply the closed-loop approach, each will earn higher profits than if one or both firms choose an open-loop strategy.
Correlation between surface rumpling and structural phase transformation in SrTiO3

We present x-ray reflectivity , x-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy measurements of single-crystal SrTiO${}_{3}$ taken as a function of temperature. We found a rumpling transformation of the SrTiO${}_{3}$ surface after cooling the sample below \ensuremath{\sim}105 K. The rumpling transformation is correlated with the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transformation that occurs at the same temperature. The rumpling transformation is reversible.
Studies of equatorial 630.0 nm airglow enhancements produced by a chemical release in the F-region

Abstract A sky-mapping filter photometer has been used to determine the 630.0 nm airglow enhancement produced by explosive release of 3 × 10 26 CO 2 molecules into the F-region at 320 km altitude on 8 September 1982 as part of project BIME. The enhancement is produced when COg molecules engage in atom transfer with the F-region O + ions to form O 2 + ions, which subsequently dissociatively recombine with the ambient electrons to produce O( 1 D) atoms to yield the 630.0 nm radiation. The morphology of the enhanced airglow region has been traced in a series of 630.0 nm intensity contour maps as a function of time, the enhancement reaching a central brightness of approximately 400 R about 2 min after release and a diameter of ∼ 250 km some 3 min after release. The measurements of central intensity and enhanced region radius as a function of time are compared with model calculations by Mendillo and Herniter of diffusive expansion of CO 2 molecules from either a point release or from an initial, extended volume. While peak intensities are reasonably reproduced, the measured decay of the 630.0 nm intensity and the growth in size of the enhanced region are rather different from the model predictions. The measured 200 m/s drift southeastward of the enhanced region is consistent with the motion of the neutral thermosphere determined from optical doppler shifts less than an hour earlier.
Global asymptotical stability of dynamic systems with modified contractions

The global asymptotical stability of dynamic systems with discrete time scale is analyzed when the state transition function is a nonstationary linear combination of the identity mapping and a contraction. The convergence result is applied for cases when only small changes in the state are possible during each time period. Such cases are found, for example, in the theory of multiproduct oligopolies.
College Students’ Perceptions of Class Year-Specific Drinking Norms

The current study documents and examines college students' perceptions of the drinking behavior of peers from varying class years (i.e., freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior). A sample of 522 college students estimated the drinking behavior of peers within their own specific class year, as well as across the three other class years. Participants in each class year overestimated the drinking of students in their own class year as well as the drinking of students in the three other class years. These within class year-specific perceived norms associated with drinking for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Poisson regression analyses revealed freshmen and juniors were more impacted by their class year-specific perceived norms than students in other class years, while students in other class years were more impacted by sophomore-specific perceived norms than sophomores. These findings suggest that perceptions of class year-specific drinking norms can be impactful on individual drinking rates within one's own class year; however, perceived drinking norms of other class years may also associate with actual drinking for students. Future research is needed to establish the longitudinal development of class year-specific perceived norms and to explore the impact of providing students with actual drinking norms of students in their own class years and of students in other class years during interventions and prevention programs.