cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mouse models orthologous to FGFR3-related skeletal dysplasias

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) is one of the membrane bound tyrosine kinases that mediate the actions of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family members. Missense mutations in the coding regions of FGFR3 have been identified in allelic forms of short-limbed dwarfism. Using gene targeting, we demonstrated that Fgfr3 plays an essential role in endochondral ossification and that a loss-of-function mutation causes accelerated and prolonged long bone growth. Using a number of molecular genetic approaches, we also have introduced into the mouse genome a series of mutations that correspond to the missense mutations identified in individuals with achondroplasia and thanatophoric dysplasia. These mouse models mimic the human condition and can be used for further studies to identify and characterize in vivo changes associated with various Fgfr3 mutations. In addition, these models may be beneficial in future studies to attempt novel treatment strategies for short-limbed dwarfism.
Does exposure to conflict of interest policies in psychiatry residency affect antidepressant prescribing

Background:Academic medical institutions have instituted conflict of interest (COI) policies in response to concerns about pharmaceutical industry influence.Objective:To determine whether exposure to COI policies during psychiatry residency training affects psychiatrists’ antidepressant prescribing
Effectiveness of Individual or Combined Sanitizer Treatments for Inactivating Salmonella spp. on Smooth Surface, Stem Scar, and Wounds of Tomatoes

Unwaxed, green tomatoes (‘Florida 47’ cultivar) were contaminated with Salmonella and then treated with aqueous solutions of sodium hypochlorite (HOCl; 200 ppm), acidified sodium chlorite (ASC; 1200 ppm), peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 87 ppm), or chlorine dioxide gas (ClO2; total 100 mg). Additionally, a combined treatment of immersion in HOCl, followed by immersion in ASC and then exposure to ClO2 gas was investigated. Tomatoes were spot inoculated with a 5-strain Salmonella cocktail on smooth surfaces, stem scar tissue, or puncture wounds. A 3 replicate set of each of the sample groups was stored at 20 °C and 95% relative humidity (RH) and retested after 5 d. Greater than 4.0-log unit reductions of Salmonella spp. inoculated on the smooth surface of the tomatoes were seen for all aqueous sanitizer treatments, with Salmonella populations below the detection limit after 5 d of storage. All aqueous treatment groups showed > 1.0-log unit reductions in Salmonella at the stem scar and >2.0-log unit reduction at puncture wounds. The ClO2 gas treatment reduced Salmonella to undetectable levels at the stem scar, but had no apparent effect on populations inoculated in puncture wounds. The combined treatment resulted in a 3.0-log unit reduction of inoculated Salmonella at puncture wounds. In all cases except for treatment with chlorine, surviving Salmonella populations did not increase after the 5 d of storage. Results of this study suggest the combined treatment was most effective for minimizing the risk of Salmonella contaminated on tomatoes.
Effects of manning levels on subjective experiences, performance, and verbal interaction in groups

Abstract An ecological, social systems approach was followed in designing this laboratory experiment. Response measures from different behavioral modalities were obtained over time, and participants were given opportunities to adjust strategies and role assignments on the basis of periodic feedback about group performance. Groups of four male college students ( n = 180) raced a miniature (slot) car when 6, 4, or 2 people were needed for the task (undermanned, adequately manned, and overmanned conditions, respectively). All groups subsequently performed the task in overmanned conditions to test possible carry-over effects of prior manning experience. As predicted, greater degrees of manning produced weaker and more variable feelings of involvement with the group and its task. These effects were apparently due to differences in importance of jobs members held in the different manning conditions. Subjective experiences previously reported to vary with group size were found also to vary with degree of manning, suggesting that manning may mediate some group size effects. Manning did not affect quality of group performance or patterns of group interaction. Interaction profiles were significantly different for the strategy and performance phases of the task, however. The manning levels initially experienced by groups affected their subsequent judgments about the number of people required for the task and the variability of their experiences of involvement. Other significant relationships were found between (a) manning condition and a proxemic measure of involvement, (b) group interaction and performance, and (c) an individual difference measure of tolerance for waiting and reported experiences in the group. Costs and benefits of following the ecological, social systems approach were discussed.
Streambank shear stress estimates using turbulent kinetic energy

In tidal environments, the boundary shear stress (BSS) is directly proportional to the turbulent kinetic energy, with a reported proportionality coefficient of 0.19. This coefficient was calculated using velocity time series to determine Reynolds stresses and, ultimately, to estimate the BSS. The coefficient has not been evaluated using direct measurements of BSS or for environments other than tidal systems. This laboratory flume study examines the validity of this relationship for a sloping streambank with and without vegetation. BSSs and near-bank Reynolds stresses were calculated using a constant temperature anemometer and velocity measurements, respectively. The coefficient ranged from 0.11 to 0.53 when calculated with the measured values of BSS, and 0.09 to 0.37 when calculated with Reynolds stresses. The variation was attributed to differences in turbulence generation, coefficient development, and instrumentation.
Upwelling near Samalga Pass1

Recent summer hydrographic data from the vicinity of Samalga Pass in the eastern Aleutians show upwelling of relatively saline water, poor in oxygen and rich in nutrients. A steady state oxygen model in which the photosynthetic production of oxygen in the euphotic zone is balanced by an upwelling of low-oxygen water yields an upper bound on the vertical velocity of 7 x 10” cm s-l. Examination of various possible driving mechanisms for the upwelling, including winds and entrainment, suggests that the upwelling is driven by subsurface convergence.
Comparison of Critically Ill and Injured Children Transferred From Referring Hospitals Versus In-House Admissions

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this work was to compare the outcomes, severity of illness, and resource use of patients transferred to PICUs from outside hospitals to patients admitted from within the same hospital. METHODS. We conducted a secondary analysis of patients from the 20 US PICUs in the most recent Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Evaluations Software Recalibration Database on a total of 13017 emergent PICU admissions between January 2001 and January 2006. Dependent variables were PICU resource use and risk-adjusted mortality. The main independent variable was the PICU admission source: patients transferred from referring emergency departments and inpatient wards versus in-house admissions from the same hospitals' emergency departments and inpatient ward. RESULTS. Patients admitted from referring emergency departments had higher use of vasoactive infusions (7.31% vs 5.23%) and mechanical ventilation (33.45% vs 23.6%) than same-hospital emergency department admissions. Compared with in-house ward admissions, patients transferred from referring inpatient wards had higher mechanical ventilation rates (45.05% vs 28.56%) and PICU lengths of stay (8.0 vs 6.7 days). CONCLUSIONS. On average, children admitted to a cohort of US PICUs from referring hospitals were more ill and required more intensive care resources than patients admitted to the same PICUs from within the institution. Hospital-level differences in PICU efficiency and severity of illness were highly variable. These data highlight the need for standardized PICU admission criteria to maximize hospital efficiency and suggest opportunities for earlier intervention and consultation by hospitals with PICU-level services to improve quality of care for critically ill children. Language: en
Tensile bond strengths of fourth- and fifth-generation dentin adhesives with packable resin composites.

Purpose Placement of packable composites would be simplified if a single-bottle dentin bonding agent, rather than the more complex, multiple-bottle dentin bonding agents, involving multiple steps, could be used successfully with adequate bond strength. This study was designed to compare the tensile bond strengths to extracted human dentin of four single-bottle (fifth-generation) and four multiple-bottle (fourth-generation) dentin bonding agents with four packable composites. Materials and methods Packable composites (P60, 3M Dental Products Division; ALERT, Jeneric-Pentron; Pyramid Dentin, Bisco; and Clearfil AP-X, Kuraray America) were tested for in vitro tensile bond strength to human dentin with their single-bottle and their multiple-bottle dentin bonding agents. Bond strengths were measured using a truncated cone tensile test, with a bonding diameter of 3 mm, after storage of specimens in water at 37 degrees C and 100% relative humidity for 24 hours, and using a testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm per minute. Results Means and standard deviations (n = 10) of tensile bond strengths (MPa) for the single-bottle system were P60, 21.3 MPa (6.7); ALERT, 26.6 MPa (4.2); Pyramid Dentin, 14.8 MPa (4.4); and Clearfil AP-X, 18.6 MPa (3.7). For the multiple-bottle system they were P60, 20.0 MPa (8.6); ALERT, 20.6 MPa (6.2); Pyramid Dentin, 16.0 MPa (3.4); and Clearfil AP-X, 17.8 MPa (6.0). Two-way analysis of variance showed significant differences among composites but no significant differences between single-bottle and multiple-bottle bonding agents. The Tukey-Kramer interval (p Conclusions For single-bottle agents, bond strengths were ranked as ALERT > P60, P60 = Clearfil, P60 > Pyramid, and Clearfil = Pyramid. For multiple-bottle agents, there were no significant differences in bond strengths among the composites. Clinical significance Single-bottle bonding agents provide similar in vitro bond strengths for use with packable composites as do the same manufacturers' multiple-bottle bonding agents.
Adenophostin A induces spatially restricted calcium signaling in Xenopus laevis oocytes

The activation of intracellular calcium release and calcium entry across the plasmalemma in response to intracellular application of inositol 2,4,5-trisphosphate and adenophostin A, two metabolically stable agonists for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors, was investigated using Xenopus laevis oocytes and confocal imaging. Intracellular injection of inositol 2,4,5-trisphosphate induced a rapidly spreading calcium signal associated with regenerative calcium waves; the calcium signal filled the peripheral regions of the cell in 1-5 min. Injection of high concentrations of adenophostin A (250 nM) similarly induced rapidly spreading calcium signals. Injection of low concentrations of adenophostin A resulted in calcium signals that spread slowly (>1 h). With extremely low concentrations of adenophostin A (approximately 10 pM), stable regions of Ca2+ release were observed that did not expand to peripheral regions. When the adenophostin A-induced calcium signal was restricted to central regions, compartmentalized calcium oscillations were sometimes observed. Restoration of extracellular calcium caused a rise in cytoplasmic calcium restricted to the region of adenophostin A-induced calcium mobilization. The limited diffusion of adenophostin A provides an opportunity to examine calcium signaling processes under spatially restricted conditions and provides insights into mechanisms of intracellular calcium oscillations and capacitative calcium entry.
Mating strategies in two species of dart-poison frogs : a comparative study

Abstract Comparative field studies of species of dart-poison frogs in the genus Dendrobates were carried out to test predictions from two hypotheses that attempt to explain female-female competition for mates in species of Dendrobates with male parental care. The sex role reversal hypothesis proposes that males invest so much time and energy in parental care that receptive males are rare relative to receptive females, and females compete to find and mate with receptive males. The parental quality hypothesis proposes that females compete to monopolize the parental effort of particular males, because they potentially suffer a cost when their mates care for the offspring of other females. Comparisons between species with male parental care (Dendrobates leucomelas) and female parental care (Dendrobates histrionicus) contradicted prediction of the sex role reversal hypothesis, but were consistent with predictions of the parental quality hypothesis. Male D. histrionicus did not compete for mates more aggressively than male D. leucomelas, and male D. leucomelas were not more selective about mating than male D. histrionicus. Female D. leucomelas and D. histrionicus were both selective about mating; female D. leucomelas associated with and competed for particular males, whereas female D. histrionicus did not.
Polymer analysis and characterization by field-flow fractionation (one-phase chromatography)

Abstract Field-flow fractionation (FFF) is introduced as a tool for polymer analysis and characterization and a theoretical summary is given of its operation. The existing scope of published experimental results is noted with several illustrative fractograms. New experimental results are presented which deal with extending that scope in the direction of (a) high-speed analysis, (b) non-polar polymers other than polystyrene, and (c) water-soluble polymers. Finally, we have analyzed the basic factors that may ultimately determine the limits of application of various FFF subtechniques to different classes of polymers.
Neopopulism and neoliberalism in Latin America: Unexpected affinities

Why have political populism and economic liberalism coexisted under Presidents Menem in Argentina, Collor in Brazil, and Fujimori in Peru? In order to elucidate this surprising convergence, which established conceptions of populism did not expect, this article stresses some underlying affinities between neoliberalism and the new version of populism emerging in the 1980s. Both neopopulism and neoliberalism seek to win mass support primarily from unorganized people in the informal sector, while marginalizing autonomous organizations of better-off strata and attacking the “political class.” They both apply a top-down, state-centered strategy of wielding political power. Finally, neoliberal efforts to combat Latin America’s deep economic crisis yield some benefits for poorer sectors, to which neopopulist leaders appeal, while imposing especially high costs on many of the better-off opponents of neopopulism.
Inhibition by cortisol of deiodination of thyroxine by rat liver in vitro.

GLUCOCORTICOIDS have been shown to flatten the slope of peripheral disappearance of 131I-thyroxine in man1 and decrease its hepatic content in man2 and rat3. Galton and Ingbar4 have shown that deiodination of thyroxine by rat liver is mediated by two components, one of which is heat resistant and lost by leaching of liver slices in buffer and another which is heat labile and possibly an enzyme. This latter component is probably similar to the heat labile, microsomal system for degrading thyroxine in rat liver5.
Review: Polyethylene glycol is more effective than lactulose for chronic constipation in children and adults

Source Citation Lee-Robichaud H, Thomas K, Morgan J, Nelson RL. Lactulose versus polyethylene glycol for chronic constipation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;(7):CD007570. 20614462
Selection rules, causality, and unitarity in statistical and quantum physics

The integrodifferential equations satisfied by the statistical frequency functions for physical systems undergoing stochastic transitions are derived by application of a causality principle and selection rules to the Markov chain equations. The result equations can be viewed as generalizations of the diffusion equation, but, unlike the latter, they have a direct bearing onactive transport problems in biophysics andcondensation aggregation problems of astrophysics and phase transition theory. Simple specific examples of the effects of severe selection rules, such as the relaxational Boltzmann transport equation and the diffusion equation, are also given. Finally, partial differential equations for the probability amplitudes of quantum mechanics are derived, usingunitarity instead of causality, and a selection rule is applied directly to obtain ageneralization of the Dirac equation in which infinite transitions between states arenot allowed.
The relationship between Clinical Trial Network protocol involvement and quality of substance use disorder treatment

The National Institute on Drug Abuse's Clinical Trials Network (CTN) is a practice-based research network that partners academic researchers with community based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs designed primarily to conduct effectiveness trials of promising interventions. A secondary goal of the CTN is to widely disseminate results of these trials and thus improve the quality of SUD treatment in the US. Drawing on data from 156 CTN programs, this study examines the association between involvement in CTN protocols and overall treatment quality measured by a comprehensive index of 35 treatment services. Negative binomial regression models show that treatment programs participating in a greater number of CTN protocols had significantly higher levels of treatment quality, an association that held after controlling for key organizational characteristics. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on the role of practice-based research networks in promoting health care quality.
Crowdsourcing Awareness: Exploration of the Ovarian Cancer Knowledge Gap through Amazon Mechanical Turk

Background Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic disease in the United States, with more women dying from this cancer than all gynecological cancers combined. Ovarian cancer has been termed the “silent killer” because some patients do not show clear symptoms at an early stage. Currently, there is a lack of approved and effective early diagnostic tools for ovarian cancer. There is also an apparent severe knowledge gap of ovarian cancer in general and of its indicative symptoms among both public and many health professionals. These factors have significantly contributed to the late stage diagnosis of most ovarian cancer patients (63% are diagnosed at Stage III or above), where the 5-year survival rate is less than 30%. The paucity of knowledge concerning ovarian cancer in the United States is unknown. Methods The present investigation examined current public awareness and knowledge about ovarian cancer. The study implemented design strategies to develop an unbiased survey with quality control measures, including the modern application of multiple statistical analyses. The survey assessed a reasonable proxy of the US population by crowdsourcing participants through the online task marketplace Amazon Mechanical Turk, at a highly condensed rate of cost and time compared to traditional recruitment methods. Conclusion Knowledge of ovarian cancer was compared to that of breast cancer using repeated measures, bias control and other quality control measures in the survey design. Analyses included multinomial logistic regression and categorical data analysis procedures such as correspondence analysis, among other statistics. We confirmed the relatively poor public knowledge of ovarian cancer among the US population. The simple, yet novel design should set an example for designing surveys to obtain quality data via Amazon Mechanical Turk with the associated analyses.
Challenges to the Therapeutic Pipeline for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: End Points and Regulatory Hurdles

Recent advances in our understanding of basic neuroenteric mechanisms and the role of effectors and transmitters in the brain-gut axis have provided opportunities to develop new therapeutic agents for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Furthermore, human pharmacodynamic studies utilizing transit, colonic, or rectal sensitivity and brain imaging have been useful in determining therapeutic efficacy (particularly for drugs that act on motor function). This review provides an overview of medications that have not yet been approved for treatment of patients with IBS yet have shown promise in phase IIB trials. These include drugs that act on the serotonin receptor and transporter system: antidepressants, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, opioids, cholecystokinin antagonists, neurokinin-antagonists, chloride channel activators, guanylate cyclase C agonists, atypical benzodiazepines, probiotics, and antibiotics. The changing landscape in the regulatory approval process has impacted the development of IBS drugs. Guidance documents from regulatory agencies in Europe and the United States have focused on patients' reported outcomes and associated quality of life. After a decade of experience with different end points that have generated some data on psychometric validation and unprecedented information about responsiveness of the binary or global end points to drug therapy, it is necessary to pursue further validation studies before or during pivotal phase IIB or III trials. The hope of providing relief to patients should galvanize all parties to achieve these goals.
Acoustic-wave amplification in high-mobility semiconductors at microwave frequencies

The use of high-mobility piezoelectric semiconductors for acoustic-wave amplification at microwave frequencies is considered.
Non-surgical abortion: who's for methotrexate?

PIP: When offered a choice of abortion through surgery or treatment with RU486, 60-70% of women choose RU486. Use of RU486 is, however, limited by the cost of the drug and the conservative marketing policy of Roussel Uclaf, holders of the patent. Methotrexate is a drug registered in many countries for several indications, including cancer therapy and psoriasis. In 1993, Creinin and Darney described its use as an abortifacient. Methotrexate when combined with prostaglandins works almost as well as mifepristone (RU486). It is inexpensive, off patent, and readily available in many parts of the world. Moreover, the US Food and Drug Administration has no jurisdiction over the off-label use of methotrexate as an abortifacient and an investigational new drug application is not required. Early trials to determine dosage are now being followed by larger studies of efficacy and side-effects. All of the experimental protocols have used a similar dosage regimen of methotrexate (approximately 80 mg) given intramuscularly, followed by 800 mcg of misoprostol per vagina 5-7 days later. Used before 56-63 days after the last menstruation, the regimen is 88-97% effective, and before 42 days methotrexate may be effective without misoprostol. Uterine emptying can take as long as two weeks and the decidua must be shed spontaneously, as with a spontaneous abortion. Even so, 90% of study participants reported that they would choose the method again if needed. Some investigators use a second dose of misoprostol, while the one in twenty aspiration procedures which seem to be needed with methotrexate abortion could be carried out as for any other minor operation by a trained person. Methotrexate together with the misoprostol costs less than US$7.00, even in the US. The author notes that while methotrexate is teratogenic in animals, and use before conception has been associated with spina bifida, use after conception has not been shown to be harmful and there in reassuring evidence of no long-term adverse effects upon subsequent pregnancies.
Forecasting scale-dependent dispersion from spills in heterogeneous aquifers

Abstract Existing theories of flow and contaminant transport in aquifers are either based on Monte Carlo simulations or small perturbation solutions of the governing stochastic partial differential equations, which limit the applications to cases of small variances in the physical parameters. In this article scale-dependent models to predict mean contaminant concentration from point sources (well injection), and non-point sources (ground surface spills) in heterogeneous aquifers are developed and tested. A general analytic technique, the Neumann expansion, is used in the solution of the equations. This method does not require the assumptions of small perturbation, logarithmic transformations, or a specific probability law in the random quantities. In addition, aquifer parameters such as the mean pore velocity are functionally defined in terms of the underlying groundwater flow problem, and field-measurable aquifer hydrogeologic properties such as mean transmissivity, mean hydraulic gradient, mean porosity and aquifer thickness. Comparison with theoretical models, and verification with field tracer tests at the Borden aquifer indicated that the proposed models reproduced the enhanced longitudinal dispersion as a function of distance reported in the literature.
Case report: intraneural ganglion cyst of the ulnar nerve at the wrist

We report a case of a 69-year-old male who presented with pain, weakness, and clumsiness of his right hand. Initial evaluation suggested possible neoplastic process affecting his cervical spine, which was fortunately ruled out by bone biopsy. Subsequent electrodiagnostic studies and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a lesion of the deep ulnar motor branch. Exploration of Guyon’s canal was performed, and an intraneural ganglion involving the deep motor branch of the ulnar nerve was found and excised. Despite more than 14 months of symptomatic duration, the patient made a near-complete recovery with virtually no functional limitations. This provides supporting evidence for a functional benefit of intraneural ganglion excision and nerve decompression even in cases of chronic muscle atrophy.
Importance of leaf area index and forest type when estimating photosynthesis in boreal forests

Abstract Leaf area index (LAI) and vegetation type are two ecological variables that influence atmosphere-biosphere exchange of CO2 and that can be estimated from remote sensing techniques. A forest ecosystem process model was used to examine the importance of LAI and species-dependent physiology when estimating photosynthesis in 21 black spruce, white spruce, quaking aspen, paper birch, and balsam poplar forests near Fairbanks, Alaska. Model sensitivity analyses for these 21 stands showed that uncertainty in LAI and species composition caused errors in net canopy assimilation of as much as 42–70% and 14–36%, respectively, depending on forest type. The sensitivity of net canopy assimilation to species-dependent physiology was greater between needleleaf coniferous and broadleaf deciduous life forms than among species within life forms. A simple regression model that recognized stand differences in LAI and life-form type (needleleaf coniferous, broadleaf deciduous) accounted for 94% of the variation in simulated net canopy assimilation for the 21 stands. Expanding the model to include species composition rather than life-form type only accounted for an additional 1% of the variation in simulated net canopy assimilation. The statistical model was applied to a synthetic aperture radar scene that discriminatted black spruce, white spruce, balsam poplar, and alder forests in a 76.8 km2 region near Fairbanks. This analysis showed that regional net canopy assimilation was as sensitive to the area of each forest type as it was to the LAI of each forest type. The analyses reported in this article highlight the importance of recognizing physiological differences among needleleaf coniferous and broadleaf deciduous forest types when estimating regional net canopy assimilation in boreal forests.
A 199-line Matlab code for Pareto-optimal tracing in topology optimization

The paper `A 99-line topology optimization code written in Matlab' by Sigmund (Struct Multidisc Optim 21(2):120---127, 2001) demonstrated that SIMP-based topology optimization can be easily implemented in less than hundred lines of Matlab code. The published method and code has been used even since by numerous researchers to advance the field of topology optimization. Inspired by the above paper, we demonstrate here that, by exploiting the notion of topological-sensitivity (an alternate to SIMP), one can generate Pareto-optimal topologies in about twice the number of lines of Matlab code. In other words, optimal topologies for various volume fractions can be generated in a highly efficient manner, by directly tracing the Pareto-optimal curve.
Recent trends in the development of new anti-epileptic drugs

This article summarises reports of new compounds with anticonvulsant activity that have appeared in the patent literature over the past five years. The subject compounds are arranged and discussed according to the following two major categories: new candidate drugs with structural features in common with established anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), and new candidate drugs with novel structures. The first category includes derivatives and analogues of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine, felbamate, lamotrigine, phenytoin, tiagabine, topiramate and valproate. The second category describes compounds structurally unrelated to these AEDs, and includes acids and their derivatives, amides and vinylogous amides, aliphatic amines, benzimidazoles and imidazoles, benzodiazepines and benzothiazepines, benzopyrans, benzothiazoles, isoindolinones, lactams, lactones and thiolactones, 2(1H)-quinolones, quinoxalines and quinazolines, steroids and tricyclic steroid analogues, ureas and carbamates, and miscellaneous structural type...
The determination of natural uranium in human tissues by recovery corrected kinetic phosphorescence analysis

Two typical methods used for the determination of uranium in human autopsy tissues are kinetic phosphorescence analysis (KPA) and alpha-spectrometry, both of which have significant limitations and advantages. KPA is limited because of the amount of sample used (1–10 ml for sample digestion followed by one ml KPA aliquots), no isotopic information is provided, phosphorescence degradation by salts in solution, and even more importantly, it does not provide chemical recovery information. For samples with sub ng uranium concentrations per g of inorganic material, preconcentration is necessary, which may require chemical recovery (other than simple evaporation). While alpha-spectrometry has very good radiometric detection limits for 238U, the very long half-life of 238U (4.468·109 y) restricts its mass detection limit (27 ng). KPA, on the other hand, has a detection limit three orders of magnitude lower (0.02 ng) for natural uranium. A recovery corrected method for the determination of natural uranium in human tissues was developed combining preconcentration of human tissues dissolved in 6M HCl by anion exchange with alpha-spectrometry and kinetic phosphorescence analysis, utilizing 232U as a tracer. Solution aliquots containing up to 6 g of bone ash were pre-concentrated for KPA measurement thereby allowing the use of up to 25% of the original sample solution weight for analysis by KPA. The radiochemical yield of 232U was determined by alpha-spectrometry and the uranium content was determined by KPA. The mean radiochemical yields obtained for human tissue samples range from 65% to 106% with a mean of 85%±8%.
Experimentation as an aid in management of esophageal disorders.

Abstract Simultaneous pressure and pH studies have been performed in over 200 subjects, with a wide variety of esophageal disorders, and in twenty normal subjects. From these studies the pH and pressure profiles have been clearly depicted in both health and disease. Combined studies with two pressure tubes in the esophagus have deomonstrated the progression of swallow waves in the normal subject, and the failure of the progression of swallow waves into the terminal esophagus in the patient with advanced esophagitis. Combined studies with a pressure tube placed in the esophagus and one in the stomach has allowed a measurement of the gradients across the gastroesophageal junction. The influence of these gradients in producing reflux indicates that the conventional maneuvers, such as the Mueller and Valsalva which are employed by the roentgenologist in an effort to produce reflux, often close the esophagus tightly and prevent reflux in spite of a large pressure gradient across the gastroesophageal junction. The most potent maneuvers that produce the highest pressure gradients across the junction have been inspiratory sniffing and simulated hiccoughs, or singultus. These have produced pressure gradients as high as 200 cm. of water across the sphincter and are the best means of producing reflux. In a final analysis, however, the most frequent condition under which we were able to demonstrate reflux has been the supine position with the patient relaxed. These studies have been standardized to the point where they are an integral part of the evaluation of the patient with esophageal disease. They are particularly helpful in detecting the early stages of esophagitis, achalasia, diffuse spasm, scleroderma, as well as other benign esophageal disorders. They have been useful in delineating the underlying mechanisms of esophageal disease. Pre- and postoperative studies on unusual conditions such as Schatzki's ring and high gastric diverticula have been illuminating. With these technics the surgeon has an objective means of determining the presence of early derangement of the esophagus preoperatively and thereby is in a better position to avoid many of the poor results in surgery which stem from an inaccurate diagnosis. In addition, postoperative studies and posttreatment studies serve to define objectively the effect of therapy. Our studies indicate that simple closure of the hiatus is an inadequate operation for reflux esophagitis. These studies also point out that reconstructing sutures should be applied in conjunction with the Heller operation in order to prevent reflux following this procedure. These studies have been helpful in differentiating the pain of angina pectoris from that of reflux esophagitis and in delineating reflux in those subjects in whom no demonstrable hernia or reflux could be demonstrated by conventional roentgenographic technics. Further studies to define the influence of vagotomy and other ancillary procedures employed in esophageal disease are in progress.
Goal driven simulation intelligent back ends: a state of the art review

Goal driven simulation (GDS) seeks to automate many of the output analysis and experimental design tasks of a simulation study. Theoretically, its use allows the reallocation of the simulation expert to other tasks. ODS capabilities include determining parameters to change, suggesting a rate of change, and testing these changes against a pre-established set of goals. Realizing GDS, however, requires the integration of techniques such as object oriented design, knowledge based systems, and neural nets. Before achieving this integration, there are still several issues to resolve including the type of interaction these techniques would have among themselves. This paper explores several of the issues concerning the realization of goal driven simulation systems, their impact on the simulation modeling methodology, how GDS works, and the need for its development.
Note: Thermally removable epoxy adhesives incorporating thermally reversible diels-alder adducts

Thermally reversible adhesives are prepared through the reaction of aliphatic diamines and a diepoxy compound containing two Diels-Alder adducts. The diepoxy compound is formed via the Diels-Alder reaction between two epoxy-containing furans and a bismaleimide. The adhesive displays a T g of m 40°C and a constant shear modulus up to approximately 90°C. At temperatures exceeding 90°C the retro Diels-Alder reaction occurs, which leads to a significant loss in modulus. The loss of modulus is reversible with temperature. A thermally reversible adhesive is proposed based upon the loss of modulus at an elevated temperature, i.e., adhesives bonds are easily broken at elevated temperature where the modulus is low.
SPINE-D: Accurate Prediction of Short and Long Disordered Regions by a Single Neural-Network Based Method

Short and long disordered regions of proteins have different preference for different amino acid residues. Different methods often have to be trained to predict them separately. In this study, we developed a single neural-network-based technique called SPINE-D that makes a three-state prediction first (ordered residues and disordered residues in short and long disordered regions) and reduces it into a two-state prediction afterwards. SPINE-D was tested on various sets composed of different combinations of Disprot annotated proteins and proteins directly from the PDB annotated for disorder by missing coordinates in X-ray determined structures. While disorder annotations are different according to Disprot and X-ray approaches, SPINE-D's prediction accuracy and ability to predict disorder are relatively independent of how the method was trained and what type of annotation was employed but strongly depend on the balance in the relative populations of ordered and disordered residues in short and long disordered regions in the test set. With greater than 85% overall specificity for detecting residues in both short and long disordered regions, the residues in long disordered regions are easier to predict at 81% sensitivity in a balanced test dataset with 56.5% ordered residues but more challenging (at 65% sensitivity) in a test dataset with 90% ordered residues. Compared to eleven other methods, SPINE-D yields the highest area under the curve (AUC), the highest Mathews correlation coefficient for residue-based prediction, and the lowest mean square error in predicting disorder contents of proteins for an independent test set with 329 proteins. In particular, SPINE-D is comparable to a meta predictor in predicting disordered residues in long disordered regions and superior in short disordered regions. SPINE-D participated in CASP 9 blind prediction and is one of the top servers according to the official ranking. In addition, SPINE-D was examined for prediction of functional molecular recognition motifs in several case studies. The server and databases are available at http:// sparks.informatics.iupui.edu/.
The electrical pollution screener: A simple tool for assessing disturbing installations

A new tool for screening the disturbing installations and loads is described in this paper. This tool is designed to run on commercially-available "personal digital assistant" (PDA) hardware. The tool performs basic power quality screening calculations for motor loads, harmonic-producing loads, and loads which may cause objectionable voltage fluctuations (flicker). System data is imported via XML database support whereby entire utility distribution company databases may be accessed and used in the calculations. The results of the tool are straightforward indications of "no problem," "proceed with caution," or "do not proceed without detailed analysis." This indications can allow field engineers to quickly make decisions regarding the majority of loads served with regard to potential electrical system pollution. Because the application tool is designed for handheld PDA devices, all calculations can be made in the field and immediate answers given regarding potential load service and interconnection.
Patient perceptions of osteoporosis treatment thresholds.

Objective. Many older patients express concerns about medication risks, and have higher risk thresholds than physicians for cardiovascular preventive medications. We hypothesized that patients have relatively high risk thresholds for fracture preventive medications. Methods. Women ≥ 60 years old were recruited from 3 primary care internal medicine clinics in Wisconsin. Participants were provided information regarding fracture risks and treatment risks and benefits, followed by a series of vignettes depicting a 70-year-old woman at baseline fracture risks between 5–50%. Fracture risks were shown graphically and treatment side effects were provided for each vignette, and participants were asked to respond regarding whether they would accept treatment. The association of vignette treatment acceptance with participant beliefs regarding medication risks was examined in analyses adjusted for perceived risk of medications, patient numeracy, and prior respondent experience with osteoporosis. Results. The mean age of women in the cohort was 69.4 years (SD 7.29). Ninety-one percent were non-Hispanic whites, 34% reported a history of fracture, and 20.3% a history of osteoporosis. Subjects varied substantially in their responses to vignettes, but only 51% reported they would accept prescription osteoporosis treatment at the threshold currently recommended by national physician treatment guidelines, and fewer would accept treatment at lower risks. Belief that medications are generally not worth their risks was associated with lower acceptance of treatment at all levels of fracture risk. Conclusion. There is substantial variability in preferences for postmenopausal osteoporosis treatment. Presentation of individualized fracture risks as recommended by current guidelines has potential to allow better targeting to higher-risk patients, but further work is needed regarding how to present this information and counsel patients.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: An Evolving Clinical Challenge

Staphylococcus aureus infections particularly infections with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains in their practices. One only has to look at stories in the national and local media about outbreaks of MRSA infection to appreciate how widespread MRSA has become. Recently, Klevens et al. [1], using data from the Active Bacterial Core surveillance system of the Emerging Infections Program Network of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, estimated that, in the United States during 2005, there were 94,360 invasive MRSA infections and 18,650 related in-hospital deaths. Clearly, there is a compelling need to better understand the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of such infections. Serious infections due to MRSA, such as endocarditis, pneumonia, and bacteremia, have become more prevalent in the hospital setting. Perhaps more importantly, MRSA infections are now quite commonplace among previously healthy individuals with no or limited exposure to health care settings. So-called communityacquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections
Disparities in Socioeconomic Development in Divided Korea: Indications and Implications

With the milestone June 2000 summit in Pyongyang between Republic of Korea (ROK) President Kim Dae Jung and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) chief Kim Jong Il-the first meeting between the top leaders of divided Korea since the peninsula's partition in August 1945-hopes for an eventual Korean reunification (a cherished and abiding goal for many Koreans on both sides of the demilitarized zone that separates them) have, once again, received a dramatic stimulus. In the afterglow of this conciliatory get-together between heads of state still officially at war, there has been extensive speculation in East Asia-and especially in the ROK-about the sorts of diplomatic formulas that might permit North and South Korea to move toward a peace treaty (finally ending the Korean War) and thereafter, to a deepening economic and political integration that would finally culminate in peaceful and voluntary reunification. But if one is to contemplate the prospect of an eventual Korean unification, one must consider not only the policies and negotiating frameworks that might one day bring the Korean people back together, but also the disparities in socioeconomic development that separate them today. To approach discussion of an eventual reintegration or reunification of the two Koreas in a practical fashion, indeed, it is absolutely essential to have
Surgery in Advanced Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease:

Crippling equinocavovarus position of the foot in advanced Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease with its attendant metatarsalgia tender calluses and rigidity creates painful, limited, hobbling ambulation with lowered work and general activity tolerance. The object of the surgeries is to convert this foot into a plantigrade, more flexible, painless unit. Surgery consists of plantar fasciotomies off the tubercle of the os caleis and also transversely through the middle of the longitudinal arch. Dorsally angulated green-stick osteotomies are performed at the bases of all the metatarsals. A Jones operation with transfer of the long extensor great toe tendon through the neck and head of the first metatarsal and arthrodesis of the IP joint of the great toe complete the surgery. Often it is necessary to do Bunnell repair lengthening of the flexor hallucis longus tendon. Occasionally, the first metatarsophalangeal joint needs dorsal capsulotomy and lengthening of the short extensor tendon. Variations in and simplicity of ...
The ratio of replacement to silent divergence and tests of neutrality

Comparisons of replacement to silent divergence have been used in a variety of studies aimed at detecting selection. Here, such comparisons are shown to be very sensitive to the pattern of rate variation in replacement sites. Saturation may play an important role even at surprisingly low levels of divergence if the substitution rate varies across replacement sites. For example, saturation in replacement sites may be of importance in the evolution of the HIV-I envelope gene. However, the pattern of saturation in replacement and silent sites may, in itself, provide valuable insight into the causes of DNA evolution. 210 DNA sequences from 15 different loci/systematic groups are analyzed, and evidence for positive selection is demonstrated in at least one of these data sets, through an analysis of the distribution of substitution rates along the sequence.