cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Focal myositis presenting with radial nerve palsy.

Focal myositis is a rare inflammatory pseudotumor of skeletal muscle which usually has a benign course. We report a 56-year-old woman with a painful mass in the left arm with a radial nerve palsy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the left arm showed a mass in the triceps muscle that was suggestive of a soft-tissue sarcoma. Electromyography showed a severe radial neuropathy involving both motor and sensory axons. An open biopsy showed focal myositis. Treatment with corticosteroids resulted in complete disappearance of the mass clinically and by MRI, without recurrence for more than 2 years. Radial nerve function also recovered completely. As a treatable cause of focal neuropathy, focal myositis should be included in the differential diagnosis of a muscle mass.
The Effects of Cryoprotection on the Structure and Activity of p21ras:Implications for Electron Spin-Echo Envelope Modulation Spectroscopy

Abstract Electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectroscopy is widely used to investigate the active sites of biological molecules in frozen solutions. Various cryoprotection techniques, particularly the addition of co-solvents, are commonly employed in the preparation of such samples. In conjunction with ESEEM studies of Mn(II) guanosine nucleotide complexes of p21ras,we have investigated the effects of cryoprotection on the spectroscopy, the structure, and the activity of this protein. Echo decay times, which typically govern ESEEM spectral resolution, were found to vary linearly with the concentration of glycerol or methyl α-D-glucopyranoside (MG), with both additives equally effective on a per-mole basis. The effect of glycerol and MG on the ESEEM amplitudes of various protein nucleiwas studied inrasp21·Mn(II)·5′guanylylimido-diphosphate(p21·Mn(II)-GMPPNP) complexes: these additives did not alter the distances of these nuclei from the Mn(II) ion. In particular, in p21 incorporating [2H-3]Thr, the Mn(II)-[2H-3]Thr35 distance was found to be unaffected by the concentration of cryoprotectant or the rate of freezing. The proximity of the cryoprotectants to the Mn(II) ion was probed by2H ESEEM in solutions made with d5-glycerol and d7-methyl α-D-glucopyranoside (d7-MG). In p21·Mn(II)GMPPNP, the large deuterium modulations from the d5-glycerol exhibit saturation behavior with increasing d5-glycerol concentration, implying that glycerol, a widely used cryoprotectant, replaces the aquo ligands of the Mn(II) ion. The interaction between the Mn(II) ion of p21 and MG, however, is less intimate: the deuterium ESEEM amplitudes are much smaller for samples prepared with d7-MG than with d5-glycerol. Several polyhydroxylic compounds were found to have essentially no effect on the ability of the guanosine 5′-triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis activating protein, GAP334, to catalyze hydrolysis of p21·guanosine 5′-triphosphate. This observation implies that the introduction of cryoprotectant does not significantly perturb the structure of p21 and gives insight into the mechanism of the GTPase reaction.
A new approach to pH of point of zero charge measurement: crystal-face specificity by scanning force microscopy (SFM)

The pH of point of zero charge (pHpzc) is a fundamentally important property used in modeling the interaction of solid surfaces with aqueous solutions and solutes. The pHpzc is normally measured by acid-base titration of solid suspensions. Here, a scanning force microscope (SFM) is used to measure forces of repulsion or attraction between chemically tailored tips and quartz (101) and hematite (001) surfaces, as a function of tip-surface separation and pH. The force at contact (FAC) is at a minimum near the expected point of pHpzc for a chemically similar tip and sample. The results are compared to predicted interaction forces from a simple DLVO model, which shows that the SFM technique for pHpzc measurement is most promising for surfaces (such as iron oxides) that have not-too-widely spaced pKa1 and pKa2 values for surface site deprotonation. However, improvements in precision will be necessary to fully utilize the technique. The SFM approach to pHpzc measurement may in future allow the measurement of crystal-face-specific pHpzc, rather than a weighted average of all exposed surface sites, and thus allow us to ask better-defined structure-reactivity questions for mineral surfaces. The approach can in theory be extended to the single-site scale in order to probe the properties (e.g., potential and charge) of individual terrace, step, or kink sites.
Marine archaea take a short cut in the nitrogen cycle

Seeing “nitrification” and “Archaea” in the title of the paper in PNAS by Alonso-Saez et al. (1) will not surprise anyone following the story about the role of these microbes in an important pathway of the nitrogen cycle. What will puzzle, if not surprise, everyone is the other key word, “urea.” That nitrogenous compound never comes up in discussions of nitrification and Archaea, and even other organic nitrogen forms figure into the story only indirectly. Thus, it is a surprise to see the evidence from Alonso-Saez et al. (1) indicating that a group of Archaea uses urea to fuel a key step in nitrification in the Arctic Ocean and Antarctic seas. Their study suggests a previously undescribed, shorter pathway in the nitrogen cycle and may help to explain the relatively high abundance of Archaea in some ecosystems.
β Parameters for non-nearest neighbors

Formulas for non-nearest neighbor β parameters over orthogonal orbitals are derived and discussed for the 2pπ-orbitals of benzene and cis- and trans-butadiene.
Rocky intertidal oceanography: An association between community structure and nearshore phytoplankton concentration

On Oregon coastal rocky shores, filter-feeders were relatively abundant and macrophytes were relatively scarce at Strawberry Hill, whereas opposite abundance patterns occurred at Boiler Bay. To determine whether nearshore oceanographic differences were associated with these patterns, we made shore-based measurements of nutrient and Chl a concentrations. We used a three-level nested design to identify ecologically appropriate sampling scales: “site” (10s of km), “bench” nested within site (100s of m), and “location” nested within bench (10s of m). Nutrients varied inconsistently but Chl a was consistently higher at Strawberry Hill. For Chl a, site explained -70% of the variance, whereas bench and location cxplaincd <20%. For nutrients, site and bench explained most of the variance, but neither was consistently more important. The data tentatively suggest that nutrient levels are weakly related to the between-site ecological differences. In addition to the between-site differences, Chl a changed seasonally, with maximum levels in summer. For nutrients, temporal changes were more complex, with highest levels tending to occur in late summer and autumn. No nutrient, howcvcr, was scarce enough at either site to limit phytoplankton growth, with the possible exception of nitrate in June. These results were consistent with the hypothesis that nearshore phytoplankton standing stock, a bottom-up factor, could underlie differences in rocky intertidal community structure.
Observation of impurity effects on conductance quantization

Abstract We report the experimental observation of impurity-induced conductance dips in quantized channels as predicted by previous theorical studies. Our experiments use quantum point contacts on a two-dimensional electron gas in a modulation-doped GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. The electron gas has a sheet density of 1.2 × 10 11 cm −2 and a mobility of 4.6 × 10 5 cm 2 /Vs, measured at 50 mK. Our data, which are qualitatively very similar to those calculated using a two-dimensional Anderson model, strongly suggest that we are observing both the erosion of conductance quantization, and localization in the presence of an impurity-induced random potential.
The Brave Little Toaster from Print to Film: Obsolescent Appliances and Capitalist Allegories

In The Brave Little Toaster (1980), a tale of household appliances confronting and resisting obsolescence, Thomas M. Disch warns audiences against mistaking his anthropomorphic creations for images of themselves. It proves impossible nonetheless for those who read this comic fable or who see the later animated film adapted from it to avoid this temptation, for both works are allegories of the plight of industrial labour under late-twentieth-century capitalism. But while Disch’s narrative emphasises the importance of the solidarity among workers, the Disney Studio’s cinematic version instead teaches young viewers to trust their ‘masters’—a dangerous lesson in passivity.
Mixing and combustion with low heat release in a turbulent shear layer

Turbulent mixing and combustion are investigated in a gaseous shear layer formed between two streams: one containing a low concentration of hydrogen in nitrogen and the other containing a low concentration of fluorine in nitrogen. The resulting temperature field is measured simultaneously at eight points across the width of the layer using fast-response cold-wire thermometry. The results show the presence of large, hot structures separated by tongues of cool fluid that enter the layer from either side. The usual bell-shaped mean-temperature profiles therefore result from a duty cycle whereby a fixed probe sees alternating hot and cool fluid, which results in the local mean. The adiabatic flame temperature is not achieved in the mean, at any location across the layer. For fixed velocities, it is found that, in general, two different mean-temperature profiles result from a given pair of reactant compositions if the sides of the layer on which they are carried are exchanged (‘flipped’). This finding is a direct consequence of the asymmetric entrainment of fluid into the layer. Results are compared with the predictions of Konrad and discussed in the context of the Broadwell–Breidenthal model. By comparison with the liquid result of Breidenthal, the amount of product formed in the layer at high Reynolds number is found to be dependent upon the Schmidt number. Results for a helium–nitrogen layer are discussed briefly.
Quantitative Determination of Lactones in Cheddar Cheese

Abstract Lactones in Cheddar cheese were determined by a simple column extraction technique followed by gas chromatography of the cheese extract. Gamma carbon−12 and delta carbon−10, −12, and −14 were determined quantitatively and correlated with development of cheese flavor. The quantities of the lactones indicate that they may be important to Cheddar cheese flavor. In addition, the greater quantities of the lactones of longer chain length in rancid cheese indicate the possibility of an alternate mode of formation.
Development of an analytical method for the determination of congener specific PCBs in selected polymeric packaging materials

at least 18 and perhaps up to 36 of the 209 congeners have potential for toxicity due to their abundance in fish/animal tissue and their demonstrated enzyme induction effects (McFarland & Clark 1989, Tanabe 1988). Recent research has focused on the use of polymeric materials as cleanup and bioconcentration tools and for the analysis of PCBs and other organic chemicals from water, soil and lipophilic media (Huckins et al. 1990, Zabik et al. 1992). In food packaging, there is a need for research on issues such as the migration of PCBs from packaging materials to packaged foods or the reverse case, the sorption of PCBs from contaminated foods by the packaging material. The purpose of this study was to develop the methodology for the determination of specific PCB congeners in selected polymeric packaging materials used for the packaging of foods. Once the method is developed, it will be possible to investigate the effect of the chemical composition and physical characteristics of food polymers on the potential sorption of selected PCB congeners ranging from tri to deca chlorinated PCBs.
Passage of an irrigation catheter with the aid of a guide wire for pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis

Typically an irrigation catheter or feeding tube is passed within the tendon sheath for treatment of pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis. We describe the use of a guide wire to facilitate the passage of the flexible irrigation device into the narrow sheath. The materials described are standard and readily available.
Cultural roots Tucson, AZ.f police corruption in India

Corruption within the Indian police organization is not a new phenomenon and folklore has always associated police with extortion and brutality. At present, corruption exists in many forms and in every rank and has reached an alarming stage where some practices are not even considered deviant. This paper argues that such pervasive corruption is an expression of the organizational culture that has its roots in the British Raj. The paper, based upon an insider’s viewpoints, describe some unusual forms of corruption and suggest how these emanate from organizational practices that have continued unchanged for more than a 100 years.
Productivity and impact of astronomical facilities: A recent sample

The papers published in 11 key astronomical journals in 2008, and a year of citations to those from the first half of the year, have been associated with the telescopes, satellites, and so forth where the data were gathered using a form of fractional counting. Some numbers are also given by journal, by subfield, and by wavelength band. The largest numbers of papers, and generally also quite highly cited ones, in their respective wavelength bands come from the Very Large Array, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-ray Telescope. Optical astronomy is still the largest sector; and papers about cosmology and exoplanets are cited more often than papers about binary stars and planetary nebulae. The authors conclude that it is of equal importance to recognize (a) that a very large number of papers also come from less famous facilities, (b) that a very large fraction of papers (and their authors) are concerned with the less highly-cited topics, (c) that many facilities are quite slow in achieving their eventual level of influence, and (d) that one really needs at least three years of citation data, not just one or two, to provide a fair picture of what is going on. © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH&Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
On Non-Axisymmetrical Transverse Vibrations of Circular Plates of Convex Parabolic Thickness Variation

This paper presents an approach for finding the solution of the partial differential equation of motion of the non-axisymmetrical transverse vibrations of axisymmetrical circular plates of convex parabolical thickness. This approach employed both the method of multiple scales and the factorization method for solving the governing partial differential equation. The solution has been assumed to be harmonic angular-dependent. Using the method of multiple scales, the partial differential equation has been reduced to two simpler partial differential equations which can be analytically solved and which represent two levels of approximation. Solving them, the solution resulted as first-order approximation of the exact solution. Using the factorization method, the first differential equation, homogeneous and consisting of fourth-order spatial-dependent and second-order time-dependent operators, led to a general solution in terms of hypergeometric functions. Along with given boundary conditions, the first differential equation and the second differential equation, which was nonhomogeneous, gave respectively so-called zero-order and first-order approximations of the natural frequencies and mode shapes. Any boundary conditions could be considered. The influence of Poisson’s ratio on the natural frequencies and mode shapes. Any boundary conditions could be considered. The influence of Poisson’s ratio on the natural frequencies and mode shapes could be further studied using the first-order approximations reported here. This approach can be extended to nonlinear, and/or forced vibrations.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Phenotype phase plane analysis using interior point methods

Abstract Phenotype phase plane analysis is a linear optimization procedure which can be used to study the value of the objective function (a desired phenotype) as two variables (external substrates) vary simultaneously. Existing methods for phenotype phase plane analysis are based on computing shadow prices as defined in classical linear programming duality theory. Since different bases may produce different “shadow prices”, we present here an alternative way to determine the phenotype phase plane based on so-called interior point methods, which unambiguously calculates the correct shadow prices. In addition, this work constitutes the first attempt at producing a mathematically rigorous algorithm to compute phenotype phase planes in a systematic way.
A New Electronic Stabilizer and Regulator for D.C. Voltages and The Use of a Simple A.C. Potentiometer for the Precision Testing of Instrument Transformers

After reviewing the characteristics of the high-voltage supply which is required for use in meter testing stations established under the Electricity Supply (Meters) Act, 1936, the paper describes the construction and gives the theory of a stabilizer which has been designed to provide current at a voltage so constant that it greatly facilitates precision measurements on voltmeters and wattmeters. Some other uses for the apparatus are described.
COMMENTARY (12 YEARS ON) ON ‘THE CONTRIBUTION OF OBSERVATION TRAINING TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIAL WORK’ BY JUDITH TROWELL AND GILLIAN MILES

Returning to this article some 12 years on, I was reminded of the first year of the CCETSW/Tavistock course for social work tutors, and the enthusiasm of the group, some of whom travelled weekly up...
The Eye Roll Sign and other Scores of the Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) as Related to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C): A Critical Discussion of a Study by Frischholz and Others

Abstract A replication of a study of the relationship between the Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C) found a slightly higher correlation between the scales with a sample of students at Fordham University than the previous study had found at the University of Pennsylvania and at Stanford University. This is not the point at issue because the found correlation can be interpreted as within the range of expected correlations with samples of limited size. At issue, however, are other features of the report which continues to offer as findings misleading interpretations of the value of the Eye Roll sign, based on faulty logic. The Eye Roll was formerly believed to predict demonstrable hypnotizability, but after it was learned that within the HIP there was a very low correlation between the Eye Roll and the Induction score, the Eye Roll was “saved” by interpreting it as a sign of “hypnotic potential” or “nonusable hypnotizability.” This interpretation...
Localization of a nuclear serine/threonine protein phosphatase in insulin-secreting INS-1 cells: potential regulation by IL-1β

Emerging evidence suggests critical roles for protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in islet β cell function, including survival and demise (Kowluru A: Biochemical Pharmacol 69:1681–1691, 2005). Herein, we identified an okadaic acid (OKA)-sensitive PP2A-like phosphatase in the nuclear fraction from insulin-secreting INS-1 cells. Western blot analysis indicated relatively higher abundance of the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 4 (PP4c) compared to PP2Ac in this fraction. Autoradiographic and vapor-phase equilibration analyses suggested that the nuclear PP4c undergoes OKA-sensitive carboxylmethylation (CML) when S-adenosyl-L-(3H-methyl) methionine (SAM) was used as the methyl donor. Exposure of INS cells to interleukin-1β (IL-1β; 600 pM; 48 h) resulted in a marked increase in nitric oxide (NO) release with concomitant reduction in the degree of expression, the CML and the catalytic activity of only PP4, but not PP2A, in the nuclear fraction. Immunoprecipitation studies suggested potential complexation of PP4c with nuclear lamin-B, a key regulatory protein involved in the nuclear envelope assembly. Based on these findings, we propose that IL-1β-mediated inhibition of PP4 activity might result in the retention of lamin-B in its phosphorylated state, which is a requisite for its degradation by caspases leading to the apoptotic demise of the β cell (Veluthakal et al.: Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 287:C1152–C1162, 2004).
An examination of free elicitation and response scale measures of feelings and judgments evoked by television advertisements

Recent research has examined the role of feelings and judgments evoked by television advertisements through the use of large batteries of rating scales. In this study, free elicitations of feelings and judgments about ads are compared to scale responses. Some potential problems pertaining to the use of large batteries of items to measure feelings and judgments are illustrated, and complementary aspects of the two measurement approaches suggest some advantages of the concurrent use of both in gauging responses to ads. Results across both approaches confirm the importance of assessing feelings in models of the antecedents of attitude toward the ad and suggest that feelings explain about as much variance in Aad as do judgments.
Experimental confirmation of the model for microcracking during lithium charging in single-phase alloys

Abstract Indentation fracture toughness measurements yielded a K IC for Li 4.4 Sn equal to 0.8±0.2 MPa m 1/2 . From K IC , a critical crack length of 0.005 nm was determined for the stress generated due to the volume expansion as a result of Li charging into the Li 4.4 Sn alloy. The critical crack length was in excellent agreement with the predicted critical grain size for microcracking. This suggests that the model for predicting the critical grain size for microcracking during Li charging into brittle single-phase alloys is correct.
Faculty careers: Maturation, demographic, and historical effects

Sixty-five University of Michigan arts and science faculty members were interviewed on a number of matters related to their careers. Roughly one-third joined the faculty as assistant professors in each of the three years, 1960, 1965, or 1970. Vitae were used to obtain scholarly productivity measures. The data were analyzed with regard to productivity, promotion rate, and perceptions and values of faculty with respect to the weight that research, teaching, and service are and should be given in promotion decisions. The various outcomes were then examined from the perspectives of maturation (aging), demographic (cohort), and historical effects. The conclusion is that different perspectives are needed to explain different phenomena. Cohort effects, sometimes modified by historical events, were more effective and called upon more often than were explanations relating to age.
Formal Verification of Software Countermeasures against Side-Channel Attacks

A common strategy for designing countermeasures against power-analysis-based side-channel attacks is using random masking techniques to remove the statistical dependency between sensitive data and side-channel emissions. However, this process is both labor intensive and error prone and, currently, there is a lack of automated tools to formally assess how secure a countermeasure really is. We propose the first SMT-solver-based method for formally verifying the security of a masking countermeasure against such attacks. In addition to checking whether the sensitive data are masked by random variables, we also check whether they are perfectly masked, that is, whether the intermediate computation results in the implementation of a cryptographic algorithm are independent of the secret key. We encode this verification problem using a series of quantifier-free first-order logic formulas, whose satisfiability can be decided by an off-the-shelf SMT solver. We have implemented the proposed method in a software verification tool based on the LLVM compiler frontend and the Yices SMT solver. Our experiments on a set of recently proposed masking countermeasures for cryptographic algorithms such as AES and MAC-Keccak show the method is both effective in detecting power side-channel leaks and scalable for practical use.
GPU acceleration of stereoscopic and multi-view rendering for virtual reality applications

Stereo and Multi-View rendering of three-dimensional virtual environments can be accelerated using modern GPU features such as geometry shaders and layered rendering, allowing multiple images to be generated in a single geometry pass. These same capabilities can be used to generate the multiple views necessary for co-present multi-user projection environments. Previous work has demonstrated the feasibility of applying such techniques, but has not shown under what circumstances these techniques provide increased or decreased rendering performance. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the performance of single-pass stereo and multi-view generation techniques and provides guidelines for when their application is beneficial to rendering performance.
Response Surface Models Combining Linear and Euler Aerodynamics for Supersonic Transport Design

A method has been developed to efficiently implement supersonic aerodynamic predictions from Euler solutions into a highly constrained, muItidisciplinary design optimization of a High-Speed Civil Transport. The method alleviates the large computational burden associated with performing computational fluid dynamics analyses through the use of variable-complexity modeling techniques, response surface (RS) methodologies, and coarse-grained parallel computing. Using information gained from lower-fidelity aerodynamic models, reduced-term RS models representing a correction to the linear theory RS model predictions are constructed using Euler solutions. Studies into 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-variable design problems show that accurate results can be obtained with the reduced-term models at a fraction of the cost of creating the full-term quadratic RS models. Specifically, a savings of 255 CPU hours out of 392 CPU hours required to create the full-term RS model is obtained for the 20-variable problem on a single 75MHz IP21 processor of a Silicon Graphics, Inc. Power Challenge.
Cannabinoid receptors in acute and chronic complications of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is the primary cause of myocardial infarction and stroke, which occur after sudden thrombotic occlusion of an artery. A growing body of evidence suggests that cannabinoid signalling plays a fundamental role in atherosclerosis development and its clinical manifestations. Thus, CB2 receptors are protective in myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion and implicated in the modulation of chemotaxis, which is crucial for the recruitment of leukocytes during inflammation. Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-mediated activation has been shown to inhibit atherosclerotic plaque progression in a CB2 dependent manner. Although CB1 and CB2 expression has been reported on platelets, their involvement in thrombus formation is still controversial. While several reports suggest that CB1 receptors may have a relevant role in neuroprotection after ischaemic stroke, recent studies show the protective effects in various forms of neuroprotection are not related to CB1 stimulation, and a protective role of CB1 blockade has also been reported. In addition, vascular and myocardial CB1 receptors contribute to the modulation of blood pressure and heart rate. It is tempting to suggest that pharmacological modulation of the endocannabinoid system is a potential novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of atherosclerosis. For these purposes, it is important to better understand the complex mechanisms of endocannabinoid signalling and potential consequences of its pharmacological modulation, as it may have both pro- and anti-atherosclerotic effects.
NBC, the Advisory Council, and the American Birth Control League: A Study in the Definition of a Controversial Issue of Public Importance

(1990). NBC, the Advisory Council, and the American Birth Control League: A Study in the Definition of a Controversial Issue of Public Importance. Free Speech Yearbook: Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 70-80.
Simulation of Particle-Wall Collisions in a Viscous Fluid Using a Resolved Discrete Particle Method

The process of particle-wall collisions is very important in understanding and determining the fluid-particle behavior, especially near walls. Detailed information on particle-wall collisions can provide insight on the formulation of appropriate boundary conditions of the particulate phases in two-fluid models. We have developed a three-dimensional Resolved Discrete Particle Method (RDPM) that is capable of meaningfully handling particle-wall collisions in a viscous fluid. This numerical method makes use of a Finite-Difference method in combination with the Immersed Boundary (IB) method for treating the particulate phase. A regular Eulerian grid is used to solve the modified momentum equations in the entire flow region. In the region that is occupied by the solid particles, a second particle-based Lagrangian grid is used, and a force density function is introduced to represent the momentum interactions between particle and fluid. We have used this numerical method to study both the central and oblique impact of a spherical particle with a wall in a viscous fluid. The particles are allowed to move in the fluid until they collide with the solid wall. The collision force on the particle is modeled by a soft-sphere collision scheme with a linear spring-dashpot system. The hydrodynamic force on the particle is solved directly from the RDPM. By following the trajectories of a particle, we investigate the effect of the collision model parameters to the dynamics of a particle close to the wall. We report in this paper the rebound velocity of the particle, the coefficient of restitution, and the particle slip velocity at the wall when a variety of different soft-sphere collision parameters are used.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Mass and heat transfer in crushed oil shale

Studies of heat and mass transfer in packed beds, which disagree substantially in their findings, have nearly all been done with beds of regular particles of uniform size, whereas oil-shale retorting involves particles of diverse irregular shapes and sizes. The authors, in 349 runs, measured mass-transfer rates front naphthalene particles buried in packed beds by passing through air at room temperature. An exact catalog between convection of heat and mass makes it possible to infer heat-transfer coefficients from measured mass-transfer coefficients and fluid properties. Some beds consisted of spheres, naphthalene and inert, of the same, contrasting or distributed sizes. In some runs, naphthalene spheres were buried in beds of crushed shale, some in narrow screen ranges and others with a wide size range. In others, naphthalene lozenges of different shapes were buried in beds of crushed shale in various bed axis orientations. This technique permits calculation of the mass-transfer coefficient for each active particle in the bed rather than, as in most past studies, for the bed as a whole. The data are analyzed by the traditional correlation of Colburn j{sub D} vs. Reynolds number and by multiple regression of the mass-transfer coefficient on air rate, sizes of active andmore » inert particles, void fraction, and temperature. Principal findings are: local Reynolds number should be based on the active-particle size, not the average for the whole bed; differences between shallow and deep beds are not appreciable; mass transfer is 26% faster for spheres and lozenges buried in shale than in all-sphere beds; orientation of lozenges in shale beds has little or no effect on mass-transfer rate; and for mass or heat transfer in shale beds, log(j{center_dot}{epsilon}) = {minus}0.0747 - 0.6344 log N{sub Re} + 0. 0592 log {sup 2} N{sub Re}.« less
Crystalloid support of blood volume.

Full expansion of a contracted blood volume need not be achieved immediately. Moderate hypovolemia and increased sympathetic tone usually are well tolerated. A 3:1 replacement regimen of crystalloid for shed blood is reasonable for moderate losses by healthy individuals. Larger volumes of fluid are required to achieve full expansion, as would be desired prior to surgery. A minimum ratio of approximately 5:1 is expected on theoretical grounds, has been found experimentally, and is now reported for two patients with self-limited hemorrhage of 1300 and 1400 ml. The ratio rises dramatically with progressive hypoalbuminemia, as in an older patient with perforated cecal carcinoma and peritonitis. Hemodynamic stability was maintained only after retention of 8000 ml of fluid to re-expand a measured 840-ml plasma deficit (9.5:1). Support of a contracted blood volume with massive volumes of fluid might be life-saving under extraordinary conditions. It is deplored otherwise, because of detrimental physiological and metabolic effects of unconnected hypoalbuminemia and edema.
Identification of a large Myc-binding protein that contains RCC1-like repeats

The protooncogene MYC plays an important role in the regulation of cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis and has been implicated in a variety of human tumors. MYC and the closely related MYCN encode highly conserved nuclear phosphoproteins (Myc and NMyc) that apparently function as transcription factors in the cell. We have identified a large and highly conserved nuclear protein that interacts directly with the transcriptional activating domain of Myc (designated “protein associated with Myc” or Pam). Pam contains an extended amino acid sequence with similarities to a protein known as regulator of chromosome condensation (RCC1), which may play a role in the function of chromatin. The gene encoding Pam (PAM) is expressed in all of the human tissue examined, but expression is exceptionally abundant in brain and thymus. Pam binds specifically to Myc, but not NMyc. The region in Myc required for binding to Pam includes a domain that is essential for the function of Myc and that is frequently mutated in Burkitt’s lymphomas. PAM is located within a 300-kb region on chromosome 13q22.
Effectiveness of Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole for Children With Chronic Active Otitis Media

To the Editor.— We have concerns regarding the article by van der Veen et al1 published in the May 2007 issue of Pediatrics . According to the article, the patients in the study received trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole at a dose of “18 mg/kg, administered orally, 2 times per day.” To a reader, this statement is somewhat ambiguous. First, it is difficult to identify if the patients were …
Labor intensity and employment creation in a constrained economy

Abstract When considered in a general equilibrium context, this paper shows that sectoral labor intensity is a poor proxy for the employment effects of sectoral demand or export expansion. We develop an open economy input-output model with endogenous consumption and capital formation to measure the employment effects of these two sorts of exogenous increases in demand. We show that in an open economy, the employment effect of sectoral government spending programs is always less than the number of jobs created by the program and could well be negative while the opposite is true for sectoral export expansion.
Deterministic simulated annealing for system optimization

The authors propose a deterministic approach to simulated annealing for constrained optimization of continuous variables. The constrained region is dynamically divided into simplices, based on previous search points, using multidimensional Delaunay triangulations. For each simplex, the quotient of the exponential of the local-mean-function value and its hypervolume are calculated. The simplex with the minimum quantity described is selected to contain the next search point. This locates a region in the search space whose observed density of search points is the most inconsistent with the ideal density. The next search point is selected within this simplex such that the new simplices formed by the addition of the new search point each have an equal value of the quotient quantity described. The search is forced in a deterministic manner to generate the desired density of simulated annealing. The new method was applied to a standard set of test functions and the results are given. >
Use of postmastectomy radiation therapy in the treatment of breast cancer

Background The role of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in the treatment of invasive breast cancer continues to change. There is a large body of evidence supporting its efficacy in decreasing locoregional recurrence rates and improving survival in patients with lymph node-positive breast cancer [1–3]. As such, guidelines for clinical practice recommend postmastectomy radiation in patients with locally advanced disease or four or more positive lymph nodes [4–6]. There is, however, much debate as to whether these recommendations should be expanded to include women with one to three positive lymph nodes.
Merging the Temporal and Spatial Aspects of Data and Information for Improved Power System Monitoring Applications

Many power system applications, particularly those related to monitoring,control, and protection, depend on the use of field data recorded by intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) in substations. With the introduction of IEDs in the last 20 years, the amount and type of data collected in substations have dramatically increased. This paper explores the benefits of data integration and information extraction achieved by merging temporal and spatial considerations. In the new approach, time and space issues are treated consistently across all IEDs, and as a result new applications with improved performance characteristics can be defined. As an illustration, two new monitoring functions are discussed in detail: 1) automated fault analysis and 2) hierarchical state and topology estimation. Discussion ends with a description of an implementation framework that will allow development of other functions that will benefit from the merger of time and space considerations.
Sharp Holder continuity of tangent cones for spaces with a lower Ricci curvature bound and applications

We prove a new estimate on manifolds with a lower Ricci bound which asserts that the geometry of balls centered on a minimizing geodesic can change in at most a Holder continuous way along the geodesic. We give examples that show that the Holder exponent, along with essentially all the other consequences that follow from this estimate, are sharp. Among the applications is that the regular set is convex for any non- collapsed limit of Einstein metrics. In the general case of a potentially collapsed limit of manifolds with just a lower Ricci curvature bound we show that the regular set is weakly convex and a.e. convex. We also show two conjectures of Cheeger-Colding. One of these asserts that the isometry group of any, even collapsed, limit of manifolds with a uniform lower Ricci curvature bound is a Lie group. The other asserts that the dimension of any limit space is the same everywhere.
Dynactin, a conserved, ubiquitously expressed component of an activator of vesicle motility mediated by cytoplasmic dynein.

Although cytoplasmic dynein is known to attach to microtubules and translocate toward their minus ends, dynein's ability to serve in vitro as a minus end-directed transporter of membranous organelles depends on additional soluble factors. We show here that a approximately 20S polypeptide complex (referred to as Activator I; Schroer, T. A., and M.P. Sheetz. 1991a. J. Cell Biol. 115:1309-1318.) stimulates dynein-mediated vesicle transport. A major component of the activator complex is a doublet of 150-kD polypeptides for which we propose the name dynactin (for dynein activator). The 20S dynactin complex is required for in vitro vesicle motility since depletion of it with a mAb to dynactin eliminates vesicle movement. Cloning of a brain specific isoform of dynactin from chicken reveals a 1,053 amino acid polypeptide composed of two coiled-coil alpha-helical domains interrupted by a spacer. Both this structural motif and the underlying primary sequence are highly conserved in vertebrates with 85% sequence identity within a central 1,000-residue domain of the chicken and rat proteins. As abundant as dynein, dynactin is ubiquitously expressed and appears to be encoded by a single gene that yields at least three alternative isoforms. The probable homologue in Drosophila is the gene Glued, whose protein product shares 50% sequence identity with vertebrate dynactin and whose function is essential for viability of most (and perhaps all) cells in the organism.
Peri-operative management of Cushing’s disease

Management of patients with ACTH producing pituitary adenoma remains to be challenging. Removal of the pituitary adenoma through transsphenoidal surgery is the main stay of treatment. Complete resection of the adenoma is followed by the development of ACTH deficiency since the normal corticotrophs are suppressed by the pre-existing hypercortisolemia. The concern for ACTH deficiency has led many centers to advocate the use glucocorticoids before, during and after surgery. We provide evidence that such coverage with glucocorticoids is unnecessary until clinical or biochemical documentation of need is established. Given that patients are closely monitored, they are immediately treated with glucocorticoids once they exhibit any clinical and/or biochemical evidence of adrenal insufficiency. Defining remission in the immediate postoperative period has been rather difficult despite using different biochemical markers. Serum cortisol continues to be the best determinant of disease activity after surgical adenomectomy. However it needs to be interpreted with caution as a biochemical marker of remission in patients given glucocorticoids during and after surgery. Other biochemical markers are also used in the peri-operative period to determine the possibility of remission. These include the dexamethasone suppression test, CRH stimulation without dexamethasone, urinary free cortisol measurements, desmopressin stimulation test, the determination of salivary cortisol and / or plasma ACTH concentrations. Each test has its own advantages and limitations. The simplest and most informative approach is to measure serum cortisol levels repeatedly after surgery without the administration of exogenous glucocorticoids. Low serum cortisol levels (less than 2 ug/dL) in the peri-operative period are highly indicative of surgical success and a high likelihood for clinical remission. Higher serum cortisol levels require careful interpretation and further planning and discussions between the patient and the management team.
A Small Molecule Modulates Circadian Rhythms through Phosphorylation of the Period Protein

Time shift A high-throughput cell-based screen identified a benzothiazole analogue, LH846, which induces period lengthening of the circadian rhythm. Affinity chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and genomic analysis identified protein kinase CKIδ as the biological target of LH846 (see picture).
Assessment of a stochastic interpolation based parameter sampling scheme for efficient uncertainty analyses of hydrologic models

This study assesses a stochastic interpolation based parameter sampling scheme for efficient uncertainty analyses of stream flow prediction by hydrologic models. The sampling scheme is evaluated within the generalised likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE; Beven and Binley, 1992) methodology. A primary limitation in using the GLUE method as an uncertainty tool is the prohibitive computational burden imposed by uniform random sampling of the model's parameter distributions. Sampling is improved in the proposed scheme by stochastic modeling of the parameters' response surface that recognizes the inherent non-linear parameter interactions. Uncertainty in discharge prediction (model output) is approximated through a Hermite polynomial chaos approximation of normal random variables that represent the model's parameter (model input) uncertainty. The unknown coefficients of the approximated polynomial are calculated using limited number of model simulation runs. The calibrated Hermite polynomial is then used as a fast-running proxy to the slower-running hydrologic model to predict the degree of representativeness of a randomly sampled model parameter set. An evaluation of the scheme's improvement in sampling is made over a medium-sized watershed in Italy using the TOPMODEL (Beven and Kirkby, 1979). Even for a very high (8) dimensional parameter uncertainty domain the scheme was consistently able to reduce computational burden of uniform sampling for GLUE by at least 15-25%. It was also found to have significantly higher degree of consistency in sampling accuracy than the nearest neighborhood sampling method. The GLUE based on the proposed sampling scheme preserved the essential features of the uncertainty structure in discharge simulation. The scheme demonstrates the potential for increasing efficiency of GLUE uncertainty estimation for rainfall-runoff models as it does not impose any additional structural or distributional assumptions.
Biocompatibility of materials implanted into the subretinal space of Yucatan pigs.

PURPOSE. To assess the biocompatibility of materials for possible use in subretinal prostheses. METHODS. Strips (0.5 5 mm; 10-m thick) of either plain poly(imide) or poly(imide) coated with amorphous aluminum oxide (AAO), amorphous carbon (AC), parylene, poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were each implanted into the subretinal space of four Yucatan miniature pigs. Two types of control surgery without implantation were performed in four other animals. Electroretinograms (ERGs) were performed before and after surgery. All animals were euthanatized 3 months after surgery, and histologic slides of the retina were assessed for 15 criteria. Paired, two-tailed Student’s t-tests were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS. Across all animals, the mean amplitude of the ERG b-wave did not differ from baseline after 3 months. In implanted animals, the histologic analyses revealed that (1) all the implanted materials produced abnormalities that were significantly greater than in the control subjects; (2) overall, PEG, parylene, and PVP produced less histologic disruption than the other three materials; (3) parylene and PEG did not differ significantly from the control in disturbing retinal anatomy; (4) only PI and AAO produced RPE alterations that were significantly greater than in control subjects; and (5) AAO and PI produced a significantly greater degree of peri-implant cellular responses than did the other materials. CONCLUSIONS. All implants produced some alteration of the retina, but there were clear differences among the materials in the degree to which their presence disturbed the normal anatomy of the retina or RPE or incited tissue reactions around the implant. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006;47:3514 –3522)