cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical management of patients with pulmonary valve dysplasia.

Abstract Pulmonary valve dysplasia is a distinct pathological entity consisting of markedly thickened, deformed, and largely immobile pulmonary valve leaflets. The clinical features and surgical management of 21 consecutive patients operated upon between 1975 and 1985 were reviewed. Mean age at operation was 26.7 months (range: 1 month to 9.5 years). Initial surgical intervention in 3 patients consisted of closed valvotomy or systemic pulmonary artery shunt. One of these patients subsequently had a partial pulmonary valvectomy; the other 2 had total valvectomy and pulmonary annuloplasty. Two patients had partial valvectomy as a primary procedure, and 1 has subsequently required total valvectomy and annuloplasty. Sixteen patients initially had total pulmonary valvectomy, 4 with a simultaneous transannular outflow tract patch. One patient subsequently required a transannular outflow tract patch. Therefore, definitive repair consisted of partial valvectomy in 2 patients, total valvectomy in 19, and a transannular outflow tract patch in 9 patients with a hypoplastic pulmonary annulus. There were no operative deaths, and all patients are asymptomatic at a mean follow-up of 37.9 months. Five patients who underwent total valvectomy were catheterized postoperatively. The mean residual gradient was 25 mm Hg. Pulmonary valvectomy appears to provide both effective relief of stenosis and long-term asymptomatic status in patients with pulmonary valve dysplasia. Total excision of all valve leaflets is recommended. Careful consideration should be given to a simultaneous transannular outflow tract patch if the annulus is hypoplastic.
Building capacity for community-based brownfields remediation and redevelopment: An innovative technical assistance model

Thousands of unaddressed brownfields sites remain in our nation's poorest urban neighborhoods, despite almost two decades of federal and state attention to cleaning up and redeveloping these sites. Many of these neighborhoods have active community-based organizations (CBOs) whose mission it is to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged residents whose lives are negatively impacted by these decaying, contaminated properties. Under the assumption that greater involvement of community organizations, specifically community development corporations (CDCs), would help to spur increased attention to and progress toward remediating these sites, we developed a pilot technical assistance program to build CDC capacity to facilitate or actually undertake brownfields redevelopment projects. This article describes the process of development and the program's content and structure and evaluates the program based on a pilot test conducted with two CDCs in a major US city. Future prospects for expansion of this type of program are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Functional Effects of Nemaline Myopathy Mutations on Human Skeletal α-Actin

Mutations in human α-skeletal actin have been implicated in causing congenital nemaline myopathy, a disease characterized histopathologically by nemaline bodies in skeletal muscle and manifested in the patient as skeletal muscle weakness. Here we investigate the functional effects of three severe nemaline myopathy mutations (V43F, A138P, and R183G) in human α-skeletal actin. Wild-type and mutant actins were expressed and purified from the baculovirus/insect cell expression system. The mutations are located in different subdomains of actin; Val-43 is located in a flexible loop of subdomain 2, Ala-138 is near a hydrophobic cleft in the “hinge” region between subdomains 1 and 3, and Arg-183 is near the nucleotide-binding site. None of the three mutations affected the folding of the actin monomer, the velocity at which skeletal myosin moves actin in an in vitro motility assay, or the relative average isometric force supported by F-actin. Defects in fundamental actomyosin interactions are, therefore, unlikely to account for the muscle weakness observed in affected patients. There were, however, significant changes observed in the polymerization kinetics of V43F and A138P and in the rate of nucleotide release for V43F. No detectable defect was found for R183G. If these subtle changes in polymerization observed in vitro are amplified in the context of the sarcomere, it could in principle be one of the primary insults that triggers the development of nemaline myopathy.
Lakes an important source of carbon emissions

Around the world, vast detector networks track the transfer of carbon as it flows through the ecosystem, moving among the atmosphere, terrestrial surface, and organic matter. These carbon flux measurements are integral to understanding the role of various ecosystem components in the global carbon cycle and to performing accurate carbon accounting. But when precipitation or other processes pull large volumes of organic matter from the land into nearby lakes, this carbon effectively disappears from the carbon budget if gas fluxes over the lake surface are ignored, which they traditionally have been. Using eddy covariance measurements, Huotari et al. tracked the flow of carbon into and out of Lake Valkea-Kotinen in southern Finland from the spring of 2003 until the autumn of 2007. They found that the lake was a net source of carbon, emitting between 70 and 100 grams of carbon per square meter per year. When compared against the role of the surrounding forest, which was a net carbon sink, the lake's emissions were enough to offset about 10% of the forest's annual carbon storage. The authors found that the strongest controlling factor on the lake carbon emission rate was the stability of the lake's temperature stratification. Strong winds, heavy precipitation, and seasonal changes that increase water mixing were linked to stronger carbon fluxes. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL048753, 2011)
Factors influencing undergraduate music education majors’ investment in instrumental techniques courses taught by graduate student instructors

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the environmental factors that influence an undergraduate music education major's investment in instrumental techniques courses taught by a graduate teaching assistant. Each participant (three undergraduate music education majors and three teaching assistants) submitted to being interviewed three times. Method and source triangulation as well as peer debriefing and member checks were used in the data analysis. Findings suggest that students with a high opinion of the course and instructor, perceived fair grading, and shared class expectations will lead to increased student investment. Instructor characteristics such as extensive teaching experience, high facility on multiple instruments, high professional status and perceived high confidence are seen as basic requirements by the undergraduates.
Learning using distance based training algorithm for pattern recognition

A modular approach for improving the performance of 2-D Hopfield neural network is presented in this paper. The approach is inspired by biological visual perception phenomenon. The training method introduces a decaying distance factor into the Hebbian learning rule for image processing applications. The value of the distance factor varies based on the spatial location of the neurons with respect to the neuron under consideration. Experiments performed with character images show that the new approach can learn and recognize patterns very effectively.
Sensor based planning: Using a honing strategy and local map method to implement the generalized Voronoi graph

This work prescribes the procedures that are required to implement, on a conventional mobile robot, a sensor based motion planning algorithm based on the generalized Voronoi graph (GVG). The GVG is a roadmap of a static environment; recall that a roadmap is a 1D representation of an environment which the robot can use to plan a path between any two points in that environment. Once the robot has constructed the roadmap, it has in essence explored the environment. This work describes some issues in incrementally constructing the GVG with a mobile robot wit a ring of sonar sensors. Specifically, we consider some issues in specularity and dead-reckoning error reduction.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Crystal formation in cultures of fungi: dermatophytes and other hyphomycetes.

The present study calls attention to crystal formations in cultures of Dermatophytes and other Hyphomycetes.
Estimating the prevalence of hepatitis C infection in New York City using surveillance data

Hepatitis C virus is the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the USA. Based on results of a serosurvey, national prevalence is estimated to be 1·3% or 3·2 million people. Sub-national estimates are not available for most jurisdictions. Hepatitis C surveillance data was adjusted for death, out-migration, under-diagnosis, and undetectable blood RNA, to estimate prevalence in New York City (NYC). The prevalence of hepatitis C infection in adults aged ⩾20 years in NYC is 2·37% (range 1·53–4·90%) or 146 500 cases of hepatitis C. This analysis presents a mechanism for generating prevalence estimates using local surveillance data accounting for biases and difficulty in accessing hard to reach populations. As the cohort of patients with hepatitis C age and require additional medical care, local public health officials will need a method to generate prevalence estimates to allocate resources. This approach can serve as a guideline for generating local estimates using surveillance data that is less resource prohibitive.
Particulate manganese dynamics in Gulf Stream warm-core rings and surrounding waters of the N.W. Atlantic

Manganese has been measured in size-fractionated paniculate matter profiles obtained by large volume in situ filtration of the upper 1000 m of the N.W. Atlantic as part of the Warm Core Rings Experiment (WCRE) in 1982. Environments sampled included Warm Core Rings (WCR) 82B and 82H, the entrainment zone at the edge of these rings, the Slope Water surrounding rings, and the Gulf Stream (GS) and Sargasso Sea (SS) from which the rings formed. Manganese concentrations ranged from 10 pmol kg−1 to 10,000 pmol kg−1 with the extreme values observed in the quasi-isolated core waters of WCR 82B and in a tongue of shelf water at the periphery of WCR 82B, respectively. The majority of the Mn was in the 1–53 μm particle size fraction and most Mn was probably close to 1 μm in size. Mn showed no correlation with major biogenic phases indicating that formation by local biological processes was not an important source. Instead, most paniculate Mn present in the waters sampled originated in reducing sediments at the continental margin. A manganese budget for the quasi-isolated core waters of WCR 82B between February and June 1982 showed that most Mn removal was by the aggregation of the small Mn-oxyhydroxide particles into fecal material, followed by sedimentation. Calculations show that WCRs cause offshore particulate Mn transports from the continental margin between 66°W and Cape Hatteras of 8.5 × 104 to 14 × 104 mol d−1 with most derived from the continental shelf. Only 4% of the shelf derived Mn becomes entrained into WCRs and the rest is left to disperse in the Slope Water or enter the circulation of the Gulf Stream. The WCR-induced offshore Mn transports may account for a large fraction of the Mn flux to sediments on the continental slope and upper continental rise.
Clustering in free recall following verbal-discrimination learning

Clustering in free recall following verbal-discrimination learning was assessed for two possible classifications: pairs vs right-wrong functions. There was considerable pairwise clustering in free recall in two different studies. This outcome does not follow directly from frequency theory or other explanations of verbal-discrimination learning which assume acquired equivalence by function; it may, however, indicate the effect of an intrapair association on the subsequent free recall organization.
Radiation-induced transcription factor activation in the rat cerebral cortex

Purpose : To determine the effects of ionising radiation on the DNA-binding activity of the injury-related transcription factors AP-1, Sp-1, p53 and NF κB in the rat brain. Materials and methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated with 137 Cs gamma-rays at 3.8Gy/min and the cerebral cortex was isolated at intervals up to 24h. Nuclear protein extract of the cerebral cortex was analysed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay for DNA-binding activity of AP-1, Sp-1, p53 and NF κB. In addition, total RNA was extracted from the cerebral cortex and subjected to northern analysis. Results : The DNA-binding activity of each of the transcription factors increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner after irradiation. Maximum increase in the activity of AP-1, Sp-1, and p53 DNA binding was seen after exposure to 10 Gy and then decreased after higher doses. In contrast, NF κB DNA-binding activity continued to increase out to at least 30 Gy. The levels of bFGF and p21 WAF-1 mRNA increased after irradiation, su...
Camera System Resolution and its Influence on Digital Image Correlation

Digital image correlation (DIC) uses images from a camera and lens system to make quantitative measurements of the shape, displacement, and strain of test objects. This increasingly popular method has had little research on the influence of the imaging system resolution on the DIC results. This paper investigates the entire imaging system and studies how both the camera and lens resolution influence the DIC results as a function of the system Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). It will show that when making spatial resolution decisions (including speckle size) the resolution limiting component should be considered. A consequence of the loss of spatial resolution is that the DIC uncertainties will be increased. This is demonstrated using both synthetic and experimental images with varying resolution. The loss of image resolution and DIC accuracy can be compensated for by increasing the subset size, or better, by increasing the speckle size. The speckle-size and spatial resolution are now a function of the lens resolution rather than the more typical assumption of the pixel size. The paper will demonstrate the tradeoffs associated with limited lens resolution.
Assessment of routine elimination of postoperative nasogastric decompression after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass *

Abstract Background. Anastomotic disruption after surgical intervention is an infrequent complication, but may lead to severe morbidity and mortality when it occurs. Of the various gastric procedures, the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) has one of the highest risks for anastomotic leakage. Consequently, a nasogastric tube (NGT) is frequently placed when these operations are performed. Most studies examining the outcomes for patients without postoperative NGTs have been relatively small with groups of patients undergoing a variety of operations. Assessing the incidence of anastomotic leaks by routine elimination of postoperative NGTs requires a large number of patients. In this study, we assessed the safety and efficacy of routine elimination of NGTs in a large cohort of patients undergoing a single operation. Methods. We reviewed our experience with 1067 patients who underwent RYGB at the UCLA medical center. Fifty-six patients had NGTs routinely placed before the implementation of a standard protocol, which eliminated postoperative NGT decompression. The complication rate for the RYGB patient cohort with and without postoperative NGT was compared. Results. We found no difference in the complication rates between the 2 groups (Fisher exact test; P =.21). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that routine placement of an NGT after RYGB is unnecessary. (Surgery 2002;132:844-8.)
Lysosome size, motility and stress response regulated by Fronto-Temporal Dementia modifier TMEM106B

Fronto-temporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 (FTLD-TDP) is a fatal neurodegeneration. TMEM106B variants are linked to FTLD-TDP risk, and TMEM106B is lysosomal. Here, we focus on neuronal TMEM106B, and demonstrate co-localization and traffic with lysosomal LAMP-1. pH-sensitive reporters demonstrate that the TMEM106B C-terminus is lumenal. The TMEM106B N-terminus interacts with endosomal adaptors and other TMEM106 proteins. TMEM106B knockdown reduces neuronal lysosomal number and diameter by STED microscopy, and overexpression enlarges LAMP-positive structures. Reduction of TMEM106B increases axonally transported lysosomes, while TMEM106B elevation inhibits transport and yields large lysosomes in the soma. TMEM106B overexpression alters lysosomal stress signaling, causing a translocation of the mTOR-sensitive transcription factor, TFEB, to neuronal nuclei. TMEM106B loss-of-function delays TFEB translocation after Torin-1-induced stress. Enlarged TMEM106B-overexpressing lysosomes maintain organelle integrity longer after lysosomal photodamage than do control lysosomes, while small TMEM106B-knockdown lysosomes are more sensitive to illumination. Thus, neuronal TMEM106B plays a central role in regulating lysosomal size, motility and responsiveness to stress, highlighting the possible role of lysosomal biology in FTLD-TDP.
The Acoustic Reflex and Temporary Threshold Shift: Temporal Characteristics

One ear of each of seven normal-hearing subjects was exposed to a continuous 1000-Hz tone at 110 dB SPL for three minutes. During exposure, a broad-band noise at 100 dB SPL was presented to the con...
Swimming movements initiate bubble formation in fish decompressed from elevated gas pressures

Abstract 1. 1. Young specimens of trout, catfish, sculpin and salamanders were equilibrated with elevated gas pressures, then rapidly decompressed to ambient pressure. 2. 2. The newly hatched forms tolerated extremely high gas supersaturations; equilibration pressures of 80–120atm argon or 150–250 atm helium were required for in vivo bubble formation. 3. 3. During subsequent larval development, the equilibration pressures required decreased to just 5–10 atm and bubbles originated in the fins. 4. 4. Anesthetising older fish before decompression prevented bubble formation in the fins; this suggests that swimming movements mechanically initiate bubbles, possibly by a tribonucleation mechanism.
BONE GROWTH AND UPTAKE OF RADIOCALCIUM IN TETRACYCLINE-TREATED RATS

THE selective localization of tetracyclines in mineralizing tissues has prompted consideration of possible untoward skeletal effects associated with their use in medical practice. Commanding attention in this respect are investigations in human beings showing that exposure to these antibiotics during tooth formation produces hypoplasia of the dental enamel1–5. It has also been reported that tetracycline can interfere with the growth of the long bones in infants6,7. Moreover, there is evidence that these agents can impair fracture healing in dogs8 and can adversely affect mineralization in a wide range of animal forms including the larval sand dollar9, a teleost fish10, the chick embryo11, a marine mollusc12 and the rat13,14.
Evaluation of Kilogram-Scale Sonagashira, Suzuki, and Heck Coupling Routes to Oncology Candidate CP-724,714

The synthesis of the anti-cancer compound 2-methoxy-N-(3-{4-[3-methyl-4-(6-methyl-pyridin-3-yloxy)phenylamino]quinazolin-6-yl}-E-allyl)acetamide (CP-724,714) (1) on multikilogram scale using several different synthetic routes is described. Application of the Sonogashira, Suzuki, and Heck couplings to this synthesis was investigated to identify a safe, environmentally friendly, and robust process for the production of this drug candidate. A convergent and selective synthesis of the candidate was identified which utilizes a Heck coupling of a protected allylamine to install the critical olefin.
Bullying and Animal Abuse: Is There a Connection?

In recent years, school violence has become an issue of great concern among psychologists, educators, and law-enforcement officials. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between bullying, victimization, and abuse of nonhuman animals. The study assessed bullying and victimization experiences, animal abuse, and attitudes toward animals within a sample of 185 college males. Results of the study highlighted the important distinction between males involved in single episodes of animal abuse and those involved in multiple episodes of animal abuse. Further, results highlighted the significance of the bully/victim phenomenon with regard to participation in multiple acts of animal abuse. Those who were above the median with regard to both victimization and perpetration of physical bullying exhibited the highest rates of involvement in multiple acts of animal abuse and also exhibited the lowest levels of sensitivity with regard to cruelty-related attitudes pertaining to animals. The study discusses theoretical mechanisms linking bullying and animal abuse as well as directions for future research.
Kaon condensation in a Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model at high density

We demonstrate a fully self-consistent microscopic realization of a kaon-condensed color-flavor locked state (${\mathrm{CFLK}}^{0}$) within the context of a mean-field Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model at high density. The properties of this state are shown to be consistent with the QCD low-energy effective theory once the proper gauge neutrality conditions are satisfied, and a simple matching procedure is used to compute the pion decay constant, which agrees with the perturbative QCD result. The NJL model is used to compare the energies of the ${\mathrm{CFLK}}^{0}$ state to the parity even CFL state, and to determine locations of the metal/insulator transition to a phase with gapless fermionic excitations in the presence of a nonzero hypercharge chemical potential and a nonzero strange quark mass. The transition points are compared with results derived previously via effective theories and with partially self-consistent NJL calculations. We find that the qualitative physics does not change, but that the transitions are slightly lower.
Thermal behavior of substituted FeCo-based metallic glasses

Abstract Three compositions of metallic glasses, Fe 58 Co 24 Nb 3 Ta 1 Mo 1 B 13 , Fe 61.5 Co 20.5 Nb 3 Ta 1 Mo 1 B 13 and Fe 66 Co 18 Si 1 B 15 were prepared by rapid quenching from the melt and subsequently annealed for 1 hour at 450, 650 and 750 °C. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Mossbauer spectroscopy. All Mossbauer spectra were fitted with a six-line pattern corresponding to the crystalline α-(FeCo) phase and a hyperfine magnetic field distribution representing the amorphous component. The Mossbauer spectra of annealed Fe 66 Co 18 Si 1 B 15 revealed the presence of a secondary crystalline phase, namely (FeCo) 3 (BSi). Moreover, the last Mossbauer spectrum in the set was fitted with an additional sextet, corresponding to the appearance of hematite in the system. It is inferred that the addition of Nb, Ta and Mo considerably delays the onset of bulk crystallization and iron oxidation in these systems. The XRD patterns are in qualitative agreement with the Mossbauer results and are consistent with a surface layer of hematite nanoparticles in the system. The activation energy of 4.34 eV for oxidation was estimated from the Mossbauer results.
Effect of water vapor on the 1100 °C oxidation behavior of plasma-sprayed TBCs with HVOF NiCoCrAlX bond coatings

Abstract With the goal of investigating the reported detrimental effect of water vapor on thermal barrier coating (TBC) performance, furnace cycle experiments were conducted in dry O 2 and air with 10 and 50% water vapor at 1100 °C. The TBC systems evaluated were air plasma-sprayed (APS), yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coatings with high velocity oxy fuel (HVOF)-deposited NiCoCrAlY or NiCoCrAlYHfSi bond coating. Average TBC lifetime was reduced by ~ 30% in air with 10% water vapor compared to cycling in dry O 2 , using 1 h cycle durations. Superalloy substrates with Y and La additions also were investigated but showed no statistical change in the average TBC lifetime compared to the base CMSX4 superalloy. In all cases, the bond coating with Hf and Si additions increased YSZ lifetime by 20% or more. Experiments that increased water vapor to 50% showed no further decrease in TBC lifetime. Increasing the cycle frequency to 100 h resulted in a large increase in TBC lifetime, especially for the NiCoCrAlYHfSi bond coatings. Co-doping the NiCoCrAl bond coat with Y and Hf was beneficial to TBC lifetime, but did not mitigate the detrimental impact of water vapor.
Hot‐Water Rinsing and Trimming/Washing of Beef Carcasses to Reduce Physical and Microbiological Contamination

A field study was conducted to compare trimming/washing procedures with hot-water rinsing as interventions for beef carcass decontamination. Treatments included no trimming/no washing; knife-trimming followed by spray-washing (26°C, 276 kPa followed by 1000 kPa); and hot-water rinsing (> 77°C, 138–152 kPa, 2.5 or 8 sec) following either knife-trimming or no knife-trimming of the contaminated site and spray-washing. Samples were analyzed for counts of total aerobic bacteria, total coliforms and Escherichia coli, as well as for the presence of Salmonella spp. and E. coli O157:H7. Results indicated decontamination of beef carcasses could be achieved by knife-trimming followed by spray-washing or by spray-washing followed by hot-water rinsing.
Possible evidence of damped cavity mode oscillations stimulated by the January, 1997 magnetic cloud event

A sudden drastic change in the solar wind dynamic pressure is one proposed mechanism for the excitation of cavity mode resonances in the plasmasphere. To study the possibility of cavity mode occurrence following a 180 cm−3 solar wind density pulse on January 11, 1997, a numerical MHD simulation was run on a dipole grid. The simulated spectra recorded by a virtual satellite are compared with those produced from the Polar magnetic time signals during the interval 0228–0304 UT. In both sets of spectra, power is concentrated between 2 and 5 mHz; observed FLR-like spectral peaks in the range 6–20 mHz are in rough agreement with simulated plasmaspheric FLRs between 7–21 mHz. In the simulation, the fundamental plasmaspheric cavity mode is at 3.5 mHz; phase analysis of observed 3.5 mHz electric and magnetic field signals from the interval 0230–0237 UT supports the possibility of a heavily damped standing wave at this frequency.
Chemical kinetics of hydrocarbon oxidation in gaseous detonations

Abstract A theoretical model including a detailed chemical kinetic reaction mechanism for hydrocarbon oxidation is used to examine detonation properties for mixtures of fuelair, fueloxygen, and fueloxygen diluted with varying amounts of nitrogen. Fuels considered are methane, ethylene, acetylene, and methanol. Computed induction lengths are compared with available experimental data for critical energy and critical tube diameter for initiation of detonation, as well as detonation limits in planar, cylindrical, and spherical configurations.
Osgood-Schlatter disease

A 14-year-old man presented to our emergency department with 3 days of progressively worsening right knee pain that was exacerbated by movement. The patient played basketball and had a history of asthma, but he denied any recent trauma or prior knee pain. Systemic symptoms, including fever, weight changes and fatigue, were absent. On examination, he had tenderness at the tibial tuberosity and a small effusion, but no overlying erythema or …
A Review of the Experience, Epidemiology, and Management of Pain among American Indian, Alaska Native, and Aboriginal Canadian Peoples

Abstract Substantial literature suggests that diverse biological, psychological, and sociocultural mechanisms account for differences by race and ethnicity in the experience, epidemiology, and management of pain. Many studies have examined differences between Whites and minority populations, but American Indians (AIs), Alaska Natives (ANs), and Aboriginal peoples of Canada have been neglected both in studies of pain and in efforts to understand its biopsychosocial and cultural determinants. This article reviews the epidemiology of pain and identifies factors that may affect clinical assessment and treatment in these populations. We searched for peer-reviewed articles focused on pain in these populations, using PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, and the University of New Mexico Native Health Database. We identified 28 articles published 1990 to 2009 in 3 topic areas: epidemiology of pain, pain assessment and treatment, and healthcare utilization. A key finding is that AI/ANs have a higher prevalence of pain symptoms and painful conditions than the U.S. general population. We also found evidence for problems in provider-patient interactions that affect clinical assessment of pain, as well as indications that AI/AN patients frequently use alternative modalities to manage pain. Future research should focus on pain and comorbid conditions and develop conceptual frameworks for understanding and treating pain in these populations. Perspective We reviewed the literature on pain in AI/ANs and found a high prevalence of pain and painful conditions, along with evidence of poor patient-provider communication. We recommend further investigation of pain and comorbid conditions and development of conceptual frameworks for understanding and treating pain in this population.
Genetic characterization of stress responsiveness in Japanese quail. 1. Analyses of line effects and combining abilities by diallel crosses

The inheritance of stress responsiveness (line effects and combining abilities) was phenotypically studied in progeny from diallel crosses of randombred (RB) quail and quail selected for exaggerated (high stress, HS) or reduced (low stress, LS) plasma corticosterone (CS) response to brief immobilization. The three genotypes were crossed in a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments that allowed all possible crosses between RB, LS, and HS males with RB, LS, and HS females. The nine crosses produced 479 progeny. At 28 d of age, quail of each cross were stressed by immobilization, and blood was sampled. Plasma CS was used to estimate stress responsiveness in the progeny of each cross. Estimates of the following genetic effects were made: average post-immobilization plasma CS response within each cross, general combining ability (GCA), and specific combining ability (SCA). Differences (P LS crosses) were commonly observed. There were no significant differences in the means of plasma CS responses between males and females within each of the crosses except for the marginal (P = 0.07) sex difference (male > female) found within the LL cross (LS male with LS female). The GCA estimates were -1.23, -2.89, and 5.08 for the RB, LS, and HS quail, respectively. The SCA was not significant for any diallel mating except HH (P < 0.007). Line effects on plasma CS response were different from zero for the LS and HS lines.
Ureteral obstruction as a complication of the Burch colposuspension procedure: Case report

Major complications of the Burch procedure for stress urinary incontinence are rare. Inadvertent kinking of the ureter during this procedure has been described only once previously in the literature. We present a second such case, hoping to draw attention to this rare but significant complication.
Mechanistische Einblicke in die Bindung und Aktivierung von N2O an Übergangsmetallzentren

Da Distickstoffoxid eine bedeutende Rolle beim Ozonabbau in der Stratosphare und als Treibhausgas spielt, besteht ein groses Interesse daran, seinen Abbau insbesondere durch Metallpromotoren zu verstehen und effizienter zu machen. Neue Erkenntnisse uber die Reaktionspfade bei der N2O-Reduktion durch Metallionen in der Gasphase sowie in heterogenen, homogenen und biologischen Katalysesystemen haben interessante Einblicke in die Struktur und Eigenschaften von Metall-N2O-Addukten und abgeleiteten Intermediaten gegeben. Dieses vertiefte Verstandnis wird sicher zur Entwicklung von wirksameren Katalysatoren fur die Verringerung der N2O-Emissionen beitragen.
Partial oxidation of methanol for hydrogen production using ITO/Al2O3 nanoparticle catalysts

Abstract An indium tin oxide/alumina (ITO/Al2O3) nanoparticle catalyst was used for the selective oxidation of methanol to form hydrogen and carbon dioxide. At 68% methanol conversion, the hydrogen selectivity was 73%, and carbon monoxide was only 1–2% of the products. Four reactors were used, and the highest hydrogen selectivity was obtained in a tank reactor that contained a thin catalyst film. A packed bed reactor did not effectively remove the heat of reaction, but coating the catalyst as a thin film gave better control. The product selectivity dependence on temperature and the methanol/oxygen feed ratio was measured.
Issues in the widespread adoption of pit-and-fissure sealants

Seven issues affecting the use of sealants have been discussed, and five strategies have been suggested to promote their wider use in private and public settings. A strong initiative by industry, in conjunction with organized dentistry and government, is needed to generate public demand and to promote appropriate use by practitioners and auxiliaries. The most fruitful market for sealants at present and in the future may be through public health programs using dental auxiliaries, because the primary prevention of dental caries is stressed more in this area, whereas private practitioners tend to focus more on treating caries. During these times of financial restriction, there is all the more reason to focus effective caries prevention on those tooth surfaces that develop more than half of all carious lesions. The most efficient use of the limited private and public funds that are available to promote oral health must be made. Given the new sealant materials available and the opportunity to delegate their application to auxiliary personnel in both private and public practice, the challenge now is to promote the widespread use of this technology in conjunction with appropriate fluorides so that no child is denied the opportunity to enjoy a caries-free dentition.
Integration of gene expression and gene copy number variations with independent component analysis

It is recognized that a biological system should be characterized with multiscale and multi-modality imaging platforms such as using microarray gene expression and array CGH. While microarray gene expression analysis presents functional information, the array CGH analysis provides structural variations of genome using gene copy number analysis. The integration of this complementary information is challenging. We view the gene expression and copy number variations as two different measurements of a biological system and apply the independent component analysis (ICA) to project the data into statistically independent biological processes, which are then integrated to identify variation patterns in two inputs. We apply the method to cluster group of genes, resulting better identification of genes that are statistically significant in both measurements (e.g., gene expression and aCGH). We also compared the approach with other approaches such as principal component analysis (PCA), and generalized singular value decomposition (GSVD), demonstrating improved performance in “gene shaving”.
Learning-induced afterhyperpolarization reductions in hippocampus are specific for cell type and potassium conductance

Hippocampal slices were prepared from rabbits trained in a trace eye-blink conditioning task and from naive and pseudoconditioned controls. Measurements of the post-burst afterhyperpolarization (AHP), action potential, and other cellular properties were obtained from intracellular recordings of CA1 pyramidal (N = 49) and dentate gyrus granule cells (N = 52). A conditioning-specific reduction in the amplitude of the AHP was found in CA1 cells but not in dentate granule cells. This reduction in the AHP was apparent at 50 ms after the end of a depolarizing current pulse, and was maintained for at least 650 ms. Other measured cell characteristics (input resistance, resting membrane potential, action potential shape, inward rectification, spike threshold) were not affected by training, in either CA1 pyramidal or dentate granule cells. Time-course measures indicate that both the medium, Ca2(+)-independent AHP and the slow, Ca2(+)-dependent AHP are reduced by conditioning. The slow AHP largely reflects the Ca2(+)-dependent K+ current, IAHP. Rising and falling slopes, peak amplitude, and width of individual action potentials were not changed by learning. This contrasts with observations from invertebrates in which action potential broadening was reported following learning. We conclude that the reduction in AHP that follows hippocampally-dependent associative learning occurs in specific hippocampal cell types and not others, and is mediated by changes in a Ca2(+)-independent AHP and a particular Ca2(+)-dependent K+ current, IAHP.
Reply to "Comment on 'Is There a Basis for Preferring Characteristic Earthquakes over a Gutenberg-Richter Distribution in Probabilistic Earthquake Forecasting?' by Tom Parsons and Eric L. Geist" by Jens-Uwe Klugel

The focus of Parsons and Geist (2009) was to test whether the key observational data used in earthquake forecasting necessitate a characteristic earthquake rupture model. The point of our article was not to suggest that a specific form of the Gutenberg–Richter earthquake distribution is a perfect representation of reality. The uncertainties surrounding event slip estimates, paleoseismic event rates, and observed a and b values in catalog magnitude–frequency distributions are broad. So broad, in fact, that giving full weight to just one model of earthquake rupture behavior in formal forecasting is unjustified. Further, the characteristic earthquake model requires definition of rupture segments, which introduces a series of unquantifiable uncertainties that are seldom addressed in forecasts (e.g., Field et al. , 2009). To …
Children's Understanding and Knowledge of Conception and Birth: Comparing Children from England, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States

The present study replicated research conducted decades earlier (Goldman & Goldman, 1982a; Koch, 197480) on what children in the United States know about conception and birth compared to those in other countries. Specifically, response drawings by 48 six-year-old boys and girls from England, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States were compared. Children were asked to draw pictures in response to two questions: “Where do babies come from?” and “How are babies made?” Descriptive analysis revealed that most six-year-olds, no matter what country they were from, tended to show a limited understanding of conception and birth. However, there were several children who demonstrated a much greater comprehension. In most cases, these children were from Sweden and the Netherlands, two countries known for their progressive sexuality education programs. The children sampled from the United States still lagged behind their peers in other countries. The results of this exploratory study suggest that differences m...
Practical oblivious storage

We study oblivious storage (OS), a natural way to model privacy-preserving data outsourcing where a client, Alice, stores sensitive data at an honest-but-curious server, Bob. We show that Alice can hide both the content of her data and the pattern in which she accesses her data, with high probability, using a method that achieves O(1) amortized rounds of communication between her and Bob for each data access. We assume that Alice and Bob exchange small messages, of size O(N1/c), for some constant c>=2, in a single round, where N is the size of the data set that Alice is storing with Bob. We also assume that Alice has a private memory of size 2N1/c. These assumptions model real-world cloud storage scenarios, where trade-offs occur between latency, bandwidth, and the size of the client's private memory.
Effect of duct obstruction on histology and on activities of γ-glutamyl transferase, adenosine triphosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and amylase in rat pancreas

The effect of pancreatic duct obstruction on the activities of amylase and three nonexocrine pancreatic enzymes was studied in the rat. γ-Glutamyl transferase (GGTase) activity, which is localized primarily in the plasma membrane of acinar cells, disappeared from the acinar basolateral plasma membrane and declined in specific activity by 80% over a seven-day experimental period. Mg-ATPase, localized primarily in the apical plasma membrane of acinar cells, simultaneously declined in activity in acinar cells but increased in activity in connective tissue. Mg-ATPase specific activity rose 3.5-fold. The histochemical results showed that the ductlike cells resulting from obstruction were derived primarily from acinar cells. Alkaline phosphatase (APase) activity, which is localized in vascular endothelium and the stroma of interlobular ducts, exhibited a dramatic increase in the periacinar, periductal, and interlobular stroma, and specific activity rose 11-fold. Amylase-specific activity declined as did the protein to DNA ratio. Gel electrophoresis showed that the amount of zymogen granule polypeptides declined after duct obstruction, whereas a few other polypeptides increased in amount.
Steady State and Short-Circuit Force Analysis on the Stator Windings of a Superconducting Generator

Superconducting generators operate at high power density levels and employ airgap stator windings. Consequently these stator windings are subjected to high radial and tangential forces. In order to define the support structure requirements, it is necessary to compute the forces on the windings and iron yoke accurately. A closed form analysis to evaluate these forces under steady state operation and balanced short circuit conditions is presented.
Cooperating with your romantic partner Associations with interpersonal emotion coordination

Romantic partners’ emotions become coordinated in various ways and this may have implications for well-being (Butler (2011) Temporal interpersonal emotion systems: The “TIES” that form relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15, 367–393.). The present study uses a community sample of 44 committed heterosexual couples to examine whether cooperation, a generally beneficial relational process, is associated with emotional coordination and whether the pattern differs when men’s emotions are coordinated with their female partners’ prior emotions or vice versa. Using behavioral observations of cooperation and second-to-second measures of emotional experience during a face-to-face conversation, men showed the most positive emotional experience at high levels of mutual cooperation. As predicted, cooperation was associated with different coordination patterns for men and women, with high mutual cooperation predicting an inphase pattern for men (emotions changing in unison with their partners) and ...
Quetiapine Cross-Reactivity with Plasma Tricyclic Antidepressant Immunoassays

BACKGROUND:Toxicology screens obtained on patients who have overdosed on drugs frequently include tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) as part of the evaluation. Quetiapine is an antipsychotic agent with structural similarity to the TCAs.OBJECTIVE:To determine whether quetiapine may cross-react with plasma TCA immunoassays in vitro using commonly available autoanalyzers.METHODS:Quetiapine stock solution was added to 9 separate samples of pooled drug-free human plasma to produce concentrations ranging from 1 to 640 ng/mL that were verified by gas chromatography. No quetiapine metabolites were present. Each spiked plasma sample was tested in a blinded fashion using the Abbott Tricyclic Antidepressant TDx Assay on the TDxFLx autoanalyzer in 2 separate laboratories, the Syva Emit tox Serum Tricyclic Antidepressant Assay on the AU400 autoanalyzer and the S TAD Serum Tricyclic Antidepressant Screen on the ACA-Star 300 autoanalyzer. The TDx assay is quantitative, while Emit and S TAD are qualitative screening assays...
Computational Modeling of Bounding Conditions for Pit Size on Stainless Steel in Atmospheric Environments

This paper presents analytic expressions for calculating bounding conditions for pitting under atmospheric conditions. These expressions allow the prediction of the maximum pit size that can develop under known atmospheric conditions by considering the factors that can control the inherent galvanic coupling between a circular pit under a thin electrolyte layer surrounded by a concentric cathodic area. Expressions are developed for the maximum cathodic current and the minimum anodic current required for pit stability. An analytic expression for the maximum cathodic current that the surrounding area can supply to the pit is developed and validated by comparison to calculations using the finite element method. The effects of the controlling environmental parameters (deposition density and relative humidity) on the cathode bounding parameters are explored, as is the effect of the size of the pit. The analytical expression for the maximum cathodic current is then coupled to the Galvele pit stability product to estimate the maximum pit size that could develop for a given set of environmental conditions. Those results are then compared to data available in the literature from outdoor exposures of stainless steels for up to 26 years.
The synthesis of colchicine

Abstract A synthesis of the alkaloid colchicine (II) involving the operations III → IX → XIIIb → XIVb → XVIIIb → XXV → XXVII → XXVIII → V → XXXIV → XXXV → XXXVI → XXIX (XXIX → II) is described.
Combination benefit of treatment with the cytokine inhibitors interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and PEGylated soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type I in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective. To determine the potential for additive or synergistic effects of combination therapy with the recombinant anticytokine agents interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and PEGylated soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type I (PEG sTNFRI) in established type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and developing adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats. Methods. Rats with established CIA or developing AIA were treated with various doses of IL-1Ra in a slow-release hyaluronic acid vehicle or with PEG sTNFRI, either alone or in combination with the IL-1Ra. The effects of treatment were monitored by sequential caliper measurements of the ankle joints or hind paw volumes, final paw weights, and histologic evaluation with particular emphasis on bone and cartilage lesions. Results. Combination therapy with IL-1Ra and PEG sTNFRI in rats with CIA resulted in an additive effect on clinical and histologic parameters when moderately to highly efficacious doses of each protein were administered. Greater-than-additive effects were seen when an inactive dose of IL-1Ra was given in combination with moderately to minimally active doses of PEG sTNFRI. Plasma levels associated with the latter effect (for both proteins) were similar to those seen in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in clinical trials with these agents. Combination therapy in the AIA model generally resulted in additive effects, but some parameters showed a greater-than-additive benefit. Conclusion. The results provide preclinical support for the hypothesis that IL-1Ra administered in combination with PEG sTNFRI might provide substantially more clinical benefit to RA patients than either agent alone at blood levels that are currently achievable in patients.