cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Stories We Must Tell: Ugandan Children and the Atrocities of the Lord's Resistance Army

During the summer of 1997, I spent a short time in Uganda as a consultant for Human Rights Watch, interviewing children who had been abducted by a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and who had experienced almost unimaginable horror.2 Adjectives cannot convey the reality best associated with images of the Cambodian genocide, the Jewish Holocaust, and recent events in Bosnia/Herzegovina. Like the Khmer Rouge, the Nazis, and Radovan Karadzic's Bosnian Serb militia, the LRA employs a calculated brutality against northern Ugandan civilians, forcing them to participate in atrocities against fellow citizens. The atrocities of the Lord's Resistance Army are on a much smaller scale, affecting thousands rather than millions. But this is little consolation to a child who has been forced, at gunpoint, to kill another child. Consider one girl's story:
Correction: A Novel BioMarker Panel to Rule Out Acute Appendicitis in Pediatric Patients with Abdominal Pain

μL) and normal CRP (b0.8 mg/dL). Used as a negative predictor when both WBC and CRP were normal, the sensitivity for acute appendicitis was 97.2% (95% CI, 93%-99%) and the negative predictive value was 96.8% (95% CI, 92%-99%), comparable to the algorithm; but the specificity was diminished (33.7%; 95% CI, 29%-39%), and there were 34 fewer patients identified as true negatives (121 vs 155), with one fewer false negative (4 vs 5). However, we have recently discovered a calculation error in that the CRP level used was 0.8 μg/mL, which is equal to 0.08 mg/dL rather than 0.8 mg/dL. The performance characteristics for WBC less than 10 k/μL combined with a CRP of less than 0.8 mg/dL are sensitivity of 93.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 87.7%-96.2%), negative predictive value of 94.7% (95% CI, 90.5%-97.1%), specificity of 49.9% (95% CI, 44.7%-55.0%), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.14 (95% CI, 0.08%-0.26%). This combination identified 24 more patients as true negatives (179 vs 155) but with twice as many false negatives (10 vs 5). We apologize for the error.
Stochastic Calculus and Differential Equations for Physics and Finance

Stochastic calculus provides a powerful description of a specific class of stochastic processes in physics and finance. However, many econophysicists struggle to understand it. This book presents the subject simply and systematically, giving graduate students and practitioners a better understanding and enabling them to apply the methods in practice. The book develops Ito calculus and Fokker–Planck equations as parallel approaches to stochastic processes, using those methods in a unified way. The focus is on nonstationary processes, and statistical ensembles are emphasized in time series analysis. Stochastic calculus is developed using general martingales. Scaling and fat tails are presented via diffusive models. Fractional Brownian motion is thoroughly analyzed and contrasted with Ito processes. The Chapman–Kolmogorov and Fokker–Planck equations are shown in theory and by example to be more general than a Markov process. The book also presents new ideas in financial economics and a critical survey of econometrics.
New Library Facilities: Opportunities for Collaboration

As academic libraries renovate or build new spaces that provide services to users, they should consider opportunities to collaborate with other units on campus to develop collaborative services in the new space. These collaborative spaces, such as information commons, teaching and learning centers, and multi-media studios, offer advantages such as providing seamless services to users, leveraging the technology and information expertise of several professional specialties, and pooling resources from more than one campus unit. Careful attention to the planning process is needed in order to ensure mutual understanding of the project goals, responsibilities, resource contributions, and services.
Pregnancy outcome in women exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero

The presence of anomalies in vagina, cervix, and uterine body of women exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero has provoked interest and concern regarding the reproductive potential of these women. To expand and to evaluate better better the current knowledge in this matter, the outcomes of the pregnancies of exposed women registered in the Stilbestrol Clinic at the Stanford University Medical Center were examined. The results were combined with the published results of similar examinations of other institutions and a summation of all available data is presented. Although it is evident that the majority (79%) of exposed women who have become pregnant and not regularly sought abortion have obtained at least one living infant, the incidence of spontaneous abortion and preterm delivery has consistently been found to be greater in exposed women than in unexposed control women. One of every 30 pregnancies reported in exposed patients has been ectopically located. Additionally, there is suggestive evidence that exposed women with teratologic changes have a higher incidence of pregnancy loss than those without such changes. However, few of these observations can boast statistical validity and statistical validation of the same observation by separate investigators has not been obtained. Moreover, none of th teratologic changes in exposed patients has been seen to preclude normal pregnancy and term delivery.
Tracking pelagic dolphins by satellite

A satellite-linked tracking system is being designed for assessing numbers of dolphins involved in the yellowfin tuna fishery of the eastern tropical Pacific, U.S.A. Testing is via the NIMBUS-6 satellite. The transmitter has a 17.8 cm one-quarter wavelength stub antenna, operates at 401.2 MHz, has a power output of 0.5 W, and incorporates a seawater switch to regulate transmission. Preliminary tests in the laboratory and on captive dolphins revealed problems with the bit rate oscillator, the seawater switch, and frequency modulation. Field tests of prototype transmitters on wild Hawaiian spotted dolphins are scheduled for spring, 1979.
In Search of the Folk Daoists of Northern China

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Stephen Jones Year: 2010 Publisher: Ashgate Publishing ISBN: 9781409406150 (hard cover).
12. The Role of Corporate Governance in Coping with Risk and Unknowns

The concern of this conference is with Financial Risk Management: The Known, The Unknown and The Unknowable. There may not be complete agreement on what that encompasses. For my purpose, I would define risk as the possible occurrence of a future event (state of nature) that has a significant financial consequence for a decision-maker. Depending on your particular position, your primary focus might be on the management of risk by financial institutions, or on the oversight of that management by government agencies regulating financial institutions, or on businesses in their operations or dealings with financial institutions and transacting partners. My perspective will mostly be centered on the latter. Further, the conference theme is the utility of classifying risks as known (K), unknown (u) and unknowable (U). The organizers at one point circulated a table of the use of those terms by various presenters. In the absence of full consensus, one can only make clear his own usage. I view those risks in terms of a probability distribution, with the KuU classes lying along a continuum of knowledge about the density function and how it is generated. The polar K example might be an honest roulette wheel, while the polar U example would be an event that no one is even thinking about. There is no sharp definitional line to be drawn, but we can have varying degrees of confidence in our understanding of the mean and variance (and other parameters) of the distribution in question. Most of the conference papers deal with aspects of addressing risks directly - classifying them, examining their origins and generating processes, calculating their probabilities of occurrence and density functions and tails, estimating the losses associated with different magnitudes and circumstances, considering individual perceptions and responses to those risks (cognitive biases and tendencies). Corporate governance per se does not address those matters as its focus. (Corporate governance, it should be noted, is not limited to corporations, but is concerned with the decision-making structure of any form of firm or organization.) In most of the legal and economic literature, it centers on agency costs: conflicts among shareholders (controlling and minority), directors and management, or more broadly between principals (who hold some type of ownership or residual stake) and agents (through whom they must act) in administering the affairs of the firm or organization. Principals can utilize assistants to aid in the internal monitoring of management: directors, accountants, counsel, consultants. But they too are agents, imposing costs. The extent of residual agency costs is one of the risks investors bear. There are some who define corporate governance so broadly as to include every force or factor that bears on the decision-making of the firm, which can be so all-encompassing as to thwart productive analysis. In this paper, I will consider how the firm can try to manage the postulated three categories of risk, in the context of the various agency costs which shape their responses.
Distributed RAID-a new multiple copy algorithm

A new multicopy algorithm is proposed; it has the potentially attractive property that much less space is required and equal performance is provided during normal operation. On the other hand, during failures the new algorithm offers lower performance than a conventional scheme. As such, this algorithm may be attractive in various multicopy environments, as well as in disaster recovery. The algorithm is presented and compared with various other multicopy and disaster recovery techniques. >
Antigenic Differences Between Mycobacterium bovis Strain BCG and an Isoniazid-Resistant Mutant

Abstract The antigenicities of Mycobacterium bovis strain BCG and an isoniazid (INH) - resistant mutant were compared. Sonic extracts of heat-killed, washed bacteria were injected into rabbits, and antisera were produced (anti-BCG and anti-BCG-R). The sonic extracts were also subjected to ultracentrifugation, and test antigens were prepared from the resulting supernatants (BCG and BCG-R). The antigens were labeled with 131I, and the antisera were tested for their capacity to bind 131I-BCG and 131I-BCG-R by precipitating 131I-antigen-antibody complexes with anti-rabbit gamma globulin. Significant differences were detected between the two test antigens. Immunodiffusion studies with unabsorbed antisera and antisera absorbed with BCG and BCG-R suggested that an antigenic component in BCG is lacking or diminished in BCG-R and that anti-BCG has antibodies not found in anti-BCG-R. These quantitative and qualitative differences were confirmed by inhibition studies. Complete inhibition was achieved in all systems by both test antigens when either was added in sufficient concentration. As expected, BCG-R inhibited the binding of 131I-BCG-R by anti-BCG-R or anti-BCG (or both) to a greater extent than BCG, and BCG was a better inhibitor in an 131I-BCG-anti-BCG-R system. However, in an 131I-BCG-anti-BCG test system, BCG was the better inhibitor only at high concentrations. It was concluded that the test antigens possess different proportions of identical or cross-reacting components and that INH-sensitive organisms possess a component(s) that is diminished or absent in the INH-resistant mutant. Whether this component(s) is responsible for INH-resistance is not known.
Algorithms for locating extremely conserved elements in multiple sequence alignments

In 2004, Bejerano et al. announced the startling discovery of hundreds of "ultraconserved elements", long genomic sequences perfectly conserved across human, mouse, and rat. Their announcement stimulated a flurry of subsequent research. We generalize the notion of ultraconserved element in a natural way from extraordinary human-rodent conservation to extraordinary conservation over an arbitrary set of species. We call these "Extremely Conserved Elements". There is a linear time algorithm to find all such Extremely Conserved Elements in any multiple sequence alignment, provided that the conservation is required to be across all the aligned species. For the general case of conservation across an arbitrary subset of the aligned species, we show that the question of whether there exists an Extremely Conserved Element is NP-complete. We illustrate the linear time algorithm by cataloguing all 177 Extremely Conserved Elements in the currently available 44-vertebrate whole-genome alignment, and point out some of the characteristics of these elements. The NP-completeness in the case of conservation across an arbitrary subset of the aligned species implies that it is unlikely an efficient algorithm exists for this general case. Despite this fact, for the interesting case of conservation across all or most of the aligned species, our algorithm is efficient enough to be practical. The 177 Extremely Conserved Elements that we catalog demonstrate many of the characteristics of the original ultraconserved elements of Bejerano et al.
Newborns and drug studies: the NICHD/FDA newborn drug development initiative.

Abstract Background: Progress has been made in research on the effects of drug therapy on pediatric patients, but neonates are still an understudied population. Those most likely to receive drug therapy (eg, preterm infants) are least likely to be studied. Objectives: The purposes of this article are to summarize an initiative developed jointly by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and to introduce a series of articles developed as a result of this initiative. Methods: Information for this article was gathered from the proceedings of a workshop cosponsored by the NICHD and the FDA that took place March 29 and 30, 2004, in Rockville, Maryland. Results: Dosing based on use in adults and older children has resulted in adverse events among newborn infants, and may have long-term effects. Moreover, formulations appropriate for use in neonates are often unavailable, and compensatory efforts such as mixing crushed tablets into formula may interfere with accurate dose delivery. Under the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act of 2002, government agencies work with experts in pediatrics and pediatric research to develop and prioritize a list of off-patent drugs for which pediatric studies are urgently needed. Four such listings were published in the Federal Register from January 2003 through January 2005. The NICHD and FDA have also initiated the Newborn Drug Development Initiative (NDDI), a multiphase program to determine gaps in knowledge concerning neonatal pharmacology and clinical trial design and to explore novel study designs for use in newborns, with the ultimate goal of increasing our knowledge about the safety and efficacy of drugs used to treat newborns. Conclusions: Most drugs used to treat newborns still lack appropriate dosing, efficacy, and safety studies in this vulnerable population. The NICHD and FDA developed the NDDI as an ongoing process to identify and suggest strategies for addressing obstacles to conducting drug trials in the newborn.
‘Waving the banana’ at capitalism: Political theater and social movement strategy among New York’s ‘freegan’ dumpster divers

This article presents an ethnographic study of ‘freegans’, individuals who use behaviors like dumpster diving for discarded food and voluntary unemployment to protest against environmental degradat...
Enhancing Chemistry Problem-Solving Achievement Using Problem Categorization.

The enhancement of chemistry students' skill in problem solving through problem categorization is the focus of this study. Twenty-four students in a freshman chemistry course for health professionals are taught how to solve problems using the explicit method of problem solving (EMPS) (Bunce & Heikkinen, 1986). The EMPS is an organized approach to problem analysis which includes encoding the information given in a problem (Given, Asked For), relating this to what is already in long-term memory (Recall), and planning a solution (Overall Plan) before a mathematical solution is attempted. In addition to the EMPS training, treatment students receive three 40-minute sessions following achievement tests in which they are taught how to categorize problems. Control students use this time to review the EMPS solutions of test questions. Although problem categorization is involved in one section of the EMPS (Recall), treatment students who received specific training in problem categorization demonstrate significantly higher achievement on combination problems (those problems requiring the use of more than one chemical topic for their solution) at (p = 0.01) than their counterparts. Significantly higher achievement for treatment students is also measured on an unannounced test (p = 0.02). Analysis of interview transcripts of both treatment and control students illustrates a “Rolodex approach” to problem solving employed by all students in this study. The Rolodex approach involves organizing equations used to solve problems on mental index cards and flipping through them, matching units given when a new problem is to be solved. A second phenomenon observed during student interviews is the absence of a link in the conceptual understanding of the chemical concepts involved in a problem and the problem-solving skills employed to correctly solve problems. This study shows that explicit training in categorization skills and the EMPS can lead to higher achievement in complex problem-solving situations (combination problems and unannounced test). However, such achievement may be limited by the lack of linkages between students' conceptual understanding and improved problem-solving skill.
Induction of liver apolipoprotein A-IV mRNA in porphyric mice

We have isolated cDNA clones for mRNAs that are induced by porphyria from a mouse liver library. Of the three inducible clones isolated, we have identified one as being apolipoprotein A-IV (apo A-IV) by its extensive homology with a rat apolipoprotein A-IV cDNA sequence. The level of liver apo A-IV mRNA increases rapidly in response to either of two porphyrogenic drugs. When the ferrochelatase-inhibited drug, 3,5-dicarbethoxy-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) is used, a 6 and 28 fold induction of liver apo A-IV mRNA is observed in male and female mice, respectively. If the heme-destroying porphyrogenic drug, allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) is the inducing agent, liver apo A-IV mRNA levels increase 2-3 fold in both males and females. The level of apo A-IV mRNA reaches a maximum within 6-10 hr. after drug administration. Intestine apo A-IV mRNA levels do not change during either of these drug-induced porphyrias. RNA from acute-phase responsive liver or liver from mice treated with bilirubin, porphobilinogen, or protoporphyrin IX show no increase in apo A-IV mRNA. These results indicate that apo A-IV induction is tied to a disruption in porphyrin-heme biosynthesis but is not directly affected by several heme intermediates nor by the major heme degradation product, bilirubin.
CHARACTERIZATION OF DYNAMIC FRACTURE IN COPPER UNDER UNIAXIAL STRESS AND UNIAXIAL STRAIN

Caracterisation des modes de rupture lors d'une tension uniaxiale dynamique (essais aux anneaux etendants) et d'une deformation uniaxiale dynamique (essais d'eclat). Mesure de la resistance a eclatement en fonction de la taille des grains, de la purete et de la porosite initiale. Developpement d'un modele de rupture ductile. Prevision qualitative des magnitudes relatives de la porosite et de la deformation
Seizure predisposition after perinatal hypoxia: effects of subsequent age and of an epilepsy predisposing gene mutation.

Summary Purpose There is a gap in our knowledge of the factors that modulate the predisposition to seizures following perinatal hypoxia. Herein, we investigate in a mouse model the effects of two distinct factors: developmental stage after the occurrence of the perinatal insult, and the presence of a seizure predisposing mutation. Methods Effects of age: P6 (postnatal day 6) mouse pups were subjected to acute hypoxia down to 4% O2 over the course of 45 min. Seizure susceptibilities to flurothyl-induced seizures (single exposures) and to flurothyl kindling were determined at specific subsequent ages. Effects of mutation: Heterozygote mice, with deletion of one copy of the Kcn1a gene, subjected to P6 hypoxia were compared as adults to wild-type mice with respect to susceptibility to a single exposure to flurothyl and to the occurrence of spontaneous seizures as detected by hippocampal electroencephalography (EEG) and video recordings. Key Findings Effects of age: As compared to controls, wild-type mice exposed to P6 hypoxia had a shortened seizure latency in response to a single flurothyl exposure at P50, but not at P7 or P28 (p < 0.04). In addition, perinatal hypoxia at P6 enhanced the rate of development of flurothyl kindling performed at P28–38 (p < 0.03), but not at P7–17. Effects of mutation: Kcn1a heterozygous mice subjected to P6 hypoxia exhibited increased susceptibility to flurothyl-induced seizures at P50 as compared to Normoxia heterozygote littermates, and to wild-type Hypoxia and Normoxia mice. In addition, heterozygotes exposed to P6 hypoxia were the only group in which spontaneous seizures were detected during the period of long-term monitoring (p < 0.027 in all comparisons). Significance Our data establish a mouse model of mild perinatal hypoxia in which we document the following: (1) the emergence, after a latent period, of increased susceptibility to flurothyl-induced seizures, and to flurothyl induced kindling; and (2) an additive effect of a gene mutation to the seizure predisposing consequences of perinatal hypoxia, thereby demonstrating that a modifier (or susceptibility) gene can exacerbate the long-term consequences of hypoxic injury.
Tunneling motions and the barrier to inversion in the dimethyl ether–CS2 van der Waals dimer

Abstract The rotational spectrum of the 1:1 weakly bound complex between dimethyl ether (DME) and CS2 has been measured by Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy. Ab initio calculations at the MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) level predict the lowest energy structure to have an ac-plane of symmetry with the CS2 lying approximately along the lone pair direction of the DME (R(O⋯S) distance = 3.05 A). Minor adjustment of this structure closely reproduces the experimental rotational constants. The CS2 tunnels between the lone pairs of DME, at a frequency of 90.3411(14) MHz, through a barrier of 78(1) cm−1.
Mutant Analysis Reveals a Specific Requirement for Protein P30 in Mycoplasma pneumoniae Gliding Motility

The cell-wall-less prokaryote Mycoplasma pneumoniae, long considered among the smallest and simplest cells capable of self-replication, has a distinct cellular polarity characterized by the presence of a differentiated terminal organelle which functions in adherence to human respiratory epithelium, gliding motility, and cell division. Characterization of hemadsorption (HA)-negative mutants has resulted in identification of several terminal organelle proteins, including P30, the loss of which results in developmental defects and decreased adherence to host cells, but their impact on M. pneumoniae gliding has not been investigated. Here we examined the contribution of P30 to gliding motility on the basis of satellite growth and cell gliding velocity and frequency. M. pneumoniae HA mutant II-3 lacking P30 was nonmotile, but HA mutant II-7 producing a truncated P30 was motile, albeit at a velocity 50-fold less than that of the wild type. HA-positive revertant II-3R producing an altered P30 was unexpectedly not fully wild type with respect to gliding. Complementation of mutant II-3 with recombinant wild-type and mutant alleles confirmed the correlation between gliding defect and loss or alteration in P30. Surprisingly, fusion of yellow fluorescent protein to the C terminus of P30 had little impact on cell gliding velocity and significantly enhanced HA. Finally, while quantitative examination of HA revealed clear distinctions among these mutant strains, gliding defects did not correlate strictly with the HA phenotype, and all strains attached to glass at wild-type levels. Taken together, these findings suggest a role for P30 in gliding motility that is distinct from its requirement in adherence.
The apsidal motion test in 4U 0900-40

Recent SAS 3 observations of 4U 0900-40 have confirmed the apparent eccentricity of the orbit. Arguments are presented to show that the measured eccentricity is not a spurious effect resulting from systematic reflection of the X-ray beam within the binary system. The longitude of periastron is not observed to have advanced in the 3.5 years since its original determination. The limit on apsidal motion is omega not greater than 3.8 deg/yr which, in turn, restricts the apsidal motion constant to log k not greater than -2.5. These limits are used to constrain the physical parameters of the companion star HD 77581.
Ikaros-CtIP Interactions Do Not Require C-terminal Binding Protein and Participate in a Deacetylase-independent Mode of Repression *

Ikaros and Aiolos are Kruppel zinc finger proteins that play key roles in hemo-lymphoid development and homeostasis. We have previously shown that they can repress transcription through the recruitment of histone deacetylases (HDACs). Here, we provide the first functional evidence that these proteins can also repress gene function in a manner that does not require deacetylase activity. This functionality can be attributed in part to Ikaros interactions with the HDAC-independent corepressor, C-terminal binding protein (CtBP). However, mutations that block Ikaros-CtBP interactions do not abolish Ikaros's repression activity, implicating the involvement of additional corepressors. Consistent with this expectation, we show that Ikaros can interact with a CtBP-interacting protein (CtIP), which has also been linked to a deacetylase-independent strategy of repression. Despite being a CtBP interactor, CtIP's association with Ikaros does not require CtBP but instead relies upon its Rb interaction domain. Significantly, Ikaros can interact with Rb, which itself can repress gene function in a deacetylase-independent manner. A mutation in Ikaros that abrogates CtIP interactions significantly reduces repression, and a double mutation that prevents interaction with both CtIP and CtBP even further alleviates repression. Finally, we show that CtIP and CtBP can interact with the general transcription factors, TATA binding protein and transcription factor IIB, which suggests a possible mechanism for their deacetylase-independent mode of repression.
Atomic Resolution Studies of Tilt Grain Boundaries in NiO

The atomic structures of a number of high-angle tilt grain boundaries in NiO have been studied by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). Crystal 1inity is always maintained right up to the grain boundary (GB). Grain boundary planes bounded by a (100)-plane are preferred, however symmetrical facets are also found at each misorientation. A tendency to match atomic planes across the GB is not only observed in symmetrical, but also in asymmetrical GBs. Structural units can be clearly recognized in symmetrical GBs. Contrast differences suggest that a multiplicity of structural units exists for some GB configurations. Frequently symmetric GBs also show deviations from mirror symmetry. Multislice simultations indicate that the image contrast associated with HREM GB images is not particularly sensitive to GB relaxation.
Spatially and temporally varying adaptive covariance inflation for ensemble filters

Ensemble filters are used in many data assimilation applications in geophysics. Basic implementations of ensemble filters are trivial but are susceptible to errors from many sources. Model error, sampling error and fundamental inconsistencies between the filter assumptions and reality combine to produce assimilations that are suboptimal or suffer from filter divergence. Several auxiliary algorithms have been developed to help filters tolerate these errors. For instance, covariance inflation combats the tendency of ensembles to have insufficient variance by increasing the variance during the assimilation. The amount of inflation is usually determined by trial and error. It is possible, however, to design Bayesian algorithms that determine the inflation adaptively. A spatially and temporally varying adaptive inflation algorithm is described. A normally distributed inflation random variable is associated with each element of the model state vector. Adaptive inflation is demonstrated in two low-order model experiments. In the first, the dominant error source is small ensemble sampling error. In the second, the model error is dominant. The adaptive inflation assimilations have better mean and variance estimates than other inflation methods.
c-Abl Has High Intrinsic Tyrosine Kinase Activity That Is Stimulated by Mutation of the Src Homology 3 Domain and by Autophosphorylation at Two Distinct Regulatory Tyrosines

Using the specific Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI 571, we purified unphosphorylated murine type IV c-Abl and measured the kinetic parameters of c-Abl tyrosine kinase activity in a solution with a peptide-based assay. Unphosphorylated c-Abl exhibited substantial peptide kinase activity with K(m) of 204 microm and V(max) of 33 pmol min(-1). Contrary to previous observations using immune complex kinase assays, we found that a transforming c-Abl mutant with a Src homology 3 domain point mutation (P131L) had significantly (about 6-fold) higher intrinsic kinase activity than wild-type c-Abl (K(m) = 91 microm, V(max) = 112 pmol min(-1)). Autophosphorylation stimulated the activity of wild-type c-Abl about 18-fold and c-Abl P131L about 3.6-fold, resulting in highly active kinases with similar catalytic rates. The autophosphorylation rate was dependent on Abl protein concentration consistent with an intermolecular reaction. A tyrosine to phenylalanine mutation (Y412F) at the c-Abl residue homologous to the c-Src catalytic domain autophosphorylation site impaired the activation of wild-type c-Abl by 90% but reduced activation of c-Abl P131L by only 45%. Mutation of a tyrosine (Tyr-245) in the linker region between the Src homology 2 and catalytic domains that is conserved among the Abl family inhibited the autophosphorylation-induced activation of wild-type c-Abl by 50%, whereas the c-Abl Y245F/Y412F double mutant was minimally activated by autophosphorylation. These results support a model where c-Abl is inhibited in part through an intramolecular Src homology 3-linker interaction and stimulated to full catalytic activity by sequential phosphorylation at Tyr-412 and Tyr-245.
The vibrational energy spectrum of the 21Σg+ state of Li2

Abstract We calculate the vibrational energy levels for all three possible isotopic species of the 21Σg+ state of Li2 and from them deduce a set of Dunham constants. Since the 21Σg+ state has substantial ionic character, its shape is usual and so is the spacing of its vibrational levels. We find for 7Li2, Y10 = 123.76 cm−1 and Y20 = 1.87 cm−1, for example.
Magnetic ordering effects on the reflectivity of EuS and EuSe

Abstract The reflectivity of the ferromagnetic semiconductors EuS and EuSe has been measured as a function of temperature and polarization in a domain orienting magnetic field. The triplet structure below Tc and the doublet above are evidence that the absorption edge transition is 4ƒ7 (8S 7 2 ) → 4ƒ6(7FJ 5d (t2g).
A barley RFLP map: alignment of three barley maps and comparisons to Gramineae species

Several gene linkage maps have been produced for cultivated barley. We have produced a new linkage map for barley, based on a cross between Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum and Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare (Hvs x Hvv), having a higher level of polymorphism than most of the previous barley crosses used for RFLP mapping. Of 133 markers mapped in the Hvs x Hvv F2 population, 69 were previously mapped on other barley maps, and 26 were mapped in rice, maize, or wheat. Two known gene clones were mapped as well as two morphological markers. The distributions of previously mapped markers were compared with their respective barley maps to align the different maps into one consensus map. The distributions of common markers among barley, wheat, rice and maize were also compared, indicating colinear linkage groups among these species.
Vismodegib, an antagonist of hedgehog signaling, directly alters taste molecular signaling in taste buds

Vismodegib, a highly selective inhibitor of hedgehog (Hh) pathway, is an approved treatment for basal-cell carcinoma. Patients on treatment with vismodegib often report profound alterations in taste sensation. The cellular mechanisms underlying the alterations have not been studied. Sonic Hh (Shh) signaling is required for cell growth and differentiation. In taste buds, Shh is exclusively expressed in type IV taste cells, which are undifferentiated basal cells and the precursors of the three types of taste sensing cells. Thus, we investigated if vismodegib has an inhibitory effect on taste cell turnover because of its known effects on Hh signaling. We gavaged C57BL/6J male mice daily with either vehicle or 30 mg/kg vismodegib for 15 weeks. The gustatory behavior and immunohistochemical profile of taste cells were examined. Vismodegib-treated mice showed decreased growth rate and behavioral responsivity to sweet and bitter stimuli, compared to vehicle-treated mice. We found that vismodegib-treated mice had significant reductions in taste bud size and numbers of taste cells per taste bud. Additionally, vismodegib treatment resulted in decreased numbers of Ki67- and Shh-expressing cells in taste buds. The numbers of phospholipase Cβ2- and α-gustducin-expressing cells, which contain biochemical machinery for sweet and bitter sensing, were reduced in vismodegib-treated mice. Furthermore, vismodegib treatment resulted in reduction in numbers of T1R3, glucagon-like peptide-1, and glucagon-expressing cells, which are known to modulate sweet taste sensitivity. These results suggest that inhibition of Shh signaling by vismodegib treatment directly results in alteration of taste due to local effects in taste buds.
Treatment advances in acid secretory disorders: the promise of rapid symptom relief with disease resolution.

Abstract Gastric acid–related disorders are common clinical problems associated with a wide range of symptoms. Important advances have occurred over the last 20 yr that have improved our understanding of these disorders as well as our approach to treatment. Today, control of gastric acid secretion represents the cornerstone of effective management of both peptic ulcer disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A variety of acid-reducing strategies are now available to clinicians to manage symptoms and control or resolve disease. Antacids offer rapid symptomatic relief but probably have little effect on overall disease progression. Histamine-2 receptor antagonists can also provide good initial symptomatic treatment in peptic ulcer disease and in mild to moderate GERD. However, problems with postmeal acid control and tachyphylaxis may detract from their long-term usefulness. The availability of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which block the final process in H + ion secretion, has revolutionized our approach to the management of patients with acid secretory disorders. The currently available PPIs, omeprazole and lansoprazole, enable us to control symptoms effectively and safely, hasten healing, and minimize disease recurrence. New PPIs, such as rabeprazole and pantoprazole, will further expand our treatment options and may offer even greater possibilities with regard to rapid symptomatic relief and disease resolution.
Healing our sicko health care system

In his controversial new film about U.S. health care, Michael Moore heads abroad to show us that a single public insurer is the only hope for health care reform. Jacob Hacker argues that one need not travel to see the virtues of combining universality with public cost control. Jacob Hacker on Michael Moore's movie Sicko and the outlook for reform in the U.S. health care system. Dr. Jacob Hacker is a professor of political science at Yale University, New Haven, CT, and a fellow at the New America Foundation, Washington, D.C.
A technique to orient a stone cast in the fabrication of a nasal prosthesis

Obtaining the correct orientation of the stone cast in the fabrication of a nasal prosthesis is a challenging task. The current technique involves repeated trials of the waxed nasal prosthesis on the patient's face to establish its correct position. This article proposes a simplified technique to aid in establishing the proper orientation of the stone cast in an effort to decrease the number of error corrections related to midline discrepancies during the wax sculpting stage.
Intra-abdominal adipose tissue is independently associated with sex-hormone binding globulin in premenopausal women

Lower serum concentrations of sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) are associated with increased risk for several obesity-related diseases in women including hormone-sensitive cancers, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Previous investigations have reported that body composition, specifically central obesity, and/or higher insulin concentrations are key factors associated with lower SHBG in overweight and obese women; however, these studies were limited by their cross-sectional design. We hypothesized that intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT), a fat depot linked with an abnormal metabolic profile, is inversely and independently associated with SHBG. Therefore, we determined the longitudinal associations among SHBG, insulin, and IAAT in 107 premenopausal women enrolled in a weight loss study. Overweight (BMI 27–30 kg/m2) women were weight reduced until BMI of ≤24 was achieved. Body composition and IAAT were measured at baseline and after weight loss with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography, respectively. Serum concentrations of insulin and SHBG were determined. Paired t-test showed that insulin and IAAT decreased significantly and SHBG increased significantly following weight loss (P < 0.0001 for all). Simple correlations from baseline showed no association with insulin and SHBG (r = −0.142, P = 0.143) and a significant inverse association between IAAT and SHBG (r = −0.43, P < 0.0001). Repeated measures mixed-model showed that after adjusting for age and time (weight loss), IAAT was significantly inversely associated with SHBG (P = 0.0002) and there was no association with insulin and SHBG (P = 0.180). We conclude that SHBG concentrations are influenced by IAAT and not insulin in premenopausal women.
Downstaging to non-invasive urothelial carcinoma is associated with improved outcome following radical cystectomy for patients with cT2 disease.

Pathologic stage is a critically important prognostic factor after radical cystectomy (RC) that is used to guide the use of secondary therapies. However, the risk of disease recurrence, for patients clinically diagnosed with muscle-invasive tumors who are found not to have muscle-invasive disease at RC are poorly defined. Therefore, we reviewed the long-term outcomes in patients who were downstaged to non-invasive urothelial carcinoma at time of RC. We identified 1,177 consecutive patients with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder who underwent radical cystectomy at our institution between 1980 and 1999 without neoadjuvant therapy. Postoperative disease recurrence and survival were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log rank test. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the impact of pathologic stage on survival. Pathologic downstaging to non-muscle invasive disease was identified in 538 (45.7 %) patients. The 10-year cancer-specific survival was 84.1, 77.4, 71.1 and 58.5 % for those with pT0, pTis, pT1 and pT2 tumors, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the risk of cancer-specific mortality was significantly decreased for patients with non-muscle invasive disease than those with organ-confined muscle invasion (RR−0.39; p = 0.002). There was no difference in disease-specific mortality among patients who had non-invasive (pT0, pTa, or pTis) disease (p = 0.19). Downstaging from clinical muscle-invasive bladder cancer to non-muscle invasive disease at RC is associated with a significant reduction in cancer-specific mortality. However, even patients with residual non-muscle invasive disease may suffer disease recurrence and require continued surveillance after surgery.
Epilepsy in conjoined Siamese twins.

Abstract The history is presented of conjoined Siamese twins, one of whom has developed epileptic seizures. The EEG simultaneous recordings of the twins and a clinical seizure of one twin are presented and discussed. The chances of directly recording a seizure in an epileptic conjoined twin is estimated as being in the neighborhood of one in 500 million. No attempt has been made in this report to discuss the general problem of conjoined twinning, theories of development, etc., for which adequate references exist (Aird 1954, 1955; Dawson 1944; Dunbar 1934; Gray et al. 1950; Luckhardt 1941; Mall 1908; Mortimer et al. 1942; Perlstein et al. 1927; Potter 1952).
Distribution of n-parrafins in selected marine benthic organisms.

The South Texas Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico has recently been approved for leasing for o i l exploration, thus providing an excellent area for studies on the effects of oi l exploration and d r i l l i n g on the marine environment before, during and af ter such ac t i v i t i es . In order to determine the effects of th is ac t i v i t y on the heavy hydrocarbon content of benthic organisms, we conducted a survey of the E-parrafin content in several species of benthic epifauna. Since there is l i t t l e information on the hydrocarbon content and d is t r ibut ion of most species of marine organsims (MOORE et a l . , 1973), the data obtained from these analyses should not on-Ty--b-e important for th is study, but should also be useful in forming a data base for assessing whether organisms of the same species from other areas have been contaminated by o i l .
Patient Noncompliance With Medical Advice After the Emergency Department Visit

Abstract Study objective: To determine the correlates of compliance with follow-up appointments and prescription filling after an emergency department visit. Methods: This prospective cohort study was undertaken as part of the Emergency Department Quality Study evaluation of five urban teaching hospital EDs in the northeastern United States. Of 2,757 eligible patients who presented with abdominal pain, asthma, chest pain, hand lacerations, head trauma, or first-trimester vaginal bleeding and were enrolled during 1-month period, 2,315 (84%) completed on-site baseline questionnaires. Information about diagnoses, socioeconomic status, discharge instructions, insurance status, and primary care was obtained from the on-site patient surveys and from reviews of medical records. A 76% random sample of patients who completed the questionnaire was generated, and 1,386 patients (79% of the sample) were interviewed by telephone approximately 10 days after their ED visit to determine compliance with follow-up appointments and prescription filling. Results: Of the 1,386 patients interviewed at 10 days, 914 (66%) had been discharged from the ED, and 408 (45%) of those discharged recalled being advised to take a medication. Fifty of these patients (12%) reported that they did not obtain the medication. Significant independent correlates of not filling prescriptions were lack of insurance (odds ratio [OR], 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 5.5) and dissatisfaction with discharge instructions (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 6.4). Two hundred thirty-five (26%) of the discharged patients said they were given follow-up appointments and did not have an appointment pending at the time of the interview; 77 (33%) of these patients reported having missed their appointment. The only significant independent correlate of missing follow-up appointments was being given a telephone number to call instead of leaving the ED with an appointment scheduled (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.7 to 8.8). Conclusion: Not having an appointment made before leaving the ED was an independent correlate of missing follow-up appointments. Lack of insurance and dissatisfaction with discharge instructions were independent correlates of not filling prescriptions. [Thomas EJ, Burstin HR, O'Neil AC, Orav EJ, Brennan TA: Patient noncompliance with medical advice after the emergency department visit. Ann Emerg Med January 1996;27:49-55.]
Metabolomic Profiling Reveals Distinct Patterns of Myocardial Substrate Use in Humans With Coronary Artery Disease or Left Ventricular Dysfunction During Surgical Ischemia/Reperfusion

Background— Human myocardial metabolism has been incompletely characterized in the setting of surgical cardioplegic arrest and ischemia/reperfusion. Furthermore, the effect of preexisting ventricular state on ischemia-induced metabolic derangements has not been established. Methods and Results— We applied a mass spectrometry–based platform to profile 63 intermediary metabolites in serial paired peripheral arterial and coronary sinus blood effluents obtained from 37 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, stratified by presence of coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction. The myocardium was a net user of a number of fuel substrates before ischemia, with significant differences between patients with and without coronary artery disease. After reperfusion, significantly lower extraction ratios of most substrates were found, as well as significant release of 2 specific acylcarnitine species, acetylcarnitine and 3-hydroxybutyryl-carnitine. These changes were especially evident in patients with impa...
The seagrass, Zostera Marina L.: Plant morphology and bed structure in relation to sediment ammonium in izembek lagoon, Alaska

The relationship between the morphology of eelgrass, Zostera marina L., and ammonium in the sediment interstitial water was examined. The size of eelgrass plants collected from an intertidal terrace showed a consistent relationship with the size of the interstitial ammonium pool. Leaf area, length, and width all showed a linear increase in size towards stations having higher ammonium, while within the stations with the highest ammonium the leaf size was relatively unchanged. The size and extent of the root system in eelgrass varied across the environmental gradient. Eelgrass shoot density and flower abundance were inversely correlated with sediment nitrogen across the eelgrass meadow. Shoot density described a strong logarithmic relation with interstitial ammonium, opposite to the relationships for leaf size. Comparison of these results indicates the importance of sediment nitrogen in determining eelgrass bed structure.