cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controlling extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis

Recent successes in the fight against tuberculosis rely on short-course chemotherapy with our two most powerful drugs isoniazid and rifampicin. Unfortunately not only do hundreds of thousands of people or more still die every year of curable tuberculosis1 but inadequate treatment has also contributed to the origination of strains of tuberculosis resistant to these two drugs (ie multidrug-resistant [MDR] tuberculosis). MDR tuberculosis can then spread from person to person and needs expensive treatment regimens lasting 2 years or more. Further inadequate treatment can lead to resistance to crucial second-line drugs and the advent of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis which is even more dangerous and expensive to treat. Nosocomial transmission of XDR strains seems to have contributed to a major outbreak in HIV-positive individuals in Tugela Ferry South Africa. To better understand how to control XDR tuberculosis todays Lancet presents a report of a new mathematical model developed by Sanjay Basu and colleagues of the transmission of tuberculosis in this region. (excerpt)
Graphical approach to performance analysis of linear multistage interference cancellation in asynchronous CDMA systems

The bit error probability (BEP) of a multistage linear parallel interference canceller (LPIC) is a long-code code division multiple access (CDMA) s ys tem with chip-synchronized asynchronous transmission is analyzed in this work. By assuming the decision statistic to be a Gaussian random variable, the BEP can be obtained by plugging the conditional mean and variance of the decision statistic into the Q function. We formulate the effective correlation matrix D (i ) in the asynchronous environment, and show that the conditional mean and the variance of the decision statistic can be expressed as functions of moments of D (i ). The computation of moments of D (i ) can be divided into two parts. One is the expectation of cosine terms, which can be solved by the method introduced in our previous work of a synchronous system [1]. The ot her is the expectation of cross-correlation terms, which is much more complex than the case in [1]. Besides tools in [1], we develop an evolutionary forest to deal with manipulations of D (i ) and show that the computation of the expectation of cross-correlation terms is equivalent to solving a list coloring problem.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
FREEDIUS: an open source Lisp-based image understanding environment

This paper describes FREEDIUS, an open-source image understanding system. FREEDIUS is a Lisp-C hybrid system that exploits CLOS for rapid prototyping, flexibility of presentation in the user interface, and flexibility in persistent object storage. Applications of FREEDIUS include site modeling, video track analysis and event recognition.
Modeling the impact of agricultural land use and management on US carbon budgets

Abstract. Cultivation of the terrestrial land surface can create either a source or sink of atmospheric CO2, depending on land management practices. The Community Land Model (CLM) provides a useful tool for exploring how land use and management impact the soil carbon pool at regional to global scales. CLM was recently updated to include representation of managed lands growing maize, soybean, and spring wheat. In this study, CLM-Crop is used to investigate the impacts of various management practices, including fertilizer use and differential rates of crop residue removal, on the soil organic carbon (SOC) storage of croplands in the continental United States over approximately a 170-year period. Results indicate that total US SOC stocks have already lost over 8 Pg C (10%) due to land cultivation practices (e.g., fertilizer application, cultivar choice, and residue removal), compared to a land surface composed of native vegetation (i.e., grasslands). After long periods of cultivation, individual subgrids (the equivalent of a field plot) growing maize and soybean lost up to 65% of the carbon stored compared to a grassland site. Crop residue management showed the greatest effect on soil carbon storage, with low and medium residue returns resulting in additional losses of 5 and 3.5%, respectively, in US carbon storage, while plots with high residue returns stored 2% more carbon. Nitrogenous fertilizer can alter the amount of soil carbon stocks significantly. Under current levels of crop residue return, not applying fertilizer resulted in a 5% loss of soil carbon. Our simulations indicate that disturbance through cultivation will always result in a loss of soil carbon, and management practices will have a large influence on the magnitude of SOC loss.
Design, formulation, and evaluation of isocyanatoacrylate copolymer dental adhesives.

Experiments have recently been completed to explore the development of isocyanatoacrylate copolymers as new dental adhesives. A main goal of this work was to test the utility of solubility parameter differences between the candidate adhesives and etched dentin as a predictor of relative bond strength. All candidate adhesive mixtures contained 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (IEM), a selected amount of tri-n-butylborane oxide (TBBO) initiator, and one of 13 methacrylate comonomers. Reactivity ratios were computed for comonomer pairs as indicators of relative reactivity. The concentration of TBBO was optimized for each comonomer mixture to obtain working times of 2–6 min and setting times of 6–10 min. The solubility parameter difference Δδ (J/cm3)1/2 was calculated for each test mixture with respect to an etched dentin substrate, as an approximation of wetting ability. Using standard techniques for shear bond strength evaluation, mean shear bond strength values ranging between 7–15.5 MPa were obtained for comonomer adhesives in bonding Z-100 composite to treated dentin. Shear bond strength values showed a good correlation (r = −0.612, P ≤ 0.05) with solubility parameter differences. This study illustrates the usefulness of reactivity ratios and solubility parameters in the design and development of effective dentin bonding agents. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res (Appl Biomater) 48: 496–503, 1999
Aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in SJL mice.

Abstract Previous work from our laboratory localized nitric oxide to the affected spinal cords of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a prime model for the human disease multiple sclerosis. The present study shows that activated lymphocytes sensitized to the central nervous system encephalitogen, myelin basic protein, can induce nitric oxide production by a murine macrophage cell line. Induction was inhibited by amino-guanidine, a preferential inhibitor of the inducible nitric oxide synthase isoform, and by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine. Aminoguanidine, when administered to mice sensitized to develop experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, inhibited disease expression in a dose-related manner. At 400 mg aminoguanidine/kg per day, disease onset was delayed and the mean maximum clinical score was 0.9 +/- 1.2 in aminoguanidine versus 3.9 +/- 0.9 in placebo-treated mice. Histologic scoring of the spinal cords for inflammation, demyelination, and axonal necrosis revealed significantly less pathology in the aminoguanidine-treated group. The present study implicates excessive nitric oxide production in the pathogenesis of murine inflammatory central nervous system demyelination, and perhaps in the human disease multiple sclerosis.
A comparative analysis of the accuracy of implant transfer techniques

Four different implant transfer techniques using two master cast systems (solid cast and Zeiser system) were evaluated and compared with respect to the accuracy with which abutment positions were reproduced. A stainless steel experimental analogue with two anterior and two posterior fixtures and abutments was fabricated. Polyether impressions (14 each) were made by use of four techniques, (I) nonsplinted, (II) splinted with dental floss and acrylic resin, (III) splinted with orthodontic wire and acrylic resin, and (IV) splinted with acrylic resin alone. The fourteen impressions of each technique were divided into two equal groups: group 1, solid cast system, and group 2, Zeiser system. The abutments of each master cast were measured vertically and horizontally with a profile projector. Statistical analysis indicated no significant difference between the splinted and nonsplinted techniques. The Zeiser system provided more accurate interabutment relationships for the posterior region than the solid cast system.
Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility data bearing on the transport direction of mid-tertiary regional ignimbrites, Candelaria Hills area, West-Central Nevada

In west-central Nevada, the Oligocene Candelaria pyroclastic sequence reaches a local thickness of up to 1.3 km, in what has been referred to as the Candelaria trough, but more generally the accumulation of ash-flow tuffs and related volcanic rocks is less than 300 m thick. Complete to near complete outcrops are scattered over about 3200 km2 in the Candelaria Hills and surrounding ranges of the Southern Walker Lane structural zone. Three regionally extensive compound cooling units within the overall sequence (25.8 Ma Metallic City, 24.1 Ma Belleville, and 23.7 Ma Candelaria Junction Tuffs) have distinguishing characteristics and are the focus of study. At 106 sites, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data provide an estimate of transport direction of each tuff. Inferred transport directions based on the AMS data are corrected for a modest clockwise, yet variable magnitude, vertical axis rotation that affected these rocks in late Miocene to Pliocene time, as revealed by paleomagnetic studies. The AMS data show a somewhat orderly pattern of magnetic fabrics that we interpret to define unique transport directions for the Metallic City and Candelaria Junction Tuffs. The low susceptibility and degree of anisotropy of the Belleville Tuff limits our interpretation from this pyroclastic deposit. The Metallic City and Candelaria Junction Tuffs typically show gentle, south–southeast and southeast dipping magnetic fabric imbrication, respectively, and very gently plunging magnetic lineations. These AMS fabric elements indicate the tuffs were transported to the north–northwest and northwest, respectively. The AMS fabric data from the Metallic City and Candelaria Junction Tuffs suggest relatively unrestricted flow during emplacement. Evidence across the 3,200 km2 area to support more regionally controlled channelized flow into and/or flow along the east northeast–west southwest axis of the Candelaria trough is lacking. The ignimbrites clearly filled a topographic depression inferred to have formed concurrent with early, localized Basin and Range extension during pyroclastic emplacement, but based on the uniformity of AMS fabric data, we infer that the depression quickly filled and did not hinder flow across the region. Unrecognized eruptive centers for the three ignimbrites may lie buried beneath Neogene basin fill sediments south–southeast of the Candelaria Hills or concealed below younger deposits farther southeast into the Palmetto Mountains.
TEEAL and AGORA: Improving Access to Agricultural Journals in Low-Income Countries

Abstract The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library (TEEAL) and Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) are programs that will provide low-income countries with access to agricultural journal literature that advances their agricultural research and education objectives. Developed by Cornell University's Mann Library and launched in 1999, TEEAL is a self-contained agricultural research library with full-text articles and graphics of 140 major journals related to agriculture from 1993 through 2003, stored and indexed on over 400 CD-ROMs. In mid-2005, most of the collection also became available for use over local area networks. Launched in October 2003, AGORA is an Internet-based journal delivery system led by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with Mann Library as a principal partner. AGORA offers almost 800 journals from twenty-seven international publishers to 113 low-income countries and territories for free or a nominal fee.
Dactinomycin Impairs Cellular Respiration and Reduces Accompanying ATP Formation

The effect of dactinomycin on cellular respiration and accompanying ATP formation was investigated in Jurkat and HL-60 cells. Cellular mitochondrial oxygen consumption (measured by a homemade phosphorescence analyzer) and ATP content (measured by the luciferin−luciferase bioluminescence system) were determined as functions of time t during continuous exposure to the drug. The rate of respiration, k, was the negative of the slope of [O2] versus t. Oxygen consumption and ATP content were diminished by cyanide, confirming that both processes involved oxidations in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. In the presence of dactinomycin, k decreased gradually with t, the decrease being more pronounced at higher drug concentrations. Cellular ATP remained constant for 5 h in untreated cells, but in the presence of 20 μM dactinomycin it decreased gradually (to one-tenth the value at 5 h for untreated cells). The drug-induced inhibition of respiration and decrease in ATP were blocked by the pancaspase inhibitor benzy...
A role for matrix metalloproteinases in nicotine-induced conditioned place preference and relapse in adolescent female rats.

Reconfiguration of extracellular matrix proteins appears to be necessary for the synaptic plasticity that underlies memory consolidation. The primary candidates involved in controlling this process are a family of endopeptidases called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs); however, the potential role of MMPs in nicotine addiction-related memories has not been adequately tested. Present results indicate transient changes in hippocampal MMP-2, -3, and -9 expression following context dependent learning of nicotine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). Members of a CPP procedural control group also indicated similar MMP changes, suggesting that memory activation occurred in these animals as well. However, hippocampal MMP-9 expression was differentially elevated in members of the nicotine-induced CPP group on days 4 and 5 of training. Inhibition of MMPs using a broad spectrum MMP inhibitor (FN439) during nicotine-induced CPP training blocked the acquisition of CPP. Elevations in hippocampal and prefrontal cortex MMP-3 expression—but not MMP-2 and -9—accompanied reactivation of a previously learned drug related memory. Decreases in the actin regulatory cytoskeletal protein cortactin were measured in the HIP and PFC during the initial two days of acquisition of CPP; however, no changes were seen following re-exposure to the drug related environment. These results suggest that MMP-9 may be involved in facilitating the intracellular and extracellular events required for the synaptic plasticity underlying the acquisition of nicotine-induced CPP. Furthermore, MMP-3 appears to be important during re-exposure to the drug associated environment. However, rats introduced into the CPP apparatus and given injections of vehicle rather than nicotine during training also revealed a pattern of MMP expression similar to nicotine-induced CPP animals.
Human keratinocyte growth-promoting activity on the surface of fibroblasts

To proliferate in serum-containing medium, normal human keratinocytes must be co-cultured with fibroblast feeder cells. Conditioned medium from feeder cell cultures cannot substitute for the cells themselves. We tested the hypothesis that fibroblasts display a keratinocyte growth-promoting activity on their outer cell surface. The results of our investigation showed that (1) glutaraldehyde-fixed fibroblast feeder cells promote keratinocyte growth, (2) the growth-promoting effect requires contact between fixed fibroblasts and keratinocytes, and (3) feeder activity is highly enriched within the plasma membrane fraction of fibroblasts. We conclude that at least part of the fibroblast "feeder" activity involves a keratinocyte growth-promoting factor which is bound to the outer surface of fibroblast plasma membranes.
Strongly disordered superfluids: Quantum fluctuations and critical behavior.

Superfluidity may be destroyed by an increasing amount of disorder. The physical systems that may be candidates for this behavior are the superfluid transition of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ in Vycor and the destruction of superconductivity in ``dirty'' electronic systems. We introduce a model for this phenomenon which may be mapped onto a quantum spin-1/2 model with a random field in the z direction. We study the breakdown of mean-field theory and used a scaling argument to establish the existence of a zero-temperature transition between the superfluid and normal state. We then study the critical behavior of this transition by a mapping onto a (d+1)-dimensional field theory with correlated disorder. The critical behavior of the transition temperature and the superfluid density near the transition point are discussed and scaling relations derived.
Complex fault interactions in a restraining bend on the San Andreas fault, southern Santa Cruz Mountains, California

The unusual oblique thrust mechanism of the October 18, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake focused attention on the complex tectonic setting of this segment of the San Andreas Fault. Near the mainshock epicenter, the San Andreas Fault curves to the left defining a restraining bend. The large thrust component of the mainshock focal mechanism is consistent with the horizontal compression expected across restraining bends. However, repeated Loma Prieta type earthquakes cannot exclusively produce the observed topography of the southern Santa Cruz Mountains, the highest point of which experienced subsidence during the 1989 earthquake. In this paper, the authors integrate seismic, geomorphic and tectonic data to investigate the possibility that motions on faults adjacent to the San Andreas Fault play an important role in producing the observed topography. The three-dimensional geometry of active faults in this region is imaged using the Loma Prieta preshock and aftershock sequences. The most conspicuous features of the fault geometries at depth are: (1) the presence of two distinct zones of seismicity corresponding to the San Andreas and the Sargent-Berrocal Fault Zones, (2) the concave upward shape of the Loma Prieta rupture surface, (3) the reduction in dip of the deepest portions of the rupture plane asmore » the mainshock hypocenter is approached, (4) the apparent transfer of shallow slip in some areas from faults in the San Andreas Fault Zone to those in the Sargent-Berrocal Fault Zone, and (5) the presence of a deep northeasterly dipping plane associated with the Sargent-Berrocal Fault Zone. The authors find that a model of fault interactions which involves displacement on faults in both the San Andreas and the Sargent-Berrocal Fault Zones is consistent with Loma Prieta coseismic displacements, preshock and aftershock seismicity and observed topography.« less
Modulating amyloid self-assembly and fibril morphology with Zn(II).

Metal ions (Zn(II)) are demonstrated as probes of amyloid structure in simple segments of the Aβ peptide, Aβ(13−21). By restricting the possible metal binding sites to His13/His14 dyad, we show that Zn2+ can specifically control the rate of self-assembly and dramatically regulate amyloid morphology via distinct coordination environments as characterized by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The data establish that the single His13 is sufficient to coordinate Zn2+ productively for typical amyloid fiber formation, while a distinct Zn2+ coordination environment can be accessed in the presence of His13/Hi14 dyad to stabilize sheet/sheet associations and the transition to a ribbon/tube morphology.
Electrochemical and chemical oxidation of dithia-, diselena-, ditellura-, selenathia-, and tellurathiamesocycles and stability of the oxidized species.

The diverse electrochemical and chemical oxidations of dichalcogena-mesocycles are analyzed, broadening our understanding of the chemistry of the corresponding radical cations and dications. 1,5-Diselenocane and 1,5-ditellurocane undergo reversible two-electron oxidation with inverted potentials analogous to 1,5-dithiocane. On the other hand, 1,5-selenathiocane and 1,5-tellurathiocane undergo one-electron oxidative dimerization. The X-ray crystal structures of the Se−Se dimer of the 1,5-selenathiocane one-electron oxidized product and the monomeric two-electron oxidized product (dication) of 1,5-tellurathiocane are reported. 1,5-Dithiocanes and 1,5-diselenocanes with group 14 atoms as ring members undergo irreversible oxidation, unlike the reversible two-electron oxidation of the corresponding silicon-containing 1,5-ditellurocanes. These results demonstrate the chemical consequences of the dication stabilities Te+−Te+ > Se+−Se+ > S+−S+, as well as Se+−Se+ > Se+−S+ and Te+−Te+ > Te+−S+.
Hormone replacement therapy and risk for breast cancer.

An influence of estrogens on breast cancer was acknowledged as early as 1886 when a palliative effect of oophorectomy on advanced breast cancer was described. 3 The importance of ovarian hormones in the etiology of breast cancer was further emphasized by the finding that breast cancer risk relates strongly to a woman's age at menarche, first full-term childbirth, and menopause. The importance of the menopausal period in influencing risk is particularly noteworthy. Several studies have shown that women with late ages at natural menopause (after age 55 years) have approximately twice the risk of women with early natural menopause ( 10,72 These relationships have led to concern regarding the effects of supplemental hormones, in particular, estrogens, which are widely prescribed around the time of menopause. Menopausal estrogens have become one of the most widely used drugs. An estimated 31.7 million prescriptions for oral medications were dispensed in 1992. 77 Despite widespread exposure, uncertainty about the effects of estrogens on breast cancer risk remains. This is not due to a lack of attention to the subject, because the exposure has been repeatedly examined in multiple well-designed epidemiologic studies. The difficulties in assessing the relationship undoubtedly reflect the fact that estrogens, if associated with breast cancer, are related at much lower risks than the five to ten fold excess risks that have been observed for endometrial cancer. Thus, it has been difficult to resolve numerous contradictions regarding their effects, especially in specific subgroups of users, in which the numbers are often limited and the role of chance undoubtedly has a major obscuring role.
Changes in follicular estradiol-17β, progesterone and inhibin immunoactivity in healthy and atretic follicles during preovulatory maturation in the pig☆

Follicular hormones, growth and granulosa cell gonadotropin sensitive adenylate cyclase activity were determined in healthy and atretic follicles during preovulatory maturation in pigs. Ovaries were recovered at slaughter which was 1, 3, 5 or 7 d after the last administration of a progesterone agonist (altrenogest). Plasma FSH decreased (P 5 mm) follicles increased from 2.7 on day 1 to 14.8 on day 3 and did not differ significantly among days 3, 5 and 7. The number of small (1-2 mm) and medium (3-5 mm) follicles decreased (P or = 100 ng of estradiol-17 beta/ml of follicular fluid) on day 3, with 14.3% of medium and 73.8% of large follicles being EA. About 30% of small and 13% of medium follicles were morphologically atretic on days 1 and 3. However, by day 5, the proportion of atretic small and medium follicles had increased (P < or = .05) to 100 and 59%, respectively. Follicular fluid inhibin immunoactivity and estradiol-17 beta were lower (P < or = .05) and progesterone was greater (P < or = .05) in atretic than healthy follicles. Granulosa cells from large follicles produced (P < or = .05) more cAMP than cells from healthy or atretic small/medium follicles. Compared to control or pFSH treatment, pLH increased cAMP production by granulosa cells from large follicles on all days and from small/medium follicles on days 1 and 5; pLH had no effect on granulosa cells from atretic follicles. Compared to control, pFSH increased cAMP production in granulosa cells from healthy small/medium follicles only on day 1; no effect was detected in granulosa cells from large or atretic follicles on any day. We conclude that decreased secretion of FSH increased loss and atresia among non-ovulatory follicles. Atretic follicles were marked by loss of granulosa cell gonadotropin-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity and by low concentrations of estradiol-17 beta.
Future challenges in nuclear science education

The role of the Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology of the American Chemical Society in nuclear science education is reviewed, and suggestions for enhanced involvement in additional areas are presented. Possible new areas of emphasis, such as educational programs for pre-college students and the non-scientific public, are discussed. Suggestions for revitalizing the position of radiochemistry laboratories in academic institutions are offered.
Three Bolognas and a Pizza Pie: notes on institutionalization of the European higher education system

Quietly, without attracting too much attention from educational sociologists in Europe, a massive process has been underway for five years that is expected to revolutionize European higher education to an unprecedented extent. Launched by a number of European governments and subsequently taken over by the European Commission, the so-called Bologna Process is expected to boost European higher education to the top of the world higher education markets by 2010. This article looks at the history of the Process and its connections to the process of constructing the federal Europe, and analyses its three agendas: cultural, political and economic. In the final section the issue of institutionalizing the European higher education system is discussed and problematized. It concludes that the contribution European intellectuals have made to the project is both sociologically naive and intellectually irresponsible.
Radioactive doping of cadmium sulfide films and its effects on chemisorption

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the continuous impurity doping of a semiconductor with the transmutation products of the decay of a radioactive isotope and to show that this doping predictably influences the electrical conductivity, Seebeck effect, and rates of chemisorption. By this technique the Fermi level of a semiconductor catalytic material could be altered over a wide range in a predictable manner without having to manufacture a new catalyst. Thin films of CdS containing radioactive S35 were studied during the course of the beta decay of S35 to stable Cl35. During this decay the electrical conductance increased with time in some cases by a factor of more than 100. External irradiation of non-radioactive films with S35 betas of comparable intensity caused some similar effects but of much smaller extent. The greater effect in the radioactive case was attributed to the build up of donor-type Cl35 atoms introduced substitutionally into the lattice by the nuclear decay. Both the Cl35 build-up and the beta radiation caused an increase in the Fermi level which was found to inhibit the rate of ionized hydrogen adsorption in proportion to the degree of Fermi level elevation. The proper type of heat treating can reverse the effects of both the radioactive doping and the external radiation. This offers the possibility of adjusting the Fermi level to any desired position in the same semiconductor catalyst.
Low-pressure hydrocephalic state and viscoelastic alterations in the brain.

Most shunt-dependent hydrocephalic patients present with predictable symptoms of headache and mental status changes when their cerebrospinal fluid shunts malfunction. Their intracranial pressure (ICP) is usually high, and they usually respond to routine shunt revision. This report describes 12 shunted patients who were admitted with the full-blown hydrocephalic syndrome but with low to low-normal ICP. All 12 patients had been maintained previously on medium-pressure shunts. Their symptoms included headache, lethargy, obtundation, and cranial neuropathies. At peak symptoms, their ventricular sizes were large (ventricular/biparietal ratio of 0.35 to 0.45) in six and massive (ventricular/biparietal ratio > 0.45) in six and their ICPs ranged from 2.2 to 6.6 mm Hg, with a mean of 4.4 +/- 1.3 mm Hg (+/- standard deviation), i.e., below or well within the pressure range of their shunts. The pressure volume index of three patients at peak symptoms ranged from 39.2 to 48.5 ml, with a mean of 43.9 +/- 4.6 ml, which represents a 190% increase from the predicted normal value. Seven patients failed to improve with multiple shunt revisions, including the use of low-pressure valves. In 11 patients, symptoms and ventriculomegaly were not reversed except with prolonged external ventricular drainage at subzero pressures (mean external ventricular drainage nadir pressure of -5.7 +/- 3.6 mm Hg, for a mean period of 22.2 days). During external ventricular drainage treatment, symptoms correlated only with ventricular size and not with ICP. All 11 were subsequently treated successfully with a new medium- or low-pressure shunt. One patient was treated successfully with prolonged shunt pumping. We postulate that: 1) the development of this low-pressure hydrocephalic state is related to alteration of the viscoelastic modulus of the brain, secondary to expulsion of extracellular water from the brain parenchyma, and to structural changes in brain tissues due to prolonged overstretching; 2) certain patients are susceptible to developing low-pressure hydrocephalic state because of an innate low brain elasticity due to bioatrophic changes; 3) low-pressure hydrocephalic state symptoms are due not to pressure changes but to brain tissue distortion and cortical ischemia secondary to severe ventricular distortion and elevated radial compressive stresses within the brain; and 4) treatment must be directed toward allowing the entry of water into the brain parenchyma and the restoration of baseline brain viscoelasticity.
Bridewealth For a Goddess

Bridewealth For. Goddess. Directed by Chris Owen and The Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies. 2000. 72 minutes, color. Distributed by Documentary Educational Resources, 101 Morse Street, Watertown, MA 02472, http://www. der. org.
Pituitary adenomas: Surgery and radiotherapy in the age of molecular diagnostics and pathology

appear in the general population in 1 out of 1000 people, approximately 300,000 people in the United States have (or have had) such a tumor at present, and they are relatively common in oncology practice. The clinical syndromes caused by pituitary tumors depend on their size, hormonal status, and degree of invasiveness. These tumors arise from the adenohypophysis (anterior lobe) of the pituitary gland within the sella turcica. In this location, the primary mass effect caused by a small tumor is exerted against the adjacent normal gland, which is slowly compressed and shifted as the adenoma increases in size. If the tumor grows large enough to escape the confines of the sella by superior extension, the result is elevation, compression, and ultimately dysfunction of the optic nerves or chiasm or both, with resulting loss of vision. Although the majority of pituitary tumors show microscopic evidence of dural invasion, clinically significant invasion into 1 or both of the cavernous sinuses placed lateral to the sella occurs in o20%. 2,3 When cavernous sinus invasion is profound to the point of expanding its dural enclosure, the potential for cranial neuropathy exists. Luckily, most pituitary tumors invading the cavernous sinus do not affect its contents and permit excellent preservation of flow through the internal carotid artery and preservation of cranial nerve function. Tumors compressing the pituitary gland would typically cause a loss of anterior hormone function (ie, in one or more of the hormones produced by the anterior lobe: growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), and thyrotropin (TSH)). Conversely, if the tumor is itself functional and produces and secretes hormones independently of the normal gland, 1 or more of these same hormones may be present in excess. Thus, pituitary tumors can produce hormonal hypersecretion, hyposecretion, or a combination of the 2 with clinical sequelae dependent on the combination of hormonal alterations seen and the severity of derangement. In treating pituitary tumors, physicians must control (and ideally, reduce) mass effect and work to maintain or normalize pituitary hormone levels. The goals of treatment in pituitary adenomas are outlined in Table 1.
The Labors of Internet-Assisted Activism: Overcommunication, Miscommunication, and Communicative Overload

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the use of Internet elements in political activism through a close ethnographic case study of a volunteer group involved in the 2008 U.S. Democratic presidential primary. Whereas the literature on political activism has generally argued that the Internet provides low-cost communication that facilitates collective action, this case highlights the labors that accompany Internet-assisted activism. The analysis, based upon participant-observation, identifies three interrelated problems with which the activists struggled: overcommunication, miscommunication, and communicative overload. Drawing on concepts taken from science and technology studies, the article argues that these problems have sociotechnical roots and arise from the specific affordances of an increasing number of Internet elements. Such elements reduce the up-front costs associated with communication for the sender, but they generate new transaction costs when integrated into heterogeneous assemblages with no shared...
An Improved Type of Limiting Gap for Protecting Station Apparatus

The wide range of transients to which station apparatus is subjected is pointed out and the desirability shown for having adequate protection. The different breakdown characteristics of the various insulating members of a station are illustrated and the importance emphasized for considering this in choosing a voltage limiting device. The need is also shown for having protective gap discharges reduced to a minimum in order to limit the number of service interruptions. The characteristics and limitations of several forms of gaps are shown and discussed. A new form of limiting gap is described in which it is possible to change the sparkover characteristic over a considerable range to allow for the differences in time lag and polarity characteristics of station insulation. The advantage of using a limiting gap in multiple with a lightning arrester to provide maximum protection and reduce interruptions to a minimum is discussed.
PI3K pathway inhibitors for the treatment of brain metastases with a focus on HER2+ breast cancer.

The incidence of breast cancer brain metastases has increased in recent years, largely due to improved control of systemic disease with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted agents and the inability of most of these agents to efficiently cross the blood–blood barrier (BBB) and control central nervous system disease. There is, therefore, an urgent unmet need for treatments to prevent and treat HER2+ breast cancer brain metastases (BCBMs). Aberrant activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is frequently observed in many cancers, including primary breast tumors and BCBMs. Agents targeting key components of this pathway have demonstrated antitumor activity in diverse cancers, and may represent a new treatment strategy for BCBMs. In preclinical studies, several inhibitors of PI3K and mTOR have demonstrated an ability to penetrate the BBB and down-regulate PI3K signaling, indicating that these agents may be potential therapies for brain metastatic disease. The PI3K inhibitor buparlisib (BKM120) and the mTOR inhibitor everolimus (RAD001) are currently under evaluation in combination with trastuzumab in patients with HER2+ BCBMs.
Is Hydration and Sedation Beneficial in the Treatment of Threatened Preterm Labor? A Preliminary Report

Hydration/sedation or hydration are currently used in the treatment of patients with preterm uterine contractions. This pilot project was undertaken to determine response rates to hydration/sedation and hedrest, hydration and bedrest, or bedrest alone in patients with preterm uterine contractions. With these response rates, power calculations and sample size were determined for a more definitive study. Patients presenting to labor and delivery with preterm uterine activity were randomized to one of three groups as follows: l) hydration/sedation and bedrest, 2) hydration and bedrest, or 3) bedrest alone. Outcome variables included cervical dilatation and contractions at entry and termination of the study, preterm delivery rates, and time to delivery.From the preliminary data it would appear that among the 116 randomized patients, no differences were seen in cervical dilatation at entry, gestational age at delivery, or interval to delivery. Furthermore, there were no differences in the need for tocolytics, ...
Generalized Cocycles with Values in One-Units of Henselian Valued Division Algebras

Abstract Let Z/F be an inertial Galois extension of Henselian valued fields, and let D be a Z-central division algebra. Let G be a finite group acting on Z with fixed field F. We show that every generalized cocycle of G with values in the one-units of D is cohomologous to one of the form (θ, 1), or in other words, the existence of such a cocycle implies that the group action of G on Z extends to a group action on D. We provide applications to lifting of group actions on the residue division algebra and to the existence of Kummer subfields in D given suitable data in [formula].
Silicon carbide phononic crystal cavities for micromechanical resonators

This paper demonstrates silicon carbide phononic crystal cavities for RF and microwave micromechanical resonators. We demonstrate design, fabrication, and characterization of Silicon Carbide/air phononic crystals used as Bragg acoustic mirrors to confine energy in a lateral SiC cavity. Aluminum nitride transducers drive and sense SiC overtone cavities in the 2–3GHz range with ƒxQ products exceeding 3×1013 in air. This approach enables decoupling of the piezoelectric AlN material from the SiC cavity, resulting in high Q resonators at microwave frequencies. The SiC cavities are fabricated in a CMOS-compatible process, enabling integration with wirelesss communication systems.
Discovery of genes essential for heme biosynthesis through large-scale gene expression analysis

Summary Heme biosynthesis consists of a series of eight enzymatic reactions that originate in mitochondria and continue in the cytosol before returning to mitochondria. Although these core enzymes are well studied, additional mitochondrial transporters and regulatory factors are predicted to be required. To discover such unknown components, we utilized a large-scale computational screen to identify mitochondrial proteins whose transcripts consistently coexpress with the core machinery of heme biosynthesis. We identified SLC25A39 , SLC22A4 , and TMEM14C , which are putative mitochondrial transporters, as well as C1orf69 and ISCA1 , which are iron-sulfur cluster proteins. Targeted knockdowns of all five genes in zebrafish resulted in profound anemia without impacting erythroid lineage specification. Moreover, silencing of Slc25a39 in murine erythroleukemia cells impaired iron incorporation into protoporphyrin IX, and vertebrate Slc25a39 complemented an iron homeostasis defect in the orthologous yeast mtm1 Δ deletion mutant. Our results advance the molecular understanding of heme biosynthesis and offer promising candidate genes for inherited anemias.
Age differences in symptom expression in patients with major depression.

Objective The aim of the study was to compare symptom expression in primarily middle-aged (<60) and older (60+) patients who were depressed and determine if symptom profiles differed by age. Methods Patients diagnosed with major depression (N = 664) were screened using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression scale and sections of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Patients were separated into homogeneous clusters based on symptom endorsement using latent class analysis. Results Older patients were less likely to endorse crying spells, sadness, feeling fearful, being bothered, or feeling life a failure but were more likely to endorse poor appetite and loss of interest in sex. Older patients were also less likely to report enjoying life, feeling as good as others, feeling worthless, wanting to die, and thinking about suicide. In two latent class models with depressive symptoms as indicators, three-class models best fit the data. Profiles supported heterogeneity in symptom expression. Clusters differed by age when other demographic, clinical, health, and social variables were controlled but did not support age-specific symptom profiles. Overall, older patients had later age of onset, had fewer lifetime spells, were more likely to have ever received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and were less likely to have comorbid anxiety. Older patients also had more cognitive impairment, health conditions, and mobility limitations but had higher levels of subjective social support and had experienced fewer stressful life events. Conclusions There are age differences in symptom endorsement between younger/middle-aged and older patients with major depression. The data, however, did not identify a symptom profile unique to late-life depression. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantification of Burkholderia coxL Genes in Hawaiian Volcanic Deposits

Isolation of multiple carbon monoxide (CO)-oxidizing Burkholderia strains and detection by culture-independent approaches suggest that Burkholderia may be an important component of CO-oxidizing communities in Hawaiian volcanic deposits. The absolute and relative abundance of the bacteria in these communities remains unknown, however. In this study, a quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) approach has been developed to enumerate Burkholderia coxL genes (large subunit of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase). This represents the first attempt to enumerate coxL genes from CO oxidizers in environmental samples. coxL copy numbers have been determined for samples from three sites representing a vegetation gradient on a 1959 volcanic deposit that included unvegetated cinders (bare), edges of vegetated sites (edge), and sites within tree stands (canopy). Q-PCR has also been used to estimate copy numbers of Betaproteobacteria 16S rRNA gene copy numbers and total Bacteria 16S rRNA. coxL genes could not be detected in the bare site (detection limit, ≥4.7 × 103 copies per reaction) but average 1.0 × 108 ± 2.4 × 107 and 8.6 × 108 ± 7.6 ×107 copies g−1 (dry weight) in edge and canopy sites, respectively, which differ statistically (P = 0.0007). Average Burkholderia coxL gene copy numbers, expressed as a percentage of total Bacteria 16S rRNA gene copy numbers, are 6.2 and 0.7% for the edge and canopy sites, respectively. Although the percentage of Burkholderia coxL is lower in the canopy site, significantly greater gene copy numbers demonstrate that absolute abundance of coxL increases in vegetated sites and contributes to the expansion of CO oxidizer communities during biological succession on volcanic deposits.
Sinusoidal Cox Regression—A Rare Cancer Example

Evidence of an association between survival time and date of birth would suggest an etiologic role for a seasonally variable environmental exposure occurring within a narrow perinatal time period. Risk factors that may exhibit seasonal epidemicity include diet, infectious agents, allergens, and antihistamine use. Typically data has been analyzed by simply categorizing births into months or seasons of the year and performing multiple pairwise comparisons. This paper presents a statistically robust alternative, based upon a trigonometric Cox regression model, to analyze the cyclic nature of birth dates related to patient survival. Disease birth-date results are presented using a sinusoidal plot with peak date(s) of relative risk and a single P value that indicates whether an overall statistically significant seasonal association is present. Advantages of this derivative-free method include ease of use, increased power to detect statistically significant associations, and the ability to avoid arbitrary, subjective demarcation of seasons.
The Jovian ionospheric E region

A model of the Jovian ionosphere was constructed, that includes direct photoionization of hydrocarbon molecules. A high-resolution solar spectrum was synthesized from Hinteregger's solar maximum spectrum (F79050N), and high-resolution cross sections for photoabsorption by H2 bands in the range 842 to 1116 A were constructed. Two strong solar lines and about 30 percent of the continuum flux between 912 and 1116 A penetrate below the methane homopause despite strong absorption by CH4 and H2. It is found that hydrocarbons (mainly C2H2 are ionized at a maximum rate of 55/cu cm per sec at 320 km above the ammonia cloud tops. The hydrocarbon ions produced are quickly converted to more complex hydrocarbon ions through reactions with CH4, C2H2, C2H6, and C2H4. It is found that a hydrocarbon ion layer is formed near 320 km that is about 50 km wide with a peak density in excess of 10,000/cu cm.
Inmates as Clinical Sociologists The Use of Sociodrama in a Nontraditional Delinquency prevention Program

In spite of considerable research in the area of adolescent delinquency, there continue to be few viable delinquency prevention programs operating within the criminal justice system which draw upon substantive social scientific theory. This article reports on a dynamic inmate run delinquency preventative program currently in operation at Auburn Correctional Facility. In addition to briefly describing several of the innovative clinical sociological techniques which have emerged in this program, this article suggests some of the weaknesses which this, and similarly geared delinquency preventative programs face.
The Medial Prefrontal Cortex and the Emergence of Self-Conscious Emotion in Adolescence

In the present study, we examined the relationship between developmental modulation of socioaffective brain systems and adolescents' preoccupation with social evaluation. Child, adolescent, and adult participants viewed cues indicating that a camera was alternately off, warming up, or projecting their image to a peer during the acquisition of behavioral-, autonomic-, and neural-response (functional MRI) data. Believing that a peer was actively watching them was sufficient to induce self-conscious emotion that rose in magnitude from childhood to adolescence and partially subsided into adulthood. Autonomic arousal was uniquely heightened in adolescents. These behavioral patterns were paralleled by emergent engagement of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and striatum-MPFC connectivity during adolescence, which are thought to promote motivated social behavior in adolescence. These findings demonstrate that adolescents' self-consciousness is related to age-dependent sensitivity of brain systems critical to socioaffective processes. Further, unique interactions between the MPFC and striatum may provide a mechanism by which social-evaluation contexts influence adolescent behavior.