cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sanguinarine (Pseudochelerythrine) Is a Potent Inhibitor of NF-κB Activation, IκBα Phosphorylation, and Degradation

The nuclear factor NF-kappaB is a pleiotropic transcription factor whose activation results in inflammation, viral replication, and growth modulation. Due to its role in pathogenesis, NF-kappaB is considered a key target for drug development. In the present report we show that sanguinarine (a benzophenanthridine alkaloid), a known anti-inflammatory agent, is a potent inhibitor of NF-kappaB activation. Treatment of human myeloid ML-1a cells with tumor necrosis factor rapidly activated NF-kappaB, this activation was completely suppressed by sanguinarine in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Sanguinarine did not inhibit the binding of NF-kappaB protein to the DNA but rather inhibited the pathway leading to NF-kappaB activation. The reversal of inhibitory effects of sanguinarine by reducing agents suggests a critical sulfhydryl group is involved in NF-kappaB activation. Sanguinarine blocked the tumor necrosis factor-induced phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaBalpha, an inhibitory subunit of NF-kappaB, and inhibited translocation of p65 subunit to the nucleus. As sanguinarine also inhibited NF-kappaB activation induced by interleukin-1, phorbol ester, and okadaic acid but not that activated by hydrogen peroxide or ceramide, the pathway leading to NF-kappaB activation is likely different for different inducers. Overall, our results demonstrate that sanguinarine is a potent suppressor of NF-kappaB activation and it acts at a step prior to IkappaBalpha phosphorylation.
Linear Time Samplers for Supervised Topic Models using Compositional Proposals

Topic models are effective probabilistic tools for processing large collections of unstructured data. With the exponential growth of modern industrial data, and consequentially also with our ambition to explore much bigger models, there is a real pressing need to significantly scale up topic modeling algorithms, which has been taken up in lots of previous works, culminating in the recent fast Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling algorithms in [10, 23] for the unsupervised latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) formulations.In this work we extend the recent sampling advances for unsupervised LDA models to supervised tasks. We focus on the Gibbs MedLDA model [27] that is able to simultaneously discover latent structures and make accurate predictions. By combining a set of sampling techniques we are able to reduce the O(K3 + DK2 + DNK complexity in [27] to O(DK + DN) when there are K topics and D documents with average length N. To our best knowledge, this is the first linear time sampling algorithm for supervised topic models. Our algorithm requires minimal modifications to incorporate most loss functions in a variety of supervised tasks, and we observe in our experiments an order of magnitude speedup over the current state-of-the-art implementation, while achieving similar prediction performances.The open-source C++ implementation of the proposed algorithm is available at https://github.com/xunzheng/light_medlda.
Lotus japonicus Clathrin Heavy Chain1 Is Associated with Rho-Like GTPase ROP6 and Involved in Nodule Formation

Mechanisms underlying nodulation factor signaling downstream of the nodulation factor receptors (NFRs) have not been fully characterized. In this study, clathrin heavy chain1 (CHC1) was shown to interact with the Rho-Like GTPase ROP6, an interaction partner of NFR5 in Lotus japonicus. The CHC1 gene was found to be expressed constitutively in all plant tissues and induced in Mesorhizobium loti-infected root hairs and nodule primordia. When expressed in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana, CHC1 and ROP6 were colocalized at the cell circumference and within cytoplasmic punctate structures. In M. loti-infected root hairs, the CHC protein was detected in cytoplasmic punctate structures near the infection pocket along the infection thread membrane and the plasma membrane of the host cells. Transgenic plants expressing the CHC1-Hub domain, a dominant negative effector of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, were found to suppress early nodulation gene expression and impair M. loti infection, resulting in reduced nodulation. Treatment with tyrphostin A23, an inhibitor of clathrin-mediated endocytosis of plasma membrane cargoes, had a similar effect on down-regulation of early nodulation genes. These findings show an important role of clathrin in the leguminous symbiosis with rhizobia.
Detecting cooking state with gas sensors during dry cooking

Gas sensors have the potential to assist cooking by providing feedback on the cooking process and by further automating cooking. In this work, we explored the potential use of gas sensors to monitor food during the cooking process. Focusing on dry cooking, we collected gas emissions using 13 sensors during trials in which food was cooked to various degrees of doneness. Using decision tree classifiers, we were able to predict doneness for waffles and popcorn with 73% and 85% accuracy, respectively. We reflect on the potential reasons for this variation and the ways in which gas sensors might reliably be used in ubicomp applications to support cooking.
Acute urinary retention secondary to an incarcerate gravid uterus

Acute urinary retention has many etiologies. In the pregnant patient, especially at the end of the first trimester, an incarcerated gravid uterus is a rare but possible cause. The patient discussed is a 30-year-old, gravida 4, para 2012, woman who was 14 weeks pregnant and who presented complaining of lower abdominal pain, urinary frequency, urgency, and nocturia. Based on the patient's symptoms, a diagnosis of a urinary tract infection was made, and antibiotic therapy was begun. Her symptoms failed to resolve, however, and she was referred for further evaluation, which eventually revealed an incarcerated gravid uterus. The patient was referred to an obstetrician who re-positioned her uterus without difficulty, and she subsequently had an uneventful pregnancy.
Time-accurate aerodynamic modeling of synthetic jets for projectile control

This paper describes a computational study undertaken to determine the aerodynamic effect of tiny unsteady synthetic jets as a means to provide the control authority needed to maneuver a spinning projectile at low subsonic speeds. Advanced Navier-Stokes computational techniques have been developed and used to obtain numerical solutions for the unsteady jet-interaction flow field at subsonic speeds and small angles of attack. Unsteady numerical results show the effect of the jet on the flow field and on the aerodynamic coefficients. The unsteady jet is shown to substantially alter the flow field both near the jet and the base region of the projectile that in turn affects the forces and moments even at zero degree angle of attack. The results have shown the potential of computational fluid dynamics to provide insight into the jet interaction flow fields and provided guidance as to the locations and sizes of the jets to generate the maximum control authority to maneuver a projectile to hit its target with precision.
The Feasibility of Conducting Structured Diagnostic Interviews with Preadolescents: A Community Field Trial of the DISC

Abstract A field trial of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, Version R, was conducted with a sample of 144 preadolescents identified from a 1986–1987 New Haven, Connecticut, cross-sectional children's mental health survey. This report examines procedural and methodological issues pertaining to the feasibility of completing structured diagnostic interviews with young children in the community. Four topics relating to community acceptance and potential response problems are addressed: 1) participation and completion rates; 2) quality of interview response; 3) parent and child reactions to the interview; and 4) evaluation of response bias.
Six-year longitudinal predictors of posttraumatic growth in parentally bereaved adolescents and young adults.

Using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, we examined posttraumatic growth in a sample of 50 adolescents and young adults who had experienced parental death in childhood or adolescence. Prospective longitudinal relations over a six year period were examined between measures of demographics, youth’s intrusive grief-related thoughts, appraisals, intrapersonal coping processes, interpersonal coping processes, mental health problems and social adaptation outcomes, and the growth subscales (i.e., New Possibilities, Relating to Others, Personal Strengths, Spiritual Changes and Appreciation of Life). Controlling for youth age, time since death, and cause of death, the set of intrapersonal coping processes explained a medium amount of variance in New Possibilities and Personal Strength subscales. A medium amount of variance in New Possibilities, Personal Strength, and Relating to Others was explained by the set of interpersonal coping processes.
Multirate digital filters, filter banks, polyphase networks, and applications: a tutorial

The basic concepts and building blocks in multirate digital signal processing (DSP), including the digital polyphase representation, are reviewed. Recent progress, as reported by several authors in this area, is discussed. Several applications are described, including subband coding of waveforms, voice privacy systems, integral and fractional sampling rate conversion (such as in digital audio), digital crossover networks, and multirate coding of narrowband filter coefficients. The M-band quadrature mirror filter (QMF) bank is discussed in considerable detail, including an analysis of various errors and imperfections. Recent techniques for perfect signal reconstruction in such systems are reviewed. The connection between QMF banks and other related topics, such as block digital filtering and periodically time-varying systems, is examined in a pseudo-circulant-matrix framework. Unconventional applications of the polyphase concept are discussed. >
Early to mid-Holocene Atlantic water influx and deglacial meltwater events, Beaufort Sea slope, Arctic Ocean

Abstract Holocene high-resolution cores from the margin of the Arctic Ocean are rare. Core P189AR-P45 collected in 405-m water depth on the Beaufort Sea slope, west of the Mackenzie River delta (70°33.03′N and 141°52.08′W), is in close vertical proximity to the present-day upper limit of modified Atlantic water. The 5.11-m core spans the interval between ∼6800 and 10,400 14 C yr B.P. (with an 800-yr ocean reservoir correction). The sediment is primarily silty clay with an average grain-size of 9 φ. The chronology is constrained by seven radiocarbon dates. The rate of sediment accumulation averaged 1.35 mm/yr. Stable isotopic data (δ 18 O and δ 13 C) were obtained on the polar planktonic foraminifera Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (s) and the benthic infaunal species Cassidulina neoteretis . A distinct low-δ 18 O event is captured in both the benthic and planktonic data at ∼10,000 14 C yr B.P.—probably recording the glacial Lake Agassiz outburst flood associated with the North Atlantic preboreal cold event. The benthic foraminifera are dominated in the earliest Holocene by C. neoteretis , a species associated with modified Atlantic water masses. This species decreases toward the core top with a marked environmental reversal occurring ∼7800 14 C yr B.P., possibly coincident with the northern hemisphere 8200 cal yr B.P. cold event.
PyPBS design and methodologies

This paper presents results on processor specification from a specialized high-level finite state machine (FSM) language. The language is an extension and enhancement of earlier production based specification (regular automata) work using modern software techniques of modularization, abstraction, and object orientation. A brief overview of the language, its synthesis technique, description methods and advantages are presented for a variety of common synchronous pipeline structures in the context of the design of a synthesizable instruction-stream parallel microcontroller.
Simulating and designing the stochastic inbound inventory routing problem

We consider the situation where parts from suppliers have to be picked up by a capacitated vehicle for an assembly plant that faces stochastic demand. We propose a two-phase heuristic to calculate "good" base stock policies for the stochastic inbound inventory routing problem. In this paper, we calculate multiple performance measures for the results obtained from the analytical model. The results show that the maximum average utilization of the vehicle is a significant factor in determining our fill rate. We consider several test cases to substantiate the results. The interactions between the performance measures for different situations are also discussed
ZONATION OF DEEP WATER BENTHIC ALGAE IN THE GULF OF MAINE1

Algal community structure is described for a deep-water rock pinnacle in the Gulf of Maine. Three depth zones of algal dominance were apparent consisting of 1) leathery macrophytes (to 40 m), 2) foliose red algae (to 50 m) and 3) crustose algae (fleshy crusts to 55 m and coralline crusts to 63 m). Microscopic filamentous and erect calcareous algae were also present but inconspicuous. Upright macroscopic filamentous and thin sheet-like forms were not observed on the pinnacle. Sea anemones (Metridium senile) dominated some vertical faces and abrupt prominences in the shallowest regions of the pinnacle (to 24 m) and locally appeared to set the upper vertical limits of kelp and possibly foliose reds. Laminaria sp. formed an open park-like canopy from 24 to 30 m whereas Agarum cribrosum, the deepest kelp, grew as isolated individuals to 40 m. Peyssonnelia sp. and Leptophytum laeve were the deepest occurring fleshy (to 55 m) and calcareous crusts (to 63 m), respectively. The occurrence of these algae at record depths for the Gulf of Maine and for cold water marine environments may be the result of an absence of large herbivores and the high productivity potential of the benthos in these relatively clear waters. By compiling data on depth distribution patterns world-wide, it is evident that the three zone structure of algal morphologies observed in the Gulf of Maine is a global phenomenon.
PARP-1 enhances the mismatch-dependence of 5'-directed excision in human mismatch repair in vitro.

Abstract End-directed mismatch-provoked excision has been reconstituted in several purified systems. While 3′-directed excision displays a mismatch dependence similar to that observed in nuclear extracts (≈20-fold), the mismatch dependence of 5′-directed excision is only 3–4-fold, significantly less than that in extracts (8–10-fold). Utilizing a fractionation-based approach, we have isolated a single polypeptide that enhances mismatch dependence of reconstituted 5′-directed excision and have shown it to be identical to poly[ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP-1). Titration of reconstituted excision reactions or PARP-1-depleted HeLa nuclear extract with purified PARP-1 showed that the protein specifically enhances mismatch dependence of 5′-directed excision. Analysis of a set of PARP-1 mutants revealed that the DNA binding domain and BRCT fold contribute to the regulation of excision specificity. Involvement of the catalytic domain is restricted to its ability to poly(ADP-ribosyl)ate PARP-1 in the presence of NAD + , likely through interference with DNA binding. Analysis of protein-protein interactions demonstrated that PARP-1 interacts with mismatch repair proteins MutSα, exonuclease 1, replication protein A (RPA), and as previously shown by others, replication factor C (RFC) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) as well. The BRCT fold plays an important role in the interaction of PARP-1 with the former three proteins.
Signal characterization from multiscale edges

An algorithm that reconstructs one-dimensional signals and images from their sharper variation points at dyadic scales is described. This algorithm exactly reconstructs images from their multiscale edges. It is proved that the evolution across scales of the wavelet maxima characterizes the local shape of the sharp variations of the signal. One can thus not only detect edges but also classify them. The wavelet maxima representation is a new reorganization of the image information that makes it possible to develop algorithms uniquely based on edges for solving image processing problems. >
Language policy, multilingual education, and power in Rwanda

The evolution of Rwanda’s language policies since 1996 has played and continues to play a critical role in social reconstruction following war and genocide. Rwanda’s new English language policy aims to drop French and install English as the only language of instruction. The policy-makers frame the change as a major factor in the success of social and education reforms aimed at promoting reconciliation and peace and increasing Rwanda’s participation in global economic development. However, in Rwanda, the language one speaks is construed as an indicator of group affiliations and identity. Furthermore, Rwanda has the potential to develop a multilingual educational policy that employs its national language, Kinyarwanda (Ikinyarwanda, Rwanda), to promote mass literacy and a literate, multilingual populace. Rwanda’s situation can serve as a case study for the ongoing roles that language policy plays in the politics of power.
The membrane scaffold CD82 regulates cell adhesion by altering α4 integrin stability and molecular density.

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) interactions with the bone marrow microenvironment are important for maintaining HSPC self-renewal and differentiation. In recent work, we identified the tetraspanin protein, CD82, as a regulator of HPSC adhesion and homing to the bone marrow, although the mechanism by which CD82 mediated adhesion was unclear. In the present study, we determine that CD82 expression alters cell–matrix adhesion, as well as integrin surface expression. By combining the superresolution microscopy imaging technique, direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, with protein clustering algorithms, we identify a critical role for CD82 in regulating the membrane organization of α4 integrin subunits. Our data demonstrate that CD82 overexpression increases the molecular density of α4 within membrane clusters, thereby increasing cellular adhesion. Furthermore, we find that the tight packing of α4 into membrane clusters depend on CD82 palmitoylation and the presence of α4 integrin ligands. In combination, these results provide unique quantifiable evidence of CD82’s contribution to the spatial arrangement of integrins within the plasma membrane and suggest that regulation of integrin density by tetraspanins is a critical component of cell adhesion.
Intrapartum Care the Midwifery Way: A Review

Midwifery offers concepts and techniques for intrapartum care that could be integrated into the practice of a family physician. Normal birth has virtually been replaced by a medicalized model of maternity care in the American health care system, despite research indicating that many interventions are not necessary and even harmful. A low-tech, high-touch approach to low-risk women in labor is evidence based and results in improved perinatal outcomes as well as higher patient satisfaction with the birth experience.
Three New Species of Mendoncia (Acanthaceae) from Madagascar

Three species of Mendoncia Vell. ex Vand. (Acanthaceae) are newly recognized from Madagascar: M. decaryi (Benoist) E. Magnaghi, M. delphina E. Magnaghi, and M. kely E. Magnaghi. Each is based on a unique suite of morphological characters, and all are endemic to Madagascar. A key to the six species of the genus known from Madagascar is provided. A lectotype is designated for M. cowanii (S. Moore) Benoist var. decaryi Benoist.
Evaluation of 23S rRNA PCR Primers for Use in Phylogenetic Studies of Bacterial Diversity

The availability of a diverse set of 23S rRNA gene sequences enabled evaluation of the specificity of 39 previously published and 4 newly designed primers specific for bacteria. An extensive clone library constructed using an optimized primer pair resulted in similar gene richness but slightly differing coverage of some phylogenetic groups, compared to a 16S rRNA gene library from the same environmental sample.
Evaluating short-term drug effects using a physician-specific prescribing preference as an instrumental variable.

Background:Postmarketing observational studies of the safety and effectiveness of prescription medications are critically important but fraught with methodological problems. The data sources available for such research often lack information on indications and other important confounders for the dru
An Antimicrobial Peptide That Targets DNA Repair Intermediates In Vitro Inhibits Salmonella Growth within Murine Macrophages

The hexapeptide WRWYCR was previously identified on the basis of its ability to inhibit bacteriophage lambda integrase-mediated recombination by trapping and preventing resolution of the Holliday junction intermediate. This peptide inhibits several unrelated DNA repair enzymes that bind to and process Holliday junctions and branched DNA substrates. WRWYCR and its d stereoisomer, wrwycr, are bactericidal against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, causing the accumulation of DNA breaks, chromosome segregation defects, and the filamentation of cells. DNA repair is a novel target of antibiotics. In the present study, we examined the ability of the peptides to inhibit the growth of Salmonella in mammalian cells. J774A.1 macrophage-like cells and murine peritoneal macrophages were infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and grown in the presence or absence of peptide. We found that peptide wrwycr reduced the number of Salmonella cells recovered after 24 h growth in J774A.1 cells by 100 to 1,000 times, depending on the multiplicity of infection. The peptide also inhibited Salmonella growth in peritoneal macrophages, and although higher doses were required, these were not toxic to the host cells. The apparent lower level of potency of the peptide paralleled the lower level of replication of Salmonella and the lower level of permeation of the peptide in the peritoneal macrophages than in the J774.1 cells. Treatment with peptide wrwycr elicited the SOS response in a significant fraction of the intracellular bacteria, as would be expected if the mechanism of bacterial killing was the same in pure culture and in host cells. These results represent a proof of principle of the antimicrobial activities of compounds that target DNA repair.
Morphological Variation of the Redfin Darter, Etheostoma whipplei, with Comments on the Status of the Subspecific Populations

Abstract The redfin darter, Etheostoma whipplei (Percidae: subgenus Oligocephalus) has been the subject of several taxonomic treatments over the past 50 years. At the present, two subspecies are recognized: Etheostoma whipplei whipplei in the Ozark and Ouachita Highlands and Etheostoma whipplei artesiae on the Gulf Coastal Plain. We examined variation in meristics and pigmentation to assess the distinctiveness of eastern populations of E. w. artesiae. The results indicated that E. w. artesiae differs significantly from E. w. whipplei in meristics and features of male breeding pigmentation. We conclude that all populations currently recognized as E. w. artesiae should be elevated to full species status.
Effects of a Buffered Propionic Acid in Diets on the Performance of Broiler Chickens and on Microflora of the Intestine and Carcass

A buffered propionic acid (BPA) was added to broiler diets fed in floor pens with litter. The BPA was fed continuously at 0, .2, .4, and .8% in Trial 1 and at 0 and .4% in Trial 2. The BPA was also fed at .4% for the last 7 days in Trial 2. Natural salmonellae exposure versus periodic dosage with Salmonella typhimurium was compared in Trial 2. In Trial 1, the BPA supplement had no adverse effects on growth, feed utilization, or abdominal fat with a significant (P less than or equal to .05) increase in the female dressing value at .8% of buffered propionic acid. The total number of coliforms and of Escherichia coli in the duodenum were significantly reduced by .4% BPA; in the jejunum, by all levels used in the trials; and in the ileum, by .4% and .8% of buffered propionic acid. The intestinal pH was not influenced by the BPA addition. In Trial 2, the BPA at .4% fed continuously had no adverse effect on growth, feed utilization, the abdominal fat of females, or the dressing percentage of males while significantly reducing the abdominal fat for males and increasing the dressing percentage for females. Feeding .4% BPA for the last 7 days had no effect on any of these parameters. Periodic dosage with S. typhimurium had no effect on body weight, feed utilization, or abdominal fat and significantly increased the dressing percentage. There was a significant interaction between the Salmonella dosage and the time of feeding BPA on dressing percentage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Virtual Hemodialyzer Design Project for First-Year Engineers: An Epistemic Game Approach

Engineering institutions nationwide are pursuing first-year engineering design courses to attract and retain nontraditional students. However, these courses often have high enrollment rates and can be resource intensive. Virtual design projects offer a potential solution to the physical resources requirements but often result in an overly constrained design space, creating uninteresting or non-challenging design problems. We are developing a design problem within a novel virtual environment (i.e., a game) that provides first-year engineering undergraduates with a more authentic engineering design experience and a more complete and accurate understanding of the engineering profession. The design problem presented challenges students to incorporate carbon nanotubes and chemical surfactants into a hemodialysis ultrafiltration unit. Our approach seeks to provide students with experience in the skills, knowledge, values, identity, and epistemology of the engineering profession, which is the epistemic frame of the profession. The virtual environment also provides a uniquely comprehensive platform for assessing the students’ epistemic frame development over time. We anticipate that this approach will be highly engaging to first-year undergraduate engineering students and will help engineering instructors understand how engineers-in-training learn to become engineers.
Volunteering in Retirement: Perceptions of Midlife Workers

Using a life course perspective as well as continuity and role theories, this research investigates midlife workers’perceptions of volunteering as part of anideal retirement life style. The Study o...
Alternative health and the challenges of institutionalization

Through a case study of a complementary medicine clinic in a major urban hospital this article explores the links between two levels of power in the alternative health movement - the institutional level and alterna- tive health's 'submerged networks.' Alternative health is conceptualized as a 'new social movement' whose central goal has been to create and sustain a form of life outside of conventional codes and institutional arrangements. The strength of this movement has been its ability to create a cultural laboratory where patients and activists can experience new ideas, authority relations, and identities. Through interviews and observations with the clinic staff and patients, the article asks whether alternative health's growing success in achieving institutional recognition is coming at the price of alternative health's submerged networks and core identity. Overall it is argued that com- plementary medicine clinics located in hospitals have the potential of estab- lishing fruitful links with the dominant health care system but there is a clear danger of becoming absorbed by that system. The other danger is that alterna- tive health will remain marginalized and lose touch with the institutional direction of society as a whole. The article concludes by arguing that alterna- tive health should remain a 'dual movement' with institutional links as well as maintaining a close connection to the lifeworlds of patients.
Identities for circuit partition polynomials, with applications to the Tutte polynomial

The Martin polynomials, introduced by Martin in his 1977 thesis, encode information about the families of circuits in Eulerian graphs and digraphs. The circuit partition polynomials, J(G;x) and j(G->;x), are simple transformations of the Martin polynomials. We give new identities for these polynomials, analogous to Tutte's identity for the chromatic polynomial. Following a useful expansion of Bollobas [J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 85 (2002) 261-268], these formulas give combinatorial interpretations for all integer evaluations of the circuit partition and Martin polynomials. Selected evaluations of the formulas give combinatorial identities that expose the structure and relations of Eulerian graphs and digraphs. New identities and combinatorial interpretations for all integer values of the Tutte polynomial of a planar graph along the line y=x also follow from these results.
Stability analysis of cusped bubbles in viscoelastic flows

Experiments have established that an axisymmetric sharp trailing edge of a gas bubble in a viscoelastic fluid can develop into a three-dimensional ‘knifelike’ shape under certain conditions (high capillary number, large bubble size). A numerical study is conducted to discover the physics of this phenomenon. The axisymmetric deformation of a bubble rising buoyantly in a viscoelastic fluid is simulated by solving the axisymmetric flow equations coupled with the constitutive equations of the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic Chilcott–Rallison (FENE-CR) model. The three-dimensional temporal linear stability analysis of this axisymmetric base state is carried out. The dominant eigenvalue which is indicative of the growth rate of the perturbations is computed. The only unstable eigenmode has azimuthal wavenumber m equal to 2. The corresponding eigenfunction shows that indeed a sharp axisymmetric tail develops a knife-edge form. A further investigation of the energy budget of the disturbances for m = 2 is performed to determine the production and dissipation terms affecting the growth of this instability. It is shown that the normal gradient of the base-state pressure along the free surface plays an important role in the evolution of the instability.
Three-dimensional structure and thermal stability studies of DNA nanostructures by energy transfer spectroscopy.

Structural changes and stability of DNA nanoarchitectures including Y-shaped DNA (see picture), dendrimer-like DNA, and DNA hydrogels are investigated. The results demonstrate the feasibility and flexibility of FRET and NSET (Forster resonance/ nanometal surface- energy transfer) in determining difficult-to-obtain 3D structures and characterizing the thermal responses of DNA nanoarchitectures in real time.
Flow Turbulence And Information Quality

A crucial aspect of managing the corporate information resource is the ability to assess and maintain information quality. This paper proposes criteria for defining and measuring information quality based on established parameters of information flow. We develop a conceptual model linking information flow metrics and information qualities. The basic premise of the model is that changes in flow metrics affect the usefulness criteria of information, which in turn impact information quality. The usefulness criteria of information are based on established accounting standards. This mapping of flow metrics to information quality is a necessary and critical step towards the development of a robust instrument for quality assessment. The implications of the proposed model for managing information flows resulting from business processes are discussed. "The ability to streamline the structure and to influence and control the flow of information is dramatically more powerful and cost effective than moving and manufacturing physical products. Changing the flow of information requires companies to change not just the product mix, but perhaps more important, the business ecosystem in which they compete. Unless an enterprise develops an explicit strategy to accommodate the accelerated flow of information, the enterprise will find itself scrambling, working harder and faster to stay afloat." (Kalakota and Robinson 1999 p. 6).
Increased Fibrinogen Consumption Following Endotoxin Injection in Cortisone-Treated Rabbits

SummaryRabbits prepared with prior injections of cortisone were given a single intravenous dose of E. coli endotoxin, Boivin type, at 100 μg/kg. The cortisone treatment potentiated intravascular clotting in these rabbits. Thus, excess disappearance of plasma 125I-fibrinogen radioactivity was demonstrated after endotoxin in each of 12 rabbits treated with 4 daily intramuscular injections of 25 mg of cortisone acetate, whereas only 1 of 13 saline-treated control rabbits showed similar changes. Consumption of plasma fibrinogen in the 6 hr after endotoxin was calculated from plasma fibrinogen levels and plasma fibrinogen radioactivity. Mean values were as follows: cortisone group, 79.4 mg% or 33.9 mg/kg; control group, 37.4 mg% or 13.2 mg/kg. The GSR was found in 3 cortisone-treated rabbits but in no control rabbit. Enhancement of endotoxin-induced clotting represents one important mechanism whereby cortisone could prepare rabbits for the GSR.The authors thank Miss Mary Jane Patch for preparation of the figures.
Computerized Tomography in the Early Postoperative Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma

AbstractComputerized tomography of the abdomen was used to detect local and intra-abdominal recurrence of renal cell carcinoma within 2 years in 22 patients with stage I, II or IIIA disease at the time of initial radical nephrectomy with regional lymphadenectomy. Six patients had recurrences initially limited to the abdomen and retroperitoneum. Therapeutic procedures, including surgical excision of recurrent tumor in 2 patients, did not alter the progression of the disease. Computerized tomography provides earlier detection of local recurrence of renal cell carcinoma but current therapy offers limited benefit when a recurrence is detected.
Understanding Engagement in Mental Health Services for Preschool Children: An Analysis of Teacher, Clinician, and Parent Perspectives

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of mental health clinicians in providing services in the preschool setting. Clinicians provided services for 3 years in urban, northern New Jersey preschools, in order to expand access to mental health services for vulnerable children. At the conclusion of the three-year period, focus groups were conducted with clinicians and teachers, and interviews were conducted with parents to gain their perspectives on the approaches used. Data were coded for emergent themes and a number of themes developed around aspects of engagement, including engaging the community, teachers, other professionals, and parents in order to effectively provide the service to the target population. The data provide insight into techniques that may increase comfort levels for seeking and accepting treatment.
Ground water contamination with (238)U, (234)U, (235)U, (226)Ra and (210)Pb from past uranium mining: cove wash, Arizona.

The objectives of the study are to present a critical review of the 238U, 234U, 235U, 226Ra and 210Pb levels in water samples from the EPA studies (U.S. EPA in Abandoned uranium mines and the Navajo Nation: Red Valley chapter screening assessment report. Region 9 Superfund Program, San Francisco, 2004, Abandoned uranium mines and the Navajo Nation: Northern aum region screening assessment report. Region 9 Superfund Program, San Francisco, 2006, Health and environmental impacts of uranium contamination, 5-year plan. Region 9 Superfund Program, San Franciso, 2008) and the dose assessment for the population due to ingestion of water containing 238U and 234U. The water quality data were taken from Sect. “Data analysis” of the published report, titled Abandoned Uranium Mines Project Arizona, New Mexico, Utah–Navajo Lands 1994–2000, Project Atlas. Total uranium concentration was above the maximum concentration level for drinking water (7.410–1 Bq/L) in 19 % of the water samples, while 238U and 234U concentrations were above in 14 and 17 % of the water samples, respectively. 226Ra and 210Pb concentrations in water samples were in the range of 3.7 × 10−1 to 5.55 × 102 Bq/L and 1.11 to 4.33 × 102 Bq/L, respectively. For only two samples, the 226Ra concentrations exceeded the MCL for total Ra for drinking water (0.185 Bq/L). However, the 210Pb/226Ra ratios varied from 0.11 to 47.00, and ratios above 1.00 were observed in 71 % of the samples. Secular equilibrium of the natural uranium series was not observed in the data record for most of the water samples. Moreover, the 235U/totalU mass ratios ranged from 0.06 to 5.9 %, and the natural mass ratio of 235U to totalU (0.72 %) was observed in only 16 % of the water samples, ratios above or below the natural ratio could not be explained based on data reported by U.S. EPA. In addition, statistical evaluations showed no correlations among the distribution of the radionuclide concentrations in the majority of the water samples, indicating more than one source of contamination could contribute to the sampled sources. The effective doses due to ingestion of the minimum uranium concentrations in water samples exceed the average dose considering inhalation and ingestion of regular diet for other populations around the world (1 μSv/year). The maximum doses due to ingestion of 238U or 234U were above the international limit for effective dose for members of the public (1 mSv/year), except for inhabitants of two chapters. The highest effective dose was estimated for inhabitants of Cove, and it was almost 20 times the international limit for members of the public. These results indicate that ingestion of water from some of the sampled sources poses health risks.
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of methylphenidate for the treatment of depression in SSRI-treated cancer patients receiving palliative care

Objective To determine the effectiveness of methylphenidate for depression treatment in patients with advanced cancer. Design An 18-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of methylphenidate for treatment of depression in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-treated patients with advanced cancer in hospice or receiving palliative care. The primary outcome was depression remission, defined as a ≥50% reduction in score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Results Among 47 enrolled participants, 34 were randomized. At study day 18, 85% of the methylphenidate and 60% of the placebo group were in depression remission (P = .22). Mean time to depression remission was 10.3 days [standard error (SE) 1.8] in the methylphenidate and 8.1 (SE 1.3) in the placebo group (P = .48). The mean baseline score for the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was 10.4 in each group and decreased by 3.6 (SE 1.1) in the methylphenidate and 2.3 (SE 1.2) in the placebo group (P = .51) by day 18. Once in remission, 1 methylphenidate and 5 placebo participants relapsed to depression (P = .18). There was no difference in mortality between the groups during the trial. Trial results were limited by small sample size attributed to difficulties in recruiting terminally ill patients. Conclusions This trial failed to demonstrate that methylphenidate treatment in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-treated patients had a significant effect on depression remission in patients with advanced cancer. This study underscores the difficulties in conducting trials for symptom management in patients with shortened life expectancy.
Identifying protein aggregation mechanisms and quantifying aggregation rates from combined monomer depletion and continuous scattering.

Parallel temperature initial rates (PTIR) from chromatographic separation of aggregating protein solutions are combined with continuous simultaneous multiple sample light scattering (SMSLS) to make quantitative deductions about protein aggregation kinetics and mechanisms. PTIR determines the rates at which initially monomeric proteins are converted to aggregates over a range of temperatures, under initial-rate conditions. Using SMSLS for the same set of conditions provides time courses of the absolute Rayleigh scattering ratio, IR(t), from which a potentially different measure of aggregation rates can be quantified. The present report compares these measures of aggregation rates across a range of solution conditions that result in different aggregation mechanisms for anti-streptavidin (AS) immunoglobulin gamma-1 (IgG1). The results illustrate how the two methods provide complementary information when deducing aggregation mechanisms, as well as cases where they provide new mechanistic details that were not possible to deduce in previous work. Criteria are presented for when the two techniques are expected to give equivalent results for quantitative rates, the potential limitations when solution non-idealities are large, as well as a comparison of the temperature dependence of AS-IgG1 aggregation rates with published data for other antibodies.
Quasi-Cauchy Sequences

(2010). Quasi-Cauchy Sequences. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 117, No. 4, pp. 328-333.
Gravitational Smoothing of Kinks on Cosmic String Loops

We analyze the effect of gravitational backreaction on cosmic string loops with kinks, which is an important determinant of the shape, and thus the potential observability, of string loops which may exist in the Universe today. Kinks are not rounded off, but may be straightened out. This means that backreaction will only cause loops with kinks to develop cusps after some potentially large fraction of their lifetimes. In some loops, symmetries prevent even this process, so that the loop evaporates in a self-similar fashion and the kinks are unchanged. As an example, we discuss backreaction on the rectangular Garfinkle-Vachaspati loop.
HIV and Aging Research in Women: An Overview

This paper reviews some background issues as a foundation to place the ensuing supplement papers of this special issue section in context. The articles in this special supplement issue deepen and expand our understanding of biomedical, neurocognitive, and psychosocial aspects involved in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) of older women, primarily through the use of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) prospective cohort study. As it relates to research on the intersection between HIV and aging in women, we discuss (i) epidemiology as introduction, (ii) the cohort study design featuring the WIHS, (iii) definitions, (iv) models, and (v) section articles.
Vegas (Verruciform Genital-Associated) Xanthoma: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Verruciform xanthoma is a wart-like benign lesion. The classic histologic appearance consists of foamy histiocytes within elongated dermal papillae and epithelial acanthosis. The lesion most commonly occurs in the oral cavity, but has been reported in extra-oral sites such as the penis, scrotum, and vulva. The clinical and histologic characteristics of verruciform genital-associated (Vegas) xanthomas of the penis, scrotum, and vulva are reviewed. PubMed was used to search the following term: verruciform xanthoma. The relevant papers were obtained and reviewed. There have been 193 cases of genital-associated verruciform xanthomas. There were 164 in men and 29 in women. Similar to verruciform xanthomas of the oral mucosa, they presented as asymptomatic lesions, demonstrated foam cells in the dermal papillae, and were typically managed successfully with surgical excision. Verruciform xanthoma is a benign lesion characterized by a wart-like growth that is most commonly seen in the oral mucosa. Verruciform xanthomas of the genital region have been coined Vegas xanthomas. Vegas xanthomas have been reported in association with a variety of diseases, as well as in healthy individuals. Biopsy is required for diagnosis, and complete surgical excision is typically curative.
Foreword, Chinese Law and American Legal Education

The rise of international and comparative law within the typical law school curriculum has been a profound change in American legal education. As international and comparative law gradually rose to prominence during the last part of the twentieth century, the attention of American legal educators often focused on Europe. However, law reform in China is today a priority of the government. With a vitality that echos American legislative achievements during the Progressive Era, the New Deal, and the Great Society, China is overhauling the laws that shape Chinese society and govern relations with persons and states abroad.Members of the American legal profession have a special responsibility to support the development of systems based on the rule of law in other countries. This is especially true with respect to the efforts now taking place in China. Those developments will not only directly affect more than a billion persons, but they will play a tremendous role in shaping a country that will greatly influence the destiny of the global community during the 21st century and beyond. It is entirely appropriate that the American legal education devote some measure of its talents and energies to understanding, and perhaps even assisting, the on-going transformation of the Chinese legal system.
Rejection of Commonly Used Electrolytes in Asymmetric Flow Field Flow Fractionation: Effects of Membrane Molecular Weight Cutoff Size, Fluid Dynamics, and Valence of Electrolytes.

Asymmetric flow field flow fractionation (AF4) is an efficient size-based separation technique for the characterization of submicron size particulates. In AF4, membranes having various molecular weight cutoff sizes are used as a barrier to retain particles while allowing the carrier fluid containing electrolytes to permeate. Here, we have hypothesized that electrolyte rejection by the barrier membrane leads to the accumulation of electrolytes in the channel during operation. Electrolyte accumulation can cause various adverse effects that can lead to membrane fouling. An instrument setup containing a conductivity detector was assembled, and the rejection of commonly used carrier electrolytes such as trisodium citrate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, sodium chloride, and ammonium carbonate was evaluated by varying the concentration, cross-flow rate, focusing flow rate, membrane material type, and cutoff sizes. The results showed that electrolyte rejection increased with a decrease in the electrolyte concen...