cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Challenge of the Eighties--the Comprehensive Electronic Service System (CESS).

This paper addresses the concept of automated library systems of the 1980s as a marriage of traditional bibliographic transaction processing applications and those now emerging under the rubric of the advanced office system. This is the concept of CESS—the Comprehensive Electronic Service System for the library or information center. The basis of CESS will be a distributed data processing system eventually linking the local library, via computer to computer communication, to institutional parent, regional and national level systems and their associated services. Functional application distribution for this system is discussed with Computer Consoles, Inc., Office Power and Prime Computer, Inc., Prime Office Automation System (POAS) used to show the office automation capabilities and their integration aspects with online bibliographic systems for the library. Present and near term solutions to creating CESS concept systems are presented.
Edinger-Westphal nucleus: projections to the brain stem and spinal cord in the cat

The efferent connections of the Edinger-Westphal (EW) nucleus of the cat have been examined using the autoradiographic anterograde axonal transport technique. Following injections of [3H]amino acids into the EW nucleus, fibers could be traced from this region to a number of sites in the caudal brain stem and spinal cord heretofore not known to receive an afferent input from this nucleus. Two descending pathways have been identified. One pathway travels in the medialmost aspect to the medial longitudinal bundle and terminates in the dorsal accessory olive. The other pathway leaves the nucleus laterally, coursing through the medial tegmentum, and then shifts to a ventrolateral position in the rostral rhombencephalon. Some fibers of this lateral pathway curve dorsally and terminate in the medial parabrachial nucleus. The remainder of this fiber system lies ventral to the spinal trigeminal complex, with some axons terminating in the subtrigeminal nucleus, while other fibers continue ventral to the caudal part of the spinal trigeminal nucleus and appear to terminate in the marginal layer and ventromedial part of this nucleus. Another component of this system terminates between the gracile and medial cuneate nuclei. The main pathways from the EW nucleus to the spinal cord include (1) some fibers which course through the dorsal column nuclei into the ventromedial part of the dorsal columns, and (2) other fibers which continue caudally immediately along the ventrolateral aspect of the spinal trigeminal nucleus and then proceed to the spinal cord in the region between the dorsal horn and the lateral cervical nucleus. These EW fibers appear to terminate mainly in Rexed's lamina I (marginal layer); other fibers, from both tracts appear to terminate in lamina V. There was no evidence for any ascending projections from the EW nucleus. Confirmatory data were obtained from a series of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) experiments, in which EW neurons were retrogradely labeled following injections into the dorsal column nuclei, spinal trigeminal nucleus, inferior olivary nucleus, or spinal cord. These results clearly indicate that the traditional view of the EW nucleus as merely a parasympathetic preganglionic nucleus should be seriously questioned.
Moral rules, moral ideals, and use-inspired research

Moral rules provide the baseline for ethics, proscribing unacceptable behavior; moral ideals inspire us to act in ways that improve the human condition. Whatever the moral ideals for pure research, science has a practical side so it is important to find a moral ideal to give guidance to more applied research. This article presents a moral ideal for use-inspired research based on Norman Care's idea of shared-fate individualism This ideal reflects the observation that all human lives, both present and future are tightly coupled and, as a result, research projects should be chosen, where possible, with the goal of service to others. Together with the ideals of the habit of truth and the gift economy, shared-fate individualism provides the basis for a humane ethics of science.
A longitudinal evaluation of prevalent negative beliefs about residential placement for troubled adolescents

To investigate the validity of five prevalent negative beliefs about residential placement, we followed adolescents from a residential program and a comparison group at 3-month intervals for 4 to 8 years. This residential program in the Midwest uses the Teaching-Family Model in which six to eight adolescents live in a family-style environment. The interviews included five scales reflecting youths' views about important aspects of their lives in placement: (1) Delivery of Helpful Treatment, (2) Satisfaction with Supervising Adults, (3) Isolation from Family, (4) Isolation from Friends, and (5) Sense of Personal Control. Hierarchical linear modeling allowed us to estimate group differences while controlling for developmental trends, demographic factors, and prior differences between groups. The two groups were equivalent on all scales before the study. During the following placement, however, the treatment group's ratings were significantly more positive than the comparison group on four of the five scales and approached significance on the fifth. These findings suggest that negative beliefs about life in residential placement for adolescents may not apply to all programs.
PITANSEMA-MAS, a solid-state NMR method to measure heteronuclear dipolar couplings under MAS.

Abstract A 2D NMR method is presented for the measurement of the dipole–dipole interaction between a proton and a low-frequency nuclear spin species in the solid state under the magic angle spinning. It employs the time averaged nutation concept to dramatically reduce the required radio frequency (rf) power on the low γ nuclear channel and spin exchange at the magic angle is used to suppress 1 H– 1 H dipolar interactions and chemical shifts. The flexibility in choosing the spinning speed, rf power and the scaling factor of the pulse sequence are of considerable importance for the structural studies of biological solids. The performance of the pulse sequence has been numerically and experimentally demonstrated on several solids.
Organelle-based biofuel cells: Immobilized mitochondria on carbon paper electrodes

Abstract This paper details the development of a mitochondria-based biofuel cell. We show that mitochondria can be immobilized at a carbon electrode surface and remain intact and viable. The electrode-bound mitochondria drive complete oxidation of pyruvate as shown by Carbon-13 NMR and serve as the anode of the biofuel cell where they convert the chemical energy in a biofuel (such as pyruvate) into electrical energy. These are the first organelle-based fuel cells. Researchers have previously used isolated enzymes and complete microbes for fuel cells, but this is the first evidence that organelles can support fuel cell-based energy conversion. These biofuel cells provide power densities of 0.203 ± 0.014 mW/cm2, which is in between the latest immobilized enzyme-based biofuel cells and microbial biofuel cells, while providing the efficiency of microbial biofuel cells.
Discrete hydrodynamics: Determination of equations of motion by simulation

A detailed procedure is described for computing discrete equations of motion for a fluid, to implement a new method which turns out to be substantially more efficient than previous methods for calculating transport coefficients. This paper describes the calculations of discrete averages from molecular dynamics data and the numerical extraction of the equation-of-motion coefficients in a way which makes maximum use of the geometric symmetry of the problem. Extrapolation to the infinite-system limit and eventual computation of transport coefficients by renormalization are discussed. The method described in detail here is briefly sketched and applied numerically to computing the viscosity of the soft-sphere liquid in a subsequent paper.
Obesity leads to underestimation of ventricular volumes and abnormal myocardial strain in repaired Tetralogy of Fallot as measured by cardiac MRI

Background Obesity is an increasing epidemic that has not spared children and adults with congenital heart disease. Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot with trans-annular patch (rTOF-TAP) have significant pulmonary insufficiency and right ventricular (RV) enlargement. Recommendations for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) include body surface area (BSA)-indexed RV end diastolic volume (RVEDVi) >150 ml/m2 or indexed RV end systolic volume (RVESVi) >80 ml/m2, estimated by cardiac MRI (CMR). We hypothesized that: 1) overweight and obese patients with rTOF-TAP have underestimated indexed ventricular volumes when compared to volumes indexed to ideal BSA and 2) these patients have altered parameters of cardiac function compared to weight appropriate patients.
E-patients--revolutionizing the practice of medicine.

The traditional model for the practice of medicine, and doctor-patient relationship that existed for centuries have changed irrevocably, mostly as a result of the advent of the World-wide Web. In the traditional role, the doctor was in the position of power, with information flowing to the patient.
A compact representation for efficient uncertain-information integration

The probabilistic relation model has been used for the compact representation of uncertain data in relational databases. In this paper we present the extended probabilistic relation model, a compact representation for uncertain information that admits efficient information integration. We present an algorithm for data integration using this model and prove its correctness. We also explore the complexity of query evaluation under the probabilistic and extended probabilistic models. Finally, we study the problem of obtaining a (pure) probabilistic relation that is equivalent to a given extended probabilistic relation, and present approaches and algorithms for this task. This work is the first and critical step towards practical and efficient uncertain information integration.
Glycosylated prolactin in the murine pituitary: Detection by a novel assay and alteration of concentrations by physiological and pharmacological stimuli

Abstract In both rat and mouse pituitary extracts, we detected concanavalin A-binding prolactin immunoreactivity by a lectin-binding radioimmunoassay developed recently. The activity increased in response to estradiol benzoate treatment and lactation, stimuli that augment prolactin secretion, and decreased in response to acute nursing and perphenzine administration, stimuli that cause massive release of prolactin. Western blot analysis revealed a prolactin-immunoreactive band 2,000–3,000 greater in M r than the main prolactin band that bound to 125 I-labeled concanavalin A. These results suggest the existence in the murine adenohypophysis of a glycosylated form of prolactin, which seems to be released under certain physiological states.
Conjugated linoleic acid prevents ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice by modulating both osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis

Postmenopausal osteoporosis due to estrogen deficiency is associated with severe morbidity and mortality. Beneficial effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on bone mineral density (BMD) have been reported in mice, rats and humans, but the effect of long term CLA supplementation against ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice and the mechanisms underlying this effect have not been studied yet. Eight-week old ovariectomized (Ovx) and sham operated C57BL/6 mice were fed either a diet containing 0.5 % safflower oil (SFO) or 0.5 % CLA for 24 weeks to examine BMD, bone turn over markers and osteotropic factors. Bone marrow (BM) cells were cultured to determine the effect on inflammation, osteoclastogenesis, and osteoblastogenesis. SFO/Ovx mice had significantly lower femoral, tibial and lumbar BMD compared to SFO/Sham mice; whereas, no difference was found between CLA/Ovx and CLA/Sham mice. CLA inhibited bone resorption markers whereas enhanced bone formation markers in Ovx mice as compared to SFO-fed mice. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence activated cell sorting analyses of splenocytes revealed that CLA inhibited pro-osteoclastogenic receptor activator of NF-κB (RANKL) and stimulated decoy receptor of RANKL, osteoprotegerin expression. CLA also inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine and enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokine production of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated splenocytes and BM cells. Furthermore, CLA inhibited osteoclast differentiation in BM and stimulated osteoblast differentiation in BM stromal cells as confirmed by tartrate resistant acid phosphatase and Alizarin Red staining, respectively. In conclusion, CLA may prevent postmenopausal bone loss not only by inhibiting excessive bone resorption due to estrogen deficiency but also by stimulating new bone formation. CLA might be a potential alternative therapy against osteoporotic bone loss.
Architecture and the text : the scrypts of Joyce and Piranesi

In this profoundly original book, Jennifer Bloomer addresses important philosophical questions concerning the relation between writing and architecture. Drawing together two cultural fantasies from different periods-one literary and one architectural-Bloomer uses the allegorical strategies she finds in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake to analyze three works of Giambattista Piranesi (Campo Marzio, Collegio, and the Carceri). Bloomer argues that architecture is a system of representation, with signifying possibilities that go beyond the merely symbolic. Bloomer reads the texts and ideas of Joyce and Piranesi against one another, further illuminating them with insights from myth, religion, linguistics, film theory, nursery rhymes, and personal anecdotes, as well as from poststructuralist, Marxist, and feminist criticism. Combining the strategies of Finnegans Wake, which Joyce himself called architectural, with conventional strategies of architectural thinking, Bloomer creates a new way of thinking architecturally that is not dominated by linear models and that appropriates ideas, parts, and theoretical frameworks from many other disciplines. Demonstrating her argument by dramatic example, Bloomer's treatise-like Joyce's word-play and Piranesi's play with visual representation-offers the pleasure of ongoing discovery.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: Clinical and radiographic features

Between April 1982 and March 1984 7 pathologically confirmed cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) were diagnosed at our institution. Only 1 case had been seen in the preceding twenty years. Four patients had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The others had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and systemic lupus erythematosus. All patients presented with progressive neurological deficits. In most, the initial computed tomographic (CT) scan was disproportionately less abnormal than the clinical findings. In 5 patients the first CT scan revealed hypodensities of the cerebral white matter which lacked mass effect and did not enhance with contrast agent. The lesions were observed to enlarge progressively on CT scans but often lagged behind the rate of clinical evolution. Although 3 patients were treated with cytosine arabinoside, none improved. PML had similar clinical, radiographic, and pathological features in the AIDS and non-AIDs patients. Of 79 AIDS patients cared for at our institution between December 1979 and December 1983, 3.8% had PML. PML should be suspected in AIDS patients in the presence of the characteristic CT features, especially when CT-clinical dissociation occurs.
Female Infant Mortality Disadvantage in India: A Regional Analysis

Son preference in India manifests into extreme forms of daughter avoidance either through pre-natal sex selective abortion or post-natal excess female infant mortality. These victims of daughter av...
Closed Captioning: Subtitling, Stenography, and the Digital Convergence of Text with Television, by Gregory J. Downey. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008. 400 pp. $52.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0801887109

This book engages the reader on a voyage of innovation in speech-to-text environments. Gregory J. Downey describes the process of convergence as one where creative innovation, social activism, gove...
Oxidative Stress in a Rat Model of Obesity-Induced Hypertension

The mechanisms underlying the development of hypertension in obesity are not yet fully understood. We recently reported the development of hypertension in a rat model of diet-induced obesity. When Sprague-Dawley rats (n=60) are fed a moderately high fat diet (32 kcal% fat) for 10 to 16 weeks, approximately half of them develop obesity (obesity-prone [OP] group) and mild hypertension (158+/-3.4 mm Hg systolic pressure), whereas the other half (obesity-resistant [OR] group) maintains a body weight equivalent to that of a low fat control group and is normotensive (135.8+/-3.8 mm Hg). We examined the potential role of oxidative stress in the development of hypertension in this model. Lipid peroxides measured as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances showed a significant increase in the LDL fraction of OP rats (2.8+/-0.32 nmol malondialdehyde/mg protein) compared with OR and control rats (0.9+/-0.3 nmol malondialdehyde/mg protein). Also, aortic and kidney thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances showed a significant (3- and 5- fold) increase in OP rats after 16 weeks of diet. In addition, superoxide generation by aortic rings, measured by lucigenin luminescence, showed a 2-fold increase in the OP group compared with both the OR and control groups. In addition, free isoprostane excretion and nitrotyrosine in the kidney showed an increase in OP rats only. The urine and plasma nitrate/nitrite measured by the LDH method showed a 1.8-fold decrease in OP rats compared with OR rats. However, endothelial NO synthase expression in the kidney cortex and medulla assessed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed a strong increase in the OP rats versus OR and control rats (endothelial NO synthase/beta-actin ratio 1.3+/-0.04 in OP rats versus 0.44+/-0.02 in OR rats), suggesting a possible shift toward superoxide production by the enzyme. Collectively, the data show a decreased NO bioavailability in OP animals that is due in part to the increased oxidative stress.
ζ-Ta4C3−x: A High Fracture Toughness Carbide with Rising-Crack-Growth-Resistance (R-Curve) Behavior

The microstructures and mechanical properties of tantalum carbides containing predominantly the ζ-Ta4C3−x phase are compared with the properties of the monocarbide (γ-TaC) and the hemicarbide (α-Ta2C) and two-phase composites. It is shown that a Ta and γ-TaC powder mixture corresponding to a C/Ta at. ratio of 0.66 can be hot-pressed (1800°C, 2 h) to obtain ~95 wt% of ζ-Ta4C3−x with a density of 98% of theoretical. This material has an attractive combination of high fracture toughness (13.8 ± 0.2 MPa√m) and fracture strength (759 ± 24 MPa) with modest hardness (5.6 ± 0.5 GPa). The fracture toughness and strength measured for this material were the highest among all the materials with C/Ta ratio ranging from 0.5 (hemicarbide) to 1.0 (monocarbide). It is also shown that a material containing 86 wt% ζ-Ta4C3−x can be consolidated by pressureless sintering of a hydrogenated Ta and γ-TaC powder mixture without significant drop in density (97% of theoretical) or mechanical properties (13.4 ± 0.2 MPa√m, 700 ± 20 MPa, 6.0 ± 0.4 GPa). Materials containing high weight fraction of the ζ-Ta4C3−x phase exhibited rising crack-growth-resistance (R-curve) behavior. Optical and scanning electron microscope observations suggested crack-face bridging was the dominant toughening mechanism. The crack-bridging ligaments were lamellae of the basal planes of the ζ-Ta4C3−x phase produced by their easy cleavage. The thickness of the lamellae ranged from 40 to 2000 nm, significantly less than the grain size.
High- $V_{\rm GS}$ PFET DC Hot-Carrier Mechanism and Its Relation to AC Degradation

Recently, negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) enhanced by local self-heating has been proposed as a mechanism for high-Vg PFET ?hot-carrier? degradation. This is based on the idea that the effective temperature for NBTI is increased in the drain region due to a very localized self-heating effect reported in the literature by Pop and others. Our PFET dc stress data are consistent with local self-heating activated NBTI at high Vg , but at mid Vg, we observed similar behavior to typical NFET hot carriers, i.e., energy-driven hot carrier (EDHC). If self-heating is involved with the PFET high-Vg dc degradation, the question of ac behavior naturally arises. Our PFET ring-oscillator stress results demonstrate that the high-VGS PFET hot carrier dominant under dc stress does not significantly contribute under typical CMOS switching conditions, whereas the mid-VGS hot carrier does. This supports the idea that the predominant damage mechanism involved at high VGS is NBTI enhanced by local self-heating with a thermal time constant longer than a few hundred picoseconds.
Genetic Deficiency of Chemokine Receptor CCR5 Is a Strong Risk Factor for Symptomatic West Nile Virus Infection: A Meta-Analysis of 4 Cohorts in the US Epidemic

West Nile virus (WNV) causes disease in approximately 20% of infected humans. We previously reported that homozygosity for CCR5Delta32, a nonfunctional variant of chemokine receptor CCR5, is markedly increased among symptomatic WNV-seropositive patients from Arizona and Colorado. To confirm this, we analyzed cohorts from California and Illinois. An increase in CCR5-deficient subjects was found in both (for California, odds ratio [OR], 4.2 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.5-11.9] [P= .004]; for Illinois, OR, 3.1 [95% CI, 0.9-11.2] [P= .06]). A meta-analysis of all 4 cohorts showed an OR of 4.2 (95% CI, 2.1-8.3 [P= .0001]). Thus, CCR5 deficiency is a strong and consistent risk factor for symptomatic WNV infection in the United States.
Prognostic Role of Cell Morphology of Animal Tumors

The purpose of this presentation is to determine the prognostic role of cellular morphology in animal neoplasia. With some exceptions, cellular morphology is the single most accurate predictor of the prospective behavior of neoplasms. There is generally a positive correlation between the degree of malignancy and prognosis. The exceptions are a) morphologically malignant-appearing tumors following a benign course (e.g., canine histiocytoma, canine seminoma, equine sarcoid) and b) morphologically differentiated tumors exhibiting an unpredictable prognosis (e.g., canine pericytoma, acanthomatous epulis, myxoma, follicular thyroid cell carcinoma, etc.). Anaplasia, an important characteristic of most malignant neoplasms, may be less stable than generally assumed. Sodium butyrate may reverse it intermittently and anaplastic gliomas may loose all morphologic and cytokinetic characteristics of anaplasia following sodium butyrate exposure. Host factors, such as nerve growth factor, have similar and more lasting ef...
In Search of a Theory of Deference: The Eighth Amendment, Democratic Pedigree, and Constitutional Decisionmaking

The Supreme Court’s recent Eighth Amendment death penalty case law is in disarray, and the confusion is symptomatic of a larger problem in constitutional doctrine. In Baze v. Rees and Kennedy v. Louisiana, the Court approached the challenged state policies with vastly different levels of deference. Though the Court purported to apply longstanding Eighth Amendment tests in both cases, Baze was highly deferential to state policy, and Kennedy was not deferential at all. Remarkably, neither the Court nor legal scholars have acknowledged, let alone justified, these contrasting approaches.This Article proposes a theory of deference to address this discrepancy. Courts often premise deference in constitutional cases on political authority and epistemic authority. While these rationales make sense in theory, courts sometimes mechanically repeat them without asking whether the responsible institution enjoys either kind of authority in reality. Courts should engage in such inquiries before summarily granting or denying deference.In light of these principles, the Court approached the problems of deference in Baze and Kennedy carelessly. Whereas Baze assumed (without explanation) that the state possessed political and epistemic authority worthy of deference, Kennedy assumed (also without explanation) the exact opposite. Attention to these issues in the Eighth Amendment and other constitutional contexts would encourage more transparent, deliberative policymaking and more careful, candid judicial constitutional decision making.
Experimental Investigation of Laser Emission of Dye-Doped Cholesteric Liquid Crystals with a Cholesteric Reflector

Dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) behaves like a one-dimensional photonic crystal laser when pumped by a second harmonic Nd-YAG pulsed laser. Usually circularly polarized laser light in the same sense as the cholesteric helix is emitted from both directions of the lasing cell. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the laser emission enhancement and investigate the corresponding polarization state from the dye-doped CLC laser in stack with another CLC reflector. Cell gap and dye concentration are important factors affecting the optical efficiency of the CLC lasers.
Creating Concepts from Converging Features in Human Cortex

To make sense of the world around us, our brain must remember the overlapping features of millions of objects. Crucially, it must also represent each object’s unique feature-convergence. Some theories propose that an integration area (or “convergence zone”) binds together separate features. We report an investigation of our knowledge of objects’ features and identity, and the link between them. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to record neural activity, as humans attempted to detect a cued fruit or vegetable in visual noise. Crucially, we analyzed brain activity before a fruit or vegetable was present, allowing us to interrogate top-down activity. We found that pattern-classification algorithms could be used to decode the detection target’s identity in the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL), its shape in lateral occipital cortex, and its color in right V4. A novel decoding-dependency analysis revealed that identity information in left ATL was specifically predicted by the temporal convergence of shape and color codes in early visual regions. People with stronger feature-and-identity dependencies had more similar top-down and bottom-up activity patterns. These results fulfill three key requirements for a neural convergence zone: a convergence result (object identity), ingredients (color and shape), and the link between them.
New Trends in Talent Development in Peru

A comprehensive portrait of the current status of gifted and talented concepts, identification of the gifted, and associated provisions within Peru is presented. The major purposes of this article are (a) to analyze the primary conception of giftedness in Peru; (b) to describe the beliefs that people have about gifted individuals; (c) to present the most difficult issues related to gifted and talented education that need to be addressed, and the most important contributions to gifted education made in the country; (d) to describe the relevant research findings; and (e) to establish the future directions on research and program development.
The Radio-Frequency Quadrupole - A New Linear Accelerator

In many Laboratories, great emphasis now is placed on the development of linear accelerators with very large ion currents. To achieve this goal, a primary concern must be the low-velocity part of the accelerator, where the current limit is determined and where most of the emittance growth occurs. The use of magnetic focusing, the conflicting requirements in the choice of linac frequency, and the limitations of high-voltage dc injectors, have tended to produce lowvelocity designs that limit overall performance. The radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) linear accelerator, invented in the Soviet Union and developed at Los Alamos, offers an attractive solution to many of these low-velocity problems. In the RFQ, the use of RF electric fields for radial focusing, combined with special programming of the bunching, allows high-current dc beams to be captured and accelerated with only small beam loss and low radial emittance growth. Advantages of the RFQ linac include a low injection energy (20-50 keV for protons) and a final energy high enough so the beam can be further accelerated with high efficiency in a Wideroe or Alvarez linac. These properties have been confirmed at Los Alamos in a highly successful experimental test performed during the past year. The success of this test and the advances in RFQ design procedures have led to the adoption of this linac for a wide range of applications. The beam-dynamics parameters of three RFQ systems are described.
Neighborhood disorder, perceived safety, and readiness to encourage use of local playgrounds.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the association between the neighborhood physical environment and adults' readiness to encourage children's use of local playgrounds, and the extent to which perceived safety acts as a mediator, can inform efforts to increase children's physical activity. METHODS: Data were obtained from seven European cities based on a cross-sectional household survey conducted between 2001 and 2002. The sample included 2123 household informants (from a total of 2782 households) with a median age of 48 years; 65% were women, 66% were married, and 33% had achieved a secondary education. Indicators of local neighborhood physical disorder (litter, graffiti, lack of greenery), traffic volume, and land use were directly observed by trained surveyors. Perceived safety, encouragement of playground use, and physical activity levels were assessed with self-reported measures. Analyses were conducted in 2007. RESULTS: Respondents in neighborhoods showing signs of low or moderate physical disorder compared to high physical disorder had slightly over twice the odds of encouraging children to use local playgrounds (p Language: en
Approximate and exact tests of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium using uncertain genotypes.

Testing for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) is commonly used as a quality control filter in genome-wide scans for markers with experimentally determined genotypes. In contrast, for markers with imputed genotypes, there are post-imputation metrics of quality that can be used as screens but there are no formal tests of deviation from HWE. Similarly, there are no formal tests of deviation from HWE for probabilistic genotypes that are generated by sequencing projects. Here, I describe generalizations of the approximate χ2 and exact tests of HWE for use with uncertain genotypes. The tests fully account for the probabilities of all possible genotypes at a marker for each individual. By computer simulation, the approximate and exact tests are shown to maintain valid control of the type I error rate. Calculations of the loss of power as the uncertainty in genotypes increases are illustrated. The tests are compatible with chip-based genotypes for single-nucleotide polymorphisms and copy number polymorphisms, imputed genotypes, and probabilistic assignments of genotype from variable-coverage sequence data. Genet. Epidemiol. 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 35:632-637, 2011
Gaming: an emergent discipline

Experiential learning efforts in the 1950s mimicked the logistic operational gaming of World War II; the results were encouraging. Subsequently, funded research efforts over three decades focused o...
Regional coronary angiographic observations during cold stimulation in patients with exertional chest pain: Comparison of diameter responses in normal and fixed stenotic vessels

In 12 patients with exertional chest pain, coronary angiography was performed and quantitative measurements coronary artery (CA) diameters were made before and during cold stimulation (four normal CA patients and eight fixed CA stenosis patients). The left main CA; proximal, middle and distal anterior descending and circumflex segments; and small intramyocardial CAs (0.4 to 1.0 mm) usually showed only minimal and similar degree of vasoconstriction (average diameter reduction 6%) during cold stimulation in both normals and CA disease (CAD) patients. Magnitude of vasoconstriction differed among some CA segments measured; the left main CA segment (0 +/- 2%, mean +/- SD) usually did not change while distal segments (-10 +/- 10%) usually demonstrated greatest percentage vasoconstriction. Coronary stenoses and CAs filled by collaterals did not demonstrate increased magnitude of vasoconstriction compared to other CAs. Results of other CA segments were also similar comparing patients with and without CAD. The minimal degree of vasoconstriction observed in these CA segments does not appear to account for the large increase in coronary resistance reported during cold stimulation in CAD patients.
Compact, fiber-compatible, cascaded Raman laser.

Cascaded Raman Stokes lasing in an ultrahigh-Q silica microsphere resonator coupled to a tapered fiber is demonstrated and analyzed. With less than 900 μW of pump power near 980 nm, five cascaded Stokes lasing lines are generated. In addition, a threshold power of 56.4 μW for the first-order Stokes lasing is achieved. The Stokes lasing lines exhibit distinct characteristics depending on their order, as predicted by theoretical analysis.
Muscle pathology without severe nerve pathology in a new mouse model of Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 2E

Mutations in neurofilament light (NF-L) have been linked to Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 2E (CMT2E) in humans. To provide insight into disease pathogenesis, we developed a novel line of CMT2E mice that constitutively express human NF-L (hNF-L) with a glutamic acid to lysine mutation at position 397 (hNF-LE397K). This new line of mice developed signs consistent with CMT2E patients. Disease signs were first observed at 4 months in hNF-LE397K mice, and consisted of aberrant hind limb posture, digit deformities, reduced voluntary locomotor activity, reduced motor nerve conduction velocities (MNCVs) and muscle atrophy. Reduced voluntary locomotor activity and muscle pathology occurred without significant denervation, and hNF-LE397K mice showed relatively mild signs of nerve pathology. Nerve pathology in hNF-LE397K mice was characterized by ectopic accumulations of phosphorylated NFs in motor neuron cell bodies as early as 1 month. Moreover, NF organization was altered in motor and sensory roots, with small motor axons being most affected. Peak axonal diameter was reduced for small motor axons prior to and after the onset of overt phenotypes, whereas large motor axons were affected only after onset, which correlated with reduced MNCVs. Additionally, there was a small reduction in the number of sensory axons in symptomatic hNF-LE397K mice. hNF-LE397K mice are a novel line of CMT2E mice that recapitulate many of the overt phenotypes observed in CMT2E patients and hNF-LP22S mice. The cellular pathology observed in hNF-LE397K mice differed from that recently reported in hNF-LP22S mice, suggesting that overt CMT2E phenotypes may arise through different cellular mechanisms.
The Evolving Impact of the Invisible Web: Exploring Economic and Political Ramifications

The Invisible Web—defined as Web information that cannot be found by using general-purpose search engines—has been studied primarily as an access issue. In this article, the authors consider, for the first time, the economic and political implications of the Invisible Web. The article is divided into two parts; the first looks at the “open” Web, accessible through URLs, while the second delves into the Dark Web, hidden behind veils of anonymity. The two main questions asked are: How is the Invisible Web shaped by economic and political factors and how, in turn, does the Invisible Web shape those circumstances? With the answers to these questions, the authors hope to bring more awareness of the Invisible Web to the information literacy classroom.
Race-Conscious Assignment Policies in Primary Education: Does the Framework of Grutter vs. Bollinger Apply to Parents Involved in Community Schools vs. Seattle School District, No. 1?

In 2003, the Supreme Court held in Grutter v. Bollinger that institutions of higher education could use race-conscious affirmative action admissions policies to gain viewpoint diversity. The Supreme Court has not, however, spoken on whether race-conscious policies are permissible in primary education school-assignment programs. That is the precise issue that the Supreme Court must decide this term in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District, No. 1. This note first articulates the Supreme Court's decision in Grutter v. Bollinger. Next, the note outlines the details of the Seattle case. Finally, the note applies the strict scrutiny framework outlined in Grutter to the Seattle case, and asks whether this application is prudent as a matter of law (i.e., constitutional) and policy. This note also deals with whether the Grutter rationale should apply to K-12 education generally. Ultimately, this note concludes that the Grutter rationale does not apply either to the Seattle case or K-12 primary education school-assignment plans generally.
The fibroblast growth factor family

Hepatocytes rarely divide in normal adult liver. However, liver regeneration is induced immediately after a large loss of liver parenchyma due to damage such as partial hepatectomy or chemical treatment. In the process, most of the hepatocytes as well as non-parenchymal liver cells divide, accompanied by alterations in patterns of gene expression. Cultured hepatocytes, isolated from liver by collagenase perfusion, undergo DNA synthesis and proliferate after addition of growth factors. This suggests that growth factors, particularly those within the local liver environment, may be activated and drive the regeneration process. Unlike circulating hormones and most other growth factor/cytokine families, expression and activity of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family is confined to the local tissue environment, and one or more members of the family and their receptors are ubiquitously present in tissues. Liver is no exception and the family has been implicated in the compensatory response of liver as well as liver development. Since FGF-1 was first found to be a mitogen for cultured hepatocytes, it has become clear that the FGF family is extremely diverse with respect to the molecular characteristics of both ligands and receptors, and multifunctional with respect to its biological effects which include growth, morphogenesis, inhibition of growth and differentiation. Moreover, the glycosaminoglycan moiety of endogenous heparan sulfate proteoglycans is intimately associated with the activity and assembly of the active FGF receptor. The FGF ligands include nine members that share homologies in amino acid sequence, structure and affinity for heparan sulfates. There are four distinct genes that code for FGF receptors, which are in the tyrosine kinase class. However, the bulk of the complexity of the receptor family arises by alternative splicing. In this chapter, we review the complexity of the FGF family in general and its role in liver in particular. For earlier general reviews on the FGF family, see Burgess and Maciag (1989), Klagsbrun (1989), Basilico and Moscatelli (1992), Jaye, Schlessinger and Dionne (1992) and Johnson and Williams (1993).
A Confirmation of Electrogenicity of Frog Gastric Mucosa by Using Methoxyflurane

ConclusionMethoxyflurane, like dinitrophenol, acts only on the H+ secretory mechanism in Cl--free solutions. This anesthetic also reveals the linear relationship between the PD and H+ rate and permits estimates of the parameters of the H+ secretory mechanism in Cl--free solutions.
PHYSIOLOGIC DYNAMIC RIGHT VENTRICULAR OUTFLOW TRACT OBSTRUCTION DURING EXERCISE: CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR EXERCISE ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY TO IDENTIFY ABNORMAL PULMONARY VASCULAR RESPONSE

Echocardiography is often used to estimate pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) at rest and with exercise; it is well known that such estimates must account for fixed right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction. Dynamic RVOT obstruction during exercise could create a similar issue and thereby
Pediatric Chest Tubes And Pigtails: An Evidence-Based Approach To The Management Of Pleural Space Diseases

Pediatric thoracostomy procedures are used in the emergency department to treat diseases of the pleural space. As children have unique thoracic anatomy and physiology, they may present with management challenges that the emergency clinician must consider. This issue reviews the use of chest tubes and pigtail catheters in pediatric patients, techniques and indications for placement, and possible complications. Diagnostic and treatment options for diseases of the pleural space, such as spontaneous pneumothorax, traumatic injury, and parapneumonic effusions/empyema, are examined. Additionally, this issue discusses the use of imaging modalities to aid in the diagnosis of pleural space diseases and the emerging practice of ambulatory management in certain cases.
Studies of chloramphenicol and tetracycline influx in the rat trachea.

A tracheal tissue perfusion system capable of determining net fluxes of drugs into the lumen of the airways in vitro and in vivo was used to study the characteristics of chloramphenicol and tetracycline influx in the rat trachea. For both antibiotics, the rate of net influx did not vary with the rate of tracheal perfusion at flow rates between 0.7 and 4.2 microliter/min. At 37 degrees C when the concentration of the antibiotic in the bath surrounding the trachea was increased, the net influx of the antibiotic into the tracheal lumen initially increased linearly. The rate of increase was 1.15 ng/min.trachea per microgram/ml for chloramphenicol at chloramphenicol concentrations in the bath between 12 and 108 microgram/ml and 0.61 ng/min.trachea per microgram/ml for tetracycline at bath concentrations between 4 and 24 microgram/ml. At chloramphenicol concentrations in the bath between 108 and 168 microgram/ml and at bath tetracycline concentrations between 24 and 96 microgram/ml, a maximum rate of influx was observed. At 6 degrees C, net influx for both antibiotics was less than the influx observed at 37 degrees C. Net influx again increased with increasing antibiotic concentrations in the bath but at a slower rate (0.29 ng/min.trachea per microgram/ml for chloramphenicol and 0.25 ng/min.trachea per microgram/ml for tetracycline). At 24 degrees C, net influx and the increase in influx with increasing bath concentrations were intermediate between the influx and the rate of increase in influx observed for chloramphenicol at 37 and 6 degrees C (0.5 ng/min.trachea per microgram/ml). There was no difference in net influx between the in vitro and in vivo experiments for either chloramphenicol or tetracycline at comparable bath or plasma concentrations. This study demonstrates that antibiotic transport in the airways can be studied in vitro using this perfusion system. Tetracycline and chloramphenicol influx demonstrate concentration and temperature dependence and saturability in the rat trachea.
Integrative analysis with ChIP-seq advances the limits of transcript quantification from RNA-seq

RNA-seq is currently the technology of choice for global measurement of transcript abundances in cells. Despite its successes, isoform-level quantification remains difficult because short RNA-seq reads are often compatible with multiple alternatively spliced isoforms. Existing methods rely heavily on uniquely mapping reads, which are not available for numerous isoforms that lack regions of unique sequence. To improve quantification accuracy in such difficult cases, we developed a novel computational method, prior-enhanced RSEM (pRSEM), which uses a complementary data type in addition to RNA-seq data. We found that ChIP-seq data of RNA polymerase II and histone modifications were particularly informative in this approach. In qRT-PCR validations, pRSEM was shown to be superior than competing methods in estimating relative isoform abundances within or across conditions. Data-driven simulations suggested that pRSEM has a greatly decreased false-positive rate at the expense of a small increase in false-negative rate. In aggregate, our study demonstrates that pRSEM transforms existing capacity to precisely estimate transcript abundances, especially at the isoform level.
Characterization of Viral Populations by Using Circular Sequencing

With the enormous sizes viral populations reach, many variants are at too low a frequency to be detected by conventional next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods. Circular sequencing (CirSeq) is a method by which the error rate of next-generation sequencing is decreased so that even low-frequency viral variants can be accurately detected. The ability to visualize almost the entire genetic makeup of a viral swarm has implications for epidemiology, viral evolution, and vaccine design. Here we discuss experimental planning, analysis, and recent insights using CirSeq.
CCNE1 amplification and centrosome number abnormality in serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma: further evidence supporting its role as a precursor of ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma

Aberration in chromosomal structure characterizes almost all cancers and has profound biological significance in tumor development. It can be facilitated by various mechanisms including overexpression of cyclin E1 and centrosome amplification. As ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma has pronounced chromosomal instability, in this study we sought to determine whether increased copy number of CCNE1 which encodes cyclin E1 and centrosome amplification (>2 copies) occurs in its putative precursor, serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma. We found CCNE1 copy number gain/amplification in 8 (22%) of 37 serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas and 12 (28%) of 43 high-grade serous carcinomas. There was a correlation in CCNE1 copy number between serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma and high-grade serous carcinoma in the same patients (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the percentage of CCNE1 gain/amplification between serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma and high-grade serous carcinoma (P=0.61). Centrosome amplification was recorded in only 5 (14%) of 37 serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas, and in 10 (40%) of 25 high-grade serous carcinomas. The percentage of cells with centrosome amplification was higher in high-grade serous carcinoma than in serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (P<0.001). Induced expression of cyclin E1 increased the percentage of fallopian tube epithelial cells showing centrosome amplification. Our findings suggest that gain/amplification of CCNE1 copy number occurs early in tumor progression and precedes centrosome amplification. The more prevalent centrosome amplification in high-grade serous carcinoma than in serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma supports the view that serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma precedes the development of many high-grade serous carcinomas.