cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic Treatment of Slipping Rib Syndrome in Pediatric Patients.

Background: Slipping rib syndrome (SRS) is an often unrecognized cause of lower chest and upper abdominal pain in children and adolescents. Surgical resection of the cartilaginous portions of the slipping rib often provides permanent pain relief, with the standard surgical approach being an open resection. A minimally invasive approach has not been reported previously; we report a novel laparoscopic technique for the treatment of SRS with satisfactory results. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of all consecutive pediatric patients who underwent laparoscopic cartilage resection during the year 2019 and open cartilage resection during the year 2018 was included. Following data were recorded: age of patients, length of symptoms, length of procedure, length of cartilage resection, length of stay, resolution of pain, cosmetic acceptability, and postoperative complications. Results: Four patients underwent laparoscopic slipping rib resection without complication during the year 2019. The mean age of symptom onset was 15 (range 14-16) years old, mean length of symptoms was 1.4 (0.5-2.0) years, and mean age at operation was 16.5 (16-18) years old. The average length of the procedure was 72.8 (55-102) minutes, and mean length of cartilage removed was 2.3 (1.9-3.0) cm. Three patients underwent standard open operation during the year 2018. All patients reported complete resolution of their chronic pain at their 6-month follow-up visit. Conclusions: Laparoscopic technique can be used to treat SRS. All patients reported high satisfaction from resolution of chronic pain and the cosmetic appearance of their surgical scars.
The Pathogenesis and Management of Acne-Induced Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation

Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory disease. Among patients with darker skin phototypes (Fitzpatrick III–VI), the inflammatory processes of acne stimulate excess melanogenesis and abnormal melanin deposition, leading to pigmentary sequelae known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and post-inflammatory erythema in all skin tones, although post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is more common in darker skin and post-inflammatory erythema in lighter skin. These pigmentary alterations can be long lasting and are often more distressing to patients than the active acne lesions. This article discusses what is known about acne-related pigmentation, much of which is extrapolated from general study of nonspecific pigment deposition. Because dyspigmentation poses both a significant clinical concern to patients and a therapeutic challenge to clinicians, we formed a working group consisting of pigmentary experts with the aim of increasing awareness and education of acne-related pigmentary sequelae.
Mapping multivocality: how critics communicate complex meanings through metaphor

In cultural fields, where audiences view meaning as indeterminant, how do experts communicate their interpretations of multivocal artworks? Drawing on an archival dataset of contemporary art reviews, I examine how critics discuss ambiguous and complex meanings. Critics do not convey multiple, discrete meanings but instead focus on the relationships among multiple meanings. In particular, they use spatial metaphors to map these relationships. They describe the imagined physical features of spatial metaphors, such as shape, density, and movement, to portray concepts as discrete or intermingling, synchronously or asynchronously activated, having equal or unequal importance, or having a fixed or fluid relationship to one another. Critics’ portrayals of these different infrastructures through which meanings are linked shape their overarching interpretations of works. By articulating different kinds of multivocality via spatial metaphors, critics guide audiences to attend to certain meanings and their relationships, without foreclosing multivocality and ambiguity in meaning.
Strategies for Health Education

Modern health promotion practice emerged from models and theories such as the Health Belief model (Becker, 1974; Janz & Becker, 1984), the PRECEDE model (Green, 1984; Green & Kreuter, 1991), social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986, 1989, 1991), the theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975), and behavior analysis (Elder, Geller, Hovell, & Mayer, 1994; Skinner, 1953). These theories are deemed relevant to immigrant health due more to their popularity among health psychologists and public health educators in the United States and industrialized countries than to their necessary relevance to immigrant populations and their cultures.
Achieving coordination tasks in finite time via nonsmooth gradient flows

This paper introduces the normalized and signed gradient dynamical systems associated with a differentiable function. Extending recent results on nonsmooth stability analysis, we characterize their asymptotic convergence properties and identify conditions that guarantee finite-time convergence. We discuss the application of the results to the design of multiagent coordination algorithms, paying special attention to their scalability properties. Finally, we consider network consensus problems and show how the proposed nonsmooth gradient flows achieve the desired coordination task in finite time.
Modifications to rat lens major intrinsic protein in selenite-induced cataract.

PURPOSE. To identify modifications to rat lens major intrinsic protein (MIP) isolated from selenite-induced cataract and to determine whether m-calpain (EC 3.4.22.17) is responsible for cleavage of MIP during cataractogenesis. METHODS. Cataracts were induced in rats by a single injection of sodium selenite. Control and cataract lenses were harvested on day 16 and dissected into cortical and nuclear regions. Membranes were washed with urea buffer followed by NaOH. The protein was reduced/alkylated, delipidated, and cleaved with cyanogen bromide (CNBr). Cleavage products were fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and peptides were characterized by mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry. MIP cleavage by m-calpain was carried out by incubation with purified enzyme, and peptides released from the membrane were analyzed by Edman sequencing. RESULTS. The intact C terminus, observed in the control nuclear and cataractous cortical membranes, was not observed in the cataractous nuclear membranes. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed heterogeneous cleavage of the C terminus of MIP in control and cataract nuclear regions. The major site of cleavage was between residues 238 and 239, corresponding to the major site of in vitro cleavage by m-calpain. However, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamid gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometric analysis indicated that in vivo proteolysis during cataract formation also included sites closer to the C terminus not produced by m-calpain in vitro. Evidence for heterogeneous N-terminal cleavage was also observed at low levels with no differences between control and cataractous lenses. The major site of phosphorylation was determined to be at serine 235. CONCLUSIONS. Specific sites of MIP N- and C-terminal cleavage in selenite-induced cataractous lenses were identified. The heterogeneous cleavage pattern observed suggests that m-calpain is not the sole enzyme involved in MIP C-terminal processing in rat lens nuclei.
Bounds on the willingness to pay for non-traded goods: A possibility theorem

Abstract This note contains a proof of the following theorem. If an agent's preferences for traded goods are known, and if the quantity of a non-traded good provided him alters his demand for traded goods, then it is possible to place bounds on his willingness to pay for increments in this quantity.
The Evolution of Homo Erectus : Homo erectus in the Far East

Much information about the evolution of earlier humans has come to light in Asia. A number of important Pleistocene sites are located in China and in Indonesia, and it was of course in Java that the first fossils of Homo erectus were discovered by Eugene Dubois late in the last century. Dubois, a young Dutch physician, went to Indonesia to find the missing link, and he was tremendously lucky. His first specimen, a mandibular fragment, turned up at Kedung Brubus in 1890, and the famous Trinil skullcap was excavated from the banks of the Solo River in central Java in 1891. Dubois' assistants continued to dig at Trinil for another decade, and large quantities of mammal bones were shipped back to Holland. Only a few more hominids were found, and some of the postcranial remains that did appear managed to escape notice for more than 30 years after they were returned to the museum in Leiden. Later, in the 1920s, more fossils were recovered far to the north, from limestone cave deposits near Beijing in China. This site at Zhoukoudian proved to be immensely rich, and quite a number of well preserved skulls and other bones were eventually excavated from different levels in the cave. Although nearly all of this Chinese Homo erectus material was lost during World War II, descriptions of the crania, jaws, teeth and limb bones are on record (Weidenreich, 1936, 1937, 1941, 1943).
Porous Materials with a Difference

Microporous materials are widely used in catalysis, separations, and sensor applications. The introduction of compounds with specific magnetic, optical, or electrical properties should greatly expand the range of applications for these materials. In their Perspective, Turnbull and Landee highlight an unusual porous material reported by Halder et al ., which illustrates the versatility of porous molecular solids. The "host-guest" material shows a striking change in its magnetic and optical properties when guest molecules are gained or lost from its pores. The material retains its crystallinity upon loss of the guest molecules and even upon their reabsorption.
Fertility sparing options for breast cancer patients

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy to affect women of reproductive age. As more women are delaying fertility into the 4th and 5th decade of life, more women face the possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis prior to accomplishing their reproductive goals. Methods: Literature review PubMed, EMBASE. Conclusions: From expectant management, hormonal suppression, in vitro fertilization with embryo freezing, to egg and ovarian tissue cryopreservation, numerous fertility sparing options are available to women with breast cancer. Therapy will be individualized based on a patient's age, financial resources, availability of services, cancer prognosis, ER/PR receptor, HER2 and BRCA status.
Artistic Expression, Aesthetic Value and the Law

The aim of my dissertation is to develop a legally relevant theory of artistic value, based on which a judge can reliably determine whether a work has sufficient such value to be granted constitutional protection, even though it would otherwise count as obscene. Within this framework I argue that a moral flaw can count as an aesthetic virtue in a narrative work, at least when the audience learns something from the immoral imaginings that the work prescribes. Since expert testimony is sometimes required in legal cases about artistic value, I also develop a legally applicable theory of aesthetic testimony, such that expert testimony can be used to determine the valence of aesthetic properties, which is essential in determining a work’s overall artistic value. My theory of which properties of works are relevant to their aesthetic evaluation depends both on which categories the work is appreciated in, and on the conventions of those categories. I address these issues within Canadian and American legal contexts.
Association between telomere length and chromosome 21 nondisjunction in the oocyte

Chromosome 21 nondisjunction in oocytes is the most common cause of trisomy 21, the primary chromosomal abnormality responsible for Down syndrome (DS). This specific type of error is estimated to account for over 90 % of live births with DS, with maternal age being the best known risk factor for chromosome 21 nondisjunction. The loss of telomere length and the concomitant shortening of chromosomes are considered a biological marker for aging. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that mothers who had a maternal nondisjunction error leading to a live birth with DS (n = 404) have shorter telomeres than mothers with live births without DS (n = 42). In effect, our hypothesis suggests that mothers of children with DS will appear "biologically older" as compared to the mothers of euploid children. We applied a quantitative PCR assay to measure the genome-wide relative telomere length to test this hypothesis. The results of our study support the hypothesis that young mothers of DS babies are "biologically older" than mothers of euploid babies in the same age group and supports telomere length as a biomarker of age and hence risk for chromosome nondisjunction.
Absorption of Calcium Oxalate Does Not Require Dissociation in Rats

Calcium absorption is thought to occur only if calcium is in a soluble or dissociated form, although experimental evidence is lacking. The intestinal absorption of calcium oxalate, a small, neutral and virtually insoluble calcium salt, was elucidated in the whole body of awake rats. Suspensions of 45Ca ascorbate, 14C-oxalic acid and doubly labeled 45Ca-[14C]-oxalate were given by gavage to separate groups of rats. Following dosing, blood samples were drawn for up to 240 min through a previously inserted intravenous catheter. Serum was assayed for radioactive tracers, and data were then plotted as fraction of dose over time. Calcium absorption was 15% [with a loading of 0.3 mmol (15 mg) calcium], oxalic acid absorption was 22% and Ca-oxalate absorption was <2%. Appearance of 45Ca from calcium ascorbate and 14C from oxalic acid differed, whereas 45Ca and 14C from doubly labeled Ca-oxalate had identical serum appearance profiles. Therefore, we conclude that calcium oxalate was absorbed intact. Addition of excess, unlabeled calcium to the doubly-labeled calcium oxalate did not alter the relationship of the serum level of the two tracers, confirming absorption of calcium oxalate as the intact salt. Thus, calcium bound as a small, neutral, calcium salt such as calcium oxalate does not have to be dissociated prior to absorption. Possibly other small compounds would be similarly absorbed. These results alter our current understanding of calcium bioavailability from foods and therapeutic agents.
Inotropic, chronotropic and coronary vasodilator potency of forskolin

The cardiodynamic profile of forskolin, a direct activator of adenylate cyclase, was examined in an isovolumic left ventricular (LV) preparation of coronary-perfused guinea-pig hearts. Forskolin consistently induced concentration-dependent increases in LV systolic pressure development, increases in spontaneous beating frequency and decreases in coronary vascular resistance. However, the forskolin concentration required for one-half of the maximal effect (EC50) for coronary vasodilation (3.8 ± 0.6 × 10−8 M, n = 6) was 7- to 10-fold less than the EC50 for positive chronotropy (29.3 ± 4.6 × 10−8 M, P < 0.01) and 17- to 20-fold less than the EC50 for positive inotropy (66.3 ± 7.4 × 10 −8 M, P < 0.001). The inotropic response to forskolin was not secondary to the concomitant increase in beating frequency. Also, the coronary vasodilator response persisted in K+-depolarized non-beating hearts, and therefore did not depend on endogeneous coronary vascular autoregulation secondary to increased myocardial oxygen demand. We conclude that forskolin induces direct pharmacologic effects in ventricular muscle, pacemaker cells and the coronary vasculature, but add that the coronary vasculature is over one order of magnitude more sensitive to forskolin than is ventricular muscle. Perhaps adenylate cyclase systems in the heart exist as different subtypes with different affinity characteristics for forskolin-like drugs.
Hamiltonian cycles in Dirac graphs

We prove that for any n-vertex Dirac graph (graph with minimum degree at least n/2) G=(V,E), the number, Ψ(G), of Hamiltonian cycles in G is at least $$exp_2 [2h(G) - n\log e - o(n)]$$, where h(G)=maxΣe x e log(1/x e ), the maximum over x: E → ℜ+ satisfying Σe∋υ x e = 1 for each υ ∈ V, and log =log2. (A second paper will show that this bound is tight up to the o(n).) We also show that for any (Dirac) G of minimum degree at least d, h(G) ≥ (n/2) logd, so that Ψ(G) > (d/(e + o(1)))n . In particular, this says that for any Dirac G we have Ψ(G) > n!/(2 + o(1))n , confirming a conjecture of G. Sarkozy, Selkow, and Szemeredi which was the original motivation for this work.
Damping of a Torsionally Oscillating Cylinder in Liquid Helium at Various Temperatures and Densities

A method is described for measuring the product of the viscosity and the density of liquid helium by determining the energy dissipation of a piezoelectric cylinder of quartz oscillating in a torsional mode. Data are reported for liquid helium under its own vapor pressure as well as at higher densities. (auth)
Sendai virus-induced cell sorting leading to apparent preferential fusion of like cells.

Abstract Three sets of experiments were performed involving human X A9, human X RAG and chick X RAG combinations. Fusion between two diploid cell strains (human fibroblasts and chick embryo fibroblasts) and two heteroploid mouse lines (A9 and RAG) was induced by inactivated Sendai virus. Two virus dose levels were used in each experiment. The highest degree of fusion was found with chick fibroblasts, followed by human fibroblasts, A9 and finally RAG cells at comparable virus dose levels. In each combination of virus-treated cell mixtures, but not in the control, like cells tended to cluster together. This led to a deficiency of heterokaryons over homokaryons which was more marked at the higher dose of virus in all three experiments. That like cells appeared to fuse more readily than unlike cells is probably due to the virus-induced sorting out of like cells, which are, therefore, more likely to fuse with each other than with unlike cells.
Dimensional preference changes as a function of overtraining

Preschool children were tested for their dimensional preferences prior to and following discrimination training. Children were administered either criterion level training or overtraining with their nondominant dimension relevant. The results showed: (1) Criterion level training failed to modify initial preferences when the dominant dimension was assessed to be “strong” or “weak” (2) overtraining failed to modify initial preferences when the dominant dimension was assessed to be “strong” (3) following overtraining with a “weak” dominant dimension, irrelevant initial preferences were modified in the direction of the initially nonpreferred dimension.
Application of Fractional Derivatives in Thermal Analysis of Disk Brakes

This paper presents a Fractional Derivative Approach for thermal analysis of disk brakes. In this research, the problem is idealized as one-dimensional. The formulation developed contains fractional semi integral and derivative expressions, which provide an easy approach to compute friction surface temperature and heat flux as functions of time. Given the heat flux, the formulation provides a means to compute the surface temperature, and given the surface temperature, it provides a means to compute surface heat flux. A least square method is presented to smooth out the temperature curve and eliminate/reduce the effect of statistical variations in temperature due to measurement errors. It is shown that the integer power series approach to consider simple polynomials for least square purposes can lead to significant error. In contrast, the polynomials considered here contain fractional power terms. The formulation is extended to account for convective heat loss from the side surfaces. Using a simulated experiment, it is also shown that the present formulation predicts accurate values for the surface heat flux. Results of this study compare well with analytical and experimental results.
Hydrogen production through the water-gas shift reaction: thermodynamic equilibrium versus experimental results over supported Ni catalysts

This paper discusses the experimental results of the water−gas shift reaction over supported nickel catalysts in comparison to thermodynamic equilibrium composition at the same reaction conditions. The effects of different supports on the performance of H2 production over nickel-supported catalysts are also evaluated at both low and high temperatures. Ceria-promoted nickel catalyst supported on powder alumina (Ni/CeO2−Al2O3) demonstrated excellent performance. The catalyst was not stable at low temperature (250 °C) but showed good stability at high temperature (450 °C). At 450 °C, with a catalyst loading of 0.05 g, CO/S (S = steam) ratio of 1:3, and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) ≈ 200 L h−1 gcat−1, the activity of Ni/CeO2−Al2O3 was 95% with a H2 yield of 52% and a H2 selectivity of 73%.
Strong L = 0 ( t , p ) Transitions in the Even Isotopes of Ti, Cr, and Fe

Absolute differential cross sections for strong $L=0 (t,p)$ transitions on targets of $^{46,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}48,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}50}\mathrm{Ti}$, $^{50,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}52,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}54}\mathrm{Cr}$, and $^{54,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}56,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}58}\mathrm{Fe}$ have been measured. The bombarding energy was 13 MeV and reaction angles of 12.5 and 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} were used. The data are compared with model predictions, with special emphasis on the pairing-vibrational model with isospin. The latter model correctly predicts the dependence on neutron number of the ($t,p$) cross sections but fails, as do all other models, to predict the steady cross-section decrease with increasing $Z$. It is suggested that the latter effect is caused by a slow change in the ground-state correlations.
Ovarian cancer in younger vs older women: a population-based analysis

To compare the clinico-pathologic prognostic factors and survival of younger vs older women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer. Demographic, clinico-pathologic, treatment, and surgery information were obtained from patients with ovarian cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program from 1988 to 2001 and analysed using Kaplan–Meier estimates. Of 28 165 patients, 400 were 60 (older) years of age. Of the very young, young, and older patients, 261 (65.3%), 4664 (40.2%), and 3643 (22.5%) had stage I–II disease, respectively (P<0.001). Across all stages, very young women had a significant survival advantage over the young and older groups with 5-year disease-specific survival estimates at 78.8% vs 58.8 and 35.3%, respectively (P<0.001). This survival difference between the age groups persists even after adjusting for race, stage, grade, and surgical treatment. Reproductive age (16–40 years) women with stage I–II epithelial ovarian cancer who received uterine-sparing procedures had similar survivals compared to those who underwent standard surgery (93.3% vs 91.5%, P=0.26). Younger women with epithelial ovarian cancer have a survival advantage compared to older patients.
Measurement of triboelectric position

A convenient technique is presented for determination of triboelectric characteristics of a film sample relative to a group of reference surfaces and to other film samples, with the use of inexpensive, easily assembled equipment. It consists of pressing a number of reference surfaces into contact with a test film, determination of the sign and intensities of the charges generated, by spraying with an indicating powder, and estimation of tribo-electric position of the test sample by the distribution of positive and negative charges generated. With this technique, relative triboelectric characteristics were determined for films of various polymers. The measurements give some insight into the relation between polymer structure and triboelectric characteristics.
Nonlinear dispersion of avalanche upconversion.

Two-beam coupling measurements of an avalanche upconversion transition in concentrated Tm:LiYF4 confirm that, despite the resonant nature of the excited-state optical interaction, the induced response is strongly dispersive. This surprising characteristic is shown to be a general feature of avalanche polarization, with an off-resonant process dominating the resonant response.
Design and characterization of the next generation nanowire amplifiers

Vertical nanowire surrounding gate field effect transistors (SGFETs) provide full gate control over the channel to eliminate short-channel effects. This paper presents design and characterization of a differential pair amplifier using NMOS and PMOS SGFETs with a 10 nm channel length and a 2nm channel radius. The amplifier dissipates 5 µW power and provides 5THz bandwidth with a voltage gain of 16, a linear output voltage swing of 0.5 V, and a distortion better than 3% from a 1.8V power supply and a 20 aF capacitive load. The 2nd-and 3rd-order harmonic distortions of the amplifier are -40 dBm and -52 dBm, respectively, and the 3rd-order intermodulation is -24 dBm for a two-tone input signal with 10mV amplitude and 10GHz frequency spacing. All these parameters indicate that vertical nanowire surrounding gate transistors are promising candidates for the next generation high-speed analog and VLSI technologies.
Alexa and Oregon Green dyes as fluorescence anisotropy probes for measuring protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions

The fluorescence properties of Alexa 488, Oregon Green 488, and Oregon Green 514 (Molecular Probes (Eugene, OR)) are compared when conjugated to biomolecules and as model compounds free in solution. We show that these relatively new, green fluorescence probes are excellent probes for investigation of the thermodynamics of protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions by fluorescence anisotropy. Unlike fluorescein, the emission of these dyes has minimal pH dependence near neutrality and is significantly less susceptible to photobleaching. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy data are compared for two interacting proteins of different size and for the association of a transcription factor with a DNA oligonucleotide containing a specific binding site. The temperature dependence of the fluorescence lifetimes of the probes is reported, and the effects of molecular size and probe motion on steady-state anisotropy data are discussed. The critical interplay among correlation time, fluorescence lifetime, and the observed steady-state anisotropy is evaluated.
LIBERTY, THE HIGHER PLEASURES, AND MILL'S MISSING SCIENCE OF ETHNIC JOKES

Aggregation-friendly moral theories such as classical utilitarianism are forced to invest a great deal of ingenuity in damping out and modulating the effects of welfare aggregation. In Mill's treatment, the problem famously appears as the puzzle of how the Principle of Liberty is meant to be compatible with the Principle of Utility, and there have been a great many attempted interpretations of his solution, all, in my view, unsatisfactory. I will first reconstruct Mill's generally unnoticed account of the psychological implementation of higher pleasures; this will allow me to explain what the distinction between higher and lower pleasures was, and how Mill was introduced lexical preference orderings into his theory. Then I will show how the underlying psychological theory permits Mill to argue for the lexical priority of liberty over the goods which liberty allows us to obtain. Finally, I will turn to the Millian considerations omitted from the argument I will have reconstructed. By way of explaining why they are so difficult to accommodate, I will consider why Mill might have abandoned his projected sciences of character. I will take my leave by asking what Mill's failure to turn his implementation analysis of the higher pleasures into an argument expressing the importance of individuality and originality means for us.
EU Integration & Emigration Consequences: The Case of Lithuania

This paper analyses the causes, consequences, and policy implications of Lithuanian emigration following the country’s European Union (EU) accession in May 2004. After placing Lithuanian emigration in its historical context, the study assesses the recent dynamics, including the driving forces and characteristics of Lithuanian emigration at both the international and domestic level. The study finds that the primary determinants of this movement are both demand- and supply-side factors. On the demand side, the labour shortages, decline in the working age population, and desire for cheaper labour in Western European countries function to attract Lithuanian labour. Concurrently, lower wages, higher unemployment, and the generally less developed economic conditions in Lithuania are encouraging Lithuanians to take advantage of the greater mobility that came with EU accession. The expanding networks linking migrants and potential migrants are facilitating this out-migration, as well as the social mind-set by which emigration is a perceived solution to socio-economic difficulties. This study concludes that the consequences of this new emigration reality are mixed. The free movement of workers has helped to relieve pressure on the domestic labour market, drive down unemployment, place upward pressure on wages, and increase the remittances rate to Lithuania. However, concern is not ill-founded; recent emigration has introduced labour market shortages, placed greater demographic pressure on the country, and increased the likelihood of brain drain. This study argues, therefore, that while Lithuanian emigration cannot and should not be stopped, Lithuania does have policy alternatives as a sending-country that will help to mitigate the costs of emigration and maximize the benefits for the country’s long-term development.
Function of Estrogen Receptor Tyrosine 537 in Hormone Binding, DNA Binding, and Transactivation†

The human estrogen receptor (hER) is a ligand-activated transcription factor which, like many other members of the nuclear receptor protein family, exhibits a dimerization-dependent transcriptional activation. Several previous reports have provided evidence of the phosphorylation of the hER at tyrosine 537 (Y537). However, the exact function of a putative phosphorylation at this site remains controversial. Using a yeast transactivation assay, and in vitro biochemical approaches, we show that phosphorylation of tyrosine 537 is not required for the hER to bind hormone, or to activate transcription. An hER tyrosine 537 to phenylalanine (Y537F) mutant retains 70-75% of the transactivation potential of wild type hER in a yeast reporter system. Furthermore, the mutated receptor exhibits wild type hormone and DNA binding affinities. However, this mutation results in a decrease in receptor stability as measured by a decrease in the extent of hormone binding over time. The most striking difference between the wild type and Y537F hER is in the estradiol binding kinetics. Whereas the off-rate for estradiol exhibits a two-state binding mechanism, the Y537F mutant hER exhibits a monophasic estradiol off-rate. On the basis of these data and other reports describing the structure and activity of Y537 mutations, as well as knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of the hER ligand binding domain, we propose an alternate model wherein Y537F mutation favors an "open" pocket conformation, affecting the estrogen binding kinetics and stability of the hormone-bound, transcriptionally active "closed" pocket conformation. Although its phosphorylation is not essential for function of the hER, Y537 is nevertheless a critical residue intricately involved with the conformational changes of the hER and its ability to activate transcription.
Influence of weather and technology on corn and soybean yield trends — Reply

Abstract Corn and soybean yields on Allerton Trust Farms, Piatt County, Illinois for the period 1950–1976 are studied. Statistical analyses indicate that the description of yield increases by linear trend equations could not be significantly improved by use of various non-linear trend formulations. The adequacy of the linear trend description also applied when the effects of weather were taken into account. Thus, on these well-managed farms, the yield patterns do not suggest that a plateau is being reached. Adjusting for weather effect significantly increased the average yield increases, from 0.182 metric tons per hectare per year to 0.207 metric tons per hectare per year for corn and from 0.028 metric tons per hectare per year to 0.034 metric tons per hectare per year for soybeans. Thus, weather factors have depressed yield increases during this period. Assuming that the yield trends represent the effects of technology, a linear trend indicates that the supply of economical technology has become available at a constant (absolute) rate over this period. A comparison of Allerton Trust Farm yields with Piatt County yields shows that Allerton corn yields are 13% higher than Piatt County yields and that soybean yields are 9% higher. Because this ratio has not changed over the period there apparently has been a rather constant stock of economical, but unused, yield-increasing technology.
Insertion metathesis depolymerization

We have successfully depolymerized polybutadiene via an insertion metathesis mechanism. This new concept involves the irreversible depolymerization of unsaturated polymers with electron deficient olefins. The product of the degradation was characterized by NMR and GC-MS. We also explored the use of copper iodide as an additive. We observed significant reduction of molecular weight under a variety of conditions with the most extensive depolymerization occurring with the use of Grubbs 2nd generation catalyst with CuI. Finally, polybutadiene was converted to a polyamide by performing insertion metathesis depolymerization with acryloyl chloride and subsequently reacting with 1,6-diaminohexane, demonstrating the potential of polymer-to-polymer conversions with this chemistry.
Generalized support points of the set of univalent functions

The solutions to linear extremal problems, or the support points of the classS, have been extensively studied. Every support point is known to be a monotone slit mapping whose omitted arc is analytic. Our purpose here is to consider a more general class of continuous linear functionals onS and to investigate the geometric properties of their associated extremal functions. Under appropriate hypotheses we show that the generalized support points so produced are monotone slit mappings. We then give an example where the omitted set is not an analytic arc, thus proving the existence of an extreme point which is not a support point in the usual sense. Here we follow an idea of Hamilton [4], which he used for the same purpose, but our construction is simpler.
CONTAINMENT STRATEGIES FOR MARINE OIL SPILLS IN NEARSHORE WATERS

ABSTRACT The movement of oil on the water surface is a result of meteorologic and oceanographic processes. Attempts to contain or divert surface oil using booms should factor these processes into the development of deployment tactics. Attempts to deploy booms, disregarding physical and environmental conditions often have met with failure. Differing physical parameters affect water circulation and the movement of oil in the nearshore environments of reef/lagoon and barrier inlet systems; generalized models identify the primary features of each of these two systems for selection of appropriate methods of boom deployment. Circulation patterns across reefs are dominated by wave-driven and tidal-driven forces that carry water across the reef crest into the low energy lagoonal environment. Within the lagoon, tidal and wind stress forces become important factors that drive the circulation systems. Barrier island inlets that form in meso-tidal environments have circulation patterns that are dominated by cyclical ...
Stress distributions and energetics in the laterally ordered systems of buried pyramidal Ge/Si(001) islands: An atomistic simulation study

Stress distributions in laterally ordered arrays of coherent Ge islands of shallow pyramidal shape buried in a Si(001) matrix are studied via large-scale atomistic simulations, using Stillinger-Weber Ge/Si systems as a vehicle. The existence of tensile hydrostatic stress regions is observed on the spacer surface, above the buried islands. Our previously reported finding [M. A. Makeev and A. Madhukar, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 5542 (2001)] that the hydrostatic stress at the spacer layer surface above the island apex is nearly inversely proportional to the spacer layer thickness is validated by a comparison with experimental data. The lateral variations of the hydrostatic stress on the spacer layer surface show ``bell-shape'' profiles, with the effective size of the tensile regions above the island apex varying as a power law with the spacer layer thickness, with the power exponent being greater than 1. Studies of the energetics of twofold stacks of island systems show that the elastic interaction energy between the islands is minimized for the vertically aligned geometry. The spacer layer thickness dependence of the hydrostatic and biaxial stress field distributions in the interior of the Si(001) matrix are presented as these define the behavior of the electron and hole three-dimensional confinement potentials that determine the electronic properties of the pyramidal island quantum dots.
Improved Flow Rates with Porous Sephadex Gels

The use of an internal support of siliconized glass beads 6 millimeters in diameter was found to improve markedly the flow rates obtainable with porous Sephadex gels without significant alteration of other properties of the gels. The method may be generally applicable in situations where rapid separations on Sephadex are required.
Use of video-assisted thoracic surgery in the treatment of chylothorax

Abstract Chylothorax, a potentially lethal disorder that may cause profound respiratory, nutritional, and immunologic complications, has become increasingly common in recent yeara. Medical therapy has been found to have a significant failure rate. Therefore, surgical treatment of complicated chylothorax has become a mainstay of care. Between 1987 and 1993, ten patients at the University of Virginia Hospital were treated with video-assisted thoracic surgery for complicated chylothorax. Twelve thoracoscopic procedures were performed. Patients ranged in age from 7 months to 82 years. Causes included iatrogenic (2), congenital (2), caval thrombosis (2), amyloid (2), blunt trauma (1), and metastatic carcinoid tumor (1). In 10 cases, video-assisted thoracic surgery was employed as the principal mode of therapy: 8 using talc pleurodesis alone, 1 using talc pleurodesis and clipping of the thoracic duct with application of fibrin glue, and 1 requiring clipping of a pleural defect with application of flbrin glue. In 2 cases, a video-assisted thoracic operation was used in conjunction with pleuroperitoneai shunting: a previously placed pleuroperitoneal shunt that was malfunctioning was repositioned thoracoscopically after a pleural adhesiolysis, and a pleural adhesiolysis was performed thoracoscopically before placement of a pleuroperitoneal shunt. In all cases the effusion resolved after the video-assisted thoracic operation without further intervention. Video-assisted thoracic surgery offers an effective means of treating chylothorax, regardless of cause, allowing the advantage of access to thoracic structures without the morbidity of more extensive procedures.
Four Lessons from the Study of Fundamentalism and Psychology of Religion

What lessons can the study of fundamentalism and the psychology of religion teach the newer field of Radicalization and Involvement in Violent Extremism (RIVE)? Four lessons and an intervention are offered in this article: (1) Religion is a robust human experience and cultural product that adopts a defensive shape when its worldview is threatened. (2) This does not mean that all "fundamentalisms" or radical versions of religion are somehow linked or perform similar functions; rather, they reflect the limited human repertoire to threat, yet within different cultural and historical contexts. (3) Causal explanations on the level of the individual are insufficient to understand these movements. (4) There is a modernist trend to elevate word-based, rational knowing over more implicit, symbolic knowing in both fundamentalism and radical discourses. Fundamentalism and radicalized religion seem to be the left brain's attempt to"do" religion. And, it does this now even more separately from the right brain compared to previous eras.1 (5) An intervention addressing violent extremisms through value complexity draws the above lessons together in an emergentist model that has an empirical track record of success. This article is available in Journal of Strategic Security: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol4/iss4/7 Journal of Strategic Security Volume 4 Issue 4 2011, pp. 131-150 DOI: 10.5038/1944-0472.4.4.6 Journal of Strategic Security (c) 2011 ISSN: 1944-0464 eISSN: 1944-0472 131 Four Lessons from the Study of Fundamentalism and Psychology of Religion Sara Savage University of Cambridge sbs21@cam.ac.uk
Dirichlet series related to the Riemann zeta function

Abstract A study is made of the function H(s, z) defined by analytic continuation of the Dirichlet series H(s, z) = Σn=1∞ n−s Σm=1n m−z, where s and z are complex variables. For each fixed z it is shown that H(s, z) exists in the entire s-plane as a meromorphic function of s, and its poles and residues are determined. Also, for each fixed s ≠ 1 it is shown that H(s, z) exists in the entire z-plane as a meromorphic function of z, and again its poles and residues are determined. Two different representations of H(s, z) are given from which a reciprocity law, H(s, z) + H(z, s) = ζ(s) ζ(z) + ζ(s + z), is deduced. For each integer q ≥ 0 the function values H(s, −q) and H(−q, s) are expressed in terms of the Riemann zeta function. Similar results are also obtained for the Dirichlet series T(s, z) = Σn=1∞ n−s Σm=1n m−z (m + n)−1. Applications include identities previously obtained by Ramanujan, Williams, and Rao and Sarma.
Quantitative change of serum protein and immunoglobulin in patients with solid cancers

There are many quantitative changes of serum protein and immunoglobulin fractions in patients with cancer of various sites, excluding those with leukemic and lymphoproliferative disorders. The commonest change in serum proteins of patients with neoplastic disease is a reduction in albumin concentration and elevation of alpha globulins, especially alpha-2 fraction. Immunoglobulins (IgG, A,M) are a heterogenous group of proteins contained in the gamma, beta, and alpha-2 electrophoretic fractions of serum proteins. The IgG was found to be significantly increased in patients with cancer of the skin and lung, but decreased in patients with cancer of the prostate and breast. Serum IgM was reported to be elevated in patients with sarcoma, melanoma, brain tumors, but decreased in patients with carcinoma of the ovary. Serum IgA was found to be elevated in patients with cancer of epithelial secretory organs, such as skin, breast, head and neck, lung, gut, prostate, and uterine cervix. Whether these findings reflect specific changes of the humoral arm of tumor-host interaction remains to be investigated.
Preparative Methods of Isolating Bitter Peptides from Cheddar Cheese

A preparative procedure including water extraction, membrane ultrafiltration, and reversed-phase HPLC separation to isolate bitter peptides in Cheddar cheese was developed. The most bitter fractions in cheese samples were in a molecular weight range of either between 500 and 3000 or >3000. When equal amounts of the lyophilized bitter fraction were incorporated back into cheese, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese samples had a more pronounced increase in bitterness intensity than full-fat cheese samples. Sensory evaluation on the eluants of preparative HPLC revealed that bitterness was found in various places along the separation, although eluants in the early region of chromatograms were generally more bitter. Most of the isolated bitter peptides contained a high level of hydrophilic amino acid residues such as glutamic acid/glutamine and serine. Hydrophobic amino acid residues, such as leucine, isoleucine, and proline, were high in some bitter peptide fractions, but phenylalanine and tyrosine were absent in all ...
A particle-based model for simulating the draping behavior of woven cloth

This thesis presents a model of woven cloth that is capable of reproducing the draping behavior of a variety of fabrics. Here, draping behavior means the final draped configuration of a cloth, consisting of characteristic folds, over a solid object. The model utilizes a new approach, called particle-based modeling, to simulate the mechanical properties of complex materials. In contrast to continuum techniques, particle modeling is founded on the premise that by directly modeling the microstructures of a material and computationally aggregating their interactions correct macroscopic behavior will emerge. Cloth is not a continuous material, but rather a complex mechanism. Cloth's microstructure consists of threads interlaced in a particular weave pattern. Therefore, the model treats the thread crossing as the fundamental modeling unit, which is called a "particle". It is at the level of these particles that constraints are maintained, in the form of potential energy functions, on the relationships between the threads. The constraints maintained in the particle grid embody four basic mechanical interactions occurring in cloth at the thread level. They are thread collision, thread stretching, thread bending, and trellising. An important feature of the model is that its thread-relationship constraints can be defined to simulate specific types of woven materials. This is accomplished by deriving the model's energy functions from empirical mechanical data produced from a standard set of fabric measurement equipment, the Kawabata Evaluation System. Given this capability, a woven material may be measured on the Kawabata System, and a model with the material's mechanical properties may then be defined to confidently simulate its draping behavior on a computer. The validity of the model has been verified by performing two experiments with three different kinds of woven cloth. The first experiment recreates in simulation the standard measurement procedures that are applied to cloth and produces simulated mechanical data. The second experiment performs controlled draping experiments with real cloth, then recreates those experiments with draping simulations utilizing the model. This experiment demonstrates that the model is capable of reproducing the unique large-scale draping structures present in each of the experimental samples.
The Time Varying Relation Between Consumer Confidence and Equities

We examine the impact of changes in consumer confidence measures on future stock index returns. Our analysis is built on the growing understanding that investor sentiment is an important factor in the stock market. By using frequency dependent regression methods, we show that there is a time-varying relation between consumer confidence and stock returns. Higher levels of consumer confidence imply greater returns in the short term but negative returns in the medium term. However, this effect is only observed for the small firm index. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that consumer confidence is significantly affected by stock returns in reverse causality.
Benefit Limits for Behavioral Health Care in Private Health Plans

Data from a nationally representative sample of private health plans reveal that special lifetime limits on behavioral health care are rare (used by 16% of products). However, most plans have special annual limits on behavioral health utilization; for example, 90% limit outpatient mental health and 93% limit outpatient substance abuse treatment. As a result, enrollees in the average plan face substantial out-of-pocket costs for long-lasting treatment: a median of $2,710 for 50 mental health visits, or $2,400 for 50 substance abuse visits. Plans’ access to new managed care tools has not led them to stop using benefit limits for cost containment purposes.