cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hyperbaric oxygen as a radiotherapeutic adjuvant in advanced cancer of the uterine cervix. Preliminary results of a randomized trial

From September 1968 to March 1974, a randomized clinical trial was carried out, using conventional fractionation, i.e., five treatments per week, in 233 patients with advanced cancers of the uterine cervix--Stages IIB, IIA, IIIB and IVA. The age limit was 70 years and all patients had medical clearance. Lymphangiography and, in some patients, an exploratory laparotomy with selective lymphadenectomy, were done prior to treatment to determine the extent of nodal disease. The staging has not been changed either by lymphangiogram or lymphadenectomy findings. A few patients with bulky Stage I and IIA lesions were entered into the trial because of extensive nodal disease demonstrated either by lymphangiogram and/or lymphadenectomy. First, the patients were grouped according to the clinical stage. The secondary stratification was according to the lymphangiogram and/or selective lymphadenectomy findings. The patients were then randomized to air or hyperbaric oxygen within each group. The patients were pressurized in a Vickers chamber at 3 atmosphere absolute, using a 20-minute soak time prior to the irradition. The size of the external beam portal was determined by the status of the nodes. The difference in absolute NED (no evidence of disease) survival rates for both groups as a whole and by stages is not statistically significant. There is no difference in the incidence of failures in the irradiated area between the HPO and air patients. There is no increase in distant metastases in the HP group. It does not seem that the HPO has had an effect on the major complications. However, there was an increase in the incidence of complications with extended fields. The addition of lymphadenectomy had increased the incidence of fatal complications, even with routine pelvic portals. The negative results of this trial with conventional fractioantion should not lead to the conclusion that HPO could not be useful with schemes using a few high dose fractions.
Prognosis in Dyslexia

This study of fifty-six boys points out the value of early identification and planned remediation in SLD cases.
Active chloride transport across the skin of the earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris L

Abstract 1. 1. Earthworms acclimated to an artificial pond water actively transport Cl across the integument. The Cl transport system displays saturation kinetics: Vmax = 1.2 μ-equiv/10 g-hr, Ks = 0.3 mM/1. 2. 2. Salt depletion stimulates Cl uptake across the skin. Influx of Cl is elevated with no change in efflux. 3. 3. Net uptake of Cl occurs from KC1 or choline chloride independent of the cation. 4. 4. Chloride influx is abolished by injection of acetazolamide (12 μg/g body weight) suggesting a C1/HCO3 exchange mechanism. Sodium influx is not affected by acetazolamide.
Encounters with Omnipotence in the Psychoanalysis of Substance Users

An assumption made in this paper and explored for its clinical implications is that an act of chronic drug use often marks or serves to implement an underlying omnipotent self-state. Psychoanalytic work with substance users, as compared with other approaches, trains attention on these omnipotent states and makes use of the transferential exchange as a therapeutic tool. States of omnipotence are particularly examined here in the context of recent attention to dissociation as an organizing force in the personality, and in the configuration of the transference—countertransference of the treatment relationship. A case illustration is used to apply current thinking on dissociative and projective processes, and their role in enactment in the therapeutic exchange, to illuminate the frequent interplay of omnipotence and helplessness in analytic work with substance-using and other patients.
Characterization of the nitric acid–water complex in the infrared and near-infrared region at ambient temperatures in carbon tetrachloride

Abstract In this work we present the vibrational spectrum of a hydrogen-bonded complex, nitric acid–water, in the region 6000–11 000 cm −1 using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. This study builds on previous observation of the nitric acid–water complex in the mid-infrared via a carbon tetrachloride matrix to investigate the vibrational overtone region of the complex at ambient conditions. Our experimental observations of ν OH = 1, 2 and 3 of the nitric acid–water complex provides a testing ground for the simple harmonically coupled anharmonic oscillator local-mode model treatment of OH-vibrational overtone spectra of hydrogen-bonded complexes.
The Left Vienna Circle, Part 2. The Left Vienna Circle, disciplinary history, and feminist philosophy of science

Abstract This paper analyzes the claim that the Left Vienna Circle (LVC) offers a theoretical and historical precedent for a politically engaged philosophy of science today. I describe the model for a political philosophy of science advanced by LVC historians. They offer this model as a moderate, properly philosophical approach to political philosophy of science that is rooted in the analytic tradition. This disciplinary-historical framing leads to weaknesses in LVC scholars’ conception of the history of the LVC and its contemporary relevance. In this light, I examine the claim that there are productive enrichments to be gained from the engagement of feminist philosophy of science with the LVC, finding this claim ill-formulated. The case of LVC historiography and feminist philosophy of science presents a revealing study in the uses and ethics of disciplinary history, showing how feminist and other perspectives are misconceived and marginalized by forms of disciplinary self-narrativizing.
Global image processing operations on parallel architectures

Image processing operations fall into two classes: local and global. Local operations affect only a small corresponding area in the output image, and include edge detection, smoothing, and point operations. In global operations any input pixel can affect any or a large number of output data. Global operations include histogram, image warping, Hough transform, and connected components. Parallel architectures offer a promising method for speeding up these image processing operations. Local operations are easy to parallelize, because the input data can be divided among processors, processed in parallel separately, then the outputs can be combined by concatenation. Global operations are harder to parallelize. In fact, some global operations cannot be executed in parallel; it is possible for a global operation to require serial execution for correct computation of the result. However, an important class of global operations, namely those that are reversible-that can be computed in forward or reverse order on a data structure-can be computed in parallel using a restricted form of divide and conquer called split and merge. These reversible operations include the global operations mentioned above, and many more besides-even such non-image processing operations as parsing, string search, and sorting. The split and merge method will be illustrated by application of it to these algorithms. Performance analysis of the method on different architectures-one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and binary tree processor arrays will be demonstrated.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Surface anchoring and dynamics of thiolated azobenzene molecules on Au(111).

We have investigated the temperature-dependent behavior of thiolated azobenzene molecules on Au(111) using scanning tunneling microscopy. The addition of a thiol functional group to azobenzene molecules leads to increased surface anchoring of single azobenzene molecules to gold. Thiolated azobenzene shows diverse surface morphology and does not form well-ordered structures at low coverage. At elevated temperatures, anchored molecules are observed to spin in place via hindered rotation. By measuring the number of rotating molecules as a function of temperature and using a simple model, we are able to estimate the energy barrier and attempt frequency for thermally induced hindered rotation to be 102±3 meV and 110±2 GHz, respectively.
Insurance status and treatment candidacy of hepatitis C patients: Analysis of population-based data from the United States†‡

Successful treatment with antiviral therapy could potentially reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, at the population level, these benefits may be offset by a limited number of patients who have access to antiviral treatment. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2005-2008, we analyzed the health insurance status and treatment candidacy of HCV-positive (HCV+) individuals. A total of 10,582 subjects were examined; of those, 1.16% had detectable HCV RNA and were defined as HCV+. The HCV+ patients were less likely to be insured than HCV-negative individuals (61.2% versus 81.2%; P = 0.004). Among those with health insurance, HCV+ patients were less likely to have private insurance, whereas the coverage by Medicare/Medicaid and other government-sponsored plans was similar to the rest of the population. In multivariate analysis, HCV infection was an independent predictor of being uninsured even after adjustment for demographic disparity of the HCV+ cohort (odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.78). Of all HCV+ patients, 66.7% were eligible for anti-HCV treatment. However, only 54.3% of HCV+ treatment candidates had any type of insurance coverage. Finally, only 36.3% of HCV+ patients were potentially eligible for treatment and had health insurance. Conclusion: A high proportion of HCV+ patients are currently uninsured, and many have publicly funded health insurance. Among those who could be candidates for treatment, the rate of insurance coverage is even lower. These findings can have important implications for health insurance coverage of these patients under the new health care reform legislation in the United States. (HEPATOLOGY 2011)
Institutional Investors and Trading Volume Reactions to Management Forecasts of Annual Earnings

This paper examines the effect of institutional investors on the trading volume reaction to management forecasts of annual earnings. Based on a sample of forecasting firms between 1990 and 1992, institutional investors are examined as heterogeneous types, rather than as a single group as done in prior research. The findings contribute to the growing literature on institutional investor types in two ways: (1) institutional categories differ in their trading patterns, and (2) if the categories are classified into active and inactive types, then greater trading by active institution‐types signals greater investor‐level information asymmetries and greater trading by inactive institution‐types signals lower investor‐level information asymmetries. Overall, the results suggest that increased firm voluntary disclosures, as encouraged by the SEC and the AICPA, may be differentially informative to different types of investors.
Influence of Membrane Composition on Function of Human Peripheral Cannabinoid Receptor CB2

The human peripheral cannabinoid receptor CB2 is abundant in tissues of immune and hematopoietic systems. CB2 belongs to the class of heptahelical G-protein coupled receptors and regulates a wide range of physiological functions through binding of endogenous and exogenous cannabinoid ligands. We studied the influence of electrical surface potential of membranes and of hydrocarbon-chain order on rates of G-protein activation by CB2. The membrane surface potential was determined by a measurement of the electrophoretic mobility of proteoliposomes, while lipid hydrocarbon-chain order was quantified by a measurement of the order parameters using 2H NMR. The receptor, expressed in E. coli, was purified and functionally reconstituted into lipid bilayers composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylserine (PS), and cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHS). CB2 was fully activated with the synthetic agonist CP-55,940. The rate of G-protein activation by the receptor increased about two-fold with increasing CHS content in the lipid matrix from 25 to 41 mol%. Similar effect was observed with increasing PS content. The increased activation rate correlated with a larger negative ζ-potential caused by the negatively charged headgroups. The increased order of lipid acyl chains due to interactions with the cholesteryl backbone of CHS had no significant effect on G-protein activation rates, as confirmed by addition of cholesterol instead of CHS. The results indicate the importance of anionic lipids for efficient coupling between the CB2 receptor and G-proteins.
Effect of phenformin on lipid transport in hypertriglyceridemia

Abstract The effect of phenformin on lipid metabolism was studied in nine hypertriglyceridemic subjects consuming isocaloric liquid formula diets. On a fat-free, 85% carbohydrate hydrate diet, phenformin reduced plasma triglyceride, cholesterol, and free fatty acid levels, the mean decreases being 14%, 13%, and 16%, respectively. The predominant effect of the drug was on very low density lipoprotein levels, with no change in low density lipoproteins. Plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels were also reduced in the majority of subjects on a diet containing 40% of calories as fat and 45% as carbohydrate, but phenformin did not have any effect on the carbohydrate induction of triglyceride elevation. Basal insulin levels were reduced by the drug in all subjects (mean change, −23%) and fasting glucose levels were lowered in the majority. The plasma lipolytic rate measured on endogenous substrate during a prolonged heparin infusion on the fat-free diet was reduced by phenformin (mean change, −15%), although postheparin lipolytic activity on an artificial substrate was unchanged. Free fatty acid turnover, measured during the same procedure, fell in parallel with the fatty acid levels (mean change, −27%). It is proposed that phenformin lowers plasma triglyceride levels in most subjects by reducing endogenous triglyceride production, and that the effects of the drug on glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid homeostasis contribute to this action. It is suggested that in some subjects the drug may also impair triglyceride clearance from plasma, and that this may account for the variable therapeutic response, since in three subjects phenformin did not decrease triglyceride levels on both diets.
Hydrolysis of polyphosphates by corn roots.

The hydrolysis of seven linear oligomers (P2, P3, P5, P15, P25, P35 and P65) and one cyclic polyphosphate, trimetaphosphate (TMP), by corn (Zea mays) roots was investigated. In these experiments, corn-root homogenate or intact roots were incubated in a polyphosphate solution containing 1 mM polyphosphate or 50 mg P/L, respectively, and the amount of orthophosphate produced was determined. Results showed that the optimal pH value for hydrolysis of P3, P5, and TMP by corn-root homogenate was 5.0, whereas for the hydrolysis of P2, P15, P25, P35 and P65, it was 6.0. The rate of polyphosphate hydrolysis by cornroot homogenate was temperature dependent up to the point of enzyme inactivation (>50°C). Nonsterile intact roots showed higher rates of hydrolysis than sterile roots, especially with P2. The hydrolysis of all oligomers by sterile and nonsterile intact roots was very slow during the first 18h at 30°C, but increased rapidly after 18h with the oligomers P≦25. The oligomers P35 and P65 were quite resistant to hydrolysis by sterile and nonsterile roots after 48h incubation at 30°C. An experiment with sterile intact roots in pyrophosphate solution suggested that pyrophosphatase was induced in corn roots in the presence of its substrate. The order of hydrolysis rates of the oligomers by intact sterile corn roots was: P2>P3>P5> TMP>P15>P25>P35>P65.
Coding for Multilevel Heterogeneous Memories

We consider the problem of information storage in multilevel heterogeneous memories, where different cells can support different data level-sets. Such heterogeneity arises due to variability in the physical cell characteristics in emerging technologies such as Phase Change Memory (PCM) technology, which is our specific motivation. We show that the heterogeneous memory problem can be formulated in terms of the information-theoretic `Channel Coding with Side-Information at Transmitter' (CSIT) paradigm. We present a binary decomposition of the problem, and show that this decomposition allows for simple binary code constructions. We discuss one such code-construction based on binary Luby Transform (LT) code matrices. We present simulation results using cell variability data collected from a PCM test array, and show that the proposed approach can yield a significant advantage in storage capacity.
Adding a library instruction unit to an established course

Abstract The article describes the creation of a two-day library instruction unit which became a required part of a freshman orientation seminar at Texas A&M University-Kingsville The unit began with the creation of new library assignments designed for use in the classes with or without library instruction It expanded when the librarians offered to teach two class sessions in the library and their offer was accepted Short lectures, tours, and assignments were used to introduce new students to the library The needs of many of our freshmen dictated that we keep these orientation sessions basic introducing library contents and services and teaching basic skills such as using the card catalog, reading call numbers, making use of periodical indexes, and finding periodicals The library instruction unit was revised extensively after the first semester Time constraints prevented the use of a formal evaluation instrument, but several problems and solutions were identified through structured brainstorming sessions with all the teaching librarians These solutions and other lessons from teaching a required portion of a course are included
Spin-phonon interactions near the one-dimensional antiferromagnetic ordering in CsNiCl3

Abstract The velocity of 10 MHz and 27 GHz longitudinal phonons propagating along the c -axis in the one-dimensional antiferromagnet CsNiCl 3 has been measured using ultrasonic and Brillouin light scattering techniques, respectively. An anomalous change in phonon velocity near the one-dimensional magnetic ordering temperature due to the spin-phonon interaction has been observed in both cases.
To stay or leave?: the relationship of emotional and informational support to commitment in online health support groups

Today many people with serious diseases use online support groups to seek social support. For these groups to be sustained and effective, member retention and commitment is important. Our study examined how different types and amounts of social support in an online cancer support group are associated with participants' length of membership. We first built machine learning models to automatically identify the extent to which messages contained emotional and informational support. Agreement with human judges was high (r > 0.76). We then used these models to measure the support exchanged in 1.5 million messages. Finally, we applied quantitative event history analysis to assess how exposure to emotional and informational support predicted group members' length of subsequent participation. The results demonstrated that the more emotional support members were exposed to, the lower the risk of dropout. In contrast, informational support did not have the same strong effects on commitment. We speculate that emotional support enhanced members' relationships with one another or the group as a whole, whereas informational support satisfied members' short-term information needs.
Elevated serum vascular endothelial growth factor and decreased survival in advanced laryngeal carcinoma.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to deter- mine whether serum vascular endothelial growth factor (s-VEGF) levels at the time of diagnosis correlate with any known tumor variables and overall survival in patients with advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Comparisons with a cohort of normal healthy controls were also performed to determine the potential usefulness of s-VEGF as a screening tool.
The determinants of teacher attrition in upstate New York

Policy makers and scholars have long been interested in teacher attrition, particularly in poor, urban schools. We investigate the determinants of teacher attrition in five large metropolitan areas in upstate New York. We focus on a teacher's decision to leave a school district or to leave teaching using the Prentice-Gloeckler-Meyer technique for proportional hazards with unobserved heterogeneity. We find that teachers in districts with higher salaries relative to nonteaching salaries in the same county are less likely to leave teaching and that a teacher is less likely to change districts when he or she teaches in a district near the top of the teacher salary distribution in that county. We also find, however, that the impact of salary on the probability of leaving teaching is small and that very large salary increases would be required to offset the impact of concentrated student disadvantage on the attrition of female teachers.
Teaching Social Theory with an Applied Perspective

The Commission on Applied and Clinical Sociology (CACS) has emphasized the importance of using theory in sociological practice. Achieving this goal requires an approach to teaching that transforms theory students from passive learners to active users. This change can only occur if instructors are willing to entertain teaching methods that increase the likelihood that students will apply what they learn beyond the confines of the classroom. In addition, students must be able to demonstrate how theory can inspire problem analysis and intervention. This paper explores teaching approaches that support a more applied teaching-learning environment. Literary or media-oriented case studies, integrating research into the course, use of collaborative teaching methods, life-histories, and diaries can provide the foundation for enhancing a student's capacity to think critically and apply theory to everyday contexts. Furthermore, integrating students directly into field settings through organizational case studies and...
Is thrombolytic therapy effective for pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism is a disorder that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Right-sided heart failure and recurrent pulmonary embolism are the main causes of death associated with pulmonary embolism in the first two weeks after the embolic event. Thrombolysis is a potentially lifesaving therapy when used in conjunction with standard anticoagulation. However, it has significant side effects and must therefore be used with caution. Indications for thrombolysis are not well defined and are thus controversial. The only current absolute indication is massive pulmonary embolism with hypotension. Other potential indications include right heart dysfunction, recurrent pulmonary embolism and the prevention of pulmonary hypertension. However, no evidence exists to show benefit of thrombolytic therapy over standard anticoagulation therapy for recurrent pulmonary embolism, mortality or chronic complications. Bleeding is the most common complication of thrombolysis and may be fatal.
A Relaxation-Based Pruning Technique for a Class of Stochastic Shortest Path Problems

In this paper a form of the stochastic shortest path problem is considered where the optimal path is one that maximizes the expected utility which is concave and quadratic. The principal contribution of this paper is the development of a relaxation based pruning technique which is incorporated into a label setting procedure. The basic label setting procedure solves the problem by generating all Pareto-optimal paths. However, the number of such paths can grow exponentially with the size of the problem. The relaxation based pruning technique developed here is able to recognize and discard most of the Pareto-optimal paths that do not contribute to the optimal path. Our computational results show that the label setting procedure that incorporates the pruning technique consistently outperforms the basic label setting procedure, and is able to solve large problems very quickly.
Changes in variability of soil moisture alter microbial community C and N resource use

Grassland ecosystems contain w12% of global soil organic carbon (C) stocks and are located in regions where global climate change will likely alter the timing and size of precipitation events, increasing soil moisture variability. In response to increased soil moisture variability and other forms of stress, microorganisms can induce ecosystem-scale alterations in C and N cycling processes through alterations in their function. We explored the influence of physiological stress on microbial communities by manipulating moisture variability in soils from four grassland sites in the Great Plains, representing a precipitation gradient of 485e1003 mm y �1 . Keeping water totals constant, we manipulated the frequency and size of water additions and dry down periods in these soils by applying water in two different, two-week long wettingedrying cycles in a 72-day laboratory incubation. To assess the effects of the treatments on microbial community function, we measured C mineralization, N dynamics, extracellular enzyme activities (EEA) and a proxy for substrate use efficiency. In soils from all four sites undergoing a long interval (LI) treatment for which added water was applied once at the beginningof each two-week cycle,1.4e2.0 times more C was mineralized compared to soils undergoing a short interval (SI) treatment, for which four wetting events were evenly distributed over each two-week cycle. A proxy for carbon use efficiency (CUE) suggests declines in this parameter with the greater soil moisture stress imposed in LI soils from all four different native soil moisture regimes. Adecline in CUE in LI soils may have been related to an increased effort by microbes to obtain N-rich organic substrates for use as protection against osmotic shock, consistent with EEA data. These results contrast with similar in situ studies of response to increased soil moisture variability and may indicate divergent autotrophic vs. heterotrophic responses to increased moisture variability. Increases in microbial N demand and decreases in microbial CUE with increased moisture variability observed in this study, regardless of the soils' site of origin, imply that these systems may experience enhanced heterotrophic CO 2 release and declines in plant-available N with climate change. This has particularly important implications for C budgets in these grasslands when coupled with the declines in net primary productivity reported in other studies as a result of increases in precipitation variability across the region.
An adaptive and progressive approach for efficient Gradient-based multiresolution color image segmentation

We propose an image segmentation methodology which exploits gradient information in a multiresolution framework. The proposed algorithm commences with a wavelet decomposition procedure to obtain a pyramidal representation of the input image, accompanied by an adaptive threshold generation scheme required for segregating regions of varying gradient densities. At low (coarse) resolution levels, progressive region growth, texture characterization, and region merging modules are integrated together to provide interim segmentations. These interim results are transferred from one resolution level to another as a-priori information, until the final result at the highest (original) resolution is achieved. Performance evaluation on several hundred images demonstrates that our algorithm computationally outperforms various published techniques, with superior segmentation quality.
Time-of-flight MR arteriography of below-knee arteries with maximum-intensity-projection reconstruction: is interpretation of the axial source images helpful?

We evaluated the extent to which detailed review of axial source images enhances the interpretation of projectional reconstructions of two-dimensional time-of-flight MR arteriograms of the tibial vessels.Thirty-one patients (34 limbs) with limb-threatening ischemia underwent two-dimensional time-of-flight imaging and contrast-enhanced angiography of the below-knee arteries. Maximum-intensity-projection (MIP) reconstructions of the MR arteriograms were independently interpreted by three observers. The studies were then reinterpreted after detailed review of the axial source images. A consensus reading of each study was performed as well. The observers commented on the patency of 816 vascular segments and graded the extent of disease for 272 vessels. Interobserver agreement and correlation with contrast-enhanced angiography were determined.On average, the addition of axial images altered the observers' interpretation of MR arteriograms in 13% of segments for patency and in 18% of vessels for grading of dise...
notch3 is essential for oligodendrocyte development and vascular integrity in zebrafish

Mutations in the human NOTCH3 gene cause CADASIL syndrome (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy). CADASIL is an inherited small vessel disease characterized by diverse clinical manifestations including vasculopathy, neurodegeneration and dementia. Here we report two mutations in the zebrafish notch3 gene, one identified in a previous screen for mutations with reduced expression of myelin basic protein (mbp) and another caused by a retroviral insertion. Reduced mbp expression in notch3 mutant embryos is associated with fewer oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Despite an early neurogenic phenotype, mbp expression recovered at later developmental stages and some notch3 homozygous mutants survived to adulthood. These mutants, as well as adult zebrafish carrying both mutant alleles together, displayed a striking stress-associated accumulation of blood in the head and fins. Histological analysis of mutant vessels revealed vasculopathy, including: an enlargement (dilation) of vessels in the telencephalon and fin, disorganization of the normal stereotyped arrangement of vessels in the fin, and an apparent loss of arterial morphological structure. Expression of hey1, a well-known transcriptional target of Notch signaling, was greatly reduced in notch3 mutant fins, suggesting that Notch3 acts via a canonical Notch signaling pathway to promote normal vessel structure. Ultrastructural analysis confirmed the presence of dilated vessels in notch3 mutant fins and revealed that the vessel walls of presumed arteries showed signs of deterioration. Gaps in the arterial wall and the presence of blood cells outside of vessels in mutants indicated that compromised vessel structure led to hemorrhage. In notch3 heterozygotes, we found elevated expression of both notch3 itself and target genes, indicating that specific alterations in gene expression due to partial loss of Notch3 function might contribute to the abnormalities observed in heterozygous larvae and adults. Our analysis of zebrafish notch3 mutants indicates that Notch3 regulates OPC development and mbp gene expression in larvae, and maintains vascular integrity in adults.
Radiographic assessment of congenital talipes equinovarus: strapping versus forced dorsiflexion.

Purpose. To compare 2 radiographic assessment methods for congenital talipes equinovarus: strapping the ankle with tapes versus dorsiflexion with a wooden block. Methods. Anteroposterior and lateral radiographs were taken with the ankle strapped by tapes or dorsiflexed by a wooden block. Talocalcaneal and tibiocalcaneal angles were measured and analysed. Results. 20 radiographic assessments were performed on 14 patients. From the anteroposterior view, the mean talocalcaneal angle with strapping was 19.4 degrees (range, 0–34.0; standard deviation [SD], 11.2 degrees). From the lateral view, the mean talocalcaneal angle with strapping was 22.0 degrees (range, 8.0–38.8; SD, 8.9 degrees) and with forced dorsiflexion was 21.0 degrees (range, 0–52.7; SD, 11.3 degrees), with a mean absolute difference of 9.4 degrees between the 2 groups. The mean tibiocalcaneal angle with strapping was 77.9 degrees (range, 43.2–120.0; SD, 18.8 degrees) and with forced dorsiflexion was 78.2 degrees (range, 29.5–134.0; SD, 24.7 degrees), with a mean absolute difference of 15.7 degrees between the 2 groups. The difference between the tibiocalcaneal measurements in the 2 groups was statistically significant (p=0.026). Conclusion. Similar results were obtained for talocalcaneal and tibiocalcaneal angles measured with strapping and forced dorsiflexion. However, the strapping method provides better stabilisation while radiographs are taken.
A Day at the Zoo Through the Lens of Jessica Benjamin's Bonds of Love

In this photo-based essay I bring Jessica Benjamin's project of transforming relationships of domination to a day at the zoo. The interrogation of the human/animal dualism illuminates relational moments of mutuality across species. Managing the tension between sameness and difference without collapse into hierarchical configuration, the human-animal connection may take its place in the project of transforming relationships of domination and extending the circle of ethical care.
Generation of the lower central series

Let G be a group. The r th term L r G of the lower central series of G is the subgroup generated by the r -fold commutators where , and for r > 1,
Relative Effectiveness of Oil and Cellophane in Protecting Eggs

Abstract WAYS of preventing the decline of interior egg quality have been studied extensively by many research workers. Oil as a spray or dip has gained wide acceptance. It has been used for long term storage for many years (Spamer, 1931), and has been the subject of much recent investigation. Sauter et al. (1960), studied oil as a spray, a dip and as an aerosol spray and reported that dipping produced the best results. Aerosol spray did not appear to aid in maintaining quality except for a slight reduction in weight loss. Oil as a spray compared favorably with oil as a dip in the reports of Schwall et al. (1961), Swanson et al. (1958), and Stadelman and Wilson (1958). A more recent method of preserving quality has been the use of cellophane as a carton overwrap. Some of the claims made for cellophane are, (1) it is moisture proof, thereby …
The Trapeziidae and Domeciidae (Decapoda: Brachyura: Xanthoidea) in the Fossil Record and a New Eocene Genus from Baja California Sur, Mexico

Abstract Reconsideration of all fossils formerly referred to the Trapeziidae Miers, 1886, suggests that both the Trapeziidae and the morphologically similar Domeciidae Ortmann, 1893, are represented in the fossil record. Two fossil species formerly considered to be trapeziids are referred to the domeciid genus Jonesius Sankarankutty, 1962. New combinations include J. oligocenicus (Beschin et al., 2001) and J. planus (Muller, 1996); thus, the recognized geologic record of the Domeciidae extends from the Oligocene to Recent. The Trapeziidae is known from three Eocene genera, including the new genus and species described here, Archaeotetra inornata. Other Eocene occurrences include two species of Eomaldivia Muller and Collins, 1991, and one species of Tetralia Dana, 1851. A few Miocene species of Trapezia Latreille, 1828, and a Pleistocene occurrence have been reported. Members of both families are symbiotic with cnidarians, and this relationship appears to have been established by the Eocene in the case of ...
Transcriptome-wide functional characterization reveals novel relationships among differentially expressed transcripts in developing soybean embryos

Transcriptomics reveals the existence of transcripts of different coding potential and strand orientation. Alternative splicing (AS) can yield proteins with altered number and types of functional domains, suggesting the global occurrence of transcriptional and post-transcriptional events. Many biological processes, including seed maturation and desiccation, are regulated post-transcriptionally (e.g., by AS), leading to the production of more than one coding or noncoding sense transcript from a single locus. We present an integrated computational framework to predict isoform-specific functions of plant transcripts. This framework includes a novel plant-specific weighted support vector machine classifier called CodeWise, which predicts the coding potential of transcripts with over 96 % accuracy, and several other tools enabling global sequence similarity, functional domain, and co-expression network analyses. First, this framework was applied to all detected transcripts (103,106), out of which 13 % was predicted by CodeWise to be noncoding RNAs in developing soybean embryos. Second, to investigate the role of AS during soybean embryo development, a population of 2,938 alternatively spliced and differentially expressed splice variants was analyzed and mined with respect to timing of expression. Conserved domain analyses revealed that AS resulted in global changes in the number, types, and extent of truncation of functional domains in protein variants. Isoform-specific co-expression network analysis using ArrayMining and clustering analyses revealed specific sub-networks and potential interactions among the components of selected signaling pathways related to seed maturation and the acquisition of desiccation tolerance. These signaling pathways involved abscisic acid- and FUSCA3-related transcripts, several of which were classified as noncoding and/or antisense transcripts and were co-expressed with corresponding coding transcripts. Noncoding and antisense transcripts likely play important regulatory roles in seed maturation- and desiccation-related signaling in soybean. This work demonstrates how our integrated framework can be implemented to make experimentally testable predictions regarding the coding potential, co-expression, co-regulation, and function of transcripts and proteins related to a biological process of interest.
Fractal Fragmentation and Frictional Stability in Granular Materials

The wall rocks of most natural faults are separated by a layer of finely crushed rock called “fault gouge”. Particle-size studies of such unaltered gouge have found a fractal (power-law) distribution with a fractal dimension of 1.6±0.1 in 2D planar section (or 2.6±0.1 for the isotropic distribution in 3D). A simple fragmentation mechanism which leads to a fractal distribution with this dimension can be formulated. It assumes that a particle’s fracture probability is based solely on the relative size of its nearest neighbors — a particle loaded at opposing poles by neighbors of the same size develops the largest internal tension, and is most likely to fragment. The ultimate result is a particle distribution in which no particle has a same-sized neighbor at any scale. Such a distribution is fractal; a perfect, geometrical, discrete fractal having this property is the Sierpinski gasket which has a dimension of 1.58. We have coined the term “constrained comminution” for the neighbor-dominated process which leads to a fractal distribution. Constrained comminution has been simulated in a double-direct shear friction apparatus and has been shown to offer a physical explanation for the observed evolution of the frictional behavior of a granular layer from stable velocity strengthening behavior to potentially unstable velocity weakening as shear deformation proceeds. The initial velocity strengthening occurs when strain is mostly accommodated by the crushing of grains which has no velocity dependent weakening mechanism. As the fractal distribution emerges, an increasing proportion of the strain is accommodated by slip between the grains. Such slip is enhanced by the geometrical fact that a fractal distribution minimizes the dilatancy associated with slip. Slip between grains produces the observed velocity weakening and consequent stick-slip instability.
Stress relaxation and differential dynamic modulus of carbon black-filled styrene-butadiene rubber in large shearing deformations

Abstract Combined measurements of shear stress relaxation and differential dynamic storage and loss shear moduli G′ and G″ have been made on styrene-butadiene rubber (type 1502) containing 50 phr N299 carbon black and 10 phr Sundex 790 oil, both cured and uncured, and compared with similar measurements on the cured and uncured gum rubber. The range of temperature was −22.5° to 63°C, and of static shear strain 0.01 to 0.40; the maximum oscillatory shear strain was about 0.005 and the frequency was usually 0.64 Hz. Dynamic measurements of G′ and G″ with no superposed static strain and stress relaxation measurements at small strains on the filled samples could be reduced by frequency-temperature superposition with αT shift factors that were somewhat larger than those that applied to the raw or crosslinked gum. At about 0.6 Hz, the filler increased the storage modulus by about a factor of 5 for the cured sample and about 10 for the uncured; the moduli for the cured and uncured filled samples were almost ident...
Effect of an Intrauterine Device on Rat Blastocysts and Deciduomata Formation

A polyethylene tube IUD was implanted in the right uterine horn of 1 group of rats to determine its effect on both tubal and uterine transport and blastocyst and deciduomata formation. A second group had tubes implanted in the lower 1/4 of the right uterine horn 1 week before mating and a third group had additional ligation of both uterotubal junctions on the right and left 1 week before mating. The polyethylene tube did not significantly alter the mobility of the fertilized ovum in the tube. In the low implantation group there were no implantations distal to the tube. The ova seemed normal until they reached the uterus with no evidence to suggest that the IUD changes the rate of uterine transport. A suppression of deciduomata was noted in the third series. The implication that blastocyst destruction is due to the presence of inflammatory cells in the uterine wall related to the presence of the IUD is discussed.
Natural history of false-negative papanicolaou smears: a prospective study using screening colposcopy in addition to cytology

The regular Papanicolaou (Pap) smear is cornerstone of women's preventive healthcare. The introduction of the regular Pap smear as a screening tool for cervical cancer has markedly decreased the number of deaths from cervical cancer. During the past decade, however, the rate of death from cervical cancer has remained relatively static. This screening method is known to have a high rate of false-negative results; therefore, serial examinations are necessary for optimal sensitivity. The sensitivity of the routine pelvic examination is further increased with the addition of colposcopy to cytologic screening. Patients identified as having disease by colposcopy and biopsy but not by Pap smear (false-negative), are followed up, and the progression of their disease is documented until the Pap smear reflects the known change. A total of 276 patients whose Pap tests showed "no abnormal cells" and mild dysplasia (CIN-1 [cervical intraepithelial neoplasia]) by colposcopy and biopsy, who opted not to be treated, were followed up as a function of time. The results of the Pap test on the 276 patients progressed to a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL) or higher within 42 months. In this study, false-negative Pap tests that were identified by simultaneously performed colposcopy became positive within 42 months; therefore, careful repetitive screening is necessary. The author argues that a definitive, prospective study on the addition of colposcopy or similar adjunct procedure to the routine pelvic examination, in selected cases, is needed.
Adhesion of Nanoscale Metal Clusters to Semiconductor Surfaces: A Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Examination

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is used to investigate the initial stage of metal overlayer formation on semiconductor surfaces. STM scans are presented of preformed nanometer diameter Au clusters deposited at room temperature on molybdenum disulfide and hydrogen terminated silicon substrates. These scans show that the Au clusters are substantially deformed by interfacial forces between the cluster and substrate. The extent of deformation depends on the substrate.
A Bacteriological Study of Forty Cases of Dysentery in Infants and Children, including Two Cases of Flexner Bacillus Septicemia.

Bacteriological studies were made in connection with a clinical study' of forty cases of dysentery in the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital during the summer of 1935. Eighty-four specimens, obtained by swabbing the mucosa during proctoscopic examination, were cultured and 78 of them examined microscopically for protozoa. Twenty-six stool specimens from these patients were cultured and two blood cultures made.
A synthetic peptide containing a predominant protein kinase C site within p47phox inhibits the NADPH oxidase in intact neutrophils

In vivo loading of a synthetic peptide (peptide 4) corresponding to residues 314-331 (RSRKRLSQDAYRRNSVRF) consistently diminished the oxidative burst in response to either phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine and cytochalasin B (fMLP/CB) compared to other synthetic peptides derived from the p47phox sequence. The effects of peptide 4 were concentration dependent with respect to both PMA and fMLP/CB. In contrast, peptide 4 enhanced the oxidative burst in response to fMLP alone. Peptide 4 inhibited the PMA and fMLP-mediated phosphorylation of endogenous neutrophil cytosolic proteins including p47phox. The PMA-induced translocation of p47phox to the plasma membrane was diminished in neutrophils loaded with peptide 4. These data represent the first report of a synthetic peptide derived from p47phox that inhibits the NADPH oxidase in intact neutrophils and inhibits the protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation of endogenous p47phox.
Effects of Early and Late Treatment with Anti-CD4 Monoclonal Antibody on Autoimmune Disease in MRL/MP-Ipr/Ipr Mice

MRL/Mp-Ipr/Ipr (MRL/Ipr) mice spontaneously develop a systemic autoimmune disease, characterized by vasculitis, lymphadenopathy, glomerulortephritis, and autoantibody formation, with target organ inflammatory lesions composed largely of CD4+ (helper) T cells. Previous reports have demonstrated that anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment of MRL/Ipr mice from 1 to 5 months of age resulted in a dramatic reduction in both the frequency and the severity of autoimmune disease. In order to investigate the effects of early, short-course and late, short-course anti-CD4 mAb therapy on the autoimmune disease in MRL/Ipr mice, groups of 12 to 15 animals were treated with weekly intraperitoneal injections according to one of four regimens: (i) anti-CD4 mAb from age 1 to 5 months (continuous treatment); (ii) anti-CD4 mAb from age 1 to 3 months (early treatment); (iii) anti-CD4 mAb from age 3 to 5 months (late treatment); and (iv) either normal saline or rat immunoglobulin (control treatment). Continuous treatment resulted in a dramatic reduction of both frequency and severity of the autoimmune disease, as demonstrated histologically and serologically. Early treatment also resulted in a significant reduction in autoimmune disease, while late treatment had little effect. Glomerulonephritis was detected in none of the animals in the continuously treated group (P < 0.05), 38% of those in the early-treated group (P = < 0.05), 92% of the late-treated group, and 100% of controls. The titer of antinuclear antibodies, of anti-dsDNA antibodies, and total immunoglobulin levels were all significantly reduced in the continuous-treatment and early-treatment groups, but not in the late-treatment group. Murine antibodies to rat anti-CD4 mAb were present in the late-treatment group. These results indicate that early short-course anti-CD4 mAb treatment of MRL/Ipr mice is effective in ameliorating the autoimmune disease in this model, while late-treatment is ineffective, probably due to the induction of antibody directed against anti-CD4 mAb itself.