cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacological enhancement of hemi-gap-junctional currents in Xenopus oocytes.

Abstract Hemichannels formed by expressing connexin subunits in Xenopus oocytes provide a valuable tool for revealing the gating properties of intercellular gap junctions in electrically coupled cells. We used the two electrode voltage-clamp technique to demonstrate that activation of the time-dependent outward hemichannel currents brings into play a sodium current of similar time course and opposite polarity; the interaction between these opposing currents had not been explored previously. Using the endogenous connexin (Cx38) of Xenopus oocytes as a model system, we have shown that substituting choline for sodium in the bath solution eliminates the sodium current, thereby unmasking large hemichannel currents, and enabling pharmacological studies of agents that are known to modulate gap-junctional conductances. The cinchona alkaloid quinine also effectively blocked the inward current, and in addition, enhanced significantly the Cx38 hemichannel currents in a dose-dependent fashion; the Hill coefficient of 1.9 suggests that the binding of at least two molecules of quinine is required to produce the effect. Intracellular quinine had no effect on hemichannel currents, and experiments on the displacement of quinine suggest that binding is at an external site near or within the mouth of the hemichannel. Intracellular acidification suppressed the quinine-enhanced hemichannel currents, indicating that quinine does not block the proton binding site. We found that retinoic acid (RA) and carbenoxolone, agents that block gap-junctional channels in coupled neurons and other cell types, also suppressed Cx38 hemichannel currents with an IC 50 of approximately 2 and 34 μM for RA and carbenoxolone, respectively. Raising extracellular calcium to 3 mM suppressed both the hemichannel current and the inward sodium current. These results provide a foundation upon which to further characterize the gating of hemichannel currents mediated by connexins expressed in Xenopus oocytes.
Contiguous relations, basic hypergeometric functions, and orthogonal polynomials. I

Abstract The second-order q-difference equation of a 2ϑ1 and the contiguous relations of 2ϑ1's are used to derive continued fraction expansions for quotients of 2ϑ1's. We identify the cases when these continued fractions are positive definite J-fractions, i.e., the cases when the denominators of the approximants of the J-fractions are orthogonal polynomials. The measures with respect to which the denominator polynomials are orthogonal are found and the orthogonal polynomials are studied in some detail.
Knee joint forces during isokinetic knee extensions: a case study.

Abstract Objective . To describe the procedures to obtain knee joint forces during isokinetic knee extensions and evaluate the patellar ligament force, quadriceps tendon force, patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joint forces at different speeds measured from a female subject. Design . A technical note with a case study. Background . Two previous studies examined knee joint forces during isokinetic knee extension using different techniques reported inconsistent findings. Also, the highest speed used in these two studies (180° s −1 ) were much lower than the maximum speeds available in modern isokinetic dynamometers. Methods . The subject performed maximum effort isokinetic knee extensions at 16 different speeds ranged from 25 to 400° s −1 . The gravitational and inertial effects were included in determining the resultant knee torque. Knee radiographs were used to determine the knee joint geometry. A combination of knee torque and geometric data was used to determine different knee joint forces. Results . All knee joint forces were found to decrease with increasing isokinetic speed. The tibiofemoral shears forces indicated that the anterior cruciate ligament was loaded throughout the range of motion. Conclusions . The magnitudes of knee joint forces are largely depending on the knee torque values. Relevance Isokinetic knee extensions are considered appropriate for the early part of the rehabilitation for patients with knee dysfunctions due to the lesser demand of coordination. However, to reduce the knee joint forces, submaximal efforts at lower speeds or maximal efforts at higher speeds are recommended.
Modelling the auxin-binding site of auxin-binding protein 1 of maize

Abstract We have modelled the auxin-binding site of maize auxin-binding protein 1 (ABP1) using published Site I binding data for 45 different auxin analogues. We propose an auxin phytophore model based on the analysis of structure-activity relationships for these compounds. The phytophore incorporates the key structural features of the three compounds which bind with the highest affinity, naphthalene-1-acetic acid, naphthalene-2-acetic acid and indole-3-acetic acid. We propose that their phytophoric conformation is one in which the planes described by their carboxylic acid groups are perpendicular to the plane of their aromatic ring systems and that their carboxylic acid oxygens are positioned directly astride the ring system. Our model of the auxin-binding site describes three regions of the protein: a planar aromatic ring binding platform, a carboxylic acid binding site and a hydrophobic transition region which separates the two binding sites. The exact orientation and position of the ABP1 groups involved in carboxylic acid binding is somewhat flexible. This is the first model proposed which describes the auxin-binding site of a single auxin-binding protein. We have used this model to propose a number of compounds which should bind ABP1 well.
Thorough QT Study with Recommended and Supratherapeutic Doses of Tolterodine

The objective of our study was to determine the QTc effects of tolterodine. A crossover-design thorough QT study of recommended (2 mg twice daily) and supratherapeutic (4 mg twice daily) doses of tolterodine, moxifloxacin (400 mg once daily), and placebo was performed. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) and pharmacokinetic samples were obtained on days 1–4; time-matched baseline ECGs were taken on day 0. Mean placebo-subtracted change from baseline Fridericia-corrected QT (QTcF) during peak drug exposure on day 4 was the primary end point. Mean QTcF prolongation of moxifloxacin was 8.9 ms (machine-read) and 19.3 ms (manual-read). At recommended and supratherapeutic tolterodine doses, mean QTcF prolongation was 1.2 and 5.6 ms (machine-read), respectively, and 5.0 and 11.8 ms (manual-read), respectively. The QTc effect of tolterodine was lower than moxifloxacin. No subject receiving tolterodine exceeded the clinically relevant thresholds of 500 ms absolute QTc or 60 ms change from baseline. In conclusion, tolterodine does not have a clinically significant effect on QT interval. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2007) 81, 377–385. doi:10.1038/sj.clpt.6100089
Skeletal remodelling and bone related hormones in two adults with increased bone mass.

Abstract This study of two cases documents increased bone mass in a 30-yr-old man and osteopetrosis in a 38-yr-old woman and examines the patients in terms of radiologic features, bone photon absorptiometry and bone biopsy analyses which include tetracycline kinetics. Both patients had elevated bone mass based on quantitative bone histology of iliac crest biopsies normal, or low PTH, and normal calcitonin values. However, they differed markedly from each other in other respects: One patient possessed significantly increased rates of bone formation and mineralization, had elevated serum alkaline phosphatase, increased total hydroxyproline over a 24 hour urine collection but displayed a normal amount of bone surface involved in resorption. The other subject had normal bone formation parameters, but had elevated serum acid phosphatase and a significantly elevated resorbing (crenated) surface. Although most theories ascribe the cause of osteopetrosis to decreased resorption, our study shows that increased bone formation, even when accompanied by normal resorption, can lead to the abnormal accumulation of bone mass. In this respect, the resorptive response of this patient was abnormal; the normal coupled relationship between bone formation and bone resorption, which ensures proper control of endosteal bone volume, had been lost.
Effective convection coefficient for porous interface and solute segregation

Abstract Convective heat and mass transfer coefficients are used to calculate the rate at which convection sweeps heat and mass away from the interface. Convection in melt growth is driven by various forces, and the resulting convoluted flows are laminar or turbulent. Furthermore, cross-flow through the “porous” interface has a profound effect on convection. Thus, a general effective coefficient (heff ), which accounts for: (i) uniform flow “suction” through the porous interface, (ii) forced and/or natural convection, (iii) laminar or turbulent flow, and (iv) finite Schmidt numbers, is derived. Focusing next on solute segregation, mass conservation is used to derive a simple equation for keff (effective segregation coefficient) as a function of heff. Here, heff is an input, which provides the rate at which convection sweeps the rejected solute away from the interface. From the general expression, even simpler expressions are developed for restricted range of conditions, e.g., Czochralski growth under forced laminar convection (no natural convection or turbulence). heff utilizes numerous established correlations, all developed for impermeable solids.
Theory of antigen-antibody induced particulate aggregation—II theoretical analysis and comparison with experimental results

The roles of the concentrations of the three interacting constituents in the aggregation process (antibodies, antigens and particulates) are analyzed in detail. It is shown that the basic equation derived in Part I is consistent over a broad range of conditions with experimental findings previously reported.
INTRODUCTION: TOWARD A SOCIOLOGY OF WORK AND HEALTH

Over the last two decades concern has increased in many countries over health and safety in the workplace. Research into these issues has attracted little attention from the medical profession, unions, government or industry. Sociologists have only recently begun to study the relationship between work and health, but the results so far raise important questions. This special issue reflects the diversity of perspectives and the potential contribution that sociology can make.
Imagining Arab Communities: Colonialism, Islamic Reform, and Arab Identity in Mombasa, Kenya, 1897–1933

After the advent of British colonial rule, the epistemological prestige of Muslim culture, Arabic literacy, and qadi courts declined in Kenya. Coastal residents sought favorable court rulings outside qadi courts, which no longer had independent jurisdiction, and many sought education and jobs in a British colonial system less favorable to Islamic learning. Recognizing these challenges, Sheikh al-Amin Mazrui—Kenya’s most prominent Islamic scholar—founded a newspaper called al-Islah in 1932. He was inspired by the prominent Cairo journal al-Manar, by the Salafi reformers Rashid Rida and Muhammad Abduh. Although al-Islah’s themes were similar to al-Manar’s in advocating for Islamic reform, al-Islah addressed itself to Swahili-speaking Arabs in a milieu where Muslims were increasingly a demographic minority and culturally marginalized. Print technology (al-Islah was printed in both Kiswahili and Arabic) and Salafi ideas in al-Islah worked together to spread reform and encourage East African Muslims to value Arabic and the pursuit of shariʾa. Although these ideas were products of a long Islamic tradition that privileged access to knowledge as the passport of the believer, they were also newly self-conscious reflections of Arab cultural and religious identity; al-Islah’s articles stressed the Arab role in creating Muslim civilization in Africa. Al-Islah critiqued the parochial nature of the British colonial project, urging a return to pre-colonial modes of Islamic hegemony and stressing the essential role of shariʾa in constituting Islamic identity. Islamic reform in East Africa and the “reimagination” of transnational Arab identity within it depended on Arab Muslims understanding the importance of Islamic knowledge—particularly Arabic and shariʾa—in constituting coastal communities.
Principles of Contracts for Governing Services

The state provides governance services within a specified territory, demanding payment in the form of taxes, regulations, and compulsory service. Some citizens expressly consent to that bargain, as when the President of the United States swears to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. With regard to many of its subjects, however, the state can claim no more than hypothetical consent, leaving its use of force only weakly justified. Governing services provided under contract, founded in express consent, enjoy a more justified relationship with their citizen-customers. Private institutions already provide the same legal services as the state, offering rules, dispute resolution, and armed security, often on a large scale. The success of quasi-sovereign territories such as Hong Kong and Chinaʼs Special Economic Zones has encouraged some countries to consider outsourcing government services more comprehensively. Honduras, for instance, has passed legislation that could allow owners or long-term leaseholders to exercise largely independent authority over city-sized territories. The world may soon contain many such regions, called ‘charter’ or ‘free cities’, where an owner or master leaseholder provides governing services to tenants, sub-tenants, invitees, and others by contract. What terms should we generally expect to see in contracts for governance services? Examples from history and theory suggest such features as respect for consent, protection of fundamental rights, independent adjudication, and freedom of exit. The specifics of contracts for governance services must respond to market demand, of course; we speak here not of rules but of guidelines. Field tests can tell us more about how best to serve citizen-consumers, offering millions of people the prospect of better government.
Slip in the 1857 and Earlier Large Earthquakes Along the Carrizo Plain, San Andreas Fault

The moment magnitude (Mw) 7.9 Fort Tejon earthquake of 1857, with a ~350-kilometer-long surface rupture, was the most recent major earthquake along the south-central San Andreas Fault, California. Based on previous measurements of its surface slip distribution, rupture along the ~60-kilometer-long Carrizo segment was thought to control the recurrence of 1857-like earthquakes. New high-resolution topographic data show that the average slip along the Carrizo segment during the 1857 event was 5.3 ± 1.4 meters, eliminating the core assumption for a linkage between Carrizo segment rupture and recurrence of major earthquakes along the south-central San Andreas Fault. Earthquake slip along the Carrizo segment may recur in earthquake clusters with cumulative slip of ~5 meters.
Auditor Realignment and 8-K Disclosures: Usefulness for Investor Decision Making

This study extends prior studies on auditor changes by testing (1) whether investors react to 8-K disclosures, and (2) the probability of investors anticipating a potential switch. The study includes 136 firms that both switched and did not switch auditors. It is hypothesized that investors would find it difficult to ascertain the true motives behind auditor changes. Event methodology and logit analysis are used. The results indicate a negative drift in abnormal returns prior to the switch, followed by significant positive abnormal returns on the day of the switch, and a positive drift after the switch.
Arrhythmogenic ventricular aneurysms unrelated to coronary artery disease

Malignant ventricular tachycardia occurs most frequently in patients with coronary artery disease who have had a previous myocardial infarction and in whom a ventricular aneurysm subsequently develops in the scarred section of myocardium. Ventricular tachycardia in the presence of normal coronary arteries and a left ventricular aneurysm is unusual and can be refractory to medical therapy. We retrospectively reviewed our experience of 10 patients treated at our institution from 1983 to 1993. Age ranged from 22 to 76 years, and all patients presented with sustained ventricular tachycardia. All patients underwent complete electrophysiologic testing. Cardiac catheterization was performed in 9 patients, and each had normal coronary artery anatomy without evidence of significant fixed lesions. A left ventricular aneurysm, diagnosed by either echocardiography, thoracic cine computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, or ventricular angiography was present in all patients. Ventricular tachycardia could not be suppressed pharmacologically in 7 of 10 patients using multiple agents including procainamide, quinidine, flecanide, tocainide, propaferone, and amiodarone. Six patients were treated surgically by intraoperative electrophysiologic mapping, endocardial resection of foci, and left ventricular aneurysmectomy. An implantable cardiac defibrillator device was implanted in 2 patients. One patient died on the second postoperative day after simultaneous mapping-guided aneurysmectomy and implantable cardioverter defibrillator placement. There was one late postoperative death. All other surgically treated patients had postoperative electrophysiologic studies demonstrating no inducible ventricular tachycardia, and these patients remain without antiarrhythmic therapy in follow-up extending from 29 to 86 months (mean, 56 months). Surgical pathologic examination showed nonspecific myocardial scarring and fibrosis in the aneurysm walls, which ranged in size from small apical to large broad-based basilar aneurysms with a cavity volume equal to that of the left ventricle. Our experience supports surgical therapy for medically refractory arrhythmogenic left ventricular aneurysms unrelated to coronary artery disease.
Pleural effusion associated with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C

Lung toxicity related to interferon (IFN) alpha typically takes a form of interstitial pneumonitis, granulomatous inflammation, or organizing pneumonia. We report a case of a 52-year-old woman, who developed pneumonitis with exudative, lymphocytic-predominant pleural effusion following treatment with pegylated IFN alpha and ribavirin for hepatitis C. Her symptoms and lung findings resolved over 3 months of observation without corticosteroid therapy.
Constitutively active Rheb induces oncogenic transformation

Rheb (Ras-homolog enriched in brain) is a component of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway, functioning as a positive regulator of TOR. Constitutively active mutants of Rheb induce oncogenic transformation in cell culture. The transformed cells are larger and contain more protein than their normal counterparts. They show constitutive phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6 kinase and the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1, two downstream targets of TOR. The TOR-specific inhibitor rapamycin strongly interferes with transformation induced by constitutively active Rheb, suggesting that TOR activity is essential for the oncogenic effects of mutant Rheb. Rheb-induced transformation is also dependent on a C-terminal farnesylation signal that mediates localization to a cellular membrane. An engineered N-terminal myristylation signal can substitute for the farnesylation. Immunofluorescence localizes wild-type and mutant Rheb to vesicular structures in the cytoplasm, overlapping with the endoplasmic reticulum.
High-efficiency gene transfection by in situ electroporation of cultured cells.

It is demonstrated in this study that high-efficiency gene transfection can be obtained by directly electroporating cultured mammalian cells in their attached state using a pulsed radio-frequency (RF) electric field. A plasmid DNA containing the reporter gene β-gal was introduced into COS-M6 cells and CV-1 cells using this in situ electroporation method. At the optimal electric field strength (1.2 kV/cm), we found that over 80% of the M6 cells took up and expressed the β-gal gene with a cell survival rate of about 50%. In contrast, the transfection efficiency was less than 20% when the M6 cells were electroporated in suspension. It was shown that CV-1 cells could also be electroporated highly efficiency using the in situ method. Furthermore, we have measured the time required to express the β-gal gene after the plasmid DNA was introduced. We found that the percentage of cells expressing β-gal reached a peak value about 10 h after electroporation. This time-course was the same for both attached and suspended cells, suggesting that the observed difference in transfection efficiency was mainly the result of effects of the detachment treatment on the electroporation process rather than on the gene expression.
Optical force mapping of plasmonic modes generated by a nanoantenna

We present experimental spatial mapping of optical force generated by the plasmonic mode confinement of a nanoantenna at 1550 nm. Maxwell's stress tensor method is used to simulate the force map and it agrees well with the experimental data.
Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and its association with type III polycystic kidney disease

Two cases from our institution and another from the literature in which Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and type III polycystic kidney disease (PKD) occurring simultaneously are discussed. The importance of recognizing the subtle signs of BWS is stressed, because of the increased risk of malignancies, as well as the need for continued evaluation of patients with BWS for the development and complications of PKD.
The disintegration of the Marxian school

This paper argues that the renewed relevance and strengthened theoretical foundations of Marxian value theory will not matter unless the long-term disintegration of Marxian economics is reversed, and that this disintegration has largely been caused by internal factors. These include a lack of common standards and criteria of justification; an ‘every man his own Marxist’ ethos; the quest to make Marxian economics respectable; the pursuit of ‘product differentiation’; a reliance on the resources of academia; and an instrumental approach to ideas. Finally, the paper proposes several measures to halt and reverse the process of disintegration.
Infrared Spectroscopy of Matrix-Isolated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations. 4. The Tetracyclic PAH Isomers Chrysene and 1,2-Benzanthracene

The mid-infrared spectra of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) cations of the tetracyclic isomers chrysene (C18H12+) and 1,2-benzanthracene (C18H12+) are presented. As with previous PAH cations studied to date, the CC stretching and CH in-plane bending mode absorptions are about an order of magnitude stronger than the aromatic CH out-of-plane bending absorptions and nearly 2 orders of magnitude more intense than the corresponding bands in the neutral molecule. The CH bands arising from the out-of-plane bends in the cation are slightly weaker than the corresponding bands in the neutral species. The strongest cation bands of these species fall between 1300 and 1330 cm-1, close to the peak of the most intense interstellar emission feature in HII regions and reflection nebulae. A strong PAH cation band at slightly higher frequency than 1300 cm-1 may be associated with an asymmetric CC stretching vibration involving rings adjacent to the kink in the chain of aromatic rings.
Tolerogenic role of Kupffer cells in immune-mediated adverse drug reactions

Immune-mediated adverse drug reactions (IADR) account for approximately 6-10% of all adverse drug reactions. Although IADR are often referred to as rare (afflicting 1/100 to 1/100,000 patients), their unpredictable and serious nature makes them a significant economic burden and safety concern to the health care community and the pharmaceutical industry. Current studies suggest that IADR are caused by immunogenic drug-protein adducts; however, it remains unclear why only a small percentage of patients are susceptible to developing these reactions. We hypothesized that most individuals may be resistant to IADR because they develop immunological tolerance to drug-protein adducts in the liver, an organ with tolerogenic properties. We tested this hypothesis using a murine model of T-cell-mediated reaction against a hapten, 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). We showed that pre-treatment of mice with a protein adduct of DNCB led to its accumulation in Kupffer cells (KC) of the liver and induced tolerance to subsequent DNCB sensitization. KC depletion and adoptive transfer experiments further supported that KC may act as a primary inducer of immunological tolerance against protein adducts of haptens or drugs. Functional activities of KC, which are regulated by genetic and/or environmental factors, may play an important role in determining individual susceptibility to IADR.
Social Costs of Setting High Aspirations in Competitive Negotiation

This article explores the implications of a negotiator setting high aspirations on the counterpart's assessments of the negotiator and future cooperation toward the negotiator. Participants were 134 undergraduates acting as buyers or sellers in a single-issue price negotiation. Buyers received instructions to set more or less ambitious aspirations. Buyers who set more ambitious aspirations achieved better economic outcomes. However, sellers paired with buyers setting more ambitious aspirations found their buyers to be less likeable, expressed less willingness to cooperate with them in the future, and behaved less generously toward them in a postnegotiation dictator game. The perceived likeability of the buyer explained why the sellers were less willing to cooperate in the future with buyers who had set more ambitious aspirations. This research contributes to the understanding of the downside of setting high aspirations in a competitive negotiation and provides implications on balancing one-time economic gain with future social loss.
New Meaning to it Alignment

Abstract One of the perennial top issues in surveys of IT management concerns is IT alignment. It always seems to be in the top-ten, but cyclically rises to number-one at times of economic decline. When the economy turns down, information services departments are called upon to redouble their vigilance on spending and to focus their attention on projects and initiatives that are in line with the near-term objectives of the overall business. the enterprises that have developed collaborative management processes between the business and information services organizations do this best and with the least amount of disruption. in fact, it seems that there has been tremendous progress in the past ten or fifteen years in terms of leadership and management practices on the part of both business and information services organizations that have contributed to a dramatic improvement in the handling of downward economic adjustments. Upward economic change, on the other hand, poses more perplexing challenges.
The Brown Threat: Post-9/11 conflations of Latina/os and Middle Eastern Muslims in the US American imagination

In the post-9/11 American imagination, stereotypical images of the terrorist from the Middle East and the illegal migrant worker from south of the US border consistently appear in media and rhetoric. Dominant US representations of Latinos and Middle Eastern Muslims shape not only how US government and media construes them as “Brown Threats,” but also how citizens in the US interpret these minority groups as dangerous, foreign, inauthentic and brown(ed) Americans. By analyzing law, rhetoric and visual culture, the concept of the Brown Threat interrogates contemporary conflations of Latinos and Middle Eastern Muslims.
Metastatic Neck Disease

The differential diagnosis for neck masses is broad and can be tailored based on a thorough history and physical examination as well as by patient age. New neck masses in adult patients should be considered malignant until proven otherwise. Malignant neck masses are commonly painless with most patients developing symptoms from the primary tumor location. Diagnostic adjuncts in the workup for metastatic neck disease include CT and PET/CT imaging, MRI, ultrasound, and fineneedle aspiration biopsy. Metastatic neck masses are commonly secondary to oral, oropharyngeal, and nasopharyngeal carcinomas; less prevalent are metastases from other malignancies.
Do patients with total joint replacements need antibiotics before dental work

Opinions vary, but I recommend an antibiotic for patients with prosthetic joints who have rheumatoid arthritis or other risk factors before dental procedures known to induce bleeding.
Injury-induced Synthesis of Deoxyribonucleic Acid in the Lens of the Sea Bass

PREVIOUS work has shown that small mechanical injuries to the epithelium of the rabbit lens can initiate a wave of stimulation to synthesis of DNA and mitosis. The number of cells stimulated to divide is relatively large compared with the size of the injury itself. This reaction is being examined in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship between injury and the induction of cell division.
A comparison of electronic properties of various modifications of graphite

Abstract We have investigated various electronic band structures for different graphite modifications using the extended tight binding method. The specific crystal structures studied are the two naturally occurring graphite modifications (Bernal and rhombohedral), and a hypothetical configuration where the carbon atoms in consecutive layers are directly above each other. The latter structure has not been observed in pure graphite, but it is the backbone structure for different stages of intercalated graphite, e.g. Li-graphite compounds LiC n . On comparing band structures for various graphite modifications we find important differences in the π-bands close to the Fermi energy, the region dominating transport and low energy excitation properties.
Observing seasonal steric sea level variations with GRACE and satellite altimetry

[1] Sea level rises and falls as the temperature and salinity of the water column varies, which is known as steric sea level. Sea level also changes as water mass is redistributed within the ocean or is added or removed. Satellite radar altimeters measure the combination of both effects, while the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) was designed to measure time variable gravity caused by movement of water mass. Theoretically, altimetry and GRACE data can be combined in order to compute the steric sea level variations. We test this by combining current GRACE and Jason 1 altimeter data and comparing against steric sea level observations. We will describe how to properly combine the altimetry and GRACE data, commenting on important corrections that need to be applied to each data type. Using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, we examine the leading modes of seasonal variability and find that using GRACE improves the ability to recover the dominant mode of steric sea level variability over using altimetry alone. The RMS error of the GRACE ocean mass variations is estimated to be about 2 cm of sea level at a 1000 km smoothing radius. Although this is larger than initially predicted from the GRACE mission, it is still significantly smaller than the recovered signal in several regions of the ocean.
Introduction: The Evolution of Alva Ixtlilxochitl's Scholarly Life

Don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl was many things. He was part educated Spaniard, part heir to an indigenous chieftainship. He was son and father. He was first destined for the priesthood, then a ...
Population-based comparison of open vs laparoscopic esophagogastric fundoplication in children: application of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality pediatric quality indicators

Abstract Background/Purpose Increasing national focus on patient safety has promoted development of the pediatric quality indicators (PDIs), which screen for preventable events during provision of health care for children. Our objective is to apply these safety metrics to compare 2 surgical procedures in children, specifically laparoscopic and open esophagogastric fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux. Methods A retrospective analysis using 20 years of data from national representative state inpatient databases through the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project was conducted. Patients younger than 18 years with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, codes for open or laparoscopic esophagogastric fundoplication were included. Pediatric quality indicators were linked to each patient's profile. Demographics, comorbidities, outcomes, and 8 selected PDIs between open and laparoscopic fundoplications were compared using Pearson χ 2 tests and t tests. Results Of 33,533 patients identified, 28,141 underwent open and 5392 underwent laparoscopic fundoplication. Comorbidities occurred more frequently in open surgery. In-hospital mortality, length of stay, and hospital charges were less in laparoscopic surgery. Of the 8 PDIs evaluated, decubitus ulcer ( P = .04) and postoperative sepsis ( P = .003) had decreased rates with laparoscopic surgery compared with open. Conclusion Laparoscopic fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux in children can be performed safely compared with the open approach with equivalent or improved rates of PDIs.
Age-related changes in duodenal adaptation after distal small bowel resection in rat.

Two groups of male Fisher 344 rats (young: 4 months old; aged: 25 months old) underwent either 70% distal small bowel resection or sham operation (small bowel transection). Rats from each treatment group of each age were sacrificed on the 10th (N=15: young rats;N=13: aged rats) or 20th (N=15: young;N=13: aged) postoperative day (POD), and the duodenal mucosa was weighed and assayed for DNA, RNA, and protein contents, as well as for specific activities of the disaccharidase, sucrase, maltase, and lactase. Compared to the sham operation, distal small bowel resection significantly increased DNA by 48%, RNA by 122%, and protein by 75% in young rats and DNA by 40%, RNA by 92%, and protein by 71% in aged rats on the 20th POD. Both young and aged rats showed similar adaptive hyperplasia on the 10th POD. On the 20th POD after distal small bowel resection, specific activities of all tested enzymes were significantly increased in young rats (sucrase +86%, maltase +110% and lactase +64%), but showed no significant changes in aged rats. These findings suggest that the duodenum of aged rats may have sufficient proliferative potential to respond to distal small bowel resection, but that the mechanisms governing return of function in response to distal small bowel resection are inhibited in aged rats, compared to those mechanisms in the young.
X-ray data for four crystalline forms of serum albumin☆

Abstract Cell dimensions, space groups and crystal densities are reported for a monoclinic form of human serum albumin (a = 126.5, b = 39.2, c = 135.2A, β = 93.3 °, C2, Z = 4), tetragonal human serum albumin (a = 84.0, c = 276A, P41212, Z = 8), a mercury dimer of human serum albumin (a = 155, b = 83, c = 122A, P212121, Z = 4) and a hexagonal form of equine serum albumin (a = 96.6, c = 144.5A, P61, Z = 6).
The Drosophila mus308 gene product, implicated in tolerance of DNA interstrand crosslinks, is a nuclear protein found in both ovaries and embryos

Abstract mus308 designates one of over 30 mutagen sensitivity loci found in Drosophila. It is predicted to code for a 229-kDa polypeptide. Published sequence analyses of others indicate that this polypeptide would have helicase motifs near its N-terminus, and similarities to bacterial DNA polymerase I-like enzymes near its C-terminus. In our studies, two different and highly specific antibodies were prepared and used for identification as well as characterization of the mus308 gene product. Western blot analyses reveal a single reactive polypeptide in both ovaries and embryos as well as in two Drosophila embryo tissue culture cell lines; it is nearly absent in homozygous mus308 mutants. This polypeptide is about 229 kDa in size, and indirect immunofluorescence shows that the mus308 gene product localizes throughout nuclei in wild-type cells but appears to be absent in a mus308 mutant. Immunoblot analyses throughout development suggest greatest abundance at the end of embryogenesis, immediately before hatching of first instar larvae. They also showed a smaller (∼100 kDa) antigenically and genetically related polypeptide found only in adult males. Immunoprecipitation, a highly effective method of specific purification, suggests that the mus308 protein has DNA polymerase activity that is NEM-sensitive but largely aphidicolin-resistant. In addition, the immunoprecipitated material has DNA-dependent ATPase but lacks detectable helicase.
Nitrifying biotower upsets due to snails and their control

The primary purpose of this study was to find the proper operating parameters for successful operation of the nitrification biotowers at the North Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in Dayton, Ohio, and to recommend an operational protocol to prevent future failures. This plant is subject to regular, periodic biotower upsets. It was found that these upsets are correlated with blooms of snails (Physa gyrina) which it is believed graze the biofilm and devour the nitrifying organisms. Snail control mechanisms are under investigation.
Disability in the Christian Tradition: Overview and Historiographic Reflection

This article summarizes and overviews Brian Brock and John Swinton's Disability in the Christian Tradition: A Reader (2012), and reflects on its contribution from a historiographic perspective. In particular, this discussion explores how the lens of disability invites new approaches to the history of the Christian tradition that opens up fresh perspectives on narrating Christian history, recounting the history of Christian thought, and reconsidering the theological legacies of major thinkers.
Organising yourself to communicate

Why When, nearly sixty years ago, I first faced the task of putting a written passage into fewer words, I was introduced to it by the junior English master. He called it precis writing. Not unnaturally, I concluded it was just an exercise in grammar and comprehension. It was left to the senior master a year or so later to mention the practical application, when he explained:
Methysergide releases locomotion without support in lateral hypothalamic akinesia.

Abstract Rats made profoundly akinetic by large bilateral electrolytic partial transections of the lateral hypothalamus were released from their akinesia by methysergide maleate (45 mg/kg, IP). When tested as soon as 24 hr postoperatively, lateral hypothalamic rats treated with methysergide displayed vigorous forward locomotion without postural support for as long as an hour and a half. By postoperative day 5, the locomotion elicited by methysergide was integrated with postural support to produce a more normal form of walking. Although atropine sulfate (50 mg/kg, IP) releases excessive walking in akinetic rats treated with 6-hydroxydopamine [53] it did not release locomotion in lateral hypothalamic rats. Similarly, apomorphine, clonidine and phentolamine did not do so. Assuming that methysergide in the dose used exerts its effects primarily via the blockade of serotonin systems, we suggest that, in addition to an inhibitory cholinergic system, an independent inhibitory serotonergic system may also exaggerate the akinesia seen following treatments that diminish the action of brain catecholamine systems. Furthermore, the type of locomotion released by methysergide is a fractional from not previously isolated.
Cerebellar modulation of frontal cortex dopamine efflux in mice: Relevance to autism and schizophrenia

Cerebellar and frontal cortical pathologies have been commonly reported in schizophrenia, autism, and other developmental disorders. Whether there is a relationship between prefrontal and cerebellar pathologies is unknown. Using fixed potential amperometry, dopamine (DA) efflux evoked by cerebellar or, dentate nucleus electrical stimulation (50 Hz, 200 muA) was recorded in prefrontal cortex of urethane anesthetized lurcher (Lc/+) mice with 100% loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells and wildtype (+/+) control mice. Cerebellar stimulation with 25 and 100 pulses evoked prefrontal cortex DA efflux in +/+ mice that persisted for 12 and 25 s poststimulation, respectively. In contrast, 25 pulse cerebellar stimulation failed to evoke prefrontal cortex DA efflux in Lc/+ mice indicating a dependency on cerebellar Purkinje cell outputs. Dentate nucleus stimulation (25 pulses) evoked a comparable but briefer (baseline recovery within 7 s) increase in prefrontal cortex DA efflux compared to similar cerebellar stimulation in +/+ mice. However, in Lc/+ mice 25 pulse dentate nucleus evoked prefrontal cortex DA efflux was attenuated by 60% with baseline recovery within 4 s suggesting that dentate nucleus outputs to prefrontal cortex remain partially functional. DA reuptake blockade enhanced 100 pulse stimulation evoked prefrontal cortex responses, while serotonin or norepinephrine reuptake blockade were without effect indicating the specificity of the amperometric recordings to DA. Results provide neurochemical evidence that the cerebellum can modulate DA efflux in the prefrontal cortex. Together, these findings may explain why cerebellar and frontal cortical pathologies co-occur, and may provide a mechanism that accounts for the diversity of symptoms common to multiple developmental disorders.
Confocal laser microscopic imaging of actinic keratoses in vivo: A preliminary report

Results: CM detected lesional pathologic features of hyperkeratosis (71%), lower epidermal nuclear enlargement and pleomorphism (100%), and architectural disarray (57%). In contrast, cytologic atypia and architectural disarray were apparent in one patient (17%) over the adjacent, clinically normal skin. Three of 4 biopsy specimens confirmed the clinical diagnosis of AK, whereas one revealed invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Without optimizing CM for imaging hyperkeratotic skin lesions, the limited depth of penetration reached the stratum basale in only 3 lesions, precluding detection of dermal invasion in the others. Conclusion: Depth of penetration currently imposes a major limitation on CM in the diagnosis of AKs, especially in hypertrophic and hyperkeratotic lesions, which are more likely to be malignant. However, CM may become an alternative to biopsy, and its limitations may be overcome by future technologic advances in optical penetration or by simply removing the hyperkeratotic stratum corneum. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;43:42-8.)
Application of biomarkers in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of uterine and vulval mesenchymal tumours

Abstract The gold standard for pathologica1 diagnosis is microscopic examination of tissue stained by the haematoxylin and eosin method. Nevertheless, there have been recent advances, particularly in the subspecialty of gynaecological pathology, with regard to the diagnostic usefulness of novel and established biomarkers. This review will focus upon those biomarkers that may be useful in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of uterine and vulvovaginal mesenchymal neoplasia. In particular, a practical approach to the use of desmin, h-caldesmon and CD10 will be discussed in reference to commonly encountered scenarios in the distinction between uterine endometrial stromal and smooth muscle neoplasia. The histological and immunophenotypic characteristics of tumours of perivascular epithelioid cells (so-called PEComas), relatively recently described to occur in the uterus, will also be addressed. Finally, the usefulness of a newly developed antibody against the high mobility group protein A2 (formerly HMGIC) as well as established markers will be discussed in the differential diagnosis of vulvar mesenchymal neoplasia, particularly the distinction of aggressive angiomyxoma from other vulva1 soft tissue tumours.
Letter to the Editor: Griffith, Daniel A. (2013), "Better Articulating Normal Curve for Introductory Mathematical Statistics Students: Power Transformations," The American Statistician, 67, 157-169

Griffith, D. A. (2013), “Better Articulating Normal Curve Theory for Introductory Mathematical Statistics Students: Power Transformations and Their Back-Transformations,” The American Statistician,...
Housing finance imperfections, taxation, and private saving: A comparative simulation analysis of the United States and Japan☆

Abstract This paper presents a life-cycle simulation analysis of the interaction among savings decisions, housing purchase decisions, and the tax system in the United States and Japan. To investigate this issue, we first document the stylized fact that the typical Japanese household purchases a house later in the life cycle with a higher down-payment ratio than its U.S. counterpart. Second, a life-cycle simulation model that includes the housing purchase decision is constructed and used to compare the behavior of typical U.S. and Japanese households. The Japanese household is induced to save more early in the life cycle in order to meet the higher down-payment requirement. However, the contribution of the induced early saving due to the down-payment requirement seems to be too small to explain a large differential in the saving rates of the two countries. The high economic growth of the late 19509 and 19609 in Japan is instrumental in explaining its high saving rate. Finally, tax reform concerning the tax deductibility of mortgage interest payments or the tax-exempt status of interest income is shown to have a small impact on the aggregate saving rate in either country. For example, the introduction of tax-exempt saving in the United States would increase the saving rate by only 1.5%.
A computer model of the ZTH energy system at Los Alamos

As part of the US national magnetic fusion energy research program to develop fusion energy as a practical, economical energy resource, Los Alamos is investigating two concepts of fusion: the reversed field pinch (RFP) and the compact toroid. Using the results of an experimental small fusion energy machine (ZT-40M) at Los Alamos as a basis, a larger, higher energy machine is being constructed, called ZTH. The ZTH machine originally had a design plasma current magnitude of 4 MA, compared to the smaller ZT-40M machine, at 45000 A. The system is presently under construction in a 2 MA-rated configuration. A description is given of the ZTH electrical system, which includes a 1430 MVA generator the generator's drive and excitation hardware, the system protection and control circuits, AC-to-DC voltage converters, and the magnetic coil circuits The system computer model, which is based on the EMTP code, Version 43-plus, is described. The computer results are briefly discussed. >
Microwave plasma devices&#8212;Promise and progress

Over the last few years, considerable effort has been devoted to employing the plasma state in applications as widely differing as microwave and optical frequency devices; power generation by thermonuclear fusion; magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and thermionic energy conversion, and the propulsion of spacecraft. In some of these areas intense activity still continues, and encouraging progress is being made. In others the results have been disappointing, and after an initial period of enthusiasm interest has waned. This paper is restricted to such an area, and reviews microwave plasma device research. A few years ago it seemed that a new and useful range of components, including phase shifters, beam-plasma amplifiers, and harmonic generators, might be developed. After a great deal of work, there is still a dearth of serious commercial plasma competitors to existing vacuum tube and solid-state devices. The paper discusses some of the obstacles to microwave plasma device development that have been encountered along the way, and some of the paths that have been taken to circumvent them. It is concluded that the present disappointing situation is likely to persist unless a major breakthrough is made in production of a simple quiescent plasma source, or there is a departure from the present device concepts.