cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thin Empirics: Comment on Allen & Pardo Relative Plausibility and its Critics

In the target article of this symposium, Ron Allen and Michael Pardo advance the empirical claim that Relative Plausibility is the best account of juridical proof. While I tend to agree with the relative plausibility approach and endorse its holistic underpinnings, the article suffers from three weaknesses. First, the authors fail to substantiate their empirical claim. Second, the authors cite too casually to the Story Model. For all its brilliance, the story model provides too narrow a basis to serve as a general model of legal fact-finding. Finally, the authors fail to appreciate the adverse effects of holistic cognition on legal fact-finding.
Acute Stroke in a Young Patient With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the Presence of Patent Foramen Ovale

We present an interesting case of acute ischemic stroke in a 26-year-old patient with coronavirus disease 2019, who presented to the hospital initially with headache, vomiting, and right-sided numbness and tingling. The initial workup was negative, including computed tomography (CT) of the head without contrast and CT angiography of the head and neck with no acute abnormalities. The patient was diagnosed with migraine and discharged from the emergency department. The patient developed worsening symptoms at home in the form of increasing right-sided dysmetria and weakness, gait ataxia, and dysarthria, prompting her to return to the emergency room. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was performed and was significant for right-sided acute ischemic cerebellar stroke, with also the involvement of the right cerebellar peduncle. Echocardiogram with a bubble study demonstrated patent foramen ovale. The patient was treated with standard guidelines for stroke.
Laparoscopic resection of periaortic paragangliomas

Paragangliomas are extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas that are often located in the retroperitoneum along the aorta. Although laparoscopic resection is recommended for adrenal pheochromocytomas, few laparoscopic resections for paragangliomas have been reported. We describe the presentation and imaging findings of four patients with periarotic paraganglioma. Laparoscopic resection was successfully performed in three of the four patients; the fourth patient required conversion to an open procedure. This report adds to a growing number of cases documenting that laparoscopic resection of paragangliomas is safe and feasible.
Towards education in children’s languages in Jharkhand, India

Abstract Jharkhand, India, is home to around 20 indigenous languages. People from around 33 indigenous communities use these languages. Around 2010, the state used to experience children’s highest dropout from primary schools in the nation. In the education system there was no clarity about how to address this persistent issue. In 2011, the author set up a research cell titled M-TALL (Mother-Tongue-based Active Language Learning) akhra in the state. The center undertook a socio-linguistic survey which revealed that around 96% children in the state did not speak in Hindi. They communicated in their local indigenous languages at home, playground and market. The study also found out that children failed to understand their teacher and textbooks written in Hindi. Initially the duty bearers did not pay any attention to the findings. The M-TALL akhra researchers continued their exploration and collected a lot of learning resources from each community. They developed bilingual picture dictionaries in 9 indigenous and regional languages for use in children’s early grades. Then M-TALL akhra developed a pre-school education package. In 2016, the state government with help of M-TALL akhra developed culturally sensitive new textbooks in 5 indigenous and 2 regional languages. Using these, the state initiated a mother-tongue-based multilingual education programme in around 1000 schools.
Designing Engagement in Local News: Using FOIA Requests to Create Inclusive Participatory Journalism Practices

This study explores how an engaged journalism process supported by participatory design practices can impact attitudes and perceptions of audience engagement in local journalism. Using MuckRock’s F...
Viral myocarditis: 1917-2020: From the influenza A to the COVID-19 pandemics.

Myocarditis is common during viral infection with cases described as early as the influenza pandemic of 1917, and the current COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. The hallmark is elevated troponin, which occurs in 36% of COVID patients, with electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and cardiac magnetic resonance being valuable tools to assist in diagnosis. Cardiac inflammation may occur secondary to direct cardiac invasion with the virus, or to intense cytokine storm, often encountered during the course of the disease. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and judicious use of beta-blockers are beneficial in management of myocarditis. Corticosteroids may be avoided during the very early phase of viral replication, but can be of clear benefit in hospitalized, critically ill patients. Statins are beneficial to shorten the course of the disease and may decrease mortality.
Synthesis of the hardware/software interface in microcontroller-based systems

A tool that automates the synthesis of the hardware/software interface between a microcontroller and the devices it controls is described. Optimizations of the synthesis process focus primarily on the minimization of interface hardware and also the code size of the device driver routines. This interface synthesis problem is specified and the data structures used to represent the microcontroller, devices, and hardware and software primitives are described. The port allocation algorithm is presented and the features of this interface synthesis tool are highlighted with two practical examples. >
Differential correction and arc-length continuation applied to boundary value problems: Examples based on snap-through of circular arches

Abstract Inspired by the application of differential correction to initial-value problems to find periodic orbits in both autonomous and non-autonomous dynamical systems, here differential correction is applied to boundary-value problems. As a numerical demonstration, the snap-through buckling of circular arches in structural mechanics are selected as examples. Due to the complicated geometrical nonlinearity in such problems, limit points and turning points might exist. In this case, the typical Newton–Raphson method commonly used in numerical algorithms will fail to cross such points. In the current study, an arc-length continuation is introduced to enable the current algorithm to capture complicated load-deflection paths. We present rigorous mathematical derivations inside the current algorithm, for both differential correction and arc-length continuation. To show the accuracy and efficiency of differential correction, we also compare results with the continuation software package COCO. The results obtained by the proposed algorithm and COCO agree well with each other, suggesting the validity and robustness of differential correction for boundary-value problems.
American Indians and State Law: Sovereignty, Race, and Citizenship, 1790-1880

"American Indians and State Law" examines the history of state and territorial policies, laws, and judicial decisions pertaining to Native Americans from 1790 to 1880. Belying the common assumption that Indian policy and regulation in the United States were exclusively within the federal government's domain, the book reveals how states and territories extended their legislative and judicial authority over American Indians during this period. Deborah A. Rosen uses discussions of nationwide patterns, complemented by case studies focusing on New York, Georgia, New Mexico, Michigan, Minnesota, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, to demonstrate the decentralized nature of much of early American Indian policy. This study details how state and territorial governments regulated American Indians and brought them into local criminal courts, as well as how Indians contested the actions of states and asserted tribal sovereignty. Assessing the racial conditions of incorporation into the American civic community, Rosen examines the ways in which state legislatures treated Indians as a distinct racial group, explores racial issues arising in state courts, and analyzes shifts in the rhetoric of race, culture, and political status during state constitutional conventions. She also describes the politics of Indian citizenship rights in the states and territories. Rosen concludes that state and territorial governments played an important role in extending direct rule over Indians and in defining the borders and the meaning of citizenship.
Zum Neudenken von Bildungsräumen im School Design

Die Ansatze des Schuldesigns, die sich im 21. Jahrhundert in den USA entwickelten, beziehen sich auf funf Interessenbereiche: Gleichheit, Sicherheit, Gemeinschaft, Kreativitat und Empowerment. In jedem dieser Bereiche werden unterschiedliche Methoden zur Beurteilung des Mehrwertes, den Design-Strategien im Bildungsbereich erzeugen, genutzt. Schulen haben damit begonnen, die Rolle von Bildungsraumen im Hinblick auf ihren Einfluss auf die korperliche Gesundheit, das psychische Wohlbefinden und Verhalten von SchulerInnen einerseits, sowie die Rolle des Schulgelandes als Lernwerkzeug andererseits zu uberdenken. Nichtsdestoweniger bleibt das Schulgebaude als solches in seiner Form und Struktur jenen uberraschend ahnlich, die wahrend des vorherigen Jahrhunderts gebaut worden sind. ArchitektInnen, PlanerInnen und andere Design-ExpertInnen sind einem wachsenden Druck ausgesetzt, neue Schuldesigns zu entwickeln, die zur Bildungsrendite beitragen. Daher sind sie damit konfrontiert in einer Bildungslandschaft gestalterisch tatig zu werden, die durch disruptive Technologien verandert wird, vor der Herausforderung sich erschopfender naturlicher Ressourcen steht und die eine zunehmend globalisierte Wirtschaft aufweist. Die zu gestaltende Bildungslandschaft muss SchulerInnen ein Lernumfeld bereitstellen, in welchem sie Kompetenzen erwerben konnen, die fur das Arbeiten und Leben in einer globalisierten Welt eine notwendige Ressource darstellen.
Embodiment and Ambivalence: A Jewish Feminist Perspective

American medicine is part of a culture that is rife with ambivalence about bodies in general and female bodies in particular. Such diverse issues as the medicalization of normal bodily processes, the treatment of patients as objects rather than persons, the neglect of women’s health issues and trivialization of female patients’ complaints are shaped by and contribute to dualistic understandings of the relationship between body and self and the identification of women with bodies and physicality. Given that conflicting attitudes towards the body are not only pervasive in American society but also largely unexamined, feminist efforts to explore the historical contours of this ambivalence and to articulate a holistic understanding of the body/self can help both illuminate the ideological context in which modern medicine has emerged and address the problems its heritage raises. While it is not my intention in this essay to spell out the implications of feminist theory for the clinical practice of medicine, I hope to think through some basic questions about ambivalence toward the body that must be confronted if its specific manifestations in medicine are to be effectively addressed.
Teaching ethics in the accounting and tax curriculum using Milgram's agentic shift theory

Forty-five years ago, psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a series of famous experiments on obedience and authority that tested individuals' willingness to administer electric shocks to a test subject under the direction of an authority figure. This paper discusses how Milgram's work on human psychological tendencies can be used to address subordination of judgment and other ethical issues in financial accounting and reporting, including accounting for income taxes. The teaching approach described relies on readings, videos, and mini-cases to give students an appreciation for the role of organizational influences on ethical decision making in today's accounting world. This teaching approach is innovative in its use of social psychological theories to address accounting ethical dilemmas, and its incorporation of contemporary international financial reporting standards and tax reporting issues into the ethics debate.
Providing an in-home allergen control intervention: A comparison of behavioral changes in inner-city homes of children with asthma

Abstract Rationale To examine the effect of an environmental control intervention on indoor allergen reduction behaviors in the homes of atopic, asthmatic children living in the inner city. Methods Elementary school-aged, African-American children with asthma (n=100) were randomized into an educational allergen control intervention study. Before randomization, families of all the children were skin tested and given written allergen control information. In addition, the treatment group received 3 in-home allergen control educational sessions, free encasements and a HEPA air cleaner. Home visits were conducted at baseline to assess the number of potential changes in the homes (e.g., having bedroom carpeting at baseline) and at 6 months to assess the number of actual changes made (removing carpeting). Since recommendations vary by allergen, the behaviors were evaluated based on sensitivity. Some behavioral changes included removal of carpets, pets, stuffed toys, and fabric furniture, cleaned stove, and fixed leaks. Two groups were compared using a Pearson's chi-square and odds ratio. Results Of the 100 participants, 29 had a positive skin test to dust mite, 23 to cat or dog, and 41 to cockroach. Analyses of behavioral changes showed families in the treatment group made significantly more allergen control changes in their homes at 6 months than the control group: dust mite (p Conclusions In-home educational interventions are an effective strategy to promote behavioral changes toward indoor allergen reduction in inner city families. Provision of allergen control supplies and in-home assistance enhances compliance.
Finding the PKI needles in the Internet haystack

Public key cryptography can uniquely enable trust within distributed settings. Employing it usually requires deploying a set of tools and services collectively known as a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). PKIs have become a central asset for many organizations, due to distributed IT and users. Even though the usage of PKIs in closed and controlled environments is quite common, interoperability and usability problems arise when shifting to a broader, open environment. To make an effective trust judgment about a public key certificate, a PKI user needs more than just knowledge of that certificate: she also needs to be able to locate critical parameters such as the certificate repositories and certificate validation servers relevant to that certificate - and all the others the trust path she builds for it. Surprisingly, locating these resources and services remains a largely unsolved problem in real-world X.509 PKI deployment. This issue impacts especially on the usability of this technology and the interoperability of PKIs in open environments such as the Internet. In this paper, we present the design and prototype of a new and flexible solution for automatic discovery of the services and data repositories made available by a Certificate Service Provider (CSP). This contribution will take real-world PKI one step closer to enhancing usability of digital certificates and interoperability between PKIs.
Robotic Thyroidectomy: Facelift Approach

Abstract Various endoscopic and robotic approaches to the thyroid have been developed over the past decade, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The facelift or retroauricular robotic ...
Mass casualty following unprecedented tornadic events in the Southeast: natural disaster outcomes at a Level I trauma center.

On April 27, 2011, an EF4 (enhanced Fujita scale) tornado struck a 48-mile path across northwest Georgia and southeast Tennessee. Traumatic injuries sustained during this tornado and others in one of the largest tornado outbreaks in history presented to the regional Level I trauma center, Erlanger Health System, in Chattanooga, TN. Patients were triaged per mass casualty protocols through an incident command center and triage officer. Medical staffing was increased to anticipate a large patient load. Records of patients admitted as a result of tornado-related injury were retrospectively reviewed and characterized by the injury patterns, demographics, procedures performed, length of stay, and complications. One hundred four adult patients were treated in the emergency department; of these, 28 (27%) patients required admission to the trauma service. Of those admitted, 16 (57%) were male with an age range of 21 to 87 years old and an average length of stay of 10.9 ± 11.8 days. Eleven (39%) patients required intensive care unit admissions. The most common injuries seen were those of soft tissue, bony fractures, and the chest. Interventions included tube thoracostomies, exploratory laparotomies, orthopedic fixations, soft tissue reconstructions, and craniotomy. All 28 patients admitted survived to discharge. Nineteen (68%) patients were discharged home, six (21%) went to a rehabilitation hospital, and three (11%) were transferred to skilled nursing facilities. Emergency preparedness and organization are key elements in effectively treating victims of natural disasters. Those victims who survive the initial tornadic event and present to a Level I trauma center have low mortality. Like in our experience, triage protocols need to be implemented to quickly and effectively manage mass injuries. Language: en
Preparation and characterization of polysulfide treated InP MIS structures

It is shown that InP treated with a polysulfide solution prepared by bubbling O/sub 2/ through ammonium sulfide with excess sulfur dissolved results in excellent interfaces, whereas polysulfide-free solutions have little effect. Interface state densities of 10/sup 10/ cm/sup -2/ eV/sup -1/ as judged by quasi-static CV measurements were obtained on polysulfide treated MIS structures coated with IPCVD SiO/sub 2/. Low temperature PL spectra show marked difference on polysulfide treated InP when compared to InP that was treated with commercially available ammonium sulfide. Low temperature gated PL spectra, measured using a semi-transparent gate MIS structure as a function of gate bias, show easier band bending for polysulfide passivated InP. Raman studies indicate smaller depletion widths and lower barrier heights due to lower interface states on such treated samples. >
Stigma and Psychological Well-being Among Older Adults With HIV: The Impact of Spirituality and Integrative Health Approaches

Purpose of the study The National Institutes of Health calls for research that explores what it means to age optimally with HIV/AIDS as half of the U.S. people with HIV are aged 50 or older. This study applied the stress process model to examine the association between HIV stigma and psychological well-being and mediating resources (i.e., spirituality and complementary and integrative health [CIH]) approaches) in older adults with HIV. Design and methods Using data from the Research on Older Adults with HIV (ROAH) study, structural equation modeling was used to estimate these relationships within a latent variable model. Namely, a direct negative association between HIV stigma and psychological well-being was hypothesized that would be mediated by spirituality and/or CIH use. Results The analyses showed that the model fits the data well [χ2 (137, N = 914) = 561.44, p = .000; comparative fit index = .964; root mean square error of approximation = .058, 95% confidence interval = .053 to .063]. All observed variables significantly loaded on their latent factor, and all paths were significant. Results indicated that spirituality and CIH use significantly mediated the negative association between HIV stigma and psychological well-being. Implications Findings highlight the importance of spiritual and CIH interventions for older adults with HIV/AIDS. Practice recommendations are provided at the micro- and mesolevel.
A demonstration of ABM validation techniques by applying docking to the Epstein civil violence model

The increased focus of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) on irregular warfare and counterinsurgency has served to identify the lack of credible models and simulations to represent the relevant civilian populations – the centers of gravity of such operations. While agent-based models (ABMs) have enjoyed widespread use in the social science community, many senior DoD officials are skeptical that agent-based models can provide useful tools to underpin DoD analysis, training, and acquisition needs mainly because of validation concerns. This paper uses docking and other forms of alignment that enable the linking of the Epstein civil violence agent-based model results to other models. These examples of model-to-model analysis could serve to assist and encourage DoD ABM human domain model validation efforts.
A brief commentary on cost-effectiveness analysis in radiologic research.

OBJECTIVE. This commentary provides a brief overview of cost-effectiveness analysis, which is increasingly applied in radiologic research. The purpose is to familiarize readers with the basic concepts in this topic and to provide help in appraising original articles in this area of research, as featured in this issue of the AJR.CONCLUSION.Despite some limitations, decision-analytic modeling provides a useful tool for cost-effectiveness analysis in emerging technologies and helps to direct future research and the practice of radiology.
The structure and division of paramecium trichium stokes

Paramecium trichium varies from 50 μ to 105 μ long with most individuals between 80 μ and 90 μ. The width varies from one-third to one-half the length. It is somewhat depressed dorsoventrally. The broad buccal groove extends from the anterior left border diagonally across the ventral surface to the mouth, which is usually slightly anterior to the middle and to the right side of the median line. The mouth leads into a relatively long cytopharynx containing an undulating membrane. The cytopyge is subterminal and the small caudal tuft of longer cilia is subapical. The plastic ectosarc contains numerous trichocysts. A contractile vacuole apparatus occurs near either end. Each is deeply located and stains more intensely than surrounding protoplasm. In life there appear to be two alternately contracting vacuoles with smaller ones adjacent. Contractions are from fifteen to twenty-five per minute. The macronucleus is medium in size and the single micronucleus is of the ‘caudatum’ type. Binary fission appears to be initiated by a metaphase-like condition of the micronucleus. This is followed by great enlargement and the eventual separation of the chromatin threads into two anaphase groups. The metaphase thus appears to precede the changes which correspond to a prophase in other cases. During division of the body, the two old contractile vacuoles persist as the posterior ones for the daughters, new anterior ones being developed.
Behavioural response of larval Atlantic menhaden to different rates of temperature change

Larval Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus, spawned off North Carolina (U.S.A.) during the winter, undergo cross-shelf transport from the western Gulf Stream edge to coastal bays and estuaries. Variation in water flow direction with depth provides larvae the opportunity to enhance shoreward transport, if they can regulate their depth behaviourally. Temperature, which normally decreases with depth on the continental shelf, is one possible cue for depth regulation. Laboratory-reared larval menhaden of two different ages were exposed to varying relative rates of temperature increases and decreases, which were presented from both above and below the larvae. Temperature decreases from below caused an ascent response in both young and old larvae, but neither responded to this cue from above. The minimum (threshold) relative rates of decrease for initiating ascents were similar (7.9 × 10−2, 10.7 × 10−2° C min−1) for both age larvae as were the minimum absolute amounts of decrease that must occur before a response (0.1, 0.05°C). Young larvae did not respond to a temperature increase, while old larvae ascended regardless of whether the increase was presented from above or below. Threshold relative rates of increase were 8.59 × 10−2°C min−1 from below and 14.79 × 10−2° C min−1 from above. The threshold rates and range of larval speeds during vertical movements were used to calculate vertical temperature gradients that could be perceived. These values were compared to measured gradients in areas inhabited by menhaden larvae. On the continental shelf, detectable temperature gradients appear common for temperature decreases that would occur upon descending and temperature increases upon ascending. However, it is uncommon for larvae to encounter temperature increases upon descending that would initiate an ascent response. These results support the hypothesis that menhaden larvae are capable of using temperature gradients for depth regulation.
Climate and the Galapagos Islands

Data from the El Junco lake suggest that the climate of the eastern Pacific Ocean in glacial and postglacial times correlated with climatic events in the northern hemisphere.
Pharmacokinetics of propylene glycol in humans during multiple dosing regimens.

The pharmacokinetics of propylene glycol has been examined during multiple oral-dosing regimens. The glycol is rapidly absorbed, with Cpmax observed within 1 h following administration. The terminal elimination half-life is ∼4 h. After a minimum of 10 half-lives of maintenance dosing on a fixed regimen, the accumulation of propylene glycol differed significantly among individuals because of variability in apparent clearance. The average apparent total body clearance is ∼0.1 L/kg · h and may be concentration dependent. The apparent volume of distribution is ∼0.5 L/kg, approximating total body water.
A spreadsheet approach to minimum cost tolerancing for rocket engines

Abstract A minimum cost tolerance allocation method for non-linear systems was developed and demonstrated on a NASA rocket engine design. The method required developing a cost aggregation approach to allocate costs to tolerances. The approach is based on component element cost estimates, manufacturing difficulty curves, and functional gains matrices between system, component, and element parameters. The method is amenable to successive smaller level decomposition. It's greatest benefit is likely to be gained within a concurrent engineering environment from the insights engineers will obtain into the cost-functionality relationships between components and from the information required to use the method.
The link between posttraumatic stress disorder and firearm violence: A review

The relationship between firearm violence and mental illness has been a longstanding issue, and one that has received recent national attention due to highly publicized shootings. However, no prior reviews have focused on the relationship between firearm violence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) specifically. The current review examines evidence of PTSD as both a consequence of and risk factor for firearm violence. The studies reviewed suggest elevated rates of PTSD among those exposed to firearm violence, with particularly high levels of PTSD found among witnesses of mass shootings and firearm injury survivors. Additionally, these studies indicate that certain factors, such as closer proximity to the incident and closer relationship to the victims, increase one's risk for developing PTSD. Although there is a dearth of research on PTSD as a risk factor for perpetration of firearm violence, the available evidence suggests a significant connection between the two. Gaps in the current literature are discussed, as well as directions for future study. Firearm violence remains a significant public health concern, and identifying its impacts and potential risk factors such as PTSD will be crucial for interventions aimed at addressing this problem.
The use of self-expanding silicone stents in esophageal cancer care: optimal pre-, peri-, and postoperative care

Preoperative nutritional supplementation, management of esophageal leaks, and postoperative anastomotic strictures still remain common problems in the management of esophageal cancer. Jejunal feeding tubes, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with nasogastric suction, and repeated esophageal dilations remain the most common treatments, respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of removable silicone stents in (1) the preoperative nutritional optimization during neoadjuvant therapy, (2) the management of perioperative anastomotic leak, and (3) the management of postoperative anastomotic strictures. Review of our prospectively maintained esophageal database identified 15 patients who had removable self-expanding silicone stents placed in the management of one of these three management problems from July 2004 to August 2006. Preoperative therapy: Five patients underwent initial stent placement in preparation for neoadjuvant therapy. Dysphagia relief was seen in 100% of patients, with optimal caloric needs taken within 24 h of placement. All patients tolerated neoadjuvant therapy without delay from dehydration or malnutrition. One stent migration was found at the time of operation, which was removed without sequelae. Perioperative therapy: Five patients developed delayed (>10 days) esophageal leaks that were managed with removable esophageal stent and percutaneous drainage (in three patients). All patients had successful exclusion of the leak on the day of the procedure with resumption of oral intake on the evening of procedure. All five healed leaks without sequelae. Postoperative therapy: Five patients developed postoperative anastomotic strictures that required dilation and placement of removable esophageal stent. The median number of dilations was 1 (range 1–2), with all stents placed for approximate 3 months duration. All patients had immediate dysphagia relief after stent placement. Removable esophageal stents are novel treatment option to optimize relief of symptoms and return the patients back to a more normal oral intake. Continued evaluation is needed to consider stent use as first-line therapy.
Purification and properties of N5, N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase of calf thymus

Summary 1. 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate:NADP-oxidoreductase (EC 1.5.1.5)1 from calf-thyxnus acetone-powder extracts has been purified about 100 fold. The enzyme is highly unstable, but can be partially protected against inactivation by thiol compounds (mercaptoethanol) and glycerol. 2. The substrates for the enzyme have been demonstrated to be d, L -methylene-tetrahydropteroylglutamate and NADP+. Tetrahydropteroyl- L -aspartate and tetra-hydropteroyltriglutamate were found to be as effective substrates as the mono-glutamate. Tetrahydropteroyl- D -glutamate and tetrahydropteroic acid were found to be completely inactive. 3. The dehydrogenation reaction has been shown to be reversible, but the equilibrium greatly favors the formation of N5, N10-methenyltetrahydrofolate. 4. A variety of chemical and kinetic properties of the enzyme have been determined.
Hepatitis C etiology of liver disease is strongly associated with early acute rejection following liver transplantation.

Although recurrent hepatitis C (HCV) occurs universally after liver transplantation (LT), its tempo and severity are variable and unpredictable. Diagnosis and treatment of early acute rejection (EAR) likely affect the course of recurrent HCV disease. We have studied a contemporary cohort of LT recipients to reexamine risk factors for EAR. We hypothesized that HCV etiology may represent a significant risk factor for EAR for many reasons. First, recurrent disease commonly causes biochemical abnormalities prompting allograft biopsy. Second, overlapping histologic features of acute rejection and recurrent HCV ambiguity may result in diagnostic ambiguity. Finally, the biology of hepatitis may precipitate an antidonor response in addition to an antiviral response. Records of 285 adult recipients undergoing primary LT for cirrhosis between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2002, were retrospectively reviewed. EAR was defined as a biopsy-proven or an empirically treated episode within 6 months of LT. Cox proportional hazards analysis identified donor, recipient, transplant, and posttransplant characteristics associated with EAR; Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess rejection by etiology. HCV cirrhosis was the etiology for 51% of all LT recipients. There were 135 episodes of EAR (127 biopsy proven) in 117 recipients for an overall incidence of 41%. Patient groups with HCV and cholestatic / autoimmune disease groups exhibited the highest incidence of rejection at 49%. Recipient gender, ethnicity, etiology, LT year, and posttransplant immunosuppression levels were risk factors for EAR in univariate analysis; HCV etiology and female gender remained robust risk factors in multivariate analysis. Interferon-based therapy did not impact the incidence or timing of EAR. In conclusion, HCV etiology is strongly associated with EAR. HCV allograft reinfection may create an immunologic environment predisposed to EAR. Alternatively, the association of HCV and EAR may result from an increased frequency of allograft biopsy and may be further exacerbated by inability to accurately diagnose EAR in the setting of recurrent HCV. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:975–985.)
The collision-induced far-infrared absorption band of gaseous methane in the region 30–900 cm−1

Abstract The collision-induced rotational band Of CH4 has been measured at 195 K from ≈30 to 900 cm−1. These results have been analyzed with a quantum-mechanical lineshape which shows that this spectrum can be understood on the basis of octupole- and hexadecapole-induced dipoles. However, this analysis has revealed the role of bound and predissociating dimers in the spectrum.
Assumed strain finite element methods for conserving temporal integrations in non-linear solid dynamics

This paper presents a new class of assumed strain finite elements to use in combination with general energy-momentum-conserving time-stepping algorithms so that these conservation properties in time are preserved by the fully discretized system in space and time. The case of interest corresponds to nearly incompressible material responses, in the fully non-linear finite strain elastic and elastoplastic ranges. The new elements consider the classical scaling of the deformation gradient with an assumed Jacobian (its determinant) defined locally through a weighted averaging procedure at the element level. The key aspect of the newly proposed formulation is the definition of the associated linearized strain operator or B-bar operator. The developments presented here start by identifying the conditions that this discrete operator must satisfy for the fully discrete system in time and space to inherit exactly the conservation laws of linear and angular momenta, and the conservation/dissipation law of energy for elastic and inelastic problems, respectively. Care is also taken of the preservation of the relative equilibria and the corresponding group motions associated with the momentum conservation laws, and characterized by purely rotational and translational motions superimposed to the equilibrium deformed configuration. With these developments at hand, a new general B-bar operator is introduced that satisfies these conditions. The new operator not only accounts for the spatial interpolations (e.g. bilinear displacements with piece-wise constant volume) but also depends on the discrete structure of the equations in time. The aforementioned conservation/dissipation properties of energy and momenta are then proven to hold rigorously for the final numerical schemes, unconditionally of the time step size and the material model (elastic or elastoplastic). Different finite elements are considered in this framework, including quadrilateral and triangular elements for plane problems and brick elements for three-dimensional problems. Several representative numerical simulations are presented involving, in particular, the use of energy-dissipating momentum-conserving time-stepping schemes recently developed by the author and co-workers for general finite strain elastoplasticity in order to illustrate the properties of the new finite elements, including these conservation/dissipation properties in time and their locking-free response in the quasi-incompressible case. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quality of work environment (QWE): Effects on office workers

Abstract This article focuses on the physical environment of work as an important, and overlooked, component of working conditions. Quality of Work Environment (QWE) is viewed as one facet of the Quality of Worklife (QWL) movement. Attention is thus paid not only to direct health effects of adverse environmental conditions, but also to how the physical conditions of work contribute to a sense of competence and to job satisfaction and performance. Based on empirical research and theory, a set of general criteria for improving the quality of the work environment are proposed.
Oligonucleotides Containing N7-Cyanoborane-2′-deoxyguanosine

Abstract For synthesis of N7-cyanoborane-containing oligonucleotides, the 5′-DMT protecting group is not a suitable precursor because the boronated nucleoside is incompatible with DMT cations released during deprotection of the oligonucleotide. As an alternative to DMT, we have investigated use of the 5′-Fmoc protecting group. We found that the cyanoborane group is stable during synthesis and deprotection conditions used with Fmoc derivatives.
CD8+ thymocyte differentiation: T cell two-step.

A new study demonstrates that commitment to the CD8 lineage in the thymus requires sequential T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and interleukin 7 (IL-7) signaling. The TCR signal first induces IL-7 responsiveness, then recognition of IL-7 induces the nuclear factor Runx3, which specifies the CD8 lineage.
ESTROGEN-REGULATED PROTEIN IN HUMAN BREAST CANCER

An estrogen-regulated cytoplasmic protein has been purified from MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with anion exchange and monoclonal antibody affinity chromatographies. The purified protein has a monomeric mol. wt of 28,000 and isoelectric species with pI's between 5.9 and 6.0. Amino acid analysis indicates the protein is acidic, is probably hydrophilic, and contains unusually low amounts of methionine and half cystine. The monoclonal antibodies are of the IgG1 subclass, exhibit a high affinity for the 28K protein, and recognize an antigenic site that is stable to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis and electrophoretic transfer techniques. These monoclonal antibodies have been used to detect 28K in certain human breast tumors.
Atmospheric argon contamination of ocean island basalt olivine phenocrysts

^(40)Ar/^(36)Ar and helium and argon concentrations have been repeatedly measured on olivine phenocrysts in a single tholeiitic basalt (PIN-12) from the Juan Fernandez hotspot. Forty olivine splits were analyzed by crushing of bulk samples or laser fusion of single crystals. The measured ^(40)Ar/^(36)Ar ratios span a very large range (400–7700) and are consistent with binary mixing of two argon components. Unlike argon, helium in repeated measurements of this single basalt flow has a reproducible isotopic ratio, 17 times the air ^3He/^4He value. It is unlikely that such large variations in ^(40)Ar/^(36)Ar represent microscale mantle heterogeneity. Rather the results indicate highly variable mixing proportions of a mantle-derived radiogenic argon component (^(40)Ar/^(36)Ar > 7700) and an isotopically air-like endmember that is almost certainly an atmospheric contaminant. This air-like constituent cannot be removed by physical and chemical treatments of the olivines. Analysis of individual crystals by laser fusion shows that both the radiogenic and the contaminant components are in fluid inclusions. Siting of the contaminant in inclusions requires the addition of airderived noble gases to hotspot magmas prior to or during emplacement, a process that may occur by assimilation of altered crust during crustal storage or, alternatively, by direct addition of air or seawater to the magma. In either case the olivines must continue to trap argon, presumably by fracture annealing and/or bubble enclosure, after the contaminating event. If atmospheric contamination is a general phenomenon, the ^(40)Ar/^(36)Ar composition of olivines (and possibly of basalt glasses as well) must be only a lower limit for the mantle source ratio. With the exception of helium, the other noble gases may be similarly compromised. Our results support contentions that lavas with near-atmospheric noble gas compositions reflect severe atmospheric contamination, rather than the air-like signature of an undegassed primitive mantle reservoir.
Eutrophication of the Salt Valley Reservoirs, 1968–73 III. The macroinvertebrate community: Its development, composition, and change in response to eutrophication

The macroinvertebrate communities of four flood control reservoirs in eastern Nebraska, differing in age and degree of eutrophy were investigated from Ekman grab samples. Generally, the longer a reservoir had been influenced by eutrophication the larger the standing crop in it. Chironomids, ceratopogonids, fingernail clams, and Hexagenia were important at various stages of eutrophication with Chironomus predominating in the most eutrophic reservoirs. Tubifex decreased with eutrophication as did Sphaerium simili while Sphaerium declive maintained its abundance and sometimes increased.
Coral Reef Ecosystems and Human Health: Biodiversity Counts!

The health of human populations requires a wide variety of chemical and physical supports from their associated ecosystems, as well as from the global ecosystem. Ecosystems can be “ecologically engineered” to improve the efficiency of that service, particularly when ecosystem health fails due to human overloads. Less well recognized is an entirely different dimension of ecosystem support of human populations; namely the pharmacological value of ecosystem biodiversity. Natural product chemistries are an extremely important resource in the ever-expanding human battle with health degrading microbes. Coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems in the sea and have the highest density of biodiversity globally. High diversity density gives rise to intense species competition and the subsequent organism capability to construct exotic defensive and offensive chemicals, many with pharmacological value. Coral reefs are being rapidly degraded, anthropogenically, both locally and globally. It is estimated that less than 10% of reef biodiversity is currently known and only a small fraction of that percent has been tested for “active compounds”. Many species extinctions are likely in the coming decades, and badly needed pharmacological potential will subsequently be lost. Sophisticated coral reef and reef organism culturing capability is now available that would allow the prospecting of reefs, the efficient analysis of organisms and eventually the mass culturing of those organisms for their secondary compounds without ecosystem damage. The economic value of this pharmaceutical potential needs to be directed by governments to an international crash project to conserve coral reefs and their biodiversity.
Pituitary carcinoma with endolymphatic sac metastasis

Pituitary carcinoma is characterized by the presence of a metastatic lesion(s) in a location non-contiguous with the original pituitary tumor. The mechanism(s) of malignant transformation are not known. A 15 year-old male was diagnosed in 1982 with a pituitary macroadenoma and acromegaly (random GH 67 ng/ml and no suppression by oral glucose). His prolactin was normal between 18 and 23 ng/ml. Transcranial resection in July 1983 was followed by radiation therapy. The tumor was immunopositive for GH and prolactin. The proliferation MIB-1 index was 0-1%. With aqueous Octreotide 100 mcg 4× daily both GH and IGF-1 became normal. The patient was lost to follow-up and was treated by his local physician. In 2001, his IGF-1 level was 1271 ng/ml, and his random GH was 1.8-2.4 ng/ml by ILMA despite progressive increase in the dose of Sandostatin LAR to 140 mg/month in divided doses. Prolactin remained normal or minimally increased between 15 and 25 ng/ml. In 2009 he was diagnosed with the tumor in the location of left endolymphatic sac. Histological examination showed low grade pituitary carcinoma strongly immunopositive for prolactin but negative for GH. MIB-1 antibody labeled 0-5% cells. In 2012 endoscopic resection of the pituitary tumor remnant was attempted. Immunohistochemical stains were strongly immunopositive for both prolactin and GH, similar to his original pituitary tumor. The MIB-1 proliferation index was low from 0 to 1%. To our knowledge this is the first case of pituitary carcinoma in the endolymphatic sac region. The dichotomy between the cell population of the pituitary lesion (GH/prolactin producing) and the metastasis (purely prolactin-producing) may suggest that the metastatic pituitary lesion derived from a clone distinct from the original one.
A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay for dihydroxy-acid dehydratase.

A sensitive method for assaying dihydroxy-acid dehydratase activity is described. This enzyme produces α-ketoisovaleric and α-keto-β-methylvaleric acids, respectively, in the biosynthesis of valine and isoleucine. These α-keto acids, after derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenyl-hydrazine, were separated and quantified by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on a Zorbax octadecylsilane C-18 column. As little as 50 pmol of α-ketoisovaleric was detected in assays using cell-free extracts from Escherichia coli, whose measured specific activity was 8 μmol of α-ketoisovaleric acid produced per hour per milligram protein.
Everyone to skis! skiing in Russia and the rise of Soviet biathlon

Everyone to Skis! adds to the growing body of literature in the English language on the development of sports and physical culture in the Eastern Bloc and specifically analyzes how skiing became a ...