cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What Regulates Basal Insulin Secretion and Causes Hyperinsulinemia

We hypothesize that basal hyperinsulinemia is synergistically mediated by an interplay between increased oxidative stress and excess lipid in the form of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and long-chain acyl-CoA esters (LC-CoA). In addition, ROS production may increase in response to inflammatory cytokines and certain exogenous environmental toxins that mislead β-cells into perceiving nutrient excess when none exists. Thus, basal hyperinsulinemia is envisioned as an adaptation to sustained real or perceived nutrient excess that only manifests as a disease when the excess demand can no longer be met by an overworked β-cell. In this article we will present a testable hypothetical mechanism to explain the role of lipids and ROS in basal hyperinsulinemia and how they differ from glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). The model centers on redox regulation, via ROS, and S-acylation-mediated trafficking via LC-CoA. These pathways are well established in neural systems but not β-cells. During GSIS, these signals rise and fall in an oscillatory pattern, together with the other well-established signals derived from glucose metabolism; however, their precise roles have not been defined. We propose that failure to either increase or decrease ROS or LC-CoA appropriately will disturb β-cell function.
Group effort in toxin synthesis

It is increasingly evident that bacterial cells cooperate for many purposes. New results show that the bacterium Enterococcus uses cell–cell signalling to coordinate toxin production.
Plasma oscillations and the emissivity of type III radio bursts

Plasma wave electric field measurements with the solar orbiting Helios spacecraft have shown that intense electron plasma oscillations occur in association with type III solar radio bursts, thereby confirming a well known mechanism for generating solar radio emissions first proposed by Ginzburg and Zhelezniakov in 1958. In this paper the principal characteristics of these plasma oscillations are reviewed and the observed plasma oscillation intensities are compared with recent measurements of the emissivity of type III radio bursts. The observed emissivities are shown to be in good agreement with two current models for the conversion of electrostatic plasma oscillations to electromagnetic radiation.
RAC Attack—Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors: What Geriatricians Need to Know

Knowledge of Medicare policies and procedures is integral to the practice of geriatric medicine. Within the past several years, there has been a focus on Medicare fraud, abuse, and waste in healthcare spending. One program, Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC), has recently been launched to indentify improper payments by performing postpayment reviews of Medicare Part A and Part B claims. During the program pilot project in only three states, more than $1 billion in incorrect payments were identified, with the overwhelming majority being overpayments that had to be returned to the Medicare Trust Fund. In 2006, Congress mandated that the RAC program be rolled out nationwide, which is ongoing. The audit focuses on documentation of medical necessity for inpatient admission and the 3-day qualifying stay for skilled nursing care, important concerns for geriatricians. This article describes the RAC program and target areas for payment recoupment, denials management, and provider preparation.
Invited Commentary: The Contraceptive Technology Tightrope

Safe and effective contraceptives are needed to combat the problem of unwanted births especially among adult couples. The National Survey of Family Growth shows that it is among women 20 years and older that 9/10 unwanted births occur with 3/4 of such births occurring among married adult women. This problem of unmet need for effective contraceptive methods also extends to the developing world which claims almost 500000 annual women deaths from complications of pregnancy childbirth and induced abortion. An estimated 200000 of these deaths could be avoided were initial conception prevented. Infant and child mortality are also associated with short intervals between births in high-risk populations. Despite the need for safe and effective methods no perfect method exists for sexually active couples. Such a method would be used independently of coitus require little effort be inexpensive be 100% effective be immediately reversible have neither side effects nor health risks and be indicated for all couples regardless of health status. The risks drawbacks and benefits of the IUD condoms and injectables are discussed with special attention focused upon depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) an injectable hormonal contraceptive. A recent large study of infants exposed to DMPA found that exposure during the 1st 4 weeks of pregnancy may retard fetal growth and increase infant mortality associated with low birth weight. While this research stems from observational epidemiology results validity is questionable due to methodologic flaws. Nonetheless health risks have been noted for all currently available methods with the risks to mothers and infants of unintended conception still being substantially greater. In closing the paper urges risk/benefit assessment of methods to be made along comparative versus absolute lines with results communicated to providers and consumers.
Long-term all-sites cancer mortality time trends in Ohio, USA, 1970–2001: differences by race, gender and age

There were significant changes in cancer mortality in the USA over the last several decades, in the whole country and in particular states. However, no in depth analysis has been published so far, dealing with changes in mortality time trends in the state of Ohio. Since the state of Ohio belongs to the states of relatively high level of all-sites mortality in both males and females, it is of interest to analyze recent changes in mortality rates, as well as to compare them with the situation in the rest of the USA. The main aim of this study was to analyze, describe and interpret all-sites cancer mortality time trends in the population of the State of Ohio. Cancer mortality data by age, sex, race and year for the period 1970–2001 were obtained from the Surveillance Research Program of the National Cancer Institute SEER*Stat software. A joinpoint regression methodology was used to provide estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) and to detect points in time where significant changes in the trends occurred. In both, males and females mortality rates were higher in blacks compared with whites. The difference was bigger in males (39.9%) than in women (23.3%). Mortality rates in Ohio are generally higher than average USA rates – an overall difference was 7.5% in men in 1997–2001, and 6.1% in women. All-sites mortality trends in Ohio and in the whole USA are similar. However, in general, mortality rates in Ohio remained elevated compared with the USA rates throughout the entire analyzed period. The exceptions are the rates in young and middle-aged African Americans. Although direction of time trends in Ohio are similar in Ohio and the whole US, Ohio still have cancer mortality rates higher than the US average. In addition, there is a significant discrepancy between white and black population of Ohio in all-sites mortality level, with disadvantage for Blacks. To diminish disparities in cancer mortality between African Americans and white inhabitants of Ohio efforts should be focused on increasing knowledge of black people regarding healthy lifestyle and behavioral risk factors, but also on diminishing socioeconomic differences, and last but not least, on better access to medical care.
Freedom of Speech, the Internet, and the Costs of Control: The French Example

This Note argues that the current infrastructure of the Internet renders networks so difficult to control that the objectives of restrictive state policies in the area of Internet speech cannot be achieved without the use of measures inconsistent with the tenets of democracy. First, this Note explores the perceived importance and necessity of content control of speech in the French legal and cultural orders, and examines the French government’s experience with controlling the Minitel. Then, the author argues that the Internet renders content control much more difficult to implement, and analyzes recent case law and legal developments in France. The Note concludes that, as exemplified in the French experience, the costs of content control weigh against state implementation of traditional regulatory schemes on the Internet.
Organic Compounds in Groundwater

Virtually all natural waters contain at least some amounts of organic compounds. However, as human impact on the environment increases, the concentration of organic compounds, such as solvents or petroleum products, in the hydrosphere has increased in many places. Consequently, many aquifers experience a degradation of groundwater quality, and there is strong concern how to protect this valuable natural resource effectively from further contamination. Organic compounds in groundwater can be of natural or anthropogenic origin. Naturally occurring organic compounds in terrestrial water include carbohydrates (sugars and cellulose), lipids (neutral fats), and proteins. The building blocks of proteins are amino acids, whereas functional proteins that act as biological catalysts are enzymes. Proteins are biopolymers that can form complexes with other organic compounds. Such compounds include tannins, which are phenolic compounds that occur naturally in bark, wood, leaves, or roots of many plants. The presence of elevated tannin levels in water results in a yellowish-brown discoloration. The parameter, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), is a commonly used measure for the concentration of organic compounds in aqueous solution. DOC is the fraction of total organic carbon (TOC is all carbon atoms covalently bonded in organic molecules) in water that passes through a 0.45 micron pore-diameter filter. Typical DOC concentrations for ground water range from a few micrograms to several 10 mg per liter and more. DOC concentrations depend on various factors, such as climate, soil and vegetation coverage, and land use. Keywords: dissolved organic carbon (DOC); total organic carbon (TOC); polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB); total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH); volatile organic compounds (VOC); semivolatile organic compounds (SVOC); maximum contaminant levels (MCL); tetrachloroethene (PCE); trichloroethene (TCE); nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL); light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL); dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL)
Separable Banach space theory needs strong set existence axioms

We investigate the strength of set existence axioms needed for separable Banach space theory. We show that a very strong axiom, Π1 comprehension, is needed to prove such basic facts as the existence of the weak-∗ closure of any norm-closed subspace of `1 = c0. This is in contrast to earlier work [5, 7, 6, 25, 22] in which theorems of separable Banach space theory were proved in very weak subsystems of second order arithmetic, subsystems which are conservative over Primitive Recursive Arithmetic for Π2 sentences. En route to our main results, we prove the Krein-Smulian theorem in ACA0, and we give a new, elementary proof of a result of McGehee on weak-∗ sequential closure ordinals.
Protein quality control--linking the unfolded protein response to disease. Conference on 'From Unfolded Proteins in the Endoplasmic Reticulum to Disease'.

See Glossary for abbreviations used in this article. The Summer Research Conference ‘From Unfolded Proteins in the Endoplasmic Reticulum to Disease’ took place between 7 and 12 June 2009, in Saxtons River, Vermont, USA, and was organized by L. Hendershot and R. Hegde. ![][1] The correct folding of proteins is essential for cellular homeostasis and the prevention of disease. During times of stress or changes in demand for newly synthesized proteins, signalling pathways cooperate with networks of protein‐folding and protein‐degradation factors to maintain the pools of non‐native proteins within a tolerable range. Such events are crucial for survival, as aberrant protein homeostasis can result in diseases that range from cancer and diabetes to neurodegeneration. Protein flux through the secretory pathway is controlled through the UPR signalling system. Recent breakthroughs in this field were presented at a Summer Research Conference, and the varied talks included studies of basic and clinical relevance. Here, we discuss the highlights of this important conference. The plenary lecture was delivered by D. Ron (New York, NY, USA), who provided an overview of how transmembrane resident ER proteins signal from the ER lumen to the cytoplasm and nucleus to modulate translation and control transcriptional events to fine‐tune protein flux through the ER (Fig 1). The signalling cascades that constitute the different UPR pathways have been known for some time, but what was evident from several presentations in Saxtons River is that UPR signalling is an adaptive response that helps cells to survive acute stress, but that is not always beneficial during chronic stress. CHOP is a transcription factor that is induced through PERK signalling and induces apoptotic cell death in response to chronic ER stress. Apoptosis is prevalent in atherosclerosis and Ron and I. Tabas (New York, NY, USA) reported that less apoptosis and necrosis occurs in atherosclerotic … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Human (Homo sapiens) and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) share similar ancestral centromeric alpha satellite DNA sequences but other fractions of heterochromatin differ considerably

The euchromatic regions of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) genome share approximately 98% sequence similarity with the human (Homo sapiens), while the heterochromatic regions display considerable divergence. Positive heterochromatic regions revealed by the CBG-technique are confined to pericentromeric areas in humans, while in chimpanzees, these regions are pericentromeric, telomeric, and intercalary. When human chromosomes are digested with restriction endonuclease AluI and stained by Giemsa (AluI/Giemsa), positive heterochromatin is detected only in the pericentromeric regions, while in chimpanzee, telomeric, pericentromeric, and in some chromosomes both telomeric and centromeric, regions are positive. The DA/DAPI technique further revealed extensive cytochemical heterogeneity of heterochromatin in both species. Nevertheless, the fluorescence in situ hybridization technique (FISH) using a centromeric alpha satellite cocktail probe revealed that both primates share similar pericentromeric alpha satellite DNA sequences. Furthermore, cross-hybridization experiments using chromosomes of gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) and orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) suggest that the alphoid repeats of human and great apes are highly conserved, implying that these repeat families were present in their common ancestor. Nevertheless, the orangutan's chromosome 9 did not cross-hybridize with human probe.
Parametric studies on phencyclidine enhancement of 3H quinuclidinyl benzilate accumulation in vivo.

Abstract The purpose of these experiments was to define the temporal parameters involved in the phencyclidine (PCP) enhancement of 3 H quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) accumulation in mouse brain. PCP enhanced QNB accumulation in brain if given intraperitoneally (IP) 1 and 4, but not 16 hours before intravenous (IV) administration of QNB. This effect was found in hypothalamus, striatum, cortex and hippocampus, but not cerebellum, PCP given after QNB did not alter QNB accumulation. The PCP enhancement persisted for at least 72 hours after QNB administration. These results confirm previous studies demonstrating that PCP must be present prior to QNB administration to enhance the accumulation and show that the effect persists for an extended period of time.
Collaboration at the Troy University Libraries

With relatively new staff in all the Troy University campus libraries technical services departments, it was critical to collaborate on policies and procedures for consistency. Developing an online manual housed on a wiki that could be used and contributed to by staff on all three campuses was essential to this goal. Multi-campus meetings and online discussions are additional methods we use to promote collaboration. This article will include a literature review of collaboration and wikis along with methods the Troy University Libraries Technical Services departments are using to establish communication across the campuses.
An interactive visual query environment for exploring data

Direct manipulation of visualizations is a powerful technique for performing exploratory data operations such as navigation, aggregation, and filtering. Its immediacy facilitates rapid, incremental, and reversible forays into the data. However it does not provide for reuse or modification of exploration sessions. This paper describes a visual query language, VQE, that adds these capabilities to a direct manipulation exploration environment called Visage. Queries and visualizations are dynamically linked: operations on either one immediately update the other, in contrast to the feedforward sequence of database query followed by visualization of results common in traditional systems. These features are supported by the architectural concept of threads, which represent a sequence of navigation steps on particular objects. Because they are tied to particular data objects, they can be directly manipulated. Because they represent operations, they can be generalized into queries. We expect this technique to apply to direct manipulation interfaces to any objectoriented system that represents both objects and the relationships among them. NOTE: Color versions of the figures are at, e.g.,
Old drugs, new tricks

A meta-analysis last year linking aspirin to reduced death rates from certain types of can cer signalled the latest reinvention of this well established drug.1 Developed as an analgesic, greater understanding of its properties has led to it being used to treat stroke and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and it has also been suggested to help prevent pre-eclampsia and dementia. Aspirin is just one of many drugs that have found new uses, some before they even get to market (see table). Raloxifene, for osteoporo sis, was a failed oral contraceptive found to increase bone density. The antidepressant fluoxetine flunked hypertension trials but affected mood. The erectile dysfunction treat ment sildenafil was ineffective for angina. All three medicines were repurposed to great effect. Discovering new uses for old drugs offers great promise for quickly bringing new thera peutic options to patient care; the lag between drug discovery and availability, often 10 years or longer, can be shortened by dusting off drugs already marketed and repurposing them. But the discoveries are not simply down to serendip ity. New uses are increasingly being discovered not by pharmacologists but by computer scien tists in university departments of computational drug discovery or biomedical informatics.
The Cooh-Terminal Domain of Myo2p, a Yeast Myosin V, Has a Direct Role in Secretory Vesicle Targeting

MYO2 encodes a type V myosin heavy chain needed for the targeting of vacuoles and secretory vesicles to the growing bud of yeast. Here we describe new myo2 alleles containing conditional lethal mutations in the COOH-terminal tail domain. Within 5 min of shifting to the restrictive temperature, the polarized distribution of secretory vesicles is abolished without affecting the distribution of actin or the mutant Myo2p, showing that the tail has a direct role in vesicle targeting. We also show that the actin cable–dependent translocation of Myo2p to growth sites does not require secretory vesicle cargo. Although a fusion protein containing the Myo2p tail also concentrates at growth sites, this accumulation depends on the polarized delivery of secretory vesicles, implying that the Myo2p tail binds to secretory vesicles. Most of the new mutations alter a region of the Myo2p tail conserved with vertebrate myosin Vs but divergent from Myo4p, the myosin V involved in mRNA transport, and genetic data suggest that the tail interacts with Smy1p, a kinesin homologue, and Sec4p, a vesicle-associated Rab protein. The data support a model in which the Myo2p tail tethers secretory vesicles, and the motor transports them down polarized actin cables to the site of exocytosis.
Learning from Programmed Instruction: Examining Implications for Modern Instructional Technology

This article reports a theoretical examination of several parallels between contemporary instructional technology (as manifest in one of its most current manifestations, online learning) and one of its direct predecessors, programmed instruction. We place particular focus on the unterlying assumptions of the two movements. Our analysis suggests that four assumptions that contributed to the historical demise of programmed instruction—(a) ontological determinisms, (b) materialism (c) social efficiency, and (d) technological determinism—also underlie contemporary instructional technology theory and practice and threaten its long-term viability as an educational resource. Based on this examination, we offer several recommendations for practicing instructional technologists and make a call for innovative assumptions and make a call for innovative assumptions and theories not widely visible in the field of instructional technology.
Zinc ion effects on individual Ssp DnaE intein splicing steps: regulating pathway progression.

Use of the naturally split, self-splicing Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 DnaE intein permits separate purification of the N- and C-terminal intein domains. Otherwise spontaneous intein-mediated reactions can therefore be controlled in vitro, allowing detailed study of intein kinetics. Incubation of the Ssp DnaE intein with ZnCl(2) inhibited trans splicing, hydrolysis-mediated N-terminal trans cleavage, and C-terminal trans cleavage reactions. Maximum inhibition of the splicing reaction was achieved at equal molar concentrations of ZnCl(2) and intein domains, suggesting a 1:1 metal ion:intein binding stoichiometry. Mutation of the (+)1 cysteine residue to valine (C(+)1V) alleviated the inhibitory effects of ZnCl(2). Valine substitution in the absence of ZnCl(2) blocked trans splicing and decreased C-terminal cleavage kinetics in a manner similar to that of the native (+)1 cysteine in the presence of ZnCl(2). These data are consistent with Zn(2+)-mediated inhibition of the Ssp DnaE intein via chelation of the (+)1 cysteine residue. N-Terminal trans cleavage can occur via both spontaneous hydrolysis and nucleophilic (e.g., DTT) attack. Comparative examination of N-terminal cleavage rates using amino acid substitution (C(+)1V) and Zn(2+)-mediated inhibition permitted the maximum contribution of hydrolysis to overall N-terminal cleavage kinetics to be determined. Stable intermediates consisting of the associated intein domains were detected by PAGE and provided evidence of a rapid C-terminal cleavage step. Acute control of the C-terminal reaction was achieved by the rapid reversal of Zn(2+)-mediated inhibition by EDTA. By inhibiting both the splicing pathway and spontaneous hydrolysis with Zn(2+), reactants can be diverted from the trans splicing to the trans cleavage pathway where DTT and EDTA can regulate N- and C-terminal cleavage, respectively.
THE MILNE PROBLEM FOR A SPECULARLY REFLECTING BOUNDARY

Abstract The standard Milne problem, serving as an analytical benchmark for almost 50 years, is reconsidered in light of the numerical Laplace transform inversion. The application of the numerical inversion greatly reduces the effort in generating highly accurate numerical evaluations of solutions to particular transport problems. Le Caine's results for the integrated intensity are shown to Contain only 3 or 4 correct digits. The Milne problem has also been generalized to include a specularly reflecting boundary.
Preliminary X-ray data for the ribose binding protein from Salmonella typhimurium.

Abstract Crystals of the periplasmic ribose binding protein of Salmonella typhimurium have been subjected to X-ray analysis. The crystals grow as rectangular parallelopipeds with the symmetry of space group P21. Unit cell dimensions are a = 64·4 A , b = 60·6 A , c = 62·8 A , and β = 91·25 °. There are two molecules of molecular weight 29,000 per asymmetric unit.
Differential spectral photic damage to primate cones

Abstract Selective loss of sensitivity to blue and green parts of the spectrum following intermittent, repeated exposures to intense spectral lights persists longer than 3 yr following blue lights and between 18 and 40 days following green lights. The “blue-blindness” involves complete and sole loss of the response of the short-wavelength responsive cones. The “green-blindness” involves complete and sole loss of response of middle-wavelength sensitive cones. Histo-pathology of cones in a “blue-blinded” retina in comparison with cytochemical labeling of short-wavelength cones, reveals that they follow a similar distribution: are sparse in the foveola. reach a peak of about 16% of the cones near 1 and fall to 8–12% of the cones at 7. Continuous as distinct from intermittent exposures to similar blue lights produces a wholly different picture of gross pigment-epithelial damage with little photoreceptor degeneration.
Making matter making us: thinking with Grosz to find freedom in new feminist materialisms

In this paper, I offer a very close reading of Grosz [2010. “Feminism, Materialism, and Freedom.” In New Materialisms: Ontology, Agency, and Politics, edited by Diana Coole and Samantha Frost, 139–157. Durham, NC: Duke University Press] thinking with Bergson in order to re-conceptualise freedom, matter, and the subject in new feminist materialisms. My central argument is that these free acts are mutually constituted in the intra-action [Barad 2007. Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning. Durham, NC: Duke University Press] between human and non-human forces. The guiding questions for this paper are, ‘What if we locate freedom in doing, rather than being? How does associating freedom with acts, rather than attaching it to the subject, change how we think about ontology and agency?’ I use interview data from a research study with first-generation academic women in order to explore these concepts and put them to work.
Early radiologic evidence of severe respiratory distress syndrome as a predictor of nasal continuous positive airway pressure failure in extremely low birth weight newborns.

Early radiologic evidence of severe respiratory distress syndrome as a predictor of nasal continuous positive airway pressure failure in extremely low birth weight newborns
Financial fraud detection using vocal, linguistic and financial cues

Corporate financial fraud has a severe negative impact on investors and the capital market in general. The current resources committed to financial fraud detection (FFD), however, are insufficient to identify all occurrences in a timely fashion. Methods for automating FFD have mainly relied on financial statistics, although some recent research has suggested that linguistic or vocal cues may also be useful indicators of deception. Tools based on financial numbers, linguistic behavior, and non-verbal vocal cues have each demonstrated the potential for detecting financial fraud. However, the performance of these tools continues to be poorer than desired, limiting their use on a stand-alone basis to help identify companies for further investigation. The hypothesis investigated in this study is that an improved tool could be developed if specific attributes from these feature categories were analyzed concurrently. Combining features across categories provided better fraud detection than was achieved by any of the feature categories alone. However, performance improvements were only observed if feature selection was used suggesting that it is important to discard non-informative features. We investigate whether a prediction model for corporate financial fraud that jointly considers numeric financial information as well as both linguistic and vocalic aspects of corporate executive speech improves predictive accuracy.Optimization results reveal that only a subset of the complete set of numeric, linguistic and vocalic predictors enhance overall predictive accuracy.These results should assist investors, financial analysts and regulators in identifying the most effective markers of corporate fraud.
8 YEAR NEURODEVELOPMENTAL AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOME OF EXTREMELY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (ELBW) CHILDREN IN PROPHYLACTIC SURFACTANT OR MATERNAL BETAMETHASONE CLINICAL TRIALS. † 1623

8 YEAR NEURODEVELOPMENTAL AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOME OF EXTREMELY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (ELBW) CHILDREN IN PROPHYLACTIC SURFACTANT OR MATERNAL BETAMETHASONE CLINICAL TRIALS. † 1623
Turbulence characteristics of the noise producing region of an excited round jet. I - Time-average flow properties

Experiments were conducted to determine the mean turbulence characteristics of the noise-producing region of a 3 in. cold excited round jet. The jet was excited by plane acoustic waves with a high amplitude of excitation (2 percent of the jet dynamic head), and at a Strouhal number of 0.5. The flow Reynolds number was 280,000. The exit boundary layer was made turbulent by artificially tripping it with sandpaper strips. The data were obtained with single and X-hot-wires and processed in digital form. Mean and higher order statistics were also deduced. The results showed an increase in all three velocity components and stresses. However, most of the increase was noticed from the longitudinal component, while the changes in the radial velocity and the azimuthal component were much smaller. Substantial widening of the jet occurred, accompanied by a shortening of the potential core. Increased rates of production of energy close to the lip-line were a characteristic feature of the mixing region behavior.
The TNM staging of health care leadership: the Hayes Martin lecture.

spent my entire clinical career taking care of patients with head and neck disease. And my professional identity is deeply tied to the origins of the American Head and Neck Society. I have at various times served on the council of the American Society for Head and Neck Surgery and have served as its treasurer and president. Perhaps most meaningful, I had the opportunity to co-chair, with Eliot Strong, who then headed up the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons, the First International Congress on Head and Neck Cancer. It was a terrific opportunity to work with members of the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons, like Eliot Strong. The Congress went very well and Eliot and I were asked to chair the Second International Congress. And I was president of the American Society for Head and Neck Surgery during the third Congress. Those meetings went well, too, and we were laying important foundation stones for the future.
A self-consistent kinetic global model for low pressure plasma sources

Summary form only given. Volume averaged fluid models are widely used in the plasma processing community for understanding how the plasma parameters influence each other and how they are effected by the operating conditions. Such models are simple to setup and fast to run, allowing for a detailed exploration of the multi-dimensional parameter space, which facilitates the construction of scaling laws with predictive capabilities.
Comment on ‘fractal and superdiffusive transport and hydrodynamic dispersion in heterogeneous porous media’, by Muhammad Sahimi

Two fundamental questions regarding the application of percolation theory to transport in porous media are addressed. First, when ‘critical path’ arguments (based on a sufficiently wide spread of microscopic transition rates) are invoked (in analogy to the case of transport in disordered semiconductors) to justify the application of percolation theory to the determination of relevant transport properties, then for long time scales (compared to the inverse of the ‘critical’ percolation rate), the fractal structure of the ‘critical’ path is relevant to transport, but not at short time scales. These results have been demonstrated concretely in the case of disordered semiconductors, and are in direct contradiction to the claims of the review. Second, the relevance of deterministic or stochastic methods to transport has been treated heretofore by most authors as a question of practicality. But, at least under some conditions, concrete criteria distinguish between the two types of transport. Percolative (deterministic) transport is temporally reproducible and spatially inhomogeneous while diffusive (stochastic) transport is temporally irreproducible, but homogeneous, and a cross-over from stochastic to percolative transport occurs when the spread of microscopic transition rates exceeds 4–5 orders of magnitude. It is likely that such conditions are frequently encountered in soil transport. Moreover, clear evidence for deterministic transport (although not necessarily percolative) exists in such phenomena as preferential flow. On the other hand, the physical limitation of transport to (fractally connected) pore spaces within soils (analogously to transport in metal-insulator composites) can make transport diffusive on a fractal structure, rather than percolative.
Ballistic transport in high electron mobility transistors

A general ballistic FET model that was previously used for ballistic MOSFETs is applied to ballistic high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), and the results are compared with experimental data for a sub-50 nm InAlAs-InGaAs HEMT. The results show that nanoscale HEMTs can be modeled as an intrinsic ballistic transistor with extrinsic source/drain series resistances. We also examine the "ballistic mobility" concept, a technique proposed for extending the drift-diffusion model to the quasi-ballistic regime. Comparison with a rigorous ballistic model shows that under low drain bias the ballistic mobility concept, although nonphysical, can be used to understand the experimental phenomena related to quasi-ballistic transport, such as the degradation of the apparent carrier mobility in short channel devices. We also point out that the ballistic mobility concept loses validity under high drain bias. The conclusions of this paper should be also applicable to other nanoscale transistors with high carrier mobility, such as carbon nanotube FETs and strained silicon MOSFETs.
Does sensitization of responses to excitatory amino acids underlie the psychophysical reports of two modalities of increased sensitivity in zones of secondary hyperalgesia

S ensitization, or enhancement of the responses of dorsal horn neurons to afferent stimuli, is emerging as one mechanism for the production of secondary hyperalgesia. The focus article by Dr. Wilcox does a wonderful job of highlighting the complexity of the chemical bases for sensitization of dorsal horn neurons. In general, sensitization of the responses of sensory neurons in the spinal cord appears to fall into two broad classes: that produced by loss of normal inhibitory processes, disinhibition,~5,2s; and that produced by an increase in the efficacy of excitatory pathways, facil i tation? ,3, 6-11,14.21,24 Both of these processes, which presumably result in an increase in the activity of projection neurons, potentially involve multiple mechanisms. We would like to raise a few additional points concerning enhancement of excitatory pathways in the dorsal horn after peripheral injury or inflammation. Dr. Wilcox reviews many studies in his focus article that show that sensitization of neurons in the dorsal horn appears to require the actions of excitatory amino acids, primarily glutamate, but also aspartate, and the neurokinin peptide, substance P (SP). The excitatory amino acids and the neuropeptides seem
Improved synthesis, structure, and reactivity of 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)octafluorobutane

Abstract A new high-yielding protocol to prepare 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)octafluorobutane ( 1 ) on a multi-gram scale was realized. The relatively high melting point of 1 facilitated the determination of its single crystal X-ray structure. Reactivity studies determined that, under conditions tested thus far, compound 1 was prone to form H(CF 2 ) 4 H upon reaction with fluoride and alkoxide sources faster than reacting with various acceptor substrates. However, reaction of 1 with silver fluoride in the presence of [(PPh 3 ) 3 CuCl] led to the formation of the bis-cuprate [Cu 2 (C 4 F 8 ) 2 ] dianion and two of the unique [(PPh 3 ) 3 AgClAg(PPh 3 ) 3 ] counter-cations.
Local regularity theorems for the stationary thermistor problem

In this paper we present a simpler proof of a result of Lewis concerning the continuity of weak solutions to the two-dimensional thermistor problem in the case where the temperature can blow up in a region with non-empty interior. Some other regularity properties are also discussed.
In the clinic: ongoing clinical trials evaluating c-MET-inhibiting drugs:

The c-MET (mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor) pathway is dysregulated in many human cancers and promotes tumor growth, invasion and dissemination. The c-MET receptor tyrosine kinase can be activated via gene mutation, gene amplification, protein overexpression and/or a ligand-dependent autocrine/paracrine loop. Abnormalities in c-MET signaling have been reported to correlate with poor clinical outcomes and drug resistance in patients with cancer. Significant progress has been made in advancement of c-MET pathway inhibitors through to clinical trials. A robust pipeline of high-quality inhibitors targeting different aspects of c-MET activation is currently being explored in phase I, II and III clinical trials across multiple tumor types. Preliminary data demonstrate promising clinical activity with these agents, along with an acceptable toxicity profile. In this manuscript, the pharmacological profile of drugs targeting the c-MET pathway and available data from ongoing clinical trials of these drugs are discussed.
THE DEEPWATER JOLLIET FIELD: THE EVOLUTION OF A FLEXURE-TREND OIL DISCOVERY

Current development of the Jolliet Field, located offshore Louisiana in the Flexure Trend, is a joint effort of Conoco Inc.'s exploration and production personnel. Interpretation of the complex geology was aided by 3-D seismic data, and a new-generation tension leg well platform was developed to produce this relatively small oil field economically in 1760ft of water.
The statistical agency in China's bureaucratic system A Comparison with the former Soviet Union

Abstract Although Chinese statistics are widely used in economic analysis, very little is known about the institutions and procedures involved in statistical collection. This essay focuses on the institutional aspects of the specialized statistical agency in China—the State Statistical Bureau (SSB)—and draws inferences about its operations by comparing the Chinese and Soviet statistical agencies. The article finds considerable differences between the Chinese and Soviet statistical agencies despite their common origins and despite the similar functions they performed in economic planning. These institutional differences are traced to the differences in the way the two economies were organized. The Chinese economy was organized on a territorial basis whereas the Soviet economy was organized on a ministerial basis. A territorial system has a lower demand for economic information at the central level whereas a ministerial system increases such a demand. Other factors, such as the political shocks experienced by the two countries, are also important.
20S Proteasome Differentially Alters Translation of Different mRNAs via the Cleavage of eIF4F and eIF3

The molecular basis for coordinated regulation of protein synthesis and degradation is not understood. Here we report that the 20S proteasome endoproteolytically cleaves the translation initiation factors eIF4G, a subunit of eIF4F, and eIF3a, a subunit of eIF3. The cleavage of eIF4G or eIF3a differentially affects the assembly of ribosomal preinitiation complexes on different cellular and viral mRNAs in an in vitro system containing pure components. Inhibition of proteolytic activity of the 20S proteasome with specific inhibitors prevents cleavage of both factors in vitro and in vivo, restores assembly of ribosomal complexes in vitro, and differentially affects translation of different mRNAs in vivo. These studies demonstrate the importance of the endoproteolytic activity of proteasomes in regulation of cellular processes and suggest a link between protein synthesis and degradation.
Electromigration failure of circuit - like interconnects: Short length failure time distributions with active sinks and reservoirs

The majority of interconnects on a circuit is composed of via terminated segments that are connected to sinks or reservoirs. In this paper we investigate electromigration failure of Cu/low-k conductors with active (current carrying) sinks and reservoirs. We observe that both active sinks and reservoirs lower failure times of via terminated segments. We develop a modeling methodology based on steady - state electromigration - induced stress distributions to predict vulnerable locations and failure time distributions in the presence of sinks and reservoirs.
Further characterization of a steroid receptor-active protease from the mature rabbit epididymis

Abstract The nucleomyfibrillar fraction of mature rabbit epididymides contains a salt-extractable and leupeptin-sensitive protease that alters the sedimentation coefficient of cytosolic steroid receptors. We refer to this modification as receptor conversion. The substrate used in these studies was cytosolic estrogen receptor obtained from frozen rabbit uteri. The unactivated form of the receptor exists as an oligomer under hypotonie (0.01 M KCl) conditions ( s 20,w ∼- 9.6. Stokes radius (R s ) ∼- 7.4nm, M r ∼- 320,000) and dissociates under hypertonic (0.4 M KCl) conditions to yield the steroid-binding monomer ( s 20,w ∼- 4.7, R s ∼- 5.1 nm, M r ∼- 104,000). According to analysis under hypotonie conditions, the epididymal protease disrupts the oligomeric architecture of the receptor and reduces the size of the steroid-binding monomer ( s 20,w ∼- 3.2, R s ∼- 3.0 nm, M r ∼- 42,000). The epididymal protease had no detectable effect on the structure of the proteins used as standards for the ultracentrifugal or gel filtration analyses. Although inhibited by leupeptin, the epididymal enzyme is not a typical thiol protease since it was unaffected by thiol-blocking agents (iodoacetamide and N -ethylmaleimide), and was partially inhibited by thiol-reducing agents (monothioglycerol and dithiothreitol). Calcium and magnesium ions alone, or in combination with ATP, had no effect on the activity of the protease. However, both cations selectively suppressed recovery of the oligomeric receptor form. These results, in conjunction with those from previous studies, serve to distinguish the epididymal protease from receptor-active proteases described in extracts of other animal tissues. Molybdate, at a concentration of 50 mM, blocked receptor conversion. The ability of the receptor to be stabilized by molybdate was lost following conversion. Finally, the epididymal protease appears to remove a portion of the estrogen receptor that is necessary for nucleotide-binding.
Evidence for K→ K*ℓ+ℓ– and measurement of B→ Kℓ+ℓ–

We present evidence for the flavor-changing neutral current decay B→ K*l+l– and a measurement of the B→ Kl+l– branching fraction, where l+l– is either an e+e– or μ+μ– pair. The data sample analyzed comprises 88.5× 106 $\Upsilon(4S)\to B\bar B$ decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+e– storage ring. Averaging over K(*) isospin and lepton flavor, we obtain ${\cal B}(B\to K^*\ell^{+}\ell^{-})= (1.40^{+0.57}_{-0.49}\pm0.21)\times 10^{-6}$ and ${\cal B}(B\to K\ell^{+}\ell^{-})=(0.68^{+0.17}_{-0.15}\pm0.04)\times 10^{-6}$ , where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic. The significance for the B→ K*l+l– signal is 3.0σ and for B→ Kl+l– the signal significance is over 7σ. PACS: 13.25.Hw – 13.20.He
The Willowbrook Hepatitis Studies Revisited: Ethical Aspects

Studies of the natural history and prevention of viral hepatitis were initiated at Willowbrook State School in 1955. During the subsequent two decades there was considerable controversy regarding the ethical aspects of these studies. The background of these studies is described in detail in historical context. This report should provide the reader with information needed to make an independent objective judgement of the ethics of the Willowbrook hepatitis studies.
The influence of chlorpromazine on lipoxidases

Abstract Chlorpromazine was found to inhibit oxygen consumption by lipoxidase from soybean and from blood platelets. The inhibition of 15-lipoxidase (linoleate:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.13.11.12) (from soybean) depends on substrate concentration. IC 50 values for this inhibition were 50–150 μM chlorpromazine at an arachidonic acid concentration of 20–300 μM. Inhibition of crude 12-lipoxidase preparation (100000 × g supernatant from horse platelet homogenate) was weaker than 15-lipoxidase. IC 50 at the arachidonic acid concentration of 100 μM was about 1000 μM chlorpromazine.
Histone macroH2A1 is concentrated in the inactive X chromosome of female mammals

In female mammals one of the X chromosomes is rendered almost completely transcriptionally inactive1,2 to equalize expression of X-linked genes in males and females. The inactive X chromosome is distinguished from its active counterpart by its condensed appearance in interphase nuclei3, late replication4, altered DNA methylation2, hypoacetylation of histone H4 (ref. 5), and by transcription of a large cis-acting nuclear RNA called Xist6,7,8,9,10. Although it is believed that the inactivation process involves the association of specific protein(s) with the chromatin of the inactive X, no such proteins have been identified11. We discovered a new gene family encoding a core histone which we called macroH2A (mH2A)12,13. The amino-terminal third of mH2A proteins is similar to a full-length histone H2A, but the remaining two-thirds is unrelated to any known histones. Here we show that an mH2A1 subtype is preferentially concentrated in the inactive X chromosome of female mammals. Our results link X inactivation with a major alteration of the nucleosome, the primary structural unit of chromatin.
Covariate analysis of late-onset Alzheimer disease refines the chromosome 12 locus.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of later life with a complex etiology and a strong genetic component. Several genomic screens have suggested that a region between chromosome 12p13 and 12q22 contains at least one additional locus underlying the susceptibility of AD. However, localization of this locus has been difficult. We performed a 5 cM microsatellite marker screen across 74 cM on chromosome 12 with 15 markers in 585 multiplex families consisting of 994 affected sibpairs and 213 other affected relative pairs. Analyses across the entire data set did not reveal significant evidence of linkage. However, suggestive linkage was observed in several subsets. In the 91 families where no affected individuals carry an ApoE ɛ4 allele, an HLOD score of 1.55 was generated at D12S1042. We further examined the linkage data considering the proposed linkages to chromosome 9 (D9S741) and chromosome 10 (α-catenin gene). There was a modest (P=0.20) increase in the LOD score for D12S368 (MLOD=1.70) when using the D9S741 LOD scores as a covariate and a highly significant (P<0.001) increase in the MLOD score (4.19) for D12S1701 in autopsy-confirmed families (n=228) when using α-catenin LOD scores as a covariate. In both cases, families with no evidence of linkage to D9S741 or α-catenin demonstrated most of the evidence of linkage to chromosome 12, suggesting locus heterogeneity. Taken together, our data suggest that the 16 cM region between D12S1042 and D12S368 should be the subject of further detailed genomic efforts for the disease.