cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of a Moral Distress Consultation Service on Moral Distress, Empowerment, and a Healthy Work Environment

Background: Healthcare providers who are accountable for patient care safety and quality but who are not empowered to actualize them experience moral distress. Interventions to mitigate moral distress in the healthcare organization are needed. Objective: To evaluate the effect on moral distress and clinician empowerment of an established, health-system-wide intervention, Moral Distress Consultation. Methods: A quasi-experimental, mixed methods study using pre/post surveys, structured interviews, and evaluation of consult themes was used. Consults were requested by staff when moral distress was present. The purpose of consultation is to identify the causes of moral distress, barriers to action, and strategies to improve the situation. Intervention participants were those who attended a moral distress consult. Control participants were staff surveyed prior to the consult. Interviews were conducted after the consult with willing participants and unit managers. Moral distress was measured using the Moral Distress Thermometer. Empowerment was measured using the Global Empowerment Scale. Results: Twenty-one consults were conducted. Analysis included 116 intervention and 30 control surveys, and 11 interviews. A small but significant decrease was found among intervention participants, especially intensive care staff. Empowerment was unchanged. Interview themes support the consult service as an effective mode for open discussion of difficult circumstances and an important aspect of a healthy work environment. Conclusions: Moral distress consultation is an organization-wide mechanism for addressing moral distress. Consultation does not resolve moral distress but helps staff identify strategies to improve the situation. Further studies including follow up may elucidate consultation effectiveness.
A synthetic antibiotic class overcoming bacterial multidrug resistance

The dearth of new medicines effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria presents a growing global public health concern1. For more than five decades, the search for new antibiotics has relied heavily on the chemical modification of natural products (semisynthesis), a method ill-equipped to combat rapidly evolving resistance threats. Semisynthetic modifications are typically of limited scope within polyfunctional antibiotics, usually increase molecular weight, and seldom permit modifications of the underlying scaffold. When properly designed, fully synthetic routes can easily address these shortcomings2. Here we report the structure-guided design and component-based synthesis of a rigid oxepanoproline scaffold which, when linked to the aminooctose residue of clindamycin, produces an antibiotic of exceptional potency and spectrum of activity, which we name iboxamycin. Iboxamycin is effective against ESKAPE pathogens including strains expressing Erm and Cfr ribosomal RNA methyltransferase enzymes, products of genes that confer resistance to all clinically relevant antibiotics targeting the large ribosomal subunit, namely macrolides, lincosamides, phenicols, oxazolidinones, pleuromutilins and streptogramins. X-ray crystallographic studies of iboxamycin in complex with the native bacterial ribosome, as well as with the Erm-methylated ribosome, uncover the structural basis for this enhanced activity, including a displacement of the $${\text{m}}_{2}^{6}\text{A}2058$$ nucleotide upon antibiotic binding. Iboxamycin is orally bioavailable, safe and effective in treating both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial infections in mice, attesting to the capacity for chemical synthesis to provide new antibiotics in an era of increasing resistance. Structure-guided design and component-based synthesis are used to produce iboxamycin, a novel ribosome-binding antibiotic with potent activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
The Definition of Investment under the ICSID Convention: A Defense of Salini

Table of ContentsI. Introduction 289II. The International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes 291III. Treaty Interpretation 293IV. Background of the Term "Investment" 295A. The Definition of Investment through Salini 295B. Other Panels' Treatment of the SaliniTest 2971. Accepting Salini 2972. Removing the fourth prong 298a) Saba Fakes v. The Republic of Turkey 298b) Victor Pey Casado and President Allende Foundation v. The Republic of Chile 299c) LESI S.p.A. et Astaldi S.p.A. v. People's Democratic Republic of Algeria 2993. Adding to Salini 300VQuiborax v. Bolivia-. Attempting to Synthesize a Dissent 300VI. Arguments for Retaining the Salini Test 302A. The Textual Argument in Support of the Salini Test 3031. The ICSID Convention and related works 3042. The United Nations Charter 305B. The Stability Argument in Favor of the Salini Test 305VII. Conclusion 308I. INTRODUCTIONThe International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes ("ICSID") is an organization created by the Washington Convention ("the Convention" or "the ICSID Convention") to facilitate international investment by creating a body to settle disputes between investors and states that may arise from such investments.1 The signatories believed that a structured method of dispute resolution would foster international investment, and that such investment would spur economic development. When determining the jurisdiction of such arbitral panels, the signatories extended it to international investment.2 However, the drafters declined to define the word "investment."The signatories opted to leave investment undefined in the final product because they expected state consent to manage the ICSID's jurisdiction.3 To this end, they provided a procedure for countries to submit in writing the types of disputes they would or would not consider presenting to the ICSID.4Unfortunately, the signatories' decision to leave investment undefined has still caused problems. Countries do define what qualifies as an investment in their bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and through the procedure set out by the ICSID Convention. But, arbitrators quickly realized that consent alone could not make something an investment. There had to also be an objective definition of investment to set the outer bounds of ICSID authority. Without such a definition, countries could use BITs to submit any dispute they chose to ICSID arbitration regardless of the subject matter.This has given rise to a long-standing issue of arbitral panels attempting to develop a workable test for whether something falls under the ambit of "investment. …
Preparation of Superconducting Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O Films by Diffusion Method

Superconducting Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O thin films on (100)MgO substrates have been prepared through interaction between vapor of thallium oxide and amorphous Ba-Ca-Cu-O films. The Ba-Ca-Cu-O films(1–2 µm) were prepared by rf magnetron sputtering process. The compositions of the targets were in the stoichiometric ratio of Ba:Ca:Cu = 1:1.8:1.5 and 1:3:2. The Ba-Ca-Cu-O film and Tl2O3 powders were wrapped in gold foil and were put into a heated tube furnace at 875–890°C for 1–10 min. The phases, superconducting properties and morphologies of the films strongly related to the treatment conditions. The best superconducting properties of the films are Tc(onset) = 125 K and Tc(zero) = 100 K. The reproductivity of this process was poor.
Power system reliability evaluation considering cyber-malfunctions in substations

Abstract Protection system failures have been recognized as major causes of expanded outages and thereby affect bulk power system reliability. With the rapid progress of smart grid technologies, legacy protection systems with hardwired architecture are being gradually replaced by computer and communication networks consisting of multi-functional and smart Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). In this paper, a systematic methodology for considering the effect of cyber-malfunctions in substations on power system reliability is proposed by extending the concepts we previously presented. The Roy Billinton Test System (RBTS) is extended to include substation protection systems with modern architecture, which is an important step as a test system like this is currently unavailable. The proposed approach is then demonstrated on this test system. The quantitative relationship between switching time and system-wide energy unavailability is studied. The results of our study clearly indicate the impact of protection system failures on system-wide reliability indices and signify the importance of accelerating line switching process. Furthermore, the overall methodology used in this paper provides a tractable and scalable option for the reliability evaluation of large cyber-physical power systems.
HEAT TRANSFER TO AN INCOMPRESSIBLE TURBULENT BOUNDARY LAYER AND ESTIMATION OF HEAT-TRANSFER COEFFICIENTS AT SUPERSONIC NOZZLE THROATS

An approximate solution is obtained for the heat transfer to an incompressible turbulent boundary layer with arbitrary freestream-velocity and surface-temperature distributions. The analysis is based on the simultaneous solution of the boundarylayer momentum and energy integral equations and employs several simplifying assumptions, the most important of which is the approximation that the boundary-layer velocity and totaltemperature profiles and the skin-friction coefficient are independent of pressure gradient. Solutions are given for twodimensional and axisymmetric flows. Although the flow in supersonic nozzles is not incompressible, an adaptation of the aforementioned result, termed the quasiincompressible solution, is suggested for calculating the heat transfer to such nozzles. In order to estimate rapidly the maximum rate of heat transfer which occurs near the throat of a supersonic nozzle, a throat approximation is developed which involves only the nozzle supply conditions, throat opening, and throat radius of curvature. The application of these solutions to a sample nozzle gave the following results using the quasi-incompressible analysis: (1) The heat-transfer coefficients based on solution of both the momentum and energy equations were between 0 and 15 per cent lower than the values based on a solution of the momentum equation alone, and (2) the heat-transfer coefficients that included the effects of variable wall temperature were between 0 and 15 per cent lower than the values obtained assuming constant wall temperature. The throat-approximation, heat-transfer coefficients were within 10 per cent of the corresponding quasiincompressible values.
DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND USE OF THE FINITE ELEMENT MACHINE

Some of the considerations that went into the design of the Finite Element Machine, a research asynchronous parallel computer are described. The present status of the system is also discussed along with some indication of the type of results that were obtained.
Internet Policy Going Forward: Does One Size Still Fit All?

Much of the current debate over Internet policy is framed by the belief that there has always been a single Internet that was open to everyone. Closer inspection reveals a number of important ways in which the architecture has deviated from this commitment. Providers frequently deploy Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) over hybrid networks that reserve bandwidth or employ technologies such as MultiProtocol Label Switching (MPLS) that are not fully accessible to the public Internet. At the same time, the increasing value in variety and decreasing returns to scale is mitigating the value of being connected to a single network, and the growth of multihoming, in which subscribers maintain multiple connections, is contradicting the myth of the one screen that presumes that every connection must be everything to everyone. Finally, large customers who are unable to receive the services that they need use exit as an option by turning to private networking. These developments counsel against maintaining a one-size-fits-all approach to Internet policy that may not reflect current realities.
Listric Thrust Faulting in the Laramide Front of North‐Central New Mexico Guided by Precambrian Basement Structures

New seismic reflection images and structural analyses of the Laramide front in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico indicate the importance of listric faulting and basement weaknesses in basement-involved foreland structures. At the surface, recumbent fault-propagation folds with west-tilted backlimbs indicate that the frontal Laramide structures in this region are west-dipping reverse faults that shallow with depth. Minor fault kinematics indicates a combination of fold-perpendicular shortening and regional ENE shortening. Seismic reflection images show that these listric faults extend to depths of at least 12 km. Continued westward tilts beyond the seismic coverage suggest that these faults eventually flatten into a middle crustal detachment zone underneath the center of the range. Although this geometry could seem to be consistent with neoformed Laramide thrusts that developed in response to ENE horizontal shortening, several lines of evidence suggest this geometry was at least partially guided by pre-existing basement weaknesses. Firstly, strong but diffuse reflectivity in the middle crust about 10 km below the Laramide thrusts mimics the shape of the Laramide frontal faults. These are not likely to be a Laramide blind thrust system because no Laramide deformation is seen where they would surface to the east under the Great Plains. Secondly, N- and NNE-striking folds and faults are cut by numerous discordant structures, indicating oblique slip on pre-existing faults during transpressive deformation. We suggest that the thrusting of basement rocks of the Sangre de Cristo Range over Paleozoic sedimentary rocks was guided by pre-existing basement structures of probable Precambrian age.
Ketorolac-induced Acute Renal Failure in a Previously Healthy Adolescent

Ketorolac has become an important component of analgesic regimens for children as well as adults because of its lack of adverse effects on respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurologic function. Although initially used parenterally in hospitalized patients, the development of an oral ketorolac dose form extended its use to the outpatient setting, where its potency has been considered an advantage over traditional therapies.1-3 Several cases of hyperkalemia and oliguric acute renal failure associated with ketorolac use have been reported in the medical literature.4-12 Elderly hospitalized patients receiving large doses of ketorolac intramuscularly (IM) after major surgery seem to be at greatest risk.
Effects of white noise on off‐task behavior and academic responding for children with ADHD

We evaluated the effects of white noise played through headphones on off-task behavior, percentage of items completed, and percentage of items completed correctly for 3 students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Headphones plus white noise were associated with decreases in off-task behavior relative to baseline and headphones-only (no white noise) control conditions. Little change in academic responding occurred across conditions for all participants.
Job Characteristics of a Production Parallel Scientivic Workload on the NASA Ames iPSC/860

Statistics of a parallel workload on a 128-node iPSC/860 located at NASA Ames are presented. It is shown that while the number of sequential jobs dominates the number of parallel jobs, most of the resources (measured in node-seconds) were consumed by parallel jobs. Moreover, most of the sequential jobs were for system administration. The average runtime of jobs grew with the number of nodes used, so the total resource requirements of large parallel jobs were larger by more than the number of nodes they used. The job submission rate during peak day activity was somewhat lower than one every two minutes, and the average job size was small. At night, submission rate was low but job sizes and system utilization were high, mainly due to NQS. Submission rate and utilization over the weekend were lower than on weekdays. The overall utilization was 50%, after accounting for downtime. About 2/3 of the applications were executed repeatedly, some for a significant number of times.
Naturally-Occurring Polypeptide Inhibitors: Cystatins/Stefins, Inhibitors of Apoptosis (IAPs), Serpins, and Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases (TIMPs)

Some proteases function in digestion and protein turnover, whereas others catalyze the formation of biologically active protein fragments, in remodeling processes or contribute to cascades or networks, roles that require them to be active for a limited duration. Typically, protein inhibitors terminate the activities of proteases by binding to them tightly or irreversibly. This article reviews four major families of polypeptide protease inhibitors that exemplify their diversity in structure and mechanism and key roles in regulating cellular activities and systemic processes including immune responses, blood coagulation and fibrinolysis, and inflammation; their relationships to human diseases are discussed.
Perceptually optimal restoration of images with stack filters

The present approach to the MAE-based design of stack filters for image restoration does not always produce the desired visual result. Thus, in this paper, a new stack filter design algorithm is developed. It is based upon a weighted mean absolute error (WMAE) criterion instead of the traditional MAE criterion, which assigns the same weights to all errors. The weights in this WMAE criterion are designed with the aid of the visible differences predictor (VDP), which can estimate the sensitivity of the human visual system to changes in images. Experiments with this WMAE approach show that the stack filters it produces perform significantly better in image processing applications than those designed with the MAE approach.
The power of choice in data-aware cluster scheduling

Providing timely results in the face of rapid growth in data volumes has become important for analytical frameworks. For this reason, frameworks increasingly operate on only a subset of the input data. A key property of such sampling is that combinatorially many subsets of the input are present. We present KMN, a system that leverages these choices to perform data-aware scheduling, i.e., minimize time taken by tasks to read their inputs, for a DAG of tasks. KMN not only uses choices to co-locate tasks with their data but also percolates such combinatorial choices to downstream tasks in the DAG by launching a few additional tasks at every upstream stage. Evaluations using workloads from Facebook and Conviva on a 100-machine EC2 cluster show that KMN reduces average job duration by 81% using just 5% additional resources.
Scar endometriosis – a rare cause for a painful scar: A case report and review of the literature

Endometriosis is described as the presence of functioning endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Scar endometriosis is a rare disease, and is difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are nonspecific, typically involving abdominal wall pain at the incision site at the time of menstruation. It commonly follows obstetrical and gynecological surgeries. The diagnosis is frequently made only after excision of the diseased tissue. A case report of a patient with a troublesome scar after a caesarian section is presented. Surgical excision led to the diagnosis of scar endometriosis. The pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of this somewhat rare condition are discussed.
IMPLEMENTING ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIOS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: STEPS AND STUDENT PERCEPTIONS

Over the last two decades, students and teachers, across educational levels and disciplines, have been subject to a variety of school reform efforts. Nevertheless, some instructional practices, such as portfolio assessment, persist and grow in popularity even in the midst of changing educational reform goals and shifting priorities. Teacher education programs have used paper-based portfolios for more than three decades. Recently, institutions have migrated to electronic portfolios since these provide several advantages. Early models of these systems required special technical skills, hardware, or fee-based contracts with service providers. The newest iteration of portfolio platforms are based on social media applications, which are easy to use, free, and customizable. However, the accelerated adoption of social media applications as repositories for student portfolio content has produced several gaps in the literature. Three of these include steps for implementing electronic portfolios in social media platforms, instructional methods for soliciting quality entries from students through questions and prompts, and student perceptions about using social media as a repository for electronic portfolio content. Results from a case study identifying student perceptions of combining social media and electronic portfolios are examined. Future lines of inquiry are discussed.
Third Generation Antipsychotic Drugs: Partial Agonism or Receptor Functional Selectivity?

Functional selectivity is the term that describes drugs that cause markedly different signaling through a single receptor (e.g., full agonist at one pathway and antagonist at a second). It has been widely recognized recently that this phenomenon impacts the understanding of mechanism of action of some drugs, and has relevance to drug discovery. One of the clinical areas where this mechanism has particular importance is in the treatment of schizophrenia. Antipsychotic drugs have been grouped according to both pattern of clinical action and mechanism of action. The original antipsychotic drugs such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol have been called typical or first generation. They cause both antipsychotic actions and many side effects (extrapyramidal and endocrine) that are ascribed to their high affinity dopamine D(2) receptor antagonism. Drugs such as clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone and others were then developed that avoided the neurological side effects (atypical or second generation antipsychotics). These compounds are divided mechanistically into those that are high affinity D(2) and 5-HT(2A) antagonists, and those that also bind with modest affinity to D(2), 5-HT(2A), and many other neuroreceptors. There is one approved third generation drug, aripiprazole, whose actions have been ascribed alternately to either D(2) partial agonism or D(2) functional selectivity. Although partial agonism has been the more widely accepted mechanism, the available data are inconsistent with this mechanism. Conversely, the D(2) functional selectivity hypothesis can accommodate all current data for aripiprazole, and also impacts on discovery compounds that are not pure D(2) antagonists.
Group theoretical description of phase transitions in solid bromoform

A systematic description of the observed phase transitions in bromoform (CHBr3) is given. From the symmetry and structures of the alpha , beta , gamma phases, the primary order parameters for the transitions are selected. By using induced representations and projection operator techniques, detailed microscopic distortions consistent with the symmetry and structural changes are obtained. To describe the transitions it is necessary to couple representations. Secondary order parameters for the transitions are discussed. Invariant free energy forms containing the primary and secondary order parameters are presented. Using numerical methods, the free energy is minimised and a phase diagram is obtained. Thus both microscopic modes and macroscopic thermodynamics are obtained for the bromoform structural transitions.
Cellular vibration measurement with a noninvasive optical system

1.1 Basilar membrane mechanics as the basis of inner ear function The function of the hearing organ ha been based mainly on the basilar membrane mechanics because it is the only structure accessable from the outside and therefore has been measured extensively Bekesy,1960; Johnstone & Boyle, 1967; Rhode, 1971, 1980; Sellick et a!. 1982; Robles et aL, 1986). Although the organ of Corti consists of a complex and highly organized arrangement of sensory cells, the role of individual cells in mechanical analysis of the auditory stimuli was not known. 1.2 The avialable measuring techniques not suitable for cellular vibration measurements The basilar membrane vibrations were measured with (i) capacitive probe (Wilson & Johnstone, 1972); (ii) homodyne interferometry (Khanna & Leonard, 1982); and (iii) Mossbauer method (Johnstone & Boyle, 1967; Rhode, 1971). The first technique required the placement of the probe close to the surface to be measured while the other two techniques required the placement of an optical reflector or radioactive foil on the structure to be measured. In order to place the foil on a cell the overlying cells or structures would have to be removed, seriously compromising the integrity of the cochlea and altering its response. 1.3 Need for cellular vibration measurement Correlations made between the basilar membrane tuning and the outer hair cell condition suggested that the outer hair cells may be directly involved in the mechanical tuning of the cochlea (Khanna & Leonard, 1982, 1986 a, b). These results provided the inspiration to build a non-invasive optical vibration measuring system with which the mechanical response of individual cells could be measured in an intact organ. 1.4 Organization of ITER It became quite clear about ten years ago that state of the art technology in several fields was needed to design and build the necessary measuring instrument and to fully exploit its potential. An international team of experts from several fields of science were therefore invited to help design the instrument and to carry out the cellular measurements with it. This International Team for Ear Research is called ITER. A preliminary report of our progress has been published (ITER, 1989).© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Interspecific Comparisons and the Potential Importance of Nutrient Excretion by Benthic Fishes in a Large Reservoir

Abstract Fishes can provide an important link between benthic and pelagic habitats by removing nutrients from sediments and excreting them into the water column. The relative importance of nutrients excreted by fishes to ecosystem productivity may vary among species and with abiotic conditions. I measured excretion rates of three benthic feeding fishes, gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum, smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus, and river carpsucker Carpiodes carpio, to examine the potential contribution of these species to the nutrient budget of a large southern reservoir. All species showed a significant relationship between log excretion rate and log body mass but no differences among species in the slopes or intercepts. For all species combined, the slope of the relationship was less than 1, suggesting a less than proportional increase in excretion rate with size. Using mean standing crop estimates from published cove rotenone surveys in Oklahoma, the nutrient loading to Lake Texoma by these fishes was esti...
Modulation of intracellular cytokines in draining lymph node cells following allergen and irritant.

Abstract The murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) has been developed as an alternative to guinea pig models for the assessment of the contact sensitization potential. However, there is a need to develop a non-radioisotopic endpoint for the LLNA because of the radioisotopic method's requiring the use of special facilities. In this study, we investigated to evaluate the populations of intracellular cytokine producing cells and to analyze the expression of mRNA levels in the lymph node (LN) cells following allergen and irritant. Female Balb/c mice were treated by the topical application on the dorsum of both ears with strong sensitizers, 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) and toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and a strong irritant, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), once daily for 3 consecutive days. The lymph node cells were harvested 72 h after the final treatment. The analysis of intracellular cytokine cell in LN cells was performed with a flow cytometry. Mice were treated with DNCB and TDI showed a preferential increase in the percentage of CD4+IL-2+ cells compared with vehicle and irritant-treated mice. There was an increase in CD4+IFN-g+ cells of mice treated with DNCB and TDI, but no significant increases were observed in mice treated with SLS. Mice were treated with DNCB and TDI showed an increase in the percentage of CD4+IL-4+ cells compared with vehicle and irritant-treated mice. There was an increase in the mRNA level for interleukin 4 (IL-4) in mice treated with DNCB and TDI, but no significant increases were observed in mice treated with SLS. These results suggest that the population of interferon-gamma (IFN-g+) and IL-4+ cells on CD4+ cells and the mRNA expression for IL-4 in lymphocytes could be selectively modulated in allergen-treated mice.
Cloning of mitogen- and antigen-reactive B lymphocytes on filter paper discs. I. A description of the technique and of methods for the analysis of colonies.

Abstract A novel technique for establishing short term clones of antigen- or mitogen-activated splenic B lymphocytes is described. Spleen cells are plated onto the surface of filter paper discs and subsequently stimulated by antigen or mitogen in situ; activated B cells proliferate and differentiate into pure colonies of cells analogous to bacterial colonies growing on agar. These colonies of lymphocytes may be characterized in a series of replica hemolytic-plaque, autoradiographic, or immunoenzyme assays making possible a full characterization of the frequency of secreted idiotopes and paratopes and of the cells that produce them. Coloby induction by either antigen or mitogen occurs under idnentical conditions, thus a rigorous comparison between the mitoge-selected and antigen-selected antibody repertoires may be made.
Concomitant occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation and factor VIII inhibitor in a patient with prostatic cancer

An 86-year-old man, diagnosed as having carcinoma of the prostate, stage D, was admitted to the hospital. Soon after admission, he developed bleeding from various sites, including intravenous puncture sites and gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. A clinical diagnosis of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was made, which was corraborated by laboratory data. A factor VIII inhibitor of 12.5 Bethesda units was also identified in the patient's plasma. Concomitant occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation and an acquired factor VIII inhibitor has not been reported previously.
Estrogen receptor binding to DNA: Affinity for nonpalindromic elements from the rat prolactin gene

The estrogen receptor (ER) binds with high affinity to the nonclassical estrogen response elements (ERE) found in the rat prolactin gene. There are two putative EREs in this gene; at -1582 and -1722 upstream of the transcriptional start site. We used DNA binding assays based on the immunoprecipitation of receptor with bound DNA to quantitate the binding of ER to these two elements. ER bound each element with significantly higher affinity than it bound to nonspecific DNA, but with 10-100-fold less affinity than that for the classical ERE sequence derived from the vitellogenin A2 gene. These comparisons rank the prolactin gene sequences as weak EREs. We also observed a 1: 1 ratio of ER to ERE in the bound complexes, indicating that these high-affinity interactions were not dependent upon an ER homodimer. These data support the role of these sequences in mediating estrogen regulation of the prolactin gene.
Biogeochemical implications of climate change for tropical rivers and floodplains

Large rivers of the tropics, many of which have extensive floodplains and deltas, are important in the delivery of nutrients and sediments to marine environments, in methane emission to the atmosphere and in providing ecosystem services associated with their high biological productivity. These ecosystem functions entail biogeochemical processes that will be influenced by climate change. Evidence for recent climate-driven changes in tropical rivers exists, but remains equivocal. Model projections suggest substantial future climate-driven changes, but they also underscore the complex interactions that control landscape water balances, river discharges and biogeochemical processes. The most important changes are likely to involve: (1) aquatic thermal regimes, with implications for thermal optima of plants and animals, rates of microbially mediated biogeochemical transformations, density stratification of water bodies and dissolved oxygen depletion; (2) hydrological regimes of discharge and floodplain inundation, which determine the ecological structure and function of rivers and floodplains and the extent and seasonality of aquatic environments; and (3) freshwater–seawater gradients where rivers meet oceans, affecting the distribution of marine, brackish and freshwater environments and the biogeochemical processing as river water approaches the coastal zone. In all cases, climate change affects biogeochemical processes in concert with other drivers such as deforestation and other land use changes, dams and other hydrological alterations and water withdrawals. Furthermore, changes in riverine hydrology and biogeochemistry produce potential feedbacks to climate involving biogeochemical processes such as decomposition and methane emission. Future research should seek improved understanding of these changes, and long-term monitoring should be extended to shallow waters of wetlands and floodplains in addition to the larger lakes and rivers that are most studied.
Covering a square of side n + ε with unit squares

In [Covering a triangle with triangles, Amer. Math. Monthly 112 (1) (2005) 78; Cover-up, Geombinatorics XIV (1) (2004) 8-9], Conway and I showed that in order to cover an equilateral triangle of side length n + e, n2 + 2 unit equilateral triangles suffice while obviously n2 + 1 are wanted. (The latest "triangular" results can be found in [D. Karabash, A. Soifer, On covering of trigons, Geombinatorics XV (1) (2005) 13-17].) Here I pose an analogous problem for squares and show that in order to cover a square of side length n + e, n2 + o(1)n + O(1) unit squares suffice. This problem is dual to the one solved by Erdos and Graham 30 years ago [On packing squares with equal squares, J. Combin. Theory (A) 19 (1975) 119-123], which dealt with packing unit squares in a square. And as in Erdos-Graham, in our problem a natural upper bound of (n + 1)2 provided by a square lattice can be much improved.
Sorption versus Biomineralization of Pb(II) within Burkholderia cepacia Biofilms

X-ray spectroscopy measurements have been combined with macroscopic uptake data and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results to show that Pb(II) uptake by Burkholderia cepacia is due to simul...
Inhibition of a plant sesquiterpene cyclase by mevinolin.

Abstract The specificity of mevinolin as an inhibitor of sterol and sesquiterpene metabolism in tobacco cell suspension cultures was examined. Exogenous mevinolin inhibited [14C]acetate, but not [3H]mevalonate incorporation into free sterols. In contrast, mevinolin inhibited the incorporation of both [14C]acetate and [3H]mevalonate into capsidiol, an extracellular sesquiterpene. Microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A reductase was inhibited greater than 90% by 3 μ m mevinolin, while squalene synthetase was insensitive to even 600 μ m mevinolin. Sesquiterpene cyclase, the first branch point enzyme specific for sesquiterpene biosynthesis, was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by mevinolin with a 50% reduction in activity at 100 μ m . Kinetic analysis indicated that the mechanism for inhibition was complex with mevinolin acting as both a competitive and noncompetitive inhibitor. The results suggest that the mevinolin inhibition of [3H]mevalonate incorporation into extracellular sesquiterpenes can, in part, be attributed to a secondary, but specific, site of inhibition, the sesquiterpene cyclase.
Parametric uncertainty modeling: an overview

Robust control system analysis and design is based on an uncertainty description, called a linear fractional transformation (LFT), which separates the uncertain (or varying) part of the system from the nominal system. This paper provides an overview of the parametric uncertainty modeling process for nonlinear parameter-dependent systems.
Is ATP synthesized by a vacuolar-ATPase in the extremely halophilic bacteria?

The proton-dependent synthesis of ATP was demonstrated in representative members of the generaHalobacterium, Haloarcula, andHaloferax. In all cases, synthesis was not inhibited by nitrate or N-ethylmaleimide, inhibitors of the vacuolar-like ATPase found in Archaea, but was affected by azide, an inhibitor of F0F1-ATP syntheses. These observations extend the earlier observations withHalobacterium saccharovorum and suggest that ATP synthesis in these organisms is brought about by an F0F1-APT synthase.
Thoracolumbar Spine Injuries in Children and Adolescents

Thoracolumbar spine injuries are the most common spine injuries in the skeletally immature, but only represent 1%-2% of all fractures or injuries in this patient population. These injuries range in severity but the severe ones may have devastating, lifelong consequences. This article will summarize a common sense way of evaluation and treatment of them. The premise is to stress principles and a methodical approach to analyze these injuries and then to apply a practical, effective, and efficient treatment modalities to manage them. There has been no attempt to address each and every possible injury type. Rather, the goal here was to provide a more general framework through which a physician managing such injuries can maneuver.
Effects of caudate and cortical lesions on place and response learning in rats

Rats with lesions in the caudate nucleus made fewer errors and took fewer trials to reach criterion than unoperated rats in acquisition and reversal performance on a T-maze task. On place and response performance, caudate and cortical rats did not differ from unoperated rats in number of errors and trials to criterion. Caudate rats were predominantly place learners, while cortical rats were mainly response learners. The results are discussed in relation to compensatory behavioral mechanisms following brain lesions.
Histologic grading of the extent of residual carcinoma following neoadjuvant chemoradiation in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a predictor for patient outcome.

Background Several grading schemes for the extent of residual tumor in post-treatment pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) specimens have been proposed. However, the prognostic significance of these grading schemes is unknown.
Stereotactic radiotherapy for the treatment of pituitary adenomas.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to retrospectively review local control and morbidity following stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for pituitary adenoma. METHODS: Between 1997 and 2004, 39 patients with pituitary adenomas received SRT. Median age was 56 years (range: 13 to 90 years). Thirty-three patients underwent incomplete transsphenoidal surgery prior to SRT and six had unresectable tumors. The largest tumor dimension varied from 1.7 to 6 cm (median: 3 cm). Tumor volume varied from 1.2 to 56 mL (median 10.5 mL). Thirty-five tumors were < or = 1 mm from the optic chiasm/nerve. Thirty-three tumors were non-functional. SRT was delivered by a dedicated linear accelerator (Novalis, Heimstetten, Germany). Beam collimation was achieved by a fixed circular collimator (five patients) or a micro-multileaf collimator (34 patients). Total dose varied from 4500 to 5040 cGy (median: 4860 cGy) and was prescribed at the 90 % isodose line. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 32 months (range: 12 to 94 months), the local control rate was 100 %. Tumor size was stable in 26 patients and decreased in 13 patients. Hormone normalization did not occur following SRT. New endocrine deficiency occurred in six patients. No patient developed cranial nerve injury or second malignancy following treatment. CONCLUSIONS: SRT achieves a high rate of local control and a low rate of treatment-induced morbidity. SRT is applicable to pituitary adenomas in close proximity to the optic apparatus and tumors in excess of three centimeters in the greatest dimension. Further follow-up is necessary to establish the long-term outcome following SRT for pituitary adenomas.
The missing link: Mothers’ neural response to infant cry related to infant attachment behaviors

This study addresses a gap in the attachment literature by investigating maternal neural response to cry related to infant attachment classifications and behaviors. Twenty-two primiparous mothers and their 18-month old infants completed the Strange Situation (SS) procedure to elicit attachment behaviors. During a separate functional MRI session, mothers were exposed to their own infant's cry sound, as well as an unfamiliar infant's cry and control sound. Maternal neural response to own infant cry related to both overall attachment security and specific infant behaviors. Mothers of less secure infants maintained greater activation to their cry in left parahippocampal and amygdala regions and the right posterior insula consistent with a negative schematic response bias. Mothers of infants exhibiting more avoidant or contact maintaining behaviors during the SS showed diminished response across left prefrontal, parietal, and cerebellar areas involved in attentional processing and cognitive control. Mothers of infants exhibiting more disorganized behavior showed reduced response in bilateral temporal and subcallosal areas relevant to social cognition and emotion regulation. No differences by attachment classification were found. Implications for attachment transmission models are discussed.
Loss of insectivorous birds along a gradient of human impact in Amazonia

Birds were surveyed within four zones defined along a gradient of decreasing impact by the petroleum industry and small-scale agriculture in the moist tropical forest of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Production Reserve in northeastern Ecuador. A total of 12 3-day surveys were conducted at nine sites, divided among the four zones, which consisted of a coffee plantation on the edge of a large deforested area, and three primary forest zones at approximately 0, 1500, and 3200 m from the deforested area (0, 200, and 1000 m from small clearings; 200, 2000, and > 3500 m from roads). All sites were located on the same types of soil and terrain, and the vegetation of all forested sites was physiognomically similar. The most outstanding difference in bird species composition across zones was the reduced number of insectivores in areas of greater human impact (p=0·03). Interior forest insectivore species were significantly more likely to be absent from impacted forests (and non-forest habitats) than were non-insectivores (p=0·000004), and this tendency was also present in the results of other studies of tropical forest birds. These results underscore the need to take insectivores, as well as other particularly sensitive groups, into special consideration within conservation strategies if intact faunas are to be preserved.
Behavioral Activation Is an Evidence-Based Treatment for Depression

Recent reviews of evidence-based treatment for depression did not identify behavioral activation as an evidence-based practice. Therefore, this article conducted a systematic review of behavioral activation treatment of depression, which identified three meta-analyses, one recent randomized controlled trial and one recent follow-up of an earlier randomized control trial. Behavioral activation was consistently superior to wait list and treatment as usual control groups. Effect sizes were not different from cognitive behavior therapy or cognitive therapy, both post-treatment and at follow-up. Indeed, behavioral activation may be more effective than cognitive therapy and cognitive behavior therapy in terms of lower dropout. Behavioral activation, like cognitive behavior therapy, may be superior to paroxitine because it results in less relapse and recurrence, may be substantially cheaper, and does not have risks of pharmacotherapy. There is some evidence that behavioral activation may also be useful with some people for whom cognitive and cognitive-behavior therapy is less effective, such as those with severe, lifelong depression, people with substance abuse and people with dementia and severe depression. There is now sufficient evidence to conclude that behavioral activation is an evidence-based therapy.
Laser two-photon ionization of organic molecules in dielectric liquids

The ionization threshold of fluoranthene and of TMPD in n-pentane was determined by laser two-photon ionization (TPI) and found to be 4.50 ± 0.05 and 3.88 ± 0.05 eV respectively. For both molecules the TPI spectra show distinct structure due to autoionization. For fluoranthene the TPI spectrum suggests that the molecule dissociates via the first excited singlet state.
Clinico‐Pathological Correlation in Progressive Ataxia and Palatal Tremor: A Novel Tauopathy

Palatal tremor (PT) is an uncommon movement disorder that has been subdivided into essential and symptomatic forms. A distinct subgroup of the symptomatic form presents with progressive ataxia and PT. The histopathology of progressive ataxia and PT has not been previously determined. This study consisted of a clinical review, histopathology, and electron microscopy of the brain of a man with progressive ataxia and PT. The inferior olivary hypertrophy was symmetrical and homogenous, and no focal pathologic lesions could be identified in the brainstem. Insoluble tau deposits were found in neurons, exclusively infratentorially. We present the clinical and pathological evaluation of a case of progressive ataxia and PT that provide evidence for a unique form of 4R tauopathy.
A Comparison of Simultaneous Confidence Intervals to Identify Handwritten Digits

This paper evaluates the use of several known simultaneous confidence interval methods for the automated recognition of handwritten digits from data in a well-known handwriting database. Contained in this database are handwritten digits, 0 through 9, that were obtained from 42,000 participants' writing samples. The objective of the analyses is to utilize statistical testing procedures that can be easily automated by a computer to recognize which digit was written by a subject. The methodologies discussed in this paper are designed to be sensitive to Type I errors and will control an overall measure of these errors, called the Familywise Error Rate. The procedures were constructed based off of a training portion of the data set, then applied and validated on the remaining testing portion of the data.