cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-resolution electrophoretic analysis of the histones from embryos and sperm of Arbacia punctulata

Abstract High-resolution electrophoresis of purified histone from the embryos and sperm of the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata , was used to identify the five chemical classes of histone from these sources. It was found that there are many similarities between histones from these sources and histones from other eukaryotes. Histones F2a1 and F3 have identical mobilities as the same two histones from other species. Sperm histones differ radically from embryo histones in fractions F1, F2b and F2a2. The biological questions posed by these differences are discussed. Sperm histones lack electrophoretic microheterogeneity in all five fractions. Changes in the amounts of histone F2b and a component of histone F1 were found to occur in the transition from blastula to prism stage. The relative amount of F2b decreases as a function of development while a slow-moving F1 component increases, other fractions remain relatively constant during the course of development.
Evaluating the Use of Exploratory Factor Analysis in Developmental Disability Psychological Research

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is a widely used but poorly understood statistical procedure. This paper described EFA and its methodological variations. Then, key methodological variations were used to evaluate EFA usage over a 10-year period in five leading developmental disabilities journals. Sixty-six studies were located and evaluated on multiple procedural variations. Only 35% (n = 23) of studies used EFA; principal components analysis was the model used most often (n = 40, 61%). Orthogonal rotation was used most often (n = 39, 59%). A large portion of studies ran analyses with a subject: item ratio larger than 5:1 (n = 49, 74%). Most researchers employed multiple criteria for retaining factors (n = 45, 68%). Overall, results indicated that published recommendations and guidelines for the use of EFA are largely ignored.
Cost of hemodialysis versus fomepizole-only for treatment of ethylene glycol intoxication

To the Editor:Levine et al. recently published a study describing the use of fomepizole therapy alone in the treatment of ethylene glycol (EG) intoxication in patients without renal compromise or a...
Electrogenerated chemiluminescence. 66. The role of direct coreactant oxidation in the ruthenium tris(2,2')bipyridyl/tripropylamine system and the effect of halide ions on the emission intensity

We describe the electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) processes of the Ru(bpy)32+ (bpy = 2,2‘-bipyridyl)/tripropylamine (TPrA) system at glassy carbon, platinum, and gold electrodes. The electrochemical behavior of TPrA on different electrode materials and its influence on the ECL process are demonstrated. At glassy carbon electrodes, the direct oxidation of TPrA began at ∼0.6 V vs SCE and exhibited a broad irreversible anodic peak. Two ECL waves were observed, one in the potential region more negative than 1.0 V vs SCE and one at more positive potentials. The first ECL process apparently occurs without the electrogeneration of Ru(bpy)33+, in contrast to that of the second ECL wave. At Pt and Au electrodes, however, the formation of surface oxides significantly blocked the direct oxidation of TPrA. An ECL wave below 1.0 V did not appear at Pt and was very weak at gold. The ECL peaks at potentials of 1.1−1.2 V were also much weaker than those observed at the glassy carbon electrode. These results showed...
Rationalization of existing mechanistic models for the prediction of water subcooled flow boiling critical heat flux

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of the critical heat flux (CHF) of subcooled flow boiling based on the liquid sublayer dryout mechanism, i.e. the dryout of a thin liquid layer beneath an intermittent vapour blanket due to the coalescence of small bubbles. Starting from the same basic mechanism adopted in earlier models, a new model is derived for the analysis of the CHF in subcooled flow boiling under conditions of very high mass flux and liquid subcooling, typical of fusion reactors thermal hydraulic design. The model is characterized by the absence of empirical constants always present in earlier models. Predicted CHF values are compared with data of 1888 data points for water, showing a good agreement both in precision and in accuracy.
On simple approximations to the equivalent width of a Lorentz line

Abstract The accuracy of several simple approximations to the equivalent width of a Lorentz line are discussed. Two recently used approximations are considered and two other simple expressions, which are more accurate, are suggested.
Neuronal expression of fos protein in the forebrain of diabetic rats

Abstract We sought to identify the areas that have altered neuronal activity within the hypothalamus of diabetic rats by mapping neuronal expression of c-fos protein (Fos) and Fos-related antigens. After a standard PAP immunocytochemical protocol, Fos-like immunoreactivity was observed in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), supraoptic nucleus (SON), median preoptic area (MnPO), anterior hypothalamus (AH) and posterior hypothalamus (PH) of control (vehicle; n =6) and diabetic rats (Sprague–Dawley rats injected with STZ 65 mg/kg/ip 4 weeks prior to the experiment; n =6). Blood glucose levels were significantly elevated in the diabetic group (370±8 mg/dl) compared to control group (104±3 mg/dl). Diabetic rats had a significantly higher number of Fos-positive cells in PVN (2.5×), SON (7×) and MnPO (2×) compared to the control rats. However, diabetic rats had significantly fewer Fos-positive cells in the AH (0.3×) and no difference was observed in the PH between the diabetic and control rats. Despite the elevated number of Fos-positive cells in the diabetic rats, dehydration (water withdrawal for 24 h) or hypertonic challenge (1.5 ml of 0.1 M NaCl i.p. injection) produced a further increase in the number of Fos-positive cells in the PVN, SON and MnPO. Dehydration did not alter the number of Fos-positive cells in the AH or PH, but hypertonic challenge produced a significant increase in the Fos-positive cells in both the AH and PH of diabetic rats. This study demonstrates that: (1) there is increased basal neuronal activity in the PVN, SON and MnPO, a decrease in neuronal activity in the AH and no change in neuronal activity in the PH as indicated by Fos staining in diabetic rats; and (2) dehydration or hypertonic challenge produces a further increase in the number of Fos-positive cells in the PVN, SON, and MnPO which is comparable to control rats. These data support the conclusion that vasopressin producing neurons in the PVN and SON and autonomic areas within the lamina terminalis and hypothalamus are activated during diabetes and may contribute to the elevated levels of vasopressin and autonomic dysfunction during diabetes.
Intraspecific facilitation of larval recruitment: Gregarious settlement of the polychaete Phragmatopomacalifornica (Fewkes)

Abstract The swimming larvae of the polychaete Phragmatopoma californica (Fewkes) (Sabellariidae) are induced to settle, attach to substratum and metamorphose to the juvenile form upon contact with anterior portions of tubes from conspecifics, and are capable of delaying metamorphosis in the absence of such contact. Glass beads with which conspecifics had previously built tubes are potent inducers of metamorphosis; control glass beads previously soaked in sea water (to produce a thin film of organic molecules and microorganisms adsorbed to the surfaces of the beads) are relatively ineffective in inducing metamorphosis. Posterior portions of conspecific tubes, sandstone, a variety of sympatric algal and invertebrate species and tubes from several other polychaete species either do not induce metamorphosis or do so at a lower level than did anterior portions of conspecific tubes. The stimulus for metamorphosis is inactivated by boiling. Recognition of the metamorphosis-inducing stimulus by the larvae is dependent on contact and independent of light. These results suggest that at least some component of the inducing stimulus is chemical in nature. Quinone tanned proteins (or a precursor or enzyme involved in their formation) which form the cementing material secreted by the animal for tube construction may be responsible for the inducing activity of tube material. A discussion of the ecological implications of site-specific recruitment is presented. Gregarious settlement and metamorphosis of P. californica larvae (resulting in an irreversible commitment to the benthos) could contribute to the patchy distribution of the adult population, both by initially forming single-species dominated patches following a disturbance, and subsequently altering the ability of individuals to maintain space when they are aggregated.
Clinical experiences in conducting cognitive-behavioral therapy for social phobia

Several authors have identified a disconnect between psychotherapy research, including research on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and real-world psychotherapy practice. This disconnect has several negative consequences, potentially including less-than-optimal practice standards as well as a lack of input from practicing psychotherapists on how research can be improved and made more relevant in their day-to-day clinical work. As part of an ongoing effort to engage practicing psychotherapists in a feedback loop with psychotherapy researchers, this study reports the results of a survey of CBT therapists who have used CBT in the treatment of social phobia (SP). The survey was designed primarily to document how often certain potential problems, identified by expert researchers and CBT manuals, actually act as barriers to successful treatment when CBT is employed in nonresearch environments. The participants were 276 psychotherapists responding to email, online, and print advertisements completing the online survey. Participants varied considerably in psychotherapy experience, work environment, experience in using CBT for SP, and in some ways varied in their usual CBT techniques when treating SP. Among the most prominent barriers identified by many of the participants were patient motivation, comorbidity, logistical problems (especially with exposures), patient resistance, and severity and chronicity of SP symptoms. These findings may be useful for psychotherapy researchers as areas for potential study. The results may also suggest topics requiring clinical guidelines, innovations within CBT, and dissemination of successful techniques to address the barriers identified here.
Parameterization of Shortwave and Longwave Radiative Properties of Ice Clouds for Use in Climate Models

Abstract Climate modeling and prediction require that the parameterization of the radiative effects of ice clouds be as accurate as possible. The radiative properties of ice clouds are highly sensitive to the single-scattering properties of ice particles and ice cloud microphysical properties such as particle habits and size distributions. In this study, parameterizations for shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) radiative properties of ice clouds are developed for three existing schemes using ice cloud microphysical properties obtained from five field campaigns and broadband-averaged single-scattering properties of nonspherical ice particles as functions of the effective particle size De (defined as 1.5 times the ratio of total volume to total projected area), which include hexagonal solid columns and hollow columns, hexagonal plates, six-branch bullet rosettes, aggregates, and droxtals. A combination of the discrete ordinates radiative transfer model and a line-by-line model is used to simulate ice cloud rad...
Linear coupled component automata for MILP modeling of hybrid systems

Abstract We first introduce a novel modeling framework, called linear coupled component automata (LCCA), to facilitate the modeling of discrete-continuous dynamical systems with piecewise constant derivatives. Second, we provide a procedure for transforming models in this framework to mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) constraints. Traditionally, such systems have been modeled directly with MILP constraints. We show with an example that our framework significantly simplifies model formulation and allows the complex MILP constraints to be produced systematically.
Diamagnetic persistent currents for electrons in ballistic billiards subject to a point flux

We study the persistent current of noninteracting electrons subject to a pointlike magnetic flux in the simply connected chaotic Robnik-Berry quantum billiard and also in an annular analog thereof. For the simply connected billiard, we find a large diamagnetic contribution to the persistent current at small flux, which is independent of the flux and is proportional to the number of electrons (or equivalently the density since we keep the area fixed). The size of this diamagnetic contribution is much larger than mesoscopic fluctuations in the persistent current in the simply connected billiard. Moreover, it can ultimately be traced to the response of the angular-momentum $l=0$ levels (neglected in semiclassical expansions) on the unit disk to a pointlike flux at its center. The same behavior is observed for the annular billiard when the inner radius is much smaller than the outer one. The usual fluctuating persistent current and Anderson-like localization due to boundary scattering are seen when the annulus tends to a one-dimensional ring. We explore the conditions for the observability of this phenomenon.
Corporate strategies that work

Here's more coverage of The Planning Forum's annual International Conference in Toronto by our diligent reporter, Professor Reimann. His synopses capture conference highlights and, as usual, he seasons them with his insightful commentary. This is the third part of a three‐part article that began in the September/October issue.
New electrochemical and optical sensing techniques for the liquid phase

Three topics are summarized: advances in potentiometric sensors, in optical sensors, and in enzyme-based and enzyme-sensing biosensors.
An Equivalent CTL Formulation for Condition Sequences

A condition system is a form of Petri net that interacts with other condition systems and the environment via state-based signals called conditions. The condition language framework has been used in previous papers to characterize the input/output behavior of such interacting systems, as well as to specify desired control behavior among other things. In this paper, we show that condition sequences (the specification) and condition systems (the model of the system) have an equivalent structure in the computation tree logic (CTL) framework. The primary goals of this work are to be able to utilize existing tools for program verification for our systems, and to make our work more accessible to the temporal logic community.
The frequency of ion‐pair substructures in proteins is quantitatively related to electrostatic potential: A statistical model for nonbonded interactions

A statistical analysis of ion pairs in protein crystal structures shows that their abundance with respect to uncharged controls is accurately predicted by a Boltzmann-like function of electrostatic potential. It appears that the mechanisms of protein folding and/or evolution combine to produce a "thermal" distribution of local nonbonded interactions, as has been suggested by statistical-mechanical theories. Using this relationship, we develop a maximum likelihood methodology for estimation of apparent energetic parameters from the data base of known structures, and we derive electrostatic potential functions that lead to optimal agreement of observed and predicted ion-pair frequencies. These are similar to potentials of mean force derived from electrostatic theory, but departure from Coulombic behavior is less than has been suggested.
Ultrastructural demonstration of spirochetal antigens in synovial fluid and synovial membrane in chronic lyme disease: Possible factors contributing to persistence of organisms

Abstract To perform the first systematic electronmicroscopic (EM) and immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) study of the pathological changes and the evidence of spirochete presence in synovial membranes and synovial fluid (SF) cells of patients with chronic Lyme arthritis. EM examination was performed on four synovial membrane and eight SF cell samples from eight patients with chronic Lyme disease. Spirochetal antigens in the samples were sought by IEM using monoclonal antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein A (OspA) as the immunoprobe. Prominent ultrastructural findings were surface fibrinlike material, thickened synovial lining cell layer and signs of vascular injury. Borrelia -like structures were identified in all four synovial membranes and in two of eight SF cell samples. The presence of spirochetal antigens was confirmed by IEM in all four samples studied (one synovial membrane and three SF cell samples). OspA labelling was in perivascular areas, deep synovial stroma among collagen bundles, and in vacuoles of fibroblasts in synovial membranes; and in cytophagosomes of mononuclear cells in SF cell samples. Electron microscopy adds further evidence for persistence of spirochetal antigens in the joint in chronic Lyme disease. Locations of spirochetes or spirochetal antigens both intracellulary and extracellulary in deep synovial connective tissue as reported here suggest sites at which spirochaetes may elude host immune response and antibiotic treatment.
Nursing turnover: An integrated model

An integrated model of turnover incorporating personal, organizational, and job experience variables as well as job attitudes and behavioral intentions as predictors of voluntary turnover among staff nurses was tested. Results confirmed the hypothesis that intention to leave would be the most immediate determinant of actual turnover. Personal, organizational, and job experience variables were found to influence voluntary turnover only indirectly through their effects on three attitudinal variables: felt stress, job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and intention to leave. As hypothesized, the strength of the intention-turnover relationship decreased as the time interval between expressed intentions and turnover behavior increased.
Nanostraw–Electroporation System for Highly Efficient Intracellular Delivery and Transfection

Nondestructive introduction of genes, proteins, and small molecules into mammalian cells with high efficiency is a challenging, yet critical, process. Here we demonstrate a simple nanoelectroporation platform to achieve highly efficient molecular delivery and high transfection yields with excellent uniformity and cell viability. The system is built on alumina nanostraws extending from a track-etched membrane, forming an array of hollow nanowires connected to an underlying microfluidic channel. Cellular engulfment of the nanostraws provides an intimate contact, significantly reducing the necessary electroporation voltage and increasing homogeneity over a large area. Biomolecule delivery is achieved by diffusion through the nanostraws and enhanced by electrophoresis during pulsing. The system was demonstrated to offer excellent spatial, temporal, and dose control for delivery, as well as providing high-yield cotransfection and sequential transfection.
The effects of sea‐ice and land‐snow concentrations on planetary albedo from the earth radiation budget experiment

Abstract The high‐latitude ice/snow‐albedo feedback is a principal element in many paleoclimate theories and global warming scenarios. The strength of this feedback is determined by the ice/snow effects on the top‐of atmosphere (TOA) albedo, which is also strongly affected by clouds. Using currently available satellite observations, we estimate the radiative effectiveness (RE) of ice and snow with regards to the TOA albedo, which we define as the change in the TOA albedo corresponding to changes of 0% to 100% in the ice or snow cover. The REs of the northern hemisphere (NH) sea ice, land snow, and southern hemisphere (SH) sea ice are found to be 0.22, 0.23 and 0.16, respectively. This means that, for an incident solar flux of about 400 W m−2 reaching the TOA in the polar latitudes in summer, local reduction in ice/snow concentrations from 100% to 0% will result in a decrease in reflected short wave radiation of approximately 80 W m−2. These changes in the TOA albedo are significant, yet smaller than the a...
Effects of deprivation and prefeeding on variable interval responding

Three pigeons with long operant conditioning histories were studied under a variable interval schedule as deprivation was varied. Periods of food deprivation up to 72 h and prefeeding up to 20 g of food had little effect upon responding. One pigeon did show a significant decrease in responding following a 10% increase in body weight. These findings indicate that variable interval responding in pigeons can become relatively insensitive to changes in deprivation.
Quaternion-based Signal Processing

Hypercomlex numbers, which have primarily been used for pattern recognition, offer many useful applications to geophysics. Image disparity estimation is a hypercomplex, phase-based technique, using quaternions, that can nd differences between subtlety varying images. This technique relies on applying a quaternionic Fourier transform, a quaternionic Gabor lter and exploits the symmetries inherent in the quaternion. Two applications of hypercomplex image disparity estimation are time lapse analysis and boundary detection.
Performance of distributed CFAR tests in nonhomogeneous background

We evaluate the performance of several distributed CFAR tests operating in nonhomogeneous background conditions. The analysis considers the detection of Rayleigh target in Rayleigh clutter with the possibility of differing clutter power levels in the test cells of distributed radars. The tests considered include the previously defined maximum order statistic detector (MOS), belonging to a class of signal-plus-order statistic (S+OS) detectors, a new normalized test statistic (NTS), also belonging to the S+OS class, and the OR and the AND fusion rules. Numerical results studied for a two-radar system show how the false alarm rate of the MOS test changes with differences in the clutter power levels of the test cells. The results also indicate that, with differing test cells' power levels, the OR fusion rule can be quite competitive to more complex tests, viz. NTS and MOS.
Spatial-frequency and contrast tuning of the transient-stereopsis system

The tuning of the transient-stereopsis system to luminance contrast and spatial-frequency (SF) was investigated with narrow-band gabor targets with a constant sigma of 1°. They were presented for brief (140 ms) durations and subtended a large (6°) disparity. When dichoptic gabor stimuli were matched in SF (0‐5 cpd), transient stereo performance was either uniform across SF or greater at frequencies below 1 cpd. When dichoptic stimuli had unmatched SF (0.5 0‐5 cpd) and matched contrast (100%), stereo performance was impaired below that of the matched SF condition. Stereo performance with matched SF at 0.5 cpd was impaired when contrast of one eye’s image was reduced, demonstrating a contrast-paradox effect (i.e. contrast tuning) for transient stereopsis. Performance with three dichoptic unmatched SF conditions (0.5 and 1.0 cpd; 0.5 and 5.0 cpd; 1.5 and 3.5 cpd) was improved when the contrasts of the low SF gabor was reduced while holding the contrast of the high SF gabor constant at 100%. However stereo performance was not improved by reducing the contrast of a high SF gabor (3.5 cpd) while holding the contrast of the lower SF gabor (1.5 cpd) constant at 100%. We interpret these findings as indicating that transient-stereopsis performance is mediated by a single spatial-channel that has low-pass spatial-frequency sensitivity and which compares the ocular based signals prior to binocular combination so that signals that are not balanced in terms of their strength lead to a weaker binocular signal, as per the model proposed by Kontsevich and Tyler (Vis Res 1994;3417:2317‐2329) for sustained stereopsis. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lack of expression of the global regulator OxyR in Haemophilus influenzae has a profound effect on growth phenotype

A pBR322-based library of chromosomal DNA from the nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae TN106 was screened for the expression of transferrin-binding activity in Escherichia coli. A recombinant clone expressing transferrin-binding activity contained a 3.7-kb fragment of nontypeable H. influenzae DNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this insert revealed the presence of two complete open reading frames encoding proteins of approximately 26 and 34 kDa. Mini-Tn10kan transposon mutagenesis at different sites within the open reading frame encoding the 34-kDa protein resulted in the abolition of transferrin-binding activity in the recombinant E. coli clone. The deduced amino acid sequence of the 34-kDa protein had 70% identity with the OxyR protein of E. coli; this latter macromolecule is a member of the LysR family of transcriptional activators. When a mutated H. influenzae oxyR gene was introduced into the chromosome of the wild-type H. influenzae strain by allelic exchange, the resulting oxyR mutant still exhibited wild-type levels of transferrin-binding activity but was unable to grow on media containing the heme precursor protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) in place of heme. This mutant also exhibited reduced growth around disks impregnated with heme sources. Supplementation of the PPIX-based growth media with catalase or sodium pyruvate resulted in normal growth of the H. influenzae oxyR mutant. Provision of the wild-type H. influenzae oxyR gene in trans also permitted the growth of this mutant on a PPIX-based medium. Exogenously supplied catalase restored the growth of this mutant with heme sources to nearly wild-type levels. These results indicate that expression of a wild-type OxyR protein by H. influenzae is essential to allow this organism to protect itself against oxidative stresses in vitro.
Reconciling Family Roles with Political Ambition: The New Normal for Women in Twenty-First Century U.S. Politics

Based on data from the 2011 Citizen Political Ambition Study—a national survey of nearly 4,000 “potential candidates” for all levels of office—we provide the first thorough analysis of the manner in which traditional family arrangements affect the initial decision to run for office. Our findings reveal that traditional family dynamics do not account for the gender gap in political ambition. Neither marital and parental status, nor the division of labor pertaining to household tasks and child care, predicts potential candidates’ political ambition. This is not to downplay the fact that the gender gap in political ambition remains substantial and static or that traditional family roles affect whether women make it into the candidate eligibility pool in the first place. But it is to suggest that family arrangements are not a primary factor explaining why female potential candidates exhibit lower levels of political ambition than do men. Because women remain less likely than men to exhibit political ambition ...
Synthesis and evaluation of novel inhibitors of Pim-1 and Pim-2 protein kinases.

The Pim protein kinases are frequently overexpressed in prostate cancer and certain forms of leukemia and lymphoma. 5-(3-Trifluoromethylbenzylidene)thiazolidine-2,4-dione (4a) was identified by screening to be a Pim-1 inhibitor and was found to attenuate the autophosphorylation of tagged Pim-1 in intact cells. Although 4a is a competitive inhibitor with respect to ATP, a screen of approximately 50 diverse protein kinases demonstrated that it has high selectivity for Pim kinases. Computational docking of 4a to Pim-1 provided a model for lead optimization, and a series of substituted thiazolidine-2,4-dione congeners was synthesized. The most potent new compounds exhibited IC50s of 13 nM for Pim-1 and 2.3 μM for Pim-2. Additional compounds in the series demonstrated selectivities of more than 2500-fold and 400-fold for Pim-1 or Pim-2, respectively, while other congeners were essentially equally potent toward the two isozymes. Overall, these compounds are new Pim kinase inhibitors that may provide leads to no...
BOVINE MUSCLE COOKED FROM THE FROZEN STATE AT LOW TEMPERATURE

Top round roasts (1.35 kg) were oven roasted (OR, 94° C), cooked in oven film bags (OFB, 94°C) or in a slow cooker (SC, 85°C) to 60° or 70°C, or cooked in OFB or in SC 10 hr. Total cooking losses and palatability of meat and related objective measurements were similar for all cooking methods. OFB and SC roasts cooked in less (P < 0.05) time and appeared more well-done (P < 0.05) than OR roasts cooked to the same end point. Heat penetration was slower when the meat's internal temperature was below 0°C than when between 0° and 70°C. After 70°C, heat penetration was reduced markedly. For OFB and SC roasts cooked to 70°C, generally the longer the internal temperature was between 55° and 7°C, the less tender and mealy the product; when cooked 10 hr, the longer the internal temperature was between 55° and 7°C, the lower were the cooking losses and mealiness scores.
Clinical trial of chlorhexidine vaginal irrigation to prevent peripartal infection in nulliparous women.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether intrapartum chlorhexidine vaginal irrigations prevent peripartal infection in nulliparous women at ≥32 weeks of gestation. Study Design: This was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. Vaginal irrigations were performed with 200 mL of 0.2% chlorhexidine solution or sterile saline solution placebo every 6 hours during labor. The primary study outcome was clinically diagnosed maternal peripartal infection: chorioamnionitis or endometritis. Analysis was by intent to treat. Results: One thousand forty-one women were assigned randomly to one of two groups (chlorhexidine therapy, 525 women; placebo, 516 women). The two groups were balanced for risk factors for infection. Rates of peripartal infection were 19.3% in the chlorhexidine group and 17.3% in the placebo group (relative risk 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9-1.4). Major and minor neonatal morbidities were similar between the groups. No major and one minor adverse reaction was attributed to chlorhexidine irrigation. Conclusion: Under the conditions of this trial, chlorhexidine vaginal irrigation lacked efficacy in the prevention of clinically diagnosed maternal and neonatal infectious morbidity. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;189:166-70.)
Transformations for volumetric range distribution queries

Volumetric datasets continue to grow in size, and there is continued demand for interactive analysis on these datasets. Because storage device throughputs are not increasing as quickly, interactive analysis workflows are becoming working set-constrained. In an ideal workflow, the working set complexity of the interactive analysis portion of the workflow should depend primarily on the size of the analysis result being produced, rather than on the size of the data being analyzed. Past works in online analytical processing and visualization have addressed this problem within application-specific contexts, but have not generalized their solutions to a wider variety of visualization applications. We propose a general framework for reducing the working set complexity of the interactive portion of visualization workflows that can be built on top of distribution range queries, as well as a technique within this framework able to support multiple visualization applications. Transformations are applied in the preprocessing phase of the workflow to enable fast, approximate volumetric distribution range queries with low working set complexity. Interactive application algorithms are then adapted to make use of these distribution range queries, enabling efficient interactive workflows on large-scale data. We show that the proposed technique enables these applications to be scaled primarily in terms of the application result dataset size, rather than the input data size, enabling increased interactivity and scalability.
Relative Oral Bioavailability of Arsenic from Contaminated Soils Measured in the Cynomolgus Monkey

A number of studies have found that gastrointestinal absorption of arsenic from soil is limited, indicating that a relative oral bioavailability (RBA) adjustment is warranted when calculating risks from exposure to arsenic-contaminated soil. However, few studies of arsenic bioavailability from soil have been conducted in animal models with phylogenetic similarity to humans, such as nonhuman primates. We report here the results of a study in which the RBA of arsenic in soil from a variety of types of contaminated sites was measured in male cynomolgus monkeys. A single oral dose of each contaminated soil was administered to five adult male cynomolgus monkeys by gavage, and the extent of oral absorption was evaluated through measurement of arsenic recovery in urine and feces. Urinary recovery of arsenic following doses of contaminated soil was compared with urinary recovery following oral administration of sodium arsenate in water in order to determine the RBA of each soil. RBA of arsenic in 14 soil samples from 12 different sites ranged from 0.05 to 0.31 (5‐31%), with most RBAvalues in the 0.1‐0.2 (10‐ 20%) range. The RBA values were found to be inversely related to the amount of arsenic present with iron sulfate. No other significant correlations were observed between RBA and arsenic mineralogic phases in the test soils. The lack of clear relationships between arsenic mineralogy and RBA measured in vivo suggests that gastrointestinal absorption of arsenic from soil may be more complex than originally thought, and subject to factors other than simple dissolution behavior.
A Rationale for Science in Early Childhood Education.

“One of the only two articles that remain in my creed of life is that the future of our civilization depends upon the widening spread and deepening hold of the scientific habit of mind; and that the problem of problems in our education is therefore to discover how to mature and make effective this scientific habit.”
Topical and Oral Voriconazole in the Treatment of Fungal Keratitis

Purpose To describe nine patients with fungal keratitis refractory to standard antifungal therapy whose condition was managed with voriconazole. Design Retrospective case series. Methods Chart review of patients with fungal keratitis who were treated with topical and oral voriconazole. Results Nine patients were treated. Two patients were contact lens wearers who used multipurpose cleaning solutions. Corneal isolates found were Fusarium (three patients), Candida albicans (three patients), Alternaria (one patient), Scopulariopsis (one patient), and Scedosporium apiospermum (one patient). Nine patients were treated with topical voriconazole, and eight patients were treated with oral voriconazole. Patients were treated topically for four to 16 weeks (mean, 10 weeks) and orally for five to 17 weeks (mean, 10 weeks). One patient was lost to follow-up. Two patients discontinued the topical voriconazole after one day and four weeks, respectively, because of ocular burning. Of the seven patients who were treated with topical therapy and followed, five conditions healed. Conclusion Voriconazole is a new, promising therapy for fungal keratitis that is refractory to standard antifungal treatments.
The Predictive Value of the Fine-Needle Aspiration Diagnosis “Suspicious for a Follicular Neoplasm, Hürthle Cell Type” in Patients With Hashimoto Thyroiditis

A fine-needle aspiration sample composed exclusively of Hurthle cells is interpreted as “suspicious for a follicular neoplasm, Hurthle cell type” (SFNHCT). Because some nonneoplastic Hurthle cell proliferations in Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) mimic this cytologic pattern, we examined the positive predictive value (PPV) for malignancy of SFNHCT in patients with HT. Between 1992 and 2007, 401 patients with cytologic findings of SFNHCT were identified at 3 institutions. Histologic follow-up was available for 287 (71.6%), and malignancy was diagnosed in 69 (24.0%). Malignancy was present in 2 (PPV = 9.5%) of 21 patients with HT compared with 67 (PPV = 25.2%) of 266 patients without HT ( P = .081). Although the difference in the rate of malignancy between the HT and non-HT cohorts did not reach statistical significance, the lower risk of malignancy in the HT cohort more closely approximates the risk of cases interpreted as “atypia of undetermined significance.” For this reason, it might be appropriate for Hurthle cell–only aspirates from patients with HT to be categorized as either atypia of undetermined significance or SFNHCT.
Adenosine A2B Receptor Blockade Slows Growth of Bladder and Breast Tumors

The accumulation of high levels of adenosine in tumors activates A(2A) and A(2B) receptors on immune cells and inhibits their ability to suppress tumor growth. Deletion of adenosine A(2A) receptors (A(2A)ARs) has been reported to activate antitumor T cells, stimulate dendritic cell (DC) function, and inhibit angiogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the effects of intermittent intratumor injection of a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist, aminophylline (AMO; theophylline ethylenediamine) and, for the first time to our knowledge, a selective A(2B)AR antagonist, ATL801. AMO and ATL801 slowed the growth of MB49 bladder and 4T1 breast tumors in syngeneic mice and reduced by 85% metastasizes of breast cancer cells from mammary fat to lung. Based on experiments with A(2A)AR(-/-) or adenosine A(2B) receptor(-/-) mice, the effect of AMO injection was unexpectedly attributed to A(2B)AR and not to A(2A)AR blockade. AMO and ATL801 significantly increased tumor levels of IFN-γ and the IFN-inducible chemokine CXCL10, which is a ligand for CXCR3. This was associated with an increase in activated tumor-infiltrating CXCR3(+) T cells and a decrease in endothelial cell precursors within tumors. Tumor growth inhibition by AMO or ATL801 was eliminated in CXCR3(-/-) mice and RAG1(-/-) mice that lack mature T cells. In RAG1(-/-) mice, A(2B)AR deletion enhanced CD86 expression on CD11b(-) DCs. Bone marrow chimera experiments demonstrated that CXCR3 and A(2B)AR expression on bone marrow cells is required for the antitumor effects of AMO. The data suggest that blockade of A(2B)ARs enhances DC activation and CXCR3-dependent antitumor responses.
Reviving Protection for Private Property: A Practical Approach to Blight Takings

This Article argues that current scholarly theories and suggestions, post-Kelo, for reviving protection for private property under the Takings Clause are unrealistic and unlikely to succeed. After a short Introduction, Part I provides background and presents four recent examples of eminent domain abuse where 'blight' definitions have skirted bans against economic takings. Part II discusses several current theories espoused by prominent scholars and analyzes whether their adoption would have prevented the abuses presented in Part I. This Article concludes that adoption of current theories would not have prevented those kinds of abuses and more attention needs to be given to procedural protection. Procedural protection needs to be provided for all property owners, but most especially for those most vulnerable to eminent domain abuse: poor and minority property owners.
Abstract 17773: Cardiac Myocyte-specific Expression of LMNAD300N Activates MMP2 and Induces Severe Interstitial Fibrosis and Cardiac Systolic Dysfunction Leading to Premature Death in Mice

Mutations in the LMNA, encoding lamin A/C, cause a wide range of diseases, collectively known as laminopathies. In the heart, LMNA mutations cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), conduction defect and sudden death. We recently identified a p.D300N mutation in LMNA in a patient with restrictive cardiomyopathy, conduction defect, atrial fibrillation and premature death. To delineate the molecular mechanism(s) responsible for cardiac phenotype caused by the p.D300N mutation, we generated a Doxycycline (DOX)-inducible (Tet-off) bigenic mice and expressed LmnaD300N or a wild type (WT) Lmna (LmnaWT), under the transcriptional regulation of Myh6 promoter. Expression of LmnaD300N was associated with severe interstitial fibrosis (6-fold increase compared with LmnaWT, p
Effect of oxytocin on plasma free fatty acids of non-diabetic and diabetic dogs.

SummaryIntravenous injection of oxytocin results in a decrease in concentration of free fatty acids in the plasma of non-diabetic and alloxan-diabetic dogs.
On Stability of a Thermal Centering Controller

1 the concept of using cooperating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to search for thermal lift in order to extend endurance was investigated. This paper elaborates upon this work by including a theoretical analysis of the stability and convergence of the heuristic controller used for centering on thermals. Using an exponential Gaussian function to represent the updraft field in a thermal, the analysis proves the controller to be asymptotically stable at the equilibrium state given. It further provides the region of stability for varying feedback gains of the controller and for different strength and sizes of the thermal.
The Puzzling Problem of Unfilled Prescriptions

Zweigoron RT, Binns HJ, Tanz RR. Unfilled prescriptions in pediatric primary care. Pediatrics. 2012; 130( 4): 620- 626; doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-3480[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Chicago sought to determine the rate of unfilled prescriptions among Medicaid-insured patients aged 0 to 24 years who received care at 2 large, urban, pediatric primary care clinics in Chicago over a period of 26 months. One clinic was staffed by residents and their preceptors and the other by residents and full-time academic pediatricians who saw their own patients when not supervising residents. Both clinics used the same electronic medical record (EMR), and midway through the study period both clinics’ … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DPediatrics%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1542%252Fpeds.2011-3480%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23008456%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=pediatrics&resid=130/4/620&atom=%2Faapgrand%2F29%2F3%2F31.atom
Computational renormalization scheme for quantum field theories

We propose an alternative technique for numerically renormalizing quantum field theories based on their Hamiltonian formulation. This method is nonperturbative in nature and, therefore, exact to all orders. It does not require any correlation functions or Feynman diagrams. We illustrate this method for a model Yukawa-like theory describing the interaction of electrons and positrons with model photons in one spatial dimension. We show that, after mass renormalization of the fermionic and bosonic single-particle states, all other states in the Fock space have finite energies, which are independent of the momentum cutoff.
“Write Me a Better Story”: Writing Stories as a Diagnostic and Repair Practice for Automotive Technicians:

Although storytelling research is rarely applied to technical communication, I approach it as one way of technical communication practitioners and teachers might account for the social, creative, knowledge-intensive ways technical service work gets done. In particular, I look to the technical service work of automotive technicians at a repair shop in the Northwest. These technicians not only tell each other stories, but they also write stories about their diagnostic practices, or what they do to determine problems, and about their processes for addressing those problems—their actual repair work. But writing stories is more than instrumental. I argue that acts of storytelling are inseparably entangled with acts of accessing technical breakdowns, determining possible problems, and then producing acceptable solutions. For these technicians, writing stories and fixing cars intertwine. My central question, then, is how can technical communication researchers and teachers approach acts of storytelling in ways t...
When Should Ablation Be Considered in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation – A Clinician’s View

Catheter ablation is a relatively recent and evolving modality for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation. What its role is in the management of the general patient population with atrial fibrillation remains unclear. In order to understand the role of catheter ablation for treatment of atrial fibrillation, an overview of the problem of atrial fibrillation will be discussed. Management strategies will be considered. The mechanisms of atrial fibrillation along with a history of ablation and a rationale for atrial fibrillation ablation will be presented. Data on the outcomes, efficacy and complications of catheter ablation will be reviewed. Finally, patient selection will be discussed.
Abstract 3716: Potent radiation enhancement with VX-984, a selective DNA-PKcs inhibitor for the treatment of NSCLC

Ionizing radiation (IR), which is widely used for the treatment of cancer, causes double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA. If left unrepaired, these DSBs are lethal to the cell. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a key enzyme in the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway that repairs DSBs caused by IR, or chemotherapeutic agents that cause DSBs such as doxorubicin. The goal of these studies was to characterize the radiation enhancing effects of VX-984, a selective and potent ATP-competitive inhibitor of the catalytic subunit of DNA-PK (DNA-PKcs), with a focus on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and tumor xenografts. VX-984 enhances the cytotoxicity of IR in a panel of cancer cell lines including NSCLC cell lines in vitro with dose enhancement factors (DEF) greater than 3. Notably, VX-984 combined with IR in normal human lung fibroblasts minimally enhanced the cytotoxicity compared to IR alone. Additionally, VX-984 decreased DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation on S2056 both in vitro and in vivo in NSCLC cells and attenuated the decay of the DNA damage markers γH2AX and pKAP1 in response to IR. In NSCLC PDX models VX-984, in combination with IR (2 Gy x 3), caused durable complete responses while IR alone only led to a delay in tumor growth, consistent with delayed DNA damage repair. In these models, the combination of VX-984 and IR was well tolerated. These data demonstrate that VX-984 is a potent radiation-enhancing agent and provide a strong rationale for the use of VX-984 in combination with IR for the treatment of NSCLC. Citation Format: Diane Boucher, Russell Hoover, Yuxin Wang, Yong Gu, David Newsome, Pamella Ford, Cameron Moody, Veronique Damagnez, Reiko Arimoto, Shawn Hillier, Mark Wood, William Markland, Brenda Eustace, Kevin Cottrell, Marina Penney, Brinley Furey, Kirk Tanner, John Maxwell, Paul Charifson. Potent radiation enhancement with VX-984, a selective DNA-PKcs inhibitor for the treatment of NSCLC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3716.
Do mechanical and environmental loading have a synergistic effect on the degradation of pultruded glass fiber reinforced polymers

Abstract This paper investigates the effect of simultaneous mechanical and environmental loading on the degradation rate of pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) composites. The experimental program included testing a large number of GFRP coupons, with vinylester or polyester matrices, conditioned for 1000 or 2000 h under a wide range of sustained stresses and exposed to freshwater or saltwater at an elevated temperature of 60 °C. Mechanical tests, including tensile strength and elastic modulus measurements were performed on the GFRP composites. In addition, glass transition measurements, moisture uptake measurements, scanning electron microscopy, and acoustic emission testing were performed to better understand the synergistic effect of mechanical loading and environmental conditions.