cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eating and Exercise-Related Correlates of Weight Stigma: A Multinational Investigation

Objective Weight stigma is prevalent across the world. However, little is known about whether and how the harmful health consequences of weight stigma may vary across countries. The current study examined the association between experiences of weight stigma and multiple eating and exercise-related indicators among a large, multinational sample of adults. Methods Adults enrolled in an international weight management program residing in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States completed identical Web-based surveys in the dominant language for their country. Participants (N = 13,996) reported on their personal experiences of weight stigma and health, including eating behaviors, attitudes toward exercise, and perceived stress. Results More than half of all participants in each country reported experiencing weight stigma. Participants who had experienced weight stigma reported engaging in more eating to cope, gym avoidance, and self-monitoring behaviors, as well as higher levels of stress and reduced eating self-efficacy. These associations were documented over and above sociodemographic characteristics and BMI and did not vary across countries. Conclusions Study findings document uniform health-related correlates of weight stigma within a multinational context and underscore the need for global initiatives to curtail weight stigma in order to support population health.
Identification of a major pathogenic epitope in the human IRBP molecule recognized by mice of the H-2r haplotype

Purpose Mice of the H-2b, H-2k, and H-2r haplotypes develop experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) after immunization with interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) of bovine or monkey origin. The purpose of this study was to identify putative pathogenic epitope(s) of IRBP and to establish their immunodominance within the IRBP molecule. Methods Overlapping 20-amino acid peptides, spanning the entire human IRBP molecule, were synthesized and used to immunize C57BL/10 (H-2b), B10.BR (H-2k), and B10.RIII (H-2r) mice. Bovine IRBP was used as a positive control. Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis was examined by histopathology 21 days after immunization. Immunologic responses were assessed by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DH) and lymphocyte proliferation assays. Results Peptide 161-180, spanning the sequence SGIPYIISYLHPGNTILHVD, was found to be highly pathogenic for B10.RIII mice but not for the other strains. A dose-response curve showed that peptide 161-180 was maximally pathogenic at 50 micrograms, but incidence and scores were reduced at 10 micrograms. The truncated 13-mer 165-177 was also highly pathogenic (100 to 200 micrograms), suggesting that it contained the pathogenic epitope. Mice immunized with the peptide, or with whole IRBP, had positive DH and lymphocyte responses to the immunizing as well as to the reciprocal antigen. A cell line derived to peptide 161-180 was also pathogenic for B10.RIII mice after adoptive transfer and responded (proliferation) to native IRBP. Conclusions High incidence and high severity scores, as well as immunologic cross-recognition of peptide 161-180 and native IRBP in vivo and in vitro, suggest that this peptide contains a major epitope recognized as pathogenic by B10.RIII mice.
The Potential of the Language Action Perspective in Ethnographic Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential value of applying language-based methods of analyses to textual ethnographic field records (like e-mail records) in addition to thick descriptions. Even though language analysis imports many a priori assumptions, they could provide more concise summaries than thick descriptions and add value to them. The methods of conversational analysis investigated here a based on a coding scheme derived from the Wittgenstein “language use” theory of meaning combined with Habermas’ social action typology. The paper presents some coding issues fordiscussion that we encountered along with illustrative tabulations of sample coding results. Our purpose is to illustrate the potential value of language action coding to ethnographers both during the analysis and reporting stages of research.
Trace-Based data layout optimizations for multi-core processors

The focus of this paper is on cache-conscious data layout optimizations. Although these optimizations have already been adopted by industrial compilers, they were shown to be inefficient for multi-process applications on multi-core platforms. Such factors as asymmetric distribution of processes over hardware resources (cores, cpus or hardware threads), along with their temporal migrations, unpredictably influence optimization results. Herein we present a new methodology that extends classical data layout optimizations to support multi-core architectures. Based on data trace collection that reflects actual interleaving of data accesses, this method aims to improve spatial locality of the data, while mitigating potential false sharing events. Introduction of architectural characteristics into an analysis phase further increases the accuracy of data affinity estimation. Feasibility study of this method, applied to multi-process webserver lighttpd on Power5 machine, not only showed performance improvement, but also proved its suitability for incorporation into an industrial compiler.
Disagreement on the Australian High Court: Reconsidering the Legalist Model

Traditionally, the Australian High Court has relied heavily on the legalist model of decision making in order to protect its legitimacy. Because of the unique debate between the Labor and Liberal parties about the basic institutions of Australian government, the High Court has found it particularly expedient to use the legalist model to convince the legal community of its complete impartiality. Recently, however, Australian legal scholars have begun to cast doubt upon the appropriateness of the legalist model, hypothesizing instead that an attitudinal model might more closely represent the decision making processes of the High Court. This hypothesis is tested using both a probit model and an ordered probit model of dissenting votes. The results show support for the idea that judicial attitudes do, in fact, influence decision making on the High Court.
Accidental injury to the preschool child

A group of preschool children admitted to the hospital with accidental injury during a twelve month period was studied intensively in home and hospital by a multidiscipline team. Methods were developed to classify injuries on the basis of etiology rather than description, and to analyze the association of child, family, and environmental factors with each injury. A variety of such associations was discovered, emphasizing the critical role of the relationship between the child and his human and physical environment in the accident syndrome.
Spatial inequality and poverty among American children

National-level statistics often mask extreme spatial differentiation in child poverty. Using county-level data from the 1990 US decennial census summary tape file, we show that child poverty is distributed unevenly over geographic space. Child poverty is concentrated in counties in Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, and the southern ‘black belt’. Child poverty rates are strongly influenced by the local industrial composition (e.g., agriculture and manufacturing), but the effects are largely indirect, operating primarily through reduced employment opportunities among adult workers. High county unemployment and underemployment rates contribute directly to children's economic deprivation, as well as indirectly by undermining the formation and stability of two-parent families. Our results highlight existing spatial differentiation and inequality in children's economic well-being, and provide a point of departure for additional research on the geography of child poverty.
Conduits and Communication

In many recent formal investigations using digital technologies, the privileging of an application has led to the point at which software has become the signature, spatial sophistication has become somewhat formulaic, and complex surfaces somehow suggest theoretical "complexity." Concurrently, perhaps the most dramatic shift in contemporary practice has been a shift in focus from these hypergraphic promises of form to a practice built upon external alliances and unconventional architectural procedures. A new type of multidisciplinary partnering that is not software driven but data driven is feeding architectural research practice. Digital technologies allow many different users with varying interests to access organizational, managerial, and production tools in ways previously unimaginable. With only a few operating systems widely available, most of today's tools are developed and built upon a common language, a digital language. Perhaps the difference between accounting software and animation software can be compared to the difference between regional dialects. Operating knowledge of an accounting software doesn't ensure an expertise in accounting, but it does suggest that there may be an overlap allowing access into previously inaccessible realms. This potential for new types of alliances also requires a degree of responsibility. Because no one software or technology will ever be able to do everything, softwares are increasingly used in combination. There are
Complexes of Cu(II) with electroactive chelating ligands adsorbed on graphite electrodes: Surface coordination chemistry and electrocatalysis

Abstract Three electroactive chelating ligands, 3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine,3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-di-phenyl-p,p′disulfonate-1,2,4-triazine and 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine, were irreversibly adsorbed on pyrolytic graphite electrodes where their voltammetric responses were used to measure the quantities adsorbed. The adsorbed ligands reacted with Cu2+ cations in solution to produce complexes adsorbed on the electrode surface. The stoichiometric compositions of the adsorbed complexes were determined by means of coulometric assays of the quantities of ligand and Cu2+ present on the surface. The complex of Cu2+ with 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine involved only one ligand per Cu2+ center and was catalytically active towards the reduction of O2 and H2O2. The complexes formed with the triazine ligands contained two ligands per Cu2+ center and were not catalytically active. The pH dependencies of the formal potentials of the adsorbed complexes and of the half-wave potentials for the reduction of the substrates provided some insight into the mechanisms of the catalysed reductions.
Predicting Job Satisfaction for Relocated Workers: Interaction of Relocation Consequences and Employee Age

Abstract The employee age/job satisfaction relationship in facility relocation settings was examined. In a sample of 172 relocated workers, one of two relocation consequences was found to be negatively associated with job satisfaction. As hypothesized, both consequence measures interacted with employee age so that responses to consequences were more negative for older workers.
The Puzzle of Privacy

A number of recent news stories have made me wonder more about privacy. It's not just that the threats to privacy are increasing; rather, the problem is that the countervailing forces are becoming very much stronger. Was Scott McNealy right when he told us that we had no privacy and that we should just "get over it"?
Crystal growth kinetics and the lateral habits of polyethylene crystals

Abstract The lateral growth habits of lamellar crystals of polyethylene grown from solution can be typified in terms of the aspect ratio, r, which is the ratio of the dimension of the crystals in the b-axis direction to that in the a-axis direction. The aspect ratio depends on crystallization temperature, undercooling, solvent, polymer concentration and molecular weight. At steady state growth, r can be expressed in terms of the ratio of growth rates normal to the {110} and (200) faces. Expressing the growth rates in terms of the kinetic theory of polymer crystal growth yields an expression which is used to analyse experimental results on the effect of temperature and concentration on the lateral growth habits of crystals grown from xylene. Using as two adjustable parameters the ratio of end surface free energies for the two growth surfaces and the ratio of the lateral surface free energies to fit the rversusΔT data permits the determination of these ratios with high sensitivity. The actual values obtained are dependent upon concentration, the assumed growth regime, and, most importantly, ∅, the parameter in the growth rate equations apportioning the bulk free energy change to the forward and backward steps in the stem deposition process.
A micro fluorometric method for determining spermidine.

Abstract A procedure for the fluorometric determination of the polyamine spermidine employs a chromatographic separation on phosphorylated cellulose, followed by the formation of a fluorescent complex of spermidine and o -phthalaldehyde. The method may also be used for the simultaneous determination of histamine.
Wundtian Psychology 100 Years Later

The functionalist perspective rather than the structuralist perspective has dominated the study of mind throughout most of the history of psychology in America. This paper first discusses the theoretical and philosophical reasons for this domination. Then, by analyzing learning texts written over the last 27 years, it is shown that this functionalist emphasis has diminished in the last 10 years and that current treatments of learning and memory are starting to go back to a structuralist emphasis. The final section deals with some issues and problems of this current structuralist psychology and the obstacles it has to overcome if it is to be a persistent viable force within psychology.
An indirect argument for strategic voting

A common bit of public political wisdom advises that in certain three-way elections, one should cast a strategic vote for one of the top two candidates rather than a conscience-driven vote for a third candidate, since doing otherwise amounts to ‘throwing one's vote away’. In this paper, I examine the possible justifications for this pragmatic advice to vote strategically. I argue that the most direct argument behind such advice fails to motivate strategic voting in large-scale elections, since there is no significant chance that one's own vote will alter the outcome of the election, even in plausible close-call cases. In short, the lack of probable pragmatic effect undermines the pragmatic motivation for altering one's baseline voting behavior. However, an indirect argument succeeds in motivating strategic voting in some scenarios. Such an indirect argument relies on the possibility of one acquiring an obligation to engage in public strategic campaigning for one of the top two candidates. In many cases in which one strategically campaigns, one will, indirectly, acquire an obligation to vote strategically in accord with one's prior public campaign activities. Thus, the common bit of political wisdom about strategic voting can be justified, though only indirectly.
The carcinogenic potential of inhaled diesel exhaust: a particle effect?

Abstract An analysis of literature data on effects of both diesel exhaust and of particle overload shows that the experimentally induced lung tumors in rats after diesel exposure may be explained by a particulate effect only. This conclusion is also supported by results from inhalation and instillation studies with pure carbon black (Heinrich, 1990; Kawabata, 1986) which showed no difference in the lung tumor inducing potency between diesel exhaust and carbon black. It appears that the surface area of the retained particles plays a decisive role. In contrast to the rat, the observed elevated lung tumor rate in diesel-exposed workers cannot be explained by a particle effect since the predicted extrapolated lung tumor risk for humans based only on the particle phase is much lower than found in an epidemiological study of diesel exposed railroad workers (Garshick et al . 1988). If this increased lung tumor incidence in the railroad workers can be verified in further epidemiological studies in diesel -exposed cohorts then additional effects besides those of the particles must play a role in humans, e.g. , effects of the organic compounds or gas phase components.
Deliberate ingestion of "magic" mushrooms may also cause renal failure

Evans’s experience highlights the importance of correct identification of mushrooms to be used in cooking.1 In this case, the underlying cause of the progressive renal failure was quickly identified by thorough history taking. …
Models and Styles of Consultation: Preferences or Professionals in Early Intervention

This study examined preferences for consultation models and styles among 67 professionals who worked in early intervention programs in Colorado. Preferences were examined using questionnaire and analog formats. We found that a collaborative approach involving shared responsibility across all stages of the consultation process was preferred. In addition, results indicated a marked preference for a directive style that involved sharing specific strategies to address the concerns of a consultee over a nondirective style that consisted merely of facilitating the consultee's own problem-solving abilities. Implications of these findings for emerging practice and future research in early intervention are presented.
A web-based distributed system for hurricane occurrence projection

As an environmental phenomenon, hurricanes cause significant property damage and loss of life in coastal areas almost every year. Research concerning hurricanes and their aftermath is gaining more and more attention nowadays. This paper presents our work in designing and building a Web-based distributed software system that can be used for the statistical analysis and projection of hurricane occurrences. Firstly, our system is a large-scale system and can handle the huge amount of hurricane data and intensive computations in hurricane data analysis and projection. Secondly, it is a distributed system, which allows multiple users at different locations to access the system simultaneously and to share and exchange the data and data model. Thirdly, our system is a database-centered system where the Oracle database is employed to store and manage the large amount of hurricane data, the hurricane model and the projection results. Finally, a three-tier architecture has been adopted to make our system robust and resistant to the potential change in the lifetime of the system. This paper focuses on the three-tier system architecture, describing the design and implementation of the components at each layer.
Regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene expression by insulin. Use of the stable transfection approach to locate an insulin responsive sequence.

H4IIE rat hepatoma cells were stably transfected with various phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (PEPCK-CAT) expression vectors. The regulation of the transfected genes was qualitatively similar to that of the endogenous PEPCK gene. CAT expression was increased in response to cAMP and dexamethasone and insulin overrode these effects at concentrations known to be effective in suppressing transcription of the endogenous gene. The effect of insulin was dominant, as it is with the endogenous gene. A series of 5′, 3′, and internal deletions of the PEPCK gene promoter were used to show that this insulin response requires at least two separate elements. One insulin-responsive sequence is located between −468 and −402, relative to the transcription initiation site. The other is between −271 and +69.
Placing epidemiological results in the context of multiplicity and typical correlations of exposures

Epidemiological studies evaluate multiple exposures, but the extent of multiplicity often remains non-transparent when results are reported. There is extensive debate in the literature on whether multiplicity should be adjusted for in the design, analysis, and reporting of most epidemiological studies, and, if so, how this should be done. The challenges become more acute in an era where the number of exposures that can be studied (the exposome) can be very large. Here, we argue that it can be very insightful to visualize and describe the extent of multiplicity by reporting the number of effective exposures for each category of exposures being assessed, and to describe the distribution of correlation between exposures and/or between exposures and outcomes in epidemiological datasets. The results of new proposed associations can be placed in the context of this background information. An association can be assigned to a percentile of magnitude of effect based on the distribution of effects seen in the field. We offer an example of how such information can be routinely presented in an epidemiological study/dataset using data on 530 exposure and demographic variables classified in 32 categories in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Effects that survive multiplicity considerations and that are large may be prioritized for further scrutiny.
New Department, Editors, and Awards

EIC Gabriel Taubin introduces a new department, two new editorial board members, and the winner of the 2011 CGaamp;#x0026;A Best Paper Award.
Oxygen reduction on carbon supported Pt and PtRu catalysts in alkaline solutions

Abstract In this paper, carbon supported Pt and PtRu were employed as oxygen reduction catalysts in 0.1 M NaOH solutions. Onset potentials for oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) for both catalysts are similar (around 0.05 V vs. Hg/HgO/OH−). At an ORR overpotential of 0.29 V, the values of kinetic ORR current (Ik) on the PtRu/C catalyst, normalized to geometric area and active surface area, are 3 and 14 times lower, respectively, than those measured on the Pt/C catalyst. Rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) measurements show that the H2O2 yields on both catalysts are negligible at potentials higher than −0.3 V, and the yields are less than 4% even at higher overpotentials, indicating that the ORR mechanism on the PtRu/C is the same as that on the Pt/C, i.e., the 4e− transfer is the predominant pathway. The values of activation energy of the ORR on the Pt/C and PtRu/C are similar at low current densities – about 40 and 35 kJ mol−1, respectively. The simultaneous electro-oxidation of ethanol (EOR) and electro-reduction of O2 was studied in O2-saturated 0.1 M NaOH solutions. For the Pt/C, the ORR is suppressed by ethanol adsorbates at potentials lower than −0.05 V vs. Hg/HgO/OH− when both ethanol and oxygen exist in the solution. At potentials higher than −0.05 V, the EOR is suppressed by the ORR. The high EOR oxidation current on the Pt/C cathode would produce mixed potentials and degrade fuel cell performance. For the PtRu/C, the EOR has little influence on the ORR. The stability tests show that PtRu/C is stable under fuel cell cathode working conditions.
MacroSEQUEST: efficient candidate-centric searching and high-resolution correlation analysis for large-scale proteomics data sets.

Modern mass spectrometers are now capable of producing tens of thousands of tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra per hour of operation, resulting in an ever-increasing burden on the computational tools required to translate these raw MS/MS spectra into peptide sequences. In the present work, we describe our efforts to improve the performance of one of the earliest and most commonly used algorithms, SEQUEST, through a wholesale redesign of its processing architecture. We call this new program MacroSEQUEST, which exhibits a dramatic improvement in processing speed by transiently indexing the array of MS/MS spectra prior to searching FASTA databases. We demonstrate the performance of MacroSEQUEST relative to a suite of other programs commonly encountered in proteomics research. We also extend the capability of SEQUEST by implementing a parameter in MacroSEQUEST that allows for scalable sparse arrays of experimental and theoretical spectra to be implemented for high-resolution correlation analysis and demonstrate the ...
P1-04-01: The Mechanism of Anti-Breast Cancer TICs Effect of Pyrvinium Pamoate Is through WNT/beta-Catenin Signaling.

We have previously shown that pyrvinium pamoate can decrease breast cancer TICs in vitro and shrink the tumor size in vivo. Although pyrvinium pamoate has been shown to target beta-catenin through activating CK-1alpha in a vitro model, the mechanism of its anti-breast cancer TICs effect is unknown. Herein, we use a constitutively active WNT/beta-catenin signaling construct EBETAP (ref) to determine if the anti-breast TIC effect of pyrvinium pamoate is through WNT/beta-catenin signaling. Using aldefluor expression and mammosphere formation efficiency as TIC surrogate assays, we found that TICs of SUM-159 transfected with EBETAP construct are resistant to pyrvinium pamoate treatment compared to control cells. Moreover, microarray analysis reveals a series of genes and signaling downstream of WNT-catenin were down-regulated in SUM-159 cells treated with pyrvinium pamoate. In summary, mechanism of anti-breast cancer TICs effect of pyrvinium pamoate is through WNT/beta-catenin signaling. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-04-01.
Biochemical characterization of the Ras-related GTPases Rit and Rin.

Abstract We report the biochemical characterization of Rit and Rin, two members of the Ras superfamily identified by expression cloning. Recombinant Rit and Rin bind GTP and exhibit intrinsic GTPase activity. Conversion of Gln to Leu at position 79 (for Rit) or 78 (for Rin) (equivalent to position 61 in Ras) resulted in a complete loss of GTPase activity. Surprisingly, significant differences were found when the guanine nucleotide dissociation constants of Rit and Rin were compared with the majority of Ras-related GTPases. Both proteins display higher koff values for GTP than GDP in the presence of 10 mM Mg2+. These GTP dissociation rates are 5- to 10-fold faster than most Ras-like GTPases. Despite these unique biochemical properties, our data support the notion that both Rit and Rin function as nucleotide-dependent molecular switches. To begin to address whether these proteins act as regulators of distinct signaling pathways, we examined their interaction with a series of known Ras-binding proteins by yeast two-hybrid analysis. Although Rit, Rin, and Ras have highly related effector domain sequences, Rit and Rin were found to interact with the known Ras binding proteins RalGDS, Rlf, and AF-6/Canoe but not with the Raf kinases, RIN1, or the p110 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. These interactions were GTP and effector domain dependent and suggest that RalGDS, Rlf, and AF-6 are Rit and Rin effectors. Their biochemical properties and interaction with a subset of known Ras effector proteins suggest that Rit and Rin may play important roles in the regulation of signaling pathways and cellular processes distinct from those controlled by Ras.
Narcotic dependence, narcotic action and dopamine receptors.

Abstract Acute systematic administration of narcotic analgesics increases the firing rate of nerve cells in the zona compacta of the substantia nigra, causes an increase in the rate of dopamine turnover in striatal and mesolimbic areas of the brain, stimulates prolactin release, inhibits brain self-stimulation and discriminated shock-avoidance, blocks cardiovascular effects of systemically injected dopamine, blocks aggression as well as compulsive jumping in mice treated with DOPA and amphetamine, antagonizes stereotypy induced by apomorphine or amphetamine, and blocks apomorphine-induced vomiting in dogs. Chronic administration of narcotic analgesics results in withdrawal signs upon the cessation of the drug administration. These signs include, tolerance to the increase in striatal dopamine turnover caused by narcotic analgesics or haloperidol, aggressive behaviors which are further stimulated by directly or indirectly acting dopamine-receptor agonists and are blocked by dopamine-receptor blockers, facilitation of recovery from the “lateral hypothalamic syndrome”, an increase in basal levels of striatal adenylate cyclase which shows greater sensitivity to dopamine, and, an enhanced sensitivity to apomorphine-induced reduction of dopamine turnover. It is therefore, concluded that acute administration of narcotic drugs results in an inhibition of dopamine-receptor activity while chronic administration of these drugs results in an increased response of these dopamine receptors to dopamine agonists. Recent experiments on the interaction of other drugs with narcotic analgesics suggest that, unlike the direct action of neuroleptics on the dopamine receptors, the narcotic action on dopamine receptors is indirect.
Epistemological Contextualism and the Knowledge Account of Assertion

In this paper, I take up an argument advanced by Keith DeRose (Philosophical Review, 111:167–203, 2002) that suggests that the knowledge account of assertion provides the basis of an argument in favor of contextualism. I discuss the knowledge account as the conjunction of two theses—a thesis claiming that knowledge is sufficient to license assertion KA and one claiming that knowledge is necessary to license assertion AK. Adducing evidence from Stalnaker’s account of assertion, from conversational practice, and from arguments often raised in favor of the knowledge account, I suggest that neither the AK nor the KA theses are plausible. That is, I argue that the knowledge account of assertion to which DeRose appeals is in fact not suitable as an account of assertion. Given that DeRose’s argument stands and falls with the knowledge account, I claim that the argument therefore fails.
Use of negative pressure wound therapy for abdominal wounds in neonates and infants.

Abstract Background Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is an established and effective tool in the management of complicated abdominal wounds. This management approach has been used in infants, but few large series reports exist in the literature. Methods The outcomes of infants with abdominal wounds receiving NPWT over the last 10 years at our institution were evaluated. Overall survival, time between initiation of NPWT, and discharge/death were examined. Results We identified 18 infants who had abdominal wounds treated with NPWT. Diagnoses were varied, as was the duration of therapy. The median NPWT duration of treatment was 34.0 ± 92.1 days. Forty-four percent of the infants had a stoma before application of NPWT, and 22% of the infants had enterocutaneous fistulas before use of NPWT. There were only 2 cases in which a new fistula developed during the use of NPWT, and both of these omphalopagus conjoined twins had undergone the Bianchi procedure. No additional NPWT-related complications were identified. Of 18 infants, 6 died in this cohort. Conclusion Negative pressure wound therapy is an important therapeutic tool for the management of abdominal wounds in infants.
Jute cultivation in the Lower Amazon, 1940–1990: an ethnographic account from Santarém, Pará, Brazil

Abstract The Amazon region has long been a place of economic booms and busts. Much attention in the historical literature on Amazonia has focused on the largest and most famous regional economic boom, the Rubber Boom, a period of sustained economic prosperity for some from 1860 to 1920. Other ‘booms’ have occurred in the region as well and this paper describes and discusses one of those others. The paper demonstrates how an export economy in a global periphery (coffee in Brazil) affected economic development in a periphery of that same country and makes a methodological contribution by demonstrating how ethnographic research can contribute to an understanding of a historical period when the paper trail is weak. Jute, a fiber crop, dominated agricultural production along the Amazon River floodplain in the reach between Manaus and Santarem, Brazil, from the late 1930s until the early 1990s. The crop was introduced to the region by Japanese immigrants in order to supply the demand for jute sacking in the south of Brazil where such sacks were used to package commodities, especially coffee. Local smallholder cultivators grew and processed jute, production being mediated initially through Japanese middlemen, later by Brazilians. Poor fiber quality, several external shocks, including the removal of tariffs on imported jute, and especially changes in commodity packaging such as bulk handling and the use of synthetic sacks instead of jute sacks for the transport of coffee beans, the Amazonian jute market collapsed in the early 1990s. Despite its collapse, the legacy of the boom is still evident in the physical and social landscapes in the region.
Cystinosis as a cause of noncirrhotic portal hypertension.

Cystinosis is a rare autosomal recessive storage disorder, characterized by the abnormal accumulation of cystine in cellular lysosomes. This accumulation, which can occur in any organ system, leads to crystallization of trapped cystine and ultimately cellular death. Hepatic manifestations of Cystinosis although rare, have been described in the literature. However, to our knowledge, only one other case of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension secondary to cystine accumulation in Kupffer cells has been reported. In this case and ours, portal hypertension was found in the absence of bridging fibrosis. Furthermore, in our case, for the majority of the patient’s course, hepatic synthetic function remained normal. Cysteamine is therapeutic in this disorder, and can lead to significant removal of cystine, and thus to reversibility of disease, however, it requires high doses and must be taken regularly. Porto-systemic shunting in combination with aggressive medical therapy could potentially benefit patients who develop non-cirrhotic portal hypertension in this clinical setting.
Perceptually Correlated Parameters of Musical Instrument Tones

In Western music culture instruments have been developed according to unique instrument acoustical features based on types of excitation, resonance, and radiation. These include the woodwind, brass, bowed and plucked string, and percussion families of instruments. On the other hand, instrument performance depends on musical training, and music listening depends on perception of instrument output. Since musical signals are easier to understand in the frequency domain than the time domain, much effort has been made to perform spectral analysis and extract salient parameters, such as spectral centroids, in order to create simplified synthesis models for musical instrument sound synthesis. Moreover, perceptual tests have been made to determine the relative importance of various parameters, such as spectral centroid variation, spectral incoherence, and spectral irregularity. It turns out that the importance of particular parameters depends on both their strengths within musical sounds as well as the robustness of their effect on perception. Methods that the author and his colleagues have used to explore timbre perception are: 1) discrimination of parameter reduction or elimination; 2) dissimilarity judgments together with multidimensional scaling; 3) informal listening to sound morphing examples. This paper discusses ramifications of this work for sound synthesis and timbre transposition.
Conformations produced by interactions of the side chains in poly(silylenemethylene) with the repeating sequence [Si(CH3)R ? CH2]x [R = ? O(CH2)3OC6H4C6H5]

A coarse-grained model has been developed for asymmetrically substituted poly(silylenemethylene)s in which the side chain is a flexible spacer terminated by a biphenyl unit. Each monomer unit is represented by four coarse-grained beads that interact via a Lennard–Jones potential and are subject to the first- and second-order interactions deduced from the atomistically detailed model. Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations were performed for isolated syndiotactic, isotactic, and atactic chains. Snapshots from the equilibrated coarse-grained chain on the discrete space of a high coordination lattice were reverse-mapped to atomistically detailed structures in continuous space. At 373 K, the chains were disordered independent of the stereochemical composition. The occupancy of bond pairs depended on the stereochemical composition, with the trans-gauche (tg) sequence being favored by the isotactic chain. When the simulation was performed with the backbone constrained to specific periodic structures, the g helix was the lowest energy structure for either the atactic or isotactic chains. For the syndiotactic chain, the g and gt helices were favored. The appearance of the g helix as the favored periodic structure of the isolated chain was consistent with the chain conformation reported previously for the smectic phase of this polymer in the bulk state. The g helix was disrupted when the backbone was allowed to access nonhelical conformations, even though these conformations may have been slightly higher in energy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 886–896, 2005
Spatially resolved concentration studies of ground state atoms in a flame: saturated absorption spectroscopic method

Abstract The authors describe the application of the saturated absorption spectroscopic method, introduced by Goldsmith, Optics Letters6, 525 (1981), to the determination of spatially resolved concentrations of ground state atoms in a flame. In the described version of the method, the beam of a single pulsed dye laser is divided into a probing and a disturing (= saturating beam), which intersect in a small volume of the flame. The perturbance of the probing beam by the saturating beam is a function of the concentration of the absorbing species. The authors foresee this method to become an important tool for flame and plasma diagnostic studies.
Excess volumes for n-alkanols +n-alkanes IV. Binary mixtures of decan-1-ol +n-pentane, +n-hexane, +n-octane, +n-decane, and +n-hexadecane

Abstract Excess volumes measured at 298.15 K in a successive-dilution dilatometer are reported for binary mixtures of decan-l-ol with the n-alkanes C5, C6, C8, C10, and C16. The measurements were extended to high dilutions of decan-1-ol. The excess volume is negative over the whole mole-fraction range for the C5 mixture, sigmoid with increasingly positive values in the alkane-rich region for C6, C8, and C10 mixtures, and positive over the whole mole-fraction range for the C16 mixture. Partial molar excess volumes of the components were calculated for each mixture, and their values at infinite dilution were estimated. The excess volumes of these mixtures are attributed to a balance between chemical, physical, and structural effects.
Stem cell origin of cancer and differentiation therapy

Abstract Our forefathers in pathology, on observing cancer tissue under the microscope in the mid-19th century, noticed the similarity between embryonic tissue and cancer, and suggested that tumors arise from embryo-like cells [1] , [2] [Recherches dur le Traitement du Cancer, etc. Paris. (1829); Editoral Archiv fuer pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und fuer klinische Medizin 8 (1855) 23]. The concept that adult tissues contain embryonic remnants that generally lie dormant, but that could be activated to become cancer was later formalized by Cohnheim [3] , [4] [Path. Anat. Physiol. Klin. Med. 40 (1867) 1–79; Virchows Arch. 65 (1875) 64] and Durante [5] [Arch. Memori ed Osservazioni di Chirugia Practica 11 (1874) 217–226], as the “embryonal rest” theory of cancer. An updated version of the embryonal rest theory of cancer is that cancers arise from tissue stem cells in adults. Analysis of the cellular origin of carcinomas of different organs indicates that there is, in each instance, a determined stem cell required for normal tissue renewal that is the most likely cell of origin of carcinomas [6] [Lab. Investig. 70 (1994) 6–22]. In the present review, the nature of normal stem cells (embryonal, germinal and somatic) is presented and their relationships to cancer are further expanded. Cell signaling pathways shared by embryonic cells and cancer cells suggest a possible link between embryonic cells and cancer cells. Wilm’s tumors (nephroblastomas) and neuroblastomas are presented as possible tumors of embryonic rests in children. Teratocarcinoma is used as the classic example of the totipotent cancer stem cell which can be influenced by its environment to differentiate into a mature adult cell. The observation that “promotion” of an epidermal cancer may be accomplished months or even years after the initial exposure to carcinogen (“initiation”), implies that the original carcinogenic event occurs in a long-lived epithelial stem cell population. The cellular events during hepatocarcinogenesis illustrate that cancers may arise from cells at various stages of differentiation in the hepatocyte lineage. Examples of genetic mutations in epithelial and hematopoietic cancers show how specific alterations in gene expression may be manifested as maturation arrest of a cell lineage at a specific stage of differentation. Understanding the signals that control normal development may eventually lead us to insights in treating cancer by inducing its differentiation (differentiation therapy). Retinoid acid (RA) induced differentiation therapy has acquired a therapeutic niche in treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia and the ability of RA to prevent cancer is currently under examination.
Error estimates for the approximation of a class of variational inequalities arising in unilateral problems with friction

In this paper we prove a general approximation theorem useful in obtaining order of convergence estimates for the approximation of the solution of a class of variational inequalities that characterize the Signorini problem with non-local friction. Several special cases that can be derived from the general error estimate are also presented.
Interpreting statutory predicates

In this paper we discuss a hybrid approach to the problem of statutory interpretation that involves combining our past approach to case-based reasoning (“CBA”), as exemplified in our previous HYPO and TAX-HYPO systems, with traditional rule-based reasoning (“RBR”), as exemplified by expert systems. We do not tackle the fullblown version of statutory interpretation, which would include reasoning with legislative intent or other normative aspects (the “ought”), but confine ourselves to reasoning with explicit cases and rules. We discuss strategies that can be used to guide interpretation, particularly the interleaving of CBR and RBR, and how they are used in an agenda-based architecture, called CABARET, which we are currently developing in a general way and experimenting with in the particular area of Section §280A(c)(1) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, which deals with the so called “home office deduction”.
ORAL PENTAZOCINE AND PHENAZOCINE: A COMPARISON IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN

Orally administered pentazocine (Fortral) and phenazocine (Narphen) were compared for analgesia and side effects in a single-dose study of 284 patients with postoperative pain. Pain was assessed separately by patients and observers. Patients who were in moderate pain experienced better pain relief with pentazocine 75 mg than phenazocine 5 mg at 1 hour. There was a trend throughout for observers to assess pain as less severe when compared to the opinion of the patients. The incidence of side effects was low with both drugs. Pentazocine is a useful postoperative analgesic which is free from DDA restrictions.
Emergency Medicine Public Health Research Funded by Federal Agencies: Progress and Priorities

The emergency department (ED) visit provides an opportunity to impact the health of the public throughout the entire spectrum of care, from prevention to treatment. As the federal government has a vested interest in funding research and providing programmatic opportunities that promote the health of the public, emergency medicine (EM) is prime to develop a research agenda to advance the field. EM researchers need to be aware of federal funding opportunities, which entails an understanding of the organizational structure of the federal agencies that fund medical research, and the rules and regulations governing applications for grants. Additionally, there are numerous funding streams outside of the National Institutes of Health (NIH; the primary federal health research agency). EM researchers should seek funding from agencies according to each agency's mission and aims. Finally, while funds from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are an important source of support for EM research, we need to look beyond traditional sources and appeal to other agencies with a vested interest in promoting public health in EDs. EM requires a broad skill set from a multitude of medical disciplines, and conducting research in the field will require looking for funding opportunities in a variety of traditional and not so traditional places within and without the federal government. The following is the discussion of a moderated session at the 2009 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference that included panel discussants from the National Institutes of Mental Health, Drug Abuse, and Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Further information is also provided to discuss those agencies and centers not represented.
Growth of Spirodela polyrhiza in static sewage effluent

Abstract Yield of the giant duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid. grown in secondarily treated sewage effluent held under static conditions was highest for the 7th-week harvest during a 12-week growth period. Concentrations of phosphorus in plant tissue were closely associated with orthophosphate phosphorus (P) in the effluent. Potassium, nitrogen (expressed as crude protein), and caloric contents of the plant tissue were higher at the beginning of the growth period than at the end.
Sensitivity and acclimation of Glycine max (L.) Merr. leaf gas exchange to CO2 partial pressure

Abstract Theoretical studies suggest that partitioning leaf photosynthetic responses to CO 2 partial pressures into two components, sensitivity and acclimation, facilitates both scaling-up photosynthetic responses and predicting global terrestrial carbon influx. Here, we experimentally examine these two components by growing soybean ( Glycine max ) in two CO 2 partial pressures, 35 and 70 Pa, and making a suite of ecophysiological measurements on expanding and fully expanded leaves. These CO 2 treatments resulted in a variety of acclimation responses, including changes in net photosynthetic rate and capacity, stomatal conductance, transpiration, and respiration. These responses were strongly dependent on leaf age. Despite the wide variety of acclimation responses, the experimentally derived photosynthetic sensitivity did not vary with CO 2 treatments or leaf age. In addition, the photosynthetic sensitivity to ambient CO 2 partial pressure was consistent with the sensitivity to intercellular CO 2 partial pressure, indicating little effect of stomatal conductance on photosynthetic sensitivity. This study supports the theoretical conclusion that photosynthetic sensitivity is independent of growth environment and leaf age, as well as photosynthetic acclimation, even though the latter varies with both environmental and developmental factors. Accordingly, photosynthetic sensitivity may be directly extrapolated from leaf to globe to predict the increment in terrestrial carbon influx stimulated by the yearly increase in atmospheric CO 2 , whereas the acclimation component must be used to adjust the overall global estimate.