cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanophase separation and crystallization in PEIM‐12 poly(4,4′‐phthaloimidobenzoyl‐dodecamethyleneoxycarbonyl)

Nanophase separated poly(4,4′-phthaloimidobenzoyl-dodecamethyleneoxycarbonyl) (PEIM-12) is studied by solid-state 13C-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques. On cooling from the melt, PEIM-12 shows a layer structure that has been described in the literature either as a nanophase-separated material or a monotropic, thermotropic liquid crystal. Further crystallization leads to two possible crystalline phases (I and II). The new measurements reveal a biphasic behavior below the thermal transition temperatures. The lamellar superstructure is shown by neutron and X-ray scattering to be largely independent of the crystals and may even exist above the melting point. The two crystal forms are shown by NMR to differ in conformational ordering in the flexible spacers. Crystal II possesses conformational order in the center of the flexible spacer, while crystal I shows order at the ends. Sufficient conformational disorder remains, however, in both crystals, to make them condis crystals, short for conformationally disordered crystals. Calorimetry agrees with the measured entropies of disordering. The disagreement between the earlier analyses is eliminated by assuming that PEIM-12 is a special borderline liquid crystal former. Small changes in the structural order (head-to-head or head-to-tail) can change the behavior from that of a monotropic, thermotropic liquid crystal to an amphiphilic, nanophase-separated liquid crystal. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psychometric properties of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire compared to the Oswestry Disability Index: a systematic review

Abstract Objectives: To compare the psychometric properties of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire and the Oswestry Disability Index used to measure physical ability in people with low back pain. Methods: A literature search of computerised databases from 1980 through June 2009 was performed using search terms: clinical assessment tools, Roland-Morris, questionnaires, back, spine, back pain, Oswestry Disability Index, psychometrics, reliability, validity, specificity and sensitivity. Twenty-three articles were reviewed using an adult population over 18 years old with acute, sub-acute and chronic low back pain. Results: The Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire and the Oswestry Disability Index demonstrate good reliability in test–retest performance clinically at initial evaluation and up to 6 weeks following interventions. Two studies described the construct validity of the two measures as highly correlated with each other. Overall, it appears that both questionnaires have similar responsiveness r...
Alternative states in control of the constancy and rate of cell division in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Generation times were measured between successive buddings of cells of diploid yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, strain SC-6. Two distinct states of control of generation time were observed. The first of these, stringent control with minimal fluctuation in generation time, was always observed at temperatures below 32.5 °C. At higher temperatures, cell interdivision periods were either under stringent or relaxed control. When control was relaxed, the average value of the coefficient of variation was increased about twofold and the average generation time was also increased, but only about 8 per cent, These results confirm earlier evidence for the existence of two discrete states of cell division control in this yeast, based on the observation that values of the coefficien tof variation appeared to fall into one of two groups for widely different kinds of cells in balanced growth. In addition, these experiments provide evidence that this control involves a “memory” system, presumably at the molecular level, that can be triggered to shift from stringent to relaxed control by small temperature perturbations for cultures growing at temperatures above 33 °C.
Organizational change: in search of the golden mean

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider an archetypal illustration of change possibilities manifested in a corporation, Enron Corporation, operating within the context of global market capitalism.Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is a theory guided case study.Findings – It was found that the culture within Enron changed from one grounded in a regulatory ethos to one fully dedicated to unregulated, free marketeering, and illustrates both the best and worst of market capitalism. The character and trajectory of the change was a combination of both internal and external forces, and the ability to recognize and balance the inherent enabling and debilitating dimensions.Originality/value – In this paper, the structuration theory analysis aids focus on the extant norms and values and in seeing how, though the actions of the participants, they construct, and are constructed by, the representation schemes and the power relationships. The analysis of Enron illustrates that change driven by ...
ADAPTIVE DATA ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX FLUCTUATIONS IN PHYSIOLOGIC TIME SERIES

We introduce a generic framework of dynamical complexity to understand and quantify fluctuations of physiologic time series. In particular, we discuss the importance of applying adaptive data analysis techniques, such as the empirical mode decomposition algorithm, to address the challenges of nonlinearity and nonstationarity that are typically exhibited in biological fluctuations.
Merging fluorescence resonance energy transfer and expressed protein ligation to analyze protein-protein interactions

Determination of protein oligomerization state can be technically challenging. We have combined the methods of expressed protein ligation (EPL) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) for the analysis of protein homo-oligomerization states. We have attached fluorescein (donor) and rhodamine (acceptor) chromophores via dipeptide linkages to the C-termini of three recombinant proteins and examined the potential for FRET between mixtures of these semisynthetic proteins. The known protein dimer (glutathione S-transferase) showed evidence of FRET and the known protein monomer (SH2 domain phosphatase-1) did not display FRET. Using this method, the previously uncharacterized circadian rhythm enzyme, serotonin N-acetyltransferase, displayed significant FRET, indicating its likely propensity for dimerization or more complex oligomerization. These results establish the potential of the union of EPL and FRET in the analysis of protein-protein interactions and provide insight into the unusual enzymatic behavior of a key circadian rhythm enzyme.
On applications of excess level processes to ( N , D ) -policy bulk queueing systems

The paper deals with queueing systems in which N - and D -policies are combined into one. This means that an idle or vacationing server will resume his service if the queueing or workload process crosses some specified fixed level N or D , respectively. For the proposed ( N , D ) -policy we study the queueing processes in models with and without server vacations, with compound Poisson input, and with generally distributed service and vacation periods. The analysis of the models is essentially based on fluctuation techniques for two-dimensional marked counting processes newly developed by the author. The results enable us to arrive at stationary distributions for the embedded and continuous time parameter queueing processes in closed analytic forms, enhancing the well-known Kendall formulas and their modifications.This article is dedicated to the memory of Roland L. Dobrushin.
Outcome of adenoidectomy versus adenoidectomy with maxillary sinus wash for chronic rhinosinusitis in children.

Objectives: To compare postoperative outcomes of adenoidectomy versus adenoidectomy with maxillary sinus wash as surgical treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in children. Study Design: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Methods: Children who failed to respond to medical therapy for CRS and had an adenoidectomy alone (A) or an adenoidectomy with a maxillary sinus wash (wash/A) were reviewed. Outcome was assessed at least 12 months postoperatively. Results: Sixty children who satisfied the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Thirty-two of the children had a sinus wash at the time of adenoidectomy. The age range was 3 to 13 years (mean, 6.3 years) and the mean computed tomography (CT) score was 6.1. The two surgical groups were comparable with regard to age, sex, presence of allergies, asthma, and smoking in the household. Twenty-eight (87.5%) of the 32 patients who underwent wash/A showed improvement of their symptoms after 12 months follow-up compared with 17 (60.7%) of 28 patients who underwent A (P = .017). Multivariable analysis using logistic regression analysis with age, sex, asthma, allergy, and CT score as covariables showed that the success of wash/A compared with adenoidectomy was higher (93% to 60%) for children with a high CT score compared to those with a lower CT score (P = .011). None of the other variables showed statistical significance. Conclusions: Children with more severe sinus disease as evidenced by a high CT score had a higher success rate if a maxillary sinus wash was performed at the time of adenoidectomy. Children with a low CT score did not have that benefit.
Patterns of Failure in Patients With Primary Intracranial Germinoma Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

External beam radiotherapy has proven effective in managing intracranial germinoma. However, concerns regarding long-term neurocognitive and endocrine sequelae led to the addition of chemotherapy, to reduce radiation target volumes. There is a paucity of data on patterns of failure in patients treated with differing radiation field sizes. We review our experience at a tertiary children's hospital treating children with intracranial germinoma, using induction chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy to various treatment volumes (craniospinal irradiation, whole ventricular irradiation, whole brain radiation therapy, and focal radiotherapy). Ten patients with primary intracranial germinoma, treated from November 1995-March 2011, were included. The primary treatment involved platinum-based chemotherapy, followed by definitive radiotherapy. The median follow-up period was 4.3 years (range, 0.75-13.25 years). The 5-year overall survival for the entire group was estimated at 85.7%, and the 5-year disease-free survival was estimated at 75.0%. Two treatment failures occurred at 5 and 28 months, both in patients with single lesions in the pineal region treated with focal radiotherapy only. Based on the patterns of failure, our outcomes support the continued use of the whole ventricular field vs a focal field, even in patients with limited disease who demonstrate a complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
An Angiogenic, Endothelial-Cell-Targeted Polymeric Gene Carrier

Targeting is one of the primary considerations in designing a specific and efficient gene delivery system. Here, an angiogenic endothelial cell-targeted polymeric gene delivery carrier was developed by conjugating an αvβ3/αvβ5 integrin-binding RGD peptide, ACDCRGDCFC, into the cationic polymer polyethyleneimine (PEI) via a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) spacer. The incorporation of PEG into PEI improved the poor physicochemical properties of PEI–DNA complexes. At a neutral charge ratio, DNA complexes with PEI were polydisperse and substantially aggregated, whereas DNA complexes with PEI-g-1PEG-RGD were homogeneous with 100–200 nm effective diameter. Their surface charge was also significantly reduced due to the charge shielding effect of PEG. However, the extensive grafting of PEI with PEG was shown to inhibit the DNA condensation process, significantly decreasing transfection efficiency. In in vitro transfection experiments with angiogenic endothelial cells, PEI-g-1PEG-RGD showed an approximately fivefold increase in transfection efficiency over PEI, due to an integrin-mediated internalization pathway. PEI-g-1PEG-RGD also exhibited high specificity to angiogenic endothelial cells compared with normal endothelial cells, which was confirmed by in vitro transfection experiments with non-targeting PEI-g-1PEG-RAE in angiostatic endothelial cells.
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: A 50-year experience at a single institution

Abstract Background. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is among the most aggressive of human malignancies. However, there have been few large studies of histologically well-defined ATC. We report the results of a 50-year experience of this lethal malignancy. Methods. We reviewed all cases of ATC managed in this institution between 1949 and 1999. One pathologist (J.R.G.) reviewed all pathologic material. Clinical details were obtained from medical records, and current status of all patients was determined. Results. There were 134 cases, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.5:1 and a mean age of 67 years. Benign thyroid disease was present in 27 cases (20%) and well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma in 31 (23%). Sixty-two patients (46%) had distant metastases at diagnosis, and 98% of the tumors were locally invasive. Primary treatment was surgical for 96 patients (72%). Complete resection was achieved in 29 cases (30%), with “minimal residual disease” in 25. Neither extent of operation nor completeness of resection affected survival ( P >.4). Postoperative radiotherapy gave slightly longer median survival (5 vs 3 months), which was not significant ( P Conclusions. The outlook for patients with ATC remains grim. Novel treatments for ATC are desperately needed. (Surgery 2001;130:1028-34.)
Verifying effects of instability enhanced ion?ion Coulomb collisions on ion velocity distribution functions near the sheath edge in low temperature plasmas

Experiments have shown that ion velocity distribution functions (ivdfs) with non-Maxwellian tails created by ion–neutral collisions and ionizations along pre-sheaths in weakly collisional plasmas can be thermalized into Maxwellian distributions near the sheath edge. A recent theory suggests that ion–ion collisions enhanced by ion-acoustic instabilities can rapidly thermalize ions near the sheath edge into Maxwellian distributions and that increasing either electron temperature or neutral pressure of a plasma suppresses the growth of instabilities and eliminates the thermalization process. Measurements of ivdfs by laser induced fluorescence showed qualitative agreement between experimental data and a marginal stability curve inferred from the new theory.
Effectiveness of methyl bromide as a cargo fumigant for brown treesnakes

Abstract The effectiveness of methyl bromide as a fumigant for brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) management was evaluated on Guam. Eighteen snakes in secured cloth bags were randomly positioned in a 47.7-m3 tarpaulin-covered cargo container for each fumigation treatment. Methyl bromide treatments tested were: 24 g m−3 and and 12 g m−3, both for 2-h and 1-h exposures. All treatments, except for 12 g m−3 for 1 h, resulted in 100% mortality. Two-hour exposures to methyl bromide at 24 and 12 g m−3 appear to be effective in killing brown treesnakes within reasonable time-frames for shippers under Guam field conditions.
Role of the inhibitory adrenergic α2 and serotonergic 5-HT1A components of cocaine's actions on the DOI-induced head-twitch response in 5-HT2-receptor supersensitive mice

Abstract It was recently reported that acute cocaine pretreatment can reduce the (±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI)-induced 5-hydroxytryptamine 2 (5-HT 2 )-receptor mediated head-twitch response (HTR) in mice via indirect stimulation of adrenergic α 2 - and serotonergic 5-HT 1A -receptors. The aim of the present investigation was to determine whether cocaine can alter the DOI-induced HTR in 5-HT 2 -receptor supersensitive mice. Supersensitivity was induced by a single injection of DOI 48 h prior to experimentation. These supersensitive mice exhibited a greater frequency of HTR to a challenge dose of DOI 48 h after its initial administration. Cocaine pretreatment dose-dependently reduced the DOI-induced HTR in the supersensitive mice. The stimulant was approximately four times more potent in the 5-HT 2 -receptor supersensitive mice relative to its reported effects in normal mice. Receptor blockade studies with yohimbine and alprenolol revealed that both of the inhibitory components of cocaine's actions (i.e., adrenergic α 2 - and serotonergic 5-HT 1A -receptor effects, respectively) were more efficient in reducing the DOI-induced HTR in supersensitive mice compared to normosensitive animals. The present results further support the previously suggested hypothesis that acute cocaine administration inhibits the 5-HT 2 -receptor function by increasing the synaptic concentration of norepinephrine and serotonin via inhibition of their uptake and therefore indirectly stimulating the respective inhibitory adrenergic α 2 - and serotonergic 5-HT 1A -receptors.
Interaction of Growth Regulators in the Senescence of Nasturtium Leaf Disks

SEVERAL chemical substances retard the decrease of chlorophyll content and the accompanying loss of protein and ribonucleic acid (RNA) which normally occurs as leaf disks senesce when they are floated on water. Among the compounds which retard senescence are the kinetins and related compounds1–5 and auxins6,7. Gibberellic acid has been reported to delay the senescence of leaf disks of Taraxacum officinale8–10, and in this work it was indicated that senescence delayed by gibberellic acid was not widespread because it was observed in only one of seventeen species tested. Whyte and Luckwill11, however, have since reported that the acid delayed the senescence of leaf disks of Rumex obtusifolium. The retardation of senescence of leaf disks of nasturtium (Trapaeolum majus) after treatment with gibberellic acid has recently been recorded in this laboratory12.
An investigation of the relationship between fear of negative evaluation and bulimic psychopathology.

The current study examined fear of negative evaluation (FNE), the core fear associated with social anxiety, in the context of the dual pathway model of the etiology of bulimia nervosa. Our primary aim was to improve the understanding of the development of bulimic psychopathology. We investigated the relationships between FNE, the risk factors of the dual pathway model and bulimic symptoms using path analysis in a sample of female undergraduates (N = 210). The inclusion of FNE increased the predictive ability of the model to account for 49% of the variance in bulimic symptoms compared to previous findings in which the model accounted for 33% of the variance. Additionally, FNE was related to several risk factors of the dual pathway model including the pressure to be thin, thin-ideal internalization and negative affect, as well as contributing directly to bulimic symptoms. These findings suggest that FNE may increase the risk for developing established risk factors of the model, as well as bulimic symptoms, and that targeting FNE in prevention programs may be useful in circumventing this serious disorder.
Chicago's Post-Industrial Suburbs

Abstract Chicago's suburbs provide an excellent research site for an investigation into the growth patterns of a postindustrial metropolitan region. Evidence for the two dominant explanations for urban development, the urban ecological model and the neo-Marxian political economy model, is found in Chicago's suburban growth in the past 50 years. In addition, evidence for a model of local policy intervention by federal bureaucracies, intergovernmental agencies and suburban administrators offers additional explanatory power for future suburban socio-spatial development.
Randomized trial to improve laboratory safety monitoring of ongoing drug therapy in ambulatory patients.

Study Objective. To determine whether an electronic tool effectively increases the percentage of patients receiving laboratory monitoring during ongoing drug therapy. Design. Randomized trial. Setting. Outpatient medical offices of a group model health maintenance organization. Patients. A total of 9139 patients prescribed ongoing therapy with any of 14 drugs, resulting in 4871 patient-drug combinations in the intervention group and 4780 in the usual-care (control) group. Intervention. Physicians and pharmacists jointly developed monitoring guidelines based on published recommendations. Pharmacists were electronically alerted to missing laboratory results and then ordered tests, reminded patients to undergo tests, and reviewed and managed abnormal results. Measurements and Main Results. In the intervention group, 64% of patient-drug combinations were monitored, whereas in the usual-care group 58% were monitored (p<0.001). Differences in monitoring were observed in the intervention versus usual-care groups for amiodarone (71% vs 55%, p<0.01), theophylline (54% vs 28%, p<0.001), carbamazepine (49% vs 32%, p<0.001), lithium (42% vs 28%, p<0.01), phenytoin (44% vs 33%, p<0.001), and metformin (72% vs 67%, p<0.001). Of 1981 laboratory tests ordered, 1472 (74%) were completed. The tests revealed 181 serum drug concentrations outside the therapeutic range and 126 abnormal serum creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels, and complete blood counts. Conclusion. A computerized tool plus collaboration of health care professionals effectively increased the number of patients who received laboratory safety monitoring of drug therapy.
From modal mixing to tunable functional switches in nonlinear phononic crystals

We introduce a paradigm for spatial and modal wave manipulation based on nonlinear phononic crystals and explore its potential for engineering wave control systems with tunable, adaptive, and multifunctional characteristics. Our approach exploits nonlinear mechanisms to stretch the frequency signature of the wave response and distribute it over multiple modes, thereby activating a mixture of modal characteristics and enabling functionalities associated with high-frequency optical modes, even while operating in the low-frequency regime. To elucidate the versatility of this approach, we consider different granular crystal configurations that span the available landscape of crystal topologies and wave control functionalities. The ability to switch between complementary functionalities allows rethinking nonlinear phononic crystals as programmable acoustic ports that form the building blocks of a new structural logic framework enabled by nonlinearity.
Home Economics: Metropolitan Labor and Housing Markets and Domestic Arrangements in Young Adulthood

I examine the relationship of labor and housing market conditions to marriage, living alone, living with a partner, living with roommates, or living with parents among persons aged 18-30. Although the residential choices available to contemporary young adults undermine the uniqueness of marriage, I find that marriage retains a high material standard. I also find that the material foundations of nonmarital arrangements differ. Housing costs are strongly associated with domestic arrangements: in areas with higher housing costs, relatively expensive arrangements are less common. These patterns appear in broad brush for blacks and whites and males and females; however, I also observe important racial differences. My results suggest that the interaction of structural context with consumption aspirations is an important influence on domestic life in the transition to adulthood.
Quantitation of tyrosine hydroxylase, protein levels: Spot immunolabeling with an affinity-purified antibody

Tyrosine hydroxylase was purified from bovine adrenal chromaffin cells and rat pheochromocytoma using a rapid (less than 2 days) procedure performed at room temperature. Rabbits were immunized with purified enzyme that was denatured with sodium dodecylsulfate, and antibodies to tyrosine hydroxylase were affinity-purified from immune sera. A Western blot procedure using the affinity-purified antibodies and 125I-protein A demonstrated a selective labeling of a single Mr approximately 62,000 band in samples from a number of different tissues. The relative lack of background 125I-protein A binding permitted the development of a quantitative spot immunolabeling procedure for tyrosine hydroxylase protein. The sensitivity of the assay is 1-2 ng of enzyme. Essentially identical standard curves were obtained with tyrosine hydroxylase purified from rat pheochromocytoma, rat corpus striatum, and bovine adrenal medulla. An extract of PC 12 cells (clonal rat pheochromocytoma cells) was calibrated against purified rat pheochromocytoma tyrosine hydroxylase and used as an external standard against which levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in PC12 cells and other tissue were quantified. With this procedure, qualitative assessment of tyrosine hydroxylase protein levels can be obtained in a few hours and quantitative assessment can be obtained in less than a day.
WE-A-BRB-02: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: (2) Technical Issues for Clinical Implementation of An SBRT Program

The technical advantage of stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT) is based upon the ability to deliver a hypofractionated course of heterogeneous dose to a well‐defined volume with a rapid fall‐off of dose outside the treatment volume. The overall goal is to minimize the direct effects of radiation on the surrounding normal tissue while delivering a dose biologically equivalent (or greater) to several weeks of conventionally fractionated radiation therapy to the treatment volume. Over 4000 publications spanning several decades have affirmed the clinical usefulness of SRT, including hundreds of articles on SBRT in the last decade. The intent of SBRTtreatment has been to deliver noninvasive tumor‐ablative doses to sharply demarcated lesions so that clinical outcomes comparable to surgery could be achieved without surgical complications. The majority of published clinical data describes the treatment of lung,liver and spinal tumors. The radiobiology of short‐course, high‐dose‐per‐fraction regimens suggests that utilizing SBRT, with significant local dose escalation even to curative doses, is feasible. The number of fractions and total doses currently in clinical use varies widely in the literature, typically ranging from 60 Gy delivered in 10 fractions to 30 Gy delivered in a single fraction. Educational Objective: To present the technical issues for clinical implementation of SBRT as reported in the AAPM Task Group No. 101 on Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy. Including the following topics: 1. Equipment and space considerations. 2. Time and personnel considerations. 3. Acceptance and commissioning requirements. 4. Localization devices. 5. Treatment‐planning systems. 6. Treatment‐delivery and auxiliary systems. 7. Image guidance, patient alignment and verification systems. 8. Quality assurance procedures.
Molecular mechanism and physiological role of pexophagy

Pexophagy is a selective autophagy process wherein damaged and/or superfluous peroxisomes undergo vacuolar degradation. In methylotropic yeasts, where pexophagy has been studied most extensively, this process occurs by either micro- or macropexophagy: processes analogous to micro- and macroautophagy. Recent studies have identified specific factors and illustrated mechanisms involved in pexophagy. Although mechanistically pexophagy relies heavily on the core autophagic machinery, the latest findings about the role of auxiliary pexophagy factors have highlighted specialized membrane structures required for micropexophagy, and shown how cargo selectivity is achieved and how cargo size dictates the requirement for these factors during pexophagy. These insights and additional observations in the literature provide a framework for an understanding of the physiological role(s) of pexophagy.
DNA methylation as a biomarker for cardiovascular disease risk.

Background Elevated serum homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This may reflect a reduced systemic remethylation capacity, which would be expected to cause decreased genomic DNA methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL). Methodology/Principal Findings We examined the association between prevalence of CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke) and its predisposing conditions (hypertension, diabetes) and PBL global genomic DNA methylation as represented by ALU and Satellite 2 (AS) repetitive element DNA methylation in 286 participants of the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a population-based prospective investigation of 63,257 men and women aged 45–74 years recruited during 1993–1998. Men exhibited significantly higher global DNA methylation [geometric mean (95% confidence interval (CI)): 159 (143, 178)] than women [133 (121, 147)] (P = 0·01). Global DNA methylation was significantly elevated in men with a history of CVD or its predisposing conditions at baseline (P = 0·03) but not in women (P = 0·53). Fifty-two subjects (22 men, 30 women) who were negative for these CVD/predisposing conditions at baseline acquired one or more of these conditions by the time of their follow-up I interviews, which took place on average about 5·8 years post-enrollment. Global DNA methylation levels of the 22 incident cases in men were intermediate (AS, 177) relative to the 56 male subjects who remained free of CVD/predisposing conditions at follow-up (lowest AS, 132) and the 51 male subjects with a diagnosis of CVD or predisposing conditions reported at baseline (highest AS 184) (P for trend = 0.0008) No such association was observed in women (P = 0.91). Baseline body mass index was positively associated with AS in both men and women (P = 0·007). Conclusions/Significance Our findings indicate that elevated, not decreased, PBL DNA methylation is positively associated with prevalence of CVD/predisposing conditions and obesity in Singapore Chinese.
Multiphoton microscopy with near infrared contrast agents.

While multiphoton microscopy MPM has been performed with a wide range of excitation wavelengths, fluorescence emission has been limited to the visible spectrum. We introduce a paradigm for MPM of near-infrared NIR fluorescent molecular probes via nonlinear excitation at 1550 nm. This all-NIR system expands the range of available MPM fluorophores, virtually eliminates background autofluorescence, and al- lows for use of fiber-based, turnkey ultrafast lasers devel- oped for telecommunications. © 2010 Society of Photo-Optical In-
The nonprofit leadership deficit: A case for more optimism

Recent headlines claim that a looming nonprofit leadership crisis will soon be precipitated by retiring baby boomers. Analysis of baby boom demographics, using national census data on the age distribution and other demographic characteristics of top leaders by sector, confirms the aging nonprofit workforce. However, the issue of whether the aging workforce portends a nonprofit leadership crisis, when analyzed within a theoretical framework of supply and demand in the market for nonprofit executives, reveals flaws in most commentaries about the leadership crisis. Workings of the labor market and nonprofit organizations themselves suggest trends that could be expected to affect labor supply and demand and mitigate a leadership deficit. Reasonable—and likely—market and organizational adjustments, including higher executive pay, increased labor force participation of older workers, skill acquisition of younger workers, possible consolidation of nonprofit organizations, board and volunteer skill sharing, and even venture philanthropy, can be expected to moderate the shock of baby boom retirements, much in the way that schools, job markets, and housing markets have accommodated the movement of this “bulging” generation through earlier decades of their lives.
GOSSIP_DR: A generic software system for IC reliability optimization

Abstract In this paper, a generic software system called GOSSIP_DR able to perform Drift Reliability (DR) analysis and optimization is presented. The system was developed based on new drift reliability analysis and optimization methodologies proposed in [1, 2, 3, 4]. Several useful system features and functions are described. Applications in VLSI circuit design are given, in which degradations due to hot electron effects are considered.
Responses of neurons in the rat ventrolateral orbital cortex to phasic and tonic nociceptive stimulation

Abstract Responses of ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO) neurons to innocuous touch and pressure, and noxious pinch and cold were examined by extracellular recordings. Eight neurons increased their firing rate in a graded fashion to all stimuli applied, 4 units decreased their discharges, and 6 neurons remained unaffected. All responsive units displayed the greatest change in firing rate during noxious cold, and all exhibited whole-body receptive fields. These data further implicate the VLO in nociception.
Erratum to “Electrostatic exploration of the C3d–FH4 interaction using a computational alanine scan” [Mol. Immunol. 48 (2011) 1844–1850]

rratum rratum to “Electrostatic exploration of the C3d–FH4 interaction using a omputational alanine scan” [Mol. Immunol. 48 (2011) 1844–1850] tlal M. El-Assaada, Chris A. Kieslichb, Ronald D. Gorham Jr. b, Dimitrios Morikisb,∗ Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
Mass Mobilization and Elite Exchange: Democratization Episodes in Italy and Spain

At its dawn, democracy was a social movement, but little attention has been given to social movements in recent (mainly American) theorizations of democratization.1 The reason for this seems to be the division of labour in the social sciences as well as the bad press that movements gained between the two world wars and in the cold war years. As a result, most theorists have emphasized the role of elites in transitional cycles and largely ignored the role of social movements. Since the 1960s, advances in social movement theory and research both in Europe and North America allow a fresh look at the role of movements in transitional cycles. In this article, three aspects coming from this tradition ‐ the structure of political opportunity, the relations of elites and citizens, and the problem of organization ‐ are applied to three episodes of democratization: the failed transition to democracy in Italy after the First World War, the successful transition in Spain in the mid‐1970s and the incomplete transition...
Effect of soil temperature on root rot of rough lemon caused by Fusarium solani

Rough lemon seedlings were root dip-inoculated in Fries liquid cultures of two Fusarium solani isolates, one from California and one from Florida. Plants were potted and placed in soil temperature tanks at 15, 21, 27, and 33 C. Plant height, trunk diameter, and fresh weight of inoculated plants significantly differed from the control at 15 and 21 C. Plant height was the only growth parameter significantly affected by inoculation at 27 and 33 C. Height of plants inoculated with the California isolate was significantly less than the control at 27 but not at 33 C. Height of plants inoculated with the Florida isolate did not differ from the controls at 27 and 33 C. Significantly more root rot occurred on inoculated plants at 15 and 21 C, but not at 27 and 33 C.
Global approximation of perturbed Hamiltonian differential equations with several turning points

Given a perturbed Hamiltonian system (E) $i\varepsilon V' = [H_0 (x) + \varepsilon H_1 (x,\varepsilon )]V$, where $H_0 (x)$ is a Hermitian matrix analytic on an interval I. Any two eigenvalues of $H_0 (x)$ are allowed to coalesce finitely many times in the interval I (however, no two of them are identical on I). Assume that $H_1 (x,\varepsilon ) \in C^1 (I \times \bar S_c $ with $S_c = (0,c]$. Let $U(x)$ be the unitary matrix such that $D(x) = U^{ - 1} (x)H_0 (x)U(x)$ is diagonal. Assume that the entries of $U^{ - 1} H_1 U - iU^{ - 1} U'$ are bounded on $I \times S_c $, absolutely integrable over I. Then, (E) is shown to have a fundamental matrix of the form $V = U(x)Y(I_n + P(x,\varepsilon ))$ where Y is the exponential of a diagonal matrix, $I_n $ is the n-dimensional unit matrix and $P(x,\varepsilon ) \to 0$ as $\varepsilon \to 0^ + $. This result is applied to prove an adiabatic approximation theorem in quantum mechanics and provide a criterion measuring the phenomenon of degeneracy by the orders of c...
Adenosine A1 receptor activation attenuates lung ischemia-reperfusion injury

Objectives Ischemia–reperfusion injury contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in lung transplant patients. Currently, no therapeutic agents are clinically available to prevent ischemia–reperfusion injury, and treatment strategies are limited to maintaining oxygenation and lung function. Adenosine can modulate inflammatory activity and injury by binding to various adenosine receptors; however, the role of the adenosine A 1 receptor in ischemia–reperfusion injury and inflammation is not well understood. The present study tested the hypothesis that selective, exogenous activation of the A 1 receptor would be anti-inflammatory and attenuate lung ischemia–reperfusion injury. Methods Wild-type and A 1 receptor knockout mice underwent 1 hour of left lung ischemia and 2 hours of reperfusion using an in vivo hilar clamp model. An A 1 receptor agonist, 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine, was administered 5 minutes before ischemia. After reperfusion, lung function was evaluated by measuring airway resistance, pulmonary compliance, and pulmonary artery pressure. The wet/dry weight ratio was used to assess edema. The myeloperoxidase and cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured to determine the presence of neutrophil infiltration and inflammation. Results In the wild-type mice, 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine significantly improved lung function and attenuated edema, cytokine expression, and myeloperoxidase levels compared with the vehicle-treated mice after ischemia–reperfusion. The incidence of lung ischemia–reperfusion injury was similar in the A 1 receptor knockout and wild-type mice; and 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine had no effects in the A 1 receptor knockout mice. In vitro treatment of neutrophils with 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine significantly reduced chemotaxis. Conclusions Exogenous A 1 receptor activation improves lung function and decreases inflammation, edema, and neutrophil chemotaxis after ischemia and reperfusion. These results suggest a potential therapeutic application for A 1 receptor agonists for the prevention of lung ischemia–reperfusion injury after transplantation.
Spatial distribution of soft X-ray and EUV emission associated with a chromospheric flare of importance 1B on August 2, 1972

Soft-X-ray and extreme ultraviolet spectroheliographs carried by the OSO-7 (Orbiting Solar Observatory) have been used to record the development of XUV emission associated with a flare of importance 1b on August 2, 1972. Spatial resolution was 20″ and spectral resolution was adequate to select emission lines originating within well-defined ranges of electron temperature between 5 × 104 and 30 × 106K. The data show that heating only the pre-existing coronal material adjacent to the flare site cannot account for the soft X-ray emission measure observed during the event. The flare emission originating at Te ⩽ 2.3 × 106K exhibits an impulsive component coincident with an impulsive microwave event. This radiation appears to coincide spatially with Hα radiation emitted at that time and is centered on the neutral line separating magnetic fields of opposite polarity. One soft X-ray-emitting feature, estimated to have an initial electron temperature of 2–10 × 106K, forms during the impulsive phase immediately over the Hα flare. A second, arch-like feature observed at wavelengths near 1.9 A and estimated to have Te≅30 × 106K is located approximately 35000 km above the Hα event. Both regions have lengths of about 27000 km but transverse dimensions small compared to the spatial resolution of the spectroheliograph, i.e., less than 14000 km. The region with highest electron temperature exhibits the greatest stability in position. This region cools to approximately 10 × 106K in 6 to 12 min which is compatible with cooling by conduction to the chromosphere. The best association with a dark surge is found in an emission line of Fe xiv.
Hydrocarbon synthesis over palladium/ZSM-5 bifunctional catalysts

Abstract Hydrocarbon synthesis during carbon monoxide hydrogenation over Pd/MZSM-5 (M=H, Na, La) and Pd/SiO2 has been investigated. The turnover frequency depended on the cation-exchanged form of the support, decreasing in the order Pd/NaZSM-5>Pd/LaZSM-5>Pd/HZSM-5>Pd/SiO2. While only methane and oxygenates were formed over Pd/NaZSM-5 and Pd/SiO2, high yields of C2–C3 alkanes and polymethylbenzenes were produced over both Pd/HZSM-5 and Pd/LaZSM-5. Reaction temperature and feed compositions affected product distributions, particularly aromatic yields. Infrared spectroscopy and kinetic evidence indicate that hydrocarbon synthesis over Pd/ZSM-5 occurs via a bifunctional route, consisting of carbon monoxide hydrogenation to methanol, followed by conversion of this oxygenate on zeolite Bronsted acid sites.
Independent predictors of cirrhosis in hispanic patients with non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

Independent predictors of cirrhosis in hispanic patients with non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
Comparison of Cardiopulmonary Parameters in Awake and Anesthetized Chickens

Abstract Steady state cardiovascular and respiratory parameters in adult male chickens while they were awake and after anesthetization with a mixture of chloral hydrate, magnesium sulfate, and pentobarbital were compared. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), peripheral resistance (TPR), tidal volume (VT), respiratory rate (RR), minute ventilation (V), end-expiratory carbon dioxide partial pressure (PACO2), and arterial blood gases and pH were measured simultaneously on birds spontaneously breathing air. Anesthetization resulted in increased HR and RR and decreased BP, CO, TPR, VT, PACO2, and blood gas tensions. The data indicate a depression of cardiovascular function but no change in total ventilation although the relative contributions of VT and RR were changed. Anesthetization increased variability in SV although the other parameters were maintained in a steady-state condition over a 2-h period.
Cities on Fire: Social Mobilization, State Policy, and Urban Insurgency:

Major theories of civil war emphasize the social and military attributes of rural terrain as key causes of conflict. This focus has led scholars to ignore important urban insurgencies in the Middle East and South Asia. This article makes two arguments about the roots of urban insurgency. First, it shows that robust urban social mobilization is possible and common. This can provide a social base for rebellion in areas that prevailing theories deem unlikely sites of civil war. Second, the article argues that, given social mobilization, urban insurgency emerges when security forces are politically constrained in their use of violence, opening space for sustained violence. A study of the rise of insurgency in Karachi from 1978 to 1996 and discussions of Iraq and Northern Ireland illustrate the plausibility of this argument. State policy and strategy, rather than state capacity, can play a central role in civil war onset.
Canonical Forms of Two by Two by Two Matrices

We determine the canonical forms of two by two by two matrices. In order to do so, we present a collection of covariants that separates the canonical forms. The covariants also fulfill a number of identities. Moreover, we show that these canonical forms and covariants are related to those of the binary cubic and skew-symmetric tensors of step 3 in the exterior algebra Ext(U), where dim(U) = 6.
Saturation effects and lamb-dip formation in molecular lasers

With the use of velocity-dependent kinetic equations to account properly for collisional relaxation behavior in molecular lasers, new results for gain saturation formulas have been obtained for intermediate values of pressure. These results, for a traveling-wave field, are exact and, in proper limits, reduce to known results. Further, a more complete description of the behavior of the Lamb dip as a function of molecular parameters has been obtained, and it is shown how the Lamb dip depends not only upon molecular parameters, but upon the total cavity loss parameter itself.
Spiritual functioning among veterans seeking residential treatment for PTSD: A matched control group study.

A total of 788 persons completed the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality (BMMRS; Fetzer Institute/NIA, 1999), comprising 2 primary comparisons: (1) Vietnam veterans presenting for residential treatment for PTSD in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Heath Care System (PTSD; n 194) versus demographically matched men from the 1998 General Social Survey (GSS; n 194); and (2) veterans from the Iraq/Afghanistan Wars seeking PTSD residential treatment outside of the VA (n 200) versus a younger group of demographically matched controls from the GSS (n 200). When compared to their control group counterparts, veterans from the 2 clinical samples endorsed weaker spirituality across nearly all dimensions assessed in the study (daily spiritual experiences, forgiveness, private practices, religious coping, organizational religiousness, values). Results of other comparisons further revealed that veterans from these 2 eras largely did not differ from one another in their spiritual functioning, and that the 2 PTSD treatment groups reported weaker spiritual functioning with respect to controls from the other age group as well. Spirituality factors were also generally correlated with PTSD symptom severity at the start of treatment and multivariate results found that greater forgiveness problems were uniquely linked with more symptomatology across both eras. Although this design limits our ability to assess changes in spirituality, these findings support the need for spiritually integrative therapeutic models and additional research on the spiritual/existential implications of combat trauma. The article concludes with a case illustration and discussion of clinical applications related to empirical findings.
A Multiple Comparison Procedure Based on a Variant of the Schwarz Information Criterion in a Mixed Model

Repeated measurements are collected in a variety of situations and are generally characterized by a mixed model where the correlation within the subject is specified by the random effects. In such a mixed model, we propose a multiple comparison procedure based on a variant of the Schwarz information criterion (SIC; Schwarz, 1978). The derivation of SIC indicates that SIC serves as an asymptotic approximation to a transformation of the Bayesian posterior probability of a candidate model. Therefore, an approximated posterior probability for a candidate model can be calculated based upon SIC. We suggest a variant of SIC which includes the terms which are asymptotically negligible in the derivation of SIC. The variant improves upon the performance of SIC in small and moderate sample-size applications. Based upon the proposed variant, the corresponding posterior probability can be calculated for each candidate model. A hypothesis testing for multiple comparisons involves one or more models in the candidate cla...