cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Academic advising as teaching

This short essay proposes establishing faculty-led advising seminars for advisees in order to increase the effectiveness of the academic advising system. Through the seminars, the advising function would be integrated into the course-credit system, thus enhancing the perceived importance of advising for faculty and students alike. Also through the seminars, students would systematically study and reflect on the nature of higher education, thereby creating firmer bases for choices. After briefly describing the organization and operation of such a system, the essay explores some of its implications for coherence and cumulative qualities of students' educational experiences, the distribution of teaching responsibilities among faculty, and faculty development and colleagueship.
Developing a Process to Identify Material Flow of a Priority Chemical

An Environmental Protection Agency-funded project was the material flow analysis of naphthalene-containing products in an effort to eliminate, reduce, or replace the sources of naphthalene. The project analysis began with manufacturers who use naphthalene-containing products in their processes. It identifies the basic characteristics of naphthalene as a common polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon, which is released to the environment. Included are likely sources of naphthalene emissions and releases as they were identified for further investigation. This paper, which is the sequel to IMECE 2005-82808, highlights a secondary objective of the project: to document the approach used in identifying the naphthalene flow from the raw material to its various products. This secondary objective was to show how process, product, and quantity data can best be gathered. Within the project, there were several means to collect data, some that have worked better than others. The purpose of this objective was to provide the framework of a proven approach to generating the material flow so that it can be followed for other priority chemicals that populate the EPA list.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Application of multiple-error-correcting binary BCH codes to optical matrix-vector multipliers

The application of multiple error-correction codes to optical matrix-vector multipliers (OMVMs) can improve the computational accuracy level of these processors. A binary Bose Ray-Chaudhuri (BCH) code was applied to a simulated mod-2 OMVM. Based on the results obtained from the simulations, the conditions under which the use of such error-correction coding is feasible in OMVMs are discussed.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Creating Realistic Virtual Textures from Contact Acceleration Data

Modern haptic interfaces are adept at conveying the large-scale shape of virtual objects, but they often provide unrealistic or no feedback when it comes to the microscopic details of surface texture. Direct texture-rendering challenges the state of the art in haptics because it requires a finely detailed model of the surface's properties, real-time dynamic simulation of complex interactions, and high-bandwidth haptic output to enable the user to feel the resulting contacts. This paper presents a new, fully realized solution for creating realistic virtual textures. Our system employs a sensorized handheld tool to capture the feel of a given texture, recording three-dimensional tool acceleration, tool position, and contact force over time. We reduce the three-dimensional acceleration signals to a perceptually equivalent one-dimensional signal, and then we use linear predictive coding to distill this raw haptic information into a database of frequency-domain texture models. Finally, we render these texture models in real time on a Wacom tablet using a stylus augmented with small voice coil actuators. The resulting virtual textures provide a compelling simulation of contact with the real surfaces, which we verify through a human subject study.
MONITORING VENTILATORY MANAGEMENT IN LOW-BIRTHWEIGHT INFANTS : EFFECT ON SERUM LEVELS OF THE N-TERMINAL PROPEPTIDE OF PROCOLLAGEN TYPE III. ▴ 2053

MONITORING VENTILATORY MANAGEMENT IN LOW-BIRTHWEIGHT INFANTS : EFFECT ON SERUM LEVELS OF THE N-TERMINAL PROPEPTIDE OF PROCOLLAGEN TYPE III. ▴ 2053
Beyond Capacity Limitations II: Effects of Lexical Processes on Word Recall in Verbal Working Memory Tasks in Children With and Without Specific Language Impairment

Purpose This study investigated the impact of lexical processes on target word recall in sentence span tasks in children with and without specific language impairment (SLI). Method Participants were 42 children (ages 8;2–12;3 [years;months]): 21 with SLI and 21 typically developing peers matched on age and nonverbal IQ. Children completed a sentence span task in which target words to be recalled varied in word frequency and neighborhood density. Two measures of lexical processes were examined: the number of nontarget competitor words activated during a gating task (lexical cohort competition) and word definitions. Results Neighborhood density had no effect on word recall for either group. However, both groups recalled significantly more high- than low-frequency words. Lexical cohort competition and specificity of semantic representations accounted for unique variance in the number of target word recalled in the SLI and chronological age-matched (CA) groups combined. Conclusions Performance on verbal worki...
Relationship of femininity, masculinity, and gender to attribution of responsibility

Brickman, Rabinowitz, Karuza, Coates, Cohn, and Kidder (“Models of Helping and Coping,” American Psychologist, 1982, 37, 368–384) have proposed four attributional models defined by two dimensions: responsibility for causes of problems and for solutions to problems. The relationship of femininity masculinity, and gender to the attributtional models was explored in a sample of 205 subjects. Femininity and masculinity were measured with the Interpersonal Disposition Inventory (IDI) and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ). Subjects also responded to two measures of the attributional models. Findings included a significant association between femininity and low internal attribution of responsibility for problem solving. Results are discussed in terms of sex role and gender differences in help seeking.
Approach to the international traveler with neurological symptoms

ABSTRACT International travelers commonly contract illnesses while abroad, with the highest risk in those who spend extended time in developing countries. As travel to worldwide destinations becomes more accessible, neurologists should be aware of travel-related infections and noninfectious conditions presenting with neurological manifestations. Travelers may present with a myriad of neurologic symptoms, including confusion, headache, weakness and sensory symptoms. In this review, we discuss the general approach to the returning traveler with neurological symptoms and discuss the differential diagnosis of symptoms commonly encountered in practice.
Regional Responses of the Pituitary to Corticotropin—Releasing Factor (CRF) and Ammonium Ions1 1

In an attempt to localize the corticotrophs of the rat pituitary, partially purified ovine CRF and five control materials (acid saline, Sephadex column eluate outside the CRF and vasopressin zones, 10M ammonium acetate in acid saline, sublimated 10M ammonium acetate, sublimated column eluate) were injected into the pars distalis, the pars intermedia, or the junction between the pars intermedia and the pars distalis. Acid saline was inert in all regions. The materials containing ammonium acetate stimulated at least some ACTH release. Following sublimation to remove ammonium ions, only CRF still stimulated ACTH release, and it was more effective at the pars intermedia or the junction of the pars intermedia and the pars distalis than it was in the body of the pars distalis. From these studies we have drawn two conclusions: 1) the pars intermedia or the nearby pars distalis region of the pituitary is more responsive to exogenous, hypothalamic CRF than is the bulk of the pars distalis; 2) it is necessary to re...
Prospective Evaluation of Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Background Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Severe GVHD carries significant morbidity and mortality and remains one of the leading causes of treatment failure. Unfortunately, intestinal GVHD may present with a variety of non-specific symptoms and diagnosis based on clinical presentation is often inaccurate; biopsy is therefore needed for definitive diagnosis. At present, the optimal endoscopic approach to the diagnosis of gastrointestinal GVHD remains uncertain.
Interaction of immune complexes with glomerular heparan sulfate–proteoglycans

Interaction of immune complexes with glomerular heparan sulfate–proteoglycans. The binding characteristics of cationic and more neutral immune complexes with heparan sulfate–proteoglycan enriched anionic sites of glomerular basement membrane and mesangial matrix were studied. Rat kidneys were treated either with buffers alone or buffers containing heparitinase or chondroitinase-ABC followed by perfusion with cationic or native immune complexes. Tissues were processed for immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy after fixation with glutaraldehyde or tannic acid glutaraldehyde. Kidneys perfused with radioiodinated immune complexes were processed for light and electron microscopic autoradiography. In addition, glomeruli from kidneys perfused with radioiodinated immune complexes were isolated and counted for radioactivity. By immunofluorescence the cationic immune complexes deposited linearly along the glomerular basement membrane. By electron microscopy, the cationic complexes localized mainly in the inner and outer layers of the glomerular basement membrane and to a certain extent in the mesangial matrix in a distribution that corresponded to previously documented anionic sites. Whereas heparitinase treatment abrogated the binding of cationic immune complexes in both glomerular basement membrane and mesangial matrix, chondroitinase-ABC treatment did not cause any decrease in binding. In contrast, more neutral immune complexes appeared to be nonspecifically trapped in the mesangium, and their distribution was unaffected by both enzymatic treatments. Light and electron microscopic autoradiography and counts of isolated glomeruli confirmed these findings. The results overall indicate that cationic immune complexes bind electrostatically to the heparan sulfate–proteoglycan enriched anionic sites of the glomerular basement membrane and mesangial matrix, while more neutral immune complexes are nonspecifically trapped in the mesangium of the renal glomerulus.
Mechanisms of burn-induced impairment in gastric slow waves and emptying in rats

Delayed gastric emptying is common following severe large cutaneous burns; however, the mechanisms of burn-induced delayed gastric emptying remain unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the possible involvement of hyperglycemia and cyclooxygenase-2 receptors in the burn-induced gastric dysrhythmias. Gastric slow waves and gastric emptying were assessed in rats 6 h following sham or burn injury. Animals were randomized to one sham-burn and seven burn groups: untreated; two groups of saline treated (control); insulin treated (5 IU/kg); cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor treated (10 mg/kg); ghrelin treated (2 nmol/rat); and gastric electrical stimulation treated. It was found that 1) severe burn injury impaired gastric slow waves postprandially and delayed gastric emptying; 2) the impairment in gastric slow waves included a decrease in the slow-wave frequency and in the percentage of normal slow waves, and an increase in the percentage of bradygastria (P = 0.001, 0.01, and 0.01, respectively vs. preburn values). None of the gastric slow-wave parameters was significantly correlated with gastric emptying; 3) cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor normalized burn-induced delayed gastric emptying (P = 0.3 vs. sham-burn), but not gastric dysrhythmias (P < 0.002 vs. sham), whereas insulin normalized both gastric emptying (P = 0.4 vs. sham-burn) and gastric dysrhythmias (P = 0.3 vs. sham-burn); 4) both gastric electrical stimulation and ghrelin accelerated burn-induced delayed gastric emptying (P = 0.002 and 0.04, respectively, vs. untreated burn). In conclusion, hyperglycemia alters gastric slow-wave activity and delayed gastric emptying, while cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition delays gastric emptying without altering gastric slow-wave activity.
Business Process Automation Based on Dependencies

Given a business language, this study presents a dependency-based mapping approach to automate the process of generating a workflow. First, the classification of various operators is carried out in terms of their usage in generating different flows. Second, an internally developed backward flow generating algorithm is used. In order to measure the effectiveness and accuracy of the approach, a forward flow generating algorithm is also developed to compare the results using an example on both approaches
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-linked alterations in Ca2+ binding of human cardiac myosin regulatory light chain affect cardiac muscle contraction.

The ventricular isoform of human cardiac regulatory light chain (HCRLC) has been shown to be one of the sarcomeric proteins associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC), an autosomal dominant disease characterized by left ventricular and/or septal hypertrophy, myofibrillar disarray, and sudden cardiac death. Our recent studies have demonstrated that the properties of isolated HCRLC could be significantly altered by the FHC mutations and that their detrimental effects depend upon the specific position of the missense mutation. This report reveals that the Ca2+ sensitivity of myofibrillar ATPase activity and steady-state force development are also likely to change with the location of the specific FHC HCRLC mutation. The largest effect was seen for the two FHC mutations, N47K and R58Q, located directly in or near the single Ca2+-Mg2+ binding site of HCRLC, which demonstrated no Ca2+ binding compared with wild-type and other FHC mutants (A13T, F18L, E22K, P95A). These two mutants when reconstituted in porcine cardiac muscle preparations increased Ca2+ sensitivity of myofibrillar ATPase activity and force development. These results suggest the importance of the intact Ca2+ binding site of HCRLC in the regulation of cardiac muscle contraction and imply its possible role in the regulatory light chain-linked pathogenesis of FHC.
Excision repair of DNA base damage.

Abstract Exposure of cells to exogenous physical and chemical agents can result in damage to the DNA bases. DNA damage can lead to mutation, malignant transformation and cell death and may possibly be involved in cellular aging. Structurally related base modifications are expected to have similar biological effects regardless of the agent responsible for their formation. The biological effects may be a consequence of the local distortion of the DNA conformation by the lesion rather than of the chemical properties of the modified base per se . It may be useful, therefore, to classify DNA base damage according to their effect on DNA conformation. The elucidation of the structures of the DNA lesions produced in situ in the living cell represents a prerequisite for the correlation of specific lesions with the biological effects and for the study of the cellular repair processes. Excision repair represents an ubiquitous mechanism in cells for the removal of damaged residues from the DNA. The most specific first step in excision repair is the recognition of the damage by an endonuclease followed by incision of the damaged DNA strand in the proximity of the damage. Several “repair endonucleases” have been characterized from bacteria while the search for the corresponding mammalian enzymes is only beginning. The second, probably less specific step, is the exonucleolytic degradation of the damaged portion of the DNA leading to the removal of the damaged residue. In E. coli the removal of both cyclobutane-type photodimers and γ-ray products of the 5,6-dihydroxy-dihydrothymine type is accomplished by the 5′→3′ exonuclease associated with polymerase I. All three E. coli polymerases appear to participate in the rebuilding of the degraded portion of the DNA. Studies on the corresponding enzymes in mammalian cells have been initiated. The last step of exicison repair involves the sealing of a phosphodiester bond of the DNA backbone and is accomplished by the enzyme polynucleotide ligase in bacterial and mammalian cells.
Plasmodium: a resume of the isolation of a vaccine fraction by the French pressure cell technique.

Abstract This paper is a resuḿe of studies by the author and his colleagues of Plasmodium berghei vaccines made from infected blood. Plasmodium berghei parasites were released from infected blood cells by passage through a French pressure cell (FPC) at low pressure. The released parasite material was separated from the disintegrated blood by centrifugation, washed, and disintegrated in the FPC at high pressure. The undisintegrated portion was separated from the disintegrated parasite components by centrifugation. The disintegrated parasite material was chromatographed on a Sephadex G-200 column. Injection of the void-volume eluate immunized mice against Plasmodium berghei infection. The vaccine fraction prepared in this manner has been found to fix complement in the presence of specific antibody and to be serologically free of erythrocyte stromal contamination. The isolated plasmodia and large plasmodial fragments from which the partially purified vaccine fraction originated also protected mice against P. berghei challenge. Large parasite fragments not disintegrated by high pressures in the FPC similarly contained vaccine antigens. Because of this observation, the author suggests that the partially purified vaccine antigens are in the large parasite fragments and may be parts of the parasite membranes. Parasites isolated from their associated erythrocytes at FPC pressures between 800 and 1000 psi appeared morphologically intact by light microscopy. These, along with large parasite fragments, were readily separated from the disintegrated erythrocytes by centrifugation. Sedimentation and washing of the isolated parasites appeared to disrupt them, though their immunogenic properties remained.
Reaction of Clay and Carbon to Form and Separate Al2O3 and SiC

Alumina and SiC can be recovered from clay by carbon reduction. Kinetic experiments showed that the solid-solid reaction proceeds through gaseous intermediates of CO and SiO. By mixing part of the carbon with the clay and using the balance to form SiC, Al2O3 and SiC were physically separated as products. This separation is represented by ((a)) ((b)) Optimum conditions for ease of separation of Al2O3 and SiC and the high rate of reaction require pelletization of both the clay-carbon mixture and the carbon of reaction (b) and the reaction of these pellets at >1500°C. By examining the effect of transition metal catalysts, SiC formation was determined to be rate-controlling.
Interactive visualization for assembly planning

Assembly planning is an important component for automation in manufacturing. It can help reduce the production cost by avoiding unstable subassemblies and eliminating unnecessary tool changes within the assembly cell. The assembly plan generation process begins with the exploration of the precedence relations due to geometrical and mechanical constraints. After the precedence relations are derived, all feasible assembly sequences are generated. A diamond-shape graph is commonly used to visualize all possible assembly sequences. A dual representation of all assembly sequences is also provided to facilitate the assembly sequence comparison task. Each possible sequence is transformed into a nodal representation and assumes a spatial location in a three-dimensional space. The proximity among all assembly sequence nodes in the dual space is designed to reflect the similarity among the sequences. The user can therefore navigate in the space of all feasible assembly sequences and compare similar assembly sequences that are clustered closely in the dual space. All three visualizations, namely the precedence relation, the diamond graph, and the dual graph, are coupled together so that interactions on one visualization are reflected on the other two.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Temporal Development of Mood, Cognitive, and Vegetative Symptoms in Recurrent SAD Episodes: A Test of the Dual Vulnerability Hypothesis

Recent literature on seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has begun to focus on diathesis–stress models, including Young and colleagues’ dual vulnerability hypothesis. The dual vulnerability hypothesis posits that individuals must possess both a biological vulnerability to developing vegetative symptoms and a psychological vulnerability to developing mood symptoms in order to develop SAD episodes. However, few studies have directly tested this model until very recently. Research has demonstrated a temporal relation between mood and vegetative symptoms, with vegetative symptoms having an earlier onset than mood symptoms supporting the idea that separate factors related to the two symptom clusters exist. The current study represents a longitudinal assessment of vegetative and mood symptoms, as well as cognitive factors (i.e., rumination, automatic thoughts) that may represent part of the psychological vulnerability shared by SAD sufferers. Furthermore, the present study represents only the second to assess state levels of cognitive factors that may impact recurrent SAD episode severity. Fifty-one individuals participated in the study across two groups, individuals with a history of SAD, and with no history of depression or SADs. Findings supported the dual vulnerability hypothesis, with an early vegetative symptom onset than mood symptom evident for the individuals with a history of SAD. Participants with a history of SAD also reported more ruminative responses and negative automatic thoughts about the seasons. Findings are generally supportive of Young and colleagues’ dual vulnerability hypothesis and directions for future research are suggested.
Chondroitinase ABC I from Proteus vulgaris: cloning, recombinant expression and active site identification

GalAGs (galactosaminoglycans) are one subset of the GAG (glycosaminoglycan) family of chemically heterogeneous polysaccharides that are involved in a wide range of biological processes. These complex biomacromolecules are believed to be responsible for the inhibition of nerve regeneration following injury to the central nervous system. The enzymic degradation of GAG chains in damaged nervous tissue by cABC I (chondroitinase ABC I), a broad-specificity lyase that degrades GalAGs, promotes neural recovery. In the present paper, we report the subcloning of cABC I from Proteus vulgaris, and discuss a simple methodology for the recombinant expression and purification of this enzyme. The originally expressed cABC I clone resulted in an enzyme with negligible activity against a variety of GalAG substrates. Sequencing of the cABC I clone revealed four point mutations at issue with the electron-density data of the cABC I crystal structure. Site-directed mutagenesis produced a clone with restored GalAG-degrading function. We have characterized this enzyme biochemically, including an analysis of its substrate specificity. By coupling structural inspections of cABC I and an evaluation of sequence homology against other GAG-degrading lyases, a set of amino acids was chosen for further study. Mutagenesis studies of these residues resulted in the first experimental evidence of cABC I's active site. This work will facilitate the structure-function characterization of biomedically relevant GalAGs and further the development of therapeutics for nerve regeneration.
Co-localization of N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate in central cholinergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic neurons

An immunohistochemical technique for simultaneously visualizing two different antigens has been used to investigate the presence of the acidic dipeptide, N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG), in cholinergic, noradrenergic-adrenergic, and serotonergic neurons within CNS. The brain slices were processed sequentially with purified antisera against NAAG and then monoclonal antibody against choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), a marker for cholinergic neurons, or antiserum against dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), a marker of noradrenergic-adrenergic neurons, or antiserum against serotonin (5HT). Both antigens were revealed by the peroxidase reaction but with different chromogens, which are easily distinguishable. An intense double staining of NAAG-like immunoreactivity (NAAG-LI) and ChAT was observed in the motoneurons of the spinal cord as well as in the several motor components of cranial nerve nuclei including facial, ambiguus, and trigeminal nuclei. A partial colocalization of NAAG-LI and ChAT was evident in the perikarya of the basal forebrain cholinergic system, whereas cholinergic neurons of the medial septum exhibited only sporadic staining for NAAG-LI. A complete coexistence of NAAG-LI and DBH was observed in the locus coeruleus. Most of the other noradrenergic and adrenergic cell groups of the medulla region exhibited substantial co-localization with the exception of the A2 cell group, which was virtually devoid of NAAG-LI. In the dorsal raphe, only a low percentage of serotonergic neurons stained for NAAG-LI. The co-existence of NAAG-LI and serotonin was more evident in the neurons of the median raphe, although the majority of cells failed to show double staining.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Spacer-Based Selectivity in the Binding of “Two-Prong” Ligands to Recombinant Human Carbonic Anhydrase I†

Benzenesulfonamide and iminodiacetate (IDA)-conjugated Cu2+ independently interact at the active site and a peripheral site of carbonic anhydrases, respectively [Banerjee, A. L., Swanson, M., Roy, B. C., Jia, X., Haldar, M. K., Mallik, S., and Srivastava, D. K. (2004) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 10875−10883]. By attaching IDA-bound Cu2+ to benzenesulfonamide via different chain length spacers, we synthesized two “two-prong” ligands, L1 and L2, in which the distances between Cu2+ and NH2 group of sulfonamide were 29 and 22 A, respectively. We compared the binding affinities of L1 and L2, vis-a-vis their parent compound, benzenesulfonamide, for recombinant human carbonic anhydrase I (hCA-I) by performing the fluorescence titration and steady-state kinetic experiments. The experimental data revealed that whereas the binding affinity of L1 for hCA-I was similar to that of benzenesulfonamide, the binding affinity of L2 was ∼2 orders of magnitude higher, making L2 one of the most potent ligands or inhibitors of hCA-...
Understanding recreational traveler's motivation, attitude and satisfaction

Recreational travel is a psychological experience. Therefore, recreational travel involves an individual traveler's subjective perception of an actual or imagined activity in which he or she participates at a given time. In order to serve effectively recreation travelers at their destinations, it is essential for an agency dealing in recreation at the destinations to understand the psychological forces and factors that motivate and satisfy individual travelers.
Scuffing Performance of Amorphous Carbon During Dry-Sliding Contact

Scuffing is a major problem that limits the life and reliability of sliding tribo-components. When scuffing occurs, friction force rises sharply and is accompanied by an increase in noise and vibration; severe wear and plastic deformation also occur on the damaged surface. Attempts have been made over the years to combat scuffing by enhancing the surface properties of the machine elements, and by methods involving lubricant formulation and coating application. In this study, the authors evaluated the scuffing performance of an amorphous, near-frictionless carbon (NFC) coating that provides super-low friction under dry sliding conditions. The test configuration used a ball-on-flat contact in reciprocating sliding. The coating was deposited on HI3 steel. An uncoated 52100 steel ball was tested against various coated flats in room air. Compared to uncoated surfaces, the carbon coating increased the scuffing resistance of the sliding surfaces by two orders of magnitude. Microscopic analysis shows that scuffin...
Two-dimensional viscous flow simulation of a shock accelerated heavy gas cylinder

Numerical simulation of Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI) is conducted using an improved localized artificial diffusivity (LAD) method, which is used to treat discontinuities in the form of material interfaces and shocks in the flow-field. The RMI occurs on a cylindrical interface between air and SF6 accelerated by a Mach 1.2 shock initially in air. Navier–Stokes simulation is conducted to accurately predict the mixing between the two fluids. The initial conditions for the two-dimensional simulations are matched to previous experimental work by C. Tomkins et al. [“An experimental investigation of mixing mechanisms in shock-accelerated flow,” J. Fluid Mech. 611, 131 (2008)] and good agreement is found between the experimental data and numerical results. The study on initial condition sensitivity indicates that the initial pressure and density gradient are critical parameters that determine the primary vortex generation responsible for the flow development. A grid convergence study is carried out and the ...
Simultaneous “Tirone David–V” Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement and Radical Mitral Valve Repair for the Marfan Syndrome With Barlow Syndrome

Aortic root dilatation and aortic regurgitation (AR) are the most prominent cardiovascular manifestations of the Marfan syndrome (MFS), but mitral valve regurgitation (MR) requiring operative correction develops in 15% to 20%. The mitral pathology usually represents an advanced form of the Barlow syndrome. Aortic root aneurysm and severe mitral regurgitation require simultaneous surgical correction. Historically, replacement of the aortic root and valve with a composite valve graft using a mechanical prosthesis has been the standard operation for patients with the MFS. Recently, valve-sparing aortic root replacement has become popular in selected patients because indefinite anticoagulation is not necessary. A 26-year-old man with the MFS and progressive fatigue and dyspnea was referred from another state …
The NSF Role in Fostering University-Industry Research Relationships

This paper notes the current boom in university-industry research relationships and describes the theory underlying Federal government participation in the phenomenon. The National Science Foundation's array of programs to foster university-industry collaboration in research and education is described. The paper concludes that the forces driving increased university-industry interaction will continue to operate over the coming decade.
An Examination of the Reasons For Child Removal in Clark County, Nevada

Abstract The factors precipitating child placement were examined in two randomly selected samples of protective custody cases that were brought before the family court in Clark County, Nevada during a one-year period. Methamphetamine use, homelessness, lack of resources, and physical abuse were factors frequently prompting placement. Homelessness was as prevalent in cases not involving meth or other drug use as in those that did. Police were involved in a large proportion of the cases, and children were more frequently placed in foster care facilities when they were. In many cases, the arrest and incarceration of parents on outstanding warrants unrelated to the immediate safety of the children precipitated the need for placement. Parents frequently received counseling for their substance abuse and other issues, but were rarely offered concrete assistance or any significant help with housing. The reallocation of resources from Child Haven, the emergency placement congregate care facility in which most children were initially placed, to the provision of direct assistance with housing and other concrete services, is recommended and discussed.
Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Secretory Physiology: Studies by Radioimmunoassay and Affinity Chromatography

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in rat blood and methanol extracts of hypothalamihas been quantified by a specific TRH radio-immunoassay, in conjunction with TRH affinity chromatography. Blood TRH was found to be elevated dramatically after 1 h by the physiologic stimulus, ambient cold (4 C), which was also attended by a 2–fold rise in serum thyrotropin (TSH). The acute administration of parenteral triodothyronine (T3) over a period of 48 h prior to) identical cold exposure completely abolished the rise in serum TSH. Blood TRH, however, rose in a fashion qualitatively similar to that seen in euthyroid animals. Similarly, chronic induction (32 days) of experimental euthyroidism, hypo-thyroidism, and hyperthyroidism, which altered metabolic states were corroborated by measurement of serum thyroxine (T4) and TSH, did not resultin) any significant changes in either the hypothalamic content or blood concentrations of TRH. These data provide direct documentation that the regulatory control of pituitary TSH ...
What are they Saying about Catholic Schools? Discourse on PK-12 Catholic Education, 2005 to 2010

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of research conducted on Catholic schools and Catholic education during the period 2005 to 2010. The authors proffer both summary and critique, identifying emerging patterns and trends. Recommendations for future research are also included. The breadth and depth of recent research on Catholic education is instructive to educational policy leaders, private school administrators, church officials, and parents.
Maximum Energies of Force-Free Coronal Flux Ropes

Magnetic energy is believed to play a major role in powering coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Free magnetic energy is associated with electric currents that give the magnetic field more energy than a purely potential (current-free) field. For magnetic energy alone to power a CME, the energy must be sufficient to open the magnetic field to interplanetary space, to lift the ejecta against solar gravity, and to accelerate the ejecta. However, the coronal magnetic field is very nearly force free, and force-free fields attached to the coronal base cannot contain more energy than that of the fully open field with the same boundary conditions. We therefore explore force-free fields containing detached magnetic flux ropes, with the goal of finding the maximum possible energy stored in such configurations. We use a maximizing algorithm that searches a space of four parameters to find the maximum energy solution. Our results show a broad maximum in parameter space, with energies in excess of the open-field energy by about 18% of the corresponding potential-field energy. Confinement of nonpotential fields close to the solar equator enhances the energy storage, with maximum energies generally corresponding to more extreme confinement. This suggests that overlying potential fields can hold down a nonpotential field, allowing substantial energy buildup.
Oxygen radicals and arachidonate metabolites in lung injury.

There is an increasing amount of evidence that oxygen radicals produced by activated phagocytic cells play an important role in the induction of acute lung injury, which in some cases leads to progressive lung injury. The bulk of work in the past several years deals with models of acute lung injury in experimental animals. The findings of many of these studies have recently been extrapolated to considerations of the adult respiratory distress syndome (ARDS) in humans. Oxygen radical production by activated phagocytic cells is now a well-known fact,' and it is known that a variety of cells, such as neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and macrophages, have the ability to produce oxygen radicals upon stimulation. There is more evidence that nonphagocytic cells may, under very special circumstances, also have the ability to produce oxygen radicals? There is little evidence, however, that either platelets or basophils can, upon activation with a variety of stimuli, generate these oxygen products, even though secretion of granule products is known to occur. Oxygen radical production by phagocytic cells is stimulated by a variety of agonists. These agonists include chemotactic peptides and lipids; complement activation products such as anaphylatoxins and C3b; phorbol myristate acetate; and phagocytic stimuli including immune complexes, zymosan particles, and other insoluble materials. Cell surface interaction with any of these agonists leads to a cascade of chemical reactions which appears to initially involve activation of a cell membrane associated NADPH oxidase. This results in the progressive reduction of molecular oxygen, by a sequential addition of electrons, to a series of products, as shown in the scheme below:
Why Mothers Stop Breastfeeding: Mothers' Self-reported Reasons for Stopping During the First Year

OBJECTIVES. Our goal was to determine why women stop breastfeeding at various times during their infant9s first year. METHODS. We analyzed self-reported data from 1323 mothers who participated in the Infant Feeding Practice Study II. Mail questionnaires were sent to mothers ∼2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10½, and 12 months after their child9s birth, in which they were asked to rate the importance of 32 reasons for their decision to stop breastfeeding. We applied exploratory factorial analysis to extract meaningful constructs of mothers9 responses to the 32 reasons. We then compared the percentages of mothers who indicated that each reason was important in their decision to stop breastfeeding among various weaning ages and used multiple logistic regression models to examine sociodemographic differences in the most frequently cited reasons for stopping breastfeeding. RESULTS. The perception that their infant was not satisfied by breast milk alone was cited consistently as 1 of the top 3 reasons in the mothers9 decision to stop breastfeeding regardless of weaning age (43.5%–55.6%) and was even more frequent among Hispanic mothers and mothers with annual household incomes of CONCLUSIONS. Our findings about the major reasons why mothers stop breastfeeding at various times during their child9s first year should be useful to health professionals when attempting to help mothers overcome breastfeeding barriers and to health officials attempting to devise targeted breastfeeding interventions on those issues prominent for each infant age.
Diagenesis of Middle Tertiary carbonates in the Toa Baja Well, Puerto Rico

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from "http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com".
Editorial Commentary: Evidence vs Instinct for Pneumonia Prevention in Hospitalized Patients

Over the years, literally dozens of interventions have been proposed to prevent hospital-acquired pneumonia. Most hospitals have combined a subset of these practices into “ventilator bundles” that are mandatory for all mechanically ventilated patients and sometimes all critically ill patients. Typical bundle elements include elevation of the head of the bed, routine oral carewith chlorhexidine, daily sedative interruptions, daily assessment of readiness to extubate, deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis, and stress ulcer prophylaxis. Bundles vary broadly, however, from hospital to hospital [1]. Despite the popularity and broad penetration of ventilator bundles, the evidencesupportingeachbundlecomponent
A compiled accelerator for biological cell signaling simulations

The simulation of large systems of biochemical reactions is a key part of research into molecular signaling and information processing in biological cells. However, it can be impractical because many relevant reactions are modeled as stochastic, discrete event processes, and the complexity of the computing task scales with the number of discrete events in a simulation. Traditionally, such simulations are computed on general purpose CPUs, and sometimes in networks of such processors. We show that an alternative algorithm to the conventional approaches based on the Gillespie algorithm reveals a fine-grained parallel structure that is amenable to realization in FPGA hardware. A method is shown for compiling biochemical reaction systems into corresponding Verilog descriptions of simulators that employ this alternative algorithm. We describe a preliminary implementation of such a compiled accelerator that demonstrates the performance of this approach, achieving an initial performance that is 20 times faster than a competing general purpose CPU.
Variations in the gram staining results caused by air moisture.

The exposure of heat-fixed bacterial smears to relative humidities of 0, 52 and 98%, following the iodine step in a dry Gram stain procedure, markedly influenced the rate of decolorization upon exposure to 95% ethyl alcohol. If a single decolorization time were used to give a proper Gram differentiation after exposure to 98% relative humidity, this decolorization time might not result in proper Gram differentiation following exposure to 0% relative humidity. Different organisms varied in the degree of their response to changes in humidity. Hence the “degree of Gram-positivity,” as compared with other organisms, differed with changes in relative humidity. When Neisseria catarrhalis was compared with strongly Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, it was always found to be in an intermediate position in its Gram characteristics regardless of the relative humidity used. Because of the intermediate position of this organism, its proper Gram differentiation would require a precise definition of both the de...
The Dynamics of Organizational Culture

Schein's (1985) model of organizational culture as assumptions, values, and artifacts leaves gaps regarding the appreciation of organizational culture as symbols and processes. This article examinee these gaps and suggests a new model that combines Schein's theory with ideas drawn from symbolic-interpretive perspectives. The new model, called cultural dynamics, articulates the processes of manifestation, realization, symbolization, and interpretation and provides a framework within which to discuss the dynamism of organizational cultures. Implications of the cultural dynamics model for collecting and analyzing culture data and for future theoretical development are presented.
Improved protection for alarm communications systems

The alarm communications system can be thought of as consisting of five major components: alarm transmission, alarm displays and stations, alarm processing and software, line supervision, and other (e.g., enclosure protection). The authors illustrate a typical alarm communications system. The focus is on line supervision, particularly between the sensors and multiplexers. Modules from commercial vendors are being developed to provide enhanced line security (ELS) between the sensors and the data gathering panels or multiplexers (MUX). These modules are a promising new option for a physical protection system, and details concerning the evaluation and specific design requirements and functions are presented. The ELS systems currently being evaluated provide point-to-point protection between the sensor and MUX. The ELS systems were very reliable and required no maintenance once they were installed. The impact of encryption on the timely performance of the alarm communications system was evaluated. >
MRI in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy

A 45-year-old man with no medical history presented with behavioral changes. He was withdrawn from his family and friends. Home and finances had fallen into disorder. He was disheveled and incontinent of urine and feces. He lacked insight into his cognitive decline. His skin was bronzed and the examination was notable only for upgoing plantar responses. Peroxisomal fatty acid profile was elevated at C24:0 at 138.9 nmol/mL (normal <91/4), elevated C26:0 at 5.05 (normal <1.39), and elevated C26:0/C22:0 ratio at 0.062 (normal <0.023). Images show abnormal high signal on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (figure 1) with enhancement (figure 2).
The use of uncharged misconduct evidence in physician malpractice and hospital liability litigation.

(1994). The use of uncharged misconduct evidence in physician malpractice and hospital liability litigation. Journal of Legal Medicine: Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 557-584.
Obligation, Character, and Commitment

In the last chapter of Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy , Bernard Williams brings to a conclusion a sustained attack on the pretensions of moral theory by arguing against the allegedly objective reality of moral obligation. It had been a theme of the book that, while there can be answers to the questions of how one should live and order one's social relationships—answers which, in a given culture, go to make up its ethics —there is no place for a morality or a moral theory which would claim to give externally binding answers to such questions. We will be explaining the notion of an ‘externally binding answer’ later in this paper, but for the moment we can take such an answer to be one that applies to people irrespective of their beliefs or desires. Williams considers Kant to have been the main proponent of the notion of morality in this sense, with the latter's stress on obligation as central to the institution of morality.
Lineage − Sca1 + c-Kit − CD25 + Cells Are IL-33–Responsive Type 2 Innate Cells in the Mouse Bone Marrow

IL-33 promotes type 2 immune responses, both protective and pathogenic. Recently, targets of IL-33, including several newly discovered type 2 innate cells, have been characterized in the periphery. In this study, we report that bone marrow cells from wild-type C57BL/6 mice responded with IL-5 and IL-13 production when cultured with IL-33. IL-33 cultures of bone marrow cells from Rag1 KO and KitW-sh/W-sh mice also responded similarly; hence, eliminating the possible contributions of T, B, and mast cells. Rather, intracellular staining revealed that the IL-5– and IL-13–positive cells display a marker profile consistent with the Lineage−Sca-1+c-Kit−CD25+ (LSK−CD25+) cells, a bone marrow cell population of previously unknown function. Freshly isolated LSK−CD25+ cells uniformly express ST2, the IL-33 receptor. In addition, culture of sorted LSK−CD25+ cells showed that they indeed produce IL-5 and IL-13 when cultured with IL-33 plus IL-2 and IL-33 plus IL-7. Furthermore, i.p. injections of IL-33 or IL-25 into mice induced LSK−CD25+ cells to expand, in both size and frequency, and to upregulate ST2 and α4β7 integrin, a mucosal homing marker. Thus, we identify the enigmatic bone marrow LSK−CD25+ cells as IL-33 responsive, both in vitro and in vivo, with attributes similar to other type 2 innate cells described in peripheral tissues.
The Developmental Progression of Transracial Experiences among South Korean Adoptees: A Review of the Literature

Thorough examination of the literature revealed no comprehensive reviews detailing the experiences of South Korean–U.S. adoptees as transnationally adopted persons. To address this need, multiple databases, keywords/keyword combinations, and fugitive literature were used. Data from the review were coded, categorized, and analyzed, with five themes emerging: (1) intrusive interactions, (2) boundary management, (3) discrimination and exclusion, (4) difficulties in identity development, and (5) ethnic exploration. These themes seem to fall along a developmental path from childhood through young adulthood. Understanding these experiences may be useful for formulating policy, structuring adoption services and clinical practice, and research design.
Epoxidation of Olefins by Hydrogen Peroxide‐Acetonitrile: cis‐Cyclooctene Oxide

Epoxidation of olefins by hydrogen peroxide-acetonitrile: cis-cyclooctene oxide product: cis-cyclooctene oxide Keywords: addition, to CC; epoxide formation; acetonitrile; peroxides