cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conformational studies of antisense DNA by PFG NMR

Pulsed field gradient diffusion constant measurements were used to resolve the ambiguity in determining the conformational states of single-stranded DNA dodecanucleotides (d1s, d4s and d5s). For d1s and d5s, because of the spectral symmetry conventional NMR analyses cannot differentiate whether they are hairpins or homo-duplexes. However, the diffusion constants of these sequences at 300 K are 1.4 times greater than those of the comparison complementary duplexes. This result agrees well with what is expected for Dhairpin>/Dduplex based on classic liquid-phase translational diffusion models and the Einstein–Stokes equation, confirming that d1s and d5s form hairpins. d4s did not show a structured spectral pattern, but its diffusion constant measurement suggests that this sequence may not be a random coil. The DNA sequences studied contain chemically modified backbone linkages and are potential antisense agents for gene regulation. The knowledge of their diffusion constants, in combination with conventional NMR analysis and other biophysical spectroscopic measurements, provides new insights into the relationships of chemical structure and conformational preference of antisense oligonucleotides and their analogs.
Vocational Teacher Preparation: The United States

The first federal legislative and financial involvement in the development of formal vocational education programs in the United States, the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, required teacher preparation in vocational education. Historically, there have been two pathways to vocational teacher certification/licensure. The first is focused on a traditional teacher preparation model, using colleges and universities with degree programs consisting of general education, technical content, and teacher pedagogy, including student teaching. An alternative pathway has relied on work experience in the discipline in which certification/licensure is sought, supplemented by a teacher education program at a university. These differing pathways have existed for over 100 years. Vocational education in the United States has suffered from negative perceptions of quality and effectiveness, and vocational teachers have also been subject to concerns regarding their teaching abilities. The alternative preparation route has had widely diverse requirements and pedagogical preparation from state to state, due to the decentralized US educational system. As a result, vocational teacher preparation is not standardized across the United States. In addition, vocational schools using the alternative route to employ teachers have faced challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers from private industry. Another current challenge facing vocational teacher preparation in the United States is the reduction in financial support for vocational education programs, despite the need for skilled labor throughout the country. This has led to a corresponding reduced number of colleges and universities providing vocational teacher preparation programs. At a time when high-quality vocational teachers are needed, these and other concerns and challenges face the field.
Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava: Implications of Surgical Management:

Persistent left superior vena cava is the most common congenital anomaly of thoracic venous return, which results when the left anterior cardinal vein fails to regress. A 41-year-old African American male with a history of an unspecified childhood cardiac murmur presented to the emergency department with congestive heart failure exacerbation revealing an incidental finding of a persistent left superior vena cava. Ultimately, he required implantable cardioverter defibrillator placement and cardiac transplantation assessment. In the setting of advanced device placement or cardiac transplantation, a persistent left superior vena cava warrants several important clinical considerations at a center capable of addressing the possibility of a right-sided approach and transplantation irregularities.
Signaling cascade through DC-AsGPR induces transcriptionally active CREB for IL-10 induction and immune regulation

The types and magnitude of Ag-specific immune responses can be determined by the functional plasticity of dendritic cells (DCs). However, how DCs display functional plasticity and control host immune responses have not been fully understood. In this study, we report that ligation of DC-asialoglycoprotein receptor (DC-ASGPR), a C-type lectin receptor (CLR) expressed on human DCs, resulted in rapid activation of Syk, followed by PLCγ2 and PKCδ engagements. However, different from other Syk-coupled CLRs, including Dectin-1, signaling cascade through DC-ASGPR did not trigger NF-κB activation. Instead, it selectively activated MAPK ERK1/2 and JNK. Rapid and prolonged phosphorylation of ERK1/2 led to sequential activation of p90RSK and CREB, which consequently bound to IL10 promoter and initiated cytokine expression. In addition, DC-ASGPR ligation activated Akt, which differentially regulated the activities of GSK-3α/β and β-catenin and further contributed to IL-10 expression. Our observations demonstrate that DC-ASGPR induces IL-10 expression via an intrinsic signaling pathway, which provides a molecular explanation for DC-ASGPR-mediated programing of DCs to control host immune responses.
Carcass Composition of Pork Fed Poultry Fat, Flaxseed Oil, and Vitamin E

ObjectivesThe objective of this research is to understand the carcass characteristics of pigs fed a combination of poultry fat, flaxseed oil and Vitamin E to possibly increase intramuscular fat percentage while decreasing external fat deposition.Materials and MethodsYorkshire pigs (n = 96) weighing approximately 50 kg were allocated to pens based on their weight and sex from the same genetic lines with 2 gilts or 2 barrows per pen. Forty-eight pens (24 gilt pens and 24 barrow pens) were assigned randomly to 8 dietary treatments in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement with 3 gilt pens and 3 barrow pens per treatment. Two trials were conducted for a total of 96 pigs. Two corn-soybean meal finisher diets (1: 50 to 80 kg, 2: 80 to 110 kg) were formulated to contain 0, 2, 4 or 6% lipids and 11 (NRC, 2012) or 220 IU Vitamin E/kg. For all diets with lipids, 1% flaxseed oil was included and the remaining lipids supplied by poultry fat. Pigs were harvested (n = 8 groups) at an average pen weight of 110 ± 3 kg. After chilling for 24 h at 4 ± 2°C, the following carcass characteristics were assessed and recorded: last rib fat thickness (LRFT), tenth rib fat thickness (TRFT), loineye area (LEA), muscle score (MS), percent fat free lean (FFL), LAB color (L*, a*, b*), pH loin (pHL), pH ham (pHH), National Pork Producers Council color score (NPPCCol), National Pork Producers Council marbling score (NPPCMar), belly flop skin-side-down (SSD), and belly flop skin-side-up (SSU). Carcass data was analyzed using the Proc GLM analysis (SAS, 2002) with carcass weight included in the model as a co-variate. Pen was the experimental unitResultsThe main effect(s) of lipid content and Vitamin E concentration had no effect (P > 0.05) on LRFT, TRFT, LEA, MS, FFL, L*, a*, b*, pHL, pHH, NPPCCol, SSD, or SSU. Within the main effect of Vitamin E, pigs fed the 220 IU concentration had a higher NPPCMar score (P 0.05). There was a Lipid X Vitamin E interaction for TRFT (P < 0.05) and FFL (P < 0.05). Feeding low levels of Vitamin E in combination with low levels of fat increases FFL by decreasing the TRFT. pHH and pHL (P < 0.05) were higher for Trial 1 than Trial 2; however there was an abnormal temperature fluctuation during the month that pigs from Trial 1 were harvested.ConclusionProducers might be satisfied knowing that a feeding program utilizing poultry fat in combination with flaxseed oil and Vitamin E at these levels will not negatively affect carcass composition and may increase FFL.
S-Rings, Gelfand Pairs and Association Schemes

The construction by Frobenius of group characters described in Chap. 1 may be generalized to the case where a permutation group G acting on a finite set has the Gelfand pair property explained below. A general setting which encompasses and extends this is that of an association scheme. For any association scheme there is available a character theory, which in the case where the scheme arises from a group coincides with that of group characters. The development of the theory is described in this chapter. Firstly Schur investigated centralizer rings of permutation groups, then Wielandt defined S-rings over a group. The theory of association schemes provides a character theory even when a group is not present, and this can be applied to obtain a character theory for a loop or quasigroup. In particular a Frobenius reciprocity result was obtained for quasigroup characters, and it was realized that this is available for arbitrary association schemes. A further idea, that of fusion of characters of association schemes, leads to interesting results including a “magic rectangle” condition.
Scheduling When You Do Not Know the Number of Machines

Often in a scheduling problem, there is uncertainty about the jobs to be processed. The issue of uncertainty regarding the machines has been much less studied. In this article, we study a scheduling environment in which jobs first need to be grouped into some sets before the number of machines is known, and then the sets need to be scheduled on machines without being separated. To evaluate algorithms in such an environment, we introduce the idea of an α-robust algorithm, one that is guaranteed to return a schedule on any number m of machines that is within an α factor of the optimal schedule on m machine, where the optimum is not subject to the restriction that the sets cannot be separated. Under such environment, we give a (5\3+e)-robust algorithm for scheduling on parallel machines to minimize makespan and show a lower bound 4\3. For the special case when the jobs are infinitesimal, we give a 1.233-robust algorithm with an asymptotic lower bound of 1.207. We also study a case of fair allocation, where the objective is to minimize the difference between the maximum and minimum machine load.
Paleohydrology and Machine-assisted Estimation of Paleogeomorphology of Fluvial Channels of the Lower Middle Pennsylvanian Allegheny Formation, Birch River, WV

Rivers transport sediments in a source to sink system while responding to allogenic controls of the depositional system. Stacked fluvial sandstones of the Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian Stage, ~310 – 306 Ma) Allegheny Formation (MPAF) exposed at Birch River, West Virginia exhibit change in sedimentary structure and depositional style, reflecting changes in allogenic behavior. Paleohydrologic and numerical analysis were used to quantify geomorphological and paleohydrologic variations reflected by MPAF fluvial deposits with the goal of understanding the controls on resulting fluvial sandstone architecture in these different systems. Channel body geometry, sedimentary structures, and sandstone grain size distribution were used to reconstruct the paleoslope and flow velocity of the MPAF fluvial systems. In order to enhance paleohydrological estimates, machine learning methods including multiple regression and Support Vector Regression (SVR) algorithms were used to improve the dune height, and channel depth estimated from cross-set thickness. Results show that the Channel depths of the lower MPAF beneath the Lower Kittanning coal beds tend to decrease upsection; this decrease may reflect a transition from fluvial systems formed in a humid ever-wet climate to fluvial systems formed in less humid, seasonally wet, semi-arid climate. Paleohydraulic estimations enabled the evaluation of hydraulic changes in the fluvial depositional systems of the Appalachian Basin during the Desmoinesian stage. Paleoslope estimates indicated that the slope was low which indicated that the fluvial gradient response was not driven by the effect of tectonic subsidence or uplift and sea-level change.
Teamwork in prognostic communication: Addressing bottlenecks and barriers

Prognostic communication is essential to family-centered care in pediatric oncology. Yet, prognostic communication from the medical team to the family is often absent or incomplete. In our experience, many clinical groups view prognostic disclosure as the responsibility of the patient's primary oncologist, and nurses are often excluded from these conversations. This current individual-based model of prognostic disclosure lacks redundancy and creates a communication bottleneck. We propose that clinical groups should address prognostic communication with a multidisciplinary team-based approach that incorporates three critical components: shared team mental models, distribution and redundancy in role assignment, and high fidelity monitoring of communication milestones.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest in a Young Competitive Athlete

A 27-year-old competitive athlete with a history of recent palpitations and near syncope experienced a sudden cardiac arrest while in his electrophysiologist’s office. An automatic external defibrillator revealed ventricular fibrillation and he was successfully defibrillated. Cardiac imaging and coronary angiography were unremarkable, however subsequent exercise treadmill testing showed short runs of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia of right ventricular outflow tract morphology and a run of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. The case discusses management considerations in young athletes with ventricular fibrillation.
A second-order modified nonstandard theta method for one-dimensional autonomous differential equations

Abstract A new modified nonstandard finite difference method for solving one-dimensional autonomous differential equations is constructed and analyzed. It is based on the theta method and is both elementary stable and of second-order accuracy. A set of numerical simulations is also presented that supports the theoretical results.
Initial Single-Site Experience Using SMILE for the Treatment of Astigmatism in Myopic Eyes and Comparison of Astigmatic Outcomes with Existing Literature.

Purpose To assess a single site's initial experience with SMILE for the treatment of myopic astigmatism and compare outcomes and vector analysis results with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) results and published literature. Patients and Methods Forty-eight eyes (29 patients) with mean preoperative sphere of -5.11 ± 1.31 diopters (D) and cylinder of -1.12 ± 0.60 D underwent SMILE. Visual acuity, refractive, and vector analysis outcomes as well as subjective measures were reported at three and twelve months postoperatively and compared with FDA results and the published literature between 2014 and 2020 involving treatment of patients with mean cylinders of >-0.50 to ≤-3.00 D. Results At three and twelve months, 43 and 32 eyes were evaluated, respectively. At twelve months, mean cylinder power was reduced to -0.38 ± 0.38 D with 78.1% achieving ≤±0.50 D. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) ≥20/20 was achieved in 77.4% of eyes by twelve months with 100% achieving ≥20/30 UDVA. No loss of corrected distance visual acuity was observed in eyes seen at twelve months. Correction index (CI) at twelve months was 0.90 indicating overall undercorrection of 10%. Twelve-month CI was 0.96, 0.90, and 0.83 in eyes with preoperative cylinders of <-1.00 D, ≥-1.00 to <-2.00 D, and ≥-2.00 D, respectively. Mean angle of error was -1.58 ± 11.61° ranging from -24.22° to 37.75°. Conclusion We found SMILE to be an effective and safe means of achieving spectacle independence and improving visual acuity in patients with myopic astigmatism. SMILE has the potential for improved clinical outcomes with better nomogram guidance and advancements in technique. However, surgeons must be aware of the potential for undercorrection in with-the-rule astigmatism and at higher preoperative cylinders and as well as the potential for overcorrection in against-the-rule and lower preoperative cylinder astigmatism.
Transesterification of Waste Cooking Oil to Produce A Sustainable Rejuvenator for Aged Asphalt

Abstract This study examines the merits of esterification of waste cooking oil to reduce its acidic content for use as a rejuvenator for aged asphalt. It further examines how acidic compounds in bitumen increases the moisture susceptibility of bituminous composites made from siliceous stones and bitumen. While some acidic compounds are inherent in bitumen, the recent widespread use of bio-modifiers such as waste cooking (vegetable) oil has further increased the acidic compounds in bio-modified bitumen. Acidic compounds adsorb well to siliceous stones, but they are easily replaced by water molecules, giving rise to moisture damage. It was found that a reduction or removal of the acidic compounds of waste cooking oil via transesterification significantly enhances its resistance to moisture damage. The study results showed that treated waste cooking oil is not only a promising rejuvenator to be used with aged bitumen, but also quite resistant to moisture damage. It was also found that transesterification reduces the acid value of bitumen from 12 to 0.27 (mg KOH/g). This turned a moisture-susceptible bitumen to nearly a moisture-resistant bitumen as evidenced by nearly no change in moisture-induced shear thinning after 24hr water conditioning. The outcome of the study shows significant role of acidic compounds in moisture damage, and the importance of accounting for the acidity of rejuvenators to ensure their durability. The study results confirm the feasibility of tuning waste cooking oil to a sustainable asphalt rejuvenator to promote both resource conservation and asphalt recycling.
Green Roofs in California Coastal Ecoregions

This chapter presents case studies of four conservation sites and 11 green roofs located in the broadly coastal ecoregions of western California. Geographically complex, California’s many ecoregions are differentiated by topography and microclimate along the coast. This chapter focuses on the chaparral/shrub/meadow/and dune ecoregions from San Francisco to San Diego. Precipitation varies greatly along the coastal region from 900 mm annually in the north to 350 mm in the south, most of which falls as winter rain. Thus, grasses, herbaceous perennials, and annual forbs compete with shrubs for dominance. Intermixed are a wide range of larger shrubs, oaks, and conifers. Less than 30% of the native habitat remains intact in these ecoregions; introduced grasses are widespread and have nearly replaced native grasses. Eleven green roof case studies demonstrate how 191 taxa native to California coastal ecoregions can be employed on green roofs in highly built-up areas.
Correcting the corrected AIC

Abstract The standard correction to Akaike’s Information Criterion, AICc, assumes the same predictors for training and verification and therefore underestimates prediction error for random predictors. A corrected AIC for regression models containing a mix of random and fixed predictors is derived.
Impact of areal-density asymmetries on the loss of confinement and ignition threshold in inertial confinement fusion capsules

In inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments, variations in the shell areal density reduce the shell's inertia to confine the core pressure. Distorted capsules with large areal-density modulations decompress faster than uniform capsules in the disassembly phase. A simple 3D analytic hot-spot model is derived to include the effects of low-mode areal-density modulations in the ignition criterion. The generalized 3D ignition criterion for low modes is shown to depend on both the harmonic mean and the arithmetic mean of the areal density. The “thin spots” in the shell are shown to dominate the loss of confinement as reflected by the harmonic mean definition of areal densities.
Exploring the phenomenology of weak adjoint scalars in minimal $R$-symmetric models

We examine the phenomenology of the scalar fields in weak and Higgs sectors of minimal $R$-symmetric models, in particular the 'swino' and 'sbino', the scalar partners to the chiral fields that marry the electroweak gauge bosons in Dirac gaugino models. These fields are in adjoint representations of $SU(2)$ and $U(1)$ and have both $CP$-even and $CP$-odd components. The interactions of these new states are summarized, and decay widths are computed analytically to one loop order. We discuss the tree level contributions of these new states to the mass spectrum of MSSM sfermions. We also explore production cross sections and decay signatures at colliders for several chosen benchmarks. We find that large regions of parameter space are unconstrained by present collider data.
A phylogenomic perspective on the evolutionary history of the stonefly genus Suwallia (Plecoptera: Chloroperlidae) revealed by ultraconserved genomic elements.

Abstract Evolutionary biologists have long sought to disentangle phylogenetic relationships among taxa spanning the tree of life, an increasingly important task as anthropogenic influences accelerate population declines and species extinctions, particularly in insects. Phylogenetic analyses are commonly used to identify unique evolutionary lineages, to clarify taxonomic designations of the focal taxa, and to inform conservation decisions. Advances in DNA sequencing techniques have increasingly facilitated the ability of researchers to apply genomic methods to phylogenetic analyses, even for non-model organisms. Stoneflies are non-model insects that are important bioindicators of the quality of freshwater habitats and landscape disturbance as they spend the immature stages of their life cycles in fresh water, and the adult stages in terrestrial environments. Phylogenetic relationships within the stonefly genus Suwallia (Insecta: Plecoptera: Chloroperlidae) are poorly understood, and have never been assessed using molecular data. We used DNA sequence data from genome-wide ultraconserved element loci to generate the first molecular phylogeny for the group and assess its monophyly. We found that Palearctic and Nearctic Suwallia do not form reciprocally monophyletic clades, and that a biogeographic history including dispersal, vicariance, and founder event speciation via jump dispersal best explains the geographic distribution of this group. Our results also strongly suggest that Neaviperla forcipata (Neave, 1929) is nested within Suwallia, and the concept of the genus Suwallia should be revised to include it. Thus, we formally propose a new taxonomic combination wherein Neaviperla forcipata (Neave, 1929) is reclassified as Suwallia forcipata (Neave, 1929). Moreover, some Suwallia species (e.g., S. amoenacolens, S. kerzhneri, S. marginata, S. pallidula, and S. starki) exhibit pronounced cryptic diversity that is worthy of further investigation. These findings provide a first glimpse into the evolutionary history of Suwallia, improve our understanding of stonefly diversity in the tribe Suwallini, and highlight areas where additional research is needed.
Simulation of Phase Change and Splashing Motion of Beryllium Melt In Fusion Reactor

Beryllium (Be) is a common material which will be used as plasma facing component in ITER for its unique properties of high thermal conductivity, low density, and high strength. However, under extreme conditions of high temperature and pressure, Be can melt at the surface of the tiles and molten droplets can be ejected into the reactor system and lead to disruption of fusion reaction. As a result, such phenomenon can cause a significant impact on the efficiency and stability of fusion plasma in the ITER and future fusion devices. The melting of Be was observed on the upper dump plate tiles in JET reactor. 1 The pressure, mass density, velocity of Be vapor, and variations of temperature at the melt layer interface can influence the splashing of Be melt. Therefore, it is important to understand the physics mechanisms governing the Be melt motion and splashing under the relevant ITER conditions.
The Vortex of Rights: ‘Right to the City’ at a Crossroads

The right to the city concept has recently attracted a great deal of attention from radical theorists and grassroots activists of urban justice, who have embraced the notion as a means to analyze and challenge neoliberal urbanism. It has, moreover, drawn considerable attention from United Nations ( UN) agencies, which have organized meetings and outlined policies to absorb the notion into their own political agendas. This wide-ranging interest has created a conceptual vortex, pulling together discordant political projects behind the banner of the right to the city. This article analyzes such projects by reframing the right to the city concept to foreground its roots in Marxian labor theory of value. It argues that Lefebvre's formulation of the right to the city - based on the contradiction between use value and exchange value in capitalist urbanism - is invaluable for analyzing and delineating contradictory urban politics that are pulled into the vortex of the right to the city. Following Lefebvre's lead in such an analysis, however, reveals certain limitations of Lefebvre's own account. The article therefore concludes with a theoretical proposition that aims to open up space for further critical debate on the right to the city.
Detecting signals in FMRI data using powerful FDR procedures

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) has revolutionized the study of linking physical stimuli with localized brain activity. Among the challenges of working with FMRI data, they are noisy, they exhibit spatial correlation, and they are usually large containing tens of thousands of voxels of information. The notion of False Discovery Rate (FDR) has made a great impact on how to perform powerful multiple hypothesis tests to detect signals in such large multivariate data. The spatial dependence in FMRI data requires special care since, if ignored, it can lead to a loss of control of size as well as a deterioration in power of FDR procedures. This article advocates transforming the voxelwise test statistics to wavelet space, where the coefficients are approximately uncorrelated. We demonstrate, through a series of experiments, that an FDR procedure in wavelet space enhanced by P -value adaptive thresholding (EPAT), maintains control of the size of the multiple-testing procedure and offers substantially increased power over an FDR procedure that is applied directly to the map of (spatially dependent) test statistics. The EPAT methodology, developed here for FMRI data, is generic and can be applied in other dependent data settings.
Does It Pay to Be First? A Cross-National Comparison of Mature and Emerging Market Consumer Attitudes toward Pioneer and Follower Brands

ABSTRACT A number of hypotheses examining the underlying beliefs, attitudes, and purchasing intentions of mature- (American) and emerging- (Indian) market consumers as they relate to pioneering versus follower brands were developed and tested. The results indicate that while consumers in both countries have favorable attitudes toward the pioneer, Indian consumers tend to exhibit more positive perceptions in terms of both global and multi-attribute-based attitudes. The notable attitudinal difference between the markets reflects a significantly more positive preference for the pioneer brand on the part of Indian consumers. As such, being first in an emerging market and communicating pioneer status is more important than in a mature market.
Electoral incentives and partisan conflict in congress: Evidence from survey experiments

Does partisan conflict damage citizens’ perceptions of Congress? If so, why has polarization increased in Congress since the 1970s? To address these questions, we unpack the “electoral connection” by exploring the mass public's attitudes toward partisan conflict via two survey experiments in which we manipulated characteristics of members and Congress. We find that party conflict reduces confidence in Congress among citizens across the partisan spectrum. However, there exists heterogeneity by strength of party identification with respect to evaluations of members. Independents and weak partisans are more supportive of members who espouse a bipartisan image, whereas strong partisans are less supportive. People with strong attachments to a political party disavow conflict in the aggregate but approve of individual members behaving in a partisan manner. This pattern helps us understand why members in safely partisan districts engage in partisan conflict even though partisanship damages the collective reputation of the institution.
Calcium entry leads to inactivation of calcium channel in Paramecium

Under depolarizing voltage clamp of Paramecium an inward calcium current developed and subsequently relaxed within 10 milliseconds. The relaxation was substantially slowed when most of the extracellular calcium was replaced by either strontium or barium. Evidence is presented that the relaxation is not accounted for by a drop in electromotive force acting on calcium, or by activation of a delayed potassium current. Relaxation of the current must, therefore, result from an inactivation of the calcium channel. This inactivation persisted after a pulse, as manifested by a reduced calcium current during subsequent depolarization. Inactivation was retarded by procedures that reduce net entry of calcium, and was independent of membrane potential. The calcium channel undergoes inactivation as a consequence of calcium entry during depolarization. In this respect, inactivation of the calcium channel departs qualitatively from the behavior described in the Hodgkin-Huxley model of the sodium channel.
Benzpyrenes in Soil

Benzpyrenes appear to be common and fairly abundant constituents of soils. Both the carcinogenic 3,4-benzpyrene and its inactive 1,2-isomer have been detected spectroscopically in extracts of soils from rural areas of the eastern United States.
Does Losartan Prevent Progression of Early Diabetic Nephropathy in American Indians With Type 2 Diabetes

Approximately 346 million individuals worldwide and 25.8 million individuals in the U.S. have diabetes (1,2). The high prevalence of diabetes results in a persistently increased prevalence of diabetic nephropathy, which is the leading cause of kidney failure and premature cardiovascular mortality (3). In the U.S., diabetic nephropathy is represented disproportionately in several minority populations including American Indians (4). Of the American Indian tribes in which type 2 diabetes develops at an alarming rate in children as a result of childhood obesity, the Pima Indians tend to have even higher rates of diabetic nephropathy (up to 65%; age-group 45–74 years) and concomitant end stage renal disease (ESRD; as high as 3.5 times) compared with white Americans (5–7). Fasting hyperglycemia and hemoglobin A1C are strong predictors of albuminuria in Pima Indians. Research has established that strict control of plasma glucose in the prediabetic stage can preempt a diagnosis of diabetes in some indigenous peoples (8). Further, in Pima Indians, the combination of macroalbuminuria and worsening estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) strongly predict ESRD and death (9). Several large, well-designed clinical trials in diabetic cohorts have shown that blockade of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) prevents the progression of microalbuminuria to macroalbuminuria as well as the progression of macroalbuminuria to overt proteinuria and subsequent ESRD (10–12). Despite the fact that RAS blockade has shown no effect on primary prevention of diabetic nephropathy in mainly white, normotensive, normoalbuminuric, type 1 diabetic individuals, the importance of defining the renal outcome of RAS blockade in high-risk Pima Indians in particular cannot be overstated. Indeed, primary prevention of diabetic nephropathy in Pima Indians could potentially …
Kofi Annan, Syria and the Uses of Uncertainty in Mediation

One year after Kofi Annan presented his six-point plan for ending the Syrian civil war, it can only be called a failure. But it is necessary to recall the situation facing the UN-Arab League envoy and his team in early 2012. The Syrian conflict had cre ated serious tensions between the major powers. A Western military intervention appeared unlikely but could not be ruled out with absolute certainty. This commentary contends that Annan’s initial priority was to reduce the level of uncertainty inside and outside Syria, thereby creating a framework for political talks. However, in lowering the level of uncertainty, Annan reduced his own leverage as the Syrian government correctly concluded that it would not be punished for failing to cooperate in good faith. The commentary concludes that there are occasions where it is advisable for international mediators to maintain and exploit a degree of uncertainty about how a conflict may develop.
Counseling patients about obstetric risk: the breech experience.

The cesarean delivery rate in the US has risen from 5.5% in 1970 to reach its highest level yet in 2005 of 30.2%,1, 2 despite a goal for the primary cesarean delivery rate from Healthy People 2010 of 15%.3 While the incidence of cesarean delivery is rapidly rising overall, its ascent has been much faster in two particular groups of women, those with a prior cesarean and those with a breech presentation. As a tactic to alleviate the rapid rise in cesarean delivery seen in the 1980s, a trial of labor after prior cesarean was actively encouraged in the early 1990s.4 At the same time, cesarean deliveries for breech presentation continued to increase throughout the 1990s, despite the availability of only small retrospective studies to examine perinatal outcomes from vaginal breech deliveries.
Synthesis and properties of Cd/sub 1-x/Mn/sub x/S diluted magnetic semiconductor nanoparticles

Cd/sub 1-x/Mn/sub x/S diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) nanoparticles of crystallite size ranging from 20 to 300 /spl Aring/ and x from 0 to 8.65 have been chemically synthesized by using aqueous solution precipitation. Subsequent characterization has been carried out by X-ray diffractometry and TEM measurements. Magnetic properties of DMS particles have been measured with a SQUID magnetometer. A transition from a para-magnetic to a spin-glass state at a critical temperature T/sub f/ has been observed. The applied magnetic field dependence of T/sub f/ has also been measured. >
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Dismissing Students From MFT Training Programs

Dismissing a student from an MFT training program can be challenging from an ethical and professional perspective. A thorough review of the literature regarding dismissal procedures in MFT training programs was conducted in order to increase discussion around circumstances under which dismissal is warranted and necessary for the protection of the public, the student, and the profession with specific attention to the dismissal process. The authors present the current state of the literature, include a case scenario for facilitating a conversation about this topic, and provide guiding principles for faculty and supervisors who might engage in a dismissal process.
Intimate partner violence, health status, and health care access among women with disabilities.

Background Evidence suggests that intimate partner violence (IPV) against women with disabilities is more pervasive than against women without disabilities. However, little is known about the relationship between IPV, health status, and access to care among women with disabilities. Objectives This study 1) describes the prevalence of IPV among women with disabilities and compares IPV prevalence among women with and without disabilities, 2) examines if health status and health care access differ between women with disabilities experiencing IPV and those not experiencing IPV, and 3) examines the association between IPV, health status, and health care access among women with disabilities. Methods We conducted secondary analyses of data from 23,154 female respondents to the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 7 states administering the IPV module in 2006. Of these respondents, 6,309 had a disability. We performed χ2 and logistic regression analyses to address the study objectives. Results Women with disabilities are significantly more likely to have experienced IPV as compared with those without disabilities (33.2% and 21.2%, respectively). Women with disabilities who have experienced IPV are 35% less likely to report their health as good to excellent and are 58% more likely to report an unmet health care need owing to cost than their disabled counterparts not experiencing IPV, when holding selected sociodemographic factors constant. Implications Practitioners should be aware of the increased risk of IPV among women with disabilities and its association with health status and access to health care. Practitioners, policy makers, and disability advocates should work together to remove barriers to accessing the health care system for women with disabilities, particularly those experiencing IPV.
Intronic Enhancer Activity of the Eosinophil-derived Neurotoxin (RNS2) and Eosinophil Cationic Protein (RNS3) Genes Is Mediated by an NFAT-1 Consensus Binding Sequence

The eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) are both small, cationic ribonuclease toxins that are stored in and secreted by activated human eosinophilic leukocytes. We have previously shown that optimal expression of the EDN gene is dependent on an interaction between an intronic enhancer element or elements and the 5' promoter region. Here we present evidence demonstrating that the gene encoding ECP is regulated in an analogous fashion and that an intronic enhancer element functioning in both genes is a consensus binding sequence for the transcription factor NFAT-1. Our initial results demonstrate that one or more nuclear proteins isolated from human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells bind specifically at this consensus site (5'-GGAGAA-3') within the intron of the EDN gene and that disruption of this sequence reduced the characteristic 20-30-fold increase in reporter gene activity observed with the tandem EDN promoter/exon 1/intron construct to background levels. The NFAT-1 consensus site in the ECP gene differs from that found in the EDN gene by a single nucleotide (5'-GGAGAG-3'); the conversion of the 3' G to an A resulted in a further enhancement of the reporter gene activity supported by the ECP promoter/exon 1/intron construct. Interestingly, no "supershift" was observed in gel shift assays performed in the presence of anti-NFAT-1 antiserum, suggesting that a nuclear protein other than NFAT-1 may be acting at this consensus site.
Quantitative Tradeoffs Between Spatial, Temporal, and Thermometric Resolution of Nonresonant Raman Thermometry for Dynamic Experiments

The ratio of Stokes to anti-Stokes nonresonant spontaneous Raman can provide an in situ thermometer that is noncontact, independent of any material specific parameters or calibrations, can be multiplexed spatially with line imaging, and can be time resolved for dynamic measurements. However, spontaneous Raman cross sections are very small, and thermometric measurements are often limited by the amount of laser energy that can be applied without damaging the sample or changing its temperature appreciably. In this paper, we quantitatively detail the tradeoff space between spatial, temporal, and thermometric accuracy measurable with spontaneous Raman. Theoretical estimates are pinned to experimental measurements to form realistic expectations of the resolution tradeoffs appropriate to various experiments. We consider the effects of signal to noise, collection efficiency, laser heating, pulsed laser ablation, and blackbody emission as limiting factors, provide formulae to help choose optimal conditions and provide estimates relevant to planning experiments along with concrete examples for single-shot measurements.
Reduction of head flattening in preterm infants.

UMMARY Twins born after 30 weeks gestation were studied. One twin was reared with a water pillow for head support for 36 days and retained a more rounded head shape, comparable to the normal configuration at birth. The other twin had standard neonatal care and developed the scaphocephalic head typical of most ex-preterm infants. It is suggested that water pillows constitute a simple method of reducing skull deformation in preterm infants. RESUME Diminution de l'aplatissement de la tete chez le premature Des jumeaux nes a 30 semaines de gestation ont eteetudies. L'un des jumeaux fut eleve avec un oreiller hydraulique pour support de tete durant 36 jours et conserva une forme de tete plus arrondie, comparable a l'aspect normal de la naissance. L'autre jumeau ne beneficia que des soins neonataux habituels et presenta une forme de tete scapho-cephalique caracteristique de la plupart des grands prematures. L'oreiller hydraulique parait une methode simple pour reduire la deformation de la tete chez les prematures. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Verminderung der Abflachung des Knpfes beim Fruhgeborenen Zwillinge mit einem Gestationsalter von 30 Wochen wurden untersucht. Der eine Zwilling bekam uber einen Zeitraum von 36 Tagen zur Kopflagerung ein Wasserkissen und hatte im Vergleich zur normalen Konfiguration bei der Geburt eine mehr runde Kopfform. Der andere Zwilling erhielt die routinemalJige Neugeborenenflege und entwickelte eine scaphocephale Kopfform, die fur die meisten ehemaligen Fruhgeborenen typisch ist. Es wird vorgeschlagen, Wasserkopfkissen als einfache Methode zur Verminderung von Schadeldeformierungen bei Fruhgeborenen einzusetzen.
Pathological Studies in Experimental Candida Endocarditis

Mycotic endocarditis was produced in rabbits by indwelling intracardiac catheters filled with a suspension of Candida albicans. Grossly, cardiac lesions consisted of massive fungoid valvular vegetations and/or "sleeve thrombi" surrounding the catheter. Microscopically, plateletfibrin aggregates were observed to be loosely attached to the valvular cusps. With time, the vegetations became organized and more firmly attached against the endocardium. Also observed was a heavy neutrophylic collar often containing Candida cells which infiltrate the subendothelial tissues of the valvular cusps.Sterile endocardial lesions were produced by retained catheters. The lesions consisted of discrete, glistening, hemispherical nodules in the right heart; and similar elevated plaques on the mural endocardium of the left ventricle. Microscopically, these lesions consisted of fibrous connective tissues devoid of inflammatory cells. The lesions in the left ventricle were more extensive, extending into the myocardium.
CORR Insights®: Increased Risk of Periprosthetic Femur Fractures Associated With a Unique Cementless Stem Design

U ncemented THA is gaining popularity and has overtaken cemented THA worldwide. Uncemented THA is appealing because the majority of cases are performed with ease and without complication. However, periprosthetic fractures can occur around the femur. A periprosthetic fractures is much more likely to occur with stems that have ‘‘aggressive’’ proximal morphology. Watts and colleagues use an institutional database to evaluate the survivorship free of periprosthetic fractures of various stems, and observe that THA performed using the Proxi-Lock (PL) stem had a higher incidence of periprosthetic fractures.
An in situ radiolysis time-resolved ESR study of the kinetics of spin trapping by 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide

The authors have measured the reaction rate constants of the nitrone spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) with a number of small alkyl and {sigma} parent radicals in dilute aqueous solution using in situ radiolysis time-resolved electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Unsubstituted alkyl parent radicals (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and 1-methylethyl (2-propyl)) had rate constants ranging from 5.6 x 10{sup 6} to 1.6 x 10{sup 7} M{sup {minus}1} s{sup {minus}1}. Electron-releasing {alpha}-hydroxyalkyl radicals (hydroxymethyl, 1-hydroxyethyl, 1-hydroxypropyl, and 1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl (2-hydroxy-2-propyl)) reacted more rapidly than the unsubstituted radicals with rate constants of (2.2--6.8) x 10{sup 7} M{sup {minus}1} s{sup {minus}1}, while the electron-withdrawing carboxymethyl radical was slower (4.4 x 10{sup 6} M{sup {minus}1} s{sup {minus}1}). The bulky 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl radical reacted with DMPO, but with a rate constant smaller than 10{sup 6} M{sup {minus}1} s{sup {minus}1}. {Sigma} radicals such as sulfite anion and carboxyl anion were trapped quickly, with rate constants of 1.2 x 10{sup 7} and 6.6 x 10{sup 7} M{sup {minus}1} s{sup {minus}1}, respectively. These results show that the zwitterionic structure of DMPO results in sensitivity to polar effects in the parent radical-spin trap encounter complex, while steric effects are also influential in the reaction of DMPO with bulky alkyl radicals. The rate constants formore » the reaction of DMPO with the radicals studied herein are, in general, an order of magnitude slower than the same radicals reacting with the nitroso spin trap 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane.« less
Vortex Ring Formation in Wall-Bounded Domains

Vortex ring formation and propagation have been studied extensively in quiescent semi-infinite volumes. However, very little is known about the dynamics of vortex-ring formation in wall-bounded domains where vortex wall interaction will affect both the vortex ring pinch-off and propagation velocity. This study addresses this limitation and studies vortex formation in radially confined domains to analyze the effect of vortex-ring wall interaction on the formation and propagation of the vortex ring. Vortex rings were produced using a pneumatically driven piston cylinder arrangement and were ejected into a long cylindrical tube parallel to the piston cylinder arrangement which defined the confined downstream domain. Two different domains were studied with diameters twice and four times the size of the piston cylinder. A semi-infinite unbounded volume with no downstream cylinder was also investigated for comparison. The piston stroke-to-diameter ratio (L/D0 ) for the studied vortex rings was varied between 0.75 and 3 with corresponding Reynolds numbers, based on circulation, of approximately 500 to 8,000. Velocity field measurements were performed using planar Time Resolved Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (TRDPIV). The TRDPIV data were processed using an in-house developed cross-correlation PIV algorithm and post processed using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition to remove high frequency noise. The propagation velocity and vorticity were investigated and vortex identification was used to track the changing size, location, and circulation of the vortices. The combination of these parameters was used to investigate the effects of wall interaction on vortex ring formation and propagation.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Autodissemination of a Beet Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Baculovirus under Laboratory Conditions

Basic aspects of autodissemination of seMNPv for suppression of Spodoptera exigtla (Hubner) were investigated. Talc was the most effective carrier among 6 viral formulations tested. The corrected mean viral-induced mortality for progeny from mating pairs in which only the male was surface-contaminated with viral talc dust was 24.2%. The higher transmission efficiency produced using talc may be attributable to its better adhesion. Egg chorion consumed by a hatching larva averaged 5.7% of the egg surface area. Combined with known dose-mortality value, we estimated that 18 occlusion bodies per egg were required to obtain LD 50 for hatching larvae. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that most treated eggs had some observable polyhedra on the chorion. Polyhedra were concentrated on the upper hemisphere of the eggs and along the ridged surfaces of the chorion, particularly at the rosette where they would most likely be ingested during eclosion. SeMNPV produced significantly higher mortality among F 1 progeny from mating pairs with both partners contaminated than from mating pairs with single partners contaminated. Male-contaminated parents were almost as effective in transovum transmission as female-contaminated parents. In serial matings, SeMNPV induced mortality in progeny up to the 4th mating. SeMNPV induced much higher mortality via horizontal transmission among cohorts when hatched larvae from the same egg mass were reared together.