cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Therapy for Children and Adolescents: An Option for Routine Diabetes Care

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) (insulin pump) therapy in routine pediatric diabetes care by comparing the HbA 1c , body mass index (BMI), and hypoglycemic episodes before and after initiation of CSII therapy. Research Design and Methods. Data from 56 patients (7-23 years old) were collected during regularly scheduled visits at a frequency similar to non-CSII patients. Results. The data were analyzed for the entire cohort and 3 subgroups (decreased, stable, or increased HbA 1c ) stratified according to a ≥0.5% change in HbA 1c , The total cohort demonstrated a decrease in HbA 1c from 8.5% to 8.3%. The decreased cohort (39.4% of the total cohort) demonstrated a significant decrease in HbA 1c from 8.6% to 7.6%. The mean HbA 1c of the stable cohort (41.0%) was 8.7%. The increased cohort (19.6%) had an increase in HbA 1c from 7.8% to 8.8%. Thirty-six patients (64.3%) maintained or achieved a HbA 1c <8.0% or achieved a HbA 1c at least 1% lower than their pre-CSII level. Of concern, 6 patients (10.7%) demonstrated a clinically significant increase in HbA 1c from 8.3% to 9.6%. For the entire cohort, the rate of severe hypoglycemia before and on CSII therapy was 12.3 and 9.5 events per 100 patient-years, respectively. A statistically significant proportion of patients reported a decrease in seizure frequency versus an increase (17.9% vs 1.8%) as well as a decrease in overall hypoglycemic frequency versus an increase (41.1% vs 17.9%). There was not a clinically significant increase in BMI, even in the decreased HbA 1c cohort. Conclusions. CSII therapy is an appropriate option for some children in routine pediatric diabetes care. It can effectively decrease the HbA 1c and reduce hypoglycemic episodes, without producing an abnormal increase in BMI.
Consequences of maternal cocaine on cerebral microvascular functions in piglets.

Maternal cocaine abuse is associated with fetal and neonatal neurological abnormalities. Prolonged exposure to cocaine can induce blood flow disorders, growth restriction, and hypoxia in the newborn. We investigated the impact of chronic fetal cocaine exposure on cerebral microvascular reactivity and autonomic function in the piglets. Pregnant pigs received cocaine (1 mg/kg i.v.; twice weekly) or saline throughout the last trimester. Prenatal exposure to cocaine did not have any significant effect on the birth weight of the piglets as compared to the control. Following delivery, effects of recurrent prenatal cocaine exposure on cerebral microvascular functions were examined in piglets (3-6 days old). Pial arteriolar responses to applications of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and clonidine were examined using closed cranial windows. Functional effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pial arteriolar diameter induced by intracisternal injection (i.c.) of clonidine (1 microg/kg) were also determined. Topical applications of 5-HT, ET-1, and clonidine dose-dependently decreased pial arteriolar diameter in the control and these constrictions were significantly enhanced in the in utero cocaine-exposed piglets. Prenatal cocaine exposure did not have any significant effects on the resting MAP and heart rate as there were no differences between the groups. IC clonidine caused sustained decrease in MAP in both groups but the decrease was more pronounced in the cocaine than the control group. IC clonidine causes cerebral microvascular dilation coincident with the development of hypotension. Such dilation was severely attenuated in the cocaine group, even though the hypotension was much more pronounced than in the control. In conclusion, prenatal cocaine exposure resulted in attenuated autoregulatory vasodilation and potentiated responses to vasoconstrictor agents. The mechanisms behind the effects of in utero cocaine exposure on alteration of newborn cerebral functions need further investigation. Such actions may be important in development of cerebral pathologies associated with recurrent prenatal cocaine exposure.
Oxygen pumping characteristics of oxide ion electrolytes at low temperatures

Abstract Electrochemical oxygen pumping was employed to study oxygen transport characteristics of electrolytes and electrodes. Oxygen transference numbers were measured by measuring volume changes using a liquid column in a capillary. The two electrolytes used were 10 mol% Ca doped CeO 2 and 20 mol% Sr doped Bi 2 O 3 . The electrodes used were Pt, Pd/Au, La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3−δ , La 0.5 Sr 0.5 MnO 3−δ , and La 0.7 Sr 0.3 FeO 3−δ . The manganite perovskite electrode performance was comparable to Pt at 700°C on both electrolytes. The bismuth electrolyte was found to be reduced to metal on the cathode side at high current densities.
Mortality and Growth of Young‐of‐the‐Year Striped Bass in the Hudson River Estuary

Abstract Mortality rates for striped bass (Morone saxatilis) larvae and young-of-the-year juveniles in the Hudson River estuary were estimated from weekly population estimates during 1975 and 1976. Mortality rates declined from 15–18% day-1 during the postyolk-sac stage to 0.5% day-1 for early juveniles. In 1976, the first of two spawns was almost completely killed as yolk-sac larvae by a rapid decline in water temperature from 15 to 12 C during late May. Larvae and early juveniles of the 1973–1976 year classes showed periods of slow growth during May and June (0.2 mm day-1), rapid growth during July and August (0.8 mm day-1), and decreasing growth during September and October. For the 1965–1967, 1969–1970, and 1972–1976 year classes, larval instantaneous growth rates were significantly and positively related to mean water temperature since peak spawning. However, instantaneous growth rates for the juvenile stage during July and August were not significantly related to mean water temperature, mean freshwa...
Comparison of the Yale, Reid and Hamada-Johnston potentials in shell-model calculations

Abstract The Yale, Reid, and Hamada-Johnson potentials are found to give quite similar results in the shell model calculations of the nuclei 17 O, 18 O and 18 F.
Structure of the Escherichia coli malate synthase G:pyruvate:acetyl-coenzyme A abortive ternary complex at 1.95 A resolution.

Malate synthase, an enzyme of the glyoxylate pathway, catalyzes the condensation and subsequent hydrolysis of acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) and glyoxylate to form malate and CoA. In the present study, we present the 1.95 A–resolution crystal structure of Escherichia coli malate synthase isoform G in complex with magnesium, pyruvate, and acetyl-CoA, and we compare it with previously determined structures of substrate and product complexes. The results reveal how the enzyme recognizes and activates the substrate acetyl-CoA, as well as conformational changes associated with substrate binding, which may be important for catalysis. On the basis of these results and mutagenesis of active site residues, Asp 631 and Arg 338 are proposed to act in concert to form the enolate anion of acetyl-CoA in the rate-limiting step. The highly conserved Cys 617, which is immediately adjacent to the presumed catalytic base Asp 631, appears to be oxidized to cysteine-sulfenic acid. This can explain earlier observations of the susceptibility of the enzyme to inactivation and aggregation upon X-ray irradiation and indicates that cysteine oxidation may play a role in redox regulation of malate synthase activity in vivo. There is mounting evidence that enzymes of the glyoxylate pathway are virulence factors in several pathogenic organisms, notably Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans. The results described in this study add insight into the mechanism of catalysis and may be useful for the design of inhibitory compounds as possible antimicrobial agents.
Influence of eluent composition on retention and selectivity of alkylamide phases under reversed-phase conditions

The sorption properties of alkylamide phases have been studied under reversed-phase conditions using different compositions of methanol-water as eluents. These studies have revealed that the specific structural properties of the alkylamide phases have a greater influence on solute retention and selectivity than is observed for conventional alkyl bonded phases. Also, it has been demonstrated that the composition of solvents in the stationary phase can be changed significantly by the presence of a specific interaction site in the bonded ligands.
Military Expenditure : Econometric Testing of Economic and Political Influences

Econometric results from an analysis of the determinants of military expenditure in 125 countries during 1972-88 are presented. The dependent variable is the ratio of military expenditure to GDP; included among the explanatory variables are economic and financial indicators, political variables summarizing the form of government, and demographic and geographic features of nations. The results strongly confirm the importance of these variables in explaining cross-country differences in levels of military expenditure.
Solid fission product behavior in uranium-plutonium oxide fuel irradiated in a fast neutron flux

Abstract A UO2-20 wt % PuO2 fuel pin irradiated in a fast neutron flux to a burnup of 5.6 x 1020fiss/cm3 was examined by means of electron-microprobe analysis. Two separate types of solid-fission-product inclusions were identified: 1. White metallic inclusions, located in both the equiaxed- and columnar-grain regions, that contained molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium and palladium; 2. A grey phase, located in the equiaxed grain region, that contained strontium, barium and cerium. The concentrations of molybdenum, technetium and ruthenium, measured in 42 white metallic inclusions in the columnar-grain region, were found to vary with radial location. The observed partition of solid fission products between the oxide matrix and the inclusions is in agreement with predictions based on the free energy of formation of the fission-product oxides and the oxygen balance between that liberated by the fission process and that required to form stable fissionproduct oxides. Measurements of the radial distribution of uranium and plutonium confirmed the migration of plutonium up the temperature gradient.
Desipramine, amantadine, or fluoxetine in buprenorphine-maintained cocaine users

Abstract The clinical efficacy of promising cocaine anti-craving medications was examined in combination with buprenorphine. Twenty-one opioid-dependent cocaine abusers were enrolled in a double-blind, 12-week trial in which they received on a daily basis buprenorphine (8 mg, s.l.) plus either desipramine (150 mg, p.o.), amantadine (300 mg, p.o.), or fluoxetine (60 mg, p.o.). Urine samples and self-reported drug use were obtained 1–3 times/week. The order of greatest patient retention across the 12 weeks was desipramine (83.3%) > amantadine (66.7%) > fluoxetine (20.0%). The desipramine and amantadine groups appeared to have greater increases in opioid- and cocaine-free urines than the fluoxetine group. These results suggest that desipramine and amantadine may facilitate greater opioid and cocaine abstinence than fluoxetine.
Little net clear-sky radiative forcing from recent regional redistribution of aerosols

Aerosols scatter and absorb incoming solar radiation, with consequences for the energy balance of the atmosphere. An analysis of satellite data suggests that the regional redistribution of aerosols over the past decade had little net effect on the global radiative forcing of the atmosphere.
Apoptosis and NFκB activation are simultaneously induced in renal tubulointerstitium in experimental hypertension

Apoptosis and NFκB activation are simultaneously induced in renal tubulointerstitium in experimental hypertension. Background Oxidative stress is known to induce apoptosis and activation of pro-inflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB), which are biologic effects that may play a role in the renal damage associated with arterial hypertension. We investigated if increased apoptosis and NFκB activation were present in experimental models of hypertension. Methods Sprague-Dawley rats fed with regular rodent chow and free access to water were studied. The Ang II group ( N = 6) received 435 ng/kg/min of angiotensin II during 2 weeks by subcutaneous minipumps. The L-NAME group ( N = 5) received N ω -nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester (L-NAME) in the drinking water (70 mg/100 mL) for 3 weeks. The control group consisted of 6 rats. Systolic blood pressure (tail cuff plethysmography), serum creatinine, and proteinuria were determined weekly. Kidneys were examined for superoxide-positive cells (histochemistry) and for apoptosis [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated uridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells], proliferation [proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells), and activation of NFκB (p65 subunit) with the appropriate antibodies. Results As expected, hypertension developed in experimental groups. Tubulointerstitial superoxide-positive cells were increased 7 times ( P P P P r = 0.667, P r = 0.835, P Conclusion Angiotensin II infusion and L-NAME administration induce oxidative stress and increased apoptosis and activation of the transcription factor NFκB. These effects may participate in the development of progressive renal injury resulting from uncontrolled hypertension
Changing Incidence of Orthopedic Surgery in Rheumatic Disease: Contributing Factors

Rheumatic diseases are multisystem conditions that predominantly affect the musculoskeletal system, leading to soft tissue and articular damage. Historically, medical therapy was able to slow, but not prevent, erosion and joint destruction, resulting in the frequent need for orthopedic procedures to maintain function and minimize pain. However, the widespread use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologic therapy over the last twenty years has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the incidence of musculoskeletal damage and impairment among these patients. This review will discuss changing patterns of orthopedic surgery among patients with rheumatic diseases, focusing on rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Contemporary eco-food films: The documentary tradition

ABSTRACTThis article examines the central role food has played in documentary films as early as the Lumiere Brothers' 1895 view, Repas de bebe/Baby's Breakfast through the more recent eco-food films from United States, Canadian and European film-makers. Responding to non-fiction works of Michael Pollan, popular US documentaries such as Food, Inc. by Robert Kenner (2008) and King Corn by Aaron Woolf (2007) assert clear positions through their talking heads approach to exposition but draw on a limiting nostalgic view of food production. Austria's We Feed the World by Erwin Wagenhofer (2005) and multiple National Film Board of Canada documentaries, on the other hand, provide a depth of evaluation supported by multiple examples missing in both Food, Inc. and King Corn, yet weaken their arguments with an evenhanded approach to food ecology. Germany's Our Daily Bread by Nikolaus Geyrhalter (2005), however, comes closest to capturing the truth, offering fragmented observations that closely replicate the segmente...
Effect of low dose ethanol on the EEG of alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring rats

Low dose ethanol has been shown to differentially affect the behavior of alcohol-preferring (P) and -nonpreferring (NP) rats. The present study was undertaken to determine if this differential effect is reflected in the EEG of these two rat lines. Frontocortical and hippocampal EEG were recorded from P and NP rats after intragastric infusions of ethanol (0.5 g/kg) and vehicle. Spectra were created from sequential 8-second epochs and power was calculated for frequency bands 0-4, 4-8, 8-16 and 16-50 Hz. Band power data was then grouped according to the rat's behavior and compared for P and NP rats. During nonREM sleep, ethanol produced a persistent increase in power in the NP rats, while power in the P rats was initially decreased, then returned to baseline. This differential effect was seen at both recording sites. The results suggest the P rats were midly aroused by low dose ethanol, while the NP rats were mildly sedated.
Rapid precipitation of amorphous silica in experimental systems with nontronite (NAu-1) and Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Abstract : Nanometer-size (<50 nm) precipitates of amorphous silica globules were observed in laboratory systems containing nontronite NAu-1, Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, and lean aqueous media. Their formation was attributed to the release of polysilicic acids at the expense of dissolving NAu-1, and subsequent polymerization and stabilization mediated by biomolecules. Rapid (<24 h) silica globule formation was confirmed in the immediate vicinity of bacterial cells and extracellular polymeric substances in all experimental systems that contained bacteria, whether the bacteria were respiring dissolved O2 or Fe(III) originating from NAu-1, and whether the bacteria were viable or heat-killed. Silica globules were not observed in bacteria- and biomolecule-free systems. Thermodynamic calculations using disilicic acid, rather than monomeric silica, as the primary aqueous silica species suggest that the systems may have been super-saturated with respect to amorphous silica even though they appeared to be undersaturated if all aqueous silica was assumed to be monomeric H4SiO4. The predominant aqueous silica species in the experimental systems was likely polysilicic acids because aqueous silica was continuously supplied from the concurrent dissolution of aluminosilicate. Further polymerization and globule formation may have been driven by the presence of polyamines, a group of biologically produced compounds that are known to drive amorphous silica precipitation in diatom frustules. Globules were likely to be positively charged in our systems due to chemisorption of organic polycations onto silica surfaces that would have been otherwise negatively charged. We propose the following steps for the formation of nanometer-size silica globules in our experimental systems: (i) continuous supply of polysilicic acids due to NAu-1 dissolution; (ii) polysilicic acid polymerization to form <50 nm silica globules and subsequent stabilization mediated by microbially produced polyamines...
Assessing treatability in drug offenders

The goal of this study was to describe the factors employed by clinicians in assessing treatability in offenders seeking statutory benefits of drug treatment. This goal was achieved by using descriptive principles from representative designs in the field of psychology to make explicit the decision rules or clinical policy of an Ohio forensic psychiatric center. Language: en
A Critical Evaluation of Fabrication Details and Operating Conditions Influencing Microwave-excited Electrodeless Discharge Lamps

Results are presented for a detailed study of how the fabrication and excitation conditions influence the optical performance of microwave-excited electrodeless discharge lamps. The shape of the lamp is shown to be a critical parameter. The proper choice of experimental conditions yields a source which is up to 2000 times more intense, has a signal/noise ratio 50 times greater, and has a greater spectral overlap with the absorption line than a conventional hollow cathode discharge lamp. Analytical data are presented, and the improvement in sensitivity is shown to be appreciable.
A new type of nonsulfide hydrotreating catalyst: nickel phosphide on carbon.

Nickel phosphide on carbon is successfully synthesized by temperature-programmed reduction as verified with X-ray diffraction and extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements; it shows superior activity, selectivity, and stability for sulfur removal from the refractory compound 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene with a steady-state conversion of 99%, which is much higher than that of a commercial NiMoS/γ-Al2O3 catalyst of 68%.
Application of Tolerance Limits to the Characterization of Image Registration Performance

Deformable image registration is used increasingly in image-guided interventions and other applications. However, validation and characterization of registration performance remain areas that require further study. We propose an analysis methodology for deriving tolerance limits on the initial conditions for deformable registration that reliably lead to a successful registration. This approach results in a concise summary of the probability of registration failure, while accounting for the variability in the test data. The (β, γ) tolerance limit can be interpreted as a value of the input parameter that leads to successful registration outcome in at least 100β% of cases with the 100γ% confidence. The utility of the methodology is illustrated by summarizing the performance of a deformable registration algorithm evaluated in three different experimental setups of increasing complexity. Our examples are based on clinical data collected during MRI-guided prostate biopsy registered using publicly available deformable registration tool. The results indicate that the proposed methodology can be used to generate concise graphical summaries of the experiments, as well as a probabilistic estimate of the registration outcome for a future sample. Its use may facilitate improved objective assessment, comparison and retrospective stress-testing of deformable.
CHOLESTEROL ESTER METABOLIZING ENZYMES IN HUMAN BRAIN: PROPERTIES, SUBCELLULAR DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE LEVELS IN VARIOUS DISEASED CONDITIONS

We have in the present study examined the properties and subcellular distribution of cholesterol ester metabolizing enzymes in human brain, and compared the levels of these enzymes in brains from patients with phenylketonuria (PKU), metachromatic leucodystrophy (MLD), and Down's Syndrome (DS). Cholesterol esterification was optimal at pH 5.6, did not require ATP or CoA as cofactors and was inhibited by detergents (TWEEN-20 and Triton X-100) and bile acids (sodium taurocholate and sodium deoxycholate). The specific activity of the cholesterol esterifying enzyme was highest in the mitochondrial fraction. Cholesterol esterifying activity in brains from PKU, MLD, and DS patients was not significantly different. Cholesterol ester hydrolase activity in human brain peaked at two different pHs (4.5 and 6.5). The activity was optimal when the substrate was dispersed in Triton X-100 and sonicated. The specific activity of the pH 4.5 hydrolase was highest in the mitochondrial fraction, while that of the pH 6.5 hydrolase was highest in myelin. The sulfhydryl group reagent parachloromercuribenzoate (PCMB) inhibited the activity of the hydrolase(s) but diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), a typical serine reagent, had no effect on hydrolase(s) activity. Addition of either phosphatidyl serine or phosphatidyl inositol significantly enhanced the hydrolase activity at both pHs. The level of cholesterol ester hydrolase(s) in PKU brains was lower than in the brains from DS patients, and the level of these enzymes in the brains from two patients with metachromatic leucodystrophy was lower than in the brains from PKU patients. It is concluded that the properties and subcellular distribution of cholesterol esterifying enzyme in human brain is similar to that in rat brain (Ero & Suzuki, 1971) but that the hydrolases in human brain differ from that in rat brain in several respects, and that the low levels of hydrolase(s) activity in MLD and PKU brain may be related to reduced myelin content of those brains.
Using Light to Control Dynamic Surface Tensions of Aqueous Solutions of Water Soluble Surfactants

We report the use of UV light to control the dynamic surface tensions of mixed surfactant systems containing sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, and 4,4‘-bis(trimethylammoniumhexyloxy)azobenzene bromide, BTHA. The light influences the dynamic surface tension of these solutions by driving the isomerization of the azobenzene moiety from cis to trans. By combining use of the du Nouy ring, maximum bubble pressure, and Wilhelmy plate methods to measure dynamic and equilibrium surface tensions, the dynamic surface tension of an illuminated aqueous solution of these surfactants is demonstrated to be up to 25 mN/m lower than the dynamic surface tension of a solution not previously exposed to UV light. In contrast, the equilibrium surface tensions of these solutions change by less than 2 mN/m upon illumination. Measurements of quasi-elastic and static light scattering from these mixed surfactant solutions support our hypothesis that illumination influences the dynamic surface tension through its effect on the state of ag...
THE MAYA OF COBÁ: MANAGING TOURISM IN A LOCAL EJIDO

Abstract This article discusses how Maya tourist workers in Coba, Mexico attempt to manage tourism by carrying the values of ejido (communally-owned land) membership into the workplace. Centered on kin ties within the community, the power of the ejido allows local citizens to assume a sense of ideological and physical control over the globalized market economy. At the same time, class and religious discrepancies, along with differential access to tourism within the ejido have resulted in new complexities surrounding management over this industry. This study reveals how the Maya try to assume political, economic, and cultural agency within the context of ejido relations, even as they exist within the dynamics of community differences and broader power structures in the contemporary era.
POLICIES IN THE UNITED STATES TO PROVIDE HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS†

From the 1930s onwards America's housing assistance policies have largely been shaped by the federal government's response to catastrophe, whether of an external nature (the Great Depression, the urban riots of the 1960s) or an internal nature (mismanagement, excessive costs). Consequently, today's collection of federal housing policies resemble more the results of an archaeological dig through 70 years of activity than a coherent approach to a longstanding problem. Nonetheless, one key theme that emerges is the shift from wholly government solutions to a hybrid public–private partnership approach in the early 1970s.
Disparities In Human Resources: Addressing The Lack Of Diversity In The Health Professions

African Americans, Latinos, and American Indians are severely underrepresented in the health professions. A strong case for diversity may be made on the grounds of civil rights, public health and educational benefit, and business gains. Improving the diversity of the health professions requires multiprong strategies addressing the educational pipeline, admissions policies and the institutional culture at health professions schools, and the broader policy environment.
Selection of Auxotrophic Bacterial Mutants by Tritium-Labeled Thymidine

A method is proposed for the efficient isolation of auxotrophic mutants of cells of diverse origin by the use of radioactive materials. An example is described in which mutants of Escherichia coli B were selected by growing irradiated cells in the presence of tritium-labeled thymidine.
Origins of epistemics

In 1935, Oskar Morgenstern wrote:[T]here is exhibited an endless chain of reciprocally conjectural reactions and counter-reactions. The remedy would lie in analogous employment of the so-called Russell theory of types in logistics. This would mean that on the basis of the assumed knowledge by the economic subjects of theoretical tenets of Type I, there can be formulated higher propositions of the theory; thus, at least, of Type II. On the basis of information about tenets of Type II, propositions of Type III, at least, may be set up, etc.We will attempt to trace, from this promising start, the steps forward and backward on the path to the development of epistemic game theory. This will take us through von Neumann and Morgenstern, Nash, and Harsanyi, to an emerging field of epistemics as of the mid-1980s. We will continue with some comments on the variety of epistemic frameworks in use today.
Glycerol Increases Content and Activity of Human Cytochrome P-4502E1 in a Transduced HepG2 Cell Line by Protein Stabilization

Glycerol is widely used to stabilize cytochrome P-450 and prevent its transformation to cytochrome P-420. The effect of glycerol on the content and activity of human cytochrome P-4502E1 (CYP2E1) in a HepG2 cell line that stably and constitutively expresses this P-450 was evaluated by immunoassays and oxidation of p-nitrophenol. Addition of 100 to 200 mM glycerol to the culture medium resulted in a 2 1/2- to 3-fold increase in the content and activity of CYP2E1 in microsomes isolated from the cells. Increases could be observed within 4 to 8 hr after addition of glycerol to the culture medium. Glycerol had no effect on the content of cytochrome b5 or activities of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase or NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase. Upon the addition of cycloheximide to stop protein synthesis, CYP2E1 content and activity decreased with apparent half-lives of 6 and 4 hr, respectively. Glycerol prevented or decreased this loss of CYP2E1 content and activity. Labeling CYP2E1 with [35S]methionine, followed by pulse-chase experiments with cold methionine and immunoprecipitation of CYP2E1 indicated a half-life for CYP2E1 of approximately 3 hr. Glycerol increased the half-life to approximately 11 hr. Stabilization of CYP2E1 protein by glycerol was not additive or synergistic with the increase of CYP2E1 by ethanol or 4-methylpyrazole, suggesting that all three agents elevate CYP2E1 by a similar type of mechanism in this model. These results indicate that glycerol can interact with human CYP2E1 to stabilize it against proteolytic degradation, increasing the half-life of the enzyme and thereby elevating the content and activity of CYP2E1.
Third- and fourth-order iterative solutions for the vector radiative transfer equation

Higher-order iterative solutions for the vector radiative transfer equation are obtained from the application of the iterative approach to each Fourier component of the radiative transfer equation. Unlike the ordinary iterative method, in which each iteration introduces double integrals over μ and ϕ, the new approach introduces only one integral over μ for each additional iteration. Hence the new iterative method is suited for higher-order iterative solutions. The third- and fourth-order iterative solutions are described with the use of the Fourier expansion approach.
Technique of percutaneous EMG-guided botulinum toxin injection of the larynx for spasmodic dystonia

Summary Percutaneous electromyography (EMG)-guided technique of botulinum toxin (BT) injection of the larynx evolved from similar techniques for extraocular muscle injection in strabismus, as well as from experience with diagnostic laryngeal EMG. This technique permits rapid accurate injection of BT into the laryngeal muscles. Although usually injected into the thyroarytenoid muscle, BT can also be directed to the posterior cricoarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles. Complications are minimal and of short duration.
Diffusion during electron-beam-induced reduction of tungsten trioxide

Abstract We report experimental results on the kinetics of the electron-beam-induced reduction of WO3 by in situ high-resolution electron microscopy. Electron-beam irradiation of WO3 results in complete reduction to W. The process is surface-initiated through desorption of oxygen from the crystal surface, and the subsequent growth of tungsten was found to be a diffusion-controlled process. The damage rate follows a para-linear curve, that is, an initially parabolic damage rate degenerating into a linear rate. The epitaxial relationship between WO3 and W was found to be (001)wo3//(110)w. The WO3 lattice has a critical nucleus size of about 2·6 nm.
Discourses on ‘Diversity’: Perspectives from Graduate Programs in Geography in the United States

This qualitative and contextual study explores how ‘diversity’ is interpreted by graduate students and faculty in ten departments of geography in the United States. It applies a model that considers historical, structural, psychological and behavioral dimensions. Themes addressed include issues related to gender, international origin, race/ethnicity, age, family status, disciplinary subfields and institutional location; silences persist around sexual orientation and disability. We highlight differences across subgroups of students, faculty perspectives and the approaches used in departments that have attained greater diversity, especially of racial and ethnic minorities.
Stereochemistry of pyrimidine nucleosides: Conformational analysis of cytidine, thymidine, 4-thiouridine and deoxycytidine by the neglect of differential overlap molecular orbital method

Abstract The potential energy surfaces due to the rotations of φ CN and φ c(4′)-c(5′) for cytidine, thymidine, 4-thiouridine and deoxycytidine were calculated by the molecular orbital method of the neglect of differential overlap level of approximation. The results show that for the pyrimidine nucleosides of the C (3′) -endo-C (3′) -exo, C (2′) -endo or C (2′) -exo sugar conformation the anti form is 1 to 2 kcal./ mole more stable than the corresponding syn form, whereas for the C (3′) -endo-C (2′) -endo or C (3′) -exo-C (2′) -exo sugar conformation, the syn form is 0.5 kcal./mole more stable than the anti isomer. The small energy differences suggest that the syn form may exist under appropriate circumstances for the pyrimidine nucleosides that have the C (3′) -endo, C (3′) -exo, C (2′) -endo or C (2′) -exo sugar moiety. The existence of the anti conformation of the pyrimidine nucleosides having C (3′) -endo-C (2′) -endo or C (3′) -exo-C (2′) -exo sugar moiety is also possible under appropriate circumstances. The allowed range of the syn conformation of the pyrimidine nucleosides, considered in these calculations is between 40 and 100 °, and that of the anti form is between 140 and 260 °. A new definition is proposed to define the syn and anti conformations in terms of the highest energy barriers separating the two stable rotational isomers such that the molecule is syn if C (2) is in the same side as the sugar ring in the Newman projection, otherwise anti (energetic definition). The more practical definition is made in accordance with the energetic definition such that the molecule is syn, if φ CN ranges from about − 62 ° (dihedral angle C (2) —N (1) —C (1′) —C (2′) = 180 °) to about 118 ° (dihedral angle C (2) —N (1) —C (1′) —C (2′) = 0 °),otherwise anti (geometric definition). The rotation of φ C(4′) —C (5′) resulted in the three stable isomers, gauche-trans (60 °), trans-gauche (180 °) and gauche-gauche (300 °), among which gauche-gauche conformation is the most stable one.
Aldose reductase activity in a cultured human retinal cell line.

Abstract The action of the enzyme aldose reductase has been shown to initiate cataract formation in diabetic animals. This enzyme may also play a role in other complications of diabetes such as retinopathy. In order to investigate aldose reductase from a human retinal source, the retinoblastoma cell line Y-79 was studied. Using a variety of substrates, these cells have enzyme activity consistent with aldose reductase. Immunologically, the aldose reductase from these cells cross-react with antibody to human placental aldose reductase. By immunohistochemistry, the enzyme is present in the cytoplasm of the Y-79 cells. Incubation of these cells with 30 m m -galactose resulted in considerable accumulation of dolcitol. This accumulation could be reduced when sorbinil, an aldose reductase inhibitor, was present in the culture medium. This report is the first to demonstrate the presence of human aldose reductase in a continuous cell line.
Robust linear registration of CT images using random regression forests

Global linear registration is a necessary first step for many different tasks in medical image analysis. Comparing longitudinal studies1, cross-modality fusion2, and many other applications depend heavily on the success of the automatic registration. The robustness and efficiency of this step is crucial as it affects all subsequent operations. Most common techniques cast the linear registration problem as the minimization of a global energy function based on the image intensities. Although these algorithms have proved useful, their robustness in fully automated scenarios is still an open question. In fact, the optimization step often gets caught in local minima yielding unsatisfactory results. Recent algorithms constrain the space of registration parameters by exploiting implicit or explicit organ segmentations, thus increasing robustness4,5. In this work we propose a novel robust algorithm for automatic global linear image registration. Our method uses random regression forests to estimate posterior probability distributions for the locations of anatomical structures - represented as axis aligned bounding boxes6. These posterior distributions are later integrated in a global linear registration algorithm. The biggest advantage of our algorithm is that it does not require pre-defined segmentations or regions. Yet it yields robust registration results. We compare the robustness of our algorithm with that of the state of the art Elastix toolbox7. Validation is performed via 1464 pair-wise registrations in a database of very diverse 3D CT images. We show that our method decreases the "failure" rate of the global linear registration from 12.5% (Elastix) to only 1.9%.
The statistics of superhelicity

Abstract The distribution of the writhing number (also called the superhelix number or the superhelicity) is estimated for a population of nicked-circular or linear DNA molecules. The molecules are modeled as being composed of N straight segments joined by universal joints. It is shown that the writhing number for such a structure is approximately normally distributed. The variance Var(Wr) of this distribution is evaluated for N = 5 to 30 in both the linear and the nicked-circular cases. This analysis does not apply to closed circular molecules because there writhing and twisting are coupled.
Kctd15 inhibits neural crest formation by attenuating Wnt/β-catenin signaling output

Neural crest (NC) precursors are stem cells that are capable of forming many cell types after migration to different locations in the embryo. NC and placodes form at the neural plate border (NPB). The Wnt pathway is essential for specifying NC versus placodal identity in this cell population. Here we describe the BTB domain-containing protein Potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 15 (Kctd15) as a factor expressed in the NPB that efficiently inhibits NC induction in zebrafish and frog embryos. Whereas overexpression of Kctd15 inhibited NC formation, knockdown of Kctd15 led to expansion of the NC domain. Likewise, NC induction by Wnt3a plus Chordin in Xenopus animal explants was suppressed by Kctd15, but constitutively active β-catenin reversed Kctd15-mediated suppression of NC induction. Suppression of NC induction by inhibition of Wnt8.1 was rescued by reduction of Kctd15 expression, linking Kctd15 action to the Wnt pathway. We propose that Kctd15 inhibits NC formation by attenuating the output of the canonical Wnt pathway, thereby restricting expansion of the NC domain beyond its normal range.
A novel energy‐based approach for merging finite elements

A novel approach for merging two intersecting finite elements is presented and demonstrated. The solution mimics concepts from biology and uses principles rooted in continuum mechanics. The problem of attaching (or merging) two coincident finite elements is common when using the plastering technique as part of the advancing front method. This problem is particularly challenging for 3-D meshes of non-convex shapes. Some automatic meshing methods require portions of the partially formed mesh to coincide and merge. This problem is generally solved with heuristic rules, which lack generality, and may have difficulties with unforeseen situations. The problem of merging two overlapping polyhedra may also appear in other applications such as computer graphics and CAD software. A new approach to address the problem of merging is presented here. This solution does not utilize heuristic rules, but rather uses an approach based on minimization of strain energy. A fully automatic merging routine has been created that can address, in an optimum way, any situation of two nearby or overlapping elements that are to be merged. This approach, with minor adjustments, is suitable for most types of 3-D elements.
FURTHER STUDIES OF THE TELECANTHUS-HYPOSPADIAS SYNDROME

The telecanthus-hypospadias syndrome is characterized by widely spaced inner ocular canthi and hypospadias, along with various combinations of other anomalies. We have had the opportunity to evaluate a total of 8 families, including 12 affected males. Three families contain multiple affected sibs. In one family, three brothers, including apparently identical twins, also have bilateral cleft lip and palate, and multiple other anomalies. In our series, the spectrum of associated anomalies includes mental retardation (8/12), cranial asymmetry (11/12), strabismus (7/12), cleft lip and palate (4/12), congenital heart disease (6/12), abnormalities of the urinary tract (4/12) and cryptorchidism (5/12). Mothers of affected males have demonstrated isolated telecanthus. The incidence of twinning seems to be increased in these families. This condition appears to be inherited as a dominant trait with no well documented instance of male-to-male transmission. It is in all likelihood more common than reflected in the literature. Among patients who are ascertained on the basis of either cleft lip with or without cleft palate, widely spaced ocular canthi, or apparently isolated hypospadias, the telecanthus-hypospadias syndrome constitutes a definable entity for the purposes of prognosis and genetic counseling.
On the effective moduli of composite materials: Experimental study of chopped-fiber reinforcement

The dependence of the elastic moduli of chopped-fiber reinforced composites on the modulus ratio and the fiber length was studied experimentally at low volume fractions of fibers. For this purpose model composites were fabricated from an epoxy casting resin and chopped stainless steel fibers, and the elastic moduli of these samples were measured by an ultrasonic pulse technique. The results confirm in part the analytic expressions for the bulk moduli of such composites previously derived by the authors, but also emphasize the importance of fiber dispersion even at dilute concentrations.
Scattering cross section of composite conducting and lossy dielectric bodies

An E-field integral equation for the computation of the radar cross section of finite composite conducting and lossy inhomogeneous dielectric bodies is presented. The equivalence principle is used to replace all conducting bodies by an equivalent surface electric current, and the dielectric is replaced by an equivalent volume polarization current. The respective boundary conditions on the dielectric and the conductor are utilized to solve for the electric current on the entire structure. Also the augmented conjugate gradient method is presented for the solution of extremely large systems of equations that arise in the present problem. Finally, typical results are presented to illustrate the potential of this method. >
Role of erythropoietin receptor signaling in Friend virus-induced erythroblastosis and polycythemia

Friend virus is an acutely oncogenic retrovirus that causes erythroblastosis and polycythemia in mice. Previous studies suggested that the Friend virus oncoprotein, gp55, constitutively activates the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), causing uncontrolled erythroid proliferation. Those studies showed that gp55 confers growth factor independence on an interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent cell line (Ba/F3) when the EPOR is coexpressed. Subsequently, we showed that a truncated form of the stem-cell kinase receptor (sf-STK) is required for susceptibility to Friend disease. Given the requirement for sf-STK, we sought to establish the in vivo significance of gp55-mediated activation of the EPOR. We found that the cytoplasmic tyrosine residues of the EPOR, and signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 (STAT5), which acts through these sites, are not required for Friend virus-induced erythroblastosis. The EPOR itself was required for the development of erythroblastosis but not for gp55-mediated erythroid proliferation. Interestingly, the murine EPOR, which is required for gp55-mediated Ba/F3-cell proliferation, was dispensable for erythroblastosis in vivo. Finally, gp55-mediated activation of the EPOR and STAT5 are required for Friend virus-induced polycythemia. These results suggest that Friend virus activates both sf-STK and the EPOR to cause deregulated erythroid proliferation and differentiation.
ACOUSTICAL PLASMONS, PHONON ANOMALIES, AND SUPERCONDUCTIVITY IN TRANSITION- METAL SYSTEMS.

It is shown that the concept of acoustical plasmons may be useful for understanding the anomalous behavior of the phonon dispersion curves of superconducting transition-metal systems with high ${T}_{c}$ (5-10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K). The value of the velocity of plasmon sound obtained from the phonon calculations for Nb is quite close to that needed to explain the specific-heat anomaly by the acoustical-plasmon mechanism.
Classical theory for scattering of rigid molecules from surfaces

Abstract A theoretical model is presented for the scattering of molecules from surfaces under conditions in which the major modes of energy transfer are multiple phonon excitation at the surface and rotational excitations of the molecule. Beginning from a completely quantum mechanical formalism, the classical limit is obtained for large mass molecules and large energies and in this limit the result is a closed-form expression for the scattering intensities. Results of calculations are compared with recent measurements for the scattering of hyperthermal beams of C2H2 from a LiF(0 0 1) surface. The results of these comparisons indicate that a classical theoretical treatment of translational and rotational motion is adequate for describing this system.
Soil cellulase, chitinase, and protease activity in Eriophorum vaginatum tussock tundra at Eagle Summit, Alaska

Cellulase, chitinase, and protease activities were examined in Eriophorum vaginatum tussocks at Eagle Summit, Alaska. Changes in the activities were recorded for tussocks of differing relative plant composition. Highest total activity was found in tussocks with at least 50% (relative surface) cover by mycorrhizal colonized shrubs. Total enzyme activity declined in tussocks as the variety of plants decreased. The lowest enzyme activity was found in the moss dominated tussock. Changes in the nature of cellulose hydrolysis suggested that decomposition may be primarily regulated by litter composition in some cases and soil environment in others.
Hogging the Hedge? Bulldog's 13F Theory May Not Be So Lucky

An analysis of Section 13(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Phillip Goldstein's effort to avoid the Section 13 reporting regime through an intellectual property and due process theory.
An upper bound on expected clock skew in synchronous systems

A statistical model is considered for clock skew in which the propagation delays on every source-to-processor path are sums of independent contributions, and are identically distributed. Upper bounds are derived for expected skew, and its variance, in tree distribution systems with N synchronously clocked processing elements. The results are applied to two special cases of clock distribution. In the first, the metric-free model, the total delay in each buffer stage is Gaussian with a variance independent of stage number. In this case, the upper bound on skew grows as Theta (log N). The second, metric, model, is meant to reflect VLSI constraints. Here, the clock delay in a stage is Gaussian with a variance proportional to wire length, and the distribution tree is an H-tree embedded in the plane. In this case, the upper bound on expected skew is Theta (N/sup 1/4/ (log N)/sup 1/2/). >