cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some Analyses and Recommendations on Diet Formulation for Conservation Breeding of the Galapagos Rice Rat of Isla Santiago, Nesoryzomys swarthi

Nesoryzomys swarthi, the most endangered of the three surviving, endemic Galapagos "rice rats," was only discovered in the early 20th Century and was considered extinct until its rediscovery in 1997 at a north-central coastal location on Isla Santiago. Potential threats to the entire genus include invasive rodent species, feral cats, new diseases, and climate change. These threats have been the basis for conservation breeding recommendations (as yet unmet) by several observers during the last several decades. This paper considers likely dietary requirements of N. swarthi in light of recent studies on the ecology of this species plus new data on the nutrient composition of Opuntia galapageia (a "resource refuge" for this species) and circulating vitamin values of animals sampled on Isla Santiago. It is concluded that, despite some unusually high mineral values for O. galapageia, a diet for N. swarthi under human care should be the same as it is for most other rodents, noting some caution in regard to possible needs for mineral and/or protein adjustment.
Trypsin and rosmarinic acid reduce the toxicity of Micrurus fulvius venom in mice.

AbstractContext. Antivenom is expensive and not always available, so alternative treatments are being investigated. Objective. The efficacy of trypsin or rosmarinic acid (RA) in treating Micrurus fulvius in a murine model is determined. Materials and methods. Design: randomized controlled blinded study. Subjects: Fifty mice (20–30 g). Study groups: Intraperitoneal injections of: 1) 2 mg/kg M. fulvius venom (approximately twice the LD50 for mice; n = 10); 2) 2 mg/kg M. fulvius venom incubated in vitro for 1 h prior to injection with RA at a 1:10 ratio (n = 17); 3) 2 mg/kg M. fulvius venom incubated in vitro for 1 h prior to injection with 1 mg of trypsin (n = 17); 4)1 mg trypsin IP without venom (n = 3); and 5) RA IP without venom (n = 3). Main outcome: time to toxicity (respiratory distress (< 25 breaths/min.), loss of spontaneous locomotor activity, or inability to upright self). Statistical analysis: Time to toxicity using Tukey–Kramer HSD; Survival to 4, 6, and 12 h using Chi-square analysis. Results. ...
Patients At Risk: Health Reform And Risk Adjustment

Abstract: The Clinton proposal recognizes the need for successful risk adjustment and calls for the National Health Board to promulgate a risk adjustment formula by 1 April 1995. Unfortunately, risk adjustment technology is primitive; using observable characteristics such as age only slightly ameliorates the flawed incentives of not adjusting at all. Without major improvements in risk adjustment technology we face a trade-off between giving plans an incentive to select good risks and an incentive to produce at lowest cost. Pure capitation maximizes both incentives; pure fee-for-service minimizes both. I suggest experimentation with paying plans partly on the basis of risk-adjusted capitation and partly on the basis of a fee schedule reflecting actual use (partial capitation). In the draft Clinton plan, the option given to alliances not to offer plans priced above 120 percent of the weighted average premium appears to assume better risk adjustment ability than is now possible. This option should be relaxed...
Enzyme activities and distributions following denervation of anterior and posterior latissimus dorsi muscles.

Abstract Five subcellular fractions, isolated by differential centrifugation from normal and seven-day denervated avian ALD and PLD muscles, were investigated for the distribution of six enzymes (cytochrome oxidase, cathepsin D, Ca-ATPase, EGTA-ATPase, and protein concentration. Denervation did not alter the general nature of the ALD except that the Ca-ATPase specific activity was reduced. The PLD was dramatically changed; the activity of many enzymes approached the values for the normal ALD. Ratios of acid hydrolase activity (α- d -glucosidase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, and cathepsin D) to cytochrome oxidase activity indicated that cathepsin D ratio was not altered whereas the other two ratios changed with denervation. The role of the lysosome in skeletal muscle degeneration is discussed.
Future shock from the microbe electric.

How can the future not look bright when you are dealing with a microbial process that can power a light bulb? The study of microbial fuel cells and, more generally, microbe–electrode interactions is rapidly amping up, not only in power production, but also in the number of investigators and areas of study.
On an optimization problem for a Wiener process

For a Wiener-type production process with an observation cost, the optimal stationary strategy is shown to exist. Existence and uniqueness of the optimal strategy is shown by showing that a corresponding contraction mapping has a unique fixed point.
Use of SEASAT Synthetic Aperture Radar and LANDSAT Multispectral Scanner subsystem data for Alaskan glaciology studies

Three Seasat synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and three Landsat multispectral scanner subsystem (MSS) scenes of three areas of Alaska were analyzed for hydrological information. The areas were: the Dease Inlet in northern Alaska and its oriented or thaw lakes, the Ruth and Tokositna valley glaciers in south central Alaska, and the Malaspina piedmont glacier on Alaska's southern coast. Results for the first area showed that the location and identification of some older remnant lake basins were more easily determined in the registered data using an MSS/SAR overlay than in either SAR or MSS data alone. Separately, both SAR and MSS data were useful for determination of surging glaciers based on their distinctive medial moraines, and Landsat data were useful for locating the glacier firn zone. For the Malaspina Glacier scenes, the SAR data were useful for locating heavily crevassed ice beneath glacial debris, and Landsat provided data concerning the extent of the debris overlying the glacier.
Chemical Fluid Deposition: Reactive Deposition of Platinum Metal from Carbon Dioxide Solution

Reduction of dimethyl(cyclooctadiene)platinum(II) (CODPtMe2) with hydrogen in supercritical carbon dioxide solution at 80 °C yields continuous metal films on solid inorganic and polymer substrates ...
Genetic susceptibility to breast cancer

Deleterious mutations in two breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2 have been identified in breast and ovarian cancer families. Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation are candidates for additional risk reduction measures such as intensive screening, prophylactic surgery or chemoprevention. Additional susceptibility genes have been identified, including PTEN, ATM, TP53, CHEK2, CASP8, PBRL and BRIP1. Yet, many women with a personal or family history suggestive of a hereditary susceptibility to breast cancer undergo genetic testing and no significant genetic alteration is found. Thus, there are other susceptibility genes that have not been identified, and it is likely that the remaining familial contribution to breast cancer will be explained by the presence of multiple low penetrance alleles that coexist to confer high penetrance risks (a polygenic model). The American Cancer Society has identified cancer prevention as a key component of cancer management and there is interest in developing individualized cancer prevention focused on identifying high risk individuals who are most likely to benefit from more aggressive risk reduction measures. Breast cancer risk assessment and genetic counseling are currently provided by genetic counselors, oncology nurse specialist, geneticists, medical and surgical oncologists, gynecologists and other health care professionals, often working within a multidisciplinary clinical setting. Current methods for risk assessment and predictive genetic testing have limitations and improvements in molecular testing and risk assessment tools is necessary to maximize individual breast cancer risk assessment and to fulfill the promise of cancer prevention.
Nickel and chromium isotopes in Allende inclusions

High-precision nickel and chromium isotopic measurements were carried out on nine Allende inclusions. It is found that Ni-62, Ni-64, excesses are present in at least three of the samples. The results suggest that the most likely mechanism for the anomalies is a neutron-rich statistical equilibrium process. An indication of elevated Ni-60 is found in almost every inclusion measured. This effect is thought to be related to the decay of now extinct Fe-60. An upper limit of 1.6 X 10 to the -6th is calculated for the Fe-60/Fe-56 ratio at the time these Allende inclusions crystallized.
Rewards and challenges of a career in research and teaching at a liberal arts college.

As recently as a couple of decades ago, the career goals of most PhD students in the sciences were to get a tenure-track jobat ahigh-powered researchuniversity and maintain multiple R01s. In those days, an alternative career meant getting a job in industry. Although it is still possible to have that high-powered research job in academics, the landscape has changed and made obtaining that tenure-track research job much more competitive, and it is exceedingly difficult to maintain multiple R01s. In further support of a shifting landscape, there are now countless workshops on alternative careers in science (which did not exist two to three decades ago) that reveal a variety of opportunities for scientists. For example, since 2007 the Endocrine Society has sponsored a wonderful day-long EndoCareers Early Career Forum (formerly called the Endocrine Trainee Day) that precedes the Endocrine Society meeting and offers workshops on early career advice and alternative careers in endocrinology to graduate students and postdocs. One of the topics at this Early Career Forum has been the nontraditional path of working at a liberal arts college. This commentary will discuss how a faculty position at a liberal arts college can enable one to engage in both meaningful research and undergraduate teaching. Most liberal arts colleges are predominately private institutions, have a relatively small student body (1000– 3000 students) and have little or no graduate program, and thus focus on undergraduate education. At liberal arts colleges, the number of courses in a major is kept relatively low so that students can take a variety of courses outside of their major. Therefore, these colleges attract students who have varied interests and produce students who can think broadly in an interdisciplinary fashion and maintain a big-picture perspective (1). Because of these traits, liberal arts colleges produce a disproportionately high number of graduates, compared with large research universities, who go on to obtain PhDs in science (1–2). Although faculty responsibilities at some liberal arts colleges consist of 100% teaching and involve no research, at the other end of the spectrum are colleges in which faculty spend 50% of their time teaching and 50% doing research (and a wide variation in between these two ends of the spectrum). The 50/50 teaching/research split tends to be present at the highly ranked liberal arts colleges (3). This commentary will focus on these more research-oriented colleges that offer meaningful research opportunities for faculty and undergraduates.
Tolerance to aortic valve homografts in man

Abstract This study was designed to look for evidence of host reaction to aortic tissue by testing the response of host lymphocytes in tissue culture. Aortic tissue of each donor was ground in a tissue homogenizer, and an aqueous extract was prepared. Extracts in Freund's adjuvant injected into rabbits produced up to four precipitating antibodies. Lymphocytes of each recipient were cultured alone, in the presence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and with the tissue extract. Lymphocytes obtained the day before surgery gave a mean transformation response of 3.6 per cent blastlike forms in the presence of extract compared to 1.9 per cent in controls and 42.2 per cent with PHA. The lymphocytes of 7 patients studied 2 months after surgery again did not demonstrate significant response to tissue extract. In 2 more patients whose valves failed, extracts of the recovered homografts gave similarly low responses. Histologically, their valves showed no evidence of immune tissue injury. In a comparative study, lymphocytes responded with a mean of 21.3 per cent transformation in the presence of killed allogenic leukocytes. These observations suggest that the absence of clinical and histologic signs of immune rejection may be due to the paucity of histocompatibility antigen in aortic tissue.
The behavioral study of political ideology and public policy formulation

Abstract Political ideology is related to public policy formulation in a scholarly and systematic manner with surprising rarity. This article describes the use of newspaper and journal of opinion editorials as barometers of ideological content and signed digraphs as devices for hypothesis formulation regarding ideological change. Policy formulation for incomes policies in the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations and abortion from the 1930s to the present are used to illustrate the utility of these approaches.
Working-Class Education and the State, 1839–1849: The Sources of Government Policy

The education of working-class children was a major governmental concern during the age of Peel and Cobden. In this period the state's financial commitment grew from £30,000 to £125,000, and a new department of state — the Education Committee of the Privy Council, with its bureaucratic establishment, the Education Department — was created to direct central policy. But who made that policy? Who guided education reform into channels which still, to some extent, contained the British educational establishment a century later? And does this example of Victorian reform suggest the dynamics of state intervention in other fields up to then left to private enterprise?Civil servants, it has been alleged, were the responsible agents of change in this area. James Kay-Shuttleworth, the Education Department's first permanent secretary, has today a reputation as great as Chadwick's or Trevelyan's among historians. Henry Parris believes that he “organized” the department and made its policy; he calls his retirement in 1849 perhaps “the greatest single misfortune in the country's educational history.” David Roberts calls him “the chief architect of England's educational system;” he attributes to him all major government education policy between 1846 and 1849. That policy “came from the mind of a man who possessed not only a clear view of the ends which he wished to attain but also a sense of the possible means to those ends….” George Kitson Clark contended that his “services to public education have probably never been properly valued.”
Targeting programmed cell death ligand 1 in osteosarcoma: an auto-commentary on therapeutic potential

Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1) expression was recently shown to correlate with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in a subset of osteosarcoma patients. Among clinical factors evaluated across human osteosarcoma samples, a pulmonary origin of metastases correlated with high PDL1 expression and prominent TILs. Considering that multiple agents targeting PD-1/PDL1 are under development, targeting this immune checkpoint may be a novel immunotherapeutic route for osteosarcoma in future clinical trials.
Defining and classifying supervisory neglect.

The purpose of this study is to develop and test a classification system for different types of supervision problems. Several prominent child maltreatment typologies were reviewed to determine the level of definitional agreement between systems; identify strengths and weaknesses within systems; and derive a consensual definition of child neglect, its major subcategories (physical, supervisory, and emotional), and 10 types of supervisory neglect. Six hundred two substantiated child abuse and neglect reports were used to test the system’s interrater reliability. The interrater reliability was excellent for most types of problems. Not watching a child closely enough (29.8% of the reports) made up the largest single type of supervisory neglect, followed by leaving a child alone without a caretaker (24.5%) and leaving a child with an unsuitable caretaker (19.7%). The article concludes with a discussion on how and in what context the system can be used.
Understanding the meaning of the ‘journey’ to budget travellers

The purpose is to construct a hermeneutic understanding of the significance of the journey to budget travellers. Narrative interviews were gathered from budget travellers. This research confirms the complexity, holistic reflections and personal travel history associated with the journey. The participants' narratives indicated the primacy of personal authenticity instead of cultural authenticity. The sight became a landmark to distinguish the destination, participants' geographical placement and some of their travails on their journeys. The nomothetic significance of the journey involved the meaning themes of personal development and liminal encounters and meaning factors of styles, visual cues and problem solving. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.
This Worked for Me

(1980). This Worked for Me … The Journal of Business Education: Vol. 55, No. 6, pp. 241-242.
Biomimetic oxidation studies. 7. Alkane functionalization with a MMO structural model, [Fe2O(OAc)(tris((1-methylimidazol-2-yl) methyl) amine)2]3+, in the presence oft-butyl hydroperoxide and oxygen gas

A biomimetic structural model of the active site of methane monooxygenase enzyme, [Fe2O(OAc)(tris((1-methylimidazol)-2-methyl)amine2]3+, 1, has been shown to functionalize cyclohexane, toluene, adamantane, propane, and ethane in the presence oft-butyl hydroperoxide and oxygen gas. A mechanism is proposed to account for these results which implicates an alkyl hydroperoxide intermediate to the alcohol, ketone, and aldehyde products in an oxygen gas dependent reaction, while aldehyde and ketone products can also be formed from the further oxidation of the alcohols in an oxygen gas independent reaction.
Influence of Adsorbates on the Electronic Structure, Bond Strain, and Thermal Properties of an Alumina-Supported Pt Catalyst

We describe the results of an X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) study of adsorbate and temperature-dependent alterations of the atomic level structure of a prototypical, noble metal hydrogenation and reforming catalyst: ∼1.0 nm Pt clusters supported on gamma alumina (Pt/γ-Al2O3). This work demonstrates that the metal–metal (M–M) bonding in these small clusters is responsive to the presence of adsorbates, exhibiting pronounced coverage-dependent strains in the clusters’ M–M bonding, with concomitant modifications of their electronic structures. Hydrogen and CO adsorbates demonstrate coverage-dependent bonding that leads to relaxation of the M–M bond strains within the clusters. These influences are partially compensated, and variably mediated, by the temperature-dependent electronic perturbations that arise from cluster–support and adsorbate–support interactions. Taken together, the data reveal a strikingly fluxional system with implications for understanding the energetics of catalysis. We estimate that...
Changes in mechanosensitive channel gating following mechanical stimulation in skeletal muscle myotubes from the mdx mouse

We studied the effects of membrane stretch and voltage on the gating of single mechanosensitive (MS) channels in myotubes from dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. In earlier studies of MS channels in mdx myotubes, we found a novel class of stretch-inactivated channels. In the present experiments, we used a gentle suction protocol to determine whether seal formation damaged the membrane and altered MS channel gating, since dystrophin-deficiency is known to be associated with an increased susceptibility to mechanically induced damage. In some recordings from mdx myotubes, MS channel open probability gradually increased to levels approaching unity following seal formation. In these recordings, channels remained open for the duration of the recording. In other recordings, MS channel open probability remained low after seal formation and applying weak suction evoked conventional stretch-activated gating. Applying strong suction or very positive voltages, however, caused some channels to enter a high open probability gating mode. The shift to a high open probability gating mode coincided with the appearance of stretch-inactivated gating. These findings suggested that mechanical stimulation altered the mechanical properties of the patch causing some MS channels to enter a novel gating mode. In support of this idea, stretchactivated and stretch-inactivated channels were not detected in the same membrane patch and channel inactivation occurred at lower pressures than activation (P1/2, = _13 and _26.5 mmHg, respectively). Other experiments showed that stretch-inactivated gating was not due to a simple loss of MS channel activity from a non-random process such as vesiculation or bleb formation: channel inactivation by suction was readily reversible, stable over tens of minutes, and followed the predictions of the binomial theorem for independent, randomly gating channels. In addition, the voltage-dependent gating of stretch-inactivated channels was similar to that of stretch-activated channels. The results show that MS channels in dystrophin-deficient muscle exist in two distinct gating modes and that mechanical stimuli cause an irreversible conversion between modes. We discuss possible mechanisms for the changes in MS channel gating in relation to the known cytoskeletal abnormalities of mdx muscle and its possible implications for the pathogenesis of Duchenne dystrophy.
Propagation of Low-Mode Internal Waves through the Ocean

Abstract The baroclinic tides play a significant role in the energy budget of the abyssal ocean. Although the basic principles of generation and propagation are known, a clear understanding of these phenomena in the complex ocean environment is only now emerging. To advance this effort, a ray model is developed that quantifies the effects of spatially variable topography, stratification, and planetary vorticity on the horizontal propagation of internal gravity modes. The objective is to identify “baroclinic shoals” where wave energy is spatially concentrated and enhanced dissipation might be expected. The model is then extended to investigate the propagation of internal waves through a barotropic mesoscale current field. The refraction of tidally generated internal waves at the Hawaiian Ridge is examined using an ensemble of mesoscale background realizations derived from weekly Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/Poseidon altimetric measurements. The path of mode 1 is only slightly affected by typical cur...
Reducing constants for corresponding states and reduced equations of state

Abstract It is shown that the three sets of reducing constants (the critical constants, the constants of the intermolecular potential, and the unit-compressibility (UC) constants), all of which can be used as reducing factors for the two-constant system of corresponding states and for two-constant equations of state, are no longer equivalent when three or more constants are needed. For such fluids, there are no reducing constants for temperature and density that can produce a correspondence in the compressibility factor Z, or in the reduced pressure. However, the UC constants do give accurate correspondence of reduced non-ideality, (Z - 1); the other two sets of constants are not acceptable. In particular it is shown that the critical constants, which are most commonly used, lead to unavoidable inaccuracy in systems of corresponding states and reduced equations of state.
Determination of the angle between the acceptor and anticodon stems of a truncated mitochondrial tRNA.

Significant departures from the canonical (cloverleaf) secondary structure of transfer (t)RNAs can be found among the mitochondrial (m)tRNAs of higher metazoans; these mtRNAs thus pose a challenge to the concept of an invariant, L-shaped tertiary conformation for all tRNAs. For bovine mtRNASer(AGY), which lacks the entire "dihydrouridine" (dhU) arm, two distinct tertiary models have been proposed: the first model preserves the L-shaped conformation at the expense of overall size; the second model preserves the absolute distance between the 3' terminus and the anticodon loop, while allowing the acceptor-anticodon interstem angle to vary. We have tested the central predictions of these two models by performing a series of transient electric birefringence measurements on bovine mtRNASer(AGY) constructs in which the aminoacyl-acceptor and anticodon stems were each extended by approximately 70 bp. This mtRNA species is particularly amenable to analysis, since the native bovine (heart) mtRNA is completely unmodified outside of the anticodon loop. For magnesium ion concentrations above 1 mM, the interstem angle for the extended mtRNA, 120(+/-5) degrees, is approximately 50% larger than the corresponding angle for yeast tRNAPhe (70-80 degrees) under the same ionic conditions. Furthermore, the interstem angles of the two tRNAs exhibit strikingly different responses to the addition of magnesium ions: the interstem angle for yeast tRNAPhe is reduced by nearly 50 % upon addition of 2 mM magnesium ions, whereas the angle for mtRNASer(AGY) increases by about 10%. Our data thus support a central prediction of the second model; namely, that truncated mtRNAs will possess more open interstem angles. In addition, we demonstrate that birefringence amplitude data can be used to provide model-independent estimates for the interstem angles.
Communities as assembled structures: Do rules govern pattern?

Because of its unwieldy complexity, understanding organization at the community level has been an elusive, often frustrating enterprise. This survey concentrates on the assembly process itself, and examines whether there are mechanics to community assembly that provide the foundation for a general theory of organization at the community level.
Calculation of the pion decay constant in the framework of the Bethe-Salpeter equation.

We elaborate on the calculation of the pion decay constant ${f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}$ in the context of QCD and in the limit of purely spontaneous chiral-symmetry breaking. We use the expressions given by relativistic boundstate theory which require the simultaneous solution of the Schwinger-Dyson equation and of the Bethe-Salpeter equation developed to first order in the pion momentum. The equations are solved by numerical iteration in the Landau gauge and in the ladder approximation, but without any further approximations. We use a model for the gluon propagator with ultraviolet behavior determined by renormalization-group considerations and discuss its influence on the determination of ${f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}$. We analyze approximations that have been used in the literature for the calculation of ${f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}$ and discuss their limitations.
Neurobiology of addiction. Toward the development of new therapies.

Abstract: Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disorder characterized by neurobiological changes that lead to a compulsion to take a drug with loss of control over drug intake. The hypothesis outlined here is that knowledge of the neurochemical systems involved in the transition from drug use to the compulsive use of addiction will provide the rational basis for development of pharmacotherapies for drug addiction. Much evidence has been obtained in identifying the midbrain-basal forebrain neural elements involved in the positive reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse and more recently in the neural elements involved in the negative reinforcement associated with drug addiction. Key elements for the acute reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse include a macrostructure in the basal forebrain called the extended amygdala that contains parts of the nucleus accumbens and amgydala and involves key neurotransmitters such as dopamine, opioid peptides, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate. Withdrawal from drugs of abuse is associated with subjective symptoms of negative affect, such as dysphoria, depression, irritability and anxiety, and dysregulation of brain reward systems involving some of the same neurochemical systems implicated in the acute reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse. In addition, acute withdrawal is accompanied by recruitment of the brain stress neurotransmitter system, corticotropin-releasing factor. Animal models of craving involve not only conditioning models but also models of excessive drug intake during prolonged abstinence, post-acute withdrawal, that may reflect continued dysregulation of drug reinforcement that could lead to vulnerability to relapse and represent an important focus for pharmacotherapy. Such changes have been hypothesized to involve a change in set point for drug reward that may represent an allostatic state contributing to vulnerability to relapse and re-entry into the addiction cycle. Elucidation of the specific neuropharmacological changes contributing to this prolonged functional dysregulation will be the challenge of future research on the neurobiology of drug addiction.
Implementing an exact finite boundary integral equation method for finite rough surfaces (L).

An exact integral equation approach to solving scattering from a finite section of roughness in an otherwise infinitely flat surface was described in DeSanto and Martin [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 102, 67–77]. In this letter, the details of a numerical implementation of this approach are presented for a rough pressure release surface. An example comparing the results from this method to those from a standard, truncated integral approach is given.
Effect of focal zone on a curved array transducer.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the effect of electronic focusing of a linear array transducer on received ultrasound signal. METHODS: Two tissue-mimicking phantoms of known attenuation were imaged with a focal distance that was varied from 2 to 12 cm. Received signal was processed by Fourier analysis to compute average frequency and power as functions of depth within the phantom. RESULTS: Average received frequency increases dramatically over the first centimeter from the transducer and then decreases linearly to 8 to 11 cm with a slope proportional to the phantom's attenuation. Average frequency from greater depths decreases more rapidly and is dependent on the focal zone. Received power peaks at approximately the focal depth and decays exponentially beyond that level; the decay constant is proportional to the phantom's attenuation but independent of focusing. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency and power of received ultrasound signal are altered by electronic focusing in ways that may significantly influence both tissue characterization and clinical imaging applications.
Hand span and digital motion on the keyboard: concerns of overuse syndrome in musicians.

Purpose To investigate the hand motion of pianists when they performed an octave and a chord, which accounted for 74% of the piano techniques that the subjects practiced at the onset of overuse hand problems. The octave position was to strike 2 keys that were 16.7 cm apart simultaneously with the thumb and small finger, and the chord position was to strike 3 keys with 4.8 cm between the borders. Methods The abduction angle of both the thumbs and the small fingers of 10 pianists while playing a chord and an octave were measured repeatedly with a video-based passive marker detection system. The angles were compared between pianists with large hand spans and those with small hand spans. Results When playing the octave both the maximal and minimal abduction angles of the thumb were significantly larger for the smaller-hand pianists as compared with the pianists with larger hand spans. When playing the chord the maximal abduction angle of the thumb of small–hand-span pianists was significantly larger than that of large–hand-span pianists. The abduction of the small finger, however, did not differ during performance of either the octave or the chord. Conclusions These results suggest that the small–hand-span pianists must abduct the thumb more than large–hand-span pianists while minimizing movement of the small finger. This may cause de Quervain's tenosynovitis in pianists.
Bioorganotin chemistry: Reactions of tributyltin derivatives with a cytochrome P-450 dependent monooxygenase enzyme system

Abstract The biological oxidation of several tributyltin derivatives, by a cytochrome P-450 dependent monooxygenase enzyme system with reduced nicotinamideadeninedinucleotidephosphate as the essential cofactor, produced carbon-hydroxylated compounds identified as α-, β-, γ- and δ-hydroxybutyldibutyltin derivatives. The hydroxylation pattern and the lack of oxidative cleavage of tin-carbon bonds strongly suggest a free radical rather than an oxenoid mechanism, while the predominance of β-carbon-hydroxylation further implies some role of the tin-carbon σ electrons in directing the site of hydroxylation.
Controlled Low-Strength Material Used Around Buried Pipelines

Controlled low-strength material (CLSM) is commonly used as an alternative to traditional soil backfill materials around buried pipes. Laboratory and field tests were performed on various CLSM mixtures to evaluate their performance for the following: short- and long-term compressive strength, bearing resistance, and resilient modulus; setting time; settlement under repeated traffic loads in comparison with other backfills and adjacent pavement; susceptibility to freeze-thaw cycles; and freeze depth in the backfill. Several mix ratios based on the standard specifications of various state highway agencies were evaluated in the testing program. The strength properties of CLSM and its susceptibility to freeze-thaw were highly dependent on the amount and type of fly ash, cement content, and the amount of water added to the mix. Test results of samples obtained from the field did not compare well with those of laboratory-mixed samples of similar mix ratios. This difference was mainly due to the addition of wate...
Adjuvant radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy shows no ability to improve rates of overall and cancer-specific survival in a matched case-control study

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of adjuvant radiotherapy (aRT) on the rate of cancer-specific and overall survival after radical prostatectomy (RP) in a group of patients with a long-term follow-up, as there is controversy about the benefit of aRT after RP for prostate cancer when endpoints beyond biochemical and local recurrence are considered. PATIENTS AND METHODS Within a study cohort of 752 patients treated with RP, 118 (15.7%) received aRT; these patients were matched with controls who did not receive aRT after RP. Exact matches were made for pT stage, RP Gleason sum, surgical margin status, age (±10 years), year of surgery (±10 years) and delivery of hormonal therapy. Kaplan-Meier and life-table analyses were used to assess overall and cancer-specific survival RESULTS The median (range) follow-up was 11.4 (0.1–41) years. The 10- and 20-year overall survival after RP in those with no aRT were, respectively, 81.1% and 44.8%, vs 75.5% and 40.0% in the aRT group (P = 0.1). The corresponding probabilities for cause-specific survival were, respectively, 97.3% and 89.0% vs 86.3% and 69.3% (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the overall and cause-specific survival between the groups after matching (hazard ratio 0.9, log rank P = 0.6; and 2.1, log rank P = 0.1, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our analysis showed that, in a matched case-control study, aRT has no effect on overall and cancer-specific survival. Further randomized long-term studies are necessary to confirm these results.
The visiting parent: A personal approach to helping parents of infants-at-risk

The Visting Parent Program is a support service for parents of newborn infants hospitalized at the Holden Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Ann Arbor. Selected parents, whose babies have gone home, become volunteers to visit new parents and provide support to help counteract the feelings of anxiety and isolation of the new parents. In this transcription of a workshop presentation at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health, the Holden social worker describes the program and 4 visiting parents tell of their feelings when their infant was at Holden and their experiences and strategies as visiting parents.
Low-fat Bologna In A Model System With Varying Types And Levels Of Konjac Blends

A low-fat bologna model system (LFBMS) with a konjac blend (KB) level of 0.5% had higher moisture content and shear stress values (p<0.05) than a 1.0% KB. Increasing moisture:protein (M:P) ratios from 5.0 to 6.0 had the greatest effect on chemical and physical parameters. Three konjac types (KSS, KHC and KNC) had varying effects on these parameters. Allo-Kramer shear, texture profile analysis (TPA) and torsion tests indicated that LFBMS with a 0.5% konjac level and a M:P ratio of 6.0 or a 1.0% konjac level and M:P ratios of 5.5 or 6.0 yielded similar products to the control (30% fat).
Prediction of drug clearance in children: a review of different methodologies

Introduction: Children are not small adults because the differences between adults and children are not simply due to body weight, but also due to physiological and biochemical differences. Hence, dosing in children should not be a ‘small adult dose’. During pediatric drug development, selection of a suitable dose for the first-in-children clinical study (Pharmacokinetic [PK], safety and efficacy) is of utmost importance. Considering the importance of clearance in dose selection, a lot of approaches have been suggested for the prediction of drug clearance in children. This review examines many proposed methods for the prediction of drug clearance in the pediatric population and highlights the application and limitations of these proposed methods.Areas covered: In this review, different methods for the prediction of drug clearance in the pediatric population are discussed. These methods include allometric models, population-based pharmacometric models and physiologically based PK models.Expert opinion: All...
The physiology of hatching of aedine mosquito eggs: Carbon monoxide stimulation and ethyl chloride inhibition of hatching of Aedes aegypti (L.) eggs

Abstract Hatching of eggs of Aedes aegypti (L.), which is normally stimulated in nature by a reduction of the ambient oxygen concentration, is induced by carbon monoxide without a reduction of pO 2 . This stimulatory effect of carbon monoxide is photoreversible, demonstrating an inhibition of the terminal respiratory enzyme cytochrome oxidase and is considered to be analogous to natural stimulation. Illumination of the anterior halves (head and thorax) of larvae reduces the amount of hatching due to carbon monoxide to significantly ( p = 0·001) lower levels than occurs when the posterior halves (abdomen) are illuminated. The anaesthetic ethyl chloride reversibly inhibits hatching of these eggs in response to both low pO 2 and to carbon monoxide, demonstrating the participation of the embryo's nervous system in the process. These results locate the stimulus receptor within the anterior portion of the larva and suggest the involvement of the nervous system in stimulus reception.
Analysis of solute transport in flow fields influenced by preferential flowpaths at the decimeter scale.

Several recent studies at the Macrodispersion Experiment (MADE) site in Columbus, Mississippi, have indicated that the relative preferential flowpaths and flow barriers resulting from decimeter-scale aquifer heterogeneities appear to have a dominant effect on plume-scale solute transport. Numerical experiments are thus conducted in this study to explore the key characteristics of solute transport in two-dimensional flow fields influenced by decimeter-scale preferential flowpaths. A hypothetical but geologically plausible network of 10 cm wide channels of high hydraulic conductivity is used to represent the relative preferential flowpaths embedded in an otherwise homogeneous aquifer. When the hydraulic conductivity in the channels is 100 times greater than that in the remaining portion of the aquifer, the calculated concentration distributions under three source configurations all exhibit highly asymmetrical, non-Gaussian patterns. These patterns, with peak concentrations close to the source and extensive spreading downgradi-ent, resemble that observed at the MADE site tracer tests. When the contrast between the channel and nonchannel hydraulic conductivities is reduced to 30:1 from 100:1, the calculated mass distribution curve starts to approach a Gaussian one with the peak concentration near the central portion of the plume. Additional analysis based on a fieldscale model demonstrates that the existence of decimeter-scale preferential flowpaths can have potentially far-reaching implications for ground water remediation. Failure to account for them in numerical simulation could lead to over-estimation of the effectiveness of the remedial measure under consideration.
The impact of information and computer based training on negotiators' performance

This paper presents the results of an experiment on negotiation, designed to measure the impact of (1) computerized training and (2) information on negotiators' performance
Designing for metacognition—applying cognitive tutor principles to the tutoring of help seeking

Intelligent Tutoring Systems have been shown to be very effective in supporting learning in domains such as mathematics, physics, computer programming, etc. However, they are yet to achieve similar success in tutoring metacognition. While an increasing number of educational technology systems support productive metacognitive behavior within the scope of the system, few attempt to teach skills students need to become better future learners. To that end, we offer a set of empirically-based design principles for metacognitive tutoring. Our starting point is a set of design principles put forward by Anderson et al. (Journal of the Learning Sciences, 4:167-207, 1995) regarding Cognitive Tutors, a family of Intelligent Tutoring Systems. We evaluate the relevance of these principles to the tutoring of help-seeking skills, based on our ongoing empirical work with the Help Tutor. This auxiliary tutor agent is designed to help students learn to make effective use of the help facilities offered by a Cognitive Tutor. While most of Anderson's principles are relevant to the tutoring of help seeking, a number of differences emerge as a result of the nature of metacognitive knowledge and of the need to combine metacognitive and domain-level tutoring. We compare our approach to other metacognitive tutoring systems, and, where appropriate, propose new guidelines to promote the discussion regarding the nature and design of metacognitive tutoring within scaffolded problem- solving environments.
Degradation of NSC-281612 (4-[bis[2-[(Methylsulfonyl)Oxy]ethyl]amino]-2-methyl-benzaldehyde), an Experimental Antineoplastic Agent: Effects of PH, Solvent Composition, (SBE)7m-β-CD, and HP-β-CD on Stability

Abstract NSC-281612 (4-[bis[2-[(methylsulfonyl)oxy]ethyl]amino]-2-methyl-benzaldehyde, 1 ), is a chemically unstable, poorly water soluble, experimental antineoplastic agent. The saturated solubility in water at 25°C was determined as ∼30 μg/mL. In the pH range 2–11, 1 displayed pH-independent stability (t 50 was around 24 hr). However, an increase in the degradation rate was observed at pH 12. The hydrolysis of the methane sulfonate groups to the corresponding hydroxyl groups was the major degradation pathway in water in the absence of buffers and added halide ions. In phosphate buffer solutions without sodium chloride, phosphate degradants appear to be formed in addition to the mono- and dihydroxy degradants. Additional degradants, the mono- and dichloro degradation products, were formed when the ionic strength of the solution was adjusted with sodium chloride. When bromide and iodide ions were added, the corresponding mono- and dihalides were formed. The chloro compounds subsequently underwent further degradation to the hydroxy products. A deuterium kinetic solvent isotope effect study showed that water was minimally involved in the rate-determining step. The addition of either (SBE) 7m -β-cyclodextrin (CD) or HP-β-CD resulted in a significant enhancement in drug solubility and stability. The apparent binding constants for HP-β-CD and (SBE) 7m -β-CD were 1,486 and 2,740 M −1 , respectively. The stability of 1 in the presence of 0.1 M HP-β-CD and (SBE) 7m -β-CD was enhanced 9- and 15-fold, respectively. Thus, (SBE) 7m -β-CD displayed better solubilization and stabilization efficacy than HP-β-CD. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association
Founder backgrounds and the evolution of firm size

To what extent are firm size differences influenced by entrepreneurs' pre-founding experience, and do these differences persist over time? We analyze these questions using a novel data set assembled for Australian and New Zealand wine producers on their heritage and sizes at various ages. Our findings indicate that on average firms founded by individuals with prior wine industry experience are larger initially and remain larger for at least the next 20 years. Using additional data on professional backgrounds, export scope, and the size of the firms at which experienced founders previously worked, we explore alternative mechanisms that could have generated these persistent size differences. Copyright 2011 The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.
Generation of artificial biometric data enhanced with contextual information for game strategy-based behavioral biometrics

For the domain of strategy-based behavioral biometrics we propose the concept of profiles enhanced with spatial, temporal and contextual information. Inclusion of such information leads to a more stable baseline profile and as a result more secure systems. Such enhanced data is not always readily available and often is time consuming and expensive to acquire. One solution to this problem is the use of artificially generated data. In this paper a novel methodology for creation of feature-level synthetic biometric data is presented. Specifically generation of behavioral biometric data represented by game playing strategies is demonstrated. Data validation methods are described and encouraging results are obtained with possibility of expanding proposed methodologies to generation of artificial data in the domains other then behavioral biometrics.
Recurrent Peripheral Facial Palsy in a Child With Familial Mediterranean Fever

Abstract Background Recurrent peripheral facial palsy is uncommon in children. It mostly occurs as an idiopathic disorder and to a lesser extent in the setting of some infectious, genetic, or systemic disorders. However, its association with familial Mediterranean fever has not been reported before. Patient We present a 14-year-old girl who experienced three episodes of right-sided peripheral facial palsy during a 9-month interval. She had a diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever (homozygous with M694V mutation) and she had been receiving colchicine for 8 years. Recurrent peripheral facial palsy could be a neurological manifestation of vasculitis in familial Mediterranean fever. Conclusion Recurrent peripheral facial palsy may be a manifestation of familial Mediterranean fever in children.