cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Twice-daily pre-mixed insulin rather than basal insulin therapy alone results in better overall glycaemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes

Aims To compare the glycaemic control of an insulin lispro mixture (25% insulin lispro and 75% NPL) twice daily in combination with metformin to that of once-daily insulin glargine plus metformin in patients with Type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with intermediate insulin, or insulin plus oral agent(s) combination therapy. Research design and methods Ninety-seven patients were randomized in a multicentre, open-label, 32-week crossover study. Primary variables evaluated: haemoglobin A1c (A1c), 2-h post-prandial blood glucose (BG), hypoglycaemia rate (episodes/patient/30 days), incidence (% patients experiencing ≥ 1 episode) of overall and nocturnal hypoglycaemia. Results At endpoint, A1c was lower with the insulin lispro mixture plus metformin compared with glargine plus metformin (7.54% ± 0.87% vs. 8.14% ± 1.03%, P < 0.001). Change in A1c from baseline to endpoint was greater with the insulin lispro mixture plus metformin (−1.00% vs. −0.42%; P < 0.001). Two-hour post-prandial BG was lower after morning, midday, and evening meals (P < 0.001) during treatment with the insulin lispro mixture plus metformin. The fasting BG values were lower with glargine plus metformin (P = 0.007). Despite lower BG at 03.00 hours (P < 0.01), patients treated with the insulin lispro mixture plus metformin had a lower rate of nocturnal hypoglycaemia (0.14 ± 0.49 vs. 0.34 ± 0.85 episodes/patient/30 days; P = 0.002), although the overall hypoglycaemia rate was not different between treatments (0.61 ± 1.41 vs. 0.44 ± 1.07 episodes/patient/30 days; P = 0.477). Conclusion In patients with Type 2 diabetes and inadequate glucose control while on insulin or insulin and oral agent(s) combination therapy, treatment with a twice-daily insulin lispro mixture plus metformin, which targets both post-prandial and pre-meal BG, provided clinically significant improvements in A1c, significantly reduced post-prandial BG after each meal, and reduced nocturnal hypoglycaemia as compared with once-daily glargine plus metformin, a treatment that targets fasting BG.
A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration of Intrinsic Problems in Designing Inquiry Activities

A central concern in science education is promoting inquiry activities, and a significant amount of research in science education has addressed what inhibits this goal. However, this research has tended to be focused on implementation issues. Levels of implementation are correlated with extrinsic barriers such as time, resources and teacher knowledge, but the internal structure of inquiry remains unexamined. However, are there also some ways in which inquiry based instruction is intrinsically difficult? That is, given perfect conditions for implementation, is devising inquiry activities a non-trivial matter, and are there patterns to the difficulties in doing so? The aim of this paper is to provide both a theoretical and empirical basis for the intrinsic problems associated with the construction of inquiry activities. We present a theoretical framework that connects contemporary studies of science to the classroom context. We then examine a case study of teacher education students designing inquiry-based instruction to demonstrate empirical evidence of intrinsic problems. Our ultimate goal is to improve our ability as teacher educators to guide science teachers in fulfilling this central task of their work.
Energetics of Pore Opening in a Voltage-Gated K+ Channel

Voltage-dependent gating in K(+) channels results from the mechanical coupling of voltage sensor movements to pore opening. We used single and double mutations in the pore of the Shaker K(+) channel to analyze a late concerted pore opening transition and interpreted the results in the context of known K(+) channel structures. Gating sensitive mutations are located at mechanistically informative regions of the pore and are coupled energetically across distances up to 15 A. We propose that the pore is intrinsically more stable when closed, and that to open the pore the voltage sensors must exert positive work by applying an outward lateral force near the inner helix bundle.
Factors Affecting Hispanic Women’s Participation in Screening for Cervical Cancer

Hispanic women’s cervical cancer rates are disproportionately high. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used as a theoretical framework to explore beliefs, attitudes, socio-economic, and cultural factors influencing Hispanic women’s decisions about cervical cancer screening. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Hispanic women 18–65 years old (n = 205) in the Upstate of South Carolina. Generalized Linear Modeling was used. Across all models, perceived threats (susceptibility and severity), self-efficacy, and the interaction of benefits and barriers were significant predictors. Significant covariates included age, marital status, income, regular medical care, and familism. A modified HBM was a useful model for examining cervical cancer screening in this sample of Hispanic women. The inclusion of external, or social factors increased the strength of the HBM as an explanatory model. The HBM can be used as a framework to design culturally appropriate cervical cancer screening interventions.
Online in academia: a survey of online searching in US colleges and universities

Although online searching has been available to libraries since the late 1960s, it is only in very recent years that a significant number of academic institutions have begun offering information retrieval through commercial vendors such as Dialog, BRS (Bibliographic Retrieval Service), and SDC's (System Development Corporation's) Orbit. Because online searching is so new compared with traditional library services, it is still developing as a standard offering in most academic libraries.
The responsibility of engineers, appropriate technology, and lesser developed nations

Projects importing technology to lesser developed nations may raise five important concerns: famine resulting from substitution of cash crops for subsistence crops, the use of products banned in the United States but permitted overseas, the use of products safe in the U.S. but unsafe under local conditions, ecological consequences of technological change, and cultural disruption caused by displacing traditional ways of life. Are engineers responsible for the foreseeable hunger, environmental degradation, cultural disruption, and illness that results from the project? Are engineers guilty of paternalism if they refuse to accept the project for that reason? Criteria are given to help engineers assess the extent of their responsibility when working in lesser developed nations.
Optimal lead selection for detection of ST segment shifts.

A comparison was made to determine the ability of optimal sets of 2–6 unipolar leads and a normal Holter lead set to estimate ST potential distributions changes induced by balloon inflation during angioplasty. The performance of these lead nets was compared to measurements observed in recorded 32-lead body surface maps. Unipolar lead potentials were estimated using a linear, least mean squared error estimator of the total body surface map. The correlation between maximum ST potential change in the body surface map and that predicted by the unipolar lead sets ranged from 0.84–0.93. The correlation between maximum ST segment change measured from the body surface map and measured from the Holter leads was 0.29. Therefore, shifts in ST segment potentials can accurately be estimated from a small number of unipolar leads. In contrast, current bipolar ambulatory recording techniques may introduce significant bias to such estimates.
Patterned inhibition from single eye muscle stretch in the cat

Abstract The present study was undertaken to determine in more detail the nature of the apparent postural reflexes relating eye muscle stretch to the rest of the skeletal musculature. It was found, using the method of response tallying, that, with the cat level, 40-g stretch of the inferior rectus elicited a pattern of inhibition which might tend to favor forelimb flexion, of the superior rectus forelimb extension, and of the horizontal recti a turn of the head and neck away from the direction of gaze and a decrease in the tone of the forelimb opposite the direction of gaze. With the head up, the same pattern of response appeared to hold, though stretch of the superior rectus had no distinctly patterned effect, and the most inhibited limb muscle changed from the left neck, with the cat level, to the left biceps. With the head down, stretch of the inferior rectus seemed to favor forelimb flexion, but stretches of the superior and horizontal recti had little distinct effect. The receptors responsible for the inhibition were localized by control experiments within the extraocular muscles. These responses are of the same sort as those evoked by vestibular stimulation by whole-body tilt and suggest that oculovestibular effects are bidirectional.
Effects of decomposition-treatment temperature on infiltration pressure of a surface modified nanoporous silica gel

Abstract When a nanoporous silica gel surface modified by silyl groups is decomposition-treated at a relatively low temperature, while the network is stable, the organic surface layers can be deactivated. As a result, the degree of hydrophobicity, which can be measured by the liquid infiltration pressure, is lowered. The infiltration and defiltration behaviors of liquid are dependent on the controlled decomposition-treatment time, the liquid composition, as well as the testing temperature. By adding electrolyte or using higher testing temperature, the infiltration pressure can be increased and the defiltration can be promoted.
Nocturnal sleep in squirrel monkeys.

Abstract The nocturnal sleep records of three squirrel monkeys over 12 h sessions were examined for 7 consecutive nights. The sleep records were described in terms of the percentage of time in each of the stages of Awake. Stages 1.2.3 4 and REM. The mean percent time spent in sleep was 82.4″ ″ of the recording period. The average amount of ″ ″ REM sleep was 22.9″, with a total NREM of 58.8″ ″ . The presence of 3 4 (slow wave) sleep was largely restricted to the first half of the nightly session with REM sleep the dominant stage in the second half of the night. Comparison of the sleep of the squirrel monkey with other primates higher on the phytogenetic scale indicated the squirrel monkey would serve as an excellent representative for the study of primate sleep wakefulness.
Optical manipulation of quantum dot excitons strongly coupled to photonic crystal cavities

In this paper, we review some recent cavity quantum electrodynamic (CQED) experiments with single quantum dot exciton coupled to photonic crystal cavities, performed in our group. We show how the coupled quantum-dot/cavity system can be used to modulate light with at a very fundamental level with very low power and discuss some applications of these low power modulators.
A Linearized Method to Measure Dynamic Friction of Microdevices

We propose and evaluate a linearized method to measure dynamic friction between micromachined surfaces. This linearized method reduces the number of data points needed to obtain dynamic friction data, minimizing the effect of wear on sliding surfaces during the measurement. We find that the coefficient of dynamic friction is lower than the coefficient of static friction, while the adhesive pressure is indistinguishable for the two measurements. Furthermore, after an initial detailed measurement is made on a device type, the number of trial runs required to take the data on subsequent devices can be reduced from 200 to approximately 20.
Results of Two Pumping Tests in Wisconsin Age Weathered Till in Iowa

Glacial till overlies many bedrock aquifers in Iowa, and a number of landfills and leaking underground storage tank sites are located in weathered and unweathered till. To investigate the potential for significant lateral ground-water flow in Wisconsin age weathered loam till in Iowa, two 24-hour pumping tests were performed in the shallow unconfined ground water present in the weathered till, a constant flowrate pumping test and a constant drawdown pumping test. The saturated thickness in the weathered till at the research site is less than 3 m, and choosing a constant flowrate sufficient for significant drawdown in the monitoring wells without dewatering the pumping well was difficult. In a low conductivity medium with a thin saturated thickness, the constant drawdown pumping test was found to be a more practical field technique. In the constant drawdown test, a chosen level of constant drawdown is maintained in the pumping well for the duration of pumping, and the flowrate decreases with time. The changing flowrate of the constant drawdown pumping test was approximated as a series of step decreases, and superposition of the Theis solution was used for simulation. Both types of pumping tests yielded similar parameter estimates for the weathered loam till region in Iowa, with an average bulk horizontal hydraulic conductivity of around 5×10-4 cm/s and an average specific yield of about 0.032. Single well response (bail) tests produced comparable estimates for hydraulic conductivity, with a mean of 3×10-4 cm/s. The results imply significant lateral ground-water flow is possible, and the weathered till should not be considered a significant barrier to the lateral spread of shallow ground-water contamination.
Clinical and Clinicopathologic Features in 11 Cats with Cuterebra Larvae Myiasis of the Central Nervous System

The medical records of 11 cats with histopathologic findings consistent with central nervous system (CNS) Cuterebra larvae myiasis were retrospectively examined to determine if clinical features could identify this disorder antemortem. Young to middleaged indoor-outdoor domestic shorthaired cats presenting with acute neurologic signs from July through September predominated. Many cats recently had clinical signs consistent with upper respiratory disease. Most cats presented for depression, lethargy, or seizures. Almost all cats had abnormal rectal temperatures, either hyperthermia or hypothermia. Peripheral leukocytosis and eosinophilia were not characteristic of cats with CNS cuterebriasis. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis did not consistently disclose evidence of inflammation. Common neurologic deficits included blindness, abnormal mentation, and signs of unilateral prosencephalic disease. No specific clinical or clinicopathologic test was diagnostic for CNS cuterebriasis.
Making Better Use of Optimization Capability in Distribution System Planning

Abstract To have an efficient optimization technique for a class of problems is to have no more than a tool. Like any tool, it can be used well or poorly. This paper is about how to use one such tool for distribution planning problems [5]. Discussion centers on four topics of importance in practical applications: the relationship between system cost and the number of distribution facilities, sensitivity analysis, robustness analysis, and implementation priority analysis. Each of these topics requires the use of optimization in ways that are sometimes less than obvious. Several illustrations are drawn from actual applications in the auto parts, consumer products, food, and mining industries.
Traps and Defects in AlGaN-GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors on Semi-Insulating SiC Substrates

High electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) based on AlGaN-GaN hetero-structures are promising for high power, high speed, and high temperature operation. Especially, AlGaN-GaN HEMTs grown on semi-insulating (SI) SiC substrates are the most promising for both military and commercial applications. High performance characteristics from these devices are possible in part due to the presence of high two-dimensional electron gas charge sheet density maintaining a high Hall mobility at the AlGaN barrier-GaN buffer hetero-interface and in part due to high thermal conductivity of the SiC substrates. However, long-term reliability of these devices still remains a major concern because of the large number of traps and defects present both in the bulk as well as at the surface leading to undesirable characteristics including current collapse. We report on the study of traps and defects in two MOCVD-grown structures: Al0.27Ga0.73N HEMTs on SI SiC substrates and Al0.27Ga0.73N Schottky diodes on conducting SiC substrates. Our HEMT structures consisting of undoped AlGaN barrier and GaN buffer layers grown on an AlN nucleation layer show a charge sheet density of ∼1013/cm2 and a Hall mobility of ∼1500cm2/V·sec. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) was employed to study traps in AlGaN Schottky diodes and HEMTs fabricated with different Schottky contacts consisting of Pt/Au and Ni/Au. Focused ion beam was employed to prepare both cross-sectional and plan view TEM samples for defect analysis using a high resolution TEM.
What Has Sociology to Contribute to the Study of Inequality Trends? A Historical and Comparative Perspective

Most of the empirical and theoretical research on the rising inequality trend in American labor markets has occurred within labor economics despite long-standing sociological interest in the structure of inequality and despite strong evidence that the trend was produced by institutional as well as technological forces. Several reasons for this imbalance are discussed. The fact of differing inequality trends in the United States and Europe offers an additional perspective on the potential explanations for the American trends. This comparative perspective highlights the role of institutions in producing inequality trends and suggests strategies for potentially productive sociological research on these issues.
Perception of missing fundamental pitch by 3- and 4-month-old human infants

A hallmark of complex pitch perception is that the pitch of a harmonic complex is the same whether or not the fundamental frequency is present. By 7 months, infants appear to discriminate on the basis of the pitch of the missing fundamental (MF). Although electrophysiological cortical responses to MF pitch changes have been recorded in infants younger than 7 months, no psychophysical studies have been published. This study investigated the ability of 3- and 4-month-olds to perceive the pitch of MF harmonic complexes based on fundamentals of 160 Hz and 200 Hz using an observer-based method. In experiment I, to demonstrate MF pitch discrimination, 3- and 4-month-olds were required to ignore spectral changes in complexes with the same fundamental and to respond only when the fundamental changed. In experiment II, a 60–260 Hz noise was presented with complexes to mask combination tones at the fundamental frequency. In experiment III, complexes were bandpass filtered with a −12 dB/octave slope to limit use of spectral edge cues and presented with a pink noise to mask all distortion products. Nearly all infants tested categorized complexes by MF pitch in these experiments, suggesting perception of the missing fundamental at 3 months.
Analysis of reported randomized trials of streptokinase therapy for acute myocardial infarction in the 1980s

Trials of intracoronary (IC) and intravenous (IV) streptokinase (SK) therapy for myocardial infarction have shown variable effects on mortality and left ventricular (LV) function. A pooled analysis of 10 randomized trials involving a total of 14,355 patients was performed to look for overall trends in the change in mortality within 6 weeks (group A) and after 6 weeks (group B) of follow-up, and the change in LV function. All 10 trials, 7 with IC and 3 with IV SK, were randomized after 1980. There was a significant reduction in mortality risk in patients in group A treated with IV SK (pooled odds ratio = 0.81, 95% confidence interval = 0.73 to 0.90, p less than 0.001). In contrast, no significant differences in mortality were detected in patients in group B treated with IV SK or in patients in either group treated with IC SK. Two IV SK trials that prospectively stratified patient population according to duration of symptoms showed a greater reduction in mortality with administration of SK therapy within 3 hours of onset of symptoms. Analysis of LV function was performed before, within 96 hours after and 1 to 4 weeks after SK therapy. Only 2 of 7 IC SK trials showed significantly greater improvement in global LV ejection fraction in SK group compared with a control group, both showing improvement in LV function between early and late after treatment. Thus, IV SK therapy significantly reduces short-term risk of death after acute myocardial infarction; 2 trials show a greater reduction in mortality risk with earlier institution of IV SK therapy.
Nontuberculous mycobacteria in the HIV infected patient

The reduction in disseminated NTM infections caused by HAART is one of the success stories in the history of HIV in the developed world. Despite this success, these diseases still occur and may have atypical presentations in patients receiving HAART. Clinicians treating HIV-infected patients must remain familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases and implement prevention strategies when indicated.
What we talk about when we talk data: Valences and the social performance of multiple metrics in digital health

Data as a discursive concept in and around data-intensive health and wellness communities evokes multiple social values and social lives for data. Drawing on two years of qualitative, ethnographic observations, participation, and interviews in these communities, our work explores the gap between discourses of data, the practices with and around data, and the contexts in which data “live.” Across the communities of technology designers, “e-health” providers and advocates, and users of health and wellness data, we find that tensions emerge not around the meaning or legitimacy of particular data points, but rather around how data is expected to perform socially, organizationally and institutionally, what we term data valences. Our paper identifies data valences in health and wellness data, shows how these valences are mediated, and demonstrates that distinct data valences are more apparent in the interstitial interactions occurring in the spaces between institutions or among powerful stakeholder groups.
Carbopalladation-depalladation of homoallylic amines and sulfides

Abstract Methanol and stabilized enolates have been found to add to C-4 of homoallylic amines and sulfides in the presence of lithium tetrachloropalladate to give stable chelated palladium complexes in high yield. These complexes may either be isolated or reduced directly with sodium borohydride, providing a simple new route to ω-functionalized amines and sulfides.
Synthesis and evaluation of anthranilic acid-based transthyretin amyloid fibril inhibitors

Eight small molecules were synthesized to evaluate the structure activity relationships (SAR) of N-substituted anthranilic acids. The molecules were synthesized by benzylation or arylation of methyl anthranilate. A light scattering-based amyloid fibril formation assay was used to evaluate potential inhibitors of transthyretin (TTR) amyloid fibril formation in vitro. The m-carboxyphenylated and o-trifluoromethylphenylated anthranilic acids are potent inhibitors that will be subjected to further SAR and structural analysis.
Microencapsulated phase-change materials as heat transfer media in gas-fluidized beds

The objective of this research is to investigate microencapsulated phase-change materials as heat-transfer media in gas-fluidized beds. The effective specific heat of an encapsulated material undergoing phase-transition is several-fold larger than the specific heat of the same material undergoing sensible heat changes. Because heat transfer coefficients in a fluidized bed increase with specific heat of the particulate phase, encapsulated phase-change materials are expected to enhance heat transfer rates in a fluidized bed. Several types of microencapsulated products were evaluated for their usefulness as heat transfer media in fluidized beds, including shells of polymethylene-urea, cross-linked nylon, and gelatin and cores of octadecane and paraffin. Microcapsules with shells of gelatin and cores of octadecane proved most useful in this study. Heat transfer enhancements of 30% were observed for these microcapsules although enhancements of at least 85% were expected based on the effective specific heats of the microcapsules. The thermal resistance of the gelatin shell or octadecane core may be responsible for these results. Another possibility is that particle residence times in the fluidized bed were shorter than estimated, which would reduce the effect of increasing thermal time constant of capsules.
Plutonium metallurgy: The materials science challenges bridging condensed-matter physics and chemistry

Although there exists evidence of metallurgical practices dating back over 6000 years, studies of Pu and Pu alloys have been conducted for barely 60 years. During the time of the Manhattan Project and extending for some time afterward, the priority to produce the metal took precedence over the fundamental understanding of the metallurgical principals. In the past decade or so, there has been a resurgence in the basic metallurgy, condensed-matter physics, and chemistry of Pu and Pu alloys. These communities have made substantial progress, both experimentally and theoretically in many areas; however, many challenges still remain. The intent of this brief overview is to highlight a number important challenges that we face in the metallurgy of Pu including phase transformations and phase stability, aging, and the connection between electronic structure and metallurgy.
High resolution infrared emission spectroscopy of low pressure pre-mixed flames

Abstract High resolution (0.1 cm−1) pure rotation emission lines of HF, HCl, H2O and OH have been observed, in the 500 cm−1 region, of the free radicals and molecules produced in flames of premixed component gases burning in the pressure range 5–70 mm Hg. Although an insufficient number of lines were monitored for numerical analysis, the combination of these unusual flames and the highly sensitive spectrograph used clearly offer a wealth of direct and accurate spectrographic information.
Body Awareness: a phenomenological inquiry into the common ground of mind-body therapies

Enhancing body awareness has been described as a key element or a mechanism of action for therapeutic approaches often categorized as mind-body approaches, such as yoga, TaiChi, Body-Oriented Psychotherapy, Body Awareness Therapy, mindfulness based therapies/meditation, Feldenkrais, Alexander Method, Breath Therapy and others with reported benefits for a variety of health conditions. To better understand the conceptualization of body awareness in mind-body therapies, leading practitioners and teaching faculty of these approaches were invited as well as their patients to participate in focus groups. The qualitative analysis of these focus groups with representative practitioners of body awareness practices, and the perspectives of their patients, elucidated the common ground of their understanding of body awareness. For them body awareness is an inseparable aspect of embodied self awareness realized in action and interaction with the environment and world. It is the awareness of embodiment as an innate tendency of our organism for emergent self-organization and wholeness. The process that patients undergo in these therapies was seen as a progression towards greater unity between body and self, very similar to the conceptualization of embodiment as dialectic of body and self described by some philosophers as being experienced in distinct developmental levels.
Electronic States of Grain Boundaries in Bicrystal Silicon

Electronic states at a 20° symmetrical(100) tilt boundary in p-type silicon were studied using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and other electrical measurements. The data can be explained with a model in which the local barrier height at the grain boundary varies on a scale much smaller than the boundary plane (∼I mm2) under study. Based on a relationship between the carrier capture cross section and energy level deduced from the experimental data, we have been able to calculate the distribution of the density of states in the energy bandgap at the boundary, which contains two groups of continuously distributed states; a major one whose density of states increases monotonically with the position of the state from the valance band, and a minor narrow one whose density of states is centered at Ev,+0.20 eV.
Conversational systems programming by incremental extension of system configuration

An engineer needs tools for his trade and a laboratory or toolshop in which to store them, sharpen them, and use them. A software engineer needs programming tools and a software laboratory. Input/output routines, lexical analyzers, lexicons, storage allocators, temporary files (stacks queues, sorting files), debugging aids, etc., all are useful tools in any software factory or research house. To set up a shop one needs a program library (with librarian), a linkage convention, and a set of interface languages. In my shop (1) each program in the library must have a calling sequence; (2) the linkage convention is a peculiar coroutine linkage (with each program issuing standard subroutine calls on up to k0 virtual facilities (currently k0=8)); and (3) the interface languages are very simple and few in number. An execution instance of a program is a 'process' and may be 'active' or 'suspended'. An output stream of one process may be specified as an input stream of another. Those who build systems such as mine (including myself) are often disinterested in providing simple but useful services like formatted output, program libraries, listing controls, etc. Furthermore we must build some facilities which are not really relevant to our goals (e.g. input-output routines, lexical analyzers, recursion mechanisms, storage allocators, syntax recognizers, and so on). If we try to use facilities constructed for other systems, we must steal copies of the source code and modify them extensively ([Ki 69]). Such facilities are almost always superfluous to our goals and should therefore be external to our systems. This externalization is surprisingly easy.
Role of proton pump inhibitors in non-H. pylori-related ulcers

The proportion of ulcers that are not associated with Helicobacter pylori infection is increasing, especially in the United States and Australia. The alarming increase in this type of ulcer warrants an analysis of the diagnostic and treatment approaches to H. pylori-negative ulcers, which was the aim of this study. The medical literature was reviewed to gather information about the prevalence, aetiology, and treatment of H. pylori-negative ulcers. The reports indicated that up to 52% of duodenal ulcers and 47% of gastric ulcers are not caused by H. pylori infection. The cause of H. pylori-negative ulceration appears to be multifactorial. Contributing factors include covert non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, false-negative H. pylori tests, genetic predisposition, and in rare cases, Crohn's disease or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. H. pylori-negative ulcers tend to be associated with hypersecretion and can have serious clinical sequelae. H. pylori-negative ulcers are often refractory to treatment, possibly because they lack the beneficial effect of H. pylori infection on antisecretory therapy. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) appear to effectively treat both H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative ulcers. We conclude that H. pylori-negative ulcers are becoming more prevalent in the United States and Australia. These ulcers may have an aggressive clinical course and can be refractory to treatment. PPI therapy is indicated for treating and preventing H. pylori-negative peptic ulcers.
Transfer of the Metallothionein-Human Growth Hormone Fusion Gene into Channel Catfish

Abstract The metallothionein-human growth hormone fusion gene (MThGH), constructed by fusing the mouse metallothionein promoter with the human growth hormone gene, was microinjected into the cytoplasm of one-cell embryos of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. The 3-week-old fish that developed were analyzed for integrated copies of the MThGH gene. Two of 10 animals contained MThGH sequences that comigrated with genomic DNA of high molecular weight in southern blots. The MThGH sequences were organized in head-to-tail tandem arrays that are characteristic of foreign genes integrated into recipient cell genomes. These data strongly suggest that the MThGH genes are stably integrated into chromosomal DNA, and that transgenic channel catfish can be generated by cytoplasmic injection of early embryos.
Impacts of Fire-Suppression Activities on Natural Communities

The ecological impacts of wildland fire-suppression activities can be significant and may surpass the impacts of the fire itself. A recent paradigm shift from fire control to fire management has resulted in increased attention to minimizing the negative effects of suppression. While the philosophy behind minimum- impact suppression tactics has provided a good first step in this direction, increased attention to the ecological effects of suppression is needed, especially in the management of public lands. We reviewed the potential impacts of suppression on land, air, and water resources and the impacts of using fire to help control fire. Effects on land resources include erosion, which is exacerbated by the construction of fire lines, temporary roads, and helicopter pads, and some postfire rehabilitation activities. Although the fire itself is the most obvious source of air pollution, the vehicles used in suppression activities contribute to this problem and to noise pollution. Water resources, including aquatic flora and fauna, may be seriously affected by suppression activities that can increase erosion, sedimentation, turbidity, and chemical contamination. Finally, the use of backburns and burnout operations contributes to the risk of soil and water contamination, increases the total area burned, and promotes more intense fires or more homogeneous burned areas. Although no fire-management strategy should be applied uniformly, some general techniques such as use of natural clearings, natural barriers, and appropriately sized fire lines, "leave no-trace" camping, and careful application of fuels and retardants can be employed to minimize the impacts of suppression.
A Cluster of VanD Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium: Molecular Characterization and Clinical Epidemiology

VanD-mediated glycopeptide resistance has been reported for an isolate of Enterococcus faecium, BM4339. Three clinical isolates of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium collected from 3 patients during a 6-week period in 1993 had agar dilution MICs of vancomycin and teicoplanin of 128 and 4 microg/mL, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using degenerate primers complementary to genes encoding d-Ala-d-X ligases yielded a 630-bp product that was similar to the published partial sequence of vanD. By use of inverse PCR, vanD, vanHD, and two partial flanking open-reading frames were sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of VanD showed 67% identity with VanA and VanB. vanD appeared to be located on the chromosome and was not transferable to other enterococci. The 3 isolates were indistinguishable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and differed from BM4339. No other isolates carrying vanD were found in a subset of 875 recent US isolates of vancomycin-resistant enterococci.
Milling Characteristics of Corn and Yellow, Short-Season Field Peas Intended for Swine Diets

The objectives of this study were to analyze particle size and amino acid concentrations in particles after milling corn and field peas. Twelve batches each of corn and peas were processed through a hammer mill (H; 3.175-mm screen) or roller mill (R) for a total of 4 treatments and 6 replications. Samples were poured onto sieves (1,000, 850, 710, 600, 425, and 300 ¼m) and shaken and tapped for 2 min. At the selected settings, mill type affected geometric mean diameter (P = 0.001) and geometric SD (P < 0.0001), and estimated parameters indicated that H generated particles with smaller diameters (corn-H = 600.7; peas-H = 637.5; corn-R = 759.3; peas-R = 736.2) but larger SD (corn-H = 1.75; peas-H = 1.75; corn-R = 1.64; peas-R = 1.56). Two samples per treatment were further ground to 0.5 mm, and an amino acid profile without Trp was determined. Amino acid data were analyzed as nested arrangements, with sieve opening size nested in mill type. There was no mill type effect for corn or peas, but there was a sieve opening size effect for 19 amino acids in corn and 17 in peas. Relatively high concentrations of most amino acids were found in large corn or small pea particles. Results indicated that corn and peas have similar milling characteristics with respect to particle size, but not with respect to the dispersion of amino acids among particle sizes. Losses of amino acids could occur if corn or peas are not properly ground.
Effects of Temperature and Duration of Sample Storage Before Oven-Drying on Forage Fiber Analyses

Abstract In a 4 × 5 × 5 factorial experiment, replicate samples of fresh alfalfa, alfalfa silage, fresh corn forage, and corn silage were sealed in plastic bags and assigned randomly to storage treatment combinations of −20, 5, 10, 21, or 38°C for periods of 0, 24, 48, 96, or 192h. Following storage, samples were ovendried, ground, and analyzed for NDF, ADF, and lignin. Forage and time effects and forage by time interactions were significant for most parameters measured. In general, corn was affected more by storage temperature and time than alfalfa, and fresh forages were less stable than ensiled forages. Storage time had a significant effect on most parameters across temperatures for fresh corn forage. When affected, fiber components and ash generally increased during sample storage. Increased fiber component concentrations were apparently due to both respiration and fiber component deposition. Fiber components increased at some temperatures more than others. Significant changes in fiber content may occur between sample collection and drying, which appears to be especially important for fresh chopped forages. Fresh forage samples should be dried immediately, or ensiled forage should be sampled rather than fresh to minimize storage effects.
How Obesity Causes Diabetes: Not a Tall Tale

The epidemic of obesity-associated diabetes is a major crisis in modern societies, in which food is plentiful and exercise is optional. The biological basis of this problem has been explored from evolutionary and mechanistic perspectives. Evolutionary theories, focusing on the potential survival advantages of "thrifty" genes that are now maladaptive, are of great interest but are inherently speculative and difficult to prove. Mechanistic studies have revealed numerous fat-derived molecules and a link to inflammation that, together, are hypothesized to underlie the obesity-diabetes connection and thereby represent prospective targets for therapeutic intervention.
Concurrent pneumolabyrinth and pneumo-internal auditory canal: An extremely unusual finding of otic capsule violating fracture

Abstract Pneumolabyrinth is condition in which the vestibule or cochlea is filled with air. It is rarely detected even in otic capsule violating fracture. Air trapped in internal auditory canal, which is also extremely unusual finding of temporal bone fracture involving otic capsule is reported from only one literature. Here, we report on a patient showing unilateral concurrent pneumocochlea, pneumovestibule and penumo-internal auditory canal (IAC). To the best of our knowledge, air trapping concurrently inside the cochlea, vestibule, and internal auditory canal has not been reported before in the literature.
Photosynthetic Characterization of Mutants of Zea mays Induced by the DNA Transposable Element, Mutator

Fourteen new photosynthesis mutants were isolated from Zea mays L. (maize) stocks which were outcrossed to lines containing active Mutator elements. This outcrossing causes replication and translocation of the DNA elements leading to new insertion into genes at random and mutation (transposon mutagenesis). After two generations of self-pollinations (M2 generation) new mutant genes which were induced segregate in a 1∶3 ratio. Photosynthesis mutants were screened and isolated by monitoring the increased level of chlorophyll fluorescence in the intact plant. Mutant genes which cause a visibly high chlorophyll fluorescence are termed hcf. Upon standard analysis of the state of photosynthetic electron transport, several different types of photosynthesis mutants were discovered which cause sufficient limitation in photosynthesis to increase whole plant visual fluorescence yield.
Performance outcomes of an online first aid and CPR course for laypersons

Objective: The study evaluated the effectiveness of an online first aid course by comparing it with the traditional instructor-led course. An effective online course increases course accessibility ...
Fish Assemblage, Density, and Growth in Lateral Habitats within Natural and Regulated Sections of Washington's Elwha River Prior to Dam Removal

We characterized seasonal fish assemblage, relative density, and growth in river margins above and between two Elwha River dams scheduled for removal. Fish assemblage and relative density differed in the lateral habitats of the middle-regulated and upper-unregulated sections of the Elwha River. Rainbow trout was the numerically dominant salmonid in both sections, with bull trout present in low numbers. Sculpin were common in the middle section, but not detected in the upper section. In 2004, mean length and biomass of age-0 rainbow trout were significantly smaller in the middle section than in the upper section by the end of the growing season (September). In 2005, an earlier emergence of rainbow trout in the middle section (July) compared to the upper section (August) corresponded with warmer water temperatures in the middle section. Despite lower growth, the margins of mainstem units in the middle section supported higher mean areal densities and biomass of age-0 rainbow trout than the upper section. These results suggest that growth performance of age-0 rainbow trout was lower in the middle section than in the upper section, which could have been a density-dependent response, or a result of poor food production in the sediment-starved regulated section, or both. Based on our findings, we believe that seasonal sampling of river margins within reference reaches is a cost effective and repeatable method for detection of biologically important short- and long-term changes in emergence timing, density, and growth of rainbow trout before and after dam removals in the Elwha River.
Consequences of fall warming for zooplankton over wintering success

Increased temperatures in fall as predicted by recent climate models will have important consequences for the overwintering strategies and seasonal phenologies of organisms in temperate lakes. We compare fall thermal responses of species representatives of the copepod Epischura Zacustris and the cladoceran Daphnia catawba. Daily temperatures and weekly population densities were measured in a lake where these species co-occur, and demographic variables for each species (survival, reproduction, egg hatching, and production of resting stages) were assessed over a temperature range of 15 to 30°C in the laboratory. This study provides three types of evidence that the success of these species could be altered by fall warming events (temperatures > 15°C). First, resting eggs of E. lacustris could be stimulated to hatch from the “seed bank” in fall. If so, they would be unable to reach maturity before winter, and the cohort could be lost. Second, sexually reproducing D. catawba populations in fall could be induced to switch from sexual to asexual reproduction. This switch could delay production and reduce the number of ephippial resting eggs. Third, on the basis of thermal tolerances, E. Zacustris is representative of a species whose geographic range is likely to be altered by warming at any time. Over the long term, the disruption of over-wintering strategies by warming in fall could be a mechanism that alters the geographic ranges of species. The response of aquatic communities to warming as predicted by climate change models is dependent on the seasonal timing and magnitude of warming, as well as the sensitivity of life-history forms present in different seasons. In this paper, we examine the relative importance of fall warming and demonstrate that changes in fall temperatures could alter the timing or occurrence of critical life-history events. Fall warming has particularly important implications for aquatic organisms that over-winter in resting stages in temperate lakes, because temperature is one of the cues that stimulates the production of overwintering stages or release from dormancy (Korpelainen 1986; Stirling and McQueen 1986; Sullivan and McManus 1986; Marcus 198 7). Moreover, recent climate models predict disproportionate warming in fall and winter relative to summer throughout the temperate zone (Feddema and Mather 1992). Over the long term, disruption of critical life-history stages or persistence of temperatures beyond thermal tolerance ranges could alter the biogeographic distributions of species. Our broad goal was to assess impacts of fall warming on temperate-zone zooplankton that vary with respect to thermal responses, seasonal phenologies, and reproductive strategies. To do this, we define fall warming as temperatures > 15°C for lakes in New England and examine field temperatures, overwintering strategies, and fall thermal responses of two common zooplankton species in a lake in which they co-occur. To date, studies on the po
Laterality Patterns of Brain Functional Connectivity: Gender Effects

Lateralization of brain connectivity may be essential for normal brain function and may be sexually dimorphic. Here, we study the laterality patterns of short-range (implicated in functional specialization) and long-range (implicated in functional integration) connectivity and the gender effects on these laterality patterns. Parallel computing was used to quantify short- and long-range functional connectivity densities in 913 healthy subjects. Short-range connectivity was rightward lateralized and most asymmetrical in areas around the lateral sulcus, whereas long-range connectivity was rightward lateralized in lateral sulcus and leftward lateralizated in inferior prefrontal cortex and angular gyrus. The posterior inferior occipital cortex was leftward lateralized (short- and long-range connectivity). Males had greater rightward lateralization of brain connectivity in superior temporal (short- and long-range), inferior frontal, and inferior occipital cortices (short-range), whereas females had greater leftward lateralization of long-range connectivity in the inferior frontal cortex. The greater lateralization of the male's brain (rightward and predominantly short-range) may underlie their greater vulnerability to disorders with disrupted brain asymmetries (schizophrenia, autism).