cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isotopic evidence of saber-tooth development, growth rate, and diet from the adult canine of Smilodon fatalis from Rancho La Brea

The large size of canines in saber-toothed cats suggests implicitly that they took longer to grow than ‘‘normal’’ canines. If this were the case, then juveniles may not have been able to use them for hunting. Consequently, juvenile Smilodon fatalis, for example, may have had to remain in a social group and be fed by adults longer than is the case for modern large cats. Analysis of the stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios within the enamel of the sabertooth provides a reasonably direct method to determine development and growth. Variation in the oxygen isotope ratios during the ontogeny of a particular tooth has been reported in many animals, and has been shown to correlate with temperature variation related to seasonality. Variation in the carbon isotope ratios typically reflects differences in diet, and can be used to determine if a carnivore preferred a prey that ate predominantly C3 or C4 plants. This study analyzed stable carbon and oxygen (d 13 C, d 18 O) isotope ratios from sequential, closely spaced samples of enamel carbonate obtained from upper canines of S. fatalis. A sequential change in d 18 O through canine ontogeny for two specimens (which averaged approximately 4x) is consistent with nearly 1 year being sampled. The results suggest that the canines of S. fatalis grew about 80 mm during a 12-month period, or about 7 mm/month, and the total duration of growth for this species was about 18 months. S. fatalis apparently achieved its long canine by combining the canine development strategies of extant lions and tigers: a quick growth rate, and growth over a long time. Mean carbon isotope values of 10.1xand 11.3x suggest consumption of animals eating a C3 diet. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Renal blood flow changes during aversive conditioning in the dog.

Des chiens ont ete conditionnes a attendre un choc electrique 10 sec apres le debut d'un stimulus auditif. Ils ont presente une considerable vasoconstriction renale, transitoire et d'origine nerveuse, faisant partie de la reponse conditionnee cardiovasculaire.
Xanthine oxidase activity and immunologically detectable protein in the C57B1/6 mouse.

Abstract 1. 1. Xanthine oxidase (XO) was purified from livers of C57B1/6 mice. Antibodies generated against the purified protein were used in an immunoassay to measure total XO protein. 2. 2. Both the specific activity and amount of XO protein were greater in the proximal small intestine than in the liver. A pool of inactive enzyme was present in the small intestine which developed after weaning. 3. 3. Male C57B1/6 mice had the same XO specific activity as females and neither the hepatic nor the intestinal XO activity were affected by the level of dietary protein. 4. 4. When mice were fed diets with tungsten, XO activity was lost and the amount of XO protein in the small intestine was decreased.
Incidence and onset features of diabetes in African-American and Latino children in Chicago, 1985-1994.

Aims The study aimed to describe the epidemiology of diabetes in minority children residing in Chicago, IL, USA, and to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of those with type 1 to those with youth-onset type 2 diabetes. Methods Medical records were obtained on 735 insulin-treated African-American and Latino children aged 0–17 years at onset, and diagnosed between 1985 and 1994; 195 of the children were interviewed. Subjects were presumed to have type 2 diabetes if they fitted specific criteria. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted and Poisson regression was used to analyze time trends. Results Ten-year average annual incidence of childhood diabetes for African-Americans [15.2/105, 95% confidence interval (CI): 13.5, 17.0] was significantly higher than for Latinos (10.7/105, 95% CI: 9.1, 12.6). The average annual incidence was 10.3/105 population for type 1 and 3.2/105 for those with presumed type 2 diabetes. Most patients (99.6% of type 1, 94.1% of type 2) exhibited more than one of the classic onset symptoms of type 1 diabetes. Mean age at diagnosis was older, 13.1 versus 10.5 years, and there were more females, 62.4%, versus 49.8%, among the type 2 patients; ethnicity was not an important distinguishing factor. Conclusion The risk of childhood diabetes increased among African-Americans and Latinos between 1985 and 1994, driven by an increase in children with type 2 diabetes. This is likely related both to an increase in risk factors, i.e. obesity, and to changes in diagnostic practice. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tetrahydrobiopterin, a Cofactor for Nitric Oxide Synthase, Produces Endothelium-Dependent Dilation of Mouse Pial Arterioles

Background and Purpose Tetrahydrobiopterin (THBP) is an essential cofactor for nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which is responsible for the synthesis of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) responsible for mediating the vasorelaxation produced by acetylcholine (ACh). Previous publications suggest that EDRFACh is continuously synthesized and released from the endothelium of mouse pial arterioles. If so, then one may predict that addition of THBP will increase the local production of EDRFACh and produce an endothelium-dependent relaxation that can be blocked by application of a known inhibitor of NOS. This study tests the prediction. Methods The pial vessels were observed at a continuously suffused craniotomy site by means of intravital television microscopy. The effects of topically applied THBP on diameter were monitored before and after endothelial damage and before and after local treatment with the NOS inhibitor N -guanidino-l-monomethyl arginine (LNMMA). The endothelial damage was produced by a helium-neon laser in the presence of Evans blue dye. Results A dose-dependent relaxation was produced by 10−3 and 10−2 mol/L THBP. The response was virtually eliminated by endothelial injury. LNMMA 10−6 mol/L also greatly inhibited dilation. Conclusions The data are consistent with all reports that THBP is a cofactor for constitutive endothelial NOS. The data are consonant with previous results suggesting that EDRFACh is continually synthesized and released. It appears that THBP increases this synthesis and consequently the local level of released EDRFACh. The continuous spontaneous synthesis/release of EDRFACh modulates basal tone and, according to other studies, helps maintain a platelet-free endothelial surface.
Composite magnetic structure for planar motors

Use of a single material for the magnetic flux path of an electromagnetic device requires a compromise of material properties. One such compromise, in a step-motor actuator design, is between high speed operation and high motor force. This corresponds to the use of a material that has low eddy current losses (e.g., ferrite) or high saturation flux density (e.g., Vanadium Permendur). No currently known material has both. When laminations cannot he used, as in the case of the platen for a two-dimensional linear Sawyer motor, the problem is most formidable. To overcome the problem a composite magnetic structure of multiple materials is proposed. Composites have advantages for actuators, sensors and other electromagnetic devices. Composite construction can simplify and lower cost of manufacturing.
Multilevel Simulation and Numerical Optimization of Complex Engineering Designs

Multilevel representations have been studied extensively by artie cial intelligence researchers. We present a general method that utilizes the multilevel paradigm to attack the problem of performing multidiscipline engineering design optimization in the presence of many local optima. The method uses a multidisciplinary simulator at multiple levels of abstraction, paired with a multilevel search space. We tested the method in the domain of conceptual design of supersonic transport aircraft, focusing on the airframe and the exhaust nozzle, and using sequential quadratic programming as the optimizer at each level. We found that using multilevel simulation and optimization can decrease the cost of design space search by an order of magnitude.
Effects of growth factors on dental pulp cell sensitivity to amalgam toxicity.

Abstract Objectives The objective was to determine the effects of growth factor treatment on dental pulp cell sensitivity to toxicity. Methods The toxicity of zinc-containing and zinc-free dental amalgam was tested on four types of cells; glia, neurons, embryonic stem cells, and dental pulp cells. The effects of six different growth factors were tested on dental pulp cell sensitivity to amalgam toxicity. Results Zinc-containing amalgam was highly toxic to all cell types tested. Zinc-free amalgam was less toxic, but it was most toxic to dental pulp cells. Exposure of dental pulp cells to the growth factors IGF-I or BMP-7 had no effect on their morphology or rate of cell division, and did not alter their sensitivity to zinc-free amalgam toxicity. Exposure to EGF, bFGF, or TGF-β altered the morphology and decreased the rate of cell division, and the cells were no longer sensitive to zinc-free amalgam toxicity. Exposure to BMP-2 also altered the morphology and decreased the rate of cell division, but the cells remained sensitive to zinc-free amalgam toxicity. Significance The results indicate that untreated dental pulp cells are highly sensitive to amalgam toxicity, but that sensitivity can be decreased by exposure to certain growth factors. Therefore, for treatment of conditions in which pulp cells may come in contact with substances released from dental materials, such as pulp capping, the use of amalgam should be avoided unless the pulp cells are first treated with the proper growth factors.
Losing Lévi‐Strauss: The 2009 Year in Cultural Anthropology

ABSTRACT In 2009, Claude Levi-Strauss died at the age of 100. In this article, I draw on frameworks that were central to his work to structure my discussion of the key themes in cultural anthropology publications over the past year. The four subjects I consider in this review are kinship, taxonomy, bricolage, and traveling.
Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia: Report of Seven Cases and Review of Literature

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a rare, aggressive, clonal hematopoietic disorder of childhood with features of both myelodysplasia (thrombocytopenia, anemia) and myeloproliferation (leukocytosis, monocytosis). In most cases there is marrow hypercellularity, splenomegaly, and extramedullary involvement. In 1997 an international consensus on terminology was reached and guidelines/criteria for diagnosis were proposed. A recent World Health Organization classification described the current diagnostic criteria of JMML. Although the diagnosis of JMML has been facilitated, it can be challenging, especially in the early stages or when it 1st presents as an extramedullary tumor. We report a series of 7 cases diagnosed over a period of 10 years (from January 1, 1996, to December 31, 2005). Two cases had interesting associated findings that would potentially lead to delay in diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Two other cases had extramedullary involvement with symptoms referable to the organs of involvement at presentation. Clinical and pathologic findings are summarized with a review of relevant literature.
Characterization of aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive amacrine cells restricted in distribution to the dorsal retina.

A class 1 aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) catalyzes oxidation of retinaldehyde to retinoic acid in bovine retina. We used immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization to localize this enzyme in adult and fetal bovine retinas. Specific ALDH immunoreactivity was present in the cytoplasm of wide-field amacrine cells restricted in distribution to the dorsal part of the adult retina. The somata diameters ranged from approximately 8 microns to approximately 15 microns, and the cells increased in density from approximately 125 cells/mm2 near the horizontal meridian to approximately 425 cells/mm2 in the superior far periphery. The ALDH-positive cells had somata on both sides of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and processes in two IPL strata. The majority of ALDH-positive cells were unreactive with antibodies against known amacrine cell enzymes and neurotransmitters, including GABA and glycine. The ALDH-positive amacrine cells also did not react with anti-cellular retinoic acid-binding protein, which was present in a subset of GABA-positive amacrine cells. In flat-mounted retinas processed by in situ hybridization, the larger ALDH-positive amacrine cells tended to be more heavily labeled. In addition to amacrine cells, Muller cell processes in the inner retina were weakly immunoreactive for ALDH; however, these glial cells did not contain ALDH mRNA. The pattern of ALDH expression in fetal bovine retinas was documented by immunocytochemistry. No ALDH reactivity was found before 5.5 months; for the remainder of the fetal period, ALDH immunoreactivity was present in amacrine cells similar to those in adult retina. The ALDH-positive amacrine cells in bovine retina are novel, being limited in distribution to the dorsal retina and unlabeled with other amacrine cell-specific markers. Identification of ALDH in amacrine cells provides additional evidence that cells of the inner retina are involved in retinoid metabolism.
STRONG, THEREFORE SENSITIVE: MISGIVINGS ABOUT DEROSE'S CONTEXTUALISM

Summary According to an in" uential contextualist solution to skepticism advanced by Keith DeRose, denials of skeptical hypotheses are, in most contexts, strong yet insensitive. # e strength of such denials allows for knowledge of them, thus undermining skepticism, while the insensitivity of such denials explains our intuition that we do not know them. In this paper we argue that, under some well-motivated conditions, a negated skeptical hypothesis is strong only if it is sensitive. We also consider how a natural response on behalf of DeRose appears to be equally available to his primary rival (viz., the sensitivity theorist).
Multisplines and adaptive scale-space atom selection for image representation

We propose a new stochastic process that we use for modeling an image. We also propose a criterion for function estimation and derive the algorithm that yields the optimal estimate. The algorithm chooses scale-space atoms in an adaptive manner as opposed to the multiresolution approach, which uses all scale-space atoms at any given resolution. Experimental results of our technique are also included. >
Pregnancy rate is greater when the corpus luteum is present during the period of progestin treatment to synchronize time of estrus in cows and heifers.

Our hypothesis was that conception in bovine females would be enhanced if the corpus luteum was present during the period of progestin treatment to synchronize estrus. In this study, 67 heifers (one replicate) and 124 cows (two replicates) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. Seven days after estrus (Day 0), all animals were implanted with norgestomet and the implant remained in place for 10 days. All implants were removed on Day 17. Cows and heifers in one group received prostaglandin F2, (PGF, 0) on Day 7 of the estrous cycle (PG 7; norgestomet without corpus luteum), and animals in the second group received PGF, on Day 17 (day of implant removal; PG 17; norgestomet with corpus luteum). All heifers and cows exhibiting behavioral estrus were artificially inseminated 12 h after estrus was detected during a 7-day period following removal of norgestomet. Blood samples were collected from cows of replicate 1 to determine serum concentrations of progesterone and 17[-estradiol. Percentage of females that had calves as a result of artificial insemination was greater (p 0.05; pooled SEM = 0.67) at Day 7 (beginning of the norgestomet treatment; 2.34 and 3.09 pg/ml, respectively); but they were different (p < 0.01) at Days 10 (9.53 and 1.65 pg/ml), 13 (12.22 and 1.31 pg/ml), and 16 (11.76 and 2.82 pg/ml for cows in the PG 7 and PG 17 groups, respectively). As we hypothesized, incidence of conception in bovine females receiving norgestomet with the corpus luteum present (PG 17) was greater than in cows treated with norgestomet in the absence of the corpus luteum. Greater concentrations of 17,-estradiol during the treatment period may contribute to the decreased incidence of conception of cows treated with the synthetic progestin in the absence of the corpus luteum.
Regulation of cytokine-independent survival kinase (CISK) by the Phox homology domain and phosphoinositides.

PKB/Akt and serum and glucocorticoid–regulated kinase (SGK) family kinases are important downstream targets of phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI-3) kinase and have been shown to mediate a variety of cellular processes, including cell growth and survival. Although regulation of Akt can be achieved through several mechanisms, including its phosphoinositide-binding Pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, how SGK kinases are targeted and regulated remains to be elucidated. Unlike Akt, cytokine-independent survival kinase (CISK)/SGK3 contains a Phox homology (PX) domain. PX domains have been implicated in several cellular events involving membrane trafficking. However, their precise function remains unknown. We demonstrate here that the PX domain of CISK interacts with phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns)(3,5)P2, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, and to a lesser extent PtdIns(4,5)P2. The CISK PX domain is required for targeting CISK to the endosomal compartment. Mutation in the PX domain that abolished its phospholipid binding ability not only disrupted CISK localization, but also resulted in a decrease in CISK activity in vivo. These results suggest that the PX domain regulates CISK localization and function through its direct interaction with phosphoinositides. Therefore, CISK and Akt have evolved to utilize different lipid binding domains to accomplish a similar mechanism of activation in response to PI-3 kinase signaling.
Morphine, Hypotension, and Intraventricular Hemorrhage: In Reply

ARTICLE In Reply .— Rather than rehash a data set that has been extensively analyzed and reanalyzed in 2 recent articles, I would rather focus on a couple of points raised by the authors.1,2 First, Anand and Hall beg to differ with the statement in my commentary that “morphine administration may have contributed to severe IVH in a subset of patients.”3 Yet, on page 1357 of their article, it is stated that “[t]he decision to use open-label morphine was a significant predictor of severe IVH [intraventricular hemorrhage] only if the open-label morphine was given during 25 to 72 hours of study drug infusion (OR: 1.86; …
Fast model adaptation and complexity selection for nonnative English speakers

In this paper, the problem of fast model adaptation and complexity selection for nonnative speaker is investigated. The key challenge lies in reliable complexity selection when only a small amount of adaptation data is available. A novel technique of combining a maximum likelihood (ML) based state-tying with a pseudo likelihood (PL) based state-tying is proposed to enable model complexity selection from using as little as three adaptation speech sentences. In MUPL, ML model complexity selection is performed on nodes with sufficient adaptation data, and PL based state tying is performed on nodes with insufficient adaptation data. Experiments were performed on WSJ data of six nonnative speakers. The combined model adaptation and complexity selection method led to consistent and significant improvement on recognition accuracy over MLLR, with an average error reduction of 13% when a varying number of adaptation speech sentences were taken from each speaker.
Using neural networks and expert systems to model users in an object-oriented environment

The authors discuss the usefulness of neural networks and expert systems for modeling users in an environment in which information about software is retrieved. User modeling offers an effective technique for determining user requirements and for enhancing the relationship between a user's cognitive abilities and software sophistication. A hybrid architecture is proposed in which the expert system is used for solving well-defined problem domains, and the inferred results are interpreted. The neural network is applied to recognize the user's pattern of stereotypes dynamically and solve the reasoning conflicts. To achieve a higher interaction efficiency and simplify the maintenance of the knowledge base with these two heterogeneous reasoning processes, an object-oriented environment is proposed as an integration platform. The framework of a prototype implementation is described which is an object-oriented intelligent consulting system for selecting appropriate problem-solving software. >
The impact of obstructive interval and sperm granuloma on outcome of vasectomy reversal

ABSTRACTPurpose: We studied the impact of the interval from vasectomy to reversal and presence of sperm granuloma on outcomes of reversal.Materials and Methods: A total of 213 microsurgical vasectomy reversals performed by a single surgeon were stratified according to obstructive intervals of less than 5 years, 5 to 10 years, 10 to 15 years and greater than 15 years. The effects of obstructive interval on patency and pregnancy rates were assessed using multivariate logistical regression. The impact of sperm granuloma on patency and pregnancy was assessed using the chi-square test.Results: Patency did not change with increasing obstructive intervals as can be seen with 91% patency at less than 5 years, 88% at 5 to 10 years, 91% at 10 to 15 and 89% at greater than 15 years. There was no difference in pregnancy rates (89%, 82% or 86%) at obstructive intervals of 0 to 5, 5 to 10 or 10 to 15 years, respectively. Pregnancy rates were significantly lower (44%, p <0.05) with obstructive intervals greater than 15 ...
Obesity and HLA in multiple sclerosis: Weighty matters

Obesity in childhood or adolescence is associated with an increased risk of pediatric-onset and adult-onset multiple sclerosis (MS).1,2 The mechanisms underlying this association are unknown but have been postulated. Obesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, and adipokines modulate immune function.3 Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with lower blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in childhood and adolescence,4 and vitamin D insufficiency is associated with an increased risk of MS.5 It is not known whether the risk of MS conferred by obesity varies according to genetic background, but there are interactions between the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotype and other environmental risk factors, including Epstein-Barr virus and smoking.6,7
Mining Videos from the Web for Electronic Textbooks

We propose a system for mining videos from the web for supplementing the content of electronic textbooks in order to enhance their utility. Textbooks are generally organized into sections such that each section explains very few concepts and every concept is primarily explained in one section. Building upon these principles from the education literature and drawing upon the theory of Formal Concept Analysis, we define the focus of a section in terms of a few indicia, which themselves are combinations of concept phrases uniquely present in the section. We identify videos relevant for a section by ensuring that at least one of the indicia for the section is present in the video and measuring the extent to which the video contains the concept phrases occurring in different indicia for the section. Our user study employing two corpora of textbooks on different subjects from two countries demonstrate that our system is able to find useful videos, relevant to individual sections.
Intraoperative Management of Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension

Patients with pulmonary hypertension are some of the most challenging for an anesthesiologist to manage. Pulmonary hypertension in patients undergoing surgical procedures is associated with high morbidity and mortality due to right ventricular failure, arrhythmias and ischemia leading to hemodynamic instability, and intra- and postoperative hypoxia. Considering the challenges that these patients pose in the perioperative period, it is critical for anesthesiologists, surgeons, and other physicians who care for these patients to be well versed in managing pulmonary hypertension. The purpose of this article is to review the anesthetic considerations that pertain to patients with pulmonary hypertension in the perioperative period, with particular emphasis on the choice of anesthesia, the relative risks of moderate sedation and general anesthesia, and the most recent intraoperative monitoring recommendations. Until relatively recently, most patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) were not expected to survive more than a few years beyond the initial diagnosis. Pulmonary hypertension was a difficult condition to manage, and a relative contraindication to anesthesia. However, with the advent of innovative treatments, the functional status and life expectancy of patients with this condition has increased significantly. Thus, today, anesthesiologists are more likely to encounter patients with pulmonary hypertension presenting for elective surgical procedures. The anesthetic management of patients with pulmonary hypertension requires a concerted approach guided by the etiology of the disease and the nature of the surgical procedure. Understanding the cause, type, and severity of pulmonary hypertension allows the clinician to formulate a management plan that balances the risks and benefits of the various anesthetic and surgical alternatives.
Femoral hypoplasia-unusual facies syndrome: autopsy findings in an unusual case.

Femoral hypoplasia-unusual facies syndrome comprises malformations of the skeletal system consisting of shortened or absent bilateral femurs, variable bony sacral abnormalities, bilateral talipes equinovarus, and an unusual facies consisting of low-set ears with soft cartilage of the helix, up-slanting palpebral fissures, shortened nose, blunt alae nasi, elongated phillrum, and a thin upper lip. Inferiorly placed kidneys and a septated urinary bladder have also been reported, along with cardiovascular and gastrointestinal abnormalities such as esophageal reflux. The cause and pathogenesis are believed to be multifactorial and probably not inherited. We report the case of a newborn infant with visceral abnormalities not previously recognized in this complex: polysplenia, superiorly placed adrenals at the muscular diaphragms, a single pelvic kidney located in the ulerosacral ligament, and anorectal agenesis with the colon ending in a blind pouch above the uterus.
Should a Mediator Be Neutral

A mediator facilitates discussion and problem-solving among disputing parties. Some believe that the mediator best serves by parties by providing advice and counsel regarding how matters could or should be resolved, or insuring that mediated outcomes comport with public standards or the public interest; this author rejects that suggestion, contending that a mediator must be neutral in order to fairly serve all participants. He argues that mediation is a social practice with a dominant goal of insuring that a party's dispute resolution experience comports with justice principles; the only intervener posture that secures that goal, he maintains, is one of neutrality. Hence, while neutrality is a derivative value in the mediation process, it is essential.
Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: A Fifteen Year Perspective

In any discussion that attempts to place congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in proper perspective, it is necessary to distinguish between data obtained from retrospective studies and the more recent prospective data that is just now emanating from several laboratories. This is not to say that the retrospective studies have not been valuable. If they had not been done, there would have been little incentive to undertake the formidably large-scale surveys necessary to identify all infected infants at birth. The obvious disadvantage of these retrospective studies is that they tend to polarize the clinical spectrum toward the more severely ill infant who most closely fits the prevailing concept of cytomegalic inclusion disease (CID). These studies cannot provide accurate data on the frequency, or clinical variations, nor can they tell us whether asymptomatic newborns
Glutathione biosynthesis is a metabolic vulnerability in PI(3)K/Akt-driven breast cancer

Cancer cells often select for mutations that enhance signalling through pathways that promote anabolic metabolism. Although the PI(3)K/Akt signalling pathway, which is frequently dysregulated in breast cancer, is a well-established regulator of central glucose metabolism and aerobic glycolysis, its regulation of other metabolic processes required for tumour growth is not well defined. Here we report that in mammary epithelial cells, oncogenic PI(3)K/Akt stimulates glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis by stabilizing and activating NRF2 to upregulate the GSH biosynthetic genes. Increased NRF2 stability is dependent on the Akt-mediated accumulation of p21(Cip1/WAF1) and GSK-3β inhibition. Consistently, in human breast tumours, upregulation of NRF2 targets is associated with PI(3)K pathway mutation status and oncogenic Akt activation. Elevated GSH biosynthesis is required for PI(3)K/Akt-driven resistance to oxidative stress, initiation of tumour spheroids, and anchorage-independent growth. Furthermore, inhibition of GSH biosynthesis with buthionine sulfoximine synergizes with cisplatin to selectively induce tumour regression in PI(3)K pathway mutant breast cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings provide insight into GSH biosynthesis as a metabolic vulnerability associated with PI(3)K pathway mutant breast cancers.
Sterility due to retrograde ejaculation of semen; report of pregnancy achieved by autoinsemination.

Abstract This is the second case report of a successful autoinsemination with material obtained from the urinary bladder, following retrograde ejaculation. Repeated inseminations during the ovulatory phase with as concentrated a specimen as is possible seem necessary. Since acids are spermatocidal, the fluid into which sperm are ejaculated must be made alkaline. In this patient the transurethral prostatectomy was the probable cause of the retrograde ejaculation.
Establishing school bus baseline emergency evacuation times for elementary school students

Abstract Emergency evacuation systems are critical to mass transportation vehicles such as school buses. Previous bus fire propagation tests indicate that the available time for successful evacuation is approximately 3–5 min. Many school districts in the United States utilize school bus routes that exclusively transport children in kindergarten through second/third grade where the bus driver is the only adult onboard. Currently, no standards specify the maximum allowable evacuation time for school buses. Full-scale evacuation trials were performed to measure front door, rear door, and both door (simultaneous) evacuation flow rates for kindergarten through third grade students. The evacuation trials indicated that the grade level of school bus passengers, and available evacuation routes have a significant effect on flow rate ( p 0.05 ). For evacuation trials with driver’s assistance mean flow rate through the front door was 29 children/min, 21 children/min for the rear emergency door, and 36 children/min for evacuations using both doors simultaneously.
The troubled decade in Kashmir

THE CENTRALITY OF THE KASHMIR DISPUTE Despite the failure to refocus international attention on the Kashmir issue through the incursions in Kargil and its vicinity, Pakistan's decision-makers remained unwilling to abandon their claims or dispense with the asymmetric war strategy that they had long relied upon to provoke India. The Pakistani security establishment composed of the uniformed military and the intelligence services, despite this latest setback, did not in any way abandon its commitment to keep the Kashmir question alive. On the contrary it simply renewed its efforts to sustain the military pressures on India through the use of a range of proxy forces. When faced with significant external pressures coupled with domestic turmoil the military establishment, especially under General Musharraf, engaged India in a dialogue. However, as this and the subsequent chapter will demonstrate, it is far from clear that Musharraf enjoyed the support of the country's sprawling security establishment. Consequently, even though the two parties arrived at a blueprint for embarking upon a process of rapprochement there is little or no evidence that Musharraf had succeeded in obtaining the assent of the military establishment. Without a clear-cut consensus within the military about a willingness to seek a rapprochement with India it is hard to imagine how the Pakistani state could have made a binding, credible commitment on such a fraught and vexed issue. Of course, it is important to underscore that such a shift in views would be quite contrary to the organizational ethos and beliefs of the military establishment. Having been long committed to a policy of unrelenting hostility toward India, in the absence of some dramatic endogenous or exogenous shock to their status and interests it could not reasonably be expected to abandon long-held commitments. Of course, shocks alone were unlikely to lead to a new fundamental recalculation of the military's interests and proclivities. The shocks would also have to be accompanied with the prospect of an alternative set of governing arrangements. Such a moment did seem to arise in the aftermath of the 1971 East Pakistan crisis. However, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the president of Pakistan, squandered that opportunity to consolidate democratic institutions. In the immediate aftermath of the Kargil War, with marked exceptions, the Pakistani security establishment remained quite prone to engage in various forms of myth-making to bolster its core strategic beliefs, especially to keep the Kashmir dispute alive at all costs.
How the Proximal Pocket May Influence the Enantiospecificities of Chloroperoxidase-Catalyzed Epoxidations of Olefins

Chloroperoxidase-catalyzed enantiospecific epoxidations of olefins are of significant biotechnological interest. Typical enantiomeric excesses are in the range of 66%–97% and translate into free energy differences on the order of 1 kcal/mol. These differences are generally attributed to the effect of the distal pocket. In this paper, we show that the influence of the proximal pocket on the electron transfer mechanism in the rate-limiting event may be just as significant for a quantitatively accurate account of the experimentally-measured enantiospecificities.
Epic Art: Milton and Jerusalem

After completing the Lambeth prophecies Blake turned to other projects during the remaining years of the century, partly by choice and partly owing to financial exigency. His most ambitious project was the enormous set of 537 watercolor illustrations to Edward Young’s Night Thoughts, undertaken at the instigation of the bookseller Richard Edwards, from which watercolor essays Blake was commissioned to prepare selected engravings. Economic and other factors doomed the project: a group of illustrations to the first four Nights (of nine) of the poem appeared in 1797, and no more were issued) During this same period Blake prepared for John and Ann Flaxman a set of 116 watercolor illustrations to Thomas Gray’s poems. Unlike the Young designs, these seem to have been intended for the Flaxmans alone, there being no apparent plan to engrave any or all of them.2
New use for an old drug: oral ketamine for treatment-resistant depression

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a disabling disorder that can interfere with a patient's capacity to understand and participate in medical care and thus negatively impact individual morbidity and mortality. Hospitalised patients with TRD may require rapid alleviation of severe symptomatology, particularly when suicidal or if unable to participate in care decisions. Ketamine is well known for its anaesthetic effects and its use as a 'street' drug; however, its action as an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist makes ketamine a potential therapy for TRD. The majority of studies investigating ketamine for TRD have used intravenous drug delivery, demonstrating benefit for rapid alleviation and sustained response of depression symptoms. Oral ketamine for urgent alleviation of TRD symptoms is less reported. We describe rapid alleviation of severe TRD with oral ketamine in a severely ill postoperative hospitalised patient, and review the current literature on 'off-label' use of ketamine for treatment of refractory depression.
General Anesthetics and Neurotoxicity: How Much Do We Know?

Abstract Over a decade ago, alarming findings were reported that exposure of the very young and very old animals to clinically used general anesthetics could be detrimental to their brains. The evidence presented suggested that the exposure to commonly used gaseous and intravenous general anesthetics induces the biochemical and morphologic changes in the immature and aging neurons ultimately resulting in their demise. More alarming was the demonstration of significant cognitive and behavioral impairments noted long after the initial anesthesia exposure. This article provides an overview of anesthesia-induced developmental neurotoxicity and commentary on the effects of general anesthesia on the aging brain.
Self-Defining Data: Compression, XML and Databases

Appreciate the power of self-defining data. Know when to use different types of compression. Read simple XML documents. Make simple queries in a relational database. Appreciate the demands of efficiency on a DBMS. Understand the purpose of data warehousing and mining.
Multiobjective System of Systems Architecting with Performance Improvement Funds

Abstract A System of Systems architecting problem aims to determine a selection of systems, which are capable of providing a set of desired capabilities. A SoS architect usually has multiple objectives in generating efficient architectures such as minimization of the total cost and maximization the overall performance of the SoS. This study formulates a biobjective SoS architecting problem with these two objectives. Here, we consider that, by allocating funds to the systems, the SoS architect can improve the performance of the capabilities the systems can provide. The resulting architecting problem is a biobjective mixed-integer linear programming model. Specifically, the system selection decisions are binary while the fund allocation decisions are continuous. We first discuss the application of the adaptive epsilon-constraint method as an exact method for solving this model. Then, we propose an evolutionary method and compare its performance with the exact method. Finally, a numerical study demonstrates the benefits of fund allocation in the SoS architecting process.
Evaluation of Antistigma Interventions With Sixth-Grade Students: A School-Based Field Experiment

Objective:School-based interventions for preadolescents provide the opportunity, in a ubiquitous institutional setting, to attack stigmatizing attitudes before they are firmly entrenched, and thus they may reduce mental illness stigma in the overall population. This study evaluated the effectiveness of classroom-based interventions in reducing stigma and increasing understanding of mental illness and positive attitudes toward treatment seeking among sixth-grade students.Methods:In an ethnically and racially diverse sample (N=721), 40% of participants were Latino, 26% were white, and 24% were African American; the mean age was 11.5. In a fully crossed design, classrooms from a school district in Texas were randomly assigned to receive all three, two, one, or none of the following interventions: a PowerPoint- and discussion-based curriculum, contact with two college students who described their experiences with mental illness, and exposure to antistigma printed materials. Standard and vignette-based quantit...
Consensus optimization with delayed and stochastic gradients on decentralized networks

We analyze the convergence of a decentralized consensus algorithm with delayed gradient information across the network. The nodes in the network privately hold parts of the objective function and collaboratively solve for the consensus optimal solution of the total objective while they can only communicate with their immediate neighbors. In real-world networks, it is often difficult and sometimes impossible to synchronize the nodes, and therefore they have to use stale gradient information during computations. We show that, as long as the random delays are bounded in expectation and a proper diminishing step size policy is employed, the iterates generated by decentralized gradient descent method still converge to a consensual optimal solution. Convergence rates of both objective and consensus are derived. Numerical results on a variety of consensus optimization problems are presented to show the performance of the method.
Opacification Domain of Serum Opacity Factor Inhibits Beta-Hemolysis and Contributes to Virulence of Streptococcus pyogenes.

ABSTRACT Serum opacity factor (SOF) is a cell surface virulence factor made by the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes . We found that S. pyogenes strains with naturally occurring truncation mutations in the sof gene have markedly enhanced beta-hemolysis. Moreover, deletion of the sof gene in a SOF-positive parental strain resulted in significantly increased beta-hemolysis. Together, these observations suggest that SOF is an inhibitor of beta-hemolysis. SOF has two major functional domains, including an opacification domain and a fibronectin-binding domain. Using a SOF-positive serotype M89 S. pyogenes parental strain and a panel of isogenic mutant derivative strains, we evaluated the relative contribution of each SOF functional domain to beta-hemolysis inhibition and bacterial virulence. We found that the opacification domain, rather than the fibronectin-binding domain, is essential for SOF-mediated beta-hemolysis inhibition. The opacification domain, but not the fibronectin-binding domain of SOF, also contributed significantly to virulence in mouse models of bacteremia and necrotizing myositis. Inasmuch as the opacification domain of SOF is known to interact avidly with host high-density lipoprotein (HDL), we speculate that SOF-HDL interaction is an important process underlying SOF-mediated beta-hemolysis inhibition and SOF-mediated virulence. IMPORTANCE Streptococcus pyogenes is a major human pathogen causing more than 700 million infections annually. As a successful pathogen, S. pyogenes produces many virulence factors that facilitate colonization, proliferation, dissemination, and tissue damage. Serum opacity factor (SOF), an extracellular protein, is one of the virulence factors made by S. pyogenes . The underlying mechanism of how SOF contributes to virulence is not fully understood. SOF has two major features: (i) it opacifies host serum by interacting with high-density lipoprotein, and (ii) it inhibits beta-hemolysis on blood agar. In this study, we demonstrate that the domain of SOF essential for opacifying serum is also essential for SOF-mediated beta-hemolysis inhibition and SOF-mediated virulence. Our results shed new light on the molecular mechanisms of SOF-host interaction.
Neural differences underlying face processing in veterans with TBI and co-occurring TBI and PTSD

Abstract Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common in military personnel and associated with high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). TBI impacts widely-distributed neural patterns, some of which influence affective processing. Better understanding how TBI and PTSD/TBI alters affective neural activity may improve our understanding of comorbidity mechanisms, but to date the neural correlates of emotional processing in these groups has been relatively understudied. Methods Military controls, military personnel with a history of TBI, and military personnel with both TBI and PTSD (N = 53) completed an emotional face processing task during fMRI. Whole-brain activation and functional connectivity during task conditions were compared between groups. Results Few whole-brain group differences emerged in planned pairwise contrasts, though the TBI group showed some areas of hypoactivation relative to other groups during processing of faces versus shapes. The PTSD/TBI group compared to the control and TBI groups demonstrated greater connectivity between the amygdala and insula seed regions and a number of prefrontal and posterior cingulate regions. Limitations Generalizability to other patient groups, including those with only PTSD, has not yet been established. Conclusion TBI alone was associated with hypoactivation during a condition processing faces versus shapes, but PTSD with TBI was associated altered functional connectivity between amygdala and insula regions and cingulate and prefrontal areas. Altered connectivity patterns across groups suggests that individuals with PTSD/TBI may need to increase frontal connectivity with the insulae in order to achieve similar task-based activity.
The Influence of John Dewey and James Tufts' 'Ethics' on Ambedkar's Quest for Social Justice

This chapter examines the influence of American pragmatism on Bhimrao Ambedkar's reform activities on behalf of India's "untouchables." Ambedkar was highly influenced by John Dewey while studying at Columbia University in 1913-1916, but little is known about how Dewey's pragmatism actually influenced Ambedkar's thinking and activism. The present chapter adds to our understanding of Ambedkar's pragmatism by examining his personal annotated copy of Dewey and Tufts' 1908 book, Ethics. By examining Ambedkar's textual engagement with this book, we can begin to unravel the mystery of what he saw in Deweyan pragmatism and how it shaped his activities as a reformer upon his return to India.
Phthalonitrile Blends: Simple Way to Improve Physical Properties by Increasing Crosslinking Density

A method to improve the mechanical properties of phthalonitrile (PN) resins at lower postcure temperatures is achieved by blending a second-generation oligomeric aromatic ether ketone-based PN resin with 1,1,1-tris-[4-(3,4-dicyanophenoxy)phenyl]ethane in varying concentrations. Most of the mixtures exhibit a single softening temperature indicating that the two resins are miscibile in one another at the respective concentrations. After various blends are thermally cured to several postcure temperatures yielding crosslinked polymers, the polymers demonstrate superb mechanical properties and thermooxidative stability at lower overall postcure temperatures.
Subsidiary capabilities and innovation in developing countries

This study examines the innovativeness of multinational company (MNC) subsidiaries in developing countries. The extant literature assumes that MNC subsidiaries in developing countries are less like...