cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A mutation in the extracellular domain of the insulin receptor impairs the ability of insulin to stimulate receptor autophosphorylation.

Mutations of the insulin receptor gene have been shown to cause insulin-resistant diabetes in patients with genetic forms of insulin resistance. We have previously reported that a mutation substituting valine for Phe382 in the alpha-subunit of the insulin receptor is associated with impaired transport of the mutant receptor to the plasma membrane (Accili, D., Frapier, C., Mosthaf, L., McKeon, C., Elbein, S. C., Permutt, M. A., Ramos, E., Lander, E. S., Ullrich, A., and Taylor, S. I. (1989) EMBO J. 8, 2509-2517). In this study, we demonstrate that the Val382 mutation impairs the ability of insulin to activate receptor autophosphorylation. Furthermore, the Val382 receptor has reduced activity to phosphorylate other peptide substrates in the presence of insulin. Nevertheless, when the Val382 mutant and wild-type receptors are mixed together, the wild-type human insulin receptor is able to phosphorylate the Val382 mutant receptor, thereby activating the tyrosine kinase activity of the mutant receptor. Thus, the conformational change caused by the Val382 mutation compromises the ability of the receptor to transmit a signal across the plasma membrane. Furthermore, our observations suggest that receptor phosphorylation by an intermolecular mechanism (i.e. transphosphorylation) may play a role in mediating the action of insulin upon the target cell.
Validation of the Denver Emergency Department Trauma Organ Failure Score to Predict Post-Injury Multiple Organ Failure

Background Early recognition of trauma patients at risk for multiple organ failure (MOF) is important to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with MOF. The objective of the study was to externally validate the Denver Emergency Department (ED) Trauma Organ Failure (TOF) Score, a 6-item instrument that includes age, intubation, hematocrit, systolic blood pressure, blood urea nitrogen, and white blood cell count, which was designed to predict the development of MOF within 7 days of hospitalization. Study Design We performed a prospective multicenter study of adult trauma patients between November, 2011 and March, 2013. The primary outcome was development of MOF within 7 days of hospitalization, assessed using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was performed to determine associations between the Denver ED TOF Score and MOF. Discrimination was assessed and quantified using a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The predictive accuracy of the Denver ED TOF score was compared with attending emergency physician estimation of the likelihood of MOF. Results We included 2,072 patients with a median age of 46 years (interquartile range [IQR] 30 to 61 years); 68% were male. The median Injury Severity Score was 9 (IQR 5 to 17), and 88% of patients had blunt mechanism injury. Among participants, 1,024 patients (49%) were admitted to the ICU, and 77 (4%) died. Multiple organ failure occurred in 120 (6%; 95% CI 5% to 7%) patients and of these, 37 (31%; 95% CI 23% to 40%) died. The area under the ROC curve for the Denver ED TOF Score prediction of MOF was 0.89 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.91) and for physician estimation of the likelihood of MOF was 0.78 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.83). Conclusions The Denver ED TOF Score predicts development of MOF within 7 days of hospitalization. Its predictive accuracy outperformed attending emergency physician estimation of the risk of MOF.
Which Types of Supernovae Leave Neutron Stars

The question of which types of supernovae are associated with neutron stars is considered from the perspective of supernova observations and current ideas about their progenitors and explosion mechanisms. SNe la do not leave neuron stars; some but not necessarily all SNe II do; SNe lb may or may not. These conclusions lead to rough limits on the fraction of Galactic supernovae that leave neutron stars and on the rate at which neutron stars are born via Galactic supernovae. The question of whether these limits are in conflict with evidence from supernova remnants and pulsars is discussed briefly.
Noninvasive recovery of skin thickness and its dielectric properties in the microwave range: a two-dimensional time-domain inverse-scattering algorithm

Motivated by the need to calibrate the recently proposed microwave breast tumor detection system, we present results of development of a two-dimensional time-domain inverse-scattering algorithm for determining skin thickness, and relative permittivity /spl epsiv//sub r-skin/ and electric conductivity /spl sigma//sub skin/ in the microwave range. The algorithm traces a search trajectory in the (/spl epsiv//sub r-skin/, /spl sigma//sub skin/) space. The minimal parameter estimation error along this trajectory yields a set of correct parameter values. These results of the inverse-scattering technique depend on the shape and the duration of the pulse chosen for the electrical parameter reconstruction. The time-domain nature of the inverse-algorithm allows for limiting the region of inversion. Thus, when the parameters of the skin are estimated, the skin thickness can be determined by comparing the measurement with a simulated all-skin response.
Repair of a bifid nose combined with a cleft of the primary palate in a 1-year-old dog.

Objective To report surgical repair of a bifid nose combined with a cleft of the primary palate. Study design Clinical report. Animals A 1-year-old, male castrated Springer spaniel dog. Methods With the dog in sternal recumbency, an extraoral (dorsal) approach to the nose was performed, and after surgical margins were outlined, a Y-shaped skin incision was made to remove redundant tissue and expose the bifid nasal cartilages. The cartilages were opposed and sutured together and the skin closed in 2 layers. The dog was repositioned in dorsal recumbency, and the 2 maxillary first incisor teeth were extracted. After tangential incision and undermining of the cleft defect, the mucosa was sutured in 1 layer. Results Healing was uneventful and there was an immediate return to normal function. At 2 weeks, 3 and 6 months function was excellent without further clinical signs. Conclusion Bifid nose associated with a cleft of the primary palate can be surgically corrected.
Optical Hall conductivity of a Floquet topological insulator

Results are presented for the optical Hall conductivity of a Floquet topological insulator (FTI) for an ideal closed quantum system, as well as an open system in a nonequilibrium steady state with a reservoir. The steady state, even for the open system, is strongly dependent on the topological phase of the FTI, with certain phases showing a remarkable near cancellation from pockets of Berry curvature of opposite signs, leading to a suppressed low-frequency Hall conductivity that also shows an anomalous temperature dependence by increasing as the temperature of the reservoir is increased. Such a behavior is in complete contrast to heating and arises because of a strong modification of the effective system-reservoir coupling by the laser. The Berry curvature of the Floquet modes is time dependent, and its frequency components are found to control the main features of the high-frequency Hall conductivity.
A short online community readiness survey for smoke-free policy.

INTRODUCTION Rural residents in the United States are more likely to use tobacco, have less access to tobacco control resources and efforts, and are more highly exposed to secondhand smoke than their urban counterparts. The purpose was to design and pilot test a shortened, self-administered online survey (Community Readiness Survey-Short form [CRS-S]) to assess community readiness for smoke-free policy in rural communities. The Community Readiness Survey-Long form (CRS-L) is a 30- to 90-min telephone-administered survey. The Community Readiness Model can guide the design of programs and policy interventions to reduce health risks. METHODS 160 key informants from Wave 3 of a 5-year community-based randomized controlled trial set in Kentucky completed the CRS-L; 61 of approximately 140-284 items were significantly related to the relevant readiness dimension subscores and selected for inclusion. The online CRS-S was created with these items using Qualtrics software; 43 smoke-free advocates who had completed the CRS-L during Wave 4 were invited to participate. Correlations between the CRS-S and the CRS-L on overall readiness and the dimension scores were calculated. Readiness scores were correlated with existence of public policy and voluntary smoke-free policies to assess convergent validity. RESULTS The correlation between the overall CRS-S and CRS-L scores was relatively strong (.82), and there is evidence to support convergent validity. Most respondents completed the CRS-S in less than 15 min and preferred this format. CONCLUSIONS The CRS-S is a valid and less time- and resource-intensive method to assess readiness for smoke-free policy in rural communities.
The Pugnacious and the Pacific: Why Some Democracies Fight Wars

In his article in International Politics, Harald Muller (2004) attempts to explain why some democracies fight wars through the development of two ideal types of democracy, one that adopts the stance of militant liberalism and the other of pacifist liberalism. This article offers a critique of Muller's argument and his classification of militant and pacifist democracies. As an alternative explanation I turn to empirical uniformities on war that have been identified through quantitative, data-based research as increasing the probability of the onset of war. These factors include power status, duration of independence, number and type of borders, the presence of enduring rivalry, and the level of economic development. I will demonstrate that these factors are more important in explaining the warlike nature of some democracies.
Effect of changes in fin-length on apparent shaft-length and depth in the Müller-Lyer illusion.

Muller-Lyer figures with outgoing fins were back illuminated and apparent shaft-length and depth were both judged by 20 undergraduates. With the angle between the fins constant, progressive increases in fin-length produced first an increase in the apparent shaft-length and then a decrease. Changes in fin-length, however, had no significant effect on apparent depth. These data were interpreted as inconsistent with an account of the Muller-Lyer illusion in terms of perspective theory, since the latter predicts systematic changes in perceived shaft-length to be associated with systematic changes in perceived depth.
Statistical Issues in Toxicology

Toxicology is "the study of the nature and mechanism of toxic effects of substances on living organisms and other biologic systems" (Lu 1996). Sometimes, data from human populations serve as the sentinel event indicating adverse health effects associated with environmental exposures. For example, the serious developmental effects associated with prenatal methyl mercury exposure were discovered only after some rural Japanese women ate fish contaminated by effluent from a nearby factory. Usually, however, the complexity and inherent variability of human populations complicates the evaluation of adverse environmental effects. For this reason, the field of toxicology has traditionally relied heavily on controlled studies in laboratory animals. Conducting studies in animals also allows researchers to explore questions that are difficult or unethical to address in a human population. For example, the pharmaceutical industry assesses safety in controlled animal experiments before products are used in humans. This article reviews just a few of the interesting statistical problems in toxicology. After presenting a short history, I turn to some problems of current interest, followed by some emerging problems in the field. Many important topics (e.g., the use of toxicological information to inform risk assessment decisions and policy making) are touched on only briefly or not at all.
Modeled carbon sequestration variation in a linked erosion–deposition system

Abstract Unraveling the consequences of hydrologic transport on carbon (C) storage will help identify feedbacks between land management alternatives, climate change, and soil-vegetation-atmospheric-transfers (SVATs) of C. There is a need for theoretically driven models of erosion and deposition that includes transport induced mineralization to better understand the controls on SVATs of C. Here we present a model developed using a systems-dynamic approach that coupled C-SVATs at a 2-day resolution with a discrete event erosion–deposition model occurring with a prescribed return interval. Five possible mass-balance transformations of C occurring between the two patches were explicitly modeled: net primary production (NPP), decomposition, erosion, transport induced mineralization, and deposition. The net C-SVAT, NPP minus decomposition, exhibited three stable points of no net C flux. Starting with arbitrary initial C pool in each patch above the bifurcation point, the model approached a quasi-steady state, which included both the short-term and longer term consequences of erosion; in the baseline simulation 5080 g C m −2 was stored prior to erosion and 100 years of low intensity erosion 4840 g C m −2 SOC remained. Low intensity erosion also generated spatial heterogeneity; from an initial homogeneous distribution to 40% of the C stored in the eroded patch and 60% of the C stored in the deposition patch. Erosion reduction resulted in a corresponding increase in total soil C content that was positively related to the magnitude of erosion reduction. In conjunction with providing a modeling framework for reducing the uncertainty in C-SVAT, this model is a prototype of a growing theory of ecosystem processes within spatially explicit landscapes, a meta-ecosystem model.
Dielectric strength of Al2O3/silicone composites after high‐temperature aging

Silicones are widely used for electrical insulation owing to their high dielectric strength and thermal stability. However, recent studies revealed insufficient stability of silicone for high-temperature applications. To study the effect of Al2O3 fiber on silicone stability, we measured the dielectric strength of unfilled silicone and Al2O3/silicone composites as a function of aging time at 250°C in air and analyzed data by Weibull probability distribution to determine characteristic dielectric strength (E0) and shape parameter (β). Prior to aging, unfilled silicone and composites had similar behavior, with E0 at about 20 kV/mm and β > 15. During aging, unfilled silicone developed both micro- and macrocracks, with β dropped below five in 240 h and E0 decreased significantly. Composites developed microcracks, with β dropped below 5 in longer time and E0 remained almost constant. Addition of Al2O3 slowed down crack growth in silicone matrix, resulting in longer lasting high-temperature dielectric materials. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41170.
Oxygen Deprivation Produces Delayed Inhibition of Long-Term Potentiation by Activation of NMDA Receptors and Nitric Oxide Synthase

The acute and delayed effects of anoxia on synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP) were examined in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices. Oxygen deprivation for 20 minutes completely but reversibly depressed excitatory postsynaptic potentials mediated by both N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) and non-NMDAR. Although LTP was reliably produced by a single tetanus delivered 30 minutes after reoxygenation, LTP could not be induced when a tetanus was delivered 70 to 100 minutes after reoxygenation. A tetanus delivered 100 minutes after reoxygenation produced lasting synaptic enhancement when 100 μmol/L d,l-amino-phosphonovaleric acid (APV), a competitive NMDAR antagonist, was administered during the period of oxygen deprivation. The delayed effects of oxygen deprivation were not blocked when APV was administered after oxygen deprivation. Similarly, the delayed effects on LTP induction were overcome by inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase when the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors were adm...
A new technique to provide high time resolution snowpack dating for stratigraphy and chemistry assessments

Abstract A new technique has been developed to provide quantitative, high temporal resolution information of snow accumulation dynamics in remote polar, alpine, and high-latitude environments which can be used to identify episodic mechanical forcings and chemical inputs to a snowpack. This technique uses a device; which disperses inert, colored (high albedo) glass microspheres onto a snow surface at known time intervals to act as a tracer and time marker. Dating individual layers of the snowpack is obtained by using a sequence of several microsphere colors. The time interval between microsphere dispersal can range from hours for investigations of individual storms, to months for investigations in polar regions with small snow accumulations. The resulting spatial distribution of microspheres in the snowpack is determined by either core sampling or snow pit sampling, and extracting the microspheres from the snow melt samples for optical analyses. A field test of this technique was successfully conducted at an alpine site and the results of this test along with a chemical analysis of the snow profile are provided.
Locomotion Improves Children's Spatial Search: A Meta-Analytic Review

This meta-analysis quantitatively summarized the developmental influence and the effects of locomotor experience as well as the benefits of locomotor practice, locomotor assistance, and active searching patterns on children's search performance. Based on specific criteria, a search of a database and reference lists identified 19 studies, including 1,029 children (510 boys and 519 girls) from 4 to 144 months of age. Outcome measures of spatial performance were converted to 83 effect sizes that reflected the effects of specific experimental characteristics. Analyses of variance indicated that with older children, locomotor activities are more important to their spatial searching. Locomotor status, searching patterns, locomotor assistance, test conditions, and test reliability were identified as moderator variables. In addition, locomotor training significantly improved children's spatial search. The results supported the hypothesis that children's development of spatial search skills is influenced by locomotor experience.
VUV Fluorescence And Harmonic Generation With Intense Picosecond 248 Nm Krf* Radiation

A picosecond 248 nm KrF* laser system producing a focal intensity of greater than 1015 W/cm2 has been used to study VUV fluorescence and harmonic generation in H2, He, Ne,'Ar, Kr, and Xe. The nonlinear media were found to fall into two distinct classes: the lighter materials, H2, He, and Ne, which readily support the generation of harmonic radiation, but do not fluoresce, and the heavier materials, Ar, Kr, and Xe, which produce significant amounts of fluorescence, but in which the generation of harmonic radiation decreases rapidly with the scattering order.
Incidence of Neurological Soft Signs in Children with Isolated Cleft of the Lip or Palate

The purpose of this study was to assess neurological soft signs in children and adolescents with isolated cleft of the lip or palate (iCL/P) compared with healthy controls. Children with iCL/P were recruited through the university cleft clinic. Control subjects were recruited through advertisements. Of the 166 subjects who participated (age range 7 to 17 years, M = 12.5, SD = 3.2), 77 had iCL/P (48 male) and 89 were healthy controls (44 male). All participants took the Physical and Neurological Examination of Subtle Signs and selected tests of motor coordination. A multivariate analysis of variance assessed differences between subjects with and without iCL/P. Also, a Pearson correlation estimated the relationship between the neurological soft signs and age. Subjects with iCL/P scored significantly higher on all neurological soft signs variables. These higher scores were associated with younger age. Findings lend support to the hypothesis of aberrant brain development in children with iCL/P.
The Path to Student-Centered Teaching in Gerontology and Geriatrics

ABSTRACT Student- or learner-centered teaching has an historical context—it is old and new. This article traces the path that has brought us full circle to once again concentrating on student learning instead of teacher teaching—from the era of learning being restricted to the wealthy and privileged, to today where learning institutions are inclusive. Three pressures are identified and discussed that have been the catalysts for reevaluating teaching methods in higher education: assessment of teaching and learning at the institutional level, generational differences between instructor and student, and a better understanding of how students learn. The rubric is examined as a method of assessing student progress in a student-centered environment. These are then related to the teaching of gerontology and geriatrics where students and teachers alike have a distinct edge over other content areas where the practicum experience is not part of the educational fabric.
The cost of quality in existing housing: Estimates from an implicit markets model

Abstract Rosen's implicit markets approach is used to model and estimate the cost of improving the state of repair of rental housing in existing structures. Particular attention is devoted to potential errors in the measurement of state of repair and to the inconsistent estimates of supply and demand parameters implied by Rosen's original econometric technique. Cost estimates imply that improvements in low-income housing could be provided much less expensively in existing housing than by either public new construction or the Section 8 existing housing program.
Étude de la décroissance 184Hg → 184Au (T 1/2 = 30 s)

Nous avons etudie la decroissance β+ + CE de 184Hg (T1/2 = 30 s) vers les niveaux de 184Au a l'aide du separateur en ligne UNISOR. Les sources isotopiquement pures de Tl et Hg de masse A = 184 ont ete obtenues en bombardant une cible enrichie de 180W avec des ions 14N de 177 MeV. Des spectres simples de multianalyse et des coincidences γ-γ-t ont ete mesures. Aucun niveau n'etait connu anterieurement a ce travail dans 184Au. L'etude des coincidences γ-γ-t nous a permis d'etablir 8 niveaux excites a 156,2; 159,1; 247,7 ; 282,8 ; 295,1 ; 392,4 ; 418,0 et 412,4 keV et d'en suggerer deux autres, l'un a 534,0 et l'autre a 551,6 keV. Par la technique des coincidences retardees, on a mesure la periode du premier niveau excite T1/2(156,2 keV) = (36± 6) ns a mesure la periode du premier niveau excite T1/2(156,2 keV) = (36 ± 6) ns et une limite superieure egale a 2 ns a ete determinee pour la duree de vie des niveaux a 159,1 ; 247,7 ; 295,1 et 392,4 keV.
The Politics of Labeling: Latino/a Cultural Identities of Self and Others

"I am what I am." Thus begins "Ending Poem," by Aurora Levins-Morales and Rosario Morales (1986: 212-213), a mother-and-daughter statement that reaffirms the existence of the self and is almost a challenge to those who question the existence in the United States of a Latina identity and culture. It supports the critique by Eliana Ortega and Nancy Saporta-Sternbach (1989: 3) of the claim that minority literatures express a search for identity rather than a "paradigm of self-affirmation in the Latina writer, a self-perception and self-definition." Certainly the Morales' "Ending Poem" would support Ortega and Saporta-Sternbach's (1989:3) view that among U.S. Latina writers, the issue is more a question of searching for "the expression or articulation of that identity, but not for . . . identity itself." Throughout the poem, mother and daughter alternate in their affirmation of their respective identities and use historical, geographical, ancestral, culinary, and other cultural aspects to characterize their (Latina) selves. Still, reading the Moraleses' poem, one is struck by the ways in which both self (I am what I am) and other (I am not what I am not) are fundamental to the construction of the identities of these individual Latinas -and, one might say, to the ethos of the (Latino) group:
Conduciveness to Scholarship: The Essence of Academic Library as Place

The dawn of the Internet era has prompted many researchers to investigate changes in the use of academic libraries, but most studies explore student use, rather than faculty use, of library space. In contrast, this study surveys use of the academic library space among faculty and doctoral students and explores the phenomenological differences between using library space and using the library remotely. The authors hypothesized that older scholars (by age and by “scholarly age,” as measured by the year in which the scholar’s last academic degree was earned) would report greater use of the physical library and less use of the library’s electronic resources and would make more positive statements about the physical space than would younger scholars. In three of the four major themes that emerged from the qualitative survey data, this hypothesis is supported. However, in the fourth theme, “conduciveness to scholarship,” the opposite position was supported. Younger scholars were far more likely than older scholars to make statements reflecting the idea that the physical library is a unique place that facilitates the kind of concentration necessary for doing serious scholarly work.
Provincetown queer: paradoxes of ‘identity, space, and place’†

Provincetown, MA, located at the tip of Cape Cod, has transitioned over the twentieth century from a predominantly Portuguese fishing village to a magnet for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals and queers, both as tourists and year-rounders. Newcomers have fostered change – economically, socially, and culturally – to which the town's predominantly straight old-timers have responded with a libertarian, generally accepting stance. Accommodation to newcomers – both ‘good gays’ and ‘sexual rebels’ – with its attendant social and cultural challenges, has not been without conflict. Today, economic gentrification and an influx of workers of color test the community's resolve to maintain and promote a culture of diversity and acceptance, as members cope with ever-more challenging economic issues, including escalating housing, and living costs. Provincetowners also confront other troubling demographic changes, especially declining school enrolments caused by the so-called ‘straight flight’ and an ever-incre...
Influence of Carbon Dioxide and Gas Condensate on the Corrosion Rate of 20 Steel in Deaerated NACE Solutions

We investigate the influence of gas condensate on the corrosion rate of 20 steel in deaerated and CO2 - saturated NACE solutions. It is shown that, as a result of the removal of oxygen by blowing-through the solution with nitrogen under the conditions of stirring at 50°С, the corrosion rate of steel decreases by 11.5% as compared with its corrosion rate in naturally aerated solutions. As a result of the saturation of the deaerated solution with carbon dioxide, the corrosion rate becomes 2.5 timed higher and, as a result of the addition of 20 vol.% gas condensate and 20 vol.% methanol, decreases by a factor of 8.5 in the deaerated NACE solution and by a factor of 8.8 in the NACE solution saturated with CO2, which guarantees the degree of corrosion protection of steel equal to 88–89%.
The return of the trivial: problems formalizing collection/item metadata relationships

Formalizing collection/item metadata relationships encounters the problem of trivial satisfaction. We offer a solution related to current work in IR and ontology evaluation.
Pandemic influenza, reopening schools, and returning to work.

In this issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Victoria Davey and Robert Glass present a paper (1) in which they consider the question of when to “switch off” community-based interventions designed to reduce the spread of pandemic influenza. These authors attempt to answers questions such as when it would be optimal to reopen schools that have been closed as part of a nonpharmaceutical, communitywide influenza mitigation strategy.
Does Diversity Mean Assimilation

This article examines attitudes toward diversity at an academic institution. Research participants indicated their support for various forms of diversity in response to closed-ended questions and then described what the word ‘diversity’ meant to them. By comparing numerical data with open-ended definitions, we highlight the particulars of how our respondents interpret diversity. Specifically, we show that for about one-third of our sample, diversity programs are equated with ‘oneness’, ‘equality’, and ‘color-blindness’. We analyze this interpretation of diversity as a discursive construction that enables respondents to profess progressive views while at the same time upholding traditional American values of assimilation. We end the article with a critique of this emerging diversity regime and consider alternative models of promoting diversity.
Ethical issues experienced by engineering students and practitioners

According to some philosophers, ethics may be divided into four primary theories—rights ethics, duty ethics, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics. In addition, four secondary theories—ethical egoism, corporate egoism, ethical relativism, and divine‐command ethics—may also be considered. This paper reviews the foregoing ethical theories and presents guidelines that may be followed to promote ethics and professionalism in the workplace. In addition, it presents the results of a survey of engineering students concerning ethics and professionalism and compares the findings with a previous study involving engineering practitioners. The results show that students with minimum work experience tend to rate, the frequency and seriousness of ethical issues lower than students with work experience, members of the Consulting Engineers Council, and faculty. Among the exceptions—alcohol and drug abuse, and failure to protect the environment—are listed in the frequency category. Three issues—technical incompetence or misre...
Compensation for surface coil sensitivity variation in magnetic resonance imaging

A procedure which incorporates the aspects of both correction matrix and digital filtering to compensate for sensitivity fall-off of the surface coil has been applied to clinical imaging. In this method the surface coil profile is determined using the surface coil image and a crude body coil image. Our results indicate that the corrected surface coil image exhibits the homogeneity of the body coil image while essentially preserving the sensitivity of the surface coil image.
77 Comparison of Hepatitis C Seroconversion in Two Centers and Reuse Practices

COMPARISON OF HEPATITIS C SEROCONVERSION IN TWO CENTERS AND REUSE PRACTICES Maria de Jesus, Vivek Soi, Sancar Eke, Yahya Osman Malik, Jerry Yee, Roque Diaz. Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Several mechanisms could potentially contribute to nosocomial HCV transmission between hemodialysis patients. These include internal contamination of hemodialysis machines, contamination of the hands of staff members, item sharing and dialyzer reuse. The relationship between dialyzer reuse and anti-HCV positivity has been confirmed in some but not all studies. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the incidence of Hepatitis C seroconversion in two urban centers which differed with respect to dialyzer reuse. The incidence of Hepatitis C seroconversion was calculated for the two urban centers. Data between 2001 and 2006 from 339 patients from Center A and 356 from Center B was analyzed. During this time, dialyzer reuse occurred at Center B but did not occur at Center A. Because seroconversion was expected to occur at very low rates, a Poisson regression model was used to compare rates between centers as well as to estimate the relative risk of developing a seroconversion . Association between Dialyser Reuse (Center) and Seroconversion Rate Center Incidence Relative Risk (95% CI) P-value Center B (Reuse) 0.011 5.52 (1.93, 15.78) 0.002 Center A 0.062 The incidence of seroconversion was higher at Center A (0.062) where hemodialyzers were not reused than at Center B (0.011) where hemodialyzers were reused. The ratio of incidence of seroconversion for Center A relative to Center B was 5.52. There was between a 1.93 and 15.78 greater probability of seroconversion if a patient had hemodialysis at a center that did not reuse hemodialyzers relative to a center that did participate in reuse.This study illustrates that a non-reuse strategy does not significantly lower the risk of seroconversion when compared to the alternative. Other variables including the number of surgeries, transfusion load, race, and sex, were not significant predictors of seroconversion in the Poisson regression model. Intensification of other infection control procedures should be emphasized to prevent the spread of the Hepatitis C virus.
Three-Dimensional Lumped Mass/Lumped Spring Modeling and Nonlinear Behavior of a Levitated Droplet

The nonlinear dynamics time evolution of an electromagnetically levitated (EML) droplet is considered in this study. The droplet is modeled as a three dimensional system with lumped masses and elastic springs. A new expression for the spring elastic constants in a global stiffness matrix has been derived, and equations of motion presented. The chaotic behavior of the system is analyzed for different coil configurations. The stability of the motion is studied using the Lyapunov exponents. Computations were performed for droplets of aluminum and copper.
Financial Stress in Agriculture: Implications for Agricultural Lenders

During the 1970s and 1980s forces in the farm sector and the financial markets have significantly influenced the cost and availability of financial capital for farmers. Farm income has experienced periodic shocks that in the early 1980s created one of the deepest and most widespread recessions in agriculture since the 1930s. In financial markets, the unprecedented high and volatile interest rates and profound regulatory changes for financial institutions lessened the insulation of farm credit from national and international markets. These conditions have impacted the hardest on the owners of and lenders to larger farms that, while relatively few in number, hold substantial debt and are highly leveraged (USDA). Consistent, current, and valid information about the "farm credit crisis" of the early 1980s is not available. Moreover, an objective assessment is often obscured by the farm media's tendency to highlight the most serious cases. Nonetheless, as data to follow will show, farm credit problems can likely be considered very serious but still manageable. The incidences of delinquencies, loans being liquidated, customers discontinued, foreclosures, bankruptcies, and workouts all appear to have accelerated from past experiences (Shepard and Collins). In turn, these conditions cause higher lending costs, greater lending frustration, and reevaluations of credit standards and loan policies. In this paper, we focus on financial stress for major agricultural lenders, arising from agricultural and financial market forces. We first establish the lenders' risk setting, and then review the credit problems and their impacts on commercial banks, the farm credit system, government credit programs, and other lenders. Managerial and policy implications are also considered.
Demonstration of high contrast in 10% broadband light with the shaped pupil coronagraph

ABSTRACT The Shaped Pupil Coronagraph (SPC) is a high-contrast imaging system pioneered at Princeton for detection of extra-solar earthlike planets. It is designed to achieve 10 -10 contrast at an inner working angle of 4 in broadband light. A critical requirement in attaining this contrast level in practice is the ability to control wavefront phase and amplitude aberrations to at least in rms phase and 1/1000 rms amplitude, respectively. Furthermore, this has to be maintained over a large spectral band. The High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) is a state-of-the-art facility for studying such high contrast imaging systems and wavefront control methods. It consists of a vacuum chamber containing a configurable coronagraph setup with a Xinetics deformable mirror. Previously, we demonstrated 4x10 -8 contrast with the SPC at HCIT in 10% broadband light. The limiting factors were subsequently identified as (1) manufacturing defects due to minimal feature size constraints on our shaped pupil masks and (2) the inefficiency of the wavefront correction algorithm we used (classical speckle nulling) to correct for these defects. In this paper, we demonstrate the solutions to both of these problems. In particular, we present a method to design masks with practical minimal feature sizes and show new manufactured masks with few defects. These masks were installed at HCIT and tested using more sophisticated wavefront control algorithms based on energy minimization of light in the dark zone. We present the results of these experiments, notably a record contrast in 10% broadband light. Keywords: extrasolar planets, high contrast, coronagraph, shaped pupils, wavefront correction,
Development of Junior Faculty in Resource-Poor Departments of Psychiatry

Junior faculty are required to develop steady, productive academic and research programs in order to stay on an academic track and be promoted. In departments that are not research centers, quite often new, aspiring faculty do not have the time, skills, training, and the encouraging environment necessary to meet these demands. Quantitatively, research-poor departments provide clinical services to the majority of patients in the United States and psychiatric training to a large number of medical students and residents. It is quite widely accepted that enhancement of academic education in these departments is needed. Currently, however, most suggestions to increase research in such departments have been initiated from the research center’s perspective. In this study, the problem is illuminated from the faculty’s perspective in resource-poor departments. Solutions are discussed and new approaches are suggested.
Crystalline inorganic pyrophosphatase isolated from baker's yeast.

Crystalline inorganic pyrophosphatase has been isolated from baker9s yeast. The crystalline enzyme is a protein of the albumin type with an isoelectric point near pH 4.8. Its molecular weight is of the order of 100,000. It contains about 5 per cent tyrosine and 3.5 per cent tryptophane. It is most stable at pH 6.8. The new crystalline protein acts as a specific catalyst for the hydrolysis of inorganic pyrophosphate into orthophosphate ions. It does not catalyze the hydrolysis of the pyrophosphate radical of such organic esters as adenosine di- and triphosphate, or thiamine pyrophosphate. Crystalline pyrophosphatase requires the presence of Mg, Co, or Mn ions as activators. These ions are antagonized by calcium ions. Mg is also antagonized by Co or Mn ions. The rate of the enzymatic hydrolysis of inorganic pyrophosphate is proportional to the concentration of enzyme and is a function of pH, temperature, concentration of substrate, and concentration of activating ion. The approximate conditions for optimum rate are: 40°C. and pH 7.0 at a concentration of 3 to 4 x 10 –3 M Na 4 P 2 O 7 and an equivalent concentration of magnesium salt. The enzymatic hydrolysis of Na 4 P 2 O 7 or K 4 P 2 O 7 proceeds to completion and is irreversible under the conditions at which hydrolysis is occurring. Details are given of the method of isolation of the crystalline enzyme.
Growth of Leuconostoc citrovorum in Skimmilk Fortified with an Extract of Streptococcus lactis Cells

Abstract Two strains of Leuconostoc citrovorum (CAF-B and Da 3) that form long chains and two (9 and 14) that produce short chains were grown at 22 and 30C in skimmilk which contained 0.0, 0.25, or 0.50mg protein per milliliter from a cell-free extract of Streptococcus lactis . Plating and microscopic examinations were done periodically during 30 hours of incubation. Growth of all strains was enhanced equally by both concentrations of cell-free extract regardless of incubation temperature. Strains CAF-B, 9, and 14 were stimulated more than Strain Da 3. Populations of most strains in fortified skimmilks usually exceeded those in plain milk by one log or more. Maximum populations in fortified milks, although higher, appeared 2 to 6 hours later than in plain milk. Generation times of all strains were reduced by the additive but the effect was greater at 30 than at 22C. All strains produced longer chains with added protein. Long chain formation was statistically significant and occurred earlier (
Aromatic poly(pyridinium salt)s. Part 3. Photoreduction in amide solvents

Abstract UV–Vis irradiation of bis(pyridinium salt) model compounds and poly(pyridinium salt)s in amide solvents result in dramatic changes in their UV–Vis spectra. The absorption maximum near 342 nm, characteristic of pyridinium rings, disappears, while an absorption maximum near 500 nm appears and then disappears. During this process, the solutions change from yellow to dark red to light yellow. The inherent viscosities of the poly(pyridinium salt)s also decrease dramatically under UV–Vis irradiation. Both the color changes and the viscosity decreases are unaffected by the nature of the pyridinium salt counter anion. However, they are dramatically affected by the presence of pendent substituents. Electron-withdrawing groups increase the rate at which these changes take place, while electron-donating groups retard them. It is speculated that the photodecomposition proceeds through the initial formation of radical cations. It is also speculated that the amide groups may serve as reducing agents providing electrons in the electron transfer process. Evidence for this comes from the fact that a poly(pyridinium salt) containing pendent amide groups underwent photoreduction in DMSO in marked contrast to other poly(pyridinium salt)s that are photostable in this solvent.
Air pollution risk estimates: determinants of heterogeneity.

Information on risk to health for particular populations may be critical for motivating air pollution control, setting air quality standards, and evaluating control measures. This article considers the application of associated risk estimates from one or more external populations to a specific population. This concept is termed “transportability,” and the degree of transportability of a risk estimate may be limited by (1) sources and characteristics of the local air pollution mixture, (2) pattern of exposures to the population, and (3) population characteristics determining susceptibility. For any particular estimate in a particular study or in compilations of study findings, multiple potential determinants affect its value, including biological factors, aspects of study methodology, and bias introduced by study design and analysis and by the publication process. Each limitation is discussed in light of current research, and solutions are proposed for addressing these limitations. These include (1) a full...
How Much and How Long: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

As the first clinically successful tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), imatinib pioneered a new approach to treating patients with cancer. Dramatic results from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) clinical trials spurred the development of TKIs for other malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia as well as kidney and lung cancer. In CML, imatinib resistance led to the rapid development of dasatinib and nilotinib, more potent second-generation ABL kinase inhibitors that can often overcome imatinib resistance. While the clinical efficacy of TKIs in CML is well established, a number of important questions remain about the optimal dose and duration of therapy. Even the best initial dose for imatinib is still under investigation. Although laboratory and clinical studies had led to the prevailing view that continual inhibition of the BCR-ABL kinase was required for optimal efficacy, recent data on dasatinib have upended this notion and have led to a change in the recommended dosing schedule. The availability of dasatinib and nilotinib also begs the question of whether they might be superior to imatinib as first-line agents. Finally, the question of whether it may be possible to stop TKI therapy at least in some patients with CML has attracted considerable attention. More than 10 years after the introduction of imatinib, optimization of TKI therapy for CML continues.
ADHD Subtype Differences in Motivational Responsivity but not Inhibitory Control: Evidence From a Reward-Based Variation of the Stop Signal Paradigm

In this study we examined prepotent motor inhibition and responsiveness to reward using a variation of the stop signal reaction time (SSRT) task in clinic- and community-recruited children ages 7 to 12 with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-inattentive type (ADHD-I), ADHD-combined type (ADHD-C), and non-ADHD controls. Contrary to theoretical expectations, we found evidence for inhibitory weaknesses in ADHD-I. We also found evidence that although children with ADHD-I were able to improve their inhibitory control given reward-based motivation, the improvement depended on the order of reward conditions. Results suggest that the 2 primary subtypes of ADHD share similar neuropsychological weaknesses in inhibitory control but that there are subtype differences in response to success and failure that contribute to a child's ultimate level of performance.
Mandatory advanced degrees for CNMs: Developing compromise

Higher education is seen as a step in the right direction for credentialing health care providers. The difficulty lies in the continuation of nurse-midwifery certificate programs to increase the number of practicing certified nurse-midwives while maintaining high-quality care. The author offers some pragmatic solutions to this dilemma.
Chromosome 8q24 variants are associated with prostate cancer risk in a high risk population of African ancestry.

BACKGROUND Earlier studies on the role of germline variations in the disproportionate higher burden of prostate cancer in men of African ancestry have been largely unrewarding. However, the successful replication of recent genome-wide association findings implicating some regions of chromosome 8q24 in the disparate prostate cancer susceptibility in men of European and African ancestry have been encouraging. This case–control study was designed to evaluate the association between germline variations in chromosome 8q24 and prostate cancer risk in Afro-Caribbean Tobago men, a population of predominantly West African ancestry. METHODS High molecular weight genomic DNA was isolated from blood clots using Qiagen kits. Genotyping was performed on genomic DNA using a pre-designed TaqMan SNP assay according to the manufacture's protocol on a 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR system (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). RESULTS SNP rs16901979 in region 2 was associated with significantly increased risk of prostate cancer (OR = 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.95, P = 0.04) with the risk stronger in men with early-onset prostate cancer (OR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.40–3.99, P = 0.001). There was a tendency towards significantly increased risk for SNPs rs1447295 and rs6983267 in men with early-onset prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS The replication of the association of chromosome 8q24 variants with increased prostate cancer risk in Tobago men and the higher frequency of the risk alleles in controls in populations of African ancestry further strengthens the possible role of this genomic region in the disproportionate higher burden of prostate cancer in men of African ancestry. Prostate 71:1054–1063, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.