cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Prevalence of Lumbosacral Pathology in Patients with Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome.

Purpose To establish prevalence of lumbar and lumbosacral pathologies in patients with hip abductor tendon disorders. Methods A retrospective review of patients’ charts was conducted over a 5-year period, January 2013 to October 2018, using the S76 and M76 International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes. Patients with symptomatic and radiologically confirmed hip abductor tendon disorders (partial and full-thickness tear of the gluteus medius tear with or without gluteus minimus tearing) were included in the study. No exclusion criteria were applied. Patient medical history was examined for concurrent diagnoses of lumbar and lumbosacral pathologies (radiculopathy, lumbar stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and neurogenic claudication). Results One-hundred and three patients with hip abductor tendon disorders were identified. Forty-seven (45.6%) patients had low-grade partial abductor tears, while 56 (54.4%) of patients had a high-grade partial or complete abductor tear. Fifty (48.5%) patients carried a concomitant lumbosacral diagnosis, with 20 (19.4%) patients being diagnosed with lumbar stenosis and 45 (43.7%) being diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. Conclusion Patients with hip abductor tendon disorders were associated with a high prevalence of underlying lumbar and lumbosacral pathologies. Nevertheless, a causal relationship between these conditions cannot be established. Level of Evidence Level IV. Retrospective Case Series.
Human Systems Management: The most cited papers

Using citations from Social Science Citation Index, this paper develops a list of the twenty-five most cited papers from Human Systems Management over its first twenty-five volumes. Only one author appeared more than once on the list. Nineteen of the papers were from the 1980s and six of the papers were from the 1990s.
Decentralized credtor-led corporate restructuring - cross-country experience

Countries that have experienced banking crises have adopted one of two distinct approaches toward the resolution of non-performing assets-a centralized or a decentralized solution. A centralized approach entails setting up a government agency-an asset management company-with the full responsibility for acquiring, restructuring, and selling of the assets. A decentralized approach relies on banks and other creditors to manage and resolve non-performing assets. The authors study banking crises where governments adopted a decentralized, creditor-led workout strategy following systemic crises. They use a case study approach and analyze seven banking crises in which governments mainly relied on banks to resolve non-performing assets. The study suggests that out of the seven cases, only Chile, Norway, and Poland successfully restructured their corporate sectors with companies attaining viable financial structures. The analysis underscores that as in the case of a centralized strategy the prerequisites for a successful decentralized restructuring strategy are manifold. The successful countries significantly improved the banking system's capital position, enabling banks to write down loan losses; banks as well as corporations had adequate incentives to engage in corporate restructuring; and ownership links between banks and corporations were limited or severed during crises.
Policy-Practice in Social Work: Models and Issues

Abstract The emergence of policy—practice is a recent development in social work. In this article, policy—practice is defined as a direct social work practice mode with the potential to strengthen the social work profession's abilities to meet its century-long commitments of providing policy-informed services to those in need of them. At the same time, policy—practice advocates for and participates in policy implementation and change. This article examines policy—practice and places it within the context of the profession's historic cause—function debate and identifies several barriers that have complicated development. Most important, the article reviews five policy-practice models found in the literature: (1) social worker as policy expert, (2) social worker as change agent in external work environments, (3) social worker as change agent in internal work environments, (4) social worker as policy conduit, and (5) social worker as policy itself.
Platelets in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease

Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized clinically by the triad of asthma, nasal polyposis, and pathognomonic respiratory reactions after ingestion of aspirin. It is a distinct syndrome associated with eosinophilic infiltration of respiratory tissues and excessive production of cysteinyl leukotrienes. Despite the consistent clinical phenotype of the respiratory disease, the underlying pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear. In addition to their role in hemostasis, platelets have the capacity to influence the activation state and function of other immune cells during inflammation and to facilitate granulocyte recruitment into the tissues. Platelets also possess a repertoire of potent preformed mediators of inflammation that are released on activation and are a rich source of newly synthesized lipid mediators that alter vascular permeability and smooth muscle tone. Accordingly, platelet activity has been linked to diverse inflammatory diseases, including asthma. Both human and animal studies strongly suggest that platelet activity is uniquely associated with the pathophysiology of AERD. This article summarizes the evidence supporting an effector role for platelets in asthmatic patients in general and in patients with AERD in particular and considers the potential therapeutic implications.
Kant's Aesthetic Theory: An Introduction

Preface to the Second Edition - Acknowledgements - The Background - The 'Analytic of the Beautiful' - The Second Moment - The Third and Fourth Moments - Judgements of Taste and Their Deduction - The Necessity of Judgements of Taste - The Context of Kant's Aesthetic Theory - Notes - Index
Effects of flunixin meglumine on the recovery of ischaemic equine colonic mucosa in vitro

Summary Reasons for performing study: The effects of prostaglandins and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on repair of equine intestinal mucosa are important since most horses with gastrointestinal diseases are routinely treated with NSAIDs, such as flunixin meglumine (FM), and these drugs can be toxic to equine gastrointestinal mucosa. Hypothesis: Flunixin meglumine would not affect recovery of equine colonic mucosa in vitro, 18 h after a reversible ischaemic injury. Methods: In 14 anaesthetised horses, a segment of pelvic flexure was subjected to 2 h of ischaemia and the horses were allowed to recover for 18 h. Seven horses received normal saline and 7 received FM, 1.1 mg/kg bwt i.v., at the end of ischaemia and 12 h later. Colonic mucosa was harvested during a second anaesthesia, 18 h after recovery from ischaemia and then horses were subjected to euthanasia. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and transepithelial flux of tritiated mannitol were used to measure mucosal permeability during 4 h of incubation in Ussing chambers, with the following in vitro treatments: 1) no addition, 2) FM 14 µmol/l as powder, 3) FM 14 µmol/l in injectable form and 4) diluent for injectable FM. Histomorphological changes were assessed by light microscopy. Results: There were no significant differences in any of the measurements between saline and FM treated horses. The mucosal height of the ischaemic FM tissues incubated in diluent was significantly decreased compared to the nonischaemic tissues. Conclusions: Flunixin meglumine did not adversely affect barrier integrity in ischaemic equine colonic mucosa.
Structural and immunological studies on the pneumococcal C polysaccharide.

Abstract 1. The C polysaccharide from pneumococci has been fractionated by gel filtration and by chromatography on diethylaminoethyl Sephadex. The results show that this material is composed of fractions ranging in molecular weight from 65,000 to over 200,000. Furthermore it was noted that all fractions contained the same hexosamine and amino acid components, but in markedly different proportions. 2. When the C polysaccharide is treated with trichloracetic acid it is cleaved into two main fractions, one of which is a 95% polymer of N-acetylgalactosamine phosphate. A similar polymer has been isolated in pure form from the detritus of autolyzed pneumococcal cells. This polymer is the major serological determinant of the pneumococcal C polysaccharide, and reacts with the human C-reactive protein. 3. By treatment of the C polysaccharide with periodate it has been possible to obtain a polymer containing only the components of mucopeptide. This mucopeptide is an active but minor pneumococcal antigen. It has been shown that there exists in human pleural and peritoneal fluids an enzyme or a set of enzymes capable of selectively removing the peptide from the pneumococcal mucopeptide. By the action of this enzyme it has been possible to prepare a polymer which on acid hydrolysis yields only muramic acid, muramic acid phosphate, and glucosamine, but no amino acids. This polymer fails to react with the pneumococcal antiserum studied, suggesting that the specificity of the antiserum is directed to the peptide moiety of the mucopeptide.
Principal base parameters of open and closed kinematic chains

A general and systematic method to find the dynamic parameters, known as the base parameters, that directly contribute to joint torques for both open and closed kinematic chains is presented. The principal base parameters are defined as a set of the base parameters with their order of sensitivity. The principal base parameters are obtained by taking into account the nonlinearity. It is also shown that for a closed kinematic chain a set of base parameters are invariant to the location and the number of the actuated joints if they can sufficiently activate the mechanism. >
One-Dimensional Transient Model for Frost Heave in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells I. Physical Model

To better understand, control, and mitigate degradation during freezing of a polymer electrolyte fuel cells PEFCs ,ao nedimensional 1D transient model has been formulated, based on theories of porous media flow and soil frost heave. The model is essentially a modified hybrid of Harlan’s hydraulic model and Miller’s rigid ice model with additional improvements for suitable application to PEFCs. It is found that the three types of characteristic curves for unfrozen water flow and frost heave modeling can be well unified. Methods to derive the unfrozen water vs temperature characteristic curves for PEFC components are also given. Through the formulated model, it is predicted that ice lens will occur most likely around the catalyst layer, either between catalyst layer and diffusion media, or between catalyst layer and Nafion membrane. Lens formation under the lands is unlikely due to high overburden pressure. Ice lens growth may explain breakthrough observed in carbon paper after freeze-thaw tests. Another phenomenon, the delamination between Nafion and catalyst layer, can possibly be explained by the formation of an ice lens from water expelled from the electrolyte during freezing. The Nafion thickness and initial water content have direct impact on the damage in this mode.
Laparoscopic Hand-Assisted Parenchymal-Sparing Resections for Presumed Side-Branch Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms

Abstract Background: The diagnosis of side-branch intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IMPNs) is increasingly more common, but their appropriate management is still evolving. We recently began performing laparoscopic hand-assisted enucleation or duodenal-sparing pancreatic head resection for these lesions with vigilant postoperative imaging. Materials and Methods: Seventeen patients with pancreatic cystic lesions were included in this single-center retrospective review from January 1, 2008 to March 30, 2013. Indication for surgical intervention was growth in size of the cyst, symptoms, cyst size >3 cm, and/or presence of a mural nodule. Twelve patients underwent laparoscopic hand-assisted enucleation, and 5 patients underwent laparoscopic hand-assisted pancreatic head resection. Results: The mean age of patients was 64 years old. The most common presenting symptom was abdominal pain. The indication for surgical intervention was growth in the cyst or symptoms in the majority of patients. Fourteen lesi...
Maturation of Neuronal Form and Function in a Mouse Thalamo-Cortical Circuit

Postnatal development of physiological properties underlying slow intrathalamic oscillations was studied by whole-cell recording from synaptically coupled neurons of the reticular nucleus (RTN) and ventral posterior nucleus (VPN) of mouse brain slices in vitroand compared with the morphological development of dye-injected cells. Between postnatal days 3 and 11 (P3–P11), progressive changes in RTN and VPN neurons included shortening of the membrane time constant, decreasing input resistance, and lowering of the resting membrane potential (RMP). Low-threshold Ca2+ spikes (LTS) were present from P3, but their capacity to sustain multispike bursts was limited before P11. Synaptic responses were evoked in RTN and VPN neurons by electrical stimulation of the internal capsule from P3. Younger RTN neurons responded with a single spike, but their capacity to fire bursts gradually improved as the RMP reached levels below the LTS activation potential. Concomitantly, as the reversal potential of the inhibitory postsynaptic potential in VPN neurons became more negative, its capacity to deinactivate the LTS increased, and rebound bursts that could maintain oscillations were produced; sustained oscillations became the typical response to internal capsule stimulation at P12. The functional maturation of the intrathalamic circuitry, particularly between P10 and P14, occurs in parallel with the morphological maturation (size, dendritic growth, and dendritic field structure) of individual RTN and VPN neurons, as studied by confocal microscopy. Maturation of RTN cells led that of VPN cells by 2–3 d. The appearance of intrathalamic oscillations is probably correlated with the appearance of slow-wave sleep in postnatal animals.
Exocrine secretions of bees—VII. Aliphatic esters in the dufour's gland secretion of Svastra obliqua obliqua (hymenoptera: anthophoridae)

Abstract 1. 1. The chemistry of the Dufour's gland secretion of Svastra obliqua obliqua is reported. 2. 2. A series of 32 aliphatic esters were identified. 3. 3. The Dufour's secretion of Svastra obliqua obliqua contains the most complex mixture of volatile compounds in bee extracts examined to date.
Test Results on the Viking Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer Experiment

The gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer instrument to be utilized in the Viking 1975 Molecular Analysis experiment has undergone preliminary testing in its flight configured version. A synthetic mixture of 24 components as well as a sample of the Murchison meteorite has been used for this purpose. The resulting data did not only allow the identification of most of the organic compounds known to be present, but also revealed the identity of a few unexpected ones. Thus, the sensitivity and reliability of the instrument and data system are satisfactorily demonstrated. Shortcomings revealed by these tests are in the process of being remedied.
Flowing colloidal suspensions in non-Newtonian suspending fluids: decoupling the composite birefringence

The rheology of dilute, colloidal suspensions in polymeric suspending fluids can be studied with simultaneous dichroism and birefringence measurements. The dichroism provides a direct measure of the particle dynamics, but the birefringence is a composite property with independent contributions from the suspended particles and the polymer molecules. For suspensions where the contribution from the particles is significant, the composite birefringence must be decoupled in order to analyze the dynamics of the polymeric suspending fluid. A method to perform the decoupling is derived and then demonstrated through transient shear flow experiments with dilute suspensions ofβFeOOH particles in semi-dilute, xanthan gum suspending fluids. The birefringence of the xanthan gum suspending fluid is calculated from experimental measurements of the composite birefringence and the dichroism of the suspension. To gather information on particle/polymer interactions, the calculated birefringence is compared to the birefringence of xanthan gum solutions containing no suspended particles and the dirchoism is compared to that of a suspension in a Newtonian fluid.
Augmentation of thalamo - motor cortico - cerebellar epileptogenesis by taurine and its antagonism by diphenylhydantoin.

Abstract An acute penicillin focus was established in the motor cortex of cats. Surface recordings were obtained from the penicillin focus; focal potentials were recorded from the ipsilateral thalamic VL nucleus and the contralateral cerebellar Purkinje layer. The interictal spike relationships were 1:1:1 at these recording sites. The effects of systemically administered taurine were compared with those of DPH which was administered either systemically or topically onto the penicillin focus. Two epileptic attributes have been explored: thalamo-corticocerebellar ictal episodes (their incidence, durations and “tonic-clonic” manifestations), and interictal excitatory potentials in the Purkinje layer. The data show that taurine and DPH exhibited disparate effects on these parameters of epilepsy: 1. the incidence and durations of icti, and the proportions of “tonic-clonic” bursts were increased by taurine and decreased by DPH; and 2. the interictal excitatory potentials in the Purkinje layer were enhanced by taurine and reduced by DPH. Inasmuch as DPH effects are potent antiepileptic, taurine appears to be, at least a short-term, potent epileptogenic in this experimental model of epilepsy.
Industrial ecology: a new field or only a metaphor?

Abstract In the 10 years since industrial ecology first became a topic of academic interest, it has grown as a field of inquiry and has produced a community of practice in several sectors including academia, business, and government. Even as the shape of industrial ecology becomes clearer, questions remain as to its lasting power beyond the metaphor that gave it its distinctiveness. This paper examines the development of industrial ecology and assesses its progress towards becoming a field of academic inquiry. And, in a related analysis, I look at the progress industrial ecology has made in establishing itself as an institutional (cultural) basis for action in the above sectors. Ideas like industrial ecology must become institutionalized if they are to have much effect on the reality of everyday activities.
Effect of finite outer scale on the temporal properties of atmospheric tilt aberrations

The temporal properties of the tilt aberration induced in a plane wave upon propagation through the atmosphere depends upon the statistical characteristics of the optical turbulence encountered along the propagation path. While the Kolmogorov model with infinite outer scale is often employed to describe turbulence, experimental studies indicate that the effective outer scale of atmospheric turbulence, designated L0, is on the order of 5 m to 100 m. Accounting for the effects of finite outer scale alters the correlative properties of phase aberrations of all orders. Using Taylor's frozen flow hypothesis, we extend the results of spatial correlation studies to model the temporal correlation of wave-front tilt when atmospheric winds are presented. We show that the correlative properties of the wave-front tilt depends upon the quantity v(tau) /D, where v is the wind speed, (tau) is the time delay between tilt measurements, and D is the diameter of the aperture in which the tilt is measured. The outer scale affects the temporal correlation according to the ratio L0/D. Our results demonstrate that the tilt correlation falls off more rapidly as the relative outer scale is decreased. Correspondingly, the tilt power becomes more concentrated at higher frequencies.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Micro‐finance: a critique

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed critical light on micro‐finance.Design/methodology/approach – This scheme is managed from an economic perspective.Findings – Micro‐finance comes to us as a left wing attack on the free enterprise system; as such, it ought to be opposed by all freedom lovers, at least in its present format. Other baggage weighing it down is, if not absolute fraud, then, what might well be considered at least serious chicanery. A further criticism is the cult‐like behavior now surrounding it. However, is micro‐finance per se necessarily fraudulent? Can it only be favored by critics of laissez faire capitalism? What of micro‐finance shorn of all such encumbrances? Should it then be supported? No. Even the Platonic Ideal of micro‐finance has serious difficulties. This claim is a matter of prudential judgment, not praxeology. But, even a pure‐as‐the‐driven‐snow variety of this scheme still violates the economic concepts of specialization and division of labor, an appreciation of t...
Black-white differences in returns to higher education: Evidence from the 1970s

Abstract This article provides an empirical update of two important education-earnings findings — the falling value of a college education for young whites and the trend toward black-white equality in the marginal value of college years. We find that the earnings gap between college-educated workers and those with a high-school education has continued to fall for young white males but widened for blacks. It seems clear that the widely reported rise in the ratio of black-to-white income has been accompanied by greater inequality in the earnings distribution for young blacks.
The effect of reactor surfaces on single electron transfer reactions. The reaction of 1-Iodo-2,2-dimethylhexane with lithium aluminum deuteride

Reactions of 1-iodo-2,2-dimethylhexane (4) with LiAlD4 have been carried out in a variety of reaction vessels. In vessels of used pyrex, teflon, and stainless steel, the surface of the reactor plays a role in the product distribution. However, treated pyrex, new pyrex and quartz vessels yield consistent data that support single electron transfer as the major reaction pathway in the reduction of 4 with LiAlD4.
Advances in optoelectronic methodology for micro- and nano-scale measurements

Advances in emerging technologies of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology, especially relating to the applications, constitute one of the most challenging tasks in today's micromechanics and nanomechanics. In addition to design, analysis, and fabrication capabilities, this task also requires advanced test methodologies for determination of functional characteristics of devises produced to enable verification of their operation as well as refinement and optimization of specific designs. In particular, development of miniscule devices requires sophisticated design, analysis, fabrication, testing, and characterization tools. These tools can be categorized as analytical, computational, and experimental. Solutions using the tools from any one category alone do not usually provide necessary information on MEMS and extensive merging, or hybridization, of the tools from different categories is used. One of the approaches employed in this development of structures of contemporary interest, is based on a combined use of the analytical, computational, and experimental solutions (ACES) methodology. Development of this methodology was made possible by recent advances in optoelectronic methodology, which was coupled with the state-of-the-art computational methods, to offer a considerable promise for effective development of various designs. This approach facilitates characterization of dynamic and thermomechanical behavior of the individual components, their packages, and other complex material structures. In this paper, recent advances in optoelectronic methodology for micro-and nanoscale measurements are described and their use is illustrated with representative examples.
Emergency Treatment of Acute Reactions to CNS Stimulants

(1972). Emergency Treatment of Acute Reactions to CNS Stimulants. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs: Vol. 5, The Politics of Uppers and Downers, pp. 147-151.
Sequence analysis of the glutamate tRNA family: evidence for pseudogenes

Abstract Human tRNA Glu CUC has been isolated by direct hybridization of the tRNA to 28S ribosomal RNA. We now report the isolation of mouse tRNA Glu CUC using the same procedure. Partial sequence analysis of the mouse tRNA shows that it is identical to the human tRNA and to a cloned rat tDNA Glu CUC sequence. This mouse tRNA Glu CUC , however, differs by one nucleotide from a previously cloned mouse tDNA Glu CUC sequence, suggesting that the tDNA may be a pseudogene. Further evolutionary comparison of these and other glutamate tRNAs and tDNAs has provided evidence to suggest that two other tDNA Glu sequences arose by mutation of functional tRNA Glu genes such that their anticodon sequences were converted from one glutamate isoacceptor to the other. These tDNA sequences may also represent pseudogenes.
Increased formation of triglyceride from oleate in perfused livers from pregnant rats.

Livers from normal ad libitum fed nonpregnant rats, from rats on days 10, 15, and 20 of gestation, and from rats 4 days post partum were isolated and perfused in vitro with a medium maintained at 0.3 mM oleic acid. Hepatic uptake of oleic acid and output of triglyceride, ketone bodies, and glucose were measured. Uptake of oleic acid was unaffected by pregnancy or lactation. The outputs of triglyceride per g liver were similar regardless of the stage of gestation or lactation. However, since on days 15 and 20 of gestation, livers were 27.3 ± 4.6% and 39.9 ± 6.7% heavier, respectively, than the controls, total hepatic output of triglyceride was increased compared to that in livers from nonpregnant rats. To evaluate metabolic changes appropriately and to circumvent the effect of increased liver weight induced by pregnancy, the data were recalculated as micromoles of triglyceride secreted per μmol FFA taken up. Expressed in this manner, it became clear that hepatic metabolism of FFA was altered and the output...
Chromatin remodeling pathways in smooth muscle cell differentiation, and evidence for an integral role for p300.

Background Phenotypic alteration of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) in response to injury or inflammation is an essential component of vascular disease. Evidence suggests that this process is dependent on epigenetic regulatory processes. P300, a histone acetyltransferase (HAT), activates crucial muscle-specific promoters in terminal (non-SMC) myocyte differentiation, and may be essential to SMC modulation as well.
Adeno-associated viral vector-mediated gene transfer of VEGF normalizes skeletal muscle oxygen tension and induces arteriogenesis in ischemic rat hindlimb

Critical limb ischemia is an important clinical problem that often leads to disability and limb loss. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), delivered either as recombinant protein or as gene therapy, has been shown to promote both collateral artery formation (arteriogenesis) and capillary angiogenesis in animal models of hindlimb ischemia. However, none of the previous studies has demonstrated an improvement in tissue hypoxia, the condition that drives the molecular response to ischemia. Furthermore, the optimal vector and route of gene delivery have not been determined. Recently, adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors, which efficiently transduce skeletal muscle and produce sustained transgene expression, have been used as gene therapy vectors. We asked whether an intra-arterial injection of AAV-VEGF165 normalizes muscle oxygen tension by increasing skeletal muscle oxygen tension, and promotes arteriogenesis and angiogenesis in a rat model of severe hindlimb ischemia. We found that AAV-VEGF treatment normalized muscle oxygen tension in the ischemic limb. In contrast, vehicle and AAV-lacZ-treated limbs remained ischemic. Collateral arteries were more numerous in AAV-VEGF-treated rats, but, surprisingly, capillaries were not. We conclude that intra-arterial AAV-mediated gene transfer of AAV-VEGF165 normalizes muscle oxygen tension and leads to arteriogenesis in rats with severe hindlimb ischemia.
Mortality reduction in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock through a comprehensive sepsis initiative

The Integrated Nurse Leadership Program (INLP), a regional quality improvement initiative to reduce deaths from sepsis, began in 2008. Nine participating hospitals were provided networking opportunities and training on: care of the septic patient, program and leadership development, and data collection and analysis. El Camino Hospital (ECH) applied these concepts during implementation of the early goal-directed therapy bundle as recommended by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. This paper describes the implementation process and presents data analysis from the 22-month project, focusing on severe sepsis and septic shock mortality.
Temperature alters Plasmodium blocking by Wolbachia

Very recently, the Asian malaria vector (Anopheles stephensi) was stably transinfected with the wAlbB strain of Wolbachia, inducing refractoriness to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. However, conditions in the field can differ substantially from those in the laboratory. We use the rodent malaria P. yoelii, and somatically transinfected An. stephensi as a model system to investigate whether the transmission blocking potential of wAlbB is likely to be robust across different thermal environments. wAlbB reduced malaria parasite prevalence and oocyst intensity at 286C. At 246C there was no effect on prevalence but a marked increase in oocyst intensity. At 206C, wAlbB had no effect on prevalence or intensity. Additionally, we identified a novel effect of wAlbB that resulted in reduced sporozoite development across temperatures, counterbalancing the oocyst enhancement at 246C. Our results demonstrate complex effects of temperature on the Wolbachia-malaria interaction, and suggest the impacts of transinfection might vary across diverse environments.
The effect of electric fields on osteoporosis of disuse

An experiment originally done by McElhaney et al. was repeated to obtain additional information about the effects of electrical fields on osteoporosis of disuse. The right femurs of 35 male rats were immobilized in plaster casts. Sixteen rats were treated with transcutaneous electrical fields of 30 Hz and ∼100 V/cm for periods of 2 or 8 h a day. While the right femurs of the untreated rats were found to be atrophic with respect to the opposite limb, in the treated rats the immobilized femur was made larger than the opposite bone. Longer daily treatments exaggerated this effect. The tumors found in the previous study were not seen in our experiments. Other similarities and differences in the 2 studies are discussed.
APE2 is required for ATR-Chk1 checkpoint activation in response to oxidative stress

The base excision repair pathway is largely responsible for the repair of oxidative stress-induced DNA damage. However, it remains unclear how the DNA damage checkpoint is activated by oxidative stress at the molecular level. Here, we provide evidence showing that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) triggers checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) phosphorylation in an ATR [ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and Rad3-related]-dependent but ATM-independent manner in Xenopus egg extracts. A base excision repair protein, Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease 2 (APE2, APN2, or APEX2), is required for the generation of replication protein A (RPA)-bound single-stranded DNA, the recruitment of a checkpoint protein complex [ATR, ATR-interacting protein (ATRIP), and Rad9] to damage sites, and H2O2-induced Chk1 phosphorylation. A conserved proliferating cell nuclear antigen interaction protein box of APE2 is important for the recruitment of APE2 to H2O2-damaged chromatin. APE2 3′-phosphodiesterase and 3′-5′ exonuclease activity is essential for single-stranded DNA generation in the 3′–5′ direction from single-stranded breaks, referred to as single-stranded break end resection. In addition, APE2 associates with Chk1, and a serine residue (S86) in the Chk1-binding motif of APE2 is essential for Chk1 phosphorylation, indicating a Claspin-like but distinct role for APE2 in ATR-Chk1 signaling. Our data indicate that APE2 plays a vital and previously unexpected role in ATR-Chk1 checkpoint signaling in response to oxidative stress. Thus, our findings shed light on a distinct mechanism of how an ATR-Chk1–dependent DNA damage checkpoint is mediated by APE2 in the oxidative stress response.
Sclerosing adenosis and risk of breast cancer.

Over one million American women have a benign breast biopsy annually. Sclerosing adenosis (SA) is a common, but poorly understood benign breast lesion demonstrating increased numbers of distorted lobules accompanied by stromal fibrosis. Few studies of its association with breast cancer have been conducted, with contradictory results. We studied SA in the Mayo Benign Breast Disease (BBD) Cohort, which includes women who had benign biopsies at Mayo-Rochester 1967–2001. Breast cancer risk in defined subsets was assessed using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), relative to the Iowa Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry. This BBD cohort of 13,434 women was followed for a median of 15.7 years. SA was present in 3,733 women (27.8 %) who demonstrated an SIR for breast cancer of 2.10 (95 % CI 1.91–2.30) versus an SIR of 1.52 (95 % CI 1.42–1.63) for the 9,701 women without SA. SA was present in 62.4 % of biopsies with proliferative disease without atypia and 55.1 % of biopsies with atypical hyperplasia. The presence of SA stratified risk in subsets of women defined by age, involution status, and family history. However, SA does not further stratify risk in women diagnosed with other forms of proliferative breast disease, either with or without atypia. SA is a common proliferative lesion of the breast which, as a single feature, conveys an approximate doubling of breast cancer risk. Its role in breast carcinogenesis remains undefined; its presence may aid in risk prediction for women after a breast biopsy.
Solid-phase synthesis of peptoid-like oligomers containing diverse diketopiperazine units

Diketopiperazine (DKP) units are found in many bioactive small molecules. Here we report facile chemistry for incorporating diverse DKP units within peptoid and peptoid-like libraries made by solid-phase split and pool synthesis.
The zinc coordination site of the bacteriophage Mu translational activator protein, Com*

The bacteriophage Mu Com protein is a small “zinc finger-like” protein that binds a specific site in com-mom operon mRNA and activates translation of the mom open-reading-frame. Com contains six cysteine and five histidine residues that have the potential to form several alternative zinc-finger-like motifs. We have used oligonucleotide site-directed mutagenesis to individually alter each of these amino acids (Cys to Ser, and His to Asn or Gln) and tested the various forms of Com for their ability to function in vivo . We observed that mutation of any one of the four N-terminal cysteine residues (Cys-6, 9, 26 or 29) resulted in loss of Com activity. The Com protein requires zinc in order to fold into its functional tertiary structure, as demonstrated by characteristic 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts. 1 H chemical shifts revert to random coil values in the presence of the metal chelator EDTA. The metal-binding specificity and thermal stability of Com also has been investigated using 1 H NMR. We report the use of 113 Cd NMR, 1 H- 113 Cd heteronuclear spin-echo difference spectroscopy HSED and Zn extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy EXAFS to determine the zinc/protein stoichiometry as 1:1 and the ligand environment as tetrathiolate. Comparative NMR spectra of Com mutants C6S and C39S suggest position 6 is involved in zinc coordination, while position 39 is not metal-liganded. These studies indicate that the metal coordination, site of Com is a four-cysteine complex, involving residues 6, 9, 26 and 29.
Equity-effectiveness tradeoff in the allocation of flows in closed queueing networks

Tradeoffs between multiple dimensions of performance are inherent in the allocation resources in many systems, particularly those with multiple stakeholders. This paper presents numerical results for the case of allocating flows in central-server closed queueing networks considering several inequity measures over many network configurations. These results show the conflict between server and customer perspectives of equity using multiple measures (server utilization, flow, wait time, and queue length). This paper first compares the effectiveness of the most equitable allocation for each measure relative to the most effective allocation for many network configurations. The complete efficient frontier is then generated using an optimization methodology. The results indicate that for low levels of server rate heterogeneity, all equity measures provide zero inequity allocations with high levels of effectiveness. However, as server rate heterogeneity increases, the total system effectiveness decreases and significant differences between the inequity measures are evident. In particular, the flow equity measure shows marked decreases in effectiveness relative to the other three measures. Further, inequity with respect to wait time, server utilization, and queue length can be eliminated with relatively small impact on total system throughput (i.e., system effectiveness). In contrast, reductions in inequity with respect to customer flow incur large decreases in total system throughput.
Needs assessment for hospital-based home care services.

Careful needs assessment is a prerequisite to addressing issues of health care program effectiveness and program planning from a population-based perspective. Home care program evaluation literature is lacking in examples of strategies for such assessment. A nurse-screening of admissions was conducted at an acute care general hospital to estimate need for hospital-based home care (HBHC) services among the 2,613 patients discharged from medical and surgical services over a 5-month period. After careful delineation of inclusion and exclusion criteria for identifying HBHC patients and participant-observer training, the nurse's judgments on patient appropriateness for HBHC care were shown to agree reliably with those of the HBHC staff (k = + .45). In the study hospital under current conditions, an estimated 64% of discharged patients appropriate for home care do not receive these services. A comparison of the incidence according to service of HBHC-appropriate patients and patient-referral rates to HBHC suggests that one service over-refers (neurology), but most under-refer. Screening nurse salary expenditures constitute the major costs of this approach to home care needs assessment, which is recommended only for addressing major, infrequent programmatic policy issues.
Performance analysis of Coupling Scheduler for MapReduce/Hadoop

For MapReduce/Hadoop, map and reduce phases exhibit fundamentally distinguishing characteristics. Additionally, these two phases admit complicated and tight dependency on each other, causing the repeatedly observed starvation problem with the widely used Fair Scheduler. To mitigate this problem, we design Coupling Scheduler, which, among other new features, jointly schedules map and reduce tasks by coupling their progresses, different from existing ones that treat them separately. This design is based on the intuition that allocating excess resources to reduce tasks without balancing with the map task progress of the same job is likely to result in resource underutilization since a job is deemed done only when both phases complete. In order to analytically understand the performance of this design, we propose a model that captures the fundamental scheduling characteristics for MapReduce. Specifically, the map phase is modeled by a processor sharing queue, and the reduce phase by a “sticky processor sharing” queue. Along with the important dependence between these two types of tasks, we show that, for a class of jobs with regularly varying map service times, the job processing time distribution under Coupling Scheduler can be one order better than Fair Scheduler. These theoretical results are validated through simulations and the improved performance is further illustrated through real experiments on our testbed.
The behavior of fetal canine cardiac cells in culture: synthesis and phosphorylation of myosin.

Abstract This study describes the first in vitro culturing of canine cardiac cells. Canine cardiac myosin which was synthesized in a 14-day tissue culture, based on l -[3H]leucine incorporation, was precipitated with goat γG antimyosin (cardiac-specific) and analyzed on dodecylsulfate gels; the specific activity of the highly purified myosin chains was determined. Incorporation of 32PO4 was similarly analyzed. The comparative degree of synthesis and phosphorylation of myosin chains, occurring in culture, was the same as that obtained in vivo. Both l -[3H]leucine and 32PO4 incorporation were inhibited by addition of cycloheximide to the culture medium. Removal of 32PO4 from myosin heavy chains with base treatment indicated the presence of phosphoserine and/or phosphothreonine in canine cardiac myosin heavy chains. Myosins from fetal and adult canine cardiac tissue were immunologically identical with each other and with the cultured fetal tissue; all had similar myosin ATPase activity and the degree of heavy chain phosphorylation was similar. The tissue and techniques used here gave a high yield of cardiac myocytes based principally on synthesis of cardiac-specific myosin.
Processing and properties of an all-oxide composite with a porous matrix

Abstract Processing and mechanical properties of an all-oxide fiber composite with a porous matrix are presented here. The processing approach for an all-oxide composite was developed to be simple and involve one sintering process. The composite uses a porous matrix instead of riser coatings to deflect cracks from the fibers. A processing method involving recently developed methods for reshaping and forming saturated high-volume fraction (>50 vol%) particle bodies was used to form the composite. Good infiltration of the woven fiber tows was obtained. Sintering in a pure HCl gas atmosphere was used to produce a porous matrix without shrinkage during processing. The sintering process also produced coarsening which makes the microstructure stable against densification during use and thereby prevents forming cracklike voids and retains sufficient porosity for crack deflection. Measurements of interlaminar shear strength and strength of the composite show that composite produced by this processing method is comparable to previous all-oxide materials produced using the oxide fibers used here. The mechanical properties are rationalized in terms of the features on the fracture surfaces. Disintegration of the matrix to allow energy dissipation during fracture was apparent and correlates with the measurements of the fracture toughness of the material. Moderate notch insensitivity was demonstrated with a net section strength in the presence of a notch being 700% of the unnotched strength.
“Some Assembly Required”: Comparing Disclaimers in Children's TV Advertising in Turkey and the United States

ABSTRACT Disclaimers in advertisements might strongly influence how advertising is produced and presented to the public. Examining how marketers use such disclaimers in different countries is an important part of understanding how advertising reaches out to children. To date, studies of disclaimers with respect to children have only focused on U.S. advertising. This study examines differences in how disclaimers are used in both Turkish and U.S. children9s television commercials.
Effects of Finite Time Response and Soot Deposition on Thin Filament Pyrometry Measurements in Time-Varying Diffusion Flames

Prior work has shown that thin filament pyrometry (TFP) is a powerful approach for making highly precise, spatially and temporally resolved line measurements of temperature in time-varying laminar diffusion flames. The technique has been previously used to map out temperature distributions as a function of phase angle for acoustically locked flickering diffusion flames with two different levels of forcing. During these measurements two small errors in the temperature measurements have been identified for certain heights and phases. The first error source is shown to be due to the limited time response of the TFP to a rapidly changing temperature field by comparing temperatures determined by TFP with line measurements using Rayleight light scattering (RLS). The TFP measurements yield lower temperature readings when the flame front is moving at its fastest rate, but the RLS measurements show that these lower temperatures are an artifact which is attributed to the finite time response of TFP. The second source of error occurs for a limited number of cases in which soot is thermophoretically deposited on the filament and is not subsequently burned off. The soot modifies both the emissivity of the filament surface and, for large amounts of deposition, its diameter. These modifications lead to lower measured filament temperatures for low levels of soot deposition and to increasing measured temperatures as the soot builds up. Approaches are suggested for identifying the presence of these errors and minimizing their effects.
High temperature solid oxide electrolysis cell employing porous structured (La0.75Sr0.25)0.95MnO3 with enhanced oxygen electrode performance

Abstract An efficient steam electrolysis process for hydrogen production via a solid oxide electrolysis cell using porous network-like strontium doped lanthanum manganite (LSM)-yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) as the oxygen electrode material has been demonstrated. The porous network-like LSM powder was prepared by a nitrate–glycine combustion method. Impedance spectra and voltage-current density curves were measured as a function of cell current density and absolute humidity at 800 °C and 900 °C to characterize the cell performance. The cell area specific resistance (ASR) was 0.26 Ω cm2 at 900 °C with 0.5 A/cm2 current density and 50% absolute humidity (AH). The hydrogen production rate calculated from the Faraday's law was 362 ml/cm2 h at 900 °C with 80 vol.% AH. The cell performance results indicate that the porous network-like LSM–YSZ is a promising oxygen electrode for high temperature electrolysis cells.
Lexical Bundles in Discourse Structure: A Corpus-Based Study of Classroom Discourse.

The present study applies corpus-based methods to document the distributional patterns of previously reported lexical bundle functions as they relate to discourse structure. Specifically, 84 lexical bundles and their discourse functions (Biber et al. 2004a) were tracked in 1,176 discourse units extracted from the initial phases of 196 university class sessions. The findings show that in the opening phase of class sessions bundles conveying stance are most frequent while bundles articulating reference are least in number. With the start of the instructional phase, however, stance bundles sharply drop and referential bundles start rising. Discourse organizing bundles are least prominent overall, although with some rise at the very beginning of the instructional phase. These findings indicate that lexical bundle functions correspond well to the communicative functions in discourse structure found through linguistic variation (Csomay 2005) and suggest that there is a strong relationship between grammar and lexis on the discourse level.