cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WATER-INSOLUBLE CAMPTOTHECIN ANALOGUES AS POTENTIAL ANTIVIRAL DRUGS

In addition to being causative agents of infectious diseases in animals and humans, DNA viruses have served as models for the study of eukaryotic molecular mechanisms including replication and transcription. Studies of DNA virus functions utilizing cell-free systems and virus-infected cells in culture, in the presence of the anticancer drug camptothecin (CPT), have demonstrated that CPT is a potent inhibitor of replication, transcription and packaging of double-stranded DNA-containing adenoviruses, papovaviruses and herpesviruses, and the single- stranded DNA-containing autonomous parvoviruses. CPT inhibits viral functions by inhibiting topoisomer- ase I, a host cell enzyme required for initiation and completion of the viral functions. These findings indicate that CPT analogues could be developed for use as potent drugs against DNA viruses.
Endogenous supranational policy decisions: The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Community

The analysis of the supranational EC decisions on the CAP indicates that they are endogenous and could largely be explained by past income growth and the development of budgetary expenditures prevailing at the time of the price decisions. The empirical results corroborate the hypothesis that Monetary Compensatory Amounts are integral part of Common price decisions. Agricultural income growth could be explained by past price policy decisions whereas budget expenses are determined by U.S.$ world market prices and the exchange rate of the ECU against the U.S.$
Functional development of the fetal lung

Good evidence now exists that the fetus does not normally make respiration-like movements in utero, but does so only under conditions of distress. Material injected into the amniotic cavity is regularly swallowed by the fetus, but does not appear in the fetal lung in unstressed fetuses delivered vaginally. The fetal lung continually produces a fluid, the chemical composition of which is quite different from that of amniotic fluid. Obstruction of the fetal trachea causes an accumulation of this fluid within the lung. The fetal lung possesses high metabolic activity, and the amount of pulmonary blood flow may be important in maintaining optimal metabolic activity. Various factors are known to influence fetal pulmonary blood flow. Late in fetal life, the lung produces surfactant, which is believed to be important in maintaining the normal stability of the lung in extrauterine life.
Identification of human feedforward control in grasp and twist tasks

Grasping and twisting are basic motor skills for the execution of activities in daily life such as opening a door with a door knob. We study the relationship between grip force and hand trajectory during a grasp and twist task when unexpected load torques are encountered. The experimental results on grip force development and hand trajectories are consistent with similar studies on grasp and lift tasks in the literature. We also seek to build a simple model to study human feedforward control during grasp and twist movement. Our model includes a position source and driving point impedance. We provide detailed procedures to identify the relationship between the impedance values and grip forces and the algorithm to estimate the position source. We check our model by comparing the model prediction and experimental data on certain catch trial trajectories.
Dynamic loss of stability in depth control of submersible vehicles

Control of a modern submarine is a multi-dimensional dynamical problem coupling considerations of initial static stability, hydrodynamic performance, and control system response. In this work, the loss of stability at moderate-to-high speeds is examined using a nonlinear Hopf bifurcation analysis. Complete linear state feedback is used for demonstration purposes for depth control at level attitude and for a fixed nominal speed. The control time constant, the nominal and actual speeds, the metacentric height, and the stern-to-bow-plane ratio are used as the main bifurcation parameters. A complete local bifurcation mapping provides a systematic method for evaluating the bounds of controllability for the control system design parameters for a vehicle with a given set of hydrodynamic coefficients. The submarine and its potential design modifications are verified with direct numerical simulations.
Non-o1 Vibrio cholerae septicemia: Case report, discussion of literature, and relevance to bioterrorism

Non-O1 Vibrio cholerae (NOVC) is a rare cause of septicemia in the United States. We report a case of NOVC septicemia and discuss the literature pertaining to this organism. NOVC takes on new significance given that it can be confused with toxigenic V. cholerae, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention category B bioterrorism agent.
Amorphization of Zr3Al by Hydrogenation and Subsequent Electron Irradiation

1-MeV electron irradiation of hydrogenated Zr/sub 3/Al (Zr/sub 3/AlH/sub 0.96/) at 10K is studied. A more than 20 fold reduction in the critical dose required for complete amorphization is observed for the hydrogenated specimen as compared to the un-hydrogenated Zr/sub 3/Al under identical irradiation conditions. 11 refs., 4 figs.
Autonomous subdomains in protein folding

Proteolytic dissection of native trp repressor and horse heart cytochrome c has been used to infer some of the steps in the folding pathways of the intact proteins. For both proteins, small fragments are capable of undergoing spontaneous noncovalent association to form subdomains with native-like secondary and/or tertiary structural features, suggesting that dissection/reassembly may be a general method to gain insight into the structures of folding intermediates. The importance of this approach is its simplicity and potential applicability to studying the folding pathways of a wide range of proteins. The proteases report on the structure and dynamics of the native state, circumventing the need for prior knowledge of the structures of folding intermediates. The observation that small fragments of proteins can associated noncovalently suggests that protein folding can be viewed as an intramolecular "recognition" process. The results imply that substantial information about protein structure and folding is encoded at the level of subdomains, and that chain connectivity has only a minor role in determining the fold.
New toughening concepts for ceramic composites from rigid natural materials

The mechanisms underlying the toughening in rigid natural composites exhibited by the concentric cylindrical composites of spicules of hexactinellid sponges, and by the nacre (brick-and-mortar) structure of mollusks such as Haliotis rufescens (red abalone), as well as the crossed-lamellar structure of Strombus gigas (queen conch) show commonalities in the manner in which toughening takes place. It is proposed that crack diversion, a new kind of crack bridging, resulting in retardation of delamination, creation of new surface areas, and other energy-dissipating mechanisms occur in both natural systems. However, these are generally different from the toughening mechanisms that are utilized for other classes of structural materials. Complementary to those mechanisms found in rigid natural ceramic/organic composites, special architectures and thin viscoelastic organic layers have been found to play controlling roles in energy dissipation in these structures.
An In Vitro Model of Human Dopaminergic Neurons Derived from Embryonic Stem Cells: MPP + Toxicity and GDNF Neuroprotection

An In Vitro Model of Human Dopaminergic Neurons Derived from Embryonic Stem Cells: MPP + Toxicity and GDNF Neuroprotection
Effects of Carbon Taxes in an Economy with Prior Tax Distortions: An Intertemporal General Equilibrium Analysis

Abstract This paper analyzes the costs of carbon taxes in a model that recognizes interactions between this tax and pre-existing taxes. First we examine the extent to which costs of a U.S. carbon tax are reduced when its revenues finance cuts in income taxes. Such use of revenues significantly reduces, but does not eliminate, the overall policy costs. The positive overall costs reflect the carbon tax′s focus on intermediate inputs and its relatively narrow base in comparison with income taxes. We also examine the sensitivity of the carbon tax′s costs to the level of pre-existing taxes. For any given use of revenues, welfare costs rise significantly with pre-existing tax rates, indicating that models disregarding pre-existing taxes may substantially understate the costs of new environmental tax initiatives.
Historical Trends in Organochlorine Compounds in River Basins Identified Using Sediment Cores from Reservoirs

This study used chemical analyses of dated sediment cores from reservoirs to define historical trends in water quality in the influent river basins. This work applies techniques from paleolimnology...
The structure of design problem spaces

It is proposed that there are important generalizations about problem solving in design activity that reach across specific disciplines. A framework for the study of design is presented that (a) characterizes design as a radial category and fleshes out the task environment of the prototypical cases; (b) takes the task environment seriously; (c) shows that this task environment occurs in design tasks, but does not occur in every nondesign task; (d) explicates the impact of this task environment on the design problem space; and (e) demonstrates that, given the structure of the information-processing system, the features noted in the problem spaces of design tasks will not all occur in problem spaces where the task environment is vastly different. This analysis leads to the claim that there are a set of invariant features in the problem spaces of design situations that collectively constitute a design problem space. Protocol studies are reported in which the problem spaces of three design tasks in architecture, mechanical engineering, and instructional design are explored and compared with several protocols from nondesign problem-solving tasks.
Parallel Simultaneous Co-clustering and Learning with Map-Reduce

Many data mining applications involve predictive modeling of very large, complex datasets. Such applications present a need for innovative algorithms and associated implementations that are not only effective in terms of prediction accuracy, but can also be efficiently run on distributed computational systems to yield results in reasonable time. This paper focuses on predictive modeling of multirelational data such as dyadic data with associated covariates or “side-information”. We first give illustrative examples of applications that involve such data and then describe a general framework based on Simultaneous CO-clustering And Learning (SCOAL), which applies a divide-and-conquer approach to data analysis. We show that the main elements of the SCOAL algorithm can be effectively parallelized using the Map-Reduce framework. Experiments on Amazon’s EC2 demonstrate that the proposed parallelizations result in considerable improvements in run time when using a cluster of machines.
Eigenfunction expansions for the equations of crystal optics in a half-space

Most wave propagation problems of classical physics can be formulated as first order symmetric hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations. The symbol of the spatial part for these systems is seldom elliptic and very often there are several nonzero propagation speeds which can coincide in various directions. These facts greatly complicate the study of such systems. Further, the solution of the mixed initial-boundary value problem is also complicated by the possible coupling of modes at the boundary and, depending on the particular choice of boundary condition, the unitary group delivering solutions to the Cauchy problem is represented as a superposition of both plane waves and surface waves. It was observed in [6] that the existence of these surface waves that propagate with a speed k(p’) which vanish for nonzero p’ implies noncoercivity of the boundary condition. A detailed study of obstacle scattering for such systems requires that the problems mentioned above be dealt with; and the group solving the Cauchy problem be obtained in a form which exhibits the coupling of modes, surface waves, etc. Thus far, only the half space problems for the isotropic Maxwell system in iR: [6] and the equations of elasticity in IR’, [ 71 have been considered within a unified framework. Maxwell’s equations in uzcuo present a 6 X 6 example of an isotropic system with one nonzero propagation speed of multiplicity two and the symbol has constant rank four. The constant, maximal, energy-preserving boundary conditions for Maxwell’s equations in IR: [5] are described by two one-parameter families Bi (“classical”) and 8: (“strange”). In [6], the unitary groups U:(t) corresponding to Bt are represented as a superposition of plane waves and all such conditions are shown to be coercive, whereas the group U:(t), corresponding to Bt, all admit surface waves and are shown to be noncoercive. The isotropic elastic system in R’, [7] is a 5 x 5 system with two distinct propagation modes, S (shear) and P (pressure), and the symbol has constant rank four. The classical boundary conditions are shown to couple the modes and admit surface waves, while other boundary conditions do not couple the 600 OC22-247)</80/08060~23$02.00/0
Synthesis of 3-oxo-δ-lactones via hetero-Diels-Alder reactions

Abstract The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction between aldehydes, 2, and bis-1,1-dimethoxy-3-trimethyl-1-siloxy-1,3-butadiene, 1, produces 2-methoxy-5,6-dihydro-γ-pyrones, 4, which are subsequently hydrolyzed to afford substituted 3-oxo-δ-lactones, 5, in high yields, providing a new and efficient approach to these synthetically useful intermediates.
On-Statin Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Mass and Risk of Recurrent Coronary Events (from the Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Therapy–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 22 [PROVE IT-TIMI 22] Study)

Although cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) plays an important role in human lipoprotein metabolism, its relation to coronary artery disease remains controversial. The present study evaluated the relation between on-statin CETP mass and recurrent coronary events. The plasma CETP mass, measured after 4 months of statin therapy, was quantified in 3,218 patients enrolled in the Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Therapy-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 22 (PROVE IT-TIMI 22) study. Of the 3,218 patients, 150 experienced the combined end point of recurrent myocardial infarction or death from coronary causes during a mean follow-up of 1.8 years. An increasing on-statin CETP mass was inversely related to the risk of coronary events in both unadjusted (hazard ratio [HR] per SD increase 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.65 to 0.92, p = 0.005) and fully adjusted (HR per SD increase 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.67 to 0.98, p = 0.027) analyses that included traditional cardiovascular risk factors. A similar trend was observed across increasing CETP mass quartiles (p trend = 0.07). A significant interaction between the CETP mass and on-treatment low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was noted (p interaction = 0.007). A CETP mass greater than the median was associated with a decreased risk in patients with LDL cholesterol less than the median of 80 mg/dl (HR 0.52, 95% confidence interval 0.31 to 0.89, p = 0.02), but not in patients with LDL cholesterol greater than the median. In conclusion, an increasing on-statin CETP mass was inversely related to the coronary outcomes in this large clinical trial-based cohort, particularly among those with low LDL cholesterol levels. This finding is consistent with CETP facilitating reverse cholesterol transport in the setting of robust LDL clearance and might have important implications for efforts to optimally target patients with pharmacologic CETP inhibition.
Zoback Receives 2008 Walter H. Bucher Medal

Mark D. Zoback was awarded the 2008 Walter H. Bucher Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held 17 December 2008 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “original contributions to the basic knowledge of the Earth's crust.”
An Alkanesulfonamide “Safety-Catch” Linker for Solid-Phase Synthesis

An alkanesulfonamide “safety-catch” linker has been developed for tethering carboxylic acids to support. Acylation of the sulfonamide support provides a support-bound N-acylsulfonamide that is stable to both basic and strongly nucleophilic reaction conditions. At the end of a solid-phase synthesis sequence, treatment with iodoacetonitrile provides N-cyanomethyl derivatives that can be cleaved by nucleophiles under mild reaction conditions to release the target compounds. Coupling conditions have been developed to load Boc- and Fmoc-amino acids to the alkanesulfonamide resin with high loading efficiencies and minimal racemization. A number of support-bound amino acids incorporating diverse side-chain functionality have been subjected to a short synthesis sequence, followed by iodoacetonitrile activation and nucleophilic displacement to provide dipeptide products. All 20 of the proteinogenic amino acids, when suitably protected, are compatible with the loading and activation steps. Finally, displacement wit...
Dispersion processing of creep resistant whisker-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites

Abstract SiC whisker-reinforced Al 2 O 3 composites, with enhanced strength and creep failure strains, have been fabricated by dispersion processing, pressure filtration and hot pressing. This method minimizes flaws that otherwise cause premature failure. High stress creep measurements demonstrate that true steady-state creep does not develop in these composites for whisker loadings above some critical level; creep rates continue to decrease with increasing creep strain. Also, an anelastic strain recovery is observed on load removal at creep remperatures. Existing creep models are inadequate to explain these observations. The development of new models for composite creep requires measurements on composites with systematically varied microstructures, which currently are being prepared.
Tidal stream energy site assessment via three-dimensional model and measurements

Abstract A methodology for assessment of the potential impacts of extraction of energy associated with astronomical tides is described and applied to a site on the Beaufort River in coastal South Carolina, USA. Despite its name, the site features negligible freshwater inputs; like many in the region, it is a tidal estuary that resembles a river. A three-dimensional, numerical, hydrodynamic model was applied for a period exceeding a lunar month, allowing quantification of harmonic constituents of water level and velocity, and comparison to values derived from measurements, recorded at a location within the model domain. The measurement campaign included surveys of bathymetry and velocity fields during ebb and flood portions of a tidal cycle for model validation. Potential far-field impacts of a generic tidal energy conversion device were simulated by introducing an additional drag force in the model to enhance dissipation, resulting in 10–60% dissipation of the pre-existing kinetic power within a flow cross-section. The model reveals effects of the dissipation on water levels and velocities in adjacent areas, which are relatively small even at the 60% dissipation level. A method is presented to estimate the optimal vertical location for the energy conversion device and the potential power sacrificed by moving to a different altitude.
Wrinkling of α-alumina films grown by oxidation—II. Oxide separation and failure

Two types of localized separation of the a-Al2O3 scale, grown on a Fe-Cr-Al alloy at 10008C, occur after isothermal oxidation and cooling to room temperature. One type is a form of buckling where the size of the detached region is much larger than the thickness of the oxide and is usually accompanied by substantial stress relaxation and cracking of the scale. It is observed within a narrow range of oxide thickness of about 0.2-0.5 mm. The second type is intimately related to the wrinkling morphology of the scale and takes place primarily along the ridges of the longer wavelength wrinkles. No significant stress relaxation in the oxide appears to accompany this form of separation unless cracking of the scale occurs as well. The consequences of thermal cycling on these modes of separation and how they may lead to oxide spalling are discussed. # 1998 Acta Metallurgica Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Nebivolol: a selective β1-adrenergic receptor antagonist that relaxes vascular smooth muscle by nitric oxide- and cyclic GMP-dependent mechanisms

Nebivolol is a highly selective beta(1)-adrenergic receptor antagonist that also possesses vasodilator properties that are attributed largely to nitric oxide (NO). The objective of the present study was to elucidate in more detail the mechanisms by which nebivolol relaxes vascular smooth muscle. In the canine species, nebivolol caused relaxation of isolated precontracted rings of coronary artery and pulmonary artery largely by endothelium-dependent, NO-dependent, and cyclic GMP-dependent mechanisms. Vasorelaxation was inhibited by N(G)-methylarginine, and this inhibition was reversed by addition of excess L-arginine. Moreover, the vasorelaxant responses to nebivolol were markedly inhibited by oxyhemoglobin, methylene blue, and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-alpha]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), whereas vasorelaxation was enhanced by zaprinast. Rat aortic ring preparations, however, relaxed in response to nebivolol by both endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent mechanisms, both involving NO, and cyclic GMP. Endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasorelaxation were inhibited by oxyhemoglobin, methylene blue, and ODQ. However, only endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in response to nebivolol was inhibited by N(G)-methylarginine. Additional experiments ruled out other endothelium-independent vasorelaxant mechanisms. In conclusion, the vasodilator responses to nebivolol involve NO and cyclic GMP in both vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells.
Radiographic quality, tube potential, and patient dose.

Measurements were made to determine if there was an optimal kVp that would maximize radiographic contrast for various materials while minimizing average patient dose. Radiographs were made of a 17‐cm‐thick plexiglass phantom (to simulate a typical abdomen) with added regions of plexiglass, hydroxyapatite, and iodine with peak kilovoltages from 40 to 150 kVp and 2 mm Al added filtration. Radiographs were also made of a 4‐cm‐thick plexiglass phantom to simulate a typical breast, with added regions of plexiglass, hydroxyapatite, and fat at a peak kilovoltage from 35 to 100 kVp and with 1 mm added filtration. For the thicker phantom it was found that the contrast per average absorbed dose for the added plexiglass, hydroxyapatite, and iodine increased by about 3, 2, and 0.4, respectively, when going from 50 to 150 kVp. Contrast was measured relative to a reference region on the phantom. Similar data for the thinner phantom showed an increase of about 35% in contrast per average absorbed dose for plexiglass and fat but a decrease by about 30% for hydroxyapatite as the kVp changed from 35 to 100 kVp.
Delayed product differentiation: a design and manufacturing perspective

Delayed product differentiation (DPD) is a design concept for improving customer satisfaction and manufacturing performance. In this paper, a methodology for implementing the delayed product differentiation strategy in manufacturing is presented. Three design rules are suggested. The impact of delayed product differentiation strategy on the performance of a manufacturing system is quantified and incorporated in the product design. The problem of selecting designs to minimize the total differentiation and manufacturing cost is formulated and solved. The methodology presented in the paper is illustrated with examples.
Anisotropy in the bc plane of the organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF ) 2 Cu(NCS ) 2 revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy

A scanning tunneling microscope and an atomic-force microscope were used to study the surface structure of the bc plane of a \ensuremath{\kappa}-(BEDT-TTF${)}_{2}$Cu(NCS${)}_{2}$ crystal. The individual bis(ethylene- dithio)tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF) molecules were resolved and dislocations and steps were observed. Structural height differences of the order of 0.1 \AA{} with respect to the bc plane are observed between the cation molecules, giving rise to an electron density of states that is less isotropic than previously thought.
Plants, CO2 and photosynthesis in the 21st century

Human activity in the last 200 years has led to a marked increase in the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. Plants sense increases in CO2 levels and initially respond with an increase in photosynthetic rate, which may then slow as the plant adapts. This increase in photosynthetic rate may account in part for the 'disappearance' of an estimated 1.8 gigatons of carbon per year.
Mistakes as Vehicles for Educating Teachers

Abstract Dispositions are viable goals for teacher preparation programs (Katz & Raths, 1992). This study examined preservice teachers' perceptions of their own mistakes in order to understand their views toward risk-taking and tendencies toward perfectionism. When given an open-ended survey, 79 preservice secondary teachers predicted 43 different teaching mistakes which were categorized as either instructional or interpersonal. The works of Fuller (1969), Veenman (1984), Fried (1995), and Haberman (1995) provided frameworks for interpreting these findings. Implications for teacher education include the realistic portrayal of teaching, the practical and reflective nature of teacher preparation, and the type of environment created by teacher educators. A conclusion of the investigation is that fallibility fulfills an important role in the preparation of future teachers.
Ondansetron alters human alcohol intoxication

There is considerable evidence that serotonin-3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists modulate some of the behavioral effects of alcohol, and may decrease alcohol consumption. To better clarify the mechanism of action of 5-HT3 antagonists on these behaviors, we investigated the effects of the 5-HT3 antagonist, ondansetron, on several subjective and objective measures of alcohol intoxication in social drinkers. Twelve nonalcoholic, social drinkers received either 8 mg ondansetron, p.o., or placebo during one of two test sessions in a crossover, double-blind protocol. Both conditions were followed by a standard, intoxicating dose of alcohol. Subjective and objective measures of intoxication including mood, physical sensations, performance changes, and alcohol pharmacokinetics were determined. To control for ondansetron effects, 10 additional subjects received either ondansetron or placebo, followed by a nonintoxicating, "placebo" dose of alcohol during a second crossover double-blind protocol. Ondansetron was found to augment certain stimulant, sedative, and discriminant effects of alcohol, without affecting psychomotor performance or alcohol pharmacokinetics. Ondansetron had minimal effects on subjects receiving placebo alcohol. These data suggest that the reductions in alcohol consumption observed in animals and humans treated with ondansetron may be mediated by increases in subjective intoxication, and/or increases in the aversive effects of alcohol.
IN VIVO MEASUREMENT OF THYROIDAL RADIOIODINE: EFFECT OF “NECK SCATTER”

THREE variables must be considered in any in vivo measurement of the content of radioiodine in the thyroid. The first is “neck scatter.” The thyroidal component of neck scatter consists of the radiations that originate in the thyroid, initially directed outside the solid angle subtended by the counter, as defined by the collimation employed, and subsequently scattered into the counter by the tissues of the neck. The extrathyroidal component of neck scatter consists of those radiations which have a point of origin outside the angle subtended by the counter but which are scattered into the counter by the tissues of the neck. The second variable is self-absorption. This includes those radiations originating in the thyroid, initially directed toward the counter, which are absorbed by photoelectric capture or are scattered away from the counter by the intervening tissues as a result of the well-known Compton effect. The third variable is the distance from the skin to the effective center of radiation of the th...
Bregman regularized statistical image reconstruction method and application to prior image constrainedcompressed sensing (PICCS)

Recently, the Statistical Image Reconstruction (SIR) and compressed sensing (CS) framework has shown promise in the x-ray computed tomography (CT) community. In this paper, we propose to establish an equivalence between the unconstrained optimization problem and a constrained optimization with explicit data consistency term. The immediate consequence of the equivalence is to enable one to use the well-developed optimization method to solve the constrained optimization problem to refine the solution of the corresponding unconstrained optimization problem. As an application of this equivalence, the method was used to develop a convergent and numerically efficient implementation for the prior image constrained compressed sensing (PICCS).
Enhancing exposure to genetics and genomics through an innovative medical school curriculum

Purpose: Physicians entering medical practice in the 21st century will require more than a basic understanding of human genetics because of rapid progress in the field of genetics and genomics. The current undergraduate medical curriculum at most institutions is not adequate to prepare medical students for these challenges. Enhancing exposure to genetics throughout the medical school curriculum should help prepare the next generation of physicians to use genetic and genomic information for optimal patient care. Methods: We have introduced a Genetics Track Curriculum to the undergraduate medical curriculum at Baylor College of Medicine. Results: This track runs in parallel to the existing 4-year curriculum and includes didactic sessions, small group discussions, longitudinal clinical experiences, clinical and laboratory rotations, community outreach, and scholarly projects related to genetics. It also provides the students a means to network and discuss topics and career paths in medical genetics. Conclusion: We have developed a novel curriculum that enhances genomic education for medical students with the ultimate goal of enabling our graduates to deliver more effective and personalized medical care. We believe that the Genetics Track Curriculum at Baylor College of Medicine can serve as a prototype for other medical schools across the country and abroad. Genet Med 2012:14(1):163–167.
Fourteen Years of Implanted Pacemakers in Children

Twenty-six children who had permanent pacemakers implanted at 6 hours to 11 years of age have been followed for up to 163 months. There were 14 children with surgical heart block, 9 with congenital heart block, 2 with postcatheterization complete heart block, and 1 with bradytachydysrhythmia syndrome. Eighteen of the 26 patients (69%) are still being paced with their original electrodes, some for more than eight years. Sixty pulse generators lasted an average of 17 months (range, 1 to 55 months). Five of the 26 patients (19%) are dead. Three died of noncorrectable heart disease, but there were 2 sudden unexplained deaths at home, both apparently due to sudden arrhtthmias. Both of these patients had received fixed-rate pulse generators, and 1 had a known potential for competing rhythms. The current optimal choices of equipment and techniques, including the role of synchronized, demand, lithium-powered, and nuclear-powered pulse generators, are discussed.
Testing stateful and dynamic data planes with FlowTest

Many recent efforts have leveraged Software-Defined Networking (SDN capabilities to enable new and more efficient ways of testing the correctness of a network's forwarding behaviors. However, realistic network settings induce two additional sources of complexity that fall outside the scope of existing SDN testing frameworks: (1) complex nature of real-world data planes (e.g., stateful firewalls, dynamic behaviors of proxy caches), and (2) complexity of intended network policies (e.g., service chaining). In this paper, we outline FlowTest, a high-level vision for testing such stateful and dynamic network policies. FlowTest systematically explores the state space of the network data plane to verify its behavior w.r.t. policy goals. We show the early promise of our approach and discuss open challenges in realizing this vision in practice.
The Influence of Tocopherols and Cod Liver Oil on the Stability of Milk

Summary A significant correlation was found between the tocopherol content of milk fat and the ability of milk to resist the reaction, involving ascorbic acid oxidation, which produces oxidized flavors. This might explain the differences between the stabilities of winter and summer milks.
Will a new intravesical chemotherapy agent improve the treatment of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer?

Will a new intravesical chemotherapy agent improve the treatment of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer?
Regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal and mesenchymal-epithelial transitions by microRNAs.

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the reverse process, mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET), are essential during development and in the regulation of stem cell pluripotency, yet these processes are also activated in pathological contexts, such as in fibrosis and cancer progression. In EMT and MET, diverse signaling pathways cooperate in the initiation and progression of the EMT and MET programs, through regulation at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. MicroRNAs recently emerged as potent regulators of EMT and MET, with their abilities to target multiple components involved in epithelial integrity or mesenchymal traits. By affecting EMT and MET processes, microRNAs are involved in the regulation of stem cell pluripotency and the control of tumor progression.
Cabaret comedy and the taboo of ‘Jewishness’ in twentieth-century Hungary

ABSTRACTIn early twentieth-century public discourse, ‘Jewishness’ was a taboo topic in polite conversation, and so it remained, albeit for different reasons, in the post-World War II period. When ‘Jewishness’, normally ‘below the threshold of articulation’ occasionally exploded through comedy, it offered a revealing glimpse of the ways ‘Jewishness’ shaped society. The article argues that examples of ‘Jewish’ comedy, concerned as they were with taboos and boundaries, offer insight into how ‘Jewishness’ functioned as a cultural code that structured everyday experience.
Structure and orientation of the second phase in ZrB2 crystals

The nature of two orientated precipitates observed in high purity ZrB2 single crystals is discussed. Optical and electron microscopy were used to identify the precipitates' crystal structures and their relative orientations to the ZrB2 matrix lattice. Laser microprobe analysis of extracted particles was used to characterize them chemically. The morphology of the particles is determined by the match between the crystal lattices.
The use of rigid ethanolic solutions for the phosphorimetric investigation of organic compounds of pharmacological interest

Abstract Phosphorescence excitation and emission spectral peaks, lifetimes, working curves and limits of detection of 22 organic compounds of pharmacological importance in rigid (77°K) ethanolic solution are given. Ethanol can be easily prepared in a high degree of purity, and most drugs are much more soluble in ethanol than in most solvents previously used for phosphorimetric studies. The possible application of phosphorimetry to the trace analysis of drugs in biological fluids is discussed.
Defining a Right Problem in Group Decision and Negotiation: Feeling and Evolutionary Generating Procedures

It is not unusual that decision makers define and solve a wrong problem. Here we develop an operational procedure for defining a “right” or correct problem. A problem may be represented as—a problem representation defining a problem consists of—two evolving hierarchies of relations, as discussed in the article. Rightness in a problem representation requires rightness in these relations which are beliefs held by a decision maker. Operational definition and validation of rightness in these relations, that is, retaining them as correct, is by feeling and by specified evolutionary generating procedures for examining, changing (evolving), and retaining these relations. Based on rightness in these relations, we discuss right group problem definition and solution in the general case where information is not fully shared (nonshared) among individuals in the group. Thus, our work contributes to procedural rationality—how decisions should be or are made—in individual and group decision-making and associated group decision and negotiation support systems (GDNSS).
Peak factor estimation in hurricane surface winds

Abstract The peak factor is a critical parameter in estimating short duration peak gust speeds. An analysis of sixty-four 10 m wind field records measured during the 1999–2008 Atlantic hurricane seasons shows a mildly positive non-Gaussian trend in the skewness of velocity with increasing longitudinal turbulence intensity ( I u ). Kurtosis values exhibit slightly platykurtic behavior (kurtosis values less than 3) in open exposure but trend toward Gaussian as I u increases. Average peak factors are computed from the data, stratified by wind speed and turbulence regime. Gust factor models are also examined; differences between the theoretical and observed zero up-crossing rates and power spectral density functions are used to discuss uncertainty propagation in the model. The results indicate that a non-Gaussian peak factor in theoretical peak gust (or gust factor) calculation appears to be warranted. Additional field measurements in built-up terrain are required to validate this finding.
The mode-decomposition,C° formulation of curved, two-dimensional structural elements

Based on purely kinematical considerations the possibility of inextensional bending is introduced to isoparametric curved C° elements, which, otherwise, are plagued by severe membrane (and shear) locking. The analysis is restricted to arches and axisymmetric deformations of shells, i.e. kinematically two-dimensional problems. The results show exceptionally good accuracy. High reliability of the approach is guaranteed by absence of spurious kinematic modes on the element level, which complements its ability to bend inextensionally (in the case of arches).
LORENTZ POLE STRUCTURE AND t = 0 KINEMATIC CONSTRAINTS IN FORWARD VECTOR- MESON PRODUCTION.

We determine the behavior near $t=0$ of the helicity amplitudes for $\ensuremath{\pi}N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{VN}$, $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{VV}$, and $\mathrm{NN}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{NN}$ consistent with (1) the $t=0$ kinematic constrains (conspiracy relations), (2) the classification of Regge poles into $O(3, 1)$ families at $t=0$, and (3) the requirement of factorization for individual poles of definite quantum numbers. We show that from the $t$ dependence thus determined, one is able to derive the rule for the energy dependence of forward scattering amplitudes proposed by Sawyer.
Sulfanilamide-experimental production of liver damage: Its effect on gastric acidity

1. Microscopic changes were noted in the livers of dogs after intragastric administration of sulfanilamide; Grossly the livers remain unchanged. 2. The changes noted in the cellular elements of the liver were atrophic in nature. 3. The amount of fat in the livers of our dogs remained unchanged; A definite decrease of glycogen is noted after prolonged intake of sulfanilamide. 4. Evidence in our experiments points to the theory of idiosyncrasy. 5. There is a definite depression of gastric acidity. 6. Progressive damage to the liver depresses the gastric secretory mechanism and is relative to the degree of damage to the liver.
Functioning and disability after stroke in children: using the ICF-CY to classify health outcome and inform future clinical research priorities

Aim The International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health, Child-Youth version (ICF-CY) provides a framework for describing and evaluating health, intervention outcomes, and needs assessment. It can, however, also serve as a system for classifying the focus of outcome studies and identification of gaps in current knowledge. Method The paediatric arterial ischaemic stroke (AIS) population was targeted. Multiple databases were systematically searched for AIS outcome studies focussing on functioning or disability. Findings were rated using the ICF-CY framework. Results Twenty-eight studies were identified. Most were cross-sectional and age range at assessment varied widely. Sixty-seven different standardized measures were used, predominantly evaluating body functions. The most common domains of activity and participation reported were learning and applying knowledge, general tasks and demands, and self-care skills. Health-related quality of life was measured in nine papers. Environmental factors were rarely evaluated. Interpretation AIS outcome studies addressing the relationship between body structures and functions (e.g. brain lesion characteristics, neurological examination findings) and activities, participation, and quality of life have emerged in recent years. Comparison of findings across studies is complicated by design and tool selection. The relationship between components of activity limitation and participation restriction is rarely explored.
The specificity of a protease from Penicillium cyaneo-fulvum.

A purified preparation of the extracellular protease of Penicillium cyaneo-fulvum was homogeneous on electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation. The enzyme was shown to be an endopeptidase of low specificity.
Speech style and authenticity: Quantitative evidence for the performance of identity

The question of what constitutes an authentic speaker, particularly with regard to African American Vernacular English (AAVE), has been the subject of some debate in sociolinguistics (Butters, 1984; Labov, 1980; Sweetland, 2002) and arises anew in the case of white hip-hop–affiliated youth (WHHs) who converge toward AAVE in their speech. This paper takes a quantitative approach to this question by examining how speech style alters the relationship between the frequencies of a variable in different linguistic environments. Guy (1991b) showed that the exponential relationship in English among rates of coronal stop deletion (CSD) in several morphological categories is systematically distorted by constraints on the surface-level phonology. Because stylistic variation appears to operate at this level, such distortion provides an internal measure of a speaker's stylistic shifting away from their neutral vernacular usage. Data on CSD deletion from WHHs who style shift toward AAVE show this kind of distortion when compared with the speech of AAVE speakers. This data provide strong internal evidence in support of the idea that some WHHs are “performing” a speech style that diverges from their unmarked style.
Structural response reconstruction based on empirical mode decomposition in time domain

Abstract In this paper, a new method for structural response reconstruction of critical locations using measurements from remote sensors is developed. The method is based on the empirical mode decomposition with intermittency criteria and transformation equations derived from finite element modeling. Dynamic responses measured from usage monitoring system or sensors at available locations are decomposed into modal responses directly in time domain. Transformation equations based on finite element modeling are used to extrapolate the modal responses from the measured locations to critical locations where direct sensor measurements are not available. The modal superposition method is employed to obtain dynamic responses at critical locations. A numerical beam example is used to demonstrate the overall reconstruction procedure. Following this, a practical structure scale problem is used to validate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. Effects of sensor locations, the number of sensors, high damping ration, closely space modes and the noise level in measurement are studied in detail.
Blue Light‐Induced Phytochrome Increase in Mung Bean Hooks

An “action spectrum” between 400 and 620 nm for the radiation-induced phytochrome increase was obtained with mung bean hooks. A broad band between 410 and 480 nm was found to induce significant increases in phytochrome content. Radiation from 500 to 620 nm failed to promote any significant increase. Red irradiation immediately following far-red treatment showed no reversal. These results and an earlier finding that far-red irradiation promotes phytochrome increase suggest that the photoreceptor for the radiation-induced increase is probably not phytochrome, but could be a related pigment if the phenomenon is due to one photoreceptor. The blue light-induced increase in phytochrome content increases the possibility of the participation of phytochrome in blue light-mediated high irradiance responses of plants.
NOISE GENERATED BY A COANDA WALL JET CIRCULATION CONTROL DEVICE

Abstract An analysis is made of the production of sound by a hydrofoil with a Coanda wall jet circulation control (CC-) device. Three principal sources are identified in the vicinity of the trailing edge of the hydrofoil. The radiation at very low frequencies is dominated by “curvature noise” generated by the interaction of boundary layer turbulence with the rounded trailing edge of the CC-hydrofoil; this is similar in character and magnitude to the low-frequency component of the conventional trailing edge noise produced by a hydrofoil of the same chord, but with a sharp trailing edge. Higher frequency sound is produced principally at the Coanda jet slot. “Passive slot noise” is caused by the “scattering” by the slot lip of nearfield pressure fluctuations in the turbulent boundary layer of the exterior mean flow past the slot. This is of comparable intensity to high frequency, sharp-edged trailing edge noise. However, the acoustic spectrum is greatly extended to much higher frequencies if the Coanda jet is turbulent; the sound produced by the interaction of this turbulence with the lip tends to dominate the spectrum at frequencies f (Hz) greater than about Uj/h, where h is the slot width and Ujthe Coanda jet speed. Sample numerical results are presented for a typical underwater application that indicate that at this and higher frequencies the slot noise can be 20 dB or more greater than conventional trailing edge noise, although the differences become smaller as the thickness of the slot lip increases.
The Horvitz-Thompson Theorem as a Unifying Perspective for Probability Sampling: With Examples from Natural Resource Sampling

Abstract Courses in sampling often lack a coherent structure because many related sampling designs, estimators, variances, and variance estimators are presented as separate cases. The Horvitz-Thompson theorem offers a needed integrating perspective for teaching the methods and fundamental concepts of probability sampling. Development of basic concepts in sampling via this approach provides the student with tools to solve more complicated problems, and helps to avoid some common stumbling blocks of beginning students. Examples from natural resource sampling are provided to illustrate applications and insight gained from this approach.