cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dendritic transmitter release and analog computation in mitral cells

Mitral cells of the accessory olfactory bulb contain between 2–10 principal dendrites, each of which terminates in a densely branched tuft contained in the glomerular layer. This multi-tufted morphology has led to the proposal that tufts may serve as local subthreshold processing stations that function independently of one another and in relative isolation from the soma. Consistent with this, we have found that focal synaptic stimulation of individual tufts results in regenerative calcium spikes restricted to the tuft (n = 7). In addition, tufts are closely associated with local interneurons called periglomerular (PG) cells, with which they from reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses. In experiments in which mitral cells were patched and filled with the calcium indicator Calcium Orange, we found a strong covariation between tuft calcium influx and inhibition received by mitral cells (n = 8), suggesting that tufts may self regulate their excitability via subthreshold synaptic mechanisms. To test this more directly, we first patched mitral cells with normal internal and evoked inhibition by activation of tuft spikes via afferent inputs. We then repatched with internal containing 1 mM BAPTA to buffer intracellular calcium concentration, which should reduce release from the mitral cell (n = 5). The magnitude of inhibition received by the mitral cell decreased by 75% ± 27% within 2 minutes of BAPTA repatch. In a final set of experiments, we performed paired recordings of mitral and PG cells and found that synaptically evoked tuft calcium transients were highly correlated with the amplitude of EPSPs recorded in PG cells. Moreover, the synaptic input to PG cells was reduced by hyperpolarizing the mitral cell. The above data motivate a model of synaptic integration in AOB mitral cells in which each tuft acts as an independent processing station capable of providing synaptic output to local interneurons. We are currently exploring the computational consequences of this phenomenon by modeling AOB mitral cells as binary classifiers and exploring how dendritic transmitter release contributes to their ability to discriminate among analog patterns.
Protein Kinase Cζ Mediates Cigarette Smoke/Aldehyde- and Lipopolysaccharide-induced Lung Inflammation and Histone Modifications

Atypical protein kinase C (PKC) ζ is an important regulator of inflammation through activation of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Chromatin remodeling on pro-inflammatory genes plays a pivotal role in cigarette smoke (CS)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced abnormal lung inflammation. However, the signaling mechanism whereby chromatin remodeling occurs in CS- and LPS-induced lung inflammation is not known. We hypothesized that PKCζ is an important regulator of chromatin remodeling, and down-regulation of PKCζ ameliorates lung inflammation by CS and LPS exposures. We determined the role and molecular mechanism of PKCζ in abnormal lung inflammatory response to CS and LPS exposures in PKCζ-deficient (PKCζ−/−) and wild-type mice. Lung inflammatory response was decreased in PKCζ−/− mice compared with WT mice exposed to CS and LPS. Moreover, inhibition of PKCζ by a specific pharmacological PKCζ inhibitor attenuated CS extract-, reactive aldehydes (present in CS)-, and LPS-mediated pro-inflammatory mediator release from macrophages. The mechanism underlying these findings is associated with decreased RelA/p65 phosphorylation (Ser311) and translocation of the RelA/p65 subunit of NF-κB into the nucleus. Furthermore, CS/reactive aldehydes and LPS exposures led to activation and translocation of PKCζ into the nucleus where it forms a complex with CREB-binding protein (CBP) and acetylated RelA/p65 causing histone phosphorylation and acetylation on promoters of pro-inflammatory genes. Taken together, these data suggest that PKCζ plays an important role in CS/aldehyde- and LPS-induced lung inflammation through acetylation of RelA/p65 and histone modifications via CBP. These data provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory lung diseases.
Surgical Treatment of Hepatic Colorectal Metastasis: Evolving Role in the Setting of Improving Systemic Therapies and Ablative Treatments in the 21st Century

Liver resection has clearly been established as the standard treatment for resectable colorectal liver metastases. This article will review the expanding role for hepatectomy in this disease. Faster and safer hepatectomies are allowing combined resections of the primary cancer and synchronous hepatic metastases. Effective neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as well as increasing data demonstrating effectiveness and safety of combined hepatectomy and ablative therapies, have further expanded the pool of patients now selected for resection. The end result is that increasing numbers of patients are undergoing acceptably aggressive surgical therapies with extension of life and possible cure. Successful multimodality therapies are also now allowing for long-term survival even in patients not cured of cancer. The prolonged survival of most patients treated by hepatectomy has allowed a long-term analysis of the patterns of recurrence, which emphasize the importance of controlling liver disease for prolongation of life. These improvements in treatments for hepatic metastases have come with a precipitous escalation of the costs of care. This will likely require that future clinical trials and algorithms of care not only be based on cancer outcome data but also on value analysis of treatment and follow-up regimens.
Action, emotion, and inference in mencius

Mesurant le role des concepts d'extension et categorie dans la doctrine de la responsabilite morale et de l'emotion chez Mencius, l'A. examine l'utilisation de la terminologie mohiste par le philosophe chinois, en reference aux travaux de D. S. Nivison. Tandis que la notion de reference ne s'applique pas seulement au domaine de la logique, mais concerne la deliberation morale, l'A. montre que Mencius defend une approche active de l'engagement emotionnel, defini comme modalite du regard.
A comparative analysis of the empirical validity of past- and present-oriented biographical items

This study sought to determine whether changing the time orientation or biodata items from past to present would result in a reduction of the items' validity. It was predicated on the notion that the traditionally employed measures of past performance were potentially unfair, especially to minority applicants. Administered to 192 members of the Air National Guard, the set of biodata items measuring present behavior was found to have validity coefficients which are at least comparable, if not superior, to the set measuring past behavior.
Nanopore Sensors for Ultra-Fast DNA Analysis

We have developed novel approaches for ultra-fast DNA analysis by measuring of an ionic current blockage and parallel optical readout of DNA translocation through single nanopores and nanopore arrays. Parallelism is achieved by the fabrication of high density solid-state arrays of single nanometer resolution pores and simultaneous optical readout of DNA translocation. Optical readout in arrays circumvents the direct electrical addressing of each pore. We will present new nanofabrication techniques to create nanoscale pores in 50 nm thick silicon nitride membrane using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and discuss our progress towards ultra-fast DNA sequencing.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Effects of synergistic anions on the proton magnetic resonance spectra and pH titration of histidinyl side chains in the C-terminal half-molecule of ovotransferrin.

Abstract High-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectra of the C-terminal half-molecule of ovotransferrin ( OTf 2C ) clearly resolve the C(2)H resonances of the five histidinyl residues in the protein. Formation of the Ga(III) OTf 2C (anion) ternary complexes results in different chemical shift and titration behaviors for certain C(2)H resonances in the carbonato, oxalato, and malonato complexes. The p K a ' of the imidazole group involved in a proton relay with the synergistic anion and a water of hydration appears to be anion independent. Thus the initial attack of a proton on the ternary complex appears to be at a ligand other than the anion or anion-bindmg imidazole group.
Intrauterine growth of the guinea-pig fetal-placental unit throughout pregnancy: regulation by utero-placental blood flow

The relationships between uterine blood flow (UBF) and growth related changes in guinea pig placental weight, fetal weight, and crown-rump (C–R) length were examined at 5-day intervals throughout pregnancy. Between days 5 and 20 (Day 0 = ovulation) of pregnancy, UBF reached peak levels that were related to increases in total uterine weight as a result of fetal-placental differentiation. Between days 20 and 40 of pregnancy, UBF remained at constant, basal levels while placental weight increased at a rate of approximately 500 mg per 5-day interval. During this time period, fetal weight and C–R length continued to increase, but at a less rapid rate. Between days 40 and 55 of pregnancy, a secondary elevation in UBF was observed that was temporally related to third trimester growth of the fetus (ie, weight and C–R length). Near term (day 65), UBF decreased and placental growth reached a plateau, whereas fetal weight and C–R length continued to increase. In order to determine the direct effects of UBF on regulating fetal-placental growth, mid-gestational (days 35–50) pregnant guinea pigs were subjected to UBF reduction and the growth parameters of the manipulated fetal-placental units were then examined at 2, 3, 4, and 10 days post-alteration and compared to controls. The reduction in UBF at hyperemic pregnancy sites to basal flow levels resulted in an abrupt curtailment of subsequent placental growth noticeable within 48 hr of the vascular reduction. Subsequently, fetal weight and crown-rump length parameters were depressed with respect to controls, but not until 4 and 10 days post-alteration, respectively. The results of the present study indicate that the temporal changes in UBF during gestation are associated with intrauterine growth and development of the guinea pig fetal-placental unit. Early gestational elevations in UBF are closely associated with initial placental formation, and experimental reduction in UBF has the greatest effects on placental growth. Fetal growth parameters are regulated by placental supply until late gestation when they have a transitory, but an apparently stimulatory, effect on utero-placental circulation.
Size distribution of sulfur-containing compounds in urban aerosols.

Abstract An aerosol spectrometer was used to determine the size distribution of sulfur-containing particulate materials in urban areas of northern and southern California. Based on a limited number of summer daytime samples, a typical Menlo Park size distribution had a mass median diameter of about 0.3 μ with upper and lower quartiles at about 0.9 and 0.1 μ, respectively. A typical Pasadena size distribution would be about one-tenth micron larger. The diameters given are for equivalent unit-density spheres of the same settling velocities as the sampled particles.
Hierarchical assembly of model cell surfaces: synthesis of mucin mimetic polymers and their display on supported bilayers.

Molecular level analysis of cell-surface phenomena could benefit from model systems comprising structurally defined components. Here we present the first step toward bottom-up assembly of model cell surfacesthe synthesis of mucin mimetics and their incorporation into artificial membranes. Natural mucins are densely glycosylated O-linked glycoproteins that serve numerous functions on cell surfaces. Their large size and extensive glycosylation makes the synthesis of these biopolymers impractical. We designed synthetically tractable glycosylated polymers that possess rodlike extended conformations similar to natural mucins. The glycosylated polymers were end-functionalized with lipid groups and embedded into supported lipid bilayers where they interact with protein receptors in a structure-dependent manner. Furthermore, their dynamic behavior in synthetic membranes mirrored that of natural biomolecules. This system provides a unique framework with which to study the behavior of mucin-like macromolecules in a...
A new evaluation of membrane processes for the oxygen-enrichment of air. I, Identification of optimum operating conditions and process configuration

The economics of membrane separation processes for producing oxygen-enriched air at a concentration of at least 30 mole% O2 have been examined. Six different process configurations and three different types of polymer membranes were considered in the first part of this study. The membranes were silicone rubber, poly(phenylene oxide), and cellulose triacetate. The performance of the process configurations was compared on the basis of new operating variables. The operating conditions were optimized for all process configurations and types of membranes to yield the lowest production cost of “equivalent” pure oxygen (EPO2). It was confirmed that a single permeation stage without product recycle, and with vacuum pumping of the permeate, is the optimum process configuration for the oxygen-enrichment of air (30 mole% O2 minimum). The lowest cost of producing 10 tons per day (TPD) of EPO2 was obtained for silicone rubber membranes (about $57/ton of (EPO2); this cost includes a return on investment of 12%/year. A following publication will consider the effects of variations in a number of economic parameters, in plant size, and in membrane properties on the production cost of EPO2.
X‐RAY DIFFRACTION STUDY OF THE STRUCTURE OF SODA‐SILICA GLASS

X-ray diffraction patterns of soda-silica glass have been made for seven different compositions varying from O to 46% Na2O. For small soda content, the patterns show a single strong peak at sinθ/λ= 0.12; with increasing soda content this peak diminishes in intensity, while at the same time a new peak at sinθ/λ= 0.18 gradually becomes the more pronounced. There is no abrupt change in the patterns. A random network picture of the glass is developed, and upon this basis X-ray intensity curves can be calculated in good agreement with the experimental curves. Each silicon is tetra-hedrally surrounded by four oxygens. Part of the oxygens are shared between two silicons; the others are bonded to only one silicon. The double-bonded oxygens build up a continuous silicon-oxygen framework. The sodium atoms are located at random in the various holes in this framework. There is no evidence for the existence of compounds in the range of composition studied.
Panic attack frequency and vulnerability to anxiogenic challenge studies.

Abstract Intravenous lactate infusion and 60 mg oral fenfluramine challenges were administered to 26 patients with panic disorder (PD) and 12 age-and sex-matched control subjects. PD patients had significantly greater anxiety responses to either challenge than controls. When a panic attack frequency index scale of 1–4 was used, PD patients with more recent and more frequent spontaneous panic attacks scored higher on either challenge. There was a significant correlation between increasing panic attack frequency and greater anxiogenic responses to lactate and fenfluramine. Nine of 12 patients (75%) with high attack frequency (defined as having one or more panic attacks per week) reacted positively to both challenges in contrast to 0 of 14 PD patients with low frequency (⩽ 1 attack/month). The findings suggest that the current heightened anticipatory state of the patient (influenced by recent spontaneous panic attacks) rather than putative underlying trait factors predominates in the evocation of experimentally induced anxiety reactions. Future studies must consider the frequency of recent spontaneous panic attacks in the evaluation of anxiogenic reactivity to provocative stimuli.
Radiographic Evaluation of Spinal Deformity

A complete radiographic evaluation is inherent in the management of the spinal deformity patient; however, a complete evaluation is often not obtained or fully appreciated. This article reviews the proper radiographic methodology for obtaining consistent reproducible radiographs for spinal deformity. In addition, standard radiographic measurements are reviewed, and the reliability and validity of these measurements are reported. Regional curve flexibility and end, neutral, and stable vertebra selection are also included.
Renal Failure in a Soldier Taking N.O.-Xplode

Introduction: Dietary supplements are widely used but are unregulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Presented here is a case of severe renal failure possibly associated with a dietary supplement, which demonstrates the need for improved patient–physician communication regarding the possible risks and lack of regulation of dietary supplements. Methods: A 26-year-old man presented with 3 days of flank pain. The patient had been taking a dietary supplement called N.O.-Xplode for 3 months. Initial laboratory tests revealed a creatinine value of 9.45 mg/dL. Extensive laboratory analysis and imaging revealed no underlying cause of his renal injury. Renal biopsy showed acute tubular necrosis with normal glomeruli. After discontinuing N.O.-Xplode, renal function returned to normal within 1 week. Conclusions: This case demonstrates the need for improved patient–physician communication about dietary supplements. The patient had not consulted a physician before initiating use; the amount of each ingredient contained in the dietary supplement is unavailable; and there are no available data regarding safety or efficacy. It is critical that physicians are able and open to counseling patients on the inherent risks associated with dietary supplements, including their lack of regulation by the Food and Drug Administration, unknown efficacy, and possible serious adverse outcomes.
In Defence of Virtue: The Legitimacy of Agent-Based Argument Appraisal

Several authors have recently begun to apply virtue theory to argumentation. Critics of this programme have suggested that no such theory can avoid committing an ad hominem fallacy. This criticism is shown to trade unsuccessfully on an ambiguity in the definition of ad hominem. The ambiguity is resolved and a virtue-theoretic account of ad hominem reasoning is defended.
Characterizations of Normal Distribution

Before a particular probability distribution model is applied to fit the real world data, it is necessary to confirm whether the given probability distribution satisfies the underlying requirements by its characterization.
Ancestral transfer of symbionts between cockroaches and termites: an alternative hypothesis

Closely related cellulolytic protozoa reside in the hindguts of extant woodroaches (Cryptocercidae) and termites (Isoptera). The evolutionary origin of these symbiotic relationships in the two lineages is uncertain. Transfer of protozoa between ancestors of modern Cryptocercus and termites remains a valid alternative theory to the established hypothesis of symbiont inheritance from a common ancestor. Nalepa’s ( Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 246, 185 (1991)) concerns regarding the protozoan transfer hypothesis focus on the biology of m odern species, and neglect to consider the evolutionary framework of an ancestral dynamic postulated to occur among Palaeozoic insects. Legitimacy of the symbiont transfer theory removes the constraint of interpreting presence of cellulolytic protozoa as a synapom orphy between Cryptocercidae and Isoptera, with potential im pact on objective resolution of dictyopteran phylogeny.
Motivational interviewing with primary care populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This meta-analysis synthesized the findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of motivational interviewing (MI) for health behavior outcomes within primary care populations. Published and unpublished RCTs were identified using databases and online listservs. Studies were synthesized by outcome subgroup and meta-regression analyses were conducted to determine potential moderators accounting for heterogeneity within samples. Mean effect sizes ranged from .07 to .47; significant effect sizes were found for the adherence subgroup of studies (p = .04) and all outcomes combined (p = .02). Professional credentials of intervention deliverer were found to significantly moderate the association between MI and effect size in substance use subgroup (p = .0005) and all outcomes combined (p = .004). Mean effect sizes were largest in outcomes related to weight loss, blood pressure, and substance use. MI appears to be useful in clinical settings and as few as 1 MI session may be effective in enhancing readiness to change and action directed towards reaching health behavior-change goals.
Area-Power Efficient VLSI Implementation of Multichannel DWT for Data Compression in Implantable Neuroprosthetics

Time-frequency domain signal processing of neural recordings, from high-density microelectrode arrays implanted in the cortex, is highly desired to ease the bandwidth bottleneck associated with data transfer to extra-cranial processing units. Because of its energy compactness features, discrete wavelet transform (DWT) has been shown to provide efficient data compression for neural records without compromising the information content. This paper describes an area-power minimized hardware implementation of the lifting scheme for multilevel, multichannel DWT with quantized filter coefficients and integer computation. Performance tradeoffs and key design decisions for implantable neuroprosthetics are presented. A 32-channel 4-level version of the circuit has been custom designed in 0.18-mum CMOS and occupies only 0.22 mm2 area and consumes 76 muW of power, making it highly suitable for implantable neural interface applications requiring wireless data transfer.
Minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy: Expanded indications and oncologic completeness

Indications for thyroidectomy are primarily based on cytopathologic findings from fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB).1 Unfortunately, these results can be indeterminate and may not rule out malignancy.2 Other clinical situations include small nodules (1–2 cm) where highly suspicious, atypical, or clearly malignant cells are identified without clinical or radiographic evidence of central or lateral neck metastasis. In these situations, some authors have recently advocated a minimally invasive approach using endoscopic-assisted visualization during the thyroidectomy procedure.3–6 Current patient selection criteria for minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) include small thyroid nodules (25–30 mm in diameter), a relatively normal thyroid gland (about 20 cm3), no evidence of thyroiditis, and no previous neck surgery or radiation.7,8 Benefits include a less extensive surgical field, much smaller incision lengths, and decreased postoperative pain. As thyroid disease is more common in young women, a smaller incision has obvious cosmetic appeal. However, concern has been raised over whether this procedure is oncologically safe and adaptable beyond the few medical centers where it has been developed and optimized. We have adopted a MIVAT approach for selected patients. We performed a prospective, observational study of our cohort to document whether expanded indications are feasible for this technique after a short learning phase (3–5 cases) and collected follow-up data regarding the potential for outpatient surgery without suction drain tubes. We also used the radioiodine scan and central compartment iodine uptake value as a short-term measure of the completeness of thyroid tissue excision by MIVAT. Our goal was to assess the safety, feasibility, and oncological completeness of MIVAT.
Sexual and lifetime selection on body size in a marine fish: the importance of life‐history trade‐offs

Many field measurements of viability and sexual selection on body size indicate that large size is favoured. However, life-history theory predicts that body size may be optimized and that patterns of selection may often be stabilizing rather than directional. One reason for this discrepancy may be that field estimates of selection tend to focus on limited components of fitness and may not fully measure life-history trade-offs. We use an 8-year, demographic field study to examine both sexual selection and lifetime selection on body size of a coral reef fish (the bicolour damselfish, Stegastes partitus). Selection via reproductive success of adults was very strong (standardized selection differential = 1.04). However, this effect was balanced by trade-offs between large adult size and reduced cumulative survival during the juvenile phase. When we measured lifetime fitness (net reproductive rate), selection was strongly stabilizing and only weakly directional, consistent with predictions from life-history theory.
HOIST: a system for automatically deriving static analyzers for embedded systems

Embedded software must meet conflicting requirements such as be-ing highly reliable, running on resource-constrained platforms, and being developed rapidly. Static program analysis can help meet all of these goals. People developing analyzers for embedded object code face a difficult problem: writing an abstract version of each instruction in the target architecture(s). This is currently done by hand, resulting in abstract operations that are both buggy and im-precise. We have developed Hoist: a novel system that solves these problems by automatically constructing abstract operations using a microprocessor (or simulator) as its own specification. With almost no input from a human, Hoist generates a collection of C func-tions that are ready to be linked into an abstract interpreter. We demonstrate that Hoist generates abstract operations that are cor-rect, having been extensively tested, sufficiently fast, and substan-tially more precise than manually written abstract operations. Hoist is currently limited to eight-bit machines due to costs exponential in the word size of the target architecture. It is essential to be able to analyze software running on these small processors: they are important and ubiquitous, with many embedded and safety-critical systems being based on them.
Latino Cultural Knowledge in the Social Studies Classroom

The study categorizes cultural background knowledge used by Latino students as they read history texts. The analysis revealed that participants made a large amount of connections attributed to their cultural experiential knowledge. The study also suggests reading ability does not limit the amount and quality of connections students make to their culture. The findings can help social studies teachers looking for additional ways to make social studies relevant and engaging for Latino students.
Do Message Features Influence Responses to Depression Disclosure? A Message Design Logics Perspective

This project uses a multiple goals theoretical perspective to examine the sophistication of responses to depression disclosure. In the first study, 504 college students imagined that a friend revealed a depression diagnosis using one of several messages exhibiting different identity management goals. Their responses were coded for expressive, conventional, or rhetorical message design logic. Variation in how depression was disclosed influenced the sophistication of responses. In the second study, 352 individuals with depression rated messages taken verbatim from the first study. Expressive messages were evaluated less favorably than conventional messages, which in turn were rated less favorably than rhetorical messages. The discussion focuses on the connection between attention to multiple goals and communication sophistication in responding to important disclosures.
Reliability analysis via numerical simulation of power electronic circuits

This paper gives conceptual background on reliability analysis in the presence of circuit parameter variation. A method for reliability analysis, the first-order reliability method (FORM), is described in detail and demonstrated on circuit examples. Simulation results are then compared to a Monte Carlo analysis. >
A Trend Projection of High Fructose Corn Syrup Substitution for Sugar

High fructose corn syrup is a comparatively low-priced sugar substitute which is experiencing rapid demand growth. A simple logistical trend model suggests that both per capita and total U.S. sugar consumption will decrease for several years as high fructose corn syrup is adopted. The impact on domestic sugar producers under current policy is minimal with costs borne primarily by sugar-exporting countries. Food manufacturers can reduce production costs, and some of this may be passed to consumers in lower product prices. Per capita consumer savings, however, will be small. The impact on corn prices also will be small. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a recent product innovation, has gained rapid commercial acceptance since its introduction in 1967. It is a caloric sweetener made from ordinary corn. It substitutes directly for cane or beet sugar in many manufactured products. Estimated HFCS consumption of 18.9 pounds per capita in 1980 gave it 15% of the total caloric sweetener market, with cane and beet sugar having a 67% market share.' Successful product innovations are adopted over time and, during this period, substantial economic dislocations can occur for existing products. Continued acceptance and market penetration of HFCS has economic implications for diverse groups, including domestic beet and cane sugar producers and processors, sweetener users, consumers, corn producers, and trading partners. Government policy makers also have an interest in the adoption of HFCS. It is axiomatic that data and analysis on which to base planning decisions are typically scarce during the early stages of a product's life cycle. Moreover, even with adequate data, traditional economic models may have limited applicability. The objective of this article is to project the likely rate of adoption of HFCS and briefly assess its economic implications for major sweetener industry participants. Empirical studies of innovation adoption provide the basis for the trend model utilized. Information on technical constraints for the use of HFCS help establish a probable market share ceiling. Estimates of the adoption rate and the demand for all caloric sweeteners are used to project market shares and economic impacts.
The ethical and pedagogical effects of modeling “not-so-universal” precautions

Aim: We sought to understand current medical students’ levels of training and knowledge, and their attitudes regarding universal precautions practices and underlying professional and ethical issues. Method: A total of 54 US medical students at two schools were interviewed to determine the level of understanding and training students receive about universal precautions, their feelings about the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of universal precautions, the frequency and kinds of universal precautions used by healthcare professionals as observed by medical students, and students’ perspectives about the lack of or inconsistent use of universal precautions. Results: Pre-clinical students focused on safe-sex practices among students and professionals, as well as simple, important acts to protect oneself against infection and disease, such as hand-washing. Clinical students, on the other hand, had more exposure to observing and practicing universal precautions, thus presented us with more, in-depth responses pertaining to inconsistent and ineffective use of universal precautions among peers and role models. Several themes were noted from students’ responses. Conclusion: This study confirms previously acquired data that universal precautions are not consistently or appropriately used by healthcare professionals, it is a significant and novel study in that it reveals a hidden, ethical, and clinical problem in medical education.
Predictability of summer northwest Pacific climate in 11 coupled model hindcasts: Local and remote forcing

[1] The skills of 11 coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation models (CGCMs) are investigated in the prediction of seasonal rainfall and circulation anomalies over the northwest (NW) Pacific for the period 1980–2001, with a focus on the summer following the mature phase of El Nino (hereafter JJA(1)). It is shown that the first empirical orthogonal function (EOF) mode of sea level pressure is closely tied to the second EOF mode of rainfall variability over the NW Pacific during JJA(1), indicative of strong feedback between circulation and convection. Most coupled models and the associated multimodel ensemble well predict these EOF modes and their relationship with high fidelity. Coupled models are capable of predicting suppressed rainfall over the NW Pacific in JJA(1). A few models fail to predict the concurrent weak negative sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on the southeastern flank of the anomalous anticyclone. This suggests that remote forcing via teleconnections is important for NW Pacific rainfall prediction in those models. In some models, local air-sea interactions seem also to play a role. Specifically, remote forcing by tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) SST variability is identified as influential on NW Pacific climate during JJA(1). TIO SST affects the atmosphere over the NW Pacific by two mechanisms, via the equatorial Kelvin wave and the intensification of the subtropical westerly jet. Overall, models are successful in predicting the antisymmetric patterns of precipitation and winds over TIO during spring, which are critical in sustaining the TIO warming through the subsequent summer.
Vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (Vkorc1) haplotype diversity in mouse priority strains

Polymorphisms in the vitamin K-epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 gene, Vkorc1, could affect blood coagulation and other vitamin K-dependent proteins, such as osteocalcin (bone Gla protein, BGP). Here we sequenced the Vkorc1 gene in 40 mouse priority strains. We analyzed Vkorc1 haplotypes with respect to prothrombin time (PT) and bone mineral density and composition (BMD and BMC); phenotypes expected to be vitamin K-dependent and represented by data in the Mouse Phenome Database (MPD). In the commonly used laboratory strains of Mus musculus domesticus we identified only four haplotypes differing in the intron or 5' region sequence of the Vkorc1. Six haplotypes differing by coding and non-coding polymorphisms were identified in the other subspecies of Mus. We detected no significant association of Vkorc1 haplotypes with PT, BMD and BMC within each subspecies of Mus. Vkorc1 haplotype sequences divergence between subspecies was associated with PT, BMD and BMC. Phenotypic variation in PT, BMD and BMC within subspecies of Mus, while substantial, appears to be dominated by genetic variation in genes other than the Vkorc1. This was particularly evident for M. m. domesticus, where a single haplotype was observed in conjunction with virtually the entire range of PT, BMD and BMC values of all 5 subspecies of Mus included in this study. Differences in these phenotypes between subspecies also should not be attributed to Vkorc1 variants, but should be viewed as a result of genome wide genetic divergence.
A magnetic microstirrer and array for microfluidic mixing

We report the development of a micromachined magnetic-bar micromixer for microscale fluid mixing in biological laboratory-on-a-chip applications. The mixer design is inspired by large scale magnetic bar mixers. A rotating magnetic field causes a single magnetic bar or an array of them to rotate rapidly within a fluid environment. A fabrication process of the magnetic bar mixer is developed. Results of fluid mixing in micro channels and chambers are investigated using experimental means and computer-aided fluid simulation.
An Introductory Examination of Children's Invented Spelling in Spanish.

In recent years one of the areas of interest in children’s composition research has been invented spelling. Studies of native English speaking children’s original compositions have led investigators to conclude that young writers predict the spelling of words by utilizing not only their knowledge of sound-letter correspondences but also their knowledge of letter names and their intuitive abilities to categorize sounds phonetically. This study investigates the phenomenon of invented spelling in the original compositions of native Spanish speaking children enrolled in a bilingual program. From an examination of over two hundred pieces of writing, categories of spelling have been suggested and examples of each are given.
Developing and Evaluating the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Scale: An Examination of Content and Construct Validity.

The purpose of the current examination was to develop a scale to measure campus environments and their impact on the experiences and outcomes of diverse student populations. The Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Scale was designed to measure the nine elements of college environments that foster success among diverse populations. Authors utilize a variety of techniques to examine the content and construct validity of the CECE Scale using a sample of 499 undergraduates across three institutions. Results indicate that the CECE Scale exhibits a high level of content and construct validity and could be a useful tool for measuring campus environments and their impact on student experiences and outcomes. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
The Genetics of Obesity

Five genes have been identified, each capable of causing obesity in mice and each with a human homologue. One of them codes for a signal expressed by adipose tissue, and another for the signal's brain receptor. The rest reveal brain pathways probably downstream from the receptor. Together, the genes offer glimpses of an intricate system that defends adipose stores--and in some persons maintains an unhealthful set-point.
Role of Aryl hydrocarbon receptor and the effect of selective AhR modulators on T cell differentiation (P1201)

The physiological role of AhR, particularly in immune response remains a key question after identification of AhR as an essential transcription factor for Th17 differentiation. Selective AhR modulators (SAhRMs) are a recently identified class of compounds that are capable of binding to AhR and repress cytokine- driven gene expression. These compounds are interesting therapeutically as they can be used to inhibit Dioxin Response Element (DRE)-mediated while inducing anti-inflammatory responses. Under non-skewing conditions, AhR agonist beta-naphthoflavone (BNF) enhances IL-17A production whereas SGA-360 an inhibitor suppresses it. Under Th17 skewing condition, AhR agonist BNF enhanced Th17 differentiation whereas AhR antagonist GNF and partial antagonist SGA-360 suppressed it. Interestingly, under Treg skewing condition the antagonists enhanced the Foxp3 expression, suggesting that such compounds have therapeutic potential in autoimmune disease by modulating the Th17/Treg balance. We have also examined AhR antagonists after disease development in a murine model of Th17 mediated disease, hypersensitivity pneumonitis mediated by Staphylopolyspora rectivirgula (SR). We find that these antagonists suppress AhR activity and induce IL-4, suggestive of a shift in T helper lineage. This suggests that SAhRMs may be useful in modulating AhR activation to regulate Th17/Treg balance, and that AhR selective ligands have potential for use as therapeutics in Th17 mediated diseases.
Assessing the Effect of Breakout Sessions on Student Success and Satisfaction

Introductory American government is a common component of college and university core curricula and, as such, it often is taught in large sections. This makes active learning more difficult, which may contribute to student dissatisfaction and lower levels of student achievement. In turn, this can affect larger issues of university retention. This article considers whether different models of instruction in large classes affect student success and satisfaction. We compare a lecture-only class and one that combined lectures with smaller student breakout sessions. To our surprise, we found that students in the breakout—lecture class were not more satisfied and did not succeed at higher levels as compared to their peers in the lecture-only class. Above all, attendance is the key predictor of student success.
Parasites of the Hemlock Sawfly, Neodiprion tsugae, in Coastal Alaska

The primary parasites of Neodiprian tsugae Middleton in coastal Alaska are hymenopterous species representing 8 genera. The commonest primary parasites are Opidnus tsugae tsugae (Cushman ), Delomerista japonica diprianis Cushman, and Itoplectis quadricingulatus (Provancher). Two additional species, Amblymerus verditer (Norton) and Gelis sp., are hyperparasites. A key to the parasites, based on adult characters is included.
Thyroid Compensation Under the Influence of Dietary Nitrate.

SummaryRats maintained in a normal environment showed a decreased thyroidal I131 uptake after 7 hours on a nitrate supplemented diet but were able to overcome this effect after two weeks. Initially the nitrate flushed I131 from the thyroid gland; however, this effect was overcome in one week. After 5 weeks, in the absence of tapazole, the nitrate-fed rats fixed more I131 as PBI131 than did the controls.
Technique for large scale isolation of Discula umbrinella and other foliar endophytic fungi from Quercus species

This paper describes a useful large scale technique suitable for isolation of Discula umbrinella and other foliar endophytic fungi. This technique provides an efficient means to collect large numbers of fungal isolates necessary for fungal ecology and genetic variation studies. Also, this method is easily modified for isolation of other fungi residing within a leaf. An oversized vacuum filtration unit was built to accomodate large numbers of leaf discs and all sterilization procedures were carried out on this unit. Leaf discs were incubated on white oak leaf agar in 24-well tissue culture plates for a 12-hr light period at 24 C for Discula umbrinella conidiomata produc- tion. Conidia were streaked onto white oak leaf agar. Isolates were transferred to Difco potato dextrose agar and stored in sterile water at 24 C for future fungal population studies. Discula umbrinella infec- tion levels on Quercus alba and Q. rubra were moni- tored monthly using this technique. Conidiomata in- fection levels within leaves of Q. alba were higher than Q. rubra in the months of May, Jun, and Jul. Leaves of Q. rubra showed higher infection levels in the months of Aug and Sept. The feasibility of isolat- ing other endophytic fungi with the large scale tech- nique was also tested. Using the large scale method, 18 different fungal isolates were collected from fallen leaves of Quercus alba. Tubakia dryina (Sacc.) Sutton was the most frequently isolated endophyte from fall- en leaves regardless of the media used.
Letter by Yalçin et al regarding article, "Left ventricular wall thickness and the presence of asymmetric hypertrophy in healthy young army recruits: Data from the LARGE heart study"

We have read with great interest the report by Lee et al1 on the relationship of the physiological response to exercise and asymmetrical wall thickening in healthy army recruits. They evaluated the variations in myocardial wall thickness using cardiovascular magnetic resonance after the exercise period of 12 weeks and concluded that asymmetrical septal hypertrophy develops commonly as part of the physiological response to exercise. In this report, a 40% smoking range was reported in the study group. Despite hypertension being excluded from the beginning, no attempt was made for complete elimination of increased blood pressure (BP) response along the training regime of recruits. No information regarding …
Synthesis and Reactivity of (Benzoxazol-2-ylmethyl)phosphonic Acid

An efficient three step synthesis of (benzoxazol-2-ylmethyl)phosphonic acid (6-H2) is described along with IR, mass spectrometry (MS), and 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopic characterization data, ...
Limitations on Guarantor's Waivers

Analysis of a decision holding that waivers by guarantor do not include equitable defenses.
Situation analysis of health examination among 4 732 primary school students in Chaozhou city

Objective Learning the physical health of elementary school students in Chaozhou, in order to provide scientific basis for the primary student health intervention measures that fit for the actual conditions of the city. Method 4 732 pupils of Chaohou city were taken physical examination according to the provisions and requirements of "primary and secondary school student healthy management approach" set by Ministry of Public Health. Results The detection rate of physical examination are poor eyesight (48.65%), dental caries (41.06%), obesity (13.23%), trachoma (6.63%) and malnutrition (5.60%). Except dental caries,there was significant difference in the detection rate of the rest 4 items of physical examination between male and female.The rate of poor eyesight in female was significantly higher than male(46.19%,χ2=12.89,P0.01),obesity rate of male(17.13%) was higher than that of female(8.85%,χ2=70.40,P0.01), the trachoma rate of female (7.94%) was significantly higher than that of male (5.47%,χ2=11.69,P0.01), the malnutrition rate of female (6.38%) was significantly higher than that of male(4.91%,χ2=4.79,P0.05). With the increasing of age,the trend of prevalence of poor eyesight shows increasing(χ2=16.15,P0.01),while that of dental caries shows decreasing. Conclusions The results of physical examination in elementary schools was not good in Chaozhou city. The relevant departments should carry out effective health education,health promotion and promote good health habits actively so that to improve the students' health.
Gravity’s Rainbow: A Portrait of the Artist as Engineer

The generic debate surrounding Gravity’s Rainbow can be divided into two groups. On the one hand, there are critics such as Palmeri, Weisenburger ( Fables ), Seidel, Morgan, and Kharpertian, who have argued that Pynchon’s novel fits in with the tradition of the Menippean satire. Drawing attention to the subtle and intricate ways in which Pynchon’s third novel parodies and aggrandizes the discourse of the power elites, these critics see Gravity’s Rainbow as the latest exponent of a long and particularly illuminating tradition of the literary gadfly, which runs from Petronius, over Francois Rabelais and Jonathan Swift, to Pynchon. The defining characteristic of Gravity’s Rainbow for these critics, is, as Kharpertian puts it, “the critical exposure of official cultural institutions and demystification of power [as well as] the focus on the ugly, the painful and the ridiculous” (108-9). A second group of scholars, while hardly oblivious to Gravity’s Rainbow’s satirical dimension, defines Pynchon’s generic affiliation instead in terms of the encyclopedic narrative. In the wake of Edward Mendelson’s influential essay “Gravity’s Encyclopedia,” these critics, including LeClair and Hite, have pointed out that what is central to Pynchon’s novel is the broadly conceived vision of the world that it offers. Like the original eighteenth-century Encyclopedie of Diderot and D’Alembert, Pynchon’s novel bespeaks a summative gesture that tries to envelop all the variety and richness of the world between the covers of one book, complete with mathematical formulas, foreign alphabets, and explanatory illustrations. As Mendelson himself put it, “[e]ncyclopedic narratives attempt to render the full range of knowledge and beliefs of a national culture, while identifying the ideological perspectives from which that culture shapes and interprets its knowledge” (30). Whether or not this encyclopedic vision mirrors the summations fostered by the works of Dante and Shakespeare, as Mendelson originally argued, or whether Gravity’s Rainbow should instead be read as a postmodern deconstruction of the very idea of summation and order, remains a topic of critical debate. Yet, what is clear to both groups, as well as to those who locate Gravity’s Rainbow in the satirical tradition of Gargantua and Pantagruel, is that, when trying to define Pynchon’s novel generically, size matters.