cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
1027-44 QRS and T Wave Evolution During Early Development in Children with LQTS is Normal

The pathophysiology of LQTS is uncertain. Deficient right sympathetic innervation has been proposed as one possibility. This might be expected to alter the course of right ventricular (RV) involution and the associated electrophysiologic changes, and the RV/LV relationship, thus, modifying the evolution of T wave and QRS patterns from ″infantile″ to ″adult″ configuration. To test this hypothesis, the T and QRS morphologies were compared in LQTS patients and normals from birth to 15 years. Methods T wave and QRS morphology was evaluated at newborn, 1–6 months, and each year of age to 15 years on 155 ECG's from 63 LQTS patients (mean QTc 0.48 ± 0.03) and 383 ECG's from 253 normal subjects (mean QTc 0.410 ± 0.02). QRS evolution from R/S g 1 to R/S l 1 in anterior leads and evolution from anterior T inversion to upright T waves was compared using Wilcoxon matched pair signed rank test. Results The R/S ratio wasg1 through 2 years of age in both LQTS and normals, and progression to R/S l 1 was similar in both groups, P = ns at each age. T wave inversion in Vl was present in 45% LQTS and 50% normal newborns, P = ns. By 1 to 6 months T in Vl was inverted in 100% of both groups. Transition from inverted to upright anterior T waves was similar in both groups, with upright T in V3 in about 80% by age 3, and in V2 by age 12, p = ns at each age. Conclusions These findings show that the evolution of RV-anatomic and electrophysiologic changes and RV/LV relationships occur normally in LQTS patients. The results may suggest that right ventricular sympathetic innervation and the relative RV/LV sympathetic effect are normal in LQTS patients.
Potassium channel "inactivation" induced by soft-glass patch pipettes

We have studied the potassium currents of rat pituitary pars intermedia cells kept in primary culture using whole-cell recording with patch pipettes. The potassium current recorded with hard-glass pipettes is mainly carried by voltage-dependent channels that show slow inactivation in the presence of 0.5 mM internal EGTA. Fast "inactivation" of the potassium current is seen with patch pipettes fabricated from soft glass (soda glass or potash lead glass), and is probably caused by block of the potassium channels by di- or multivalent cations released from the glass.
The holy land divided: Defending Partition as a Solution to Ethnic Wars

(2001). The holy land divided: Defending Partition as a Solution to Ethnic Wars. Security Studies: Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 58-116.
A specific sub-set of host-cell mRNAs prime influenza virus mRNA synthesis

Abstract The host-cell derived RNA primer sequences at the 5′ termini of mRNAs of influenza A and B viruses, obtained from sequences of 29 cDNA clones, have been compared. This has been done for clones of five different genome segments from four strains of influenza A and B virus. The results indicate that host RNA primers containing a 3′-terminal Py-G-C-A sequence before the presumed endonuclease cleavage site are preferred for use as primers in influenza virus mRNA synthesis. Primer-extension analyses of the 5′-terminal heterogeneous sequences of in vivo synthesized mRNAs confirm the preference for G-C-A-terminated primer fragments, with some differences noted between the transcripts of types A and B influenza virus genome segments.
Rapid Growth of WTE in China: Current Performance and Impediments to Future Growth

China has the largest population (1.33 billion) on Earth and a 2010 GDP of $5.4 trillion. This nation has experienced rapid economic growth in the last decade that has been accompanied by the generation of an enormous amount of municipal solid wastes. From 2000 to 2009, the reported MSW increased by 33% to 157 million tons. This paper presents the current situation in MSW generation, characterization, and means of disposal, based on the results of studies by WTERT (www.wtert.org) in China. The landfills serving the large cities of China are reaching or have already reached full capacity and there is strong government support for the waste to energy (WTE) alternative, resulting in over 90 WTE plants built or under construction. The thermal treatment technologies are based mostly on imported or domestic grate combustion technologies and on fluid bed combustion of shredded wastes. Of particular interest to the WTERT studies have been the Air Pollution Control systems used in Chinese plants and their performance, in particular the dioxin and furan levels attained, in view of continuing public opposition to WTE in Beijing and some other cities. The cities of Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing were visited to examine any obstacles to further expansion of the WTE industry in China. There are extreme differences in the composition of MSW as well as waste management from region to region. It is believed that one of the reasons for public opposition to WTE projects is inadequate transparency as to the emissions of WTE plants. Also, it appears that some WTE facilities tend to cut down costs at the expense of adequate emission control. The paper concludes with discussion of the economics of Chinese WTE plants built in the last six years.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma: What Place, If Any?

Despite the curative potential of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo HSCT) for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and reduction of transplant-related mortality with non-myeloablative transplant approaches, the role of this treatment modality in the care of MM patients remains controversial. This controversy is due to the conflicting data emerging from the large cooperative group trials as well as the improvement in outcomes that has been seen with proteosome inhibitors, new immune modulatory drugs as well as the use of post-transplant maintenance therapy. For an individual patient, the risk benefit ratio of allografting remains uncertain. We review the current data and provide recommendations on where and how allo HSCT for myeloma should be further explored.
Fundamental Solutions for Cardinal Interpolation with Reduced Compact Support and Improved Attenuation

Riemenschneider and Shen have constructed compactly supported fundamental solutions for cardinal interpolation from integer shifts of B-splines of orders m and m + 1. In this article, we prove that the symbol functions of splines with order m and m + 2 are co-prime up to a power of z. This allows us to construct fundamental solutions using splines of order m, m + 1, and m + 2 that exhibit improved attenuation in low order cases, and reduced support for m ≥ 6. We present evidence that in higher order cases these new fundamental functions exhibit a 25% reduction in their support lengths compared to the fundamental solutions constructed from B-splines of orders m and m + 1.
A Rice HAL2-like Gene Encodes a Ca2+-sensitive 3′(2′),5′-Diphosphonucleoside 3′(2′)-Phosphohydrolase and Complements Yeast met22 and Escherichia coli cysQ Mutations

A plant homolog of yeast HAL2 gene (RHL) was cloned from rice (Orizya sativa L.). The RHL cDNA complemented an Escherichia coli cysteine auxotrophic mutant, cysQ, and the yeast HAL2 mutant, met22. The latter is a methionine auxotroph and cannot use sulfate, sulfite, or sulfide as sulfur sources but exhibits wild-type activities of the enzymes necessary to assimilate sulfate and has normal sulfur uptake system. These results demonstrated that HAL2, cysQ, and RHL genes encode proteins with similar function in sulfur assimilatory pathway. The RHL cDNA expressed a 40-kDa protein that was shown to catalyze the conversion of adenosine 3′-phosphate 5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (APS) and 3′(2′)-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphate (PAP) to AMP. The enzyme activity is Mg2+-dependent, sensitive to Ca2+, Li+, and Na+ and activated by K+. The inhibition by Ca2+ depends on the Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio and is reversible by high Mg2+ concentration. The substrate specificity and kinetics of RHL enzyme are very similar to the Chlorella 3′(2′),5′-diphosphonucleoside 3′(2′)-phosphohydrolase (DPNPase). Our evidence suggests that this enzyme regulates the flux of sulfur in the sulfur-activation pathway by converting PAPS to APS. Several residues that are essential for the activity of this enzyme were identified by site-directed mutagenesis, and the possible role of DPNPase in salt tolerance is discussed.
Portable Software Fault Isolation

We present a new technique for architecture portable software fault isolation (SFI), together with a prototype implementation in the Coq proof assistant. Unlike traditional SFI, which relies on analysis of assembly-level programs, we analyze and rewrite programs in a compiler intermediate language, the Cminor language of the Comp Cert C compiler. But like traditional SFI, the compiler remains outside of the trusted computing base. By composing our program transformer with the verified back-end of Comp Cert and leveraging Comp Cert's formally proved preservation of the behavior of safe programs, we can obtain binary modules that satisfy the SFI memory safety policy for any of Comp Cert's supported architectures (currently: Power PC, ARM, and x86-32). This allows the same SFI analysis to be used across multiple architectures, greatly simplifying the most difficult part of deploying trustworthy SFI systems.
Reye's syndrome: plasma-induced alterations in mitochondrial structure and function.

Preincubation of rat liver mitochondria with plasma from Reye's syndrome (RS) patients induces a transient stimulation of the State 4 respiratory rate of the oxidation of NAD-linked substrates which is followed by inhibition. A loss of nearly 90% of the intramitochondrial NAD+ and NADP+ is also seen. The respiratory rate cannot be stimulated upon subsequent addition of ADP, but can be fully restored upon the addition of either NAD+ or succinate (plus rotenone). The degree of effectiveness depends on the incubation time and the ratio of RS-plasma/mitochondrial protein. The RS-plasma effects can be eliminated by an inhibitor of mitochondrial Ca2+ transport (ruthenium red) or by a Ca2+ chelator (ethylene glycol bis(β-aminoethyl ether)N,N′-tetraacetic acid). Control plasma at a concentration of 2 mg dry wt per milligram of mitochondrial protein, or 30 μm Ca2+ gives no effect, but can reproduce the RS-plasma effects completely when a minute amount of allantoin (10−11 mol/mg mitochondrial protein) is also present. We conclude that allantoin and Ca2+ can increase the permeability of mitochondrial membrane, and may be the key components responsible for the mitochondrial injuries produced by RS-plasma.
Horticulture, hybrid cultivars and exotic plant invasion: a case study of Wisteria (Fabaceae)

Exotic Wisteria species are highly favoured for their horticultural qualities and have been cultivated in North America since the early 1800s. This study determines the identity, genetic diversity and hybrid status of 25 Asian Wisteria cultivars using plastid, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data. Fifteen (60%) hybrid cultivars were identified. All of the ‘Wisteria sinensis’ cultivars sampled are hybrids with W. floribunda. Although W. sinensis and W. floribunda are recognized invasive species in the southeastern USA, the relationships of horticultural cultivars to naturalized plants was previously unknown. Haplotype analysis of nuclear data identifies four haplotypes shared between cultivated stock and naturalized populations in the southeastern USA. In addition, US invasive haplotypes are present in New Zealand-derived cultivars although, to date, naturalized Wisteria has not been documented in New Zealand. Finally, these data are used to make recommendations to horticulturalists of select species cultivars which may be less likely to invade US landscapes. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158, 593–601.
Modulation of acetylcholine release in rat hippocampus by amino alcohols and Bay K 8644.

Abstract The amino alcohols ethanolamine,R-alaninol andR-prolinol were shown to enhance high potassium evoked release of [ 3 H]acetylcholine from hippocampal slices by monitoring fractional release of tritium during superfusion. This action appeared to be unique to hippocampal cholinergic nerve terminals becauseR-prolinol did not modulate evoked release acetylcholine from cortical or striatal slices, dopamine from striatal slices or norepinephrine from hippocampal slices. Bay K 8644, a dihydropyridine activator of calcium L-channels, exhibited a similar specificity profile. Bay K 8644 decreased the EC 50 ofR-prolinol without changing the maximal response, indicating that the actions of these two compounds converge through a common cellular mechanism. The effect ofR-prolinol was blocked by the L-channel antagonists diltiazem and verapamil but not by nifedipine. In contrast, nifedipine only and not diltiazem or verapamil, blocked the enhancement induced by Bay K 8644. It appears then that amino alcohols can modulate the release of acetylcholine in the hippocampus possibly by enhancing calcium entry into nerve terminals through a specific activation of presynaptic L-channels at a site other than that which interacts with dihydropyridines.
IS THE NATURAL HEME OXYGENASE INHIBITOR, ZINC PROTOPORPHYRIN, A PHOTOSENSITIZER? † 435

The metalloporphyrin zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) and its synthetic analogs are being studied as a potential drugs for the prevention of excessive hyperbilirubinemia and for elucidating a potential physiologic role for carbon monoxide (CO). Some investigators have reported on photoreactive properties whereas others have found no evidence for this phenomenon. If ZnPP is to be used as a drug, photoractive properties could cause potentially serious side effects. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of synthetic- or natural(bile acids) surfactants could cause ZnPP to exhibit photoreactivity in vitro. Fifty μM of each ZnPP, chromium mesoporphyrin (CrMP), and tin mesoporphyrin (SnMP, known to be photoreactive) were incubated for 15 min. at 37°C with 44 mM of each of 7 synthetic- and 11 natural surfactants in a sealed vial with histidine in the presence of white light (20μW/cm2). CO, a product of histidine photodegradation was measured in the vial headspace by gas chromatography. These data (mean±SD) are consistent with the observation that ZnPP is not photosensitizing in vivo [Dev Pharmacol Ther 1990;14:187-92], but can exhibit photoreactivity under in vitro conditions, when incubated with synthetic surfactants. As expected, SnMP was uniformly photoreactive in the presence of no- and all surfactants. In contrast, CrMP was nonreactive with any surfactant. Besides explaining observed difference in the behavior of metalloporphyrins in vitro and in vivo, these results could give us the basis for strategies to minimize photosensitivity for particular compounds. Table
Surgical interference with pathways mediating responses conditioned to cortical stimulation.

Abstract Cats trained to avoid a foot shock (US) when electrical stimulation (CS) was applied to homotopic areas on either the right or left marginal gyrus were subjected to various degrees of surgical isolation of the stimulated areas. For ten cats a U-shaped incision on one hemisphere isolated the stimulated area from most of the intracortical connections, and the contralateral area was undercut to eliminate direct corticifugal conduction. Postoperative tests showed a highly significant superiority in conditioned reflex (CR) level for stimulation of U-cut cortex. Cats with cortex undercut had to be retrained before a stable level of CR could be reestablished. Four other animals underwent bilateral undercutting of varying extents so that the reorganization cound be more carefully evaluated. Trigeminal neurotomies and other controls were utilized. It is concluded that the electrically applied CS normally is elaborated principally via corticifugal fibers and if these fibers are cut, additional training is necessary before the intracortically conducted CS can become effective.
Polarization converters for circular waveguide modes

Small deformations with suitable azimuthal symmetry can be used to convert between rotating and stationary polarizations of any given mode in circular waveguides. Special cases include converters from linear polarization to circular or elliptical polarization, and rotators of linear polarization through arbitrary angles. Rotating (corkscrew type) deformations may also be used to convert between unpolarized TE0m modes and rotating TEpm modes. Polarization converters may be useful in single-mode (TE11) or overmoded waveguides. We consider the design of polarization converters to minimize mode conversion in overmoded waveguides for applications such as gyrotron outputs and electron cyclotron heating (ECH), and give examples for TE11, TM11, and TE23 modes. The performance of a TM11 elliptic polarizer fabricated for an ECH experiment is reviewed. Explicit formulas for all of the needed coupling coefficients are collected in an appendix for reference.
Multiple myeloma/hypercalcemia

Multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells, is associated with excessive tumor-induced, osteoclast-mediated bone destruction. Hypercalcemia remains the most frequent metabolic complication of myeloma in patients, and excessive osteolysis plays a major contributory role in its pathogenesis. The clinical presentation of hypercalcemia in patients varies depending on the level of ionized calcium; it can be life threatening, as in the case of hypercalcemic crisis, requiring immediate medical treatment to prevent death. During the past few years there have been exciting developments in our understanding of the pathogenesis of myeloma bone disease; in particular, key mediators of the osteoclastic bone resorption in myeloma have been identified, including receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α. There is also increasing evidence that Dickkopf 1, which has been shown to be over-expressed in myeloma patients, is also a potent stimulator of osteoclast formation and activity. Importantly, the available data suggest that RANKL is the final common mediator of osteoclastic bone resorption, irrespective of the upstream initiator molecule. This brief review presents an overview of the roles played by these mediators in inducing osteolysis in myeloma bone disease, and it discusses targeting RANKL as a potential new treatment strategy in myeloma bone disease and myeloma-associated hypercalcemia.
Test for Lyapunov stability by rational operations

The problem of determining the positive definiteness of an arbitrary multivariable polynomial is transformed into an equivalent problem which is solvable by rational operations. Nontrivial examples which illustrate different aspects of the algorithm are given in connection with stability determination via Lyapunov's method.
Polyimides with a diazo chromophore exhibiting high thermal stability and large electrooptic coefficients

To synthesize nonlinear optical polyimides exhibiting high nonlinearity and high thermal stablity, a new monomer bearing phenylenediamine and a diazo benzene-type nonlinear optical chromophore (compound 1) was synthesized and polymerized with 4,4‘-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride. This diazo chromophore possesses a microscopic optical nonlinearity larger than either the Disperse Red 1 or DANS chromophores. Copolymerization of compound 1 and 1,4-diaminophenylene with 4,4‘-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride yielded copolyimides with higher glass transition temperatures. These polyimides exhibit large electrooptic coefficients, r33 ∼ 14−35 pm/V. The second harmonic measurements indicate long-term stability of the dipole orientation (>800 h at 100 °C) for these polyimides.
Refractory element mobility in volcanic soils

Refractory trace element concentrations in strongly weathered Hawaiian soils ranging in age from 20 to 4100 ka are highly elevated over parent-rock values due to extensive mass loss of more soluble major elements during pedogenesis. Nb and Ta exhibit virtually no mobility. Soil Nb/Ta ratios are within the range of fresh bedrock even when soil Nb concentrations are residually enriched by a factor of 10. In contrast, Al, Zr, and Hf are depleted relative to Nb in surface soil horizons but are enriched at depth, clearly indicating mobility of these elements. Variations in Th/Nb ratios in soil profiles indicate significant Th mobility within the soil column. However, mass-balance calculations require that accretion of Th-enriched Asian dust has resulted in a net increase in Th in some soils. Soils developed on a 150 ka rainfall gradient show that the mobility and loss of Zr increase with mean annual precipitation.
Mycoses of the breast: Diagnosis by fine‐needle aspiration

Fungal infections of the breast are unusual and may clinically mimic carcinoma. When studied by fine-needle aspiration (FNA), such masses may yield necrosis, granulomatous inflammation, reactive histiocytes, and atypical epithelial cells. Cohesive groups of atypical epithelial cells featured nuclear enlargement and overlapping, as well as prominent nucleoli. the organisms may be widely scattered, so that careful evaluation was required for their identification. in concert with provocative clinical findings, these features may lead to an erroneous diagnosis of malignancy. We describe three women with mycotic masses of the breast initially studied by FNA. the first patient presented at age 31 with a large, firm breast mass, chest wall extension, and radiographic evidence of vertebral bone involvement. FNA was requested to confirm the clinical diagnosis of advanced breast carcinoma. in addition to the atypia described above, the smears showed yeast forms indicative of blastomycosis surrounded by neutrophils. She remains well, following antifungal treatment. the second case of Blastomycosis was diagnosed by FNA of a breast mass in a 64-yr-old woman, who also responded to treatment. the third patient's preoperative needle aspiration showed granulomas, but no organisms were identified, even with special stains; silver stains of surgically excised tissue showed histoplasmosis.
Creep and fatigue crack growth behavior of some cast nickel-base alloys

Abstract Crack growth in nickel-base alloys IN-738, IN-792 and Rene-80 at 927°C (1700°F) under cyclic and static loads was investigated using fracture-mechanics-type specimens. The influence of environment (specifically air, vacuum and impure helium) on crack growth was examined as well. Crack growth was markedly slower on a time basis in alloys under static load (creep) than under cyclic load (fatigue) and in creep required a higher stress intensity to be initiated. Generally the resistance to crack growth in creep was higher in air than in vacuum whereas in fatigue the converse was true. The creep crack growth rates in helium containing minute amounts of H 2 , CO and CH 4 were not significantly different from rates in vacuum, the effect of impure helium being small at most. For a given stress intensity the fatigue crack growth rates among the alloys in air and in vacuum differed by only a small amount. Also the creep crack growth rates of the three alloys in vacuum did not vary greatly. The behavior of the alloys was generally similar to that of other nickel-base super-alloys observed previously.
Timing of Corticosteroid Treatment: Effect on Lung Lymph Dynamics in Air Embolism Lung Injury in Awake Sheep

In paired experiments, we studied the effects of high-dose methylprednisolone on the acute pulmonary injury caused by 4 h of venous air embolization in 19 chronically instrumented, unanesthetized sheep with lung lymph fistulas. We compared the effect of methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg intravenous bolus) given before embolization, early (1 H) in the course of embolization, late (3 h) in the course of embolization, or after embolization (at the beginning of the recovery period). We measured pulmonary hemodynamics and lymph dynamics. In six sheep we also fixed lung tissue for semiquantitative histology, and in some we measured leukocyte concentrations in blood and in pulmonary lymph. Methylprednisolone did not significantly affect pulmonary hemodynamics but it largely prevented lung injury when it was given before embolization. It also lessened the degree of lung injury when it was given during embolization, although this effect became less marked as treatment was delayed. Methylprednisolone had no effect on lung injury when given after embolization was completed (4 h). We found fewer leukocytes attached to air emboli and fewer endothelial cell gaps in the lungs of sheep given methylprednisolone as prophylaxis. Leukocyte counts were lower in lung lymph and higher in the circulating blood of methylprednisolone-treated sheep. We conclude that methylprednisolone has a preventive effect on air embolism lung injury, such that its effect is greater when given earlier during the development of injury.
Longitudinal stability of binge-eating type in eating disorders.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the 2-year longitudinal stability of objective bulimic (binge eating) episodes (OBEs) and subjective bulimic (binge eating) episodes (SBEs) in a multisite eating disorders sample.
Gamma Knife radiosurgery in the management of brainstem metastases

Abstract Background Metastases to the brainstem portend a poor prognosis and present a challenge in clinical management. Surgical resection is rarely a viable option. Methods Post-treatment MRI scans of patients with brainstem metastases treated with radiosurgery were used to determine local control and disease progression. Median survival was calculated using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model, respectively. Results Thirty-two consecutive patients with brainstem metastasis underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery. Median age was 50 years. Median tumor volume was 0.71 cm3 and median tumor margin dose was 13 Gy. Seventeen of 32 patients received WBRT prior to stereotactic radiosurgery. Median survival was 5.2 months. There was a statistically significant difference in survival based on RTOG recursive partition analysis (RPA) class. Median survival of patients categorized as RPA class I was 19.2 months, RPA class II was 8.4 months, and RPA class III was 1.9 months. The overall local tumor control rate was 87.5%. There were no acute complications following stereotactic radiosurgery and no evidence of radiation necrosis noted on post-treatment MRI scans. Conclusion Stereotactic radiosurgery is an effective treatment for brainstem metastases and should be considered especially for patients with good performance status.
Primary Care Physicians’ Knowledge of and Confidence in Their Referrals for Special Education Services in 3- to 5-Year-Old Children:

Background. Children 3 to 5 years old with developmental delays are eligible for special education services. Objective. To assess primary care physicians’ (PCPs) knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding their referrals to the special education system on behalf of children 3 to 5 years old. Design/Methods. Mail survey of 400 office-based general pediatricians and 414 family physicians in Michigan, fielded in fall 2012 and winter 2013, with a response rate of 44%. The 4-page survey included knowledge questions about special education eligibility, PCPs’ role in accessing school-based services, and self-confidence in ability to help patients access these services. Results. PCPs neither fully understood requirements for special education services nor were they very confident in identifying 3- to 5-year-old children eligible for special education services. Conclusions. PCPs recognize interacting with special education as a relative weakness, and they may be accepting of interventions to improve their knowl...
Systematic effects in the measurement of far-infrared linear polarization

We present an analysis of systematic errors in an apparatus for measuring linear polarization in far-infrared observations of astrophysical objects. In particular, we examine a systematic effect which has until now limited the accuracy of measurement of spatially extended sources. We describe modifications to the apparatus which have reduced the effect to almost negligible levels.
Incarceration and Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Neighborhood Perspective

The social dynamics of some communities are affected by the loss of significant numbers of people to prison and by the release of others who encounter the challenge of coping with the negative effects of the incarceration experience. The effects on communities are evident, in part, in the high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in North Carolina (NC) counties that have a high rate of incarceration. In the present study, we examined whether the same associations can be observed at the census tract level in one urban city of NC. To identify the mechanisms by which incarceration can affect the transmission of STIs, we conducted ethnographic interviews with ex-offenders and people who lost a sexual partner to prison. We found that census tract rates of incarceration were consistently associated with gonorrhea rates in the subsequent year. An increase of the percentage of census tract person-time spent in prison from 2.0% to 2.5% corresponded to a gonorrhea rate increase of 7.1 cases per 100,000 person-years. The people interviewed spoke of sexual partnership changes including those left behind finding new partners, in part for help in making financial ends meet; men having sex with men for the first time in prison; and having multiple new partners upon reentry to the community. The statistical associations and stories of the effects of incarceration on sexual relationships provide additional evidence of unintended community health consequences of high rates of incarceration.
Fighting in pigeons relative to available space

Fighting in pigeons was studied in relation to available space in cages of four sizes. Behavioral measures consisted of frequency of fighting response, response latency, and time of final fighting response. In general, fighting was found to increase with a decrease in available space although the visual properties of the space appeared to be important in determining the frequency of fighting and response latency. Other factors such as age and pre-fighting behavioral patterns also appeared to contribute to the frequency of fighting.
The diffusion of glycine and N-substituted glycines across bimolecular lipid membranes

Abstract Free glycine was shown to diffuse very slowly across synthetic bimolecular lipid membranes, whereas several N-substituted derivatives of glycine were found to penetrate the membranes more readily. Pyridoxal, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were shown to enhance the diffusion of glycine across the membranes, presumably the result of imine formation between the aldehyde and the α-amino group of glycine. Several N-substituted glycines were synthesized and their rates of efflux from liposomes were found to be related to their water-chloroform partition coefficients. This is the first demonstration of carrier-mediated diffusion of amino acids across bimolecular lipid membrane.
Fractal Analysis of Antigen-Antibody Binding Kinetics: Membrane Chromatography Applications.

Abstract Fractal analysis provides novel physical insights into diffusion-limited reactions occurring at interfaces. In this paper, we analyze the fractal dimensionDfvalues for the kinetics of the binding of γ-globulin molecules to immobilized protein A on various supports (Unarska, M.,et al., J. Chromatgr.519, 53 (1990)). Fractal analysis data seem to indicate that Sepharose beads (Df= 2.22) increase the “ruggedness” or inhomogeneity of surfaces compared to microporous membranes (Df= 1.29) for chromatography applications.
Thermo-optic quality assessment of doped optical ceramics

The use of optical quality ceramics for laser applications is expanding, and with this expansion there is an increasing need for diagnostics to assess the quality of these materials. Ceramic material with flaws and contaminants yields significantly less efficient performance as laser gain media and can generate excessive amounts of waste heat. This is a concern that is especially relevant in high power laser applications where thermally induced damage can be catastrophic. In order to assess a set of ceramic and crystalline samples we induce and measure thermal lensing in order to produce a relative ranking based on the extent of the induced thermal lens. In these experiments thermal lensing is induced in a set of nine 10% Yb:YAG ceramic and single-crystal samples using a high power 940 nm diode, and their thermal response is measured using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. The materials are also ranked by their transmission in the visible region. Discrepancies between the two ranking methods reveal that transmission in the visible region alone is not adequate for an assessment of the overall quality of ceramic samples. The thermal lensing diagnostic technique proves to be a reliable and quick over-all assessment method of doped ceramic materials without requiring any a priori knowledge of material properties.
Interneurons of the thoracic nerve cord activated by tympanic nerve fibres in noctuid moths.

Abstract Many noctuid moths turn in free flight and assume a course away from a source of faint ultrasonic pulses. This avoidance behaviour appears to be steered primarily by a difference in the afferent signals delivered by one acoustic (A1) sense cell in each tympanic organ. This paper reports the first or ‘afferent’ stage of an attempt to trace functional interneuronal connexions made by the A fibres in the moth's central nervous system. The A fibres distribute signals ipsilaterally within the three thoracic ganglia. They connect with relay (R) neurons that convey the afferent signal with minor transformation to other ipsi- and contralateral regions of the meso- and prothoracic ganglia and to the ipsilateral cervical connectives. The posterior medial part of the mesothoracic ganglion appears to be a site for various types of integration of the afferent signal. This takes the form of discarding certain parameters of the stimulus and retaining others. Ultrasonic frequency is discarded in the neural signal generated by the A cells. Their signal is in turn transformed by pulse-marker (PM) neurons so that pulse intensity and duration are discarded, leaving only pulse repetition rate in the PM response. A, R, and PM units respond unilaterally, that is, only to the stimulation of one ear. Other neural units summate signals from right and left ears, while still others respond with a tonic discharge unphased by the repetition rate of the stimulus. Inhibitory phenomena have not yet been encountered.
Globalization and health care: global justice and the role of physicians.

In today’s globalized world, nations cannot be totally isolated from or indifferent to their neighbors, especially in regards to medicine and health. While globalization has brought prosperity to millions, disparities among nations and nationals are growing raising once again the question of justice. Similarly, while medicine has developed dramatically over the past few decades, health disparities at the global level are staggering. Seemingly, what our humanity could achieve in matters of scientific development is not justly distributed to benefit everyone. In this paper, it will be argued that a global theoretical agreement on principles of justice may prove unattainable; however, a grass-roots change is warranted to change the current situation. The UNESCO Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights will be considered as a starting point to achieve this change through extracting the main values embedded in its principles. These values, namely, respecting human dignity and tending to human vulnerability with a hospitable attitude, should then be revived in medical practice. Medical education will be one possible venue to achieve that, especially through role models. Future physicians will then become the fervent advocates for a global and just distribution of health care.
Estimation of protein function using template-based alignment of enzyme active sites.

The accumulation of protein structural data occurs more rapidly than it can be characterized by traditional laboratory means. This has motivated widespread efforts to predict enzyme function computationally. The most useful/accurate strategies employed to date are based on the detection of motifs in novel structures that correspond to a specific function. Functional residues are critical components of predictively useful motifs. We have implemented a novel method, to complement current approaches, which detects motifs solely on the basis of distance restraints between catalytic residues. ProMOL is a plugin for the PyMOL molecular graphics environment that can be used to create active site motifs for enzymes. A library of 181 active site motifs has been created with ProMOL, based on definitions published in the Catalytic Site Atlas (CSA). Searches with ProMOL produce better than 50% useful Enzyme Commission (EC) class suggestions for level 1 searches in EC classes 1, 4 and 5, and produce some useful results for other classes. 261 additional motifs automatically translated from Jonathan Barker’s JESS motif set [Bioinformatics 19:1644–1649, 2003] and a set of NMR motifs is under development. Alignments are evaluated by visual superposition, Levenshtein distance and root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) and are reasonably consistent with related search methods. The ProMOL plugin for PyMOL provides ready access to template-based local alignments. Recent improvements to ProMOL, including the expanded motif library, RMSD calculations and output selection formatting, have greatly increased the program’s usability and speed, and have improved the way that the results are presented.
O( alpha s2) mass contributions to the H dibaryon in a truncated bag model.

The {ital H} dibaryon is a color-singlet flavor-singlet spinless six-quark configuration. We discuss aspects of its Fock-space wave vector in the quark model and discuss construction of diquark state vectors as well. We then address the general issue of computing higher-order contributions to mass. A formalism is developed, and calculations are carried out in a truncated bag model. Mass contributions to both diquark systems and the {ital H} dibaryon are computed to {ital O}({alpha}{sub {ital s}}{sup 2}).
When Labels Hurt but Novelty Helps: Children's Perseveration and Flexibility in a Card-Sorting Task

Children often perseverate, repeating prior behaviors when inappropriate. This work tested the roles of verbal labels and stimulus novelty in such perseveration. Three-year-old children sorted cards by one rule and were then instructed to switch to a second rule. In a basic condition, cards had familiar shapes and colors and both rules were stated explicitly. In an uninformative-label condition, cards had familiar shapes and colors, but the first rule was not stated explicitly. In a novel-stimuli condition, both rules were stated explicitly but stimuli were novel on the first sorting dimension. More children switched to the second rule in the uninformative-label and novel-stimuli conditions than in the basic condition. Implications for theories of cognitive flexibility are discussed.
Hearing voices: Explanations and implications

Integrating information on voice hearing from multiple disciplines and perspectives, we review current explanatory models and their implications for intervention strategies. Far from always signifying a mental illness, voice hearing may result from other causes, including drug side effects, brain lesions, and culturally-sanctioned phenomena. Accordingly, a wide range of assessment, intervention, and self-management strategies are available and appropriate. We conclude that by offering a diversity of treatment options, eliciting patients' causal theories, and incorporating these into an individualized treatment strategy, clinicians are likely to help clients control the distressing aspects of the voices, minimize stigma and discrimination, and make meaning of the experience.
Leukocyte mediated cytotoxicity of chemically induced rat salivary gland neoplasms.

. Chemically induced tumors of the rat submaxillary glands were tested for the presence of tumor antigens by in vitro leukocyte mediated cytotoxicity assays. Since it has been reported that the saliva of humans with oral cancer contains markedly elevated levels of secretory antibody, the rats' saliva specimens were also tested for blocking and/or potentiating “antibody” activity. The results indicate that saliva from tumor-bearing animals potentiated tumor cell killing if either the tumor cells or leukocytes were pretreated. The effect was much more marked when tumor cells were pretreated. Furthermore, the addition of saliva to tumor cells imparted an immunologic cross reactivity which was not present with untreated tumor cells. Control saliva occasionally produced a similar effect, but not as consistently or with the potency of saliva from tumor-bearing animals. Heat inactivation did not abrogate this potentiation. It is inferred that this may indicate a new system of immunologic surveillance, i.e. arming or potentiation of leukocytes by soluble tumor antigens in glandular secretions.
Flt-1 (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1) Is Essential for the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor–Notch Feedback Loop During Angiogenesis

Objective— Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling induces Notch signaling during angiogenesis. Flt-1/VEGF receptor-1 negatively modulates VEGF signaling. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that disrupted Flt-1 regulation of VEGF signaling causes Notch pathway defects that contribute to dysmorphogenesis of Flt-1 mutant vessels. Approach and Results— Wild-type and flt-1 −/− mouse embryonic stem cell–derived vessels were exposed to pharmacological and protein-based Notch inhibitors with and without added VEGF. Vessel morphology, endothelial cell proliferation, and Notch target gene expression levels were assessed. Similar pathway manipulations were performed in developing vessels of zebrafish embryos. Notch inhibition reduced flt-1 −/− embryonic stem cell–derived vessel branching dysmorphogenesis and endothelial hyperproliferation, and rescue of flt-1 −/− vessels was accompanied by a reduction in elevated Notch targets. Surprisingly, wild-type vessel morphogenesis and proliferation were unaffected by Notch suppression, Notch targets in wild-type endothelium were unchanged, and Notch suppression perturbed zebrafish intersegmental vessels but not caudal vein plexuses. In contrast, exogenous VEGF caused wild-type embryonic stem cell–derived vessel and zebrafish intersegmental vessel dysmorphogenesis that was rescued by Notch blockade. Conclusions— Elevated Notch signaling downstream of perturbed VEGF signaling contributes to aberrant flt-1 −/− blood vessel formation. Notch signaling may be dispensable for blood vessel formation when VEGF signaling is below a critical threshold.
Shear Modulus Measurement for Thermal Interface Materials in Flip Chip Packages

During the thermal interface material (TIM) development for flip chip packages, it was found that the shear storage modulus, G', was a key parameter impacting the material processing and the package thermal performance. When the G' was too low, the TIM was pumped out easily after curing. When the G' was too high, delamination occurred at the interfaces between the TIM and die or heat spreader, especially at the die corners. Due to the significant warpage caused by the large die size, the TIM needs to be a soft gel. This will allow the material to maintain its interfacial adhesion at large deformation. In this paper, the shear modulus testing method for TIM's development will be discussed
Testing the equivalence principle in the field of the Earth: Particle physics at masses below 1 μeV?

A sensitive, systematic search for feeble, macroscopic forces arising from the exchange of hypothetical ultra-low-mass bosons was made by observing the differential acceleration of two different test body pairs toward two different sources. Our differential accelerometer---a highly symmetric, continuously rotating torsion balance---incorporated several innovations that effectively suppressed systematic errors. All known sources of systematic error were demonstrated to be negligible in comparison to our fluctuating errors which are roughly 7 times larger than the fundamental limit set by the fact that we observe an oscillator at room temperature with a given damping time. Our $1\ensuremath{\sigma}$ limits on the horizontal differential acceleration of Be/Al or Be/Cu test body pairs in the field of the Earth, $\ensuremath{\Delta}{a}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}=(2.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ cm ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ and $\ensuremath{\Delta}{a}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}=(0.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.7)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ cm ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, respectively, set improved bounds on Yukawa interactions mediated by bosons with masses ranging between ${m}_{b}{c}^{2}\ensuremath{\approx}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}18}$ and ${m}_{b}{c}^{2}\ensuremath{\approx}1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ eV. For example, our constraints on infinite-range vector interactions with charges of $B$ and of $B\ensuremath{-}L$ are roughly 10 and 2 times more sensitive than those obtained by Roll, Krotkov and Dicke using the field of the Sun. Furthermore we set stringent constraints down to $\ensuremath{\lambda}=1$ m, while those of solar experiments are weak for $\ensuremath{\lambda}l1$ AU. In terms of the weak equivalence principle in the field of the Earth, our $1\ensuremath{\sigma}$ result corresponds to $\frac{{m}_{i}}{{m}_{g}(\mathrm{Cu})}\ensuremath{-}\frac{{m}_{i}}{{m}_{g}(\mathrm{Be})}=(0.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$. Our results also yield stringent constraints on the nonsymmetric gravitation theory of Moffat and on the anomalous acceleration of antimatter in proposed "quantum gravity" models, and have implications for lunar-ranging tests of the strong equivalence principle. Our $1\ensuremath{\sigma}$ limit on the differential acceleration of Be/Al test body pairs toward a 1.5 Mg Pb laboratory source, $\ensuremath{\Delta}a=(\ensuremath{-}0.15\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.31)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$ cm ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, provides constraints on Yukawa interactions with ranges down to 10 cm, and on interactions whose charge is $B\ensuremath{-}2L$.