cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prehospital Narrow Pulse Pressure Predicts Need for Resuscitative Thoracotomy and Emergent Intervention after Trauma.

Abstract Background The pulse pressure (PP) is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Narrow PP in the Emergency Department (ED) has recently been shown to predict hemorrhagic shock after trauma. This study examined the impact of prehospital narrow PP on outcomes after trauma. Methods Patients presenting to our ACS-verified Level I trauma center (2008-2020) were retrospectively screened. Exclusions were unrecorded prehospital/ED vitals, age 60, transfers, on-scene cardiac arrest, and missing discharge disposition. Prehospital blood pressure defined study groups: Narrow PP ( Results In total, 39,144 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria: 5% (n=1,834) Narrow PP, 3% (n=1,062) Hypotensive, and 92% (n=36,248) Normotensive. Penetrating trauma was more frequent among Narrow PP and Hypotensive patients (23% vs. 32% vs. 14%, p Conclusion Prehospital narrow PP independently predicts severe trauma, resuscitative thoracotomy, and emergent intervention. Although prehospital narrow PP is not currently a TTA criterion, these patients have a mortality rate and ISS intermediate to those of hypotensive and normotensive patients. Prehospital narrow PP should be recognized as a proxy for major trauma in patients with heightened surgical and interventional needs so that appropriate in-hospital preparations may be made prior to patient arrival.
Characterizing alternating bubbles emerging from two interacting vertical gas jets in a liquid

Abstract Optical imaging experiments were conducted to investigate regimes of bubbling when two vertical gas jets are injected into liquids. Three regimes were identified (i) bubbles break off from jets independently of one another, (ii) bubbles coalesce and break off from jets at the same time and (iii) bubbles break off from jets in an alternating pattern, nearly 180 degrees out-of-phase from one another. We identify that a mixed capillary number is key to determining the size of bubbles. Further, we find that the ratio of bubble diameter at breakoff to separation distance between jets is key to determining the regime of bubble breakoff. The alternating pattern is attributed to a growing jet pushing liquid between the two jets towards the second jet, such that the second jet pinches off, forming a bubble. This mechanism is used to formulate a simplified coupled harmonic oscillator model which captures alternating bubbling.
Advantages of laparoscopic resection for ileocolic Crohn's disease. Improved outcomes and reduced costs.

Background Laparoscopic colorectal procedures are considered to be technically challenging, and there is a lack of consensus regarding the magnitude of their benefits. The laparoscopic approach is generally held to be more expensive. Using a model of a single procedure performed for a single indication (ileocolic resection for Crohn’s disease [CD]), we set out to demonstrate the feasibility of this procedure by determining the conversion rate, documenting the patient benefits, and performing a formal cost analysis.
Monetary Policy and Regional Price and Wage Dispersion in the U.S.

It is generally accepted that certain fiscal policies have strong local impacts. However, it is considerably less obvious that national fiscal and monetary policies will have significantly different impacts on areas as large as states or census regions. This paper focuses on the impact of U.S. monetary policy on relative inflation and wage growth rates for four large regions within the U.S. The results suggest that the conditional variance of aggregate monetary policy shocks, estimated from an ARCH process, increases the dispersion of regional inflation and regional real wage growth rates for the four U.S. census regions.
Optimally Testing General Breaking Processes in Linear Time Series Models

There are a large number of tests for instability or breaks in coefficients in regression models designed for different possible departures from a stable regression. We make two contributions to this literature. First, we provide conditions under which optimal tests are asymptotically equivalent. Our conditions allow for models with many or relatively few breaks, clustered breaks, regularly occurring breaks or smooth transitions to changes in the regression coefficients. Thus we show nothing is gained asymptotically by knowing the exact breaking process. Second, we provide a statistic that is simple to compute, avoids any need for searching over high dimensions when there are many breaks, is valid for a wide range of data generating processes and has high power for many alternative models.
Stability of Fluid Networks with Proportional Routing

In this paper we investigate the stability of a class of two-station multiclass fluid networks with proportional routing. We obtain explicit necessary and sufficient conditions for the global stability of such networks. By virtue of a stability theorem of Dai [14] , these results also give sufficient conditions for the stability of a class of related multiclass queueing networks. Our study extends the results of Dai and VandeVate [19] , who provided a similar analysis for fluid models without proportional routing, which arise from queueing networks with deterministic routing. The models we investigate include fluid models which arise from a large class of two-station queueing networks with probabilistic routing. The stability conditions derived turn out to have an appealing intuitive interpretation in terms of virtual stations and push-starts which were introduced in earlier work on multiclass networks.
Looking for Difference Sets in Groups with Dihedral Images

We prove four theorems about groups with a dihedral (or cyclic) image containing a difference set. For the first two, suppose G, a group of order 2p\tilde{q} with p an odd prime, contains a nontrivial (v, k, λ) difference set D with order n e k − λ prime to p and self-conjugate modulo p. If G has an image of order p, then 0 ≤ 2a + e \sqrt{n} ≤ 2\tilde{q} for a unique choice of e e ±1, and for a e (k − e \sqrt{n})/2p. If G has an image of order 2p, then \sqrt{n} ≤ \tilde{q} and λ ≥ \sqrt{n}(\sqrt{n} − 1)/(\tilde{q} − 1). There are further constraints on n, a and e. We give examples in which these theorems imply no difference set can exist in a group of a specified order, including filling in some entries in Smith's extension to nonabelian groups of Lander's tables. A similar theorem covers the case when pvn. Finally, we show that if G contains a nontrivial (v, k, λ) difference set D and has a dihedral image D2m with either (n, m) e 1 or m e pt for p an odd prime dividing n, then one of the C2 intersection numbers of D is divisible by m. Again, this gives some non-existence results.
Regulation of Alternative Splicing

With careful study of the array of RNAs produced by many different genes, it has become clear that alternative splicing is an important mechanism for the regulation of the synthesis of various biologically important proteins. The simplest form of such regulation results from the tissue- or temporal-specific splicing events that lead alternatively to functional (protein coding) and nonfunctional (not protein coding) RNAs, but other events, such as the inclusion or exclusion of particular alternative coding sequences within an mRNA are also potential regulatory events in that they eliminate the production of one type of protein and allow the production of another. In addition the production of RNAs with alternative protein coding capacities can be used to greatly increase the potential array of products from any particular gene. One advantage of such regulation by alternative splicing, as opposed to having multiple copies of related genes each with its own different array of transcriptional regulatory elements, is that particularly useful groupings of tissue- and temporal-specific enhancer elements need not be remodeled to serve the multiple different functions of a gene.
A Derivation of Vector and Momentum Matrices

Given standard angular momentum and boost matrices, the commutation rules for vector and momentum matrices are solved. The resulting matrix components are displayed as detailed functions of spin with factors such as √ 2A + 1. For comparison and as an alternative, Lyubarskii’s formulas in terms of Clebsch-Gordan coefficients are recalled from the literature and displayed. A set of these momentum matrices combined with the corresponding set of six angular momentum and boost matrices � = �
Global Evidence on Incentives for Voluntary Accounting Disclosures and the Effect on Cost of Capital

This study provides international evidence that external financing dependence creates incentives for firms to undertake a higher level of voluntary accounting disclosure. For a sample of 856 observations from 34 countries and 18 different manufacturing industry sectors, we document that firms in industries that are more dependent on external financing also have higher average levels of accounting disclosure. This result holds after controlling for country-level differences in legal and financial systems, and firm-specific controls for firm size and performance. We then show that firms with higher disclose levels also have a lower cost of capital, which is evidence that voluntary accounting disclosures reduce information asymmetry and lower the firm's cost of external financing. These results are robust across a wide range of legal and financial systems around the world, and underscore the importance of accounting disclosures in firm financing decisions.
3D optical whole-field range sensor: development of procedures for the automatic set-up of the measurement and the calibration of the system

In this paper, the procedures developed to enhance the flexibility and the robustness of an optical whole-field profilometer are presented, as well as the procedure for calibrating it. The system is based on active triangulation. In order to comply with a sufficiently wide typology of targets, three different techniques to perform light coding have been integrated. In order to guarantee a sufficient robustness and simplicity of use, the system has been equipped with a procedure for the automatic determination of the measurement parameters, both geometrical and optical. Good linearity has been observed, and an overall mean value of the measurement error equal to 40 /spl mu/m, with a variability of about /spl plusmn/15 /spl mu/m, corresponding to 0.06% of full scale have been estimated.
THE POWER OF GOD FOR SALVATION: NOTES FOR A PASTORAL THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF DIVINE AND HUMAN POWER

It is impossible not to feel overwhelmed by the insidious and pervasive power of evil when we encounter the kind of cultural analysis of gender that Pamela Cooper-White has offered in her accompanying article. Our almost instinctive response is to cry "how awful!" and then to search for ways we might work against it—though all the while feeling a deep despair about the possibility of having any sort of significant, lasting impact on so great a reality. Evil has transcendental power; when we face its magnitude and power honestly and perceptively, it threatens to undo us, to expose our limits and our ultimate impotence, and to drive us to despair. It confronts us, in other words, with a genuine theological problem of divine and human power. Is there any power capable of saving us and our world?
Lean combustion stability of spark ignition engines

Literature shows that by controlling engines at extreme lean operating conditions (equivalence ratio <0.75) can reduce emissions by as much as 30% and also it improves the fuel efficiency by as much as 5/spl sim/10%. However, the engine exhibits significant cyclic dispersion in heat release, which causes engine instability and poor performance. Therefore, our objective is to minimize the cyclic dispersion in engine dynamics using a novel control scheme. The non-causal problem encountered during this controller design is overcome with a linear filter. The stability analysis of the closed-loop system is shown ensuring boundedness of all the signals. The controller can be extended to minimize engine emissions with high EGR levels, where similar complex cyclic dynamics are observed. Further, the proposed approach can be applied to a class of nonlinear systems, which have dynamic structure similar to that of the lean engine operation.
Age, environment and mode of deposition of the densely fossiliferous Pinecrest Sand (Pliocene of Florida); implications for the role of biological productivity in shell bed formation

The «Pinecrest Sand,» an abundantly fossiliferous Late Pliocene deposit best exposed near Sarasota, Florida, is a poorly understood stratigraphic unit of considerable paleobiological interest because of its geographic and temporal position and extremely abundant and diverse mollusk fauna. The absolute age of this unit has been a subject of some debate, and has considerable implications for its taphonomic history. Evaluation of published and unpublished data indicates that the Pinecrest at Sarasota spans more than one million years, the lower beds having been deposited between 3.5 and 3.0 Ma and the upper beds between 2.5 and 2.0 Ma
Rotating cylinder for circulation control on an airfoil

The lift augmentation effect of a rotating cylinder located at the truncated trailing edge of a body is presented. A symmetrical airfoil model with a trailing-edge cylinder was tested in a low-speed wind tunnel, and the lift produced as a function of cylinder speed was determined for cylinder speeds up to three times the freestream velocity. Since the lift was attained at a 0ous geometric angle of attack, the lift- producing phenomenon is called circulation control, which results from the alteration of the wake region by the spinning cylinder. The lift coefficients was found to be a linear function of the ratio of cylinder speed to freestream velocity and reached a value of 1.20 at a speed ratio of 3.0. A comparison is made with a lone spinning cylinder in a crossflow (magnus effect) and the cylinder-forebody combination reported herein. The cylinder-forebody pair produces higher values of lift at a given cylinder speed and a linear response in contrast to the nonlinear response of the lone cylinder at low cylinder speeds.
Prescription drug misuse among dating partners: Within-couple associations and implications for intimate relationship quality.

This study examined the associations between dating partners' misuse of prescription medications and the implications of misuse for intimate relationship quality. A sample of 100 young adult dating pairs completed ratings of prescription drug use and misuse, alcohol use, and relationship quality. Results indicated positive associations between male and female dating partners' prescription drug misuse, which were more consistent for past-year rather than lifetime misuse. Dyadic associations obtained via actor-partner interdependence modeling further revealed that individuals' prescription drug misuse holds problematic implications for their own but not their partners' intimate relationship quality. Models accounted for individuals' alcohol-related risk and medically-appropriate prescription drug use, suggesting the independent contribution of prescription drug misuse to reports of relationship quality. The findings highlight the importance of considering young adults' substance behaviors in contexts of their intimate relationships.
Mass transfer effects in degradation of bismaleimide matrix composite

The role of mass transfer effects in degradation of carbon fiber reinforced bismaleimides was examined utilizing the concepts of Thiele modulus and effectiveness factor. Unidirectional samples were aged at 250, 260, and 270°C. The weight loss rates from the three types of composite surfaces (resin covered surface, 0° surface, and 90° surface) were obtained from the weight loss data of different sample geometries. As observed previously, the weight loss rate from the resin covered surface showed a typical behavior for a reaction that becomes increasingly diffusion limited. The effective reaction and diffusion coefficients were obtained based on the initial and final weight loss rates, and activation energies for reaction and diffusion were also determined. The activation energy for diffusion was an order of magnitude higher than customary, indicating that phenomena other than diffusion (increase in effective surface area due to cracking) also contributed to the weight loss rate. Overall, this work illustrated the applicability of an unreacted core type model to composite degradation and the importance of accounting for the anisotropy as well as mass transfer effects in composite degradation.
Peroxidative damage to cardiac mitochondria. II. Immunological analysis of modified adenine nucleotide translocase.

Abstract We have previously reported that treatment of isolated rat heart mitochondria with the free radical-generating system Cu 2+ / tert -butylhydroperoxide produces striking changes in the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) of the inner membrane. These changes include a small increase in apparent molecular weight as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by its disappearance from the polypeptide profile upon further oxidant treatment (Zwizinski and Schmid (1992) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 294, 178-183). In order to characterize its peroxidative modification in more detail, we have purified rat heart ANT and prepared polyclonal antibody against it. Using this antibody, we have observed that increasing oxidant treatment results in a gradual increase in the ANT protein′s apparent molecular weight by up to 1 kDa. The progressive nature of the molecular weight shift, which parallels the generation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, supports the hypothesis that this phenomenon may be the result of covalent addition of increasing amounts of lipid peroxidation products. Strong oxidative treatment of cardiac mitochondria also causes fragmentation and polymerization of the ANT protein. However, Western blot analysis showed that a major portion of the original ANT survives even extensive oxidation as a distinct, modified protein. Therefore, the almost complete disappearance of ANT from Coomassie-stained gels appears to be the result of cross-linking and fragmentation reactions, as well as a decreased efficiency of the Coomassie staining. Because a measurable molecular weight shift of ANT occurs at the mildest oxidative treatment tested (resulting in the production of only 1.1 nmol malondialdehyde/mg protein), it may be relevant as a parameter of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Prediction of shunt currents in a bipolar electrolyzer stack by difference calculus

A model for predicting shunt/leakage currents in a bipolar electrolyzer stack with dual electrolyte inlets and significant amount of gases in the outlet ports and manifold is presented. Model includes electrolyte, manifold and membrane separator as resistance components in the electric circuit analog of the stack. Activation overvoltage associated with electrodes is taken as Tafel-like. Current balance and potential balance equations are applied to the stack and difference calculus is employed to reduce the problem to a set of linear difference equations with constant coefficients. The model is validated with published results and the effect of each resistance component and number of cells on leakage currents in the stack is presented.
A versatile, compact system for X-ray fluorescence analysis

We have developed a highly versatile, energy-dispersive system for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. Excitation may be achieved both by a Ag anode tube and by isotopic sources of 241Am or 55Fe. Radiation from the former may be either filtered and collimated, or monochromatized by a pyrolytic graphite cylindrical monochromator with further filtration through Pd foils. The system is currently being used both for quantitative fundamental-parameter (absolute) analysis and for standard-based determinations. A variety of mounts allows quantitative work on solid thick or thin samples, liquids, and specimens evaporated on 6.2 μm thick Mylar. Aside from single-sample operation, a 90 position sample changer allows multi-sample analysis, with great gain in work efficiency. The latter is automatically controlled by a PDP 11/05 computer, which also calculates results from the raw data from a Tracor Northern NS 880 energy-dispersive system. Accuracies for analyses of steels (percent level) are ∼5%, while trace Zr/Hf analysis can be performed with 10–15% error; sensitivity for the latter is 0.4–1.0 ppm.
Cell surface proteins in a cultured cell line of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Cell surface proteins and glycoproteins of a cultured Drosophila melanogaster cell line were studied by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Proteins radiolabelled by the lactoperoxidase method were examined for hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties using a phase separation technique, as well as for trypsin sensitivity. The populations of proteins labelled by lactoperoxidase catalyzed radio-iodination were compared to the populations of glycoproteins labelled by either metabolic incorporation of tritiated glucosamine or by binding of radiolabelled concanavalin A. The general distribution and characteristics of the proteins labelled by the lactoperoxidase method are also discussed.
Chemistry on the Internet: The Library on Your Computer

The Internet today has much to offer to chemists and other scientists. A review of the major uses of the Internet and a look at future developments is presented. Special attention is given to electronic journals and the impact that they will have on the scholarly communication process.
Bioorganometallic Chemistry. 13. Regioselective Reduction of NAD+ Models, 1-Benzylnicotinamde Triflate and β-Nicotinamide Ribose-5‘-methyl Phosphate, with in Situ Generated [Cp*Rh(Bpy)H]+: Structure−Activity Relationships, Kinetics, and Mechanistic Aspects in the Formation of the 1,4-NADH Derivatives†

Cofactor regeneration; i.e., regiospecific conversion of NAD+ to 1,4-NADH, has been extensively studied and is a crucial component in the eventual use of 1,4-NADH in a variety of bioorganic synthesis processes involving the formation of chiral organic compounds. We have studied the reduction of a model NAD+ compound, 1-benzylnicotinamide triflate, 1a, using [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H2O)]2+, 2 (Cp* = η5-C5Me5, bpy = 2,2‘-bipyridyl), as the catalyst precursor and sodium formate (HCO2Na) as the hydride source in 1:1 H2O/THF and have found exclusive 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide regioselectivity, as was observed previously for natural NAD+ that provided 1,4-NADH (see: Steckhan et al. Organometallics 1991, 10, 1568). Moreover, a variety of 3-substituted derivatives of 1-benzylpyridinium triflate, in addition to the −C(O)NH2 group (1a), were also studied to ascertain that this 3-functionality (e.g., −C(O)NHCH3, −C(S)NH2, −C(O)CH3, −C(O)OCH3, and −CN, 1b,d−g) coordinates to a [Cp*Rh(bpy)H]+ complex to direct the concerte...
Muscarinic cholinergic receptors flow in the sciatic nerve.

Abstract Muscarinic cholinergic receptors build up on the proximal side of a ligature placed on the rat sciatic and vagus nerves. These receptors appear to be flowing down the axons of at least a portion of the nerve fibers present in sciatic and vagus nerves. Most of the anterograde flowing muscarinic binding sites are displaceable with 10−4 M carbachol indicating that many are high affinity agonist binding sites. These receptors can also be localized in the ganglionic nerve cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglia which contribute fibers to the sciatic nerve. We hypothesize that muscarinic cholinergic receptors are synthesized in the ganglion cell bodies and transported distally in sensory nerve axons in the sciatic nerve.
A method for detecting change in a time series applied to newborn EEG.

Abstract An auto-regression model using a step-wise procedure for estimating the parameters has been developed to test for change in the post-stimulus onset EEG of a single subject. A stationary process is assumed for the pre-stimulus data and if there is no significant change, for the post-stimulus region. Change can be detected at any point in the time series giving a measure of response latency and duration. This analysis was performed utilizing the responses of a human newborn to sensory stimulation to demonstrate the applicability of the model for detecting changes in digitized EEG data and relating these to underlying neurophysiological activity.
Beef safety shocks and dynamics of vertical price adjustment: The case of BSE discovery in the U.S. beef sector

This article addresses the dynamic impact of the 2003 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy discovery on the U.S. beef sector. Time series analysis and historical decomposition with weekly feedlot, wholesale, and retail beef price series is used to address the dynamics of price adjustment and causality along the U.S. beef marketing channel. The results show price transmission is bidirectional, determined through interaction between the different stages, and price adjustment is asymmetric with respect to both speed and magnitude. The results reveal a differential impact of the exogenous shock on producers and retailers, which leads to widening of price margins and points to imperfect price transmission, specifically at the retail level, with consequences for the efficiency and equity of the marketing channel. [EconLit citations: Q11, Q13]. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 23: 333–348, 2007.
Stability and Reactivity of Polymethine Dyes in Solution

The widespread use of polymethine dyes in high-technology applications such as optical recording, thermal displays, laser printers, laser filters, and infrared photography involves a solid state of the dyes. The polymethine dyes are relatively stable in the solid state. By contrast, a common limitation of the application of the polymethine dyes in solution, especially those with long-wavelength absorption bands, is their susceptibility to chemical and photochemical degradation. The features that affect stability of the dyes in solution under dark and light conditions are the subject of this review. The reactivity of polymethine dyes, that can be used in synthetic modifications, is also discussed.
Tunable, cw operation of a multiwatt forsterite laser.

We have obtained over 1.8 W of power from a cw chromium-doped forsterite laser operated at 77 K when it is pumped by a 7.3-W Nd:YAG laser at 1.06 μm. The forsterite laser tunes smoothly from 1.2 to 1.32 μm. At room temperature the output power decreases to approximately 35% of the cryogenic power level.
A comparison of alternative measures of mutagenic potency in the salmonella (Ames) test

Abstract Both the spontaneous and the induced mutation rates in Salmonella tester strains vary among different laboratories, and also within the same laboratory over time. If there is an association between spontaneous and induced mutagenesis, a measure of mutagenic potency that incorporates the background may be more consistent than the simple measure of the induced slope. We have used the statistical procedures recently described by Bernstein et al. (1982), and a large data-base of Salmonella test results to examine the association between spontaneous and induced mutation and to compare several alternative measures of mutagenic potency. A correlation analysis indicated an association between spontaneous and induced mutation for TA98, TA1537 and TA1535; TA1538 was close to being significant. This was observed over a wide range of chemicals. In addition, for TA98, for which we observed the strongest association, we obtained a rough estimate of the relationship between slope and intercept by using least squares to fit K and p in the power curve β = kα p . We then chose 3 simple potency measures: the slope, the ratio of slope to spontaneous background, and the ratio of slope to the square-root of spontaneous background. These corresponded to the range of p 's estimated from the least-squares fit procedure. The reproducibility of these measures was compared and no significant differences were found. Though there were some differences in the relative potency ranking of chemicals using the different measures, they were highly correlated.
The twins and the bucket: How Einstein made gravity rather than motion relative in general relativity

Abstract In publications in 1914 and 1918, Einstein claimed that his new theory of gravity in some sense relativizes the rotation of a body with respect to the distant stars (a stripped-down version of Newton's rotating bucket experiment) and the acceleration of the traveler with respect to the stay-at-home in the twin paradox. What he showed was that phenomena seen as inertial effects in a space-time coordinate system in which the non-accelerating body is at rest can be seen as a combination of inertial and gravitational effects in a (suitably chosen) space-time coordinate system in which the accelerating body is at rest. Two different relativity principles play a role in these accounts: (a) the relativity of non-uniform motion, in the weak sense that the laws of physics are the same in the two space-time coordinate systems involved; (b) what Einstein in 1920 called the relativity of the gravitational field, the notion that there is a unified inertio-gravitational field that splits differently into inertial and gravitational components in different coordinate systems. I provide a detailed reconstruction of Einstein's rather sketchy accounts of the twins and the bucket and examine the role of these two relativity principles. I argue that we can hold on to (b) but that (a) is either false or trivial.
A case of disseminated Mycobacterium marinum infection in an immunocompetent patient

An unusual case ofMycobacterium marinum cutaneous infection is described. As a result of marked delay in the diagnosis, extensive local inflammation and destructive osteomyelitis occurred together with cutaneous dissemination in an immunocompetent host. Pathologic fractures in the infected bone necessitated amputation of the involved digit. The most striking feature of this case was the development of multiple widespread cutaneous lesions for several months following amputation of the infected digit and initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. These new cutaneous lesions may reflect local immune and inflammatory reactions to previously disseminated microorganisms.
Knowing what I know: An investigation of undergraduate knowledge and self-knowledge of data structures

This paper describes an empirical study that investigated the knowledge that Computer Science students have about the extent of their own previous learning. The study compared self-generated estimates of performance with actual performance on a data structures quiz taken by undergraduate students in courses requiring data structures as a prerequisite. The study was contextualized and grounded within a research paradigm in Psychology called calibration of knowledge that suggests that self-knowledge across a range of disciplines is highly unreliable. Such self-knowledge is important because of its role in meta-cognition, particularly in cognitive self-regulation and monitoring, as well as in the credence that instructors give to student self-reports. Our results indicated that Computer Science student self-estimates are highly correlated with performance, more so for estimates provided after the performance than before. This high level of calibration, however, was likely the result of a number of conditions...
On a derivation of the necessity of identity

The source, status, and significance of the derivation of the necessity of identity at the beginning of Kripke’s lecture “Identity and Necessity” is discussed from a logical, philosophical, and historical point of view.
G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1-mediated effects in the rat myometrium

G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER), also named GPR30, has been previously identified in the female reproductive system. In this study, GPER expression was found in the female rat myometrium by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry. Using GPER-selective ligands, we assessed the effects of the GPER activation on resting membrane potential and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in rat myometrial cells, as well as on contractility of rat uterine strips. G-1, a specific GPER agonist, induced a concentration-dependent depolarization and increase in [Ca2+]i in myometrial cells. The depolarization was abolished in Na+-free saline. G-1-induced [Ca2+]i increase was markedly decreased by nifedipine, a L-type Ca2+ channel blocker, by Ca2+-free or Na+-free saline. Intracellular administration of G-1 produced a faster and transitory increase in [Ca2+]i, with a higher amplitude than that induced by extracellular application, supporting an intracellular localization of the functional GPER in myometrial cells. Depletion of internal Ca2+ stores with thapsigargin produced a robust store-activated Ca2+ entry; the Ca2+ response to G-1 was similar to the constitutive Ca2+ entry and did not seem to involve store-operated Ca2+ entry. In rat uterine strips, administration of G-1 increased the frequency and amplitude of contractions and the area under the contractility curve. The effects of G-1 on membrane potential, [Ca2+]i, and uterine contractility were prevented by pretreatment with G-15, a GPER antagonist, further supporting the involvement of GPER in these responses. Taken together, our results indicate that GPER is expressed and functional in rat myometrium. GPER activation produces depolarization, elevates [Ca2+]i and increases contractility in myometrial cells.
Alterations in the levels of peptide hydrolases and other enzymes in brush-border and soluble fractions of rat small intestinal mucosa during starvation and refeeding.

Abstract Effects of starvation on the activity of a number of enzymes were studied in rat small intestinal mucosa. Significant reductions in the specific activity of β-fructofuranosidase (β-fructofuranoside fructohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.26, formerly known as sucrase) and of peptide hydrolases were observed in purified brush-border membranes after 5 days of starvation. By contrast specific activities of a number of peptide hydrolases of the cytosol fraction prepared either from ileal or jejunal segments rose significantly with starvation, associated with a marked fall in tissue protein. Cytosol activities expressed per mg DNA showed similar elevations. Total cytosol enzyme activity per segment remained unchanged. These data suggest that while the cell population decreased during starvation, soluble enzyme activity per cell increased: the brush-border enzymes appeared decreased. When rats were refed a standard chow diet the altered specific activities of peptide hydrolases returned to normal in three days, in both cytosol and brush-border fractions. Refeeding rats with diets consisting of glucose or amino acids or a mixture of a long-chain fatty acid and a monoglyceride, led to marked decreases in the cytosol enzymes with 2 h, irrespective of the type of diet employed. By the fifth day of fasting specific activity of intestinal fructose-1,6-diphosphatase ( d -fructose-1,6-diphosphate 1-phosphohydrolase), a key gluconeogenic enzyme, had risen nearly 2-fold while that of pyruvate kinase, a glycolytic enzyme, had fallen to one half the control value, indicating increased gluconeogenesis and reduced glycolysis. Alanine transaminase ( l -alanine:2-oxoglutarate transaminase, EC 2.6.1.2, formerly known as glutamic-pyruvic transaminase) also rose during starvation in keeping with increased giuconeogenesis. Thus it seems possible that during fasting, the cytosol peptide hydrolases of the small intestinal mucosa are involved in the catabolism of endogenous cellular proteins for gluconeogenesis in the intestine, providing metabolic fuel for other vital organs. On the other hand the peptide hydrolases of the intestinal brush border may be adaptive enzymes similar to β-fructofuranosidase.
Modular flexibility of dystrophin: Implications for gene therapy of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Attempts to develop gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have been complicated by the enormous size of the dystrophin gene. We have performed a detailed functional analysis of dystrophin structural domains and show that multiple regions of the protein can be deleted in various combinations to generate highly functional mini- and micro-dystrophins. Studies in transgenic mdx mice, a model for DMD, reveal that a wide variety of functional characteristics of dystrophy are prevented by some of these truncated dystrophins. Muscles expressing the smallest dystrophins are fully protected against damage caused by muscle activity and are not morphologically different from normal muscle. Moreover, injection of adeno-associated viruses carrying micro-dystrophins into dystrophic muscles of immunocompetent mdx mice results in a striking reversal of histopathological features of this disease. These results demonstrate that the dystrophic pathology can be both prevented and reversed by gene therapy using micro-dystrophins.
Surface segregation at metalndashIII-V-compound-semiconductor interfaces.

This paper focuses on the interesting observation that semiconductor atoms segregate to the free surface for many evolving metal/semiconductor interfaces. Their presence contributes to a range of intriguing properties of interfaces and their study offers insight into complicated interface behavior. The purpose of this paper is to develop a simple model for surface segregation for evolving metal/semiconductor interfaces. The starting point for this modeling is recent theories developed to qualitatively interpret grain-boundary segregation and surface segregation on alloy systems. As we will show, our approach will yield excellent agreement when compared with the wealth of experimental information available in the literature, including our own experimental results and those of others. We focus on interfaces grown under the cleanest of conditions. We do not summarize the large device literature because devices are grown under less controlled conditions and the presence of impurities will alter the atom distribution.
Skeletal muscle proteolysis is reduced in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and is unaltered by euglycemic hyperinsulinemia or intensive insulin therapy

To assess how noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and diabetes control may alter whole body and skeletal muscle proteolysis, we measured the rate of appearance (Ra) of phenylalanine (reflecting proteolysis) in the whole body and across the leg (reflecting skeletal muscle), using a constant tracer infusion of [2H5]phenylalanine in the basal state and during high-dose euglycemic hyperinsulinemia in 6 NIDDM and 10 control subjects. Studies were performed in NIDDM subjects 2 weeks after complete withdrawal of antidiabetic treatment and again after intensive insulin therapy. After intensive treatment, significant reductions were measured in hemoglobin A1C, fasting glucose concentrations, and basal hepatic glucose output. In contrast, there was no change after therapy in basal whole body or leg phenylalanine Ra. Compared with that of controls, whole body phenylalanine Ra was significantly higher and leg phenylalanine Ra significantly lower in NIDDM subjects. During euglycemic hyperinsulinemia, whole body phenylalanine Ra was significantly suppressed (approximately 15%) below basal values before and after therapy in NIDDM subjects and similarly suppressed in control subjects. However, in NIDDM subjects, euglycemic hyperinsulinemia did not reduce leg phenylalanine Ra below basal values either before or after therapy, whereas hyperinsulinemia resulted in a 42% suppression of leg phenylalanine Ra in controls. We conclude that 1) the clear improvement in glucose metabolism produced by intensive insulin therapy in NIDDM is not accompanied by changes in whole body or skeletal muscle proteolysis; 2) skeletal muscle proteolysis is reduced even though whole body proteolysis is increased in NIDDM subjects compared with controls; and 3) although a high-dose systemic infusion of insulin significantly reduces whole body proteolysis in both NIDDM and control subjects, skeletal muscle proteolysis is suppressed only in controls. We speculate that in NIDDM, high basal insulin concentrations (approximately 200 pmol/L, unaltered by therapy) maximally suppress skeletal muscle proteolysis, and therefore higher insulin concentrations produce no additional suppression in skeletal muscle.
Psychological and sexual functioning in women with vulvar vestibulitis.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to compare psychological and sexual functioning in women with vestibulitis with healthy controls. It was hypothesized that women with vestibulitis would experience greater psychological stress and sexual dissatisfaction than controls.Study design: Fifty-two women with vestibulitis recruited from a vulvovaginal disease clinic and 46 healthy controls recruited from an outpatient gynecology clinic completed five standardized measures of psychological and sexual functioning. Multivariate analyses of variance and covariance were used to examine group differences.Results: Women with vestibulitis reported significantly higher scores than controls on the measures of depression (p ≤ 0.001), psychological distress (p ≤ 0.001) and sexual depression (p ≤ 0.001). They reported significantly lower scores on the measures of sexual satisfaction (p ≤ 0.001), sexual behavior (p ≤ 0.001) and sexual self-esteem (p ≤ 0.01).Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the importance o...
"Come. Glory in My Wonder's Will": An Interview with Wanda Coleman

LA poet and critic Wanda Coleman develops characters in her essays, fiction, and poetry whose lives illuminate the pervasive social inequalities of late capitalist society. Her concern with such issues stems from her experiences growing up and later working in the Watts neighborhood of southern LA. She raised her three children and held several low-paying jobs within Watts’s rapidly shifting demographic. She witnessed increasing levels of gang-related violence, culminating in the 1992 riots, and a steady influx of multicultural, working-class families who gradually displaced the once predominantly African American population. In fact, large numbers of blacks left as part of a migration to the suburbs and urban centers in the South (“Watts”), and Coleman’s poetry investigates the ways in which the city’s inhabitants register these shifts. Drawing on her triply marginalized status as a black single mother, she creates poetic situations in which speakers struggle to find babysitters for their children, work multiple jobs at once, wrestle with often neglectful partners for attention and compassion, and decry the country’s familiar inattention to basic civil rights. Coleman’s residence in Watts testifies more generally to her commitment to exploring the particular geographies and ideologies that shape its terrain. In partial response to her work and that of other LA writers, Watts has experienced an upswing in the arts in recent years. Several museums, art galleries, and theater companies provide regular programming, particularly in the area surrounding the seventeen-piece Simon Rodia sculpture known as the Watts Towers. Coleman’s work has helped to establish LA as a newly prominent locus in which writers explore both experimental poetics and American regional identities in literature. Her poetry positions LA inhabitants’ experiences against the backdrop of specific urban landscapes that challenge the more traditional representations of Western literary geographies via vast desert landscapes. As a result, the city’s streets acquire a new literary significance. Her characters regularly experience abuse and deprivation, and they bear daily witness to the effects of violent crime and poverty littering their landscapes. Although fellow LA writer Charles Bukowski represented a strong influence in her earlier work, her fascination with the ugly beauty of the inner city originates in the same sources of inspiration that
Acute urinary retention in a child withappendiceal abscess: Diagnostic dilemma

Rarely do children with appendiceal abscess present with acute urinary retention as the only sign or symptom. This presentation may delay diagnosis and definitive therapy, thereby causing additional morbidity and possible mortality. We report the eighth case of acute urinary retention in a child associated with an appendiceal abscess.
Earth's Earliest Biosphere: Its Origin and Evolution

This book is a milestone in our understanding of the origin of life on earth and its subsequent early development. Its editor, J. E. Schopf, assembled an interdisciplinary team of 24 experts, the Precambrian Paleobiology Research Group (PPRG), who worked together for 14 months. Their official report, the volume reviewed here, has the following stated goals: first, to report the original research results obtained by the PPRG; second, to provide an in-depth summary of relevant data; third, to provide an integrated assessment of current evidence on the early history of life; and fourth, to highlight unsolved problems. T h e book succeeds admirably in achieving these goals.
Isolation of a palmitoyl CoA-protein complex with properties of the ADPATP carrier from bovine heart mitochondria

A palmitoyl CoA-protein complex was isolated from bovine heart mitochondria and purified to homogeneity. The elution profile of the [14C]palmitoyl CoA bound protein from a hydroxyapatite column was identical to that seen when [3H]carboxyatractylate was used as the bound ligand. A sample of the palmitoyl CoA-protein complex from a peak fraction of the column appeared to be homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The mobility of the protein bound with palmitoyl CoA was identical to the one bound with carboxyatractylate and the molecular weight was estimated to be 30,000 daltons. Compared to the stable palmitoyl CoA-protein complex, purification of the unliganded carrier from mitochondria at 22°C resulted in a disaggregated protein. These physical characteristics of the palmitoyl CoA-protein complex correspond to those identified for the ADPATP carrier. The results further confirm the specificity of the fatty acyl CoA ligand for the adenine nucleotide translocase and support the concept that it may be a physiological modulator of adenine nucleotide translocation.
Epistemic Virtues and Cosmopolitan Learning.

For them the talk of global interconnectivity is both remote and highly abstract. The social processes that many globalization theorists describe have little sense to them. But should this really be the case? Just because they are not globally networked, can we assume that global processes do not also affect them? Is it possible for the life style and options of those who do not travel to remain unaffected by those who do? Is it possible for the social constitution of their communities to remain unaltered? Can we even imagine places beyond the reach of the global media, and the new institutions of global exchange? Let me explain what I mean here with an example.