cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Pre-Feeding of Fat on I131 Triolein Absorption in Subtotal Gastrectomy Patients

SummaryThe I131 tagged triolein test was performed in 12 patients with subtotal gastrectomy (Billroth II) in the fasting state and 30 minutes after oral ingestion of a fat meal. In the fasting state, increased fecal radioactivity was observed in 10 patients. When lipid was pre-fed, there was a significant decrease in radioactive content of stool and increase in blood radioactivity. The data support the concept that the defect exhibited by these patients is primarily digestive and suggest that the major disturbance is one of inadequate mixing of labeled triglyceride with the upper intestinal contents necessary for proper lipid digestion.
The HlyU Protein Is a Positive Regulator of rtxA1, a Gene Responsible for Cytotoxicity and Virulence in the Human Pathogen Vibrio vulnificus

Vibrio vulnificus is an opportunistic human pathogen that preferentially infects compromised iron-overloaded patients, causing a fatal primary septicemia with very rapid progress, resulting in a high mortality rate. In this study we determined that the HlyU protein, a virulence factor in V. vulnificus CMCP6, up-regulates the expression of VV20479, a homologue of the Vibrio cholerae RTX (repeats in toxin) toxin gene that we named rtxA1. This gene is part of an operon together with two other open reading frames, VV20481 and VV20480, that encode two predicted proteins, a peptide chain release factor 1 and a hemolysin acyltransferase, respectively. A mutation in rtxA1 not only contributes to the loss of cytotoxic activity but also results in a decrease in virulence, whereas a deletion of VV20481 and VV20480 causes a slight decrease in virulence but with no effect in cytotoxicity. Activation of the expression of the rtxA1 operon by HlyU occurs at the transcription initiation level by binding of the HlyU protein to a region upstream of this operon.
Ser120 of Ubc2/Rad6 Regulates Ubiquitin-dependent N-end Rule Targeting by E3α/Ubr1

In CHO cells, CDK1/2-dependent phosphorylation of Ubc2/Rad6 at Ser120 stimulates its ubiquitin conjugating activity and can be replicated by a S120D point mutant (Sarcevic, B., Mawson, A., Baker, R. T., and Sutherland, R. L. (2002) EMBO J. 21, 2009–2018). In contrast, we find that ectopic expression of wild type Ubc2b but not Ubc2bS120D or Ubc2bS120A in T47D human breast cancer cells specifically stimulates N-end rule-dependent degradation but not the Ubc2-independent unfolded protein response pathway, indicating that the former is E2 limiting in vivo and likely down-regulated by Ser120 phosphorylation, as modeled by the S120D point mutation. In vitro kinetic analysis shows the in vivo phenotype of Ubc2bS120D and Ubc2bS120A is not due to differences in activating enzyme-catalyzed E2 transthiolation. However, the Ser120 mutants possess marked differences in their abilities to support in vitro conjugation by the N-end rule-specific E3α/Ubr1 ligase that presumably accounts for their in vivo effects. Initial rate kinetics of human E3α-catalyzed conjugation of the human α-lactalbumin N-end rule substrate shows Ubc2bS120D is 20-fold less active than wild type E2, resulting from an 8-fold increase in Km and a 2.5-fold decrease in Vmax, the latter reflecting a decreased ability to support the initial step in target protein conjugation; Ubc2bS120A is 8-fold less active than wild type E2 due almost exclusively to a decrease in Vmax, reflecting a defect in polyubiquitin chain elongation. These studies suggest a mechanism for the integrated regulation of diverse ubiquitin-dependent signaling pathways through E2 phosphorylation that yields differential effects on its cognate ligases.
Effects of caffeine and aminophylline on adult development of the cecropia silkmoth

Abstract Caffeine and aminophylline were potent inhibitors of adult development in the moth, Hyalophora cecropia, when administered prior to initiation of pharate adult development. A dose of 1 mg/g live weight was 100 per cent effective in bringing about this arrest. Cyasterone and α-ecdysone induced development in arrested animals and arrested dauer pupae. Brain transplant and perfusion experments indicated that synthesis or release of brain hormone was disrupted by these drugs. In addition, the effects of ecdysone and perfusion on arrested animals suggested that methylxanthines may also act at other sites in the sequence of events leading to adult development.
Diisocyanates in the characterization of alcohols.

Two new isocyanates, diphenylmethane-4,4’-diisocyanate and 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate, were studied with respect to their applicability in the characterization of alcohols. The preparation, purification, and analysis of the urethans are described. Analysis was accomplished by means of a short and convenient nonaqueous titration method.
Maximum node production rate and main culm node number contributions to yield and yield-related traits in rice

Abstract Preliminary studies have suggested that maximum node production rate and main culm node number may be useful as selection criteria in breeding for improved rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars. The objective of this research was to determine the significance of the direct effects of maximum node production rate and main culm node number on 15 yield-related traits (filled grain percentage, mass per panicle, maximum tiller density, number of degree-days to heading, LAI at heading, number of spikelets per panicle, panicle density, plant height, panicle length, and the masses of panicles, leaves, and stems at heading and at harvest) and their subsequent direct effects on grain yield. Correlation and path analyses were used to analyze data from field experiments involving 15 lines that represented the combinations of low and high levels of four important yield determinants — maximum number of tillers, grain mass, main culm node number, and panicle mass. Maximum node production rate had a negative direct effect on degree-days to heading (p = −0.35) and positive direct effects on maximum tiller density (p = 0.59), panicle mass at harvest (p = 0.48), panicle density (p = 0.40), LAI at heading (p = 0.37), panicle weight (p = 0.36), and on the masses of leaves (p = 0.39), panicles (p = 0.35), and stems (p = 0.32) at heading. Main culm node number had significant direct effects on degree-days to heading (p = 0.98), plant height (p = 0.75), LAI at heading (p = 0.54), maximum tiller density (p = 0.33), stem mass at harvest (p = 0.53), and the masses of stems (p = 0.58), leaves (p = 0.54), and panicles (p = 0.42) at heading. Five of the traits that maximum node production rate and main culm node number directly affected (degree-days to heading, mass per panicle, panicle density, and stem mass at heading and harvest) had subsequent direct effects on grain yield.
Hydrocarbons in the sediments of Port Valdez, Alaska: Consequences of five years' permitted discharge

Abstract Hydrocarbons have been investigated in the sediments of Port Valdez, Alaska after three to five years of oil terminal operation with a routine daily discharge of 170 kg of petroleum residue in an otherwise undeveloped area. Surficial benthic sediments (0–5 cm) and core segments down to 30 cm have been analyzed. Information about total hydrocarbons, unresolved complex mixture, normal alkanes, pristane, phytane, hopanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons indicates that petroleum, biogenic hydrocarbons, and combustion-derived aromatic hydrocarbons are present in sediments around the terminal at concentrations up to 218 μg g −1 dry sediment. The vertical, horizontal and temporal distributions of anthropogenic hydrocarbons indicate that most of the sedimentary hydrocarbon accumulation has occurred within 1 km of the terminal. A simple calculation suggests that less than 3% of the total oil discharged during routine operations of the terminal has entered the sediments of Port Valdez. For comparison sediment hydrocarbon accumulation associated with a nearby small boat harbor was also examined.
Remote and automatic electric controls for aircraft

The engineering developments of the past few decades have required the solution of numerous control problems concerning practically every branch of technology. Such a control problem appears whenever a certain physical quan t i ty or condition is to be caused to vary in any prescribed manner, or is to be maintained substantial ly constant at :l predetermined value or level. A remote control is, in general, a means by which only very little initial effort is required to accomplish a control action at some distance away from the initiator. The initial effort may be applied manually, as by operating a switch or turning a dial, or may be applied automatically by means of an ins t rument or measuring device, capable of detecting variations of some physical quan t i ty or condition (such as position, speed or temperature) . Usually very little force or power can be delivered by the measuring ins t rument itself and consequently additional power must be supplied from an auxiliary source by means of a servo-motor which performs the final control action. An electric actuator is essentially an electrically operated servo-motor with its associated gearing, arranged to deliver the force or power required for numerous control functions on aircraft. An automat ic control device by its very nature replaces a manual operation and, in many cases, the development of a control device is based upon the analysis of the manual operation which the automat ic control is designed to replace. For instance, in the early stage of development of s team engines, the task of t iming the periodic admission of steam to the cylinder was assigned to a boy who had to pull the rope at the right t ime while steam entered the cylinder. The invention of the drive of the slide valve from the eccentric eliminated the boy as a human control element, and considerably advanced the art of steam engines. Probably this was one of the earliest control problems solw.'d satisfactorily in a very simple manner. Very frequently a further development of a certain branch of technology is handicapped by the lack of an adequate control system. An illustration in this connection is the perennial problem--fascinat ing the minds of many inventors for more than half a cen tu ry the problem of
Nonlinear prediction as a way of distinguishing chaos from random fractal sequences

NONLINEAR forecasting has recently been shown to distinguish between deterministic chaos and uncorrelated (white) noise added to periodic signals1, and can be used to estimate the degree of chaos in the underlying dynamical system2. Distinguishing the more general class of coloured (autocorrelated) noise has proven more difficult because, unlike additive noise, the correlation between predicted and actual values measured may decrease with time—a property synonymous with chaos. Here, we show that by determining the scaling properties of the prediction error as a function of time, we can use nonlinear prediction to distinguish between chaos and random fractal sequences. Random fractal sequences are a particular class of coloured noise which represent stochastic (infinite-dimensional) systems with power-law spectra. Such sequences have been known to fool other procedures for identifying chaotic behaviour in natural time series9, particularly when the data sets are small. The recognition of this type of noise is of practical importance, as measurements from a variety of dynamical systems (such as three-dimensional turbulence, two-dimensional and geostrophic turbulence, internal ocean waves, sandpile models, drifter trajectories in large-scale flows, the motion of a classical electron in a crystal and other low-dimensional systems) may over some range of frequencies exhibit power-law spectra.
A generalization of the Banach Contraction principle

One of the most fundamental fixed-point theorems is Banach's Contraction Principle, of which the following conjecture is a generalization. Generalized Banach Contraction Conjecture (GBCC) Let T be a self-map of a complete metric space (X,d), and let 0<M<1. Let J be a positive integer. Assume that for each pair x,y∈X, min{d(Tkx,Tky):1⩽k⩽J}⩽Md(x,y). Then T has a fixed point. Unlike Banach's original theorem (the case J=1), the above hypothesis does not compel T to be continuous. In this paper we use a density argument, coupled with Ramsey's theorem from combinatorics, to establish the GBCC for arbitrary J without the assumption of continuity; it is known that the case J⩾3 includes instances where T is not continuous at any nonisolated point of X. The arguments are constructive and may be useful in establishing other fixed-point theorems without appealing to the Axiom of Choice.
Issues affecting the prediction of glass reactivity in an unsaturated environment

Abstract Prior to the licensing of a high-level waste repository, the US Department of Energy (DOE) will seek to initiate hot startup of the high-level waste glass processing facilities at Savannah River and West Valley. To provide confidence that issues related to glass reactivity and disposal are evaluated prior to startup, the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management branch of DOE is studying important physical parameters that will affect glass reaction in a repository environment and is developing a modeling approach to predict glass performance. In this report, results are presented comparing the reactivity of fully radioactive glass with simulated glass of the same nominal composition. While differences in elemental releases between the glass types are observed, the differences are moderated with time and can be related to the dominant reaction mechanism. Additionally, the relationship between glass surface area and the volume of leachate (SA/V) is evaluated. The reactivity at differentSA/V is dominated by solution pH and reaction affinity, with an increase in reactivity observed at long reaction times. Finally, data are presented which provide necessary parameters for the application of predictive modeling. In particular, forward reaction rate constants are presented, for a 165-frit based glass and a simple analogue, and a list of secondary phases observed during glass reaction under a variety of conditions is compiled.
Non-surgical care should be the primary treatment for TMJ closed lock. Does medical management improve pain and jaw function as much and as quickly as rehabilitation with/ without surgery in the initial management of temporomandibular joint closed lock?

A four-arm, single-blind, randomised controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in the US. Randomisation was stratified by duration of decreased opening of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) at baseline, as either non-chronic (≤6 months) or chronic (>6 months). Participants with TMJ closed lock were randomised to one of the four initial treatment modalities: medical management, rehabilitation, arthroscopic surgery with postoperative rehabilitation, or anthroplasty with postoperative rehabilitation. Clinical examinations and questionnaires were completed at baseline and at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 60 months. The primary outcome measures were the Craniomandibular Index (CMI) and the modified Symptom Severity Index (SSI) for jaw function and TMJ pain respectively. Treating clinicians assessed treatment compliance during the 6-month follow-up. Medication use was also assessed from data collected at follow-up visits. A total of 106 individuals were randomised to the four treatment modalities. Each participant received the assigned initial treatment modality for at least 3 months, after which some participants in each group needed additional interventions for persistent pain and reduced range of motion. Using an intention-to-treat analysis, no difference was observed between groups at any follow-up for CMI (P≥0.33) or SSI (P≥0.08). Both outcomes showed within-group improvement (P<0.0001) for all groups. The findings of this study suggest that primary treatment for individuals with TMJ closed lock should consist of medical management or rehabilitation. The use of this approach will avoid unnecessary surgical procedures.
Affect: The Heart of the Matter

Current understanding of the process of therapy and development focuses on the interactions between the partners. The interaction is a negotiation of differences and of change. The equilibrium of the relationship is inevitably subject to frequent destabilizations, by virtue of normal developmental processes, life events such as losses, and the divergence of aims as each process unfolds. The destabilizations are pivotal to the creation of new states. If a newly emerging state is to be advantageous for the development of the infant or the health of the patient, the associated toxic affects have to be tolerated and dealt with openly. If the analyst defensively hides, opportunities for change will be lost and the old patterns will persist. The therapist and patient, like the parent and child, are engaged together in this mutually altering process.
Differential effect of glyburide (Glibenclamide) and metformin on QT dispersion : A potential adenosine triphosphate sensitive K+ channel effect

Glyburide (glibenclamide) is a specific blocker of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) sensitive potassium (K+) channel. It has been reported to result in prolongation of the QT interval. QT interval dispersion (QTd) is a potentially sensitive marker for increased risk of arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of glyburide on QTd and compare it with that of metformin, a hypoglycemic agent that does not block the adenosine triphosphate sensitive K+ channel. Thirty patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized to glyburide and metformin groups. A 12-lead electrocardiogram was obtained before and at 2 months after being on glyburide or metformin. Therapy with QT and QTd were measured and QT corrected for rate (QTc). There was no significant difference between the glyburide and metformin groups in age (62 +/- 9 vs 59 +/- 10 years), baseline RR interval (819 +/- 86 vs 753 +/- 100 ms), QT (387 +/- 28 vs 383 +/- 27 ms), and QTc (433 +/- 25 vs 444 +/- 15 ms). Glyburide was associated with a significant increase in QTc (433 +/- 24 to 467 +/- 24 ms, p <0.001), QTd (24 +/- 16 to 60 +/- 22 ms, p <0.001), and QTc dispersion (QTcd) (35 +/- 18 to 68 +/- 21 ms, p <0.001). In contrast, metformin was associated with a decrease in QTc (444 +/- 15 to 432 +/- 15 ms, p <0.01) and did not affect QTd (14 +/- 5 to 12 +/- 6 ms, p = NS) and QTcd (23 +/- 9 to 22 +/- 10 ms, p = NS). Glyburide, unlike metformin, causes an increase in QT dispersion. Increased dispersion may be a factor underlying an increased risk of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor-I responses in MCF-7 cells by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and related compounds

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) stimulated the growth and [3H]thymidine uptake in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells grown in serum- and growth factor-inactivated serum-containing media. Cotreatment of the cells with IGF-I plus 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) resulted in a significant decrease in mitogen-induced cell proliferation and [3H]thymidine uptake. Similar effects were observed for cells treated with 2,3,7,8-TCDD and IGF-I plus 17 beta-estradiol. The relative antimitogenic activities of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and related compounds followed the order 2,3,7,8-TCDD greater than 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF) greater than 1,2,7,8-TCDF greater than 1,3,7,8-TCDD which was similar to their aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor binding affinities. The results showed that 2,3,7,8-TCDD did not alter the IGF-I receptor mRNA levels or the KD values for binding of [125I]IGF-I to the IGF-I receptor in MCF-7 cells. However, 2,3,7,8-TCDD significantly decreased the number of IGF-I-induced IGF-I receptor binding sites and this may play a role in the growth-inhibitory properties of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and related compounds and in the 'cross-talk' between the two endocrine-response pathways.
Common Complications of Dysregulated Inflammation in the Neonate

Abstract Preterm infants are faced with a multitude of challenges related to immature systems at delivery placing them at risk for both acute and chronic health conditions. A major component of the human immune system is the inflammatory process and the primary controllers of inflammation are cytokines. Cytokine expression is tightly regulated in the normal host immune response, but in neonates, particularly those born prematurely, the dysregulation is more the norm than the exception. A state in which the inflammatory systems are persistently activated can lead to chronic inflammation affecting the neonate systemically rather than targeting a specific location of illness, injury, or both. Serious neonatal morbidities including white matter injury, chronic lung disease, retinopathy of prematurity and necrotizing enterocolitis have been linked to this chronic inflammatory state. Through the use of a systems approach this article will serve as a focused review of these common neonatal complications. First, an overview explaining the human immune system and the complex process of inflammation will be presented with a focus on systemic neonatal response following acute and/or chronic inflammation. This review is important to promote an understanding of one of the multifactorial influences, inflammation, contributing to long term neonatal health challenges. Empirically supported nursing implications and recommended care strategies are highlighted.
When Is a Chronic Wound Infected

Humans are not germ free. In fact, the number of bacterial cells in our body exceeds the number of all our other cells. We live in relative harmonywith our bacterial flora. Therefore, the presence of bacteria alone is not an indication of infection. Intact skin is one of the major barriers to development of infection. A break in the skin; that is, a wound, opens the possibility of bacterial penetration and infection. The consequences of wound infection are formidable: delayed wound healing, extension of infection into muscle (necrosis) or bone (osteomyelitis) or bloodstream (sepsis), and increased mortality.1 Thus, determining when infection is present is critical to effective wound management. Onewould suppose that criteria fordiagnosingawound infection would be widely recognized, given the frequency of wound infections in the population. However, a reviewof the literature indicates that this is not the case. Considerable research over the years has simply elaborated how complicated this really is.2 What is clear is that acute wounds, such as surgical wounds or full-thickness burn injuries, differ considerably from chronic wounds, such as pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, venous stasis ulcer, or arterial ulcers.3 Moreover, it is increasingly clear that the symptoms/signs of infection differ among these chronic wounds themselves. How do we determine that a wound is infected? The diagnosis of awound infection requires two essential criteria: The presence of bacteria in the wound AND evidence that the bacteria is producing tissue damage (usually in the form of an inflammatory response). In the past 5 decades, a large amount of research has focused on the concept of “bacterial burden.” For example, a quantitative relationship between bacteria and urinary tract infection is widely accepted. A concentration of greater than 100,000 organisms per milliliter of urine is necessary to establish the diagnosis of pyelonephritis. If fewer than 100,000 organisms per milliliter are present, asymptomatic bacteriuria is present.4 The consequence of bacterial burden in acute wounds and in wounds healing by secondary intention is well established. Data
Abstract 2406: Epigenetics of chromosomal breakage sites and translocations

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Chromosomal translocations are genetic hallmarks of most cancer cells. Translocations require the formation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at two or more genomic loci, followed by the illegitimate joining of broken chromosomal ends through DNA repair. There is increasing evidence that translocations occur at non-random sites in the genome, suggesting that certain regions of the genome are more susceptible to DNA breakage than others. We hypothesize that altered chromatin structure predisposes genomic sites to DNA breakage and translocations. To identify chromatin features that facilitate translocations, we have mapped histone modifications and DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) at translocation-prone regions in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) precursor cells. We find enrichment of active histone marks and a decrease in repressive marks near frequent translocation breakpoints. In a complementary approach using genome-wide histone modification mapping we have identified altered chromatin features at common leukemia and lymphoma breakpoints in CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells. In order to directly test the role of chromatin features in DNA breakage susceptibility, we have developed a protein-DNA tethering system that allows us to create local chromatin domains at pre-defined sites in the genome containing inducible DSB sites in vivo. By measuring the amount of DSBs using ligation-mediated PCR, we find that histone modifying enzymes that create active chromatin marks generally increase breakage susceptibility; however, repressive marks do not necessarily decrease breakage susceptibility. This suggests the involvement of other factors in breakage susceptibility. Taken together, these experiments provide first insights into the role of chromatin structure in the formation of nonrandom chromosomal breaks and the mechanisms that lead to clinically relevant translocations. Citation Format: Bharat Burman, Zhuzhu Zhang, Rebecca Burgess, Vassilis Roukos, Jason Lieb, Tom Misteli. Epigenetics of chromosomal breakage sites and translocations. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2406. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2406
Sufis on Parade: The Performance of Black, African, and Muslim Identities

For over twenty years, West African Muslims from the Murid Sufi Brotherhood have organized the annual Cheikh Amadou Bamba Day parade in New York City. It is a major site where they redefine the boundaries of their African identities, cope with the stigma of blackness, and counteract an anti-Muslim backlash. Rather than viewing religion as a subset of ethnicity, this study shows how African Murids interrogate the meanings of religion, race and ethnicity as intersecting constructs. National flags from Senegal, Islamic chants, and banners advocating Black solidarity all indicate a negotiation of terms. Clothes worn during the parade act as symbols and afford them another opportunity to work out these borderlands, especially in contradistinction to African American converts who follow a slightly different course. This article examines how their religious procession creates a Murid cosmopolitanism, allowing them a space in which to reconcile multiple belongings.
An X-ray Study of the Magnetic Character of Liquid Crystalline Para-Azoxyanisol and a Comparison with the Isotropic Liquid

The effect of a magnetic field upon the orientation of the liquid crystalline groups in para-azoxyanisol has been studied by means of the angular distribution of x-ray relative diffraction intensities, the magnetic field being oriented perpendicular to the incident x-ray beam and the axis of the spectrometer. The relative number of the large molecular groups in the liquid crystalline condition, oriented perpendicular to the field, was obtained by the application of the Boltzmann distribution law in two theories; one assuming a permanent magnetic moment and the other anisotropic polarization. The latter theory of orientation agrees with the claim of Foex as to the cause of the decrease of the magnitude of the diamagnetic susceptibility in the milky state. Moreover, the experiments, together with general considerations, are in harmony with the second theory. Thus the experiments agree with the contention of Zocher, Jezewski and Foex and are opposed to the conclusions of Kast who favored the first theory. The magnetic effect was decreased in a marked manner by the slow mechanical rotation of the cylindrical vessel containing the liquid crystal and also by the increase of the number of cycles of an alternating magnetic field. In the liquid crystalline state (117.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 134\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C) the x-ray diffraction intensity at the principal maximum is 10 percent greater than in the transparent liquid (at 143\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C). This is explained by the existence of cybotactic liquid groups in the latter case and the grouping of a large number of these "companies" into the large "regiment" which is responsible for the liquid crystalline phenomena. "A theoretical justification is found in Ornstein's and Oseen's theory of the liquid crystalline condition." The marked optical and the small x-ray difference in the two conditions are thus easily explained. The difference between the liquid crystalline and the transparent liquid condition is thus found to be mechanically not so great as optical observations would indicate. In detail using distances small compared to an optical wave-length the liquid is never isotropic but consists of the cybotactic groups oriented in all positions. The effect of the magnetic field upon the transparent liquid is too small to measure. This is explained by the smallness of the cybotactic groups. The view of the author as to the existence of temporary approximate groups (cybotactic) in the transparent liquid is clearly strengthened by the straightforward interpretation of these experiments.
The "window of opportunity:" helping parents make the most difficult decision they will ever face using an informed non-dissent model.

At times, the anticipated future quality of life of a patient is so poor that parents and healthcare providers agree that withdrawing life-prolonging interventions is most appropriate. Unfortunately, some physicians (particularly many in the United States) believe that their role is to merely present facts (e.g., anticipated prognosis) and options (e.g., continue or remove life-support), and let the parents choose the interventions that will and will not be provided to the child based on the family’s values and beliefs. This model of decision-making has occurred for many reasons (a full discussion of which is beyond the scope of this essay), and has left many parents feeling abandoned when they must alone bear the burdens of making agonizing choices (Loewy 1998). In 2004, and international consensus statement on decision-making specified that a shared decision-making model, in which patients (or parents for the sake of this essay) and physicians jointly reach decisions regarding goals of treatment (Carlet et al. 2004). While the move away from a strict autonomy-based decision-making process towards a shared decision-making standard is moving slowly, already several states in the United States have adopted legislation allowing physicians to unilaterally limit or withdraw lifeprolonging interventions even over the objection of the patient or surrogate (Texas explicitly, and California implicitly) thereby ’giving teeth’ to the shared decision-making model (California Probate Code; Texas 1999). As we move towards a shared decision-making model, United States physicians are becoming more comfortable being active participants in the decision-making process. While the roles of physicians and parents are different, both are agents in the decision-making process. As such, physicians are gradually bearing more of the burden of decisionmaking, and such a move may help to unburden some parents. The key to an effective and appropriate use of the shared decision-making model is to have open and honest communication between all stakeholders, mutual respect,
How Does the Deep Western Boundary Current Cross the Gulf Stream

Abstract The manner in which the deep western boundary current (DWBC) crosses the Gulf Stream is investigated using data from a hydrographic survey conducted in 1990. Absolute geostrophic velocity vectors are computed using in situ float data to obtain the reference level. Three density layers are considered in detail: two mid-depth layers, which together make up the shallowest water mass component of the DWBC (500–1200 m), and a deep layer consisting of the Norwegian–Greenland overflow water (2500–3500 m). The shallowest layer does not make it through the crossover and is completely entrained by the Gulf Stream; however, the resulting drop in equatorward transport is almost completely replenished by offshore entrainment just south of the crossover. In the intermediate layer, which is denser than the Gulf Stream coming off the shelf, part of the DWBC recirculates to the northeast while the onshoremost portion continues equatorward. In the deep layer only a small amount of recirculation occurs. The lateral...
Unsupervised Learning of Manifolds via Linear Approximations

In this paper, we examine the application of manifold learning to the clustering problem. The method used is Locality Preserving Projections (LPP), which is chosen because of its computational efficiency. A detailed derivation of the method is presented, as well as the theoretical justification behind it. Experiments performed on CMU's PIE database show that the projections created by LPP yield better clustering results than those obtained by k-means alone.
A plea: Serving young gifted children

This paper focuses on four areas related to serving young gifted children: 1#cp the status of gifted education for the young, 2#cp rationale for early identification and programming, 3#cp barriers that inhibit our identifying and programming for young children, and 4#cp examples of exemplary gifted programs. The article concludes that a great deal more needs to be done for young gifted children.
2′-Deoxy-2′-α-fluoro-2′-β-C-methyl 3′,5′-cyclic phosphate nucleotide prodrug analogs as inhibitors of HCV NS5B polymerase: Discovery of PSI-352938

A series of novel 2'-deoxy-2'-α-fluoro-2'-β-C-methyl 3',5'-cyclic phosphate nucleotide prodrug analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anti-HCV activity and safety. These prodrugs demonstrated a 10-100-fold greater potency than the parent nucleoside in a cell-based replicon assay due to higher cellular triphosphate levels. Our structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies provided compounds that gave high levels of active triphosphate in rat liver when administered orally to rats. These studies ultimately led to the selection of the clinical development candidate 24a (PSI-352938).
The Twee-Merrifield philosophy

Charles Tweed's concepts have been simplified, enhanced, and expanded by Levern Merrifield. Merrifield's ideas have augmented Tweed's to give orthodontics the Tweed-Merrifield philosophy. Adherence to the philosophy allows the orthodontic specialist to define objectives for the face, the skeletal pattern, and the teeth, and to diagnose and treat a malocclusion to efficiently reach these predetermined objectives.
Small molecule inhibitors in children with malignant gliomas.

Pediatric high grade gliomas (HGG) remain difficult to cure despite recent advances in imaging, neurosurgery, and radiation. Current treatment modalities have demonstrated only modest survival benefit. Research utilizing molecular biologic techniques reveals that the phenotype of HGG is complex and results from dysregulation of numerous inter-related cellular pathways. Knowledge of potential molecular targets along dysregulated pathways has led to the development of novel and highly specific targeted therapies, which include small molecule inhibitors. This article will review small molecule inhibition of cellular pathways involved in gliomagenesis, challenges to small molecule therapy, and future directions in the use of this therapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;53:312–317. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ice-cover influence on flow structure over dunes

Laser-Doppler-velocimetry mappings of open-water and covered dune-bed flows show how cover presence and roughness influence overall channel resistance and flow structure, including turbulence quantities. The mappings show that skin friction along the upstream slope of dunes does not decrease, and may even increase initially, in response to cover presence and increasing cover roughness. Such an increase may be the immediate mechanism whereby an ice cover causes dunes to flatten. The mappings also show that dunes modify distributions of velocity and Reynolds stress from their flat-bed shapes to the extent that the two-layer hypothesis (which suggests ice-covered flows can be treated as a sandwich of two free-surface flows) for analysis of icecovered flow is not accurate for dune-bed channels.
Using Trait-State Models to Evaluate the Longitudinal Consistency of Global Self-Esteem From Adolescence to Adulthood

The present research used a latent variable trait-state model to evaluate the longitudinal consistency of self-esteem during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Analyses were based on ten administrations of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965) spanning the ages of approximately 13 to 32 for a sample of 451 participants. Results indicated that a completely stable trait factor and an autoregressive trait factor accounted for the majority of the variance in latent self-esteem assessments, whereas state factors accounted for about 16% of the variance in repeated assessments of latent self-esteem. The stability of individual differences in self-esteem increased with age consistent with the cumulative continuity principle of personality development.
Long-range B-H coupling and quadrupole relaxation

Abstract Long-range spin-spin coupling between H and B can be observed in the structural arrangement HCNB when the boron atom is tetrahedral and exclusively coordinated with nitrogen, chlorine or bromine. Coupling persists even in species of low symmetry and in salts of cationic boron complexes, but is destroyed when H or F is a substituent on boron. The lack of coupling in these instances is attributed to quadrupole relaxation when the field gradient is increased by substitution.
COMMUTES, QUITS, AND MOVES

Abstract This paper analyzes the effects of commuting distance on quit and move propensities. In metropolitan areas with conventional wage and housing price gradients, most workers ordinarily move in order to lengthen commutes and quit in order to shorten them. However, quits and moves by workers whose residential choices are constrained by segregation should be relatively insensitive to commutes. Descriptive statistics and simultaneous probit estimates of move and quit propensities for white and black employees of a single firm confirm these predictions. They demonstrate that long commutes encourage white quits and discourage white moves. Commute increases of one standard deviation would increase white quit propensities and reduce white move propensities by approximately 10%. In contrast, commutes by black employees have no significant effects on their quit and move propensities.
Integrating "smart" materials into a first-year engineering curriculum: a case study

Developments in materials science are creating new possibilities for engineering designs. For example, multifunctional materials, such as shape memory alloys (SMA) or piezoelectric materials are referred to as "smart" materials since designers can use properties of these materials to construct components of adaptive mechanisms. For example, researchers are using shape memory alloys (SMA) to build biomimetic systems that mimic the behavior of biological organisms such as fish or insects. The ability of SMA components to change shape in response to thermal or electrical stimuli considerably simplifies construction of biomimetic systems. As multifunctional materials are changing the practice of engineering, providing undergraduate students with exposure and experiences with these materials and their potential for new design options should be seriously explored. The proposed paper presents a narrative description of how material on SMA was integrated into a first-year engineering course and a first-year engineering project. Key partners, including an undergraduate engineering student working on a research experience and a first-year graduate student, describe their roles in integrating material into a first-year engineering course that was taught in Fall 2001. Also, data describing the impact on students and faculty will be presented.
Effect of phase response curve skew on synchronization with and without conduction delays.

A central problem in cortical processing including sensory binding and attentional gating is how neurons can synchronize their responses with zero or near-zero time lag. For a spontaneously firing neuron, an input from another neuron can delay or advance the next spike by different amounts depending upon the timing of the input relative to the previous spike. This information constitutes the phase response curve (PRC). We present a simple graphical method for determining the effect of PRC shape on synchronization tendencies and illustrate it using type 1 PRCs, which consist entirely of advances (delays) in response to excitation (inhibition). We obtained the following generic solutions for type 1 PRCs, which include the pulse coupled leaky integrate and fire model. For pairs with mutual excitation, exact synchrony can be stable for strong coupling because of the stabilizing effect of the causal limit region of the PRC in which an input triggers a spike immediately upon arrival. However, synchrony is unstable for short delays, because delayed inputs arrive during a refractory period and cannot trigger an immediate spike. Right skew destabilizes antiphase and enables modes with time lags that grow as the conduction delay is increased. Therefore, right skew favors near-synchrony at short conduction delays and a gradual transition between synchrony and antiphase for pairs coupled by mutual excitation. For pairs with mutual inhibition, zero time lag synchrony is stable for conduction delays ranging from zero to a substantial fraction of the period for pairs. However, for right skew there is a preferred antiphase mode at short delays. In contrast to mutual excitation, left skew destabilizes antiphase for mutual inhibition so that synchrony dominates at short delays as well. These pairwise synchronization tendencies constrain the synchronization properties of neurons embedded in larger networks.
A call to action for oral health.

Dental Association features a report on a nearly yearlong systematic review of scientific literature examining the use of various workforce models worldwide to perform such surgical procedures as restorations and extractions. It was important for the American Dental Association (ADA) to have undertaken this effort to assess whether change in disease increment, untreated dental disease or cost effectiveness of dental care can be documented by applying an objective, high-level, evidencebased discipline. We are grateful for the enormous amount of time and effort the highly qualified reviewers and authors dedicated to this process. The paucity of highquality evidence as a conclusion of this review is disappointing, but not surprising. Of the more than 7,000 citations initially identified, only 18 observational studies were found to address the proposed question; none were randomized clinical trials. The available literature does not address disease other than caries and revealed no evidence related to the cost effectiveness of utilizing these providers in place of dentists. Most significantly, there is no apparent difference in caries increment between populations receiving care from various alternative workforce models that perform surgical procedures and those receiving the same services solely from dentists. Advocates for improving public oral health increasingly have called for the creation of alternative providers in the United States, citing a perceived shortage of dentists and a lack of sufficient numbers of dentists willing to care for underserved populations. Among the arguments for doing so is the “proven success” of various workforce models in improving access to care in numerous other countries. But the ADA systematic review found no evidence to support claims that utilizing new workforce models to perform surgical treatments improves the caries experience of the affected populations. In fact, one of the most significant findings is that despite decades of use of these workforce models in numerous countries, there is no apparent reduction in disease incidence. Of course, the availability of more personnel to treat disease means that more disease will be treated. This extensive systematic review did find scientifically valid studies that supported this simple observation and expectation. However, there is no indication that using new workforce models to treat caries surgically will have any impact on the larger problems specific to U.S. populations, such as declining adult utilization; the lack of adequate, effective financing mechanisms; poor oral health literacy; and the need for better case management. The debate over workforce models stems in part from a growing societal awareness of the importance of good oral health and concern over the extent and degree of disparities among certain populations. None of this is news to the dental profession. We collectively deserve credit for all we do to try to improve the oral health of those who, for any number of reasons, lack adequate A call to action for oral health
The clinical utility of biomarkers and the nonalcoholic steatohepatitis CRN liver biopsy scoring system in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background and Aims: We identified patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to determine the predictive value of serum markers to diagnose histological steatohepatitis (NASH). Methods: Demographic, serological, radiological and histological variables on 95 consecutive patients with NAFLD were recorded. The serum markers studied were CK18, Hyaluronic acid, TIMP 1 and YKL 40. The NAS score and the metavir score were the histological scoring systems used. Results: CK18 levels were higher in the NASH group compared to the simple steatosis group (394 ± 53 µ/L vs 194 ± 26 µ/L; P < 0.05). In assessing clinical effectiveness, CK18 yielded an AUC of 0.8 for NASH (cut-off value 300 µ/L gives PPV 81% and NPV 85%).The fibrosis markers showed no differences between groups. We stratified the same cohort according to liver fibrosis (F0 vs F1–F4). Fibrosis was associated with advanced age, high body mass index and type 2 diabetes. The biomarkers performed relatively poorly at identifying liver fibrosis (F1–F4), with HA performing the best (AUC 0.73); performance improved for advanced fibrosis (F3/F4) - (HA: AUC 0.77). The NAS score performed the best overall at identifying liver fibrosis (AUC 0.79). Discussion: CK18 is the only biomarker studied that can identify NASH. Additionally, liver biopsy should be performed in all high risk patients to determine the standardised NAS score to identify patients at high risk of disease progression.
Compact range radar cross-section measurements using a noise radar

This paper discusses the measurement of radar cross section (RCS) with a very low-cost system that transmits band-limited random noise over the band from 1.0 to 4.0 GHz. The received signal is correlated with a delayed version of the transmitted signal. A variable delay line is used to obtain the response at various delay times. This yields the radar target impulse response as a function of delay. This can be transformed to yield both the amplitude and phase of the scattering matrix in the frequency domain.