cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systematic Review of Mutations in Pyrazinamidase Associated with Pyrazinamide Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolates

Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an important first-line drug in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and of significant interest to the HIV-infected community due to the prevalence of TB-HIV coinfection in some regions of the world. The mechanism of resistance to PZA is unlike that of any other anti-TB drug. The gene pncA, encoding pyrazinamidase (PZase), is associated with resistance to PZA. However, because single mutations in PZase have a low prevalence, the individual sensitivities are low. Hundreds of distinct mutations in the enzyme have been associated with resistance, while some only appear in susceptible isolates. This makes interpretation of molecular testing difficult and often leads to the simplification that any PZase mutation causes resistance. This systematic review reports a comprehensive global list of mutations observed in PZase and its promoter region in clinical strains, their phenotypic association, their global frequencies and diversity, the method of phenotypic determination, their MIC values when given, and the method of MIC determination and assesses the strength of the association between mutations and phenotypic resistance to PZA. In this systematic review, we report global statistics for 641 mutations in 171 (of 187) codons from 2,760 resistant strains and 96 mutations from 3,329 susceptible strains reported in 61 studies. For diagnostics, individual mutations (or any subset) were not sufficiently sensitive. Assuming similar error profiles of the 5 phenotyping platforms included in this study, the entire enzyme and its promoter provide a combined estimated sensitivity of 83%. This review highlights the need for identification of an alternative mechanism(s) of resistance, at least for the unexplained 17% of cases.
Age, Sex and Light Damage in the Avian Retina: A Model System

At present, relatively little is known about the senescence of the retina, particularly the outermost layers which are unusually vulnerable to age-related disorders, including the photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and its interface with Bruch’s membrane and the choriocapillaris. The RPE lies interposed between photoreceptors and the choroidal vascular system and has received increased attention as knowledge of its many regulatory, phagocytotic and reparative processes has advanced. Clearly, any disruption or impairment of the RPE can have progressive, adverse consequences for photoreceptor health, metabolism and functions (Zinn & Marmour, 1979).
Effective Use of CMC Tools in Interactive Online Learning

Abstract Instructors designing online learning can utilize an array of computer-mediated communication tools to promote student engagement and interaction. This paper surveys the tools available, focusing on uses of the tools for learning (Type II uses). Research results and implications for practice are presented for asynchronous (e-mail, listserv, discussion boards, and blogs/Weblogs) and synchronous (chat, instant messaging, and audio and video Web-based conferencing) tools.
Depression in informal caregivers of persons with dementia

Background Worldwide, there are more than 35 million individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Many of these individuals are cared for at home by unpaid caregivers who often report high levels of depressive symptoms and depression. The majority of studies conducted to predict which caregivers are at risk for depression have examined non-modifiable risk factors. Therefore, it is important to discover modifiable factors that may be associated with risk for depression in caregivers. Objectives The aims of this research were to identify a set of factors that are modifiable and known to be associated with high levels of depression/depressive symptomology (D/DS) in other populations and to determine whether these factors are predictive of D/DS after controlling for non-modifiable, demographic, and clinical factors. Design Secondary data analysis. Methods Fifty-three participants provided direct care to a person with dementia with night-time activity. Inclusion criteria included not undergoing treatment for sleep disorders; living with the care recipient; and a Mini-Mental Status Exam score > 27. Baseline data collected by questionnaires, sleep diary and actigraphy. Results In multivariate analyses of the modifiable factors, only high levels of negative affect predicted higher levels of depressive symptomatology. When non-modifiable factors were included in the model, negative affect and high levels of perceived caregiver burden predicted 52.6% of the variance in depressive symptomology. In secondary analyses, wake after sleep onset misperception was associated with higher depression scores. Conclusions While negative affect had a moderate effect on depressive symptoms, modifiable factors often associated with depressive symptoms in other studies were not associated with caregiver depression in this study. Possibly caregivers’ overall poor sleep causes a floor effect and masks a potential relationship. Implications for practice Both caregivers’ affect and perceived burden are strongly related to depressive symptoms, so healthcare practitioners need to frequently assess both so as to provide timely interventions.
Stable log surfaces and limits of quartic plane curves

Let C⊂ℙ2 be a smooth plane curve of degree d≥ 4. We regard pairs (ℙ}2,C) as stable log surfaces, higher-dimensional analogs to pointed stable curves. Using the log minimal model program, Kollar, Shepherd-Barron, and Alexeev have constructed projective moduli spaces for stable log surfaces. Unfortunately, few explicit examples of these moduli spaces are known. The purpose of this paper is to give a concrete description of these spaces for plane curves of small degree. In particular, we show that the moduli space of stable log surfaces corresponding to quartic plane curves coincides with the moduli space of stable curves of genus three.
Very fast algorithm for single- and multi-microphone noise cancellation

Many applications, such as directive microphone arrays, employ linearly filtered signals from a number of sensors to enhance an audio source embedded in noise produced by other audio sources. It turns out that the noise cancellation properties are improved with the length of the filters, and filters possessing as many as 4000 taps may be used beneficially. For such filters, the techniques of adaptive filtering are inadequate resulting in poor convergence and noise cancellation properties. In this work it will be shown how to combine fast filter adaptation with accurate noise cancellation. A judicious choice of basis functions (modulated gaussians) leads to a sparse system of equations, resulting in a low computational complexity of the solver. In the first stage of the algorithm the relevant correlation functions are computed very rapidly using an FFT technique. This calculation requires about NlogN operations and produces the coefficients of a system of linear equations for the filter coefficients. In the second stage these equations are solved with a complexity of the number of equations, N, rather than in N2 operations as is the case for the usual Toeplitz solvers or in NlogN for contemporary fast Toeplitz solvers. The proposed scheme is superior to previously used schemes for filter lengths beginning from 50. The algorithm had been implemented in a single microphone noise canceller and in a directive microphone array.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Power in a social topology

The purpose of this discussion is to specify general conceptualizations of the power of an actor within a system of actors which bridge the gap separating the rigor and consistency of mathematical models of power from the realism and substance of empirical descriptions of power. Being powerful within a system of actors is defined metaphorically as the ability to convert resources into influence within the system. Three general aspects of this metaphorical definition are distinguished. The bases of power are converted into the manifestations of power via the processes of power. Static and comparative static properties of three formal conceptualizations of power based on the above metaphorical definition are specified and compared in terms of the quantitative, empirical description each provides of power among elite decision-makers in a small German community. Power as influence conceptualizes power in terms of its manifestations; structure in the influence relations among decision-makers. Power as control of valuable resources via possession conceptualizes power as an unobservable concept in which possession of resources as bases of power are inputs and the manifestations of power are outputs. Finally, power as control of valuable resources via possession and constraint conceptualizes power as an unobservable concept in which possession of resources and actor positions in the networks of economic/social exchange relations as bases and processes of power are inputs and the manifestations of power are outputs.
Bachelor's Degree Salary Report

An update on salary offers to graduating college seniors indicates sharp increases for those with bachelor's degrees in engineering and science, according to the College Placement Council. Students majoring in petroleum engineering draw the top offers: $26,652 per annum, an 11.8% increase; some offers even topped $30,000 per year! Second-ranked chemical engineering, at $24,360, experienced a 12.7% gain. Since the July 1980 report, increases in average salary offers for the 11 bachelor's level engineering disciplines ranged from 10% to 14%.
Spatial correlations in symmetric and asymmetric bicontinuous structures

Abstract Spatial correlations of interfacial curvature are compared for symmetric and asymmetric two-phase mixtures produced following spinodal decomposition as given by a numerical solution to the Cahn–Hilliard equation in three dimensions. By calculating radial distribution functions of the density of interfacial area as a function of the mean interfacial curvature of these bicontinuous microstructures, it is found that long-range diffusive interactions, in combination with the morphology of the system, yield a variety of correlations and anticorrelations over a range of length scales. The asymmetric mixtures show some similarities to the symmetric mixtures, as well as other unique features.
In the Aftermath of CATIE: How Should Administrators Value Atypical Antipsychotic Medications?

The wide scale use of expensive atypical antipsychotic medications has led to a dramatic increase in the proportion of direct costs schizophrenia being allocated for medications. Although there is evidence that the atypical antipsychotic, clozapine, may lead to cost savings in patients with refractory schizophrenia the cost-effectiveness of the other atypical antipsychotics remains in question. We therefore reviewed the published, long-term randomized, prospective cost-effectiveness treatment studies that compared an atypical to a typical antipsychotic. There were serious methodological problems with all. In general, those that were based on efficacy trials showed an advantage for atypicals while those based on effectiveness studies found the opposite. It appears that to the extent that studies mimic “real world” conditions they fail to support the cost-effectiveness of the atypical antipsychotics.
On prime power order elements of general linear groups

Abstract We will classify the absolutely irreducible subgroups G ⩽ GL d ( q ) which are not realizable modulo scalars over any proper subfield of GF ( q ) , which are “nearly simple”, and which contain elements of prime power order greater than d / 3 .
Correlations between free volume and pile-up behavior in nanoindentation reference glasses

Abstract Reliable interpretation of nanoindentation data often requires that corrections be made for geometric effects such as material pile-up. These corrections are often made with the assumption that the reference glasses used to calibrate the instrument are not susceptible to such effects. This letter presents the pile-up behavior of four silicate reference glasses, (a proprietary fused silica supplied by Hysitron, Inc., Corning 1737f, Corning 2947 (soda-lime-silica), and Schott BK-7, respectively), and correlates their tendency to pile-up with the free volume of their network structures. Irrespective of the reference glass that is used, shallow penetration depths (i.e.,
On the role of the intermediate boson in μ → e + γ decay

The dependence of the branching ratio\(R\left( {\mu \to e + \gamma } \right)/R\left( {\mu \to e + \nu + \bar \nu } \right)\) upon the ratio of cut-off to boson mass and upon a possible boson anomalous moment is discussed. Some of the properties of the boson are inferred from the present experimental data.
The effect of fatty acid addition in vitro on direct migration inhibition with paramyxoviral antigens.

Abstract Sodium linoleate was found to significantly decrease direct migration inhibition (DMI) of leukocytes taken from healthy subjects that displayed a vigorous DMI response to paramyxoviral antigens (measles and parainfluenza Type 1) and to increase reactivity of leukocytes from subjects with poor response to these antigens. Similar effects were found with sodium arachidonate, PGE1, and PGE2, but not with sodium oleate. Linoleate was found to exert its effects through its conversion to prostaglandins by a nonglass-adherent mononuclear subpopulation of the white blood cells.
Effect of iron on renal tubular epithelial cells

Effect of iron on renal tubular epithelial cells. Since iron has been implicated as a potential nephrotoxin, we examined the effect of iron on several aspects of cultured renal tubular epithelial cell biology. We found that exposure to 10 −4 M of either the ferrous or ferric form of iron impaired healing of denuded areas made within confluent monolayers of LLC-PK 1 cells. This impairment required 30 to 80 hours of exposure to iron to occur and was also seen in another renal tubular epithelial cell line (MDCK cells). To delineate the potential mechanism(s) of this impairment, we examined the expression of a key integrin subunit involved in cell-matrix adhesion. Exposure of LLC-PK 1 cells to 10 −4 M ferric citrate for 72 hours significantly decreased expression of the β 1 integrin subunit as determined by flow cytometry. To determine if iron impairs another process that occurs at the basolateral surface, the effects of 72 hours of exposure to iron on adenylate cyclase activity were examined. Both ferric and ferrous citrate significantly enhanced vasopressin- and forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. To examine if iron can regulate proliferation, the effect of iron on 3 H-thymidine uptake was measured. We found that ferric citrate diminished proliferation and this decrease required the presence of either serum or transferrin. To ascertain if iron affected ultrastructure, we used transmission electron microscopy and found that iron accumulation within cells was much more apparent with ferric than ferrous citrate. Ferric iron induced mild-to-moderate cytopathic changes. These results indicate that iron is capable of inducing multiple changes in renal tubular epithelial function. The effect of iron to impair wound healing may be related to diminished expression of the β 1 integrin subunit and perhaps to impaired proliferation.
Visual search in scenes involves selective and nonselective pathways

How does one find objects in scenes? For decades, visual search models have been built on experiments in which observers search for targets, presented among distractor items, isolated and randomly arranged on blank backgrounds. Are these models relevant to search in continuous scenes? This article argues that the mechanisms that govern artificial, laboratory search tasks do play a role in visual search in scenes. However, scene-based information is used to guide search in ways that had no place in earlier models. Search in scenes might be best explained by a dual-path model: a 'selective' path in which candidate objects must be individually selected for recognition and a 'nonselective' path in which information can be extracted from global and/or statistical information.
Baltasar Gracián's Agudeza: The integration of irwentio and elocutio

Although Baltasar Gracian's Agudeza y arte de ingenio (1648) is a masterpiece of the Spanish Golden Age, the rhetorical significance of this work has not been widely recognized. Yet the Agudeza represents an attempt to restructure classical rhetoric. Gracian obliterates the traditional division between invention and style by integrating the figures and the topics. The result of this integration, Gracian believes, is a universal theory of discourse which transcends the limitations of ancient rhetoric.
Dynamic Abnormal Grain Growth in Molybdenum

A new abnormal grain growth phenomenon that occurs only during continuous plastic straining, termed dynamic abnormal grain growth (DAGG), was observed in molybdenum (Mo) at elevated temperature. DAGG was produced in two commercial-purity molybdenum sheets and in a commercial-purity molybdenum wire. Single crystals, centimeters in length, were created in these materials through the DAGG process. DAGG was observed only at temperatures of 1713 K (1440 °C) and above and occurred across the range of strain rates investigated, ~10−5 to 10−4 s−1. DAGG initiates only after a critical plastic strain, which decreases with increasing temperature but is insensitive to strain rate. Following initiation of an abnormal grain, the rate of boundary migration during DAGG is on the order of 10 mm/min. This rapid growth provides a convenient means of producing large single crystals in the solid state. When significant normal grain growth occurs prior to DAGG, island grains result. DAGG was observed in sheet materials with two very different primary recrystallization textures. DAGG grains in Mo favor boundary growth along the tensile axis in a 〈110〉 direction, preferentially producing single crystals with orientations from an approximately 〈110〉 fiber family of orientations. A mechanism of boundary unpinning is proposed to explain the dependence of boundary migration on plastic straining during DAGG.
Quantification of aesthetic viewing using eye-tracking technology: the influence of previous training in apparel design

The purpose of this study is to explore how the viewers' previous training is related to their aesthetic viewing in various interactions with the form and the context, in relation to apparel design. Berlyne's two types of exploratory behavior, diversive and specific, provided a theoretical framework to this study. Twenty female subjects (mean age=21, SD=1.089) participated. Twenty model images, posed by a male and a female model, were shown on an eye-tracker screen for 10 seconds each. The findings of this study verified Berlyne's concepts of visual exploration. One of the different findings from Berlyne's theory was that the untrained viewers' visual attention tended to be more significantly focused on peripheral areas of visual interest, compared to the trained viewers, while there was no significant difference on the central, foremost areas of visual interest between the two groups. The overall aesthetic viewing patterns were also identified.
The effects of corticotropin and growth hormone releasing hormones on their respective secretory axes in chronic hemodialysis patients before and after correction of anemia with recombinant human erythropoietin

Endocrine abnormalities in chronic hemodialysis patients are in part corrected by control of anemia with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu-EPO). We further examined the role of rHu-EPO in select hormonal abnormalities thought to be anemia related as well as the GH-insulin-like growth factor 1 (GH-IGF-1) axis that is abnormal in hemodialysis patients. We studied responses to the administration of two hypothalamic hormones, GHRH and ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), in five anemic male patients on chronic hemodialysis before and after correction of the anemia with rHu-EPO. For comparison, five age-matched normal male volunteers were tested once. Anemic patients on chronic hemodialysis had high basal GH concentrations, an exaggerated GH response to exogenous GHRH, increased levels of IGF-1, and elevated levels of IGF-1 binding protein-3 in comparison to controls. ACTH response to CRH was comparable in dialysis patients and normal controls, but the cortisol response to endogenous ACTH release was prolonged. The cortisol binding globulin was similar to the controls. After correction of anemia, the basal elevation of GH was no longer present, but the exaggerated response of GH to exogenous GHRH persisted. IGF-1 and IGF-1 binding protein-3 levels remained elevated. The ACTH response to CRH, which was normal before correction of the anemia, became exaggerated in terms of elevated levels. Nevertheless, the prolonged cortisol response persisted. It appears that correction of the anemia in hemodialysis patients with rHu-EPO can partly correct perturbations in the GH secretory axis but may lead to new abnormalities in the CRH-ACTH axis.
Chilean Tetraploid Cultivated Potato, Solanum tuberosum, is Distinct from the Andean Populations

This study tests the genetic difference between landrace populations of Solanum tuberosum L. subsp. tuberosum and subsp. andigenum (Juz. & Bukasov) Hawkes using nuclear DNA microsatellites. Microsatellite loci were amplified in subsp. andigenum (35 accessions), subsp. tuberosum (35 accessions), and other cultivated and wild species (22 accessions). A total of 208 alleles were scored from 18 microsatellite loci spread throughout all 12 chromosomes of potato. Using an infinite allele model and a least squares method of analysis, microsatellite loci separated subsp. tuberosum from subsp. andigenum, and cultivated and wild species. These results support the genetic difference of these two populations and their recognition at some classification level.
An algorithm to calculate the contact angle of heterogeneous nucleation

Abstract We developed an algorithm to calculate the contact angle of evaporated silver and gold on alkali halide substrates. The algorithm differs from previous published work in that it uses the single-atom critical nucleus concept.
Robust control of uncertain systems with time varying delays in control input

Deals with the robust state feedback control of time invariant dynamic systems with time varying control delays and system uncertainties. We provide a robust feedback control design for uncertain structural systems with uncertainties in the time delayed control which guarantee that the closed-loop system is stable, despite the presence of these uncertainties. Numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the control technique.
Cesarean Section Delivery to Prevent Vertical Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Associated Risks and Other Considerations

Delivery by elective cesarean section (ECS), cesarean section prior to labor and rupture of membranes, is associated with a lower rate of vertical transmission of HIV compared with other modes of delivery. The efficacy of ECS among women receiving combination antiretroviral therapy or among women with low viral loads is unknown. In assessing the possible utility of ECS as an intervention to decrease vertical transmission in the United States and other countries, the potential risks associated with operative delivery as well as other considerations should also be addressed. Although cesarean section delivery is associated with an increased rate of postpartum morbidity compared with vaginal delivery in the general population, operative delivery performed emergently carries a higher risk of complications than scheduled or elective procedures. Analyses of the risk of postpartum morbidity according to mode of delivery among HIV-infected women have been performed in the Women and Infants Transmission Study (WITS), the largest database in North America with relevant data, as well as other, smaller databases. These analyses suggest a similar pattern to that observed in the general population. In addition to quantifying the incidence of postpartum morbidity events, it is also important to distinguish between minor and major morbidity. Neonatal morbidity related to ECS is generally due to iatrogenic preterm birth, that is, situations where the gestational age is not accurately assessed prior to delivery. Occupationally acquired HIV infection related to obstetric procedures is a possibility, although risk related to mode of delivery is unknown. The results of economic analyses of ECS compared to vaginal delivery in the US indicate that ECS is a cost-effective intervention in preventing vertical transmission of HIV among women who refrain from breastfeeding. However, more precise estimates of the risk of vertical transmission among women receiving combination antiretroviral therapy and of the potential risks of maternal and pediatric adverse events related to receipt of such therapy are needed. In summary, the benefit of ECS must be weighed against potential risks, and issues such as cost-effectiveness also should be taken into consideration.
Ultrasonic Propagation in Highly Concentrated Oil-in-Water Emulsions

The dependence of the ultrasonic attenuation spectra (0.4−160 MHz) of n-hexadecane oil-in-water emulsions on droplet concentration (1−92 vol %) was measured. In dilute emulsions the attenuation coefficient increased with droplet concentration, but in concentrated emulsions it decreased. Traditional multiple scattering theory (Allegra and Hawley−Waterman and Truell) greatly overestimated the attenuation, even at moderate concentrations (>10%), because it ignores thermal overlap effects. On the other hand, an extended multiple scattering theory that takes these effects into account gives good agreement with experimental measurements up to much higher droplet concentrations (50−70%). Neither theory could be used to accurately predict the ultrasonic properties of highly concentrated emulsions (>90%)
Reply to: Comment on “Revisiting the Ramachandran plot from a new angle”

Dear Brian, With this letter, we reply to Porter and Rose, who in a recent paper1 and in their Comment on “Revisiting the Ramachandran plot from a new angle” assert that sidechain hydrogen bonding is the primary determinant of the observed population of φ/ψ backbone dihedral angles in the “bridge region” (φ ≤ 0° and −20° ≤ ψ ≤ 40°). Our manuscript “revisiting the Ramachandran plot from a new angle”2 shows that steric considerations alone predict the observed backbone dihedral angle distributions. In this response, we reinterate three main points. The calcuated Ramachandran plot depends critically on the value of the bond angle τ (between C′, Cα, and N). Specifically, as τ increases within the range 100° ≤ τ ≤ 120°, configurations in the “bridge region” with φ ≤ 0° and −20° ≤ ψ ≤ 40° change from being disallowed at τ = 100° to be allowed at τ = 115° and above. In fact, this result dates back to 1965,3 but most often Ramachandran plots are drawn for a single value of τ, typically τ = 110°. The τ dependence is generally not considered. We analyzed a database4 of high-resolution protein structures and plotted the backbone dihedral angles of all amino acids on Ramachandran plots as a function of their bond angle τ. (See Fig. 2 in Ref.2) In agreement with the predictions of Ramachandran and colleagues,3 the bridge region is populated by amino acids with large values of τ, while φ and ψ combinations in the bridge region are not frequently observed for amino acids with smaller values of τ. Thus, an increased population of structures in the bridge region at large τ is consistent with the predictions from steric interactions alone for every amino acid type. The analysis and conclusions of Porter and Rose suggest that hard–sphere interactions alone cannot explain the observed distribution of backbone dihedral angles. For example, they state in the abstract that the “forbidden [bridge] region is well-populated in folded proteins, which can provide longer-range intramolecular hydrogen-bond partners.” However, using only a hard sphere model, Ramachandran and colleagues predicted the φ and ψ combinations as a function of τ that are observed in proteins of known structure. In particular, they showed that φ and ψ combinations in the bridge region are not forbidden at large τ. It is certainly possible that hydrogen-bonding may influence the adopted value of τ (which in turn may then influence the allowed values of φ and ψ), but the existence of φ and ψ combinations within the bridge region is not on its own prime facia evidence of the role of hydrogen bonding.
Linear Prediction Theory for Digital Simulation of Sea Waves

Most of the currently used algorithms for numerical generation of sea wave records which are compatible with a specified power spectrum are based on the super-position of several harmonic waves. This article presents an alternative method of simulation. The basis of the method is the Linear Prediction Theory (LPT) which has been extensively used in processing digital data in other technical fields. Specifically, records of sea waves which are compatible with the target spectrum are obtained as the output of a recursive digital filter to a white noise input. A procedure for determining the filter parameters is discussed. Several numerical examples are presented.
Low level chlorpyrifos exposure increases anandamide accumulation in juvenile rat brain in the absence of brain cholinesterase inhibition

The prevailing dogma is that chlorpyrifos (CPF) mediates its toxicity through inhibition of cholinesterase (ChE). However, in recent years, the toxicological effects of developmental CPF exposure have been attributed to an unknown non-cholinergic mechanism of action. We hypothesize that the endocannabinoid system may be an important target because of its vital role in nervous system development. We have previously reported that repeated exposure to CPF results in greater inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the enzyme that metabolizes the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA), than inhibition of either forebrain ChE or monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), the enzyme that metabolizes the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG). This exposure resulted in the accumulation of 2-AG and AEA in the forebrain of juvenile rats; however, even at the lowest dosage level used (1.0 mg/kg), forebrain ChE inhibition was still present. Thus, it is not clear if FAAH activity would be inhibited at dosage levels that do not inhibit ChE. To determine this, 10 day old rat pups were exposed daily for 7 days to either corn oil or 0.5 mg/kg CPF by oral gavage. At 4 and 12 h post-exposure on the last day of administration, the activities of serum ChE and carboxylesterase (CES) and forebrain ChE, MAGL, and FAAH were determined as well as the forebrain AEA and 2-AG levels. Significant inhibition of serum ChE and CES was present at both 4 and 12 h. There was no significant inhibition of the activities of forebrain ChE or MAGL and no significant change in the amount of 2-AG at either time point. On the other hand, while no statistically significant effects were observed at 4 h, FAAH activity was significantly inhibited at 12 h resulting in a significant accumulation of AEA. Although it is not clear if this level of accumulation impacts brain maturation, this study demonstrates that developmental CPF exposure at a level that does not inhibit brain ChE can alter components of endocannabinoid signaling.
COMPLEMENTARITY AS A FUNCTION OF STAGE IN THERAPY: AN ANALYSIS OF MINUCHIN'S STRUCTURAL FAMILY THERAPY

The level of family therapist complementarity in the early, middle and late stages of therapy was explored. A micro-analysis of Salvador Minuchin with one family in successful therapy was conducted using the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (Benjamin, 1974). Interactions from videotapes representing the three stages were coded. An ANOVA was used to compare sequences that occurred at least 5 times within any given stage. Level of therapist complementarity was significantly greater in the early and late stages than in the middle stage. Furthermore, level of therapist complementarity was significantly correlated with client change. Further research is needed to explore whether these findings can be generalized to other therapists and families.
Political Risk Insurance and Bilateral Investment Treaties: Making the Connection

Although political risk insurance polices and bilateral investment treaties are two of the most effective ways to manage political risks, most professionals in the international investment community do not incorporate either into their risk-reward analysis of cross border projects in emerging markets. Moreover, those investors and their advisers who do consider protections in one risk management do not explore protections provided in the other. The failure to contemplate how either or a combination of both tools can mitigate exposures to political perils often forces companies to make investment decisions based on incomplete information. By considering the different ways in which these tools respond to different loss scenarios, foreign investors and their advisers can establish a clear risk tolerance level and maximize their opportunities for growth in developing countries.
Blunt Traumatic Small Bowel Rupture: Are Children Different?

Background: In order to identify differences between children and adults with small bowel rupture (SBR) and to determine if a single diagnostic approach could be taught to paediatric and adult surgeons, a review of the experience at a children’s and an adults’ hospital was performed. Methods: Using the hospital patient database 17 children were identified with SBR over a 13.6-year period, and clinical records were available for review for 14. Using a trauma registry 16 adults were identified with SBR over a 4.7-year period and clinical records were reviewed in all 16. Results: The population incidence was 0.48/100 000 per annum in children and 0.58/100 000 per annum in adults. Motor vehicle crash was a less common mechanism of injury in children (35.7%) than in adults (75%). The time from injury to presentation (presentation interval) was significantly longer in children than in adults, even after excluding child abuse cases (median 2.9 h vs 65 min, respectively). The injury severity score was lower in children (median: 10) than in adults (median: 16.5). Peritoneal signs on follow-up examination were documented in 54.6% of children and in 90.9% of adults in whom follow-up examination was performed. Clinical findings on admission, findings on computed tomography, indications for operation and outcome were similar in children and adults. Conclusion: Children differed from adults in aetiology, longer presentation interval and fewer associated injuries. Similarities in diagnostic parameters suggest that a single diagnostic approach could be taught for children and adults provided that the limitations of physical examination in small children are recognized.
The effect of voluntary control of heart rate deceleration on skin conductance level: An example of response fractionation

Abstract Twenty-four undergraduate male volunteers participated in an experiment designed to assess the effect of voluntary control of heart rate deceleration on skin conductance level. One group of subjects received heart rate feedback training and a second group performed a tracking task. Because heart-rate feedback was presented via a visual display, the tracking task group was included to control for display monitoring influences on heart rate. Results demonstrated feed-back mediated acquisition of learned control of heart rate slowing. More importantly, the heart-rate slowing performance was accompanied by increases in skin conductance level. This ‘fractionation’ of physiological responding suggests the presence of a physiological response pattern which may counter initial attempts to produce greater magnitude slowing effects.
Homerun Baseball Products, Inc: Defective products

Abstract Homerun Baseball Products, Inc: Defective Products illustrates a realistic audit situation where multiple issues are faced by an auditor. Accounting, auditing, and ethical issues are integrated into one case. The problems are set in the context of a public accounting firm performing an audit of a good, but not always agreeable, client. Students are required to identify each of the case problems, perform research using the appropriate standards of the profession, make professional judgements, and present solutions.
Early intervention in bipolar disorder, part I: clinical and imaging findings

The concept of prevention is not new to psychiatry and has long been recognized in general medicine. Recent evidence has highlighted that early pharmacological and psychosocial treatment dramatically ameliorates poor prognosis and outcome for individuals with psychotic disorders, reducing conversion rates to full-blown illness and decreasing symptom severity. Nevertheless, despite the many recent advances in our thinking about early intervention, the need for early intervention in bipolar disorder (BPD) is an area that has been relatively neglected. This review attempts to synthesize what is currently known about early intervention in BPD. We discuss methodological issues pertaining to this topic, review clinical studies that focus on high-risk subjects as well as first-episode patients and review findings from brain imaging studies in the offspring of individuals with BPD as well as in first-episode patients. A companion paper discusses the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of agents with neurotrophic and neuroplastic properties, with a particular emphasis on lithium and valproate.
Nasal absorption of tyrosine-linked model compounds.

Abstract The objective of this research is to explore the amino acid carrier‐mediated pathway for nasal uptake of tyrosine‐linked model compounds. These molecules were synthesized by ether linkage between the aromatic hydroxyl group of L ‐tyrosine and the terminal hydroxyl group of model compounds. An enzymatically stable linkage was utilized to link the model compounds to L ‐tyrosine so that the loss of the compound from perfusate signals absorption only without complication from metabolism. The rat in situ nasal perfusion technique was utilized in this investigation. The analyte concentrations remaining in the nasal perfusates were quantitated by a reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. All L ‐tyrosine‐linked model compounds were absorbed across the nasal mucosa (15–50% absorbed), and the extent of nasal absorption was concentration dependent. The apparent first‐order rate constants of intact conjugate loss from the nasal perfusate were calculated. The Michaelis–Menten kinetic model was applied to fit the perfusion data. The Michaelis constant, K m , and maximum or saturation rate of compound loss from the perfusate, V max , were calculated from Lineweaver–Burk plots [e.g., K m and V max are 0.57 mM and 0.00515 μmol/min, respectively, for one of the model compounds, O ‐(4‐carboxyphenylmethyl)‐ L ‐tyrosine]. The absorption characteristics of all these model compounds exhibited saturable kinetics, whereas their parent compounds, possessing different octanol–water partition coefficients, showed either no absorption or transport by passive diffusion. Nasal uptake of L ‐tyrosine conjugates was inhibited by L ‐tyrosine. The results from this study indicate that nasal absorption of L ‐tyrosine‐linked compounds is probably through an amino acid transport system. Exploitation of the amino acid transport pathway may be utilized to improve nasal absorption of poorly permeable drugs. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association J Pharm Sci 90:340–347, 2001
Light quark dependence of the Isgur-Wise function

Abstract Heavy quark spin flavor symmetry allows the form factors for B→D and B→D ∗ semileptonic decay to be written in terms of a single universal function, the Isgur-Wise function. In the SU(3)v limit, the Isgur-Wise function is independent of light quark flavor. Leading SU(3)v violating corrections to the ratio of Isgur-Wise functions for BS versus B decay are computed in chiral perturbation theory. The correction is velocity dependent, but vanishes at zero recoil as required by heavy quark symmetry.
Clinical Profile of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Indian Children

To study the clinical profile of the Indian children admitted with DKA. This descriptive retrospective study was conducted in pediatric ICU of tertiary level care hospital at Delhi (between Jan 2008 and Jan 2010). The case records of 55 children admitted with DKA were reviewed and information with respect to the personal details, clinical features, laboratory parameters, management and outcome was recorded using a predesigned performa.The data was analyzed using SPSS version 16. The mean age of patients at presentation was 7.4 ± 3.9 y; 27 boys and 28 girls were enrolled. Diabetes was newly diagnosed in 56.4% patients and 43.6% were known cases of diabetes. Polyuria and polydipsia (54.5%), persistent vomiting (52.7%), altered sensorium (50.9%), abdominal pains (47.3%) were common presenting symptoms. Most of the children had dehydration at admission, one fourth being severe. Hypernatremia, hypokalemia, cerebral edema and renal failure were observed in 20%, 14.5%, 14.5% and 7.2% , respectively. While 12.72% had fatal outcome, cerebral edema with or without renal failure and sepsis accounted for most of the deaths. Boys and girls were equally affected. Newly diagnosed diabetics constituted more >50% of total DKA admissions. Nearly two third presented with severe DKA. Renal failure, cerebral edema and sepsis contributed to adverse outcome.
A Tissue Homogenate Method To Prepare Gram-Scale Allium Thiosulfinates and Their Disulfide Conjugates with Cysteine and Glutathione

The health benefits of Allium vegetables are widely attributed to the enzyme-derived organosulfur compounds called thiosulfinates (TS). However, the lack of a suitable method to prepare TS in good yields has hampered the evaluation of their biological activities. This paper describe a simple enzymatic method using Allium tissue homogenates as a reaction system to prepare gram-scale TS, including those enriched in 1-propenyl groups, which are particularly difficult to obtain. This method is simple, easy to scale up, and requires no column purification step, making it suitable for practical large-scale production of Allium TS. The prepared TS were further utilized to prepare the disulfide conjugates with cysteine and glutathione (CySSR and GSSR, R = methyl, ethyl, propyl, 1-propenyl, and allyl), which are the presumptive metabolites of TS. Among all of the Allium CySSR and GSSR conjugates, the newly prepared glutathione conjugate with 1-propenyl TS, GSSPe, showed the most potent effect to induce quinone red...
FUNCTIONAL RESPONSES WITH PREDATOR INTERFERENCE: VIABLE ALTERNATIVES TO THE HOLLING TYPE II MODEL

A predator's per capita feeding rate on prey, or its functional response, provides a foundation for predator-prey theory. Since 1959, Holling's prey-dependent Type II functional response, a model that is a function of prey abundance only, has served as the basis for a large literature on predator-prey theory. We present statistical evidence from 19 predator-prey systems that three predator-dependent functional responses (Beddington- DeAngelis, Crowley-Martin, and Hassell-Varley), i.e., models that are functions of both prey and predator abundance because of predator interference, can provide better descrip- tions of predator feeding over a range of predator-prey abundances. No single functional response best describes all of the data sets. Given these functional forms, we suggest use of the Beddington-DeAngelis or Hassell-Varley model when predator feeding rate becomes independent of predator density at high prey density and use of the Crowley-Martin model when predator feeding rate is decreased by higher predator density even when prey density is high.
Observation of classical diffusion in the presence of large amplitude density fluctuations

Abstract Density fluctuations, δn n ≲ 20%, were observed to have no effect on the classical diffusion of a collisional helium plasma across a poloidal octupole field with an additional weak toroidal field. The implication of these results on tokamak scattering experiments is discussed.
Optimal storm generation for evaluation of the storm surge inundation threat

Abstract To quantify the hazard of hurricane storm surge and coastal inundation in the U.S., storm surge atlas and base flood elevation (BFE) maps are developed. The traditional method for determining the BFE map is the joint probability method (JPM), which requires the simulation of over thousands of hypothetical hurricanes to accurately represent the storm climatology to determine the surge response and return frequency—a huge cost using the sophisticated surge and inundation models today. This study presents an efficient and accurate JPM-OS (optimal sampling) for determining inundation return frequencies using piecewise multivariate regression splines coupled with dimension adaptive sparse grids, based on inundation response calculated by a storm surge modeling system. This method involves the interpolation in five-dimensional space of the simulated surge response and the storm characteristics of an optimal set of storms to any set of storm parameters. The interpolated results can be combined with a probabilistic description to obtain the return frequencies. The method is used to calculate the inundation frequencies of SW Florida and compared with the JPM. The results show excellent agreement between simulated and interpolated response with two orders of magnitude reduction in computational cost. This technique can be readily applied to other coasts.
Study and Development of On-Wafer Cryogenic Calibration Techniques

In recent years significant progress has been made in the development of cryogenic, on-wafer probing systems [reference 1-6]. The major shortcoming of previous efforts has been the lack of a repeatable and accurate system yielding results comparable to room temperature systems. A quantitative study must be performed to determine measurement accuracy and repeatability. Most importantly, without such verification and knowledge, researchers have failed to develop effective on-wafer S-parameter and noise parameter calibration techniques. We implement a two-tier calibration algorithm [reference 7] for cryogenic on-wafer calibrations. We demonstrate, for the first time, that cryogenic on-wafer calibrations are quantitatively comparable with room temperature calibration results.