cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wnt antagonist FRZB is a muscle biomarker of denervation atrophy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Skeletal muscle and the neuromuscular junction are the earliest sites to manifest pathological changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Based on prior studies, we have identified a molecular signature in muscle that develops early in ALS and parallels disease progression. This signature represents an intersection of signaling pathways including Smads, TGF-β, and vitamin D. Here, we show that the Wnt antagonist, Frizzled Related Protein (FRZB), was increased in ALS muscle samples and to a variable extent other denervating disease but only minimally in acquired myopathies. In the SOD1G93A mouse, FRZB was upregulated in the early stages of disease (between 40 and 60 days) until end-stage. By immunohistochemistry, FRZB was predominantly localized to endomysial connective tissue and to a lesser extent muscle membrane. There was a significant increase in immunoreactivity surrounding atrophied myofibers. Because FRZB is a Wnt antagonist, we assessed β-catenin, the canonical transducer of Wnt signaling, and found increased levels mainly at the muscle membrane. In summary, we show that FRZB is part of a molecular signature of muscle denervation that may reflect disease progression in ALS. Our findings open up avenues for future investigation as to what roles FRZB and Wnt signaling might be playing in muscle denervation/reinnervation.
Time for a Social Solidarity Tax

Covid-19 is transforming the world, but we do not yet know how much. Across the globe the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated social and economic problems. From medical systems to livelihoods, Covid-19 is revealing how inequality impacts death rates, job losses, education, and housing. In many societies, including the United States, it has also exposed how these gross inequalities fall along racial and ethnic lines, with devastating impacts on marginal individuals, poor and minority communities. This article looks back at the comparative historical experience of wealth taxes and capital levies in Europe and Asia to put the present calls for wealth taxes in perspective and to suggest that a Social Solidarity Tax designed with this history as a guide may be necessary to address the coming economic catastrophe.
A modification aimed at reducing the manipulability and inefficiency of the Boston school choice mechanism

The Boston mechanism (BOS) is widely used for the assignment of students to schools. Yet, BOS is highly manipulable and, therefore, may lead to Pareto inferior assignments. We propose a new indirect matching mechanism ( $${{ NBOS }}$$ ) that is a slight variant of BOS. $${{ NBOS }}$$ is less manipulable than BOS in two important ways: (i) students always have a best reply featuring truthful reported preference, (ii) rational students avoid particular re-rankings that are typical in BOS. Most importantly, the lower manipulability of $${{ NBOS }}$$ helps reaching more efficient assignments than those reached by BOS. We show that each equilibrium of BOS is associated to a set of equilibria of $${{ NBOS }}$$ , all of which are Pareto superior. $${{ NBOS }}$$ generalizes to a class of mechanisms whose members are even less manipulable than $${{ NBOS }}$$ .
Charter Communications: Ensuring the Right Path Forward

This case explores the considerations of an executive compensation analyst as he finalizes a report to the compensation and benefits committee of Charter Communications (Charter), a leading broadband and communications company, on the appropriate compensation structure for Charter's CEO, Thomas Rutledge. Charter's board clearly wanted to retain Rutledge, but in the world of executive compensation, it was not enough to have the biggest payment package. Proper incentives and moving performance targets were essential for companies that wanted their executives to strike the right balance between risky maneuvers and safe, consistent success. The analyst must be careful to cover all of his bases in his report, balancing outright monetary rewards with proper long-term incentives. Excerpt UVA-F-1814 Sept. 19, 2018 Charter Communications: Ensuring the Right Path Forward Rewarding executives was something Genji Izutsu, an analyst at the executive compensation consulting firm Mercer-Wigley, was used to working out. As he put the final touches on his March 2016 report to Charter Communications' (Charter's) compensation and benefits committee, Izutsu zeroed in on the matter of balance: balance between outright monetary rewards and proper long-term incentives. The committee was charged with determining an appropriate compensation structure for Charter's CEO, Thomas Rutledge. The members of the committee—Lance Conn, Gregory Maffei, Steven Miron, Mauricio Ramos, and Eric Zinterhofer—were hardly novices at making such decisions (Exhibit 1). The combined experience of the team was tremendous. Izutsu had to be careful in compiling a report. He had to cover all his bases. By any stretch of the imagination, Rutledge was a dream-come-true CEO. Former executive of Cablevision, he took Charter's helm in 2012. By 2016, Rutledge had built it into the second-largest cable and media firm in the country, yielding only to the industry megagiant Comcast Corp. The stock price soared from $ 33 in the end of 2010 to $ 203.86 at the start of March 2016 (Exhibit 2). The board clearly wanted to retain Rutledge. But in the world of executive compensation, it was not enough to have the biggest payment package. Proper incentives and moving performance targets were essential for companies that wanted their executives to strike the right balance between risky maneuvers and safe, consistent success. Charter's board of directors and compensation committee had very clear intentions. The company wanted to structure new deals for Rutledge and several other C-level administrators in a way that would “ensure the retention of the highest caliber executives through the integration process” of recently acquired companies, and develop “a strong alignment with the long-term interests of the company's stockholders.” . . .
What Do We Know about Assessing Computational Thinking? A New Methodological Perspective from the Literature

Developing computational thinking (CT) assessment methods appropriate for elementary students is attracting growing attention as CT research in elementary education progresses. To review the current elementary CT assessments for potential gaps, and seek additional methodologies to expand our understanding of CT, an integrative literature review of 75 research papers was performed in two phases. In Phase One, we conducted a critical analysis of existing elementary CT assessment studies. Key results include: 1) Artifact analysis, CT assessment items, and interviews are the most common methods utilized to assess CT in elementary grades; 2) Existing CT assessments primarily focus on students' computational artifacts and performance on CT tests; however, strategies to study students' thought processes during CT problem-solving are limited and under-utilized. Guided by the results of phase one, along with the theoretical perspective that connected CT to visual processing ability, in phase two we performed a survey of literature in the area of understanding cognitive processes through eye-tracking (i.e., visual attention) and think-aloud methodologies (i.e., verbalization). We focused on eye-tracking and think-aloud methodologies as these have been used to understand students' cognitive processes during problem-solving in other areas. Based on these findings, we proposed that in addition to current established methodologies, eye-tracking with the think-aloud technique can provide new insights into students' CT.
Epidemiology of Peritoneal Dialysis

The number of prevalent end-stage kidney disease patients has typically risen by 20,000 per year and is projected to grow to 971,000–1,259,000 patients between 2015 and 2030. With the increasing burden of kidney disease, the need for cost-effective therapy such as peritoneal dialysis (PD) becomes increasingly important. There is variable penetrance of PD worldwide, with low prevalence in the United States compared to high PD-prevalent countries like Hong Kong, Canada, China, and Thailand. It is essential to understand why a patient chooses one mode of kidney replacement therapy over another. In this chapter, we discuss the epidemiology of PD in the United States, common characteristics among countries with high PD prevalence rates, factors affecting PD utilization, as well as strategies to improve uptake of PD.
PLZF supports the acquisition and maintenance of the Th17 phenotype in human cells (CCR5P.250)

All human Th17 cells express the chemokine receptor CCR6, making CCR6 a potential therapeutic target. We hypothesized that the variable levels of CCR6 expression on blood CD4+ T cells reflect a continuum of Th17 differentiation, and that regulators of Th17 differentiation could be identified by evaluating global changes in gene expression in cells with increasing levels of CCR6. We found that ZBTB16, which encodes the BTB-ZF transcription factor PLZF, was expressed at increasing levels from the CCR6- to CCR6bright subsets and was poorly expressed in Th1, Th2, and TFH cells. Knockdown of ZBTB16 mRNA down-regulated CCR6 and other Th17-associated genes such as RORC, IL17A, IL22, and IL23R in CCR6+ memory Th cells from blood and in naive cells activated under Th17 conditions ex vivo. In naive Th cells from cord blood, ZBTB16 expression was limited to the CD161+, Th17 cell precursors. ZBTB16 was not expressed in mouse Th17 cells and Th17 cells could be made from luxoid mice. Using ChIP for modified histones, p300, and Pol II to analyze CCR6, we identified regulatory regions at -10 and -14 kb from the TSS. We detected PLZF binding at these sites in the CCR6+ cells, which was diminished in cells transfected with ZBTB16 siRNA. These studies demonstrate a novel role for PLZF as a transcriptional activator important both for Th17 differentiation and for the maintenance of the Th17 phenotype in human cells, and an expanded role for the BTB-ZF family in the human immune system.
Serotonin and the Neuroendocrine Regulation of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis in Health and Disease

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)-containing neurons in the midbrain directly innervate corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-containing cells located in paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Serotonergic inputs into the paraventricular nucleus mediate the release of CRH, leading to the release of adrenocorticotropin, which triggers glucocorticoid secretion from the adrenal cortex. 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors are the main receptors mediating the serotonergic stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In turn, both CRH and glucocorticoids have multiple and complex effects on the serotonergic neurons. Therefore, these two systems are interwoven and communicate closely. The intimate relationship between serotonin and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is of great importance in normal physiology such as circadian rhythm and stress, as well as pathophysiological disorders such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and chronic fatigue.
Arabidopsis Elongator subunit 2 positively contributes to resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola.

Summary The evolutionarily conserved Elongator complex functions in diverse biological processes including salicylic acid-mediated immune response. However, how Elongator functions in jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET)-mediated defense is unknown. Here, we show that Elongator is required for full induction of the JA/ET defense pathway marker gene PLANT DEFENSIN1.2 (PDF1.2) and for resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola. A loss-of-function mutation in the Arabidopsis Elongator subunit 2 (ELP2) alters B. cinerea-induced transcriptome reprogramming. Interestingly, in elp2, expression of WRKY33, OCTADECANOID-RESPONSIVE ARABIDOPSIS AP2/ERF59 (ORA59), and PDF1.2 is inhibited, whereas transcription of MYC2 and its target genes is enhanced. However, overexpression of WRKY33 or ORA59 and mutation of MYC2 fail to restore PDF1.2 expression and B. cinerea resistance in elp2, suggesting that ELP2 is required for induction of not only WRKY33 and ORA59 but also PDF1.2. Moreover, elp2 is as susceptible as coronatine-insensitive1 (coi1) and ethylene-insensitive2 (ein2) to B. cinerea, indicating that ELP2 is an important player in B. cinerea resistance. Further analysis of the lesion sizes on the double mutants elp2 coi1 and elp2 ein2 and the corresponding single mutants revealed that the function of ELP2 overlaps with COI1 and is additive to EIN2 for B. cinerea resistance. Finally, basal histone acetylation levels in the coding regions of WRKY33, ORA59, and PDF1.2 are reduced in elp2 and a functional ELP2-GFP fusion protein binds to the chromatin of these genes, suggesting that constitutive ELP2-mediated histone acetylation may be required for full activation of the WRKY33/ORA59/PDF1.2 transcriptional cascade.
Global cerebral blood flow after CO2 inhalation in normal subjects and patients with panic disorder determined with [15O]water and PET.

Abstract Objective: To determine the effect of CO2 inhalation on global cerebral blood flow (gCBF) and pCO2-adjusted gCBF in normal subjects and panic disorder patients. Method: Global cerebral blood flow was determined using quantitative [ 15 O ]water imaging in normal subjects (n=12) and panic disorder patients (n=14) after inhalations of medical grade air and of 35%/65% CO2/O2 mixture, a known inducer of panic. The gCBF was calculated as an area-weighted mean value. The pCO2-adjusted gCBF values were calculated based on the formula of Reiman et al. [Am. J. Psychiatr. 143 (1986) 469]. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and regression analyses. Results: The pCO2 values did not differ statistically between normals and panic patients. Panic patients exhibited a decrease in gCBF and stable pCO2-adjusted gCBF values in comparisons of AIR and CO2 inhalations, whereas normals exhibited stable gCBF and increasing pCO2-adjusted gCBF values. Conclusions: Patients with panic disorder, especially when symptomatic, exhibited an abnormal pattern in gCBF response to provocation.
Effect of Diltiazem on Altered Glucose Regulation during Endotoxic Shock

Endotoxic shock is associated with profound metabolic alterations including hypoglycemia and hyperlactiacidemia. We studied hepatic glucose production and the role of diltiazem in affecting these metabolic alterations in a rat model of endotoxic shock. Fasted rats were intravenously injected with saline, endotoxin (20 mg/kg), endotoxin (20 mg/kg) plus diltiazem (1.2 mg/ kg), or saline plus diltiazem. Five hours after the injections, the rats were anesthetized and blood samples were obtained for plasma glucose and lactate. The livers of all rats were then perfused in situ with an oxygenated 37°C glucose-free Hanks' balanced salt solution at a rate of 30 ml/min via the portal vein and effluent was collected from the inferior vena cava. After 30 min equilibration, 5 mM lactate was added to the perfusate as a gluconeogenic substrate. Endotoxic groups exhibited hypoglycemia (64.5 ± 12.7 mg/dl) and hyperlacticacidemia (4.3 ± 0.63 mM). Diltiazem administration improved the hypoglycemia (96.9 ± 9.1 mg/dl) and attenuated the hyperlacticacidemia (2.2 ± 0.7 mM) in the endotoxic group. Gluconeogenic stimulation with lactate was demonstrated in both the control (18.1 ± 2.3 vs 12.8 ± 1.86 μm/g/hr, P < .05) and endotoxic (16.6 ± 2.3 vs 9.8 ± 1.1, P ± .05) groups. However, stimulation in the endotoxic groups was significantly less compared with control. Gluconeogenic stimulation in the endotoxic group was unaffected after diltiazem administration. These data suggest that diltiazem treatment in endotoxic shock improves hypoglycemia and attenuates hyperlacticacidemia. These metabolic alterations are not associated with an improvement in substrate-specific stimulation of gluconeogenesis.
Are the Aged a Minority Group

The aged resemble minority groups in three ways, i.e. they suffer from prejudice, discrimination, and deprivation. On the other hand, they are not born into their age group, and they have little sense of group identity or political unity. The most descriptive term would seem to be "quasi-minority group." However, the aged are becoming less and less like minority groups as society seems to be moving toward an "age-irrelevant" era.
Abstract A43: Direct visualization of changes of lymphatic function and drainage pathways in lymph node metastasis of B16F10 melanoma using near-infrared fluorescence imaging

The lymphatic system provides an initial route for cancer cell dissemination in many cancers including melanoma. However, it is largely unknown how the lymphatic system changes during tumor progression, due in part to the lack of imaging techniques available. In this study, we non-invasively imaged changes of lymphatic function and drainage patterns using dynamic near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging. Dynamic NIRF imaging following intradermal injection of indocyanine green (ICG) was conducted in C57BL/6 mice prior to inoculation of B16F10 murine melanoma cells to the dorsal foot for baseline data and until 21 days post-implant (p.i.). A series of acquired fluorescent images were quantified to measure lymphatic contractile function. Computed tomography (CT) was also performed to measure the volume of tumor-draining lymph nodes (LNs). In addition, intravital color images using a stereomicroscope were acquired after a skin incision. Then, the PLNs and inguinal LNs (ILNs) were harvested for ex vivo NIRF and intravital color imaging. We observed significant reduction of lymphatic contractility from 7 days p.i. until 21 days p.i.. Altered lymphatic drainage patterns were detected at 21 days p.i., due to lymphatic obstruction of normal lymphatic drainages caused by extensive tumor invasion of draining LNs. Magnified fluorescent images of tumor-draining lymphatic vessels showed numerous fluorescent lymphatic vessels at day 21 p.i. as compared to well-defined fluorescent vessels from a baseline image. Our CT data showed enlarged tumor-draining PLNs at 21 days p.i. and intravital images confirmed the PLN harbored melanoma cells. Overlay of white light and fluorescent images of dissected LNs showed strong ICG fluorescence in the ILN and to less extent in the PLN on the tumor bearing side, indicating significantly reduced lymph flow to the PLN due to blockage of normal lymph flow by tumor in the PLN. Since lymphatic function and architecture were progressively altered during tumor growth and metastasis, non-invasive NIRF imaging may provide a new method to stage disease. In addition, this novel technique can be used as a diagnostic method to non-invasively assess lymphatic response as mechanism of therapeutic action. Citation Format: Sunkuk Kwon, Germaine Agollah, Grace Wu, Sevick Sevick-Muraca. Direct visualization of changes of lymphatic function and drainage pathways in lymph node metastasis of B16F10 melanoma using near-infrared fluorescence imaging. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Invasion and Metastasis; Jan 20-23, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A43.
Training medical residents: lessons for the coming manpower crisis in psychiatry.

Abstract The anticipated proliferation of community mental health centers will greatly intensify psychiatry's manpower problems in the next decade. Many approaches must be explored to meet the challenge, but it seems clear that physicians will have to guide the treatment of very disturbed patients, especially those needing somatic therapies. This report describes a brief training program which has succeeded in equipping medical residents to manage hospitalized patients and follow them after discharge. This project has obvious implications for increasing the psychiatric manpower pool, but beyond that, it offers lessons to shape the training of all nonpsychiatrist personnel. Most important are the principles that the field of psychiatric expertise is already vast and is growing; that it is a lengthy and painstaking process to learn in-depth psychotherapy; that trainees must be taught competence in relatively narrow sectors of the field, focused sharply on those practical activities in which they will soon be engaged; and that these activities must be efficiently applicable to large numbers of patients.
On the asymptotic homotopy type of inductive limit C*-algebras

Let X, Y be compact, connected, metrisable spaces with base points Xo, Yo and let denote the compact operators. It is shown that Co(X\xo)| is asymptotically homotopic (or shape equivalent) to Co(Y~yo) @ Yi r if and only if X and Y have isomorphic K-groups. Similar results are obtained for certain inductive limits of nuclear C*-algebras. Let ~r denote the category whose objects are all the separable C*-algebras and whose set of morphisms from A to B, denoted [[A, B]], consists of homotopy classes of asymptotic morphisms. The construction of this category is due to Connes and Higson [CH], who defined a bivariant homology theory E(A, B) = lISA, SB | ~ff]] and have shown how to define the intersection product for arbitrary extensions of separable C*-algebras. If A is K-nuclear then E-theory agrees with Kasparov's bivariant K-theory [K]. On the other hand the asymptotic homotopy category d appears to be the "right" framework for the homotopy theory of separable C*-algebras. This point of view is supported by results in [H; CH; D; CHI; CK; D1]. For instance we have shown in [D1] that asymptotic homotopy is equivalent to a strong shape theory and hence is intimately related to the shape theories of [EK1] and [B] which were intended as homotopy theories for noncommutative singular spaces. In particular it turned out that two separable C*-algebras are shape equivalent if and only if they are asymptotically homotopic i.e. isomorphic in ~r The isomorphism class in sr of a separable C*-algebra A is called the asymptotic homotopy type of A. In this note we exhibit large classes of (projeetionless) stable, nuclear C*algebras whose asymptotic homotopy type is determined by K-theoretical data (Theorem 6). This is done via a suspension isomorphism
A proof of the Lucas-Lehmer test

(1988). A Proof of the Lucas-Lehmer Test. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 95, No. 9, pp. 855-856.
Bariatric Surgical Outcomes

In Western society, morbid obesity has become an increasingly costly public health issue, in terms of the serious medical illnesses that are associated with this condition and the number of dollars that are spent on treatment. Currently, the number of overweight individuals in the world is estimated at 1.7 billion [1]. In the United States, the problem is at epidemic proportions. It has been estimated that up to two thirds of the population of the United States is overweight, and that half of these individuals can be classified as obese [1]. The spread of obesity has been well-documented since 1980, with significant increases occurring in the adolescent population and in individuals who are 18 to 29 years old [2–4]. Currently, 15 million individuals in the United States can be characterized as morbidly obese (Body Mass Index [BMI] O 35 kg/m 2 ) [5]. The condition seems to be particularly prevalent in populations with the least access to medical care, such as ethnic minorities, as well as in poorly-educated and impoverished populations; this stresses the potential for huge burdens on the health care system from this treatable condition [6].
Materials Development for Thermally-Assisted Magnetic Recording Media

Abstract : We have carried out a combined experimental and computer simulation study to specify and identify candidate films to support high areal density, thermally-assisted magnetic recording. The motivation of this work is to utilize the enhanced writability of very high coercivity materials that thermal assistance can provide. Media with high coercivity (and anisotropy K(sub u)) are known to be essential to achieve a sufficiently high ratio of K(sub u)V/k(sub B)T necessary to maintain magnetic stability at temperature T in media switching units (grains; single domains) of volume V. Nominally, we expect V infinity D(exp -3/2, where D is the medium bit density per unit area in recording. A micromagnetic recording simulation tool with a capability of representing realistic grain size distributions, temperature-dependent magnetic properties, and spatially-varying imposed temperature distributions was employed to study the interplay of thermal and magnetic field gradients in the recording process. In addition, a simple LLG-based thermomagnetic switching model supplemented the micromagnetics model. We fabricated improved Co/X multilayer media for recording evaluation, and performed standard materials characterization.
Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polyesters with Rigid or Flexible Spacer Groups

Several different series of rigid and flexible polyesters with main chain liquid crystalline units were prepared and their properties were examined in relation to their structures. The first group of polymers were rigid aromatic copolyesters with mesogenic groups based on either chloro or methyl hydroquinone terephthalate units combined with varying amounts of different types of bisphenol terephthalate units The bisphenol comonomers used contained the structure: in which X was none, C(CH3)2, CH2, O, S, and So2. It was observed that the bisphenols with the bulkier X group were more efficient in destroying thermotropic liquid crystallinity of the resulting copolymers. The second group of polymers studied were flexible polyesters consisting of various types of mesogenic units which were connected together by different lengths of polymethylene flexible spacers. The liquid crystalline behaviours of these polymers, particularly their transition temperatures, were correlated with their structures. A brief review of previous studies on the synthesis of thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters is included.
Spontaneous brachial plexus hemorrhage-case report.

Abstract BACKGROUND Shoulder hemorrhage resulting in brachial plexus neuropathy is a rare occurrence most often seen in cases of traumatic injury or anticoagulation therapy. We report a unique case of spontaneous brachial plexus hemorrhage. CASE DESCRIPTION This is the first report of a spontaneous shoulder hemorrhage in which a 48-year-old jackhammer operator presented to the emergency department with a sudden onset of right shoulder pain and upper extremity pain and numbness. Imaging studies revealed a hematoma in the right axilla and chest wall. Without evidence of active bleeding or worsening neurologic deficit, this patient was treated conservatively with pain control and observation and eventually experienced a full recovery. Had there been persistent neurologic deficit, however, surgical evacuation would have been indicated. CONCLUSIONS Cases of nerve compression caused by a hematoma should be analyzed on the basis of the severity of the neurologic deficit and not on the underlying cause of bleeding. Conservative treatment may be indicated in cases of mild or improving neurologic deficit, but regardless of its etiology, a hematoma that results in severe or worsening neurologic symptoms must be surgically evacuated to prevent permanent nerve damage.
On using film boiling to thermally decompose liquid organic chemicals: Application to ethyl acetate as a model compound

Abstract Film boiling on a horizontal tube is used to study the thermal decomposition of ethyl acetate. The decomposition process is driven by the high surface temperatures that are typical of the film boiling regime that can promote chemical change of superheated vapors in a low temperature liquid. The decomposition products are carried away from the tube by vapor bubbles formed at the top of the tube that then percolate through the system. For the experiments reported here, the bulk liquid is stagnant, the liquid is slightly subcooled, and bubble transport is entirely by buoyancy. The results show that the primary decomposition products are acetic acid and ethylene in proportions consistent with the accepted unimolecular decomposition pathway for ethyl acetate. While ethylene is a non-condensable product gas, acetic acid is miscible in ethyl acetate and small amounts of it were detected in the bulk liquid after four hours of operation. The resulting binary (ethyl acetate/acetic acid) phase equilibrium behavior of the reactant pool contributed to trace amounts of carbon dioxide and methane being found in the product gas from acetic acid decomposition that had preferentially vaporized in the film. The minimum film boiling temperature of ethyl acetate was measured to be approximately 711 K. Up to about 1000 K the product yields showed a comparatively small variation with average tube temperature, while above 1000 K the exhaust gas flow rate was substantial and increased in an approximately linear fashion with tube temperature. Methane and carbon dioxide were also detected in the product stream owing to acetic acid decomposition, though the amounts were comparatively small. The results show the viability for film boiling to promote decomposition in a controlled way to products consistent with those expected from the reactant molecule.
Allelic diversity of high-molecular-weight glutenin protein subunits in natural populations of Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candargy

Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candargy (2n=14, V genome) is a wild, allogamous, diploid grass species that is a potential genetic resource for wheat improvement. The diversity of high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits of the seed storage proteins of this species was examined in populations sampled in their natural habitats in Italy and Yugoslavia where the species is widely distributed. The results of selfed progeny tests confirmed that the allelic variation of HMW-glutenin subunits in D. villosum is controlled by a single locus (Glu-V1). Fourteen alleles at Glu-V1 were found among 982 individuals representing 12 populations from Italy and two from Yugoslavia, with a mean of seven alleles per population. Among the 14 Glu-V1 alleles, one produced no HMW-glutenin subunits, ten coded for a single subunit, and three for two subunits. The mobilities of all the subunits in SDS-PAGE gels were greater than that of reference subunit 7 of Triticum aestivum cv Chinese Spring. Eight of the alleles were relatively abundant (mean frequency over all populations ranged from 0.08 to 0.17) and distributed widely among the 14 populations (8 to 14); five of the alleles were rare (0.003 to 0.021) and found in only 1 to 5 populations. The frequencies of two alleles could not be individually estimated because of the similar electrophoretic mobility of their subunits. The multiple-allelic diversity at Glu-V1 was high (He ranged from 0.700 to 0.857) but similar from population to population. Overall, about 7% of the total allelic variation was distributed among populations (Gst=0.072), and more than 90% within populations. Whether the allelic variation at Glu-V1 is subject to natural selection is unknown, but the discovery of the homozygous null Glu-V1 alleles in the present study may be useful in pursuing this question. The multiple-allelic diversity in Glu-V1 presents the plant breeder with an opportunity to evaluate and select the most useful alleles for transfer to wheat. The importance of an evaluation genetic diversity in a wild species before interspecific gene transfers are attempted is well illustrated in this study.
Technical note: A new TLD-phantom measurement system for determining dose distribution levels in the right and left breast from spiral CT chest imaging.

Two specially designed plastic/aluminum phantoms positioned thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) at the right and left breast location of an anthrophomorophic chest torso. Imaging was performed on a spiral CT for a volume of the chest phantom through the breast area for a noncontiguous (pitch 1.5) helical chest scan. Conventional pencil beam ionization chamber measurements were made at the same operating parameters. The doses ranged from approximately 1 to 3 cGy. For both breast phantoms, the doses were highest for the medial inner quadrants near the mediastinum. The doses were lowest for the outer quadrants (lateral aspects) of both breasts. 2002 American College of Medical Physics.
Effects of hyperoxia and hypoxia on mitosis in the normal and regenerating rat liver.

Hyperoxia and hypoxia effects on mitotic activity in regenerating and normal rat liver exposed to environmental conditions
Cushing-type ectopic pituitary adenoma with unusual pathologic features☆

article i nfo Ectopic pituitary adenomas comprise, by varying reports, approximately 1-2% of all pituitary adenomas. They are often located in the nasopharyngeal region associated with the pharyngeal pituitary. The location and pathologicfeaturesofthesemassesmakethematypicalwhencomparedwithintrasellarpituitaryadenomas.A 54-year-old man presented with vertebral compression fracture and physical stigmata of Cushing' sd isease. Biochemical testing confirmed hypercortisolemia responsive to high dose dexamethasone suppression. MRI of the head demonstrated an enhancing mass in the posterior aspect of the sphenoid sinus not involving the sella turcica. Endoscopic biopsy followed by resection confirmed this mass to be a pituitary adenoma with unusual pathologic features. Most notably, the tumor cells demonstrated large, eosinophilic, vacuolated cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical profile of the tumor was typical of an ACTH secreting tumor, notably with positivity for ACTH. The patient did well from his surgery. Post-operatively his serum cortisol level normalized and he remainsinchemicalremissiononeyearaftersurgery.Ectopicpituitaryadenomasareanunusualmanifestation
Convergence of orthogonal rational functions outside of the unit circle

Rational functions orthogonal on the unit circle with prescribed poles lying outside the unit circle are studied. We study the asymptotic behaviors for the orthogonal rational functions outside of the unit circle.
Time decay of ion bombardment induced photon emission

Abstract Spectral line emission from sodium ion bombardment of aluminum polycrystalline targets has been observed to be dependent upon the target ion bombardment dose. Al and Na emission levels from an unbombarded target decay with ion dose to a saturation level. Qualitative calculations show that the photon emission decay time is consistent with implanted ion saturation times. Cesium ion bombardment, because of its shorter range and smaller saturation time did not yield any transient results.
U.S. Public Opinion on Torture, 2001–2009

Many journalists and politicians believe that during the Bush administration, a majority of Americans supported torture if they were assured that it would prevent a terrorist attack. As Mark Danner wrote in the April 2009 New York Review of Books, “Polls tend to show that a majority of Americans are willing to support torture only when they are assured that it will ‘thwart a terrorist attack.’” This view was repeated frequently in both left- and right-leaning articles and blogs, as well as in European papers (Sharrock 2008; Judd 2008; Koppelman 2009; Liberation 2008). There was a consensus, in other words, that throughout the years of the Bush administration, public opinion surveys tended to show a pro-torture American majority.
Left-ventricular shape analysis for predicting sudden cardiac death risk

Implantation of cardioverter defibrillators is the most widely used primary preventive care for sudden cardiac death (SCD). Current clinical practice of using a left-ventricular ejection fraction threshold as the sole criterion for defibrillator insertion results in many unnecessary implantations. To address the need for alternative criteria, we seek three-dimensional shape metrics of the left ventricle derived from clinical cardiac magnetic resonance images that can predict SCD risk. The present study is a proof-of-concept, where we have combined image-processing and computational anatomy techniques to develop a processing pipeline to statistically compare localized left ventricular shape metrics between patient groups. We tested the methodology with data from a small cohort of patients, classified into two groups based on SCD risk. The results demonstrate that our approach is able to locate systematic wall thickness differences between the two groups.
Outcomes of splenectomy in T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia with splenomegaly and cytopenia

Objective T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia (T-LGL) is a chronic clonal lymphoproliferation of cytotoxic T cells often complicated by cytopenia. Because the outcomes of splenectomy in patients with T-LGL have been only reported sporadically, we objectively assessed the outcomes of splenectomy. Materials and Methods When a cohort of 56 T-LGL patients was analyzed, patients with splenomegaly (n = 34) and had higher frequency of bi- and pancytopenia than patients with no splenomegaly (70% vs 27%; p = 0.001). We identified 15 patients who, in their clinical course, underwent splenectomy and studied their hematological and clinical outcomes. Results Indications for splenectomy included symptomatic splenomegaly and/or severe refractory cytopenia. Median spleen weight was 1300 g, consistent with diagnosis of splenomegaly; T-cell receptor (TCR)-γ rearrangement and typical T-LGL were detected by immunophenotype in all specimens. There was no surgery-related mortality, with the median follow-up and survival of 719 and 498 days, respectively. Two patients died due to causes possibly related to the splenectomized state and/or primary disease. All patients showed lineage-specific hematologic response and achieved transfusion independence; however, precise molecular analysis of TCR and variable chain Vβ flow cytometry showed persistence of the LGL clones. Conclusion We conclude that splenectomy constitutes a viable and safe therapeutic option for patients with T-LGL, splenomegaly, and refractory cytopenia.
Reactivity and loss mechanisms of NO3 and N2O5 in a polluted marine environment : Results from in situ measurements during New England Air Quality Study 2002

[1] Concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 were measured using an in situ instrument aboard the NOAA research vessel Ronald H. Brown in the marine boundary layer along the United States east coast as part of the New England Air Quality Study (NEAQS) in the summer of 2002. We analyze the results in terms of the loss partitioning and sink budgets for both of these compounds. Analysis of the data on nights with large N2O5 losses allowed for a determination of its heterogeneous uptake coefficient and gave γ(N2O5) = 0.03 ± 0.02. Reactions of NO3 with terrestrially emitted biogenic volatile organic compounds (isoprene and monoterpenes), advected into the marine boundary layer, and with DMS emitted from the ocean surface were also important. In general, loss of NO3 and N2O5 was rapid, and the partitioning between NO3 and N2O5 losses was roughly equal. Because rapid N2O5 loss consumes NOx at twice the rate of the reaction of NO2 with O3, whereas rapid NO3 loss leads to NOx removal at the same rate, the equal partitioning of losses indicates a nocturnal NOx loss rate of approximately 1.5 times the rate of NO2 + O3. Activation of halogens from the uptake of NO3 and N2O5 on sea salt was calculated to have produced substantial amounts of active Cl on some mornings through the nocturnal formation and sunrise photolysis of ClNO2 if the process proceeded at the rate determined by laboratory studies. However, there was no direct observational evidence to test the magnitude of the predicted source.
An Inexpensive Skinfold Caliper: Validity and Reliability Assessment

(1983). An Inexpensive Skinfold Caliper: Validity and Reliability Assessment. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 54, No. 7, pp. 70-71.
Hydrogen-isotope analysis of nanomole (picoliter) quantities of H 2 O

We describe a technique for on-line reduction of water vapor carried in a He stream followed by continuous-flow mass spectrometry of evolved H_2 gas. This technique is appropriate for analysis of D/H ratios of ∼10^(−9) to ∼5 × 10^(−8) moles of water and has an external precision (1σ) typically varying between ±1.0 and 2.0‰. For specific ranges in sample size, temperature of the reduction reaction, and method of introducing evolved vapor into the mass spectrometer, this technique involves negligible analytical corrections (∼0 to 3‰) beyond those inherent to gas-source mass spectrometry of molecular hydrogen. We present an analysis of the D/H ratio of water released by stepped heating of a 10-mg fragment of the Shergottite-Nahklite-Chassignite meteorite ALH84001 and ∼1 to 2 μg of a terrestrial hydrous mineral (thermonatrite) as examples of possible applications making use of this technique.
A test for the coincident economic and spatial clustering of business enterprises

This paper uses input-output data combined with point process modeling techniques to test whether enterprises linked within nominal buyer-supplier chains have a greater propensity to cluster in space than manufacturing enterprises in general. The methodology controls for the general tendency of firms to seek locations in concentrated agglomerations and isolates the influence of firm interdependence on spatial clustering. Our findings suggest that there is indeed an association between economic linkages and geographic clustering in our study area, but only for some types of economic clusters, mainly those that are comprised mainly of more knowledge-based or technology-intensive sectors. In general, we endeavor to show that spatial analytical methods hold considerable promise for conducting rigorous tests of industrial location questions.
Beauty is as beauty does: body image and self-esteem of pageant contestants.

Self-esteem, dieting, and body image of 131 female beauty pageant contestants (mean age 26.0 years) from 43 states were examined by an anonymous survey. Most (89.6%) reported being a pageant finalist or winner and 55.2% had competed at the national/international level Over one-fourth (26%) of the women had been told or perceived they had an eating disorder which reportedly began at 16.25 years. Almost half (48.5%) reported wanting to be thinner and 57% were trying to lose weight. Higher self-esteem scores were significantly associated with increased level of competition (i.e.: from local to internationai pageants), but not with the number of times the women were pageant finalists or winners. Future study is warranted to determine how pageant participation influences self-esteem, body image, and the development of eating disorders.
Analysis of suddenly started laminar flow in the entrance region of a circular tube

Suddenly started laminar flow in the entrance region of a circular tube, with constant inlet velocity, is investigated analytically by using integral momentum approach. A closed form solution to the integral momentum equation is obtained by the method of characteristics to determine boundary layer thickness, entrance length, velocity profile, and pressure gradient.
Symmetry-guided texture synthesis and manipulation

This article presents a framework for symmetry-guided texture synthesis and processing. It is motivated by the long-standing problem of how to optimize, transfer, and control the spatial patterns in textures. The key idea is that symmetry representations that measure autocorrelations with respect to all transformations of a group are a natural way to describe spatial patterns in many real-world textures. To leverage this idea, we provide methods to transfer symmetry representations from one texture to another, process the symmetries of a texture, and optimize textures with respect to properties of their symmetry representations. These methods are automatic and robust, as they don't require explicit detection of discrete symmetries. Applications are investigated for optimizing, processing, and transferring symmetries and textures.
Dynamics of Potential Vorticity Fronts and Eddy Detachment

Abstract The formation and detachment of quasi-geostrophic eddies in a 1½ layer jet is studied using a piecewise uniform potential vorticity model. A vorticity front separates the two pieces, and thus the jet has cusplike character. The evolution of large amplitude initial disturbance (whose origin may be attributed to barotropic-baroclinic instability mechanisms not explicit in our model) is computed by the method of contour dynamics. Certain numerical results such as the steepening of the front prior to eddy detachment can be physically explained in terms of differential mean field advection and vortex induction. Computations are made for a variety of initial conditions and we indicate the amplitude/scale conditions necessary for the detachment of an eddy. The discussion is directed to the problem of the formation of warm/cold rings in the Gulf Stream. The effect of a coast on large perturbations of a jet is also briefly discussed.
Assessing Disability from Occupational Asthma: A Perspective on the AMA Guides

In summary, the AMA Guides treat occupational asthma as a special case or subset of respiratory impairment assessment, but do not develop an entirely separate evaluative process. The Guides provide a clear criterion for determining if asthma is actually present and also indicate a mechanism to categorize the physiologic impairment due to the asthma. The Guides are also eminently practical, and it should be possible for most evaluating physicians to comply with the recommended evaluative procedures. Furthermore, the Guides provide a clear and externally verifiable mechanism for testing. The simplicity, practicality, clarity, and continuity with past guides do, however, carry a price. There are many unresolved questions, as I have discussed. It is therefore likely that in the future, the Guides will again be revised as more information is gained and as additional evaluative procedures become more generally available.
Stimulus intensity and information processing

The physiological and behavioral literature regarding effects of stimulus intensity on the time course of information processing is reviewed. The physiological data describe intensity effects on the sensory pathway. Reaction time studies show that the effect of intensity on behavioral responses also depends on and may be mediated by more cognitive processes. The degree to which intensity affects simple reaction time varies directly with the response criterion subjects use. The lack of this dependence in choice reaction time may indicate different intensity effects on energy and nonenergy pathways. The literature suggests that intensity affects the time course of information processing not only by influencing the speed of processing in sensory pathways, but also by affecting alertness and the time required to direct attention to a stimulus.
Modeling of spontaneous penetration of viscoelastic fluids and biofluids into capillaries.

A theoretical model was developed to describe the dynamics of spontaneous penetration of viscoelastic fluids into capillaries. The model agrees quantitatively with recent experiments on absorption of droplets of polymer solutions by glass capillaries [A.V. Bazilevsky, K.G. Kornev, A.N. Rozhkov, A.V. Neimark, J. Colloid Interface Sci. (2003)]. The rate of penetration progressively reduces with the increase in fluid elasticity. Analysis revealed two main contributions to the viscoelastic drag of the liquid column: (i) viscous resistance, which is independent of fluid elasticity, and (ii) viscoelastic resistance, known as the Weissenberg effect. We analytically derived an augmented Bosanquet equation for the maximal velocity of penetration by balancing capillary, inertia, and viscoelastic forces. For slow creep of a liquid column, the Lucas-Washburn equation was modified by accounting for the Weissenberg effect. A series of numerical calculations were performed to demonstrate characteristic features of absorption of fluids at different conditions. This article also discusses some problems specific to absorption of biofluids. We show that deformations of cell membranes in the external converging flow may cause their rupture at the pore entrance.