cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Diabetes Mellitus in South African Hamsters (Mystromys albicaudatus

Spontaneous diabetes mellitus has been studied inMystromys albicaudatus (South African hamster) at the University of Missouri, Columbia Medical Center since its original discovery here in 1969. Thus far, characteristics established as part of the diabetic syndrome in this species included hyperglycemia, glucosuria, ketonuria, polyuria, polyphagia and polydipsia with variations in age of onset, degree of severity, and rate of progression. In addition, decreased glucose tolerance has been demonstrated and statistical analyses of data collected indicated that diabetes mellitus inM. albicaudatus has a polygenic, nonsex-linked mode of inheritance. — Histologic findings involving the pancreas, kidneys, and liver were found to be positively correlated to diagnostic parameters as well as to their degree of severity and duration. Pancreatic lesions includedΒ-cell vacuolization, glycogen infiltration, nuclear pyknosis, margination of organelles, andΒ-cell death.
Hadron masses on a 324 lattice at β = 5.7

Abstract We continue our study of the hadron st β = 5.7 on a 324 volume with two flavors of dynamical, staggered fermions [1]. We present results from simulations with a quark mass of ma = 0.025 and give a progress report on currently running simulations with a mass of ma = 0.01. Our calculations use the hybrid algorithm [2].
Why does sucralfate improve healing in reflux esophagitis? The role of sucrose octasulfate.

In the present investigation, one of sucralfate's major components, sucrose octasulfate (SOS), is shown in vitro to protect human esophageal epithelium against acid injury. This was done by mounting sections of human epithelia obtained at the time of esophagectomy in Ussing chambers and monitoring the change in electric resistance (R) on luminal acidification with 60 mM HC1. Mucosal-to-serosal mannitol fluxes were also performed before and after exposure to HC1. In untreated control tissues luminal acidification progressively reduced R with time and significantly increased tissue permeability to mannitol. In contrast, tissues exposed to 10 mg/ml SOS showed a minimal decrease in R and no significant change in permeability to mannitol (p < 0.05 compared with control for both factors). Since SOS does not buffer luminal H+, protection by SOS is mediated by a direct action on the tissue. The impact of these results on sucralfate's reported ability to improve healing in reflux esophagitis is discussed.
Deep Collaborative Filtering via Marginalized Denoising Auto-encoder

Collaborative filtering (CF) has been widely employed within recommender systems to solve many real-world problems. Learning effective latent factors plays the most important role in collaborative filtering. Traditional CF methods based upon matrix factorization techniques learn the latent factors from the user-item ratings and suffer from the cold start problem as well as the sparsity problem. Some improved CF methods enrich the priors on the latent factors by incorporating side information as regularization. However, the learned latent factors may not be very effective due to the sparse nature of the ratings and the side information. To tackle this problem, we learn effective latent representations via deep learning. Deep learning models have emerged as very appealing in learning effective representations in many applications. In particular, we propose a general deep architecture for CF by integrating matrix factorization with deep feature learning. We provide a natural instantiations of our architecture by combining probabilistic matrix factorization with marginalized denoising stacked auto-encoders. The combined framework leads to a parsimonious fit over the latent features as indicated by its improved performance in comparison to prior state-of-art models over four large datasets for the tasks of movie/book recommendation and response prediction.
Dual Aperture Dipole with 2nd Harmonic

Two rapid-cycling accelerator rings are arranged in one magnet-iron structure. There are two sets of coils, one located in each ring, which are connected in series and excited with a first harmonic frequency. One dc bias coil and one second harmonic coil are common to both rings. The second harmonic reduces ? during acceleration by 33% as compared to single frequency operation. The features of this economical arrangement are described and compared to more conventional systems. This system is especially suitable for combined function magnets.
Minimum Protein Requirement of Laying Pullets at Different Energy Levels

ABSTRACT GRAHAM (1934) reported that the average level of protein intake was 12.9 percent when laying hens were fed an 18 percent protein laying mash plus corn and oats. Some birds laid well on a diet containing 12 to 13 percent protein while others required 14 to 15 percent protein. Nonlaying birds appeared to thrive and prepare to lay on an 11 percent protein diet. Heiman et al. (1936) studied the protein requirement of Single Comb White Leghorn pullets. These workers found that a 13 percent all-plant-protein diet would not maintain body weight. When fish meal was added to the diet, the marginal protein level for weight maintenance and egg production appeared to be 14 percent. Heuser (1936) reported that 16 percent dietary protein was optimal for laying hens. MacDonald (1938) reported that hens fed a diet containing 12.5 percent protein laid as well as hens receiving 15 percent protein. Carpenter . . .
INTRAMOLECULAR CATALYSIS OF AMIDE ISOMERIZATION

The catalysis of amide bond isomerization (AI) by Bronsted acids is a well-documented reaction that proceeds through a putative N-protonated intermediate.1 On the other hand, intramolecular general acid-catalyzed AI is a much less-studied but likely biologically-relevant process in which hydrogen bond (H-bond) donation to the amide nitrogen (Na) through a correctly aligned cyclic intermediate replaces discrete N-protonation (eq 1).2 As a consequence, the optimal positioning of a donor moiety should permit direct obserVation of the catalyticallyactive [X-H--Na] H-bond.
Apolipoprotein E alleles can contribute to the pathogenesis of numerous clinical conditions including HSV-1 corneal disease.

Abstract Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) alleles have been reported to affect the clinical outcome of numerous cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and viral infectious diseases, including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease (AD), hepatitis C, and HIV. The major alleles of ApoE are ϵ 2, ϵ 3, and ϵ 4. ApoE genotypes have been hypothesized to regulate many biological functions, resulting in significant changes in the onset and/or outcome (severity and duration) of several clinical conditions. Based on genetic analyses in human and animal studies using knockout (ApoE −/−) mice and mice transgenic for human ϵ 3 and ϵ 4, we present evidence that strongly suggests that the ApoE alleles can regulate the pathogenesis of ocular herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infections. This review will summarize the major studies that support this hypothesis. Significant gender based differences in HSV-1 pathogenesis have also been reported, suggesting that hormonal regulation combined with ApoE genotype plays a significant role in HSV-1 pathogenesis. Identification of specific mechanisms in ocular HSV-1 infections related to the ApoE alleles and gender could lead to therapeutic intervention based on the properties of the apoE isoforms. While many clinical investigations have been reported and, to a lesser extent, transgenic mouse studies have been conducted, no specific mechanisms of how ApoE induces or alters clinical disease are known.
Pilot study on objective measurement of abdominal wall strength in patients with ventral incisional hernia

Background Outcomes after ventral incisional hernia (VIH) repair are measured by recurrence rate and subjective measures. No objective metrics evaluate functional outcomes after abdominal wall reconstruction. This study aimed to develop testing of abdominal wall strength (AWS) that could be validated as a useful metric.
Circumferential mucosectomy with stapled proctopexy is a safe, effective outpatient alternative for the treatment of symptomatic prolapsing hemorrhoids in the elderly

Background: Circumferential mucosectomy with stapled proctopexy (CMSP) was first introduced in 1993 as a less painful and highly effective alternative to traditional operative hemorrhoidectomy. Although CMSP has many advantages over traditional hemorrhoidectomy, some authorities and insurers continue to regard it as an inpatient procedure and others have been slow to adopt this progressive technique. This study documents the safe and effective outpatient nature of this procedure. Methods: From December 2001 through August 2002, 33 patients with mucosal prolapse and prolapsing internal hemorrhoids were treated using circumferential mucosectomy with stapled proctopexy as outpatients at an ambulatory surgery center. Fourteen (42%) patients were treated using local anesthesia with intravenous sedation, 18 (55%) chose spinal anesthesia, and general anesthesia was used in one patient. Patients were evaluated postoperatively by telephone at 1 and 2 weeks, and seen in clinic at 4 weeks. Results: One patient (3%) required an emergency department visit for minor postoperative bleeding. None of our elderly patients required emergency department evaluation and none reported significant complications. Four patients (13%) required urinary catheter placement prior to discharge from the surgery center due to urinary retention. One patient (3%) developed an uncomplicated urinary tract infection, which resolved with antibiotic treatment. Two patients were seen earlier than 4 weeks at the surgeon’s request; one was immunocompromised from chemotherapy for metastatic carcinoid, and one reported persistent pain during initial telephone follow-up. No complications were identified in either patient, and no additional complications have been noted to date. Conclusions: CMSP is a safe, effective, time-efficient procedure for patients with mucosal prolapse and prolapsing hemorrhoids that can be performed safely in the ambulatory surgery center setting. Age is not a limiting factor in selecting patients for this safe outpatient procedure.
Publishing in Kosova/Kosovo

Abstract Albanian-language publishing in Kosova during the 1990-1999 period was very much affected first by Serbian censorship and persecution, then by the war. The situation has improved since the fighting stopped in the summer of 1999, with most of the seven main publishers having reopened. The author reviews major newspapers, news magazines and other periodicals from Kosova, then lists books by important authors brought out by various publishers. The Internet has proven an important means of communicating news and culture, especially during the recent disruptions; several sites are listed. A section follows showing some significant library collections of Kosovar Albanian material. The author suggests acquiring such publications directly from their publishers and gives contact information. Finally, there is an English-language bibliography of recommended reading about Kosova in general.
STUDY OF EVEN CALCIUM AND NICKEL ISOTOPES WITH SELF-CONSISTENT APPROXIMATIONS.

Employing the central Yukawa interaction, and renormalized matrix elements for the Hamada-Johnston and Tabakin potentials, self-consistent Hartree-Fock, Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB), and spherical BCS calculations for even calcium and nickel isotopes are carried out. The existence of spherical $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ and $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ cores is assumed and the calcium and nickel isotopes are treated within the framework of single-closed-shell structure. It is found that for a given isotope and interaction the HFB and spherical BCS approximations always correspond to the same actual minimum energy solution. This feature is observed for all the isotopes and interactions considered here, though the quasiparticle energies and the occupation numbers are found to differ. For Ca isotopes the BCS results are also compared with the shell-model calculations of McGrory, Wildenthal, and Halbert, and are found to approximate the ground-state properties of all the even isotopes rather well.
Elementary properties of free extensions

For any partial groupoid\(\mathfrak{A}\), let Fr\(\mathfrak{A}\) be the free extension of\(\mathfrak{A}\) to a total groupoid. We show that\(\mathfrak{A} \equiv \mathfrak{B}\) implies\(Fr(\mathfrak{A}) \equiv Fr(\mathfrak{B})\) and that the theory of Fr\(\mathfrak{A}\) is uniformly recursive in the theory of\(\mathfrak{A}\). These results fail if “groupoid” is replaced by “semigroup”, “commutative semigroup”, “group”, “abelian group”, “semilattice”, “K-lattice” for any nontrivial varietyK of lattices, or “Boolean algebra”.
Driving in the melanoma landscape

Abstract: The melanoma landscape is rapidly evolving. The melanoma oncologists have now the first successful targets for therapy that have a genetic base – albeit in rare forms of the malignancy. Once melanoma becomes part of the Cancer Genome Atlas consortium, a comprehensive map of genetic changes will be established to point the field to true drivers of the disease that will become new targets for therapy. The same abnormalities will also serve as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy follow-up. Melanomas as a group are heterogenous as are tumor cells within one lesion. New strategies will move towards individualized therapies and combination therapies to target all cells within a tumor.
Internally Renegotiation-Proof Equilibrium Sets: Limit Behavior with Low Discounting

Abstract Recent literature in the theory of games addresses the criticism that efficient outcomes in a dynamic game are often supported by punishment paths that do not have the same efficiency property. The outcome of this research is the notion of renegotiation-proof equilibria. In this paper, I analyze the notion of renegotiation-proof equilibrium sets that satisfy a natural criterion of internal consistency, one that the earlier notions do not satisfy. I analyze the limit points of such sets as discounting vanishes. The main result states that such limit sets must either be singletons or belong to the Pareto frontier of the convex hull of the feasible set of stage game payoffs. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Number: 026.
Filtered propagator functional for iterative dynamics of quantum dissipative systems

Abstract We describe a Fortran program which calculates the reduced density matrix of a one-dimensional quantum mechanical continuous or discrete system coupled to a harmonic dissipative environment. The algorithm is based on Feynman's path integral formulation of time-dependent quantum mechanics. An adiabatic reference is employed to obtain accurate propagators and the harmonic bath is replaced by an influence functional which is discretized by optimal discrete variable representations. A propagator functional of statistically significant path segments is constructed which allows iterative evaluation of the path integral over long time periods. High efficiency is achieved with the aid of sorting and filtering criteria. The appended program is executable in either serial or parallel mode.
ProteinChip technology: a new and facile method for the identification and measurement of high-density lipoproteins apoA-I and apoA-II and their glycosylated products in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

This paper describes a ProteinChip technology for the identification and quantification of apolipoprotein profiles in crude biological samples. Expression levels of apoA-I and apoA-II and their gly...
Understanding ICC Rate Structure Regulation: A Spatial Analysis

A spatial equilibrium of a stylized railroad network is offered to illustrate that monopoly pricing requires prices on some links that are so high that traffic “does not move.” ICC price structure regulation, which was based on the idea that traffic should be priced to “move” in a privately owned and operated network, is modeled as maximizing market access subject to an AVC minimum and an aggregate break-even constraint in a network that is over-extended. Flows that result from such regulation are highly inefficient but provide more surplus to shippers and receivers than the unregulated price structure.
Control of DNA replication and spatial distribution of defined DNA sequences in salivary gland cells of Drosophila melanogaster.

In dividing cells, each sequence replicates exactly once in each S-phase, but in cells with polytene chromosomes, some sequences may replicate more than once or fail to replicate during S-phase. Because of this differential replication, the control of replication in polytene cells must have some unusual features. Dennhofer (1982a) has recently concluded that the total DNA content of the polytene cells of Drosophila salivary glands exactly doubles in each S-phase. This observation, along with previous studies demonstrating satellite underreplication in salivary gland cells, led us to consider the hypothesis that there is a "doubling of DNA" mechanism for the control of DNA replication in polytene cells. With this mechanism, a doubling of DNA content, rather than the replication of each sequence, would signal the end of a cycle of DNA replication. To test this hypothesis, we have reinvestigated the replication of several sequences (satellite, ribosomal, histone and telomere) in salivary gland cells using quantitative in situ hybridization. We find that underreplication of some sequences does occur. In addition we have repeated Dennhofer's cytophotometric and labeling studies. In contrast to Dennhofer, we find that the total DNA contents of nonreplicating nuclei do reflect this partial replication, in accord with Rudkin's (1969) result. We conclude that DNA replication in polytene cells is controlled by modifications of the mechanism operating in dividing cells, where control is sequence autonomous, and not by a "doubling of DNA" mechanism. In situ hybridization to unbroken salivary gland nuclei reveals the distribution of specific sequences. As expected, satellite, histone and 5S sequences are usually in a single cluster.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Identification of Fried Chicken Volatiles by Gas Chromatographic and Mass Spectral Analysis

Abstract Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to separate and identify volatile constituents extracted from freshly cooked fried chicken. Twenty-seven compounds were identified in the twenty-one peaks separated by gas chromatography. The major components were aldehydes, ketones, and hydrocarbons. Thiophene was the only sulfur-containing compound identified.
Etiology of type II diabetes mellitus: role of the foregut.

The Greenville version of the gastric bypass induced long-term remission of type II diabetes mellitus in 121 of 146 (82.9%) morbidly obese patients. Similarly, the operation returned 150 of 152 (98.7%) morbidly obese patients with impaired glucose tolerance to euglycemia. These outcomes were not merely changes in glucose levels; the operation also reduced the mortality and morbidity of the disease. Diabetic patients submitted to surgery had a 1.0% chance of dying during a 10-year period of follow-up compared to a mortality rate of 4.5% in a matched group (p = 0.0003). These results, the best therapeutic outcomes for type II diabetes ever reported, suggest that the disease is not an untreatable, hopeless illness but one that can be treated successfully with better understanding of the pathophysiology of these surgical remissions. The mechanism of the improvement is not yet clear. The rapidity of the correction to euglycemia, usually a matter of days, suggests that the reason is not the loss of weight (i.e., reduction in fat mass) but, rather, the result of the exclusion of food and a secondary alteration in incretin signals from the antrum, duodenum, and proximal jejunum to the islets.
E-Business Process Analysis and Optimization Based on Activity-Section (Role) Flow Chart and Role-Exchanged

The new approach in this paper added role factor in the activity-section flow chart and proposed human-computer interactive, role-exchanged concept. It is used in a logistics system, remove the activity loops and reduce interactive times between sections or roles, so it is more suitable for electronic business process than before.
Polymorphic light eruption occurring in common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia, and resolving with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy

A 55-year-old woman with a past history of lower respiratory tract infections presented with a photosensitive eruption. Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) was diagnosed on the basis of the temporal relationship to sun exposure and the diagnosis was supported by positive monochromator irradiation tests in the ultraviolet A wavelength spectrum. Investigation of the patient's immune status identified low levels of all immunoglobulin (Ig) subtypes consistent with common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia. Intravenous Ig replacement therapy, instituted to minimize risks from bacterial infections, was commenced and over the ensuing months resulted in a complete resolution of the PLE. PLE is considered to represent a type IV hypersensitivity reaction directed against a cutaneous autoantigen induced by exposure to ultraviolet light. In PLE, nonspecific immunomodulatory mechanisms of intravenous Ig may be active, such as a reduction in the synthesis of cytokines and a blockage of the IgG Fc receptors on macrophages.
An overview of Josephson packaging

An overall packaging philosophy for high-speed Josephson computers is outlined in this paper. The unique characteristics of such a package, operating at liquid helium temperature, are described, and a description is given of the technologies needed to build the package.
Structure of the reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 and 2.4.1: protein-cofactor (bacteriochlorophyll, bacteriopheophytin, and carotenoid) interactions.

Abstract The three-dimensional structures of the cofactors and protein subunits of the reaction center (RC) from the carotenoidless mutant strain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 and the wild-type strain 2.4.1 have been determined by x-ray diffraction to resolutions of 2.8 A and 3.0 A with R values of 24% and 26%, respectively. The bacteriochlorophyll dimer (D), bacteriochlorophyll monomers (B), and bacteriopheophytin monomers (phi) form two branches, A and B, that are approximately related by a twofold symmetry axis. The cofactors are located in hydrophobic environments formed by the L and M subunits. Differences in the cofactor-protein interactions between the A and B cofactors, as well as between the corresponding cofactors of Rb, sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas viridis [Michel, H., Epp, O. & Deisenhofer, J. (1986) EMBO J. 3, 2445-2451], are delineated. The roles of several structural features in the preferential electron transfer along the A branch are discussed. Two bound detergent molecules of beta-octyl glucoside have been located near BA and BB. The environment of the carotenoid, C, that is present in RCs from Rb. sphaeroides 2.4.1 consists largely of aromatic residues of the M subunit. A role of BB in the triplet energy transfer from D to C and the reason for the preferential ease of removal of BB from the RC is proposed.
1-MeV electrostatic ion energy analyzer

We describe a high-resolution 90-degree cylindrical electrostatic energy analyzer for 1-MeV (singly ionized) heavy ions for experiments in the Heavy Ion Fusion Science Virtual National Laboratory (HIFS-VNL). By adding a stripping cell, the energy reach of the analyzer can be extended to 2 MeV. This analyzer has high dispersion in a first-order focus with bipolar deflection- plate voltages in the range of plusmn50 kV. We present calculations of vacuum-field beam trajectories, space- charge effects, field errors, and a multipole corrector. The corrector consists of 12 rods arranged in a circle around the beam. Such a corrector has excellent properties as an electrostatic quadrupole, sextupole, or linear combination. The improved energy diagnostic will allow measurements of beam energy spread, such as caused by charge exchange or temperature anisotropy, and better understanding of experimental results in planned longitudinal beam studies. Examples for such experiments include investigations of a beam patching pulser to correct errors in the head and tail of the transported beam bunch, and energy errors derived from ripples in the injector voltage waveform.
Latitudinal variation in the response of tidepool copepods to mean and daily range in temperature

Understanding the evolutionary potential of organisms to adapt to a changing climate, and the fitness consequences of temperature fluctuations, are critical to forecasting the future of biodiversity. Geographic variation among populations in life history response to temperature mean and variability offers one view of the potential for local adaptation to broaden the thermal niche. We used laboratory growth experiments to examine the effects of temperatures between 13 degrees C and 30 degrees C on five life history traits and the intrinsic rate of increase for 15 Tigriopus californicus populations distributed over 17 degrees of latitude. Different life history stages showed distinct latitudinal shifts in thermal response, while the temperature of peak population growth consistently declined with increasing latitude. In addition, high-latitude populations grew faster at optimal temperatures but showed steeper fitness declines at high temperature. To test geographic population variation in response to the amplitude of daily thermal fluctuations, we grew three northern and three southern populations and manipulated nightly low and daily high temperatures. We found the lowest fitness overall in the treatment with the highest mean temperature, and the treatment with the greatest variability showed high fitness despite an 80C greater daily range. Population responses to daily thermal variability were unrelated to latitude of origin. Our results indicate that trade-offs between adaptation to high vs. low temperature, and between growth and maturation vs. survival and fecundity, govern local adaptation along the latitudinal gradient. They also indicate that, T. californicus populations can maintain fitness over a wide range of daily variability but are more sensitive to small changes in the mean temperature.
Diminished adrenal sensitivity and ACTH efficacy in obese premenopausal women

Background: The ACTH–cortisol axis in women is activated and associated with decreased ACTH potency, estimated by relating ACTH and cortisol pulse masses. Recently, a new accurate method for constructing the endogenous dose–response relationship was introduced, which is based on the relation between ACTH concentrations and associated cortisol secretion rates within cortisol bursts. Hypothesis: The endogenous dose–response relation between ACTH and cortisol in obesity is changed, leading to diminished responsiveness. Subjects: Twenty-five obese premenopausal women and 16 normal weight premenopausal women were studied by 10-min blood sampling for 24 h. Outcomes: ACTH and cortisol secretion rates, analytical dose–response estimates of endogenous ACTH efficacy (maximal cortisol secretion), dynamic ACTH potency, and adrenal sensitivity (slope term) from 24-h ACTH–cortisol profiles were quantified. Results: The initial potency (negative logarithm) was K7.83G0.75 (meanGS.E.M.) in obese women and K10.14G1.08 in lean women (PZ0.10), and the corresponding values for the recovery phase were K26.62G2.21 and K36.67G1.66 (PZ0.004). The sensitivity (curve slope) amounted to 0.468G0.05 in obese women and 0.784G0.09 in normal weight women (PZ0.004). The efficacy (maximal value) was 17.6G4.9 nmol/l per min in obese women and 26.3G3.8 nmol/l per min in normal weight women (PZ0.009). Basal secretion rate, inflection point, and EC50 values were not different. Bromocriptine or acipimox did not change the dose–response curve. Conclusion: The ACTH–cortisol relation in obesity in women is characterized by decreased sensitivity and efficacy, thus explaining non-elevated serum cortisol concentrations despite increased plasma ACTH levels.
Experimental studies of mineralogical assemblages of metasedimentary rocks at Earth's mantle transition zone conditions

Metasedimentary rocks, a major component of the continental crust, are abundant within ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphic terranes related to continental collisions. The presence of diamond, coesite, and relics of decompressed minerals in these rocks suggests that they were subducted to a depth of more than 150-250 km. Reconnaissance experiments at 9-12 GPa and 1000-1300 � C on composi- tions corresponding to felsic rocks from diamond-bearing UHP terranes of Germany and Kazakhstan show that at higher pressures they consist of majoritic garnet, Al-Na-rich clinopyroxene, stishovite, solid solution of KAlSi3O8-NaAlSi3O8 hollandite, topaz-OH, and TiO2 with a-PbO2 structure. Comparison of our data with experiments conducted by others at similar P-T conditions shows differences, which are due to variations in bulk chemistry and the type of starting material (gel, oxides, minerals). These differences may affect correct establishment of the point of no return of subducted continental lithologies. This paper discusses the implication of the experimental data with regard to naturally existing UHP metamorphic rocks and their significance for our understanding of the deep subduction of continental material.
Inpatient management of hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes

Over the past 4 years, the scientific literature addressing issues relevant to inpatient hyperglycemia and its management has grown dramatically but remains incomplete. The growing interest in inpatient diabetes management is particularly pertinent given the epidemic rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the associated increase in the proportion of inpatients carrying this diagnosis. The benefits of aggressive glucose control are well-established in certain admission categories. These benefits likely apply to many other admission diagnoses, but remain unproven at this time. Similarly, the best methods of glucose control remain uncertain in the various inpatient settings. Intensive insulin infusion therapy is becoming the standard care in the intensive care unit setting. Its use is also growing in less acute inpatient settings but requires further study. Inpatient subcutaneous insulin recommendations are general based on experience gained in the outpatient setting but offer a practical, physiologic approach.
Cortical mechanisms for reinforcement learning in competitive games

Game theory analyses optimal strategies for multiple decision makers interacting in a social group. However, the behaviours of individual humans and animals often deviate systematically from the optimal strategies described by game theory. The behaviours of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) in simple zero-sum games showed similar patterns, but their departures from the optimal strategies were well accounted for by a simple reinforcement-learning algorithm. During a computer-simulated zero-sum game, neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex often encoded the previous choices of the animal and its opponent as well as the animal's reward history. By contrast, the neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex predominantly encoded the animal's reward history. Using simple competitive games, therefore, we have demonstrated functional specialization between different areas of the primate frontal cortex involved in outcome monitoring and action selection. Temporally extended signals related to the animal's previous choices might facilitate the association between choices and their delayed outcomes, whereas information about the choices of the opponent might be used to estimate the reward expected from a particular action. Finally, signals related to the reward history might be used to monitor the overall success of the animal's current decision-making strategy.
Effects of CAI on the Academic Performance and Attitudes of College Students

Although computer-assisted instruction (CAI) favorably affects academic performance and attitudes toward instruction, most CAI programs target mastery but not fluency. This study used a within-subjects, crossover design to compare the effects of CAI that included fluency training with traditional study (TS) conditions on test performance and attitudes toward CAI. The CAI condition consisted of 2 forms of CAI. The results showed that the mean test score in the CAI condition was about 7 percentage points higher than the mean score in the TS condition. Also, attitude scores favored the CAI condition. These data suggest that CAI procedures that use elements of both mastery learning and fluency training may help to improve academic performance and attitudes.
The Importance of Sonography in the Evaluation of Neonatal Adrenal Hemorrhage

Neonatal adrenal hemorrhage is a relatively common condition of the newborn. Etiologies of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage include maternal/ fetal stress, birth trauma, congenital syphilis, dehydration...
Uranium Series Accessory Crystal Dating of Magmatic Processes

Complex and protracted crystallization histories over geologic timescales are recorded in accessory minerals (e.g., zircon, allanite). Although magmatic crystallization was traditionally assumed to occur essentially instantaneously for the purposes of interpreting mineral geochronometers with low absolute time resolution for ancient samples, it emerged relatively recently that magmatic crystallization can occur over extended durations. This discovery arose from applying high-spatial-resolution accessory mineral dating techniques for uranium series isotopes to young volcanic and cognate plutonic rocks. The emerging pattern from these studies is that individual crystals and crystal populations record crystallization episodes lasting from <1,000 to many hundreds of thousands of years. Accessory mineral dating of volcanic rocks and cognate plutonic xenoliths opens new research avenues for crystal age fingerprinting that correlates pyroclastic deposits, lavas, and plutonic rocks by using characteristic age dis...
Agonist-Specific Regulation of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Receptor Type 2 Activity: Structural and Functional Analysis of PTH- and Tuberoinfundibular Peptide (TIP) 39-Stimulated Desensitization and Internalization

The human PTH receptor type 2 (PTH2R) is activated by PTH and tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues (TIP39), resulting in cAMP and intracellular Ca signaling. We now report that, despite these similarities, PTH and TIP39 elicit distinct responses from PTH2R. First, TIP39 induced beta-arrestin and protein kinase Cbeta mobilization and receptor internalization, whereas PTH did not. However, PTH stimulated trafficking of these molecules for a chimeric PTH2R containing the N terminus and third extracellular loop of PTH receptor type 1 (PTH1R). Second, whereas PTH-stimulated cAMP activity was brief and rapidly resensitized, the response to TIP39 was sustained and partly desensitized for a prolonged period. PTH2R desensitization was mediated by beta-arrestin interaction with the C terminus (amino acids 426-457) of PTH2R, whereas beta-arrestin mobilization had a minor influence on PTH2R internalization in response to TIP39, as shown with C terminus deletion mutants and/or dominant negative forms of beta-arrestin and dynamin. These data contrast with PTH1R, at which these dominant negative mutants markedly inhibited receptor internalization. Collectively, these results further highlight how specific interactions within the ligand-receptor bimolecular complex mediate distinct postactivation responses of class II G protein- coupled receptors and provide novel insights into the physiological regulation of PTH2R activity.
Video-on-demand: experience with protocols and their implementation

This paper summarizes some observations made during our research project aiming at investigating the practical problems encountered during the implementation of interactive multimedia information systems. The prototype deals with digitally compressed information encoded in MPEG-2 formats. We have opted for the use of a set of standard protocols. In this paper we give a brief description and critique of these standard protocols and discuss some aspects related to their implementation. We have specifically focused here on the MPEG-2 Digital Storage Media Command and Control (DSM-CC) protocol.
Depth-resolved analysis of Ni-P plated aluminium hard disks by radiofrequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (rf-GD-OES)

A parametric evaluation of the discharge conditions which affect the quality of radiofrequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (rf-GD-OES) depth profiles of Ni–P plated aluminium hard disks is described. This technique has been shown previously to provide good depth resolution for metallic and oxide layers, also being able to examine contaminants at the layer interfaces. A range of discharge parameters is investigated relative to their contributions to analyte responses and resultant depth profile characteristics. The optimal discharge operating parameters for this application were determined to be an rf power of 40 W and an argon discharge gas pressure of 6 Torr. The depth-resolved analysis of the Ni–P layer plated on the Al–Mg alloy substrate reflects the microscopic non-uniformity of the surface of the Al alloy base material. Diamond stylus profilometry is employed to extract crater profiles and sputtering rates obtained over a range of discharge conditions of rf power and argon discharge gas pressure. SEM, TEM and EDX images of specimen cross sections are used to examine the physical structure of the layer interfaces on a microscopic scale. For each of the aluminium hard disks investigated in this study, the interface breadths (Δz) obtained at the Ni–P/Al–Mg interface is ultimately limited by the roughness of the aluminium disk substrate to which the overlayer is applied. Optimized discharge conditions are employed to profile hard disks extracted from two commercial drives of different technological generations. Distinct compositional differences are observed that correlate with improvements in the base technology over the years 1992–1998.
Effects of optical activity on photorefractive spatial solitons in a biased Bi 12 TiO 20 crystal

It is shown that the propagation of steady-state spatial solitons in a bismuth titanium oxide (Bi12TiO20) photorefractive crystal is strongly affected by the presence of concomitant natural optical activity. We assume that the Bi12TiO20 crystal is (110) cut and that the external bias field is along the [001¯] axis. Such orientation introduces self-focusing in one polarization of an optical wave front, whereas it has no effect whatsoever on the component orthogonal to it. Under these conditions, the equations that describe the coupled evolution of the two polarizations of an optical planar beam are derived. Our numerical study of the interaction dynamics shows that, even though the optical beam experiences periodic diffraction in one of the polarization components, it can still recover significantly at particular distances within the crystal. Moreover, it is initially capable of maintaining its solitonlike form over a certain distance of propagation. Relevant examples are provided.
Perspectives on Extended Family and Fictive Kin in the Later Years Strategies and Meanings of Kin Reinterpretation

To identify perspectives on the roles of extended family and fictive kin, the authors conducted a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 45 older adults diverse in gender, race, and class. Five strategies of kin reinterpretation were found. Kin promotion defined a distant blood relative as a closer blood relative. Kin exchange reclassified a parent–child tie as a sibling tie or vice versa. Nonkin conversion created fictive kin by turning friends and colleagues into family-like members. Kin retention kept an ex-in-law in the extended family network following divorce. Kin loss identified the meaning of losing physical or psychological contact with a once-valued kin member. The findings reveal that older adults from both mainstream and marginalized families expanded kin reinterpretation practices as a means of adapting to impermanence in family ties. These alterations helped ensure closeness and mutual reliance, thus providing a bridge to connect the old and new social landscape.
Modelling the impact of recent land-cover changes on the stream flows in northeastern Puerto Rico

We investigated the influence of recent and future land-cover changes on stream flow of a watershed northeastern Puerto Rico using hydrological modeling and simulation analysis. Monthly and average annual stream flows were compared between an agricultural period (1973–1980) and an urbanized/reforested period (1988–1995) using the revised Generalized Watershed Loading Function model. Our validated results show that a smaller proportion of rainfall became stream flows in the urbanized/forested period compared with the agricultural period, apparently because of reforestation. Sensitivity analysis of the model showed that evapotranspiration, precipitation, and curve number were the most significant factors influencing stream flow. Simulations of projected land-cover scenarios indicate that annual stream flows would increase by 9·6% in a total urbanization scenario, decrease by 3·6% in a total reforestation scenario, and decrease by 1·1% if both reforestation and urbanization continue at their current rates to 2020. An imposed hurricane event that was similar in scale to the largest recent event on the three land-cover scenarios would increase the daily stream flow by 62·1%, 68·4% and 67·1% respectively. Owing to the environmental setting of eastern Puerto Rico, where sea breezes caused by temperature differences between land surface and the ocean dominate the local climate, we suggest that managing local land-cover changes can have important consequences for water management. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of silver nanowires via citrate reduction

Abstract We report a novel and simple hydrothermal method to synthesize silver nanowires using only silver nitrate and sodium citrate without any external seeds or templates. The effects of the molar ratio of silver ions to citrate, pH, and the reaction temperature were investigated. Silver nanowires and particles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV/vis absorption spectroscopy. A high yield of nanowires (average diameter 53 ± 4 nm, length up to 6 μm) was obtained under optimized conditions with 1:1 M ratio of Ag + to citrate and pH 7.1 (no NaOH added) at 130 °C. Increasing the citrate ratio, increasing the pH with NaOH, or decreasing the reaction temperature all resulted in samples with shorter lengths and fewer nanowires compared to nanospheres. At pH 10.1, monodispersed nanospheres with diameter of 58 ± 9 nm were produced. The nanowire and nanosphere synthetic methods are attractive because of their simplicity, the lack of capping agents besides citrate, and the uniformity of the particles produced.
Shaken and Stirred: A Content Analysis of Women’s Portrayals in James Bond Films

A quantitative content analysis of 20 James Bond films assessed portrayals of 195 female characters. Key findings include a trend of more sexual activity and greater harm to females over time, but few significant across-time differences in demographic characteristics of Bond women. Sexual activity is predicted by race, attractiveness, size of role, and aggressive behaviors. Being a target of weapons is predicted by size of role, sexual activity, and weapon use, while being harmed is predicted principally by role. End-of-film mortality is predicted by sexual activity, ethical status (good vs. bad), and attempting to kill Bond. This identification of a link between sexuality and violent behavior is noted as a contribution to the media and sex roles literatures.
Perceptions of Environmental and Occupational Health Hazards Among Agricultural Workers in Washington State

This study describes agricultural workers' perceptions of environmental and occupational health issues. Interviews were conducted with 389 agricultural workers in the Yakima Valley of central Washington State in the summers of 2004 and 2005. Undergraduate students from the community conducted interviews in Spanish or English. Environmental and occupational health issues were ranked by frequency of concern, and differences by demographics were evaluated using multivariate analyses. In both 2004 and 2005, agricultural workers expressed high levels of concern about working in hot weather, agricultural injuries, pesticides, and pediatric asthma. Agricultural workers' perceptions of environmental and occupational health issues differed by specific demographics, particularly age and ethnicity. Consideration should be given to these issues when designing research studies, creating educational materials, and developing interventions related to environmental and occupational hazards among agricultural workers.
Behind the Scenes of Women's Broadcast Ownership

Women in the United States own fewer than 6% of radio and television stations. This qualitative study had the dual goals of gaining a better understanding of (a) how women owners of radio and television companies enter the U.S. broadcast market, stay in the market, and contribute to their communities; and (b) how communication policy, economics, and sexual politics exclude women from ownership. Surveys and interviews with 40 participants (owners and experts) found more women inheriting stations than able to buy them. In addition, those who manage their own stations hold strong values of community service even in the face of great economic challenges. Experts said that women broadcast owners operate in a hostile regulatory environment and in an industry that blocks women from gaining experience and access to capital to prepare and successfully compete for ownership. Recommendations are offered for removing these barriers.
Automatic identification of informative sections of Web pages

Web pages - especially dynamically generated ones - contain several items that cannot be classified as the "primary content," e.g., navigation sidebars, advertisements, copyright notices, etc. Most clients and end-users search for the primary content, and largely do not seek the noninformative content. A tool that assists an end-user or application to search and process information from Web pages automatically, must separate the "primary content sections" from the other content sections. We call these sections as "Web page blocks" or just "blocks." First, a tool must segment the Web pages into Web page blocks and, second, the tool must separate the primary content blocks from the noninformative content blocks. In this paper, we formally define Web page blocks and devise a new algorithm to partition an HTML page into constituent Web page blocks. We then propose four new algorithms, ContentExtractor, FeatureExtractor, K-FeatureExtractor, and L-Extractor. These algorithms identify primary content blocks by 1) looking for blocks that do not occur a large number of times across Web pages, by 2) looking for blocks with desired features, and by 3) using classifiers, trained with block-features, respectively. While operating on several thousand Web pages obtained from various Web sites, our algorithms outperform several existing algorithms with respect to runtime and/or accuracy. Furthermore, we show that a Web cache system that applies our algorithms to remove noninformative content blocks and to identify similar blocks across Web pages can achieve significant storage savings.