cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Child self-reported motivations for weight loss: impact of personal vs. social/familial motives on family-based behavioral weight loss treatment outcomes.

Parent motivation is related to successful treatment outcome among children enrolled in obesity treatment. However, the impact of child weight loss motivation on treatment outcome has not been investigated. The current study evaluated weight loss motives among treatment-seeking, overweight children, and their relationship to treatment outcome. The current study is a secondary analysis of a primary study examining a parent-only and parent + child childhood obesity treatment. Study participants included 77 children (aged 8–12, 58 % female). Assessments were completed at baseline, post-treatment, and at 6-months post-treatment. Children completed standardized height and weight procedures. In addition, they completed a checklist of reasons children may be motivated to lose weight. Motives were divided into two scales reflecting personal and social/familial reasons to lose weight. Regression analyses were used to calculate associations between the number of weight loss motives endorsed and treatment completion, sessions attended, and child BMI. A greater number of social/familial motives were significantly predictive of session attendance, treatment completion, and a lower child BMI at the post-treatment assessment. Children who are motivated to lose weight because of family/social influences may be more highly engaged in treatment and lose more weight, as compared to children who are less motivated by family and social reasons.
Engineering of RNase P ribozyme for gene-targeting applications

Ribonuclease P (RNase P) is a ubiquitous ribonucleoprotein complex responsible for the biosynthesis of tRNA. This enzyme from Escherichia coli contains a catalytic RNA subunit (M1 ribozyme) and a protein subunit (C5 cofactor). M1 ribozyme cleaves an RNA helix that resembles the acceptor stem and T-stem structure of its natural tRNA substrate. When covalently linked with a guide sequence, M1 RNA can be engineered into a sequence-specific endonuclease, M1GS ribozyme, which can cleave any target RNA sequences that base pair with the guide sequence. Recent studies indicate that M1GS ribozymes efficiently cleave the mRNAs of herpes simplex virus 1, human cytomegalovirus, and cancer causing BCR-ABL proteins in vitro and effectively inhibit the expression of these mRNAs in cultured cells. Moreover, RNase P ribozyme variants that are more active than the wild type M1 RNA can be generated using in vitro selection procedures and the selected variants are also more effective in inhibiting gene expression in cultured cells. These results demonstrate that engineered RNase P ribozymes represent a novel class of promising gene-targeting agents for applications in both basic research and clinical therapy. This review discusses the principle underlying M1GS-mediated gene inactivation and methodologies involved in effective M1GS construction, expression in vivo and emerging prospects of this technology for gene therapy.
Selective nontarget inhibition in Multiple Object Tracking

We previously reported that in the Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) task, which requires tracking several identical targets moving unpredictably among identical nontargets, the nontargets appear to be inhibited, as measured by a probe-dot detection method. The inhibition appears to be local to nontargets and does not extend to the space between objects—dropping off very rapidly away from targets and nontargets. In the present three experiments we show that (1) nontargets that are identical to targets but remain in a fixed location are not inhibited and (2) moving objects that have a different shape from targets are inhibited as much as same-shape nontargets, and (3) nontargets that are on a different depth plane and so are easily filtered out are not inhibited. This is consistent with a task-dependent view of item inhibition wherein nontargets are inhibited if (and only if) they are likely to be mistaken for targets.
Effect of corn oil on thin stillage evaporators

ABSTRACT Removal of the germ at the front end of the dry-grind ethanol process using the Quick Germ process reduces the amount of oil in thin stillage. Thin stillage with 4–6% solids is dewatered to 25–30% solids by evaporation. Thin stillage evaporators in a dry-grind ethanol plant foul and have to be periodically taken down for maintenance and cleaning. Fouling caused by thin stillage containing different amounts of oil was studied using an annular fouling probe. It was determined that the rate of fouling in a drygrind ethanol plant is three times higher when compared with that in a wet-milling ethanol plant. The addition of oil to wet-milled thin stillage significantly affected the rate of fouling. Fouling resistance increased with an increase in oil concentration for wet-milled thin stillage up to a concentration of 1.41%. At a concentration of 1.47%, the rate of fouling decreased. As the concentration of oil increased in dry-grind ethanol thin stillage, the rate of fouling decreased. These results su...
Nitrite Activates AMP Kinase to Stimulate Mitochondrial Biogenesis Independent of soluble Guanylate Cyclase

Abstract Nitrite, a dietary constituent and endogenous signaling molecule, mediates a number of physiological responses including modulation of ischemia/reperfusion injury, glucose tolerance, and vascular remodeling. Although the exact molecular mechanisms underlying nitrite’s actions are unknown, the current paradigm suggests that these effects depend on the hypoxic reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide (NO). Mitochondrial biogenesis is a fundamental mechanism of cellular adaptation and repair. However, the effect of nitrite on mitochondrial number has not been explored. Herein, we report that nitrite stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis through a mechanism distinct from that of NO. We demonstrate that nitrite significantly increases cellular mitochondrial number by augmenting the activity of adenylate kinase, resulting in AMP kinase phosphorylation, downstream activation of sirtuin-1, and deacetylation of PGC1α, the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. Unlike NO, nitrite-mediated biogenesis does not require the activation of soluble guanylate cyclase and results in the synthesis of more functionally efficient mitochondria. Further, we provide evidence that nitrite mediates biogenesis in vivo. In a rat model of carotid injury, 2 weeks of continuous oral nitrite treatment postinjury prevented the hyperproliferative response of smooth muscle cells. This protection was accompanied by a nitrite-dependent upregulation of PGC1α and increased mitochondrial number in the injured artery. These data are the first to demonstrate that nitrite mediates differential signaling compared to NO. They show that nitrite is a versatile regulator of mitochondrial function and number both in vivo and in vitro and suggest that nitrite-mediated biogenesis may play a protective role in the setting of vascular injury.
Report On ‘Technology and Assessment in Chemistry’

The workshop ‘Technology and Assessment in Chemistry’ discussed a University of California at Los Angeles based and National Science Foundation funded project that is heavily invested in new instructional technology. Issues related to the convergence of technology and student learning and assessment were examined. The workshop was run by Bob Kozma of the Stanford Research Institute. Kozma first outlined the goals of the UCLA project entitled the ‘Molecular Science Project’ developed by Arlene Russell and Orville Chapman. Unlike other curriculum-reform projects, assessment is an integral part of the innovation. Kozma proceeded to describe his efforts to develop new assessment tools.
Incidence and remission of sleep related symptoms in children and associations with health-related quality of life; A 7-year follow-up of the TuCASA cohort

Introduction Sleep disturbances are common in adolescents; some studies have shown that this may adversely affect their quality of life. However, there is little evidence on incidence and remission of sleep problems from childhood to adolescence and the association with health-related quality of life (QoL). Materials and methods Sleep Screening questionnaires were collected on Hispanic and Caucasian children 6–12 years of age at baseline, and again 7 years after during follow-up, when participants were 12–20 years. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS) were present if they occurred frequently or more. Health-related QoL was assessed at follow-up using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory and three summary scores, ranging from 1 to 100, were evaluated: psychosocial health (PS), physical function (PF), and total scale scores (TS). Prevalence, incidence, and remission of sleep symptoms were computed and analyzed for association with health-related QoL. Results The mean ages at baseline and follow-up were 8.8 and 15.4 years. There were 50.2% males and 30.6% Hispanics. Incidence rates of EDS and DIMS were 39.1% and 58.9%, and remission rates were 53.1% and 36.2%, respectively. Separate linear regressions models predicting health-related QoL showed that participants with persistent EDS had lower mean values for TS (coeff. = −9.2, p = .006), PS (coeff. = −8.8, p = .025), and PF (coeff. = −10, p = .002) as compared with participants who never had EDS or those with remittent EDS combined. Participants with persistent DIMS had lower mean values for TS (coeff. = −6.8, p = .001) and PS (coeff. = −8.4, p = .001) as compared with participants who never had DIMS or those with remittent DIMS combined. When participants with persistent DIMS were compared with those with remittent DIMS only, the associations between DIMS and health-related QoL, became non-significant. However, the association between EDS and health-related QoL remained (coeff. = −13.3, p = .02). Conclusion Substantial variability of self-reports of sleep problems exists as children age from childhood to adolescence. Nevertheless, there are a small number of young children who persistently have sleep problems over this age span and these problems are associated with lower health-related quality of life. These associations appear to be driven primarily by EDS. Acknowledgements The TuCASA study was supported by NHLBI grant HL 62373 . Silva, G.E. was supported by NHLBI grant HL 62373-05A2S1 .
Azadipyrromethene Complexes of d8 Metal Centers: Rhodium(I), Iridium(I), Palladium(II), and Platinum(II)

Azadipyrromethenes are blue pigments that chelate main-group and d-block Lewis acids. Reported here are azadipyrromethene complexes of d8 metal centers. The new compounds are prepared in salt metathesis reactions with chlorinated organometallic precursors. Sixteen new complexes are reported. The principal absorption features are an intense peak near 600 nm and transitions in the ultraviolet; all are characteristic of the azadipyrromethene chromophore. All compounds are dark solids that yield blue or blue-violet solutions. Ten complexes are crystallographically characterized. The structures uniformly show backbone strain, with a meso-nitrogen atom that dilates from pure sp2-hybridization. Structural comparisons are made to related dipyrromethene and tetra-azaporphyrin complexes. The electron-donating capacity of azadipyrromethene ligands is evaluated from C≡O stretching frequencies of three rhodium(I) carbonyl complexes and from density-functional theory calculations. Frontier orbitals are confined to the ...
Agricultural Land Preservation in California: Time for a New View

The loss of agricultural land in California to urban development and the subsequent damage to air quality and crops, as well as the cost of food and government services, calls for a new look at local zoning practices to preserve the remaining farm and range land. Recent and proposed actions of the California Legislature are examined in the context of improving local regulations and local resistance to state programs. The present state structure for land-use control is shown to be inadequate, but the author concludes that an effective program can be developed if a statewide program based on the American Law Institute Model Land Development Code is adopted. The Code specifies planning through a state agricultural land agency to which local governments must be bound, but which must not duplicate or supplant local zoning. A statewide program would be expected to counteract the shortsighted local policies. 208 references. (DCK)
Generating sexually differentiated songs

The past year has witnessed increased confusion as to the role of gonadal hormones in the development of neuroeffectors for sexually differentiated vocalizations in several species. Are sex differences in levels of circulating gonadal hormones robust enough to account for the full spectrum of male/female differences? Understanding how vocal behaviors are generated has improved, permitting greater insights into how differences in cell number and type contribute to male- and female-specific songs in frogs and birds.
Dependence and tolerance: Multiunit recording from central gray, mesencephalic reticular formation, and medial thalamus in freely behaving rats

Abstract Administration of various dosages of morphine produced different response patterns in simultaneous, multiunit recordings from the medial thalamus, central gray, and mesencephalic reticular formation of freely moving rats previously implanted stereotaxically with permanent semimicroelectrodes. The responses induced by morphine exhibited dose-related patterns, and could be reversed by naloxone. The optimal dose for all three brain structures was 10 mg/kg morphine. This dose was used as a challenge dose in morphine-dependent rats, which demonstrated electrophysiologic patterns of morphine physical dependence and tolerance.
Semiparametric linkage analysis using pseudolikelihoods on neighbouring sets

For many complex diseases, study has suggested that the disease genes influence not only the occurrence of the disease, but also the age of onset. Current methods in linkage analysis are mainly concentrated on affected relative pairs or affected family members, and age of onset information is either ignored or is taken into account by specifying age-dependent penetrances for liability classes. In fact, affected relatives with different ages of onset may be the result of different genetic aetiologies and unaffected relatives are censored at the study time. Therefore, incorporation of age of onset and including contrasts between affected and unaffected pedigree members are important components of effective analysis for the detection of linkage with genetic markers. We use multiple markers to infer the inheritance vector in order to extract information about the inheritance pattern of the disease allele in a pedigree. For a given inheritance vector, we define two neighbour sets for each individual based on allele identical by descent (IBD). We then use the within-set and between-sets conditional hazard ratios to characterize the dependence of age of onset among relatives. A pseudolikelihood ratio test is proposed for testing linkage. Simulated and real data sets are used to illustrate these new statistical methods.
Constructing a Social Problem: The Press and the Environment

The U.S. daily press might seem to be in a strategic position to function as a claims-maker in the early construction of a social problem. But in the case of the manufacture of environmentalism as a social reality in the 1960's and 70's, the press was fairly slow to adopt a holistic environmental lexicon. Its reporting of environmental news even now only partially reflects concepts promoted by positive environmental claims-makers, such as planet-wide interdependence, and the threats to it by destructive technologies. The movement of environmental claims seems to have started with interest-group entrepreneurship using interpersonal communication and independent publication, gone on to attention in government, then finally—and incompletely—been put on the agenda of the daily press. Once on the press agenda, coverage of environmental issues may have improved. But there are some constraints, possibly inherent in the press as an institution, that limit its role in the incipient construction of some social problems.
Superconductivity due to co-operative Kondo effect in Pu 115's

Abstract We outline key elements of a theory that accounts for anomalous properties of the PuCoGa5 and PuRhGa5 compounds as a consequence of a two-body interference between two Kondo screening channels. Virtual valence fluctuations of the magnetic Pu configurations create two conduction channels of different symmetry. Using the symplectic-large N approach, we are able to demonstrate our pairing mechanism in an exactly solvable large N limit. The critical temperature reaches its maximum when the energy levels of excited valence configurations are almost degenerate. The symmetry of the order parameter is determined by the product of the Wannier form factors in the interfering conduction channels.
New Economic Threshold for Striped Cucumber Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Cantaloupe in the Midwest

Field experiments were performed in 2 locations in Indiana in 1993, 1994, and 1995 to determine the relationship between striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (F.), density and the incidence of bacterial wilt in cantaloupe. The striped cucumber beetle is the primary vector of Erwinia tracheiphila (Smith) Holland, the causal agent of bacterial wilt in cucurbits, during the spring in the Midwest. Based on laboratory findings, initial densities of 0, 1, 5, and 15 beetles per cantaloupe plant were evaluated. Regression analyses showed that at beetle densities of 1–15 per plant there was a strong and significant linear relationship between numbers of beetles per plant and the percentage of cantaloupe plants with bacterial wilt. No cantaloupe plants developed bacterial wilt at a density of 0 or 1 beetle per plant during the 3-yr study at either location. To further define beetle density requirement, the densities of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 beetles per plant were used in 1995. During these trials, there was no wilt at the 0 or 1 beetle per plant densities and significant wilt development did not occur until beetle densities reached 4 or 5 beetles per plant. Only 2 experimental trials showed significant yield losses from increasing beetle densities. In each trial, no yield loss was associated with beetle densities lower than 4 beetles per plant. Use of an economic threshold of 1 striped cucumber beetle per plant in the Midwest should greatly reduce insecticide applications in cantaloupe, while providing good control of the vector and bacterial wilt.
In vitro and in vivo toxicity: A comparison of acrylamide, cyclophosphamide, chloroecone, and diethylstilbestrol

Abstract Four chemicals that had been tested in an in vivo toxicological screen were tested in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cytotoxicity assay. Cell density, viability, ATP concentration, rate of protein synthesis, and cellular protein concentration were decreased by exposure to acrylamide (AC), chlordecone (CHL), cyclophosphamide (CYC), and diethylstilbestrol (DES). Based on the in vitro toxicity rankings, DES and CHL were more toxic than AC or CYC. The ability of the CHO assay to respond to DES and CHL was comparable to other published in vitro assays. However, the CHO assay was unresponsive to concentrations of AC and CYC detected by assay systems composed of cells derived from the nervous system and assays containing metabolic activation, respectively. In vivo, the four chemicals were toxic following 10 daily treatments. While CYC was the least toxic chemical in vitro, it was one of the most toxic in vivo. This lack of correlation between the in vivo and the in vitro data in this study may be due to ...
Implementing optimal allocation for sequential continuous responses with multiple treatments

Abstract In practice, it is important to find optimal allocation strategies for continuous response with multiple treatments under some optimization criteria. In this article, we focus on exponential responses. For a multivariate test of homogeneity, we obtain the optimal allocation strategies to maximize power while (1) fixing sample size and (2) fixing expected total responses. Then the doubly adaptive biased coin design [Hu, F., Zhang, L.-X., 2004. Asymptotic properties of doubly adaptive biased coin designs for multi-treatment clinical trials. The Annals of Statistics 21, 268–301] is used to implement the optimal allocation strategies. Simulation results show that the proposed procedures have advantages over complete randomization with respect to both inferential (power) and ethical standpoints on average. It is important to note that one can usually implement optimal allocation strategies numerically for other continuous responses, though it is usually not easy to get the closed form of the optimal allocation theoretically.
Breastfeeding may protect against persistent stuttering

Abstract Purpose This study investigated the hypothesis that breastfeeding in infancy might protect against persistent stuttering in children. Method We collected new data from the mothers of current and past participants in the Illinois Stuttering Research Program on their children's feeding history during infancy. We obtained 47 usable responses, for 17 children with persistent stuttering and 30 children who recovered naturally after a period of stuttering. Results A chi-squared test for linear trend revealed a significant relationship between breastfeeding duration and the likelihood of natural recovery for the boys in the sample. Mothers of children in the persistent group were no more likely to report early feeding difficulties which might have suggested an underlying oral motor deficit in children predisposed toward persistent stuttering. Conclusions Our results offer preliminary support for the idea that breastfeeding may confer a measure of protection against persistent stuttering. The fatty acid profile of human milk, with its potential to affect both gene expression and the composition of neural tissue, may explain this association. Further research is called for. Learning outcomes: The reader will be able to discuss at least one reason why human milk may make a difference in neurodevelopment generally and with regard to stuttering outcomes specifically. Additionally, the reader will be able to describe the relationship between breastfeeding duration and stuttering recovery observed in this sample.
Enzymic oxidation product of d-pipecolic acid

Abstract Evidence has been obtained that the oxidation of d -pipecolic acid by liver mitochondria leads to the formation of Δ 1 -piperideine-2-carboxylic acid. This evidence consists of observations that the oxidation product was eluted along with Δ 1 -piperideine-2-carboxylic acid from a Dowex-50 column on co-chromatography with the latter, but was eluted separately from Δ 1 -piperideine-6-carboxylic acid. Reduction of the eluted substance to pipecolic acid by NADH was catalyzed by highly purified hog kidney Δ 1 -pyrroline-2-carboxylate reductase. Pipecolic acid was found to be a more active substrate for the mitochondrial enzyme than proline. The action of the mitochondrial oxidase and Δ 1 -pyrroline-2-carboxylate reductase could constitute an epimerase whereby d -pipecolic acid is metabolized by conversion to l -pipecolic acid.
Division of small intensely fluorescent cells in neonatal rat superior cervical ganglion is inhibited by glucocorticoids

Postnatal genesis of small, intensely fluorescent cells was studied in the rat superior cervical ganglion by combining immunocytochemistry of tyrosine hydroxylase with tritiated thymidine autoradiography. After injection of tritiated thymidine during the first postnatal week, silver grains were observed over the nuclei of many small cells with intense staining for tyrosine hydroxylase, suggesting that SIF cells are dividing postnatally. Cell counts in ganglia of rats sacrificed 2 h after tritiated thymidine showed that the rate of SIF cell proliferation was highest during the first postnatal week with approximately 20% of SIF cells dividing and that the rate declined thereafter. Counts of labeled SIF cells at 30 days in rats injected with tritiated thymidine on days 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 14 revealed a peak of SIF cell birthdays on day 8. In these long-survival experiments, many labeled SIF cells were present in adult superior cervical ganglions. In contrast, only one labeled principal neuron was observed in a total of 450 sections. Glucocorticoid treatment of the rats during the first postnatal week paradoxically increased the number of SIF cells, but inhibited the rate of SIF cell proliferation. Dividing SIF cells immunoreactive for both tyrosine hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase were observed in glucocorticoid-treated rats. These observations suggest that many SIF cells are dividing during the first postnatal week. After cessation of division, these cells either remain SIF cells or die, but do not differentiate into principal neurons. Since glucocorticoids do not stimulate SIF cell proliferation, they must increase the number of SIF cells by biasing the differentiation of precursor cells in the superior cervical ganglion and/or enhancing SIF cell survival.
Cytoplasmic Delivery of Liposomal Contents Mediated by an Acid-Labile Cholesterol-Vinyl Ether-PEG Conjugate

An acid-cleavable PEG lipid, 1'-(4'-cholesteryloxy-3'-butenyl)-omega-methoxy-polyethylene[112] glycolate (CVEP), has been developed that produces stable liposomes when dispersed as a minor component (0.5-5 mol %) in 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE). Cleavage of CVEP at mildly acidic pHs results in dePEGylation of the latently fusogenic DOPE liposomes, thereby triggering the onset of content release. This paper describes the synthesis of CVEP via a six-step sequence starting from the readily available precursors 1,4-butanediol, cholesterol, and mPEG acid. The hydrolysis rates and release kinetics from CVEP/DOPE liposome dispersions as a function of CVEP loading, as well as the cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and pH-dependent monolayer properties of 9:91 CVEP/DOPE mixtures, also are reported. When folate receptor-positive KB cells were exposed to calcein-loaded 5:95 CVEP/DOPE liposomes containing 0.1 mol % folate-modified 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-polyethylene[76] glycolamide (folate-PEG-DSPE), delivery of the calcein cargo to the cytoplasm of the cells was observed as determined by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis of lipid mixing in these cells was consistent with membrane-membrane fusion between the liposome and endosomal membranes.
Boundary objects in complementary and alternative medicine: Acupuncture vs. Christian Science

Nearly four in ten American use complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) each year. Even with a large number of patients, CAM practitioners face scrutiny from physicians and biomedical researchers who, in an era of evidence-based medicine, argue there is little evidence to support CAM treatments. Examining how CAM has or has not been integrated into American health care is crucial in understanding the contemporary boundaries of healthcare systems. An analytical tool from science and technology studies, boundary objects, can help scholars of medicine understand which practices become integrated into these systems. Using a comparative analysis based on archival and interview data, this paper examines the use of boundary objects in two alternative medical practices - acupuncture and Christian Science. While boundary objects alone cannot explain what health practices succeed or fail, juxtaposing the use of boundary objects by different CAM groups identifies the work boundary objects do to facilitate integration and the conditions under which they "work." I find that acupuncturists' use of sterile needles as a boundary objects assists in their effective integration into U.S. healthcare because needles are both a symbol of biomedical prowess and a potentially unsafe device requiring regulation. Christian Scientists' use of the placebo effect as a boundary object has not succeeded because they fail to acknowledge the different contextual definitions of the placebo effect in biomedical communities. This comparative analysis highlights how context affects which boundary objects "work" for CAM practices and theorizes why alternative health practices succeed or fail to become integrated into healthcare systems.
The Economics of Congestion: A Geometric Review:

The purpose of this review is to consolidate the analytical basis and reduce the technical complexity of the growing literature on congestion. Money and time costs are kept distinct, and the basic positive and normative implications of congestion are derived geometrically. On the assumptions that the “size” of the facility is fixed and that an uncongested alternative exists, the implications are derived for one and two classes of identical users entering under various means: with free access, efficiently, with private ownership, and through clubs.
Temporal stability of aquatic food webs: partitioning the effects of species diversity, species composition and enrichment

Theory predicts that species diversity can enhance stability of community-level biomass while simultaneously decreasing population-level stability. Enrichment can theoretically destabilize communities but effects may become weaker with increasing diversity because of the inclusion of consumer-resistant prey. Few experiments using direct manipulations of species diversity have tested these predictions. We used laboratorybased aquatic food webs to examine the effects of species composition, diversity and enrichment on temporal variability of population- and community-level biomass. We found weak effects of enrichment on population- and community-level stability. However, diversity enhanced community-level stability while species composition had no influence. In contrast, composition effects outweighed diversity effects when stability was measured at the population level. We found no negative effects of diversity on population-level stability, in opposition to theory. Our results indicate that diversity can enhance stability in multitrophic systems, but effects vary with the scale of biological organization at which stability is measured.
Representing Traits in WS/PIDS

The only standard for handling and sharing patient demographics and other identifying information is the CORBAmed Person Identification Service (PIDS). We recently introduced WS/PIDS, a corresponding specification using Web Services, immediately usable for sharing EHR data in heterogeneous distributed environments; this paper focuses on the XML Schema definition of traits (attributes) in WS/PIDS. Assumptions implied in the original PIDS are discussed, as well as new needs due to multimedia data formats. Different possible alternatives for representing traits are explored, and the most suitable one among them is incorporated and validated in WS/PIDS
Theory of fermion exchange in massive quantum electrodynamics at high energy. IV. Tenth-order perturbation theory

A perturbation calculation of the high energy behavior of Compton scattering near the backward direction and pair annihilation to photons is extended to tenth order. There are 41 Feynman diagrams which must be considered. These diagrams fall into 3 categories: (1) fifteen which contribute to the leading real part, (2) six which individually contribute to the leading imaginary part that cancel in pairs in the sum, and (3) twenty which contribute to the leading imaginary part which do not cancel identically in the sum. (AIP)
Effect on Renal Function of Change From High to Moderate Protein Intake in Type I Diabetic Patients

The effects on renal function of moderate restriction in protein intake were studied in 14- to 20-yr-old type I diabetic patients who had no clinical renal disease or hypertension; matched normal subjects served as controls. After assessment of protein intake and renal function, studies were conducted at the completion of each of two consecutive dietary periods of 1 wk. Diets containing 3.5 and 1.5 g · kg−1 · day1 protein were provided during the first and second periods, respectively. Baseline protein intakes were substantial in both controls (1.86 g · kg−1 · day1) and diabetics (2.17 g · kg−1 · day1). Baseline creatinine clearance was increased in diabetics ( P < .043). At the end of the highprotein intake period, both diabetics and controls showed similar high values of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF). GFR and RPF decreased markedly ( P < .001) and to a similar degree in both groups after normal protein intake. GFR and RPF in diabetics were not higher than in controls at this point, but filtration fraction was increased in diabetics. Albumin excretion rates were similar in both groups and not influenced by renal function changes. GFR and RPF values correlated significantly with the quantity of protein intake, as estimated from the urea nitrogen appearance rate in both groups. The results suggest that the functional response to variations in protein intake is not altered in the diabetic kidney. In addition, increased renal function in diabetics may be related partly to the excessive protein content in commonly prescribed diabetic diets. Moderate dietary protein restriction is an additional approach for the correction of diabetic hyperfiltration.
Statistical dynamics of dual-power law optical soliton

The dynamics of optical solitons with dual-power law nonlinearity, in pres- ence of a stochastic perturbation term, is studied in this pa per. The soliton perturbation theory is exploited to obtain the Langevin equation by virtu e of which one can con- clude that solitons travel down the optical fiber with a fixed m ean free velocity.
Cystathioninuria in patients with neuroblastoma

Urinary excretion of cystathionine and dopa metabolites was analyzed in 61 patients with active neuroblastoma before, and at regular intervals during treatment. Thirty-seven patients with clinical evidence of active neuroblastoma excreted elevated levels of cystathionine before treatment was initiated; six other patients showed cystathioninuria at some time during treatment with chemo- or radiotherapy. The cause of the cystathioninuria remains unidentified. No relationship between excessive cystathionine excretion and liver impairment or liver metastases was established; nor was there evidence to support a consistent correlation with the ratio of the sum of the excretion values for vanilglycolic acid and vanilglycol to the excretion of vanilacetic acid. Our results indicate that absence of cystathioninuria correlates with an early clinical staging and thus with a favorable prognosis. Isolated cystathioninuria does occasionally occur in patients with neuroblastoma, permitting a presumptive diagnosis until later evidence can be obtained. Determination of cystathionine excretion is essential for an extensive biochemical evaluation of patients with neuroblastoma.
Efficient wireless powering of sensors embedded in concrete via magnetic resonance

Wireless power propagation via Strongly Coupled Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) by helical resonators through a non-homogenous interface, such as, air-concrete, is analyzed here. The power transfer mechanism consists of two self-resonant coils and two single loops in contrast to the two resonant loops traditionally used in RFID systems. The efficiency of wireless power transmission from a source in air to a sensor embedded in concrete via strongly coupled magnetic resonance is simulated as well as measured. The concrete material is modeled for various humidity levels using the extended Debye's model. The efficiency of the SCMR is also analyzed for different depths inside the concrete.
Cloning of a putative Bombyx mori TFIIB-related factor (BRF).

To identify the protein domains responsible for its conserved and specialized functions, putative TFIIB-Related Factor (BRF) from the silkworm (Bombyx mori) was compared with BRFs from other organisms. The Bombyx BRF coding region was assembled from three separate and overlapping cDNA fragments. Fragments encoding the middle portion and the 3′ end were discovered in the Bombyx mori Genome Project “Silkbase” collection through sequence homology with human BRF1, and the fragment encoding the N-terminus was isolated in our laboratory using the 5′ RACE method. Southern analysis showed that silkworm BRF is encoded by a single-copy gene. Bombyx BRF contains the following domains that have been noted in all other BRFs, and that are likely, therefore, to provide highly conserved functions: a zinc finger domain, an imperfect repeat, three “BRF Homology” domains, and an acidic domain at the C-terminus. As expected from the evolutionary relationships among insects and mammals, Bombyx BRF is more similar overall to Drosophila BRF (55% identical) than to human BRF1 (42% identical). Detailed examination of individual domains reveals a remarkable exception, however. Domain II of Bombyx BRF is more similar to its human counterpart than to Drosophila Domain II. This result indicates that Domain II has undergone unusual divergence in Drosophila, and suggests a structural basis for Drosophila BRF's unique pattern of interaction with other transcription factors. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 54:55–67, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Is the Frequency Content of the Calls in North American Treefrogs Limited by Their Larynges

A high diversity of mating calls is found among frogs. The calls of most species, however, are simple, in comparison to those of mammals and birds. In order to determine if the mechanics of the larynx could explain the simplicity of treefrog calls, the larynges of euthanized males were activated with airflow. Laryngeal airflow, sound frequency, and sound intensity showed a positive direct relationship with the driving air pressure. While the natural calls of the studied species exhibit minimal frequency modulation, their larynges produced about an octave of frequency modulation in response to varying pulmonary pressure. Natural advertisement calls are produced near the higher extreme of frequency obtained in the laboratory and at a slightly higher intensity (6 dB). Natural calls also exhibit fewer harmonics than artificial ones, because the larynges were activated with the mouth of the animal open. The results revealed that treefrog larynges allow them to produce calls spanning a much greater range of frequencies than observed in nature; therefore, the simplicity of the calls is not due to a limited frequency range of laryngeal output. Low frequencies are produced at low intensities, however, and this could explain why treefrogs concentrate their calling at the high frequencies.
Epidural Chordoma of the Cervical Spine With Secondary Bone Involvement

A 53-year-old man presented with cervical myelopathy. magnetic resonance imagine (MRI) revealed a predominantly extraskeletal, extradural lesion extending along the posterior aspects of the C2 to C5 vertebral bodies, with greater than 60% spinal canal compromise and severe cord compression. Bone involvement was present, but was thought to be secondary. Based on histopathology and immunohistochemical stains, the final pathologic diagnosis was chordoma. The lesion was treated with embolization, surgical resection, and proton beam radiotherapy, and there was no evidence of recurrence or metastasis after five years.
Gallbladder mucin glycoprotein hypersecretion in experimental cholelithiasis: role of mucin gel in nucleation of cholesterol gallstones.

The emphasis of gallstone research in the past decade has focused on the role of cholesterol supersaturation in bile and reduction in bile salt pool size in the pathophysiology of cholelithasis. However it is now recognized that cholesterol supersaturation is a frequent finding in normal individuals (1), and that a nucleation factor (2) is present in lithogenic gallbladder bile. Womack (3) first suggested that gallbladder mucus glycoproteins could serve as a nucleating agent for cholesterol stones, and noted that nucleation of cholesterol crystals occured in mucus aggregates in the gallbladder of hamsters fed a lithogenic diet. Increased concentrations of gallbladder mucus glycoproteins has been described in experimental cholelithiases in rabbits (4) and dogs (5) and in gallbladder bile from patients with cholesterol stones. (6) Analysis of human gallstones reveals the presence of mucus glycoproteins which may form a matrix for the stones. (7)
Selenium derivatization and crystallization of DNA and RNA oligonucleotides for X‐ray crystallography using multiple anomalous dispersion

We report here the solid phase synthesis of RNA and DNA oligonucleotides containing the 2′-selenium functionality for X-ray crystallography using multiwavelength anomalous dispersion. We have synthesized the novel 2′-methylseleno cytidine phosphoramidite and improved the accessibility of the 2′-methylseleno uridine phosphoramidite for the synthesis of many selenium-derivatized DNAs and RNAs in large scales. The yields of coupling these Se-nucleoside phosphoramidites into DNA or RNA oligonucleotides were over 99% when 5-(benzylmercapto)-1H-tetrazole was used as the coupling reagent. The UV melting study of A-form dsDNAs indicated that the 2′-selenium derivatization had no effect on the stability of the duplexes with the 3′-endo sugar pucker. Thus, the stems of functional RNA molecules with the same 3′-endo sugar pucker appear to be the ideal sites for the selenium derivatization with 2′-Se-C and 2′-Se-U. Crystallization of the selenium-derivatized oligonucleotides is also reported here. The results demonstrate that this 2′-selenium functionality is suitable for RNA and A-form DNA derivatization in X-ray crystallography.
Model and analysis of gate leakage current in ultrathin nitrided oxide MOSFETs

An analytical model of the gate leakage current in ultrathin gate nitrided oxide MOSFETs is presented. This model is based on an inelastic trap-assisted tunneling (ITAT) mechanism combined with a semi-empirical gate leakage current formulation. The tunneling-in and tunneling-out current are calculated by modifying the expression of the direct tunneling current model of BSIM. For a microscopic interpretation of the ITAT process, resonant tunneling (RT) through the oxide barrier containing potential wells associated with the localized states is proposed. We employ a quantum-mechanical model to treat electronic transitions within the trap potential well. The ITAT current model is then quantitatively consistent with the summation of the resonant tunneling current components of resonant energy levels. The 1/f noise observed in the gate leakage current implies the existence of slow processes with long relaxation times in the oxide barrier. In order to verify the proposed ITAT current model, an accurate method for determining the device parameters is necessary. The oxide thickness and the interface trap density of the gate oxide in the 20-30 /spl Aring/ thickness range are evaluated by the quasi-static capacitance-voltage (C-V) method, dealing especially with quantum-mechanical and polysilicon effects.
Bicameralism and the Logic of Party Organization

This article takes a novel approach to the question of how bicameralism matters by asking not how it shapes policy outcomes, but rather how it shapes political parties. Bicameralism uniquely challe...
Educational Media and ‘Agit Prop’: I. The legacy of Vertov

Abstract A 75 year‐old educational media process, involving interactive multimedia, formative evaluation, and a sophisticated distance education system, is described. Although these techniques are mainstays of modem educational technology, their origins in the work of 1920s' film director Dziga Vertov have not previously been recognised. This article (the first of a 2‐part paper) registers the techniques' roots on the Leninist ‘agit prop’ film train, and their development by Vertov for social intervention purposes. It describes their essence, a feedback process whereby media footage is viewed and discussed by its producers and the people it portrays, and used as a catalyst for mass education and change. The Vertov Process culminated during the 1930s in the work of Alexander Medvedkin before being suppressed by Stalin. The article charts the subsequent influence of Vertov's educational techniques on the European schools of film documentary led in Britain by John Grierson, and in France by the avant‐garde m...
Reply: “What if . . . the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Considers Tobacco?” and “Smoking Control Is a Priority to Promote Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Health”

From the Editorialists: We thank Drs. Soriano and Morera for supporting the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI’s) recent Strategic Visioning effort to collectively identify the greatest unmet needs in heart, lung, blood, and sleep research (1). They are correct in noting the central role tobacco plays in many diseases that fall within the mission of the NHLBI. We are also grateful to Dr. Jiminez-Ruiz and colleagues from the European Respiratory Society's Tobacco Control Committee for their thoughtful letter and key literature highlighting the importance of strategies for the effective prevention and treatment of tobacco use to foster and preserve human health. The points made in these letters illustrate the kind of feedback we hope to receive from the research community on this and other topics as we move to shape future research priorities. The NHLBI will certainly consider mission-specific compelling questions and critical challenges identified through this process relating to tobacco and its adverse effects on heart, lung, blood, and sleep health. The NHLBI’s new Strategic Visioning forum (http://nhlbistrategicvisioning.ideascale.com/) provides the broad stakeholder community an opportunity to engage in real-time conversations around topics for the NHLBI to address over the next decade, including tobacco and many other important issues. We encourage our communities to actively participate in this novel process to shape our future research directions. We believe that joint efforts by the NHLBI and the research, patient, and provider communities will bring optimal and sustained cardiopulmonary health within reach, with the potential to improve the lives of millions of individuals.
Evaluating Sense Codon Reassignment with a Simple Fluorescence Screen.

Understanding the interactions that drive the fidelity of the genetic code and the limits to which modifications can be made without breaking the translational system has practical implications for understanding the molecular mechanisms of evolution as well as expanding the set of encodable amino acids, particularly those with chemistries not provided by Nature. Because 61 sense codons encode 20 amino acids, reassigning the meaning of sense codons provides an avenue for biosynthetic modification of proteins, furthering both fundamental and applied biochemical research. We developed a simple screen that exploits the absolute requirement for fluorescence of an active site tyrosine in green fluorescent protein (GFP) to probe the pliability of the degeneracy of the genetic code. Our screen monitors the restoration of the fluorophore of GFP by incorporation of a tyrosine in response to a sense codon typically assigned another meaning in the genetic code. We evaluated sense codon reassignment at four of the 21 ...