cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
4610 Biliary and pancreatic stent cytology in the diagnosis of pancreatobiliary malignancy.

INTRODUCTION: Various endoscopic tissue sampling techniques are utilized in the diagnosis of PBmalignancy. A number of small series suggest cytological examination of cellular debris from biliary stents affords sensitivity comparable to brush cytology. AIM: To assess the sensitivity and specificity of stent cytology in the diagnosis of PB malignancy. METHODS:All patients who underwent ERCP with stent removal for cytological examination were included. Nearly all subjects had prior negative intraductal tissue sampling but suspicion for malignancy persisted. Stents were transported in cytorich-red fixative and had debris scraped, placed on slides for PAP staining and were examined by an experienced cytopathologist. Stents removed from previously proven malignant strictures were not included.Final cancer diagnosis was based on cytologic results, surgery, other tissue sampling techniques, autopsy or clinical follow-up. RESULTS: Between Jan. 1994 and Aug. 1999, 68 biliary and 13 pancreatic stents in 68 patients were examined cytologically (M:F 38:31; mean age 61, range 19-87). Five patients were excluded because of lack of confirmation of the final diagnosis. All biliary stents were used in the treatment of biliary strictures. The indications for the 13 pancreatic stents were PD stricture (7), cystic lesion (4) and other (2). All cytology results recorded as atypical were considered benign for the purposes of this analysis. The sensitivity of stent cytology for the diagnosis of malignancy was 9.1%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100% and negative predictive value 58.9%. Three of the four cases with atypical cytology were from patients with malignant strictures: pancreatic adenocarcinoma, locally metastatic gallbladder carcinoma and mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. The fourth sample was from a patient with PSC. If these cases were included in the analysis, the sensitivity increases to 18.2% and the specificity is minimally decreased to 97.8%.SUMMARY: Cytological examination of cellular debris from biliary/pancreatic stents has a very low sensitivity for the detection of PB malignancy. This improves slightly when all grades of cellular atypia are considered indicative of malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: Stent cytology should not be used in isolation to aid in the diagnosis of pancreaticobiliary malignancy because of its low yield. It is an impractical test for the early confirmation of malignancy as cytological examination is delayed until stent removal.
Low-Velocity Microgravity Impact Experiments into Simulated Regolith

Abstract We describe the Collisions Into Dust Experiment (COLLIDE), a microgravity experiment to study the outcome of very low velocity (1–100 cm/sec) collisions into a simulated regolith. The experiment was flown on the Space Shuttle in April 1998 and included six independent impact experiments into a lunar soil simulant. Results of these impact experiments showed very little dust ejecta was produced in the impacts, which were highly inelastic. We present normal and tangential coefficients of restitution for impacts into simulated regolith at speeds between 15 and 90 cm/sec. We find normal coefficients of restitution of 2 to 3%, significantly lower than is suggested by extrapolation from low-velocity impact experiments with ice, but consistent with higher velocity impacts into powder. Our microgravity experiment confirms the ground-based result of Hartmann (1978, Icarus 33 , 50–62) that the presence of a regolith increases the efficiency of planetary accretion. The absence of dust ejecta suggests higher energy collisions are necessary to release the dust observed in planetary rings.
Cell death by apoptosis: basic concepts and disease relevance for the gastroenterologist.

Abstract We have reviewed in a conceptual manner with appropriate scientific detail the role apoptosis plays in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This information should help the clinician and clinician investigator to better understand and treat gastrointestinal diseases. Future investigations in apoptosis probably will provide further insight into the cell-signaling cascades regulating apoptosis, the mechanism(s) by which Bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis, and the precise role of apoptosis in cancer initiation, promotion, and progression. We anticipate that in the future, the practicing gastroenterologist will have therapeutic strategies available to inhibit apoptosis for various gastrointestinal diseases associated with cell death and to induce apoptosis for the treatment of gastrointestinal neoplasia. (Gastroenterology 1996 Apr;110(4):1238-43)
Electrospinning alginate-based nanofibers: From blends to crosslinked low molecular weight alginate-only systems

We report here preparation of nanofibers containing alginate using two different molecular weights (MWs): 37 kDa and 196 kDa. Low MW alginates are attractive for in vivo tissue scaffolds where degradation and clearance from the body are desirable, whereas higher MW alginates are amenable for topical use as wound coverage because of its better mechanical properties. We use polyethylene oxide (PEO) as a carrier material to aid in electrospinning, and relate the solution properties, including entanglement concentration, relaxation time, conductivity, and surface tension, to their ability to be electrospun. In addition, we examine an FDA-approved, nonionic surfactant as a route to enhancing the alginate–PEO ratio (>80:20), and less toxic alternative to Triton X-100 surfactant. Finally, alginate-only nanofibers that are also water-insoluble are obtained by crosslinking the electrospun fibers with calcium and subsequently removing the PEO and surfactants by soaking the nanofibers in water.
Leveraging safety and EMC skills in energy regulatory compliance

Regulations mandating energy-efficient design and performance in a variety of consumer products are emerging throughout the world. Compliance organizations can leverage technical skills already in place and scale to meet the increased responsibilities
Measuring supply chain risk: Predicting motor carriers’ ability to withstand disruptive environmental change using conjoint analysis

Abstract Supply chain risk measurement is an expanding research stream that considers the ability of networked firms to anticipate and respond to significant environmental risks, including major disruptions and unexpected events. However measuring and quantifying supply chain risk has proved an enormous challenge and this research contributes to this goal by developing a risk assessment scorecard, using conjoint analysis, for motor carrier firms. The resultant motor-carrier scorecard has been scaled from 300 to 900, to resemble the well-known FICO score for assessing consumer creditworthiness. Our scoring model enables motor carriers – and the firms that depend upon them in intermodal supply chains – to assess carriers’ ability to withstand major disruptive events, which are broadly defined as events which might lead to a significant drop in carriers’ income and profitability (e.g., such as that which occurred on September 11, 2001). Carriers with weaker risk scores (
The performance of elastomeric parking garage membrane systems

Abstract Physiochemical techniques and tests to determine mechanical properties were used to characterize and evaluate the performance and durability of selected elastomeric membrane systems. The influence of concrete quality, surface preparation, variation in chemical composition of the products and sensitivity to environmental conditions on the performance of the membranes was determined. Results show that although the membranes restrict the ingress of moisture and chlorides into the concrete deck, improper surface preparation or membrane installation can result in pin holes and blisters which allow the permeation of chloride ions. The effects of high and low ambient temperatures and some chemicals encountered in the parking garage environment significantly affect the performance of a membrane.
Basal metabolic rates in mammals: taxonomic differences in the allometry of BMR and body mass.

Abstract 1. 1. No single equation adequately describes the allometric relation between body mass and BMR for mammals. 2. 2. Least squares regression of log-transformed data for 248 eutherian species results in a line with a slope (−0.30) significantly different from that of Kleiber's line (−0.25). 3. 3. Interordinal comparisons of least squares regressions of log-transformed BMR and mass suggest that the Insectivora have a significantly steeper slope to their allometric relationship than do most other orders, while the non-insectivore orders are statistically homogeneous with respect to slope. 4. 4. With respect to elevation, Edentata have the lowest BMRs; Marsupialia, Primates and Chiroptera are indistinguishable from each other but above the edentates; Primates, Chiroptera, Rodentia, Lagomorpha and Carnivora form the next highest homogeneous grouping; and Artiodactyla have the highest BMRs, significantly greater than all but Lagomorpha and Carnivora. 5. 5. Analysis of intraordinal variation within the Rodentia suggests significant heterogeneity among families in BMR-mass allometry.
Are adolescents accurate in self-report of frequencies of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies?

Purpose: Many surveys of adolescent behavior are dependent on self-reported data. We sought to assess the accuracy of adolescent self-report of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and pregnancies. Methods: We randomly selected 149 (118 females, 31 males) adolescents to participate in this accuracy study. Follow-up questionnaires were administered to the 126 patients (99 females, 27 males) who returned after enrollment. Patients were asked about STDs and pregnancies during the follow-up period which ranged from 6 months to 1 year. All patient charts were reviewed to validate post-testing history. Results: Return visits were made by 126 patients (84%). Fifty-one (40%) denied having had an STD at all during the follow-up period but were found to have had at least one STD. Another 11 (9%) admitted having had an STD but had multiple STDs in excess of what they reported. Only 46% of the patients provided accurate information on the follow-up questionnaire. Of the 99 girls who returned for follow-up, the inaccurate patients (10%) consisted of 9 who reported no visits for a pregnancy but had a pregnancy documented in their charts and 1 who underreported her number of pregnancies. Reliability analysis of the accuracy of STD and pregnancy self-report for our patients showed kappas ranging from 0.185 to 0.413 (slight and fair to moderate, respectively). Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.3107 and 0.4364 for STD and pregnancy, respectively. Conclusions: Our patients' histories of visits for STDs and pregnancies are often not substantiated by review of their medical records. The reason for the inaccuracies in self-report of sexual behaviors is unclear. Further research in this area should be done. Physicians must confirm patient history concerning sexual practices through appropriate record review and medical evaluation.
Bacterial lipids: Metabolism and membrane homeostasis

Membrane lipid homeostasis is a vital facet of bacterial cell physiology. For decades, research in bacterial lipid synthesis was largely confined to the Escherichia coli model system. This basic research provided a blueprint for the biochemistry of lipid metabolism that has largely defined the individual steps in bacterial fatty acid and phospholipids synthesis. The advent of genomic sequencing has revealed a surprising amount of diversity in the genes, enzymes and genetic organization of the components responsible for bacterial lipid synthesis. Although the chemical steps in fatty acid synthesis are largely conserved in bacteria, there are surprising differences in the structure and cofactor requirements for the enzymes that perform these reactions in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This review summarizes how the explosion of new information on the diversity of biochemical and genetic regulatory mechanisms has impacted our understanding of bacterial lipid homeostasis. The potential and problems of developing therapeutics that block pathogen phospholipid synthesis are explored and evaluated. The study of bacterial lipid metabolism continues to be a rich source for new biochemistry that underlies the variety and adaptability of bacterial life styles.
Transfrontier air pollution along the United States-Mexico border

Transfrontier air pollution along the United States-Mexico border is reviewed. Both governments have addressed the issue and concluded, after over 12 years of efforts, very little has been accomplished. Reasons for the federal failures and successes at other levels are explored. It is proposed the United States adopt the Mexican concept of ownership of air and Mexico adopt the United States concept of a bubble airshed. A plan is presented whereby these mutual federal concessions could lead to economic reasons to eliminate transfrontier air pollution along the United States-Mexico border.
Vendor Requirements and Evaluation in a Just‐In‐Time Environment

One of the essential tasks in implementing JIT is to integrate suppliers in the overall strategy. The process of vendor evaluation and selection is a time‐consuming and critical aspect of establishing vendor partnerships. The various attributes that are important in implementing JIT into the purchasing process are discussed. These attributes are categorised as financial, service, and technical. Several traditional vendor evaluation procedures are examined, their advantages and disadvantages described, and a new dimensional analysis model is introduced. This model has certain advantages over the traditional methods. An illustration of how the model can be used to assist purchasing in the selection of suppliers is given.
Anaerobic Brain Function: Effects of Stagnant and Anoxic Anoxia on Persistence of Breathing in Reptiles

Turtles tolerate anoxic anoxia about 14 times longer than stagnant anoxia. In snakes and crocodiles this difference is much less marked. Apparently, the remarkable anaerobic viability of turtles is dependent on blood circulation, Analyses of plasma indicate that loss of brain function in anoxic crocodiles is not caused by systemic acidosis or hypoglycemia. It is suggested that the ability of the central nervous system of the turtle to function without oxygen is due to a comparatively high rate of anaerobic uptake or metabolism of glucose.
Calculation of energy straggling for protons and helium ions

Energy straggling has been calculated for protons and helium ions in each of the elements, by using the Hartree-Fock-Slater charge distribution for the target atom with Bonderup and Hvelplund's formulation. The results reveal a ${Z}_{2}$ structure in energy straggling, and afford a ready explanation of some earlier measurements.
Focus Issue: Peering into the Proteome

This week’s issues of Science and Science ’s STKE focus on approaches to analyzing proteins and investigating their function in the proteomic era. Reviews in Science discuss the application of mass spectrometry to protein analysis and proteomics, probing protein dynamics with NMR, and the use of fluorescent probes to study proteins in living cells. A Protocol in STKE uses a photoreactive antagonist to inactivate cell surface receptors with electrophysiological recording to monitor trafficking of a specific type of glutamate receptor. An STKE Review discusses how to avoid problems in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiment interpretation through the use of FRET standards and by considering how changes in the stoichiometry and abundance of FRET donors and acceptors affect FRET analysis.
Retinoic acid increases matrix gla protein in rat plasma

Abstract The administration of retinoic acid to rats at dosages which achieve circulating levels of 1 μM or more causes a 40 to 50 percent increase in plasma levels of matrix Gla protein (MGP) within 24 hr. This increase is consistent with previous studies which demonstrate strong induction of MGP gene expression by 1 μM retinoic acid in several cell lines and with the presence of a putative retinoic acid responsive element in the MGP gene promoter. Retinoic acid does increase MGP levels to a far greater extent in cells than in the plasma of rats, but this could reflect partial induction of MGP by endogenous retinoic acid in the vitamin A-replete control animals. The consistent induction of MGP expression in cultured cells and in animals suggests that this small, vitamin K-dependent protein may mediate some of the known actions of retinoic acid in differentiation and development.
Block copolymer self-diffusion in the gyroid and cylinder morphologies

Forced Rayleigh scattering (FRS) and pulsed-field-gradient NMR have been used to measure the self-diffusion coefficient, D, of a poly(ethylene oxide)−poly(ethylethylene) diblock copolymer in the molten state. The copolymer contains 42% PEO by volume and has a total molecular weight of 4100 g/mol. Upon heating from room temperature the sample transforms from crystalline lamellae to hexagonal cylinders, and then to a bicontinuous cubic “gyroid” phase (with Ia3d space group symmetry), before finally disordering at 175 °C. FRS measurements were performed in the gyroid and cylinder phases, and NMR measurements in the gyroid and disordered states. Cylinder samples both with and without shear alignment were employed. A hysteresis loop permitted measurements of D in both cylinder and gyroid phases at the same temperature (60 °C). FRS decays from cylindrical samples were described by a sum of two exponentials. For the aligned samples, values of the diffusivity along (Dpar) and across (Dperp) the cylinders were ex...
Maternal Admonition as Devotional Practice: Letters of Mary Fane, Countess of Westmorland

Lady Mary Fane, Countess of Westmorland (d. 1640), composed advice to her children in a generations-long family practice of spiritual legacy writing. Posthumously published mothers' legacies such a...
Production of Hydrogen Peroxide in Liquid CO2. 2. Catalytic Hydrogenation of CO2-philic Anthraquinones

Pd-catalyzed hydrogenations of fluoroether-functionalized anthraquinones (FAQs) were conducted in liquid CO2 (P = 235 bar) at room temperature. The kinetics of the hydrogenation of the FAQs in liquid CO2 was investigated in a high-pressure batch reactor under a 10-fold excess of hydrogen, while varying the catalyst loading and catalyst particle size. The pressures employed were such that H2, CO2, and FAQ formed a single phase. The 1H NMR analysis of the FAQs after a hydrogenation−oxidation cycle showed no indication for “deep” hydrogenation or degradation of the linker. True kinetic constants, diffusion coefficients, and effective diffusivities were determined by simultaneous regression of the kinetic data. The diffusion coefficients of the FAQs decreased as the length of the fluoroether tail increased. Small catalyst particles and high stirring rates totally eliminated the external transport limitations. The nature of the linking group and the spacer (between the tail and the anthraquinone block) affecte...
Bloom: an interactive, organic visualization of starred emails

Bloom uses the metaphor of a desktop plant to remove task management from the already overloaded inbox and into a more human environment. When tasks in the inbox are starred, the email information is sent to an external touchscreen that then grows a flower for that specific task. The flower is activated on touch and the text of the email is displayed. Plucking the flower---touching, holding, then flicking the flower---removes that item from the task list.A large number of tools exist for managing tasks. Bloom is different in that it uses an organic, passive metaphor for visual display. Instead of having a series of piling text, whether in physical or digital form, Bloom does not visually overwhelm. A single task is as visually appealing as fifty. Additionally, although numerous email visualizations also exist much of this work has to do with overall inbox visualization and/or the display of relationships [1]. There is also precedence in using metaphor to visualize email as seen in Kjen Wilkens' Mail Garden. Bloom is distinct in both its focus on task management and our intent at full integration with existing email systems.
HTLV-1 21 bp Repeat Sequences Facilitate Stable Association Between Tax and CREB to Increase CREB Binding Affinity

The human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) transactivator protein Tax is critical for the activation of viral gene expression and the transformation of T-lymphocytes. Tax activation of HTLV-I gene expression is mediated by three highly homologous regulatory elements known as 21 bp repeats which bind the transcription factor CREB. Questions remain about the mechanism by which Tax can stimulate CREB binding, whether Tax alters CREB binding affinity, what specific sequences in the HTLV-I 21 bp repeat mediate ternary complex formation, and if the ternary complex comprised of Tax and CREB can recruit coactivators such as CBP. To address these points, we used immobilized templates containing either the HTLV-I 21 bp repeats or the somatostatin CRE to assay Tax association with ATF/CREB family members. Tax formed a stable ternary complex on each of the 21 bp repeats with the transcription factor CREB but not related ATF/CREB proteins. In contrast, Tax did not form a similar complex on the CREB binding site in the somatostatin promoter. The formation of this complex was dependent on 3' sequences flanking the CREB binding site within each of the 21 bp repeats and resulted in marked increases in CREB association and binding affinity. Tax increased the binding of phosphorylated CREB to the 21 bp repeat resulting in increased association of the coactivator CBP. However, Tax did not form a complex on the somatostatin CRE in the presence of either phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated CREB and it did not stimulate CBP association to this element. These studies extend previous work and demonstrate how specific DNA sequences flanking the CREB binding site regulate the formation of a stable ternary complex that is able to more efficiently recruit the coactivator CBP.
Humiliating ironies and dangerous dignities: a dialectic of school pushout

This article explores youth resistance to urban public high schools that both inadvertently and by design push out students before graduation. The author details how youth experience the institutional production of school non-completion as a dialectic of humiliating ironies and dangerous dignities, a dialectic of school pushout. The author describes how some youth position themselves in ways that are dangerous to the institution of schooling, and, at the same time, their own school careers.
The labor market effects of minimum wage laws: A new perspective

Economists almost uniformly argue that minimum wage laws benefit some workers at the expense of other workers. This argument is implicitly founded on the assumption that money wages are the only form of labor compensation. Based on the more realistic assumption that labor is paid in many different ways, the analysis of this paper demonstrates that all laborers within a perfectly competitive labor market are adversely affected by minimum wages. Although employment opportunities are reduced by such laws, affected labor markets clear. Conventional analysis of the effect of minimum wages on monopsony markets is also upset by the model developed.
The dilemma of osteopathic physicians and the rationalization of medical practice

Abstract Years ago, Peter New observed that osteopathic medical students faced a dilemma concerning their identity. On the one hand, they wished to be considered complete medical practitioners. On the other hand, they wished to be seen as different from MDs. There is evidence that osteopathic physicians continue to face that dilemma. I hypothesize that in part this stems from a conflict between classical ‘lifestyle commitments’ of the osteopathic community (e.g. toward general practice, osteopathic manipulative therapy, holism) and the rationalized model of medicine practiced by MDs (characterized by specialization and scientific elitism). Results of a survey of a local population of osteopathic physicians generally confirm this. Specific findings are that (1) classical elements of osteopathic commitment are not tied to commitment to the profession in general, (2) there appears to be a waning of commitment to general practice, (3) an increasing number of osteopathic physicians used the DO degree as a ‘back door’ into medicine and are less likely to identify with classical osteopathic norms, and (4) DOs from socially conservative backgrounds are more likely than others to maintain commitment to the classical elements of osteopathic practice.
Computer-Mediated Communication Versus Vocal Communication and the Attenuation of Pre-Interaction Impressions

Conflicting theoretical approaches yield divergent predictions about the effects of telephones versus computer-mediated communication (CMC) in the persistence or dissipation of pre-interaction expectancies. Moreover, different theoretical orientations and their underlying assumptions often invoke different methodologies, which can bias the results of research. The current studies articulate and assess rival hypotheses from alternative theoretical paradigms to uncover how CMC and vocal communication affect interpersonal impressions. Methodological issues in past CMC research are evaluated that limit the generalizability of previous findings in the area. Experiments employing alternative assumptions and methods indicate that CMC is functionally equivalent to vocal communication in its ability to ameliorate expectancies and that in some cases it can be superior in transmitting positive impressions.
Improved Grindability of Iron Ores using Microwave Energy

The Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, has conducted studies to utilize rapid microwave heating to stress fracture ore samples. Iron ores containing hematite, magnetite, and goethite were subjected to microwave energy in batch operations at 3 kW and heated to average temperatures between 840° and 940° C. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photomicrographs verified fracturing along grain boundaries and throughout the gangue matrix. Standard Bond grindability tests showed that microwave heating reduced the work index of iron ores by 9.9 to 23.7 pct. Preliminary studies using a continuous feed belt in a microwave applicator indicated that samples heat more uniformly and with better temperature control than in batch operations.
Analysis of tunnel-diode converter performance

Three tunnel-diode converter circuits-the Storm and Shattuck circuit, a push-pull version, and the Marzolf circuit-are analyzed graphically to obtain waveforms for both inverter and dc converter operation. Simple expressions are found for diode efficiency in ideal dc converter operation. The efficiencies are the same except that the efficiency of the Marzolf circuit is reduced by the magnetizing current required for the square-loop core. However, the Marzolf circuit has a more nearly square waveform and would require less filtering for dc conversion. The results point up the importance of developing tunnel diodes with high peak-to-valley ratios for converter application.
Simulation and assessment of non-quasi-static current crowding in scaled bipolar circuits

A novel method of accounting for non-quasi-static (NQS) effects in a seminumerical bipolar junction transistor (BJT) circuit model, based on the use of the previous time-step solution in the current time-step analysis, is used to simulate and assess transient current crowding is scaled bipolar circuits. The model, supported by numerical device simulations, reveals significant NQS delay, even in circuits comprising submicron BJTs. It is noted that the novel modeling/implementation involving the use of the previous time-step solution to update the model for the current time-step analysis could be a viable means of accounting for general NQS behavior in semi-numerical transient device/circuit simulation. For example, the transient-field (dE/dt) dependence of hot-electron drift velocity in scaled BJTs, which portends a NQS aspect of the velocity overshoot, can be accounted for via the methodology described. >
Supporting Small-Scale Enterprises for Women Farmers in the Sahel

This article explores reasons for the success and failure of small-scale enterprise programmes for rural women in the Sahel sponsored by a Malian NGO. The CILCA Mali programme has assisted projects in rainfed crop production, vegetable production, sheep fattening, poultry raising, and soap and textile production based on a revolving credit scheme operating both for collective and individual loans. They have also placed heavy emphasis on training village women, on helping make viable village women's organizations, on health and sanitation activities and on preschools. Their eclectic approach, with its underlying emphasis on economically viable microenterprises in agricultural, animal husbandry and manufacturing activities, has been quite successful. It seems that the project has benefited village women both in terms of status and in terms of family welfare. The ‘integrated’ approach to development which tries to do everything simultaneously has often been criticized. in this case, though, the many non-economic activities seem to have been important assets reinforcing the success of the micro-enterprises. The generalist/technician character of the women's technical team and their back-up from the rural technical institute are also factors in CILCA-Mali's success. CILC A-Mali may be seen as a useful example of what can be accomplished for and with village women in the poorest circumstances and the worst possible climatic conditions by a microenterprise strategy embedded in a broader village system approach.
Peginterferon-α2b and ribavirin

Hepatitis C virus infection is among the leading causes of chronic liver disease in the USA and has a worldwide prevalence of approximately 300 million people. Chronic hepatitis C virus is the most common indication for liver transplantation in the USA. Due to the chronic nature of hepatitis C virus infection, these numbers are expected to grow fourfold in the next decade. Interferon-α2b monotherapy followed by combination therapy with ribavirin have been used to treat chronic hepatitis C virus with limited success. The development of pegylated interferon-α2b, (Peg-intron®, Schering-Plough) instituted the next chapter in hepatitis C virus therapy. The demonstration of its safety and efficacy led to a major trial studying coadministration with ribavirin for compensated chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Pegylated interferon combination therapy has improved efficacy over standard interferon combination therapy without an increase in adverse effects. This article reviews the data regarding pegylated interf...
CYP709B3, a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase gene involved in salt tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Within the Arabidopsis genome, there are 272 cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) genes. However, the biological functions of the majority of these P450s remain unknown. The CYP709B family of P450s includes three gene members, CYP709B1, CYP709B2 and CYP709B3, which have high amino acid sequence similarity and lack reports elucidating biological functions. We identified T-DNA insertion-based null mutants of the CYP709B subfamily of genes. No obvious morphological phenotypes were exhibited under normal growth conditions. When the responses to ABA and salt stress were studied in these mutants, only the cyp709b3 mutant showed sensitivity to ABA and salt during germination. Under moderate salt treatment (150 mM NaCl), cyp709b3 showed a higher percentage of damaged seedlings, indicating a lower tolerance to salt stress. CYP709B3 was highly expressed in all analyzed tissues and especially high in seedlings and leaves. In contrast, CYP709B1 and CYP709B2 were highly expressed in siliques, but were at very low levels in other tissues. Under salt stress condition, CYP709B3 gene expression was induced after 24 hr and remained at high expression level. Expression of the wild type CYP709B3 gene in the cyp709b3 mutant fully complemented the salt intolerant phenotype. Furthermore, metabolite profiling analysis revealed some differences between wild type and cyp709b3 mutant plants, supporting the salt intolerance phenotype of the cyp709b3 mutant. These results suggest that CYP709B3 plays a role in ABA and salt stress response and provides evidence to support the functions of cytochrome P450 enzymes in plant stress response.
Beyond the platelet count: Heparin antibodies as independent risk predictors

A major potential side effect of heparin is immunogenicity, eliciting antibody development to a protein complex comprised of platelet factor 4 and heparin. Nevertheless, the clinical implications of heparin antibody positive patients remain broad, ranging from no apparent clinical consequences to life-threatening arterial and venous thromboemboli. The "Iceberg Model" has been proposed to depict this spectrum, with a relatively large population of antibody-positive patients forming the base of the iceberg, a smaller population of thrombocytopenic patients in the middle and a limited number of patients with thrombocytopenia and thrombosis comprising the apex. An underlying assumption of this model is that thrombosis occurs only in settings of relative or absolute thrombocytopenia. However, several recent studies suggest that antibody formation to platelet factor 4/heparin complexes, even in the absence of thrombocytopenia, may be associated with thrombotic events. In this review, we summarize these data, consider potential mechanisms for thrombosis, and suggest recommendations for testing and management of antibody-positive patients.
Youths’ Caretaking of Their Adolescent Sisters’ Children Results From Two Longitudinal Studies

The extent and experiences of youths’ caretaking of their adolescent sisters’ children have been assessed in two longitudinal studies. The first study examines the caretaking patterns of 132 Latino and African American youth during middle and late adolescence. The second study involves 110 Latino youth whose teenage sister has recently given birth. Youth are studied at 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. In both studies, girls provide more hours of care than boys, and in Study 1, girls’ hours of care significantly increase with age whereas boys’ hours of caretaking decrease. Girls provide more care when their sisters are older and when their mothers provide many hours of care, whereas boys provide less care when their mothers provide more care and when they have many siblings. Results of both studies reveal age, gender, and across-time differences in the extent of care, type of caretaking activities, and experiences in providing care.
A dynamic multiscale magnifying tool for exploring large sparse graphs

We present an information visualization tool, known as GreenMax, to visually explore large small-world graphs with up to a million graph nodes on a desktop computer. A major motivation for scanning a small-world graph in such a dynamic fashion is the demanding goal of identifying not just the well-known features but also the unknown-known and unknown-unknown features of the graph. GreenMax uses a highly effective multilevel graph drawing approach to pre-process a large graph by generating a hierarchy of increasingly coarse layouts that later support the dynamic zooming of the graph. This paper describes the graph visualization challenges, elaborates our solution, and evaluates the contributions of GreenMax in the larger context of visual analytics on large small-world graphs. We report the results of two case studies using GreenMax and the results support our claim that we can use GreenMax to locate unexpected features or structures behind a graph.
Phase Equilibria in the System Lithium Metasilicate‐Forsterite–Silica

The primary fields of cristobalite, tridymite, Li2O·2SiO2, Li2O·SiO2, MgSiO3, Mg2SiO4, and a new compound, Li2O·MgO·SiO2, have been located for the system lithium metasilicate-forsterite–silica. Most of the primary field for the compound Li2O·MgO·SiO2 lies below the join Li2O·SiO2-Mg2SiO4, but a small portion of it lies in the composition triangle Li2SiO3-Mg2SiO4-MgSiO3. The positions of four invariant points and three composition triangles have been established.
Self-calibrating optical object tracking using Wii remotes

This paper describes an optical tracking method developed using Wii Remotes. The motion and rotation of an object with markers and an accelerometer is tracked using the optical sensors in two Remotes. Initialization is complicated by the nature of the Wii Remote's sensor: while it can track up to four points, there is no trivial means to uniquely identify an individual marker. To resolve this ambiguity, a brute force approach is used. All possible correspondences are considered, using the Remotes' and tracked object's accelerometers as inclination sensors to identify potentially correct ones. The resulting method is applied to create a largely self-calibrating six-degree-of-freedom input device. We also provide documentation sufficient for others to use the Wii Remote in research.
Photocatalytic Activity Enhancing for Titanium Dioxide by Co-doping with Bromine and Chlorine

Bromine and chlorine co-doped nanocrystalline titanium dioxide are synthesized by a hydrothermal method using titanium chloride in a mixed hydrobromic acid−ethanol system. TiO2 with anatase, mixed anatase/rutile, rutile, mixed rutile/brookite, mixed anatase/rutile/brookite, and rutile phases are obtained, in that order, by increasing the acidity through addition of HBr. Br- and Cl- co-doping causes the absorption edge of TiO2 to shift to a lower energy region. The photocatalytic activity of doped TiO2 with mixed anatase/rutile phases exceeds that of commercial TiO2 photocatalyst Degussa P-25 for water splitting into H2 and O2 under ultraviolet light.
An evaluation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in relation to cancer occurrence.

Background: Although scientific knowledge regarding the influence of nutritional factors on health and disease serves as the basis for specific recommendations included in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, limited empirical epidemiologic data are available to verify that adherence to the cluster of nutrition-related behaviors included in the Dietary Guidelines will reduce the incidence of disease. Objective: We examined the association of compliance with the Dietary Guidelines and incident cancers. Design: Data from a population-based cohort of postmenopausal women (n = 34 708) were examined. A dietary guidelines index was derived as a summary measure of compliance with the Dietary Guidelines, and the association of this index and cancer incidence was examined for all cancers combined and for sitespecific cancers with > 100 events. Results: For all cancers combined, the relative risks associated with the upper 4 quintiles of the dietary guidelines index in reference to the bottom quintile were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.05) for quintile 2, 0.88 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.97) for quintile 3, 0.88 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.96) for quintile 4, and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.77, 0.93) for quintile 5 (P for trend < 0.01). Similar patterns in relative risks were found for cancers of the colon, bronchus and lung, breast, and uterus. In contrast, ovarian cancer incidence was positively associated with the dietary guidelines index. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that adherence to the cluster of nutrition-related behaviors included in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans may be associated with a lower risk of cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:889‐96.
Perioperative Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Numerous studies have now described complications in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) associated with various types of surgical encounters both from the standpoint of anatomical location and timing of the surgery such as inpatient or outpatient. Cardiac, pulmonary, and cognitive events are the best studied but are sometimes ill-defined and difficult to equate between different investigators such that the data may appear conflicting and provides challenges to guideline development and management. This has resulted in variant national- and local-level protocols to address risk factor assessment and perioperative practice patterns. What seems to be clear is that increased postoperative events do occur in patients with OSA, more so in the presence of obesity hypoventilation, but the incidence of true mortality and serious morbidity seems to be low such that these outcomes remain the most poorly understood albeit still of significant interest. In the following review, we hope to present a balanced discussion of these issues to foster broader understanding and acceptance of the concerns arising from the perioperative management of patients with OSA and encourage further research to provide direction into the development of more uniform appropriate guidelines.
Some Possible Experiments for Study of Mechanisms of Two Spin-Wave Scattering and Absorption

Recent interest[1] in two spin wave optical processes in rutile and cubic antiferromagnets has given rise to several proposals[2] for the origin of the coupling between the light and the spin waves. The question of which mechanism is likely to dominate in a given material does not seem easy to settle quantitatively on the basis of presently available experimental information. For this reason we point out here that certain of the proposed mechanisms have some striking qualitative features which other mechanisms don’t have and which might be observable experimentally.
Effects of Workplace Intervention on Affective Well-Being in Employees' Children.

Using a group-randomized field experimental design, this study tested whether a workplace intervention-designed to reduce work-family conflict-buffered against potential age-related decreases in the affective well-being of employees' children. Daily diary data were collected from 9- to 17-year-old children of parents working in an information technology division of a U.S. Fortune 500 company prior to and 12 months after the implementation of the Support-Transform-Achieve-Results (STAR) workplace intervention. Youth (62 with parents in the STAR group, 41 in the usual-practice group) participated in 8 consecutive nightly phone calls, during which they reported on their daily stressors and affect. Well-being was indexed by positive and negative affect and affective reactivity to daily stressful events. The randomized workplace intervention increased youth positive affect and buffered youth from age-related increases in negative affect and affective reactivity to daily stressors. Future research should test specific conditions of parents' work that may penetrate family life and affect youth well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record.
A direct measurement of the forward shock speed in supernova remnant 0509–67.5: Constraints on the age, ambient density, shock compression factor, and electron–ion temperature equilibration

Two Hubble Space Telescope narrow-band H? images separated in time by 1.03 years are used for a proper motion measurement of the forward shock of the LMC supernova remnant 0509?67.5, the only spectroscopically confirmed LMC remnant of Ia origin. We measure a global shock speed of 6500 ? 200 km s?1 and constrain the pre-shock neutral hydrogen density to be 0.084 ? 0.003 cm?3, for a typical mean number of H? photons produced per neutral hydrogen atom entering the forward shock. Previously published broad H? line widths from two locations on the rim and our corresponding shock speed measurements are consistent with Balmer shock models that do not include effects of cosmic-ray acceleration. For the northeastern rim location, we limit the post-shock electron temperature to 10% of the proton temperature by also using the broad-to-narrow flux ratio. Hydrodynamic simulations for different initial ejecta density profiles constrain the age and ambient medium density; for an exponential ejecta profile and initial explosion energy of 1.4 ? 1051 erg, the remnant?s age is years. For all evolutionary models explored, the expansion parameter falls in the range of 0.41?0.73, indicating that the remnant is still firmly in the ejecta-dominated phase of its evolution. Our measured neutral hydrogen density of the ambient medium, combined with the shocked density obtained in Williams et al., disfavors forward shock compression factors greater than ?7.
Obesity and eating disorders: A developmental perspective

The development of the controls of food intake during the early years of life is discussed, with particular emphasis on the possible role of early experience in the development of eating disorders and obesity. During the first years of life, the change from suckling to feeding occurs. The infant’s successful transition from reliance on a single food to consuming a varied diet is essential to adequate growth and health. Infants are probably the only depletion-driven human eaters. By the end of the preschool period, eating occurs as a result of a complex interaction of social, cultural, and environmental factors with physiological cues. Learning and early experience of food and eating play a central role in the development of food-acceptance patterns. During the early years, children are introduced to the diet of their culture and acquire food preferences and aversions, and they learn rules of cuisine, such as when to eat, and even how much to eat. A major theme of this review is that learning, and especially associative conditioning to the social contexts and the physiological consequences of eating, makes major contributions to the formation of food-acceptance patterns during early childhood. This view implicates early experience of eating in the development of individual differences in styles of intake control and could be heuristically useful in the investigation of the etiology of eating disorders and obesity.
COMPUTER EVALUATION OF LITTORAL TRANSPORT

Hindcast deepwater wave statistics and bottom hydrographic data are combined with a water-wave refraction analysis to estimate the littoral transport in a beach zone. The effects of hindcast data station location, of wave ray density in the breaker zone, of changes in the bottom-fitting surface in the depth calculation of the refraction analysis, and of methods of smoothing the contribution of individual rays to the littoral transport computation are explored.
Spatial Information Security in Geographic Information System Based on RBAC

Currently spatial information security mainly relies on the built-in security-protecting mechanism of the supporting environment, such as operating system, database and so on. But the complexity of the spatial information of GIS makes the built-in security-protecting mechanism hard to be managed and can cause great workloads; further more it is not secure. This paper introduces the RBAC(Role Based Access Control) access control technology into the GIS software framework, by introducing the concept of "role", make the users and privilege management systematical, lastly combine with the PKI/PMI system to solve the safe problem of spatial information.
Functional recovery patterns in seriously injured automotive crash victims

ABSTRACTObjective: The functional capacity index (FCI) is designed to predict functional loss 12 months post-injury for each injury in the 2008 Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) manual on a scale from 0 (death) to 100 (full recovery), but FCI has never been validated. This study compared FCI predicted loss with patient-reported 12-month outcomes as measured through the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health assessment survey.Methods: Using follow-up data collected on 2,858 adult car crash occupants in the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database, we compared FCI predicted outcomes to occupants’ Physical Component Summary (PCS) scores, which are weighted averages of the SF-36 items addressing physical function. Our analyses included descriptive statistics, plots of typical recovery patterns, and a mixed effects regression model that describes PCS as a function of FCI, demographics, comorbidities, and injury pattern while also adjusting for the occupants’ pre-crash physical capabilities. We further...