cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A clinical sign to predict difficult tracheal intubation: a prospective study

It has been suggested that the size of the base of the tongue is an important factor determining the degree of difficulty of direct laryngoscopy. A relatively simple grading system which involves preoperative ability to visualize the faucial pillars, soft palate and base of uvula was designed as a means of predicting the degree of difficulty in laryngeal exposure. The system was evaluated in 210 patients. The degree of difficulty in visualizing these three structures was an accurate predictor of difficulty with direct laryngoscopy (p less than 0.001).
A retrospective analysis of sea turtle nest depredation patterns

Nest predation can significantly reduce hatchling recruitment in sea turtle populations. We examined 20 yr of data from Canaveral National Seashore, Florida, which has pristine and altered beaches. We used chi-squared test to determine if secondary predation events were related to the nests' primary predation events, and proportional hazard regression analysis to determine the relative risk of individual nest predation. To determine if human beach use and nest predation risk were spatially or temporally linked, we ranked human beach use and examined predation frequency across all screened and marked nests. We found that once a nest has experienced predation it has an increased likelihood of experiencing a subsequent predation event when compared to other nests on the beach. Primary and multiple predation events occurred with greater frequency in limited beach use areas and with lowest frequency in moderate use areas. Predation risk decreased by an average of 29.5% from 2000 to 2008, relative to the initial year of study. Nests deposited mid-season were 9.8% more likely to be predated than early or late season nests. We conclude that where anti-nest predator management efforts are required but restricted (e.g., by funds, available personnel, or multiple management goals) resources should be concentrated to protect mid-season nests and those in limited access areas, if enhancing hatchling numbers is a management goal. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
A simplified proof of a theorem on the difference of the moore–penrose inverses of two positive semi–difinte matrices

Simplified proofs are given of a standard result that establishes positive semi–definiteness of the difference of the inverses of two non–singular matrices, and of the extension of this result by Milliken and Akdeniz (1977) to the difference of the Moore–Penrose inverse of two singular matrices.
Experimental dietary production of aortic atherosclerosis in Japanese quail

Abstract Japanese quail ( Coturnix coturnix japonica ) were evaluated as laboratory animals for use in atherosclerosis research by measuring plasma cholesterol along with macroscopic examination of the large arteries for atheromatous lesions. Eighteen-day old quail chicks were placed on a series of 11 varied diets to elicit response to sugar, fats and cholesterol. Birds were sacrificed at the end of 3, 6 and 9 months. Atheromas were found in birds given diets with high saturated fat and added cholesterol. Well defined indications of early stage arterial damage was observed in quail on several of the diets containing cholesterol, high sucrose and high saturated fatty acids (SAFA).
Hepatic circulation and corrective surgery for portal hypertension

These studies have shown that the basic hemodynamic effect of cirrhosis of the liver is a markedly increased outflow obstruction from the sinusoidal bed. This is accompanied by alterations of a less severe degree in the hepatic arterial system and portavenal system.
The structure of optimal statin initiation policies for patients with Type 2 diabetes

Lipid abnormalities increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Statins can be used to treat these abnormalities, but may have adverse side effects. In this article, we consider the optimal timing of statin initiation for patients with Type 2 diabetes. We formulate an infinite-horizon Markov decision process to maximize the patient's quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) prior to the occurrence of the first CHD or stroke event. We describe the state of the process by the patient's lipid ratio levels, and derive structural properties of the resulting optimal stopping time model, including sufficient conditions for the optimality of control-limit policies with respect to patient's lipid ratio levels and age. We use a large clinical data set to parameterize our model and compute optimal treatment policies to demonstrate the clinical implications of our results. We illustrate the importance of individualized treatment factors by estimating the patients’ QALY ga...
Mineral Content and Salt-dependent Viscosity in the Dermis of the Sea Cucumber Cucumaria frondosa

Abstract Samples from the deep dermis of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa were analyzed to determine the concentrations of Na, K, Ca, and Mg in fresh tissues as well as in those that had been incubated in filtered seawater or extracted extensively in deionized water. Fresh tissues were in equilibrium with seawater with respect to the above minerals, and showed a relative concentration of K, Mg, and Ca. Water-extracted tissues were enriched in Mg and Ca and depleted in K and Na. The Ca and Mg could be removed from the tissues by extraction in a divalent cation chelator or in 0.1 M HCl. Biomechanical (creep) tests showed that dermal specimens in which the resident cells had been lysed by freezing and thawing had very low viscosities in buffered solutions of a divalent cation chelator containing either 0.03 M or 1.0 M NaCl. In contrast, their viscosities were quite high in similar solutions containing 0.3 M NaCl. The aggregation of isolated collagen fibrils in the presence of the dermal glycoprotein stiparin showed a similar dependence on the concentration of NaCl: the fibrils aggregated in 0.3 M NaCl, but not in 0.03 or 1.0 M NaCl. The above results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that collagen fibril interactions in C. frondosa dermis are regulated by cellular control of the extracellular [Ca 2+ ]. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that stiparin mediates mechanical interactions between collagen fibrils in dermal tissues as well as in isolated fibrils.
Inhibition of JAK-STAT signaling by TG101348: a novel mechanism for inhibition of KITD816V-dependent growth in mast cell leukemia cells.

Inhibition of JAK–STAT signaling by TG101348: a novel mechanism for inhibition of KIT D816V-dependent growth in mast cell leukemia cells
Diffusion and convective dispersion through arrays of spheres with surface adsorption, diffusion, and unequal solute partitioning

The effective diffusivity (as well as convective dispersivity) of cubical arrays of neutrally buoyant spheres on whose surfaces solute adsorbs and subsequently diffuses is derived via macrotransport (i.e., generalized Taylor dispersion) theory. The role of unequal solute partitioning in the continuous and dispersed phases is also elucidated. Solute adsorption is shown to diminish the overall diffusivity of the suspension (emulsion), while—for a fixed surface adsorption—the consequence of increasing surface diffusivity is to enhance the emulsion's effective diffusivity. As expected, the role of unequal partitioning is to monotonically vary (as the dispersed-phase partition coefficient, K, ranges from 0 to 1) the magnitude of the effective diffusivity between the zero (nonconducting) and equal (conducting) partitioning cases. On the other hand, solute adsorption onto the surfaces of solid spheres whose centers are locked into the lattice points of a cubic array—through whose interstices a Newtonian fluid flows with mean (macroscopically homogeneous) interstitial velocity v∗—measurably influences only the purely diffusive contribution to the convective dispersivity of the fixed bed, at least for highly porous beds and small to moderate Peclet and Reynolds numbers.
An Investigation of the Relationship between a Basic Attributes Test Battery and Learning to Fly a VTOL Simulator

The objective of this research was to compare scores from modified AFHRL Basic Attributes Tests against speed and proficiency in learning to fly a VTOL simulator. Initially 184 correlational analyses were performed to determine whether there were any significant relationships among various BAT scores and the criterion measures. Based on these results, nine independent variables were selected to enter in stepwise regression equations for four criterion measures. Based on these analyses, the PortaBAT tasks appear to be stable predictors of pilot performance in a VTOL simulator.
Preferential allotypic expression of anti-hapten response in first and second generation heterozygous rabbits of al,3 allotype.

Abstract Heterozygous rabbits of the al,2 or al,3 and b4 or b4,5 allotypes were injected with bovine serum albumin (BSA)‡ coupled with equivalent ammounts of p-azophenylarsonate (As) anions and p-azophenyl-N-trimethylammonium (TMA) cations. The isolated and purified anti-As, anti-TMA and anti-BAS antibodies were tested for their allotypes. All three types of antibodies from heterozygous rabbits of the allotypes al,2 and/or b4,5 gave strong precipitates with anti-a1, anti-a2, and/or anti-b4 and anti-b5 immune sera. However, in some of the al,3/b4 immune sera the anti-As antibodies gave strong preipitates only with anti-a1 and anti-b4, but very weak or no detectable precipitates with anti-a3, whereas the anti-TMA and anti-BSA of the same animals gave distinct precipitates with anti-a1, and anti-a3 and anti-b4 immune sera. The weak expression or the apparent lack of the a3 allotype in anti-As antibodies is transmitted through the least two generations according to simple Mendelian fashion. We attribute it to heterogeneity of the receptors of the a3 allotype; only some of them to be stimulated by the As-hapten of the injected As-TMA—BSA immunogen.
Treatment of Necrotizing Enterocolitis with Probiotics

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating condition characterized by diffuse intestinal inflammation and necrosis in preterm infants. It is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in the neonatal intensive care unit and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Primary risk factors include prematurity and low birth weight. Although the pathogenesis of NEC is complex and not entirely understood, it is known that an interplay between immature intestinal immune responses and the process of bacterial colonization is required for the development of this disease.
Innervation in cultures of fetal rodent skeletal muscle by organotypic explants of spinal cord from different animals

Functional neuromuscular junctions formin vitro between spatially separated explants of fetal mammalian spinal cord and fetal skeletal muscle, even across species lines (rat and mouse). Differentiation and innervation occur when the muscle explant is oriented toward the ventral edge of the spinal cord cross-section, in the path of ventral-root nerve fibers. Arrival of these neurites enhances muscle development. This trophic influence is particularly apparent when cortisone is included in the nutrient fluid. Cross-striations begin to form toward the end of the first week of coupling, and acetylcholinesterase-positive loci appear by three weeks. In cultures maintained for 5–11 weeks, the more differentiated motor endplate structures show characteristic subneural infoldings, increased soleplate sarcoplasm, and terminal Schwann cells. Myelinated ventral-root fibers can be seen to bridge the gap between the cord and muscle explants, and to arborize and terminate on muscle fibers. Selective stimulation of ventral cord or ventral root can evoke widespread synchronized contractions of large numbers of fibers in the muscle expiant, demonstrating abundant formation of functional neuromuscular junctions between the coupled tissues.
“Do We Really Need Hepatitis B on the Second Day of Life?” Vaccination Mandates and Shifting Representations of Hepatitis B

In the decade following hepatitis B vaccine’s 1981 approval, U.S. health officials issued evolving guidelines on who should receive the vaccine: first, gay men, injection drug users, and healthcare workers; later, hepatitis B-positive women’s children; and later still, all newborns. States laws that mandated the vaccine for all children were quietly accepted in the 1990s; in the 2000s, however, popular anti-vaccine sentiment targeted the shot as an emblem of immunization policy excesses. Shifting attitudes toward the vaccine in this period were informed by hepatitis B’s changing popular image, legible in textual and visual representations of the infection from the 1980s through the 1990s. Notably, the outbreak of AIDS, the advent of genetically engineered pharmaceuticals, and a Democratic push for health reform shaped and reshaped hepatitis B’s public image. Hepatitis B thus became, in turn, an AIDS-like scourge; proof of a new era of pharmaceuticals; a threat from which all American children had a right to be protected; and a cancer-causing infection spread by teenage lifestyles. The metamorphosis of the infection’s image was reflected in evolving policy recommendations regarding who should receive the vaccine in the 1980s, and was key to securing broad uptake of the vaccine in the 1990s.
3.3.2 X-driven development: finding the right combination of approaches for systems engineering

This paper explores the relationship between requirements-driven, model-driven and test-driven development, the value that each technique can provide and the circumstances under which each is appropriate. We propose that there is no one technique that represents the ‘right’ answer, rather that they are complementary techniques which can be combined to reduce risk within the development process—what we're calling X-driven development. We further propose that the precise combination of techniques that should be applied is not constant between different development projects. Project and product characteristics influence the approach that should be taken, and different industries are aligned with particular combinations of characteristics.
Predictors of an academic career on radiology residency applications.

Rationale and Objectives To evaluate radiology residency applications to determine if any variables are predictive of a future academic radiology career. Materials and Methods Application materials from 336 radiology residency graduates between 1993 and 2010 from the Department of Radiology, Duke University and between 1990 and 2010 from the Department of Radiology, Stanford University were retrospectively reviewed. The institutional review boards approved this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant study with a waiver of informed consent. Biographical (gender, age at application, advanced degrees, prior career), undergraduate school (school, degree, research experience, publications), and medical school (school, research experience, manuscript publications, Alpha Omega Alpha membership, clerkship grades, United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and 2 scores, personal statement and letter of recommendation reference to academics, couples match status) data were recorded. Listing in the Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Online Directory and postgraduation publications were used to determine academic status. Results There were 72 (21%) radiologists in an academic career and 264 (79%) in a nonacademic career. Variables associated with an academic career were elite undergraduate school ( P = .003), undergraduate school publications ( P = .018), additional advanced degrees ( P = .027), elite medical school ( P = .006), a research year in medical school ( P P P Conclusions Undergraduate and medical school rankings and publications, as well as a medical school research year and an additional advanced degree, are associated with an academic career. Radiology residency selection committees should consider these factors in the context of the residency application if they wish to recruit future academic radiologists.
Exploiting plasmonics in biosensing and bioimaging: monitoring cell receptors with surface enhanced spectroscopy and microscopy

The plasmon resonance of noble metal nanoparticles (NP) manifests itself in a variety of extraordinary optical properties. Resonant excitation of the conduction electrons by incident radiation generates a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) that is responsible for a variety of surface enhanced optical phenomena. This unique optical property coupled with well-established surface chemistry allows us to utilize both Ag and Au NP as optical contrasting agents to probe and monitor the surface receptors of cells. We have employed two plasmon-assisted optical techniques (namely, surface enhanced Raman scattering, and resonant Rayleigh scattering) to monitor the adrenergic receptors in mammalian cardiomyocyte cells that have been labeled with functionalized Ag NPs. In this study, a unique Raman reporter molecule, 4-(mercaptomethyl)benzonitrile, was developed to provide an easily identifiable vibration, the C≡N stretch, in a spectral window free from Raman bands of cell constituents and other biomolecules used in receptor crosslinking and surface passivation. Successfully labeled cells were then monitored with both optical techniques. Both techniques are related through the plasmonic properties of the noble metal NP and combined with high resolution imaging techniques; we outline the importance that different NP architectures play in the different imaging techniques. Furthermore, we will discuss the instrumentation and plasmonic implications in the design of NP best suited for such multimodal imaging approaches.
Quantum cosmology and the initial state of the Universe

Cosmological wave functions are found in a minisuperspace model (1) with ``tunneling'' and (2) with Hartle-Hawking boundary conditions. The probability distributions for the initial states of the Universe corresponding to the two wave functions are calculated and compared. It is shown that the tunneling wave function predicts initial states that lead to inflation, while the Hartle-Hawking wave function does not. Small perturbations about the minisuperspace model are considered and it is argued that both wave functions predict that the Universe nucleates with quantum fields in de Sitter-invariant vacuum states.
Magnetic phase transition in pure α Fe2O3

Abstract The critical fields in αFe2O3 were measured from 4.2°K to the Morin transition by magnetization and ultrasonic techniques. At 4.2°K, Hc∥> = (68.4 ± 1) kG and Hc⊥ = (160 ± 3) kG. The nature of the transition at Hc⊥ is discussed.
The specificity of social attraction in rats

Rats housed alone or in pairs were tested daily with either the same partner or with a stranger. All rats were highly and increasingly attracted to each other, but they were not more attracted to familiar rats than to strangers. Isolated animals became more gregarious than pair-housed rats by the fourth day of testing. In Experiment 2, rats tested in trios with a stranger and a cagemate again showed no preference. The results indicate that rats do not develop specific attachments.
Synthesis, biochemical, and cellular evaluation of farnesyl monophosphate prodrugs as farnesyltransferase inhibitors.

Certain farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) analogs are potent inhibitors of the potential anticancer drug target protein farnesyltransferase (FTase), but these compounds are not suitable as drug candidates. Thus, phosphoramidate prodrug derivatives of the monophosphate precursors of FPP-based FTase inhibitors have been synthesized. The monophosphates themselves were significantly more potent inhibitors of FTase than the corresponding FPP analogs. The effects of the prodrug 5b (a derivative of 3-allylfarnesyl monophosphate) have been evaluated on prenylation of RhoB and on the cell cycle in a human malignant schwannoma cell line (STS-26T). In combination treatments, 1−3 μM 5b plus 1 μM lovastatin induced a significant inhibition of RhoB prenylation, and a combination of these drugs at 1 μM each also resulted in significant cell cycle arrest in G1. Indeed, combinations as low as 50 nM lovastatin + 1 μM 5c or 250 nM lovastatin + 50 nM 5c were highly cytostatic in STS-26T cell culture.
Recapitulation and design of protein binding peptide structures and sequences.

An important objective of computational protein design is the generation of high affinity peptide inhibitors of protein–peptide interactions, both as a precursor to the development of therapeutics aimed at disrupting disease causing complexes, and as a tool to aid investigators in understanding the role of specific complexes in the cell. We have developed a computational approach to increase the affinity of a protein–peptide complex by designing N or C-terminal extensions which interact with the protein outside the canonical peptide binding pocket. In a first in silico test, we show that by simultaneously optimizing the sequence and structure of three to nine residue peptide extensions starting from short (1–6 residue) peptide stubs in the binding pocket of a peptide binding protein, the approach can recover both the conformations and the sequences of known binding peptides. Comparison with phage display and other experimental data suggests that the peptide extension approach recapitulates naturally occurring peptide binding specificity better than fixed backbone design, and that it should be useful for predicting peptide binding specificities from crystal structures. We then experimentally test the approach by designing extensions for p53 and dystroglycan-based peptides predicted to bind with increased affinity to the Mdm2 oncoprotein and to dystrophin, respectively. The measured increases in affinity are modest, revealing some limitations of the method. Based on these in silico and experimental results, we discuss future applications of the approach to the prediction and design of protein–peptide interactions.
Activation of NF-κB in Normal Rat Kidney Epithelial (NRK52E) Cells Is Mediated via a Redox-Insensitive, Calcium-Dependent Pathway

Renal tubular epithelial cells are largely resistant to oxidant-induced injury despite their capacity to accumulate relatively high concentrations of potentially damaging prooxidant and thiol-depleting agents. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that such resistance may be attributable to a lack or deficiency of signaling transduction pathways through which reactive oxidants have been shown to promote the activation of NF-κB, a transcriptional factor that is known to mediate the inducible expression of a wide variety of genes that are involved in inflammatory and other cytotoxic reactions in numerous cell types. NF-κB was found to be readily activated following exposure of cultured normal rat kidney epithelial (NRK52E) cells to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, in contrast to findings with many other cell types, the activation of NF-κB by LPS was not substantially altered either by pretreatment of cells with the thiol antioxidant,N-acetylcysteine, or by glutathione (GSH) depletion. Moreover, reactive oxidants and oxidative stress-generating chemicals were completely without effect with respect to NF-κB activation in NRK52E cells, even following GSH depletion. In contrast, LPS activation of NF-κB was substantially attenuated by the intracellular Ca2+chelator, Quin 2AM, and by the Ca-channel inhibitor, ruthenium red. Moreover, thapsigargin, a Ca–ATPase inhibitor, promoted NF-κB activation comparable to that observed by LPS. Additionally, staurosporine, a Ca-dependent protein kinase C inhibitor, substantially decreased LPS-mediated NF-κB activation. These results demonstrate that the LPS-inducible expression of NF-κB in renal epithelial cells, in contrast to many other cell types, is not responsive to oxidative stress and is regulated, at least in part, by redox-insensitive modulation of intracellular calcium levels. These findings provide a basis for the highly tissue-specific expression and function of NF-κB in kidney epithelial cells, which may underlie their resistance to oxidant-mediated cytotoxicity.
A Conception of Man and Society for Criminology

(1965). A Conception of Man and Society for Criminology. The Sociological Quarterly: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 119-127.
A novel repair enzyme: UVRABC excision nuclease of Escherichia coli cuts a DNA strand on both sides of the damaged region

The uvrA, uvrB, and uvrC proteins of Escherichia coli were purified from strains that greatly overproduce these proteins. Using the purified proteins, the UVRABC nuclease was reconstituted in vitro. The reconstituted enzyme acted specifically on DNA damaged with UV, cis-platinum, and psoralen plus near UV. When UV-irradiated DNA was used as substrate, the enzyme made two cuts on the damaged DNA strand, one on each side of the damaged region. The enzyme hydrolyzed the eighth phosphodiester bond on the 5' side of pyrimidine dimers. On the 3' side of pyrimidine dimers, the UVRABC nuclease cut the fourth or the fifth phosphodiester bond 3' to pyrimidine dimers. The oligonucleotide with the damaged bases that is generated by these two cuts was released during treatment with the enzyme. We have also obtained evidence suggesting that the enzyme acts by the same mechanism on PydC photoproducts which are thought to be of primary importance in UV-induced mutagenesis.
Stretching a black hole

The geometry of the event horizon of a Kerr black hole in a magnetic field is examined at the poles and equator. It is shown that there are two distinct domains where the Gaussian curvature is negative at the pole, whereas if the angular momentum parameter exceeds a certain value the equator always exhibits positive curvature. A calculation of the polar and equatorial circumferences indicates that the external field stretches the hole along the axis of symmetry.
Diabetes Mellitus and Clopidogrel Response Variability

Platelet P2Y12-receptor antagonists reduce major adverse cardiovascular events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) [(1–4)][1]. Together with aspirin, they are the cornerstones of adjunctive medical therapy in these clinical settings. Current American
Techniques for Supporting Dynamic and Adaptive Workflow

The unpredictability of business processes requires that workflow systems support exception handling with the ability to dynamically adapt to the changing environment. Traditional approaches to handling this problem have fallen short, providing little support for change, particularly once the process has begun execution. Further, exceptions vary widely in their character and significance, challenging the application of any single approach to handling them. We briefly discuss the classification of exceptions, highlighting differing impacts on the workflow model. Based on this discussion, we suggest principal goals to address in the development of adaptive workflow support, including strategies for avoiding exceptions, detecting them when they occur, and handling them at various levels of impact. We then identify a number of specific approaches to supporting these goals within the design of a workflow system infrastructure. Finally, we describe the implementation of many of these approaches in the Endeavors workflow support system.
Perceived traffic risk for cyclists: the impact of near miss and collision experiences.

Abstract Though the percentage of people bicycling for transportation rose during the last decade, with an average increase in bicycle commuting of 47% ( Flusche, 2012 ), still only 1% of all U.S. trips are made by bike ( Flusche, 2010 ). Research suggests that people’s concern regarding the risk of bicycling near traffic—namely the risk of being hit by a car—remain a significant barrier to widespread cycling. However, research has not disaggregated traffic risk to expose its many aspects and how they may affect bicyclists with differing skill levels, experiences, and behaviors. This study begins to address this gap in our understanding. Elaborating on results from an internet survey, this study examined various aspects of traffic risk among 406 potential and current bicyclists in the San Francisco Bay Area. The data indicate that perceived traffic risk negatively influences the decision to bicycle for potential and occasional bicyclists, although the influence decreases with cycling frequency. Additionally, cycling frequency seems to heighten awareness of traffic risk, particularly for cyclists who have experienced “near misses” or collisions. In particular, near misses were found to be (a) much more common than collisions and (b) more strongly associated than collisions with perceived traffic risk. The findings suggest that efforts targeting road user behaviors and roadway designs associated with these near misses could mitigate perceived and actual traffic risk for bicyclists, and thereby eventually help achieve higher cycling ridership.
Artificial Maintenance of the Systemic Circulation without Participation of the Right Ventricle

A pump of 50 cc. reservoir capacity, only 10 cm. in diameter, was placed in the systemic circuit between the left auricular appendage and the left common carotid artery in each of 10 dogs so that the systemic circulation was maintained by the pump during complete cardiac arrest resulting from experimentally produced ventricular fibrillation. All dogs recovered completely.
Neovascular Glaucoma After Helium Ion Irradiation for Uveal Melanoma

Neovascular glaucoma developed in 22 of 169 uveal melanoma patients treated with helium ion irradiation. Most patients had large melanomas; no eyes containing small melanomas developed anterior segment neovascularization. The mean onset of glaucoma was 14.1 months (range, 7-31 months). The incidence of anterior segment neovascularization increased with radiation dosage; there was an approximately three-fold increase at 80 GyE versus 60 GyE of helium ion radiation (23% vs. 8.5%) (P less than 0.05). Neovascular glaucoma occurred more commonly in larger tumors; the incidence was not affected by tumor location, presence of subretinal fluid, nor rate of tumor regression. Fifty-three percent of patients had some response with intraocular pressures of 21 mmHg or less to a combination of antiglaucoma treatments.
Plant communities: ecosystem maturity and performance.

Arising from: Bai, Y., Han, X., Wu, J., Chen, Z. & Li, L. , , 181–184 (2004) ; see also communication from Wang ; Bai, Y., Han, X., Wu, J., Chen, Z. & Li, L. reply . The effect of maturity, or successional stage, on ecosystem performance (measured as productivity or stability, for example) is important for both basic ecology and ecosystem management. On the basis of the results of a long-term study of two different plant communities at two sites in the Inner Mongolia grassland1, Bai et al. claim that these communities simultaneously achieve high species richness, productivity and ecosystem stability at the late successional stage1. However, I question their interpretation of the data and suggest that this claim is undermined by evidence from other empirical and theoretical studies.
Predicting Phase-Change Rate in PEFC Gas Diffusion Layer

Water and heat are produced in the cathode catalyst layer of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) due to the oxygen-reduction reaction. Efficient water removal from the gas diffusion layer (GDL) to the flow channel is critical to achieve high and stable PEFC performance. Water transport and removal strongly depend on local temperature because the saturation concentration of water vapor rises rapidly with temperature, particularly in the temperature range of practical interest to PEFC applications. Detailed investigations of two-phase flow in the GDL have been reported in the literature, but not on the rate of phase change – either from liquid to vapor as in the case of evaporation or from vapor to liquid as in the case of condensation. In the present work, a two-phase, non-isothermal numerical model is used to elucidate the phase-change rate inside the cathode GDL of a PEFC. Results computed from our model enable a basic understanding of the phase-change processes occurring in a PEFC.Copyright © 2008 by ASME and U.S. Government
Stevensite and Talc—Hydrothermal Alteration Products of Wollastonite

Magnesium-bearing hydrothermal solutions moving along channelways created by faulting in the Willsboro, New York, wollastonite deposit have effected the conversion of wollastonite to layer-lattice silicates. Alteration products sheath faults in wollastonite and may be divided into three gradational but regular zones: (1) least altered (fresh) country rock composed of wollastonite with minor diopsidic clinopyroxene and grossularite-andradito garnet; (2) moderately altered rock rich in montmorillonite; and (3) strongly altered rock composed predominantly of talc.
Effect of oxidizing treatment on chloroplast photosystem II reactions.

Abstract Treatment of Photosystem II chloroplast fragments with the oxidant K 2 IrCl 6 causes destruction of approximately half of the chlorophyll. The treated chlorophyll-containing fragments retain Photosystem II photochemical activity and show a large light-induced free-radical signal, associated with the Photosystem II reaction-center chlorophyll, P680, but the C-550 absorbance change, associated with the Photosystem II primary electron acceptor, is absent.
Sensitivity of depolarized lidar signals to cloud and aerosol particle properties

Measurements from depolarized lidars provide a promising method to retrieve both cloud and aerosol properties and a versatile complement to passive satellite-based sensors. For lidar observations of clouds and aerosols, multiple scattering plays an important role in the scattering process. Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to investigate the sensitivity of lidar backscattering depolarization to cloud and aerosol properties. Lidar parameters are chosen to be similar to those of the upcoming space-based CALIPSO lidar. Cases are considered that consist of a single cloud or aerosol layer, as well as a case in which cirrus clouds overlay different types of aerosols. It is demonstrated that besides thermodynamic cloud phase, the depolarized lidar signal may provide additional information on ice or aerosol particle shapes. However, our results show little sensitivity to ice or aerosol particle sizes. Additionally, for the case of multiple but overlapping layers involving both clouds and aerosols, the depolarized lidar contains information that can help identify the particle properties of each layer.
On the substrate specificity of cathepsins B1 and B2 including a new fluorogenic substrate for cathepsin B1.

Abstract Cathepsin B1 from bovine spleen exhibited its greatest rates of hydrolysis on peptide β-naphthylamide (βNA) derivatives containing paired basic residues, i.e., Cbz-Arg-Arg-βNA, t-Boc-Lys-Lys-βNA, and t-Boc-Lys-Arg-βNA. Internal peptide bonds were not attacked. At its pH 6.5 optimum, cathepsin B1 hydrolyzed Cbz-Arg-Arg-βNA (K m 0.18 mM) 64 times faster than Bz-DL-Arg-βNA (K m 3.3 mM or 1.6 mM for the L isomer) and was therefore chosen to replace the latter as a more soluble and sensitive substrate for the assay of cathepsin B1. Although cathepsin B2 had no action on the β-naphthylamide substrates, it did manifest carboxypeptidase activity by attacking COOH-terminal residues exposed by the action of cathepsin B1. At its pH 5.0 optimum, cathepsin B2 behaved as a SH-dependent, non-specific carboxypeptidase by releasing COOH-terminal amino acids from a variety of Cbz-Gly-X substrates and polypeptides such as glucagon, Val-Leu-Ser-Glu-Gly, and penta-lysine.
Democratic and aggressive political participation: Estimation of a nonrecursive model

Previous empirical research concerning political participation has made either one of two errors. In the first case, the research has omitted aggressive or extralegal forms of political participation. In the second case, the research included aggressive forms of participation but estimated models of aggressive and democratic participation separately despite the strong positive correlation between them. Each error leads to an incorrectly specified model of political participation. To correct this situation, we specify a nonrecursive model and test it using data from two disparate sample surveys. In each test the results indicate that earlier participation models were incorrectly specified in that aggressive behavior is a significant cause of democratic participation while the reverse is not true.
Seasonal dynamics of macrohabitat use by small mammals in the Okavango Delta, Botswana: implications for landscape-level disturbance resilience

In a changing climate, it is imperative to understand potential ecosystem resilience at all taxonomic levels. I compare seasonal small mammal utilization of woodlands (tree islands) and grasslands in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, to elucidate macrohabitat relationships and to test whether the two macrohabitats are similar in their ability to serve as a source of colonizers for the other after disturbance. Capture–mark–recapture data revealed that abundances for Dendromus mesomelas and Gerbilliscus leucogaster were higher in grasslands than tree islands, while Mus indutus abundance appeared higher in the grasslands in the dry season but roughly equal in the rainy season. Mastomys spp. and Steatomys pratensis maintained low levels in the grassland habitat throughout the year and experienced a population peak in the tree island habitat during the rainy season. There were no significant differences in sex ratio, mean mass or breeding condition. Dominance and total biomass were higher in the grasslands with the trend more pronounced in the rainy season. Terrestrial small mammals in the Okavango Delta employ differing strategies in macrohabitat selection and some exploit tree islands when herbaceous cover is present. Metacommunity dynamics exist for some species, and both habitats can serve as a source of colonizers under certain conditions. Resume Face a un climat en evolution, il est imperatif de bien comprendre la resilience potentielle des ecosystemes a tous les niveaux taxonomiques. Je compare la frequentation saisonniere des forets (iles boisees) et de la savane par des petits mammiferes dans le delta de l'Okavango, au Botswana, pour clarifier les relations entre les macro-habitats et pour verifier si les deux macro-habitats sont comparables en tant que sources potentielles reciproques d'especes colonisatrices apres perturbation. Les donnees recoltees par capture-marquage-recapture ont revele que Dendromus mesomelas et Gerbilliscus leucogaster etaient plus abondants dans la savane que dans les iles boisees alors que Mus indutus semblait plus abondant dans la savane en saison seche mais a peu pres aussi abondant en saison des pluies. Mastomys spp. et Steatomys pratensis maintenaient des taux bas dans l'habitat de la savane toute l'annee et presentaient un pic de population dans l'habitat de l'ile boisee pendant la saison des pluies. Il n'y avait pas de difference significative du sex-ratio, du poids moyen ou de l'etat de reproduction. La dominance et la biomasse totale etaient plus elevees dans la savane, avec une tendance plus prononcee en saison des pluies. Les petits mammiferes terrestres du delta de l'Okavango utilisent diverses strategies dans le choix du macro-habitat et certains exploitent les iles boisees lorsqu'elles presentent une couverture herbeuse. Il existe une dynamique metacommunautaire pour certaines especes, et les deux habitats peuvent servir de sources d'especes colonisatrices dans certaines conditions.
Miniaturized UV Fluorescence Collection Optics Integrated with Ion Trap Chips

For practical quantum computing, it will be necessary to detect the fluorescence from many trapped ions. We describe a design and integration approach using micro-optics to couple this fluorescence into an array of optical fibers.
Chronic motor neuropathies: Diagnosis, therapy, and pathogenesis

Pure motor neuropathy syndromes resemble amyotrophic lateral sclerosis variants with no upper motor neuron signs. Their identification is important, as, in contrast to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, they are often immune mediated and treatable. Typically the immune-mediated motor neuropathy syndromes are distal and asymmetrical and progress slowly. The clinical features may help alert the clinician to the diagnosis, but other ancillary evidence such as abnormalities on electrophysiological testing and the presence of serum autoantibodies to neural antigens are helpful in making the diagnosis more secure. Electrophysiological abnormalities include not only motor conduction block but also other evidence of a demyelinative process such as prolonged distal latencies or F-wave abnormalities. High-titer anti-GM1 antibodies occur frequently but more specific patterns of reactivity may be especially helpful. Treatment of these motor neuropathy syndromes includes cyclophosphamide, which we use in combination with plasma exchange, and in some patients, human immune globulin. Clinical responses to therapy may occur within the first 2 to 4 months in patients with motor neuropathy syndromes with demyelinative features, but only become obvious 6 months or later after starting treatment in patients with predominantly axonal disorders.
The Importance of Nutrition Re-defining Ideal Womanhood in the 20th Century

Increasingly historians have been studying the importance of popular culture, such as film, radio, and popular music, in the lives of adolescents. Receiving less attention has been the role of less dramatic, but perhaps more pervasive print media provided through the school system and through girls' organizations. In 20th-century America, hundreds of thousands of girls attended home economics classes during their primary and secondary school careers. In these often mandatory courses students were exposed to textbooks that presented complex, but still clear images of the appropriate social roles for girls and women. Popular youth organizations, such as the Girl Scouts, presented similar messages.This paper examines these crucial, but under-studied sources of American culture. These materials encouraged girls to prepare themselves for domestic life in general and motherhood in particular. They emphasized the defining, gendered role of cooking, insisting that through nutrition, girls--and the women they were...
Expression of a 26,000-dalton glycoprotein on activated human T cells

Abstract In the present study, we describe the expression of a 26,000-dalton glycoprotein on human T cells following stimulation by either mitogen or alloantigen. This glycoprotein, which is the target antigen of a monoclonal antibody designated J2, is distinct from Ia-like molecules and is not present on resting T cells. We demonstrate GP 26 expression in both major immunoregulatory subsets i.e., T4 + (inducer) and T8 + (cytotoxic/suppressor) following activation and show that the GP 26-bearing cells are not directly responsible for the cytotoxicity generated in MLR. The relationship of the J2 target antigen to other glycoproteins with similar molecular weight which have been described on activated T cells is discussed.
The heterogeneity of bovine IgG2—V. Differences in the primary structure of bovine IgG2 allotypes☆

The partial amino acid sequences of the gamma chains of the bovine IgG2a(A1) and IgG2a(A2) allotypes were determined. Sequence differences were found in the CH1 domain, the hinge region, and the CH3 domain. The hinge regions displayed only 71.4% similarity and all of the differences were of a radical nature. The A2 hinge has isoleucine instead of serine at 229, histidine for asparagine at 235, proline for histidine at 238, and cysteine instead of proline in position 234; the latter has the potential for forming an additional interheavy chain disulphide bridge. The occurrence of such a bridge could explain the presence of a pepsin fragment consisting of the hinge region and the Fc. A corresponding fragment is not obtained with the A1 allotype. Both allotypes have a shortened hinge region and a truncated CH2 domain. This feature is characteristic of all reported sequences of IgG2 proteins but not IgG1 in cattle and the goat. This structural feature may be important in subclass-specific recognition by Fc gamma receptors in ruminants. A surprising discovery was the occurrence of five substitutions in the CH3 domain of the IgG2a(A2) in comparison with the A1, which are shared with the CH3 of IgG1. These permit the occurrence of isoallotypic determinants and can explain the difficulty encountered in preparing A2-specific antisera during which adsorption with IgG1 is a routine procedure. The primary sequence data we report confirm the presence of major structural differences between the A allotypes of cattle that was suggested by previous work. The sequence of the A1 allotype most closely agrees with the two IgG2 sequences deduced from their nucleotide sequences whereas the sequence differences in the hinge and C-terminal CH3 make IgG2a(A2) unique. The structural differences between allotypes could have major consequences for such biological activities as phagocytosis, transepithelial transport, lymphocyte and complement activation.
US estimates of hospitalized pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis: Implications for multicenter clinical studies

Background: The optimal clinical management of children hospitalized with ulcerative colitis (UC) is evolving. There are limited data quantifying the number of pediatric patients with UC admitted to hospitals in the United States. We analyzed the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID, 2003), to estimate the distribution of hospitalized children with UC and estimate sample sizes available for clinical research. Methods: We limited our analysis to subjects age less than 18 years. We defined cases of UC as discharge records associated with an ICD-9 code of 556.0-556.9 in the first position. We defined colectomy as principal procedure code of 45.8. We generated weighted estimates for these analyses. To estimate the relationship between number of patients and number of hospitals necessary for clinical trials, we generated 1000 simulated datasets. Results: A total of 2311 UC cases were identified. The mean age at admission was 13.1 (standard error [SE] 0.1) years, and 9% (SE 0.9%) underwent colectomy during their hospitalization. 1008 UC cases were treated at high-volume hospitals; the majority of these children were treated at children's hospitals. Simulation studies suggest that ≈5 high-volume hospitals would be necessary to generate sample sizes necessary for a pilot clinical trial of refractory UC. Conclusions: Approximately half of all young patients hospitalized with UC in the US were treated at a limited number of high-volume hospitals, and ≈5 such centers would be adequate for pilot clinical trials of hospitalized patients with refractory UC. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2008)
Multi-Domain System Level Behavioral HEV Library Using VHDL-AMS

The past decade has seen an increase in demand for electrical and hybrid electrical vehicles, leading to an increased need for multi-domain modeling and simulation techniques. VHDL-AMS is an industry standard multi-domain behavioral description language with the ability to present analog, digital and mixed-signal models. The multi-domain attribute of VHDL-AMS provides a convenient way to model complex automotive systems. This paper presents a VHDL-AMS based system level behavioral HEV library developed in ANSYS Simplorer. The library is intended to provide reusable generic components for HEV system level design as well as demonstrative application examples. The library consists of dynamic mathematical models, developed to provide the ability to evaluate component behavior. The newly developed models are connected in typical vehicle configurations and simulated and behaviorally validated under standardized drive cycles.