cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decay scheme of 3.9 d 127Sb

Abstract Beta and γ-rays emitted in the decay of 3.9 d 127Sb have been studied with the use of Si(Li), Ge(Li) and NaI(Tl) detectors and coincidence equipment and the level scheme of 127Te has been constructed. In order to check on interference from other antimony isotopes, sources were prepared by separating antimony directly from fission products, by milking antimony from separated tin fission products, and by use of the 128Te(γ, p)127Sb reaction followed by chemical separation. A total of 33 γ-rays were observed, of which 32 were placed in the level scheme of 127Te. Levels of 127Te populated by decay of 127Sb were observed at the following energies: 61, 88, 341, 473, 503, 631, 686, 764, 784, 786, 924, 1077, 1142, 1155, 1290, 1323 and 1378 keV. The properties of low-lying, even-parity levels of 127Te are in reasonable agreement with the predictions of Kisslinger and Sorensen. Evidence for 9 2 − “intruder” state at 341 keV in 127Te similar to that at 322 keV in 125Te was found. Additional evidence for apparent hindrance of allowed β transitions was obtained.
Resuscitation of infants born at 22 weeks gestation: a 20-year retrospective

To compare the characteristics of infants born at 22 weeks gestational age (GA) who were resuscitated at birth with those of infants who were not resuscitated. We reviewed records of all the infants with a GA of 22 0/7 through 22 6/7 weeks who were born alive at William Beaumont Hospital from 1990 through 2009. Deliveries were attended by a neonatologist if they were in the hospital at the time of delivery or requested by the obstetrician and otherwise were attended by a pediatric resident or neonatal nurse practitioner. There were 85 infants born alive at 22 weeks GA during the study period. Thirty-six were intubated in the delivery room and defined as having been resuscitated. Two of them survived. On multivariate analysis, a higher birth weight (odds ratio 2.39 per 100 g increase, 95% confidence interval 1.21 to 4.73) and the presence of a neonatologist at delivery (odds ratio 6.72, 95% confidence interval 1.72 to 26.2) were each associated with an increased likelihood of resuscitation. Infants born at 22 weeks GA were more likely to be resuscitated if they were larger or if the delivery was attended by a neonatologist. We encourage neonatal groups to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on the Fetus and Newborn regarding initiation of resuscitation in these infants: inform parents that a good outcome is very unlikely and respect the parents’ choice of whether resuscitation should be initiated.
Time trends and payer differences in lengths of initial hospitalization for preterm infants, Arkansas, 2004 to 2010.

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the time trend in length of stay (LOS) and explore potential differences in neonatal LOS by insurance type for preterm infants in Arkansas between 2004 and 2010. Study Design There were 18,712 preterm infants included in our analyses. Accelerated failure time models were used to model neonatal LOS as a function of insurance type and discharge year while adjusting for key maternal and infant characteristics, and complication/anomaly indicators. Results Before adjusting for the complication/anomaly indicators, the LOS for preterm infants delivered to mothers in the Medicaid group was 3.2% shorter than those in the private payer group. Furthermore, each subsequent year was associated with a 1.6% increase in the expected LOS. However, after accounting for complications and anomalies, insurance coverage differences in neonatal LOS were not statistically significant while the trend in LOS persisted at a 0.59% increase for each succeeding year. Conclusion All of the apparent differences in LOS by insurance type and more than half of the apparent increase in LOS over time are accounted for by higher rates of complications among privately insured preterm infants and increasing rates of complications for all surviving preterm infants between 2004 and 2010.
A prediction comparison of housing sales prices by parametric versus semi-parametric regressions

Abstract This study estimates a hedonic price function using a semi-parametric regression and compares the price prediction performance with conventional parametric models. This study utilizes a large data set representing 2595 single-family residential home sales between July 2000 and June 2002 from Pitt County, North Carolina. Data from Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are incorporated to account for locational attributes of the houses. The results show that the semi-parametric regression outperforms the parametric counterparts in both in-sample and out-of-sample price predictions, indicating that the semi-parametric model can be useful for measurement and prediction of housing sales prices.
Netnography: Doing Ethnographic Research Online by KOZINETS, ROBERT V

The article reviews the book “Netnography: Doing Ethnographic Research Online," by Robert V. Kozinets.
Transparent binary-thickness coatings on metal substrates that produce binary patterns of orthogonal elliptical polarization states in reflected light

A reflective division-of-wavefront polarizing beam splitter is described that uses a dual- thickness transparent thin-film coating on a metal substrate. A previous design that used a partially clad substrate at the principal angle of the metal [Azzam, JOSA A 5, 1576 (1988)] is replaced by a more general one in which the substrate is coated throughout and the film thickness alternates between two non-zero levels. The incident linear polarization azimuth is chosen near, but not restricted to, 45 degree(s) (measured from the plane of incidence), and the angle of incidence may be selected over a range of values. The design procedure, which uses the two-dimensional Newton-Raphson method, is applied to the SiO2-Au film- substrate system at 633 nm wavelength, as an example, and the characteristics of the various possible coatings are presented.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Breast milk: proactive immunomodulation and mucosal protection against viruses and other pathogens

The majority of microorganisms infecting humans cross through the mucosal barrier. This is particularly true in infants who explore the world with their mouths while their immune system is still developing. Human milk not only supplies the nutritional needs of the newborn and protects the baby against infection by confering trophic protection to the intestinal mucosa, but additionally shapes the infant’s gut microbiota and instructs immunomodulation. Reflecting maternal environmental exposition and in virtue of its multiple mechanism of action, secretory IgA in milk exerts a decisive role in direct and cross-protection against a variety of pathogens. Its active role in priming the infant’s immune system is an intriguing hypothesis. From this perspective, breast milk antibodies produced by means of maternal immunization might represent protective and proactive factors able to shape and enhance the infant’s immune responses. Strategies to optimize the benefits of maternal immunization include novel vaccine ...
Regioselectivity of the reactions of trialkylaluminum reagents with 2,3-epoxyalcohols: Application to the synthesis of α-chiral aldehydes

Abstract Treatment of optically active 2,3-epoxyalcohols with trialkylaluminum reagents followed by periodate cleavage constitutes a convenient synthesis of α-chiral aldehyde derivatives, especially when the branching alkyl group is methyl.
News from the Noninstitutional world: U.S. and Canadian television news coverage of social protest

Although news coverage of protest is a necessary component to a protest movement's survival or growth, the way protest is covered can legitimate or delegitimate a protest movement. This article's perspective argues that television news coverage of protest is shaped by the degree of dissent from elite or institutional parameters. The data presented here look at protest on U.S. and Canadian national news programs. The data support the idea that the tone of news coverage depends on the protest's relationship to institutional interests. For domestic issues, the degree of debate among elites shapes the extent and tone of news coverage. The tone of coverage of protests in other countries tends to correspond with the government's foreign policy toward both the foreign government and protest movements. Canadian news coverage is more likely to give greater credence to protest and to the issues that protesters raise.
The development of specialized knitted structures in the creation of resist-dyed fabrics and garments

Abstract Seamless knitting proposes to offer numerous advantages to consumers and producers including better fit, improved performance characteristics, quick turn-around time, reduced system costs, and consistent quality. Although seamless knit is established in intimate apparel, extension of the technology to outerwear has been slow to attract consumers. One way to add value to seamless knit products is to create unique surface patterning to enhance the appearance. This research investigates the possibilities of resist-dyed structures on knitted fabrics, including garments created by computerized seamless-knitting technology. Resist-dyeing techniques have been traditionally created by numerous hand methods around the world, such as wax resist, yarn resist, and tied-fabric resist. This research shows a new analysis and interpretation of conventional tied-fabric resist methods by incorporating advanced knitting technology.
Computers in NMR—I: Signal averaging in Fourier transform NMR

Abstract The nature of digital signal averaging in Fourier transform nmr is discussed. The total number of scans which can be obtained can be expressed as a function of the initial signal-to-noise, the computer word length and the analog-to-digital converter resolution. Many more scans can be obtained in samples with low initial signal to noise if a low ADC resolution is used. Techniques for dealing with signals having a high dynamic range in Fourier transform nmr are discussed. The limitations imposed by the transform itself are pointed out.
Analysis of axisymmetric composite structures by the finite element method

Abstract The analysis of axisymmetric composite structures by the finite-element method with particular emphasis on the analysis of a prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) is dealt with. Displacements and stresses in nonhomogeneous elastic structures are obtained by the method presented for any combination of the following loading conditions: body forces, surface loads, thermal loads, locked-in residual stresses, and prestressing loads. In a PCRV, the conventional steel reinforcement, the prestressing cables, and the steel liner are considered as structural components that contribute to the load-carrying capacity of the over-all structure. The finite-element analysis procedure for an assemblage of axisymmetric elements which include triangular ring elements, conical shell elements, and one-dimensional tension-compression elements is outlined. Analysis results for a pressurized PCRV are presented.
Academic Freedom: The “Danger” of Critical Thinking

Something is wrong when campaigns are launched against academics and their right to freedom of thought and expression. Something is at stake when a hew and cry is raised about educators’ political persuasions. When we hear of this kind of academic harassment in places like Syria, Iraq, or North Korea we Americans shake our heads self-righteously. Look at that tyrannical regime, pity the fools who stay and endure it. We know we have our freedoms when we see those who do not. We laugh to scorn the notion that a state of war can be invoked to justify abduction of civil liberties. Then, in 2003, we Americans found ourselves at war (the War against Terror or the War for Democracy in Iraq, take your pick) and among the first casualties was academic freedom. For the duration, a state-defined notion of patriotism prevails. It entails subjection to the will of the leader that is often cloaked in “support of the troops” language, defense of Israel right or wrong and speaking and acting in specific ways. If we resist these conditions of patriotic behavior, we are labeled “unpatriotic” and become fair game for the zealots. One such zealot is David Horowitz, an ex-liberal turned-neocon think tanker. In 2003, he founded Students for Academic Freedom (SAF), that now has 150 chapters in the United States. The SAF website is a mine of information about those stigmatized as bad professors. It projects Horowitz's tireless campaigning to muzzle “liberal” ideas, to adopt quotas for conservative academics1 and to lobby for his Academic Bill of Rights (ABOR). This bill empowers students to condemn speech that offends them, allows them to opt out of any part of a course they consider “personally offensive” and authorizes their monitoring and reporting of such offense. Using progressive language from …
Four stories: confronting contemporary ideas about globalisation and internationalisation in higher education

There is a common distinction between globalisation and internationalisation in higher education scholarship. Globalisation is seen as an over‐arching social and economic process where as internatinalisation is understood as the ways in which institutions of higher education respond to globalisation. This conceptual distinction has also worked its way into the practice of university administration around the world. Drawing on the theoretical work of Foucault and Giddiness, this conception the consequences of the globalisation / internationalisation distinction are analysed through four of higher accounts education strategies.
A Human-Specific Deletion in Mouse Cmah Increases Disease Severity in the mdx Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

During the evolution of humans, an inactivating deletion was introduced in the CMAH (cytidine monophosphate–sialic acid hydroxylase) gene, which eliminated biosynthesis of the common mammalian sialic acid N -glycolylneuraminic acid from all human cells. We found that this human-specific change in sialylation capacity contributes to the marked discrepancy in phenotype between the mdx mouse model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and the human disease. When compared to human patients with DMD, mdx mice show reduced severity or slower development of clinically relevant disease phenotypes, despite lacking dystrophin protein in almost all muscle cells. This is especially true for the loss of ambulation, cardiac and respiratory muscle weakness, and decreased life span, all of which are major phenotypes contributing to DMD morbidity and mortality. These phenotypes occur at an earlier age or to a greater degree in mdx mice that also carry a human-like mutation in the mouse Cmah gene, possibly as a result of reduced strength and expression of the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex and increased activation of complement. Cmah -deficient mdx mice are a small-animal model for DMD that better approximates the human glycome and its contributions to muscular dystrophy.
Continuous inference networks for autonomous systems

The authors describe a structure for establishing the existence of fuzzy properties or patterns from a hierarchical sequence of fuzzy subproperties. The structure, referred to as a continuous inference network, consists of nodes that combine information of differing degrees of significance as well as differing degrees of existence. A discussion of characteristics of node transfer functions needed in the autonomous underwater vehicle/remotely operated vehicle (AUV/ROV) controller software and integration with neural network subsystems is included. >
Systems biology and cancer stem cells.

The identification, purification and characterization of cancer stem cells (CSCs) holds tremendous promise for improving the treatment of cancer. Mounting evidence is demonstrating that only certain tumour cells (i.e. the CSCs) can give rise to tumours when injected and that these purified cell populations generate heterogeneous tumours. While the cell of origin is still not determined definitively, specific molecular markers for populations containing these CSCs have been found for leukaemia, brain cancer and breast cancer, among others. Systems approaches, particularly molecular profiling, have proven to be of great utility for cancer diagnosis and characterization. These approaches also hold significant promise for identifying distinctive properties of the CSCs, and progress is already being made.
Determinants of Economic Growth in Malaysia 1970-2010

This paper investigates the determinants of economic growth in Malaysia. Trade openness, foreign direct investment, government development expenditure and gross fixed capital formation are used as indicators of economic growth.The study used time series data for the period 1970 to 2010. The Johansen and Juseliuscointegration approach was applied to determine the long-run relationship between the variables. The study found that trade openness and foreign direct investment have significant but negative impact on economic growth in short run. Our results also show that government development expenditure has the strongest effect on economic growth in Malaysia.
Asymptotic throughput analysis of multiuser diversity

In this paper, we provide an asymptotic performance analysis of channel-aware packet scheduling based on extreme value theory. We first address the average throughput of systems with a homogeneous average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and obtain its asymptotic expression. Compared to the exact throughput expression, the asymptotic one, which is applicable to a broader range of fading channels, is more concise and easier to get insights. The accuracy of the asymptotic results is confirmed by numerical simulation. Furthermore, we investigate the asymptotic average throughput of the normalized-SNR-based scheduling, which can provide fairness for a system with heterogeneous SNRs. The results show that the average throughput in this case is less than that in the homogeneous case with a power constraint.
Attenuation of experimental pruritus and mechanically evoked dysesthesiae in an area of cutaneous allodynia

We investigated the effects of tactile allodynia on the itch and mechanically evoked dysesthesiae produced by an intradermal injection of histamine in human volunteers. After an intradermal injection of capsaicin into the volar surface of one forearm, there developed an area of tactile allodynia to stroking and hyperalgesia to pricking the skin. Histamine was then injected simultaneously into the area of allodynia (experimental arm) and into the opposite forearm (control arm). Magnitude estimates of itch were obtained every 15 s for 5 min, and the areas of cutaneous hyperalgesia (pricking-evoked pain), alloknesis (stroking-evoked itch), hyperknesis (pricking-evoked itch) and wheal and flare were measured. The areas of wheal and flare were not significantly different on the two arms. The magnitude of itch and the areas of hyperknesis and alloknesis developed normally on the control arm but were absent or greatly reduced on the experimental arm. Thus, both the itch and the alloknesis and hyperknesis normally induced by histamine were absent or greatly reduced when histamine was injected in an area of capsaicin-induced allodynia. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that activity in capsaicin-sensitive, nociceptive primary afferent neurons evokes a central neuronal inhibitory process that prevents or reduces the itch and mechanically evoked dysesthesiae normally produced by an intradermal injection of histamine.
Development of a PCR-Enzyme Immunoassay Oligoprobe Detection Method for Toxoplasma gondii Oocysts, Incorporating PCR Controls

Infections caused by Toxoplasma gondii are widely prevalent in animals and humans throughout the world. In the United States, an estimated 23% of adolescents and adults have laboratory evidence of T. gondii infection. T. gondii has been identified as a major opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised individuals, in whom it can cause life-threatening disease. Water contaminated with feces from domestic cats or other felids may be an important source of human exposure to T. gondii oocysts. Because of the lack of information regarding the prevalence of T. gondii in surface waters, there is a clear need for a rapid, sensitive method to detect T. gondii from water. Currently available animal models and cell culture methods are time-consuming, expensive, and labor-intensive, requiring days or weeks for results to be obtained. Detection of T. gondii nucleic acid by PCR has become the preferred method. We have developed a PCR amplification and detection method for T. gondii oocyst nucleic acid that incorporates the use of hot-start amplification to reduce nonspecific primer annealing, uracil-N-glycosylase to prevent false-positive results due to carryover contamination, an internal standard control to identify false-negative results due to inadequate removal of sample inhibition, and PCR product oligoprobe confirmation using a nonradioactive DNA hybridization immunoassay. This method can provide positive, confirmed results in less than 1 day. Fewer than 50 oocysts can be detected following recovery of oocyst DNA. Development of a T. gondii oocyst PCR detection method will provide a useful technique to estimate the levels of T. gondii oocysts present in surface waters.
Orlistat, an under-recognised cause of progressive renal impairment

Obesity is an emerging risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the developed world. Orlistat, an intestinal lipase inhibitor, used in the treatment of obesity is available as an over-the-counter medication across the European union and in many countries worldwide. It is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). We present three adults, followed up from 1 to 6 years, who developed de novo or worsening renal impairment while on orlistat. Stopping the drug halted progression, but did not reverse the degree of renal impairment at presentation.
Transcriptomes of Frankia sp. strain CcI3 in growth transitions

Frankia sp. strains are actinobacteria that form N2-fixing root nodules on angiosperms. Several reference genome sequences are available enabling transcriptome studies in Frankia sp. Genomes from Frankia sp. strains differ markedly in size, a consequence proposed to be associated with a high number of indigenous transposases, more than 200 of which are found in Frankia sp. strain CcI3 used in this study. Because Frankia exhibits a high degree of cell heterogeneity as a consequence of its mycelial growth pattern, its transcriptome is likely to be quite sensitive to culture age. This study focuses on the behavior of the Frankia sp. strain CcI3 transcriptome as a function of nitrogen source and culture age. To study global transcription in Frankia sp. CcI3 grown under different conditions, complete transcriptomes were determined using high throughput RNA deep sequencing. Samples varied by time (five days vs. three days) and by culture conditions (NH4+ added vs. N2 fixing). Assembly of millions of reads revealed more diversity of gene expression between five-day and three-day old cultures than between three day old cultures differing in nitrogen sources. Heat map analysis organized genes into groups that were expressed or repressed under the various conditions compared to median expression values. Twenty-one SNPs common to all three transcriptome samples were detected indicating culture heterogeneity in this slow-growing organism. Significantly higher expression of transposase ORFs was found in the five-day and N2-fixing cultures, suggesting that N starvation and culture aging provide conditions for on-going genome modification. Transposases have previously been proposed to participate in the creating the large number of gene duplication or deletion in host strains. Subsequent RT-qPCR experiments confirmed predicted elevated transposase expression levels indicated by the mRNA-seq data. The overall pattern of gene expression in aging cultures of CcI3 suggests significant cell heterogeneity even during normal growth on ammonia. The detection of abundant transcription of nif (nitrogen fixation) genes likely reflects the presence of anaerobic, N-depleted microsites in the growing mycelium of the culture, and the presence of significantly elevated transposase transcription during starvation indicates the continuing evolution of the Frankia sp. strain CcI3 genome, even in culture, especially under stressed conditions. These studies also sound a cautionary note when comparing the transcriptomes of Frankia grown in root nodules, where cell heterogeneity would be expected to be quite high.
The future of isoprene emission from leaves, canopies and landscapes.

Isoprene emission from plants plays a dominant role in atmospheric chemistry. Predicting how isoprene emission may change in the future will help predict changes in atmospheric oxidant, greenhouse gas and secondary organic aerosol concentrations in the future atmosphere. At the leaf-scale, an increase in isoprene emission with increasing temperature is offset by a reduction in isoprene emission rate caused by increased CO2. At the canopy scale, increased leaf area index in elevated CO2 can offset the reduction in leaf-scale isoprene emission caused by elevated CO2. At the landscape scale, a reduction in forest coverage may decrease, while forest fertilization and community composition dynamics are likely to cause an increase in the global isoprene emission rate. Here we review the potential for changes in the isoprene emission rate at all of these scales. When considered together, it is likely that these interacting effects will result in an increase in the emission of the most abundant plant volatile, isoprene, from the biosphere to the atmosphere in the future.
Is the Prevalence of Specific Types of Congenital Heart Defects Different for Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic Infants?

Background Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of specific types of CHD among non-Hispanic (NH)-Black, NH-White, and Hispanic infants. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study with 9,352 singleton infants diagnosed with conotruncal, right or left obstructive or septal CHDs from the Florida Birth Defects Registry, born 1998-2003 to resident NH-White, NH-Black, and Hispanic women aged 15-49. Defect-specific prevalence rates, prevalence ratios and P-values were calculated for each type of CHD and by number of defects for each racial/ ethnic group. Results Compared to NH-Whites, NH-Blacks had higher rates of pulmonary valve atresia/stenosis but lower frequency of aortic valve atresia/stenosis and ven- tricular septal defect. Hispanics had lower rates of aortic valve atresia/stenosis and atrioventricular septal defects than NH-Whites. Conclusions Although few racial/ethnic differences in prevalence are present among infants with major CHD, observed differences are clinically meaning- ful. However, the underlying etiologies for the observed differences remain unknown.
Predicting Use and Solicitation of Payments in Lieu of Taxes

Some local governments solicit voluntary Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTs) from nonprofit organizations. PILOTs are intended to substitute for property and other taxes nonprofit entities do not pa...
Hepatic sequestration and modulation of the canalicular transport of the organic cation, daunorubicin, in the rat

In contrast to organic anions, substrates for the canalicular mdr1a and b are usually organic cations and are often sequestered in high concentrations in intracellular acidic compartments. Because many of these compounds are therapeutic agents, we investigated if their sequestration could be regulated. We used isolated perfused rat liver (IPRL), isolated rat hepatocyte couplets (IRHC), and WIF-B cells to study the cellular localization and biliary excretion of the fluorescent cation, daunorubicin (DNR). Despite rapid (within 15 minutes) and efficient (>90%) cellular uptake in the IPRL, only approximately 10% of the dose administered (0.2-20 micromol) was excreted in bile after 85 minutes. Confocal microscopy revealed fluorescence predominantly in vesicles in the pericanalicular region in IPRL, IRHC, and WIF-B cells. Treatment of these cells with chloroquine and bafilomycin A, agents that disrupt the pH gradient across the vesicular membrane, resulted in a loss of vesicular fluorescence, reversible in the case of bafilomycin A. Taurocholate (TC) and dibutyryl cAMP (DBcAMP), stimulators of transcytotic vesicular transport, increased the biliary recovery of DNR significantly above controls, by 70% and 35%, respectively. The microtubule destabilizer, nocodazole, decreased biliary excretion of DNR. No effect on secretion was noted in TR- mutant rats deficient in mrp2. Coadministration of verapamil, an inhibitor of mdr1, also decreased DNR excretion. While TC and DBcAMP did not affect the fluorescent intensity or pattern of distribution in IRHC, nocodazole resulted in redistribution of DNR to peripheral punctuate structures. These findings suggest that the organic cation, DNR, is largely sequestered in cells such as hepatocytes, yet its excretion can still be modulated.
A critical assessment of the role of helical intermediates in amyloid formation by natively unfolded proteins and polypeptides

Amyloidogenic proteins and polypeptides can be divided into two structural classes, namely those which are flexible and are intrinsically disordered in their unaggregated state and those which form a compact globular structure with a well-defined tertiary fold in their normally soluble state. This review article is focused on amyloid formation by natively disordered polypeptides. Important examples of this class include islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP, amylin), pro-IAPP processing intermediates, alpha-synuclein, the Abeta peptide, atrial natriuretic factor, calcitonin, pro-calcitonin, the medin polypeptide, as well as a range of de novo designed peptides. Amyloid formation is a complex process consisting of a lag phase during which no detectable fibril material is formed, followed by a rapid growth phase that leads to amyloid fibrils. A critical analysis of the literature suggests that a subset of intrinsically disordered polypeptides populate a helical intermediate during the lag phase. In this scenario, early formation of multimeric species is promoted by helix-helix association involving one region of the polypeptide chain which leads to a high effective concentration of an amyloidogenic sequence located in a different region of the chain. Helical intermediates appear to be particularly important in membrane-catalyzed amyloid formation and have been implicated in glycosaminoglycan mediated amyloid formation as well. There is suggestive evidence that targeting helix-helix interactions can be a viable strategy to inhibit amyloid formation. The characterization of transient helical intermediates is challenging, but new methods are being developed that offer the prospect of providing residue-specific information in real time.
Asymptomatic pulmonary cyst in a college student.

FIGURE 1. Posteroanterior chest roentgenogram illtmstrating wellcircumscribed homogeneous right tmpper lobe cystic lesion. deferred while a second opinion was obtained. The patient felt well and specifically denied fever, chills, chest pain, sputum production, hemoptysis, o)r previous episodes of pneumonia. She had no known exposure to tuberculosis and no prior history of surgery. She was receiving no medications and did not smoke. At the time of presentation, she was a sophomore in college and regtilarly enjoyed aerobics. There was no history of travel outside the United States. The findings from physical examination were completely unremarkable. The chest x-ray film showed a well-circtiniscribed right tipper lobe cystic structure (Fig 1), and the CT scan showed an homogeneous mass (Hounsfield number of3O) with an apparent rind (Fig 2). Laboratory studies were unrevealing, with a no)rmal white blood cell count and differential cell count. The mass remained unchanged during four months offollow-up, and subsequently the patient was admitted for thoracotomy.
Interactions Between Visual Working Memory and Selective Attention

The relationship between working memory and selective attention has traditionally been discussed as operating in one direction: Attention filters incoming information, allowing only relevant information into short-term processing stores. This study tested the prediction that the contents of visual working memory also influence the guidance of selective attention. Participants held a sample object in working memory on each trial. Two objects, one matching the sample and the other novel, were then presented simultaneously. As measured by a probe task, attention shifted to the object matching the sample. This effect generalized across object type, attentional-probe task, and working memory task. In contrast, a matched task with no memory requirement showed the opposite pattern, demonstrating that this effect is not simply due to exposure to the sample. These results confirm a specific prediction about the influence of working memory contents on the guidance of attention.
Efficient query reformulation in peer data management systems

Peer data management systems (PDMS) offer a flexible architecture for decentralized data sharing. In a PDMS, every peer is associated with a schema that represents the peer's domain of interest, and semantic relationships between peers are provided locally between pairs (or small sets) of peers. By traversing semantic paths of mappings, a query over one peer can obtain relevant data from any reachable peer in the network. Semantic paths are traversed by reformulating queries at a peer into queries on its neighbors.Naively following semantic paths is highly inefficient in practice. We describe several techniques for optimizing the reformulation process in a PDMS and validate their effectiveness using real-life data sets. In particular, we develop techniques for pruning paths in the reformulation process and for minimizing the reformulated queries as they are created. In addition, we consider the effect of the strategy we use to search through the space of reformulations. Finally, we show that pre-computing semantic paths in a PDMS can greatly improve the efficiency of the reformulation process. Together, all of these techniques form a basis for scalable query reformulation in PDMS.To enable our optimizations, we developed practical algorithms, of independent interest, for checking containment and minimization of XML queries, and for composing XML mappings.
A phase II evaluation of imatinib mesylate (G) in stage M0 prostate cancer (PC) patients (pts) on hormonal therapy (HT) with evidence of biochemical relapse

14612 Background: Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec, G) is a potent inhibitor of the tyrosine kinases and other signaling mediated events. Preclinical models suggest that G inhibits platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) and stem cell factor (SCF) which are important for prostate cancer growth. This trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of G in PCA pts on HT with stage M0 disease. Methods: Eligible PCA pts included: stage M0 disease with rising PSA levels while on hormonal therapy, no prior chemotherapy. Planned treatment included G 400 mg PO BID given up to a maximum of 12 months. The statistical endpoint for this trial was the% of pts with a ↓ in prostate specific antigen (PSA) ≥ 50% lasting ≥ 4 wks. A 2 stage trial was designed where the study would terminate if the% of pts meeting the endpoint was not convincingly > 30% with 5% chance for error. Pts with a > 50% rise in PSA from baseline were removed from study. Follow-up included monthly toxicities and PSA (specimens frozen/stored until comp...
Ethics and Defining Cultural Competence An Alternative View

Global ethics calls upon the discipline of nursing to critically evaluate personal and culture-based beliefs to nurture professionalism in relationships and improve health disparities. What does it potentially mean to provide nurse services based on culture and cultural competence? This article begins a discussion of potential ethical questions that surround the concept of culture and potential implications for education and practice from a nursing theoretical perspective.
Boards and Corporate Social Performance: The role of community influentials and interlocks

This study addresses the question: What makes some boards of directors more oriented towards encouraging corporate social performance (CSP) than others? Using a sample of Fortune 100 firms, we find...
Effective Preparation Program Features: A Literature Review

This article is a summary of a report prepared for the University Council for Educational Administration Program Improvement Project for the Wallace Foundation. This explores the research base for educational leadership preparation programs, specifically examining literature on program features. The review covers context, candidates, faculty, curriculum, design, delivery, pedagogy, internships, student assessment, mentoring and coaching, comprehensive leadership development, and program evaluation. In addition to summarizing the major findings in these program feature areas, the article provides a critical evaluation of the substantive and methodological gaps and future research directions.
Maxwell–Wagner Relaxation in Two Desert Soils at Medium and High Water Contents: Interpretation From Modeling of Time Domain Reflectometry Data

Maxwell–Wagner relaxations (MWRs) are generally between 1 and 20 MHz in fine grain soils at volumetric water contents less than 10%. Isolated water inclusions appear to cause MWR. We used time domain reflectometry to measure complex permittivity from 6 kHz to 6 GHz of two, quartz-rich desert soils to test if MWR occur at a limited number of higher water contents because inclusion concentration should then decrease. One soil had lesser calcite; the other lesser gypsum. Water contents ranged from 6.2% to 33.8%. Unwanted electrode polarization (EP) dominates the real part of permittivity below 1 MHz. We interpreted MWR from complex refractive index models (CRIMs) that summed expressions for EP, Debye-type MWR, free water relaxation (FWR), and air volume. Broadband MWRs centered from 1 to 36 MHz exist up to 17% volumetric water contents and up to 196 MHz in the quartz-gypsum soil at saturation, with small to significant Cole–Cole factors that suggest a range of relaxation processes, and attenuation rates that increase to nearly ${100}\;\text{dBm}^{-{1}}$ as frequency increased across the 100–1000 MHz GPR bandwidth. The Cole–Cole factor generally decreased with increasing relaxation frequency, while inclusion conductivity, derived from relaxation frequency, generally increased with increasing bulk conductivity and water content. These results suggest inclusion concentration and a spectrum of their conductivity values decreased, while ionic mobility increased. At saturation, the quartz-calcite soil provided an unexpected low relaxation frequency of 1.28 MHz, possibly caused by inclusions retained within calcite growths upon quartz grains, and within minor amount of smectite.
Seeking Smart Growth in Higher Education:A Look at the Structure of US Higher Education,Past and Future

One of the great strengths of America's vast higher education system is the variety and number of its colleges and universities.Extending higher education beyond the singular model of the university was a key concept that allowed the US to pioneer the idea of mass higher education.How did the US expand its higher education system,what is the current structure and character of that system? What are the Obama administration's goals for the future of this system? The following provides my attempt to briefly answer these questions and to capture a few of America's higher education triumphs and challenges.Like other nations with growing populations,intelligently expanding enrollment capacity,or what one might call pursuing a program of "smart growth," is a difficult policy and political question-one made even more complicated by the current global economic downturn of epic proportions.
Effect of cold exposure on the function of luteal and granulose cells in Rat

[Objective]To discuss the effect of multi-times cold exposure with different intensity on ovary function of rats.[Methods]Through in vitro cell culture method,luteal and granulose cells of the rat's ovary were isolated.The control group(37 ℃) and cold exposure group(4.0 ℃) were set up.The variance of progesterone and cyclic AMP(cAMP) content which was excreted by luteal and granulose cells induced by the human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) was observed,and the cAMP content was determined by radioimmunoassay method.[Results] The progesterone and cAMP content excreted by luteal and granulose cells had a increasing trend under the three times 4 ℃ cold exposure,and the cAMP content had a significant increase(P0.01) compared with control gorup.the cAMP content increased significantly under the first 0 ℃ cold exposure(P0.01),and decreased significantly under both second and third cold exposure(P0.05,P0.01).[Conclusion]The progesterone and cAMP content excreted by luteal and granulose cells are influenced by the intension and times of cold exposure.
Shyness and Self-Presentation

Research on self-presentation and impression management has grown immensely in scope and sophistication during the past two decades. Standing on the shoulders of such astute observers of social behavior as Erving Goffman (e.g., 1959) and Edward E. Jones (e.g., 1964), social psychologists have begun sampling the panorama of fascinating and theoretically compelling behaviors that fall into this category of social influence tactic; one can hardly scan a journal in social psychology without seeing some insightful account or intriguing demonstration of the ways people behave to create impressions on others. Moreover, theory has not lagged behind. Taxonomies, models, and analyses of the motivational bases of self-presentation have been offered (e.g., Arkin, 1981; Arkin & Baumgardner, 1985; Baumeister, 1982; Hogan, 1982; Jones & Pittman, 1982) and lengthy reviews of the process and collections of perspectives on the problem have come fast and furious as well (e.g., Schlenker, 1982; Tedeschi, 1981).
Alibaba: Entrepreneurial growth and global expansion in B2B/B2C markets

The purpose of this case-based research is to analyze and discuss Alibaba Group (hereafter Alibaba) and its entrepreneurial growth and global expansion in B2B/B2C markets. The paper uses company and industry-specific data and surveys to analyze a fast growing Chinese B2B/B2C firm and its internationalization and expansion in global markets. Findings of the work reveal that in a short time, Alibaba has become a major entrepreneurial icon and global player and continues to grow worldwide because of its well-planned business initiatives and B2B/B2C-based business models. The paper also provides implications in the area of international entrepreneurship and its related areas. International entrepreneurs need to learn from Alibaba’s fast growing business model and dynamic growth because of its competitive platforms and Web-based strategies which helped the company to target small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in global markets. Within the areas of international entrepreneurship and international business, the paper also provides discussion which deals with the changing e-commerce industry and its future growth and developments.
Validation of a Geriatric Trauma Prognosis Calculator: A P.A.L.Li.A.T.E. Consortium Study

Background/Objectives The P.A.L.Li.A.T.E. (prognostic assessment of life and limitations after trauma in the elderly) consortium has previously created a prognosis calculator for mortality after geriatric injury based on age, injury severity, and transfusion requirement called the geriatric trauma outcome score (GTOS). Here, we sought to create and validate a prognosis calculator called the geriatric trauma outcome score ii (GTOS II) estimating probability of unfavorable discharge. Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Four geographically diverse Level 1 trauma centers. Participants Trauma admissions aged 65 to 102 years surviving to discharge from 2000 to 2013. Intervention None. Measurements Age, injury severity score (ISS), transfusion at 24 hours post-admission, discharge dichotomized as favorable (home/rehabilitation) or unfavorable (skilled nursing/long term acute care/hospice). Training and testing samples were created using the holdout method. A multiple logistic mixed model (GTOS II) was created to estimate the odds of unfavorable disposition then re-specified using the GTOS II as the sole predictor in a logistic mixed model using the testing sample. Results The final dataset was 16,114 subjects (unfavorable discharge status = 15.4%). Training (n = 8,057) and testing (n = 8,057) samples had similar demographics. The formula based on the training sample was (GTOS II = Age + [0.71 × ISS] + 8.79 [if transfused by 24 hours]). Misclassification rate and AUC were 15.63% and 0.67 for the training sample, respectively, and 15.85% and 0.67 for the testing sample. Conclusion GTOS II estimates the probability of unfavorable discharge in injured elders with moderate accuracy. With the GTOS mortality calculator, it can help in goal setting conversations after geriatric injury.
What Do Kinematic Models Imply About the Constitutive Properties of Rocks Deformed in Flat-Ramp-Flat Folds?

Kinematic theories of flat-ramp-flat folds relate fault angles to stratal dips in a way that allows prediction of structural geometries in areas of economic or scientific interest. However, these geometric descriptions imply constitutive properties of rocks that might be discordant with field and laboratory measurements. In this study, we compare deformation resulting from kinematic and mechanical models of flat-ramp-flat folds with identical geometries to determine the conditions over which kinematic models may be reasonably applied to folded rocks. Results show that most mechanical models do not conform to the geometries predicted by the kinematic models, and only low basal friction (μ ≤ 0.1) and shallow ramps (ramp angle ≤ 10°) produce geometries consistent with kinematic predictions. This implies that the kinematic models might be appropriate for a narrow set of geometric and basal fault friction parameters.
National survey of urogynecological practice patterns among United States OB/GYN oral board examinees in different practice settings.

The current urogynecological surgical experience of recent OB/GYN graduates in different practice settings is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in urogynecological surgical care between private practitioners (PPs) and other generalist OB/GYN oral board examinees. A total of 699 OB/GYN oral board examination examinees were administered a survey during board preparatory courses with a 70.7% response rate. The primary outcome was to determine differences in subjective reported performance of urogynecological surgery with and without apical support procedures (female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, FPMRS, ± apical) between PP and generalists in other practice models (academic, managed care, other). Secondary outcomes included urogynecological case list reporting, referral patterns, and residency training. A total of 473 surveys were completed; after excluding subspecialists, 210 surveys were completed by PP and 162 by individuals in other settings. 6.7% of PPs subjectively reported that they perform FPMRS + apical surgery compared with 4.3% of those in other practice settings (p = 0.33). Although 29.2% of PPs reported adequate FPMRS training in residency compared with 39.7% of those in other practice settings (p = 0.04), 53.6% of PPs reported that they refer patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP), compared with 66.5% of those in other practice settings (p = 0.013). 38.9% of PPs report that they performed POP surgery compared with 27.8% of non-PPs (p = 0.014). Regardless of practice setting, surgical volumes are low and few general OB/GYN board examinees report that they perform comprehensive FPMRS ± apical support surgery. The practice environment may affect providers’ management of patients with pelvic floor disorders.