cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Up-regulation of the human gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase regulatory subunit gene involves binding of Nrf-2 to an electrophile responsive element.

The rate-limiting step in the de novo synthesis of the cellular protectant glutathione is catalyzed by γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS; also known as glutamine-L-cysteine ligase, GLCL), a heterodimer consisting of catalytic (GCSh) and regulatory (GCSl) subunits. Regulation of expression of the human γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase regulatory subunit gene in response to β-NF is mediated by an Electrophile Responsive Element (EpRE) [Moinova, H., and Mulcahy, R. T. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 14683–14689]. Oligonucleotide probes corresponding to wild-type and mutant EpRE sequences were used in gel-shift and super-shift analyses to identify proteins binding. Four protein:DNA complexes (a–d) with distinct mobilities were detected when the wild-type EpRE probe was incubated with nuclear extracts from control or β-NF-treated HepG2 cells. Following β-NF treatment, there was an increase in the intensity of a single band, band b. This band was eliminated in gel shifts employing mutant EpRE probes which abolish β-NF inducibility, demonstrating a correlation between band b and transactivation. Super-shift analysis identified JunD, Nrf1, and Nrf2 in the EpRE-binding complexes. Antibodies to Nrf2 completely super-shifted the band b protein:DNA complex. These studies demonstrate that Nrf2 proteins recognize and bind the GCSl EpRE sequence to affect transactivation of the gene.
Clinical spectrum of neuromyelitis optica 2013

The spectrum of presentation of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is now recognized as being more diverse than defined by current diagnostic criteria, and includes limited forms of optic neuritis and transverse myelitis, as well as other brain syndromes. Discovery of a specific biomarker, autoantibodies targeting aquaporin-4, facilitated the recognition of this broader spectrum of disease. Brain magnetic resonance imaging lesions in NMO might be relatively specific or entirely non-specific. The most specific lesions are lesions of the area postrema or hypothalamus, longitudinally extensive corpus callosum lesions, and long corticospinal tract lesions in the corona radiata and brainstem. Although the full spectrum of aquaporin-4-associated disease based on population-based serological studies remains undefined, studies from service testing laboratories show that the vast majority of patients have had optic neuritis and myelitis or one of the now well-accepted signature syndromes of NMO, such as intractable vomiting or hiccough, although ascertainment bias undoubtedly influences this conclusion. New diagnostic criteria based on deliberations of an international panel of experts are anticipated shortly. Almost certainly, new criteria will allow for diagnosis of NMO based on a single episode of a “signature” syndrome of NMO. Nevertheless, in the face of a syndrome that is less characteristic and less well associated with NMO, especially if associated with other disease entities, caution is necessary.
Does Indebtedness Influence Health? A Preliminary Inquiry:

In recent years, consumer debt and the bankruptcy filing rate have received substantial public and media attention in the United States. That attention pales in comparison with widespread concerns and media reporting about health. Yet, both sets of discussions may be relevant to individuals and families facing a combination of health problems and financial problems. In a recent study, nearly half of the sample of individual bankruptcy filers reported they also were dealing with illness, injury, or substantial medical debt. Whether somethmg other than coincidence explains this correlation is worthy of consideration for those who study health. For some debtors, debt problems may be health-care finance issues; income interruption or financial obligations stemming from health ailments may contribute to financial downfall? The opposite relationship, however, not only is possible, but potentially more pervasive.
In situ biaxial rotation at low-temperatures in high magnetic fields

We report the design, construction, and characterization of a biaxial sample rotation stage for use in a cryogenic system for orientation-dependent studies of anisotropic electronic transport phenomena at low temperatures and high magnetic fields. Our apparatus allows for continuous rotation of a sample about two axes, both independently and simultaneously.
Three-dimensional modeling of a portable medical device for magnetic separation of particles from biological fluids

A portable separator has been developed to quantitatively separate blood-borne magnetic spheres in potentially high-flow regimes for the human detoxification purpose. In the separator design, an array of biocompatible capillary tubing and magnetizable wires is immersed in an external magnetic field that is generated by two permanent magnets. The wires are magnetized and the high magnetic field gradient from the magnetized wires helps to collect blood-borne magnetic nano/micro-spheres from the blood flow. In this study, a 3D numerical model was created and the effect of tubing-wire configurations on the capture efficiency of the system was analyzed using COMSOL Multiphysics 3.3®. The results showed that the configuration characterized by bi-directionally alternating wires and tubes was the best design with respect to the four starting configurations. Preliminary in vitro experiments verified the numerical predictions. The results helped us to optimize a prototype portable magnetic separator that is suitable for rapid sequestration of magnetic nano/micro-spheres from the human blood stream while accommodating necessary clinical boundary conditions.
The membrane surfaces of the toad bladder: scanning and transmission electron-microscopy.

The SEM permits analysis of large areas of the surface of epithelia and facilitates the study of cell-to-cell relationships, as pointed out by Fenguson and Heap (Z. Zellforsch.109:297, 1970). The short method of preparation described here yields good results when the critical point method is used for drying (freeze-drying was less satisfactory). Cell counts reveal that theBufo marinus toad bladder epithelium contains 3 or 4 granular (GR) cells to 1 mitochondria-rich (MR) cell. Whether these cell membrane contacts are permeable to the diffusion of high energy compounds and whether the MR cells serve as a source of energy for the GR cells are hypotheses that require further study. In view of the wide variations in the cell number per unit area even in single hemibladders, experimental measurements should probably be expressed either in terms of cell counts of DNA content, rather than per unit surface area.
Improved positron emission tomography quantification by Fourier-based restoration filtering.

Positron emission tomography (PET) images are characterized by both poor spatial resolution and high statistical noise. Conventional methods to reduce noise, such as local weighted averaging, produce further deteriorations in spatial resolution, while the use of deconvolution to recover resolution typically amplifies noise to unacceptable levels. We studied the use of two-dimensional Fourier filtering to simultaneously increase quantitative recovery and reduce noise. The filter was based on inversion of the scanner's measured transfer function, coupled with high frequency roll-off. In phantom studies, we found improvements in both “hot” and “cold” sphere quantification. Compared with ramp-only filtering, improvements in hot spot recovery for the highest accuracy filter averaged 13.6%±6.6% for spheres larger than 15 mm; improvements in cold spot recovery averaged 30.7%±4.7%. At the same time, the noise was reduced by a factor of 3 compared with ramponly filtering. Fourier-based image restoration filtering is thus capable of improving both accuracy and precision in PET.
Effects of a Rough Boundary Surface on Polarization of the Scattered Field from an Inhomogeneous Medium

The effect of surface roughness on the polarization of the scattered field is studied by combining the standard Kirchhoff method for rough surface scattering with the radiative transfer method for volume scattering using the Rayleigh phase function. Corresponding cases of pure surface scattering from a homogeneous layer and volume scattering from a plane inhomogeneous layer are also computed to serve as points of reference. In each case the degree of polarization DP, polarization ratio PR, locations on the Poincare sphere of copolarization nulls CN, and cross-polarization nulls XN are computed. It is found that for pure surface scattering PR between 0-20° incidence angles is quite sensitive to change in surface roughness. However, when both surface and volume scattering are present, CN by colatitude or DP between 0-15° incidence angles and CN or XN by longitude at large incidence angles (>60°) are better indicators of change in surface roughness. Since XN changes insignificantly in pure surface scattering, it appears that a significant change in it can serve as an indicator for the presence of volume scattering. Also, in pure surface or volume scattering, the variations of DP and CN by colatitude are monotone with the incidence angle, while in the combined surface and volume scattering DP has a minimum and CN by colatitude has a maximum. This character offers the possibility of separating combined surface and volume scattering from pure surface or volume scattering.
Rethinking peptide supply to MHC class I molecules

The notion that peptides bound to MHC class I molecules are derived mainly from newly synthesized proteins that are defective, and are therefore targeted for immediate degradation, has gained wide acceptance. This model, still entirely hypothetical, has strong intuitive appeal and is consistent with some experimental results, but it is strained by other findings, as well as by established and emerging concepts in protein quality control. While not discounting defectiveness as a driving force for the processing of some proteins, we propose that MHC-class-I-restricted epitopes are derived mainly from nascent proteins that are accessed by the degradation machinery prior to any assessment of fitness, and we outline one way in which this could be accomplished.
Benzodiazepine Use in the Elderly Prior to Psychiatric Hospitalization

The objective of this study was to assess benzodiazepine use and the treatment of depression before admission to an inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit in a sample of elderly patients. The study design was a retrospective chart review, and the setting was a university hospital inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit. The subjects included 131 consecutively admitted patients. Preadmission benzodiazepine drug regimens were reviewed in relation to the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) guidelines for benzodiazepine use in nursing homes and in relation to psychiatric diagnoses. Psychiatric diagnoses were made based on DSM-III-R criteria. The preadmission benzodiazepine regimens of 38 of 59 patients receiving benzodiazepines (64.0%) were outside the HCFA guidelines. Also, 30 of 76 patients (39.5%) with depressive disorders received benzodiazepines as sole treatment of depression prior to their admission. This study suggests that benzodiazepines may be misused in the elderly and indicates the need for education and research on the appropriate use of benzodiazepines in the treatment of depression.
N-polar GaN-based MIS-HEMTs for mixed signal applications

GaN-based transistors are attractive for the next generation RF power and mixed signal electronics due to their high breakdown field and high carrier saturation velocity. III-N high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) fabricated on the N-face of GaN are well-suited to address the problems of poor electron confinement and high ohmic contact resistance in the highly scaled transistors. At 4 GHz, N-polar metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS)-HEMTs with a gate length of 0.7 micron exhibited a highest output power density (Pout) of 8.1 W/mm and a highest power-added efficiency (PAE) of 71%, while a Pout of 4.2 W/mm and a PAE of 49% were achieved at 10 GHz. A high speed N-polar MIS-HEMT fabricated with a gate-first self-aligned InGaN-based ohmic contact regrowth technology was characterized, demonstrating an ultra-low contact resistance of 23 ohm-micron and a state-of-the-art fTxLG product of 16.8 GHz-micron with a gate length of 130 nm.
Effects of early protein undernutrition and later frontal cortex damage on habit acquisition and reversallearning in the rat

Rats from dams that were undernourished (8% casein diets) during pregnancy and lactation or well fed (25% casein diets) received frontal corticallesions at maturity. The animals were then tested for the ability to master a simple sensory discrimination and to learn reversals of that discrimination. Main effects of undernutrition and the frontal corticallesion were found in originallearning but not on the reversals, and animals that received both early undernutrition and the later focal brain lesion made more errors in originallearning than did rats that sustained only undernutrition or only the lesion. The suggestion that early nutritional history may be one of a number of factors that can help to explain why patients with seemingly similar brain lesions do not always show identical symptoms is discussed.
10.4: Phased Reset Timing for Improved Digital Micromirror Device™ (DMD™) Brightness

A new DMD™ architecture and operation is described in which the DMD cells are horizontally partitioned into re se t groups, each of which is loaded and reset with time phasing. Phased reset operation of reset groups affords a significant improvement in brightness and picture quality by allowing a more efficient pulse width modulation pattern.
Flexible miniature compound lens design for high-resolution optical coherence tomography balloon imaging catheter

We report on a new optics design for an optical coherence tomography (OCT) balloon imaging catheter. The design involves a miniature compound gradient-index (GRIN) rod lens, which consists of a fiber optic mode-field reducer and relay rod lenses to achieve predictable high lateral resolution at a desired large working distance. The compound lens design significantly simplifies the engineering process for an OCT catheter and enables 3-D full circumferential cross sectional imaging of large luminal organs such as human esophagus. An as-designed OCT catheter is developed and demonstrated for real-time in vivo swine esophagus imaging in a 3-D spiral fashion.
The Impact of Mortgage Qualification Criteria on Households′ Housing Decisions: An Empirical Analysis Using Microeconomic Data

Abstract This paper proposes an alternative methodology for assessing the impact of mortgage qualification criteria on households′ housing decisions. Households′ housing consumption across discrete mobility-tenure decisions is considered within the context of a switching regression model. Mortgage qualification criteria are introduced by incorporating a kinked budget constraint for households choosing to purchase an owner-occupied dwelling. The data used in the analysis come from the 1986 Consumer Survey conducted by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. The empirical estimates suggest that: (1) households may not be rigorously held to 20% down payment and 28% payment-to-income constraints, (2) mortgage qualification constraints are generally more constraining to renters than owners, (3) an increase in permanent income reduces owners′ probabilities of being constrained by more than it does renters′, (4) relaxing the mortgage market constraints has a relatively greater impact on renters′ probability of owning and expected demand for newly purchased owner-occupied housing than it does for owners′, and (5) an increase in permanent income increases owners′ expected demand for newly purchased owner-occupied housing by more than it does renters′.
Foreign Languages for Business and the Professions at US Colleges and Universities

at American colleges and universities as early as the 1920s, but language for specific purposes (LSP) courses did not begin to gain widespread acceptance in the foreign language curriculum until the 1980s. A major reason for the proliferation of LSP was the report of the President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies (7), which focused on the decline of foreign language skills in the United States and emphasized the need for professionally linked foreign language courses. Linguistic skills, the report stated, are a plus when combined with professional knowledge in fields such as engineering, business, and nursing. In 1981, Grosse's sampling of Spanish for Business revealed that forty-six percent of the 267 responding institutions of higher education included this type of specialized offering. Likewise, her 1983 research on applied language studies at 1,008 colleges and universities found LSP at sixty-two percent of the 450 responding institutions, the majority of which offered courses in languages for business. The emergence of professional journals such as English for Specific PurposesJournal (1980), Journal of Language for International Business (1984), and Language International (1989) reflect growing interest in applied language studies. The International Association for Languages and Business, which held its fifteenth annual conference in Nottingham, England, in November, 1989, attests to long-standing interest in the field outside the United States and also demonstrates the rela-
Assessing socioeconomic correlates of birthweight in peninsular Malaysia: Ethnic differences and charges over time

Abstract This paper presents evidence from the Malaysian Family Life Survey that mothers' reports of their babies' birthweights, including reports of unweighed babies' approximate size at birth, can be used to examine many biological and socioeconomic correlates of birthweight. The study uses a sample of 5583 singleton births that occured between 1945 and 1976. In these data, the frequency distribution of birthweights and their bivariate and multivariate relationships with the biological correlates of mother's age, baby's sex, first parity and infant mortality are consistent with those found in prospective studies. A new biological correlate, mother's age at menarche, is introduced as a proxy for the mother's nutrition during childhood. Late age at menarche is associated with lower birthweight. Other results show mothers younger than 20 years and older than 35 appear to be at greater risk of bearing small babies, but the former effect is no longer important when parity is controlled. Short interbirth intervals are associated with small babies. We attempt to distinguish whether this is due to prematurity or to maternal nutritional depletion; both effects appear to be operating. Higher income appears to mitigate the pernicious effect of short interbirth intervals. Indian babies weigh significantly less than those of other ethnic groups. Furthermore, birthweights have increased since the 1950s for Malays and Chinese, but not for Indians. The lower birthweights and lack of improvement over time for Indians appear to be due to close birthspacing, lack of access to medical care and falling incomes.
Diagnosis of infratemporal fossa tumors using percutaneous core needle biopsy

Three patients with infratemporal fossa carcinomas presented with severe, unrelenting facial pain, weight loss, and 5th cranial nerve deficit. Erosion of the base of the skull at the foramen ovale was present in two of these patients. Histologic diagnosis of infratemporal fossa malignancy was obtained by needle biopsy of the foramen ovale region; the technique is described. This approach to the infratemporal fossa is preferred to the more complicated external surgical approach with its greater risk of morbidity. Surgical approaches to the infratemporal fossa are also reviewed. Two of the patients were treated with radiotherapy; the third refused further therapy. Supravoltage radiotherapy with curative intent is the recommended treatment because of the difficulty of an en bloc tumor resection in the infratemporal fossa. Radioactive gold seeds may be implanted through an external surgical approach to boost the local dose.
Use of a virtual reality simulator for ureteroscopy training.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Virtual reality surgical simulators may shorten operative time and reduce the potential for iatrogenic injury by providing training outside the operating room. We hypothesized that training on a virtual ureteroscopy (VU) simulator would allow novice endoscopists to overcome the initial learning curve before entering the operating room.Materials and Methods: We evaluated 16 medical students on their ability to perform specific ureteroscopic tasks on a VU simulator. The students trained on the simulator for a total of 5 hours over multiple sessions using different training modules and then were retested on the initial module. Likewise, 16 urology residents with varying degrees of endoscopic experience were assessed on the same test module twice, without additional simulator training.Results: The students improved task completion time from 17.4 to 8.7 minutes (p <0.05), while the residents performed the task in 7.6 minutes at baseline and 6.7 minutes at the second trial. Stratification of re...
Direct Inhibition of Expressed Cardiac L-Type Ca2+ Channels by S-Nitrosothiol Nitric Oxide Donors

NO donors have complex effects on Ca2+ currents in native cardiac cells, with reports of direct stimulation and indirect cGMP-mediated inhibition or stimulation. To investigate the molecular basis of these effects, we tested the effects of one class of NO donors, S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs), on expressed cardiovascular L-type Ca2+ channels (alpha 1C +/- beta 1a +/- alpha 2 or alpha 1C +/- beta 2a +/- alpha 2) in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells. The RSNO compounds we used were S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP, 5 to 10 nmol/L or 100 to 800 mumol/L), S-nitrosocysteine (SNC, 100 mumol/L or 1 mmol/L), and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO, 1 mmol/L). Currents were measured using whole-cell patch recordings with 2 to 10 mmol/L Ba2+ as the charge carrier. SNAP reduced the amplitude of barium currents (IBa) through all the subunit combinations, with and EC50 of 360 mumol/L for alpha 1C + beta 1a channels. SNC or GSNO also inhibited IBa, albeit less potently. The inhibitory effect of SNAP was not affected by methylene blue (10 to 30 mumol/L) or 8-bromo-cGMP (200 to 400 mumol/L). The effects are relatively specific for Ca2+ channels, as expressed cardiac or skeletal muscle Na+ channels, which have a similar overall architecture, were barely affected by SNAP at concentrations as high as 1 mmol/L. We conclude that in the HEK293 expression system, the S-nitrosothiol NO donors inhibit L-type Ca2+ channels by a mechanism independent of cGMP.
A deeply divergent phosphoglucomutase (PGM) of Giardia lamblia has both PGM and phosphomannomutase activities.

Giardia lamblia, which is an important parasitic cause of diarrhea, uses activated forms of glucose to make glycogen and activated forms of mannose to make glycophosphosphoinositol anchors. A necessary step for glucose activation is isomerization of glucose-6-phosphate to glucose-1-phosphate by a phosphoglucomutase (PGM). Similarly, a phosphomannomutase (PMM) converts mannose-6-phosphate to mannose-1-phosphate. While whole genome sequences of Giardia predict two PGM candidates, no PMM candidate is present. The hypothesis tested here is that at least one of the two Giardia PGM candidates has both PGM and PMM activity, as has been described for bacterial PGM orthologs. Nondenaturing gels showed that Giardia has two proteins with PGM activity, one of which also has PMM activity. Phylogenetic analyses showed that one of the two Giardia PGM candidates (Gl-PGM1) shares recent common ancestry with other eukaryotic PGMs, while the other Giardia PGM candidate (Gl-PGM2) is deeply divergent. Both Gl-PGM1 and Gl-PGM2 rescue a Saccharomyces cerevisiae pgm1Δ/pgm2Δ double deletion strain, while only Gl-PGM2 rescues a temperature-sensitive PMM mutant of S. cerevisiae (sec53-ts). Recombinant Gl-PGM1 has PGM activity only, whereas Gl-PGM2 has both PGM and PMM activities. We conclude that Gl-PGM1 behaves as a conventional eukaryotic PGM, while Gl-PGM2 is a novel eukaryotic PGM that also has PMM activity.
Jet-plume condensation of steam-air mixtures in subcooled water. Part 2: Code model

Abstract The system-analysis thermal-hydraulics code, TRACE, was used to model jet-plume condensation of steam and steam–air mixtures in a subcooled pool. The code model was used to compare the pool temperature development in a scaled-down test facility suppression pool (SP) represented by an idealized trapezoidal cross-section and 1/10 sector of a with scaled height ratio of 1/4.5 and volume ratio of 1/400. Thermal stratification and pool mixing data obtained in the experimental test section at different pool initial subcooling and steam/air mixture flow rates were used a validation suite to benchmark against the performance of the code. Agreement of the code simulations to experiments were seen in cases of pool mixing, however, instances of pool thermal stratification and transitional regimes between stratification and mixing were not predicted correctly by the code. The experimental database described in part 1 to this paper provides the benchmark suite to be used for future developmental improvement in areas of the code which may have future application to analysis of thermal heat removal rates in large pools.
Role of Poliovirus Receptors in the Spread of the Infection

Although the poliovirus receptor (PVR) has been cloned, lack of knowledge of its precise tissue distribution makes assessment of its role in mediating poliomyelitis difficult. Our recent work demonstrated that PVR is expressed on human monocytes and that primary human blood cells can support PV replication. In the current work, we demonstrate that CD14-positive cells (monocytes) support PV replication but that only a minority (< 10%) of the cells become infected. In other preliminary studies, immunocytochemical analyses of human brain tissue demonstrated the presence of PVR in the olfactory bulb, a tissue thought to not support PV replication. Thus, it appears that some apparently "ectopic" sites of PVR expression may in fact be sites for PV replication, whereas other sites may indeed be restricted. The ability of monocytes to replicate PV may pertain to some unexplained phenomena in PV pathogenesis, such as the specific cell type carrying out the initial round of replication in the gut, sites of extraneural replication and transport of the virus into the CNS. Preliminary studies with monocytes from post-polio syndrome patients showed no difference in the levels of PVR relative to control monocytes. In other preliminary work, PVR was shown to be phosphorylated and its expression on monocytes increased by treatment with gamma-interferon. The normal function of PVR is likely to be involved in monocyte function during immune activation.
Isolation and characterization of proline peptidase mutants of Salmonella typhimurium.

The proline requirement of Salmonella typhimurium strain proB25 can be satisfied by either of the peptides Leu-Pro or Gly-Pro-Ala. A mutant derivative of strain proB25 isolated by penicillin selection in medium containing Leu-Pro as proline source fails to use either Leu-Pro or Gly-Pro-Ala as a source of proline. This strain is a double mutant that lacks two aminoacyl-proline-specific peptidases. One of these enzymes (peptidase Q) catalyzes the rapid hydrolysis of Leu-Pro but does not hydrolyze Gly-Pro-Ala or poly-l-proline. Mutations at a site (pepQ) near metE lead to loss of this activity. The other peptidase (peptidase P) catalyzes the hydrolysis of Gly-Pro-Ala and poly-l-proline but is only weakly active with Leu-Pro as substrate. This enzyme is similar to aminopeptidase P previously described in Escherichia coli (16). Mutations at a locus (pepP) near serA lead to loss of this enzyme. Images
Assessing the Impact of Father-Absence from a Psychoanalytic Perspective

Abstract This article examines the role of father and effects of his absence within the context of psychoanalytic theory. The article begins by exploring some of the earliest psychoanalytic writings on the father and his role in child development. The literature describing the effects of father-loss/absence from a developmental perspective is then presented within the framework of the four central psychologies of drive/structural theory, ego psychology, object relations theory and self psychology. Treatment implications are then discussed in regard to five central areas of assessment: (1) the quality and nature of attachment to father; (2) father's role during the first and second separation-individuation; (3) Oe-dipal issues; (4) father's capacity to have functioned as an important selfobject; and (5) the nature and quality of the paternal representation. A case is then presented followed by a discussion of the clinical implications when assessing father-child dynamics. The article concludes by outlining...
Diagnostic transgastric endoscopic peritoneoscopy: extension of the initial human trial for staging of pancreatic head masses.

The validity of natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) was confirmed in a human trial of 10 patients undergoing diagnostic transgastric endoscopic peritoneoscopy (DTEP) for staging of pancreatic head masses. This report is an update with 10 additional patients in the series and includes bacterial contamination data. The patients in this human trial were scheduled to undergo diagnostic laparoscopy for abdominal staging of a pancreatic head mass. A second surgeon, blinded to the laparoscopic findings, performed a transgastric endoscopic peritoneoscopy (TEP). The findings of laparoscopic exploration were compared with that those of the TEP. Diagnostic findings, operative times, and clinical course were recorded. Bacterial contamination data were collected for the second cohort of 10 patients. Bacterial samples were collected from the scope before use and the abdominal cavity before and after creation of the gastrotomy. Samples were assessed for bacterial counts and species identification. Definitive care was rendered based on the findings from laparoscopy. In this study, 20 patients underwent diagnostic laparoscopy followed by DTEP. The average time for completion of diagnostic laparoscopy was 10 min compared with 21 min for TEP. The experience acquired during the initial 10 procedures translated to a 7-min decrease in TEP time for the second 10 cases. For 19 of the 20 patients, DTEP corroborated laparoscopic findings for surgical decision making. One endoscopic and five laparoscopic biopsies were performed. Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed for 14 patients and palliative gastrojejunostomy for 6 patients. No cross-contamination of the peritoneum or infectious complications were noted. No significant complications related to either the endoscopic or laparoscopic approach occurred. This study supports the authors’ previous conclusions that the transgastric approach to diagnostic peritoneoscopy is feasible, safe, and accurate. The lack of documented bacterial contamination further supports the use of this technique. Technical issues, including intraabdominal manipulation and gastric closure, require further investigation.
A Direct, Biomass-Based Synthesis of Benzoic Acid: Formic Acid-Mediated Deoxygenation of the Glucose-Derived Materials Quinic Acid and Shikimic Acid

An alternative biomass-based route to benzoic acid from the renewable starting materials quinic acid and shikimic acid is described. Benzoic acid is obtained selectively using a highly efficient, one-step formic acid-mediated deoxygenation method.
Characteristics of Trapped Field Magnet Activation by Flux Pumping

Currents are set up in high temperature superconducting (HTS) material when it is cooled in a magnetic field (called field-cooling: FC), or exposed to a magnetic field after cooling (called zero-field-cooling: ZFC). The HTS material can be treated to make these currents persistent, thereby forming “trapped field magnets” (TFMs). TFMs have been improved over the past two decades by the efforts of a large number of worldwide research groups. However, applications using TFMs have lagged, in part due to the problem of high fields needed for activation. We describe herein experiments to characterize the behavior of TFM activation using repeated applications of permanent ferromagnets (called “pumping”). Significant partial activation is obtained using a non-uniform pumping field which is higher in the center of the HTS than at the periphery. ZFC, followed by pumping with such a field, results in trapping the full applied field, instead of half the applied field, as is trapped by zero-field-cooling followed by application of a uniform field. We also find that for FC partial activation, and subsequent additional activation by pumping, the resulting fields are additive. Additionally, we conclude that one contributing, positive component of activation by fluxoid pumping is the phenomenon of creep.
A Unifying Least Squares Perspective for Gappy Proper Orthogonal Decomposition and Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis

In aerospace engineering, various problems such as restoring impaired experimental flow data can be handled by gappy proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). Similarly to gappy POD, probabilistic principal component analysis (PPCA) can approximate missing data with the help of an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm, yielding an EM algorithm applied to PPCA (EM-PCA). Although both gappy POD and EM-PCA address the same missing date estimation problem, their antithetical formulation perspectives hinder their direct comparison; the development of the former is deterministic whereas that of the latter is probabilistic. In order to effectively differentiate both methods, this research provides a unifying least squares perspective to qualitatively dissect them within a unified least squares framework. By virtue of the unifying least squares perspective, gappy POD and the EM-PCA turn out to be similar in that they are twofold: basis and least squares coefficient evaluations. On the other hand, they are dissimilar because the EM-PCA, unlike gappy POD, dispenses with either a gappy norm or a POD basis. To illustrate the theoretical analysis of both methods, numerical experiments using simple and complex data sets quantitatively examine their performance in terms of convergence rates and computational cost. Finally, comprehensive comparisons, including theoretical and numerical aspects, establish that the EM-PCA is simpler and thereby more efficient than gappy POD.
Static Headspace and Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

The aroma compounds in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese were studied with Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis (AEDA). Both static headspace and solvent extraction, high-vacuum distillation techniques were used to isolate aroma compounds. Thirty-six odor-active compounds had high flavor dilution values. Static headspace gas chromatography/olfactometry (GC/O) analysis found that acetaldehyde, 2-methylpropanal, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, ethyl butanoaic, and ethyl hexanoate had low detection volumes, while high-vacuum distillation revealed that acetic, butanoic, hexanoic, octanoic, and decanoic acids, and ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, dimethyl trisulfide, methional, and phenylacetaldehyde had high flavor dilution values. In addition, some pyrazines appear to be important to the aroma of this cheese.
Gaia's Handmaidens: the Orlog Model for Conservation Biology

Abstract: The Gaia hypothesis, which proposes that Earth's biota and material environment form a self-regulating system, has been influential in conservation biology, but it has not translated into specific guidelines. Proponents of phylogenetics and ecology often claim primacy over the foundations of conservation biology, a debate that has deep roots in philosophy and science. A more recent claim is that conservation efforts should protect evolutionary processes that will allow diversification. Phylogenetics, ecology, and evolution all have legitimate roles in conservation, when viewed in a temporal perspective. Phylogenetic studies identify the bioheritage of past species radiations, ecology preserves the life-support systems for these lineages in the present, and evolutionary processes allow adaptation of these lineages to novel challenges in the future. The concept of temporal domains in conservation (past, present, future) has an appropriate metaphor in the Norse worldview known as the Orlog. In this body of mythology, three sisters tend the tree of life and fend off a dragon gnawing at the roots. The names of these sisters, Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, translate to Past, Present, and Future. In Viking mythology, the threads of life cannot persist without the cooperation of these sisters. In the science of conservation biology, they represent the handmaidens of Gaia–three scientific disciplines that can succeed only with a spirit of familial cooperation.
Windows of opportunity: legislative fragmentation conditions the effect of partisanship on product market deregulation

Previous research on deregulation in industrialised countries emphasises differences between left-wing and right-wing parties, but data on product market regulation (PMR) indicate that these differences have been modest. If partisan preferences on the merits of deregulation differ sharply, why such modest differences? We argue that partisan differences only become pronounced when the government is strong and rules a relatively unified legislature. Thus, legislative fragmentation should reduce the left-right difference in PMR. We test this theory against PMR data in 29 industrialised countries, 1978–2007. We find that right-wing governments only have a strong negative effect on regulation if the legislature and the government are not fragmented.
Specific Activity of Brain Palmitoyl‐CoA Pool Provides Rates of Incorporation of Palmitate in Brain Phospholipids in Awake Rats

In vivo rates of palmitate incorporation into brain phospholipids were measured in awake rats following programmed intravenous infusion of unesterified [9,10-3H]palmitate to maintain constant plasma specific activity. Animals were killed after 2-10 min of infusion by microwave irradiation and analyzed for tracer distribution in brain phospholipid and phospholipid precursor, i.e., brain unesterified palmitate and palmitoyl-CoA, pools. [9,10-3H]Palmitate incorporation into brain phospholipids was linear with time and rapid, with > 50% of brain tracer in choline-containing glycerophospholipids at 2 min of infusion. However, tracer specific activity in brain phospholipid precursor pools was low and averaged only 1.6-1.8% of plasma unesterified palmitate specific activity. Correction for brain palmitoyl-CoA specific activity increased the calculated rate of palmitate incorporation into brain phospholipids (0.52 nmol/s/g) by approximately 60-fold. The results suggest that palmitate incorporation and turnover in brain phospholipids are far more rapid than generally assumed and that this rapid turnover dilutes tracer specific activity in brain palmitoyl-CoA pool owing to release and recycling of unlabeled fatty acid from phospholipid breakdown.
A Unifying View of Second-Order Measures of Quality for Signal Classification

The major purpose of this paper is to promote interchange between the fields of pattern recognition and communications, in the realm of statistical classification. The general class of second-order measures of quality for statistical classification is defined. The variety of members in this class that have been used by practitioners or proposed by theorists for numerical pattern-classification and signal waveform-classification are compared and contrasted. The several measures that are the most generally applicable are shown to be either equivalent to each other or characterizable in terms of each other, thereby revealing an inherent unity. For example, the ratio of between-class-scatter to within-class-scatter used in pattern recognition and the ratio of signal-energy to noise-energy used in communications are unified through an identification of signal with between-class-scatter and noise with within-class-scatter. Results on equivalences are stated and proved for waveform classification rather than numerical classification in order to complement the extensive literature on the latter, and to emphasize applicability to communications. This entails introduction of a scatter ratio for waveforms. In a companion paper, second-order measures of quality are used as a basis for a general nearestprototype signal-classification methodology; canonical signal features for this methodology are identified, and a general approach for determining appropriate class prototypes is given. These two papers provide an integrated approach to the design of a complete signal classifier, i.e., feature extraction and discriminant-functional design tailored to fit a minimumdistance discrimination rule.
Pump controllable optical delay and advance lines using CdSe quantum dots

Pump controllable nanosecond optical delay and advance lines have been demonstrated using colloid CdSe quantum dots. The delay/advance time and the transition between delay and advance can be easily manipulated by a pump beam.
Transposon mutagenesis identifies uropathogenic Escherichia coli biofilm factors

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which accounts for 85% of urinary tract infections (UTI), assembles biofilms in diverse environments, including the host. Besides forming biofilms on biotic surfaces and catheters, UPEC has evolved an intracellular pathogenic cascade that culminates in the formation of biofilm-like intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs) within bladder epithelial cells. Rapid bacterial replication during IBC formation augments a build-up in bacterial numbers and persistence within the host. Relatively little is known about factors mediating UPEC biofilm formation and how these overlap with IBC formation. To address this gap, we screened a UPEC transposon mutant library in three in vitro biofilm conditions: Luria broth (LB)-polyvinyl chloride (PVC), YESCA (yeast extract-Casamino Acids)-PVC, and YESCA-pellicle that are dependent on type 1 pili (LB) and curli (YESCA), respectively. Flagella are important in all three conditions. Mutants were identified that had biofilm defects in all three conditions but had no significant effects on the expression of type 1 pili, curli, or flagella. Thus, this approach uncovered a comprehensive inventory of novel effectors and regulators that are involved in UPEC biofilm formation under multiple conditions. A subset of these mutants was found to be dramatically attenuated and unable to form IBCs in a murine model of UTI. Collectively, this study expands our insights into UPEC multicellular behavior that may provide insights into IBC formation and virulence.
Stormflow dynamics of dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen in a small urban watershed

We examined patterns of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) loading to a small urban stream during baseflow and stormflow. We hypothesized that lower DOC and TDN contributions from impervious surfaces would dilute natural hydrologic flowpath (i.e., riparian) contributions during storm events in an urban watershed, resulting in lower concentrations of DOC and TDN during storms. We tested these hypotheses in a small urban watershed in Portland, Oregon, over a 3-month period during the spring of 2003. We compared baseflow and stormflow chemistry using Mann–Whitney tests (significant at p<0.05). We also applied a mass balance to the stream to compare the relative significance of impervious surface contributions versus riparian contributions of DOC and TDN. Results showed a significant increase in stream DOC concentrations during stormflows (median baseflow DOC = 2.00 mg l−1 vs. median stormflow DOC = 3.46 mg l−1). TDN streamwater concentrations, however, significantly decreased with stormflow (median baseflow TDN = 0.75 mg l−1 vs. median stormflow TDN = 0.56 mg l−1). During storms, remnant riparian areas contributed 70–74% of DOC export and 38–35% of TDN export to the stream. The observed pattern of increased DOC concentrations during stormflows in this urban watershed was similar to patterns found in previous studies of forested watersheds. Results for TDN indicated that there were relatively high baseflow nitrogen concentrations in the lower watershed that may have partially masked the remnant riparian signal during stormflows. Remnant riparian areas were a major source of DOC and TDN to the stream during storms. These results suggest the importance of preserving near-stream riparian areas in cities to maintain ambient carbon and nitrogen source contributions to urban streams.
Stability and change in female and male violence across rural and urban counties, 1981-2006.

Two durable criminological patterns have been higher violence rates in urban compared to rural areas and by males compared to females. To derive and evaluate hypotheses related to correspondence across place and sex groups in changes in violence trends, we draw on a spatial-inequality perspective that attends to the geographic distribution of inequalities at the subnational scale, as well as to recent extensions of social-disorganization theory to variation in rural and female violence rates. Our study's focus is on systematically delineating the extent and timing of change in female and male violence trends, the rural-urban violence gap, and the gender gap. We apply epidemiological joinpoint techniques to Uniform Crime Reports arrest data from completely rural to highly urbanized settings for several violent offenses (homicide, robbery, aggravated assault, and misdemeanor assault) between 1981 and 2006. Female and male violence rates in rural to urban settings generally followed the same course over 25 years. Analyses generally indicated parallel violence trends of rural and urban females and males and only subtle changes in the rural-urban and gender gaps in serious violence. Serious violence became somewhat less concentrated in urban centers owing to more sizable urban rate declines after the mid-1990s. In all contexts, the gender gap in assault arrests narrowed, but the female share of serious violence (homicide, robbery) remained much the same; this result suggests change in the social control of minor violence by females across rural and urban settings.
Radioprotection in rat spinal cord with WR-2721 following cerebral lateral intraventricular injection

The capacity of WR-2721 to provide radioprotection in central nervous system (CNS) tissue was assessed in F-344 rats irradiated with Cs-137 to the cervical spinal cord 45 min following injection of either 0.33 mg (0.60 × LD50) of WR-2721 or carrier solution in the right lateral cerebral ventricle. The radiation dose groups were 20, 26, 32, or 38 Gy, the dose rate was 1.48 Gy/min. Following irradiation, the time in weeks to forelimb and hindlimb paralysis was measured and statistical significance was assessed by means of the log rank sum test. The median times in weeks to forelimb paralysis in control vs. WR-2721-treated rats were, respectively, 20 vs. 22 at 38 Gy, 19 vs. 31 at 32 Gy (p < 0.01), 23 vs. 28 at 26 Gy (p < 0.01), and 49 vs. 60 at 20 Gy (p < 0.01). The median times to hindlimb paralysis in control vs. WR-2721-treated rats were respectively, 20 vs. 29 at 38 Gy (p < 0.001), 20 vs. 35 at 32 Gy (p < 0.01), 23 vs. 34 at 26 Gy (p < 0.001), and 58 vs. 65 at 20 Gy (p < 0.01). From these results, we calculated the DMF for forelimb paralysis to be 1.3 and for hindlimb paralysis, 1.6. Histological studies from selected spinal cords from symptomatic killed rats showed petechial hemorrhages, rare microvascular thrombi, and scattered microinfarcts in both gray and white matter. In the white matter columns, there were scattered microfoci of demyelination. The histological findings did not differ between the control and WR-2721-treated groups, but were worse in the higher dose groups. These data indicate that WR-2721 has the capacity to be radioprotectioe in CNS tissues, when it is administered by a route that bypasses the blood-brain barrier.