cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex and race as factors affecting the attribution of insanity in a murder trial.

Summary Two hundred and eight white male and female college students read a summary of a case of a violent murder in which an insanity plea was entered. The sex and race (black or white) of the hypothetical defendant was varied in a 2 × 2 factorial design with 52 Ss per cell. Measurements included verdict (guilty or insane), length of recommended sentence, and ratings of certain defendant characteristics. Major results were as follows: (a) harsher treatment of males as indicated by longer sentences, (b) longer sentences for white as opposed to black males among defendants found guilty, and (c) a trend toward a higher proportion of guilty verdicts for black males.
I Walk the Line: How to Tell MDS From Other Bone Marrow Failure Conditions

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by peripheral cytopenias and ineffective hematopoiesis. MDS is an example of an age-related malignancy and its increasing prevalence and incidence can be attributed to a greater life expectancy in developed countries. Although frequently encountered in hematology/oncology clinics, MDS may constitute a diagnostic challenge especially with equivocal bone marrow morphology. Certain syndromes of bone marrow failure (BMF) may mimic MDS and formulating a correct diagnosis is vital for adequate prognostication as well as therapeutic approaches. Metaphase karyotyping (MK) is a very important diagnostic tool and marker of prognosis and can be an indicator of response to certain therapies. Unfortunately, chromosomal abnormalities may only be found in approximately 50 % of patients with MDS. In this review, we discuss the diagnostic approaches to patients with pancytopenia with a particular focus on the growing number of somatic mutations through new molecular testing.
Mass transport in the epitaxial lateral overgrowth of gallium nitride

Abstract We have investigated lateral transport mechanisms in epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of GaN grown by Metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Portions of a pre-grown GaN buffer layer are patterned with a dielectric mask material, silicon nitride. Further growth of GaN occurs selectively on exposed areas of the underlying buffer layer, and not on the dielectric material. Growth-rate enhancement on the exposed GaN is observed due to lateral transport of material from the masked regions. We describe experiments to distinguish whether the lateral transport of material occurs via gas-phase diffusion or surface diffusion, either on the mask itself or on the epitaxial material. Deep trenches were etched into the wafer prior to the ELO growth, designed to interrupt lateral transport if it were occurring by diffusion along the surface. ELO growth rate profiles on exposed line patterns and on larger area blanket growth zones were examined with and without the trenches. Growth profiles were virtually identical independent of the presence of the trench features. These results indicate that gas-phase diffusion dominates the transport of material during GaN ELO.
Toxicity of sodium monofluoroacetate (Compound 1080) to mink and European ferrets

The toxicity of sodium monofluoroacetate (Compound 1080) to mink (Mustela vison) and European ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) was evaluated through LC50 and reproduction tests. Subacute dietary exposure to Compound 1080 resulted in dose-dependent decreases in body weights and feed consumption in both species. The mink were more sensitive to Compound 1080 than were the ferrets. The 28-d dietary LC50 for mink and for ferrets was calculated to be 3.2 and 9.4 ppm, respectively. Dietary exposure to 0.80 ppm Compound 1080 for 2 months prior to breeding severely impaired reproduction in the mink, which was presumed to be due to oligo- or aspermia. In young, rapidly growing ferrets, red and white blood cell counts were adversely affected by dietary concentrations of Compound 1080 as low as 1.08 ppm. The 28-d LC50 test, however, revealed that young, rapidly growing animals may be unsuitable for tests of this duration unless precautions are taken to assure that they do not “outgrow” potentially lethal concentrations of the test chemical.
Healthy and Creative Tap Dance: Teaching a Lifetime Physical Activity

As a result of competitive dance television shows, interest in tap dance seems to have increased in the past few years. Tap dance is a challenging and fun lifetime physical activity that is appropriate for people of all ages. It is an excellent activity for K-12 physical education programs, higher education, parks and recreation facilities, community centers, cultural arts centers, and older adult classes at senior citizen centers. This article provides an introduction to tap dance for dance teachers, physical educators, and instructors in fitness and senior citizen centers.
A control problem for Burgers' equation with bounded input/output

A stabilization problem for Burgers' equation is considered. Using linearization, various controllers are constructed which minimize certain weighted energy functionals. These controllers produce the desired degree of stability for the closed-loop nonlinear system. A numerical scheme for computing the feedback gain functional is developed and several numerical experiments are performed to illustrate the theoretical results.
Higher-order interhelical spatial interactions in membrane proteins

Higher-order interactions are important for protein folding and assembly. We introduce the concept of interhelical three-body interactions as derived from Delaunay triangulation and alpha shapes of protein structures. In addition to glycophorin A, where triplets are strongly correlated with protein stability, we found that tight interhelical triplet interactions exist extensively in other membrane proteins, where many types of triplets occur far more frequently than in soluble proteins. We developed a probabilistic model for estimating the value of membrane helical interaction triplet (MHIT) propensity. Because the number of known structures of membrane proteins is limited, we developed a bootstrap method for determining the 95% confidence intervals of estimated MHIT values. We identified triplets that have high propensity for interhelical interactions and are unique to membrane proteins, e.g. AGF, AGG, GLL, GFF and others. A significant fraction (32%) of triplet types contains triplets that may be involved in interhelical hydrogen bond interactions, suggesting the prevalent and important roles of H-bond in the assembly of TM helices. There are several well-defined spatial conformations for triplet interactions on helices with similar parallel or antiparallel orientations and with similar right-handed or left-handed crossing angles. Often, they contain small residues and correspond to the regions of the closest contact between helices. Sequence motifs such as GG4 and AG4 can be part of the three-body interactions that have similar conformations, which in turn can be part of a higher-order cooperative four residue spatial motif observed in helical pairs from different proteins. In many cases, spatial motifs such as serine zipper and polar clamp are part of triplet interactions. On the basis of the analysis of the archaeal rhodopsin family of proteins, tightly packed triplet interactions can be achieved with several different choices of amino acid residues.
Ground‐based measurements and dual‐Doppler analysis of 3‐D wind fields and atmospheric circulations induced by a meso‐γ‐scale inland lake

[1] This paper presents a high-resolution dual-Doppler analysis of lake breeze mesoscale circulation induced by an elongated reservoir with a mean width of ∼2 km and an area of 125 km2. Compared to previous meso-γ-scale lake breeze studies based on point measurements or aircraft observations, the present study provides both a unique quantification and a high-resolution spatial and temporal 3-D visualization (several hundred meters and 5 min, respectively) of the kinematic structure of the lake breeze initiation and evolution. Visible satellite images show a cloud-free zone over the lake and adjacent land areas that was promoted by subsidence associated with the lake breeze circulation. The background synoptic-scale wind flow was almost parallel to the major axis of the lake, and distinct lake breeze frontal zones formed along both shorelines spanning the length of the lake. Dual-Doppler analyses showed updrafts in the frontal zones, perturbation horizontal velocities of 1.5 m s−1 on both sides of the lake, and maximum downdrafts of 2 m s−1 centered over the lake. Vertical vorticity in the boundary layer was produced by differential friction between the smooth lake and adjacent land. The circulations are robust and are maintained during the day against a minor change in background wind direction. The study shows that the circulations produced by a small lake can generate significant mesoscale circulations that influence local climatology and identifies the importance of including such small mesoscale processes in global forecast models.
A conversation with Andrew Benson: reflections on the discovery of the Calvin-Benson cycle.

On June 26–27, 2012, one of us (BBB) made a video based on an interview conducted with Andrew A. Benson, Professor Emeritus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA. The video was first shown in a seminar presented by BBB on July 27, 2012 at the Calvin Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, to mark the departure of the Energy Biosciences Institute to a new building. Here we record the conversation taking place during the interview. The Brancraft Library on the Berkeley campus will house the video’s transcript in its oral histories collection, and the video will be housed in its motion picture collection. The video and the transcript have also been posted on You Tube (http://youtu.be/GfQQJ2vR_xE).
An Algorithm for Calculation of Phase Equilibria in Polydisperse Polymer Solutions Using the SAFT Equation of State

We propose an algorithm for calculating phase equilibria of polydisperse polymer systems using the SAFT equation of state. The algorithm is formally exact and the computation time is independent of the number of pseudocomponents used to represent the polymer molecular weight distribution. The algorithm is based on the assumptions that the discrete pseudocomponents have the same segment size, the chain length is directly proportional to the molecular weight, and the binary interaction parameter kij between the discrete pseudocomponents is zero. The basic version of the algorithm assumes that the dispersion energy parameter (u0/k) is the same for all the pseudocomponents and the binary interaction parameter kij is the same between all the pseudocomponents and the solvent. The algorithm is then generalized to the case where the dispersion energy parameter (u0/k) is different for each pseudocomponent and the polymer/solvent binary interaction parameter is different for each pseudocomponent. Distinctive featur...
Generalizations of Schur's partition theorem

Schur's partition theorem states that the number of partitions ofn into distinct parts ≡ 1,2 (mod 3) is equal to the number of partitions ofn into parts with minimal difference 3 and no consecutive multiples of 3. A three-parameter generalization of Gleissberg's refinement of Schur's theorem is obtained by showing that\(\Pi _{m = 1}^\infty (1 + aq^m )(1 + bq^m )\) is equal to the numerator of a certain continued fraction. Two proofs are presented, one completely combinatorial, and one using generating functions.
Peripheral Retinal Detachments and Retinal Pigment Epithelial Atrophic Tracts Secondary to Central Serous Pigment Epitheliopathy

Abstract Twenty-five patients with central serous pigment epitheliopathy (CSP), also known as central serous chorioretinopathy, have been observed. to have inferior hemispheric retinal pigment epithelial atrophic tracts, presumptive of -antecedent retinal detachments. Five of these patients were noted to have clinically discernible, dependent peripheral retinal detachments. The clinical and fluorescein angiographic features of these patients are reviewed. Alterations in the retina, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and the choroid are also described. They include the commonly associated manifestations of CSP such as RPE leaks and macular detachment as well as some newly recognized disturbances such as retinal capillary dilatation (telangiectasia), retinal capillary leakage, retinal lipid deposition, cystoid macular edema, choriocapillaris atrophy, choroidal neovascularization and disciform scarring.
Extracranial Stereotactic Radiation Delivery

Extracranial stereotactic radiation delivery, also known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), involves delivering very potent doses of radiation to well-demarcated tumors in the neck, spine, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Beyond just stereotactic targeting, it represents a formalism of treatment planning and conduct that facilitates the delivery of the most potent dose fractionation schedules ever considered in the field of radiation oncology. In doing so, it uses the most modern technologies to simultaneously hit the target and avoid normal innocent tissues. Clinical results already show that SBRT constitutes a new paradigm in cancer treatment that deserves careful implementation and assessment for the improvement in patient outcomes.
Combination Surgery for Erectile Dysfunction and Male Incontinence

With favorable prognosis, radical therapy for pelvic malignancy no longer is just about oncological control, but is important in achieving the trifecta of oncological clearance with acceptable sexual function and urinary outcomes. As we face the prospect of escalating urogenital dysfunction following our radical interventions, we need to carefully assess these functional outcomes and their impact on the quality of life of our patients. In men, this includes urinary impairments with stress urinary incontinence, various types of voiding dysfunction, and sexual impairments (primarily erectile dysfunction and orgasmic dysfunction). Based on appropriate clinical and diagnostic assessments of severity of adverse outcomes depending on patient preference, combination surgery for treatment of erectile dysfunction and stress urinary incontinence is effective and durable and has an established, definitive role to address this not uncommon problem. This article reviews the prevalence of the problem, the available therapeutic options, and evidence of efficacy of these therapies in combination.
Assessing the transient impact of lot sizing rules following MRP implementation

This paper examines the impact of four commonly used lot sizing rules upon the performance of a production control system, in the context of an MRP implementation. Using Time Series Intervention Analysis (TSIA), it is shown that the choice of lot sizing rule can have a significant effect upon the transient response shown by the production system. Furthermore, this paper illustrates the use of a TSIA as a procedure for examining problems involving the implementation of MRP.
Aspirin Therapy for Colorectal Cancer With PIK3CA Mutation: Simply Complex!

Prospective observational studies and randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that regular use of aspirin and selective cyclooxygense-2 (COX-2) inhibitors reduces the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) and adenoma. More recently, large observational studies have suggested that regular aspirin use may also be associated with improved survival among patients with established CRC. The mechanisms by which aspirin influences CRC risk and possibly survival are poorly understood. COX-2 (or prostaglandinendoperoxide synthase 2 [PTGS2]) promotes inflammation and cell proliferation, and most adenomas and CRCs overexpress this enzyme. Previous studies have reported that aspirin may preferentially reduce the risk of COX-2–expressing CRC and also preferentially improve the survival of patients with CRC with COX-2–expressing tumors. Nonetheless, in laboratory models, aspirin seems to decrease proliferation and increase apoptosis in CRC cell lines without detectable COX activity. Ongoing studies have sought to define the molecular basis for the effect of aspirin on CRC risk and progression. In a large observational study of patients with CRC, Liao et al found that aspirin conferred improved survival in patients with PIK3CA-mutated CRC, but not among those with PIK3CA–wild-type tumors. In the report accompanying our article in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Domingo et al similarly observe a preferential benefit for aspirin in PIK3CA-mutated CRC in a large randomized trial of rofecoxib in patients with stage II/III CRC (VICTOR [Vioxx in Colorectal Cancer Therapy: Definition of Optimal Regime] trial), potentially moving us closer to clinical use of PIK3CA mutation as a predictive biomarker for aspirin use in patients with CRC. Here, we review some of the relevant complex relationships between aspirin, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling, and other cellular interactions.
Intelligent Word Associations in High School Students.

AbstractThe place of word associations in measures of verbal abilities is discussed. A study involving a sample of high school students selected to be representative of a broad and “normal” population in abilities is reported. The test devised of word associations is found to be reliable in this sample, and is found not only to be well related to measures of verbal abilities, but equal to them in ability to predict the external criterion of level of English class to which the student has been assigned.
The Voices of Counsel: Women and Civic Rhetoric in the Middle Ages

Women's rhetoric in the Middle Ages reflects their participation in the deliberative rhetorical genre inherited from classical antiquity. The deliberative tradition, which was often theorized by medieval rhetoricians as existing in consular practice, can thus serve as an example of women's rhetoric which, as Christine Mason Sutherland has noted, could take place in sermo. Women's letters were often hortatory, civic, and sometimes agonistic in tone. These rhetorical artifacts demonstrate that women operated in the rhetorical tradition as eloquent, powerful agents of persuasion in the civic arena, and they also show that, although unmoored from traditional spaces and practices associated with deliberation in antiquity, deliberative rhetoric was a more viable form of rhetoric in the Middle Ages than previously believed.
Conjugal transfer of a plasmid encoding bacteriocin production and immunity in Pediococcus acidilactici H

Previous investigations indicated that curing of a 7.4-Md plasmid (pSMB74) resulted in concomitant loss of bacteriocin activity and immunity in Pediococcus acidilactici H. Transfer of pSMB74 to a gentamicin-neomycin resistant (GmrNmr) derivative of P. acidilactici LB42, which was devoid of any plasmid DNA, required cell-to-cell contact on a solid mating surface and converted the strain to Bac+Bacr phenotype. Gene transfer processes such as transduction and transformation were ruled out from the experiment. Treatment of donor cells with chloroform did not allow the appearance of recombinant clones, confirming that viable cells were essential for this particular mechanism of genetic transfer. Transconjugants obtained from selective agar surface were subjected to plasmid isolation and agarose gel electrophoresis. Each of them exhibited plasmid size corresponding to pSMB74 of donor strain. All results suggested this genetic transfer similar to conjugation, and provided presumptive evidence for plasmid-encoded bacteriocin activity and immunity in P. acidilactici H.
Proficiency evaluation as a traceability link in chemical metrology

Traceability implies comparison of the results of measurements, or comparison to national or international measurement standards. One of several approaches that have been used in chemistry to provide for such comparisons is distribution of proficiency evaluation materials which have been measured by a reference laboratory. A newer approach is based on receipt and measurement at a reference laboratory of materials that have been produced and analyzed by other laboratories. Traceability concepts and approaches to realization will be described together with discussion of the relative merits of various approaches. Extension into metrological fields other than chemistry will also be explored.
The Effect of Synthetic Aperture Radar Image Resolution on Target Discrimination

This paper details the effect of spatial resolution on target discrimination in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Multiple SAR image chips, containing targets and non-targets, are used to test a baseline Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) system with reduced spatial resolution obtained by lowering the pixel count or synthesizing a degraded image. The pixel count is lowered by averaging groups of adjoining pixels to form a new single value. The degraded image is synthesized by low-pass-filtering the image frequency space and then lowering the pixel count. To train a linear classifier, a two-parameter Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) detector is tested, and three different types of feature spaces, are used: size, contrast, and texture. The results are scored using the Area Under the Receiver Operator Characteristic (AUROC) curve. The CFAR detector is shown to perform better at lower resolution. All three feature sets together performed well with the degradation of resolution; separately the sets had different performances. The texture features performed best because they do not rely on the number of pixels on the target, while the size features performed the worst for the same reason. The contrast features yielded improved performance when the resolution was slightly reduced.
Experimental petrology of alkalic lavas: constraints on cotectics of multiple saturation in natural basic liquids

Experimental study of natural alkalic lava compositions at low pressures (pO2∼QFM) reveals that crystallization of primitive lavas often occurs in the sequence olivine, plagioclase, clinopyroxene, nepheline without “obvious” reaction relation. Pseudoternary liquidus projections of multiply saturated liquids coexisting with plagioclase (±olivine±clinopyroxene±nepheline) have been prepared to facilitate graphical analysis of the evolution of lava compositions during hypabyssal cooling. Use of (TiAl2)(MgSi2)−1 and Fe3+ (Al)−1 exchange components is a key aspect of the projection procedure which is succesful in reducing a wide range of compositions to a systematic graphical representation. These projections, and the experiments on which they are based, show that low pressure fractionation plays a significant role in the petrogenesis of many alkalic lava suites from both continental and oceanic settings. However, the role of polybaric fractionation is more evident in the major element chemistry of these lava suites than in many tholeiitic suites of comparable extent. For example, the lavas of Karisimbi, East Africa, show a range of compositions reflecting a polybaric petrogenesis from primitive picrites at 1360° C/18 kb and leading to advanced low pressure differentiates. Evolved leucite-bearing potassic members of this and other suites may be treated in a nepheline-diopside-kspar (+olivine+leucite) projection. Compositional curvature on the plagioclase+clinopyroxene+olivine+leucite cotectic offers a mechanism to explain resorption of plagioclase in alkalic groundmass assemblages and the incompatibility of albite and leucite. This projection is useful for evaluating the extent of assimilation of the alkalic portions of crustal granulites. Assimilation appears to have played some role in the advanced differentiates from Karisimbi.
A Multispecies Model for Hydrogen and Helium Absorbers in Lyman-Alpha Forest Clouds

We have performed a three-dimensional multispecies hydrodynamical simulation of the formation and evolution of Ly? clouds in a flat cold dark matter (CDM) dominated universe with an external flux of ionizing radiation. We solve the fully coupled nonequilibrium rate equations for the following species: H, H+, H-, H2, H -->2+, He, He+, He++, and e-. The statistical properties of the distribution and evolution of both hydrogen and helium absorption lines are extracted and compared to observed data. We find excellent agreement for the following neutral hydrogen data: the distribution of column densities is fitted well by a power law with exponent ? = 1.55, with a possible deficiency of lines above column density 1015 cm-2; the integrated distribution matches observed data over a broad range of column densities, 1013-1017 cm-2; a Gaussian statistical fit to the Doppler parameter distribution yields a median of 35.6 km s-1; the evolution of the number of clouds with column densities larger than 1014 cm-2 follows a power law with exponent ? = 2.22. Analogous calculations are presented for He II absorption lines, and we find the ratio of Doppler parameters bHe II/bH I = 0.87. Our data also suggest that Ly? clouds may belong to two morphologically different groups: small column density clouds which tend to reside in sheets or filamental structures and are very elongated and/or flattened, and the large column density clouds which are typically found at the intersections of these caustic structures and are quasi-spherical.
Population policy: Authoritarianism versus cooperation

The people whose interests are most adversely affected by frequent bearing and rearing of children are young women. Social changes that expand the decisional power of young women (such as expansion of female literacy, or enhancement of female employment opportunity) can, thus, be major forces in the direction of reducing fertility rates. This “cooperative” route seems to act more securely – and often much faster – than the use of “coercion” in reducing family size and birth rates. This essay examines the comparative evidence from India and China on this subject as well as the interregional contrasts within India. JEL classification: J11, J13, O15
THE BOUNDS OF ADULT LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: Blocking and Learned Attention

The current study investigates the limited attainment of adult language acquisition in terms of an associative learning phenomenon whereby earlier learned cues attentionally block those that are experienced later. Short- and long-term blocking are demonstrated in experimental investigations of learned attention in the acquisition of temporal reference in a small set of Latin phrases. In Experiment 1, previous experience with adverbial cues blocks the acquisition of verbal tense morphology, and, in contrast, early experience with tense blocks later learning of adverbs. Experiment 2 demonstrates long-term transfer effects: Native speakers of Chinese languages, which do not exhibit verb tense morphology, fail to acquire inflectional cues when adverbial and verbal cues are equally available.
Positivity-preserving high order finite difference WENO schemes for compressible Euler equations

In Zhang and Shu (2010) [20], Zhang and Shu (2011) [21] and Zhang et al. (in press) [23], we constructed uniformly high order accurate discontinuous Galerkin (DG) and finite volume schemes which preserve positivity of density and pressure for the Euler equations of compressible gas dynamics. In this paper, we present an extension of this framework to construct positivity-preserving high order essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) and weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) finite difference schemes for compressible Euler equations. General equations of state and source terms are also discussed. Numerical tests of the fifth order finite difference WENO scheme are reported to demonstrate the good behavior of such schemes.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Geomicrobial Electron Transfer

The success of microbial life on Earth can largely be attributed to their collective ability to squeeze energy from a broad range of electron donor and acceptor couples including many where the electrochemical potential between the couples is marginally favorable (i.e, small ΔG). Many of the redox couples that microbiologists employ to cultivate their favorite organism(s) involve compounds that are relatively water soluble, such as glucose and O2, and can readily diffuse to and from cells. In contrast, many organic and inorganic substrates, either electron donors or acceptors, exist as solids that are poorly soluble or insoluble. Certain heterotrophic microorganisms have overcome this problem by secreting enzymes outside the cell that can break down insoluble polymers, such as chitin and cellulose, to soluble subunits that are readily accessed by cells. Over the past few decades an increasing number of microorganisms have been isolated and studied that are capable of utilizing transition metal ions such as Fe and Mn as electron acceptors or donors. In their most oxidized form Fe(III) and Mn(IV) exist predominantly as metal oxides of varying morphology and composition but have in common low solubility in neutral pH environments and in the absence of complexing ligands. What clevermore » mechanisms have microorganisms evolved to facilitate electron transfer to and from metal ions that are sequestered in minerals?« less
Racial/Ethnic Misdemeanor Sentencing Disparities

Abstract Contextual discrimination, or the specific conditions under which judicial injustice manifests itself, has become an important concept for disentangling the complex interplay between legal and extra-legal variables and their effects on sentencing outcomes. Previous studies show evidence for contextual discrimination in felony sentencing. This study provides evidence through descriptive and multivariate analyses of contextual discrimination in misdemeanor sentencing. Small, yet significant direct discrimination against non-Whites was observed. At the same time, the findings showed that Whites received more severe sentences when convicted for more serious offenses. Several explanations for this finding are discussed as they relate to contextual discrimination. The findings indicate that more research is needed on the effects of contextual discrimination in felony and misdemeanor sentencing disparities.
Preparation of polyallomer centrifuge tubes for density gradients

Abstract Thin-walled polyallomer centrifuge tubes can easily be prepared to accept linear sucrose gradients, as delivered by conventional gradient formers. They can thus be used with the same facility and achieve the same resolution as cellulose nitrate tubes, for preparative and analytical density gradient centrifugation.
The mechanism of the rearrangement of linoleate hydroperoxides

Linoleate hydroperoxides undergo rearrangement leading to their isomerisation in which the OOH group is relocated or the stereochemistry of a double bond changed, or both. The reaction was studied mainly with pure isomers of methyl hydroperoxylinoleates since conditions could be found in which rearrangement occurred with little accompanying decomposition. The rearrangement was found to be non-stereoselective and took place by a free-radical chain mechanism. Using 18O-labelled hydroperoxide on 18O2, it was shown that the oxygen atoms of the OOH group of the hydroperoxides exchanged with surrounding molecular oxygen during the rearrangement. A mechanism for the rearrangement is proposed.
A novel Tn70 tetracycline regulon system controlling expression of the bacteriophage T3 gene encoding S-adenosyl-l-methionine hydrolase

Abstract To study the effects of in vivo DNA methylation, we have developed an inducible system to control the intracellular concentration of S -adenosyl- l -methionine (AdoMet). The product of the bacteriophage T3 AdoMet hydrolase-encoding gene ( amh ), which degrades AdoMet to l -homoserine and 5′-methylthioadenosine, was employed to lower AdoMet concentrations in vivo. The amh gene was placed downstream from the inducible tetA promoter of the Tn10 tetracycline regulon substituting for most of the tetA gene. Unlike in the original isolates [Hughes et al., J. Bacteriol. 169 (1987) 3625-2632], this promoter allows controlled expression. These constructs are stable and can be induced in a dosedependent manner. The system is maximally induced 2–3 h after addition of the inducer, autoclaved chlortetracycline (cTc). DNA methylation in vivo was assessed in this model system by Bam HI cleavage of plasmid DNA isolated from cells cotransformed by two compatible plasmids, one carrying the inducible amh gene, the other M· Bam HI methyltransferase encoding gene. The induction of amh decreased the intracellular pool of AdoMet which M· Bam HII requires as a cofactor. Under these conditions, there is a decrease in DNA methylation. The unmethylated DNA is assayed by Bam HI cleavage. This system will be useful for studying transcription, DNA replication, gene repair and other cellular phenomena affected by methylation.
Analyses of a Two-Story Unreinforced Masonry Building

A variety of elastic and inelastic analytical approaches were used to investigate the response of a full-scale unreinforced masonry (URM) structure tested in the laboratory. Elastic analyses, employing a three-dimensional finite element model, revealed little coupling between parallel walls, and pointed to the appropriateness of two-dimensional analytical tools for further simulation of the test structure. The nonlinear analytical methods employed included, in order of increasing complexity, a rigid body analysis, a two-dimensional nonlinear pushover analysis, and a three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis. All methods considered important structural characteristics such as failure modes of perforated walls, flange effects, and global overturning moment effect. All methods predicted the experimental behavior fairly well. Strengths and weaknesses of these analytical approaches are discussed, and recommendations for analyzing old URM buildings are presented.
Electrical contact fabrication on vertically aligned ZnO nanowires investigated by current sensing AFM

We present a simple method for generating vertically aligned (VA) ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays with tailored electrical top contacts, suitable for photodetector and photovoltaic applications. ZnO NWs were synthesized on Si substrate in house using a hydro-thermal method, producing dense and highly organized vertical ZnO NW (∼50–100 nm) arrays. The vertical geometry of the NW arrays facilitated further processing of the NW structures and streamlined in situ characterization of individual NWs as well as entire NW ensembles. The top contact metallization involved depositing a thin film of low work function metals such as aluminum (5 nm) followed by a thin film of gold (15 nm) onto NW arrays, partially embedded in an insulating silsesquioxane-based material (SOG-400F). The I–V characteristics of individual ZnO NWs were measured using current sensing atomic force microscopy (CS-AFM). Compared with arrays of as-grown ZnO NWs, the metalized top contacts of NWs resulted in improved I–V characteristics with good Ohmic behavior at the metal-semiconductor contact (MSC).
The effects of military-connected parental absence on the behavioural and academic functioning of children: a literature review

Purpose – Military-connected students experience a high rate of parental absence due to their parents’ military obligations. Military work-related parental absences can affect school-aged children’s emotional and behavioural health and overall academic functioning. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – The current review identified research studies that explored the effects of military-connected parental absence on school-aged children. Specifically, quantitative and qualitative research studies that examine the impact of military parental absences on dependent variables related to internalising and externalising behaviours and academic functioning were of interest. In all, 26 studies were identified for inclusion in the review. Findings – Overall, military-connected students who experience a parental absence due to military service are more likely to exhibit an increase in problem behaviours and a decrease in academic functioning compared to civilian peers or military-connec...
Invited commentary: Left-sided malignant colonic obstruction: A systematic review

Acute colonic obstruction is frequently caused by colorectal cancer and is a common emergent clinical issue for the surgeon. The appropriate management of the patient will depend on his/her overall condition and the pathologic stage of the tumor. The availability of qualified specialists to offer a full range of options is also an important issue. Traditionally, the surgical issues have resolved around whether to perform a 3-stage approach with an initial proximal diversion followed by resection and then reconstruction, a 2-stage approach such as the Hartmann procedure, or primary resection and anastomosis in appropriately selected patients. There are a number of controversies around when and how to perform a primary resection, the issue of intraoperative bowel preparation, segmental versus total colonic resection, whether or not to use proximal diversion, and, more recently, the role of laparoscopy. The ability to stent colonic strictures via colonoscopy has been present for 20 years. This would appear to be a very useful procedure for acute left-sided malignant colonic obstruction. It would palliate patients with unresectable disease. Stent placement could also serve as a bridge to convert an emergent procedure into an elective one. This would permit optimization of the patient’s medical condition, completion of oncologic staging including the evaluation of synchronous colon lesions, decreased need for a stoma, and avoidance of multistage operations. This approach may also facilitate laparoscopic resection. Stenting presumably would decrease morbidity and mortality.
Off-label uses of rituximab in dermatology

Since its approval in 1997 by the FDA, rituximab has been approved for use in certain B-cell lymphomas and treatment-resistant rheumatoid arthritis. Over the past 10 years, many case reports have indicated rituximab's efficacy in a number of inflammatory conditions in dermatology. This article includes a review of the mechanism of action, dosing, and side effect profile, as well as a review of the current literature on off-label uses of the CD20(+) B-cell antagonist rituximab.
New technique for pacemaker implantation in the upper chest of children and women

A new lateral approach for implanting pacemaker generators in the chest of women and children is described. Using this technique, 83 women and 21 children were operated on with no early or late complications and with good cosmetic results up to 9 years after operation. This technique prevents formation of visible wide scars above the breast in women and prevents thinning or disruption of the chest incision in children. Ages of the women ranged from 19 to 56 years; children, 5 to 18 years. In 23 patients, this technique was used after wound complications had occurred 7 days to 3 years after use of the standard implantation technique.
Managing large systems with DB2 UDB

In this talk, we will describe the usability challenges facing large distributed corporations. As well, we will discuss what IBM's DB2 Universal Database is doing to address these complex issues.
FDA Decisions and Public Deliberation:Challenges and Opportunities

The responsiveness of the bureaucracy to political control is a long-standing issue for scholars in public administration. The legitimacy of decisions made by the bureaucracy often depends on the technical merits of these decisions, but deliberative decision making involving a broad array of relevant stakeholders offers another potential source of legitimacy for executive agencies. In this article, the author examines efforts to expand the role of the public in decision making at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The claim that patients and consumers should have a voice in FDA decisions is important, but it does not tell us how much influence they should have or what decisions require their input. Calls for creating a deliberative process for regulatory decision making are ubiquitous, but they are not likely to succeed unless agencies pay close attention to the challenge of doing this well.
Strongyloides hyperinfection presenting as acute respiratory failure and gram-negative sepsis

Study objectives: Disseminated strongyloides is a rarely reported phenomenon and occurs in immunosuppressed patients with chronicStrongyloides stercoralis infection. Typically, patients present with pulmonary symptoms but subsequently acquire Gram-negative sepsis. Several cases have been noted in Minnesota, and their presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and clinical outcomes were reviewed. Design: A retrospective chart review was conducted of complicated strongyloides infections from 1993 to 2002 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Cases were identified by reviewing hospital microbiology databases. Setting: Metropolitan hospitals with large immigrant populations. Results: Nine patients, all of Southeast Asian heritage, were identified. Eight patients immigrated to the United States ≥ 3 years prior to acute presentation. All patients were receiving antecedent corticosteroids; in five patients, therapy was for presumed asthma. Absolute eosinophil counts > 500/μL occurred in only two patients prior to steroid initiation. Eight patients presented with respiratory distress, and Gram-negative sepsis developed in four patients. Four patients had evidence of right-heart strain on ECG or echocardiography at the time of presentation. Three patients died; all had eosinophil counts of Conclusions: Serious complications, including death, may occur in patients with chronic strongyloides infection treated with corticosteroids. Strongyloides hyperinfection usually presents as acute respiratory failure and may initially mimic an asthma exacerbation or pulmonary embolism. Southeast Asian patients presenting with new-onset "asthma," acute respiratory distress, and/or Gram-negative sepsis should undergo evaluation to exclude strongyloides infection.
The Need for Nuclear Power

Nuclear power is not doing well in the USA. No new plant has been ordered since 1973. Many orders placed before 1973 have been cancelled.
Nonlinear dynamics of the frequency locking of baroreceptor and sympathetic rhythms

We used phase plane analysis to identify modes of frequency locking of the 10-Hz rhythm in sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) to the cardiac cycle in urethan-anesthetized, baroreceptor-innervated cats. Frequency locking occurred in rational ratios predicted by a generic mathematical construct called the Farey tree. Both simple harmonic ratios (e.g., 1:3) and complex ratios (e.g., 2:5) comprised of relatively prime integers (no common divisor) were identified under natural conditions. Frequency locking in such ratios is attributed to forcing of the 10-Hz oscillator by pulse-synchronous baroreceptor afferent nerve activity (BNA). Ventricular pacing changed the frequency of the 10-Hz rhythm as well as heart rate so as to maintain or change the ratio of frequency locking in a predictable way. Intriguingly, frequency locking of the 10-Hz rhythm to medullary raphe sympathoinhibitory stimuli in simple harmonic ratios was accompanied by increased power in the 10-Hz band of SND, whereas locking in complex ratios led to decreased 10-Hz power. These findings raise the possibility that pulse-synchronous BNA also exerts divergent actions on the 10-Hz rhythm depending on the ratio of frequency locking. Augmented 10-Hz power can be attributed to the resonant properties of oscillators that are periodically forced at the same phase in their cycle.
Ulnar nerve entrapment neuropathy in the forearm

A 74-year-old male attorney developed rapidly progressive weakness of the fourth and fifth digits of the right hand with impairment of his grip and ability to perform cursive writing. Lancinating pain occurred spontaneously and was triggered by pressure along the ulnar border of the forearm about 5 cm proximal to the wrist crease. Nerve conduction studies revealed a complete electrical block to stimulation at a point 5 cm proximal to the wrist crease when recording from the abductor digiti minimi. Distal to this point, responses of normal amplitude and latency were recorded. Surgical exploration disclosed two fibrovascular bands coursing from the ulnar artery to the distal belly of the flexor carpi ulnaris, entrapping and grooving the ulnar nerve. Release of these bands resulted in reversal of the electrical block, complete relief of pain, and a full neurologic recovery during the ensuing six months.
Importation of dogs into the United States: risks from rabies and other zoonotic diseases.

Impacts • Based on import trends suggesting that the annual number of unvaccinated puppies being imported into the United States increased substantially from 2001 to 2006, imported dogs pose a risk for introducing zoonotic pathogens such as rabies into the United States. • Commercial resale or adoption of unvaccinated puppies originating from rabies-enzootic countries poses a risk for spread and transmission of foreign canine variants of rabies; since 2004, at least two cases of foreign variants of canine rabies virus have been documented in recently imported puppies.
Throughput-centric routing algorithm design

The increasing application space of interconnection networks now encompasses several applications, such as packet routing and I/O interconnect, where the throughput of a routing algorithm, not just its locality, becomes an important performance metric. We show that the problem of designing oblivious routing algorithms that have high worst-case or average-case throughput can be cast as a linear program. Globally optimal solutions to these optimization problems can be efficiently found, yielding provably good oblivious routing algorithms. Applying these techniques to k-ary 2-cube (tori) networks shows that previous routing algorithms sacrifice too much locality to achieve optimal worst-case throughput. This motivates the development of two new algorithms, IVAL and 2TURN, which improve locality to within 0.3% of optimal for an 8-ary 2-cube. Both algorithms have simple, deadlock-free implementations. Expanding the analysis of tori to average-case throughput reveals that there is a weak tradeoff between average-case and worst-case throughput. Specifically, both the IVAL and 2TURN algorithms developed for the worst-case also have good average-case throughput.
The efficient real-time spatial domain 2-D IIR and FIR digital filter implementation

Presents an efficient hardware implementation of spatial domain two-dimensional IIR and FIR filters. The authors use a state space representation to achieve efficient algorithms and then use a common computational primitive to optimize the hardware implementation. They present a multiprocessor implementation for a real-time or near real-time two-dimensional linear system with a raster scan input. The multiprocessor system has a simple control scheme, a simple interconnection network, a very high efficiency, and low data transfers. >
Two occurrences of presumptive venous air embolism in a gelding during cystoscopy and perineal urethrotomy

Summary A 14-year-old Arabian gelding presented for evaluation of macroscopic haematuria. Routine cystoscopy was performed under standing sedation during which the horse collapsed with apparent seizure activity. General anaesthesia was induced and the horse recovered neurologically normal. Four days later, during a perineal urethrotomy procedure, the horse experienced a similar collapse with seizure-like activity. General anaesthesia was again induced and cystoscopy performed through the urethrotomy incision. A ventral bladder mass was visualised and sampled. Cytology confirmed a neoplastic process and the horse was subjected to euthanasia. Histopathology confirmed transitional cell carcinoma. Air embolism was the suspected cause of loss of consciousness and seizure activity in both instances.