cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple ventricular septal defects: How and when should they be repaired?

Abstract Background: Congenital heart lesions with multiple ventricular septal defects remain a surgical challenge. Traditional approaches often rely on either ventriculotomy for exposure or palliation with pulmonary artery banding. However, indications for repair versus palliation and for various approaches to surgical exposure are not clearly defined. Methods: From July 1992 to January 1998, 45 patients with multiple (≥2) ventricular septal defects (37 with associated lesions) underwent surgery. Median age was 86 days; all but 4 patients were infants. The mean number of defects was 3.7, and almost half of the patients had more than 3 defects. Apical muscular defects were present in 62% of patients. Thirty-one patients underwent primary complete repair through a right atriotomy or trans-semilunar valve approach (group 1), 8 had palliation (group 2), and 6 underwent complete repair after prior palliation elsewhere (group 3). No patient had a ventriculotomy. Results: One early death occurred in a group 1 patient. Four patients who had had palliation (50%) underwent early reoperation for pulmonary artery band revision because of failure to thrive or band removal after spontaneous closure of the defects. At follow-up (median 22 months), there was 1 death in a group 2 patient (palliation) and 1 other group 2 patient required cardiac transplantation. The only late reoperation was for removal of the pulmonary artery band and closure of multiple apical defects in a group 2 (palliation) patient. No patients who underwent repair have hemodynamically significant residual defects. Conclusions: In our experience, palliation of multiple ventricular septal defects is associated with greater morbidity than primary repair. Multiple defects can almost always be repaired adequately in early infancy without ventriculotomy, although "Swiss-cheese" septum may be an indication for palliation. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;117:134-40)
Women with Red Hair Report a Slightly Increased Rate of Bruising but Have Normal Coagulation Tests

There is an anecdotal impression that redheads experience more perioperative bleeding complications than do people with other hair colors. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that perceived problems with hemostasis could be detected with commonly used coagulation tests. We studied healthy female Caucasian volunteers, 18 to 40 yr of age, comparable in terms of height, weight, and age, with natural bright red (n = 25) or black or dark brown (n = 26) hair. Volunteers were questioned about their bleeding history and the following tests were performed: complete blood count, prothrombin time/international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, platelet function analysis, and platelet aggregation using standard turbidimetric methodology. Agonists for aggregation were adenosine diphosphate, arachidonic acid, collagen, epinephrine, and two concentrations of ristocetin. The red-haired volunteers reported significantly more bruising, but there were no significant differences between the red-haired and dark-haired groups in hemoglobin concentration, platelet numbers, prothrombin time/international normalized ratio, or activated partial thromboplastin time. Furthermore, no significant differences in platelet function, as measured by platelet function analysis or platelet aggregometry, were observed. We conclude that if redheads have hemostasis abnormalities, they are subtle.
The evolution of the mammalian pharynx

Data derived from studies of comparative anatomy, development, neuroanatomy, behaviour and the reconstruction of fossils are combined to evaluate the evolution of the oral-pharyngeal region in mammals. An important event in the evolution of the mammalian feeding apparatus was the development of a novel neuromuscular apparatus, consisting of a large series of striated muscles. The most important of these muscles are the pharyngeal elevators and constrictors, which appear to be without homologues in other amniotes. In addition to considerable peripheral neural and muscular modifications, the motor nuclei of the brain stem in mammals exhibit significant differences from other amniotes. The morphological features characteristic of mammals are reflected in behavioural differences, most significantly during swallowing and suckling. The neuromuscular changes in the mammalian oral-pharyngeal apparatus are at least as extensive as those involving the masticatory system, and have importance far beyond the separation of the airway and foodway, the foci of most previous studies. The hypothesis of neuromuscular conservativism in the evolution of the mammalian feeding mechanism is considered and it is concluded that few data exist to support this hypothesis.
Modular software development for digitizing systems data analysis in reverse engineering applications: case of concentric rotational parts

Abstract The process of building a computer aided design (CAD) model from an existing part or prototype is necessary for design modifications and for other reverse engineering applications. Output of existing digitizing systems are not often compatible with most CAD data formats, thus limiting the use of these reverse engineering systems. This paper describes a methodology for vectorization of the output of existing digitizing systems. The methodology is implemented in software. It creates a CAD model compatible with the engineering drawing format. Interfaces to an existing CAD system have also been developed. The vectorization of the data allows substantial reduction in the size of the data base. The developed methodology and software can lead to the wider application of these computer aided reverse engineering (CARE) systems in a manufacturing environment. Some sample results of the implemented system are also presented.
Every connected regular graph of even degree is a Schreier coset graph

Abstract Using Petersen's theorem, that every regular graph of even degree is 2-factorable, it is proved that every connected regular graph of even degree is isomorphic to a Schreier coset graph. The method used is a special application of the permutation voltage graph construction developed by the author and Tucker. This work is related to graph imbedding theory, because a Schreier coset graph is a covering space of a bouquet of circles.
COMMENTS CONCERNING A SIMPLE EQUATION OF STATE OF THE VAN DER WAALS FORM

When the Carnahan-Starling equation of state for hard spheres is combined with a simple attractive term, the molecular size parameter b for argon (as obtained from critical data) is much closer to the “correct” value than that obtained from the empirical Redlich-Kwong equation For the critical isotherm for argon, the best simple form of the attractive term lies between the two common forms, proposed by van der Waals and by Redlich. At constant temperature, the attractive contribution to the compressibility factor is proportional to (v + 0.2b)−1 where v is the molar volume. This proportionality is in agreement with results for a square-well fluid recently reported by Sandier.
Infrared studies of the energy gap in tetrathiofulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TTF-TCNQ)

Infrared studies of single crystals and thin films of the one-dimensional organic metal tetrathiofulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TTF-TCNQ) are presented. The frequency-dependent conductivity, ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}(\ensuremath{\omega})$, and dielectric function, ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}(\ensuremath{\omega})$, are obtained by Kramers-Kronig analysis of the single-crystal reflectivity. The results indicate the existence of an energy gap (${E}_{g}=0.14$ eV) in the optical spectrum. Transmission and reflection measurements on sublimed thin films of TTF-TCNQ yield results for the response functions in excellent agreement with those obtained from single crystals. The thin-film data are presented for several temperatures, both above and below the metal-insulator transition. The energy gap is present at all temperatures; reduction of the temperature sharpens the structure, but the metal-insulator transition is all but invisible at these frequencies. At low temperatures the overall level of the conductivity in the far infrared decreases as the pinned collective mode appears, centered in all films measured to date at 80 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The data are analyzed in terms of a simple two-fluid model described by a collective mode and a single-particle excitation spectrum. Quantitative estimates of the collective-mode oscillator strength, ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{p}\ensuremath{\simeq}500$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, effective mass, ${M}^{*}\ensuremath{\simeq}300{m}^{*}$, where the band mass is ${m}^{*}\ensuremath{\simeq}3{m}_{e}$, and lifetime, ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{c}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.5$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ near 60 K, are obtained from the infrared conductivity and dielectric functions. A consistent picuture of TTF-TCNQ is developed in terms of a Peierls-Fr\"ohlich conductor with the Peierls gap established and the Fr\"ohlich mode sliding at temperatures above 58 K and pinned at temperatures below 58 K.
The Influence of Intermittent Light on Growth of Broilers

Abstract Ten treatments involving continuous, constant intermittent, and variable intermittent light were conducted over five trials to determine the effect of these light regimes on weight, gain in body weight, and feed efficiency in broilers. The chicks were grown in battery brooders and were on experiment from one to seven weeks of age. In four trials in which both treatments were used, chicks grown with 30 min of light and 150 min of darkness per 3-hr cycle had an average body weight of 67 g more at seven weeks of age than those grown under continuous light. The differences were statistically significant (P In four trials in which comparisons were possible, chicks grown under 30 min light and 150 min of darkness per 3-hr cycle averaged slightly, but not significantly, more (19 g) at seven weeks of age than those under other constant intermittent light schedules. Chicks grown under 30 min light and 150 min of darkness per 3-hr cycle averaged slightly more (23 g) than thos under variable intermittent light treatments. Differences were significant (P Gain per unit of feed consumed from one to seven weeks of age was not significantly different among treatments within each trial.
Static and dynamic properties of excitons in the ferromagnet Tb(OH)3

Abstract The time resolved spectrum of an exciton band-to-band transition in the 5D4 to 7F5 luminescence of Tb(OH)3 is examined as a function of magnetic field. The energies of the k = 0 excitons are located in the bands. It is shown that the 5D4 exciton band requires at least 300 μs to attain equilibrium after pumping the k = 0 excitons. The implications for analyzing the line shapes of exciton band-to-band luminescence are examined.
Effects of process parameters on steel foam synthesis

The effects of simple process parameters used for making steel foams by powder metallurgical (P/M) synthesis were investigated. Different powder blending methods and melting times were employed and the effects on the geometric structure of steel foam were examined. Powder blending was critical to achieving a homogeneous distribution of foaming agent because of the density disparity between steel and foaming agent powders. Dispersion of the foaming agent affected the pore size distribution of the expanded foams. Foam expansion was accomplished by melting powder compacts, and the time above the melt temperature affected the pore structures within the foams. With increasing melt time, pores coalesced, leading to the eventual collapse of the foam. Inserting interlayer membranes in the powder compacts inhibited coalescence of pores and produced foams with more uniform cell size and distribution.
Ideal adsorbed phase model for adsorption of phenolic compounds on activated carbon

The applicability of the ideal adsorbed phase (IAP) model to the adsorption of selected phenolic organics on activated carbon has been studied. Experimental adsorption data were obtained as a function of solution pH and temperature for phenol and aniline, and characterized with the model. The characterizations include the effects of solvent adsorption, a factor that has been consistently neglected in the past. A critical analysis of the IAP model shows that a good fit of the surface excess isotherm data does not ensure that the underlying assumptions of the model are applicable. It has been shown for both phenol and aniline that while the surface excess data may be well characterized, there are significant discrepancies between the experimental and predicted values of the free immersion energy. Also, while the surface free immersion energy of phenol is only a function of surface coverage, for aniline it is also a function of pH and temperature. The importance of specifically accounting for the solvent as an adsorbing species in multicomponent systems has also been demonstrated. Predictions of the IAP model are shown to be significantly different in the presence and absence of water adsorption.
The effect of single giant interneuron lesions on wind-evoked motor responses in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana

In order to determine the contribution of individual giant interneurons (GIs) to wind-evoked motor outputs, responses were recorded from depressor and levator motor neurons in the cockroach Periplaneta americana to wind puffs of different directions. The depressor response was generally stronger to wind from the ipsilateral rear than to wind from the contralateral rear. The levator response was more variable but was more often stronger to wind from the contralateral rear than to wind from the ipsilateral rear. These results are as expected based on behavioral responses to wind puffs. (Camhi and Tom, 1978). The depressor response was nearly or totally abolished by severing the ipsilateral connective of the nerve cord but was little affected by severing the contralateral connective. The levator response was greatly reduced for some angles by severing the ipsilateral connective and for other angles by severing the contralateral connective. Blocking conduction in the ipsilateral GI 5 nearly or completely abolished the depressor response to wind from the ipsilateral rear. This is the first time that a GI has been shown to be necessary, not just sufficient, for a given motor output.
BPA's Extra High Voltage DC Tests: II - Outdoor Flashover

Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the dc flashover characteristics of rod gaps, line-to-tower air gaps, and suspension insulator assemblies. Direct current flashover for test voltages to 725 kV has been shown to be a linear function of specimen length for either polarity or for either wet or dry test conditions. Comparative data are presented for dc, ac, and switching surge test voltages.
Creating Spaces for Black Adolescent Girls to "Write It Out!"

Identity and literacy development are two critical processes shaping the life trajectories of adolescents. Identity development in particular can present unique issues for Black adolescent girls, who are positioned in ways to negotiate their identity(ies) when presented with hegemonic language and representations of what is beauty and what is “Black.” Writing becomes a key literacy practice for Black adolescent girls to make meaning of their identity(ies). Although there are a growing number of studies on literacy and identity development of Black adolescent girls, few studies address writing. A single case study is conducted with a Black adolescent girl who struggles with selfhood to explore how she makes meaning of her identity through writing. She discusses writing within a Black adolescent female summer writing institute juxtaposed with school classrooms. Writing within the summer institute afforded opportunities for her to self-exert selfhood, while in-school writing assignments offer little opportunities for self-expression.
Analyzing the Classroom Social Behavior of Students with EBD

Research using new direct observation procedures to analyze classroom social behavior of children with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) is reviewed.These observation systems are complex but a...
Use of lidar for the evaluation of traffic-related urban pollution

Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is demonstrated as a tool for the detection and tracking of sources of aerosol pollution. Existing elastic lidars have been used to demonstrate the potential of the application of this technology in urban areas. Data from several experiments is shown along with analysis methods used for interpretation of the data. The goal of the project is to develop a light-weight, low-cost, lidar system and data analysis methods which can be used by urban planners and local air quality managers. The ability to determine the sources, i.e., causes, of non-attainment may lead to more effective use of tax dollars. Future directions for the project are also discussed.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Far Eastern Materials

Burks describes the contents and significance of the Library's acquisition of the research library of the American Institute of Pacific Relations, Inc. The library is unique in that it is made up of original materials, largely in the English language, although there are scattered items published in Chinese and Japanese.
Anatomical Substrates for Glutamate‐Dopamine Interactions

: For normal regulation of motor, affective, and cognitive functions, dopamine provides an essential modulation of glutamate transmission within multiple brain regions. This paper will review three principal anatomical substrates for such interactions. First, dopamine modulates the activity of glutamate neurons within the cerebral cortex. Evidence will be reviewed for dopamine regulation of pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex via synaptic and extrasynaptic mechanisms and through indirect effects mediated by GABA cells. Second, glutamate neurons innervate dopamine cells within the ventral tegmental area. Evidence will be described for selective glutamate input from the prefrontal cortex or the brain stem tegmentum to different populations of dopamine cells. The third level of interaction occurs within target regions via convergent synaptic or extrasynaptic regulation of common neurons. Such convergence will be reviewed for the basal ganglia, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. Together, these substrates for glutamate-dopamine interactions provide several mechanisms for normal regulation of brain function. Sites of modulatory interaction between dopamine and glutamate also suggest circuit alterations that might contribute to the pathophysiology of mental health disorders and provide potential sites for therapeutic intervention in these conditions.
Non-aneurysmal primary subarachnoid hemorrhage in pregnancy-induced hypertension and eclampsia

Clinical as well as neuroimaging studies of women with eclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) have described a variety of neurologic manifestations, including intraparenchymal brain hemorrhage. Autopsy studies have described pia-arachnoid hemorrhage in women who died of eclampsia, but radiographic studies have found only intraparenchymal hemorrhage. The author describes clinical and radiographic features in three women with subarachnoid hemorrhage associated with PIH.
Novel GPU implementation of Jacobi algorithm for Karhunen-Loève transform of dense matrices

Jacobi algorithm for Karhunen-Loeve transform of a symmetric real matrix, and its parallel implementation using chess tournament algorithm are revisited in this paper. Impact of memory access patterns and significance of memory coalescing on the performance of the GPU implementation for the parallel Jacobi algorithm are emphasized. Two novel memory access methods for the Jacobi algorithm are proposed. It is shown with simulation results that one of the proposed methods achieves 77.3% computational performance improvement over the traditional GPU methods, and it runs 73.5 times faster than CPU for a dense symmetric square matrix of size 1,024.
Fine pitch thermosonic wire bonding: analysis of state-of-the-art manufacturing capability

A comprehensive process characterization was performed at the Motorola plastic package assembly site in Selangor, Malaysia, to document the current fine pitch wire bond process capability, using state-of-the-art equipment, in an actual manufacturing environment. Two machines, representing the latest technology from two separate manufacturers, were operated one shift per day for five days, bonding a 132 lead Plastic Quad Flat Pack. Using a test device specifically designed for fine pitch wire bonding, the bonding programs were alternated between 107 micrometers and 92 micrometers pad pitch, running each pitch for a total of 1600 units per machine. Wire, capillary type, and related materials were standardized and commercially available. A video metrology measurement system, with a demonstrated six sigma repeatability band width of 0.51 micrometers , was utilized to measure the bonded units for bond dimensions and placement. Standard Quality Assurance (QA) metrics were also performed. Results indicate that state-of-the-art thermosonic wire bonding can achieve acceptable assembly yields at these fine pad pitches.
Injury prevention in Safe Communities

In this issue, Istre and colleagues report results from an intervention to increase child restraint use in a multi-ethnic Dallas neighbourhood ( see page 3 ).1 This was an impressive undertaking, couched in the theory and principles of community-based prevention interventions. Investigators conducted formative work with community stakeholders, some of which is detailed in a linked, online white paper. Modifications to intervention design based on these qualitative assessments included a focus on schools as points of neighbourhood cohesion and the use of car seats ‘blessed’ by local religious organisations. The intervention was studied using a quasi-experimental design not uncommon in community-based efforts. As suggested by Langley et al , the outcomes of interest were not relatively rare injury occurrences, but rather the observed prevalence of important injury-risk reduction behaviours.2 Results were based on almost 10 000 individual child restraint use observations. Analysis accounted for the clustered, multi-levelled nature of the intervention and data collection activities.3 The results are presented as an example of ‘the Safe Communities model approach to injury prevention.’ The Safe Communities movement is a worldwide effort through which several hundred cities or municipalities have been (or are working to become) certified as safe communities.4 In general, this requires communities to …
Concentration of Utah tar sands by an ambient temperature flotation process

Abstract Physical separation of bitumen from low-grade Utah tar sand deposits containing a relatively high viscosity bitumen phase (Sunnyside and Tar Sand Triangle deposits) has been accomplished by traditional size reduction and froth flotation techniques. At appropriate experimental conditions more than 90% of the bitumen can be recovered in a concentrate, containing more than 20 wt. % bitumen, which should be a suitable feed material for subsequent hot water or thermal processing. The efficiency of bitumen recovery depends on the extent of size reduction, as well as promoter and dispersant addition. Rejection of greater than 60% of the sand at ambient temperature and ease of water removal from the concentrate make such a process strategy both energy and cost effective. The energy required to achieve effective separation by the ambient temperature process is significantly less than the energy required for the recently developed hot water process which is being evaluated in a 100-tpd pilot plant this year. The flotation behaviour of the tar sand in this ambient temperature process has been correlated with contact angle measurements and the apparent point-of-zero-charge of the bitumen. The best flotation response at pH 7.8 to 9.0 occurs when the contact angle between the air bubble and bitumen surface is a maximum, corresponding to the apparent point-of-zero-charge of the bitumen as determined by titration.
Rethinking library instruction: using learning-outcome based design to teach online search strategies

Given the growing pressure on academic institutions and, by extension, academic libraries to establish student learning outcomes and demonstrate their impact on student learning, researchers at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) explored how outcome-based instructional design can be used to 1) collect student data, 2) assess student learning, and 3) improve instruction. Two surveys were distributed to 59 undergraduate students who were enrolled in an introductory composition course at IUPUI. Because previous studies (e.g. Ford, Miller and Moss 2005) have linked human individual differences with web search strategy, the first survey collected information about the students’ demographic features. The second survey, a search log, collected information about the sources that students chose, the search terms they used and the strategies they employed in order to complete their research. The students submitted their first survey after the instructional session and the second survey after they completed their research project. Using this data, the researchers examined whether students’ achievement could be associated with their personal characteristics and/or the librarian’s instruction. In contrast to Ford, Miller and Moss’s study (2005), no significant relationships were found between students’ personal characteristics and their search behaviour. However, after receiving instruction, all students were able to create keywords and structure them into search queries using Boolean operators. These results suggest that outcome-based instructional design is an effective pedagogical method for gathering assessment data and that the survey instrument was a useful tool for assessing this outcome - by providing both a measurement of student learning and a means of evaluating the librarian’s instruction.
Resolution of spontaneous contrast with platelet disaggregatory therapy (trifluoperazine).

Spontaneous contrast is the term used to describe the echocardiographic appearance of discrete reflectances in intracardiac blood, described as smoke-like, that is most commonly seen in patients with mitral valve disease or left ventricular dysfunction.1 Although the pathogenesis of spontaneous contrast is unknown, its association with conditions in which blood stasis is likely has led investigators to propose red cell aggregation as the cause. This report describes the disappearance of contrast with platelet-disaggregating therapy.
Hearing the Call: A Phenomenological Study of Religion in Career Choice:

While traditional forms of career counseling are effective for many individuals, some clients may perceive a strong religious or spiritual call to a career and may therefore require a different understanding of career counseling. This qualitative study sought to describe the process through which individuals perceive and follow a religious or spiritual call to a career, for a small sample of Roman Catholic participants. Themes emerging from the study included a sense of career choice arising from a mutual relationship with God, and struggles both with faith and with being called. Participants described various sources of support as well as challenges in following their calling. The results of the study can assist psychologists and career counselors when working with religious clients who want to incorporate religion and spirituality into the career decision-making process.
A Ban on One Is a Boon for the Other: Strict Gasoline Content Rules and Implicit Ethanol Blending Mandates

Ethanol and methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) were close substitutes in the gasoline additives market until MTBE was banned due to the concerns about groundwater contamination, leading to a sudden and dramatic substitution toward ethanol as an alternative oxygenate and octane-booster. We use variation in the timing of MTBE bans across states to identify their effects on gasoline prices. We find that state bans increased reformulated gasoline prices by 3–6 cents in non-Midwestern states for which the bans were binding, with larger impacts during times of high ethanol prices relative to MTBE and crude oil. We find qualitatively similar, yet smaller effects for conventional gasoline. We argue on the basis of a simple conceptual model and supporting empirical evidence that these bans functioned as implicit ethanol blending mandates in areas that were previously using MTBE to comply with strict environmental constraints. Overall, our results are consistent with the theoretical prediction that mandating a minimum market share for a more costly alternative fuel—either directly, or implicitly through a ban on the preferred conventional fuel—will inevitably increase fuel prices in a competitive market.
The AIDS memorial quilt

THE AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT was conceived in November 1985 by San Francisco, Calif, gay activist Cleve Jones. Jones had helped organize the annual march honoring Mayor George Moscone and gay San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, who were assassinated in 1978. When planning the march, Jones learned that more than 1000 San Franciscans had died of AIDS, and he asked the marchers to write on their placards the names of friends, partners, and family members who had died of the disease. After the march, the marchers taped their placards onto the walls of the San Francisco Federal Building. The wall of names looked like a patchwork quilt.1 Jones and his fellow activists gathered in a San Francisco storefront to plan a more permanent memorial to those who had died of AIDS and to publicize the devastating impact of the disease. They created the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. Generous donors supplied sewing machines and materials, and volunteers over the years have created more than 46000 individual 3- by 6-foot memorial panels, most of them honoring one particular person who died of AIDS. Some 35 countries, from Argentina to Japan to Uganda, have contributed panels. The quilt was displayed for the first time on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on October 11, 1987, during the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. In 1988, the quilt went on a national tour during which it was displayed in 20 cities. This tour raised $500 000 for AIDS service organizations. The quilt would return to Washington in 1988, 1989, 1992, and 1996. Each time it returned, the quilt had grown larger. Every panel is different, and the panels feature a multitude of materials: feather boas, lace, leather, love letters, cowboy boots, buttons and bows, paintings, photographs, fishnet, and fur are but a few of the materials used and objects attached. Each display of the quilt features celebrities, politicians, and family members, friends, and lovers reading aloud the names of the people for whom the quilt panels were made. The largest community art project in the world, the AIDS Memorial Quilt was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. In the last 20 years, the quilt has been viewed by more than 15 million people and has raised more than $3 million for AIDS service organizations. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is an overwhelming sight, both a joyful remembrance and a reminder of the tragedy of lives lost. It is a beautiful broad expanse of color and feeling, each panel made with love for the person being honored and celebrated. The quilt is a powerful statement; its image serves as a memorial to all the people and their loved ones whose lives have been transformed by this epidemic over the past 25 years.
Spectral characteristics of the UCSB FEL 400 μm experiment

Abstract Time resolved spectral measurements of the UCSB Free Electron Laser operated at 400 μm are reported. In typical light pulses of 20–50 μs we have observed unexpected oscillations of the laser output with a characteristic period of 5 μs. We found that at the same time, the laser frequency swept over a discrete set of frequency modes, separated by regular intervals of 1.3 GHz.
New York University Medical Center's Pilot “Epo-Depot” Program: A Win-Win for Patients and Health Care

Therapy associated with treatment-related anemia continues to be of great concern for health care providers. Patient satisfaction, patient adherence, and growing insurance reimbursement concerns related to Epoetin alpha therapy for anemia initiated the development of a nursing-led process improvement team at New York University (NYU) Medical Center. Multiple patient groups were identified and treated for anemia with Epoetin alpha through the guide of a standardized pathway providing a convenient and effective treatment plan. The treatment delivery had to be consistent with institutional reimbursement requirements while avoiding significant cost to the patient. Patient populations diagnosed with HIV anemia, HIV oncology, presurgical anemia, and medically complex anemia can now receive appropriate ambulatory treatment. This article describes the formation of the "Epo-Depot" and the logistics involved to service these patients with anemia.
Oxidation of leucine by heart and muscle homogenates of the cardiomyopathic hamster.

Abstract The oxidation of leucine was measured in heart and muscle homogenates of cardiomyopathic and normal hamsters at three ages. Leucine oxidation was significantly decreased in heart but increased in muscle. The activity of leucine α-ketoglutarate transaminase was unchanged in heart but increased in muscle. It is concluded that catabolism of amino acids may contribute significantly to the energy requirements of the diseased animals.
General open-system quantum evolution in terms of affine maps of the polarization vector

The operator-sum decomposition of a map from one density matrix to another has many applications in quantum information science. To this mapping there corresponds an affine map which provides a geometric description of the map of the density matrix in terms of the polarization vector representation. This has been thoroughly explored for qubits since the components of the polarization vector are measurable quantities (corresponding to expectation values of Hermitian operators) and also because it enables the description of map domains geometrically. Here we extend the operator-sum-affine-map correspondence to qudits, briefly discuss general properties of the map and the form for some particular cases, and provide several explicit results for qutrit maps. We use the affine map and a singular-value-like decomposition to find positivity constraints that provide a symmetry for small polarization vector magnitudes (states which are closer to the maximally mixed state), which is broken as the polarization vector increases in magnitude (a state becomes more pure). The dependence of this symmetry on the magnitude of the polarization vector implies the polar decomposition of the map cannot be used as it can for the qubit case. However, it still leads us to a connection between positivity and purity for generalmore » d-state systems.« less
Abstract A63: Rsf-1, a chromatin remodeling protein, interacts with shelterin protein hRap1 and induces telomere shortening

Background: Rsf-1, a chromatin remodeling factor that forms an ISWI chromatin-remodeling complex with SNF2H, has been implicated in the oncogenesis of a variety of human cancers, yet its functions in promoting tumor development remains unclear. In this study, we found Rsf-1 interacted with hRap1, a telomere binding protein involved in telomere length regulation. We aimed at characterizing the interaction between Rsf-1 and hRap1 and exploring the effect of Rsf-1 overexpression on telomere length in ovarian cancer cells. Methods: Protein microarray and co-immunoprecipitation were employed to screen and validate Rsf-1 interaction proteins. Deletion mutants of both Rsf-1 and hRap1 were constructed to map the binding domains responsible for their interaction. To determine whether RSF complex was enriched in the telomeric regions, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) -qPCR in two ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR3 with high RSF-1 gene amplification and Rsf-1 inducible SKOV3) with antibodies against Rsf-1 and SNF2H. A ChIP-sequencing dataset performed with Rsf-1 and SNF2H antibodies using OVCAR3 cells was also examined for enrichment of telomeric sequences. To investigate the effect of Rsf-1 overexpression on telomere length, we evaluated by qPCR the telomere length in two Rsf-1 inducible cell lines (SKOV3 and BRK). Results: We identified hRap1, a telomere binding protein, as an interaction partner of Rsf-1 by protein microarray and co-immunoprecipitation. Protein interaction domain mapping revealed that C-terminal domain of hRAP1 and PHD domains and arginine-rich region of RSF1 were critical for this interaction. Both ChIP-qPCR and ChIP-sequencing demonstrated that Rsf-1 and SNF2H were enriched in the telomeres, suggesting that RSF complex was recruited by hRAP1 to the telomeres. Induction of RSF1 expression resulted in shortened telomere length in two different cell lines. The results suggest that RSF complex may be involved in the telomere length regulation mediated by hRAP1. Conclusions: Rsf-1 interacted with hRap1 through the PHD domain and the arginine-rich region. RSF complex bound telomeres, probably through the interaction with hRap1. Rsf-1 overexpression led to telomere length shortening, which may contribute to genomic instability in cancer cells. Citation Format: Ren-Chin Wu, Bin Guan, Yusuke Kobayashi, Tian-Li Wang, Ie-Ming Shih. Rsf-1, a chromatin remodeling protein, interacts with shelterin protein hRap1 and induces telomere shortening. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Jun 19-22, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(13 Suppl):Abstract nr A63.
Biosensors of protein kinase action: from in vitro assays to living cells.

Abstract Protein kinases, and the signal transduction pathways in which they participate, are now recognized to be medicinally attractive targets of opportunity. Inhibitors of the protein kinase family not only hold great promise as therapeutic agents, but are also of profound utility in the characterization of signaling pathways. The direct visualization of protein kinase activity in living cells provides a genuine assessment of the efficacy and selectivity of these inhibitors in a physiological setting. In addition, the ability to visualize the activity of a protein kinase in real time furnishes a direct measurement of the activation of specific signaling pathways in response to extracellular stimuli. We have developed two series of fluorescent substrates for protein kinase C (PKC) using a strategy that positions the reporter-group directly on the residue undergoing phosphorylation. The first series of PKC substrates is based, in part, on the Ca+2 indicators developed by Tsien and his collaborators during the 1980s. In this case, phosphorylation of the substrate creates a divalent metal ion binding site. Upon metal ion coordination, a fluorescence change transpires via a mechanism analogous to that described for the Ca+2 indicators. The second series of PKC sensors was identified via the preparation and subsequent screen of a library of fluorescently-labeled PKC peptide substrates. The lead derivative displays a phosphorylation-induced fluorescence change that allows the visualization of real-time PKC activity in both cell lysates and living cells. Furthermore, immunodepletion experiments demonstrate that the fluorescently-tagged peptide is selectively, if not exclusively, phosphorylated by the conventional PKCs. Both of the protein kinase biosensor strategies take advantage of the ease with which peptides can be modified to create libraries of structurally altered analogs. However, the inherent synthetic mutability of peptides is not just limited to library construction. For example, it may ultimately be possible to simultaneously monitor multiple protein kinases by affixing fluorophores with distinct photophysical properties to appropriately designed active site-directed peptides.
Mechanism of alkyl phenylglyoxylates photoreaction in the presence of oxygen

Abstract The rate of starting material disappearance for phenylglyoxylate esters possessing a reactive γ-hydrogen is not significantly influenced by the presence of oxygen. However, the products produced and their yields are quite different. A mechanism involving trapping of the 1,4-biradical intermediate by ground state oxygen following the triplet state γ-hydrogen abstraction is proposed. Rate constants for the various processes are deduced from literature values and from laser flash photolysis of the starting phenylglyoxylates.
Different Concepts of Relevance in a Numerical Taxonomic Study

THE term relevance was introduced by Cain and Harrison1 and it was modified by Sokal and Sneath3. During a taximetric study of the genus Salix, willows, I2 found it necessary to recognize three concepts of relevance, which I defined as follows: “OTU by OTU relevance” is the ratio of the number of characters used in the comparison of a given pair of OTUs (operational taxonomic units3) to the total number of characters used in the study. Characters for which information is missing in at least one of the OTUs are not used in the comparison. This is relevant in the sense of Sokal and Sneath3. “OTU relevance” is the ratio of the number of characters actually recorded in a particular OTU to the total number of characters used in the study. It is a measure of the amount of missing data in an OTU, whatever the cause. “Character relevance” is the ratio of the number of OTUs in which a real value for the character in question has been recorded to the total number of OTUs in the study.
Structure Of Gamma-secretase Reveals An Active Site Facing An Internal Membrane Cavity

The integral membrane protein complex gamma-secretase catalyzes the final step in the production of amyloid beta-peptides involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Using negative-stain single-particle electron microscopy we have determined the structure of a native-like 500kDa gamma-secretase complex comprising presenilin, nicastrin, APH-1, and PEN-2 that is fully catalytically active. Antibody labeling of the extracellular domain of nicastrin was employed to ascertain the topology of the reconstruction. Active site labeling with a gold-coupled transition state analog inhibitor demonstrates that gamma-secretase contains a single active site facing a large conical internal cavity. This cavity, surrounded by a ∼35A thick transmembrane protein wall, extends from the extracellular side of the membrane to past the membrane centre, where it narrows to finally close at the cytoplasmic side. Based on our structure we suggest a model for gamma-secretase function, in which a hydrophobic transmembrane helix substrate is hydrolyzed by catalytic aspartyl moieties at the interface of a water-accessible internal cavity away from the surrounding lipid environment.
Transient photoinduced absorption in optically biased a-Si:H

Abstract The decay of photoinduced sub-bandgap absorption (PA) following pulsed excitation was studied as a function of cw bias illumination. Two temperature regimes were identified. At low temperature the dispersion parameter increases linearly with the steady state carrier population generated by the bias light. At high temperatures saturation of the change in the dispersion parameter is achieved. The low temperature result is explained by a bias controlled tunneling process while the high temperature results are explained by the multiple trapping process with the tail states under the saturation condition.
Chlordiazepoxide and diazepam induced mouse killing by rats.

Chlordiazepoxide HCl, at dose levels from 2.5 mg/kg to 80 mg/kg, significantly increased the low base rates of mouse killing (3–9%) observed in large samples (N=100/ dose) of Holtzman strain albino male rats. Maximal killing rates were obtained at doses from 7.5 mg/kg to 20 mg/kg. Diazepam was equally effective, and several times more potent than chlordiazepoxide. Pentobarbital did not increase killing. Killing induced by chlordiazepoxide was blocked by d-amphetamine SO4, but not by l-amphetamine, at dose levels similar to those that block undrugged killing in this strain (ED50=1.5 mg/kg). Unlike pilocarpine-induced killing, the effects of chlordiazepoxide were not increased or decreased significantly by either peripherally or centrally active anticholinergic drugs, over wide dose ranges of these agents; nor were the effects of chlordiazepoxide increased by repeated daily administration.
Trapping an Activated Conformation of Mammalian Carbamyl-phosphate Synthetase

Abstract The amidotransferase or glutaminase domain (GLN domain) of mammalian carbamyl-phosphate synthetase II (CPSase II) catalyzes glutamine hydrolysis and transfers ammonia to the synthetase domain (CPS domain), where carbamyl phosphate formation is catalyzed in three consecutive reactions. The GLN and CPS domains are part of a single polypeptide and are connected via a 29-amino acid chain segment (GC linker). In contrast, the two comparable domains ofEscherichia coli CPSase are not fused, but are separate, noncovalently associated subunits. To establish the function of the GC linker in mammalian CPSase, it was deleted, and the two domains were directly fused. The deletion mutant not only catalyzed glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthesis, but was activated 10-fold relative to its wild-type counterpart. However, ammonia-dependent synthesis of carbamyl phosphate was abolished, indicating that ammonia no longer had access to the active site on the CPS domain. The mutant was still sensitive to inhibition by the allosteric effector UTP, but was no longer activated by the allosteric effector phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate, although evidence indicated that the latter could bind to the enzyme. The linker appears to serve as a spacer that allows the complex to cycle between two conformations, an open low activity form in which the ammonia site on the CPS domain is accessible and an activated conformation in which the ammonia generated in situ from glutamine is directly channeled to the CPS active site and access to exogenous ammonia is blocked.
The Geography of the Internet: Cities, Regions and Internet Infrastructure in Europe

The Geography of the Internet: Cities, Regions and Internet Infrastructure in Europe, Emmanouil Tranos, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham (2013). ix + 231 pp. £67.50 (hbk). ISBN 978 1 78195 336 5. The Inter...
International Determinants of Private School Attendance.

The current study uses Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 data to investigate international determinants of private school attendance. In particular, we seek to understand whether student achievement and home background factors such as socioeconomic status (SES) or motivational and goal-oriented factors are more predictive of private school attendance – in line with the concept of “cream-skimming’. Using baseline category logit models for nominal responses, our findings indicate that SES, rather than achievement or attitude, is the strongest, most consistent international predictor of attending a school managed or funded in large part by the private sector. Instead of traditional cream-skimming, our analysis suggests that a sorting effect of another kind exists – private schools (managed or funded) tend to lure students from better socioeconomic backgrounds, while public schools tend to attract the most engaged students.