cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cleft lip - a comprehensive review

Orofacial clefts comprise a range of congenital deformities and are the most common head and neck congenital malformation. Clefting has significant psychological and socio- economic effects on patient quality of life and require a multidisciplinary team approach for management. The complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors play a significant role in the incidence and cause of clefting. In this review, the embryology, classification, epidemiology, and etiology of cleft lip are discussed. The primary goals of surgical repair are to restore normal function, speech development, and facial esthetics. Different techniques are employed based on surgeon expertise and the unique patient presentations. Pre-surgical orthopedics are frequently employed prior to definitive repair to improve outcomes. Long term follow up and quality of life studies are discussed.
Studies on the synthesis of (-)-gymnodimine. Subunit synthesis and coupling.

Two principal subunits of the marine algal toxin (−)-gymnodimine were synthesized. A trisubstituted tetrahydrofuran representing C10−C18 of the toxin was prepared via a highly stereoselective iodine-mediated cyclization of an acyclic alkene bearing a bis-2,6-dichlorobenzyl (DCB) ether. The formation of a cis-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofuran in this process conforms to a stereodirecting effect by the DCB group proposed by Bartlett and Rychnovsky. A cyclohexene subunit corresponding to the C1−C8, C19−C24 portion of gymnodimine was synthesized via Diels−Alder cycloaddition of a 1,2,3-trisubstituted diene to a symmetrical dienophile obtained from Meldrum's acid. Differentiation of carbonyl groups in the cycloadduct was made by an intramolecular reaction with a neighboring alcohol to form a γ-lactone. Linkage of the two subunits at C18−C19 was accomplished by using a B-alkyl Suzuki coupling in which a borane prepared from the pendent alkenyl chain of the cyclohexene domain was reacted with the (E)-iodoalkene ...
Hanoi and Americanization of the War in Vietnam

The spring 1965 deployment of U.S. ground forces to South Vietnam and initiation of sustained aerial and naval bombardments of the North by the U.S. military marked a turning point in the history of the Vietnamese Revolution. Until recently, Western scholars only vaguely understood Hanoi9s attitude toward those developments and what they meant for the revolution it spearheaded. Newly available materials from Vietnam provide a clearer picture of the concerns of North Vietnamese policymakers in the period immediately before and after the American intervention. Based on such materials, this article demonstrates that, when it committed the North to a wider war with the United States, Hanoi did so reluctantly. Having made the commitment, however, it stopped at nothing to guarantee the ultimate success of its efforts.
New horizons in AGE research

Abstract The formation, persistence, and tissue toxicity of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) has emerged to be one of the most coherent mechanisms to explain the development of many of the pathological complications of diabetes and normal aging. In vivo and recent human clinical studies have served to underscore the pathophysiological importance of AGEs. Current research into the AGE pathway is proceeding along several fronts.
Invasive carcinoma of prostate presenting as rectal carcinoma

Prostate carcinoma occasionally can present with rectal obstructive symptoms and an annular constricting lesion of the rectum. Discriminating between primary rectal carcinoma and prostate carcinoma locally invasive to the rectum is of obvious importance because of the different treatments and prognoses. History and physical examination play only a marginal role in differentiating between these two lesions. The diagnosis of prostatic malignancy in patients in this circumstance can be supported by an elevated serum acid phosphatase as well as a bone scan that demonstrates a pelvic/vertebral distribution of bony metastases. The rectal mucosa is usually spared, and a barium enema often will demonstrate tapered margins as opposed to a tumor edge in primary rectal malignancy. Excretory urography often demonstrates hydronephrosis. Rectal biopsy with immunohistochemical staining for prostate specific antigen can direct the origin of a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma to the prostate. Treatment involves hormonal manipulation with estrogen therapy or orchiectomy. Radiation therapy to the obstructed rectum has provided satisfactory palliation when hormonal manipulation fails.
Kinetics and mechanism of the conversion of covellite (CuS) to digenite (Cu 1.8 S)

Rates of conversion of covellite (CuS) to digenite (Cu1.*S) in N2 and various partial pressures of O2 have been studied in the temperature range 260° to 400°C. The reaction is first order with respect to O2 concentration in N2−O2 mixtures at 1 atm. The experimental activation energy for the conversion of CuS to Cu1.8S is 23±3 kcal. In a nitrogen atmosphere, the conversion proceeds at a slower rate but with the same activation energy and leads to the formation of elemental sulfur instead of SO2. An externally added small amount of iron powder (0.6 pct) increased the rate of conversion, but had no effect on the apparent activation energy. The rate-controlling reaction in the conversion mechanism is postulated to be Cu1.8S→1.8Cu++1.8e −+S at the Cu1.8S/gas interface. Reduction of CuS by copper(I) ions and electrons occurs by a rapid reaction, 0.8 Cu++0.8e −+CuS→Cu1.8S at the CuS/Cu1.8S interface, which steadily contracts with time.
Alkaline and calc-alkaline lavas near Los Volcanes, Jalisco, Mexico: geochemical diversity and its significance in volcanic arcs

A remarkably diverse suite of lavas erupted during the late-Pliocene at the volcanic front of the western Mexican Volcanic Belt near the town of Los Volcanes, Jalisco. This region is much closer to the Middle America Trench than the main axis of Quaternary andesite-dacite stratovolcanoes, and volcanism occurred in a complex tectonic regime involving both subduction of the young Rivera Plate and transverse crustal extension of the Jalisco structural block. The variety of lava types covers a wide spectrum from highly potassic minettes and leucitites to calc-alkaline basalts and andesites which are compositionally similar to those erupted elsewhere in the Mexican Volcanic Belt. Other alkaline varieties intermediate between these extremes include absarokites, trachybasalts and trachyandesites. Phlogopite, amphibole and apatite are common phenocryst phases; whole-rock compositions show a wide range of alkali contents (e.g. K2O of 1.0–8.6 wt.%), and typically contain >5 wt.% MgO. MgO, Ni, V and Cr show little systematic decrease with increasing SiO2, suggesting that these lavas have evolved from primitive, mantle derived magmas with a wide range of SiO2 contents. Strong enrichments in incompatible trace elements are observed in all of the lavas (Sr 700–5100 ppm, Ba 470–4800, Ce 22–325 ppm, Zr 90–700 ppm), as is the relative enrichment of large ion lithophile (Ba, Sr, Rb) and light rare-earth elements (La, Ce) over the high field strength elements (Ti, Zr) which is typical of magmas in volcanic arcs. This enrichment pattern suggests that these magmas come from source regions which contain incompatible element-rich phases such as phlogopite, amphibole and apatite. The petrological and geochemical features of the lavas which occur in the Los Volcanes region provide direct evidence of the extreme heterogeneity which may exist in magma source regions at convergent margins. The complex tectonic regime in western Mexico further suggests that rifting and crustal extension play an important role in the generation and successful ascent of melts from enriched regions of the sub-arc mantle.
The X-ray crystal structure of 3-ammonium-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid chloride dihydrate

The X-ray crystal structure of 3-ammonium-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid chloride dihydrate has been determined from single-crystal diffraction data. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space groupPna 21 with four molecules in a unit cell of dimensionsa=17.712(7),b=13.468(4), andc=4.798(2) A. The structure was solved by the Patterson method and refined to a finalR value of 2.1%. The average C-C phenyl distance is 1.393 A, but two bonds are somewhat shorter than the others. This, coupled with the fact that the C-O and C-As bonds are shorter than normal, makes it appear as if there is a minor resonance contributor of a keto form. The C-N bond length of 1.443 A is intermediate between values found in aminophenols and other ammoniumphenols. The H2AsO3 group is nearly tetrahedral, with the double-bonded oxygen rotated 9° out of the phenyl plane about the C-As bond. There is an extensive hydrogen-bonding system, involving every one of the OH and NH hydrogens, through the chloride and the waters of crystallization.
Reduction of variance for Gaussian densities via restriction to convex sets

Abstract Let X be a random vector with values in R n and a Gaussian density f . Let Y be a random vector whose density can be factored as k · f , where k is a logarithmically concave function on R n . We prove that the covariance matrix of X dominates the covariance matrix of Y by a positive semidefinite matrix. When k is the indicator function of a compact convex set A of positive measure the difference is positive definite. If A and X are both symmetric Var( a · X ) is bounded above by an expression which is always strictly less than Var( a · X ) for every a ∈ R n . Finally some counterexamples are given to show that these results cannot be extended to the general case where f is any logarithmically concave density.
Critical incident monitoring in paediatric and adult critical care: from reporting to improved patient outcomes?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Critical incident reporting alone does not necessarily improve patient safety or even patient outcomes. Substantial improvement has been made by focusing on the further two steps of critical incident monitoring, that is, the analysis of critical incidents and implementation of system changes. The system approach to patient safety had an impact on the view about the patient's role in safety. This review aims to analyse recent advances in the technique of reporting, the analysis of reported incidents, and the implementation of actual system improvements. It also explores how families should be approached about safety issues. RECENT FINDINGS: It is essential to make as many critical incidents as possible known to the intensive care team. Several factors have been shown to increase the reporting rate: anonymity, regular feedback about the errors reported, and the existence of a safety climate. Risk scoring of critical incident reports and root cause analysis may help in the analysis of incidents. Research suggests that patients can be successfully involved in safety. SUMMARY: A persisting high number of reported incidents is anticipated and regarded as continuing good safety culture. However, only the implementation of system changes, based on incident reports, and also involving the expertise of patients and their families, has the potential to improve patient outcome. Hard outcome criteria, such as standardized mortality ratio, have not yet been shown to improve as a result of critical incident monitoring.
The reduction of ionograms from the bottomside and topside

Method reducing ionograms to electron density height profiles on digital computer by representations as parabolic lamination
Brain Intracellular, pH, Blood Flow, and Blood—Brain Barrier Differences with Barbiturate and Halothane Anesthesia in the Cat

The effects of various depths of barbiturate and halothane anesthesia and different arterial blood carbon dioxide tensions (PaCO2) at uniform levels of anesthesia on brain pH, tissue indicator perfusion, and blood flow were studied in 40 cats. Brain pH was measured using a Iipid-soluble,pH-sensitive
Acne conglobata and arthritis

Acne conglobata has the same features as acne vulgaris plus double comedones and dissecting interconnecting subcutaneous abscesses which heal to leave scar bridges. This report describes the association of acne conglobata with an asymmetric self-limited, non-deforming peripheral arthritis in a young male. It is suggested that the association of acne conglobata and arthritis is the consequence of the same pathogenetic mechanism as that involved in the association of arthritis with ulcerative colitis.
Rats' reactions to consepecific muscle and blood: Evidence for an alarm substance

Three experiments on rats' reactions to conspecific muscle homogenate, blood, and brain homogenate are reported. In Expt. I, rats were trained to traverse a runway for water reinforcement. Then separate groups were tested with the tissue preparations applied to the runway. Fright reactions were found when muscle and blood were encountered, but not when brain was used. In Expts. II and III, paired-comparison preference tests were made with these tissues and water. Less time was spent on surfaces treated with muscle and blood than on those treated with brain or water. No differences were found between muscle and blood, nor between brain and water. It was concluded that muscle and blood from injured rats contain a substance which elicits fright reactions.
Abstract A44: Minority enrollment to clinical trials: Experience at the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center

Background: The Dan L Duncan Cancer Center (DLDCC) is located in Houston, Texas, and provides care to uninsured and minority patients in several large hospitals including Ben Taub General Hospital, The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, and Texas Children9s Hospital. The catchment area for the DLDCC is Harris County, an urban area with a population of nearly 4 million; approximately 18% of county residents are African American and 39% are Hispanic. While the percentage of African Americans in Harris County is nearly equal in all age groups, Hispanics make up nearly 45% of residents less than 30 years old, but only 10% of residents over 60, those most likely to develop cancer. One-third of the county population has no health insurance. Objective: In 2006 the DLDCC set out to increase overall enrollment to therapeutic clinical trials while maintaining enrollment of patients belonging to racial and ethnic minorities. Methods: A four-pronged strategy was used to maintain and improve accrual of racial and ethnic minority patients to cancer-related clinical trials while increasing overall accrual. First, the DLDCC invested significant resources in establishing research infrastructure in the hospitals including hiring bilingual coordinators and nurses, translating consents into Spanish, and underwriting the cost for conduct of NCI-sponsored trials. Second, the DLDCC partnered with hospitals to make office space available for research personnel, to provide discounted investigational pharmacy services and to obtain access to laboratory and imaging data and pathology samples. Third, the DLDCC introduced programs to make minority residents aware of clinical trials and build relationships and trust in the community including the establishment of a community advisory board, sponsorship of plays by minority playwrights that carry a cancer message, sponsorship of community health events, and creation of clinical trials newsletters and websites. Finally, the DLDCC pioneered and gained IRB approval for a form designed to collect accurate racial and ethnic data from trial participants. Results: Overall enrollment to DLDCC therapeutic clinical trials increased by more than 50% between 2005/2006 and 2009 to an average of 13.4% of new cancer patients enrolled on trial. In 2009, 16.8% of subjects enrolled to therapeutic trials were African American, and 35.4% were Hispanic. Accrual of minority subjects was equivalent in pediatric and adult programs and on therapeutic and nontherapeutic trials. Conclusion: Recruitment of pediatric and adult members of underserved minorities to clinical trials is possible with targeted strategies, dedicated research staff, hospital partnership and community involvement. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):A44.
Best permutation analysis

High dimensional covariance estimation is an important topic in contemporary multivariate statistics and has recently received much attention in the mathematical statistics literature. The work of Bickel and Levina (2008) [2] introduces a general approach to such estimation problems in a large class of models: banding of the sample covariance matrix. Bickel and Levina show that banded estimators are consistent in the operator norm as the dimension of the covariance matrix, p, and the sample size, n, both go to infinity. Critically, these estimators rely on knowing the order of the covariates apriori before banding can be applied. A rigorous framework for order recovery is however not available in the literature. In this paper, we propose a novel framework and methodology that can be used to recover covariate order in general classes of banded models. Such models can also be framed as autoregressive processes, which in turn fall within the class of graphical models. We show that recovering covariate order is intimately related to minimizing functionals on the symmetric group. Indeed, an important contribution of the paper is a result showing that the natural time order in such an autoregressive process has the property that over all orderings of covariates, it minimizes the sum of the diagonals of the Cholesky decomposition, of both the covariance and the inverse covariance matrix. This result lays the foundation for the ensuing statistical methodology developed in this paper: an efficient algorithm called the Best Permutation Algorithm (BPA). The BPA can recover the natural order of variables in autoregressive models at the rate of O"p((logp)/n), which is the same rate that the covariance matrix can be estimated if the natural time order were known. Hence the BPA yields the oracle rate. Moreover, the computational complexity of the BPA is proved to be polynomial in the number of variables, p, and hence allows for an efficient search over the full permutation group on p letters, a group whose size is super-exponential in p. The methodology is also successfully illustrated on numerical examples.
Chest Color and Social Status in Male Geladas (Theropithecus gelada)

Conspicuous colored patches on animals often serve as sexually selected signals that advertise male quality. Such colored traits facilitate assessment of risks associated with a specific contest or benefits associated with a specific mate choice. Here, we investigate whether a colored patch of skin on the chests of male geladas (Theropithecus gelada) is a sexually selected signal. Specifically, we examine the relationship between color (redness), social status (a proxy for reproductive success), and age. We use observational data from known individuals from a population of wild geladas living in Ethiopia. We digitally quantified chest color using a previously-validated method for measuring color under field conditions. Results from this study are consistent with the hypothesis that redness is a quality signal in males. Baseline color correlates with status even when controlling for age. Indeed, males with redder chests were members of “better” groups: 1) leader males—the only males with reproductive access to females—had the reddest chests, and 2) within leader males, males with large units (>6 females) had redder chests than males with small units. At present, we are unable to address whether male chest color is directed at potential rivals or mates. Nevertheless, our data support the hypothesis that quality signals should prevail in large, fluid groups, where it is unlikely that individuals recognize all other group members. If individual recognition is limited in gelada society, this would favor the evolution of alternative means of assessment for making reproductive decisions.
XML-based agent communication, migration and computation in mobile agent systems

This article presents the research work that exploits using XML (Extensible Markup Language) to represent different types of information in mobile agent systems, including agent communication messages, mobile agent messages, and other system information. The goal of the research is to build a programmable information base in mobile agent systems through XML representations. The research not only studies using XML in binary agent system space such as representing agent communication messages and mobile agent messages, but also explores interpretive XML data processing to avoid the need of an interface layer between script mobile agents and system data represented in XML. These XML-based information representations have been implemented in Mobile-C, a FIPA (The Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents) compliant mobile agent platform. Mobile-C uses FIPA ACL (Agent Communication Language) messages for both inter-agent communication and inter-platform migration. Using FIPA ACL messages for agent migration in FIPA compliant agent systems simplifies agent platform, reduces development effort, and easily achieves inter-platform migration through well-designed communication mechanisms provided in the system. The ability of interpretive XML data processing allows mobile agents in Mobile-C directly accessing XML data information without the need of an extra interface layer.
Characterization of symmetrical and unsymmetrical thiol–disulfide interchange reactions by one‐and two‐dimensional magnetization transfer NMR spectroscopy

One- and two-dimensional magnetization transfer NMR methods were used to characterize symmetrical and unsymmetrical thiol–disulfide interchange reactions in the glutathione-cysteamine system. The chemical system consists of four symmetrical and two unsymmetrical thiol–disulfide interchange reactions. In terms of the magnetization transfer experiment, these reactions can be treated as two three-site exchange networks, one for exchange of the cysteamine moiety among cysteamine, cystamine and the cysteamine part of the glutathione–cysteamine mixed disulfide and another for exchange of the glutathione moiety among glutathione, glutathione disulfide and the glutathione part of the mixed disulfide. Two-dimensional 13C{1H} EXSY NMR spectroscopy was used to identify specific exchange reactions which take place on the time scale of the magnetization transfer experiment at a given pD. The kinetics of the interchange reactions were quantitatively characterized using an overdetermined version of the one-dimensional 13C{1H} EXSY experiment and a 13C{1H} selective inversion-transfer experiment with a linear-least-squares analysis of the time course data. Second-order rate constants were calculated for all six of the thiol–disulfide interchange reactions from the pseudo-first-order rate constants obtained from the selective inversion-transfer experiments.
Ongoing Clinical Trials in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for 10% to 15% of all strokes. ICH continues to impart a considerable degree of morbidity and mortality, with 30-day mortality ranging from 44% to 50%.1–3 ICH remains a devastating disease, and current treatment options lag far behind those for ischemic stroke. There are no approved therapies, which improve outcome, and treatment remains mainly supportive. Despite the lack of available acute treatment options for ICH, the past decade of clinical and preclinical research has identified important concepts in its pathophysiology and how this information might be used in developing treatment. Recent clinical trials in ICH have identified important considerations in patient selection, which have informed current and future trials evaluating treatment for ICH, and preclinical work in ICH has identified new treatment targets. An understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease provides a starting point for identification of treatment targets. The pathophysiology of ICH begins with the predisposition of developing the disease, including genetics and risk factors that conspire to generate the initial hemorrhage. Once present, ICH causes both primary and secondary injury. The primary insult is attributable to disruption of adjacent tissue and mass effect.4 Secondary injury occurs with development of edema, free radical formation, inflammation, and direct cellular toxicity attributable to the deposited hematoma and subsequent degradation by-products. Each of these phases of disease provides a potential treatment target as shown in the Figure. The multiple steps along the path of disease also underscore the fact that successful treatment for ICH will most likely be multifaceted with different treatments at different time points. Figure. Treatment targets for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). A complete discussion of treatment targets for ICH is beyond the scope of this brief summary and has been reported recently.5 Ongoing clinical trials in ICH are outlined in …
A durable centre of urban space: the Los Angeles Plaza

This article searches for the historic centre of Los Angeles, California, the archetype of urban sprawl. Taking maps and photographs as its principal sources it finds an enduring urban centre in a plaza designed by the Spanish in 1781 and occupied by Mexicans until the US army conquered the city in 1847. The Plaza anchored the dispersed ranch land of the Pueblo of Los Angeles and was the magnet for commercial development during the first decades of American settlement. Between 1850 and 1880, Anglo immigrants built up the south-western side of the Plaza with shops and civic buildings creating a hybrid and bicultural centre, a compression of Main Street and the Plaza. After 1880 a process of spatial mitosis occurred as commerce and municipal functions moved down Main Street and melded into a modern downtown. Since then the skyscrapers downtown have overshadowed but not displaced the old Plaza, which still serves as social, symbolic and ceremonial space for Angelenos, especially immigrants from Latin America. The durability of the Plaza and its direct successors, Main Street and Downtown, not only designate a centre for Los Angeles, but articulate a distinctive urban morphology, that of a centrifugal metropolis rather than fragmented city or sprawl of suburbs.
Nerv -- contextual information retrieval for Google Glass: demo abstract

As smart homes and buildings become more prevalent, there is an increase of embedded systems that are aware of human interaction with the environment. Nerv aims to make human users more aware of the environment they are acting in by delivering hands-limited, targeted information to users. Using Google Glass's sensors, Nerv identifies the user's context then presents them relevant information. The system is composed primarily of a software running on Glass and a server back-end.
Metamaterials add an extra dimension.

In a major departure from their humble origins as ultrathin monolayers, optical metamaterials have now advanced to three-dimensional bulk media exhibiting both electric and magnetic activity.
Montelukast reduces airway eosinophilic inflammation in asthma: a randomized, controlled trial

Leukotrienes are pro-inflammatory mediators which may contribute to tissue, sputum, and blood eosinophilia seen in allergic and inflammatory diseases, including asthma. Montelukast is a cysteinyl leukotriene1 (CysLT1) receptor antagonist which improves asthma control; the aim of this study was to investigate its effect on induced sputum eosinophils. Montelukast 10 mg (n=19) or placebo (n=21) were administered orally once in the evening for 4 weeks to 40 chronic adult asthmatic patients, aged 19-64 yrs, in a double-blind, randomized, parallel group study. Patients were included if, at prestudy, they had >5% sputum eosinophils, symptomatic asthma with a forced expiratory volume in one second > or =65% of the predicted value and were being treated only with "as needed" inhaled beta2-agonists. In addition to sputum eosinophils, blood eosinophils and clinical endpoints were also assessed. Four weeks of montelukast treatment decreased sputum eosinophils from 7.5% to 3.9% (3.6% decrease, 95% confidence interval (CI) -16.6-0.4). In contrast, placebo treatment was associated with an increase in sputum eosinophils from 14.5% to 17.9% (3.4% increase, 95% CI -3.5-9.8). The least squares mean difference between groups (-11.3%, 95% CI -21.1-(-1.4)) was significant (p=0.026). Compared with placebo, montelukast significantly reduced blood eosinophils (p=0.009), asthma symptoms (p=0.001) and beta2-agonist use (p<0.001) while significantly increasing morning peak expiratory flow (p=0.001). Montelukast was generally well tolerated in this study, with a safety profile similar to the placebo. These results demonstrate that montelukast decreases airway eosinophilic inflammation in addition to improving clinical parameters. Its efficacy in the treatment of chronic asthma may be due, in part, to the effect on airway inflammation.
Harmonic response of a tunable Solc filter.

The spectral evolution and transitional behavior of the odd harmonic windows in a broadly tuned electrooptic Solc filter are described theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. We show how the fundamental and all the odd harmonic passbands split and eventually merge in pairs with nearest neighbors to become even harmonics of the fundamental λf as the principal pass wavelength λp is tuned from λp = λf to λp ≫λf.
CARDIOVASCULAR FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH SICKLE CELL ANEMIA.

T HIS study was undertaken to reveal the following aspects in patients with sickle cell anemia with or without clinical manifestation of heart disease: (1) the incidence of electrocardiographic abnormalities; (2) radiological evaluation of the chest for cardiomegaly and pulmonary vascular markings ; (3) auscultatory and phonocardiographic findings; and (4) autopsies from reports of 9 patients and the cause of death in 7 patients without autopsy.
The effects of sympathomimetic agents on ADP aggregation of rat platelets in vitro

Abstract The rate of ADP-induced aggregation of platelets was increased markedly by 1-epinephrine or norepinephrine. Naphazoline, N-methyl epinephrine or d-epinephrine also produced significant increases in rate. In contrast, other α- or β-receptor agonists or indirectly acting agents (d-norepinephrine, phenylephrine, synephrine, metanephrine, tyramine, dopamine, isoproterenol, salbutamol) did not accelerate aggregation. None of the sympathomimetics tested was able to induce aggregation when used alone. Important structural requirements of epinephrine for acceleration of aggregation were R-configuration, a β-hydroxyl group, a catechol moiety, and the absence of large N-alkyl groups. The potentiating effect of epinephrine was blocked equally well by d- or 1-phenoxybenzamine and by propranolol; however, the latter compound did so at concentrations which inhibited ADP aggregation alone. These results with various agonists and antagonists indicate that the receptor involved in catecholamine acceleration of ADP-aggregation does not have all the usual characteristics of either the α- or β-adrenergic receptor.
Signal Transduction by MAP Kinases: Regulation by Phosphorylation-Dependent Switches

The kinases of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades transmit signals through sequential phosphorylation and activation of the enzymes. However, recent evidence indicates that protein-protein interactions between the kinases themselves or with substrates or other components are also a critical means of regulation. Whitmarsh and Davis summarize these findings with emphasis on new evidence from yeast that, when phosphorylated, a MAP kinase kinase actually switches from a negative regulator that binds to and inhibits its target MAP kinase to a positive regulator of that same enzyme.
Learner perception of learning tasks

In the context of task-based language teaching, a challenge facing the language teaching profession is to determine how learners perceive and treat the formal and functional properties of language learning tasks. The preliminary study reported here presents the interplay between teacher objectives, task input, peer interaction and learner perception of transactional tasks. The study shows that the formal, functional and interactional dimensions of a task seem to operate in tandem when learners perform a task in order to get business done in the classroom and, by extension, in the outside world. The study also suggests that the boundaries of the three dimensions are blurred in the learners' mind, and that the degree of attention to the three dimensions is determined largely by learners themselves. This finding has implications for the study for task development, task complexity and also for larger issues of syllabus and methodology.
Optical elements for efficient one-dimensional image transmission through a single multimode fiber

Abstract Optical elements, including continuous surface and multiple-ring types, are considered to improve the efficiency of one-dimensional imaging by angular multiplexing in a single multimode fiber. The limiting resolution of the multiple-ring method, determined by ring width, fiber diameter, etc., is discussed. Results are presented for a holographic implementation, with up to ten concentric rings, operating in monochromatic light. The use of computer-generated holograms is suggested.
Magnetic Resonance Angiography of the Central Chest Veins: A New Gold Standard?

Purpose The systemic chest veins may be difficult to show comprehensively by contrast venography, especially if there is limited venous access or contraindications to intravenous contrast. As an alternative, can magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) reliably detect occluded chest veins and predict suitable sites for central venous access? Patients and methods Eighty-four patients were examined using breath-hold time-of-flight MRA and three-dimensional image reconstruction. Thirty-three were evaluated to identify possible central venous access. Fiftyseven patients were examined to diagnose and stage central venous occlusion. Results The associated diagnoses were malignancy 46, parenteral nutrition 21, hemodialysis 6, chemotherapy 4, and other long-term venous access 7. Of the 28 patients in whom MRA predicted a patent site for central venous access, satisfactory access was achieved. In two patients, cannulation of veins shown to be occluded on MRA was attempted unsuccessfully. Correlation with contrast venography was available in 17. There was agreement with MRA concerning the level of occluded veins in all cases. Contrast venography did not show all patent veins, including some accessed during surgical line placement. Conclusion Compared with surgical line placement or contrast venography, MRA of the systemic chest veins is accurate. Patent and occluded chest veins are reliably defined, including potential sites for central line placement, in a way that is not possible with other techniques. MRA may be the new "gold standard" for defining systemic venous anatomy in the chest.
Coexpression of Spectrally Distinct Rhodopsins in Aedes aegypti R7 Photoreceptors

The retina of the mosquito Aedes aegypti can be divided into four regions based on the non-overlapping expression of a UV sensitive Aaop8 rhodopsin and a long wavelength sensitive Aaop2 type rhodopsin in the R7 photoreceptors. We show here that another rhodopsin, Aaop9, is expressed in all R7 photoreceptors and a subset of R8 photoreceptors. In the dorsal region, Aaop9 is expressed in both the cell body and rhabdomere of R7 and R8 cells. In other retinal regions Aaop9 is expressed only in R7 cells, being localized to the R7 rhabdomere in the central and ventral regions and in both the cell body and rhabdomere within the ventral stripe. Within the dorsal-central transition area ommatidia do not show a strict pairing of R7-R8 cell types. Thus, Aaop9 is coexpressed in the two classes of R7 photoreceptors previously distinguished by the non-overlapping expression of Aaop8 and Aaop2 rhodopsins. Electroretinogram analysis of transgenic Drosophila shows that Aaop9 is a short wavelength rhodopsin with an optimal response to 400-450 nm light. The coexpressed Aaop2 rhodopsin has dual wavelength sensitivity of 500-550 nm and near 350 nm in the UV region. As predicted by the spectral properties of each rhodopsin, Drosophila photoreceptors expressing both Aaop9 and Aaop2 rhodopsins exhibit a uniform sensitivity across the broad 350-550 nm light range. We propose that rhodopsin coexpression is an adaptation within the R7 cells to improve visual function in the low-light environments in which Ae. aegypti is active.
Link analysis for fraud detection

The past ten years have witnessed a remarkable transformation in the way companies and customers interact with one another. Almost every office and household has an Internet connection along with some type of wireless capability. But everything comes at a price, and we pay for our increased computer speed and efficiency with new opportunities for fraudsters. However, people conducting routine digital activities do leave an information trail. Under the right circumstances, this digital library of automatically generated data can be used to detect fraud or misuse of company resources. So, many companies are using Link Analysis (LA) as an effective tool for organizing this digital information when looking for fraud or employee misconduct. This article presents an overview of LA—and explains how your company can use it to detect possible fraud. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Disulfide bonds in the extracellular calcium-polyvalent cation-sensing receptor correlate with dimer formation and its response to divalent cations in vitro

Extracellular calcium/polyvalent cation-sensing receptors (CaR) couple to G proteins and contain highly conserved extracellular cysteine residues. Immunoblotting of proteins from rat kidney inner medullary collecting duct endosomes with CaR-specific antibodies reveals alterations in the apparent molecular mass of CaR depending on protein denaturation conditions. When denatured by SDS under nonreducing conditions, CaR migrates as a putative dimeric species of 240–310 kDa. This is twice the predicted molecular mass of the CaR monomer observed after SDS denaturation in the presence of sulfhydryl-reducing agents. In sucrose density gradients, Triton X-100-solubilized CaR sediments as a 220-kDa complex, not explainable by binding of G proteins to CaR monomers. Treatment of Triton-soluble CaR with divalent (Ca2+, Mg2+) and trivalent (Gd3+) metal ion CaR agonists, but not monovalent ions (Na+), partially shifts the electrophoretic mobility of CaR under reducing conditions from a predominantly monomeric to this putative dimeric species on immunoblots in a manner similar to their rank order of functional potency for CaR activation (Gd3+≫ Ca2+ > Mg2+). This Ca2+effect is blocked by pretreatment withN-ethylmaleimide. We conclude that disulfide bonds present in CaRs mediate formation of dimers that are preserved in Triton X-100 solution. In addition, CaR exposure to Ca2+induces formation of additional disulfide bonds within the Triton-soluble CaR complex.
Generalization of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida Interaction for Nonspherical Fermi Surfaces

The Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction $\ensuremath{\Phi}(\mathrm{R})$ is generalized for the case of nonspherical Fermi surfaces. In general $\ensuremath{\Phi}(\mathrm{R})$ is found to fall off as $\frac{1}{{R}^{3}}$, and to oscillate with a period corresponding to a calipering of the Fermi surface in the R direction. For the special cases of parallel or cylindrical regions of the Fermi surface, a slower falloff of $\ensuremath{\Phi}(\mathrm{R})$ ($\frac{1}{R}$ and $\frac{1}{{R}^{2}}$, respectively) is obtained. The general expression for the Fourier transform $\ensuremath{\varphi}(\mathrm{q})$ is also considered and displays Kohn anomalies whose form depends on the shape of the Fermi surface in the vicinity of calipering pairs of points. The usual infinite slope in $\ensuremath{\varphi}(\mathrm{q})$ for the spherical Fermi surfaces changes in the more general case and becomes a discontinuous slope for a "waist" and a logarithmic singularity in $\ensuremath{\varphi}(\mathrm{q})$ for parallel regions of the Fermi surface. A number of possible applications of the results are discussed.
Bias and Accuracy in Estimates of Task Duration

Abstract When asked to estimate the duration of various academic-type tasks (e.g., the time needed to complete a writing assignment, solve a series of problems, or read a manuscript), subjects demonstrated a marked tendency to trade accuracy in favor of minimizing cognitive effort in their selection of planning strategies. This tendency resulted in a drastic underestimation of the time required to complete the task. When estimating the total reading time of a manuscript, individual differences in reading speed were found to predict estimation accuracy. Given some experience reading the manuscript, fast readers switched from a low effort anchoring-type estimation strategy to a more effortful reading speed calculation strategy, whereas slow readers persisted in using an anchoring strategy, resulting in lower accuracy. Across all experiments, a meta-analysis revealed that global academic achievement, as indicated by grade point average (GPA), accounted for approximately 5% of the total variance in estimation performance. The consequences of planning accuracy on human performance are discussed.
Increased rate of complete EUS staging of patients with esophageal cancer using the nonoptical, wire-guided echoendoscope.

Abstract Background: Incomplete endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) staging procedures in patients with esophageal cancer due to obstructing malignant strictures are prone to underestimate T stage and cannot detect celiac adenopathy. EUS staging in the setting of stenotic malignancies using the large caliber echoendoscope has been complicated by esophageal perforation. We report on the clinical utility of a newly developed, wire-guided echoendoscope for the complete staging of patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: Pretreatment EUS examinations performed for esophageal cancer staging were evaluated and the ability to traverse the esophagus and examine the celiac axis were documented. Outcomes before and after the availability of the wire-guided echoendoscope were compared. Results: One hundred thirty consecutive examinations were evaluated—100 before and 30 after the introduction of the wire-guided echoendoscope. Complete staging was accomplished in 60 of 100 (60%) cases before and 27 of 30 (90%) after its introduction ( p = 0.002). The wire-guided echoendoscope was used in 14 of the 30 cases. Despite a trend toward fewer stage T4 tumors, metastatic disease was documented significantly more frequently after the introduction of the esophagoprobe (34% vs. 11%, p = 0.002). There were no complications. Conclusions: The introduction of the wire-guided echoendoscope markedly reduced the occurrence of incomplete esophageal cancer staging and improved the detection of metastatic disease. (Gastrointest Endosc 1999;50:53-7.)
Differences in action potential configuration in ventricular trabeculae correlate with differences in density of transverse tubule-sarcoplasmic reticulum couplings

The goal of the present study was to identify structural correlates to an observed variability in the response of ventricular muscle action potential configuration to ryanodine. In a previous study, rabbit ventricular trabeculae were shown to display either a shortened action potential (Group I) or lengthened action potential (Group II) in response to the negative inotropic drug ryanodine. The configuration of control action potentials were also different in these two groups. Action potentials in Group I trabeculae exhibited a prominent early repolarization and low plateau, while those in Group II exhibited a small early repolarization and high plateau. Electron microscope morphometric data showed that there is a significant, positive linear correlation between the number of transverse tubules displaying internal couplings with sarcoplasmic reticulum and the change in action potential duration in the presence of ryanodine. No other differences in internal coupling structure were observed. Although variability in the prominence of M-lines was also apparent between myocytes in both Group I and Group II, there is no correlation between the M-line prominence and ryanodine-induced change in electrophysiological behavior. No other structural variability was noted between Group I and Group II trabeculae. It is suggested that the difference in electrophysiological characteristics in the two groups might be due to a difference in T-tubular density. This hypothesis seems most plausible if there is a differential distribution of ion channels between the surface membrane and T-tubular membrane.
Large-diameter heads: Is bigger better?

Abstract Instability is a major cause of failure in total hip arthroplasty. Large femoral heads have been introduced to improve stability. Although this has been effective in reducing dislocations, optimal component position is still required to maintain stability. In addition, large head articulations have introduced new potential problems, including wear, polyethylene fracture, and taper corrosion. In order to be clinically beneficial, the use of large femoral heads must be complemented with optimal component position and balanced against any potential risks.
Oxygen plasma-resistant phenylphosphine oxide-containing polyimides and poly(arylene ether heterocycle)s: 2

Phenylphosphine oxide-containing poly(arylene ether imide)s, poly(arylene ether quinoxaline)s, poly(arylene ether benzoxazole)s and poly(arylene ether benzothiazole)s were prepared by reacting the appropriate difluoro heterocyclic compound with bis(4-hydroxyphenoxy-4′-phenyl)phenylphosphine oxide. The polymers exhibited glass transition temperatures from 209 to 255°C and inherent viscosities from 0.35 to 1.34 dl g−1. Thin-film tensile properties measured at room temperature and 177°C exhibited tensile strengths of 10.2–15.8 and 6.0–9.0 ksi (∼ 70.3–108.9 and ∼ 41.4–62.1 MPa), respectively, and tensile moduli of 340–381 and 204–365 ksi (∼ 2.34–2.63 and ∼ 1.41–2.52 GPa), respectively. Unoriented thin films of these phenylphosphine oxide-containing polymers were subsequently exposed to a radiofrequency-generated oxygen plasma under vacuum along with Kapton® HN. To assess the resistance of the materials to the oxygen plasma, the weight losses of the films were monitored as a function of exposure time. Phenylphosphine oxide-containing poly(arylene ether benzoxazole)s and poly(arylene ether benzothiazole)s exhibited weight-loss rates that were 38–190 (1–2 orders of magnitude) times slower than that of Kapton® HN. Phenylphosphine oxide-containing poly(arylene ether quinoxaline)s exhibited weight-loss rates only slightly slower (1–7 times) than those of Kapton® HN. The changes in surface chemistry of the exposed films were subsequently examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In most cases, the phosphorus and oxygen near the surface exhibited increases in relative concentration and the photopeaks shifted towards higher binding energies. These changes are indicative of the formation of phosphate-type species. In addition, their limiting oxygen indices were calculated from char yields at 850°C in nitrogen utilizing a reported method. For the most part, the incorporation of phenylphosphine oxide groups did not substantially increase the limiting oxygen indices.
Left-right-symmetric gauge theory consistent with all experiments: A viable alternative to the Weinberg-Salam model

I discuss a left-right-symmetric model of weak and electromagnetic interactions which is consistent with the results of all weak-interaction experiments including observed parity violation in $\mathrm{eN}$ interactions. The model is essentially indistinguishable from the Weinberg-Salam (WS) model at low energies and differs from it significantly at high ${q}^{2}$. Of the two (${Z}_{1}, {Z}_{2}$) neutral bosons of the model, ${M}_{{Z}_{1}}\ensuremath{\approx}{M}_{Z}$ of the WS model and ${M}_{{Z}_{2}}\ensuremath{\approx}2.5{M}_{{Z}_{1}}\ensuremath{\approx}230$ GeV. The prospects of distinguishing the two classes of models in ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ experiments at LEP and in $\mathrm{pp}$ and $\overline{p}p$ colliding-beam experiments at ISABELLE are also discussed.