cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Surgical Timing on 30-Day Outcomes in Cleft Palate Repair.

Background The optimal age for cleft palate repair continues to be debated, with little discussion of surgical risk related to operative timing. This study of 3088 cleft palate patients analyzed the impact of surgical timing on perioperative and 30-day postoperative outcomes. Methods Primary cleft palate repairs were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2012 to 2015. Data were combed for total postoperative complications, rates of readmission and reoperation, operating room time, and length of stay. Bivariate analyses were performed comparing 3-month periods from months 6 to 18, and months 0 to 5, 18 to 23, 24 to 29, and 30 to 59. Results Despite a higher proportion of isolated soft palate closure, children operated on before 6 months had a higher complication rate than children at other ages (7.1 percent versus 3.2 percent; OR, 2.4; p = 0.04), and higher rates of both readmission (3.6 percent versus 1.4 percent; OR, 3.6; p = 0.02) and reoperation (2.4 percent versus 0.5 percent; OR, 4.7; p = 0.04). There were no differences in short-term outcomes for any other age group younger than 5 years, and no differences in hospital length of stay among any age groups. Conclusions The authors' findings suggest a relative contraindication to operation before 6 months. As there were no differences between any other age groups, long-term speech optimization should continue to be the primary consideration for operative planning. These findings improve the current rationale for palatoplasty timing, and can aid surgeons and parents in the surgical decision-making process. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, III.
Associates, irreducibility, and factorization length in monoid rings with zero divisors

In the context of factorization in monoid rings with zero divisors, we study associate relations and the resulting notions of irreducibility and factorization length. Building upon these facts, we ...
Genetic and Management Options for Controlling Striga

This chapter describes the taxonomy, distribution, agricultural impact, and biology of the witchweeds (Striga asiatica and S. hermonthica) that plague sorghum production in parts of the world. Control options are presented with emphasis on improving Striga resistance in sorghum.
From peril to promise: The academic library post–COVID-19

As in so many other parts of our society, COVID-19 has forced many changes to the ways in which academic libraries operate. The response of higher education to the pandemic has revealed both how vital academic libraries are to the academic enterprise and to scientific advancement at-large through open access initiatives. It has also highlighted that libraries are not alone in confronting the long-term challenges of sustainability with respect to the current scholarly communication marketplace, and the affordability of higher education more broadly. For academic libraries to assume a leadership role in higher education’s search for solutions, we must first reconcile our own identity in the new landscape. We need to ground ourselves in a new way of operating: embracing iterative development techniques while deliberately combining collections strategy, digital initiatives, and outreach efforts to support open scholarship.
The Parallel Image Processing Environment (PIPE): automated parallelization of satellite data analyses: Research Articles

A Beowulf-type cluster can: (1) mitigate many issues associated with the analysis of large, complex remotely sensed data sets; (2) shorten the response time of operational agencies to crisis-management situations; and (3) expedite the reanalysis of large archives of satellite data. Whereas most Beowulf-type designs support modeling applications, the Parallel Image Processing Environment (PIPE) addresses the unique requirements of remote sensing applications. PIPE has four hierarchical layers: hardware, operating system, middleware and applications. Rocks, a middleware sublayer, manages the cluster. DIAL-developed interprocess communication and control daemons form the second middleware sublayer. They encapsulate user-defined applications and thereby support automated, user-transparent parallelization of satellite data analyses, implemented in the applications layer using generalized constructs. The daemons also monitor resource (computational and I/O) utilization on a node/thread basis, a feature not supported by other generally available monitoring utilities. The application support libraries are fully extensible, facilitate the reuse of modular and commonly used software functions in new applications and thereby reduce both the cost and time to implement new applications. Two applications (signal analysis, image classification) show PIPE's versatility and performance characteristics. PIPE is intrinsically scalable, reliable and can be incrementally implemented. A comparison with other embarrassingly parallel systems is also provided. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of alkyl substitution on the oxidative cleavage of alkylphenylmethanols by ceric ammonium nitrate

ions from substituted toluenes by the methyl radical and C should be zero or positive for the t-butyl radical. His postulation requires that all c> values be negative and he has predicted that c«-1.4 for abstractions by t-butyl radical (39). The validity of Zavitsas' postulation has been seriously questioned (41). Pryor and his co­ workers have reported a Hammett ap correlation for the reaction of t-butyl radicals with substituted toluenes. They reported c=0.99±0.04, the first reported positive C value for radical abstractions from toluenes. Pryor's work supports the theory of polar effects and greatly damages the arguments of Zavitsas. Polar effects are thought to be important factors in many free radical forming reactions. Euchardt and coworkers have reviewed the relations between structure and reactivity in free radical chemistry (42,43). They, pointed out that polar effects have a strong influence on the rate of fragmentation of peroxy esters. Kochi has attributed the high degree of se­ lectivity found in the fragmentation of alkoxy radicals to polar contributions in the transition state (44). A polar effect has been reported for the oxidative cleavage of 1,2diarylethanols with CAN (16). The c value of -2.0 was ob­
Incorporation of charged residues in the CYP2J2 F-G loop disrupts CYP2J2-lipid bilayer interactions.

Abstract CYP2J2 epoxygenase is an extrahepatic, membrane bound cytochrome P450 (CYP) that is primarily found in the heart and mediates endogenous fatty acid metabolism. CYP2J2 interacts with membranes through an N-terminal anchor and various non-contiguous hydrophobic residues. The molecular details of the motifs that mediate membrane interactions are complex and not fully understood. To gain better insights of these complex protein–lipid interactions, we employed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a highly mobile membrane mimetic (HMMM) model that enabled multiple independent spontaneous membrane binding events to be captured. Simulations revealed that CYP2J2 engages with the membrane at the F-G loop through hydrophobic residues Trp-235, Ille-236, and Phe-239. To explore the role of these residues, three F-G loop mutants were modeled from the truncated CYP2J2 construct (Δ34) which included Δ34-I236D, Δ34-F239H and Δ34-I236D/F239H. Using the HMMM coordinates of CYP2J2, the simulations were extended to a full POPC membrane which showed a significant decrease in the depth of insertion for each of the F-G loop mutants. The CYP2J2 F-G loop mutants were expressed in E. coli and were shown to be localized to the cytosolic fraction at a greater percentage relative to construct Δ34. Notably, the functional data demonstrated that the double mutant, Δ34-I236D/F239H, maintained native-like enzymatic activity. The membrane insertion characteristics were examined by monitoring CYP2J2 Trp-quenching fluorescence spectroscopy upon binding nanodiscs containing pyrene phospholipids. Relative to the Δ34 construct, the F-G loop mutants exhibited lower Trp quenching and membrane insertion. Taken together, the results suggest that the mutants exhibit a different membrane topology in agreement with the MD simulations and provide important evidence towards the involvement of key residues in the F-G loop of CYP2J2.
Wolf Piranha Versus Lumenis VersaCut Prostate Morcellation Devices: A Prospective Randomized Trial.

Purpose: Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate for the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia involves the 2 steps of enucleation and morcellation. Few prostate morcellation devices are available. In this study we compare the Wolf Piranha and Lumenis® VersaCut™ prostate morcellation devices.Materials and Methods: After institutional review board approval and patient informed consent, a prospective, randomized trial was initiated for patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon (JEL) at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital using the Piranha or VersaCut prostate morcellation device. Patient demographics, and preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data for patients in the 2 treatment groups were analyzed and compared in a prospective fashion.Results: A total of 74 patients were enrolled and randomized for the treatment device. Both groups were comparable in terms of age, p...
Electrically insulated thermal joint for IRAS focal plane assembly.

The Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) carries infrared detectors which must operate at temperatures of about 3K [1]. Cold testing showed that the copper thermal straps which conduct the heat from the focal plane assembly (FPA) might have inadequate thermal conductance at the electrically insulated thermal joint due to the small area of the joint and the fact that the joint must be electrically insulated. In addition, the repeatability of the joint conductance after disassembly and reassembly could not be assured. A backup joint design has been developed and its performance tested in the lab. The thermal performance and imperative electrical isolation proved to be reliable and met the thermal requirements. The modified thermal strap joint attachment was incorporated into IRAS flight hardware FPA. Cold tests proved the thermal strap joint performs the desired function and keeps the IR detectors at temperatures below 3K as needed.
Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the mediastinum.

Abstract Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the mediastinum include thymic carcinoid and small cell carcinoma, parathyroid tumors, and aortiicopulmonary or paravertebral paragangliornas. All of these lesions are composed of cells with similar morphological, functional, and biochemical attributes, and may be the sources of eutopic or ectopic hormonogenesis. However, their clinical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features are dissimilar in part, and allow for the effective application of special studies in differential diagnosis. This report presents a review of the above-cited neoplasms, and provides recommendations regarding their pathologic evaluation and treatment.
Differentiating among racial/ethnic groups and its implications for understanding juvenile justice decision making

Abstract Both theory and research have been refined to gain a better understanding of when race and ethnicity matter in justice proceedings. In the present research, this line of inquiry was continued by differentiating among minority youth to assess the extent being African American, Native American, and Asian American influenced juvenile justice decision making and how these effects compared to one another and Whites. Utilizing an interpretation of the symbolic threat thesis that emphasizes stereotyping, the authors anticipated Native Americans to be responded to more severely than African Americans, followed by Asian Americans who were anticipated to be responded to more like Whites. The results indicated partial support for these expectations.
Centrifugal force and general relativity.

THIRRING'S solution for a rotating mass shell is frequently used to illustrate the appearance of centrifugal and Coriolis force in general relativity. In the equations of motion of test particles within the shell, terms appear which are of second order in the shell angular velocity, ω. These terms are conventionally identified with “centrifugal force”, yet they do bear the relationship to “Coriolis force” that one would expect from Mach's principle. The resolution of this paradox has an important bearing on the foundations of general relativity because, to resolve it, some authors have taken the extreme position that either general relativity or Mach's principle must be abandoned. In this communication we resolve the paradox without abandoning either.
Asymptotic solutions for an axisymmetric, stagnant film model of directional solidification

Abstract A model is presented to describe the time-dependent transport of heat and solute in a directional solidification system for a binary alloy. The stagnant film concept is used to include the effects of melt flow and the transport of solute by convection. The geometry of the model is described by an axisymmetric coordinate system. The solution procedure involves a coupled asymptotic/numerical approach. The asymptotic expansions combine quasi-steady limits with a small ampoule aspect ratio. The boundary layer solutions around the solidifying front are obtained under additional assumptions that the heat exchange between the ampoule and sample is small, the latent heat is large, the solute diffusivity in the solid phase is small, and the thickness of the stagnant film is small. The core melt and solid temperature profiles and the mean position of the solidifying front are calculated numerically as functions of the latent heat, heater profile, and solute profile in the liquid phase. Due to the inclusion of curvature effects on the melting point, the non-planar shape of the interface is described by a superposition of an oscillatory profile onto a parabolic profile. The parabolic profile is set via the balance of axial and radial diffusive transports of heat. The oscillatory profile develops in the case of undercooling as in the classical morphological instability of a planar interface during directional solidification. The above results are obtained for varying stagnant film thickness to study melt regimes ranging from diffusion—to convection—controlled growth. The dependence on the film thickness of axial and radial segregation and the morphological stability of the interface are considered.
A study of inhalation of pentachlorophenol by rats. IV. Distribution and excretion of inhaled pentachlorophenol.

It appears that in the rat repeated respiratory exposures to PCP do not result in an increase in the body burden of this compound as would be suspected from the 24 hour half-life determined from a single inhalation exposure. These results suggest some mechanism induced by prior exposure to PCP that increases the ability of the animals to remove this compound from its body. Increased excretion may be a factor in this activity, however, it cannot account for the total effect. Storage appears unlikely, since the elimination rate and time period remain unchanged after five doses as compared to after one. Increased metabolism may be the explanation, although this mechanism can only be inferred from these data. Quantitative metabolic results will be necessary to support this hypothesis.
Dense and sparse aggregations in complex motion: Video coupled with simulation modeling

Investigations into the complex behaviors of aggregations of highly mobile animals have not used the link between image processing technology and simulation modeling fruitfully to address many fundamental ecological issues. Examples include population censusing, which remains difficult despite the demonstrated ecological importance of assessing abundance and density of organisms. We introduce a theoretical framework that connects thermal infrared video imaging with an individual-based simulation model—an approach that appears to be applicable to a diverse set of aggregated, highly mobile, nocturnal animals. To demonstrate the framework two applications are presented. The first is a dense aggregation of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) that exhibits an emergence pattern that has complex dynamics and the second is a sparse local aggregation of agricultural pest moths whose dynamics are insipid. The first application uses individual-based modeling to mimic the behavior in the video of bats during a nightly emergence from a cave and to provide reliable estimates of the numbers, and associated error bounds. The second application uses video recordings of sparse aggregations to provide consistent estimates of the numbers of flying noctuid moths recorded over a corn and cottondominated agroecosystem in south-central Texas. This does not use a mathematical model because error estimates tend to be small.
Functional Activation and Neural Networks in Women with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Related to Intimate Partner Violence

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most common causes of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women. Victims of IPV are often preoccupied by the anticipation of impending harm. This investigation tested the hypothesis that IPV-related PTSD individuals show exaggerated insula reactivity to the anticipation of aversive stimuli. Methods Fifteen women with a history of IPV and consequent PTSD (IPV-PTSD) and 15 non-traumatized control (NTC) women performed a task involving cued anticipation to images of positive and negative events during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results Both groups showed increased activation of bilateral anterior insula during anticipation of negative images minus anticipation of positive images. Activation in right anterior/middle insula was significantly greater in the IPV-PTSD relative to the NTC group. Functional connectivity analysis revealed that changes in activation in right middle insula and bilateral anterior insula were more strongly associated with amygdala activation changes in NTC than in IPV-PTSD subjects. Conclusions This study revealed increased activation in the anterior/middle insula during negative anticipation in women with IPV-related PTSD. These findings in women with IPV could be a consequence of the IPV exposure, reflect pre-existing differences in insular function, or be due to the development of PTSD. Thus, future longitudinal studies need to examine these possibilities.
Intelligent controls for cyber physical energy buildings

The revolutionary idea of Zero-Net Energy Building is a huge challenge for sensing, data processing and control of the cyber-physical energy system that would promise minimum energy release, storage and timely energy availability. Meanwhile, it is also a great opportunity to design and operate the energy-efficient intelligent building as a Cyber-Physical System (CPS). To realize the energy consumption efficiency in CPS, The management of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Lighting in response to internal and external environmental conditions are essential in reducing the energy cost of modern buildings, which are becoming increasingly mixed-used. In this paper we will provide an intelligent control design of the cyber-physical energy buildings and details of the power management board design will also be introduced.
Microradiographic-Topographic Study of Growth Rates in Mandibles and Maxillas of the Guinea Pig

Tracings of microradiographic projections, measured planimetrically, revealed statistically significant differences in the values for bone formation in different regions, as well as in comparable areas, of mandibles and maxillas of guinea pigs. An inverse relationship was found between static and forming bone.
Creole Cultures of the Caribbean: Historical Archaeology in the French West Indies

Historical archaeology is a relatively recent development in the French West Indies, in contrast to the Anglophone Americas where for over 30 years, historical archaeologists have investigated the sites of plantation villages in the United States and in the Caribbean to seek insights into the ways in which enslaved Africans adapted to and survived the horrors of slavery, and created unique and vibrant Creole cultures. Although plantations have been archaeologically investigated in the former French possessions of the United States, their Caribbean counterparts, and particularly the enslaved population who labored on them, have only recently become a focus of archaeological research. Yet the historical setting and development of plantation slavery in the French colonies of the Caribbean was necessarily distinct from both the British Caribbean and from North American French colonial establishments. This paper discusses the state of historical archaeology in the French West Indies, with particular reference to plantation archaeology in Guadeloupe and Martinique. This research identifies some of the unique aspects of the economic and historical context of slavery on French Caribbean plantations.
Empirically Supported Psychotherapy Interventions for Internalizing Disorders.

The present article provides an overview of the best-developed interventions for child and adolescent internalizing disorders characterized by anxiety and depression. The review emphasizes interventions that fall into established efficacy categories, but also addresses briefly several other promising treatment procedures. Research on the treatment of child and adolescent depression has not yielded interventions with clearly established efficacy, although there are a number of treatment approaches that may be characterized as possibly efficacious. The treatment of child and adolescent anxiety disorders, on the other hand, includes a number of interventions with good empirical support. While the field is clearly advancing, there remain important deficits and limitations with regard to the evidence base for interventions addressing child internalizing disorders. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 439–449, 2006.
Acceptance sampling and reliability: the tradeoff between component quality and redundancy

This paper examines tradeoffs between two means of improving system reliability. These are: (1) increasing component reliability through more stringent acceptance sampling, and (2) improving system reliability through increases in component redundancy. The paper also demonstrates methods for generating probability distributions on system reliability. This is done by specifying a prior distribution on the number of defects in a lot, revising this distribution based on information in the acceptance sample, then transforming the posterior distribution on the number of defects into a distribution on reliability for a given system. Finally, the paper demonstrates the use of stochastic dominance decision criteria to analyze the tradeoffs between redundancy and component reliability. All computational work for this paper was done using EXCEL 4.0.
Senseless and daughterless confer neuronal identity to epithelial cells in the Drosophila wing margin

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proneural proteins Achaete and Scute cooperate with the class I bHLH protein Daughterless to specify the precursors of most sensory bristles in Drosophila. However, the mechanosensory bristles at the Drosophila wing margin have been reported to be unaffected by mutations that remove Achaete and Scute function. Indeed, the proneural gene(s) for these organs is not known. Here, we show that the zinc-finger transcription factor Senseless, together with Daughterless, plays the proneural role for the wing margin mechanosensory precursors, whereas Achaete and Scute are required for the survival of the mechanosensory neuron and support cells in these lineages. We provide evidence that Senseless and Daughterless physically interact and synergize in vivo and in transcription assays. Gain-of-function studies indicate that Senseless and Daughterless are sufficient to generate thoracic sensory organs (SOs) in the absence of achaete-scute gene complex function. However, analysis of senseless loss-of-function clones in the thorax implicates Senseless not in the primary SO precursor (pI) selection, but in the specification of pI progeny. Therefore, although Senseless and bHLH proneural proteins are employed during the development of all Drosophila bristles, they play fundamentally different roles in different subtypes of these organs. Our data indicate that transcription factors other than bHLH proteins can also perform the proneural function in the Drosophila peripheral nervous system.
Pelvic floor symptom changes in pessary users

Objective The objective of the study was to compare pelvic floor symptom changes in patients who continue vs discontinue pessary use, and determine whether changes predict pessary continuation. Study Design Women fitted with pessaries completed the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) before and after initiating pessary use. Scores were compared in women who continued vs discontinued pessaries. Analysis of covariance adjusted for baseline differences in scores. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to find a score predicting pessary continuation. Results Sixty-four women had complete follow up data; at 6-12 months, 36 of 64 (56%) continued pessary use, and 28 of 64 (44%) discontinued use. The continuation group’s final PFDI-20 total, bladder, and prolapse scale scores were better than the discontinuation group’s. A 2-month prolapse score that fell to 50% of baseline best predicted pessary continuation. Conclusion PFDI-20 scores improved most in women continuing pessary use. Pessaries effectively treated urinary symptoms, and most effectively treated prolapse symptoms. Prolapse score improvement best predicted continued pessary use.
The use of HEPES as a buffer for the growth of the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans

Of a number of possible buffers only HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N′-2-ethanesulfonic acid) supported continued and maximum growth of photoautotrophically grown Anacystis nidulans when grown in medium C and aerated with air (0.03% CO2). Cultures aerated with 1% CO2 in air had adequate buffering without the use of additional buffers in medium C. With either air or 1% CO2 grown cells, phosphate and TRICINE (N-tris-hydroxymethyl-methylglycine) buffers gave growth rates of 67% compared to HEPES buffer while complete inhibition of growth occurred with TRIS (tris-hydroxymethylaminomethane) buffer.
Strategic Initiatives to Ensure Sustainability of a University Health Center

A university health center was faced with the challenge of ensuring long-term sustainability. A project was undertaken to assess and implement administrative and financial strategic initiatives tha...
Dynamic Molecular Oxygen Accessibility to a Buried Mn2+ Protein Site: A High-Field EPR Experiment

A high-field (W-band, 3.35 T, 95 GHz) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiment to measure dynamic molecular oxygen accessibility to manganese(II) ions in liquids is described. The method is based on the direct observation of magnetic interactions between molecular oxygen and the manganese(II) ion in solution. The effect is observed as a Lorentzian broadening of the EPR line. The observation of this effect is facilitated by narrowing the manganese(II) EPR signal at high magnetic field and utilizing elevated oxygen pressures of up to 3 atm. The magnitude of the broadening effect is dependent on both the oxygen permeability of the solvent and the coordination of the manganese(II) ion and is independent of the frequency of the EPR experiment. The latter indicates that Heisenberg spin exchange between the electronic spins of oxygen and manganese(II) during bimolecular collisions is the likely broadening mechanism. The method can be also used to study dynamic molecular oxygen accessibility to manganese(...
Low-Temperature Specific Heat of Body-Centered Cubic Ti-V Alloys

The electronic speciflc heat coefficient, gamma , of V and of bcc Ti--V alloys was measured. A maximum of gamma occurs at approximately 60 at.% V. The electronrc specific heat coefficients correlate well with the superconductive transition temperatures according to the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory, with an interaction coefficient V independent of compositlon. From the exponentral dependence of the electronic specific heat in the superconductive state on the reciprocal temperature, an energy gap of 0.0014 to 0.0025 ev was calculated, depending on the composition. (auth)
Whitman, Eakins, and the Naked Truth

Argues against the proposal made by Ed Folsom in the Spring 1994 issue of the Walt Whitman Quarterly Review (and in Breaking Bounds: Whitman and American Cultural Studies) that Thomas Eakins' nude photographs of an old man are of Whitman.
Cathepsin D catalyzed degradation of cardiac mitochondria. A study of enzyme inactivation and ultrastructure.

Abstract The ability of cathepsin D to catalyze degradation of intact mitochondria in vitro was used as a probe to investigate the possible role of this protease in the initiation of ischemia-induced mitochondrial injury. Cathepsin D mediated protein degradation was monitored using: 1. (1) Degradation of gross mitochondrial protein as assessed by changes in trichloroacetic acid soluble peptide formation. 2. (2) Inactivation of specific mitochondrial enzymes vis monoamine oxidase (MAO), adenylate kinase (AK), creatine kinase (CK), Ca2+-Mg2+ adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) in intact and solubilized mitochondrial preparations. 3. (3) Electron microscopy. The pH-activity profile for cathepsin D mediated mitochondrial protein degradation revealed an optimum at pH 3.2 to 3.4 with 12 and 5% optimal activity remaining at pH values of 5.5 and 6.0 respectively. Incubation of intact mitochondria with cathepsin D (pH 5.7 at 37°C) revealed that MAO was inactivated to a small extent (4.5% loss in activity following a 60-min incubation) while other enzymes were unaffected. In similar experiments with solubilized mitochondria however, MAO, AK and ATPase were moderately inactivated (10, 20 and 15% at 60 min respectively) while CK and MDH were unaffected. Pepstatin A was found to inhibit the observed inactivation indicating that cathepsin D and not a contaminating protease was responsible for the observed effects. Results from electron microscopy, paralleled those of the incubation studies indicating that there was little effect of cathepsin D on the intact organelle. The results suggest that while mitochondria contain proteins which are susceptible to cathepsin D catalyzed hydrolysis, the accessibility of cathepsin D to these proteins is limited in intact mitochondria. If cathepsin D is responsible for either the physiologic turnover of mitochondria or the mitochondrial destruction characteristic of ischemic injury in myocardial tissue, a concomitant disruption of the mitochondrial membrane by other groups of lysosomal or non-lysosomal enzymes must be postulated.
A transformational approach to data visualization

Information visualization construction tools generally tend to fall in one of two disparate categories. Either they offer simple but inflexible visualization templates, or else they offer low-level graphical primitives which need to be assembled manually. Those that do offer flexible, domain-specific abstractions rarely focus on incrementally building and transforming visualizations, which could reduce limitations on the style of workflows supported. We present a Haskell-embedded DSL for data visualization that is designed to provide such abstractions and transformations. This DSL achieves additional expressiveness and flexibility through common functional programming idioms and the Haskell type class hierarchy.
The serotonin syndrome associated with paroxetine, an over-the-counter cold remedy, and vascular disease

There is a new, potentially fatal disorder that is infrequently reported. The apparent rareness may be because of a lack of recognition of the syndrome or its predisposing factors. Fluoxetine (Prozac, Dista Products Co, Division of Eli Lilly Co, Indianapolis, IN), sertraline (Zoloft, Roerig Division, Pfizer Inc, New York, NY), and paroxetine (Paxil, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Philadelphia, PA) belong to a new class of antidepressant medication: the serotonin reuptake-inhibitors (SRIs). The relative safety profile of the SRIs has led to their widespread use. However, a syndrome of excessive serotonergic activity, the "serotonin syndrome" (SS), has recently been recognized. It is characterized by changes in mental status, hypertension, restlessness, myoclonus, hyperreflexia, diaphoresis, shivering, and tremor. A high index of suspicion is required to make the diagnosis in these acutely ill patients. The most common agents implicated in SS are the monoamine oxidase inhibitors in combination with L-tryptophan or fluoxetine. A case of a patient with significant peripheral vascular disease who developed SS while taking paroxetine and an over-the-counter cold medicine is reported. There have been no prior reports of this interaction. Discontinuation of the offending agents, sedation, and supportive care are the mainstays of treatment. The interactions of serotonin with platelets and vascular endothelium are also discussed.
Acetylcholine prevents intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (CD54)-induced focal adhesion complex assembly in endothelial cells via a nitric oxide-cGMP-dependent pathway.

Objective Nitric oxide (NO) is induced by exposure of endothelial cells (EC) to acetylcholine, where it acts in a paracrine manner to relax smooth muscle and as a defensive molecule to inhibit the adhesion of leukocytes to EC. The mechanism(s) of the antiadhesive properties of constitutive NO are poorly understood. In these studies, we found that NO induced by acetylcholine exerts autocrine effects, which interfere with normal adhesion mechanisms. Methods The function of the adhesion molecule intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (CD54) of EC was measured using latex beads coated with antibody to CD54 as a model for CD54 ligation by the leukocyte β2 integrin. Recruitment of filamentous actin (F-actin) and of the signaling molecule vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) was measured by immunofluorescence microscopy. Results Exposure of EC to anti-CD54 beads induced the subplasmalemmal assembly of F-actin and VASP. Acetylcholine blocked the anti-CD54 bead–induced translocation of F-actin and VASP; this effect was reversed by inhibition of NO production. The NO action did not interfere with binding, but completely inhibited the assembly of the focal activation complex, which we believe is necessary for firm heterotypic adhesion between leukocyte and EC. Further studies indicated that the NO effect was due to its capacity to raise cGMP. Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (CD31, also implicated in leukocyte adhesion) did not mimic CD54 responses. Conclusion These results indicate that the ligation of endothelial cell CD54 induces the assembly of subplasmalemmal F-actin and the recruitment of VASP. NO derived from constitutive nitric oxide synthase acts to disrupt these CD54-elicited endothelial cell responses. This action may protect vascular endothelium from leukocyte-mediated injury.
Contribution of NMDA receptors to dorsolateral prefrontal cortical networks in primates.

Cognitive disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease are associated with dysfunction of the highly evolved dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and with changes in glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Recent research on the primate dlPFC discovered that the pyramidal cell circuits that generate the persistent firing underlying spatial working memory communicate through synapses on spines containing NMDARs with NR2B subunits (GluN2B) in the post-synaptic density. This contrasts with synapses in the hippocampus and primary visual cortex, where GluN2B receptors are both synaptic and extrasynaptic. Blockade of GluN2B in the dlPFC markedly reduces the persistent firing of the Delay cells needed for neuronal representations of visual space. Cholinergic stimulation of nicotinic α7 receptors within the glutamate synapse is necessary for NMDAR actions. In contrast, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors have only subtle effects on the persistent firing of Delay cells, but contribute substantially to the firing of Cue and Response cells. Systemic administration of the NMDAR antagonist ketamine reduces the persistent firing of Delay cells, but increases the firing of some Response cells. The reduction in persistent firing produced by ketamine may explain why this drug can mimic or worsen the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Similar actions in the medial PFC circuits representing the emotional aspects of pain may contribute to the rapid analgesic and anti-depressant actions of ketamine.
Jewish-Christian Communion and its Ecclesiological Implications

This article addresses the ecclesiological significance of Jewish-Christian relations. Given the development of a non-supersessionist theology of God’s relation to the Jewish people, it asks whether the language of communion might complement the more common language of covenant in developing a Christian theology of the current relations between Jews and Christian. Drawing upon the theology of Jean-Marie Roger Tillard, communion in shared faith, shared hope, and shared mission are raised as possible foundations for this imperfect or incomplete communion. Such a move has implications for both Jewish-Christian relations and dialogue, as well as for method in ecclesiology.
Exact treatment of particle correlation functions and free energy

Abstract The exact integral equation for the pair distribution functions, published recently by J. M. J. van Leeuwen, J. Groeneveld and J. de Boer 1 ) is readily derived by previously published methods 2 ) 3 ). The relation of the new equation to the Ornstein-Zernike formula for the direct correlation function is discussed, and the importance of this relation for treatment of phase transitions is noted. Exact formulas for the Helmholtz free energy are presented. The convolution approximation, obtained by neglecting prototype graphs, and its relation to the Kirkwood superposition approximation and to the nodal expansion sequance are discussed.
The Effects of Changing the Solar Constant on the Climate of a General Circulation Model

Abstract A study is conducted to evaluate the response of a simplified three-dimensional model climate to changes of the solar constant. The model explicitly computes the heat transport by large-scale atmospheric disturbances. It contains the following simplifications: a limited computational domain, an idealized topography, no heat transport by ocean currents, no seasonal variation, and fixed cloudiness. It is found that the temperature of the model troposphere increases with increasing solar radiation. The greatest increase occurs in the surface layer of higher latitudes due to the effects of the snow-cover feedback mechanism as well as the suppression of vertical mixing by a stable lower troposphere. This result is found to be qualitatively similar to that obtained from previous studies with one-dimensional zonal mean models. One of the most interesting features of this investigation is the extreme sensitivity of the intensity of the computed hydrologic cycle to small changes of the solar constant. Cur...
Effect of temperature and atmosphere on the conductivity and electrochemical capacitance of single-unit-thick ruthenium dioxide

Abstract Wrapping a monoparticulate layer of 2–3-nm RuO 2 around the fibers comprising porous SiO 2 filter paper produces a conductive nanoshell in which ∼90% of the RuO 2 units are surface-sited, creating the equivalent of a supported single-unit layer of the oxide. The room temperature electronic conductivity, normalized for the dimensions of the total RuO 2 (SiO 2 ) object, increases with calcination temperature reaching a maximum of 830 mS cm −1 for a 200 °C-calcined paper, and then sharply decreases at higher temperatures as the nanoparticles in the ultrathin RuO 2 shell ripen and disrupt the connectivity. The calcination temperature also influences the electrochemical capacitance, which is optimized at 150 °C with a RuO 2 -normalized specific capacitance of 850 F g −1 . Calcining the RuO 2 (SiO 2 ) papers to temperatures ⩾250 °C reduces the electrochemical capacitance due to structural ordering and ripening of the RuO 2 nanoparticles composing the coating. The electrochemical capacitance and the magnitude of the electronic conductivity of the RuO 2 (SiO 2 ) paper are unaffected by exposure to air, humidified air, Ar, humidified Ar, or methanol-saturated Ar at 25 °C. Exposing the papers at room temperature to either pure H 2 or humidified H 2 significantly reduces the pseudocapacitance and electronic conductivity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms reduction of the RuO 2 to Ru and scanning electron microscopy demonstrates shrinkage-induced stress cracking and disruption of the H 2 -reacted nanoscale coating. These results indicate that the RuO 2 (SiO 2 ) architecture can serve as a rugged, inexpensive, and conductive gas-diffusion scaffold for the design of a carbon- and ionomer-free anode for direct methanol fuel cells.
Germination and physiological properties of Frankia spores

Spores from four Frankia strains were isolated and purified to homogeneity. The purified spores were biochemically and physiologically characterized and compared to vegetative cells. Frankia spores exhibited low levels of endogenous respiration that were at least ten-fold lower than the endogenous respiration rate of vegetative cells. The macromolecular content of purified spores and vegetative cells differed. One striking difference among the Frankia spores was their total DNA content. From DAPI staining experiments, only 9% of strain ACN1AG spore population contained DNA. With strains DC12 and EuI1c, 92% and 67% of their spore population contained DNA. The efficiency of spore germination was correlated to the percentage of the spore population containing DNA. These results suggest that the majority of strain ACN1AG spores were immature or nonviable. The presence of a solidifying agent inhibited the initial stages of spore germination, but had no effect once the process had been initiated. The optimal incubation temperature for spore germination was 25°C and 30°C for strains DC12 and EuI1c, respectively. A mild heat shock increased the efficiency of spore germination, while root extracts also stimulated spore germination. These results suggest that strains DC12 and EuI1c may be suitable strains for further germination and genetic studies.
Non-linear partial differential equations via vector fields on homogeneous Banach manifolds

The vector field formulation of and the Sato-Segal-Wilson approach to soliton equations are related to each other in this paper. From Banach Lie groups associated with the MKdV hierarchy of differential equations, we derive homogeneous Banach manifolds of solutions on which these equations are realized by vector fields. In the same way, we obtain homogeneous Banach manifolds of solutions to the sine-Gordon equation. The scattering and inverse scattering maps in this set-up are also discussed.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function one week after a short burst of steroid therapy

"Steroid burst therapy" is commonly used for various acute medical conditions, but its suppressive effect on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) function and the time period for recovery of HPA function is not fully known. We therefore evaluated the HPA function in 10 normal adults before and after a short burst of Prednisone (40 mg/three times daily for 3 days, then tapered over the next 4 days). HPA function was evaluated by iv administration of 100 micrograms of ovine CRH (oCRH) and blood samples for ACTH and cortisol assay were obtained at -30,0,10,15,30,60,90, and 120 min. On another day, 250 micrograms synthetic ACTH (Cosyntropin) were given iv and blood samples for cortisol were obtained at 0,30,60, and 90 min. Basal and peak levels of ACTH and cortisol before and 1,2, and 3 weeks after discontinuation of prednisone in response to oCRH iv are shown below (see Table 1). All values are mean (SEM). Peak levels of cortisol after iv administration of Cosyntropin at week 0 were 922(56.8), week 1 899(63.7), week 2 861(70.9), and week 3 855(53.0). There was no significant difference noted in the levels of ACTH and cortisol in response to oCRH before and after prednisone treatment. Pre- and posttreatment responses of cortisol to Cosyntropin administration were also similar. In addition, cumulative responses (area under the curve) and the change from baseline (delta) before and after administration of prednisone were similar for ACTH and cortisol. We conclude that HPA function is normal 1 week after discontinuation of a short burst of prednisone. These findings suggest that administration of additional steroids may not be required during periods of "stress" for those patients who have previously received similar steroid burst therapy, if at least 1 week has elapsed after such treatment was given.
THE WHOLE DIGITAL LIBRARY HANDBOOK. Edited by Diane Kresh for the Council on Library and Information Resources. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2007, 416 pp., ISBN-10: 0-8389-0926-4, ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-0926-3

The Whole Digital Library Handbook is an excellent source of information regarding all aspects of digital libraries. The book contains 104 articles in eight chapters, written by experts in the fiel...
An inducible acid phosphatase from the yeast Pichia pastoris: characterization of the gene and its product

To develop the budding yeast Pichia pastoris (Pp) as a model system for the study of protein secretion, we have characterized a secreted acid phosphatase (Pho1p) from this yeast. Pho1p can be induced 100-fold by starvation for phosphate. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity from a cell-wall extract by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. We selected mutants that lacked extracellular phosphatase activity and the gene (PHO1) encoding Pho1p was isolated from a recombinant plasmid library of Pp DNA by complementation of the mutant defect. PHO1 encodes a protein of 468 amino acids (aa) with homology to repressible acid phosphatases from other yeast species. The sequence contains a 15-aa N-terminal signal sequence and six potential N-linked glycosylation sites. Antiserum to Pho1p was used to show that Pho1p transits the Pp secretory pathway in less than 5 min.
Protein Binding by Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Is Governed by the Surface Chemistry of Both Parties and the Nanotube Diameter

The protein binding propensity of nanoparticles determines their in vivo toxicity and their fate to be opsonized and cleared by human defense systems. In this work, protein-binding mechanisms of pristine and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (f-MWNTs) were investigated by varying f-MWNTs' diameters, nanotube surface chemistry, and proteins using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies. The f-MWNTs with a larger diameter (∼40 nm) generally exhibited stronger protein binding compared to those with a smaller diameter (∼10 nm), demonstrating that the curvature of nanoparticles plays a key role in determining the protein binding affinity. Negative charges or steric properties on f-MWNTs enhanced binding for some proteins but not others, indicating that the electrostatic and stereochemical nature of both nanotubes and proteins govern nanotube/protein binding. Protein fluorescence lifetime was not altered by the binding while the intensity was quenched in...