cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genomic Copy Number Variations in the Genomes of Leukocytes Predict Prostate Cancer Clinical Outcomes.

Accurate prediction of prostate cancer clinical courses remains elusive. In this study, we performed whole genome copy number analysis on leukocytes of 273 prostate cancer patients using Affymetrix SNP6.0 chip. Copy number variations (CNV) were found across all chromosomes of the human genome. An average of 152 CNV fragments per genome was identified in the leukocytes from prostate cancer patients. The size distributions of CNV in the genome of leukocytes were highly correlative with prostate cancer aggressiveness. A prostate cancer outcome prediction model was developed based on large size ratio of CNV from the leukocyte genomes. This prediction model generated an average prediction rate of 75.2%, with sensitivity of 77.3% and specificity of 69.0% for prostate cancer recurrence. When combined with Nomogram and the status of fusion transcripts, the average prediction rate was improved to 82.5% with sensitivity of 84.8% and specificity of 78.2%. In addition, the leukocyte prediction model was 62.6% accurate in predicting short prostate specific antigen doubling time. When combined with Gleason’s grade, Nomogram and the status of fusion transcripts, the prediction model generated a correct prediction rate of 77.5% with 73.7% sensitivity and 80.1% specificity. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that CNVs in leukocyte genomes are predictive of clinical outcomes of a human malignancy.
Unified Ethical Standards: A Challenge for Professionalism

Multiple codes of ethics exist for counseling professionals. This situation creates confusion for consumers and professionals and is counterproductive to the efforts of counseling to establish itself as a true profession. This article describes the relationships among ethics documents of the American Counseling Association and its divisions, national voluntary certification boards, state licensure boards, and counseling specialties; discusses problems inherent in having multiple codes; and suggests actions that might be taken toward the establishment of a single, generally accepted code that would support the goal of becoming a unified profession.
Snapshot of a reaction intermediate: analysis of benzoylformate decarboxylase in complex with a benzoylphosphonate inhibitor.

Benzoylformate decarboxylase (BFDC) is a thiamin diphosphate- (ThDP-) dependent enzyme acting on aromatic substrates. In addition to its metabolic role in the mandelate pathway, BFDC shows broad substrate specificity coupled with tight stereo control in the carbon−carbon bond-forming reverse reaction, making it a useful biocatalyst for the production of chiral α-hydroxy ketones. The reaction of methyl benzoylphosphonate (MBP), an analogue of the natural substrate benzoylformate, with BFDC results in the formation of a stable analogue (C2α-phosphonomandelyl-ThDP) of the covalent ThDP-substrate adduct C2α-mandelyl-ThDP. Formation of the stable adduct is confirmed both by formation of a circular dichroism band characteristic of the 1′,4′-iminopyrimidine tautomeric form of ThDP (commonly observed when ThDP forms tetrahedral complexes with its substrates) and by high-resolution mass spectrometry of the reaction mixture. In addition, the structure of BFDC with the MBP inhibitor was solved by X-ray crystallograp...
Do racial/ethnic disparities exist in the utilization of high-volume surgeons for women with ovarian cancer?

Objective Determine if racial/ethnic disparities exist for access to high-volume surgeons (HVS) for patients with ovarian cancer.
Partial characterization of immunosuppressive proteins from bovine uterine luminal secretions

Abstract Unfractionated and fractionated uterine luminal protein (ULP) secretions collected from nonpregnant and pregnant beef cows on Day 17 post-breeding were tested in vitro for suppression of lymphocyte blastogenesis to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA). In replicated experiments, ULP from nonpregnant and pregnant cows was separated into five molecular weight (Mr) fractions with Sephacryl S-200. Unfractionated (25 to 400 μg/ml) and fractionated (25 to 100 μg/ml) ULP was added to cultures containing 5 × 105 bovine lymphocytes and 0.4 μg of PHA in a complete culture medium. At 48 hr, 0.5 μCi of 3H-thymidine was added to cultures, and cells were harvested at 60 h by automation. Thymidine incorporation data were expressed as percentage of control (no ULP) values. Unfractionated and all S-200 ULP fractions from nonpregnant and pregnant cows suppressed (P 219,000 Mr) and V (∼14,000 Mr) from the pregnant cows. At 25 μg ULP/ml, mean (± SEM) % of control values for fraction I from pregnant and nonpregnant cows were 9.1 ± 3.3 and 36.6 ± 8.5%, respectively (P
Contribution of the electrostatic potential to the leed intensities at alkali-halide distorted surfaces

Abstract The electrostatic fields which are associated with structural distortions at the free (100) surface of an alkali-halide crystal could provide an important contribution to the backscattering of low-energy electrons. A model calculation is reported here for the case of NaCl, NaBr, and NaI surfaces.
Use of Effective and Efficient Quality Control Methods to Implement Psychosocial Interventions

Quality control methods, including therapist trainingI and supervision procedures, are used to establish and maintain fidelity to a psychosocial intervention. The effectiveness and efficiency of these methods impact both the validity of research on intervention effects and the success of dissemination and implementation in routine care contexts. Quality control methods utilizing active training strategies and review of observational treatment session data are more effective than the methods that rely on passive learning. The purpose of this review was to catalogue the use of an array of quality control methods in studies of evidence-based psychosocial treatments, to evaluate how often the most potentially effective and efficient methods have been used, and to evaluate the variability in the use of these methods across different treatment models, client populations, or clinical settings. The results indicate that the most effective methods have been used to implement fewer than a quarter of the treatments studied. Variability across treatment contexts is presented and implications for future research are discussed.
High-bandwidth control for low-area-density deformable mirrors

The progress to date and essential features of approaches to optics and controlled structures technology (CST) are reviewed. The CST framework is suggested as a means of gaining new insight on deformable optical surface control. Within the CST approach, control bandwidths may extend into the frequency range of structural vibration modes, enabling possible reduction in area density and improvements in performance.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Taking the Local: The Reagan Administration, New Federalism, and Fair Housing Implementation

This article explores how “New Federalism” under President Ronald W. Reagan manifested itself in the implementation of fair housing policy. We examine the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) and how it led to state and local civil rights agencies playing an increasingly vital role in implementing the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Relying on data provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), we show that a significant number of fair housing complaints were shifted from HUD to state and local agencies.
Kaizen Teams: Integrated HRD Practices for Successful Team Building:

Lean thinking has evolved as an operational strategy over the past few decades and is integral to the fabric of many leading organizations. Within lean organizations, the pursuit of identifying and eliminating non—value-added activities and processes from the value stream is achieved through self-directed teams commonly called kaizen teams. This conceptual article introduces lean thinking, including a brief overview of lean origins, guiding principles for kaizen events and associated teams, and their location within team-building research and literature. Four just-in-time team-building learning modules for kaizen events are presented with appropriate resources for additional research of relevant theories.
Millimeter-scale epileptiform spike patterns and their relationship to seizures

Advances in neural electrode technology are enabling brain recordings with increasingly fine spatial and temporal resolution. We explore spatio-temporal (ST) patterns of local field potential spikes using a new high-density active electrode array with 500 μm resolution. We record subdural micro-electrocorticographic (μECoG) signals in vivo from a feline model of acute neocortical epileptiform spikes and seizures induced with local administration of the GABA antagonist, picrotoxin. We employ a clustering algorithm to separate 2-dimensional (2-D) spike patterns to isolate distinct classes of spikes unique to the interictal and ictal states. Our findings indicate that the 2-D patterns can be used to distinguish seizures from non-seizure state. We find two statistically significant ST patterns that uniquely characterize ictal epochs. We conclude that millimeter-scale ST spike dynamics contain useful information about ictal state. This finding may be important to understanding mechanisms underlying local circuit activity during seizure generation. Further work will investigate whether patterns we identify can increase our understanding of seizure dynamics and their underlying mechanisms and inform new electrical stimulation protocols for seizure termination.
Experimental Test-Bed for Studying Multiple Antenna Beamforming over Ultra Wideband Channels up to 12 GHz

An experimental setup is designed and implemented to study the performance of transmit beamforming techniques over realistic UWB Multiple-Input Single-Output (MISO) configurations. This setup can be used to investigate practical issues which are not usually addressed in simulation models, such as imperfect channel estimation or coherency between the multiple transmitters. Our implementation is based on the use of optical delay lines to apply appropriate time shifts to the output of an electrical arbitrary waveform generator (AWG). In this paper we assess the experimental accuracy of our setup over a 4 × 1 MISO system using time reversal beamforming.
Dorsal cochlear nucleus hyperactivity and tinnitus: are they related?

Purpose Eight lines of evidence implicating the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) as a tinnitus contributing site are reviewed. We now expand the presentation of this model, elaborate on its essential ...
Dehydroxylation of Kaolinite, Dickite, and Halloysite: DTA Curves Under PH2O= 15 to 10,000 psi

The dehydration temperature of the kandites, observed by high-pressure DTA, increases with increasing water pressure to about 400 psi. Above this pressure, dehydration occurs at lower temperatures. Under experimental conditions, the dehydroxylation of kaolinite, dickite, and halloysite is metastable, with dickite persisting in the stability field of kandite + water to temperatures as much as 265°C above its upper stability limit.
Reticence in class and on-line: two ESL students’ experiences with communicative language teaching

Abstract This study examines English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) undergraduate students’ experiences with Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), supported by in-class tasks and after-class newsgroup discussion. The article presents the students’ perceptions of and their feelings about their learning experiences with this teaching approach, as well as the frames of reference within which they performed in an ESL class. With a focus on the students’ experiences with socialization in their respective home countries and adjustment to student life at a major Midwestern university in the United States, the research investigates the students’ participation over time with respect to class communication. Adopting a naturalist approach, this study captures the communication-related events that are significant to the students and presents these insiders’ perspectives. In-depth interviews were employed to explore the students’ history in order to obtain a holistic understanding of cultural and personal aspects of their experiences that are related to class communication. The findings reveal the students’ communicative styles and further address their coping with second-language acquisition and academic adaptation. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and instruction.
The Role of Upstream Midtropospheric Circulations in the Sierra Nevada Enabling Leeside (Spillover) Precipitation. Part I: A Synoptic-Scale Analysis of Spillover Precipitation and Flooding in a Leeside Basin

Abstract Pacific-originating storms that produce heavy leeside liquid precipitation in the Sierra Nevada are rare compared to those that generate windward slope rainfall. However, these leeside precipitation events have a profound effect on the flood hydrology of leeside basins in the Sierra Nevada. This study identified 12 storms that affected the Truckee River basin in northeastern Nevada. The storms produced both moderate and extreme flooding in this leeside basin. A synoptic-scale analysis of conditions leading to leeside storms was produced using a compositing procedure. Composites for multiple pressure levels and multiple parameters were produced for class 1 storms—those storms producing moderate flood flow in the Truckee River basin—and class 2 storms—those producing extreme flooding [>10 000 cubic feet per second (cfs), or 283 m3 s−1] in this basin. The analysis confirms that the two flood populations are in fact generated by Pacific-originating storms with observably different synoptic-scale circ...
Genetics of gliding motility and development in Myxococcus xanthus.

Successful development in multicellular eukaryotes requires cell-cell communication and the coordinated spatial and temporal movements of cells. The complex array of networks required to bring eukaryotic development to fruition can be modeled by the development of the simpler prokaryoteMyxococcus xanthus. As part of its life cycle,M. xanthus forms multicellular fruiting bodies containing differentiated cells. Analysis of the genes essential forM. xanthus development is possible because strains with mutations that block development can be maintained in the vegetative state. Development inM. xanthus is induced by starvation, and early events in development suggest that signaling, stages have evolved to monitor the metabolic state of the developing cell. In the absence of these signals, which include amino acids, α-keto acids, and other intermediary metabolites, the ability of cells to differentiate into myxospores is impaired. Mutations that block genes controlling gliding, motility disrupt the morphogenesis of fruiting bodies and sporogenesis in surprising ways. In this review, we present data that encourage future genetic and biochemical studies of the relationships between motility, cell-cell signaling, and development inM. xanthus.
A Review of Wave Rotor Technology and Its Applications

The objective of this paper is to provide a succinct review of past and current research in developing wave rotor technology. This technology has shown unique capabilities to enhance the performance and operating characteristics of a variety of engines and machinery utilizing thermodynamic cycles. Although there have been a variety of applications in the past, this technology is not yet widely used and is barely known to engineers. Here, an attempt is made to summarize both the previously reported work in the literature and ongoing efforts around the world. The paper covers a wide range of wave rotor applications including the early attempts to use wave rotors, its successful commercialization as superchargers for car engines, research on gas turbine topping, and other developments. The review also pays close attention to more recent efforts: utilization of such devices in pressure-gain combustors, ultra-micro gas turbines, and water refrigeration systems, highlighting possible further efforts on this topic. Observations and lessons learnt from experimental studies, numerical simulations, analytical approaches, and other design and analysis tools are presented.
Thermodynamic analysis of acetylation-dependent Pb1 bromodomain-histone H3 interactions.

Abstract An acetyl-histone peptide library was used to determine the thermodynamic parameters that define acetylation-dependent bromodomain–histone interactions. Bromodomains interact with histones by binding acetylated lysines. The bromodomain used in this study, BrD3, is derived from the polybromo-1 protein, which is a subunit of the PBAF chromatin remodeling complex. Steady-state fluorescence anisotropy was used to examine the variations in specificity and affinity that drive molecular recognition. Temperature and salt concentration dependence studies demonstrate that the hydrophobic effect is the primary driving force, consistent with lysine acetylation being required for binding. An electrostatic effect was observed in only two complexes where the acetyl-lysine was adjacent to an arginine. The large change in heat capacity determined for the specific complex suggests that the dehydrated BrD3–histone interface forms a tightly bound, high-affinity complex with the target site. These explorations into the thermodynamic driving forces that confer acetylation site-dependent BrD3–histone interactions improve our understanding of how individual bromodomains work in isolation. Furthermore, this work will permit the development of hypotheses regarding how the native Pb1, and the broader class of bromodomain proteins, directs multisubunit chromatin remodeling complexes to specific acetyl-nucleosome sites in vivo.
Factors influencing communities of foliar fungal endophytes in riparian woody plants

Abstract Riparian areas within a given arid region frequently contain broadly similar plant communities despite substantive geographic separation. Whether they also harbor similar communities of fungal symbionts, or feature assemblages unique to each riparian zone, is unknown. We examined fungal endophytes in foliage of woody angiosperms in six riparian areas in Arizona. Abundance and diversity differed among host species according to leaf longevity and phytochemistry, and among sites as a function of rainfall. Community composition varied among sites and host species. Comparison with regional data revealed that riparian areas harbor different subsets of the regional mycota rather than a consistent group of riparian taxa. Overall a high species- and phylogenetic richness of endophytes was recovered, especially among Mycosphaerella and affiliated anamorphs. Variation in endophyte communities across sites despite the relative consistency of plant communities underscores the importance of riparian zones both singly and in combination for harboring fungal biodiversity.
Partitioning permutations into increasing and decreasing subsequences

A permutation is an (r, s)-permutation if it can be partitioned into r increasing and s decreasing, possibly empty subsequences. For any fixed non-negative integers r and s, the family of (r, s)-permutations is characterized by a finite list of forbidden subsequences. This is derived from a more general graph-theoretic proof showing that, for any fixed non-negative integers r and s, the family of perfect graphs whose vertex set admits a partition into r cliques and s independent sets if characterized by a finite list of forbidden induced subgraphs.
Photo-Ionization in the Soft x-Ray Range: 1 Z Dependence in a Central-Potential Model

Using a one-electron model with a Herman-Skillman central potential, photo-ionization calculations have been performed which emphasize the soft x-ray spectral range (\ensuremath{\sim}100 eV to \ensuremath{\sim}2 keV). The ${M}_{\mathrm{II},\mathrm{III}}(3p)$ subshell was studied in Ar, Cu, and Ge, as well as the ${M}_{\mathrm{IV},\mathrm{V}}(3d)$ and ${M}_{\mathrm{II},\mathrm{III}}$ in Kr, Rh, Xe, Eu, Au, and Fm in an effort to explain the combined $Z$ and energy dependence of the photo-ionization cross sections for these subshells. In addition, calculations have been performed for $3s$, $4s$, $5s$, $4p$, $5p$, $4d$, $5d$, and $4f$ subshells in certain elements. The results, which are considerably different from the predictions of the hydrogenlike model, show certain regularities which are explained in terms of the potentials. Comparisons with experiment show that the model correctly predicts the gross spectral shape of photo-ionization cross sections, but the results are somewhat inaccurate in the vicinity of large absorption peaks. This calculation is considered to be a first approximation which can be improved by taking exchange into account more exactly and by including electron-electron correlation.
Neonicotinoid metabolic activation and inactivation established with coupled nicotinic receptor-CYP3A4 and -aldehyde oxidase systems

Two important enzymes in metabolism of the principal neo-nicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid are liver microsomal CYP3 A4 and cytosolic aldehyde oxidase (AOX). CYP3A4 oxidation at several molecular sites and AOX reduction at the nitro substituent result in either an increase (activation) or decrease (inactivation) of agonist potency at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), both insect and vertebrate alpha 4beta 2. This study evaluates activation or inactivation of 11 neo-nicotinoids in a continuous two-step system coupling metabolism and receptor binding. For metabolism, the neo-nicotinoid is incubated with CYP3A4 and NADPH or AOX with the cosubstrate N-methyl-nicotinamide, terminating the reaction with ketoconazole or menadione, respectively, to inhibit further conversion. For receptor assay, either the Drosophila nAChR and [(3)H]imidacloprid or the alpha4 beta2 nicotinic receptor and [(3)H](-)-nicotine are added to determine changes in neo-nicotinoid potency. With the Drosophila nAChR assay, the N-methyl compounds N-methyl-imidacloprid and thiamethoxam are activated 4.5-29-fold by CYP3 A4 whereas nine other neo-nicotinoids are not changed in potency. With the vertebrate alpha4 beta2 nAChR, AOX enhances imidacloprid potency but CYP3 A4 does not. The AOX system coupled with the Drosophila receptor strongly inactivates clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, desmethyl-thiamethoxam, and thiamethoxam with some inactivation of nitenpyram and nithiazine, and little or no effect on four other compounds.
Obstacles to applications of nanostructured thermoelectric alloys.

A major theme in thermoelectric research is based on controlling the formation of nanostructures that occur naturally in bulk intermetallic alloys through various types of thermodynamic phase transformation processes (He et al., 2013). The question of how such nanostructures form and why they lead to a high thermoelectric figure of merit (zT) are scientifically interesting and worthy of attention. However, as we discuss in this opinion, any processing route based on thermodynamic phase transformations alone will be difficult to implement in thermoelectric applications where thermal stability and reliability are important. Attention should also be focused on overcoming these limitations through advanced post-processing techniques.
Laboratory incubations reveal potential responses of soil nitrogen cycling to changes in soil C and N availability in Mojave Desert soils exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2

Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has the potential to alter soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in arid ecosystems through changes in net primary productivity. However, an associated feedback exists because any sustained increases in plant productivity will depend upon the continued availability of soil N. We took soils from under the canopies of major shrubs, grasses, and plant interspaces in a Mojave Desert ecosystem exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2 and incubated them in the laboratory with amendments of labile C and N to determine if elevated CO2 altered the mechanistic controls of soil C and N on microbial N cycling. Net ammonification increased under shrubs exposed to elevated CO2, while net nitrification decreased. Elevated CO2 treatments exhibited greater fluxes of N2O–N under Lycium spp., but not other microsites. The proportion of microbial/extractable organic N increased under shrubs exposed to elevated CO2. Heterotrophic N2-fixation and C mineralization increased with C addition, while denitrification enzyme activity and N2O–N fluxes increased when C and N were added in combination. Laboratory results demonstrated the potential for elevated CO2 to affect soil N cycling under shrubs and supports the hypothesis that energy limited microbes may increase net inorganic N cycling rates as the amount of soil-available C increases under elevated CO2. The effect of CO2 enrichment on N-cycling processes is mediated by its effect on the plants, particularly shrubs. The potential for elevated atmospheric CO2 to lead to accumulation of NH4+ under shrubs and the subsequent volatilization of NH3 may result in greater losses of N from this system, leading to changes in the form and amount of plant-available inorganic N. This introduces the potential for a negative feedback mechanism that could act to constrain the degree to which plants can increase productivity in the face of elevated atmospheric CO2.
Effect of spreading coefficient on the distribution of light non-aqueous phase liquid in the subsurface

We perform a series of three-phase gravity drainage experiments in columns containing two different sands and for three different light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) — hexane, iso-octane and n-decane. The fluid system is chosen to have different values of the equilibrium spreading coefficient, which measures the tendency for LNAPL to spread on water. The final configuration of air, water and LNAPL in capillary/gravity equilibrium is measured using gas chromatography. We find that the saturation of LNAPL in the top part of the column for the hexane system could be as low as 0.1%, but that it increases with increasing soil heterogeneity and with decreasing spreading coefficient. We also measure the air/water distributions in capillary/gravity equilibrium to obtain the capillary pressure curve for each sand. Using a modified Leverett J function scaling, we predict the distribution of continuous LNAPL, water and air from a single capillary pressure curve and compare with our experimental results. The predictions match the measurements in the regions where the NAPL saturation is greater than ∼10%.
Sensory and cognitive determinants of reading speed

Fast readers and average readers were tested on four tasks. Neither peripheral letter identification nor susceptibility of foveal letter identification to patterned masking differed between the two groups. However, fast readers appear to pick up more information per fixation on structured textual material, as indexed by a forced-choice test. Furthermore, the average fast reader had a greater span of apprehension for unrelated elements. It appears that faster readers are able to encode more of the contents of each fixation, whether or not higher order linguistic structure is present. The results are inconsistent with the view that reading speed is dependent solely on the reader's ability to infer or fill in missing information.
Evolution, not revolution: splenic salvage for blunt trauma in a statewide voluntary trauma system—a 10-year experience

Abstract Background State-legislated trauma systems have been enacted in an attempt to improve trauma care. Blunt splenic injury incidence without a legislated trauma system was examined for changes in care with a hypothesis that a voluntary system may perform equally with a legislated system. Methods Data from a statewide discharge database for the years 1993 to 2002 were examined. Results There were 276,425 trauma admissions overall, with blunt splenic injury occurring in 1.76%. Average Injury Severity Score (ISS) increased in trauma centers and decreased in the community. Trauma centers (TC) had more multisystem injuries. Spenic injury diagnosis increased 44% in TC between the early and late periods but only 7% in community facilities. Splenectomies increased 16% in TC but declined 16% in community hospital. Splenic salvage rate improved at both types of facilities. Conclusions Splenic salvage rates improved over time in hospitals with no formal trauma system. Community hospitals cared for more than 50% of splenic injuries but transferred complex multisystem injuries, including splenic injuries, suggesting evolving care. Non-invasive imaging has increased the recognition of splenic injuries in both community hospitals and TC. Splenectomies are performed less, but have increased in TC with increasing ISS scores.
Visual imagery and visual-spatial language: Enhanced imagery abilities in deaf and hearing ASL signers

The ability to generate visual mental images, to maintain them, and to rotate them was studied in deaf signers of American Sign Language (ASL), hearing signers who have deaf parents, and hearing non-signers. These abilities are hypothesized to be integral to the production and comprehension of ASL. Results indicate that both deaf and hearing ASL signers have an enhanced ability to generate relatively complex images and to detect mirror image reversals. In contrast, there were no group differences in ability to maintain information in images for brief periods or to imagine objects rotating. Signers' enhanced visual imagery abilities may be tied to specific linguistic requirements of ASL (referent visualization, topological classifiers, perspective shift, and reversals during sign perception).
Identification of a Catalytic Aspartyl Residue ofd-Ribulose 5-Phosphate 3-Epimerase by Site-directed Mutagenesis *

Guided by comparative sequence considerations, we have examined the possibility of a catalytic role of Asp186 of D-ribulose 5-phosphate epimerase by site-directed mutagenesis of the recombinant spinach enzyme. Accordingly, D186A, D186N, and D186E mutants of the epimerase were constructed, purified, and characterized; as judged by their electrophoretic mobilities the mutants are properly assembled into octamers like the wild-type enzyme. Based on the extent of internal quenching of Trp fluorescence, the conformational integrity of the wild-type enzyme is preserved in the mutants. The wild-type kcat of 7.1 x 10(3) s-1 is lowered to 3.3 x 10(-4) s-1 in D186A, 0.13 s-1 in D186N, and 1.1 s-1 in D186E; as gauged by D186A, altogether lacking a functional side chain at position 186, the beta-carboxyl of Asp186 facilitates catalysis by >10(7)-fold. Relative to the wild-type enzyme, the Km for D-ribulose 5-phosphate is essentially unaltered with D186N and D186E but increased 10-fold with D186A. Apart from their impairments in epimerase activity, the mutants are unable to catalyze exchange between solvent protons and the C3 proton of substrates. This deficiency and the differential alterations of kinetic parameters among the mutants are consistent with Asp186 serving as an electrophile to facilitate alpha-proton abstraction. This study is the first to identify a catalytic group of the epimerase.
Congenital salivary gland anlage tumor: a case series and review of the literature.

Summary Objective: To understand the clinical presentation and management of salivary gland anlage tumor (SGAT). Design and methods: This case series includes a report of a newborn male who presented with acute airway obstruction secondary to a nasopharyngeal mass which was discovered in the course of the clinical evaluation. Six additional cases of SGAT from the pathology consultation files of one of the authors (LPD) presenting in similar fashion are also included. The relevant literature from 1966 to the present has been reviewed through a Medline keyword search utilizing terms “salivary gland anlage tumor”, “neonatal”, and “nasopharynx.” Results: Endoscopic evaluation identified a nasopharyngeal mass tethered to the posterior septum. Although CT and MRI were helpful in identifying the mass and excluding involvement of the surrounding structures, the imaging characteristics of the mass itself were nonspecific. The patient was taken to the operating room and the polypoid mass was removed transorally after lysis of its septal attachment. Pathologic examination revealed a SGAT, a recently described entity in neonates and young infants, who present with early onset respiratory distress. Since the initial report of nine cases by one of the co-authors (LPD), seven additional cases including the present one have been seen in consultation. Conclusions: Salivary gland anlage tumor of the nasopharynx is a rare cause of neonatal airway obstruction. Endoscopic evaluation and imaging studies are helpful in the exclusion of other etiologies, some of which may have intracranial extension. Simple excision has been curative to date. There have been no reported recurrences in any of the previously studied cases with clinical follow-up dating more than 5 years.
Knossos and the Prophets of Modernism

Knossos and the Prophets of Modernism. By Cathy Gere. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. 2009. ISBN 9780226289533 (Hardcover US $27.50), 277pp., 23 illustrations. Cathy Gere weaves an intric...
Sestamibi imaging for primary hyperparathyroidism: the impact of surgeon interpretation and radiologist volume.

Preoperative localization is the first step towards minimally invasive targeted parathyroidectomy. While there are data emphasizing that surgeon experience optimizes operative outcomes, the role of the radiologist’s experience in successful preoperative imaging is unclear. We hypothesized that the accuracy of sestamibi scanning for primary hyperparathyroidism is dependent upon surgeon interpretation and radiologist volume. Between January 2000 to August 2009, 1,255 patients underwent parathyroidectomy for hyperparathyroidism at our institution. Of these, 763 had sestamibi scans for primary hyperparathyroidism. All scans were reviewed by surgeons and radiologists blinded, and were correlated with the operative findings and pathological reports. Radiologists were grouped into high volume (>50 cases/year, HV-RAD) or low volume ( 6,000 parathyroid cases reported by 89 regional hospitals. Of the 763 patients, 77 % were female and the mean age was 60 years. Mean baseline calcium and parathyroid hormone levels were 11.2 ± 0.03 mg/dl and 133 ± 3.27 pg/ml, respectively. The sensitivity of the surgeon (93 %) was higher than both HV (83 %) and LV (72 %) radiologists. Importantly, the positive predictive values were similar: 96 % for surgeon, 93 % for HV-RAD, and 98 % for LV-RAD. As a result, out of 99 scans which were correctly read by the surgeon but not by radiologist, 84 were read as negative by radiologist, 11 on the wrong side of the neck, and 4 on the same side but the wrong gland. Surgeon interpretation and radiologist volume increase the likelihood of successful preoperative sestamibi parathyroid localization for primary hyperparathyroidism. We recommend that imaging be reviewed by experienced parathyroid surgeons rather than relying on radiological interpretation alone.
Adaptive Low-e Double Glazing Window

Abstract This paper investigates the thermal performance of a new adaptive window which is seasonally reversible. The new window is similar in construction to the regular double-hung low-e windows, but can reverse its properties. In this window, the low-e coating faces the inside during the heating season, which reflects the infrared radiation to the inside. During the cooling season, the low-e coating faces the outside to reflect the outside heat. This window was tested in two test cells to evaluate its thermal performance. WINDOW5.2a software was used to predict the window thermal properties and BEANS building simulation software was used to predict the energy savings of the new window design. The simulation results showed an increase in the heat gain through the new window of up to 38% over the conventional double-glazing low-e window during the heating period for heavy thermal mass buildings, and 14% for light weight thermal mass buildings. At the same time, the window maintained its low heat gain pro...
The importance of sediment and submerged aquatic vegetation as potential habitats for persistent strains of enterococci in a subtropical watershed

Recent evidence of extended survival of fecal indicator bacteria in sediments and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has raised concerns about using indicator bacteria to reliably detect fecal contamination. We monitored enterococci densities and population structure in water, sediment and SAV simultaneously at sites across a subtropical watershed (Tampa Bay, FL, USA) over one year to determine the extent to which each matrix serves as a potential reservoir of enterococci. SAV harbored significantly higher mean densities of enterococci than sediments, which harbored higher densities than water. Mean enterococci densities were also greater at sites located further upstream in the watershed. The population structure assessed by BOX-PCR genotyping was relatively dissimilar in each sample, although some similarities among samples suggested grouping by location. Strain diversity ranged from very high to negligible, with lowest overall diversity in lake samples taken during the summer. Several strains were highly abundant and cosmopolitan (found across sites, seasons, and matrices) and were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as the Enterococcus species casseliflavus, faecalis, faecium, hirae, and mundtii. The proportional dominance of certain strains suggests the existence of persistent and possibly naturalized indicator bacteria populations that are not directly related to pollution events.
Lens Testing with a Wavefront Shearing Interferometer

A wavefront shearing interferometer for testing lenses has been developed at the National Bureau of Standards. In contrast to most interferometric test systems, the wavefront shearing interferometer is inexpensive, portable, relatively insensitive to vibration, does not need laser illumination, and requires only a minimum of experimental time and operational expertise. Reading of the interferograms and subsequent data reduction require the major effort in testing with the wavefront shearing interferometer. However, with automatic scanning of the interferograms and a high-speed electronic computer to perform the analysis, the data reduction may be completely automated.
Ocular Findings in Incontinentia Pigmenti

Incontinentia pigmenti is an uncommon disorder affecting females, and is associated with ocular, dental, skeletal, and central nervous system abnormalities. Ocular abnormalities are found in 35% of cases. The authors present an eight-month-old girl with neonatal history of skin bullae, who was noted to have esotropia, leukocoria, and a fixed pupil. Histologic examination of the enucleated globe reveals total retinal detachment with retinal neovascularization into the collapsed vitreous, reactive retinal gliosis, and scattered giant nodular proliferations of retinal pigment epithelium. It is suggested that the underlying defect is at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium and that the neurosensory retinal changes are secondary.
Angiogenesis: update 2005.

Summary. Angiogenesis has critical roles in normal vascular development and in important pathologies including cancer, wound healing and inflammation. This brief article will review the angiogenic response induced by the vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF) family of proteins and particularly VEGF-A, thought to be the single most important angiogenic factor. It will also review the steps and mechanisms by which VEGF-A induces the formation of new blood vessels and will provide an initial classification of the abnormal blood vessels that form in pathological angiogenesis. Finally, it will touch on the exciting relationships that are emerging between angiogenesis and the hemostatic and nervous systems.
Implicit sublexical phonological processing in an acquired dyslexic patient

We report a case study of an acquired dyslexic subject, who on tasks standardly used to assess acquired dyslexia showed no evidence of having any access to sublexical phonological information. However, on a lexical decision task, he showed normal effects of spelling regularity for low-frequency words. Since this effect is typically attributed to the use of sublexical phonological information in word recognition, it appears that sublexical phonological processing is occurring for this subject. The spelling regularity effect is discussed with respect to models of written word recognition and to acquired dyslexia. It is suggested that the reason for the discrepancy in test results may be that the types of explicit tasks previously used in the neuropsychological literature on dyslexia, which require conscious awareness of phonological representations, are not sensitive to implicit processing.
Estimating queue length distributions for queues with random arrivals

This work develops an accurate and efficient two-moment approximation for the queue length distribution in theM/G/1 queue. Queue length distributions can provide insight into the impact of system design changes that go beyond simple averages, but conventional queueing theory lacks efficient techniques for estimating the long-run queue length distribution when service times are not exponential. The approximate queue lengths depend on only the first and second moments of the service time rather than the full service time distribution, resulting in a model that is applicable to a wide variety of systems. Validation results show that the new approximation is highly accurate for light-tailed service time distributions. Work in progress includes developing accurate approximations for multi-server queues and heavy-tailed service distributions.
Author response to manuscript: "religious behavior, sleep quantity, sleep quality, and sleep disorders in American adults".

This letter states, “Khalsa and others have reported benefits of spiritual practices in the management of poor sleep quality reported benefits of spiritual practices in the management of poor sleep quality,” and cites our study as a citation for this statement. Our study did no more than acquire a few anecdotal reports from some students that sleep was improved with yoga practice. I do not believe our paper can be used as a justifying citation for this author's statement. There are other citations that are much more appropriate supporting the contention for yoga-mediated improvements in sleep. Furthermore, it is a little misleading to indicate that we “reported benefits of spiritual practices” in reference to our yoga intervention study, especially in the context of the authors' subsequent discussion devoted to religious practices. Yoga is a non-religious, mind–body practice, although yoga practice may have some effect on spirituality.
Interface shear stresses induced by non-uniform heating of a film on a substrate

Abstract When a thin film bonded to a substrate is heated, normal stresses in the film and shear stresses at the interface develop that may lead to debonding or fracture of the film. The thermal stresses in such a situation are analyzed here using a shear lag model. Both the thin film and substrate are modeled as linearly elastic, isotropic, homogeneous materials and are in the plane strain condition. Results from the shear lag model are compared with 2D finite element results in order to validate the approximations inherent in the shear lag model. The shear lag model is found to be valid as long as the film is thin compared with the dimension that characterizes the spatial variation of the temperature field. Studies of the shear stresses along the interface of the film and substrate using the model indicate that the maximum shear stress may be as high as 20% of the maximum in-plane normal stress in the film and hence exceed the shear strength of the interface. The work is motivated by possible applications in optical disc technology, materials processing, etc.
Elastic scattering in ballistic-electron-emission microscopy studies of the epitaxial NiSi 2 /Si(111) interface

We have fabricated epitaxial ${\mathrm{NiSi}}_{2}$ films on Si(111) under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions and conducted in situ ballistic-electron-emission-microscopy (BEEM) measurements on this coherent interface system. We demonstrate the sensitivity of BEEM to mechanisms which broaden the angular distribution of the injected electrons for transport through a Si(111) interface. Spatially localized increases in ballistic transmission rates are observed, attributable to the elastic scattering of the injected electrons by structural defects present on the surface or buried in the silicide film.
Histamine-2-receptor blockade does not affect hyperemia after cerebral ischemia in young swine.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether histamine-2 (H2) receptor antagonists can blunt the increase in cerebral blood flow after cerebral ischemia. DESIGN Prospective, randomized trial. SETTING Animal laboratory. SUBJECTS Piglets aged 1 to 2 wks. INTERVENTIONS Three groups of piglets were anesthetized with pentobarbital, mechanically ventilated, and hemodynamically monitored. Each animal was randomized to receive one of three treatments 20 mins before ischemia: famotidine (0.6 mg/kg i.v.), cimetidine (5 mg/kg i.v.), or an equivalent volume of saline (3 mL). Ischemia was maintained for 15 mins by tightening ligatures around the brachiocephalic trunk and left subclavian arteries plus the induction of hemorrhagic hypotension (50 mm Hg). Reperfusion was initiated by the reinfusion of shed blood and removal of the ligatures. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The three groups were not different with regard to baseline arterial blood gases, cerebral perfusion pressure, microsphere-determined cerebral blood flow, or oxygen consumption (VO2). Ischemia (cerebral blood flow < 5 mL/min/100 g of tissue) was demonstrated in all brain regions for all groups during arterial ligation with hemorrhage-induced hypotension. Blood flow rates were increased compared with preischemic values in all regions at 7 mins of reperfusion. For example, mean forebrain blood flow rates increased from 36 +/- 3 to 95 +/- 14 (SEM) mL/min/100 g of tissue in the group receiving saline, from 36 +/- 3 to 102 +/- 9 mL/min/100 g of tissue in the group receiving famotidine, and from 31 +/- 4 to 119 +/- 26 mL/min/100 g in the group receiving cimetidine. Overall, the three groups did not differ in regard to blood flow rates and cerebral VO2 values during ischemia and at 30 mins of reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that famotidine or cimetidine as compared with saline did not affect the pattern or extent of hyperemia after ischemia. This finding does not support the hypothesis that a H2-receptor mechanism is necessary for postischemic hyperemia.
Kin, cash, Catholics and Cavaliers: the role of kinship in the financial management of Major‐General John Lambert

This article considers Lambert's financial activities in respect of Catholics and royalists amongst his kin during the Interregnum. It argues that his assistance to them was based on kinship links established prior to 1642, and demonstrates how Lambert's aid was reciprocated by his royalist kin during his long post-Restoration imprisonment. It also illustrates how the image of Lambert's affluent lifestyle contributed to the erosion of the new model army's unity prior to the Restoration. Finally, the article sheds light on the limits of the revolution during these years, as well as highlighting the complexity of Lambert's political and religious outlook.