cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The nootropic properties of ginseng saponin Rb1 are linked to effects on anxiety

Previous studies have shown that crude ginseng extracts enhance performance on shock-motivated tasks. Whether such performance enhancements are due to memory-enhancing (nootropic) properties of ginseng, or to other non-specific effects such as an influence on anxiety has not been determined. In the present study, we evaluated both the nootropic and anxiolytic effects of the ginseng saponin Rb1. In the first experiment, 80 five-day-old male chicks received intraperitoneal injections of 0, 0.25, 2.5 or 5.0 mg/kg Rb1. Performance on a visual discrimination task was uvaluted 15 minutes, 24 and 72 hours later. Acquisition of a visual discrimination task was unaffected by drug treatment, but the number of errors was significantly reduced in the 0.25 mg/kg group during retention trials completed 24 and 72 hours after injection. Animals receiving higher dosages showed trends towards enhancement initially, but demonstrated impaired performance when tested 72 hours later. Rb1 had no effect on response rates or body weight. In the second experiment, 64 five-day-old male chicks received similar injections of Rb1 (0, 0.25, 2.5 or 5.0 mg/kg) and separation distress was evaluated 15 minutes, 24 and 72 hours later. Rb1 produced a change in separation distress that depended on the dose and environmental condition under which distress was recorded. These data suggest that Rb1 can improve memory for a visual discrimination task and that the nootropic effect may be related to changes in anxiety.
Models that demonstrate peptide bond formation by prior thiol capture--II capture by organomercury derivatives

Abstract The mercaptide derived from 5-acetoxy-1,3-dimethoxy-2-methylxanthone-4-mercuriacetate and ethyl cysteinate has been found to undergo intramolecular O,N-acetyl transfer with half times of 24 h and 8 h in DMF and DMSO, respectively. This result demonstrates the feasibility of peptide bond formation by prior thiol capture at an organomercuric site.
Rapid Web Application Development: A Ruby on Rails Tutorial

Ruby on Rails (Rails) is a powerful Web application framework based on the dynamic object-oriented (OO) language Ruby. Full support for Web 2.0 and Web services, and extremely rapid development capability, enable it to power high-traffic Web sites such as yellowpages.com and reliablehealth.com. Far from being yet another quick-and-dirty scripting environment, Rails incorporates important "programming in the large" features suited for scalability. This hands-on tutorial introduces Rails through a database-driven Web application that also showcases Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) and Web services.
The Pathogenesis of Topical Steroid Acne

The earliest event in the development of the acneform eruption induced by topical fluocinolone acetonide was local degeneration of the follicular epithelium. The abscess resulting from the seepage of sebum into the dermis was sharply curtailed by the anti-inflammatory activity of the steroid. Since corticosteroids are not comedogenic in the rabbit ear canal we believe that the open and closed comedones which eventually appear in humans after topical or systemic corticosteroids arise by an indirect means, namely by "priming" the follicular epithelium to a native comedogenic substance, sebum.
Measurement of circulating ragweed antibodies and antigen: Correlation with symptoms and treatment

T HE purpose of this investigation was to study and correlate seasonal circulating ragweed antigen, which was de,scribed in a previous communication,l with thermostable antihody and the relation of each of these to reagin titer, symptoms, pollen count, and treatment with pollen extract. During this study, blood samples were obtained from both treated and untreated ragweed-sensitive patients and from normal, untreated individuals. No set schedule of treatment in respect to dosage or interval between injections was adopted. The pat,ients st,ndied received either the perennial or annual type of treatment, and varied from those extremely sensitive to those relatively insensitive. Considerable care was ta!:en in the evalntion pf symptoms and, in spite of detailed records, it was realized that appraisal of symptoms is always subjective on the part of hoth the clinician and the patient. Tndividual variations in exposure to pollen modify the improvement produced by specific pollen therapy. However, an evaluation of sympt,oms was attempted by reviewing each week a daily memorandum kept by the patient. A symptom score system was then adopted whereby symptoms for each w-eek were classified as 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 in ratio to severity, and these were added as an accumulative score for the season for each patient (Table II). Blood samples were drawn at four-week intervals from March until August 15, after which the interval was shortened to one week. The samples were always obtained during each clinic visit prior to injection with pollen extract. Whole ragweed ext,ract was used for therapeutic injections. Circulating antigen, thermostable antihody, and reagin were determined on each blood within twent,y-four hours after it was received. This entailed the setting up and titration of several hundred tubes each week. For this rcason, the number of patients studied was limited to 29 treated cases and 11 controls. METHODS
Consumer perceptions of produce safety: A study of Pennsylvania

Abstract As a leading cause of foodborne illnesses, fresh fruits and vegetables have received national attention, recently highlighted by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) which was signed into law in early 2011 by President Obama. Through this law [P.L. 111–353], the United States Food and Drug Administration will establish mandatory minimum standards based on known safety risks for the safe production and harvesting of produce. As the new law is implemented, continuing to assess American consumer perceptions regarding produce safety will be particularly important, for those perceptions will allow actors within the supply chain to better meet consumer demand. Using data collected among Pennsylvania consumers, this paper presents empirical evidence documenting how consumer demographics, along with their preferences for specific attributes in fresh produce, such as local, organic and inspected for food safety, affect their produce safety perceptions. Such an analysis provides important information for stakeholders seeking to implement practices that reduce the risk of foodborne contamination. A clearer understanding of consumer produce safety perceptions and preferences will allow stakeholder groups, including growers and supermarkets, to make better informed decisions regarding their food safety policies and practices. In addition, assessing consumer produce safety perceptions can also help Cooperative Extension in the U.S. adapt its educational programming to address public demand.
LTE Security potential vulnerability and algorithm enhancements

In this paper we investigate potential vulnerabilities in the implementation of encryption processes within the EEA2 algorithm of Long-Term Evolution (LTE), and we propose an enhancement for the security features in LTE. We show that during the encryption process in EEA2, a leakage of 128 bits of plain text and its corresponding cipher text in a PDU, could potentially allow an intruder to recover the key, hence the entire original plain text could be compromised. We propose a solution by adding a matrix block to the encryption process of the cipher text. The proposed encryption process uses a random set of numbers in the form of a matrix, which is used with the cipher text in order to obtain an enriched block of ciphered data. We have implemented the algorithm in Matlab, and successfully tested several use cases to produce an enriched block of encrypted data, which is then decrypted to obtain the original text. We also show by simulation that enriching the data using this system will improve the encryption process; however, the cost is increasing the complexity of the algorithm.
Transition of strong, wide band-gap oxide insulators to metallic glasses at 100 GPa (Mbar) pressures, etc

This paper is a review of experimental results observed for shock and statically compressed sapphire (single-crystal Al2O3) and implications of these results. Many of these were unexpected prior to experiments: (i) Hugoniot and 300-K theoretical isotherm are nearly coincident to 340 GPa, (ii) shock-compressed sapphire probably achieves minimum metallic conductivity (MMC) at ~300 GPa, as does fluid H at 140 GPa, (iii) Both crossovers are driven by shock dissipation and both probably occur by a bonds to bands transition (BtBT), (iv) the BtBT is driven by shock-induced damage which breaks bonds at such high densities that wave functions of atoms so formed hybridize into energy bands; (v) disorder caused by sluggish phase transitions in a DAC suggest sapphire also reaches MMC in a DAC at ~300 GPa; (vi) the structural ground states of all solids at very high pressures might be metallic glasses; (vii) Super Earths can have magnetic fields caused only by convecting conducting oxides without the need for Fe; (viii) alumina powders in a DAC might attain MMC at ~300 GPa and perhaps at pressures as low as ~200 GPa. Al2O3 is probably amorphous in a DAC at 200 GPa
Challenges for gene therapy of type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is caused by autoimmune attack and selective destruction of the pancreatic s cells. Despite the development of various insulin replacement therapies, insulin injection still remains the mainstay treatment for type 1 diabetes. However, exogenous insulin administration cannot achieve the same degree of glycemic control as provided by endogenous insulin produced from the pancreatic s cells. Insulin gene transfer is being developed to improve the quality of glycemic control by restoring endogenous insulin production in type 1 diabetes. Nevertheless, attempts to achieve adequately regulated insulin production are stymied by the lack of appropriate surrogate cells that are able to detect blood glucose variations and release insulin in a glucose-dependent manner. Although limited success has been made to control insulin gene expression in ectopic cells using hormone / glucose regulated expression systems, these transcriptionally regulated systems are relatively slow in the “on-” and “off”-kinetics of insulin production, raising a serious safety concern for clinical application. In this article, we will review recent advances made to address this concern and highlight the importance of insulin gene transfer to cell types that possess an intrinsic ability to kinetically mimic the pancreatic s cells in terms of glucose-responsive insulin secretion.
Listening to their voices: understanding the “meaning” of parental coping with childhood cancer

We utilized parents' self-reports of coping adequacy in an effort to understand the meaning of parental coping with childhood cancer. In general, parents reported that they handled their child's illness and its aftermaths very well. The analysis further indicated that dealing with one's own emotions, managing family dynamics and routines, and playing an active role in the medical system were the pre-eminent coping tasks that parents had to accomplish and were the key dimensions of parents' positive assessments of the adequacy of their coping. This evidence in parents' own voices advances our understanding of what parents of children with cancer mean when they describe and evaluate their own coping tasks.
Hybrid machine learning technique for forecasting Dhaka stock market timing decisions

Forecasting stockmarket has been a difficult job for applied researchers owing to nature of factswhich is very noisy and time varying. However, this hypothesis has been featured by several empirical experiential studies and a number of researchers have efficiently applied machine learning techniques to forecast stock market. This paper studied stock prediction for the use of investors. It is always true that investors typically obtain loss because of uncertain investment purposes and unsighted assets. This paper proposes a rough set model, a neural network model, and a hybrid neural network and rough set model to find optimal buy and sell of a share on Dhaka stock exchange. Investigational findings demonstrate that our proposed hybrid model has higher precision than the single rough set model and the neural network model. We believe this paper findings will help stock investors to decide about optimal buy and/or sell time on Dhaka stock exchange.
Bias-dependent Peltier coefficient and internal cooling in bipolar devices

The work described here is an investigation of thermoelectric phenomena in bipolar semiconductors and $p\ensuremath{-}n$ junctions. In contrast to majority-carrier semiconductors in which a constant material-dependent Peltier coefficient is defined for a given temperature, bipolar devices can be modeled by introducing a bias-dependent Peltier coefficient at interfaces that takes into account the variation of the carriers' average transport energy. It is shown that this effective Peltier coefficient can vary by orders of magnitude as a function of applied bias, and can give rise to interfacial thermoelectric cooling or heating depending on device parameters. The bias-dependent bipolar Peltier coefficient is modeled analytically for short-length and long-length diodes, and the different regimes of bias for which cooling is achieved are described, as well as the effects of recombination, length, and doping. Analytical expressions to optimize the thermoelectric effect inside an idealized diode cooler are presented with numerical results for several common semiconductors, a figure of merit for internal diode cooling is introduced, and extensions of the model are given for applications such as the internal cooling of a semiconductor laser diode.
The cognitive coherence of sociolects: How do speakers handle multiple sociolinguistic variables?

Abstract Sociolinguistic variables have social evaluations and are used at different rates by different speakers. Variants become indexical of social traits and social identities, and are taken as defining ‘sociolects’ associated with identifiable groups: e.g., ‘working class speech’, ‘African-American English’. But since every speech community has many sociolinguistic variables, do the multiple variables cohere in forming sociolects? Thus if each variable has a variant considered ‘working class’, do working class speakers use all such variants simultaneously? Lectal coherence would imply that variables are correlated; if they are not, the cognitive and social reality of the ‘sociolect’ is problematic. This paper investigates intercorrelations among two phonological and two syntactic sociolinguistic variables in 20 speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. The results show considerable cross-variable correlation, but much of it may be explained by structural or grammatical coherence. There is some evidence of socially-motivated coherence, involving gender as well as status differentiation. Female speakers show stronger correlation among variables than males, while non-standard phonology seems to be indexical of male identity. The conclusion is that some sociolectal cohesion does exist, but it may be weaker and more multidimensional, than is commonly assumed. Future work on lects should problematize their coherence.
Copolymers of substituted acetylenes and ethynylbenzocyclobutenes

Random coploymers of substituted acetylenes with various amounts of similarly substituted ethynylbenzocyclobutenes were synthesized: phenylacetylene/ethynylbenzocyclobutene; 1-phenylpropyne/1-(4-benzocyclobutenyl)-1-propyne; and 1-chloro-2-phenylacetylene/1-chloro-2-benzocyclobutenylacetylene. Successful cures were obtained only for the chloro-substituted alkynes; the other two coploymers partly degraded under the elevated temperatures and pressures of the curing conditions.
Evidence for specificity in lipid-rhodopsin interactions.

The interaction of bovine rhodopsin with poly- and monounsaturated lipids was studied by 1H MAS NMR with magnetization transfer from rhodopsin to lipid. Experiments were conducted on bovine rod outer segment (ROS) disks and on recombinant membranes containing lipids with polyunsaturated, docosahexaenoyl (DHA) chains. Poly- and monounsaturated lipids interact specifically with different sites on the rhodopsin surface. Rates of magnetization transfer from protein to DHA are lipid headgroup-dependent and increased in the sequence PC
Triangular blocks and wind tunnels: Augustin Rey's logic of air resistance

How does air shape our cities? How does air become a factor in urban design? In a session before the 1906 International Congress for Sanitary Dwellings, Adolphe Augustin Rey famously compared cities to vast bodies ‘furrowed by canals of air’. Rey (1864–1934), a Beaux-Arts-trained architect who would count Le Corbusier among his devotees, was then highlightinging his best-known project: the winning entry for the Fondation Rothschild's workers' housing competition in Paris. Conceived between 1905 and 1909, Rey's entry was a redesign of a triangular block formed by the Rue de Prague, Rue Charles Baudelaire, and Rue Theophile Roussel. Rey's design featured innovative open-air courtyards and perforated facades that would not only filter and cleanse the air inside the building, but would also contribute to healthier air in the city.This paper examines Rey's winning design from a different context: the burgeoning aeronautical culture in turn-of-the-century France. The focus will be on his drawings, with their de...
The relationship between synaptonemal complex length and genome size in four vertebrate classes (Osteicthyes, Reptilia, Aves, Mammalia).

We investigated the relationship between synaptonemal complex (SC) length and genome size in 18 species of vertebrates from the classes Osteicthyes (bony fish), Reptilia (reptiles), Aves (birds), and Mammalia (mammals). When total SC length was plotted against genome size for all 18 vertebrate species, there did not appear to be a correlation between the two variables. However, when birds were excluded from the data and a linear regression analysis was performed, variation in genome size accounted for approximately 50% of the variation in total SC length (r2 = 0.47). Dividing the average total SC length for a species by its 4C DNA amount yields the species' SC/DNA ratio. SC/DNA ratios of birds were approximately twice as high as the SC/DNA ratios of reptiles and mammals. Bony fish showed intraclass divergence in SC/DNA ratios. The sunfish (Centrarchidae) had SC/DNA ratios almost as high as those of birds, while the remaining fish in the study had SC/DNA ratios similar to those of reptiles and mammals. These observations indicate that interand intraclass divergence in the relationship between total SC length and genome size has occurred in the vertebrates. Coupled with evidence from the literature, our results also suggest that SC/DNA ratios are positively correlated with crossover frequency.
Reported mediation in paired-associate learning

This study investigated the effects of three paired-associate paradigms (mediation, interference, learning-to-learn) and the effects of instructions to develop associations on reported mediation. Although a significant increase in reported mediation occurred on the second list in both the mediation and interference paradigms, no significant increase occurred in the learning-to-learn paradigm. Instructions to develop associations increased reported mediation in all paradigms but did not significantly affect performance.
Effect of endogenous LH secretion on ovarian cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP levels in the rat.

Abstract Injection of LH (2 and 10 μg) into proestrus rats increased ovarian cyclic AMP levels and concomitantly decreased the levels of cyclic GMP. When injected into diestrus rats, cyclic AMP increases were even greater, whereas cyclic GMP levels were not significantly different from controls receiving saline injections. Ovarian cyclic nucleotide levels were also examined on different days of the cycle. On the afternoon of proestrus (1700 h), the time when circulating levels of LH are at their maximum, the concentration of cyclic AMP showed a moderate but insignificant increase. At the same time, cyclic GMP levels were significantly decreased. An inverse relation between cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP levels was seen on each day of the cycle. When rats were injected with pentobarbital (35 mg/kg) on the afternoon of proestrus (1300 h) to block the LH surge, the expected increases in ovarian cyclic AMP and decreases in cyclic GMP were effectively blocked. These results indicate that ovarian cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP levels are regulated by circulating LH. The apparent differences in direction of nucleotide response to LH, suggest divergent roles for the nucleotides in ovarian function.
A concise synthesis of biaryl PDE4D allosteric modulators

Abstract The optimization and synthesis of biaryl PDE4D allosteric modulator D159687 was achieved on gram scale via a concise two-step process. The synthesis features sequential chemoselective Suzuki coupling reactions taking advantage of different reactivity profiles of benzyl versus aryl halides. The method was then applied to the synthesis of two additional PDE4D allosteric modulators, D159404 and D159153. The efficient synthesis of these PDE4 allosteric modulators will allow for further biological evaluation of these compounds and the method developed will empower rapid analog formation through combinatorial chemical means.
Generalization of Ryan's theorem: Probing tidal coupling with gravitational waves from nearly circular, nearly equatorial, extreme-mass-ratio inspirals

Extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) and intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals (IMRIs)—binaries in which a stellar-mass object spirals into a massive black hole or other massive, compact body—are important sources of gravitational waves for LISA and LIGO, respectively. Thorne has speculated that the waves from EMRIs and IMRIs encode, in principle, all the details of (i) the central body's spacetime geometry (metric), (ii) the tidal coupling (energy and angular momentum exchange) between the central body and orbiting object, and (iii) the evolving orbital elements. Fintan Ryan has given a first partial proof that this speculation is correct: Restricting himself to nearly circular, nearly equatorial orbits and ignoring tidal coupling, Ryan proved that the central body's metric is encoded in the waves. In this paper we generalize Ryan's theorem. Retaining Ryan's restriction to nearly circular and nearly equatorial orbits, and dropping the assumption of no tidal coupling, we prove that Thorne's conjecture is nearly fully correct: the waves encode not only the central body's metric but also the evolving orbital elements and (in a sense slightly different from Thorne's conjecture) the evolving tidal coupling.
Topographic changes on airless bodies: Theoretical considerations

A theoretical model of the evolution of topographic features on airless bodies is based on the erosion caused by the impact of small meteorites and the deposition of material ejected from nearby impacts. Three differing conditions are postulated: (i) the rate of erosion equals the rate of sedimentation, as may be expected on large bodies like the Earth's moon and Mercury, (ii) the rate of erosion exceeds the rate of sedimentation, as may be expected in smaller bodies like the asteroids, where portions of the ejecta may reach escape velocity, and (iii) the rate of sedimentation exceeds the rate of erosion, as may be expected on bodies during planetary growth.
Postpartum smoking relapse

While it has been established that many women quit smoking during pregnancy, little is known about postpartum maintenance of smoking cessation and relapse. A sample of 567 women were surveyed at about 6 months postpartum in order to (a) describe the patterns of smoking relapse; (b) assess the perceived importance of smoking cessation in pregnancy and postpartum; and (c) identify potentially high risk situations for smoking relapse. Results indicate that about half (56%) of the women who quit smoking during pregnancy relapse to smoking by 30 days postpartum. Most of these relapses occur in the company of other smokers. Socializing and/or living with a smoker had a powerful negative impact on ability to maintain abstinence in postpartum. Smoking cessation programs for pregnant women should emphasize the importance of continued abstinence in postpartum.
A pilot study of performance in young and middle-aged adults on verbal recall.

Summary The objective was to explore whether middle-aged adults (M age = 48.9 yr.; n = 26) differed on verbal recall from young adults (M age = 26.3 yr.; n = 26). Little data exist on the performance of middle-aged, healthy adults. Groups of young and middle-aged adults recalled words from the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test across six trials during a single session. The same 15 words were used for recall in Trials 1–5. Prior to the sixth trial, 15 distractor words were presented. Participants then recalled the original set of 15 words. No significant differences occurred on any of the recall trials. Although the power of this study was low, the effect of age is apparently quite small.
Lessons learned from a prospective meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the unique aspects of and the lessons learned in planning and conducting a pooled analysis of multiple trials evaluating interventions to reduce functional decline in hospitalized older persons. Specific examples from the Hospital Outcomes Project for the Elderly (HOPE) meta-analysis are discussed. DESIGN: A prospective meta-analysis (PMA) that compiled and pooled data from concurrently conducted clinical trials testing related but distinct interventions. SETTING: The Data Coordinating Center for the prospective meta-analysis coordinated the collection and analysis of common outcome data from five university-affiliated hospitals and one community hospital conducting the clinical trials. PARTICIPANTS: Acutely ill hospitalized elderly participants at least 65 to 75 years old. INTERVENTIONS: Treatments being evaluated included exercise, physical therapy, a multidisciplinary geriatric care unit, a multidisciplinary in-hospital intervention with post-discharge care, a nursing-based geriatric care program, and a program to improve detection and evaluation of delirious patients. CONCLUSION: The prospective meta-analysis provides selected advantages over independently conducted clinical trials and retrospective meta-analyses. It does, however, pose special design and operational challenges that must be addressed well before initiation of the individual trials. Specific issues of concern include: maintaining scientific integrity of both the individual trials and the PMA; reaching consensus on PMA goals, what data to collect, how and when to collect them and how to maintain uniformly high quality data across all sites; defining the role of the Data Coordinating Center in a multicenter project that utilizes different trials and protocols; and establishing policies concerning analyses of the pooled data, publication of pooled analyses, and ownership of the pooled database.
The Next Generation of Gout Therapeutics: Ready for Prime Time?

We stand at the threshold of a new era in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of gout. During the past decade or so, our knowledge of the disease, and of uric acid biology in general, has advanced rapidly. Discoveries such as uric acid’s ability to activate the inflammasome [1], the loss of functional uricase along the evolutionary tree among the higher primates [2], and the putative role of uric acid as the “danger signal” [3] underline the ongoing relevance of uric acid biology. New drugs with old mechanisms of action have come to market (eg, febuxostat, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor) or may soon be arriving (eg, RDEA594 [Ardea Biosciences, San Diego, CA], a URAT1 inhibitor), and drugs with novel mechanisms for gout treatment have also received US Food and Drug Administration approval (pegylated uricase) or loom on the horizon (anti–interleukin [IL]-1 therapies). As we look to the future of gout therapeutics, it is important that we continue to improve on our use of old therapeutics even as we strive to embrace the new. Although long-available treatments for gout are (or had been) inexpensive and therefore accessible to almost all patients, they are often poorly utilized in the clinic, as exemplified by near-universal underdosing of allopurinol. As new drugs are introduced to the market, convincing physicians to optimize their use of older drugs becomes a more difficult proposition, especially in the face of marketing campaigns that promote the newer (and still on-patent) therapies.
Magnetic separation, manipulation and assembly of solid phase in fluids

Magnetic separation is part of a vast subject dealing with manipulation of colloidal particles on the basis of their magnetic as well as other types of properties. This paper will review some physical fundamentals of this subject and summarize models of magnetic separation and manipulation that have been developed mostly over the last 30 years. Recent work focusing on the use of micro-systems in separation, manipulation and assembly of non-magnetic colloidal particles in magnetic fluids will be emphasized.
Response biases in interviews of individuals with limited mental ability

The validity of responses by individuals with mental retardation during interviews is threatened by a number of biases. Acquiescence (the disposition to answer ‘yes’ regardless of the question asked) is a commonly observed response bias committed by respondents to questionnaires and interviews, and this disposition is significantly more pronounced when persons of low status are questioned by high-status interviewers. Research on the acquiescence bias suggests that it can be reduced in mentally retarded respondents by replacing the usual ‘yes/no’ question format with an ‘either/or’ format. Enhancing the either/or choices with accompanying picture representations of each choice is beneficial in increasing mentally retarded subjects’ responding and in reducing their tendency to choose the latter of two either/ or choices.‘Nay-saying’(the disposition to say ‘no’ regardless of the question asked), while less common than ‘yea-saying’(i.e. than acquiescence), has also been noted in response to certain question formats and taboo topics. This review implies that the validity of an interview with respondents of limited intelligence depends greatly on the format of its questions.
Diagnostic yield of bone marrow and peripheral blood FISH panel testing in clinically suspected myelodysplastic syndromes and/or acute myeloid leukemia: a prospective analysis of 433 cases.

It is unclear how often and in what setting fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) panels for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/acute myeloid leukemia (AML) provide additional information over metaphase cytogenetics alone. Furthermore, the usefulness of peripheral blood vs bone marrow FISH has also not been directly compared. We prospectively compared metaphase cytogenetics and FISH for –5/5q–, –7/7q–, +8, and 20q– in 433 cases of suspected MDS/AML. FISH testing was abnormal in 6 (14%) of 43 and 10 (19%) of 54 cases with fewer than 20 normal metaphases or no growth, respectively. FISH was only rarely abnormal in cases with 20 normal metaphases obtained (6/222 [2.7%]). Comparison of peripheral blood and bone marrow results in 48 cases showed abnormal peripheral blood FISH results in 18 (69%) of 26 cases with abnormal bone marrow FISH results and in 5 (23%) of 22 cases with normal bone marrow FISH results. These findings, the largest published comparison of FISH vs metaphase cytogenetics in MDS/AML, provide a rational strategy for FISH testing in peripheral blood and bone marrow.
Nephrectomy for end-stage polycystic kidney disease can be performed safely at the time of transplantation

Nephrectomy for end-stage polycystic kidney disease can be performed safely at the time of transplantation
Targeted Disruption of Mapk14 (p38MAPKα) in Granulosa Cells and Cumulus Cells Causes Cell-Specific Changes in Gene Expression Profiles that Rescue COC Expansion and Maintain Fertility

MAPK14 (p38MAPKalpha) is critical for FSH and prostaglandin E (PGE)2 signaling cascades in granulosa cells (GCs) and cumulus cell-oocyte complexes (COCs) in culture, indicating that this kinase might impact follicular development and COC expansion in vivo. Because Mapk14 knockout mice are embryonic lethal, we generated GC specific Mapk14 knockout mice (Mapk14gc(-/-)) by mating Mapk14(fl/fl) and Cyp19-Cre mice. Unexpectedly, the Mapk14gc(-/-) female mice were fertile. Analyses of gene expression patterns showed that amphiregulin (Areg) and epiregulin (Ereg), two key regulators of ovulation and COC expansion, were up-regulated in the GCs but down-regulated in cumulus cells of the mutant mice in vivo. COCs from the mutant mice expanded and expressed matrix-related genes, if cultured with AREG, but not when cultured with forskolin or PGE2, the latter being a key factor regulating MAPK14 activity in cumulus cells. Conversely, when GCs from the Mapk14gc(-/-) mice were cultured with forskolin, they produced more Areg and Ereg mRNA than did wild-type GCs. These results indicate that disruption of Mapk14 selectively alters the expression of Areg and other genes in each cell type. Greater AREG and EREG produced by the GCs appears to by-pass and compensate for the critical need for MAPK14 signaling and induction of Areg/Ereg (and hence matrix genes) by PGE2 in cumulus cells of the mutant mice. In conclusion, although MAPK14 is not overtly essential for preovulatory follicle development or events associated with ovulation and luteinization in vivo, it does impact gene expression profiles.
An ab initio approach to understanding the specific ion effect.

Although there is a consensus that large, polarizable anions will adsorb to the air–water interface, the precise interactions that give rise to surface enhancement are still being debated. Previously, we have demonstrated that there is a significant dependence on the choice of molecular interaction potential for I− adsorption at the air–water interface. Specifically, density functional theory (DFT) based interaction potentials lead to significantly less adsorption than empirical interaction potentials that include polarization. We have also demonstrated that DFT based interaction potentials can accurately capture the structure of the first solvation shell of both simple and polyatomic anions as compared to multi-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) experiments. We utilize DFT to examine the local hydration structure of SCN− and IO−3 that exhibit both chaotropic and kosmotropic characteristics. We compare and contrast the solvation structure of the polyatomic anions with the series of halide anions. A picture emerges where we can correlate local solvation structure to the ions’ position in the Hofmeister series.
Stratigraphic and structural evolution of the Selenga Delta Accommodation Zone, Lake Baikal Rift, Siberia

Seismic reflection profiles from the Lake Baikal Rift reveal extensive details about the sediment thickness, structural geometry and history of extensional deformation and syn-rift sedimentation in this classic continental rift. The Selenga River is the largest single source of terrigenous input into Lake Baikal, and its large delta sits astride the major accommodation zone between the Central and South basins of the lake. Incorporating one of the world's largest lacustrine deltas, this depositional system is a classic example of the influence of rift basin structural segmentation on a major continental drainage. More than 3700 km of deep basin-scale multi-channel seismic reflection (MCS) data were acquired during the 1989 Russian and the 1992 Russian–American field programs. The seismic data image most of the sedimentary section, including pre-rift basement in several localities. The MCS data reveal that the broad bathymetric saddle between these two major half-graben basins is underlain by a complex of severely deformed basement blocks, and is not simply a consequence of long-term deltaic deposition. Maximum sediment thickness is estimated to be more than 9 km in some areas around the Selenga Delta. Detailed stratigraphic analyses of the Selenga area MCS data suggest that modes of deposition have shifted markedly during the history of the delta. The present mode of gravity- and mass-flow sedimentation that dominates the northern and southern parts of the modern delta, as well as the pronounced bathymetric relief in the area, are relatively recent developments in the history of the Lake Baikal Rift. Several episodes of major delta progradation, each extending far across the modern rift, can be documented in the MCS data. The stratigraphic framework defined by these prograding deltaic sequences can be used to constrain the structural as well as depositional evolution of this part of the Baikal Rift. An age model has been established for this stratigraphy, by tying the delta sequences to the site of the Baikal Drilling Project 1993 Drill Hole. Although the drill hole is only 100 m deep, and the base of the cores is only ∼670 ka in age, ages were extrapolated to deeper stratigraphic intervals using the Reflection-Seismic-Radiocarbon method of Cohen et al. (1993). The deep prograding delta sequences now observed in the MCS data probably formed in response to major fluctuations in sediment supply, rather than in response to shifts in lake level. This stratigraphic framework and age model suggest that the deep delta packages developed at intervals of approximately 400 ka and may have formed as a consequence of climate changes affiliated with the northern hemisphere glaciations. The stratigraphic analysis also suggests that the Selenga Basin and Syncline developed as a distinct depocentre only during the past ∼2–3 Ma.
The gloss of edible coatings as affected by surfactants, lipids, relative humidity, and time

ABSTRACT: Water-based whey protein isolate (WPI) coatings had the same gloss as shellac and zein coatings cast from ethanol solutions and water-based tapioca dextrin and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) coatings. For lipid dispersion coatings, the particle size of the dispersed phased influenced gloss values. WPI coatings had stable gloss values at 52%, 75%, and 95% relative humidity (RH). At 95% RH, shellac and zein coatings “blushed,” and both dextrin and HPMC coatings became tacky. WPI and shellac films maintained a high gloss after 7.6 mo of storage at 23 °C and 75% RH and had higher gloss than whey protein concentrate (WPC) and HPMC coatings. The type and level of surfactant added to WPI coatings greatly influenced gloss.
Radiographic features of tumefactive giant cavernous angiomas.

Background. Giant cavernous angiomas (GCAs) are very rare, and imaging features of GCAs can be very different from those of typical cavernous angiomas (CAs), making them a diagnostic challenge. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the radiographic features of GCAs, with an emphasis on the differentiating features from neoplastic lesions. Methods. The neuroradiological findings of 18 patients who harbored a histologically verified GCA (CA of 4 cm or larger) were reviewed retrospectively. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance, enhancement pattern, presence of edema or mass effect, size, and location of each lesion were recorded. When available, pertinent clinical information, including age, sex, and mode of presentation, was obtained. Findings. Seizures, neurologic deficits, hemorrhage, and hydrocephalus were the most common presenting symptoms. The lesions were hyperdense and nonenhancing on computed tomography with frequent calcifications. On MRI, the lesions most commonly had a multicystic appearance, representing blood of various ages, and multiple complete hemosiderin rings. GCAs can present in any location with associating edema and mass effect, giving them a tumefactive appearance. No developmental venous anomaly was observed with any lesion. Conclusions. Most GCAs in our series presented as multicystic lesions with complete hemosiderin rings on MRI, giving a “bubbles of blood” appearance. Although this characteristic feature is helpful in the diagnosis of many cases of GCAs, the correct diagnosis in the remaining cases may not be apparent until histopathological evaluation of the specimen is made.
Precise GPS orbits for geodesy

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has become, in recent years, the main space-based system for surveying and navigation in many military, commercial, cadastral, mapping, and scientific applications. Better receivers, interferometric techniques (DGPS), and advances in post-processing methods have made possible to position fixed or moving receivers with sub-decimeter accuracies in a global reference frame. Improved methods for obtaining the orbits of the GPS satellites have played a major role in these achievements; this paper gives a personal view of the main developments in GPS orbit determination.
Circular Summations of Theta Functions in Ramanujan's Lost Notebook

Let f(a, b) denote Ramanujan's symmetric theta function. In his Lost Notebook, Ramanujan claimed that the “circular” summation of n-th powers of f satisfies a factorization of the form f(a, b)F(ab). He listed elegant identities for n = 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7. We present alternative proofs of his claims.
THE GROWTH OF Macrobrachium rosenbergii FED COMMERCIAL FEEDS IN POND CAGES

A number of commercially available prawn and shrimp diets were tested in situ in response to a Hawaiian prawn industry mandate to conduct such an investigation under experimental conditions. In trial 1, feeds were delivered to juvenile Macrobrachium rosenbergii (initial weight 1.9 g) in cages within a commercial prawn pond. Animals were stocked at a density of 10/m2 and fed at a rate of 5% of body weight daily for 10 weeks. There were 5 replicates in each treatment; group weights were taken. Diets varied in ingredients, leading to varying nutrient composition and degree of water stability. There was no statistical difference among 4 diets in promoting the highest average prawn gain of approximately 9 g. However, one of the 4 diets gave the highest increase in biomass (approximately 80 g). Best growth was seen on 27% protein/low water stability ration, followed in order by more water stable feeds of 41%, 28% and 44% protein. To evaluate the effect of water stability of different quality feeds on prawn production, trial 2 tested 3 commercial aquatic feeds in two forms each: 1) bound and water stable, and 2) unbound and less water stable. Fifty-fifty combinations of the feeds in the two forms were also used. The trial was conducted as described in trial 1. There was no difference in growth of prawns fed bound or unbound forms of a given diet, nor among those fed the 3 types of feed. Results are applicable to animals of this size, reared in cages at this standing crop and fed at this rate.
Cardiac transplantation in man. VII. Cardiac allograft pathology.

To date, 12 of 18 patients receiving cardiac allografts at the Stanford Medical Center have died. Five of these died with some degree of graft failure resulting from rejection injury. The remaining seven demonstrated some morphologic evidence of rejection, but death was due to other causes including pulmonary hypertension in two, hemorrhage and sepsis in one, infection in two, cerebral embolism in one, and hepatic failure in one. Acute rejection injury was defined in 10 allografts, accelerated acute rejection in one, and chronic rejection in nine. The clinical signs of allograft rejection and their morphologic correlates were essentially as predicted from the study of orthotopic canine cardiac allografts. The clinical features and most of the anatomic lesions of acute rejection were usually reversible by current methods of immunosuppressive therapy. Chronic rejection, manifested primarily by obliterative intimal proliferation in coronary arteries, was present in most allografts obtained from patients surviving at least 1 month. Its severity was apparently not related to the quality of the host-donor leukocyte antigen match, and it was not routinely detectable clinically. This intimal thickening may limit long survival of patients undergoing cardiac transplantation.
VITAMIN A INFLUENCE ON CALCIUM METABOLISM AND CALCIFICATION

Vitamin A deficiency has been shown to affect vision, reproduction, cellular differentiation, and maintenance of epithelial and skeletal tissues. Different vitamin A compounds, i.e., retinol and retinoic acid, vary in their ability to fulfill these biologic functions. Aside from vision, the exact molecular mechanisms of action for retinoids are largely unexplained. High doses of vitamin A are known to increase bone resorption through stimulation of lysosomal proteolytic activity, which also leads to increased secretion of PTH. Deficiency of retinol affects bone morphology by increasing bone thickness. Using a standardized guinea pig model, bone formed entirely during a retinol-deficient (A --) period contained less calcium and took up more 35S into glycosaminoglycan (GAG) fractions in vitro than did control (A+) samples. Using rat calvaria, a pulse-chase experiment indicated that the rate of 35S loss from calvaria cultured with A -- serum was lower than in controls. Thus, retinol deficiency seems to increase the amount of sulfated GAG in bone through a defect in the degradation of GAG.
Coincident synthesis of fatty acids and secretory triglygerides in bovine mammary tissue

Abstract 1. 1. Lipogenesis from acetate markedly increases with the onset oflactogenesis in bovine mammary tissue: 45, 520 and 1,400 nmoles per hour of acetate were incorporated into lipids by mammary tissue (50 mg.) obtained at 18 and four days prepartum and 20 days postpartum. 2. 2. Palmitic and myristic acids were the major products in 18-day prepartum tissue. Short and medium chain fatty acids were synthesized to an increasing extent as lactation began. 3. 3. There was a concurrent increase in the acylation of the fatty acids into triglycerides: so, 72 and 87 % respectively for the three stages studied.
Outcomes of nonagenarians who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents.

Background: Age is an important predictor of mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The safety and efficacy of PCI with drug-eluting stents (DES) in nonagenarians have not been extensively studied. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 889 consecutive patients identified 28 (3.1%) nonagenarians who underwent PCI with DES from May 2003 to December 2005 at our institution. Results: The mean age was 92 ± 2 years, 39% were male, and 4% were diabetic. Sirolimus-eluting stents were used in 79%. A mean of 1.5 ± 0.9 stents/patient were implanted with a total stent length of 31 ± 20 mm. Twenty-nine percent presented with unstable angina and 39% with myocardial infarction. The angiographic success rate obtained was 100%. The 30-day mortality rate was 21%. The 6 patients who died within 30 days included 3 patients who had cardiogenic shock and one patient with critical aortic stenosis who died due to complications during percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty. The cumulative survival rate for all nonagenarians at 1 year and 3 years was (68 ± 9)% and (61 ± 9)%. When the four patients who were in extremis on presentation were excluded, there were no in-hospital deaths, the 30-day mortality was 8%, and the 1 year and 3 year survival rate was (79 ± 8)% and (71 ± 9)% for the nonagenarians. No patient had definite stent thrombosis. Conclusions: The majority of the nonagenarians who underwent PCI with DES presented with acute coronary syndrome. Percutaneous coronary intervention with DES was safe in nonagenarians as there were no in-hospital deaths and acceptable 3-year survival rates when patients who were in extremis on presentation were excluded. The high-risk profile of these patients and the expected attrition of nonagenarians may contribute to their mortality rates. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.