cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Jaw Adductors of Strepsirrhines in Relation to Body Size, Diet, and Ingested Food Size

Body size and food properties account for much of the variation in the hard tissue morphology of the masticatory system whereas their influence on the soft tissue anatomy remains relatively understudied. Data on jaw adductor fiber architecture and experimentally determined ingested food size in a broad sample of 24 species of extant strepsirrhines allows us to evaluate several hypotheses about the influence of body size and diet on the masticatory muscles. Jaw adductor mass scales isometrically with body mass (β = 0.99, r = 0.95), skull size (β = 1.04, r = 0.97), and jaw length cubed (β = 1.02, r = 0.95). Fiber length also scales isometrically with body mass (β = 0.28, r = 0.85), skull size (β = 0.33, r = 0.84), and jaw length cubed (β = 0.29, r = 0.88). Physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) scales with isometry or slight positive allometry with body mass (β = 0.76, r = 0.92), skull size (β = 0.78, r = 0.94), and jaw length cubed (β = 0.78, r = 0.91). Whereas PCSA is isometric to body size estimates in frugivores, it is positively allometric in folivores. Independent of body size, fiber length is correlated with maximum ingested food size, suggesting that ingestive gape is related to fiber excursion. Comparisons of temporalis, masseter, and medial pterygoid PCSA in strepsirrhines of different diets suggest that there may be functional partitioning between these muscle groups.
Breast Cancer Litigation: A Retrospective Analysis

: To understand reasons patients or relatives initiate litigation in breast cancer cases, 16 cases personally reviewed by the author as an expert witness and 224 cases obtained by literature search were analyzed. The major allegation (206/224) was related to diagnosis. These included failure to diagnose (183/206) and improper interpretation of mammograms or biopsies (23/206). In the 147 cases in which age was available, the median patient age of 42 was markedly younger than the expected median of 62. Primary care physicians or obstetricians/gynecologists were most likely to be defendants. Physical exam (31/51) and mammograms (83/112) were felt to be normal on initial physician contact by primary care physicians and Radiologists respectively. Failure to give follow-up visits after initial contact with the patient was noted in 30/45 cases. Poor chartkeeping was noted in 10/16 personally reviewed cases. An appearance of altered records was noted in 4 cases. Policies to decrease legal exposure to breast cancer litigation based on analysis of cases are presented.
Exploration of the Relationship between Tetrachlorohydroquinone Dehalogenase and the Glutathione S-Transferase Superfamily†

Tetrachlorohydroquinone dehalogenase is found in Sphingomonas chlorophenolica, a soil bacterium that degrades pentachlorophenol, a widely used wood preservative. This enzyme converts tetrachlorohydroquinone (TCHQ) to trichlorohydroquinone (TriCHQ) and TriCHQ to dichlorohydroquinone (DCHQ) (Xun et al. (1992) J. Bacteriol. 174, 8003−8007). The reducing equivalents for each step are provided by two molecules of glutathione (Xun et al. (1992) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 182, 361−366). In addition to the expected TriCHQ and DCHQ products, the enzyme also produces substantial amounts of 2,3,5-trichloro-6-S-glutathionylhydroquinone (GS-TriCHQ) and an unidentified isomer of dichloro-S-glutathionylhydroquinone (GS-DCHQ). Treatment of the purified enzyme with dithiothreitol dramatically decreases the formation of GS-TriCHQ and GS-DCHQ. Furthermore, enzyme in freshly-prepared crude extracts forms only very small amounts of GS-TriCHQ and GS-DCHQ. We conclude that GS-TriCHQ and GS-DCHQ are produced by enzyme that h...
An Approach To Data Distributions in Chapel

A key characteristic of today's high performance computing systems is a physically distributed memory, which makes the efficient management of locality essential for taking advantage of the performance enhancements offered by these architectures. Currently, the standard technique for programming such systems involves the extension of traditional sequential programming languages with explicit message-passing libraries, in a processor-centric model for programming and execution. It is commonly understood that this programming paradigm results in complex, brittle, and error-prone programs, because of the way in which algorithms and communication are inextricably interwoven. This paper describes a new approach to locality awareness, which focuses on data distributions in high-productivity languages. Data distributions provide an abstract specification of the partitioning of large-scale data collections across memory units, supporting coarse-grain parallel computation and locality of access at a high level of abstraction. Our design, which is based on a new programming language called Chapel, is motivated by the need to provide a high-productivity paradigm for the development of efficient and reusable parallel code. We present an object-oriented framework that allows the explicit specification of the mapping of elements in a collection to memory units, the control of the arrangement of elements within such units, the definition of sequential and parallel iteration over collections, and the formulation of specialized allocation policies as required for advanced applications. The result is a concise high-productivity programming model that separates algorithms from data representation and enables reuse of distributions, allocation policies, and data structures.
Mobilization of savings in Eastern European countries : the role of the state

As the countries of Eastern and Central Europe transform their economies from centrally-planned to market-oriented, the question of the role that the governments should play in mobilizing savings to ensure a high growth rate must be addressed. This paper argues that the issue of a good allocation of savings must precede that of mobilization. Much evidence suggests that major distortions have, in the past, dramatically reduced the productivity of investment. The paper discusses some of the institutional changes that will be necessary to ensure a better allocation of savings.
Environmental Control in the Tropics-Its Problems and Its Opportunities

With the increasing demand for food and raw materials due to increasing world population, there is a growing interest in the development of the tropics, as they cover most of that part of the world normally classified as under developed. To-day, as in the past, the principal barrier to the successful development of the tropics is the tropical environment. While we have now a great many new scientific techniques at our disposal for use in development, most of these are not directly applicable to the tropics. The special problems and special conditions of that area demand special consideration, and it is suggested that this can best be done by an "environmental "approach, the control of the environment for the health, comfort and convenience of man. The new definition of health, as accepted by the member countries of the World Health Organization, provides for this broad concept. Engineers have an important contribution to make, particularly in the field of sanitation and in a comprehensive consideration of...
Influence of immunologic activation and cellular fatty acid levels on the catabolism of platelet-activating factor within the murine mast cell (PT-18).

Abstract The present study has examined the catabolism of1- O -[ 3 H]hexadecyl-2-acetyl-GPC (C 16 -PAF) and of1- O -octadecyl-acetyl-GPC (C 18 -PAF) in spleen-derived PT-18 murine mast cells (mast cells). Mast cells catabolized exogenous PAF into two inactive metabolites,1- O -alkyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (lysoPAF) and1- O -alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine(1- O -alkyl-2-acyl-GPC). The rate of conversion of C 16 -PAF to metabolites was more rapid than that of C 18 -PAF. Analysis of the acyl composition of1- O -alkyl-2-acyl-GPC formed during the metabolism of PAF revealed that arachidonic acid (20:4) was the major fatty acyl chain incorporated at the sn -2 position. However, 25% of newly formed1- O -alkyl-2-acyl-GPC was reacylated with docosahexaenoic acid (22:6). The influence of cellular fatty acid content on PAF catabolism was further explored in mast cells in which the ratio of fatty acids within cellular phosphoglycerides had been altered by supplementing the cells with various fatty acids in culture. Mast cells supplemented with 20:4 or 22:6 converted PAF to1- O -alkyl-2-acyl-GPC at a significantly higher rate than non-supplemented cells. In contrast, cells supplemented with linoleic acid (18:2) metabolized PAF at rates similar to non-supplemented cells. Analysis of the acyl composition of1- O -alkyl-2-acyl-GPC derived from the metabolism of PAF in 20:4-supplemented cells indicated that 20:4 was incorporated exclusively into the sn -2 position. Conversely, 22:6-supplemented cells incorporated predominantly 22:6 at the sn -2 position of 1-alkyl-2-lyso-GPC. Supplementation with 18:2 had no effect on the acylation pattern seen in newly formed1- O -alkyl-2-acyl-GPC. Activation of passively sensitized mast cells with antigen or with ionophore A23187 significantly enhanced the rate of catabolism of exogenously-provided PAF but had no effect on the acylation pattern of1- O -alkyl-2-acyl-GPC. Experiments performed with the soluble fraction of the cells showed that acetyl hydrolase activity was increased in mast cells stimulated with antigen. In addition, supernatant fluids from antigen or ionophore-treated mast cells converted PAF to lysoPAF, suggesting that acetyl hydrolase activity was released during cell activation. These data indicate that the ability of mast cells to catabolize PAF to inactive metabolites is influenced by cell activation and by the cellular levels of certain fatty acids.
Dynamic bandwidth control in ATM networks

The Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) principle has been recommended by the ITU as the transport vehicle for future Broadband ISDN Networks. One of the most important objectives of ATM-based networks is to support multimedia traffic services. The multimedia traffic is a diverse mixture of several types of traffic (e.g., video, voice, image, data) that have different correlations, burstiness characteristics and quality of services (QoS) requirements form the network. Efficient bandwidth allocation and access control algorithms are required to ensure (and maintain) specific QoS requirements for each type of traffic. In this article, we propose and analyze a dynamic bandwidth allocation and control scheme based upon the virtual path (VP) principle. The scheme exploits the statistical multiplexing gain principle in order to increase the bandwidth utilization per VP. It allocates a certain amount of bandwidth to each VP that is necessary to meet the QoS requirements of the traffic carried by that VP. Each VP carries only homogeneous traffic (i.e., traffic with similar characteristics and QoS requirements are supported by a single VP). To dynamically control the allocated path-bandwidth a Bandwidth Control Period (BCP) rule is proposed to control the scheduling of different types of traffic that are supported by separate VPs. It is shown that with proper choice of the BCP, a path-bandwidth can be allocated to guarantee QoS required by the traffic. The scheme is dynamic in the sense that the bandwidth allocated, per VP, depends upon the number of accepted calls and variations in the traffic characteristics. Further, it is shown that access flow control is essential in order to minimize the cell loss rate and enhance the statistical multiplexing gain per VP.
Carry on: Spontaneous object carrying in 13-month-old crawling and walking infants

Carrying objects requires coordination of manual action and locomotion. This study investigated spontaneous carrying in 24 walkers who were 13 months old and 26 crawlers who were13 months old during 1-hr, naturalistic observations in the infants’ homes. Carrying was more common in walkers, but crawlers also carried objects. Typically, walkers carried objects in their hands, whereas crawlers multitasked by using their hands simultaneously for holding objects and supporting their bodies. Locomotor experience predicted frequency of carrying in both groups, suggesting that experienced crawlers and walkers perceive their increased abilities to handle objects while in motion. Despite additional biomechanical constraints imposed by holding an object, carrying may actually improve upright balance: Crawlers rarely fell while carrying an object, and walkers were more likely to fall without an object in hand than while carrying. Thus, without incurring an additional risk of falling, spontaneous carrying may provide infants with new avenues for combining locomotor and manual skills and for interacting with their environments.
Revisiting the Relationship between Eyewall Contraction and Intensification

AbstractIn the widely accepted convective ring model of tropical cyclone intensification, the intensification of the maximum winds and the contraction of the radius of maximum winds (RMW) occur simultaneously. This study shows that in idealized numerical simulations, contraction and intensification commence at the same time, but that contraction ceases long before peak intensity is achieved. The rate of contraction decreases with increasing initial size, while the rate of intensification does not vary systematically with initial size. Utilizing a diagnostic expression for the rate of contraction, it is shown that contraction is halted in association with a rapid increase in the sharpness of the tangential wind profile near the RMW and is not due to changes in the radial gradient of the tangential wind tendency. It is shown that a number of real storms exhibit a relationship between contraction and intensification that is similar to what is seen in the idealized simulations. In particular, the statistical ...
Absorption Modulation of Plasmon Resonant Nanoparticles in the Presence of an AFM Tip

We numerically calculated the optical absorption cross section (Cabs) of a silver nanoparticle (AgNP) and a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) in the presence of metallic (gold) and dielectric (silicon) atomic force microscope (AFM) probes, illuminated by transverse magnetic polarized, total internally reflected waves. Both nanoscale probes localize and enhance the field between the apex of the tip and the particle. However, the absorption of the nanoparticle is not always enhanced. Fitting the numerical absorption data to a driven damped harmonic oscillator model revealed that the AFM tip modifies both the driving force (F0), consisting of the free carrier charge and the driving field, and the overall damping of the oscillator (β). These effects can be complementary or competing, and they combine to either enhance or suppress absorption. Therefore, under an Si tip, Cabs of a AuNP is enhanced while Cabs of a AgNP is suppressed. In contrast, an Au tip suppresses the absorption cross section for both Au and Ag NPs.
Effects of Student Team Learning in Undergraduate Auditing Courses

Abstract This article investigates the effectiveness of student team learning in undergraduate auditing classes, in response to a recent trend toward increased use of cooperative/ collaborative learning techniques in business and accounting education. In contrast to previous studies, this study did not find a positive relationship between academic performance and the use of team learning.
Induction of DNA damage by urethane in mouse testes: DNA binding and unscheduled DNA synthesis.

The extent and persistence of DMA damage and repair were investigated in mouse spermatogenic cells exposed in vivo to urethane (ethyl carbamate, EC). Adult male mice exposed to [3H]EC at 10–1,000 mg/kg were sacrificed 12 hr later. EC/metabolite binding to liver and testicular DNA and to sperm heads from the vasa deferentia was measured. Other male mice were exposed to EC at 50–750 mg/kg, and unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) induction was investigated in early spermatid stages. Similar experiments were conducted with vinyl carbamate (VC; putative EC metabolite) at 10–75 mg/kg. [3H]EC bound to liver and testicular DNA and to whole sperm heads. Testicular DNA binding increased linearly with dose, although binding was at least 2 orders of magnitude lower than with liver DNA. Sperm head binding also increased linearly with dose. Dose response studies with the UDS assay showed that EC and VC induced a small but significant increase of the UDS response in early spermatid stages. However, the induced UDS responses were quite variable and did not consistently increase with the administered dose. To determine the time kinetics of UDS induction, [3H]dThd was injected at various times after treatment with 500 mg/kg of EC or 60 mg/kg of VC. A slight but significant UDS increase was observed 4 hr after treatment with EC but not with VC. Overall, these results suggest that EC metabolites bind to testis DNA and cause low-level DNA damage in mouse sper-matogenic cells. This type of DNA damage apparently does not have significant genetic consequences. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Local Monotonicity Reconstruction

We investigate the problem of monotonicity reconstruction, as defined by Ailon et al. (2004) in a localized setting. We have oracle access to a nonnegative real-valued function $f$ defined on the domain $[n]^d=\{1,\dots,n\}^d$ (where $d$ is viewed as a constant). We would like to closely approximate $f$ by a monotone function $g$. This should be done by a procedure (a filter) that given as input a point $x\in[n]^d$ outputs the value of $g(x)$, and runs in time that is polylogarithmic in $n$. The procedure can (indeed must) be randomized, but we require that all of the randomness be specified in advance by a single short random seed. We construct such an implementation where the time and space per query is $(\log n)^{O(1)}$ and the size of the seed is polynomial in $\log n$ and $d$. Furthermore, with high probability, the ratio of the (Hamming) distance between $g$ and $f$ to the minimum possible Hamming distance between a monotone function and $f$ is bounded above by a function of $d$ (independent of $n$). This allows for a local implementation: one can initialize many copies of the filter with the same short random seed, and they can autonomously handle queries, while producing outputs that are consistent with the same approximating function $g$.
Development of a Scaleable Synthesis for 1,2-Bis(2-aminophenylthio)ethane (APO-Link) Used in the Production of Bismaleimide Resin

The diamine reagent 1,2-bis(2-aminophenylthio)ethane is no longer commercially available but is still required for the synthesis of the bismaleimide resin, APO-BMI, used in syntactic foams. In this...
Constructing the set of efficient objective values in linear multiple objective transportation problems

Abstract A forward dynamic programming approach is utilized to find an algebraic representation for a polyhedron in objective space associated with a multiple objective transportation problem having k linear objectives. This polyhedron has the same efficient structure as the set of all feasible objective values, and moreover all of its vertices are efficient. The algebraic representation of this polyhedron is of the form {y ϵ R k : Hy ≧ Ua + Vd} , where the matrices H, U and V are independent of the vector a of availabilities and vector d of demands. The procedure is illustrated by the numerical example of Isermann [H. Isermann, “The enumeration of all efficient solutions for a linear multiple-objective transportation problem”, Naval Research Logistics Quarterly 26 (1979) 123–139].
Molecular detection of bacterial contamination in gnotobiotic rodent units.

Gnotobiotic rodents provide an important technique to study the functional roles of commensal bacteria in host physiology and pathophysiology. To ensure sterility, these animals must be screened frequently for contamination. The traditional screening approaches of culturing and Gram staining feces have inherent limitations, as many bacteria are uncultivable and fecal Gram stains are difficult to interpret. Thus, we developed and validated molecular methods to definitively detect and identify contamination in germ-free (GF) and selectively colonized animals. Fresh fecal pellets were collected from rodents housed in GF isolators, spontaneously contaminated ex-GF isolators, selectively colonized isolators and specific pathogen-free (SPF) conditions. DNA isolated from mouse and rat fecal samples was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subjected to quantitative PCR (qPCR) using universal primers that amplify the 16S rRNA gene from all bacterial groups. PCR products were sequenced to identify conta...
The case for magnesium sulfate in preeclampsia-eclampsia.

Preeclampsia-eclampsia is a syndrome of unknown etiology that is unique to human pregnancy. During the past century, numerous theories regarding its etiology have been suggested, but most have not withstood the test of time. Some of the theories that are still under consideration include abnormal placentation, cardiovascular maladaptation, immunologic intolerance between maternal and fetal tissues, genetic and dietary deficiencies. This syndrome complicates about 7% of all pregnancies; however, it remains a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide.’ In addition, the incidence of preeclampsia-eclampsia varies according to the population studied and the criteria used for establishing the diagnosis. The incidence is significantly increased in nulliparous women, in women with multiple gestation, and in those with previous preeclampsiaeclampsia and in women with underlying vascular or renal disease. Eclampsia is defined as the development of convulsions or coma during pregnancy or postpartum in patients with signs and symptoms of preeclampsia. In recent years the reported incidence of eclampsia ranged from 1 in 110 to 1 in 3448 pregnancies.2 The incidence reaches 3.6% in women with twin pregnancy.3 The extremely low incidence reported from some countries indicates that appropriate prenatal care, astute medical judgement, and early hospitalization of patients with preeclampsia will prevent most cases of eclampsia.2
Right hemispatial neglect: frequency and characterization following acute left hemisphere stroke.

The frequency of various types of unilateral spatial neglect and associated areas of neural dysfunction after left hemisphere stroke are not well characterized. Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) in distinct spatial reference frames have been identified after acute right, but not left hemisphere stroke. We studied 47 consecutive right handed patients within 48 h of left hemisphere stroke to determine the frequency and distribution of types of right USN using cognitive testing and MRI imaging. The distribution of USN types was different from the previously reported distribution following acute right hemisphere stroke. In this left hemisphere stroke population, allocentric neglect was more frequent than egocentric neglect.
Deficiency Judgments and Borrower Maintenance: Theory and Evidence

Abstract It is well known that when property rights to an asset are divided, individual right holders may not have adequate incentives to invest in proper maintenance. In this paper, weexamine how mortgage laws affect the nature of the lender's claim to the house, and howthat claim in turn affects the incentives of borrowers to invest in home maintenance. Thespecific law that we examine concerns the right of lenders to pursue a borrower's nonhous-ingwealth in the event of default if the value of the house is less than the mortgage balance. Most states allow lenders to collect such “deficiency judgments,” while others either prohibit, or make it difficult to obtain them. The theoretical model developed inthis paper predicts that borrowers will maintain at a higher rate when lenders are allowedto seek deficiency judgments. Intuitively, when borrowers' nonhousing wealth is at risk,they have an incentive to invest more in maintenance in order to reduce the likelihood that the value of the property will fall below the mortgage balance. We attempt to measure this effect using data on household maintenance obtained from the American Housing Survey along with information on differences in mortgage laws across states. We estimate a three-equation simultaneous system relating maintenance expenditures, house value, and mortgage rates. The results provide confirmation that variation in mortgage laws affect homeowner maintenance in the manner predicted by the theory.
Developing Graduate Curricula Faithful to Professional Training and a Christian Worldview.

Trends in Christian higher education indicate a growing interest in professional training programs that take Christian faith commitments and values seriously. This article explores one professional graduate program with secondary accreditation that attempts to be faithful to a Christian worldview while at the same time honoring the developments within its particular discipline. In a desire to practice what we preach, several key components of an intentionally developed curriculum will be described including isomorphic accountability, self-in-relation exploration, and mentoring. Some philosophical and theological foundations and pedagogical examples are offered. Finally, implications for graduate program development emphasize the need to attend to the language and processes of curriculum delivery and not just to the content.
Two cases of invasive vancomycin-resistant group B streptococcus infection.

Two cases of group B streptococcus infection with resistance to vancomycin, which has been a reliable agent for treating this infection, are described.
Amorphization of metal-organic framework MOF-5 at unusually low applied pressure

So far, amorphization of solid materials at ambient temperature required a high pressure (several gigapascal). This raises an important question: is it possible to induce amorphization of solid materials by a low pressure at ambient temperature? Herein, our x-ray diffraction measurements demonstrated that ${\text{Zn}}_{4}\text{O}{(\text{BDC})}_{3}$ metal-organic framework (MOF-5) can be irreversibly amorphized at ambient temperature by employing a low compressing pressure of 3.5 MPa, which is 100 times lower than that required for amorphization of other solids. This was further supported by the collapse of pores. Furthermore, the Raman spectra indicated that the irreversible pressure-induced amorphization (PIA) was due to the destroying of some carboxylate groups. One can conclude that the availability of thousands of MOFs can allow ones to reveal relationships between structures and PIA at a low pressure.
Synthesis of linear optimum distributed parameter systems with time delays

A variational calculus approach is used to study quadratic optimization of linear time-delayed distributed parameter systems with distributed and boundary control function. The canonical equations are derived for the necessary condition of optimality. Then the Riccati equations are obtained and their computational solution is discussed.
Motion of a drop in a vertical temperature gradient at small Marangoni number the critical role of inertia

When a drop moves in a uniform vertical temperature gradient under the combined action of gravity and thermocapillarity at small values of the thermal Peclet number, it is shown that inclusion of inertia is crucial in the development of an asymptotic solution for the temperature field. If inertia is completely ignored, use of the method of matched asymptotic expansions, employing the Peclet number (known as the Marangoni number) as the small parameter, leads to singular behaviour of the outer temperature field. The origin of this behaviour can be traced to the interaction of the slowly decaying Stokeslet, arising from the gravitational contribution to the motion of the drop, with the temperature gradient field far from the drop. When inertia is included, and the method of matched asymptotic expansions is used, employing the Reynolds number as a small parameter, the singular behaviour of the temperature field is eliminated. A result is obtained for the migration velocity of the drop that is correct to O(Re 2 log Re)
ACTFEL Modeling For The Electronic Drive System Designer

Model refinements representing ACTFEL characteristics in electrical terms for use by the drive system designer are presented. Of particular interest is the addition of a memory mechanism (analogous to space charge) that allows a drive pulse to influence the light production of the following pulse. Also of importance is the inclusion of insulator leakage resistances to explain the effects of dc and low frequency components in driving waveforms. Work remaining includes refinements to more closely relate light production to electrical quantities of the model.
The integration of medical management with recovery.

Abstract Patients recovering from alcohol and other drug addiction have unique medical and pharmacological needs. Careful selection of medications can decrease the risk of relapse. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium channel-blocking medications are excellent choices to treat hypertension. Most gastrointestinal problems resolve with abstinence and can be treated nonpharmacologically. In managing pain, physicians should avoid narcotics and use nonpharmacological treatment whenever possible. Treating recovering patients with HIV can be challenging because of the side effects of many of the antiviral medications. The newer antiviral agents have fewer side effects and contraindications. Commonly used remedies for colds and cough can cause a relapse to drug use. Patients with diabetes mellitus need to be monitored very closely in early recovery to prevent hypoglycemia. Frequently a team approach is helpful in managing the medication needs of patients in recovery.
Comparison of the substrate specificities and catalytic properties of the sister N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases, GnT-V and GnT-Vb (IX)

N-Acetylglucosaminlyltransferase-V (GnT-V) synthesizes GlcNAcβ1,6Man branched N-glycans both in vitro and in vivo. A paralog, GnT-Vb (or GnT-IX), has also been shown to synthesize both GlcNAcβ1,6Man branched N- and O-glycans. GnT-V is expressed in most human and rodent tissues while GnT-Vb expression is limited mainly to neural tissue and testes. It is of interest, therefore, to compare the catalytic properties and reaction kinetics of these sister enzymes. The results demonstrate that while GnT-V was fully active without exogenous cation and in the presence of EDTA, the activity of GnT-Vb was stimulated over 4-fold in the presence of 10 mM Mn++. The pH optimum for GnT-V was in the range of 6.5–7.0, while that of GnT-Vb was 8.0. common for glycosyltransferases active in brain. Both enzymes transferred GlcNAcβ1,6 to the Man residue of the GlcNAcβ1,2Man moiety of glycan substrates, and both enzymes acted effectively on a synthetic GlcNAcβ1,2Manα1,2Glc-O-octyl trisaccharide acceptor. Moreover, although both enzymes utilized an N-linked asialo-agalacto-biantennary glycan as an acceptor, GnT-Vb displayed an almost 2.5-fold higher apparent Km value compared to GnT-V. Conversely, GnT-Vb very efficiently glycosylated a synthetic glycopeptide, Ac-H2N-Val-Glu-Pro-(GlcNAcβ1,2-Man-O-)Thr-Ala-Val-CO-Ac, while GnT-V showed relatively poor activity toward this O-Man-linked glycopeptide acceptor, with a Km value of 20-fold higher than that of GnT-Vb. When the N-linked asialo-agalacto-biantennary glycan acceptor was utilized with GnT-Vb, the expected triantennary β1,6-branched product was observed up to 8 h incubation. An additional product with two β1,6-linked GlcNAc resides, however, was observed after prolonged (>8 h) incubation, consistent with an earlier report. This unusual tetraantennary product was observed with GnT-Vb only after substantial accumulation of the first triantennary product and not during the early stages of incubation.
The Use of Corticosteroids in Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia

Note from Dr. Merle A. SANDE-The history of seeking a therapeutic use for corticosteroids in an infectious disease is somewhat checkered. These agents failed to show benefit in carefully controlled clinical trials of septic shock and adult respiratory distress syndrome; however, when started early with antimicrobials, corticosteroid therapy in AIDS patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia appears to ameliorate the deterioration in pulmonary function and gas exchange that accompanies conventional therapy. If initiated after this deterioration, steroids do not enhance oxygenation or show other clinical benefit. Timing is key. Steroids are effective in experimental models of endotoxic shock if given before the septic state develops; a similar pattern is emerging in adjunctive dexamethasone therapy for bacterial meningitis. Recent clinical studies in Dallas and Costa Rica indicate that beneficial effects are maximal if the steroid is given just before or concomitant with the antibiotic. Adjunctive corticosteroid therapy for moderate to severe Pneumocystis pneumonia in AIDS patients is the recommendation of a panel that evaluated the existing data in the summer of 1990. Dr. Bozzette was the principal investigator of the largest of these studies and here presents data from the critical trials and discusses use of adjunctive antiinflammatory therapy to reduce lung injury in patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia.
Anemia in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

Anemia in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common secondary to inadequate erythropoietin production, iron deficiency, blood loss, inflammation, secondary hyperparathyroidism, uremic toxins, and nutritional deficiencies. Anemia has a variety of deleterious consequences, including associations with increased mortality and left ventricular hypertrophy. Recombinant human erythropoietin is effective in treating anemia in children with CKD, and recent studies show that darbepoetin alpha is an attractive alternative because it requires less frequent injections. Iron deficiency is a major cause of anemia that is resistant to erythropoietin or darbepoetin alpha. Although oral iron is effective in some patients, many children, especially those receiving hemodialysis, require intravenous iron to replenish their iron stores. Both acute dosing and chronic dosing of intravenous iron are effective in pediatric patients.
A Study of Over-Dispersed Household Victimizations in South Korea: Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial Analysis of Korean National Crime Victimization Survey

Analyzing the Korean Crime Victim Survey data with employing zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression, the current study aims to identify the effect of immunity from criminal victimization and the determinants of household victimization in South Korea. The results show that there is a significant immunity effect on the distribution of household victimizations. Furthermore, lack of considering an immune effect may result in a misleading conclusion. As main determinants of victimizations in South Korea, communal efforts are found to be important. Theoretical explanation and policy implications are discussed.
High intensity red emission from Eu doped GaN powders

Eu doped GaN powders have been produced by a low-cost and high-yield method. The effect of temperature on the optical properties and structure was investigated by photoluminescence, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The effective Eu incorporation was extracted by a non-destructive strain analysis correlating the Raman with the XRD data. Luminescence intensity was closely related to the effective Eu incorporation. The maximum Eu incorporation was determined to be 0.5 at% for the sample grown at 1000 °C, which showed the strongest red photoluminescence with the highest crystallinity. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Foraging site fidelity of lactating New Zealand sea lions

Ecologists often describe the foraging ecology of a species as a whole, treating conspecific individuals as ecologically equal. However, individual specialization has potentially important ecological, evolutionary and conservation implications. Foraging studies are usually based on the foraging behaviours of individuals sampled in only 1 year. In this study, the site fidelity of foraging locations of nine female New Zealand sea lions (NZ sea lions Phocarctos hookeri) from Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, were investigated by repeating their satellite tracking between 1 and 4 years after they were first tracked. Females were monitored during early lactation in the austral summers of 2001–2005. The kernel ranges of females' foraging satellite location concentrations overlapped consistently within and between years. As predicted for benthic foragers, NZ sea lions show low individual variability in foraging behaviour and greater specialization. It is important to understand the spatial and temporal limitations on an individual's foraging-site fidelity, because they can affect a species' ability to cope with environmental changes and anthropogenic impacts. This has significant implications for NZ sea lions management and conservation.
Retiming synchronous data-flow graphs to reduce execution time

Many common iterative or recursive DSP applications be can represented by synchronous data-flow graphs (SDFGs). A great deal of research has been done attempting to optimize such applications through retiming. However, despite its proven effectiveness in transforming single-rate data-flow graphs to equivalent DFGs with smaller clock periods, the use of retiming for attempting to reduce the execution time of synchronous DFGs has never been explored. In this paper, we do just this. We develop the basic definitions and results necessary to express and study SDFGs. We review the problems faced when attempting to retime an SDFG in order to minimize clock period and then present algorithms for doing this. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods on several examples.
Global optimization using linear lower bounds: one dimensional case

A new one-dimensional global optimization algorithm using linear lower bounds is presented. The algorithm is guaranteed to converge to a global minimum with given specified tolerance in a finite number of steps. Some numerical testing examples are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the algorithm. >
Electromagnetic interaction between Jupiter's ionosphere and the Io plasma torus

The electromagnetic interaction between Jupiter and Io has been studied extensively since the discovery of Io-controlled decametric radio emissions (DAMs). A variety of mechanisms for electromagnetic disturbances have been considered including a unipolar inductor, the excitation of large-amplitude Alfven waves, the generation of electrostatic electric fields parallel to the ambient magnetic field, and etc. Recently, three auroral acceleration regions categorized by terrestrial physicists have been applied to the Jupiter-Io coupling system: the Alfvenic acceleration region is associated with bright emissions at Io's magnetic footprint, whereas the quasi-static system of anti-planetward and planetward currents set up at the inner and outer edges of the torus in the downstream region of Io's wake. This review paper summarizes the current understanding of the coupling mechanisms between Jupiter's ionosphere and the Io plasma torus, as well as the electron acceleration mechanism necessary to excite Io-associated emissions.
In vitro selection of a DNA-templated small-molecule library reveals a class of macrocyclic kinase inhibitors.

DNA-templated organic synthesis enables the translation of DNA sequences into synthetic small-molecule libraries suitable for in vitro selection. Previously, we described the DNA-templated multistep synthesis of a 13 824-membered small-molecule macrocycle library. Here, we report the discovery of small molecules that modulate the activity of kinase enzymes through the in vitro selection of this DNA-templated small-molecule macrocycle library against 36 biomedically relevant protein targets. DNA encoding selection survivors was amplified by PCR and identified by ultra-high-throughput DNA sequencing. Macrocycles corresponding to DNA sequences enriched upon selection against several protein kinases were synthesized on a multimilligram scale. In vitro assays revealed that these macrocycles inhibit (or activate) the kinases against which they were selected with IC50 values as low as 680 nM. We characterized in depth a family of macrocycles enriched upon selection against Src kinase, and showed that inhibition ...
Do the dissociative side effects of ketamine mediate its antidepressant effects

Abstract Background The N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine has rapid antidepressant effects in major depression. Psychotomimetic symptoms, dissociation and hemodynamic changes are known side effects of ketamine, but it is unclear if these side effects relate to its antidepressant efficacy. Methods Data from 108 treatment-resistant inpatients meeting criteria for major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder who received a single subanesthetic ketamine infusion were analyzed. Pearson correlations were performed to examine potential associations between rapid changes in dissociation and psychotomimesis with the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), respectively, manic symptoms with Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and vital sign changes, with percent change in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scale (HDRS) at 40 and 230 min and Days 1 and 7. Results Pearson correlations showed significant association between increased CADSS score at 40 min and percent improvement with ketamine in HDRS at 230 min (r=−0.35, p=0.007) and Day 7 (r=−0.41, p=0.01). Changes in YMRS or BPRS Positive Symptom score at 40 min were not significantly correlated with percent HDRS improvement at any time point with ketamine. Changes in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse were also not significantly related to HDRS change. Limitations Secondary data analysis, combined diagnostic groups, potential unblinding. Conclusions Among the examined mediators of ketamine׳s antidepressant response, only dissociative side effects predicted a more robust and sustained antidepressant. Prospective, mechanistic investigations are critically needed to understand why intra-infusion dissociation correlates with a more robust antidepressant efficacy of ketamine.
A Fast Iterated Conditional Modes Algorithm for Water–Fat Decomposition in MRI

Decomposition of water and fat in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is important for biomedical research and clinical applications. In this paper, we propose a two-phased approach for the three-point water-fat decomposition problem. Our contribution consists of two components: 1) a background-masked Markov random field (MRF) energy model to formulate the local smoothness of field inhomogeneity; 2) a new iterated conditional modes (ICM) algorithm accounting for high-performance optimization of the MRF energy model. The MRF energy model is integrated with background masking to prevent error propagation of background estimates as well as improve efficiency. The central component of our new ICM algorithm is the stability tracking (ST) mechanism intended to dynamically track iterative stability on pixels so that computation per iteration is performed only on instable pixels. The ST mechanism significantly improves the efficiency of ICM. We also develop a median-based initialization algorithm to provide good initial guesses for ICM iterations, and an adaptive gradient-based scheme for parametric configuration of the MRF model. We evaluate the robust of our approach with high-resolution mouse datasets acquired from 7T MRI.
Pulmonary mucormycosis in a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Diagnosis by fine needle aspiration cytology

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection caused by invasive filamentous fungi of the class Zygomycetes belonging to the order Mucorales. Mucormycosis most frequently occurs in diabetic individuals, immunosuppressed patients on chronic steroids, patients with hematologic malignancies, or solid organ or bone marrow transplant recipients. There have been only 2 case reports of pulmonary mucormycosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have been treated with oral steroids. We report a patient with COPD who presented with pulmonary masses. Diagnosis of the mucormycosis was made by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).
Membrane recruitment of NOD2 in intestinal epithelial cells is essential for nuclear factor-ΚB activation in muramyl dipeptide recognition

Nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD) 2 functions as a mammalian cytosolic pathogen recognition molecule, and mutant forms have been genetically linked to Crohn's disease (CD). NOD2 associates with the caspase activation and recruitment domain of RIP-like interacting caspase-like apoptosis regulatory protein kinase (RICK)/RIP2 and activates nuclear factor (NF)–κB in epithelial cells and macrophages, whereas NOD2 mutant 3020insC, which is associated with CD, shows an impaired ability to activate NF-κB. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of NOD2 function, we performed a functional analysis of deletion and substitution NOD2 mutants. NOD2, but not NOD2 3020insC mutant, associated with cell surface membranes of intestinal epithelial cells. Membrane targeting and subsequent NF-κB activation are mediated by two leucine residues and a tryptophan-containing motif in the COOH-terminal domain of NOD2. The membrane targeting of NOD2 is required for NF-κB activation after the recognition of bacterial muramyl dipeptide in intestinal epithelial cells.
Children with Comorbid Speech Sound Disorder and Specific Language Impairment are at Increased Risk for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This study focuses on the comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and speech sound disorder (SSD). SSD is a developmental disorder characterized by speech production errors that impact intelligibility. Previous research addressing this comorbidity has typically used heterogeneous groups of speech-language disordered children. This study employed more precise speech-language diagnostic criteria and examined ADHD symptomatology in 108 SSD children between the ages of 4 and 7 years old with specific language impairment (SLI) (n=23, 14 males, 9 females) and without SLI (n=85, 49 males, 36 females). We also examined whether a subcategory of SSD, persistent (n=39, 25 males, 14 females) versus normalized SSD (n=67, 38 males, 29 females), was associated with ADHD and/or interacted with SLI to predict ADHD symptomatology. Results indicated that participants in the SSD + SLI group had higher rates of inattentive ADHD symptoms than those in the SSD-only and control groups. In addition, an unexpected interaction emerged such that children with SLI and normalized-SSD had significantly higher ADHD inattentive ratings than the other subgroups. A proposed explanation for this interaction is discussed.
VDAC function in a cellular context

Trafficking of metabolites across the outer mitochondrial membrane is believed to be mediated primarily by the pore forming oltage-ependent anion channel, VDAC (also known as mitochondrial porin). An expanding body of in vitro studies strongly suggest that the pore formed by VDAC can be regulated in a number of ways that implicate it as a site for the regulation of mitochondrial function, yet technical limitations have prevented the extension these studies to a relevant cellular context. The goal of this review is to evaluate recent data that examines the role of mammalian VDAC isoforms using genetic approaches that allow a careful and focused examination of the function of this protein, both in individual cells and in specific tissues. These studies implicate VDAC as a participant in the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and in apoptotic programs; two processes that may be interconnected.