cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro growth of mastitis pathogens in mammary secretions of the dry and peripartum periods.

Abstract In vitro growth of Escberichia coli , Streptococcus uberis , and Staphylococcus aureus was measured in skimmed, cell-free secretions of bovine mammary glands collected on d 0, 7, 14, and 28 of the dry period; 12, 8, and 4 d before expected calving; and on d 0 and 14 postpartum. There were marked and nearly inverse changes in growth of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus uberis over the experimental period. Escherichia coli grew well in secretions of d 0 of the dry period and d 0 and 14 postcalving but poorly or not at all in secretions of the mid-dry period. In contrast, Streptococcus uberis grew well in secretions of the involuted gland and poorly in samples from day of dry off and day of calving. Growth of Staphylococcus aureus changed relatively little over the dry period, but there was reduction in growth at d 7 of the dry period. Changing ability of the secretion to support bacterial growth may influence changing susceptibility to infection, but for Streptococcus uberis , poor correspondence between changes in growth supported by the secretion and changes in the incidence of naturally occurring infection over the dry period indicates that other factors may be more important.
Impact of frequency deviations protection functions

Before 2003 blackout, protection engineers didn't pay much attention to this phenomenon; it was not even part of relay acceptance testing. However, multiple nuisance trips during this blackout, forced system operators to look at this problem and re-evaluate relay performance for such conditions. In fact, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has appealed to the IEEE Power System Relaying Committee to evaluate system relay protection response to off-nominal frequency conditions and come up with a report and recommendations to avoid misoperations during major system disturbances. As it was demonstrated in this paper, practically all protection elements are impacted by off-nominal frequency conditions, some to a greater extent than others. This paper has explained how the microprocessor relay adjusts sampling frequency to the system frequency to minimize errors. It also has given some insights to the protection engineer on how to test in order to evaluate a particular relay response during such conditions. The potential Impact on major protection functions was revealed. It is clear that different relay designs may be more or less vulnerable to off-nominal frequency conditions.
Tumor angiogenesis and p53 mutations: prognosis in head and neck cancer.

Objectives: To assess how p53 gene mutations and microvessel density (MVD) may be used as prognostic markers for the study and management of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and to investigate putative associations between p53 gene mutations and MVD and the relationship of these factors to tumor response to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy at 6 weeks. Patients and Design: Thirty-nine patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, stages I to IV, who were examined at Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, 111, and its affiliated hospitals between 1993 and 1995 were monitored. Mutations in the p53 gene were identified by microdissection of tumor cells on frozen sections, followed by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of the products of polymerase chain reaction amplification of exons 5 to 9. The microvessels were immunostained with monoclonal antibodies to factor VIII and/or CD31. Microvessel counts were done by 2 investigators blinded to each other's counts and to the p53 gene status. Intratumoral or peritumoral microvascular hot spots were assessed and counts were done with an ocular grid in 3 X 200 fields of hot spots by each investigator. The mean of the highest values was considered. Statistical analysis was done with the Wilcoxon rank sum test, the log-rank test, and proportional hazard models. Results: Of the 39 patients, 13 had mutations in exons 5 to 9. Mutations in the p53 gene were associated with unfavorable overall (P=.003) and disease-free (P=.02) survival. A strong inverse relationship was seen between MVD and p53 mutations (P=.01). No statistically significant relationship was seen between mean MVD and overall and disease-free survival. The response to therapy differed significantly (P=.03) by p53 mutations, whereas there was no statistical significance with MVD counts. Conclusion: In this study a strong inverse relationship was seen between MVD and p53 mutations. p53 Mutations in exons 5 through 9 were associated with unfavorable survival, whereas MVD showed no association with survival.
Plasmodium falciparum:Naturally Occurring Rabbit Immunoglobulins Recognize Human Band 3 Peptide Motifs and Malaria-Infected Red Cells

Abstract The reactivity to overlapping decapeptides based on sequences of human band 3 protein was determined for 24 rabbit serum samples. A high percentage of the sera recognized sequences of amino acid 650–670, as well as several other sequences representing putative exofacial regions of the band 3 protein. When sera were used to stain immunofluorescently human erythrocytes, some of which were infected with P. falciparum, those samples that predominantly reacted with amino acids 650–670 stained P. falciparum -infected red cells, whereas those that reacted with other regions of band 3 stained all erythrocytes. A positive correlation was found between anti-band 3 reactivity and the capacity of a serum to inhibit the cytoadherence of P. falciparum -infected erythrocytes to C32 amelanotic melanoma cells. Also, some rabbit sera immunoprecipitated a high-molecular-weight protein from extracts of surface iodinated P. falciparum -infected red cells
The Binding Site for Channel Blockers That Rescue Misprocessed Human Long QT Syndrome Type 2 ether-a-gogo-related Gene (HERG) Mutations

Mutations in the humanether-a-gogo-related gene (HERG) K+ channel gene cause chromosome 7-linked long QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2), which is characterized by a prolonged QT interval in the electrocardiogram and an increased susceptibility to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. LQT2 mutations produce loss-of-function phenotypes and reduceI Kr currents either by the heteromeric assembly of non- or malfunctioning channel subunits with wild type subunits at the cell surface or by retention of misprocessed mutant HERG channels in the endoplasmic reticulum. Misprocessed mutations often encode for channel proteins that are functional upon incorporation into the plasma membrane. As a result the pharmacological correction of folding defects and restoration of protein function are of considerable interest. Here we report that the trafficking-deficient pore mutation HERG G601S was rescued by a series of HERG channel blockers that increased cell surface expression. Rescue by these pharmacological chaperones varied directly with their blocking potency. We used structure-activity relationships and site-directed mutagenesis to define the binding site of the pharmacological chaperones. We found that binding occurred in the inner cavity and correlated with hydrophobicity and cationic charge. Rescue was domain-restricted because the trafficking of two misprocessed mutations in the C terminus, HERG F805C and HERG R823W, was not restored by channel blockers. Our findings represent a first step toward the design of pharmacological chaperones that will rescue HERG K+ channels without block.
Radiation field modeling in a photocatalytic monolith reactor

Abstract An incidence model is formulated from the basic principles of radiation heat transfer to predict the light intensity profile inside a photocatalytic monolith reactor, where a light-absorbing and light-reflecting catalytically active thin film is coated on the inner walls of monolith channels of either circular or square cross section. A diffuse external light source and diffusely reflecting wall coatings were assumed. The mathematical model representation of the light flux distribution to the monolith wall and through the cross section of the monolith channel take the form of integral equations. In dimensionless form, these equations reveal that, for a given channel type, light intensity profiles are controlled by channel aspect ratio and film reflectivity. The equations were solved numerically using Gauss–Legendre quadrature to give quantitative estimates of the radiation intensity profile down the length of the monolith channel for a specified incident light intensity distribution at the entrance of the channel and an assumed thin film reflectivity. Experimental cross-sectional light intensity profiles for square channeled, uncoated ceramic monoliths with two different cell densities confirmed the prediction of the model that dimensionless profiles are not dependent on absolute channel dimensions, but rather are uniquely determined by the channel aspect ratio. Experimental intensity data for titania-coated monoliths were well described by model predicted profiles assuming an average reflectivity of 40%. For identical aspect ratio channels, model predictions reveal that the light intensity profiles for square and circular channels are quite similar. Model predictions indicate that radiation field gradients are large, with relatively little light penetrating beyond a length equivalent to three channel widths. This prediction implies that, for monoliths with typical commercial aspect ratios, a large fraction of the coated channel wall is not effectively irradiated.
Orientation selectivity of thalamic input to simple cells of cat visual cortex

MORE than 30 years after Hubel and Wiesel1 first described orientation selectivity in the mammalian visual cortex, the mechanism that gives rise to this property is still controversial. Hubel and Wiesel1 proposed a simple model for the origin of orientation tuning, in which the circularly symmetrical receptive fields of neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus that excite a cortical simple cell are arranged in rows. Since this model was proposed, several experiments2–6 and neuronal simulations7,8 have suggested that the connectivity between the lateral geniculate nucleus and the cortex is not well organized in an orientation-specific fashion, and that orientation tuning arises instead from extensive interactions within the cortex. To test these models we have recorded visually evoked synaptic potentials in simple cells while cooling the cortex9, which largely inactivates the cortical network, but leaves geniculate synaptic input functional. We report that the orientation tuning of these potentials is almost unaffected by cooling the cortex, in agreement with Hubel and Wiesel's original proposal1.
Comparison of Drive-Seeded Modulations in Planar Foils for 0.35 and 0.53 μ m Laser Drive

Laser-speckle-seeded modulations in laser-driven targets have been observed with the Nova laser using 0.53 and $0.35\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ drive. The $0.35\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ drive produced larger modulations (equivalent to $3.3\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ rms surface finish) than $0.53\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ drive ( $2.0\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ rms). The laser intensity was $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{13}\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, similar to that suggested for directly driven ignition targets during the first several ns. LASNEX simulations of this thermal smoothing effect in both the rms and spectrum agree with the $0.53\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ drive data, and are about 15% lower than the measured results with $0.35\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ drive.
Differential expression of eight transcripts and their roles in the cuticle of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus

Eight cuticle protein transcripts from Callinectes sapidus were sequenced and their expression determined across the molt cycle in both calcifying and arthrodial cuticle hypodermis using quantitative PCR, Northern blots, and in situ hybridization. Four transcripts, designated CsAMP, are found only in non-calcifying arthrodial membrane hypodermis. They all code for a Rebers–Riddiford-1 motif, known to bind chitin. CsAMP9.3 is most likely an exocuticle constituent since it is expressed only during pre-molt. The other three arthrodial transcripts are present both before and after ecdysis. One of these, CsAMP16.3, codes for a RGD cell-attachment motif that could be involved in anchoring chitin–protein fibers to pore canals, cellular extensions of the hypodermis in the cuticle. The other four transcripts, designated CsCP, were found only in calcifying hypodermis. CsCP14.1 contains an RR-1 motif, which is more commonly found in non-calcifying cuticle proteins. CsCP6.1 is expressed post-molt and contains a partial RR motif, suggesting that it could bind to chitin in the endocuticle. The other two transcripts from calcifying hypodermis do not code for RR proteins, but both contain three copies of a different insect cuticle motif. One of these, CsCP19.0, is expressed only post-molt while the other, CsCP15.0, is present both before and after ecdysis.
Multiplex PCR--a rapid screening method for detection of gene rearrangements in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Chromosomal rearrangements in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) play an important role in the identification of clinical relevant subgroups. For rapid and easy detection of the clinically most important gene rearrangements, a nested multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (multiplex PCR) was developed. This multiplex PCR enables the detection of M-BCR/ABL, m-BCR/ABL, TEL/AML1, and MLL/AF4 fusion transcripts in one PCR reaction. However, the existence of splicing variants and different breakpoints on the DNA level hampers the discrimination of the rearrangements by their fragment size on an agarose gel. Therefore, one of the internal primers of each translocation (ABL-2, TEL-2, AF4–2) was labeled with a characteristic fluorescent dye, and an automatic fluorescence-based DNA fragment analysis was performed. The sensitivity of this multiplex PCR is in the same range as that of the corresponding single PCR reaction and allows a fast screening for the detection of therapy-relevant rearrangements, with a high turnover of samples.
A simple approximation of the sampling distribution of least absolute residuals regression estimates

For multivariate regression with a symmetric disturbance distribution, the error in the least absolute residuals estimator is approximately multivariate normally distributed with mean zero and variance matrix λ2(X′X)−1, where X is the matrix of K explanatory variables and T observations, and λ 2/T is the variance of the median of a sample of size T from the disturbance distribution. The approximate sampling theory is validated by extensive Monte Carlo studies, and some directions of possible refinement emerge.
Dynamical Systems Analysis of Planetary Flybys and Approach: Planar Europa Orbiter

In this analysis, the relationship between a planar Europa Orbiter trajectory and the invariant manifolds of resonant periodic orbits is studied. An understanding of this trajectory with its large impulsive maneuvers should provide basic tools that can be extended to cases that approximate low thrust with many small maneuvers. This study therefore represents a step in understanding low-thrust trajectories. Unstable resonant orbits are computed along with their invariant manifolds in order to examine the resonance transitions that the planar Europa Orbiter trajectory travels through. The stable manifold of a Lyapunov orbit at the L 2 libration point is used to show why a 5:6 resonance is necessary at this energy for capture around Europa.
Classification of primitive shapes using brain-computer interfaces

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are recent developments in alternative technologies of user interaction. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of BCIs as user interfaces for CAD systems. The paper describes experiments and algorithms that use the BCI to distinguish between primitive shapes that are imagined by a user. Users wear an electroencephalogram (EEG) headset and imagine the shape of a cube, sphere, cylinder, pyramid or a cone. The EEG headset collects brain activity from 14 locations on the scalp. The data is analyzed with independent component analysis (ICA) and the Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT). The features of interest are the marginal spectra of different frequency bands (theta, alpha, beta and gamma bands) calculated from the Hilbert spectrum of each independent component. The Mann-Whitney U-test is then applied to rank the EEG electrode channels by relevance in five pair-wise classifications. The features from the highest ranking independent components form the final feature vector which is then used to train a linear discriminant classifier. Results show that this classifier can discriminate between the five basic primitive objects with an average accuracy of about 44.6% (compared to naive classification rate of 20%) over ten subjects (accuracy range of 36%-54%). The accuracy classification changes to 39.9% when both visual and verbal cues are used. The repeatability of the feature extraction and classification was checked by conducting the experiment on 10 different days with the same participants. This shows that the BCI holds promise in creating geometric shapes in CAD systems and could be used as a novel means of user interaction.
The capacity region of the symmetric Gaussian interference channel with common information to within a constant gap

The interference channel with common information (IC-CI) is studied. In an IC-CI, each transmitter has an individual message for its paired receiver, and additionally, both transmitters collaboratively must deliver a common message to both the receivers. For the symmetric Gaussian IC-CI, the capacity region is characterized to within a gap of 3 bits independently of the values of the channel parameters. Further, using this constant-gap characterization, the generalized degrees of freedom region is also determined. Insight is provided on how the common message helps in markedly improving the achievable rates over that in an IC without a common message.
Video transcoding: an overview of various techniques and research issues

One of the fundamental challenges in deploying multimedia systems, such as telemedicine, education, space endeavors, marketing, crisis management, transportation, and military, is to deliver smooth and uninterruptible flow of audio-visual information, anytime and anywhere. A multimedia system may consist of various devices (PCs, laptops, PDAs, smart phones, etc.) interconnected via heterogeneous wireline and wireless networks. In such systems, multimedia content originally authored and compressed with a certain format may need bit rate adjustment and format conversion in order to allow access by receiving devices with diverse capabilities (display, memory, processing, decoder). Thus, a transcoding mechanism is required to make the content adaptive to the capabilities of diverse networks and client devices. A video transcoder can perform several additional functions. For example, if the bandwidth required for a particular video is fluctuating due to congestion or other causes, a transcoder can provide fine and dynamic adjustments in the bit rate of the video bitstream in the compressed domain without imposing additional functional requirements in the decoder. In addition, a video transcoder can change the coding parameters of the compressed video, adjust spatial and temporal resolution, and modify the video content and/or the coding standard used. This paper provides an overview of several video transcoding techniques and some of the related research issues. We introduce some of the basic concepts of video transcoding, and then review and contrast various approaches while highlighting critical research issues. We propose solutions to some of these research issues, and identify possible research directions.
Unraveling the Paradox: Competence and the Failure of Subsidiarity in the European Union

The experimental means by which bureaucrats and members of civil society attempt to manage policy making within the European Union (EU) are often guided by the EU's cherished principle of subsidiarity, a principle demanding that EU policy decisions be made at the most appropriate geopolitical level possible to respect and preserve European cultural diversity. I examine subsidiarity within the EU, not as a mere principle but also as a practice, investigating bureaucratic conceptions and bureaucrats’ embodied experiences with subsidiarity as it influences perceptions of culture, policy, and integration. What is borne out of attempts to manage subsidiarity, often discussed by EU bureaucrats as well as members of civil society, are three discursive modes—the cultural, the moral, and the temporal—that both promote and confuse how “Europe” is conceptualized via policy production. These discursive modes shed light upon how subsidiarity, in fact, limits diversity via the notion of competence within the EU. I argue that subsidiarity, understood in terms of competence, has become a pragmatic endeavor employed more to organize, manage, and govern culture than to create cultural inclusion, further promoting a more exclusive conceptualization of community and diversity.
Demographic antecedents and performance consequences of structural holes in work teams

This paper addresses two important questions concerning social fragmentation in work teams. First, from where do disconnections between team members, measured in terms of the proportion of structural holes within the work team, derive? Second, what are the consequences for team performance of having more or less structural holes between team members? In answering the first question, the research investigated whether demographic diversity in teams played a role in predicting the proportion of structural holes in team friendship networks. For 19 teams at a wood products company, there were no effects of ethnic and gender diversity on structural hole proportions. However, age diversity significantly reduced the extent of structural ‘holeyness.’ In investigating the second question, two countervailing tendencies were considered. In the absence of structural holes, teams are likely to be at low risk for new ideas. But fragmented teams in which team members are separated by many structural holes are likely to have difficulty coordinating. The researchers demonstrated a curvilinear effect: a moderate level of structural diversity in teams was positively associated with team performance. Thus, the research suggested that it is structural diversity (measured in terms of the proportion of structural holes) rather than demographic diversity that matters in the prediction of team performance. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genre based navigation on the Web

We report on our ongoing study of using the genre of Web pages to facilitate information exploration. By genre, we mean socially recognized regularities of form and purpose in documents (e.g., a letter, a memo, a research paper). Our study had three phases. First, through a user study, we identified genres which most/least frequently meet searchers' information needs. We found that certain genres are better suited for certain types of needs. We identified five major groups of document genres that might be used in an interactive search tool that would allow genre based navigation. We tried to balance the following dual objectives: i) each group should be recognizable by a computer algorithm as easily as possible; ii) each group has a better chance of satisfying particular types of information needs. Finally, we developed a novel user interface for Web searching that allows genre based navigation through three major functionalities: 1) limiting search to specified genres, 2) visualizing the hierarchy of genres discovered in the search results and 3) accepting user feedback on the relevancy of the specified genres.
Profiling the DNA-binding specificities of engineered Cys2His2 zinc finger domains using a rapid cell-based method

The C2H2 zinc finger is the most commonly utilized framework for engineering DNA-binding domains with novel specificities. Many different selection strategies have been developed to identify individual fingers that possess a particular DNA-binding specificity from a randomized library. In these experiments, each finger is selected in the context of a constant finger framework that ensures the identification of clones with a desired specificity by properly positioning the randomized finger on the DNA template. Following a successful selection, multiple zinc-finger clones are typically recovered that share similarities in the sequences of their DNA-recognition helices. In principle, each of the clones isolated from a selection is a candidate for assembly into a larger multi-finger protein, but to date a high-throughput method for identifying the most specific candidates for incorporation into a final multi-finger protein has not been available. Here we describe the development of a specificity profiling system that facilitates rapid and inexpensive characterization of engineered zinc-finger modules. Moreover, we demonstrate that specificity data collected using this system can be employed to rationally design zinc fingers with improved DNA-binding specificities.
Does physical activity play a role in the prevention of prostate cancer

This paper explores the association of physical activity in the prevention of prostate cancer. While no definite mechanisms have been identified for an inverse relation between physical activity and prostate cancer incidence several plausible mechanisms have been postulated. These include the modulation of testosterone levels; decreased obesity; modulation of immune function; increase in vitamin D levels; and decreased release of neurotrophic factors. Epidemiologic studies were conducted in Canada China Finland Norway Sweden Taiwan Turkey and the US to examine the association of physical activity with prostate cancer risk. Findings of the study reveal inconsistencies due to misclassification of physical activity; amount/intensity of physical activity; timing of physical activity; control for confounders; and differential effects in subgroups. Thus further research is needed to clarify whether physical activity plays a role in the prevention of prostate cancer. However the public should still be encouraged to be physically active because of the potential for other health benefits including a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Ms B and Diane Pretty: a commentary

In two recent court cases, Ms B, a paralysed competent adult, was allowed to end her life; Mrs Pretty, another paralysed competent adult, was not. In legal terms, the essential difference between the two cases is that Ms B was seeking the withdrawal of treatment, whereas Mrs Pretty was asking for assistance in ending her life. I argue that while this distinction may accurately state the law that governs these situations, it does not rest on a defensible moral basis. Both the women should have been allowed to choose the manner in which they would die.
Human factors aspects of power system voltage visualizations

This paper presents experimental results associated with the human factors aspects of using color contours to visualize electric power system bus voltage magnitude information. Participants were divided into three groups: the first group only one-line numeric data, the second only one-line contour data, while the third saw both. The purpose of the experiment was to determine how quickly participants could both acknowledge low voltage violations and perform corrective control actions. Results indicated the contour only visualization resulted in the quickest voltage violation acknowledgements, while the numeric data only visualization resulted in the quickest solution times. Testing was done using a modified version of the IEEE 118 bus system.
Web-based monitoring of asthma severity: a new approach to ambulatory management

We developed a Web based system for ambulatory monitoring of pulmonary function and tested it in a home setting in 14 asthma patients. The system uses a portable spirometer for patient self testing and a palmtop computer that transmits the results from patients' homes to a hospital information system via phone or wireless network. The results are immediately available to physicians on a Web site, accessible via an Internet Web browser from any location. The system provides daily monitoring of 29 indices of Forced Vital Capacity test (FVC), the flow-volume loop and symptom scores. It generates alerts based on changes in data trends and exchanges messages between patients and physicians. All patients successfully uploaded their FVC data including the flow-volume loop and symptom scores from their homes to our central repository. The flow-volume loop and FVC parameters provided a more accurate assessment of the patients' asthma, and uncovered previously unrecognized nocturnal asthma and small airway obstruction. We believe our approach will be useful for asthma management on a day-to-day basis and in clinical research.
Implementation/optimization of moving least squares response surfaces for approximation of hurricane/storm surge and wave responses

One of the important recent advances in the field of hurricane/storm modelling has been the development of high-fidelity numerical simulation models for reliable and accurate prediction of wave and surge responses. The computational cost associated with these models has simultaneously created an incentive for researchers to investigate surrogate modelling (i.e. metamodeling) and interpolation/regression methodologies to efficiently approximate hurricane/storm responses exploiting existing databases of high-fidelity simulations. Moving least squares (MLS) response surfaces were recently proposed as such an approximation methodology, providing the ability to efficiently describe different responses of interest (such as surge and wave heights) in a large coastal region that may involve thousands of points for which the hurricane impact needs to be estimated. This paper discusses further implementation details and focuses on optimization characteristics of this surrogate modelling approach. The approximation of different response characteristics is considered, and special attention is given to predicting the storm surge for inland locations, for which the possibility of the location remaining dry needs to be additionally addressed. The optimal selection of the basis functions for the response surface and of the parameters of the MLS character of the approximation is discussed in detail, and the impact of the number of high-fidelity simulations informing the surrogate model is also investigated. Different normalizations of the response as well as choices for the objective function for the optimization problem are considered, and their impact on the accuracy of the resultant (under these choices) surrogate model is examined. Details for implementation of the methodology for efficient coastal risk assessment are reviewed, and the influence in the analysis of the model prediction error introduced through the surrogate modelling is discussed. A case study is provided, utilizing a recently developed database of high-fidelity simulations for the Hawaiian Islands.
An analysis of MRI and ultrasound imaging in patients with gout who have normal plain radiographs

Objective. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence of occult destructive arthropathy in subjects with gout and normal plain radiographs by utilizing MRI and ultrasound (US). Methods. The study consisted of two visits. At Visit 1, a plain radiograph of the 'index joint' was obtained. The 'index joint' was defined as a joint that has had the most acute attacks of gout historically. The index joint plain radiograph had to be free of erosive damage in order for the subject to qualify for Visit 2. At Visit 2, the subject had an MRI with contrast and an US of the index joint. Each subject also had an MRI and US of an 'asymptomatic joint'. The 'asymptomatic joint' was defined as a joint that had never experienced an acute attack of gout (determined by standard protocol). The primary endpoint was erosive changes on the MRI and/or US of the index joint. Secondary endpoints included erosive changes on the asymptomatic joint as well as bone marrow oedema (BME) (on MRI), synovial pannus (SP), soft tissue tophi (STT) or oedema (STE) on either the index or asymptomatic joint. Results. Twenty-seven subjects (26 males; 1 female) completed both visits. Their average age and disease duration were 55.1 years (range 21-75 years) and 6.8 years (range 0.25-25 years), respectively. The subjects' average serum uric acid level over the past 5 years was 8.09 mg/dl (range 4.1-12.8 mg/dl); their average on the day of Visit 1 was 7.96 mg/dl (range 4.6-13.9 mg/dl). The first MTP was the most common index joint (17) followed by the ankle (5), mid-tarsal (2), knee (2) and wrist (1). The knee was the most common asymptomatic joint (21) followed by the wrist (3), MTP (2) and ankle (1). All subjects had both MRIs; one subject refused the US. Out of 27 subjects, 15 (56%) had erosions on MRI of their index joint (P < 0.0001); only 1 subject (4%) had erosions identified in the index joint by US (P= NS). Regarding the secondary endpoints on the index joint, the MRI detected SP (13), BME (4), STE (3) and STT (0); the US detected SP (1), STT (1) and STE (0). Regarding the MRI of the asymptomatic joint, positive findings included SP (3), BME (3), STE (2) and erosions (1). There were no positive findings by US in the asymptomatic joint. Conclusions. A large percentage of patients with gout and normal plain radiographs have occult destructive arthropathy that is only detected by advanced imaging such as MRI and/or US. However, MRI appears to be much more sensitive than US at detecting these findings.
ME spectral estimation for segmented time signals

The problem of estimating the power spectral density of stationary time series when the measurements are not contiguous is discussed. Two autoregressive (AR) modeling methods are proposed to handle are spectral estimation of the segmented time signals and show the statistical efficiency in numerical examples. The performance of the proposed AR method is illustrated by simulation examples. The examples indicate that the method performs satisfactorily. >
Brain Mapping and Quantitative Electroencephalogram

Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) is a collection of digital analysis and measurement techniques made on routine electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. Some techniques search prolonged recordings for possible seizures or epileptic spikes. Source localization can point to the origin of epileptic spikes. Trending helps identify changes in intensive care or surgery. QEEG tools can help measure EEG research outcomes.
Downstream Dissipation of Storm Flow Heat Pulses: A Case Study and its Landscape‐Level Implications

Storms in urban areas route heat and other pollutants from impervious surfaces, via drainage networks, into streams with well-described negative consequences on physical structure and biological integrity. We used heat pulses associated with urban storms as a tracer for pavement-derived stormwater inputs, providing a conservative estimate of the frequency with which these pollutants are transported into and through protected stream reaches. Our study was conducted within a 1.5-km reach in Durham, North Carolina, whose headwaters begin in suburban stormwater pipes before flowing through 1 km of protected, 100-year-old forest. We recorded heat-pulse magnitudes and distances travelled downstream, analyzing how they varied with storm and antecedent flow conditions. We found heat pulses >1°C traveled more than 1 km downstream of urban inputs in 11 storms over one year. This best-case management scenario of a reach within a protected forest shows that urban impacts can travel far downstream of inputs. Air temperature and flow intensity controlled heat-pulse magnitude, while heat-pulse size, mean flow, and total precipitation controlled dissipation distance. As temperatures and sudden storms intensify with climate change, heat-pulse magnitude and dissipation distance will likely increase. Streams in urbanized landscapes, such as Durham municipality, where 98.9% of streams are within 1 downstream km of stormwater outfalls, will be increasingly impacted by urban stormwaters.
Contracts as Organizations

Empirical studies of contracts have become more common over the past decade, but the range of questions addressed by these studies is narrow, inspired primarily by economic theories that focus on the role of contracts in mitigating ex post opportunism. We contend that these economic theories do not adequately explain many commonly observed features of contracts, and we offer four organizational theories to supplement-and in some instances, perhaps, challenge-the dominant economic accounts. The purpose of this Article is threefold: first, to describe how theoretical perspectives on contracting have motivated empirical work on contracts; second, to highlight the dominant role of economic theories in framing empirical work on contracts; and third, to enrich the empirical study of contracts through application of four organizational theories: resource theory, learning theory, identity theory, and institutional theory. Outside economics literature, empirical studies of contracts are rare. Even management scholars and sociologists who generate organizational theories largely ignore contracts. Nevertheless, we assert that these organizational theories provide new lenses through which to view contracts and help us understand their multiple purposes.
Biopolitics, Micropolitics, and Latino Immigrant Workers' Center Activism

This paper examines Latino immigrant day laborers' narratives about their working lives to see how they could inform the construction of innovative, urban spaces of democratic action. By probing the political implications of ordinary workers' 'common sense', in a Gramscian vein of analysis, I critically develop a theory of biopolitics that operates through racially structured labor markets and contemplate how this power-formation can be challenged.
Consent in Biomedical Research

Consent, at its heart, is a process—an exchange of information capped by subject agreement. The form is not the consent (Lidz et al. 1988; Davis and Hurley 2014, p. 18). Nonetheless, IRBs pragmatically use the consent form as the primary tool to determine how subjects will be informed about a study. Consent honors subjects’ right to choose and promotes their best interests as they define them.
Macromolecular Crystallography for Synthetic Abiological Molecules: Combining xMDFF and PHENIX for Structure Determination of Cyanostar Macrocycles

Crystal structure determination has long provided insight into structure and bonding of small molecules. When those same small molecules are designed to come together in multimolecular assemblies, such as in coordination cages, supramolecular architectures and organic-based frameworks, their crystallographic characteristics closely resemble biological macromolecules. This resemblance suggests that biomacromolecular refinement approaches be used for structure determination of abiological molecular complexes that arise in an aggregate state. Following this suggestion we investigated the crystal structure of a pentagonal macrocycle, cyanostar, by means of biological structure analysis methods and compared results to traditional small molecule methods. Cyanostar presents difficulties seen in supramolecular crystallography including whole molecule disorder and highly flexible solvent molecules sitting in macrocyclic and intermolecule void spaces. We used the force-field assisted refinement method, molecular dy...
The history of time and frequency from antiquity to the present day

I will discuss the evolution of the definitions of time, time interval, and frequency from antiquity to the present day. The earliest definitions of these parameters were based on a time interval defined by widely observed apparent astronomical phenomena, so that techniques of time distribution were not necessary. With this definition, both time, as measured by clocks, and frequency, as realized by some device, were derived quantities. On the other hand, the fundamental parameter today is a frequency based on the properties of atoms, so that the situation is reversed and time and time interval are now derived quantities. I will discuss the evolution of this transition and its consequences. In addition, the international standards of both time and frequency are currently realized by combining the data from a large number of devices located at many different laboratories, and this combination depends on (and is often limited by) measurements of the times of clocks located at widely-separated laboratories. I will discuss how these measurements are performed and how the techniques have evolved over time.
Vitamin E Levels in Maternal and Fetal Blood Plasma

Conclusions1. The plasma vitamin E level tends to rise with the progress of pregnancy and is approximately 65% higher at term than that for non-pregnant women.2. The vitamin E level in the cord blood of infants at birth is much lower than the level in the venous blood of the mothers.3. No sex difference in vitamin E levels is apparent in newborn infants.
Autoimmunity and viruses--fact or fiction: persistent LCM viral infection, anti-LCM viral immune response, and tissue injury.

The concepts of autoimmunity immunologic tolerance, and slow virus infection(s) need to be re-examined. In the light of recent data from several laboratories, it has become clear that in those models of persistent viral infection carefully evaluated, the infected animal is not immunologically tolerant but is able to mount a definite, although lesser, immune response against the virus. The interaction of the host immune response with the virus is the cause, in part, of the associated tissue injury in chronic infection.
Phospholipase A Activity in the Hemolysis of Sheep and Human Erythrocytes by Rickettsia prowazeki

Incubation of Rickettsia prowazeki with sheep or human erythrocytes resulted in lysis of the erythrocytes and formation of free fatty acids and lysophosphatides. Inhibitors of lysis were also invariably inhibitors of this phospholipase A activity. The target for this activity was the glycerophospholipids of the erythrocyte and not those of the rickettsia. Rickettsial phosphatidylethanolamine labeled with 32PO4 or [3H]acetate remained intact during lysis, and the composition of the free fatty acids released resembled that of the erythrocyte species used and not the rickettsiae. The products of hydrolysis remained associated with the sedimentable material in the reaction mixture under the usual conditions but partitioned into the supernatant fluid when bovine serum albumin was present. Initially, the time course of phospholipase A activity and lysis was identical, but the release of free fatty acids continued for a short time after the release of hemoglobin was complete. Both the inner and outer leaflets of the erythrocyte membrane were accessible to this rickettsial phospholipase A activity since both phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were substrates in human erythrocytes. The questions of whether rickettsiae possess their own phospholipase A or activate a latent erythrocyte enzyme and what the role of the energy requirement is in these processes remain unanswered.
The Gender Gap and Cybercrime: An Examination of College Students’ Online Offending

AbstractAs computer and Internet technologies have continued to advance over the last few decades, a considerable amount of research has been dedicated to exploring online behavior. Criminologists, in particular, have been interested in examining cybercrime and online deviance. Contributing to this growing body of scholarship, the current research investigated the effects of gender on cybercrime and whether socialization can account for the gender gap in online offending. Data were collected from a sample of 522 college students and three cybercrime categories were examined: digital piracy, cyberharassment, and hacking offenses. The findings revealed that men were more likely to engage in online offending and that this gender gap was fairly persistent across the socialization variables of self-control and immersion into the cyberenvironment. Specifically, only three gender-invariant findings emerged: men and women commit statistically similar rates of digital piracy when self-control levels are low, and t...
Analysis on Milled Rice Quality of Super Hybrid Rice Combinations in China

To evaluate recent milled rice quality of the super hybrid rice in China,ten grain quality traits and their superior quality rates of 49super rice hybrids have been analyzed.The results showed that the average superior quality rates of the ten grain traits of the tested super rice hybrids were 81.4%,ranging from 34.7% to 100%.Among which,the brown rice rate,milled rice rate,head milled rice rate,gelatinization temperature,gel consistency and brown rice protein content had higher superior quality rates(89%).The super hybrids derived from the male sterile lines Guangzhan 63S,Tianfeng A or Peiai 64Shad lower chalky grain percent,chalkiness degree and amylose content,as well as softer gel consistency.In general,the two-line super hybrids showed lower chalky grain percent,chalkiness degree and amylose content,as compared with the three-line super hybrids.It was noticed that the tested super rice hybrids showed not only higher chalky grain percent(44.9%)and chalkiness degree(9.7%),but also lower superior quality rates(34.7%and 51.0%).The emphasis of improving rice quality for super hybrid rice was discussed.
Bow legs and knock knees.

The most common causes of bow legs and knock—knees—physiologic varus and valgus, Blount’s disease, rickets, and trauma—are considered.
Clinical Outcomes of Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Tears High Rates of Subsequent Surgery and Worsening Arthritis at 5 Year Follow-Up

Objectives: Medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) present a unique challenge for both patients and surgeons as these tears have shown to be biomechanically equivalent to complete meniscectomy. However, little is known about the natural history of these lesions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe the clinical course of MMPRTs with respect to subsequent operative and non-operative treatments, and associated comorbidities.
Metastatic Prostate Cancer Presenting as Lower Extremity Soft Tissue Mass: A Rare Case Presentation.

A 69-year-old homeless African American male with prostate cancer diagnosed 2 years prior presents a large mass in the right thigh. An evaluation of the patient revealed a prostate-specific antigen of 9362 ng/mL. Biopsy of the leg mass was performed and final pathology indicated metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Although metastatic prostate cancer presents most commonly in bone, lymph nodes, lungs, and liver, metastatic disease presenting as a soft tissue mass is extremely rare (Bubendorf et al, 2000; Molenaar et al, 1996; Ward and Bourken, 1984). The advent of screening with prostate-specific antigen has led to earlier diagnosis of lower-grade disease, yet underserved populations continue to present with aggressive and morbid disease (Winer et al, 2014).