cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel type of class I gene organization in vertebrates: a large family of non-MHC-linked class I genes is expressed at the RNA level in the amphibian Xenopus.

Abstract A Xenopus class I cDNA clone, isolated from a cDNA expression library using antisera, is a member of a large family of non-classical class I genes (class Ib) composed of at least nine subfamilies, all of which are expressed at the RNA level. The subfamilies are well conserved in their immunoglobulin-like alpha 3 domains, but their peptide-binding regions (PBRs) and cytoplasmic domains are very divergent. In contrast to the great allelic diversity found in the PBR of classical class I genes, the alleles of one of the Xenopus non-classical subfamilies are extremely well conserved in all regions. Several of the invariant amino acids essential for the anchoring of peptides in the classical class I groove are not conserved in some subfamilies, but the class Ib genes are nevertheless more closely related in the PBR to classical and non-classical genes linked to the MHC in mammals and birds than to any other described class I genes like CD1 and the neonatal rat intestinal Fc receptor. Comparison with the Xenopus MHC-linked class Ia protein indicate that amino acids presumed to interact with beta 2-microglobulin are identical or conservatively changed in the two major class I families. Genomic analyses of Xenopus species suggest that the classical and non-classical families diverged from a common ancestor before the emergence of the genus Xenopus over 100 million years ago; all of the non-classical genes appear to be linked on a chromosome distinct from the one harboring the MHC. We hypothesize that this class Ib gene family is under very different selection pressures from the classical MHC genes, and that each subfamily may have evolved for a particular function.
Incidence and risk factors of complete atrioventricular block after operative ventricular septal defect repair.

Background Complete atrioventricular block (AVB) is a recognized complication of ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair. The objective of this study was to examine incidence and risk factors. Methods This is a single-center, retrospective study. All pediatric patients (age <18 years) who underwent VSD repair between November 2001 and August 2009 with concordant atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial connections were included. Patients were classified as having no AVB or transient AVB, and outcomes of early pacemaker placement (before hospital discharge) or late pacemaker placement (after hospital discharge) were recorded. Results Eight hundred twenty-eight patients (48.6% female) underwent VSD repair during the study period. Mean age at repair was 14 ± 29.4 months. A total of 64 patients (7.7%) developed surgical AVB. Among those patients who developed AVB, 48 (75%) had transient AVB. Sixteen patients (1.9%) required a pacemaker, 14 early (88%) and 2 late (12%). Patients <4 kg (4.2% vs. 1%, P ≤ .01) and those with inlet VSDs (11.6% vs. 1.4%, P ≤ .01) were more likely to develop surgical AVB. Surgical AVB was not influenced by the presence of chromosomal abnormalities or other congenital heart disease. Conclusion The overall incidence of surgical AVB is consistent with previous reports. Weight <4 kg and presence of an inlet VSD were significant risk factors.
Graded index waveguide couplers for silicon-based microphotonics

The use of a monolithically integrated graded index (GRIN) waveguide to efficiently couple light from an input aperture of several microns to microphotonic waveguides less than one micron in dimension is proposed in the paper.
Semi-supervised dimension reduction for multi-label classification

A significant challenge to make learning techniques more suitable for general purpose use in AI is to move beyond i) complete supervision, ii) low dimensional data and iii) a single label per instance. Solving this challenge would allow making predictions for high dimensional large dataset with multiple (but possibly incomplete) labelings. While other work has addressed each of these problems separately, in this paper we show how to address them together, namely the problem of semi-supervised dimension reduction for multi-labeled classification, SSDR-MC. To our knowledge this is the first paper that attempts to address all challenges together. In this work, we study a novel joint learning framework which performs optimization for dimension reduction and multi-label inference in semi-supervised setting. The experimental results validate the performance of our approach, and demonstrate the effectiveness of connecting dimension reduction and learning.
Profiling Protein Methylation with Cofactor Analog Containing Terminal Alkyne Functionality

Enzymatic transmethylation from the cofactor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) to biological molecules has recently garnered increased attention because of the diversity of possible substrates and implications in normal biology and diseases. To reveal the substrates of protein methyltransferases (PMTs), the present article focuses on an alkyne-containing SAM mimic, Se-adenosyl-L-selenomethionine (ProSeAM), and a cleavable azido-azo-biotin probe to profile the targets of endogenous PMTs in cellular contexts. This article describes the stepwise preparation of cell lysates containing active, endogenous PMTs and subsequent target labeling with ProSeAM. The article continues with the enrichment of the ProSeAM-labeled proteins with the azido-azo biotin probe as a pulldown reagent and the subsequent reductive elution with sodium dithionate for proteomic analysis. The protocols provided here were formulated for ProSeAM as a profiling reagent but can be applied to other terminal-alkyne-containing SAM analog cofactors.
Associating Human-Centered Concepts with Social Networks Using Fuzzy Sets

The rapidly growing global interconnectivity, brought about to a large extent by the Internet, has dramatically increased the importance and diversity of social networks. Modern social networks cut across a spectrum from benign recreational focused websites such as Facebook to occupationally oriented websites such as LinkedIn to criminally focused groups such as drug cartels to devastation and terror focused groups such as Al-Qaeda. Many organizations are interested in analyzing and extracting information related to these social networks. Among these are governmental police and security agencies as well marketing and sales organizations. To aid these organizations there is a need for technologies to model social networks and intelligently extract information from these models. While established technologies exist for the modeling of relational networks [1–7] few technologies exist to extract information from these, compatible with human perception and understanding. Data bases is an example of a technology in which we have tools for representing our information as well as tools for querying and extracting the information contained. Our goal is in some sense analogous. We want to use the relational network model to represent information, in this case about relationships and interconnections, and then be able to query the social network using intelligent human-centered concepts. To extend our capabilities to interact with social relational networks we need to associate with these network human concepts and ideas. Since human beings predominantly use linguistic terms in which to reason and understand we need to build bridges between human conceptualization and the formal mathematical representation of the social network. Consider for example a concept such as “leader”. An analyst may be able to express, in linguistic terms, using a network relevant vocabulary, properties of a leader. Our task is to translate this linguistic description into a mathematical formalism that allows us to determine how true it is that a particular node is a leader. In this work we look at the use of fuzzy set methodologies [8–10] to provide a bridge between the human analyst and the formal model of the network.
Scale invariance and the upper limits of interconnection complexity

A definition of interconnection complexity in terms of a constant scale-invariant dimensions of information flow is presented. The proposal that all interconnection networks must be characterized by a constant dimensionality if they are to interconnect an arbitrarily large processing system is discussed. This construction hypothesis is applied to neural networks. The results of a series of experiments to determine the optimum dimensionality are reported. >
Bound and Unbound Identity: The Reconstruction of Katanga's Nationhood Struggle

This paper examines how the local population of colonial Katanga found private spaces, amidst increasing colonial regulations, for discussions of local nationalism and nationhood in the 1940s and 1950s. Based on fieldwork, this paper highlights the use of printed space – both secular and religious – as an area for the creation of Katangan nationalism, which was controlled by a variety of characters, but was also influenced by the beliefs and cultures of traditional Katangan society. This paper examines how this nationalism then helped to create the Republic of Katanga (1960-1963) for the minority Katangan population within the greater Congolese nationality. It focuses on personal dialogue between local citizens and the local Katangan government and chiefs in the formation and development of these conversations. It further examines how their ideas became elements in the creation of a local identity and a separate nationalist identity for the 1960s secessionist movement. Finally, the paper will analyse the dynamics of pre-constructed and locally reconstructed identity and how various spaces in Katanga have helped to produce and overlap in the development of these ideas.
Phonemic Interference as a Perceptual Phenomenon

The paper reports the results of a series of experiments in which a set of synthetic vocalic stimuli were presented to speakers of various languages under two conditions. In the first condition, the subject was asked to decide whether or not the sound heard was like a vowel sound of his native language and, if so, to give an example word containing that sound. The examples were then grouped by the subject so that all examples of the same vowel sound were put together. This procedure results in a categorization of the stimuli closely resembling a vowel phoneme inventory of the subject's native language. In the second condition, the subject was asked to repeat the experiment, responding in reference to English vowel sounds. It was found that his English responses are predictable from his native language responses and not from the inventory of English vowel phonemes.
Occupational Therapy Manual for Evaluation of Range of Motion and Muscle Strength: 589 pp., by Donna Latella and Catherine Meriano, Softcover, ring bound, ISBN 0 7668 3627 4, 2003, Thomson, Delmar Learning, www.thomsonrights.com, $76.95

This textbook is written by occupational therapists for occupational therapists. The reader will find this manual focuses not only on the standardized method of assessing clients for a range of mot...
Filter & follow: how social media foster content curation

The impact of blogs and microblogging on the consumption of news is dramatic, as every day users rely more on these sources to decide what content to pay attention to. In this work, we empirically and theoretically analyze the dynamics of bloggers serving as intermediaries between the mass media and the general public.Our first contribution is to precisely describe the receiving and posting behaviors of today's social media users. For the first time, we study jointly the volume and popularity of URLs received and shared by users. We show that social media platforms exhibit a natural ``content curation'' process. Users and bloggers in particular obey two filtering laws: (1) a user who receives less content typically receives more popular content, and (2) a blogger who is less active typically posts disproportionately popular items. Our observations are remarkably consistent across 11 social media data sets. We find evidence of a variety of posting strategies, which motivates our second contribution: a theoretical understanding of the consequences of strategic posting on the stability of social media, and its ability to satisfy the interests of a diverse audience. We introduce a ``blog-positioning game'' and show that it can lead to ``efficient'' equilibria, in which users generally receive the content they are interested in. Interestingly, this model predicts that if users are overly ``picky'' when choosing who to follow, no pure strategy equilibria exists for the bloggers, and thus the game never converges. However, a bit of leniency by the readers in choosing which bloggers to follow is enough to guarantee convergence.
Sleepiness in children and adolescents: clinical implications

Over the past decade, excessive sleepiness among children and adolescents has been identified as a major societal concern. Professionals working with pediatric groups must increasingly factor sleepiness into assessments of waking function. We define and discuss excessive sleepiness in children and adolescents and review available evidence regarding effects on behavior, mood, and performance. Findings for daytime sleepiness and subsequent impairment in these domains are classified as robust to unknown. Empirical evidence clearly indicates that children and adolescents experience significant daytime sleepiness as a result of inadequate or disturbed sleep. The specific effect of sleepiness on functional domains in pediatric groups are less well-studied, but existing data suggests that children are likely to experience impairment in behavioral, mood, and performance domains. However, such variables as developmental differences in the type and degree of impairment, the degree of sleep disturbance required to produce impairments, and potential risk and protective factors for the effects of sleepiness in children have yet to be described. Further research is clearly warranted, and we discuss important questions and methodological concerns to encourage inquiry in both clinical and experimental settings. Advice is offered with regard to screening for sleep problems and associated sleepiness with children and adolescents.
Optical surfacing process optimization using parametric smoothing model for mid-to-high spatial frequency error control

High performance optical systems aiming for very low background noise from scattering or a sharp point spread function with high encircled energy often specify their beam wavefront quality in terms of a structure function or power spectral density function, which requires a control of mid-to-high spatial frequency surface errors during the optics manufacturing process. Especially for fabrication of large aspheric optics, achieving the required surface figure irregularities over the mid-to-high spatial frequency range becomes a challenging task as the polishing lap needs to be compliant enough to conform to the varying local surface shapes under the lap. This compliance degrades the lap’s smoothing capability, which relies on its rigidity. The smoothing effect corrects the mid-to-high spatial frequency errors as a polishing lap removes low spatial frequency (i.e. larger than the lap size) errors on the optical surface. Using a parametric smoothing model developed to quantitatively describe the smoothing effects during Computer Controlled Optical Surfacing (CCOS) processes, actual CCOS data from large aspheric optics fabrication projects have been analyzed and studied. The measured surface error maps were processed with the model to compare different polishing runs using various polishing parameters. The results showing the smoothing effects of mid-to-high spatial frequency surface irregularity will be presented to provide some insights for a CCOS process optimization in terms of smoothing efficiency.
A two-dimensional analysis of porous membrane transport

Abstract Membranes are often assumed to be impermeable barriers penetrated by a repeating pattern of discrete pores. When such membranes are enclosed by concentration boundary layers with nonnegligible diffusion resistances, analyses of transport through the membrane must take them into account. In this paper a mathematical model of this membrane system is chosen that includes the resistance of the boundary layers and takes specific account of the heterogeneous nature of the membrane. The solution for the diffusion flux is shown to correspond in the appropriate parametric limits to the idealized models of a one- dimensional series of resistances or of a collection of single pores opening into semi-infinite media. The solution is used to establish the range of validity of these idealized models. Moreover, the unique characteristics of the dependence of the overall diffusion flux on boundary layer thickness when the membrane contains pores suggests ways of experimentally determining whether a membrane has pore structure and, in certain cases, of estimating the average pore diameter.
Various Electrocardiographic and Electrophysiologic Presentations of Normal and Abnormal Sinus Node

Electropbysiology of the Sinus Node. Differentiation of normal from abnormal sinus nodal function is frequently difficult because the electrocardiographic and electrophysiologic presentations of abnormal and normal sinus nodal function are quite diverse. The autonomic nervous system greatly influences sinus nodal function, making this differentiation even more complicated. Data obtained from the recording of sinus nodal electrogram in animals and humans have helped in elucidating changes in automaticity and conduction of the sinus node. In this review, we provide examples of rhythms related to normal and abnormal sinus nodal function. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 3, pp. 187–197, April 1992)
Hypothalamic hyperphagia and social interaction in the monkey

Bilateral destruction in the region of the ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus in the monkey is followed by a significant increase in food intake. The present work investigated the effects of such lesions on the dominance hierarchy in a group of monkeys. The subjects were six rhesus monkeys (two females) weighing approximately 4 kg. at the beginning of the study. The dominance hierarchy was determined on two tests. The first was competition between two animals for one piece of food. The second, avoidance of shock, was conducted in a typical shock box. For this test the animals were individually conditioned to grasp and hang on a bar, projected into the box at the sound of a tone (conditional stimulus), to avoid electric shock to the feet. All animals were given ten trials a day until a criterion of 100 per cent conditioned responses for two consecutive days had been established. Two animals were then placed in the box and tested under the above conditions. Since the bar was large enough for only one animal, those not getting the bar had to remain on the grid for two seconds of shock. At the end of the two second shock period the bar was removed and the animal dropped on the grid, setting up the next trial. I n both tests ten trials a day were conducted and all combinations of animals observed. Dominance was defined in terms of the number of pieces of foot obtained and number of times on the bar. After replication of both procedures bilateral electrolytic lesions were stereotaxically placed in the region of the ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus of the most submissive animal. Ten days postoperatively the food tests were run followed by the avoidance. The next two submissive animals were then operated upon and tested in a similar sequence. Preoperative dominance ranks on the food and avoidance scales were identical. The mean weight gain for the operated animals the first five weeks postoperative was 2.6 kg. compared to a mean weight gain over the preceding year of 1.9 kg. All three operated subiects showed an increase in food dominance rank with no change on the avoidance test. One animal changed from most submissive to most dominant and the other two (females) moved up one increment. These postoperative changes were accompanied by a twothree hundred per cent increase in spontaneous food intake.
A comparison of the cerebral and haemodynamic effects of mannitol and hypertonic saline in an animal model of brain injury.

There has recently been an increased interest in the use of hypertonic saline solutions in the fluid resuscitation of trauma victims and to control intracranial hypertension. In this study, the cerebral and haemodynamic effects of a 3.2% hypertonic saline solution were compared with those of either a 0.9% saline or 20% mannitol solution in a rabbit model of brain injury. Forty-five minutes following the creation of a left hemispheric cryogenic brain lesion, equal volumes of hypertonic saline, 0.9% saline, or mannitol were infused over a 5 minute period. Monitored variables over the ensuing 120 minutes included mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure, intracranial pressure, hematocrit, serum osmolality and oncotic pressure. Upon conclusion of the two hour study period, hemispheric water contents were determined by the wet/dry weight method.
Genetic Implications of Rudist Reef Architecture: ABSTRACT

Rudist reefs developed in a variety of paleogeographic settings in the shallow Cretaceous seas of the western Gulf of Mexico region. Some reefs were built along the shelf edge, others grew on the inner shelf relatively nearshore, and others were built on the broad, open shelf. Although these reefs vary in morphology, size, biologic and sedimentologic characteristics, and relation to associated facies, probably none grew in waters deeper than a few tens of feet. The most persistent feature of these reefs is the abundant evidence of repeated subaerial exposure, early diagenesis, and erosion during deposition. Several exceptionally well-exposed reefs in the Albian and Cenomanian of Texas and northeastern Mexico provide models for interpreting the geologic history of rudist reefs elsewhere in the region. The core of each of these reefs is made of lenses, wedges, and layers of rudist-rich carbonate mudstone in which the rudists are preserved in mutually supporting, original-growth positions alternating with lenses, wedges, and layers of carbonate grainstone composed principally of rudist shell fragments. Laterally contiguous seaward deposits are carbonate grainstone, and backreef deposits are chiefly miliolid-rich carbonate mudstone. Peripheral grainstones originated as forereef debris or storm washover deposits during reef-growth stages, and as beach deposits during island stages. Backreef c rbonate mudstone was deposited as tabular units in quiet-water lagoons, and locally small mounds of diagenetically fragmented rudists characterize the environment. Truncation surfaces, weathered zones, layers of caliche, bored surfaces, zones of vadose sediment and cement, and other subaerially formed or related features and materials extend through the reef cores and in some places into the adjacent deposits as evidence of repeated exposure and resubmergence. In some reefs as many as 15 exposure periods are recorded vertically within 50 ft of reef core. Many exposure surfaces associated with these reefs are confined to the area of the End_Page 863------------------------------ reef core, others extend into the laterally contiguous deposits and a few are regional in extent. Typically, rudist reefs in this region record a history of short periods of organically controlled growth in shallow water alternating with brief periods of subaerial exposure and early diagenesis. These processes result in the formation of laterally restricted but internally complex limestone bodies 10-2,000 ft thick and a few hundreds of square feet to tens of square miles in areal extent. End_of_Article - Last_Page 864------------
Patient safety and simulation in prelicensure nursing education: An integrative review

Abstract The Institute of Medicine (2003) called for healthcare educational reform to emphasize patient safety. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (2011) initiative responded to the call and defined quality and safety competencies and knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to achieve the competencies. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the evidence of simulation to teach safety in nursing education. The final appraisal included 17 articles. The evidence supports the use of simulation to teach patient safety competencies.
Review of recent studies in magnesium matrix composites

In this paper, recent progress in magnesium matrix composite technologies is reviewed. The conventional and new processes for the fabrication of magnesium matrix composites are summarized. The composite microstructure is subsequently discussed with respect to grain refinement, reinforcement distribution, and interfacial characteristics. The mechanical properties of the magnesium matrix composites are also reported.
Distribution equilibria in micellar solutions

Abstract Ultrafiltration is used to study the distributions of methyl orthobenzoate (MOB), 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FDNB), and aniline between water and micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and a dinonylphenyl polyoxyethylene surfactant (DNPE). The ratio of solute concentration in the micelles to that in the water is measured for each system and shows significant deviation from ideality for all cases except FDNB in DNPE. Except for the systems containing aniline, activity coefficient data for the micelles are successfully correlated using the Wilson equation.
Review: Model Peptides and the Physicochemical Approach to β-Amyloids

Abstract β-Amyloid peptides are the main protein components of neuritic plaques and may be important in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. The determination of the structure of β-amyloid fibrils poses a challenge because of the limited solubility of β-amyloid peptides and the noncrystalline nature of fibrils formed from these peptides. In this paper, we describe several physicochemical approaches which have been used to examine fibrils and the fibrillogenesis of peptide models of β-amyloid. Recent advances in solid state NMR, such as the DRAWS pulse sequence, have made this approach a particularly attractive one for peptides such as β-amyloid, which are not yet amenable to high-resolution solution phase NMR and crystallography. The application of solid state NMR techniques has yielded information on a model peptide comprising residues 10–35 of human β-amyloid and indicates that in fibrils, this peptide assumes a parallel β-strand conformation, with all residues in exact register. In addition, we discuss the use of block copolymers of Aβ peptides and polyethylene glycol as probes for the pathways of fibrillogenesis. These methods can be combined with other new methods, such as high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction and small angle neutron and X-ray scattering, to yield structural data of relevance not only to disease, but to the broader question of protein folding and self-assembly.
The impact of anemia and its treatment on patients with gynecologic malignancies

Anemia is a frequent complication of cancer and its treatment. It often impairs the functional status of patients and results in decreased functional capacity and quality of life. Its etiologies are multiple, including chronic inflammation, hemorrhage, nutritional deficiencies, hemolysis, bone marrow suppression by chemotherapy, or infiltration by tumor. It can manifest as feelings of weariness, tiredness, muscular weakness, dysphoric mood, somnolence, or impaired cognitive functioning. In gynecologic patients, the incidence of anemia has been reported to be as high as 80% depending on chemotherapy regimen. Given the various consequences of a low hemoglobin level, the importance of increasing or maintaining hemoglobin levels and ameliorating the symptoms is apparent. Clinical studies have demonstrated that the administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO, epoetin alfa) is effective and safe in increasing hemoglobin levels and improving the overall quality of life in patients with gynecologic cancers undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore, epoetin alfa treatment should be considered in this patient population. Semin Oncol 29 (suppl 8):7-12. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Effect of glutathione depletion on aminopyrine and formaldehyde metabolism.

In previous studies, diethylmaleate (DEM)- and phorone-induced hepatic glutathione (GSH) depletion in rats was accompanied by impaired evolution of 14CO2 from the N-14C-labeled methyl groups of aminopyrine, which in turn was attributed to impaired generation of formaldehyde, its subsequent oxidation to formate, or to some combination of both. In the present study, l-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO)-induced hepatic GSH depletion was also accompanied by decreased evolution of CO2 from aminopyrine, but the extent of the fall in CO2 was less than that induced by DEM or phorone, even though the decrease in hepatic GSH was comparable with all three GSH-lowering compounds. Incubation of freshly prepared normal hepatic microsomes in vitro with the GSH-lowering agents resulted in impaired aminopyrine-N-demethylase (APDM) activity with inhibition by phorone greater than DEM greater than BSO. By contrast, hepatic microsomes prepared from rats pretreated with these compounds had normal APDM activity. 14CO2 evolution from i.p. administered [14C]formaldehyde was not impaired by any of the GSH-lowering compounds. Thus, assessment of APDM activity and formaldehyde metabolism did not unequivocally establish the mechanism(s) by which CO2 evolution from aminopyrine is depressed by DEM, phorone and BSO, although low GSH is likely to impair metabolism of formaldehyde formed in liver after demethylation of aminopyrine. Quantitative differences in the degree of depression of CO2 evolution suggest that at least DEM and phorone exert an additional inhibitory effect by a GSH-independent mechanism. This may involve inhibition of aminopyrine-N-demethylase activity.
Technology and the structuring of jobs: Employee satisfaction, performance, and influence

Abstract This research investigated the relationships between technology, interdependence, job characteristics, and employee satisfaction, performance, and influence. Technology was operationalized at the individual level of analysis to include the dimensions of input uncertainty, conversion uncertainty, and output uncertainty. Pooled, sequential, and reciprocal interdependence was assessed. The results indicated that input and conversion uncertainty and interdependence were strongly related to such job characteristics as autonomy, skill variety, task identity, task significance, and task feedback. While the job characteristics related positively to employee satisfaction, input and conversion uncertainty related negatively to satisfaction, thus creating a mutual suppression effect. Although the uncertainty dimensions did not relate significantly to performance, there is some evidence that this negative relationship was being suppressed by the positive relationship between job characteristics and performance. Both the job characteristics and the technology dimensions related positively to influence. Results were discussed in terms of appropriate matches between technology and job characteristics.
Magnesium sulfate and ritodrine hydrochloride: A randomized comparison

The efficacy of magnesium sulfate was analyzed in relation to ritodrine hydrochloride. Patients presenting in preterm labor between 20 and 35 weeks' gestation were prospectively randomized. Tocolysis was achieved for more than 72 hours in 35 of 40 cases (88%) where magnesium sulfate was administered and 31 of 39 cases (79%) in which ritodrine hydrochloride was infused. Delay of greater than or equal to 7 days was achieved in 75% and 72% of cases, respectively. The mean dosage to achieve tocolysis was 4.5 gm/hr, in the magnesium sulfate group and 210.0 micrograms/hr in ritodrine hydrochloride-treated patients. The mean magnesium level to achieve tocolysis was 6.60 mg/dl. Side effects in the two groups were similar in number but less alarming in the magnesium sulfate group. Magnesium sulfate was found to be easy to administer and clinically efficacious. Its tocolytic action was found to be dose dependent and drug concentrations are easily determined. On the basis of this work and data from other investigators, magnesium sulfate should be used as the first line of tocolytic therapy with ritodrine hydrochloride as its pharmacologic backup.
Linkage studies in a large kindred with hereditary pancreatitis confirms mapping of the gene to a 16-cM region on 7q

We report localization of the gene for autosomal dominant hereditary pancreatitis (HP) to a small region of the long arm of chromosome 7 in a large four-generation kindred. Affected family members may first become symptomatic in childhood or even infancy with progression to pancreatic calcification, pseudocyst formation, endocrine and exocrine insufficiency, and even pancreatic cancer in some cases. However, obligate gene carriers may remain virtually symptom free throughout life. HP is the most common cause of childhood pancreatitis in the United States. Gene mapping with microsatellite markers demonstrates that HP is tightly linked to the marker D7S684 (Zmax = 7.0, theta = 0.0). Three obligate recombinants place the HP locus within a 16-cM interval between markers D7S495 and D7S688. This confirms the localization of HP to 7q reported in a separate French kindred (2).
Product integrals II: Contour integrals

This paper continues the joint work of the authors begun in the article “On Strong Product Integration” [J. Functional Analysis, submitted]. We consider product integrals along contours; the point of view and development is analogous to the usual complex variable theory of ordinary contour integrals. Our main results are Theorem 2.3 (homotopy invariance of product integrals, an analog of Cauchy's integral theorem) and Theorem 3.4 (an analog of Cauchy's integral formula or the residue theorem).
A numerical study of limited memory BFGS methods

The application of quasi-Newton methods is widespread in numerical optimization. Independently of the application, the techniques used to update the BFGS matrices seem to play an important role in the performance of the overall method. In this paper, we address precisely this issue. We compare two implementations of the limited memory BFGS method for large-scale unconstrained problems. They differ in the updating technique and the choice of initial matrix. L-BFGS performs continuous updating, whereas SNOPT uses a restarted limited memory strategy. Our study shows that continuous updating techniques are more effective, particularly for large problems.
Polymorphic self-* agents using game theory for large-scale complex systems

In the field of multi-agent systems, a lot of attention has been focused lately on investigating various architectures and methodologies that promote effective organization and coordination within large-scale, complex, distributed systems. Specifically, the interest is in developing approaches that can be implemented within multi-agent systems to produce desirable emergent behavior that coordinates individual actors in a system competing for resources such as bandwidth, computing power, and data. This extended abstract outlines polymorphic self-* agents that evolve a core set of roles and behavior based on environmental cues. The agents adapt these roles based on the changing demands of the environment. The design combines strategies from game theory, stigmergy, and other biologically inspired models.
The association of the D2S2944 124 bp allele with recurrent early onset major depressive disorder in women.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and substance use disorders (SUD) are complex behavioral disorders with 40–50% heritability. Recently, Zubenko and colleagues reported that the 124 bp allele of D2S2944, a tetranucleotide repeat marker on 2q35, is strongly associated with recurrent, early onset MDD (RE-MDD) and alcohol use disorders in women. To test this hypothesis, we examined the association of the 124 bp allele in a subset of 171 adoptees from the Iowa Adoption Studies, a population with high rates of MDD and SUD. We report that in our population, the 124 bp allele significantly associated with RE-MDD in women. There was slight evidence of an increased of SUD in women with the 124 bp allele with the rate of cannabis use disorders reaching statistical significance (P < 0.04) before correction for multiple comparisons. Given the history of prior studies implicating 2q35 as a locus encoding vulnerability to co-morbid alcoholism and depression, these findings strongly suggest that sequence variation conveying increased susceptibility to MDD and possibly SUD is in close proximity to D2S2944. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
MINOS: A status report

Abstract MINOS is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment designed to study the region in parameter space suggested by recent results on atmospheric neutrinos from Superkamiokande, Soudan 2, and MACRO. The detector, located at the Soudan mine in northern Minnesota, will be illuminated by a neutrino beam produced by the Fermilab Main Injector, 732 km distant. Data taking is expected to begin in 2003. We report here on the present status and future plans for MINOS R&D, construction and running.
Predictive and epidemiologic modeling of the spatial risk of human onchocerciasis using biophysical factors: A case study of Ghana and Burundi

Although recent efforts taken have substantially contained human onchocerciasis in many African countries, published reports indicate a recrudescence of the disease. To understand this problem, biophysical factors that favor the establishment of human onchocerciasis in Ghana and Burundi—countries identified as threat locations of recrudescence for neighboring countries—were analyzed. Data pertaining to the prevalence of human onchocerciasis in both countries was obtained from published sources. Findings in this study suggest that there was a gradient in prevalence of onchocerciasis in geographic locations near the water streams. The predictive models suggest that rainfall, humidity, and elevation were statistically significant for Burundi data while in Ghana, only the effect of elevation was highly significant (p < 0.0001). In 2010, the estimated at-risk population was 4,817,280 people (19.75% of the total population) and 522,773 people (6.23% of the total population) in Ghana and Burundi, respectively. Findings can help in the effective design of preventive control measures.
Antagonism of the antidepressant-like effects of clenbuterol by central administration of β-adrenergic antagonists in rats

Stimulation of central β2 adrenergic receptors produces antidepressant-like effects on behavior. At present, it is not known what brain sites are involved in mediating such effects, although some recent evidence suggests the importance of the dorsal hippocampus. Experiments were carried out to determine whether central administration of β-adrenergic antagonists blocks antidepressant-like effects produced by peripheral administration of the β2-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol. The following were determined: 1) the ability of ICV or intrahippocampal administration of the non-selective β adrenergic antagonists propranolol and CGP-12177, which are lipophilic and hydrophilic, respectively, to antagonize the effects of peripherally administered clenbuterol on differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) behavior; 2) the effects of clenbuterol, administered bilaterally into the dorsal hippocampus, on DRL behavior. The antidepressant-like effects of clenbuterol, i.e. reduced response rate and increased reinforcement rate under the DRL schedule, were antagonized by either ICV or bilateral intrahippocampal infusions of propranolol or CGP-12177; CGP-12177 was approximately 8-fold more potent than propranolol. Direct infusion of clenbuterol into the bilateral dorsal hippocampus also produced antidepressant-like effects. Central β-adrenergic receptors, in particular those in the dorsal hippocampus, are involved in the mediation of the antidepressant-like effect of clenbuterol. Probably resulting from its enhanced access to the sites of action, the hydrophilic antagonist CGP-12177 was more potent than the lipophilic antagonist propranolol, even though they exhibit similar potency in vitro.
Proximity and Josephson effects with heavy-fermion superconductors

Abstract At an interface or junction, strong spin-orbit coupling with pairing inhomogeneity and small pair size on the heavy-electron side mean that coherent proximity or Josephson effects would occur for singlet to triplet as well as for singlet to singlet pairing states.
Whole-core damage analysis of EBR-II driver fuel elements following SHRT program

Abstract In the Shutdown Heat Removal Testing (SHRT) Program in EBR-II, fuel element cladding temperatures of some driver subassemblies were predicted to exceed temperatures at which cladding breach may occur. A whole-core thermal analysis of driver subassemblies was performed to determine the cladding temperatures of fuel elements, and these temperatures were used for fuel element damage calculation. The accumulated cladding damage of fuel element was found to be very small and fuel element failure resulting from SHRT transients is unlikely. No element breach was noted during the SHRT transients. The reactor was immediately restarted after the most severe SHRT transient had been completed and no driver fuel breach has been noted to date.
Consumer perceptions of food-related risks

Summary Recent research indicates that the majority of respondents in nineteen of thirty-four countries feel their food is less safe than 10 years ago. Concerns over food safety may result in elevated levels of perceived risk, particularly when fuelled by intense media coverage. The purpose of this study was to assess Ohioans’ perceptions of various food safety risks and to identify factors influencing risk judgments. Mail survey data are reported for 4014 respondents with a total response rate of 56%. Findings reveal moderate perceived levels of risk for the food safety items assessed. Pesticide residues in food and contamination of drinking water generated the highest levels of perceived risk, while mad cow disease and genetically modified foods generated the lowest levels of perceived risk. Regression results indicate that attitude toward biotechnology was the strongest predictor of perceived risk, followed by perceptions of media system dependency. Findings from this research can assist food safety specialists in developing more effective education and risk communication programmes for target audiences.
* Law, Social Science, and Racial Profiling

The term “racial profiling” describes race-based selection of citizens for interdiction by police and other legal actors. Several studies have examined whether police disproportionately stop minority citizens both in cars and on foot, and, once stopped, whether police are more likely to search or arrest them. Whether these contacts are racially motivated has been the focus of research, litigation, political mobilization, and internal scrutiny by police departments. This article reviews definitions of practices that are commonly described as racial profiling, contrasts these narrow views with the more complex legal standards that have evolved in case law, and assesses whether recent data collection efforts can generate reliable information about the extent and nature of racially disproportionate police contacts with citizens. Data analysis procedures are identified to respond to both legal and normative questions about whether racial disparities in police stops and searches rise to the level of “profiling”...
Intersexual conflict across women's ovulatory cycle

Abstract A growing literature shows that the features women find particularly attractive in men vary across the ovulatory cycle. Women furthermore appear to more frequently report attraction to men other than primary partners when they are fertile in their cycle than in the infertile luteal phase. Previous studies have shown that men are more vigilant of or attentive to their primary partners during the fertile phase compared to the luteal phase. This study had several aims: First, to replicate and extend previous findings concerning men's vigilance of partners using male as well as female reports of men's behavior; second, to examine changes in women's behavior toward partners across the cycle; third, to examine ways in which women resist men's attempts to mate-guard across the cycle. Results indicate that (a) men are particularly self-assertive toward partners when their partners are fertile; (b) similarly, women are especially self-assertive toward partners when they are fertile; (c) women report engaging in more behaviors that resist male vigilance and mate guarding when they are fertile, especially in ways that are unobservable to male partners; and (d) these effects are especially strong when women themselves report greater attraction to men other than partners when they are fertile, compared to the luteal phase.
Risk of hepatobiliary cancer after solid organ transplant in the United States.

Background & Aims Studies of liver cancer risk in recipients of solid organ transplants generally have been small, yielding mixed results, and little is known about biliary tract cancers among transplant recipients. Methods We identified incident hepatobiliary cancers among 201,549 US recipients of solid organs, from 1987 through 2008, by linking data from the US transplant registry with 15 cancer registries. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), comparing risk relative to the general population. We also calculated incidence rate ratios (RRs), comparing risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and total (intrahepatic and extrahepatic) cholangiocarcinoma among subgroups of recipients. Results Of transplant recipients, 165 developed hepatobiliary cancers (SIR, 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–1.4). HCC risk was increased among liver recipients (SIR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0–2.2), especially 5 or more years after transplant (SIR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.0–3.0). Cholangiocarcinoma was increased among liver (SIR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.6–4.8) and kidney recipients (SIR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3–3.1). HCC was associated with hepatitis B virus (RR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.3–6.9), hepatitis C virus (RR, 10; 95% CI, 5.9–16.9), and non–insulin-dependent diabetes (RR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.2–4.8). Cholangiocarcinoma was associated with azathioprine maintenance therapy (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1–3.7). Among liver recipients, primary sclerosing cholangitis was associated with an increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma, compared with the general population (SIR, 21; 95% CI, 8.2–42) and compared with liver recipients without primary sclerosing cholangitis (RR, 12.3; 95% CI, 4.1–36.4). Conclusions Risks for liver and biliary tract cancer are increased among organ transplant recipients. Risk factors for these cancers include medical conditions and potentially medications taken by recipients.
Effects of goal difficulty, goal-setting method, and expected external evaluation on intrinsic motivation.

The article examines the goal-setting method of corporations and its corresponding effects on the job performance of employees. A discussion is presented about employee motivation. The authors pres...
Dexamethasone treatment at birth enhances neonatal growth in swine.

Abstract The objective of the present study was to determine if dexamethasone (Dex; a potent synthetic glucocorticoid) treatment at birth would alter postnatal growth in neonatal pigs. Forty crossbred pigs were injected i.m. with either sterile saline (Cont; n = 10 males and 10 females) or Dex (1 mg/kg; n = 10 males and 10 females) within 1 hr of birth. All pigs remained with their respective dams until 18 d of age. Body weights were recorded weekly and on d 18. On d 17, all pigs were nonsurgically fitted with an indwelling jugular catheter and placed back with the sows. On d 18, all pigs were placed in individual pens for serial blood collection. Birth weights (1.53 ± .04 kg) did not differ between birth treatments or sex classes (P > 0.70 and 0.89, respectively). A time by treatment effect was detected (P