cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation and expression of cDNAs from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) that encode two novel basic helix-loop-Helix/PER-ARNT-SIM (bHLH/PAS) proteins with distinct functions in the presence of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Evidence for alternative mRNA splicing and dominant negative activity in the bHLH/PAS family.

cDNAs encoding two distinct basic helix-loop-helix/PER-ARNT-SIM (bHLH/PAS) proteins with similarity to the mammalian aryl hydrocarbon nuclear translocator (ARNT) protein were isolated from RTG-2 rainbow trout gonad cells. The deduced proteins, termed rtARNTa and rtARNTb, are identical over the first 533 amino acids and contain a basic helix-loop-helix domain that is 100% identical to human ARNT. rtARNTa and rtARNTb differ in their COOH-terminal domains due to the presence of an additional 373 base pairs of sequence that have the characteristics of an alternatively spliced exon. The presence of the 373-base pair region causes a shift in the reading frame. rtARNTa lacks the sequence and has a COOH-terminal domain of 104 residues rich in proline, serine, and threonine. rtARNTb contains the sequence and has a COOH-terminal domain of 190 residues rich in glutamine and asparagine. mRNAs for both rtARNT splice variants were detected in RTG-2 gonad cells, trout liver, and gonad tissue. rtARNTa and rtARNb protein were identified in cell lysates from RTG-2 cells. Transfection of rtARNT expression vectors into murine Hepa-1 cells that are defective in ARNT function (type II) result in rtARNT protein expression localized to the nucleus. Treatment of these cells with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin results in a 20-fold greater induction of endogenous P4501A1 protein in cells expressing rtARNTb when compared with rtARNTa, even though both proteins effectively dimerize with the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The decreased function of rtARNTa appears to be due to inefficient binding of rtARNTa·;AHR complexes to DNA. In addition, the presence of rtARNTa can reduce the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-dependent function of rtARNTb in vivo and in vitro.
Solutions of the callan-symanzik equation in a complex neighborhood of zero coupling

In this paper we investigate some of the consequences of having the vertex functions in a field theory or a model, that satisfy the Callan-Symanzik equation, also satisfy some analyticity and uniformity properties in the coupling constant g. The solutions of the Callan-Symanzik equation in a complex neighborhood of the origin are studied. The implications of analyticity in g to scaling, anomalous dimensions, and Borel summability for large Euclidean momenta are pointed out. The input we start with, though not yet established in four- dimensional field theories, has been proved for two-dimensional phi$sup 4$ theories. It also happens to be true in many ''models'' discussed in the literature in connection with Bjorken scaling. (AIP)
Gate Dielectrics for Organic Field‐Effect Transistors: New Opportunities for Organic Electronics

In this contribution we review the motivations for, and recent advances in, new gate dielectric materials for incorporation into organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) for organic electronics. After a general introduction to OTFT materials, operating principles, and processing requirements for optimizing low-cost organic electronics, this review focuses on three classes of OTFT-compatible dielectrics: i) inorganic (high-k) materials; ii) polymeric materials; and iii) self-assembled mono- and/multilayer materials. The principal goals in this active research area are tunable and reduced OTFT operating voltages, leading to decreased device power consumption while providing excellent dielectric/insulator properties and efficient low-cost solution-phase processing characteristics.
Can catch shares prevent fisheries collapse

Recent reports suggest that most of the world's commercial fisheries could collapse within decades. Although poor fisheries governance is often implicated, evaluation of solutions remains rare. Bioeconomic theory and case studies suggest that rights-based catch shares can provide individual incentives for sustainable harvest that is less prone to collapse. To test whether catch-share fishery reforms achieve these hypothetical benefits, we have compiled a global database of fisheries institutions and catch statistics in 11,135 fisheries from 1950 to 2003. Implementation of catch shares halts, and even reverses, the global trend toward widespread collapse. Institutional change has the potential for greatly altering the future of global fisheries.
Intratumoral administration of a 1,2-dimyristyloxypropyl-3- dimethylhydroxyethyl ammonium bromide/dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine formulation of the human interleukin-2 gene in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Leuvectin (Vical Inc., San Diego, CA) is a gene transfer product in which a plasmid encoding the human interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene is complexed with the cationic lipid 1,2-dimyristyloxypropyl-3-dimethylhydroxyethyl ammonium bromide/dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMRIE/DOPE). In the current study, the authors investigated the safety and efficacy of in situ vaccination with Leuvectin in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. METHODS Thirty-one patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma were treated with intratumorally administered Leuvectin at doses ranging from 0.75 to 4 mg. These patients subsequently were evaluated for response and for treatment-related toxicity. RESULTS Treatment was well tolerated: no Grade 3 or 4 toxicities were observed in association with the study agent. Documented side effects included Grade 1 pain at the injection site (20%); mild (i.e., Grade 1 or 2) constitutional symptoms, including malaise/myalgia, low-grade fever, and chills (74%); Grade 1 fatigue (19%); Grade 1 or 2 nausea (10%); and Grade 2 allergy (1 occurrence). Two patients experienced partial responses, which endured for 32 months and 6 years, respectively, and 1 patient currently is experiencing a pathologic complete response, which, to date, has persisted for 50 months; thus, the overall response rate was 10%. In addition, 7 patients (23%) experienced disease stabilization for a median of 8 months (range, 4–48 months). The median duration of survival from the start of Leuvectin treatment was 11 months (range, 2–72 months), with a 1-year survival rate of 48% and a 3-year survival rate of 19%. Laboratory analysis of tumor samples revealed the presence of IL-2 plasmid DNA in six of eight patients posttreatment, increased IL-2 expression in tumor cells in four of eight patients posttreatment, and increased tumor infiltration by CD8-positive lymphocytes in five of eight patients posttreatment. CONCLUSIONS Immunotherapy with intratumorally administered Leuvectin is safe and can lead to durable objective responses in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Importing Ideas: The Transnational Transfer of Urban Revitalization Policy

Abstract This article demonstrates that the business improvement district (BID) is a model for urban revitalization that policy entrepreneurs have deliberately transferred, both intra- and inter-nationally. Data collected via personal interviews and organizational surveys reveal the origins of the BID model, why and how it was successfully transferred to eight different countries, and the types of conditions that prevent its adoption. Special attention is given to the application of the BID model in the United States and the Republic of South Africa for the purpose of illustrating how entrepreneurs apply new policies in contexts with divergent histories, and political and socio-economic conditions. This study does not test or expand policy transfer theory. However, through a detailed description of the work done by urban revitalization policy entrepreneurs, it seeks to make a modest contribution to the policy transfer literature. It also intends to augment the burgeoning BID literature by identifying key ...
Graphical Representations of Tukey's Multiple Comparison Method

Abstract Tukey's multiple comparison method is widely implemented in statistical packages. We list the inferential and perceptual tasks a graphical representation of Tukey's method may be required to perform, and show that the most commonly used graphical representations (underlining, line-by-line plotting, notched boxplots, and comparison circles) are all lacking in some respect. A new graphical representation, based on the mean-mean scatterplot, is proposed instead. This representation performs all the inferential and perceptual tasks not only in an unbalanced one-way model, but also in a general linear model. An event-driven, color-graphics implementation is presented. Finally, issues for future research, such as color perception and comparative experimentation, are briefly discussed.
An Alternative Approach to Network Demand Estimation: Implementation and Application in Multi-Agent Transport Simulation (MATSim)☆

Abstract This paper introduces a novel network demand estimation framework consistent with the input data structure requirements of Multi-Agent Transport Simulation (MATSim). The sources of data are the American Community Survey, US Census Bureau, National Household Travel Surveys, travel surveys from South East Florida Regional Planning Authority, OpenStreetMap and Florida Statewide Transportation Engineering Warehouse for Archived Regional Database. The developed framework employs mathematical and statistical methods to derive probability density functions and multinomial logit models for activity and location choices. The implementation of demand estimation process resulted into the creation of 1,200,889 agents (only those using cars). The scenario for the estimated agents was configured and simulated in MATSim. The results from the simulated scenario resulted in the expected morning, afternoon and evening traffic patterns as well as the desirable level of agreement between simulated and observed traffic volumes.
Interfacial velocity corrections due to multiplicative noise

The problem of velocity selection for reaction fronts has been intensively investigated, leading to the successful marginal stability (MS) approach for propagation into an unstable state. Because the front velocity is controlled by the leading edge which perforce has low density, it is interesting to study the role that finite particle number fluctuations have on this picture. Here, we use the well-known mapping of discrete Markov processes to stochastic differential equations and focus on the front velocity in the simple $A+A\ensuremath{\leftrightarrows}A$ system. Our results are consistent with a recent (heuristic) proposal that ${v}_{\mathrm{MS}}\ensuremath{-}v\ensuremath{\sim}1/{\mathrm{ln}}^{2}N.$
Foxa2, a novel transcriptional regulator of insulin sensitivity.

The transcriptional network downstream of the insulin receptor is incompletely understood, but recent data identify a new player. Foxa2—a forkhead transcription factor—controls hepatic lipid metabolism in fasting and type 2 diabetes, improving insulin resistance in peripheral tissues.
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF CREATINE KINASE ISOENZYMES IN CHILDREN

In adults, plasma elevations of creatine kinase isoenzymes are highly specific for myocardial necrosis, however, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of MB CK in children have not been determined. Accordingly, we analyzed the CK isoenzymes by a kinetic fluorometric method in serial plasma samples from 89 patients, aged 1 day - 17 yrs, mean 3.9 yrs, and 34 controls, 1 mo - 18 yrs, 6.1 yrs. 57 pts. had cardiac catheterization (cath) and angiography. Cyanotic group included tetrology (2), transposition (3), atrioventricular canal (3), truncus (1), total anomalous pulmonary venous return (2), and combinations (9); acyanotic group included septal defects (13), valvular lesions (10), patent ductus arteriosus (6), idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (2), endocardial fibroelastosis (1), pericarditis (1), and combinations (4). 31 pts. had cardiac surgery for congenital defects. Blood samples were collected prior to cath or surgery and q6H × 2 thereafter. CK isoenzymes were assayed with and without creatine phosphate, the specific CK substrate, and results compared to controls. MB CK was normal in control, pre cath and pre surgery samples (<.005 IU/ml). After cath, despite total CK elevations in 91%, with up to 12-fold increase, MB remained normal in 88%. However, after cardiac surgery, total and MB CK were elevated in all pts. Thus, elevated plasma MBCK in the pediatric population appears to be a sensitive and specific indicator of acute myocardial damage.
Cluster-based congestion control for sensor networks

In wireless sensor networks, multiple flows from data collecting sensors to an aggregating sink could traverse paths that are largely interference coupled. These interference effects manifest themselves as congestion, and cause the flows to experience high packet loss and arbitrary packet delays. This is particularly problematic in event-based sensor networks (such as those in disaster recovery missions) where some flows are of greater importance than others and require a higher fidelity in terms of packet delivery and timeliness. In this paper we present COMUT (COngestion control for MUlti-class Traffic), a distributed cluster-based mechanism for supporting multiple classes of traffic in sensor networks. COMUT is based on the self-organization of the network into clusters, each of which autonomously and proactively monitors congestion within its localized scope. The clusters then exchange appropriate information to facilitate system wide rate control where, each data source, depending on the relative importance of its data flow and the experienced congestion en route the sink, is coerced into controlling its rate. Our simulation results demonstrate that (i) our techniques are highly effective in dealing with multiple, interfering flows and in achieving high delivery ratios and low delays compared to traditional approaches, (ii) operate successfully over multiple underlying routing protocols, (iii) provide higher throughput to higher importance flows, (iv) are responsive to failures and, finally, (v) achieve substantial energy savings due to the considerable reduction in packet drops via the effective regulation of the network load.
Keeping ‘True’: A Case Study in Conceptual Ethics

AbstractSuppose our ordinary notion of truth is ‘inconsistent’ in the sense that its meaning is partly given by principles that classically entail a logical contradiction. Should we replace the notion with a consistent surrogate? This paper begins by defusing various arguments in favor of this revisionary proposal, including Kevin Scharp’s contention that we need to replace truth for the purposes of semantic theorizing (and thus, in particular, to formulate the inconsistency theory of truth itself). Borrowing a certain conservative metasemantic principle from Matti Eklund, the article goes on to build a positive case for the opposite policy: retaining truth as-is. The thought is basically that bivalence for the bulk of what we say in the course of ordinary, scientific, and philosophical inquiry should suffice to justify keeping ‘true’. Two versions of the story are told: one more philosophical, drawing on an analogy to Lewis’ response to Putnam’s paradox; the other more technical, invoking a deviant stran...
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Educational Investment in Venezuela: 1989 Update.

Abstract In this paper we use data from the latest Venezuelan Household Survey (1989, second semester) to assess macro priorities among educational investment in that country. An analysis of earnings by educational level reveals persisting, although declining over time, premia to the more educated relative to the less educated. The cost-benefit analysis indicates that primary education is on top of the benefit-cost hierarchy: it yields the highest returns per unit of its low social cost. Higher education exhibits the lowest returns among the three levels of education, mainly due to the high cost of university provision. Secondary education lies inbetween the above on the cost-benefit calculus. Among the two streams of the secondary level, technical/vocational education has less than one percentage point social rate of return advantage over general/academic education — a result that runs counter to what has been found in the literature in other countries.
Microwave and millimeter wave spectra of hydrazoic acid

Abstract Five rotational transitions have been recorded for each of the abundant species of hydrazoic acid and hydrazoic acid-d. Both molecules have normal centrifugal distortion behavior. The spectroscopic constants derived from the measurements are HN 3 −A 0 = 615,600 ± 7000 Mc/sec, B 0 = 12,034.15 ± 0.09 Mc/sec, C 0 = 11,781.51 ± 0.09 Mc/sec, D JK = 787.8 ± 5.4 kc/sec, D J = 5.09 ± 0.54 kc/sec, H JKK = −1.13 ± 0.15 kc/sec, H JJK - 0.03 ± 0.03 kc/sec. DN 3 −A 0 = 351,500 ± 7000 Mc/sec, B 0 = 1,350.23 ± 0.05 Mc/sec, C 0 = 10,965.48 ± 0.05 Mc/sec, D JK = 442.6 ± 2.4 kc/sec, D J = 4.22 ± 0.17 kc/sec, H JKK = − 0.21 ± 0.08 kc/sec, H JJK = − 0.03 ± 0.02 kc/sec. An important part of the study was a reinvestigation of the J = 0 → 1 transition of HN 3 which gave eq aa Q = 4.65 ± 0.25Mc/sec for the NH nitrogen N 14 nucleus.
An analysis of simple counting methods for ordering incomplete ordinal data

Measurement in the social sciences often involves an attempt to completely order a set of entities on the basis of an underlying attribute. However, limitations of the measurement process often prevent complete empirical determination of the desired ordering. Nevertheless, the ordinal data obtained from the measurement process can be used in attempting to recover or construct more of the underlying order than is provided by the data. Previous research (Fishburn and Gehrlein, 1974a) has shown that a simple one-stage construction method, referred to as the ‘cardinal rule”, is fairly effective in correctly identifying ordered pairs in the underlying linear order that are not identified by the measurement process. The present paper re-examines the cardinal rule from the perspective of construction methods based on simple counting measures derived from the data, and argues that it is the best one-stage method in this class when a natural monotonicity assumption holds for the measurement process. The paper then examines two-stage construction rules that are based on the cardinal rule and the simple counting measures. It is shown that one of the two-stage rules gives better overall results than does the cardinal rule by itself.
A polynomial chaos approach to ARIMA modeling and terrain characterization

During the vehicle design process, excitation loads are needed to correctly model the system response. The main source of excitation to this dynamic system comes from the terrain. Characteristic models of terrain topology, therefore, would allow for more accurate models and simulations of the system response. Terrain topology can be characterized as a realization of an underlying stochastic process. It has been demonstrated that ARIMA modeling can be used to characterize non-stationary road profiles. In this work it is suggested that ARIMA models of terrain topology can be further developed by characterizing the previously deterministic autoregressive coefficients as random variables. In this way uncertainty is introduced into the system parameters and propagated through the process to yield a distribution of terrain topology. This distribution is then dependent on the distribution of the residuals as well as the distribution of the ARIMA coefficients. The use of random variables to classify road types is discussed as possible future work.
Mental Status as a Predictor of Daily Function in Progressive Dementia

To evaluate a standardized mental status exam's ability to predict activities of daily living (ADLs), Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) scores and ADL scores were obtained from 59 patients with progressive dementias of widely varying severity but with no other psychiatric disorders or major medical problems. The MMSE scores explained only about one-third of the variance in both instrumental ADLs and physical ADLs in the whole sample, and the MMSE and ADLs were independent of one another in the less demented half of the sample. This suggests that cognitive losses and functional impairments are two distinct aspects of dementia severity, which must be assessed separately.
Infection rate of simple suturing

Four hundred consecutive patients with superficial lacerations participated in a study of infection rate of lacerations sutured in an emergency department. Of these, 332 (83%) returned for suture removal. An infection rate of 5% was noted. Reported incidence of infection among the 68 (17%) non-returnees was 5.8%.
Determining the sources of calcium for migratory songbirds using stable strontium isotopes.

We investigated natural variations in the stable isotopic composition of strontium (a surrogate for calcium) in the bones of a single species of breeding migratory songbird, as well as in their eggshells, egg contents, and food sources. We use this information to determine the sources of calcium to these migratory songbirds and their offspring. Samples were collected from two locations in the northeastern USA (Hubbard Brook, NH, and Downer Forest, VT.) that differed in soil geochemistry. The mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios of food items (caterpillars and snails), eggshells, and egg contents were indistinguishable within each site, but significantly different between the two sites. Mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios for the bones of adult females were significantly different between the two sites, but values were significantly lower than those of food items and eggshells at each site. Two of four adult individuals studied at each site had 87Sr/86Sr ratios lower than the entire range of values for local food sources. Mixing calculations indicate that up to 60% of skeletal strontium and calcium was derived from foods consumed in the winter grounds where lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios predominate. At each study site, the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of eggshells differed significantly between clutches, but the mean clutch 87Sr/86Sr ratios were unrelated to the skeletal 87Sr/86Sr ratio of the laying adult. These findings suggest that strontium (and hence calcium) for eggshell production in this species is derived predominantly from local food sources in breeding areas. Thus, reductions in available calcium in northern temperate ecosystems due to the influences of acid deposition could be potentially harmful to this and other species of migratory bird.
Rebuilding the Middle Ages after the Second World War: the cultural politics of reconstruction in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

Abstract Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one of Germany's most popular tourist destinations attracting over two and a half million visitors annually. Yet, many visitors do not realize that nearly half of Rothenburg's medieval architectural heritage was destroyed in 1945. Its reconstruction was characterized by complex negotiations and compromises as Rothenburgers attempted to balance contemporary preservation philosophies with the town's image as a national symbol and economic interests in a revived tourist trade. These diverse factors were generally complementary and resulted in a remarkably consistent and consensual effort, but the project was not without controversies and contradictions. This article examines the cultural politics of reconstruction in Rothenburg as an attempt to preserve and rebuild the town's image as well as its actual physical structures. Although both the reconstruction of Rothenburg's built environment and its symbolic meaning buttressed the town's status as a national cultural icon, divergent strategies for each project have diminished awareness of the reconstruction period and opportunities for critically engaging this past.
Economics of new technologies for sustainable agriculture

Sustainable agriculture is prescribed as a policy approach that maximizes economic benefits while maintaining environmental quality. It is argued that this approach is human capital–intensive and encourages new scientific developments. To attain sustainability, economic incentives for the development and adoption of precision technologies (with minimal residues that cause environmental damage) have to be developed. Taxation and tradeable permits are desirable policies to attain first–best solutions; however, when heterogeneity and lack–of–information problems are significant, alternative institutions have to be developed. The paper presents and discusses such institutions.
Dose-Dependent Efficacy and Safety Toxicology of Hydroxypyridinonate Actinide Decorporation Agents in Rodents: Towards a Safe and Effective Human Dosing Regimen

Two hydroxypyridinone-containing actinide decorporation agents, 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) and 5-LIO(Me-3,2-HOPO), are being developed for the treatment of internal actinide contamination by chelation therapy. Dose-response efficacy profiles in mice were established for the removal of intravenously injected 238Pu and 241Am after parenteral and oral treatment with these chelators. In both cases, presumed efficacious doses promoted substantially greater actinide elimination rates than the currently approved agent, diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid, considering two different interspecies scaling methods for the conversion of human doses to equivalent rodent dose levels. In addition, genotoxicity of both ligands was assessed using the Salmonella/Escherichia coli/microsome plate incorporation test and the Chinese hamster ovary cell chromosome aberration assay, showing that neither ligand is genotoxic, in the presence and absence of metabolic activation. Finally, maximum tolerated dose studies were performed in rats ...
Enter at your own risk: HMO participation and enrollment in the Medicare risk market

We examine HMO participation and enrollment in the Medicare risk market for the years 1990 to 1995. We develop a profit-maximization model of HMO behavior, which explicitly considers potential linkages between an HMO’s production decision in the commercial enrollee market and its participation and production decisions in the Medicare risk market. Our results suggest that the payment rate is a primary determinant of HMO participation, while the price of a supplemental Medicare insurance policy positively affects HMO Medicare enrollment. We also find empirical support for the existence of complementarities in the joint production of an HMO’s commercial and Medicare products.
Vaccination for the Prevention of Maternal and Fetal Infection with Guinea Pig Cytomegalovirus

Live guinea pig cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine was prepared after 11 serial passages in tissue culture; noninfectious envelope antigen vaccine was prepared by n-octyl glucoside treatment of CMV-derived dense bodies and virions. Hartley strain guinea pigs immunized with either vaccine were compared with guinea pigs inoculated with virulent, salivary gland-passaged CMV (approximating natural infection), with passively immunized animals, and with nonimmune controls. All vaccinated animals had neutralizing antibodies to CMV. After challenge with virulent CMV, animals previously inoculated with either tissue culture-passaged or virulent CMV were protected against acute viremia and death; pregnant animals previously inoculated with live CMV vaccine had lower incidences of viremia and generalized maternal and fetal infection. Envelope antigen-vaccinated and passively immunized pregnant animals showed acute viremia after similar challenge with virulent virus; however, infection was less generalized than that in control animals, and CMV was not isolated from the fetuses of these vaccinated mothers.
The control systems engineering foundation of traditional Indian medicine: the Rosetta Stone for Siddha and Ayurveda

This paper uncovers the scientific foundation of traditional systems of Indian medicine: Siddha and Ayurveda, from core principles shared in modern control systems engineering. Grand challenges of modern healthcare are motivating a paradigm shift towards systems of systems (SoS) approaches. The recent emergence of modern systems biology and the concomitant growth of evidence-based research in ancient systems of holistic medicine such as Siddha and Ayurveda, practiced in India for over 5,000 years, exemplify this shift. This paper reveals a Rosetta Stone, inscribed from principles of control systems engineering, to comprehend the scientific foundations of the ancient lingua franca of Siddha and Ayurveda. This discovery provides a much-needed integrative framework, across east and west, ancient and modern, to develop a systems medicine that overcomes the reductionism of modern healthcare.
Chemical control of the striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker) in rice

Abstract Treating rice seedlings with chemicals shortly before or after infestation controlled stem borer activity in the stems. The liquid formations were more effective for near immediate protection. There was a lag in the effectivity of the granular formulations shortly after application. The trial showed that two (Triazophos and Mocap applied at 0.75 and 1.00 kg a.i./ha, respectively) of the chemicals tested were effective after 7 days.
Parabolic resection for mitral valve repair

Parabolic resection, named for the shape of the cut edges of the excised tissue, expands on a common 'trick' used by experienced mitral surgeons to preserve tissue and increase the probability of successful repair. Our objective was to describe and clinically analyze this simple modification of conventional resection. Thirty-six patients with mitral regurgitation underwent valve repair using parabolic resection in combination with other techniques. Institution specific mitral data, Society of Thoracic Surgeons data and preoperative, post-cardiopulmonary bypass (PCPB) and postoperative echocardiography data were collected and analyzed. Preoperative echocardiography demonstrated mitral regurgitation ranging from moderate to severe. PCPB transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated no regurgitation or mild regurgitation in all patients. Thirty-day surgical mortality was 2.8%. Serial echocardiograms demonstrated excellent repair stability. One patient (2.9%) with rheumatic disease progressed to moderate regurgitation 33 months following surgery. Echocardiography on all others demonstrated no or mild regurgitation at a mean follow-up of 22.8 +/- 12.8 months. No patient required mitral reintervention. Longitudinal analysis demonstrated 80% freedom from cardiac death, reintervention and greater than moderate regurgitation at four years following repair. Parabolic resection is a simple technique that can be very useful during complex mitral reconstruction. Early and intermediate echocardiographic studies demonstrate excellent results. (c) 2010 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.
Evaluation of the immune system in rats and mice administered linear ammonium perfluorooctanoate.

Repeated high doses of ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO) have been reported to affect immune system function in mice. To examine dose-response characteristics in both rats and mice, male CD rats and CD-1 mice were dosed by oral gavage with 0.3‐30 mg/kg/day of linear APFO for 29 days. Anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBC) IgM levels, clinical signs, body weights, selected hematology, and lipid parameters, liver weights, spleen, and thymus weights and cell number, selected histopathology, and serum corticosterone concentrations were evaluated. In rats, linear APFO had no effect on production of anti-SRBC antibodies. Ten and 30 mg/kg/day resulted in systemic toxicity as evidenced by decreases in body weight gain to 74 and 37%, and increases in serum corticosterone levels to 135 and 196% of control, respectively. In mice dosed with 10 and 30 mg/kg/day, marked systemic toxicity and stress were observed, as evidenced by a loss in body weight of 3.8 and 6.6 g, respectively (despite a tripling of liver weight), ~230% increase in serum corticosterone, and increases in absolute numbers of peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes with an accompanying decrease in absolute lymphocyte numbers. Immune-related findings at 10 and 30 mg/kg/day that likely represent secondary responses to the systemic toxicity and stress observed at these doses include: decreased IgM antibody production at 10 (20% suppression) and 30 mg/kg/day (28% suppression); decreased spleen and thymus weights and cell numbers; microscopic depletion/atrophy of lymphoid tissue at 10 (thymus) and 30 mg/kg/day (spleen). In summary, no immune-related changes occurred in rats, even at doses causing systemic toxicity. In mice, immune-related changes occurred only at doses causing
The Core Promoter of the Capsule Operon of Streptococcus pneumoniae Is Necessary for Colonization and Invasive Disease

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a commensal of the human nasopharynx but can cause invasive diseases, including otitis media, pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. The capsular polysaccharide (capsule) is a critical virulence factor required for both asymptomatic colonization and invasive disease, yet the expression level is different in each anatomical site. During colonization, reduced levels of capsule promote binding to the host epithelium and biofilm formation, while during systemic infection, increased capsule is required to evade opsonophagocytosis. How this regulation of capsule expression occurs is incompletely understood. To investigate the contribution of transcriptional regulation on capsule level in the serotype 4 strain TIGR4, we constructed two mutants harboring a constitutive promoter that was either comparably weaker (Pcat) or stronger (PtRNAGlu) than the wild-type (WT) capsule promoter, Pcps. Mild reductions in cpsA and cpsE transcript levels in the Pcat promoter mutant resulted in a 2-fold reduction in total amounts of capsule and in avirulence in murine models of lung and blood infection. Additionally, the PtRNAGlu mutant revealed that, despite expressing enhanced levels of cpsA and cpsE and possessing levels of capsule comparable to those of WT TIGR4, it was still significantly attenuated in all tested in vivo niches. Further analysis using chimeric promoter mutants revealed that the WT -10 and -35 boxes are required for optimal nasopharyngeal colonization and virulence. These data support the hypothesis that dynamic transcriptional regulation of the capsule operon is required and that the core promoter region plays a central role in fine-tuning levels of capsule to promote colonization and invasive disease.
Are IA-2 and RESP18 Involved in Trait of Blood Pressure?

To the Editor: Congenic rat strains are important tools for the genetic dissection of essential hypertension.1 Garrett et al recently demonstrated that a blood pressure (BP) quantitative trait locus (QTL) exists within a newly defined 117-kb QTL region on rat chromosome 9.2 By using microarray technology, the authors first found that the mRNA of Resp18 (endocrine-specific protein 18) is &7.27-fold lower in the kidney of S.R(9)x3A congenic rats (Dahl salt-resistant) than that of S rats (Dahl salt-sensitive). Furthermore, sequencing analysis revealed multiple mutations of Resp18 , particularly the sequence variation (T/C) in exon 2. However, a fine-map analysis showed that Resp18 is located just outside of the 117-kb QTL region; thus, Resp18 was eliminated as a candidate gene. The authors, however, did not address: (1) whether a homolog gene of Resp18 exists in genome, particularly in the 117-kb QTL region; (2) the significance of the Resp18 sequence variation (T/C) in exon 2; and (3) the possibilities that RESP18 plays a role in BP. We recently demonstrated that RESP18 not only shares significant sequence similarities with the N -terminal domain (amino acid 1&200) of IA-2, a dense-core vesicle (DCV)-transmembrane protein, but also shows a similar biological function to IA-2 in …
Management of reengineering knowledge: AI-based approaches

Knowledge about "best practices" for reengineering can be critical to a firm’s ability to evolve and respond to competition. As a result, this paper addresses the issue of how to manage reengineering knowledge. Multiple forms of knowledge representation are adapted to address two primary issues: When and what should a firm reengineer? Four different knowledge-based models and prototypes are developed to illustrate particular types of reengineering knowledge. The prototypes are used to draw inferences about issues in knowledge management and to illustrate feasibility. Distribution of best practices reengineering knowledge can then be accomplished using knowledge servers or making software and knowledge bases available to download off the world wide web.
INTEGRATING LABOR RELATIONS AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT : IMPACTS ON STATE WORKFORCES

What is the combined effect of labor relations and human resources management on results that are important to managers? This article provides a preliminary answer to this question using data from the 50 state governments. Research considering the influence of public sector unions on public sector outcomes typically operationalizes unionization as bivariate, which greatly understates the complexity of the relationships. Furthermore, labor relations research often fails to consider the human resources management systems in which labor relations operates. Considering the effects of labor relations and human resource management policies together on intermediate outcomes such as quality of hires, turnover, and tenure begins to provide a more complete picture of the workforce management system, and provides a roadmap for future research which can be informative for both the public and private sectors.
Fourier-filtered van der Waals contact surfaces: accurate ligand shapes from protein structures.

1 Address for correspondence We describe an improved method for determining the shapes and positions of ligand binding sites on proteins by calculating difference contact surfaces of proteins. We report that such calculations may be carried out efficiently by using the principle of the convolution functional operation. Key to this method are (i) use of contact surfaces rather than accessible surfaces, (ii) use of Fourier filtering to smooth binding site features for which the surface features fluctuate too sporadically to correspond with the shape of a true ligand, and (iii) use of Fourier filtering to obtain a simplified intermediate surface to distinguish between non-contiguous adjacent binding sites. This method for determining the shape and location of substrate binding sites has successfully located a number of experimentally observed substrate binding sites for several different ligands bound to several different proteins and it predicts consistent shapes and positions for previously unobserved substrate binding sites. The shapes of the sites calculated by this algorithm are closer to the shapes of the actual ligands than are shapes of similar sites calculated by other, presently available software. We expect that this method shall be of general utility for predicting protein‐ ligand interactions.
Feasibility of completing an accelerated vaccine series for homeless adults.

Homeless adults are at high risk for HBV infection. In addition to culturally-sensitive programs designed to enhance vaccination compliance, accelerated HBV vaccination (three doses over 21 days) have also been suggested to improve compliance among high-risk groups. In this paper, we examined predictors of completers of two of three doses of a HAV/HBV vaccine series, normally delivered over a six-month period, to simulate compliance with an accelerated series, dosed over four weeks. A convenience sample of 865 homeless adults were randomized into a nurse case-managed approach (NCMIT) versus standard programs with (SIT) and without tracking (SI). Each group was assessed for completion of two of the three dose HAV/HBV vaccine series as well as the full three dose vaccine series. Sixty-eight percent of the NCMIT participants completed the three dose vaccination series at 6 months compared to 61% of SIT participants and 54% of SI participants. Eighty-one percent of the NCMIT participants completed two of the vaccinations compared to 78% of SIT participants and 73% of SI participants. The NCMIT approach resulted in greater numbers of completers of two of three doses and of the full three dose vaccine series. Predictors of completers of two doses and the full three dose vaccine series are provided. A greater number of homeless persons completed two doses across the three groups compared to the three-dose vaccine series. The use of nurse case-management and tracking, coupled with an accelerated HAV/HBV vaccination schedule, may optimize vaccination compliance in homeless adults.
Plans, Inference, and Indirect Speech Acts

One of the central concerns of a theory of pra~atics is to explain what actions language users per fo rm by making u t t e r a n c e s . Th is concern i s a lso r e l e v a n t to the d e s i g n e r s o f c o n v e r s a t i o n a l language unde rs tand ing systems, e s p e c i a l l y those i n tended to coope ra te w i t h a user in the e x e c u t i o n o f some t ask ( e . g . , t he Computer C o n s u l t a n t t ask d iscussed in Walker [1978]).
Milk Lipase Activity: A Method for its Determination, and its Relationship to the Estrual Cycle*

Summary 1. A new method for lipase analysis has been reported. 2. Tributyrin appeared to be a more sensitive indicator of milk which developed rancidity than did tricaproin, triacetin, tripalmitin, or sterilized butter oil. 3. The method was developed primarily for the study of milk lipase activity with pure substrate. Enough data have not been taken under different conditions to set absolute limits to indicate rancidity by organoleptic test. Most of the data obtained were from milk which had a high total solids content. One series of samples from a cow producing milk with a low butterfat content was slightly higher in activity per gram of dried, defatted milk powder than some others which had shown rancidity on organoleptic test and yet they produced milk in which the defect could not be detected. It is possible that these border-line cases could have been eliminated had total solids as well as the titration per gram of dried, defatted milk been considered. 4. The milk lipase appeared to show some selectivity in its hydrolysis, acting more rapidly on the volatile than on the non-volatile substrates. 5. When the milk was kept for an additional 24 hours before drying, there was a marked increase in tributyrinase activity. 6. Cream which was obtained by gravity separation contained much higher lipase activity than did the skim milk from the same sample. 7. There appeared to be no relationship between the lipolytic action which causes hydrolytic rancidity and that which attacks the substrates diacetin and ethyl-oleate. 8. When samples of milk were collected at frequent intervals from open cows, the data showed a definite relationship between the estrus cycle and the lipase activity.
Mid systolic notching of the pulmonary valve in the absence of pulmonary hypertension

In a patient with idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery the pulmonary valve echogram showed a prominent mid systolic closing motion or notching indistinguishable from that seen in pulmonary hypertension. Normal right ventricular and pulmonary arterial pressures were recorded simultaneously with echocardiograms of the pulmonary valve.
What is biomedical informatics

Biomedical informatics lacks a clear and theoretically-grounded definition. Many proposed definitions focus on data, information, and knowledge, but do not provide an adequate definition of these terms. Leveraging insights from the philosophy of information, we define informatics as the science of information, where information is data plus meaning. Biomedical informatics is the science of information as applied to or studied in the context of biomedicine. Defining the object of study of informatics as data plus meaning clearly distinguishes the field from related fields, such as computer science, statistics and biomedicine, which have different objects of study. The emphasis on data plus meaning also suggests that biomedical informatics problems tend to be difficult when they deal with concepts that are hard to capture using formal, computational definitions. In other words, problems where meaning must be considered are more difficult than problems where manipulating data without regard for meaning is sufficient. Furthermore, the definition implies that informatics research, teaching, and service should focus on biomedical information as data plus meaning rather than only computer applications in biomedicine.
Using the triangle inequality to accelerate k-means

The k-means algorithm is by far the most widely used method for discovering clusters in data. We show how to accelerate it dramatically, while still always computing exactly the same result as the standard algorithm. The accelerated algorithm avoids unnecessary distance calculations by applying the triangle inequality in two different ways, and by keeping track of lower and upper bounds for distances between points and centers. Experiments show that the new algorithm is effective for datasets with up to 1000 dimensions, and becomes more and more effective as the number k of clusters increases. For k ≥ 20 it is many times faster than the best previously known accelerated k-means method.
Consequences of the Cauchy–Goursat Theorem— Maximum Principles and the Local Theory

Of great utility in the differential calculus of functions on ℝ are primitives or antiderivatives. The Fundamental Theorem here affirms that integration always produces such primitives. In particular, every continuous function on R has a primitive. [We will see that this is not so for continuous functions on regions in ℂ.] Naturally we look to integration to produce primitives in the plane too. But now we must face the fact that integration can be carried out over many paths from z0 to z, whereas if the integrand f has a primitive F, then the integral over any such path must equal F(z) - F(z0) (see 2.10) and be consequently independent of the path chosen. This independence of path is equivalent to the integral over any closed path being 0. Conversely, when the integral is path independent, a primitive can be manufactured by using an “indefinite” integral (see the proof of 2.11). Thus the corresponding fundamental theorem(s) in the plane affirm that certain integrals over closed paths are 0.
Mechanism of luteolysis: Effect of estradiol and prostaglandin F2α on corpus luteum luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin receptors and cyclic nucleotides in the rhesus monkey☆☆☆

Abstract Recent studies from our laboratory suggest that estrogen-induced luteolysis in the primate may be mediated through intraovarian synthesis of prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ). To elucidate further the mechanism of luteolysis, normally cycling rhesus monkeys received intra-corpus luteum (CL) injections of estradiol (100 μg), PGF 2α (500 μg), or the appropriate vehicles on the seventh day after the preovulatory estradiol surge. Peripheral vein blood was drawn at 30-minute intervals for 6 hours for progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) assays. Five hours after intra-CL injection, the CL was excised and the LH/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptor-binding activity and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were measured. PGF 2α significantly (p 2α significantly (p 2α significantly (p 2α cause a decrease in progesterone secretion by a loss of the LH/hCG receptor and the PGF 2α may act further through the cGMP system.