cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Weighted analyses for cohort sampling designs

Weighted analysis methods are considered for cohort sampling designs that allow subsampling of both cases and non-cases, but with cases generally sampled more intensively. The methods fit into the general framework for the analysis of survey sampling designs considered by Lin (Biometrika 87:37–47, 2000). Details are given for applying the general methodology in this setting. In addition to considering proportional hazards regression, methods for evaluating the representativeness of the sample and for estimating event-free probabilities are given. In a small simulation study, the one-sample cumulative hazard estimator and its variance estimator were found to be nearly unbiased, but the true coverage probabilities of confidence intervals computed from these sometimes deviated significantly from the nominal levels. Methods for cross-validation and for bootstrap resampling, which take into account the dependencies in the sample, are also considered.
Communal living by bacteria and the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections.

Steven Opal reviews the phenomenon of bacterial communities and discusses the role played by bacterial communication and cooperation in host-pathogen interactions, particularly in urinary tract infection.
High temperature performance of soy-based adhesives

We studied the high temperature performance of soy meal processed to different protein concentrations (flour, concentrate, and isolate), as well as formulated soy-based adhesives, and commercial nonsoy adhesives for comparison. No thermal transitions were seen in phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde (PRF) or soy-phenol-formaldehyde (SoyPF) or in as-received soy flour adhesive during differential scanning calorimetry scans heating at 10 °C/min between 35 and 235 °C. Heat flow rates decreased in the order soy flour (as received) > SoyPF > PRF > emulsion polymer isocyanate (EPI). In thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) scans from 110 to 300 °C at 2 °C/min, total weight loss decreased in the order soy flour (as-received)>SoyPF > PRF > casein > maple > EPI. For bio-based materials, the total weight loss (TGA) decreased in the order soy flour (as-received) > concentrate, casein > isolate. Dynamic mechanical analysis from 35 to 235 °C at 5 °C/min of two veneers bonded by cured adhesive showed 30–40% decline in storage mod...
High-Resolution slab gel isoelectric focusing: Methods for quantitative electrophoretic transfer and immunodetection of proteins as applied to the study of the multiple isoelectric forms of ornithine decarboxylase

A high-resolution isoelectric focusing vertical slab gel method which can resolve proteins which differ by a single charge was developed and this method was applied to the study of the multiple isoelectric forms of ornithine decarboxylase. Separation of proteins at this high level of resolution was achieved by increasing the ampholyte concentration in the gels to 6%. Various lots of ampholytes, from the same or different commercial sources, differed significantly in their protein binding capacity. Ampholytes bound to proteins interfered both with the electrophoretic transfer of proteins from the gel to immunoblotting membranes and with the ability of antibodies to interact with proteins on the immunoblotting membranes. Increasing the amount of protein loaded into a gel lane also decreased the efficiency of the electrophoretic transfer and immunodetection. To overcome these problems, both gel washing and gel electrophoretic transfer protocols for disrupting the ampholyte-protein binding and enabling a quantitative electrophoretic transfer of proteins were developed. Two gel washing procedures, with either thiocyanate or borate buffers, and a two-step electrophoretic transfer method are described. The choice of which method to use to optimally disrupt the ampholyte-protein binding was found to vary with each lot of ampholytes employed.
Development of mild extraction methods for the analysis of natural dyes in textiles of historical interest using LC-diode array detector-MS.

Analysis of dyes extracted from textiles of historical interest can give valuable information as to where, when, and how the textiles were made. The most widely used method for extraction of colorants involves heating with HCl, which frequently decomposes glycosidic dye components to their parent aglycons, with consequent loss of information about the source of the dye. This is particularly true for flavonoid dyes, many of which are glycosides. We have developed or improved upon two mild textile extraction methods that use ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and formic acid and are efficient in extracting dyes, but preserve glycosidic linkages. The relative efficiencies of the HCl, EDTA, and formic acid extraction methods are compared by analyzing extracts of dyed samples of silk using HPLC coupled with diode array and mass spectrometric detection. HPLC profiles of EDTA or formic acid extracts of silk dyed, for example, with pagoda tree buds and onionskins are clearly distinguishable as to the plant ma...
Carotid endarterectomy experience at a community hospital

One hundred and nineteen consecutive carotid endarterectomies (CEAs) performed on 86 patients have been reviewed. Thirty-three patients had bilateral CEAs. The indications were: (1) asymptomatic stenosis or ulceration (29%); (2) transient ischemic attack and amaurosis fugax (58%); and (3) reversible is chemic neurologic deficit and stroke (13%). Sixty percent of patients were shunted and 40% were not. There were 1 postoperative death in the first group and 2 strokes in each group. The overall stroke and death rates were 3.4% and 0.8% respectively. Eighty-eight percent and 83% of patients were alive and stroke free respectively during the forty-two-month follow-up period.The authors conclude that (1) CEA can be safely performed at a community hospital and (2) routine shunting or no shunting does not affect the patient's outcome.
Template-assisted nano-patterning of magnetic core–shell particles in gradient fields

A method is proposed for controlling the assembly of colloidal magnetic core–shell nanoparticles into patterned monolayer structures with nanoscale feature resolution. The method is based on magnetic field-directed self-assembly that is enhanced using soft-magnetic template elements. The elements are embedded in a nonmagnetic substrate and magnetized using a uniform bias field. A key feature of this approach is the combined use of a uniform field with induced gradient-fields produced by the template elements. This enables the customization of a force field with localized regions of attractive and repulsive magnetic forces that provide extraordinary control of particle motion during assembly. The method is demonstrated using a computational model that simulates the assembly process taking into account magnetic and hydrodynamic forces including interparticle interactions, Brownian diffusion, van der Waals force and effects of surfactants. The analysis shows that extended geometric patterns of particles can be assembled with nanoscale resolution, beyond that of the template elements, within milliseconds. This is achieved by tailoring key parameters including the template geometry to produce a force field that focuses the particles into prescribed patterns; the thickness of the dielectric particle shell to control the magnetic dipole–dipole force upon contact and the particle volume fraction to suppress undesired aggregation during assembly. The proposed method broadly applies to arbitrary template geometries and multi-layered core–shell particles with at least one magnetic component. It can enable the self-assembly of complex patterns of nanoparticles and open up opportunities for the scalable fabrication of multifunctional nanostructured materials for a broad range of applications.
Predicting panic disorder among patients with chest pain: An analysis of the literature

As many as 25% of patients with chest pain who come to hospital emergency departments have panic disorder. Rates of panic disorder are even higher among those who present for outpatient evaluation of their chest pain. Unfortunately, panic disorder remains largely undiagnosed and untreated in these settings. The authors reviewed studies published between 1970 and 2001 that addressed the prevalence of panic disorder among persons who seek treatment for chest pain in an emergency department or outpatient cardiology clinic. A meta-analysis of the findings revealed five variables that appear to correlate with higher rates of panic disorder among persons who present with chest pain: 1) absence of coronary artery disease, 2) atypical quality of chest pain, 3) female sex, 4) younger age, and 5) a high level of self-reported anxiety. Further studies of these and other variables associated with panic disorder should aid in the detection of this disabling but treatable cause of chest pain.
The effect of gestational age at birth on morbidity in patients with gastroschisis

Infants born with gastroschisis frequently present with an eviscerated intestinal segment that is inflamed and thickened. The damaged segment of intestine displays absorption and motility disturbances for a variable period of time after gastroschisis repair. Clinical and animal research suggests that the damage to the eviscerated intestine is caused by prolonged exposure to amniotic fluid and/or progressive constriction on the intestine and its blood supply by the umbilical ring. Some obstetricians and pediatric surgeons have advocated early elective delivery to decrease the exposure of the bowel to these potentially damaging influences. Fifty-five patients underwent gastroschisis repair at the authors' institution during the last 6 years. Many of these patients had early elective delivery after their pulmonary maturity was judged adequate based on their amniotic lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios. The patients were divided into three groups according to gestational age at the time of delivery. Elective early delivery did not lessen the need for silo closure or hasten the time until enteral feeding could be tolerated. The hospital stay was not shortened for the early delivery group. This retrospective review supports the concept that patients with sonographically identified antenatal gastroschisis are best managed by delivery at full term.
Effects of Antisocial Personality, Cocaine and Opioid Dependence, and Gender on Eye Movement Control:

Substance-dependent patients have been reported to exhibit abnormal smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements. However, contrasts of the effects of different substances and the effects of comorbid psychiatric symptoms such as antisocial personality have rarely been performed. Separate analyses examined the effects of cocaine dependence, opioid dependence, or antisocial personality disorder. In each analysis, sex was included as an additional grouping factor. The dependent measures were the gain of smooth pursuit eye movement and the delay and accuracy of saccadic eye movement. Analyses of covariance indicated that both cocaine dependence and antisocial personality, but not opiate dependence, were associated with a significant reduction in gain of smooth pursuit eye movement. Cocaine dependence and antisocial personality also slowed the onset of saccadic eye movements, but only in men. No group differences were found in the accuracy of saccadic eye movements. The results suggest that the neurophysiological effects of cocaine dependence and antisocial personality overshadow the effects of heroin. The significance of these findings for visual attention and reading skill has yet to be assessed.
Algorithms for Classical Stability Problems

A differential equation is stable if the roots of the characteristic polynomial are in the interior of the left half plane. Likewise a difference equation is stable if the roots of the characteristic polynomial are in the interior of the unit circle. This paper concerns algorithms which test polynomials for these properties. Also of concern is the relationship between the two problems. In particular, special numerical integration formulas are developed which transform a differential equation into a difference equation. These formulas are such that the differential equation and the corresponding difference equation are both stable or else they are both unstable.
STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF VIRUSES AS OBSERVED IN THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE : VII. INCOMPLETE INFLUENZA VIRUS.

Chicken embryos were infected by the chorioallantoic route with influenza virus, PR8 strain, in the form of undiluted chorioallantoic fluid. Electron microscopic examination 24 hours after infection revealed that membrane-bound fragments of cytoplasm appeared to be in process of release from entodermal cells of the chorioallantois. The number of such fragments was greatly increased in proportion to the number of typical viral particles after the third serial passage, which was accompanied by a reduction of the infectivity-hemagglutinin ratio (von Magnus effect). The lack of recognizable internal components, together with the presence of surface structure which closely resembled that of the virus and frequently contained viral antigen, suggested that many of these fragments were incomplete viral particles. It is proposed that concentrated inocula damage the cells and interfere with differentiation of the virus, but do not inhibit formation and detachment of cytoplasmic processes. Under these circumstances the accumulation of viral antigen at the surface of the cell will result in the predominant formation of incomplete virus.
Photoinduced fragmentation and rearrangement of phenyl substituted epoxyethylphosphonates

An alternative source to phosphonocarbenes is described using phosphorus substituted oxiranes as precursors which compliments the conventional diazo route to these transient species. The results are in accord with previous theories advanced to rationalize the mode of photocyclo-elimination of a variety of other unsymmetrically substituted oxiranes.
Men's Alcohol Expectancies at Selected Community Colleges

Men's alcohol expectancies are an important cognitive-behavioral component of their consumption; yet, sparse research details such behaviors for men in two-year colleges. Selected for inclusion with the current study were 563 men from seven Illinois community colleges. Logistic regression analysis indicated four significant, positive relationships between binge drinking and alcohol expectancies related to ice breaking, connectedness facilitation, having fun, the sexiness of women, and one inverse relationship for men's sexiness. Programmatic initiatives and individualistic approaches to treatment and education are proposed.
Trial order and retention interval in human predictive judgment

The influences of order of trial type and retention interval on human predictive judgments were assessed for a cue that was reinforced on half of its training presentations. Subjects observed 10 cue—outcome presentations (i.e., reinforced trials) and 10 cue-alone presentations (i.e., nonreinforced trials) in one of three different orders: all nonreinforced trials followed by all reinforced trials (latent inhibition), reinforced and nonreinforced trials interspersed (partial reinforcement), or all reinforced trials followed by all nonreinforced trials (extinction). Ratings were based mainly on the most recent event type (i.e., a recency effect) when the test occurred immediately after training but were based mainly on initial event types (i.e., a primacy effect) when the test occurred after a 48-h delay. The subjects tested both immediately and with a long retention interval did not exhibit this shift to primacy (i.e., the recency effect persisted). These results demonstrate noncatastrophic forgetting and the flexible use of trial order information in predictive judgments.
Oral fluid cannabinoid concentrations following controlled smoked cannabis in chronic frequent and occasional smokers

Oral fluid (OF) is an alternative biological matrix for monitoring cannabis intake in drug testing, and drugged driving (DUID) programs, but OF cannabinoid test interpretation is challenging. Controlled cannabinoid administration studies provide a scientific database for interpreting cannabinoid OF tests. We compared differences in OF cannabinoid concentrations from 19 h before to 30 h after smoking a 6.8 % THC cigarette in chronic frequent and occasional cannabis smokers. OF was collected with the Statsure Saliva Sampler™ OF device. 2D-GC-MS was used to quantify cannabinoids in 357 OF specimens; 65 had inadequate OF volume within 3 h after smoking. All OF specimens were THC-positive for up to 13.5 h after smoking, without significant differences between frequent and occasional smokers over 30 h. Cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) had short median last detection times (2.5–4 h for CBD and 6–8 h for CBN) in both groups. THCCOOH was detected in 25 and 212 occasional and frequent smokers’ OF samples, respectively. THCCOOH provided longer detection windows than THC in all frequent smokers. As THCCOOH is not present in cannabis smoke, its presence in OF minimizes the potential for false positive results from passive environmental smoke exposure, and can identify oral THC ingestion, while OF THC cannot. THC ≥ 1 μg/L, in addition to CBD ≥ 1 μg/L or CBN ≥ 1 μg/L suggested recent cannabis intake (≤13.5 h), important for DUID cases, whereas THC ≥ 1 μg/L or THC ≥ 2 μg/L cutoffs had longer detection windows (≥30 h), important for workplace testing. THCCOOH windows of detection for chronic, frequent cannabis smokers extended beyond 30 h, while they were shorter (0–24 h) for occasional cannabis smokers.
Radiolabeling of dopamine uptake sites in mouse striatum: comparison of binding sites for cocaine, mazindol, and GBR 12935

This study addressed the possibility of a unique binding interaction between cocaine and the dopamine transporter as compared with other blockers of dopamine uptake. Cocaine binding sites in a fresh P2 fraction of mouse striatum were labeled with [3H]CFT, a phenyltropane analog of cocaine also known as WIN 35,428, and compared with sites labeled with [3H]mazindol or [3H]GBR 12935. Under the conditions used, homogeneous binding was observed that was inhibited monophasically by cocaine, CFT, and mazindol; the same potencies were observed with the three radioligands. Saturation analysis in the presence and in the absence of unlabeled inhibitor (CFT, mazindol, cocaine) indicated a change in the Kd but not the Bmax, consonant with a competitive mechanism. Tris-HCl reduced the affinity of each radioligand and unlabeled inhibitor without changing the Bmax. N-Ethylmaleimide reduced the binding of all radioligands equally and cocaine offered protection. The dissociation rate of [3H]CFT and [3H]mazindol binding was not affected by the presence of mazindol and CFT, respectively. The Bmax of [3H]CFT and [3H]mazindol binding was the same; the relatively higher value for [3H]GBR 12935 binding in analyses involving varying tritiated GBR 12935 only, was due primarily to an underestimation of the specific activity of [3H]GBR 12935. All results are in agreement with a one-site model in which cocaine, CFT, mazindol, and GBR 12935 share a common binding site in mouse striatum.
Feasibility of real time dual-energy imaging based on a flat panel detector for coronary artery calcium quantification

The feasibility of a real-time dual-energy imaging technique with dynamic filtration using a flat panel detector for quantifying coronary arterial calcium was evaluated. In this technique, the x-ray beam was switched at 15 Hz between 60 kVp and 120 kVp with the 120 kVp beam having an additional 0.8 mm silver filter. The performance of the dynamic filtration technique was compared with a static filtration technique ( 4 mm Al + 0.2 mm Cu for both beams). The ability to quantify calcium mass was evaluated using calcified arterial vessel phantoms with 20 – 230 mg of hydroxylapatite. The vessel phantoms were imaged over a Lucite phantom and then an anthropomorphic chest phantom. The total thickness of Lucite phantom ranges from 13.5 – 26.5 cm to simulate patient thickness of 16 – 32 cm . The calcium mass was measured using a densitometric technique. The effective dose to patient was estimated from the measured entrance exposure. The effects of patient thickness on contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR), effective dose, and the precision of calcium mass quantification (i.e., the frame to frame variability) were studied. The effects of misregistration artifacts were also measured by shifting the vessel phantoms manually between low- and high-energy images. The results show that, with the same detector signal level, the dynamic filtration technique produced 70% higher calciumcontrast-to-noise ratio with only 4% increase in patient dose as compared to the static filtration technique. At the same time, x-ray tube loading increased by 30% with dynamic filtration. The minimum detectability of calcium with anatomical background was measured to be 34 mg of hydroxyapatite. The precision in calciummass measurement, determined from 16 repeated dual-energy images, ranges from 13 mg to 41 mg when the patient thickness increased from 16 to 32 cm . The CNR was found to decrease with the patient thickness linearly at a rate of ( − 7 % ∕ cm ) . The anatomic background produced measurement root-mean-square (RMS) errors of 13 mg and 18 mg when the vessel phantoms were imaged over a uniform (over the rib) and nonuniform (across the edge of rib) bone background, respectively. Misregistration artifacts due to motions of up to 1.0 mm between the low- and high-energy images introduce RMS error of less than 4.3 mg , which is much smaller than the frame to frame variability and the measurement error due to anatomic background. The effective dose ranged from 1.1 to 6.6 μ Sv for each dual-energy image, depending on patient thickness. The study shows that real-time dual-energy imaging can potentially be used as a low dose technique for quantifying coronary arterial calcium.
Power-law creep blunting of contacts and its implications for consolidation modeling

Densification occurs primarily by power-law creep of interparticle contacts during the initial stages of the elevated temperature consolidation of metallic powders and metal matrix composite (MMC) preforms. Past approaches to its modeling have relied upon results from indentation analyses. Here, contact deformation is viewed as a blunting process and closed-form solutions for the contact stress-displacement rate and the contact area-strain relationships are proposed for laterally constrained contact blunting by power-law creep. These solutions contain unknown coefficients which are evaluated using the finite element method. The contact stress-displacement rate relationship during blunting is found to be controlled by the degree of constraint imposed on the flow of material near the contact: initially, the loss of internal (material) constraint dominates, leading to a strain softening; this is followed by hardening in which the influence of externally imposed lateral constraint (due to the presence of neighboring contacts) becomes dominant. Strain softening decreases in importance and lateral constraint hardening occurs earlier as the creep stress exponent decreases. The blunting results are used to revise densification and fiber microbending/fracture models. It is shown that, depending on the creep stress exponent, past indentation-based models can substantially over- or underestimate the true rate of densification.
Long work hours and occupational injuries: new evidence on upstream causes.

Commentary on the paper by Dembe et al (see page 588) Epidemiological research on the causes of occupational traumatic injuries presents interesting practical and conceptual challenges. On a superficial level, the causation of injuries seems deceptively simple, because the agent of injury—energy—is already known. One of the problems researchers face, however, is that the transfer of potentially harmful energy to a human host is difficult to observe because it takes place very quickly and is rarely recorded or documented in databases. New studies are beginning to take up these challenges with innovative approaches like the case-crossover design.1 Another challenge, perhaps conceptually more difficult, is that because the agent of injury is known, its discovery is not an important research problem. Instead, it is the “upstream” causes2 of injury—the events and circumstances that bring people into contact with the agent—that are of interest. Some studies published recently in this journal have investigated potential causes upstream of the injured worker, ranging in proximity from the organisation of workplaces3 to the structure …
A boundary integral for gradient averaging in two dimensions: application to polygonal regions in granular materials

A boundary integral is derived for averaging the gradients of a function within a two-dimensional (2D) region. The double integral uses the boundary derivative of the function to compute the average gradients, and it accounts for possible discontinuities in the function along the boundary. The integral reduces to a simple matrix expression for a polygonal region. When applied to a 2D granular material, the matrix expression can be used to compute the averaged local strains within polygonal void regions (particle clusters). In this situation, a realistic calculation of strain must account for the discontinuous movements among rigid particles along the polygon sides, as might occur if the particles are rotating as well as translating. The matrix expression provides a simple and efficient means of correcting the average strain to account for the discontinuous movements. For a cluster of circular disks, the correction is a consequence of the rolling and sliding among particles. The significance of the correction is illustrated with an example simulation of a large dense assembly of circular disks. Although the paper applies the boundary integral to the kinematics of granular regions, the integral will likely find other applications in 2D situations that involve discontinuous fields. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structure-dependent reduction in DNA I-compound adducts by polychlorinated dibenzofurans in female Sprague-Dawley rat liver

Abstract The effects of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) on hepatic I-compound DNA adducts in female Sprague-Dawley rats were determined at 2 dose levels. In the first experiments, rats (4 per group) were treated with each of 3 polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) congeners at 20 μg/kg/week or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) at 10 μg/kg/week for 4 weeks. Effects on total I-compound levels when compared with age-matched control animals (corn oil) were as follows: control (116) > 1,2,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF) (112) > 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF (93) > 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF (91) > TCDD (72) where the numbers in parentheses were the number of I-compounds in 10 9 DNA nucleotides. In the second experiment, rats (5 per group) were treated with each of the congeners at a higher dose of 100 μg/kg/week for 4 weeks. The effects were as follows: control (123) ≈ 1,2,4,7,8-PeCDF (125) > 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF (98) > 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF (75) ≈ 2,3,4,6,7,8-hexachlorodibenzofuran (HCDF) (75). The active compounds (1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and 2,3,4,6,7,8-HCDF) were those that exhibited high cytosolic Ah receptor binding affinities (1.5 – 7.5 × 10 −8 M) and were also potent AHH inducers. The inactive compound (1,2,4,7,8-PeCDF) was less active in the receptor binding and enzyme induction assays. The results showed that there was a structure-dependent correlation between the Ah receptor agonist activity of a congener and its potency to reduce I-compounds in female Sprague-Dawley rat liver.
Ventricular–arterial coupling: Invasive and non-invasive assessment

Interactions between the left ventricle (LV) and the arterial system, (ventricular-arterial coupling) are key determinants of cardiovascular function. Ventricularearterial coupling is most frequently assessed in the pressure-volume plane using the ratio of effective arterial elastance (EA) to LV end-systolic elastance (EES). EA (usually interpreted as a lumped index of arterial load) can be computed as end-systolic pressure/stroke volume, whereas EES (a load-independent measure of LV chamber systolic stiffness and contractility) is ideally assessed invasively using data from a family of pressure-volume loops obtained during an acute preload alteration. Single-beat methods have also been proposed, allowing for non-invasive estimations of EES using simple echocardiographic measurements. The EA/EES ratio is useful because it provides information regarding the operating mechanical efficiency and performance of the ventricular-arterial system. However, it should be recognized that analyses in the pressure-volume plane have several limitations and that "ventricular-arterial coupling" encompasses multiple physiologic aspects, many of which are not captured in the pressure-volume plane. Therefore, additional assessments provide important incremental physiologic information about the cardiovascular system and should be more widely used. In particular, it should be recognized that: (1) comprehensive analyses of arterial load are important because EA poorly characterizes pulsatile LV load and does not depend exclusively on arterial properties; (2) The systolic loading sequence, an important aspect of ventricular-arterial coupling, is neglected by pressure-volume analyses, and can profoundly impact LV function, remodeling and progression to heart failure. This brief review summarizes methods for the assessment of ventricular-arterial interactions, as discussed at the Artery 12 meeting (October 2012).
Mutations at the same amino acid in myosin that cause either skeletal or cardiac myopathy have distinct molecular phenotypes

To date, more than 230 disease-causing mutations have been linked to the slow/cardiac muscle myosin gene, beta-MyHC (MYH7). Most of these mutations are located in the globular head region of the protein and result in cardiomyopathies. Recently, however, a number of novel disease-causing mutations have been described in the long, alpha-helical, coiled coil tail region of the beta-MyHC protein. Mutations in this region are of particular interest because they are associated with a multitude of human diseases, including both cardiac and skeletal myopathies. Here, we attempt to dissect the mechanism(s) by which mutations in the rod region of beta-MyHC can cause a variety of diseases by analyzing two mutations at a single amino acid (R1500P and R1500W) which cause two distinct diseases (Laing-type early-onset distal myopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy, respectively). For diseases linked to the R1500 residue, we find that each mutation displays distinct structural, thermodynamic, and functional properties. Both R1500P and R1500W cause a decrease in thermodynamic stability, although the R1500W phenotype is more severe. Both mutations also affect filament assembly, with R1500P causing an additional decrease in filament stability. In addition to furthering our understanding of the mechanism of pathogenesis for each of these diseases, these data also suggest how the variance in molecular phenotype may be associated with the variance in clinical phenotype present with mutations in the beta-MyHC rod.
CHEMICAL MODIFICATIONS OF PROTEINS: A REVIEW

The chemical modifications of proteins are reviewed. Subjects include: (1) modifications done to study protein function; (2) two naturally occurring modifications: carbonylamine reactions and reactions with nitric oxide; (3) applications for bioconjugation and mass spectral analysis; and (4) modifications of food proteins.
Diminished metabolic responses to centrally-administered apelin-13 in diet-induced obese rats fed a high-fat diet.

The central administration of apelin, a recently identified adipokine, has been shown to affect food and water intake. The present study investigated whether body weight could affect an animal’s response to apelin. The effects of centrally-administered apelin-13 on food and water intake, activity and metabolic rate were investigated in adult male diet-induced obese (DIO) rats fed either a high fat (32%) or control diet. Rats were administered i.c.v. apelin-13, 15–30 min prior to lights out, and food and water intake, activity and metabolic rate were assessed. Intracerebroventricular administration of apelin-13 decreased food and water intake and respiratory exchange ratio in DIO rats on the control diet, but had no effect in DIO rats on the high-fat diet. In an effort to identify potential central mechanisms explaining the observed physiological responses, the mRNA level of the apelin receptor, APJ, was examined in the hypothalamus. A high-fat diet induced an up-regulation of the expression of the receptor. Apelin induced a down-regulation of the receptor, but only in the DIO animals on the high-fat diet. In conclusion, we have demonstrated a diminished central nervous system response to apelin that is coincident with obesity.
LONG-RUN RELATIONSHIP AND CAUSALITY BETWEEN FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND GROWTH: EVIDENCE FROM TEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES

The aim of this paper is to re-examine the relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth in the case of ten Sub-Saharan African countries. To this end, we use two newly econometric approaches, namely the Pesaran et al. (2001) approach to cointegration and the procedure for non-causality test of Toda and Yamamoto (1995). We use data from the 2008 World Investment Report dataset of the UNCTAD, the African Development Bank (2008) and the World Bank (2008) from 1970 to 2007. We show that there is a positive long-run relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth in Angola, Cote d'Ivoire and Kenya. Moreover, foreign direct investment significantly causes economic growth in these three countries.
Channel simulation for optical communication systems.

A technique is reported for simulating the signal fading that will be experienced by typical optical communication systems. The desired irradiance or amplitude fading statistics can be simulated by incorporating a linearized optical modulator subsystem between the transmitter and receiver. This technique has been implemented in the design and construction of a laboratory channel simulator. The design of the processing electronics is discussed along with the results of tests performed for each mode of operation.
Successful resection of thoracic aortic aneurysms in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome

A 23-year-old man with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, chronic aortitis, and severe aneurysmal dilatation of the thoracic aorta successfully underwent two-stage graft replacement of the ascending and descending thoracic aorta. Nine years postoperatively, he is asymptomatic and employed full time.
Real Estate Market Developments and Financial Sector Soundness

This paper analyses the characteristics and functioning of real estate markets. It focuses on the relationship between developments in these markets and the financial sector to determine under what circumstances real estate booms and busts can develop and how they can affect the health and stability of the financial system. It concludes that unbalanced real estate price developments often contribute to financial sector distress and that trends in real estate markets should be monitored closely in the context of financial sector assessments.
On the isometry groups of certain CAT.0/ spaces and trees

Abstract We show that the automorphism group of a locally finite tree is discrete, or pro-finite, or not the inverse limit of an inverse system of discrete groups, and provide necessary and sufficient conditions for each of these possibilities to occur. More generally, we demonstrate that for certain proper CAT (0) spaces X , the group of isometries of X is not an inverse limit of Lie groups.
Precoding for OFDM under disguised jamming

This paper considers jamming-resistant OFDM system design under full-band disguised jamming, where the jamming symbols are taken from the same constellation as the information symbols over each subcarrier. First, we analyze the impact of disguised jamming on OFDM systems. It is shown that due to the symmetricity between the authorized signal and jamming, the BER of OFDM systems without symbol-level precoding or only with repeated symbol-level coding is lower bounded by a modulation specific constant, which cannot be improved by increasing SNR. Second, we develop an optimal precoding scheme which minimizes the BER of OFDM systems under full-band disguised jamming. It is shown that the most efficient way to combat full-band disguised jamming in OFDM systems is to concentrate the total available power and distribute it uniformly over a particular number of subcarriers instead of the entire spectrum. The underlying argument is that for a particular subcarrier, when the signal-to-jamming ratio is large enough, then the receiver can distinguish the authorized signal from disguised jamming under the presence of noise. Both theoretical analysis and numerical results demonstrate that the BER performance of OFDM systems under full-band disguised jamming can be improved significantly with the proposed precoding scheme.
Fornix afferents to the anteroventral thalamic nucleus: An EM study in the rat

Three types of synapses occur in the anteroventral thalamic nucleus (AVN). Type 1 consists of small (0.5-0.8 microns) axonal endings densely packed with spherical synaptic vesicles. They form markedly asymmetrical synaptic contacts with distal portions of dendrites. Degenerative changes in these axons following destruction of the fornix identify them as the endings of the subicular projection to AVN. Type 2 synapses consist of large (1.0-1.5 microns) axonal processes containing spherical vesicles which form asymmetrical synapses on more proximal dendrites. Type 3 endings consist of large unidentified processes containing spherical, and occasionally flattened, synaptic vesicles forming symmetrical contacts with the largest stem dendrites. Neither of these synaptic types were modified by fornix lesions. The synaptic arrangements within AVN are simpler than other thalamic nuclei in that serial synapses and synaptic glomeruli are not present.
Digital analysis and restoration of Daguerreotypes

George Eastman House International Museum of Photography Conservation Laboratory and the University of Rochester Department of Computer Science are researching image analysis techniques to distinguish daguerreotype plate and image features from deterioration, contaminant particulates, and optical imaging error occurring in high resolution photomicrography system. The images are captured at up to 30 times magnification and composited, including the ravages of age and reactivity of the highly polished surface that obscures and reduces the readability of the image. The University of Rochester computer scientists have developed and applied novel techniques for the seamless correction of a variety of problems. The final output is threefold: an analysis of regular artifacting resulting from imaging conditions and equipment; a fast automatic identification of problem areas in the original artifact; and an approximate digital restoration. In addition to the discussion of novel classification and restorative methods for digital daguerreotype restoration, this work highlights the effective use of large-scale parallelism for restoration (made available through the University of Rochester Center for Research Computing). This paper will show the application of analytical techniques to the Cincinnati Waterfront Panorama Daguerreotype, with the intent of making the results publically available through high resolution web image navigation tools.
Identification and remediation of sulfation in lead-acid batteries using cell voltage and pressure sensing

Abstract The operating environment, manufacturing variability, and use can cause different degradation mechanisms to dominate capacity loss inside valve regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries. If an aging mechanism for each cell can be identified in real-time, cell usage can be adjusted by the battery management system to optimize the performance and service life of the energy storage system. In this paper, the cell voltage and pressure of new and dead VRLA batteries are monitored during testing to determine the cause of death of the cells. The new cells have fairly uniform performance with limited signs of degradation while the cells in the dead battery have widely ranging performance, especially at the end of discharge and charge. Based on the measurement data, it appears that one cell died from sulfation and another three died of dehydration. The battery capacity is mainly dictated by the sulfated cell. A desulfation charging control scheme with pressure feedback is designed to break up hard sulfate and recover capacity while minimizing water loss by using low current charging. The capacity of the cell is recovered by 41% with minimal water loss, demonstrating the effectiveness of the desulfation charge controller.
Library cooperation on overseas Chinese studies: from resource sharing to the development of library collections

Examines the historical overview of library cooperatives, focusing on Baruch College, in the City University of New York. Describes its newly established programs on Asian and Asian‐American studies, its library’s collections on Chinese and Chinese cultural studies, the presence of Asian and Asian‐American students at Baruch, and career development activities both on campus and abroad. Describes the William and Anita Newman Library at Baruch and presents a library cooperative model at Ohio University in Athens where the author presented a paper in the First International Conference of Institutes and Libraries for Overseas Chinese Studies.
Measurement of Er:YAG laser ablation plume dynamics

The dynamics of tissue ablation using an Er:YAG laser were studied using flash photography and optical pump-probe techniques. Both normal-spiking-mode and Q-switched Er:YAG laser radiation were used to study the ablation of skin and bone. Time-resolved photographs of the ablation plume were obtained using a microscope-mounted camera together with pulsed illumination from an excimer-pumped dye laser. The velocity of the plume front, obtained from the photographs, was approximately 1400 m/s. The same velocity was also measured using an optical pump-probe technique. Both techniques indicate that material removal occurred after the end of the 90-ns-long Q-switched laser pulse and that each micropulse in the normal-spiking-mode pulse train was capable of ablating and rapidly ejecting tissue.
Fire as a Galvanizing and Fragmenting Influence on Communities: The Case of the Rodeo–Chediski Fire

ABSTRACT Large wildfires that burn through the “forest–residential intermix” are complex events with a variety of social impacts. This study looks at three northern Arizona community clusters directly affected by the 2002 Rodeo–Chediski fire. Our analysis suggests that the fire event led to both the emergence of cohesion and conflict in the study area. Community cohesion was evident as residents “pulled together” to rebuild their communities. Examples of cohesion included managers of local businesses staying during evacuation to provide for the needs of firefighters, providing shelter and cleanup help for burned-out neighbors, and the emergence of locally based assistance groups. Several types of conflict rooted in blaming and distribution of firefighting and disaster assistance resources were found: cultural, local versus federal, community versus community, intracommunity, and environmental. We suggest that these responses are most usefully understood using the lenses of social psychology (attribution t...
Duhem and history and philosophy of mathematics

The first part of this paper consists of an exposition of the views expressed by Pierre Duhem in his Aim and Structure of Physical Theory concerning the philosophy and historiography of mathematics. The second part provides a critique of these views, pointing to the conclusion that they are in need of reformulation. In the concluding third part, it is suggested that a number of the most important claims made by Duhem concerning physical theory, e.g., those relating to the ‘Newtonian method’, the limited falsifiability of theories, and the restricted role of logic, can be meaningfully applied to mathematics.
Increased nitric oxide levels and iNOS over-expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Summary Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is responsible for generating high levels of nitric oxide (NO) in tissues. Increased iNOS expression has been demonstrated in a number of carcinomas including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, iNOS levels have not been evaluated specifically in oral cavity SCC, or in the precancerous lesions that progress to oral SCC. Also, NO levels have not been measured in oral precancerous or cancerous tissues. We therefore measured iNOS mRNA, iNOS protein and NO in oral SCC, oral dysplasias and normal oral epithelium. We used RT-PCR to quantify and compare iNOS mRNA levels in these oral tissue specimens. We found that iNOS mRNA was overexpressed in 41% of oral SCC but in only 8% of dysplasia specimens ( P = 0.003). Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate iNOS protein levels in oral SCC, oral dysplasias and normal oral epithelium. A significantly higher percentage of oral SCC specimens showed the highest level of iNOS staining relative to the oral dysplasias and normal oral epithelial samples (95% of oral SCC, 50% of dysplasias, and only 0% of normal epithelial controls, P P = 0.0013). We conclude that iNOS mRNA levels and NO production are significantly increased, in oral SCC compared to oral dysplasias and normal epithelial controls. These findings suggest that increased iNOS expression and the generation of high NO levels might have a role in oral SCC development.
Tracking filter using self-pumped phase conjugation

A HeCd laser and a BaTiO3 crystal were used to obtain a self-pumped phase conjugate beam. This effect is applied to perform an optical tracking filter. A modified liquid crystal television is used to imprint an input image on the laser beam. The input image presents moving and stationary elements of a scenery. The light transmitting through the crystal reveals only the moving elements, whereas the phase conjugate beam only carries the stationary portions of the input image. Therefore, a real time novelty and monotony filter has been realized. There is a lower speed limitation which depends on the response time of the crystal. The high speed limitation is dictated by the electronics. Due to the single-beam requirement of self-pumped phase conjugation, the imaging optical system is simple, making the experimental apparatus compact and versatile. The self-aligning property of self-pumped phase conjugation allows a wide range of incident angles without changing the system performance.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Creating strategic plans with the power to win

Strategic planning in many companies has become an impotent process, largely devoid of imagination. These companies must revamp their thinking if they are to create truly innovative strategy embodied with the power to win. The author postulates four fundamental business laws that form the foundation for achieving outstanding results: the law of thinking first and thinking different; the law of anticipatory thinking and disciplined execution; the law of trusting in and respecting people; and the law of customer enthusiasm. The article includes specific corrective actions that an organization can take to alleviate current deficiencies.