cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eco-epidemiology: thinking outside the black box.

In the ongoing debate over the value of risk-factor (or "black-box") epidemiology, proponents have put forward some compelling arguments. The identification of risk factors is vital for public health research; epidemiologists should strive to achieve ever more valid and precise studies of risk factors; and, as Sander Greenland' shows, an accumulation of initially inexplicable risk factor findings can ultimately provide the basis for a deeper understanding of causes, as well as point the way toward improvements in public health. Thus, the continuing refinement of methods for identifying risk factors is of undoubted value. At the same time, limiting epidemiology to the identification of risk factors needlessly restricts the scope of our discipline. Current developments call for epidemiol ogists to adopt a wider and richer framework-a framework that subsumes but does not discard risk-factor epidemiology. One can see epidemiology changing along four lines in parallel. First, epidemiologists increasingly consider multiple levels of causation. The causes of health outcomes in populations can be sought at macrolevels, like in the distribution of wealth across and within societies; at individual levels, like in individual behavior, and at microlevels, like in the expression of genes in cells. Although a disease ultimately manifests in an afflicted person, its prevention could be directed toward any of these levels. Different approaches are needed to identify the causal processes at each level,2'3 and, equally important, to examine how a process at one level (eg, societal cohesion or cellular changes) can manifest at another level (eg, disease in an individual). Across historical periods, epidemiologists have shifted their focus among these levels of causa tion.4 However, thinking about multiple levels of causation also fits squarely within epidemiologic traditions. Intimations of this can be seen even in the classic works on cholera in 19th century England featured in this issue of the journal. John Snow and William Budd both entertained ideas about causes operating at many levels.5'6 They recognized that a favorable context for epidemic spread of cholera followed from the social changes wrought by industrialization and urbanization; identified the privately owned and profitable water supply as the primary mode of cholera transmission within this context; noted the influence of household and individual habits on disease transmission; sought to understand its pathophysiology; and speculated on microorganisms as a primary source. Second, as a central science of public health, epidemiologists are strategically well situated now to investigate the interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Epidemiologists need to comprehend all the causes of population health that could have implications for preventive action. To investigate genetic and nongenetic factors together, our epidemiologic research designs must adapt to incorporate and exploit gene biology. In
Prized performers, but frequently overlooked students: the involvement of black athletes in intercollegiate sports on predominantly white university campuses, 1890-1972.

(1991). Prized Performers, but Frequently Overlooked Students: The Involvement of Black Athletes in Intercollegiate Sports on Predominantly White University Campuses, 1890-1972. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 62, No. 2, pp. 164-177.
Optical constants of GaAs-AlxGa1-xAs superlattices and multiple quantum wells.

The optical properties of GaAs-Al sub x Ga sub 1-xAs superlattices are calculated as a function of the frequency and superlattice structure. The comutations are performed using a partition method which combines the vectors k.p method with the pseudopotential technique. The influence of the super-structure on the electronic properties of the systems is accounted for by appropriate quantization conditions. The anisotropy and structure dependence of the dielectric constant result mainly from the contribution of the gamma region while the contributions of the other regions of the Brillouin zone are rather insensitive to the superlattice structure. The superlattice index of refraction values are shown to attain maxima at the various quantized transition energies, where for certain structures, the difference between the refractive indices of the superlattices and its corresponding Al sub x Ga sub 1-xAs alloy can be as large as 2%. In general results are in good agreement with the experimental data.
Neutron/gamma discrimination in LiBaF3 scintillator

The detection of neutrons in the presence of significant gamma-radiation is often required in arms control, material accountability, and nuclear smuggling scenarios as well as in basic nuclear research. The new scintillator material LiBaF3 offers the possibility of measuring neutron count rates and energy spectra simultaneously while measuring gamma-count rates and spectra using a single detector. These capabilities derive from the fact that LiBaF3 exhibits a very fast core-valence luminescence under gamma-irradiation whereas this component is missing under neutron irradiation. Relatively simple pulse shape analysis techniques can be used to obtain excellent neutron/gamma discrimination. We present our current results illustrating these capabilities.
Cytokines, including stem cell factor alone, enhance lentiviral transduction in nondividing human LTCIC and NOD/SCID repopulating cells

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) require extensive cytokine-mediated stimulation and proliferation for efficient transduction by oncoretroviral vectors. Since lentiviral vectors can transduce nondividing cells, the need for cytokine stimulation has been questioned. We studied HIV-based lentiviral transduction of human early hematopoietic progenitors from umbilical cord blood in the presence or absence of IL-3, IL-6, stem cell factor (SCF), and Flt-3L (36SF) or SCF alone and characterized the effects of these conditions on the stem cell phenotype. Gene transfer was significantly higher in the presence of 36SF in mass culture cells, CFC, LTCIC, and NOD/SCID repopulating cells (SRC). Transduction of primitive progenitor/stem cells was poor without cytokines, with only 12% LTCIC and 23% SRC transduced, compared to 59% in LTCIC and 81% in SRC with 36SF. SCF alone matched transduction rates of multiple cytokines with 70% in CFC. Cytokines prevented apoptosis, expanded CD34+ cell number, and maintained CFC and LTCIC frequencies. Cytokine stimulation increased transduction of nondividing Ara-C-resistant and aphidicolin-inhibited cells similar to dividing cells. These data suggest that cytokines enhance lentiviral transduction of HSC, without requiring cell division, and maintain the stem cell phenotype. SCF stimulation alone was sufficient for high level transduction.
Green's Equivalences and Related Concepts for Semigroups of Continuous Selfmaps

. Green's equivalences are characterized for regular elements of general transformation semigroups and the largest proper left ideal, the largest proper right ideal, and the largest proper two-sided ideal are all explicitly described when the semigroup has a right identity, a left identity, and a two-sided identity, respectively. It is shown that the largest proper left ideal and the largest proper right ideal (if they exist) of any semigroup are prime and that the largest proper ideal may, or may not be prime. These results have applications to such semigroups as the semigroup of all endomorphisms of a vector space as well the semigroup, S(X), of all continuous selfmaps of a topological space X. However, the semigroup S(X) is our primary focus here. For example, it is shown that if X is any local dendrite with finite branch number that is not an arc, then Mon(S(X)), the semigroup of monomorphisms from S(X) into S(X), is isomorphic to the dual of the complement of the largest proper right ideal of S(X). Furthermore, the complement of the largest proper left ideal of S(X) is a homomorphic image of Mon (S(X)). Some results are then discussed concerning Green's equivalences for polynomial functions (many of which are irregular) in the semigroup of all continuous selfmaps of the space of real numbers. Finally, the partially ordered families L (S(X)) and.R (S(X)) are discussed where L (S(X)) consists of the equivalence classes of S(X) induced by Green's.L-equivalence and. R(S(X)) consists of the equivalence classes of S(X) induced by Green's R-equivalence. For example, if X and Y are any two compact 0-dimensional spaces, then the following four statements are equivalent: (1) L (S(X)) and L (S(Y)) are order isomorphic, (2) R (S(X)) and. R(S(Y)) are order isomorphic, (3) the semigroups S(X) and S(Y) are isomorphic, (4) the topological spaces X and Y are homeomorphic.
Immunopathology of oral mucosal inflammatory diseases.

Summary We have reviewed the results of the direct immunofluorescence test performed on oral mucosal biopsy specimens since June 1973. During this period, immunopathological examinations were performed extensively to confirm clinical impressions and to provide insight into the pathogenesis of the bullous, erosive and ulcerative diseases affecting the oral mucosa. Early diagnosis of these diseases was afforded with the adjunctive use of direct immunofluorescence examinations. Diagnostic accuracy was excellent. The direct immunofluorescence test was positive in 15 15 specimens of pemphigus vulgaris, 33 of bullous pemphigoid, 22 of lupus erythemaicsus and 19,22 of cicatricial pemphigoid. Patients with desquamative gingivitis could be classified as‘cicatricial pemphigoid suspects' by this examination, and 5/6 of these patients have evolved into cicatricial pemphigoid. No diagnostic pattern was noted for lichen planus. False positive examinations were not apparent among the 124 specimens examined.
Theoretic performance analysis of cable networks with strategic subscribers

The quality of service of a computer network is greatly affected by the behavior of its participants. This paper proposes and utilizes an analytic model to study cable network performance when its participants function strategically. The model is based on game theory, system theory, and probability theory. The cable network studied is considered a multi-agent system, and the performance is evaluated with several social welfare metrics. This theoretical study concludes that the overall network performance may degrade significantly and the desired quality of service set by network service providers may not be realizable when its network participants act independently.
Kinetics of adhesion development at PMMA-SAN interfaces

Abstract The kinetics of adhesion development at interfaces between poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and styrene/acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymers of varying AN levels have been studied at 130°C by measuring the tensile fracture strength of a butt joint configuration. For miscible pairs, SANs containing about 9.5 to 33% AN, the principal mechanism of adhesion development involves interdiffusion of PMMA and SAN chains with the joint strength growing in proportion to t 1 4 (where t = time the joint is at 130°C) as predicted by theory. The interdiffusion rate is greatest near 14.7% AN, where the interaction with PMMA is maximum as demonstrated by recent studies of phase behaviour for PMMA-SAN blends. This optimum rate of adhesion development is consistent with a stronger thermodynamic driving force for diffusion. SANs with less AN than necessary for miscibility with PMMA, including polystyrene, rapidly developed a lower but finite extent of adhesion to PMMA, resulting from physical wetting and perhaps limited segmental interpenetration. Such joints do not seem to involve a long-term kinetic process since minimal transport is needed to attain the final equilibrium state, which contrasts with the situation for miscible pairs. In general, more rapid interdiffusion or adhesion development can be expected for miscible pairs of unlike polymers relative to pairs of identical polymers having comparable mobility because of the additional driving force provided by a favourable heat of mixing beyond that of the small combinatorial entropy which is the only driving force available for self-diffusion.
Exposure to tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) alters fetal thymocyte maturation

Abstract We previously reported that thymic atrophy and reduced thymic cellularity associated with prenatal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in mice are characterized by quantitative alerations in the number of thymocytes expressing CD4 and CD8 surface antigens. In the present study, these observations have been extended to establish the specific thymocyte maturation processes affected by TCDD through an examination of cell size distributions, αβ and γδ T cell receptor (TCR) expression, peanut agglutinin (PNA) binding, and J11d marker analysis in murine thymocytes exposed prenatally to TCDD. Pregnant mice were administered vehicle, 1.5 or 3.0 μg/kg body wt TCDD by gavage on gestational Days (gd) 6–14. Flow cytometry analysis of gd 18 fetal thymocytes revealed a reduction in the number of small CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) and PNA+, small thymocytes in the TCDD-exposed groups. The large cell population was reduced by TCDD to approximately 70% of control values. There was also a significant shift in TCR expression of thymocytes with a decrease in αβ TCR and a concommitant increase in γδ TCR expression from TCDD-exposed fetuses. The CD4−CD8+J11d+ thymocytes were increased in TCDD-treated mice while the more mature CD4−CD8+J11d− thymocyte numbers were similar to controls. Taken together, these data indicate that TCDD inhibits thymocyte maturation at the transition phase between the CD4−CD8+J11d+ phenotype and the DP J11d + thymocytes.
Evidence for diencephalic regulation of aldosterone secretion.

A LTHOUGH considerable attention has been focused upon the primary and secondary roles of aldosterone in pathological states (1), much of the fundamental physiology of aldosterone secretion is as yet unknown. In particular, the mechanism for regulation of adrenal secretion of this steroid has remained obscure. It has been demonstrated that the steroid is secreted at relatively high levels following hypophysectomy (2). The prolonged administration of hydrocortisone, which leads to marked suppression of adenohypophyseal release of ACTH and of the adrenal secretion of hydrocortisone and corticosterone, does not affect aldosterone secretion (3). These findings indicate that the secretion of aldosterone is not dependent upon the adenohypophysis in contrast to the secretion of the other adrenocortical steroids. The following experiments were designed to investigate the possibility of the existence of a cerebral structure which regulates the secretion of aldosterone.
A Note on the Illuminators of the Bohun Manuscripts

The most important group of English illuminated manuscripts of the second half of the fourteenth century takes its name from the Bohun family, earls of Hereford, Essex, and Northampton.' Seven lavishly illustrated psalters and books of hours constitute the core of the group.2 These manuscripts are the work of a single group of artists, some of whose hands recur in two or more of the volumes; they are closely related in book design and program of decoration; and finally, they all proclaim their connection with the Bohun family through textual and heraldic references.3 Yet like all surviving English manuscripts of the period, the Bohun volumes have always appeared to be the work of anonymous artists. My intention in this note is to lift the veil of anonymity from two of their hitherto unidentified illuminators. The names of these individuals can be found, I believe, by analysis of historical
Age as a prognostic factor for patients treated with definitive irradiation for early stage breast cancer

From 1977 to 1986, 88 breast cancers in 86 women age less than or equal to 35 years were treated with definitive irradiation following breast-conserving surgery. The records of these cases were reviewed and compared to 808 breast cancers in 798 women age greater than or equal to 36 years treated similarly during the same time period. All women had AJC clinical Stages I or II invasive carcinoma of the breast and had undergone an axillary surgical staging procedure to determine pathologic lymph node staging prior to receiving definitive radiotherapy. There was no statistical difference between the younger and older women in terms of 5-year actuarial overall survival (94% vs. 90%), NED survival (78% vs. 81%) or relapse-free survival (70% vs. 77%). Although the younger women tended to have an earlier pattern of failure, the difference between the actuarial percentage of failures at 5 years for the two age groups was not significantly different for local only first failure (9% vs. 5%), regional only first failure (6% vs. 3%), and local and regional only first failure (0% vs. 1%). Subset analyses also did not show a difference between the younger and older patients. Although longer follow-up will be needed to confirm these observations, our 5-year results show that younger patients less than or equal to age 35 do not have an adverse outcome in terms of survival, local control, or regional control when compared with older patients greater than or equal to age 36. Potential candidates for definitive irradiation following breast-conserving surgery should not be excluded for treatment solely on the basis of younger age less than or equal to 35 years.
Micropropagation of Pyrus and Cydonia and their responses to Fe-limiting conditions.

Appropriate micropropagation regimes were determined for fourPyrus species (P. amygdaliformis Vill.,P. betulaefolia Bunge,P. calleryana Dene., andP. communis L.) andCydonia oblonga L. Shoot multiplication was optimal at 10 or 20μM N6-benzyladenine and high light intensity (135μE m−2 s-1). Root formation of thePyrus species was stimulated by exposure of shoots to high levels (10 or 32μM) ofβ-indolebutyric acid (IBA) for 7 days or a dip in 10 mM IBA for 15 s, followed by a passage on auxin-free medium.α-Naphthaleneacetic acid was more effective than IBA in stimulating rooting ofC. oblonga. The effects of Fe-limiting conditions in vitro were determined by comparing the responses of shoots and rooted plantlets to medium containing FeEDTA or FeSO4, with or without bicarbonate. Symptoms of Fe deficiency were genotype-dependent and most severe in the presence of FeSO4 and bicarbonate. Chlorosis was pronounced inCydonia, absent fromP. amygdaliformis andP. communis, and intermediate inP. betulaefolia andP. calleryana, indicating a good correlation between in vitro and field responses. Similar responses were obtained with rooted and unrooted shoots. These findings suggest that in vitro cultures may be used for studies of Fe-chlorosis as well as screening for tolerant rootstocks.
Z-cyclic generalized whist frames and Z-cyclic generalized whist tournaments

Much of the work in this article was inspired by the elegant and powerful method introduced by Ge and Zhu in their recent paper on triplewhist frames. We extend their ideas to generalized whist tournament designs. Thus, in one sense, we provide a complete generalization of their methodology. We also incorporate the product theorems of Anderson et al. to broaden their class of Z-cyclic frames. Our techniques are illustrated by the production of many new Z-cyclic (2,6) GWhD(v) that would be difficult to produce by any other existing method.
Finite difference time-domain studies of optical properties of nanoshell structures

The optical properties of metallic nanoshell systems are investigated using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method. The method provides a convenient approach for calculating several physical properties of nanoshells based structures including the optical absorption and scattering cross sections as well as the local electromagnetic fields near the nanoshell surfaces. The method is applied to silver and gold nanoshells and nanoshell dimers. Comparisons with classical Mie scattering are presented.
Miniaturization of optical spectroscopes into Fresnel microspectrometers

Miniaturized optical instruments have become very important in industry as smart phones and tablet PCs increase in popularity. A chronology of spectrometer development shows that a simple numerical point of view affords important insights. A tiny spectrometer, which is smaller than a few millimeters size, cannot easily rely on the conventional Fraunhofer diffraction due to its optical criterion limit. As an alternate solution to build smaller spectrometers, a Fresnel spectrometer chip with a gradient line grating is attractive. The fabricated Fresnel spectrometers have optical path volumes of about 1 mm3 and spectral resolutions of 10 to 23 nm.
Physician-Patient e-Visit Programs Implementation and Appropriateness

Telemedicine and e-health includes the delivery of healthcare over a distance through the use of telecommunication technologies. One specific application is the use of ‘e-visits’ within a clinical setting. e-Visits refer to any type of online patient-provider consultation where electronic information is exchanged, particularly involving the transmission via secure servers. Among many others, services such as patient portals and patientprovider e-mail systems fall into this category. Research has shown that patients have a great desire for the ability to communicate with their providers electronically. Despite consumer demand, provider adoption of e-visit technologies has been slow. Though there are many applications currently being piloted across the US, universal diffusion of e-visit technology has not been reached. Reasons for provider hesitation to adopt e-visit technologies include fears of being overburdened by electronic communication, improper use of electronic communication by patients, lack of reimbursement schemes, legal and regulatory issues, and concerns over security, privacy, and confidentiality. Further research is needed to evaluate and document a wide range of key issues regarding e-visits; evidence concerning the impacts on clinical outcomes, access to healthcare, organizational issues, and financial aspects will all be necessary to guide decision making. While it is imperative that research regarding e-visits assesses the impact on providers and patients (at a micro level), it is also essential that it assesses the organizational issues (at a macro level) that are affected by these technologies. Finally, future research should also attempt to more fully understand the financial impacts that e-visit technologies currently have and potentially could have on the healthcare industry. Market forces have historically shown the ability to alter industry structures over time, as demand and need for services increases. As a result, consumers may ultimately drive demand for e-visit services in ways providers will be required to adopt.
What does complement do in Alzheimer's disease? Old molecules with new insights

Increasing evidence suggests that inflammatory and immune components in brain are important in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and anti-inflammatory and immunotherapeutic approaches may be amenable to AD treatment. It is known that complement activation occurs in the brain of patients with AD, and contributes to a local inflammatory state development which is correlated with cognitive impairment. In addition to the complement’s critical role in the innate immune system recognizing and killing, or targeting for destruction, complement proteins can also interact with cell surface receptors to promote a local inflammatory response and contributes to the protection and healing of the host. On the other hand, complement activation also causes inflammation and cell damage as an essential immune function to eliminate cell debris and potentially toxic protein aggregates. It is the balance of these seemingly competing events that influences the ultimate state of neuronal function. Our mini review will be focusing on the unique molecular interactions happening in the AD development, the functional outcomes of those interactions, as well as the contribution of each element to AD.
Lake restoration: capabilities and needs

Lake degradation results from excessive nutrient inputs, toxic substances, habitat loss, overfishing, species invasions and extirpations. The scientific basis of lake degradation is generally well understood, although each restoration project requires some level of new site-specific research. Remediation may require management actions which are difficult to implement for social or institutional reasons. Even where large-scale remediations are attempted, it is difficult to sustain scientific assessments for long enough to evaluate success. Collaborations of scientists and managers have sometimes succeeded in overcoming limitations to lake restoration, and produced important advances in our capability to restore lakes.
Determinants of RING-E2 Fidelity for Hrd1p, a Membrane-anchored Ubiquitin Ligase

A critical aspect of E3 ubiquitin ligase function is the selection of a particular E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme to accomplish ubiquitination of a substrate. We examined the requirements for correct E2-E3 specificity in the RING-H2 ubiquitin ligase Hrd1p, an ER-localized protein known to use primarily Ubc7p for its function. Versions of Hrd1p containing the RING motif from homologous E3s were unable to carry out Hrd1p function, revealing a requirement for the specific Hrd1p RING motif in vivo. An in vitro assay revealed that these RING motifs were sufficient to function as ubiquitin ligases, but that they did not display the E2 specificity predicted from in vivo results. We further refined the in vitro assay of Hrd1p function by demanding not only ubiquitin ligase activity, but also specific activity that recapitulated both the E2 specificity and RING selectivity observed in vivo. Doing so revealed that correct E2 engagement by Hrd1p required the presence of portions of the Hrd1p soluble cytoplasmic domain outside the RING motif, the placement of the Hrd1p ubiquitin ligase in the ER membrane, and presentation of Ubc7p in the cytosolic context. We confirmed that these conditions supported the ubiquitination of Hrd1p itself, and the transfer of ubiquitin to the prototype substrate Hmg2p-GFP, validating Hrd1p self-ubiquitination as a viable assay of ligase function.
Evaluating mosquito control pesticides for effect on target and nontarget organisms

Recent requirements for biomonitoring of urban stormwater runoff have raised the issue of toxic contributions from mosquito control products. A comparison of seven pesticides for their toxicity to target and nontarget organisms was conducted in field and laboratory trials to determine relative impacts in and around Craighead County, Arkansas. Twenty-four and forty-eight-hour acute toxicity tests using Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia magna, Daphnia pulex, and Pimephales promelas were employed with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) suggested procedures as standard test organisms. Additional tests with resident mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis, and mosquito larvae, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, included ditch-receiving waters to compare the somewhat sterile laboratory exposures to actual field conditions. Exposure to as much as 31.4 microg/L of the pesticides Dursban(R), malathion, Permanone(R), Abate(R), Scourge(R), B.t.i, and Biomist(R) were required for effective control of An. quadrimaculatus, whereas as little as 2.7 microg/L resulted in substantial mortality of some nontarget organisms. These data suggest that prevailing application rates for effective mosquito control not only affect nontarget organisms but may also confound stormwater and nonpoint toxicity evaluations that utilize sensitive indicator species.
Combination pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and taxane for metastatic breast cancer after first progression: a single institution’s experience

BackgroundThe addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab and taxane therapy was shown to be an effective first-line treatment for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.ObjectiveDescribe the progression-free survival of pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and taxane therapy for previously treated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.MethodsThis case-series reviews 19 patients with metastatic breast cancer receiving treatment with pertuzumab, trastuzumab, taxane after progression and exposure to previous lines of HER2-directed therapy. Progression-free survival and adverse effects such as changes in ejection fraction and episodes of neutropenic fever were assessed.ResultsThe median progression-free survival of pertuzumab, trastuzumab, taxane therapy for previously treated metastatic breast cancer was 4.1 months. The mean baseline left ventricular ejection fraction change experienced by patients was –1%. Neutropenic fever events were not encountered.ConclusionsPertuzumab, trastuzumab, and taxane therapy see...
Sub-microwatt photonic microwave receiver

We report efficient photonic reception of nanowatt microwave signals by their direct upconversion into optical domain using high-Q whispering gallery modes in a millimeter size toroidal cavity fabricated from LiNbO/sub 3/.
Interactive partial matching of video sequences in large collections

This paper addresses the problem of matching visual parts of video sequences from within a large collection. The visual content of a video sequence is described by the set of the most representative local features extracted in its frames. An index is proposed that permits to retrieve efficiently the pre-computed distances between every sequences of the collection and every local features. Relying on this structure, the partial matching is performed through an interactive feature selection algorithm that iteratively integrates the user knowledge to estimate a model of the queried pattern. We show that the method performs well both in terms of retrieval accuracy and response time efficiency, on large video collections.
Controlling the rocket engine performance variability via probabilistic parameter analysis

The three Space Shuttle main engines that are used to boost the Space Shuttle orbiter into space generate as much equivalent horsepower as twenty-three Hoover Dams. Due to the extreme pressures and temperatures in the combustion chambers and turbomachinery passages, a rocket engine design challenges the current technology limits of material strength and heat resistance. Meanwhile, in the hostile operational environment, the instruments experience severe impacts which limit their accuracy. An approach to robust design is proposed, aimed at identifying the optimal operating point and the key parameters. >
Abstract 37: A Multi-locus Genetic Risk Score for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several common variants associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We investigated whether a multi-locus genetic risk score (GRS) for AAA was associated with presence and progression of AAA in a case-control study. Methods: The study comprised of 1098 patients with AAA (74±8 years, 83% men) and 6538 controls (67±10 years, 58% men) enrolled in the Mayo Vascular Disease Biorepository. AAA was defined as a transverse diameter of abdominal aorta ≥ 3.0 cm or history of AAA repair. Controls were participants without known AAA. We found five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously shown to be associated with AAA at GWAS significance (P≤10^-8) in NHGRI GWAS catalog and PubMed. A GRS for AAA for each individual was calculated from four SNPs (rs2383107, rs7025486, rs599839, rs1466535) that were replicated in our cohort, by summing the number of risk alleles for each SNP weighted by their estimated effect sizes in GWAS catalog or published largest meta-analysis. Results: GRS was associated with presence of AAA: odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval): 1.06 (1.03-1.08). The association remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases: adjusted OR: 1.05 (1.03-1.08). Further adjustment for each SNP did not attenuate association of GRS with presence of AAA (All P 5.24 (median of the cohort) had 1.31 times higher odds of having AAA and 1.64 times higher odds of having AAA growth rate ≥1.75 mm/year compared to those with GRS ≤ 5.24 (both P≤0.005). Conclusions: A multi-locus GRS was associated with presence of AAA and aneurysm growth, suggesting genetic predisposition to disease initiation and progression.
ON THE K-THEORY AND HOMOTOPY THEORY OF THE KLEIN BOTTLE GROUP

We construct infinitely many chain homotopically distinct algebraic 2-complexes for the Klein bottle group and give various topological applications. We compare our examples to other examples in the literature and address the question of geometric realizability.
Mixing [Markov chain]

In this paper, we introduce the notion of a Markov chain and explore how it can be used to sample from a large set of configurations. Our primary focus is determining how quickly a Markov chain "mixes," or converges to its stationary distribution, as this is the key factor in the running time. We provide an overview of several techniques used to establish good bounds on the mixing time. The applications are mostly chosen from statistical physics, although the methods are much more general.
Fluid property discrimination by AVO inversion

Bayesian AVO inversion method is the developed prestack inversion technique for inverting seismic elastic parameters (p-wave velocity, s-wave velocity and density). The method is included AVO processing and analysis, well-log editing and calibration, and prestack seismic inversion. This analysis draws rock physics and Bayesian AVO inversion to discuss the fluid discriminator based on Bayesian inversion scheme. The fluid discriminator is calculated by Gassmann’s equation. The uncertainty is analyzed in the inversion procedure for elastic parameters and modulus. The rock physics relationship and gain function are also used to calculate the fluid modulus. This method is applied to seismic data from the Gulf of Mexico. The result is inverted at the target horizons for the small 3D cubes around two wells. The fluid discriminator inverted from prestack seismic data is sensitive to the pore fluid content.
Global health issues and challenges.

Purpose:To describe issues, challenges and potential strategies in achieving nursing's global preferred future, focused on promoting healthy communities worldwide. Methods:Three sets of Arista conferences, a total of 7 conferences, were sponsored by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Arista2 and Arista3—the focus of this report—were held in different world regions. A total of 109 invited multidisiclinary participants identified conditions that affect nursing and health care, strategic actions to address those conditions, and recommendations for the nursing profession. Reports from each conference are synthesized in this executive summary. Findings and Conclusions:Both common and unique themes were identified in various world regions. Key components of the preferred future were professional restructuring and the delivery of holistic, human, and culturally appropriate care. Participants in all regional conferences recommended strategic actions regarding: student-centered educational systems, environments in which nurses practice, the way nurses lead, the knowledge nurses need, the settings in which nurses work, the conditions under which the profession operates, the influence of nurses, and the ways nurses learn.
A type theory for probability density functions

There has been great interest in creating probabilistic programming languages to simplify the coding of statistical tasks; however, there still does not exist a formal language that simultaneously provides (1) continuous probability distributions, (2) the ability to naturally express custom probabilistic models, and (3) probability density functions (PDFs). This collection of features is necessary for mechanizing fundamental statistical techniques. We formalize the first probabilistic language that exhibits these features, and it serves as a foundational framework for extending the ideas to more general languages. Particularly novel are our type system for absolutely continuous (AC) distributions (those which permit PDFs) and our PDF calculation procedure, which calculates PDF s for a large class of AC distributions. Our formalization paves the way toward the rigorous encoding of powerful statistical reformulations.
Asymptotic convergence of backpropagation

We calculate analytically the rate of convergence at long times in the backpropagation learning algorithm for networks with and without hidden units. For networks without hidden units using the standard quadratic error function and a sigmoidal transfer function, we find that the error decreases as 1/t for large t, and the output states approach their target values as 1/t. It is possible to obtain a different convergence rate for certain error and transfer functions, but the convergence can never be faster than 1/t. These results are unaffected by a momentum term in the learning algorithm, but convergence can be substantially improved by an adaptive learning rate scheme. For networks with hidden units, we generally expect the same rate of convergence to be obtained as in the single-layer case; however, under certain circumstances one can obtain a polynomial speed-up for non sigmoidal units, or a logarithmic speed-up for sigmoidal units. Our analytic results are confirmed by empirical measurements of the convergence rate in numerical simulations.
Hybrid Micro-Optical Sensors via Sol-Gel Soft Lithography

Organically modified silica gels and dye-doped silica gels have been patterned into micrometer-scale structures on a substrate using micro molding in capillaries (MIMIC). This approach is from a class of elastomeric stamping and molding techniques collectively known as soft lithography. Soft lithography and sol-gel processing share attractive features in that they are relatively benign processes performed at ambient conditions, which makes both techniques compatible with a wide variety of organic molecules, molecular assemblies, and biomolecules. The combination of sol-gel and soft lithography, therefore, holds enormous promise as a tool for microfabrication of materials with optical, chemical, or biological functionality that are not readily patterned with conventional methods. This paper describes our investigation of micro-patterned organic-inorganic hybrid materials containing indicator dyes for microfluidic sensor applications. Reversible colorimetric pH sensing via entrapped reagents is demonstrated in a prototype microfluidic sensor element. Patterned structures range from one to tens of micrometers in cross-section and are up to centimeters in length. Fundamental chemical processing issues associated with mold filling, cracking and sensor stability are discussed.
Experience With A Literate Approach to Computer Science

We have observed anecdotally that many beginning graduate students, while technically skilled, are deficient in the ability to communicate technical ideas orally and in writing. To address this, we have developed a literate approach to graduate education. This approach has two components: reflection on a series of technical readings appropriate to a course, and a highly literate course project where students develop and polish a paper through several milestones and evaluations. We have gained experience with this approach in four classes over two years. We observe that students do respond to the literate format, and are able to draw connections between the class readings and their own writing.
Induction of rapid cold hardening by cooling at ecologically relevant rates in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Over a decade ago it was hypothesized that the rapid cold hardening process allows an organism's overall cold tolerance to track changes in environmental temperature, as would occur in nature during diurnal thermal cycles. Although a number of studies have since focused on characterizing the rapid cold hardening process and on elucidating the physiological mechanisms upon which it is based, the ecological relevance of this phenomenon has received little attention. We present evidence that in Drosophila melanogaster rapid cold hardening can be induced during cooling at rates which occur naturally, and that the protection afforded in such a manner benefits the organism at ecologically relevant temperatures. Drosophila melanogaster cooled at natural rates (0.05 and 0.1°C min−1) exhibited significantly higher survival after one hour of exposure to −7 and −8°C than did those directly transferred to these temperatures or those cooled at 0.5, or 1.0°C min−1. Protection accrued throughout the cooling process (e.g., flies cooled to 0°C were more cold tolerant than those cooled to 11°C). Whereas D. melanogaster cooled at 1.0°C min−1 had a critical thermal minimum (i.e., the temperature at which torpor occurred) of 6.5±0.6°C, those cooled at an ecologically relevant rate of 0.1°C min−1 had a significantly lower value of 3.9±0.9°C.
Characterization of Temporal Protein Production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

Phenotypic and genetic evidence supporting the notion of biofilm formation as a developmental process is growing. In the present work, we provide additional support for this hypothesis by identifying the onset of accumulation of biofilm-stage specific proteins during Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm maturation and by tracking the abundance of these proteins in planktonic and three biofilm developmental stages. The onset of protein production was found to correlate with the progression of biofilms in developmental stages. Protein identification revealed that proteins with similar function grouped within similar protein abundance patterns. Metabolic and housekeeping proteins were found to group within a pattern separate from virulence, antibiotic resistance, and quorum-sensing-related proteins. The latter were produced in a progressive manner, indicating that attendant features that are characteristic of biofilms such as antibiotic resistance and virulence may be part of the biofilm developmental process. Mutations in genes for selected proteins from several protein production patterns were made, and the impact of these mutations on biofilm development was evaluated. The proteins cytochrome c oxidase, a probable chemotaxis transducer, a two-component response regulator, and MexH were produced only in mature and late-stage biofilms. Mutations in the genes encoding these proteins did not confer defects in growth, initial attachment, early biofilm formation, or twitching motility but were observed to arrest biofilm development at the stage of cell cluster formation we call the maturation-1 stage. The results indicated that expression of theses genes was required for the progression of biofilms into three-dimensional structures on abiotic surfaces and the completion of the biofilm developmental cycle. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis confirmed the detectable change in expression of the respective genes ccoO, PA4101, and PA4208. We propose a possible mechanism for the role of these biofilm-specific proteins in biofilm formation.
THE C8/144B MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY RECOGNIZES CYTOKERATIN 15 AND DEFINES THE LOCATION OF HUMAN HAIR FOLLICLE STEM CELLS

Stem cells are vital for the homeostasis of self-renewing tissues such as the hair follicle. Epithelial stem cells have been implicated in tumorigenesis and wound healing, and their manipulation may have wide ranging applications including gene therapy and tissue transplantation. Rodent hair follicle stem cells have been localized to an area of the follicle called the bulge, however, the identification and characterization of human hair follicle stem cells has been hampered by a lack of cellular markers for this area. We have determined that the C8/144B monoclonal antibody, originally generated against a short intracytoplasmic peptide of CD8, preferentially immunostains hair follicle bulge keratinocytes without staining the remaining hair follicle. Using expression cloning, we identified cytokeratin 15 as the keratinocyte protein recognized by the C8/144B monoclonal antibody. By delineating the bulge using this antibody, we demonstrated that bulge cells possess a stem cell phenotype characterized by their slowly-cycling nature, preferential proliferation at the onset of new hair follicle growth, high level of beta1 integrin expression, and expression of cytokeratin 19.
Genetic tags for labelling live cells: gap junctions and beyond.

Abstract The availability of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a tracer for observing proteins in living cells has revolutionized cell biology and spurred an intensive search for GFP variants with novel characteristics, additional autofluorescent proteins and alternative techniques of protein labelling. Two recent studies – one on tagging with tetracysteine motifs and labelling with biarsenic fluorophores of different colours, and the other on GFP tagging and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) – show how membrane channels are added and removed from gap junctions by using different fluorescent tags to distinguish between newly synthesized and older protein populations.
A Technique for Distributed Execution of Design Automation Tools

The demand for computing resources to support design automation systems is growing dramatically due to VLSI design considerations. This demand has created a need for multiple computing systems to handle the escalated execution requirements of today's Design Automation tools. A distribution technique for executing such tools on multiple computing systems is discussed. The technique employs the definition of three execution modes: interactive foreground, dissociative foreground and batch. Cost and performance considerations are analyzed as they relate to the overall design automation system as well as individual job executions. An implementation of this technique is presented, including the treatment of common system interface, data management, and job submission techniques.
A Buffering Response in Light of Variation in Core Technology, Perceived Environmental Uncertainty, and Size

The relationships between a particular buffering response (part-time and temporary workers) and variations in core technology, perceived environmental uncertainty, and organization size were examin...
Synthesis and Preliminary Biological Evaluations of Fluorescent or 149Promethium Labeled Trastuzumab-Polyethylenimine.

Background: Radioimmunotherapy utilize a targeting antibody coupled to a therapeutic isotope to target and treat a tumor or disease. In this study we examine the synthesis and cell binding of a polymer scaffold containing a radiotherapeutic isotope and a targeting antibody. Methods: The multistep synthesis of a fluorescent or 149Promethium-labeled Trastuzumab-polyethyleneimine (PEI), Trastuzumab, or PEI is described. In vitro uptake, internalization and/or the binding affinity to the Her2/neu expressing human breast adenocarcinoma SKBr3 cells was investigated with the labeled compounds. Results: Fluorescent-labeled Trastuzumab-PEI was internalized more into cells at 2 and 18 h than fluorescent-labeled Trastuzumab or PEI. The fluorescent-labeled Trastuzumab was concentrated on the cell surface at 2 and 18 h and the labeled PEI had minimal uptake. DOTA-PEI was prepared and contained an average of 16 chelates per PEI; the compound was radio-labeled with 149Promethium and conjugated to Trastuzumab. The purified 149Pm-DOTA-PEI-Trastuzumab had a radiochemical purity of 96.7% and a specific activity of 0.118 TBq/g. The compound demonstrated a dissociation constant for the Her2/neu receptor of 20.30 ± 6.91 nM. Conclusion: The results indicate the DOTA-PEI-Trastuzumab compound has potential as a targeted therapeutic carrier, and future in vivo studies should be performed.