cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY BR4 RECOGNIZES SPECIFIC NEURONAL CELL TYPES

A monoclonal antibody termed as Br4 was prepared by a fusion of the myeloma P3 x 63-AG8-653 with spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized with chick embryonic brain cells. Immunocytochemically, it reacts strongly with certain neurons in cerebral cortex, hippocampus, substantia nigra, and granular layer of cerebellum from rat brain but does not react with the white matter. A monoclonal antibody Br4 also reacts with primary cultured chick neurons, but not with cultured astrocytes. Western blots show that Br4 recognizes three proteins of 145,000, 108,000, and 97,000 molecular weight from the rat brain. The protein with molecular weight 145,000 (p145) and the protein with 97,000 molecular weight (p97) are essentially soluble; p145 is especially enriched in the synaptosomal soluble fraction. The protein with 108,000 molecular weight (p108) is found in both membrane-bound and soluble forms. Western blots show that among the tissues examined the three proteins are found most abundant in brain and especially enriched in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. The Br4 antigens may be useful in identifying neuronal cell subpopulations in the central nervous system.
College student gender stereotypes: Expectations about the behavior of male subcategory members

Traditional research on gender stereotypes emphasized similarities among males in that all men were expected to exhibit stereotypic characteristics. Recent research described subcategories (family man, businessman, macho male) suggesting important differences among men. This study investigated college student expectations of similarities and differences among stereotypic male subcategories across five role characteristics: financial provider responsibilities, instrumental tendencies, assertiveness, familial responsibilities, and interpersonal tendencies. The white, middle-class students expected all men to take financial provider and familial responsibilities seriously, and to be assertive. As for differences, the family man and man in general were expected to be interpersonal, and the family man, businessman, and man in general were expected to be more instrumental than the macho male. Implications are discussed.
Intestinal malrotation: Varied clinical presentation from infancy through adulthood

Background The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and clinical presentation of intestinal malrotation from infancy through adulthood by examining the experience of a single institution caring for patients of all ages with this condition. Methods We conducted a retrospective review on all patients diagnosed with intestinal malrotation at Massachusetts General Hospital between 1992 and 2009. Patient demographics, clinical history, diagnostic tests, operative procedures, and outcome variables were recorded. Patients were divided into 3 age groups: infants ( Results We identified 170 patients, of whom 31% were infants, 21% were children, and 48% were adults. Infants nearly always presented with emesis (93%), whereas adults most commonly presented with abdominal pain (87%), and less often with emesis (37%) or nausea (31%). The incidence of volvulus declined with age, from 37% to 22% to 12%, in each of the 3 age groups, respectively. Although infants were most often diagnosed within hours or days of symptom onset, 59% of children and 32% of adults experienced symptoms for years before diagnosis. Upper gastrointestinal series was the most common imaging study performed in infants and children, but was replaced by abdominal computed tomography in adults. All infants and children underwent a Ladd's procedure, compared with only 61% of adults. The majority of patients experienced resolution of symptoms after operative intervention, although this decreased slightly with age. Conclusion Intestinal malrotation can occur in patients of any age and, in contrast with traditional teaching, nearly half of these patients may present during adulthood. An increased awareness of this entity and an understanding of its varied presentation at different ages may reduce time to diagnosis and improve patient outcome.
Corn Performance under Managed Drought Stress and in a Kura Clover Living Mulch Intercropping System

A corn (L.) and kura clover (M. Bieb.) intercropping system provides ecological services, but competition for water between the grain crop and the living mulch crop often reduces corn yields. Our objectives were to determine (i) if corn that performs well under managed drought (i.e., drought-tolerant corn) can minimize the grain yield losses incurred when corn is intercropped with kura clover, and (ii) if strong suppression of the kura clover living mulch minimizes the loss in yield of drought-tolerant and drought-susceptible corn. From drought trials in Minnesota in 2009 and 2010, we identified five drought-tolerant and five drought-susceptible hybrids from the intermated B73 Mo17 population. Under drought conditions, mean grain yields were 9.66 Mg ha for the drought-tolerant hybrids and 5.46 Mg ha for the drought-susceptible hybrids. The 10 hybrids were evaluated in Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2011 in a kura clover intercropping system. Drought-tolerant hybrids had statistically equal mean yields of 12.90 Mg ha in the killed mulch treatment and 13.69 Mg ha in the living mulch treatment. In contrast, mean yields of drought-susceptible hybrids were significantly reduced from 4.53 Mg ha in the killed mulch treatment to 3.48 Mg ha in the living mulch treatment. For the drought-tolerant hybrids, mulch recovery at corn harvest was significantly lower with killed kura clover (41%) than with living kura clover (50%). Our results indicate that the yield of drought-tolerant corn was not reduced by growing in a living mulch of kura clover.
Reconstructing NMR spectra of "invisible" excited protein states using HSQC and HMQC experiments.

Carr−Purcell−Meiboom−Gill (CPMG) relaxation measurements employing trains of 180° pulses with variable pulse spacing provide valuable information about systems undergoing millisecond-time-scale chemical exchange. Fits of the CPMG relaxation dispersion profiles yield rates of interconversion, relative populations, and absolute values of chemical shift differences between the exchanging states, |Δω|. It is shown that the sign of Δω that is lacking from CPMG dispersion experiments can be obtained from a comparison of chemical shifts in the indirect dimensions in either a pair of HSQC (heteronuclear single quantum coherence) spectra recorded at different magnetic fields or HSQC and HMQC (heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence) spectra obtained at a single field. The methodology is illustrated with an application to a cavity mutant of T4 lysozyme in which a leucine at position 99 has been replaced by an alanine, giving rise to exchange between ground state and excited state conformations with a rate on the o...
Some practical observations on liquid scintillation counting.

Abstract General information is presented relating to savings available to large institutions through standard purchasing purchases which are sometimes ignored (buyer's agreements and refunds, quantity discounts for local and statewide institutions). Cost data for some common liquid scintillation mixtures, in addition to characteristics and advantages and disadvantages of particular mixtures are given. Amount of counting mixture vs. counting efficiency is discussed, as well as chemiluminescence associated with certain products and brands. Cost figures are detailed for large and small plastic and glass vials and for acceptable lower cost pharmaceutical vials. Inter-comparisons for various brands of vials are shown for two common mixtures or “cocktails” in regard to background, swelling and figure of merit. Minor modifications for counters which refuse minivials in commercial adaptors are covered, and a less expensive adaptor is suggested. Waste-disposal savings which are possible with minivials are mentioned. Washing and re-using vials may be a false economy, and some of the criteria useful in deciding where to re-use vials are noted. Safety precautions and handling techniques for solvents are considered.
Nonlinear Landau heating by ion-Bernstein waves in magnetically confined fusion plasmas.

It is shown that during ion-Bernstein--wave heating experiments, nonlinear ion Landau damping absorbs efficiently the incident Bernstein waves in present-day tokamak and tandem-mirror plasmas. Further, this nonlinear absorption will dominate absorption by minority (impurity) ions.
ON WEIGHTED MEDIAN AGGREGATION

We discuss the issue of weighted Min and Max aggregation. We provide for a formalization of the process of importance weighted transformation. The transformation of zero importance items to the identity element of the aggregation is emphasized. Median type aggregation is discussed and we describe its properties. We suggest a new technique for weighted median aggregation. We show its usefulness as an alternative the weighted average when we are using an ordinal scale.
Work Contracts and Earnings Inequality: The Case of Chile

Great social inequality has been one of the worrisome features of economic development in Latin America. This study focuses on Chile, one of Latin America's fastest growing economies with one of the highest levels of income inequality during the 1990s. Using micro-level data from the 1994 and 2000 Encuestas de Caracterizacion Socio-Economica, this article examines the role of work contracts in explaining male and female earnings and earnings inequality among wage and salary workers over the second half of the 1990s. The analysis distinguishes between wage and salary work without a work contract – referred to as ‘informal’ work, and wage and salary work with a work contract. Within the latter group, the study further differentiates by the type of work contract held, such as permanent and a variety of contingent work contracts. The findings reveal that the majority of employees in informal and contingent wage and salary work arrangements earned significantly less than their permanent counterparts. Additiona...
Oral sucrose and pain relief for preterm infants

The frequency of painful procedures performed on preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) presents a challenge to nurses who are attempting to provide effective pain relief, and to the infants themselves who may suffer adverse consequences in response to repeated painful procedures. One new pain relief intervention under study is the administration of oral sucrose, which may activate endogenous opioid systems within the body. Studies with preterm infants that have examined the use of oral sucrose as an analgesic during heelsticks and venipunctures have shown that sucrose is effective in reducing pain. Sucrose may also be combined with nonnutritive sucking to provide significant pain relief. The use of oral sucrose is now recommended with a wide range of painful procedures in the NICU. Promising results have been observed in studies with both term and preterm infants, but less research has occurred with preterm infants. Additional research is warranted to determine the most effective approaches for the administration of sucrose, to examine the effectiveness of sucrose with additional types of painful procedures, and to examine the effects of long-term repeated use of sucrose.
Nrf2, a Cap'n'Collar transcription factor, regulates induction of the heme oxygenase-1 gene.

Stress response elements, which mediate induction of the mouse heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene by several agents, resemble the binding site for the activator protein-1 (Jun/Fos), Maf, and Cap'n'Collar/basic leucine zipper (CNC-bZIP) families of proteins. In L929 fibroblasts, significant activation of an HO-1 enhancer-reporter fusion gene was observed only with the CNC-bZIP class of proteins with Nrf2 exhibiting the highest level of trans-activation, between 25- and 30-fold. To further examine the role of this factor in HO-1 gene regulation, a dominant-negative mutant, Nrf2M, was generated and conditionally expressed in L929 cells. The mutant protein was detected in cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions but did not affect cell growth. Under conditions of Nrf2M overexpression, HO-1 mRNA accumulation in response to heme, cadmium, zinc, arsenite, and tert-butylhydroquinone was inhibited by 85–95%. In contrast, overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant of c-Jun decreased L929 cell growth but did not inhibit HO-1 gene activation. Nrf2 does not homodimerize, but CNC-bZIP·small Maf protein heterodimers and Nrf2·Jun protein complexes are proposed to function as trans-activators. Co-expression of Jun proteins or p18, however, had no significant affect or inhibited Nrf2-mediated trans-activation. Taken together, these results implicate Nrf2 in the induction of the HO-1 gene but suggest that the Nrf2 partner in this function is a factor other than p18 or Jun proteins.
The President's Page: Freedom of science at sea (guest editorial)

During the Fourth Preparatory Meeting of the U.N. Seabed Committee in July and August, the subject of marine science research became a substantive issue that will be on the agenda for future conferences on the Law of the Sea. Although it is much too early to predict the outcome of international negotiations on this issue, it is already clear that the recommended policy of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences will not prevail. This is not surprising because this policy represents a liberal approach of scientists from a highly developed country, and it cannot be expected that developing nations within the present international political climate will necessarily share this position. In general, the Academy policy favored the maximum freedom of open scientific research in the three zones of jurisdiction that seem to be emerging: territorial waters, an intermediate or resource zone, and the remaining open ocean. It seems unlikely at this stage that within the territorial waters and the intermediate zone future scientific research will be conducted without first obtaining permission from the coastal state. This situation is not insignificant since these areas might constitute as much as 30% of the world ocean. Moreover, there is concern that even on the open ocean, permission for scientific research will require prior approval from some as yet undefined international authority.
Uterine papillary serous and clear cell carcinomas predict for poorer survival compared to grade 3 endometrioid corpus cancers

To compare the survival of women with uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) and clear cell carcinoma (CC) to those with grade 3 endometrioid uterine carcinoma (G3EC). Demographic, pathologic, treatment, and survival information were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program from 1988 to 2001. Data were analysed using Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression methods. Of 4180 women, 1473 had UPSC, 391 had CC, and 2316 had G3EC cancers. Uterine papillary serous carcinoma and CC patients were older (median age: 70 years and 68 vs 66 years, respectively; P<0.0001) and more likely to be black compared to G3EC (15 and 12% vs 7%; P<0.0001). A higher proportion of UPSC and CC patients had stage III–IV disease compared to G3EC patients (52 and 36% vs 29%; P<0.0001). Uterine papillary serous carcinoma, CC and G3EC patients represent 10, 3, and 15% of endometrial cancers but account for 39, 8, and 27% of cancer deaths, respectively. The 5-year disease-specific survivals for women with UPSC, CC and G3EC were 55, 68, and 77%, respectively (P<0.0001). The survival differences between UPSC, CC and G3EC persist after controlling for stage I–II (74, 82, and 86%; P<0.0001) and stage III–IV disease (33, 40, and 54; P<0.0001). On multivariate analysis, more favourable histology (G3EC), younger age, and earlier stage were independent predictors of improved survival. Women with UPSC and CC of the uterus have a significantly poorer prognosis compared to those with G3EC. These findings should be considered in the counselling, treating and designing of future trials for these high-risk patients.
Premature Therapeutic Antimicrobial Treatments Can Compromise the Diagnosis of Late Periprosthetic Joint Infection

In the absence of positive cultures and draining sinuses, the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) relies on laboratory values. It is unknown if administration of antibiotics within 2 weeks before diagnostic evaluations can affect these tests in patients with PJI. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of antibiotic administration with (1) fluctuations in the synovial fluid and serology laboratory values; and (2) sensitivity of the diagnostic tests in patients with late PJI (per Musculoskeletal Infection Society [MSIS] criteria). Synovial white blood cell (WBC) count, polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) percentage, and serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as well as culture results were investigated in 161 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty with late PJI diagnosed with the MSIS criteria. Depending on whether presampling antibiotics were used, patients were divided in two groups (53 [33%] patients were on antibiotics). The median laboratory values and the false-negative rates were compared between the two groups. The median of all variables were lower in the antibiotic group compared with the other group: ESR (mm/hr): 70 versus 85, difference of medians (DOM) = 15 mm/hr, p = 0.018; CRP (mg/L): 72 versus 130, DOM = 58 mg/L, p = 0.038; synovial WBC (cells/μL): 29,170 versus 46,900, DOM = 17,730, p = 0.022; and synovial PMN%: 88.5% versus 92.5%, DOM = 4%, p = 0.012. Furthermore, using the MSIS cutoffs, the false-negative rates of several parameters were higher in the antibiotic group; ESR: 19.2% (nine of 47) versus 6.1% (six of 99) (relative risk, 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–8.3; p = 0.020); CRP: 14.9% (seven of 47) versus 2.00% (two of 100) (relative risk, 7.4; 95% CI, 1.6–34.4); PMN%: 23.1% (12 of 52) versus 9.4% (10 of 106) (relative risk, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1–5.2; p = 0.027). Patients in the antibiotic group also had higher rates of negative cultures: 26.4% (14 of 53) versus 12.9% (14 of 108) (relative risk, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.05–3.9; p = 0.046). It appears that premature antibiotic treatments are associated with lower medians of diagnostic laboratory values. Thus, and in line with the guideline recommendations of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, patients with suspected late-PJI should not receive antibiotics until the diagnosis is reached or refuted. Level III, diagnostic study.
224 Stromal Derived Factor 1 Alpha is a Mediator of Conditioning in Human and Rat Myocardium

Background We have recently demonstrated that stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α) limits myocardial infarct size (IS) in a murine model of ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) via its receptor CXCR4. This study aimed to investigate the role of SDF-1α in the cardioprotection conferred by remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) using three different human and animal models. Methods 1) In vivo RIC: Rats were anaesthetised with sodium pentobarbitone (60mg/kg i.p.), intubated and ventilated. Animals were randomly allocated to receive intravenously either a specific inhibitor of CXCR4, AMD3100 (10µg/ml), or vehicle (0.9% saline). Animals then underwent either a RIC protocol (3 × 5 min hind limb ischaemia) or a sham procedure for the same time period. Complete cessation of blood flow in the RIC group was confirmed by Doppler measurement. All groups were subjected to 30 min left coronary artery occlusion and 2h reperfusion (IR), after which the heart was removed and analysed for IS as a proportion of area at risk (IS/AAR%). 2) Ex vivo RIC: Coronary effluent was collected from isolated perfused rat hearts following either stabilisation (C eff ) or during a preconditioning protocol (3 × 5 min, IPC eff ). Recipient hearts were perfused with effluent for 10 min (± 5 µg/ml AMD) prior to 35 min LCA occlusion and 60 min reperfusion. Infarct size was measured as above. 3) Isolated human atrial muscle: Trabeculae isolated from right atrial appendage tissue were harvested during cardiac surgery. All samples were subjected to 60 min hypoxia and 60 min reoxygenation. Samples were randomised to four groups: (1) Control; (2) SDF-1α (25ng/ml) for 30 min prior to hypoxia; (3) AMD3100 (10µg/ml) + SDF-1α (25ng/ml), AMD3100 for 10 min prior to SDF-1α; (4) AMD3100 (10µg/ml) 40 min prior to hypoxia. Recovery of contractile function (% recovery compared to baseline) was assessed after 60 min reoxygenation. Results (1) RIC significantly reduced IS in vivo from 57 ± 3% to 31 ± 4% (N = 6 and 5 respectively, p 0.05 vs RIC+vehicle). AMD3100 alone had no significant effect on IS (62 ± 2%, N=6, p > 0.05 vs IR+vehicle). (2) IPC eff significantly reduced IS in isolated hearts from 41 ± 5% (C eff ) to 22 ± 6% (N=7, p eff mediated cardioprotection (25 ± 2%, p > 0.05 vs IPC eff ). (3) SDF-1α significantly improved % recovery of human atrial trabeculae subjected to simulated IRI from 28 ± 2% (control) to 52 ± 2% (N=10, p 0.05). Conclusion This study suggests that SDF-1α is a mediator of RIC. It appears to be produced remote from the heart and exert its actions on the myocardium via activation of the CXCR4 receptor.
Dynamics of laser hole drilling with nanosecond periodically pulsed laser

Abstract Results are presented on the dynamics of the laser drilling process for a single hole using a periodically pulsed nanosecond laser with a repetition rate up to 60 kHz. The intensity dependence of drilling velocity was determined by measuring the delay time between the beginning of exposure and the moment when the hole opens. The hole collapse phenomenon was observed in our experiments. The competition process between material ejection and the flow of the liquid phase into the ejected area is supposed to be responsible for the hole collapse.
Trapping the fast-refolding state of ribonuclease A at subzero temperatures

Unfolded ribonuclease A consists of a mixture of fast- and slow-refolding species. It is generally accepted that the slow-refolding states arise from isomerization of proline residues. We show that unfolding at subzero temperatures may be used to trap the fast-refolding species Uf, since the rate of proline isomerization slows down at a much faster rate than protein unfolding. The unfolding was carried out in 5 M guanidine hydrochloride; at -15 degrees C the protein unfolding process is complete within 30 s and under these conditions there is less than 1.5% proline isomerization. By using ribonuclease in which Tyr-115 was nitrated it was possible to rule out significant isomerization of Pro-114 in the observed slow-unfolding step.
Trial of vitamin A supplementation in very low birth weight infants at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

We performed a randomized, double-blind, controlled triat to determine whether vitamin A supplementation in a group of very low birth weight infants would reduce the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Forty-nine infants (birth weight 700 to 1100 gm) requiring mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen at 96 hours age were randomly assigned to recelve either 2000 IU retinyl palmitate (n=27) or saline placebo (n=22) intramuscularly every other day for up to 14 doses. There were no differences between treatment groups in the incidences of bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 31 days of postnatal age (vitamin A group 48% placebo group 55%; p =0.776), supplemental oxygen requirement at 34 weeks of postconceptional age, or other complications of prematurity. The vitamin A group had higher mean plasma vitamin A concentrations than the placebo group, but mean plasma vitamin A concentrations were greater than 20 μg/dl (suggesting sufficiency) in both groups after the first study week. By study day 28, only one fourth of the infants in either group had plasma vitamin A concentrations less than 20 μg/dl. In contrast to an earlier report, we found no change in the incidence of BPD with vitamin A supplementation. Our findings may reflect a low baseline, incidence of vitamin A deficiency in the study population and recent changes in the respiratory care of very low birth weight infants. The latter may have lessened the potential impact of vitamin A deficiency on lung disease.
Installation Effects on the Flow and Noise of Wing Mounted Jets

T IS known experimentally, since the late 1970s, that a jet installed under a wing of an aircraft radiates more noise than the same jet in a standalone condition. The excess noise is the propulsion-airframe integration noise or commonly referred to as installation noise. When a jet is placed near a wing, there is an increase in noise in the flyover directions because of the reflection of sound by the wing. Here, installation noise includes not merely the noise increase due to the reflection of sound by the wing. The major part of this noise is generated aerodynamicly by the nonlinear interaction between the flow around the wing flap and the jet. In this work,ourprimaryinterestistomodelandtopredictinstallationnoise of aerodynamic origin. Installation noise increases not only the total aircraftnoiseinthe flyoverplanebutalsointhesidelinedirections.It is especially important during landings and takeoffs when the flaps are down. Duringthe1980s,anumberofexperimentswerecarriedouttrying to quantify the characteristics and intensity of installation noise [1– 4]. Most of these experiments involved the measurements of the jet alone noise and the noise when the jet was placed near a model of an aircraft wing inside an anechoic chamber. The experimental measurements by Wang [2] were the most systematic. In his experiment,ascaledmodelofthewingofaDC-10aircraftwasused. Large noise increase was observed in the flyover plane in the lowfrequencypartofthespectrum.Theincreaseinhigh-frequencynoise was less. In directions at small exhaust angles, the installation noise intensity was quite low. In the sideline, the radiated noise characteristics, on the other hand, were quite different. Overall, the measured data indicated that installation noise had a unique spectral shape and a directional pattern of its own. Recently, there is a renewed interest in propulsion-airframe integration noise. Mead and Strange [5] investigated the under-thewing installation effects on jet noise with special emphasis on the sidelinedirections.Theirinterestinthesidelinewasmotivatedbythe experience that it was generally more difficult to meet legislative limit on sideline noise level requirements. They reported the measurement of high installation noise level in the low-frequency range. One drawback of the Mead and Strange experiment [5], as well as most of the previous works, is that the experiments were carried out in static conditions. Upon realizing that the effect of forward flight is extremely important in the interaction between the flow around the wing flapandthejet,aseriesofnewexperimentsoninstallationnoise was conducted by engineers of The Boeing Company (Shivashankara and Blackner [6], Blackner and Bhat [7], and Bhat and Blackner [8]). They employed an open wind tunnel at M � 0:28 tosimulatetheforwardmotionoftheaircraft.Byusingellipticmirror microphones and the newly developed phase-array microphones, they were able to obtain noise source location maps as well as farfield noise data.
Touch Therapy Effects on Development

In this review empirical data are presented on the use of touch therapy, specifically massage therapy for improving the clinical course of several conditions including growth and development of pre-term infants, reducing pain, increasing attentiveness, diminishing depression, and enhancing immune function. Potential underlying mechanisms for the massage therapy effects are proposed for each of these conditions. The general effect appears to derive from the stimulation of pressure receptors and the ensuing increase in vagal activity and slowing physiology which in turn facilitates a more relaxed behavioural state, effects a decrease in stress hormones, most particularly cortisol, and an increase in immune function, particularly natural killer cells.
Evaluation of working distances at a 1:1 reproduction ratio for seven popular 35-mm dental camera systems.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of seven camera systems in producing accurate intraoral images. Materials and Methods Seven camera systems marketed for use in clinical dentistry were compared in terms of their working distances at a 1:1 reproduction ratio. Results Each of the systems provided slides of acceptable quality for both direct view and indirect buccal mirror view when used with the customary 90-mm to 105-mm focal-length lenses and the electronic flash units appropriate for each model. Using the manufacturers' recommended settings for each exposure, some differences in the quality of the resulting slides were noted. The color slides produced by three of the camera systems were slightly underexposed, but still clinically acceptable. Conclusion The camera systems with longer working distances, especially for the indirect buccal mirror view and when using the lateral flash, permit the photographer to position the camera with greater ease so that the slide image is an acceptable reproduction of the actual clinical view.
Use of non-contacting electromagnetic inductive method for estimating soil moisture across a landscape

Abstract There is a growing interest in real‐time estimation of soil moisture for site‐ specific crop management. Non‐contacting electromagnetic inductive (EMI) methods have potentials to provide real‐time estimate of soil profile water contents. Soil profile water contents were monitored with a neutron probe at selected sites. A Geonics LTD EM‐38 terrain meter was used to record bulk soil electrical conductivity (ECA) readings across a soil‐ landscape in West central Minnesota with variable moisture regimes. The relationships among ECA, selected soil and landscape properties were examined. Bulk soil electrical conductivity (0–1.0 and 0–0.5 m) was negatively correlated with relative elevation. It was positively correlated with soil profile (1.0 m) clay content and negatively correlated with soil profile coarse fragments (>2 mm) and sand content. There was significant linear relationship between ECA (0–1.0 and 0–0.5) and soil profile water storage. Soil water storage estimated from ECA reflected changes in...
Development and evaluation of multi-marker risk scores for clinical prognosis.

Heart failure research suggests that multiple biomarkers could be combined with relevant clinical information to more accurately quantify individual risk and to guide patient-specific treatment strategies. Therefore, statistical methodology is required to determine multi-marker risk scores that yield improved prognostic performance. Development of a prognostic score that combines biomarkers with clinical variables requires specification of an appropriate statistical model and is most frequently achieved using standard regression methods such as Cox regression. We demonstrate that care is needed in model specification and that maximal use of marker information requires consideration of potential non-linear effects and interactions. The derived multi-marker score can be evaluated using time-dependent ROC methods, or risk reclassification methods adapted for survival outcomes. We compare the performance of alternative model accuracy methods using simulations, both to evaluate power and to quantify the potential loss in accuracy associated with use of a sub-optimal regression model to develop the multi-marker score. We illustrate development and evaluation strategies using data from the Penn Heart Failure Study. Based on our results, we recommend that analysts carefully examine the functional form for component markers and consider plausible forms for effect modification to maximize the prognostic potential of a model-derived multi-marker score.
Transesophageal echocardiography before cardioversion of recurrent atrial fibrillation: does absence of previous atrial thrombi preclude the need of a repeat test?

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a recurrent problem that frequently requires repeat cardioversion. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is indicated before cardioversion in patients who are underanticoagulated (warfarin therapy Methods and results From January 1996 to June 2001, 76 patients (43 men, 33 women; mean age, 68.8 ± 10.4 years) who were underanticoagulated and had no atrial thrombi in previous TEE underwent repeat TEE before cardioversion of recurrent AF. The duration of recurrent AF at the time of the second TEE was 5.1 ± 9.3 months (1 day to 4 years). The underlying diseases included coronary artery disease (n = 30), hypertension (n = 22), valvular heart diseases (n = 8), dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 4), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 2), and others (n = 10). Eight (10.5%) patients (2 men, 6 women; mean age, 68.6 ± 6.6 years) were found to have intra-atrial thrombi on the second TEE. Of these 8 patients, 3 had coronary artery disease, 1 had hypertension, 2 had dilated cardiomyopathy, 1 had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and 1 had AF of unknown cause. The duration of recurrent AF in patients with and without thrombi was not significantly different (3.6 ± 4.7 versus 5.3 ± 9.7 months, P = .22). Of the 8 patients with intra-atrial thrombi on the second TEE, 5 had been taking warfarin for 3 to 4 weeks but had subtherapeutic INR and 3 were taking aspirin only. Compared with patients without intra-atrial thrombi, patients with intra-atrial thrombi had lower ejection fraction (32.5% ± 18.1% versus 49.9% ± 14.1%, P = .015), slower left atrial appendage empty velocity (0.22 ± 0.08 versus 0.41 ± 0.17 m/s, P P P = .15). Cardioversion was cancelled in all patients with atrial thrombi. Conclusions In underanticoagulated patients, repeat TEE is necessary before cardioversion of recurrent AF even if the previous TEE showed no atrial thrombi.
MATHEMATICAL MODEL AND ANALYSIS OF PMMA SOLUTION PROCESSES

A mathematical model of reactors for the polymerization of methylmethacrylate (MMA) has been developed and analyzed in order to better understand the reactor dynamics and to determine conditions for improved operation. The exploration of the effect of heat transfer in an MMA polymerization reactor system has been conducted by the development of a detailed model. Two correlations for the overall heat transfer coefficient have been used to study the effect of heat transfer. The heat transfer coefficient estimated by an empirical correlation (Kravaris) is only a function of conversion. Due to its simplicity, it may not express very well the true heat transfer phenomena. But in Henderson’s correlation, it is related to the viscosity of the reaction mixture, which in turn depends on the reaction temperature and volume fraction of each species in the reactor. The steady state solutions of mass and energy balances in the reactor depend on the nature of the heat transfer correlation, as does the number of isola branches. Henderson’s correlation may be preferred to calculate the dynamics of the PMMA reactors. The addition of jacket dynamics to the system results in no isola solution branches and no Hopf bifurcations.
Establishing Clinically Relevant Standards for Tachypnea in Febrile Children Younger Than 2 Years

Objective: To determine values for defining tachypnea in febrile children younger than 2 years that best identify those at risk for pneumonia. Design: Prospective case series. Study Patients: Children younger than 2 years presenting to the emergency department of a children's hospital with a temperature of 38°C or higher. Interventions: Using a standardized method, respiratory rates were obtained on eligible children for 1 year. Study patients were classified as having pneumonia or no pneumonia based on clinical evaluation and chest radiograph findings. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to select the values for respiratory rate that maximized sensitivity and specificity of tachypnea as a sign of pneumonia. Results: Data were analyzed for 572 children; pneumonia was present in 42 (7%). The diagnostic utility of tachypnea was maximal when cutoff values for respiratory rates of 59/min in infants younger than 6 months, 52/min in those aged 6 through 11 months, and 42/min in those aged 1 to 2 years were selected. Based on these definitions, tachypnea as a sign of pneumonia had a sensitivity of 73.8%, specificity of 76.8%, positive predictive value of 20.1%, and negative predictive value of 97.4%. Conclusions: Tachypnea, as defined in this study, is an important predictive sign of pneumonia in febrile children younger than 2 years. Conversely, the absence of tachypnea obviates the need for chest radiography in most settings. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149:283-287)
The initial nucleotide sequence of DNA transcribed from avian myeloblastosis virus 70 S RNA by RNA-dependent DNA polymerase

Abstract Denaturation of avian myeloblastosis virus 70 S RNA resulted in the release of one major and several minor species of 4 S RNA which were separated by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels. The major 4 S RNA component (one to two molecules per 70 S RNA) was shown to function in the 70 S RNA complex as the primer for the initiation of DNA synthesis in vitro by the viral RNA-dependent DNA polymerase. The covalent linkage between primer RNA's and nascent DNA's was found to involve an adenosine residue at the 3′-termini of the RNA's and a deoxyadenosine residue at the 5′-termini of the DNA's. By nearest neighbor analyses, a single unique nucleotide sequence, dApdApdTpdGpd-ApdApdGpdC OH , was determined to be present at the 5′-termini of the nascent DNA transcripts.
Counting minimal generator matrices

Given a particular convolutional code C, we wish to find all minimal generator matrices G(D) which represent that code. A standard form S(D) for a minimal matrix is defined, and then all standard forms for the code C are counted (this is equivalent to counting special pre-multiplication matrices P(D)). It is shown that all the minimal generator matrices G(D) are contained within the 'ordered row permutations' of these standard forms, and that all these permutations are distinct. Finally, the result is used to place a simple upper bound on the possible number of convolutional codes. >
Simulating GI/G/k Queues in Heavy Traffic

This paper proposes a new consistent estimator for the expected waiting time in queue in the simulation of a multiserver queueing system. This estimator is called the "error estimator" because it estimates only the error involved in the use of Kingman's heavy traffic approximation. Not only does this estimator retain all the advantages of the regenerative method, but it also reduces the variance of the estimator substantially when the traffic becomes heavy.
A Physisorbed Interface Design of Biomolecules for Selective and Sensitive Protein Detection

We present a unique immobilization technique via physical adsorption/exchange of biomolecules onto a sensing surface of surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The adsorption/exchange is based on competitive bindings of biomolecules to a surface, which does not require a chemical modification of the biomolecules. SPR sensorgrams show that three human serum proteins, albumin, immunoglobulin G (IgG), and fibrinogen, have different adsorption strengths to the surface and the competitive adsorption of the individuals controls the exchange sequence. A target protein displaces a preadsorbed weak-affinity protein; however, a preadsorbed strong-affinity protein is not displaced by the target protein. In a microfluidic device, we engineer two gold surfaces covered by two known proteins. The sensor allows selective protein detection by being displaced by a target protein on only one of the surfaces. We demonstrate that IgG is selectively detected between albumin- and fibrinogen-adsorbed surfaces. Moreover, the physical ad...
Error vector magnitude optimization for OFDM systems with a deterministic peak-to-average power ratio constraint

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems often have to conform to error vector magnitude (EVM) and spectral mask constraints as specified by communications standards. On the other hand, peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) of the signal waveform is also an important metric that influences the system power efficiency and system performance in the presence of nonlinearities. An interesting PAR reduction method was proposed recently that aims at minimizing the symbol-wise PAR subject to symbol-wise EVM and spectral mask constraints. In this paper, we re-formulate the optimization problem and strive to minimize the symbol-wise EVM subject to deterministic PAR and spectral mask constraints. The PAR threshold is chosen such that the root mean-squared (RMS) EVM meets the standard's requirement. To solve this new optimization problem, a low complexity interior-point method (IPM) is developed. The new optimization framework may be more suitable for practical systems. We provide numerical examples to demonstrate the performance of the proposed technique.
Heuristic Methods for Telephone Operator Shift Scheduling: An Experimental Analysis

Heuristic methods are presented for scheduling telephone traffic exchange operators to meet demand that varies over a 24-hour operating period. Two types of heuristics are described 1 for determining the work shift types to be considered in preparing an operator shift schedule and 2 for constructing an operator shift schedule from a given set of work shift types. These heuristics are evaluated both in terms of solution quality and computational efficiency, using actual operating data.
Improved anti-tumor therapy based upon infectivity enhanced adenoviral delivery of RNA interference in ovarian carcinoma cell lines

Abstract Background. Hec1 (Highly Expressed in Cancer gene 1) has recently been shown to play an important role in the proper segregation of chromosomes during mitosis. Recently, an adenovirus delivery system carrying RNA interference (RNAi) of Hec1 has been reported in a cervical adenocarcinoma model. Adenoviral delivery systems, however, have the main limitation of poor viral infectivity due to lack of the native receptor, Coxsackie–Adenovirus Receptor (CAR), on the surface of tumor cells. We hypothesize that the viral infectivity of the adenovirus vector would be enhanced via a CAR-independent pathway by altering the targeting tropism, thus increasing the knockdown effect of Hec1 expression in ovarian carcinoma cells. Methods. Two adenoviruses (Ad-siRNA-Hec1 and Ad-siRNA-Hec1.F5/3), along with a negative control (Ad-siRNA-GAPDH.F5/3), were created using homologous recombination. HEY and SKOV3.ip1 cell lines were used to perform experiments. The following assays were then used to determine RNAi knockdown efficiency: (1) quantitative PCR (QPCR), (2) Western blot, (3) MTS assay, (4) Annexin V–FITC FACS, (5) crystal violet staining. In all experiments, a negative control served as a baseline measure. Results. QPCR demonstrated a 2-log viral infectivity enhancement with Ad-siRNA-Hec1.F5/3 over Ad-siRNA-Hec1. QPCR at 72 h revealed mRNA knockdown induced by Ad-siRNA-Hec1 and Ad-siRNA-Hec1.F5/3 in SKOV3.ip1 and HEY cells, respectively (71%/60%, and 32%/78% mRNA knockdown compared to negative control). Western blot revealed translational inhibition induced by both Hec1 Ads with the least knockdown seen with Ad-siRNA-GAPDH.F5/3. FACS analysis revealed increased annexin V positivity in RNAi-infected cells, suggesting a higher rate of apoptosis. MTS assay indicated increased cell death 8 days post-infection with Ad-siRNA-Hec1 and Ad-siRNA-Hec1.F5/3 in SKOV3.ip1 and HEY cell lines, respectively (75% vs. 35% and 43% vs. 12% viable cells). Crystal violet staining revealed increased cell death with Ad-siRNA-Hec1.F5/3 in all tested cell lines. Conclusions. RNAi against Hec1 results in gene expression knockdown and apoptosis in vitro . The infectivity-enhanced adenovirus as delivery mechanism shows potential application in future gene therapy models of RNAi in ovarian cancer.
TLRs in the Gut. IV. Negative regulation of Toll-like receptors and intestinal homeostasis: Addition by subtraction

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of transmembrane proteins that recognize conserved molecular motifs on microorganisms. Ligand binding to TLRs initiates signaling cascades that activate NF-kappaB, MAPK, and interferon response factors. These culminate in cellular responses including activation of antimicrobial killing mechanisms, production of cytokines and chemokines, maturation of antigen presenting cells, and the recruitment of the adaptive immune response. Intestinal epithelial cells represent a unique population of cells that exist in direct contact with a biomass of bacteria. Initiation of TLR signaling is tightly regulated because prolonged and excessive activation of TLRs can lead to uncontrolled inflammation detrimental to the host. Varied mechanisms appear to contribute to control of TLR activation in the intestinal epithelium. These include the collective effects of several negative regulators that include IRAK-M, TOLLIP, SIGIRR, A20, Nod2, and PPARgamma. However, it remains to be determined whether they comprise the entire spectrum of negative control mechanisms and how they are bypassed to trigger activation during challenge by pathogens.
New Rangeland Residents in Wyoming? A Survey of Exurban Landowners

Rapid conversion of rural land to exurban development and the ensuing impacts on natural resources have been welldocumented, but information about exurban landowners is lacking. To address this knowledge gap, we surveyed exurban landowners in six Wyoming counties and documented demographic characteristics, motivations, knowledge, and attitudes about natural resources and land management. The overall response rate was 55.6%. Generally, respondents were of retirement age, had lived in Wyoming for about 13 yr, and were raised in areas with a population , 10 000. Wyoming respondents lived in exurbia for the lifestyle and aesthetic values and did not expect economic gains from their property. Most respondents had knowledge about, and interest in, invasive species, water quality, landscaping, and gardening. More than half of respondents (54%) had never looked for information regarding land management. Information from this study can be used to strengthen the development and delivery of educational programs. Programs that focus on water quality or weed control likely will appeal to more exurban landowners than those that focus solely on grazing management. Our findings provide an accurate characterization of this audience and their motivations and attitudes regarding land management, and suggest that using a multipronged approach for outreach efforts, which includes both cost- and time-efficient ways to conduct important land management practices, might increase participation in educational programs.
A two-pass solution to the rendering equation: A synthesis of ray tracing and radiosity methods

View-independent and view-dependent image synthesis techniques, represented by radiosity and ray tracing, respectively, are discussed. View-dependent techniques are found to have advantages for calculating the specular component of illumination and view-independent techniques for the diffuse component. Based on these observations a methodology is presented for simulating global illumination within complex environments using a two-pass approach. The first pass is view-independent and is based on the hemi-cube radiosity algorithm, with extensions to include the effects of diffuse transmission, and specular to diffuse reflection and transmission. The second pass is view-dependent and is based on an alternative to distributed ray tracing in which a z-buffer algorithm is used to sample the intensities contributing to the specularly reflected or transmitted intensity.