cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
89Zr-Nanoparticle PET Imaging of Carotid Plaques in a Murine Model of Atherosclerosis

1231 Objectives: Arterial plaque detection and monitoring remains difficult, especially with unstable non-calcified plaques that do not greatly attenuate on CT. These plaques do show a large degree of CD68+ monocyte and macrophage infiltration, giving a good biological target for nuclear imaging. Here we use a 89Zr-labeled nanoparticle, Feraheme (FH), to image this inflammation in a murine model of carotid artery atherosclerosis. FH is an FDA-approved drug which is known to be preferentially phagocytosed by monocytes and macrophages, and 89Zr-FH has previously been used for imaging monocyte trafficking by PET. Methods: 8-week-old male FVB/NJ mice (n = 4) were fed a 0.2% high-cholesterol diet (TD 88137, Envigo Teklad, Hackensack, NJ) for eight weeks after initial acclimation. Streptozotocin (40 mg/kg i.p.) was injected for 8 consecutive days at week 4 to induce diabetes. Two weeks after inducing diabetes, the left carotid artery (LCA) was surgically ligated to accelerate atherosclerosis. The intact right carotid artery (RCA) served as a negative control. At week 8, mice were injected retro-orbitally with 89Zr-FH (178±32 µCi). Mice were imaged by microPET/CT at 4,24, & 96 hours after injection with 89Zr-FH. After the final imaging time point, carotid arteries were removed and exposed on autoradiography film. Results: PET imaging revealed an increasing signal in the LCA over 96 hours. PET imaging also showed activity in injured carotids was significantly (p=0.017) higher than in the contralateral artery at 96 hours after injection (Fig. 1a). At the final imaging timepoint, activity in the injured vessel showed an SUV increase of 59.9% over contralateral controls (Fig. 1b). Ex vivo autoradiography results confirmed in vivo imaging, showing much greater signal in the LCA over the control RCA (Fig. 1c). Conclusions: 89Zr-FH appears to be a strong tool in imaging and detection of atherosclerotic plaques. This nanoparticle offers a quantitative, non-invasive, and clinically translatable tool for monitoring the location of unstable plaques. In addition to its utility in detection of vulnerable plaques, this tool could also be used in drug development and monitoring response to therapy, quantifying response to treatment. Acknowledgements: Support for this work came from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R00HL127180 , T32EB013180, & P41EB022544.
Relation of Fracture Energy of Sub-Sized Charpy Specimens to Standard Charpy Energy and Fracture Toughness

The total fracture energy of edge-cracked beams under bending load is strongly dependent on specimen size, so the Charpy energy can only be measured on standard specimens. By means of a simplistic mechanical model a mathematical relation between the total fracture energy of an edge-cracked beam under bending and the fracture toughness is derived, from which a mathematical relation between the fracture energy and specimen size is obtained. It can be used to scale-up the fracture energy of sub-sized tests, and then use the evaluation procedure for standard Charpy specimens mentioned above. Unlike the commonly used empirical correlation formulas, the presented scaling law is applicable to any elastic-plastic material. It holds for the upper-shelf regime, and as a lower bound also in the brittle-to-ductile transition regime. The results are compared with experimental data obtained from different specimen sizes
Market Design for a P2P Backup System

Peer-to-peer (P2P) backup systems are an attractive alternative to server-based systems because the immense costs of large data centers can be saved by using idle resources on millions of private computers instead. This paper presents the design and theoretical analysis of a market for a P2P backup system. While our long-term goal is an open resource exchange market using real money, here we consider a system where monetary transfers are prohibited. A user who wants to backup his data must in return supply some of his resources (storage space, upload and download bandwidth) to the system.We propose a hybrid P2P architecture where all backup data is transferred directly between peers, but a dedicated server coordinates all operations and maintains meta-data. We achieve high reliability guarantees while keeping our data replication factor low by adopting sophisticated erasure coding technology (cf., [2]).
Stacked reconfigurable antenna elements for space-based radar applications

This paper details progress on the development of MEMS switch-reconfigurable antenna array elements for space-based radar. The ultimate goal is a reconfigurable array on a flexible substrate with a minimum number of switches, low profile, and MEMS switching that provides operation over several bands, a wide range of polarizations, and multiple or scanned beams. The basic antenna structure consists of a microstrip bowtie with a mixed dielectric substrate. These designs provide 25% impedance bandwidths, more than double that of previously reported microstrip bowtie antennas. Measurements indicate that each antenna element achieves acceptable radiation patterns necessary for array scanning. The reconfigurable array concept consisting of antennas for two separate bands and multiple polarizations is also discussed.
The Millimeter- and Submillimeter-Wave Spectrum of 13C1-Methyl Formate (H13COOCH3) in the Ground State

A large number of rotational transitions of 13C1-methyl formate in its ground A and E torsional substates were measured in the 110-380 GHz region with the Fast Scan Submillimeter Spectroscopic Technique (FASSST). Besides strong a-type transitions, many b-type transitions through rotational quantum numbers -->J'' = 59 and -->Ka'' = 16 were newly measured, and some forbidden c- and x-type transitions in the E substate were also assigned. The new lines were analyzed together with previous submillimeter-wave data using an effective rotational-torsional Hamiltonian method designated ERHAM developed for a molecule with one or two internal rotors. In total, over 4900 transitions of 13C1-methyl formate were analyzed. Systematic deviations due to perturbations were found in Q-branch transitions at high J, and higher order Coriolis-type interaction terms were included to fit the data better. A standard deviation of 86 kHz was obtained by varying 33 parameters. In addition to 13C1-methyl formate, the normal isotopologue was studied anew and some high- -->Ka transitions were newly assigned. The previous data of the normal species in the ground state were reanalyzed with the ERHAM method together with new transitions measured in the present study. The same deviations in Q-branch transitions, not observed in previous studies, were also found in the normal species. Using spectroscopic parameters obtained in this study, predictions have been made for many strong lines of 13C1-methyl formate through 620 GHz in frequency not analyzed in the fit.
Cloning and Expression of an Insecticidal k-73 Type Crystal Protein Gene from Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki into Escherichia coli.

Abstract A 75-kilobase plasmid from Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (HD-244) was associated with the k-73 type insecticidal crystal protein production by mating into B. cereus and subsequent curing of excess plasmids. This plasmid was partially digested with endonuclease R · Sau3A and the fragments were cloned into Escherichia coli (HB101) on vector pBR322. Candidate clones were screened for plasmid vectors which contained the expected insert size (at least 3 kilobases) and then with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using antisera prepared against electrophoretically purified, solubilized insecticidal crystal protein of 130,000 daltons. Several positive clones were isolated and were analyzed for expression, toxicity, and genetic content by restriction enzyme analysis. Electrophoretic transfer blots of proteins from a candidate E. coli clone, analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, demonstrated a predominant cross-reacting protein of about 140,000 daltons. Ouchterlony analysis also showed a single precipitin band. Extensive bioassays with Manduca sexta larvae revealed that the E. coli clones make toxin with a specific activity (50% lethal dose per microgram of cross-reacting protein) equivalent to that of the parental B. thuringiensis strain or a B. cereus trancipient carrying the toxin-encoding, 75-kilobase plasmid.
Extracellular Synthesis of cADP-Ribose from Nicotinamide-Adenine Dinucleotide by Rat Cortical Astrocytes in Culture

cADPR is an endogenous calcium-mobilizing agent that in vertebrates is synthesized from nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NAD) by bifunctional enzymes with ADP-ribosyl cyclase and cADPR hydrolase activity. ADP-ribosyl cyclase and cADPR hydrolase activity have been reported in the brain, but the cellular localization of these activities has not been determined previously. In the present study, selective culturing techniques were employed to localize ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity and cADPR hydrolase activity to astrocytes or neurons in cultures derived from rat embryonic cerebral cortex. ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity was determined by incubating cultures with 1 mm NAD in the extracellular medium for 60 min at 37°C and measuring formation of cADPR by bioassay and by HPLC. Astrocyte cultures and mixed cultures of astrocytes and neurons had mean specific activities of 0.84 ± 0.06 and 0.9 ± 0.18 nmol cADPR produced/mg protein/hr, respectively. No detectable ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity was found in neuron-enriched/astrocyte-poor cultures. cADPR hydrolase activity was detectable by incubating cultures with 300 μm cADPR for 60 min at 37°C and assaying loss of cADPR or accumulation of ADPR. The demonstration of extracellular ADP-ribosyl cyclase and cADPR hydrolase activities associated with astrocytes may have important implications for the role of extracellular cADPR in signal transduction and in intercellular communication in the nervous system.
Disjunct eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) stands at its southern range boundary1

Abstract Hart, J. L. and D. Shankman (Department of Geography, University of Alabama, Box 870322, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487). Disjunct eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) stands at its southern range boundary. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 132: 602–612. 2005.—Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) occurs throughout much of the Appalachian Mountains, extending from southern Quebec and Ontario southward to Georgia and along the Appalachian Plateau to Alabama. Eastern hemlock is one of the most dominant trees in Appalachian forests. Near its southern boundary in central Alabama, eastern hemlock occurs in small, isolated populations restricted to cool, moist slopes with north to east aspects and low and middle slope positions. Ten stands of eastern hemlock, believed to be the southernmost populations, were studied in order to determine reproductive viability and habitat characteristics. In each of the stands, eastern hemlock dominates the canopy and is present in a wide range of size and age classes. Eastern hemlock is most abun...
Architecture: How not to build a city—implementation at Battery Park City

Abstract Battery Park City in Manhattan has been hailed as a triumph of urban design and is considered to be one of the success stories of American urban redevelopment planning. The flood of praise for its design and recent criticism of its iconography obscure the lessons learned from the long struggle to develop the project. Nothing was built on the site for over a decade after the first master plan was approved and the redevelopment agency flirted with bankruptcy in 1979. This paper examines why the project took so long to get started and almost died in the implementation process. Both policy and urban design implementation are analyzed as the reasons for the initial failures are intertwined. The delays and problems in the implementation process at Battery Park City were largely a product of the political policy debate that created the original master plan. The major failure of the 1969 Plan was experimentation with a megastructure. This complex urban typology is unsuited for incremental implementation by multiple developers over a period of decades. New York's political and economic cycles exacerbated the policy and physical planning faults. The 1979 urban design plan was not only cheaper, but easier to implement using traditional urban development techniques. Changes to the policy environment permitted a nimble agency to redevelop much of the site during the boom of the 1980s.
Regional Differences in the Validity of the Concept of Innate Soil Productivity

Abstract A reliable index of “innate soil productivity,'’perhaps stored in a computerized geographic information system, would be of great value in choosing crops or tillage techniques, designating prime farmland, assessing land for tax purposes, aligning utility corridors, targeting price-support and soil conservation programs, and making other land use decisions. One problem with the creation of a productivity index is the fact that a given tract of land can often be used for different crops with yields that may not be well correlated with each other. In that case, the relative value of two tracts of land will depend on what is grown on them, a situation that allows a change in world market conditions to alter the fairness of a zoning map or tax structure. To help guide people trying to incorporate soil information in their regional data bases, this paper presents a map of the probable validity of a single-number index of soil productivity in a sample of 200 counties across the United States. This map s...
Pseudomorphic stabilization of rocksalt GaN in TiN/GaN multilayers and superlattices

Gallium nitride (GaN) in its stable wurtzite phase has proven its utility in light-emitting diodes and diode lasers as well as high-temperature and high-power electronic devices. In addition to its equilibrium wurtzite phase, GaN exhibits two cubic polymorphs, a zinc-blende phase and a high-pressure rocksalt phase. Here, we report the pseudomorphic stabilization of the high-pressure rocksalt phase of GaN within TiN/GaN multilayers as verified using x-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. High-resolution lattice imaging confirmed that the lattice parameter of the rocksalt GaN phase is 0.41 nm. The critical thickness of the GaN film that can be pseudomophically stabilized in rocksalt phase within TiN/GaN superlattices is determined to be less than 2 nm.
Cu(I)-assisted click chemistry strategy for conjugation of non-protected cross-bridged macrocyclic chelators to tumour-targeting peptides

Copper(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) click chemistry has inherent challenges for copper-labeled radiopharmaceuticals. An azide-modified phosphonate-based cross-bridged macrocyclic chelator was synthesized for click chemistry conjugation with azide-modified Y3-TATE (a somatostatin analogue) on resin, without the need for protecting the chelator. The 64Cu-labeled bioconjugate shows favourable in vitro and in vivo behaviour.
Investigation of selective uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls by Spartina alterniflora Loisel

The present study was conducted as part of an investigation of the role of Spartina alterniflora Loisel (saltmarsh cordgrass) in the movement of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the estuarine ecosystem. Uptake of /sup 14/C-polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) has been previously reported. The purpose of the present investigation was to provide further evidence that S. alterniflora represents a potential pathway for the movement of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the estuarine system using the PCB's as model chlorinated hydrocarbons, to determine if uptake of PCB's by S. alterniflora is a selective process, and to assess the effect of selective uptake on the reliability of concentration estimates based on the use of standard-sample chromatogram comparisons for concentration estimates. The results of this study supply additional evidence that S. alterniflora represents a potential pathway for the mobilization of PCB's from estuarine sediments. The uptake process does not appear to be uniform for all of the components of the technical PCB mixture, Aroclor 1254. Increased relative height of the early eluting components suggests selective uptake of the lesser chlorinated components. The resulting alteration of the chromatographic pattern is sufficient in some samples to warrant the use of analytical techniques other than standard-sample chromatograph comparisons for the determination ofmore » sample concentration.« less
The specificity and efficiency of endogenous peptides in the induction of HLA class I α chain refolding

The specificity and efficiency of endogenous peptides in the HLA class I binding have been investigated by the use of a simple procedure that is based on the serological detection of the folding of HLA class I alpha chains that is induced by the binding to specific peptides in the presence of beta 2 microglobulin. HLA class I proteins were solubilized with a nonionic detergent from cultured HLA homozygous B lymphoblastoid cells and dissociated by alkaline denaturation. The resulting unfolded alpha chains were isolated by gel filtration at a neutral pH. The unfolded alpha chains showed a high refolding capacity and specificity when tested in the presence of an excess beta 2 microglobulin against endogenous peptides extracted by alkaline or acid treatment from cultured B lymphoblastoid cells of various HLA class I phenotypes. Cells of identical or overlapping HLA phenotypes clearly showed shared peptides, whereas such peptide sharing was rarely, if at all, seen between cells of non-overlapping HLA phenotypes. The efficiency of endogenous peptides in the induction of refolding was high; at an estimated concentration of 0.2 microM or less, a strong refolding effect was observed.
An investigation of small-molecule surfactants to potentially replace pluronic F-68 for reducing bubble-associated cell damage.

It is well known that bubble rupture has a detrimental effect on mammalian cells. As a result, Pluronic F-68 (PF-68), a nonionic surfactant, is commonly used to reduce bubble-associated cell damage in sparged bioreactors. While PF-68 is currently effective, there is a concern with respect to its decrease in effectiveness as cell concentrations increase (Ma et al., 2004, Biotechnol Prog 20:1183–1191). In addition, having more than one effective surfactant for cell culture is also highly desirable. Given the empirical nature in which PF-68 was initially discovered as a cell culture additive, a structure-performance study of small molecule surfactants, a distinct group which have been previously investigated for other purposes, was performed in an attempt to find a replacement for PF-68. In this study, a generic platform was established to initially screen both the type and concentration of these surfactants for cytotoxicity. Promising candidates where then evaluated for their ability to rapidly lower the surface tension (dynamic surface tension) of culture media and their ability to prevent cell-bubble attachment in a specially developed bubble creation and collection system. Several promising small- molecule surfactants, and their effective concentration, were identified, which can reduce cell-bubble attachment efficiently without being harmful to cells. Biotechnol. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;101: 119–127. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
US Army Research Laboratory power sources R&D programs

The current status and thrust of the US Army Research Laboratory's battery and fuel cell R&D programs that support emerging electronic battlefield equipment applications are reviewed. Major technical barriers are identified along with the approaches proposed to solve these anticipated problems. >
An Updated Theory for the Quasi-Biennial Cycle of the Tropical Stratosphere

Abstract The authors' earlier theory of the quasi-biennial oscillation is reevaluated in the light of more recent observational analyses and theoretical developments. The main contention of the earlier theory, that the stratospheric oscillation is driven by the vertically propagating, short-period (5–15 days) waves excited in the upper troposphere, is now well establued. However, the assumption that the waves interact with the mean flow through critical level absorption is now seen to be largely, if not entirely, incorrect. Instead it appears that the short-period waves are strongly attenuated primarily by infrared cooling. As they are attenuated, their mean momentum flux is deposited in the mean flow. It is shown that this mechanism leads to an oscillation in the mean flow as readily as the earlier critical-level mechanism, and with fewer assumptions.
Regulating Market Language: Market Failure in Descriptive Signals

Truth-telling regulations in market language are commonly understood to be necessary to allow credible information transmission by sellers. These requirements turn natural language into a set of signals that can be used to differentiate products. But while these regulations solve the information problem, they do not necessarily solve an underlying market failure of allocation of language resources. It is this failure in allocation that regulators use to justify explicit rules allowing, requiring, or banning certain uses of market language. Given this justification, the obvious issue is what criteria should be used to impose, or not, specific language requirements. This paper uses a rich model of language to illustrate the justification for regulating language and develops a rough set of criteria for applying language regulations.
The Mother of Invention: Evolutionary Theory, Territoriality, and the Origins of Agriculture

This article argues that recent attempts to view the evolution of culture in purely selectionist terms ignore the role of stress in generating purposeful innovation and rely excessively on random processes to generate the requisite behavioral variability. Consequently, selectionist models for the origins of agriculture are inadequate. They fail to explain why people would engage in behaviors (in this case those being selected for) when such behaviors may be viewed as undesirable. This article proposes that in certain contexts population pressure will produce increasingly rigid hunter-gatherer territorial systems, because such systems would resolve the resulting conflicts. It further proposes that, once instituted, territorial systems constrain subsequent behavioral responses to growing population pressure, and ultimately make food production inescapable in a still more limited number of contexts.
Non-specific protein binding by adsorbents designed for the specific affinity chromatography of sialidase in crude bacterial extracts

Abstract A number of derivatives of Sepharose 4B gels were prepared containing tyramine, -Gly-Gly-Tyr and the tetrapeptide, Thr (Bu t )-Phe-Pro-Tyr-. A specific inhibitor of sialidase, p- diazo-phenyl oxamic acid, was also coupled to these phenol-substituted Sepharose gels. The effectiveness of these gels to purify sialidase by “affinity” chromatography was examined. The sialidase from Vibrio cholerae was adsorbed by these gels and subsequently re-eluted by a change in pH and temperature. The adsorption and elution of enzyme was independent of the presence or absence of the “specific inhibitor” of the sialidase, phenyl oxamic acid. A mechanism for the adsorption and subsequent elution of the sialidase is proposed. It is important to re-evaluate the biological data obtained with sialidase prepared by the affinity column recommended by Cuatrecasas and Illiano, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 44, 178–184 (1971), since glycosidases from Clostridium perfringens other than sialidase are also adsorbed and eluted under the conditions specified.
Security and the environment. Securitisation theory and US environmental security policy

Security and the environment. Securitisation theory and US environmental security policy, by Rita Floyd, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2010, xiv + 215 pp., $95.00 (hardback), ISBN 97805211...
Development of air cells in a batch ice cream freezer

Ice cream samples were periodically removed from a batch freezer to follow air incorporation and development of the air cell size distribution, as measured with an optical microscopy technique. The effects of operating conditions (freezing, not freezing, and freezing part way) and formulation (fat, emulsifier and stabilizer content) on development of air cells were studied. Air cell size decreased progressively with time during batch freezing. Whipping alone (no freezing) did not result in decrease in air cell size, indicating that freezing was necessary for stabilization of small air cells. Fat level and emulsifier content had no effect on air cell size, whereas stabilizer addition led to smaller initial air cells. The reduction in air cell size was correlated to changes in apparent viscosity of the slurry being formed within the freezer.
Monocyte function in rhesus monkeys with simian acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Abstract Monocyte function in rhesus monkeys with simian acquired immune deficiency syndrome (SAIDS) was compared with that in age—matched normal juvenile rhesus monkeys. The functional tests were 1) chemotaxis, 2) phagocytosis of opsonized Candida albicans , 3) killing and/or growth inhibition of Candida albicans , 4) generation of respiratory burst, and 5) monocyte-derived macrophage response (morphology and/or respiratory burst) to stimulating agents such as lymphokines, gamma interferon, endotoxin, and phorbol myristate acetate. The monkeys tested had either clinical SAIDS (alive with lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and lymphopenia or neutropenia) or had terminal SAIDS (moribund due to the disease). Responses of monocytes from 14 monkeys with clinical SAIDS were indistinguishable from those of 9 normal juvenile rhesus monkeys, whereas monocytes from 3 monkeys with terminal SAIDS had enhanced phagocytosis and respiratory burst capacity. Chemotaxis, candidacidal/stasis activity, and response to stimulating agents were normal in these terminal cases. Plasma from the SAIDS monkeys was as capable of opsonizing yeasts and of being able to generate chemotactic factors by endotoxin as was control plasma. SAIDS retrovirus (SRV) was detected by co-cultivation of pure monocyte-derived macrophage cultures with Raji cells, an indicator cell line which forms syncytia in the presence of SRV. Four terminal SAIDS cases and one late-stage clinical SAIDS case were virus-positive when the number of macrophages in the cultures ranged from less than 50 to about 500. Terminal SAIDS monocyte-derived macrophages in culture as long as 17 days produced SRV. These data show that in monkeys with SAIDS the major effector functions of monocytes and macrophages involved in host defense are intact (even up until death). Additionally, some of the monocytes are productively infected, and these infected monocytes are viable and adherent in culture.
Adolescent drinking and sex: findings from a daily diary study.

CONTEXT: Alcohol consumption often has been cited as increasing adolescents’ risk of HIV and several studies have shown positive relationships between drinking and risky sexual behavior among adolescents. Because most of these studies used global measures of drinking and risky sex and conducted comparisons across persons they could not determine whether alcohol use was a cause of risky sex or simply a correlate. METHODS: A sample of 112 U.S. adolescents completed daily diaries about their health behaviors including drinking and intercourse for eight weeks. In analyses using t-tests and hierarchical linear modeling each respondent’s rate of condom use after drinking was compared with his or her rate of use when not drinking and predictors of condom use were examined. RESULTS: Rates of condom use did not differ significantly between sexual events preceded by drinking (use in 54% of events) and those not preceded by drinking (use in 52% of events). Condoms were more likely to be used during sexual events with casual partners than in those with steady partners less likely to be used on occasions when other birth control was used and more likely to be used when the sexual encounter was expected. In the multivariate analyses the odds of condom use were not associated either with whether a teenager had been drinking before sex or with the quantity of alcohol consumed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings challenge the widely accepted hypothesis that drinking is a cause of sexual risk-taking. Rather they underscore the need for interventions to increase teenagers’ access to and ability to use condoms. (authors)
Risk Factors for ESRD in HIV-Infected Individuals: Traditional and HIV-Related Factors

Background Despite improvements in survival with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, kidney disease remains an important complication. Few studies have evaluated risk factors associated with the development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in HIV-infected individuals. We sought to identify traditional and HIV-related risk factors for ESRD in HIV-infected individuals and compare ESRD risk by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria levels. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 22,156 HIV-infected veterans without pre-existing ESRD receiving health care in the Veterans' Affairs medical system between 1996 and 2004. Predictors Hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin Outcomes ESRD was ascertained by the US Renal Data System. Results 366 cases of ESRD occurred, corresponding to 3 cases/1,000 person-years. Hypertension (HR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.5-2.4), diabetes (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.2), and cardiovascular disease (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.7-2.7) were associated independently with ESRD risk in multivariate-adjusted models, as were CD4 lymphocyte count 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 and no proteinuria, lower eGFR and higher proteinuria categories were associated jointly with exponentially higher ESRD rates, ranging from 6.6 events/1,000 person-years for persons with urine protein excretion of 30-100 mg/dL and eGFR >60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 to 193 events/1,000 person-years for persons with urine protein excretion ≥300 mg/dL and eGFR 2 . Limitations Results may not be generalizable to female and nonveteran populations. Conclusions In HIV-infected persons, ESRD risk appears attributable to a combination of traditional and HIV-related risk factors for kidney disease. Combining eGFR and proteinuria for chronic kidney disease staging is most effective for stratifying the risk of ESRD.
The Lives Saved Tool ( LiST ) as a model for diarrhea mortality reduction

Diarrhea is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five years of age. The Lives Saved Tool (LiST) is a model used to calculate deaths averted or lives saved by past interventions and for the purposes of program planning when costly and time consuming impact studies are not possible. LiST models the relationship between coverage of interventions and outputs, such as stunting, diarrhea incidence and diarrhea mortality. Each intervention directly prevents a proportion of diarrhea deaths such that the effect size of the intervention is multiplied by coverage to calculate lives saved. That is, the maximum effect size could be achieved at 100% coverage, but at 50% coverage only 50% of possible deaths are prevented. Diarrhea mortality is one of the most complex causes of death to be modeled. The complexity is driven by the combination of direct prevention and treatment interventions as well as interventions that operate indirectly via the reduction in risk factors, such as stunting and wasting. Published evidence is used to quantify the effect sizes for each direct and indirect relationship. Several studies have compared measured changes in mortality to LiST estimates of mortality change looking at different sets of interventions in different countries. While comparison work has generally found good agreement between the LiST estimates and measured mortality reduction, where data availability is weak, the model is less likely to produce accurate results. LiST can be used as a component of program evaluation, but should be coupled with more complete information on inputs, processes and outputs, not just outcomes and impact. LiST is an effective tool for modeling diarrhea mortality and can be a useful alternative to large and expensive mortality impact studies. Predicting the impact of interventions or comparing the impact of more than one intervention without having to wait for the results of large and expensive mortality studies is critical to keep programs focused and results oriented for continued reductions in diarrhea and all-cause mortality among children under five years of age.
Dynamic imaging of perfusion and oxygenation by functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Cerebral blood flow can be measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by arterial spin labeling techniques, where magnetic labeling of flowing spins in arterial blood water functions as the endogenous tracer upon mixing with the unlabeled stationary spins of tissue water. The consequence is that the apparent longitudinal relaxation time (T1) of tissue water is attenuated. A modified functional MRI scheme for dynamic CBF measurement is proposed that depends on extraction of T1 weighting from the blood oxygenation level–dependent (BOLD) image contrast, because the functional MRI signal also has an intrinsic T1 weighting that can be altered by variations of the excitation flip angle. In the α-chloralose-anesthetized rat model at 7T, the authors show that the stimulation-induced BOLD signal change measured with two different flip angles can be combined to obtain a T1-weighted MRI signal, reflecting the magnitude of the CBF change, which can be deconvolved to obtain dynamic changes in CBF. The deconvolutio...
A COMPARISON OF THE VIABILITY OF MAIL SURVEYS IN JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES

A comparison of response rates and patterns to a mail survey conducted simultaneously on random samples drawn from telephone listings in Seattle, Washington, and Kobe, Japan, is presented. When undeliverable surveys (those for which the intended respondent had moved or passed away) are subtracted from the original samples, a comparison of the differences in the response rate percentages for the two countries is found to be statistically insignificant. Adherence to the theoretical foundation of the Total Design Method is claimed to be the principal reason for success in achieving a higher response rate than predicted by Japanese scholars to the mail survey in Japan. These results show that there is potential for adapting survey research techniques developed in the United States to non-Occidental settings. In spite of the increasing social and economic interdependence of the world's peoples, little work has been done on adapting survey research techniques perfected in the United States to cross-national settings. While there have been successful cross-national mail surveys of business executives (Dawson and Dickinson, 1988; Jobber and Saunders, 1988; Keown, 1985), there are no reports in the academic literature about mail surveys conducted simultaneously on general populations in more than one country. This is unfortunate, for more cross-national research needs to be done by Americans to correct the culture bound limitations of research done in the U.S.(Green and White, 1976; Kohn, 1987). RAYMOND A. JUSSAUME, JR., iS Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology at Washington State University. YOSHIHARU YAMADA is Associate Professor of Economics at Wakayama University. This paper is based upon research supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under agreement no. 88-33574-4054. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Don Dillman for his encouragement and insights. Public Opinion Quarterly Volume 54.219-228 ( 1990 by the American Association for Public Opinion Research Published by The University of Chicago Press / 0033-362X/90/0054-02/$2.50 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.112 on Mon, 03 Oct 2016 05:38:12 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 220 Raymond A. Jussaume, Jr., and Yoshiharu Yamada Due to their comparatively low cost, mail surveys hold great promise for cross-national studies between societies where there are high literacy rates. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate this potential by analyzing the results of a total design method (TDM) mail survey administered simultaneously in the United States and Japan. The return rates obtained demonstrate that a culturally sensitized TDM mail survey can be successfully implemented in a nonwestern setting.
Efficiency of a four-item posttraumatic stress disorder screen in trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: One of the most common barriers identified by physicians who fail to screen for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in trauma patients is time constraint. We hypothesized the four-question Primary Care-PTSD screen (PC-PTSD) was an acceptable alternative to the commonly used 17-question Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). METHODS: Consecutive trauma patients admitted to a Level I trauma center were given the PCL-C at the time of hospitalization. The four questions of the PC-PTSD are contained within the PCL-C. A positive PC-PTSD screen result was an endorsement of least three of the four questions. An overall score of greater than 44 on the PCL-C indicated a positive screen result. Sensitivity and specificity comparisons were made between the PCL-C and the PC-PTSD. RESULTS: Data were collected from 1,347 patients hospitalized for injury. The PC-PTSD identified 17.22% of patients with PTSD risk, and the PCL-C identified 16.10% at risk. Before discharge, the PC-PTSD has reasonable sensitivity in capturing the population at risk PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSION: In trauma patients before hospital discharge, the PC-PTSD is comparable with the PCL-C. Although some sensitivity is lost,the PC-PTSD is a shorter screen, and the loss of sensitivity may be offset by an increased frequency of administration. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic test, level III. Language: en
Drosophila wingless generates cell type diversity among engrailed expressing cells

DURING embryogenesis, body pattern is established in a stepwise process1. After specification of the body axis, the embryo is subdivided into smaller units. Within these units, a diverse array of cell types is then generated. The subdivisions of the Drosophila embryo, called parasegments2, are defined by the interface between cells expressing the homeoprotein Engrailed and cells expressing the secreted protein Wingless3–5. We have examined the generation of cell-type diversity within parasegments by focusing on the choice of cell fate made by the engrailed (en)-expressing cells. These cells differentiate as one of two alternative cell types6. We report here that this choice is mediated by wingless (wg), in a function distinct from its early role maintaining en expression7,8. Thus, en cells exhibit different responses to the wg signal at different developmental stages. Early wg input stabilizes the subdivision of the body axis by maintaining en expression, whereas later input generates cell-type diversity.
Bilateral Gynandromorph of the Fresh-water Crab Potamon Fluviatile Herbst (Decapoda: Brachyura)

ABSTRACT The morphology and gonad history of a bilaterally gynandromorphic fresh-water crab (Potamon fluviatile Herbst) is describcd. The abdomen and gonopods exhibit male characteristics on the left side of the body, female ones on the right, with the exception of a partial masculinization of the first right pleopod. The right side has a normal female gonopore, the left one a penis. Internally, testes and vas deferens are present on both sides, though the right vas deferens is incomplete and does not communicate with the outside. On the right, a seminal receptacle full of sperm indicates that the animal has mated as a female. An isolated portion of gonad, also showing testicular activity, is annexed to the seminal receptacle. Mature sperms are visible throughout the gonad and vas deferens. No ovarian tissue was detected in the entire reproductive apparatus of this specimen. The haploid chromosome number does not differ significantly between the male and female sides and averages 68 ± 1.3. The role of the androgenic hormone on sex differentiation of Brachyura is discussed.
A SENSITIVE ENZYMATIC-RADIOISOTOPIC ASSAY FOR APOMORPHINE

— An assay for the dopaminergic agonist, apomorphine, is described. The assay is capable of detecting as little as 3 pmol of apomorphine. The basis of the assay is the O-methylation of apomorphine utilizing S-[methyl-3H]adenosyl-L-methionine and a partially purified catechol-O-methyl transferase to form [methyl-3H]apocodeine. The radiolabeled apocodeine is purified by solvent partition. Following systemic administration of apomorphine, the compound is uniformly distributed throughout the brain of the rat: there is no selective accumulation of apomorphine in dopaminergic regions of the brain. The level of apomorphine found in the substantia nigra is as great as the level found in the caudate-putamen. This latter observation, in addition to a variety of other evidence, raises the possibility that some of the in vivo effects of apomorphine may occur via an action of the drug within the substantia nigra, rather than by an action within the caudate-putamen.
Generic 2 by 2 matrices and periodic resolutions

be an exact sequence of finitely generated free R-modules. We regard this as a free resolution of Coker d, , and say that the resolution is periodic of period n if for all i > 0, Fi+n = Fi and di+n = di . The resolution is minimal if Im di C mFi for all i > 0. Over commutatives rings, the only known periodic resolutions have period 2. Eisenbud [2, Theorem 4.11 proves that when R is a complete intersection, if [F is a minimal free resolution and {rankFi} is bounded, then [F becomes periodic of period 2 after at most 1 + dim R steps. He also notes that, in general, if a resolution has period 2 then (rankF,} is constant. Thus resolutions of period 2 are in 1-I correspondence with pairs (X, Y) of n by n matrices such that KerX=ImY and Ker Y = Im X. Eisenbud also gives a construction of resolutions of period 2 which is general enough to account for every periodic minimal resolution over a complete intersection [2, Theorem 5.21. The construction is this: let x E m be a non-zero-divisor on R, and let X and Y be n by n matrices such that XI’ = x1, = YX, where 1, is the n by n identity matrix. Let “-” denote reduction modulo xR. Then
Recognizing human eyes

Steps are taken toward the automatic, intensity-based recognition of human faces by constructing a vision system to automatically detect frontally-viewed human eyes in real data. The eye is modeled using a deformable template that specifies a parameterized geometry and an intensity model. The fit of the template is measured by a cost-functional employing robust estimators, i.e., (alpha) -trimmed means and variances, to overcome highlights, shadows, nonrigid boundaries, noise, and other such difficulties. Recognition proceeds in three stages. First, candidate eyes are located by matching a simplified eye model against the responses of a robust, general purpose detector of intensity valleys and peaks. Second, the best fit of each candidate eye is found by minimizing the energy of a cost functional. Third, each candidate is accepted or rejected based on the amount of variance in the image data it explains.
MITOCHONDRIA IN THE LIFE CYCLES OF CERTAIN HIGHER PLANTS

THE BEHAVIOR of cytoplasm and cytoplasmic inclusions in the life cycles of plants has received very little attention, and up to the present the genetical data which indicate that the cytoplasm may serve as the bearer of certain heritable characters have been supported by only meager cytological evidence. Chlorophyll deficiencies which do not follow regular Mendelian ratios, and which may accordingly be inferred to be inherited in a manner other than through the chromosomes, have been found in approximately forty species of plants. It is therefore desirable that additional knowledge be secured of the behavior of any possible bearer of the factors concerned. It is perhaps significant that such a large proportion of these non-Mendelian characters should be concerned with plastids, and the question arises as to the possibility of a direct transmission of these cell organs or of their primordia from one generation to the next. In certain algae fully developed chloroplasts pass directly into the egg and thus into the daughter plant; but in seed plants the chloroplasts as such do not persist through all phases of the life cycle, although they may be represented in certain stages by their primordia. The purpose of this investigation is to trace the behavior of these bodies through the entire life cycle, especially during the development of reproductive structures and the processes leading to fertilization. It is hoped that such a study may throw some light on the material basis Qf maternal inheritance. Cytologists, in general, agree that plastids arise from some visible primordium in the cytoplasm, the transition of which has been figured many times. There is much confusion, however, in the terms used to designate these primordia, and most of the disagreement as to what constitute plastid primordia is probably due to this confusion of terms. All cytoplasmic inclusions (plastid primordia and other bodies) preserved by certain " basic " fixatives exhibit similar staining qualities; and thus it is not possible at present to distinguish between these primordia and other similar appearing bodies-if, indeed, any such distinction actually exists. Until we are able to identify definitely the bodies which give rise to plastids and those which do not, it seems best to use some inclusive term to embrace them all. For convenience, therefore, the term " mitochondria " will be used for
Vaccinia topoisomerase mutants illuminate roles for Phe59, Gly73, Gln69 and Phe215.

Abstract Vaccinia topoisomerase provides a model system for structure–function analysis of the type IB topoisomerase family. Here we performed an alanine scan of eight positions in the β4 and β5 strands of the N-terminal domain (Leu57, Ile58, Phe59, Val60, Gly61, Ser62, Gln69 and Gly73) and eight positions in the α8-α9 loop of the C-terminal catalytic domain (Ser241, Ile242, Ser243, Pro244, Leu245, Pro246, Ser247, and Pro248). Mutants F59A, G73A, and Q69A displayed rate defects in relaxing supercoiled DNA that were attributed to effects on DNA binding rather than transesterification chemistry. Replacing Gln69 conservatively with Asn, Glu or Lys failed to restore relaxation activity. Gln69 is located along a concave DNA-binding surface of the N-terminal domain and it makes direct contact with the + 2A base of the 5′-CCCTT/3-GGGAA target site for DNA cleavage. Gly73 is located at the junction between the N-terminal domain and catalytic domain and it is likely to act as a swivel for the large domain movements that coordinate DNA ingress and closure of the topoisomerase clamp around the duplex. Previous alanine scanning had identified Phe215 in helix α7 of the catalytic domain as contributing to DNA relaxation activity. Here we find that F215L resembles F215A in its diminished relaxation activity and its sensitivity to inhibition by salt. The Phe215 side chain makes van der Waals contacts to Ile98, Met121 and Phe101, which we propose stabilize a three helix bundle and promote clamp closure.
Personal and political fate in Armah's why are we so blest?

(1980). Personal and political fate in Armah's why are we so blest?. World Literature Written in English: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 5-19.
Production of catechol by a bacillus stearothermophilus transpositional mutant

The phenol-utilizing thermophile Bacillus stearothermophilus BR219 was mutagenized with transposon Tn916 introduced on a suicide plasmid using electroporation. The resulting mutant BR321 carried Tn916 integrated in the resident plasmid pGGO1 and accumulated catechol throughout the growth phase.