cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Annual syphilis serology testing in hospital employees: is it beneficial?

Syphilis has become a disease of decreasing incidence in the general population in the United States, and therefore many institutions have abandoned the practice of performing serologic tests for syphilis (STS) in employees or applicants during placement evaluations and as periodic tests for selected individuals. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guideline for Infection Control in Hospital Personnel states that “there are no data to suggest that routine laboratory testing . . . such as serologic tests for syphilis . . . are cost beneficial.“’ Cost containment measures generated by current economic conditions have exerted pressure on institutions to delete programs and tests that are not cost-effective. Cost benefit analysis of programs requiring STS for premarital screening purposes have indicated that the economic costs of such screening far outweigh the benefits? although this has been disputed?, 4 Even more dramatic have been articles urging that laws mandating premarital STS be repealed.5 On the other hand, economic evaluation of a program requiring STS for purposes of maternal screening to prevent congenital syphilis has shown that the economic benefits are nearly four times the cost of the program.6
Ion-dipole effect as a force for molecular recognition in organic media

Abstract Neutral macrocycle 1b shows a substantial binding affinity for quaternary ammonium and immonium compounds in chloroform due to ion-dipole attractions.
Revisiting noncovalent So2- amine chemistry: an indicator-displacement assay for colorimetric detection of So2.

A supramolecular approach for potential detection of SO2 is presented, which is based on the “old” donor−acceptor chemistry between SO2 and amines and includes an indicator−displacement assay. When amines were added to Zn−tetraphenylporphyrin 1 in CHCl3, the solution changed from red to dark green. A bathochromic shift of Δλ ∼ 10 nm was observed for the Soret band, indicating the formation of 1•amine complexes. After this, SO2 gas was introduced, and the original red color of the solution was restored. The Soret band returned to its position for free porphyrin 1. The 1•amine complexes dissociated, and new SO2•amine adducts formed. Porphyrin 1 thus served as an indirect colorimetric indicator for SO2. The system discriminates between SO2 and such typical exhaust gases as COX, NOX, and H2O. From the indicator−displacement assay, the Kassoc values between 1000 and 30 000 M-1 for SO2•amine complexes were determined, which are comparable to those obtained by direct titration experiments between SO2 and the ami...
Preclinical evaluation of therapeutic effects of targeted cytotoxic analogs of somatostatin and bombesin on human gastric carcinomas.

BACKGROUND New modalities are necessary for the treatment of patients with unresectable gastric carcinoma. The authors investigated whether receptors for somatostatin and bombesin were present in human gastric carcinoma lines and tested the antitumor effects of cytotoxic somatostatin analog AN-238 and cytotoxic bombesin conjugate AN-215. METHODS Nude mice bearing AGS, Hs 746T, and NCI-N87 human gastric carcinomas were treated with AN-238, AN-215, or their cytotoxic moiety 2-pyrrolinodoxorubicin (AN-201). Tumor growth reduction and tumor doubling times were calculated, and histologic characteristics of cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined. The expression of mRNA for somatostatin and bombesin receptors in tumors was investigated by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. Subtypes 2 and 5 of somatostatin receptor proteins (sst2 and sst5, respectively) were analyzed using immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. Binding assays were performed with radiolabeled somatostatin and bombesin analogs. RESULTS Cytotoxic bombesin analog AN-215 powerfully inhibited the growth of AGS carcinomas that expressed high-affinity subtype 1 bombesin receptors. All three carcinomas expressed high-affinity sst2 and sst5 receptors. Cytotoxic somatostatin analog AN-238 exerted a strong inhibitory effect on NCI-N87 and Hs 746T carcinomas, which exhibited high concentrations of somatostatin receptors, but had a weaker effect on AGS tumors, which expressed the lowest receptor levels. AN-201 had only nonsignificant effects. CONCLUSIONS Experimental human gastric carcinomas that expressed high-affinity subtype 1 bombesin receptors were inhibited by cytotoxic bombesin analog AN-215, and tumors with high concentrations of sst2 or sst5 somatostatin receptors were suppressed by cytotoxic somatostatin analog AN-238. These findings suggest that this class of targeted compounds should be considered for the therapy of patients with advanced gastric carcinoma. Cancer 2003;98:1401–10. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11649
Membrane Mirrors with Boundary Located Electrostatic Actuators for excitation of Multiple Modes

This paper investigates electrostatic boundary actuation of a circular deformable mirror for use in beam shaping and adaptive optics. The circumferential electrostatic actuator electrode pattern used here is designed to produce multiple-mode mirror deformations. The design, analysis, and fabrication processes are described herein. Closed loop control to be applied is illustrated by means of an example involving a similar mirror with different actuation placement. A summarized discussion of previous closed loop results is also presented. It is shown that open loop control of this electrostatic actuation application is not feasible, and that closed loop actuation is necessary to meet design deflection requirements. This design enables several more aberration correction modes than any of our existing mirror designs, while making it possible to apply our current closed loop control approach with appropriate extensions.
Substance P as a baro- and chemoreceptor afferent neurotransmitter: Immunocytochemical and neurochemical evidence in the rat

Abstract The possibility that substance P (SP) is a neurotransmitter of baro- and chemoreceptor afferents in the rat was investigated. SP-like immunoreactivity (SP-I) was analyzed quantitatively by radioimmunoassay in various levels of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), the site of termination of these afferents while SP-containing afferent neurons were studied in various portions of the peripheral pathways by immunocytochemistry. It was found that the NTS contained significant amounts of SP-I and that unilateral removal of the nodose ganglia reduces the SP-I content of those portions of the NTS known to receive vagal afferents. In addition, SP-I was visualized in discrete fibers in the tunica adventitia of the aortic arch and carotid sinus regions, the vagus nerve and nodose ganglia. These results in the rat are consistent with our previous studies in the cat and provide further evidence that SP is contained within baro- and chemoreceptor afferent nerves.
The Influence of Disease on Yield and Composition of Poultry Meat

Abstract POULTRY diseases are known to have devastating effects upon the potential yield of edible meat obtained from the number of chicks or poults started. The major effects are well known. These are loss in numbers or mortality, reduced growth rate or loss in weight, and condemnation as unwholesome or discarding of carcasses either in whole or in part. There appears to be no information, however, available on other possible effects such as proportion of parts, thawing and cooking losses, proximate composition and the like. The literature on poultry meat yield has been thoroughly reviewed in some detail by Watt and Merrill (1963) and Swanson et al. (1964). It was the purpose of the studies reported here to measure the influence of certain diseases and disease combinations on the physical and chemical composition of poultry meat. METHODS AND MATERIALS These experiments involved infecting young chickens and turkeys with one or more …
Cyclic Durability of a Solid Oxide Fe-Air Redox Battery Operated at 650°C

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mechanical Engineering, Department of at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact SCHOLARC@mailbox.sc.edu. Publication Info Published in Journal of The Electrochemical Society, Volume 160, Issue 10, 2013, pages A1716-A1719. ©Journal of The Electrochemical Society 2013, The Electrochemcial Society. © The Electrochemical Society, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved. Except as provided under U.S. copyright law, this work may not be reproduced, resold, distributed, or modified without the express permission of The Electrochemical Society (ECS). The archival version of this work was published in Journal of The Electrochemical Society. Publisher’s Version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/2.048310jes
Is cheating a human function? The roles of presence, state hostility, and enjoyment in an unfair video game

In sports and board games, when an opponent cheats, the other players typically greet it with disdain, anger, and disengagement. However, work has yet to fully address the role of the computer cheating in video games. In this study, participants played either a cheating or a non-cheating version of a modified open-source tower-defense game. Results indicate that when a computer competitor cheats, players perceive the opponent as being more human. Cheating also increases player aggravation and presence, but does not affect enjoyment of the experience. Additionally, players that firmly believed that their opponent was controlled by the computer exhibited significantly less state hostility compared to players that were less certain of the nature of their competitor. Game designers can integrate subtle levels of cheating into computer opponents without any real negative responses from the players. The results indicate that minor levels of cheating might also increase player engagement with video games.
Geologic implications of spectrophotometric measurements of Europa

Photometric functions and reflectances have been obtained from spectrophotometric measurements of Voyager images of Europa for (1) six mapped geologic terrains, (2) three types of lineaments, and (3) the brown spots. The results thus obtained suggest that Europa's materials fall into two main categories: a comparatively clean ice that constitutes the plains, and a darker and redder, silicate-rich material that makes up the brown spots and the wedge-shaped bands. Reflectance profiles obtained across the wedge-shaped bands and triple bands indicate similar albedo and color changes, implying similar structures for both of these features.
Occupational segregation and the gender wage gap

The role of occupational segregation in the determination of gender wage differentials is assessed. It is found (1) that occupational segregation plays less of a role in explaining wage differentials than do traditional human capital variables; (2) that earnings profiles generated with data that include a percent female (PF) measure of occupational segregation are not ideal for testing human capital predictions yet nonetheless yield parameters consistent with neoclassical theory; and (3) that lifetime work considerations, such as the degree of one's labor force intermittency, are important in determining both one's occupation and wage. The implications are that government antidiscrimination policies based on outcome measures are in general inefficient. Instead, the government should concentrate on creating incentives for women to participate in the labor market on an equal basis as males.
Effective use of data from monitoring programs and field studies for conservation decision making: predictions, designs and models working together

Effective integration of information in conservation decision making requires explicit consideration of conservation goals and objectives, specification of a range of potential actions, and the willingness to use information to assist in making and improving decisions. If these conditions are met, monitoring programs would benefit from the creative interplay between predictions, designs and models. Prediction, a basic component of scientific endeavor, is also a key component of scientific decision-making. Effective application of information to decision making typically requires integration of several types of information in a common framework, including “found” data and retrospective studies, innovative sampling designs, and the use of hierarchical data structures (e.g., demographic studies nested with occupancy sampling and analysis of community structure). Sampling designs can also include quasi-experimentation, in which confounding factors are accounted for by spatial or temporal “controls” or covariates. Hierarchical and state-space modeling, often most effectively performed in a Bayesian framework, provide a unified modeling structure for such designs and data. We illustrate these ideas with the problem of investigating and mitigating the effects of climate change on terrestrial birds in North America. Ecological theory and available data provide predictions about the impacts of global, regional, and local climate changes on avian communities. We outline a hierarchical sampling design providing for assessment and monitoring of key state variables. The design integrates broad-scale metrics such as species richness and turnover from existing monitoring programs, with directed monitoring using combinations of occupancy and capture–mark–recapture sampling to address specific questions of local extinction and colonization as well as demographic rates in relation to latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. The design would incorporate temporal, spatial, and management controls (presence/absence of selective interventions) as feasible, and manipulative experiments such as supplemental feeding to test specific predictions at specific sites. Data would be incorporated into a hierarchical modeling structure directed specifically at informing and updating the predictive management model.
Reaction intermediate effects on the spectrophotometric uricase assay

Abstract The uricase reaction in borate buffer systems has been studied. Gross inaccuracies will be obtained when UV absorbance is monitored at 293 nm unless due regard is given to an absorbing reaction intermediate. The quantitative spectrum of this intermediate was obtained by dynamic difference spectral methods. Interference by this intermediate in the 293 nm assay of uricase may be eliminated using appropriate borate buffer systems. However, borate affects not only the decay rate of the intermediate as previously reported but also the enzyme reaction itself by “salting out” the gaseous substrate, oxygen.
Silica: Role in the Buffering of Natural Waters

In the oceans, dissolved silica and degraded silicates appear to participate in a reaction which fixes silica and alkali metal cations and releases hydrogen ions, resulting in maintenance of the pH.
Use of the impedance method to calculate 3-D power deposition patterns for hyperthermia with capacitive plate electrodes

The authors have used the three-dimensional method to calculate the power deposition in the human pelvic region due to a radio-frequency current at 13.56 MHz applied through round or oval capacitive-plate applicators. They compare the energy deposited in several tumor sites when energy is applied using a variety of applicator sizes and locations and boluses of various conductivities. Detailed maps of the power deposition in the these cases for selected regions of the body are shown as well as useful applicator configurations for heating tumors at several locations in the body. >
Long-term nicotine exposure reduces Purkinje cell number in the adult rat cerebellar vermis

Nicotine affects functions of the central nervous system. A previous study showed that developing cerebellar Purkinje cells are targets for early postnatal nicotine exposure. In this study, we assessed the effects of long-term nicotine exposure on mature cerebellar Purkinje cells. This is particularly relevant since the majority of smokers are exposed to nicotine over a long period. Female adult Sprague-Dawley rats received three doses of nicotine (0.01%, 0.03%, or 0.06%) through their sole water source. After 8 weeks of nicotine exposure, the cerebellar vermis was removed and processed for stereological cell counting. The results showed that this long-term nicotine treatment did not change the cerebellum weight or the size (volume) of the cerebellar vermis. The long-term nicotine treatment regimen did result in a significant loss of mature Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, however, such a loss of Purkinje cells was not nicotine dose-related. These findings indicated that the mature adult cerebellum is susceptible to the damaging effects of nicotine in depleting Purkinje cells in the cerebellum.
Trypanosoma lewisi: in vitro growth in mammalian cell culture media.

Abstract Trypanosoma lewisi , a rat trypanosome, has been adapted to growth in vitro in a mammalian-cell culture medium which has been widely used for growth of human hematopoietic cells [20% fetal bovine serum and 80% Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) #1640]. The trypanosomes were cultured both in the presence of LBN rat kidney cells and in cultures free of mammalian cells. When the cultures were kept at room temperature, the organisms were predominantly in the epimastigote form and were not infective for newborn rats. When the room temperature cultures were adapted to growth at 35 °C, trypomastigote forms developed which when injected into newborn rats produced benign infections. Fatal infections occurred after three consecutive in vitro passages with the 35 °C culture strain although initially the infections were nonfatal.
Arsenic residues in red clover

Red clover samples were collected from fourteen fields in upstate New York. Ten samples were from fields where the clover had been grown in rotation with potatoes sprayed with sodium arsenite as a vine killer. The other four fields were not treated with arsenic in any form. Analyses of the arsenic content of the samples failed to reveal a correlation between the arsenic content of the red clover foliage and the amount of sodium arsenite applied in the preceding ten years.
Electrophysiologic Diagnosis of Meniere’s Disease

Meniere’s disease was first described in 1861 by Prosper Meniere. The exact pathophysiology is still unclear. The history taken by the physician in combination with audiometric testing are still the most important diagnostic tools, however multiple electrophysiological tests have been described to aid in the diagnosis of Meniere’s disease. These tests are used because of their presumed sensitivity to structural and/or electrochemical changes brought about by endolymphatic hydrops, although the precise relationship between hydrops and the symptoms of Meniere’s disease is still uncertain. Here we discuss the electrophysiologic tests that are currently used clinically in Meniere’s disease, namely vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, electrocochleography, and the cochlear hydrops analysis masking procedure. At the current state-of-the-art, results of these tests must be considered corroborative rather than diagnostic.
Loss of carbon dioxide in the mass spectra of some partially fluorinated β-diketonato iron chelates

Evidence suggesting elimination of carbon dioxide as a decomposition path for tris(1-phenyl-4,4,4-trifluoro-1,3-butandionato) iron (III) [Fe(btac)3] and tris (1-thienyl-4,4,4-trifluoro-1,3, butandionato) iron (III) [Fe(ttac)3] is presented and discussed. A mechanism is proposed for this reaction. Other examples of CO2 elimination are observed for substituted phenyl Fe(btac)3, tris(1-cyclopropyl-4,4,4-trifluoro-1,3-butandionato) iron (III) and Co(III) (btac)3.
The hitchhiker's guide to the Anthropocene

In Adventures in the Anthropocene , Gaia Vince spins rigorous science deftly into an absorbing, and occasionally even light-hearted around-the-world travelogue that attempts to convince the reader that we are not only the cause, but also the potential cure for the declining state of our planet.
An ASEAN customs union

Abstract In 2003, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided to create an ASEAN Economic Community by 2020, a single market in which goods and services would flow freely, and where there would be freer flows of capital and skilled labor. For the AEC to succeed, the creation of an ASEAN Customs Union (ACU) will be necessary. The goal of this paper is to analyze various economic and political-economy-related issues associated with the process of creating an ACU. Inter alia , it finds that, relative to the existing ASEAN Free-Trade Area, the potential benefits of an ACU are high, providing that the region succeeds in unifying commercial policies across these heterogeneous states under a liberal, outward-oriented regime.
SMT proof checking using a logical framework

Producing and checking proofs from SMT solvers is currently the most feasible method for achieving high confidence in the correctness of solver results. The diversity of solvers and relative complexity of SMT over, say, SAT means that flexibility, as well as performance, is a critical characteristic of a proof-checking solution for SMT. This paper describes such a solution, based on a Logical Framework with Side Conditions (LFSC). We describe the framework and show how it can be applied for flexible proof production and checking for two different SMT solvers, clsat and cvc3. We also report empirical results showing good performance relative to solver execution time.
Network Discovery Mechanisms for Fast-handoff

Proactive handoff mechanisms involving secure pre-authentication and proactive configuration help reduce the delay and transient data loss for real-time communication during movement between homogeneous or heterogeneous access networks. Pre-authentication is meant to perform authentication with a network before a mobile moves into the network. To achieve secure pre- authentication with a target neighboring network, a mobile needs to obtain an IP address of the authentication server from the target network when the mobile is still outside the target network and then to establish a security association with the authentication agent in the target network. This requires the mobile to discover the parameters of various network elements in the target network ahead of time so that the mobile can communicate with these network elements to establish proactive security associations. We describe several approaches for a mobile to discover the network elements in target networks before moving into these target networks. We also describe how network discovery can help provide fast-handoff using secure pre-authentication and proactive IP address acquisition during handover between different access networks.
PIC: Partitioned Iterative Convergence for Clusters

Iterative-convergence algorithms are frequently used in a variety of domains to build models from large data sets. Cluster implementations of these algorithms are commonly realized using parallel programming models such as MapReduce. However, these implementations suffer from significant performance bottlenecks, especially due to large volumes of network traffic resulting from intermediate data and model updates during the iterations. To address these challenges, we propose partitioned iterative convergence (PIC), a new approach to programming and executing iterative convergence algorithms on frameworks like MapReduce. In PIC, we execute the iterative-convergence computation in two phases - the best-effort phase, which quickly produces a good initial model and the top-off phase, which further refines this model to produce the final solution. The best-effort phase iteratively performs the following steps: (a) partition the input data and the model to create several smaller, model-building sub-problems, (b) independently solve these sub-problems using iterative convergence computations, and (c) merge solutions of the sub-problems to create the next version of the model. This partitioned, loosely coupled execution of the computation produces a model of good quality, while drastically reducing network traffic due to intermediate data and model updates. The top-off phase further refines this model by employing the original iterative-convergence computation on the entire (un-partitioned) problem until convergence. However, the number of iterations executed in the top-off phase is quite small, resulting in a significant overall improvement in performance. We have implemented a library for PIC on top of the Hadoop MapReduce framework, and evaluated it using five popular iterative-convergence algorithms (Page Rank, K-Means clustering, neural network training, linear equation solver and image smoothing). Our evaluations on clusters ranging from 6 nodes to 256 nodes demonstrate a 2.5X-4X speedup compared to conventional implementations using Hadoop.
Stochastic variational inequalities for elasto-plastic oscillators

Abstract The purpose of this Note is to show that models used in the literature for the hysteresis effect of non-linear elasto-plastic oscillators submitted to random vibrations are equivalent to stochastic variational inequalities. This powerful tool allows to study the ergodic properties of the Markov process related to the displacement. We characterize completely the invariant measure by a partially degenerate elliptic partial differential equation, with new Dirichlet coupling conditions. To cite this article: A. Bensoussan, J. Turi, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 343 (2006).
Heterogeneity of Retrograde Fast-Pathway Conduction Pattern in Patients With Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia: Observations by Use of Simultaneous Multisite Catheter Mapping of Koch’s Triangle

Background Selective ablation of either the fast or the slow pathway resulting in cure of AV nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) has led to the concept that these pathways are discrete, anatomically defined structures. We hypothesized that if a discrete retrograde fast pathway exists, it should be possible to record a single focus of early atrial activation near the apex of Koch’s triangle, with sequential spread of depolarization to the rest of the atria. Methods and Results We evaluated 46 patients (33 women, 13 men; mean age, 45±17 years) undergoing electrophysiology study and catheter ablation for typical AVNRT. Retrograde atrial activation during AVNRT (337±43 ms) and ventricular pacing at a similar cycle length (352±51 ms) was recorded in the region of Koch’s triangle with a decapolar catheter in the His bundle position, a multipolar catheter in the coronary sinus, and a deflectable quadripolar catheter along the tricuspid annulus anterior to the coronary sinus ostium. Earliest atrial activation was r...
Skin-Derived Cues Control Arborization of Sensory Dendrites in Caenorhabditis elegans

Summary Sensory dendrites depend on cues from their environment to pattern their growth and direct them toward their correct target tissues. Yet, little is known about dendrite-substrate interactions during dendrite morphogenesis. Here, we describe MNR-1/menorin, which is part of the conserved Fam151 family of proteins and is expressed in the skin to control the elaboration of "menorah"-like dendrites of mechanosensory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans . We provide biochemical and genetic evidence that MNR-1 acts as a contact-dependent or short-range cue in concert with the neural cell adhesion molecule SAX-7/L1CAM in the skin and through the neuronal leucine-rich repeat transmembrane receptor DMA-1 on sensory dendrites. Our data describe an unknown pathway that provides spatial information from the skin substrate to pattern sensory dendrite development nonautonomously.
Using DNA sequencers as stethoscopes

A report on the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory meeting on 'Personal Genomes', Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA, 30 September to 2 October, 2011.
The effect of property taxes on urban areas

Abstract The effects of property taxes on urban areas are studied relative to a local wage tax. The changes in urban population and in the consumption and price of housing are determined in cities with various types of production sectors. Distortions in the composition of housing and residential density patterns are also reported. Examples are constructed to quantify the size of the changes and test whether property taxes are capitalized into land values.
Impact of anomalous dispersion on the interferometer measurements of plasmas

Abstract For many decades optical interferometers have been used to measure the electron density of plasmas. During the last ten years X-ray lasers in the wavelength range 14–47 nm have enabled researchers to use interferometers to probe even higher density plasmas. The data analysis assumes that the index of refraction is due only to the free electrons, which makes the index of refraction less than one and the electron density proportional to the number of fringe shifts. Recent experiments in Al plasmas observed plasmas with an index of refraction greater than one and brought into question the validity of the usual formula for calculating the index of refraction. Recent calculations showed how the anomalous dispersion from the bound electrons can dominate the index of refraction in many types of plasma and make the index greater than one or enhance the index such that one would greatly overestimate the electron density of the plasma using interferometers. In this work we calculate the index of refraction of C, Al, Ti, and Pd plasmas for photon energies from 0 to 100 eV (12.4 nm) using a new average-atom code. The results show large variations from the free electron approximation under many different plasma conditions. We validate the average-atom code against the more detailed OPAL code for carbon and aluminum plasmas. During the next decade X-ray free electron lasers and other sources will be available to probe a wider variety of plasmas at higher densities and shorter wavelengths so understanding the index of refraction in plasmas will be even more essential.
Heat transfer in rectangular microchannels

Abstract Convection heat transfer in a rectangular microchannel is investigated. The flow is assumed to be fully developed both thermally and hydrodynamically. The H2-type boundary condition, constant axial and peripheral heat flux, is applied at the walls of the channel. Since the velocity profile for a rectangular channel is not known under the slip flow conditions, the momentum equation is first solved for velocity. The resulting velocity profile is then substituted into the energy equation. The integral transform technique is applied twice, once for velocity and once for temperature. The results show a similar behavior to previous studies on circular microtubes. The values of the Nusselt number are given for varying aspect ratios.
Determination of hexosaminitols by ion-exchange chromatography and its application to alkali-labile glycosidic linkages in glycoproteins

Abstract A procedure is described for the quantitative determination of galactosaminitol, glucosaminitol, and their parent hexosamines by use of the automatic amino acid analyzer using cation-exchange chromatography with a borate-citrate buffer system. The method was used to study the conversion of hexosamines to hexosaminitols in several glycoproteins by alkaline borohydride under different conditions. The amount of galactosamine involved in the O-glycosidic linkage to serine and threonine in different mucins was found to be variable. In bovine, canine, and porcine submaxillary mucin 90–96% of the galactosamine lost during alkaline borohydride treatment was recovered as galactosaminitol.
Manipulation of costimulatory signals to enhance antitumor T-cell responses

One of the major goals of tumor immunotherapy is the induction of tumor-specific T-cell responses that will be effective in eradicating disseminated tumors. Emerging information on the role of costimulatory molecules in T-cell activation offers several new strategies for enhancing antitumor responses, including the induction of expression of costimulatory molecules on tumor cells, enhancement of the presentation of transferred tumor antigen by host antigen-presenting cells, and ex vivo antigen priming of autologous antigen-presenting cells.
Tetrad Analysis Possible in Arabidopsis with Mutation of the QUARTET (QRT) Genes

Two Arabidopsis thaliana genes, QRT1 and QRT2, are required for pollen separation during normal development. In qrt mutants, the outer walls of the four meiotic products of the pollen mother cell are fused, and pollen grains are released in tetrads. Pollen is viable and fertile, and the cytoplasmic pollen contents are discrete. Pollination with a single tetrad usually yields four seeds, and genetic analysis confirmed that marker loci segregate in a 2:2 ratio within these tetrads. These mutations allow tetrad analysis to be performed in Arabidopsis and define steps in pollen cell wall development.
A quasi-Newton acceleration for high-dimensional optimization algorithms

In many statistical problems, maximum likelihood estimation by an EM or MM algorithm suffers from excruciatingly slow convergence. This tendency limits the application of these algorithms to modern high-dimensional problems in data mining, genomics, and imaging. Unfortunately, most existing acceleration techniques are ill-suited to complicated models involving large numbers of parameters. The squared iterative methods (SQUAREM) recently proposed by Varadhan and Roland constitute one notable exception. This paper presents a new quasi-Newton acceleration scheme that requires only modest increments in computation per iteration and overall storage and rivals or surpasses the performance of SQUAREM on several representative test problems.
Prefrontal and Postfrontal Boundary Layer Processes over the Ocean

Abstract Measurements taken during the Storm Transfer and Response Experiment (STREX) are used to analyse boundary layer structures and processes in North Pacific storms. Heat and moisture transfers at the surface and through the top of the boundary layer are evaluated for three cases with warm, southerly flow ahead of cold fronts and two cases of cooler, westerly and northerly flow behind fronts. The prefrontal boundary layers are nearly neutrally stratified and surface heat and moisture fluxes are small. Surface fluxes tend to be downward just ahead of the fronts and are of greater magnitude during stronger storms. Entrainment fluxes at the top of the prefrontal boundary layers are generally larger than surface fluxes and are the dominant sources of heating for the boundary layers. Entrainment rates determined from budgets compare well with laboratory studies of shear-driven entrainment. In the postfrontal cases, surface heat and moisture fluxes are the dominant sources of total heating within the bound...
Carcinoma of the vagina after hysterectomy for severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

Abstract Fourteen patients treated for intraepithelial or invasive cancer of the vagina subsequent to hysterectomy for severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ of the cervix are reported. The importance of obtaining an adequate pretreatment tissue diagnosis is emphasized. Surgical excision by partial or complete vaginectomy for in situ or early invasive disease is recommended. In each patient the vaginal apex was involved. In four patients invasive cancer was found in the operative specimen but not in the preoperative biopsy. Invasive cancer was diagnosed in patients who had had a hysterectomy 2 or more years prior to diagnosis of the vaginal cancer. Modification in the technique of partial and complete vaginectomy was suggested, which would assure a more thorough removal of the vaginal mucosa and perivaginal tissues.
Arc Therapy Dose Perturbation Due to the Center Bar in a Clinic 4/100 Couch Assembly

Dose changes due to an isocentric arc beam intercepted by a metallic centerspine bar of the treatment couch assembly in a Clinac 4/100 are investigated. For taking experimental data a cylindrical phantom, fitted with a PTW ion chamber at its center, was placed on the treatment couch above the bar and irradiated. Measurements were taken at the isocenter for a 60 degree rotation of the source for different collimator settings. A simple theory which makes use of the measured attenuation values for the 4 MV beam in the metallic bar is proposed. A good agreement between the calculated doses and experimental observations have been found suggesting that the model could be used to estimate doses in clinical situations. The influence of the bar in the plane of rotation is qualitatively analyzed by mapping isodoses using exposed films.
Equations of state - new theories

Abstract Recent advances in our understanding of fluid mixtures via computer simulation and theory are reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to perturbation theories and local composition models, and their applications to mixtures in which the molecules differ in size, attractive energy, polarity and shape.
Preparation and characterization of some mixed ligand complexes; bispicolinatocobalt(II) and -nickel(II) with heterocyclic amines

Abstract Some new mixed ligand complexes with general formulas ML2L′ and ML2L2″, where MCo2+ and Ni2+, L = picolinate, L′ = 2,2′-dipyridyl or 1,10-phenanthroline, and L″ = pyridine, have been synthesized. The compounds have been characterized via elemental analyses, conductance, magnetic susceptibility and electronic spectral data as neutral complexes with distorted 6-coordinate structures. Some of the cobalt compounds have been prepared by two synthetic routes.
Regulation of Osteoclastic Acid Secretion by cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase

Nitric oxide (NO) down-regulates osteoclastic activity. The mechanism is unknown, although, in some cells NO acts by stimulating guanylate cyclase which activates cGMP-dependent proteins. We demonstrated cGMP-dependent protein kinase in osteoclasts by immunofluorescence microscopy. Specificity was confirmed by Western blot analysis showing a single 78 kDa band, the size of the Type I isoform, in isolated avian osteoclasts. Osteoclast function centers on HCl secretion at a specialized membrane organelle. We found that purified cGMP-dependent protein kinase inhibits ATP-dependent acid transport in reconstituted osteoclast membrane vesicles >90%, while cAMP-dependent kinase catalytic subunit, calmodulin kinase II, or cGMP alone were ineffective. This novel, direct modulation of acid transport by cGMP-dependent kinase and the occurrence of the enzyme in osteoclasts suggest that a mechanism of NO-regulation of bone turnover is via cGMP and cGMP-dependent protein kinase inhibition of HCl transport.
Couples Managing the Risk of Financing Long-Term Care

This study examined the complexity of financial long-term care (LTC) decision outcomes among married couples. Supporting the theory of planned behavior, couples reported a range of consensus patterns with their financial LTC intentions and behaviors. Five newly articulated typologies of couples emerged from consensus patterns revealing that couples reported a range of financial LTC intentions and behaviors. More couples reported consensus with their financial LTC behaviors compared to intentions; financial LTC decision outcomes reflected a dynamic and on-going process; and couples were not always in agreement on their financial LTC decision outcomes. Findings reinforce the importance of family practitioners going beyond working with individuals to understanding couple-level planning for financing LTC.
SU-FF-T-30: A New Software Tool for Inter Treatment Planning System IMRT Comparison Study

Purpose: To develop a software tool to enable the direct comparison of the dose accuracy of different treatment planning systems (TPS) and the efficacy of different optimization methods while separating the effects of the dose engine and optimizer. Method and Materials: Based on TPS used at our institution, we have developed a software tool using the C programming language to convert RTP files exported from the Corvus system to the Pinnacle system. The planning CT along with the contoured structures can be transferred between these two TPS's. The developed software tool was used to convert the Corvus treatment delivery files to the Pinnacle system. The first application of this tool is to compare the dose calculations performed by these systems. The second application is to compare the efficacy of the optimization methods in these systems. We plan to test ten patients with head and neck tumors.Results: The new software tool successfully converts RTP files exported from any commercial TPS to the Pinnacle TPS, allowing us to separately study the optimization algorithm and dose calculation engine in the two systems. Preliminary results from one patient plan showed that Pinnacle and Corvus systems give different results, where Pinnacle system gave a 3.6% higher D95% value in the pGTV and 3.7% higher in the pCTV. The maximum dose to the brainstem and spinal cord in Pinnacle plan were 7.3% and 3.7%, higher respectively. Both TPS's have been commissioned for clinical use in our institution, and a patient specific phantom measurement is performed for each patient. Conclusion: A new software tool for inter‐TPS IMRT comparison study has been developed and tested. This tool allows us to directly compare TPS's using clinical data, revealing detailed dose differences in the coverage of the tumor volume as well as the doses to the sensitive structures.
Coagulation disorders in cancer. I. Clinical and laboratory studies.

A comprehensive study of the hemostatic and coagulation mechanisms in 50 patients with disseminated malignancy was carried out. Significant laboratory abnormalities were found in the majority of patients. The most common pattern was the “hypercoagulable state.” This included short bleeding time, decreased silicone coagulation time and partial thromboplastin time, increased tolerance to heparin, marked elevation of plasma levels of factors I, II, V, VIII, IX and XI and acceleration of thromboplastin generation. There was elevation of platelet counts, except in patients receiving chemotherapeutic drugs. Seven patients had prolonged prothrombin time due to depression of vitamin-K-dependent clotting factors. Fibrinolysis was detected in six patients by immunologic and other techniques. The data suggest that patients with cancer have an alteration in the hemostatic level of control with increased levels of both clotting factors and their inhibitors, resulting in a more easily disturbed balance between opposing hemostatic forces. Clinical thrombosis or bleeding may follow.
Intrinsic Flame Instabilities in Premixed and Nonpremixed Combustion

The focus of this article is on intrinsic combustion instabilities in both premixed and nonpremixed systems, identifying, in particular, the roles of differential and preferential diffusion, thermal expansion, and heat losses. For premixed flames, the hydrodynamic instability resulting from thermal expansion plays a central role and is particularly dominant in large-scale flames. It is responsible for the formation of sharp folds and creases in the flame front and for the wrinkling observed over the surface of expanding flames. In contrast, instabilities in diffusion flames, which give rise to cellular and oscillating flames, are mainly driven by diffusive-thermal effects, with thermal expansion playing a secondary role. The discussion also includes instabilities of edge-flames in unmixed reactants, which possess stability characteristics of both premixed and diffusion flames, but with a distinct mode of instability.
cDNA cloning of a Novel 85 kd protein that has SH2 domains and regulates binding of PI3-kinase to the PDGF β-receptor

Using immobilized PDGF receptor as an affinity reagent, we purified an 85 kd protein (p85) from cell lysates and we cloned its cDNA. The protein contains an SH3 domain and two SH2 domains that are homologous to domains found in several receptor-associated enzymes. Recombinant p85 overexpressed in mammalian cells inhibited the binding of endogenous p85 and a 110 kd protein to the receptor and also blocked the association of PI3-kinase activity with the receptor. Experiments with receptor mutants and with short peptides derived from the kinase insert region of the PDGF receptor showed that the recombinant p85 binds to a well-defined phosphotyrosine-containing sequence of the receptor. p85 appears to be the subunit of PI3-kinase that links the enzyme to the ligand-activated receptor.
Selective interest and psychological practice: A new interpretation of the Burt affair

Anomalies in Burt's twin data have precipitated a prolonged and inconclusive controversy between those who accuse him of fabrication and those who defend his integrity. Here it is suggested that the argument arose in part because differing personal, and especially political, interests predisposed psychologists to diverse interpretations of the evidence. ‘Selective interest’ (James, 1890) leads to a concentration of attention on partial data. The participants in the controversy readily detected this fault in their opponents, but rarely in themselves. It is then suggested that this same factor accounts for the deficiencies in Burt's kinship data. His research was especially vulnerable to ‘selective interest’, and the numerical anomalies in his reports are consistent with this interpretation. It is questioned whether scientific techniques can ever wholly replace personal judgment, with its potential for selective bias.
The structure of the weather at Blue Hill, as indicated by the hours at which the diurnal extremes of temperature occur

The frequency with which the daily minimum temperatures occur at the end or beginning of the 24 hours — instead of at the usual time, about sunrise, as controlled by radiation — may be used as a measure of the frequency of daily strong advection. A great number of advective minima occur in the last hour of day (23–24h), owing to the invasions of cold air masses. A smaller, yet prominent number occurs in the first hour (0–1h), due to the invasions of warm air masses. Numerical tables of this distribution and also of probabilities of cold and warm invasions facilitate understanding and reference. The Blue Hill results are compared with those obtained from Mt. Washington temperature byV. Conrad.
The effects of fire, local environment and time on ant assemblages in fens and forests

We investigated the effects of the abiotic environment, plant community composition and disturbance by fire on ant assemblages in two distinct habitat types in the Siskiyou Mountains in northern California and southern Oregon, USA. Sampling over 2 years in burned and unburned Darlingtonia fens and their adjacent upland forests, we found that the effects of disturbance by fire depended on habitat type. In forests, fire intensity predicted richness in ant assemblages in both years after the fire, and plant community composition predicted richness 2 years after the fire. No factors were associated with richness in the species-poor fen ant assemblages. Speciesspecific responses to both habitat type and disturbance by fire were idiosyncratic. Assemblage composition depended on habitat type, but not disturbance by fire, and the composition of each assemblage between years was more dissimilar in burned than unburned sites.
The Patient-Provider Relationship: Attachment Theory and Adherence to Treatment in Diabetes

OBJECTIVE: Lack of adherence to diabetic self-management regimens is associated with a high risk of diabetes complications. Previous research has shown that the quality of the patient-provider relationship is associated with adherence to diabetes treatment. This study attempts to improve understanding of both patient and provider factors involved in lack of adherence to treatment in diabetic patients by using the conceptual model of attachment theory. METHOD: Instruments that assessed attachment, treatment adherence, depression, diabetes severity, patient-provider communication, and demographic data were administered to 367 patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes in a health maintenance organization primary care setting. Glucose control, medical comorbidity, and adherence to medications and clinic appointments were determined from automated data. Analyses of covariance were used to determine if attachment style and quality of patient-provider communication were associated with adherence to treatment. RESULTS:...