cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)molecular subtyping and drug resistance of Salmonella enteritidiss trains isolated in Longyan city

Objective To analyze the pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns and antibiotic resistance of Salmonella enteritidisstrains isolated in Longyan city in order to provide reference for effective control, clinical diagnosis and treatment of outbreaks of food-borne diseases. Methods Seventy-seven Salmonella enteritidis strains isolated from food poisoning cases, livestock and poultry meat samples collected for food safety risk monitoring and sporadic cases in 2014 and 2016 were analyzed by PFGE. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 16 common antibiotics to 57 strains. Results Seventeen PFGE types were identified among the 77 Salmonella strains including three predominant types (P4, P6 and P8) and were grouped into three major pulsotypes (Cluster1-3) at 90% similarity level. The predominant types causing outbreaks of Salmonella enteritidis infection were P8, P6, P4 and P14, which were responsible for five cases of food poisoning.These isolated strains were highly resistant to nalidixic acid (93%), followed by resistance towards ampicillin (74%) and streptomycin (54%). Forty-one strains were resistant to three or more antibiotics (71.93%). Conclusion The PFGE types of Salmonella enteritidis strains isolated in Longyan city exhibit polymorphism and are clustered into three major pulsotypes. PFGE molecular typing can provide early-warning of sporadic outbreaks and help to identify the sources of infections in Salmonella enteritidis-related food poisoning. Attentions should be paid to multidrug resistant Salmonella enteritidis. Surveillance for multidrug resistant strains and usage of antibiotics should be strengthened. Key words: Salmonella enteritis; PFGE molecular typing; Cluster analysis; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Multidrug resistance
VIEgram – Analysis and Visualization of Intracardiac Electrograms on Patient-Specific 3D Atria Model

Over the last few years, the use of cardiac mapping for effective diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias has increased significantly. In the clinical environment, electroanatomical mapping (EAM) is performed during the electrophysiological procedures using proprietary systems such as CARTO, EnSite Precision, RHYTHMIA, etc. These systems generate the 3D model of patient-specific atria with the electrical activity (i.e., intracardiac electrograms (iEGMs)) displayed on it, for further identification of the sources of arrhythmia and for guiding cardiac ablation therapy. Recently, several novel techniques were developed to perform iEGMs analysis to more accurately identify the arrhythmogenic sites. However, there is a difficulty in incorporating the results of iEGMs analysis back to EAM systems due to their proprietary constraints. This created a hurdle in the further development of novel techniques to help navigate patient-specific clinical ablation therapy. Thus, we developed an open source software, VIEgram1, that allows researchers to visualize the results of the various iEGMs analysis on a patient-specific 3D atria model. It eliminates the dependency of the academic environment on the proprietary EAM systems, thereby making the process of retrospective mapping extremely convenient and time efficient. Here, we demonstrate the features of VIEgram such as visual inspection of iEGMs, flexibility in implementing custom iEGMs analysis techniques and interpolation schemes, and spatial analysis.
Scrapping the Workshop of the World: Civic Infrastructuring and the Politics of Late Industrial Governance

To understand harm in breathing spaces requires analysis of the ways in which structural violence is built into technologies of environmental governance; a script that cannot recognize the dynamic relationships between bodies, atmospheres, and the industrial practices that condition both. In this paper, I show how community members in a small, Philadelphia neighborhood came to understand that toxic air is made permissible through late industrial political techniques. One of these techniques is a civic engagement platform, designed to more efficiently and transparently connect the public with municipal agencies, and recommended to community members as a means to address atmospheric hazards. Despite initial public optimism, the City’s civic engagement platform failed to address environmental hazards. Rather than abandon the platform, however, community members appropriated the City’s digital infrastructure to run an environmental reporting project. Drawing on the work of STS scholars, I describe the community’s work as civic infrastructuring, a sociotechnical process that utilized public infrastructure to better understand government failure and build community capacity to engage the administration, even if on late industrial terms.
The iterative and improvisational nature of the creative process

Abstract The creative process has often been conceived as a linear process that begins with preparation; is followed by incubation, during which one or many insights occur; then a selection stage where one of the insights is chosen as most promising; followed by an elaboration or execution of the selected insight. This paper argues that this linear view is inconsistent with conceptions of creativity in a community of creators: Artists and designers who teach in professional schools of art and design. These instructors, professional creatives themselves, teach a creative process that is nonlinear, iterative, and improvisational. To support this claim, the paper reports findings from a multi-year study of the pedagogical beliefs of the instructors and the practices they use in studio classes. The analysis results in eight characteristics of the pedagogy used and the creative process taught by these instructors: Iteration; ambiguity; exploration; emergence; failure; deliberation; reflection; and constraint.
Presidents and Civil Liberties from Wilson to Obama: A Story of Poor Custodians

1. Introduction: presidents and civil liberties Part I. The Early Years: 2. Woodrow Wilson and the suppression of civil liberties in World War I 3. Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover: civil liberties in the wilderness 4. Franklin D. Roosevelt: the mixed legacy of a strong president Part II. Civil Liberties in the Cold War and Civil Rights Eras: 5. Harry Truman: courage and contradictions 6. Dwight D. Eisenhower: a failure of presidential leadership 7. John F. Kennedy: the failed promise of the new frontier 8. The glory and the tragedy of Lyndon Johnson 9. Richard Nixon: a singular abuse of presidential power Part III. The Post-Watergate Era: 10. Gerald Ford: a minor president in very interesting times 11. Jimmy Carter: failed president, good civil libertarian 12. Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush: the neo-conservative assault on civil liberties 13. Bill Clinton: the divided soul of a 'new democrat' Part IV. Civil Liberties in the Age of Terrorism: 14. George W. Bush: the worst president ever on civil liberties 15. Reflections on presidents, civil liberties, and democracy with observations on Barack Obama.
Development of the Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE): An Advanced Airborne DIAL Instrument

The Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) Instrument is the first fully-engineered, autonomous Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) System for the measurement of water vapor in the troposphere (aerosol and cloud measurements are included). LASE uses a double-pulsed Ti:Sapphire laser for the transmitter with a 30 ns pulse length and 150 mJ/pulse. The laser beam is “seeded” to operate on a selected water vapor absorption line in the 815-nm region using a laser diode and an onboard absorption reference cell. A 40 cm diameter telescope collects the backscattered signals and directs them onto two detectors. LASE collects DIAL data at 5 Hz while onboard a NASA/Ames ER-2 aircraft flying at altitudes from 16–21 km. LASE was designed to operate autonomously within the environment and physical constraints of the ER-2 aircraft and to make water vapor profile measurements across the troposphere to better than 10% accuracy. LASE has flown 19 times during the development of the instrument and the validation of the science data. This paper describes the design, operation, and reliability of the LASE Instrument.
But Not in My Neighborhood

Reactions of community residents to proposed or built Section 202/8 apartment complexes in two communities in and near Tampa, Florida were studied through observation of two public hearings and data gathered through questionnaires mailed to a probability sample of householders in the communities. Findings indicated that the respondents were about evenyl divided between positive and negative reactions to the housing facilities. A discriminant analysis revealed that those who reacted negatively tended to be more satisfied with their own homes, to have lived longer in their homes, and to be less satisfied with their neighborhoods. Recommendations for avoiding community resistance to housing for the elderly were presented.
The civic status of Theodotos in Lysias III

Este articulo retoma la opinion, apuntada en el pasado por varios autores pero actualmente olvidada, de que ????? ?? ... ??????? en Lisias 3.33 no se refiere a Teodoto, el joven que motivo el enfrentamiento entre las partes del pleito, sino al esclavo ????????? del orador. Las dificultades que suelen senalarse a proposito de la condicion civica de Teodoto se disipan si se adopta esta opinion.
Distortion of pulses on a terminated microstrip line of finite length

This paper reports an investigation of the distortion of pulses propagating on a terminated microstrip line of finite length due to the line's dispersion. The Fourier transform and its inverse are used to compute the transient signals. The dispersion of the microstrip line, needed in the analysis, is calculated using the spectral-domain method. Results are presented for finite-length microstrip lines terminated by a resistor, an open circuit, and an inductor, showing clear distortions of the propagating signals.
Using Failure Information Analysis to Detect Enterprise Zombies

We propose failure information analysis as a novel strategy for uncovering malware activity and other anomalies in enterprise network traffic. A focus of our study is detecting self-propagating malware such as worms and botnets. We begin by conducting an empirical study of transport- and application-layer failure activity using a collection of long-lived malware traces. We dissect the failure activity observed in this traffic in several dimensions, finding that their failure patterns differ significantly from those of real-world applications. Based on these observations, we describe the design of a prototype system called Netfuse to automatically detect and isolate malware-like failure patterns. The system uses an SVM-based classification engine to identify suspicious systems and clustering to aggregate failure activity of related enterprise hosts. Our evaluation using several malware traces demonstrates that the Netfuse system provides an effective means to discover suspicious application failures and infected enterprise hosts. We believe it would be a useful complement to existing defenses.
Power Electronics Building Blocks and potential power modulator applications

Power Electronic Building Blocks (PEBBs) are power processors. A PEBB is not a specific semiconductor material, not a device, nor a circuit topology. It is the search for the common electrical, mechanical and thermal denominators of all these, allowing integration of all these technologies. It is not; "one size fits all". There will be several blocks that will fit together to perform the majority of everyday power electronic jobs. Like a set of children's interlocking blocks, PEBBs will be a rational and simple set of blocks and procedures that most any designer or architect can use to build electrical systems. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is developing Power Electronic Building Blocks to achieve: increased power density, "user friendly" design ("plug and play" power modules), and multi-functionality. Digital controls, integrated with higher frequency and more robust power circuits, enable modular power systems with lower size, weight, and cost-while increasing performance. Although the day when solid-state will replace tubes in high-power modulator applications is still in the future, many near-term opportunities exist for PEBBs and associated technologies. This paper presents requirements, opportunities and issues for standardized power modules. First, an overview of the PEBB program is given. Then, opportunities are examined for technologies developed by the PEBB program.
The ultrastructure of the mammary gland during prolactin-induced lactogenesis in the rabbit.

The intraductal injection of ovine pituitary prolactin induced milk production in pseudopregnant virgin albino rabbits. Four rabbits were injected iv with 200 IU of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) to induce pseudopregnancy. After 7 days, 300 μg of ovine pituitary prolactin was injected into tie mammary ducts, and the animals were sacrificed 5 days later. The mammary glands of the control rabbits were composed of small ducts lined by a single layer of epithelial cells surrounded by a layer of myoepithelial cells. The hCG-treated animals revealed formation of mammary lobules with marked hyperplasia of the epithelial cells accompanied by an increase of rough endoplasmic reticulum, free ribosomes and polyribosomes, and mitochondria. The prolactin-injected animals produced abundant milk, secreted within dilated ducts and alveoli. The Golgi complexes of the epithelial cells were enlarged and contained abundant granular, round, electron-dense material which was also observed in the process of being discharge...
Radical Hope for Living Well in a Warmer World

Environmental changes can bear upon the environmental virtues, having effects not only on the conditions of their application but also altering the concepts themselves. I argue that impending radical changes in global climate will likely precipitate significant changes in the dominate world culture of consumerism and then consider how these changes could alter the moral landscape, particularly culturally thick conceptions of the environmental virtues. According to Jonathan Lear, as the last principal chief of the Crow Nation, Plenty Coups exhibited the virtue of “radical hope,” a novel form of courage appropriate to a culture in crisis. I explore what radical hope may look like today, arguing how it should broadly affect our environmental character and that a framework for future environmental virtues will involve a diminished place for valuing naturalness as autonomy from human interference.
Interactive efforts between utilities and non-utility parties: Constraints and possibilities☆

Abstract During the past 5 years, a number of interactive efforts have been initiated between investor-owned utilities and non-utility parties in the U.S. Typically, these efforts focus on utility demand-side management (DSM) programs and on related regulatory policies. We examine how well these efforts are succeeding, describe conditions that promote or impede interactive efforts, and discuss what can realistically be expected from their use.
A triangulation of the 6-cube with 308 simplices

Abstract We give a triangulation of the 6-cube into 308 simplices; this is the smallest number in any triangulation of I 6 presented so far.
Chest Wall Dose Assessment in Patients Treated Using Non-Invasive Image-Guided Breast Brachytherapy APBI

Purpose: This analysis compares the efficacy of a common clinical decision regarding selection of an abbreviated course of adjuvant radiotherapy for early-stage breast cancer: brachytherapy-based accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) vs. whole breast Canadian hypofractionated external beam radiation therapy. Materials and Methods: Patients were treated between November 1993 and November 2010 with APBI at 340 cGy BID for five days or Canadian Hypofractionation [CHfx] to the whole breast delivering 266 cGy per day for 16 fractions. The brachytherapy CTV was a 1cm expansion from the applicator surface for balloon devices and 1.5 to 2 cm from implanted interstitial catheters. For CHfx, the CTV was whole breast without boost irradiation. To compare efficacy between the two treatment groups, a matched-pair analysis was performed using a 1:1 ratio which paired 59 brachytherapy APBI patients with 59 patients treated via the CHfx dose scheme. Match criteria included minimal followup (FU) O1.0 yr, clinical stage, age (þ/3 yrs), and ER status. Clinical outcomes analyzed included freedom from local-regional recurrence [FRLR, FRRR], freedom from distant metastases (FRDM), disease-free, causespecific and overall survival [DFS, CSS, & OS]. Results: Matched exactly for stage and ER, no significant differences were noted for age (p50.775), nodal stage (p50.638), use of chemotherapy (p50.205) or endocrine therapy (p50.072) in the matched population. With a mean FU of 4.0 yrs (5.2 yrs for APBI vs. 2.8 yrs for CHfx, p! 0.001), no differences were seen in the 3-year actuarial rates of FRLR (98.3% vs. 100%, p50.317), DFS (98.3% vs. 100%, p50.317), or OS (91.0% vs. 100 %, p50.142); the 5-yr figures for these endpoints were likewise not statistically different. As well, no differences were seen in the 3and 5actuarial rates of FRRR, FRDM [both 100% at 3 & 5 yrs], or CSS [100% at 3& 5-yr intervals] between the APBI and CHfx groups, respectively. Conclusions: With a mean followup of 4 years, brachytherapy APBI offers similar treatment efficacy in a more time-compressed treatment course versus Canadian Hypofractionation while sparing dose to the remainder of the breast. Further FU and more patients will be needed to substantiate equivalence of brachytherapy-based APBI compared with whole breast CHfx, as well as the need for irradiation delivered to a volume beyond that prescribed for APBI in selected early-stage breast cancer patients.
FAULT: A FORTRAN program for modeling the degradation of active normal fault scarps

Abstract FAULT, a FORTRAN program for modeling degradation of normal fault scarps, provides a means for estimating time(s) and amount(s) of vertical displacement along such faults. The program is based on observations of degraded fault scarps in the Basin and Range province of the western United States and of wave-cut bluffs along the shores of Lake Michigan. Scarps on which debris is loosened from the scarp face more rapidly then the debris transporting processes can remove it, degrade by reduction of curvature (rounding) of the basal concavity and crestal convexity and by decrease in gradient of the scarp face. Scarps on which debris is removed as rapidly as it is loosened from the scarp face, degrade by parallel retreat of the scarp face with the build-up of a debris apron at the scarp base.
The remarkable enneahydridorhenate dianion: ReH2- 9

All-electron, non-relativistic ab initio self-consistent field (SCF) quantum mechanical methods were applied to the unique enneahydridorhenate dianion (ReH2- 9, D 3h ). Three basis sets were constructed and used for rhenium: the (20s14p11d7f/17s11p8d2f) basis is loosely designated DZ; the (23s17p14d9f/18s14p10d3f) is similarly designated TZ; and TZ plus polarization plus diffuse is designated TZP +. The largest basis set, TZP +, has 24s20p15d10f primitive Gaussian functions contracted to 19s17p11d4f. Four basis sets were used for H: the (5s/3s) is designated TZ; (5s2p/3s2p) is designated TZ2P; (6s2p/4s2p) is designated QZ2P; and QZ2P plus one diffuse s function is designated QZ2P +. The well-known experimental D 3h structure was investigated, with the three independent internal coordinates optimized using analytic gradient techniques. The larger basis sets were handled using the direct SCF approach. The largest basis set for which the geometry was optimized was TZP + for Re and QZ2P + for H (with 252 basi...
Education-Medium and African Linguistic Rights in the Context of Globalisation.

In the context of globalisation, European languages, especially English, continue to be the favoured medium of official communication and are valued and promoted as the dominant languages of commerce, international communication, education and scientific knowledge. In this paper, I argue that European educational language medium policies perpetuate the hegemonic influence of western languages and their corresponding forms of knowledge. I further argue that these policies have also devalued and marginalised indigenous languages, knowledge systems and cultural identities in sub‐Saharan Africa. I explore the social justice implications of these policies for indigenous language communities in the region.
Revising warfarin patient education materials to meet a National Patient Safety Goal.

Anticoagulants are one of the drug classes most frequently cited in reports of medication errors or adverse drug reactions, and their improper use often results in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or both.[1][1]–[3][2] In order to minimize the risks and standardize practices within
The Potential Role of Virtual Reality in Environmental Education

Abstract The acceptability and possible role of virtual reality (VR) in the field of environmental education were investigated. A survey instrument was developed and administered to environmental education practitioners and VR developers. The principal findings were that (a) the sample population of environmental educators indicated an acceptance of VR as a teaching tool and (b) VR applications that allow students to have experiences not available in the physical world were perceived as beneficial to environmental education.
Parametric optimization of artificial neural networks for signal approximation applications

Artificial neural networks are used to solve diverse sets of problems. However, the accuracy of the network's output for a given problem domain depends on appropriate selection of training data as well as various design parameters that define the structure of the network before it is trained. Genetic algorithms have been used successfully for many types of optimization problems. In this paper, we describe a methodology that uses genetic algorithms to find an optimal set of configuration parameters for artificial neural networks such that the network's approximation error for signal approximation problems is minimized.
EphrinA I-targeted nanoshells for photothermal ablation of prostate cancer cells.

Gold-coated silica nanoshells are a class of nanoparticles that can be designed to possess strong absorption of light in the near infrared (NIR) wavelength region. When injected intravenously, these nanoshells have been shown to accumulate in tumors and subsequently mediate photothermal treatment, leading to tumor regression. In this work, we sought to improve their specificity by targeting them to prostate tumor cells. We report selective targeting of PC-3 cells with nanoshells conjugated to EphrinAl, a ligand for EphA2 receptor that is overexpressed on PC-3 cells. We demonstrate selective photo-thermal destruction of these cells upon application of the NIR laser.
WITHDRAWN: Large Coronary Thrombus: A Safe and Effective Approach using Percutaneous Coronary Intervention after Vigorous Antithrombotic Therapy

After percutaneous coronary intervention, high thrombotic burden is the strongest correlate for extensive microvascular obstruction, distal embolization, and the no-reflow phenomenon. It is suggested that in these cases conventional thrombectomy methods may mechanically dislodge thrombi downstream and decrease myocardial perfusion. The following report includes an alternative approach in which a coronary vessel with large thrombotic burden was treated successfully first with vigorous pharmacological antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapy followed by coronary intervention after several days.
Immobilization of mycotoxins on modified nanodiamond substrates

The effectiveness of modified nanodiamonds (NDs) for the adsorption of mycotoxins, aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA), are investigated in this paper. Binding and release mechanisms of the mycotoxins were addressed using an assortment of NDs modified by different surface treatments, including carboxylation, hydrogenation and hydroxylation, followed by isolating NDs of different sizes. Results indicate that AfB1 adsorption on NDs is directly related to aggregate size, whereas OTA adsorption is primarily centered upon electrostatic interactions that depend on the types of surface functional groups on the ND. Findings show that modified NDs with small aggregation sizes (~40 nm) have greater adsorption capacities for AfB1 than yeast cells walls and untreated NDs from various vendors, but comparable to activated charcoal. In OTA studies, positively charged NDs outperformed clay minerals, which are well-known and efficient sorbents for mycotoxins. Furthermore, ND adsorption capacities can be preserved in a wide range of pH.
The effect of self-embodiment on distance perception in immersive virtual environments

Previous research has shown that egocentric distance estimation suffers from compression in virtual environments when viewed through head mounted displays. Though many possible variables and factors have been investigated, the source of the compression is yet to be fully realized. Recent experiments have hinted in the direction of an unsatisfied feeling of presence being the cause. This paper investigates this presence hypothesis by exploring the benefit of providing self-embodiment to the user through the form of a virtual avatar, presenting an experiment comparing errors in egocentric distance perception through direct-blind walking between subjects with a virtual avatar and without. The result of this experiment finds a significant improvement with egocentric distance estimations for users equipped with a virtual avatar over those without.
The Dynamics of Dog‐Ear Formation and Correction

Abstract Dog-ears are tissue redundancies secondary to length inequalities, rotation or contour changes. An understanding of the mechanics of dog-ear formation provides a logical foundation for approaching treatment.
Classification of tephritid fruit fly larvae by gas chromatography/pattern recognition techniques

Abstract Gas chromatography and pattern recognition techniques have been used to develop a potential method for classifying Anastrepha larvae. The test data consisted of 148 chromatograms of cuticular hydrocarbon extracts obtained from three different species of Anastrepha larvae: (1) A. fraterculus , (2) A. suspensa , and (3) A. acris . k -NN, projection pursuit, and principal component analyses of the chromatographic data suggest that A. fraterculus larvae can be differentiated from both A. suspensa and A. acris larvae. However, the proposed method cannot differentiate A. suspensa larvae from A. acris larvae.
Strategies for Strengthening Feminist Research

Social work research, like all research in the social sciences, has been challenged by feminist scholars. Alternative research methods proposed by feminists, however, contain their own inherent dilemmas that need to be addressed. This article summarizes the historical dynamics of feminist research, identifies key issues that pose problems for the development of knowledge, and proposes self-correcting measures for strengthening future feminist research.
Kinetic, stereochemical, and structural effects of mutations of the active site arginine residues in 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase.

Three arginine residues (Arg-11, Arg-39, Arg-61) are found at the active site of 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase in the X-ray structure of the affinity-labeled enzyme [Taylor, A. B., Czerwinski, R. M., Johnson, R. M., Jr., Whitman, C. P., and Hackert, M. L. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 14692−14700]. The catalytic roles of these arginines were examined by mutagenesis, kinetic, and heteronuclear NMR studies. With a 1,6-dicarboxylate substrate (2-hydroxymuconate), the R61A mutation showed no kinetic effects, while the R11A mutation decreased kcat 88-fold and increased Km 8.6-fold, suggesting both binding and catalytic roles for Arg-11. With a 1-monocarboxylate substrate (2-hydroxy-2,4-pentadienoate), no kinetic effects of the R11A mutation were found, indicating that Arg-11 interacts with the 6-carboxylate of the substrate. The stereoselectivity of the R11A-catalyzed protonation at C-5 of the dicarboxylate substrate decreased, while the stereoselectivity of protonation at C-3 of the monocarboxylate substrate increas...
The bovine papillomavirus E2 transactivator is stimulated by the E1 initiator through the E2 activation domain.

Bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) encodes two regulatory proteins, E1 and E2, that are essential for viral replication and transcription. E1, an ATP-dependent helicase, binds to the viral ori and is essential for viral replication, while the viral transcriptional activator, E2, plays cis-dominant roles in both viral replication and transcription. At low reporter concentrations, E1 stimulates E2 enhancer function, while at high reporter concentrations, repression results. An analysis of cis requirements revealed that neither replication nor specific E1-binding sites are required for the initiators' effect on E2 transactivator function. Though no dependence on E1-binding sites was found, analysis of E1 DNA binding and ATPase mutants revealed that both domains are required for E1 modulation of E2. Through the use of E2 fusion-gene constructs we showed that a heterologous DNA-binding domain could be substituted for the E2 DNA-binding domain and this recombinant protein remained responsive to E1. Furthermore, E1 could rescue activation domain mutants of E2 defective for transactivation. These data suggest that E1 stimulation of E2 involves interactions between E1 and the E2 activation domain on DNA. We speculate that E1 may allosterically interact with the E2 activation domain, perhaps stabilizing a particular structure, which increases the enhancer function of E2.
Two novel zinc(II) complexes of the 1,8-cross-bridged cyclam ligand and their structures

Abstract Without special precautions to exclude moisture or protic solvents, cross-bridged cyclam ligand 1 was found to readily complex zinc dichloride and yield two types of cis-folded complexes in the solid-state; one a chloride-bridged dimer and the other an aqua complex featuring a coordinated [ZnCl4]2− counterion.
Spontaneous gastroduodenal perforation in cancer patients receiving cytotoxic therapy

Spontaneous gastroduodenal perforation (SGDP) occurs in cancer patients receiving cytotoxic drugs, corticosteroids, or radiation therapy as primary or adjuvant treatment for their tumors. A retrospective review identified 12 patients from 1974 to 1987 at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center who underwent surgery for SGDP while receiving anticancer therapy. There were five gastric and seven duodenal perforations. Vague abdominal pain was the most common symptom. Exploration was delayed in six patients because of an absence of physical findings. All patients received a Graham omental patch. The in-hospital operative mortality was 33%, with all major complications occurring in those that died. There were no prognostic indicators identified that would preoperatively predict outcome. Aggressive surgical intervention is advised in all patients who have a reasonable chance of worthwhile palliation if not cure.
Electrochemical reduction of potassium from potassium chloride in propylene carbonate electrolyte with aluminium anodes

Potassium has been cathodically deposited in a propylene carbonate electrolyte with concurrent dissolution of aluminium. Starting with an AlCl3-free electrolyte, changes in the composition and conductivity of the electrolyte, as well as those of the electrode potentials, were measured as a function of charge passed. Anodic and cathodic current efficiencies were both close to 100%. The observed behaviour is consistent with the overall reaction stoichiometry This reaction and its analogues for other alkali metals may conceivably form the basis of practical processes at ambient temperatures for the recovery of alkali metals from their chlorides with concurrent production of aluminium chloride.
Science policy: Well-funded investigators should receive extra scrutiny

An added layer of review for elite grant-holders upholds the mission of the National Institutes of Health, says Jeremy M. Berg.
The effect of viruses on the ability to present antigens via the major histocompatibility complex

We describe viral pathogens that cause significant human disease by their ability to interfere with the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I and II molecules. Herpesviruses and papillomaviruses encode gene products that interfere with the class I pathway of antigen processing and/or peptide translocation. Adenoviruses encode unique gene products that interfere with transport of class I molecules. Influenza virus, measles virus, and HIV interfere with the class II pathway by either suppressing the production of class II molecules or impeding antigen trafficking. Cytomegalovirus interferes with both class I and class II pathways. Better understanding of these mechanisms may lead to further insight into the pathogenesis of viral infections and allow for improved treatments.
Intact Carcasses as Enrichment for Large Felids: Effects on On- and Off-Exhibit Behaviors

Reducing stereotypic behaviors in captive animals is a goal for zoological institutions worldwide, and environmental enrichment is one tool commonly used to meet that end. Behavioral needs associated with feeding, however, are often neglected in large carnivores. To address these needs, I tested the effects of calf carcasses as enrichment for large felids. Over 14 weeks, I provided nine animals with up to seven intact carcasses. The cats were housed at Toledo Zoo, Potawatomi Zoo, and Binder Park Zoo. Animals were observed off and on exhibit for changes in feeding, natural, stereotypic, active, and inactive behaviors. I compared treatment behaviors with behaviors observed during a baseline period in which the animals were fed traditional processed diets. For these nine cats, carcass provision decreased off-exhibit stereotypic behaviors but had little impact on on-exhibit behaviors. Zoo Biol 21:37‐47, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Initial experience with custom-fit total knee replacement: intra-operative events and long-leg coronal alignment

New technology using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows the surgeon to place total knee replacement components into each patient’s pre-arthritic natural alignment. This study evaluated the initial intra-operative experience using this technique. Twenty-one patients had a sagittal MRI of their arthritic knee to determine component placement for a total knee replacement. Cutting guides were machined to control all intra-operative cuts. Intra-operative events were recorded and these knees were compared to a matching cohort of the senior surgeon’s previous 30 conventional total knee replacements. Post-operative scanograms were obtained from each patient and coronal alignment was compared to previous studies using conventional and computer-assisted techniques. There were no intra-operative or acute post-operative complications. There were no differences in blood loss and there was a mean decrease in operative time of 14% compared to a cohort of patients with conventional knee replacements. The average deviation from the mechanical axis was 1.2° of varus, which was comparable to previously reported conventional and computer-assisted techniques. Custom-fit total knee replacement appeared to be a safe procedure for uncomplicated cases of osteoarthritis.
Laboratory thermal emission spectroscopy of shocked basalt from Lonar Crater, India, and implications for Mars orbital and sample data

[1] Whereas the thermal infrared (TIR) spectra of specific minerals and/or igneous and metamorphic rocks have been compared to data of the Martian surface, TIR data of the impactite products of the shock metamorphism of basalt have not been examined in detail. The effects of shock on the thermal infrared spectrum of Deccan basalt are described here. Sample collection at Lonar Crater, India, yielded four classes of shocked basalt: classes 1, 2, 4, and 5. Spectral features attributed to labradorite in TIR spectrum of unshocked Deccan basalt are absent in the spectrum of class 2 shocked basalt. Petrography confirms that labradorite has been replaced by diaplectic glass (maskelynite). The TIR spectrum of class 2 shocked basalt is nearly identical to that of the Los Angeles shergottite. The addition of experimentally shocked plagioclase feldspars as TIR end-members improves fits and lowers RMS errors for the deconvolution of the TIR spectrum of the maskelynite-bearing impactite, and the correct mineralogy is chosen to within 5%. Class 4 shocked basalt contains vesiculated plagioclase glass (due to more heat) and highly fractured augites. Two class 5 spectral types have primary Si-O stretching vibrations at lower wave numbers than Si and Si-K glass end-members commonly used in analyses of TIR data, agreeing with lower SiO2 abundances (∼50%) determined from two techniques. At least three differences in spectral features exist between the two class 5 spectral types that we attribute to incomplete melting in the class 5A samples based on comparison to the class 4 spectrum. These samples and their TIR spectra represent excellent analogs for Martian shocked basalt and new lithologic end-members for use in spectral libraries used to analyze TIR data from Mars.
Linear transceiver design for interference alignment: Complexity and computation

Consider a MIMO interference channel whereby each transmitter and receiver are equipped with multiple antennas. The basic problem is to design optimal linear transceivers (or beamformers) that can maximize system throughput. The recent work [13] suggests that optimal beamformers should maximize the total degrees of freedom and achieve interference alignment in high SNR. In this paper we first consider the interference alignment problem in spatial domain and prove that the problem of maximizing the total degrees of freedom for a given MIMO interference channel is NP-hard. Furthermore, we show that even checking the achievability of a given tuple of degrees of freedom for all receivers is NP-hard when each receiver is equipped with at least three antennas. Moreover, in case where each transmitter and receiver use at most two antennas, the same problem is polynomial time solvable. Finally, we propose a distributed algorithm for transmit covariance matrix design, while assuming each receiver uses a linear MMSE beamformer. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing interference alignment algorithms in terms of system throughput.
Phylogenetic relationships within the Octocorallia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) based on nuclear 18S rRNA sequences

We determined the nuclear 18S rRNA sequences for 41 species of octocorals and used these to address the validity of the historical ordinal divisions and the current subordinal divisions within the subclass Octocorallia. We also explored the phylogenetic affinities of the species Dendrobrachia paucispina, which was originally classified in the order Antipatharia (subclass Ceriantipatharia) although polyp structure indicates it belongs in the subclass Octocorallia. Trees constructed using maximum likelihood techniques are incongruent with the current and historical taxonomy of the Octocorallia. There appeared to be three major clades of octocorals. The first clade included most, but not all, pennatulaceans as a monophyletic group. The second clade contained 21 species, representing all major octocoral groups other than pennatulaceans. The third clade contained members from three suborders of the Alcyonacea and one member of the Pennatulacea. These data could not be used to distinguish the branching order of the three major clades. The species D. paucispina had a close affinity with the genera Corallium and Paragorgia (Alcyonacea: Scleraxonia), although its morphology suggests it is more similar to the genus Chrysogorgia (Alcyonacea: Calcaxonia). The morphological character of dimorphism (the presence of both autozooids and siphonozooids within a single colony) corresponded loosely with the topology of the most likely trees, and a single origin of dimorphism could not be rejected. Despite sampling from the majority of families within the Octocorallia, many of the relationships within this group remain ambiguous.
An expressed-sequence-tag database of the human prostate: sequence analysis of 1168 cDNA clones

The human prostate is a complex glandular organ with functional development under hormonal regulation. Diseases of the prostate result in significant morbidity and mortality in the form of benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate adenocarcinoma. The characterization of the molecular framework of the human prostate at the level of expressed genes will facilitate the understanding of normal and pathological prostate biology. The purposes of this study were to acquire an initial assessment of the qualitative and quantitative diversity of gene expression in the normal human prostate and to determine the extent that genes with prostate-restricted expression can be assessed using an expressed sequence tag approach. We have constructed a directional cDNA library from normal adult human prostate tissue and partially sequenced the 5' end of 1168 randomly selected cDNA clones, resulting in more than 400 kb of DNA sequence. Homology searches of the sequenced cDNAs against the GenBank and dbEST databases revealed that 43% of the sequences are identical to human genes whose functions are known, 5% are similar but not identical to known genes in humans or lower organisms, 5% match the mitochondrial genome, 9% are composed of interspersed DNA repeats, 30% are homologous to sequences in the dbEST database without a described function, and 6% are novel sequences. A total of 780 distinct species were identified. In addition to the 74 novel transcripts, 4 genes, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate secretory protein (PSP), prostate acid phosphatase (PAP), and human glandular kallekrein 2 (HK2), have no homologous sequences in the databases that originate from sources other than prostate and thus may represent genes with prostate-restricted expression. Sequences matching PSA, PSP, and PAP each accounted for > 1% of the total ESTs and represent highly abundant transcripts, correlating with the abundance of these proteins in the prostate gland. No novel transcripts were represented by more than one EST and thus are expressed at levels much lower than the known prostate-specific genes.
Local photodynamic action of methylene blue favorably modulates the postinterventional vascular wound healing response.

Abstract Purpose: Photodynamic therapy (PDT), the light activation of photosensitizers to produce free radicals, is known to inhibit experimental intimal hyperplasia (IH). However, its clinical application has been limited by the lack of a suitable approach and a clinically appropriate photosensitizer. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a clinical approach for PDT, while testing its ability to favorably modulate the vascular wound healing response. Methods: Rat carotid arteries were balloon-injured (BI), and for PDT, the arteries were irradiated with thermoneutral laser light (λ = 660 nm, 100 J/cm 2 ) after the photosensitizer methylene blue (MB) was delivered locally. Control rats included BI alone and MB after BI alone. Arteries were analyzed after 2 weeks with morphometric evaluation (n = 6) and in situ hybridization for versican and procollagen type I gene expression (digitized image pixel analyses, n=3). Results: No IH developed in PDT-treated arteries (0 ± 0 mm 2 ; compared with BI, 0.192 ± 0.006 mm 2 ; P P Conclusion: The decrease of versican mRNA expression of repopulating cells after PDT reflects favorable healing on a molecular level. Site-specific delivery of MB, a clinically appropriate photosensitizer, followed by PDT represents a suitable method to promote favorable healing after balloon intervention and further supports its role for inhibiting postinterventional restenosis. (J Vasc Surg 2000;31:1168-77.)
Enhanced variant designs and characteristics of the microstructured solid-state neutron detector

Abstract Silicon diodes with large aspect ratio perforated microstructures backfilled with 6 LiF show a dramatic increase in neutron detection efficiency beyond that of conventional thin-film coated planar devices. Described in this work are advancements in the technology with increased microstructure depths and detector stacking methods to increase thermal neutron detection efficiency. The highest efficiency devices thus far have delivered over 37% intrinsic thermal neutron detection efficiency by device-coupling stacking methods. The detectors operate as conformally diffused pn junction diodes with 1 cm 2 square-area. Two individual devices were mounted back-to-back with counting electronics coupling the detectors together into a single dual-detector device. The solid-state silicon device operated at 3 V and utilized simple signal amplification and counting electronic components. The intrinsic detection efficiency for normal-incident 0.0253 eV neutrons was found by calibrating against a 3 He proportional counter and a 6 LiF thin-film planar semiconductor device. This work is a part of on-going research to develop solid-state semiconductor neutron detectors with high detection efficiencies and uniform angular responses.
Pyoderma gangrenosum following tattoo placement in a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia

A 37‐year‐old African American female with a diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) being treated with chemotherapy presented with a lesion on her lower back within the confines of a newly i...
João dos Santos Albasini (1876–1922): the Contradictions of Politics and Identity in Colonial Mozambique

This essay considers the life and career of the leading Mozambican intellectual of the early twentieth century, Joao dos Santos Albasini (1876–1922). A journalist and political activist, Albasini took advantage of the political space opened by Portugal's First Republic (1910–26) to challenge the articulation of colonial policy with respect to citizenship, land alienation, labor conscription and opportunities for education and economic participation. As a founding member of the Gremio Africano, a Lourenco Marques social group and political lobby, he helped launch the group's newspapers, O Africano (1908–19) and O Brado Africano (1918–74). With the Gremio newspapers as his vehicle, he sharply contrasted colonial and Republican ideals with the racism and injustice Mozambicans faced in the colonial capital of Lourenco Marques (today Maputo). The Portuguese deemed Albasini a worthy opponent, in part because of his ability to employ Portugal's most revered cultural symbols with an ironic twist.The essay considers two sets of questions. The first set relates to the definition and analysis of issues Albasini highlighted and pursued. What was Albasini's political and social vision of possible choices within this seemingly fluid era? How does one recover and interpret Albasini's vision and style? Are their meaning and value to be found within the discourses of class struggle, ethnicity, assimilation and nationalism? To what extent did Albasini's vision shape contestation of political and social policy in colonial Mozambique in the critical first quarter of the twentieth century?A second set of questions confronts Albasini's place in local society and his legacy. Who comprised the Gremio Africano? What was it about Joao dos Santos Albasini that inspired Gremio members and subsequent generations of Mozambicans to view him as a beacon? What did the rest of the local population think about Albasini, during his lifetime and after? What was his impact, and how did it relate to the broader issues of politics, historical agency and identity in early twentieth-century southern African history?