cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Jehovah's Witness Blood Refusal Card: Ethical and Medicolegal Considerations for Emergency Physicians

Abstract. Jehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian group that does not allow blood transfusion. It is a general practice for adult Witnesses to carry on their person a wallet-sized advance directive card refusing blood. The blood refusal card directs that no blood is to be given to the owner under any circumstance, even if physicians believe transfusion will be lifesaving. Although the card claims to refuse blood on a religious basis, it also states that there are various dangers associated with blood. The possibility that in an emergency the dangers of blood may be relatively small, as compared with the likelihood of death due to exsanguination without blood, is not noted on the card. Emergency physicians should look for evidence of an informed refusal when evaluating these documents. Advance directives regarding life and death decisions should be subject to scrutiny and not be automatically accepted at face value. A good-faith decision to transfuse the unconscious adult Jehovah's Witness, in emergent need of blood, is justified if the patient does not have a blood refusal advance directive that is informed and otherwise survives a high level of scrutiny. The ethical and medicolegal considerations upon which this thesis is based are discussed.
Multilayers of a Globular Protein and a Weak Polyacid: Role of Polyacid Ionization in Growth and Decomposition in Salt Solutions

Thin films obtained from a layer-by-layer deposition of a weak polycarboxylic acid and a positively charged globular protein were studied by in situ ATR-FTIR. The system was chicken egg lysozyme (Lys), bovine pancrease ribonuclease A (RNase), or bovine γ-globulin (IgG) self-assembled with polycarboxylic acids. When the pH value was lowered below a critical point, the growth of films and their tolerance to decomposition by added sodium chloride improved dramatically. Stabilization of protein/polyacid films in salt solutions at lower pH values occurred due to the onset of nonelectrostatic interactions to intermolecular binding within protein/polyacid multilayers and was controlled by polyacid ionization within the film rather than the pH of the external solution. A fractional ionization of polyacid in the pH-stabilization region was lower with protein-containing films than for polyacid/linear polycation films, reflecting hindrance of the inter-association of protonated carboxylic groups by protein globules....
Radioimmunoassay of Urinary Antidiuretic Hormone in Man: Response to Water Load and Dehydration in Normal Subjects

A simple, efficient procedure for extracting and concentrating antidiuretic hormone (ADH) from urine has been coupled with a specific radioimmunoassay for ADH in order to quantitate urinary excretion of the hormone. Normal human subjects under conditions of normal activity and random hydration excreted a mean value of 28.9 mU ADH/24 hr, with excretion in 70% of the subjects ranging between 11– 30 mU/24 hr. No difference in hormone excretion was found in urine collected during waking hr and during sleep. In response to oral water loading, plasma osmolality fell to 269–283 mOsm/kg and urinary ADH excretion became undetectable during the peak of the diuresis in 19 of 22 subjects. Following 14 hr of fluid deprivation, plasma osmolality rose to a mean of 290.6 mOsm/kg and urinary ADH excretion rose from 1.00 ± 0.19 mU/hr to 2.74 ± 0.53 mU/hr. ADH excretion can be readily quantitated in normal subjects and appears to respond to alterations in plasma osmolality which affect ADH release from the posterior pituita...
Divorce and Emerging Adult and Young Women: Building Foundations for Self-Development

Informed by consensual qualitative research methodology, the experiences of nine divorced emerging and young adult women were analyzed. Prior to marriage, themes of feeling unmoored, in transition, and without an anchor shaped their narratives. Lack of self-reflection and evaluation predisposed the participants to making decisions based on partial and “convenient” truths. Unfolding processes led the majority of the women to revisit their premarital selves, engage with the emotional work that was deferred, and build foundations that were growth enhancing. Implications for counselors and related professionals are discussed.
Microscopic model for high-Tc oxide superconductors.

We report results of a BCS-pairing theory of high-{ital T}{sub {ital c}} superconductors based on a model using interlayer charge-transfer excitation as the intermediate boson. We apply the model specifically to YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}. The relevant electronic band structure is calculated analytically using the tight-binding approximation, which is in agreement with numerical results. A specific interlayer charge-transfer excitation is identified. The Eliashberg equations are solved in the Kirzhnits-Maksimov-Khomskii approximation to obtain {ital T}{sub {ital c}} and the gap {Delta}. We find 2{Delta}/{ital KT}{sub {ital c}}{similar to}10--14, and {ital T}{sub {ital c}} increasing exponentially with a decrease in the Cu(2)-O(4) bond length. These results are in general agreement with some recent experiments.
The selective significance of partial apomixis

A one-locus model for the evolution of partial apomixis and the sex ratio in hermaphrodites is investigated. This model is used to find the conditions under which increased apomixis is advantageous, and to show how these conditions depend on the average sex ratio of the population. Two conceptually distinct advantages for apomictic reproduction can be discriminated: an advantage through increased rate of growth, and an advantage through non-reciprocal fertilization. A mutant that trades sperm and egg production for apomixis without changing the sperm/egg ratio will increase according to the first advantage, while a mutant that increases apomixis by decreasing egg production alone will increase according to the second advantage. It is possible to find a frequency-dependent property of phenotypes in this model that acts much like phenotypic fitness. However, the model has some qualities that are quite different from standard one-locus selection. The phenotype of the rare homozygote can influence whether a mutation can invade a population, and Hardy–Weinberg proportions are often violated. Unlike the evolution of the sex ratio in purely sexual species, there is no quantity that is maximized by evolution in this model.
X-Ray Scattering from Liquid He 4

The liquid structure factor of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ has been measured in the momentum transfer range from 0.133 to 1.125 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and a variety of temperatures from 0.38 to 4.6 K. At the lowest temperature, the structure factor demonstrates a gentle change of slope in the momentum transfer region near 0.4 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Values for the first and second moments of the pair correlation function are obtained at 1.45 and 3.30 K. We compare our results with recent neutron and x-ray work and also with recent theories.
Effluent Irrigation of Para Grass: Water, Nitrogen, and Biomass Budgets

Para grass, irrigated with secondary domestic sewage effluent, showed excellent response for disposal of large amounts of water, effective nitrogen removal, and high production of excellent fodder. This grass is found throughout the tropics and parts of the subtropics. It endures flooding and forms dense, easily maintained stands. This is the first time its use has been reported for effluent irrigation. Water, nitrogen, and biomass budgets over a 17-month period were measured in eight percolate style lysimeters. Under irrigation rates as great as 98 mm/day, five days/week, evapo-transpiration averaged 4.6 mm/day. With nitrogen applications of 130 to 2,600 kg/ha/yr, ≥ 79 percent of applied nitrogen was harvested in the grass; 3 percent percolated; and ≤ 28 percent was denitrified. With the highest effluent irrigation rates, nitrate-nitrogen levels remained below the 10 mg/L maximum recommended for potable water. Crop productivity for full effluent treatments averaged 110 t/ha/yr, dry weight. Maximum calculated crude protein content was 13 percent. No nitrate-nitrogen level in the forage exceeded 0.1 percent.
Bond graph models of acoustical transducers

Abstract Pure circuit models of transducers have been used for many years with varying degrees of success. However, pure circuit models impose restrictions not all of which are predicated on laws of physics. These restrictions can produce transducer models which are nonphysical. Bond graph models offer an alternative that is less restrictive and thus better able to provide clear physical insight. We discuss the problem of pure circuit models of transducers and the advantages of bond graph approaches by examination of the special case of a piezoelectric transducer.
HTLV-1 Tax-induced NF-κB activation is negatively regulated by Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 20 (USP20)

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes a fatal hematopoietic malignancy, adult T cell leukemia (ATL), and a viral oncoprotein Tax is considered to play the important roles in leukemogenesis through its potent activation of NF-κB. Protein ubiquitination is crucial for the proper regulation of NF-κB pathway. It is also known that the function of Tax is modified by ubiquitination, indicating that ubiquitination machineries contribute to the oncogenic mechanisms of ATL. We report that two ubiquitin-specific peptidases, USP20 and USP33, deubiquitinate TRAF6 and suppress IL-1β-induced NF-κB activation. We find that USP20 deubiquitinates Tax and inhibits Tax-induced NF-κB activation, consistent with Tax being a substrate of USP20. In HTLV-1-transformed cells, the transcription of USP20 is reduced compared with HTLV-1-negative T cells, and ectopic USP20 expression was found to inhibit the proliferation of an HTLV-1-transformed cell line, MT4. Our findings suggest USP20 is a key negative regulator of NF-κB signaling and can influence HTLV-1-induced leukemogenesis.
Urceolaria viridis n. sp., a Ciliate (Peritrichida, Mobilina) with Elongate Symbiotic Green Algae

SYNOPSIS. A new peritrichous ciliate containing elongate symbiotic green algae is described from the marine limpet Acmaea digitalis Eschscholtz (1833). Urceolaria viridis n. sp. is characterized as follows: turban-shaped; diam. 40 μ; diam. striated band 30 μ; diam. corona 23 μ; width of corona 2μ; 16–22 denticles; peristome slightly more than one turn; circlet of delicate cirri adoral to ciliary girdle; macronucleus H-shaped with both ends of side pieces widely separated; diam. micronucleus 4.5 μ, endosome 2.5 μ; cytoplasm containing elongate green algae measuring 2–4 by 8–16 μ.
Saccular-Specific Hair Cell Addition Correlates with Reproductive State-Dependent Changes in the Auditory Saccular Sensitivity of a Vocal Fish

The plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus, is a seasonal breeding teleost fish for which vocal-acoustic communication is essential for its reproductive success. Female midshipman use the saccule as the primary end organ for hearing to detect and locate "singing" males that produce multiharmonic advertisement calls during the summer breeding season. Previous work has shown that female auditory sensitivity changes seasonally with reproductive state; summer reproductive females become better suited than winter nonreproductive females to detect and encode the dominant higher harmonic components in the male's advertisement call, which are potentially critical for mate selection and localization. Here, we test the hypothesis that these seasonal changes in female auditory sensitivity are concurrent with seasonal increases in saccular hair cell receptors. We show that there is increased hair cell density in reproductive females and that this increase is not dependent on body size since similar changes in hair cell density were not found in the other inner ear end organs. We also observed an increase in the number of small, potentially immature saccular hair bundles in reproductive females. The seasonal increase in saccular hair cell density and smaller hair bundles in reproductive females was paralleled by a dramatic increase in the magnitude of the evoked saccular potentials and a corresponding decrease in the auditory thresholds recorded from the saccule. This demonstration of correlated seasonal plasticity of hair cell addition and auditory sensitivity may in part facilitate the adaptive auditory plasticity of this species to enhance mate detection and localization during breeding.
Improved fatigue resistance of high-strength optical fibers

Static-fatigue resistance of optical fibers is important for long-term mechanical stability. High-silica fibers have intrinsically high tensile strength, >1000 ksi, but must be protected with an abrasion-resistant coating to preserve their strength. Fibers coated with silicone or other organic polymers do indeed exhibit initial strengths in the laboratory, > 500 ksi in 1-km gauge lengths.1
The missing first integral

On etudie le comportement local des structures CR abstraites sur R 3 . On considere un champ vectoriel lisse a valeurs complexes L defini pres d'un point p dans R 3 satisfaisant la condition L(p) et L(p) lineairement independants. On etudie l'existence de solutions non triviales a l'equation homogene Lu=0
Self-control deficits in depression: a process investigation

Previous studies on self-evaluation and self-reinforcement processes in depression have studied these processes independently of each other and have used operational definitions that have not clearly separated these constructs. We conducted this study in order to explicitly examine the components of self-evaluation and self-reinforcement as they occur in relation to each other. Self-control deficits associated with dysphoria were not observed in performance expectations or in standard setting. Dysphoric subjects evidenced lower levels of self-evaluation and self-reinforcement than nondysphoric subjects. Dysphoric subjects, however, evaluated themselves consistently with their performances and administered consequences to themselves in a contingent manner. Variation in self-evaluation could not be accounted for by differential standard setting, but differences in the level of self-reward between dysphoric and nondysphoric subjects were no longer present when self-evaluation ratings were statistically controlled. Future research on self-management in depression should attempt to assess cognitive and behavioral functions in a process fashion.
Cenozoic palaeotemperature changes and planktonic foraminiferal speciation

The interaction of plate movements and progressive climatic deterioration produced a constantly changing oceanic environment during the Cenozoic. The destruction of the Tethyan Seaway and the severing of low-latitude oceanographic connections during the past 65 Myr (ref. 1), coupled with the initiation of unrestricted circum-Antarctic circulation in the middle to late Oligocene2, provided the necessary boundary conditions for the development of a global ocean marked by steep latitudinal temperature gradients. This is in contrast to the rather mild climate of the Mesozoic, which was characterized by an ocean with a homogeneous thermal structure and weak latitudinal temperature gradients1. Throughout the Cenozoic, marine plankton were constantly adapting to major changes in the oceanic environment. This can be seen, for example, in the continual development of latitudinal provincialization as a response to polar coolings1,3. Here I attempt to evaluate the relationship between palaeotemperature change and planktonic foraminiferal speciation during the past 65 Myr.
A Randomized Trial of Heart Failure Disease Management in Skilled Nursing Facilities: Design and Rationale

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) disease management can improve health outcomes for older community dwelling patients with heart failure. HF disease management has not been studied in skilled nursing facilities, a major site of transitional care for older adults. Methods and anticipated results The objective of this trial is to investigate if a HF- disease management program (HF-DMP) in skilled nursing facilities (SNF)s will decrease all-cause rehospitalizations for the first 60 days post-SNF admission. The trial is a randomized cluster trial to be conducted in 12 for-profit SNF in the greater Cleveland area. The study population is inclusive of patients with HF regardless of ejection fraction but excludes those patients on dialysis and with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. The HF-DMP includes 7 elements considered standard of care for patients with HF documentation of left ventricular function, tracking of weight and symptoms, medication titration, discharge instructions, 7-day follow-up appointment post-SNF discharge, and patient education. The HF-DMP is conducted by a research nurse tasked with adhering to each element of the program and regularly audited to maintain fidelity of the program. Additional outcomes include health status, self-care management, and discharge destination. Conclusions The SNF-Connect Trial is the first trial of its kind to assess if a HF-DMP will improve outcomes for patients in SNFs. This trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of HF-DMP to improve outcomes for older frail HF patients undergoing postacute rehabilitation.
Studies of cervicovaginal smears for the presence of actinomycetes

Cytologic and direct fluorescent antibody techniques were used to detect the presence of Actinomyces israelii and Arachnia propionica in cervicovaginal smears collected from 100 women, 94 of whom did not use intrauterine contraceptive devices. In no case were these organisms found. The possible significance of these results is discussed.
Drift of stream invertebrates below a cave source

Stream invertebrate drift below the cave source of South Branch Creek, Minnesota, generally increased rapidly. Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera increased rapidly and then decreased at the lower stations (to 430 m) below the cave. Chironomidae drift, in high numbers but low biomass because of their small size, increased fairly rapidly and leveled out at the lowermost stations. Gastropods increased slowly below the cave, reached a maximum, then decreased somewhat at the lowermost station. Drifting oligochaetes, small in size but in very large numbers, increased more slowly below the cave and appeared not to have reached a maximum at the lowermost station. It was concluded that, in general, drift increases fairly rapidly below the stream origin and fluctuates in the upper reaches, probably reflecting benthic population abundance and local ecological conditions, before attaining equilibria downstream, rather than increasing linearly due to cumulative effects.
Equalization of true gift and estate tax rates

Abstract The paper sets out to show that persons included under the U.S. Federal Estate Tax equalize true gift and estate tax rates, and thereby minimize their transfer taxes. True tax rate formulas are derived which take into account the preferential treatment of unrealized gains in estates under the Federal income tax. A comparison is drawn between shares of unrealized capital gains predicted from true tax rate equalization and shares estimated from stock-price data. The two are found to be quite similar.
NB-TRACE: network-wide broadcasting through time reservation using adaptive control for energy efficiency

We present network-wide broadcasting through time reservation using adaptive control for energy efficiency (NB-TRACE), which is an energy-efficient network-wide voice broadcasting architecture for mobile ad hoc networks. In the NB-TRACE architecture, the network is organized into overlapping clusters, where the clusterheads create a non-connected dominating set. Channel access is regulated through a locally maintained distributed TDMA scheme. The first group of packets of a broadcast session is broadcast through blind flooding. Each data rebroadcast includes an implicit acknowledgement to the upstream node. Nodes that do not get acknowledgement for a predetermined time, except the clusterheads, cease to rebroadcast, which prunes redundant retransmissions. The distributed connected dominating set formed through this basic algorithm is broken in time due to node mobility. The network responds to the broken links through passive and active clusterhead data transmission monitoring to ensure the maintenance of the connected dominating set. We compare NB-TRACE with flooding and gossiping using MH-TRACE, IEEE 802.11, and SMAC medium access control protocols through ns-2 simulations. Our results show that NB-TRACE outperforms other network/MAC layer combinations in terms of energy efficiency, packet delivery ratio, jitter, and number of rebroadcasts.
Wood δ13C, δ18O and radial growth responses of residual red pine to variable retention harvesting

Variable retention harvests are used to enhance the development of structural complexity in managed forests by retaining living trees and other structural legacies from the pre-harvest ecosystem. While harvesting should increase resource availability to residual trees, greater crown exposure may also increase environmental stress, which makes it difficult to predict growth in different structural environments. We used stable carbon isotope ratios (delta(13)C) of annual rings from red pine trees (Pinus resinosa Ait.) as an index of intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), the ratio of photosynthetic carbon assimilation (A) to stomatal conductance (g(s)), to better understand how differences in physiological performance relate to growth responses following harvests that left residuals dispersed, aggregated between small (0.1 ha) gaps or aggregated between large (0.3 ha) gaps. Stable oxygen isotope ratios (delta(18)O) were used as an index of g(s) to investigate the drivers behind changes in iWUE. Retention harvesting did not appear to affect delta(13)C or delta(18)O at the stand scale when compared to unharvested control stands, but there was a significant, negative correlation between residual tree delta(13)C and plot basal area in the second and third years after harvesting that suggests declining iWUE as overstory competition increases. Residual tree delta(18)O was similar across treatments and basal areas. Trees in variable retention harvests showed small but positive increases in radial growth from the pre-treatment to post-treatment measurement periods, while radial growth declined in unharvested control stands. There were no significant differences in radial growth among retention treatments. Our results suggest residual red pine in relatively open environments benefit from greater A but do not show evidence of changes in g(s) that would indicate altered water relations.
Observations on the Natural Control of the Pear Psylla, Psylla pyricola Förster, in California

Studies in 1961 and 1962 showed that several naturally occurring conditions suppress the pear psylla. Temperatures above 100°F. caused mortality of nymphal stages and reduced adult oviposition. Crystallization of honeydew was a mortality factor in a few instances, and seemed to be associated with high temperature and low humidity. Absence of new growth and poor condition of leaves caused a steady decline in pear psylla numbers in abandoned orchards. Anthocoris antevolens White was an effective predator in unsprayed orchards and significantly reduced pear psylla populations. A parasite, Trechnites insidiosus (Crawford) was encountered, but its significance as a mortality agent was not determined.
Raman spectra of potassium carbonate and bicarbonate aqueous fluids at elevated temperatures and pressures: comparison with theoretical simulations

Abstract One-molal solutions of potassium carbonate and potassium bicarbonate were investigated by Raman spectroscopy from 22° to 550°C and from 1000 to 2000 bar. Experiments were performed in a special hydrothermal pressure vessel fitted with conical diamond windows. Frequencies and half-widths of the vibrational modes were measured for both carbonate and bicarbonate as a function of temperature and pressure. In the case of potassium carbonate solutions, dissolved bicarbonate appeared with its concentration dramatically increasing with increasing temperature and decreasing density. The opposite behavior occurred in the case of potassium bicarbonate: the relative concentration of dissolved carbonate increased relative to total bicarbonate. In addition, at temperatures above 300°C, dissolved aqueous carbon dioxide appeared with its concentration continuing to increase with increasing temperature and decreasing density. Simulations using theoretically-predicted mass action constants were used to compute changes in solution speciation for these solutions as they were subjected to increased temperature and pressure. Results resulting from these predictions matched those discovered in the spectral measurements.
Hospital admissions resulting from unsafe abortion: estimates from 13 developing countries

Summary Background Complications from unsafe abortion are believed to account for the largest proportion of hospital admissions for gynaecological services in developing countries. The WHO estimates that one in eight pregnancy-related deaths result from unsafe abortions. The social stigma and legal restrictions associated with abortion in many countries means that data on the magnitude of this problem are scarce; this article estimates the rate and numbers of hospital admissions resulting from unsafe abortions in developing countries to help quantify the problem. Methods National estimates of abortion-related hospital admissions in women aged 15–44 years were compiled for 13 developing countries: Africa (Egypt, Nigeria, and Uganda), Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines), and Latin America and the Caribbean (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru). These data were combined with supplementary data from five countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa) to give estimates for the three world regions. Findings The annual hospitalisation rate varies from a low of about 3 per 1000 women in Bangladesh to a high of about 15 per 1000 in Egypt and Uganda. Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Philippines have rates of 4–7 per 1000, and two countries in Latin America with recent data have rates of almost 9 per 1000. In the developing world as a whole, an estimated five million women are admitted to hospital for treatment of complications from induced abortions each year. This equates to an average rate of 5·7 per 1000 women per year in all developing regions, excluding China. By comparison, in developed countries complications from abortion procedures or hospitalisation are rare. Interpretation These results help quantify the magnitude of the adverse health effects of unsafe abortion in developing countries and highlight the need for improved access to post-abortion care. The provision of abortion services is changing to include the drug misoprostol and this could reduce the severity of abortion complications and the number of women who are hospitalised. Researchers will need to monitor these changes to provide countries with up-to-date information on illness and death from unsafe abortion. Improved contraceptive services are necessary to prevent unintended pregnancy. However, increasing access to safe abortion services is the most effective way of preventing the burden of unsafe abortion, and remains a high priority for developing countries.
Coordination of tRNA transcription with export at nuclear pore complexes in budding yeast

tRNAs are encoded by RNA polymerase III-transcribed genes that reside at seemingly random intervals along the chromosomes of budding yeast. Existing evidence suggests that the genes congregate together at the nucleolus and/or centromeres. In this study, we re-examined spatial and temporal aspects of tRNA gene (tDNA) expression. We show that tDNA transcription fluctuates during cell cycle progression. In M phase, when tRNA synthesis peaks, tDNAs localize at nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Docking of a tDNA requires the DNA sequence of the contacted gene, nucleoporins Nup60 and Nup2, and cohesin. Characterization of mutants that block NPC localization revealed that docking is a consequence of elevated tDNA transcription. NPC-tDNA contact falters in the absence of the principal exportin of nascent tRNA, Los1, and genetic assays indicate that gating of tDNAs at NPCs favors cytoplasmic accumulation of functional tRNA. Collectively, the data suggest that tDNAs associate with NPCs to coordinate RNA polymerase III transcription with the nuclear export of pre-tRNA. The M-phase specificity of NPC contact reflects a regulatory mechanism that may have evolved, in part, to avoid collisions between DNA replication forks and transcribing RNA polymerase III machinery at NPCs.
Dynamic Slope Scaling and Trust interval techniques for solving concave Piecewise Linear Network Flow Problems

In this paper, we propose an efficient heuristic approach for solving concave Piecewise Linear Network Flow Problems (PLNFP) in which the cost is separable and each arc cost is concave piecewise linear function of the total flow along the arcs. The problem is well known to be WNP-hard and exact global optimization algorithms are of limited use. In this paper, PLNFP is transformed into an equivalent Fixed-Charge Network Flow Problem (FCNFP) using an arc separation procedure, and we develop an algorithm combining the Dynamic Slope Scaling Procedure (DSSP) and Trust Interval techniques. Due to the fast growing size of the transformed FCNFP, exact branch-and-bound methods are not able to handle the problems of practical size. Based on the dynamic slope scaling algorithm developed for solving FCNFP in previous work, we add a trust interval technique based on solution tendencies to speed up the algorithm. The numerical experiments show that the proposed algorithm is quite efficient and its performance is very stable. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Post-transcriptional regulation contributes to Drosophila clock gene mRNA cycling

The period (per) and timeless (tim) genes are intimately involved in the generation and maintenance of Drosophila circadian rhythms. Both genes are expressed in a circadian manner, and the two proteins (PER and TIM) participate in feedback regulation which contributes to the mRNA oscillations. Previous studies indicate that the circadian regulation is in part transcriptional. To investigate quantitative features of per and tim transcription, we analyzed the in vivo transcription rate in fly-head nuclei with a nuclear run-on assay. The results show a robust transcriptional regulation, which is similar but not identical for the two genes. In addition, per mRNA levels are regulated at a post-transcriptional level. This regulatory mode makes a major contribution to the per mRNA oscillations from a previously described per transgenic strain as well as to the mRNA oscillations of a recently identified Drosophila circadianly regulated gene (Crg-1). The data show that circadian mRNA oscillations can take place without evident transcriptional regulation.
State table analysis of programs in an ALGOL-like language

a. The source language—SFD-ALGOL SFD-ALGOL 1.2 is an ALGOL-like language intended to describe the functions of synchronous systems. The function of a system is the response of its output to any input sequence. This function can be described by an algorithm. The algorithm need not be the one actually used by the system; it need only be equivalent. ALGOL is suitable for such a purpose except that it cannot express timing, specify input restrictions, or indicate which variables are input/output variables. SFD-ALGOL is identical to ALGOL-60 except for a few added declarations and an extra type of statement grouping known as a time block. The time block consists of statements enclosed within a time begin and the corresponding end, and is interpreted to mean that all actions indicated within it occur in the span of one clock pulse. Further details of SFD-ALGOL can be found in 2, a complete specification is supplied in 1. b. The object language—state tables The problem to be discussed here can be framed as follows: Given an SFD-ALGOL description of a finite state system produce the state transition table and output table of the system described. The state transition table (tabular form of the state diagram) has a row for every internal state, a column for every input state, and the entry at every intersection gives the next internal state that will occur in the system. The output table is of the same form, but contains the state of the output lines for each combination of internal and input states. A more complete treatment of finite state machine can be found in Gill 4. Each SFD-ALGOL description of a finite state system is actually a description of an infinite class of systems with equivalent* state tables. These systems cannot be distinguished on the basis of the I/O characteristics and, since an SFD-ALGOL program only describes I/O characteristics, it describes the whole class. The program or description itself has a state table, and it is this table that the process to be described derives. There exist effective algorithms that will reduce this table to the minimal possible table 3.4.
Intractability results for some computational problems

In this thesis, we show results for some well-studied problems from learning theory and combinatorial optimization. Learning Parities under the Uniform Distribution. We study the learnability of parities in the agnostic learning framework of Haussler and Kearns et al. We show that under the uniform distribution, agnostically learning parities reduces to learning parities with random classification noise, commonly referred to as the noisy parity problem. Together with the parity learning algorithm of Blum et al., this gives the first nontrivial algorithm for agnostic learning of parities. We use similar techniques to reduce learning of two other fundamental concept classes under the uniform distribution to learning of noisy parities. Namely, we show that learning of DNF expressions reduces to learning noisy parities of just logarithmic number of variables and learning of k-juntas reduces to learning noisy parities of k variables. Agnostic Learning of Halfspaces. We give an essentially optimal hardness result for agnostic learning of halfspaces over Qn . We show that for any constant e finding a halfspace that agrees with an unknown function on 1/2 + e fraction of examples is NP-hard even when there exists a halfspace that agrees with the unknown function on 1 − e fraction of examples. This significantly improves on a number of previous hardness results for this problem. We extend the result to e = 2-Wlog n assuming NP n DTIME( 2logn O1 ). Majorities of Halfspaces. We show that majorities of halfspaces are hard to PAC-learn using any representation, based on the cryptographic assumption underlying the Ajtai-Dwork cryptosystem. This also implies a hardness result for learning halfspaces with a high rate of adversarial noise even if the learning algorithm can output any efficiently computable hypothesis. Max-Clique, Chromatic Number and Min-3Lin-Deletion. We prove an improved hardness of approximation result for two problems, namely, the problem of finding the size of the largest clique in a graph (also referred to as the Max-Clique problem) and the problem of finding the chromatic number of a graph. We show that for any constant γ > 0, there is no polynomial time algorithm that approximates these problems within factor n/2logn 3/4+g in an n vertex graph, assuming NP n BPTIME( 2logn O1 ). This improves the hardness factor of n/2logn 1-g′ for some small (unspecified) constant γ' > 0 shown by Khot. Our main idea is to show an improved hardness result for the Min-3Lin-Deletion problem. Monotone Multilinear Boolean Circuits for Bipartite Perfect Matching. A monotone Boolean circuit is said to be multilinear if for any AND gate in the circuit, the minimal representation of the two input functions to the gate do not have any variable in common. We show that monotone multilinear Boolean circuits for computing bipartite perfect matching require exponential size. In fact we prove a stronger result by characterizing the structure of the smallest monotone multilinear Boolean circuits for the problem.
Evaluation of a laboratory-scale pressure differential (force/decay) system for non-destructive leak detection of flexible and semi-rigid packaging

This study evaluated the capabilities of a bench-top non-destructive pressure differential leak tester using 355 ml polyethylene terephthalate/ethylene vinyl alcohol/polypropylene (PET/EVOH/PP) trays. This evaluation was done by monitoring the equipment's force/decay responses to leaks, changes in the package headspace volume and differences in the seal strength of 986 sample trays. Leak detection evaluation was done using artificially created channel leaks (10–200 µm) in the sealing areas and pinholes (5–50 µm) in the lids of the polymeric trays. Seal strength evaluation included the ability of the equipment to identify non-leaking but weak seals and the extent to which the pressure differential unit affected good seals during a normal test run. The results showed that the equipment had a detection limit of 40 µm for channel leaks 6 mm in length and 15 µm for pinholes. The results also showed that the pressure differential unit caused a 9% reduction in the seal strength of the tested packages. However, peel strength analysis and distribution testing showed that this reduction in seal strength did not compromise the integrity of 99% of the packages tested. Results showed that the equipment could also detect weak but non-leaking seals that had potential to lose integrity during transportation and retail handling. The results of this study could be used to determine the capabilities and limitations of a non-destructive pressure differential bench-top leak testing device intended for food packaging quality control. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Carrier-to-Noise Statistics for Various Carrier and Interference Characteristics

Techniques are presented for the calculation of the statistical properties of the resultant carrier-to-noise ratios of systems subject to both additive and multiplicative noise. The cases considered are those in which the desired signal is either steady or exhibits Rayleigh fading while the interference consists of receiver noise plus an interfering signal which may be steady, Rayleigh fading, Gaussian fading, or Rayleigh fast fading with slow Gaussian fading of the median of the Rayleigh distribution. The results of the indicated calculations are presented graphically. A simple process is outlined for converting the data presented for use with any other signal strength. The utility of the data is demonstrated by a sample calculation the results of which are presented graphically. This calculation derives threshold data for the system as a function of desired signal power with the percentage of time that it operates in one of its two possible modes (fading or nonfading) as a parameter. Attention is called to the technique demonstrated in the Appendix. This result appears quite useful in many joint or combination probability problems, especially those requiring numerical solutions. Although this paper stemmed from work on line-of-sight microwave links, the results may be useful in other applications in the hf, vhf, and uhf regions.
Underlying causes of the black-white racial disparity in breast cancer mortality: a population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, a black-to-white disparity in age-standardized breast cancer mortality rates emerged in the 1980s and has widened since then. METHODS: To further explore this racial disparity, black-to-white rate ratios (RRs(BW)) for mortality, incidence, hazard of breast cancer death, and incidence-based mortality (IBM) were investigated using data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program on 244 786 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer from January 1990 through December 2003 and followed through December 2004. A counterfactual approach was used to examine the expected IBM RRs(BW), assuming equal distributions for estrogen receptor (ER) expression, and/or equal hazard rates of breast cancer death, among black and white women. RESULTS: From 1990 through 2004, mortality RR(BW) was greater than 1.0 and widened over time (age-standardized breast cancer mortality rates fell from 36 to 29 per 100 000 for blacks and from 30 to 22 per 100 000 for whites). In contrast, incidence RR(BW) was generally less than 1.0. Absolute hazard rates of breast cancer death declined substantially for ER-positive tumors and modestly for ER-negative tumors but were persistently higher for blacks than whites. Equalizing the distributions of ER expression in blacks and whites decreased the IBM RR(BW) slightly. Interestingly, the black-to-white disparity in IBM RR(BW) was essentially eliminated when hazard rates of breast cancer death were matched within each ER category. CONCLUSIONS: The black-to-white disparity in age-standardized breast cancer mortality was largely driven by the higher hazard rates of breast cancer death among black women, diagnosed with the disease, irrespective of ER expression, and especially in the first few years following diagnosis. Greater emphasis should be placed on identifying the etiology of these excess hazards and developing therapeutic strategies to address them.
Total Syntheses of (−)-Lycoricidine, (+)-Lycoricidine, and (+)-Narciclasine via 6-exo Cyclizations of Substituted Vinyl Radicals with Oxime Ethers†

The development of an approach to the total synthesis of the title alkaloids is described. The approach utilizes as the key strategic element a stereoselective 6-exo radical cyclization of a vinyl radical to an O-benzyloxime radical acceptor group. The vinyl radical was itself generated by regioselective addition of phenylthiyl radical to a disubstituted alkyne. The regiochemical issues of such additions, which result in different outcomes with tri-n-butylstannyl radicals and phenylthiyl radicals, are discussed. The first such synthesis described, that of (−)-lycoricidine, proceeded in 14 steps and 11% overall yield from 10 and served to develop the radical chemistry required. A second-generation synthesis, this time of the natural (+) enantiomer, was developed using insights gleaned from the first study and proved much more efficient, providing the target alkaloid in nine steps and 44% overall yield. This approach was then employed in the more demanding case of (+)-narciclasine. Several problems arising ...
Measuring "closeness" to singularities for parallel manipulators

Singularities of parallel manipulators cause severe problems in the use of such manipulators. Likewise, finding how close the manipulator is to a singularity is key to its operation. This article outlines a new method to define "closeness" to singularities based on constrained optimization and its resulting general eigenvalue problem. This framework joins together many existing techniques into one unified theory. From this framework, the similarities and differences between measures can be easily identified, and new measures (e.g. natural frequency) can be derived.
Apoptosis of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells stimulates vascular smooth muscle cell growth.

We have previously hypothesized that the development of severe angioproliferative pulmonary hypertension is associated with not only initial endothelial cell (EC) apoptosis followed by the emergenc...
Thromboembolic complications with Pipeline Embolization Device placement: impact of procedure time, number of stents and pre-procedure P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) value.

Background Thromboembolic events after Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) placement remain a feared complication among neuroendovascular surgeons. This study aimed to investigate potential risk factors for thromboembolic events in patients undergoing PED placement. Methods Medical records of patients who underwent PED placement from April 2011 to August 2013 were reviewed. Variables including pre-procedure P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) value, procedure time, number of PEDs deployed and perioperative neurovascular complications were recorded. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for perioperative thromboembolic complications. Results Seventy-four patients were identified. Six patients (8.1%) had changes in neurological status after PED placement including five (6.8%) thromboembolic complications and one (1.4%) delayed intracranial hemorrhage; 50.9% of patients had diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) changes on post-procedural MRI. Longer procedure time (>116 min) and multiple PED placements (>1) were statistically significant risk factors for symptomatic thromboembolic events (p 208 had an OR of 11.32 (95% CI 0.06 to 212.57) for symptomatic thromboembolic complications, but the result was not statistically significant. Conclusions DWI changes on MRI occurred at a much higher rate than new neurological symptoms following PED placement. Longer procedure time and multiple PED deployment are associated with higher risks of new neurological changes due to thromboembolic events. There was a trend for an increased risk of a symptomatic thromboembolic event in patients with pre-procedural PRU values >208. Reloading (clopidogrel 600 mg) patients with preoperative PRU >208 was safe and may have a protective effect on thromboembolic events.
Non-Peptide αvβ3 Antagonists. Part 4: Potent and Orally Bioavailable Chain-Shortened RGD Mimetics

Potent non-peptidic alpha(v)beta(3) antagonists have been prepared where deletion of an amide bond from an earlier series of linear RGD-mimetics provides a novel series of chain-shortened alpha(v)beta(3) antagonists with significantly improved oral pharmacokinetics. These chain-shortened alpha(v)beta(3) antagonists represent structurally novel integrin inhibitors.
Effect of oral creatine supplementation on power output and fatigue during bicycle ergometry

Our purpose was to determine the effect of oral creatine supplementation on exercise performance during high-intensity short-duration bicycle sprinting. Power output was recorded for 12 healthy untrained males (age 24.08 +/- 0.53 yr, weight 81.22 +/- 1.32 kg) before and after 5 days of creatine (n = 6) or placebo (n = 6) supplementation. A double-blind research design was employed. Subjects performed maximal sprints against a constant load (111.8 N) for 15 s. Each one-half pedal revolution was magnetically counted, and subsequent measurements of peak power, time to peak power, total work, and the fatigue index were digitized and stored on disk. Mean values for peak power, time to peak power, total work, and fatigue index were 958.01 +/- 40.66 W, 4.09 +/- 0.82 s, 11.28 +/- 0.46 kJ, and 32.1 +/- 1.58% decline from peak power, respectively. No significant differences were observed within or between groups before or after supplementation for any of the mechanical parameters measured (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that oral creatine supplementation does not positively affect power output or fatigue during continuous high-intensity bicycle exercise in untrained men.
Upstream expansion of round goby (Neogobius Melanostomus) – first record in the upper reaches of the Elbe river

The round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) is one of the most problematic invasive fish species in recent years in Europe. It has proliferated from its native Ponto-Caspian region to several European river systems including their mouths and coastal brackish waters and was also introduced to and became widely established in the Great Lakes in North America. Despite recent reports about further invasions of round goby in the Odra and Vistula Rivers, including penetration of Baltic and North Seas, in the Elbe River this species was only recorded near its mouth close to Hamburg. Here we report the occurrence of round goby 622 km upstream from the previous record in Geesthacht (Germany) in the upper part of the Elbe River in Usti nad Labem (Czech Republic). This report illustrates the fast spread of round goby through several possible pathways, but the most certain is an introduction in ballast water.