cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wet Night Visibility of Pavement Markings: A Static Experiment

Fifty-three participants evaluated the visibility of four different pavement marking materials under a simulated rain system operating at 0.8 in. (20 mm) of rain per hour at night while driving a vehicle on a closed test track. The conditions tested include a variable lighting condition, glare, pavement types, and two different vehicle types. The evaluation consisted of determining the detection distance of a start or an end point of a white 4-in. edge line. Results showed that lighting improved visibility and mitigated the effects of glare. Results also showed that the wet retroreflective tape provided the longest visibility distance, followed by equivalent performance of profile thermoplastic; large glass beads with standard paint provided the shortest visibility distance. The detection distance was compared with the retroreflective performance of the pavement marking technology. It was found that a log-linear relationship exists between the retroreflectivity and the detection distance. It was also foun...
Semantic enrichment of text representation with wikipedia for text classification

Text classification is a widely studied topic in the area of machine learning. A number of techniques have been developed to represent and classify text documents. Most of the techniques try to achieve good classification performance while taking a document only by its words (e.g. statistical analysis on word frequency and distribution patterns). One of the recent trends in text classification research is to incorporate more semantic interpretation in text classification, especially by using Wikipedia. This paper introduces a technique for incorporating the vast amount of human knowledge accumulated in Wikipedia into text representation and classification. The aim is to improve classification performance by transforming general terms into a set of related concepts grouped around semantic themes. In order to achieve this goal, this paper proposes a unique method for breaking the enormous amount of extracted Wikipedia knowledge (concepts) into smaller pieces (subsets of concepts). The subsets of concepts are separately used to represent the same set of documents in a number of different ways, from which an ensemble of classifiers is built. Experimental results show that an ensemble of classifiers individually trained on a different representation of the document set performs better with increased accuracy and stability than that of a classifier trained only on the original document set.
Central processing in the mushroom bodies

The mushroom bodies in the insect brain serve as a central information processing area. Here, focusing mainly on olfaction, we discuss functionally related roles the mushroom bodies play in signal gain control, response sparsening, the separation of similar signals (decorrelation), and learning and memory. In sum, the mushroom bodies assemble and format a context-appropriate representation of the insect's world.
Severely reduced neutrophil adhesion and impaired host defense against fecal and commensal bacteria in CD18–/–P-selectin–/–double null mice

Leukocyte recruitment to sites of inflammation requires the functions of selectins and integrins. P-selectin null (CD62P−/−) mice show a mild and CD18 null (CD18−/−) mice a more severe neutrophil recruitment defect in some inflammatory models. To investigate the possible cooperative interactions between CD18 integrins and P-selectin in mediating neutrophil recruitment, we generated CD18−/−CD62P−/− double null mice. CD18−/−CD62P−/− mice were apparently normal at weaning and fertile but later failed to gain weight, showed increased susceptibility to infection by fecal and commensal bacteria, and survived only 5–6 months. Some CD18−/−CD62P−/− mice showed severe spontaneous skin lesions; most showed neutrophil infiltration in the lungs and liver, and positive bacterial cultures from internal organs. The number and velocity of rolling leukocytes in tumor necrosis factor α treated venules of CD18−/−CD62P−/− mice was similar to those in wild-type mice, but neutrophil adhesion was severely reduced. Only 25% of ad...
Stages and levels in human-machine interaction

The interaction between a person and a computer system involves four different stages of activities--intention, selection, execution, and evaluation--each of which may occur at different levels of specification. Analysis of these stages and levels provides a useful way of looking at the issues of human-computer interaction.
Career development needs of vice chairs for education in departments of surgery.

Aim To identify the career development needs Vice Chair for Education in Surgery Departments (VCESDs). Methods In all, 33 VCESDs were invited to complete an online survey to identify the scope of duties, scholarly activity, job satisfaction, and career development needs. Results A total of 29/33 (88%) VCESDs responded. Time constraints were the most frequent impediment for MDs vs. PhDs (p Conclusions This information will inform the future career development of VCESDs and will assist Department Chairs who wish to recruit and retain VCESDs.
Metolazone and its role in edema management.

Metolazone is commonly administered in conjunction with a loop diuretic to manage volume overload in patients otherwise resistant to loop diuretic therapy alone. Metolazone is a thiazide-type diuretic that is characterized by slow and sometimes erratic absorption when administered as the Zaroxylyn product. This absorptive profile together with the large volume of distribution and high degree of renal clearance for metolazone provide the pharmacologic basis for a favorable diuretic combination effect. Zaroxylyn should always be administered cautiously and only with a means of surveillance allowing the patient's weight to be carefully monitored so as to avoid excessive diuresis. If an excessive diuresis occurs with a metolazone and loop diuretic combination both drugs should be stopped temporarily. The temptation should be avoided to simply reduce the doses of either metolazone or the loop diuretic as a means to controlling an active diuresis.
Effect of lipids, structural precursors of lipids and fatty acids on complement-mediated killing of antibody-sensitized nucleated cells

Abstract The cytotoxic activity of limiting concentrations of human complement against antibody-sensitized line-10 guinea-pig hepatoma cells can be inhibited and/or enhanced by pretreatment of the complement with lipids and/or fatty acids. Cardiolipin (CL), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylserine (PS), sphingomyelin (SPHMY), cholesterol (CHOL), cholesteryl oleate (CHOL-O), phosphatidic acid (PA) or mammalian phosphatidylethanolamine (PE m ) were effective in inhibiting C activity. Bacterial phosphatidylethanolamine (PE b ) had no effect. Several cholesteryl esters and triglycerides of known fatty acid composition were tested. CHOL-O and glyceryl-1, 2-stearate-3-oleate were effective, but cholesteryl palmitate, stearate, arachidonate and glyceryl-1, 3-stearate-2-oleate were not effective in inhibiting HuC action. Structural precursors of phosphoJipids effective in inhibiting HuC activity (e.g. l -α-glycerophosphoryl esters of choline, serine and ethanolamine) did not modify the action of HuC on antibody-sensitized line-10 cells under any conditions tested. In contrast to the larger mol. wt lipid, conditions were found in which fatty acid could inhibit or enhance the cytotoxic action of C. The modification of C activity was dependent upon the specificity of the antibody used to sensitize the cells, the chain length, and the concentration of the fatty acid. The results suggest that the composition and possible subtle structural characteristics of lipids may play a role in influencing the functional activity of complement.
History of Vasectomy

Vasectomy as a medical term is a misnomer because only part of the vas deferens is excised during the procedure. Vas deferens as an anatomic structure was not a subject of significant clinical and research interest until the nineteenth century. It is difficult to find another surgical procedure as simple as vasectomy that has sparked so much medical and social controversies for more than a century. Vasectomy is a historical, social, philosophic, medical, demographic, and legal phenomenon. It is not surprising that the history of this procedure combines not only a constant quest for ideal technique and better results but also misconceptions, false beliefs, and erroneous indications.
Influence of Temporal Correlation of Synaptic Input on the Rate and Variability of Firing in Neurons

The spike trains that transmit information between neurons are stochastic. We used the theory of random point processes and simulation methods to investigate the influence of temporal correlation of synaptic input current on firing statistics. The theory accounts for two sources for temporal correlation: synchrony between spikes in presynaptic input trains and the unitary synaptic current time course. Simulations show that slow temporal correlation of synaptic input leads to high variability in firing. In a leaky integrate-and-fire neuron model with spike afterhyperpolarization the theory accurately predicts the firing rate when the spike threshold is higher than two standard deviations of the membrane potential fluctuations. For lower thresholds the spike afterhyperpolarization reduces the firing rate below the theory's predicted level when the synaptic correlation decays rapidly. If the synaptic correlation decays slower than the spike afterhyperpolarization, spike bursts can occur during single broad peaks of input fluctuations, increasing the firing rate over the prediction. Spike bursts lead to a coefficient of variation for the interspike intervals that can exceed one, suggesting an explanation of high coefficient of variation for interspike intervals observed in vivo.
The minimum cardinality of maximal systems of rectangular islands

For given positive integers m and n, and R={(x,y):[email protected][email protected]?m and [email protected][email protected]?n}, a set H of rectangles that are all subsets of R and the vertices of which have integer coordinates is called a system of rectangular islands if for every pair of rectangles in H one of them contains the other or they do not overlap at all. Let I"R denote the ordered set of systems of rectangular islands on R, and let max(I"R) denote the maximal elements of I"R. For f(m,n)=max{|H|:[email protected]?max(I"R)}, G. Czedli [G. Czedli, The number of rectangular islands by means of distributive lattices, European J. Combin. 30 (1) (2009) 208-215)] proved f(m,n)[email protected]?(mn+m+n-1)/[email protected]?. For g(m,n)=min{|H|:[email protected]?max(I"R)}, we prove g(m,n)=m+n-1. We also show that for any integer h in the interval [g(m,n),f(m,n)], there exists an [email protected]?max(I"R) such that |H|=h.
Detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in melanocytic lesions using the ligase detection reaction

Background: BRAF is a member of the RAF kinase family, and it promotes signaling through the RAS-MAP kinase signal transduction cascade. Research has shown that a majority of melanomas and nevi exhibit an activating V600E (T1799A) mutation in BRAF exon 15. Additional studies of BRAF have demonstrated that the T1799A mutation is absent in uveal melanomas and Spitz nevi. Methods: The ligase detection reaction (LDR) is a sensitive technique that can identify specific DNA mutations occurring at very low frequency within heterogeneous clinical samples, and it has previously been used to analyze mutations in paraffin-embedded tissue specimens. Results: The LDR can readily detect mutations in DNA extracted from non-microdissected paraffin-embedded sections of common nevi, dysplastic nevi, and melanomas. In addition, this method demonstrated the absence of the V600E (T1799A) mutation within Spitz nevi. Conclusion: The LDR is a highly sensitive and specific test for detecting mutations in formalin-fixed tissue. The LDR can be easily adapted to detect any mutation associated with a cutaneous disorder. The absence of the BRAF V600E mutation in Spitz's nevi may serve as a molecular signature to distinguish these lesions from common nevi, dysplastic nevi, and some types of malignant melanoma.
A New Test Vector Search Algorithm for a Single Stuck-at Fault Using Probabilistic Correlation

It has been mathematically shown that the testing problem is NP complete. Numerous attempts have been made in creating and designing algorithms to successfully test a digital circuit for all faults in computational linear time. However, due to the complexity of the NP problem, all these attempts start becoming exponential with an increase in circuit size and complexity. Algorithms have been proposed where successful vectors have been used to search for more test vectors with similar properties. However, this leads to a bottleneck when trying to find hard to find stuck-at faults which have only one or two unique tests and their properties may not match other previously successful tests. We propose a new probability based algorithm where new test vectors are generated based on the input probability correlation of previously unsuccessful test vectors. By looking at the correlation between the primary inputs for previously generated test vectors, we use the probability information of 1's or 0's at a primary input with respect to other inputs to skew the search in the test vector space. We have shown test time improvements for a 10 input AND gate, c17 and c432 benchmark circuits. We have also shown improvements when comparing our algorithm with a random test generator and weighted-random test generator.
Serologic testing for inflammatory bowel disease.

Abstract Objectives: To determine the accuracy of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) and anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) in distinguishing patients with inflammatory bowel disease from patients with other disorders, seen in a pediatric gastroenterology clinic setting, and in distinguishing ulcerative colitis (UC) from Crohn’s disease (CD). Study design: Serum samples from 120 children with new or established diagnoses of UC (n = 25) or CD (n = 20) and control children (n = 74) were analyzed in blinded fashion for the presence of IgG ANCAs and IgA and IgG ASCA. Results: The highest sensitivity for detecting inflammatory bowel disease, 71%, was achieved by using ANCAs and ASCA together. The best test for UC was ANCAs, which had a sensitivity of 80%. However, the ANCA pattern characteristic of UC, perinuclear ANCAs eliminated by DNAse, had a sensitivity of 60%. High-titer ANCAs were specific for UC, whereas ASCA were specific for CD. Conclusions: Testing for ANCAs and ASCA together did not achieve sensitivity necessary for population screening. However, ANCAs and ASCA may be helpful in evaluating children suspected of having inflammatory bowel disease and in distinguishing UC from CD. (J Pediatr 1999;134:447-52)
Long-term potentiation in the hippocampus is blocked by tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus is thought to contribute to memory formation. In the Ca1 region, LTP requires the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor-dependent influx of Ca2+ and activation of serine and threonine protein kinases. Because of the high amount of protein tyrosine kinases in hippocampus and cerebellum, two regions implicated in learning and memory, we examined the possible additional requirement of tyrosine kinase activity in LTP. We first examined the specificity in brain of five inhibitors of tyrosine kinase and found that two of them, lavendustin A and genistein, showed substantially greater specificity for tyrosine kinase from hippocampus than for three serine-threonine kinases: protein kinase A, protein kinase C, and Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II. Lavendustin A and genistein selectively blocked the induction of LTP when applied in the bath or injected into the postsynaptic cell. By contrast, the inhibitors had no effect on the established LTP, on normal synaptic transmission, or on the neurotransmitter actions attributable to the actions of protein kinase A or protein kinase C. These data suggest that tyrosine kinase activity could be required postsynaptically for long-term synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. As Ca2+ calmodulin kinase II or protein kinase C seem also to be required, the tyrosine kinases could participate postsynaptically in a kinase network together with serine and threonine kinases.
Tempo and mode of modern bird evolution observed with large-scale taxonomic sampling

Macroevolutionists continue to disagree about the evolutionary history of birds. Their debate centers on the apparent discrepancy between molecular- and fossil-derived times of certain events. In t...
Underconstrained structural systems

Abstract Underconstrained structural systems have fewer independent constraints than necessary to be geometrically invariant. Yet these systems can be statically indeterminate, with far-reaching implications for their kinematic mobility. In particular, such a system may possess a unique geometric configuration, in which it lacks finite mobility and allows a stable self-stress. The possibility of stable self-stress is shown to be a statical (as opposed to geometric) criterion for underconstrained systems with only infinitesimal kinematic mobility. Both local and global properties of underconstrained systems are investigated within the context of statical-kinematic interrelations. Among these, the relation between the equilibrium loads and configurations is of special interest as it underlies the concept of statically controlled geometry.
Distribution of cysteine conjugate β-lyase in gastrointestinal bacteria and in the environment

1. A cysteine conjugate β-lyase was detected in 24 of 43 gastrointestinal bacteria tested, and from mixed populations of bacteria obtained from lake, river and soil samples.2. These bacterial cysteine conjugate β-lyases catalyse the cleavage of the thioether linkage of both an S-alkyl- and an S-aryl-linked cysteine conjugate (2-S-cysteinyl-N-isopropylacetanilide (cysteine conjugate of propachlor) and S-(2-benzothiazolylcysteine), respectively).3. A cysteine conjugate β-lyase was isolated from Eubacterium limosum at levels at least 16-fold greater than those from any other gastrointestinal bacterial tested. This enzymic activity was present from the late lag phase through the stationary phase of growth of the bacteria. Maximum activity occurred in the mid log phase.4. A cysteine conjugate β-lyase isolated from animal and plant tissues cleaved only the S-aryl-linked cysteine conjugate (S-(2-benzothiazolyl)cysteine) and generally had less enzymic activity than enzymes isolated from the bacteria.5. Glutathion...
Mechanisms of monovacancy annihilation and type-A defect creation on Si(0 0 1)–2 × 1

Abstract Based on first principles quantum mechanics (DFT/GGA with pseudopotentials) calculations, we propose a new mechanism for monovacancy annihilation and single missing dimer creation. Our study shows that an isolated monovacancy can exist fairly stable, rather than liberating the remaining atom of the `defect' dimer readily. The liberation barrier is calculated to be 1.3 eV. However, the monovacancy can diffuse rapidly along a dimer row by overcoming a barrier of 0.3 eV, leading to vacancy–vacancy pairing at elevated temperatures. These results suggest that the vacancy–vacancy pairing may play a major role in creating a single missing-dimer vacancy (which is ≈1.8 eV more stable than two isolated monovacancies). We also present the pathways and barriers of (i) the remaining atom hopping between the buckled-up and down site of the `defect' dimer and (ii) the vacancy diffusion into the subsurface layer.
Individualization of head related transfer functions using principal component analysis

Abstract Prior research investigates virtual auditory displays (VADs) using models of HRTFs as a function of a finite number of principal components (PCs) and associated weights (PCWs). This paper studies the effect of PCWs on horizontal plane HRTFs derived from a database of HRIRs and provides a principled approach to PCW tuning. Tuning is first evaluated numerically to determine how variation of PCWs from an average PC model affects HRTF spectral characteristics. An average PC model at 50 azimuths in the horizontal plane is developed from a database of HRIRs of 34 subjects. HRIRs of nine additional subjects are used to test the validity of the average model and to conduct numerical optimization experiments, in which a cost function of spectral distortion is minimized by sequentially tuning PCWs. Sequential tuning mimics how a human would tune a VAD. Numerical results show that sequential tuning of a subset of PCWs reduces spectral distortion metrics when tuning an average HRTF to match an individual HRTF. These experiments show that tuning PCWs can change the shape and frequency location of the pinna notch. The numerical experiments also aid in developing a tuning method that is amenable to human tuning. Several variants of subject tuning experiments are conducted to verify that sequential tuning reduces listening errors. Results of a head steering task show an improvement of 30% in large heading errors when using a tuned VAD relative to an untuned VAD.
Mitosis and Hypertrophy of Intercalated Duct Cells and Endothelial Cells in the Isoproterenol-treated Rat Parotid Gland

Chronic treatment of rats with isoproterenol (IPR) induces mitosis and differentiation of intercalated duct cells, and mitosis and hypertrophy of endothelial cells of the microvasculature in the parotid gland. Mitoses occurred in duct cells situated at or near the acinar-intercalated duct junction, and were most numerous after six IPR injections. These cells increased in size, contained numerous electronlucent granules, and were incorporated into the hypertrophic acini. The granules contained branching filamentous or finely reticulated material, and did not react with histochemical stains for carbohydrate. Capillary and venule endothelial cell mitoses were frequently seen after four to six IPR injections. The endothelial cells increased in thickness, contained abundant cytoplasmic organelles, lacked fenestrations, and had few pinocytotic vesicles. These results demonstrate the extensive nature of the response to chronic IPR treatment, and are consistent with the concept that the intercalated ducts have an...
Abscisic acid does not mediate NaCl-induced accumulation of 70-kDa subunit tonoplast H+ -ATPase message in tomato

There is an increased accumulation of message for the catalytic (70-kDa) subunit of the tonoplast H+-ATPase in leaves of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) plants responding to NaCl. To determine if abscisic acid (ABA) mediates this response, message accumulation was examined in treatments designed to separate exposure to NaCl from increases in endogenous ABA. Under three different experimental conditions, salt-induced changes in the accumulation of 70-kDa message were unrelated to any change in endogenous ABA. The results were as follows: (i) under drought stress, plants accumulated levels of ABA similar to those measured in salt-treated plants; however, no increase in 70-kDa subunit message was observed; (ii) the ABA-deficient mutant sitiens exhibited an increased accumulation of message despite the absence of NaCl-induced accumulation of ABA; and (iii) the inhibitor of general isoprenoid biosynthesis, Lovastatin, blocked NaCl-induced accumulation of ABA but did not alter NaCl-induced accumulation of message. In addition to these three experimental responses, application of exogenous ABA increased endogenous ABA levels without any comparable increase in message accumulation. Based on these results, it is concluded that ABA does not mediate the NaCl-induced accumulation of 70-kDa subunit tonoplast H+ -ATPase message accumulation in tomato.
Acute lipodermatosclerosis is associated with venous insufficiency

Abstract Background: Acute lipodermatosclerosis is characterized by pain and tenderness in the medial aspect of the leg. It is thought to be the result of venous insufficiency and to be the acute counterpart of chronic lipodermatosclerosis, a hallmark of venous disease. However, there is no direct evidence linking acute lipodermatosclerosis to venous disease. Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether acute lipodermatosclerosis is associated with venous insufficiency. Methods: With air plethysmography, we determined the venous filling index, the ejection fraction, and the residual volume fraction in 15 sequential patients with acute lipodermatosclerosis. Results: Ten of the 15 patients (67%) had at least one abnormal result, eight (53%) had two, and two (13%) had three. In four patients (27%), abnormalities of both reflux and ejection were noted. Duplex venous ultrasonography, in two of the patients with normal results from air plethysmography, showed incompetent perforators at sites of lipodermatosclerosis. Conclusion: Acute lipodermatosclerosis is associated with objective findings of venous insufficiency in a high percentage of patients. It is likely that this condition is the result of venous disease.
Effects of Benzyl Alcohol on Aggregation of Recombinant Human Interleukin-1-Receptor Antagonist in Reconstituted Lyophilized Formulations

A major limitation in the successful development of multidose protein formulations is protein aggregation induced by antimicrobial preservatives such as benzyl alcohol, which are included to maintain product sterility. Studies were conducted to evaluate the strategy of developing lyophilized formulations of a therapeutic protein, recombinant human interlukin-1 receptor antagonist (rhIL-1ra), to be reconstituted with a bacteriostatic amount (0.9% w/v) of benzyl alcohol in water. The strategy was based on the following hypotheses. The first was that benzyl alcohol would foster aggregation during reconstitution of the lyophilized sample. The second hypothesis was that the extent of benzyl alcohol-induced protein aggregation would correlate directly with the degree of structural perturbation of rhIL-1ra in the dried solid after lyophilization. Differential structural retention of rhIL-1ra in the dried solid was obtained by using a combination of formulation variables important for lyophilization and included: protein concentration, type of stabilizer, and presence or absence of NaCl. Infrared spectroscopic analysis of the lyophilized samples indicated that high initial solution protein concentration and the stabilizer sucrose minimized structural perturbation of rhIL-1ra during lyophilization. In contrast, NaCl was destabilizing. Reconstitution of the dried solid with 0.9% (w/v) benzyl alcohol caused a greater degree of protein aggregation than reconstitution with water, confirming our first hypothesis. In support of our second hypothesis, the extent of aggregation induced by benzyl alcohol during reconstitution was strongly modulated by the degree of retention of native rhIL-1ra secondary structure during lyophilization. During storage of the reconstituted lyophilized samples at room temperature, benzyl alcohol did not accelerate aggregation of rhIL-1ra. This study demonstrated that for development a multidose lyophilized protein formulation involving reconstitution with a solution of benzyl alcohol, protein structural perturbations during freeze-drying should be minimized with a stabilizing excipient and appropriate choice of protein concentration and tonicity modifier. Furthermore, postreconstitution storage at reduced temperature (e.g., room temperature or 4 degrees C) could minimize the risk of preservative-induced protein aggregation.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Women with PCOS present with signs of chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism, and metabolic abnormalities. The NIH recently embraced the Rotterdam criteria to broadly identify all the phenotypes of PCOS. Women with PCOS are often obese with insulin resistance and hence have an increased susceptibility to glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. Future research should focus on the genetic, epigenetic, and environmental determinants of PCOS to develop new therapies to address the prevention of this disorder and its long-term complications.
Modeling and Analysis of Weaving-preparation Systems with Respect to Small-lot Manufacturing. Part III: System Design

Small-lot, quick-response manufacturing strategies have led to greater variability in both demand levels and product mix for textile producers. In Part I of this series, we presented a framework for the design of weaving-preparation systems operating under this type of demand. In Part II, we explored methods of system-performance characterization within this framework. In this paper, we complete the framework by presenting a technique for specifying the optimal system from a range of design alternatives that accounts for stochastic production demands and processing rates. The design is accomplished by first solving a design-selection problem by using mixed-integer linear-programming techniques and then assessing the feasibility of the solution by using discrete-event simulation. The design proceeds in an evolutionary fashion until a system that meets the feasibility requirements is found.
Using the atomic force microscope as a nanomechanical partner to support evanescent field imaging

Quantum Dot (QD)/microsphere structures supporting Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs) are attached to Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) cantilevers for characterization of the evanescent field around the QD/microsphere and utilization of the evanescent field for sensing at the apical surface of live cells. Following laser excitation, QD emission couples to WGMs that circumnavigate the microsphere via total internal reflection at the internal surfaces of the microsphere. The resulting evanescent field is characterized utilizing the high spatial control of an AFM in approaching a dye monolayer on a test surface. The measured evanescent field extends approximately 50 nm from the microsphere surface, matching theoretical predictions. This system was then used to sense the accumulation of integrin and formation of focal adhesions at the apical surface of cells.
Can an anomalous U (1) solve the strong CP problem

Abstract Many low-energy superstring models contain a pseudo-anomalous U (1) as a global symmetry. We investigate the possibility of having the ensuing axion solve the strong CP problem. We conclude that in heterotic strings with non-abelian hidden gauge groups, this axion cannot solve the strong CP problem. We also comment on alternative solutions to the strong CP puzzle in strings, based on approximate global symmetries of the low-energy lagrangian. We point out potential problems this mechanism would face when applied to realistic models. We find the massless up quark solution to the strong CP problem quite satisfactory. As an example, we work out all the details behind our general remarks for the flipped SU (5) × U (1) model. Previous studies of the hierarchical fermion mass spectrum in this model offer substantial support to our proposed solution to the puzzle.
Bacterial biosensors for screening isoform-selective ligands for human thyroid receptors α-1 and β-1

Subtype-selective thyromimetics have potential as new pharmaceuticals for the prevention or treatment of heart disease, high LDL cholesterol and obesity, but there are only a few methods that can detect agonistic behavior of TR-active compounds. Among these are the rat pituitary GH3 cell assay and transcriptional activation assays in engineered yeast and mammalian cells. We report the construction and validation of a newly designed TRα-1 bacterial biosensor, which indicates the presence of thyroid active compounds through their impacts on the growth of an engineered Escherichia coli strain in a simple defined medium. This biosensor couples the configuration of a hormone receptor ligand-binding domain to the activity of a thymidylate synthase reporter enzyme through an engineered allosteric fusion protein. The result is a hormone-dependent growth phenotype in the expressing E. coli cells. This sensor can be combined with our previously published TRβ-1 biosensor to detect potentially therapeutic subtype-selective compounds such as GC-1 and KB-141. To demonstrate this capability, we determined the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) for the compounds T3, Triac, GC-1 and KB-141 using our biosensors, and determined their relative potency in each biosensor strain. Our results are similar to those reported by mammalian cell reporter gene assays, confirming the utility of our assay in identifying TR subtype-selective therapeutics. This biosensor thus provides a high-throughput, receptor-specific, and economical method (less than US$ 0.10 per well at laboratory scale) for identifying important therapeutics against these targets.
Extremity soft tissue sarcoma care in the elderly: insights into the generalizability of NCI Cancer Trials.

The projected increase in older persons in the United States, their underrepresentation in clinical trials, and the rarity of extremity soft tissue sarcomas (ESTS) limit our understanding of ESTS care in the elderly. We explored the extent of older age (≥65 years) on patterns of ESTS care in NCI-sponsored population-based dataset. Using the 1991–2006 Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results registries, we identified 2586 Medicare aged persons ≥65 years with ESTS. We compared demographics, tumors, and treatments by age category. Multivariable analyses were used to examine the effect of older age on ESTS care and survival, adjusting for covariates. More than 30% of adult ESTS were diagnosed in patients older than 65 years. A significant trend was observed between increasing age and decreased use of sarcoma-directed surgery and delivery of radiotherapy after limb-sparing surgery for high-grade or T2 tumors. Limb amputation rates did not vary by age. However, both African-American (odds ratio [OR] 1.85, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.05–3.27, P = .0341) and Hispanic races (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.27–3.70, P = .0044) predicted higher rates of limb amputation than whites. Although our multivariable analyses showed that decreased use of sarcoma-directed surgery was only limited to age 85 + years, it also showed that older age predicted poorer cancer-specific mortality following sarcoma-directed surgery (P < .0001). In this US population-based study, the decreased use of sarcoma-directed surgery in the elderly was only limited to those older than 85 years. The association between older age and increased cancer-related mortality deserves future investigation to carefully examine potential effects of undertreatment.
Lossless data embedding for all image formats

Lossless data embedding has the property that the distortion due to embedding can be completely removed from the watermarked image without accessing any side channel. This can be a very important property whenever serious concerns over the image quality and artifacts visibility arise, such as for medical images, due to legal reasons, for military images or images used as evidence in court that may be viewed after enhancement and zooming. We formulate two general methodologies for lossless embedding that can be applied to images as well as any other digital objects, including video, audio, and other structures with redundancy. We use the general principles as guidelines for designing efficient, simple, and high-capacity lossless embedding methods for three most common image format paradigms - raw, uncompressed formats (BMP), lossy or transform formats (JPEG), and palette formats (GIF, PNG). We close the paper with examples of how the concept of lossless data embedding can be used as a powerful tool to achieve a variety of non-trivial tasks, including elegant lossless authentication using fragile watermarks. Note on terminology: some authors coined the terms erasable, removable, reversible, invertible, and distortion-free for the same concept.
Innovative wick design for multi-source, flat plate heat pipes

Abstract We present a novel micro-heat pipe wick design and fabrication technique to significantly boost the effective thermal conductivity of the heat pipe relative to the monolithic substrate material. Extensive porous flow modeling of the process has provided critical information on the key parameters and the resulting anisotropic wick designs have shown robust performance improvements. A methanol charged copper device reported in this paper showed a maximum thermal conductivity of 760 W/m K prior to dry out. This represents a 1.9× increase over the conductivity of solid copper.
Living unrelated donor kidney transplantation.

Background Living unrelated donors remain an underutilized resource, despite their high graft survival rates. In this article, we updated the long-term results of more than 2500 living unrelated donor transplants performed in the United States. Methods Between 1987 and 1998, 1765 spouse, 986 living unrelated, 27,535 living related, and 86,953 cadaver donor grafts were reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing Kidney Registry. Kaplan-Meier curves compared graft survival rates in stratified analyses, and a log-linear analysis adjusted donor-specific outcomes for the effects of 24 other transplant factors. Results The long-term survival rates for both spouse and living unrelated transplants were essentially the same (5-year graft survivals of 75 and 72% and half-lives of 14 and 13 years, respectively). The results were similar to that for parent donor grafts (5-year graft survival = 74% and half-life = 12 years) and were significantly (P = 0.003) better than cadaver donor grafts (5-year graft survival = 62% and half-life = 9 years). After adjusting for the presence of transplant factors known to influence survival rates, recipients of living unrelated donor kidney transplants still had superior outcomes compared with cadaver transplants. Conclusions Living unrelated kidney donors represent the fastest growing donor source in the United States and provide excellent long-term results. Encouraging spouses to donate could remove nearly 15% of the patients from the UNOS waiting list, effectively increasing the number of available cadaveric organs.
Detection and prognostic significance of circulating tumor cells in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients

SUMMARY Distant metastasis remains the primary cause of death for breast cancer patients. Metastasis is a complex, multistep process wherein a subset of cells from a heterogeneous tumor acquire the ability to disseminate from the primary tumor and invade the blood and/or lymph nodes. Although tumor size, tumor characteristics and axillary lymph node status are the most common parameters utilized to predict disease recurrence in nonmetastatic patients, a significant number of lymph node-negative patients with localized disease will develop distant metastases despite successful primary treatment. These data suggest that tumor cell dissemination can occur early in disease progression, sometimes bypassing the lymphatic system. Occult micrometastases, or circulating tumor cells in the blood, are rare tumor cells that remain undetected by standard histopathogical and high-resolution imaging methodologies. This review focuses on current methodologies used to detect circulating tumor cells and their prognostic si...
Paranasal sinus malignancies: an 18-year single institution experience.

Objectives: To characterize a single institution experience with management of paranasal sinus malignancies during an 18-year time period, report long-term survival rates, and identify prognostic factors. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: Studied were 141 patients treated for a paranasal sinus malignancy at a single institution from 1980 to 1997 with a minimum 3-year follow-up. Gender, age, TNM stage, anatomic site, pathology, treatment, and recurrence rates were reviewed. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine factors affecting survival. Results: The male to female ratio was 1.6:1, and the median patient age was 60 years. Most patients presented with T3/T4 or locally advanced disease (88%), NO status (96%), and MO status (96%). The maxillary sinus was the most commonly affected site (70%), followed by the ethmoid sinus (26%). The most common malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma (51%), followed by adenoid cystic carcinoma (12%) and adenocarcinoma (11%). Sixty-two percent of this study group underwent surgery as part of a multimodality curative treatment plan or alone as curative treatment. Eighteen patients (13%) had unresectable local disease and received non-surgical palliative treatment. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the 5-year and 10-year disease-specific survival was 52% and 35%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed T4 stage (P = .005), N-positive stage (P = .009), and M-positive stage (P = .018) negatively impacted survival. Seventy-two patients (51%) developed recurrent disease at a median time of 336 days after initial treatment. Conclusions: Most patients with paranasal sinus malignancies presented with locally advanced disease. Advanced T stage, regional, and distant metastasis are highly predictive of poor survival. Recurrence rate is high and typically occurs within the first year after treatment.
Treatment of Bickerstaff’s brainstem encephalitis with immune globulin

Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis (BBE) is an immune disorder of unknown etiology. Previous reports of successful treatment of BBE involved steroids or plasma exchange. We describe a patient with BBE who demonstrated rapid clinical recovery after treatment with intravenous immune globulin. Our findings suggest that IVIg is an alternative treatment in BBE, especially when plasma exchange is difficult or contraindicated. Our patient also demonstrated pseudoretraction and pseudoptosis during clinical recovery, an observation which supports a differential immune attack on components of the third nerve or supranuclear regions, and expands our understanding of the pathophysiology of BBE.
EVAL: Utilizing processors with variation-induced timing errors

Parameter variation in integrated circuits causes sections of a chip to be slower than others. If, to prevent any resulting timing errors, we design processors for worst-case parameter values, we may lose substantial performance. An alternate approach explored in this paper is to design for closer to nominal values, and provide some transistor budget to tolerate unavoidable variation-induced errors. To assess this approach, this paper first presents a novel framework that shows how microarchitecture techniques can trade off variation-induced errors for power and processor frequency. Then, the paper introduces an effective technique to maximize performance and minimize power in the presence of variation-induced errors, namely High-Dimensional dynamic adaptation. For efficiency, the technique is implemented using a machine-learning algorithm. The results show that our best configuration increases processor frequency by 56% on average, allowing the processor to cycle 21% faster than without variation. Processor performance increases by 40% on average, resulting in a performance that is 14% higher than without variation - at only a 10.6% area cost.
Welcome to the always-on world

With the growth of new information and communications technologies, each human relationship is becoming a continual presence. You can exchange a dozen brief cell phone conversations with your spouse every day. You can keep track of your money through on-line banking. Your computer-mediated work activities can always be visible to your co-workers. This is a tremendous shift in human relationships: from episodic to always-on. The always-on world presents a series of challenges: interruptions-the ringing cell phone in the theater is just the start; divided attention-when every relationship is present everywhere, all the time, it becomes necessary to juggle commitments; addiction-some people can't stop reading their e-mail; boundaries-parents often give their children beepers or cell phones to keep track of them, which is disturbing to many children; other new technologies-for example, electronic payments-make other kinds of tracking possible as well. The always-on world is a world of freedom, but it is also a world of anonymous global forces that ceaselessly rearrange all relationships to their liking. We don't understand this world very well, but there will soon be plenty of opportunity to study it first-hand.
Measuring Memory Reactivation With Functional MRI Implications for Psychological Theory

Environmental cues often remind us of earlier experiences by triggering the reactivation of memories of events past. Recent evidence suggests that memory reactivation can be observed using functional MRI and that distributed pattern analyses can even provide evidence of reactivation on individual trials. The ability to measure memory reactivation offers unique and powerful leverage on theoretical issues of long-standing interest in cognitive psychology, providing a means to address questions that have proven difficult to answer with behavioral data alone. In this article, we consider three instances. First, reactivation measures can indicate whether memory-based inferences (i.e., generalization) arise through the encoding of integrated cross-event representations or through the flexible expression of separable event memories. Second, online measures of memory reactivation may inform theories of forgetting by providing information about when competing memories are reactivated during competitive retrieval situations. Finally, neural reactivation may provide a window onto the role of replay in memory consolidation. The ability to track memory reactivation, including at the individual trial level, provides unique leverage that is not afforded by behavioral measures and thus promises to shed light on such varied topics as generalization, integration, forgetting, and consolidation.
The Physiological Sources of, Clinical Significance of, and Laboratory-Testing Methods for Determining Enzyme Levels

Enzymes are organic molecules that accelerate biochemical reactions but emerge from the reaction unchanged. Abnormal levels of plasma enzymes are highly suggestive of damaged cells and provide clues to parts of the body that may be involved in disease processes. Enzyme levels are measured in the clinical laboratory to identify the site of damage and to quantify the amount of damage. This paper will discuss the physiological sources, clinical significance, and laboratory- testing methodology for lactate dehydrogenase (LD), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT).
Chlorophyll production and chloroplast development in norflurazon-treated plants

Summary: The chlorophyll production of wheat (Triticum vulgare L. cv. Mericopa), corn (Zea mays L. cv. Everta), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. Saranac), treated with the herbicide 4-chloro-5-methylamino-2-(3-trifluoro-methylphenyl)pyridazin- 3-one (norflurazon) and grown under high light intensity (10 760 lux) was markedly reduced. Corn and wheat seedlings germinated and grown for 7 days in an agar medium containing 1 mg/1 norflurazon were almost completely bleached. Alfalfa was even more sensitive to norflurazon, 0.1 mg/1 causing almost complete chlorosis. Under low light intensity (10.76 lux) the influence of norflurazon on chlorophyll production was greatly reduced. It is thought that norflurazon inhibits carotenoid synthesis leaving the chlorophyll of the plant subject to photooxidation. Electron micrographs of chloroplasts from green, partially bleached, and bleached areas of corn leaves treated with norflurazon indicate that the herbicide causes progressive deterioration of the lamellar system.