cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stability of and inflammatory response to silicon coated with a fluoroalkyl self-assembled monolayer in the central nervous system.

A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of fluoroalkyl silane (FAS) (CF3(CF2)5(CH2)2SiCl3) was deposited on the surface of silicon wafers, aiming to enhance its stability and to reduce the inflammatory response in the central nervous system. Following implantation of the FAS SAM coated silicon in rat brains, the FAS SAM coating failed to reduce the inflammatory response of silicon, because it could not prevent the corrosion of the underlying silicon. The corrosion was hindered for the initial 10 days by the FAS SAM coating, but there was nearly no difference when compared to the uncoated silicon when the implantation periods were extended to 28 and 90 days. The FAS SAM coating was completely removed within 28 and 90 days. Meanwhile, on all the extracted uncoated and FAS SAM coated silicon wafers, there were proteinaceous substances deposited on the surfaces, and the amount of the deposits increased with exposure time. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007
A feedback quenched oscillator produces turing patterning with one diffuser.

Efforts to engineer synthetic gene networks that spontaneously produce patterning in multicellular ensembles have focused on Turing's original model and the “activator-inhibitor” models of Meinhardt and Gierer. Systems based on this model are notoriously difficult to engineer. We present the first demonstration that Turing pattern formation can arise in a new family of oscillator-driven gene network topologies, specifically when a second feedback loop is introduced which quenches oscillations and incorporates a diffusible molecule. We provide an analysis of the system that predicts the range of kinetic parameters over which patterning should emerge and demonstrate the system's viability using stochastic simulations of a field of cells using realistic parameters. The primary goal of this paper is to provide a circuit architecture which can be implemented with relative ease by practitioners and which could serve as a model system for pattern generation in synthetic multicellular systems. Given the wide range of oscillatory circuits in natural systems, our system supports the tantalizing possibility that Turing pattern formation in natural multicellular systems can arise from oscillator-driven mechanisms.
The representations of reach endpoints in posterior parietal cortex depend on which hand does the reaching

Neurons in the parietal reach region (PRR) have been implicated in the sensory-to-motor transformation required for reaching toward visually defined targets. The neurons in each cortical hemisphere might be specifically involved in planning movements of just one limb, or the PRR might code reach endpoints generically, independent of which limb will actually move. Previous work has shown that the preferred directions of PRR neurons are similar for right and left limb movements but that the amplitude of modulation may vary greatly. We now test the hypothesis that frames of reference and eye and hand gain field modulations will, like preferred directions, be independent of which hand moves. This was not the case. Many neurons show clear differences in both the frame of reference as well as in direction and strength of gain field modulations, depending on which hand is used to reach. The results suggest that the information that is conveyed from the PRR to areas closer to the motor output (the readout from the PRR) is different for each limb and that individual PRR neurons contribute either to controlling the contralateral-limb or else bimanual-limb control.
An NMR, CD, molecular dynamics, and fluorometric study of the conformation of the bradykinin antagonist B-9340 in water and in aqueous micellar solutions

A detailed NMR, CD, fluorometry, and molecular modeling study of a novel bradykinin antagonist B-9340, containing a novel amino acid D-Igl (alpha-(2-indanyl)glycine) at position 7, was carried out. The sequence of B-9340 is D-Arg0-Arg1-Pro2-Hyp3-Gly4-Thi5-Ser6-D- Igl7-Oic8-Arg9, where Hyp is hydroxyproline, Thi is beta-(2-thienyl)alanine, and Oic is (3aS,7aS)-octahydroindole-2-carboxylic acid. The CD results exhibit a striking effect of SDS on the spectrum of the BK antagonist, indicating that interaction with the surfactant induces a folded peptide structure. The interaction of this antagonist with phosphatidylinositol was monitored by fluorometry, indicating that the interaction of the peptide with the lipid is cooperative, and gives a Hill coefficient of 2.3. The two-dimensional proton NMR measurements indicate that B-9340 has no stable secondary structure in water solution and contains about 10-15% cis peptide bonds arising from Pro2, Hyp3, and Oic8. In SDS micelles, NMR reveals the existence of two beta-turns based on a number of medium-range connectivities that were useful for molecular modeling. The actual molecular modeling and dynamic runs were performed on B-9340 in an environment consisting of a layer of octyl sulfate anions and water. Ther results indicate that the structure of B-9340 in a micellar environment is characterized by a nonideal betaII-turn comprising residues Pro2 to Thi5, a nonideal betaII'-turn comprising residues Ser6-Arg9, and broad folding in the middle part of the molecule. The structure is stabilized by several hydrogen bonds and by a salt bridge between the guanidine moiety of Arg1 and the carboxyl group of Arg9, whereas the middle part of the peptide is buried in the micelle. The structure is deposited as Brookhaven PDB file 1 BDK.
Top-quark mass predictions from W,Z masses and Z partial widths.

We use recent measurements of the W- and Z-boson masses and the leptonic, hadronic, and total Z widths to constrain the top-quark mass in the standard model, including full radiative corrections. From a maximum-likelihood analysis we find the most likely value of ${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{t}}$ to be 151 GeV and we obtain the bound ${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{t}}$\ensuremath{\le}200 GeV at 95% C.L. based on the central measured value of the Z mass assuming a Higgs-boson mass of 100 GeV and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathit{s}}$(${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{Z}}^{2}$)=0.12.
Asymmetrical Contributions to the Tragedy of the Commons and Some Implications for Conservation

In Garrett Hardin's popular essay on ―The Tragedy of the Commons‖, he presents a model of a shared commons where herdsmen graze their cattle to illustrate the tension between group and self-interest that characterizes so many social dilemmas. However, Hardin is not explicit that consumption can actually vary widely among herdsman, although later, when discussing population growth, he clarifies that ―people vary‖. People do indeed vary, and here we explore further the prevalence of asymmetrical contributions to the tragedy of the commons. We also provide several examples to demonstrate that asymmetries have been frequently underappreciated by conservation initiatives. Given that many of today's major environmental problems, such as climate change, freshwater shortages, and overfishing, are problems of users or groups of users over-consuming common resources asymmetrically, we believe identifying patterns of consumption is a necessary first step in solving any social dilemma, and can help elucidate priority areas for conservation.
Parental Bonding Reports of Clients with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder and Agoraphobia

The study was designed to address two broad purposes: (a) to investigate further the reliability and validity of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and (b) to examine the relationship of parental warmth and overprotection to specific anxiety disorders and their symptoms, anxious personality traits, and social functioning. The PBI was administered, before and after exposure treatment, to an outpatient sample of 52 adults with obsessive–compulsive disorder and 35 with panic disorder with agoraphobia, and to their parents (n=42), if they resided with the patient. PBI scores remained stable despite improvement in symptom severity and mood. Parents' and patients' recollections of the parents' behaviour towards the patient did not agree. According to patients, their parents most often raised them using affectionless control, whereas parents most often rated themselves as having provided optimal parenting. Patients' PBI scores were not related to type or severity of anxiety disorder. However, reports of poorer parenting were associated with worse social adjustment and higher levels of anxious personality disorder characteristics.
Fostering Behavioral Development of High-Risk Infants

Concerns exist regarding the impact of the early neonatal intensive care unit environment on preterm and other high-risk infants and the lack of stimulus geared to the infant's individual needs and status. The nurse, as the primary caregiver in the neonatal intensive care unit, plays a major role in determining the infant's environment and in modulating interactions between the infant and the environment. Considerations for planning and providing infant stimulation, and nursing actions to enhance and support the infant's developmental capabilities and to foster parent-infant interaction are discussed.
Electron traps in AℓPO4 substituted zinc silicate phosphors

Recently it has been shown that the incorporation of AlPO4 in a Zn2SiO4 phosphor results in an improved cathodoluminescent efficiency1. We report here on electron trap distributions in the substituted phosphors derived from UV excited thermoluminescent glow curve measurements. It has been found that the glow curve peaks are modified appreciably with AlPO4 addition, but new peaks do not appear to be introduced. This shift, however is largely due to a considerable change in the absolute value of the detrapping rate, while there is only a relatively small change in the activation energies for detrapping. The phosphors were prepared in a silica rich environment and for the present study were not subjected to post preparation annealing treatments.
A multi-analyte assay for the non-invasive detection of bladder cancer.

Accurate urinary assays for bladder cancer (BCa) detection would benefit both patients and healthcare systems. Through genomic and proteomic profiling of urine components, we have previously identified a panel of biomarkers that can outperform current urine-based biomarkers for the non-invasive detection of BCa. Herein, we report the diagnostic utility of various multivariate combinations of these biomarkers. We performed a case-controlled validation study in which voided urines from 127 patients (64 tumor bearing subjects) were analyzed. The urinary concentrations of 14 biomarkers (IL-8, MMP-9, MMP-10, SDC1, CCL18, PAI-1, CD44, VEGF, ANG, CA9, A1AT, OPN, PTX3, and APOE) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Diagnostic performance of each biomarker and multivariate models were compared using receiver operating characteristic curves and the chi-square test. An 8-biomarker model achieved the most accurate BCa diagnosis (sensitivity 92%, specificity 97%), but a combination of 3 of the 8 biomarkers (IL-8, VEGF, and APOE) was also highly accurate (sensitivity 90%, specificity 97%). For comparison, the commercial BTA-Trak ELISA test achieved a sensitivity of 79% and a specificity of 83%, and voided urine cytology detected only 33% of BCa cases in the same cohort. These datashow that a multivariate urine-based assay can markedly improve the accuracy of non-invasive BCa detection. Further validation studies are under way to investigate the clinical utility of this panel of biomarkers for BCa diagnosis and disease monitoring.
Critical incidents in paediatric anaesthesia: an audit of 10 000 anaesthetics in Singapore.

Background: We undertook an audit of paediatric perioperative incidents in the first 10000 anaesthetics administered in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Singapore between May 1997 and April 1999. The spectrum of surgery performed ranged from simple ambulatory surgery to open heart surgery for complicated congenital heart diseases. Methods: An audit form is completed for every anaesthetic delivered and critical incidents are reported on the reverse blank page of the audit form. An anaesthetic incident was defined as ‘any incident which affected, or could have affected, the safety of the patient under anaesthetic care’. Results: Two hundred and ninety-seven critical incidents were reported. The majority of them happened in healthy patients (80.1% ASA I and II) scheduled for elective surgery (73.3%). Critical incidents in infants less than 1 year of age were four times as common as in older children (8.6% versus 2.1%). Incidents occurred mainly during maintenance (80.6%). There was no anaesthetic mortality. Respiratory events were the most common (77.4%) with laryngospasm accounting for 35.7%. Cardiovascular incidents (10.8%) included hypotension from haemorrhage and sepsis, and dysrhythmias. The incidence of equipment and pharmacologically related problems was low. Conclusions: Future reviews of a larger patient population may be helpful to determine trends of perioperative events and whether quality assurance programs have made a difference.
On Increasing Subsequences of Random Permutations

LetLnbe the length of a longest increasing subsequence in a random permutation of {1, ?, n}. It is known that the expected value ofLnis asymptotically equal toformula]asngets large. This note derives upper bound on the probability thatformula]exceeds certain quantities. In particular, we prove thatformula]is at most ordern1/6with high probability. Our main result is an isoperimetric upper bound of the probability thatformula]exceed?n1/6, which suggests that the varianceVLn] might ben1/3. We also find an explicit lower bound of the functionformula], defined by D. Aldous and P. Diaconis.
Those that were blind can now see.

Following computer-based visual restitution training, people with partial blindness recover some of their lost vision ( pages 1083–1087 ).
Tensile strain-rate sensitivity of

The tensile strain-rate sensitivity of continuous-tungsten-fiber reinforced niobium composites (W/Nb), fabricated by an arc-spray process, was studied in the 1300 to 1600 K temperature range. The tensile properties of the fiber and matrix components, as well as of the composites, were measured and compared to rule of mixtures (ROM) predictions. The deviation from the ROM was found to depend upon the chemistry of the tungsten alloy fibers, with positive deviations for thoria-dispersed W wire (ST300) reinforced Nb composite(i.e., stronger composite strength than the ROM) and negative or zero deviations for lamp-grade W wire (218) reinforced Nb composite. In addition, it was found that the composites tested at higher crosshead speeds exhibited a strain-rate sensitivity greater than that of the free fibers tested at the same crosshead speeds, even though the composite tensile strength is determined mainly by the fiber component.
The Dawn of Open Access to Phylogenetic Data

The scientific enterprise depends critically on the preservation of and open access to published data. This basic tenet applies acutely to phylogenies (estimates of evolutionary relationships among species). Increasingly, phylogenies are estimated from increasingly large, genome-scale datasets using increasingly complex statistical methods that require increasing levels of expertise and computational investment. Moreover, the resulting phylogenetic data provide an explicit historical perspective that critically informs research in a vast and growing number of scientific disciplines. One such use is the study of changes in rates of lineage diversification (speciation--extinction) through time. As part of a meta-analysis in this area, we sought to collect phylogenetic data (comprising nucleotide sequence alignment and tree files) from 217 studies published in 46 journals over a 13-year period. We document our attempts to procure those data (from online archives and by direct request to corresponding authors), and report results of analyses (using Bayesian logistic regression) to assess the impact of various factors on the success of our efforts. Overall, complete phylogenetic data for [Formula: see text] of these studies are effectively lost to science. Our study indicates that phylogenetic data are more likely to be deposited in online archives and/or shared upon request when: (1) the publishing journal has a strong data-sharing policy; (2) the publishing journal has a higher impact factor, and; (3) the data are requested from faculty rather than students. Importantly, our survey spans recent policy initiatives and infrastructural changes; our analyses indicate that the positive impact of these community initiatives has been both dramatic and immediate. Although the results of our study indicate that the situation is dire, our findings also reveal tremendous recent progress in the sharing and preservation of phylogenetic data.
Hydrocephalus : slit ventricles, shunt obstructions, and third ventricle shunts : a clinical study

Abstract In a retrospective 5 year study of patients with ventricle shunts for hydrocephalus (N = 88), studies were developed on slit ventricles in teenagers and in young adults. These studies presented here are (1) time to slit ventricles from first shunt and average upright ICP associated (N = 24); (2) upright ICP in asymptomatic long-term ventricle shunt patients without slit ventricles (N = 21), (3) clinical course of patients with uncorrected slit ventricles and lateral ventricles or third ventricle shunts (N = 31), (4) resolution of slit ventricles by Zero ICP Shunt with normal upright ICP (N = 28), (5) no resolution of slit or large ventricles in shunted patients with normal upright ICP (N = 23), and (6) unreliability of CT ventricle size (slit or enlarged) after normal upright ICP achieved (N = 28; 23). Surprisingly, slit ventricle patients with the ventricular catheter in collapsed lateral ventricles develop shunt obstruction within 20 months ( 21 31 ; 71%; 10/31 (29%) patients with ventricle catheters incidentally in the third ventricle did not obstruct during the 4 1 2 year follow-up
Predicting adverse neonatal outcomes in fetuses with abdominal wall defects using prenatal risk factors.

Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether prenatal variables can predict adverse neonatal outcomes in fetuses with abdominal wall defects. Study Design A retrospective cohort study that used ultrasound and neonatal records for all cases of gastroschisis and omphalocele seen over a 16-year period. Cases with adverse neonatal outcomes were compared with noncases for multiple candidate predictive factors. Univariable and multivariable statistical methods were used to develop the prediction models, and effectiveness was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results Of 80 fetuses with gastroschisis, 29 (36%) had the composite adverse outcome, compared with 15 of 33 (47%) live neonates with omphalocele. Intrauterine growth restriction was the only significant variable in gastroschisis, whereas exteriorized liver was the only predictor in omphalocele. The areas under the curve for the prediction models with gastroschisis and omphalocele are 0.67 and 0.74, respectively. Conclusion Intrauterine growth restriction and exteriorization of the liver are significant predictors of adverse neonatal outcome with gastroschisis and omphalocele.
Ex-vessel boiling experiments: laboratory- and reactor-scale testing of the flooded cavity concept for in-vessel core retention Part II: Reactor-scale boiling experiments of the flooded cavity concept for in-vessel core retention

This paper summarizes the results of a reactor-scale ex-vessel boiling experiment for assessing the flooded cavity design of the heavy water new production reactor. The simulated reactor vessel has a cylindrical diameter of 3.7 m and a torispherical bottom head. Boiling outside the reactor vessel was found to be subcooled nucleate boiling. The subcooling mainly results from the gravity head, which in turn results from flooding the side of the reactor vessel. The boiling process exhibits a cyclic pattern with four distinct phases: direct liquid-solid contact, bubble nucleation and growth, coalescence, and vapor mass dispersion. The results show that, under prototypic heat load and heat flux distributions, the flooded cavity will be effective for in-vessel core retention in the heavy water new production reactor. The results also demonstrate that the heat dissipation requirement for in-vessel core retention, for the central region of the lower head of an AP-600 advanced light water reactor, can be met with the flooded cavity design.
Platinum Binuclear Complexes as Phosphorescent Dopants for Monochromatic and White Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes

Efficient blue-, green-, and red-light-emitting organic diodes are fabricated using binuclear platinum complexes as phosphorescent dopants. The series of complexes used here have pyrazolate bridging ligands and the general formula C^NPt(μ-pz) 2 PtC^N (where C^N = 2-(4',6'-difluorophenyl)pyridinato-N,C 2' , pz = pyrazole (1), 3-methyl-5-tert-butylpyrazole (2), and 3,5-bis(tert-bu-tyl)pyrazole (3)). The Pt-Pt distance in the complexes, which decreases in the order 1>2>3, solely determines the electroluminescence color of the organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Blue OLEDs fabricated using 8 % 1 doped into a 3,5-bis(N-carbazolyl)benzene (mCP) host have a quantum efficiency of 4.3 % at 120 Cd m -2 , a brightness of 3900 Cd m -2 at 12 V, and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.11, 0.24). Green and red OLEDs fabricated with 2 and 3, respectively. also give high quantum efficiencies (-6.7%), with CIE coordinates of (0.31, 0.63) and (0.59, 0.46), respectively. The current-density-voltage characteristics of devices made using dopants 2 and 3 indicate that hole trapping is enhanced by short Pt-Pt distances (< 3.1 A). Blue electrophosphorescence is achieved by taking advantage of the binuclear molecular geometry in order to suppress dopant intermolecular interactions. No evidence of low-energy emission from aggregate states is observed in OLEDs made with 50 % 1 doped into mCP. OLEDs made using 100 % 1 as an emissive layer display red luminescence, which is believed to originate from distorted complexes with compressed Pt-Pt separations located in defect sites within the neat film. White OLEDs are fabricated using 1 and 3 in three different device architectures, either with one or two dopants in dual emissive layers or both dopants in a single emissive layer. All the white OLEDs have high quantum efficiency (∼5 %) and brightness (∼600 Cd m -2 at 10 V).
Stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma

Purpose of review Autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) has been an integral part of the management of multiple myeloma, especially for younger patients. During the past decade, several highly effective therapies have become available for treatment of myeloma, raising questions about the role of SCT for its management. This review focuses on recent findings in the context of previous studies demonstrating a benefit for SCT compared with conventional therapies. Recent findings Recent clinical trials have primarily focused on improving patient outcome by integrating the novel agents into various stages of myeloma therapy, including initial therapy resulting in improvement of disease control at the time of SCT, incorporation into conditioning regimens and finally, using maintenance approaches to prolong the response from SCT. In addition, recent trials also have demonstrated a potential role for tandem SCT in selected patients. However, the role of allogeneic SCT still remains to be better defined. Summary Patients with myeloma have more effective choices for therapy today and better outcome. Recent and ongoing trials will allow better selection of therapy, preferably in an individualized fashion, potentially translating into prolonged survival.
An algorithm for wireless relay placement

An algorithm is given for placing relays at spatial positions to improve the reliability of communicated data in a sensor network. The network consists of many power-limited sensors, a small set of relays, and a receiver. For each sensor, the receiver receives a direct signal as well as an indirect signal from one of the available relays. The relays rebroadcast the transmissions in order to achieve diversity at the receiver. Both amplify-and-forward and decode-and-forward relay networks are considered. Channels are modeled with Rayleigh fading, path loss, and additive white Gaussian noise. Performance analysis and numerical results are given.
Integrating Clinical Services for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Cryptococcal Disease in the Developing World: A Step Forward with 2 Novel Diagnostic Tests

The success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in the developing world is limited by the lack of adequate diagnostic tests to screen for life-threatening opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis (TB) and cryptococcal disease. Furthermore, there is an increasing need for implementation research in measuring the effectiveness of currently available rapid diagnostic tests. The recently developed lateral flow assays for both cryptococcal disease and TB have the potential to improve care and greatly reduce the time to initiation of ART among individuals who need it the most. However, we caution that the data on feasibility and effectiveness of these assays are limited and such research agendas must be prioritized.
The Adoption, Implementation and Impact of IMF Programs: A Review of the Issues and Evidence

This paper evaluates the literature on the lending programmes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The first section deals with the initiation of a Fund program, which has been shown to be influenced by political and institutional variables. A second focus of research analyses the design and implementation of Fund-supported polices, since many programmes are often not successfully completed. The third issue surveyed is the impact of IMF policies on the economy of the borrowing government. The effect of Fund programmes on private capital flows is also examined.
Upper limit on the branching ratio for the decay τ-→Π-ηvτ

We have searched for the decay τ-→Π-ηvτ using the MARK II detector at the PEP e+e- storage ring. No evidence for the decay is found; the upper limit for the branching ratio is B(τ-→Π-ηvτ)<1.0% at the 95% confidence level. © 1987.
Allocating Quality: Collective Bargaining Agreements and Administrative Discretion Over Teacher Assignment

Background: School leaders argue that to make the improvements in both quality and equity that government mandates demand, they need more flexibility with regard to personnel management—specifically, teacher assignment. According to some, such flexibility is constrained by collective bargaining between teachers unions and school districts.Purpose: To examine how collective bargaining agreements govern the assignment of teachers to schools and classrooms and whether any observed variation among the agreements is due to district demographics and/or performance.Research Methods:Sixty-six collective bargaining agreements between teachers unions and Florida's school districts were collected and analyzed for provisions germane to teacher assignment. The authors looked for contrasts among the contracts by district size, district socioeconomic status, district race, and district Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test performance with data from the Florida Department of Education.Findings: Although staffing rules o...
Task scheduling for exploiting parallelism and hierarchy in VLSI CAD algorithms

Two approaches to handling the computational requirements of computer-aided design problems are considered. One approach is to take advantage of the hierarchical nature of circuit design and develop hierarchical CAD algorithms. Another involves the use of parallel processing and development of parallel CAD algorithms. How these two approaches can be combined to speed up various CAD applications is discussed. Toward this goal, two general problems in scheduling are solved: parallelizable independent task scheduling (PITS) and parallelizable dependent task scheduling (PDTS). The PITS scheduling theory is applied to a parallel hierarchical circuit extractor, and the PDTS scheduling theory is applied to a parallel hierarchical global router. Both implementations show speedups of about six on eight processors of a shared-memory multiprocessor. >
Theories of the chemical bond and its true nature

Two different models for chemical bond were developed almost simultaneously after the Schrodinger formulation of quantum theory. These are known as the valence bond (VB) and molecular orbital (MO) theories. Initially chemists preferred the VB theory and ignored the MO theory. Now the VB theory is almost dropped out of currency. The context of discovery and Linus Pauling’s overpowering influence gave the VB theory its initial advantage. The current universal acceptance of the MO theory is due to its ability to provide direct interpretation of many different types of experiments now being pursued. In current research both localized bonds and delocalized charge distributions play important roles and the MO theory has been successful in giving a good account of both.
Red Si–rhodamine drug conjugates enable imaging in GFP cells

Here we evaluated a series of Si-derivatized rhodamine (SiR) dyes for their ability to visualize a model drug in live cells. We show that a charge neutral SiR derivative (but not others) can indeed be used to follow the intracellular location of the model therapeutic drug in GFP cells.
Impact of non-ignorable missingness on genetic tests of linkage and/or association using case-parent trios

The transmission/disequilibrium test was introduced to test for linkage disequilibrium between a marker and a putative disease locus using case-parent trios. However, parental genotypes may be incomplete in such a study. When parental information is non-randomly missing, due, for example, to death from the disease under study, the impact on type I error and power under dominant and recessive disease models has been reported. In this paper, we examine non-ignorable missingness by assigning missing values to the genotypes of affected parents. We used unrelated case-parent trios in the Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 simulated data for the Danacaa population. Our computer simulations revealed that the type I error of these tests using incomplete trios was not inflated over the nominal level under either recessive or dominant disease models. However, the power of these tests appears to be inflated over the complete information case due to an excess of heterozygous parents in dyads.
The Corrosion Contribution to Circumferential Cracking in Waterwall Boiler Tubes

Abstract Circumferential cracking of waterwall boiler tubes is an important problem facing modern electric utilities that operate coal-fired boilers. Analysis of the problem indicated that the crack mechanism had two components, thermal stress and corrosion. The corrosion component was studied and found to be localized sulfidation corrosion. The sulfidation mechanism occurs beneath a previously existing oxide layer and attacks the fireside surface grain boundaries. These corroded grain boundaries act as surface notches, which concentrate the thermal stresses at the grain boundaries, leading to crack initiation. The corrosion mechanism also contributes to circumferential crack growth by attacking the tube steel in front of the crack tip.
Fanning the flames: Inflammation in Cardiovascular Diseases

Leucocytes have occupied centre stage as protagonists in host defences and inflammatory diseases since the era of the 19th century pioneers including Virchow, Cohnheim, and Metchnikoff.1 These investigators helped establish the scientific basis of modern medicine through their careful morphologic observation, experimental manipulations, and deductive reasoning. The romance of the white corpuscle achieved popular culture status in the beginning of the 20th century, as reflected by George Bernard Shaw's exhortation to ‘stimulate the phagocytes’ in his 1906 play ‘The Doctor's Dilemma’.2 Application of the tools of biochemistry and cell biology enabled fleshing out the functions of phagocytes in the 20th century. Such studies discovered the ability of leucocytes to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid mediators, peptides, and cytokines, as well as granular constituents including plentiful proteinases. This potent armamentarium equips leucocytes to fight invaders, or when turned against the host, to produce or promote disease. The field of leucocyte biology has flourished during the last several decades. We now possess detailed knowledge of the way in which various leucocyte sub-classes enter, tarry within, and exit the vasculature and tissue compartments ( Figure 1 ). We have learned what signals beckon these cells to extravasate and delineated detailed mechanisms by which they do so. Leucocytes not only enter tissues but persist within them in response to specific signals, and may in some cases emigrate, each step subject to regulation by various interesting mechanisms and paths. Figure 1 ( A ) This panel shows a simplified ‘life cycle’ of neutrophil responding to an acute inflammatory or injurious stimulus. The role of the neutrophil typically plays out in a matter of hours. The neutrophil can exercise functions intravascularly, in interstitial spaces, in walled-off collections (abscesses), or within the parenchyma of a tissue. After recruitment and activation, neutrophils release many …
Model-free control of a flapping-wing flying microrobot

In this paper, we present a model-free experimental method to find a control strategy for achieving stable and autonomous, from a control perspective, flight of a dual-actuator biologically inspired flapping-wing flying microrobot. The main idea proposed in this work is the sequential tuning of parameters for an increasingly more complex strategy in order to sequentially accomplish more complex tasks: upright stable flight, straight vertical flight, and stable hovering with altitude and position control. Each term of the resulting multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) controller has a physical intuitive meaning and the control structure is relatively simple, such that, it could potentially be applied to other kinds of flapping-wing robots.
Learning from Neighboring Strokes: Combining Appearance and Context for Multi-Domain Sketch Recognition

We propose a new sketch recognition framework that combines a rich representation of low level visual appearance with a graphical model for capturing high level relationships between symbols. This joint model of appearance and context allows our framework to be less sensitive to noise and drawing variations, improving accuracy and robustness. The result is a recognizer that is better able to handle the wide range of drawing styles found in messy freehand sketches. We evaluate our work on two real-world domains, molecular diagrams and electrical circuit diagrams, and show that our combined approach significantly improves recognition performance.
An unusual presentation of rheumatoid meningitis.

Background Central nervous system involvement in rheumatoid arthritis can rarely occur in the absence of systemic disease. Rheumatoid meningitis has not been reported to present as spells of neurologic dysfunction. Patient and methods The authors describe a woman with a history of well-controlled rheumatoid arthritis who presented with headaches and spells of focal neurological dysfunction. Brain magnetic resonance imaging, brain biopsy, and temporal artery biopsy were required to make the diagnosis of rheumatoid meningitis with arteritis. Results Neuroimaging revealed abnormal leptomeningeal enhancement. Necrotizing granulomatous inflammation was seen on meningeal and brain biopsy. A temporal artery biopsy showed evidence of arteritis without giant cells. Conclusions The possibility of central nervous system involvement by rheumatoid arthritis should be considered in patients with a history of rheumatoid arthritis even in the absence of systemic symptoms. Making the diagnosis may require meningeal and brain biopsy. The condition may be steroid responsive.
Bringing Urban Schools into the Information Age: Planning for Technology vs. Technology Planning:

This paper describes the many pitfalls that school technology planning processes can engender, and presents an improved model for planning for the use of technology in K-12 schools. There is a need for such a model because current school technology planning efforts are often devoid of context, and lead to poorly conceived arrangements of technology that are not supportive of learning goals. The new model is called “Planning for Technology” as opposed to the more common “technology planning” in order to emphasize the secondary nature of technology in relation to other considerations, such as curriculum and pedagogy. The model we present is described in the context of a case study conducted in an urban K-8 school that was attempting to make more productive use of their existing technology, and to more effectively plan for future technology.
Motivation, Governance, and the Viability of Hybrid Forms in Open Source Software Development

Open source software projects rely on the voluntary efforts of thousands of software developers, yet we know little about why developers choose to participate in this collective development process. This paper inductively derives a framework for understanding participation from the perspective of the individual software developer based on data from two software communities with different governance structures. In both communities, a need for software-related improvements drives initial participation. The majority of participants leave the community once their needs are met, however, a small subset remains involved. For this set of developers, motives evolve over time and participation becomes a hobby. These hobbyists are critical to the long-term viability of the software code: They take on tasks that might otherwise go undone and work to maintain the simplicity and modularity of the code. Governance structures affect this evolution of motives. Implications for firms interested in implementing hybrid strategies designed to combine the advantages of open source software development with proprietary ownership and control are discussed.
Northern African climate at the end of the twenty-first century: an integrated application of regional and global climate models

A method for simulating future climate on regional space scales is developed and applied to northern Africa. Simulation with a regional model allows for the horizontal resolution needed to resolve the region's strong meridional gradients and the optimization of parameteri- zations and land-surface model. The control simulation is constrained by reanalysis data, and realistically represents the present day climate. Atmosphere-ocean general circu- lation model (AOGCM) output provides SST and lateral boundary condition anomalies for 2081-2100 under a business-as-usual emissions scenario, and the atmospheric CO2 concentration is increased to 757 ppmv. A nine- member ensemble of future climate projections is gene- rated by using output from nine AOGCMs. The consistency of precipitation projections for the end of the twenty-first century is much greater for the regional model ensemble than among the AOGCMs. More than 77% of ensemble members produce the same sign rainfall anomaly over much of northern Africa. For West Africa, the regional model projects wetter conditions in spring, but a mid- summer drought develops during June and July, and the heat stoke risk increases across the Sahel. Wetter conditions resume in late summer, and the likelihood of flooding increases. The regional model generally projects wetter conditions over eastern Central Africa in June and drying during August through September. Severe drought impacts parts of East Africa in late summer. Conditions become wetter in October, but the enhanced rainfall does not compensate for the summertime deficit. The risk of heat stroke increases over this region, although the threat is not projected to be as great as in the Sahel.
Mixed Finite-Element Time-Domain Method for Transient Maxwell Equations in Doubly Dispersive Media

We describe a mixed finite-element time-domain algorithm to solve transient Maxwell equations in inhomogeneous and doubly dispersive linear media where both the permittivity and permeability are functions of frequency. The mixed finite-element time-domain algorithm is based on the simultaneous use of both electric and magnetic field as state variables with a mix of edge (Whitney 1-form) and face (Whitney 2-form) elements for discretization of the coupled first-order Maxwell curl equations. The constitutive relations are decoupled from the curl equations and cast in terms of (auxiliary) ordinary differential equations involving time derivatives. Permittivity and permeability dispersion models considered here are quite general and recover Lorentz, Debye, and Drude models as special cases. The present finite-element time-domain algorithm also incorporates the perfectly matched layer absorbing boundary conditions in a natural way.
Knowledge of motivational interviewing.

Purpose: The overall goal of this pilot study was to determine the effects of a motivational interviewing (MI) educational program on MI knowledge. Design: Pretest/posttest intervention study. Method: Eleven participants completed a 20-item test prior to a 6-hour course on motivational interviewing. Six of those participants completed a second 2-hour educational session and a posttest. Findings: On average, participants increased their score from the pretest (mean [M] = 12.7, range 8-16; standard error [SE] = 1.256) to the posttest (M = 15.5, range 14-17; SE = 0.428). Although, this difference was not significant, t(5) = −2.49; p = .055; r = .55, given a standard level of significance of .5, the effect size was large, representing a substantive change. Conclusions: The motivational interviewing intervention was deemed clinically successful by the multidisciplinary committee based on the large effect size.
The BikeNet mobile sensing system for cyclist experience mapping

We describe our experiences deploying BikeNet, an extensible mobile sensing system for cyclist experience mapping leveraging opportunistic sensor networking principles and techniques. BikeNet represents a multifaceted sensing system and explores personal, bicycle, and environmental sensing using dynamically role-assigned bike area networking based on customized Moteiv Tmote Invent motes and sensor-enabled Nokia N80 mobile phones. We investigate real-time and delay-tolerant uploading of data via a number of sensor access points (SAPs) to a networked repository. Among bicycles that rendezvous en route we explore inter-bicycle networking via data muling. The repository provides a cyclist with data archival, retrieval, and visualization services. BikeNet promotes the social networking of the cycling community through the provision of a web portal that facilitates back end sharing of real-time and archived cycling-related data from the repository. We present: a description and prototype implementation of the system architecture, an evaluation of sensing and inference that quantifies cyclist performance and the cyclist environment; a report on networking performance in an environment characterized by bicycle mobility and human unpredictability; and a description of BikeNet system user interfaces. Visit [4] to see how the BikeNet system visualizes a user's rides.
HIV-2 RNA dimerization is regulated by intramolecular interactions in vitro.

Genomic RNA dimerization is an essential process in the retroviral replication cycle. In vitro, HIV-2 RNA dimerization is mediated at least in part by direct intermolecular interaction at stem–loop 1 (SL1) within the 59-untranslated leader region (UTR). RNA dimerization is thought to be regulated via alternate presentation and sequestration of dimerization signals by intramolecular base-pairings. One of the proposed regulatory elements is a palindrome sequence (pal) located upstream of SL1. To investigate the role of pal in the regulation of HIV-2 dimerization, we randomized this motif and selected in vitro for dimerization-competent and dimerization-impaired RNAs. Energy minimization folding analysis of these isolated sequences suggests the involvement of pal region in several short-distance intramolecular interactions with other upstream and downstream regions of the UTR. Moreover, the consensus predicted folding patterns indicate the altered presentation of SL1 depending on the interactions of pal with other regions of RNA. The data suggest that pal can act as a positive or negative regulator of SL1-mediated dimerization and that the modulation of base-pairing arrangements that affect RNA dimerization could coordinate multiple signals located within the 59-UTR.
The role of GM-CSF in adipose tissue inflammation.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a proinflammatory cytokine that has a central action to reduce food intake and body weight. Consistent with this, GM-CSF knockout mice are more obese and hyperphagic than wild-type mice. However, in lung, GM-CSF is an important determinant of macrophage infiltration. Consequently, we sought to determine if GM-CSF might contribute to adipose tissue macrophage accumulation, insulin resistance, and low-grade inflammation that occurs when animals gain weight on a high-fat diet (HFD). We therefore determined how targeted genetic disruption of GM-CSF can affect adipose tissue macrophage and cytokine gene expression as well as glucose homeostasis by performing hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps. The number of macrophages and CCR2 gene expression in adipose tissue of GM-CSF knockout mice was decreased relative to those in wild-type mice, and the adipocyte size of mesenteric fat was increased in GM-CSF knockout mice on a HFD compared with wild-type mice. The level of mRNA of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α was significantly lower in mesenteric fat of GM-CSF knockout mice on the HFD than in wild-type mice. Using the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique, GM-CSF knockout mice had greater overall insulin sensitivity. This increase was due to enhanced peripheral uptake and utilization of glucose rather than to increased hepatic insulin sensitivity. Collectively, the data suggest that the GM-CSF knockout mutation ameliorates peripheral insulin resistance in spite of increased adiposity by reducing inflammation in adipose tissue in response to a HFD.