cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Business of Being Made: Exploring the Production of Temporalities in Assisted Reproductive Technologies

As with other forms of biotechnology, assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have become a normative part of women's reproductive health care with critical impact on women's subjectivities. Yet as these technologies have proliferated, feminist and cultural theories have taken up the challenges of theorizing the subjectivities produced through these interventions, while psychoanalysis has remained relatively mute, and certainly uncritical. This article uses interview research conducted by a psychoanalyst with women and men who went through some form of ART. Of particular interest is the creation of liminal and asynchronous temporalities that situate people in spaces marked by a particular futurity of being “not yet pregnant.” Within this uncertainty, temporal forms of affect regulation emerge for self-preservation, especially for survivors of sexual trauma, for whom ART interventions and a “confusion of tongues” surrounding them can be profoundly retraumatizing.
Studies of DNA-protein interactions by gel electrophoresis

The use of gel electrophoresis in studies of nucleic acid-protein (especially DNA-protein) interactions has yielded much qualitative and quantitative information about a variety of such systems. The reduction in mobility of complexes relative to free DNA allows isolation and characterization of the complexes as well as determination of thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the interactions. This article begins with a review of recent applications of the "gel retardation" assay, by way of introduction to experiments in two areas. In the first, a hypothesis is tested regarding whether a DNA molecule with sizable proteins bound very near to each end migrates through a polyacrylamide gel differently than does the corresponding complex having the proteins in the middle of the DNA fragment. The data show little mobility differences for these types of complexes, implying that both may move in a linear, "snakelike", manner through the gel. The experiments also provide results pertaining to questions of DNA bending caused by the binding of the E. coli catabolite activator protein (CAP) and RNA polymerase to the lactose promoter region. It appears that DNA bending by CAP at its wild type lac binding site is retained in complexes where RNA polymerase is bound simultaneously at the lac UV5 promoter.
Promoting Individual and Group Growth in Community Problem-Solving Groups

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between group and individual growth resulting from community problem-solving efforts and two major independent variables: (1) agent self-actualization and (2) certain group trait variables. Data were collected from 12 rural community problem-solving groups working with Wisconsin Extension resource agents. Questionnaires and interviews provided the data. Individual and group growth was found to be highly related to: (1) small group size; (2) high ratings of problem importance by group members; (3) high member involvement and influence in the group. Agent self-actualization was in general not highly related to individual or group growth. Agent's actions outside of group meetings appear to be very important.
Television news ethics: A survey of television news directors

This study reports the findings of a survey of television news directors drawn from a Radio‐Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) sample. Rationale for the study centers around an apparent trend in television news to extend its ethical boundaries to include high proportions of sensationalism, privacy invasion, deception, unfair reporting, and the like. Five principles of journalism ethics— truth, justice, freedom, humaneness, and stewardship—are used as the framework for discussing results of 34 ethical questions. Results show most news directors clearly favor traditional ethical solutions to ethical questions related to truth, justice, freedom, and stewardship principles. There is more disagreement among news directors in responses related to humaneness.
Reading the Baptist Schism of 2000: Kierkegaardian Hermeneutics and Religious Freedom

In 2000, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) suffered a schism that was sparked by its revisions to the Baptist Faith and Message (BFM), a document that summarized religious beliefs of Southern Baptists. Conservative members of the denomination argued that revisions were necessary to bolster theological unity. However, many moderates and liberals claimed changes were excessively “fundamentalist” and threatened the denomination's core principles. This study utilizes Kierkegaard's concept of religious “freedom” to illuminate criticisms from moderates and liberals that the SBC used the BFM to formulate a creed, to restrict individuals' abilities to interpret the Bible, and to limit the autonomy of local churches.
Hydrochemical Evolution of Sodium-Sulfate and Sodium-Chloride Groundwater Beneath the Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Trans-Pecos, Texas, USA

Groundwater beneath the northern Chihuahuan Desert, Trans-Pecos, Texas, USA, occurs in both carbonate and siliciclastic aquifers beneath a thick unsaturated zone in shallow Rio Grande alluvium. Groundwater hydrochemical evolution was investigated by analyzing soils, soils leachates, bolson-fill sediments, water from the unsaturated zone, and groundwater from three major aquifers. Ionic relations, mineral saturation states, and geochemical modeling show that groundwater compositions are controlled by reactions in the unsaturated zone, mineralogy of unsaturated sediments and aquifers, position in the groundwater flow system, and extensive irrigation. Recharge to aquifers unaffected by irrigation is initially a Ca-HCO3 type as a result of dissolving carbonate surficial salts. With continued flow and mineral-water interaction, saturation with calcite and dolomite is maintained, gypsum is dissolved, and aqueous Ca and Mg are exchanged for adsorbed Na to produce a Na-SO4 water. Groundwater in Rio Grande alluvium is a Na-Cl type, reflecting river-water composition and the effects of irrigation, evapotranspiration, and surficial salt recycling. These results document two hydrochemical evolution paths for groundwater in arid lands. If recharge is dilute precipitation, significant changes in water chemistry can occur in unsaturated media, ion exchange can be as important as dissolution-precipitation reactions in determining groundwater composition, and mineral-water reactions ultimately control groundwater composition. If recharge is return flow of irrigation water that already contains appreciable solutes, mineral-water reactions are less important than irrigation-water composition in determining groundwater chemistry.
Nonviolence as a Civic Virtue: Gandhi and Reformed Liberalism

In my book The Virtue of Non-Violence: From Gautama to Gandhi, I reformu late Mohandas K. Gandhi's ethics of nonviolence from a virtue perspective and argue that he can be seen as a constructive postmodernist. I propose that virtue ethics is the best choice for a constructive postmodern social and political philosophy. Gandhi follows postmodernists in dissolving modernist distinctions between the inner/outer, private/public, religion/state, means/ends, rights/duties, and values/facts. Gandhi cannot be allied with the French postmodernists because he does not believe in the decentering and fragmentation of the self,
Design of a Retro Rocket Earth Landing System for the Orion Spacecraft

The Orion spacecraft is tasked with taking humans to space and returning them safely to Earth at a site in the continental United States. To ensure that the crew returns safely to Earth, a landing system must be designed to reduce the terminal velocity so that, upon landing, the impact loads are minimal and the capsule does not roll over. The retro rocket landing system presented here has been currently baselined because of its performance capabilities over other landing attenuation options such as airbags and landing struts. Preliminary fault analysis and mass and volume sizing led to a down-select of various rocket configurations to base mounted vertical rockets that would be exposed when the heatshield separated. Additionally, the design contains horizontal rockets through the backshell that would be exposed by blowout ports. The trades performed for the retro rocket system led to a design consisting of four 7000 lbf vertical rockets sized to reduce the vertical velocity from 25 ft/s to 5 ft/s. Additionally, four 9400-lbf horizontal rockets were sized to reduce horizontal velocities ranging from 0 to 58 ft/s to less than 20 ft/s. This paper summarizes the analysis that led to the selection of this concept as a preliminary design. This design will change as the Orion spacecraft design and landing system requirements are modified.
Intravenous quinidine: pharmacokinetic properties and effects on left ventricular performance in humans☆

Ten healthy volunteers received 300 mg. of quinidine base as the gluconate salt by 15-minute intravenous infusion. Physiologic variables monitored before, during, and for 24 hours after the infusion were: electrocardiogram, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, echocardiogram, and carotid pulse tracing. During quinidine infusion, mean ventricular rate increased by 18% (67.1 to 79.5 beats per minute) and corrected QT interval increased by 54% (0.44 to 0.68 sec.). QRS duration did not change significantly, nor did systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Ejection fraction (EF) measured by echocardiography did not decrease during quinidine infusion, but rather increased by 12% (0.58 to 0.65). Mean rate of circumferential fiber shortening (Vcf) likewise increased by 22%, from 1.15 to 1.40 per second. Over the 24-hours post-infusion, all monitored physiologic variables fluctuated considerably; in the case of EF and Vcf, apparently random variations over time were as great as those attributable to quinidine infusion. Mean (and range) kinetic variables for quinidine were: volume of distribution, 2.03 (1.47 to 3.00) liter/Kg.; elimination half-life, 6.3 (4.8 to 7.9) hours; total clearance, 3.8 (2.8 to 5.2) ml./min./Kg. Neither total nor unbound serum quinidine concentrations were significantly correlated with physiologic changes. Thus, intravenous quinidine in the doses studied did not have negative inotropic effects in a series of healthy humans.
Transposable Element Orientation Bias in the Drosophila melanogaster Genome

Nonrandom distributions of transposable elements can be generated by a variety of genomic features. Using the full D. melanogaster genome as a model, we characterize the orientations of different classes of transposable elements in relation to the directionality of genes. DNA-mediated transposable elements are more likely to be in the same orientation as neighboring genes when they occur in the nontranscribed region’s that flank genes. However, RNA-mediated transposable elements located in an intron are more often oriented in the direction opposite to that of the host gene. These orientation biases are strongest for genes with highly biased codon usage, probably reflecting the ability of such loci to respond to weak positive or negative selection. The leading hypothesis for selection against transposable elements in the coding orientation proposes that transcription termination poly(A) signal motifs within retroelements interfere with normal gene transcription. However, after accounting for differences in base composition between the strands, we find no evidence for global selection against spurious transcription termination signals in introns. We therefore conclude that premature termination of host gene transcription due to the presence of poly(A) signal motifs in retroelements might only partially explain strand-specific detrimental effects in the D. melanogaster genome.
Rotationally anisotropic second-harmonic-generation studies of the structure and electronic properties of bimetallic interfaces: Ag on Cu(110)

Rotationally anisotropic surface second-harmonic generation (SHG) has been measured from a clean, well-ordered Cu(110) single-crystal surface as a function of both surface temperature and Ag coverage. For the clean Cu(110) surface, the temperature dependence of the SH response at a fixed azimuthal angle can be correlated with a surface phase transformation. A large decrease in the rotationally anisotropic SH response as a function of surface temperature can be related to changes in the surface disorder. The results are compared with other studies of Cu(110) surface structure using both x-ray and He-atom scattering. The rotationally anisotropic SH response has also been measured as a function of Ag coverage with the Cu(110) surface temperature fixed at 300 K. The results closely follow the formation of an ordered Ag(111)-like overlayer, the nucleation of three-dimensional Ag nanoclusters (<20 angstroms thick) that enhance the anisotropic SH response, and the subsequent growth of a ~10 monolayer thick Ag film. Variations in the rotationally anisotropic SH response as a function of Ag coverage are used to separate the resonant surface electronic contributions to the nonlinear susceptibility of the interface.
Glomar Explorer: Candidate for deep drilling ship of the '80's

With aid of the outline elevations and the specifications listed on the cover figure, one can almost visualize the huge, bow-thrusted vessel that is slated to be the deep ocean drilling ship of the 1980's. The Glomar Explorer, former CIA ship, is to be converted for core drilling at incredible ocean depths of 2–4 km. The drilling will be ‘state-of-the-art’ in obtaining core under the most modern and safe drilling standards. It stretches the imagination to realize that safeguards such as blowout protectors, risers, and well head controls, which are now frequently employed in conventional offshore drilling, will be standard equipment on Explorer. When Explorer's drill touches bottom, at 4 km, it will penetrate and then extract core from an additional 1500 meters or more into the ocean floor. This heretofore inconceivable ship, platform, and rig is to be the replacement for the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) drill ship Glomar Challenger, which was responsible for the spectacular scientific progress in deep ocean studies during the 1970's.
Gas-Side Heat Transfer in Syngas, Hydrogen-Fired and Oxy-Fuel Turbines

To meet the performance goals of advanced fossil power generation systems; e.g. FutureGen, future coal-gas fired turbines will need to be operated at temperatures higher than those in the current commercial natural gas-fired systems. The working fluid in these future turbines could contain substantial moisture (steam) mixed with carbon dioxide, instead of air or nitrogen in conventional gas turbines. As a result, the aero-thermal characteristics among these new turbines are expected to be significantly different not only from the natural gas turbines but also dependent strongly on the compositions of turbine working fluids. Described in this paper is a quantitative comparison of thermal load on the external surface of turbine airfoil present in different power cycles the US Department of Energy plans for the next decade. The study is pursued with a computational simulation based on three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. While the heat transfer coefficient has shown to vary strongly along the surface of the airfoil, the projected trends were relatively comparable for airfoils in syngas and hydrogen-fired cycles. However, the heat transfer coefficient for the oxy-fuel cycle is found to be substantially higher, by about 50–60%, than its counterparts in syngas and hydrogen turbines. This is largely attributable to the high steam concentration in the turbine flow. This overall suggests that advances in cooling technology and thermal barrier coatings are critical for the developments of future coal-based turbine technologies with nearly zero emission.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Childhood socioeconomic status, telomere length, and susceptibility to upper respiratory infection

Abstract Low socioeconomic status (SES) during childhood and adolescence has been found to predict greater susceptibility to common cold viruses in adults. Here, we test whether low childhood SES is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length in adulthood, and whether telomere length mediates the association between childhood SES and susceptibility to acute upper respiratory disease in adulthood. At baseline, 196 healthy volunteers reported whether they currently owned their home and, for each year of their childhood, whether their parents owned the family home. Volunteers also had blood drawn for assessment of specific antibody to the challenge virus, and for CD8+CD28− T-lymphocyte telomere length (in a subset, n = 135). They were subsequently quarantined in a hotel, exposed to a virus (rhinovirus [RV] 39) that causes a common cold and followed for infection and illness (clinical cold) over five post-exposure days. Lower childhood SES as measured by fewer years of parental home ownership was associated with shorter adult CD8+CD28− telomere length and with an increased probability of developing infection and clinical illness when exposed to a common cold virus in adulthood. These associations were independent of adult SES, age, sex, race, body mass, neuroticism, and childhood family characteristics. Associations with infections and colds were also independent of pre-challenge viral-specific antibody and season. Further analyses do not support mediating roles for smoking, alcohol consumption or physical activity but suggest that CD8+CD28− cell telomere length may act as a partial mediator of the associations between childhood SES and infection and childhood SES and colds.
The economic potential of feedlot wastes utilization in agricultural production.

Abstract Feedlot wastes contain the essential elements for plant growth. Effective utilization of feedlot wastes as a source of fertilizer for crops is a function of the nutrient content in the manure, the mineralization rates of the organically combined molecules in the manure, and the cost associated with the management, hauling, and spreading of manure. This study, using simulation approach, evaluates the simultaneous effect of these variables in determining the economic potential of feedlot waste utilization in agricultural production. Least cost manure application is determined for various crops in four rotation systems and for three different nutrient content and mineralization rates. The results show that the cost associated with the management, hauling, and spreading of manure to satisfy the nutrient requirements for the crops considered in the four rotation systems is significantly less than the cost of commercial fertilizer. Depending on the mineralization rate and the rotation system considered, the cost of applying manure ranges between 20 and 35 per cent of the cost of commercial fertilizer. The results also show that the maximum distance of transferring manure from the feedlot to the field that will equate the cost of applying manure with cost of commercial fertilizer ranges between 10·0 to 78·4 km.
Expansion and Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Endoderm Progeny in a Microcarrier Stirred-Suspension Culture

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with their abilities for extensive proliferation and multi-lineage differentiation can serve as a renewable source of cellular material in regenerative medicine. However, the development of processes for large-scale generation of human ESCs (hESCs) or their progeny will be necessary before hESC-based therapies become a reality. We hypothesized that microcarrier stirred-suspension bioreactors characterized by scalability, straightforward operation, and tight control of the culture environment can be used for hESC culture and directed differentiation. Under appropriate conditions, the concentration of hESCs cultured in a microcarrier bioreactor increased 34- to 45-fold over 8 days. The cells retained the expression of pluripotency markers such as OCT3/4A, NANOG, and SSEA4, as assessed by quantitative PCR, immunocytochemistry, and flow cytometry. We further hypothesized that hESCs on microcarriers can be induced to definitive endoderm (DE) when incubated with physiologically relevant factors. In contrast to embryoid body cultures, all hESCs on microcarriers are exposed to soluble stimuli in the bulk medium facilitating efficient transition to DE. After reaching a peak concentration, hESCs in microcarrier cultures were incubated in medium containing activin A, Wnt3a, and low concentration of serum. More than 80% of differentiated hESCs coexpressed FOXA2 and SOX17 in addition to other DE markers, whereas the expression of non-DE genes was either absent or minimal. We also demonstrate that the hESC-to-DE induction in microcarrier cultures is scalable. Our findings support the use of microcarrier bioreactors for the generation of endoderm progeny from hESCs including pancreatic islets and liver cells in therapeutically useful quantities.
Capillary electrophoretic enantiomeric separations using the glycopeptide antibiotic, teicoplanin

Teicoplanin is the third in a series of macrocyclic glycopeptide antibiotics that has been evaluated as a chiral selector in capillary electrophoresis (CE). It was used to resolve over 100 anionic racemates at low selector concentrations. Like the other related glycopeptide antibiotics, its enantioselectivity tends to be opposite to that of the ansa-type antibiotics which prefers cationic compounds, particularly amines. Factors that affect teicoplanin-based enantioseparations include the selector concentration, pH, and the concentration of the organic modifier. The temperature and the nature and strength of the buffer are also known-to affect the stability of the chiral selector as well as the enantioseparation. Teicoplanin exhibited some features that were not noted with the other glycopeptide antibiotics. For example, it aggregates (forms micelles) in aqueous solutions and this influences its enantioselectivity. Unlike the other studied glycopeptides, teicoplanin precipitates in alcohol-water mixtures. It also binds less to the capillary wall than vancomycin as evidenced by the faster electroosmotic flow velocity. The micellization of teicoplanin is pH dependent so that the effect of pH on enantiorecognition is more complex for teicoplanin than for other chiral selectors. Also it is shown that the simple model proposed to explain the role of organic modifiers in cyclodextrin-based CE enantioseparations may not apply to these and other systems. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The solvent effect of methanol on the dissociation of Bis·H+ from 10 to 40°C

The solvent effect on the acidic dissociation of the protonated base tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) has been studied in aqueous mixtures of several organic constituents with qualitatively similar results. The dissociation constant of protonated 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (Bis), the analog of Tris with two hydroxy groups, has now been determined in 50 mass % methanol by emf measurements of cells without liquid junction in the temperature range 10 to 40°C. The conventional treatment of the data indicated abnormally low values for the activity coefficient of BisHCl, but an alternate method of calculation with allowance for ion pairing provided no advantage. The pKa in the range from T=283.15 to 313.15 K is given by $$pK_a = 3755.63/T - 24.5127 + 3.56855 In T$$ with a standard deviation of 0.0006 at the seven temperatures. Thermodynamic quantities for the dissociation process and corresponding quantities for the transfer from water to 50 mass % methanol were derived. The implications of the results in terms of selective solute-solvent stabilization are discussed.
Electrocatalytic determination of nitrite ion in basic solution

Abstract A sensitive cyclic voltammetric method for the detection of nitrite ion at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) in basic solution is reported. In a buffered 0.1 mM chromium(VI) medium, easily quantified peaks appear when nitrite is introduced. An unusual, sharply rising reduction peak at -1.65 V vs. SCE observed in a positive-going scan is utilized to produce a linear working curve in the range 10-5–10-4 M nitrite.
Controlled forgetting in the retarded

Abstract Three experiments investigated selective rehearsal by retardates in a serial memory task which was an adaptation of Bjork's (1970) paradigm involving instructions to forget a subset of the material presented. Since previous research indicated that retarded children do not selectively rehearse, and since Bjork's paradigm requires the use of a selective rehearsal strategy, it seemed likely that retardates would fail in this task. Experiment 1 showed that retardates could perform this task, and there was substantial evidence for cumulative rehearsal. The possibility of an averaging artifact in the data of Expt 1 was eliminated in Expt 2 by showing evidence of primacy and facilitation due to the forget instruction for individual Ss. Experiment 3 indicated that the facilitation due to the forget instruction was likely due to the effective use of a selective rehearsal strategy. These results contrast with other findings of no rehearsal in retarded children. It is suggested that response biases may be involved in previous studies of rehearsal.
Developmental Seizures Induced by Common Early-Life Insults: Short- and Long-Term Effects on Seizure Susceptibility

The immature brain is highly susceptible to seizures induced by a variety of insults, including hypoxia, fever, and trauma. Unlike early life epilepsy associated with congenital dysplasias or genetic abnormalities, insults induce a hyperexcitable state in a previously normal brain. Here we evaluate the epileptogenic effects of seizure-inducing stimuli on the developing brain, and the age and regional specificity of these effects.
Retention of vitamin C, iron, and β-carotene in vegetables prepared using different cooking methods

The true retention of vitamin C, iron, and β-carotene in five vegetables cooked by household microwave-steaming, stir-frying with oil, stir-frying with water, and boiling to equal degrees of overall acceptability were compared. Vegetables prepared by microwave-steaming and stir-frying with oil had significantly higher (means of 1.31 – to 1.83 fold) vitamin C retention values than those which were boiled. Iron retention was significantly higher (means of 1.17-to 1.34-fold) in four of five vegetables cooked by microwave-steaming rather than by boiling. β-carotene retention in four of five vegetables cooked by the different methods was similar. Overall, higher retention values were observed in vegetables cooked by microwave-steaming and stir-frying with oil.
Trimodal imaging system capable of quantitative phase imaging without 2π ambiguities

A neoteric approach to interferometric phase imaging unencumbered by 2π phase ambiguities is presented. This technique utilizes an actively controlled angular displacement glass plate positioned in the reference arm of an environmentally stabilized pseudoheterodyne Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The plate is continually adjusted to maintain a constant interferometric output phase, as a phase object in the sample arm is raster scanned. Using a 632.8 nm source, unwrapped phase images of translucent samples ranging from approximately 150 nm to 1.5 μm thick were obtained. This system is incorporated into a conventional near-field scanning optical microscope, which permits simultaneous phase, intensity, and surface morphology studies.
On the optimal solution of large eigenpair problems

Abstract The problem of approximation of an eigenpair of a large n × n matrix A is considered. We study algorithms which approximate an eigenpair of A using the partial information on A given by b, Ab, …, Ajb, j ⪡ n, i.e., by Krylov subspaces. A new algorithm called the generalized minimal residual (gmr) algorithm is analyzed. Its optimality for some classes of matrices is proved. We compare the gmr algorithm with the widely used Lanczos algorithm for symmetric matrices. The gmr and Lanczos algorithms cost essentially the same per step and they have the same stability characteristics. Since the gmr algorithm never requires more steps than the Lanczos algorithm, and sometimes uses substantially fewer steps, the gmr algorithm seems preferable. We indicate how to modify the gmr algorithm in order to approximate p eigenpairs of A. We also show some other problems which can be nearly optimally solved by gmr-type algorithms. The gmr algorithm for symmetric matrices was implemented and some numerical results are described. The detailed implementation, more numerical results, and the Fortran subroutine can be found in Kuczynski (“Implementation of the gmr Algorithm for Large Symmetric Eigenproblems,” Report, Columbia University, 1985) . The Fortran subroutine is also available via anonymous FTP as “pub/gmrval” on COLUMBIA-EDU [128.59.16.1] on the Arpanet.
Petite induction and recovery in the presence of high levels of ethidium bromide.

Ethidium bromide in the 80 to 100 ug/ml concentration range causes a rapid induction of respiratory deficient petite mutants in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Within 15–30 minutes, over 95% of the cells have become petite. During the continued exposure to ethidium bromide for a further 30–60 minutes, recovery of respiratory competence is observed in 60 to 70% of the cells. Prolonged exposure then leads to a final irreversible phase of petite formation. Both the initial petite induction and the recovery phase are strain dependent making genetic investigation of these processes possible.
Transient non-Newtonian thermohydrodynamic mixed lubrication of dynamically loaded journal bearings

A transient non-Newtonian THD theory of dynamically loaded journal bearings in mixed lubrication is presented. A mass conserving cavitation is included and shear thinning and viscoelasticity are characterized by the power law and the upper convected Maxwell models, respectively. The 2-D energy equation is solved with ISOADI (isothermal shaft and adiabatic bushing inner surface) boundary conditions. The journal is treated as a quasi-steady and lumped thermal element.
Comparison of pregnancy dating by last menstrual period, ultrasound scanning, and their combination.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of algorithms for the assignment of gestational age with the use of the last menstrual period and early ultrasound information. Study Design: Gestational age estimates that are based on last menstrual period, ultrasound scanning, or their combination were compared among women who attended prenatal care clinics in central North Carolina (n = 3655) by an evaluation of digit preference in the last menstrual period dates and a comparison of mean gestational age, preterm and postterm categories with the use of κ statistics, difference between actual and expected delivery date, and birth weight among subgroups with discrepant assignments. Results: Last menstrual period reports show digit preference, assign gestation 2.8 days longer on average than ultrasound scanning, yield substantially more postterm births (12.1% vs 3.4%), and predict delivery among term births less accurately. Misclassification of births as postterm was more common in younger women, those of nonoptimal prepregnancy body weight, cigarette smokers, and women who reported last menstrual period using preferred dates of the month. Conclusion: Last menstrual period estimates of the duration of gestation are subject to both random error and a systematic tendency to overstate the duration of gestation, most likely because of delayed ovulation. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:1660-6.)
LPS-induced cytokine levels are repressed by elevated expression of HSP70 in rats: possible role of NF-κB

Heat shock protein (HSP)70 provides a spectrum of protection against any of a variety of stresses, preventing damage measured at the level of molecules, cells, as well as whole organism. We have previously reported that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lethality in rats is prevented by a previous exposure to a mild thermal stress and that a thermal stress sufficient to induce HSP70 expression in the liver is accompanied by an inhibition of endotoxin-mediated cytokines and modulation of febrile response. However, the effect of HSP70 upregulation on cytokine expression in animals is unknown. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effect of HSP70 overexpression with adenovirus administration on LPS-induced increase in cytokines levels in animals. In the present study, Sprague–Dawley rats were infected with either the control AdTrack or Ad70 virus that directs the expression of human HSP70. After a 5-day incubation, animals were injected with either saline alone or LPS (50 μg/kg). Four hours later, blood samples were drawn and plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-6 or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our data demonstrate for the first time that HSP70 overexpression with adenovirus injection prevented the LPS-induced increase in TNF-α and IL-6 levels in rats. Repression of LPS-induced cytokines expressions by HSP70 upregulation was associated with inhibited IκBα degradation and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p65 nuclear translocation in liver, suggesting that HSP70 overexpression may regulate LPS-induced cytokines expression through NF-κB pathway. We conclude that the effects of heat stress-induced increase in HSP70 protein expression on LPS-induced cytokine elaboration in whole animals can be reproduced by the actions of a single gene product.
Transgenic host response to gene VI of two caulimoviruses

Three separate laboratories have reported that transformation of Nicotiana tabacum with gene VI of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) causes the induction of a chlorotic mottling syndrome similar to the chlorosis induced by virus infections (Goldberg et al., 1987; Baughman et al., 1988; Takahashi et al., 1989). A relationship was established by these investigators between the level of expression of the gene VI protein and the presence of the disease syndrome. These observations suggested that P62, the gene VI protein, perturbs plants to cause disease and that perhaps gene VI is a chlorosis gene that accounts for the chlorotic effects commonly associated with the diseases induced by caulimoviruses. In the present study we have transformed additional plants, both systemically susceptible and non-hosts species, to further investigate this disease induction phenomenon.
Long-Term Disability Claims Rates and the Consumption-to-Wealth Ratio

A framework for linking long-term disability (LTD) claims rates to the macroeconomy using the consumption-to-wealth ratio is developed from financial economic and option theories. Financial economic theory suggests that the consumption-to-wealth ratio reflects consumption smoothing and reveals expectations about future wealth. For individuals contemplating submitting an LTD claim, the expected payoff to exercising this insurance option is a function of their expectations about their future wealth. The lower (higher) their expectations about future wealth, the higher (lower) the expected payoff, and the higher (lower) claims rates are likely to be. Using cointegration analysis, we find that LTD claims rates and the consumption-to-wealth ratio are linked in a long-run equilibrium. When the consumption-to-wealth ratio is high (low), LTD claims rates are low (high).
Estimating pore-space gas hydrate saturations from well log acoustic data

Relating pore-space gas hydrate saturation to sonic velocity data is important for remotely estimating gas hydrate concentration in sediment. In the present study, sonic velocities of gas hydrate–bearing sands are modeled using a three-phase Biot-type theory in which sand, gas hydrate, and pore fluid form three homogeneous, interwoven frameworks. This theory is developed using well log compressional and shear wave velocity data from the Mallik 5L-38 permafrost gas hydrate research well in Canada and applied to well log data from hydrate-bearing sands in the Alaskan permafrost, Gulf of Mexico, and northern Cascadia margin. Velocity-based gas hydrate saturation estimates are in good agreement with Nuclear Magneto Resonance and resistivity log estimates over the complete range of observed gas hydrate saturations.
TissueCypher(™): A systems biology approach to anatomic pathology.

Background: Current histologic methods for diagnosis are limited by intra- and inter-observer variability. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods are frequently used to assess biomarkers to aid diagnoses, however, IHC staining is variable and nonlinear and the manual interpretation is subjective. Furthermore, the biomarkers assessed clinically are typically biomarkers of epithelial cell processes. Tumors and premalignant tissues are not composed only of epithelial cells but are interacting systems of multiple cell types, including various stromal cell types that are involved in cancer development. The complex network of the tissue system highlights the need for a systems biology approach to anatomic pathology, in which quantification of system processes is combined with informatics tools to produce actionable scores to aid clinical decision-making. Aims: Here, we describe a quantitative, multiplexed biomarker imaging approach termed TissueCypher™ that applies systems biology to anatomic pathology. Applications of TissueCypher™ in understanding the tissue system of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and the potential use as an adjunctive tool in the diagnosis of BE are described. Patients and Methods: The TissueCypher™ Image Analysis Platform was used to assess 14 epithelial and stromal biomarkers with known diagnostic significance in BE in a set of BE biopsies with nondysplastic BE with reactive atypia (RA, n = 22) and Barrett's with high-grade dysplasia (HGD, n = 17). Biomarker and morphology features were extracted and evaluated in the confirmed BE HGD cases versus the nondysplastic BE cases with RA. Results: Multiple image analysis features derived from epithelial and stromal biomarkers, including immune biomarkers and morphology, showed significant differences between HGD and RA. Conclusions: The assessment of epithelial cell abnormalities combined with an assessment of cellular changes in the lamina propria may serve as an adjunct to conventional pathology in the assessment of BE.
The Ties That Bind Community, Topos, and Municipal Dissolution

This article examines cases of municipal dissolution and the impact of the loss of government on a place, its people, and the surrounding area. A framework of three components of municipal community—people, place, and government—is presented. The interrelation of these elements is explored through cases where not all elements are present. Particular attention is given to the removal of government from community through municipal dissolution. The impacts of dissolution on community, and its potential as a governance strategy, are addressed.
Micropropagation of juvenile and mature american beech

The purpose of this study was to micropropagate juvenile and mature American beech (Fagus grandifoliaEhrh.) resistant to beech bark disease. Shoot tips (from juvenile seedlings and root sprouts of mature trees) and buds from branches of mature trees, were cultured and multiplied on aspen culture medium supplemented with 0.89M 6-benzyladenine, 0.27M-naphthaleneacetic acid, 20 g l 1 sucrose, and 7 g l 1 Difco Bacto-agar. Rooting of shoots was achieved using a 1 minute dip in 12.3 mm indole-3-butyric acid, followed by culture in a Horticube saturated with half-strength aspen culture medium containing 20 g l 1 sucrose. Thirteen of 33 mature genotypes were established from shoot tips taken from root sprouts, and six of 41 were established from mature buds. Plantlets of six genotypes were successfully acclimatized to a growth room for three months. Abbreviations:AC ‐ aspen culture medium; BBD ‐ beech bark disease; WS ‐ Wolter Skoog medium
XAFS Investigation of Platinum Impurities in Phosphate Glasses

The coordination environments of Pt impurities in a ternary K-aluminophosphate (KAP) glass and commercial K,Mg-aluminophosphate (KMAP) laser glasses have been investigated by Pt L{sub III}-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Pt valence in the KAP glass depends on the melt preparation atmosphere. Pt{sup 4+} ions form in melts that are bubbled with oxygen, whereas metallic Pt particles form when these same samples are remelted in air. Residual chlorine in KMAP glasses has an effect on Pt bonding. In chlorine-free samples, Pt{sup 4+} ions are coordinated with {approx}5.4 (8) oxygen atoms with an average distance of 2.02 (1) {angstrom}. For glasses with low chlorine contents ( 5, only Cl nearest neighbors are observed. Pt{sup 4+} ions in these latter glasses are coordinated by {approx}5.5 (8) Cl atoms at an average distance of 2.27 (2) {angstrom}.
Online bioterrorism continuing medical education: Development and preliminary testing

Objective: Education to achieve awareness and competency in responding to incidents of bioterrorism is important for health care professionals, especially emergency physicians and nurses, who are likely first points of medical contact. The authors describe the development of a computer-based approach to initial education, incorporating a screensaver to promote awareness and a Web-based approach to provide initial content competency in the areas of smallpox and anthrax. Methods: Screensavers were developed and tested on emergency department rotating senior medical students and internal medicine interns. Conceptually, screensavers were designed as "billboards" for attracting attention to the educational domain. Five rotating images sequenced at five-second intervals incorporated a teaser question and an interactive toolbar. An interactive toolbar was linked to a Web site that provided content on smallpox and anthrax for hospital-based specialties (emergency physicians and nurses, infection control practitioners, pathologists, and radiologists). The content included both summary and comprehensive content as well as free continuing education credits in an online, specialty-specific, case-scenario format with remediation pop-up boxes. Results: Formal testing indicated that the screensaver and Web site combination deployed on computers in the emergency department and the events of the fall of 2001 significantly increased the percentage of correct responses to five standardized bioterrorism questions. Formal evaluation with a randomized trial and long-term follow-up is ongoing. Conclusions: Screensavers and Web sites can be used to increase awareness of bioterrorism. Web-based education may provide an effective means of education for bioterrorism.
Asymptotically fast algorithms for spherical and related transforms

The problem of computing the convolution of two functions on the sphere by means of a spherical transform is considered. Such convolutions are applicable to surface recognition and the location of both rotated and translated patterns in an image. The authors give convolution theorems that relate the spherical transform to convolution, sampling theorems that allow the exact computation of the transform for band-limited functions, and algorithms with asymptotically improved running time for the exact computation of the harmonic expansion. The net result is an O(n/sup 1.5/(log n)/sup 2/) algorithm for the exact computation of the convolution of two bandlimited functions sampled at n points in accordance with the sampling theorem. The techniques developed are applicable to computing other transforms, such as the Laguerre, Hermite, and Hankel transforms. >
Sufficiency of vertex matrix check for robust stability of interval matrices via the concept of Qualitative Robustness

This paper revisits the issue of robust stability analysis of linear interval parameter matrices, which used to be a highly active research topic in the eighties and nineties. The reason for this revived interest in this topic is that the recent research by the authors on Qualitative Stability, a topic of interest in the field of population/community dynamics in ecology is shown to shed considerable insight with possible new results in the robust stability of matrix families. Thus in this paper, we expand on the two notions of robustness introduced recently by the authors, namely `Qualitative Robustness' and `Quantitative Robustness' and investigate their interdependence. Specifically, it is shown that for a class of matrix families with specified `Qualitative Robustness' indices, it is sufficient to check the stability of only `vertex' matrices (i.e. an extreme point solution) to guarantee the robust stability of the entire interval matrix family. This is indeed deemed important and significant because with this result, we can easily identify for which `interval matrix families' we need to resort to more sophisticated stability check algorithms, and for which families we can get away with a `vertex matrix check' (i.e. an `extreme point solution'). It turns out that this class of `qualitative stable' matrices that admit `vertex solution' for its `quantitative robustness' is quite large. Thus the results of this paper offer new insight into the nature of interactions and interconnections in a matrix family on its robust stability. Encouraged by the results of this paper, continued research is underway in using this interdependence of `qualitative robustness' and `quantitative robustness' in the design of robust controllers for engineering systems.
Apparent habitat extensions of dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in response to climate transients in the California Current

Dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus , a globally distributed, fast growing, predatory species has extended its habitat poleward off the west coast of North America in response to atmosphere-ocean climate transients that can be measured throughout the Pacific Ocean basin. Poleward habitat extension is measured by the availability of dolphinfish to southern California Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (CPFV) anglers. Before 1972 the annual CPFV dolphinfish catch during the July-October fishing season seldom exceeded a few hundred fish. Thereafter, more than 103 dolphinfish were taken in 23 of the next 25 seasons. The next shift was in 1990 when catch exceeded 3.0 x 104 fish. More than 2.0 x 104 fish were reported in three of the next seven seasons. The apparent habitat extension coincides with increased ocean temperatures, forced by increases in North Pacific cyclogenesis and increases in downwelling coastal-trapped long wave transmission from the equatorial ocean. Interannual analysis shows that habitat expansion is associated with a decrease in upwelling off northern Mexico, which may be locally or remotely forced. Dolphinfish habitat shifts poleward in response to Pacific climate transients, reflecting global environmental trends. If subtropical ocean surface layers continue to warm throughout the world, as observed off southern California and northern Mexico, a global increase in the dolphinfish habitat is expected.
Concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locoregionally advanced salivary gland malignancies

Background Locoregionally advanced salivary gland malignancies have a poor prognosis despite aggressive therapy. Herein we report our experience in treating high-risk salivary gland malignancies with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Methods Medical records of 15 patients with salivary gland malignancies treated with CRT at our institution between 1997 and 2010 were analyzed. Results All patients had high-risk characteristics: 80% were stage IV, 54% were ≥N2, and 47% were unresectable and were treated with definitive CRT. At 2 years, overall survival (OS) was 67%, disease-free survival (DFS) was 44%, and local control was 76%. There were no treatment-related deaths, and patients experienced expected acute side effects. Conclusion CRT for salivary gland malignancies has acceptable toxicity, CRT is proven beneficial for many other cancers, and some salivary gland malignancies are clinically responsive to chemotherapy. CRT, therefore, should be considered for treatment of high-risk salivary gland malignancies. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011