cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bi-directional optimal reduction of dimensionality in multi-channel seismic signal processing using neural networks

Most previous approaches to dimensionality-reduction of multi-channel seismic data assume a linear constraint surface, such as principal-component analysis. Such methods buy simplicity at a sacrifice of generality, which will not work with a non-linear constraint surface. Even with such a disadvantage, the traditional methods can, in the linear cases, eventually map the multi-dimensional data to an eigenspace of a lower dimension with no loss of useful information. One previous nonlinear dimensionality-reduction method based on neural networks can simply map the multi-dimensional data to a constraint surface whose proper dimension can be determined only by experiments when prior information about the constraint surface inherent in the multi-dimensional data is sparse. When the selected dimension is not proper, there will be much loss of useful information. Based on the self-organizing properties of neural networks and the multi-layered perceptrons' ability of internal representation of the input patterns in the hidden units, a more general method is proposed to achieve optimal dimensionality-reduction which can discover the optimal dimension and type of constraint inherent in the multi-dimensional data with the least loss of information, and map the data from a n-dimensional feature space onto a m-dimensional 'generalized-eigenspace' (m < n) embedded in the n-dimensional feature space. This new dimensionality-reducer consists of two parallel neural nets which, respectively from opposite directions, search for the optimal dimension and type of the 'generalized-eigenspace'. The improved error back-propagation algorithm is used to update weights between the units of the different layers. A modified simulated annealing procedure is used to change the sizes of the two middle hidden layers of the two parallel neural nets so as to achieve finally an optimal dimensionality-reduction. Real multi-channel seismic data are used to test this new approach. The results demonstrate its usefulness and advantages over the previous neural dimensionality-reducer.
Debris thickness of glaciers in the Everest area (Nepal Himalaya) derived from satellite imagery using a nonlinear energy balance model

Abstract. Debris thickness is an important characteristic of debris-covered glaciers in the Everest region of the Himalayas. The debris thickness controls the melt rates of the glaciers, which has large implications for hydrologic models, the glaciers' response to climate change, and the development of glacial lakes. Despite its importance, there is little knowledge of how the debris thickness varies over these glaciers. This paper uses an energy balance model in conjunction with Landsat7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) satellite imagery to derive thermal resistances, which are the debris thickness divided by the thermal conductivity. Model results are reported in terms of debris thickness using an effective thermal conductivity derived from field data. The developed model accounts for the nonlinear temperature gradient in the debris cover to derive reasonable debris thicknesses. Fieldwork performed on Imja–Lhotse Shar Glacier in September 2013 was used to compare to the modeled debris thicknesses. Results indicate that accounting for the nonlinear temperature gradient is crucial. Furthermore, correcting the incoming shortwave radiation term for the effects of topography and resampling to the resolution of the thermal band's pixel is imperative to deriving reasonable debris thicknesses. Since the topographic correction is important, the model will improve with the quality of the digital elevation model (DEM). The main limitation of this work is the poor resolution (60 m) of the satellite's thermal band. The derived debris thicknesses are reasonable at this resolution, but trends related to slope and aspect are unable to be modeled on a finer scale. Nonetheless, the study finds this model derives reasonable debris thicknesses on this scale and was applied to other debris-covered glaciers in the Everest region.
‘Upon this (foundering) rock’: Minneapolis Teamsters and the transformation of US business unionism, 1934–1941

This article examines an understudied consequence of the labor upsurge of the 1930s – namely, the way in which the conflict between conservative business unionism and more radical alternatives of the period fundamentally transformed business unionism itself. The author illustrates this through a case study of the struggle within the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) between the business unionist leadership and an insurgent movement spearheaded by the Trotskyist leaders of Minneapolis Local 544. In order to defeat the insurgents, the IBT leadership violated their commitment to anti-statist voluntarism, using newly enacted labor policies to mobilize coercive state power in their favor. This episode foreshadowed expanded state intervention in union affairs in the post-war period and marked the ascendancy of a new model of industrial business unionism. The latter blended innovative tactics borrowed from radical challengers with the narrow economism and political conservatism of its craft business u...
ON USING THE BLACK-SCHOLES MODEL TO VALUE WARRANTS

In this paper ad hoc procedures that employ the Black-Scholes model in the valuation of warrants are examined. Findings indicate that the Black-Scholes model unadjusted for either dividends or dilution undervalues out-of-the-money warrants with short expirations. An adjustment for dilution improves the valuation for longer-term warrants of firms that do not pay dividends. For dividend-paying firms, findings suggest that it is better to adjust for dividends than for dilution when warrants are in the money or have expirations exceeding four years.
Scanning silicon micromirror using a bidirectionally movable magnetic microactuator

In this work, a scanning silicon micromirror using a bi- directionally movable magnetic microactuator is designed, fabricated and characterized. Although there have been technical difficulties in realizing bi-directional motion in magnetic MOEMS devices for the lack of a suitable structuring technique for permanent magnet components, we overcome those by using UV-LIGA process of thick CONiMnP alloy films and arrays. Based on this new fabrication technique, hard magnetic films or arrays are directly electroplated on silicon cantilever beams in order to compose moving mirror parts. A micromirror is constructed by combining the beam with an electromagnet. According to the change of current in electromagnets, the micromirrors are deflected either upward or downward depending on the direction of magnetic field generated by the electromagnets. Optical properties of the scanning mirrors are measured by a He-Ne laser beam source with the wavelength of 632.8 nm and an optical power detector. A prototype scanning micromirror shows +/- 60 micrometers deflections at the current of +/- 100 mA. The Gaussian profile of the laser beam is well preserved. The reflectance is above 98 percent for the mirrors coated with aluminum films.
Understanding the effects of backpressure on PEM fuel cell reactions and performance

Abstract The effects of the operating backpressure on PEM fuel cell reactions and performance are analyzed using both theoretical and semi-empirical approaches. The change in fuel cell operation backpressure can affect the reversible thermodynamic voltage, exchange current density of the electrode reactions, the membrane conductivity, as well as mass transfer limiting current densities. Backpressure can affect the fuel cell open circuit voltage (OCV) by affecting theoretical potential, mixed O 2 –Pt voltage drop as well as the H 2 crossover induced voltage drop. The magnitude of the fuel cell voltage change with backpressure in both electrode kinetic and mass transfer ranges is determined mainly by both the fuel cell reaction exchange current densities and the mass transfer limiting current densities. Theoretical modeling indicates that when the fuel cell is controlled at a low backpressure or backpressure range, the change in backpressure will lead to a larger fuel cell voltage change than that of a fuel cell controlled at a high backpressure range. Overall, an increase in the fuel cell backpressure will result in a performance enhancement such as higher open circuit voltage, and kinetic cell voltages at higher backpressures. However, negative effects such as high crossover, sealing problems, parasitic power losses, higher cost for compression and enlarged volume of the fuel cell system can occur with a higher operating backpressure.
Genetic analysis of hyperoxic acute lung injury survival in reciprocal intercross mice.

Acute lung injury (ALI) and its most severe presentation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, represent a full spectrum of a complex and devastating illness, with associated mortality that still h...
Neurofibromatosis type 1. Part I. Clinical and central nervous system manifestations

From the Department of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology and the Department of Dermatology, Indiana University Medical Centera; and the Department of Oral Surgery, Medicine and Pathology, Indiana University Dental School.b Reprint requests: Karen S. Caldemeyer, MD, Department of Radiology, University Hospital, 550 N University Blvd, Room 0279, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5253. E-mail: kcaldeme@iupui.edu. J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;44:1025-6. Copyright © 2001 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. 0190-9622/2001/$35.00 + 0 16/1/111615 doi:10.1067/mjd.2001.111615 NEUROFIBROMATOSES Genetic nerve-sheath disorders; two distinct forms—neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) and neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) Neurofibromatosis type 1 (von Recklinghausen or peripheral disease) is characterized by cafe-au-lait macules (CALMs), cutaneous neuromas, and neurofibromas. Clinical pearls • Prevalence, 1/2500 to 1/7800 • Autosomal dominant inheritance (gene on 17q) • Many cases sporadic • Variable clinical presentation • CALMs • Present at birth or developing during infancy and early childhood (≥ 5 CALMs found in 1.8% newborns, 25%-40% in schoolchildren, 14% in adults with NF1) • CALMs may be seen in persons unaffected by NF1 • Axillary and flexural freckling • Pathognomonic of NF1 • May be present in children • Present in 80% of adults • Four types of neurofibromas • Cutaneous neurofibromas—superficial, soft, button-like flesh-colored papules, no malignant potential, may be cosmetic problem SPECIAL SERIES
Can improvements in schools spur neighborhood revitalization? Evidence from building investments

Abstract For most households in the U.S. the public school to which they send their children is tied to the geographic location of their home. Economic theory predicts that households take into account the quality of the public school when making residential decisions. A large body of literature has documented that school quality alters the demand for housing in a neighborhood as measured by the capitalization of school quality into house prices. Demand for schools may also affect the quality of the housing stock by creating incentives for property owners to better maintain their buildings and units. Exploration of this potential relationship has been absent from the discussion on how schools influence communities. I attempt to fill this gap through investigating the relationship between school quality and capital investments in the housing stock. To investigate whether a relationship exists between schools and property owner capital investment activity, I rely on detailed building level investment data in New York City as well as measures of school performance. I explore whether consistent measures of school performance are associated with higher levels of investment activity. To identify whether this relationship is causal, that good schools can spur investment activity, I incorporate a boundary discontinuity identification strategy. Further, I test whether households respond to changes in school performance, exploring whether improvements in test scores over a five-year period are associated with higher levels of residential investments. Finally, I control for differences in populations across attendance zone boundaries through incorporating information on the composition of students at each school. My results suggest a significant relationship between performance in math and English Language Arts and property owner capital investment behavior. In my preferred specification, I estimate that a one standard deviation improvement in test scores is associated with a 2.5 percent increase in dollars invested in a building.
DistributeDJ: A Mobile Group Music Making Toolkit

The activity of technology enhanced group music making can offer intriguing insights into musical interaction, new ideas on performance, and more easily provide non expert musicians the opportunity to participate. Collaborative improvisations often have a looser structure then traditionally composed score based music, but in most cases there are still sets of structural frameworks to be followed. DistributeDJ, a group music service, is proposed to aid in the creation and execution of flexible collaborative mobile music performances and attract a broader audience participation. Designed to run through an Internet client, the system provides a communication layer between a central performance server and multiple clients that are used to actively manipulate the contents of delivered audio through participant's mobile interface.
The Role of Searching Behavior in Concept Learning.

(1971). The role of searching behavior in concept learning. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 10, Concepts and Concept Learning, pp. 138-143.
The β2-Adrenergic Receptor Mediates Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Activation via Assembly of a Multi-receptor Complex with the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

Abstract Many G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) activate MAP kinases by stimulating tyrosine kinase signaling cascades. In some systems, GPCRs stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation by inducing the “transactivation” of a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK). The mechanisms underlying GPCR-induced RTK transactivation have not been clearly defined. Here we report that GPCR activation mimics growth factor-mediated stimulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with respect to many facets of RTK function. β2-Adrenergic receptor (β2AR) stimulation of COS-7 cells induces EGFR dimerization, tyrosine autophosphorylation, and EGFR internalization. Coincident with EGFR transactivation, isoproterenol exposure induces the formation of a multireceptor complex containing both the β2AR and the “transactivated” EGFR. β2AR-mediated EGFR phosphorylation and subsequent β2AR stimulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 are sensitive to selective inhibitors of both EGFR and Src kinases, indicating that both kinases are required for EGFR transactivation. β2AR-dependent signaling to ERK1/2, like direct EGF stimulation of ERK1/2 activity, is sensitive to inhibitors of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, suggesting that signaling downstream of both the EGF-activated and the GPCR-transactivated EGFRs requires a productive engagement of the complex with the cellular endocytic machinery. Thus, RTK transactivation is revealed to be a process involving both association of receptors of distinct classes and the interaction of the transactivated RTK with the cells endocytic machinery.
Blame attribution in intentional and unintentional traumatic brain injury: Longitudinal changes and impact on subjective well-being.

Objective: Examine longitudinal changes in attribution of blame to self and others, and concern over cause of injury, in both intentional (violence-related) and unintentional (accidental) traumatic brain injury (TBI); investigate the relation of these factors to subjective well-being outcomes at 1 year post-TBI. Study Design: Prospective, multicenter, observational study with longitudinal component. Participants: 99 men with unintentional TBI and 25 men with intentional TBI who sustained moderate to severe injuries, received inpatient rehabilitation, and provided data in both acute rehabilitation and 1-year follow-up. Measures: Blame Attribution Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire-30, Neurobehavioral Functioning Inventory--Revised Depression Scale, Satisfaction With Life Scale, community participation measures. Results: At both time points, participants with intentional TBI blamed others more while those with unintentional TBI blamed themselves more (trend). Other-blame at 1 year predicted depression but not life satisfaction. Self-blame was not a significant predictor of depression or life satisfaction. Increasing concern over cause/blame for injury from acute rehabilitation to follow-up was associated with high levels of emotional distress. Conclusion: Blame attribution issues may be markers of TBI-related emotional distress regardless of injury etiology, particularly when others are blamed for the injury and/or concerns over cause of injury do not resolve over time.
Preweaning experience in the control of mating preferences by genes in the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) of genes of the mouse influences mate choice. Typically, inbred males prefer to mate with females that differ from themselves at this gene complex. Previous studies documenting differences between mating preferences of inbred and F2-generation males, as well as a possible effect of ambient mouse odors on preference, indirectly implicate rearing history as an influence in the determination of mating preference according to MHC types. To test directly the role of rearing history, entire litters were fostered onto parents of the same or different MHC types. Fostering of males onto parents of different MHC types reversed the natural preference; under these conditions, matings with females of the same MHC type as the fostered male were more frequent. Thus, male mating bias appears to be acquired during early development through exposure to parental MHC-controlled signals. Preliminary studies of mating biases in fostered females demonstrated a mating bias that was unaffected by fostering experiences. These studies indicate that the same set of genes involved in regulation of immune function also determines, in part, mate choice. A male bias in favor of females whose MHC types differ from the male's parental MHC types could serve to promote heterozygosity at the MHC.
A probabilistic approach to system maturity assessment

Prescriptive metrics have been widely accepted and used in engineering management to assess the progress and success of engineering efforts. However, these types of metrics have two major challenges: human subjectivity and confidence in data estimates. In this paper we use a system-focused prescriptive metric entitled System Readiness Level (SRL) [a function of Technology and Integration Readiness Levels (TRL/IRL)], to propose a probabilistic approach to estimating the development maturity of a system of interest. In order to reduce the subjective impact, we propose a probabilistic method by assigning probability distributions to the estimated TRLs and IRLs to reflect the reality of evaluators' subjective estimates. Based on these probability distributions of TRLs and IRLs, a Monte-Carlo simulation methodology is used to assess the maturity status of the whole system and its components. An illustrative example is examined to show the proposed methodology and to investigate its implication to engineering management. The paper concludes with a discussion of the added value of this new methodology, its limitation, and future work. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 14 © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bacterial cells: The migrating kinase and the master regulator

It is becoming clear that, as in eukaryotes, proteins in bacterial cells are targeted to specific cellular locations. The most recently discovered example is a remarkable histidine kinase that oscillates between polar and global distributions while temporally regulating transcription and DNA replication in Caulobacter.
The tarnished gold standard for GM risk assessment.

The American public’s assessment of the accuracy of news stories is now at its lowest level in more than two decades, and their views of media bias and independence now match previous lows, according to a September 2009 Pew Research Center survey. Only 29% of Americans say that news organizations usually get the facts right, while 63% say that news stories often are inaccurate. Although there are no similar survey data for "peer-reviewed journals" -- which submit articles to review by independent experts before they are accepted for publication and which have long been considered science’s “gold standard” – it is not uncommon for articles that are egregiously, obviously flawed to find their way into prominent international scientific publications. If the articles have policy implications, misinformation is quickly and widely propagated; feeds the propagandizing of opportunistic, anti-technology activists, and can have dire consequences.
Changes in the Pattern of Egg Production

Abstract GREAT progress has been made in the past fifty years in increasing the annual egg production of our laying flocks. Card (1917) analyzed the records of 1387 White Leghorns in the first five egg laying tests at Storrs, Connecticut covering the period 1911–16 and reported an average annual egg production of 157.7 eggs for those birds completing the test year. In contrast to these early test records, a number of random sample tests in 1962–63 reported hen housed production figures of 230 eggs or more per bird in a period of less than twelve months (500 days from date of hatch). The increase in farm flock averages in this same period has been much greater. The average hen in the United States in the 1911–16 period laid about 86 eggs according to estimates in contrast with about 215 eggs at present. It is quite obvious that any…
Does Gestational Weight Gain Affect the Risk of Adverse Maternal and Infant Outcomes in Overweight Women

Objective To examine the association between gestational weight gain and adverse maternal and infant outcomes among overweight women [body mass index (BMI) 26.0–29.0 kg/m2]. Methods A population-based cohort study using birth certificate data (1990–2004) from 34,143 singleton, full-term deliveries to nulliparous, Missouri residents ages 18–35. Gestational weight gain was divided into three categories: below Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations ( 25 lbs). Categories of 10-lb increments were also evaluated. The primary outcomes were preeclampsia, cesarean section, macrosomia, low birth weight (LBW), and perinatal death. Adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Mantel–Haenszel pooled estimator. Results Compared to women who gained 15–25 lbs, women who gained 25 lbs were 1.7 (1.5–1.9), 1.3 (1.2–1.4), 2.1 (1.9–2.3), and 0.6 (0.5–0.7) times as likely to have preeclampsia, cesarean section, macrosomia, and LBW, respectively. The lowest risk of adverse outcomes was for women who gained in the 6–14 and 15–24 lb categories. There was no association between gestational weight gain and perinatal death. Conclusions Increasing gestational weight gain appears to decrease the risk of LBW but elevates the risks of preeclampsia, cesarean section, and macrosomia. Overweight women should gain within current IOM recommendations.
Petrology of Hualalai volcano, Hawaii: Implication for mantle composition

Hualalai is one of five volcanoes whose eruptions built the island of Hawaii. The historic 1800–1801 flows and the analyzed prehistoric flows exposed at the surface are alkalic basalts except for a trachyte cone and flow at Puu Waawaa and a trachyte maar deposit near Waha Pele. The 1800–1801 eruption produced two flows: the upper Kaupulehu flow and the lower Huehue flow. The analyzed lavas of the two 1800–1801 flows are geochemically identical with the exception of a few samples from the toe of the Huehue flow that appear to be derived from a separate magmatic batch. The analyzed prehistoric basalts are nearly identical to the 1800–1801 flows but include some lavas that have undergone considerable shallow crystal fractionation. The least fractionated alkalic basalts from Hualalai are in equilibrium with mantle olivine (Fo87) indicating that the Hawaiian mantle source region is not unusually iron-rich. The 1800–1801 and analyzed prehistoric basalts can be generated by about 5–10% partial fusion of a garnet-bearing source relatively enriched in the light-rare-earths. The mantle underlying the Hawaiian Islands is chemically and mineralogically heterogeneous before and after extraction of the magmas that make up the volcanoes.
The SMS Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Capabilities: Emergence, Development, and Change

A review is presented of the book "The SMS Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Capabilities: Emergence, Development, and Change," edited by Constance E. Helfat.
Isospin mixing in deformed nuclei

The effect of nuclear deformation on the isospin mixing matrix elements has been investigated for deformed configurations in $sup 18$F. An enhancement of the mixing with deformation is found. (AIP)
Influence of Counteranion on the Thermal and Solution Behavior of Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-Based Polyelectrolytes

Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) was synthesized and subsequently neutralized with various acids to form PDMAEMA·HCl, PDMAEMA·HBF4, and PDMAEMA·HOTf polyelectrolytes. In addition, ion exchange of the chloride anion provided polyelectrolytes with NO3−, N(CN)2−, PF6−, and Tf2N− anions. The glass transition temperature (Tg) varied significantly with anion in the order Cl− > PF6− > BF4− > NO3− > TfO− > Tf2N−. The polyelectrolytes with larger, weakly coordinated anions required less thermal energy to dissociate ionic interactions, leading to tailored thermal behavior. Solution conductivity of the water-soluble polyelectrolytes decreased in the order Cl− > NO3− > BF4− > N(CN)2− > TfO−, which was consistent with counteranion mobility. Solution rheology revealed polyelectrolyte behavior for PDMAEMA·HCl, PDMAEMA·HBF4, and PDMAEMA·HOTf. PDMAEMA·HCl underwent an electrospraying−electrospinning transition at three times the critical concentration for entanglement (Ce), which was consistent with oth...
Services Integration and Cost‐Effectiveness

Alcohol treatment services are increasingly combined with other health and social services to address the needs of multiple-problem clients. Hence, it has been of growing policy interest to find the most effective and the most cost-effective ways of linking these services. This symposium presents some recent studies in this area. The small but growing body of studies in this area has great potential to inform public policy debates.
Polarizations in Heavy-Ion Reactions

The polarizations of products of quasielastic heavy-ion reactions are discussed in the framework of the distorted-wave Born approximation and are shown to depend upon the bombarding energy, $Q$ value, and specific reaction products. A sign change of these polarizations (which is unrelated to negative-angle scattering) is expected as a function of energy loss. Polarizations of the reaction products may be of opposite sign.
Determination of the Anomeric Configuration of C-Nucleosides by 1H and 13C NMR Spectroscopy

Abstract Since the discovery by Cohn in 1959 of the first C-nucleoside pseudouridine, an isolate from t-RNA hydrolysates, a number of biologically interesting C-nucleosides [formycin. formycin B. oxoformycin, oxazinomycin (minimycin), showdomycin, pyrazofurin, and several derivatives of pseudouridine] have been isolated from the culture filtrates of various micro-organisms, and their structures have been elucidated. Several review articles dealing with the chemistry and/or biology of C-nucleosides have appeared.
Solution properties of xanthan. Light scattering and viscometry on dilute and moderately concentrated solutions

Abstract Elastic and quasi-elastic light-scattering, viscometric and rheological studies are given for solutions of the microbial polysaccharide Xanthomonas campestris (xanthan) in aqueous 0.62N NaCl for polymer concentrations from 0.03 to 2.2 g kg−1. The observed negative ∂ ln [η] ∂ ln T is interpreted as a decrease of the persistence length with increasing T. The behaviour in moderately concentrated solutions (2
Power output from an irreversible heat engine with a nonuniform working fluid.

The upper bound is calculated for the average power output of an irreversible heat engine whose working fluid is viscous and not necessarily uniform in temperature. The calculation is done via the generalized formalism of finite-time thermodynamics. The working fluid of the heat engine is described by partial-differential equations containing parameters in the boundary conditions. With some restrictions on parameters, the estimated power coincides with the optimal power output for the classical lumped-parameter (uniform-T) irreversible Carnot engine.
Multi‐component separation of PP and SS by a least‐squares migration method: Synthetic and field data tests

The Least-Squares Migration (LSM) Filtering Method (Nemeth, 1996) is used to separate PP and SS waves recorded in multi-component data. We exploit the property that different wave types have different moveout trajectories as well as particle motion directions. Synthetic tests show that the multi-component data can be separated even if the P and S waves have a similar moveout. This method is also tested on the Steepbank crosshole data set. While the P waves appears to be well reconstructed, the reconstructed S waves appear to be less reliable. A partial reason is that the S-wave modeling operator is based on an inaccurate estimate of the S-wave velocity model. A more effective separation of P and S waves is expected with a better estimate of the S-velocity model, which may be provided by waveform inversion. It may also be necessary to incorporate converted wave modes into the separation algorithm.
Efficacy of a cephapirin dry cow product for treatment of experimentally induced Staphylococcus aureus mastitis in heifers.

Abstract A dry cow product containing 300mg of cephapirin benzathine was evaluated in pregnant and nonpregnant Jersey heifers for its effect on experimentally induced Staphylococcus aureus mastitis. Cephapirin was detectable in mammary secretion of nonpregnant heifers for up to 5 wk and in tissue for 1 wk after intramammary infusion. Staphylococcus aureus was not detectable in tissue and secretion of treated quarters at 1 and 3 wk but was not eliminated from two quarters of one heifer tested at 6 wk posttreatment. Histologic evaluation of mammary tissue from nonpregnant heifers revealed significant differences in leukocytosis between uninfected and S. aureus -infected quarters but no differences in epithelium, lumen, and stroma, indicating no difference in secretion potential or glandular development. Twenty-five pregnant Jersey heifers were experimentally infected in two quarters with S. aureus 12 to 14 wk prepartum. After 1 to 3 wk, 13 heifers were infused in 21 S. aureus -infected quarters with a commercial cephapirin dry cow product. Nine infected quarters were left untreated. All treated quarters were bacteriologically negative both at calving and through 2 mo after calving. Of the 9 infected quarters not treated prepartum, 1 spontaneously cured and 2 became nonfunctional. The remaining quarters were treated at calving with a commercial cephapirin lactating cow product. Of these, 3 cured and 3 failed to resolve.
Personalized medicine in breast cancer: tamoxifen, endoxifen, and CYP2D6 in clinical practice.

Tamoxifen is metabolized into endoxifen, a potent antagonist of the estrogen receptor, in part through cytochrome p450 (CYP) 2D6. Genotypic variation in CYP2D6 affects endoxifen levels, and some have argued that patients who do not efficiently metabolize tamoxifen might wish to consider alternative hormonal treatments. This study evaluated an algorithm in which endoxifen levels and CYP2D6 genotypes were used to make hormonal therapy recommendations for patients on adjuvant tamoxifen for breast cancer. Patients with stage I–III breast cancer who had been taking adjuvant tamoxifen for 8–56 weeks were eligible. At enrollment, baseline whole blood and serum were sent for genotyping by Amplichip and endoxifen measurement, respectively, and endoxifen levels were also measured 3 weeks later. Results were returned to oncologists along with an algorithm-generated treatment recommendation. The algorithm recommended that participants with poor metabolizer genotype and/or baseline endoxifen level <6 ng/mL consider alternative endocrine therapy. A medical record review evaluated actual treatment decisions. Of 99 patients on study, 18 (18 %) had findings that triggered algorithm-based recommendations to consider a change in endocrine therapy due to endoxifen <6 ng/mL (all 18 patients) and/or poor metabolizer CYP2D6 genotype (2 of the 18). Endoxifen levels were ≥6 ng/mL in four of them 3 weeks later. Seven (39 % of 18) switched to a different treatment (one based on toxicity, not the algorithm). Hot flash burden was not found to be significantly associated with endoxifen <6 ng/mL or genotype. Prospective testing of tamoxifen metabolism as gauged by CYP2D6 genotype and serum endoxifen levels is feasible. Future studies of tamoxifen metabolism and efficacy should consider including measurement of serial endoxifen levels. Although clinical evidence at present is insufficient to warrant routine CYP2D6 or endoxifen testing, some clinicians and patients did utilize this predefined algorithm to inform clinical decisions regarding optimal adjuvant endocrine therapy.
Effect of temperature on locomotor activity in the goldfish (Carassius auratus) and the bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus): Presence of an ‘activity well’ in the region of the final preferendum

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) and bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were placed in aquaria where their locomotor activity was monitored by photocells, and tested at various acclimation temperatures over a range encompassing their final thermal preferenda. Activity was pooled over 24-hour periods to eliminate any circadian rhythm effects. Both species exhibited an ‘activity well’ of reduced locomotor activity in the region of the final preferendum. Goldfish, tested either singly or in groups of 2–5 individuals, exhibited a social-interaction effect which became more pronounced at higher temperatures. These results are discussed in relation to a thermokinetic interpretation of thermo-regulatory behavior in fishes, and to the correspondence between thermal preferenda and thermal optima.
Influence of false twins on the ratios of twin and single sister chromatid exchanges.

Abstract The relative frequency of single and twin sister chromatid exchanges has been of considerable interest because from it inferences have been made about the structure of chromatid subunits. The results of different experiments, however, yield greatly different ratios. Although the relative frequencies of single and twin exchanges should be independent of the rate of exchange, the frequency with which two singles will occur by chance at approximately the same chromosomal position, and thus mimic a twin, will depend upon that rate. The rate of exchange has indeed varied from one experiment to another, and so the contribution of false twins might account for some or all of the observed variability. Furthermore, the frequency of such false twins may have a large effect upon the single to twin ratio since not only do false twins increase the observed number of twins, but also they reduce the observed number of singles, thus affecting both numerator and denominator of the ratio. A formula for estimating the frequency of false twins has been derived on the assumption that exchanges occur at random along the length of the chromosome. When this is used to correct the published data, it is found that most of the variability from experiment to experiment remains. Evidently, there is some other factor that influences the relative frequencies of single and twin sister chromatid exchanges. The corrected ratio of single to twin sister chromatid exchanges in endoreduplicated cells is about 4:1, a value that is closer to the ratio expected for random rejoining of subunits under certain assumptions than for “polarized” rejoining. The implication of the observed ratios for chromosome structure is thus obscure.
Are the hydrodynamic forces and torques zero during the electrophoresis of multiparticle systems with thin debye layers

Abstract A commonly used result in electrophoresis is that a swarm of insulating particles of any shape and size, in any configuration, with the same slip condition (i.e. with the same zeta potential and infinitesimally thin Debye layers), moves with the same electrophoretic velocity as a single isolated particle. The objective of this paper is to prove this general result and review its implications.
Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging for Radiation Dose Calculation of a 90Y-Labeled Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Receptor Antagonist

90Y has been used to label various new therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. However, measuring the radiation dose delivered by 90Y is challenging because of the absence of suitable γ emissions and its low abundance of positron emissions. For the treatment of prostate cancer, radiolabeled gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPr) antagonists have yielded promising results in mouse models. In this study, we evaluated whether Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) could be used to determine radiation doses of a 90Y-labeled GRPr antagonist in nude mice. Methods: Mice bearing subcutaneous prostate cancer xenografts were injected with 0.74–18.5 MBq of the 90Y-labeled GRPr antagonist DOTA-AR and underwent in vivo and ex vivo CLI at 1–48 h after injection. After imaging, animals were sacrificed, their tumors and organs were harvested, and the activity concentration was measured by liquid scintillation counting. In a second set of experiments, Cerenkov photon counts for tumor and kidney on in vivo CLI were converted to activity concentrations using conversion factors determined from the first set of experiments. Results:90Y-DOTA-AR concentration in the 3 tumor models ranged from 0.5% to 4.8% of the injected activity per gram at 1 h after injection and decreased to 0.05%–0.15 injected activity per gram by 48 h after injection. A positive correlation was found between tumor activity concentrations and in vivo CLI signal (r2 = 0.94). A similar correlation was found for the renal activity concentration and in vivo Cerenkov luminescence (r2 = 0.98). Other organs were not distinctly visualized on the in vivo images, but ex vivo CLI was also correlated with the radioactivity concentration (r2 = 0.35–0.94). Using the time–activity curves from the second experiment, we calculated radiation doses to tumor and kidney of 0.33 ± 0.12 (range, 0.21–0.66) and 0.06 ± 0.01 (range, 0.05–0.08) Gy/MBq, respectively. Conclusion: CLI is a promising, low-cost modality to measure individual radiation doses of 90Y-labeled compounds noninvasively. The use of Cerenkov imaging is expected to facilitate the development and comparison of 90Y-labeled compounds for targeted radiotherapy.
Ischemia aggravating effects of platelet-activating factor in acute myocardial ischemia

The effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) was studied during the acute phase of myocardial ischemia in cats. PAF infusion (0.75 μg/kg/h for 4.5 h) in anesthetized, open-chest cat decreased arterial blood pressure, but did not influence heart rate or biochemical indices of cell integrity. The same dose of PAF, however, started 30 min after coronary ligation, resulted in a significantly higher elevation of plasma creatine phosphokinase (CK) activity and a reduced CK content in the region of the ischemic myocardium. Treatment with the thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor, CGS-13080, significantly attenuated the PAF-aggravated ischemic cellular damage. These experiments suggest that hypoxiagenerated PAF may contribute to the aggravation of myocardial ischemia, part of which appears to be due to PAF-induced release of thromboxane A2.
Marketing Information and Decision Support Systems for Services

Discusses the relevance of formal marketing information systems for services marketing. Examines information technology and its potential for services marketing, presenting a design for an integrated services marketing information system. Examines emerging technologies and their applications to service marketing problems. Considers the overlap between marketing and operations for service businesses. Concludes with a discussion of an implementation vector for exploiting the benefits of this overlap and of related managerial issues.
Resorbable ceramic implants

The purpose of the investigation was to show the ability of two calcium aluminate ceramic compositions to act as suitable implants for partial replacements of long bones. It was anticipated from previous studies that the ceramic would be well tolerated by the autogenous bone and surrounding soft tissue while the ceramic was slowly dissolving in the body fluids, allowing new osseous tissue to penetrate the resulting pore structure. It was expected that after a period of time the ceramic would no longer exist as a separate entity but would be completely infiltrated with mineralized osseous tissue and ultimately be completely replaced by bone. Two ceramic implants were prepared by slightly different techniques and CaO to Al2O3 ratios. The result was a polyphase ceramic and a nearly single phase ceramic. The polyphase material, after implantation in the test subject for 32 weeks, was completely impregnated with connective tissue while undergoing considerable alteration in microstructure. The single-phase material was not altered significantly in any way. This implant could not be fully evaluated for its ability to allow for osseous tissue formation on its surface, or within its open pore structure, due to slight variations in the original fixation of the implant and resulting attempts to correct the problems.
Near-infrared optical imaging in glioblastoma xenograft with ligand-targeting α3 integrin

Purpose Patients with glioblastoma usually have a very poor prognosis. Even with a combination of radiotherapy plus temozolomide, the median survival of these patients is only 14.6 months. New treatment approaches to this cancer are needed. Our purpose is to develop new cell surface-binding ligands for glioblastoma cells and use them as targeted imaging and therapeutic agents for this deadly disease.
Rpb3, Stoichiometry and Sequence Determinants of the Assembly into Yeast RNA Polymerase II in Vivo

Stoichiometry of the third largest subunit (Rpb3) of the yeast RNA polymerase II is a subject of continuing controversy. In this work we utilized immunoaffinity and nickel-chelate chromatographic techniques to isolate the RNA polymerase II species assembled in vivo in the presence of the His6-tagged and untagged Rpb3. The distribution pattern of tagged and untagged subunits among the RNA polymerase II molecules is consistent with a stoichiometry of 1 Rpb3 polypeptide per molecule of RNA polymerase. Deletion of either α-homology region (amino acids 29–55 or 226–267) from the Rpb3 sequence abolished its ability to assemble into RNA polymerase II in vivo.
Pneumocystic carinii pneumonia in a term newborn infant with a transiently depressed T lymphocyte count, primarily of cells carrying the CD4 antigen

A term infant without infection by human immunodeficlency virus had pneumocystis pneumonia at 17 days of life. Initial counts of T lymphocytes carrying the CD4 antigen were ≈50% of the lower limits of normal; later the counts of T lymphocytes carrying the CD3 and CD8 antigens decreased as well. By 7 weeks after resolution of the pneumonia, CD3 + , CD4 + and CD8 + cell counts had returned to normal. These observations suggest that a primary transient deficiency of T cell production or maturation, especially involving CD4 + cells, may occur in otherwise normal newborn infants.
Performance effects of information asymmetry and economies of scope in diversified service firms.

This study examined the performance effects of information asymmetry and economies of scope in diversified service firms. Tests using both accounting- and stock-market-based measures of performance...
Renal and cardiovascular sensory receptors and blood pressure regulation

Studies over the past decade have highlighted important roles played by sensory receptors outside of traditionally sensory tissues; for example, taste receptors participate in pH sensing in the cerebrospinal fluid, bitter taste receptors mediate bronchodilation and ciliary beating in the lung (Deshpande DA, Wang WC, McIlmoyle EL, Robinett KS, Schillinger RM, An SS, Sham JS, Liggett SB. Nat Med 16: 1299-1304, 2010; Shah AS, Ben-Shahar Y, Moninger TO, Kline JN, Welsh MJ. Science 325: 1131-1134, 2009), and olfactory receptors play roles in both sperm chemotaxis and muscle cell migration (Griffin CA, Kafadar KA, Pavlath GK. Cell 17: 649-661, 2009). More recently, several studies have shown that sensory receptors also play important roles in the regulation of blood pressure. This review will focus on several recent studies examining the roles that sensory receptors play in blood pressure regulation, with an emphasis on three pathways: the adenylate cyclase 3 (AC3) pathway, the Gpr91-succinate signaling pathway, and the Olfr78/Gpr41 short-chain fatty acid signaling pathway. Together, these pathways demonstrate that sensory receptors play important roles in mediating blood pressure control and that blood pressure regulation is coupled to the metabolism of the host as well as the metabolism of the gut microbiota.
Effects of spinal cord injury-induced changes in muscle activation on foot drag in a computational rat ankle model

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to changes in muscle activation patterns and atrophy of affected muscles. Moderate levels of SCI are typically associated with foot drag during the swing phase of locomotion. Foot drag is often used to assess locomotor recovery, but the causes remain unclear. We hypothesized that foot drag results from inappropriate muscle coordination preventing flexion at the stance-to-swing transition. To test this hypothesis and to assess the relative contributions of neural and muscular changes on foot drag, we developed a two-dimensional, one degree of freedom ankle musculoskeletal model with gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles. Anatomical data collected from sham-injured and incomplete SCI (iSCI) female Long-Evans rats as well as physiological data from the literature were used to implement an open-loop muscle dynamics model. Muscle insertion point motion was calculated with imposed ankle trajectories from kinematic analysis of treadmill walking in sham-injured and iSCI animals. Relative gastrocnemius deactivation and tibialis anterior activation onset times were varied within physiologically relevant ranges based on simplified locomotor electromyogram profiles. No-atrophy and moderate muscle atrophy as well as normal and injured muscle activation profiles were also simulated. Positive moments coinciding with the transition from stance to swing phase were defined as foot swing and negative moments as foot drag. Whereas decreases in activation delay caused by delayed gastrocnemius deactivation promote foot drag, all other changes associated with iSCI facilitate foot swing. Our results suggest that even small changes in the ability to precisely deactivate the gastrocnemius could result in foot drag after iSCI.
The risk of radical cystectomy.

Summary— A review of the operative risk of cystectomy and urinary diversion performed by one surgeon at one institution over an 8½-year period was performed. Operative mortality was 0.4% (1/229). There were no urinary leaks, 1 bowel leak, 2 bowel obstructions, no rectal injuries and 3 pelvic abscesses. Cystectomy is a safer operation than is usually appreciated, based on improvements in pre-operative preparation, intra-operative monitoring and blood product replacement, and post-operative support if a complication does occur.