cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance characteristics of an area distributed free air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) system

Abstract Free air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) systems rely primarily on wind to distribute CO 2 across treatment plots. Most current FACE designs inject CO 2 at the perimeter of the plot, and low wind speeds can result in large horizontal gradients of CO 2 concentration. These gradients can be reduced by using blowers to inject CO 2 or a mixture of CO 2 and air into the plot, but this process can alter the microclimate enough to affect plant growth. This report describes a new FACE system in which CO 2 emitters are evenly distributed across a plot in a square array to provide an area-source of CO 2 . A variable mixture of CO 2 and air is supplied continuously to each emitter at a constant low total volume flow. Tests in 13 m 2 plots of grassland and maize using set points of 1.4 times the ambient concentration showed good horizontal uniformity of CO 2 concentration except for a small radius around each emitter. Temporal variation in CO 2 concentration in the daytime at canopy height at the center of the plot was similar to that of other FACE designs, with 1 min average CO 2 concentrations within 10% of the target 86% of the time. At night, the CO 2 concentration achieved was more variable, but 1 min averages of CO 2 concentration were within 20% of the target 83% of the time. The frequency distribution of instantaneous measurements made with an open path CO 2 analyzer indicated a distribution strongly skewed toward low concentrations compared with the 1 min averages, which literature suggests may be a general characteristic of FACE systems. Canopy air temperatures on nights with low wind differed by less than 0.1 °C in plots with and without flow to the emitters, indicating minimal disturbance of the canopy microclimate. A square array FACE system could be scaled to any horizontal dimension without compromising the horizontal uniformity of CO 2 concentration, and could be useful in large-scale screening of germplasm for CO 2 responsiveness under field conditions.
A kinetic investigation of fumarase reaction at high substrate concentrations

Abstract The hydration of fumarate to malate, catalyzed by fumarase was followed by infrared spectrometry. Substrate concentrations employed were all several orders of magnitude higher than K m . The reciprocal plot of Lineweaver and Burke yielded an unusual curve of the type indicating auto-inhibition by substrate due perhaps to a two-point binding on the enzyme sites. The data obtained could not be treated satisfactorily by the conventional Michaelis-Menten kinetics. A slightly different type of analysis gave numerical values for some of the kinetics constants which are in reasonable agreement with published values.
Pseudomyxoma peritonei: Report of an Unusual Case

Pseudomyxoma peritonei, a rare disease, is characterized by accumulation of mucinous material in the peritoneal cavity and is commonly caused by ovarian tumors or appendicular lesions. This report presents necropsy findings of an unusual case of pseudomyxoma peritonei caused by dissemination of mucinous adenocarcinoma of the stomach, hitherto unreported in literature.
Achieving pH control in microalgal cultures through fed-batch addition of stoichiometrically-balanced growth media

Lack of accounting for proton uptake and secretion has confounded interpretation of the stoichiometry of photosynthetic growth of algae. This is also problematic for achieving growth of microalgae to high cell concentrations which is necessary to improve productivity and the economic feasibility of commercial-scale chemical production systems. Since microalgae are capable of consuming both nitrate and ammonium, this represents an opportunity to balance culture pH based on a nitrogen feeding strategy that does not utilize gas-phase CO2 buffering. Stoichiometry suggests that approximately 36 weight%N-NH4+ (balance nitrogen as NO3-) would minimize the proton imbalance and permit high-density photoautotrophic growth as it does in higher plant tissue culture. However, algal media almost exclusively utilize nitrate, and ammonium is often viewed as ‘toxic’ to algae. The microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exclusively utilize ammonium when both ammonium and nitrate are provided during growth on excess CO2. The resulting proton imbalance from preferential ammonium utilization causes the pH to drop too low to sustain further growth when ammonium was only 9% of the total nitrogen (0.027 gN-NH4+/L). However, providing smaller amounts of ammonium sequentially in the presence of nitrate maintained the pH of a Chlorella vulgaris culture for improved growth on 0.3 gN/L to 5 gDW/L under 5% CO2 gas-phase supplementation. Bioreactor pH dynamics are shown to be predictable based on simple nitrogen assimilation as long as there is sufficient CO2 availability. This work provides both a media formulation and a feeding strategy with a focus on nitrogen metabolism and regulation to support high-density algal culture without buffering. The instability in culture pH that is observed in microalgal cultures in the absence of buffers can be overcome through alternating utilization of ammonium and nitrate. Despite the highly regulated array of nitrogen transporters, providing a nitrogen source with a balanced degree of reduction minimizes pH fluctuations. Understanding and accommodating the behavior of nitrogen utilization in microalgae is key to avoiding ‘culture crash’ and reliance on gas phase CO2 buffering, which becomes both ineffective and cost-prohibitive for commercial-scale algal culture.
Axial skeletal and Hox expression domain alterations induced by retinoic acid, valproic acid, and bromoxynil during murine development.

Retinoic acid (RA) alters the developmental fate of the axial skeletal anlagen. "Anteriorizations" or "posteriorizations," the assumption of characteristics of embryonic areas normally anterior or posterior to the affected tissues, are correlated with altered embryonal expression domains of Hox genes after in utero RA treatment. These "homeotic" changes have been hypothesized to result from alterations of a "Hox cod" which imparts positional identity in the axial skeleton. To investigate whether such developmental alterations were specific to RA, or were a more general response to xenobiotic exposure, CD-1 pregnant mice were exposed to RA, valproic acid (VA), or bromoxynil (Br) during organogenesis. Additionally, the expression domains of two Hox genes, Hoxa7 and Hoxa10, were examined in gestation day (GD) 12.5 embryos obtained from control, RA, VA, or Br, treated gravid dams exposed on GD 6, 7, or 8. The anterior expression boundary of Hoxa7 is at the level of the C7/T1 vertebrae and that of Hoxa10 is at L6/S1. Compound-induced changes in the incidence of skeletal variants were observed. These included supernumerary cervical ribs (CSNR) lateral to C7, 8 vertebrosternal ribs, supernumerary lumbar ribs (LSNR) lateral to L1, extra presacral vertebrae, and the induction of vertebral and/or rib malformations. RA and VA administration on GD 6 caused posteriorization in the cervico-thoracic region (CSNR) while GD 8 exposure to any of the three compounds resulted in anteriorizations in the thoraco-lumbar area (LSNR and an increase in the number of presacral vertebrae). These effects occurred across regions of the axial skeleton. Analysis of gene expression demonstrated changes in the anterior boundaries of Hoxa7 expression domains in embryos treated on GD 6 and 8 with RA. VA and Br did not induce any statistically significant alterations in Hoxa7 and none of the compounds caused alterations in Hoxa10 expression domains. The studies indicate that RA GD 6 treatment-induced Hoxa7 shifts were rostral (posteriorization) while the RA-induced GD 8 anterior expression boundary shift was caudal (anteriorization), correlating with the axial skeletal changes noted. These data suggest that xenobiotic compounds such as VA and Br may induce similar axial skeletal changes by affecting different components of the developmental processes involved in the patterning of the axial skeleton.
Nonparametric estimation of the limiting availability

The point availability of a repairable system is the probability that the system is operating at a specified time. As time increases, the point availability converges to a positive constant called the limiting availability. Baxter and Li (1994a) developed a technique for constructing nonparametric confidence intervals for the point availability. However, nonparametric estimators of the limiting availability have not previously been studied in the literature. In this paper, we consider two separate cases: (1) the data are complete and (2) the data are subject to right censorship. For each case, a nonparametric confidence interval for the limiting availability is derived. Applications and simulation studies are presented.
Renal cell carcinoma arising from the free wall of a renal cyst

We report an unusual case of a 1 cm papillary renal cell carcinoma arising from the outer surface of the free wall of a radiographically simple renal cyst. Most malignancies arising from the wall of a renal cyst are present along the inner surface, usually adjacent to underlying renal parenchyma. While this is a rare occurrence, it does reinforce the need to explore even small solid renal masses.
Two-Generated Commutative Subalgebras of Mn(F)

Abstract For two commuting matrices A , B ∈ M n ( K ), K a field, it has been known that dim K K [ A , B ] ≤ n . We show here that dim K Cent M n ( K ) ( A , B ) ≥ n and that equality for one implies equality for the other. We also give both a module theoretic and a geometric characterization of those algebras for which equality is obtained. Furthermore, we present a new proof of a result of Gerstenhaber.
Adaptive Gate Multifeature Bayesian Statistical Tracker

A statistically based tracking algorithm is described which utilizes a powerful segmentation algorithm. Multiple features such as intensity, edge magnitude, and spatial frequency are combined to form a joint probability distribution to characterize a region containing a target and its immediate surround. These distributions are integrated over time to provide a stable estimate of the target region and background statistics. A Bayesian decision rule is implemented using these distributions to classify individual pixels as target or nontarget. An adaptive gate process is used to estimate desired changes in the tracking window size.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Collaborating to Cheat: A Game Theoretic Exploration of Academic Dishonesty in Teams

Despite the documented increase in individual student cheating and the increasing use of team assignments in business schools, only a handful of recent empirical studies in the management literatur...
Bayes' rule and hidden variables

We show that a quantum system admits hidden variables if and only if there is a rich set of states which satisfy a Bayesian rule. The result is proved using a relationship between Bayesian type states and dispersion-free states. Various examples are presented. In particular, it is shown that for classical systems every state is Bayesian and for traditional Hilbert space quantum systems no state is Bayesian.
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia: the status of Pneumocystis biochemistry.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia remains a prevalent opportunistic disease among immunocompromised individuals. Although aggressive prophylaxis has decreased the number of acute P. carinii pneumonia cases, many patients cannot tolerate the available drugs, and experience recurrence of the infection, which can be fatal. It is now generally agreed that the organism should be placed with the fungi, but the identification of extant fungal species representing its closest kins, remains debated. Most recent data indicate that P. carinii represents a diverse group of organisms. Since the lack of methods for the continuous subcultivation of this organism hampered P. carinii research, molecular cloning and nucleotide sequencing approaches led the way for understanding the biochemical nature of this pathogen. However, within the last 5 years, the development of improved protocols for isolating and purifying viable organisms from infected mammalian host lungs has enabled direct biochemical and metabolism studies on the organism. The protein moiety of the major high mol. wt surface antigen, represented by numerous isoforms, is encoded by different genes. These proteins are post-transcriptionally modified by carbohydrates and lipids. The organism has the shikimic acid pathway that leads to the formation of compounds which mammals cannot synthesise (e.g., folic acid), hence drugs that inhibit these pathways are effective against the pathogen. Ornithine decarboxylase has now been detected; rapid and complete depletion of polyamines occurs in response to difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). Instead of ergosterol (the major sterol of higher fungi), P. carinii synthesises distinct delta7, C-24-alkylated sterols. An unusual C32 sterol, pneumocysterol, has been identified in human-derived P. carinii. Another signature lipid discovered is cis-9,10-epoxy stearic acid. CoQ10, identified as the major ubiquinone homologue, is synthesised de novo by P. carinii. Atovaquone and other hydroxynaphthoquinone drugs with anti-P. carinii activity probably inhibit pathogen respiration as CoQ analogues. Unlike its effects on Plasmodium, atovaquone does not inhibit the P. carinii dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and pyrimidine metabolism.
Antibiotic-associated colitis with normal-appearing rectum

A patient was recently seen with pseudomembranous colitis. He had severe disease of the proximal colon, with normal-appearing rectum and distal sigmoid, three weeks after administration of prophylactic antibiotics for surgery. The patient improved after discontinuing the antibiotics. Fiberoptic colonoscopy should be performed in patients suspected of having pseudomembranous colitis, even when sigmoidoscopy results are normal.
A 2.5MHz BW and 78dB SNDR delta-sigma modulator using dynamically biased amplifiers

A new dynamically-biased scheme is proposed to implement a 13-bit delta-sigma modulator with a 2.5 MHz signal bandwidth. It uses the low-distortion architecture, and hence the opamp linearity requirements are greatly relaxed. Its noise-coupled and time-interleaved structure further decreases the power consumption. The prototype chip was fabricated in a 0.18 um CMOS technology. Experimental results show that 78 dB SNDR is achieved when it is clocked at 60 MHz sampling rate. With 1.6 V power supply, the power dissipation is 19.2 mW.
The Effect of Decision Order on Purchase Quantity Decisions

Abstract Consumers often resolve trade-offs in a particular order. For example, when making flavor and size decisions, consumers might first decide which flavors to choose and then decide which sizes of those flavors to choose. This research examines the effect of decision order on purchase quantity decisions. The authors build on prior work on decision difficulty and conflict to show that consumers choose more overall, and more variety, when they consider a less replaceable attribute in an earlier, rather than a later, stage in the purchase decision. For example, consumers choose a greater quantity when flavor (or brand) decisions precede, rather than follow, size decisions. The authors find that the degree of attribute replaceability also moderates the effect of decision order on quantity chosen. Furthermore, marketers can influence the amount chosen by altering the organization of the shelf display. Finally, the authors find that when consumers explicitly consider the possibility of deferring their dec...
Hormonal control of chitinolytic activity in the integument of Balanus amphitrite, in vitro

Abstract 1. 1. Mantle epidermis explants of Balanus amphitrite incorporated 3 H- n -acetylglucosamine into the epidermis and exoskeleton, in vitro . Incorporation into the exoskeleton occurred in all molt cycle stages, but was substantially reduced during early pre-molt (stages D 0 and D 1 ). 2. 2. Ecdysterone (10–20μg/ml, 20–24 hr) stimulated the chitinolytic removal of n -acetylglucosamine from the cuticle, in vitro . Molt-inhibiting hormone (10 es eq/ml, 24 hr) significantly reduced the amount of ecdysterone-stimulated chitinolytic activity. 3. 3. These findings suggest that exoskeletal digestion during early proecdysis is under the influence of both ecdysterone and molt-inhibiting hormone.
Improving the mathematics preparation of elementary teachers, one lesson at a time

In this paper, we describe a model for systematically improving the mathematics preparation of elementary teachers, one lesson at a time. We begin by identifying a serious obstacle for teacher educators: the absence of mechanisms for developing a shareable knowledge base for teacher preparation. We propose our model as a way to address this challenge, elaborating the principles that define the model to show its relevance. We then provide an example of the model in action, detailing how the model was used to gradually but steadily improve a single mathematics lesson for prospective elementary teachers. We conclude by presenting data indicating that the model is effective in generating and vetting knowledge that helps to improve our mathematics program over time. Although our discussion is situated in the mathematical preparation of prospective elementary teachers and draws on examples from mathematics, we argue that the model could be applied to build knowledge and improve teacher preparation in any discip...
Current Management of Onychomycosis

Onychomycosis is the most common single cause of nail dystrophy and has a marked impact on quality of life. The availability of newer topical and systemic antifungal agents has improved our ability to effectively treat this condition. This article will review the most commonly used therapies and discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of different treatment strategies.
SFC of drug enantiomers.

Separating drug enantiomers is ushering in a renaissance of sub- and supercritical fluid chromatography
PCP (Phencyclidine): An Update

The steady rise in the promiscuous use of phencyclidine (PCP) as a "recreational" drug has recently gained nationwide attention because of the numerous violent and/or bizarre incidents caused by the use of this drug. Because the media often exaggerate reports of bizarre and violent behavior to make a "good" story, the potential PCP user may be tempted to ignore the media warnings. In the case of PCP, however exaggerated the story, a real danger does exist. So, despite numerous newspaper, radio and television warnings about the possible consequences of PCP use and abuse, the incidence of toxic reactions continues to climb. In many cases PCP is sold as other drugs, particularly THC, and in various colored capsules, tablets, liquids and crystals which may explain the increased usage despite the numerous warnings against its use. The advances in laboratory techniques and chemical processess have enabled the clandestine chemist to prepare relatively pure PCP and thus eliminate many of the toxic side effects due to impurities in the drug. In addition, 30 or more psychoactive PCP analogues have been developed and are starting to make an appearance on the street. PCP is perhaps the most potent psychotomimetic compound known at the present time and is capable of inducing a psychosis which is clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia. The psychosis-producing effects of PCP are the most common toxic effects seen in hospital emergency rooms; but as the amount of PCP taken and/or the simultaneous involvement of other drugs, particularly barbiturates, occurs, severe medical problems (e.g., coma, seizures, respiratory arrest) begin to appear. Death from high doses of PCP or PCP plus other drugs does occur, but the principal cause of death from PCP abuse is due to trauma, homicide or suicide (usually of the bizarre or violent form). Young adult males, persons predisposed to mental illness and naive drug users appear to be the most susceptible to the adverse effects of PCP. The fact that chronic PCP users are starting to increase in number is mute testimony that not all users experience "bad trips" with PCP. Unfortunately for the user, however, this does not guarantee that the next trip will not be a bad one. The effects of chronic use seem to be twofold: severe depression with suicidal thoughts and numerous violent, agitated behavioral patterns. Neither seems to be a suitable alternative. At the present time there is not specific antidote for toxic PCP reactions and the prolonged psychosis induced in some cases does not appear to respond to the standard antipsychotic medications as quickly as do the functional psychoses. The major improvement from a medical standpoint is the development of more sensitive laboratory techniques to confirm the presence of PCP in body fluids. This advance has undoubtedly led to the apparent increase in the number of PCP cases reported by hospitals and to the accuracy of clinical diagnosis by medical, drug or law enforcement communities...
Thiophosphate Derivatives as Inhibitors of Tyrosine Phosphatases

Thiophosphorylated proteins or peptides are poor substrates of protein phosphatases. As a competitive inhibitor of a protein tyrosine phosphatase, a tyrosine-thiophosphorylated nonapeptide ENDYINASL displays a KI value of 0.25 microM, in comparison with the Km value of 3.1 microM exerted by the enzyme toward the phosphorylated form of the peptide. Furthermore, adenosine 5'-O-3-thiotriphosphate is also an effective competitive inhibitor of the enzyme with a KI value of 1.4 microM. In contrast, ATP and 5'-adenylimidodiphosphate are much less effective, indicating that the thiophosphate group plays a major role in the inhibition process. Further supporting this is the fact that sodium thiophosphate is a more effective inhibitor than inorganic phosphate (IC50 = 0.47 mM versus 15 mM). The inhibition by thiophosphate compounds is specific for PTPs. The data suggest the application of thiophosphate derivatives as specific inhibitors of PTPs.
Impact of neonatal exposure to the ERα agonist PPT, bisphenol-a or phytoestrogens on hypothalamic kisspeptin fiber density in male and female rats

Neonatal exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) can impair reproductive physiology, but the specific mechanisms by which this occurs remain largely unknown. Growing evidence suggests that kisspeptin (KISS) neurons play a significant role in the regulation of pubertal onset and ovulation, therefore disruption of KISS signaling could be a mechanism by which EDCs impair reproductive maturation and function. We have previously demonstrated that neonatal exposure to phytoestrogens decreases KISS fiber density in the anterior hypothalamus of female rats, an effect which was associated with early persistent estrus and the impaired activation gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. The goals of the present study were to (1) determine if an ERalpha selective agonist (PPT) or bisphenol-A (BPA) could produce similar effects on hypothalamic KISS content in female rats and (2) to determine if male KISS fiber density was also vulnerable to disruption by EDCs. We first examined the effects of neonatal exposure to PPT, a low (50 microg/kg bw) BPA dose, and a high (50 mg/kg bw) BPA dose on KISS immunoreactivity (-ir) in the anterior ventral periventricular (AVPV) and arcuate (ARC) nuclei of adult female rats, using estradiol benzoate (EB) and a sesame oil vehicle as controls. AVPV KISS-ir, following ovariectomy (OVX) and hormone priming, was significantly lower in the EB and PPT groups but not the BPA groups. ARC KISS-ir levels were significantly diminished in the EB and high dose BPA groups, and there was a nonsignificant trend for lower KISS-ir in the PPT group. We next examined effects of neonatal exposure to a low (50 microg/kg bw) dose of BPA and the phytoestrogens genistein (GEN) and equol (EQ) on KISS-ir in the AVPV and ARC of adult male rats, using OVX females as an additional control group. None of the compounds affected KISS-ir in the male hypothalamus. Our results suggest that the organization of hypothalamic KISS fibers may be vulnerable to disruption by EDC exposure and that females might be more sensitive than males.
Laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD) mass spectrometry

Large thermally labile molecules were not amenable to mass spectrometric analysis until the development of atmospheric pressure evaporation/ionization methods, such as electrospray ionization (ESI)...
Cytomegalovirus-infected cells contain a DNA-binding protein

Abstract Cells infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV, strain Colburn) contain large amounts of an intranuclear 51,000 dalton (51K) protein. This protein was dramatically enriched for by two different procedures used to identify DNA-binding proteins. The first of these demonstrated that the 51K protein was recovered following polyethyleneimine/high salt extraction of infected cells for proteins associated with DNA in vivo . And the second showed that, when analyzed by affinity chromatography using single-strand DNA coupled to Sepharose beads, the 51K protein was bound efficiently in low salt; was partially (40%) eluted at 0.30 M salt, along with “B-capsid” and “matrix” virus structural proteins; and constituted greater than 70% of the protein eluted at 0.45 M salt. Two-dimensional (charge-size) separations in denaturing polyacrylamide gels established that this acid soluble protein has a comparatively strong net positive charge; resolved the infected cell-specific 51K protein from a more neutrally charged host cell protein of about the same size; and verified observations that the virus-specific 51K protein is phosphorylated. In addition, results of biosynthetic radiolabeling experiments showed that expression of the 51K protein begins prior to that of most other viral proteins, but requires preceding viral protein and DNA synthesis.
Freedom of speech and the language of oppression

(1978). Freedom of speech and the language of oppression. Western Journal of Speech Communication: Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 209-221.
Use of a token economy to eliminate excessive inappropriate social behavior in an adult with developmental disabilities

Adults with developmental disabilities frequently have both deficits in appropriate social skills and excesses in inappropriate social behavior (Matson, LeBlanc, & Weinheimer, 1999). Typically, published treatment studies have focused on social skills training procedures that teach and promote the use of new social behaviors. However, only a few studies have focused on management of existing social behaviors that are problematic because they occur excessively or in an inappropriate context (Wright, Herzog, & Seymour, 1992). The current study focuses on management of three types of inappropriate social behavior in a 26-year-old male with moderate mental retardation: inappropriate social interactions, inappropriate sexual behavior, and verbal aggression. A token economy with response cost procedure was implemented using a DRO interval as the basis for earning tokens. Using a multiple-baseline design across behaviors, each of the three types of inappropriate social behavior was successfully treated. After demonstrating the success of the procedure, the DRO interval was increased while maintaining the reductions in inappropriate social behaviors. Appropriate behaviors such as initiating conversation, shaking hands, etc maintained throughout the intervention. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Formulation, characterization and testing of tetracaine hydrochloride-loaded albumin-chitosan microparticles for ocular drug delivery

Most ocular surgical procedures take ∼60 min to complete, the anaesthetic property of the safest drug, tetracaine, is initiated in a few minutes and lasts ∼10–15 min. The purpose of the present study was to develop an ocular tetracaine formulation which can produce an immediate onset of action and/or longer duration of action during the entire surgical procedure. Tetracaine-loaded microparticle formulation was prepared by the method of spray-drying and characterized in terms of size, zeta potential, morphology, thermal stability and release pattern. The study reports a microparticulate ocular formulation with minimum cytotoxicity and optimum cellular uptake. In addition, microencapsulated tetracaine was found to significantly increase the duration of action of the drug up to 4-fold. Taken together, the results presented in this work described albumin-chitosan microparticles to be an effective delivery platform for ocular anaesthetic agents and a potential treatment of various ocular diseases.
Identification of magnetic dipole lines above 2000 Å in several highly ionized Mo and Zr ions on the PLT tokamak

A number of spectrum lines arising from magnetic dipole transitions in the $n=3$ shell ground configurations of molybdenum and zirconium ions have been identified. These lines are particularly suitable for spectroscopic diagnostics in tokamak-type plasmas in the 500-1500-eV temperature range.
RANKED SET SAMPLING FROM LOCATION-SCALE FAMILIES OF SYMMETRIC DISTRIBUTIONS

Statistical inference based on ranked set sampling has primarily been motivated by nonparametric problems. However, the sampling procedure can provide an improved estimator of the population mean when the population is partially known. In this article, we consider estimation of the population mean and variance for the location-scale families of distributions. We derive and compare different unbiased estimators of these parameters based on rindependent replications of a ranked set sample of size n.Large sample properties, along with asymptotic relative efficiencies, help identify which estimators are best suited for different location-scale distributions.
Prominent posterior mitral annular calcification causing embolic stroke and mimicking left atrial fibroma.

A 74-year-old woman status post-resection for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was found to have a left atrial mass in the posterior mitral annulus encroaching upon and causing mitral stenosis. The differential diagnosis on transthoracic echocardiogram was a mitral annular fibroma or dense posterior mitral annular calcification (Panel A). Cardiac CT showed areas …
Join processing for flash SSDs: remembering past lessons

Flash solid state drives (SSDs) provide an attractive alternative to traditional magnetic hard disk drives (HDDs) for DBMS applications. Naturally there is substantial interest in redesigning critical database internals, such as join algorithms, for flash SSDs. However, we must carefully consider the lessons that we have learnt from over three decades of designing and tuning algorithms for magnetic HDD-based systems, so that we continue to reuse techniques that worked for magnetic HDDs and also work with flash SSDs.The focus of this paper is on recalling some of these lessons in the context of ad hoc join algorithms. Based on an actual implementation of four common ad hoc join algorithms on both a magnetic HDD and a flash SSD, we show that many of the "surprising" results from magnetic HDD-based join methods also hold for flash SSDs. These results include the superiority of block nested loops join over sort-merge join and Grace hash join in many cases, and the benefits of blocked I/Os. In addition, we find that simply looking at the I/O costs when designing new flash SSD join algorithms can be problematic, as the CPU cost is often a bigger component of the total join cost with SSDs. We hope that these results provide insights and better starting points for researchers designing new join algorithms for flash SSDs.
Nitrification performance of a propeller-washed bead clarifier supporting a fluidized sand biofilter in a recirculating warmwater fish system

Abstract A propeller-wash bead filter (PWBF) and a fluidized sand filter (FSF) on a 28 m 3 recirculating system stocked with tilapia maintained favorable water quality at five different feed rates, ranging from 0.9 to 4.5 kg feed per day. TAN removal rates ranged up to about 200 g TAN/m 3 of media per day for each of the units. Peak rates of 244 g TAN/m 3 of media per day were observed when the recirculating flow was boosted by 20%. Roughly 75% of the removal was accomplished by the fluidized sand filter an observation that is consistent with the difference between the fluidized sand filter volume (0.92 m 3 ) and the bead filter media volume (0.28 m 3 ). The bead filter's primary function was clarification. At the highest daily feed load, over 570 g dry weight of solids were removed during each daily bead filter backwashing event. A 20% increase in flow, at the same daily feed rate, improved solids removal to over 670 g dry weight per bead filter backwash event. The PWBF and FSF combination provided suitable water quality for fish production; however, further increases in feed loading were limited by carbon dioxide buildup and oxygen limitations.
Robert Koch: Nobel laureate and controversial figure in tuberculin research.

Tuberculosis has been a major cause of death for centuries. Likewise, anthrax has posed a deadly threat to both farm animals and humans and today poses a threat as a weapon of biological warfare. Cholera, which wreaked havoc in the East and threatened to enter Europe, also posed a deadly threat. The causes of these diseases remained mysteries for centuries. Nobel laureate Robert Koch (1843-1910), often called the founder of medical bacteriology, is credited with discovering the tubercle bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; with demonstrating for the first time in history the life cycle of the anthrax bacillus under controlled in vitro conditions; and with identifying Vibrio cholorae as the cause of cholera. In later life, he also was at the center of several controversies. This article provides a brief summary of Koch's exploration into bacteriology and, especially, his experience with tuberculosis and the controversies that developed in the latter part of his life, as well as his childhood and early adult years and the development of his now well-known "postulates."
Total Ankle Arthroplasty: Indications and Avoiding Complications

New designs and a better understanding of kinematics, patient selection, and surgical techniques have lead to a rejuvenated interest in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). Although improved design has decreased the frequency of revision, the causes and inherent difficulty associated with TAA remain challenging. Surgeon experience and proper patient selection are consistently the most important factors in fostering favorable outcomes.
Recent developments in the molecular biology of anaplasmosis.

Abstract Recent applications of DNA analysis, cloning, sequencing and expression technology have resulted in significant advances in our understanding of the hemoparasite Anaplasma marginale. Analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA has confirmed a phylogenetic position close to Ehrlichia sp. and Cowdria ruminantium. Intact genomic DNA of A. marginale digested with SfiI separates into bands from 14 to 170 kbp on pulse-field gels, with a total genome size of 1200–1260 kbp and G+C content of 56 mol%. Major surface proteins (MSP1-MSP5) have been identified and DNA coding sequences are available for most of these. These data have revealed that MSPs may be quite polymorphic between different geographic isolates, may be encoded by multi-gene families, and have some similar features to other prokaryotes including signal peptidase cleavage sites and gene regulatory sequences. Homologies have been detected between MSPs and immunodominant proteins of Cowdria ruminantium. Several MSPs have been expressed to high level and purified from recombinant Escherichia coli. MSP1, 2 and 4 have potential for the development of vaccines and MSP3 and 5 for improved diagnostic assays.
Prenatal stress alters immune function in the offspring of rats

Pregnant rats were either exposed to restraint under bright lights for 45 min three times daily (n = 7) or were left undisturbed (n = 8) during Days 14–21 of gestation. Offspring were tested for cellular immune responses as measured by Concanavalin A-stimulated proliferation and Natural Killer (NK) cytotoxicity of splenocytes as juveniles or adults, or were tested for specific humoral immune responses to in vivo challenge with the antigen Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) as adults. Results indicated that: (a) Proliferation did not vary as a function of sex or prenatal treatment in either juvenile or adult offspring; (b) in juveniles NK cytotoxicity was marginally lower in males as compared to females, and was also marginally reduced by prenatal stress in males but not females, whereas in adults, NK cytotoxicity was marginally enhanced by prenatal stress in both sexes; and (c) prenatally stressed offspring of both sexes had higher levels of anti-KLH antibodies as compared to controls. © 1995 Johnv Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Topical 5-fluorouracil: variability of effective dosage and duration of reaction.

Topical 5-fluorouracil (ointment) is an effective, inexpensive and safe remedy for solar and actinic keratoses. This form of therapy also seems to be indicated for patients with multiple and recurrent epitheliomas that have not responded well to surgery and/or x-ray therapy. It is important to keep in mind the occasional variability in the effective dosage and the rare occurrence of a prolonged disfiguring reaction to treatment.
Dispersibility of organically coated silver nanoparticles in organic media

Coating of organophobic silver nano-particles with thiols was applied to facilitate their dispersing in aprotic organic solvents and solutions of polyacrylic acid and polylactide. Impact of chemical nature of thiols and dipole moment of the solvents on dispersibility of the modified silver particles was studied by UV–Vis spectroscopy (surface plasmon resonance) and scanning electron microscopy. It was shown that thiols’ grafting to the surface of metal nanoparticles is an effective route to improve and stabilize dispersions in organic systems.
Maternal Acceptance/Rejection of Mexican Migrant Mothers

This study examined correlates of maternal acceptance of preschool children in a sample of Mexican-American migrant farmworker mothers, including problems in life conditions (education, employment, relatives, friends, partner/spouse, children, health, housing, and finances) and social support (task, emotional, source, satisfaction, accessibility). One hundred Mexican-American mothers of preschoolers who participated in the Texas Migrant Council's Headstart Program were interviewed with regard to demographic information, social support, and problems in life conditions. The results supported the hypothesis that total social support accounts for more variation in maternal acceptance/rejection than problems in life conditions alone. Social support accounted for 75% of the variance in maternal acceptance/rejection of preschool children, and accessibility to support predicted the largest proportion of the variance. The results suggest that it is important to identify Mexican-American migrant farmworker mothers isolated from social support, since such isolation, in combination with problems in life conditions, places their children at higher risk for maternal rejection.
Information technology systems and the learning organization

Several authors have depicted the learning organization as a model of organization survival in the global economy. Learning organizations are able to adapt to their environments and learn effectively from their actions. This article explores the relationship of information technology systems to learning organizations. The article discusses ways that information technologies may be used to enhance individual, team and strategic‐learning.
Derivation and characterization of an extra-axial chordoma cell line (EACH-1) from a scapular tumor.

Background: Extra-axial chordomas are rare low-grade malignant tumors thought to arise from notochordal remnants in the extra-axial skeleton. Few studies have been done on this neoplasm because of its rarity. In addition, there is a lack of a good in vitro model on which to perform more characterization. Methods: We describe a twenty-eight-year-old man with a mass in the right scapula. Cytomorphology and immunohistochemistry, including brachyury staining, were used to formulate the final diagnosis. A fragment of the tumor was placed in culture, and cells obtained were injected subcutaneously in an immunocompromised mouse. From the tumor developed in mice, a cell line has been derived and characterized by fluorescence-activated cell-sorting analysis, karyotyping, clonogenicity, and cell and tumor growth curves. Results: Cytomorphology on the tumor showed nests of round cells with vacuoles and also physaliferous-like cells with uniform nuclei. Immunochemistry revealed a tumor positive for vimentin, moderately positive for S-100 and cytokeratin AE1/AE3, weakly positive for epithelial membrane antigen, and negative for p63 and cytokeratin (CK)-7. Further analysis revealed the tumor was diffusely and strongly positive for brachyury. The cell line derived from the tumor showed rapid doubling-time, a strong expression of mesenchymal cell surface markers, a karyotype of diploid or hypotetraploid clones with numerous chromosomal aberrations, and the ability to form colonies without attachment and to form tumors in immunocompromised mice. Conclusions: The diagnosis of the extra-axial chordoma is difficult but can be resolved by the detection of a strong brachyury expression. In addition, the derivation of a human extra-axial chordoma cell line could be a useful tool for the basic research of this rare neoplasm. Clinical Relevance: We describe the importance of brachyury staining in the diagnosis of this tumor. The extra-axial chordoma cell line (EACH-1) may also provide a new research tool to establish new ways of diagnosing and treating this rare malignancy.
A First Principles Study of Ultra-Thin (AIO)n Nanorods: Mechanical Behaviour Under Tension and Compression:

A first principles approach based on the density functional theory (DFT) was used to study the mechanical behaviour of the linear (Al-O)n nanorods with n spanned 1 to 10. The minimum-energy configurations for the nanostructures are first found by fully relaxing the coordinates of the atoms. Virtual tension and compression tests were then conducted by applying a series of tensile/compressive deformations to the relaxed structures and calculating the corresponding forces required to maintain the equilibrium of the deformed nanorods. A force-strain curve is then obtained for all the nanorods from these virtual tests. The mechanical response of the two shortest nanorods is similar to that of the ductile aluminium, but the longer nanorods deform in a similar manner to the brittle aluminium oxide. All the nanorods demonstrate a much higher compressive strength than tensile strength.
Noninvasive Photoacoustic Microscopy of Living Cells in Two and Three Dimensions through Enhancement by a Metabolite Dye

Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) is a powerful imaging modality that can generate high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) images non-invasively. However, most types of cells cannot be imaged and quantified by PAM due to the lack of an absorption-based contrast mechanism. Here we demonstrate that this problem could be solved by employing 1-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-diphenylformazan (MTT formazan), a cellular metabolite of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), as the contrast agent. The as-formed MTT formazan crystals inside the cells have a strong absorption in the spectral region of 500-700 nm, and are generally nontoxic. It could serve as a superb contrast agent for PAM in imaging various types of cells cultured on two-dimensional (2D) substrates and in 3D porous scaffolds. This contrast mechanism is general, and can be applied to essentially all types of metabolically active cells including stem cells and tumor cells, which would be very useful for a number of biological and biomedical applications.
Activity of a novel aminoglycoside, ACHN-490, against clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae from New York City

Results: Although most isolates of E. coli were susceptible to the aminoglycosides, the MIC90 values of gentamicin, tobramycin and amikacin were 32, 8 and 4 mg/L, respectively. The MIC90 of ACHN-490 was 1 mg/L. Multidrug resistance, including resistance to aminoglycosides and the presence of blaKPC, was much more common in isolates of K. pneumoniae. However, the MIC90 of ACHN-490 for K. pneumoniae was also 1 mg/L. The MICs of ACHN-490 did not correlate with the presence of commonly recovered aminoglycosidemodifying enzymes. Bactericidal activity was evident in most isolates at concentrations 4× the MIC. Conclusions: The novel aminoglycoside ACHN-490 retains activity against most isolates of E. coli and K. pneumoniae, including multidrug-resistant strains. Additional studies examining the roles of efflux systems and outer membrane permeability alterations are recommended in isolates with reduced susceptibility to this agent.
Valued differences or benevolent stereotypes? Exploring the influence of positive beliefs on anti-gay and anti-lesbian attitudes

Two studies explored the various positive beliefs heterosexuals hold towards lesbians and gay men and the implication of these beliefs for heterosexuals' attitudes towards lesbians and gay men. In Study 1, 250 participants listed all the positive and negative things they had heard people say about gay men and lesbians. As expected, many of the negative beliefs participants reported were related to gender role transgression. Surprisingly, many of these transgressions were also found among the reported positive beliefs, suggesting that participants were also favourably evaluating gender transgression in gay and lesbian people. In Study 2, the relationship between a set of gender transgression-based positive beliefs and traditional heterosexism was assessed among 592 college undergraduates. Endorsement of these beliefs was found to correlate negatively with traditional heterosexism, suggesting that those participants with more favourable attitudes towards gay men and lesbians were also more likely to see the...
Effects of vermicomposts produced from food waste on the growth and yields of greenhouse peppers.

Vermicomposts, produced commercially from food wastes, were substituted at a range of different concentrations into a soil-less commercial bedding plant container medium, Metro-Mix 360 (MM360), to evaluate their effects on the growth and yields of peppers in the greenhouse. Six-week-old peppers (Capsicum annum L. var. California) were transplanted into 100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20% or 10% MM360 substituted with 0%, 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% vermicompost. All plants were watered three times weekly with 200 ppm Peter’s Nutrient Solution from the time of transplanting up to 107 days. Peppers grown in potting mixtures containing 40% food waste vermicomposts and 60% MM360 yielded 45% more fruit weights and had 17% greater mean number of fruits than those grown in MM360 only. The mean heights, numbers of buds and numbers of flowers of peppers grown in potting mixtures containing 10–80% vermicompost although greater did not differ significantly from those of peppers grown in MM360. There were no positive correlations between the increases in pepper yields, and the amounts of mineral-N and microbial biomass-N in the potting mixtures, or the concentrations of nitrogen in the shoot tissues of peppers. Factors such as: an improvement of the physical structure of the potting medium, increases in populations of beneficial microorganisms and the potential availability of plant growth-influencing-substances produced by microorganisms in vermicomposts, could have contributed to the increased pepper yields obtained. 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.