cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integration of 3D gene expression patterns and gene regulatory networks for clinical applications in epithelial ovarian cancer

In the past decades, many high-throughput studies have been performed to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), to improve treatments and to develop early detection and staging biomarkers. EOC is still a deadly disease due in part to a lack of screening tools and to the absence of subtype and stage-specific targeted treatments. Here, we applied an integrative three-dimensional clustering algorithm to analyze gene expression data from normal ovaries and four subtypes of EOC. Our analysis revealed major differences between subtypes and highlighted biological patterns linked with stages of the disease. These results may contribute to the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying EOC and find applications in EOC detection and treatment.
An Approach for Electric Energy Data Processing Based on Metering Code

When the metering codes acquired are directly used in electricity settlement, some errors maybe occur in the calculation of electric energy data. An efficient algorithm based on the time-sequence feature of electric energy data is proposed. Firstly, the lost data are automatically inserted and the incorrect data are corrected to assure the continuity and integrality of the sequence. Then, several techniques, i.e. returning to zero, changing meter, changing current transformer/potential transformer, distinguishing from bypass, are used to simplify the calculation of the electric energy data. Finally, the lost energy data are manually inserted and the unequal electric energy data are automatically distinguished to reduce the losing of the electric energy data and to verify the correctness of the electric energy counting. The method proposed is verified based on the electricity purchase management system in Hebei Province Power Company, and promising results are obtained.
Assessing Health Care Needs and Services Provided: The Case of African Traders in Guangzhou, China

This paper will examine the health care needs of African traders in Guangzhou, China. Based on previous research, most African traders find living in Guangzhou, China very challenging, partially due to their illegal status. Specifically, most have overstayed their 30-day tourism visa. As their 30-day visas expire, African traders become extremely paranoid about remaining in the country since they are considered triple illegals -- illegal to enter, illegal to reside, and illegal to work. Being triple illegals can cause many problems, including having limited access to appropriate health care. Thus the objective of this paper will be to ascertain the health needs of African traders and the challenges they face in gaining access to appropriate health care in Guangzhou.
Trifurcation of the urethra: A case report

Abstract We report a case of trifurcation of the prostatic urethra with congenital absence of the right kidney and testicle.
Cloning and expression of mRNA for calpain Lp82 from rat lens: splice variant of p94.

PURPOSE. To describe mRNA for Lp82, a lens-specific form of calcium-activated protease (EC 34.22.17, calpain) in rat. METHODS. Total RNA was extracted from lenses of 12-day-old rats, reverse transcribed, and amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with degenerate primers for the active site of calpains. Tissue specificity and relative amounts of mRNA for Lp82 in rat lens and other tissues were demonstrated by reverse transcription-PCR using gene-specific primers. PCR products were subcloned and sequenced using standard techniques. RESULTS. Abundant amounts of mRNA for Lp82, a variant of muscle-type calpain p94, were discovered only in lens and not in seven other tissues assayed. When translated, the Lp82 mRNA would code for protein containing the usual cysteine active site residues and calcium-binding domains. Remarkably, the Lp82 cDNA product was identical to that of muscle-type calpain p94, except for deletions of most of the nucleotides coding for three unique insert regions termed NS, IS1, and IS2 found in p94. Compared with p94, a different exon 1 was present, and the nucleotides for all exons 6, 15, and 16 were deleted in Lp82. CONCLUSIONS. Lp82 is a lens-specific calpain. It is a splice variant of muscle-type calpain p94, resulting from deletions of IS1 and IS2 regions and a different exon 1, possibly from an alternative, lens-specific promoter in the p94 gene. Lp82 is important because it may have lens-specific functions suited to the unique properties of the lens. Lp82 may also give insight into the functions of NS, IS1, and IS2 regions in p94, which is important in normal muscle physiology and in the study of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A in humans.
Issues With Tissues.

MacKay and Robinson's target article contributes to the literature on organ and tissue donation by evaluating the extent to which different types of policies—opt-in, opt-out, voluntary active choic...
Improved Track Path Method in Real Time by Using Gps and Accelerometer

In this paper we present an improved algorithm thattraces a track path in real time using GPS and Accelerometer data. In our previous work, we proposed the utilization of a small, 16-bitprocessor in conjunction with a stand-alone GPS receiver to gatherGPS information through a wristwatch-like device for runners. However, two problematic findings arose during the course of ourresearch: the generation of erroneous raw GPS data and limitedmemory availability. Obtaining a trace of a running path requires alarge capacity memory on a wearable GPS device, and this need isaggrandized especially when walking data is collected. Thishardware limitation imposes a ceiling on the size of the track file. Thus, it is recommended to derive a method of collecting accurateGPS position data that does so not through the increase in thefrequency of data acquisition, but to increase the precision of saiddata and to reduce erroneous positional information. This proposedmethod obtains acceptable GPS track paths by applying 3-degreeaccelerometer data.
Dynamic Stability of Circular Cylindrical Sandwich Panels

A theoretical study of the dynamic stability of simply supported sandwich plates and circular cylindrical sandwich panels with dissimilar face-sheets and orthotropic cores is presented. The uniformly distributed periodic edge loads consist of steady components and oscillating components which are impulsive or vary according to an arbitrary piecewise constant law. It was observed that stable regions exist when the steady component of the applied load exceeds the static buckling load. For the particular combination of parameters associated with these regions the oscillating component of the load has a stabilizing effect on the structure. It was further observed that the mathematical structure of the equations governing the dynamic stability of simply supported sandwich plates and circular cylindrical sandwich panels is the same as that for the corresponding simply supported, homogeneous plates and panels, and a complete analogy exists between them.
Numerical analysis of heat transfer processes in a low-cost, high-performance ice storage device for residential applications

Abstract A concept for a small-scale ice storage device, suitable for residential applications, is proposed. The device is based on a layered structure of alternating ice packs and flow channels, consisting, respectively, of thermally sealed polyethylene water bag and corrugated plastic sheeting, with thickness for each layer on the order of several millimeters. A water/glycol mixture is used as the heat transfer medium. The mixture is cooled by a mechanical refrigeration system, and is used to freeze the ice packs during charge. During discharge, the ice packs absorb heat from the water glycol mixture as it is warmed by passing it through an air-to-liquid coil. An efficient numerical scheme to analyze the device is developed. This makes use of a hybrid analytical approach combined with a finite difference formulation that delivers an accurate solution at a very low computational cost. To simultaneously illustrate the use of the numerical scheme, and assess the concept, a device sized to provide the same energy and power characteristics of a well-known battery system is analyzed. The analysis shows that the thermal device can outperform the battery system, even before any optimization is implemented. A basic analysis also shows that the cost of a standalone device, including a dedicated compressor, heat rejection coil & fan, and evaporator, can be competitive with that of a battery. In the case that the storage device is integrated with a conventional refrigerated air conditioning system, the cost becomes very competitive.
A continuous morphological approach to study the evolution of pollen in a phylogenetic context: An example with the order Myrtales

The study of pollen morphology has historically allowed evolutionary biologists to assess phylogenetic relationships among Angiosperms, as well as to better understand the fossil record. During this process, pollen has mainly been studied by discretizing some of its main characteristics such as size, shape, and exine ornamentation. One large plant clade in which pollen has been used this way for phylogenetic inference and character mapping is the order Myrtales, composed by the small families Alzateaceae, Crypteroniaceae, and Penaeaceae (collectively the "CAP clade"), as well as the large families Combretaceae, Lythraceae, Melastomataceae, Myrtaceae, Onagraceae and Vochysiaceae. In this study, we present a novel way to study pollen evolution by using quantitative size and shape variables. We use morphometric and morphospace methods to evaluate pollen change in the order Myrtales using a time-calibrated, supermatrix phylogeny. We then test for conservatism, divergence, and morphological convergence of pollen and for correlation between the latitudinal gradient and pollen size and shape. To obtain an estimate of shape, Myrtales pollen images were extracted from the literature, and their outlines analyzed using elliptic Fourier methods. Shape and size variables were then analyzed in a phylogenetic framework under an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process to test for shifts in size and shape during the evolutionary history of Myrtales. Few shifts in Myrtales pollen morphology were found which indicates morphological conservatism. Heterocolpate, small pollen is ancestral with largest pollen in Onagraceae. Convergent shifts in shape but not size occurred in Myrtaceae and Onagraceae and are correlated to shifts in latitude and biogeography. A quantitative approach was applied for the first time to examine pollen evolution across a large time scale. Using phylogenetic based morphometrics and an OU process, hypotheses of pollen size and shape were tested across Myrtales. Convergent pollen shifts and position in the latitudinal gradient support the selective role of harmomegathy, the mechanism by which pollen grains accommodate their volume in response to water loss.
Optimal Design in Tumor Prostheses: Application of Extracortical Bone Bridging and Ingrowth Fixation Principle

The utilization of custom-designed segmental bone and joint replacement prostheses in tumor surgery has been a viable option for quite some time [1–4]. However, the clinical results and prosthetic device performance still require improvements, especially in active patients with greater functional demands. The associated poor clinical results were mainly due to implant failure through fracture, loosening, dislocation, and infection. For conditions of massive bone defect, relatively smooth and straight cortex, and large bending torsional loads, traditional methods of implant fixation face a grim outlook in this class of bone and joint replacement. The lack of normal soft tissue coverage and constraint make the joint less stable, which contributes to poor functional results and increases the propensity of stem loosening. Other problems associated with custom prosthetic replacement include the lack of interchangeability, limited availability of the implant components at the time of surgery, improper size and dimension, length of time required for implant fabrication, and high cost.
11 The Exchange of Deuterium with Methanol over Adams' Platinum Catalyst and the Effect of Certain Nitro Compounds Upon the Rate of This Exchange

Deuterium gas exchanges rapidly with methanol over Adams' platinum catalyst at 35°. The influence of catalyst weight and treatment and of deuterium pressure on this exchange have been studied, as well as the effects of several aromatic, aliphatic, and olefinic nitro and related compounds. All of these nitro compounds reduce the rate of the exchange reaction initially, and the magnitude of such reduction increases with increasing specific rate constant for the platinum catalyzed hydrogenation of these compounds.
Regulation of glucosylation of teichoic acid. II. Partial characterization of phosphoglucomutase in Bacillus subtilis 168.

Analysis of purified phosphoglucomutase (EC 2.7.5.1) demonstrated that the two distinct chromatographic forms consisted of dimers with an approximate molecular weight of 130,000. Both phosphoglucomutase I and II spontaneously dissociated at pH 6.5 in low concentrations of Mg2+. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the monomers of phosphoglucomutase I and phosphoglucomutase II are indistinguishable. However, these two forms of the enzyme differed in specific activity, rate of inactivation at 50°, and Km. A 50 % inhibition of both forms occurred with 1 to 2 x 10-5 m UTP or GTP. A model for the regulation of phosphoglucomutase in Bacillus subtilis was presented.
PeerSec: towards peer production and crowdsourcing for enhanced security

Peer production and crowdsourcing have been widely implemented to create various types of goods and services. Although successful examples such as Linux and Wikipedia have been established in other domains, experts have paid little attention to peer-produced systems in computer security beyond collaborative recommender and intrusion detection systems. In this paper we present a new approach for security system design targeting a set of non-technical, self-organized communities. We argue that unlike many current security implementations (which suffer from low rates of adoption), individuals would have greater incentives to participate in a security community characterized by peer production. A specific design framework for peer production and crowd-sourcing are introduced. One high-level security scenario (on mitigation of insider threats) is then provided as an example implementation. Defeating the insider threat was chosen as an example implementation because it has been framed as a strictly (and inherently) firm-produced good. We argue that use of peer production and crowd-sourcing will increase network security in the aggregate.
Patient Perceptions of the Safety of Outpatient Total Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract Background Outpatient total joint arthroplasty is considered safe in a selected group of patients, based primarily on complications. However, patient perception of the safety of outpatient total joint arthroplasty is unknown. This study assesses patient perceptions of the potential benefits of and barriers to outpatient total knee arthroplasty among a cohort of patients who have recently undergone the procedure. Methods Patients who underwent unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty between March 1, 2017, and September 30, 2017 at our institution were given a questionnaire, in which they were asked about prior knowledge regarding outpatient total knee arthroplasty, their perceived ability to undergo the procedure as an outpatient, and their perceived risks and benefits to outpatient surgery. Results Three hundred forty-six patients completed the survey. Over 70% of patients did not think that they would be able to undergo total knee arthroplasty as an outpatient. Their primary concerns were pain, being able to go to the bathroom, and falls. Conclusions Patients in this study largely would not feel safe undergoing total knee arthroplasty on an outpatient basis. Payers should not only take into account existing literature but also the concerns and perceived needs of patients, before encouraging widespread implementation of outpatient total knee arthroplasty.
Accounting for Directional Rigidity and Constraints in Control for Manipulation of Deformable Objects without Physical Simulation

Deformable objects like cloth and rope are challenging to manipulate because it is difficult to predict the state of the object given a motion of the gripper(s) holding it. In much previous work, physical models (such as Mass-Spring or Finite-Element) have been used to model such affects. However, these models often require significant parameter tuning for each scenario and can be expensive to simulate inside a control loop. Furthermore, it is difficult to create a practical controller for deformable object manipulation that preserves constraints, especially avoiding overstretching the object. In this paper, we developed a more effective controller than previous work by 1) constructing a more accurate geometric model of how the direction of gripper motion and obstacles affect deformable objects; and 2) specifying a novel stretching avoidance constraint to prevent the object from being overstretched by the robot. Experiments comparing our new method to the previous method in simulation and on a physical robot suggest that our new model captures the behavior of the object more accurately. We also find that our controller is able to prevent tearing that would occur when using the previous method.
Cultured pluripotent planarian stem cells retain potency and express proteins from exogenously introduced mRNAs

Abstract Planarians possess naturally occurring pluripotent adult somatic stem cells (neoblasts) required for homeostasis and whole–body regeneration. However, methods for culturing neoblasts are currently unavailable, hindering both mechanistic studies of potency and the development of transgenic tools. We report the first robust methodologies for culturing and delivering exogenous mRNA into neoblasts. We identified culture media for maintaining neoblasts in vitro, and showed via transplantation that the cultured stem cells retained pluripotency. By modifying standard flow cytometry methods, we developed a new procedure that significantly improved yield and purity of neoblasts. These methods facilitated the successful introduction and expression of exogenous mRNAs in neoblasts, overcoming a key hurdle impeding the application of transgenics in planarians. The tissue culture advances reported here create new opportunities to advance detailed mechanistic studies of adult stem cell pluripotency in planarians, and provide a systematic methodological framework to develop cell culture techniques for other emerging research organisms.
Profiles of Future Orientation among Assault-injured Adolescents: Correlates and Concurrent Outcomes.

Future orientation has been established as having positive associations with health and educational outcomes for adolescents exposed to violence. However, conceptualizations of future orientation have been inconsistent. This study uses latent profile analysis to understand the interrelationships between measures of future orientation (e.g., commitment to learning, goal orientation, hope, expectancies, fatalism). Participants were 188 primarily African American male early adolescents ranging from 10 to 15 years old (60.6% male; Mage = 12.87, SDage = 1.52). Adolescents in the high- and low-future orientation profiles differed on academic behaviors and aggressive behavior. A discordant profile emerged with adolescents moderate on all measures of future orientation except expectancies. Relational aspects of parenting were associated with higher likelihood of adolescents being assigned to the high- and low-future orientation profiles. These findings suggest the importance of parental warmth in promoting future orientation for adolescents in risky environments, as improving future orientation might mitigate risk for future negative academic comes or engagement in violent behavior.
Evaluation of Global Fire Weather Database reanalysis and short-term forecast products

Abstract. Daily Fire Weather Index (FWI) System components calculated from the NASA Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), are compared to FWI calculations from a global network of weather stations over 2004–2018, and short-term, experimental (8 d) daily FWI forecasts are evaluated for their skill across the Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World for 2018. FWI components from MERRA-2 were, in general, biased low compared to station data, but this reflects a mix of coherent low and high biases of different magnitudes. Biases in different MERRA-2 FWI components were related to different biases in weather input variables for different regions, but temperature and relative humidity biases were the most important overall. FWI forecasts had high skill for 1–2 d lead times for most of the world. For longer lead times, forecast skill decreased most quickly at high latitudes and was most closely related to decreasing skill of relative humidity forecasts. These results provide a baseline for the evaluation and use of fire weather products calculated from global analysis and forecast fields.
Gonorrhea in Adolescents and Young Adults

Gonorrhea is the second most common notifiable disease in the USA. Since 2009, rates of gonorrhea have steadily risen, which is largely attributable to increases among men. If untreated, this infection can cause significant morbidity including hematogenous dissemination, pelvic inflammatory disease, and female infertility, which is often irreversible. Neisseria gonorrhoeae has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, which has significantly limited treatment options. In this chapter, we will review the epidemiology and pathophysiology of gonorrhea, and we will describe the microbiologic characteristics of N. gonorrhoeae. We will also provide an overview of its main clinical presentations and the latest advances in diagnosis and treatment.
Z' Does Not Need to Be > 0.5

The assay metric Z' has come to play a critical gatekeeping role in determining whether high-throughput assays can be performed. While Z' is commonly required to be > 0.5, this expectation is not well supported. Requiring Z' > 0.5 likely prevents many potentially useful phenotypic and cell-based screens from being conducted, and causes other assays to be conducted under extreme conditions that may prevent activity from being found. We used power analysis and a novel numerical simulation approach to determine how Z' reflects assay performance under a variety of conditions. Our results show that assays with Z' > 0.5 perform better than assays with lower Z', but when an appropriate threshold is selected, assays with Z' 0.5, assays with Z' < 0.5 should be performed when they can be justified in terms of the importance of the target and the limitations of alternate assay formats.
Landscape bundling of ceremonial Earthworks: Incorporating ethnohistoric and contemporary Indigenous ontologies to revive Great Lakes archaeological legacy datasets

Abstract The thousands of ancestral Indigenous mounds and earthworks of Eastern North America have long been a source of intrigue for diverse audiences. And although explanations have come a long way from the days of the Mound Builder Myth, there are avenues of inquiry that remain under-investigated. Here, we seek to let Indigenous ontologies lead the way by employing an interpretive lens based on bundling, a significant practice across many North American Indigenous peoples. We expand the notion of bundling to the landscape scale and, drawing on ethnohistoric and contemporary understandings of Anishinaabeg and Ho-Chunk ontologies, suggest that Great Lakes earthworks were brought into being for/through the bundling together of relationships between humans, other-than-human persons, and the land. This lens sets the scene for novel geospatial and statistical analyses of a legacy archaeological dataset of Late Precontact (ca. CE 1200–1600) earthworks in the Great Lakes, most of which have been destroyed. This study reinvigorates a fragmentary legacy data set, a practice that – during a time of pandemic-related restrictions on travel and field work – should become more prominent in archaeological investigations. This study illustrates the value of blending quantitative approaches and Indigenous ontologies to studies of landscape-scale processes and meanings.
Internet Appendix to: Spillover Effects of the Opioid Epidemic on Consumer Finance

This appendix provides complete results for the robustness checks discussed in the paper, Spillover Effects of the Opioid Epidemic on Consumer Finance. The paper available at https://ssrn.com/abstract=3324709.
Extended operant training increases infralimbic and prelimbic cortex Fos regardless of fear conditioning experience

Abstract Extended fear training can lead to initially low fear expression that grows over time, termed fear incubation. Conversely, a single fear conditioning session typically results in high fear initially that is sustained over time. Fear expression decreases across extended training, suggesting that a fear extinction-like process might be responsible for low fear observed soon after training. Because of the prominent role medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays in fear conditioning and extinction, we decided to examine Fos expression resulting from a cued fear retrieval test to gain insight into possible mechanisms involved in extended training fear incubation. Male Long-Evans rats received 1 or 10 days of tone-shock pairings or tone-only exposure (while lever-pressing for food). Two days after the end of fear training, rats received a cued fear test, with perfusions timed to visualize Fos expression during test. As expected, the limited fear conditioning group exhibited higher fear in the test than any of the other groups (as measured with conditioned suppression of lever-pressing). Interestingly, we found that extended training animals (whether they received tone-shock pairings or tone-only exposure) expressed higher levels of Fos in both prelimbic and infralimbic cortices than limited training animals. There was no association between fear expression and mPFC Fos expression. These results suggest we may have visualized Fos expression related to operant overtraining rather than conditioned fear related processes. Further research is needed to determine the neurobiological basis of extended training fear incubation and to determine processes represented by the pattern of Fos expression we observed.
Optimizing Efficient RNAi-Mediated Control of Hemipteran Pests (Psyllids, Leafhoppers, Whitefly): Modified Pyrimidines in dsRNA Triggers.

The advantages from exogenously applied RNAi biopesticides have yet to be realized in through commercialization due to inconsistent activity of the dsRNA trigger, and the activity level of RNAi suppression. This has prompted research on improving delivery methods for applying exogenous dsRNA into plants and insects for the management of pests and pathogens. Another aspect to improve RNAi activity is the incorporation of modified 2′-F pyrimidine nucleotides into the dsRNA trigger. Modified dsRNA incorporating 32–55% of the 2′-F- nucleotides produced improved RNAi activity that increased insect mortality by 12–35% greater than non-modified dsRNA triggers of the same sequence. These results were repeatable across multiple Hemiptera: the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri, Liviidae); whitefly (Bemisia tabaci, Aleyroididae); and the glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis, Cicadellidae). Studies using siRNA with modified 2′-F- pyrimidines in mammalian cells show they improved resistance to degradation from nucleases, plus result in greater RNAi activity, due to increase concentrations and improved binding affinity to the mRNA target. Successful RNAi biopesticides of the future will be able to increase RNAi repeatability in the field, by incorporating modifications of the dsRNA, such as 2′-F- pyrimidines, that will improve delivery after applied to fruit trees or crop plants, with increased activity after ingestion by insects. Costs of RNA modification have decreased significantly over the past few years such that biopesticides can now compete on pricing with commercial chemical products.
Reliability of self-report versus the capacity to consent to treatment instrument to make medical decisions in brain metastasis and other metastatic cancers.

Objective To evaluate the ability of persons with metastatic cancer to self-assess their medical decision-making capacity (MDC). To investigate this, we compared an objective measure of MDC with self-ratings and evaluated predictors of agreement. Methods Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study of metastatic cancer patients at a large academic medical center. Across all standards of MDC, sensitivity, specificity, and reliability using Gwet's AC1 statistic were calculated using the objective measure as the gold standard. Logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of agreement between the measures across all MDC standards. Results In those with brain metastases, high sensitivity (greater than 0.7), but low specificity was observed for all standards. Poor reliability was observed across all standards. Higher age resulted in higher odds of disagreement for Standard 3 (appreciation) (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.15) and Standard 4 (reasoning) (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.10). For Standard 3, chemotherapy use and brain metastases compared to other metastases resulted in higher odds of disagreement (Chemotherapy: OR: 5.62, 95% CI: 1.37, 23.09, Brain Metastases: OR: 5.93, 95% CI: 1.28, 27.55). For Standard 5 (understanding), no predictors were associated with disagreement. Conclusions For less cognitively complex standards (e.g., appreciation), self-report may be more valid and reliable than more cognitively complex standards (e.g., reasoning or understanding). However, overall, MDC self-report in the current sample is suboptimal. Thus, the need for detailed assessment of MDC, especially when patients are older or used chemotherapy, is indicated. Other studies should be conducted to assess MDC agreement longitudinally.
Human-factors methods in the design of vehicle components

This paper discusses human–factors methods for evaluating the design of vehicle components. The need for human–factors measures is defended on the basis of the impracticality of the ultimate measure - the accident rate. Several human–performance measures are discussed: in traffic reaction times, driver eye fixations, visibility distances, subjective ratings of discomfort, and driver preferences. The utility of these measures is illustrated in the context of recent studies at The University of Michigan Transportation Research lnstitute concerned with vehicle rear lighting, headlighting, and instrument–panel displays.
Radical polymerization and copolymerization of some vinyl phosphates

Diethyl vinyl phosphate (1), diphenyl vinyl phosphate (2), and phenyl divinyl phosphate (3) were prepared, and their polymerization and copolymerization behaviors as well as the hydrolysis of the polymers obtained were investigated. The monomers 1 and 2 were homopolymerized to give low molecular weight polymers, probably as a result of high chain transfer reactivity to monomer. Although the monomer 3 gave a cross-linked polymer, this polymerization was found to proceed mainly by a cyclopolymerization mechanism to give a polymer with a five-membered ring unit which was readily hydrolyzed. The alkaline hydrolysis of poly(1) occurred only partly and thus pure polyvinyl alcohol was not obtained. From the copolymerizations of 1 and 2 with vinyl monomers such as vinyl chloride, the reactivities of these monomers were found to be somewhat lower than that of vinyl acetate.
The feline placenta as a physiologic model of complex vascular development (832.7)

The development of the placenta throughout gestation is vital for the normal progress of fetal growth to term. The placental vasculature develops early in pregnancy, becoming eventually a complex n...
The distribution dilemma: Why insurance companies need to change their business models

The world of business is riddled with change and complexity – none more so than the life and pensions industry. Banks, for instance, have long sat on the side-lines, but now see long-term savings as a key market to boost revenue growth – should authorities further “iron-out” the final creases in regulation. In addition to new competitors, there is a wide range of structural challenges confronting insurance industry competitors. Consumers continue to shun long-term savings, notably pensions – an UK study in 2002 estimated the savings gap at $50B (ABI, 2002) – with many consumers finding alternative assets such as property more attractive although the transaction costs (stamp duty) remains high. The market is attracting heightened regulatory scrutiny on a number of fronts. There are wide-ranging product persistency and top-line growth challenges and, not surprisingly, increasing pricing pressure across the product spectrum. However, our investigation into the UK insurance market has convinced us that the heart of the problem facing the industry is found in the structure of the business model in use across the life and pensions industry – using a costly face-to-face advisor to identify likely buyers, to sell and service that business once it is underwritten. There is a significant misalignment in value that has built up between product providers, retail customers and independent financial advisors (IFAs) who are responsible for the majority of life and pensions sales in the UK. This mismatch between value provided and costs borne makes the current business model an unsustainable proposition going forward. This distribution problem has long been recognised but, unfortunately, has yet to be addressed. To quote a senior executive of a major life office this is “due to industry sloth, rather than failure of policy”.
Steady-state stability and load flow

The authors present the steady-state solution method for a general multimachine dynamic model, showing the relationship between the standard load flow Jacobian and the system state matrix. They discuss the question of how the existence of a dynamic equilibrium point is related to the existence of a load flow solution. Conditions under which the load flow Jacobian matrix gives information about steady-state stability are discussed. >
Medical Education and Professionalism

In this entry we explore the sociocultural history of the current push for “professionalism” within organized medicine. We argue that the contemporary discourse of professionalism within organized medicine is, in actuality, a debate about medicine's status as a profession and its efforts to maintain and promote cultural authority, organizational autonomy, and a positive occupational identity. The entry also examines the drive to define, assess, and institutionalize professionalism within medical education circles, and the related pushback from medical students. We conclude by showcasing relatively new areas of activity within medical education that may enhance understanding of the development of professionalism principles such as the construction and implementation of interprofessional education (IPE) programs, and the role of certification and licensing organizations in the maintenance and institutionalization of professionalism. Keywords: health professions; institutionalization; medical sociology; medicine; sociology of health and illness
Pyridine‐N‐oxide

Pyridine-N-oxide intermediate: pyridine-N-oxide hydrochloride product: pyridine-N-oxide Keywords: oxidation, R3N R3NO; peroxides, test for; peroxides, detection; distillation, apparatus, for solids; stirrers, Trubore
Subgroups of the Cowpea Miscellany: Symbiotic Specificity within Bradyrhizobium spp. for Vigna unguiculata, Phaseolus lunatus, Arachis hypogaea, and Macroptilium atropurpureum

Rhizobia classified as Bradyrhizobium spp. comprise a highly heterogeneous group of bacteria that exhibit differential symbiotic characteristics on hosts in the cowpea miscellany cross-inoculation group. To delineate the degree of specificity exhibited by four legumes in the cowpea miscellany, we tested the symbiotic characteristics of indigenous cowpea bradyrhizobia on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum), lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), and peanut (Arachis hypogaea). The most-probable-number counts of indigenous bradyrhizobia at three sites on Maui, Hawaii, were substantially different on the four hosts: highest on siratro, intermediate on cowpea, and significantly lower on both lima bean and peanut. Bradyrhizobia from single cowpea nodules from the most-probable-number assays were inoculated onto the four hosts. Effectiveness patterns of these rhizobia on cowpea followed a normal distribution but were strikingly different on the other legumes. The effectiveness profiles on siratro and cowpea were similar but not identical. The indigenous cowpea-derived bradyrhizobia were of only moderate effectiveness on siratro and were in all cases lower than the inoculant-quality reference strain. Between 5 and 51% of the bradyrhizobia, depending on site, failed to nodulate peanut, whereas 0 to 32% failed to nodulate lima bean. No significant correlation was observed between the relative effectiveness of the bradyrhizobia on cowpea and their corresponding effectiveness on either lima bean or peanut. At all sites, bradyrhizobia that were ineffective on cowpea but that effectively nodulated lima bean, peanut, or both were found. Eighteen percent or fewer of the bradyrhizobia were as effective on lima bean as the reference inoculant strain; 44% or fewer were as effective on peanut as the reference strain. Only 18% of all cowpea-derived bradyrhizobia tested were able to form N2-fixing nodules on both lima bean and peanut. These results indicate the need to measure indigenous bradyrhizobial population characteristics directly with the crop of interest to obtain an accurate assessment of the need to inoculate.
The histidine content of the urine in pregnancy

Abstract 1.1. The bromine method of Chattaway 11 for the determination of histidine in urine has been modified so that interference of urea is avoided and the estimation of total histidine is satisfactory. 2.2. The creatinine: histidine ratio has been determined in the urine of a large number of pregnant and nonpregnant women and of men. 3.3. Eighty-eight per cent of the pregnancy urines (169) examined showed low ratios, while only 9 per cent of the urines of nonpregnant women (59) and of men (50) had ratios as low as 1.70. There was no detectable difference in the ratios of nonpregnant women and men. 4.4. The increased excretions of urinary histidine, as evidenced by low creatinine: histidine ratios of the urine, were not found before the third month of pregnancy and cannot, therefore, be used as an aid in the early diagnosis of pregnancy.
Hey, you got your compiler in my operating system!

Several operating systems projects revolve around moving functionality above or below the kernel "red line" to increase flexibility or performance. We describe how a general model of partial evaluation encompasses this trend. The operating systems community should not be content with a single interface between applications and the operating system, even if that interface allows extension below the red line; we contend that partial evaluation will be most effective when it is free of that arbitrary static interface. Extending partial evaluation from the language level down to the hardware provides a consistent, global framework for application support.
Stability analysis for a two-time-scale neural tracking controller

The stability of a two-time scale neural tracking controller is analyzed using Lyapunov stability theory. The results show that the tracking error of the system is uniformly bounded and converges to a bounded region if the two-time-scale neural tracking controller is used. Moreover, the region depends only on the accuracy of the slow learning rule is a switching leakage term is used in the fast learning rule. >
Annual Survey of Michigan Law, Civil Rights

A survey of developments in Michigan civil rights jurisprudence from June 2007 to May 2008.
Synthesis of multiple exoproducts in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is under the control of RhlR-RhlI, another set of regulators in strain PAO1 with homology to the autoinducer-responsive LuxR-LuxI family.

Mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 that were deficient in the ability to produce proteases that degrade casein were detected among the survivors of chemical mutagenesis. One such mutant (PDO31) showed reduced production of elastolytic activity, beta-hemolytic activity, and pyocyanin. A 4.3-kb EcoRI fragment from a gene bank of PAO1 that complemented defects in PDO31 was found. Transposon mutagenesis and deletion derivatives of the clone were used in conjunction with complementation tests to determine the physical location of the gene of interest. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame (rhlR) encoding a putative 27.6-kDa protein (RhlR) with homology to autoinducer-responsive regulators of quorum sensing systems such as LuxR of Vibrio fischeri and LasR of P. aeruginosa. Further sequence analysis downstream of rhlR revealed an independently transcribed gene (rhlI) that encodes a putative 22.2-kDa protein with homology to members of the family of autoinducer synthetases, such as LuxI of V. fischeri and LasI of P. aeruginosa. The rhlRI sequences were also recently reported by others (U.A. Ochsner and J. Reiser, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92: 6424-6428, 1995) as an autoinducer-mediated regulation mechanism for rhamnolipid biosurfactant synthesis in P. aeruginosa PG201. Mutants with defects in rhlR or rhlI were constructed in PAO1 by gene replacement, using clones modified by Tn501 insertion. Compared with the wild type, the rhlR and rhlI mutants both showed defects in the production of elastase, LasA protease, rhamnolipid, and pyocyanin. Transcription from the gene for elastase, as measured with a lasB-cat fusion, demonstrated that production of elastase was subject to cell density-dependent gene activation in PAO1. However, transcription of lasB-cat in the rhlI mutant, which had lost the presumptive autoinducer synthetase (predicted to activate RhlR), showed low basal activity and had lost all cell density-dependent transcription of lasB. Thus, RhlR-RhlI represent the second autoinducer-responsive regulatory mechanism found in P. aeruginosa that controls expression of multiple virulence factor exoproducts, including elastase.
Experimental metastasis of mouse embryonal carcinoma cell lines to specific locations.

Embryonal carcinoma cell lines produced tumors in highly specific and unusual sites when injected into mice. The pattern that developed when cells were injected into the left ventricle of the heart involved target organs related either to specific nerve patterns or neuronal outgrowth factors, or to pathways of primordial germ cell migration. Major sites included the ovary, testis, adrenal, iris, whiskers, and male submaxillary gland. Neither local growth responses, determined by direct injection of tumor cells into different organ parenchyma, nor initial attachments, observed upon injection of radiolabeled cells, appeared to sufficiently account for the specificity of tumor metastases occurring after arterial injection. However, tissue from uninjected target sites, but not other tissues, stimulated the in vitro migration of embryonal carcinoma cells. Conditioned medium from only target tissues had a similar effect. These results suggest that the specificity of this tumor pattern may depend on migration responses that are significant in the localization of embryonic germ and neural cells. The specific metastatic pattern observed following i.p. injection of embryonal carcinoma cells, involving only the ovary, appeared to require an additional component of high adhesivity to the target organ.
Laparoscopic postmortem examiantion: A minimally invasive approach to the autopsy

Abstract Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic autopsies have previously only been performed on an experimental basis to determine their potential usefulness as a substitute for a conventional postmortem examination. We present the case of a patient with an unusual variant of malignant melanoma (diffuse melanosis) in whom the immediate cause of death clinically was though to be fulminant hepatic failure, the etiology of which was unknown. The family was unwilling to consent to a conventional autopsy, but would permit a postmortem examination limited to a 2-cm abdominal incision and removal of a sample of liver. In view of the unanswered clinical questions regarding the cause of the acute hepatic failure and its possible relationship to the diagnosis of diffuse melanosis, we decided that more extensive examination of the abdominal cavity, specifically the liver, was required and that the only way that this could be accomplished was by laparoscopic techniques. Laparoscopic examination of the abdominal cavity revealed multiple melanotic nodules on the suface of the liver and studding the omentum. Multiple liver sampls were easily obtained; these revealed massive diffuse necrosis of the liver parenchyma with scattered nodular deposits of dark pigment consistent with melanin. We report the first known case in which a laparoscopic autopsy was used to obtain valuable information that answered clinically relevant questions. Laparoscopic autopsy can offer the a family that is unwilling to consent to a conventional postmortem examination an alternative that can potentially provide answers to clinical questions that otherwise would have been unresolved.
Long duration biaxial cylinder testing of balloon grade polyethylene films with emphasis on automated data acquisition and control

Characterization of a 2-dimensional material constitutive model in the practical biaxial state for engineering utility of balloon envelope structural analysis is achievable with laboratory cylinder tests. Hoop (circumferential, and longitudinal strains are time-wise measured on axially loaded pressurized cylinders. Pre-programmed ramped loading changes as well as precise long term pressure control are achieved through cascaded proportional, integral derivative (PID) flow control loops that are part of an integrated data acquisition and process control system. Real time data reduction and analysis allow monitoring of unattended tests that have durations of up to a month. Measured and controlled parameters and variables are discussed; date analysis techniques are reviewed.
Chemically vapor deposited molybdenum films of high infrared reflectance

Abstract Molybdenum thin films of high infrared reflectance were deposited by pyrolytic decomposition of molybdenum carbonyl (Mo(CO) 6 ) and by hydrogen reduction of molybdenum pentachloride. Reflectance values within 0.7% of the reflectance of supersmooth bulk molybdenum were attained by annealing films of lower reflectance in both reducing and non-reducing atmospheres. All the depositions and anneals were carried out at atmospheric pressure which facilitated a continuous flow-through fabrication. These reflectors combine the high temperature stability of molybdenum thin films with the IR reflectance of a material such as aluminum. Deposition from Mo(CO) 6 under oxidizing conditions and a subsequent anneal in a reducing atmosphere results in films that combine high solar absorptance with low thermal emittance. Black molybdenum films can serve as highly selective single-layer photothermal converters if they are antireflected. Structural, compositional and crystallographic properties were measured after both deposition and anneal.