cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Complication Risk for Open Carpal Tunnel Release: In-office versus Operating Room Settings.

Background Performing open carpal tunnel release (oCTR) in an office-based procedure room setting (PR) decreases surgical costs when compared with the operating room (OR). However, it is unclear if the risk of major medical, wound, and iatrogenic complications differ between settings. Our purpose was to compare the risk of major medical complications associated with oCTR between PR and OR settings. Methods Utilizing the MarketScan Database, we identified adults undergoing isolated oCTR between 2006 and 2015 performed in PR and OR settings. ICD-9-CM and/or CPT codes were used to identify major medical complications, surgical site complications, and iatrogenic complications within 90 days of oCTR. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare complication risk between groups. Results Of the 2134 PR and 76,216 OR cases, the risk of major medical complications was 0.89% (19/2134) and 1.20% (914/76,216), respectively, with no difference observed in the multivariable analysis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.84; 95% CI 0.53-1.33; P=0.45). Risk of surgical site complications was 0.56% (12/2134) and 0.81% (616/76,216) for the PR and OR, respectively, with no difference in the multivariable analysis (OR 0.68; 95% C.I. 0.38-1.22; P=0.19). Iatrogenic complications were rarely observed (PR 1/2134 [0.05%], OR 71/76,216 [0.09%]), which precluded multivariable modeling. Conclusion These results support a similar safety profile for both the PR and OR surgical settings following oCTR with similar pooled major medical complications, pooled wound/surgical site complications, and iatrogenic complications.
Cardiometabolic Modification of Amyloid Beta in Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology

In recent years, several studies have suggested that cardiometabolic disorders, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, share strong connections with the onset of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). However, establishing a definitive link between medical disorders with coincident pathophysiologies is difficult due to etiological heterogeneity and underlying comorbidities. For this reason, amyloid beta (Aβ), a physiological peptide derived from the sequential proteolysis of amyloid precursor protein (APP), serves as a crucial link that bridges the gap between cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative disorders. Aβ normally regulates neuronal synaptic function and repair; however, the intracellular accumulation of Aβ within the brain has been observed to play a critical role in AD pathology. A portion of Aβ is believed to originate from the brain itself and can readily cross the blood-brain barrier, while the rest resides in peripheral tissues that express APP required for Aβ generation such as the liver, pancreas, kidney, spleen, skin, and lungs. Consequently, numerous organs contribute to the body pool of total circulating Aβ, which can accumulate in the brain and facilitate neurodegeneration. Although the accumulation of Aβ corresponds with the onset of neurodegenerative disorders, the direct function of periphery born Aβ in AD pathophysiology is currently unknown. This review will highlight the contributions of individual cardiometabolic diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in elevating concentrations of circulating Aβ within the brain, as well as discuss the comorbid association of Aβ with AD pathology.
Complementary Phenotyping of Maize Root System Architecture by Root Pulling Force and X-Ray Imaging

The root system is critical for the survival of nearly all land plants and a key target for improving abiotic stress tolerance, nutrient accumulation, and yield in crop species. Although many methods of root phenotyping exist, within field studies, one of the most popular methods is the extraction and measurement of the upper portion of the root system, known as the root crown, followed by trait quantification based on manual measurements or 2D imaging. However, 2D techniques are inherently limited by the information available from single points of view. Here, we used X-ray computed tomography to generate highly accurate 3D models of maize root crowns and created computational pipelines capable of measuring 71 features from each sample. This approach improves estimates of the genetic contribution to root system architecture and is refined enough to detect various changes in global root system architecture over developmental time as well as more subtle changes in root distributions as a result of environmental differences. We demonstrate that root pulling force, a high-throughput method of root extraction that provides an estimate of root mass, is associated with multiple 3D traits from our pipeline. Our combined methodology can therefore be used to calibrate and interpret root pulling force measurements across a range of experimental contexts or scaled up as a stand-alone approach in large genetic studies of root system architecture.
The long-term effects of bank recapitalization: Evidence from Indonesia

Do government-sponsored bank recapitalization programs spur lending and reduce risk? This paper assesses the impact of Indonesia’s bank recapitalization program on lending and bank risk following the Asian financial crisis of 1997. Using unique bank-level data, difference-in-differences estimates suggest that recapitalization increased lending (and more so for larger banks), but also boosted bank risk in the long term. Results remain robust to considerations of (1) bank-level differences in political connections, business group affiliation, ownership type, and (2) changes in macroeconomic conditions, capital requirements, accounting regulations, and public credit registry availability.
On 2-Player Randomized Mechanisms for Scheduling

In this paper, we study randomized truthful mechanisms for scheduling unrelated machines. We focus on the case of scheduling two machines, which is also the focus of many previous works [12,13,6,4]. For this problem, [13] gave the current best mechanism with an approximation ratio of 1.5963 and [14] proved a lower bound of 1.5. In this work, we introduce a natural technical assumption called scale-free, which says that the allocation will not change if the instance is scaled by a global factor. Under this assumption, we prove a better lower bound of $\frac{25}{16}$(= 1.5625). We then study a further special case, namely scheduling two tasks on two machines. For this setting, we provide a correlation mechanism which has an approximation ratio of 1.5089. We also prove a lower bound of 1.506 for all the randomized scale-free truthful mechanisms in this setting.
Quantiles and Medians

We provide a list of functional equations that characterize quantile functions for collections of bounded and measurable functions. Our central axiom is ordinal covariance. When a probability measure is exogeneously given, we characterize quantiles with respect to that measure through monotonicity with respect to stochastic dominance. When none is given, we characterize those functions which are simply ordinally covariant and monotonic as quantiles with respect to capacities; and we also find an additional condition for finite probability spaces that allows us to represent the capacity as a probability measure. Additionally requiring that a function be covariant under its negation results in a generalized notion of median. Finally, we show that all of our theorems continue to hold under the weaker notion of covariance under increasing, concave transformations. Applications to the theory of ranking infinite utility streams and to the theory of risk measurement are provided.
SU‐F‐207‐15: Band‐Limited Noise Structure Analysis On Images With Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASIR) in Abdominal CT

Purpose: To investigate the noise details in ASIR reconstructed images with regard to location and signal dependency and distribution normality in abdominal CT scans. Methods: A realistically shaped abdomen phantom (CIRS TE-07). The phantom was customized to allow for the insert of a low contrast module (CIRS 700 QA). Helical CT scans (120 kV, pitch 1.375, and thickness 5 mm) were performed on a GE 750 HD at two dose levels of 8 mGy and 18 mGy. The images were reconstructed using different ASIR fractions (0–100%). The noise images, obtained using subtraction from adjacent slices, were partitioned into different scales using matrices of square cells sized differently. The noise granularities were quantified by the standard deviation of the matrix cell pixel means distribution at each cell size. For each ASIR blending fraction, the following noise granularity properties were examined: the dependency on the matrix location and the dependency on the low contrast signal. The Komogorov-Smirnov normality test was performed on the matrix cell pixel means distributions. Results: For each ASIR blending fraction, the standard deviation of the matrix cell means distribution at each cell size was found independent of the matrix location. Furthermore, it does not vary due to the presence of the low contrast signal. The normality tests demonstrated that the cell means distributions are significantly drawn from Gaussian at the 0.05 level. Conclusion: The noise granularity independency on matrix location with ASIR reconstructed images suggests bigger matrices can be used for a better statistical description of the noise. The noise granularity independency on low contrast signal suggests that noise detail analysis can be done in a bigger area in the absence of the signal. Finally, the Gaussian distribution of the matrix cell means lends itself to statistically defining the minimum detectable contrast.
Leo Lefrançois, Jr., Ph.D. (AAI ’84) 1956–2013: A Stunning Loss and a Lasting Legacy

Dr. Leo Lefrancois, Jr., a prominent immunologist and AAI member, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on July 20, 2013, while hiking in the Italian Dolomites. In addition to his wife and colleague, immunologist and AAI member Dr. Lynn Puddington (AAI ’98), Leo is survived by two children,
Localization of serotonin receptors in the rat thalamus by electrophysiology and the action of 5-HTP-DP-hex.

Abstract This study was designed to pinpoint the site at which N -hexanoyl-5-hydroxytryptophyl-5-hydroxytryptophan amide (5-HTP-DP-hex) exerts its previously reported effect on thalamic neurons in rats. The animals were prepared under chloralose-urethane anesthesia for a stereotaxic approach to either the nucleus ventralis posterolateralis (nVPL) or the centrum medianum-parafascicularis complex (CM-Pf) of the thalamus. Individual neurons in these nuclei were separately activated by single-pulse stimulation of the sciatic nerve or the thalamic fibers that form reciprocal connections between the CM-Pf and the second somatosensory (SII) region of the nVPL. Poststimulus time histograms were constructed from computer readouts of the stimulus-evoked responses of a neuron during a 500-ms period accumulated in a digital computer 100X. In addition, the number of spikes accumulated in each histogram was compared to the number of spikes accumulated under identical conditions on the same neuron after intracarotid infusion of 5-HTP-DP-hex. The effect of the drug was reversed by the infusion of 5-HTP. Statistical evaluation of the accumulated spike counts indicated that 5-HTP-DP-hex suppressed only the excitation of CM-Pf neurons from the SII of the nVPL; the input of the sciatic nerve into the CM-Pf remained unaltered. Furthermore, no effect was exerted by this dipeptide on the afferent excitation of neurons in the SII of the nVPL. Because the interaction of the CM-Pf with the neurons in the SII of the nVPL is necessary for the arousal of localized somatic pain, it is possible that interference of this interaction by 5-HTP-DP-hex might be the mechanism whereby the dipeptide produces its analgetic effect. The specificity and the exclusive localization of the action of 5-HTP-DP-hex points to the possibility that the synaptic junctions formed at the CM-Pf neurons by afferents from the nVPL may contain serotonin receptors.
570: Novel single nucleotide polymorphisms in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and 2 (SOD2) genes among patients with non-syndromic myelomeningocele

superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and 2 (SOD2) genes among patients with non-syndromic myelomeningocele Benjamin Kase, Hope Northrup, Kit Sing Au University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Houston, TX, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Department of Pediatrics, Houston, TX OBJECTIVE: Excessive oxidative stress has been postulated as a mechanism for neural tube defects (NTDs). The current exploratory study sought to examine sequence variations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and 2 (SOD2) genes in patients affected with myelomeningocele (MM) and to identify variations altering risk for MM. STUDY DESIGN: We sequenced the DNA from 96 patients with MM to identify novel potential disease-causing variants across the 11 exons of the SOD1 and SOD2 genes. Exons were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and the products were sequenced with the Sanger method. Sequence results were analyzed with the DNA Sequencing Analysis Software v5.1 from ABI. To identify variants, we manually compared results to the reference sequences (NM_000454, NM_000636, NM_001024466) obtained from UCSC Genome Browser. Observed nucleotide sequences that differed from the reference nucleotide sequences were considered novel variants. RESULTS: We found 3 novel variants not previously described. The first is located in intron 3 of SOD1 and is present in 4/96 patients (2.1% allele frequency). The second is located in the coding region of exon 4 of SOD2, and is present in 10/96 patients (5.2% allele frequency), and represents a silent mutation (threoninethreonine). The third variant is located in the 3’untranslated region (UTR) of SOD2, and is present in 2/96 patients (1.0% allele frequency). CONCLUSION: We have identified 3 novel variants in the SOD genes studied. The variant located in intron 3 of SOD1 may potentially alter gene expression. The variant located in exon 4 of SOD2 is a silent mutation (i.e. no change in the predicated amino acid sequence) and likely has little impact on protein function. The variant located in the 3’UTR of SOD2 is in close proximity to a known microrna (miRNA) binding site, and potentially alters gene regulation. Functional studies are needed to determine the impact of these mutations at the cellular level.
Expert document retrieval via semantic measurement

Abstract A new technology for intelligent full text document retrieval is presented. The retrieval of a document is treated as an expert system problem, recognizing that human document retrieval is expert behavior. The technology is semantic measurement. A working prototype system, LIBRARY, has been built based on the technology. Input is a request for information, in unrestricted technical English; output is all documents with measured content similar to that of the request, ranked in order of relevance. Retrieval is unaffected by similarity or dissimilarity of terms between request and document. LIBRARY's performance is comparable to that of an expert human librarian, representing a significant improvement over traditional document retrieval systems.
Composition and Properties of Spherosil-QMA Whey Protein Concentrate

The Spherosil-QMA ion exchange process was used to prepare whey protein concentrate (WPC) from cheese whey. The process recovered about 64% of the proteins from whey as a 63% protein WPC. The WPC contained about 20.8% lactose, glucose, and galactose. The WPC proteins ranged in solubility from about 32–42% as a function of pH 3–7 and appeared to have undergone substantial denaturation by HPLC but not by palyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gelation properties of WPC were compared with those of commercial and ultrafiltration WPCs as a function of pH 3–7.5 and 0.0–0.15M NaCl and CaCl2. The WPC did not function well as egg replacer in model cake and custard formulations.
Transient Validation of Areva’s New Arcadia™ Code System

AREVA has developed a new leading edge code suite to meet the challenges arising from increasing expectations in nuclear power plant availability and fuel performance while satisfying stricter safety requirements. ARCADIA™ [1] is an advanced 3D coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics/thermal-mechanics code system for Light Water Reactor (LWR) fuel assembly and core design calculations as well as safety analysis, using a new software architecture allowing for nodal and pin-by-pin calculation capability. ARCADIA™ was licensed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for applications for PWR UO2 cores in 2013. It is on the way to be licensed in other countries for AREVA customers.ARCADIA™ contains the steady-state and transient core-simulator ARTEMIS™ [2] for core design and coupled transient safety analysis. ARTEMIS™ can be used in a coupled mode with S-RELAP5 and CATHARE 2 to allow fully coupled transient analysis, combining the sophisticated 3D core model of ARTEMIS™ with the proven system thermal-hydraulics of S-RELAP5 and CATHARE 2 including a detailed simulation of the Instrumentation and Control (I&C). This allows simulating complex transients affecting the core as well as the primary and secondary side including I&C signals and responses.For the validation of ARTEMIS™ a comprehensive set of validation cases was selected, including international benchmarks and measurements covering various classes of transients. These cases include a ‘Load Rejection to station service’ event at a German 1300 MWe plant, where a wide range of system and core parameters was measured that allow the validation of the fully coupled code system. Another validation case is a nodal recalculation of the core behavior during the pump shaft break transient that occurred in the Gosgen nuclear power plant in 1985 [3].The paper will provide representative example results for the abovementioned validation cases.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Near ultraviolet light inactivation of dihydroxyacid dehydratase in Escherichia coli

Abstract The effects of near ultraviolet (NUV) light on a NUV chromophore-containing oxidant-sensitive enzyme, dihydroxyacid dehydratase (DHAD), were measured in seven strains of Escherichia coli. The strains differed in production of the oxidant-defense enzymes, superoxide dismutases (Fe-SOD and Mn-SOD), and catalases HPI and HPII. With the stress of aerobic growth but without NUV exposure, the strains lacking either Fe or Mn SOD or both SODs had 57%, 25%, and 12%, respectively, of the DHAD-specific activity of the parent (K12) strain. Under the same conditions, the catalase strains that were wild type, overproducing, and deficient had comparable DHAD-specific activities. When aerobic cultures were exposed for 30 min to NUV with a fluence of 216 J/m2/s at 310–400 nm, the percentage decreases in DHAD-specific activities were similar (ranging from 75% to 89%) in strains with none, either, or both SODs missing, and in the catalase-overproducing strain. However, the decreases were only 58% and 52% in the strain with catalase missing and in its parent, respectively. The NUV-induced loss of DHAD enzyme activity was not accompanied by any detectable loss of the DHAD protein as measured by polyclonal antibody to DHAD.
Spinous process palpation using the scapular tip as a landmark vs a radiographic criterion standard

Abstract Objective This study aimed at determining the standing spinal landmark that corresponds to the inferior tip of the scapula and determining the accuracy of experienced palpators in locating a spinous process (SP) 3 levels above and below a given SP. Methods The study participants were 34 asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic chiropractic students. An experienced palpator located the inferior scapular tip on each and then positioned a 2-mm lead marker about 5 cm lateral to the nearest SP. Two more markers were placed at levels intended to be 3 levels above and below the first marker placed. The locations of the scapular tip and the spinal targets were determined by comparison with a radiological criterion standard. Results The standing inferior scapular tip corresponded to the T8 SP on average (SD = 0.9). Having placed the first lead marker, examiners on average overshot the upper marker by 0.26 (SD = 0.51) vertebral levels and undershot the lower marker by 0.21 (SD = 0.48) vertebral levels. The modes for the placement of the 3 markers were at T5, T8, and T11. Conclusion Approximately 68% of patients would be palpated to have their inferior scapular tips at T7, T8, or T9. An experienced palpator can quite accurately locate vertebral levels 3 above or below a given landmark. Chiropractors and other health professionals using the typical rule of thumb linking the inferior scapular tip to the standing T7 SP have likely been applying clinical interventions at spinal locations different from those intended.
The effect of temperature on the gas–particle partitioning of reactive mercury in atmospheric aerosols

Abstract Measurements of gas–particle-partitioning coefficients for reactive mercury in dry urban and laboratory aerosol were found to strongly depend on ambient temperature. Samples of atmospheric and laboratory aerosols (defined as both the gas and particle phases) were collected using filter and absorbent methods and analyzed for reactive mercury using thermal desorption combined with cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy. Synthetic ambient aerosols were generated in the laboratory from ammonium sulfate and adipic acid mixed with mercuric chloride in a purpose-built aerosol reactor. The aerosol reactor was operated in a temperature-controlled laboratory. Linear relationships between the logarithm of inverse gas–particle partitioning and inverse temperature were observed and parameterized for use in the atmospheric modeling of reactive mercury. Reactive mercury was observed to partition from the particle to the gas phase as ambient temperature increased. Good agreement between measurements made using urban and laboratory aerosols was seen after gas–particle-partitioning coefficients were normalized for surface area instead of mass. Thermodynamic analyses of the urban and laboratory gas–particle-partitioning measurements revealed that the strength of interaction between reactive mercury and particle surfaces was suggestive of chemisorption. Gas–particle-partitioning coefficients made with the Tekran ambient mercury analyzer (AMA) also showed a dependence on temperature. However, the Tekran AMA partitioning coefficients did not agree well with partitioning coefficients measured using the filter-based methods. The disagreement is consistent with the 50 °C operational temperature of the Tekran AMA.
First-principles estimate of the order–disorder transition in Ba(ZnxNb1−x)O3 microwave dielectrics

The B-site cation ordering in Ba(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 was studied using a combination of first-principles energy calculations, a cluster expansion technique, and Monte Carlo simulations. Our calculations indicate that the ground state is a 1:2 ordered hexagonal structure, in contrast to x-ray diffraction observations, but consistent with recent Raman work by Kim et al. The order–disorder transition between the 1:2 ordered phase and the cubic perovskite phase is predicted to occur at approximately 2480 K. This prediction indicates that Ba(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 in equilibrium should be fully ordered at all practical temperatures. These results indicate that Ba(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3, previously considered to be disordered, may be ordered on a local scale, consistent with its good microwave characteristics.
Hadron spectrum of quenched QCD on a 323 × 64 lattice

Abstract Preliminary results from a hadron spectrum calculation of quenched Quantumchromodynamics on a 32 3 × 64 lattice at β = 6.5 are reported. The hadron spectrum calculation is done with staggered quarks of masses, m q a = 0.01, 0.005 and 0.0025. We use different sources in order to be able to extract the Δ mass in addition to the usual local light hadron masses. The numerical simulation is executed on the Intel Touchstone Delta computer. The peak speed of the Delta for a 16 × 32 mesh configuration is 41 Gflops for 32 bit precision. The sustained speed for our updating code is 9.5 Gflops. A multihit metropolis algorithm combined with an over-relaxation method is used in the updating and the conjugate gradient method is employed for Dirac matrix inversion. Configurations are stored every 1000 sweeps.
Integrating Machine Translation with Group Support Systems

In the largest face-to-face, multilingual, electronic meeting to date, 40 students exchanged sentences in 40 different languages using a new group support system called Polyglot that provides automatic translations with Google Translate. Approximately 83% of the text was understood when translated to English, as well as 90% of the comments in six meetings using German, Spanish, French, and Italian. Finally, a ranking of accuracies using sentences from 40 languages translated to English reveals that speakers from many Western European countries can probably understand each other in multilingual meetings using the group support system.
Particulate rubber modified nylon 6 RIM

Nylon 6 produced by the reaction injection molding (RIM) process is toughened through block copolymerization of caprolactam with functional, rubbery prepolymers. This article describes an alternate route, where caprolactam is polymerized in the presence of a dispersed particulate rubber. The particulate rubber employed in this study has a core-shell morphology with a soft, crosslinked butadiene-based rubbery core and a grafted styrene–acrylonitrile shell. The core-shell rubber is dispersed as a latex in caprolactam to high quality dispersions which, on anionic polymerization, give tough castings. Incorporation of a reactive monomer such as hydroxypropyl methacrylate in the graft shell brings about further improvement in impact strength.
Characteristics of neuroscience computer graphics displays and a proposed system to generate those displays

Computer graphics displays in the neurosciences are classified into three categories: anatomical structures, physiological waveforms, and statistical summaries. The capabilities required in a line drawing system to present neuroscience displays are smooth rotation and translation of 3D structures, simple line rejection, orthographic projection, and flexible interactive hard copy capable of drawing dots. The general purpose computer is available to refresh the CRT. A simple graphics processor with the necessary capabilities is defined and its unique features are discussed.
Biosynthesis of marine natural products: microorganisms and macroalgae

This review covers the literature published on the biosynthesis of marine microbial and macroalgal natural products over a 10-year period from 1989 through 1998. A companion review covering the same time period on the biosynthesis of natural products from marine macroorganisms will appear at a later date in this journal. An earlier report by Garson published in this journal surveyed the whole field of marine natural product biosynthesis through mid 1988.1 The field through mid 1992 was reviewed elsewhere in an updated report,2 and several reviews covering specific aspects of marine microbial and macroalgal natural product biosynthesis have been published during this period. Reviewed biosynthetic topics include dinoflagellate and algal sterol side chains,3,4 algal oxylipins,5–8 and microalgal metabolites.9,10 Some of the microorganisms discussed in this report are not strictly marine. Bacteria isolated from coastal waters may have originated from terrestrial habitats and washed into the ocean. Many of these bacteria found at the interface of terrestrial and marine environments, especially the actinobacteria, tolerate wide ranges of salinities. The biosynthesis of natural products from freshwater cyanobacteria and microalgae are described for compounds that are structurally related to marine products. The biosynthetic origins of many marine invertebrate-derived natural products are not clear and have been proposed to involve associated microorganisms. A section on symbiotic microorganisms highlights our current knowledge on the involvement of invertebrate-hosted microorganisms in natural product biosynthesis through cellular localization studies. The review is organized on the basis of a similar taxonomic system used in previous marine natural product biosynthesis1, 2 and structure11 reviews. General labeling patterns consistently used throughout this report are outlined in Fig. 1. 2 Marine microorganisms
Processing and Mechanical Properties of Fluorinated Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube−Polyethylene Composites

To efficiently reinforce polymer matrix composites with carbon nanotubes, issues of dispersion and nanotube−matrix compatibility should be optimized. Sidewall chemical functionalization was shown t...
Synthesis and supramolecular properties of conformationally restricted and flexible phospholipids.

Short synthetic routes are described to produce structurally related phospholipids that are either conformationally restricted or flexible. The conformationally restricted structures have a cyclopropyl ring in the interfacial region of the phospholipid. The key synthetic step is a cyclopropanation reaction between 2(5H)-furanone and a stabilized chloroallylic phosphonate anion. The synthetic routes enable the incorporation of different polar headgroups as well as nonpolar tails at late stages in the sequence. The phosphoethanolamine derivatives 1b and 2b readily form encapsulating vesicles, however, dye leakage from vesicles composed of the restricted phospholipid 1b is significantly slower than from vesicles composed of flexible analogue 2b. Physicochemical analyses using 31P NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence anisotropy, and Langmuir−Blodgett films suggest that the decreased permeability of membranes composed of conformationally restricted 1b is due to its ability to pack more closely ...
In vitro synthesis of structural and nonstructural proteins of Sendai and SV5 viruses.

Abstract The messenger RNAs of SV5 and two strains of Sendai virus were isolated from infected cells and translated in a wheat germ cell-free system. Comparison of the peptide maps of the polypeptides synthesized in vivo and in vitro established that the nonglycosylated polypeptides P, NP, and M of both SV5 and Sendai virus had been synthesized in vitro . In immunoprecipitation studies of the putative SV5 polypeptides synthesized in vitro , antiserum against whole virions precipitated NP, P, and M, and other polypeptides which did not comigrate with mature virion polypeptides. Monospecific antisera against the HN and F glycoproteins precipitated two of the latter polypeptides with molecular weights of ∼55,000 and 50,000, respectively, suggesting that the nonglycosylated forms of these polypeptides had been synthesized in vitro . Polypeptide C, previously found in Sendai virus-infected cells and proposed to be a virus-specific nonstructural polypeptide, has been found to exhibit strain-specific differences in migration in polyacrylamide gels. Polypeptides with the appropriate strain-specific migration have been synthesized in vitro with mRNAs from cells infected with the different Sendai virus strains, and shown by peptide mapping to be the same polypeptides as those synthesized in vivo . The results have thus provided further evidence that C is a virus-coded nonstructural protein. Another polypeptide (C′), with migrates slightly slower than C, has been found in infected cells and synthesized in vitro . This polypeptide also exhibits strain-specific differences in migration in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and has been shown by peptide mapping to be similar to C. The explanation for the difference in migration between C and C′ is as yet unknown.
Appeasement in International Politics. By Stephen R. Rock. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 2000. 237p. $29.95.

Since Neville Chamberlain's concessions to Adolph Hitler in Munich in 1938, appeasement has become a term of disrepute. The word is almost an epithet, denoting weakness in the face of aggression. Generations of scholars and policymakers have learned the lesson that appeasement emboldens the aggressor and makes war more likely. Academic attention has focused instead on deterrence theory and the role of coercion and compellence as key elements of international politics.
Distributional properties of Jaccard's index of similarity

The distribution of Jaccard’s coefficient of similarity is shown to be asymptotically normal when the individuals in samples from each population are assumed to follow equiprobable multinomial distributions. An expression is given for the joint distribution of the statistics involved in Jaccard’s index for underlying multinomials with all categories equally likely except one.
Sources of rumen carbon dioxide and methane in the lactating dairy cow.

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate substrates as sources of ruminal CO 2 and CH 4 . Acetate-1- 14 C, propionate-1- 14 C, propionate-2- 14 C, butyrate-2- 14 C, dl-lactate-U- 14 C, and barley straw 14 C were introduced into the rumen of lactating dairy cows in separate experiments. Small quantities of the introduced isotope were recovered in rumen CO 2 within five hours; (1–2%) when acetate-1- 14 C, propionate-2- 14 C, or butyrate-2- 14 C was the substrate. However, when propionate-1- 14 C was introduced, 18% of the 14 C was recovered in rumen CO 2 within five hours. When barley straw 14 C served as a substrate, 4–8% of the 14 C was recovered in rumen CO 2 within ten hours. The time distribution of rumen 14 CO 2 suggested there was considerable microbial fermentation of barley straw. Methane- 14 C accounted for 0.2 to 3% of the 14 C introduced in the short-chain fatty acids and 2– 4% from barley straw. Transfer quotient calculations indicated that 40– 60% of the rumen CH 4 arose from the carbonate pool. However, this was substrate-dependent. When dl-lactate-U- 14 C or barley straw 14 C was used, the transfer quotient varied from 0.8 to 1.2, indicating more direct sources of rumen CH 4 than the carbonate pool.
BONE MARROW CULTURES IN CHILDREN WITH FANCONI'S ANEMIA AND T.A.R. SYNDROME

The clinical picture of Fanconi's anemia and the T.A.R. syndrome are very similar. In order to investigate the pathophysiology of these two conditions, we have performed in vitro bone marrow culture studies on two children with Fanconi's anemia and two children with T.A.R. syndrome. The bone marrow cells were cultured for myeloid progenitor cells in agar and for erythroid progenitor cells in methylcellulose. No colonies were observed from the cultures of the two children with Fanconi's anemia. The two children with T.A.R. syndrome grew a normal number of myeloid and erythroid colonies. Our results suggest that the basic defect in Fanconi's anemia resides in the stem cell while the defect in the T.A.R. syndrome resides in the megakaryocytic progenitor cell.
Sequential Determination of Inspection Epochs for Reliability Systems with General Life Time Distributions

Abstract : The problem of determining the optimal inspection epoch is studied for reliability systems in which N components operate in parallel. Life time distribution is arbitrary but known. The optimization is carried with respect to two cost factors: the cost of inspection a component and the cost of failure. The inspection epochs are determined so that the expected cost of the whole system per time unit per cycle will be minimized. The optimization process depends in the general case on the whole failure history of the system. This dependence is characterized. The cases of Weibull life time distributions are elaborated and illustrated numerically. The characteristics of the optimal inspection intervals are studied theoretically.
Six flags over Champlain: Starting points for a comparative analysis

Abstract Six legal regimes have jurisdiction over the Lake Champlain Basin—the states of New York and Vermont, the province of Quebec, the federal governments of the United States and Canada, and the regime of international law. Joint efforts to address the environmental needs of the Lake must work within – or around – the legal systems of these six jurisdictions and their similarities and differences. The similarities arise from the historic origins of the law of New York, Vermont, the United States, and Canada; much of Quebec's public law; and, in some respects, international law in the law of England. The differences also have historic roots. The private law of Quebec is founded in the civil law brought by Quebec's French founders. The federal constitutions of the United States and Canada allocate powers differently among the branches of government and between the national and state or provincial governments, in part because the Canadian Constitution evolved from the British parliamentary form of government after the American Revolution. Differences exist in the laws of New York and Vermont despite their common origins. The International Joint Commission applies international law to resolve issues between the United States and Canada. This paper summarizes the legal provisions that apply to Lake Champlain's environment to provide a starting point for comparative analysis of the similarities and differences that will facilitate the development of coordinated transboundary solutions to the environmental problems of the Lake Champlain Basin and that may be applicable to other shared international and interstate/provincial waters.
Evidence for HCO3− conductance pathways in nutrient membrane of bullfrog antrum

Abstract The effect of changing the nutrient-side HCO 3 − concentration on potential difference (PD) and resistance in bullfrog antrum bathing in Cl − media was determined. Changes in HCO 3 − concentration were from 25 mM to several lower concentrations and back to 25mM. A plot of ‖ΔPD‖ versus log [HCO 3 − ] gave a linear relation for changes of HCO 3 concentration from 25 down to 3.1 mM and back to 25 mM but deviated to some extent for changes to 1.6 mM. In these experiments, changes from higher to lower HCO 3 − concentrations gave a less rapid initial PD response than those in the reverse direction. This result eliminated H + conductance pathways as being predominant. Experiments were done in which in the first part changes were made in nutrient solution from 5% CO 2 and 25 mM HCO 3 − to 0.6% CO 2 and 3 mM HCO 3 − and in the second part the same changes with a simultaneous change of secretory solution from 5% to 10% CO 2 . The magnitude of PD decrease was greater by 4.5 mV in the second part. This result indicated that HCO 3 − conductance pathways rather than OH − conductance pathways predominated. There was no evidence of HCO 3 − , OH − and H + conductance pathways in secretory membrane.
Studies on the nature of non-specific staining in nitroblue tetrazolium detection of dehydrogenases in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (“nothing dehydrogenase”)

Abstract The cause of non-specific nitroblue tetrazolium staining of polyacrylamide gels in the absence of substrate following electrophoresis of human serum or tissue extracts was investigated. Discrete bands of tetrazolium staining (“nothing dehydrogenase”) were related mainly to non-dialyzable elements of the sample and consisted of: (1) an NAD + -dependent component which appeared to correspond to lactate dehydrogenase isozymes and was observable only with tissue extracts containing considerable lactate dehydrogenase activity but not with purified lactate dehydrogenase, suggesting a requirement for a complex reaction, perhaps involving interaction of lactate dehydrogenase with other macromolecule-containing systems; and (2) an NAD + -independent component which was attributable to the non-NAD + -dependent reducing capacity of non-dialyzable macromolecules (probably largely protein sulfhydryl groups) and, to a minor extent, to non-dialyzable molecules. Diffuse background staining was not dependent on the presence of electrophoresed sample and was greatly reduced by increasing the diameter of the staining tube.
A field-ion microscopy study of nanocrystalline Ni and Ni3Al

Abstract Electrodeposition with Ni has been shown to be a feasible technique to fabricate atom probe field-ion microscope (APFIM) specimens from ball-milled nanocrystalline Ni3Al powder particles. Field-ion images of the electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni matrix revealed atomically sharp grain boundaries in the majority of the cases and occasionally some dark regions at the boundaries. Atom-probe analysis of the dark regions did not reveal any compositional differences. In some instances, an unidentified dark region was observed at the boundaries. Three distinct phases were identified from the field-ion images obtained from the ball-milled Ni3Al specimens. Brightly-imaging, well-defined atomic terraces were characteristic of the L12-ordered phase, poorly-defined atomic terraces that were separated by darkly-imaging regions indicated the intermediate disordered phase and randomly-imaging spots gave some indication of the amorphous phase of Ni3Al.
Mentoring College Students: A Critical Review of the Literature between 1990 and 2007.

In response to the mounting national support provided to mentoring programs and initiatives in higher education, the present article updates a review article written by Jacobi (Rev Educ Res 61(4):505–532, 1991). The article revisits the mentoring literature in an attempt to re-frame and update the definition and characteristics of mentoring provided by Jacobi. It also synthesizes and critically analyzes empirical literature specific to mentoring college students published between 1990 and 2007. Finally, the article presents broad theoretical perspectives of mentoring from the business, psychology and education literature in preface to a proposed theoretical framework specific to mentoring college students. The article concludes with specific recommendations to advance the mentoring literature.
Molecular epidemiology of human P[8],G9 rotaviruses in Hungary between 1998 and 2001.

Increasing numbers of studies have documented the widespread distribution of human G9 rotaviruses and demonstrated that these strains may represent a fifth epidemiologically important G serotype. Serotype G9 strains were identified in Hungary for the first time in the 1997–1998 rotavirus season. Contrary to numerous surveys that reported several unexpected P–G combinations among recent G9 isolates (e.g. genotypes P[4], P[6] and P[19]), all Hungarian strains characterized to date possess the globally most common P-type, P[8], which was found among the first G9 isolates that were identified during the 1980s in the USA (WI61) and Japan (F45). To study the genetic variability within Hungarian G9 strains, RNA profile analysis and nucleotide sequencing were performed on a subset of samples that were collected between 1998 and 2001. These strains could be classified into four major RNA profiles, of which two were characteristic for epidemiologically major and two for epidemiologically minor G9 strains. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated substantial sequence differences between the VP7 gene of Hungarian G9 strains and early strains that were isolated in the USA (WI61), Japan (F45) and India (116E) and a few recently identified isolates, e.g. from China (97'SZ37) and the USA (OM67) ( 96 % nucleotide sequence similarity). With respect to the VP4 gene, Hungarian G9 rotaviruses fell into two of the major genetic lineages of genotype P[8], one corresponding to the epidemic strains (lineage II; P-like) and the other for two unique strains (lineage I; Wa-like), suggesting independent introduction of distinct P[8],G9 strains into Hungary or genetic reassortment between locally circulating P[8] strains and descendants of G9 isolates that were imported into the country at an earlier time. The unexpected heterogeneity found for G9 VP7 genes from several countries suggests that genetic variation among these strains has not yet been fully explored.
The axonal arborizations of lateral geniculate neurons in the striate cortex of the cat

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was injected into the optic radiations of adult cats. With placements close to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), the enzyme diffused retrogradely along the axons of geniculocortical relay neurons, entered their cell bodies, and, after reaction with diaminobenzidine, produced a Golgi-like staining of entire neurons. When the injections were made close to the visual cortex, the enzyme diffused anterogradely and filled complete axonal arborizations in area 17. In the LGN, examples of type 1 and type 2 relay neurons (Guillery, '66) were reconstructed, and their axon diameters measured. The type 1 neurons (thought to correspond to Y-cells – LeVay and Ferster, '77) possessed large diameter axons (2–3.3 μm), while the type 2 neurons (thought to be X-cells) had medium-sized axons (1–1.7 μm). Both types of neurons gave off axon collaterals to the perigeniculate nucleus. In the cortex, two types of afferent supplied layer IV. One distributed to the upper part of the layer (layer IVab), extending a short distance into layer III. The parent trunks of these axons, measured in the white matter, had diameters matching those of type 1 LGN relay cells. The other type distributed to layer IVc. The diameters of these axons matched those of type 2 LGN relay cells. Most afferents of both types gave off collaterals to layer VI — there were no axons which exclusively innervated this layer. The axons supplying layer IVab had a wide lateral spread in the cortex (up to 2 mm), and the boutons were grouped into two to five clumps, whose size and arrangement were similar to ocular dominance columns. The axons supplying layer IVc had a much more restricted arborization, usually consisting of a single clump of boutons. LGN neurons with very fine axons (less than 1 μm) were found in laminae C1–C3. They probably corresponded to Guillery's type 4 neurons. In the cortex, fine-diameter axons arborized in the upper half of layer I. These axons sometimes had collaterals in the lower part of layer III and in layer V. Taken together, the arborizations of the cortical afferents observed in the present study account fully for the autoradiographic labelling pattern seen after 3H-proline injections into the LGN (LeVay and Gilbert, '76). The identification of type 1 and type 2 neurons as Y- and X-cells is strengthened by the observed difference in their axon diameters, in agreement with the different axonal conduction velocities reported for Y- and X-cells. The presence of cells with very fine axons in the deeper C laminae is consistent with the reported presence of W-cells (which have slowly conducting axons) in these layers. We conclude that the different classes of geniculate relay neuron have different laminar projections in area 17.