cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Food consumption and growth of juvenile lobsters.

Abstract Experiments conducted on juvenile lobsters ( Homarus americanus ) measured the effects of several environmental variables on growth and ingestion of food. These variables consisted of feeding frequency, photoperiod, and temperature, and were selected on the basis of their potential importance to intensive culture systems. Specific consumption rates, defined as percent of body wet weight ingested daily, and determined by measurements of the ingestion of natural foods, were found to follow an inverse log-log relation to live weight. Significantly faster growth was obtained when juvenile lobsters were kept in near-constant darkness, and when they were fed 7 days per week instead of 5 days per week. Increased food consumption was observed when juvenile lobsters were maintained in near-constant darkness, as well as when temperature was increased. Feeding twice daily did not increase the amount of food consumed daily. The proportion of food consumed during the first 4h indicated that the lobsters ate periodically throughout the day. Although starvation for a 48-h period caused a significant increase in the proportion of food consumed during the next feeding period, this increase was not sustained more than 2 days. The evidence suggests that lobsters are slow, periodic feeders, and that food consumption and growth can be readily increased by manipulation of particular environmental factors.
Intrathecal fentanyl prolongs sensory bupivacaine spinal block

The purpose of investigation was to study the effect of intrathecal fentanyl on the onset and duration of hyperbaric bupivacaine-induced spinal block in adult male patients. Fortythree patients undergoing lower extremity or genitourinary surgery were enrolled to receive either 13.5 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.75% + 0.5 ml CSF it, (Group I) or 13.5 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.75% + 25 μg fentanyl it, (Group II) according to a randomized assessor-blind protocol. The onset and duration of sensory block were assessed by pinching the skin with forceps in the midclavicular line bilaterally every two minutes for first twenty minutes and then every five to ten minutes. Similarly, the onset and duration of motor block were assessed and graded at the same time intervals using the criteria described by Bromage. The time required for two sensory segment regression and sensory regression to L1 dermatome was 74 ± 18 and 110 ± 33 min vs 93 ± 22 and 141 ± 37 min in Groups I and II, respectively (P < 0.05). Intrathecal fentanyl did not enhance the onset of sensory or motor block, or prolong the duration of bupivacaine-induced motor spinal block. Fewer patients demanded pain relief in the fentanyl-treated group than in the control group in the early postoperative period (19% vs 59%; P < 0.05). Episodes of hypotension were more frequent in the fentanyl-treated group than in the control group (43% vs 14%; P < 0.05). We conclude that fentanyl, 25 μg it, prolonged the duration of bupivacaine-induced sensory block (sensory regression to L1 dermatone) by 28% and reduced the analgesic requirement in the early postoperative period following bupivacaine spinal block.
The CIM-IS partnership: integration for competitive advantage

Abstract This paper focuses on the growing need to closely coordinate and link up manufacturing activities with information systems and networks. Computer-integrated manufacturing is helping an increasing number of firms produce higher variety goods in smaller lot sizes. A 4-cell matrix of degree of product complexity and production lot size is formed to study the needs for interaction of Information Systems (IS) tools and computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) tools. As product complexity grows and lot size diminishes, more integration of IS and CIM is needed to build competitive advantages.
The velocity of sound

Abstract A new method for measuring the velocity of sound over short distances has been devised in which sixty pulses per second cause a sinusoidal curve to appear upon an oscilloscopic screen.As the receiving microphone is moved away from the sound oscillator, the crest of the sine curve moves across the oscilloscope, completing the circle in one-sixtieth of a second. The actual velocity of the sound is easily calculated after the distance moved bv the microphone has been measured. Application of the probability laws and the error curve shows that the method is very accurate, providing the alternating current maintains itself invariably at sixty cycles per second. The average of twelve hundred measurements gives 331.364 ± 0.043 meters per second at zero degrees centrigrade.
Site-specific underestimation of wetfall NH4+ using NADP data

Abstract Estimates of NH4+ in weekly composited wetfall samples were measured by two laboratories, one at Kansas State University and that operated by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) in Illinois. NH4+ samples were lower in the NADP estimates and exhibited a strong seasonal difference in concentrations. Losses were likely not due to volatilization; microbial immobilization of NH4+ likely occurred during transport of samples. Differences in estimates of annual ammonium ion deposition were larger than those observed for average weekly concentrations because of seasonal rainfall patterns. NADP values will require site-specific corrections for models describing or predicting regional or national patterns of nitrogen inputs in wetfall.
A simple electronic method for graphing EEG sleep patterns.

Abstract A simple method for graphing EEG sleep patterns is presented. The technique is essentially an analog write-out of a full-wave rectifier receiving a filtered mixture of delta and theta components of the EEG. This report gives the simple rectifier circuit and illustrates the method by comparing it to conventional visual interpretation.
Daycare attendance and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

The relationship between daycare/preschool ("daycare") attendance and the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia was evaluated in the Northern California Childhood Leukaemia Study. Incident cases (age 1-14 years) were rapidly ascertained during 1995-1999. Population-based controls were randomly selected from the California birth registry, individually matched on date of birth, gender, race, Hispanicity, and residence, resulting in a total of 140 case-controls pairs. Fewer cases (n=92, 66%) attended daycare than controls (n=103, 74%). Children who had more total child-hours had a significantly reduced risk of ALL. The odds ratio associated with each thousand child-hours was 0.991 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.984-0.999), which means that a child with 50 thousand child-hours (who may have, for example, attended a daycare with 15 other children, 25 h per week, for a total duration of 30.65 months) would have an odds ratio of (0.991)(50)=0.64 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.95), compared to children who never attended daycare. Besides, controls started daycare at a younger age, attended daycare for longer duration, remained in daycare for more hours, and were exposed to more children at each daycare. These findings support the hypothesis that delayed exposure to common infections plays an important role in the aetiology of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and suggest that extensive contact with other children in a daycare setting is associated with a reduced risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
The Recovery Paradigm in Trauma Work: Approaches to Healing Psychiatric Disability and Substance Abuse in Women's Lives

This article addresses the importance of integrative treatment for women with psychiatric disabilities and substance issues, particularly those who have histories of abuse, violence, and trauma. Psychiatric rehabilitation, trauma, and cooccurring dimensions of treatment are discussed. Promising programs using consumer-oriented service models are highlighted.
Microarchitecture of a High-Radix Router

Evolving semiconductor and circuit technology has greatly increased the pin bandwidth available to a router chip. In the early 90s, routers were limited to 10Gb/s of pin bandwidth. Today 1Tb/s is feasible, and we expect 20Tb/s of I/O bandwidth by 2010. A high-radix router that provides many narrow ports is more effective in converting pin bandwidth to reduced latency and reduced cost than the alternative of building a router with a few wide ports. However, increasing the radix (or degree) of a router raises several challenges as internal switches and allocators scale as the square of the radix. This paper addresses these challenges by proposing and evaluating alternative microarchitectures for high radix routers. We show that the use of a hierarchical switch organization with per-virtual-channel buffers in each subswitch enables an area savings of 40% compared to a fully buffered crossbar and a throughput increase of 20-60% compared to a conventional crossbar implementation.
Incidence and Management of Glaucoma in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Syndrome

Background: The Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome is a bilateral panuveitis associated with neurologic and dermatologic manifestations. Methods: The authors reviewed the charts of all patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome seen at their institution over the past decade to determine the incidence of glaucoma, as well as the results of medical and surgical therapy for glaucoma, in this group of patients. Findings: Of 42 patients diagnosed with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, evidence of glaucoma requiring either medical or surgical intervention occurred in 16 patients (38.1 %). Of these, nine (56.3%) had open-angle glaucoma and seven (43.7%) had angleclosure secondary to pupillary block. In 5 (31.3%) of the 16 patients, medical therapy alone was sufficient to control intraocular pressure. Eleven patients (68.7%) required surgical intervention, consisting of laser iridotomy, surgical iridectomy, trabeculectomy with or without 5-fluorouracil, and/or Molteno implantation. Conclusions: The relative success of each of these procedures in this group of patients is discussed. Glaucoma is a common complication in the Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, and one that is often difficult to control.
Languages and Tools for Hybrid Systems Design

The explosive growth of embedded electronics is bringing information and control systems of increasing complexity to every aspects of our lives. The most challenging designs are safety-critical systems, such as transportation systems (e.g., airplanes, cars, and trains), industrial plants and health care monitoring. The difficulties reside in accommodating constraints both on functionality and implementation. The correct behavior must be guaranteed under diverse states of the environment and potential failures; implementation has to meet cost, size, and power consumption requirements. The design is therefore subject to extensive mathematical analysis and simulation. However, traditional models of information systems do not interface well to the continuous evolving nature of the environment in which these devices operate. Thus, in practice, different mathematical representations have to be mixed to analyze the overall behavior of the system. Hybrid systems are a particular class of mixed models that focus on the combination of discrete and continuous subsystems. There is a wealth of tools and languages that have been proposed over the years to handle hybrid systems. However, each tool makes different assumptions on the environment, resulting in somewhat different notions of hybrid system. This makes it difficult to share information among tools. Thus, the community cannot maximally leverage the substantial amount of work that has been directed to this important topic. In this paper, we review and compare hybrid system tools by highlighting their differences in terms of their underlying semantics, expressive power and mathematical mechanisms. We conclude our review with a comparative summary, which suggests the need for a unifying approach to hybrid systems design. As a step in this direction, we make the case for a semantic-aware interchange format, which would enable the use of joint techniques, make a formal comparison between different approaches possible, and facilitate exporting and importing design representations.
Effect of Species, Life Stage, and Water Temperature on the Toxicity of Hydrogen Peroxide to Fish

Abstract Hydrogen peroxide is a drug of low regulatory priority status that is effective in treating fish and fish eggs infected by fungi. However, only limited information is available to guide fish culturists in administering hydrogen peroxide to diseased fish. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine (1) the sensitivity of brown trout Salmo trutta, lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, fathead minnow Pimephales promelas, walleye Stizostedion vitreum, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, and bluegill Lepomis machrochirus to hydrogen peroxide treatments; (2) the sensitivity of various life stages of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to hydrogen peroxide treatments; and (3) the effect of water temperature on the acute toxicity of hydrogen peroxide to three fish species. Fish were exposed to hydrogen peroxide concentrations ranging from 100 to 5,000 μL/L (ppm) for 15-min or 45-min treatments every other day for four consecutive treatments to determine the sensitivity of various species and life stages of fi...
Renewal of extinguished responding in a second context

In three experiments with rats, we demonstrated that a conditioned response that is learned and extinguished in one context (Context A) can be renewed when the conditioned stimulus (CS) is tested in a second context (Context B). In Experiments 1 and 3, the effect was observed in conditioned suppression; in Experiment 2, it was produced in appetitive conditioning. The result occurs when Contexts A and B are equally familiar, equally associated with reinforcement, or equally associated with both reinforcement and nonreinforcement. The results extend the range of conditions known to produce the renewal effect, and they are consistent with the view that retrieval of extinction depends more on the context than does retrieval of conditioning.
Use of Engineering Economics by the Chemical Industry

(1956). Use of Engineering Economics by the Chemical Industry. The Engineering Economist: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 19-24.
Preparation and properties of uranium metaphosphate, U(PO3)4

Abstract Single crystals of alpha and beta-U(PO3)4 were prepared by heating U3O8 or UO2 with P2O5 in the temperature range 400°–1100°C. Reaction of UP, UO2 or U3O8 with concentrated phosphoric acid produced a green liquid which also yielded U(PO3)4 on heating at or above 400°C. Crystallographic, powder diffraction, optical and i.r. absorption data are presented for the two allotropic forms. Phase transformation and thermal decomposition studies were conducted using X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis.
Implication of nutrient and salinity interaction on the productivity of Spartina patens

Reintroduction of fresh water to coastal systems with altered hydrologic regimes is a management option for restoring degraded wetland habitats. Plant production in these systems is believed to be enhanced by increased nutrient availability and reduced salinity. Although studies have documented nutrient limitation and salinity stress in coastal marshes, interpreting the effects of freshwater reintroduction on plant production is difficult because high nutrient availability often is confounded with low salinity. We tested the hypothesis that plant growth response to nutrients does not vary with salinity in a greenhouse study. Treatments consisted of four nutrient concentrations and four non-lethal salinity levels; plant response was measured as biomass accumulation after 144 days of exposure. The significant interaction between salinity and nutrient concentrations indicates that response of Spartina patens marshes to freshwater inflows would vary by site-specific soil conditions. Biomass decreased with increased salinity at all four nutrient concentrations with variation among the nutrient concentrations decreasing as salinity increased. We demonstrate the importance of considering ambient salinity and nutrient soil conditions in restoration planning involving freshwater inflow. We propose salinity should remain a primary concern in restoration plans targeted at improving degraded S. patens-dominated marsh habitat.
A Secondary-Emission Pulse Circuit, Its Analysis and Application

This paper describes a regenerative pulse circuit using a single secondary-emission tube that is able to generate pulses having a rise time of 6 m?sec and a width continuously variable from 25 m?sec to 12 ?sec. First, a theoretical discussion of the circuit is given in which expressions for pulse width and rise time are derived. Then, various practical realizations of the circuit are presented. Among others, these include a millimicrosecond pulse generator and a fast pulse height discriminator.
Hemodynamic Energy Dissipation in the Cardiovascular System: Generalized Theoretical Analysis on Disease States

Background We present a fundamental theoretical framework for analysis of energy dissipation in any component of the circulatory system and formulate the full energy budget for both venous and arterial circulations. New indices allowing disease-specific subject-to-subject comparisons and disease-to-disease hemodynamic evaluation (quantifying the hemodynamic severity of one vascular disease type to the other) are presented based on this formalism. Methods and Results Dimensional analysis of energy dissipation rate with respect to the human circulation shows that the rate of energy dissipation is inversely proportional to the square of the patient body surface area and directly proportional to the cube of cardiac output. This result verified the established formulae for energy loss in aortic stenosis that was solely derived through empirical clinical experience. Three new indices are introduced to evaluate more complex disease states: (1) circulation energy dissipation index (CEDI), (2) aortic valve energy dissipation index (AV-EDI), and (3) total cavopulmonary connection energy dissipation index (TCPC-EDI). CEDI is based on the full energy budget of the circulation and is the proper measure of the work performed by the ventricle relative to the net energy spent in overcoming frictional forces. It is shown to be 4.01 ± 0.16 for healthy individuals and above 7.0 for patients with severe aortic stenosis. Application of CEDI index on single-ventricle venous physiology reveals that the surgically created Fontan circulation, which is indeed palliative, progressively degrades in hemodynamic efficiency with growth (p < 0.001), with the net dissipation in a typical Fontan patient (Body surface area = 1.0 m2) being equivalent to that of an average case of severe aortic stenosis. AV-EDI is shown to be the proper index to gauge the hemodynamic severity of stenosed aortic valves as it accurately reflects energy loss. It is about 0.28 ± 0.12 for healthy human valves. Moderate aortic stenosis has an AV-EDI one order of magnitude higher while clinically severe aortic stenosis cases always had magnitudes above 3.0. TCPC-EDI represents the efficiency of the TCPC connection and is shown to be negatively correlated to the size of a typical “bottle-neck” region (pulmonary artery) in the surgical TCPC pathway (p < 0.05). Conclusions Energy dissipation in the human circulation has been analyzed theoretically to derive the proper scaling (indexing) factor. CEDI, AV-EDI, and TCPC-EDI are proper measures of the dissipative characteristics of the circulatory system, aortic valve, and the Fontan connection, respectively.
Development process assessment toward leading edge quality

The development process assessments conducted at the Westlake Programming Lab (WPL) are described and the results summarized. An approach for merging and prioritizing the multiple assessment data, based on the Yager (1981) method of decision making using fuzzy sets, is described. A matrix that identifies action items in the unified action plan is presented. Finally, a simplified example is used to illustrate the techniques. >
Interaction of Di- and Tricarboxylic Acids with Glutaric Anhydride in Aqueous Solution

Anionic forms of polycarboxylic acids such as succinic, citric, etc., interact reversibly and rapidly with glutaric anhydride in aqueous solution at room temperature to produce species which undergo subsequent hydrolysis. The species formed in situ from citrate was reacted with aniline and the resulting products isolated by column chromatography. Results of the chromatographic study suggested a mechanism based on the initial formation of a mixed anhydride which cleaved to produce an anhydride of the attacking anionic species. Spectrophotometric investigations have shown that the rate of formation and subsequent hydrolysis of the anhydride are dependent upon the pH and the buffer concentration. These reactive species are presumed to be formed to a varying extent in any formulation containing citrate, particularly under autoclaving conditions.
A monoclonal antibody to human macrophage gangliosides inhibits macrophage migration

Gangliosides have diverse immunoregulatory properties. The gangliosides endogenous to macrophages may have immunoregulatory properties that distinguish them from other gangliosides. Gangliosides have been indirectly implicated in macrophage migration as putative cell surface receptors for migration inhibitory factor (MIF). In this study, a monoclonal antibody to human macrophage gangliosides (antibody 25F4) was developed and characterized. This is the first report of the development of monoclonal antibodies to gangliosides of macrophages of any species. Thin-layer chromatographic immunostaining indicated that antibody 25F4 recognized major gangliosides of human macrophages but did not recognized those previously identified as containing fucose. Immunofluorescent surface labeling of viable human macrophages indicated that antibody 25F4 recognized a surface-accessible epitope, present on all cells, and that this was abolished with lipid depletion of macrophage membranes. This epitope was not present on several human nonmacrophage cells. Finally, human macrophages pretreated with antibody 25F4 demonstrated striking inhibition of migration of an agarose droplet assay, whereas an irrelevant monoclonal antibody or monoclonal antibodies to nonganglioside surface epitopes of human macrophages had no effect on migration. Migration inhibition occurred even though antibody 25F4 was removed from the extracellular milieu and was not due to formation of cellular aggregates. These studies support a role for human macrophage gangliosides in macrophage migration.
Electron paramagnetic resonance of titanium impurities in reduced yttria-stabilized zirconia

The electronic defects in single crystals of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) have been examined using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The EPR spectra of hydrogen-reduced YSZ single crystals are almost identical to those of polycrystalline yttria (12 mol%)-stabilized zirconia-titania, indicating that the Ti3+ cation is the predominant electronic defect in both materials. The disparity between the discoloration of the polycrystals and single crystals (blue vs yellow) is attributed to the different crystalline environments of the Ti3+ cations in the grain boundaries and lattice. The concentration of titanium cations in the YSZ single crystals (ca. 600 ppm) is probably too dilute to contribute to the electronic conductivity.
Rousseau's Moral Realism: Replacing Natural Law with the General Will

The Social Contract is reinterpreted by emphasizing its relation to Rousseau's other writings and doctrines. In the spirit of Hobbesian realism, Rousseau regards natural law and other forms of "private morality" as ineffectual, invalid, and in practice dangerous tools of oppression and subversion. But, still more realistic than Hobbes, Rousseau thinks it impossible to build a nonoppressive state on men's selfish interests alone and embraces the classical view that morality or virtue is politically necessary (as well as intrinsically good). Rousseau's doctrine of the natural goodness of man, however, which traces all vice to the effects of oppression, leads him to conclude that the nonoppression more or less guaranteed by the absolute rule of general laws is also sufficient to make men virtuous. Thus Rousseau can declare law as such (General Will) infallible and "sovereign "-and he must do so in order to protect rule of law from its greatest danger, the subversive appeal to "natural law." Rousseau's political philosophy may be said to comprise three characteristic elements: the theory of the natural goodness of man described in the Second Discourse and Emile; the critique of progress and enlightenment in the First Discourse, or, more generally, the skeptically "realistic" assessment of the worth and power of reason; and the elaborate juridical doctrine of the Social Contract, which calls for the absolute sovereignty of the General Will. How these three elements relate to one another is rarely discussed, and when the Social Contract, in particular, is related to the other two elements, as often as not the purpose is to demonstrate its inconsistency with Rousseau's
Hemoglobin and Ferritin Are Currently the Most Efficient Indicators of Population Response to Iron Interventions: an Analysis of Nine Randomized Controlled Trials

Governments and donor agencies have implemented pilot and large-scale iron fortification programs, but there has been no consensus on the best choice of indicators to monitor population response to these interventions. We analyzed data from 9 randomized iron intervention trials to determine which of the following indicator(s) of iron status show the largest response in a population: hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, transferrin receptor (TfR), zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), mean cell volume (MCV), transferrin saturation (TS), and total body-iron store. We expressed the change in each indicator in response to the iron intervention in SD units (SDU) for the intervention group compared with the control group. Ferritin increased by > or =0.2 SDU in all trials and was significant in 7. Hb changed by > or =0.2 SDU in 6 and was significant in 5. TfR increased by > or =0.2 SDU in 5 of 8 interventions in which it was measured and was significant in 4. ZPP increased by > or =0.2 SDU and was significant in 3 of 6 interventions. Excluding Hb, the indicator with the largest change in SDU was ferritin in 4 trials, TS in 2 trials, body-iron store in 2 trials, and TfR in 1. In the 2 cases in which body-iron stores showed the largest change, the change in ferritin was nearly as large. Our results suggest that with currently available technologies, ferritin shows larger and more consistent response to iron interventions than ZPP or TfR. We cannot make confident inference about MCV or TS, which were included in only 4 and 2 trials, respectively. It is possible that the optimal indicator(s) may differ with age, sex, and pregnancy. There were too few trials in each age and sex group to allow us to explore this question.
Conversation pivots and double pivots

Many sites on the web offer collaborative databases that catalog items such as bands, events, products, or software modules. Conversation pivots allow readers to navigate from pages about these items to conversations about them on the same site or elsewhere on the Internet. Double pivots allow readers to navigate from item pages to pages about other items mentioned in the same conversations. Using text mining techniques specific to the collection it is possible to find references to collected items in online conversations. We implemented conversation pivots for the CPAN archive of Perl modules, and for Drupal.org, the reference site for the Drupal content management system.
Feedback-regulated paclitaxel delivery based on poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) nanoparticles.

Abstract pH-Sensitive poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA)/2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)) nanoparticles were prepared for the triggered release of paclitaxel within a tumor microenvironment. Tumors exhibit a lower extracellular pH than normal tissues. We show that paclitaxel release from DMAEMA/HEMA particles can be actively triggered by small, physiological changes in pH (within 0.2–0.6 pH units). Monodispersed nanoparticles were synthesized by forming an O/W emulsion followed by photopolymerization. Particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, electrophoresis, and cytotoxicity. High release rates and swelling ratios are achieved at low pH, low crosslinking density, and high content of DMAEMA. Paclitaxel release is limited to 9% of the payload at pH 7.4 after a 2-h incubation at 37 °C. After adjusting to pH 6.8, 25% of the payload is released within 2 h. Cell viability studies indicate that pH-sensitive DMAEMA/HEMA nanoparticles are not cytotoxic and may be used as an efficient, feedback-regulated drug delivery carrier.
Erythrocytic pyruvate kinase mutations causing hemolytic anemia, osteosclerosis, and seconday hemochromatosis in dogs.

Background Erythrocytic pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency, first documented in Basenjis, is the most common inherited erythroenzymopathy in dogs. Objectives To report 3 new breed-specific PK-LR gene mutations and a retrospective survey of PK mutations in a small and selected group of Beagles and West Highland White Terriers (WHWT). Animals Labrador Retrievers (2 siblings, 5 unrelated), Pugs (2 siblings, 1 unrelated), Beagles (39 anemic, 29 other), WHWTs (22 anemic, 226 nonanemic), Cairn Terrier (n = 1). Methods Exons of the PK-LR gene were sequenced from genomic DNA of young dogs (<2 years) with persistent highly regenerative hemolytic anemia. Results A nonsense mutation (c.799C>T) resulting in a premature stop codon was identified in anemic Labrador Retriever siblings that had osteosclerosis, high serum ferritin concentrations, and severe hepatic secondary hemochromatosis. Anemic Pug and Beagle revealed 2 different missense mutations (c.848T>C, c.994G>A, respectively) resulting in intolerable amino acid changes to protein structure and enzyme function. Breed-specific mutation tests were developed. Among the biased group of 248 WHWTs, 9% and 35% were homozygous (affected) and heterozygous, respectively, for the previously described mutation (mutant allele frequency 0.26). A PK-deficient Cairn Terrier had the same insertion mutation as the affected WHWTs. Of the selected group of 68 Beagles, 35% were PK-deficient and 3% were carriers (0.37). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Erythrocytic PK deficiency is caused by different mutations in different dog breeds and causes chronic severe hemolytic anemia, hemosiderosis, and secondary hemochromatosis because of chronic hemolysis and, an as yet unexplained osteosclerosis. The newly developed breed-specific mutation assays simplify the diagnosis of PK deficiency.
Blood Chemistry Measurements and d-Dimer Levels Associated with Fatal and Nonfatal Outcomes in Humans Infected with Sudan Ebola Virus

Blood samples from patients infected with the Sudan species of Ebola virus (EBOV), obtained during an outbreak of disease in Uganda in 2000, were tested for a panel of analytes to evaluate their clinical condition and to compare values obtained for patients with fatal and nonfatal cases and for uninfected (hospitalized control) patients. Liver function tests showed higher levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in blood samples from patients with fatal cases than in samples from patients with nonfatal cases, whereas alanine aminotransferase levels were comparable and only slightly increased in all patients, suggesting that increased blood AST levels are due to a greater degree of injury in tissues other than the liver. Significantly higher levels of amylase, urea nitrogen, and creatinine suggest that acute pancreatitis and renal dysfunction develop in fatal cases, whereas reduced albumin and calcium levels may be linked to these conditions or to liver damage. D-Dimer levels in blood specimens were drastically increased in patients with fatal and nonfatal infections but were 4 times higher in patients with fatal cases than in patients who survived (180,000 vs. 44,000 ng/mL), during the most acute period of the infection (6-8 days after onset). These results indicate that disseminated intravascular coagulation is an early and important component of EBOV disease. This study has identified levels of analytes with prognostic value, which can also be used to target therapeutic interventions, and expands on the findings of prior blood tests conducted on this group of patients.
Structure and Dynamics of Amyloid-β Segmental Polymorphisms

It is believed that amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Aβ molecules form β-sheet structures with multiple interaction sites. This polymorphism gives rise to differences in morphology, physico-chemical property and level of cellular toxicity. We have investigated the conformational stability of various segmental polymorphisms using molecular dynamics simulations and find that the segmental polymorphic models of Aβ retain a U-shaped architecture. Our results demonstrate the importance of inter-sheet side chain-side chain contacts, hydrophobic contacts among the strands (β1 and β2) and of salt bridges in stabilizing the aggregates. Residues in β-sheet regions have smaller fluctuation while those at the edge and loop region are more mobile. The inter-peptide salt bridges between Asp23 and Lys28 are strong compared to intra-chain salt bridge and there is an exchange of the inter-chain salt-bridge with intra-chain salt bridge. As our results suggest that Aβ exists under physiological conditions as an ensemble of distinct segmental polymorphs, it may be necessary to account in the development of therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease the differences in structural stability and aggregation behavior of the various Aβ polymorphic forms.
Comparison of glenohumeral mechanics following a capsular shift and anterior tightening.

Background: Numerous surgical techniques have been developed to treat glenohumeral instability. Anterior tightening procedures have been associated with secondary glenohumeral osteoarthritis, unlike the anterior-inferior capsular shift procedure, which has been widely advocated as a more anatomical repair. The objective of the present study was to quantify glenohumeral joint translations, articular contact, and resultant forces in cadaveric specimens in order to compare the effects of unidirectional anterior tightening with those of the anterior-inferior capsular shift. Methods: Six normal fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders were tested on a custom rig with use of a coordinate-measuring machine to obtain kinematic measurements and a six-axis load transducer to measure resultant external joint forces. Shoulders were tested in the scapular plane in three configurations (normal anatomical, anterior tightening, and anterior-inferior capsular shift) and in three humeral rotations (neutral, internal, and external). Glenohumeral articular surface geometry was quantified with use of stereophotogrammetry for kinematic and contact analyses. Resultant joint forces were computed on the basis of digitized coordinates of tendon insertions and origins. Results: Compared with the controls (maximum elevation, 167° ± 8°), the anteriorly tightened specimens demonstrated loss of external rotation, significantly restricted maximum elevation (135° ± 16°, p = 0.002), posterior-inferior humeral head subluxation, and significantly greater posteriorly directed resultant forces at higher elevations (p < 0.05). In contrast, compared with the controls, the specimens that had been treated with the anterior-inferior capsular shift demonstrated a similar maximum elevation (159° ± 11°, p = 0.8) without any apparent loss of external rotation and with reduced humeral translation. Conclusions: Anterior tightening adversely affects joint mechanics by decreasing joint stability, limiting both external rotation and arm elevation, and requiring greater posterior joint forces to attain maximum elevation. The anterior-inferior capsular shift improves joint stability while preserving external rotation with no significant loss of maximum elevation. Clinical Relevance: The results of this in vitro cadaveric study support clinical observations that the anterior-inferior capsular shift procedure more closely recreates normal joint mechanics in comparison with unidirectional anterior tightening procedures.
Presentational features for young children's production and recall of information

Abstract Young children's production and recall of information presented at varying levels of action and verbal labels was compared on a computer versus a felt board. Forty children, equally distributed by Grades Preschool and Kindergarten, were randomly assigned to a computer or felt board condition. Within each condition, the same 24 objects (6 sets of 4 objects) were presented with or without action and verbal labels. Both action and labels increased children's recall of verbal information, regardless of the medium in which that information was presented. The results suggest that action facilitates, rather than disrupts, children's learning of verbal information.
Managing software quality in a very large development project

Control of quality remains a major challenge in software project management. Although there has been some research in the management of software development projects, very few studies have investigated the management and control of the quality of the software created, especially in large-scale development projects. During the development of OS/400 R.1 at IBM Corporation, thousands of programmers were involved in writing and refining millions of lines of code. Such an effort would fail without good software quality management. Using measurement derived from the literature, this study was able to verify the high quality of the OS/400 software based on rigid quality assurance strategies used in the project.
Interaction of theory and experiment: examples from single molecule studies of nanoparticles.

This article is in part the author's perspective on the revolution that has occurred in theoretical chemistry during the past half-century. In this period much of theoretical chemistry has moved from its initial emphasis on analytic treatments, resulting in equations for physical chemical and chemical phenomena, to the detailed computation of many different systems and processes. In the best sense the old and the new are complementary and their coexistence can benefit both. Experiment too has seen major developments. One of the newer types of experiment is that of single molecule studies. They range from those on small inorganic and organic nanoparticles to large biological species. We illustrate some of the issues that arise, using the topic of ‘quantum dots’ (QDs), and choosing a particular inorganic nanoparticle, CdSe, the most studied of these systems. Its study reflects the problems that arise in experiment and in theories in this field. The complementary nature of the conventional ensemble experiments and the new single molecule experiments is described and is illustrated by trajectories for the two types of experiments. The research in the QD field is both experimentally and theoretically a currently ongoing process, for which the answers are not fully known in spite of the large body of research. The detailed role of surface states is part of the problem. The field continues to yield new and unexpected results. In a sense this part of the article is an interim report that illustrates one analytic approach to the topic and where computer calculations and simulations can be expected to provide added insight.
Aminopeptidases in Caenorhabditis elegans and Panagrellus redivivus: detection using peptide and non-peptide substrates.

Aminopeptidase activities were detected in extracts of the free-living nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans and Panagrellus redivivus using the aminoacyl substrate L-alanine-4-nitroanilide. The activities exhibited similarities in Km (C. elegans a 2.22 mM; P. redivivus a 2.09 mM) and specific activity (C. elegans a 1:38 ^ 0:43 mAU min 21 mg 21 ; P. redivivus ,1 :23 ^ 0:18 mAU min 21 mg 21 U: Each is inhibited competitively by amastatin (C. elegans IC50 a 0:46mM; P. redivivus IC50 a 15:90mM) and non-competitively by leuhistin (C. elegans IC50 a 3:00mM; P. redivivus IC50 a 37:35mM). The bioactive peptides adipokinetic hormone and substance P decrease the apparent aminopeptidase activities of each extract suggesting that the peptides compete with the Ala-pNA as substrates. With each extract, adipokinetic hormone appeared to be the more effective substrate. Digestion of adipokinetic hormone by C. elegans and P. redivivus extracts in the presence and absence of 1 mM amastatin produced distinct chromatographic profiles that suggest different digestion patterns for the two species. However, amastatin had clear effects on chromatographic profiles from each species indicating that an aminopeptidase is involved in the digestion of the peptide substrates. The data presented indicate that extracts of free-living nematodes are capable of metabolizing peptide hormones, and that this metabolism involves substrate-selective aminopeptidases.
Strength-Based Mental Health Counseling for Children with ADHD: An Integrative Model of Adventure-Based Counseling and Adlerian Play Therapy

The hyperactivity and impulsivity experienced by children who are diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can pose challenges for families, teachers, and mental health counselors (Barkley, 2000). The authors present an integrative model of Adlerian play therapy and adventure-based counseling (ABC) that extends beyond traditional talk therapy, fosters a strength-based perspective, and is action-oriented and dynamic. Specific ABC treatment activities for working with children and families affected by ADHD are presented in the context of the four phases of treatment in Adlerian play therapy.
Semaphore queue priority assignment for real-time multiprocessor synchronization

Prior work on real time scheduling with global shared resources in multiprocessor systems assigns as much blocking as possible to the lowest priority tasks. We show that better schedulability can be achieved if global blocking is distributed according to the blocking tolerance of tasks rather than their execution priorities. We describe an algorithm that assigns global semaphore queue priorities according to blocking tolerance, and we present simulation results demonstrating the advantages of this approach with rate monotonic scheduling. Our simulations also show that a simple FIFO usually provides better real time schedulability with global semaphores than priority queues that use task execution priorities. >
Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Diagnosing Pyomyositis: A Report of Three Cases

Abstract Background Pyomyositis is a bacterial infection of skeletal muscle that often results in deep intramuscular abscesses. The absence of external dermatologic manifestations in the early stages of pyomyositis makes this a challenging diagnosis. In addition, physical examination findings can be difficult to distinguish from more common processes, such as soft-tissue cellulitis. Clinicians can fail to diagnose this serious disease in a timely manner, resulting in delayed treatment and potential clinical deterioration from sepsis. Although advanced imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide excellent detail, ultrasound (US) can also be used to detect this disease. US can be performed expeditiously at the bedside and is less expensive than CT or MRI. It allows the clinician to examine the deeper tissue planes of muscle, in which purulent fluid collections will develop as pyomyositis advances. Case Report Three patients presenting with leg pain were evaluated with point-of-care (POC) US and diagnosed with pyomyositis. The early diagnosis of this condition prompted rapid treatment with administration of appropriate antibiotics and involvement of orthopedic surgery. Aspiration of fluid allowed for detailed fluid analysis and bacterial cultures. Additional diagnostic imaging was performed, confirming the initial US diagnosis. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? POC US can be helpful in identifying and further delineating intramuscular abscesses and can subsequently lead to expedited and appropriate care in patients who present with extremity pain, but lack significant dermatologic changes.
Recent Range Expansion and Divergence among North American Prairie Grouse

Prairie grouse (genus: Tympanuchus) once existed throughout much of North America but have recently experienced significant population declines, isolation, and extinction. In previous molecular studies, contrasting patterns or an unresolved polytomy among Tympanuchus taxa (Tympanuchus phasianellus, Tympanuchus pallidicinctus, and Tympanuchus cupido) have resulted from traditional phylogenetic methods. As an alternative approach, the timing of expansion and the demographic processes that may have lead to this association among haplotypes, namely incomplete lineage sorting or migration, were explicitly investigated by comparing pairwise mitochondrial DNA control region nucleotide differences and through the use of a isolation with migration coalescent model. The timing of geographic expansion and population divergence time estimates generated under these models support previous inferences that Tympanuchus experienced a rapid expansion and diversification in the late Pleistocene 10,000‐80,000 years before present. Further, morphological and behavioral differences originally used to describe Tympanuchus species were substantiated with little or no migration identified since population divergence. However, estimates of population divergence and migration between a number of morphologically similar subspecific taxa, including the greater prairie chicken (Tympanuchus Cupido pinnatus), the endangered Attwater’s prairie chicken (Tympanuchus Cupido attwateri), and the extinct heath hen (Tympanuchus Cupido cupido), suggest these taxa are as differentiated with each other as they are from other Tympanuchus species. This information will prove useful in conservation efforts by providing estimates of demographic history that have helped shape the evolutionary relationships among Tympanuchus grouse.