cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biophysical Analysis of Anopheles gambiae Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteins APL1A1, APL1B and APL1C and Their Interaction with LRIM1

Natural infection of Anopheles gambiae by malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites is significantly influenced by the APL1 genetic locus. The locus contains three closely related leucine-rich repeat (LRR) genes, APL1A, APL1B and APL1C. Multiple studies have reported the participation of APL1A—C in the immune response of A. gambiae to invasion by both rodent and human Plasmodium isolates. APL1C forms a heterodimer with the related LRR protein LRIM1 via a C-terminal coiled-coil domain that is also present in APL1A and APL1B. The LRIM1/APL1C heterodimer protects A. gambiae from infection by binding the complement-like protein TEP1 to form a stable and active immune complex. Here we report solution x-ray scatting data for the LRIM1/APL1C heterodimer, the oligomeric state of LRIM1/APL1 LRR domains in solution and the crystal structure of the APL1B LRR domain. The LRIM1/APL1C heterodimeric complex has a flexible and extended structure in solution. In contrast to the APL1A, APL1C and LRIM1 LRR domains, the APL1B LRR domain is a homodimer. The crystal structure of APL1B-LRR shows that the homodimer is formed by an N-terminal helix that complements for the absence of an N-terminal capping motif in APL1B, which is a unique distinction within the LRIM1/APL1 protein family. Full-length APL1A1 and APL1B form a stable complex with LRIM1. These results support a model in which APL1A1, APL1B and APL1C can all form an extended, flexible heterodimer with LRIM1, providing a repertoire of functional innate immune complexes to protect A. gambiae from a diverse array of pathogens.
The role of experience in children's developing folk epistemology: review and analysis from the theory–theory perspective

Abstract The role of experience in children's developing folk epistemology, specifically in their acquisition of an understanding of belief, is explored from the theory–theory perspective (i.e., the perspective claiming that children's conceptual development can be viewed as analogous to scientific theory development) through a selective review and analysis of extant empirical literature. Three types of investigations are identified: examinations of observed relationships between social experiences and belief understanding, attempts to facilitate the reasoning of children on the verge of belief understanding through experiences intended to compel children to face reasoning inconsistencies; and training studies demonstrating that children can be trained to understand belief over time through specific feedback experiences. A comparison of these studies reveals that experience is defined differently across them, resulting in varying and sometimes ambiguous implications for a theory–theory perspective on development. Implications for future research are discussed.
Bounds on the volume fraction of 2-phase, 2-dimensional elastic bodies and on (stress, strain) pairs in composites

Abstract Bounds are obtained on the volume fraction in a two-dimensional body containing two elastically isotropic materials with known bulk and shear moduli. These bounds use information about the average stress and strain fields, energy, determinant of the stress, and determinant of the displacement gradient, which can be determined from measurements of the traction and displacement at the boundary. The bounds are sharp if in each phase certain displacement gradient field components are constant. The inequalities we obtain also directly give bounds on the possible (average stress, average strain) pairs in a two-phase, two-dimensional, periodic or statistically homogeneous composite.
Comment on "Standing spin waves in ferromagnetic thin films"

Hartwell recently discussed ferromagnetic film spin wave pinning referenced to a surface anomaly model. This model does predict the proper spectrum in some cases, particularly those where the substrate is scratched deliberately or the films are oxidized. For some films it is believed that a better model involves a gradient in the saturation magnetization caused by a compositional change of the alloy through the film thickness, previously described by Penn and West.
S-brane Solutions in String Theory

Recent progress in the construction of time dependent solutions of supergravity theories corresponding to so called spacelike branes will be reviewed.
High-speed polarization multiplexed optical scanner for three-dimensional scanning applications

A versatile high speed 3-D scanner design is proposed and demonstrated for optical beamforming applications such as free-space laser communications, 3-D displays, scanning 3-D optical microscopy, data retrieval, and vision applications. The scanner consists of fast digital-analog control polarization-based optical beamforming cells resulting in complete three-dimensional beamforming programmability. Features include low electrical power consumption and large aperture beamforming optics, digital repeatability, and time multiplexed accurate analog beamforming. Analog frequency and amplitude control of the nematic liquid crystal beamformer cells allows continuous fine scan programmability over a 0.66 mrad horizontal-deflection, 0.75 mrad vertical deflection, and an infinity to 1.84 m focal length longitudinal scan, all at 1310nm. For the first time is demonstrated a coarse angular deflection of an 8-point linear 1-D scan at 1550 nm with a 35 microsecond random-access time.
Alternative Strategies in Platelet Therapy

SUMMARY Recent developments in transfusion practices are prompting re-evaluation of platelet therapy. For example, the use of single-donor apheresis products has increased substantially, from 365,000 units in 1989 to 607,000 in 1992 and to 714,000 in 1994, as shown in Table 11; in some regions, apheresis platelets account for 70% of transfusions 2.The use of these components has been driven in part by the need for adequate platelet inventory in order to support cardiac surgery and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation programs, but also in part by commercial interests, in which promotion of the use of leucodepleted platelet products targets surgeons directly3. However, emerging issues related to the handling of the apheresis donor4, 5, the higher costs of apheresis platelets compared to pooled platelet concentrates6 8, and the results of the TRAP (Transfusion-Related Alloimmunization to Platelets9,10) study have caused renewed debate regarding the role of apheresis platelets compared to platelet concentrates. Furthermore, recent studies have suggested alternative strategies in platelet therapy. These strategies include the platelet threshold for prophylactic platelet transfusion, platelet transfusion dose, and the emerging role of thrombopoietin therapy; these developments will be reviewed in this article.
An approach to evaluating sensitivity in Bayesian regression analyses

Abstract This paper presents a method for assessing the sensitivity of predictions in Bayesian regression analyses. In parametric Bayesian analyses there is a family s 0 of regression functions, parametrized by a finite-dimensional vector B . The family s 0 is a subset of R , the set of all possible regression functions. A prior π 0 on B induces a prior on R . This paper assesses sensitivity by computing bounds on the predictive probability of a fixed set K over a class of priors, Γ, induced by a class of families of regression functions, Γ s , and a class of priors, Γ π . This paper is divided into three parts which (1) define Γ, (2) describe an algorithm for finding accurate bounds on predictive probabilities over Γ and (3) illustrate the method with two examples. It is found that sensitivity to the family of regression functions can be much more important than sensitivity to π 0 .
Juvenile hormone and methyl farnesoate production in cockroach embryos in relation to dorsal closure and the reproductive modes of different species of cockroaches.

Juvenile hormone (JH), produced by the corpora allata (CA), is first detectable after dorsal closure, a conspicuous event in embryogenesis. The present research found that the timing of dorsal closure was consistently at about 45% of the total embryonic development time across most of the oviparous and ovoviviparous cockroach species examined. These included the ovoviviparous cockroaches Blaberus discoidalis, Byrsotria fumigata, Rhyparobia maderae, Nauphoeta cinerea, Phoetalia pallida, Schultesia lampyridiformis, and Panchlora nivea, as well as the oviparous cockroaches Blatta orientalis, Periplaneta americana, Eurycotis floridana, and Supella longipalpa. However, the only known viviparous cockroach Diploptera punctata completed dorsal closure at 20.8% of embryo development time. Methyl farnesoate (MF), the immediate precursor of JH III, is considered a functional molecule in crustaceans; however, in insects its function is still unclear. To understand the role of JH and MF in cockroach embryos, I compared JH and MF biosynthesis and release in several cockroach species of known phylogenetic relationships. Using a radiochemical assay, the present research showed that cockroach embryos representing all three reproductive modes produced and released both JH and MF, as previously shown for B. germanica, N. cinerea, and D. punctata. Members of a pair of embryonic CA from B. discoidalis, B. fumigata, R. maderae, and D. punctata were incubated with and without farnesol. MF accumulated in large amounts only in CA of R. maderae in the presence of farnesol, which indicates that control of the last step of biosynthesis of JH, conversion of MF into JH by MF epoxidase, is probably a rate-limiting step in this species. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 66:159–168, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Doppler study of the fetal cardiac function in prolonged pregnancies

Objective To evaluate the association between fetal cardiac function and amniotic fluid index (AFI) in postterm fetuses, and to determine if changes in fetal cardiac function precede the occurrence of nonreassuring intraparturn fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns. Methods Forty-five otherwise low-risk pregnant women between 41 and 43 weeks' gestation were studied longitudinally. Gestational age was confirmed in all patients by ultrasound before 20 weeks' gestation. Each subject had two or three tests performed every 3–4 days, including a nonstress test, a biophysical profile, and Doppler studies of the aortic and pulmonic outflow tracts. Aortic and pulmonic artery flow velocity waveforms were recorded slightly distal to the valves. Peak velocity, velocity time integral, and heart rate were calculated from the flow velocity waveforms we obtained. The change in AFI and aortic and pulmonic peak velocity and [velocity time integral] × [heart rate] were calculated for each fetus. Results Labor was induced at 42 weeks' gestation in 20 patients, and 17 entered labor spontaneously. Changes in AFI, observed during the follow-up period, correlated significantly with changes in aortic peak velocity (r = 0.54, P Conclusion In prolonged pregnancies, cardiac function deteriorates in fetuses that develop a nonreassuring intrapartum FHR, and the changes in the left cardiac function correlate with changes in AFI.
Calculated optical and photoemission properties of Ge Se 2

The electronic properties of Ge${\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ are analyzed by carrying out calculations for the hightemperature crystalline structure (48 atoms/cell) and the Phillips raft model for the glass phase. The theoretical results provide a possible explanation for many of the salient features in the optical and photoemission spectra of this material. The formation of Se-Se bonds in the raft structure dominates the changes from the crystalline density of states. Characteristic defect states in the band gaps associated with the Se dimers are predicted.
Impact forces and mobility in legged robot locomotion

This article presents a method for including impact forces in the analysis of legged robot dynamic performance. This involves examining how well the legged system uses ground contact to produce acceleration of its body when the feet experience impact with the ground; these abilities are referred to as its force and acceleration capabilities and they determine the robot's agility. These capabilities are bounded by actuator torque limits and friction forces. The proposed analysis describes the effect of an impact event on dynamic performance in terms of the coefficient of friction required to prevent slipping of the feet, and the amount of control authority/acceleration which is achievable, at the termination of the impact event. The method is illustrated using a hexapod as an example.
Improving Expanded Newborn Screening A Reply to Watson, Howell, and Rinaldo

We thank the editors of JHSB for the opportunity to respond to the commentary by Watson, Howell, and Rinaldo. The commentators are the authors of the 2006 ACMG report that paved the way for expanded newborn screening. We appreciate their attention to our research. Most of their comments, however, reflect the imposition of biomedical cri teria upon a sociological project. We realize that the considerable criticism from geneticists, bio ethicists, and public health researchers directed toward the ACMG report (see, for example, Botkin et al. 2006) created sensitivity about anything that can be construed as further devaluation of expanded newborn screening. We would like to clarify that we did not pass "broad negative judg ment" on expanded newborn screening. All of the parents whom we interviewed during our study viewed newborn screening in a positive light, despite the difficulties and uncertainties that it cre ated for their families. We, too, recognize that newborn screening has the potential to make a positive impact on children's health and well being. Our goal was to rigorously study the com munication of newborn screening results and the broader social impacts of a novel medical technol ogy. The social consequences we identified are not unique to newborn screening but are typical of many technological innovations in medicine and will only gain importance as genomic information becomes increasingly available. The challenges are not insurmountable but do require careful study and policy attention. We acknowledge that our claim that 90% of positive referrals result in false positives is now outdated. Nevertheless, we believe that several other criticisms are erroneous and result from mis
The tender scrotum

Abstract Although scrotal pain and swelling are rarely life threatening, a patient who presents with a tender scrotum should be considered a surgical emergency until the etiology is uncovered. The loss of a testicle and even sterility may occur if the diagnosis of testicular torsion is delayed. In most cases, a careful history and thorough physical examination are all that are needed in making the diagnosis. In the equivocal case, a Doppler ultrasound is helpful in distinguishing surgical versus nonsurgical problems. This chapter will cover the most common causes of a tender and nontender scrotum; testicular torsion, epididymitis, torsion of appendage testis, trauma, incarcerated hernia, hydrocele, reducible hernia, nephrotic syndrome, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, and Kawasaki disease. This chapter will also discuss the appropriate workup and diagnostic tests for each of these entities and when immediate surgical consultation is necessary.
In-tube melting in the presence of circumferentially nonuniform heating

Abstract Experiments were performed to investigate the melting of a phase-change medium contained in a circular tube when the heating at the tube wall is nonuniform around the circumference. Melting experiments for uniform heating conditions were also carried out to provide baseline information. For a vertically oriented tube with heating confined to half the circumference, the amount of melting, relative to that for uniform heating, was reduced by 45% in the early stages of melting and by 35% in the later stages. When the containment tube was inclined to the vertical, the decreased melting associated with the nonuniform heating was recouped at inclinations large enough to cause the solid to be pressed by gravity against the heated portion of the tube wall. This direct contact mode of melting was achieved consistently at an inclination of 30° and intermittently at an inclination of 15°. The use of a low-friction base surface for supporting the melting solid was shown to favor the direct contact mode. Timewise measurements of the shape of the melting solid enabled identification of the pattern of melting for the different types of heating and the various inclinations. Results are also presented for the timewise variation of the stored energy.
On the representation of rigid body rotational dynamics in Hertzian configuration space

Abstract In a previous paper by the author, a geometrical procedure was presented for deriving Lagrange’s equations for a rigid body. The rigid body was represented by an abstract particle moving in a 12-dimensional Euclidean space, called Hertzian configuration space, the metric of which is determined by the radius of gyration of the body. The present paper focuses on the representation of the underlying rotational dynamics in Hertzian space.
Local bargaining and endogenous fluctuations

We study how local bargaining in a networked market can cause endogenous fluctuations by a new approach that incorporates non-cooperative bargaining into a large networked economy. In particular, we consider a networked bargaining game that captures trade with intermediaries and define its replications. We examine the agents' behavior in the limit as the population size goes to infinity: a limit stationary equilibrium exists if there is a converging sequence of semi-stationary equilibria in the finite replications. The existence of a limit stationary equilibrium captures the hypothesis that when the market gets large, the agents will behave myopically and the market will be stable. However, we prove that limit stationary equilibria need not exist even when market fundamentals are deterministic, agents are patient and share a common belief. This shows that in our setting the underlying network is the main friction that hinders stationary markets.
Theoretical modeling of the isopropylium cation: Exploring nonclassical carbonyl behavior

In the isopropylium cation, (CH3)2CHO+, the carbonyl moiety has been shown experimentally to behave nonclassically. This work examines a variety of theoretical methods that can be used to model the structure and bonding in the isopropylium ion. Comparisons between theoretical and experimental values are made with regard to C–O and C–C bond lengths, ν(CO), and the C–C–O bond angle. The Hartree-Fock and B3LYP (DFT) methods using the 3-21G basis set provide the most accurate overall description of the structure and bonding, as compared to the experimentally derived data. These theoretical models are then used to explore the reasons for the nonclassical behavior of the isopropylium cation. It appears that, upon complexation, the “s” character of the C–O bond increases, resulting in a stronger bond.
Health economics of asthma: assessing the value of asthma interventions

The aim of this systematic review was to summarize and assess the quality of asthma intervention health economic studies from 2002 to 2007, compare the study findings with clinical management guidelines, and suggest avenues for future improvement of asthma health economic studies. Forty of the 177 studies met our inclusion criteria. We assessed the quality of studies using The Quality of Health Economic Studies validated instrument (total score range: 0-100). Six studies (15%) had quality category 2, 26 studies (65%) achieved quality category 3, and the remaining eight (20%) studies were scored as the highest quality level, category 4. Overall, the findings from this review are in line with the Global Initiative for Asthma clinical guidelines. Many asthma health economic studies lacked appropriate long term time horizons to match the chronic nature of the disease and suffered from using effectiveness measures that did not capture all disease related risks and benefits. We recommend that new asthma simulation models: be flexible to allow for long term time horizons, focus on using levels of asthma control in their structure, and estimate both long term asthma specific outcomes like well-controlled time as well as generic outcomes such as quality adjusted survival.
Adrenocortical function and chronic lung disease of pre-maturity: an unresolved problem?

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between adrenocortical function and chronic lung disease (CLD) of preterm infants. Plasma F and ACTH were measured at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of life in 25 pre-term infants with gestational age ≤32 weeks and birth weight ≤1,250 g. Fourteen infants developed CLD (CLD group) and 11 recovered without CLD (NOCLD group). Response to ACTH stimulation was tested on days 7 and 28. The results show that at the 7th day of life plasma F and ACTH levels were similar in the NOCLD and CLD group. CLD group had significantly higher plasma F and ACTH concentrations at the 14th (p=0.006 for F and p=0.020 for ACTH) and at the 21st (p=0.008 for F and p=0.024 for ACTH) day of life, while no significant differences were detected at the 28th day of life. The response to ACTH stimulation test was similar between the NOCLD and CLD group. These data demonstrate the lack of any significant association between adrenal insufficiency and CLD and discourage the use of baseline or stimulated plasma F levels to predict the development of CLD in pre-term infants.
A Comparison of High Volume and Diffusion Denuder Samplers for Measuring Semivolatile Organic Compounds in the Atmosphere

A detailed comparison of two inherently different ambient air samplers has been conducted to fully characterize and compare their performance in sampling and measuring the partitioning of a suite of 29 semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs). A high volume air sampler (hi-vol) utilizing polyurethane foam (PUF) adsorbent for vapor-phase trapping and an annular diffusion denuder sampler were operated concurrently. Sampling artifacts were observed and can be related to the physicochemical properties of the analytes and the designs of the samplers. The results suggest that high volume air samplers equipped with PUF are unsuitable for measuring those organochlorine compounds and 2- and 3-ring PAHs which have subcooled liquid vapor pressures (p°L) greater than ca. 0.2 Pa (log[p°L] = −0.7), owing to their breakthrough on PUF sampling media at relatively low sample volumes (170 m3) and ambient temperatures typical of temperate regions (mean = 11 °C, max = 18 °C). Theoretical calculations of breakthrough volumes fo...
The Effect of Hospital Bed Occupancy on Throughput in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Study objective Although it has been suggested that high hospital occupancy leads to emergency department (ED) overcrowding and impedes ED throughput, there are limited data defining this relationship. The objective of this study is to examine whether high inpatient hospital occupancy negatively affects throughput in a pediatric ED. Methods This cross-sectional analysis evaluated patient visits to an urban pediatric ED and hospital occupancy rates. Data were collected from a 347-bed pediatric tertiary care hospital in Boston, MA, between January and December 2006. Primary outcome measure was ED length of stay; secondary outcomes were percentages of patients who left without being seen or had a hallway bed used for treatment. Results Throughout the study period, there were 56,335 patient visits to the pediatric ED; 9,687 (17%) patients were hospitalized. High hospital occupancy directly correlated with longer length of stay for all patients treated in the ED. When inpatient occupancy was at or more than 80% capacity, every 5% increase in hospital occupancy was associated with an increase in length of stay of 17.7 minutes for discharged patients (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2 to 33.2 minutes) and 34.3 minutes for admitted patients (95% CI 11.4 to 57.2 minutes). With the same 5% increase in inpatient occupancy, there were increases in the odds of either a patient leaving without being seen (odds ratio 1.21; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.31) or being treated in a hallway bed (odds ratio 1.18; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.22). Conclusion High hospital occupancy has a significant and quantifiable negative influence on ED throughput, affecting patients both discharged and hospitalized.
Hypnotic Psychotherapy with Sex Offenders

The authors review the literature on the prevalence of sex offenders; multiple treatment modalities; and implications of the use of hypnotic psychotherapy, coupled with cognitive behavioral treatment programs, for treating sex offenders.
Wide-baseline stereo vision for terrain mapping

Terrain mapping is important for mobile robots to perform localization and navigation. Stereo vision has been used extensively for this purpose in outdoor mapping tasks. However, conventional stereo does not scale well to distant terrain. This paper examines the use of wide-baseline stereo vision in the context of a mobile robot for terrain mapping, and we are particularly interested in the application of this technique to terrain mapping for Mars exploration. In wide-baseline stereo, the images are not captured simultaneously by two cameras, but by a single camera at different positions. The larger baseline allows more accurate depth estimation of distant terrain, but the robot motion between camera positions introduces two new problems. One issue is that the robot estimates the relative positions of the camera at the two locations imprecisely, unlike the precise calibration that is performed in conventional stereo. Furthermore, the wide-baseline results in a larger change in viewpoint than in conventional stereo. Thus, the images are less similar and this makes the stereo matching process more difficult. Our methodology addresses these issues using robust motion estimation and feature matching. We give results using real images of terrain on Earth and Mars and discuss the successes and failures of the technique.
Fiber Stresses in a Cracked Monolayer: Comparison of Shear-Lag and 3-D Finite Element Predictions*:

Shear-lag and 3-D finite element predictions for the fiber stresses in a cracked monolayer are compared. Results are given for 5-fiber wide boron/aluminum and Kevlar 49/epoxy monolayers containing a single broken fiber. Both methods of analysis are found to predict nearly the same fiber stress distribution along the crack- tip fiber when the monolayer is fully elastic. Results for highly loaded monolayers with extensive matrix yielding are not in quite as good agreement, but even then the predicted stress distributions are within 5%. These calculations show that a shear-lag analysis is accurate even when 1) the matrix is relatively stiff and can carry substantial loads (e.g., boron/aluminum), and 2) the fiber is highly anisotropic, (e.g., Kevlar 49/epoxy).
System design for DS/SSMA communications with negative chip excess bandwidth

Direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access communications, strictly band-limited chip waveforms, random spreading sequences, an additive white Gaussian noise channel, and conventional matched filter receivers are considered. In this paper, system design with negative chip excess bandwidth is investigated. The effect of multiple-access interference (MAI) and interchip interference (ICI) on the system performance is analyzed. It is shown that the bit-error-rate can be reduced in near-far situations or in situations with unequal received powers by using chip waveforms with negative excess bandwidth. Other effects of using negative chip excess bandwidth are discussed. Numerical results are also provided.
Noncompartmental pharmacokinetics analysis of glucose-stimulated insulin response in African-American and Caucasian youths.

The objective of this study was to examine the differences in glucose and insulin responses between African–American and Caucasian youths and to determine the associations of between-group differences with sex, body mass index (BMI) and pubertal status using a noncompartmental pharmacokinetic approach. Sixteen African–American and 22 Caucasian healthy adolescents were tested using the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test. Longitudinal t-tests across each observation revealed that (1) African–American youths have higher insulin concentrations between 4 to 19 min; (2) insulin levels remained similar as subjects were grouped according to sex and pubertal status; (3) for glucose, the only difference was found as it approached steady-state basal level (>100 min) between groups with different BMIs. Linear regression showed that insulin concentrations between 4 to 19 min are associated with BMI in Caucasians. African–American youths were found to have higher insulin responses after glucose stimulation and the insulin concentrations were more related to BMI in Caucasians compared with African–Americans. BMI also has a significant effect on the glucose steady state basal level. The acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg) extended to 20 min resulted in a more significant racial difference (p<0.0006) compared with the calculation done over 10 min suggested in the past (p<0.001). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preoperative assessment of the high-risk patient for lung resection.

Background. We wanted to determine if cardiopulmonary exercise testing could better identify the threshold where physiologic function is irreparably impaired for patients with borderline pulmonary function who are being considered for lung cancer resection. Methods. We performed an open, prospective preoperative trial and a postoperative outcome evaluation with a combined medical, surgical, and exercise physiology evaluation at three university hospitals. All eligible patients had spirometry, lung volume determination, and quantitative perfusion scanning and performed a cardiopulmonary stress test, stair climbing, and a 12-minute walk for distance. Functional status was determined with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, a dyspnea score, and a cardiopulmonary risk index. Results. We identified 12 patients who met strict criteria for borderline pulmonary function during a 1-year study period. The mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) was 1.38 L (48% of predicted). The mean predicted postoperative FEV 1 based on pneumonectomy was 700 mL. Eleven of the patients did the stair climb and 10 passed. All 12 patients achieved a maximum oxygen consumption greater than or equal to 10 mL · kg −1 · min −1 (mean value, 13.8 mL · kg −1 · min −1 ). Thirteen operations were performed on the 12 patients. Nine complications occurred in 7 patients. Conclusions. Patients with borderline pulmonary function can undergo resection safely if they have an FEV 1 equal to or greater than 1.6 L or 40% of its predicted value, a predicted postoperative FEV 1 of 700 mL or more, a maximum oxygen consumption of 10 mL · kg −1 · min −1 or greater, or stair climbing of three flights or more. Cardiopulmonary stress testing and stair climbing add valuable clinical information for patients with an FEV 1 of less than 1.6 L.
Immunocontrol in dogs

Population control in dogs and cats is an important goal for many groups. Control measures over the years has included surgery, hormonal therapy and more recently immunological control. The current presentation discusses dog population control with an emphasis on immunologic control. Specifically, vaccination with purified zona pellucida (ZP) glycoproteins leads initially to immunocontraception and then to the profound and irreversible changes of immunosterilization. The preliminary studies are extremely encouraging on developing a vaccine for lasting canine population control.
Sleep, circadian rhythms, and delayed phase in adolescence

Sleep/wake timing shifts later in young humans during the second decade of life. In this review we describe sleep/wake patterns, changes in these patterns across adolescence, and evidence for the role of environmental, psychosocial, and biological factors underlying these changes. A two-process model incorporating circadian (Process C) and sleep/wake homeostatic (Process S) components is outlined. This model may help us to understand how developmental changes translate to shifted sleep/wake patterns. Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), which has a typical onset during the second decade of life, may be an extreme manifestation of homeostatic and circadian changes in adolescence. We describe symptoms, prevalence, and possible etiology of DSPS, as well as treatment approaches in adolescents.
Functional localization of soluble guanylate cyclase in turtle retina : Modulation of cGMP by nitric oxide donors

The second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) plays a role in many aspects of retinal processing. cGMP-gated channels function in photoreceptors, Muller, bipolar, and ganglion cells; and cGMP can modulate gap-junction conductivity. In the inner retina, both particulate and soluble guanylate cyclases can elevate levels of cGMP. The soluble isoform of guanylate cyclase is activated by nitric oxide (NO). In turtle retina, nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme that synthesizes NO, has been previously localized in discrete amacrine cells, somata in the ganglion cell layer, and in many processes in the inner plexiform layer. However, there have been no studies localizing soluble guanylate cyclase in the turtle retina. To functionally localize soluble guanylate cyclase, we stimulated retinas with the NO donors (+/-)-S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine or spermine (nitric oxide) adduct, and then used immunocytochemistry to localize increases in cGMP-like immunoreactivity (cGMP-LI). The cells containing soluble guanylate cyclase should show cell autonomous increases in cGMP-LI in response to stimulation with NO. NO-stimulated increases in cGMP-LI occurred in many distinct amacrine cell types, select bipolar cells, some somata in the ganglion cell layer, and in discrete bands of processes in the inner plexiform layer. The pattern of cGMP-LI demonstrated qualitative dose response differences to the NO donors. This is the first localization of soluble guanylate cyclase in specific retinal neurons in the turtle; and the first functional activation of soluble guanylate cyclase in the amacrine cells of any species. The broad neuronal distribution of NO-stimulated cGMP-LI suggests that the NO/soluble guanylate cyclase/cGMP cascade is involved at several levels of visual processing in the inner retina.
Video traffic characterization for multimedia networks with a deterministic service

One of the most important traffic types in future packet-switched networks is high-bandwidth, variable-bit-rate (VBR) video. Since video is a delay-sensitive media, the network must allocate resources to maintain quality-of-service (QoS) guarantees on throughput, delay, and delay jitter to video connections. A key component of resource allocation is the traffic characterization of video sources that determines the resources required to support video connections. In this study, we propose a method for characterizing VBR video traffic with a fixed number of leaky buckets in networks with a deterministic service. We explore tradeoffs of network utilization in two directions: (1) the number of leaky buckets used for traffic characterisation, and (2) the amount of information from a video sequence used to produce the characterization. We evaluate our method with a set of 30-minute long MPEG-compressed video traces.
Evaluation of different biological data and computational classification methods for use in protein interaction prediction

Protein-protein interactions play a key role in many biological systems. High-throughput methods can directly detect the set of interacting proteins in yeast, but the results are often incomplete and exhibit high false-positive and false-negative rates. Recently, many different research groups independently suggested using supervised learning methods to integrate direct and indirect biological data sources for the protein interaction prediction task. However, the data sources, approaches, and implementations varied. Furthermore, the protein interaction prediction task itself can be subdivided into prediction of (1) physical interaction, (2) co-complex relationship, and (3) pathway co-membership. To investigate systematically the utility of different data sources and the way the data is encoded as features for predicting each of these types of protein interactions, we assembled a large set of biological features and varied their encoding for use in each of the three prediction tasks. Six different classifiers were used to assess the accuracy in predicting interactions, Random Forest (RF), RF similarity-based k-Nearest-Neighbor, Naive Bayes, Decision Tree, Logistic Regression, and Support Vector Machine. For all classifiers, the three prediction tasks had different success rates, and co-complex prediction appears to be an easier task than the other two. Independently of prediction task, however, the RF classifier consistently ranked as one of the top two classifiers for all combinations of feature sets. Therefore, we used this classifier to study the importance of different biological datasets. First, we used the splitting function of the RF tree structure, the Gini index, to estimate feature importance. Second, we determined classification accuracy when only the top-ranking features were used as an input in the classifier. We find that the importance of different features depends on the specific prediction task and the way they are encoded. Strikingly, gene expression is consistently the most important feature for all three prediction tasks, while the protein interactions identified using the yeast-2-hybrid system were not among the top-ranking features under any condition.
“Midwife to Myself”: Birth Narratives among Women Choosing Unassisted Homebirth*

Most pregnant women in the United States today choose a normative physician-guided pregnancy followed by a medically managed hospital birth. Some, however, choose the care of a midwife during pregnancy and birth, whether in the hospital or, more rarely, at home. Despite growing research on both these paths, a third option chosen by some women has rarely been studied: a planned birth at home with neither a doctor nor a midwife assisting. In this article, I examine the stories told by women in this under-researched population to consider how they make and explain this highly unusual choice. Analysis of online birth stories and in-depth interviews with women who planned and had an unassisted homebirth reveal ways in which these women rely on competing discourses of midwifery and medicine to craft a unique sense of agency in birth.
Variability among atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strains in ability to prevent aflatoxin contamination and production of aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway enzymes

Five strains of Aspergillus flavus lacking the ability to produce aflatoxins were examined in greenhouse tests for the ability to prevent a toxigenic strain from contaminating developing cottonseed with aflatoxins. All atoxigenic strains reduced contamination when inoculated into developing bolls 24 h prior to the toxigenic strain. However, only one strain, AF36, was highly effective when inoculated simultaneously with the toxigenic strain. All five strains were able to inhibit aflatoxin production by the toxigenic strain in liquid fermentation. Thus, in vitro activity did not predict the ability of an atoxigenic strain to prevent contamination of developing bolls. Therefore, strain selection for competitive exclusion to prevent aflatoxin contamination should include evaluation of efficacy in developing crops prior to field release. Atoxigenic strains were also characterized by the ability to convert several aflatoxin precursors into aflatoxin B1. Four atoxigenic strains failed to convert any of the aflatoxin biosynthetic precursors to aflatoxins. However, the strain (AF36) most effective in preventing aflatoxin contamination in developing bolls converted all tested precursors into aflatoxin B1, indicating that this strain made enzymes in the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway.
Cell-specific gene expression in Anabaena variabilis grown phototrophically, mixotrophically, and heterotrophically

When the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis grows aerobically without combined nitrogen, some vegetative cells differentiate into N2-fixing heterocysts, while the other vegetative cells perform photosynthesis. Microarrays of sequences within protein-encoding genes were probed with RNA purified from extracts of vegetative cells, from isolated heterocysts, and from whole filaments to investigate transcript levels, and carbon and energy metabolism, in vegetative cells and heterocysts in phototrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic cultures. Heterocysts represent only 5% to 10% of cells in the filaments. Accordingly, levels of specific transcripts in vegetative cells were with few exceptions very close to those in whole filaments and, also with few exceptions (e.g., nif1 transcripts), levels of specific transcripts in heterocysts had little effect on the overall level of those transcripts in filaments. In phototrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic growth conditions, respectively, 845, 649, and 846 genes showed more than 2-fold difference (p < 0.01) in transcript levels between vegetative cells and heterocysts. Principal component analysis showed that the culture conditions tested affected transcript patterns strongly in vegetative cells but much less in heterocysts. Transcript levels of the genes involved in phycobilisome assembly, photosynthesis, and CO2 assimilation were high in vegetative cells in phototrophic conditions, and decreased when fructose was provided. Our results suggest that Gln, Glu, Ser, Gly, Cys, Thr, and Pro can be actively produced in heterocysts. Whether other protein amino acids are synthesized in heterocysts is unclear. Two possible components of a sucrose transporter were identified that were upregulated in heterocysts in two growth conditions. We consider it likely that genes with unknown function represent a larger fraction of total transcripts in heterocysts than in vegetative cells across growth conditions. This study provides the first comparison of transcript levels in heterocysts and vegetative cells from heterocyst-bearing filaments of Anabaena. Although the data presented do not give a complete picture of metabolism in either type of cell, they provide a metabolic scaffold on which to build future analyses of cell-specific processes and of the interactions of the two types of cells.
Diabetic neuropathic cachexia: report of a recurrent case

Diabetic neuropathic cachexia is an uncommon peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus and characterised by profound weight loss and painful dysaesthesias over the limbs and trunk. The pathophysiological basis of this disorder remains unknown and there have been no published cases of recurrent episodes. A hispanic man who experienced two episodes of diabetic neuropathic cachexia over a seven year period is described.
A neural-network-based classification scheme for sorting sources and ages of fecal contamination in water.

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) were successfully applied to data observations from a small watershed consisting of commonly measured indicator bacteria, weather conditions, and turbidity to distinguish between human sewage and animal-impacted runoff, fresh runoff from aged, and agricultural land-use-associated fresh runoff from that of suburban land-use-associated-fresh runoff. The ANNs were applied in a cascading, or hierarchical scheme. ANN performance was measured in two ways: (1) training and (2) testing. An ANN was able to sort sewage from runoff with 90% accuracy.
Specificity of Peritraumatic Fear in Predicting Anxious Reactivity to a Biological Challenge among Traumatic Event-Exposed Adolescents

Theory implicates peritraumatic fear-based interoceptive conditioning in the development of panic spectrum problems subsequent to traumatic event exposure. Relatively little empirical work has directly investigated this hypothesis. The current study tested the hypothesis that level of peritraumatic fear would predict anxious reactivity to a well-established 3-min voluntary hyperventilation procedure administered to 63 adolescents who had experienced a DSM-IV-TR-defined traumatic event. This relation was examined after controlling for variance accounted for by posttraumatic stress symptoms, sex, age, anxiety sensitivity, general symptoms of psychopathology, and both peritraumatic helplessness and disgust. As predicted, peritraumatic fear was related to anxious reactivity to hyperventilation-elicited bodily arousal. Specificity tests suggested this relation was specific to peritraumatic fear. Prospective research is now needed to better elucidate the relation between peritraumatic fear and subsequent development of anxious reactivity to bodily arousal and panic spectrum problems.
LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT OF FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS KINETICS IN PLASMA BY USE OF A QUANTITATIVE COMPETITIVE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE PCR

Cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) develop a disease syndrome similar to that caused by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in humans. HIV-1 replication has been shown to correlate with the disease stage and progression. To assess replication kinetics and disease progression in early FIV infection, we developed a quantitative competitive reverse transcriptase PCR to measure the plasma virus load at serial time points after virus exposure. We found that an early peak viremia immediately preceded the onset of acute-phase symptoms in infected cats. Plasma virus levels remained high throughout the symptomatic phase of infection, which lasted for 8 to 10 weeks, and then declined as clinical symptoms resolved; however, all cats maintained significant plasma virus titers through 36 weeks postinfection. Early peak viral replication coincided with the initial precipitous decline in circulating CD4+ T lymphocytes. These results indicate that FIV kinetics are similar to those of HIV-1 during the acute and secondary phase of infection and that the plasma FIV load correlates with the disease stage. These results serve to further develop the FIV model and to enhance its usefulness for pathogenesis, vaccine development, and therapeutic studies related to HIV.
Genomically Biased Accumulation of Seed Storage Proteins in Allopolyploid Cotton

Allopolyploidy is an important process during plant evolution that results in the reunion of two divergent genomes into a common nucleus. Many of the immediate as well as longer-term genomic and epigenetic responses to polyploidy have become appreciated. To investigate the modifications of gene expression at the proteome level caused by allopolyploid formation, we conducted a comparative analysis of cotton seed proteomes from the allopolyploid Gossypium hirsutum (AD genome) and its model A-genome and D-genome diploid progenitors. An unexpectedly high level of divergence among the three proteomes was found, with about one-third of all protein forms being genome specific. Comparative analysis showed that there is a higher degree of proteomic similarity between the allopolyploid and its D-genome donor than its A-genome donor, reflecting a biased accumulation of seed proteins in the allopolyploid. Protein identification and genetic characterization of high-abundance proteins revealed that two classes of seed storage proteins, vicilins and legumins, compose the major component of cotton seed proteomes. Analyses further indicate differential regulation or modification of homoeologous gene products, as well as novel patterns in the polyploid proteome that may result from the interaction between homoeologous gene products. Our findings demonstrate that genomic merger and doubling have consequences that extend beyond the transcriptome into the realm of the proteome and that unequal expression of proteins from diploid parental genomes may occur in allopolyploids.
Test-retest reliability of a computerized concussion test: CNS vital signs

Background:Neurocognitive testing is an important concussion evaluation tool, but for neurocognitive tests to be useful, their psychometric properties must be well established. Test-retest reliabil...